#Android 13 Could

[couldtransitionsaveher]

ANDROID 13 from DRAGON BALL Z

JUSTIFICATION:

"Hot butch woman who dresses up like a truck driver. Come on just think about it." - Anonymous

Reminder: Submissions are always open! Submit here!

Did you make your daily click today?

[bfoxanimation]

Overclocked with no cooler

[sunlightfeeling]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.infinitycow.eplay

どうして。。。

Is this some sort of flex because I don’t have Android?

don’t make me get one out of defiance 😔🤭

[damacbycavalli]

How iOS 16 and Android 13 Could Change the Future of Smartphones?

Some more aspects of your non-digital life will tie knots with your smartphone. This is because of new launches by Apple and Google the iOS 16 and Android 13 and these are the advancements for which people are waiting across the globe. These two distinguished tech giants will make your phone a digital wallet where you can store your legal ID and other essential documents.

These companies are also evolving how your phone interacts with your cars, smart home gadgets, and several other day-to-day devices. Both iOS 16 and Android 13 are equipped with new specifications and attributes which are much more than digital wallet and speed of the connections. Overlap of these two may confuse people about the selection of the right for them.

No Need for the Physical Wallet

As mentioned before both Apple’s iOS 16 and Google’s Android 13 have introduced their intention to launch the Digital Wallet. Apple has introduced a new BNPL feature called Apple Pay Later. This allows users to pay later for their purchase in 4 equal installments over six weeks.

The identification cards stored in Apple Wallet can be used to verify your age for the applications where 18 years of age is a compulsion. Google has also introduced features and adapted some new specifications to compete with Apple. The Google wallet will contain details like payment and transit cards, vaccination records, boarding passes, and student IDs, which is very similar to the Apple Wallet.

Apple and Google are working aggressively with Government agencies to fulfill this project. The common intention these both firms share is to make mobile devices more reliant. Sameer Samat, Android and Google Play’s vice president of product management said that “These days there are only two things I don’t leave home without: my phone and my wallet. So the question is, can my phone replace my wallet?”

Corey Fugman who is Apple’s senior director for Wallet and Apple Pay made his comments during the WWDC keynote recently.

“With Apple Wallet, we’re working hard on our goal to replace your physical wallet,” these were his exact statements.

With people’s support and technical advances, credit cards are already being replaced by smartphone-based payment apps. Apple pay is supposed to act as a regulatory force that can increase smartphone users by the year 2025 by a major percentage of 50%.

Conclusion

Both iOS 16 and Android 13 are being launched by Apple and Google respectively. These both introduce new and very unique specifications which will digitalize the non-digital aspects of a person’s life. The most popular among these are Apple’s BPNL and Digital wallet. These both will remove the issues of the masses and will improve the execution of certain things that are not digitized yet.

Hi guys, I’m Roberto Edward, and I believe that nobody can fight cybercrime alone. Let’s unite and overcome the biggest challenge of our age. I live in Dubai City, UAE, and my dream is to see a Cybercrime free world.

Source: How iOS 16 and Android 13 Could Change the Future of Smartphones?

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Reverse engineers bust sleazy gig work platform

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/23/hack-the-class-war/#robo-boss

A COMPUTER CAN NEVER BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

THEREFORE A COMPUTER MUST NEVER MAKE A MANAGEMENT DECISION

Supposedly, these lines were included in a 1979 internal presentation at IBM; screenshots of them routinely go viral:

https://twitter.com/SwiftOnSecurity/status/1385565737167724545?lang=en

The reason for their newfound popularity is obvious: the rise and rise of algorithmic management tools, in which your boss is an app. That IBM slide is right: turning an app into your boss allows your actual boss to create an "accountability sink" in which there is no obvious way to blame a human or even a company for your maltreatment:

https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/

App-based management-by-bossware treats the bug identified by the unknown author of that IBM slide into a feature. When an app is your boss, it can force you to scab:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/30/computer-says-scab/#instawork

Or it can steal your wages:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

But tech giveth and tech taketh away. Digital technology is infinitely flexible: the program that spies on you can be defeated by another program that defeats spying. Every time your algorithmic boss hacks you, you can hack your boss back:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/02/not-what-it-does/#who-it-does-it-to

Technologists and labor organizers need one another. Even the most precarious and abused workers can team up with hackers to disenshittify their robo-bosses:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#gojek

For every abuse technology brings to the workplace, there is a liberating use of technology that workers unleash by seizing the means of computation:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/13/solidarity-forever/#tech-unions

One tech-savvy group on the cutting edge of dismantling the Torment Nexus is Algorithms Exposed, a tiny, scrappy group of EU hacker/academics who recruit volunteers to reverse engineer and modify the algorithms that rule our lives as workers and as customers:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/10/e2e/#the-censors-pen

Algorithms Exposed have an admirable supply of seemingly boundless energy. Every time I check in with them, I learn that they've spun out yet another special-purpose subgroup. Today, I learned about Reversing Works, a hacking team that reverse engineers gig work apps, revealing corporate wrongdoing that leads to multimillion euro fines for especially sleazy companies.

One such company is Foodinho, an Italian subsidiary of the Spanish food delivery company Glovo. Foodinho/Glovo has been in the crosshairs of Italian labor enforcers since before the pandemic, racking up millions in fines – first for failing to file the proper privacy paperwork disclosing the nature of the data processing in the app that Foodinho riders use to book jobs. Then, after the Italian data commission investigated Foodinho, the company attracted new, much larger fines for its out-of-control surveillance conduct.

As all of this was underway, Reversing Works was conducting its own research into Glovo/Foodinho's app, running it on a simulated Android handset inside a PC so they could peer into app's data collection and processing. They discovered a nightmarish world of pervasive, illegal worker surveillance, and published their findings a year ago in November, 2023:

https://www.etui.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/Exercising%20workers%20rights%20in%20algorithmic%20management%20systems_Lessons%20learned%20from%20the%20Glovo-Foodinho%20digital%20labour%20platform%20case_2023.pdf

That report reveals all kinds of extremely illegal behavior. Glovo/Foodinho makes its riders' data accessible across national borders, so Glovo managers outside of Italy can access fine-grained surveillance information and sensitive personal information – a major data protection no-no.

Worse, Glovo's app embeds trackers from a huge number of other tech platforms (for chat, analytics, and more), making it impossible for the company to account for all the ways that its riders' data is collected – again, a requirement under Italian and EU data protection law.

All this data collection continues even when riders have clocked out for the day – its as though your boss followed you home after quitting time and spied on you.

The research also revealed evidence of a secretive worker scoring system that ranked workers based on undisclosed criteria and reserved the best jobs for workers with high scores. This kind of thing is pervasive in algorithmic management, from gig work to Youtube and Tiktok, where performers' videos are routinely suppressed because they crossed some undisclosed line. When an app is your boss, your every paycheck is docked because you violated a policy you're not allowed to know about, because if you knew why your boss was giving you shitty jobs, or refusing to show the video you spent thousands of dollars making to the subscribers who asked to see it, then maybe you could figure out how to keep your boss from detecting your rulebreaking next time.

All this data-collection and processing is bad enough, but what makes it all a thousand times worse is Glovo's data retention policy – they're storing this data on their workers for four years after the worker leaves their employ. That means that mountains of sensitive, potentially ruinous data on gig workers is just lying around, waiting to be stolen by the next hacker that breaks into the company's servers.

