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coochiequeens · 3 months

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I've posted many times before about how surrogacy exploits vulnerable women and turns their babies into commodities. This article is about the impact of the fertility industry on the children themselves.

‘I slept with my half-sibling’: Woman’s horror story reflects loosely regulated nature of US fertility industry

By Rob Kuznia, Allison Gordon, Nelli Black and Kyung Lah, CNN | Photographs by Laura Oliverio, CNN

Published 10:00 AM EST, Wed February 14, 2024CNN —

Victoria Hill never quite understood how she could be so different from her father – in looks and in temperament. The 39-year-old licensed clinical social worker from suburban Connecticut used to joke that perhaps she was the mailman’s child.

Her joke eventually became no laughing matter. Worried about a health issue, and puzzled because neither of her parents had suffered any of the symptoms, Hill purchased a DNA testing kit from 23andMe a few years ago and sent her DNA to the genomics company.

What should have been a routine quest to learn more about herself turned into a shocking revelation that she had many more siblings than just the brother she grew up with – the count now stands at 22. Some of them reached out to her and dropped more bombshells: Hill’s biological father was not the man she grew up with but a fertility doctor who had been helping her mother conceive using donated sperm. That doctor, Burton Caldwell, a sibling told her, had used his own sperm to inseminate her mother, allegedly without her consent.

But the most devastating revelation came this summer, when Hill found out that one of her newly discovered siblings had been her high school boyfriend – one she says she easily could have married.

“I was traumatized by this,” Hill told CNN in an exclusive interview. “Now I’m looking at pictures of people thinking, well, if he could be my sibling, anybody could be my sibling.”

Hill’s story appears to represent one of the most extreme cases to date of fertility fraud in which fertility doctors have misled their female patients and their families by secretly using their own sperm instead of that of a donor. It also illustrates how the huge groups of siblings made possible in part by a lack of regulation can lead to a worst-case scenario coming to pass: accidental incest.

In this sense, say advocates of new laws criminalizing fertility fraud, Hill’s story is historic.

“This was the first time where we’ve had a confirmed case of someone actually dating, someone being intimate with someone who was their half-sibling,” said Jody Madeira, a law professor at Indiana University and an expert on fertility fraud.

A CNN investigation into fertility fraud nationwide found that most states, including Connecticut, have no laws against it. Victims of this form of deception face long odds in getting any kind of recourse, and doctors who are accused of it have an enormous advantage in court, meaning they rarely face consequences and, in some cases, have continued practicing, according to documents and interviews with fertility experts, lawmakers and several people fathered by sperm donors.

CNN also found that Hill’s romantic relationship with her half-brother wasn’t the only case in which she or other people in her newly discovered sibling group interacted with someone in their community who turned out to be a sibling.

At a time when do-it-yourself DNA kits are turning donor-conceived children into online sleuths about their own origins – and when this subset of the American population has reached an estimated one million people – Hill’s situation is a sign of the times. She is part of a larger groundswell of donor-conceived people who in recent years have sought to expose practices in the fertility industry they say have caused them distress: huge sibling pods, unethical doctors, unreachable biological fathers, a lack of information about their biological family’s medical history.

The movement has been the main driver in getting about a dozen new state laws passed over the past four years. Still, the legal landscape is patchy, and the US fertility industry is often referred to by critics as the “Wild West” for its dearth of regulation relative to other western countries.

“Nail salons are more regulated than the fertility industry,” said Eve Wiley, who traced her origins to fertility fraud and is a prominent advocate for new laws.

Accountability in short supply

More than 30 doctors around the country have been caught or accused of covertly using their own sperm to impregnate their patients, CNN has confirmed; advocates say they know of at least 80.

Accountability for the deception has been in short supply. The near-absence of laws criminalizing the practice of fertility fraud until recently means no doctors have yet been criminally charged for the behavior. In 2019, Indiana became the second state, more than 20 years after California, to pass a statute making fertility fraud a felony.

Even in civil cases that have been settled out of court, the affected families have typically signed non-disclosure agreements, effectively shielding the doctors from public scrutiny.

Meanwhile, some doctors who have been found out were allowed to keep their medical licenses.

In Kentucky, retired fertility doctor Marvin YussmanMarvin Yussman admitted using his own sperm to inseminate about half a dozen patients who at the time were unaware that he was the donor. One of them filed a complaint to the state’s board of medical licensure when her daughter – who was born in 1976 – learned Yussman was the likely father after submitting her DNA to Ancestry.com.

“I feel betrayed that Dr. Yussman knowingly deceived me and my husband about the origin of the sperm he injected into my body,” the woman wrote in a letter to the board in 2019. “Although I realize Dr. Yussman did not break any laws as such, I certainly feel his actions were unconscionable and depraved.”

In his response to the medical board, Yussman said that during that era, fresh sperm was prioritized over frozen sperm, meaning donors had to arrive on a schedule.

“On very rare occasions when the donor did not show and no frozen specimen was available, I used my own sperm if I otherwise would have been an appropriate donor: appropriate blood type, race, physical characteristics,” Yussman wrote.

He added some of his biological children have “expressed gratitude for their existence” to him and even sent him photos of their own children. Yussman, who noted in his defense that he didn’t remember the woman who made the complaint, said his policy decades ago was to inform patients that physicians could be among the possible donors, though neither he nor the complainant could provide records that clarified the protocol.

The board declined to discipline him, citing insufficient evidence, according to case documents. Reached on the phone by CNN, Yussman declined to comment.

