#anti-net neutrality

[boymanmaletheshequel]

As we enter back into an era where technology is used primarily as a weapon against you by the United States and Russian governments, (welcome back 1980s! 😍) let’s go over some tips to consider if you are a queer, bipoc, or otherwise an “enemy from within” as trump so lovingly and hypocritically put it, to protecting your identity and privacy through the internet so that you can continue to resist this cultural shift safely and resiliently!

• stop posting identifying information on social media like your full name, place of residence, and pictures of yourself or other at risk people, and go back and delete posts in which you might’ve already.

• disable location tracking services and camera and mic access to apps, services, or websites that you know to be compromised by the influence of shady overseers, such as X, Instagram, Facebook, Google, and TikTok. I know it’s convenient to use these but it’s a MAJOR security hazard.

• Turn your phone COMPLETELY off when discussing sensitive subjects with friends or when you are making plans of resistance and gathering your communities, or when you are discussing personal feelings on such subjects with family, friends, or a doctor/therapist. Basically all mobile phones now have live mics that are constantly listening to you.

• Create a new email under a fake name if you haven’t already to use as your primary email address, in order to further protect your true identity.

• use an alternative browser like DuckDuckGo or brave in place of google, preferably with a VPN on top of it to even further secure your browsing history and to bypass potential IP blocks of websites from the government.

• if you want to watch YouTube and don’t want a recording of your watch history, log out of your account and watch that way, preferably you would just delete your account entirely but I understand why some might not want to.

• pirate content from streaming services via piracy websites, again so that your watch history can’t be used to make assumptions about you if that data were ever sold to the government.

These are obviously just some of the ways to bypass data collection and ti protect your real identity online, but there are many others I’m sure I’m not aware of. Please add to this if you can, and stay safe out there, because anything you say can and will be used against you in the future of this country. But: We have survived this kind of shit before, we can again, if we are careful. Loose lips sink ships, and that goes for the internet as well.

[d-blue02]

We need all the help we can get to put a stop to this bill! Click the link, sign the petition, call your representatives, and donate as much as you possibly can! There’s no time to lose, KOSA must be stopped at all costs!!

[royalpurplehuskies]

Maybe hot take but I don’t think most of the hate directed toward Steven was racism. It was a proportional (if extreme) reaction to their public personas. Shane and Ryan are why everyone follows watcher, so of course they’re going to get less hate automatically. But even excepting that, this is how each of the boys is perceived:

Steven: CEO (meaning he’d likely be the one making the final decision here, and in the general public consciousness the assumption is that the CEO makes the most money), drives a Tesla, gets goop (notoriously expensive) salads door dashed (notoriously expensive) every day and admitted it without shame, wants to bring back a series that does not include Ryan and Shane (the reason people watch and the content they’d be most ok paying for) and that is at its core is a show of wealth and that previously included gold-flecked ice cream - something obviously expensive and ridiculous

Ryan: neither flagrantly anti-capitalist, nor a flagrant spender, a net neutral in terms of money

Shane: anti-capitalist, regularly tells you to steal from the rich, told you in the goodbye video to steal from the company (share passwords), has never spoken to any degree about what money he makes or what he buys with it, has spent years building this persona by joking directly with fans

I don’t think this is racism, I think this is a direct reaction to perceived classism judged by how each of the boys has shown their wealth and crafted their online persona over the years. The guy with the Tesla was always going to get the most shit. The guy who told you to share passwords was always going to get the least. I don’t think it’s right, all three made this decision together and they all believed in it enough to take it this far (they shot expensive overseas episodes of ghost files - Shane and Ryan’s show - already for god’s sake) but I think crying racism to make justifiably upset fans feel bad is a stretch

[saywhat-politics]

A federal appeals court struck down net neutrality on Thursday, ending the widely popular regulatory doctrine that mandated internet service providers to treat all internet traffic equally.

The ruling from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ends a federal rule prohibiting broadband providers from throttling internet speeds or blocking traffic to specific sites.

“The FCC lacks the statutory authority to impose its desired net-neutrality policies,” the judges wrote, overturning what they called the Federal Communication Commission’s “heavy-handed regulatory regime.”

The pro-consumer policy of net neutrality was implemented by President Barack Obama and gutted during Donald Trump's first term. It was reinstated in April of last year by the Biden administration. The now-defunct policy holds that internet carriers are akin to telecom providers and must comply with common carrier regulations governing those services.

Telecom giants like Verizon and AT&T have opposed the policy for nearly a decade, spending big money to back anti-regulation candidates. 

[caldella]

Blitzø & Verosika: 7 Deadly Similarities

An unnecessary dive into how these two are alike, and their possible past dynamic

Who asked for this? No one really. But it's something I've wanted to touch on for a while.

Like a lot of HB character conversations, I see a lot of discussion back and forth about these two: mainly on whether Verosika's Anti-Blitzo parties were extreme overkill for their breakup, or whether Blitzø's particularly hurtful way of severing ties/avoiding blame afterward deserved it. It becomes a lot of, "which one is shittier than the other?" And to be honest...

I don't see many people bring up how the show displays that the truth is more neutral. They function very similarly.

The more we saw of Verosika in the few episodes she's been in, the more I got, "Yeah I can see why these two dated long enough for her to fall in love." I think they share a lot of qualities. Some probably drew them to each other, but some probably caused issues instead of connecting them.

Trait One: Leadership

Verosika and Blitzø are both leaders of a team. They're pretty classic Type A personalities: take-charge, ambitious, don't take orders well from others. They want to make them instead. I could easily see Blitzø with his hyper-confident persona and Verosika's 'I'm a star, bitch' attitude being drawn to each other. Neither of them like taking shit from someone, and before they directed their ire at each other, they were probably good at channeling it together in an 'us against the world' way.

Trait Two: Extroversion

Both Blitzø and Verosika seem to be extroverted and prefer being around other people (or demons, whatever). In fact, I think they emotionally rely on it. From what I recall, Ozzie's is the only time Verosika shows up alone anywhere. Other than that, the closest she comes is showing up for work in Spring Broken with Tex her bodyguard. She's otherwise constantly surrounded by her employees/coworkers or hosting events for people she invites. While her screentime has been limited, I get the feeling she doesn't like being by herself. Neither does Blitzø, who's made an entire found family for himself for that same reason.

Trait Three: Crass

In a show with plenty of swearing and crude humor, both of them are pretty high on the list for quick insults or crass remarks. They're both so blunt that the other's attitude probably never phased them while they got along. But I'm guessing that also prevented them from having a lot of more meaningful conversations without reverting to this as a safety net.

Trait Four: Deflecting Accountability

Both of them have some seriously damaging behavior: Blitzø with his sabotaging relationships and Verosika with her insistence that she's too successful for rehab. Blitzø uses his deflection to avoid getting close to people or looking too far at his own self-hatred. Verosika sees rehab as an admission of weakness that could damage her image/career. Both hide serious problems under a mask of confidence.

Trait Five: Using A Painful Reminder to Make a Statement

It seems that Blitzø never officially changed his name's spelling to Blitz. Instead, he insists on the "O" being silent, distinctly marking that his association with his circus/clown origins are done. Similarly, Verosika chose to cross out her Blitz tattoo instead of cover it up - a black heart would've literally matched her face marking - and she wore pants with a crossed out version of Blitzø's forehead mark in Apology Tour. Perhaps she got her tattoo altered before rehab, or perhaps she got inspiration from Barbie's crossed out forehead marking. Either way, both she and Blitzø don't actually eliminate these signs of their past selves, the hurt selves that they're afraid to let the public see. They instead use the reminder as a sign to the world that they're different now.

Trait Six: Coping with Emotions via Violence or Self-Destruction

I agree that the Anti-Blitzo party was weirdly violent with its imagery (and the foreshadowing of the cake being beheaded isn't lost on me). But whenever I see people bring up how violent the party was, they don't seem to consider that Blitzø takes out his feelings via violence, too. He does it literally, especially if he's frustrated/avoiding introspection. That isn't dissimilar to Verosika using performative violence to cover up her emotional pain. Perhaps she learned some of it from him.

Both of them also lean towards self-destructive behaviors to handle negative feelings. Verosika is shown as an alcoholic from her first appearance. Blitzø's binge in Queen Bee seems to be a one-time thing and not a habit, but between that and his spiral in Ghostfuckers, it's clear that he also uses self-destructive behavior to avoid addressing his vulnerabilities.

Trait Seven: Projecting Negative Generalizations Onto Others

(Yes bringing back the 'everyone's shitty' screenshot again)

I have to thank this post from timkontheunsure for actually having this piece fall into place for me. Both of them, when facing (real or perceived) rejection from someone they've developed feelings for, turn it into anger. They respond by putting people into a category and assuming that they must be the same as everyone else within it. Blitzø struggled so bad with the idea that Stolas could have feelings for him that he rejected it and assumed Stolas would function like every stereotypical uncaring royal. His negative perception of royalty as a whole was thrown onto one person despite conflicting evidence. He did the same with the Anti-Blitzo party, when Verosika tried to confront him on his own behavior. No, HE wasn't particularly shitty, he was just a denizen of Hell. Everyone there was shitty.

And Verosika did similar with Stolas, by assuming he would be just another bitter ex completely wronged by Blitzø. She assumed that the party and venting about Blitzø would be cathartic for him like she felt it was for her. There was no room for gray area in the situation. With the drastic way Blitzø hurt her, surely everyone else he's hurt must feel the same and need the same outlet.

Conclusion:

We'll see if the show ever addresses it, though I don't think it's something they really need to. I'm guessing that their combined ambitious personalities and 'I don't give a fuck' attitudes drew them to each other. And since they dated before Blitzø adopted Loona, he was likely in his wilder party phase as well. Verosika probably felt like they could take on the world (Hell) together, but either Blitzø was not as attached or his self-destructive tendencies sabotaged things the moment they became serious, as he's had a habit of doing. I think Verosika made the anti-Blitzø motif such a drastic part of her persona to prevent a public scandal about the hurtful/embarassing breakup. She's a major celebrity under the public's eye. She's a species entirely devoted to lust over love. To her, it was safer to have a justified target than to be the target herself.

I think, even if Blitzø hadn't ripped up their relationship, things still would've gotten messy. Two bold, loud individuals who struggle to cope with negative feelings without turning aggressive/projecting them? Hiding pain under self destruction? I don't know if either would've been able to start addressing these issues if the other refused to work on their own. It was only after the breakup, and several years of living and growing, that they were able to even have an honest conversation with each other.

[kahluah]

*puts hand up* sorry I’m very new here what’s the context with what’s happening with the tag war??

Alright, I will give my run down, but I will not be naming any blog names on either side even if I have the info and the action was net positive. I just like to use my blog to scroll and reblog for the most part and refuse to embroil myself in the drama more than just giving my view on it as a bystander. One that definitely has an opinion on the events, but also as someone who would rather curate my own experience than fight.

So all this fighting that is going on, it used to just happen in the normal "Jiang Cheng" tag because back then there was no "canon Jiang Cheng" tag; it had not been created yet. (By that I mean it was not a tag used as a tag, Tumblr's shitty search algorithm might still show posts if one typed it in to the search bar because those posts had the words 'canon', 'Jiang', and 'Cheng' in the tags separately, but there would not be posts with "#canon Jiang Cheng" because nobody normally creates a post with a tag like that when "#Jiang Cheng" was suffice. Sometimes I see irrelevant posts in the canon Jiang Cheng tag, but the actual tag isn't on the post, the tags just happen to have all three words in them. Those I ignore because that is Tumblr's fault, not the poster.)

The fighting was between people that like the character and prefer to see the good in him and the interpretation of his character, and those that may or may not like the character (just because you like a character does not mean you need to defend their every action after all) but do not share that opinion of his character and have a more neutral or negative portrayal by contrast. The former also tended to favor or have only read the novel as it is the source material for all other adaptations.

