The Hertas Official Blog

now i cant do anything. i just have to block his number, keep doing survival sex work and pray i dont get hurt anymore.

"This is disgusting to me" is totally valid.

"I don't want to read this because it is disgusting to me" is totally valid.

"Censorship of some topics in fiction and art is good and I would be happy if it were to be enacted in a way I approved of"

and

"some things should be banned from ever being written or read about in fiction"

are both authoritarian viewpoints to hold and express, even if you don't have the power to enact them.

Something being nasty is not a good reason to ban fiction about it.

If we accept that "something being nasty is a good reason to bad fiction about it" then we give a foot in the door for all the people who truly, genuinely believe that queer people are nasty to ban all queer literature.

Either you’re for it or you aren’t.

The moment you agree that something should never, ever exist in fiction is the moment that anything can be banned.

Remember a while back how Tumblr banned a bunch of tags, including many popular innocuous ones that even people who are for censorship used and were upset about?

When censorship happens, stuff YOU like can and will be banned. That’s how it works.

Remember how a bunch of people had their accounts terminated here only last year for writing about their own sexual abuse?

When you ban “pedo” topics, say, any talk of child sexual abuse in any form, that means people can no longer write about their own experiences. It means people cannot educate others so they can learn how to protect themselves or get help from these situations.

Censorship is authoritarian. Full stop.

Even if “everyone” agrees something is “gross” and “shouldn’t exist,” that does not fucking matter.

Do you know who generally believes queer people are gross and shouldn’t exist??

The same people who are banning books left and right solely because they have queer characters or relationships.

The same people who attack and kill queer folk for simply exisiting.

This is not just some fandom matter or a case of being chronically online.

In 2007, Livejournal capitulated to the "pedophilia and sex crimes!" cries of (hate group) Warriors 4 Innocence, and you know what communities got shut down? Slashfic communities. Sexual assault survivor support communities. Authors who'd written non-smut m/m fic even got caught up in it. It was DEVASTATING to fandom spaces. I think pretty much everyone knew at least one person whose account was literally DELETED, or were a member of a community that was wiped off the map because they were considerate enough to include topics like "sexual assault" or "BDSM" in the profiles under the badly-named category of "interests" to indicate that posts on said blogs or communities may include discussion of things like that. Even if it was for a SUPPORT group. And it was because a group of religious bigots came to LJ and said essentially "EVERYONE thinks it's gross and that it's promoting CSA, we should ban it."

Like, strikethrough and boldthrough were a large part of what propelled AO3 out of a more unfocused conversation on one person's blog about hosting a site INTENDED for fandom content, into being an actual archive and nonprofit. And it's a large part of why you won't find AO3 banning topics that you find "gross".

This might be the wrong station.....

Jax doodles (TADC escape au)

We reworked our system mapping post into a zine!

"Hm? Ah. A signal. Finally. I suppose that cog of a genius was right, this communicator does connect light years out. How impressive." A confident feminine voice spoke. "This is The Herta speaking from Hertas Space Station. You are almost 20.7 light years away from me, can you believe a communicator actually found you? Tell me, what's it like all the way out there."

"Looks like we have a signal. You two leave and let me talk to our guest."

"Madam Herta, it's less like a guest and more like you barging into someone's house-"

[So the weirdly dressed woman was named Herta.]

"Go." With that the two were gone and Herta smiled. "Tell me, is this thing working on your end? It'd be quite a pity I went through all that effort to have a screen on me just for you not to see the genius you're talking too." She seemed silent for a moment. "Anyways. You are talking with Madam Herta from the Herta space station. I suppose I should tell you that our solar system or such is more like a tree. There is not one solar system but many in a tree like pattern! I had just learned that is unusual for universes to take shape in. Though... Titles can wait after I get your name."

[Ava was in the pilot room when all of this occurred. Someone had to check the spaceship cords... as if it mattered to know where they we're going. The place was filled with screens and buttons, levers, flips and emergency protocols.]

[That.... was a very strange attire. No practical use at all- instead actually quite possibly hindering Herta from doing lots of things. Shame she dident get a better look of the other two before they left. Instead she analyzed as much of the room she could see behind Herta.]

[Ava raised her eyebrow. Tree like solarsystem? That does sound strange.]

"My name is Ava. I am also called archivist, becaouse of my work... as an archivist. The solar systems here are gone?"

[Was that the right way to present things?]

"Your signal seems to be working fine on the visual and audio front. Though you are blocking our ships coordinates."

[Could be blocking worse things.]

"Why do you establish contact?"

"Puppets? How do you make thouse."

[Ava had.... many bad previous experiences with puppets. Mostly having her skin removed by one and turned into one herself. And... Herta wasnt exactly presenting herself as the caring type. Not even worried about a planet being destroyed.]

"Could you explain the word trailblazer for me aswell?"

[Did Herta even have a job besides what sounded like unnecessary violence for fighting sake.]

[Irresponsible.]

[The two women couldn't be more different.]

"The puppets are simple programming. They are about 70% how I looked and acted when I was younger. They don't lash out from their code nor do they act differently from me. It's easier to talk through them as well if I don't want to bother being at the space station."

[Herta smiled before sighing.]

"Yes, trailblazer, it's more of a title then an actual word with meaning. It belonged to an aeon that create a astral train to save planets and universes from certain destruction. Trailblazers are those who follow Akivili and are aboard the astral express are called. Basically just being the hero to universes and leaving once everything is done. They expect no compensation besides the sealing of the stellarons. How strange to be so selfless..."

"... Did you not save your own planet 19 times and saved another planet from being wiped from history?"

[The odd puppet finally spoke up, making Herta jump. The puppets voice was also very different from Hertas, more androgynous and tired then loud, confident and feminine.]

"When did you get here?!-"

[Herta hadn't noticed the puppet? Thats... a little funny. Ava smirks at least. Just a little. Continuing her notes.]

[Then she turns the puppet. Programmed... magic or machinery. Hopefully neither of those were made using others souls or bodies.... it dident sound like Herta thought much of it.]

[She speaks to it directly.]

"My name is Ava. Archivist of the multiverse archive. Herta was explaining to me how your universe work. Might be useful in case any of you accidentally gets stuck here."

[And thats about it. Really- she had enough on her plate trying to help one infinite branch. And theirs already sound like they have a proper universe saving organization.... probably need that with all the planet destruction and saving. So wasteful and careless. It was disgusting.]

[Herta had left to take care of something else. Leaving the puppet with Ava, Lain didn't seem to have much of a reaction to that. That seemed oddly normal.]

[She really just left? What a strange... woman? Probably woman. Looked like one at least.]

"I have had some previous bad experiences with the creation of puppets. She mentioned programming but not the materials used to construct you. Could you elaborate?"

[Like knowing would change anything.]

[Lain nods a little in thought.]

"I guess so... Maybe one day I'll save a planet too, or have an Aeon gaze upon me. ... Unlikely though."