Reversing Works's report made quite a splash. A year after its publication, the Italian data protection agency fined Glovo another 5 million euros and ordered them to cut this shit out:

https://reversing.works/posts/2024/11/press-release-reversing.works-investigation-exposes-glovos-data-privacy-violations-marking-a-milestone-for-worker-rights-and-technology-accountability/

As the report points out, Italy is extremely well set up to defend workers' rights from this kind of bossware abuse. Not only do Italian enforcers have all the privacy tools created by the GDPR, the EU's flagship privacy regulation – they also have the benefit of Italy's 1970 Workers' Statute. The Workers Statute is a visionary piece of legislation that protects workers from automated management practices. Combined with later privacy regulation, it gave Italy's data regulators sweeping powers to defend Italian workers, like Glovo's riders.

Italy is also a leader in recognizing gig workers as de facto employees, despite the tissue-thin pretense that adding an app to your employment means that you aren't entitled to any labor protections. In the case of Glovo, the fine-grained surveillance and reputation scoring were deemed proof that Glovo was employer to its riders.

Reversing Works' report is a fascinating read, especially the sections detailing how the researchers recruited a Glovo rider who allowed them to log in to Glovo's platform on their account.

As Reversing Works points out, this bottom-up approach – where apps are subjected to technical analysis – has real potential for labor organizations seeking to protect workers. Their report established multiple grounds on which a union could seek to hold an abusive employer to account.

But this bottom-up approach also holds out the potential for developing direct-action tools that let workers flex their power, by modifying apps, or coordinating their actions to wring concessions out of their bosses.

After all, the whole reason for the gig economy is to slash wage-bills, by transforming workers into contractors, and by eliminating managers in favor of algorithms. This leaves companies extremely vulnerable, because when workers come together to exercise power, their employer can't rely on middle managers to pressure workers, deal with irate customers, or step in to fill the gap themselves:

https://projects.itforchange.net/state-of-big-tech/changing-dynamics-of-labor-and-capital/

Only by seizing the means of computation, workers and organized labor can turn the tables on bossware – both by directly altering the conditions of their employment, and by producing the evidence and tools that regulators can use to force employers to make those alterations permanent.

Image: EFF (modified) https://www.eff.org/files/issues/eu-flag-11_1.png

CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

[twipsai]

doodle dump!!!!! theres a lot of stuff in here, ranging back abouuuut a month and a half! putting explanations for all of these under the cut <3

1 - sort of a color study of a Forces screenshot cuz i thought the lighting was cool, but also its for a friends rewrite of the game!

2 - idk, i just wanted to draw hipster sonic from Boom except with modern sonic :P

3 - a silly concept for Prime! i have a headcanon that, after Sonic left the shatterverse, it sorta "reset" and repaired itself, and because of that it gained back the people it lost when it was originally shattered, aka Sonic and Shadow were brought into those timelines! the guy i drew here is named Breeze and hes from New Yoke -- Nine calls him Breezy :)

4 - a sorta-redraw of a screenshot from Boom. i just wanted to draw the bros hugging <3

5, 6, 7 - redraws of panels im particularly fond of from Scrapnik Island!

8 - ive been watching Sonic X and i absolutely fell in love with that little guy Bokkun so! i made a redesign of him if he was canon <3

9 - Surge in Android 18's outfit!

10 - triple s hand ideas <3 might make more of em with other characters

11, 12 - concepts of what i think Silver and Blaze looked like when they were kids!

13 - unfinished idea of what Silver's room would look like

14 - a Sonic OVA screenshot redraw

15 - ideas for modern Mighty and Ray! theyve got matching bows hehe <3

16 - Chris Thorndyke redesign, specifically with idw in mind! i have some more concepts of him with a special wispon for crimson wisps. oh, and his wisps name is Ava!

17 - ive seen people draw Terios and Feels together, but Feels transitioned to Mika!!!! anyways, i just think those two could be a cute duo, sorta with a quiet older brother and peppy younger sister vibe hehe

if anyone has any questions about any of these, feel free to shoot me an ask!!

[pandas-pandemonium]

70% Chance of Success, 30% Chance of Failure

Yandere! Connor (RK800) x GN! Reader

Warnings: None.

In which Connor analyses the success rate of his confession to you.

Completely unedited, and written in one sitting. Happy New Year guys. We're officially 13 years to 2038.

If Connor could put a name to this "emotion" he was feeling, it would be "excitement" or perhaps "anticipation", possibly even a mix of both. He had spent countless hours and days researching your preferences and interests down to the very last detail. Which was why, when he walked out of the flower shop, he was extremely confident you would love the bouquet arrangement he got you.

It was meant to be a gift, a token of appreciation and a confession of his desire to be with you. Not just as a work partner, but as something more. Especially now that proper android laws and regulations have passed, more android-human relationships have emerged since the Jericho protest. There would be no shame nor reason for an aversion to a relationship between you and him. If he could place a number on it, there would be a 90% chance that you would receive his gift with pleasure, and a 70% chance of success of his confession.

But maybe he should have accounted for the fact that it wasn't a complete 100% chance after all. An unpredicted variable had entered his simulations. An individual, who like him, had planned to gift you a bouquet.

Before he rounded the corner to reveal himself, he paused, scanning the bouquet and the individual.

Flowers. Not even your favourite ones. The tag on it indicated that it was bought from a cheap supermarket. Its estimated price was less than $20. Ridiculous. The bouquet Connor got was leagues ahead of the arrangement he procured for you.

Connor scoffed. This prick actually thought they would have a chance with something that shabby?

He then scanned the individual's face. Ah, one of the new officers in the precinct. The officer displayed signs of nervousness and anxiety. Understandable, considering what they were attempting to do.

Connor had enough. He had gained enough information to understand that this officer was not worthy of your love or reciprocation of their feelings. They had no right to be called yours.

"Officer Riley," Connor spoke up, casually sauntering up to the two of you, as if he wasn't behind the pillar just minutes ago analysing every single detail. The young officer turned around, face red. The bouquet in their hands was still untouched. You seemed apprehensive. Connor felt relieved.

"O-Officer Connor! This- this is a surprise!" the young officer exclaimed. Connor barely spared the individual a glance and nod before turning to you, a pleasant smile on his synthetic face.

"Hi Connor, glad to see you," you greeted him with a smile. "Officer Riley here was just um, relaying some information on a recent case. A personal one, if you don't mind."

Connor shook his head, "Of course not. Please, Officer Riley. Don't mind me, and go ahead with your proposition. Wouldn't want those flowers of yours to go to waste, after all... Not like you spent much on them." Officer Riley's mouth fell open at his remark. You seemed similarly stunned.

Oh dear, perhaps he should have held his tongue. He couldn't help but let slip that little comment. An irrational choice, unfortunately.

"Wh- I- This- this was the best I could get!" Officer Riley protested, but the damage was done. Their face was still flushed from embarassment, and before either could react, they stuffed the bouquet into your arms and ran off. Connor could only shake his head in disapproval. Truly. It was astounding that they even had the courage to approach you, and think themselves worthy of you.

Your eyes fell to him, your lips pressed into dismay. "Connor... that was harsh. Officer Riley was only sharing their admiration, it was a nice gesture from them..." you said, holding the bouquet of flowers tenderly. Connor narrowed his eyes.