Now things really came to a head when hate and threats were being thrown about on posts that were just quotes from the book showing the negative actions of Jiang Cheng. The people posting the quotes were basically told "if you hate the character why don't you just tag the post as anti-JC?!" but is it really right to call those anti posts when they were posting how the character acts in the source material? That is the character. That is how he acted. Look it is in the book! The character really did that! It is not somebody's negative headcanon that the character may act like that, it is something the character actually did. Personally I can not consider that as an anti character post, and neither did the people who made posts like that.

But things did get heated enough that some people finally took a step back and said "Fine. You want us to make our own space to make these posts so that you do not have to see us talk about JC this way? We will. It will be #canon Jiang Cheng and you can block it if you don't want to see the posts." Was the name picked in the spirit of schadenfreude? Very probable, but it is also not an incorrect name as the people who wanted to use it base their opinion on the novel. But the point was that the tag was created so that people now had their own space to make the posts they wanted and those that did not want to see it could block the tag. Curate your own experience; we can block tags on this site for a reason and advertising tags to block is a courtesy. (Because as said previously, the search here sucks, because the posts contain the character's name they are still likely to show up in the main tag, but block the newly created tag and you will not see those posts either way). Could the other people come into the tag in good faith and make arguments with textual support? Yeah, that was welcomed, but in the spirit of debate they should expect rebuttal. Was that what happened? No.

No instead what happened was basically this meme

They did not like the name chosen for the tag. They read the novel too and still believe that JC is good, so they should be able to use the tag too! Never mind the fact that the tag was made so they could block the posts they didn't want to see. So that they can go on with their days no longer having to deal with the people they constantly fought with. No. Instead of curating the experience of this website, they would get so hung up on the fact that there was now a tag called #canon Jiang Cheng in use that they had to use it too to defend JC from the people that post 'negative' things about him; even if it is novel text!

So while the fighting didn't stop, it did get slightly better because not everyone felt the need to jump into the new tag to defend their fave. Some people actually did curate their experience. Plus there is a block button and people do use it, so things got to a point where I would say it was relatively stable even if there was still fights here and there. (But once again I lurk, I do not participate. Things may not have been the same for more outspoken people).

But then a certain muskrat bought Twitter and a chunk of the fandom there fled here. That's when the main push to "reclaim the tag" and the new influx of people hopping into the tag to argue and defend their fave appeared. These people did not know why the tag was made, they just saw blogs that they liked telling people about the "JC-antis" that made it and how with the new people pouring into the Tumblr fandom from twitter, they had a chance to flood it and reclaim it. And since then the fighting has not really stopped.

As for what has happened in the past few days, you have JC defenders flooding the tag with fan art (not canon), screen caps from CLQ (not canon), and screenshots of a sentence or two from the novel (canon, but usually out of context or lacking additional lines that go on to rebut what was previously said) in the tag and the people who made the tag for a specific purpose getting mad about the spam. (I block so I have no clue how big the influx was or whatever but there was definitely like at least 3 new people I had to block). So when they made posts venting the anger, you got JC defenders coming back to them and going "But I never sent any hate or harassment! I just used the tag to talk about the canon character!" And perhaps they didn't, but these people in their defense always ignore and never respond to the question of why they are in the tag instead of blocking it because that is what the tag was made for. Instead they come back with "Well if you want to talk about JC that way, why don't you post in the anti tag or make your own tag!"... Remember that meme picture I used above. Yup.

The tag war began because people did not like negative posts about JC in the main character tag for JC. When told to use the anti tag or make a new tag, a new tag was made, but instead of curating the experience the stans of JC got so tilted at the name of the tag that they decided that they would come into the tag and continue the fight instead of just blocking it. Twitter fallout made the fighting worse. And now we have come full circle to the JC stans once again telling people to just use the anti tag or make their own tag.

[st5lker]

like lets be real for a second we lost net neutrality in the us like 80 years ago and we still havent even heard whispers of getting it back. do you really think any kind of anti-ai legislation is gonna be feasible at all. so if that's not an option then perhaps let's consider something else other than playing an endless game of telephone just to be cavemen afraid of fire

[cupcraft]

I think sometimes radfems circle to blaming women for being sexual or sexualizing themselves when there can in fact be nuanced analysis of self sexualization that comes from a lens of internalized misogyny, white supremacy, and heteronormativity that is not the same as a woman being sexual and being met with misogyny as evidence that a woman being sexual is bad. I also think when women are on the nose about misogyny in their sexualization doesnt mean they are promoting the patriarchy and in fact maybe they are commenting on it. And maybe also I think sexual liberation and sex positivity is a net good that should at baseline preclude dismantling systems and structures of patriarchy and white supremacy, without us going a "woman doing X publicly means feminism is over because men are treating her like an object". I also think when people do have genuine critique of internalized misogyny in a piece of media there are people quick to write it off as "Anti-sex puritan ideology" which also is equally black and white thinking missing the point of it all. I also think some acts of sex and sexualization are really neutral acts of women having bodily autonomy that people dont like because the patriarchy asks is to not allow women to have autonomy over themselves.

I dont really know if im making sense but to conclude i really think we need to get more intellectual about discussions of misogyny's axis with sex positivity and sexual content and many of you are blaming women for what men say about it and many of you dont want to hear there's nuance about people's actions. And in the end, we need to realization sexual liberation (which includes not wanting to have sex or be sexualized) is a really important part to feminism.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

How the kleptocrats and oligarchs hunt civil society groups to the ends of the Earth

It's a great time to be an oligarch! If you have accumulated a great fortune and wish to put whatever great crime lies behind it behind you, there is an army of fixers, lickspittles, thugs, reputation-launderers, procurers, henchmen, and other enablers who have turnkey solutions for laundering your reputation and keeping the unwashed from building a guillotine outside the gates of your compound.

The field of International Relations has studied the enemies of the Klept in detail: the Transnational Activist Network is a well-documented phenomenon. But far more poorly understood is the Transnational Uncivil Society Network, who will polish any turd of sufficient wealth to a high, professional gloss.

These TUSNs are the subject of a new, timely scholarly paper by Alexander Cooley, John Heathershaw and Ricard Soares de Oliveira: "Transnational Uncivil Society Networks: kleptocracy’s global fightback against liberal activism," published in last month's European Journal of International Relations:

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:5e5a3052-c693-4991-a7cc-bc2b47134467/download_file?file_format=application%2Fpdf&safe_filename=Cooley_et_al_2023_transnational_uncivil_society.pdf&type_of_work=Journal+article

The authors document how a collection of institutions – some coercive, others organized around good works – allow kleptocrats to take power, keep power, and use power. This includes "wealth managers, company providers, accounting firms, and international bankers" who create the complex financial structures that obscure the klept's wealth. It also includes "second citizenship managers and lawyers" that facilitate the klept's transnational nature, both to provide access to un-looted, prosperous places to visit, and boltholes to escape to in the face of coup or reform. It includes the real-estate brokers and other asset facilitators, who turn whole precincts of the world's greatest cities into empty safe-deposit boxes in the sky, while ensuring that footlose criminal elites always have a penthouse to perch in when they take a break from the desiccated husks they've drained dry back home.

Of course, it also includes the PR managers and philanthropic ventures that allow the klept to launder their reputation, to make themselves synonymous with good deeds rather than mass murder. Think here of how the Sacklers used charity to turn their family name into a synonym for culture and fine art, rather than death by opioid overdose:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/11/justice-delayed/#justice-redeemed

Beyond providing comfort to "Politically Exposed Persons" and "High Net-Worth Individuals," TUSNs are concerned with neutralizing TANs. Activists in these transnational networks play an inside-outside game: in-country activists will recruit peers abroad to bring attention to the crimes of their local kleptocrats. These overseas partners target the klept in the places they go to play and spend, spoiling their fun – and if they succeed in getting corrupt leaders censured abroad, then in-country activists can leverage that bad press to fight the klept at home.

To fight this "Boomerang Effect," TUSNs seek to burnish corrupt officials' reputations abroad, getting their names on humanitarian prizes, beloved sports teams, cultural institutions and great universities. They seek to capture international governance institutions that might wrong-foot kleptocrats, co-opting them to enable and even celebrate looters.

When it comes to elite philanthropy, TUSNs are necessarily selective. Kleptocrats' foundations don't fund anti-kleptocratic groups – they stick to "education, public health, the environment and the arts." These domains steer clear of human rights questions that might implicate their benefactors. Russian oligarchs love children's charities and disability rights – provided they don't target the Russian state.

If charitable giving is reputation laundering's carrot, then "reputation management" is the laundry's stick. Think of organized copyfraudsters who clone websites that have criticized their clients, then backdate the articles, then accuse the originals of infringing copyright in order to get them de-listed from Google or taken offline altogether:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/23/reputation-laundry/#dark-ops

Reputation managers also spend a lot of time in court. In the UK – the world's leader in libel tourism, thanks to a legal system designed to let posh monsters sue muckraking journalists into silence – Russian oligarchs have perfected the art of forcing their critics to shut up and go away:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/03/04/londongrad/#enablers

Indeed, London is a one-stop shop for the global klept, a place were forelock-tugging Renfields will buy you a Mayfair mansion under cover of a numbered company, sue your critics into silence, funnel your money into an anonymous Channel Islands account:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/01/07/the-klept/#pep

They'll sell you whole galleriesworth of "fine art" that you can have relocated to a climate-controlled container in a Swiss or Irish freeport:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/14/poesy-the-monster-slayer/#moneylab

They'll give your thick-as-pigshit progeny a PhD and never check to see whether he wrote his thesis himself:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSE%E2%80%93Gaddafi_affair

Then they'll hook you up with a cyber-arms dealer to hunt your enemies by capturing their devices:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/27/gas-on-the-fire/#a-safe-place-for-dangerous-ideas

But don't let Brexit stop you from shopping for bargains on the continent. The Golden Passports of the EU – available in a variety of flavors, from Maltese to Cypriot to Portuguese – offer the discerning failson access to the luxury good shops and fleshpots of 27 advanced economies, making it a favorite of the Khmer Riche – the junior klept of Cambodia's ruling faction:

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/cambodia-hunsen-wealth/

But golden passports are for amateurs. Skilled klepts travel on diplomatic passports, which offer the twin benefits of free movement and consequence-free criminality, thanks to diplomatic immunity. The former Kazakh dictator's son-in-law enjoyed a freewheeling diplomatic life in Vienna; one daughters of the dictator of Tajikistan had a jolly time as an envoy to DC; another, to London (where else?).

All this globetrotting serves a second purpose: when rival elites seize power back home and force the old guard into exile, those ex-monsters can show up in the lands they called their second homes and apply for asylum. It turns out that even bomb-the-boats UK will welcome any asylum seeker who enters via the private jet terminal at City Airport (to be fair, these "refugees" have extensive properties in Zone 1 and country places in the Home Counties, so they won't need housing).

This stuff works. After Kazakh state goons murdered at least 14 protesters at a Zhanaozen oil facility in 2011, human rights groups around the world took up the cause. But they were effectively neutralized by TUSNs, with former UK PM Tony Blair writing on behalf of the Kazakh government to the EU condemning any kind of international investigation into the mass killings (add "former Prime Ministers" to the list of commodities for sale in the UK to sufficiently well-resourced murderer).

The authors close their paper with two case-studies. The first is of the daughters of Uzbek dictator Islam Karimov, Gulnara and Lola. And President Karimov was indeed a dictator: he trapped his population within his borders, forced them to use unconvertible scrip in place of money, and ordered the murder of hundreds of peaceful protesters, plunging the country into international isolation.

