#it also has potential archiving issues

[fitzrove]

Agjgjkd I'm wondering about something...

EDIT: If "other", feel free to elaborate in the replies!

[vaguely-concerned]

I've written 5000 words of lucanis and rye fic the last two days and the only reason the wip isn't even longer yet is probably that my brain turns into useless ash and blows away for the day once it's channeled the lightning bolt of writing energy for a couple of hours and needs to sleep before it can stand up to another onslaught.

[aeide-thea]

dipping my toe into fandom discourse here, which is never a great idea, but—i really am baffled by the contingent of fans who apparently want AO3 to not only denounce but ban AI-generated works, as if there were any reliable way to distinguish between mediocre writing produced by a human and mediocre writing produced by an AI…?

[rivkae-winters]

Edit: the app launched and Is down- I have the initial apology video in a post here and I’m working on getting a full archive of their TikTok up ASAP. I’m letting the rest of this post remain since I do still stand by most of it and also don’t like altering things already in circulation.

Warning for criticism and what I’d consider some harsh to outright mean words:

So I’ve just been made aware of the project known of as ‘lore.fm’ and I’m not a fan for multiple reasons. For one this ‘accessibility’ tool complicates the process of essentially just using a screen reader (something native to all I phones specifically because this is a proposed IOS app) in utterly needless and inaccessible ways. From what I have been seeing on Reddit they have been shielding themselves (or fans of the project have been defending them) with this claim of being an accessibility tool as well to which is infuriating for so many reasons.

I plan to make a longer post explaining why this is a terrible idea later but I’ll keep it short for tonight with my main three criticisms and a few extras:

1. Your service requires people to copy a url for a fic then open your app then paste it into your app and click a button then wait for your audio to be prepared to use. This is needlessly complicating a process that exists on IOS already and can be done IN BROWSER using an overlay that you can fully control the placement of.

2. This is potentially killing your own fandom if it catches on with the proposed target market of xreader smut enjoyers because of only needing the link as mentioned above. You don’t have to open a fic to get a link this the author may potentially not even get any hits much less any other feedback. At least when you download a pdf you leave a hit: the download button is on the page with the fic for a reason. Fandom is a self sustaining eco system and many authors get discouraged and post less/even stop writing all together if they get low interaction.

3. Maybe we shouldn’t put something marketed as turning smut fanfic into audio books on the IOS App Store right now. Maybe with KOSA that’s a bad idea? Just maybe? Sarcasm aside we could see fan fiction be under even more legal threat if minors use this to listen to the content we know they all consume via sites like ao3 (even if we ask them not to) and are caught with it. Auditory content has historically been considered much more obscene/inappropriate than written content: this is a recipe for a disaster and more internet regulations we are trying to avoid.

I also have many issues with the fact that this is obviously redistributing fanfiction (thus violating the copyright we hold over our words and our plots) and removing control the author should have over their content and digital footprint. Then there is the fact that even though the creator on TikTok SAYS you can email to have your fic ‘excluded’ based on the way the demo works (pasting a link) I’m gonna assume that’s just to cover her ass/is utter bullshit. I know that’s harsh but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it’s probably a duck.

I am all for women in stem- I’ve BEEN a woman in Stem- but this is not a cool girl boss moment. This is someone naive enough to think this will go over well at best or many other things (security risks especially) at worst.

In conclusion for tonight: I hope this person is a troll but there is enough hype and enough paid for web domains that I don’t think that’s the case. There are a litany of reasons every fanfic reader and writer should be against something like this existing and I’ll outline them all in several other posts later.

Do not email their opt out email address there is no saying what is actually happening with that data and it is simply not worth the risks it could bring up. I hate treating seemingly well meaning people like potential cyber criminals but I’ve seen enough shit by now that it’s better to be safe than sorry. You’re much safer just locking all your fics to account only. I haven’t yet but I may in the future if that is the only option.

If anyone wants a screen reader tutorial and a walk through of my free favorites as well as the native IOS screen reader I can post that later as well. Sorry for the heavy content I know it’s not my normal fare.

[catpriciousmarjara]

Okay so there's this dp x dc tumblr post about the JL finding the Ghost King's family tree or something and lots of misunderstandings happening but I can't find it anymore and would be grateful if someone would send it to me... Anyhow I was inspired by it and this is the result!

Also on ao3 if you wanna check it out there!

The Family Tree

"So you're telling me this is just a family tree?", Green Lantern asked with a frown on his face.

Bruce could see Constantine's eyes twitching at that question. As always, leave it to Hal Jordan to annoy people.

"This isn't just anything", the sorcerer said with narrowed eyes. "It's a Class-X magical artifact. If this thing is used as a focus for a ritual, the magnitude of magical energy would rise by at least 80 factors. For those of you non-magical or unfamiliar with magic, that's fucking huge."

Beside him Zatanna nodded, her gaze still fixed on the ancient manuscript. She hadn't taken her eyes off the scroll for more than a minute since she got to the Watch Tower and first saw it spread out on the containment room table. Constantine was the same. Captain Marvel was not present, working along with Superman, Hawkgirl, and Aquaman on a case, but his reactions have always been dissimilar from his magical colleagues, so his case might be anywhere between staying the hell away from it to trying to inhale it.

It was clear to Bruce that Zatanna coveted it, but was sensible and cautious enough to stay away from it. Constantine had no sense so he was a tossup. From where he was standing between Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter, the Gotham vigilante resolved to keep an eye on the two magicians. They most likely won't try to steal the artifact, considering the heavy dose of 'not messing with that thing' overshadowing the desire to possess it, but the scroll itself might be enchanted to encourage covetous feelings on those nearby. It wouldn't be the first time. Better safe than sorry.

It was Diana that stepped up towards the two JL Dark members to seek more clarification. As both a Demigod and as someone familiar with magic, she was usually the one taking point on such issues.

She gestured to the scroll innocently sitting inside the runic circle the two mages had constructed around it. "You have told us that the artifact is not destructive, that it is merely a record, and that the information it contains is not a spell, or a runic arrangement, or a magic circle. You have also told us that the strange energy readings coming from it are mostly due to the material it's made out of than any catastrophic sorcery enchanted into it. You have at last decoded it as a record of a family tree. Yet it is dangerous, a Class-X relic as you've said. Given all this information, I suppose the correct question to ask here is this: why is a family tree capable of raising magical energy output by 80 factors?"

The two magicians looked at each other. Zatanna finally pried her eyes away from the scroll and faced the room.

"Magic is a force that simultaneously has laws but at the same time adheres to none. It's confusing to explain but for the time being just keep that in mind."

She walked to the center of the room, followed by Constantine, visibly trying to collect her words. Bruce prepared himself for a complicated explanation and activated another one of the batsuit's recorders. He felt the urge to sigh, for a supposed unchained force, Magic was needlessly complex at times, and practically incomprehensible to non-magicals.

At the front, Zatanna took a deep breath and began.

"As you know there are multiple dimensions. But magical dimensions come under a different category. Depending on the overall magical potential of a particular magical dimension, we call it the World State Stable Thaumaturgical Output Capacity, we can classify these dimensions in grades and levels, as either higher or lower, with relation to each other. These levels are dependent on a multitude of variables like space, time, gravity, Events, Proximity, etc and as such are non-linear, and unfixed. That's the first thing."

Bruce could practically see the capitals on the last two. Looks like they would need to hold another meeting to clarify a lot of these concepts. Seeing the dawning of lost expressions on some of the members however, Bruce mentally amended that to many future meetings.

Zatanna continued. "Magical objects from higher dimensions become stronger in lower ones. The inverse is also true. This is all in relation to the Overture and the same polarity orientation of course but we don't need to get into that now-"

On the contrary Bruce thought they really needed more explanation on all of that.

"-In simple terms, a child's toy from a higher dimension could become the focus for an apocalyptic ritual in a much lower dimension, while an apocalyptic artifact from a lower dimension might as well be paperweight in a sufficiently higher one. There are ways around it, but if those methods are not implemented, then this is how it generally goes. The larger the level difference, the higher the power."

Now that wasn't concerning at all. Bruce really needed to update his contingency plans regarding magic.

Constantine continued from where Zatanna left off, looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here.

"The second thing is that when it comes to magic, things that are indefinable or unquantifiable become definable and quantifiable. Stuff like love, hate, happiness, despair, fate, necessity, authority? All measurable. Not always needed of course, But definitely possible and frequently used in a variety of magical fields."

