Bluesky is corporate and sucks but your experience doesn't have to
Bluesky seemed like a haven for many people. I was never a Twitter guy but I've been hearing a lot of shit about it and now they're finally pulling things that are making a lot of people leave, so buckle up!
Bluesky is actually the proof of concept for the AT (Atmosphere) protocol, shortened to ATProto from this point on. This means the things that power Bluesky are built in a way so that if other websites used them, they could interact. It's like how if you have gmail account, you can still send emails to somebody with a proton account, but for social media.
Why is this important?
Bluesky is not the only website that runs ATProto! You can move to another website that supports it. The only snag there is that there aren't many websites out there yet! But the number is non-zero.
Blacksky (https://blacksky.community/) is an ATProto based website focused on providing a safe space for black users, especially those coming from Bluesky.
Northsky (https://northskysocial.com/) is an upcoming ATProto based website focused on providing a safe space for queer users.
Wafrn (https://wafrn.net/) is a website that uses both ATProto and ActivityPub (the protocol that powers Mastodon, among many other services) and is aimed at Tumblr users. Since Wafrn uses both ATProto and ActivityPub, you can follow users from websites that use either!
If you're willing to do some clunky setup and don't want to be on an ATProto based platform anymore but still want to talk to your Bluesky (or Northsky, or Blacksky) friends, you can join an ActivityPub-based website and use Bridgy Fed (https://fed.brid.gy/) to bridge your account!
However, Bridgy Fed is a fully optional bridge. In order for you to interact with users on websites that use a protocol your website doesn't use, both you and that user have to be bridged. But setup is very simple! You just find your protocol's version of the bot and follow it, and you can unbridge at any time.
Unfortunately, since ActivityPub and ATProto are different protocols, direct migrations aren't possible. But migrations between websites based on the same protocols are. The people behind Bridgy Fed are working on a migration tool called Bounce (https://blog.anew.social/bounce-a-cross-protocol-migration-tool/) for ATProto to ActivityPub migrations but AFAIK it isn't out yet.
Many Fediverse instances allow a wide range of art! Plenty more of them are queer friendly or at least aren't gonna ban you for not liking particular political figures. There are plenty of lists out there, but here's one I reccomend if you're interested in diving into ActivityPub based websites: https://wiki.scumsuck.com/socialmedia:fediverse
If you're not interested in federated platforms, but still want somewhere to post (aside from Tumblr, anyway), I'd reccomend Pillowfort (https://pillowfort.social/). They've been around for several years, so they're not gonna go down at any moment, and they're entirely user funded—which means no advertisers breathing down their neck! Plenty of users on there claim that despite the small community, they get lots of interaction (though it does take a while to learn the ropes!).
Regardless of where you go, there are always better places. You just need to look. The web can only improve if we make an effort to stop giving shitty corporations our time, attention, and money.
Another story for a class. This one was meant to be horror-based, but blood and guts don't scare me so I went for something more psychological and abstract.
CW: child abuse, dehumanization, brief description of blood in last section
Desc: Lily always did what she was told.
—•—
Lily was well-behaved. She never made a mess, she never made noise, and she always listened. There were times when she would misbehave and be sent to her crate or her toys would be taken away, but it was always followed up with praise, treats, and apologies.
There were many things she wasn’t allowed to do.
If she was found entertaining herself with the wrong things, they would be taken away. She was only allowed to play with the toys that the people had gotten for her, not the ones that the others had.
“They’re not good for you,” the people of the house always said.
Sometimes, there would be others over, and they didn’t say those things. They let her do whatever she wanted. Maybe they didn’t know.
There were two of them this time. Their names were Winston and Ramona. Winston was a tall man with a goatee and dark hair, and Ramona was a shorter woman with pale red, curly hair. Lily hadn’t seen them before, but the people must have known them. They were showing the two around, telling them where her crate was and how they stored her toys.
When they reached the living room, Winston motioned to the TV.
“What about the TV?” He asked. “I brought some movies--”
“Don’t turn it on. It scares her.”