The story that really put fertility fraud on the national radar was that of Dr. Donald Cline, who fathered at least 90 children in Indiana. Cline’s case spurred lawmakers to pass legislation that outlawed fertility fraud but wasn’t retroactive, meaning he was never prosecuted for it. But he was convicted of obstruction of justice after lying to investigators in the state attorney general’s office who briefly looked into the case. Following that conviction in 2018, Cline surrendered his license. Cline’s lawyer did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Netflix followed up with a documentary about Cline in 2022 that inspired two members of Congress – Reps. Stephanie Bice, an Oklahoma Republican, and Mikie Sherrill, a New Jersey Democrat – to coauthor the first federal bill outlawing fertility fraud. If passed, the Protecting Families from Fertility Fraud Act would establish a new federal sexual-assault crime for knowingly misrepresenting the nature or source of DNA used in assisted reproductive procedures and other fertility treatments. The bill has found dozens of backers – 28 Republicans and 20 Democrats – amid a renewed effort to push it on Capitol Hill.

In this March 29, 2007 file photo, Dr. Donald Cline, a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist, speaks at a news conference in Indianapolis.Kelly Wilkinson/The Indianapolis Star/AP/File

A group of advocates including Hill plans to go to DC to champion the bill on Wednesday.

To be sure, passage wouldn’t mean that any of the dozens of doctors who have already been accused of fertility fraud would go to prison, as the crime would have occurred before the law existed. But the measure would provide more pathways for civil litigation in such cases.

The push to better regulate the fertility industry isn’t without critics. It inspires unease – if not outright opposition – from some who fear any industry crackdown could have the unintended effect of making the formation of families less accessible to the LGBTQ community, which comprises an outsized share of the donor-recipient clientele.

“I think we should pause before creating additional criminal liability for people practicing reproductive medicine,” said Katherine L. Kraschel, assistant professor of law and health sciences at Northeastern University. “It gives me great pause … to say we want the government to try to step in and regulate what amounts to a reproductive choice.”

Some experts also point out that the advent of take-at-home DNA tests by companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry has pretty much stamped out fertility fraud in the modern era.

“To my knowledge, the majority of fertility fraud cases took place before 2000,” said Julia T. Woodward, a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor in psychiatry and OBGYN in the Duke University Health System, in an email to CNN. “I think it is highly unlikely any person would engage in such practices today (it would be too easy to be exposed). So this part of the landscape has improved significantly.”

But activists in the donor-conceived community still want laws, in part to provide pathways for civil litigation, and also to send a message to any medical professional who might feel emboldened by the lack of accountability.

“Let’s say arguably that it doesn’t happen anymore,” said Laura High, a donor-conceived person and comedian who, with more than 600,000 followers on TikTok, has carved out something of a niche as a fertility-industry watchdog on social media. “Pass the f**king legislation just in case.

“Why not just out of the optics – just out of a, ‘Hey we’re going to stand by the victims.’ Let’s just do this. We know it’s never going to happen anymore, but let’s just make this illegal.”

Victoria Hill and her two children play with toys in the living room of her mother's house in Wethersfield. Laura Oliverio/CNN

‘You are my sister’

The lack of a law in Connecticut appears to have been a stumbling block for a pair of siblings seeking recourse for what they allege is a case of fertility fraud.

The half-siblings – a sister and brother – sued OBGYN Narendra Tohan of New Britain in 2021, saying he deceived their mothers when using his own sperm in the fertility treatments.

He has derailed the suit with a novel defense, arguing successfully that it amounts to a “wrongful life” case, which typically pertains to people born with severe life-limiting conditions and isn’t recognized in Connecticut. Tohan, who is still practicing, did not return an email or call to his office seeking comment. The siblings are appealing the ruling.

Madeira, the expert in fertility fraud from Indiana University, called the “wrongful life” decision absurd.

“In fertility fraud, no parent is saying that – no parent is saying I would have gotten an abortion,” she said. “Every parent is saying, ‘I love my child. I just wish that my wishes would have been respected and my doctor wouldn’t have used his sperm.’”

And then there is Dr. Burton Caldwell, who declined CNN’s request for an interview. One of his apparent biological children decided to sue him last year, even though she knows it will be an uphill battle without a fertility fraud law on the books. Janine Pierson and her mother, Doreen Pierson, accuse Caldwell – who stopped practicing in the early 2000s – of impregnating Doreen with his own sperm after having falsely told her that the donor would be a Yale medical student.

Half-sisters Alyssa Denniston, Victoria Hill and Janine Pierson pose for a portrait in Hartford, Connecticut. The three of them say they — and at least 20 others — all share a biological father, Dr. Burton Caldwell. Laura Oliverio/CNN

Janine Pierson, a social worker, thought she was an only child until she took a 23andMe test in the summer of 2022 and was floored to learn she had 19 siblings. (That number has since grown to 22.)

“It was like my entire life just came to this screeching halt,” she told CNN.

When she learned through one of her siblings that Caldwell was the likely father, Pierson said she immediately phoned her mom, who was stunned.

“We both just cried for a few minutes because it just felt like such a violation,” Pierson said.

Pierson said she decided to pursue the lawsuit even though she knows the lack of a fertility-fraud law in Connecticut could pose a challenge.

“It shouldn’t just be, you know, the Wild West where these doctors can just do whatever it is that they want,” she said.

Hill is watching her newly discovered half-sister’s case closely.

For her, the first surprise was learning the dad she grew up with wasn’t her biological father. Although her mom had told her when Hill was younger that she’d sought help conceiving at a fertility clinic, she also said – falsely – that the doctor had used her dad’s sperm.

When Hill learned that the biological father appeared to be Caldwell a few years ago, she contacted lawyers to inquire about filing a suit, but was told she doesn’t have much of a case, so she didn’t pursue it. Now, she said, her statute of limitations is about to expire.

Last year, Hill was hit with another shattering revelation.

In May, she and her three closest friends were celebrating their 20-year high school reunion over dinner.

She was sharing the tale with them of how she learned about her biological father. Everyone was captivated, except one person – her former boyfriend. He looked like he was turning something over in his head. Then he noted that his parents, too, had sought help conceiving from a fertility clinic.

A couple months later, in July, as Hill was leaving for a summer vacation with her husband and two young children, the ex-boyfriend texted her a screenshot showing their 23andMe connection.

“You are my sister,” he said.

Fertility industry regulations in US lax relative to other countries

Hill’s high school boyfriend isn’t the only person she knew in the community who turned out to be a sibling.