The sorcerer leaned against a nearby chair. "One such thing is Significance. The magic contained in true names for instance is mostly based on significance. A true name is significant to you, its a doorway to your soul, and therefore it holds power. Significance is also what we call a positive, additive factor in magic. In the absence of interfering variables, significance as a quantity is directly proportional to magical output. In other words-"

"-the more significant an object or an event, the higher the magical energy output, and consequently higher the magical power", J'onn finished. He looked towards the scroll. "The information recorded on it, the family tree as you've said, valuable in significance, most likely in terms of whose family it's a record of. In addition, the artifact is from a higher dimension with relation to ours, and that has a cumulative effect."

"Yeah exactly", said Constantine with a raised eyebrow. "Which means that if that hypothetical toy Zatanna mentioned? If that happened to be important enough, like a first toy, or a cherished gift or something like that, its significance increases, its potential increases, and in the right hands, or in the wrong hands really, that potential could be harnessed at a lower level."

There was a bout of thoughtful silence as they absorbed all of the information.

But Bruce felt as if he had been quiet enough and took the chance to ask a question of his own. "You mentioned something called the Overture, and polarity orientation. What do they mean?"

Constantine just sighed. "For fuck's sake Batsy those things aren't really important to the discussion..."

Bruce just stared.

..."Fine", the mage said in defeat. "There are many names for it, the Overture, Exordium, Legerdomain, Nascence...but the most accepted two are the Beforebirth, and the Womb. It's not a something as much as it's a someplace, but then again it's not really a place either. Simply put it's the birthplace of Magic, where it all began and all that. It can't be accessed without the Key and that's been lost for a long time. It's actually a mission for many magicals to find it you know? A holy quest for a lot of them. Some of them are straight up crazy though."

Bruce field that information safely away. Figure out a plan to combat fanatic magicians trying to find the birthplace of magic for sinister reasons. "And polarity?"

"Well", Zatanna began, "its how magic is classified according to the nature of...magic? Or rather the essence? It's hard to put in mundane terms...Anyhow broadly speaking there are two main polarities, the Obverse, and the Reverse."

For a moment, she struggled with the explanation before brightening, seemingly having found an idea.

"Picture a number line, but like on the y-axis! Zero is the Overture, Obverse dimensions are the positive number side, and Reverse dimensions are the negative numbers! The higher up the obverse dimension, the larger its magical output! Similarly, the lower down the reverse dimension, the higher its magical output."

Bruce had hardly parsed through that when their resident speedster spoke up.

"Guys", the red clad hero said, "I feel like we missed the obvious follow up question after Ollie over here...like I feel like this is important, but where exactly is the scroll from?"

As one everyone turned towards the artifact.

Constantine grimaced and Zatanna winced. They looked at each other as if asking who wanted to bite the bullet. Finally it looked as if Constantine lost. The sorcerer cursed under his breath.

"Well which dimension is the scroll from?", asked Wonder Woman.

Constantine took what looked like a fortifying breath.

"It's from the Infinite Realms."

Silence.

"What?", the Green Lantern asked intelligently.

"It's from the Infinite Realms. As in Infinite. As in end of the figurative fucking line, number line whatever!"

Everyone stared at the magicians as understanding slowly dawned.

There was what was essentially a magical nuke in the Watch Tower.

"Now", began Martian Manhunter, "this is unfortunate".

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive (Check out the site for full daily updates!)

By Dave Fornell

New research supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health revealed a history of COVID-19 can double a patient's risk of heart attack, stroke or death.[1] The study, published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, found that the heightened risks can sometimes last for years after a COVID diagnosis.

The research was led by Cleveland Clinic and the University of Southern California. Anyone who had a COVID-19 infection, regardless of severity, was twice as likely to have a major cardiac event, such as heart attack, stroke or even death, for up to three years after diagnosis, the group found. The risk was significantly higher for patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and more of a determinant than a previous history of heart disease.

The researchers also found that patients with a blood type other an O (such as A, B or AB) were twice as likely to experience an adverse cardiovascular event after COVID-19 than those with an O blood type.

These findings show that the long-term risk associated with COVID-19 “continues to pose a significant public health burden” and the findings warrant further investigation, according to the authors.

Cardiology may see increasing numbers of former COVID patients in the years to come During the pandemic, there were serious concerns that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may cause an increase in future cardiovascular issues in COVID patients. This was based on the larger than expected vascular and myocardial involvement seen in many cases. What was originally thought to be long-term damage subsided in patients overtime. While concerns about heart damage and increased numbers of heart failure patients did not come to pass, this study shows evidence that cardiologists may still see increasing numbers of patients in the years to come.

“Worldwide over a billion people have already experienced COVID-19. The findings reported are not a small effect in a small subgroup,” co-senior study author Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, chair of cardiovascular and metabolic sciences in Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute and co-section head of preventive cardiology, said in a statement. “The results included nearly a quarter million people and point to a finding of global healthcare importance that promises to translate into a rise in cardiovascular disease globally.”

Why do COVID patients have elevated cardiovascular risks? Researchers used U.K. Biobank data from 10,005 people who had COVID-19 and 217,730 people who did not between February and December 2020. Certain genetic variants are already linked to coronary artery disease, heart attack and COVID-19 infection, so researchers completed a genetic analysis to see if any of these known genetic variants contribute to elevated coronary artery disease risk after COVID-19. They found none of the known genetic variants were drivers of the enhanced cardiovascular events observed post COVID-19 infection. Instead, the data highlighted an association between elevated risk and blood type.

Previous research has shown that people who have A, B or AB blood types were also more susceptible to contracting COVID-19, the researchers said.

“These findings reveal while it’s an upper respiratory tract infection, COVID-19 has a variety of health implications and underscores that we should consider history of prior COVID-19 infection when formulating cardiovascular disease preventive plans and goals,” Hazen said. “The association uncovered by our research indicates a potential interaction between the virus and the piece of our genetic code that determines blood type and signals the need for further investigation.”

“Given our collective observations and that 60% of the world's population have these non-O blood types, our study raises important questions about whether more aggressive cardiovascular risk reduction efforts should be considered, possibly by taking into consideration an individual's genetic makeup," explained Hooman Allayee, PhD, of USC’s Keck School of Medicine, who was co-senior author of the paper.

Study link: www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/ATVBAHA.124.321001

[historicity-was-already-taken]

Very cool study titled "Recommendations for Gaming and Play in Holocaust Memory and Education" just dropped on my linkedin feed, via study contributor Dr. Christine Beresniova.

Its opening paragraphs read:

Digital games are becoming increasingly significant within Holocaust memory and education as professional memory institutions continue to explore the affordances of integrating digital technologies. The so-called Holocaust gaming taboo which has burdened both the mainstream gaming industry and small indie studios seems to show signs of lifting. Scholars have pointed out that major FPS (first-person shooter) franchises such as Wolfenstein and Call of Duty have only teetered on representation of this past, often taking liberty with Nazi themes while placing the Holocaust within the margins or completely eliding the persecution of European Jewry altogether. At the other end of the spectrum, game designers working with small budget proposals had been “promptly pressured to abandon the project” due to the backlash in public discourse, often prompted by professional Holocaust organisations denouncing the very premise of Holocaust games. However, the rising prominence of indie studios such as Paintbucket Games responsible for the historical resistance sim Through the Darkest of Times (2020), as well as the recent Forced Abroad (2022) and The Darkest Files (forthcoming), and Prague-based studio Charles Games who have produced Attentat 1942 (2017); Liberation Svoboda 1945 (2021) and Train to Sachsenhausen (2022) mark the significant shift underway. Indeed, professional Holocaust memory institutions such as the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial and the Arolsen Archives are working in collaboration with game designers and developers to produce digital games on the subject. Furthermore, one designer, who faced public backlash for a game project designed as early as 2013, has since released The Light in the Darkness (Voices of the Forgotten, 2023) and is responsible for creating the first Holocaust Museum in Fortnite (Epic Games, 2023). This would not be the first Holocaust museum in a gaming environment, however. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum launched ‘Witnessing History: Kristallnacht, the 1938 Pogroms’ in Second Life (c. 2008). The proliferation of interest in the medium’s potential to offer new modes for engaging with the past raises critical questions regarding opportunities for digital Holocaust memory practice, while also bringing into sharp focus issues regarding player/user experience, contextualisation, accessibility, funding and digital obsolescence. This report serves as an important first step in this work.

