#but I also think it’s necessary in a lot of cases

[artsycooky13]

Any suggestions for an obscure SU AU that not many people know about?

ough my consumption of su media is very limited, but I think one I can suggest is the au @ faultlinescomic [tumblr link], that au has been around since 2015 and still going, it follows a homeoworld gem becoming slowly becoming a crystal gem (?) but you'll have to read it yourself I dont know much else that might be considered obscure so I'll write down a handful of what SU AUs I've consumed; @ revolver-d's Black pearl Comic [tapas link] - a tragic story about Black Pearl, Pink Diamond's first pearl, trying to find out what happened to her diamond through any means necessary - Very action packed, sometimes dark, but fun read. Fun characterization of the OG cast as well EchoFour's Hybridization series [AO3 link] - A Connie centric story where she becomes an artificial hybrid like steven (collections 1 and 2 are complete, the 3 most recent installment is on indefinite hiatus) -Nice Connie character study if I remember correctly, also neat connverse SteveDuck's Pilot series [AO3 link] - After Single pale Rose, Steven and the gang meet a peculiar alien dude, Pilot, and learn all sorts of stuff about him (The OG series is completed, theres a future series with a hand full of collections, most recent collection is incomplete, but theres enough content to sift through) -This series is charming, I find it pretty funny, there's some niche ideas in there but fun over all @pogostikk's Separation au [tumblr link]- a What If scenario where Rose was taken by homeworld before steven was born, leading to steven and pink steven to be separated by birth, becoming different individuals, also steven's a clown - a concept au, so no comics, just snapshots. Very fun ideas and lots of connverse prompts and of course I read the @pink-onyx-au, in case that wasnt obvious lol, I would hope that one isnt obscure Though when in doubt, just scroll the #steven universe au tag on tumblr, you might find smth ur lookin for! (feel free to leave au suggestions in the comments, so maybe I can read some cool stuff too)

[lagunapoint]

A small love Solavellan scene💚 I was interested in the image of a slightly more audacious Solas and a more irresponsible Lavellan, allowing herself not to fulfill the duties of studying diplomatic books and the genealogies of the Orlesian nobility (because she's distracted by Solas hehe).

warning: books, kisses, kisses, and more kisses

Ellana stretched, her legs tangled in the warm blankets, while the cool air brushed against her skin, sending a pleasant shiver through her body. She desperately tried to hold on to the fading remnants of her dream, but the gentle voice of ever-concerned Josephine appeared in her thoughts. "Don't miss your lessons, you've got a lot to catch up on." She always worried more than necessary, but that concern warmed Ellana's soul. Their relationship had long since evolved into something almost sisterly and very comforting. With a defiant glance at the stack of books on her desk, she sighed. "How many more years will I have to deal with all this?" she muttered, as her feet touched the cool floor, finally dragging her from her sweet slumber. ***

Ellana lit another candle, scanned the pages of the book, and dipped her quill into the inkpot with frustration. From outside, the sounds of the bustling courtyard reached her ears, where soldiers were training. Cassandra’s commanding and confident voice brought a smile to her face. A light breeze, eager to extinguish the candles, carried with it the scents of bitter herbs and steel, always grounding her back into reality. 

The door creaked, and Ellana, expecting a messenger, lazily leaned back in her chair. But her eyes lit up when Solas entered the room, carrying several volumes and scrolls in his hands.

“Don’t tell me...” she covered her face with her hands and sighed in exhaustion.  

“I’m afraid so,” Solas’ voice was soft, almost tender, as he set the books on the table. He leaned against the edge, his gaze drifting from her to the contents of the book she was trying to study.  

“How interesting,” he murmured, a barely noticeable smile playing on his lips, his voice tinged with a light playfulness that always made her heart beat a little faster.

“This part is the hardest,” Ellana admitted, shrugging.

“In that case, I see no other choice but to stay here. Perhaps you will have questions,” he said thoughtfully, picking up one of the books. He sat on the couch, crossing his legs in his usual manner, and opened it in the middle.

Lavellan smiled and shook her head, settling more comfortably at the desk. Under his gaze, watching her over the top of the book, she felt incredibly self-conscious, but it was the kind of pleasant awkwardness that, with one quick glance, turns into desire. “Does he really think this will help me finish the chapter? Oh, Maker…”

Ellana pretended not to notice his eyes on her as she heard him slowly turn the page. She read the same line over and over again, but goosebumps danced across her skin, and all her energy was focused on resisting the urge to steal a quick glance at him. At his relaxed posture, his leg crossed over the other, his thoughtful eyes fixed on the pages. She tried not to dwell on how his long fingers held the book firmly or how delicately they grasped the edge of the page to turn it. But it was all in vain. Each time, her thoughts returned to his presence, and she imagined countless ways those hands could be used on her body.

Suddenly, the door flew open, and a cold wind rushed into the room, blowing out the candles and scattering the parchments across the floor. A messenger ran in, his hurried steps echoing off the stone walls.

“Lady Inquisitor, lady Montilyet asked me to check if the new books have arrived.”

“Tell her everything is fine.”

The messenger nodded but continued,  

“Lady Montilyet also inquired if you might need a consultant to assist with the materials?”

Ellana met Solas’ gaze, feeling her heart skip a beat for a brief moment. His eyes were calm, but there was a quiet confidence in them.

“Tell her I already have a consultant,” she smiled.

“Lady Montilyet anticipated your response, lady Inquisitor,” he blurted. “She asked me to get the name of your consultant so she could give them clear instructions on your study plan.”

Ellana barely held back a smile, sensing the atmosphere thickening with unspoken intrigue. Her eyes met Solas’ again, and time seemed to slow. In that moment, the room felt smaller, filled with unsaid words and secret thoughts.  

