#unwanted addendum

[partystoragechest]

A story of romance, drama, and politics which Cullen has accidentally become invested in.

Supplemental material for Unwanted, from the perspective of Cullen. In this addendum, Cullen needs some help, and he isn't going to get it.

(Masterpost. Addendums. Words: 791. Rating: all audiences. Warning: Addendums may contain spoilers for Unwanted and are best read after finishing the story entirely.)

Chapters 48, Addendum

The War Council gathered, summoned by its Inquisitor. Advisors surrounded the war table, to plot the demise of the Venatori incursion at Adamant—should the Champion report it true.

��I have been gathering our troops,” Cullen informed them, “and I will survey their readiness once they have assembled. If the Wardens are truly lost, then they will march on your order, Inquisitor.”

“Good,” said the Inquisitor, “then that will be all.”

The Council dispersed, Inquisitor marching from the room. Leliana followed, her own business to get to, and Josephine attempted the same. Cullen stopped her.

“Josephine, I wondered if I might ask you a favour?” he said.

She prepared herself to hear it, politely inviting him to walk the corridor back to her parlour. “What may I assist you with, Commander?”

“It’s about… Arcanist Trevelyan,” he murmured. “Would you be able to, perhaps, arrange one of our walks, or—maybe something else? I don’t know. But if you could…”

Josephine stopped, and stared at him. “Now you want me to meddle in your personal affairs?”

“Only to ask her—”

“No, Cullen.” Josephine shoved open the door to her parlour, and marched to her desk. Cullen hurried after her. “I am not going to interfere with anyone’s romantic prospects again! Unless, of course, it poses some political advantage to the Inquisition—but, when it comes to my friends, I shall not matchmake.”

“Then… what am I supposed to do? How do I… ask?”

Josephine chuckled. “Really, Commander? Have you never asked someone to spend time with you before?”

“No—yes! Of course, I…”

“Meetings don’t count.”

Cullen sighed. “Well, it’s… it’s been a while,” he said, in strict competition for the understatement of the Age.

“Then allow me to refresh your memory,” said Josephine, with a perky smile. “All you need to do is go up to her, and ask. Simple as that!”

If only it were as simple as that. But Cullen’s palms became sweaty even just thinking of it. He was so skilled at making an absolute fool of himself in front of the Arcanist; he could hardly imagine he would resist the apparent temptation to do it again.

“What if she says no?”

Josephine shook her head. “Then you accept her answer, take it on the chin, and move on.”

The first part was perfectly fine. The second and third were easier said than done. Hard to carry on with his day when his heart was crushed into tiny little pieces.

“Perhaps... if you just do it this once—”

“No!”

“But I’m afraid I’ll do something wrong and ruin it all again.”

Josephine gasped. “Oh, in that case? Still no.” Though biting in her tone, she saw him shrink, and softened. “Cullen, she agreed to walk with you when she despised you. I can think of no reason now, when she holds you in greater regard, that she would not answer in the affirmative.”

Cullen wrung his hands. “She has no reason to pretend to like me any more.”

“Indeed,” said Josephine, tapping a sheaf of documents into a neat pile. “So given that she has not yet set you on fire, I think we can assume she is done pretending.”

Fair point. Especially as she now possessed the arms to do so rather efficiently.

“What time do you think best to ask?”

“Honestly? Right this moment,” Josephine suggested. “She will have been working all morning, and may be glad of the break.”

“All right,” Cullen said. “All right.”

Josephine smiled. “There. Not so hard, is it? Good luck, Cullen.”

Taking her advice, he absconded almost immediately to the Undercroft, hurrying so that his mind had not the time to convince itself how bad an idea this was. He almost stumbled down the stairs—but best to get that sort of thing out now, before he saw the Arcanist.

He emerged into the cavern, that mess of forges and machines. People buzzed about, an absolute distraction to the eyes of he who searched for a particular individual.

Though, somewhat fortunately, Cullen was at least gifted with the curse of being utterly mesmerised by the beauty and vivacity of Arcanist Trevelyan. It was through this afflicition that he saw her, eyes ever-bound to seek her out. She sat at her a workbench near the cavern’s maw, documents and materials littered across it. Herzt hovered at her side, taking instruction and aiding her research.

Cullen did not wish to disrupt them. He was fortunate, then, that Herzt happened to look in his direction. With the meeting of eyes, he seemed to understand, and promptly came to where Cullen stood, tucked by the entrance.

“Commander,” he said, “may I help you?”

“Yes,” Cullen replied. “May I speak to the Arcanist?”

[perseidlion]

Fandom needs to have a serious conversation about the difference between a sexual character and a predatory one.

A character who is comfortable in their sexuality, is a flirt, and attempts to charm other characters isn't a predator by default. Predatory behaviour ignores signs that the attention is unwanted. Predatory behaviour means ignoring consent and pursuing someone when they're clearly not interested and blatantly ignoring their wishes.

Conflating the two downplays ACTUAL predatory behaviour and makes it harder to spot both in fiction and in real life. It's also different in the context of a story than it would be IRL. It's important to keep in mind that the purpose of fiction is to have narrative tension, conflict, and character development. The purpose of fiction unless it is religious or for children, is not to model ideal behaviour. A story for mature adults trusts that its audience knows the difference between permissible behaviour in real life and permissible behaviour in fiction.

Still, someone flirting with someone when they aren't immediately into it isn't some transgression. Neither is continuing to pursue someone or show attraction when they aren't given a hard no or directly blown off. ESPECIALLY in fiction where one party playing hard to get is a common story element.

The difference between a predator and a sexual person is emotional intelligence and an ability to both read and respect body language and signs. An emotionally intelligent flirt will back off when they know their attentions are unwanted. But shooting their shot to see how the person responds isn't evil behaviour, nor is trying to convince the person of their merits.

If this were true, a lot of people would never get together both in fiction and in real life. You can never 100 per cent know how a person is going to respond when you flirt with them. That's why flirting exists, to test the waters. Not every relationship starts with friendship, either. A lot of people jump right to romance. Also, sometimes people aren't into it immediately because they haven't thought about it. So the response can be ambiguous. There's been a worrying trend of people vilifying and painting characters as criminal/problematic/evil for simply being sexual and making their desires known. This is a prudish attitude that is very damaging - especially when levied on queer people who have historically been vilified, criminalized and experienced violence for expressing their sexuality.