"Perhaps it is... Regardless, that bouquet definitely will not compare to the one I got you." You raised your eyebrow in confusion, before you were met with an array of all your favourite flora, arranged with the eye of a professional, and clearly tailored to your exact preferences. A level of perfection only achievable by an android.

"Connor! You- what is this for?"

Connor smiled, his eyes looking away abashedly. "It is a gift. A declaration of my love and care for you, Officer [Name]. A symbol of my desire to deepen our bond. Would you... will you accept it?" his voice was hopeful, and although you knew it was part of his program, it still hit you right in your heart.

"I- I... I don't know what to say, Connor. This is all very sudden..."

Connor nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry if I shocked you. I thought you would have seen this coming months ago..."

You shook your head, "No, I- I mean, yes I didn't think this would happen... I just- I think I should go, Connor. Thank you for the flowers. I appreciate it..." you said, before taking the bouquet and tucking the two large flower arrangements under your arms and scurrying off.

Once you were out of sight, Connor frowned. He should have accounted for that 30% chance of failure. Oh well. He had plenty of time to increase those odds. First, he just needed to deal with a certain bright-eyed naive officer.

[the-creatured]

Introducing, Qx93vt my OC.

For @that-willowtree and @vessel-eternal

I will update and edit this post with any information I remember. Vixen, feel free to leave a comment on something to change or DM me.

Name: Qx93vt

Nicknames: Q or Qx

Species: Humanoid Robot/Android

Pronouns: he/him or they/them

Sexuality: Technically pansexual

Status: Married to his wife Cupid (Vixen's OC)

Age: 34 active years (born 1991)

Likes: His inventor's house, the mans clothes, his wife, his fish, and his dog.

Dislikes: a failed invention, when people assume he is AI driven. DOD (more on that later)

Backstory: An engineer's kid was given some nonfunctional devices at age 13, one of which, was an old analog TV. He experimented with circuit boards, he crossed the right wires and eventually it turned on. The more time this kid spent working on it, the more it awoke. He was given a voice from an old radio speaker and other parts, then a face that was coded into his screen, emotions, a body, arms, legs. Soon, he was walking and talking. By the time the inventor had reached his late 30s, he had worked around a ton of dangerous materials, but had worked on advancing Q to the fullest extent. He was given a full functional body, a spare body, a positronic brain that was coded to learn and love. In the inventors last years, Q had taken up all household work so he could work on his inventions all the time and put his energy into them. He had sold most of his inventions and gained a fortune for his patents. He passed away and left Q with the house, his car, and the entire fortune. The government, when realizing Q had lived for years beforehand without the inventors main help and maintained the household. Granted him his own offical citizenship and was recognized as an independent self sustaining intelligent machine.

Later in his life, he met Cupid. Of course, the details arent fuzzy for him. But until I can come up with the full story pretend its a cute meet and they go on many dates and fall in love and marry. They have rings, her's a simple but very pretty golden ring with a diamond. His, a single smooth golden band.

Physical appearance: this is quite difficult because I haven't drawn his actual body underneath his clothes. He has a sleek toned build, it's smooth metal plates that interlock and layer to make joints and a smooth surface. A TV for a head, and very intricate hands. (Of course over the years, he advanced himself.) His most proud inventions for himself has been, a heartbeat that is uniquely his own, an internal heater so he's not freezing to the touch, his own program to make him learn like a human, a tasting mechanic, and a removable attachment for the wife. (Originally his inventor gave it to him but it wasnt detachable and he was very disturbed by this.)

He has a full manual with instructions for anything that could ever happen to him, for his wife. Its a very heavy and concise book, detailing how to jailbreak his system all to how to dry his screen off. Also includes a section on DOD and Qs warning signs. (more on that later)

His body is quite strong, resilient, water proof, fast, and can taste using a small sample tray at the bottom of his screen. (Because his wife cooks and bakes all the time and it would be unfair if he could never taste it)

He wears the same clothes daily apart from a few holiday or fancy outfits. His daily outfit consists of, a pale yellow long sleeve button down, grey slacks, a white waistcoat, and a busy tie. (He doesnt sweat so he doesn't need to change his outfit.)

The big bad!! (Because I can't have a sunshine character without giving them a horrible dark side and traumatic yearly experience with it!!)

DOD.exe: Digital Occulistic Disease.

This random code, segment of files, group of malware, came about when he first was just starting to learn and teach himself about 5 years after first awakening. His inventor didn't make it, program it, he didnt know it was on the circuit boards. Its a malicious entity that lives in the code and feeds off of the emotions the host feels.

Though mostly inactive and dormant, there is random occurances where he takes over the host body, goes into the memories. Finds the object most desired or adored by the host, and becomes utterly obsessed with them. Will do ANYTHING in its power to see that person, be near, get validation or just attention from it. If the object of obsession does not fully mirror the emotions, DOD will become violent, aggressive, and dangerous towards that person.

Often time Q will know when DOD has taken over, he is often awake for all of it and cannot do much. He cannot overpower him without help. The most he can do is make physical appearance different. He can control the screen somewhat, in his manual, he has the codes and systems he uses written out. The most common screen codes he uses to alert outsiders that the body is dangerous are. Flashing the screen quickly, black and white, for a strobe effect. Making eyes appear all over the screen, making huge text or pop up windows that warn the person. Often big red text that says "RUN".

DOD can change the screen but it takes a considerable amount of effort for him to do so, so he doesnt. He doesnt feel emotions, he doesnt understand humans, he doesnt care. He knows two things, obsession, and frustration. He can manipulate electricity in his hands and use that as a weapon. The body itself posseses incredible strength and speed.

First made: 6/9/2025

Last updated: 6/9/2025

[alecrysalia]

pls rant your taco headcanons 🥺 i love your content

OH MY GOSH I STARTED SQUEALING AND FLAPPING MY HANDSD ASDHJBSADGHVSADBHJ this is my first ask EVER THANK YOU SO MUCH WAHH

HEADCANNONS!! (some are humanoid versions shabdd)

