#Computer Vision Company in US

[alignminds]

To Know More Visit: https://www.alignminds.com/

[jcmarchi]

3 Steps for Retailers to Generate and Capture Value from AI Investments

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/3-steps-for-retailers-to-generate-and-capture-value-from-ai-investments/

3 Steps for Retailers to Generate and Capture Value from AI Investments

The retail sector is growing and increasingly competitive as companies vie for consumers’ attention and wallets. According to the National Retail Federation, core sales rose 3.2% year-over-year in the first half of 2024, and total sales are forecast to eclipse 2023 by between 2.5% and 3.5%. In a tight market, retailers are looking for a competitive advantage, and many are turning to artificial intelligence (AI).

AI has been positioned as a disruptive capability that can reimagine offerings, expand choice, and drive new business models. Retailers have made significant investments in AI, but they need to better understand how to use the technology to create value for customers and capture value for themselves.

While the technology has been around in some form for years, algorithms have grown better and faster, computing capabilities have improved, and price points have become more affordable. NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs) can make what once was a seven-day compute into a seven-minute compute, and Snowflake has added flexibility to its AI cost structure by also charging per compute. These factors have unlocked more AI use cases for retailers and made the technology fit better into IT budgets.

However, many retailers are still struggling to see tangible returns on their AI investments. They’re experimenting within months, not years, and can’t afford to take a spray-and-pray approach with those trials. Retailers must approach AI strategically so they can meet their ROI goals, especially as the industry faces changing consumer behaviors.

Let’s dig in and examine the three steps to unlocking value creation and value capture.

Mature data into a strategic asset

For retailers to successfully leverage AI, they must first ensure their data is mature, clean, and harmonized. Without high-quality data, even the most sophisticated AI algorithms will fall short, leading to the adage “garbage in, garbage out.”

In retail, data comes from various sources: point-of-sale systems, e-commerce platforms, inventory management systems, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, and even external sources like social media and weather forecasts. To create a strategic asset, retailers must integrate data from all those sources, cleanse and standardize it, ensure its accuracy and completeness, and implement robust data governance practices.

One area where high-quality data can significantly impact both value creation and capture is forecast planning. Accurate forecasting is crucial for retailers to optimize inventory levels, reduce waste, and meet customer demand. Consider the fashion industry, where planning cycles can stretch up to 18 to 24 months. Retailers must predict trends, consumer preferences, and demand levels far in advance, often with limited data.

By leveraging AI with a solid data foundation, retailers can incorporate an unprecedented number of variables into their forecasting models, like historical sales figures, demographic information, weather patterns, economic indicators, and social media trends.

Encourage a culture of experimentation

This approach is essential for value creation, as it allows retailers to test and refine AI-driven initiatives that directly benefit customers. By running targeted experiments, retailers can identify which AI applications truly resonate with their customers and drive loyalty without committing to large-scale implementations prematurely.

A critical aspect in driving a culture of experimentation is the creation of concise use cases and deriving KPI measurements to determine its eventual success. Collaboration among business and technology stakeholders, which includes engineers, analysts and data scientists, is necessary as the experiment evolves from concept to reality. Equally imperative, is the mindset to pull back an experiment when the realized value does not meet expectations.

This culture encourages innovation and helps retailers stay agile as market conditions change. It allows them to test new ideas quickly and cost-effectively, reducing the risk associated with large-scale AI implementations.

Build out the ecosystem

While the previous steps focus primarily on creating value for customers, this step is crucial for value capture — ensuring that retailers can effectively monetize their AI initiatives.

A retailer’s ecosystem can include technology providers, brands, influencers, content creators, and even other retailers. By constructing such an ecosystem, retailers can create new revenue streams, enhance their offerings, and strengthen their market position.

For instance, a retailer might collaborate with a computer vision company to create an AI-powered visual search tool, allowing customers to find products by uploading images. This enhances the shopping experience and opens up opportunities for targeted advertising and product recommendations.

Influencer marketing is another area where AI and ecosystem building intersect. Retailers can use AI to identify and analyze the most effective influencers for their brand based on factors like audience demographics, engagement rates, and content relevance. By integrating influencers into their AI-driven marketing strategies, retailers can extend their reach and create more authentic connections with potential customers.

Retailers must carefully navigate issues of data privacy, competitive dynamics, and brand alignment. However, when done successfully, it can create a cycle in which the value created for customers through AI initiatives is effectively captured and monetized by the retailer and its ecosystem partners.

This strategic approach to AI implementation allows retailers to move beyond the hype and toward practical, results-driven applications. As AI continues to evolve, those who master these steps will be well-positioned to thrive in the retail landscape. Skillfully balancing value creation and value capture in AI initiatives turns technological potential into a competitive advantage.

[visionifyy]

Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence for Workplace Safety

🚀 Ready to see how Artificial Intelligence is transforming workplaces? Visionify is at the forefront of innovation with solutions that leverage AI to enhance safety, productivity, and compliance. Our new blog, “AI for Workplace Safety: The Economic Impact,” dives into the role of AI in creating safer industrial environments.

With Camera AI Technology, companies gain real-time monitoring for Workplace Safety, enabling proactive hazard detection and PPE Compliance assessment. These AI for Workplace Safety solutions make managing risks easier and create safer environments for everyone.

See how PPE Detection and other tools from Visionify are supporting compliance while minimizing incidents. Dive into the future of workplace safety with AI-powered tools designed to make workplaces smarter, safer, and more productive!

Know more.: Vision AI, Workplace Compliance Monitoring, safety tips, PPE Compliance, Easy to use EHs software, Workplace Safety AI solution, Machine Learning for Manufacturing, what is compliance in the workplace, Computer Vision Workplace Safety, Workplace safety Software, AI employee monitoring, safety KPI’s, industrial safety, Industrial safety companies, smoke and fire detector, construction monitoring, hazard analysis, accident prevention, health and safety app, Workplace Safety

[nasa]

Hubble Space Telescope: Exploring the Cosmos and Making Life Better on Earth

In the 35 years since its launch aboard space shuttle Discovery, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided stunning views of galaxies millions of light years away. But the leaps in technology needed for its look into space has also provided benefits on the ground. Here are some of the technologies developed for Hubble that have improved life on Earth.