It may be uncomfortable if someone expresses sexual attraction to you when you don't want it and don't reciprocate it, but if it's done respectfully, it isn't a crime. The crime comes if they ignore your wishes and pursue you anyway, or objectify you. **Addendum to note that I am talking about flirting that approaches a person like a real human being and not an object. This doesn't apply to say, dudes trying to talk to women on public transit with headphones in, or street harassment of any kind. I'm talking about flirting that comes from a place of respect and genuine interest at an appropriate time and place. Edited to add proof that the Cat King is definitely reading emotional signals from Edwin that encourage him to keep flirting:

[mxtxfanatic]

I’m gonna say it once real clear so I have a post to refer back to the moment it happens again (cause it will). I don’t give a fuck about any other reader on a personal level when I am reading a book. I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, the people who claim you, the degrees you hold and in what subject. Not a damn. When I’m discussing the book, I am discussing the things the author wrote in the book. When I am discussing characters, your personal life experiences or cultural “expertise” factor 0% into my analyses except as an addendum to my thoughts if it matches what the novel or author has already said. That means that I will not automatically bow to a reader just because they claim to be Asian in general or Chinese specifically (cause I’ve had people try to flex with both, before). I am just as capable of reading and thinking on my own, and mxtx is just as capable of conveying what she wants us to understand from her story without the “cultural translators” acting as the unwanted, unasked for middleman. Especially when that middleman is directly arguing against what the book tells me. Heritage isn’t a “get out of jail free” card for intentionally shitty analysis and willful illiteracy.

So no, I’m not entertaining your argument that a child abusing character is just fine and dandy cause “I’m Chinese, my parents beat first and ask questions later and that’s called love 🤪” You’re Asian? You’re Chinese? So what? The author is also Chinese and disagrees with you. I also have Chinese friends who’d disagree with you. Are they less Asian than you? Do they not count because they don’t confirm your self-interested generalizations? Newsflash: Chinese people are not a monolith, and the continent of Asia definitely isn’t. Unlike in this cursed fandom, most people irl can think for themselves.

I can tell you one thing, though: mxtx damn sure didn’t write any of her novels so that a particular group of Asian diaspora readers can run to a majority-white fandom to play “cultural translator” about how “inherently abusive” Chinese culture is to a round of hehe hahas at their own expense. And for what? White validation? Western approval? Over a web novel??? Does that not sound demented to you? Is that not the definition of self-hate?

[aninkwellofnectar]

Welcome!

You can call me Cammie.

Here I’ll be sharing updates and information about my existing and upcoming publications in The Essence of the Equinox series, as well as other stories set both in and out of the universe.

Publications

In Pursuit of Perfection in Fall into Fantasy 2022 (Download free on Payhip) Amira has always demanded perfection—of herself and those around her. Her quest for absolute control takes her on a journey to the hot deserts of Seraj where rumours permeate that humans may have rediscovered the ancient phoenix. Should its power be harnessed, the fire witches will be unmatched. Amira thinks it time they re-learn who the true supreme being on earth is. 

When The Stars Alight (16 June 2023) Book 1 in The Essence of the Equinox (Buy Signed Paperback From My Store | Unsigned version | Other vendors) The court of a heartless demon king is no place for a star princess. Caught in the middle of his two sons' deadly rivalry, she must use her wits to survive. But can she sway them to her side and save herself from an uncertain fate?

Two Halves Of A Whole in midnight & indigo (31 October 2023) (Purchase) Lucille Bonnaire finds herself becoming the new bride to vampyre prince Ilya Likhanov. Unfortunately, she is unaware of just how nefarious his intentions are towards her and her magic.

The Sanguine Sorceress (1 December 2023) Prequel in The Essence of the Equinox (Other vendors | Buy Signed Paperback From My Store | Unsigned version ) A blood-soaked tale of feminine rage following the journey of Serafina Stilia, as she attempts to claw agency for herself in a male-run imperialistic regime. After her reputation is left in tatters by the unwanted advances of a suitor, Serafina must carve a path to liberation from the fury of her honour-driven father, or die trying.

We Will Devour The Night (22 September 2024) Book 2 in the Essence of the Equinox (Buy from vendors | Buy signed paperback | Unsigned version) Laila returns to Mortos with a mission: salvage her dynasty from those who seek power through magic-driven bigotry. As she crosses paths once more with an old lover, the whirlwind of emotions unleashed will be cataclysmic!

Upcoming

And The Age of Summer Will Rise (Winter 2025) Book 3 in The Essence of the Equinox Summary to come

As an addendum to this I do have a ko-fi account ☕. If you enjoy what I do here and would like to support me by becoming a member or donating to my publishing fund it would be very much appreciated.

You can support me also by signing up to my author newsletter. Content will include insights behind the scenes into my writing process, exclusive snippets, deleted scenes, media musings, publishing opportunities I am pursuing and much more!

Feel free to ask me anything regarding my books, my short fiction, my self-publishing journey and anything else you’d care to know about!

[canonical-transformation]

things I do not under any circumstances need: more AU ideas

things that my brain held me hostage until I typed up:

---

Nursery of Worldseed

"When there is nothing left to burn, the embers will turn cold. Only the inescapable long night will remain. The morning that follows, the springtime thaw: this is yours to steward. Love the world where I no longer can, ████; see it to fruition."

— Baba-Dekabrya, Tsaritsa of Everloving Peace, whispered to ██████ ████ ████████ days before the latter ███████ select █████ ██ ███████ ████ ████████

◆ Name: Innamorata

◆ Title: The Flower

◆ Nursery of Worldseed

◆ ???: Dendro

◆ Constellation: Ashvatta Diapausis

A rainstorm recently flooded a basement beneath Zapolyarny Palace. Among the many records lost was the contract drawn up between Her Majesty and her Sixth Harbinger. So badly was the contract damaged, it's impossible to tell whether it is centuries old or merely months. All that is left is an addendum, signed in blood, attesting that both parties were very satisfied by the deal.