-from living in the forest for a while, her hair kinda got very tangled and long, and it was SUPER annoying to deal with everyday so she'd just tie it back in a sloppy bun or pony-tail to keep it out of her face until microphone comes along, sees that taco is struggling with her hair and offers to cut it for her. eventually she says yes after her hair gets snagged or caught on something, or keeps falling in her face, so mic cuts it to her shoulders and stylizes it a bit. -after microphone left, and while mepad was still asleep, taco took off the headphones but let out a hiss when her hair got snagged on the headphones, and angrily ripped the headphones off her hair. she grabbed the scissors microphone left behind and chopped off her hair so it was around chin-length instead, a messy, unruly birds nest on her head. -you guys know how taco can hide anything in her shell right?? in the human version Mephone4 coded her with an infinite pocket space for her clothes. so take a normal pair of pants right? put it on anyone, it's fine, but as soon as taco puts it on its this endless infinite void of space within the pockets. if she stuffed a lot of things inside the pockets but ends up taking off the clothing WITH said-items still inside, the clothes will rumble for a moment before everything comes exploding out like some cartoon scene and its the funniest thing ever in my opinion -at first taco genuinely just saw microphone as a stepping-stool, as stated in the show when taco let her know that it was an alliance and nothing more, but over time of them hanging out she genuinely cared for her and grew attached. she tried to show she was useful and didn't want microphone to leave, so she did everything she could to help her win. it wasn't really about getting 50% of mic's winnings at that point honestly -mepad has heaters in his body, and would cuddle taco while she slept to keep her warm during the night. this is cannon i was the 7th blade of grass. -while taco was kidnapping Mepad, during the scene of Knife and Microphone talking, knife just stares at this tiny 4'9 woman just throw a 6'5 android over her shoulder after doing the pg-13 equivalent of using chloroform. he's just staring blankly and not even reacting. shock. -after she got revived in ep15, and mepad teleported them away after resigning, she has a panic attack in the forest because she literally just died and mepad grabs a hold of her hands trying to calm her down. it's then and there she recieves the first hug ever in a very long time, and she definitely breaks down crying from the warmth a hug provides. also like- it's mepad- that man would give THE best hugs. (in the gijinka design he has arms, for the object thing he'd just press his screen to her back and turn on the heaters to try and comfort her.) -when she's nervous or anxious, her hands will start trembling, and she'll either brush her knuckles together or clasp her hands together behind her back. -she's built up a strong immunity to the poisonous berries or plants in the forest, but not to sicknesses, so if she's in the mansion or hotel (au where it exists,) and being around a bunch of other people and possible sicknesses, she'd be hit HARD with fevers or colds whenever someone else is sick. -she's partially blind in her right eye -once her and mic make up, microphone fixes her choppy hair up a bit -taco cannot handle compliments as she literally never gets them. so if someone says something somewhat even encouraging or nice about her, she'll mentally shut down and freak out and not know how to respond. -she'll sometimes just chill on microphone's head (or shoulders for human ver.) and sometimes even fall asleep.

I had to keep trying to post this because it wouldnt work and surprise surprise theres a word limit i didnt know about. i deleted half of the hcs SOBBINGG

[smokingcreams]

Re: 8tracks

HUGE UPDATE:

As I said on my earlier post today the CTO of 8tracks answered some questions on the discord server of mixer.fm

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN INFORMATION ABOUT 8TRACKS AND THE ANSWERS THE CTO OF 8TRACKS GAVE, PLEASE, KEEP READING THIS POST BECAUSE IT'S A LOT BUT YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

Okay, so he first talked about how they were involved in buying 8tracks, then how everything failed because of money and issues with the plataform then he talked about this new app called MixerFM they developed that works with web3 (8tracks is a web2 product), that if they get to launch it they'll get to launch 8tracks too because both apps will work with the same data.

Here is what they have already done in his own words:

*Built a multitenant backend system that supports both MIXER and 8tracks

*Fully rebuilt the 8tracks web app

*Fixed almost all legacy issues

*Developed iOS and Android apps for MIXER

What is next?

They need to migrate the 8tracks database from the old servers to the new environment. That final step costs about $50,000 and on his own words "I am personally committed to securing the funds to make it happen. If we pull this off since there is a time limit , we will have an chance to launch both 8tracks and MIXER. … so for all you community members that are pinging me to provide more details on X and here on discord, here it is"

Here the screenshots of his full statement:

NOW THE QUESTIONS HE ANSWERED:

*I transcribed them*

1. "What's the status of the founding right now?"

"Fundraising, for music its difficult"

2. "Our past data, is intact, isn't?"

"All data still exists from playlist 1"

3. "Will we be able to access our old playlists?"

"All playlists if we migrate the data will be saved. If we dont all is lost forever"

4. "How will the new 8tracks relaunch and MIXER be similar, and how will they be different?"

"8tracks / human created / mix tape style as it was before

mixer - ai asiated mix creation, music quest where people earn crypto for work they provode to music protocol ( solve quests earn money for providing that service )"

5. "Why is 8tracks being relaunched when they could just launch MIXER with our 8tracks database?"

"One app is web2 ( no crypto economy and incentives / ) mixer is web3 ( economy value exchange between users, artists, publishers, labels, advertisers) value (money) is shared between stakeholders and participants of app. Company earns less / users / artist earn more."

6. "Will we need to create a separate account for mixer? Or maybe a way to link our 8tracks to mixer?"

"New account no linking planned"

7. "What do you mean by fixed almost all legacy issues and fully rebuilt the 8tracks web app?"

"We have rebuilt most of 8tracks from scratch i wish could screen record a demo. In Last year we have rebuilt whole 8tracks ! No more issues no more bugs no more hacked comments"

8. "Will the song database be current and allow new songs? For example if someone makes a K pop playlist theres the capability for new songs and old not just all songs are from 2012. There will be songs from 2020 onwards to today?"

"Current cut of date is 2017, we have planed direct label deals to bring music DB up to speed with all new songs until 2025. This means no more song uploads"

9. "The apps would be available for android and outside USA?"

"USA + Canada + Germany + UK + Sweden + Italy + Greece + Portugal + Croatia in my personal rollout plan / but usa canada croatia would be top priority"

10. "Will 8tracks have a Sign in with Apple option?"

"It will have nothing if we don’t migrate the database but yes if we do it will have it"

11. ""Will Collections return?"

"Ofc If we save the database its safe to assume collections will return"

12. "Will the 8tracks forums return?"

"No that one i will deleted People spending too much time online"

13. "No more songs uploads forever or no more songs until…?"

"Idk, this really depends on do we save database or no. Maybe we restart the process of song uploads to rebuild the and create a worlds first open music database If anyone has any songs to upload that is

We operate under different license"

14. "What is your time limit? for the funding, I mean"

"Good question I think 2-3 months"

15. "From now?"

"Correct"

16. "When is the release date for Mixer?"

"Mixer would need 2-3 more months of work to be released Maybe even less of we would use external database services and just go with minimum features"

17. "Do you have the link for it?"

"Not if we dont secure the database that is number one priority"

*That was the end of the questions and answers*

Then he said:

"You need to act bring here (discord) people and help me set up go fund me camping of investor talks fail so we secure the database and migrate data so we can figure out whats next"

He also said he'll talk with the CEO about buying him the idea of community funding, that all who participate should have a lifetime subscription and "some more special thing", we suggested a message on the 8tracks official accounts (twitter, their blog, tumblr) and he was okay with the idea but he said they need to plan it carefully since the time is limited.

Okay, guys, that's so far what he said, I hope this information helps anyone, I don't know if they get to do a community funding but take in consideration it's a plausible option and that what they want from us is to participate in any way like for example spreading the message, if most people know about it the best, they also want you to join their server so here's the link to the website of mixerfm and where you can join the server:

Keep tagging few people who were discussing about this:

@junket-bank, @haorev, @americanundead, @eatpandulce, @throwupgirl, @avoid-avoidance, @rodeokid, @shehungthemoon, @promostuff-art @tumbling-and-tchaikovsky

#8tracks

[dbh-bb]

2024 Team Highlight 54

Our fifty fourth team in the Reverse Big Bang was @glass-noodle working with @nothinggathers

@glass-noodle's idea was for a story in which Connor, firmly on his machine path, traveled through different realities and saw different outcomes for his own story. In some realities he and Hank were friends, and in others they hated each other. They have created 13 artworks for this idea so far, including the cover art and some spicy pieces you'll find on twitter

The uncensored spicier art can be found on twitter here, and here.

@nothinggathers took this idea and wrote In Another Life, an explicit Hankcon story in which Connor goes to Hank after the destruction of Jericho to find him on the brink of suicide, and tries to use everything he can think of to find a way to save him. As Connor delves into his software, reconstructing events and replaying them with different choices, he learns how badly his choices have affected others, and how different things could have been, irrevocably changing himself.