“I have slept with my half-sibling,” Hill said. “I went to elementary school with another.”

What’s more, Hill said, back in the early 2000s, she lived across the street from a deli in Norwalk she often went to that was owned by twins who she later learned are her siblings.

Pierson, too, discovered recently that she’d crossed paths with a sibling long ago. She said she has a group photo from when she was a kid at summer camp that shows her on a stage and a boy in the audience. In 2022, she learned that he is her older half-brother.

“Within 20 feet of one another, and we have no idea,” she said.

In general, the bigger the sibling pool, the greater the risk of accidental incest – regardless of whether fertility fraud came into play.

“I don’t date people my age. I can’t do it,” said Jamie LeRose, a 23-year-old singer from New Jersey who has at least 150 siblings from a regular sperm donor, not a doctor. “I look at people my age and I’m automatically unattracted to them because I just, I go, that could be my sibling.”

With this in mind, activists also often advocate for laws that cap the number of siblings per donor – and that do away with donor anonymity. (Neither of these restrictions are included in the proposed federal bill.)

Other countries have instituted such regulations. Norway for instance limits the number of children to eight; Germany, to 15. Germany and the UK have banished anonymity at sperm banks.

The United States government has no such requirements – and the professional association that represents the fertility industry wants to keep it that way.

“What we have not done very much in this country is pass regulations about who gets to have children,” said Sean Tipton, the chief advocacy and policy officer for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. “If you’re going to say you should only be able to have 50 children, that’s fine. But that should apply to everybody. It shouldn’t apply just to sperm donors.”

Regarding the concern among donor-conceived people about accidental incest, Tipton added, “if you want to be sure that before you have children with somebody, you can run DNA tests to make sure you’re not related.”

The ASRM, which often clashes with donor-conceived activists, has not taken a stance on the federal bill, Tipton told CNN.

The organization does offer nonbinding guidelines that address concerns about incest, recommending for instance no more than 25 births per donor in a population of 800,000.

Although most of the donor-conceived people who spoke with CNN for this story said they wanted to see legislative change, they also described an emotional aspect of the topic that no new law or regulation could begin to quell: a yearning to better understand one’s origins and identity. For Pierson, it was this desire, coupled with a mix of anger and curiosity, that compelled her to pay Caldwell an unannounced visit one day in 2022 – weeks after she’d learned he was most likely her biological father.

Confronting Caldwell

“I woke up that day and I had decided I didn’t want to call him,” Pierson said. “I didn’t want to give him the opportunity to say no. So I just drove directly to his house from work.”

Pierson, who lived in Cheshire at the time, describes an experience that was equal parts surreal and awkward.

After an hourlong trip, she pulled up to a large, stately house with a long driveway not far from the Connecticut coast. When she knocked on the door, nobody answered. But when a neighbor stopped by to drop something off, Caldwell opened the door. Seizing the moment, Pierson introduced herself. He let her in.

Laying eyes for the first time on her biological father, Pierson, 36, saw a man in his 80s with a slight tremor due to Parkinson’s, sporting a blue golf shirt.

He invited her inside and they sat at his dining room table.

Caldwell, she said, didn’t seem surprised – likely because Hill had made a similar visit a couple of years earlier.

“He was not in any way apologetic,” Pierson said, but she added that he did not deny using his own sperm when working in the 1980s at a New Haven clinic. She said Caldwell confessed that he “never gave it the thought that he should have … that there would be so many (children), and that it would have any kind of an impact on us.”

Pierson said Caldwell asked her questions that gave her pause.

“One thing that really has always bothered me is that he asked me how many grandchildren he had,” she said. “And he was very curious about my scholastic achievements and what I made of myself. … Like how intelligent I was, basically.”

She said their conversation ended abruptly when, looking uncomfortable, Caldwell stood up, which she took as a signal that the visit was over. Before parting ways, she asked if he would pose for a photo with her. He consented.

“I knew it would be the only time that I actually ever had that opportunity to take a picture,” she said. “Not that I wanted like a relationship with him in any way because – it was just like mixed of emotions of, you know, like, I despise you, but at the same time, I’m grateful to be here.”

Janine Pierson displays a selfie she took with Caldwell on her phone in Hartford, Connecticut. Pierson took the photo during a visit with Caldwell in 2022 and it is the only photograph she has with him. Laura Oliverio/CNN

#usa #Fertility industry #Burton Caldwell #Fertility fraud #huge groups of siblings made possible in part by a lack of regulation #Accidental incest #Most states have no laws against fertility fraud #huge sibling pods #unethical doctors #unreachable biological fathers #a lack of information about their biological family’s medical history #Nail salons are more regulated than the fertility industry #At least 80 doctors have used their own sperm to impregnate their patients #Marvin Yussman #Dr. Donald Cline fathered at least 90 children #Protecting Families from Fertility Fraud Act still hasn't passed into law #wrongful life #OBGYN Narendra Tohan is still practicing #Large sibling pods in the same community #Norway limits the number of donor conceived children to eight #Germany limits donor conceived children to 15 #Germany and the UK have banished anonymity at sperm banks

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2othcentury · 2 years

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Sport (February 1979)

#1979 #1970s #70s #Sport magazine #Coby Dietrick #Julius Erving #Dr. J #Larry Kenon #Caldwell Jones #basketball #sports #~

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the-mushroom-faerie · 4 months

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caldweir for the dancing and the dreaming scene. that is all, carry on.

#idk who would have gobbers role in this though #stargate #stargate atlantis #dr elizabeth weir #steven caldwell #caldweir #httyd 2

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insomniacsvirtualobservatory · 9 months

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Doing Some Science.

A one shot of a Dying Light 2 swap au in which a half volatile Kaito is caught and examined by a Doctor Waltz, but not the one he's expecting.