You may read the full report here. I'll be reading it later today or tomorrow. Very excited engage with this new(ish) terrain of Holocaust memory construction!

[royalwhumpness]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - Reimagined [Fanfic]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I was disappointed by some of the creative choices, particularly in how certain characters were portrayed and the story direction. This fic is my re-imagining of the movie, reflecting how I feel the characters and story could have been better developed. ’ve removed the fiancée/manager character entirely. I found him unnecessary, and his execution felt lacking. The overuse of mental health terms to villainize him and, by extension, the mental health movement, struck me as lazy and problematic. While his manipulative nature was meant to control Lydia, there was no positive representation to counterbalance his portrayal, leaving the audience with little context for his misuse. Instead, these issues were treated as punchlines, which, in my opinion, trivialized the subject matter. In my version, Betelgeuse’s ex is introduced more subtly, with hints of her greater role as the main antagonist in a potential third installment: Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetljuice. Her character was completely underutilized in the film, and I felt she was given one of the most anticlimactic ends for any villain. Bob is not in this story. I’ve slightly re-imagined the detective, a character with a lot of untapped potential. On the other hand, Jeremy was the standout character for me and should have been the central antagonist. I’ve developed his relationship with Astrid more deeply, creating a stronger emotional impact leading up to his betrayal. Astrid, in my version, is a more realistic teenager—not the stereotypical brat she was in the movie. She and Lydia have a complex relationship, which, while strained, is more balanced. (Let’s not forget that Lydia herself was once a moody, gothic teen. She had personality, moped around, and resented her stepmother, but her characterization felt more nuanced and authentic than Astrid’s does here.) I was also disappointed by Delia’s treatment in the sequel—she felt like a mere caricature of her original self, and I believe she deserved much more. As for Betelgeuse, he went from being an outcast in the first film—someone you were warned against—to having an office and a legitimate business? That felt completely out of place. Much like Delia, he seemed like a caricature of his former self, and he’s significantly overpowered in this version. I’ve returned him to the chaotic, outcast anti-hero we all know. If you enjoyed the movie, that’s great—everyone has different tastes, and I respect that. But I hope you’ll give this version a chance and maybe find something to enjoy here too. If, like me, you were left wanting more from the sequel, perhaps this re-imagining will help scratch that itch. It’s been a cathartic project for me, and I hope you enjoy the read.

You can visit my AO3 if you'd like instead of reading here! Kudos would be much appreciated <3

PART ONE

“I can’t believe he survived that crash,” Lydia said, kneeling beside Delia and her daughter Astrid in front of her father’s gravestone. His likeness was etched into a chunk of stone shaped like a shark’s fin. Under the portrait, the inscription read:

Charles Deetz Husband, Father, Grandfather Peace Embraces the Dead Ones 1946-2024.

“Yes, well, I can’t believe that dreadful shark has his head in its belly.” Delia replied wryly, dabbing her eyes with a black handkerchief.

Silence hung in the air until Delia broke it with a sharp, ill-timed squawk: “Welp!” She slapped her knees and stood up abruptly. “Time to sell the house.” Lydia’s mouth fell open as Delia walked away, and after a brief moment of shock, she scrambled to chase after her. “Sell? Wha-why? You can’t, I-“ Lydia stammered. Delia silenced her with a raised, gloved hand. “Lydia, I’ve tried dressing this house in as much metaphorical gold as possible, but it’s still painfully clear that it is shit.” She lowered her hand, “I only stayed because your father loved it, but now I can finally rid myself of its stench. Not to mention that it is now an ugly reminder that my husband is no longer here.” With that, she stormed off, leaving Lydia frozen, watching her retreat. Every fragment of her life she held dear seemed to slip through her fingers, and with each heartbreak, the weight of grief grew heavier. She started bracing herself beneath the looming shadow of yet another impending loss.

Astrid came to stand beside her mom, gently placing a hand on her arm. Lydia glanced down at her daughter, and for a moment, she marveled at the beauty she had brought into the world. She saw herself in Astrid’s smile, but her inky black eyes, high and rounded cheekbones, and even her cute, small ears were all her father’s. At 15, Astrid had endured more than her fair share of losses. For years now, it had been just her and Lydia. Before she turned four, her grandparents had been a constant presence, always nearby. Then one day, with arms full of suitcases, they drove off, their car shrinking into the bright summer horizon. Only her grandfather reappeared from time to time, sitting with her to watch the birds while her mother tended to grieving clients. And instead of growing up surrounded by the warm, steadfast presence of her father, Astrid and Lydia had to confront his absence, mourning him when she was barely seven. Lydia placed her hand gently over Astrid’s. “I’m not going to let her sell the house.” Astrid remained silent, but she didn’t need to say anything. Astrid had never shown any affection for the house or its bygone charm. She had never known its vibrant, ghost-filled days. The town was small, and Astrid had eagerly accepted the chance to go to boarding school when she started her freshman year. To Astrid, this place, steeped in Lydia’s memories, was just a house. Instead, Astrid extended a soft, comforting smile before quietly following Delia’s path.

A little while later, Lydia found Delia in Charles’ office, researching how to list the house for sale and how soon after a death it could be done. “Delia, you don’t even live here anymore. I live here, and Astrid lives here. Doesn’t that mean something?” Without looking up from her screen, Delia replied, “You live here. Astrid goes to boarding school.” Lydia just stared. Where there should have been a beating, pulsing red glob of muscle in Delia’s chest, Lydia saw a yawning, gaping void. She watched as it seemed to draw in and distort the light around it, bending and warping everything towards its dark, insatiable center. Noticing the silence, Delia looked up. “Why are you so determined to stay? The Maitlands have moved on, Astrid is rarely home, and your ex-husband and father are both gone. I don’t see-“ She paused, her gaze meeting Lydia’s. The expression on Lydia’s face made her feel foolish. “I’m making an ass of myself, aren’t I?” Lydia responded with a slow, exaggerated nod, her eyes widening and lips pursed as if to underscore the obviousness of the answer. “I have a business here,” Lydia said quietly, “and memories.” Delia’s face softened. Lydia could see that her usual scowl had melted into something of a motherly expression of genuine compassion and sympathy. “Oh, Lydia.” She rose from her chair and approached her, reaching out to gently touch her face. “We’ve never really gotten along, have we? But you’re still my daughter, and we only have each other now.” “Then why are you uprooting my whole life right now?” Delia had no answer. She hadn’t lived in the house for over a decade. She and Charles had bought a condo in New York, allowing her to pursue her artistic endeavors and escape the ghost house. Charles would often travel back and forth, spending months at a time with Lydia and Astrid to indulge in his seasonal bird watching hobby. Meanwhile, Lydia remained behind, raising Astrid, supporting the house with her psychic business, and keeping Charles company during his visits.

“Alright,” Delia began, “I’m going to wait. But I still intend to sell the house.” Lydia started to interrupt, but Delia raised the same gloved hand to silence her. “I’m going to sell it eventually. But I’m not doing this out of spite. I want you to have the chance to move on, Lydia. I’m giving you a year.” Lydia sighed, lowering her gaze. A year might as well have been next week. The pause stretched long. An overwhelming urge to argue or plead spread through her bones and soaked into her throat, but she swallowed it down, managing a quiet, “Thank you,” paired with a soft, sullen smile. Delia’s expression brightened, and she gave Lydia’s nose a playful boop before leaving the office.

Astrid found her mom sulking on the couch, playing with her wedding ring. “You haven’t worn that in forever,” she said, sitting beside her and resting her head on her shoulder. Lydia returned the gesture, gently resting her own head on Astrid’s. She showed Astrid the ring and the inscription inside: ‘I will be with you, always.’ “Why can’t you see him, Mom?” Astrid asked softly. “I wish I knew, Astrid. Why can’t you?” Astrid lifted her head abruptly and shifted towards the edge of the couch, as if preparing to leave. Lydia, sensing Astrid’s frustration, said, “You can see them.” “So you say, but I have never seen one.” “You saw one when…“ “That I remember,” Astrid interrupted, cutting Lydia off before she could remind her, yet again, of the ghost she saw when she was four. It had been just over ten years since then, and she hadn’t seen one since.

