#even in you internet browsing behavior

[papirouge]

what do u think of this "im just a girl" trend

I think people (women especially) should stop overestimating the impact of niche tiktok trends to be offended about. Remember: you build your own FYP brick by brick. If that shit lands on your algorithm radar, that's your problem, not some cultural war against women.

[goblin-enjoyer]

Been binging some new frogger vids at the moment (i heard 6v6 is coming back soon and am sadly getting hyped) and I had a horrifying realization about two of the characters in the series. behold my madness and weep at my lack of knowledge on both troll quadrants and character interactions. I'm not a fishmonger, I wouldn't know that stuff.

[arts-bloody-rose]

Blood of A Rose - Turning Point (Art the Clown x Fem!Reader)

Masterlist

Summary - (Y/n) has always dealt with harsh criticism when it came to her work, but that never meant she was immune.

Notes - Sorry for the wait for a new post! I decided that weekends will be my off days from writing to preserve my sanity 💀

Word Count - 2,031

Warning(s) - Bullying, violence, mild gore

Song Inspiration -

Acsida - Privet Privet 2009

(Y/n)’s small living room was dimly lit by soft, flickering candlelight, casting shadows across the walls that seemed to stretch and twist in strange patterns as her TV hummed in the background. She sat on the floor, legs outstretched as her back leaned against the couch, absentmindedly working on a small canvas resting on her lap. 

Art lounged on the couch behind her, his head tilted as he silently browsed through channels, glancing down at (Y/n) and her work occasionally. His now pristine hand played with her hair mindlessly, combing his fingers through it as he found the texture satisfying. 

(Y/n) didn’t mind, though. It made her aware of his otherwise silent presence, which she had come to call home. It soothed her and kept her relaxed as she worked. 

Through their time together, they soon found that regardless of nearly being polar opposites, her more calm and reserved demeanor greatly complimented his boldness and chaos. Their shared interest in death was what drew them to each other, but everything else just seemed to perfectly fall into place for them. 

Art surprisingly came to respect her personality as she respected his. It was refreshing for him, in a way, which he never thought was even possible until she proved him otherwise. 

It started out as curiosity, wanting to understand how someone with such interests could be so tame. That curiosity then grew into an obsession, taking note of her smallest behaviors. Whether it was the way her nose twitched when she didn’t like something, or simply her breathing patterns. He knew everything there was to know about her. 

She dabbed her brush into a deep crimson, dragging it across the canvas in harsh, deliberate strokes. (Y/n) could feel Art’s gaze lingering on the piece, and for a moment, she wondered what ran through his head when he saw her art. 

“You like it?” She asked, her voice soft and curious. 

Art didn’t respond with words, as usual. Instead, he sat up, his silent movements almost ghostly as he leaned over her shoulder. His head cocked from one side to the other as he carefully observed the piece. He then grinned with a thumbs up, patting her shoulder in approval. She placed her free hand over his.

“Thanks.” (Y/n) giggled.

“I just don’t understand how someone would  think it’s appropriate to ever publicize something like that.” 

The laughter stopped, both of them looking up to the TV screen settled on a talk show. 

“I mean, think of the children! They could run into it on the internet and be traumatized and need therapy.” 

(Y/n)’s gaze hardened, heart beginning to race as she took in their insults. She chewed her lip as she watched, nearly drawing blood.

“Trust me, I don’t think they’re the only ones who need therapy -“ 

The channel suddenly changed, remote in Art’s hand as he frowned at the screen and waved it off in distaste. He then looked down at (Y/n) who began to calmly clean up her area. 

Too calmly. 

She stood up, taking her supplies with her as she made her way to the sink to clean everything off. His eyes followed her carefully, paying attention to every minor difference or change. As soon as he caught her mouth twitch he rose from the couch. 

He walked over to her, or rather stalked, and slapped a hand on the counter beside the sink as he faced her, leaning against it. She didn’t look at him until she was finished cleaning, drying her hands and giving him her best smile, albeit fake. 

His grin was wide, encouraging, and he motioned for her to do the same with his fingers. When she didn’t and simply giggled half heartedly, his smile dropped and he tapped his chin in thought. 

Art’s expression then turned mischievous, baring his teeth again with a Cheshire smile as his hands slowly reached for her, his fingers wiggling menacingly. 

“No.” (Y/n) pleaded at first, taking a hesitant step back. “No - Art!”

She shrieked when he snatched her, holding her against him as he tickled her relentlessly. He laughed silently as she squirmed and cackled, using all of her strength to try and worm her way out of his grip, but they both knew he was far too strong for such a feat. 

“Okay! Art, I’m fine - I’m okay now!” The clown stopped tickling, but still held her. He peeked his head from around her to watch her face to determine if she was lying or not. 

As (Y/n) caught her breath, she looked up at Art with the usual glimmer in her eye that he so adored and he firmly nodded before letting her go. 

She sighed dramatically and he wiped his hands off together proudly, giving her an ‘ok’ symbol with a wink and heading back to the couch with a pep in his step. 

(Y/n) shook her head in exasperation, rubbing at her temple before following him. 

The following day, they both worked in silence at their hideout. Art sat at his workbench, tinkering away while (Y/n) sat on the floor against the stove beside the desk, filtering through her photos on her camera. A small radio played in the background, (Y/n) humming to a familiar song every now and then while Art nodded along with her. 

It was one of their calmer nights, the two of them deciding not to go out and to simply spend time with each other, even if it was just sitting in the other’s company. 

(Y/n) saw Art’s hand motion for her in her peripherals, looking up at him finally. He pointed to her then to the stool left unused, then to the floor and flung his hand out as an exasperated question. 

“I’m comfortable, Art, I promise.” 

(Y/n) giggled when his head ticked at her stubbornness. He then pointed back at the stool aggressively, and then next to the edge of the desk with a determined expression. 

“You want me to be closer to you?” Art nodded and she laughed. “Well why didn’t you just say that?” 

She nearly snorted as she stood up when Art threw out it arms, silently telling her ‘what the fuck?’. She brought the stool over to his desk and sat on top of it, camera in hand for her to resume what she had previously been doing. 

Her laughter died down to a chuckle. “You know I love teasing you, I hardly ever get to.” (Y/n) reached out and gave his hand a quick squeeze. Art rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her before turning back to continue modifying one of his weapons. 

“I personally think she’s just trying to use shock value to get some traction on her work.”

Their ears caught as they continued to work, however Art glanced over at (Y/n) every now and then. 

“She’s trying so hard to shove it down our throats for attention when it’s nothing more than glorified gore.”

“Be glad I don’t shove something else down your throats…” (Y/n) grumbled to herself, the initial pain of their insults gradually seeping through into anger and irritability. 

The clown’s movements froze at her words as he stared at the desk in front of him with parted lips. 

With however long they had been together, not once had he heard her threaten another person, regardless if it was empty or not. She had always kept quiet and to herself when met with confrontation while he was the one who dealt with it accordingly. At least, what he considered to be accordingly. 

Art slowly shifted his eyes over to look at her, seeing her click the buttons on her camera casually as if she never said anything. 

And for once, he wondered if he was going crazy. 

He then looked back at the weapon in front of him, glanced at her once more, then slowly went back to working. 

One night, however, they decided to go out once they began to feel a sense of boredom, something they both passionately detested. 

Feeling particularly clingy, (Y/n) took to latching herself onto Art’s arm rather than just holding his hand. He gladly accepted it, throwing her a giddy smile and practically shaking with excitement. 

As they walked, (Y/n) noticed how much more comfortable she had become walking out in public. Art fed into her confidence, deliberately or not, and she held her head higher. He made her feel appreciated, feel important in a world where all she had before him was herself and the captious stares of those around her.

On the more rare occasions where she walked out on the town by herself to grab a bite to eat or restock on supplies, she crawled back into herself ever so slightly. Regardless, she was still more self-assured than she previously had been. 

“Maybe something with feet? I feel like I don’t focus on feet enough.” (Y/n) thought out. 

Art simply listened from beside her, genuinely intrigued and in his own thoughts about what he could do with his next victim - or victims - for her. 

She gasped suddenly and Art, ever the dramatic, jumped with a surprised expression. “A mouth!” (Y/n) looked over at him with an animated expression. 

Art tilted his head at her with his eyebrows raised, letting her know that he agreed. 

“Mouth it is tonight.” The clown wiggled his eyebrows at her perversely and she lightly backhanded his chest. 