Image Sensors Find Cancer

Charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors have been used in digital photography for decades, but Hubble’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph required a far more sensitive CCD. This development resulted in improved image sensors for mammogram machines, helping doctors find and treat breast cancer.

Laser Vision Gives Insights

In preparation for a repair mission to fix Hubble’s misshapen mirror, Goddard Space Flight Center required a way to accurately measure replacement parts. This resulted in a tool to detect mirror defects, which has since been used to develop a commercial 3D imaging system and a package detection device now used by all major shipping companies.

Optimized Hospital Scheduling

A computer scientist who helped design software for scheduling Hubble’s observations adapted it to assist with scheduling medical procedures. This software helps hospitals optimize constantly changing schedules for medical imaging and keep the high pace of emergency rooms going.

Optical Filters Match Wavelengths and Paint Swatches

For Hubble’s main cameras to capture high-quality images of stars and galaxies, each of its filters had to block all but a specific range of wavelengths of light. The filters needed to capture the best data possible but also fit on one optical element. A company contracted to construct these filters used its experience on this project to create filters used in paint-matching devices for hardware stores, with multiple wavelengths evaluated by a single lens.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[dihalect]

finally went and started looking into nightshade because it sounds. dubious. apparently the project's full title is "nightshade: protecting copyright". it is absolutely wild that a bunch of internet communists saw that and went "yeah this is a good thing, we should totally rally around this"

[jupiterswasphouse]

Not certain if this has already been posted about here, but iNaturalist recently uploaded a blog post stating that they had received a grant from Google to incorporate new forms of generative AI into their 'computer vision' model.

I'm sure I don't need to tell most of you why this is a horrible idea, that does away with much of the trust gained by the thus far great service that is iNaturalist. But, to elaborate on my point, to collaborate with Google on tools such as these is a slap in the face to much of the userbase, including a multitude of biological experts and conservationists across the globe.

They claim that they will work hard to make sure that the identification information provided by the AI tools is of the highest quality, which I do not entirely doubt from this team. I would hope that there is a thorough vetting process in place for this information (Though, if you need people to vet the information, what's the point of the generative AI over a simple wiki of identification criteria). Nonetheless, if you've seen Google's (or any other tech company's) work in this field in the past, which you likely have, you will know that these tools are not ready to explain the nuances of species identification, as they continue to provide heavy amounts of complete misinformation on a daily basis. Users may be able to provide feedback, but should a casual user look to the AI for an explanation, many would not realize if what they are being told is wrong.

Furthermore, while the data is not entirely my concern, as the service has been using our data for years to train its 'computer vision' model into what it is today, and they claim to have ways to credit people in place, it does make it quite concerning that Google is involved in this deal. I can't say for certain that they will do anything more with the data given, but Google has proven time and again to be highly untrustworthy as a company.

Though, that is something I'm less concerned by than I am by the fact that a non-profit so dedicated to the biodiversity of the earth and the naturalists on it would even dare lock in a deal of this nature. Not only making a deal to create yet another shoehorned misinformation machine, that which has been proven to use more unclean energy and water (among other things) than it's worth for each unsatisfactory and untrustworthy search answer, but doing so with one of the greediest companies on the face of the earth, a beacon of smog shining in colors antithetical to the iNaturalist mission statement. It's a disgrace.

In conclusion, I want to believe in the good of iNaturalist. The point stands, though, that to do this is a step in the worst possible direction. Especially when they, for all intents and purposes, already had a system that works! With their 'computer vision' model providing basic suggestions (if not always accurate in and of itself), and user suggested IDs providing further details and corrections where needed.

If you're an iNaturalist user who stands in opposition to this decision, leave a comment on this blog post, and maybe we can get this overturned.

[Note: Yes, I am aware there is good AI used in science, this is generative AI, which is a different thing entirely. Also, if you come onto this post with strawmen or irrelevant edge-cases I will wring your neck.]

[axeeglitter]

Back from the Vault: LifeX

Nathan Brown sat hunched over his desk, the glow of his laptop screen illuminating his tired eyes. His San Francisco apartment was a mess: clothes strewn across the floor, empty takeout containers stacked on the kitchen counter, and a half-empty coffee mug perched precariously on the edge of his desk. Nathan's bed was unmade, a tangled heap of blankets and pillows. The room smelled faintly of stale air and sweat, the result of a broken air conditioning unit and a lack of motivation to clean.

Nathan was staring at his laptop screen, scrolling through yet another round of job listings. His bank account was dangerously low, and the anxiety of unpaid bills was gnawing at him. He was 26 years old, recently graduated with a degree in communications, and he was struggling to find any kind of work. His YouTube channel, where he reviewed video games and shared walkthroughs, was his only source of income, but the revenue it brought in was barely enough to buy groceries, let alone pay rent or bills.

Nathan was average in build, with a light tan from his Latino heritage, and short, dark hair that he usually kept neat. His face was lightly stubbled, a sign of his growing indifference to grooming as stress took over. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle into his bones. He was on the brink of giving up when a notification popped up on his screen, breaking his focus.

"Subject: Exciting Opportunity for Collaboration!"

Nathan hesitated, then clicked on the email. It was from a company called LifeX. He didn’t recognize the name, but curiosity got the better of him.

“Dear Nathan,

We’ve come across your YouTube channel and believe we could work well together. LifeX is launching a groundbreaking new game, and we are looking for individuals to help us with beta testing and promotion. Your content aligns perfectly with our vision, and we think this could be a great collaboration. If you accept, you’ll also be able to help us optimize the AI of our games by creating your own NPC character, it’ll be later implemented in the game when it’ll be released. Of course, we offer financial compensation for your work.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards, The LifeX Team”

Nathan’s first instinct was skepticism. It sounded too good to be true, and he’d heard horror stories of scams and phishing attempts. But the desperation for money overrode his better judgment. He quickly searched for LifeX online, finding only a sparse website filled with vague marketing speak about “immersive experiences” and “cutting-edge technology.” There were no reviews, no user testimonials, nothing solid. This should have been a red flag, but Nathan was too desperate to care. He needed this. He needed a break.

Nathan decided to respond. He typed out a quick reply expressing his interest. Almost immediately, another email arrived, containing a download link, setup instructions, and a NDA requesting his personal information: name, age, location, and other details. Nathan filled out the form, barely thinking about the potential consequences. He selected the longest trial period possible: one month, hoping it would give him enough content for his channel and enough time to determine if the collaboration was worthwhile.