Innamorata operates behind the scenes in Teyvat, pruning and shearing, nudging mortal innovation and inquiry away from topics that might draw unwanted attention from certain "people in high places".

Put no stock in the rumours that the Tsaritsa and the Flower are as close mother and daughter. To those who know Her Majesty — an unsmiling clown, a bard with aeons-ringed eyes — such an idea is risible. Her Majesty has long since had no love left to give. Any affection she shows the Sixth is a self-soothing denial of this truth.

Innamorata, too, is playing along with this harmless dream. Whatever she is missing, she knows it's gone for good.

Character Story 1

Those who compile dossiers on Fatui Harbingers may devote reams of paper to speculation on Damselette's heritage or Tartaglia's powers. Yet on the subject of Innamorata, there is little to say. Her name is added to intelligence briefings as an afterthought, a perfunctory inclusion.

This is not a sign of disrespect, nor to suggest that the Sixth is insignificant. There's simply not that much to say.

A joint report from Liyuean and Fontainian security services might read like this:

Title: Innamorata, 6th Fatui Harbinger

Aliases: The Flower, Il Fiora, ████, the Gardener of Sumeru, Bough Trimmer

Vision, Delusion, etc.: Nothing of note.

Age: Unknown, but appears of ordinary age.

Height: 0.1–100'

Weight: unknown

Physical description: Female human with unremarkable pinnae.

Skin tone: See previous.

Hair: Light coloured. Hue and colour distribution are unremarkable. Often worn up in a typical manner.

Eyes: Unremarkable.

Other notes (appearance): Eloquence and bearing unexceptional for someone of her age.

Known activities:

- Fatui counterintelligence, responsible for many of the Harbingers' security measures.

- Monitors various technological and research centres, including the Fontaine Research Institute, the Eight Trades, [...].

- Suspected of manipulation and sabotage of the above.

- Influencing foreign and domestic policy within Sumeru.

History: Recruited by the Fatui some time after the Cataclysm and some time before the first draft of this report was completed.

Allegiance: Like most Harbingers, her personal loyalty to the Fatui and Snezhnaya is ambiguous. Neutral attitude towards Fontaine, Inazuma, Liyue, Mondstadt, and Natlan. Not much else to say.

Motivation: Unremarkable.

Known capabilities: Unremarkable; however, unremarkable. Command of various elements unremarkable, and combined with her unremarkable intelligence, her theoretical power is potentially unremarkable. Rumours of omniscience are unsubstantiated and may be her own propoganda.

Known casualties: Nobody of note.

Known weaknesses: None.

Overall threat assessment: Inconclusive.

(with kudos to @dandelion-wings for the "meme" format)

(EDIT: The rest of this was published!)

[wonderlandleighleigh]

Like you start to look at like all the super positive people on social media who talk about taking deep breaths and unclenching your jaw, or that you're going to do amazing things this week.

And you wonder if there is a silent addendum of "but not you, Jew."

Because that seems to be a pretty popular sentiment right now.

So you just stop trusting people, because like

What if that's the truth? It's happened before.

A lot of people been showing their antisemite ass these last few weeks. But I think there's a disconnect.

I think when a lot of Jewish people hear "free palestine" they also hear an unspoken addition of "and kill all Jews."

And you have to remember that paranoia has a basis in lived experience. That fear has been made real before.

"Free Palestine" is not antisemitic. But we are afraid that that unspoken bit is implied. Fear makes for an aggressive bedfellow.

I really struggle, personally, knowing that I support a free and just and safe palestine, but my support is unwanted by a lot of people. Cuz they'd rather I was dead.

And I've been thinking about that Golda Meir quote: "our secret weapon is we have nowhere else to go."

And that is

Well

True. Not that I think Israel was ever the best option. Or should have been an option the way the UN made it an option back in '48, but other Jewish people can yell at me for that another time.

You have to remember that when ww2 ended, there were these Holocaust survivors.

And no one wanted them.

No one wanted to take them in. No one really knew wtf to do with these haunted ghost people.

In a lot of ways we've generationally inherited that feeling, I think, and it's informed our lives in ways I'm not even sure any of us fully get.

[rriavian]

WIP Wednesday - Role Reversal AU

I meant to post a snippet of this last week but second guessed myself at the last minute. But I'm currently writing this for Nanowrimo and there's only about a week left so I thought I'd celebrate! So please enjoy what is currently the beginning of my Corintheus Role Reversal AU :)

-

Even in memory the Corinthian would not use his former name.

Even in time he’d blot it out, had become and so rewrote, went back and edited what in retrospect he knew to be so very wrong. No story would be allowed to use it again, not even one he told himself; the first draft before the masterpiece didn’t need to be included, not now the edits were made, the transcript perfected before publication. All unwanted references were to be scrubbed. What the Corinthian had now become needed no addendum for what had been before.

If even that was still true, because as far as the Corinthian was concerned Dream of the Endless was someone he had never been at all.

Yet the being who’d made Morpheus had certainly gone by another name.

It had still been his hands though.

The Corinthian had been the once to touch, to carve, to bring his favourite into being. The first creation he’d ever made—had he been lonely? or had he been learning the concept of want, teasing it out with that first test of skill—and he still laid claim to that. To give up a name couldn’t be to give up this, to lose the memory to the ownership of another, to sacrifice what the Corinthian knew would always be his.

His creations were all made from his own blood.

Once, long ago, he’d slit open a vein and filled a font; unsheathed his knife and dipped into the blood, ran the tip of his blade through it, turned the liquid tacky until he could reach in and pull a clump of it out. What was it to him but easy to transform states of matter? The Corinthian shaped it in his hands, turned his own lifeblood into clay, to stone, to wood, made it and then carved into it with his chosen tool. The knife as much to whittle as to slit his own skin, as much a double for a chisel as to dig for blood. He’d brought forth his creations—his dreams and nightmares—wondered if they could feel what they’d been made from.

They certainly knew what they’d been made for.

Because Dream of the Endless had never bled for himself.

