#so they can't have 'normal' digestive tracts

[tarotchariot]

I would like to post something very off topic just to ensure others are careful with their pets.

If you have a pet that likes to eat/destroy things and they do so easily: Please take away any toys that include thread or string.

String/rope toys may seem very typical, normal and harmless. They are usually in many households as an easy,cheap option as well. However, there is deep harm that they can cause if the string/rope/thread is ingested.

Of course, all toys will usually have a typical guide to supervise and throw away when destroyed. However, with how messy rope and string can get when bitten or chewed, it may be hard to tell if they have already ingested it, or if you would class it as destroyed.

In my eyes, it is far too risky and the severe repercussions are not communicated effectively enough from these companies. In my experience, I would never have purchased one of these toys in my entire life for any pet, if I had known what it could do. Other toys are much more suitable.

If you do not like to hear about medical injury in detail, or are sensitive, or have had a bad experience - please ignore the rest of this post.

When rope/thread etc is ingested, it cannot be digested. It continues through the stomach and into the digestive tract. The digestive tract is of course an extremely soft and vulnerable organ. To digest and get food through it tends to make small movements to move things along. The string can become entangled in itself and very stubbornly refuses to pass easily. It then can create a blockage in any part of the system. This results in an inability to keep food or water, creating dehydration which can be fatal in itself as well as massive weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea(until nothing can be passed), lethargy and general pain/discomfort.

With all the movement that the organ makes, the string can tighten and become very taught. You know how tough rope etc can be if you pull it against something? For example people have cut meat with string.

If that string or thread continues to be moved it can become very tight and even cut right through the tract. Not just once, but twice, three times or more. It is beyond extreme pain that no animal should suffer. Not only that, there can then be leakages that could be fatal as a result of infection etc.

While of course we know to be generally cautious with our pets, sometimes we may not see things, our pets like to sneak behind our backs sometimes, and we can think something is harmless to the point we don't pay attention. Things can happen in 2 minutes of you doing a chore. There are many situations where things can happen. This is just to warn you that rope toys and similar can create unimaginable situations, especially when you aren't aware of what it can cause when it goes wrong. I highly recommend throwing rope toys away, but if you don't, ensure you are really watching that they're not sneakily eating any of it. I don't recommend leaving them alone with it for even a second.

You may think nothing has ever happened, so it's fine. But you can't 100% control your pet and because of that, something unusual may happen. Something severe. I urge you to be cautious, not to create fear in you, but to reduce it in the future potentially.

Thanks to anyone who reads this, I wish all of you and your pets good luck and amazing health.

[notquitedeadpod]

sometimes i get caught in little brain loops about the mechanics of how vampires eat. i get lost in the sauce about how much blood they'd need, what the exact mechanism for that might be

then i have to be like 'no u gotta be more loosey goosey about this' bc in reality, blood is so nutritionally incomplete that vampire bats, the only mammal obligate blood-eaters, consume so much blood just to get enough nutrients to live that they sometimes can't take flight after a meal, and have to piss pretty much constantly in order to get rid of excess water weight to be able to fly

which isn't very sexy

[myriadeyed]

Hi bird therians! I'd like to present the following list of definitions of avian terminology; instincts and anatomy. Specifically, terms for things that many birdkin may already be aware of due to their own shifts, but not know the word for or even that it's a real and normal thing. Why do I make that assumption? Because my own mind was blown every time I discovered one of these words, the way things I would do or phantom parts I would feel suddenly made sense. So I hope to induce the same reaction in at least someone.

Behaviors

Mantling is mostly a bird of prey thing, the action of leaning over a kill and shielding the spoils with your wings so as to defend it from thieves. I can do no better of a description than a photo, included at the bottom of this post and for raptors it will probably spark recognition.

Rousing is the word for that "slowly fluff up the feathers and then shake the whole body" thing that birds do. Yes, it does have a name! Birds do it when relaxed or just chilly. It is not a threat display. I experience this as like an near-involuntary action -- like scratching an itch or sneezing -- and because I'm not actually raising physical feathers it feels kind of like shivering. But it sort of feels frustrating that I can't seem to achieve it. Like when a sneeze goes away.

Feather-plucking (pterotillomania) is a maladaptive habit birds in captivity develop when they are stressed. You see it most often with parrots, because they're kept as pets more than other birds and are also extremely intelligent so more easily understimulated. Sometimes this does feel like being a bird in captivity and a lot of you might experience this instinct without knowing what it is your brain's asking to do because you have no feathers. Calling it pterotillomania is helpful to me because I have actual dermotillomania and if my body had feathers I'd be plucking them.

Anatomy

Nictitating membrane. Starting with this because you may already know it by now. The third eyelid of birds, translucent, drawn sideways across the eye so that you can keep it moist while still being able to see. Also, as you may know, relevant to cat therians!

Crop. Part of the digestive tract of a bird in the throat where food is temporarily stored before being digested. If you had these shifts it would feel like, according to Wikipedia, basically an enlarged portion of the esophagus.

Keel. An extension of the sternum, the structure to which flight muscles are attached. If you had these shifts it would feel like a thin bone going beneath (or I guess on a humanoid body plan, in front of) your ribcage.

Cloaca. In the interest of not having to mark this post mature, I will not define or describe this one. I encourage you to look it up. Mammals are already working to reduce the stigma surrounding these types of shifts and instincts; we can do the same. There is no shame in it. You're a bird and birds have these. Accept it.

Birds do have sensation in our beaks. There are nerve endings in the beak. Not as much as, say, human skin, but yes, birds can feel touch on their beaks. If you can feel your beak, great! That is anatomically correct, and it certainly does not make you fake!

And now for your enjoyment, a mantling eagle:

[arcadian-litterateur]

sick of kissing you in my head (when can it be real instead?) | modern au!gally x fem!reader

masterlist

summary: your boyfriend, gally, is across the country, and despite the struggles a long distance relationship can bring, your love is strong enough to carry you through the long distance season of your relationship. but spending your birthday without him is different than spending normal days separated, and you know deep down that nothing will make you happy on your birthday when he’s all you need.

word count: 8k holy—i really didn’t even realize how long this was till i checked the wc omg

warnings: emotional meltdown, mention of anxiety and anxiety meds, brief mention of panic attacks

a/n: hey guys! i love love love the song this is based off of: all i need (the distance song) by avery lynch. it's such a good song. this was supposed to just be fluff about visiting your bf gally, and then it turned into a whole thing lol. so yeah, i hope you guys enjoy this long ass one shot. i really really enjoyed writing it.

“𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦. 𝘪𝘧 𝘪 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪’𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥. 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥.”

𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 onto my side, legs brushing against my sheets, I smile at the FaceTime call on my phone, but it's bittersweet. On the other end of the video call sits my boyfriend, the soft smile on his face mirroring my own. From where he sits, I can see the San Francisco skyline out his hotel window, highlighted by the rising sun.

“I miss you,” I mumble, studying the lines and contours of his face and wondering if they've changed since the last time I saw him in person. If I've missed any change; any detail while we've been separated. If anything has changed or tipped the balance since we've been apart. 

I'm not insecure in my relationship with Gally, but be long distance for enough time and everyone gets in their head about it. Catches themselves wondering; doubting.

“I miss you more every time we have to part,” I add, watching the bitter take over the sweet in my boyfriend's eyes for a few seconds before he replies.

“I know, baby, I know.” His gaze wanders into the space between the atoms, his mind leaping forward into the future as he assures both me and himself, “Once my contract with WCKD Enterprises is up, I'll be able to move back to Denver. We'll be back in the same city.”

My smile is tired, only half there, and Gally knows it. It's been months since I've held him in my arms. This long distance routine is wearing us both out. We're both running out of steam—not for each other; not for our relationship, but for the complexity that being long distance has brought to our relationship. Conflicting schedules, spotty internet, the deprivation of physical contact with the person we crave it from the most…it's all beginning to pile up, and we both know it.

In an attempt to change the subject, I ask, “When is your flight back to Chicago again?” I already know, but I'm not sure what else to say, and besides, it's always good to check.

“Your birthday,” comes the cheeky reply, my eyes rolling of their own accord as I secretly admire the handsome grin on my boyfriend's face. But all too soon, his grin fades.

“I'm sorry I can't be there for your birthday,” he says gently. I wave him off, assuring him that I'll be just fine.

“Bren, Tes, and Sony are planning something. Won't tell me what, though.” I sigh before admitting, “It won't be the same without you. But your work's important.” Gally smiles gratefully, but there's cracks in the smile, and my stomach sinks. Guilt over my last comment settles in my digestive tract. “Sorry,” I mumble.

“No, no, don't apologize,’’ Gally says quickly. “You're allowed to be sad that I can't be there.” His amiable grin morphs into a scowl, “Tried to get Janson to give me the time off, I really did. But that rat wouldn't do it.” I give Gally what I hope is a reassuring smile.

“It's okay, babe.” We fall into silence, not necessarily comfortable, but not bad either, before Gally interjects,

“It'll be nice to be in my own apartment, though. I'm getting sick of all these Californian hotels. I'll be glad to be home, smog and noisy L-trains galore.” I chuckle, knowing that Gally loves Chicago because of its quirks, not in spite of them.

Still, Denver has always been home to me. But Gally and I've decided to cross that bridge when we get to it. We've got enough to think about as it is.

I'm trying to come up with another conversation topic, since I don't have work until later today, but unfortunately, Gally isn't so lucky. It’s the perks of working from home as a crisis hotline counselor, I guess. The hours aren’t as demanding, since the work itself is.

“Shoot, I have to go,” he hisses. “I'm sorry, princess. I'll call you tonight?” I nod, forcing myself to look forward to tonight's call, rather than be sad that this one is ending. “Alright, good that,” Gally grins. “I love you, babe!”

