#open post-publication peer review

[academypediaen]

Must-Read SWOT Analysis of Open Access Journals That Technology Watch Specialists Shouldn't Ignore

Introduction   Open access journals are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional publishing methods .   But, with new technologies come new risks and potential threats that must be taken into consideration. In this article, we'll explore five emerging threats [...] https://is.gd/D5GaWH

#business #communication #data #education #ict #information #intelligence #technology - Created by David Donisa from Academypedia.info

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

A Guiding Hand 3

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, age gap, parental neglect, depression, inference of self harm, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: your online academics are affected by your personal struggles but your professor won’t let you give up so easy.

Characters: Raymond Smith, Lee Bodecker in the background

Note: happy sunday.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

You stop in the openness of the library. Just ahead is the long counter that arcs in front of the windows that look into an office space lined with desks. There are monitors facing away from you, those meant for the librarians and their assistants, and along the far edge, a sign denotes the stations meant for self-checkout.  

You always thought of coming down but never found the energy. Besides, you wouldn’t want to borrow books that could be ruined at home. Beyond that, venturing into public has never been a simple task for you. You go for biweekly trips to spend the food credits on groceries and that’s about it. 

Your eyes skitter around frantically. You hear the babble of children in the kids’ section with its bright colourful chairs and couches and a table of toys for the tots. You quickly surpass it and wander into the stretch of tables and chairs by the reference section. You put your bag down on a chair and sit next to it, folding your hands on the table then pulling them back into your lap. 

You look over at the wall of tall windows that look out into a narrow strip of foliage. The brick walls are covered in thickly woven vines and birds flit in and out of the leaves. It’s pretty. You feel entirely out of place here. 

You check the time on your digital watch. Almost ten. You can at least tick the early box, even though you might fall short of everything else.  

You twiddle your fingers and keep your head down. Your toes tap in your sneakers and you fidget as the time ticks on. What if he doesn’t come? What if you’re not worth it? Should you check your email? 

As you reach your bag, a figure approaches the table from the other side. You retract your arm and peer up at the man as he sets a leather briefcase on the wooden surface. Professor Smith nods at you and greets you by name. You feel like you should stand to greet him. 

He offers his hand as you struggle to get to your feet. You tremble as you hesitantly accept the gesture. You don’t touch people and they certainly don’t touch you. It’s only a handshake. His grasp is firm and his skin slightly rough. Your hand feels weak and tiny in his confident grip. 

He let you go as your fingers tingle, “good morning.” 

“Morning, Professor, er, sir,” you stutter dumbly. 

“Please,” he pulls out the chair on his side and you lower yourself back to the seat. “How are you today?” 

“Mm, okay...” you swallow dryly, “er... you?” 

You almost cringe. It must be rude to forget that. You’re not so use to interaction and you’re certain it shows. 

You cross your arms over the table as his cheeks twitch and he smooths back his blond hair, “good, good,” he answers in his edged accent, “lovely sunshine today.” 

“Erm, yeah, uh...” you don’t know what to say or do. 

You close your eyes and reproach yourself. You must look totally lost. You drag your bag into your lap and unzip it. You take out your notebook and fish around for the chewed bic pen. You flip back the cover and flutter the pages, looking for a blank one. Your conscious of every single move you make as you feel his gaze on you. 

“Right, so, I suppose you’re eager to be done with it,” he begins, “was their particular activities you found challenging? Maybe a formula in particular--” 

“No, I... I think I got it but...” you twirl the pen and try to look at him. You get as far as the knot of his tie, the rest of it tucked beneath a sweater that seems rather much given the weather. “I just... fell behind. I’m s-sorry.” 

“Well, that’s fine. It happens. So, if you can do the work, I can wait on it,” he assures you. “I’m not here to reprimands, that hardly fruitful for either of us. I want us to come to an accord. Let agree on a course of action.” 

“Oh, alright,” you answer stuntedly, “well, I guess if I start Coursebook Four tonight I could have it done by—by Monday?” 

“That’s a good first step,” he encourages as he pushes his glasses up his nose, drawing your eyes up to his. They are icy blue but not cold. “I like it. Setting your own goals. I find for some, it’s more effective than tossing a bunch of dates at them.” 

“Thanks, professor, I... I really appreciate you... doing this,” you can’t help the shame that seeps into your voice. He pities you, you know it. You can see it in his face so you put your focus back to the table. 

“Mm, given your...situation I think it’s understandable,” he says, “not easy to work in a racket.” 

“Professor,” you put your hand to your forehead, dipping your head to hide behind it. 

“Very concerning to hear,” he says, “and to think of a young woman in that environment.” 

“Just my mom and her boyfriend. They don’t bother me.” 

“Seems they do with all that yelling.” 

“I-- I guess but—I—I need to use the bathroom,” you stand up and sway, “sorry.” 

"As you will," he allows lightly, "I'll be here." 

He sits back and checks his watch. It's much nicer than your plastic casio. You nod and sidle out from between the chair and the table. You shuffle away, only looking for a sign as you come out next to the front counter. You have to turn back to get to the bathrooms, your clueless meandering adding to the heat in your cheeks. 

You lock yourself in a stall and try to muster the strength to come back out. Why did you come here? You feel so much worse sitting across from that man. Look at him. How could he not judge you?  

You take and breath and try to shake away the anxiety. Someone else comes in and you make yourself leave. You wash your hands and steel yourself for another delve into the general public. You emerge and stop before the room of tables. 

Professor Smith sits patiently across from your things. You round the table and close your notebook, sliding the pen back in the spiral. You chew your lip and slide it into your bag. 

“I will have Assignment Four done like I said,” you speak barely above a whisper. 

“Sounds great,” he stands as well, “I must thank you for going to the trouble of meeting me here today. I do find virtual appointments hardly have the same... effect. Might I buy you a coffee for the inconvenience?” 

“A coffee? I... no, that’s--” 

“Or a tea?” He suggests. 

“Professor, um, no, that’s okay.” 

“I insist,” he says, “I saw a cafe on my way in. Just on the corner.” 

“I didn’t... bring my wallet.” 

“As I said, my treat,” he intones, “don’t worry, we won’t be talking business.” 

“Erm,” you sniff and slant your mouth one way then the other, “well, I...” you hate to keep saying no, it’s starting to feel rude. “Sure, er, okay, thanks.” 

“My pleasure,” he gestures you ahead of him, “ladies first.” 

You sling your bag on your shoulder and step past the table. You cross the library floor and tread by the curved counter. As you come to the doors, he quickly gets ahead of you and pushes the door open, holding it for you. He’s polite, almost to a stifling degree. 

The sunshine you casts a yellow haze, warming the dark fabric of your hoodie. You descend the steps and he catches up to you, keeping pace as he stays at your side. He points you to the left, “this way.” 

You obey and feel the brush of his sleeve against yours. Pedestrians across the street seem to stare at you. No doubt they can see how you don’t belong with that man. Him in his prim outfit; his sweater pulled over a tidy collared-shirt and tie, and his glasses denoting and air of professionality. But you, in your wrinkled hoodie and jeans, must make a paltry contrast to the man. 

“Right ahead,” he nudges the back of your arm gently before you can veer in the wrong direction, “would you like to sit outside? It’s beautiful out and I see a free table.” 

“Er, if you like,” you shrug and cross your arms, “you really don’t have to...” 

“I want to,” he assures as you come up to the patio area before the corner cafe, “please, you find a table and I’ll go inside. What would you like?” 

You stop just beside the short wooden fencing that block off the seating area. Tea is usually cheaper. You’d rather not stretch his pity past a few dollars. 

“Black tea.” 

“Milk?” He asks. 

“No, thanks.” 

“Sugar?” He arches a brow. 

“Just tea.” 

“Ah, got it,” he dips his chin, “I will return. Please, have a seat.” 

He turns on his heel and as he struts up to the front door, you search the patio. You find a table for two near the wall. You won’t be centre stage there. You put your bag under the chair and sit with your back to the street. 

What are you doing? You could leave now. You could just go home. You came to talk about your schoolwork. So why are you here getting tea with this man? You need to go home and get started on it. You hang your head and lean back in the chair, arms folded as you gnaw your chapped lip. 

The voices of the patrons around you buzz in the air. You catch snippets of conversations; excitement over a date they just had, or complaints about their work life, and even the low murmurs of intimate partners cooing at each other. Life is all around you, happening to other people but you remain in your corner. 

You wince as Professor Smith returns. He places a porcelain cup before you. One you can’t just run off with. He sits across from you as you look up. 

“Thank you, sir,” you utter as you sit up. 

“Not at all,” he blows over his mug, a dark coffee with a thin layer of foam around the sides. You can smell it. “I do get curious,” he sets the steaming cup own, “about my students. Teaching from a screen can be rather disconnecting. I meet all sorts in my work but you... I didn’t see your name in the introductory forum.” 

You look evasively at the brick wall. You untangle your arms and pinch the tag of the tea bag dangling over the brim. You shrug. 

“I must’ve forgot to post.” 

“Ah, never to worry, I won’t dock marks for it,” he kids, “so, you live with your mother.” 

You nod and your eyes drop to the table. 

“She must be proud.” 

You tear the tag from the string and it recoils and falls into the tea. 

“Proud?” 

“Yes, well, you’re going to school. It’s not nothing.” 

“Yeah, but...” it goes without saying; you’re not doing very well. 

“Like I said, you’ve shown you can do the work, so do it,” he intones. 

“I know.” 

“What made you choose this program?” 

“I don’t... know.” 

“Well, you seem to have a natural affinity for numbers. Did anyone ever mention it?” 

“I guess,” you lift the cup by the handle and blow over the top. You cautiously taste it and burn yourself nonetheless. You put it back down and cover your singed lip, the tip of your tongue pulsing. 

“You alright?” He asks. 

You nod furiously. 

“Mm, well, I must admit, I am rather bad at subterfuge. This is a bad ploy,” he sits back, one hand on the table as he taps his index against his thumb, “I’d rather you take your time with the tea and not only for the sake of your tongue. I... hoped to keep you busy so that you needn’t return home so quickly. To that.” 

“That?” 

“What I overheard,” he says. 

“Oh, I told you--” 

“It may be usual for you but it doesn’t make it any safer,” he interjects. “I don’t know if you saw the email but I sent some resource you might look into. Grants. Some for housing. You could extricate yourself. You should.” 

You’re breathless. It’s humiliating. How pathetic you must be in his eyes. 

“I didn’t come to embarrass you,” he leans forward and slides his hand across the table. 

You turn your head and gulp, the lump in your throat suffocating. Your nose tingles as your face scalds. You shudder and push your shoulders up. 

“You’re a bright young woman, I only thought I might...” he struggles to find words, “well, I did not begin as a professor. I did not even start as some high and above pupil. No, I was a miserable lad. Barely made it through my first year but... all I’m saying is I might not have been where you are, but I get it.” 

Your lashes flutter as you fight back tears. You’re so tired of crying. You’re exhausted of feeling this way. No matter what you do or where you are, you just feel like you don’t belong. 

You look at your watch, “I’ll have to go soon.” You won’t even come up with a lie. You need to go before you break down completely. 

He sighs, “right.” 

