#i've another big rant about that locked and loaded

[nights-at-crystarium]

*inhales* I HATE BSKY FOR THAT

There's indeed a culture of hate/alienation towards artists that don't add alt text. The blocklist the op talks about sounds new but not surprising to me, people have been silently ignoring/refusing to share posts without alt text, and sometimes trying to be "helpful" by getting in your face and telling you that your art doesn't get numbers because of that.

Now. I finish a drawing. I resize it and put my little watermark on it, the only layer of protection I can do. I don't have the spoons for glazing it, I've given up on that for the same reason as alt text: too much extra busy work. If posting art 10 years ago felt like walking, today there are heavy weights chained to my legs.

Posting art nowadays isn't just uploading an image, adding tags, hitting the post button. NO, you go to downdetector and check if the platform isn't on fire. And, oh, did I mention that you've gotta crosspost to a dozen platforms? There are often outages which you'll feel acutely if you post regularly. No outages, all seems fine? Post and hope that the hidden ai content filters don't see the pornography in your art, no matter how sfw it actually looks to a human. Sometimes sfw posts indeed get erroneously labeled on bsky, which you can appeal, on tumblr your post's completely hidden from tags and dashboard in that case, you can only delete it and try reposting with minor edits. Done, passed that? Now you sit and hope that people actually like your shit. And then, on bsky, some twat walks up and "um ackshually where's your alt text? I won't share that."

Do you see how the only thing this notion can inspire is outrage? You have no bloody clue how mentally taxing it is to be an artist nowadays. Go fuck yourself if you refuse to share posts with no alt text.

You're harrassing a person and trying to police them into something that's still new and underexplored in the collective consciousness of an internet user. Some of us have been there for decades, some of us have trouble adapting to change, some of us don't have the spoons for it, you know what's that called? A person's autistic and you're attacking them.

I'm autistic and I can't force myself to do things that I don't want. No punishment in the world will encourage me to start adding alt text. By accusing me of being an exclusionary asshole YOU are being that to me, an autistic trans person fighting for their life every day as the internet, the only place where I can survive in, gets worse and worse at a terrifying speed.

observations

[nothingbutfangirlsmut]

The Maze Trials: A Gally Fanfiction

Pairing: Gally x Emi(OC)

Summary: Emi, first girl the Glade has seen. Tougher than she looks and more than ready to prove it. Since day one her and Gally have been at each other's throats. Fighting constantly and not just with their words.

(Gally fanfiction which will include smut. It also has an actual story line. Think of it as an AU to the original Maze Runner. It'll mostly follow the main story line with some changes. Mostly focusing on Emi and Gally and their relationship.)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

In the distance beyond the smoke from the flames I could see a few figures coming towards us. They were walking quickly. Once they got beyond the smoke I could see that it was Gally leading the way. He looked angrier than I had ever seen him. In that moment I didn't care about the grievers. I didn't care Gally had called quits on us. All I cared about was the big angry builder coming straight for us.

"Gally" Thomas said timidly.

Gally's answer was a severe right hook knocking Thomas to the ground. Several of the boys grabbed Gally pulling him back from the boy on the ground.

"This is all you Thomas! Look around!" Gally shouted angrily.

"Back up!" Fry shouted.

"You heard Alby! He's one of them! He's one of them and they sent him here to destroy everything and now he has!" Gally shouted furiously as he fought back the gladers holding him.

"Look around Thomas! Look around! This is your fault!" Gally continued to shout.

I moved to pull the gladers away from Gally making myself the only barrier between Gally and Thomas. Gally continued trying to scream and rant at Thomas. I grabbed his face making him look down at me. His eyes narrowed like he was about to turn his words on my instead of the other boy.

"Thomas! No!" Chuck and Teresa shouted from behind us. 

I turned around quickly to see Thomas fall to the ground with a griever stinger sticking out of his stomach. I darted toward the boy falling to me knees beside him as Teresa ordered Chuck to get the other syringe. He was seizing. His eyes rolling back. I pulled the stinger out of his stomach and tossed it a few feet away.

"It's going to be okay. It'll be okay." I whispered as I held his face in my hands.

Chuck came running back with the syringe. We quickly stabbed it into his skin giving him the medicine.

"Take Thomas and Teresa to the pit." Gally practically growled.

