#confabulation

[transformativeworks]

WE ARE AT CONFABULATION IN CHICAGO!

Stop by the Fandom Lounge - or our panel tomorrow about Getting Involved with the OTW!

[wyzechyld]

I am truly amazed by how deep you sank your teeth into my existence—

and whether or not you loved me hardly stands out next to the multifaceted mélange of counterfeit moments

you wove so elegantly to keep my head twisted off my shoulders and full of sirens.

You are an artist, swooning to the sadistic melody of a siren captivated by her own reflection—

masticating the bitter fruits from each tree until there is nothing left but gnashing teeth,

twisted roots, a pound of flesh, and whatever the fuck might be left of a diseased me.

But to you, I could be anybody, so long as I’m weak.

So long as the cracks in my soul portray dim shadow puppets

falling forward as they fall asleep to the persistent thud, thud, thud of your dancing feet.

The insatiable thirst for chemical release you marked as love

viciously dominated each impulse hidden beneath words

spilling from your mouth like pregnant spiders.

Your chest swells with confabulation,

and you wonder why it hurts all the time.

But you know—really, really, you know—

possessed by vampiric intent, and honestly,

I wouldn’t be surprised if you were chalk full of flies.

I don’t wonder anymore, though uncertainty beckons,

repeatedly wandering from downcast eyes

so worried of being cast aside,

crystallized and stoned and—

shattered amidst lies.

A never-ending déjà vu—

or another one of those night terrors—

coming down with broken bones,

just to go paralyzed dreaming of elusive homes,

where no one ever needed me anyway.

Sleazy, queasy garnishes of pragmatic drive-bys—

freezing the frame so I can quickly erase the white chalk outlines while hope dies.

A needle in my arm to slam the truth somewhere the sun won’t shine,

because it doesn’t get any darker than this,

and I’m only getting started.

The night remains full of voices

that never really said anything at all,

and I’m still not wondering why it all happened this way.

[confabcon]

Earlybird pricing is ending in 2 days!

CONfab is coming! You've only got 2 more days to get the special earlybird pricing! Right now, you can register for the discounted price of $145! June 1st, the price will be rising.

CONfab runs 10/22-10/25/2026 in Chicago at the Springhill Suites O'Hare!

Register:

2026 CONfab Chicago Registration

Weekend Registration for CONfab Chicago includes all programming and activities over the entire convention. Activities start on Thursday eve

[openbagtwo]

The irony being that this was algorithmically recommended

I just watched the silliest, most darkly comedic video about the Minecraft Youtube scene I've seen, probably ever. I guess this fulfills the stated purpose of providing authors with inspiration... but only in the same way as me pooping my pants in high school ensured that all the cool kids knew my name.

On a related note, when I asked Google about a bit of HC lore I wasn't familiar with, their AI tool provided me with this writeup. I was momentarily confused until I saw in the upper-right the primary source they were citing.

[idrawtooslow]

Disseminate facts as if they are conspiracy theories. Make baseless claims that the "Truth" is being swept under the rug by shady evil-coded organizations, but use actual truths. Maybe this will reach some people whom reality has heretofore struggled to reach.

Decaf coffee still has caffeine in it. You ever notice they never say "zero caffeine"?

Double rainbows aren't even rare. People on social media just hype them up for clout.

The Moon isn't in sync with the sun or the Earth's rotation. Sometimes it even rises in the daytime. That perfectly crescent-shaped, cloud-looking thing? That's the Moon. But they don't want you to know that.

Car manufacturers are too greedy to care about your dog. In fact, it's incredibly unsafe to leave your dog unattended in your car. People's dogs have DIED that way! Don't let yours be next!

The Onion is a completely fake newspaper, and all its stories are 100% made up. They've been doing this blatantly for decades, and getting away with it. Don't believe ANYTHING you read on The Onion, or in any other place, if the source is the Onion!

No law enforcement, businesses, or anyone in an official capacity will ask for payment in gift cards. This is just a trick by Big Gift Card to get people to buy more gift cards. If someone claiming to be an official demands payment in gift cards, do not believe them, they are liars and probably work for the gift card corporations!

You get the idea. Run with it. Maybe we can put a dent in ignorance, by exploiting the very lack of critical thinking that causes so much of it.

[vielmouse]

My 1st Babylon 5 Fanvid

A contrast of humor and tragedy, with music visualizer effects. Combining the episode Atonement with the weird movie Thirdspace. (Delenn spoilers, mild flashing light warning)

not all effects rendered correctly, but I'm very happy with the parts that did. Premiered at Confabulation Con 2024!

[aleisternacht]

Confabulation: Refuge From The Past

[moscarific]

This weekend, I got to attend the first @confabcon held in person since 2019. I had drifted away from the online-only cons partially because of scheduling and partially because 3 long days on Zoom is more than my back and my ADHD can handle. This weekend, everyone present agreed that there's no real online substitute for gathering physically with other fans who have a similar approach to fandom, especially since almost all other fannish interaction takes place online. An in-person con lets you be fannish out loud in a way that's almost never possible. It's also a reminder that other people in fandom are just folks with lives and jobs, which makes me feel far less alone in the universe. At a time when the news is making me feel even more isolated from much of humanity than usual, I really needed that feeling of solidarity and community.

Although my schedule will never stop being a mess that gets in the way of fun, Confab is an easy annual commitment to attempt, because it will always take place in Chicago, a short and painless drive away. I got to drive with a passenger for most of the weekend, and build a new friendship with them along the way. (Username redacted to protect privacy - not sure if you're comfortable having your location shared - but you know who you are, and you are very cool.)

The con was as COVID-19 safe as an in-person event could be, with masks and proof of vaccination required, air filters in every room, and many participants testing daily throughout the event. I know it's hard to enforce these rules at larger cons, but that's why I won't be attending larger cons anytime soon.

So I have a bunch of new mutuals who I'm fairly certain are real humans and not bots. This is exciting! You're here just in time for figure skating season; I probably should have warned you that the Grand Prix series is six weeks of gif dumps. There will also be a lot of cat photos and Star Trek. I tag for easy keyword blocking.

I also got to teach a bunch of people how to make cocktails and plan his-and-his custom drinks for Stede Bonnet and Edward Teach, which was maybe a bucket list accomplishment. There will be pics and recipes after some shopping and taste testing.

I'm so grateful for this fabulous weekend, and I already can't wait for next year!