“Oh shit, are you (Y/n)?” They heard a somewhat distant voice express. Ahead of them, a woman leaned against a wall, phone in hand as she waited beside a small food joint. 

Art and (Y/n) shared a suspicious look, continuing to walk until they were close enough to decently communicate. “Yes?” She answered with caution. 

Art made a simple decision from beside her, accepting the woman’s unwilling offer that was too easy to pass as he set down his bag while they talked. “This is so weird seeing you in person. I always hear about you but never thought I’d actually meet you!” 

(Y/n)’s eyes squinted with confusion, unsure of where the interaction was going to lead to. “Thanks? Like is that supposed to be a compliment?” She replied warily, almost irritably. 

“Oh no, I’m not a fan or anything, it’s just weird finally seeing someone you hear about a lot.” (Y/n) deadpanned, a familiar feeling of distaste building in her abdomen. 

Art, however, rather than growing defensive and upset, looked over at her curiously, letting the conversation work itself out with underlying mischief.

“It’s like if you met Jeffrey Dahmer in person, you’d just look at them like what the fuck, because of the shit they’ve done, y’know?” 

(Y/n)’s tongue ran along the inside of her cheek, casually looking over at the clown’s bag on the ground. As the woman continued to ramble, (Y/n) stepped over to it and began to search through its contents.

Art’s eyes widened, a grin spreading wide across his painted face in anticipation. “Like if the word edgy was a person -“ 

The woman was cut off as a shot echoed through the town. 

Art watched as the woman slid off of the wall and thumped onto the ground, then eased his eyes to look over at (Y/n). 

Arm straight out, the gun in her hand pointed at the bleeding woman with an indifferent expression, then lowered with a heavy sigh as she turned to toss it back into his bag after turning on the safety.

“I’m tired of this shit.” She mumbled to herself and rubbed at her forehead then looked up at Art. “Sorry. Let’s go find someone else for you.” 

Art was rigid where he stood, staring at her with an intensity that began to pull her out of her vexed state. He took a step towards her with predatory intent, grabbing the back of her neck and tugging her into him, their lips crashing together unexpectedly. 

(Y/n) froze at first, caught off guard by his behavior before she slowly began to melt into it, cupping his jaw in her hands. She gasped breathlessly for air when they parted as he silently heaved. 

“Does that mean I’m next?” She whispered. He flashed his teeth sadistically, leaning in once more.

Tag list: @callsignwidow

[finnglas]

That pride story is the fakest and stupidest shit I've ever heard. Why were you at ex-gay therapy if your parents were supportive enough to go to pride with you? Did everyone clap? Inquiring minds want to know!

I started to just delete and block this because I don’t owe anything to people who aren’t engaging in good faith, but I did want to talk about the question in the middle here, because it doesn’t fit a mainstream narrative, and I think sometimes it helps people to know about stuff like that. Hey, it’s Pride month. Let’s talk about self identity.

I voluntarily put myself through ex-gay therapy. My parents didn’t even know about it. I was living independently before I realized I was same-sex attracted, and I had been raised religiously. My first context for gayness was hearing church leaders and extended family members talking about the AIDS crisis as God’s punishment for homosexuality. Turns out my parents were always uncomfortable with that framework but were afraid to voice dissent because that’s how the evangelical Christianity cult works. Since I didn’t know they felt differently, I didn’t realize I was allowed to doubt it, either.

So when I, a young adult of about 19, realized that I was same sex attracted, I panicked and went to a church leader. They advised therapy. Mine was pretty mild; no shock chairs or anything like that. Just a weekly meeting with a church counselor who checked in with me about how I was “doing.” It doesn’t sound traumatic. It was mostly in how much I hated myself for not being able to just be good. If God wanted me to be straight and I wanted me to be straight then why couldn’t I just be straight!? And as mild and non traumatic as it was, it was still a trigger for suicidal thoughts and ideations and eventually impulses. It led to a lot of unsafe behaviors as I kept denying myself safe and healthy outlets until things finally manifested in bursts of impulsive, compulsive decisions and whole days and nights I can’t even remember from the emotional trauma. I started thinking, if I can’t stop this sinful behavior, maybe I should just die.

And then I read a book. I don’t even know how I found it, it was shelved with the Christian nonfiction in a bookstore I was browsing while trying to get my head on straight. It’s called Stranger at the Gates: to be Gay and Christian in America, and it’s by Mel White. (A lovely human, I actually got to meet him in Berkeley, California, and let him know his book played a big part in saving my life.) I read that book, and I thought — he did all the things I was too scared to do. He did electric shock therapy. He got married and had kids. He put himself through so much more than I did, and if HE couldn’t make himself be straight, what hope did I have? And maybe my church was wrong about the whole thing! After all, the church had a long history of being wrong about things. Geocentrism, left handedness, forks. Maybe they were wrong about same sex attraction too.

Anyway, that was the start of my journey out of about four years of voluntary self hatred. And when I talked to my parents about it, it turned out that they were A) primed to doubt the church because of their own experiences and B) willing to put their love for me as their child over their initial doubt and questioning of my decisions. My mom got on board first. It took my dad a little longer—he kept doing the “well, I don’t really get it, but you’re my kid and that’s what matters” thing for a few more years. (He finally got it.)

Anyway, I’m sorry that you’ve allowed your life to bring you to a point of cynicism where you’re afraid to take a stranger’s quite believable life anecdote at face value without lashing out at them about it on the internet to be sure nobody thinks you’re gullible enough to believe that *checks notes* someone didn’t understand a visual pun and was surprised when their parent used crude language to explain the pun to them. It’s okay if you allow a little happiness into your life via narrative every now and then, I promise. And as someone who spent several years hating myself and acting out because of it, I hope you find your peace and joy soon. Life is a lot better on the other side of bitterness.

Happy Pride!

[apple-r-r-r]

CONTRADICTORY HUMAN VALUES

(blackpill feminism community on Tumblr, op deleted)

───────────── ⊹⊱✿⊰⊹ ─────────────

This one is going to lean more on the philosophical/spiritual side of things but throughout my life I’ve felt such piercing feelings of injustice and rage dwelling inside of me that could never be quelled by simplistic remediating behaviors like “forgiveness”, therapy, psychiatry, self-help and self-improvement. Don’t get me wrong some or all of those things are important to keep females sane and prepared in a cruel planet but there’s something I’ve always felt where all of this just doesn’t make any sense and what people say to uphold like justice, courage, freedom, has never been upheld because the creation, proliferation and protection of life is the antithesis of these values. Life has beaten my ass since and my anger has been relegated to listening to very loud ear-bleeding music and going on walks that barely get rid of this deep splinter inside of my body and my mind but it made me realize that what humans want is never what they truly want, these ideas that are only for pursuits of material power, not out of good ideological grace or goodness for humankind, especially not for womankind.

Freedom is not a given because every aspect of your life removes some type of degree of autonomy from you. Freedom is a legal privilege that’s arbitrarily applied and denied, inconsistently enforced for all especially when you’re born a human with a random name and identity slapped on to you and you’re not only property to your family but property of the state. Human children can’t simply do whatever they want but they can also do whatever they want, it’s these blurry lines of where these values start and where they end because so many human children are led through mazes on where to go and what to do but are also given unfettered access and freedom to browse to the internet and to navigate the world to rot their brains and inevitably destroy them. Females can’t simply get up and walk outside without the gnawing feeling that they might get shoved in a car never to be seen again, to hop into an uber to then wake up in a sex-trafficking hot spot, or to not get cat-called like a piece of meat. They can’t even just hop on a plane and become a citizen of another country, it requires so many legal paperwork and verification because your freedom is being supplied by your owners and our owners are the countries we live in and on a sub-level the families we come from and the relationship arrangements that define us. We also can’t choose to live a life away from or removed from male relatives and male strangers because the mother exists to place her son on the top of the hierarchy. Her son can practically do whatever he wants and is never forced to uphold any of these so called human principles/human rights because his very existence as a male does not include having to constantly fight for and uphold them. He can simply walk outside and do whatever without having to be considerate of anybody. Men are not forced to uphold any of the serious moral standards that females are supposed to do every waking minute of our lives. It’s the reason why men are able to be racist, oppressive, unhygienic, unclean, selfish, arrogant and highly individualistic people and women are always the ones tearing each other down and controlling other women in the name of these “values” men never have to fret about in their lives and it makes my blood boil. Women fight for the human rights of subhumans while neglecting their own and the human rights that should be allowed to their daughters. Women are the only ones upholding these values, men just have to sit back and watch the cat fights and virtue signaling one-upmanship unfold between females as they share memes about “TND” and those memes about a stick figure man going on a date in a woman’s house and then murdering the woman instead. Women don’t even have the freedom to be free of these memes, the jokes, the constant sexualization and perpetual humiliation and hierarchical bullying and harassment that men find as hilarious and entertaining pastimes. 