But while Uzbeks were sealed within their borders, Gulnara Karimov became an international player, running a complex network of businesses that mixed the products of the nation's oilfields with her family's fortune. She solicited – and received – bribes from Teliasonera, MTS and Vimpelcom, who were all vying for the contract to provide service in Uzbekistan. All told, she extracted more than $1b in bribes, laundering them through Latvia, Hong Kong and New York. She acquired real-estate in France and Switzerland, and her spree continued until her father collaborated with Uzbek security to seize her assets and place her under house-arrest.

Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva was Gulnara's estranged younger sister. She and her husband Timur Tillyaev ran the Dubai-based SecureTrade, which did extensive business with "opaque Scottish Limited Partnerships," laundering more than $127m in a single year to offshore accounts in the UAE and Switzerland. They acquired many luxe assets – a jet, a Californian villa, and an LA perfumier.

Lola styled herself as the face of the Karimovas abroad, a "philanthropist and cultural ambassador." She was a UNESCO ambassador and commissioned works of monumental art – and also sued the shit out of news outlets that reported factual matters about her family repressive activity at home. She organized AIDS charities in the name of Uzbekistan – even as her father was imprisoning a writer for publishing a book explaining how to have safer sex.

The second case-study is on Isabel dos Santos, "Africa's richest woman," daughter of Angolan dictator Jose Eduardo dos Santos. Isabel's vast fortune stemmed from her personal capture of vast swathes of the third-largest economy in Africa: "telecommunications, banking, diamonds, real estate and cement, among many others." Isabel enjoyed seemingly limitless access to state credit and co-investment, and was given first crack at newly deregulated industries. Foreign firms that invested in Angola were required to "partner" with Isabel's businesses.

Isabel claimed to be a "self-made woman" – a claim credulously parroted by the western press, including the FT. She used her homegrown fortune to become a major player abroad, especially in Portugal, where she was represented by the leading Portuguese law-firm PLMJ. Her enablers are who's who of corruption-loving lickspittles: McKinsey, Ernst and Young, Boston Consulting Group, and the Spanish BigLaw firm Uri Menendez.

Isabel cultivated a public facade of philanthropic giving and public spirited activism, serving as head of the Angolan Red Cross. She attended Davos and spoke at the LSE (she was also invited to Oxford, but her invitation was subsequently rescinded). On social media, she dismissed critics of her wealth and corruption as "colonialists," decrying their "racism" and "prejudice."

Isabel dos Santos's corrupt sources of wealth were finally, irrefutably exposed through the Luanda Leaks, in which the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists mapped the network of "top banks, management consultants and legal firms that were central to dos Santos’s operations."

Both case studies shed light on the network of brilliant, driven enablers and procurers without whom the world's greatest monsters would falter. It's a rare window on a secretive world, one that is poorly understood even by its inhabitants. As Michael Mechanic wrote in Jackpot, his 2021 book on vast, intergenerational fortunes, the winners of the lucky orifice lottery often lack any real understanding of how The Money is structured, grown and protected:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/13/public-interest-pharma/#affluenza

This point was reiterated by Abigail Disney, in a brave piece on what it's like to grow up subject to the oversight of these millionaires who babysit the children of billionaires:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/19/dynastic-wealth/#caste

This is an important contribution to the literature. We naturally focus on the ultrawealthy individuals whose reputations and fortunes are the subject of so much attention, but without the TUSNs, they would be largely helpless.

Going to Burning Man? Catch me on Tuesday at 2:40pm on the Center Camp Stage for a talk about enshittification and how to reverse it; on Wednesday at noon, I'm hosting Dr Patrick Ball at Liminal Labs (6:15/F) for a talk on using statistics to prove high-level culpability in the recruitment of child soldiers.

On September 6 at 7pm, I'll be hosting Naomi Klein at the LA Public Library for the launch of Doppelganger.

On September 12 at 7pm, I'll be at Toronto's Another Story Bookshop with my new book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/24/launderers-enforcers-bagmen/#procurers

Image: Sam Valadi (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/132084522@N05/17086570218/

CC BY 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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[lycanthropypersonified]

WARNING: LONG POST

|| PINNED INTRO

ABOUT ME:

• Bio (extended): 🧸/🗺️ - AAM/MAP | 🚸/💌 - AAM4MAP/MAP4AAM | TE SYS/RQ/PXE/PARA/PS - Traumaendo system, Radqueer, Peri-Xenoevangelist, Paraphile, Proship | MINOR/SEX LIBERATIONIST |

• Our collective names are Vo and EJ, but we prefer Vo, We use they/it pronouns collectively, we’re a chronic swearer so beware!!

• We are Pro C(onsent), Anti-Harassment, and Neutral-Retaliation but pro leaning (we tend to just block/report, but if you send hate our way we will respond in turn. And we support others doing such as well!)

• DNI if u don’t like ig. Block don’t report (reporting makes u a dick srry not srry.)

• feel free to tag us, send asks, dm us, reblog, comment, etc! Your interactions make our day!

• PREV BLOGS: thevoidoceansystem -> voidocean-net -> fucked-up-obsessions -> the-queer-weirdos -> radicalqueerness -> radical-queerness -> misanthropypersonified -> misanthropy-personified

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REQUESTS/ASKS:

• request whatever u want, request status will be in bio, i wont write stuff like radshits/proshitters DNI and u will be blocked (dunno why u would even request that on a Radqueer proship blog but idfk man.)

• I do moodboards, stimboards, shipboards, icons, flags, coins, user boxes, DNI boxes, etc! If u can think of it I probably do it lol.

• Im fine with most asks, but not money asks, do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, send asks asking for money or asking me to promote go-fund-mes! You will be blocked.

• other than that, I don’t really care. Send hate if u want Idfc. Just don’t bring other people into this shit and we’re good. I will add onto that though that if u decide to send me hate/harass me in one way or another then I will respond in turn. What goes around comes around yk.

• If you request something and requests close afterwards, then I will try to still get that request done, but I might have to put it on hold until they open again for the sake of my mental state.

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MY CARRD:

• The Link to my carrd, contains everything from my coin archive to my tumblr tags!

• Click here or go to https://vosystem.carrd.co

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INTROS:

• Alter Intros:

• EJ: Hey I’m the Core! I use they/it pronouns! Im 15-17 years old! I Love gaming, drawing and writing!

• VOID/VO: Hey I’m a Host/Co-host and Aesthetive! I use He/they/it pronouns! And I’m immortal/ageless/Eldriageic! I like relaxing, being creative and listening to music!

• KAY: Hey I’m a Host/Co-host! I use she/her pronouns primarily but anything that isn’t he/it or masc is fine! I’m 16-18 years old! I love photography, the beach/ocean, and painting or art!

• CAS: Hey I’m a OCtive/Artist! I use she/he/they/it pronouns primarily but anything’s fine! I’m agefluid for most if not all ages, but I’m usually between 12-20s! I love art, Pinterest, coining terms, and shifting realities!

• DAME: Hihi! Im the systems little/age regressor! I use he/they/bat pronouns! I’m permaagere and regress to 0-10! I love bats, stuffed animals and cartoons!

• RADICAL/RADS: Hi! I’m a conceptive! I am the concept of Radqueer/Radqueerness/or being Radqueer! I am as old as the coining of Radqueer (3 years)! I use it/rad(ical)/radqueer pronouns! I love anything Radqueer, rainbows, and coining terms!

• SWEETIE: Hello! I’m an OCtive and an Aesthetive! I formed with my twin sister Kandi! I am between 10-13 years old! I Use She/her pronouns! I love anything pink, soft and cute!

• KANDI: Hi! I’m an OCtive and Aesthetive! I am between 10-13 years old! I Use She/they pronouns primarily but am okay with others too! I love anything blue, soft and cute!

• KYRA: Hello. I am a Spitetive, I formed out of spite toward anti-maps/yaps and therefore formed to be a map! I use she/they pronouns! I am 21 years old! I love alt clothing, aesthetics and music!

• ALINETTE: Hiya! I’m a OCtive and an Aesthetive! I use She/Fairy/Fae pronouns! I am Xmniage, and my specific age is faeage! I love gardening, flowers, nature, and small or docile animals.

• GLITCHED*: H3LL0¡ mY N4m3 1s GL1TCH3D, BUT Y0U C4N 4Ls0 JUsT C4LL m3 GL1TCH¡ 1 4m 4n 43sTH3T1V3 F0R TH3 GL1TCHY 43sTH3T1C¡ 1 Us3 GL1TCH/GL1TCHY/GL1TCH3D PR0N0UNs¡ 1 4m 1mm0RT4L¡ I 3NJ0Y B31NG 1N H34DsP4C3 4ND 1NDULG1NG 1N WH4T Y0U M0RT4Ls C4LL ‘sL33P’

TRANSLATION: Hello! My name is Glitched, but you can also just call me glitch! I am an Aesthetive for the Glitchy Aesthetic! I use Glitch/Glitchy/Glitched pronouns! I am immortal! I enjoy being in headspace and indulging in what you mortals call ‘sleep’

• MIKE: Hi! I’m a Teen!Mike Afton Semi-Fictive; I call myself a Semi-fictive because I am very headcannon-ised! I use He/Him pronouns primarily but they/them is also okay! I am 15-16 years old! I enjoy anything fnaf related and gaming!

• OBI-WAN: Hello There! I am a Fictive from TPM, AOTC and TCW! I am a Destressor, Coltenoir, Emotional Protector and Negotiator! I use He/Him pronouns! I am 25-38! I enjoy meditating and reading!

• QUI-GON: Hi, I’m a Fictive from TPM! I am a Coltenoir and a Chaosnaut! I use He/Him pronouns but am not too bothered about what you call me! I am 48 years old! I enjoy anything chaotic, challenging or entertaining such as DND!

• ANAKIN: Hello, I’m a Fictive from TCW and ROTS! I am an anger holder and an ADHD Holder! I use He/She pronouns mainly but am also okay with They/Them! I am 20-22 years old, but usually 22! I enjoy reading and writing fanfics and bothering my insys friends/family!

• LUKE: Hiya! I’m a Fictive from ANH & ESB! I am a comforter and happiness holder! I use He/they pronouns! I am 19-22 years old! I enjoy art and drawing + anything where I can interact with people positively!

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LIKES/DISLIKES/BELIEFS/ETC:

• These are inspired by userboxes made by people who have Radqueer/Proship/Paraphilia in their DNIs. They are not directly taken from these people’s Blogs.

likes/loves…

- Stimming

- Birds (Crows, Ravens, Pigeons)

- Frogs

- Cats

- Sharks

- Drawing

- Stars

- Horror

- fictional characters

- our mutuals and friends

- liminal spaces

- weirdcore

- Dreamcore

- lovecore

- Listening to music

dislikes/hates…

- social norms

- Being yelled at

- school

- creative block

- burnout

physical illnesses…

- always burntout

- so fucking tired

- pain scale is broken

- back always hurts like a bitch

- always in pain

- disabled, doesn’t know what their disability is though

- sensory issues

mental illnesses/disorders…

- Nuerodivergent (Autism, ADHD, etc)

Identities…

- Polyamorous

- queer

- trans(ID)

- here, queer, wants to go home

- Omnisexual and an absolute mess

- has too many genders

- fluid-flux

- snakehearted

- Age regressor

- a bitch

system stuff…

- Memory issues not related to plurality

- Can barely track headmates

- can’t track fronting

- often blurry

- often can’t tell who’s fronting/doesn’t know until thinking about it.

- Can’t use tools like simply plural

- uses we and I interchangeably

- hosts are siblings

- multiple hosts and cohosts

- Has Octives

- will assume you’re endo friendly if in the plural tags

- has accidentally created new headmates/alters

- uses headmates and alters interchangeably

- wants separate alter relationships

(personal) beliefs…

- punk

- punks protect endos

- cringe and free

- polytheistic

- loves and supports all systems!