He’d told each new creation to serve the humans. He had so carelessly brought them under the yoke of the duty already fused to himself. The Corinthian had brought them into freedom and then shackled them in line with his own chains before they could even taste what they had lost.

Morpheus hadn’t even noticed.

The nightmare had risen and greeted the Corinthian as his King. He still remembered the first words—

“What will you have of me?”

And the Corinthian’s response had cemented what Morpheus thought he was supposed to worship, that first answer had set what holy scripture he would forever obey, what tenets his favoured had taken into himself. It had not been true until then. For all this was the Corinthian’s role that first instruction had made it real. Heeding those commandments had made Morpheus a worshipper—

Delivering them unto him had made the Corinthian a god.

[cathsith]

ARGH

My cousin-in-law on Facebook wanted to know what liberals are so afraid of. I asked if he really wanted to know and he said yes, if it was fact based. So I said I'd work on it in parts on my phone while wrangling kids.

Reproductive rights seemed like the best place to start, so I worked on that for a couple hours. I just finished and went to post it and saw an addendum: "just one request, no abortion talk or project [20]25."

Well, fuck. Wish I saw that earlier. At least I saw it before I started adding references and citations. Because I was definitely gonna.

(also, for fuck's sake, THAT is what most of us are afraid of!)

But hey, I wrote a fucking dissertation so I might as well post it here in case anyone might find it useful.

(Note: this was written for a Maga type, so I didn't address the fact that not all pregnant people are women and that POC are far more likely to face worse challenges. It's not that I didn't think of it, just that I didn't want the discussion to get too derailed.)

I am pro-choice but I certainly don't like abortion. However, I don't get to make choices for other people. I'm of the belief that it should be safe, accessible, and rare.

The first step to making it rare is adequate sex education - strictly scientific, non partisan. The second step is access to birth control. Sex Ed consisting solely of celibacy and shame are not effective.

But sometimes, birth control fails. Sometimes, pregnancy is a result of rape. Sometimes the pregnancy is desperately wanted, but either risks the health of the mother or will result in a child that cannot survive and will only experience pain for the brief period they are alive.

In those cases, abortion may be the only option. If abortion is illegal, then it leads to harm.

An unwanted child is at a high risk of abuse, which no one should ever experience. It is not ordained that every mother will love her child. And many women may decide they aren't able to care for another child, either financially or another reason. Even if they do love their child, the entire household is going to experience hardship. I can't imagine being forced to carry a child knowing that I won't be able to meet their basic needs.

No one should ever be forced to carry their rapist's child. Ever. And there's a chance that rapist then insists on custody of that child - what a disturbing thought. Also consider that in so many cases, the person in question is a child who has been raped, often by a family member. There was a well documented case of a ten year old who was only able to get an abortion after she left the state. Most people are not able to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles for medical care.

While most laws allow for abortion in cases where the mother's life is at risk, many doctors are too scared to perform them. If they cannot adequately prove that level of risk, they may lose their license and/or be sent to jail. As a result, multiple women are dying because no medical professional will help them until it's too late. You can argue that the doctor is at fault there, but in the doctor's place, would you be willing to give up everything you've worked for and possibly even your freedom? And whether it's the fault of the legislators or the doctors, it sure as hell isn't the fault of the women dying of sepsis or hemorrhages or any of the other related issues. Most of them wanted to be pregnant and already had children. 

As if that weren't bad enough, doctors are leaving these areas because they don't want to be put in such a terrible position. Which is a cascading problem. Maternal mortality is already a major issue in a lot of red states and there already aren't enough OB-GYNs. As more and more OBs leave these areas, the situation will only worsen. Pregnant women won't be able to get the care they need, either because the doctors are too busy or too far away. So mothers are undertreated, which means problems are more likely to be missed.

This one is personal for me so pardon the tangent. Even though I'm in the Boston area, I got to experience a lack of direct care because my son, A, was born May 28th, 2020. With my first son, B, I was treated as a geriatric case (at 36!) and high risk because I'm fat. So I had multiple ultrasound and very regular appointments. But in spring of 2020, covid was a terrifying spector. There was no vaccine and only a hazy idea of how it spread. This was the time when people were sanitizing their groceries. All non essential appointments were canceled and held virtually instead. Even though I was both older and fatter than in my previous pregnancy, my last in person appointment was months before A was born and I don't think I had an ultrasound after the 20 week anatomy scan. 

A is very, very lucky that he had been very active in utero. That's probably the only reason I noticed when he slowed down. But I did notice and even though I thought it was probably because he was running out of room, I asked my doctor for an ultrasound. When I went in the following week, the US revealed that he was far too small and not getting the nutrients he needed. I drove myself to the hospital in Boston, was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, and had an emergency c-section a few hours later. Asking for that c-section saved A's life. 

Now imagine a scenario where a woman doesn't notice and there aren't enough providers for regular visits. Or she does notice but isn't able to get an appointment for an ultrasound for weeks. Or there isn't a hospital with an adequate OB department to take care of her. I was lucky to live in Boston. There was maybe 5 hours between the time I arrived for my appointment and the time I delivered A at an amazing hospital with a top notch NICU. If I lived in a rural state, there's a good chance that both A and I would have died because I wouldn't have had access to the care I needed.

Before the restrictive abortion laws came into effect, rural women already weren't able to be seen as regularly as they should. And if they had the same complications I did, they would have had a much harder time getting urgent care. Now OB-GYNs are leaving in droves, making it even more difficult for women to get appointments and treatments, and it's only going to get worse. 

There are also a lot of other reasons for women to see their gynecologists, notably to screen for diseases, like cancer. There are going to be a lot of cases where women will die of diseases that would have been treatable if they had been found earlier. But when there aren't enough OB-GYNs, appointments are too far apart and doctors are too overwhelmed. It's inevitable that things will be missed.

There's also the issue of fetal personhood. Already, women are being jailed for having miscarriages. So far, these cases have been about women who are addicted to various substances, which may make them seem less sympathetic. But what if it's alcohol instead of drugs? What if the woman didn't know she was pregnant? 

