if you’re worried about the new ToS for AO3, please remember that you are primed to distrust because of the way politics are intertwining with the internet right now. remember to look into definitions yourself, fact check, and look through the logic lense before jumping to conclusions.
AFAIK right now, the update clarifies terms that have already existed. it’s not changing as much as it is clarity-rewriting. i’m still looking through the legalese (law student, i’m learning as I go) and I will be checking in again later, but don’t despair.
however, don’t get lax. download fics, connect with the authors, build out your communities. comment and bookmark and save, and please don’t stop writing.
One of my biggest nitpicks in fiction concerns the feeding of babies. Mothers dying during/shortly after childbirth or the baby being separated form the mother shortly after birth is pretty common in fiction. It is/was also common enough in real life, which is why I think a lot of writers/readers don’t think too hard about this. however. Historically, the only reason the vast majority of babies survived being separated from their mother was because there was at least one other woman around to breastfeed them. Before modern formula, yes, people did use other substitutes, but they were rarely, if ever, nutritionally sufficient.
Newborns can’t eat adult food. They can’t really survive on animal milk. If your story takes place in a world before/without formula, a baby separated from its mother is going to either be nursed by someone else, or starve.
It doesn’t have to be a huge plot point, but idk at least don’t explicitly describe the situation as excluding the possibility of a wetnurse. “The father or the great grandmother or the neighbor man or the older sibling took and raised the baby completely alone in a cave for a year.” Nope. That baby is dead I’m sorry. “The baby was kidnapped shortly after birth by a wizard and hidden away in a secret tower” um quick question was the wizard lactating? “The mother refused to see or touch her child after birth so the baby was left to the care of the ailing grandfather” the grandfather who made the necessary arrangements with women in the neighborhood, right? right? OR THAT GREAT OFFENDER “A newborn baby was left on the doorstep and they brought it in and took care of it no issues” What Are You Going to Feed That Baby. Hello?
Like. It’s not impossible, but arrangements are going to have to be made. There are some logistics.
All wizards lactate naturally
That’s what Gandalf’s Big Naturals are for
I just love the idea of a cis male wizard finding a baby and thinking, “Oh man. I have been waiting for an excuse to try this spell.” and enchanting themselves to have functional and loaded breasts so they can feed their new charge.
I keep seeing this in my notifications and thinking, “What imbecile cursed me with the phrase ‘functional and loaded breasts’?” and then discovering that I am in fact the imbecile.
You might be in a reactionary queer exclusionist movement if…
(As penned by someone who lived through the peaks of tumblr ace, bi, and dysphoria discourse.)
You find yourself saying that XYZphobia either 1) doesn’t exist, 2) is misdirected ABCphobia, or 3) isn’t nearly as bad as ABCphobia, so it’s not an issue, really.
You say everyone talking about XYZphobia is just ABCphobic.
One of your main issues include either the idea that XYZ people will confuse cishets, or that XYZ people are co-opting queer spaces / resources (and are thus all inherently ABCphobes).
You find yourself giving them a stupid-sounding nickname to derogatorily refer to them with. (Think “asexies”, “bihets”, etc.)
You prop up XYZ people on your side of the discourse as “one of the good ones”.
You make copypastas / jokes out of them expressing pain or trying to keep themselves safe. (Think like how ‘the aphobe blocklist’ became a meme.)
i do not care if someone learned compassion from a cartoon or a comic or an anime im just glad they’re here with us now a better person fighting the good fight. should it have taken something so trivial? maybe not- but it’s in the past! and this is the now! and if they’re objectively better for it who cares
“it took gay shipping for this adult to stop being homophobic 😬” ok but they stopped being actively homophobic. that’s what you just said. that’s literally the only important part you understand that right? this is a win for everyone you get that?
we all start somewhere and im going to be real buddy i only care about the harm you did or didn’t cause on your journey and where you ended up. whatever set it off only matters as much as you want it too
Surely that is a major part of why we want more representation in mainstream media in the first place. It’s very weird to campaign for good portrayals and then get mad when they work.