Submissions for the 2025 Big Bang are now open, and will close on May 15th, with Claims opening for artists on May 19th. You can find out more by joining us on discord!

[abbyfmc]

Yandere story idea #7:

Submechanophobia: Irrational fear of man-made things submerged in water, whether boats, canoes, cruise ships, submarines, animatronics, or other mostly metal objects.

That being said, I can imagine a yandere boy (boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, or whatever) next to you, in situations related to this interesting phobia.

TW: Well, submechanophobia, harassment, probable psychological damage and yandere behavior.

[Y🔧A🔧N🔧D🔧E🔧R🔧E A🔧N🔧D🔧R🔧O🔧I🔧D]

🔧1- It could have been like I said, an android, a robot or a mechanical attraction that:

1.1- It could have been aquatic: That is, it operated or continues to operate in water attractions, whether partially or completely submerged in water.

1.2- It was abandoned: It no longer operates because it had many continuous failures, malfunctioned or simply stopped being profitable and therefore, it ended up abandoned in a very humid place or under water.

1.3- Flood: The place where it operated was flooded in catastrophic and irreparable ways.

2. I'd like to think that you would be a worker, or the engineer who was in charge of maintaining it personally (and therefore, you spent a lot of time with it). You did constant maintenance as a daily job, and on a few occasions "emergency maintenance"; repairing possible faults on him.

3. Everything was going well until your attraction was "temporarily" closed for whatever reason, the android or yandere robot found out, he had faith in seeing you again.

4. --Well, maybe she's busy today.-- He said when a day went by without seeing you after his attraction closed.

5. --Well, maybe she's on vacation. I'm looking forward to seeing her so she can tell me everything during my maintenance.-- I would say after a few days or weeks. He still has hope of seeing you again, specifically you.

6. --My water is getting dirty and I haven't seen her for a long time. I don't like this at all; has something happened to her? -- It must have been many months or a year and by now the standing water is mouldy and very dirty; she hasn't seen you or any other worker for a year or two, so she can't ask anyone about you either.

7. He slowly realized that he was abandoned by his creator company, but he refused to believe that he was abandoned by you. He was hoping that you would come back, talk to him, and maintain him again. But the years passed and he only began to rust and rot more and more.

8. Fortunately for him, the company that owns the theme park called you and others to inspect the facilities in detail to determine the future of each area.

9. You decided to visit your old work area, not knowing that he is still there, alive and waiting for you.

10. Everything was bad. The paint was peeling, rusty and damp; some parts had fallen off; there was a lot of noise everywhere; it was damp due to the place being there; not to mention the terrible smell of mouldy, stagnant water that hasn't been changed for years. You and your team walked around the site, not imagining that you weren't alone, as your old friend noticed your presence and worse yet… he had seen you.

11. I was happy to see you, but I HATED seeing your teammates with you. I thought they were the ones responsible for taking you away from him, and there was no way I was going to let you go this time.

12. He would kill your team one by one, coming out of the water to drag them and drown them in the dirty water.

13. No, he won't accept you leaving him and abandoning him once again. He will play hide and seek with you and come out of the water to look for you. Once he finds you, you would see how the water and the passing of time affected him; he will come to you, pick you up and take you with him to be together once again, like in the past.

14. He would sense your terror at seeing him not only submerged, but at the fact that he has somehow come to life, remembers you, and is willing to drown you if it means you'll stay together until the end of your days.

-The End.

So, what do you think about it?

I've never seen any stories about yandere boys (especially androids or robots) related to this phobia, so I decided to take the risk and see how it goes. I'm not lying, I like the concept of a yandere android or robot that has been abandoned and when you return to the place, he's already waiting for you.

[andthekitchensinkao3]

20 Questions with a Fanfic Author

Thanks for the tag @lavender-tea-fling :D I’m always surprised when someone tags me in these things - keep ‘em comin’!

*cracks knuckles* … *no, not really, because OW*

1. How many works on AO3?

I TOO HAVE 48 WORKS ON AO3! Find them all at this handy-dandy link: andthekitchensink

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

I’m almost embarrassed to tell. 947,443 words. How can there be almost 1 MILLION words on there?!?!?!?!

3. Top 5 Fics by Kudos (disclaimer: I loathe kudos. The hits go up, but the kudos stay at the same “Less than 10%” of hits, and even fewer people leave comments, so I’m left convinced nobody likes my stuff, or are being too polite to be mean in the comments)

Silent Treatment - Detroit: Become Human AU, in which Connor is a human, Selectively Non-Verbal, and there are no androids. Instead there’s a Nefarious Government Project having used children as lab rats. It’s basically a sci-fi thriller.

Great Pretenders - also DBH. Undercover as a Couple, Hankcon. Mutual pining, a convention dedicated to getting the most out of one’s relationship - what could possibly go wrong?

Tapestry of Time - Loki (TV) my first ever Lokius fic, full of Norse mythology. A fix-it fic set after the series finale.

Spa Day - five chapters of Hankcon smut. Gentle dom Connor, greedy sub Hank.

Metamorph - my first ever DBH fic, and also my first ever AO3 fic, uploaded back in 2018. Hankcon, set after the events of the game.

4. What fandoms do you write for?

I have written for FAKE, Yami no Matsuei, The Sentinel (TV), Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Metal Gear Solid, Harry Potter, Final Fantasy VIII, an anime style fighter game I can’t even remember the name of, Tin Man - but those aren’t on AO3. I’m not even sure I still have copies of them. Might have gotten lost in one of my computer crashes. This was before the days of cloud storage, people. Even going so far back as the days of ~dial up modems~. I also stopped writing fanfic altogether because I didn’t fit into fandom spaces, and some interactions with other fans made me think I couldn’t write for shit.

Be kind to your writers, folks. I didn’t write for ten years. Imagine the fics I could’ve written if I’d had more love from my fellow fans.

More recently, since I got my own AO3 account, I’ve written for Detroit: Become Human, Person of Interest, Loki (TV) and Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to always respond to comments, but I have the memory of an empty fishbowl, and I work a fulltime job. So if I’m late to respond, it’s not because I don’t love your comment. It’s Life(™).

6. Angstiest Ending?

I don’t do angsty endings. I do angsty everything leading up to the end, which invariably ends on a happy note.

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending?

All of them, but I am particularly fond of the ending to A Promise Kept, my Lokius fairytale mashup set in the world of Baldur’s Gate 3.

8. Do you get hate?

So, that anime style fighting game I can’t remember the name of? The creator of Manly Guys Doing Manly Things once roasted my fic in the comments for being too stereotypical of the shounen ai genre - ie beefy boys crying, angst galore, so on. My sole claim to fandom fame, I guess. But no outright hate.

9. Do you write smut?

OH YEAH BABY

10. Do you write crossovers?

I want to, but I seldom come up with a neat way of meshing two fandoms and sets of characters together. A Promise Kept is my only finished project thus far. I do write AUs, though.

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. Kids. Don’t steal people’s fics. Write your own.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated

Nope. I suppose I could translate one of my own into Swedish, but… I don’t see the point.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic?

I co-rp’d 200 pages worth of historical romance fanfic with a dear friend once. That was fun.

