#answer 2: (REMOVED BY MODERATORS)

[urzfanclub]

Q) would zaeed and garrus be work husbands in mass effect 2. Not coworker besties but the whole thing of “work husbands” specifically

👉 counterpoint: garrus is in his edgy lone wolf vigilante era & a work husband might ruin his #archangelaesthetic

☝️counter-counterpoint: garrus is a guy who always wants a bestie squad even if he likes to seem charismatically aloof & cooler than thou

they could have a toxic slutch platonic but still a little gay thang going on.. they have so much fun rigging andersons apartment with alarms and shit in 3… & their loyalty missions r insane little mirrors

[quotevarchive]

official quotevarchive quotev death post (three entire days late)

On Friday, May 31st, 2024, Quotev issued an update that removed the activity feed, the chatbox, the ability to post in groups, the recently added “recommended users” feature, the ability to make individual posts private, the “location” feature on profiles, and backgrounds on the homepage, to name a few things.

They also added a reminder in groups and messages that the two features “are being discontinued and will be removed July 1st.”

This update also added a home button and a button that leads directly to a user's library on the menu bar (situated in a somewhat unbalanced position.)

According to reports of several users, the update happened sometime between 1-2 PM, GMT (I am not entirely sure what time is most accurate, and I did not log on until an hour afterwards.)

Thus began the mass panic. Several users blamed themselves for the removal of the feed, including one user (.hideri) who had among other things apparently make a joking bomb threat the day before. Since the administration had not made a statement in the News section (which was temporarily removed when I logged on, at about 3 PM GMT) no one had any idea whose fault it was. With no other apparent options, users began to move to other platforms to discuss the situation, including twitter, tumblr, reddit (r/Quotev), discord, and plurk. Some users sent messages of protest to the administration.

Around 6 PM GMT, the administration posted a statement in the restored News section.

(note that the time on the post is listed in EST on my device)

The last paragraph, detailing how to archive your messages and group topics, was not included in the post until around a day after it was posted.

Users have continued to move to different platforms. Some seem resigned, while others are determined to challenge the administration with a change.org campaign. Several “quotev discord” servers have been created (spawning their own separate dramas.) A controversy on plurk has emerged, discussing whether or not the recently moved quotev users are disrupting the website.

This all leads us to the question: why? The administration's statement is vague and probably not fully true. What is the actual reason? Can they no longer maintain the website? Were they fed up with the constant drama moderation? Quotev has been no stranger to unpopular updates, but none have been as dramatic as this. Website statistics have shown a huge drop in usage. It's not going to get better when everyone finishes moving their stuff and lurking. It remains to be seen if we will ever truly get a good answer. In the meantime, former users mourn, reminisce, bicker, and will ultimately move on. There has been ridicule for the sadness that we are experiencing, over “just a quiz site.” Yeah, maybe it sounds silly to be so sad, but there is really nothing quite like quotev and the community that it contained, for better or for worse.

[a-very-tired-jew]

The Dropout Discord is closing down

The reasoning we are given is that it's taking too much time, effort, and money to manage the server for the moderation team and that there is friction in the community due to the cast being present in the server (fans are reticent to criticize if cast are watching). However, I can't help but think I have had a bit of an impact. At this point I'm in the double digits with examples of antisemitism in the the server, and I still have more I haven't posted. Ever since I started blogging about the outright antisemitism in the server there has been changes. These changes might seem minor, but they coincide with certain posts getting attention (I know correlation isn't causation, but it does make me think). The first one was taking away reactions to announcements which coincided with me pointing out that the server removed Israeli flag reacts to anything at the behest of certain users. Every other country's flag was allowed, but not Israel's. I never did get the opportunity to see if a Magen David react would elicit the same response though. The rules in the Palestine channel itself changed multiple times as well and they went from being a discussion and education channel to simply an education channel that discouraged discussion (which their rule 2 says discussion is allowed, but they don't abide by this). Whenever there is a discussion in said channel it often devolves into outright antisemitism and conspiracy, which is very bad optics and quite a number of people have said they have canceled their subscriptions because of it. They also removed anyone who remotely questions the narrative of said channel and points out the problems. Hell, they literally removed an account today (May 6th, 2024) for doing just that (albeit this was an account that had just joined and was therefore disingenuous in its intent). I also noticed that many of the users that I have documented being antisemitic since the channel's inception have stopped interacting with it this past month or so. This also coincides with the emphasis on OPSEC in the channel and the lawyers getting involved back in March, so the policies changed again. The recent posts about antisemitism have been about people newly interacting with the channel.

They are also enshrining this particular channel so as to not lose the resources they have listed. However, they are removing all chat functions for the entire server. Again, I have to ask why keep these resources and remove the chat feature so that people can discuss them if there isn't a problem revolving around discussion of said materials? But the answer is, once again, that antisemitism and other issues quickly appear in these conversations (literally someone said the "only solution is intifada revolution" earlier today, which has since been deleted). So yeah, I think this is their response to all the outright antisemitic hate I have catalogued over these past few months. It allows them to address the issue under the guise of too much work and financial strain without being accused of silencing certain voices that would cause problems (which they did previously when the OG Palestine channel was shut down for the same reasons). However, I could be wrong, and I could have had no impact whatsoever. Who knows? I sure as shit won't.

[birdiewriteslit]

“driving me crazy”

eddie roundtree x fem!reader

you and eddie have never gotten along. is it because you hate each other, or is it because you’re both to proud to admit something?

enemies to lovers😏😏 also idk how long this is bc tumblr doesn’t have a word count smh but it is longer than my other stuff

warning: making out at the end (spoiler lol), suggestive

part 2

EDDIE: Y/n, man. That woman is no joke. We hated each other, at least for a while.

Y/N: He was always such an ass to me. Eddie, I mean. I really hated him. (pause) Until I didn’t.

The burning hatred Eddie felt for you started the day you auditioned for the band. Chuck had just left for school, and Eddie wanted to move from rhythm guitar to bass.

Like always, Billy shut down his request and decided to let people audition for the position. In his words, he wanted someone to “earn it.”

Eddie was already irritated from seeing Billy act like the previous performances were better than what he could do, so you can imagine how he felt when one actually was.

The last audition of the day. You strode up the driveway, big sunglasses over your eyes, sporting jeans and a tight tank top, but definitely not a smile.

Eddie just knew. There was no way he was getting that spot. Your playing didn’t even shock him. Of course, it was fantastic. Just great.

After that, it was all cold stares and angry glares. He wanted to make it very clear that he didn’t like you. He made a considerable effort to stay out of your way. He wouldn’t speak to you, look at you, or even think about you. Well, he tried very hard not to.

One night, a few weeks after your admission, you fell into step with him as he walked home after a rehearsal that ran long. He was moderately surprised by this and figured you would go away if he just ignored you.

You didn’t. You pulled out a cigarette and placed it between your lips. “Have a light?” you asked.

He furrowed his brows, trying to figure out what you were doing. After a moment, he nodded, pulled out his lighter, and lit your cigarette.

“Thanks,” you said. “So, is there any reason why you hate being around me?”

He was so taken aback that he stopped walking. “Sorry?”

You looked at him from over your sunglasses. It made him sort of angry that you were wearing them at nine p.m. when it was pitch black.

“You gonna answer the question?”

“Yes, there are many reasons.” Bullshit. There was only one and, honestly, it wasn’t a very solid one.

You said nothing and walked back up to him, removing the cigarette from your mouth and putting it out on his denim jacket, burning the material.

Eddie was more bewildered than mad when you pushed the glasses to the top of your head and smiled at him like you’d just done him a very nice favor. He never noticed your eye color before then, or how it looked in the moonlight.

“By the way, that jacket really reminds me of Billy.”

Okay, now he knew he was mad. He struggled to come up with a comeback and just moved his mouth in a stupid way that made you laugh when you left him standing there.

EDDIE: She knew exactly what she was doing. She’s always been good at that, making me mad on purpose.

Y/N: It was really funny. He doesn’t think so, but I was laughing about that for days.