i took elvish in school and i fucking hated it. the teacher was like 700 years old and he’d like take us on field trips to sit on the banks of babbling brooks and watch the fall of sunlight through the leaves. my friends in spanish class were like conjugating verbs and shit and meanwhile i was in an old-growth forest being overcome with awe at the sight of a majestic stag. like uhh yeah mr autumnheart when are we gonna learn like any grammar “listen to the murmur of the wind in the treetops, and you shall find the grammar you seek” like fuck dude your pedagogy leaves much to be desired
Just thought to myself “can’t women have a bad time in fiction without rape being involved” which really shows you how much you’re in the fucking trenches if you are both a horror fan and women fan
Anyway. There’s lot of places for these stories don’t get me wrong but HUGE shout out to women in horror stories that have terrible things happen that don’t involve: pregnancy, motherhood, and/or sexual assault. You too deserve to have a cronenburg eqsue body horror transformation because you trusted a glowing green liquid to solve your problems
do u think omegaverse acknowledges covid-19 and the generation of people who permanently lost their sense of smell like how are they all scenting each other now is the omegaverse economy in shambles
actually pheromone sensing works differently from normal olfaction, since humans in our world don’t have a functioning vomeronasal organ (VNO), we don’t have any data on how covid-19 would affect a functioning VNO in omegaverse AUs
Actually there is evidence that covid probably would affect the VNO and it stands to reason would accordingly impair its function. Briefly:
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid, can only infect cells expressing a certain protein called ACE2
ACE2 is expressed widely in nasal cavity epithelial cells but not in olfactory sensory neurons.
Seo et al. (2021) studied potential nasal targets for SARS-CoV-2 using golden hamsters as a model organism (commonly used as a proxy for humans in virology studies)
They found ACE2 expression in the main olfactory bulb epithelium (MOE, your “normal” nose organ) as well as the vomeronasal organ (VNO)
Several cell types in the VNO were able to be infected and they also found significant inflammatory activity (macrophage activation, apoptotic cells, etc)
The specifics of how covid actually causes dysosmia are not known for sure but epithelial damage by local inflammatory immune responses likely plays a role, especially because sensory neurons themselves are not affected (Bilinska, & Butowt, 2020). Therefore I would suggest a potential similar effect of VNO dysfunction as we see in the main olfactory bulb
From Seo et al.: “Considering the function of the VNO, infection and subsequent pathologic changes may affect the behavior of Syrian hamsters”
If it stands to reason that omegaverse individuals have functioning VNOs similar to members of the animal kingdom, then it is more than reasonable to conclude that covid may cause them to lose not only their main olfactory function, but also their VNO function as well
In conclusion the omegaverse economy IS in shambles.
OP this is very well-written but im still hung up on how you came onstage dressed as a clown only to tear off the costume and reveal yourself as a biologist
do u think omegaverse acknowledges covid-19 and the generation of people who permanently lost their sense of smell like how are they all scenting each other now is the omegaverse economy in shambles
actually pheromone sensing works differently from normal olfaction, since humans in our world don’t have a functioning vomeronasal organ (VNO), we don’t have any data on how covid-19 would affect a functioning VNO in omegaverse AUs
Actually there is evidence that covid probably would affect the VNO and it stands to reason would accordingly impair its function. Briefly:
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid, can only infect cells expressing a certain protein called ACE2
ACE2 is expressed widely in nasal cavity epithelial cells but not in olfactory sensory neurons.
Seo et al. (2021) studied potential nasal targets for SARS-CoV-2 using golden hamsters as a model organism (commonly used as a proxy for humans in virology studies)
They found ACE2 expression in the main olfactory bulb epithelium (MOE, your “normal” nose organ) as well as the vomeronasal organ (VNO)
Several cell types in the VNO were able to be infected and they also found significant inflammatory activity (macrophage activation, apoptotic cells, etc)
The specifics of how covid actually causes dysosmia are not known for sure but epithelial damage by local inflammatory immune responses likely plays a role, especially because sensory neurons themselves are not affected (Bilinska, & Butowt, 2020). Therefore I would suggest a potential similar effect of VNO dysfunction as we see in the main olfactory bulb
From Seo et al.: “Considering the function of the VNO, infection and subsequent pathologic changes may affect the behavior of Syrian hamsters”
If it stands to reason that omegaverse individuals have functioning VNOs similar to members of the animal kingdom, then it is more than reasonable to conclude that covid may cause them to lose not only their main olfactory function, but also their VNO function as well
In conclusion the omegaverse economy IS in shambles.