Solas observed her with that same enigmatic expression that always stirred her soul. Ellana blushed to the tips of her ears; she had never spoken aloud what she was about to say, and her heart noticeably sped up.

“Messer Solas,” the words slipped from her lips with a strong, perhaps overly confident tone. “He doesn’t need any additional guidance. He… is perfectly skilled in everything necessary.” She continued without breaking eye contact with Solas, as if issuing him a challenge, one he answered with the faintest, barely noticeable smile.

Then, she picked up her quill, her entire demeanor signaling that the conversation was over. 

“Of course, lady Inquisitor,” the messenger muttered, stammering slightly. “I’ll relay this to lady Montilyet.”

The messenger turned on his heels, and only then did his gaze land on Solas. He had just noticed him and, flustered, gave a quick, unsure nod in his direction. Solas, unhurried, returned the greeting with a slow, deliberate nod. Ellana watched the way his elevated mannerisms surfaced in every gesture, glance, and the proud way he held his broad shoulders. She first noticed it at one of the early banquets in Skyhold, where they spent quite a bit of time in the same room, content with merely exchanging fleeting glances. Thoughtfully, she touched her cold fingers to her neck and took a deep breath, trying to push away the images beginning to form in her mind.

When the messenger finally left, the door clicked shut softly behind him, and the room was once again bathed in half-light and silence, broken only by the crackling of the logs in the hearth. She stared uselessly at the page open before her, doodling swirls on the parchment instead of taking notes. Her thoughts were entirely consumed by Solas' teasing gaze across from her. He made no moves, simply reading in silence, intensifying the electric tension hanging in the air. And with that calmness, he only fueled the fire burning inside her.

“So, Messer?..” Solas stretched the words, his eyes still on the book, but his voice carried an undercurrent of desire he could barely contain. Ellana laughed, and her laughter, like a flowing breeze, filled the room, gently touching his heart. In that moment, he could no longer resist - her laughter was almost unbearably pleasant.

Ellana rose from her chair and leaned against the edge of the table, her gaze drifting toward the balcony and the snow-covered mountains, shrouded in mist. Solas closed the book and approached her slowly, unhurriedly.

“Perfectly skilled?” Solas’ voice held a low, playful edge, a teasing lilt. He wasn’t crossing any lines, but his desire was palpable, like an invisible thread pulling them closer together. Ellana felt a soft shiver run through her, not from the cold, but from the sweet anticipation.

She didn’t answer, feeling the warmth rise to her cheeks.

He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving Ellana, and each of his slow, confident movements was deeply felt, sending a shiver down her spine as the space between them seemed to shrink with every step. The air around them thickened with unspoken tension, and her pulse quickened in response to the undeniable pull drawing them together. Solas leaned in, as if about to say something important. His warm breath grazed her skin, causing her self-control to falter.

“Perhaps you should confirm that for yourself,” his lips curving into a subtle, almost imperceptible smile. Ellana couldn’t suppress the deep breath that filled her lungs. Her heart raced as her fingers barely grazed his wrist, gently pulling him closer.

"...and as my consultant, you must suggest a more effective way to learn," she whispered in his ear, her warm breath teasing his skin. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her entire body against his, her cold nose brushing his neck. Feeling his fingers tangle in her hair and his other hand rest comfortably on her hip, she gently ran her fingertip from his earlobe down the delicate skin of his neck, knowing how much he liked it. She took her time, savoring the moment, breathing him in, soaking up his heated warmth. Ellana allowed herself a quick kiss on the hollow of his neck. Her kiss burned him, sending a sweet haze through his mind. She gasped softly as he suddenly and tightly pulled her closer to his body.

His lips met hers, and their breaths intertwined. The tension that had been building between them all day finally burst, and they both got lost in a moment that seemed impossible to escape from. In that instant, the outside world disappeared, leaving only the two of them in the quiet of the cozy room, surrounded by the warmth of the fireplace and the bitter scent of herbs.

Without breaking the kiss, Solas confidently slid his fingers under the edge of her blouse, tightly pressed by her corset, fueling his desire. Ellana met his touch with a hot sigh into his heated lips. She surrendered completely to his caresses, to his presence, to his warmth. And for a moment, it seemed as though all her worries, all the unanswered questions from her books, had vanished in this quiet and tender moment between them.

Solas lifted his head slightly, his breath barely brushing her lips. He looked thoughtful, as if he were wrestling with inner doubts. His gaze was serious, but it held the same desire that blazed in Ellana's heart. With a playful, airy gesture, he ran his fingers along the top edge of her everyday corset, brushing against the thin fabric of her blouse and sensing the tempting softness of the skin beneath. His burning touch moved to her sensitive neck, and finally, his fingers slid into her hair, gently gripping it at the roots.

"Vhenan," his voice was quiet, barely audible, and she sensed something deeper, something troubled in it, "you have no idea how much you tease me."

His gaze softened, and he slowly leaned toward her, his forehead touching hers.

"And I can't... stay away," he whispered, his voice filled with sincere turmoil, "I don't know where this will lead us, Vhenan, but I can't pretend this doesn't exist anymore."

Solas's words filled the room with a thick silence, and the tension between them became almost unbearable. His gaze grew darker, and a flicker of desire, one he could no longer suppress, gleamed in his eyes.

Ellana's heart pounded even harder at his words. She gazed at Solas intently, feeling in every one of his movements the internal battle raging within him.

"Solas," her voice was quiet but steady, "These moments... they’re real. We are real. Let us stay." 