“I love you, Gal,” I smile and wave goodbye. The half-baked grin melts right off my face once he's hung up. Gosh, I miss him so much. 

There's only so much comfort a video call can give.

Teresa calls me soon after Gally hangs up, blabbering on and on about a date she'd had with some guy named Ben, but I can't focus on her stories like I normally would. Usually, I'm all in to hear my friend's tales, but my mind is still fixated on the miles separating Gally and I. Something in me wonders how much longer we'll be able to go without holding each other. How much longer we can stand to be separated.

When we first started dating, I could have gone months, as long as we were still interacting. But as my love for Gally increased, the length of time I could stand to be without him decreased. 

I'm fully, unashamedly in love with Gally now, and part of me wonders what I would do to be living in the same place as him. To be in his arms for good. The easy answer—the most raw answer—is anything. I'd do anything for him.

“(Y/N)?” Teresa's voice brings me out of my thoughts, her suspicious tone confirming that she's noticed my lack of focus today. “You weren't listening, were you?” To an outsider, her tone might sound harsh; reproachful, even, but I know her too well. She's not mad. Just annoyed she'll have to repeat her story if she wants me to hear it.

“I'm sorry,” I mumble, and it's sincere. I am sorry that I lost focus. But I don't apologize for pining after my faraway boyfriend. There's no reason to, for one, and two, I won't ever apologize for thinking of him. For missing him. 

Teresa is grinning at my distracted tone, I can tell. Even through the phone, I can tell. “You're good. Dreaming about your bae, aren't you?” 

I don't hesitate to admit, “Yes. I miss him more than I thought was even possible.” I hear Teresa's hum from the other end of the phone.

“You need to see him,” she declares. I scoff.

“Believe me, I know, and we're trying to figure out when he can next visit, but we're both just so busy.” Teresa clucks her tongue, the sound distorting oddly through the phone speaker. I imagine it running across the telephone poles, through the wires, twisting and bending and knotting out of shape as it flies all the way to me.

“I didn't mean like that, (Y/N). You need to go see him.” I chuckle, I wish I could.

“He's busy, Tes. Besides, he isn't even in Chicago right now,” I reason. This doesn't deter her.

“Well, when will he next be in Chicago?”

“His flight's on my birthday.” 

“That's perfect!” Teresa squeals. 

“How is that perfect?” I huff.

“You can fly out and spend your birthday with him! Surprise him!” 

I actually laugh at this. “Um, no, I can't. I don't have the kind of money to just throw down for plane tickets. Besides, weren't you, Brenda, and Sonya planning something?” 

“Well, yeah, but we could always change plans if we needed to,” Teresa says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. On any other day, I would entertain this kind of silly daydreaming, but today, I already felt lonely enough.

“Sorry, Tes. Those spontaneous decisions are not my cup of tea,” I sigh, and I think she can tell I'm shutting the conversation down. She lets it go, and I thank her silently, forcing the ache in my heart left by Gally's absence to venture to the back of my mind. If I waste the day away, it'll be evening again, and then he'll call, just like he said. 

And so despite the fact that I know wasting the days away is bad for me, I do it anyway. Just today, I tell myself. Just today.

Of course, I know I'll do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and all the hours in between my calls with Gally. It's ridiculous, how they all say having space helps one think clearer, when having space just distracts me by making me miss him that much more.

When he's gone, I'm reminded that much more that he's all I need.

_______________________________

𝗜𝗧’𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡 p.m. by the time Gally calls, his eyes lighting up when he sees me despite the exhausted, burnt out look on his face. I'm equally as ecstatic as he is to revel in the gaze of my lover, both of us simply brushing every inch of each other's faces with our eyes, memorizing each other for the millionth time. It won't be the last time, either. I could never get tired of scanning my gaze across his skin, memorizing every inch of his beautiful face. 

In our current situation, it's the closest I can get to kissing every inch of his beautiful face.

Gally is the first to break the silence, and I'm okay with it. He's the one who's had a long day. He knows what he needs to talk or not talk about. I just love hearing his voice. 

“How was your day, baby?” he asks, a tired sort of happiness seeping into his voice. Like I'm giving him some kind of rest just by smiling at him.

“It was good. Uneventful.” I shrug, knowing that I'd barely moved from the chair I occupied now. “The real question is, how was your day, my love?” 

Gally grins at the pet name. He always does. It's the same reaction that I have whenever he uses terms of endearment on me. It's our own personal love language of sorts. How many different ways can I call you mine?

“My day was okay,” Gally says quietly, sighing when he sees the look on my face. The one that tells him to lay it on me; rant if it'll make him sleep better tonight. “Well, it was…mediocre,” he amends, running a hand through his short hair. “Tim was being an ass. As always.” I nod sympathetically, understanding the deep hatred he harbors for his coworker.

Why Gally doesn't like Tim, I'm not exactly sure, but I know it has something to do with taking credit for a project that Gally did all the work on. It resulted in a harsh lecture from their boss for Gally, who was presumed to have slacked off, and a promotion for Tim. 

Anyone who knows Gally knows that he would never slack off. He takes duty and work seriously; more seriously than anyone else I've met, in fact. I know my boy. He wouldn't hurt his company's productivity, even if his boss is an asshole like Janson.

“I'm sorry Tim was giving you trouble, baby,” I croon, watching the aches and tension of the day seeping out of his stiff shoulders at the sound of my voice. His smile weaves its way back onto his face. It's a soft, vulnerable smile, the one that makes me want to take him in my arms and just hold him like the precious treasure he is.

“I wish I could hug you,” Gally groans, rubbing his chin with his fingers before trying to regain his composure. “Sorry…I don't mean to bring everything up again. I just…I just miss you.” My comforting smile wobbles, knowing that those same thoughts are eating away at me inside, but I bring the happy thoughts back to the surface and my grin rights itself.

“Soon, love, soon,” I murmur, knowing I can't truly promise anything with how busy our lives have become. But soon doesn't have a time slot or expiration date. I can promise soon and define it later. All I know is that it brings a smile to my boy's face, and that's what I need right now. 

We spend the rest of the night talking, lifted by the promise of Soon, love, soon, knowing that it could very well mean a long, long time. 

_______________________________

𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗦 in my bedroom window, blinding me when my eyes flicker open. But once I blink away the black spots in my vision, I see that the sunlight isn't the only reason I was pulled from the comforting arms of sleep. 

Brenda, Teresa, and Sonya are standing at my bedside, my sheets in a bunched up ball in Sonya's hands. I groan, trying to roll away, but Bren, ever the fearless one, grabs my shoulder and pulls me back to face them.

“Get up, (Y/N). No spending the day moping,” she orders. I heave out an exaggerated sigh, making my body intentionally limp as Brenda and Teresa each grab one of my arms, pulling me upright until I have to support my own weight. 

“Sometimes I really regret giving you guys my apartment passcode,” I comment, leading Sonya to pinch my arm. I yelp, rubbing the red mark as I get manhandled out of my pajamas and into a new outfit by my best friends. “What—what are you crazies doing?” I splutter, quickly taking the pair of jeans from Teresa's hands before she can try to shove them on my legs, opting to put them on myself. 

“We aren't letting you mope around until Gally visits. Who knows how long that would be? It's not healthy,” Sonya explains, linking an arm through mine as the three girls drag me to the bathroom. Brenda shoves my toothpaste-loaded toothbrush into my hand as Tes starts pulling my hair brush through my hair.

“Ow,” I complain around a mouthful of toothpaste suds, pulling away from Teresa's assault on my tender scalp momentarily to spit. She and Sonya make quick work of my slightly frizzy hair, tag teaming it to create a fun yet elegant braid. 

“Beautiful,” Sonya sighs, leaning back to admire her handiwork. Brenda, on the other hand, seems to have some kind of mental checklist, full of all the tasks she must see me complete.

“Breakfast is next,” she commands, and I find myself being pulled into my kitchen, watching helplessly as my friends dive into making us a scrumptious, sugary feast.

I have to admit, the fluffy blueberry pancakes filling my stomach certainly make venturing out into the world much easier than I expected. I only feel the need to text Gally three times before leaving my apartment with my friends, rather than the usual five to ten. Whether these texts are to let him know I'm fine or to make sure he's fine, I've never been able to figure out. Maybe they're both. Either way, it's a good thing Brenda shoved my meds into my hand before breakfast. 

When I'm here alone, I don't take them. Sometimes I skip them on purpose, sometimes I just forget. But either way, I don't take my anxiety meds unless Brenda is there to shove them down my throat. Thinking about it, I'm grateful she's here to force me to take them today. With all of these mixed up feelings about being separated from Gally for so long, having more control over my anxiety will be good.

A day shopping with my best friends is a good distraction from the painful loneliness I've been feeling without Gally. It's not exactly a cure, but it's close. My friends know this; know their own limitations, and so they do the best they can.

And I'm so grateful that they've put in the time. Put in the effort. All for me.

“Thank you,” I whisper to them as we sit in our favorite coffee shop, sipping oat milk lattes. 

“Of course,” Brenda immediately responds.

“We love you,” Sonya adds.

“We know we aren't your boy,” Teresa chimes in, “but we're your best friends, and that means we stick by you. No matter what.” She leans over to rub my arm. “When you're down, I'm down. We wanted to help pick you back up.”

The smile on my face is genuine for the first time in a long time, knowing that my friends love me enough to support me despite having the knowledge that they can't give me everything I need. They give what they can, and accept me when it doesn't fix everything.

I haven't always had friends this good, and I look up at the sky, thanking the heavens that I've been blessed with such good friends now.