As soon as he submitted the form, a melodic chime sounded from his laptop, followed by a smooth, professional voice:

“Thank you for signing up, Nathan. To begin your experience, you will first create the NPC character, and then you’ll be ready to start your experience in the environment you’ll choose. For the trial to run successfully, please ensure that your computer remains on for the entire duration of the test period: one month. Any interruption may result in data loss or corruption. Welcome to LifeX.”

Nathan frowned at the last part but shrugged it off. He figured it was just standard legalese, probably meant for immersion. The screen changed to a character creation window, displaying a basic human figure in a T-pose. Nathan leaned forward, curiosity piqued, and started customizing the avatar.

He named the avatar “Cody,” envisioning him as the polar opposite of himself. Cody would be everything Nathan wasn’t: confident, athletic, and effortlessly cool. He adjusted the height to 6'4", pushed the muscle sliders to the maximum, giving Cody bulging biceps, a broad chest, and thick, powerful legs holding a perfectly muscled ass. From the corner of his eyes, Nathan spotted a slider on the groin area. He laughed as he understood he could also determine how big he could adjust Cody’s penis and balls. Smiling, he selected the largest option possible for his dick and added a huge heavy pair of balls to go with it, watching it grow in proportion to the rest of his body. He added bright hazel eyes, bushy eyebrows, and messy dark brown hairs that would contrast perfectly to the pale sun kissed skin.

After the body customization, Nathan saw a new window open: Clothes and accessories. After thinking about it, he chose a pair of denim shorts that ended mid-thigh, showing off Cody’s muscular legs. Nathan opted for no T-shirt, exposing Cody’s ripped torso and added a ripped sleeve shirt opened on his muscled hair pecs. He then moved on to accessories and decided to put a loop earring on his right ear and a silver chain around his neck.

After the customization was done, it was asked for Nathan to enter some information about the NPC he just created to create a base behavior for him. After a while, Nathan decided to go for the stereotypical fratbro behavior to go with the appearance he just did. He started typing, adding details about Cody’s lifestyle. He entered notes in the behavior interface: “Cody is dumb as a brick. He loves gym, training and being barefoot, feeling the ground under his calloused feet.” He laughed as he added another line: “Cody never takes showers, loves the smell of his own musk, enjoys sniffing his hairy armpits after a workout and scratching his big dick every couple of minutes after what he smells them and always smile enjoying his own musk.” Nathan chuckled, amused at the thought of creating such a ridiculous character. It was so far removed from his real life that it seemed like a fun NPC to talk and interact with. Just a dumb easy-going character that is always down for a fuck and a drink after a gym session barefoot in the woods.

Satisfied with his creation, he confirmed the settings. The game prompted him to select a location, and he chose the Secluded Forest Realm, envisioning Cody as a carefree physical trainer just out of college living in a cabin in the wilderness.

The screen went black for a moment, and the professional voice returned: “Now that your character is complete, it’s time to play! Please keep your computer running at all times to maintain synchronization. Any interruption may lead to data corruption. Enjoy your month-long experience, Nathan, and welcome to LifeX.” Nathan was really getting excited now. He conder what kind of character he would create for himself when he saw a flash of light on the screen. It looked like some kind of swirling mesh, almost like a blackhole. For a moment Nathan thought it was kind of a cool effect, but everything changed when he went to grab his half drink cup of coffee sitting next to him only to realize his right hand was tingling and tiny particles were escaping his nails, flying straight to his screen.

A sudden wave of fatigue hit Nathan, and the lights in his apartment flickered briefly. A sense of unease washed over him, making the hairs on his arms stand up. Before he could react, the tingling sensation spread from his fingertips up through his arms. He stared in disbelief as his fingers began to dissolve into streams of glowing white code, spreading quickly across his body. He tried to scream, but his voice caught in his throat. His vision blurred as the Life X logo was pulsing in bright light in the center of the screen with a loading bar under it going up further and further. The last thing he saw was the 100% before everything went black.

Nathan found himself suspended in a void. He was floating, naked, surrounded by darkness. Panic set in, his heart racing as he tried to move, but his body was frozen in a T-pose. The sensation was bizarre, as if he were trapped in a dream. He wanted to call out, but his voice was muffled, like shouting underwater. The smooth, professional voice returned, echoing through the void:

“Welcome to your new life, Nathan. Don’t panic; this process is normal and painless. In a few moments, you will begin your ideal life in the Secluded Forest Realm. Relax and feel calm. Avatar synchronization will begin in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…”

“What the fuck, where am I? What is going on? Why can’t I move?! HELP!!” thought Nathan as he tried to scream even though his face remained frozen.

Nathan’s body suddenly stiffened. A pressure built inside him, starting at his core and spreading outward. His bones stretched and cracked, lengthening to match Cody’s new height. His arms and legs grew longer, muscles bulging and expanding to fill out his new form. Nathan could feel his muscles tearing and healing at an accelerated rate, becoming stronger and more defined with each passing second.

His skin began to tighten, smoothing out imperfections and leaving with a perfectly smooth skin all around his muscled body. Nathan would be screaming if his voice mas not muted. Everything was burning and it was like feeling his DNA being rewritten while still being conscious. As he felt tears rising up his eyes, a new sensation invaded his newly modified skin. In his pits, legs and between his pecs, he felt like thousands of needles were piercing holes. The sensation was only multiplied as he started to feel hair sprouting from the holes. They were dark brown and thick but worst, the sensation of piercing needles started to appear around his groin too. Still wondering what was happening to him, Nathan tried to connect the elements he could find and that when he realized. The secluded forest, the muscles, the hair; that was Cody’s information, which means… Just enough time to understand what was happening to him when the hair started to sprout in abondance around his dick and nuts and climbing up his sculpted abs in a thin happy trail. After the hair, the modifications started to appear on his face. His jawline becoming sharper and more angular, his cheekbones more pronounced. His lips filled out, becoming more defined, while his eyebrows grew thicker, framing his eyes. His vision sharpened, colors becoming brighter and more vivid. His brown eyes shifted to a bright hazel as he lost vision for a moment. Everything was happening all at once and still, Nathan felt like it was an eternity of pain.