In that moment, his resistance finally wavered. He could no longer fight what he felt, and as if freeing himself from the internal struggle, he leaned in, his lips slowly finding hers. The kiss was gentle, but it carried the depth of the desire that had been held back for so long. Ellana responded to the kiss with equal passion, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Her breath mingled with his, and the entire world outside seemed to vanish, as if they were alone in this cozy, warm space created just for the two of them. 

His hands slid to her waist again, but this time without hesitation, with a certainty that showed he had no intention of retreating anymore. Her fingers gripped his strong shoulders, and she became lost in the moment, feeling his touch sending waves of warmth through her lower belly. Each second felt like an eternity, yet too fleeting, as if they couldn’t get enough of each other.

When they pulled apart for just a moment, Solas gazed at her, his eyes full of the deep tenderness he usually kept hidden. They both knew that uncertainty lay ahead, that each of them had their duties and dark secrets, but in that moment, nothing mattered except the two of them.

[casscainmainly]

thank you so much for answering my ask! and so fast too, haha, don't worry about deleting it that stuff happens <3

i'm just curious though, im kinda new to dc and i mostly know stuff from tumblr (ive started reading comics from reading lists tho!)

since you're a cass fan, what makes you think dick is the fav? i love them both ofc but just tryna improve my understanding of the dynamics between the family. i've heard that cass and damian are the favorites? and jason? though apparently jason is only in fanon and ahh im just kinda confused im so sorry for the stupid questions

Trust me, no question about comics is stupid!! It's impossible to know everything (and I'm relatively new myself haha), so don't feel bad about asking anything. Plus I love answering asks :)).

Anyway, fantastic-nonsense's post here covers about all of why I think Dick is the fav. In case you don't wanna go there, here's one of the panels:

From Infinite Crisis #6. As clear an answer as we'll ever get, I think.

The question of 'who is Bruce's favourite?' is always subject to personal interpretation, though. Lots of factors - what a person has read, which character they like, what interpretation they have of Bruce - go into who someone thinks is Bruce's fav. Sometimes it's not even a question of pure canon, but a question of theme. Which character being Bruce's fav is the most narratively compelling? To me, that's Dick - their relationship has the most history, the most depth, and frankly I prefer one of Batman's successors (who to me is Dick or Cass only) being his favourite.

Cass being the fav is compelling too, but not as compelling to me as her not being the fav. Her story, her quest to break free from White men's expectations (both David and Bruce's), makes me not want her to be tied to Bruce's love too much. So while there are great canon reasons for her being the fav, I don't think it's a necessary or even particularly interesting angle for Bruce-Cass.

I actually haven't heard many people argue for Damian being Bruce's fav (it's usually Dick or Cass in my circles), which goes to show how much opinions vary haha. Damian has great reasons too - his entire death/resurrection has strong Bruce-Damian moments - but this is the least interesting fav kid pick to me. He's been raised to think of himself as Bruce's fav, and his arc is about undoing that belief in legacy, being the heir, etc. So being Bruce's fav doesn't do much for him. Having the only bio kid be the fav isn't that interesting either.

Jason definitely is the most fanon-y pick, though Jay being Bruce's fav is genuinely interesting. It's just that Bruce's love for Jason is a lot about the dead kid he used to be, and also half of why Jason is so obsessed with Dick is because he knows Bruce is obsessed with him. So in a roundabout way my preferred Jason-Dick dynamic hinges on Jason not being Bruce's fav. But I'm not well-read on Jason, I think some Jason fans might have good reasons for him being the fav.

These are all my interpretations of these characters, and the fun about reading comics is growing to develop your own opinion about questions like this! To me Bruce's fav isn't a strict right/wrong answer, I'm like one well-written meta away from changing my mind. But I hope this clarified my thoughts on the question!

[physalian]

Character Types: The “Fixer”

Oh look it’s another chance to bring exposure to casual traumas in real people thinly disguised as writing advice heyyyyy

The “Fixer” is the character who puts everyone else before themselves, but isn’t quite so self-destructive as the jaded loner—this person’s whole schtick is that everyone else’s needs and emotions come first, which will usually end up with them behaving and appearing very extroverted, fun, and kind.

They have no idea they’re doing it, either, and see nothing wrong with their behavior or what logic there is in saving a little slice of the pie for themselves. They’re not self-loathers or angsty abusers and if there are parts of themselves that they don’t like, they probably think of these aspects as “what can you do? Oh well” with zero motivation to exercise their demons, because they don't see them as demons but something they deserve to suffer with.

Or, they know exactly what they’re doing and cannot see the merit at all in themselves deserving a piece of the pie, as if they’re inherently lesser than everyone around them for Reasons they cannot articulate, Reasons that, if their friends or loved ones share the exact same traits, they’d bend over backwards and make excuses for. They have normalized their existence that there’s nothing left to angst over. “I am lesser” is just. A statement of fact.

These characters come in several flavors:

The parental figure (possibly single) or “mature” one in the family who’s always prepared, always has the big backpack with bandaids and wet-naps, probably the first to say “we’re family, all’s forgiven” in effort to keep the peace.  They’re the person who literally eats last or not at all, even when conserving food isn’t necessary, usually with the smallest, now-cold serving. Also can be the parentified sibling.

The person in a romantic relationship doing a whole lot more giving than receiving, whether it’s physically or emotionally, insisting that they’re fine, that their partner need not go out of their way to do XYZ for them, but is incredibly in tune with anything and everything that their partner might need. They’re likely to be in an abusive relationship, either emotionally or physically, or both, because a sensible partner who loves Fixer as much as the Fixer loves them wouldn’t let Fixer get away with an unfair share of back-breaking emotional labor. The abuser takes full advantage of it and laughs when they’re not looking.