[campgender]

Hey hello! Can you recommend any excangelical podcasts? I hope you are doing well!

tysm, i hope you are too❣️ there are a ton of podcasts in this sphere & i often cycle through periods of intense engagement & more distance, so these recs are a combination of luck & personal taste — there are artists & activists like kevin garcia whose work i’ve been profoundly shaped by & whose podcasts i just don’t click with.

i’m also going to mix in the exMo & other deconstruction podcasts i listen to because i’ve found both the emotional experience really relatable as a pastor’s kid & thus someone raised in a certain epicenter of cultiness, & also, because the 1800s politics it reflects are foundational to evangelical doctrines & values, too, Mormon history & theology can be super useful for understanding what were more unspoken beliefs in my upbringing.

exvangelical with blake chastain

a good way to find other artists but not something i listen to more than selectively

combination of reading political commentary essays from his blog (i find the sentence structure of this type of thing difficult to follow, especially out loud) & interviews with other podcasters / artists about their journeys & work

#BadTheologyKills with Kevin Garcia

Andre Henry, author of All The White Friends I Couldn’t Keep

mormon stories with john dehlin & the open stories foundation staff

john changed my life in high school as the first person i’d heard of willing to be excommunicated (largely) due to queer issues as an ally. i don’t always agree with his lens — he has a doctorate in psychology & more faith in the medical establishment than i could ever endorse — but he defends queer youth with his heart & soul & statistics and i have a lot of respect for him + his work.

combination of long-form (like, 3-10+ hours) interviews about people’s journeys in/leaving the church & political commentary / breaking news, usually in panel form, with some church history series with guests.

Ep 1442: Was I raised in a cult or high-demand religion? A self-assessment

Ep 1588: Noah’s Flood with Dr. Simon Southerton (I also recently finished a great book on this topic which i think was on his recommendation? The Rocks Don’t Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah’s Flood by David R. Montgomery; link goes to my review on storygraph)

REVcovery with justin gentry & rev sarah heath

i started listening to this one when it started because of justin’s other podcast (mentioned later), i find him really relatable in a lot of personality ways (things i associate in myself with being obsessive-compulsive) & i really appreciate the ways he relates those to Methodism, how that environment fosters + rewards those traits.

justin is also an ally who got fired from his pastoral position over being queer-affirming; sarah is an ally who ran an affirming UMC church before retiring from burnout.

there are two main reasons i like this podcast: the focus on (ex)pastors & the Methodist lens. similar to what i mentioned earlier, pastors are deeply “in it,” & i think the experiences of the hosts & their interviewees are relatable to a lot of people who were/are heavily volunteerized &/or publicized in church. like, by the time i was in middle school i was doing as much if not more church work as my dad (who was not a senior pastor at the time), so while some of their more “pastoral” experiences i can only relate to from a level of peer support, most of their discussions resonate directly

interviews about guests’ journeys, almost all (ex)pastors or other religious leaders + conversations between the hosts about a certain topic + practical advice like building a resume when your only experience is in church work

Episode 23: Pay Janice Lagata

Bart Ehrman, acclaimed New Testament scholar & former evangelical

the Bart Ehrman Blog Podcast hosts audio of select posts (his entire posting library is available for an annual fee his organization donates to charity)

a variety of his interviews & audio of his guest lectures can be found across various other podcasts

How Jesus Became God lecture (i also recently finished this book lol)

The Bible as Literature & Media lecture

Bad Words with Janice Lagata

she’s a former longtime unpaid worker in the upper levels of Hillsong

premise is “giving bad theology the read it deserves” — each episode discusses a chapter of a book reflective of evangelical theology/culture

she’s amazing but unfortunately i have trouble with the audio quality of her guests a lot of the time

her other podcast is God Has Not Given

Mormon.ish with Rebecca Bibliotheca & Landon Brophy

exMo & culturally Mormon news analysis & history

Rebecca does Mormon News Roundup which is sometimes cross-posted on Mormon Stories which is how i found her podcast, i find her style really easy to listen to

The LDS “Indian Placement Program” & Its Legacy with Native academic Dr. Elise Boxer (the blurb on the listing is accidentally from the wrong week but it’s the right audio)

LDS International Temple Building: The Same Controversial Playbook? with anthropologist Jason Boxer, about LDS neo/colonialism in Peru & how these tactics are then applied domestically

Go Home Bible, You’re Drunk with Tori Williams Douglass & Justin Gentry

started out with them doing drinking games to bible stories, now a mix of discussing bible stories or evangelical cultural phenomena, alcohol optional. more casual / laid-back vibe

gonna be a pedant for a second, honestly now that they do more cultural commentary eps i prefer those bc as someone who reads a lot of historical-critical biblical analysis it bothers me when they refer to the way they were taught / evangelicals teach the text as the meaning of the text, when there’s cultural/symbolic background they’re not aware of (in those instances; i’m not trying to say they’re uninformed or anything). particularly bothers me when it’s about a story from Judaism

Blessed Are The Binary Breakers with Avery Arden @blessedarethebinarybreakers

more Christian than ex but lots of trans guests + broad experiences of & perspectives on faith

Another Name for Every Thing with Richard Rohr

he’s a Franciscan mystic & panentheist (distinct & very different, as he reminds listeners often, from my pantheism lol)

this podcast discusses his book The Universal Christ, he has other audio projects

i hope some of those are interesting to / helpful for you! wishing you all the best xx

[lacunafiction]

Progress Update: 31 July 2023

Book One Launch Post (DEMO!) | TFS Patreon (New Benefits!) 🌲

On TFS Patreon, you can use the ‘#public’ tag to explore content that’s open to everyone as a ‘thank you’, including stories, wallpapers, recipes, and a quiz.

Hi Returning Visitors!

I hope you‘re all doing well.

To avoid my usual rambling, I’ve used bullets! 😌 You’ll find some news below, a J snippet that should leave you wanting more, Patreon changes, and more!

Really, I probably should have waited a day to publish this in August, but it’s close enough. 😊 TFS: Book Two is progressing very well.

I recently surpassed a word count milestone while working on some RO branches! Each character is getting special attention. The words keep stacking up every day, fueled by your support and encouragement, as I work away at the outline. This book should be over 1 million words.

You all will be meeting some new characters in Book Two, although deepening the bonds/relationships with the Fernweh Gang is the main focus. There are also a lot of scenes with A. Corvin and more encounters with Ms. Verner, Marjorie, Milton, and even Officer Warren. It’s been so much fun working on the character dynamics and writing MC choices. 📚

✨New TFS Patreon benefits✨: I just updated them a few days ago, so you can read the announcement: here. Now, you can become further lost in Fernweh with monthly updates from Book Two. I’m eager to share spicy/heated Q&A’s and stories 🔥, including one with R. Verner soon. And more!

Here is a snippet from Book Two (Spoilers) 👀!

James

You almost wish there were more buttons to undo…

James's expression is one of concentration, but you know better than to peer too deeply into his intense green eyes, even if you'd prefer to get lost in them than in Fernweh's forests. Some raven hair grazes James's left cheek after having escaped his hair tie.

Jane

You almost wish there were more buttons to undo…

Jane's expression is one of concentration, but you know better than to peer too deeply into her intense green eyes, even if you'd prefer to get lost in them than in Fernweh's forests. Some raven hair grazes Jane's left cheek after having escaped her hair tie.

Thank you for all of your encouragement and support! 💚

If you enjoyed your time in Fernweh, please consider reviewing/rating it. 🥰 

[freesia-writes]

First time making a request, I'm nervous lol

I would love something kinda awkward but sweet with my main Man Howzer.

Either the "being too awkward to know what to do with the hands" and/ or the panic while figuring out if they are actually leaning in for a kiss

The awkward one being reader, GN as well if possible 🫶🏼

Feel free to ignore if the request post was old and my ask is out of place 😱

Have a great rest of the weekend 🫶🏼

Helloooooo my friend! What a joy and honor to be your first request. Thank you SO MUCH for your patience. Writing has been so hard for me lately; trying to have a steady stream of thought feels like wading through mud. But I've missed it and have felt more inspired to give it a try, so I hope my clunky effort is somewhat heartwarming and enjoyable! :)

Howzer x GN!Reader Word Count: 1.8k

You’d rolled your eyes when your Galactic Political Science class had assigned you to an externship on the planet Ryloth, having only heard of its dusty plains and occasionally volatile population. But now, eight months later, you wouldn’t have it any other way. Your job shadows of various political aides and diplomatic entourages had led you right into the vicinity of the man of your dreams. He was a clone, which some of your Coruscant classmates teased you about, but you couldn’t care less what they thought, uppity and narrow-minded as they were. 

Captain Howzer had caught your eye in one of the first meetings held on the planet, and your jaw had nearly dropped open at the sight of him. Immediately overthinking it, you wondered if you were so shallow that something so simple as a haircut could really make that much of a difference. But in hindsight, you were convinced that you were instead just an excellent judge of character, as your time working in close proximity to him had revealed a depth and integrity that left you in awe. He was level-headed and clever, and often came up with solutions to issues or conflicts that were impressively insightful. 

He was also kind of a dork. 

You’d never have believed it, but the more time you spent together, the more you caught the cheesy little jokes he’d make or the awkward comments that would slip by. As if he couldn’t be any cuter, his self-effacing humor and easygoing approach to life were just cherries on top.

So when it came time for your externship to come to an end, you were not in any hurry to leave. You’d enjoyed a number of mildly flirtatious moments with Howzer amid a great many conversations and encounters within your line of work, and yet you still felt as though he had enough depth to keep you pursuing him for decades. But you didn’t have many options: your program needed to be finished and it required your presence on Coruscant. To drop out now would be to lose everything you’d worked toward… not to mention your parents would never forgive you. 

You weren’t sure what to do, but you knew you had to do something. 

Your chance came not too long after, as the Ryloth session came to a close with a “Review Ceremony”, complete with awards and rife with lessons on political butt-kissing and how to appear in public to best sway opinion in your direction. You couldn’t have felt more uncomfortable if you tried. It was a black tie event, with all of the leaders in the sector attending, as well as aides, classmates, and local law enforcement. You chafed in your outfit, trying to walk as smoothly as possible through the doors, which opened into a massive chamber so tall you couldn’t see where it ended. 

Graceful vines and floating luminaries wove an intricate pattern above the guests, casting a warm glow across the proceedings. The hubbub of conversation was punctuated by the tinkling of expensive crystal and effervescent laughter as the influencers of the sector rubbed elbows and congratulated each other on everything and nothing. You were at the edge of a group of some of your peers, nodding and smiling at what you hoped were the appropriate places, but you weren’t really paying attention. 

If this externship had taught you anything, it was that you didn’t really have any interest whatsoever in this side of politics, and you were instead trying to look around the cavernous room for any sight of Howzer. You were scheduled to leave in the morning and still hadn’t found a time or way to confess any feelings. Even if you had found the right moment, you were still going back and forth endlessly about doing it at all. You were leaving, so what was the point? It’s not like he could leave his post and come with you…

“Excuse me,” a voice broke through your reverie, a voice you’d recognize anywhere… You turned far too quickly to “keep your cool”, heart skipping a beat when you saw Howzer in his standard armor. He tilted his head and you could almost see his expression through his helmet as he continued, “There seems to be an issue with your luggage. Would you please follow me?” 

You’d packed all your things that day, scheduled to ship out bright and early with the first transport. At first, you frowned, feeling that familiar anxiety in the pit of your stomach as you considered any and every possibility of what could have gone wrong. But when you noticed his broad shoulders ahead of you headed out onto the balcony, you were thoroughly confused. 

“Howzer, where’s–” you began, but he turned around so quickly you almost ran into him, hands a hair’s length away from his chest plate. 

“Sorry,” he answered, a crooked grin on his beautiful face as he pulled off his helmet. “You looked as miserable as I felt in there, so I thought we could get some air. Plus, there’s something kinda neat out here tonight…” He looked almost sheepish, sending a thrill from your head to your toes. You opened your mouth to ask about it but couldn’t get a word out when he suddenly took your hand in his. You could barely feel the warmth through his glove, but the thrill it sent through you felt like an electric charge. 

He pulled you gently toward the edge of the balcony, where a thick railing curved in a graceful half-circle that allowed for a beautiful view of the evening horizon. The dark Ryloth sky was peppered with distant stars and nearby planets, as well as the occasional ship coming or going. As the two of you came to a halt against the railing, he released your hand, leaving a cold emptiness where it had been, and pointed at a cluster of glimmering lights in the sky. 

“If you watch there for the next twenty minutes, there’s a meteor shower expected to start…”

“Twenty minutes!” you laughed.