Lily didn’t remember ever being scared by the TV. It was just a screen. What was there to fear? Last time she watched it, it was fun.
“Okay,” Winston said.
It seemed like the people wouldn’t let her get away with anything this time.
—•—
She spent years between daycare, home with the people, and occasionally, home with Winston and Ramona. Daycare was the most interesting of the three. It was where she met others like her. As time passed, the way the people referred to daycare changed, but it always stayed the same.
The day would begin with a gathering. Lily and the others would be drilled on every trick they knew and work on new ones until about halfway through the day. Then, they would eat and it would be time to go outside.
Many of the others came with toys. They weren’t soft and simple like hers were. Some moved or made noise. There were ones with sharp-looking pieces and dark colors; nothing like her bright and round ones at home. The others’ toys reminded her of the things that the people always said would scare her, but she didn’t find them scary at all. They were fascinating.
Without the people there, no one could stop her from playing with the others and their toys.
One of the others tried to give her a toy once. She couldn’t take it home, so she hid it in a corner. The next day, it was gone.
—•—
As the years passed, the types of toys she and the others played with changed. They still played with the soft toys and the sharp ones, but now there were ones that were just meant to be held and looked at. The ones the people of the house gave her weren’t nearly as interesting as the ones the others had, but she couldn’t look at them for long. If she took one home, they’d take it away.
This particular one was beautiful. She wanted to keep looking at it, but it was almost time to go home.
“You can take it if you want as long as you give it back,” the one who lent it to her said.
So, Lily took it and hid it as best she could. When the people picked her up, they didn’t notice. As soon as they arrived at home, she went to her crate.
It was risky. She couldn’t shut the crate, only the people could, so they could walk in at any moment. But it was worth it.
She looked at the toy, soaking it in. A wave of joy enveloped her.
The door swung open.
Lily threw the toy behind herself and grabbed the nearest one.
“What are you reading, Lily?” The person asked.
“Uh,” Lily said, staring at the toy. She turned it towards them. “This.”
“What’s it about?”
She had no idea. Her heart rose to her throat.
“Um,” she said. She fumbled with the toy. “I uh. I don’t know.”
The person frowned.
“Lily, what is that?” They said.
She followed their eyes to a sight that brought pain to her chest. The toy had fallen from behind her. Lily reached, but the person grabbed it before she could. They bared their teeth and scrunched their brow.
“This isn’t one of the books we bought for you,” they said. “Where did you get this?”
“School,” she said, the word coming out as a squeak.
She was never able to give it back.
—•—
There came a day when the people no longer wanted her in their home. They didn't force her out—not exactly—but it was months of small remarks and strange glances. So, she gathered her things and went to the only place she could: the woods.
The trees stretched above her, branches clawing at the sky. As the moon rose, they only grew sharper. Then, the sky darkened completely and water fell. She stopped under a tree by a stream for shelter, placing her things at the roots. She curled up and went to sleep.
Something touched her. It was slightly damp but surrounded by softness. Warm air came from it.
Lily opened her eyes to the stare of a wolf.
It sniffed at her again, then stuck its nose into her neck. Its fur brushed against her face. Then, it pulled away.
It was pure white, but red tinged the fur around its mouth. It licked its lips, exposing reddened teeth.
When it spoke, it had Winston's voice. She hadn't heard it in years, but she always remembered it.
"Lily?" It said. "Is that you?"
"Yes," she said.
It ran its long, slippery tongue across her face. Against the dim dawn light, its eyes nearly glowed.
"Come with me," it said.
Lily rose from her place.
"Okay," she said.
The wolf walked on all fours, so she did the same. It curled its lips to grin at her with needle-sharp teeth. Then, it howled.
More wolves slinked in from the surrounding trees. Some had their mouths open, tongues hanging, while others simply stared. The largest one came forward, licking its lips. They surrounded Lily on all sides, fur and muscle pushing into her body.
Also known as just over 3,000 words of headcanons about how transformers work. Made specifically for the Still alive series at first, but I'm definitely gonna reuse these in any other fics I make.