The “mom” of the hero team/friend group, similar to the actual parental figure, but in this dynamic, everyone’s about the same age. The Fixer probably isn’t the leader, but second or third in command, as they don’t think themselves capable of making the Big Decisions and prefer running support. They take the most cramped bedroom, the most undesirable odd jobs, and do far more than their share of the chores and other tasks, probably without the rest of the group realizing it until something happens to them. No one asks this of them, they automatically assume this is their burden and don’t even think to suggest equal shares.

Alternate case:

They’re the “leader” because no one else wants to do the job, pretending to be way less stressed than they are and habitually protecting their team from the worst of it with little white lies, to the point where no one has any idea how much they’re suffering in silence until they eventually break. As opposed to a properly communicative leader who regularly delegates important tasks and is very transparent in all their decisions. They might also be the leader because they don’t think anyone else in their team could perform as well under pressure, pressure they’ve been under their whole life.

I actually wrote two of these, the Original, and then the Original Who Went to Therapy, between two different WIPs.

Original was the second in command of a plucky space crew in the sci-fi WIP I always mention, who was very versatile and OP and thus took it upon himself to take the lion’s share of the work around the ship because he could do it quickly and delegating the tasks to the rest of the crew was, to him, objectively pointless. He was also an empath with an ability he couldn’t turn off, literally stuck doing the emotional labor far and above normal human conditions.

He was a firm believer in “if I can, I must” and repeatedly put himself in dangerous situations because he’s the only one who could escape them alive, and to not act would be selfish, and above all else, he feared looking selfish. This all came to a head when Magical Shenanigans ensued and his own powers turned against him, stressing him to the point of his body going “we are taking a Break” and he got bedridden until he learned how to talk about his feelings and let people in.

While he was sick, him Not Being There for when the rest of the plot carried on without him meant that  his team very badly felt his absence because he did so much without them realizing it, and they did not handle it well, picking a different character to shovel all the labor onto, until they too overstrained themselves, and an intervention was necessary.

He was the friendliest character of the team to their newest member, their only cheerleader when the whole rest of his team was skeptical. He was also quite desperate for validation and approval, to the point where he made a bunch of little white lies that quickly caught up with him, pretending to be something he’s not so people would like him.

—

When I ripped the above character out of that WIP and tossed him and another character into Eternal Night, he got an upgrade and a whole bunch of therapy.

Enter Dorian. The main difference between these two is that Dorian can actually stand up for himself and establish boundaries, and got a friend/girlfriend who went “I can fix him” and actually did. He’s still very much a Fixer with a Martyr complex, a vampire who only turned to make sure the people he was stuck with held up their end of a deal and did not expect to keep living after the deal was done…for about three hundred and fifty more years.

This is a character who was a parentified Fixer, sixteen years older than his oopsie little sibling, and did not handle it well when they were separated. He’s very obvious to everyone who knows him, especially when those people have known him for centuries, and know “yeah give that one a little kid to protect and he will predictably fall on his own stake”.

One of his love interests (he’s poly), the “I can fix him” girlfriend, is not at all afraid to call him out on his martyr bullshit, or when he’s bending over backwards trying to save people who don’t want to be saved, or risking his own sanity, health, and reputation for people who insist they don’t want his help.

I specifically designed and introduced Kymiria to look and act like a stereotypically jealous mean girl who doesn’t want to share her man with the protagonist. Except. She’s right. About everything. She knows Dorian extremely well and got him through some awful shit and isn’t about to stand by and watch him break himself again for someone who she thinks doesn’t deserve him (and she’s also right on that point). How she goes about protecting him is totally different.

But for the mortals who live with his coven, he’s the most popular vampire around and the favorite by all the children for a country mile. No one who hasn’t been living with him for decades has any idea that there’s anything traumatic behind his smiles.

—

I like writing Fixer characters because I don’t get to see enough of them. They’re not as popular as the Angsty Sad Boy and certainly not as popular as My Trauma Excuses My Aggression Boy. People who have suffered tend to fall on either end of two extremes: Either they continue the cycle of hate and abuse or they make absolutely certain no one in their life will ever suffer what they did. I like writing and reading the latter, particularly when they're men as most “fixers” we think of emphasize “womanly” traits of kindness and nurturing.

These characters are also their own worst enemies. Their inability to treat themselves as deserving of respect and forgive themselves continuously gets them into sticky situations that they wouldn’t be in if they were just a little bit more willing to put their own needs first.

—

If you're interested in reading my take on Fixers in a bona fide novel, check out Eternal Night of the Northern Sky!

[covid-safer-hotties]

also preserved on our archive

By Erica Sloan

These days, it’s tempting to compare COVID-19 with the common cold or flu. It can similarly leave you with a nasty cough, fever, sore throat—the full works of respiratory symptoms. And it’s also become a part of the societal fabric, perhaps something you’ve resigned yourself to catching at least a few times in your life (even if you haven’t already). But let’s not forget: SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for COVID) is still relatively new, and researchers are actively investigating the toll of reinfection on the body. While there are still a lot of unknowns, one thing seems to be increasingly true: Getting COVID again and again is a good deal riskier than repeat hits of its seasonal counterparts.

It turns out, SARS-CoV-2 is more nefarious than these other contagious bugs, and our immune response to it, often larger and longer-lasting. COVID has a better ability to camouflage itself in the body, “and it has the keys to the kingdom in the sense that it can unlock any cell and get in,” says Esther Melamed, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of neurology at Dell Medical School, University of Texas Austin, and the research director of the Post-COVID-19 program at UT Health Austin. That’s because SARS-CoV-2 binds to ACE2 receptors, which exist in cells all over your body, from your heart to your gut to your brain. (By contrast, cold and flu viruses replicate mostly in your respiratory tract.)