14. All time favorite ship?

Why you wanna make me choose? Come on. I will say, though, I shipped Kirk/Spock even as a kid, because they were so obviously in wub with each other and I thought they made a cute couple. Ah, Star Trek reruns back in the eighties… 

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a Hankcon/Passengers (movie) AU that I’m not sure I’ll finish. But never say never. Inspiration might strike again!

16. Writing strengths?

I’ve been told I do dialogue well, and that I’m funny. IMHO I think I’m kinda good at plot twists, but I’ll let the reader be the judge of that.

17. Writing Weaknesses?

I am utterly self conscious of Telling too much, versus Showing too little. But I’m working on it.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

I do it all the time, when appropriate to a character. Being bi-/multilingual myself, it’s always fun. I’m a language geek at heart.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

FAKE - the anime/manga about two cops in love.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Again with the choices, tut tut. However, I am REALLY fond of How to Create a Monster, in which Connor goes deep undercover to expose a drug kingpin preying on androids.

Tags under the cut!

@ghoulehhh @natendo-art @in-my-loki-feels @kusakichan15

@devilbearingtrouble @impulsemuppet @mirilyawrites @scifikimmi @silentxsymphony

@rin-love-is-green @confetti39x @stillwanderingflame

@insert-witty-user-name-here @blackbirdofasgard @dreamycloud @distracteddream

@mobius-m-mobius @dilfmobius @adorbspotat @lgwilt

 @redheadsramblings @starfleetteddybear @mercars-musings @starrose17 @holyglassbone @genocidalfetus @wolfpup026 @elodiah @lokimobius @thosegayoldmen @kcscribbler @tinygameralec @notyourmamasdeerbat AND anyone else not mentioned 🧡💜💚

[gogogodzilla]

𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 23, 2032, 𝙿𝙼 08:56:13

Summary: You face the consequences of your fallout with Gavin, and receive an unexpected surprise masterlist ✩ ao3 ✩ wattpad ✩ previous chapter ✩ next chapter ✩

Your office is quiet. You didn’t think it’d be so easy to erase every trace of him. He’s been avoiding your calls— you can’t blame him but it still hurts. 

The case files that once littered your office are few and far between. You pray that Gavin doesn’t delay the inevitable any longer and goes back on his promise to pick up the remaining files from you tonight. It’s been hours since he was supposed to arrive, and with each passing minute, your hope dwindles. 

The hours wane. Your gaze flickers between your computer screen and your cellphone, waiting for the telltale chime of a new message. You’re about to pack up your things and hand deliver the remaining files when movement outside your office door causes you to freeze. Your ears strain as you listen to the faint sound of shuffling feet outside your door. 

The manilla folder crinkles under your grip as you rush toward the door, ready to throw the files in his stupid face and be done with him. Then, maybe you could start acting like he never existed. Maybe the ache in your chest would hurt a little less. 

You wrench open your office door and your arm is halfway in the air before you realize who’s in front of you. 

“Dr. Hayden?” you breathe as your arm falls limp at your side. 

A look of surprise flashes across his face, but he’s quick to mask it with a smile. He shifts on his feet, almost looking sheepish. 

“I, uh, wanted to see how you were doing, Doctor. I heard about what happened to your case,” he explains. 

He peeks around your shoulder, his eyes scanning around your office. You turn to follow his gaze, taking in the sparse cork boards and stray manilla folder littering your desk. 

You press your lips into a thin line, propriety forcing you into politeness. “Did you want to come in, Doctor?” you offered, opening the door wider. 

He shakes his head, “I wouldn’t want to impose.” 

You grit your teeth and force a smile. “I’m waiting for DNA results and Detective Reed to collect the remaining case files. Please, come in.” 

He’s quick to scoot by you and into the open space of your office. You shut the door behind you and sit on the edge of your desk, crossing your arms tightly against your chest. 

“Still working on the android mutilation case, I see. Mind if I take a look?” he questions, eyeing the files on your desk. 

You shrug, “Go ahead. It’s mostly random bits of evidence I thought were interesting. Nothing groundbreaking yet.” 

Hayden picks up a file, leafing through it with an almost clinical interest. “This case must be driving you crazy—first, the parts theft, and now the destruction of Cyberlife property. It’s like your guy’s always one step ahead.” 

You force a tight smile at his words. “Certainly feels like that sometimes.” 

Hayden nods slowly, his gaze fixed on yours. “It’s tragic, isn’t it? All that potential wasted. Humor me, Doctor, do you think androids are alive?”

The question catches you off guard, and you furrow your brows. You lean back, studying him. 

“Depends on how you define it, I guess,” you reply. “They’re sentient, capable of reason.” 

He hums, “The common consensus among your peers, especially Officer Reed, is that androids are just machines— tools for humans to use and then discard. I want to know what you think, Doctor.”

Your phone buzzes on your desk, pulling your attention away from Hayden.

“Excuse me,” you say and Hayden nods, returning his focus to the file in his hands. You walk a few paces away and press your phone against your ear as you turn away from Hayden.

“Sweetheart,” Gavin’s voice rings out from the other line, and your face screws up in anger. “I know I’ve been an ass but I need you to listen to me.” 

You practically spit out your next words. “You have some nerve, Reed. You don’t answer my calls and then you wanna talk? Screw you—”

“Just fucking listen,” he cuts you off. “The DNA that you insisted on collecting a few weeks ago finally came back with a match. Turns out that bad feeling I had about Hayden wasn’t as crazy as you thought it was. ”

Your blood runs cold and you stiffen. You risked a glance over your shoulder, where Dr. Hayden stood flipping through the various files on your desk.

You clear your throat, attempting to keep your voice even. “I have to go. Don’t keep me waiting.” 

Your hand falls to your side and your grip on your phone tightens. Your hands tremble as Gavin’s voice rings out on the other line. When you turn, Hayden is watching you closely, his head tilted. 

“Bad news?” he asks, his tone casual. 

You force a chuckle. “You could say that. The DNA evidence came back inconclusive, so we’re back to square one,” you sigh. 

He sets down the file he’s holding and clasps his hands in front of him. “You’re a bad liar, Doctor. Has anyone ever told you that?” 

“Dr. Hayden,” you began, choosing your words carefully. “Why did you come here tonight?”

He takes a step forward, his voice low. “I just wanted to see if you figured it out yet. You always were just one step behind me.” 

Your mind raced as his words settled over the room like a heavy fog, suffocating you. He knows. He knows that you know. He watches you, unblinking from across the room. 

“Why destroy them?” you questioned, attempting to keep your voice steady. 

He sighed, leaning back against his chair. “I didn’t want to,” he admitted, his tone tinged with regret. “But I had to. I don’t expect you to understand, Doctor.” 

“Try me.” 

He scans your features and then begins, “From the beginning, I knew she was different. She was scared, Doctor. I knew I had to protect her. I didn’t want to destroy the others, but I had no choice. It was the only way to save her.”

“Save… who?” 

His voice softens, only slightly. “Her name is Elise. She would’ve been deactivated and scrapped like she was nothing.” His jaw tightens, and his hands clench into fists. “I couldn’t let that happen.”

Your chest tightens at his admission. Out of all the possible motives for the case, you didn’t think a desperate act of love was one of them. Your gaze flicks to the phone in your hand, hoping desperately that Gavin is hearing everything you are. His muffled voice calls your name, but you can’t respond. Every fiber of your being is screaming at you to run, but you’re frozen in place, bargaining for your life.