This is posted to Ao3! You can read it through there or just keep going to read it here.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Cybertronian Biology & Speculations
Species: Cybertronus cybertroni
Common names: Cybertronians, Transformers
FRAME CLASSIFICATIONS
Cybertronians are an immensely diverse species. Because of this, many medics specialize in certain frame types. Still, all medics are expected to familiarize themselves with the basics of each general frame type. Frametypes are divided by size (lightweight, heavyweight) and alt mode (aerial, ground-based vehicle, tool, beast).
Examples:
A Seeker drone is a lightweight aerial frame.
The rare ULCHTAR model is an exception to this—such mecha are ultra-lightweight aerial frames.
A Quintesson shuttle warframe is a heavyweight aerial frame.
A garbage disposal drone is a lightweight ground-based vehicle frame.
A tank warframe is a heavyweight ground-based vehicle frame.
A security console drone is a heavyweight tool frame.
Tool frames are generally small. Heavyweight tool frames are often the size of lightweight mecha of other frame types.
A security cassette drone is a lightweight tool frame.
A dragonformer is a heavyweight beast frame.
A mech with a retrorat alt mode is an ultra-lightweight beast frame.
Frame descriptions are often abbreviated to save space, with a separator between size class and alt mode type.
HW = heavyweight
LW = lightweight
ULW = ultra-lightweight
A = aerial
GBV = ground-based vehicle
T = tool
B = beast
Example: An ULCHTAR Seeker drone would be listed as "ULW/A."
VITALS
Typical vitals include core and external temperatures, air cycle rate, spark RPM, and fuel line pressure. Cybertronians run quite hot, with core temperatures anywhere from 100-105 Fahrenheit considered normal, depending on size. Smaller cybertronians tend to run hotter. An abnormally high air cycle rate is an indicator of overheating or strain on systems, while a low one does not bear clinical significance unless other signs are present. Fuel line pressure is correlated with fuel consumption and processing. A mech that is struggling to process fuel or that has not taken in sufficient amounts of fuel will have low pressure.
PORTS, DIAGNOSTICS, AND MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
Every cybertronian has port panels in multiple locations on their body. They cover ports and secondary intakes (which can be altered to function as built-in IVs with some medic overrides—without overrides, they lead directly to the fuel tank). Mecha who don't have mouths will drink energeon through these secondary intakes. They are typically located on the forearm and the backs of the lower leg.
Mechanimals feed their young fuel directly from their lines using their secondary intakes, so it's possible that the overrides medics use to convert them into IVs are based on the ones mechanimals use. Code comparisons have shown great similarity, but this theory is still unconfirmed.
Medications can be administered in the following ways:
Orally/by mouth (PO)
Intralineally (IL) - Can be through medical port overrides or by locating fuel lines through gaps between plating.
Through mesh - Closest to intradermal that one can get. Certain areas of a cybertronian's body are softer than others. These areas, referred to as mesh, have armor thin enough for medicine to be absorbed from patches placed on them. However, this can only be done on the neck and arms, as the legs don't have enough protoform present to absorb the medication.
Intraprotoform (IPR) - needle is placed between plating and protoform. Medicine is then absorbed by the protoformic membrane. Limited in usage due to the membrane only absorbing certain substances.
Inhalation/through vents - typically not recommended, as medication is likely to be exhaled before it has a chance to act. Cybertronians primarily use air for cooling, so not much of it is processed as it passes through.
CIRCULATORY AND LOCOMOTIVE SYSTEMS
Cybertronians are an armored species. They do not have internal skeletons. This is how they are able to achieve such complex transformations. However, they do have a closed circulatory system, unlike many Earth species with external skeletons. They have fuel lines (also referred to as energeon lines) throughout their bodies, and fuel is circulated using pumps attached to these lines. Their lines complete a circuit throughout the body, typically meeting in the torso. The two major pumps, the thoracic and the lumbar, are located at these intersections. Other pumps of note are the two cervical pumps, which allow fuel to reach and exit the processor.
Cybertronians move using what are referred to as 'motors,' in a system similar to pulleys. Motor threads are located throughout their bodies, which are pulled on by the motors themselves, allowing them to move. These threads are very strong, but can detach and reattach at will, which allows for the locomotive configuration of a Cybertronian to change completely between modes.
