text; un: cherrypit

[polterguide]

Name: Bailey Morello
Date: 9/2
Format: text
Warnings: Mentions of sex & pregnancy, b/c I know that makes some people Uncomfy.

So it's pretty obvious that being here changes people in ways that can sometimes be hard to expect, what with all the magic and monstrous traits but does anyone know if there are impacts on other biological functions?

Like...

Well.

[God, how do they say this without giving up the ghost entirely. They can't just come out and SAY things. They would rather die.]

Does being undead impact what vampires are capable of? Do the animalistic traits of most other monsters impact other physical aspects besides what's visible? Turning into a monster is basically like going through some bizarro puberty so, like. What's up with that?



Basically I'm asking if monsters can get pregnant or do they become infertile like some of the hybrids that exist in real life - obviously native ones aren't but does being something else before change that?

[Now it's time to go hide in shame and embarrassment and try not to think about the turn their life has taken.]

Comments

text, typos intentional; un: mshivana

[faithlikeaseed]

Wait

Would anyone have an opportunity to find out?

[polterguide]

Well, depending on their partners, if people are having sex there's a chance pregnancy can happen if you're not taking the adequate precautions. I admittedly haven't looked into what sort of birth control is available here, so that's on me, but...

Idk. You'd think the Coven or something would be able to say, like, "hey, turning into a monster is gonna seriously fuck with your body in these specific ways".

[faithlikeaseed]

Right

My assumption was we were all using wither stock

wither s t a l k,

or not doing anything to risk a pregnancy since we can disappear at any time though given folk have gotten children in riskier situations that's optimistic of me.

[See: Every mage pregnancy he'd ever heard about, ever.]

Also I don't think the Coven knows enough about us yet to say that they're still operating in a world where monsters grow up knowing what they'll be and how they change

We're already different

[polterguide]

I have no idea what wither stalk is.

[It sounds... Unpleasant?? And also like a fake thing.]

But yeah that's kind of the Problem with pregnancy - it can just kind of happen? And then it's like, well, fuck, you got a baby on the way and shit can get all weird and fucky.

Hasn't it been over a year? Shouldn't they know something, at least?

[Bailey should know better, And Yet.]

[faithlikeaseed]

Plant from home

The fresh sap prevents pregnancy though they've got different plants for it here

Just used to thinking of them all as wither stalk

[Totally a real thing...somewhere else.

He suppresses the urge to joke about there being some prerequisites for it happening; not the time.]

Yes but we still appear to be mostly mysteries to them

Though maybe they would have a way through healing magic of telling whether we can sire or bear children still if someone thought to ask. Might cut through wondering if some Mirror bound has had a child she's just not talking about

[polterguide]

Oh. So, like, super rustic BC.

[...Or it's a spermicide but they don't want to think about that.

Also, shut up, Myr, what if someone has a pregnancy that's just downright immaculate. It could happen.]

I guess it's not something you can get to the bottom of in a day but... Don't they have concerns for how Mirrorbound can function in this society if going back home is like playing a game of roulette?

Though I guess if nobody's thought about asking they'd have no reason to look into it... So someone should probably do that.

[Like, you know, maybe them? But nah.]

[faithlikeaseed]

Don't know I'd call it rustic when most everyone uses it to the same end whether they're a doglord farmer or a circle mage

Probably even Vint magisters or maybe they've got magic for it

Anyway.

[WELL IT COULD but he certainly doesn't have any kind of reference frame for spontaneous pregnancies of that nature!!!]

I think

That's not a question they have thought to sit down and study out vs kicking us down the road given their situation with the Cwyld

They have some resources to keep us in comfort but not resources to answer questions about what we are and why we're here

And if we're meant to help them fight it or give them ideas they've never thought of before it stands to reason they may be reluctant to look that gift horse too hard in its mouth.

Anyway if you want me to ask them I can I've been talking to their healers more often.

[He's picking up on the subtext there and no mistake.]

[polterguide]

[Honestly a lot of what they're saying is going right over their head. Doglord? Circle mage? What? What????]

Can't you use magic for everything?

[...Well. That's not how the magic they're familiar with works, but it seems like everyone they meet who's familiar with magic the magic they know can do the most ridiculous things. So, like.

Magic birth control seems reasonable enough.]

I mean... Idk, I haven't been here that long and I'm not exactly made for combating anything, let alone something like the Cwyld, so... I don't know. I guess I can't understand how trying to fix the one problem when you're springing leaks all over the place will help and integrating the Mirrorbound into things could possibly make some of them more inclined to, you know. Help with the Cwyld.

But maybe I'm being unfair.

Though it's also probably something we could figure out for ourselves, so we're not making them waste what few resources there are, if there are any Mirrorbound witches so inclined to do some magical research, or scientists but I'm not exactly sure what sort of avenues there are for that.

[faithlikeaseed]

Not things magic can't do.

[Tautological, but.]

That's something that's easy for us to say because we're outside all their troubles and the most pressing thing for us is our own fates

But I suppose I'm being unfair to them some by saying they all just want to kick us down the road because the ones who've gotten to know us are doing their best by us with what they have

It's just that all things are finite and putting even more effort they have into us means someone else loses we've already seen that with how they neglect the outer city when they could have given them the homes we have now and brought them inside the wall

The Coven does offer supplies and space for researching witches so it may just be a matter of getting our witches together on the right questions. Maybe there are divination spells that can tell if someone's fertile

[polterguide]

That's incredibly vague but I guess that's fair.

[Why magic gotta be that way.]

Yeah... Things here are kind of shitty for everyone, huh? You've got the Mirrorbound who were brought here without a choice and then there's the people who have been living here their whole lives who are just being left alone and ignored to suffer when there should be more efforts to help them.

[...This is not the direction they expected this conversation to go, but, well. Maybe they should stop sitting around moping and feeling useless!!! Maybe they should fight the power or something!!!]

Like, I wouldn't mind giving up the home I'm living in to live somewhere less bougie if it meant families who have less than I do could live there.

How many Mirrorbound are actually putting effort into providing for the locals? There was the guy who bought that orphanage, wasn't there? If we're bringing in resources from... Idk, wherever, or trying to find ways to lessen the burden we're putting on the Coven...

I don't know. I don't know much at all!!

Like any witches I could ask about divination magic, for example.

[faithlikeaseed]

I laughed at that so you know

[Someone teach this boy how to dictate "lol" to his watch.]

There are a lot of us working to help

I'm on the council and more aid for the folk in the outer city is a frequent request though as you can imagine parliament digs their heels in on that one a lot

We've been working on how to produce more food for everyone, too and the Mirror bound have been patrolling frequently with the Wilders to clear more space

It's all right not to know! You have many things already weighing on your mind like this

But when you're ready to help we can always use more

And my witch is practiced in divination and could use a few diversions so I could put this question to him or there's always asking on the watches to put together a research group for this

Though maybe to keep people unflustered it should be for Mirror bound magical construction generally with whether or not we can have children as a side note