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supersaiyanjedi14 · 7 months

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RWBY Versus Series: Adam Taurus vs. James Ironwood

"But fear itself isn't worthy of concern, it is who we become while in its clutches. Will you be proud of that person? Will you forgive them? Will you understand why they felt the need to do the things they did? Will you even recognize them? Or will the person staring back at you be the very thing you should have feared from the start?"

PHYSICAL

At first glance, this seems like a very simple conclusion to reach. While Adam Taurus certainly has James Ironwood beat in terms of physical health and wellness (blind in one eye vs. triple amputee with half your chest gone, one is decidedly worse), Ironwood’s alterations and implants more than make up for his poor condition. Though originally a run of the mill homo sapian, James Ironwood is now more machine than man, with superhumanly strong prosthetic limbs and built in armor turning him into a veritable juggernaut. As a Faunus, Adam may have anatomical traits that put him beyond your typical human by way of his horns and likely night vision, but these traits are either vestigial or useless on neutral ground, and his is otherwise just another squishy meatbag. Ironwood’s superior anatomy carries directly over to physical performance levels, boasting physical strength that is light years beyond anything Adam could muster up. Yes, carving through military-grade robots like they were nothing is a testament to a heavy hitter, but it really doesn’t compare to being able to manhandle a Beowolf with only one hand. Ironwood’s superior might is further supported by his agility, bringing every ounce of his weight and might to his target every time. Adam may be able to brace himself to deflect a flying Blake, but Ironwood doing the same would be far beyond his ability to handle. While Adam’s performance against Yang Xiao Long proves that he can contend with physically stronger opponents, this is all he can do, and jockeying in an arm-wrestling contest with Ironwood is well beyond his capabilities. Quite simply, Ironwood’s body is 50% metal and he’s all the more dangerous for it.

However, despite the General’s overwhelming physical might, this is not a one-sided contest, as his Faunus opponent boasts some critical physical advantages of his own. Adam may not have any anatomical advantages he can leverage over Ironwood, but he does enjoy a significant age gap, at minimum 20 years. Additionally, much like Cinder Fall, Adam’s impaired eyesight is not a gamebreaker, as he has never been seen suffering from a physical blind spot, owed to either Aura-enhanced senses or simple muscle memory. In terms of athletic ability, Ironwood’s titanic strength is matched and countered by Adam’s mind-numbing speed. Simply put, if Adam can keep pace with Blake, casually run laps around Yang, and demonstrate blatantly superior acrobatic ability, then Ironwood is going to have his work cut out for him. Dexterity and reflex also go to the High Leader, demonstrating greater precision and control in his sword style than the General’s simple pistol whips. Ironwood’s ability to match and arguably defeat Winter Schnee, to whom Adam is easily comparable, is proof that he can deal with speed demons, but as with Adam and his strength, that’s the limit. He can contend with Adam’s speed, but he can’t actually match or surpass him. As far as health and athleticism is concerned, Adam Taurus and James Ironwood demonstrate a balance of opposites. Both are stronger in areas the other is, while certainly not weak, comparatively lesser in, and either getting the opportunity to leverage that superiority could affect the tide of the whole battle. If Yang can overpower Adam, so can Ironwood. If Winter can outpace/fence Ironwood, so can Adam. Both have proven they can engage such opponents without being overmatched, so neither will be able to coast by on strength or speed alone in this fight.

This dynamic of opposing strengths and weaknesses carries over to their respective endurance and tolerances. Once again, Ironwood’s cybernetics afford him a clear and distinct advantage over Adam, his natural armor and displays of physical hardiness allowing him to work through hits that would leave the High Leader a burned-out husk. Getting back up after getting punched into a crater is great and all, but it’s not the same as literally burning the skin off of your own arm, and that’s before we consider that Adam’s last bits of Aura were taking most of the damage. But on the other hand, it is worth noting that Ironwood’s superior displays have been the direct result of him allowing himself to take the hits even when he doesn’t have to. Combined with his visible fatigue against the subversive Watts and his brief clashes with JNR and Winter, Ironwood’s survivability in the long term has a distinct cap. Conversely, Adam’s final confrontation with Blake and Yang was anywhere from double to triple the length of Ironwood’s fight with Watts, during which he was executing his own intense energetic fighting style the entire time and facing opponents whose offensive pressure slaps anything Watts could muster up. Despite that, Adam still had enough energy to keep fighting unaffected after losing his Aura, and considering just how much punishment Blake and Yang had to subject him to in order to finally get him to that point, I would say that Adam has the stamina advantage by quite a significant margin. Mental health and discipline follow a similar pattern. Adam is the more unstable of the two, his violent outbursts being far more pronounced, whereas Ironwood’s military discipline leaves his composure far stronger to the point of apathy. Yet Ironwood’s ruthless determination still compels him to take unnecessary risks, while Adam, be it by either cowardice or pragmatism, has shown a willingness to pace himself and cut his losses if need be.

As overall physical specimens, Adam Taurus and James Ironwood display a balance of major advantages and disadvantages over the other that match up extremely well. Adam is younger, faster, more sustainable, and better at staying alive, while Ironwood is tougher, stronger, better equipped, and better at keeping his cool. Both are well optimized to take advantage of their opponents’ weaknesses, and both are ruthless enough to fight to the death if need be. As such, this verdict is determined by the severity of the disparities in their respective performances, and it is here where Ironwood’s enhancements give him a leg up. Adam may have been able to contend with Yang Xiao Long’s greater strength and fortitude, but Ironwood is very likely stronger and tougher than Yang, making his advantage over the Faunus that much more substantial. By contrast, Adam merely matches Winter Schnee’s agility, he does not surpass it, so his speed advantage is not enough to put the general too far out of his comfort zone. Adam can potentially turn this dynamic around through skill at arms, but he cannot overcome Ironwood on the back of raw physicality. To be clear, Ironwood still has an uphill battle ahead of him, as Adam’s own strengths and displays mean that he cannot afford to coast by on strength and endurance. It must be remembered that Ironwood’s superiority is wholly in the fact that his cybernetics expanding the strength and durability gap wider than the speed and stamina gap, the latter of which are still eggs in Adam’s basket. I will go so far as to say that if we were examining a hypothetical non-cyborg Ironwood, then Adam would sweep the edge on the back of his youth. As it stands, however, Adam’s only hope lies in skill and power, and a battle of the body is Ironwood’s to lose.

James Ironwood gets the edge for Physical Ability and Equipment.

MARTIAL

Starting from the top with a comparison of their weaponry, both Adam Taurus and James Ironwood carry one standard firearm as part of their primary arsenal, their respective standard performances being more or less comparable. Where the weapon sets diverge from this point demonstrate the differences in each warrior’s approach. With Blush’s ability to shoot Wilt as a projectile, its use as a close-quarters bludgeon, and the versatility Wilt boasts as a sword, Adam’s arsenal provides a wider range of options in battle, which his fighting style fully leverages. With the secondary explosive rounds of Due Process’s silver half and the gravity Dust in the black half, Ironwood boasts an array of distinct yet extremely powerful attack modes which he then layered on top of each other. While both combatants have experience contending with each other’s outliers, meaning there is no significant gamebreakers, Adam’s more diverse arsenal and superior melee options do make him overall better armed.

Carrying over from the differences in their weapons, the combatants’ fighting styles are worlds apart yet have similar emphases. Adam Taurus’s technique is a sophisticated yet vicious method designed to overwhelm his targets with sheer speed and ferocity, while turning away any retaliation by way of evasive maneuvers and active defense and counters. Meanwhile, James Ironwood’s style is the manifestation of strength and power, leveraging his overwhelming might for maximum effect to pound his opposition into submission, relying on his fortitude to soak up anything the enemy brings to bear before responding in kind. One relies on a refined core technique that blends his diverse skill set into a singular, high performance fighting style, and the other relies on a much simpler technique that allows him to dominate the combat through the direct application of power. Both emphasize heavy offense as their first response, defending when needed when that fails before quickly regaining their momentum, in keeping with their mutual objective of dominating and controlling the engagement. Furthermore, both have shown great success at landing counters on overly aggressive opponents, while they themselves have both overextended when facing defensive opponents. While I do consider Adam’s guerilla assassin style as more refined than Ironwood’s gritty boxing style, the skill gap is not substantial. Between Adam’s repeated victories over Blake Belladonna and parity with Yang Xiao Long versus Ironwood overpowering Arthur Watts and fighting evenly with Winter Schnee, their developed skill levels are more or less on par. Technical sophistication will not be enough to allow the Faunus to simply outfence the general, especially given how Ironwood’s power is something that Adam has come up short against in the past. To be fair, though, the same can be said of Ironwood, as evasive duelists are well-optimized for staying out of his crosshairs. Experience-wise, Ironwood certainly has a significant edge over Adam by way of his greater years, affording him training and fighting time that Adam simply didn’t live long enough to accumulate. That being said, the value of Ironwood’s experience is undercut by the fact that he has spent the better part of his career behind a desk rather than on the battlefield, whereas nearly all of Adam’s comparatively shorter career was spent fighting, leading White Fang raids practically every other Tuesday.

With their skill sets and skill levels so closely matched, the most relevant factor in this verdict is going to be their respective tactical sensibilities, ironic given their mutual legacy of disastrous decision making. Both Adam and Ironwood are ruthlessly domineering fighters whose primary strategies center around asserting their control over the situation, their differing methods being paths to roughly the same destination. Adam’s strategy of active defense and counter allows him to turn any attack back on his opponent while he rushes in to eviscerate the target before they have time to recover, preventing his target from bringing their full might to bear against him. Meanwhile, Ironwood’s approach of enduring and powering through allows him to blunt any spearthrust against him before coming crashing against the opponent’s guard with more force than most are reasonably prepared for. Both frequently open as the aggressor, moving to overwhelm the enemy directly while refusing to give an inch of ground. Failing that, though they don’t like doing so, both are able and willing to fall back on defense to wait for an opportunity to counterattack. Due to his overwhelming offensive might, Ironwood would certainly dominate in a head-to-head engagement, bullying through Adam’s more refined technique with brute strength and pounding him into submission. However, I do not believe that Adam would fall into this trap. As a guerilla fighter, Adam has consistently been in a position where he does not have the strength to meet his opponents head-to-head. Instead, he opted to use that strength against the opponent, taking advantage of their overextended attacks to rush in, get inside their guard, and cut them down, or simply relying on his Semblance to use their own energies against them. Yang proved that the best way to defeat Adam is to play defense rather than offense, denying him the openings he needs to exploit, forcing him to come to you, and ultimately using his own tactics against him. This is simply something Ironwood doesn’t do. Whether barefisted or guns-ablazing, Ironwood is an offensive dervish, charging in and attempting to overpower his opponent directly with overwhelming might. On the one hand, this makes Ironwood extremely vulnerable to Adam’s counters, as he will be forced to chase after the Faunus and meet him on his own terms. But on the other hand, Ironwood’s sheer output is beyond anything Adam has encountered beforehand, meaning that if the general is able to get his adversary between a rock and a hard place, Adam could get into trouble very quickly.

As such, this is going to hinge heavily on Adam’s ability to contend with Ironwood’s offensive. The practical benefits of Ironwood’s simpler, stronger fighting style are best expressed in a close-quarters engagement; as with Winter, Adam’s refined swordplay will merely allow him to contend in a pure hand-to-hand brawl. However, Ironwood’s weapons of choice are firearms, meaning that he is just as likely, if not more so, to open with gunplay to strike his opponent at range. Therefore, the big question is this; can Adam Taurus reliably defend himself against James Ironwood’s primary forms of attack? Yes, he can. Guns are exactly what he built his defensive technique to address, and advancing vanguards are exactly what his hit-and-run tactics are meant to subvert. If he can deflect a firing squad’s worth of rifle fire, he can keep pace with Ironwood’s trigger speed. And if he can endure Yang’s machine gun punching spree long enough to find an opening to evade, he can certainly work his way around Ironwood’s more sluggish advance. Furthermore, Adam’s own marksmanship and unarmed skill, while outclassed by Ironwood’s, will still be adequate to interfere with the general and wear him down, whether by interfering with his focus in his normal state or chipping away at his Aura when he’s going full Mettle. Where Winter was trying to whittle him down with precise cuts, Adam would be tearing into his exposed flank. However, this isn’t to say that Adam will simply be able to dance circles around Ironwood and slice him to ribbons. We’d still be experiencing something of a stalemate here, as Ironwood’s sheer output still eclipses what Adam has confirmed experience with, meaning he is still going to be a serious danger if he gets the chance to properly leverage his own offensive power. Outside of Yang (who eventually killed him), all of Adam’s confirmed or implied opponents have been fellow skill-based warrior assassins like himself rather than domineering juggernauts. If Ironwood is able to get his target between a rock and a hard place, Adam would ultimately get crushed underfoot.

Making Adam and Ironwood’s dynamic with each other even more significant is the fact that their weaknesses are centered around their inability to deviate from their chosen patterns. Both combatants have come up short against each other’s fighter type in the past, Adam falling to a heavy-handed brawler in Yang Xiao Long, and Ironwood a dynamic speed fencer in Winter Schnee. In both cases, their only recourse was to double down and escalate rather than adopt a more appropriate strategy, meaning they ultimately had nothing to fall back on when overwhelming force wasn’t enough against their more measured opponents. And this approach would be equally ineffective against each other given they are both equally unyielding when their backs are to the wall. A pure contest of martial skill between these two would be both a spectacular display of combative talent and a savage war of annihilation. And given their shared mastery of contrasting fighting styles and tactics, their ruthless aggression, and the significant strengths and weaknesses they have over each other, I don’t see either combatant as having any sort of decisive advantage over the other.

I declare Adam Taurus and James Ironwood EQUAL as Martial Artists and Combat Strategists.