OP this is very well-written but im still hung up on how you came onstage dressed as a clown only to tear off the costume and reveal yourself as a biologist
do u think omegaverse acknowledges covid-19 and the generation of people who permanently lost their sense of smell like how are they all scenting each other now is the omegaverse economy in shambles
actually pheromone sensing works differently from normal olfaction, since humans in our world don’t have a functioning vomeronasal organ (VNO), we don’t have any data on how covid-19 would affect a functioning VNO in omegaverse AUs
Actually there is evidence that covid probably would affect the VNO and it stands to reason would accordingly impair its function. Briefly:
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid, can only infect cells expressing a certain protein called ACE2
ACE2 is expressed widely in nasal cavity epithelial cells but not in olfactory sensory neurons.
Seo et al. (2021) studied potential nasal targets for SARS-CoV-2 using golden hamsters as a model organism (commonly used as a proxy for humans in virology studies)
They found ACE2 expression in the main olfactory bulb epithelium (MOE, your “normal” nose organ) as well as the vomeronasal organ (VNO)
Several cell types in the VNO were able to be infected and they also found significant inflammatory activity (macrophage activation, apoptotic cells, etc)
The specifics of how covid actually causes dysosmia are not known for sure but epithelial damage by local inflammatory immune responses likely plays a role, especially because sensory neurons themselves are not affected (Bilinska, & Butowt, 2020). Therefore I would suggest a potential similar effect of VNO dysfunction as we see in the main olfactory bulb
From Seo et al.: “Considering the function of the VNO, infection and subsequent pathologic changes may affect the behavior of Syrian hamsters”
If it stands to reason that omegaverse individuals have functioning VNOs similar to members of the animal kingdom, then it is more than reasonable to conclude that covid may cause them to lose not only their main olfactory function, but also their VNO function as well
In conclusion the omegaverse economy IS in shambles.
OP this is very well-written but im still hung up on how you came onstage dressed as a clown only to tear off the costume and reveal yourself as a biologist
i was playing scrabble and i had a B, U, R, G, E, and R and i thought “aha burger, one who burgs, but my mom will never accept that as a word” but then i remembered burger is actually a word
one time I played the word “am” and I thought, they can totally let that slide because of AM radio and A.M time.
then i remembered
Scrabble does things to your mind that you can never come back from.
I once was playing and put down ‘cow’ but in my mind I was saying it so it rhymed with ‘crow’ and I told my friend that it might not be a real word but I’m playing it and he can’t stop me and he looked me right in the eye and said it like how ‘cow’ is supposed to be said and I was so mad at myself I nearly flipped the board.
My brother played the word ‘scrabble’ and my mom said, “I actually don’t think that’s a word.” And I said, “yes it is? ‘scrabbled eggs’???”
One time my mom played “early,” and I was like: “What does that mean? Resembling an earl?”
If you go on this site and say something like “I’m broke right now, I’ll have rice instead of steak for dinner” then somebody will come into your comments with the most condescending tone possible and say “EXCUSE ME but rice is FAR more expensive than steak”, and if you disagree with them then they’ll be like “Fancy gourmet rice cooked for you by a professional chef is much more costly than if your parents give you the steak that they won in a raffle” and act like this is a reasonable reading of your original post and they’ve successfully corrected you
Me: So basically William Miller said the world would end in 1884. When it didn’t, it was called the great disappointment. Miller lived his life in exile, and his followers became the 7th Day Adventists.
My aunt who was almost a nun: [Rolls her eyes like we are queening out] “They’ve been saying stuff like that forever!”
Me: [gay wrist] “Right!?”
When I say “almost a nun” I mean she ditched her final vows DAY OF to go marry my uncle.