The two of you continued throwing insults at each other for the months leading up to LA. Eddie’s favorite thing to do was comment on every mistake you made, much to everyone’s dismay.

He was just jealous of your abilities and, deep down, he admired them. You always knew just what to say back to him, adding unnecessary fuel to the fire.

More than once Billy had to yell at you to stop fighting. You both would resort to sending each other hateful looks and crude hand gestures for the rest of practice.

Driving to California was the real hell. Being cooped up in that van with Eddie for that long made you restless.

If it weren’t for Camila holding you back, there would’ve been several times where you launched yourself at him.

It was so nice to have another girl around. Camila was a good mediator for the two of you. You missed that when you went on tour.

Karen also knew how to break up a fight, but sometimes she would let you hash it out for the fun of it. Not like you minded, she probably knew how much fun you had while messing with Eddie.

Soon enough, things went downhill. Camila had the baby, which was good. Julia was such a sweet baby. Billy went to rehab, which was also good, for him and his family, but bad for the band.

The tour was canceled. A lot of money was lost. It was not a very fun time.

You sympathized with Billy. He had been going through a lot, and you understood how hard it was for somebody to recover from that level of drug abuse. Addiction was a gene that seemed to run in your family, with your mother being absent for most of your life and your father having to pick up the pieces.

Billy and Camila were the only people who knew about it. You didn’t think the others needed to know when none of them could relate to your situation.

Eddie didn’t understand. He went on and on about how bad of a guy Billy was. It made you furious the way he implied that Camila should leave him.

The rest of your fights were petty compared to the one you had on the day Billy got out of rehab. Eddie started complaining about Billy’s nerve or something along those lines. You flipped out. You told him he had no idea what he was talking about and stormed out of the room.

That shut him up. He stared blankly at the door you just walked out of and thanked God that it had only been the two of you in the room before.

He was relieved that no one else heard what he said because realized he was being childish. Even though he hated Billy he should still be proud of what he overcame.

He rushed out of the room to find you locked in the bathroom. He knocked once, twice, three times before a sharp, “What?” came from the other side of the door.

“Y/n, come out and let me talk to you.”

He heard your muffled scoff. “You’ve said enough.”

“I want to apologize.”

He couldn’t see it, but your eyebrows rose involuntarily. You undid the lock and opened the door. Your arms were folded over your chest as you nodded at him. “Keep going.”

“I’m sorry I said all that crap about Billy. It’s been a rough time for him. For all of us,” he said, sounding genuine.

This was shocking to you. He had never apologized to you for anything he said, even if it happened to be cruel and borderline disrespectful. He had this vulnerable look on his face that made you feel like you could tell him things.

“I’m not just upset about Billy,” you admitted. “This whole thing just reminds me of my life growing up. You don’t know this about me, but my mom was not the best at, well, being a mom. Unlike Billy, family wasn’t enough to pull her out.”

You weren’t sure what he was going to say. Then, he said nothing and pulled you close to his chest. His arms were around your shoulders, and you hesitated to hug him back.

He smelled of pine, and you couldn’t stop yourself from inhaling his scent. You stayed like that for a few minutes, until you heard the front door open and sprang apart.

Warren and Graham announced their arrival, and Eddie cleared his throat before joining them in the kitchen. Now it was you who stood alone in bewilderment.

EDDIE: This girl that hated me was trusting me with something, and I didn’t even know why. That was the first time I saw her for the woman she was, and not for the competition she used to be. As it turns out, I didn’t really hate that woman.

After that debacle, things were kind of weird between you and Eddie. He would still act like a dick, but in a different way.

Instead of, “Wow, could you be any worse at this?” he would say, “Wow, could you look any hotter right now?” He used the same douchebag tone for each, but his comments became flirtatious as time went on.

You usually had a witty retort to fire back at him, but there were some times that his words left you flustered and unable to think properly.

Karen noticed this first, giving you a questioning look from the other side of the studio. You waved her off and rolled your eyes at the thought of Eddie seriously flirting with you.

Warren and Graham caught on next, teasing him about it whenever they got the chance. He denied all allegations of being into you.

You refused to acknowledge Camila’s allegations either. The dynamic you shared with him now was different, but you kind of liked it. You would never admit it though, wanting to keep up the illusion that you still hated his guts.

Eddie walked into the kitchen and grabbed a muffin from the table you sat at. “Morning, smokeshow.” He smirked as he looked back at you from over his shoulder while crossing the room to the fridge.

“Shut up, Eddie,” you said with a mouth full of cereal. Shamefully, you felt heat climb into your cheeks.

He snickered as he sat down across from you. “Really? That’s all you got?”

You swallowed your food and glared at him. “Give me a break. It’s eight in the morning.”

He gave you his signature smile before flipping through the magazine on the table. Karen walked into the kitchen and sent you a knowing look once she saw you and Eddie being civil.

She made her own breakfast, and took Eddie’s seat when he left. “So, anything interesting happen recently?”

“Besides having a hit single, not much. I do really like that Daisy girl, though.”

Karen stared at you blankly. “You know what I’m talking about.”

You placed your fingers to your temples and closed your eyes. “I sense something brewing between Karen Karen and Graham the Man. Nothing else between any other band members, so it would be pointless to ask.”

She laughed. “I sense nothing of the sort. I’m letting Camila deal with you. I just can’t anymore.”

Y/N: Looking back on it, we were pretty insufferable.

With Billy and Daisy writing songs by themselves, you and the others had some time to kill. Karen and Graham were off at the beach while you hung back with Warren and Eddie.

They really loved Rollerball. Either that or they were really high. You were willing to bet on the latter.

By the third showing, you didn’t fail to notice how close Eddie had gotten to you. His arm brushed against yours, and he leaned his head close to yours.

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, moving away from him and bringing your arm off of the armrest.

He frowned and folded his arms over his chest. Both of you knew something just happened, but refused to acknowledge it. The tension in the air was thick.

Once back at the house, you went to your room immediately. You planned on calling Camila and bothering her with questions about what all these shenanigans with Eddie mean.

What you didn’t expect was Eddie following you into your room and closing the door behind him.

You glanced up from the phone. “What are you doing? Get out, I’m busy.”

The phone rang twice before Camila picked up. “What are we?” Eddie asked. You hung up before she could get a word out.

“What are you talking about?”

He looked more annoyed than he did angry, but the tone of his voice suggested otherwise. “Well, one second you’re rubbing up against me in a movie theater and the other you’re acting all pissed about it.”

You physically cringed. “‘Rubbing up against you?’ That is not what happened.”

“Then what about all those times you tell me I’m hot, huh?”

“You’re the one who initiates that!” you said exasperatedly. “All I do is respond. If you’re trying to insinuate that I flirt with you, then that’s all you.”

He marched up to you until he was mere feet away. “You’re so hot and cold that it drives me insane. Do you want me or not?”

Your eyes narrowed. “Pretty bold of you to assume I would want you.”

He made a wild gesture with his hands and ran one over his face. “You’re exhausting. You make me so mad, and I hate that I like you.”

“Shut up, you don’t like me. We hate each other.”

“Oh, my God, you don’t get it.” He pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “I think about you. All the time. When I see a stupid joke in a magazine, I think of you. When I hear a John Denver song, I think of you. You drive me fucking crazy, Y/n! People who hate each other don’t think about each other like this, don’t act like this. I like you, for God’s sake.”

You couldn’t help but laugh a little. “You listen to John Denver?”

“That’s all you have to say?” He tried sounding angry but he was laughing too.

“I thought you were a rockstar.” You mocked him by holding up two ‘rock on’ hand signs.

“You don’t even care about the sentiment.” He rolled his eyes.

“Be quiet.” You were smiling when you kissed him, cupping his face while his arms snaked around your back.

You tangled both hands in his hair as he deepened the kiss by tilting his head and letting his tongue enter your mouth.

Your fingers messed up his hair before moving down to tug on his shirt collar, pulling him impossibly close.

He tapped your thigh and pulled his lips from yours to whisper, “Jump.”