“I mean…” he began, faltering with a chuckle, “I guess that is a bit of a long time…” 

“We’ll have to find some way to keep ourselves occupied for all that time I guess,” you said, choking on your own words as they came out sounding far more suggestive than you’d anticipated. “I mean… I’d like to see it, and… Well I don’t know when the ceremony will be starting… But I also don’t really care…. I mean, not like I’m going to win any awards, but…” Your brain yelled at you to stop talking, because every word felt as though it were making it worse. 

But Howzer seemed unfazed, his steady presence brightened by the sparkle in his eye as he shook his head. “And just why wouldn’t you win an award?” was his only response, leaning over the railing to gaze out across the expanse, keeping his words light but still casting a sideways glance at you that gave you the tingles.

“They’re not given based on merit…” you began, cynicism rising to the surface in the wake of your stressful end-of-internship duties. His gaze danced in the moonlight, flickers of amusement battling an undercurrent of something deeper, something warmer. It felt like forever until his soft voice broke the spell.

"Well, I don’t know if they told you, but you were the first place finalist for the Howzer trophy," he countered, his grin widening as he turned fully to face you. 

You laughed out loud now, clapping a hand to your forehead. “Oh?” you asked curiously, hoping beyond hope that it meant what you thought. The awkwardness that had been simmering between you seemed to dissolve, replaced by a charged stillness. 

The silence stretched, punctuated only by the distant thrum of the city and the faint murmur of voices from within the chamber behind. Your hands, previously clutched together in nervous anticipation, twitched instinctively. One of them, as if possessed by its own will, drifted up, hovering near his armor plate for a second before returning to the railing.

Howzer's breath hitched, and his eyes flickered down to your hand, then back up to your eyes. His grin, which had been playful moments ago, softened into something sweeter, something tinged with a hint of vulnerability that mirrored your own. He leaned in, slowly, his face a mere whisper away from yours. 

“Yeah. I think you’re great,” he said softly.

Now your own breath caught in your throat, your mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Should you pull away? Lean in? Speak, even though the right words seemed impossible in the face of this sudden, electrifying intimacy? The decision was almost out of your hands as his face drew closer still. His lips, slightly parted, hovered just a hair's breadth from yours. Was he leaning in for a kiss? Or was he teasing, enjoying the delicious torture of unspoken promises? That didn’t seem like him, but why was he taking so long? 

“Howzer, I… um…” you began, kicking yourself immediately for speaking in a moment such as this. Should you cup his face? Playfully brush a strand of hair from his forehead? Interlace your fingers with his? Your palms felt slick with nervous sweat, your fingers twitching with the urge to do something, anything, but they remained awkwardly suspended in the space between you.

His eyes seemed to twinkle with unspoken laughter, as if he could see the frantic dance of indecision playing out behind your eyes. But then, a flicker of something softer, something genuine, replaced the teasing glint. His gaze held yours, steady and intense, a silent plea for permission and eager hope. And in that moment, you knew. This wasn't about playful banter or coy games. 

With a sharp inhale, you closed the distance, your own lips meeting his in a hesitant, unsure kiss. Your hands, finally finding their purpose, landed clumsily on his chest for a moment, then tentatively cupped his face. His own hands, just as unsure, found their way to your waist, pulling you closer, grounding you in the reality of his closeness. When you finally pulled away, breathless and dizzying, your eyes met his, and the awkwardness was gone, replaced by a quiet joy. The two of you stared at each other for a moment, relishing in the waves of bliss that were washing over you repeatedly. 

"So," Howzer said, his voice rough with emotion, a playful glint still lingering in his eyes. "Still about seventeen minutes til that meteor shower eh?”

You laughed, absolutely quavering with emotion and excitement. “What to do…” you murmured, voice shaky and heart bursting at the seams. 

“I can think of a few things,” he murmured, stroking the side of your cheek with the back of his hand.

Tag List: @littlefeatherr @arctrooper69 @foreverdaydreaming1 @stunkbiggu @mxkyrie @littlemissbshine @dreamie411 @skellymom @followthepurrgil @the-hexfiles @1vlouds @ughhhhfoff @coraex @gt13tbbart @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @ghostperson69 @secondaryrealm @hellhound5925 @thew0nderer2342 @cloneloverrrrr @kashasenpai @clonethirstingisreal @girl_scout_reject @dukeoftheblackstar @kimiheartblade @mooncommlink @stardusthuntress @starstofillmydream @eyecandyeoz @dhawerdaverd @ladylucksrogue @thiswitchloves9904 @isthereanechoinhere96 @tech-aficionado @foodmoneyandcats @eternal-transcience @cw80831 @adh-d2 @techmexicanvieja @ezras-left-thumb @trixie2023 @sleepycreativewriter @nonsenseandm3mes

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[arachnoia]

mode ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ | miguel o’hara

miguel o’hara x afab! reader

in which one of new york’s most famous models runs into an old acquaintance during a modeling gig.

had a lil drabble in mind so i wrote it!! thank you guys so so much for liking my last posts it means a lot!! tbh idk what this was but I was j writing. i’m open to write other characters but need ideas so pls drop some in my requests! formula 1 is also going to be continued v v soon!

thank you! 😪🙏🏼

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You’ve always had aspirations of becoming a model, being on a billboard along with many celebrities you admired.

The posing, the glamour, the attention.

It was a dream you’ve always had, having an insatiable hunger for it.

You drank your chai in peace as you were just finished your Pilates class. You had a photoshoot later on to model some new brand that hit social media and exploded in popularity. It could help both your public images.

“Good morning, N/n!” Jess said, giving you a hug from behind.

Jess is your roommate and has been your best friend since your freshman year in high school. The both of you bonded over American pop culture, fashion, and the immense difficulty of your freshman physics class.

She had your back when you forgot the formula for net force and when you were having emotional turmoil over your crush on Miguel O’Hara.

Everyone knew about your crush on him because who would have a crush on the physics math geek?

You.

He was scrawny, quiet, a nerd, and no one knew who he was. Until people found out you liked him, which was obvious because you would get caught staring at him from across the lunchroom multiple times.

The two of you were polar opposites socially.

You weren’t popular, to say the least, but it’s not like people didn’t know who you are. There were a decent amount of people who liked you in high school, but you only had your eye on him.

Like Jess, he was also in your physics class freshman year and caught your eye.

He’s the reason why you wanted to do modeling.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It was junior year in your AP Lang class and you two were doing peer reviews for an essay.

You two were in a library near your high school. It was quiet until he just blurted out: “You should consider modeling, Y/n.”

Your eyes widened at his sudden compliment, “What?”

He just shrugged and pushed up his square glasses. “I’m just saying that you’d look nice on a cover of a magazine. You look the type.”

“O-Oh…Thanks?”

You mentally slapped yourself for sounding so awkward.

His face stayed as nonchalant as always, “Mhm.”

It was safe to say that there wasn’t a single word spoken after that.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Jess tied up her hair and stretched. “Do you need a ride? Isn’t the studio in Manhattan?”

You shook your head and sipped your chai, “Nope, it’s in Brooklyn. And it’s okay! I have some errands to run after the shoot if it won’t take long.”

“Alright, girl. What’s the guy’s name again? The guy that owns the brand.”

“I think his name's Gabriel?” You shrugged and took a bite out of your açaí bowl. Jess took a spoon and ate some too.

“Wow! You just take my breakfast huh?”

Jess giggled and ran back to her room, “Good luckkkk!”

You scoffed and smiled, “You bitch!”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You took the train to get to the studio and walked there.

It was a little apartment building that had some graffiti on the side of the wall. You liked how nice the graffiti was.

You went inside and knocked on the door for apartment 206.

You heard some clutter and a voice all of a sudden, “-Coming!”

The door opened to a young man, maybe in his 20s? Early 30s?

“Hi, my name is Gabriel! You’re Y/n Y/l/n? I’ve heard so much about you! You’re an amazing model. Your magazine shoot with Vogue was so nice!” he gushed.

His voice sounded really familiar but wasn’t at the same time.

“Oh thank you so much! Your brand is actually really nice! Thank you for reaching out! Can I come in?”

He rushed in and stood to the side of the door, “Of course! Come right in!”

The apartment was really nice and was a decent size. Not too big and small.

Some assistants were running around getting some clothes ready and preparing the violet backdrop with a silver desk that looked like something out of Star Wars.

You got into many different outfits which were really modern and motorsport-ish.

It reminded you of that futuristic streetwear style that’s growing these days, which was really fresh to see.

Gabriel popped in from the lounge area where you were already dressed to go home, “You did really good! Again thank you so much for coming! It’s going to do the brand so so well!”

You smiled and nodded, “Of course! It was nice meeting-“

You heard the door open and was interrupted by another voice, “Hey Gabri, you left your electronic watch at my place.”

Gabriel smiled and went over to claim his watch, punching the man in the arm, “Thanks Miggy!”

Your face twisted from a smile to a shocked expression.

“Oh! Y/n, meet my older brother, Miguel!” Gabriel said, pointing at his brother.

“Miggy, meet Y/n Y/l/n! She’s an awesome model who’s helping me promote my brand!”

He looked over to you and stared, “I’ve heard of who she is.”

You couldn’t help but have your jaw drop. Your eyes couldn’t believe it.

That scrawny, shy kid from high school was no more. He got replaced by a man with a body identical to a greek god’s, beautiful, luscious locks of chestnut hair, and gorgeous arms.

He still had his old square glasses which added charm to the rest of his outfit; a black compression shirt and grey sweatpants.

He made you feel like you were back in high school, crushing on him while he explained formulas to you.

“I said ‘hi’, Ms. Y/l/n,” he smiled, looking you up and down. You didn’t know if he was being judgmental or just observing.

“O-Oh! Hi!” You held at your hand to Miguel, who looked a slight bit amused and shook it.

“My brother here is a chemical engineer at this place, Alche-what?”

Miguel rolled his eyes and laughed, “Alchemax. And it’s nice to meet you, miss.”

Gabriel smiled and checked his phone due to it ringing loudly, “Shoot! I have to pick up some fabric I ordered. It’s the last one they have! Migs, please lock up! Good bye, Ms. Y/l/n!”

Gabriel ran out the studio and threw the keys at Miguel, who caught them quickly.

Miguel looked back at you and smiled sarcastically, “Y’know, it would’ve been nice if you weren’t eye fucking me in front of my own brother, Ms. Y/l/n.”

You felt shivers down your spine.

The way your last name rolled off his tongue was so sexy, especially with that slight accent he’s always had.

You tried to say something so you wouldn’t look like a complete idiot in front of your high school crush, “E-Excuse me…?“

“You heard me, Y/n.”

Oh fuck.

“I b-believe you’re mistaken. I would never do that in a professional setting with someone I work with.”

You mentally cheered yourself on. You weren’t sounding like an idiot anymore.

You don’t think.

He hummed and shrugged, “I didn’t think I would see you working with my brother, yet here we are. How’s life been?”

What the fuck?

How could he be so calm and asking ‘how’s life?’ after accusing you for eyefucking him.

He wasn’t wrong but it’s embarrassing.

“It’s fine. So you work at Alchemax?”

“Yeah. We’re working on something right now, but I can’t tell you.” He started chuckling and folded his arms

God, how much you loved that in high school.

Even then, he would make every single little thing so sexy.

In high school, he looked like he had never experienced a touch of a woman.

But now…

“Why not?”

He leaned down and whispered in your ear, “It’s top secret, nena.”

You looked at him from the side of your eye and he locked eyes with you.

You couldn’t deny the rough tension in the room.

His eyes were a beautiful shade of ruby red, accentuated thanks to the blinding glare of the studio lights still being on.

Then you locked your eyes to his lips. They were so full and beautiful and you wanted to kiss them.

He smiled at you and was going to pull back from his leaning position before you wrapped your arms around his neck and connected your lips to his.

You’ve been waiting since freshman year to kiss him. Who could blame you?