Human rights are built on the flimsy premise that all of the luxuries afforded through modern times should be a given for everyone but this also comes with the hidden knowledge none of these people want to ever admit is that their human rights to live away from a war-torn hellhole to even make those human rights possible is quite literally built off the backs and regressiveness of those war-torn hellholes. Any reason to mitigate this and reel back on this is called “fascism” by many (putting up strong immigration laws, pulling some industries and factories out of these exploited poor countries and trying to make them more beneficial for the actual citizens of the country, etc.) but if countries are practically forced to continue in the name of globalization (which always results in war and imperialism) then it’s continued colonization that must be fought against. Nobody can ever make their minds up because they refuse to admit that their human rights is built off of human suffering. Let’s look at some examples of what “human rights” are:

Right to life. So basically it doesn’t matter if you’re bringing someone in this world to become property, it doesn’t matter the quality of life you’re providing to the new life you’re bringing in, and it sure as hell does not matter if someone else’s existence is quite literally a psychological, spiritual, mental and physical threat to your own or an absolute drain to everybody else (this is even worse when you criticize a disabled person who isn’t a heckin-friendly and happily placated darling but someone who is able to commit the same amount of violence that an able-bodied/neurotypical person can, they will get many knee jerk and crowd-pleasing support to do basically whatever the fuck they want with no behavioral change or issue because it’s their right to life which means it’s their right to be an inconsiderate, wasteful, parasitic human just like the “normjes”). The right to life (which stampedes on all of these other rights) is somehow a human right. 

Freedom from torture. This one goes back into my point that our freedom from torture is enabled because we have a bunch of Western actors preventing or at least trying to prevent any foreign backlash of our global behavior from arriving at our shores, with the exception of migrant crisis which is creating even more human rights violations against the European female citizens, but I guess it doesn’t matter because it quite literally goes against the next human right I will list. Female liberty and right of association succumbs to the absolute power of “right to life” of an angry, chauvinistic male migrant. Other women are not free from torture and their existences are defined by their inability to escape it without it being extremely hard or dangerous. Even in Western countries this right is not a given and it’s exercised in many unique ways where women try to whitewash or excuse it as something else. 

Freedom of opinion and expression. This one is where everyone knows does not exist, especially for females who don’t want to bow down to the trans gods or honestly bow down to her boundaries being torn apart in any context. No whistleblowing unless you want your “right to life” revoked immediately, no saying your truth unless you want to be socially ostracized and isolated or unemployed/cut-off and surely you won’t even use that freedom of expression and opinion to associate with similar, likeminded people unless you want to be slapped with a lawsuit/court case or called every -ism and -phobic in the book. Normies who tout the commandments of human rights don’t even exercise this one despite claiming they’ll definitely listen to you but then get the witch hunt ready if you signal a word that triggers their animalistic war brains to hunt a witch (a woman) down for even saying the wrong thing. I get freedom does not mean “free of consequence and cause-and-effect” but to have this “human right to expression and opinion” they need to censor other people’s thoughts and associations to make another person’s existence legitimate.

Freedom to work and education. This one cancels out the “right to opinion, expression and association” because one wrongthink and you’re subject to at-will employment. Education is immediately barred through the high prices, accessibility and competition so you either have to pull out tons of loans to even make it possible or go straight to work early to sustain yourself with counteracts this human right. Certain degrees and fields within education are mainly occupied by males (like STEM) so their right of association immediately overrides the safety and comfort of women who are interested in those fields and they do this on purpose. There’s not only male-flight in “female-associated jobs” but there’s intentional male domination of fields to keep the “dumb femoids” out of it because they know their little male clubs immediately makes a young girl go “nope” or to discourage her. 

Justice doesn’t really exist because I really think it’s just a proper way for humans to synonymously wink itself to the idea of revenge and vengeance, but only done in a property humanity-approved lense. You simply can’t kill off your abusers, cut off your male family members or do anything that severely impacts the “right to life” that applies to criminals, who are overwhelmingly male and your predators, who are overwhelmingly male. If correct revenge was enacted the populace would dwindled and it would be a chaotic, uninhabitable and unpredictable environment that wouldn’t be conducive to human survival or human development. Law to seek “justice” and “fairness” was not created to protect any needing person from anything, it was created by metrosexual careerist men to protect them from natural laws of life, like the “classy and highly civilized” Romans/Greeks (obsessed with pedestary and slave-owning btw) against the uncivilized brutes who at least knew what the reality of nature was that nature does not protect man’s artificial laws. Men protect other men as a class but they will throw every single brute/average XY under the bus or to become an example of what not to do quickly to keep his civilized charade up while he goes and violates young boys and girls (therefore creating even more human rights violations) behind closed doors. They gatekeep what justice is and the normies who worship the Y-chromosome follow suit in their manipulative words and actions. Even if some states, countries and areas profess to protect “self-defense” laws and rights, this is applied arbitrarily and you can be charged for murder if you correctly get rid of the problem through beautiful Solanas-stamped fashion because your justice is only allowed through the context or gateway of what the state allows you to do. If you enact revenge outside of the context of self-defense you’re now a murderer, terrorist, man-hater, misandrist, and by extension - life-hater and a human rights abuser. These things can easily be twisted against females and it already has been done.

Human rights or honestly human values are a faulty construct to defend and stand up on, because they are not in mutual agreement with each other and certainly not in true, mutual  agreement, understanding and respect of nature and the female existence, which isn’t pretty, which doesn’t come prepackaged with fancy breeder celebration parties like weddings and baby showers, doesn’t come with heated and air-conditioned housing and iPhones, it’s cruel, harsh, and most importantly - a woman-hating, female soul-crushing tool that’s built off the backs of human suffering to allow life to elongate itself and to exist.

[0viraptoraskblog]

I just found your blog and it's so good! Much needed, I love the dumps and I hope you bring more (no rush ofc!! Take your time <33)

In btd 2, Ren shows us our new room and says it's pretty simple because he doesn't know what we like yet

I was wondering, would he give us, like, a credit card (Strade probably had more than three? I don't know XD) to buy whatever we want on the internet, or would it be more of a "give me a list of things you like and want and I'll search the web and buy them for you" thing?

How long would it be until we could have our own pc and use internet? -letting us have our own privacy on it as well-, Since Strade eventually let him have his own, and time browsing online. Would Ren be even more "easier" in giving us permission or would he be more cautious, (more than Strade?) I know it all depends on how we behave, probably

Also, how much do you think he would supervise us?

Could you answer this question about how him and his older version in tpof would act in these situations, please? Are there any differences or would it be almost pretty much the same?

(I JUST SAW HOW BIG I TURNED THIS ASK, I APOLOGIZE LMAO)

Thank you!! Generally, Ren will be much more lenient than Strade was.

He’s definitely a list person! He won’t let you have your own credit card— you don’t need it, he can buy whatever you need! He’ll have you make a list and will pick things off of it occasionally as rewards.

When you’ll get internet access depends on your behavior. If all is going well, it’ll probably be a month or two (only if you’ve proven you can be trusted). He would install a lot of parental controls at first, and monitor everything you do. Even if he claims to trust you, it can’t hurt to see what you’re up to! He probably would never remove them, but as time goes on, the more he trusts you the less he’ll look at your activity.

He’s generally pretty open about giving you gifts and privileges. The thing there is, at one point in the game he stops and has a realization. He goes “I’ve been coddling you. No wonder this isn’t working.” So in order for all those nice things to be true, you have to be good and can’t let him get to that point. If he does, he’ll become more like Strade (because he thinks that’s what he needs to do to train you properly), which means he’ll be more strict and more brutal.

Fox is much more strict from the beginning. It will take a while of living with him and behaving well before he brings up the idea of a list, and once he does your gifts are sporadic. They’re not an offer to spruce up your room out of hospitality, they’re strictly rewards until you’re behaving consistently well. As time goes on he’ll get you more things more often, but it will take a lot of effort on your part.