You complied. He held onto your back with one hand as the other gripped your thigh while your legs wrapped around his waist.

Your hands came back up to rake through his hair, tugging it softly. He continued kissing you feverishly as he made his way to your bed. He almost dropped you when he lowered your body to it.

He climbed onto the bed and hovered over you, kissing down your neck while you gripped his shirt.

“It’s quiet,” Karen said, sitting on the couch, no longer hearing the near screaming match happening in your bedroom.

“Too quiet,” Graham agreed. Warren stood up and pressed his ear to the door, his mouth dropping open.

“Guys, I think they’re boning in there.”

“Warren, please refrain from saying ‘boning.’”

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to Tsunami Stopper's Chapter 190

TL;DR - Raon's perspective. Eru teaches Raon through the question and answer method. Eru encourages the scared Raon. Cale swallows the core.

Raon's Thoughts Today, we have the rare Raon-centered chapter! 🥳 It was quite amusing to know Raon's thoughts about the people around him.

CH - looks like stupid Toonka. Raon kept this thought a secret because he knows CH would be really hurt if he knew that. 😂

Ron - Cale is scared of Ron's gentle smile. Raon only told about this fact to Hong.

Lesson Time Eru teaches Raon via the question and answer method. Thus we find out what's causing the phenomena around them.

Problem:

The power of the World Tree (WT) had a tendency to return to nature, but the power of the dragon lord and the core were blocking it.

When Cale removed the core, the struggle between the two powers worsened.

Since the power of the WT failed to return to nature, it was now attracting nature to come to it, hence the incoming tsunami.

Solution: Pierce a hole to create an exit for the power of the WT.

It seemed easy, but our Raon grew nervous and scared. After all, piercing a hole meant fighting against the mana of a dragon lord. And Raon was not confident in fighting it.

Eru noticed and was surprised Raon's nervousness, and nagged him about how dragons are confidence itself. He nagged Raon so much that the surprised Alberu quietly distanced himself from Eru... 🤣🤣🤣

After some encouragement from Eru, Raon finally finds the courage and declares that he's a dragon that can destroy worlds! Wow, Eruhaben-nim. You're teaching Raon your thug ways? And I find it so funny because Raon was denying to Myung earlier that he was an evil dragon that destroyed stuff... 😂

There was also some stuff about how Raon felt confident because his human was near, or his human's companions who usually accompanied Cale was now with him rather than with Cale.

Delicious Core Because most of the chapter was focused on Raon, Cale's first attempt to stop the tsunami was only mentioned in the background. He ended up using 150% of his Water AP, and the tattoo status was 7 white and 1 gray.

Thus, he decided to eat the purple core like how he ate the Super Rock in the past. Cale was feeling reluctant about eating another stone (the core is in the form of a gemstone), but he was surprised to find that it was actually delicious!

We even get Cale's rating about it. It was moderately sweet, and a lightness lingered in his mouth. The finish felt refreshing. And Cale remarked that it was the most delicious dessert he had ever eaten, something he wanted to keep eating. Water AP was surprised that Cale found it delicious... 😂

With Cale eating the core, his tattoos changed to 5 black, 1 gray, and 2 white. Now, Cale is ready for the second round.

Ending Remarks I was really happy that we got a chapter focused on Raon and showed his growth. Next chapter will focus on Cale again. Question is, is the blood coughing countdown still going on? And when will we get a new chapter title? It's been 16 chapters already.

[echo]

this is a response to @anarcho-yorpism's tag for me in this post. i'm not directly rbing bc that post is long and it has a lot going on in the notes.

anyway please note all of my responses here are my own, and not representative of Staff or tumblr. i am not T&S and have zero power to make any moderation decisions here.

with that disclaimer:

Predstrogen received a message from Tumblr saying she was banned for "sexual content". If she was not, why was she told this, why were her transition photos removed, and why has she still not been told the actual reason? (I understand not making it public, but it is your policy to tell the user) If she was, what was this sexual content, if not her transition timeline?

i can't really directly answer this for few reasons. firstly, i feel that staff shouldn't talk about her anymore bc i feel this continued controversy will only attract more harassment for her on other platforms.

secondly, as a low-level staffer talking about moderation decisions can get me, y'know, fired. i'd prefer not to do that.

also just like... i want to avoid getting into a narrative of "well she did bad things so she deserves it" or whatever. idc if she broke the rules or not, she didn't deserve what happened.

i know this isn't terribly satisfying to hear, but i'd like to be honest about why i'm not saying more at least.

If you can't answerblegal questions, ignore this question: The NYCLU settlement agreed that Tumblr would fix its moderation so it targeted transfem users less. Why has there been no comment on the settlement and actions taken since? There could genuinely be a large legal case against Tumblr after this, and I love this site and don't want that to happen. Also, wasn't it illegal under GDPR to release her usernames?

i'm not able to answer legal questions. i don't know the exact text of the agreement, but it mostly boiled down to some training and stuff from my personal experience there.

however not as a staffer but as NYC trans human: i would not put a ton of faith in the NYCCHR. they have some noble goals but they are a chronically underfunded city agency that in practice does very little to curb real-world violence against marginalized people. i tried to use them myself when my landlord was kicking me out right after i had surgery and they didn't even get back to me until months after everything resolved. nobody i know in the community out here has been helped by them off the top of my head.

i have sincere doubts in relying on the state to help people here.

A lot of transfem users don't like vague language like "prioritize", especially given point 2 and Matt's statement that improving moderation was not on the agenda. I understand you can't reveal company secrets in an already risky post, but we would like to see the specific actions taken after this, given a lot of broken trust by what @\photomatt has said. Are any of the trans women banned recently for "sexual content" going to have their accounts restored?

i don't know. i'm pushing internally for at least a review of everyone suspended to see if the less egregious stuff can be reversed. but like i said, i don't have a ton of power as i'm not in charge of anything.

and yeah, "prioritize" is vague corpo-speak. i know some stuff is shifting internally and what we said does match what is happening inside. but also... i've been disappointed before.

i can say i'm tentatively optimistic. people are responding seriously, and being asked our opinions for once is pretty nice. but also, systemic stuff is hard. i trust in my fellow workers and i'll continue to fight until i can't anymore.

so... yeah. i genuinely wish i can be more informative here, but what we wrote (and i want to emphasize we here, it was not just me by any stretch!!) is what we can say in an official capacity.

i'm just frustrated, tired, angry, depressed... and also weirdly hopeful?

[jonmartinweek]

Jonmartin Week is Looking for Moderators

Hello all!

This is your moderator (@littlecactiguy) speaking. I started this event in 2021 to celebrate Jon and Martin following MAG200. Since then it has grown exponentially. To the point where now it is getting to a size where honestly I could use some help ensuring it continues to be a fun event in our fandom for years to come. Ergo, I’m searching for 1-2 people to join me as the moderator team.

Below I’ve listed out general expectations and responsibilities of what a Jonmartin Week Moderator will do. If you’re interested, please read through them and answer the questions on the linked form. I cannot guarantee you will be chosen to become a mod, but you will be considered.

General Expectations

18+ years of age

Accepting that all other Magnus ships are valid and not bashing them

You recognize that this blog is not a platform to be used for anything other than its direct purpose. There are a lot of things happening in the world right now, but this blog is not the place for them. It was established and remains a space to create and find joy in the jmart ship. Attempting to use it for anything other than that purpose could see your removal as mod.

If you reveal yourself to be racist, queerphobic, antisemitic, or prejudiced against a group in such a way, you will be removed as a mod.

If you are chosen, you will be made a member of the Jonmartin Week blog, but not an admin of it. What this means is that you will be able to reblog to Jonmartin Week, but you won’t have access to backend settings or blog editing control. After your first event as a mod, this could change, but not before.

Responsibilities:

The Prompt Submission/Voting Process

Prompt Submissions and Voting are decided through Google Forms. At this point, the process is fairly well-established and runs smoothly. Prompts are collected over a period, placed in an alphabetized list, and then presented for voting, where people have the opportunity to choose their top 14. If there is a high enough number of prompts submitted, there could potentially be multiple voting rounds.