_______________________________

𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 before my birthday, I can’t get Teresa’s half-joking, hare-brained idea out of my head. Realistically, I know that the likelihood that I could find a flight on my birthday to Chicago that isn’t full (or way too expensive) is slim. Realistically, I know that I don’t have the money for plane tickets right now. Realistically, I know that flying halfway across the country on a whim to see my boyfriend is ridiculous. 

But when Gally sends me his flight information, knowing I like to watch his progress and get confirmation when he lands safely, I find myself checking flights from Denver to Chicago, telling myself it’s just out of curiosity. Because what if there is a flight to Denver from Chicago on my birthday? What if there is a possibility that I could see Gally on my birthday? What if there is a chance that I could have this gift; the only one I truly want?

If there’s even a chance to see Gally on my birthday, I want to know. 

Gally’s flight information is pulled up on my phone, which is next to me on my desk as I scroll through flights on my laptop. My right thumbnail is between my teeth, bitten down to the quick and then some. It seems that flying is a popular travel option right now, as flights are filled even into places like Dawson County, Montana. Every flight I find from Denver to Chicago is either full or too expensive for someone just out of college, like me. The cheapest is $374, and I know rationally that blowing through that much money would be devastating for my finances. 

I swear under my breath, angry at myself for even getting my hopes up. It was a stupid idea to check the flights, and I find myself wishing I could go back in time to stop myself from looking. The disappointment grows even larger knowing that there would be a way to get to him if I wasn’t a broke post-college student making minimum wage in the Mile-High City. Then the disappointment and anger melt away, leaving me with a heart wrenching sadness that feels so empty and yet so all-consuming that I can’t help but break down into tears.

I don’t want to let myself cry about a silly daydream that was unlikely to happen anyway, but I’d let myself entertain the thought of seeing Gally soon; of holding him close and kissing him until we couldn’t breathe, and now everything else seemed pale in comparison. It wasn’t that my life had no purpose outside of him—I’d made it very clear when we started dating that the two of us needed to make sure we had lives outside of our relationship, too. But Gally had become a part of me; my favorite part of me, in fact. I was perfectly happy with the life I had, but Gally made it even sweeter. And knowing that sweetness was mine but was inaccessible made the absence of it even more palpable. Even more unbearable.

Crumpled into a heap on my floor with tears slowly leaking from my eyes is how Teresa finds me when she opens my door fifteen minutes later. “Hey, girl—” she calls before seeing me, rushing to my side with a worried, “Oh, my gosh, what’s wrong, (Y/N)?” I just shake my head, the waterworks turning back up to full blast.

“I miss him so much,” I sob as she gathers me in her arms, unable to care that I sound pathetic. 

“Oh, I know, darling, I know,” Teresa coos, rocking back and forth with my shaking body, whispering comforting words into my ears just like she always does when I get so worked up. My chest heaves as I try to catch my breath, hand flying up to wipe the snot from my nose, but of course, the minute it’s gone, more replaces it. I’m past the point of an easy calm-down, instead finding myself close to the edge of hyperventilating. Thankfully, Teresa isn’t a stranger to my emotional meltdowns, and she isn’t afraid of them, either. Instead, she’s the kind of friend who will take my hand and guide me through it.

“Did you take your meds this morning?” she asks cautiously, to which I shake my head in embarrassment. Tears are still pooling in the corners of my eyes as I manage to get out,

“I’m sorry.” 

Teresa just shushes me calmly. “Don’t apologize. It’s in the past now. I just wanted to know.” I nod shakily, the soothing pressure of her hand rubbing my arm helping me steady my breaths slightly. “What set you off?” she queries, squeezing me a bit tighter when the tears speed up again.

“I—I decided to check the flights for my birthday,” I answer, sniffling as my best friend strokes my hair lovingly. “It was stupid, because it just made me upset. They’re all too expensive, and I knew they would be, and it just made me miss him so much more.” Admitting it out loud makes me feel even dumber, the guilt creeping into my stomach. “I did this to myself,” I mumble. Subconsciously, my nails find their way to my arms, digging into the delicate skin and leaving pink crescents behind. Teresa pulls my hands away from my arms quickly.

“Stop blaming yourself. You did nothing wrong. I would’ve done the same, (Y/N).” I know she’s trying to comfort me, but I just squeeze my eyes shut.

“Yeah, and it wouldn’t have caused you to end up on the floor like a pathetic child.”

“(Y/N)! Stop!” Teresa scolds me. “Stop with the negative self-talk.” I try to protest, but she fixes me with that no-nonsense look that can get anyone to agree to anything, and I find myself nodding meekly. “None of this is your fault. You’re in a difficult situation, being separated from your boyfriend, and your heart isn’t sure how to handle it. That’s okay. You don’t have to know how to handle it perfectly yet.” I sigh, leaning into my best friend’s shoulder, feeling slightly calmer now. She always knows the right words to say when I’m in too deep to think straight. 

Teresa coaxes me into the kitchen to drink hot chocolate once my breathing has steadied somewhat. She’s looking at me with an odd look that I can’t quite place, as if she’s…proud of me?

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask warily over the top of my steaming mug. My best friend grins, staring at me for a couple more seconds before replying,

“You’re just, like, the strongest person I know.” My face turns what I assume is beet red at the compliment, not expecting such high praise from the woman who just held me in her arms as I sobbed like a baby. But then again, Teresa is special. She doesn’t judge based on outward appearances or impressions. She can see right into the heart of people, as if she can sense their goodness; their potential, and then she nudges them down that path. Helping them choose the sunshine. The good side. The light.

Knowing her compliment is slightly overwhelming, Teresa shrugs and changes the subject so fast I think I get whiplash. “You should call Gally,” she suggests. “Tell him that you were missing him and ask him for some love.” I cringe, turning away from her.

“I don’t want to make him feel bad that he isn’t here. I think I’ve already done that too much this week.” 

Teresa scoffs, “That’s nonsense. He’ll be happy that you reached out to him after your meltdown. He’ll be touched that you wanted to let him know how you’re doing. He’ll feel honored that you’re willing to be vulnerable with him.” I know deep down that she’s right; that the only thing he’d do is make me feel better. Never after calling Gally do I feel worse. I know I’m just scared to hurt him, but he always assures me that I don’t need to harbor that fear. I don’t need to hold onto that anxious voice in my head that whispers, You don’t deserve him.

I can even imagine him next to me if I try hard enough, murmuring, “You’re perfect, baby,” when I grow insecure. Whispering, “I’m so lucky to have you” in my ear when I doubt myself.

“Okay,” I agree, letting Teresa take my phone and FaceTime him. Despite the fact that it’s the middle of the work day, Gally picks up on the first ring, a concerned look decorating his handsome face.

“Teresa? Wha—” 

“She’s fine!” Teresa rushes to assure him, motioning for me to join her on the couch. I pop my head into the frame, wincing as I see how swollen and puffy my face is. Gally’s forehead immediately creases upon seeing me, obviously still worried when he sees the tear stains on my cheeks.

“Babe, are you okay?” he asks. Teresa silently asks if I want to take the phone, but I shake my head. My hands are still slightly shaky, and holding the phone is an added stressor. Teresa understands and angles the phone towards me.

“Yeah, I’m okay, don’t worry,” I whisper, my boyfriend’s shoulders relaxing only slightly. “I just had a bit of a meltdown. Teresa found me and helped me calm down.” Gally’s eyebrows soften, his mouth tilting down in a sympathetic frown.

“Oh, baby, I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “What happened?”

“I just miss you,” I mumble sheepishly after a second’s pause. It seems kind of silly once I admit it out loud, and I start to duck my face away when Gally gets my attention.

“Hey, (Y/N), (Y/N),” he says, waiting until I’ve turned back to him before continuing, “You don’t need to feel embarrassed. I miss you, too, okay? I miss you so much. You don’t need to feel ashamed for struggling.” He waits for me to respond, and I nod slightly. Truth be told, just hearing his voice has made me feel better; stronger. There’s something about his comforting, strong tone that soothes me. Just his voice can make me truly believe in myself. I swear, this man could make me believe anything as long as he says it aloud. 

“Thank you for picking up,” I smile, finding my mood lightening as a grin finds its way back onto his face. “Seeing you helped.” Gally blushes slightly, rubbing a hand along his chin.

“I’m glad I could help, baby.” Offscreen, someone gruffly commands him to get back to work, and he mutters an apology before turning back to the screen. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. But call me if you need anything, okay?” I nod, trailing my eyes over his freckles one more time as he thanks Teresa for taking care of me and then hangs up.

“It helped?” she asks, as if double-checking to make sure I truly am feeling better.

“Yeah,” I grin sheepishly. “You know what you’re talking about.” With a roll of my eyes, I joke, “You should be a counselor for a living. At this rate, you’re better than me at my own job!” Teresa just laughs.

“Well, now that you’ve cracked a joke, I know you’re feeling better.” She pulls me into a hug, and I gladly return it, silently wondering how I got blessed with such an amazing best friend.

“Hey, I’m here for you,” she reminds me one more time as she leaves, her meticulous check-ins a promise for the next few days.

“I know,” I assure her. “I promise I’ll call if I need to.”

“Good,” she says, smiling as she waves. “I love you, babes!” 

“I love you, too, Tes!” Feeling a bit lighter, I wave back as I close my front door.

_______________________________

“𝗜 𝗖𝗔𝗡’𝗧—I can’t take this,” I stutter the next day, wide-eyed at the wad of cash Teresa is currently shoving into my hands. Brenda and Sonya are flanking her on either side with looks that imply they’re attempting to telepathically convince me to take the money. 