SPECIAL

Adam Taurus and James Ironwood are physical combat specialists who use their Semblances as a direct supplement to their martial techniques, and their applications of their abilities play directly into their respective strategies. With Moonslice, Adam’s approach of defense and counter is given a whole new dimension, with each blow he blocks or deflects providing him with fuel to unleash a devastating counterattack. Meanwhile, Mettle perfectly plays into Ironwood’s endurance strategy by giving him the means to leverage his strength and power without interference or distraction from even his conscious mind. However, when efficiency and application are added to the mix, one power is easily more viable than the other. While Mettle does reinforce and elevate Ironwood’s performance to a substantial degree, its nature as an inwardly directed power means that its ability to directly influence the combat is extremely limited. Ironwood may be able to hyper-focus every single one of his punches and bullets to get the most bang for his buck, but his attack output is still restricted to how hard he can punch and nothing more. By contrast, Moonslice is an ability that has direct offensive applications, affording Adam an additional attack vector to supplement his physical technique. Furthermore, Mettle’s properties could potentially exacerbate Ironwood’s overextensions, leaving him blind to threats outside of Adam’s direct attacks. Ironwood may have the means to power through injury, but Adam’s ability to absorb hits makes him the only one who can capitalize on injury. In a battle of pure Semblances, Adam’s more versatile powers afford a critical advantage.

Ironwood is not entirely helpless as an ethereal combatant, however, as he is the only one here who incorporates Dust into his fighting style. With the gravity bullets loaded into Due Process, Ironwood compensates for Mettle’s lack of offensive application by way of powerful shockwaves. Not only do these blasts count as a decent match for Moonslices’s energy waves, but Ironwood’s use of them to support his movements and recoveries affords him a degree of versatility that Adam lacks. The problem, however, arises when tactics are thrown into the mix. Adam may be something of a one-trick pony when it comes to firing off Moonslices, but deflecting gunfire to build up energy for those slices is his go-to tactic in just about every situation. Blake and Yang both proved that the best way to subvert this is to blindside Adam with shots he can’t see coming and can’t deflect, something Ironwood’s certainly capable of doing. Problem is…he doesn’t. While perfectly willing to sucker-shoot someone at point-blank range, Ironwood overwhelmingly favors long range gunfire to attack the target directly, which is the absolute last thing to do against this opponent. Trying to gun down Adam Taurus at range, even with magic bullets, is like trying to put out a fire with gasoline. Not only has Adam proven that he can keep up with Ironwood’s trigger speed, but his performance against the spider drone in the Black Trailer shows that he can easily deal with the magnitude of Ironwood’s rounds and throw them back. If a gigantic laser cannon couldn’t overwhelm Adam’s Semblance, comparatively dinky Dust bullets ain’t gonna do the job either. The only piece of Ironwood’s arsenal that even comes close to the spider drone is the energy cannon he utilized at the end of Volume 8, which isn’t applicable here because the cannon is not part of Ironwood’s standard equipment; he only breaks it out for special occasions.

At the end of the day, James Ironwood’s special abilities either gain him nothing or they seal his fate, especially when contrasted with the far more flexible powers Adam Taurus has at his disposal. Absorbing hits and throwing them back with a sword may seem like a very basic power, but not only has Adam made incredibly calculated uses of it, it is also perfectly optimized to use Ironwood’s own energies against him. Ironwood’s typical use of Mettle will merely enable him to keep charging after Adam without a thought to what his opponent might attempt, playing into the Faunus’s guerrilla tactics. Meanwhile, Adam will be able to capably nail the general with his own bursts of destructive power fluidly chained into his swordplay. And between Ironwood’s overwhelming offensive focus, emphasis on gunfire at range, and the extra oomph of his Dust rounds, he's going to be giving Adam quite a lot to work with. While Moonslice will not be enough to instantly one-shot Ironwood, it will still be more than enough for Adam to wear Ironwood down. Furthermore, for all his instability, Adam is able to maintain a more complete situational awareness without sacrificing his focus and aggression, only failing to account for the unexpected when he is being actively distracted. What Blake achieved with clever feints and flanking maneuvers, Team JNR achieved with an opponent with tactical tunnel vision. Ironwood has certainly mastered his Semblance and his use of Dust, but he is overspecialized and relatively one-note. Adam makes far more intelligent use of a Semblance that is more tactically viable and, dare I say, more powerful, and does so in a way that will make him the general’s worst nightmare.

Adam Taurus gets the edge for Special Abilities and Powers.

VERDICT

The name of the game here is Equal and Opposite. When looking at these two on paper, Adam Taurus and James Ironwood appear to have nothing in common, and in fact appear to be exact opposites to each other. One is a red and black garbed Faunus hailing from the dregs of society, leader of a smaller guerrilla force, and an openly malevolent, violent, and selfish young man who expressed his cruelty through both a terrorist campaign and a frighteningly abusive relationship. The other is a blue and white clad human from the most prosperous Kingdom on the map, commander of a large, organized army, and an outwardly charming, friendly, and honorable man who is genuinely dedicated to serving and protecting the world. However, when one observes the fine print and pushes aside the cosmetic details, the two are tragically far more similar that either would dare concede to. Both were powerful leading figures within two dangerously controversial factions in the world of Remnant. Both were initially driven by higher, nobler causes for the sake of their own people, only for those missions to become twisted and corrupted by their mutual preoccupation with power and control, itself heavily influenced by their severe physical and psychological trauma. But more than anything else, both were the architects of their own destruction, their egos and fear gradually driving away whatever allies they had as they slowly spiraled down a path of madness and murder. Both believed themselves to be the hero, but they merely lived long enough to see themselves become the villain. Just as there are a plethora of ironic similarities and stark reversals between these two, so too are their diametrically opposed approaches to combat perfectly suited for engaging the other. Physically, Adam Taurus has youth on his side and boasts superior agility and stamina, but James Ironwood’s cybernetic enhancements grant him vastly greater strength and durability. One is optimized for an endurance run, the other dominates a slugging match. With martial arts, Adam Taurus’s dynamic and counter-centric swordplay and James Ironwood’s domineering brawling and firepower are seamless foils to each other, perfectly optimized to hit the other where he is weakest. And in the realm of special abilities, Adam Taurus holds the means to attack using his opponent’s own power against him while James Ironwood possesses the ability to deliver each of his devastating blows with laser-guided focus, both powers elevating their respective fighting styles into something greater than the sum of its parts. This is nothing less than a contest of equals, and while both would be loath to concede to it, they are very much each other’s perfect adversary.

Given that both combatants predicate their success on controlling the engagement, the decisive factor in this matchup is going to be tactics and conduct, as he who can get the other to fight on his terms is he who controls. This is especially ironic given how both combatants are known for having made extremely ill-informed, borderline foolish, strategic decisions, a failing that went a long way towards driving them to ruin. However, neither Adam or Ironwood is truly incompetent, they simply lack forethought and tact, and it is worth noting that their blunders were often influenced by factors beyond their control. When examining their baseline conduct and approaches, they are again well-suited to engage each other, but there is a noticeable disparity that finally tips the scales one way. James Ironwood is the embodiment of the direct application of power, linear warfare. Everything he is bringing to the table, body, weapon and soul, is specifically designed to be the strongest and most formidable piece on the board, capable of overcoming any adversary while being virtually impossible to assail himself. He never deviated from this approach to combat simply because he never needed to 9 times out of 10, and the few times he did run into trouble, all he had to do was hit a little harder before the enemy finally broke. Meanwhile, for all his ambitions and delusions of grandeur, Adam Taurus is a guerrilla assassin first and foremost, non-linear warfare. He is operating from a position of lesser strength more often than not, so he works to avoid the head-on collision whenever possible. He rushes in to cut the enemy down before they have time to respond then quickly move on to the next target, and should they try to fight back, he will defend before immediately countering. Attacking Adam directly will either give him the opportunity to retaliate or provide fuel for his Semblance, and it is worth noting that most of his successes in battle were against opponents who actively resisted him. Adam had plans to subjugate the world, which would naturally involve eventually crossing paths with stronger armies, namely Atlas itself, so everything about him is built with the goal of undermining that strength. And because this is exactly the kind of approach to combat that James Ironwood specialized in, he is exactly the sort of opponent that Adam Taurus has optimized his skill set to combat. Adam’s ironic tactical and defensive superiority makes his narrow advantages in all other areas decisive edges. His greater speed and agility will keep him out of the general’s crosshairs, while his superior stamina will allow him to maintain his performance further into the fight. His fighting style is perfectly suited to take advantage of Ironwood’s overcommitments and land critical blows to further wear him down, while his Semblance will take his enemy’s own consistent attacks and throw them right back at him.

However, I need to stress that Ironwood is merely at a disadvantage, he is not overmatched. Adam’s advantages may be crucial, but Ironwood’s own are still guaranteed to give the Faunus problems. If Adam makes a single mistake or Ironwood gets the change to bring his full power to bear, he is going down. The only thing keeping Adam in this fight is his defensive technique, which he will only be able to execute so long as his head is in the game. Psychological health is the bane of both combatants’ existence, and their final defeats owed greatly to their deteriorating mental states. However, while Ironwood is outwardly more collected and stable than the disturbed Adam, his stubborn, borderline obstinate, determination was his greatest weakness, burning his candle from both ends by forcing his way through unnecessary risks, a factor that can lead him to either soldier his way to victory or completely burn him out. Adam may be the more overtly explosive and volatile man, but his instability is specifically rooted in childhood trauma and his relationship with Blake, and he only lost his cool when specific buttons were pushed. When Adam’s in the field, he is cold, focused, and all business. Even accounting for Adam’s clear hatred of Ironwood, Ironwood’s lack of intimate familiarity with Adam means than exploiting his instability would be unlikely even if he were one for psychological warfare. furthermore, Adam's conduct demonstrates that he is at least somewhat aware of his short fuse, operating in a way to prevent his composure from being tested. Both are extremely arrogant, yes, but Adam has displayed at least a small willingness to recognize his limitations and compensate for them, whereas Ironwood simply tries to be big enough to ignore them, damn the consequences.

In my view, if Adam Taurus and James Ironwood were pitted against each other in the context of the lore, they would no doubt approach each other the way they did Sienna Kahn and Ruby Rose respectively, the former playing it safe and assassinating him and the latter dispatching his forces to hunt him down. But if dropped in cold, their battle would most likely play out as a combination of their respective final duels with Yang Xiao Long and Winter Schnee. However, I also feel this would be a far more drawn out and vicious affair. To take a cue from YouTuber Antione Bandele, I will be breaking my projection into three stages; the Early Fight, the Mid Fight, and the Late Fight.

The Early Fight would begin as a simple standoff before exploding into action, both combatants charging in for the initial exchange. Despite their tendency for heavy offense, Adam and Ironwood typically open with a more controlled offensive, still aggressive but keeping their full might in reserve so they can assess and escalate as needed. Ironwood’s heavier guns and unarmed combat would enable him to initially gain ground through sheer force, but Adam has a better recovery strategy, absorbing hits with his Semblance and evading anything else before instantly countering. At the same time, Adam’s initial retaliation will be sure to knock Ironwood around a bit, but not in any way that would actually slow him down. As such, this battle will not be decided in the early fight, instead functioning as more of a mutual assessment.

The Mid Fight is where things will begin to escalate. Once Adam and Ironwood have each other’s measure, they would pull out all the stops, making more deliberate uses of their Semblances and powers while settling into an increasingly brutal rythem. Blades and bullets flying, surges of energy exploding around them, punches and kicks thrown, both intent on burying the other where he stands. It is here that Ironwood has his best chance of victory, as the increased intensity of his onslaught is certain to start putting Adam under serious pressure and potentially overpower him. However, I do not consider this outcome likely, as Ironwood’s approach is too straightforward to push Adam out of his comfort zone. It must be remembered that Yang defeated Adam by goading him into overextending, not by penetrating his defenses. Adam’s greater mobility will be more than enough for him to stay out of Ironwood’s crosshairs, while the openings provided by Ironwood’s attacks will be too great for him to ignore. This constant interruption will also undermine Ironwood’s own offensive, as he will be forced to respond to what Adam is doing rather than controlling the flow. While Watts’s slippery retreat gave Ironwood the opportunity to marshal his strength and power through, Adam’s in-your-face hack and slash will be chipping away at him at every opportunity. However, this will not be enough to seal the deal, as Ironwood’s greater durability and iron will will allow him to shrug off all but the most catastrophic hits and continue fighting.

As such, the final verdict hinges on what happens in the Late Fight. By this point, both combatants will be utterly exhausted, their Auras either already broken or one hit away, though Adam will be better off thanks to his more controlled approach to the battle while Ironwood would be leaning on the native power of his prosthetics and otherwise running on fumes. Both would be frustrated with not having ended their opponent yet, and would set aside grace to finish it once and for all. From here, I can see two potential outcomes. Option A; Ironwood’s fatigue will leave him exposed to a series of attacks that he can no longer effectively defend against and endure, and Adam will be able to cut him down. Option B; Ironwood goes all out and smashes into Adam with his full cyborg weight, willingly subjecting himself to any following injuries in order to bully through Adam's guard and beat him into a bloody pulp.

Of these two outcomes, I view a Faunus victory through attrition to be the more likely. Ironwood may be capable and willing to accept a pyrrhic victory, but he will only be able to do so if he is able to successfully get the drop on his target, and the only example we have of such was against a distracted Arthur Watts. Unlike Blake Belladonna, Adam has no reason to underestimate Ironwood outside of sheer stupidity, and would be on guard for any potential counterattack. In fact, Ironwood’s extreme threat level would no doubt play into Adam’s hands, motivating him to skip gloating and dispatch his target at the earliest opportunity. Compounding this outcome is the fact that Wilt and Blush are simply the superior option for such a takedown than Due Process; regardless of how powerful Ironwood's pistol whips are, battering someone into submission with blunt force trauma is not an efficient way of subduing your target quickly, especially when compared to a sword blade. Ironwood’s fierce resolve does him credit, but instead of pulling victory out of the fire, his final charge would merely prompt Adam to end it. In a scarlet flash, the High Leader would narrowly avoid the general’s mauling fist, and Wilt would carve into what remained of his flesh and bone. General James Ironwood’s body would fall to the ground dead, and the battered, bleeding, and exhausted Adam Taurus would use the last remnants of his strength to raise his bloody blade to the sky and roar in triumph.

I declare Adam Taurus the victor.

Well guys, I hope you enjoyed this next installment of the RWBY Versus Series. I’ve done my best to explain my position as completely as I can, but I understand if you disagree with me. All I believe is that Adam is the more likely to end the fight on his terms. If you disagree, that’s perfectly fine. All I ask is that you keep your comments civil.

In the meantime, feel free to send me asks about future matchups, stay safe, and I’ll see you guys later!