It only follows that a bigger threat can trigger an outsize immune response. In some people, the body’s reaction to COVID can turn into a “cytokine storm,” Dr. Melamed tells SELF, which is characterized by an excessive release of inflammatory proteins that can wreak havoc on multiple organ systems—not a common scenario for your garden-variety cold or flu. But even a “mild” case of COVID can throw your immune system into a tizzy as it works to quickly shore up your defenses. And each reinfection is a fresh opportunity for the virus to win the battle.

While you develop some immunity after a COVID infection, it doesn’t just grow with each additional hit. You might be thinking, “Aren’t I more protected against COVID and less likely to have a serious case after having been infected?” Part of that is true, to an extent. In the first couple years after COVID burst onto the scene, reinfections were generally (though not always) milder than a person’s initial bout of the virus. “The way we understand classic immunology is that your body will say to a virus [it’s seen before], ‘Oh, I know how to deal with you, and I’m now going to deal with you in a better way the second time around,’” says Ziyad Al-Aly, PhD, a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine and the chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System.

But any encounter with COVID can also cause your immune system to “go awry or develop some form of dysfunction,” Dr. Al-Aly tells SELF. Specifically, “immune imprinting” can happen, where, upon a second (or third or fourth) exposure to the virus, your immune cells launch the same response as they did for the initial infection, in turn blocking or limiting the development of new antibodies necessary to fight off the current variant that’s stirring up trouble. So, “when you get hit an [additional] time, your immune system may not behave classically,” Dr. Al-Aly says, and could struggle with mounting a good defense.

Pair that dip in immune efficiency with the fact that your antibody levels also wane with time post-infection, and it’s easy to see how another hit can rock your body in a new way. Indeed, the more time that passes after any given COVID infection, the less of a “competitive advantage” you’ll have against any future one, Richard Moffitt, PhD, an associate professor at Emory University, in Atlanta, tells SELF. His research found that, while people who got sick initially during the delta phase were less likely to get reinfected during the first omicron wave (as compared to folks who were infected in a prior period), that benefit leveled off with following omicron variants.

There’s also the fact that no matter how your immune system has responded to a prior strain (or strains!) of the virus, it could react differently to a new mutation. “We tend to think of COVID as one homogeneous thing, but it’s really not,” Dr. Al-Aly says. So even if your body successfully thwarted one of these intruders in the past, there’s no guarantee it’ll do the same for another, now or in the future, he says.

Getting COVID again and again is especially risky if it previously made you very ill. Dr. Moffitt’s study above also found that the “severity of your first infection is very predictive of the severity of a reinfection,” he says. Meaning, you’re more likely to have a severe case of COVID—for instance, requiring hospitalization or intensive care, such as ventilation—when reinfected if you had a rough go of it the first time around.

It’s possible that some folks are more prone to an off-kilter immune response to the virus, which could then happen consistently with reinfections. The antibodies created in people who’ve had severe cases “may not function as well as those in folks who’ve had mild infections or were able to fight the virus off,” Dr. Melamed says. Though researchers don’t fully understand why, some people’s immune systems are also more likely to overreact to COVID (remember the cytokine storm?), which can cause serious symptoms—like fluid in the lungs and shortness of breath—whenever they’re infected.

Being over the age of 65, having a chronic illness or other medical condition, and lacking access to health care have all been shown to spike your risk of serious outcomes with a COVID infection, whether it’s your first or fifth fight with the virus.

But you’re not home free if you’ve only had, say, a brief fever or cough with COVID in the past; Dr. Moffitt points out that a small subset of people in his research who had minor reactions with their initial infection went on to be hospitalized with a repeat hit. The probability of that might be lower, but it’s still a possibility, he says.

Even if you’ve only had “mild” cases, each reinfection strains your body, upping your chances of developing long COVID. A 2022 study led by Dr. Al-Aly found that COVID reinfections also increase your risk of complications across the board, regardless of whether you recovered just fine in the past or got vaccinated. In particular, it showed that reinfection raises the likelihood that you’ll need hospitalization; have heart or lung problems; or experience, among other possible issues, GI, neurological, mental health, or musculoskeletal symptoms. “We use the term ‘cumulative effects,’” Dr. Al-Aly says, “so, multiple hits accrue and then leave the body more vulnerable to all the potential long-term health effects of COVID.”

That doesn’t mean your experience of a second (or third or fourth) infection will necessarily be worse, in and of itself, than what you felt during a prior case. But with each new hit, a fresh batch of the virus seeps into your system, where, even if you have a mild case, it has another chance to trigger any of the longer-term complications above. While the likelihood of getting long COVID (a constellation of symptoms lingering for three months or longer post-infection) is likely greatest after initial infection, “The bottom line is, people are still getting diagnosed with long COVID after reinfection,” Dr. Moffitt says.

Researchers don’t totally know why one person might deal with lasting health effects over another, but it seems that, in some folks, the immune system misfires, generating not only antibodies to attack the virus but also autoantibodies that go after the body’s own healthy cells, Dr. Al-Aly says. This may be one reason why COVID has been linked to the onset of autoimmune conditions like psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.

A different hypothesis suggests that pieces of the virus could linger in the body, even after a person has seemingly “recovered” (reminder that SARS-CoV-2 is scarily good at weaseling its way into all sorts of cells). “Maybe the first time, your immune system was able to fully clear it, but the second time, it found a way to hang around,” Dr. Al-Aly posits. And a third theory involves your gut microbiome, the community of microbes in your GI tract, including beneficial bacteria. It’s conceivable that “when we get sick with COVID, these bacteria do, too, and perhaps they recover [on initial infection], but not on the second or third hit,” he says, throwing off your balance of good-to-bad gut bugs (which can impact your health in all sorts of ways).