What you didn’t expect is for him to kiss you back, more rough and passionate.

You felt him smile a bit, making you kiss him even more.

It didn’t take long for you and Miguel to walk towards the desk, where he broke from the kiss and pushed you against the desk, ass facing him.

You were still in disbelief that you were making out with your high school crush so suddenly, making your heart pound.

You were wearing one of your favorite outfits; a black corset top and a white lace skirt you stole from Jess.

You felt him rub your ass before he spanked it under your skirt, hearing him growl a bit. “Fuck…”

He leaned towards to kiss your cheek, feeling his hard bulge from his sweatpants. “Let me make you feel good, cariño.”

Did you mention you loved it when he spoke in Spanish? You loved it when he spoke in general.

You turned around and sat on the desk as you took off your top and slid down your skirt, leaving you in your panties.

He looked at you up and down again, now with underlying lust and darkness in his eyes, “I’ve been waiting to do this since high school.”

He roughly took his shirt off and also slid down his pants, leaving you to gawk at his stunningly toned body.

“Like what you see? Careful, mi bélla, you have something aquí,” he smirked as he caressed your face.

He placed his hand on your hip and played with the string of your underwear before ripping it apart with his (abnormally?) long nails.

“That’s better,” he said as he pulled the piece of clothing off of you. He took off his boxers and as soon as he did that, you kneeled down and started rubbing on his length.

“Let me make you feel good first.” You started grazing your lips on it and kissed his swollen tip, already oozing with precum.

You put him inside your mouth and he started to gently thrust as you started to suck.

“Yeah baby, you feel so fucking good-"

You felt like gagging, taking him all, thick, long, and veiny.

It didn’t take long for him to ejaculate in your mouth, having you swallow and some of his cum spilling on the sides of your mouth.

“God, you look so sexy like this,” he whispered, brushing some of your hair away from your face. You smiled up at him as he bit his lip.

He sat you on top of the desk, legs wide open.

He started to play with your clit and inserted two fingers almost immediatly to your already wet core.

"M-Miguel...fuck."

You whimpered quietly as he started to fingerfuck you fastly.

He chuckled darkly, "If you can't handle my fingers, then I'd like to see you handle my cock."

You laughed dryly and cried out as he went even faster.

Right as you were going to come, he stopped.

"Why did you do that," you slurred, feeling high on the sexual tension.

"Don't worry, just wait."

He whispered as he kept teasing your poor clit and started to pump his dick.

"Shhhhh" he muttered as he started to insert himself inch by inch, “Estas haciendo bien, mi linda. AY DIOS-"

Your eyes widened at how much he stretched you out, and it was barely the tip. "Oh fuck, Miguel-"

"D-Don't worry, baby. You're doing good..."

You scratched at his back as you bounced again and again. "O-Oh my fucking god..."

You felt like you were in a porn movie with how loud your moans and how bright the studio lights were, accentuating every crease and muscle on Miguel’s hot body.

You couldn’t help but stare as he mindlessly rearranges your organs fucking you.

You started to hold on to his arms as he went at a violent pace.

“A-Alchemax must stress the living shit out of you, h-huh? F-FUCK!”

He smiled a bit as he went a little faster, “You can’t...imagine. Estos pinche- PUTA MADRÉ-"

You felt him twitch inside of you and release, filling you up to the brim as you released your high as well.

"Oh s-shit..."

You mumbled before covering your face, turning over to hide your face and just bent over.

He kissed your exhausted body on the desk, all sweaty and hot from your tiring activities from earlier.

As he dressed up again, he couldn’t help but stare at his masterpiece; having Y/n Y/l/n, one of New York’s most respected models, in such a slutted out position.

Bent over and trembling, filled up to the rim with his cum.

Although he was a chemical engineer at such a highly respected place such as Alchemax, he couldn't help but feel proud that he had you like this.

Just for him.

[evidence-based-activism]

I’m curious your thoughts on the Imane Khelif situation now that it’s been proven she is biologically female and the “test” was Russian propaganda? How do we prevent this situation in the future?

I have looked and found no evidence that "it’s been proven she is biologically female."

My thoughts on the situation are discussed in this post.

(If you'd like to send me a source, feel free, but if it's another article saying she has an "F" on her passport then I'm just going to redirect you back to the linked post.)

As to preventing situations like this, I touch on this in the post above, but I believe the answer is (roughly) as follows:

Have major international and national sports regulatory bodies acknowledge the biological differences in men and women that support the need for sex segregated sports (discussed in this post) as well as the historical discrimination against women and women's sports. Given the decentralized nature of these organizations, focus should be on the largest national and international regulatory bodies.

Have these regulatory bodies acknowledge that transgender women are physically advantaged in sport-specific tasks as compared to female people and acknowledge the harm they have done to women and women's sports in prioritizing identity over biology.

Have these regulatory bodies create sport-specific rules concerning sex-segregation in sports. That is, each sport should either be entirely sex-segregated (by biology) or not sex-segregated at all. These decisions should be primarily based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence concerning relevant biological differences, but historical context should also be taken into consideration. The data sets the evidence discusses should be open-access to allow for independent corroboration of results.

Have these regulatory bodies create clear, fair, rules concerning athletes with DSDs (disorders of sex development/"intersex"). Each DSD should be considered individually to determine the rules concerning which sex category the athletes will compete in (reasoning discussed in the first link). Again, these rules should be based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence concerning athletic ability. The rules should be publicly accessible.

Non-invasive sex testing (as in, a cheek swab, which is significantly less uncomfortable than a COVID nose swab, and absolutely nothing like the historical "visual inspections" of the past) should be uniformly required at a predetermined competition level (e.g., for professional athletes). Any discrepancies would be investigated non-invasively (e.g., genetic testing, which requires only a blood sample) and the rules discussed above would be applied as appropriate. The specifics of any individual athlete's medical results should not be made public.

Currently, these regulatory bodies' disregard for patently obvious scientific realities have eroded public trust and damaged their reputation. These actions would help to restore trust, but, more importantly, would also allow for independent investigation and evaluation of relevant rules. (That is, allow concerned parties to "trust but verify".)

Equally important is that these actions would protect the privacy of all athletes, while also maintaining fair, evidence-based, competition. The IOC did a great disservice to Khelif. If they had clear, transparent, evidence-based rules concerning sex-testing and athletes with DSDs they could have simply indicated that she did/did not meet the requirements as defined by their organization. At the very least, they could have followed up on this issue before Khelif became the center of a media circus. Instead, they created a situation where the only way to "prove" Khelif is female is to release her highly private medical information, which is an inappropriate invasion of privacy.

I hope this helps!

[superlinguo]

Himalayan Linguistics, Linguistics Vanguard and the Australian Journal of Linguistics

In 2024 I have returned to my role as an editor of Himalayan Linguistics, and have joined the editorial boards of two other journals; Linguistics Vanguard and the Australian Journal of Linguistics. I've published in each of these journals before joining the editorial boards, and it's lovely to be involved in three journals across three different areas of interest.

Himalayan Linguistics is a fully Open Access journal, while Linguistics Vanguard and the Australian Journal of Linguistics have a mix of open access and licensed content. If you are an academic and your work is relevant to any of these three journals, please consider them for your next research paper!

Himalayan Linguistics

One of my first academic publications was with Himalayan Linguistics in 2013. I've been so grateful for all the work of the editorial team over the years that I joined the board, and then stepped up as editor in 2022. My co-editors are Gregory Anderson and You-Jing Lin.

Himalayan Linguistics costs nothing to read, and charges no fees for publishing. We're lucky to have the University of California eScholarship infrastructure for publishing. It's my favourite model for academic research.

From the website:

Himalayan Linguistics is an online peer-reviewed journal specializing in languages of the Himalayan region. We publish articles, book reviews, book notices and field reports in the semi-annual issues of the journals. We also publish grammars, dictionaries, and text collections as free-standing publications in our “Archive” series. Himalayan Linguistics is free; that is, there is no subscription fee, and there is no fee charged to authors who publish their papers in HL.

My publications in HL, Superlinguo summary posts:

The relationship between Yolmo and Kagate: Article in Himalayan Linguistics

Reported evidentiality in Tibeto-Burman languages

Linguistics Vanguard

Linguistics Vanguard launched in 2015 and I was eyeing it off for years before being delighted to have a chance to submit a paper for the 2023 Special Issue on scifi corpus methods. Yup, it's the kind of journal that's cool enough to have a whole special issue on using corpora to do linguistics on scifi. I have another paper in the revisions process with LV on lingcomm. I can attest to the speedy process and focus on conciseness. I'm delighted to join as an area manager for gesture and multimodal submissions.

Linguistics Vanguard is a new channel for high quality articles and innovative approaches in all major fields of linguistics. This multimodal journal is published solely online and provides an accessible platform supporting both traditional and new kinds of publications. Linguistics Vanguard seeks to publish concise and up-to-date reports on the state of the art in linguistics as well as cutting-edge research papers. With its topical breadth of coverage and anticipated quick rate of production, it is one of the leading platforms for scientific exchange in linguistics. Its broad theoretical range, international scope, and diversity of article formats engage students and scholars alike.

My publications in LV, Superlinguo summary posts:

From Star Trek to The Hunger Games: Emblem gestures in science fiction and their uptake in popular culture

Australian Journal of Linguistics

The Australian Linguistic Society is my local linguistics org, and I'm delighted to join an editorial board full of people whose work I deeply respect. I'm also happy to report the AJL recently adopted the Tromsø Recommendations for data citation.

The Australian Journal of Linguistics is the official journal of the Australian Linguistic Society and the premier international journal on language in Australia and the region. The focus of the journal is research on Australian Indigenous languages, Australian Englishes, community languages in Australia, language in Australian society, and languages of the Australian-Pacific region. The journal publishes papers that make a significant theoretical, methodological and/or practical contribution to the field and are accessible to a broad audience.

My publications in AJL, Superlinguo summary posts:

Ten years of Linguistics in the Pub (Australian Journal of Linguistics)

Revisiting Significant Action and Gesture Categorization

[autisticgirliesbracket]

What makes Asa Mitaka from Chainsaw Man the autistic girlie ever of all time? Here's what the people have to say:

Asa-related asks/reblogs: x This post will be updated after each round!

Image ID in alt text and under the readmore.

[Image ID. White slide with a manga panel of Asa in the top right corner, she has been edited to be wearing a blue cap with the words "Please be patient I have autism" printed on the front. She is surrounded by text boxes which read,

"Goes to the aquarium with a guy and infodumps about sea anemonies."

"I kin her unironically. Unbelievable social awkward. Goes to an aquarium date where she spends the entire time explaining facts about the Animals fully in an attempt to impress her date. She must be avenged from the ADHD vs Autism bracket. Is isolated from her peers. Chronically lonely but won't open up to anyone(not sure if that's an Autism thing or just a personal problem probably a combination of both) Have you read the Manga?"

"has a VERY hard time with social interaction"

"She is absolutely baffled by everything + doesn't get most things at first"

"there's an extended scene where she flirts with a boy by lecturing him about sea anemone life cycles, breeding patterns, and other extended trivia. the whole time she is thinking to herself "he must be falling in love with me right about now. this is an irresistible date." "

"Literally infodumps to the boy shes on a date with for like 3 straight pages and then goes "i'm so alluring. he definetely wants me now" "

"from the scene that was all over tumblr where she infodumps about starfish on an aquarium date and considers this her Ultimate Seduction Technique. a guy on reddit literally got diagnosed because he could relate to her. it's awesome"

"Tried to impress a guy on a date by monologuing starfish facts about him, was genuinely astonished that that didn't drive him wild with desire. Also she's sharing her body with a horsewoman of the apocalypse but that's unrelated."

"If her long-winded rant about sea creatures as an attempt to seduce someone wasn't enough, then a lot of her trauma is based around being ostracized for being weird and quiet. She doesn't understand people but wants companionship anyways, even if shes also afraid of it."