*all images taken from the RWBY Wiki*

#rwby #rwby versus series #adam taurus #james ironwood #rwby adam #rwby ironwood

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demigod-of-the-agni · 11 months

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walks in with a coffee. hey what’s up I’m a little obsessed with your bromantic flight au and yr mind. if Kai forged Lloyd a new arm cause he kinda accidentally caused it to get yeeted, does it also work with his dragon form or not? Like, when he transforms, can the arm change like a transformer to be the appropriate dragon-shaped limb it’s meant to be?

Jk but in essence!! yes!!! The prosthetic can change configurations depending on what form Lloyd takes, thanks to both Kai's intricate mental-smithing skills and Lloyd's dragon/oni magic. Considering reaching the "ideal arm" is a major plot point I took my sweet time in trying to map out how to best create the perfect prosthetic for a guy like Lloyd. (Warning: I go full-bananas and lore dump on you).

Like, I think the best thing to come out of this is how similar the upper anatomy for humans and dragons are, even in terms of evolutionary development. Oni anatomy comes super close, being one of the only other creatures in the First Realm to walk upright bipedally. Considering that human and dragon-oni hybrids have the same origin, it makes sense that their physiologies are practically the same... if only with minor differences.

The general consensus is that no, you can't regrew limbs unless you're a lizard.

The best that you can do is adapt around the missing limb, but functionality will not be 100%. You can bring it up to 99% and have it mimic real life but it won't quite be a real arm or a real leg carrying every single movement the original limb could once do, but that's fine. The point of the prosthetic is to restore as much functionality as physically possible to the amputee. But it's going to need a lot more consideration when you apply that to a hybrid, which is why we go through like a million iterations of that limb.

If the quote "a downed dragon is a dead dragon" rings any bells, then it definitely applies to the hybrids. Cut off a dragon's wings and tails and you've basically grounded the thing; not even elemental essences can save it. But cut off the limbs of a hybrid, a wingless creature born to channel elemental essences through its limbs, and you've basically won. Jeopardising even one limb is enough to drastically lower all of their capabilities. So. Yes. Missing limbs are bad for the hybrids.

So Lloyd very much needs that prosthetic to survive. Lucky we have Kai to develop one for him!

(It takes him months. obviously.)

Kai develops something he calls the "self-regulatory piston". Well, not really. The dragon hunters have been using this piece of tech for quite some to help with developing prosthetics for amputees. Kai just upgraded it- big time. How it works is that it channels biological electrical/mechanical energy to work - the pistons function as replacements for tendons, ligaments and muscles by contracting and pumping out energy in exchange for movement. Since humans are tiny things, the pistons can make these prosthetics function like real limbs. However the same can't be said for Lloyd.

Kai can get the prosthetic attached to Lloyd. He can get it undergo transformation to match dragon-Lloyd's size. The thing is that the prosthetic becomes a dead weight. All those fine pistons and engineering marvels in the prosthetics? They don't match up quite nicely when scaled up. They certainly are not able to channel Lloyd's dragon-oni magic to make it work. And we know hybrids are hindered by limb loss since they can't fly. So Kai has to climb up and manually move the limb himself, in order to give Lloyd a fighting chance at flight.

TLDR: yes, Kai makes Lloyd a new arm. Yes the prosthetic gets scaled up to match dragon-Lloyd's size, it just loses functionality when the size increases.

i don't know if i explained that clearly so if you wants to ask more questions please do. many hugs

#sorry for taking so long anon ive been busy and had some thoughts and just. yeh.#bromantic flight #ninjago au #kai smith #lloyd garmadon #kai jiang #ninjago #prosthetics #lore stuff #or at least. my attempt to justify the fictional prosthetic limb #agni of wisdom

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inkintheinternet · 3 months

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The Frankenstein of Tomorrow

By Arjuwan Lakkdawala

Ink in the Internet

I recently read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The introduction by Shelley is so sincere and authentic in describing her inspiration, and the fact that all stories have to be based on something real. For inspiration does not transpire from a blank space.

Many consider Frankenstein to be the first science fiction book. It was published on January 1, 1818.

There could be millions of adaptations and references of the story, and deservingly so as the book is remarkable in style of storytelling as well as the imagination.

The reason I'm mentioning Frankenstein is not only because of how captivating I found the story to be. But because I found it to be the perfect metaphor to describe some of the dark traits of the human psyche, and how man can be driven by emotions - such as pride, curiosity, over-confidence, or thoughtlessness, to his own destruction and that of others.

Mary Shelley chose Prometheus very wisely, as according to Greek mythology he tricked Zeus, the chief god, even though being lower in ranks and power, and was the creator of man. Since the story of Frankenstein is about constructing a living undead man from the organs of deceased men, the inspiration of Prometheus makes sense.

Shelley does narrate in the introduction that any attempt at creation of a living entity by man can never replicate the beautiful and perfect creation of the Lord, but would only yield something frightening and terrible.

The myth of Prometheus is recorded in the 8th century BC, that's almost 3000 years ago. Prometheus was punished by Zeus for making a fool out of him, and so was tied to rocks, and an eagal would everyday eat his liver, and then the liver would regenerate itself. In Greek mythology there is another myth that also describes the ability of the organ to regenerate itself. This has been confirmed by modern science in 1931. The myth indicates that the ancient Greeks knew this scientific fact. However, the records show it mentioned in mythology and not in ancient books of medicine or anatomy. The myth as a whole is idiotic, as Zeus, a so-called god is tricked by a lower ranking god. So this contradiction in logic and intelligence, is an indication that the scientific information about the liver is not of the time, but has been passed down by an even older civilization who knew it as a scientific fact, which as the centuries passed got entwined into mythology, and was narrated by people who did not know its scientific significance, if they did there surely would have been ancient Greek records of medical or autopsy studies. As there are records of Greek philosophers, and of Plato and the story of Atlantas ‐ which makes me wonder if it was the advanced civilization that passed down the scientific fact of the liver.

Shelley refered to Frankenstein as a modern creation of horror, and this was in 1818. So what do we have in the 21st century that could be a modern Frankenstein. Well if we were to think of the psychological manesfeststions of Frankenstein monsters, that would be an endless story. So we shall not, instead I'm writing about the dark turns in science, driven forward by man's obsession with testing how much science he can aquire and what it can propel to its most extreme horizons.

Presently there is good and improving quality of life advances in prosthetics.

For example, they are being made to look aesthetic, and amputees suffering from phantom limb pain, are getting treated through Brain-Computer Interfaces using electrodes, to send signals through Peripheral Nerve Stimulations, this is also restoring close to natural sensations in amputees, and according to tests they were able to describe the size of the things they touched using prosthetic limbs.

Note: Haptic feedback is a general term for artificial sensations, the simplest of which is the vibrations on cell phones, however, other complicated versions of haptic feedback uses patterns of vibrations, including weak to strong, and has many applications in the medical field.

In this age of science, new fields that combine multidisciplinary sciences are emerging. Artificial Intelligence and highly sophisticated equipments have made this possible. Amongst such sciences is the study of Synthetic Biology and Systems Biology.

Scientists and researchers are studying biological circuits, that is to say; molecular and cellular architecture and its principles and functions, and finding analogues to electronic circuits.

These biological circuits are such extraordinary works that they have been described as "miracle devices."

Coming back to Shelley's words that nothing conjures up out of the thin air.

Scientists of different disciplines are studying each others fields to combine electronics, biology, artificial intelligence, mechanics, physics. Of course these are crude terms I used to give a brief idea of very complicated sciences.

In the study of biological circuits, the simplest things to describe is that: "Feature X enables Function Y." These features are each studied separately as a biological circuit, that has a specific function and principles to how it operates.

However, despite volumes of research and new circuits, and their principles being perpetually discovered, scientists still don't know what exactly programmed the circuits and what causes them to know which features to use at a specific time, in a specific environment, for a specific function.

And unlike electronic circuits that are static in their programming, and can be turned off. Biological circuits have "noise" that is they can communicate with other circuits and form multi-connected networks, and they cannot be turned off, in the sense that constant mechanisms switch on and off for "inverting," functions." This is why over time the circuits become too exhausted to function properly (old age.)

Biological circuits in addition to calculated functions with principles, are time watches as well. They have time regulation as noted by scientists.

Note: By the way I think this is a field of great interest and is expanding, so it has abundant career opportunities.

We have reached significant milestones in science, and I think scientists should ask themselves if they want to test these capabilities by pushing the science of robotics into making androids powered by superintelligence and synthetic biology, connected to electronic circuits. I'm afraid if this science fiction scenario turns into reality, we will be facing a tyrannical Frankenstein monster, with intelligence that will surpass that of the majority of humans on earth, and we will not be able to control it but it will control us.

I titled this article 'The Frankenstein of Tomorrow' because what we do today will determine what will happen to us tomorrow, and it's a term that will not end till the end of the world.

Arjuwan Lakkdawala is an author and independent researcher.

X/Twitter/Instagram: Spellrainia

Email: [email protected]

Sources:

Frontiers - advances in prosthetic technology: a perspective on ethical considerations for development and clinical translations, hayden gavette, cody l. mcdonald, kristin kostick-quenet, ashley mullen, bijan najafi, m.g. finco

www.biocircuits.github.io - biological circuit design

Precision micro drives - introduction to haptic feedback

Brain stimulation journal - peripheral nerve stimulation enables somatosensory feedback while suppressing phantom limp pain in transradial amputees, gurgen soghoyan, artur biktimirov, yuri matvienko, ilya chekh, mikhail sintsov, mikhail a. Lebedev

Acp journals - annals of internal medicine, whither prometheus' liver? greek myth and the science of regeneration, carl power, phd, john e.j. rasko, mbbs, phd

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wearvulcan · 10 months

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The Science behind Upper Limb Prosthetic Design and Functionality

The impact of scientific marvel is profound, restoring independence, enhancing emotional well-being, and opening doors to countless opportunities. As technology evolves, the future promises even more accessible and life-changing solutions for the amputee community. The world of limb prosthetics has witnessed remarkable advancements, particularly in upper limb prosthetic design and functionality. These technological breakthroughs have not only transformed the lives of amputees but have also elevated the field to new heights. Customization is the key, tailoring these limbs to each user's specific needs and preferences, ensuring a snug fit and seamless functionality.

In this blog, we delve into the science behind upper limb prosthetic design, exploring the complicated components and functionality of these artificial limbs.

Anatomy and Engineering

Designing an upper limb prosthetic is a blend of art and science. The process begins with a deep understanding of human anatomy, particularly the complexities of the upper limb. Engineers and prosthetists meticulously study the structure and mechanics of the arm, including the bones, muscles, and joints. This knowledge is the foundation for creating prosthetic devices that replicate the natural movement and functionality of the human arm.

Components of Upper Limb Prosthetics

Socket: The socket is the prosthetic part that attaches to the residual limb. It plays a crucial role in comfort and stability. Modern sockets are often custom-designed to ensure a snug fit, allowing for better weight distribution and reduced pressure points.

Prosthetic Hand/Arm: The prosthetic hand or arm is the most visible part of the device. It is designed to replicate the natural appearance and movement of the human limb. Prosthetic hands can have multiple grips and wrist movements, while arms can vary in length and articulation.

Control Systems: Upper limb prosthetics can feature various control systems, from body-powered mechanisms that respond to body movements to myoelectric systems that use muscle signals for control. These systems are pivotal in enabling users to manipulate the prosthetic limb precisely.

Sensory Feedback: Some advanced upper limb prosthetics incorporate sensory feedback systems, allowing users to perceive temperature, pressure, and texture. This technology enhances the user's ability to interact with the environment more intuitively.

Functionality and Customization

The functionality of artificial limbs has evolved significantly. Today's prosthetic hands and arms offer various movements and grips, allowing users to perform multiple daily tasks. These artificial limbs are designed to meet diverse needs, whether holding a delicate object, typing on a keyboard, or even playing musical instruments.

Customization is another crucial aspect of upper limb prosthetic design. Prosthetists work closely with users to understand their specific requirements and preferences. This personalized approach ensures that the prosthetic device becomes a seamless extension of the user.

The Impact on Amputees

The science behind upper limb prosthetic design and functionality has profoundly impacted amputees' lives. These advanced devices empower users to regain independence, perform a wide range of tasks, and enhance their overall quality of life. Users' emotional well-being is significantly improved as they restore self-esteem and a sense of control over their lives.

The Future of Upper Limb Prosthetics

As technology advances, the future of upper limb prosthetics holds even more promise. Ongoing research focuses on refining control systems, further miniaturizing components, and enhancing sensory feedback. With these innovations, upper limb prosthetics are set to become increasingly accessible and life-changing for amputees worldwide.

Enhanced functionality and boundless possibilities

Upper limb prosthetic design is a remarkable intersection of science, engineering, and compassion. These artificial limbs are not merely functional; they are life enablers, offering amputees a second chance at living life to the fullest. As advancements in prosthetic technology continue, the possibilities are limitless, and the impact on the amputee community is immeasurable.

Explore the science of progress with upper limb prosthetics. Join the functional freedom revolution with us. Contact us at https://www.wearevulcan.com/en/talktous.