TWs: medical examination, suggestive themes, canon typical violence, kidnapping

To say that Kaito was in trouble would be a gross and comical understatement. The fact that he was tied to a metal chair which was bolted to the ground would be a nice clue. The fact that his bindings were metal industrial zip-ties would be another- and he could say the same for the blindfold bound tightly over his eyes.

Where had this all begun again? Right. The Renegade camp... Go take care of the shit heads at the border they said, it'd be easy they said...

“Easy my ass...” Kaito mumbles to himself in the silence. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton wool and his ears rang incessantly... Must have been from the concrete pillow his head was very graciously slammed into...

From what very little they could see from behind the cloth covering their eyes, the room he was in was dimly lit. Nearly entirely shrouded in darkness save for the single overhead light that shone down on him from above based on the angle of the sharp shadows. He could also just about make out the shape of a table to his left, which could only mean a limited amount of things that came to mind. Undoubtedly there were some array of tools and sharp implements on it. The thought made Kaito's stomach churn.

The thing that the big mother fucker who had slammed his head into the concrete didn't really settle well either.

“Doc's gonna be real happy we found this little morsel...” And that could only mean Waltz. What other doctor could the Renegades have available to them? Aside from maybe some amateur dentist from before the Fall who called himself a surgeon... That idea was maybe worse. Waltz would at least have actual surgical precision when he tore him apart.

As they struggled to keep their thoughts in order in the midst of what must certainly be a concussion, Kaito heard a door behind them creak ominously open with a rusty groan. Reflexively they stiffened, straining to listen for footsteps, a voice- anything. After a moment he was treated to the telltale sound of the door slamming shut and a lock clicking into place, then footsteps. They were light but purposeful stepping around him and towards the table, where he could make out the fuzzy shape of the owner's outline as it began to take on the task of messing around with the objects on its surface. Odd... That couldn't have been Waltz, it was too slim.

“Who the fuck are you?” Kaito croaked. The figure did not seem to acknowledge him at all, instead muttering something under his breath.

“No that's not it...Did they take it? Dumbasses...“ He growled out that last word with a sigh, before finally turning to face Kaito, still stuck in the chair. After some deliberation the figure crouched on his haunches and without warning reached forward and used his gloved hands to pry open Kaito's jaw with little effort. The pilgrim made an unflattering noise and instinctively attempted to snap his teeth closed around the bastard's fingers. This earned him a chuckle and the tightening of an already rough hold on his face.

”I'm going to have to ask you to hold still- I mean if you prefer I could pry your teeth out of your mouth one by one so I could look at them without problems, but I don't think either of us want that...“ The voice was smooth and all too light for the sentence that was just spoken with it, though it had an underlying edge that sent a chill down Kaito's spine, ”After all, it would be really painful on your part and I'd really rather not have to clean up the mess...“

Kaito tries to make a retort, though around the strong grip on his jaw the words 'What the fuck', came out more like a strained gurgle. The person laughed at him again, loosening his hold a fraction.

”If you'll just be patient I'll take that blindfold off and I'll properly introduce myself, but uh as it stands it would be pretty awkward to just be staring at eachother with my hands in your mouth wouldn't it? Don't try to speak again, just nod.“ He says, and Kaito had to admit that yes he would find the entire interaction rather awkward indeed...not that it wasn't already. With some reluctance he obeys the strange man's command and gives a slight nod in response. He can practically feel the figure grinning in front of him, the glee radiating off of him, giving off a literal smell...'Sweet' is the adjective Kaito's brain offered as a descriptor.

The dental examination continued for a few minutes after that, the gloved fingers poking and prodding at each individual tooth, occasionally the man would speak some scientific jargon allowed as if making verbal notes.

”He was right...The mutation has changed your bone structure, there's an extra set of canines here...“ he mumbled. It took every shred of self control Kaito possessed not to put those extra canines to use, but from the harsh grip on his jaw Kaito could tell that his earlier threat of pulling out his teeth was more of a promise. He shuddered as a gloved thumb pressed itself onto their tongue and held it down as the figure leaned in to get a better look at his back teeth.

”Sorry for the odd angle, we're almost done if that helps.“ He sounded genuinely apologetic, which didn't help the odd sensation Kaito was beginning to experience in his gut, a twisting feeling that was rather loud and impossible to ignore. This close Kaito could make out fuzzy details from behind the blindfold. The shape of his jaw, hair cut short, eyes focused intently on the task at hand. Something about it all made Kaito queasy in a way they didn't entirely hate. Were this any other situations that could be...well pleasant? Is the only idea his mind would supply. Maybe he really was concussed.

Finally after what seemed like eternity the figure sighed and pulled his hands away, allowing Kaito's jaw to close, which Kaito did with speed, teeth audibly clicking together with a grimace.

”Ok you've fucked around with my teeth enough and you haven't even bought me dinner first- Now would you please take this thing off, I wanna see who threatened to fuck up my mouth thank you very much...“ Kaito finally says with righteous malice. The figure barks out a laugh.

”I suppose it's only fair, I did say I would after all... Give me a minute to change gloves if you wouldn't mind.“

”It's not like I can go anywhere...“ Kaito sneered. The figure futzed with things on the table, before pulling on a fresh pair of gloves with an audible snap of latex. The pilgrim shivered at the sound, flinching as the man stepped back over and once again crouched to be at eye level with him. Gingerly he reached up and undid the knot in the cloth behind his head and pulled the blindfold away from his eyes. Kaito hisses from the brightness that invaded his vision, blinking in the harsh overhead lights. He watches the figures back as he steps back over to toss the scrap of cloth on the table and begin digging through the implements on display.

He was tall, that was certain. Shoulders broad and adorned in a lab coat that might have been white once but was a muddy shade of gray from all the grime and dust that seemed to have stained it over the years. Oddly though, in place of the typical shoes you would expect from a scientist like a pair of loafers or even a pair of boots, this guy wore a simple pair of red sneakers from a brand that Kaito recognized but couldn't name if he tried. When he finally turned around to face him, Kaito was horribly surprised how much like Waltz this guy looked.