“Yes, you can,” Teresa sighs exasperatedly. “Like I already told you, it’s the money we were going to spend on your celebration pooled together. But we all know you’d rather spend your birthday with Gally, and we want you to be able to, so we’re giving you the money for that plane ticket you couldn’t afford. It would be a waste to throw you a party you don’t want to be at. Helping you see your boyfriend is a much better use of that money. We all agreed.” Brenda and Sonya both nod, Teresa shoving the cash even further into my palms. I take it shakily, counting silently as I gape at them. “But—but this is nine hundred bucks! I can’t—I can’t take this, I’m sorry!” 

“Don’t be sorry!” Brenda sighs. “Just take the money! It’s our birthday present for you!” I look back and forth between my three best friends, realizing that there is no way they’re letting me reject the money. But it feels so weird having this many fifties weighing heavily in my grasp. 

“Please take it,” Sonya says softly, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “We want you to be able to go see Gally. We want you to enjoy this birthday. You’ll be giving a gift to us by making this impulsive choice to do what makes you happy.” My resistance gets melted away by her words, knowing that this was their tactic all along. Get (Y/N) all toughened up to the ‘just take it’ ruse and then let Sonya slip under her defenses when she least expects it. But I’m not annoyed by it. Instead, I let Teresa close my fist over the cash.

Immediately, the three start cheering, but before I can even blink, they’ve moved on from celebrating and are pushing me towards my laptop where, just as I’m sure Teresa suspected, the flights from Denver to Chicago are still pulled up. Teresa obviously asked Gally to share his flight information with her, because she seems to have it memorized as she scans the flights. 

“Alright, here’s the best one,” she announces after a few minutes of looking. “United, nonstop, leaving at 9:30 a.m. MT and arriving at 12:56 p.m. CT. It’s in the same terminal as Gally’s flight, and he lands at 2:23 p.m. CT, so that gives you a little over an hour to get to his gate and wait for him. Sounds good?” I nod wordlessly, still slightly in shock over the way my best friends have handled this so nonchalantly, as if their friend flying across the country on a day’s notice is just a normal part of their lives. 

Sonya pulls me towards my room as Brenda takes the stack of cash back from me, mumbling that Teresa insisted they have it for show but was just planning on Venmoing the cash to me. I laugh at our friend’s antics before following an impatient Sonya, who grabs my suitcase from my closet and starts making a list of what I should pack.

“We’re not buying you a return flight,” she explains, “because we didn’t know how long you’d want to stay, and we figured you didn’t know either. Just bring your work stuff and you can work from Gally’s apartment, and use the rest of the money to buy a return ticket when you decide to come back.” I shake my head in awe at the schemes of my friends, who have obviously thought of every single anxiety I could have because of this plan and have set out to refute them. 

With Sonya helping me pack, a task that would usually take me at least three hours, two cups of coffee, and a panic attack is done in under one hour, no coffee or panic attacks in sight. While I wouldn’t have minded the coffee, the no panic attack part is nice, and I decide I can live without those two cups of coffee if it means my peace of mind is intact. 

And the next morning when Teresa drops me off at the airport, my medicine taken and an ample breakfast eaten, the nervous butterflies in my stomach don’t feel scary. In fact, they feel almost…exciting. And I feel crazy for doing this; for flying halfway across the country to surprise my boyfriend so I can kiss him on my birthday, but I also feel so alive.

And today, the idea of living doesn’t seem as scary anymore.

_______________________________

𝗔𝗦 𝗜 wait at my gate and sip my Starbucks latte, I answer the countless birthday texts I have already received, smiling at the overflow of love from people I talk to everyday and people I barely even know. It’s funny, knowing that there are people out there who remember my birthday but don’t talk to me otherwise. Some might feel disheartened at the idea, but I just giggle quietly to myself, wondering if I’m going crazy for feeling so lighthearted. 

Maybe it’s the adrenaline, I think to myself. The adrenaline from doing something so stupid and yet so exciting. Shrugging to myself, I take another large gulp of coffee, finally getting to the text from Gally. I saved it for last, knowing it would be the best one. And sure enough, as I read the message, I feel happy tears pricking my eyes. As always, he’s sweet; sappy, even, but his message also holds the serious intensity that he always has around him. It’s like an aura, telling those around him that he does everything fully and completely, never giving only half of his effort. That intensity is probably why I love reading texts from him over and over. Even if it’s a simple good morning, his texts always seem to scream I love you from between the lines.

I text Gally back, thanking him for the love he’s sent zipping along telephone lines, across the country and all the way to me. I suck the last dregs of liquid from my Starbucks cup, finally accepting that the beverage is gone as the gate attendant calls for Boarding Group 1. I find myself bouncing from foot to foot, realizing once again that I’m really doing this. I can’t bring myself to sit down as I wait for my group to be called, instead standing by the gate’s charging station, fidgeting like I’m about to run the 100 meter dash. By the time I’m boarding, I’m breathing heavily like I just sprinted up Pikes Peak. Whether from nerves or excitement, I can’t really tell, but it’s enough that the flight attendant touches my arm as she checks the cabin. 

“Ma’am, are you okay?” I look up in surprise before giving her a quick grin. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just nervous.” 

She smiles empathetically. “Is it your first time flying?”

“No. I’m flying out to surprise my boyfriend, and I guess I’m just hoping it all works out like I planned,” I explain. 

At this, I receive an even bigger grin from the flight attendant, who thinks that is just—“the most adorable thing ever!” I nod along, unsure whether I’m actually smiling or just masking my anxiety. Either one is a plausible explanation, and I’m pumped so full of adrenaline that all of my emotions currently feel interchangeable. 

I spend the entirety of take-off nervously fiddling with the little screen in front of me, trying to distract myself. Once we’re at a constant altitude, the flight attendants offer drinks, and I ask for a ginger ale, my go-to drink on airplanes. It calms me down, the comforting security of it helping me stay rational. Unfortunately, the ginger ale combined with my anxious thoughts cause my bladder to reach its limit quite quickly. 

I hate the little bathrooms on airplanes. So loud, so claustrophobic, so turbulent. It’s like trying to pee while in the middle of an earthquake. But my bladder isn’t playing games today, and the last thing I want to do is ignore it and then pee myself. The intrusive thoughts fight to take over as I rush through the motions, washing my hands as quickly as possible, but I stave them off and make it back to my seat in one piece.

The remaining hour until landing is the longest hour of my life.

When we finally touch down and taxi to our gate, all of the tension that has built up inside me feels ready to explode, but I hold it in, knowing that I can let it all out once I see Gally. It’s barely even occurred to me that I’m a year older now—that it’s my birthday—because all I can think about is getting to hold my boy. 

I almost trip getting off the plane, too busy checking his flight’s progress and landing gate. His flight is still an hour and thirty minutes out, giving me more than enough time to go to the bathroom, get some food, and wait for him. I pull my suitcase behind me, so glad I decided to take everything in my carry-on, as I’m now realizing that baggage claim is outside the secure area of the airport. I break free from the flow of traffic heading in that direction, redirecting towards the bathroom.

One bathroom trip, makeup refresher, and food court scavenger hunt later, I’m standing against a column at Gally’s gate, drinking my second Starbucks latte of the day. Normally, I wouldn’t let myself indulge like this, but it’s my birthday, so I feel justified. I even treat myself to a slice of sweet bread, too. I’m too anxious to eat a full lunch. Besides, I’m sure Gally will be happy to get lunch on our way back to his apartment. He’s always willing to eat, no matter the time of day.

I’m trying my best not to look suspicious. There’s a flight leaving from this gate after Gally’s flight arrives, so I blend in, but my leg is bouncing nervously and my hands are shaking slightly. I’m a naturally energetic person, but the fidgeting increases exponentially when I’m either excited or nervous. Right now, I’m both.

Thankfully, no one seems to notice me or think I’m behaving weirdly. I’m simply overthinking, like I often do. At least it passes the time. I only have thirty minutes left to wait.

I run back to Starbucks and buy another latte. It’s gone within ten minutes, my anxious energy prompting me to gulp it down like I’m dying of thirst. Then I’m running to the bathroom again, bladder shouting angrily at me for the caffeine abuse I’ve been subjecting it to. It’s unpleasant, but it kills more time. 

Ten minutes to go. I’m staring at my phone, Gally’s flight details pulled up, reloading the page over and over in hopes that magically, they’ll teleport and be here instantly. With anyone else, I wouldn’t be this obsessive; impatient, but it’s Gally. I could obsess over Gally for days on end with all the love overflowing from my heart. So I pass three minutes refreshing the page persistently, watching the minutes countdown.

I let out a quiet, barely there gasp when my phone screen tells me he’s landed. I can barely contain my excitement, nervous energy causing me to wiggle my hips like a rhythmically challenged dancer. His plane is on the ground, taxiing over, right to where I’m waiting. He’s going to walk through that gate, and I’m going to see his beautiful face, and I’m going to run and jump into my boyfriend’s arms.

All of a sudden, doubt crashes into me like a fucking tidal wave. What if he doesn’t want to see me? What if this is weird, and he’s going to be all awkward about it? What if this was one huge fuck-up? I can feel myself starting to spiral, starting to lose touch with the confidence I’ve been channeling all day. The panic has started to grow, and it surges through my veins, reaching to the tip-top of the cliff that is followed by a plunge off the deep end. Thankfully, though, with only a few minutes to spare before my boyfriend gets off his plane, a little girl in a princess dress bumps into me, hard, causing my knees to buckle and my head to snap out of the spiral it’s in. 

I catch myself against the trusty column I’m leaning against, looking down to find a young girl, maybe six, wearing an Elena of Avalor dress-up costume with a stuffed animal that looks like some kind of leopard with bird wings. 

