taedryn after dark

Demisexual sluts of the world unite!

(Once we know each other, of course 🥺)

A note on ritual.

I've always longed for ritual in my life, but being atheist and probably too hyper-logical for much of my life, it seemed to be denied to me. Rituals were always religious, and that always kept me out of them.

However, I've expanded my definition in the last few years, because ritual *is* important, and does in fact exist all around us in non-religious contexts.

The key components of ritual, for me, are that a ritual must be logical and well-thought-out, and it needs to accomplish something practical, as well as ideally having a higher meaning in my head.

This makes my semi-weekly estrogen injection a perfect example.

I lay out my supplies, the same way each time. I clean the tray I use to lay everything out. Following the steps of the ritual means I do it the same way each time, and don't skip a step. The steps were taught to me by a doctor, so I know they're pretty safe, and I wrote them down and worked off a checklist until I had it all memorized.

Assemble the needle to the syringe, clean the vial top, draw the girl juice, swap needles, clean the injection site, inject, count to 10, apply bandage.

Each time, the same process, the same fussy little steps. Each time, the same feeling that I'm renewing my personal connection to a womanhood I'd thought was forever denied to me. Each time, an echo of connection with all the other trans girls renewing their own personal connection, a feeling of community overlaying a very private event.

In other words, a ritual. Logical and useful and sensible and safe and meaningful. Some days, the connection is overwhelming. Some days, it's nearly magical. Some days, I just have to grit my teeth and grind through it.

For today's #TransVoiceFriday, I decided to go a bit above and beyond, and record myself reading The Sacrifice, a very NSFW story I wrote last week. For the particular attention of @EmilyGB2023@chaosfem.tw and @Terra@chaosfem.tw, who are probably sick of me tagging them in to my smut recitations already. 😁

New smut finally dropped: The Sacrifice.

Heads-up to @Terra@chaosfem.tw and @EmilyGB2023@chaosfem.tw, who both helped inspire the original seed of this story, and to whom it is dedicated.

https://taedryn.com/jrnl/shorts/sacrifice.txt

@Lucia@eldritch.cafe Mine was at 6 ng/dL at the last test (~7 weeks on injected EV monotherapy). Normal cis female range is like 10-50, I think?

@Terra@chaosfem.tw Ugh.

@Terra@chaosfem.tw You can say that again.

@rooster@chaosfem.tw It seems to be in the air. Been a bit of a rollercoaster over my way, as well. TIllamook Mudslide (or something like that) is my selection for tonight.

@Terra@chaosfem.tw @ValerieMars@mas.to But Terra, it's always darkest before the dawn, right? I mean, uh, the ambient temperature is highest at noon? Wait, no. Lowest at midnight? Surely there are no sawtooth curves in nature. 😁