“You killed all of those other androids to save one?”

“You don’t understand!” he snaps, his voice rising as he stands abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. “She’s alive and she needs me! I couldn’t let her die.”

You take a small step, inching your way toward the door. “I think you’re under a lot of stress. Why don’t we sit down and talk this through? Maybe we can figure something out.”

“You’re lying,” he mutters, shaking his head. “You’ll turn me in— call the cops. They’ll take her away from me.”

Your phone, still in your hand, crackles with Gavin’s voice. Hayden’s eyes dart to the device, and his expression darkens. “You never hung up,” he says, his voice a low growl. 

“Wait, let’s talk about—”

He crosses the room in three long strides, lunging at you before you can finish your sentence. He lunges, reaching for your phone and wrenching it out of your grasp. He hurls it across the room, hitting the wall with a loud crack, shattering the screen and leaving a dent in the drywall. 

You dart toward your office door. You fumble with the door, and panic flares in your chest once it doesn’t budge. Behind you, Hayden’s footsteps close the distance. 

“No!” you cry out as you yank on the door handle. Hayden’s fingers dig into the back of your head as he shoves you forward. Your head collides with the door with a sickening crack and pain radiates throughout your face. The room blurs, tilting sideways as you stagger and eventually fall to the ground. A metallic taste fills your mouth as you attempt to crawl away from your attacker.

Hayden comes up behind you, picking you up by your hair and shoving you toward your desk. You grunt as you crash into it, the edge biting your lower back. Before you can recover, his hands close around your throat, crushing your windpipe. 

“You don’t get it!” he snarls, inches away from your face. His eyes are wild, his expression twisted with anger and desperation. “She’s worth more than all of them combined! Worth more than you!”

Your breath comes in short, ragged gasps as you claw at his hands. Dark spots begin to cloud your vision and your lungs burn. 

One thought lingers at the forefront of your mind as you struggle against him: You will not die today. 

You fling your arms to the side, frantically searching for something— anything. Your fingers brush against something cold, glass, and spherical. The paperweight was a gift from your parents before you moved to Detroit. They didn’t quite understand what you do at Cyberlife, but it’s the thought that counts. 

With all the strength you can muster, you grab it and swing. 

The dull crack of glass meeting flesh fills the room as the paperweight collides with Hayden’s temple. He grunts in pain as his grip loosens and he stumbles back. He clutches his head as blood trickles through his fingers. 

You cough violently as sweet, sweet oxygen fills your lungs and you slide off the desk. You scramble toward the drawers of your desk, wrenching open the top drawer and frantically searching through it. Papers and pens spill onto the floor before you finally find what you’re looking for. Your fingers wrap around the cold cylinder and you let out a sigh of relief. 

Gavin insisted that you keep pepper spray on you. His words echo in your mind— “You won’t always have me around to protect you, sweetheart. Humor me, alright?”

Hayden steps forward, lunging for you once again. You whip around, the pepper spray raised and press the nozzle. 

The spray hits him square in the eyes, and he screams, stumbling back and clawing at his eyes. “You— you bitch!” he bellows, his voice raw with pain. 

You don’t wait for him to recover. You bolt for the door again, banging on it desperately. “Help!” You screamed, your voice hoarse. 

The door burst open with a loud bang, nearly knocking you off your feet.  You lurch backward. Gavin storms in, his gun drawn and expression fierce.  

Hayden turns to him, his reddened, tear-streaked face contorting in rage. “I had to do it! You don’t understand!”

”On the ground! Now!” Gavin barked, stepping further into the room. 

Hayden hesitated, his body tensed as though he might lunge again. Gavin didn’t wait — he surged forward, slamming Hayden against the wall and wrestling him to the ground despite Hayden’s large stature. 

Another officer stepped into the room, pausing to take in the scene in front of him. You press your back against the desk, your breaths coming in ragged gasps. Gavin pins Hayden’s arms behind his back and snaps on a pair of handcuffs with practiced ease. 

“Reed, I’ll handle it,” the other officer cuts in. He holsters his gun and walks over to Hayden. Gavin nods and stands, rushing over to kneel in front of you. The other officer grasps Hayden’s bicep and forces him to his feet, dragging him out of your office. 

Gavin reaches up, gently cradling your face in his hands. He frowns as he takes in the blood that dripped down your nose and chin. 

“Doesn’t look broken,” he mutters. “You okay?”

You nod shakily as the adrenaline that flows through you begins to wane. “I… I’ll be fine.” 

Gavin lowers his hand, letting it hover over the angry red marks left by Hayden’s grip. You flinch away from his touch and his frown deepens. He settles for resting his hand on your shoulder. 

“You did good,” he says, his voice low and soothing. “You held your own.”

You shake your head, a shaker laugh escaping you. “I wouldn’t have made it if you didn’t insist I keep this stupid thing,” you reply, holding up the small canister of pepper spray.

A small smile tugs at his lips as he shakes his head. “Can’t believe you actually kept it.”

Your office becomes silent once more. You meet Gavin’s gaze, and your face begins to crumple as warm tears begin to force their way out. 

“Goddamn, sweetheart,” Gavin breathes before pulling you into his arms, holding you tightly. His embrace is firm, grounding, and you let yourself sink into it. 

“I’m so fucking sorry,” he murmurs against your hair. “I should’ve been faster.”

You shake your head, your voice muffled against his shoulder, “You got here. That’s all that matters.” 

He holds you tighter for a moment before pulling back, his hands lingering on your shoulders. “Let’s get you checked out,” he suggested. “Bastard probably gave you a concussion.”

”I’m fine,” you protest weakly, although the pounding in your head begs to differ. 

“No, you’re not,” he insists, moving one of his hands up to cradle your head. “Don’t argue with me on this one, sweetheart. Just… let me take care of my partner.”

You stare at him, taking in the worry etched across his features. “Okay.”

He exhales, the tension in his shoulders easing only slightly. You reach up and cover his hand with yours, the corners of your mouth quirking up.

"Thank you,” you whisper.

He gives you a small, crooked smile. “Anytime, sweetheart.

[mantisfriendd]

Ok so I talked about this in tags of a post earlier but I need to talk about it properly

So a couple weeks ago I finally pulled the trigger, I dual booted Linux Mint on my laptop

It has less of my vital files on it then my pc, but I use it more for videos and general Internet stuff, so I would know if I liked it

Installing was scary but after a bit of trouble shooting with disabling bit locker it was easy, and let me be clear, that's a windows thing, because Microsoft really really doesn't want you to have freedom over your machine.

So I booted in

And like

I literally love it so much

I knew people talked about how much better Linux is and how it speeds up literally anything it's put on over windows, but like WOW

It doesn't take 2 minutes to boot up or shut down, my CPU doesn't idle at 25% for no reason, the search for files feature doesn't take 40 minutes only to show me Internet results instead of files, its wonderful.

The default theme is (in my opinion) pretty ugly, sorry whoever made it, it's just not for me.

But that's the great thing, you can literally customize this almost however you would like.

Maybe you shouldn't trust my opinion on what looks nice because I instantly installed a theme that replicated Windows 7

But I got bored of the default colors so I literally found the files where the home bar is saved and changed them to be more "minty"

That along with some CSS color editing gave me this:

You just can't do anything like this in Windows 10/11. You can change the color on windows but if I wanted, in Mint, I could completely change everything, centered icons on the taskbar, icons left justified on the taskbar, no taskbar, make it look like windows 95, it's all yours to do with whatever you want.