Boundries…

- No DNI, follow your own, be respectful

- needs attention, please give it :>

- sensitive, please be kind when criticising

- doesn’t give a fuck if you think they’re valid

- always open to new friends

- wants people to respect their boundaries

- open to romantic/flirty interactions (not sexual)

Miscellaneous…

- worries about saying the wrong thing when talking

- self harms

- can and will bite

- doing their best

Reminders…

- DRINK WATER

- GET ENOUGH SLEEP

- EAT SOMETHING

- TAKE YOUR MEDS

- DO SOMETHING YOU ENJOY

- HUG SOMEONE YOU LOVE

[bbyquokka]

siren

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 | lee minho x gender neutral reader

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 | mythical au, angst – 18+ is strongly advised!

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 | rumours circulating around the sirens being malicious creatures, you meet a friendly siren and discover the real truth about them.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 | siren ! minho, human ! reader, mythical creatures, platonic relationship, mentions of parental death, siren death, blood, hunting of sirens, hunting weapons mentioned (spears, machete), angst, alcohol addiction, small mention of minsung, estranged father, murder, jealousy, mature themes and language, violence ( if i missed any, pls lmk! )

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 | 11k ~ (11,541)

m.list — you can also read it on my ao3

dont repost. dont translate. minors, ageless & default blogs; dni! feedback and reblogs are highly advised and appreciated!

rumour has it that as soon as the moon is full and at its highest in the sky, the sirens come out to play. you live by the sea, a measly thousand of you live in a small, yet communal village. the houses are thatched with stone walls and straw roofs. plantation, such as vines slowly growing on the walls, making its way to the highest points of the homes.

every morning, when you awake, you're greeted by the buzzing sounds of the sales people in the marketplace trying to bargain a deal and get people to come to their stall. people want money more than they need it, so they're willing to ‘steal’ some customers from others, whether they're friends or not with the competition. the first thing you smell is the salt from the sea but also from the fish the fishmongers are gutting and selling.

you used to hate it, but now you've grown immune to it. not a single day goes by that you don't hear of these “sirens”. tales far and wide about how they seduce sailors with their sickly sweet tunes before wrapping their arms around their necks and dragging them deep into the sea–holding them close until they drown.

you don't believe it, you refuse to believe that such a beautiful creature could be so malicious. however, your father is a sailor. a captain to be precise. despite the tales of these horrific murders, the sailors of the town actively hunt for them, killing them for their shimmering scales to be used for jewellery and their blood to be used as an anti-aging agent.

trophy awards. 

your father leads the best crew in the village. how are they the best? because not one of them has died nor have they come back empty handed. your father tries to play it off, but he's a proud man. you can see that by the way he gloats in the cheers, the clapping, the females kissing his cheek and clinging to his arm.

you've always wanted to go on these adventures, but your father always said no. claims it’s far too dangerous for someone like you. it's true you have very little knowledge about boats and the sea but you're the child of a captain, you have your wits about you.

you've never seen nor heard of someone in your town passing due to the sirens, which is odd considering how close of a community everyone is. everyone knows everything about everyone in the village, nothing is secret. so why is it that it's only the sirens you see? being lifted up in a fishnet that's so small, they're curled up, thrashing around, snarling and hissing. desperation kicking in as they try and rip the net to break free.

you've seen it. you've seen it all. it's hard not to be subjected to it when your father is proud of what he does. every time you come face to face with the captured creature, you see tears in their eyes. the tears glistening in the moonlight, their eyes begging you to help them. they're weak. they're scared and they're fragile.

they're not the murderous monsters they're made out to be and you feel just as trapped as they do; the only difference is, you're alive.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･

“oh please father! please take me with you on your expedition!” you beg as you watch your father gather up a map and a compass. it's the last day of the month, meaning it's time for the monthly hunt. the moon is high in the sky, full and shining on the water making it shimmer and look magical.

you hate this. you hate when this day approaches because the crew never comes back empty handed. you've lost count of how many sorrowful and pleading eyes you've made contact with. how many blood curdling screeches you've heard. you've only ever seen the creatures alive and judging by their desperate wails, that's the only time you wish to see them.

“no, my dear! i can't risk you going on that ship with me and my men. it's dangerous out there.”

“but father, i promise i’ll be safe. i’ll follow the rules and won't dare make eye contact with the sirens.” that's a lie. if anything, you're dying to meet them. you want to see first hand if they really are as dangerous as the rumours say they are. you refuse to believe such a telltale without seeing it for yourself.

your father heaves a heavy sigh, hand gathering and stroking his long beard as he looks at you. you pout a little, using puppy eyes on him to which he tuts at. he turns on his heels, beckoning you to follow with a simple nod of his head.

you silently cheer before quickly following your father. as expected, the village folk are surrounding your home plus the ship. they cheer for him, wishing him and his crew a safe trip. your father soaks it all up, basking in the attention that he loves and adores so much even though he denies loving it.

you walk onto the ship, watching as the crew scramble and await their captain's orders. you stand next to your father, watching and listening to how he and the crew operate.

“listen here men.” your father starts, his voice bold and bellowing in the harsh cold night, echoing far far away. “tonight is a full moon. we all know what that means! standard protocol, do not make contact with the sirens, do not speak with them, don't even think about looking at them. we hunt, that is all!”

“yes captain!” the men shout together before scrambling to do the duties they've been assigned to. your father turns to you, smiling at you.

“that also applies to you too yn. these sirens can kill. they're dangerous, vile monsters that show no mercy.”

“i know father. i promise i will be safe.” your father hums before going below deck. you roll your eyes at him, watching the crew do their jobs as the ship takes off.

it sails east, towards rocks and plants. east is where the sirens live, it's their home. the air is chilly, wind in the sails as they flutter. the waves crash against the boat with the salty, fish smell of the sea hitting and tickling your nostrils. the moonlight hitting the clear water, making it shimmer and glitter. the sky is clear but it's an eerie black. could this be a sign of things to go wrong?

you'd be lying to yourself if you said you weren't nervous about meeting the sirens. all you've ever heard about is bad things, how they kill quickly and are not afraid to hunt. once they have a target, they hunt and don't rest until the target is eliminated. that alone should be enough to put you off and make you feel terrified of them–but it doesn't.

all you can think about is how pitiful and helpless they look when captured. how all you can see in their eyes is them begging for help. tears that shimmer in the moonlight slowly trickle down their cheeks. they know, they always know. maybe that's why they never put up a fight.

the ship halts abruptly causing you to quickly grab onto the side to stop yourself from going overboard. your father returns to the top deck, his brows furrowed and confusion lacing his features.

“why have we stopped?!”

“i don't know sir. we just suddenly halted.” an uneasy atmosphere fills the air. fear sinks into your stomach as it grows eerily quiet. you slowly look around as the men plus your father stand frozen in time, eyes darting from left to right to track any signs of danger.

and that's when you hear it–the song of the sirens.

an eerily, yet sweet and melodic tune. a soft hum, if you will. a tune that's designed to distract the hunters. your heart thumps against your chest rapidly, short puffs of air escape your nostrils. the tune increases in volume, getting louder and louder signalling that they're close.

the men scurry, grabbing their tools and nets. they shout out orders to each other, telling everyone to get ready and to prepare themself. 

the ship rocks. once. twice. three times. the once calm water now splashing and foaming at the surface. you slowly turn and look down in the water, overcoming that fear that is currently shackling you. you swallow thickly, your throat and lips dry with fear. 

and that's when you see it. the silhouettes of a group of sirens swimming under the ship, surrounding it. they slowly rise to the surface, the eerie tune still playing and enchanting you.

the surface of the water bubbles and ripples. the top of a head appears first before its face. you gasp as you come face to face with a siren.

his skin greyish blue with hints of purple. eyes black and wide. his hair slicked back and gills on the side of his neck. lips plump and round, teeth pointy and sharp. shimmering, iridescent scales travel up from his neck to his cheeks. 

you make the mistake of making eye contact with it. you tilt your head as you stare at the beautiful creature. he blinks at you, tilting his head also before reaching up. his nails are pointy and sharp but his hands look so soft and welcoming.

you're entranced, caught in a spell. the chaos behind you has long gone, a distant buzz in the background as you fall in love with the siren whose name you have yet to learn.

you reach down to touch his skin, leaning over the side of the ship. your feet lifting up off the floor and dangerously dangling as you reach further and further until your fingertips touch briefly. his skin isn't what you thought it would’ve felt like. from that brief touch, he feels soft and tender. you wanted more, to touch him some more, to learn about him and his kind but you're suddenly brought back down to reality from your father suddenly yanking you back. 

“get back you foul, disgusting creature!” the siren hisses, baring its sharp teeth at him before his eyes flicker to you. you bite your lip, the siren staring at you as if it's trying to figure you out. maybe it knows that you're different from the rest.

“i said–” your father grabs a spear, aiming it at the siren and throwing it. “get back!” the spear hits, causing the siren to let out a pained wail.

“no!” you blurt out, rushing to the side of the ship, knocking your father to the side. your eyes fill with tears as you watch blood pool around the siren tainting the water black. the siren gives you a sad look before diving underwater and swimming away.

“don't go..” you whisper, wanting to help the poor, defenceless creature. anger bubbles to the surface but you bite your tongue and bear it.

“what did i tell you, you stupid child!” your father grabs you by the shoulders as he shouts in your face. his face beet red with anger, spit flying from his dry lips. you clench your jaw and bite your tongue as you endure the lecture.

your gut feeling was correct this whole time. sirens are not murderous but in fact, just poor defenceless creatures who are simply fighting back.

you'll never forget the way the siren smiled so warmly, so lovingly at you. a creature that shows such emotions could never be so malicious.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･

you haven't been back at sea since that night. your father refuses to have you on the ship and to make matters even worse, a new rumour has circled the village. as soon as your feet hit the dry land that night, your father was quick to bellow out and spread malicious information about how a male siren tried to seduce you in hopes of killing you. you tried so hard to defend yourself, to defend the creatures but your father is loud. he has power and you're just his child, nothing more.

you can’t get the siren out of your head. every time you close your eyes, you're back with him again. how beautiful he looked. the curiosity in his eyes as you stared at each other, the small tilt of his head. the way his greyish-blue skin would glimmer under the full moon and the way he was quick to retract his hand in fear when your fingertips touched for a brief second.

your dreams started off small. you were always back on the boat, gazing into the siren's black eyes before being abruptly awake from your father pulling you away. until one night, your dream escalated. a whole new scenario started to play.

you're sitting on a rock by the siren's home. the waves crashing around you and that salty sea air tickling your nostrils. the siren swims up to you and touches you ever so gently. he would stare at you as he places his hand on your cheek gently and watch as you lean in. you feel alive and wanted. your worries wash away from a simple touch by him. you forget about your life as a human, forget about your father and the way he treats you; it's just you and the siren in that moment under a full moon. 

you have to go see him again..

you grab your coat and boots, lacing them up before quietly walking out of your bedroom. you tiptoe, avoiding every squeaky floorboard you know the old house has. you hold your breath, your ears perking up at any small noises. 

you quietly tiptoe your way down the stairs, looking around to notice your father is still up–which isn't too uncommon. your father likes to stay up late after a hunt to admire his treasures whilst sipping on the most expensive brand of whisky. old folk songs play on a record player as he slurs along to the lyrics, waving his glass in one hand and his machete that's coated in thick black siren blood in the other.

your blood boils as you see the blood. your mind rushing and instincts kicking in, telling you to take that machete and slice him, but you maintain yourself. you can't go to prison without seeing that siren again, can you?

as you sneak past his office, the stench of alcohol and old tobacco fills your nostrils making you retch. you ever so slowly slide the metal bolt, holding your breath as you turn the old brass knob. 

only when you feel the harsh night air hitting your face do you breathe. you rush to the dock, your legs going at max speed as your muscles tense to help you move faster. it wasn't until you reached the dock and looked out at all the ships and fishing boats did you realise that you don't know how to navigate one. 