"She feels disconnected to her peers. She literally infodumps while on a date for thirty minutes about starfish. She doesn't see this as a social faux pas, but rather something any sane person would do. (Basically, doesn't realize this is abnormal.) She misses social cues frequently. She feels below average empathy, I'd say. Asa also said she wanted to die after embarrassing herself in public. That doesn't mean she's autistic or anything, but I'm autistic and I do it a lot. Also, I'm autistic and I relate to her, so she kind of has a peer reviewed diagnosis by me lol."

"Socially awkward and prone to info dumping."

"shes cringe fail and has no idea what shes doing ever i love her so much (shes just like me fr"

"I’m sure you’ve seen her failgirl cringe aquarium infordump that she’s sure will charm any boy (note: fails to charm the world’s loosest teenage boy.) She sucks at a lot of social stuff but also doesn’t get why and just thinks she’s wrong or cursed or smth. Likes animals over people. Doesn’t have a single friend until another loner who happens to be more extroverted basically adopts her as her friend."

"1) thought lecturing her date about sea creatures for like 30 minutes each would impress him and make him like her and was confused when he wasn’t into it (I would be into it tho it’s ok bby he just has adhd). 2) had the date planned out to the MINUTE and told the poor guy to shut up when he wanted to do something different. Literally a formula for how to have fun and she thought it was foolproof. 3) encyclopedic knowledge of sea creatures either points to a special interest and/or she just decided to research all that shit the night before for the date (she did say she went to the library in preparation), either way. tism I love her I’m rotating her in my brain" End ID.]

[gumjrop]

The Weather

All areas of the country are now at High or Very High levels of COVID Transmission.

According to the new CDC National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) dashboard, all regions are experiencing increased COVID wastewater levels, with the Midwest being the highest. Nationally, wastewater levels are “very high.” Driven by the JN.1 variant, we are currently seeing the second highest wastewater levels since BA.1, the first Omicron wave in January 2022.

We continue to stress the importance of mitigating the spread of COVID, especially during this time of increasing transmission. Please continue to wear a high quality respirator mask (such as an N95) in indoor settings of any capacity, and postpone crowded events. In addition, make sure to take appropriate precautions when meeting with others.

Wins

Amidst this new surge, many hospitals – some responding to staffing shortages, and some responding to public pressure – have reinstated mask mandates. We celebrate the work of organizers across the country including those at Care Not COVID Chicagoland, COVID Safe Maryland, COVID Advocacy NY, and MaskBlocs around the country who organized a call-in to hospitals last week to demand they reinstate – and make permanent – masking policies.  A coalition protest by Sacramento Jewish Voices for Peace, Sunrise Movement Sacramento, International Jewish Anti-Zionist network, Bay Area JVP, & Youth 4 Palestine Sac organized a fully masked (N95!) and tested (2 days in a row!) pro-Palestine protest at the CA State Capitol in Sacramento last week.  ACTUP’s New York chapter has voted to require and provide KN95 masks at all upcoming meetings and actions “due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recent surge, as well as to increase safety from surveillance at protests.”  Solidarity means we protect each other, and these organizers are showing us the way!

Variants

JN.1, a BA.2.86 descendent, is rising to prominence quickly in the United States. Nowcast estimates predict that by 1/6/2024, JN.1 will account for 61.6% of circulating variants. According to preliminary non-peer reviewed data, the newest (XBB.1.5) booster helps to protect against the JN.1 variant. Conversely, older vaccines did not offer significant protection against JN.1.  It is important to receive the updated booster, especially since uptake is currently low–according to a poll conducted by Gallup, only 29% of 6,000 participants surveyed received the updated vaccine as of December 7, 2023. This is in stark contrast to flu vaccine rates, polled at 49%. This is likely due to an imbalance in public health messaging–while efforts were poured into advertising the flu vaccine, not as much emphasis was placed on receiving the updated booster.

Hospitalizations

Weekly COVID hospitalizations continue to trend upward, now at 34,798 for the week ending December 30, 2023. The numbers for currently hospitalized patients with COVID are also increasing, currently at 25,430. In terms of regional trends, the Northeast and Midwest are seeing higher rates of hospitalization. When reviewing these numbers we must also remember that patients who are already admitted for other reasons and are suffering from nosocomial, or hospital-acquired infections, are not accounted for in this data.

Hospitals are overwhelmed. Healthcare workers are demanding support from administrators. Read this account of ER nurses at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx who say that the hospital executives are refusing to open up vacant areas of the hospital to accommodate the surge in patients – leaving the ER dangerously overcrowded and forcing patients into hallway beds.

Long COVID

A new cross-sectional study published in Nature Communications found that Long COVID patients with post-exertional malaise (PEM) exhibit skeletal muscle changes that are exacerbated by exercise. PEM patients are also found to have unique pathophysiological changes, such as amyloid-containing deposits in muscle tissue. These findings contribute to mounting evidence that COVID infection can significantly damage the body, and more research is necessary in order to fully understand manifestations of Long COVID. If readers are curious, summarized findings can be found in this X (Twitter) thread, penned by one of the authors. Long COVID research is important. This is why it is essential that all Long COVID research centers adhere to the strictest infection prevention protocols. Read this account of a person disabled by Long COVID who dropped out of a study because the study personnel refused to mask. We saw this same phenomenon last spring at Stanford during a study of Paxlovid’s impact on Long COVID rates.

Take Action

This week Jewish Currents put out a report on The Epidemiological War on Gaza, which amplified WHO’s January 2nd announcement that “there are currently 424,639 [reported] cases of infectious disease in Gaza,” an area with only 2 million residents total. With the ongoing destruction of hospitals and deprivation of food and water and environmental pollution from continued bombardment, the occupying forces have ensured the conditions for continued deaths even in times of ceasefire. Call your representatives and join a protest this week to demand a ceasefire and the reconstruction of Palestinian medical infrastructure towards fair health access for all peoples! Let us support Massachusetts General Brigham Long COVID patients by telling the hospital to 1) meet all patient accessibility requests including wearing N95 respirators upon request and 2) make universal masking their new standard of care. They can be contacted through their contact form, or by calling 1-800-856-1983. Rashida Tlaib sent out an email blast informing constituents of the current surge. The message included acknowledgment of COVID’s airborne nature, recommendation to wear a well-fitting mask, a link to access free tests through USPS, and information on updated vaccines and COVID transmission. Let’s contact Congresswoman Tlaib and thank her for this invaluable action! 

Future Weather Reports

Starting next week, we will begin to publish the Weather Report on a bi-weekly basis. This will allow our team to focus on crafting action campaigns to push for a comprehensive public health approach to the pandemic, including mask mandates, paid sick leave policies, testing access, Long COVID research, next generation vaccines, indoor air quality regulations, and more. We hope to see you in our expanded actions to end the COVID pandemic soon to come!

[academypediaen]

What are Open Access Journals and How Can they Help Technology Watch Specialists ?

Introduction   As the amount of scientific knowledge published online continues to grow, it can be difficult to know where to look for reliable information .   Open access journals are a great way to gain access to credible, up-to-date research in your field of study . [...] https://is.gd/q5YjN9

#business #communication #data #education #ict #information #intelligence #technology - Created by David Donisa from Academypedia.info

[xalygatorx]

Worthy (2015) | Chapter 32, "Choice & Prophecy" (End)

Disappearing sporadically in public spaces quickly becomes Cora Dempsey's least concerning problem when suddenly she captures the attention of the forming Avengers Initiative, the World Security Council, and Asgard's fallen prince all in one week. And the universe is only just getting started with her.

Worthy is a slow-burn SFW Marvelverse (films) romance between Loki and a female OC. For additional details on what canon is used, see the Prologue post.

Summary: Cora arrives back in Asgard and is immediately escorted to the Allfather. The prophecy of the Realms’ end is reviewed and some light is shed on what set things to changing. A sentence is given to both Thor and Loki for their transgressions with surprising implications. 

Pairing: Loki x Fem!OC

Warnings: None

Word Count: 5.4k

When the blinding pulsations of light which had enveloped her receded, she saw some white spots dancing in her vision. Cora blinked them away just before she lifted her gaze to peer up at Heimdall, who wore a rather smug expression. After the moment it took her to step forward, her legs slightly wobbly from transport, she realized she'd mistaken his expression. It was one of pride.

Instead of giving his usual greeting or one of the witty remarks they'd come to trade at each meeting, he simply inclined his head and informed her, "I knew you would stop this."

"I'm glad one of us did," Cora said with a smile, her gaze faltering toward the stretch of the BiFrost and the golden palace beyond. "Updates?"

Heimdall shook his head faintly and followed her stare. "I have not seen Thor since he returned, nor Loki. Then again, I am instructed not to leave my post unless certain circumstances occur." He paused before adding, "I do know that Odin has been awakened."

Cora paled faintly. "What do you think that means for Loki? Do you think…"

"I doubt anything has been done yet. The Allfather's actions are rarely so immediate," the gatekeeper said calmly as he stepped off his pedestal, his sword giving a metallic whine as he removed it and sheathed it at his hip. "Especially when a key member of the trial party is not yet present."

"What do you mean?" Cora asked, leaning her head back to keep her eyes on his.

"A certain circumstance of my leave is imminent," he replied ambiguously before translating, "and I am to take you to Odin."

"Why?"

"I was not told, but it is not for any malicious purpose. It is likely…"

When he trailed off, Cora's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Likely what?"

"Given their past, it is likely a gesture toward you. For you to say goodbye." Cora's jaw locked at that and she put her eyes to the iridescent bridge beneath their feet. There was nothing really for her to say and, even if she could've thought of something, she wasn't sure her voice would stay steady enough to carry it. Heimdall sensed her unease and asked, "He seems changed."

"He was never 'evil'… But he made some terrible choices, did some terrible things, I won't excuse him of that…," Cora murmured, sighing as she shook her head incrementally. "But whether or not he was 'bad' doesn't matter now. Does it?"

"I wouldn't imagine so. But I saw what he supplied in Midgard," Heimdall said quietly. Cora nodded in a daze; at least someone here apart from Thor and herself knew what had transpired.

The guards parted the golden doors when they arrived and she got a couple of strange looks from them when they took in her attire. She supposed the skintight SHIELD uniform wasn't exactly normal coverage here. Their footsteps pounded faintly against the glistening floor and being back in Asgard proved to be quite the strange sensation to Cora. Especially because this time when Heimdall brought her into the fortress, she wouldn't be met by Frigga's kind, but queenly, company. The realization provided her with a quiet, hollow ache just above her stomach.

To her surprise, the guards at the entrance to the throne room stood beside already open doors and she was able to look directly through the arch to the golden throne before the dais, Odin sitting upon it once again. For a moment, she entertained the thought that this was, once again, Loki, but she was well-aware that this time, that would not be the outcome. The nearly indifferent look in Odin's aged stare confirmed that.

She continued to walk forward after Heimdall left her side, remaining just inside the throne room doorway. Cora's eyes fell to a guard at Odin's right side when the old man turned to speak to him, her gaze following him to the far door before it closed behind him. When she looked back at Odin, the Allfather was watching her thoughtfully.

When he finally spoke, his voice seemed more gravelly than she remembered. "I suppose I should begin by thanking you." Cora started to reply, but no sound fell from her lips and she simply stood there until Odin chuckled a few seconds later. "I feel that I know what you will say. That it was not your doing that caused the universe to keep on living, that it was your combined efforts with the other Midgardian warriors, my son, and his brother that saved our worlds as we know them."

"Something like that," Cora replied with a slightly embarrassed smile.

He shook his head slightly as he leaned forward and Cora found herself walking closer to the greying Asgardian king as he began to speak again. "Prophecies are made for all of time. A very few in many a millennia are recorded and revered as our eventual histories. Many assume a prophecy is unchangeable, unavoidable. That time is a linear path."

"Even here?"

"Indeed, despite our exponentially longer standing within the universe, there are some things that we share and that is a wariness of time, and a fear of its end."