“I’m going to ride my bike around town. I’ll see you later.” Astrid said. Lydia reached out to lovingly rub Astrid’s back before she left. “Okay. Be safe.” Astrid gave a slight smile and stood up. She often felt frustrated whenever her mom brought up her ability, or inability, to see ghosts. Thoughts swirled in her mind: Why can’t I see them? Am I not good enough? Are they even real? Would my mom really lie about something like this? She found it best to distance herself in these moments to avoid lashing out at her.

It had happened once before. Lydia was attempting to teach Astrid how to see ghosts, despite not fully understanding her own abilities. Frustrated by her failures regardless of her mother’s guidance, Astrid snapped. She accused her mother of being a fraud, claiming her psychic abilities were fake and that her business cheated clients out of their money. Astrid instantly regretted her harsh words. Though she didn’t see her mother’s reaction, she sensed it— the subtle shift—and prepared herself for what felt like the beginning of a strained relationship. It became routine then that at the first sign of rising anger or frustration, Astrid would remove herself from the situation to avoid confronting it altogether.

Astrid walked out the front door without a backward glance. Lately, her words had grown fewer, the once-eager stories about her day fading into silence. She barely met Lydia’s eyes anymore, and though small gestures of affection remained, the growing distance was unmistakable. Lydia’s heart ached as she watched her daughter go. Rising from the couch, she looked around the empty house. It was now haunted not by spirits, but by the echoes of a time when it was alive with the Maitlands’ presence and her family’s warm company. Longing to reclaim those cherished moments, she wandered through the house. Her eyes settled on her room, and a deep wave of sentimentality washed over her. An irresistible pull drew her toward the attic, driven by a quiet hope that revisiting the past might help her reconnect with what had been lost.

In her room, Lydia pulled out a small drawer from her jewelry box and carefully took out the old, familiar skeleton key. She smiled at it wistfully before heading for the attic. The stairs were draped in cobwebs and spider silk, hinting at years of neglect. Lydia unlocked the attic door and, after a struggle to unstick it, pushed it open and stepped inside. Waves of familiarity and longing enveloped her. Everything was covered in thick sheets and layers upon layers of dust undisturbed on top. It was clear that neither Lydia nor any other Deetz had ventured into this attic in years. She pulled the sheet off the town model and flicked on the switch. The model illuminated, instantly rekindling its old charm and wonder. Lydia leaned on the table, taking in the intricate details of the small buildings she hadn’t seen since before Astrid was born.

“Oh, I miss you so much,” Lydia said with a sigh. “I wish you had never moved on. We could have stayed a family, even in death.” She spoke aloud with the same reverence and cadence as one might when addressing an unseen deity. Speaking with the departed had always come easily to her—unless they had crossed beyond the reach of the afterlife. At that point, she was merely talking to herself. She knew they couldn’t hear her, but she needed to talk to them anyway. She lowered her head. “Why did you leave me?” She poked absentmindedly at a red toy car in a miniature driveway. “I wish you could have met Astrid. She would have loved you both.” She saw visions of Astrid coming home with her class drawings, eagerly showing them off to the Maitlands. She wanted Astrid to experience the joy she felt when they used their silly ghost powers. “You barely knew Richard before you were given your ticket to the Ethereal Express. Gone forever. And now Richard is gone, too. I can’t even see his spirit. My father is gone, my daughter is unreachable, and Delia is going to sell the house.” Lydia rested her head lightly on the table. She could feel the emotions bubbling up in her eyes, but she wasn’t willing to cry just yet.

She straightened up, sniffling back her tears and swallowing the sob in her throat. She lingered for a moment in silence, watching the dust particles swirl around the model town. Her gaze, initially soft, allowing herself to be at ease watching everything blur, suddenly sharpened. A vivid neon red light flickered on in the model, casting eerie patterns across her face. A soundless gasp escaped her as she saw Betelgeuse’s gravestone had materialized, and above it, a marquee sign surrounded by bulbs flashing in a captivating chase illuminated the words: "I'm still here, Lydia." Panicked, Lydia yanked a sheet over the model, turned off the lights, and rushed out of the attic, locking the door behind her before bolting down the stairs.

[surely-galena]

His hands fiddle with his phone as he speaks, his words coming out disjointed and soft, so quiet that Aaron has to lean forward to hear him. “I had—have—someone like that in my life. Whoever your patient is, he’s very fortunate to have you.” Aaron’s mouth falls open. What is he supposed to say to that? He’d only thought he’d check on a stranger’s potential joint issues, and suddenly here he is, talking to a lawyer whose voice drips with a heavy coat of grief. * Or: Aaron Yishmir and Artem Wing have an oddly vulnerable conversation in a mall.

-

I think that Aaron and Artem should have the chance to meet because they would definitely get along.

Also, angst.

[carriesthewind]

Since I have wadded into the discourse, a few clarifications (below the cut b/c I've taken up enough of people's dashes):

I am not on the side of the publishers in this case. They suck too; in general, the IA is a good organization and the big publishers are the bad guys! In fact, the publishers are also (a) bad guy in this case - they are and will ABSOLUTELY try to use this case to increase the limits on libraries and digital lending. They are profit driven monsters who would destroy every library on earth if they could.

That's actually part of why I'm so mad about how this case is being talked about! Because by their own actions, the IA has put this case in a position where the IA literally cannot win unless their "National Emergency Library" (aka just stealing books) is held to be legal. That doesn't mean it's worse case scenario if they lose their appeal - for example, an appeals court could issue a narrow ruling on the facts of the case. It just means there is no good scenario where they outright win. But, if they appeal their very bad case with its very bad facts, that increases the risk of creating precedent that limits libraries and digital lending. If you think it's worth the risk, that's fine - but ignoring the actual risks and likelihood of success isn't "supporting libraries;" it's acting based on ignorance (at best).

Digital publishing and lending, as it currently legally exists, really really sucks. There is a reason why, although many authors and author organizations dislike the IA's "Open Library," other authors like it and have written in support of it!* There is a reason why, although I have linked to author criticism of IA and of its "Controlled Digital Lending" and stated that I think it clearly violates existing copyright law, I have not stated (and will not state) a personal opinion on whether I think CDL (as it exists in the one-to-one, owned to loaned theory, rather than how it was implemented in practice) is less undesirable as a copyright schema than existing digital copyright law. The IA and its supporters are right that current copyright law doesn't allow for the real ownership or preservation of e-books! They are right that publishers greedily limit libraries' and patrons' access to e-books, and they are right about how bad the current system is! (I do not endorse any praise for library e-reader apps and lenders in the notes of my posts. While I enjoy and support using them, from a library perspective, they also suck - specifically, the predatory charges for e-books lending suck libraries dry.) The IA is broadly on the right(er) side of this issue: but they still did a shitty, dumb thing, and they are deliberately misrepresenting the situation in an extremely offensive and potentially harmful way!

I already emphasized this in the original post, but just in case: I do not hate the IA. I do not want them to go away. I very much like a lot of the things they do and want them to keep existing! (Although I would add: if they actually believe their principles they should absolutely have set things up to preserve - at minimum - their archival functions as much as possible if they - as an organization - cease to exist.) But! I would also like, at a minimum, for them to stop deliberately misrepresenting the situation. Their stated mission is "universal access to all knowledge." If they cared about that mission - or if they really see themselves as librarians, and not just a database of products - they should maybe start making sure the public is getting accurate, useful, and meaningful knowledge about this case, instead of propaganda to inflate their own egos.

*Although I would be VERY curious to know what kind of briefing of the actual factual and legal situation some of the authors who signed onto that open letter received. Based on the snippets I read, some were clearly well-informed; many were just talking broadly about how great libraries are; and some indicated a serious factual misunderstanding of how both libraries, the IA, and digital lending in general work.

[tossawary]

Part of the problem with discussing how racism manifests in fandom and in fan organizations is that to present a nuanced and thorough take on a complicated problem, which actually consists of a number of different complex issues with lots of different potential solutions each, you have write really, REALLY long posts about it.

And people don't read long posts.

Or they read the first part and get stuck on one point they don't agree with or can't 100% agree with. So they get caught up in proving one point wrong instead of at least expressing sympathy or sharing the parts they do actually agree with.

(Or people make fun of you for caring about "people being mean in fanfiction communities" as an issue. Because caring is cringe, apparently. Racism in hobbies like book clubs and local knitting groups and kid sports leagues is also important, even if it's "not that big of a deal" in the grand scheme of things in your opinion.)