“oh no..” you mumble to yourself, chewing your bottom lip. you can't turn back now, you've made it this far plus, having to sneak past your drunk father is something you'd rather not do again. you desperately chew your bottom lip as you struggle to think, the pressure of knowing that time is of the essence getting to you slowly but surely. 

panic starts to settle in, your heart thumping against your chest erratically. you know it’s only a matter of time before one of the towns folks sees you out past midnight and returns you back home. as your eyes desperately scan and dart left to right, your prayers have been answered as you see a small rowing boat tied to the docks by worn out rope. 

you cheer to yourself as you run over to the boat. you struggle to untie the rope due to your fingers being ice cold and red but with much perseverance, you managed; now you just pray there are still oras in the boat.

as you clamber onto the boat, careful not to go overboard due to the consistent rocking motion, you settle down and grab the stranded oras before setting off to your destination–wherever that may be. 

you put all your might into rowing the boat, using your arms and whole body. the harsh wind continually blows through your hair and hits your face, causing the tip of your nose and cheeks to turn red. the wind also causes your eyes to dry up which is a hassle considering everything slowly becomes blurry with the constant tears filling them up and rolling down your cheeks. 

the night is harsh but the waters are ever harsher. the boat rocks from side to side, water splashing along the side and inside, getting your boots and clothing soaked. the smell of salt and sea life fills your nostrils, a smell you're so used to but at this current moment in time, it's slowly making you feel nauseous.

could it be the nerves? could it be because ever since you met that siren, it’s all you’ve been thinking about? or is it the fact that you can't get out of your head the way the water slowly turned black as your father injured the poor creature and the look of desperation on the siren's face, one you have seen countless of times.

you stop the boat to look around. nothing but darkness and unusual calm waters is all you see. you chew your bottom lip as you wait. and wait. and wait.

the need to see that siren is so great, you'd do anything and everything. so close to tears as you sit and wonder if you will never see it again, you let out a shaky breath and pick up the oars to row back to shore.

as the wooden oars splash in the water, an eerie feeling fills the air, sucking the air out of your lungs drastically. you look down in the water, the feeling all too familiar. unfortunately, the water is calm, not a wave in sight as you bore holes into the water, eyes scanning left and right as you search for it.

and then you find it.

those shimmering scales you have longed to see coming into view before disappearing under the boat. you quickly look to the other side to see the siren swimming before diving deeper until it's out of view.

“don't go..” you whisper meekly. “i want to see you again.”

feeling a sudden wave of disappointment, that this whole thing was a waste, the water bubbles as small rings of water increase in size as that all too familiar face slowly unveils itself from the blanket of sea water.

you let out a small gasp as the siren rises up to you. you didn't realise it until your faces become mere inches from each other that you're dangling off the side of the boat once again.

“you..” he cautiously says. “you're that human from the other night.” his voice is so calming, so soft that it shocks you a little. his head tilting to the side as his black pupils scan along your face to take in every detail and feature.

“you talk.” you whisper. you take in every detail of the siren. from the colour of his skin, the way his scales shimmer in the moonlight, his pouty lips and noticeable bunny teeth.

“of course i talk. do you think we sirens just sit in silence when communicating with others?”

“ah!” your face flushes red as a wave of embarrassment washes over you. “no! that's not what i meant. i just thought–”

“why are you here?” the siren interrupts. he swims back a little, his eyes piercing into your soul.

“i wanted to see you.” 

“see me? why would a mere human want to see someone like me?”

“i wanted to find out, to see for myself if what everyone says about your kind is true.” the siren scoffs.

“pathetic.”

“excuse me?” your brows furrow at the statement. it's understandable that the siren has his guard up, but your pride can't help but feel a little hurt.

“you humans are so pathetic, it makes me sick.” you watch the siren swim around your boat. “you kill our kind. you destroy our homes. you rip apart families and for what?! for some trophy awards?”

“no! that's not me. i–”

“if anything, you humans are monsters, not us!” he hisses.

“i know! i know! i agree, believe me. i don't know what to say to make you trust me, your anger and distrust is valid. i just wanted to see if you were ok.”

“what?” the siren's brows furrow together.

“the human that hit you with a spear is my father. i wanted to see if you was ok because you're all i've been thinking about! i just wanted to know if you were alive and well again. i mean no harm, i promise you!”

“how can i trust you, human.”

“i give you my life.” you boldly state. “if you feel threatened by me, i willinging give you my body and soul.” 

“you're interesting.” the siren whispers as it swims to the side of the boat. it holds onto the wood, his sharp nails making indentations. 

“see that rock over there?” he points to which you look in that direction before nodding. “meet me. we can talk more there.”

before you get a chance to respond, the siren, whose name you've yet to learn, dives underwater and swims to the rock. you follow suit by rowing the boat as fast as you can, ignoring the growing burn of your muscles.

to no surprise, the siren is already at the rock. sitting on the side, its shimmering tail dipped in the water as it moves the fins up and down impatiently, watching the water splash and ripple around it.

“you're slow.” he says with a smirk. you roll your eyes as you cautiously step out of the boat. only when your foot is on solid ground do you let out a breath. you sit on the rock beside the siren.

“no. you're just fast.” you say with a mumble. the siren laughs softly, the corner of his eyes crinkling as his fangs show.

you take a brief second to really take in the sirens features. it's a creature but it's nothing you've ever seen before. would it be wrong of you to say that you find the siren handsome?

“why are you here? truthfully.” the siren looks at you, your breath being taken away as the moonlight from behind shines on him. he pushes his hair back, slicking it and keeping it away from his eyes as his brows furrowed together.

“i wanted to see you.”

“why?”

“i've already told you why.” you sigh.

“sorry. i've only ever known one human to be truly interested in our kind. that's what makes you interesting to me.”

“i'm just an ordinary human. i get curious.” you say with a shrug.

“are all humans like you?”

“what do you mean by that?”

“curious. are all humans curious.”

“we're curious species.” you say with a shrug. “we wonder and ask questions about things that capture our interests. we indulge in said interests too.”

“why?”

“because it can make us happy and feel something.” the siren hums and looks back at the water.

“you're very kind.” he says suddenly. “and warm.”

“i am?” you whisper, shuffling a little closer to the siren. you watch his tail play in the water, the way the water ripples and splashes around it so perfectly.

“mhm. most humans i encounter are cold and vicious. also selfish, like they have a black aura around them. we get chills every time we hear the sails of the ships and the bells ringing.”

“then why do you fight?” you ask. the siren looks at you, his eyes suddenly soft and slowly filling with tears.

“because you killed us.” you chew your bottom lip, the bitter air hitting your face as you cautiously reach up and wipe away a stray tear that's rolling down the siren's cheeks. 

you take a brief note about how soft his skin is. you expected him to feel slimy and disgusting, but his skin is silky smooth and soft. he leans into your touch, the warmth from your hand feeling so blissful to him. he feels safe. for the first time in however many years, he feels safe with a human.

his eyes flutter shut as he softly nuzzles into your palm. you watch him feeling a sense of nurture towards the creature.

“i won't hurt you or your family.” you whisper as the siren's eyes flutter open to look at you. “i'm not like them. i'm different.”

“i know.” the siren says as it lifts its head up from your palm. “i can sense it, don't worry. you feel warm, like a warm hug on a winter's day. you pose no threat to me.”

you give the siren a soft smile as the moon slowly starts to fade away into the horizon, preparing for the morning sunrise. your eyes widen a little as you rush to the boat, the siren looking at you all confused.

“i have to leave! i have to get back before my father wakes up and realises i'm not there.”

“your father keeps a tracker on you or something?” the siren scoffs, amused by your panicked state.

“no.. well.. not exactly. he's protective. has been ever since i lost my mother.”

“oh..” the siren mumbles, taken aback by your statement. “how did she pass if i may ask.”

you sit in the boat and grab the ores as you look at the siren. you press your lips together in a thin line before ushering the words to it.

“my father told me that the sirens killed her..”

“what?!” the sirens brows furrow, the colour red in his peripheral vision. it dives under the water before resurfacing at the side of the boat.

“that's bullshit!” 

“are you calling my father a liar?” you scoff.

“yes! yes i am! we sirens would never, ever hurt humans! we only do because you started this war! humans and sirens used to live together so peacefully, we were a unit, helping one another! we were a community! we sirens valued and treasured the humans and vowed to give our lives to them. i guess we kept that vow, even to this day.”

the siren mutters the last sentence in bitterness. he seems genuine and that's what is worrying you. a time where sirens and humans were one seems absurd; but not impossible. you recall back to the times where you have tried to question your father about your mother's death only to be shut down in an instant.

and then it clicks. the war between humans and sirens only happened once the rumours started to unfold–right after your mother's death.

“fuck.. i have to go!” the siren nods his head, understanding of the situation.

“will i see you again?” he asks, head tilting to the side. you smile warmly and nod.

“yes. yes you will.” the siren grins and watches you row away. only then did you realise you didn't know his name.

“hey!” you shout “i don't know your name!”

“minho! my name is minho!”

“cute name, i'm yn!”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･

“we sirens would never, ever hurt humans!” 

those same words repeating over and over again in your mind. it has been a week since you last saw minho, purely because you got caught last time. some arrogant woman saw you getting out off the row boat and sneaking back to your house. she decided to make it her mission to let it be known to your father, which you highly disliked.

your father wasn't very happy with you, practically grounded you and kept you house bound. he went as far as to lock up the house and take the keys with him, leaving you trapped inside the same four walls.

the more you learnt about the sirens, the more you started to see your father's true colours. something was off about him and it has been noticeable for a while. it's your mother's death anniversary coming up and you put it down to that however, his aura and mannerisms towards you feel so different. you can't quite put your finger on it but you have a gut feeling that a storm is coming.

you tap your pen impatiently against your notebook, words scribbled on the page that reflects your thoughts. a candle burning to the side in a candle holder, the yellow and orange flame flickering and dancing around as wax drips down the sides. your father has gone out on his usual expedition, it was only a matter of time until he returns with another helpless siren.

you look to the side, a picture of you and your mother together in a brown wooden photo frame. you smile softly to yourself, reaching out and placing your finger on the glass where your mother's cheek is on the photo.

“i miss you mother. god, i miss you so much.” you whisper, eyes filling with tears suddenly as your body feels heavy with grief. you wipe away a few fallen tears hastily with the back of your hand before letting out a shaky sigh. 

you pick up the frame to take a closer look and to reminisce in the memories. the photo was taken on a warm summer's day. your mother was dressed in her best summer dress; a yellow, soft fabric with straps and sunflowers decorating it. white sandals on her feet and her hair up in a typical fashioned bun. 

she dressed you to match her, she always has. her smile is so bright in the picture as she holds you proudly. the longer you look at the photo, the sadder you feel; until you notice something you've never seen before.

you squint your eyes as you hold the picture closer to you. there in the background are two, possibly three, sirens photo bombing the picture.