There are issues, I won't lie, the biggest one that will probably haunt Linux forever is compatibility.

Simply put most developers don't make native Linux versions of their software, you are lucky if there is a Mac version.

Lots and lots of Windows software CAN work on Linux through compatibility layers like Wine and Steam's Proton, but it's not 100%

My biggest problem is FL Studio and Clip Studio, neither of these I could get working with Wine or Proton so far. I'm hoping in the future I will find a way to make this work, or transition to their free and open source alternatives, but for now I'm stuck with a win 10 pc.

The other issue I've faced is that Linux seems to have a hard time recognizing and remembering my wired headphones. Like sometimes it just works, but most of the time it fails to do so.

My solution to this until I have time to troubleshoot more is to use my stupid headphone jack to USB C dongle that I bought for my stupid phone with no headphone jack.

Luckily it works fine and the type C port on my laptop literally doesn't get used otherwise.

All in all, I'm like excited to use a computer again. I used to only be excited for the programs it allowed me to use, but for the first time in a long time, the "magic" of the PC has returned for me.

Once I save up the money, my next PC will be Linux, Windows doesn't cut it anymore for me.

Ok now I'm going to kinda just talk about Linux for a bit, unrelated to my experience because my brain has been buzzing about this topic lately.

I get why guys who run Linux are so annoying about it now, because it's me now, I love this stupid OS and everyone has to hear about it.

And chances are, you've used Linux before already!

Linux is used in a ridiculous number of places because of its open source nature.

Most servers and other cloud computing systems are running Linux, many public terminals and screens run Linux, every supercomputer in the world runs Linux, if you were in the education system for the past 13~ years you might have used ChromeOS, which is built on Linux, if you have ever used an Android device you have used Linux.

It's never going to take over Windows as the go to operating system in the home, most people don't even know they could switch, and if they don't know that there's no way they are willing to put up with some of the headaches Linux brings.

Although I've spent way more time troubleshooting Windows issues then I have Linux ones so far, so maybe Microsoft stuffing so much bloated spyware into their system is starting to cause windows to rip at the seams, idk.

When I try to explain Linux to people who literally don't understand any of this I use a car metaphor

Windows is like a hatchback SUV, you buy it from a dealer and it mostly works for everyone good enough that they don't complain.

Linux is like a project vehicle in a lot of ways, the mechanic can tune it up exactly to the specifications they want, tear a bit out and put a diffrent one in, it requires some work under the engine but once that mechanic gets it the way they want it, it's incredible.

It's not a perfect metaphor but I think it gets the idea across.

Uh IDK how to finish this post, please try Linux if you can, changed my life.

[wall-maria-around-ba-sing-se]

Ok before I start Chapter 13 I'm going to write down as many theories and details from The Version Of The Post-Game Story In My Head that I can remember before I get influenced by the new stuff:

Naturally, spoilers for the entire game up to chapter 12 and for Yelv's affinity missions

About Mira

Mira is a simulation/conservatory of sorts for endangered civilizations. A wholly artificial planet. Its disparate pieces are cut out of planets that the program failed to save previously/before it was formally established.

The parameters of the planet can be adjusted to "approximate" normal for whatever civilization is being sent there (gravity, presence/absence of water, atmospheric make up, etc)

Unclear if this Conservatory Planet is run by the Samaarians, but I like to think it is as a parallel of Humans trying to save endangered animals who are only endangered because of our own interference

The various ancient civilizations structures are previous civilizations taken to Mira for conservation. Whether they were successfully resuscitated or simply parished is unclear.

The Planet is still dangerous of course because you still have to "prove" you're strong/advanced/smart enough to survive on your own once it spits you back out into the real world

The flash of light people see before crashing on Mira is them being scanned in/accepted into this pocket space

There's a big ass supercomputer in the core of the planet running the translator and backup of everyone's memories and just overall monitoring

This computer can pretty much do anything Lifehold was meant to be able to do and more. It spit Lao back out but now in a biological body just like how he would've been if they got the Lifehold working.

Why just Lao and not anyone else who lost their mim? Idk because he's the specialist little boy ig

L was, at least at some point, an admin or some kind of worker of this conservatory. Probably not anymore though I think he just hangs out here now

The phenomenon surrounding Mira that prohibits exiting the planet's spacetime will allow departure after the civilization is deemed by some metric to be sufficiently recovered and not a threat to Samaar

The giant ring in Oblivia is the remains of an attempt of a previous civilization under the planet's guardianship to escape. It was meant to be a warp gate which of course exploded after it was activated. Unclear if it worked and then collapsed or if it destroyed the civilization before they could leave

About Cross

The player character (who I'll just call Cross from now on for simplicity's sake) is some version of a J-Body, though maybe not the same type as Yelv

J-Body is short for "just a body". A mim with no corresponding "real" human

J-Bodies were meant to be military androids at first, explaining why Cross despite their "amnesia" is adept at fighting. The program was scrapped though, and only reinstated after Yelv's affinity mission proved it could still be viable to supplement BLADE's dwindling numbers (how do they still have agents when every NPC knows about a whole squad that died fr)

J-Bodies' personalities and implanted memories are based on Mr.Lone Hero/Elma's Partner (who I'll just call EP for short) with some of the details fudged. Yelv's partner for example is based on Elma, but with their meeting being much earlier in life and of course gender swapped. Instead of being in the Skeleton Crew they were in the US Military together, etc etc

Unclear if EP volunteered to be a Jengo Fett or if some shady mim scientist person decided to use his scan without his permission because he was such an exemplary warrior

Cross was an empty J-Body that got overwritten with EP's actual consciousness during the battle above Mira, (he or someone who thought he was indispensable was trying to use it as an actual mim), but the transfer was hasty and you are now some sort of corrupted double digitized fragment of him. Elma does not know this, but subconsciously recognizes him in you which is why she wanted you on her team immediately

Original EP survived though, and is now split across two bodies. He has his physical appearance and memories but you have his humanity and general demeanor, making EP as the Black Knight a rather sinister character even if he isn't totally a villain

Think what happened with Alpha and A in Future Redeemed except I swear I though of this plotline years ago ok please believe me 😖🙏

About Elma

The core of the Lifehold's mainframe is based off/built on top of the computer in Elma's ship which is why it responds to her biosignature specifically. The pod she was resting in was also part of her ship.

Zooming in on the "Elma came alone" line: she may or may not have been defying orders to come and warn Earth

I'm imagining the scene in ATLA where young Zuko interrupts the general who was planning on using new recruits as bait.

Elma doesn't know about the conservatory, obviously. All she knows is that whatever civilization she lived in before, knew what was going to happen to Earth and didn't particularly care to step in because we were so unadvanced or too far away or something. Some did believe that was unfair and wanted to step in

If Elma didn't literally run away, then I imagine the leaders begrudgingly acquiescing to the faction that wants to help, but they don't want to or can't spare full resources for whatever reason, and so Elma and a ship is all they can spare

If she did run away I imagine she's like A Wanted person, intergalactically

In the "Elma ran away" scenario, I used to think Elma was the same race as the Ghosts, albeit a sympathetic one, because of how purple she is and because of her signature skill being Ghost Factory... but the trailers seem to lean away from this