”There we are, now we can talk.“ He says simply with an air of friendliness that felt wholly uncomfortable to Kaito.

”You're not Waltz, but you sure as hell look like him, so who the fuck are you?“ Kaito says back, eyes narrow with suspicion. The guy grinned at him, actually beamed with an odd twisted sort of pride.

”You are perceptive! You're right on both of those fronts, he's my father actually, and I know who you are!“ he pauses and looks mildly puzzled, ”Well sort of. In the general way that all of the Renegades, Survivors, and those PK idiots do. Maybe just a bit more though considering- would you mind holding your eye open for me?“ He says casually, stepping up to tower over Kaito and once again takes a rather wicked grip on his jaw to push his head up to face him. Kaito grunts with the suddenness of it and then yelps with a bright penlight shown into his face, blinking on reflex.

”Hey I said open...“ the scientist chides, ”Or am I going to have to do it for you like your jaw?“ Kaito didn't exactly enjoy the implication of that. Obediently he strained to keep both eyes open as the light was moved to and fro, then clicked on and off repeatedly.

”Interesting...Your eyes dilate much more than the average human being...Also they're quite the pretty color, like a seafoam green almost...“ He mumbles. Kaito blinks up at him owlishly.

”You still haven't told me your name, you bastard...“ Kaito snaps quickly, because thinking about that last comment too hard was making the itchy feeling in his guts worse. The scientist's nose wrinkles a bit as he shuts off the penlight and slips it into the pocket of his coat.

”Uncalled for, but understandable I suppose, I would probably be just as jumpy as you are if I were in your position.“ He grins very suddenly at nothing and then shakes his head with a sigh that sounded almost satisfied in a way. Clearing his throat into his gloved hand the scientist presents a hand as if to have Kaito shake it, and then seems to remember himself and instead brings it behind his back.

”I'm Aiden Waltz, people around here call me Doc or just Aiden though. I already know who you are, Kaito- though oddly dad doesn't seem to have your last name on file...“ Aiden ponders. Kaito narrows his eyes at him.

”So what's the plan here, Aiden...“ He says the name like it's a curse, ”You gonna poke and prod me until your daddy gets here to rip me to shreds or what? If it's the GRE key you want I don't have it with me, I don't exactly keep it on my person for obvious reasons...”

Aiden looks at him like he just called the sky green, and then begins to laugh at him incredulously, doubling over and holding his stomach.

“What? What's so funny?” Kaito growls, the itch growing in intensity with each wheeze of laughter that bubbles up from the scientist's mouth. Aiden takes a second before wiping his eyes with a sleeve and sighing, straightening up and crouching down to be at eye level with the pilgrim.

“No actually! Waltz doesn't actually know you're here...at least not yet- not if you agree to help me...” Aiden intones.

“Help you with what...” Kaito says warily.

“I want you to help me kill him.” Aiden says casually, as if commenting on the weather. Kaito opens his mouth to reply and gets stuck.

“...I think my concussion is making me hear you wrong- you want me to do what?” Kaito asks with a note of horror in his tone.

“You heard me right, Pilgrim.” Aiden smiles at him wickedly, all teeth and deviousness, “You're going to help me kill Doctor Vincent Waltz.“

”Or...?“ Kaito prods tentatively.

”Hmm... Or...“ Aiden takes a moment to think, standing back up and pacing around in a small circle in front of the bewildered Pilgrim. An expression crosses his features as an idea seems to dawn on him, and he once again smiles in a way that was not at all pleasant, stepping over to lean over Kaito with a predatory air. ”Or I speed up your infection...and make it. Hurt.“

Kaito swallows almost audibly, eyes wide. Aiden's smile softens a fraction.

”How about you think it over, I have a little errand to run, and when I get back you can tell me what you've decided!“ He says disarmingly, straightening up and without waiting for a reply from the stunned pilgrim, heading out of the room.

Kaito sits with his thoughts and the feeling in his gut, now trying to place it. Horror? Probably. That ultimatum certainly sounded like a promise rather than a threat. Confusion? Most definitely. However the other big feeling that he was doing his best to ignore and file away for further thinking later would not let itself be unacknowledged, made plain by the growing buzz in the base of their spine. Not only was Kaito scared to death of this strange young man who threatened to kill him in the worst way imaginable, he was also somehow strangely attracted to him as well.

He would not think about that now thank you very much. He would blame it on the head trauma until the day he died- which now that he thought about it wouldn't probably be all that far off in retrospect.

A indeterminable stretch of time later Aiden returned, looking slightly sweaty and with a slightly manic look on his face.

”So? What is the verdict you've reached?“ He breathed out, leaning his back against the table and watching him intently. From the chair Kaito could feel how hard his heart was beating, practically hearing the blood rushing through his veins like a siren's song. He swallows, blinking slowly. What choice did he exactly have here? He either says no and dies a long drawn out death at the hands of this...scientist? Who clearly would derive a substantial amount of joy in the prospect. Or he dies trying to kill this guy's dad, coincidentally the exact man who ruined his life.

Kaito sighs and looks Aiden in the face with a grim determination.

”Where do we start?“ they ask. Aiden's grin sent a shiver down his spine again, that wasn't wholly unpleasant.

“We do some science...” He replies with a wild delight. Kaito's stomach does a flip and he feels his heart beat a staccato rhythm against his ribs. A deep little part of his wretched soul liked the sound of that.