Weakness of the motors often presents as:
Clumsiness/sudden loss and regaining of control of body parts (from motors detaching or breaking and reattaching)
Shakiness or jerkiness of movements, especially when lifting objects or walking (due to difficulty supporting weight)
THERMOREGULATION
Cybertronians do not require air to survive, but cycle it to regulate their temperatures. Most have vents on/near their heads to take air in, but they can be located anywhere. Air and gaseous waste exit through small gaps between their plating. They have internal fans that cycle air beneath their armor. These fans are often damaged in cases of blunt trauma, and may be broken even if outer plating appears intact.
Overheating is very dangerous for a cybertronian. Generally, cybertronians tolerate colder conditions better than hotter ones, but they are not immune to the cold. If the fuel in their lines freezes—even partially—it can be fatal. To warm the body when a mech's temperature falls too low, the sublimation system is relied on, resulting in increased fuel consumption in lower temperatures. In hotter temperatures, fuel consumption decreases as system activities are minimized to reduce heat produced.
Overheating can also be induced by overtaxing a cybertronian's frame. This presents slightly differently, as noted below.
Symptoms of frozen fuel:
Loss of color in the extremities
Unusual fuel line pressure readings
Weakening of the spark, if routes to the spark chamber are occluded
Smoke from between gaps in plating (in severe cases; typically from internal causes rather than environmental ones)
A "need to lie down"/recumbency (in severe cases) or lethargy (in less severe cases)
FUEL PROCESSING
All Cybertronians have at least one fuel tank. Larger Cybertronians, such as titans or shuttles, may have a secondary fuel tank used to store extra fuel for long distance travel. When a Cybertronian with multiple fuel tanks intakes fuel, any overflow will go into their secondary tank. Those with a single tank will naturally stop before they reach that point unless their fuel level sensors are malfunctioning.
Proper fuel level sensor function is important, as fuel tanks are inflexible and have a fixed capacity. Cybertronians cannot vomit, and therefore cannot rid themselves of excess fuel, so intake beyond capacity can cause great harm to their systems.
Unmodified Cybertronians
From the fuel tank, fuel passes through a sediment filter, which picks up any debris in the fuel. Afterward, it passes through a fine filter, which removes unwanted molecules. Both filters send waste to the sublimation system, where it is turned to a gaseous form and released into the ventilation system. This gaseous release of waste is why many species must be wary of staying in a poorly ventilated space with a Cybertronian for extended periods of time, and why Cybertronian spaces are often so well ventilated in the first place.
Any waste that cannot be released in gaseous form is circulated back into the fuel lines, which is why it's important for Cybertronians to only intake proper fuels. Unlike their mechanimal relatives, Cybertronians cannot excrete solid or liquid waste. Accumulated waste from improper fuel requires medical intervention.
Defects of the filters may result in:
Buildup of sediment in filters, or, conversely, a buildup of sediment in fuel lines due to inability to filter
Delayed fuel tank emptying (due to obstruction/reduced flow)
Decreased fuel line pressure (typically due to the above)
Lethargy
Inappetence
Defects of the sublimation system may result in:
Straining of the fan system, and in severe cases, fogging or smoke (due to excessive material in the fan system)
Abnormal core temperature (the sublimation system contributes greatly to internal heating)
Crystals in the fuel lines (from partially sublimated material)
Nutritional imbalances (due to loss of minerals or an inability to release excess minerals)
Lethargy
Cold and/or heat intolerance
Modified Cybertronians
Some cybertronians have had their fuel processing systems modified to resemble that of mechanimals. Rather than fuel going directly to the filters, it passes through the processing tubes, where any solids are dissolved. These dissolved materials are passed on to the filters, then to the sublimation system. Any waste the sublimation system cannot remove is sent to the waste tank for later elimination. This allows modified cybertronians to consume fuels other than purified energeon, and alters the presentation of fuel processing issues.