At that moment, Thor stepped into the throne room after receiving a verbal summons from the guard who had left to ascend the staircase and fetch both princes from their chambers. It had seemed upon arrival that any imprisonment of Loki—at least at that moment—seemed useless. Not only was Thor now solidly on his brother's side, but this new view of Loki in a turnaround from rage and genocide caused conflict in the man who had raised them both. He saw the change in their relationship and dispositions and it caused him slight unease because he did not yet understand the full nature of it.

Loki did come in beside Thor in handcuffs, however. Not the full chained harness he'd been restrained by in his original return to Asgard after the mayhem he'd caused in the Midgardian sector called New York, but enough that, if needed, he could be easily put down.

Odin watched both men in his peripheral, not taking his immediate gaze from the barely half-blooded girl in front of him although he studied all three of them in thoughtful silence. Cora seemed to notice someone had entered the room, but she was keeping her attention upon him out of propriety, her features set into a slimly expressive arrangement of composure. He saw beneath that though, to the uncertainty. Thor wore a similar expression, though his was more stonily exuded as he regarded his father upon the throne. Loki's eyes went to Odin, then to Cora, lingered a moment, and then moved back to Odin, seeming guarded and simply waiting for what he thought to be the inevitable.

Behind her, Cora heard the faint echoes of footsteps, but she kept her eyes trained upon Odin out of respect and interest in where he was going with this. The Allfather took a deep breath and continued with renewed importance, "Prophecies may be wrong. The promise of the end of the Nine felt imminent because it was so detailed and so absolute from being constructed so long ago. Eons before this day. Prophecies may also change due to events leading up to them. Variables not originally included in the original scry."

"That seems so absurd though, if that's the case," Cora couldn't help but notice, tilting her head subconsciously. "To predict something so far ahead without the basis of how time would change the circumstances."

"It does, does it not?" Odin agreed quietly, his lips a thin line. "However, the variables didn't waver until just a short time ago. One and then another. The second of the variables to come about was Thanos. He was never intended to become a part of what we call the Ragnarök, the 'twilight of the gods' and the end of the nine realms in their entirety. His interference and rush of the event caused the unfolding of those events to change."

"Was that why he didn't succeed?"

"It was part of the reason. You were the other."

Cora's jaw dropped slightly. "But… Why me?"

"It became vastly apparent after consulting the ancestral documents in the library and the circumstances surrounding the Ragnarök that something was not matching up. The beings meant to bring about the apocalypse were more or less falling into their places… Except, it seems, for one." He didn't need to say who. "Everything was progressing as anticipated until, what I can understand, is one singular moment: the moment Loki let go of Mjolnir at the BiFrost ledge and was cast into the residual energy still lingering near the observatory, which had recently returned Thor from Midgard."

Cora's eyes widened marginally. In the few times they'd discussed how he'd managed to make it to Earth, he'd never mentioned that his trip had been unintentional. And also an act of defeat. Odin continued, "Such a tiny moment in our millennia of existence and yet it all came down to that moment for a new wave of events to begin turning into motion. Had he held on, both Thor and Loki would have likely been pulled to safety, Loki imprisoned or given a second chance, and life progressing onward as intended. Alternatively, his choice to hold on could have pulled both brothers into the void." The Allfather made a slightly impatient gesture with his hand before looking intently at Cora. "Despite the numerous possibilities, Loki let go and that choice led him to you."

"It was that simple?" Cora asked with a faint frown. "A coincidence?"

"Very little can be left to coincidence," Odin said sagely as his gaze moved to reach over her head. "I remain uncertain of how it was done, but your meeting changed the fate of the realms and the both of you, as well." Cora paused and looked over her shoulder to follow his gaze, finding Thor and Loki standing ten paces or so behind her with guards on either side. Loki looked at her briefly before glancing back up at Odin, wearing the most pristine pokerface Cora had ever seen. It made her a little sick. "All that remains of this twist of destiny…is a resolution to the remainder of a sentence."

Cora felt like she'd been punched in the gut, but in the same instant, she was angry she felt surprised at all. Odin was, at times, fair, but he was equally unforgiving. It was obvious that this was what would become of Loki's return, she'd just been stupid enough to be optimistic. 

She heard a faint rattle of the chains on Loki's handcuffs as he and Thor stepped forward. "Father," Thor greeted Odin a bit curtly, standing on his brother's other side.

Odin watched them a moment before speaking to Cora without directly looking at her. "I will address the second party now." 

Cora grumbled audibly, but stepped back a bit to present the brothers with space in position to Odin's throne, standing near where they'd stood just a moment before. 

Once she'd made her retreat, the Allfather continued. "In the last time we spoke, you had managed to make off with your Midgardian goat and the Aether into the Dark World," he said matter-of-factly, but there was underlying upset in his voice that signaled a punishment to be made.

"Her name is Jane," Thor enunciated with restrained anger, adding quietly afterward, "and she is not a goat."

"Enough," Odin ordered and his eldest quieted out of reflex, looking all the more angry that he did so. "Though you were successful in your endeavors…eventually…you went against my word. You endangered the bloodline and the Nine a thousand times over by separating yourself from Asgard's defenses. And then you…" He'd moved his gaze to Loki. "You have committed multiple accounts of treason, not to mention acts of attempted tyranny, theft, running rogue, defiance of direct orders, subduing and impersonating the sovereign ruler of Asgard, and, of course, mass genocide in Midgard. These acts are unforgivable and no amount of justice you returned to your name in the path of Thanos in these past days may erase these crimes from your history. Do you understand?"

Thor shifted his weight forward as he moved to interject, but Odin silenced him with one look. Cora saw the slight fall in Loki's shoulders as he replied calmly, "I understand." She understood the nearly imperceptible lax in his posture to not be a sign of defeat, but a somber hope that the following decree would be one of execution. Loki would rather die than rot in a cell all over again, especially after having been free for just a while longer.

Odin watched him for a solid minute before leaning back in his throne and continuing, "Therefore, your sentence still stands. The punishment, however, I feel must be taken further. For actions past your original imprisonment."

This is it, Cora thought with some despair as it all became startlingly real in a matter of seconds. She couldn't take her eyes off Loki's back, off the armored plating on his attire. Her heart hit her ribs with every palpitation and she felt like she was starving for breath when she was clearly breathing. If it's a life sentence, make it painless. If he has to die… I hope it's quick.The simple thought of Loki falling under an ax sent chills and genuine pain through her bones. How did I get this hooked? I thought I was tougher than this.

As if he knew her inner turmoil, Loki turned his head just enough so he could see her in his peripheral. He only looked at her for a couple of seconds, tops, but it was sufficient, it seemed. For whatever his reason was for doing it. All three of them, along with the guards and Heimdall nearby, looked to Odin and waited while he stared down at Loki, pondering something the lot of them could only guess at.

Odin nodded a fraction and said decidedly, "Banishment."

The shock was palpable in the room as Odin's word passed through, bouncing off the walls to echo through the doors. "Father?" Thor inquired quietly, breaking the silence that followed.

"Loki, you are hereby banished from Asgard. No longer will you wreak havoc upon this realm and its brothers. For the length of my rule—as it will become Thor's in time—you are not to cross through these golden gates but to leave this day." Odin turned a piercing gaze over to Thor and informed him, "I have left Loki in your charge many a time and each time has failed, therefore I will hand over that burdensome duty to another." That was when he glanced past them once again. "Cora of Midgard. It is unfair of me to request something so grandiose of you, but the incompetence of my heir when it comes to the man he calls his brother is extreme. Would you take this charge and be certain he does not cause more danger to the realms?"

Cora, like the others, was in a silent state of shock, but soon came back to herself long enough to read Odin's face. He looked severe, but beyond that, there was an endeavor to make amends. Holding down a small smile, Cora inclined her head. "I will." She was unable to resist adding on, "…If I must." She just wished she could see Loki's reaction to her elaboration.

All business, Odin nodded and looked back to Loki and Thor. "You remain my heir," he said firmly to Thor and Cora remembered the Odin who had told Thor to go on to Midgard had, in fact, been Loki with a takeover plan in mind. He pursed his lips faintly before finishing his point with, "However, I would dare to think that my lifetime may have yet a few centuries more within it. At best, it will have one, which I can imagine would be long enough to spend…Jane's lifetime with her in Midgard."

Hope must've alighted in Thor's features because Odin swiftly continued to declare, "After which, you will return to this throne and take your rightful place. You will be king in my stead. And, perhaps…" He glanced toward Loki with a surprising amount of respect and subdued optimism for his character. "Perhaps you will find council in family."

Loki's eyes widened at last, as he'd kept cool throughout Odin's decrees. It was that final word that hit the hardest where he thought he could no longer ache and he found the breath to—albeit begrudgingly—reply, "I… Fa—"

"I care not for your excuses, Loki, my decision is final. You must endure the results of your actions, not one word you say will change my mind," Odin cut him off and Cora was hard-pressed not to collapse from knee-weakening relief at the absurdity that was Odin trying to be generous.

The Allfather relaxed after that, giving a nod for them to go. "I have said my fill. I will see you as you see fit." He'd directed the final statement to Thor and though Cora knew Loki and Odin were still painfully estranged, she couldn't help but feel sad that this would probably be the last time Loki would ever see the only father he'd ever known.

However, Odin was doing him a kindness. He was doing all of them a kindness by allowing both Thor and Loki to return to Midgard. Asgard needed to know that its greatest defier was punished and gone and it was Odin's duty to make it so, but the extent of his concealed warmth was more than welcome. When it became clear that it was time for them to go, a guard stepped forward and unlocked Loki's cuffs, taking the metal away as Loki ran his pale, slender fingertips over his wrists.

He and Thor both turned to walk back toward the throne room entrance, both looking to Cora immediately. The three shared knowing looks before she turned to walk out with them, glancing over her shoulder to Odin and sending a grateful smile before following them out. 

Odin watched them go until the golden doors were shut behind Heimdall, who left as well. "Prosper, my sons," he said softly beneath his breath.

"I could pass out from relief," Cora said once the doors thudded shut in their wake, running a hand through her hair as she attempted to pass through the dazed feeling that fogged her brain.

"I would prefer if you didn't," Loki remarked, glancing toward the guards at the entrance. His gaze was suspicious, like he expected to be tricked. Cora would love to meet the person who could trick the "trickster god." Then she realized she'd tricked him plenty and felt herself ascend to a new state of accomplishment.

"You better behave," she warned him amiably. "I'm the one who's going to kick your ass now if you don't. And I'm pretty sure Thor would back me up on it, regardless."

"Anytime, little sister," Thor chuckled, grinning when Loki gave a withering glance between them. He glanced past Cora and she turned to follow his gaze as a few servants rolled two carts forward. 

"What is this?" Loki asked and Cora could have smacked him for the condescending tone that came out of him which could only belong to a boy raised in royalty.

"Payment for her services and some for you to take along to Midgard," the smallest of the servants said, bowing his head.

"‘Payment’?" Cora repeated in confusion, glancing at the covered cart as one of the other servants flipped the corner back to show her what they meant. Her mouth went dry as she saw the cart was brimming with gold. "I… I can't possibly—"

"Yes, you can," Loki murmured near her ear. He leaned up before glancing toward the stairway. "My belongings?" he inquired toward the servants.

"They have been left for you to collect," the small one spoke up again, seeming to be the only one willing to address the banished prince. "And only what is necessary may go, so much as you may carry. Those were our instructions to pass along."

Loki regarded them briefly before nodding to himself. "I will return presently," he informed them.

"Your guardian must accompany you," the tallest servant piped up with an edge to his tone.

Loki's eyes narrowed faintly on the servant and he bristled before exhaling slowly and continued walking without turning around, even as he said softly, "Come along, Cora."

Cora frowned, but followed him up the winding stairwell to the next floor, pausing outside his chamber door when he walked inside. She'd intended to wait outside to give him his space, but a sidelong glance from a guard down the hall caused her to grimace and follow him in, shutting the door behind her. "Guard was giving me the eye, sorry," she explained as she leaned against the closed door.