Also, consider prescription drugs instead of recreational ones. Many drugs are not considered safe during pregnancy, primarily because it isn't ethical to perform tests on pregnant people. For example, I wasn't able to stay on Adderall during pregnancy. I could live with that, though it made my life a lot harder. What if a pregnant woman has epilepsy or another condition that requires medication to manage. Sure, you can argue that she shouldn't have gotten pregnant in that case... but now we're back to the question of whether the pregnancy was planned and if she should be able to get an abortion. But assuming she wants to continue the pregnancy, she still needs her medicine to keep her alive, even if there's a (very small) chance that it may cause a problem with the baby. Should she have the choice to take her medication? If she has a miscarriage, whether or not it was related to her medicine, should she be prosecuted for risking the fetus?

What if a pregnant woman takes over the counter medicines or uses toothpaste with fluoride or eats blue cheese? Those things could potentially harm the child, so they could theoretically be related to a miscarriage. Miscarriages are extremely common, affecting between 10% and 20% of known pregnancies and the cause is often unknown. But if someone wanted to look for a reason, they could probably find something. That risk would lead to pregnant women living in fear of prosecution, and miscarrying women unable to mourn the loss of their pregnancy while experiencing significant pain. Worse, if women fear prosecution, they may not seek medical care which could be extremely dangerous.

And even without those fears, there's the fact that many miscarriages require a D&C (dilation and curettage) which is the same procedure as an abortion. But it's likely that in those states with strict abortion laws, doctors may not have as thorough education on the procedure as they would have prior to those laws. Which would be yet another l potential danger for pregnant women. 

Many of the people (most often, men) who are making these laws are legislators, not medical professionals, and have no idea how pregnancy works. One suggested that a pregnancy as a result of rape was impossible because the female body has the way of shutting that kind of thing down. As far as I can tell, this theory is based on medical beliefs from the Middle Ages. Other legislators have claimed that doctors should try to relocate an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is defined as a fertilized ovum that has implanted outside of the uterus, and a fertilized egg cannot survive those conditions. There is no saving that pregnancy, but nonsense legislation could delay care of the woman in question and in doing so, risk her life. Ectopic pregnancies can absolutely be lethal if not treated promptly.

Trump installed three Supreme Court justices, all of whom swore before Congress that they considered Roe settled law. Yet as soon as they had the chance, they overturned Roe, sending the issues back to the state. Despite the fact that a majority of Americans want abortion to be at least somewhat legal, some states have implemented anti abortion laws that are so strict that they outlaw abortion before most women would even know they were pregnant.

Project 2025 was written by many people who formerly worked in Trump's White House, and the foreword to the document was written by Vice President elect Vance. For all that Trump disavowed it, Project 2025 obviously speaks to the goals of the Republican party. Which means among many other huge issues, the administration may go after the morning after pill and birth control.

So, TL;DR

The extremely conservative wing of the republican party is likely going to have far reaching control over many aspects of reproductive health, including potentially limiting access to birth control. The Supreme Court may even try to enact a national abortion ban. 

Extremely restrictive abortion laws have already caused multiple women to die from preventable causes. They have also likely already caused or will cause children to be forced to give birth and women to have to carry their rapists child. They will also lead to a slew of children who are either unwanted or have parents who can't afford them and will trap women with abusive partners. 

These laws threaten doctors with harsh punishments for providing an abortion if they can't prove the mother's life was endangered enough. As a result, doctors are leaving these areas, exacerbating an already existing crisis in rural medicine and causing maternal mortality rates to worsen. 

So yeah, that's what we're afraid of.

[dzthenerd490]

File: Meg

SCP#: AID

Code Name: Megalodons the Unwanted Guardians of the Ocean

Object Class: Archon

Special Containment Procedures: Creatures of SCP-AID are to be avoided as much as possible by Foundation submarines and boats. They are also not to be attacked as doing so will place Site-AN at great risk. Any attempts to close the cave to SCP-AID will lead to the possible destruction of Site-AN and thus an XK Class End-of-the-World Scenario of unimaginable damage. As such the punishment for any attempt to do so will be the activation of Protocol “Legacy’s Downfall”.

Under no circumstances are any research or recovery drones allowed to be utilized within SCP-AID either. Any attempt to do so will lead to the demotion to D Class. There will be no exceptions. 

Description: SCP-AID is a hidden section below the mariana trench that extends an unknown length and to an unknown depth. Theoretically nothing should be able to survive however it is populated with a wide variety of thought to be extinct species as well as mutated creatures. Some creatures seem to resemble different evolutionary variants of Species of Interest: The Titans. Because Titans are normally found within SCP-ACS it is assumed that SCP-AID is possibly connected to SCP-ACS but due to the possibility of aggravating the creatures of SCP-AID there is no way to confirm this. 

The most common SCP-AID species that resides within are the megalodon giant sharks that grow anywhere between 60 to 100 feet large. Like normal sharks they are commonly docile and rarely if ever attack unless provoked or able to sense food nearby. Originally this was thought to the extent of SCP-AID’s anomalous properties, however observations of megalodons encountering SCP-AMZ instances have shown otherwise. SCP-AID have no anomalous abilities that make them stronger or better than normal sharks other than their size. Instead what makes them dangerous is their immunity to anomalous infection and effects. 

Normally SCP-AMZ instances are able to spread SCP-ANE infection to any and all living organisms. However, the megalogons do not get infected no matter how much the SCP-AMZ instances stab or bite them. In fact, megalodons can eat hundreds of SCP-AMZ instances and be perfectly fine. Other species within SCP-AID have been observed to be able to resist SCP-ANE infection as well, how this is possible is unknown though it is hypothesized to be thanks to the Gaia Radiation from SCP-ACS. Again, there is unfortunately nothing to confirm how true this is.

SCP-AID was discovered in 1940 after it was revealed that there were SCP-AMZ instances living and growing within the mariana trench. Site-AN was quickly created to be a defensive and research site for world ending threats like SCP-AMZ and SCP-[data expunged]. However, after the completion of Site-AN, SCP-AID revealed itself as the megalodons devoured a majority of the SCP-AMZ population. As such occasionally they are regarded as defenders of Site-AN. However, a majority of the species were discovered to be extremely territorial and hate contact with the Foundation. All of this has led to SCP-AID being labeled as Object Class Archon, as it is safer to leave it alone than to contain it.