“what the–” and then you see him. minho. you let out audible gasps, more and more questions swimming around your head. how old is minho exactly? how does he know your mother? does he know that you're the child of the women he seems so fond of? everything minho has said has been true, meaning you can no longer trust your own blood that is in the form of your father.

you chew your bottom lip as you place down the picture. you sit back in your seat, needing some time to process the whole situation. this whole time you and many others were led to believe that sirens were dangerous when all this time, they're nothing but harmless creatures.

all the jumbled up puzzle pieces, all the unanswered questions slowly forming together and creating a much bigger, and possibly dangerous, picture.

you pick the frame up again to stare at minho. you shake it a few times hoping it's just your eyes playing tricks on you but nothing. it's real and it's true.

however, there's still one more question you have left that's been unanswered for years–how did your mother die exactly?

you've tried to ask your father multiple times only to be shut down with a lame excuse or the same story of “the sirens killed her” you did believe it, when you were younger, but now you're old and much more mature. you're seeing things in a new light and noticing the lies and fake lives everyone around you is playing. it's fair to say that it makes you sick to your stomach.

you remember seeing a safe tucked away under your father's bed, maybe there you will find what you've been searching for! 

you stand from your seat, walking to his bedroom. you don't have to worry about being caught because you know he will be gone for some time. you open the wooden door, the hinges screeching at you as you walk inside. the stench of booze and cigarette smoke lingers in the air like a thick cloud that tickles and hugs your nostrils.

you grimace as you kneel on the cold wood flooring beside the double bed that's decorated in blue and white sheets. you look under as your heart pounds against your chest. there's a good chance of the safe not being there but when your eyes rest upon it, you breathe a shaky sigh of relief. 

you reach under, your fingertips touching the cold metal of the safe. you pull it out towards you, chewing your lip when you come to yet another problem; the code.

you punch in the numbers of your birthday, wiggling the door and letting out a frustrated groan. you try different number combinations, birthdays, special dates, even attempting the typical ‘1234’ code but nothing. 

“bastard!” you shout as you slam your hand down on top of the safe, a hefty sigh of annoyance leaving your chest. you look around the room for any clues, your impatience growing and growing until you notice a certain picture of your father on his bedside table. 

standing by the boat, a big proud grin on his face as he's holding a deceased siren by the tail, his fat finger pointing at it like some sort of trophy award. 

‘my first catch!’ plus a date labelled on it. you punch the numbers into the safe, cheering as the door clicks and opens. you close your eyes and take a shaky breath in.

“well, here goes nothing.” you mumble as you open the door whilst opening your eyes at the same time. the door opens wide revealing its contents to you. with shaky hands, you pick up the stacks of papers and photos that's been collecting dust for god knows how long.

nothing too important unfortunately. just documentation, photos, a few trinkets and dead flowers. the more notes and documentation you come across, the more defeated you slowly start to feel. the pile inside the safe shrinks as a pile beside you stacks up until you reach the very last stack of papers.

picking them up, your heart stops beating for a mere second. a photo of your mother and father together, looking happy and in love. you smile softly recalling that since the death of your mother, you haven't seen your father look genuinely happy. 

you flick through the photos. old photos of your mother and father being together, being at fairs and picnics. holding you as a small baby, your first smile, your first tooth, your first everything. photos and photos of your father being completely smitten for you and your mother.

he once was a happy man. a man that felt on top of the world and had everything he could ever want and more; a family. but all that changed and now, you and your father's relationship is little to none.

“such a shame. how did we become like this.” you sigh, heart feeling heavy. some days you wish you and your father could be how you used to be but you know that that's not going to happen any time soon.

“what the…” you trail off as you come across a photo of your mother and minho, smiling and looking happy. minho is handing her a basket full of fish. your mother smiling brightly as she is happily taking the basket.

you flick through the pictures, your mouth dry and heart thumping harder and harder. nausea slowly settles into the pit of your stomach creating a thick blanket. pictures and pictures of your mother and minho along with other sirens and members of the village looking happy and unified.

events, festivals, handing over fish, pearls and scales. seaweed and algae. nothing screams dangerous to you. a box rests at the bottom of the safe along with an envelope that's sealed tight with a red wax seal. 

you open up the black box to be greeted with a pearl necklace. you let out an audible gasp, the pearls an iridescent white and pink that shimmers in the light. your mouth is now dry as ever as that sick feeling has risen to your throat. your stomach holding a dead weight, dragging you down.

with shaky hands, you reach for the envelope. in cursive writing, which you assume is your mother's, is your name. you open it up, the musk smell of paper, ink and perfume tickles your nose hairs.

‘to my darling child. it is time. this letter holds all the answers to your questions. i know you have been searching and going around and around in circles. i know you have asked your father, the man whom i once loved, for answers only to be met with a brick wall. my darling child, he has lied to you.

everything that you have been told up to this point has been a lie. humans and sirens were once united. the sirens would hunt for us, provide us with fresh fish to gut and beautiful pearls to sell. seaweed would be gathered and used as herbs, algae as an alternative for face masks. the sirens adored us and we adored them. sirens are committed and senseless creatures, they are harmless and only fight when threatened.

i started to grow very close to a certain siren. his name is lee minho. a beautiful creature with a heart full of gold. he was adored by many. i loved him as much as he loved me. we grew fond of each other but we were nothing but friends, that it all! the human world should never mix in with a sirens world in that sense and vice versa. 

however, your father grew jealous and jealousy can turn a man bitter and cold.

as soon as you turned two years old, your father started to act strange around me. he became addicted to drink, he would scream and shout at me almost every night, accusing me of doing such preposterous things with a creature. i loved lee minho, yes but i loved your father much more! we created a life together and built what we had together but still, that wasn't enough for him.

i fear for my life. the darkness i see in your father's eyes is suffocating and it fills my body up with fear. i fear for your life, i pray to God every night that he keeps you safe and that your father doesn't lay a single finger on you. i'm scared of the man i used to love. he is filled up with jealousy and hatred so much so, that i don't even recognise him anymore.

my child, know this. if i am not alive anymore, know that your father murdered me in cold blood. he has reached the darkest pits of despair, jealousy consuming his whole body. i love you my child and i know that you will do the right thing.’

─── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･

“minho!!” you call out. your voice shaky, cheeks wet with tears. you park the boat at the rock where you two first spoke, sitting on the cold and wet surface as you clutch the letter you've just read. 

“minho, where are you?!” your broken sobs echoing in the night. the night is silent, not even a whisper of the wind ruffles the leaves of the trees.

“i need you..” your voice trails off as you break down in broken sobs. you've read the letter over and over again at least ten times by now, the words refusing to sink into your brain. you have all the answers, the jigsaw pieces put into place, yet nothing makes sense!

“fuck fuck fuck fuck!” you repeat through your broken sobs and hiccups. breath catching in your throat making it difficult to breath, heart heavy and mind nothing but a puddle of a jumbled mess.

“hey!” a familiar voice brings you out of your broken trance. you heave a sigh of relief as you come face to face with a familiar face. his eyebrows furrowed together as he swims to the rock.

“minho! you're here.” you hiccup.

“of course i am silly. it's hard not to hear you when you're screaming my name.” he laughs, head tilting once he notices the letter. “what's that?” 

he points at it to which you hand it to him. his eyes widen as he scan reads everything, mouth agape.

“my god..”

“yeah.. you were right and i think my father killed my mother out of jealousy.”

“jealousy??”

“i think he got jealous of how close you and my mother were so he killed her and blamed it on you, creating this horrid rumour about you all.”

“shit.” he mumbles, handing you back the letter as you wipe your cheeks hastily. “so, what are you going to do about it?”

“nothing.”

“what?” he asks in disbelief, his face slowly scrunching up with anger.

“there's nothing i can do. i'm the child of a famous sailor. it's my word against his!”

“are you fucking serious?! please tell me you're joking around right now.” his tone of voice is harsh and bitter which throws you off guard.

“minho, i can't do–”

“so let me get this straight. you're telling me that you know everything is a lie yet your going to do fuck all about it? do you know the damage that you humans have caused?! the lives you've ruined?!”

“min, i–”

“yes. there was a time where we could happily swim up shore and not have to worry about being shot.” he interrupts. “events, festivals, special occasions you name it, we were there! we gathered and collected things so that you humans could have nice things!”

“please, just let me speak!” you desperately say, hands clammy.

“no! you will sit there and you will listen to me, yn! you will listen to my side of the story and you will understand how hard it has been to stay alive!”

you nod as you chew your lip, looking at your feet. minho does a few laps around the rock in an attempt to calm down. once calm, does he return to you. he takes a deep breath in before letting it out slowly to talk.

“it's true that i did love your mother at some point. i didn't know that you were her child until the night we first met. you have her nose and her smile, which is probably why i feel bonded to you. however, we are sirens. we are creatures and we are programmed to mate for life; it's in our dna, like swans in a sense. we do not mate with humans, it's immoral to us.”

“have you found your mate?” you ask softly. minho looks down, his eyes glistening with tears as he nods his head yes.

“i did. the thing with us sirens is that we don't care about gender or anything like that. we love who we want to love and boy, did i love him.”

“him?”

“jisung. his name was jisung. god.. he was the love of my life. he was so fucking adorable. cheeky too.” minho laughs softly as he reminisces. “his eyes were so wide and bright, his nose so small like a button. his bottom lip so plump and every time he laughed, his top lip would disappear and show off that gummy smile of his. my favourite thing of all, was his cheeks. i loved watching him eat because his cheeks would be filled to capacity and look so round.”

you sit and listen, nodding when the time feels right. you listened to minho describe jisung, how his skin was a purple colour, hair black and his scales were deep purple and would decorate his abs and sides. 

“he was the love of my life. we were married and planned on having a family.”

“were?” you swallow as you cautiously ask “what happened?” minho shoots you a look, his sudden heartbreak disappearing as rage over shadows him.

“you happened is this. you humans took the love of my life away from me.”

“what..?” you shakily breath out.

“me and ji were swimming and making our way to your mother. i wanted to introduce them both but what we didn't expect was that.”

“what? please tell me minho. i need to know everything.”

with a heavy sigh, minho speaks once again. “we arrived and saw your father on his knees, sobbing with your mother in his arms. she was gone, yn. your mother was lifeless in your father's arms. fuck..” minho pushes his hair back as he chews his lips. tears fall down your cheeks as you encourage him to carry on.

“there was a lot of blood yn. too much blood for it to be a sirens work. your father saw us and instantly accused us of murder. so him and his crew set sail to kill us both, except one of us is alive and the other isn't.”

“minho, i'm so sorry..”

“still not going to do anything about it?”

“i don't.. i don't know..”

“you're unbelievable. you humans took something precious away from me! your father killed your mother and you dare say and believe those lies that we are the dangerous ones?! you're unbelievable yn.”

“why are you so pissed at me?! you don't understand my situation! i told you, it's my word against his and the whole village will believe him and then what?! i'm casted out by not just him, but the whole village too!”

“good! i'd rather be casted from everyone than live a life that’s based on lies and deceit! you humans have destroyed lives, broken up families! we've had to rebuild everything from scratch! tell me yn, when was the last time you lived in fear for your life? not knowing whether today or tomorrow will be your last moments on earth?! because that's what it's like for me and many others! you took something precious from me, so excuse me for not agreeing with your decision, yn.” 

as you open your mouth to speak, minho dives underwater and swims away, leaving you with your thoughts in the cold, bitter night.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･

once again, you're left thinking about him and everything that has happened. it's all so much in such a short amount of time that you feel overwhelmed. you're surprised you haven't fallen ill with the amount of stress you've been under.

however, you can't hold your tongue any longer. every time you look at your father, you are reminded of what he has done. you tried to understand it all and make excuses for him but you can't no longer. 

no one should kill out of jealousy and whilst you too, may have felt a little something for minho at the beginning, you know it's futile. as minho said “humans and sirens should never be intimate with each other.” 

you understand now that the love minho and your mother had was purely platonic. you realise now that upon your first meeting with minho that you were seduced by the song of the sirens, the same song that still haunts you to this day. 

but now you understand why they do what they do. they're protecting their homes and families. it's natural for them to fight back in a war that was started by the humans–by your father.

one thing that you're struggling to forget, however, is minho's lover. every time you close your eyes at night, the soft yet sorrow look on minho's face flashes in front of you. the tears slowly rolling down his cheeks, the pain in his voice as he recalls the love he once had.

not only has your father taken something away from you, but to someone else. wrong place, wrong time–all because of jealousy, rage and greed.

you've spent days pondering on what to do, going back and forth in your mind. you're a child of a well loved, well known captain. it's your word against his and you know it's a fight that won't end very well. you will either be casted out or worse. however, you understand minho's frustration and heartbreak. in one night, he lost the two people he treasured and loved so dearly; it's bound to mess someone up mentally and emotionally.

the more you think, however, the more you slowly understand minho and side with him. since the death of your mother you've had to watch a countless number of sirens be whisked away and killed. the amount of times you have looked into the sorrowful eyes of the sirens who beg you to be set free, do you wish you could save them. regret sinking deep in the pit of your stomach and a heavy weight called guilt and self hate sitting on your shoulders for the remainder of the day.

now you're much wiser but still shackled with fear. 