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shahananasrin-blog · 1 year

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[ad_1] Newswise — Sliman Bensmaia, PhD, a pioneering neuroscientist and leading expert on the sense of touch, died on August 11, 2023. He was 49 years old.Bensmaia, the James and Karen Frank Family Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago, explored how sensory information about touch, texture, and the shape of objects is represented in the nervous system and brain, which in turn generates human perception of the world. He then used these discoveries to help develop prosthetic limbs that can restore a realistic sense of touch to amputees and paralyzed patients.His lab generated algorithms for brain computer interfaces (BCI) that convert the output of sensors on bionic hands into patterns of stimulation that can be transmitted through electrodes implanted in the brain. Using what he called a “biomimetic” approach, he and his team sought to mimic the biological processes underlying how the nervous system communicates signals from the arms and hands to create natural-feeling sensations of touch and give bionic limbs greater dexterity.“Sliman was a driving force and real inspiration to others,” said Michael Coates, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy. “His research group was thriving in a phenomenal way, absolutely bursting at the seams with talented students and postdocs working on fundamental science for wonderfully thoughtful and constructive projects. While his work was intrinsically fascinating, he was just as thoughtful, sincere and conscientious about supporting everyone around him.”Bensmaia’s lab published a series of groundbreaking studies in 2013 and 2015 that provided blueprints for incorporating realistic sensory feedback into prosthetic limbs. Through experiments with non-human primates, they identified patterns of neural activity that occur naturally as the animals manipulate objects — and successfully re-created those patterns by directly stimulating the nervous system with electrical signals.In 2016, Bensmaia worked with partners at the University of Pittsburgh to develop the first ever robotic prosthetic device that gave realistic touch feedback to a human patient who could control its arm and hand with his thoughts. The device enabled a 28-year-old man who was paralyzed from the chest down to distinguish between touches on individual fingers and the palm of a robotic hand. Later that fall, the patient used the arm to greet President Barack Obama at a White House event.Nicholas Hatsopoulos, PhD, a Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy who studies motor control and how the brain directs movement in the limbs, was a frequent collaborator with Bensmaia. Their work together included a project to create a prosthesis with the same dexterity and functionality as the human hand.Hatsopoulos described their partnership as yin-and-yang: The intense Bensmaia focused on sensation and the more laid-back Hatsopoulos focused on movement. “He was a force of nature,” Hatsopoulos said. “He was like my younger brother, but he demanded a lot and pushed me to be better. He wanted to do the best science we could do and wouldn’t sacrifice that for anything.”Bensmaia continued working with partners at UChicago and other universities to further develop BCI devices and robotic hands that connect to peripheral nerves in amputated limbs. In 2021, working with UChicago neurosurgeon Peter Warnke, MD, the team successfully implemented a BCI-based robotic limb in another patient who suffered spinal cord damage in a car accident, featured earlier this year on 60 Minutes.He received a Research Program Award (R35) from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in 2022 to further support this neuroprosthetics work. More recently, he began expanding the application of these concepts, rooted in the belief that the sense of touch is a fundamental part of what makes us human. He was working with gynecologist Stacy Lindau, MD, and biomaterials engineer Sihong Wang, PhD, to develop a “bionic breast,” an implantable device that would help restore sensation and sexual function for breast cancer patients after mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.“Sliman’s passion for restoring the human sense of touch had its origins in love. He loved the science of touch, but, even more, he loved his students, colleagues and the patients who worked with him to discover the essence and meaning of touch,” Lindau said. “He was drawn to the Bionic Breast Project because of the potential for very large-scale impact of his discoveries and because he saw uncharted territory in the scientific understanding of loving touch, specifically.”From Charlottesville to ChicagoBensmaia received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in 1995. As an undergraduate studying computer engineering and cognitive science, he wanted to be a musician. He was an accomplished pianist, but his parents, both academics, convinced him to apply to graduate school. He was accepted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where he worked in a psychology laboratory studying the sense of touch. He earned a PhD in cognitive psychology with a minor in neurobiology from UNC in 2003, then worked as a postdoctoral fellow and associate research scientist at the Krieger Mind/Brain Institute at Johns Hopkins University from 2003 to 2009.He joined the University of Chicago faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2009, receiving an Early Career Award from the National Science Foundation in 2011 and the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Biological Sciences Division in 2015. He was selected as a Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences in 2018, and he was named the James and Karen Frank Family Professor at UChicago in 2019.Bensmaia also had an infectious enthusiasm for communicating his research to the public. During interviews about his work, he was quick to pick up items like pencils and coffee mugs to demonstrate how our dexterity and ability to manipulate objects depends on our sense of touch. He frequently used music as a metaphor to describe how our various senses come together like a jazz quintet to shape our experience of the world. Despite the science fiction implications of his work, he dismissed simple pop culture comparisons, instead emphasizing the importance of a rigorous scientific approach to truly understand the neurobiology of sensation.Passion for musicFriends and colleagues remembered this passion for both his music and his work. David Freedman, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience, met Bensmaia shortly after they both joined the faculty, bonding over the struggles of starting up a new lab and their shared love of music. Freedman, a guitar player, started jamming with Bensmaia on a regular basis, eventually forming the funk and soul-jazz band FuzZz with two other musicians. They released an album in 2013 and performed regularly around the city for the past 12 years and were in the process of recording their second album.Freedman studies decision making and learning within the visual system. While the two never conducted research together, they had started plans to explore how the brain areas involved in touch are influenced by those cognitive processes.“We collaborated so closely musically — and interacted constantly as friends and colleagues — but hadn’t yet worked on a joint scientific project. He was such an exciting person to work with, and we were having fun planning new experiments just days before his passing,” Freedman said. “He had an intense desire to do work that was widely recognized and made an impact on people’s lives, and he became a star because he was so focused on doing quality research.”Stephanie Palmer, PhD, Associate Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, and D. Allan Drummond, PhD, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, wrote, “Sliman was a luminous scholar and a dedicated colleague, mentor, and friend. A true character with an outsized personality, he brought extraordinary passion and charisma to his work and life. His gifts as a talented improvisational jazz pianist and as a highly skilled neuroscientist were united with a deep intellectual interest in dexterity and touch.”This melding was intentional and thoughtful, they said, perhaps best expressed by his own words from a text message he sent Drummond in 2020:“I think we as scientists embody something fundamentally, beautifully human … I still, idealistically and perhaps naively, believe in beauty because we, or some of us at least, experience it and are moved by it.”Bensmaia was a longtime resident of Hyde Park in Chicago. He is survived by his wife, Kerry Ledoux, an Associate Instructional Professor in Psychology and the College at UChicago, and their two children.Funeral and memorial service details are pending. window.fbAsyncInit = function () FB.init( appId: '890013651056181', xfbml: true, version: 'v2.2' ); ; (function (d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = " fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); [ad_2]

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artalives-blog · 1 year

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Science, Medicine, And The Future: Artificial Limbs

Advancements in science and medicine have ushered in a new era of possibilities for individuals with limb loss. Artificial limbs, once confined to the realms of science fiction, have become a reality that transforms lives and restores mobility. The emergence of sophisticated prosthetic limbs (Kaki palsu), such as prosthetic hands and legs, is a testament to the boundless potential of human ingenuity and the tireless pursuit of improving the quality of life for those in need. Artalive Malaysia stands at the forefront of this transformative field, offering cutting-edge prosthetic care and empowering individuals to embrace their potential.

Prosthetic limbs, commonly known as artificial limbs, are devices designed to replace missing body parts, providing users with the ability to perform daily activities and participate in a wide range of physical endeavors. The evolution of artificial limbs has been remarkable, driven by advancements in various fields, including materials science, robotics, and neuroscience.

Prosthetic hands, in particular, have seen incredible progress. Modern prosthetic hands are equipped with intricate sensors and microprocessors that allow users to perform delicate tasks with precision and finesse. The integration of myoelectric technology, which harnesses signals from the user's residual muscles, enables intuitive control of prosthetic movements. This breakthrough has transformed the lives of amputees, offering them the ability to grasp objects, write, and engage in activities that were once deemed unattainable.

Similarly, prosthetic legs have evolved significantly, providing amputees with a remarkable level of mobility and freedom. Advanced prosthetic legs incorporate dynamic components that mimic the natural movements of human limbs, allowing users to walk, run, and even engage in sports and recreational activities with ease. The integration of carbon-fiber materials and computer-controlled hydraulics has led to prosthetic limbs that are not only lightweight but also capable of adapting to various terrains and gaits.

The role of prosthetic care cannot be overstated in this journey of transformation. Prosthetists and healthcare professionals at Artalive Malaysia are instrumental in providing personalized and comprehensive prosthetic care. From the initial assessment to the fitting process and ongoing support, they ensure that each individual's unique needs and aspirations are met.

Artalive Malaysia takes pride in its commitment to staying at the cutting edge of prosthetic technology. They continuously strive to integrate the latest advancements into their solutions, empowering their patients with the most advanced and suitable prosthetic limbs available. By adopting a patient-centric approach, Artalive Malaysia supports individuals through every step of their prosthetic journey, encouraging them to rediscover their potential and embrace life with newfound confidence.

The future of artificial limbs holds even more promise. Researchers are exploring the possibilities of mind-controlled prosthetic limbs, where users can control their artificial limbs through their thoughts. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and neural interfaces could lead to seamless and intuitive interactions between users and their prosthetic limbs.

Moreover, the advent of 3D printing technology has revolutionized the prosthetic industry, making custom-made artificial limbs more accessible and affordable. 3D printing allows for rapid prototyping and customization, enabling prosthetists to tailor solutions to each individual's unique anatomy and preferences.

As the fields of science and medicine continue to progress, the potential for artificial limbs to transform lives will only grow. The collaborative efforts of researchers, engineers, and healthcare professionals will undoubtedly pave the way for even more groundbreaking innovations, ultimately enhancing the lives of individuals with limb loss.

In conclusion, the integration of science, medicine, and technology has propelled the development of artificial limbs to unprecedented heights. Prosthetic hands and legs have evolved from rudimentary tools to sophisticated, life-enhancing devices. Artalive Malaysia exemplifies the dedication of the prosthetic care industry to empower individuals with the latest advancements in artificial limbs. As we look to the future, the journey of artificial limbs continues to inspire hope and optimism, reminding us of the incredible power of human ingenuity in improving lives and shaping a brighter future for all.

CONTACT INFO:

Visit us: https://artalive.com.my/

No 16, Persiaran 65C, Pekeliling Business Centre, Off Jalan Pahang Barat, 53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

E-Mail: [email protected]

Contact: +60 3–4032 4273

#kaki palsu #limb prosthetics #prosthetic limb #prosthetic care #artificial limb #Artalive malaysia

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kjsadd · 1 year

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(TW if you read the whole article, it describes sexual assault and drug use. I’ve excluded the personal stories here.)

“I believe pain is the most complex experience a human body can have,” Dr. Haider Warraich told me. Dr. Warraich is a cardiologist who teaches at Harvard Medical School, but his familiarity with pain is personal: While still in medical school, he began to suffer disabling back pain that for many years took over his life.

Dr. Warraich said that we tend to misperceive chronic pain simply as pain that lasts longer. Acute pain typically has a specific anatomical source — such as the shock you feel when you touch a hot stove — while chronic pain sometimes, not always, originates in the brain rather than the body. An extreme example is phantom limb pain, in which an amputee feels intense pain in a limb that no longer exists.

Accustomed to treating acute pain, physicians diagnose through imaging and knowledge of anatomy: If someone suffers from chronic back pain, get an X-ray! And imaging often finds something odd that may suggest a surgical solution. In Dr. Warraich’s case, there were prolapsed discs. But it’s also true that X-rays of people with no pain show similar anatomical faults.

It’s the brain-body gap: Researchers find that some people with substantial knee pain have normal X-rays, while many whose X-rays suggest significant arthritis feel no pain at all.

Think of the brain as the control panel for a pain alarm system that mostly protects the body from injury — but sometimes goes haywire. It can blare like a home alarm system that maddeningly thinks a window has been opened when it hasn’t been.

Unfortunately, brain alarms are harder to turn off.

Medicines that work very well for acute pain, like opioids, were prescribed for many years for chronic pain like Wert’s, resulting in a tsunami of addiction that now claims more than 100,000 lives a year in overdoses of various drugs — and leaving large numbers of pain sufferers dependent on pills that they now struggle to obtain. While opioids can provide relief, some experts also believe that opioids were never a sound choice for long-term pain.

Fortunately, some new treatments are emerging for chronic pain, but they are imperfect and often not covered by insurance. For starters, we’re learning that pain sometimes responds better to approaches that target the brain and psyche, not the body. For example, phantom limb pain is helped with mirror therapy, in which the sufferer repeatedly looks in the mirror at a remaining limb, to trick the brain into thinking that the body is doing just fine.

[…]

Chronic pain is unusual among diseases of despair in that it disproportionately strikes women, who according to one study are 75 percent more likely than men to report severe pain. That apparently is because testosterone eases pain (boys and girls suffer pain equally until puberty).

Another big factor in pain differences is class. One study found that poor Americans are more than three times as likely to report pain as wealthy Americans. Another found that just 2 percent of those with graduate degrees report severe pain, while almost 10 percent of high school dropouts do.

“Basically, if you’ve got a B.A., you’re vaccinated against all of this crap,” said Deaton, the economist. Deaton, Case and Stone found that each successive generation among less-educated Americans has reported more pain at any given age.

“If these patterns continue, pain prevalence will continue to increase for all adults,” they wrote in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Tomorrow’s elderly will be sicker than today’s elderly, with potentially serious implications for health care.”

The brain appears very sensitive to expectations of pain, which is why placebos ease pain — and this may be a factor in faith healing as well. In one study, injections of saline solution turned out to be almost as effective as injections of pain medication in reducing arm pain. Conversely, when research subjects received the saline but were warned it might increase pain — that’s a nocebo, the opposite of a placebo — they suffered significantly more.

America’s increasing chronic pain doesn’t come primarily from obesity or workplace injuries but may have something to do with the financial and social stresses in working-class America. When jobs are lost, pain increases. One international study found that a 3 percent increase in the unemployment rate is associated with a 1 percent increase in the number of people reporting pain.

Other studies have found that economic insecurity is associated with more pain. So are discrimination and unhappiness. Pain can lead to depression, causing further pain. “Loneliness strongly predicts the development of pain,” another study found. In effect, chronic pain is tightly woven into the bundle of diseases of despair, and causation probably runs in several directions.

There’s some evidence that trauma and stress teach the brain to be hypervigilant and put the pain alarm system on a hair trigger. This builds on itself: Researchers have also found that chronic pain can result in greater sensitivity, so that pain breeds more pain.

Pain even changes the physical brain. Several studies have found that long-term pain leads to a loss of gray matter in the prefrontal cortex, although experts are still working out the implications of that.

[…]

So how can we heal from chronic pain? What can experts advise those suffering from it?

Dr. Daniel Clauw, director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan, believes that we already have a toolbox of remedies that can help 80 percent or 90 percent of chronic pain sufferers but that our treatment system and insurance protocols betray those in need.

“We’ve really over-medicalized pain,” he told me. His first recommendation to patients with chronic pain is simple: Get more sleep and exercise. There’s no simple solution, he emphasized, and it takes work by patients to recover.

“I’m a huge advocate of physical therapy,” he added, and he also sees positive results from yoga, acupuncture, acupressure, cognitive behavioral therapy and meditation.