#typewriter.exe #dying light #dying light 2 #Dr. Kaito [REDACTED]#swap au #tw medical #tw teeth #tw violence #tw suggestive #tw kidnapping #aiden caldwell

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eatyourdamnpears · 2 years

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wait. wait. correct me if I’m wrong, but they never took Dr. Caldwell’s dead body out of Rosie before torching the wall of fungi pods, did they? because if that’s the case, Miss Justineau is going to have to live with a rotting corpse for the rest of her life

#alright #so since Helen was able to (maybe? i wasn’t clear on this part) leave Rosie in a hazmat suit #let’s assume that there’s some kind of sterilizing agent within Rosie and an air purifier #but even so #how would they get Dr. Caldwell’s body out of there without introducing the spores to the clean air??#would the potential air purifier take care of the spores?#Miss Justineau being the last adult human left was horrific enough but the further implications are even WORSE #the girl with all the gifts #Helen Justineau #Dr. Caldwell #the girl with all the gifts spoilers

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divinebronzegoddess · 6 days

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Grey Reflections: Episode 26—Baby Business… Mostly

If you would like to “Buy Me a Glass of Wine,” you can click this link or the ***DONATE*** link at the bottom of the menu on the left. Thank you to everyone who sent me glasses of wine and donations. Every single one of them helps and is much appreciated. I’m slowly getting back to normal (knock on wood) with everything going on, so I really appreciate you all. Once again, I appreciate you…

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uniqueartisanconnoisseur · 15 days

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Story of the Tennessee Agricultural Museum

I love history and learning the story behind the story! Thanks to friend and tractor collector Buddy Woodson for the invite to the Spring-Crank Up 2024, antique tractor show. During our visit to the show, and Tennessee Agricultural Museum, Buddy gave me a tour of the grounds of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Since then, I have been diving deep, and learning about the history of this…

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anthonychristian · 7 months

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The Passing Of A Student-athlete From Northwestern State University At The Young Age Of 21

Amidst the hallowed halls of Northwestern State University, a somber aura envelops the campus, as sorrow pervades the hearts of all who tread its grounds. A profound sense of melancholy has descended upon this institution of higher learning, for it has been struck by the grievous loss of one of its own a student-athlete who had been pursuing the elusive yet noble pursuit of knowledge.

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#Ronnie Caldwell Jr #NSU #Dr. Marcus #D. Jones

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fleshadept · 1 year

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HOTTEST/MOST FUCKABLE VAMPIRES MASTERPOST

Will be updating as the rounds progress.

ROUND ONE:

Count Dracula (Dracula [1931], Bela Lugosi) VS. Count Dracula (Bram Stoker's Dracula [1992], Gary Oldman) WINNER: Dracula (Gary Oldman)

Dr. Hess Green (Ganja & Hess) VS. Serana (Skyrim) WINNER: Dr. Hess Green

Father Paul (Midnight Mass) VS. Adam (Only Lovers Left Alive) WINNER: Father Paul

Father Sang-hyun (Thirst) VS. The Girl (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night) WINNER: The Girl

Lestat de Lioncourt (Interview with the Vampire AMC) VS. Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) WINNER: Lestat de Lioncourt

Alucard (Castlevania) VS. Louis de Pointe du Lac (Interview with the Vampire AMC) WINNER: Louis de Pointe du Lac

Armand (Interview with the Vampire AMC) VS. Carmilla (Castlevania) WINNER: Armand

Carmilla (Carmilla [1872]) VS. Blade (Blade) WINNER: Carmilla

Countess Marya Zaleska (Dracula's Daughter [1936]) VS. Alice Cullen (The Twilight Saga) WINNER: Alice Cullen

Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) VS. Nadja of Antipaxos (What We Do in the Shadows [2019]) WINNER: Nadja of Antipaxos

Count von Krolock (Tanz der Vampire) VS. Kay Caldwell (Son of Dracula [1943]) WINNER: Kay Caldwell

Queen Akasha (Queen of the Damned) VS. David (The Lost Boys) WINNER: Queen Akasha

Edward Cullen (The Twilight Saga) VS. Laszlo Cravensworth (What We Do in the Shadows [2019]) WINNER: Laszlo Cravensworth

Tae-jun (Thirst) VS. Marko (The Lost Boys) WINNER: Tae-jun

Viago (What We Do in the Shadows [2014]) VS. Eve (Only Lovers Left Alive) WINNER: Viago

Darla (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) VS. Vladislav the Poker (What We Do in the Shadows [2014]) WINNER: Vladislav the Poker

ROUND TWO:

Count Dracula (Bram Stoker's Dracula [1992], Gary Oldman) VS. Dr. Hess Green (Ganja & Hess)

Father Paul (Midnight Mass) VS. The Girl (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night)

Lestat de Lioncourt (Interview with the Vampire AMC) VS. Louis de Pointe du Lac (Interview with the Vampire AMC)

Armand (Interview with the Vampire AMC) VS. Carmilla (Carmilla [1872])

Alice Cullen (The Twilight Saga) VS. Nadja of Antipaxos (What We Do in the Shadows [2019])

Kay Caldwell (Son of Dracula [1943]) VS. Queen Akasha (Queen of the Damned)

Laszlo Cravensworth (What We Do in the Shadows [2019]) VS. Tae-jun (Thirst)

Viago (What We Do in the Shadows [2014]) VS. Vladislav the Poker (What We Do in the Shadows [2014])

#vampire showdown

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bdfos · 6 months

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Never doubt the power of the TK-421. Enjoy this amped up and chilled out mix of Disco, Funk, 80s, and House Music. Sorry, I didn't have time to put the name of every track.

Artists in order of appearance:

Baccara

The Salsoul Orchestra

David Shire

Andrea True Connection

Heart

Giuni Russo

Ron

Batista Junior

Ottawan

KingCats

D Train

Hurlee

Diavan

UB40

Andy Caldwell

Deee-Lite

Phreek Plus One

Love Committee

Blackbelt Andersen

??SPECIAL GUESTS??

JSKI MIX

Orgone

A-Trak & Dillon Francis

DJ Kool

Cymande

Karriem

William Onyeabor

Y. Gershovsky

Enzo Carella

Heatwave

sechillyas

Al Massrieen

Smokey Robinson

Lindsey Buckingham

Smith & Mudd

Andre Solomko

Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band

Alessandro Alessandroni

Odyssey

The Antilles

J&AG

Gusto

Tilman & Rhode & Brown

Dimitri from Paris & Dj Rocca

Idris Muhammad

Masataka Matsutova

Julio Iglesias

#edm #electronic #dancers #disco #music #new music #cute #beauty #art #anime #y2k #aesthetic

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artemis-entreri · 1 year

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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Easter Eggs (Part 2)

[[ Part 1 can be found by clicking this link.