Nathan’s hair thickened, turning into soft, dark strands that fell casually over his forehead. His ears reshaped slightly to match his new head structure. A sensation of warmth spread through his throat as his vocal cords tightened, his voice box reshaping. When he tried to speak, his voice was deeper, richer, and carried a slight accent, a relaxed, Western drawl.

Nathan felt a growing warmth in his groin and realized what was about to happen now. All of a sudden, he regrated giving Cody such a big dick and heavy nuts. His cock thickened and lengthened, becoming larger than Nathan had ever been. He could feel the veins snaking down his growing dick as his cock head started to grow thicker and bigger. He could feel the cold air surrounding him as the head sneaked out of his foreskin. Wait, his foreskin? He didn’t remember going this far in details. His nuts fall down and grew thicker and full of potent cum as he could feel them going overload working on creating new manly sperm nonstop. Nathan could feel the horniness starting to rise as his body was assaulted by huge amount of testosterone. A drop of precum appeared at the tip of his cock as he could feel the weight of it between his legs, an odd sensation that both embarrassed and intrigued him. His buttocks tightened, becoming firm and lifted, while his thighs and calves thickened with muscle.

The transformation was almost complete when Nathan felt a sharp pain on his left pec. He wanted to scream, but his body was still frozen. The pain was like a branding iron pressing into his skin. “What is this?!” screamed Nathan in his new deep voice. A voice appeared from all around him “Dear user: NATHAN BROWN, as talked with you earlier on, you agreed to review and help us create the new generation of AI used for our NPCs. For that, your character, CODY, will have to be monitored. This assignation, XXIV, is the link to your identity and allow us to track your character. Please relax as your actions will be tracked and then saved. The program will make sure to copy all your movements, thoughts and everything that your character, CODY, might do to make sure to copy human mechanism that will be implemented in our NPCs later on. Thank you for your service.” When it subsided, a Roman numeral tattoo “XXIV” was there, bold and black, as if it had always been part of him. Nathan could feel the tattoo pulsing with energy, as if it was more than just ink on skin.

As his body finished transforming, clothes materialized around him. He now wore a sleeveless, open checkered flannel shirt and a short pair of denim shorts. Then he felt his ear being stabbed as the earing appeared in it and the coldness of the silver metal appeared around his neck. His feet then started to tingle as Nathan could feel the skin of his sole getting thicker and denser to better serve his barefoot lifestyle in the forest.

Nathan was terrified about what he just heard; his humanity was going to be used to program AI that will be implemented in NPCs. How is that even possible? Does that mean he was Cody now? And for a whole month? He didn’t agree to this. He had a life outside, friends, job to find, maybe some interviews if he was lucky. And about the bills? What was he going to do?

As all the questions were swirling in his head, Nathan fell the restriction holding his body in place as it was being modified lift. He could move on his own again, and the first thing he tried to do was take of his shirt or necklace. But every tug on the clothes or metal fell like he was trying to rip a part of him away. The clothes were part of him now. Nathan started to feel tears rise once again in his ears as all he could see around him were the infinite void of this artificial world. “Modification process terminated, Assimilation to the realm starting in 3,2,1…” Out of nowhere, the ground started to shake under Nathan’s barefoot. Then he saw light pierce through the ceiling. As a reflex, he put his hands to cover his bright hazel eyes but the light was way too bright. Nathan could see entire walls of darkness vanish and being obliterated by this bright light coming from above and fear started to raise in him. Nathan closed his eyes as all he could see was the infinite light engulfing the void and him with it. When he opened his eyes, Nathan was alone in a cabin in the woods, standing in front of a mirror. For the first time, he could see from the first person point of view what the body he created really looked like. Everything was looking so life like, even scent of pine and dirt were coming from the opened window next to him. He could smell the woods, feel the sun on his skin, the wood under his foots. Everything was lifelike. As Nathan sight started to look what his transformed body looked like, his head started to spin. Nathan grabbed it with his two manly hands but the pain was growing stronger. And in the blink of an eye, Nathan was no more. Cody stared at his reflection before smiling and flexing his biceps while smiling. His right hand lowered to get inside his shorts and scratch his hairy dick before putting his fingers under his nose to smell his musk. Cody laughed as he walked away, grabbing a snack on his way out to go exercise a bit in the nature.

“New NPC starting test phase. Remaining time 30 days, 23 hours 59 minutes 23 seconds. Behavior analysis… Acting following user NATHAN BROWN encoding. Tester assimilation… Assimilation stable, user will turn back when tests are over.”

______________________________________________________________ Hey guys! Here's another story back from the Vault, and it's my first ever published story: LifeX Hope you guys enjoy this new version of my story. Let me know what you think of it. As always, my asks are open and i'm always looking for new ideas and prompts from you. I try to answer them all and I love to read your ideas so please, don't be afraid to send anything you'd like me to write and I'll do my best to do it :) Take care of yourself! P.S. A follow up to this story should arrive soon ;)

[innorogers]

Lull

Steve Rogers x Reader (You / OFC)

Summary: So this is when you understood the difference between making love and banging, or, in this case, fucking.

Warning: Fluff / SMUT / MINORS DNI / 18+ / Unprotected Sex /

Characters: OC, Tony Stark, Maria Hill, Bruce Banner, Sam Wilson, Sharon Carter, Natasha Romanoff

Also: Thanks in advance for repost or any feedback ❤️ Let me know if you want to be included in the taglist (DM, comment, repost and tag, whatever works)❤️ You don't need to read the previous chapters but it will definitely enhance the experience if you do.

1: Insomnia | 2: Lucid | 3: Reverie | 4: Nightmare | 5: Awakening | 6: Dusk | 7: Hypnagogia

You slipped through the streets like shadows, holding hands, hearts racing, eyes darting over your shoulders, every sound amplified by the silence of the night. The Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder – or ‘Magic Stark-Potter Thing’ as Steve was calling it – had granted you some safe time. But time was fragile, and you both knew it.

Your powers pulsed beneath your skin, guiding Steve with quiet certainty. You could feel the city’s pulse, see through the walls, and peer into the hidden corners of every alley. You led him down paths that no one else knew, invisible threads pulling you toward safety. The streets, immersed in late hours after midnight, stretched before you like the remnants of some secret map.

When you reached a narrow street swallowed by the night, you knelt down and moved a pile of old garbage cans aside, revealing a small, grimy basement window. You glanced back at Steve, and gestured for him to follow you down.

Turned out to be an underground club, and the party was just getting good.