Submissions generally take place Late November/Early December, with Voting following in Late December, and the Official Prompts Announcement generally happening by January.

A Mod will:

Aid in organizing the submitted prompts for voting and remove any submissions that don’t qualify (ex. a repeat of one of the past year’s prompts).

Discuss and decide which prompts will be paired with each other, and on which days those prompts will be placed.

Mods have access to the event prompts before their official announcement. The expectation will be that you share them with no one outside the mod team prior to the announcement going out.

During the Event

Jonmartin Week sees submissions in the form of both Tumblr posts and postings to the AO3 Collection.

Mods are responsible for reblogging event submissions to the event blog with organizational tags:

Event Year (ex. Event Year: 2024)

Type (ex. Type: Fanfic, Type: Fanart, etc.)

Day & which prompt was used (ex. Day 1 Prompt: First Kiss, or Day 1 Prompt: Season 1).

On AO3, mods are responsible for reading through fic submissions to the AO3 Collection and approving their entry into it.

The Magnus Protocol

This past year (2024) content relating to The Magnus Protocol was not allowed in the event. We will potentially be revisiting this topic again prior to the 2025 event. A mod will be expected to help lead the discussion along in a firm, but respectful manner.

Link to Moderator Application

[mariacallous]

It no longer makes sense to speak of free speech in traditional terms. The internet has so transformed the nature of the speaker that the definition of speech itself has changed.

The new speech is governed by the allocation of virality. People cannot simply speak for themselves, for there is always a mysterious algorithm in the room that has independently set the volume of the speaker’s voice. If one is to be heard, one must speak in part to one’s human audience, in part to the algorithm. It is as if the US Constitution had required citizens to speak through actors or lawyers who answered to the Dutch East India Company, or some other large remote entity. What power should these intermediaries have? When the very logic of speech must shift in order for people to be heard, is that still free speech? This was not a problem foreseen in the law.

The time may be right for a legal and policy reset. US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are questioning Section 230, the liability shield that enshrined the ad-driven internet. The self-reinforcing ramifications of a mere 26 words—“no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider”—has produced a social media ecosystem that is widely held to have had deleterious effects on both democracy and mental health.

Abraham Lincoln is credited with the famous quip about how you cannot fool all the people all the time. Perhaps you cannot, but perhaps the internet can. Imperfect speech has always existed, but the means and scale of amplification have not. The old situation cannot be the guide for the new.

Section 230 was created during a period when policy was being designed to unleash internet innovation, thereby maintaining America’s competitive edge in cyberspace. The early internet was supported by a variety of friendly policies, not just Section 230. For instance, sales arranged over the internet were often not taxed in early years. Furthermore, the internet was knowingly inaugurated in an incomplete state, lacking personal accounts, authentication mechanisms, commercial transaction standards, and many other needed elements. The thinking was not only that it was easier to get a minimal design started when computing power was still nascent, but also that the missing elements would be addressed by entrepreneurs. In effect, we were giving trillion-dollar gifts to parties unknown who would be the inevitable network-effect winners.

Section 230 was enacted as part of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, a larger legislative effort within the umbrella 1996 Telecommunications Act. Section 230(c)(1) provides immunity for online services regarding user-generated content, ensuring the companies hosting content are not treated as publishers of this information. Section 230(c)(2) offers Good Samaritan protection from civil liability when the companies—or platforms, as we call them today—in good faith remove or moderate objectionable content.

After President Bill Clinton signed the 1996 Telecommunications Act into law, it was unclear how the courts might interpret it. When the dust cleared, Section 230 emerged as something of a double-edged sword. It could be used to justify censorship, and at the same time be deployed as a corporate liability shield. Most importantly, it provided the runway for the takeoff of Google, Twitter, and Facebook. (And now TikTok—which, being a Chinese company, proves that Section 230 no longer serves American interests.)

The impact on the public sphere has been, to say the least, substantial. In removing so much liability, Section 230 forced a certain sort of business plan into prominence, one based not on uniquely available information from a given service, but on the paid arbitration of access and influence. Thus, we ended up with the deceptively named “advertising” business model—and a whole society thrust into a 24/7 competition for attention. A polarized social media ecosystem. Recommender algorithms that mediate content and optimize for engagement. We have learned that humans are most engaged, at least from an algorithm’s point of view, by rapid-fire emotions related to fight-or-flight responses and other high-stakes interactions. In enabling the privatization of the public square, Section 230 has inadvertently rendered impossible deliberation between citizens who are supposed to be equal before the law. Perverse incentives promote cranky speech, which effectively suppresses thoughtful speech.

And then there is the economic imbalance. Internet platforms that rely on Section 230 tend to harvest personal data for their business goals without appropriate compensation. Even when data ought to be protected or prohibited by copyright or some other method, Section 230 often effectively places the onus on the violated party through the requirement of takedown notices. That switch in the order of events related to liability is comparable to the difference between opt-in and opt-out in privacy. It might seem like a technicality, but it is actually a massive difference that produces substantial harms. For example, workers in information-related industries such as local news have seen stark declines in economic success and prestige. Section 230 makes a world of data dignity functionally impossible.

To date, content moderation has too often been beholden to the quest for attention and engagement, regularly disregarding the stated corporate terms of service. Rules are often bent to maximize engagement through inflammation, which can mean doing harm to personal and societal well-being. The excuse is that this is not censorship, but is it really not? Arbitrary rules, doxing practices, and cancel culture have led to something hard to distinguish from censorship for the sober and well-meaning. At the same time, the amplification of incendiary free speech for bad actors encourages mob rule. All of this takes place under Section 230’s liability shield, which effectively gives tech companies carte blanche for a short-sighted version of self-serving behavior. Disdain for these companies—which found a way to be more than carriers, and yet not publishers—is the only thing everyone in America seems to agree on now.

Trading a known for an unknown is always terrifying, especially for those with the most to lose. Since at least some of Section 230’s network effects were anticipated at its inception, it should have had a sunset clause. It did not. Rather than focusing exclusively on the disruption that axing 26 words would spawn, it is useful to consider potential positive effects. When we imagine a post-230 world, we discover something surprising: a world of hope and renewal worth inhabiting.

In one sense, it’s already happening. Certain companies are taking steps on their own, right now, toward a post-230 future. YouTube, for instance, is diligently building alternative income streams to advertising, and top creators are getting more options for earning. Together, these voluntary moves suggest a different, more publisher-like self-concept. YouTube is ready for the post-230 era, it would seem. (On the other hand, a company like X, which leans hard into 230, has been destroying its value with astonishing velocity.) Plus, there have always been exceptions to Section 230. For instance, if someone enters private information, there are laws to protect it in some cases. That means dating websites, say, have the option of charging fees instead of relying on a 230-style business model. The existence of these exceptions suggests that more examples would appear in a post-230 world.

Let’s return to speech. One difference between speech before and after the internet was that the scale of the internet “weaponized” some instances of speech that would not have been as significant before. An individual yelling threats at someone in passing, for instance, is quite different from a million people yelling threats. This type of amplified, stochastic harassment has become a constant feature of our times—chilling speech—and it is possible that in a post-230 world, platforms would be compelled to prevent it. It is sometimes imagined that there are only two choices: a world of viral harassment or a world of top-down smothering of speech. But there is a third option: a world of speech in which viral harassment is tamped down but ideas are not. Defining this middle option will require some time to sort out, but it is doable without 230, just as it is possible to define the limits of viral financial transactions to make Ponzi schemes illegal.

With this accomplished, content moderation for companies would be a vastly simpler proposition. Companies need only uphold the First Amendment, and the courts would finally develop the precedents and tests to help them do that, rather than the onus of moderation being entirely on companies alone. The United States has more than 200 years of First Amendment jurisprudence that establishes categories of less protected speech—obscenity, defamation, incitement, fighting words—to build upon, and Section 230 has effectively impeded its development for online expression. The perverse result has been the elevation of algorithms over constitutional law, effectively ceding judicial power.