Which can have (unintentional or intentional) vibes of telling fans of color to shut up about racism. Which is rude and understandably upsetting to people who have experienced this kind of harassment. Saying "go make your own archive" implies that the affected fans of color have not been a part of building the OTW or in running AO3 and don't belong there as writers or readers, which is untrue and unkind.

Now, I know that people have a kneejerk defensive reaction to any form of "We Need To Ban The Bad Fic That I Don't Like". I have that too. And I won't deny that this is a conversation partly about content moderation. And I won't deny that within this broad conversation between lots of different people who want to do something about fandom racism, there are probably some people who are calling to ban everything they find even a little problematic. They're always popping up. I don't agree with those people.

I didn't reblog End OTW Racism's Call to Action post the first time that I saw it because my brain wanted to chew on the thoughts it inspired. I thought a lot about how exactly to write detailed policy that could explicitly ban the worst examples of fanfiction used as intentional hate speech provably for the purpose of targeted harassment, while still ensuring the protection of the queer content, the problematic darkfic, and the explicit kinky fiction that the archive was created to host (which EOTWR also cares about). I do want fans to be able to explore some disturbing and distasteful topics, even if they don't always write it well, without being censored. And yet I also thought a lot about the "Paradox of Tolerance" as a social contract and what it meant to be "Fair to Unfair Voices".

I also thought a lot about how AO3 volunteers can never review every single thing posted to the website (which was not being suggested). And about how this issue intersects heavily with the structural issues that leave some AO3 volunteers overworked and underappreciated. And the structural issues that leave some AO3 volunteers feeling isolated, neglected, ignored, or mistreated. And also how AO3 is shockingly enormous now for being the result of volunteer work on a budget that's small compared to other non-profit organizations.

And honestly, I was fucking exhausted from my job that day and I cynically thought to myself, "I'll read through the links later, but I don't really see how changing the names on a bunch of fics is going to inspire great change within an organization."

(And the people behind this online protest are pretty open about the fact that they didn't expect their awareness campaign - and that's what it is: it's just an awareness campaign - to do anything on the front of "Solving Institutional Racism Immediately".)

But then I thought to myself, "Okay, but I do believe in antiracist action. And even if I don't think some of these suggestions are workable with the current state of things, or that the OTW will ever agree to some things here, there has got to be something here that could be done right now to make things a little better."

I kind of like the idea of expanding the required archive warnings so that more well-meaning people will opt-in to tagging triggering material, which is a form of content moderation. Like the way that the "Graphic Depictions of Violence" tag works already. Major Archive Warnings are left up to the author's best judgement unless reported. And even if people repeatedly refuse to use any relevant warning tags when writing blatantly racist stories, when they get reported for not even using "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", then we'll be pretty sure that they're doing it to be a jerk, and AO3 volunteers can suspend or ban them for it.

I like the idea of expanding the abuse policy and clearly defining its terms so that Policy and Abuse volunteers can still retain some freedom of best judgement, but also be more consistent about recognizing when someone is being a racist jerk in the comment section or being racist by gifting violently racist fic to fans of color or otherwise behaving badly. And I like the idea of improving the reporting system while keeping potential misuse in mind. And giving PAC volunteers better admin tools and other resources.

Even if you believe that AO3 is largely run by well-meaning queer women, I personally don't 100% trust that every single volunteer will be great at recognizing the many varied forms of racism, or antisemitism, or transphobia, or prejudice against bisexual or asexual or polyamorous people, or against mentally ill or physically disabled people. And part of this discussion is about when individual members of the PAC team have failed to address malicious behavior that is already explicitly covered by AO3's existing anti-bullying policy. Or that can't be solved by just blocking and muting someone.

Like, this discussion is about racism, and it's worth caring about solely for how it affects fans of color, but optimizing the abuse policy and protocols against harassment would better protect everyone. (And also, please do not assume that fans of color are not also older fans and/or queer fans who care about censorship.)

Some of End OTW Racism's offered solutions are suggestions originally made by AO3 itself back in 2020. A huge part of this discussion is just some fans (they're only, like, 5 people) trying to make some noise so that the OTW will give all users a thorough update on their progress. They are trying to raise awareness to keep the conversation about fandom bigotry going and recruit people to show up to OTW Board meetings to ask what obstacles need to be tackled. They want volunteers trying to change things internally to feel supported and for some more transparency on this subject to externally hold people accountable to their promises.

And I also thought, "Fuck it. This post is worth reblogging if only to remind people that AO3 needs work, to educate new fans on the history and present of fandom racism in general, and to maybe make one person out there feel less alone and connect them with some new friends. Fans of color don't have to be perfect to be heard."

I believe that AO3 has gotten bigger than ever anticipated and management of the OTW has only gotten harder. And I think hiring a diversity consultant, as per AO3's own suggestion back in 2020, sounds like a good idea to curb harassment of all kinds and improve the working conditions of volunteers. Outside contractors have been hired before and these professionals have no effect on OTW's non-profit status. A temporary consultant's job would be to identify where the organization is getting stuck and give suggestions on how to fight bigotry, and the OTW Board can just pick the solutions they think will work in practice with their mission statements.

Honestly, I kind of think it might be a good idea to also hire a security consultant of some kind after some of the harassment of AO3 volunteers in recent years. And if hiring some programming contractors would help the coding volunteers build better admin tools and make tag blacklisting happen sooner, then I support that as well. But that's all up to the OTW Board. And I want the OTW volunteers to know that I support their original suggestion to hire some outside professional help, so that fandom can begin to address some of these ongoing problems beyond just acknowledging that they exist, even if it simply starts with AO3 explicitly calling for more volunteers to get the planned work done.

Saying that there's nothing to be done is defeatist. Saying that the affected fans of color and their allies sound too angry or too serious or too ungrateful, or that everyone involved just doesn't understand how hard these things are, is pretty rude. I don't expect perfect solutions on the first try. I don't expect them immediately. I expect some of these things to take the OTW... years, honestly. I don't always feel very optimistic. I find this entire discussion discomforting and depressing. I'm not ungrateful to the OTW and AO3 when the community has been an undeniably good experience for me personally over the past 10 years. I want people to be able to escape into fandom at the end of a shitty day.

End OTW Racism's awareness campaign is one small part of a much broader discussion and you don't have to agree 100% with everything that they say. Or with what other people talking about fandom racism say (and some people, including academics and journalists and media critics and video essayists, have been talking about fandom racism for a long time). And you definitely don't have to 100% agree with what I've said here.

You don't have immediately volunteer all of your time to the OTW to fix these problems to be a good person. We all have other shit going on in our lives. Just... keep some of the points being made in mind moving forward, yeah? If you have a moment, maybe listen to some of the frustrations with an open mind, and maybe show a little extra love to your fellow fans who are going through it.

And if you have the energy to tear down what you think just one of EOTWR's suggestions is as bad - and they are NOT calling for every single fic on AO3 to be reviewed for problematic tropes or racial slurs before posting, that would be ridiculous, and it's disingenuous to misinterpret them that way - are you also separately talking about and supporting any of the antiracist actions and other harm reduction policies that you think are genuinely viable?

[marmorafarms]

My King

Pairing: Labru (Laios/Kabru)

Rating: Mature for sexual situations

Summary: Laios is concerned about potentially getting married, as he has no idea how to even kiss! Maybe Kabru will be willing to teach him a thing or two. Fic is a gift for @wasabi-gumdrop

A/N: The name "Modern Standard Elvish" is a play on "Modern Standard Arabic." The difference between "hot" and "horny" is in reference to the Spanish word caliente. Also, Kabru is trans in this fic!

You can find the fic on ao3 or read below!

___

Night was falling, but Kabru was still awake, pouring over the latest letters sent from the Elves. As he was fluent in Elvish, Kabru was able to read through the letters and translate them for Laios to read. Marcille had offered to help, but unfortunately she knew Modern Standard Elvish and wasn’t familiar with regional sayings and phrases.

“But it’s all the same language!” Marcille had burst out as Kabru tried to explain the differences between the regions.

“True,” Kabru said, “But differences arise, and different slang and turns of phrases come about. And you almost made a horrible mistake, Marcille.”

“How was I supposed to know that this is slang for ‘horny’ where the Queen lives?” Marcille said, frustrated. “I was taught it means ‘hot’ like temperature!”