He may not let you have your own internet. If you want to watch something, he’ll put it on for you. If you want to search something? He’ll look it up. Fox is much more controlling than his younger self, mainly because Fox sees you as a pet while Ren sees you as a new friend/replacement for Strade. (That can easily change to a pet depending on the route you take, but to begin with it’s still up in the air).

I’d say it would be many months before you get your own technology. He may let you use his laptop beforehand, but it’s always locked down to a few functions. It’ll take a lot of trust to have your own.

[tseldoesdiscourse]

Dear Anti Endos,

We're Curious. Very Much So.

What Is Your Issue With Endogenic And Other Forms Of Non-Traumagenic Plurality? What Do You Think Endos Are Definition Wise (Asking This Because Many Of You Have The Wrong One)?

Why Do So Many Of You Spit Such Vitriol Comments Towards These People? Many Of Which Are Minors / Under 18. They Aren't (For The Most Part) Actively Harassing/Harming You Guys.

We've Browsed Through The Anti-Endogenic System Community Here On Tumblr And Through Anti-Endo Tags, And It Just Baffles Us How Little You Truly Know About Non-Traumagenic Plurality And How Wrong Some Of Your Information On Plurality In General Is.

We're Scrolling Through The Anti Tag As We're Writing This. Non-Traumagenic Plurality Is Not Always A Spiritual Belief. Endogenic Systems Can And Do In Fact Share Some Traits With CDD And Non-Disordered Traumagenic Systems.

I don't care about endos as long as they're staying out of CDD spaces. I am against the toxicity in their community and consider myself anti endo but I don't actually give a shit about them cause they only matter on the internet and I have bigger things to worry about than some kid who wants to create an alter ego for their online persona.

This... This Is Just Blatantly Wrong. We Have Seen Nothing But Kindness And Positivity In Endo And Pro-Endo Spaces For The Most Part. Are There Toxic Endos? Of Course, But Goodness Gracious Beings, The Majority Of Us Aren't Actually Terrible People Like Many Of You Make Us Out To Be.

We've Seen More Toxicity In Anti-Endo Spaces Actually. For Awhile Before Syscovery, We Were An Anti-Endo "Singlet". We Were Angry, And Would Often Fight Others Online About How Terrible They Were When In Reality, They Did Nothing To Us. They Weren't Terrible At All. We, Were The Horrible Ones.

Endogenic Systems Aren't All "Kids Creating Online Alter-Egos/Personas". They're Real, Living, Breathing People Who Exist In A Way Similar To You. There Are Endos Offline And In Your Physical Spaces As Well As The Online Ones. They Exist, They Are There, And Their Experiences Are Entirely Real. And Adult Endogenic/Non-Traumagenic Systems Exist Too! It's Not All Minors Experiencing This.

The Posts Some Of You All Make Are Absolutely Atrocious And Ignorant. You Refuse To Listen To Endos, Even If They're Trying To Be Civil Because They're "Not Real", "Faking", Or "Ableist".

TW: R-Slur, Sui-baiting Mention

Also What The Actual Fuck Is This. Why Would You, Even If You Can Reclaim It, Call Other People Something That Was Used To Belittle You And Others Like You For Years???

And We Found A Post Telling Pro-Endos To Shut Up That Said 'Kys'. That Behavior Is Not Acceptable From Anyone. It Doesn't Matter Who You Are, Or Who You're Saying It To. It Is Blatantly Wrong.

Oh, And This Carrd? We'll Be Making A Post About It. Because Most (If Not All) Of The Information Provided Is Plain Wrong. It Claims To Be Correcting Misinformation, When All It Does Is Spread More About A Different Community.

Your Tags Are Horrendous. Goodness Gracious How Do Y'all Go About Saying Those Things?

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

The Stranger: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.9k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Summary: When an unsub is killing young women in San Diego, your team is called in before he can rack up the number of victims. He's targeting babysitters and it's your job to figure out why. Meanwhile, Frank ups the pressure on you and Spencer, something that will definitely put a wedge in your relationship.

Season Six Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If any warnings exceed the normal deaths/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

"This guy knew the Ellisons were home, but he struck anyway. He could have taken out the entire family, but he chose to spare the mother and the child. Why?" Derek asks.

"With the Jenkins, the unsub actually fed the baby. Here, he spared the mother and locked her in a room with her son. It's like he's protecting the children. The addition of Jake caused the unsub to change his methodology. For the first time he posed the bodies, and he also sexually violated one of the victims," you say.

"Okay, we have a father posed to look at a dying babysitter and a mother and child protected upstairs. That's a pretty clear message."

"Garcia, search for local women who died in their early thirties and who are survived by a husband and at least one son. Go back ten to fifteen years," Hotch says. "Cross that with new marriage licenses filed by surviving husbands."

"The unsub's always been troubled, Garcia, so look for youthful offenders who would have fit into the sociopathic triad," Derek adds.

"Okay, I've got thirty matches which points to a disturbing social phenomenon and does not help us narrow this down."

"Cross-reference that with your list of newly-released inmates and mental patients."

"Okay, I've got a few. What about... Okay, here's one. Greg Phinney. He was put into juvie when he was thirteen for threatening his stepmom with a knife."

"What do we know about the stepmother?"

"Kate Jones, aka the second Mrs. Phinney. She married Greg's father a year after Greg's mother was killed in a car accident. Greg was eleven at the time. Mr. Phinney died four weeks ago."

"Is there any evidence that Kate worked in the Phinney home before the mother's death?" Hotch asks.

"Oh, the plot solidifies," she gasps. "Kate cited additional income as caregiver on her tax returns when she was a college student. Payments trace back to the Phinneys. Kate filed numerous reports against Greg for violent behavior and experimentation on animals. Greg's father finally put the kibosh on things when he was seventeen and had him institutionalized. Greg was released two weeks ago."

"Just before the killings started," you sigh.

"Garcia, where's Greg now?"

She sends the address over, and you immediately head over to the apartment complex. The manager dosn't question anything but does provide his manager's key to unlock his front door. With Derek's permission, he unlocks the door. The team shuffles in but it's empty. Greg isn't here. There isn't a lot of furniture and there is nothing on the walls. This guy doesn't care about materialistic things at all. Ijn the kitchen is a table with a single laptop on it, already open.

With a gloved hand, you press the mouse which wakes it up. On the screen is a log in for employees. Derek takes out his phone and calls Penelope.

"Baby girl, can you tell me why Greg's laptop has an employee login screen?"

"Well, lover, I have been doing some digging. Did you know that he's been working part-time as a data entry clerk at the San Diego Register?"

"If he was in an institution, where did he get time to find a job?" Spencer asks.

"He didn't even have to look. This job is part of his work-release program, and twenty hours of internet privileges will go a long way."

"That's how he finds his victims. He browses the classifieds. Did he have access to the customers' personal information?"

"Oh, honey, he entered it."

You look around the room and noticing something pinned to the wall with a knife. You walk closer to see it's a picture of a woman, who you assume to be Kate.

"That must be Kate."

"He's obviously built up the confidence to confront her. Garcia?"

"Alreading your mind. Calling the others."

She sends her address so you immediately head over there. If Greg doesn't know about your presence, he does as soon as the sirens blare. You get out of the car and feel not only Greg's anger but Kate's fear. She's in there with him right now.

"Dave, take some uniforms and find the back door. I'm gonna try to get inside and talk to him," Hotch says.

"Do you think that will work?" Detective Harding asks.

"I don't think Kate gets out of this any other way."

Rossi leaves with some of the police and heads to the back of the house. With Penelope's help, Hotch is able to get Greg's phone number, and he calls it.

"What?!" Greg shouts when he answers.

"Greg Phinney, this is Agent Aaron Hotchner. I need to talk to you about your demands so you can let Kate go."

"I don't have any demands. I ju... I want... I want her to pay for what she's done," he stutters.

"What has she done?"

"She took my dad. She's a whore, and she ruined us."

"Greg, I think this is more about your dad than it is about Kate."

"No. No, no. She... She got me locked up," he panics.

"Your dad is the one who put you away."

"Don't turn this one him!"

"Greg, I need to ask you a very important question. Do you want to live?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I think you do, and if so, you need to let me in the house. Otherwise I can't guarantee that you're gonna walk out of there."

Greg thinks about his answer and stutters. "You can come to the door."

He hangs up the phone and Hotch looks at you.