When the jurisprudential dust has cleared, the United States would be exporting the democracy-promoting First Amendment to other countries rather than Section 230’s authoritarian-friendly liability shield and the sewer of least-common-denominator content that holds human attention but does not bring out the best in us. In a functional democracy, after all, the virtual public square should belong to everyone, so it is important that its conversations are those in which all voices can be heard. This can only happen with dignity for all, not in a brawl.

Section 230 perpetuates an illusion that today’s social media companies are common carriers like the phone companies that preceded them, but they are not. Unlike Ma Bell, they curate the content they transmit to users. We need a robust public conversation about what we, the people, want this space to look like, and what practices and guardrails are likely to strengthen the ties that bind us in common purpose as a democracy. Virality might come to be understood as an enemy of reason and human values. We can have culture and conversations without a mad race for total attention.

While Section 230 might have been considered more a target for reform rather than repeal prior to the advent of generative AI, it can no longer be so. Social media could be a business success even if its content was nonsense. AI cannot.

There have been suggestions that AI needs Section 230 because large language models train on data and will be better if that data is freely usable with no liabilities or encumbrances. This notion is incorrect. People want more from AI than entertainment. It is widely considered an important tool for productivity and scientific progress. An AI model is only as good as the data it is trained on; indeed, general data improves specialist results. The best AI will come out of a society that prioritizes quality communication. By quality communication, we do not mean deepfakes. We mean open and honest dialog that fosters understanding rather than vitriol, collaboration rather than polarization, and the pursuit of knowledge and human excellence rather than a race to the bottom of the brain stem.

The attention-grooming model fostered by Section 230 leads to stupendous quantities of poor-quality data. While an AI model can tolerate a significant amount of poor-quality data, there is a limit. It is unrealistic to imagine a society mediated by mostly terrible communication where that same society enjoys unmolested, high-quality AI. A society must seek quality as a whole, as a shared cultural value, in order to maximize the benefits of AI. Now is the best time for the tech business to mature and develop business models based on quality.

All of this might sound daunting, but we’ve been here before. When the US government said the American public owned the airwaves so that television broadcasting could be regulated, it put in place regulations that supported the common good. The internet affects everyone, so we must devise measures to ensure that our digital-age public discourse is of high quality and includes everyone. In the television era, the fairness doctrine laid that groundwork. A similar lens needs to be developed for the internet age.

Without Section 230, recommender algorithms and the virality they spark would be less likely to distort speech. It is sadly ironic that the very statute that delivered unfathomable success is today serving the interests of our enemies by compromising America’s superpower: our multinational, immigrant-powered constitutional democracy. The time has come to unleash the power of the First Amendment to promote human free speech by giving Section 230 the respectful burial it deserves.

[sunspill]

Hi I'd like to take back every nice thing I said about my surgeon.

This is a venty and /lengthy/ post about my experience with an accelerated emergency hysterectomy (<2wks from diagnosis to surgery). I'm adding a cut in case medical stuff is triggering for anyone or if you're like "I've heard enough outta you about doctors" (understandable).

I'm struggling to sleep rn in a hospital room so I'm venting to distract while I wait for my nurse to check in with me about more morphine.

So my gyn and my surgeon are the same person, an OBGYN in San Francisco. He was the only would who could see me after multiple ER and 2 urgent care visits for severe pain in my abdomen. Eventually the ER orders an ultrasound. a surprise vaginal ultrasound that I was not informed would involve insertion of the wand into my vagina until the tech told me to take off my underwear. They had told me it would be a stomach ultrasound to look for masses. I'm still... unhappy about this. It hurt and the tech was like "all women get these its fine". Anyway, I had one moderately large fibroid and possibly scar tissue and smaller masses.

Sidenote: I'm not sure if i have ever felt being viewed as less than human more in the ER. Downplaying my symptoms, telling me the ER doesn't dispense pain medication (which they later did multiple times), that fibroids don't cause any pain, accusations of drug-seeking, and multiple insinuations that I was pregnant or otherwise lying. One such accusation was a question posed to my partner about if we ever had threesomes with men or if maybe I cheated on them and contracted pregnancy or STD. Oh and when I got diagnosed they didn't say "it's fibroids" they said "there's at least one tumor in your uterus" like ! Why would they say it like that?? Every nurse was pissed to be there and I strongly believed one of them hard painful pricked me in my wrist instead of my elbow because they were annoying I was sobbing in the room outside the nurses lounge. When my partner confronted them about that choice they were like "well we can remove it but you won't get fluids or meds then". It hurt for 2 days afterwards. I had been to urgent care and the er previous to this and had no issues with the inner elbow.

I called gynos all over the place but no one else except this doctor, lets say... Dr Yan, could see me within 3 weeks. My PCP refused to provide pain management and I had been out of work for a week and half, returning to the ER multiple times because I was screaming in pain for hours. The ER would prescribe a small amount of prescription pain killers, I would try to make them stretch, and then I would have to return to the ER. I was bedridden from pain. Planned Parenthood couldn't help with treatment but told me based on the ER imaging I might have adenomyosis, for which the only "cure" would be to remove my uterus, removing just fibroid is much more difficult with adenomyosis.

So I was desperate and Dr Yan was willing to do a hysterectomy as well as willing to push my insurance company to get it done fast as I was pulling no income - I ran out of PTO after a week of calling out. I felt I needed it fast and it started to hurt more whenever I ate or drank. He somehow got it moved to yesterday.

But he was awful. He wouldn't give specific answers to my questions, he barely walked me through what the procedure entailed after my partner pressed harder, and kept saying it is a very common procedure that is easy and not painful.

He lied to me, saying I'd be home the same day and a nerve blocker administered during surgery would keep me numb for two days. The recovery nurse told me that's not true. He insisted that pain would be minimal and his patients were fine with otc pain management. He said it needed to be abdominal, which I have since learned is not the case and is the most painful and longest recovery time for hysterectomy

The only thing he reiterated and talked about was how I would be unable to get pregnant, which was the only thing I *already* knew. 

He did one physical exam during initial appt which was pushing on my abdomen, ordered no additional imaging or appts, and literally disappeared into another room while my back was turned signing forms. I had to sit in the waiting room for another 20 minutes to get him to sign insurance and leave of work papers.

He was 20 min late to my pre-op appt and his office had no idea why. he performed a pelvis exam on me, externally and then inserted his fingers into my vagina for an internal exam without telling me. I had never had a pelvic exam before. It hurt enough bc he did not use lubrication. My partner confronted him angrily and he said he knows what he's doing and the exam was over anyway. He told me again the surgery would be simple.

I woke up screaming in observation, where i was given Tylenol. The surgical nurse lied to me and said they had already called my partner. After an hour of pain they moved me to a recovery room, where I had access to my phone and called my partner, who had not been contacted and rushed over. I was alone and crying out in pain.

The nurse told me that they could only give me Tylenol because Dr Yan had left the hospital without putting in orders for me aka authorizing use of moderate to severe controlled painkillers. They said as soon as they could get him on the phone they could give me something for the pain because I had been given 4 grams of Tylenol and couldn't have more. Dr Yan never answered the phone.

I am not joking when I say this next part, because I was able to track the time through my chart just now to get exact numbers and times. I came out of surgery no later than 800am. In a recovery room by 9. I screamed, absolutely not an exaggeration, I was crying out and sobbing and could not think, I was sweating and my entire body was shaking. I was dry heaving and spitting up bile, which made the pain worse. I don't remember anything except the pain, although apparently i did say some funny things to my partner coming down from the general anesthesia (thought we were in grocery outlet).

At 2:14 the hospitalist gave up calling and admitted me, transferring care away from Dr Yan. At 4:45pm they administered a very lose dose of morphine, and I finally stopped screaming. It was still very painful, and my partner timed me - I would sleep for 1-7 minutes, then wake up crying out in pain for 3-10min, repeat. The nurse told me I would receive stronger pain management when I had a room.

At 430pm they transfered me to my room, which involved the transport guy hitting my bed against the counter. The transfer from bed to bed was so jolting I started screaming again, which lasted until 445pm, when they administered triple the dose of morphine given earlier.