Another unnerving possibility: The shock to your system triggered by COVID may “wake up” a latent (a.k.a. dormant) virus or two lurking in your body, Dr. Melamed says. We all carry anywhere from eight to 12 of these undetected bugs at a time—things like Epstein-Barr, varicella-zoster (which causes chickenpox and shingles), and herpes simplex. And research suggests their reactivation could be a contributing factor in long COVID. Separately, the systemic inflammation often created by COVID may spark the onset of high blood pressure and increased clotting (which can up your risk of stroke and pulmonary embolism), as well as type 2 diabetes, Dr. Melamed says.

There’s no guarantee that any given COVID infection snowballs into something debilitating, but each hit is like another round of Russian roulette, Dr. Al-Aly says. From a sheer numbers standpoint, the more times you play a game with the possibility of a negative outcome, the greater your chances are of that bad result occurring. And because every COVID case has at least some potential to leave you very ill or dealing with a host of persistent symptoms, why take the risk any more times than you need to?

Bottom line: You should do your best to avoid COVID reinfection and bolster your defenses against the virus. At this stage of the pandemic’s progression, it’s not realistic to suggest you can avoid any exposure to the virus, given that societal protections against its spread have been rolled back. But what you should do is take some common-sense precautions, which can help you avoid any contagious respiratory virus. (A cold or the flu may not pose as many potential health risks as COVID, but being sick is still not fun!)

It’s a good idea to wear a mask when you’re in a crowded environment (especially indoors), choose well-ventilated or outdoor spaces for group hangouts, and test for COVID if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, Dr. Al-Aly says. If you do get infected, talk to your doctor about whether your personal risk of a severe case is enough to qualify for a Paxlovid prescription (which you need to take within the first five days of symptoms for it to be effective).

The other important thing you should do is get the updated COVID vaccine (the 2024-2025 formula was recently approved and released). Unlike getting reinfected, the vaccine triggers “a very targeted immune response…because it’s [made with] a specific tiny part of the virus,” Dr. Melamed says. Meaning, you get the immune benefit of a little exposure without the potential of your whole system going haywire. Getting the current shot also ensures you restore any protection that has waned since you received a prior jab and that you have an effective shield against the dominant circulating strains. Plus, research shows that being vaccinated doesn’t just lower your chances of catching the virus; it also reduces your risk of having a severe case or winding up with long COVID if you do get it.

So, too, can the deceivingly simple act of keeping up with healthy habits—like exercising regularly, eating nutritious foods, and clocking quality sleep. Maintaining this kind of lifestyle can help you stave off other health issues that could increase your risk of harm from COVID, Harlan Krumholz, PhD, a cardiologist at Yale University and founder of the Yale Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE), tells SELF. “Given that we will be repetitively exposed to the virus, the best investments we can make are in our baseline health,” he says.

Doing any (or all!) of the above is a big act of compassion for yourself, the people you love, and your greater community. “For the average person, it’s like, ‘Oh, COVID is gone,’ but they’re just not seeing the impact,” Dr. Al-Aly says, noting the invisibility of long COVID symptoms like disorienting brain fog and crushing fatigue. The truth is, in plenty of people, just one more infection could be the difference between living their best life and facing a devastating chronic condition.

[allwormdiet]

Buzz 7.3

We gotta get back to Dog City

Hmm. Does lunch keep being a problem for Taylor? I hope that isn't the case, but hope doesn't do much here

Don't love the slur, again, but it was 2011 and somehow I don't think Rachel could be convinced to stop

And hey, Taylor actually wins an argument with Rachel! Good for her

(Also very funny to me that Taylor doesn't get why the others think she's especially cautious. Like, sure, broadly speaking when she has the time she prefers to take the analytical approach, but she also repeatedly flings herself into dangerous scenarios with nothing but bugs, a knife, and bloody-minded determination)

She knows all their stories and cares about all of them so much... It's sweet.

Considering the state of Brockton Bay, yeah, I can't imagine the dogs are having a better time than the humans, and that's discounting the fucking Nazis dogfight rings.

Exactly. Peaceful, companionable silence, and also a bunch of dogs. Nothing not to love here.

Except the fucking Nazis

Empire lore, my favorite :/

It's gotta fucking suck when one of the largest criminal enterprises in the entire city is run by fucking Nazis who don't even have the shame or need to hide it. The best thing a fascist can do is stop being a fascist (by whatever means necessary), but the second best thing a fascist can do is be too chickenshit to say or do anything about what they believe. Unfortunately, a fucking Nazi supervillain does wonders for the confidence of fascists.

Fuck these guys, and also kudos to Bitch for staying even-keeled through this

Of course these fucking maniacs demand a killing as part of their initiation. Disgusting

She's gonna get used to this kind of thing, I'm sure of it

Fucking awesome vibe. Gross, absolutely, but also rad as fuck

Skitter has this whole, like. Jojo Part 4 onwards thing going on with her power that's really neat. On the face of it, insect control is neat but not game-breaking, but she's used it in order to make her own costume and armor, to create decoys, to act has her own costume and to fake like she's able to turn into bugs. There's no way she isn't going to get more creative from here, regardless of whether her power gets stronger on its own her creativity with it is the greatest asset.

"I don't like committing overwhelming acts of violence, but if it convinces my enemies to fuck off forever that means it's the correct tactic"

Not that I'm gonna cry over some fucking Nazis, but I keep glancing down at Taylor's footing to see how she's doing on this slippery slope

Yeah, unfortunately the dogs have been threatened once and Rachel can't be present to keep watch forever. This has been made into an issue.