"It is the norm. I don't mind either way," he said simply from across the room as he pulled a leather knapsack from inside an armoire. It looked small, like he'd used it when he was a child and didn't have much else to choose from now. Cora glanced around while she stood there, taking in the green embellishments in the otherwise gold and black room. It made sense; green seemed to be his color of choice and it suited his personality. What really made her feel like this room was his, however, was the desk by the window, overflowing with old books. It struck the right chord like nothing else in the room that was triple the size of her apartment quite managed to do.

She made an effort to not watch what he was doing just in case he wanted some privacy. It was uncertain when he'd be coming here next and she didn't want to encroach on this revisiting, despite not being able to wait outside without being judged by nearby guards. When she heard him coming back across the room, she looked up at him, noting that he now held the pack in his hands and some garments over his arm that he opted not to leave without. He also held what appeared to be a gold helmet with enormous horns under his arm.

"Is that Asgardian couture?" Cora asked lightly. Loki rolled his eyes and swung the helmet around to dangle it by one of its curved horns in his hand, holding it over her head before sliding it into place. It was heavy and hurt her neck a bit, but he seemed to get a kick out of it. "Well? Am I petrifying?"

"Truly," Loki chuckled as the helm slid over Cora's eyes. He plucked it off her head before it could hurt her and nodded for her to get the door so they could leave.

"Pfft, what, not even going to try to ravage me now that we're alone in your room?" she remarked sarcastically as she turned to get the door.

Loki arched a brow, a mischievous gleam hitting his emerald eyes. "Would you like me to?"

"Shush," she smirked, nodding for him to pass through the door first. "Let's go."

"You made the suggestion in the first place," he protested before walking into the hall, the both of them bickering amongst themselves as they went back down the stairway.

"That's it, then?" Steve asked after Cora had explained the whole story of what had happened in Asgard to him after their arrival back to SHIELD headquarters. "He's just going to stay here?"

"Until Odin's off the throne, yeah, I guess," Cora said, a mug of tea in her hands that she was just allowing to steam while she talked. They'd gotten back to headquarters after saying their goodbyes to Heimdall at the gates. Sindri and Brokkr had apparently left a scabbard for the claymore they'd made her with him to give to her, which she had sitting with her bag near her feet. She currently sat on one of the couches in a lounge on the eastern side with Steve, Bruce, and Natasha, waiting for final preparations to be made before she headed out.

Phil had volunteered to sort through the Asgardian gold with a few other knowledgable agents who had an idea of collectible worth, since his own knowledge in that department more or less started and ended with World War II Captain America memorabilia.

She'd given them permission to use the artifacts to make the beginnings of Asgardian exhibits in the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian, while just keeping the majority of gold bars in the cart for them. Those alone would convert into hundreds of thousands at least. She felt sick that she was being given these riches, but she couldn't help but be excited, too; she'd be able to pay off her student loans at last, get amazing care for her grandmother, buy a car that didn't have an arrow embedded permanently in the door, and even get a house without annoying roommates… The possibilities were glorious.

"Isn't that kind of surprising though?" Natasha asked conversationally, pulling Cora out of her thoughts. "From the little bits I'd heard about him, I'd figured he'd have more… Godly wrath, I guess."

"I don't think anyone anticipated him letting Loki off like that… At least as much as he could."

"It's good that he did, I think," Steve ventured bravely after a moment, earning a couple of startled glances from his colleagues. "I get the impression that he's really changed."

"I think he has, too," Cora murmured. She wasn't sure if he'd so much changed as finally found some closure in his past grievances, but it didn't matter. He was figuring himself out and that made her pretty happy for him. The only part she wasn't sure about is how he felt being stuck with her. They'd not talked about that arrangement and she didn't know if this was a blessing to her, but a curse to him. It would make sense if it were, but she tried to not read into it too much. She supposed she'd find out in time.

"Cora?"

She looked toward the door, seeing Loki there with an impatient pinch between his brows. "Agent Coulson has finished converting your funds. He said if you gave him your account information, he would just forward it there." With the way he recited the words, he was fairly certain he was just repeating what Phil had said and had not a clue what it meant. "Is there anything else you must do?"

"I…," Cora paused thoughtfully as she stood up. "I guess not."

It felt odd to be leaving headquarters after all the time she'd spent there on and off by that time and she wasn't quite sure how to react to the departure. When she left the lounge with Loki, Natasha, Steve, and Bruce all accompanied her down to the main floor, where they met Fury and the others at the elevator. Cora walked over to write down her bank account information for Phil, leaving Loki momentarily by himself. He glanced over warily when Fury cleared his throat.

"We thank you for your help during the Ragnarök and, though I can't and won't offer you a position on the Avengers Initiative, I could extend an honorary title your way."

Loki's eyes narrowed a little out of disbelief. "Are you going to hand me a trophy as well?"

Fury sighed and muttered, "Last time I try to be nice to you, you little shit," as Cora rejoined them. "You, however, have my biggest thanks. And we'd love to have you wear the emblem officially."

Cora's eyes widened with surprise and she quickly started to decline. "Oh, I—"

"The benefits are great. We're great. The job's great. You… You probably also need a job, don't you?"

Cora started to argue that she actually had a job, which was what brought her to New York, but she paled when she realized that had been months ago and she'd completely disappeared without notice. The apartment was probably trashed, too, thanks to Lacey. "Oh, dammit…," she murmured despairingly and Loki looked rather alarmed at seeing her become so upset so quickly, something he'd not seen yet.

"Come on, you've already got the uniform," Phil encouraged with his usual smile. "And you've got…a lot to hold you over for a while. But you might want to take a position out of interest, even."

His pause on the terms of her bank balance made her wonder just how much he'd managed to get her for those gold bars, but she asked instead, "Would I be a field agent then?"

"I'd let you pick your spot," Fury said honestly. "Within reason."

Cora smiled a little at that and shrugged. "Sure. I'll look into it."

"We'll find a time to talk it out," Fury confirmed afterward, cracking a slight smile. "Now go home and put your feet up. You've been through hell and back this past year."

"Huh. Wonder whose fault that was," she remarked, grinning when Fury rolled his eyes. "I'll see you guys soon. It's been awesome. Hey, wait, where's Thor?"

"Already back in London," Loki replied with a roll of his eyes. "Supposedly they are planning to move back this way in the near future. At least, that's what he's hoping to convince Jane of."

Cora smiled, rather hoping that he managed to do just that. With one last goodbye, she got into the elevator with Loki and headed down to the parking garage, where they slid into one of the hefty black SUVs and were driven through the city, away from the disrepair until they pulled into the lot of her apartment complex a twenty minute-long drive away. The roads were nearly empty with the week's events and a few lockdowns still in place while SHIELD worked on calming the world down from its state of Ragnarök shock.

They were left standing in front of the sky-high complex and Cora watched the SUV speed away before looking up at Loki instead, her brow creasing thoughtfully. "So…"

"So, indeed," Loki murmured, looking down at her.

Cora hesitated before smiling impishly. "Want to drop off your stuff and get some bagels?"

Loki stared at her lengthily before smiling and placing his helmet under his left arm, freeing up his right to hook around her shoulders and tug her close. He dropped a gentle kiss to her forehead and murmured, "I'm never living that down, am I."

"Nope. I'm hungry though, so follow me," she smirked, taking his hand in hers and towing him along as she set off toward the entrance to the building, keeping in mind one of her favorite bakeries nearby; she was fully intending on a lazy day today, but perhaps a house-shopping/debt-paying day tomorrow, now that she could afford it. It was an ordinary sort of plan, but it felt extraordinary to her and she was incredibly pleased with the prospects. Maybe because she had him along for the ride now. Things just felt right for the first time she could presently remember.

Loki was in much the same state of rightness, though he would die before he admitted it. He watched the woman in front of him, listening to her explain her roommate situation and muse over plans she had, things they needed to do, and it was a mundane sort of existence compared to the future he'd repeatedly set out to gain for himself, but this was oddly so much more satisfying. Not the lifestyle, but just being there with her, specifically. No one else could have made this life appealing to him, he didn't think.

And despite his tumultuous attempts at rebellion and asserting his right to leadership time and time again in the recent past, Loki was more than content to let her lead on, and found himself genuinely happy for the first time in ages to have the privilege of stepping in someone’s shadow, so long as it was hers.

That's all for Worthy! Thank you for reading! x

If you've not yet read the bonus Christmas time chapters I posted as a sort of 'epilogue,' you can find them through my masterlist.

[lgcmanager]

ACTING MISSION 018

SCHEDULE TYPE: TRIMESTER ( PART 1 OUT OF 1 ) SCHEDULE RESTRICTIONS: Cannot be paired with another trimester schedule, unless stated otherwise. for reference as to whether your muse is eligible for this event, please click over HERE.

all of the actors are called to a meeting with their managers, BYUN MIDO, HAN YOOHWA, KIM DONGSUN, and SEO HEEJUNG. not wanting to waste any time, the managers begin going through everything that will be happening in the new term.

DORMS

HEEJUNG begins to tells them the rules and information regarding housing, “in the past terms, we’ve allowed everyone who has joined legacy agency the option to stay in dorms or find their own place. however, due to the incident that happened a few months ago and how our bosses have been telling us to be ever so more watchful towards all of you, we’ve changed our rules. similar to last term, every person who joins the subsidiary will stay in the dorms for one term. if you have been under probation before, then that will last two terms — one for the term where you were under probation and another to follow every new person that joins us.”

“for the ones that have gone through one term in this path without any warnings, punishments, or scandals during that time, they will be given the option to live offsite. those of you confirmed to stay will be able to move into your new dorms starting from today. otherwise, for those of you who have chosen to stay in your own place, you will need to pack up and leave your current dorms starting from today as well. and just like AECHA has said in the past, just because you aren’t under our watch 24/7 anymore does not mean that you can go crazy. if we hear of any inappropriate behavior, you will be immediately brought back to the dorms.” DONGSUN looks at each one of the actors, making sure that they know and are aware of the new dorm changes.

SNS

HEEJUNG stated, “sns is important for exposure for our actors. however, it’s not absolutely imperative, so the rules haven’t changed. you’ll be permitted a PUBLIC INDIVIDUAL INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT after meeting certain conditions. first, you must have completed a full trimester in this path and second, you must have at least 6 posts on the legacy entertainment account already. this just gives us comfort that you know what is or isn’t appropriate. for those of you who are eligible for an account, the information will be provided to you shortly. again, as with the dorms, this privilege can be taken away if you decide to do some funny business.”

DEBUT CONTRACT

“now we’re almost done with the basics, but there’s one legal matter that we have to cover right now.” HEEJUNG turns to look at YOOHWA and MIDO, who is giving the contracts to some of the actors. “please read and review through the new terms and conditions. once you are done, sign and return the contract to me or DONGSUN as soon as possible. it doesn’t have to be done right now, but the sooner the better because your modeling career will be starting soon and we want to make sure this is done in a seamless manner.”

( this is just an ic note, there is no need to submit this ooc )

FANSITE ( OPEN EVENT 6 )

for the ones that have joined the path, they will be eligible to participate in OPEN EVENT 6, where they can post content for the fansites! more information about this can be found over HERE.

NEW FACES

“a few years ago, JTBC used to air a variety show called ‘NEW FACES’ which included some of our past actors who have been on the show. this time around they want all of you to be a part of the show. filming for this will begin next week and will air every MONDAY starting LATE MAY. for some of our new actors who aren’t a part of BLACK BANQUET or THE HIDDEN ENEMY, this may be your first and wonderful chance to get your name out there and learn about your fellow peers. and as for everyone else, consider this as an opportunity to show some of your variety skills.”