He mimics addressing a patient: “Mrs. Jones, I don’t know if acupuncture is going to work for you, or if it’s going to be physical therapy or chiropractic manipulation. But I do know that if you try three of these non-pharmacologic therapies, on average one of the three will work pretty well. And then the next year we’ll try two or three more, and you’ll get better yet.”

The demographic most vulnerable to chronic pain — unemployed middle-aged Americans with limited education — is less likely to have health insurance or the means to pay for treatment (much of which isn’t covered by insurance in any case). So these people suffer, or they may pay $5 for a fentanyl-laced pill to delay the suffering.

New approaches are emerging, but they are not necessarily more accessible. Virtual reality seems promising for alleviating chronic pain. Mindfulness training is sometimes helpful. Cannabis helps many people, with the most promising cannabinoids easing pain without producing a high, and researchers are investigating some encouraging indications that psilocybin (the hallucinogenic substance in “magic mushrooms”) may help as well.

Kevin Boehnke, a pain researcher at the University of Michigan, said that if cannabis were discovered today, the scientific world would be dazzled and would rush to test various cannabinoids for their medical potential.

“There’s this vast untapped potential there,” he said, but it’s often not available because insurers are wary — even as they cover expensive surgeries that have a poor record in resolving pain.

[…]

Another approach is to move from Band-Aids to prevention. Since pain and deaths of despair fall heavily on the poorly educated and unemployed, we might address educational gaps: getting everyone through high school and equipping graduates with a marketable skill. Before the pandemic caused setbacks, there was some progress in raising America’s pathetic high school graduation rate and in bolstering vocational training with initiatives like career academies.

Prevention also entails addressing broader social dysfunction. We’ve done a good job reducing workplace injuries, for example, but we haven’t shown the same determination to prevent the kinds of abuse that seared Wert and her sister. The foster care system is often a disaster that sets children up for diseases of despair. Home-visiting programs like Nurse-Family Partnership coach parents on everything from avoiding substance abuse and chipped lead paint to talking frequently with one’s child, and they have a remarkable record of improving outcomes for disadvantaged children. High-quality pre-K can similarly help get kids on track to success.

People recovering from addictions often talk about the importance of facing reality and accepting difficult truths. Here’s one for all of us to confront: Tens of millions of Americans are suffering in ways that lead to addiction, pain and a tangle of other pathologies and then transmit this misery to the next generation.

Maybe the brain’s pain alarm system is trying to tell us about how America heals: To ease our chronic pain, we must do better at addressing deeper wounds in our economy and society.

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dreamrecorder · 4 years

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Unique Strength

Genshin men with an amputee significant other who uses their vision as a prosthetic!!

Reader can either be geo, cryo, or dendro- it' up to you- but why these three??? I just have an hc in my head that with solid geo or cryo you can control that stuff as artificial limb- and so can dendro!!! Althouuugh dendro is a bit of a special case- dendro, like you have to apply branches on your limb and those branches will grow and get their nourishment from your blood BUT ITS ALL FLUFF DONT WORRY

Venti

The moment he saw you play your string instrument- he fell in love

But when he saw your hands made of branches and littered with leaves- he fell for you even more so!!

Venti just loves how youre so dedicated to your craft- to the point of using your vision for artificial limbs!!!

When the two of you perform- he always makes sure that you get the spotlight bcos---

HelllllOoooO that's his s/o over there overcoming a disability!!!!!!!!!!

Diluc

He may be lowkey but Diluc worries for you Every Second-

Even if he knows you're not fragile- he cant help but worry

Whenever youre around in the mansion he will always make sure to have the fireplace out or else your cryo prosthetic might melt

Out for a stroll? Begone!!! Pyro slimes and those pyro flowers!! (I forgot the names of those flowers lmao)

In a battle? Diluc makes sure to end the battle swiftly without the use of his flames

Out on an adventure with the Traveler? He ABSOLUTELY forbids you taking any commissions relating to pyro

Ascension materials??? NAME DONT YOU DARE GO TO THAT PYRO REGISVINE OR ELSE-

Please please just beat up the cryo regisvine and not the pyro one or else diluc will have a heart attack

Kaeya

This man will always always! Brag about you!!!

Because who would have thought that a disabled person like you will make it to Cavalry Captain?!?!

Respect

Whenever he sees you teaching the recruits- his heart swells with pride

He can also tell how you also inspire those recruits bcos heck

The way they look at you with awe and respect

And when training is done- expect him to be at your side to check if any of your muscles are straining

And then and then he will give you a kiss to the forehead and say how amazing you are~

Albedo

Being an alchemist, of course he's familiar with the human anatomy and medications

But never once he encountered a person using their own vision for a prosthetic

Medicine!!! Orthotics!!!

This man will always look out for you partly bcos he wants to research about this too

He's not subtle about it- but you appreciate it nonetheless

Albedo will always remind you to put your padding before putting on your prosthetic

He will always be by your side whenever you're about to stand up just to make sure you dont fall

Then at the end of the day- when your prosthetic's off

He will always massage your amputated limb to make sure your blood flows well <3 also expect a small kiss on the limb after the massage <3

Zhongli

Mortals never fail to surprise me, Zhongli mused

He was just visiting Qingce village when he met you the first time

When he was given tea, he cant help but relish how soothing it is against his taste buds

It was perfectly brewed and he asked who was behind this masterful brew

You were then brought to him and his eyes instantly laid on your arms made out of geo

When introductions were done- the two of you went into smooth conversation about tea- and of course he does not miss to compliment your brew

When evening came- you told him it was time for you tend to the glaze lillies and this piques his curiosity all the more

Geo- it was a rough and sturdy element

But the way you handled that most fragile of flowers proved him wrong

He observed and admired how you caress the flowers so gently

You were so oblivious that your Archon fell in love with you that night <3

Xiao

Deep inside xiao is awed and inspired by your strength

Even if fate decided to have your limb cut off- you just flipped off destiny away and made your own prosthetic

You were just a mortal- but you denied your disability to control your life!!!

From his balcony- he can see you work fluidly through the customers of the inn-as if you're not disabled in the first place

With his keen sense of hearing, he can hear the awe and praise offered to your way about how you overcame your disability

In his heart- a small bud of pride blooms

That's my s/o

Baizhu

He didn't like the look in your face whenever you gaze sadly at the people walking freely in the harbor

At first he was hesitant, but if it will make you smile, he would do it

So- he did some research about prosthetics- even as far as requesting medical information from all over Teyvat

He did his research day and night he was so determined to have you smile again

The day came he told you his plans for your prosthetic

Oh how your smile returned to you melted his heart

He cannot fail this operation and failure is NOT an option

Operation SUCCESS!!!

The braches he made from his vision are now your prosthetics!!

Come rehabilitation- he will never fail you to give words of encouragement as you learned to walk each day

And Archons

Each day, your smile kept growing and growing until finally- you are walking

Childe

Similarly to the cryo husbando--

Childe will also !brag! about you!!!

The two of you know that you dont want to be pitied for your missing limb

And guess what did the recruits of the fatui do???

They snickered mocked pitied and laughed at you

Deep inside- Childe was seething

But!! He let you be with those fools

Hoo boy those recruits dont know whats coming

You offered them a battle, hand to hand combat, all against one

Next thing those newbies knew they were beaten thoroughly to a pulp by yours truly- you made sure to utilize your vision plus prosthetic against them thoroughly

Oh how Childe's also itching for a fight but your health comes first

As he observes for any muscle strain- Childe will not fail to give you words of praise bcos heck u deserve them

A/N: this prosthetic made from vision idea was bothering me for days now i had to write smth about it lmao

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k00258570 · 4 years

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Sketchbook

“Movement”

Movement can mean many things, movement of the body, of nature and our sourroundings, the movement of people and emigration, the movement of birds, music, water, wind, and of mechanics. For me the word movement means the mechanics of the human body! I began by exploring dance, yoga and the anatomy which I have always found fascinating.

However, movement is not the same for every person. Some people have long lanky legs, some people have short stubby legs and some have long dangling arms. Each difference in our body’s making movement unique for everyone.

In the case of my Father an Amputee of just 3 years movement is very different, sometimes movement means just on one leg, sometimes in a wheelchair and more times on two legs!

During the short 7 weeks I plan to study the movements of my father through Photography,Film,Video, Printmaking and Ceramics. I hope to descover new things about his way of movement, his prostethics and the way in which he overcomes obstacles.

#printmaking #ceramics #pfv

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wisdomrays · 4 years

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TAFAKKUR: Part 216

On Their Faces and Backs

In numerous verses the Holy Qur’an makes reference to living organisms, and particularly to human physiology. The Qur’an does this in its own style, briefly mentioning some fundamental principles of the process or the phenomenon that it is referring to, without going into elaborate details. One of the verses that immediately captures the attention of the reader is the twenty-seventh verse of Chapter 47, Surah Muhammad, which can be translated as: “So, how (will it be) when the angels take their souls at death, striking their faces and their backs?” while describing the agony of death that the disbelievers will suffer. In Surah Al-Anfal (8:50), the Qur’an tells us: “… He causes those who are bent on denying the truth to die: the angels will strike their faces: and their backs…”

The phrase “striking their faces and their backs” leaves us wondering why ��faces and backs?” What is special about these body parts in the context of death? The Qur’an is the word of the All-Wise and it is not possible for it to be completely deciphered by human reasoning. Yet, it is our duty as human beings to contemplate the message that our Creator has revealed for us. The moment of death is spoken of in many other Qur’anic verses and Hadiths. The experience of death is a great agony for the disbelievers: The (angels who) snatch (the souls of the disbelievers) forcibly. And those who gently take (the souls of the believers) joyfully (Qur’an, 79:1-2).

Undoubtedly, the experience of death is painful. Leaving the discussion about “faces and backs” to later in this article, let us first look at what pain is from a physiological aspect. It is common knowledge that the sensation of pain is conducted to the brain via the sensory nerves which connect with almost every single part of the body, particularly to the skin. The skin has different corpuscles (sensory cells) for the sensation of touch, temperature, and pain. When a nociceptive (pain inducing) stimulus is applied to the skin, this information is conveyed through the peripheral nerves in the form of small electric pulses (called action potentials), first to the spinal cord, next through the spinothalamic pathways, and then to the higher centers of perception in the brain. These little electrical pulses are felt as pain, temperature, or touch in various centers of the brain (e.g. somatosensory cortex), depending on where the signals originate in the skin. If a particular area is wired to a pain sensing corpuscle in the skin, the brain circuitry will be trained to perceive this signal as pain from early postnatal development. If, on the other hand, a particular nerve is connected to a temperature sensing corpuscle in the body, the part of the brain center that it is connected to will be trained to perceive this as temperature from early on in life. So, the perception of sensory information depends on how these little electrical signals are interpreted by the brain. However, the connection map of the nerves and the circuits that interpret them in the brain form very early in life and these connections are hard wired, that is, it is very difficult to change them.

Pain may be perceived without a real source of nociceptive input as a result of some neurological disorders. For instance, in an amputee, after a limb has been surgically removed, the cut ends of the sensory nerves may generate little electrical pulses (action potentials) on their own without a pain inducing stimulus. The subject might feel an intense feeling of pain in the missing limb! This is clinically known as “phantom pain.” The phenomenon known as “referred pain” has an interesting explanation, also based on neuro-anatomy. The pain conducting sensory nerves from various dermatomes (areas of skin) and some other nerve fibers that originate in the visceral (internal) organs of the body enter the spinal cord side by side as a bundle (spinal roots). When some of these visceral organs, such as the heart and lungs, contract a disease, the sensory signals generated by these organs are not perceived as pain because there are no pain sensing nerve endings in these organs. But, the sensory signals generated by these organs activate the pain sensing fibers at the point where they enter the spinal cord together. The pain therefore is felt by the brain as if it were originating in a certain dermatome. For instance, heart problems are felt as a pain in the left arm. Again, the interesting point is that the perception of pain depends very much on the wiring of the nervous system at the periphery and in the brain.

Needless to say, if the subject is deep asleep or unconscious for any reason, he or she would not feel pain because the brain has been entirely blocked from any sensory input. In the context of body-mind connection, we may consider these states where the soul has minimal connectivity to the brain.

What about the moment of death? According to Qur’anic verses the experience of death is different for believers and unbelievers. Is it possible that the intensity of pain that one experiences at the moment of death is related to whether or not the soul is still “connected” to the brain? Those who die in their sleep do not seem to show any signs of pain, at least not to those who are witnessing the event. We should note that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, stated that sleep shares many common properties with death.

It is reported that whenever God’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) went to bed, he said: “O God, it is with Your Name that I live and it is with Your Name that I die.” And when he got up he used to say: “Praise is due to God, Who gave us life after our death (sleep) and unto Him is resurrection” (Muslim, 35:6549).

Qur’an 6:60 says:

“He is the One who puts you to death during the night, and knows even the smallest of your actions during the day. He resurrects you every morning, until your life span is fulfilled; then to Him is your ultimate return. He will then inform you of everything you had done.”

Is it then plausible that the intensity of pain felt during death is a consequence of how connected the soul is to the body at that moment? These questions may or may not have been addressed by religious scholars in the past. However, information about the physiological events taking place during death is certainly very limited in the religious literature.

Let us take a quick look at the human nervous system, and perhaps this will shed some light on the verses we quoted at the beginning of the article. The peripheral nerves converge together and form bundles, called spinal roots, before they enter the spinal cord at one of the 33 different vertebral segments along its length. The brain and the spinal cord together constitute the central nervous system (as opposed to the peripheral nervous system). The only other neural pathways between the brain and the body are the cranial nerves, the nerves that enter the brain from underneath. There are twelve cranial nerves, most of which carry sensory information from the head or motor information to the head, with the exception of the vagus nerve (Xth nerve), which actually serves the visceral organs. So, it would be accurate to say that the sensory information that comes to the central nervous system enters either at the back (through the spinal cord) of a person or directly from the facial area. The phrase “their faces and backs” thus sums up all the neural pathways through which the sensation of pain can be conveyed to the brain, the interface where the body meets with the mind, or the soul.