Current Thoughts

There's only like 40 Taylor/Rachel fics on AO3, that's outrageous, how is there not more

Taylor's increasing versatility with her powers and also increasing comfort with performing acts of violence both seem to be moving at a remarkable pace; the former is a lot less worrying than the latter.

I'm sure this will be the last trouble with the Empire during this arc, definitely don't know that they're gonna escalate into outrageous murderous violence or anything

[lunar-nebulari]

Hey y’all

I know I haven’t been very active aside from being a little reblog gremlin.

But I’d just like to say that throwing up (aka puking aka hurling aka losing your lunch) is the most horrible experience

[galacticlamps]

ok I have A Lot of thoughts about the staircase confession (well really about Edwin's whole character arc, but all roads lead to rome) but for now I just wanna say that, yes, I was bracing myself for something to go terribly wrong when I first watched it, and yes, part of me was initially worried its placement might be an uncharacteristically foolish choice made in the name of Drama or Pacing or Making a Compelling Episode of Television but at the expense of narrative sense--

But I wanna say that having taken all that into account, and watched it play out, and sat with it - and honestly become rather transfixed by it - I really think it's a beautifully crafted moment and truly the only way that arc could've arrived at such a satisfying conclusion.

And if I had to pinpoint why I not only buy it but also have come to really treasure it, I'd have to put it down to the fact that it genuinely is a confession, and nothing else.

That moment is an announcement of what Edwin has come to understand about himself, but because it takes the form of a character admitting romantic feelings for such a close friend, I think it can be very easy, when writing that kind of thing, to imbue it with other elements like a plea or a request or even the start of a new relationship that, intentionally or not, would change the shape of the moment and can quickly overshadow what a huge deal the telling is all on its own. But that's not the case here. Since it is only a confession, unaccompanied by anything else, and since we see afterward how it was enough, evidently, to fix the strangeness that had grown between him & Charles, we're forced to understand that it was never Edwin's feelings that were actually making things difficult for him - it was not being able to tell Charles about them. 'Terrified' as he's been of this, Edwin learns that his feelings don't need to either disappear completely or be totally reciprocated in order for him to be able to return to the peace, stability, and security of the relationship with which he defines his existence - and the scale of that relief a) tells us a hell of a lot about Edwin as a character and b) totally justifies the way his declaration just bursts out of him at what would otherwise be such a poorly chosen moment, in my opinion.

Whether or not they are or ever could be reciprocated, Edwin's feelings are definitively proven not to be the problem here - only his potential choice to bottle it up - his repression - is. And where that repression had once been mainly involuntary, a product of what he'd been through, now that he's got this new awareness of himself, if he still fails to admit what he's found either to himself or to the one person he's so unambiguously close with, then that repression will be by his own choice and actions.

And he won't do that. Among other things, he's coming into this scene having just (unknowingly) absolved the soul of his own school bully and accidental killer by pointing out a fact that is every bit as central to his self-discovery as anything about his sexuality or his attraction to Charles is: the idea that "If you punish yourself, everywhere becomes Hell"

So narratively speaking, of course it makes sense that Edwin literally cannot get out of Hell until he stops punishing himself - and right now, the thing that's torturing him is something he has control over. It's not who he is or what he feels, but what he chooses to do with those feelings that's hurting him, and he's even already made the conscious choice to tell Charles about them, he was just interrupted. But now that they're back together and he's literally in the middle of an attempt to escape Hell, there is absolutely no way he can so much as stop for breath without telling Charles the truth. Even the stopping for breath is so loaded - because they're ghosts, they don't need to breathe, but also they're in Hell, so the one thing they can feel is pain, however nonsensical. And Edwin certainly is in pain. But whether he knows what he's about to do or not when he says he 'just needs a tick,' a breather is absolutely not what's gonna give him enough relief to keep climbing - it's fixing that other hurt, though, that will.

Like everything else in that scene, there's a lot of layers to him promising Charles "You don't have to feel the same way, I just needed you to know" - but I don't think that means it isn't also true on a surface level. It's the act of telling Charles that matters so much more than whatever follows it, and while that might have gone unnoticed if anything else major had happened in the same conversation, now we're forced to acknowledge its staggering and singular importance for what it is. The moment is well-earned and properly built up to, but until we see it happen in all its wonderful simplicity, and we see the aftermath (or lack thereof, even), we couldn't properly anticipate how much of a weight off Edwin's shoulders merely getting to share the truth with Charles was going to be, why he couldn't wait for a better, safer opportunity before giving in to that desire, or how badly he needed to say it and nothing else - and I really, really love the weight that act of just being honest, seen, and known is given in their story/relationship.

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

if you have dreams of one day being a spouse & having a family, but the thought of actually praying for that makes you feel ashamed, as if it’s presumptuous of you not to assume God wants you to be single forever, then you’re in the wrong mindset my dear

[morocosmos]

FFXIVWrite 2024 Day 11 - Surrogate

Masterlist Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Characters/Pairings: Leofard Myste & Warrior of Light Rating: Teen & Up Additional Notes: Takes place at during HW patch 3.5. Major spoilers for the Shadow of Mhach alliance raid questline. Ao3 Link

Lady Raimille. The picture painted by Stacia's tale was everything an orphaned child could want from a parent. Everything except that she'd passed on too soon — but not before giving her foster son one last gift.

The noblewoman’s real portrait hung above them, enshrined in Leofard’s quarters. Presiding over his affairs and his family; watching over the man himself. Moro'a knew that paintings like this cost a considerable sum to commission, and that taking care of them required specific knowledge and attention; unexpected obligations for a sky pirate. 