I jumped to my feet to look at him. Who does he think he is? He's not Alby. He isn't our leader. I opened my mouth to chide him but he grabbed my arm roughly as he dragged me behind him to one of the barely standing huts. He opened the door then pushed me inside. He stepped in slamming the door behind him.

"Gally?" I questioned watching him start to pace.

He put his finger up at me then continued pacing. He turned towards me taking three large steps to put himself right in front of me. I didn't say a word. I couldn't. He was so on edge I was actually scared of what he might do. To my surprise he grabbed each side of my face holding me still as he crashed his lips against mine. I instantly melted into him. His arms moving to wrap around my waist as he pulled me closer. After everything that happened knowing Gally was safe was all I needed. I knew this kiss was the same for him. We shared too much to just completely fall out of each other's hearts.

He pulled away leaning his forehead against mine. We stayed like this for a few silent minutes just enjoying being close to one another again. I had missed him warmth. His touch. His lips.

"Gally" I whispered.

"Please, I just want to stay like this for a little longer." He whispered back tightening his arms around me.

"I do too but you know we can't. The Glade is literally on fire. We have to figure out what to do." I said quietly holding him just as close as he was holding me.

"I already know what to do." He said simply.

"What?" I asked looking up to lock my eyes with his.

"I don't want to talk about it. It'll just piss you off and I'd rather just hold you for what little time I have left to do so."

I pulled myself out of his arms stepping back so I could glare at him. He sighed crossing his arms over his chest.

"All I can say Emi is choose your side. Thomas or me. Just know that no matter what I will always love you." He tried to look stern but I saw the softness in his eyes as he watched me.

"What are you planning?" I asked hesitantly.

"You'll have to wait till tomorrow to find that out." He said simply then turned and left back out the door.

It didn't take long for Gally to take complete control of the Glade. The only ones not in his circle was Minho, Newt, Chuck and myself. We all stood to the side watching the others move about doing whatever Gally had ordered them to do.

"Can't you talk some sense into him?" Chuck asked me.

"He doesn't listen to me anymore." I said sadly.

"Then what do we do?" Minho asked.

"We wait for Thomas to wake up then see what he has to say." I stated matter of factly.

---

The night and most of the next day was incredibly long. Gally kept us mostly out of the loop but we had caught on to what he was intending to do for the most part. We were able to get away from the other gladers and make our way over to Thomas and Teresa who were still locked in the pit. We huddled around the bars as soon as we saw that Thomas was awake. He looked at us grimly before moving closer so we could hear him.

"It's not a prison. It's a test. It all started when we were kids. They'd give us these challenges. They were experimenting on us. And then people started disappearing every month one after the other like clock work." Thomas started to explain.

"Sending them up into the maze." Newt said.

"Yea, but not all of us." Thomas said grimly.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

There was a pause before Thomas continued.

"Guys, I'm one of them. The people who put you here. I worked with them. I watched you guys for years. The entire time you've been here. I was on the other side of it. So were you." Thomas said stopping to look at Teresa.

"What?" She questioned him.

"Teresa, we did this to them." Thomas told her quietly.

"No, that can't be true." She whispered shaking her head.

"It is, I saw it as well as you." Thomas turned to me this time.

"I'm sorry?" I asked him.

"I saw you. The day they took you from me. The day they separated us. I felt completely lost without my twin sister." He said with a ghost of a smile.

"We really are twins?" I asked him.

He nodded.

"Why would they send us up if we were with them?" Teresa asked pulling Thomas' attention back to her.

"It doesn't matter." Thomas whispered.

"He's right. It doesn't matter. Any of it. The people we were before the maze they don't even exist anymore. These creators took care of that. What does matter is who we are now and what we do right now." Newt said glancing between all of us.

Then he turned to look straight at Thomas.

"You went into the maze and found a way out." Newt told him in amazement.

"Maybe if I hadn't Alby would still be alive." Thomas said trying to hide the pain he felt.

There was a pause as Thomas and Newt stared at each other.

"Maybe but I know if he were here he'd be telling you the exact same thing. Pick your ass up and finish what you started. Cause if we do nothing then that means Alby died for nothing and I can't have that." Newt spoke passionately never tearing his eyes away from Thomas.

Thomas sighed then nodded.

"Okay, okay, but we gotta get threw Gally first." He stated.