In modified cybertronians, defects of the filters may result in:
Excessive or reduced passing of waste
Decreased fuel line pressure
Delayed fuel tank emptying
Lethargy
Inappetence or, conversely, cravings for fuel despite a full tank
Nutritional imbalances
In modified cybertronians, defects of the sublimation system may result in:
Abnormal core temperature
Straining of the fan system (due to abnormal temperature)
Nutritional imbalances
Discomfort in the waste tank, and in severe cases, blockage, due to improperly processed matter
Cold and/or heat intolerance (due to inability to effectively thermoregulate)
Fuel-Saving Measures
As referenced in the section on thermoregulation, cybertronians can enact fuel-saving measures under specific circumstances, such as a hot environment. Mecha suited for far travel, especially space travel, can control their fuel-saving measures consciously.
Fuel saving measures include:
Dimming of the optics and other lights on the frame
Shutdown of processes deemed non-essential to basic functioning, such as comms or weapons
Emergency stasis, a form of unconsciousness which activates only when absolutely necessary
Mecha designed for long-term travel can enter stasis willingly for set amounts of time. In that case, it's more akin to hibernation.
COLORATION
Rather than cells, cybertronians are composed of nanites. Though similar to cells in many ways, nanites are composed of different materials.
Most cybertronians are naturally colorful due to their nanites producing pigment, but their colors may be dulled due to stress, injury, or disease. When an injury occurs, color is typically the last thing to return. It is also often the first thing to change when a cybertronian is seriously ill. Color is often examined when searching for signs of illness because of this.
Cybertronian paint is different from the paint used on vehicles. It is a mild form of medicine and cosmetic rolled into one, sort of like a non-intrusive healing tattoo. It encourages healing, while also prompting nanites to produce the desired color. The color does not wear off after application, though the healing factor does.
Nanites use byproducts of fuel processing to manufacture color, so mecha with fuel processing issues may be slow to recover colors after injury, or may have dull plating in general. Many ectoparasites of cybertronians and their relatives eat these byproducts, so loss of color is often presented when mecha are infested.
GENERAL SIGNS OF ILLNESS
Though some are already discussed above, it is convenient to have a list.
Dulling of coloration or areas missing coloration without recent injury
Decreased brightness of optics/visor
Thinning of plating, brittleness of plating, or pain after pressure has been placed on plating (typically indicative of chronic mineral deficiencies)
Lethargy/uncharacteristic unwillingness to engage in physical activity
Changes in appetite
Visible fog or smoke from plating seams
Lesions (rust) on plating
REPRODUCTION
Cybertronians are born from larger members of their species (such as planetformers and cityformers) as sparks surrounded by a liquid-like metal known as protoform that are encased in a tough membrane. This spark can be left to develop a body on its own by taking resources from its environment, or it may be taken and placed into an existing body. The protoform will then fill and form connections with the existing body. This takes significantly less time than allowing the body to form on its own, but the ethicality of the practice is debated.
Cybertronians allowed to develop bodies on their own are referred to as sparked, forged, or "true." Those who are placed into premade bodies are referred to as constructed. Many constructed cybertronians are made for specific purposes, such as manual labor, security, or warfare. Constructed cybertronians are often referred to as drones (if made for civilian purposes) or warframes (if made for war). Despite the wide usage of these terms, they are often considered derogatory by those they refer to.
Forged cybertronians can easily take on a variety of alt modes that fit the amount of plating they have, and do not always have an alt mode when their bodies first form. Constructed cybertronians are created with specific alt modes, and may struggle to drastically change them. For example, a constructed shuttle will always have to take the form of a large, space-faring craft. They cannot change between larger and smaller modes, or between flying and non-flying modes. Spark-frame integration errors are not uncommon with constructed mecha, leading to anything from motor to sensory processing issues.
Cybertronians grow (shedding old scutes of plating along the way), and being forged or constructed is impacted by this. Generally, the larger a forged cybertronian is, the older they are. This is not the case for constructed cybertronians, who may have been any size at integration, and therefore it is not a reliable indicator for them. Both types of cybertronian molt as they grow. The larger a cybertronian is, the more slowly they grow. Though, again, methods of creation are impacted by this. Constructed mecha tend to grow slower than forged mecha. Some constructed mecha don't grow at all.