If you go on this site and say something like “I’m broke right now, I’ll have rice instead of steak for dinner” then somebody will come into your comments with the most condescending tone possible and say “EXCUSE ME but rice is FAR more expensive than steak”, and if you disagree with them then they’ll be like “Fancy gourmet rice cooked for you by a professional chef is much more costly than if your parents give you the steak that they won in a raffle” and act like this is a reasonable reading of your original post and they’ve successfully corrected you
At some point “fanfic can be as good as professional writing” became “fanfic should be as good as professional writing” and that’s caused major damage to fandom spaces.
Some insectivore (and one rodent) sensory homunculi. The proportionately larger parts represent how much that area is represented in the brain’s somatosensory cortex.
i love characters who are always like fear not, i shall take care of this problem for you….. by sacrificing myself!! and everyone else is like i swear to god if you pull this shit again i’ll kill you
People always gloss over how mentally damaging it can be to work in retail. I fucking hate that whenever I say “I could never work in retail again” someone has to reply “You snowflake millennials can’t take a starter job because you have to INTERACT with other people” No. Fuck you. I’ve worked as a planetarium host. I’ve worked as a public speaker. I’ve worked as a tutor and as a student teacher. I can work with people. I can work with crowds. Retail was fucking different. Retail was being treated as a subhuman. Retail was being treated so poorly that you have anxiety attacks before work. Having to work retail was a factor in my last suicide attempt. If I hear you say one fucking word about retail workers playing the victim I will personally break every bone in your body. Fuck You.
The holidays are coming up. Retail workers are going to be spiraling into a nightmare beyond human comprehension. If you’ve worked retail, you know this. If you haven’t, be aware of it. Please be kind to every retail worker you come across. Please be patient and understanding. It is misery out there.
Listen, okay.
A few years ago I went grocery shopping on Christmas Eve because I…frankly, because I forgot it was Christmas Eve. I’m sure a few people got a good laugh when it hit me mid-shop why it was so fucking crowded.
Anyway I went through self-checkout and halfway through my order it imploded.
Someone came over to help me with it and kept apologizing and after realizing this was not going to be as simple as them swiping a card and tapping a number, I said “would it make your life easier tonight if I just did the rest of my order through a regular checkout?” and the attendant said yes AND STARTED CRYING.
I want you, if you have never worked retail, to ask yourself what it would take to push you to the point that a friendly, neutral-value question would make you burst into tears. Imagine it, really think about it. And then realize retail and food service workers go through so much abuse THEIR LIMIT IS PROBABLY HIGHER THAN YOURS. Because they’re used to it.
Be kind. Ask a harried cashier if they need a minute to grab a drink of water. Offer them a smile. If the machine goes down, make it clear you know it’s not their fault. Nothing about your transaction will matter an hour from now—treat it that way. Let them breathe.
(Also, speaking as a veteran of the food service trenches, you know what made me feel A LOT better when I had an asshole customer? Another customer acknowledging that the first customer was an asshole. A simple “wow, who pissed in THEIR Cheerios this morning?” was enough to let me take a breath and relax and let it roll off more easily.)
I’m a professor now, so I deal with people all the time in a variety of contexts, and there is no way I ever want to go back to being a cashier, even at double my current pay (which would never happen of course because retail workers are not only poorly treated, they are severely underpaid).
Can confirm all of the above, I’m never going back to retail.
BE KIND TO RETAIL WORKERS.
It’s been decades since I worked retail. A few years ago Husband and I were shopping at a big box retail store; maybe Target, I don’t remember. What I DO remember is that the loudspeaker clicked on and “Jillian, cashier please” rang across the store.
I don’t know what my face did, but Husband looked at me, then got me the hell out of the store before I had a panic attack.
god im so glad i grew out of harry potter could you imagine how awful i’d be still asking people what their house is like we dodged the magnum bullet
there was a time when i was deeply into it but im so glad i read Eragon and realized books can contain many adventures and some are better than others and life is about experiencing those
this is crazy to me because i was wildly obsessed with the series for like a decade until it concluded then never reread it
i desire more rp & people asking my ocs questions. this post is here to remind everyone that you can ask my ocs questions & i’ll respond in character & post a little doodle if i feel like it
i desire more rp & people asking my ocs questions. this post is here to remind everyone that you can ask my ocs questions & i’ll respond in character & post a little doodle if i feel like it