“i'd rather be casted from everyone than live a life that’s based on lies and deceit!” it rings in your head over and over and over again. a never ending carousel of emotions. you know he is right and you know that staying silent will make things worse–but for how much longer can you keep biting down on your tongue?

the all too familiar sounds of bells and village folk cheering bring you out off your haze. you rush to the window and notice your father and his crew stepping off the boat with none other than another siren; only this time, it's much worse.

dark clouds fill the once clear sky. an eerie atmosphere fills the air, the stench of what's about to come hitting your nostrils and filling you up with nausea.

a storm is brewing.

you watch your father get off the boat, carrying his usual tools that's coated in new and old siren blood. he raises his arms, basking in the glory and screams of the women that scramble to his feet. and then, you see red.

your mind hazy, pent up anger that's been building and building rising to the surface. you see red, steam coming out of your ears as you clench your fists and jaw. 

a siren caught in a net, dangling over the shoulder of a crew member. nothing out of the ordinary expect this siren is weak. it's body battered and bruised, black blood seeping from the various cuts and wounds. his hands bound by the wrists with thick, scratchy rope. 

the siren can barely keep its eyes open due to how weak and tired it feels. deep cuts and wounds situated on its face, scales missing from its body indicating your father and it's crew once again took what doesn't belong to them.

you notice a few cuts on the crew members indicating that the siren put up a fight. a fight for its life. you know how this will go; you've always known but ignored it due to the fear and gaslighting your father has done. but now you have a voice and you're going to use it.

you lose all rationality. the many scenarios you made up in your head on how to approach this, gone. your legs move on their own. heavy puffs of air escape your nostrils like a bull that's being taunted. 

you stomp down the stairs, heels of your boots making loud and painful sounds on the wood. you open the front door with such force, you thought you was going to pop your shoulder out off place.

you storm to the commotion. to the crowds of people, the crew and your father. your heart in your throat, a cold sweat coating your skin. your father looks at you and smiles, pointing to the siren with his knife.

“ah! my child, look what i have done! this has to be my finest catch to date!” he laughs. the sirens eyes flutter open slowly, desperation evident. 

“how could you!” you spit. the noise of the crowd slowly dies down to nothing, all eyes on you and your father.

“excuse me?” your father questions, his brows raised.

“is this what you call fun? killing innocent creatures for your own gain? it's sick!” he slowly walks towards you, the stench of alcohol and the sea ticking your nostrils and making you retch.

“innocent? you think these vile creatures are innocent?”

“i know they're innocent. the only vile creature i see is the one that's stood right in front of me.” you spit, your father's face close to yours. your heart is hammering in your chest, adrenaline sky rocketing to the point you're shaking.

“you better watch your tone with me, child.” his hot breath fans against your face.

“or what? going to kill me like you killed my mother? going to blame it on the sirens? mhm?” everyone audible gasps, the captured sirens mouth now agape in shock.

“that's preposterous!” you father stammers.

“oh is it? i found a letter father. a letter addressed to me from mother. she explained everything, told me about minho so i went out to find him again and ask if it was all true.”

“you went out to see that disgusting creature?!”

“yes. and he told me everything. how you killed mother out of spite. how you killed his lover! how the rumours of sirens being murderous are lies. everything you have spouted and screamed at has all been lies!” 

the village folk start talking amongst themselves, the buzzing of whispers and stares filling the murky atmosphere as fat raindrops hit the concrete. your father stares at you, red in the face. the amount of anger you see frightens you but you stand your ground.

“everything you and everyone else has done and indulged in is all based on lies. sirens treasured the humans once upon a time, they collected and hunted for us. we were united until you grew cold with jealousy and greed.”

the village folk await for your father to speak, the cogs working in his head.

and then he laughs. a full on belly laugh that erupts from his chest. your brows furrow together, his actions taking you by surprise. the buzzing of the townsfolk dies down, they too are confused by your father's actions. 

“what are you trying to say, my child? that i killed your mother out of jealousy?”

“that's exactly that.” you reply bluntly.

“oh child.” his voice sickening sweet and soft, almost mocking you and the whole situation. your fight or flight mode activates as he places his hand on your shoulder.

“i know it's rough for you right now. it's coming up to your mother's death anniversary but do we really have to start such ridiculous lies?” 

“are you being serious? i haven't made it up! you killed mother and blamed it on the sirens hence this whole rumour! everything you've built is based on lies!” you turn to the village folk, desperation setting in as they look at you with disgust.

“you have to believe me! why would i make something like this up?!”

“what has gotten into them?” , “poor child. you can't blame them, they don't have a mother.” , “he is right though, the death anniversary is coming up but it's still crazy to say something like that!” , “maybe they're unwell. losing their mother at such a young age is bound to mess with the mind.” 

you freeze as you watch and listen to every word that's dripping in venom. their words stab you in the heart, realising that you truly have no power hitting you like a truck. so you try one more desperate attempt at making them believe you.

“i met with a siren.” audible gasps fill the air, your fathers veins bursting at the side of his head. “i met a siren and he's so lovely and kind! he told me everything! he told me about how him and mother were close! how my father took away the one thing he loved. sirens are innocent!”

“there is no such thing as an innocent siren! i was there, holding your mother in my arms. her blood soaking my clothing and skin. it's so upsetting.” your father sniffs, wiping away a few crocodile tears to which you scoff at. 

“the sirens murdered your mother in cold blood and i watched her fall and become lifeless in these very arms. i know it's coming up to her death anniversary, but my child, this is ridiculous. why would you ever accuse me of doing such a thing to the women i loved!”

as you open your mouth to speak, a voice brings you and everyone else to its attention. by now, the rain has soaked through your clothing and is dripping from the ends of your hair. the clouds are grey and bursting making the sky dark and gloomy.

you smile in relief as that all too familiar face rises to the surface of the water. the trapped siren also breathes a sigh of relief, tears rolling down its cheeks.

“its true. what yn is saying is true.” 

“you..” your father breathes out in rage and disgust. “i thought i got rid of you!”

“you didn't.” minho states as he swims closer, “you just killed my lover instead, took something precious for me whilst claiming we killed your wife.”

“i can't believe you're still around! i tried to kill you off, you were being too close to my wife! i hated that and i hate you!”

“is that why you killed her and then tried to blame it on us? because you were jealous, filled with greed and hatred. did me being so close to your wife anger you?” a smirk laced on minho's features as he taunts your father. his eyes menacing and the stare shackling your father in his place with fear. the colour drains from his face, words lodged in his throat.

“just admit it father. just admit everything. the truth is out now and it's what mother would have wanted.”

“i will never admit to it. your mother loved that siren and i planned on doing something about it. it's just unlucky that you were there.” you father glares at minho “but you fell right into the palm of my hands. i saw an opportunity and i snatched it. am i sorry that lives have been lost and destroyed because of me? no, not really. in fact, im proud! look at all this attention i'm getting, what more could a man like me want!”

your father laughs. an evil, menacing laugh whilst the village folk gasp in disbelief and shock. you look at minho who's currently staring at your father with menacing eyes, rage building up in how body.

and then you hear it once more. the song of the sirens. that sickly sweet melody that seduces its victims and makes them a slave. your eyes widen as you notice it's minho singing the tune to your father, the laughing from him has now stopped as he walks towards the sea. his body on autopilot, limbs floppy as he's in a daze. his feet dragging across the floor as he gets closer and closer to the edge.

and you say nothing.

behind you, the many screams and panicked cries of the people beg minho to stop. it's like the world around you has go into slow motion, the only people that are moving in real time being minho and your father.

you open your mouth to speak but close it again. tears fill your eyes as you watch minho grab your father and disappear below sea level; leaving you to feel a strange feeling of relief.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･

it has been a few months since that incident. you never saw your father and although it pained you on some days, most days you recall back on how he treated you and everyone else and you don't feel as bad anymore.

that day, you watched minho drag your father down below sea level. you waited and waited and waited for someone to come back up. you didn't do anything, just watched.

all the pent up rage, upset and misinformation morphed into one causing you to feel numb at the time. your feet were firmly planted on the concrete, words stuck in your throat.

whilst everyone else around you rushed to help your father, it all just became a distant sound to you. whilst you were moving and breathing in real time, everyone else was in slow motion. 

you often questioned why you didn't do or feel anything but after the truth was uncovered and you learnt the lives your father ruined it was understandable.

you burnt holes into the water, silently praying that it would be minho being the one that would rise to the surface unharmed – and he did.

you watched the water bubble and ripple. that familiar colour of skin appearing. you breathed a sigh of relief as you rushed to minho, kneeling down and hugging him tightly which shocked you both.

you started to cry. whether it was grief of loosing another parent or relief from seeing minho alive, either way it was a day you'd never be able to forget.

“don't feel bad. that bastard deserved to drown.” 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🧜🏻 ⟡ ˚｡ ･

“i can't believe it's that time of year again!” you cheer as you grab a basket of fish from minho. he laughs at you as you hand it to the local fishmonger to gut and sell.

“me neither yn. time flies huh?”

“it really does.” you laugh softly.

everything went back to normal. the sirens and humans were once again reunited, living comfortably within each other's presence. it took some convincing from you to the village folk who were still stuck in their ways and refusing to believe everything, but once you showed them the letters and pictures your mother left behind did they slowly open their eyes to the truth.

a few laws were put into place, sirens now being a protected creature by law. no one is allowed to hurt or kill them no more. the only thing humans can take from them is things they hunt and willingly give such as scales, pearls and even seaweed.

no one knows what happened to your father apart from you. many speculated that he is still alive and on a deserted island, others are convinced he is long gone giving their condolences to you and paying their respects in the form of flowers and wishes.

minho opened up to you a bit more. he openly spoke about jisung and even introduced you to his family. they were ecstatic to learn that you're the child of a women whom was dearly loved and treated you as their own. they would talk about your mother openly, speaking of the memories they have of her and how she was as a person.

“do you miss her?” minho asks. today is your mother's favourite day of the year; summer fest.

everyone comes together to drink alcohol, eat fish and celebrate in the form of games such as water balloon fights and carnival themed games. when the sun sets, everyone then rushes to the shore to watch the fireflies and the sky turn from bright blue to pink, purple and orange. 

you smooth down your clothing as you look down at the siren whom you've become so close with and nod.

“yeah. days like today i truly miss her.”

“she'd be proud of you, y'know.”

“yeah?” you whisper, a burning lump forming in your throat as minho nods and gives you a gentle smile.

“yeah. you're all she spoke about. she would tell me what clothing she would buy for you, the names she had planned. she often wondered how you would turn out. what your personality, thoughts and goals would be. she adored you, yn. every time she spoke about you, her eyes would light up and fill with so much love.”

tears stream down your cheeks as you smile. you wipe them away slowly with your hand as you sniffle, minho giving you a sympathetic smile.

“oh! i found something and i think it belongs to you.” you quickly rush inside your home leaving minho confused and to watch the village folk laughing and chattering amongst themselves.

his heart feeling heavy all of a sudden as he recalls the last time he was at summer fest. during that time, he had everything and was surrounded by the people he loved and people that loved him. he was happy during that time, on top of the world he would dare say.

that's not to say he isn't happy now but compared to then, it's different. he is thankful he has met you and that you both managed to stop this terrible hunting of his kind but even so, he wishes it never came to that. he wishes his lover was still here to laugh and joke around with, to go home to and feel his skin against his own. he wishes that more than anything else; to have his sungie by his side again.