WEEK 1 ( EPISODES 1-2; AIRING MAY 6 & 7 ): each actor will first fill a questionnaire about their personalities, then, they will be asked to act a character they will come up with on the spot. the two mcs ( JO SEHO and UHM HYUNKYUNG ) will try to figure out which questionnaire belongs to whom.

WEEK 2 ( EPISODES 3-4; AIRING MAY 13 & 20 ): actors will be split up into two teams based on when they joined lgc agency; the VETERAN team ( AHN YEIN, BAEK SEONA, LEE HYUNSOO, SHIN JIEUN, YANG AERI, YOON MINJAE, ZHENG LEO ) and ROOKIE team ( BAE SOJIN, CHO MINKYU, KIM CHERRY, KO YEJUN, MOON JINO, NAM GYURI, PARK SUJIN, YOO HAEMIN ) and must guess the right movie based on a random timestamps selected by the actors ( eg. 1 hour, 30 minutes, and 33 seconds ). the mcs will play the audio sample from the movie and last about 3 seconds. the actors must guess what movie it is based on the snippet shown to them. movies will be primarily korean movies, but international ones will be included as well. if the actor who suggested the timestamp gets it incorrect, the other team has a chance to make a guess. if both teams are wrong, the other team gets a chance to suggest a different timestamp of the same movie to get a better idea of what movie it’s from.

WEEK 3 ( EPISODE 5-6; AIRING MAY 27 & JUNE 3 ): actors will be paired up in two or three and be given a random genre and scenario to act out on the spot. ( please refer to the week 3 pairings for which genre and scene was given to them. ) the groups must try to give the most entertaining scene possible in front of a small audience of random people of all ages. the winning team gets to eat steak.

WEEK 4 ( EPISODES 7-8; AIRING JUNE 10 & 17 ): all of the actors will play a confessions game, where one actor ( per round ) will be separate from the other teams with a partition and have their headphones on. the other actors will answer questions related to the actor ( eg. ‘recent moment you’ve had with so and so’, ‘what is one unique thing you’ve noticed or know about the other person?’, ‘when did you first meet the person?’ etc ). if the actor wants to eavesdrop in the conversation, they would need to take one shot of bitter tea. ( for visualization, you can watch this video over HERE ).

WEEK 5 ( EPISODES 9-10; AIRING JUNE 24 & JULY 1 ): actors will be separated into two teams; TEAM NEW ( AHN YEIN, CHO MINKYU, KIM CHERRY, KO YEJUN, LEE HYUNSOO, MOON JINO, YANG AERI, YOO HAEMIN ) TEAM FACE ( BAE SOJIN, BAEK SEONA, NAM GYURI, PARK SUJIN, SHIN JIEUN, YOON MINJAE, ZHENG LEO ) to play dodge ball. the person who gets hit by the ball has to go out in the JTCB public area and act as a random character from a movie or drama ( not produced by lgc ) for 3 minutes.

WEEK 6 ( EPISODES 11-12; AIRING JULY 8 & 15 ): the actors will each be given trophies for their achievements during the show, naturally categories are often nonsensical ( example: best water drinker ). filming will begin with a red carpet where the actors will need to be dressed up like they’re attending a prestigious award ceremony. each actor will win a prize and be asked to make a speech.

WEEK 3 PAIRINGS

BAE SOJIN & KO YEJUN & NAM GYURI: horror ( genre ), saying goodbye to a loved one at the airport ( scenario ).

LEE HYUNSOO & YANG AERI: comedy ( genre ), a broken teleporter transports a pair to random locations ( scenario ).

AHN YEIN & KIM CHERRY: science fiction ( genre ), two realtors trying to sell famous fairytale character homes ( scenario ).

BAEK SEONA & MOON JINO: romance ( genre ), an exercise class for action movie stars ( scenario ).

CHO MINKYU & PARK SUJIN: detective ( genre ), a writing team trying to think up new fortunes for fortune cookies ( scenario ).

SHIN JIEUN & YOO HAEMIN: historical ( genre ), a pair of older folks share the lessons they wished they had learned sooner ( scenario )

YOON MINJAE & ZHENG LEO: thriller ( genre ), support group for evil henchmen ( scenario )

LEO’S SUBMIT

a submit will be sent to LEO in the upcoming days whenever the admins have a chance, so please look out for that.

REQUIREMENTS

make sure to use the hashtag lgc:actingmission for everything related to this event. you have until JULY 6, 2024 11:59PM EDT to complete the following requirements:

NEW FACES: write a 300+ word solo or a 4 replies ( 2 posts per mun; minimum 8 lines ) thread with another actor about any episode for +5 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +3 NOTORIETY ! ** for black banquet/the hidden enemy musical muses, you may do this up to 2 times while everyone else can do it up to 3 times **

NEW FACES AWARDS: write a 250+ word solo about the award that was given to them for the finale. the post must include the award given to them ( which you can make it up, but as mentioned previously it would have to be a nonsensical award ) and a speech, which must be at least 100+ WORDS in DIALOGUE. completing this will earn you +5 VARIETY and +2 NOTORIETY !

once you are done, please submit the following form ONCE on the points blog.

MUSE NAME ∙ ACTING MISSION 018 - NEW FACES: +5 ( skill points distribution ), +3 notoriety [ LINK ] ** for black banquet/the hidden enemy musical actors, you can do this up to 2 times while everyone else can do it up to 3 times ** - NEW FACES AWARDS: +5 variety, +2 notoriety [ LINK ]

[ariarose2222]

Combating Misinformation: Strategies for Effective Public Health Communication: Techniques to Counter False Information

In the modern world, information has been heavily digitalised to keep up with the development and expansion of the Internet. As classes move online and cash payments become simplified to a mere QR code on a piece of paper, public health campaigns have followed suite. Public health advertisements are quite effective too, with people who have been shown said advertisements being 50% more likely to search of information regarding weight loss (Yom-Tov et al., 2018).

However, all things in life must come to a balance, as the effectiveness of public health campaigns is not without drawbacks. The ease of accessibility of the Internet along with the low barrier of posting information online about public health has made it very easy for false information to spread. I’m very sure many of us have received chain messages with clearly false information before and wondered how many people have received and shared these messages before it reached us. This issue is rampant enough that big companies such as WhatsApp have to make public statements debunking false information about their platform (WhatsApp, 2012).

Moving forward, now that the problem has been identified, what are the solutions? First and foremost, it is essential to clear up that it is practically impossible to completely prevent the spread of misinformation through the Internet as it would require dictatorship-like monitoring of the general population’s online activity. There is no prevention and there is no cure but there are ways to bandage the issue at hand.

One of the techniques to counter false information would be to start at the root of it: people. If the general population are educated on how to properly identify false information, less misinformation would be shared around and in turn less misinformation would be posted on the Internet in the first place. This method might be simple in theory but realistically, it is very hard to fully implement as it would require people to properly educate themselves on whatever topic that is related to any piece of false information they come across. The effort to look up articles and research is often time simply not worth the effort when social media users simply want to consume content at a fast pace without worrying too much about the details of what they share. This is not to undermine the effectiveness of public service announcement (PSA) posts from verified sources (Aziz, 2022) educating the population on misinformation and redirecting them to the correct information, but it is just not a be-all and end-all solution.

A second method would be community-based regulation of the information posted online. While research articles are often peer-reviewed before being published, the comments section of public health information posted online can act as a very primitive form of peer-reviewing. If any entity posts misinformation online, they are opening themselves up to a multitude of ways to be corrected, from the comments section to private messages. The audience of the posts would then witness the correction and potentially pass on the correction to fellow social media users who have been affected by the misinformation (Vraga & Bode, 2020). The correction does not even have to come from individuals either as verified public health entities are free to create social media accounts to join the battle against misinformation as well. Twitter (now known as X) has implemented a system known as “Community Notes” that allow users to add notes to posts to provide additional context or correct the information in the post should it be false or misleading (X Corp., 2024). This method is more effective than the first method listed above as it lessens the workload of dispelling misinformation from being an individual responsibility to the collective of digital citizens. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, sometimes it can take the multiple warnings from all walks of the community to stop people from taking horse dewormer in hopes of treating Covid-19 (BBC News, 2021).

Should the general population prove to be unreliable when it comes to fact checking against false information, this is where organisations and governmental bodies come in such as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission which seeks to regulate the communications and multimedia industry. These large entities are able to push for regulation of information online through the terms of use for social media platforms or anti-fake news laws. Unfortunately, when people in places of power dictate the amount of regulation for the rest of society, problems tend to arise. A prime example would be the repeal of the “fake news” ordinance in 2021 in Malaysia in fear of it being abused to violate Malaysian citizen’s freedom of speech (Malaysia: Repeal “fake News” Emergency Ordinance - ARTICLE 19, 2021).

In conclusion, the spread of false information regarding public health will be a never-ending issue and there is no single solution to counter it. Rather multiple steps have to be taken all at once and we as digital citizens must keep ourselves in check and fact check the information that we share on social media.

References

Aziz, S. (2022, July 13). “Authorities will never call you” — Here’s how to avoid being tricked by scams & fake news. SAYS. https://says.com/my/tech/tips-to-prevent-scams-and-fake-news-in-malaysia

BBC News. (2021, September 4). Ivermectin: Oklahoma doctor warns against using drug for Covid treatment. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58449876

Malaysia: Repeal “fake news” emergency ordinance - ARTICLE 19. (2021, March 15). ARTICLE 19. https://www.article19.org/resources/malaysia-fake-news-ordinance/

Vraga, E. K., & Bode, L. (2020). Correction as a solution for health misinformation on social media. American Journal of Public Health, 110(S3), S278–S280. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2020.305916

WhatsApp. (2012, January 16). It is a hoax. Really, it is. WhatsApp. https://blog.whatsapp.com/it-is-a-hoax-really-it-is

X Corp. (2024). About Community Notes on X. X. https://help.x.com/en/using-x/community-notes

Yom-Tov, E., Shembekar, J., Barclay, S., & Muennig, P. (2018). The effectiveness of public health advertisements to promote health: a randomized-controlled trial on 794,000 participants. Npj Digital Medicine, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-018-0031-7

[acesamateurart]

October public updates! Here's the tl;dr:

Streams are coming back TONIGHT, so buckle up for the return of chaos

Got some spooky videos lined up across the channels that I'm excited to share

Peer Reviewed Revolution will be continuing into its second series of topics

Commissions are open!

We're doing Inktober

I'm hoping to finish the HoshiTsukki fic this month

[buckevantommy]

The Organization for Transformative Works turns 16 today! We are very happy to be able to celebrate another year with you all.

The OTW was born to serve fans and protect fan history and culture in all its forms; it’s our mission in troubling times. Since its foundation, OTW has helped rescue hundreds of fanworks from at-risk archives and platforms, old and new, making them accessible to millions of users; it has advocated for fans in an ever-changing legal environment; it has preserved fan culture through a wiki that you can contribute to; it has published 39 issues of an international, peer-reviewed fan-studies journal; and of course, it provides access to over 11 million fanworks.

But we want to hear from you! In order to better understand how to reach fans where they are, we'd like to find out what online spaces you are using to interact and exchange news. So, we've prepared a survey! 

The survey asks between 16 to 35 ticky box and multiple choice questions (depending on what answers are given) and does not ask for any identifying information. All users will be anonymous. We ask that only those 18 or over take the survey.

➡️ TAKE THE SURVEY HERE ⬅️

In honor of our anniversary, the survey will be open for 16 days (closing on September 21 at 23:59 UTC). We will be sharing the results of the survey in a public report in October.We're asking for your help – not only in taking the survey, but in helping us to spread the news that it is available! Please share the link to this post and use the #OTW16thSurvey tag in your fandom spaces! 

The Organization for Transformative Works is the non-profit parent organization of multiple projects including Archive of Our Own, Fanlore, Open Doors, Transformative Works and Cultures, and OTW Legal Advocacy. We are a fan run, entirely donor-supported organization staffed by volunteers. Find out more about us on our website. 

[ao3 post link]