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[blorbyeo]

Yet another AO3 bot situation - please spread the word!

Hi, it's me again, the person who wrote that viral post about fanfiction plagiarism! Today I'm here to warn you about abuse perpetrated by bots who have stolen AO3 usernames.

There's currently an epidemic of bots going around leaving (apparently random) horrible, hateful comments on people's fics. This isn't the first time bots have invaded AO3, but the big problem with this wave is that they're using real AO3 usernames to do it.

I learned about this when another writer contacted me after receiving the following comment on their story:

Now, while that is my username, I DEFINITELY did not leave this comment (and anyone who would leave something like that on a fic should be slapped! What an awful thing to post). This fic is in a completely unrelated fandom that I have never participated in, nor has that author participated in any of my fandoms, so the probability of it being some intentional fandom drama thing to make me look bad is also low.

The writer whose fic the comment was left on enlisted the aid of some friends and tracked down other guest comments with unrelated usernames attached, which is pretty strong evidence that they are being left by bots at random.

The TL;DR: If you receive a cruel comment from a (Guest) with an actual AO3 username attached, it's most likely from a bot. Please do not lash out at or dogpile the AO3 user who owns that name, and who in all likelihood has no idea that their name has been hijacked for evil.

If finding this kind of comment on a fic, even left by a bot, is likely to upset you, I would recommend changing your comment settings so that only users who are logged in can leave comments. To do this, edit your story settings, and under "Privacy," select the radio button that says "Only registered users can comment," as shown below.

Please spread the word to other AO3 users! And if you see mean guest comments on other fics, maybe let the author know that it's probably from a bot and not a real person who thinks their writing is bad.

[blorbyeo]

In the Ring

Vox Phantasma! Reader, Kara, who, freshly shipped from New York, sneaks out every night to see if she can find fighting rings to test her skills. After all, she had been training for years under the monks at the Order of the Concrete Fist, as a good pupil she couldn't dishonor them by getting rusty.

Obviously, she cannot go out at night as a woman. Luckily, years ago her sister had gifted her a three-quarter dragon mask. It's a red mask depicting a snarling dragon. It juts out beyond her nose, gathers in towards her cheekbones, and splays out to her just beyond her jawline. This mask was no ordinary mask, it was a magical mask crafted by the wizards at the Gramercy Occult Society. It has the ability to physically alter the gender of the wearer. The mask's effects only end when she chooses to take it off, or should it ever break. This way, Kara could escort her sister without breaking the chaperone rules of high society.

The mask can only change one's appearance so much. For Kara, the mask squares her jawline and broadens her shoulders. Her breasts shrink to fit a muscular build, and she loses her feminine curves in place of a traditional triangle body shape.

One night, Kara finds her way to the Barbary Coast fighting pits. She is cocky and confident in her abilities. She has already gone three rounds in the pit when Ah Sahm enters. The masked man in the ring has just won. He is garbed in a vest and a pair of loose-fitting pants.

"Who else will challenge me? Huh?! The man who killed a dragon," Kara yells into the crowd. And Ah Sahm loves a challenge and, on occasion, enjoys putting egotistical people in their place. So, he steps into the pit against the man wearing a red dragon mask.

The two men enter the ring. Immediately, Ah Sahm knows this man is not a boxer, at least not in the way other white men are. He has long loosely curled brown hair that is tied back and his eyes are a striking green. The strange fighter circles him like a martial artist would. Ah Sahm, testing his theory, lets the other fighter attack first.

Kara starts with a quick series of punches all aimed at her opponent's chest and face. Almost all of them are blocked except for a couple of lucky hits to his torso.

Ah Sahm is surprised at the young man's martial abilities. But that doesn't stop him from attacking back. He delivers precise and calculated kicks and punches of his own, in return aiming for his opponent's weak spots and openings. The brunet does his best to block and dodge, but he is quickly tiring. A lucky kick to the chest sends the younger man sprawling backward into the dirt.

"Not so cocky when you have your ass in the dirt," Ah Sahm taunts. He sees the fury flash in the man's eyes.

Instead of dignifying her opponent with a response, Kara growls, pushing herself up and charging. She fiercely kicks her opponent several times. Again, he blocks most of them, except for the lucky one that manages to catch him off guard. It connects with the side of his head, sending him sprawling to the ground. Panting, she puts space between them, in an attempt to recover.

Even though all Ah Sahm can hear is ringing in his ears, he gets up quickly. He can tell when a fight is almost over. He charges. He knows the man is tiring quickly and, even though he could keep up in the beginning, is quite outmatched in comparison. He unleashes an absolute barrage of blows, kicks, and punches against the younger man.

Kara does her best to block but realizes she is outmatched. However, that doesn't stop her from putting up a fight. She goes for a feint, but her opponent dodges her attack. She feels herself getting yanked forward, and a punch landing harshly against the mask before she falls at her opponent's feet.

Her blood runs cold as she feels the mask shatter against her skin. Now in a heap on the ground, the mask falls from her face, and Kara's body reverts to its original feminine shape. The crowd falls silent, just as confused as Ah Sahm.

Ah Sahm watches as the mask falls from his opponent's face and the man transforms into a woman. Had they been a woman the whole time? How could he make such a mistake? How could he have not noticed? He can only stare down at her in surprise. Their eyes meet, and hers are filled with anger and fury. He almost thinks he imagines the grief he sees behind the more volatile emotions.

"You're a...woman?"

Kara can only glare furiously at the man standing over her. She collects as much of the broken mask as she can. Surrounded by men, the grief, anger, and fear are too much. Kara feels her magic and the Umbral Arcana surge in response to her emotions. The wildness inside her responds to her instinctual desire at that moment, the desire to escape.

In an instant, Ah Sahm watches the woman in front of him disappear. He knows he saw her there one instant and gone the next. Logic and his brain tell him she just ran through the crowd, but he knows she saw her there one instant and gone the next. There is no way she pushed her way through the crowd so quickly.

[blorbyeo]

OR

Maybe a male Vox Phantasma!Reader from San Francisco that is the nephew of Mr. Buckley, but absolutely despises his uncle. He wants to help the people, but Mr. Buckley doesn't ever let him out alone despite being an adult. Either Mr. Buckley is overprotective, or maybe he is blackmailing his nephew due to his taste in women or lack thereof, and is trying his best to have his nephew marry a proper woman.

I am deeply in love with some kind of Warrior x Unsleeping City inspired cross over.

A Vox Phantasma!reader. She’s shipped from New York City after her sister dies to live with her cousin Penelope Blake. An effort by her parents to get reader to be more like a high society woman.

OR

A Vox Populous!reader that was born and raised in San Francisco. Her father was a very wealthy bachelor but could never bring himself to remarry so he hired nannies. She never shows her wealth, but uses her father’s money to fund her volunteer work all around the city.

[blorbyeo]

I am deeply in love with some kind of Warrior x Unsleeping City inspired cross over.

A Vox Phantasma!reader. She’s shipped from New York City after her sister dies to live with her cousin Penelope Blake. An effort by her parents to get reader to be more like a high society woman.

OR

A Vox Populous!reader that was born and raised in San Francisco. Her father was a very wealthy bachelor but could never bring himself to remarry so he hired nannies. She never shows her wealth, but uses her father’s money to fund her volunteer work all around the city.