Deep in the Crevices

You've really got to search for these:

Mordenkainen: Yes, him again! Those are the three circles of his two-bladed sword on the Mordenkainen's arcane seal on the Castle Never vault. What's more, those same three circles appear on the front of the helmet of disjunction—which casts Mordenkainen's disjunction.

The spear of Aoth Fezim: Who? The Thayan warmage involved in the War of the Zulkirs during Szass Tam's takeover of Thay in the The Haunted Lands and Brotherhood of the Griffon series of novels by Richard Lee Byers from 2007 to 2013.

Trip and Shuffle: Introduced in A Reader's Guide to R. A. Salvatore's the Legend of Drizzt, marked only on maps since then. Only named on the Monopoly board.

Driftwood Tavern: From Neverwinter Campaign Setting and Drizzly novels. Only named on the Monopoly board and cast list. I don't even recall this in the movie.

The Citadel: Too dark to be sure, but the tower in Thay may be Szass Tam's base of operations.

Holga's darksteel greataxe: Made from darksteel and functioning roughly as last detailed in Magic of Faerûn and Volo's Guide to All Things Magical. This was forged by Ghelryn Foehammer of Targos, who appeared in 2e and 5e.

Loudwater: The thieves robbed Jolym of Jolym's Barrels & Packing in Loudwater, which was only mentioned in Volo's Guide to the North, 1993.

Zulkir Dmitra Flass: a 1300s Red Wizard of Thay, a non-speaking role and named only in the cast list.

Din Caldwell, of the Caldwell family of Baldur's Gate, named only in the cast list.

Porb Piiradost, of the Piiradost family of Waterdeep (not seen since 2nd edition), named only in the cast list.

Lord Nasher Alagondar: That's his giant statue outside the Neverwinter arena.

Lord Halueth Never: So possibly that's his giant statue next to Nasher's

The Gray Hands, just mentioned in the Neverwinter arena.

A portrait of Volothamp Geddarm in instrument to the heist.

How in the Hells Did You Find This?

The most obscure, the deepest cuts:

Pendant of invisibility: Kira's magic item. Most likely a coincidence as it wasn't on the wiki before, but it matches perfectly with a magic item of the same name in the back of Dungeon #112 in 2004.

The flashback of Szass Tam's spell and takeover of Thay appears to be a quick fictionalized summation of the events of The Crimson Gold and Unclean as well as the next century of Thayan history and descent into a necromancer's realm. Presumably this is set circa 1375 before Szass's coup and the Thayan civil war in the latter book.

Szass Tam's beckoning death spell for creating mass numbers of undead follows exactly the supposedly false story of "the spell of Undeath" that the would-be Harper King Rundorl Moonsklan and duped ally of Szass Tam spread in the early 1200s DR, as detailed in The Code of the Harpers by Ed Greenwood in 1993.

Whether or not it can be seen in the final cut of the film, thanks to an old photo from the set of the Triboar playhouse, we know there are images depicting the three boars for which the town was named as well as a shirtless man we assume to be Gwaeron Windstrom (given that god's relevance to the town).

Scenes of Lord Halueth Never and the early history of Neverwinter appear on the walls of Forge's office.

Wild Realmslore Theorizing

Insert meme of madman in front of conspiracy board here.

In Thay, it's "the eve of the solstice" and a few people are carrying red-and-yellow sun symbols. Amaunator the sun god has the summer solstice as his holy day and a sun holy symbol, particularly this one. While newly revived in 1374 DR and his association with Thay is unknown, it is plausible.

Daurgothoth moved into Dolblunde in the Year of Beckoning Death, 1253 DR, which has the same name as the Szass Tam's spell. Daurgothoth, the Creeping Doom, a dracolich, is also conspicuously absent from Dolblunde, while that necromantic spell for creating undead pours forth from something that looks like it just might be part of a dragon's horn.

We don't know officially what type of undead to classify Dralas and the other victims of Tam's beckoning death, however we note that they seem like perhaps a cross between the living Thayan knights and the unliving dread warriors (a favorite and original creation of Tam's).

----------------------------------------------------

Once again, credit for these finds goes to BadCatMan and the Forgotten Realms Wiki.

Once the movie hits streaming services, I’ll do an updated version of this post with movie screencaps to make it a more thorough visual guide. ]]

#Forgotten Realms #D&D #Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves #DNDmovie #dnd movie #dnd hat #D&D HAT #dungeons & dragons #ooc

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insomniacsvirtualobservatory · 1 year

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"Avoidance x X = Love"

Or in which Kaito is sending mixed signals, and Aiden is oblivious. Hakon offers help with mixed results.

Content warnings: swearing, Kaito tells Hakon to kill himself, Kaito spirals because they're stressed

_______________________

"Hey, Hakon- You know Kaito right?" Aiden sidles up to the frenchman, hands in his pockets with a look of puzzlement on his face.

"Sure I know them! I mean it's a little hard to ignore him when they call you a bastard every time they adress you!" Hakon jests, shaking his head fondly, "Why? Having some trouble with le petit scientifique?"

Aiden hums and leans against the wall, bringing his arms up to cross them over his chest.

"You could say that...He's been acting a little odd-"

"When does he not?"

"Shut up..." The Pilgrim punches Hakon's arm dismissively to which the nightrunner feigns silent agony.

"I'm being serious- He's been...Avoiding me? Like more than their usual ehm...Antisocialness?" he says quietly, "I swear I can hear them breathing in their room but when I knock on the door it's like he ignores me? Or-or when I see him out around the Fisheye they always seem to scuttle off somewhere whenever I try to catch up and talk to him..."

Hakon listens with curiosity as Aiden goes through a short but substantial list of strange occurrences involving the ex-GRE doctor seemingly avoiding him.