“Amity!” her mother scolds her, ordering her to apologize for bumping into me. Amity looks up at me with big, brown doe eyes and a huge, genuine grin.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am,” she chirps. I smile back, making eye contact with her mom, before crouching down to her level and holding out a hand to shake.

“I forgive you. I’m (Y/N). Want to know something?” Amity shakes my hand, grinning widely, before looking at her mom as if to make sure it’s okay to talk to me. Her mom gives a gentle nod, a kindness in her eyes as they meet mine. “Well, Amity, you actually helped me just now. I was feeling super duper nervous and it was making me get shaky and worried. But then you bumped into me, and I saw your smile, and it made me feel a lot better!” 

I can tell Amity’s mother is touched, and I make sure to assure her that I’m doing better. That Amity’s little scuffle with my legs was truly helpful. And then Amity and her mom are on their way, Amity’s tight hug and whisper of “You look like a princess” giving me the last boost of confidence I need.

Right as I finish waving goodbye to the adorable little girl, I hear the sounds of passengers starting to come down the jetway. I suck in a sharp breath, making sure my small suitcase and jacket are safe by the column before stepping closer to the junction between gate and jetway, watching passengers closely as they start to trickle into the airport. 

It’s no surprise that I can pick Gally out of the crowd immediately after he walks out of the jetway, his head easily peeking over every other passenger. He doesn’t see me at first, focused on trying not to trample the small toddler whose family is trying desperately to get him to behave as they walk in front of my boyfriend.

I wait until he’s right there, just the toddler’s family in front of him, to call his name. “Gally!” His head snaps up, eyes scanning the surrounding area before settling on me, his jaw going slack, falling open in surprise as the toddler’s family quickly moves out of the way. 

It’s like we’re living in slow motion, the way I watch Gally’s backpack slide out of his hand and hit the floor with a thump, his look of shock morphing into a state of joyous disbelief, as if he’s not sure he’s truly seeing me. He looks frozen in this state, unable to move towards me, but I don’t care. I’m already running up to him, happy tears gathering in my eyes as I jump into Gally’s arms, my head burying itself in his neck before I lean up to kiss him with all the pent-up love, tension, and nerves that have been coursing through my body all day.

His lips are warm just like they always are, soft and full and inviting as we kiss passionately; shamelessly, right in front of everyone waiting to board their flight. I can’t bring myself to care, anxiety nowhere to be found now that I’m here. In his arms. Held tightly, kept safe, flooded with warmth, just like I’m supposed to be. 

He pulls away first, still in shock as he scans my face, as if expecting to find some imperfection that reveals me as a doppelganger. “Baby—” he chokes out, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes, my own tears rolling down my cheeks. “Baby, you’re here.” He lets out a giddy, confused laugh, cupping my cheek with his hand as he wipes the remnant saltwater away with his thumb. 

“You’re—you’re here. In Chicago,” he repeats, putting my feet back on the floor so I can stand there with my arms around his neck, his other hand coming up to cup my other cheek. “You’re—it’s your birthday!” he says, and I can’t tell if it’s another reason he’s confused I’m here, or if it’s just an observation. Well, probably both, so I just giggle.

“Yes, Gally, it’s my birthday.” 

“But—did you—when did you get here?” he asked, bewildered, a lovestruck, excited smile lighting up his whole face. I run my hands through his hair, admiring his gentleness as he cradles my face in his palms.

“An hour and a half ago, I think. I’m not sure the exact timing,” I shrug. He gasps.

“You flew on your birthday?” I give him an odd look. 

“Yes…why? Is that illegal or something?” Gally chuckles through the joy-filled tears still drifting down his face every once in a while.

“No, baby. I just thought—most people wouldn’t be willing to fly or even be at an airport on their birthdays. Don’t you have cool stuff to do? Fun people to see?” I shake my head, pulling him as close as I can, our lips hovering inches apart. 

“You’re the only person I wanted to see. This is my birthday present.”

Gally’s eyes water even more as he presses his forehead to mine, running his hands through my hair. “Baby, I—” He pulls away to wipe a tear from his eye and then leans back down, pressing a gentle peck to my forehead, “I love you so much.” 

“I love you even more, Gally,” I whisper back, staring into his teary eyes with my watery own. He chuckles, shaking his head.

“Not possible.”

“It is, too,” I giggle, still whispering as I press a kiss to his lips, “and I’m the birthday girl, so you have to let me win the arguments today.” 

“Oh, that’s how that works,” Gally laughed, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Well, I suppose I can let you win this one, since you did fly all the way to Chicago on your birthday.”

“Oh, but that was selfish,” I smiled. “I wanted to see you. I needed to see you. It was purely selfish.” Gally just hugged me tighter, pressing kisses to the top of my hair as he admitted quietly,

“Well, I needed to see you, too. I needed to have you in my arms.” I relax into the warmth of my boyfriend’s chest, the material of his hoodie tickling my nose. I endure it because it smells like him, and that makes it the most calming aroma in the world. 

“Being in your arms is all I need. You are all I need,�� I whisper. 

I kiss him again, a loving, sweet kiss, reveling in the presence and taste of my boyfriend, a sense of peace and safety wrapping its warm arms around me. 

Nothing else matters in this moment. Not my job, or my life in Denver, or my birthday. All that matters is that I am here, in my boyfriend’s arms. In Gally’s arms.

Right where I’m supposed to be.

the end

[garblegarden]

A very rare unidirectional palindrome. You can't really call it a palindrome anymore, right?

Under this mutation a palindrome's other head is deleted and all legs are face towards the remaining head. The amount of hearts is halved to six and only exist in the half with the head, and the digestive exit tracts all skew towards the headless half. The secondary nervous center on the deleted head is also deleted.

In normal palindrome development, each "half" of each system is responsible only for that half. Veins and arteries which connect to one half's hearts typically won't lead to the other half of the body. Under this mutation, the other half's hearts don't exist (as well as the nervous center and many nerves) so it takes a long time for the palindrome to develop a circulatory system on the back half. Many don't have functioning back legs, but some do too.

The particular individual in this example is a rainforest social palindrome with mild top leg atrophy.

[macgyvermedical]

Hey Mac

So i have a question

I got diagnosed with Insulin resistance and the doctor decided to put me on Metformin-for fear of getting type II DM-It runs in ma family-anyway

My question is what does Metformin do to the sugar um ingesting-i mean um trying to cut back but i have this concern-and what if i took something sweet while on it? Um too conscious about this but i can't cope really well with such a drastic change

In order to understand metformin, you have to understand Type 2 Diabetes and the role the hormone insulin plays in regulating blood sugar.

Every cell in your body uses sugar for energy. Blood delivers that sugar to the cells, which keeps them alive. You have an organ called a pancreas that monitors the amount of sugar in the blood and uses hormones to regulate it. When the amount of blood sugar rises (like, after you eat something), the pancreas releases the hormone insulin, which basically tells the cells “okay, we have plenty of food, you can go ahead and use all that tasty sugar for energy.” As the cells use the sugar, they remove it from the blood, and blood sugar drops. If there is more sugar than needed to keep the cells alive and working, that extra sugar gets stored as fat or as a starch called glycogen in the liver and muscles.

When working correctly, this process maintains blood sugar between about 60 and 100 (though it can be higher if the person has recently eaten).

Insulin resistance is when cells stop responding to insulin normally, and it takes more insulin before the cells get the message to start using or storing sugar. Type 2 Diabetes occurs when this gets severe enough that the pancreas can no longer keep the amount of sugar in the blood in a normal range. When the amount of sugar in the blood is higher than normal, it does damage to blood vessels and organs. You may also feel tired and sick if your cells aren’t getting the energy they need. This is why people with Type 2 Diabetes are asked to eat less sugar/carbohydrates (which helps decrease the amount of sugar circulating in the blood), exercise (muscle cells can use some sugar without needing to be sensitive to insulin), and take medications that increase the amount of insulin the pancreas produces or increases cells’ sensitivity to insulin.

Metformin is a drug that works in a few different ways. First, it helps increase cells’ sensitivity to insulin. This helps the cells have a more normal response to insulin- letting them remove and use more of the sugar from the blood. Second, it prevents the uptake of some sugar from the digestive tract. That means you’re only absorbing some of the sugar you eat, and the rest gets pooped out, thus contributing less sugar to your blood. Third, it decreases the amount of sugar that your liver releases when your pancreas releases glucagon. Which is still less sugar that your body has to figure out what to do with.

When you eat sugar/carbohydrates as someone with diabetes or insulin resistance on metformin, you poop some of the sugar out. The remaining sugar enters your blood stream and triggers insulin release, which your cells can use more easily due to the metformin. When your pancreas then releases glucagon, you liver doesn’t release as much sugar as it otherwise would, and your blood sugar stays in a more normal range.

Unlike other drugs that treat T2D, metformin is unique in that it doesn’t cause life-threatening hypoglycemia when taken without the appropriate amount of food. The most common side effects are gastrointestinal, and usually go away in a few weeks. Some research has also shown that people taking metformin tend to have less cardiovascular disease later in life and many lose a small amount of weight. All of these reasons make it a very safe early intervention for people with diabetes and pre-diabetes.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

What do you know about the biology of he Killer Cats of Gin-Seng, other than their prophetic and psychic abilities?

🐱 Who are the Gin-Seng cats?

The Killer Cats of Gin-Seng are a race of humanoid cats that live on Gallifrey alongside Gallifreyans. They're quite rarely encountered, however, they did once try to wage an uprising against Gallifreyans and failed.

👀 What is the tapetum lucidum?

The tapetum lucidum is a real-world feature of the eye in many Earth-dwelling species that helps to enhance night vision by reflecting visible light back through the retina. This is what causes eyes to shine in the dark when illuminated. It's commonly found in species like cats and dogs, but not in humans.