It is possible that at the time of death, the pain receptors in the skin and deeper parts of the body start generating action potentials at a faster rate, as if great pain has been inflicted on these body parts. The ionic concentrations in the extracellular medium around the sensory cells can change as a result of diminishing blood supply, and this is probably felt more severely in the extremities at first. The increased rate of firing of action potentials is commonly observed in neuroscience experiments when a cell starts “dying” as a result of perturbations to the extracellular or intracellular ionic concentrations. A train of action potentials with an increasing rate of firing is frequently observed and eventually the action potentials stop completely when the cell can no longer function. A similar phenomenon may occur during the death of an entire living organism due to a reduction in the blood supply that is provided to the body parts as well as due to changes in the pH level from a lack of oxygen. This fast rate of action potentials will be perceived by the brain in the same way as a strong source of pain, e.g. crushing or ripping apart of the body. The principle concept is very similar to what happens in the case of “phantom pain.”

The choice of the word daraba (striking or smiting) in Verse 47:27 is also interesting to note. We describe a pain sometime as “throbbing,” because every time the heart beats the increased blood volume in the area makes the pain receptors fire faster episodically. It may be that this pulsating pain sensation is described as “striking,” using a figurative language in the Qur’an.

Of course, the fundamental question is whether the soul is still in the body and thus able to feel the agony at the time of death. Are the souls of believers taken by the angels before the agony of death starts so that they do not suffer through it? We have no evidence to answer this question one way or another. But, it is certainly within the power of God to make the soul feel the pain or to save a person from it.

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deadinsidedressage · 4 years

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Internet vegans are nuts. Had one telling me puppy temperament testing is abuse because pups who fails the test are killed (puppies can't fail test). Also ''Horses/cows should get prosthetic but carnists just want to kil them uwu"

Videos of horses who've been living with prosthetics or with amputations are some of the most horrifically cruel things I've seen.

It deeply, deeply upsets me that people who anthropomorphize horses to such an extent are so incredibly blind to the suffering they cause them. I've seen so many videos of horses with prosthetics being shared on my FB timeline as "wholesome" content by people who can't recognize pained body language in animals. Those poor horses live in constant pain and developme debilitating complications from being forced to live with a prosthetic or amputation. It's absolutely disgusting that there are vets who exist and enable that kind of abuse.

People who do this are people who first and foremost don't understand horse anatomy and how the loss of a limb for them is not something they can recover from and live comfortably with. Beyond that, they're people who've never met a human with a leg prosthetic--- prosthetics aren't perfect and amputees with feeling in the at their amputation site experience pain. Not all the time necessarily, but surprise when you lose the part of the body that is supposed to be load bearing having to walk on a part that isn't doesn't equal a seamless adaptation. Amputation sites bleed, they get pressure sores, they are rife with their own set of complications. Complications humans can deal with because they can communicate their pain management needs to other humans and can be an active participant in their own care.

A person understands when then need to rest and not bear weight on a prosthetic. They can conceptualize the discomfort of "working through the pain" of a prosthetic as something they can endure to do something they want to do. Animals don't have these abilities. To them a weight bearing prosthetic just causes pain they cannot escape.

Horses who are put down because of breaks are put down because it is the kindest option we have. As someone with a former friend who lost a horse to a freak pasture accident that resulted in a clean break of a leg... It's traumatic and heart breaking. Were there a way to rehabilitate the horse and provide a comfortable life out in a pasture people would take that option. We love our horses and making hard decisions for them based on quality of life and ending suffering really, really fucking breaks you.

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peoplesu-blog2 · 5 years

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Exactly What Is Actually The History Of Crutches?

Considering that antiquity humans have fashioned support devices to keep themselves up when they grew to become wounded or ill. Support apparatus use dates back on 2830 BC. A dividing the entrance of an Egyptian grave depicts a figure leaning on the crutch-like employees.

Crutch style and design has progressed from the essential "T" used by Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol to light weight aluminum braces with ice-gripping strategies or energy storing tips that function as shock absorbers and are slip resistant.

To get lower-limb injuries like a broken leg, broken ankle, sprained ankle, knee injuries, as well as other injuries, in addition to after operation on the leg, knee, ankle, or foot, crutches remain handy now to decrease discomfort, reduce recovery time, and also assist walking. Usually when you obtain yourself a cast placed in your leg or foot you will be required to work with crutches. Crutches might be used by amputees, and people.

What's the Function of Crutches?

A crutch has to do just two things: reduce burden reduction using a few your thighs and broaden your support base to boost your own balance and equilibrium.

The support additionally needs to help vertical movement and transmit sensory cues throughout the palms.

A crutch makes it possible for people with paralysis or other disabilities the advantages of vertical posture and enables them move in places it is impossible for them to go with a wheel chair.

A crutch becomes necessary when a man or woman cannot walk or walks together with intense trouble.

Any individual with foot or leg pain or trauma, weak muscle tissue, or a unstable gait can gain from utilizing a crutch or even crutches.

Re-gaining upright human anatomy movement assists flow , assists kidney and lung functions, also helps to prevent calcium loss from your own bones.

Crutches alter the force of vertical movement in the legs to your upper human body.

You should have enough arm power, stability, and coordination to use these effortlessly.

What Are Different Types of Crutches?

Obtaining the Suitable Fit-for Crutches

You will find a lot of primary kinds of crutches: axillary (underarm), forearm (Lofstrand), stage, strutter, and leg service. These should be fitted correctly to help reduce movement difficulties. Crutches are made in all sizes, so for kiddies and grown ups, click here.

Axillary crutch: Here could be definitely the most common kind of Wooden or aluminum models can be adjusted readily for hands elevation along with your height. In the stationary location, the cover of the crutch need to extend out of a tip the width of 2 to about three hands below the armpit (axilla) into a point on to a ground 1-5 cm-20 cm (6 in-8 in) outside the foot. Your hands needs to break in a degree which makes it possible for one to flex your elbow in about thirty °. Simply subtract 16 inches in the elevation to find out, if you are not able to endure.

Forearm crutch (also known as the Lofstrand crutch, or elbow crutch): This crutch ought to permit one to flex your elbow 1-5 °-30°. The flexion lets your own arm to bear increased weightreduction. The crutch should speak to a ground 5 cm-10 cm (2 in-4 in) out and 15 cm (6 in) in front of your own foot ) The barbell around the crutch should sit 2.5 cm-4 cm (inch in-1.5 in) under the back of the knee ).

Platform crutch: Also called a triceps crutch, this crutch must contact roughly 5 cm (2 in) under the skin-fold of their arm pit. The lower cuff should lie 1 cm-4 cm (0.5 in-1.5 in) below the rear of the elbow in order to steer clear of bony speak to around the arm yet offer equilibrium.

Strutter crutch: This crutch is a kind of under arm crutch that has bigger crutch tips that keep on being flat over to the ground. This permits for better weight reduction and more even walking gait.

Leg support crutches: All these are like a knee scooter where the affected leg has been strapped to a support frame . Leg support crutches are after, handy for under the knee injuries or post-operatively below-the-knee operation that influences one leg.

How to Use Crutches

Prior to starting applying crutches, your doctor, nurse, or even physical therapist will explain to you just how to correct the crutches so that they're exactly the perfect height to you. Then they should not do without guidelines and to be safe and sound, a trained helper if a patient never used a crutch. To get started working with crutches, steadily shift your weight into your leg. Proceed the crutches before you personally to your spot of which you may maintain stability.

#History Of Crutches #Crutches #BalanceWiki

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wolfie-dragon-rider · 6 years

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In Good Hands, a Dragon Prince fic

Summary: AU where Zym doesn't chew off Rayla's binding at the Moon Nexus. With her binding getting tighter and tighter, the group has no choice but to amputate Rayla's hand. Thankfully Callum is determined to make sure Rayla is as comfortable and safe as possible. Mild Rayllum, but can be read platonically. Lotsa angst in this one.

Length: just under 5k words Rating: T for serious subject matters and graphic injuries Genre: Hurt/comfort, Whumpy angst

A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to my first Dragon Prince fic! Right now I'm intending this as a one-shot, where Rayla eventually makes a full recovery and is still the badass warrior we know and love even with just one hand. However, depending on how the second season plays out, I might continue this, try to make a sort of Amputee AU for the entire storyline! Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

Rayla's eyes were wide as she looked at the tiny dragon stumbling towards her. The minute-old creature looked at her face, before turning to her left hand.

The one that was turning black.

The dragon, Zym, reached out its tiny claws to her hand and pulled himself closer, before lowering his jaws to the binding. The Dragon Prince chewed for a few seconds, but the ribbon held fast as it had done against everything else she had tried.

"Oh, it's okay, little one. One miracle is enough for me today," she said, trying not to ignore the tears that sprang in her eyes. She was truly happy that the Dragon Prince was alive and well, and that there was still hope for peace. But she had still climbed the Cursed Caldera with hope of her own, hope that the miracle healer could save her hand.

Zym looked sad, but then he turned back to Ezran and smiled again, hopping away awkwardly on untrained legs. Callum kneeled next to the dragon, hesitantly reaching out his hand.

She didn't want to ruin this happy moment, so she stood up as quietly as she could and walked around the two humans playing with the dragon and went to Lujanne. Maybe this moon mage would know something about cancelling a moonshadow enchantment.

"Uhm… Miss Lujanne? Can I ask you something? You see, I have this… assassin's binding on my wrist, and… eliminating the target of the binding is impossible. Do you know how to undo it?" she asked softly, lifting her left arm to show the older woman.

"Oh no. There is no way to undo it. This is silk grown by the most ancient Earthsoil Elves, and enchanted by elves of every Source. This binding will only release when the target's soul has been released from his or her body. I… I am sorry," Lujanne said. Her eyes shifted between Rayla and the two princes, and she was sure the moon mage knew exactly who the target was.

"H-How long?" Rayla eventually whispered, turning away from the humans. Ellis and Ava had joined the little dragon, though Ellis was looking up at her suspiciously.

"Until it… falls off naturally? Less than a day, I think. It's probably better if the hand is… removed with surgery before then, however. That way the wound-" Lujanne was interrupted by Ezran's shout.

"Look!"

They followed his outstretched finger to see a purple light shooting across the sky in their direction. Rayla reached for her weapon, but before she could grab it the light shattered into dozens of glowing orbs.

"You are being tracked. You should leave this place, now! Take my griffin, she'll fly you to the base of the mountain. I'll use illusions to distract whoever is hunting you. Find a safe place and… amputate that hand. I'm sorry, Rayla, but I can't do it. There's no time," Lujanne said, grabbing one of the floating orbs and examining it.

"But... " Rayla didn't know what to say. She knew Lujanne was right, but she didn't want to leave yet. If she went down there to the world of humans she knew all hope for her hand was lost. But there was no hope up here either.

"I'm sorry for calling you a fake. I wish I had time to study your magic. Callum would love it too. Thank you for helping us," she eventually said as the humans climbed on the griffin. Ava didn't look happy with it, but clung to the feathered neck anyway.

"Rayla, come on! I know a place where we can hide!" Ellis called, and she reluctantly turned away. Callum helped her climb on, gently grabbing her wounded arm and holding her steady when the griffin spread its wings.

"Good luck, and stay out of sight! Rayla will need a few days at least to recover! I'll buy you as much time as I can!" Lujanne called as the griffin took off.

Rayla wanted to feel wonder at the fact that she was flying, that she was riding this incredible creature, but her binding tightened more and she just groaned.

"What was she talking about?" Callum softly asked as Ellis and Ezran whooped and cheered at the flight.

"The binding. It's getting too tight. Lujanne said… she said it's best if we cut off the hand ourselves. Callum, I'll need your help," she whispered, trying to seem strong. Trying to seem like it wasn't bothering her.

"I… I see. I read a few books on anatomy. I'll see what I can do. And we can get that animal doctor from the village, he'll be able to help! He won't tell anyone either! He kept quiet about the egg, after all," he said as the griffin flew low over the trees near the base of the mountain. Ellis was giving it directions.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe he can look at Zym as well. I want to make sure he's completely healthy," she whispered, leaning into Callum a bit more. He was warm and safe somehow.

"There's our logging camp! It's abandoned for the spring, so we can hide here for a while. No one will come here. No winter, no humans!" Ellis said, making Rayla chuckle.

"I heard that one before. But I trust you, Ellis. You're very kind," she said, noticing Callum's expression darkening in the corner of her eye. But before she could ask about it, the griffin landed gently. Ava was the first to jump off, followed by Bait. The kids went next, then Callum, who helped her down with blushing cheeks. She could have climbed down by herself, but it didn't feel insulting right then. Instead she felt… comfortable. Taken care of.

No, these were silly feelings. Feelings she should be having with her family, with Runaan and her parents if they hadn't run away. She had to be strong now. Her hand. She had to focus on that. No time for anything else.

The sun was just coming up when they entered the hut in the center of the logging camp. It contained a few beds, a large table, and some chairs. Rayla noticed a large axe in the corner and gulped. Her own swords weren't suited for the task ahead, but she didn't like the idea of that axe anywhere near her either.

"We need to get the doctor and bring him here. Ellis, how far away is the village?" Callum asked as Ezran sat down on a bed. The little boy was clearly exhausted, and so was Zym. The moment she sat in a chair fatigue gripped her as well. Oh dear, she wasn't sure if she could get up again.

"Not far. A twenty minute walk maybe?" Ava agreed with a happy bark.

"Alright then. Ez, you stay here with Rayla. Keep an eye on Bait and Zym as well. You two need to sleep. Especially you, Ezran, you barely slept last night either! Ellis and I will head into town to get food and the doctor. We'll be back soon," Callum slowly said,

"Callum, wait!" Rayla immediately regretted her outburst. Of course his plan was logical. But for some reason she didn't want him to leave. She didn't want to be alone with Ezran right now. He was the reason she would lose her hand. And although she'd never harm him, she didn't want the boy to feel guilty.

Callum looked at her oddly, and she realized he was expecting her to say more.

"Just… stay safe," she eventually said, and he smiled.

"Of course! You as well. No crazy acrobatics with that arm!" he chuckled, before walking out with Ellis and Ava.

The door shut with a bang, and after that was silence. Rayla turned around to talk to Ezran when she realized he was already asleep. Bait was lying near his chest as usual, but Zym was trying to burrow into that spot as well. The glow toad grumbled, but eventually made room. Ezran's only reaction was some mumbling in his sleep.