The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, sweat, and smoke. Neon lights painted the walls in erratic colors—electric blues and deep reds—while people shouted over the pounding music, their laughter swallowed by the deafening noise.

You exchanged a look with Steve as you pushed through the crowd. His usual composed demeanor flickered, his eyes scanning the chaotic scene while staying close behind you. You weaved through the press of bodies, brushing against strangers lost in their own worlds, music vibrating through your bones as you both made your way to the other side. It felt like a different universe—one that was wild, loud, and completely unaware of the chaos lurking outside its walls.

“I need a computer!” You raised your voice so he could hear.

“I really don’t think you’ll find one here.” He almost laughed, holding your waist and waving through the people around you as you moved forward.

“I know.” You tilted your jaw. “But that’s perfect, look.” You pointed to the computer they used as a register to take orders. “An older one, probably. I need to enter an untraceable code; our network is probably compromised, so I need to notify the only being who can’t be hacked or corrupted.”

“Really?” Now he was intrigued. “Who?”

“Vision.” You continued to scan the place as you moved through the dancing crowd. “These machines won’t work, they’re plugged into their private network. I’ll need something connected to the outside. C'mon… let’s go to another floor.” It was a huge underground bar, so you held Steve’s hand and moved to the stairs.

“I think we’ve got company.” Steve tightened his grip as he noticed some guys entering the floor. They looked like military—tense poses and sharp, alert eyes scanning the place. He looked up and saw more of them on the floor above, near the exits and moving through the whole place.

“Let’s go, we don’t have much time. I think there’s some gear on me that’s making us trackable.” You hurried with him to go down, but stopped when those military men started coming from downstairs. You pulled him aside, hiding in a dark corner, but they weren’t leaving. Steve’s figure—tall, handsome, blonde—was too easy to recognize. A lot of women (and men) were looking at him with flirtatious eyes, intrigued.

You passed by corridors and stairs full of people, using your powers and his sensitive perception to navigate the space. The men didn’t notice you were there, but their eyes were everywhere.

You felt Steve’s body tense beside you, ready to attack at any moment, and the place would turn into hell if that happened. You cupped his face, pulling him closer to the wall, your eyes scanning behind him.

“I’ve always wanted to do this with you…” You smirked as the men passed by, and with your hand on his neck, you kissed him deeply.

Shit. Steve’s body went rigid.

This was the worst place and the worst time, but somehow, it felt so right. He’d almost forgotten how much he needed this. The moment your lips met his, your body pressed against his, the scent of smoke and debris clinging to you from the chase. But your kiss, it grounded him—reminded him why every risk was worth it.

He kissed you in the flicker of shadows, under the flashing lights, in a dark corner of an underground club. Drunk, dancing strangers moved in their own ecstasy, oblivious to the danger. It wasn’t something he ever imagined doing, but then again, you always brought the unexpected. And again...How could you ever think he’d choose anyone else over you? Over this?

He deepened the kiss, pinning you to the wall, his tongue brushing yours, and it felt so right… you tasted like sweetness, laced with something wild, like sin and salvation entwined.

“Steve…” You broke away, eyes still on the men as they passed, and he lifted your leg, wrapping it around his waist. You grinned. “I really don’t think this is the time…”

“Well…” He chuckled, voice rough. “I think it’s the perfect time for this.”

“Come on. Let’s move now that we have the chance.” You pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before starting to move.

Taking advantage of the lack of enemies in sight, you made it to the last floor through doors and hidden passageways and arrived at what seemed to be a VIP room.

“There we go.” Your eyes locked onto a computer next to a more sophisticated bar. “That’ll do.” But as you approached, Steve’s senses sharpened, picking up the tension of a threat.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw a group of men—tall, armed, and bearing the unmistakable faces of movie villains. Why do they always look like the bad guys? He sighed, slowly rolling up his sleeves. Well, it was about damn time. He had been holding back this feeling of wanting to punch someone ever since a bomb exploded near your car.

“Mmm?” You turned back and noticed the surroundings. The only guy who had been on a date at a corner table rushed out with his partner as soon as the room filled with the approaching men, circling both of you. He was even polite enough to close the door behind him.

“Oh.” You blinked at the 1, 2, 3… 15 men surrounding you.

“Gentlemen, there’s really no need for this to escalate…” You advised as the tension thickened, movements slowing to a crawl before the inevitable first strike.

“Shut up, doll. We’ll take care of you later.” Said the man who seemed to be their leader, smirking at you. “And believe me, you’ll be well attended.”

“Oh … you really shouldn’t have said that.” You shook your head, already sensing Steve’s fists clenching in response.

“Sir, you’re about to get the smash of your life…” You spun just in time to grab the bartender’s hand as he reached for a weapon beneath the desk, a fight breaking out behind you. “Please don’t do that.” You blinked at him. “I just need to borrow your computer, okay?”

“Um…” The bartender, startled by your strong grip, noticed the Avengers logo on your gear and quickly reconsidered. “Um… this thing runs on Windows Millennium. Like…Yikes.” He gestured at the ancient machine. “Don’t you need something, I don’t know, more modern?”

“It’ll do, thanks.” You hopped over the bar counter and began typing. “If it doesn’t send Vision a signal, it’ll at least ping him with a virus warning.”

The moment Steve moved, the air shifted.

The first punch landed with the force of a freight train, sending one of the goons crashing into a table, shattering glass and upending chairs. Chaos erupted in the room as fists and bodies collided. Steve ducked under a wild swing, his movements sharp and precise, retaliating with a brutal uppercut that left another attacker sprawled on the floor. Damn, this is so boring. A punching bag in the training room felt even heavier.

One of the armed men lunged at him with a knife, but Steve twisted to the side, catching the man’s wrist and flipping him over with ease. The crack of bones echoed as the thug hit the ground hard, and Steve was already turning, launching a swift kick into another man’s chest, sending him crashing through the VIP room’s thin partition wall.

“Babe, you got that?” He moved his head, avoiding a knife—or whatever sharp thing was coming from the back—grabbed the guy by his arm, and twisted it like a towel.

“Just a sec.” You were typing the commands as bottles clinked and tables flew across the room, the thumping bass from the club floor below barely audible over the grunts and crashes of the fight. 

“Just… okay, there.” You turned to the bartender: “Do you want me to upgrade this system for you?”