"And you're telling me all of this because?" he asks after some thought.

"Well I was hoping that maybe you could well...Talk to them? I'm not mad!" he adds hurriedly, "Just sort of...Worried? I hope I didn't offend him or anything- I mean aside from the fact that he has the most reliable supply of those military medical kits, they've really kind of started to grow on me- as in we're friends now-! I think...I hope-"

"Okay okay, Aiden I understand. You think you've upset him, which isn't exactly hard-" he snarks, earning an indignant look, "-and you want me to be the middle man so that you can ask them what's wrong without actually asking him?" Hakon flashes the pilgrim a knowing look.

"Please? You know I'm not good at talking to him! Especially after I freaked out in their room after they gave me that handmade inhibitor cocktail..." Aiden flushes with embarrassment and hides his face in his hands. Hakon barks out a laugh, unfolding himself from his spot against the wall and shaking his head.

"Oh mon Dieu- You should've seen his poor face- yes! Fine I'll talk to them for you if you stop bellyaching" he chuckles. Aiden sighs in relief and watches nervously as the nightrunner steps away towards the back of the Fisheye, presumably to find the little scientist.

"Salut petit bâtard!" Hakon throws open the door to Kaito's makeshift lab in the Fisheye with reckless abandon. The lab coated scientist yelps and fumbles with his instruments, dropping a few vials of dubious substances on the floor where they shatter and spill all over the hardwood.

"GODDAMN IT! Learn to Fucking knock! You goddamn- you prick! You fucking prick!" They shout, flapping their hands and rising from their desk with righteous malice.

"Yeesh! And I thought my second wife was a bundle of nerves!" Hakon chuckles, closing the door behind him and leaning down to pick up some nearby shards of glass scattered about the floor. Kaito fumes, gripping their upper arms tight and tapping a foot.

"Never do that shit again! And also stop fucking comparing people to your many divorces! It's stupid and the joke is getting old!" he exclaims indignantly.

"You wound me! I was under the impression that you thought I was funny!" Hakon says with a smile, tossing his small collection of glass shards into a nearby trash bin, where they tinkle lightly as they fall. Kaito sits back down waving a hand as they gather up their strewn about tools and papers.

"Well, Frenchman to what do I owe the displeasure of having to talk to you?" they mutter, tapping a small stack of documents into place. Hakon sidles over and leans against Kaito's desk. The scientist shoots him a cold look and flashes their eyes down to Hakon's hands against the wood, but makes no further complaint. The nightrunner flashes a smug grin in return.

"I know why you're avoiding him you know..." he intones, tapping his fingers on the edge of the desk thoughtfully. Kaito freezes up before their head snaps up to give him a look like a deer in headlights.

"Does he know?" they ask worriedly. Hakon shakes his head no and Kaito exhales with relief. "Good! Keep it that way! Or forever sleep with one eye open! Bastard!"

"As if I don't already?" Hakon quips, "Seriously, Kaito! You cannot hide from him forever! He's going to start asking me things and well...I can't exactly avoid giving him answers-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP! NOPE NOPE NOPE STOP TALKING, KILL YOURSELF!" Katio shrieks, standing up on his chair to brandish a pen with violent intent. Hakon backs away with his hands up, laughing all the while.

"S'il vous plaît, détendez-vous mon ami! Relax! I'm joking! Mostly- but honestly why not just bite the bullet? The worst he can do is say no, eh?" Kaito goes white and sits back down heavily.

"That's the point, Hakon! That is the nightmare scenario!! He says no, and then it becomes awkward to speak to him in a general capacity- not to mention a professional one! He will not ever take me seriously again and then what will I do?! AUUUGHHH NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE!" they pull at their hair anxiously and pull their knees into their chest, tapping his feet on his chair. Hakon sighs shaking his head.

"You're over thinking it again, Kait', it'll be fine! And you know it, stubborn git that you are..." he says quietly, stepping back over to stand next to him again, "If you're really bellyaching about it that much I'll help you, yeah?" Kaito peeks up at the frenchman over their knees with an expression laced with doubt.

"I trust your assistance as much as I trust an ice cube not to melt when put on a hot plate you degenerate..." he mutters sharply

"Fine! Don't accept my help! But im serious about this Kaito, Aiden may be dumb but he's not stupid! He's going to put the dots together eventually and that'll be ten times more embarrassing than if you just talk to him! Pour l'amour de Dieu..." he mutters.

The scientist considers this, mentally weighing the options presented to him.

"...On one hand this could all end in metaphorical or literal tears...You could die, I could die of embarrassment and humiliation...." they mumble

"And on the other hand?" Hakon probes. Kaito remains silent for a number of minutes. Finally he uncurls from his little ball and looks at Hakon sheepishly, or at least with an approximate expression.

"On the other hand I suppose some people, regrettably including myself, would call you reliable and trust worthy...To a point, do not let that get to your pompous head." they answer flatly. Hakon grins and shrugs.

"Ehhh no promises...But I'll take that as a yes?"

"Take it or leave me alone, preferably the latter" Kaito answers with a grimace. Hakon knocks on the wooden desk and straightens up.

"Alright, so how do you want to do this?"

"I'd prefer not to do it at all! But I suppose if you wanted to drag him over here under the guise of a request to do a check up, then that would be an innocent enough deception to engage in a proper conversation...." Kaito smiles maniacally.

"En anglais s'il vous plait?" Hakon asks lazily.

"Lie to him and then bring him to my laboratory! You fucking asshole..." Kaito exclaims, slapping at the air in the nightrunner's direction, to which he raises his hands in surrender.

"Yes yes! I read you, I read you!" He chuckles, stepping back towards the door, hand reaching down to the handle. "When should I bring him, huh? Should I bring candles and wine-?"

"GET OUT!" Kaito throws his composition notebook at Hakon's face, which instead, hits the door with a thump.

#Typewriter.Exe #Dr. Kaito [Redacted]#Dying Light 2 #aiden caldwell #dying light hakon #oc x canon

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