Rayla made her way over to the other bed. She had to keep watch over the dragon prince, so of course she wouldn't sleep. She'd just… lie down for a second. Just to rest her legs.

She was gone the moment her head hit the pillow.

"Oh no, it looks like he isn't here!" Ellis said when they found the doctor's stable locked. Callum wondered if it was still too early, the sun had barely come up after all.

"Looking for the animal doctor? That wolf of yours looks fine to me, Ellis!" said an older woman exiting her house next door.

"It's not for Ava. We found a, uhm…" Ellis' voice drifted off, and Callum jumped in.

"I was passing by town when my horse fell sick! Ellis here offered to help me get the animal doctor," he said, chuckling nervously.

"Okay… Well, you just missed Doctor Lake. He had to go to Andrew White's farm, apparently there's an outbreak of cow fever. Not sure when he'll be back," the woman said, and Ava whined sadly.

"Alright, thanks. Uhm, let's see if we can find someone else?" Ellis said, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the center of town. Callum was unsure what to do now. An outbreak like that could take the doctor all day, and Rayla didn't have that long.

"Is there any other doctor?" he asked. Ellis frowned.

"There's Mr. Wheelwright, he used to be a medic soldier. But I don't think he'll like Rayla. He reaaaaaally hates Elves," she said, and Callum sighed. A man like that would rat them out in an instant. Then they'd have to flee town again, just like yesterday when that man with the sunforge blade-

Callum's stumbled when he realized it. That blade could cut through anything. Ava barely managed to catch him, pulling him back to his feet with a questioning growl.

If they couldn't use it to cut the ribbon itself, then it should still be perfect for cutting off her hand.

The thought made his stomach turn and sent chills down his spine, but he forced himself to think about it rationally. The blade would cauterize the wound instantly. No risk of infection, no blood loss. It'd be better than him trying to stitch it back up.

"Ellis… Do you remember that man who was showing off his dagger in the square yesterday?" he slowly asked, trying not to reveal too much of what he was planning. This little girl shouldn't have to think about that.

"Sure! He's been staying in the inn for the last couple of days," Ellis said, clearly confused by the question.

"I need that dagger. Rayla needs that dagger. Do you think we can… steal it?" he whispered, looking around for any eavesdroppers.

"I doubt the innkeeper would let us go into his room," she sighed.

"Maybe we can find a back door or something," Callum said, trying not to let his nervousness show. Just a few days ago he would never have considered stealing from a stranger like this, but they had no choice. If he tried this surgery himself without it, Rayla might-

He couldn't finish that thought. No, that couldn't happen. Too much depended on them. Rayla had to be with them when they return the Dragon Prince, and if she had to recover for who knows how long, if she'd even recover at all… All out war might break out. Callum didn't want to think about how many people would die if that happened.

Ellis looked a little unsure, but she might have been stopped by his harsh exterior to question this. A minute later they arrived at the large inn, and Callum looked around the building.

"Do you know in which room he's staying?" he eventually asked. The streets were still deserted, so he wasn't too worried about guards.

"I think he's in the best room. It's around the back, on the upper floor. He's spending his money pretty quickly," Ellis said, gesturing at an alley next to the inn. They walked in there and went around to the rear of the building. There was a large gate, and based on the smell Callum assumed it led to a small stable for the travellers' horses. Ava barked, leading to Ellis quickly shushing her when the horses winnoughed loudly.

"If we had Ezran here he could talk to the horses and have them tell us what's happening inside," Callum chuckled.

"Ava doesn't get along with horses very well," Ellis said, before pointing up. "There's an open window there. I think that might be the big room dagger guy is staying in."

"I guess I'll have to climb up. Can Ava give me a boost? You should stay here on watch," Callum said, trying not to show his nervousness. That man was a trained soldier, what would he do to some stranger in his room stealing his stuff?

Still, he couldn't let that stop him. So he awkwardly climbed on top of the large wolf and pulled himself up to the windowsill. He held his breath as he peeked inside. The only movement was on the bed, where the man was lying under what looked like a mountain of blankets. It slowly moved up and down with his breathing. Callum pulled himself up a little higher, and spotted the sheathed dagger among a pile of clothes.

The muscles in his arms burned with the effort of climbing through the window, and his right hand buckled as he tried to get his foot on the windowsill. He all but rolled inside with a loud bump. Time seemed to freeze as his eyes locked on to the sleeping figure, but his soft snores continued.

Callum forced himself to crawl forward, keeping one eye on the soldier and the other on the scabbard. His sketchbook swung awkwardly at his side, but he didn't dare to adjust it.

Just as he grabbed the scabbard the man mumbled something, and before he even thought about it Callum had drawn the dagger, pointing it towards the bed. The soldier just turned over again, apparently not noticing the heat of the sunforge metal under his blankets. Callum could feel sweat drip down his fingers. How much was from the heat and how much from nerves he didn't know.

Finally Callum lowered the weapon and carefully put it back in the sheath. His hand instantly cooled, and he forced himself to move back to the window.

As he crawled back he thought about what just happened. Had he been prepared to kill that man? A person he didn't know, who had committed no crime? Callum didn't want to think about what he would have done if the man woke up. Would Rayla have done it? He liked to think so, but she had admitted she couldn't kill the guard outside the castle that fateful day.

Ellis was yawning when he poked his head out the window, and he quickly climbed back out. Halfway down he slipped and fell in the snowy mud. The dagger fell next to him, thankfully not leaving the scabbard.

"Let's go back to Rayla and Ezran before anyone sees us," he told her as he put the scabbard in his backpack. As they left the town, he wondered if he was a wanted criminal now. Maybe when this was all over he could return the dagger. But right now, Rayla needed it.

Rayla woke up to a slamming door and a wolf licking her face. She tried to raise her arm to push the animal away, but pain shot through her when the hand moved. The burning sensation woke her instantly, and everything from the past few days raced through her head.

Oh great moon, she was going to lose her hand. She sat up, groaning in pain at every move her left arm made. The hand was almost completely black now, and it tingled like she had been sleeping on it. Everything in her wrist hurt, and she could see the blackness spreading down her arm.

Rationally, she knew what was happening. The blood vessels were closed up by the tightening binding, so the blood was stuck on either side. With no fresh blood flowing in, the muscles and skin would die.

But every time she tried to think about that her mind went blank, like it couldn't accept that. All she could do was stare in horror at her black fingers.

"Rayla. Rayla! Can you hear me!"

She jumped, suddenly realizing Callum was talking to her. He looked awful. His hair was greasy and matted, and his eyes were bloodshot and weary. But she could still see something in his expression that made her want to trust him with this.

"Sorry, I just… still tired, I guess. Did you get the doctor?" she asked. Callum sighed and sat down next to her on the bed. Ava and Ellis were talking to Ezran, who was still lying in his bed. Meanwhile Bait grumbled, squirming out of the boy's grasp and making his way to the dirty floor to catch some bugs.

"He wasn't there. Had to go to some distant farm, and he won't be back until tonight probably. So it looks like it's just us. But… I got this. It should make things easier," Callum said, taking something from his bag. It took her tired brain a minute to recognize it.

The sunforge blade? But… How? Did you-" Callum shook his head.

"Don't think about that. It'll all be fine. We'll return it when we don't need it anymore."

Rayla wanted to argue, tell him it was wrong to steal from a random stranger, but then she saw the look in his eyes. They were filled with shame. And suddenly she knew he already agreed it was wrong.

But he had still done it. For her? For an elf he met just a few days ago?

No, of course it wasn't like that. It was about the mission. She had told him just two days ago, the gesture was all that mattered. A Moonshadow Elf, a daughter of the Dragon Guard, returning the Dragon Prince to Xadia along with the human princes. If she couldn't make it back, the entire world could plunge into open warfare.

That's why she had to do this as well. She let the world down before, she couldn't do that again.

"Well then… No time like the present, I suppose," she whispered, briefly glancing at Ezran before looking away again. Slowly, on trembling legs, she stood up and walked towards the children.

"You two should go to the village again. We'll need food, and the doctor will need to come here as soon as possible. You won't attract much attention. Take Bait and Ava. We'll look after Zym," she said, trying not to let the gravity of the situation show. Ellis looked confused, but Ezran seemed to understand somehow.

"Alright! Let's see if they have jelly tarts!" he shouted as he jumped to his feet.

"Here's some money. Be careful spending it, okay? Only get what we really need," Callum said, apparently catching on to her plan. "That means no expensive jelly tarts. Get some bread, vegetables, dried meat. And… see if you can find a pharmacist who sells pain medicine. Just… Just in case."

Ezran frowned, clearly catching on to who that would be for. Rayla wanted to argue, insist she wouldn't need it. She could fight through the pain.

But in that moment she didn't dare. Memories flashed through her mind of an old neighbor who had lost a leg. He sometimes groaned and screamed in his sleep from the pain, even years after the accident.

"It's okay to be afraid of things," she remembered Ezran's voice clearly saying that. Maybe the little boy was right.

Either way, she didn't have much choice right now.

"Alright, we'll go! We'll be back with the doctor!" Ellis said, and the two kids ran towards the door. However, Ezran hesitated before going outside.

"Are you… sure it's gonna be okay?" he asked, voice so soft she could barely hear it. It was so unlike the bubbly optimist she was used to, and she realized he was scared too. Maybe he felt guilty.

Before she could answer, Callum walked over and kneeled next to his brother. They had a conversation that Rayla didn't hear, though she caught something about guilt.

Ezran eventually wiped at his eyes and ran out. Callum sighed deeply, and the little dragon looked very confused. Zym quickly cheered up when he saw her, though, and he awkwardly waddled over to lie next to her.

"I just didn't want them to see this. They're too young. Especially Ezran, I don't want him to feel like this is happening because of him," she eventually said when the silence became unbearable, and Callum nodded.

"I figured. It will be difficult for Ezran, I think. But he'll understand eventually. I think he'll be okay," he said with a forced smile. It disappeared when his eyes fell on her hand again.

"So… I think you're gonna have to talk me through this. Although swordfighting was part of being a prince, battlefield medicine is not," he said, chuckling awkwardly, and she blushed. There was her dorky Callum again. Despite the pain she couldn't help but smile.

"Alright, I'll do my best. Though I seem to be the teacher all the time. How about after… all of this, you teach me something? Maybe drawing? I always wanted to draw," she said, unsure why she was talking about silly stuff at a time like this.

"Heh, I'll do my best. Maybe I can teach you sign language as well, it's really useful and cool. Then you can talk directly with my Aunt Amaya. I think she'd like you if you two met on better terms," he said quickly, before turning bright red all of a sudden.

"I mean, it's gonna be harder with just one hand, and even if that wasn't the issue the four fingers would still complicate matters, but… we can try," he rambled, clearly nervous, and she avoided his gaze.

"Thanks. I'd like that. Really," she whispered, before sitting down at the table.

"Soooooo… How are we going to do this? Should you be lying down, or sitting, or... " Callum asked, grabbing the scabbard and fiddling with it.

"We should prepare some stuff first. Clean towels, disinfectant. I guess the sunforge blade does simplify things a lot. I'll… I'll sit down here and put my arm on the table like this. That way I won't have to look," Rayla said slowly, trying to stay calm and remember her training.

"Okay. Towels and disinfectant. I can do that," Callum said, running around the room to check all the cupboards.

"There's some cloth in here. A bit dusty but otherwise clean. And I found a bottle of whiskey, I guess that's the best disinfectant we're gonna have," he eventually said while she tried to take off her left glove with one hand.

"Let me help with that," he suddenly appeared next to her, and she jumped a little. With oh so gentle hands he grabbed the cloth and pulled it around the black numb fingers. His fingers were trembling slightly.

"I'll cook some water to clean the towels. Should be easy with the dagger," he said after they got the glove off. Well, it was off up to the binding. That damn binding. Callum filled a metal bucket with snow and carefully put the dagger in it. It instantly began hissing and melting, and Rayla hoped the bucket itself wouldn't melt.

"You're gonna have to cut right here," she said, flinching when she ran her good hand over a specific line next to the binding. "That'll keep the bones intact and separated. At least until the doctor gets here. The blade will cauterize the wound, but you should still cover it with the towels,"

"Ooookay… right there. I'd draw a line if I could see my charcoal on this," he chuckled, though she could see the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"I trust you with this, Callum," Rayla whispered while he cleaned the towels in the boiling water. Even though she couldn't see him from her seat, she could sense him tense up.

"Thanks. I guess? I'll do my best," he said awkwardly, and it made her smile.

"I know it must have been hard to give up that Primal Stone. But… You're still amazing, even without it. I'm sure you'll be a truly great mage one day. You'll be able to study under the greatest masters of Xadia," she said.

"Thanks. That means a lot. And… And I know you'll still be a great warrior, and climber and runner and everything, even after… this," he said, before walking around the table again and pouring the whiskey over the towels. She didn't answer. It was suddenly too real, too close. All she could do was stare as Callum laid out his limited tools next to her arm. The towels and alcohol, the dagger in its scabbard. Its glow contrasted starkly with her dull dead hand.

"Ready?" he eventually asked with a deep sigh, unsheathing the dagger. Rayla gulped.

"I'm scared."

It tumbled from her lips before she could stop it, and her head dropped. She couldn't face Callum like this.

"So am I. But today is a day for miracles. You can do this, Rayla. I believe in you. And… if you believe in me, then that's all I need to attempt this," he said, and she slowly looked back up in his eyes. There was fear there, but also something else. It was how he looked when doing magic.

"I'm glad you're with me. I'm ready. I think," she said, putting her arm flat on the table and looking away. She heard Callum's rapid breathing as he positioned the dagger.

"Here, right?" he asked. She didn't want to look. She just wanted to pretend this wasn't happening, that she was back home with her parents and Runaan without even a thought of becoming an assassin.

But that wasn't possible. She had to be strong now. So she looked down and tried not to become sick at the sight of the dagger hovering over her wrist.

"A little closer to the binding. Yeah, like that," she said, before turning away again and closing her eyes.

"Slow or fast?"

"Fast, but… but keep it in place for a second when you're… through. So it can cauterize."

She tried to think of a lullaby her mother used to sing for her. That one always calmed her.