The bartender wanted to answer, but suddenly bent over as a guy was thrown and hit against the wine cellar. He covered his head and screamed, so you raised your eyebrows and took that as a no.

With only three men left standing, they hesitated for a moment, locking eyes with each other as if silently deciding who would make the first move. But that took forever, and Steve was getting bored. He lunged forward, grabbing the nearest man by the collar, lifting him effortlessly before slamming him down onto the tables, the impact scattering bottles and glasses across the floor.

Before the next guy could even react, Steve spun, delivering a swift elbow to the second man’s jaw, sending him reeling backward into a bookshelf, knocking it over with a deafening crash.

The last man, clearly outmatched, pulled out a gun in a desperate attempt to regain control. But Steve was faster. In one fluid motion, he ducked low, dodging the shot, and surged forward, ripping the gun from the man’s hand and delivering a bone-crushing punch to his gut. The man doubled over in pain, gasping for breath, before Steve finished him off with a knee to the face, leaving him crumpled on the ground.

The room was now littered with unconscious bodies, shattered glass, and overturned furniture.

“Wow…” You said in awe. “You didn’t even sweat.” You were thinking that he sweats more when he’s in bed with you.

And he laughed, thinking the same: “I’m saving that for later.”

Just as the dust was settling and Steve was wiping his hands clean, the door burst open, and Tony sauntered in, his suit gleaming in the dim light.

"Everybody freeze!" Iron man said in a mechanical voice behind his helmet, raising his hand and pointing at… nothing. Then he lowered it, noticing the room was still, filled only with men groaning in pain on the floor, while you and Steve rolled your eyes at him.

"What? I was already nearby when Vis delivered the message just three seconds ago. It's not like I'm late..." He raised an eyebrow at the sight of unconscious bodies and broken furniture, clearly unfazed by the chaos, as the team led by Maria and Sam entered the room with their weapons raised.

"Get 'em all; we need intel," Steve sighed as he walked over to you. "There’s a lot of interrogation to do." He pulled you close. "C'mon, let's go home."

It was almost sunrise when you arrived at the compound. You slept a bit in the car, and when the heroes started debating in the command room about the next steps and strategies, you stretched your body and headed to the dressing room yawning.

You needed a cold water shower to clear your mind before helping Tony and Bruce decipher all the information. Plus, you had to get out of this suit that smelled like grilled cement, ashes, and burnt fabric.

Ugh, you were a mess. You opened the locker and started unzipping the gear when you suddenly heard footsteps behind you.

Steve’s arms locked around you before you could turn. He restrained your wrists as a frenzied kiss landed on your lips, fingers laced with yours, pinning you against the wall. While holding you captive with one hand, he explored your wrists with the other.

He was burning.

The kiss deepened, and all the feelings he had been holding back since the car chase, was poured into the embrace. 

He was so turned on by everything that had happened—the adrenaline, the action, the danger, and the risks. He was impressed, and aroused, so fucking aroused.

He knew you were special, but you didn’t even blink during the chaos. 

There were explosives, drones, and the entire freaking Iron Army chasing you in a car, and you didn’t step back an inch.

This unyielding, unwavering, fierce-as-fuck version of you was driving him insane.

“Steve…?” You broke the kiss because you needed air, though you were enjoying it. “Are you okay?” Didn’t you just kind of… escape from death?

“Better than ever.” He pressed his forehead against yours, breathing heavily. “I need you.” He said this while lowering your gear’s zipper, inhaling as your breasts sprang free from your clothes. He groaned, kneading them with desperate need.

Oh, okay… You moaned, tilting your head back when he sucked and lapped at them. Your gear was only half off as he pulled down your pants, kicked them aside, lifted your leg around his waist, and plunged into your already soaked folds.

Oh, wow. You gasped in awe as your inner walls stretched wide, completely filled by him, and your bodies slamming against the lockers.

And that’s when you understood the difference between making love and banging, or, in this case, fucking. 

Yup, what you’d been doing every night was making love. But this… 

This was Steve fucking you. And fucking you hard.

The pace was brutal, pounding with relentless intensity. He held your leg and gripped your ass to keep you in position. With one hand on your neck, forcing eye contact, he fucked you harder and harder.

His voice was hoarse and raw, groaning with lust. When he saw you bite your lip to stay quiet, he smiled and quickened his pace.

“I’ve wanted to do this since you kissed me in the nightclub…” He said, his body slamming into yours, locking you against the lockers.

“Keeping you like this in a dark corner, making love to you in the middle of the crowd…” With those images in mind, he murmured in your ear, his thrusts becoming stronger, admiring how waves of pleasure overtook you, making you pressed your leg tighter to his waist, your breath coming in silent gasps, pleading for more.

“Steve…” You could barely whisper. You couldn’t catch your breath as he pounded into you, shaking your body with the force of his thrusts. Your nails dug into his back, trying to hold back your voice, biting your lower lip so the moans wouldn’t escape. You didn’t even know if he had locked the door—someone could walk in at any moment.

But he was so hard, his pace so fast and relentless, completely out of control.

Steve never came before you did. He always made sure you were satisfied first. But this time, he cums when you finally gave in and moaned his name, his release hot and thick inside you.

Before you could even process it, he pulled out and turned you around.

Your breasts hit the lockers as his hands gripped your waist. He positioned you, and just when you were about to inhale, he was inside you again.

Fuck! This felt so good…! Steve never felt this urge, never wanted this so bad, his eyes darkening with further lust and desire, his hands pressing your waist and squeezing your bouncing ass cheek as he sees how he thrusts inside out of you. 

You are so tight, so wet, so fucking perfect for his cock, as you were tailored made for him. He was probably hard since you commanded him in the car, with that badass attitude and fierce determination, and now you were leaning there, with your elbows against the locker, your tits bouncing as he strokes, your ass cheeks marked as he squeezes and rubs them, and your folds still dripping remains of his last cum. Totally at his mercy. 

Fuck, this is hot.

He was going wild. Seeing you trying to mute what at home would be the sweetest or wildest moan, only spur him on, driving him to fuck you with greater velocity, snapping forward with greater intensity. 

“Let go, babe…” He said, snapping his hips forward. Each thrust hit that perfect spot deep inside you, sending shockwaves of pleasure rippling through both of your bodies. “Let it go… Cum for me honey… Come on… I know you’re about to…”

He leaned forward, grabbed your face, and kissed you fiercely, his tongue claiming yours. His hand found your breasts, tweaking and tugging at your nipples until they stiffened, begging for attention.