“And it does,” Kabru said calmly, “But in this region, it’s more commonly used as slang for horny. There’s a different word they use for hot.”

Marcille had left the translations and letter writing to Kabru ever since then. So here he was, nose deep in his work, laser focused on his task. So when the door slammed open, Kabru jumped a mile into the air. He whipped around to see who had caused the disruption, fully ready to snap at whoever it was. But when he saw who it was, his anger melted away and turned into concern.

In his doorway stood Laios, his cloak lopsided and eyes wide with panic. He was breathing heavily, highly alarming Kabru. Was he drunk? No, that’s not how drunk people acted. Did Fleki leave her drugs here? Had he thought they were regular mushrooms? No, she usually passed out when she got high. So what was going on?

“Kabru!” Laios finally said, and stood up straight. “I need help!”

“With what?” Kabru asked. “Are you okay?”

“No,” Laios grumbled. “I’m not.”

There was something about his tone though. He didn’t sound as though something was truly wrong. He sounded like a child being told they needed to do a task that they really didn’t want to do. What was Laios trying to get out of this time?

“What’s going on?”

“Yaad says I have to get married,” Laios said frantically. “He said that it’s important that I have a queen.”

A flicker of annoyance sparked in Kabru’s chest, but he did his best to ignore it. “And what’s the issue?”

“What’s the—Kabru! You know I don’t want to get married!” Laios said. “We’ve been over this!”

Laios wasn’t lying, the discussion of him potentially getting married had been brought up more than once. Laios had shot the idea down each and every time. He had been engaged once before and wasn’t interested in doing that again.

“It’s just not for me,” Laios had said, so everyone had sighed and decided to leave it be. But it seemed as though Yaad was really putting the pressure on this time.

“You never said why don’t want to get married,” Kabru said. “There are plenty of women out there who would be great candidates. Wasn’t Marcille your succubus once?”

Laios turned bright red. “Don’t bring that up!” he said, looking away from Kabru. “I told you that in confidence, nobody else can know!”

“And they won’t,” Kabru said. ���I just think that it’s interesting that no woman seems good enough. Is it maybe that no woman is good enough? That maybe you’d rather someone else?”

Laios blinked in confusion. “What?” he asked, and Kabru’s lips twitched in amusement. Laios was always a bit slow on the uptake.

“Do you want a man?” Kabru asked.

“Oh!” Laios said, and for some reason looked slightly uncomfortable.

“Um, I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never thought about that before. Is that allowed?”

“You’re the king,” Kabru pointed out, “You can decide. And you can also decide to tell Yaad that you don’t want to get married.”

“It’s not that easy!” Laios said, and began pacing the floor. “The way he seems so…so terrified when he thinks about the future of the kingdom! He really seems to think I need to get married, and it’s just so hard to say no!”

“You know,” Kabru said slowly, “You should really tell me why you don’t want to get married. What’s the real reason?” Laios stopped pacing and turned to look at Kabru, his face suddenly bright.

“Yes!” he said in a weirdly cheery voice. “That’s actually why I wanted to talk to you!”

“Oh?” Kabru asked. Laios nodded.

“You see, Yaad keeps talking about babies. And well…I wouldn’t really know where to begin with making one. I mean, I know how, but I don’t know what to do. I’ve never even kissed anyone!”

“I. You. Wait hold on,” Kabru said, pinching the bridge of his nose,

“You want me to give you sex lessons?”

“Well I mean you’ve been with a ton of girls,” Laios said. “I thought you’d be the right! I thought about waiting and writing to Chilchuck but that would take way too long! Will you tell me what to do?”

“Laios,” Kabru said, trying to keep his voice steady, “I can tell you how to kiss someone and how to make them feel good in bed, but it’s something you have to just…do.”

“Oh,” Laios said, face falling. “So you can’t teach me.”

“I didn’t say that,” Kabru said, heart beating fast.

Laios cocked his head to the side like a confused puppy, and Kabru cleared his throat. “I could show you.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Kabru wanted to snatch them up and shove them back down his throat. There was absolutely no way he could do this! He couldn’t just…just fuck Laios! Not only was he his friend, he was the king! This was twelve kinds of not okay, and yet…here he was. Offering.

“You want to…?” Laios started, and Kabru quickly cut across him.

“Only if you want to, and it would just be kissing,” he said. “Practice makes perfect, right? And you’ve got to learn the basics. With most people, they start of with just kissing. So…that’s where we’ll start,”

Kabru said, and stood up from his chair. “Now. Do you want to?”

Laios stared at him for a moment before slowly nodding.

“Sure,” he said, and Kabru frowned.

“That’s not what I’m looking for Laios,” he said, his voice dropping a few octaves. He walked over to Laios and put his hand on large expanse of his chest. “Tell me, do you want this? Yes or no?”

“Yes,” Laios said in a breathy tone, and Kabru nodded.

“Let’s go to your room,” he said, “People probably won’t interrupt us there, you’re the king after all.”

“Oh, right. I hadn’t thought of that,” he said, and Kabru shook his head. Of course he hadn’t. Had he really expected Kabru to rail him in the study?

But they weren’t doing that, Kabru reminded himself. It was kissing, and only kissing. They weren’t going to go further, no.

At first the two walked slowly down the hall, trying to be cool and casual. But it didn’t take long before they were walking at a brisk pace, practically racing each other to Laios’ room.

Kabru had wanted this for a while, and everyone in the castle knew. Everyone except Laios, that is. According to Marcille, his feelings were extremely obvious, and Kabru hated that. He was usually so good at keeping a facade. At first he had brushed Marcille off, but it was Falin who really made him realize that yes, his feelings were obvious.

“Why do you keep looking at my brother with sad cow eyes?” she had asked one day.

“With what?” Kabru asked, throughly confused.

“Our cows back home used to have this look on their eyes…kind of sad almost…big beautiful eyes just staring at you. When you look at my brother, you look like them. Your eyes get all big and…sad? No…not sad. I’m not really sure. It’s just odd, that’s all,” Falin had said with a shrug, and Kabru was frozen in his tracks.

So yes, Kabru was excited for this moment. But was Laios really okay with it? He had said he was but Kabru still had his doubts. He would need to make absolutely sure. They entered the room, and walked towards the opulent four poster bed, and sat down on it. Laios was loose and casual, and Kabru couldn’t understand it. Shouldn’t he be nervous?

“So what do we do?” Laios asked.

“Well first take the cloak off,” Kabru said, and Laios complied. It was big and bulky and would just get in the way. He gulped as he looked down and Laios’ chest. The bigger man had bulked up a bit since they first met. He worked hard to maintain his original physique, but he still had decent meat on his bones. Laios’ shirt could barely contain his barrel chest, the buttons fighting to stay closed. Kabru would have to put in an order for the tailor to come and refit him for clothing.

“Okay, so…it might be easier if I start, okay? And then you can kiss me back,” Kabru said, voice shaking. Laios nodded, and Kabru slid over.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered, cupping Laios’ cheek softly. His friend complied, his lashes like beautiful dark fans as they fluttered shut. He looked so trusting, and Kabru couldn’t help but wonder if this was really okay. But he couldn’t keep Laios waiting…

Kabru leaned in closer, his lips gently brushing against Laios’. But something was off.

“You’re too stiff,” Kabru said. “When my lips touch yours, press yours against mine.” Laios nodded, and Kabru tried again. This time, Laios kissed back and oh. Kabru didn’t know what he was expecting, but he wasn’t expecting such tenderness, such care. He expected awkward fumbling, perhaps Laios trying to use his tongue and being clumsy about it. The soft sound of lips on lips filled the air, and finally Kabru broke away.

“Now your turn,” Kabru said. Laios frowned, his cheeks pink.

“My turn?”

“You kiss me,” Kabru said, but Laios’ frown only deepened.

“I thought I was?” he said, and Kabru laughed lightly.

“No, I mean you start,” he clarified. “Show me how you’d kiss your queen.”

Laios nodded, but this time it wasn’t soft and gentle. It was like a match being lit, flame bursting before them. Laios sometimes took a second to pick up on things, but when he did, he threw himself into it. And he really was throwing himself into it. Their kisses grew deeper, more needy. They were desperate kisses, and Laios was kissing Kabru like he’d never get to kiss anyone ever again.

“Was that okay?” Laios said, breaking away. Kabru wanted to pull him back in, and kiss him more and tell him to never stop.