"Y/N, I want you to come in with me. Leave your firearm here." You remove your gun and hand it to Spencer who looks worried. One look from you and he knows you'll be okay. "Be compassionate and sympathetic to him. Let him tell you how Kate betrayed him and how much you understand his devastation."

"Okay," you nod.

You two get to the front door and you knock on the door. The door unlocks and opens, but Greg only opens it a crack. Just enough for you to see his face. He has Kate in his arms. You can feel her right on the other side of the door. He looks between you and Hotch in surprise.

"I never said that you could bring in anyone else."

"I know, but I thought if we talked inside we could work this out ourselves," you say.

"Are you some kind of a negotiator?" You two don't answer. He sighs and looks around for anyone else. "No guns."

"No guns," you agree.

The door opens wider, and your suspicions are confirmed when you look into Kate's eyes. He has a gun to her head and a knife against her throat. He backs up and allows you and Hotch to walk inside.

"Close the door." Hotch does. "Stand over there." You do as he tells you.

"You need to put the gun down," Hotch says.

"We need to get out of here. Is that gonna happen?"

"As long as you've got a gun, if one of the agents outside has a clear shot, he'll take it."

"Tell me what you want, Greg," you say.

"I don't want to get locked up again."

"Don't you really want Kate to apologize for making your dad forget your mom?" you ask.

"No, I didn't do that, though," Kate stutters.

You hate what you're about to, but it will get Greg away from Kate. You look at her and harden your gaze. "Unless the next words out of your mouth are 'I'm sorry', I don't want to hear anything else from you." She looks shocked but you ignore her and focus on Greg instead. "I understand, Greg. I do. She took care of you. You trusted her. Then she betrayed you as soon as your mother was gone. It must have crushed you when Kate married your dad. How did it make you feel, Greg? You felt betrayed, didn't you, Greg?"

"Ask her the question, Greg. Go ahead. Ask her," Hotch nods.

Greg looks at Kate. "Why not me? Why not me?"

She doesn't answer. "Answer him, Kate."

"Because you were just a boy," she stutters.

"I loved you. I loved you!"

"I'm sorry," she cries.

"But I loved you, Kate!"

"Don't kill me, Greg, please!"

You look behind Greg and see Rossi with his gun up. Both you and Hotch jump out of the way to avoid being caught, alerting Greg that you're not alone. He pushes Kate away from him and turns to shoot at Rossi, but Rossi does it first.

"Bring in backup," Hotch says over comms.

Paramedics are called since Kate has cuts on her arm from Greg. The shot from Rossi killed him, but at least he won't be able to hurt anyone else. As Kate is being looked at, you approach her with an apologetic look on your face.

"What you said in there, is it true? Did he really do all this because of me?" she asks.

"No. I had to be aggressive towards you in order to gain Greg's trust. None of this is your fault."

"Then why?"

"Greg was always a troubled child. Losing his mother and then his father made him even more unstable. Sometimes we do everything right and we still lose. Greg was a sociopath and there's nothing you could have done to change that."

Sometimes we do everything right and we still lose. Those words are on replay the entire ride home. Bad things happen to good people all the time. Maybe you're overthinking it, but something is telling you that something bad is coming your way. Maybe it's your body preparing yourself. For what, though? Guess you won't know until it happens.

Whatever it may be.

Due to the camera outside of your apartment, Frank has to disable it if he wants to get inside your apartment. He's learned a few things about computers over the years but not enough to successfully hack a computer system. It's why he has people for that. One call to his trusted IT guy and the cameras are locked in. He can move in front of it and it'll show like there is nothing happening on the app. He only has ten minutes so he has to move quick.

He leaves the apartment building directly across from yours and walks to your building. He uses the key he stole from you to get in, and he takes the stairs two at a time to get to your floor. He could wait for the elevator but that'll take too much time, time he can't spare.

He pauses right outside the camera and smirks at it knowing you won't see this. He unlocks your front door and slowly opens it so he doesn't wake you or Spencer. It would be bad if you caught him before he could finish what he came here to do.

The apartment is silent except for the swish of the fan in the bedroom. He peers through the open door at your and Spencer's sleeping frames. He doesn't give into the urge to walk over to you. What he wouldn't give to be sleeping right next to you. There will be a time for that later if he sticks to the plan.

He walks inside the bedroom with silent footsteps and walks over to the dresser. Due to him spying on you constantly, he knows the drawers that belong to Spencer, and he opens one of them carefully. His arm spasms which cause the drawer to creak, and he pauses with his breath held. He looks behind him to see you and Spencer still sleeping.

Good.

He removes three syringes from his pocket and gently lays them on top of Spencer's neatly folded ties and socks. Frank rolls his eyes at the thought of Spencer having a whole drawer for ties and socks. With the bait firmly in place, he closes the drawer more carefully and leaves the bedroom with two minutes to spare.

He slips out of your apartment and leaves the building with a smirk on his face. He can't wait to see what is going to happen when you and Spencer find those syringes.

Syringes full of Dilaudid.

"Every journey into the past is complicated by delusions, false memories, and false naming of real events." - Adrienne Rich

x

Want to be tagged? Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[neonpunk-fickwriter]

One day I remembered a manga I read a long time ago. I found out it was over and decided to finally read it to the end. It was the manga "Beastars". After reading it, my shipper consciousness got hooked on one ship, which, it seems, was even canonical to one degree or another. It was the relationship between Melon the leopard-gazelle hybrid and Haru the rabbit, which seemed quite interesting to me. There was definitely something in it, some kind of spark. Of course, like any normal person who liked something, I went looking for some content on this couple. There was little content. But I was glad to find at least something. Also, what I did was immediately create a board on my Pinterest account and label it as Melon/Haru, immediately saving and uploading a few pins of the pairing, wanting to make a convenient repository for content so that I could browse it when I was in the mood and get inspired (I had and still have an idea for a fanfiction about this ship). Also, I hoped that this way I could make this ship a little more popular. However, imagine my surprise when just a few days later my Pinterest account was deactivated without any explanation. I panicked and frantically started writing to the site's support service, according to all the instructions described on the Internet, hoping to find out what was going on. I assumed that it was some kind of annoying, stupid mistake, because I did nothing wrong and did not violate the site's rules. After days of waiting (and my messages), I finally got a response, and the shocking truth finally came out… Despite the fact that the pins on my Melon/Haru board were far from adult and erotic content, and both characters on them were adults, this wonderful site banned me on someone's report due to adult content involving minors or people who look like minors! In order to restore my account, I had to delete all the pins and the board itself too (apparently, someone really didn't like its name). I don't quite understand what the point of this is, because I saved almost all of these pictures, already on the site, and after I deleted them, they remained there. But that's not the point. Even now, when my account is completely private, and a significant part of the pins and boards have already been deleted at the request of the site, my pins and the remaining boards continue to receive reports, which I, in the end, simply did not care about. My account is already destroyed. What would I lose if it got deactivated again? Someone seems to want this very much, lol. I don't even feel any emotion about it anymore other than cringe.

But the one thing that still haunts me and angers me to the core is why the Melon/Haru ship was the subject of this slanderous stigma and the punishment I received for this? Haru is 20 and Melon is 24. I didn't even think anyone could see one of them as a minor, lol. I guess you actually have to have some kind of inclination to do that… О_О Especially since the ship was shown in the manga and I didn't make it up out of thin air. Anyway, I'm not trying to justify myself because I'm not guilty of anything. It just made me think about how weird people who espouse antiship culture views can be and how harmful their behavior is to the internet community as a whole. I'm still angry. And I still feel slandered and insulted. I still need to speak out on this, especially as antis culture becomes more and more aggressive and demands our blood in the real world. But I'm not afraid. I'm still going to put my idea into writing and publish my fanfiction, where all the characters are adults, and it will be much more mature than the pictures that got me deactivated. Thank you for reading this post of shipper's indignation to the end. Fuck censorship.