This has been the most painful experience of my life. The Dr said no more morphine and would administer those opiate pills cut w ibuprofen or whatever. They would give me just enough to cut my pain back from 10 to 6/7, then make me wait until 10, then make me wait crying out in pain while they got the dr to put in an order for more. It was like reps of a gym set except the absolute worst pain based version.

Around 6pm, my partner advocated aggressively as my pain was only receding to a 8 or 9 and I could no longer nap or drink water due to the pain. My muscles were so clenched I tore my paper gown. The nurse (who had seen all of this go down and was b attentive) recommended to the dr that I receive straight oxycodeine via IV. My doctor, who saw me once when i was transfered which consisted of introducing himself, said I didn't need such a strong medicine and I should take tramadol instead.

The tramadol had almost no effect, and I was then told I couldn't have the oxy because I had gotten the tramadol instead. By 630 I was at a 10 and screaming again. The dr ordered a lidocaine patch (no effect).

At 655 a new dr replaced the previous and immediately ordered dilaudid. My pain finally dropped to a 5.

At 830pm guess who fuckin shows up in my room. Dr Yan, who's like "you don't seem in pain" SIR I HAD SO MANY DRUGS INSIDE ME AND I WSS STILL AT A 5. And I needed two people to get me to the bathroom (5 ft away). He shows me a picture of the biggest mass, says I'm fine, offers no explanation for why he fucked me over so badly, and leaves. I should have demanded information but my throat hurt from crying and screaming and I had only slept 2 hrs in the previous 2 days.

The recovery nurse apologized profusely to me and said she believed he had been grossly negligent. The anaesthesiologist came and told me my body eats painkillers and anesthesia with a strong natural tolerance, and that some of the refusal to give more or stronger dosages was probably because doctors basically read charts, and would see that I had been administered a lot already. They would then decide that was enough based on what they believed to be averagely appropriate. Even tho I have it documented from his hospice ICU care notes that my dad had a similar tolerance. The recovery nurse agreed as she had been observing me, administering the meds, and see my-clearly-caused -by -pain symptoms continue.

The night nurses and doctors have been better. I got some more morphine just now, and a sleep aid that didn't work but I appreciate they tried to address that issue.

Anyway jeez if you read everything you deserve a medal. My memory has been very poor due to drugs and pain so I've been trying to work out a timeline of what happened. I know it's kind of a baby thing because no one attacked me and I don't seem to have surgical complications and after all this the hospital is sending me home with opiates, but I feel kinda shell shocked. It felt crazy to be lying in the hospital screaming in pain for hours and hours just for someone to come in every hour and say their hands were tied even tho the hospital is the only place for strong pain relief that isnt like, street fet. I removed an organ, I knew it would hurt, but I've never in my life experienced anything like that. It was worse than all other pain I've had combined. I thought i was going to die.

Anyway the nurse is giving me Ativan! I hope to rest now. Cross your fingers for me and stay away from DR YUAN DA FAN OBGYN SUTTER HEALTH SAN FRANCISCO.

[immajustvibehere]

Pls give us part 2 of “Captured & Captivated”. That was so good🥵

I really thought I wouldn't write another part. But here I am 😔

Captured & Captivated

Part 2

Arthur Morgan x fem!Reader

warning: filthy, low honor, non consent (unfortunately, I can't write smut or this would have gone differently heh)

summary: After the bounty hunter had granted you your freedom, but left you to fend for yourself half-naked, you rejoin him at the fire. Spending the night at his camp would surely increase your chance of survival, right?

Part 1 here!

1700 words, 12 minutes reading time

“What’s your name, mister?”, you asked, covering your bare breasts with your knees and having your arms resting upon them. The fire warmed you moderately well. It was better than hiding in the bushes, that’s for sure.

"None of your concern, sweetheart", he answered. His voice was low but dripped in honey. You had the feeling he wanted to impress you. He wanted you to stay and not run off, or he wouldn't have offered the possibility to join him at the fire. You eyed him suspiciously.

"Jus' makes conversation more complicated...", you mumbled.

He gave no answer to that, only shook his head slightly.

"Got a blanket for me?", you asked after a while of silence. The fire could only warm one side of your bare torso and while your skin on the front almost burned under the heat, your back cooled down extremely.

"Yer god damn demandin' for someone I just granted freedom", the man answered and lit a cigarette. He didn't give any indication of actually handing you something to warm you up. After a sigh, you remained silent and watched the flames.

"You can stay at my camp. That's as good as it gets, darlin'", he flicked the finished cigarette into the fire, "unless you can pay. Which I highly doubt."

He had a cocky smile on his face. What exactly did he expect? That you would suddenly procure a ten dollars bill and pay him for a blanket? Of course he didn’t. He knew you had nothing.

"Want me to lie down for you?", you asked. But the expression of the man changed immediately into one of disgust.

"I’m afraid I’m not interested. I generally don’t entertain women with dubious morals."

"I ain't no whore", you explained calmly. You would have bet your life that the man in front of you had slept with more people than you had. Not only was he older, but he also was somewhat handsome. So, you despised his assumption.

"Sure", he snickered. You watched his face closely and saw how the disgust dissipated. He could tell you weren’t a prostitute. You had been so insecure even to remove your cloths in front of him. But Arthur admired that you were willing to get laid, only for a blanket to cover yourself up.

For a while, nobody spoke. You listened to the logs being devoured by the flames or the occasional cricket calling for a mate. Arthur started a small carving project before he stuck the knife into the ground next to him and put his hat lower into his face. It was night, probably very late by now. Even though you had survived a rather tricky day, you weren’t as tired. A gut feeling told you to stay awake.

"Don't try no funny business or you might regret it", the man warned before he settled into a half-recumbent position and remained silent. You waited. With open eyes and attentive spirit you endured until his chest was heaving with even breaths. Occasionally, your gaze wandered to the knife next to him. There was no other way out. You couldn't walk away, or you'd freeze or be killed – besides, you couldn’t simply walk into a town without wearing a top. Theoretically, you could steal something from him. His saddlebags must at least contain a spare shirt you could take and run off with. Maybe you should even steal his horse. But you were positive he'd wake up and shoot you dead if you even attempted it. Waiting until the next morning was useless too. Why wouldn't he just tie you up again and drag you to the law to collect your bounty?

This left one option: Kill him and then run off with his things. It was easy. His knife was there, almost begging to be used by you. You would slit his throat and it would be over before he could even wake up. Only one problem: you had never killed someone. But this was about your survival and you figured you would be able to do it in the heat of the moment.

After a deep breath you reached for the knife. Your fingers had barely closed around the handle when the man jumped up, twisted it out of your hand and before you knew it – you were pinned to the ground, the man promptly sitting down on your thighs to prevent you from getting up. For a second, he had loosened the grip around your wrists. You lost not a moment. Your hands shot up to his throat, grasping it firmly. If you can't stab him, you would choke him. But the man didn't stir. Even with both your hands, you couldn't reach around the man's throat entirely, and since he had you pinned from your waist down, you couldn't exert all your strength.

He chuckled lightly. Tears started to prick your eyes. You fucked up. Great. You assaulted a killer, and now what?

Like they were burdocks, he peeled your hands off his throat.

"What did you want with the knife? I'd recommend not lying to me."

You took a shaky breath, your brain working miles an hour, waging if a lie would do less harm. The man saw you considering, took your wrists and pinned above your head to the ground. You felt fully exposed, lying with bare torso under this huge man. He leaned over you, slowly putting more of his weight on your body. You groaned. You had guessed he wasn't putting his full weight on your body before, and you had been right.

"'m listening?"

You sucked in a breath and whispered a shaky: "Wanted to kill you."

A quick smile darted across the man's face: "At least yer honest."

He was lying on top of you entirely now, his beard scratching your cheek. He whispered: "Tell me, huh,… what am I supposed to do with ya?" Even if you wanted to answer, there was no air left in your lungs to form words. Slowly, he grinded his hips against yours and you felt his hard bulge pressing into your heat. He seemed to rather enjoy the hoarse whine he earned for that.