“More than okay,” Kabru said hoarsely, and Laios beamed at him. “But I got more to teach you. There’s another thing…kind of a kiss…it’s called a hickey.”

“I know what a hickey is,” Laios said. “You just suck and bite a little, right?”

“Yeah. Do you want one? Do you want to see how your queen will feel when you give her one?”

Laios nodded, and Kabru felt a little bad. He was indulging himself in his desires, but fuck did Laios seem to be enjoying it. Kabru pushed Laios down on the bed, crawling on top of him. And oh wow, Laios definitely was enjoying himself, because Kabru could feel his friend’s bulge pressing against him. Pure lust began to pool in between Kabru’s legs, and he tried to calm himself. They weren’t going to go all the way. Just kissing, that’s it.

But as Kabru began to kiss and nip at Laios’ lips, he found his hips instictively grinding downwards. A deep groan issued from Laios’ throat, and Kabru swore.

“Is something wrong?” Laios asked.

“You’re just…you’re so hot,” Kabru said, and began kissing at Laios’ jaw. “You’re so hot, so sexy. You’re gonna make someone very happy, my king.”

At those words, Laios let out a whimper, and Kabru internally raised a brow. Did Laios like being called that? He peppered Laios’ neck with kisses, continuing to grind down against Laios’ clothed cock. Finally, he moved down to Laios’ collarbone, and bit him gently before sucking hard.

“Fuck!” Laios shouted, and Kabru released him. But as he did, he realized something. Laios didn’t feel as hard anymore. And then it clicked.

“Did you just…?”

“I’m sorry!” Laios said, covering his face with his hands, bright red. Kabru sat up, a small smile on his face.

“Hey. You don’t have to hide.”

Laios peeked at Kabru from in between his fingers and gulped. “I shouldn’t have…you know…just from that,” he whispered. “Isn’t it bad? To be so fast?”

“Maybe we can try that again,” Kabru said, voice deep and dripping with honey. “We can get your stamina up. With lots and lots of practice.”

Laios laughed, and pulled Kabru back down. They nuzzled noses and began to kiss again. Kabru knew this couldn’t last. But for now, he’d indulge himself. For now, he’d allow himself to be happy.

[pallpokipoki]

Before starting, I'm not the original author of the following top 9, however i wanted to repost this text because it names and describes the issues within the transgender movement regarding the way trans men/transmasculine people are (mis)treated, issues that are still present and widespread today. You can find another archive/repost of the text here:

1) shutting down trans men talking about their anatomy and their dysphoria

like shutting down trans men complaining about periods by trans women who complain that it makes them dysphoric or that trans men don’t appreciate what they have; it only works this one way - I never saw a trans man scream over a trans woman who was complaining about say random erections that she should appreciate what she has and stop talking about it this way.

2) speaking over trans men on issues related to their biology and socialisation and in extreme forms even completely denying them a voice on those issues

telling trans men that they do not know what’s it like to be socialised as a girl or treated as a girl and should shut up about it, often simultaneously telling them they also don’t know what’s it like to live as men/be a gnc man, removing trans men from talks about feminism, misogyny, abortion or rape.

3) devictimising trans men

being misogynistic towards them (portraying them as hysterical bitches or mocking their anatomy, for one), or transphobic towards them (calling them shrimpdicks, cuntboys, manlets), and justifying it with them being men and either not being able to be victimised or deserving the harassment; it’s also present as “venting about men” but singling out trans men and never cis men.

4) erasing trans men’s oppression

one element of it is claiming trans men shouldn’t reclaim tranny despite it very well targetting them, or replacing “transphobia” with “transmisogyny” in general discourse, in such ways as to erase trans men as targets of transphobia in order to frame them as oppressors of trans women more.

5) limiting trans men’s freedom and means of describing their oppression

to serve trans women’s interests are always prioritised; it’s “trans men shouldn’t say they were female socialised because it implies trans women were male socialised”, never “trans women shouldn’t say they were female socialised because it erases trans men’s trauma with misogyny".

6) constant guilting of trans men who dare speak up against those things, and guilting of trans men into taking a subserviant role in activism

trans men are constantly reminded that they are potentially predatory, potential rapists, just like cis men etc, and that is applied twice as heavily to trans men who disagree or talk back to trans women; the rhetoric is always that they are oppressors of trans women and are victimising them further by “not listening to trans women”.

7) bias in judgement of trans men’s actual societal power and position and spreading misinformation about it

in such a way trans-men will constantly be told trans women get sexually harassed and raped more often, earn less, etc, etc.. despite statistics proving otherwise. bringing up those statistics results in: see point 6. in places with equal numbers of trans men and trans women in power (rare), the trans women will typically still claim there’s more trans men in power and their power is greater.

8) piting up trans men against eachother

urging trans men to “defend trans women” from wrongthinking trans men. demanding that trans men who speak up are ostracised, including from their own circles.

9) undermining the soldiarity trans men may find with lesbians, gnc women or any other AFAB group

that can take form of literally explaining to butches with whom they should and with whom they shouldn’t have solidarity, or speaking aganst “AFAB solidarity”, or arguing that “AFAB people” don’t have any common experiences.

“Those are my experiences from 8 years of being around other trans people. I met cool trans women, but I must admit those things are, unfortunately, a tendency. for clarity, I don’t believe in some crazy mtf conspiracy and hidden agenda. I believe in male born people often sticking with each other against female born people due to misogyny, and in them acting on their socialisation a lot of the time, leading to perserving patriarchal dynamics with opposite pronouns”

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

HIV/AIDS & COVID-19, particularly long COVID, share several significant similarities, especially in terms of viral persistence, T cell damage, immune system dysfunction, & activation of other pathogens. These parallels are important for understanding the long-term effects of both infections and their impact on the immune system.

1. Viral Persistence

Both HIV & SARS-CoV-2 can persist in the body, leading to chronic symptoms & immune system complications. In HIV, the virus establishes reservoirs in various tissues, allowing it to evade immune detection and antiretroviral therapy (ART), leading to lifelong infection. Similarly, recent studies at Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggest that a subset of people with long COVID may harbor persistent SARS-CoV-2 proteins in their blood, potentially explaining ongoing symptoms months after the acute infection has resolved[4][10]. This viral persistence is thought to drive chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction in both.

In long COVID, viral reservoirs have been identified in multiple organs, including the gut, blood, & nervous system[12]. This mirrors HIV's ability to persist in tissue reservoirs such as lymphoid tissues. For both viruses, this persistence can lead to prolonged immune activation & may contribute to ongoing symptoms like fatigue, cognitive issues, & cardiovascular problems.

2. T Cell Damage & Exhaustion

Both HIV and SARS-CoV-2 cause significant damage to T cells, particularly CD4+ T cells. In HIV infection, CD4+ T cells are directly targeted by the virus, leading to their depletion over time and resulting in severe immunodeficiency if untreated. Similarly, severe COVID-19 has been associated with a reduction in CD4+ T cells due to excessive immune activation and exhaustion[1][2]. In both, CD8+ T cells also become dysfunctional due to chronic exposure to viral antigens.

T cell exhaustion is a common feature in both infections. In HIV, chronic infection leads to high levels of inhibitory receptors like PD-1 on T cells, contributing to their reduced functionality[2]. In severe COVID-19 cases, similar markers of T cell exhaustion (e.g., PD-1 and TIM-3) are observed[1]. This exhaustion impairs the body's ability to clear the virus effectively and contributes to prolonged illness.

3. Immune System Dysfunction

Both HIV/AIDS & long COVID can lead to profound immune system dysfunction. In HIV infection, even with effective ART, individuals often experience chronic immune activation and systemic inflammation due to incomplete immune recovery[6][9]. This persistent immune activation is linked to increased susceptibility to other infections and long-term health complications.

Similarly, long COVID is believed to involve ongoing immune dysregulation even after the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection has passed. Some studies suggest that persistent viral proteins may continue stimulating the immune system, leading to chronic inflammation[4][12]. This ongoing immune activation may explain why some individuals experience prolonged symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, or cardiovascular issues even after clearing the virus from most tissues.