[moki-dokie]

i just need everyone in the obx fandom to maybe practice a few things

inside thoughts vs. outside thoughts. you do not need to speak into public the vile shit bouncing around yalls brains. i'm referring to your racist, ableist, transphobic, fatshaming, and otherwise bigoted shit yall say when bickering amongst each other. remember kids, what you say on the internet is forever and it will come back to haunt you. and you aren't being edgy, you're just being a nasty jerk.

fandom wank is as old as fandom itself and is neither surprising nor unexpected; but yall sincerely need to get a reality check once in a while when getting into nuclear meltdown arguments about celebrities you will never ever know on a personal level. i cannot mean this more literally, but seriously log off and go touch some grass on occasion. or call up a friend to hang out. or go kick some rocks. point is coming back to reality for a bit.

stop harassing people. just stop. it's weird. don't be weird like that.

fic writers: put your fucking fics under a goddamn readmore cut. this is BASIC tumblr etiquette. not using the readmore is one of the quickest ways to get blocked within your own fandom. which means less people will potentially see your fic at all. (or, even better, just use AO3 and make a fancy post linking back to it.)

chill out. no really. i've never in my life been in a fandom with so many people constantly in offensive mode ready to pick fights at the littlest thing including compliments. like, idk, maybe embody those chillaxed vibes our beloved group of renegades have when they're together at home yeah???

some of yall put the marvel and sherlock fandoms to shame with the sheer amount of pointless drama and ghoulish behavior and trust me when i say that is a feat. and not a good one. it makes browsing any obx related tag so extremely unpleasant to the point it doesn't feel like a fandom at all.

be better and do better.

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

Omg omg childe and fl finding what phones can do and having their own. I can imagine childe going through all fighting videos in the internet and buying random stuff for his siblings. And he definitely laughs at the most silly memes too! Or foul legacy putting a 3h video of cats purring because it relaxes him! Idk, I can see him falling sleep while listening asmr lol

OHOHOHOHO JUST THINK ABOUT YOU AND FOUL LEGACY SNUGGLED UP WATCHING VIDEOS TOGETHER,,,

Childe's definitely the type to browse around for some laughs and immediately run to show you what he found, as well as make spontaneous purchases if he thinks you or his siblings will like something (don't worry, he made sure to use his vast fortune instead of accidentally using your money). often enough you'll be sitting on the couch reading a book or looking over some work when you'll feel a tap on your shoulder, Childe leaning over with a "Hey, look at this" as he shows you something; or you'll spend entire evenings quietly leaning against each other as you browse, piping up when you see something the other might like, and it's just so perfect for unwinding after a long day

Legacy on the other hand is a lot simpler in regard to the internet. he doesn't trust himself with such a small, expensive device- have you seen how sharp his claws are? - but he's more than willing to watch over your shoulder as he snuggles you in his lap. cat videos are DEFINITELY some of his favorite things to watch, and he'll begin to subconsciously mimic the behavior he sees, often licking your cheek or nibbling your hair. if you have work to do and Legacy doesn't want to be alone, you can play something soothing for him- you've made a playlist together of videos guaranteed to put your fluffy Abyss monster to sleep in less than five minutes- and he can snooze the time away either in his blanket nest or next to you, if you don't mind the video playing in the background. it's a win-win, as he gets to sleep and you get to witness an adorable sleepy Legacy <33

[cyle]

Hi Cyle, I hope you're well. In regards to recent news about tumblr's redesign, I'd like to bring into light a topic that I haven't really seen being mentioned explicitly, but that is very close to my heart.

The via chain. Being able to click on the previous reblog. Then the reblog before that. Even if they're empty reblogs. Is that all staying? Is the mechanics behind reblogs staying? Just an interface redesign?

The via chain is the single most unique and important thing on Tumblr for me. I hope and pray there will always be up to 3 usernames attached to a reblog, even if the reblog is displaying just the source content with all empty reblogs. 3 usernames goes as follows:

1. the current blog which the reblog is on (depending on which reblog you're viewing, even if it's an empty reblog)

2. The via (the blog that this particular post was reblogged from. This is not always the source, this is usually another blog which reblogs other posts and reblogs. This is likely to again have the via different to the source, but the via and source will be the same if this blog reblogged the post directly from the source blog)

3. The source (the blog which originally posted the post. This post will just have one username attached to it)

The via chain is sorta like a better way of doing are.na's list of channels (collections) under every block (post). Tumblr does it better with the via chain as this shows you which blogs are interesting to the current blog you're browsing through. It gives a much better sense of community for curators of Tumblr content who just want to collect stuff and don't have anything to say, so it's just an empty reblog.

Allow me to illustrate: blog A is getting this post from blog B's reblog, so I go to blog B and I browse that, and I see that blog B is getting another post from blog C's reblog. And I just keep going forever. I can't browse like this on any other site and I pray and hope it stays like this on Tumblr, because it makes this place truly enriching as a browsing experience.

I feel like a true internet adventurer, I'm going places I'd never dreamt of before in my life, and I'm able to get to the exact blogs that are important for communities, because those are the blogs that people are reblogging from - not always just the source blog. Thank you for reading.

personally i like this whole thing as well, what you are describing here, so please keep that in mind as i answer this. it's very close to my heart as well. i have spent countless hours thinking about this stuff, as a part of my job these days and months and years.

we are going to experiment with changing basically all of this behavior you describe. at least on web, you can no longer go to the parent post, the "via" (2), you describe here. instead, now you go to the blog, not the specific post. i think that change is now already also out in the Android app, and it's coming soon to the iOS app. that's one change among many changes we're going to try out and see what happens.

we're experimenting with these changes because they happen to be very common points of confusion and friction for people trying to use tumblr for the first time. so we're trying to strike a very difficult balance between keeping tumblr unique in the way the interface is laid out and preserving behavior everybody already on tumblr is used to, while acknowledging that there may be a better way to do it for a larger audience of people who we know just don't "get it" and end up leaving tumblr pretty quickly for that reason.

that's really really hard to do, and we're gonna get it wrong, but at least we're trying, because we need tumblr to be easier to use for more people.

all that having been said, an important part of the changes we're going to experiment with will hopefully provide new, alternative paths to do exactly what you describe at the end -- "I'm able to get to the exact blogs that are important for communities" -- but through new, hopefully better ways. that's what i'm excited about, tbh. i hope we can showcase some of those new things soon on the @labs blog.

[trollocs-ooc]

Your name is WHYBIE NARAVI. except it's not really, but no one deserves to know your real name except you and your lusus.

You are a FUCHSIABLOODED SEADWELLER. except you aren't really, it just looks enough like fuchsia to fool people on first glance. Anyone with functioning ganderbulbs, under normal lighting, could see that that filthy, diseased pink looks nothing like the beautiful, royal color of fuchsia.

You are suprised no one ever culled you for this, but it was either this or pretending to be VIOLET, and that would have been even less believable, not to mention you would rather kill yourself than pretend to be one of those pompous seadwelling bulgesuckers. If you were the actual ruler of Alternia, like you often nightdream of being, you would have wiped the offcolor purple parasites from the genepool the first chance you got. Even though your hideously mutated blood combined with your seadwelleriness means you were probably the result of some douchebag violet using a mutant as a makeshift bucket. This makes you hate them and yourself even more.

Speaking of yourself, here you are. Ugly motherfucker with an aura of fake confidence a 2 sweep old could see through. But you're definitely only concerned with yourself, so you don't care. Or, yourselves? You like to refer to yourself (yourselves?) using the royal We, even in public, so that everyone can immediately clock you as a prick. This is definitely natural behavior and not at all forced.

What else....hobbies? You barely have any. Your hobbies mostly include being a lazy piece of shit and browsing the internet, which is not a real hobby. You used to enjoy swimming, but ever since what happened to your lusus, you feel like you never want to be on the open sea again. You like animals, though. Probably helped by the fact you have the ability to commune with them, and that you refuse to make friends with actual people like a normal person.

This is your blog.

[lurafita]

Make Them Sparkle

(fanfic, oneshot)

Summary:

If Raphael had any say in this, Magnus would not be allowed to give mundanes writing advice. Ever.

Magnus prided himself on being a person who went with, and adapted to the ever changing times.

He had witnessed many immortals who got stuck in particular time periods. Be it refusing to adopt new fashion trends, or remaining stagnant in certain behaviors or mindsets that had been common at one point in history. Bemoaning how things ‘used to be so much better back in the day’. People who needed to anchor themselves in the past, in order to face the present and future. 

Not Magnus, though. While he treasured many of the memories made during his long existence, he had always been the type to look forward, instead of back. 

He had seen and embraced the progress humanity made, philosophically, technologically, and socially. 

And, while the road of progression hadn’t always been a smooth one and weathered its fair share of hiccups along the way, Magnus certainly appreciated the fruits of this particular labor. 