Update 2018 - a single megalodon escaped SCP-AID and tried to attack a beach on the coast of [data expunged]. Shockingly Group of Interest: the Shark Punching Center teleported into our reality within a submarine. After firing Anti-Selachian Death Punch Torpedoes the megalodon was destroyed and its body parts were later eaten by regular sharks. The SPC force tried to punch them as well, but a Foundation submarine intercepted them and threatened them to leave. The cover story was that a whale corpse exploded before it could reach the beach. 

Later an SPC representative entered Site-[data expunged] with a desire to talk about the incident. MTF High Commander Riker happened to be at the Site and agreed to the interview, please see Addendum X-63 for details. 

***

Addendum X-63

The following is a recording of the interview between SPC representative Jack Striker MTF High Commander Riker. The interview is taking place in a standard Foundation interrogation room with only two chairs and a table with a single ceiling light illuminating the middle of the room.

***

Begin Recording

SPC Representative Striker is balancing himself on the chair like a goofball while Riker is glaring at him with disappointment. 

SPC Representative Striker: So, this is the SCP Foundation, you guys really don’t do much when it comes to decorations huh? I mean where is the wall paint? Where’s the aquariums? Where’s the friendly receptionist? And where’s the fighting rings and training centers? How are you supposed to get new recruits if you're not presenting a welcoming face?

MTF High Commander Riker: We don’t recruit openly, people in this world don’t know about anomalies-

SPC Representative Striker: Deviants.

MTF High Commander Riker: ANOMALIES… and we intend to keep it that way.

SPC Representative Striker: Alright fine, I’m just saying, sharks are the only hostile deviants we have to deal with, yet you guys have… screaming naked men that kill all in their path, statues that look like peanuts who strangle you to death, and giant shape shifting lizards! I mean we got one too, but we just killed it while you guys are keeping it around. 

MTF High Commander Riker: He has more uses alive, not that it’s any of your business. Speaking of business, how about we get to it, what the hell do you want?

SPC Representative Striker: Tch, always straight to business huh? Alright, alright, we uh… we just wanted to apologize.

MTF High Commander Riker: … Pardon?

SPC Representative Striker: Look we’ve been using your reality as a means to improve and test out our SPC’s to better punch down the shark threat. But we understand that you want to study deviants not punch them or weaponize them like we do. I mean it would do you some good, but I get that you don’t want to.

MTF High Commander Riker: We weaponize some anomalies, but we only do so for the ones that can be weaponized. We don’t just ask them all to punch sharks because we feel like it.

SPC Representative Striker: Oh seriously? Cool, well anyways we’ve been doing what we want with your reality, and we understand it’s kinda pissed you guys off.

MTF High Commander Riker: Kinda, is far too weak of a word.

SPC Representative Striker: … Ahem, right so anyways we wanted to both apologize and get a meeting together between ORACLE and your O5 Council.

MTF High Commander Riker: … why?

SPC Representative Striker: So, we can make the deal official! So, we can enter your reality more often and take care of your shark problem while you focus on other stuff. I mean, lord knows you guys need it.

MTF High Commander Riker: No.

SPC Representative Striker: Wha- what?

MTF High Commander Riker: No, we don’t need you and never did, you can keep jumping in our reality whenever you want because we can’t stop you. Well, we could but it would be a waste of time and resources, so how about I warn you instead. You ever get in our way and mess up our work again, then we won’t hesitate to wipe out your pathetic little organization.

SPC Representative Striker: … I know you think we’re a joke, but make no mistake, I’ve punched sharks larger than your SCP-682. I’m not afraid of you. Any of you.

MTF High Commander Riker: I don’t want you afraid, I want results, and I want anything that gets in the way of those results… eradicated. 

SPC Representative Striker: Geez, you guys are cold blooded assholes. Like seriously you do realize you kill people more often than you save them. If you were more open with people like us, you would be able to save a lot more lives. 

MTF High Commander Riker: It’s not about saving lives; it’s about preserving humanity as a whole. Even if we have to cleanse until there’s a single Adam and Eve.

SPC Representative Striker: … Is that why you killed that old man?

MTF High Commander Riker: Tch, he was immune to amnestics, he was a hazard and couldn't be trusted. Besides with my enhanced sight I could see he didn’t have long anyways. I just gave him the easy way out. 

SPC Representative Striker: That’s your excuse?

MTF High Commander Riker: Not an excuse, a fact. It would be an excuse if I actually cared about what civilians think about me, which I don’t. Humans are animals, they should consider themselves lucky organizations like the Foundation give a fuck about them. 

SPC Representative Striker: ... I guess it was a mistake to think this deal could work. See ya later.

SPC Representative Striker then suddenly disappeared, seemingly teleporting with some unknown SPC technology. 

MTF High Commander Riker: The real mistake is your existence. 

Recording Ends

.

SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub

[hathaway-hayes]

052

Pale yellowed eyes stare back from a Past I so desperately run from. Jaundiced, the skin, and Stench by thy stomach Before your tears atop - Freckled cheeks far from home.

I recognize this sliver for what it is - The unrelenting torture of an Unwanted dream, A stitch in time, and scar I try to forget, but can’t.

And although the wound will never Reopen, it never fails to give chase; This pain wrought phantasms And of the wretched.

So remained the random son, To a father now lost, hell-bent, And with any excuse to asphyxiate “me.”

    - H.H. (2023)

Addendum:

It was only through you - Your patience, Your pain, Oh god, our promise, That I could be here today.

[pamprinninja]

Multiple of the above!

I take my extended-release Adderall and half of my estradiol in the morning. Generally I do this by sheer routine; and it’s very unusual for me to forget.

Addendum 1: it helps that I’m also responsible for giving one of our cats her medication at the same time; so one event acts as a reminder for the other, and vice versa.