4. Activation of Other Pathogens

Both HIV/AIDS and long COVID are associated with the reactivation of latent pathogens due to weakened immune surveillance. In people living with HIV (PLWH), co-infections with viruses like Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or cytomegalovirus (CMV) are common due to compromised immunity[7]. Similarly, studies have shown that reactivation of latent viruses such as EBV may contribute to long COVID symptoms[7]

In both conditions, the weakened immune system's inability to control these latent infections can exacerbate symptoms and complicate recovery. For example, EBV reactivation has been linked with neurocognitive symptoms in long COVID patients[7], while opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia are common in advanced HIV/AIDS patients[3]

So, HIV/AIDS and long COVID share several key similarities regarding viral persistence, T cell damage, immune system dysfunction, and the reactivation of other pathogens. These shared features highlight the importance of understanding how chronic viral infections can lead to long-term health consequences through mechanisms like persistent viral reservoirs and ongoing immune activation. Insights from HIV research may help inform treatment strategies for long COVID, especially in targeting viral persistence with antiviral therapies or addressing chronic immune dysfunction.

Sources

[1] SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1: So Different yet so Alike. Immune ... pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9608044/

[2] Sharing CD4+ T Cell Loss: When COVID-19 and HIV Collide on ... www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.596631/full

[3] Overview of SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults living with HIV www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhiv/article/PIIS2352-3018(21)00070-9/fulltext

[4] Study Finds Persistent Infection Could Explain Long COVID in Some ... www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/press-releases/study-finds-persistent-infection-could-explain-long-covid-in-some-people

[5] New COVID studies show varied viral clearance time in patients with ... www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/new-covid-studies-show-varied-viral-clearance-time-patients-lower-immunity

[6] Immunologic Interplay Between HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11904-023-00647-z

[7] Long COVID in people living with HIV - PMC - PubMed Central pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10167544/

[8] Persistence and Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in an ... - NCBI www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7673303/

[9] The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in people with HIV - Nature www.nature.com/articles/s41423-023-01087-w

[10] Persistent infection could explain long COVID in some people, study ... www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241009122346.htm

[11] Plasma-based antigen persistence in the post-acute phase of ... www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(24)00211-1/fulltext

[12] Long Covid trials aim to clear lingering virus—and help patients in ... www.science.org/content/article/long-covid-trials-aim-clear-lingering-virus-help-patients-need

[dw-tma]

Descriptions of the Fears from the Magnus Archives Wiki:

The Buried-

“The fear of small spaces, suffocating, drowning, being buried alive. Fear of everything crashing down around/on oneself. Fear of being trapped without enough space. Manifests as caves, dirt, financial issues, heavy rain, underground transport, tight spaces such as coffins.”

The Corruption-

“The fear of corruption, disease, filth. Fear of the feelings of disgust, revulsion and the things or beings that might evoke such feelings. Manifests as mould, bugs, rot, decay, infection, the feeling of one's skin crawling. Can also manifest as unhealthy love and companionship.”

The Dark-

“The primal fear of the dark, of the unseen, and the creatures hiding from our view... Manifests as creatures hidden in the dark, shadow figures and monsters, blindness, coldness, dark water.”

The Desolation-

“The fear of pain, loss, burning, and destruction, especially with a senseless cause. Followers are enriched by destroying the lives of people who had things to live for, and destroying things before their potential is realised. Manifests as fire, wax, heat, burns, destruction of potential.”

The End-

“The fear of death itself—⁠uncaring and unstoppable, the fear that everything ends eventually. Manifests as bones, various forms of the dead (skeletons, mummies, zombies, etc.). Also has close ties to dreams and can manifest through them.”

The Eye-

“The fear of being watched, exposed, followed, having secrets exposed. Can also pertain to the drive to know and understand, even if your discoveries might destroy you. Manifests as eyes, security cameras, a creature or figure that keeps constant watch. Often manifests in libraries and books.”

The Flesh-

“Born from the fear held by animals bred for meat, and in the human realisation that we are just animated meat and bones. Manifests as meat, corpses, blood, bones, butchers, meat-related industry. Often manifests as strange bodies—bodies being unnaturally twisted, reshaped, and butchered.”

The Hunt-

“The animalistic fear of being chased or hunted; the primal fear of being prey. Manifests as predators, predatory monsters, animal instincts, animalistic traits. Takes hold of apparently "normal" people after they are exposed to the need for The Hunt. Self-proclaimed monster hunters might become 'Hunters' and proceed to develop a need to hunt and kill monsters.”

The Lonely-

“The fear of isolation, of being completely cut off and alone or disconnected from the rest of society. Manifests as fog, large rooms, silence, suburbs, empty rooms, crowds of faceless people.”

The Slaughter-

“The fear of pure, unpredictable, unmotivated violence. The fear of pain coming at sudden, random moments. Manifests as people driven "mad with Slaughter," soldiers, music that either induces Slaughter or warns that Slaughter is coming. Often manifests in imagery of war or murder, and can appear wild like a frenzied killer or calm and regimented like soldiers firing on the battlefield.”

The Spiral-

“The fear of madness, that the world you know is wrong, that your mind is lying to you. Fear of deception, lying, deceiving of the mind and senses. The Spiral appears with imagery of spirals, patterns and fractals, and often manifests as hallucinations or illusions.”

The Stranger-

“The fear of the unknown, the uncanny, the unfamiliar. The creeping sense that something is not right. Manifests as beings and aspects of beings that provoke an "uncanny valley" response: human and other being-adjacent forms, such as mannequins, wax figures, masks, and taxidermy. Often manifests in theatres and performances.”

The Vast-

“The fear of heights, falling, and large open spaces including sky, space, and deep water. More broadly: the human fear of insignificance and meaninglessness, of losing oneself in too much space. Manifests as void, wide-open spaces, vertigo, falling, the transformation of something that should have a limit into something infinite.”

The Web-

“The fear of being controlled or trapped, especially being unaware of one's own entrapment. The fear of being forced to do things against one's own will, of being manipulated. Also the fear of spiders. Manifests as spiders, spider webs, web-like patterns, puppets.”

[actual-changeling]

(please do not send any asks with fundraiser links)

Hi, you can call me Alex or whatever variation of my username you'd like. <3

I'm in my early twenties, use mainly they/them pronouns, and there is a lot wrong with my brain (both affectionately and in a decidedly not fun way). I have memory issues, so I can and will forget things, including replying to messages. You are ALWAYS invited to send me a reminder—please, please do, I will not be offended, pinky promise.

This blog is 90% fandom, 5% personal shit and 5% misc posts that I like. My DMs are open, so feel free to message me and interact however you like! Asks are currently closed due to spam. If there's something you want me to see, I don't mind getting tagged in posts either.

Please don't be an asshole. I'm incredibly bad at judging my own tone, so if I come across as overly intense or upset, chances are I am actually not—I'm just passionate about the things I enjoy.

Agatha all along is the lesbian dream plus Scully has also taken over my brain and body, and I don't think they will leave me alone ever again.

I will be tagging spoilers for any newly released shows and episodes. If there is something you would like me to tag spoilers for, just shoot me an ask or dm!

Currently following and tagging for:

Agatha All Along: alex watches agatha all along

The X Files: alex watches x files

Doctor Who: alex watches doctor who, dw spoilers

(PJO The Series: pjo spoilers) show is on hiatus

The Magnus Protocols: alex listens to tmagp, tmagp spoilers

I write fanfiction both here on tumblr and on ao3 under actualchangeling. Requests or ideas are fine, though I cannot make any promises.

Wanna chat with other people about good omens? I have a discord you can join, mostly angelfish focused but we talk about all our beloved idiots.

My other misc current active special interests are Doctor Who and Good Omens, but I dabble in a lot of other fandoms, too. Among those are Marvel/Iron Man, Lucifer, TLOU, The Magnus Archives, Welcome to Night Vale, Prospect (2018), and many more.

My tag system for original posts applies to all fandoms I am currently actively engaging with and follows the same patterns. I tag spoilers when I remember to for about a week, so consider this blog to be very much NOT spoiler free.

alex talks x -> meta, analysis, interpretation, or opinion posts

alex writes x -> either self-promotion or tumblr specific ficlets, without any fandom addition it's original writing of some kind

Any personal posts that are not fandom related are tagged as following; feel free to block them if you're just here for the fandom madness!! I really do not mind.

alex yells at the void -> misc personal stuff

alex gets personal -> potentially triggering discussions of my trauma or mental health, vent posts

Last but not least, the tag for my queue is I’ll follow queue anywhere you go. It's a TLOU reference for those who are curious.