🔍 How might Gin-Seng cat physiology look?

We don't know much about these creatures' physiology because they are rarely seen. However, we do know they are primarily felines and do possess normal feline traits such as claws, fangs, and fur.

(Dee Robson's designs for the cancelled serial Killers of the Dark, DWM 336)

This (if we presume that they are similar to Earth felines) in turn might make them feature more cat-like traits:

Sensory Abilities: Apart from their prophetic abilities, these beings might have heightened senses compared to Gallifreyans. Their olfactory and auditory senses could be highly developed, offering them a different perception of the world around them.

Muscular and Skeletal System: They might have a muscular system that grants them agility and power, paired with a skeletal system that allows for fluid and graceful movements. Their physical prowess could be a vital part of their lifestyle, potentially being adept hunters and a social system that relies on the physical.

Cognitive Abilities: While they are known for their psychic abilities, they might also have a unique way of processing information, perhaps being more intuitive and reactive like cats and less reliant on logical reasoning than Gallifreyans.

Carnivorous diet: Being primarily feline, the Gin-Seng cats may prefer a carnivorous diet, relying heavily on the consumption of meat. Their digestive systems could be optimised to process meat efficiently, with a potentially shorter digestive tract compared to omnivorous species.

Crepuscular behaviour: They might also exhibit crepuscular behaviour, being most active during dawn and dusk. This could involve a series of nocturnal rituals or hunting patterns that make use of the quiet and cooler temperatures of Gallifreyan nights.

Additionally, being creatures who have apparently evolved on Gallifrey alongside Gallifreyans, they may have time sensitivities, which could account for their prophetic abilities and could also suggest more unknown abilities.

�� Why do some Houses have tapetum lucidums and others not?

House Arpexia is where the Corsair hails from, who has especially prominent tapeta lucida. There could be a wide range of reasons for this:

Theory 1: Everyone's got them - There's nothing to suggest other Houses don't possess tapeta lucida at all, since we do know Gallifreyans have improved night vision. Let's note that the eye shine induced by tapetum lucidum can vary in colour. Could different Gallifreyan houses have distinct eye-shine colours, each hinting at a different biochemical composition of the tapeta lucida? Could some be duller than others, so you don't even notice? Maybe the bloodline of the Corsair and some in Arpexia just have more predisposition for this particular trait, like some people can roll their tongue and others can't.

Theory 2: Historical hang-ups - Delving a bit further, we could also theorise that the distinct biological traits among different houses/bloodlines have roots in their unique roles and functions in ancient Gallifreyan society. Could the prominence of the tapeta lucida in certain houses be a clue to their historical or current involvement in night-time endeavours or secret missions?

Theory 3: Selective breeding - Maybe some Houses embraced selective breeding/looming to nurture certain traits, enhancing characteristics over generations?

Theory 4: Biological alteration - Arpexia is a very scientific house and part of the House Military. Whether for experimentation or military purposes, they may have intentionally altered some biodata to enhance their cousins? After all, gotta keep up with House Xianthellipse ...!

Theory 5: Interbreeding - Or perhaps it's far more carnal, and at one point in their history, a Gallifreyan had a saucy night with a Gin-Seng cat over a glass of Rassilon's Red and a bowl of Sheba?

These are, of course, ALL theories. Could there be other underlying reasons that dictate the variation in the prominence of tapeta lucida among the Gallifreyan houses? Could there be more physiological traits of Gin-Seng cats? Answers on a postcard, as the human saying goes.

Hope that helped! 😃

→🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (WIP) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine/Monitoring Guides →📝Source list (WIP)

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[hypnofantasma-asks-and-doodles]

It's mentioned on the Kraizen/Vani Toyhouse that the Kraizen can have gills, but that they don't function the same as regular gills, so, how do they work? Also, are their gills just an internal feature (as in they're just connected to the lungs, and nothing that's open to the outside of the body), or do they have slits that allows water to pass through, like most fish? (Or something along those lines, idk much fish anatomy gdfgdfg)

Oh!! I must've forgotten to dive deeper on gills in the profile! lemme see if i can explain it here

SO. Their gills aren't a respiratory thing just like how their lungs aren't, and aren't actually related to fish gills at all in function OR in origin. they're an entirely different thing that evolved in the seafaring Kraizenian folk to allow them to exist underwater. because no Kraizen can drown, you may wonder what the problem is, and why the aquatic folk need these gills.

This is due to a sort of unintended consequence with their digestive tract. trading acidic digestion for.... uh... oven? digestion...? ...lead to a VERY high internal body temperature. the sudden shock of the transition from sucked-in cold water to HOT water inside of them after swallowing it will lead to rapid evaporation, and the kwaiz will now be full of RAPIDLY INCREASING AMOUNTS OF STEAM. they intake WAY more than they can cough back out, and this leads to the ultimate consequence of filling up with water:

Literally exploding.

So despite non-seafaring kwaiz not drowning, they'll still suffer the repercussion of trying to stay underwater for too long. "Why can't they just keep their mouth closed, then, and prevent water intake?" They'll have to eat and drink SOMEday.

This is where the gills come in! Gills for kwaiz (who have them) don't process oxygen, but rather, act as an outlet for water when swimming, and also eating underwater. The gills will have the water diverted out through them, while they go about the rest of their day like normal without any worry.

However, if one were to be KNOCKED OUT underwater, those gills might not work right. Usually it'll still function right by way of background non-conscious processing. but if knocked out hard enough, even a gill-haver can watersplode.

Don't go deep diving, kids. Or you'll turn into one of those spiked sea mines you always see in movies....

[grimalkinmessor]

Near from Death Note for the character headcanon ask game

I love Near he's my baby ^.^

Fluffy-

As an adult his favorite toys are actually rubix cubes; not because they're hard for him to do, but because he can switch around the colors and push them together to make pictures. It's like forming his own, more complicated puzzles, and he often tries to build them so they have different pictures on each side. Roger hates it because he'll walk in and there's just a huge WALL of rubix cubes in the middle of the room and he can't risk knocking them over on pain of death disappointment.

He learned how to braid hair from Mello when they were young, and it becomes a bit of a stim as his hair gets longer. It stays almost perpetually tangled and he has to get someone to help him brush it after a bath. He gets a bag of ribbons once and spends the rest of the day making a whole rainbow of braids in his hair.

Mello used to give him pieces of his chocolate, but because Mello freezes his chocolate bars and Near has sensory issues, he usually just likes to let the square sit in his mouth and melt instead of eating it normally. You can give him a square of chocolate and come back an hour later and he'll still be holding it in his mouth.

Near is a bit like a cat in that he likes to hide in invisible spaces. He'll disappear for several hours and all of his agents go nuts trying to find him, thinking his been kidnapped, only to find him playing solitaire on top of the fridge, and the only reason they saw him is because he scared the hell out of Giovanni by asking him to grab a card that he'd dropped. The people at Wammy's quickly got used to it—it takes his agents far longer lmao.

While Near hates actually being outside, he really enjoys laying out in the sun. He will move his toys across the floor to follow the patches of sunlight throughout the day. There was a sun room at Wammy's, and if he wasn't curled up in one of the library window seats, he was down there sprawled out on one of the couches. In the winter he builds himself a blanket nest near one of the radiators and refuses to move. You will have forcibly pry him away from his chosen spot unless you give him a very good reason to vacate it.

Angsty-

Near's mother gave him up voluntarily. He was the product of an abusive relationship and she just couldn't bear to look at him anymore, so she left him in a bundle on the doorstep of an orphanage with his birth certificate and never looked back. Near looked her up once as an adult out of curiosity—she's living happily with her wife somewhere down in France. Near leaves her alone.

He only knows four (4) languages fluently—even though he picks them up very quickly—and it's through conscious choice. Given that he already struggles with verbal nuances in his home tongue, he only learns new languages when he has to. He much prefers to communicate either through text or sign language because he's gotten in trouble a few too many times with his 'monotonous' tone of voice.

Near never actually gave a shit about becoming the next L. He didn't care about upholding his legacy or carrying out L's justice—he just was so much like L in his mannerisms that Wammy's pushed him far harder towards that path than the others. He's been told he should be a detective for so long that he just accepted that he would be one instead of actually examining what he wanted to do with his life. Detective work is fun to an extent, but Near doesn't really enjoy it. At least, not without something to make it interesting.

Near fucking hates food. He hates it. The act of eating makes him queasy a lot of the time simply because he dislikes the texture of a lot of foods in his mouth. It is a struggle to get him to eat literally anything. The human function of having a digestive tract and needing to consume food annoys him deeply. What he can handle varies from day to day too, so Roger can't easily work around his dietary restrictions like Watari did for L. Some days he can eat two whole meals with minimal struggle, and other days it's a fight to get him to eat literally anything.

Despite telling Mello that he gave him the only remaining photo of him, that was a lie. Near kept a copy of it in a lockbox back in America in one of his safe houses, and he went back for it after the Kira case was over. He keeps it in his shirt, close to his heart, and he keeps meaning to make a necklace out of it but always bails before he has to hand over the picture. Every year on Mello's birthday, he'll go to the spot he died and curl up against his gravestone and whisper little apologies for lying to him about it. Most years he falls asleep out there and Giovanni has to come fetch him in the morning.

[dr-smita-goel-homeopathy-clinic]

*DR. SMITA GOEL HOMEOPATHY CLINIC*

www.thehomeopathyclinic.co.in

The liver is a largest, meaty organ. It has weight about 3 pounds, the liver is reddish-brown in colour and feels rubbery to the touch. Normally you can't feel the liver, because it's protected by the rib cage.