“Fuck, baby… You feel so good…” His voice was a ragged, hot breath near your ear. His fingers found your clit, rubbing fast circles as he continued to fuck you. 

Your moans were loader, and your clit was so sensitive, it couldn’t take more contact, Steve’s thumbs rubbed faster and stronger, and as he continues to fuck you in your spot, when he feels your walls about to clamp, he just whispers in a determined tone in your ear. “Cum, now.”

It was like he had a switch that controlled your body. Your inner walls clenched at his command, and you gave in, cumming long and hard around his cock, your body trembling. All you were making was lust sounds, mumbling his name, trying to breathe and to recover to the ecstasy that went from your clit to your mind. 

“That’s it, my love…” He smiled with satisfaction, hissing through clenched teeth, his fingers tangling in your hair as he guided you into another fervent kiss.

When his lips sealed yours, the thrusts became faster and rougher, uncontrollable moans escaping as his hands roamed over your breasts. His movements were frenetic, chasing his own orgasm.

You moved with him, drunk on lust, oblivious to everything else. You felt his hands squeezing harder, his gasps becoming heavier, his cock growing bigger and stronger. Finally, he buried himself inside you, erupting and flooding your depths with a hot load of cum. His hips jerked involuntarily as the last drops spilled inside you, and he was finally satisfied.

“Oh…god… fuck, babe…” He had one hand still rubbing your tits, another pressing your clit and feeling his cum overload your folds, and his body resting in yours, covered with sweat, gear at his feet, when the extreme edge washed over him. “That…was…amazing.”

"Steve..." You panted as he pulled out and turned you around, instantly leaning into him. "I need to sit..." Your knees were weak, and your thighs hurt a little, but in a good way, a very good way.

He let out a soft laugh. "I’m so sorry..." He kissed your forehead as he lifted you onto the bench and covered you with his shirt. "Did I hurt you? Oh..." He winced at the marks on your waist and thighs, nearly bruised from his hands.

"Shit, babe... I’m sorry I got carried away." His voice softened, apologetic. "Does it hurt?" He pressed a kiss on your wrists, where he had also been holding on so tight. "Fuck... I’m sorry."

"No." You grinned and kissed him back. "It was amazing..." You leaned toward him, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. "I loved it. We should have more missions like this."

"As much as I’d love to..." He smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of your face, holding you close. "I hate the danger around you. But hey..." He hesitated for a moment. "About what I said earlier..."

"'Cum, now'?" You imitated his voice, and he let out a loud laugh.

"No, earlier..."

"Mmm..." You recalled your eidetic memory. "'Keeping you like this in a dark corner, making love to you in the middle of the crowd'?"

Your eyes brightened. "You wanna go back to the nightclub so we can make out?"

Steve actually considered it for a second. "We’ll talk about that later... but no, I meant what I said in the car before the Iron Army attacked us like Ultron’s possessed children."

"Yeah..." You didn’t remember. Well, no, you weren’t listening. "I was distracted by the giant bomb headed toward us, babe... I’m sorry I didn’t hear."

He leaned back, chuckling and shaking his head.

"Okay, what I was saying..." Now he was looking right at you. He cupped your face, leaving a soft kiss on your lips. "I think it’s just been proven how deeply, madly, utterly in love I am with you. I don’t have eyes for anyone else..."

"Ohhh!" Now you connected the dots. "So we’re talking about my insecurities because you hung out with your gorgeous ex-girlfriend all day?"

"She’s not..." Steve sighed, then softened his voice. "Well, there. There’s nothing for you to be insecure about. I love you. Only you. And I think I’ve proven my desire to be with you forever with the ring..."

"What?" Now you were shocked. "Wait, what?" You sat up straight. "Was the ring really... really... a ring?"

"Of course it is. What else would it be?"

"Um... you said it was a tracking device."

"It is." Steve sighed. "But eventually, when all this is over, it will be just a ring that means: you’re the love of my life, and I want to be with you forever." He smiles at your incredulous face, and holds you in his embrace, placing a kiss on your forehead: "In this life, and all the lifetimes to come. I want only you."

You stared at him, speechless, feeling the warmth of his arms around you and the weight of his words settling in. His gaze was so full of love, it made your heart race. For a moment, you couldn’t find the words, but then you leaned into him, resting your forehead against his.

"Steve..." You whispered, your voice thick with emotion. "I don’t know what to say."

"You don’t have to say anything." He replied softly, brushing a strand of hair away from your face. "Just... stay with me. That’s all I need."

You smiled, your heart overflowing. "Yes." You kissed him back. "Now. Always. Forever."

"Okay, now that we’re good..." He lifted you up in his arms. "C’mon princess, let’s take a bath, we are a mess here."

Oh. You raised your eyebrows. You don’t know who he’s kidding; you both know how this was going to end.

The End but TBD :)

Continue to:

9: Vigil |

10: Eclipse |

Divider Credits: to the wonderful @cafekitsune

And that's a wrap for chapter 8! Wohoo, I'm so glad I've made it to write a complete smut!! xD I really suck at writing it in english :D So with so many wonderful writers out there, thank you for reading up to here, hope you enjoyed it :D And thanks everyone for participating in the poll last post xD Can't believe fluff won, come on some angst and then a fluff and happy ending won't hurt, right? xD

I'll see you next friday for chapter 9! Wow 9 chapters!! <3

Tag list: @vioplay19 / @jamneuromain / @steviebbboi / @heletsmelovehim / @otterlycanadian / hisredheadedgoddess28

*can you let me know if I've missed anyone in the taglist? thanks <3

[gebnohe]

“Working hard… as always, hm?”

hsr women x workaholic reader

characters: Himeko, Kafka, Stelle, March 7th, Topaz (i ran out of colors idrk how to use tumblr💔)

Tags: fluff, gn!reader, workaholic!reader, (overworked!reader?), established relationship

warnings: a bit of exaggeration, maybe ooc (also read authors note at the end pls)

Background: You have the most insane work ethic. You work for an excessive amount of hours, day-in and day-out. You’re the best employee at your company, and really can’t seem to find anything to do to pass the time but work. From your extreme hours and employee benefits from those hours, the higher-ups really don’t seem to care when you clock in or out. But even with all the benefits and favor you’ve gained, you still find yourself working in your free-time, and it seems as if it’s more than a way to just burn away the extra time you have on your hands. You’re aware it’s becoming a problem, but can’t really seem to stop doing it. As an attempt at a solution, you agreed with your girlfriend that if she asked you to stop working, you would wrap up what you were working on and give her attention.