(And not only mundanes, but the shadow world, too, had come a long way from what it had once been. Magnus would never not be proud of the part his dearest Alexander and his friends and family had played in that development.)

Anyway, being a "modern" warlock, and having personally supported some of the various technological marvels of the world they now lived in, Magnus had a deep appreciation for the internet. 

A way for so many people from so many different places and stages of life to come together, to connect and share with each other, was truly remarkable.

There was almost nothing that the internet didn’t have, unless it connected to matters of the shadow world, but even that was slowly changing.

From funny videos and beautiful music, to shops and art and so much more. 

Websites tailored to specific hobbies or tastes. Sites to find employment, or living accomodations. Those that gave the user an opportunity to make friends, or find love. 

And, of course, so called help-forums. Professionally or community run sites, spanning various topics all around offering advice when someone needed it. 

Like one particular writing forum for aspiring authors, which Magnus had found himself in one sunny afternoon, as he had been browsing aimlessly to waste some time.

One of the requests had caught his eye especially. 

‘Please help me bring fresh wind into old supernatural lore!’

Clicking on the request and reading further, Magnus had learned that the hopeful author was trying to write a teen love story with vampires and werewolves, revolving around a highschool mundane girl and her vampiric love interest, as well as a werewolf contender.

Magnus had snorted, thinking the idea hardly original, and had almost clicked away again, but one sentence had stood out.

‘Vampire love stories are a dime a dozen, I’m well aware of that. But while plot and circumstances often change around the different narratives, the lore and rules behind the vampires rarely do. It’s always a thirst and need for blood, a weakness to religious artifacts, and an inability to bear sunlight. That last one especially, I wish to change for my story, as I feel that describing a whole world that most humans are unaware of, and plays mostly in the dark, is terribly restrictive. But I also think that just waving any effect the sun might have on a vampire away, is a missed opportunity for exploring alternative plot points. Which is why I’m asking for any kind of inspiration or thoughts any of you might be willing to share.’

So Magnus had read on as the author had described their world and characters in a little more detail.

And upon learning of the broody, dark haired, stubborn, kind and compassionate main vampire character, Magnus couldn’t help it when his brain had made the comparison between a fictional character, and his very own favorite broody, dark haired, stubborn, kind and compassionate vampire. 

And as he was thinking of his dear little Raphael, the vampire he had taken under his wing decades ago and practically raised (even though Raphael had been 24 and fully adult by mundane standards when he had been turned), Magnus hadn’t been able to curb his more mischievous impulses. 

Clicking on the answering function to the thread, he had snickered heavily as he typed out just three words.

‘Make them sparkle!’

Who would have thought that, just a few years later, this little bit of innocent fun he had had, would come back to interrupt his sexy make out session with his precious shadowhunter boyfriend?

“Magnus!” The door slammed open and shut in barely more than a second, as an incensed Raphael stormed into the loft.

A lifetime of training and battle ready instincts had Alec lift Magnus off his lap and behind him in just one move (which was so fucking hot, if not for their unplanned intruder, Magnus would have climbed his boyfriend like a tree), as his other hand seemlessly went down to quickly retrieve the throwing knife strapped to his lower leg.

The defensive maneuver was aborted as soon as Alec registered who had just barged into the apartment, and instead the tall man slumped back into the couch (careful not to crush his boyfriend) with a deep, slightly annoyed, sigh. 

Raphael though reacted to neither the knife that had almost been thrown at him, nor the glare the shadowhunter was giving him right then.

Instead, he held up the book he had in hand and snarled in Magnus' direction. “What the fuck is this?!”

Magnus blinked, still trying to sort through the haze of his newly ignited arousal after Alexander’s display of strength and speed, and the clearly agitated mood Raphael seemed to be in.

“It’s called a book, my dear. It holds in its pages the wonder of the written word and thus the power to create wonderful and fascinating tales for all to share.”

If anything, that answer made Raphael look even more mutinous. Which was just rude, if anyone were to ask Magnus. 

“I know what a book is!”

Magnus huffed, finally straightening himself out of the mess of limbs he had been from Alexander’s manhandling him to safety (And they would have a talk about that later. As hot as that had been, Magnus couldn’t have his Alexander trying to shield him while facing a threat on his own.)

“Then why did you ask?”

Raphael could apparently not be bothered to explain, and instead just chucked the book at him. Once again shadowhunter reflexes trumped Magnus' own, and Alec snatched the book out of the air before it could hit the warlock. 

He scrunched up his nose a little (which was adorably cute in Magnus’ humble opinion and he quickly leant forward a bit to peck Alec on the cheek) as he read the title. “Twilight?”

It made Magnus smirk. “Oh, I think I have heard of this. A supernatural teen romance novel, if I remember Biscuit’s words correctly. I must be honest, my dear boy, I didn’t think this would be your type of thing.”

But the vampire just crossed his arms over his chest. “Open it up to the introduction.”

A little puzzled, but also curious, Alec and Magnus did just that. It appeared to be just your ordinary preface to any book. 

‘I thank everyone who has supported me through this, bla bla bla, I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity to share bla bla bla, I hope this tale will find a way into your heart bla bla bla.’

Really; pretty standard as far as the warlock was concerned. Until they reached the last section on the introductory page, and it slowly dawned on Magnus just why Raphael looked as if he had been forced to listen to Simon ramble about a deep introspection on why Spider-Man was the best Marvel superhero ever.

Oh.

‘I would like to give special thanks to someone I unfortunately have never met personally, but whose input has definitely helped to inspire me to spice things up a bit. So this is to you, The_Magnificent_Bane. I “made them sparkle”!’

“Oh.” 

“Oh?” Raphael thundered. “That’s all you have to say to this? You told this woman to make her vampires sparkle in the sunlight like some demented disco ball! We don’t sparkle! The only sparkly crazy person around here is you! Do you have any idea what the stupid flea balls are going to say when they learn of this? Are you laughing? Stop laughing! There is going to be so many glitter jokes in my future now thanks to you! I’m never gonna hear the end of this! Magnus! Stop laughing!”

Magnus stopped laughing. Eventually. 

[riggro-digital]

Creating Brand Connection: A Guide to Launching Your In-Store and Internet Radio Stations

Creating your own in-store radio station or launching an internet radio station can be a powerful tool to boost your brand, whether in a physical retail environment or through an online platform. These stations allow you to create a tailored audio experience that captures your audience's attention, deepens their engagement, and ultimately contributes to sales growth. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to start both an in-store and internet radio station, customized for your business goals.

What is an In-Store Radio?

An in-store radio station is a personalized audio service designed specifically for your business, creating a more immersive shopping experience. Unlike public radio stations that cater to a broad audience, in-store radio is laser-focused on your customers, allowing you to control the music, promotional messages, and even special announcements. The purpose is to craft a sound environment that enhances the shopping experience, aligns with your brand values, and subtly encourages customers to make purchases. It acts as a direct channel between you and your shoppers, shaping their in-store behavior and elevating the overall atmosphere.

Benefits of In-Store Radio

Improved Customer Engagement In-store radio gives you a unique opportunity to captivate customers as they shop. You can create an enjoyable atmosphere with tailored music, and enhance that experience with targeted messaging. This personalization increases engagement, making the time customers spend in your store more enjoyable and potentially longer, leading to increased sales.

Strengthening Brand Identity Every element of your store, including the music and announcements, reflects your brand. With in-store radio, you can craft a distinctive sound that reinforces your brand’s personality and values. Whether through carefully selected playlists or branded messages, you can embed your brand into the overall shopping experience, making it more memorable for customers.

Boosting Sales By controlling the audio content, you can strategically broadcast promotions at peak times. For instance, announcing limited-time offers or upcoming events while shoppers browse can spur impulse buying. Background music that matches the mood of your store can also influence buying behavior. Studies have shown that certain types of music encourage customers to spend more time browsing, which can result in increased purchases.

Full Customization You have full control over your in-store radio, allowing you to adjust the audio content to reflect the season, current promotions, or special events. For example, during the holiday season, you can play festive music and run seasonal promotions, creating a thematic experience that resonates with shoppers.

How to Start an In-Store Radio Station

Define Your Purpose First, decide the primary goal of your in-store radio. Is it to create a relaxing environment with music? Or do you want to mix in promotional content that advertises new products or sales? Establishing your objective will help shape the overall audio experience for customers.