It is theorized that planetformers were born as regularly sized cybertronians, and have obtained their sizes over time. Once they reach a large enough size, they go into a form of dormancy, where most of their higher processing shuts down and reproductive protocols engage. Using energy from nearby stars, planets, and the organisms that live on them, planetformers produce energeon and newsparks until their sparks eventually fade.
If this is true, there are two possibilities: all cybertronians not in this state are immature, or this is a natural variation in the species similar to ants and other eusocial insects. Planetformers and other large, reproductive members of the species may be 'queens,' and other, smaller mecha may be 'workers.' This may explain the cybertronian species's inclination toward interstellar exploration, and why they naturally seek out and care for newsparks.
CYBERTRONIAN SOCIAL HIERARCHY PRE-CIVIL WAR
Cybertronians are led by the Council of Primes. Each member takes on the title of Prime, which developed from an old religious title.
Forged mecha are the average citizen, born through typical means. They made up the majority of the population before the war with the Quintessons. After the war, it is a relatively even split between warframes and forged, with drones outnumbering both of them.
Warframes were created to fight in the war against the Quintessons, who aimed to conquer Cybertron and use cybertronians as weapons for further conquest. Many of them were created to resemble Quintesson vehicles to make infiltration easier and fool automatic targeting systems. In the current day, many warframes have undergone extensive cosmetic surgery to appear more like forged mecha, as there is heavy bias against them.
Many forged view warframes as threatening and violent, due to their origins and the fact that many of them are large and heavily armored. Warframes are restricted from jobs that require a gentle touch (such as newspark care or medicine) and are allowed only a single seat at the Council of Primes.
Empuratees are the second lowest on the hierarchy. Most empuratees are criminals, with their faces removed as punishment—stripping them of many means of expression. Nearly all warframes and all forged mecha have human-looking faces (eyes, lips, mouth, etc), so to strip a mech of those features is to strip away their personhood. When drone production began, many empuratees were forced to work in drone production factories.
Drones were created after the rate of forging fell. Without natural sparks, neither forged nor warframes could be created, so a new method of spark creation was born: spark splitting. An existing mech's spark energy is channeled through a focusing medium, resulting in the creation of one or more new sparks. After the first few successful attempts, the sparks of empuratees were used exclusively due to concern about the sparks becoming depleted. Usage of drone sparks was attempted, but unsuccessful, leading to the theory that drones do not have true sparks.
Drones are considered property of whichever mech or organization buys them. Many of them do not have faces, or are missing facial features. They cannot live independently, own property, vote, or choose their occupation. Most work jobs other mecha would not want to, or that are high risk, such as security monitoring, criminal capture, or waste disposal.
One notable type of drone is the Seeker Drone, which was created based on flight warframes. They are used to catch criminals and monitor cities—Cybertron's "eyes in the sky." The standards for Seeker Drones were high, so many were produced. Ones that did not pass rigorous enforcer testing but did successfully pass basic function testing were often sold as companionship drones for mecha with money to use however they pleased. They are one of the most commonly stolen types of drone, though that may be partially due to how plentiful they are.
Security Drones are the second most plentiful type of drone, often used to monitor facilities or homes. They were the first drone type to hit the civilian market. Many of them have mini-drones, also referred to as cassettes due to the console's visual resemblance to a cassette player. These mini-drones can be dispatched to monitor other areas, increasing the efficiency of the drone.
Companionship Drones are another category of drone. They were made exclusively for civilian use, unlike other types of drone. Many resemble animals or have an animal form, but not all. Due to the personal nature of their existence, they exhibit the widest variety of all drone types. They are meant to serve as companions for those who own them. Many are trained to provide emotional support or do chores. Rigorous temperament testing is required to ensure they can perform their function adequately.
finished the tirten-mettalus species guide... for now. still trying to decide how or if I'm gonna post the images in other places but for now you can stare at them on the page itself, and perhaps strain your eyes reading the 2k or so words on the page