Instantly all the heads turned to look at me.

"What? I'm not gonna be able to talk sense into him. I've already tried that." I said matter of factly.

"I have an idea." Minho spoke up.

"And that is?" I asked leaning closer to him.

"We know Gally is going to try and banish you. We give the spears to certain people then use those people to catch them by surprise. We get you free then get out of here." Minho explained quickly.

We agreed that it sounded good enough then broke off to not draw too much attention. Chuck, Newt, and I went back to the rest of the gladers. Gally sent one of his builders to help Minho bring Thomas and Teresa to him. He had set up two wooden poles in front of the doors. The rest of us stood around them watching Gally pace.

The builder Gally sent came back holding a bound Teresa. Minho tossed a fake unconscious Thomas to the ground. They didn't seem to expect anything.

"This is such a waste." Gally said as he looked at both Thomas and Teresa.

"Gally!" Winston said suddenly making most of us turn to look at him.

"This doesn't feel right man." He told Gally.

"What if Thomas is right? What if he can lead us home?" Jeff asked.

"We are home. Okay? I don't want to have to cross any more names off that wall." Gally said walking closer to Jeff.

"You really think banishing us is going to solve anything?" Teresa asked him.

He turned to face her.

"No. This isn't a banishing. It's an offering." Gally said quietly.

"What?" Both myself and Teresa asked in shock.

The builder holding her moved to tie her to the wooden post.

"Gally! What are you doing?" Teresa asked frantically as see was tied up.

"You really think I'm gonna let you and Thomas back into the maze? After what he's done? Look around you." Gally spoke towards Teresa.

He then turned to the other gladers.

"Look at our Glade. This is the only way. And when the grievers get what they came here for. Everything goes back to the way it was." Gally stated like he'd never been more sure of anything.

Newt, Minho, and I shared a look. Newt nodded making me turn to see Chuck a few feet away loaded down with everything we needed.

"Are you listening to this? Why are you all just standing there? He's crazy!" Teresa said turning around on the post.

"Will you shut up?" Gally asked calmly.

"If you stay here the grievers are going to come back. They're gonna come back and keep coming back until you're all dead." Teresa stated harshly.

"Shut up! Tie him up!" Gally ordered finally loosing his cool.

"Did you hear me? I said tie him up!" Gally shouted at the two gladers who hadn't moved.

As they pulled Thomas up he suddenly "woke up". He elbowed them both to make them let go then he grabbed the spear out of one of their hands. He used the spear to his the glader knocking him to the ground. Newt moved pulling out his knife. Chuck tossed me a spear. Teresa kicked the boy who had tied her up. Gally started forward but Minho gently placed his machete on his shoulder to stop him. Frypan quickly cut the ropes holding Teresa as Chuck ran towards us. Thomas, Newt, and I stood at the entrance to the maze. Our weapons at the ready. Teresa and Chuck both getting behind us. Minho slowly rounded Gally as he made he way over to us.

"You're full of surprises aren't you?" Gally asked.

"You don't have to come with us but we are leaving. Anyone else that wants to come now is your last chance." Thomas said loudly towards Gally.

I watched as the keeper of the builders scanned the faces until he stopped at me. I could see the clear pain and betrayal all over his face.

"Don't listen to him. He's just trying to scare you." Gally said to the gladers behind him.

"No I'm not trying to scare you. You're already scared. Alright, I'm scared. But I'd rather risk my life out there than spending the rest of it in here. We don't belong here. This place is not our home. We were put here. We were trapped here. At least out there we have a choice. We can make it out of here. I know that." Thomas spoke sparking life and awe into all of us.

Winston was the first to step forward. Then Clint then Jeff. A handful of others followed all coming to stand behind us at the entrance. The only ones left were mostly the builders and a few slicers.

"Gally, it's over. Come with us." Thomas said.

"Good luck against the grievers." He said as he nodded.

I felt the tears falling. I stepped forward but Newt grabbed my arm holding me in place.

"Gally, please come with us. Come with me." I pleaded trying to blink away my tears.

"I love you Emi" he said quietly then turned his back to me and walked back towards what was left of the Glade.

I was pulled by Newt as everyone started running. I forced myself to turn away and run with the others. I tried to push Gally out of my head but all I could see was his pain filled face and all I could hear was his last words he'd just spoken.

—