One hand of his was enough to keep both of yours in place. The other one wandered down your arm, touching you almost tenderly until he had reached your boob, which he roughly squeezed. You wriggled underneath him. If you had been able to, you would have begged him to get off.  As if he understood, he let go of your hands and stood up. He looked down on you, tilting his head and taking in your feeble frame underneath him.

"I preferred you tied up anyways", he stated before he walked over to the tree to fetch some of the rope. You didn't dare to move. The knife he had twisted out of your hand wasn't that far off, but you were too scared to even think about attempting an escape. You simply watched the man pick up the rope.

He turned you around, tying your arms behind your back.

"That'll do, don'tcha think?", he asked satisfied.

"What are you gonna do with me?", you asked anxiously

"Haven't decided yet. You really threw your freedom away with that pathetic attempt of yers."

Grabbing you by the shoulder he helped you into a sitting position. He was squatting next to you, his eyes roaming your face. With a gentle movement he wiped away the tears on your face with his calloused fingers. You flinched at first, out of fear he'd hit you.

"No crying, alright? Them tears don't do your pretty face any good", he said, almost in a friendly. You choked down a sob, nodding hesitantly. When he stood up again to walk back to his little spot, he picked up the knife in the process, putting it back into its sheath. He got comfortable, sliding down the trunk and lowering his hat into his face. "Get some rest", were the last words you heard from him.

At first, you didn't think it would be possible to fall asleep. Your heart was beating, and you were still freezing. Only after you crawled closer to the fire and actually lied down with your eyes closed, you felt the exhaustion. You feared you'd wake up behind bars - or worse. But it didn't matter how much of a fight you put up; sleep won in the end.

You woke up with a start. A thin blanket slipped off your body. It was dawn. The stranger was gone. Despite the blanket, which he must have thrown on top of you while you were asleep, you were cold. The fire had gone out and a slight wind blew through your hair. There was no tent, no horse. Nothing but a clean shirt on which your head had rested. You picked it up. It was clearly one of his. You slipped into it. It was too big but provided some desperately needed warmth. Only then you realized that your hands had been cut free. The remains of a burnt rope lay on the charred logs of the fireplace.

Even after years had passed, you never truly forgot the stranger. At first, you despised him for the toying around he had done, for letting you strip and sleep half naked, for the groping and threatening. After a while though, those memories faded. What remained was the essence of this encounter. You had been his bounty which he had freed for a remarkably low price. His blue eyes and how he examined your body with them was something you never quite forgot. At the end, you pitied him. Maybe, you thought, you finally saw him at what he truly was; a conflicted man. On the hunt for money, cruel and desperate and yet not cold-hearted enough to do you real harm. Every time when you thought about the man in this way, you wondered if you blew his character out of proportion and if you had got it all wrong...and yet, there was no way to confirm. At the end, all that was left of him was a shirt in a closet.

------x

I'm sorry that the sequel sucked even more than the first part xd But I wanted to write it anyways! oops

[kaivasita]

Book 2 update!

Main font (the one used for the title graphic and the chapter names) has been changed to one that's more legible and actually aligns properly (Have also noticed that the name of said font only happens to include the letters that aligned properly with each other.)

Renamed two characters- one being a throwaway character that only appears in one chapter and calls Albin a (FAKE, NOT REAL LIFE) slur because I actually really like the name and want to use it for a... nicer, character.

The word "Hell" is now used in moderation

Reduced use of 'Desolate', 'suddenly', and 'unfortunately' hopefully for the last time

Fixed the image formatting issues in chapter 17

Some extra, juicy worldbuilding!

Fixed The Plot Hole

Finally found a home for that poor orphan(ed plot point)

Fused a short, redundant chapter with what is now chapter 16

Made chapter 16 a reasonable length by removing two whole pages of dialog that only existed because there was a point in the plot where there wasn't chapters from Ellie and Ryan's perspectives and I needed to explain what they were doing while off screen. But everything said there is shown now, or better explained in earlier dialog, so.

Actually fucking wrote a new chapter for once instead of just fixing something outdated again

More pasta spoiler* foreshadowing

Fixed the image formatting issues in chapter 17, again.

*Joke term for a certain incredibly major spoiler in Kaivasita that's foreshadowed throughout the first arc and revealed in book 3. It completely re-contextualizes the entire narrative in a horrifying way. In other words, you're being fucked with. Hard. As for why it's called that- one of my friends asked if Neowise would like character shaped pasta or not, and somehow, by some wild streak of motherfuckery, I couldn't answer it because it very lightly touches onto the spoiler. It's just that all encompassing of a spoiler.

[answersfromzestual]

Metoidioplasty Frequently Asked Questions and Answers:

How many stages is metoidioplasty?

One-stage procedure for the creation of a neophallus from a hormonally enlarged clitoris.

Can metoidioplasty penetrate?

Sexual penetration after Metoidioplasty is rarely possible. Some people can find the right position to penetrate but aren't able to thrust or achieve deep penetration. (If this is important to you, consider Phalloplasty)

Do I need to be on testosterone to have a Metoidioplasty?

Yes, surgeons generally require you to be on testosterone for one to two years prior to having Metoidioplasty to maximize the growth of the neo-phallus before surgery. lf you're planning to go off testosterone at some point after surgery. It's important to know that you could lose phallus length, which could prevent standing to urinate

Do I need to have a Hysterectomy before Metoidioplasty?

Only if you're having a Vaginectomy procedure done. With Metoidioplasty, then the uterus needs to be removed. (Ovaries do not have to be removed.)

Will I be able to pee while standing after Metoidioplasty?

The ability to pee while standing after

Metoidioplasty depends on anatomy and is not always possible. People who are heavier are often not able to urinate standing up after metoidioplasty

Are there ways to enlarge a metoidioplasty penis?

A surgeon in Iran published a study in 2016 about the successful use of a traction device (ex. pump) to lengthen the post- metoidioplasty phallus. Dr. Toby Meltzer a Metoidioplasty surgeon based in Scottsdale, Arizona and Portland, Oregon has long advocated pumping to enlarge the neo-phallus before metoidioplasty.

Can I have Urethral Lengthening without having a Vaginectomy?

Most surgeons require a vaginectomy if Urethroplasty (Urethral lengthening/UL) is being performed because Vaginectomy reduces the risk of fistula. However, there are a handful of surgeons who will do UL without vaginectomy: Dr. Heidi Wittenberg in San Francisco, and the surgeons at Crane Center for Transgender Surgery, Drs. Crane, Santucci and Safir, If considering this option, it's important to understand the increased risk of complications.

Can I have Testicular Implants put in at the same time as the Metoidioplasty and Scrotoplasty?

Most surgeons prefer to wait until the scrotum has healed before putting in testicular implants. Generally, this takes place 5-6 months after the initial surgery. The exception to this is with the Belgrade Metoidioplasty technique with labial flaps joined at the midline to create the scotum (vs. VY Scrotoplasty). In this case, the testicular implants are put in during the initial surgery.

What is recovery from Metoidioplasty like?

Recovery can include: moderate to severe pain; a catheter for 2-6 weeks if urethral lengthening is performed; no desk work for two weeks, and no strenuous activities for four weeks.

What is a fistula?

If you experience urine coming out from somewhere other than the urethra or catheter tube, this is a fistula. These often heal on their own but sometimes require surgery. Depending on the fistula, surgeons will require a period of three to six months between the original metoidioplasty surgery and a fistula repair surgery to allow tissues to heal and strengthen. Learn more about potential complications from Metoidioplasty here.

What if I decide after surgery that I need Phalloplasty? Can Phalloplasty be performed on someone who has had a previous Metoidioplasty?

Yes, phalloplasty can be performed for some patients who have had metoidioplasty in the past. It is dependent on how your original surgery was done and surgeon preference.

Source

[lovefairymina]

Notice

24/04/2023

It has come to my immediate and unfortunate decision to close and remove my ask box on this blog. After receiving an alarming volume of asks within the span of 7 days, I have grown unbelievably concerned by the intake.