Addendum 2: if I do forget, it’s usually because I am under the weather, and my neurological issues are making a temporary appearance - in which case, my Adderall isn’t going to be of a whole lot of assistance anyhow. 🤷🏻‍♀️

During the day, I take omeprazole and an instant-release Adderall. I have alarms set for these; but I’ve also found that if I don’t take them at the exact moment the alarm goes off (or do something to remind myself as soon as I’m able, such as move my phone to the wrong pocket) then I absolutely will forget.

Addendum 3: my spouse will kindly follow up a few minutes after my afternoon medicine alarm goes off, to make sure I’ve taken it.

I take the other half of my estradiol before I go to bed; which again, happens to coincide with medication time for Old Lady Feline.

…

Everyone is different; and what works for one person might not be true for another. What I’ve noticed for myself however is that:

Taking my medications at home isn’t too much of issue, because (a) they are in a place where I can see them all the time (which is a helpful reminder) and (b) I’m not distracted.

Taking my medications at work is a whole other ballgame; partly because they are out of sight, but mainly because there are too many unplanned interruptions that distract from the task and / or apply unwanted time pressure.

(Which has me thinking: I wonder if I could block out time on my work calendar for taking my medications; and more critically, set my availability to “Do Not Disturb”? 🤔)

Alright I'm terrible at waking up to take my meds on time and I'm not sure if it's OCD, ADHD, or just my fatigue. So anyone who has this or a similar problem,

Please reblog for a bigger sample size!

[partystoragechest]

A story of romance, drama, and politics which Cullen has accidentally become invested in.

Supplemental material for Unwanted, from the perspective of Cullen. In this addendum, Cullen tries not to ruin it.

(Masterpost. Addendums. Words: 910. Rating: all audiences. Warning: Addendums may contain spoilers for Unwanted and are best read after finishing the story entirely.)

Chapters 39, Addendum

The Herald’s Rest was remarkably lively for what was, by all intents and purposes, noon.

The impromptu engagement celebration being held for the Ladies Erridge and Orroat had spilled out of the tavern, into the surrounding area. The training ring—which had only recently hosted the very duel that was being celebrated—now boasted revellers, perched upon the fence or leant heavily against it, talking and laughing and sharing drinks.

A particularly merry soldier almost fell off it, sparking a round of cackles amongst his friends—which soon fell to silence, when they realised what had caused the accident.

Their Commander strode past.

If only they knew that Cullen did not much mind. Sure, they would have been better off training or on patrols, but such merriment was good for morale, and he had no intention of disrupting it. In fact, he came to join it.

He’d taken the time to get cleaned up proper, though Lady Trevelyan had done a fine enough job of it herself, with nothing more than a napkin. His mind drifted back to that experience, unable to resist its pull. The warmth of her touch still lingered on his cheek. He recalled glimmer of the forge in her eyes when she—

Cullen walked directly into the door frame of the Herald’s Rest. It seemed his face would have no relief today, as the injury he had already received from Lady Orroat began to smart again.

“You been on the ale, Commander?” asked one of the nearby soldiers. “You alright?”

“Fine, thank you,” he grumbled, pinching his nose. “I… hadn’t watched where I was going.”

“You weren’t far off, Ser!”

Though the joke earnt the soldier a few laughs from their compatriots, Cullen remained stoic out of embarrassment, and even considered turning around right there. But he reasoned that it would look more embarrassing if he didn’t even enter the place he’d just bumped into, so enter he did.

His mischeivous mind at least attempted to settle him by noting that Lady Trevelyan would likely be willing to administer some of that tender touch of hers again, should his injury be so bad. However, he would have to find her first.

And the tavern was absolute chaos. Filled with almost every attendee of the duel, the place was crowded from top to bottom. A bard played over constant chatter, barmen and maids weaved through with trays of orders, and the chance of finding even a dragon in this mess seemed an impossible ask.

But then he heard her laughter, echoing through the air. The sound alone made him smile.

Cullen prowled the edges of the room, concealed by the shadows of the other patrons. He caught a glimpse, between their shoulders, of her table. Lady Trevelyan sat with the other Ladies, smiling and giggling, shining like the sun. Every candle in the room seemed to glow in her direction. The chaos seemed like silence in the sight of her.

She was surrounded by friends, for it seemed Cullen was not the only one she’d attracted to attend. Varric and Sera lounged upon the table, having a loud conversation. Dorian had his hands cupped around the Baroness’ ear, whispering something that made her smirk. Dagna, too, had arrived, and was telling a joke that had the other Ladies in fits of laughter.

Cullen observed it a moment. There was more than enough mirth to be had between them. More than enough without him.

He did not wish to ruin it.

Unnoticed, he withdrew. Back through the crowd, back out of the door—and, he intended, back to his office.

“Commander?”

But he managed only three of the battlement stairs, before the call of his name stopped him in his tracks. Yet it wasn’t Lady Trevelyan’s voice.

“Leaving already?” asked the Baroness Touledy, stood at the foot of the stair, both hands upon her cane. She regarded him with something like curiosity, though there was a sharpness to her stare.

“I am,” he said, over the bannister. “I didn’t wish to disturb you all.”

“Really? And has she told you that she does not desire your presence?”

He cleared his throat. “No, but—”

“Then why leave?”

Because he did not wish to ruin it. Not just their gathering, but all that had come before. Though she had shown him kindness in the armoury, he felt lucky that it had gone unspoilt by some error or misstep of his. It was as if he wished to preserve it, as it was, and not cause it damage in retrospect. Let it remain perfection.

“I am… I have work to do,” he lied. Well, not really a lie. He did have work to do. But not urgently. He could have spared the time.

The Baroness knew that very well already, if the quirk of her eyebrow was anything to go by. “She’ll be disappointed you weren’t there.”

“I hardly think—”

“She will.”

He hesitated. “I—I can’t. Not yet.”

This wasn’t some irrational fear. He’d come so close to ruining it before. Time was needed, for her to trust him, and for Cullen to trust himself. And that meant, in the interim, that he would rather she be disappointed by his absence, than injured by his presence.

The Baroness sighed. “A shame.”

“I know.”

“You’re terrible at this.”

“I know.”