Choose Music Wisely Music should be aligned with your store's brand identity and your customers' preferences. For instance, if you run a luxury boutique, you might opt for calming, instrumental music to create a serene atmosphere. If your store caters to younger audiences, upbeat pop or indie tracks might be more appropriate. The right choice of music can make customers feel more comfortable and encourage them to stay longer.

Plan Promotional Interludes Decide how frequently you'll include promotional messages within your music playlist. You can use these interludes to inform customers about ongoing deals, upcoming events, or special product features. Strike a balance between music and marketing content so that the promotional material feels organic and not overwhelming.

Set Up the Required Equipment Setting up an in-store radio station is relatively simple. Basic equipment includes speakers, an amplifier, and a media player. Several companies, such as Custom Channels and Easy On Hold, offer services that allow you to manage and schedule content for your store. These systems let you pre-record promotional messages and curate playlists, which can be easily updated and automated.

Secure Music Licenses If you plan to use copyrighted music, you must obtain the necessary licenses to play it legally in your store. Organizations like ASCAP or BMI provide these licenses, allowing you to use music without risking legal repercussions.

Launching an Internet Radio Station

Taking your brand beyond the store walls with an internet radio station can greatly expand your reach. Whether you want to broadcast music, host live shows, or promote your products to a wider audience, an internet radio station offers endless possibilities.

Steps to Launch an Internet Radio Station

Identify Your Content Niche Decide what your internet radio station will focus on. Will you broadcast a variety of music genres, or will your station include talk shows, interviews, and informational content? For example, if you own a retail store, you could curate music playlists that match the vibe of your store while mixing in product recommendations and industry tips.

Get Music Licenses Similar to in-store radio, playing copyrighted music on your internet station requires licensing. SoundExchange, along with other music rights organizations, helps ensure that musicians are compensated for their work. Licensing your music properly is crucial to avoid legal issues.

Invest in Broadcasting Equipment The equipment needed for an internet radio station includes:

Microphone: A high-quality microphone is essential for voiceovers, interviews, or live shows.

Mixer: A mixer will allow you to balance music and voice levels during broadcasts.

Audio Interface: This device connects your broadcasting equipment to your computer, ensuring smooth audio transmission.

Broadcasting Software: You’ll need software to manage your radio stream. Free options like Mixxx are great for beginners, while professional broadcasters may prefer SAM Broadcaster or other paid alternatives.

Select a Streaming Host To stream your internet radio, you’ll need a hosting service. Platforms like Icecast and Shoutcast are popular for their ease of use and reliability. These platforms will host your stream and provide a link that listeners can access via your website, apps, or social media.

Promote Your Radio Station Promoting your new station is key to gaining listeners. Use social media, email marketing, and in-store advertisements to encourage customers to tune in. Offering exclusive online promotions or content for internet radio listeners can help increase engagement and build a loyal audience.

Maximizing Your Reach with Internet Radio

By integrating both in-store and internet radio stations, you can create a cohesive audio experience that strengthens your brand across multiple channels. Broadcasting your unique sound in-store and online enables you to build a stronger connection with both in-store shoppers and a broader global audience.

Whether you’re using these platforms to promote new products, create a pleasant in-store atmosphere, or connect with listeners from around the world, in-store and internet radio stations offer a valuable opportunity to make your brand unforgettable. With the right strategy, content, and promotion, launching your radio station can become an essential part of your business's growth. Read More

[agileseen24]

How to check if your computer is being monitored

In today's digital age, the issue of privacy and security is more pressing than ever. Whether you’re a casual user or a professional, understanding if your computer is being monitored is crucial. This guide will delve into the signs of monitoring, tools to detect it, and steps to safeguard your privacy.

Understanding Computer Monitoring

Before diving into the signs and detection methods, it’s essential to understand what computer monitoring entails. Monitoring can involve tracking your online activity, keystrokes, file access, and even webcam usage. This can be done by malicious software (malware), spyware, or legitimate monitoring software used by employers or parents.

Types of Monitoring

Malware and Spyware: These are malicious programs that can be installed without your knowledge. They can track your activities and send data back to an attacker.

Keyloggers: This type of software records keystrokes, capturing sensitive information like passwords and personal messages.

Remote Access Tools (RATs): These tools allow someone to control your computer remotely, monitoring your screen, accessing files, and even using your webcam.

Legitimate Monitoring Software: Often used in corporate environments, this software tracks employee activity for productivity or compliance reasons. While legal, it can still infringe on personal privacy.

Signs That Your Computer May Be Monitored

Recognizing the signs that your computer might be monitored is the first step in protecting yourself.

1. Unusual System Behavior

Slow Performance: If your computer suddenly becomes sluggish, it might be due to monitoring software consuming resources.

Frequent Crashes or Freezes: Unexpected system crashes can indicate underlying issues, including malware.

2. Suspicious Programs

Unknown Applications: Check your installed programs for any unfamiliar applications. Many monitoring tools disguise themselves as legitimate software.

High Resource Usage: Use the Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) to look for processes consuming excessive CPU or memory.

3. Network Activity

Unexplained Network Traffic: Use network monitoring tools to check for unusual data being sent or received. High outbound traffic could indicate that data is being transmitted without your consent.

Blocked Ports: Monitoring software often uses specific ports to communicate. If you notice blocked ports that you didn’t configure, it could be a red flag.

4. Webcam and Microphone Behavior

Indicator Light Activation: If your webcam or microphone is being accessed without your knowledge, the indicator light may be on even when you're not using it.

Unexpected Recordings: Check for unusual files that could be recordings made by your microphone or webcam.

5. Browser Behavior

Unusual Browser Extensions: Check for extensions you didn’t install. Some can track your browsing activity.

Unexpected Redirects: Frequent redirects to strange sites or altered search results can indicate tracking.

6. Security Alerts

Antivirus Notifications: If your antivirus software frequently alerts you about threats, it may indicate that monitoring software is present.

Firewall Alerts: Unusual outgoing connection attempts can suggest that an unauthorized program is trying to access the internet.

Tools to Detect Monitoring Software

If you suspect that your computer is being monitored, several tools can help you investigate further.

1. Antivirus and Anti-Malware Software

Using a reliable antivirus or anti-malware program can help detect and remove malicious software. Some popular options include:

Malwarebytes: Excellent for detecting and removing malware and spyware.

Norton: Offers comprehensive protection against various types of threats.

2. Network Monitoring Tools

Tools like Wireshark can help analyze network traffic and identify suspicious activity. You can monitor data packets to see if there are any unexpected connections.

3. Task Manager / Activity Monitor

Regularly check the Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) for processes that look unfamiliar or suspicious. Research any questionable applications before taking action.

4. System Scans

Use built-in tools to perform system scans:

Windows Defender: Run a full scan for malware and spyware.

Mac’s Built-in Security Features: Use the Malware Removal Tool for additional scanning.

5. Firewall Monitoring

Make sure your firewall is active and monitor logs for any unusual activity. A firewall can block unauthorized access attempts and alert you to potential threats.

Steps to Protect Your Privacy

If you determine that your computer is being monitored or you want to prevent it from happening, follow these steps to enhance your security.

1. Update Your Software Regularly

Keeping your operating system and all software up-to-date ensures that you have the latest security patches. This reduces vulnerabilities that can be exploited by monitoring tools.

2. Use Strong Passwords

Implement strong, unique passwords for all your accounts and devices. Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords securely.

3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, making unauthorized access much more difficult.

4. Install a Firewall

Ensure you have a firewall activated, whether it’s built-in (like Windows Firewall) or third-party. This helps control incoming and outgoing network traffic.

5. Be Cautious with Downloads

Avoid downloading software from untrusted sources, as this can introduce malware to your system. Always verify the legitimacy of software before installing it.

6. Regularly Review Permissions

Check application permissions on your device regularly. Revoke access for any apps that do not need to access your camera, microphone, or location.

7. Use a VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your internet connection, making it difficult for anyone to monitor your online activities.

8. Educate Yourself

Stay informed about the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices. Knowledge is your best defense against monitoring.

When to Seek Professional Help

If you suspect your computer is being monitored and cannot identify or remove the software yourself, consider seeking professional help. Cybersecurity experts can perform a thorough analysis of your system and provide tailored solutions.

Conclusion

Understanding if your computer is being monitored is vital for protecting your privacy. By recognizing the signs, utilizing detection tools, and implementing security measures, you can safeguard your personal information. Remember, vigilance is key in the ever-evolving landscape of digital security. Stay informed, proactive, and secure in your online presence.