When my asks box was open normally and running smoothly, I didn't have any issue with anyone being unmindful with regards to the volume of asks one would send. However, the moment my asks box was made available after I was informed about its absence, multiple anons or perhaps one, had taken it upon themselves to behave highly inconsiderate and flood my inbox with an excessively extensive volume of asks.

I received batches that ranged from 45 to 15. Meaning that multiple anons or perhaps one overall, would send in 45 or 25 asks, filling up my inbox and bumping my numbers up to alarming figures. I currently sit on more than 150 asks, three times what I had last week Sunday. Never before had I experienced this issue when it was opened since everyone sympathetically partook, knowing that I would obviously be receiving not only their asks but tons from others.

Please do not assume that I have an issue with people wanting to deliver large volumes of asks, I do not. If you wish to send in 25 asks, you are welcome to do so, but moderately. Let 25 asks be the total quantity sent in during a week and not 1 or 2 hours. I obviously don't expect you to know the volume of asks in my inbox, but when you send 25 by another 25 why are you returning to give me another 25 in under 7 days? Why can't you use your discretion?

I don't know what made those anon/s in particular decide to just dump a voluminous amount of asks on me like that, but it hasn't done me any good. I'm beyond discouraged to the point of being fearful of answering a few and receiving 25 or more asks in return from the same anon/s. This entire activity is supposed to be fun on both ends and right now, it isn't for me.

So, until further notice, my ask box will no longer be made available till I reduce the volume to an appropriate amount. I would like to sincerely apologise to all those who are new followers and old, for the discomfort and robbed experience. I wish that this did not have to take place in a manner like this, but I cannot continue to keep my asks open with this unsettled nervousness.

Should anyone wish to reach out to me, you can do so on my other blog, @doodle-pops. Furthermore, I would ask people to refrain from private messaging me on this blog, @lovefairymina. Know that I'm not shutting the blog down, I am simply closing the asks to take my time and clear out my inbox at a comfortable pace, thus, the blog will still be active.

— Mina 💕

[theneighborhoodwatch]

an update

apologies for any erratic or otherwise concerning behavior on my part that you may have noticed, neighbors! i won't get into the gritty details, but as it turns out, i May have been experiencing a nervous breakdown over these past few weeks. not because of welcome home, mind you. it was a number of things in my personal life, and i've been feeling much better since i've been finally able to address it - but it has made me Reevaluate a few things wrt how i've been going about things here, so i'll be going over those in a quick little numbered list under the cut:

i am no longer running or even in the discord server. one of the moderators, @/doctorcottonghost, offered to take it off my hands, and i accepted. ergo, i will no longer be able to answer any questions about whether or not invites or open.

in a similar vein, i've removed the "community areas" section on my links page. i do not think it was doing me any favors to be Constantly Aware of these large swathes of people. if you came from r/WelcomeHomeNeighbor, however, you are still free to peruse my observation document and send in questions/findings/etc. once my inbox opens back up (and do see if they need more mods over there!)

i do not plan on abandoning the observation document! i will still update it to the best of my ability as each update comes. i love archiving/cataloguing/etc., so it's a source of great joy in my life (and i really need to move the backup links section to its own page, anyway. it's been hard to find time for it since my computer broke.)

more of a reminder than an update, and i'm aware that i have no Actual control over people's actions, but i'll restate this in no uncertain terms for anyone who cares (at the risk of looking like a bit of a kiss-ass): please do keep clown's boundaries in mind - TL;DR: no public nsfw, no merch. both of these are subject to change in the future. that's it. do not exaggerate, do not try to find loopholes, and for the love of god, do not threaten people into following these boundaries or spread misinformation just to make it seem like you have a point. if you see someone continue to ignore these boundaries while they are still up - or even your own personal ones! - after being informed of them, be a goddamn adult, use the goddamn block button, and don't give them any more of your time or attention. (and probably report them, if we're talking about merch.)

i may need more time before i open my inbox back up. i haven't been in quite the right State of Mind for deep speculation, so i want to get through the more lighthearted stuff first before working my way up to those. once i've cleared everything out, i'll probably open my inbox back up - but anon may stay off for some time.

and i think that's everything! now i am going to have a nice big dinner and then i'll come back and Attempt to answer some asks. i've also taken down my more mopey posts from the past 2 days, so i don't clog this blog. have a nice evenin'.

[fishgut]

probably unplayable

*Choose a name, must not be your own in real life name, the name of other players, or close friends/family

angel game - solo or multiplayer

use X card or moderation tool of choice, most of all communication upfront

*you are either an guardian angel tasked with taking care of a mortal

or

*you are a mortal praying to heaven for reasons below:

*1d12 roll

1 - fatal danger

2 - complicated situation

3 - trivial desire

4 - prayer for harm / removal of enemies

5 - guidance (life, urgent)

6 - guidance (life, future)

7 - forgiveness

8 - giving thanks / thankfulness (to heaven)

9 - desire for essentials

10 - desire for mission of faith

11 - loss of faith

12 - matter of heaven (urgent)

(can add more if want)

*{1 round is 12 rolls}

*{time passes between rounds* (errata fixed) by 20 years}

*{5 rounds in a game}

*each:

*angel > limited power to answer 3 prayers per day / given 12 prayers per day

> cannot communicate directly to mortal

> each unanswered prayer is a point of worldy fatigue

> after game end give apology, criticism, or praise as narratively makes sense

> hear and give judgement to mortal's petition for direction in Afterlife

> guide mortal to heaven, hell, or purgatory (Afterlife)

> give yourself an epilogue for your character

> decompress

{each point of worldly fatigue > take 1 - 15 minute break}

*mortal > 12 opportunities to pray to heaven, should be narratively coherent

> can speak directly to angel, but cannot hear a response

> each unanswered prayer is a point of worldly fatigue

> after each game give questions, criticism, or thankfulness as narratively makes sense

> give plea to direction of Afterlife

> go to heaven, hell or purgatory as is guided

> give yourself an epilogue for your character

> decompress

{decompression : https://analoggamestudies.org/2018/06/post-play-activities-for-larp-methods-and-challenges/ }

[arlathanxchange]

Arlathan eXchange is returning!

IMPORTANT DATES

▸ Nominations Open: Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 12pm ET ▸ Nominations Close: Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 12pm ET ▸ Sign-Ups Open: Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 12pm ET ▸ Sign-Ups Closed: Sunday, April 9, 2023 at 12pm ET ▸ Assignments Received: by Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at 8pm ET ▸ Works Due: Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 12pm ET ▸ Works Revealed: Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 12pm ET ▸ Creators Revealed: Sunday, June 6, 2023 at 12pm ET

Please visit our website to see the above times in your local time.

Nominations Open in under 2 weeks!

c h a n g e s

→ Collections for the exchange will remain open at all times for additional treats. If you have a prompt you still want to write from last year, feel free to do so!

→ Nominations have one change. Solo characters will be requested as "Character (Solo)" this year to ensure they remain alphabetical in the spreadsheet rather than "Solo: Character".

→ The rules have been updated to clarify that previously posted works cannot be added to the collection. An exception to this might be a transformational work of a work already in the collection (for example, if someone makes a podfic for a fic in the collection and doesn't add it to the collection initially, it could be added later.)

→ FAQ has been updated to explain our review process for sign-ups and works. Please note that since the exchange is moderated you may receive emails from the mods with questions or clarifications throughout the process. We ask that you have an up-to-date email on AO3. Thank you!

→ Website has been updated with all new info above. The tumblr pinned post has all updated info, as well.

→ The AO3 collection now features a short version of the FAQ to save space. Please refer to the website for the in depth FAQ.

→ An extension form was added to the website so you can request an extension if contacting a mod directly makes you nervous.

→ The countdown was removed from the tumblr layout. The website homepage still has a countdown!

→ Although we are still posting updates on twitter, please note that we will not be accepting twitter DMs for official communication. We recommend Discord or email for the most reliable communication, but will also answer asks and DMs on tumblr.