The liver has two large sections, called the right and the left lobes. The gallbladder sits under the liver, along with parts of the pancreas and intestines. The liver and these organs work together to digest, absorb, and process food.

The liver's main job is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body. The liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs. As it does so, the liver secretes bile that ends up back in the intestines. The liver also makes proteins important for blood clotting and other functions.

There are following types of liver disease:

• Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, usually caused by viruses like hepatitis A, B, and C. Hepatitis can have non-infectious causes too, including heavy drinking, drugs, allergic reactions, or obesity.

• Cirrhosis: Long-term damage to the liver from any cause can lead to permanent scarring, called cirrhosis. The liver then becomes unable to function well.

• Liver cancer: The most common type of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, almost always occurs after cirrhosis is present.

• Liver failure: Liver failure has many causes including infection, genetic diseases, and excessive alcohol.

• Ascites: As cirrhosis results, the liver leaks fluid (ascites) into the belly, which becomes distended and heavy.

• Gallstones: If a gallstone becomes stuck in the bile duct draining the liver, hepatitis and bile duct infection (cholangitis) can result.

• Hemochromatosis: Hemochromatosis allows iron to deposit in the liver, damaging it. The iron also deposits throughout the body, causing multiple other health problems.

• Primary sclerosing cholangitis: A rare disease with unknown causes, primary sclerosing cholangitis causes inflammation and scarring in the bile ducts in the liver.

• Primary biliary cirrhosis: In this rare disorder, an unclear process slowly destroys the bile ducts in the liver. Permanent liver scarring (cirrhosis) eventually develops.

[mywheelieweirdlife]

Shout out to everyone else who has stupid digestive issues and every life change you do or don't make for it.

For me, 98% of changes I make feel worth it, but I know for others it's not.

But every time I spend a few days not at home on my very specific eating habits and schedules; I feel it and I hate it.

Normally people don't treat peanut butter and dates as a main part of their diet to the point where a jar of peanut butter going up in price is worthy of crying over bc it fucks the whole budget and you do in fact budget to buy both pitted dates and dried apricots in bulk.

Normal people don't treat yoghurt as a holy grail because your digestive system is so messed up that daily probiotics are also a life saver.

And peanut butter, Up&Go's and protein supplements worthy of the highest of fitness bros? Yeah; that's because I can't eat red meat regularly or meat regularly because my body refuses to tolerate it.

Do I take supplements like a vegan should because I have to eat vegetarian and eggs are expensive so I use cheese and milk as primary sources of calories? Yes yes I sometimes do when I can afford supplements; or more accurately I buy foods and juice with supplements... sometimes specifically made for elderly people who struggle with pills and food intake because I'm poor and that's the easiest way to do it. (And generally, they do taste good)

Do I live off coffee, dates, apricots, fibre supplements and slippery elm and lemon&honey tea because my body likes to refuse to digest food and I don't want to pay for or take laxative pills and the drinks are gross and expensive? Yes, unfortunately.

Do I also have to physically massage my entire digestive tract three times a day to physically move it because my muscles don't work? Unfortunately.

Does all of this lowkey scare me because I do want to get pregnant one day and I have no clue how that'll impact it? Yes, very much yes. Will be eating so much gentle high fiber food in the third trimester if I ever get pregnant knowing that's coming (not just because pregnancy... specifically for postpartum. If you know, you know).

Like do I feel incredibly sick and have for the last two days because of the changes while I was gone? Yes, it was awful.

Do I know have to fix my entire body because of it over the next two weeks? Yep, unfortunately. While having very little money to my name.

Did it once again highlight how much energy, effort and time my body steals from me? Yes, I spent a full hour and a bit on the toilet because of my stomach being a dick yesterday before therapy while my mother was out on a walk. And a good 30 tonight low key crying in pain which is fun.

I will also acknowledge that there's two sides of this:

I can spend the hours of planning and preparing and working with my body, acknowledging that it will never function normally but fuck I can try my best to live pain free.

Or...

I can do what I did while I stayed with others this weekend and pretend that I am fine and that food is not a problem... and pay for that in pain and constipation and bloating and all the other fun issues that come with my conditions.

And I personally choose change my lifestyle because I live with enough issues; but I have friends who choose 'normalcy' all the time not just for convenience on mother's day weekends.

But it's hard and it sucks and I can't get laid when I'm off my routine because it's too fucking painful. I have blood pressure spikes and drops when I'm off my routine. Hell; I never feel more dysphoric than when I'm off my routine because suddenly the pain reminds me of everything and I'm so tired my mental health drops like an avalanche on Mt Everest; fast, hard, all consuming and deadly.

And this is one part of my chronic illness management.

This is only 1 change.

It's not the nerve pain management, it's not the mental health management, it's not the connective tissue issues, the dislocations... anything else that impacts my life.

It's just the impacts my stomach and intestines have on my dietary requirements and the extra symptoms they add and exacerbate when I don't maintain a specific schedule for management that took years to learn and control and occasionally fluctuates.

Like I will never live a normal life and it's hard af but it's still mine and I want to live it.

But there's more than just me and we all deserve the recognition and acknowledgment for how much it takes and what fucking badasses we are for surviving such bullshit.

[ed-recovery-affirmations]

Heya! I wanted to ask, is it normal to feel very full after eating even a relatively small portion of food during early parts of recovery? I used to restrict pretty heavily and I'm attempting to eat normally now but so far have noticed that if I eat even one croissant with a few slices of ham, I feel stuffed

Hi! Sorry it has once again taken me forever to start getting to asks, but life remains, well, life. But yes, what you are experiencing is very normal for someone who used to restrict. Stomachs can shrink when they do not get regularly filled up, so it may take some time for your stomach to stretch out again. EDs also can affect the rest of your digestive tract in terms of your gut bacteria and how quickly you digest. Ease back into it - eat nice and slow and try to fill your stomach a little bit more each time. It's also totally okay to top up your meals with snacks if you can't eat the portion you had set out. Sipping peppermint tea after a meal can help with digestion and bloating, too.

If you experience this for a prolonged period of time, you could potentially see a GI doctor for advice.

[hglog]

Knights of Knaru

Many people say that the Knights of Knaru are flying, whirling, creatures of death, that because of their terrific violence Earth has forsaken them and no longer recognizes them as Her children, that She no longer wishes to hold them close to Her body. Through carefully regimented meditation, exercise, prayer and philosophy, any creature may have its gravitic polarity inverted so that it falls up instead of down. Each Knight of Knaru wears a heavy piece of armor and wields a long sword, both intricately crafted and balanced, their weights combining to match her own exactly. Thus, she hovers in perfect equilibrium, and when her sword is drawn from the sheath on the front of her torso, the sword-tip will tend to point down towards Earth and her body will tilt towards Sky. With skilled enough gestures of the sword, she can manipulate the position of her sword and body with perfect accuracy. Knights of Knaru are trained in a specialized martial art which takes advantage of the nearly frictionless air to spin rapidly in place and strike with the force of a tornado. Knights of Knaru travel light, because even a small extra weight requires a large hydrogen ballast (which could be crafted by an alchemist through electrolysis of water). Knights of Knaru are regarded as strange and difficult to get along with, they're required to maintain some odd points of view and patterns of thinking to remain inverted. Sometimes they're even feared or loathed, due to the perception of being rejected by Earth.

Skill: 1-2 Ballet 3-4 Manuscript Illumination 5-6 Mechanical Engineering Equipment: Knarune armor and sword (as heavy armor and long sword), lead emblem (eaten), inflatable bladder (fill with hydrogen to offset up to 3 inventory slots of weight, -1 dex per slot)

Use the rules of your favorite Knight, Paladin, Monk or Fighter class. If you weigh yourself down to circumvent the zero-gravity, your martial art (including magic you might get from a Paladin class or etc.) is useless and you lose all class templates until you rebalance.

In addition, here are notable elements of the Knarune regimen that must be maintained:

You may not answer a "yes" or "no" question with an affirmative or negative.

Debts are inverted. Anything owed to you, you must pay. Anything you owe, you must extract payment. (A debt is only a long-term thing. Immediate transactions can be made normally.)

Anyone else who touches your sword must be killed. (Anyone you kill with your sword almost certainly touched your sword in the process of being killed, so you cannot feel guilt for any murders done by its blade. Most people would disagree with this outlook, though.)

You must never remove your armor outside a Knarune Temple, which is furnished equally on the ceiling and floor.

If absolutely necessary, a bonfire burning on the ceiling may be established as a Temple temporarily if it exists opposing an ordinary floor-bonfire. How do you build a bonfire on the ceiling? You figure it out.

It can be assumed that you're doing all of the other bits of exercise and prayer and stuff as part of your long rests.

If you break one of these rules, not only do you lose your templates, but you can't get them back until you return to a Knarune Temple and spend a week training.

Finally,

A small emblem of lead is held in the digestive tract. This prevents your weight from increasing when you consume food or drink, and prevents it from decreasing when you evacuate it. When you shit the emblem out, you must thoroughly sanitize it and then eat it again with your next meal.

Failure to use this emblem causes you to lose 1 template each week (coinflip to drift upward or downward) until you get an entirely new sword and suit of armor forged and balanced for you. This is incredibly expensive and the Temple could just decide you're not worth it and excommunicate you. You can use sandbags or hydrogen ballasts to offset this penalty.

…It is said that on the opposite face of Earth there exists an Anti-Knaru whose knights wear invert metal plate to much the same effect.

[megawecare01]

Morning Sickness: All You Need To Know

Morning Sickness: All You Need To Know

You're doing fantastic during your early pregnancy adventure; there's only a minor amount of breast discomfort and an increase in bathroom visits, but nothing you can't handle. Until one morning when you awaken feeling sick.