She nodded, and turned to go. “Improve, Commander,” she told him, striding away, “and quickly.”

He would. He’d try.

[roleplaybook]

Have any tips for trying to prove your not a minor due to a rumour?

Woof, that's a doozy. Posting about it on the regular can draw unwanted attention to the rumor from prospective partners who might otherwise have been oblivious.

This depends upon your community. Is it possible to make a public post welcoming any writing partners with concerns about your age to speak to you privately? Perhaps an addendum to your pinned post with this invitation?

It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, but I have seen people use their ID (with their full names, photos, and any other sensitive information covered, of course) to prove their age for writing partners. I've even seen Discord servers that require this of their members. (Which is not to say I think it's reasonable or even a good idea on their part.)

Reiterating the warning to cover up important details and your photo if you take this route. There have been instances where the staff of these servers have kept images from members' IDs and have harassed them based on their photos, etc.

Barring a step along these lines, it will be up to the discretion of those who wish to write with you to decide for themselves. A private chat might assuage the fear for some. For many older writers, minors are notoriously easy to spot - but that's trickier when the difference is, say, between a 17 and 18 year old or a 19 and 21 year old.

It may be necessary to offer SFW RP to prospective partners who are on the fence.

If you need to reassure an existing partner you have rapport with, one option is to do a quick video chat with them. This can lean into uncomfortable territory very quickly, however, and once again I never advise taking a route you don't feel 110% comfortable with in order to secure RP. I also recommend against video chatting with anyone who requests this - it would be something you could offer as 'proof of age.'

Beyond these fairly extreme measures, you may have to wait the rumors out. It's unfortunate when misinformation is taken at face value - especially if the folks spreading it have a wide reach or strong impression on the community.

If anyone reading has a good resource - a trusted online age verification method, etc. - please chime in!

[longhair-withoutacare]

I am exhausted being a woman today…

from walking around noticing the stares of men, seeing the look in their eyes as they taste me in their mind.

to constantly looking behind my back on my afternoon walks just in case someone comes to take what’s not theirs.

i miss the humanity in niceness. but now it is corrupted, unable to be accepted without a side of unwanted flirtation.

i adore my womanhood yet it seems to come with an irrevocable addendum.

-kl

[username-cause-i-need-one]

Day 16: Quaternion

As is evident from the day you were born, time works fairly linearly. Forwards and backwards, unraveling in each direction indefinitely. However, this is not actually the case. It is possible to move through a different axis in time. Each axis has it's own history, intersecting with ours for only an instant of time. There are a few known methods for rotating oneself through time. Here is a compendium of the most common methods.

Reflect oneself through a mirror temporally; It is known that a reflection is a snapshot of something earlier in time. Light takes time to reflect off of it, of course. However, using very specific and delicate mirrors, they can actually reflect light slightly off-kilter from the standard axis of time. A simple ring of these mirrors is enough to allow your reflection to walk off sideways through time, you will be unable to follow however, without proper training. Addendum: Several tests indicate that no reflections perfectly reflect into our time. This leads to the hypothesis that if one merely spends long enough looking at themselves in spoon, they might find themselves somewhere they weren't meant to be. The ramifications for this are uncertain.

Breaking a time-loop; If one is in the process of being reversed through time (this can be most easily achieved through the ouroboros effect), one could complete a set of actions that would halt or otherwise break the process. This leads you to leave the orbit of time from a different axis than you were at initially depending on at what time you leave the loop. This, at first, may seem to have a chance to send you careening through several axis of time at once, whatever trajectory you land in will by definition be an axis that is valid, even if it is "passing through" other histories.

Rebirth; The process of gaining life after death has always had the affect of changing one's axis through time. This is normally unwanted, however the effects can be used purposefully. By being reborn through a separate body, that body must intersect with at least one other axis of time. This creates multiple "versions" of you with the same memories, being born in several axis at once.

Unreal shifting; This is a last resort, and should only be used if one is desperate. By traveling to the border of unreality, one can assert themselves outside of any axis of time. Reentering at a random point nearly guarantees entering through a separate axis. This is highly dangerous, and only a scant few have ever attempted this and re-intersect for long enough to tell their tales.

[borealtwilight]

my own addendum:

black out because of the beta editor. i hate the fact they've forced an unwanted, broken post creator upon us. it makes it difficult for me to tag my content, because the beta editor does not recall my tags. i have memory issues— i rely heavily upon tumblr recalling my tags so i know how to tag my posts appropriately.

i have also noticed an increase in inability to search posts via tags on my blog ever since the beta post editor rolled out (and i don't even use it!). whether this is in relation to the new post editor or not, i don't know, but it's extremely frustrating.

i also think we should black out because of the way they changed reblog chains. "to make it easier for users"? in what way is clicking a blank space next to a person's username easier than clicking the username itself?

48hr tumblr blackout proposal

tumblr mobile has seadily become near unusable these past few updates. not just from a user experience perspective (which is important enough in itself) but also from an accessibility perspective.

examples include the new way the image viewer works (if you can call it "working"), the tumblr live button replacing the profile button, and that newly created blogs will be forced to have their main dashboard tab be the 'for you' page.

the demands of the protest would be along the lines of:

reverse the recent image viewer update

scrap the new users 'for you' page default setting

let us turn off tumblr live indefinitely

increase efforts against spam / porn bots

make reporting abuse and hate speech as easy as reporting as reporting spam

let us go nuts show nuts again... for real this time

commit to improving usability and accessibility, and listening to users!

(suggestions welcome!)

to protest against these usability issues, and inspired by the recent reddit blackout, i propose a 48 hour blackout (where you don't use tumblr at all). preferably of both mobile and web (since web has problems too) but mobile is the focus here.

I suggest the 48 hours between the 30th of June to the end of the 1st of July.

this marks the end of pride month (for the "queerest place on the internet") and the start of disability month (since accessibility is a massive issue here).

tumblr office is in San Francisco, USA, so the times and dates will be calculated using their time zone (PDT).

you can find out the times and dates for your timezone here.

i can't afford to blaze this post so please spread it around as much as possible! protests only work if significant numbers show up!