But the painting gleamed, immaculately free of blemishes. “I had wondered as to the origin of his vessel's naming,” Cait Sith said softly, his voice touched with emotion. “‘Tis a most beautiful painting.”

Moro’a’s time in Ishgard had also taught him that portraits like this one were made to memorialise — a likeness captured in brushstrokes, preserved from time. Remember me as I was, in this moment. Remember what this person means to us. Situated where their loved ones could gaze upon them, and never forget.

I doubt I'll ever feel worthy to sit where he sat.

Throughout their adventures, Leofard had pretended as though the portrait wasn’t there, and it was all Moro’a had needed to know not to bring it up. He’d accepted it without judgement, without ever considering otherwise. What was he here for, if not to hide from ghosts and broken hearts; from memory?

But now that Stacia had told them what Leofard would never impart himself, the pieces that made up the leader of the Redbills had finally begun to click: why a man who prized freedom so highly would build his new home a stone's throw from the Holy See, and why the loss of his airship had made Leofard retreat into himself, like a creature seeking familiar refuge. 

It seems she kept him safe until the very end, Utata had said, and Moro’a’s heart had clenched so tight that he thought it might shatter.

It wasn’t any of his business. The voidsent had been stopped, and Cait Sith had found a new home. His time with the Redbills was coming to a close. It’d been an engaging distraction, which was precisely what Moro’a had needed; there were no stones left to overturn, no more accidental revelations to be had. He would go his separate way, into the unknown, and then…

Later, as he was stowing the few essentials he’d brought into the manacutter, Moro’a heard footsteps approaching. He turned to see Leofard, who was already dressed in a clean set of clothes and red-tinted goggles. “I almost forgot,” the sky pirate said, as breezy as could be now as he held something out in his hand. A Redbill scarf.

“You didn’t have to,” Moro’a murmured, feeling a strange mixture of reluctance and guilt. 

“And I say otherwise, Warrior. I reckon you’ve done more than you’ll ever need to to have earned this.” His hand stretched closer, and Moro’a considered refusing. He was ready to quit this place, to move on. I’m not who you think I am, he wanted to say. 

Instead he found himself reaching out for the scarf, and tucking it in with the rest of his things.

If, after he'd said his farewells, his hand reached under the collar of his shirt to gently hold the necklace that rested against his chest, to remember, he was the only one who needed to know.

[bonerot19]

I'm just screaming into the void here, but the problem with me as a writer, is that my ideas get more and more complex as time goes on. in an unhelpful way. let me explain.

seventeen going under is just Jason's POV, it's a simple story about a kid learning to let go and be loved.

sigh no more has multiple POVs, but they all still revolve around Jason and his problems/life so you get a more rounded perception of him as a character

someday has multiple POVs and multiple storylines and character arcs outside of Jason. like, he's still the main character, but also there are things happening that have nothing to do with him.

[giantkillerjack]

Ya know. I spent most of my life with horrible painful soul-crushing social anxiety.

And after about 25 years of continuous hard work, suddenly, people started pointing out - to my utter bafflement - that I had, in fact, achieved my lifelong dream of being charismatic. I'm 29 now; I feel comfortable in most social situations, and it is a very rare person whom I cannot make laugh.

I am, undoubtedly, finally, charismatic.

But do you know what I found?

I found that now that I have an understanding of which social rules serve which functions -- Now that I have an understanding of just how much damage my awkwardness was doing to people, well,

I found that, actually, my awkwardness never really hurt anyone at all. People were just judgmental dicks to me about it.

Now that I have the skill-level to (most of the time) creatively vocalize what is in my head as soon as I think it and without fear, I can confirm once and for all what I had always suspected:

I was worth talking to when I was quiet.

I was worth talking to when I was awkward, and when the words in my head took time and patience to hear, and when most of my jokes didn't land. I was worth talking to the whole time.

So I just... I hope that if you've ever wondered whether you are worth communicating with, the answer is yes. Absolutely yes. Each of us has a soul worth sharing - and if you and I were talking, I would happily wait for you to speak (or communicate in other ways) without condescending, and I would never shame you for that harmless awkwardness that so many people feel the need to violently stomp out.

You are worth talking to. You just are. And you deserve people who will speak to you with kindness, with patience, and with the basic immutable respect owed to all people.

(I talk about this with some frequency, both on tumblr and in real life. At some point, maybe I'll gather all my thoughts on the matter into one post. At some point, I wrote about my personal experience trying to build my social skill. But I felt the need to say at least a little bit tonight after seeing this other lovely post, and I'm glad I did. It will happen again.)

[forcedhesitation]

exhalted vampeeric maaastah

[rotting-brains]

some of yall when a persecutor isnt a "misguided protector" or "misunderstood" but a fucking racist

[fingertipsmp3]

I was really sitting here like “2023 is the best year I’ve had in a long time in terms of ‘not trying to kill me’, I haven’t gotten sick once” and then I remembered the fucking catastrophic knee dislocation that’s had me limping since May

[blunderpuff]

i'm dogsitting for my neighbor, and the dog has Had Enough Of Me coming over; she wants her parents back (i can't do anything about) so she's decided to be naughty.

she gets to eat 1-2 tomatoes from the backyard per day, but she knows that if she asks to go outside to potty, she can run to the tomato bush and chomp a few and i can't really stop her (this dog weighs 60 pounds and i am afraid she will bite me if i try to stop her)

i've got 3 more days of this and i'm terrified she's going to dogbarf a bunch of tomatoes or get a stomach ache and cry and i can't even say "i told you so" bc the dog won't understand. she'll just think "where's my mom and why does my stomach hurt and why does this stupid girl keep coming here" :(