Does it appear that you are experiencing seasickness? Or uncontrollable stomach butterflies? This is how a lot of pregnant women describe morning sickness. And it's likely that you'll continue to experience this upset stomach for at least a few weeks.

Nausea and vomiting that might occur during pregnancy are known as morning sickness. You may experience severe aversions to particular foods and fragrances since your sense of smell is enhanced during pregnancy. The "morning" part of this pregnancy side effect, in any case, is truly a misnomer. Assuming you're among the assessed 3 out of 4 expecting mothers who experience the ill effects of morning disorder side effects, you realize that sickness and heaving can really hit whenever of the day or night.

When does morning sickness begin?

The first signs of morning sickness usually appear around week six of pregnancy, in the middle of the month. Given that it has only been one week since your hCG hormone levels have increased sufficiently to result in a positive pregnancy test, it makes sense that it is one of the earliest indicators you are pregnant.

A few mothers find that the sickness kicks in somewhat later between weeks 7 to 9, yet fortunately, this not-really fun pregnancy side effect typically vanishes around the start of the subsequent trimester.

What is the duration of morning sickness?

The majority of pregnant mothers normally experience a reduction in nausea and vomiting between weeks 12 and 16, with weeks 10 to 16 being the worst for side effects. Some women do, however, continue to have symptoms into the second trimester. And a very small number of women, especially those carrying multiples, may experience some morning sickness throughout their pregnancies.

Symptoms of morning sickness

The typical signs of morning sickness include:

Nausea that frequently comes in the first part of the day yet can surface whenever of the day or night

You may have intense dislikes for particular tastes and odors that are so potent they make you queasy.

A nauseous inclination that is frequently either went with or quickly followed by cravings for food

A feeling of sickness following a meal

A sickness that is serious areas of strength for so can prompt heaving

Your baby won't be harmed by morning sickness in and of itself. However, if you are having trouble swallowing meals or drinks and you are beginning to lose weight, you should visit your doctor. In order to protect you and your unborn child, your doctor will want to rule out hyperemesis, or severe morning sickness, which may need medical attention and perhaps hospitalization.

Causes of morning sickness

Morning sickness is brought on by what? Although there are many hypotheses, none can say for certain. Following are a few variables that could be in play:

HCG levels that are higher, which peak around the time morning sickness is at its worst, are related to pregnancy.

Rising levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, relax the muscles in the digestive tract and reduce the effectiveness of digestion

Pregnancy hormones cause a heightened sense of smell

Morning sickness doesn't affect all pregnant women the same way, either. Some people only sometimes experience nausea. Others constantly feel queasy yet rarely or never vomit. Many people regularly vomit.

Discuss morning sickness treatment with your doctor.

If your morning sickness is severe, you might want to discuss taking a prescription medication that the FDA has approved to treat nausea and vomiting during pregnancy with your doctor.

If I don't experience morning sickness, is that bad?

While morning infection can be awkward, however consoling the update that you're pregnant, it's likewise entirely fine if you seldom or never have an episode of nausea while you're anticipating. Consider yourself lucky if you're one of the women that experience little to no morning sickness in addition to being pregnant. Additionally, keep in mind that it might only be transient to be morning sickness-free at six weeks' gestation: Anytime during the second or third month of pregnancy, nausea and vomiting might start.

[celestialmango]

Quick extra context for shark Sun,

First off, Sun doesn't have any sort of stomach storage, nor can he control his digestive tract except for spitting stuff up, at least he can't in a normal way.

you know how you find random items in the guts of sharks because they ate them by accident? Well Sun eats stuff like that on purpose, because 'Ooo shiny.'.

This includes some special 'friendship bracelets' he found which were some some enchanted bracelets that ended up in a sunken chest that fell off a boat during a storm..and Sun found out what they did by total accident, a fish ate one of Sun's shiny treasures which was one of the bracelets, so Sun got mad and ate the fish.

Well the fish was alive in his stomach for way longer than it was supposed to be, Sun figured out the bracelet it ate kept it from being digested and ended up having to spit it up and cut said bracelet out of the fish so the fish would digest when he ate it again.

Now Sun gives away his magical friendship bracelets to small enough to eat intelligent creature he really likes so he can nom them safely and he enjoys it alot, he is very, very selective of just who it is that he'll attach said bracelets to because A. They shrink to the wearers wrist and they'll never be able to get it off, then B. He has only a limited supply of said 'special friendship bracelets'.

This is just some context for when the Shark Sun and Kracken Moon fic is finished and posted, why? Because Sun is gonna basically claim you as a special friend, he doesn't just hand those bracelets out. He will just suddenly grab the person and tie it on them himself.

[snail-care]

Snail 101: How to set up a snail enclosure

So, you're considering getting a pet snail? Great! Before you acquire your snail, you should prepare a home. Here are the basics:

TANK:

Reptile tanks are ideal for snails, they allow plenty of air in, while many are designed to hold humidity that reptiles need. These can be on the pricier side, but luckily snails don't really need huge amounts of space. The linked calculator below shows how much room you'll need for a certain amount of snails, as well as how many snails you can fit happily into a tank you may already have.

Fish tanks are also super great for snails. Betta fish starter kits, while awful for actual Betta fish are perfect for a few snails to live in quite happily. Goldfish starter tanks and such are perfect too. Make sure it has a secure lid!!! Snails can lift several times their own weight so a clip on lid or a heavy one is best. You may want to DIY a lid with mosquito mesh to let air in if the lid that came with the tank is solid glass.

Critter keepers are also good for snails, just don't get the teeny ones. Snails can move surprisingly long distances in just a day, and need room to wander and explore. Again, make sure the lid is very secure.

Please don't:

Use cardboard boxes. They don't hold humidity, they get soggy and snails can eat right through them and even get impacted (blocked digestive tracts) Wood is not great for the same reason.

Use tanks that are super tall. Snails are pretty good at holding on while climbing, but they do sometimes fall off. More on this in a bit though.

Use tanks that are too tiny. You will just have sad snails.

~~~~

So, you have your tank. What next?

To start, you'll want to get a suitable substrate. There are plenty of good options, as well as several you should avoid. Substrate is super important as it provides a place for snails to burrow, lay eggs, and a lot of snails also eat their substrate, likely to help them digest. Substrate also provides a soft place to land if they fall off of something.

Coco peat/coir. My absolute favourite snail substrate! Coir is made of the husks of coconuts, but is a lovely soft texture. It holds water really well, which is good for humidity, without getting bogged and swampy. Snails will happily crawl over, dig in and eat coir. It's eco friendly, takes a very long time to break down, can be reused and it's also really cheap. You can get coir in pretty much any nursery or hardware store, and it comes in these sweet dehydrated and compressed blocks so it's pretty much guaranteed to not come with any pests. The only bad thing I can think of is that once it's rehydrated and set up, pests quite like to live in it.

Peat. I'm not a fan of using peat in anything, not just snail terrariums. My main reason is that peat is taken from peat bogs, and is not renewable. The peat bogs are running out :( The good things about peat are that it holds moisture well, and is also easily reused. It tends to come dry in bags, so it's unlikely to have pests already there. Like coir, it can also harbour pests once it's set up. If you want to use peat, I'd recommend researching the company to see where they harvest it, as there are some peat farms out there that don't take from habitats. It can be a little expensive.

Loam. I've never used loam, so I can't attest to it, but from what I've read it seems good! It's often used for acid hating plants, as it has high ph which is good for snails (acidic substrate can damage their shells) Make sure if you use loam it has low sand content, as sand is b a d. I can't find the pricing of loam, but it's good points are that it drains well, but holds moisture, so it won't get swampy.

Potting soil. This can be a hard one, but if done right can be good. if you use potting soil, please please make sure it's organic, with no added fertilizers, and a high ph. As soil often comes moist, it will likely need to be baked to sterilize and kill any pests in it. It can also be pretty dirty to work with compared to other options.

Sphagnum moss. Sphagnum moss is rad, some people use it as a full substrate in its own, but I'd just add a layer on top of others. Holds moisture and is great for humidity, but isn't great for snails to burrow in. can be kind of pricey.

Substrates to avoid

Sand. Grains of sand can get stuck in snail's shells and really irritate them

Normal potting soil. Potting soil often comes with fertilizers and pesticides already in it, which is bad times.

Random dirt from outside. Dirt outside usually will have pesticides, chemicals from pollution, just all kinds of weird shit you don't want your snails on.

Make sure the substrate is damp before adding snails!

Decorations and Enrichment

Snails love exploring their home!! Decorations provide things to climb on, hiding spots and just visual aesthetics. In my tank, I have a flowerpot, a stick to climb on, plenty of leaf litter and a little ladybug ornament from the dollar store! This does not have to be expensive whatsoever! you can literally just get things from outside, but if you do, make sure you bake 'em in the oven for a bit to kill germs and pests. You can even put little plants in there if you want, just make sure they're not toxic and have no pesticides. Some ideas are fake plants, a plastic flowerpot, a kids plastic cup, various little ornaments from dollar stores, sticks and leaves, etc. Try to avoid large, pointy and hard objects like sharp rocks and such, to avoid shell damage.

Food and Water Bowls

I definitely recommend using bowls or plates for food. Food placed directly on the substrate will spoil and go mouldy quicker because of the moisture. The bowl I use is made for reptiles, and is designed to look like a natural rock but it's made from resin, which is a great material because it's very unlikely to damage their shells, but very strong and easy to clean. You can use the same bowls for water, I use the lid of a jar lol.

This seems complex, but I promise it's honestly the most complex part of keeping snails and it's a lot easier than you think. I hope it was helpful! I'm going to make another post on bioactive vivariums too!