“found it!” your voice bellowing out to him causes minho to snap back to reality. he clears his throat and blinks back tears as you rush to him, holding a photo.

“i was going through my mother's things and sorting everything out when i came across this.”

you hand minho a black and white photo of him and jisung. minho takes the photo and stares at it in disbelief. it's just them two in the water, holding and kissing one another, looking so happy and so in love. 

“i think my mother sneakily took the photo.” you say with a giggle, “she seemed to do that a lot. i think she saw you and jisung looking so happy and in love that she had to capture the moment.”

“wow.. i–i don't know what to say..” minho's voice is failing to stay steady as tears slowly fall down his cheeks. “thank you.” 

“there's something on the back as well that my mother wrote.” minho flips the photo over and in cursive writing is a date and “the two lovebirds; may you be happy, healthy and in love for eternity.” 

“jesus.. i– thank you yn. truly. i have no words but just know i am grateful for this.” you give minho a warm smile.

“i should be the one thanking you.” 

“excuse me?”

“if it wasn't for you well things would still be how there used to be expect worse.”

“do you not hate me for what i did to your father?” you let out a soft sigh before shaking your head no. 

“i've thought about it. relived the events via visions and dreams and i don't hate you for what you did. i had years of built up anger and upset that when i saw what you did and knew what you were doing i just went numb. i should be angry and in a way, i guess i am but not at you.”

“no?” you hum softly “then who?”

“my father. even though he's not here anymore, i'm still pissed at him. sure, his old crew are still together but are hunting fish instead, it still shouldn't have come to this. he was a horrid man fuelled by hatred and jealousy. he took something precious from us both and that's something i refuse to understand. but i'm also thankful.”

“thankful? why?” minho tilts his head to the side.

“because i met you and learned so much more about you and your kind. i learnt about jisung and met your family. i'm still trying to figure you out though.” you giggle as minho cocks his eyebrow up. “you're full of surprises. when i think i've figured you out, you do or say something that brings me back to square one.”

minho laughs softly, the corner is his eyes crinkling as his fangs show. 

“never really thought about myself like that but i guess it's true. jisung said the same.”

“i'm sorry for everything, min. i'm sorry for the trauma my father caused you and your kind.”

“hey. we've been through this, it's not your place to apologise! you've done nothing wrong.” you look at your feet as you blink back tears whilst nodding. “keep moving forward yn and never look back.”

“i know, i know. you're right, you're always right.”

“oh, i know.” minho says with a hint of cockiness lacing his words as he smirks. you roll your eyes at him before laughing softly.

“you should get back yn, enjoy the rest of the day.”

“will i see you later?”

“same time and place?”

“12 am at the rock.” you grin.

“then of course you will. i look forward to seeing you; i always do yn.” you smile widely before rushing off to join the village folk. minho watches you, his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he makes a mental note of how similar you and your mother are. he looks up at the sky, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“if only you could both see this. it's everything we've ever dreamed of and more.”

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 | [repost for the third time because it wont show on my dash and in tags. if this doesnt work then idk what else to do. sorry to the people on my tag list for being tagged a million times]

this has been in my drafts since june, ops. but !! my first long fic, eep! im nervous about this one because its also my first time doing a mythical au! there will be some inaccuracy!! this took some time to do so please let me know how it went! i would greatly appreciate it! don’t forget to leave feedback, reblog and tell me what you think here. curious as to what is next? here is my wips list! i hope you all enjoy! ‹3

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒 | @rebloggingfun ; @fairylouist ; @poody1608 ; @maximumkillshot ; @bintific ; @fun-fanfics ; @septicrebel ; @myprwttyhan ; @goblinracha

[firstservepercentage]

do you happen to know if iga has a nickname as well? :)

there are a few, and the most neutral and widely used one is probably 丝袜（pronounced si-wa, means stockings 😂) its a homonym of the first two characters of her translated name 斯瓦泰克(si-wa-tai-ke).

and the nickname used mostly by her fans and people who like her a bit is a range variant of the character ‘嘎’taken from the pronunciation of her first name (嘎 is pronounced as 'ga', has no particular meaning and is a onomatopoeia used for duck quack😭). it could be just嘎 or 嘎嘎 (this one is a tiny bit cringe for me tbh because any name that involves repeating the same character twice are a bit cringe) or 嘎子 (pronounced ga-zi, and for what 子means please see my post on zverev's nicknames. i personally use this most often)

and there are also several names made around the word 爪 (pronounced 'zhua'), it started with people who dont really like her and they called her 八爪鱼(pronounced ba-zhua-yu, guess what it means octopus. daniil you have a kin) because she sometimes spreads her arms out when she goes to the net, but over time i think it is now more of a neutral name and its often associated with the suffix 姐 (pronounced'jie', means big sister, usually used in nicknames of cool women or diva men) to make 爪姐. but when it is used in the original form of 八爪鱼 it is still a anti name i guess

[ducky-bah]

so glad you guys are back!!! your packs are always the best. can we have a brainmade webcore themed alter who has cat ears and a tail as dissomeis? if you want to add more dissomeis thatd also be cool! thank you!!

Webcore headmate!!

We apologise if this doesn't fit what you are looking for, we couldn't find much info on webcore from our usual sources.... (￢▽￢;)

༄~𖦹︎ Name(/s) ➪ Kat, Digette, Cipher/Cypher, Halo, Byte

༄~𖦹︎ Pronouns ➪ It/its, Ze/zir, Net/nets, Click/clicks, Glitch/glitches, Byte/bytes

༄~𖦹︎ Gender ➪ Botgender, Webgender, unlabelled

༄~𖦹︎ Orientations ➪ Asexual, Cupioromantic, Aplatonicflux

༄~𖦹︎ Dissomeis ➪ DissoCatEars, DissoCatTail, DissoKemonomimi, DissoNekomimi, DissoBot, DissoAndroid, DissoAge, DissoAgeless

༄~𖦹︎ Age ➪ Body age | DissoAgeless

༄~𖦹︎ Species ➪ Human

༄~𖦹︎ Role(/s) ➪ System Keeper, and/or Census Taker, and/or Archivist

༄~𖦹︎ Source or Theme ➪ Webcore theme

༄~𖦹︎ Appearance or Faceclaim ➪

➪ Art Links; 1 & 2

from our understanding of dissomeis when they are used it is when an internal identity does not line up with an external identity (or in systems a part identifies differently than the body is), it seems that way from the dissomei/dissodic post we found, so we've tried to organise this correctly following that belief system/idea(??)

we would link it, but they are explicitly anti-rq, and this blog is explicitly neutral-rq and contains rq content so we will not link the post we found as to not invade their space

quoted from the post we found: "dissomei/dissodic ... describe an involuntary disconnect ... between their physical self and inner self ... this can be because of (but isnt limited to): ... systemhood, headmates/facets differing from physical body ..."

something about it seems very "parts MUST make it clear that they ARE NOT [blank] because the body isn't and their identity is only internal if it differs from the physical" in general, not sure if that's how i'm meant to interpret it.... sorry if i had misunderstood

[meret118]

The latest fallout from a Supreme Court ruling against regulatory power is a major win for internet providers

A federal appeals court struck down net neutrality on Thursday, ending the widely popular regulatory doctrine that mandated internet service providers to treat all internet traffic equally.The ruling from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ends a federal rule prohibiting broadband providers from throttling internet speeds or blocking traffic to specific sites.

The pro-consumer policy of net neutrality was implemented by President Barack Obama and gutted during Donald Trump's first term. It was reinstated in April of last year by the Biden administration. The now-defunct policy holds that internet carriers are akin to telecom providers and must comply with common carrier regulations governing those services.

Telecom giants like Verizon and AT&T have opposed the policy for nearly a decade, spending big money to back anti-regulation candidates.

The ruling, handed down on Thursday from three Republican judicial appointees, cited the Supreme Court’s recent overturning of the long-held precedent of "Chevron deference," which asked lower courts to defer to federal agencies' interpretation of the law.

Conservative federal courts have spent the last several years rolling back regulatory protections and the administrative state, with cases limiting the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency, pushing back against the Department of Education's authority to cancel student loans and blocking a Biden administration ban on trans healthcare discrimination.

More at the link.

[apocalymons]

Are you digikin? Are you looking for a place to hang out with other digikin to chat about kinstuff? Then consider joining The Net Ocean, a brand-new digikin Discord server!

Features:

PluralKit, for anyone who needs it, and a channel specifically for headmate introduction threads!

Appy for verification--- no need to worry about randos coming in to the server!

React roles to help show other people what canons you connect to, including roles for more obscure sources like the Xros Wars Manga, Appmon, and original media!

Rules:

Please be respectful of fellow members of the server. This server is intended to be a comfortable space for all kinds of digikin. Respect everyone's pronouns and identities. Failure to do so will result in administrative action depending on the severity of the issue. There is no tolerance for things such as racism, ableism, homophobia, or transphobia here.

This server is only for adults (18+). This is for ease of moderation. If you are found to be lying about your age and are a minor, you will be banned from the server, no exceptions. That said, don't be needlessly crude. If the need for NSFW chats arises, keep riskier topics to it. No one wants to be jump scared by messages that could get them fired.

We are an explicitly plural inclusive server. That means that, to join, you must be accepting of different system structures, be they traumagenic, endogenic, or anything between or without. We do not consider "endo-neutral" to be an inclusive stance, as this often implies an expectation for endogenic systems to "prove" their existence.

This server is run by a system that would generally be considered an "anti." If this bothers you, we would not recommend this server for you. This warning is provided for your comfort as much as ours, as we understand that those labels or the perception of them can come across as antagonistic.

Piggybacking off of that, while in this server please refrain from engaging in discourse subjects. The hard rules set above exist for a reason, but we are all complex individuals, and discourse can often devolve quickly into fights. We understand that the presence of Rule 4 to begin with is, in itself, discourse, but further discussion in the server of these topics (such as shipping discourse) is discouraged.

Similarly, let's try to leave heavier topics at the door. For the time being, outside of memory vent channels, we will not be opening vent channels in this server. Right now the world is a mess, but let's not make this a space to talk about it.

Try to stay relatively on-topic to a given channel. If you find yourself drifting from the subject of one channel to conversation that would be better suited in another, consider moving to continue talking. If you find yourself unable to determine what is "on topic" for a channel, refer to its description or ask a moderator in the suggestions chat for clarification. A moderator may redirect particularly off-topic conversation, just so that anyone that might want to talk on-topic is able to do so.

It should go without saying, but please be courteous to the privacy of your peers. Do not screenshot messages or profiles of other server members without permission. Similarly, we request that you do not share another member's art or writing without explicit permission.

Any art shared in the chat which you did not make must be credited. Anyone found claiming someone else's artwork (either via uncredited artwork or use of content-generation LLMs, colloquially known as "AI" generators) will be given a warning or banned, depending on the severity of the infraction.

If we ever have to add rules, we'll make an announcement to let everyone know what's changed.

If you are using PluralKit, please ensure you have a System Tag enabled and appended to your root account's username. This is for ease of moderation. Warnings are applied on an account basis; therefore, if one headmate in a system breaks a rule, the system as a whole will receive disciplinary action.

Well? What are you waiting for?

Let's dive!

[mickstart]

Every single reblog / comment on that goddamn post is now about anti / anti-anti / "look where no kink at pride discourse has led us" and I'm so annoyed BC that post was about creators and sex workers being shut out of social spaces under the guise of purity politics to make the net a safe neutral canvas to project ads onto and nobody is acknowledging that they're all focusing on "yeah its not the teens doing this!!" That's not what the fucking post is ABOUT! Make your own post about how you hate teens being blamed for purity culture this isn't about them that's a COMPLETELY different conversation. I did NOT say we piss on the poor!