Yes, little girl, the Moon is black

But in a few nights its light will be back

Until then the Stars will shine at night

And the Sun will always be daytime's knight

The Earth is steady and the Sea is calm

And the Sky makes sure everyone is warm

So each Source keeps us safe and sound

The magic always going round.

Rayla sang it in her head, silently wishing for her mom to hold her as she sensed Callum preparing to cut. A tear ran down her cheek.

Then the blade dropped and all thought left her brain.

She screamed. She screamed harder than she ever had in her life. Her arm bucked, and Callum grabbed it with strength she didn't know he had. Her wrist, her stump was pushed against the blade and she could feel every nerve in her arm on fire.

Then came a different fire. She couldn't think about what it was, all she could do was scream and cry and beg for the pain to stop.

It didn't stop, even when her throat was hoarse and her face wet with tears. Her vision was blurry, and she could barely think. She looked down and caught a glimpse of something black and red, and she immediately squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'm sorry Rayla. I'm sorry. It's over now. Just rest," Callum's words sounded muffled, like she was underwater.

"Is it off?" she asked through a raw throat.

"It is. I cut where you told me to. Didn't go through any bones. And it's disinfected and bandaged now."

Callum's words didn't make much sense to her numb brain. She just wanted to lie down and never move again.

"Let's get you to the bed," he said, standing up and moving to support her. In retrospect, he basically carried her. Her legs wouldn't support her weight, and she doubted she could have kept her balance. The room span around her.

She fell into soft blankets and pillows, and the pain didn't seem as bad in this soft bed. A chirping sound reached her ears as Callum pulled blankets over her. Though her vision was still blurry she recognized the little dragon who was moving right next to her arm. Then she looked up at Callum.

"I'll just clean this up and get you some water," he said, turning away, and suddenly her right hand flew out and grabbed his wrist.

"Don't go. Please don't go," she whispered, and he looked frozen for a bit.

"Alright, I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here," he eventually said, sitting down next to her and grabbing her hand in his. Her remaining hand. The thought made her stomach turn, but feeling Callum's warm hand somehow made it easier to ignore.

"Thank you," she managed to whisper before falling into an uneasy sleep. In her dreams she saw her parents again in their little Moon village, but Callum and Ezran were there too. Her left hand was completely white, but it still felt warm in Callum's soft grasp.

#the dragon prince #tdp #fanfic #rayllum #amputee rayla #angst

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madscientistjournal · 5 years

Text

Fiction: Excerpts From the Audio Notes

An essay by Jim Dennath, P. (Eldritch) E., as provided by Jonathan Ficke Art by Leigh Legler

Day 1

Finally, a place where my desire to dream beyond the bounds of what a rational engineer may dream, to build that which ought never be built, to be the mad engineer that breaks down barriers, and possibly ends the world–Fimbulvetr Industries. I confess that I saw their job posting and sent my résumé to them on a lark–who would have thought that the premiere apocalyptic science and engineering conglomerate would want me? But they did, so here I am walking the austere gunmetal hallways, seeing the laboratories where the cutting edge of apocalyptic science is conducted. And everything is so clean! It’s the platonic form of Nordic design. I couldn’t imagine a better place to undergo hours of trite human resources onboarding nonsense.

At least they have a slogan: Building a Better End of Days, Today.

It’s perfect.

Fimbulvetr is not screwing around. I’ve been here a day and have access to the development lab of my dreams. Good devils below, there’s an entire team of assistants at my beck and call. The job is simple–as simple as engineering a possibly world-ending device is concerned that is–build a device to create a stable planar gateway to the nether realm to allow the creatures of the dark beyond access to the mortal plane of existence.

Should be fun!

Turns out the ancient Assyrians were super into the nether realm. The Fimbulvetr archives have hundreds of original clay tablets recovered (read: stolen or plundered) from archaeological sites across the Levant. As it so happens, however, I cannot read cuneiform.

Good news, though! Ivan, a twitchy Russian ex-pat with an eyepatch, has been the most useful in that regard. He tells me he studied and taught ancient languages at a university in Kiev, stumbled on something he’s only muttered about as “the impossible realities,” and they fired him for gibbering too much during lectures. Their loss is my gain.

There’s also a linguist to help interpret the texts, Bernice, an Alabaman with absolutely the sweetest accent and the keenest eye for the dark logic employed by the forces of darkness. Who would have imagined that demons employed passive aggressive language? When I expressed my disbelief, Bernice said “bless your heart,” and told me it makes her feel right at home. What a lovely person.

With Ivan and Bernice’s help, the task came into focus. We have a great deal of work ahead of us.

There’s also Jeffrey. He doesn’t talk much, and near as I can tell, he’s mainly here to pick up heavy things at my direction. He does so at a languid pace. He must be hourly.

Day 3

This was prototyping day. Based on Ivan’s translations, and Bernice’s helpful interpretation of archaic Assyrian linguistics, we needed both a lot of eldritch energy and a focusing medium to stretch the planar gate across.

First thing first, we measure eldritch energy in crowleys, like proper modern folk who are concerned with repeatable design. Ancient Assyrians? No such luck. They simply killed an absolutely mind-boggling number of people until they got what they wanted. I’m honestly a little impressed by their can-do attitude. It worked for them, so what grounds do I have to criticize? I can, however, complain that it makes their cuneiform tablets as hard to use as blueprints in a modern workshop.

Anyway, since we don’t know exactly how many crowleys we need, I’m ball parking the sum at: a lot of crowleys.

Also, we need something to channel the crowleys into a cascading web of interconnecting focus points–essentially a matrix of dark energy that can fray the boundary between our world and the eldritch void we seek to contact. The ancient Assyrians came up with an answer for this too. That answer is femurs. We need a lot of femurs.

If we need a lot of femurs, then we’re going to need a lot of volunteers. After all, each one can only contribute two femurs, and we’re going to need twenty-three femurs. That means approximately twelve volunteers, assuming our pool of volunteers does not include too many above-the-knee amputees or people with low bone density. This might be tricky.

Day 4

Not that tricky! You know what was tricky? Getting Jeffrey to gather all of the human thighs and separate the meat from the bones. It was a simple request, Jeffrey!

But, I digress. Did you know there’s a group of people on the internet who call themselves “thigh enthusiasts?” Naturally, I gravitated toward this group of people, as I figured that anyone so enthusiastic about thighs would likely have high quality femurs.

This was not, in fact, the case. The yield of quality femurs from a single thigh enthusiast, which one could reasonably assume be close to, if not precisely, two femurs, is actually much closer to 1.1 per enthusiast. Most are men in their thirties; how is their bone structure and density so bad? What comprises their diet that they have the bone density of an elderly person with a severe calcium deficiency? This is, of course, not the question I’ve been hired to solve. It must remain a mystery for another day.

What we lacked in quality, we were able to make up for in quantity. Thigh enthusiasts are an easily baited group. Promise an internet message board an abundance of thighs, and like ten grand each, and boom, even with the comically low femur yield, I’ve got all the femurs an engineer could possibly desire. Really, it’s almost a problem. I’ve practically got too many femurs. Jeffrey certainly thinks we have too many femurs, but that is a Jeffrey problem.

So, with a massive stockpile of femurs at our disposal, it’s time to begin constructing a web of twenty-three femurs arranged in a circle with a radius precisely calibrated to focus crowleys!

Day 6

Well, I’ve summoned a demon. More on this later. At least I won’t have to worry about Jeffrey slacking anymore. More on this later as well.

I rate this experience as a qualified success.

Day 7

Good news! We’ve sealed the demon in my original development lab. Fimbulvetr has given me a new workshop. It’s buried farther underground.

The boys upstairs have also given me a squad of armed guards at all times. Hans Jürgen leads the team of barrel-chested men with assault rifles and bandoliers of grenades. Seems a touch of overkill, but it wouldn’t do to have a demon ruthlessly dismember a useful member of the team.

(Oh … right, Jeffrey was–literally–pulled limb from limb by a seven-armed reptilian beast with eleven mouths and three wings. As it happens, and this would be a subject better suited for a mad evolutionary biologist, demons have very strange anatomy.)

In any case, we have a very solid prototype planar gateway generator in existence. No idea how to control it. No way to manage what passes through. No clue what’s on the other side, and the boys upstairs tell me it’s not nearly big enough.

On account of me not being dead, I am willing to increase my assessment of this situation from qualified success to moderate success.

Add in Jeffrey’s demise and we might be flirting with major success territory.

Day 5

Yes, out of chronological order, but I was far too busy fleeing a rampaging hell beast to take proper notes on the actual Day 5. So let’s all be aware that it was recorded on Day 7, but ought to slot in at Day 5. Deal? Deal.

So, get this, turns out virgins, not super effective conduits of eldritch power. I know, really came out of left field to me too. It’s all you ever read about: virgin sacrifice this, the world’s running out of eligible virgins that. Guess what, virgins, you’re not that special!

Turns out, the sanguineous humors of debauched people–now that’s the blood you want to charge a planar gate. So we threw an orgy. Well, we advertised an orgy, lit some candles, provided massage oils and a room full of impractically sized pillows, and once we had a room full of good old-fashioned debauchery underway, that’s when we threw a massacre. It was all very efficient.

I was able to capture thirteen crowleys of spiritual energy in the blood agony harvester (which we constructed mostly from tibias and fibulas, the ancient Assyrians–a very efficient people when it came to human sacrifice–were big on using every part of the sacrificial victim, particularly leg bones). Granted, we’re still getting a handle on precisely how many crowleys of energy will be necessary to sustain a transplanar crossing, but I figured what we had was a good first effort.

Naturally, excited as I was from that success, I couldn’t help but turn to my assembled femur matrix and plug in all that sweet human suffering. It worked, and after experiencing the fabric of realty shred before my eyes, and hearing the distilled shriek of millions of disembodied souls, a demon ripped through the planar gate and started absolutely taking Jeffrey to town.

I ran, sealed the door, and changed my drawers.

Day 14

Good thing I had all those femurs, because the boys upstairs want a lot of transplanar gates constructed. Without Jeffrey (typical Jeffrey, even in death he’s slacking off), it took more than a week to build a whole bunch of gates in reinforced containment cells. That way, when the demons rip through, we’ve got ’em right where we want ’em. Locked up nice and tight until we can figure out how best to unleash them on an unsuspecting world.

So here we are, two weeks into the job (they’re paying me in arrears, which means I don’t get paid until the second pay period is complete, truly barbaric; hopefully my benefits are already accruing. I don’t want to miss out on any compound interest.), and I have twenty-three individually contained planar gates made from five-hundred-twenty-nine femurs. I wonder if I hunted thigh enthusiasts onto the endangered species list? Each planar gate sits in a specially constructed holding cell built of concrete and steel.

The holding cells themselves are all on a central corridor buried deep underground. At the end of the corridor is the control room, where I work. From there, I have the ability to route crowleys into the planar gates, as well as control each individual cell door.

Behind the control room, a twenty-three-foot diameter vault door that is twenty-three-feet-thick seals the whole operation off from the access shaft that leads to the rest of Fimbulvetr headquarters.

We are so ready to summon some demons.

Or, we would be ready to summon some demons, if we had enough crowleys. This is going to take a lot of massage oil.

Day 20

It’s been a tiring but productive six days. I like to think we’ve done the ancient Assyrians proud. Good thing we got a bulk rate on massage oil.

The blood agony harvesters are practically humming with energy, and the boys upstairs have quintupled my detail of armed guards.

A few keep very close eyes on me, and with the exception of Hans Jürgen, they communicate exclusively by way of hand signals, and are frequently checking their weapons and ammunition. It’s as if they assume that at any moment a demon might leap into this world. I asked Hans Jürgen about the increase in guards, and he says that they’re here to prevent anyone from being Jeffried.

Jeffried. His laziness has been immortalized by becoming a verb in the Fimbulvetr lexicon. Where’s the justice in that?

But let’s not let Jeffrey’s perpetual incompetence interfere with our objective. In the morning, we get to channel distilled human suffering into a series of arrays constructed from human long bones. What could possibly go wrong?

Day 21

A lot can go wrong.

Holy shit, a lot can go wrong.

I threw the switch and opened the crowley reservoir. The hair on the back of my arms stood on end as the cables that ran from reservoir to the holding cells and attached to the transplanar gates inside writhed like live serpents with the energy.

As had been the case with the first rift, reality shifted in front of my eyes, and an otherworldly howl threatened to burst my eardrums. The screams faded, but then a series of sounds like the piercing chime of twenty-three bells rang through the corridor, and I heard it even in the control room. A tiny red light blinked on the control panel indicating lock failure on each door.

Hans Jürgen flashed hand signs to his men and everyone spread out, rifles at their shoulders, covering the cell doors. It didn’t matter. Moments later, the cell doors ripped open and twenty-three demons tore out of confinement into the corridor.

Ivan and Bernice had volunteered to check each containment cell, so they were in the hallway and were the first to die.

The snare drum report of automatic weapon fire filled the air, grenades provided a tympanic percussion beneath the gunfire, but none of it mattered.

Everyone got Jeffried.

Everyone but me. I’m sitting in the control room behind a pane of glass staring into the nearly countless eyes of twenty-three demons and hoping they don’t realize that the control room door doesn’t actually have a lock on it.

Oh, shit.

[Inarticulate screaming]

Jim Denath, P. (Eldritch) E., holds the distinction of being the only youth scout to be dismissed from the national organization for designing an autonomous drone that hunted down and cooked ants with a magnifying glass. He parlayed that (minor) infamy into a scholarship to attend the Polytechnic Institute of Apocalyptic Studies, and subsequently a position at Fimbulvtr Industries, where he is now the only person with a professional engineering license currently being used as the torture plaything of twenty-three demonic fellbeasts.

Jonathan Ficke lives outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his beautiful wife. He graduated from Marquette University with a degree in public relations, which (in a manner of speaking) is another form of speculative storytelling, His work appears in Mad Scientist Journal Spring 2018, Writers of the Future: Vol. 34, and Tales of Ruma. He muses online at jonficke.com and on twitter @jonficke.

Leigh’s professional title is “illustrator,” but that’s just a nice word for “monster-maker,” in this case. More information about them can be found at http://leighlegler.carbonmade.com/.

Fiction: Excerpts From the Audio Notes was originally published on Mad Scientist Journal

#Demonology #Jonathan Ficke #Leigh Legler #Science Fiction #Xenobiology

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