Himeko:

She woke up in bed alone, reaching to your side of the bed and making no contact. This caused her to chuckle a bit, knowing that you were already awake and meaning she knew exactly where to find you. She slowly got out of bed, stretching and yawning, she made her way to the kitchen proceeded to also make her first of many cups of coffee for the day. 

As you work, you hear the door slowly open as Himeko walks in and stands slightly behind you.

“Hard working as always, aren’t you, darling?” She says in a playful but sleepy tone, considering she had only woken up a few minutes ago. 

You chuckle gently and look towards her, your hands still on the mouse and keyboard. “Good morning, Himeko.” You say gently, 

your head shifting. 

“Good morning, love.” She takes a sip of her coffee then holds it out, offering you some. You wrap your fingers around the mug and take a sip as Himeko leans on you, an arm wrapping around your shoulder while she leans her head on yours. 

“Mmmmh…” she sighs lovingly, watching you work then putting her hand on yours and taking a sip from the coffee again. 

“So now what?” She asks affectionately, her eyes closed and her face relaxed with a smile. 

“I dunno…” You reply, attention partially focussed on her and the rest on your work. “I’m working still.” 

“Come on, focus on me.” She chuckles, putting her hand on your chin and turning your head. 

She plants a loving kiss on your lips for a good few seconds, then pulls away and looks you in the eyes. 

“Hm…?” You mumble, full attention on her while looking back into her golden eyes.

“…nothing. Carry on.” She says with quietly, leaning back on you again. “Just wanted some more of you for a bit…”

Kafka:

“Darling~” you hear a woman whisper in your ear, and an arm wrapped around your shoulder. 

You slowly sit up look forwards, seeing the unfinished work on your computer. “Hm…? Oh…” You sleepily mumble, rubbing your eyes and somewhat immediately getting back to working. 

It was some time in the evening, but you had no clue what time it was. Your vision was blurry from the fatigue of having just woken up, so you weren’t able to make out the time on the tiny clock in the corner of the monitor. All that you knew is that it was sometime in the late PM’s.

“Back to working already? Give it a break for a bit, love.” Kafka chuckles and kisses your cheek, her arm still wrapped around your shoulder.

“One sec…” you tiredly mumble, moving your mouse and fingers as you begin typing once again. 

“Oh, no no no.” She chuckles playfully, pulling your hand away from the mouse and keyboard, escorting you away from your work computer. “You’re going to bed, darling.” 

“Noooooo…” You mumble quietly, your eyelids growing heavy again. “Let me wooork…” 

Hearing your tired pouting and seeing you fall asleep as your eyelids grow heavier makes her chuckle. 

“No.” She says playfully, bringing you into your shared bedroom and lying down.

“Go on now. Sleep well, darling.” Kafka kisses your forehead as you drift off to sleep. “Good night~ I love you.”

“Love…” You attempt to get out of your lips, “…you too.”

Stelle:

“Hey there.” Stelle says as she walks up behind you, wrapping her arms around your neck and resting her chin on the top of your head. “How’s work going for you?”

“Nothing special. Same usual boring stuff.” You reply with a bored but half affectionate tone, continuing with your work but appreciating her gesture.

“Then why are you still working?” She asks as she lets out an amused huff. 

You stay silent and blankly stare at the monitor, struggling to come up with a justifiable response. 

Stelle snorts as you fail to speak. “You still wanna keep working even though it’s boring?” 

“It’s fine… you’re already here so it’s better now. Much more tolerable.” You say as you move turn your head up a bit, being able to make eye contact with her now. 

Her gaze shifts from your work down to your eyes, smirking playfully. “What’s with that look? You want something to eat?” She teases you.

“That actually doesn’t sound terrible.” You reply, smirking back. “You sure you’ll be able to make something though?” (i hc stelle as being a bad cook i find it stupid and cute and silly aaaa)

Stelle releases a soft laugh after you say that, rolling her eyes and squeezing you one more time before walking off. “Just give me a bit, it won’t be anything special.”

“Good luck with that, babe.” You say back teasingly as you watch her walk off.

After an unspecified amount of time, she comes back with a basic ham & cheese sandwich. 

“Ham and cheese, huh?” You chuckle.

“Hey, I warned you to not expect much.” She chuckles, setting the plate down onto your desk but out of your way, then returning her former position shortly after. Her arms slink around your neck and her chin returns to resting on your head. 

“So when are you gonna be done?” She asks after a few minutes of silence. 

“You want me to be done?” You ask back, watching her slowly reach her arm down and cheekily grab the sandwich. 

She brings it up to her mouth and takes a bite of the untouched sandwich before you can, despite the sandwich being made for you. “Preferably. I wanna spend some more time with you.” She replies casually, tossing the sandwich back onto the plate.

“Then that can be arranged.” You say as you begin clocking out. 

Stelle finishes chewing and begins speaking. “There we go.” She smiles, chuckling and kissing the top of your head. 

As you finish clocking out and begin to stand up, Stelle wraps her arms around her waist and begins “pestering” your face with kisses.

“Woah-!“ you chuckle, a bit surprised from her action, “Stelle-“ you try to say, still chuckling. 

“I’ve been wanting to do this for quite a bit now~ let me do my work.” She says mischievously, working down to your neck slowly.

March 7th:

The quiet clicking of your mouse and keyboard as your girlfriend walks into the room, seeing you continue to stare at the computer screen. “Babeee~…” March pouts as she walks into the room and clings to you, wrapping her arms around you gently.

“Come on… get done working already…”  She says into the crook of your neck, burying her face there. “You’ve been at it all day…” 

“Sorry, sorry…” You reply gently, reaching a hand over to her head, gently patting and running your fingers through her hair. 

“Hold off for a bit… let me clock out.” 

March exhales contently as you do this, shifting her face and looking at the monitor as well, watching you fill out your digital hour sheet. 

“So what now?” You ask, still patting March’s head, but turning in your office chair to face her.

“…you tell me.” March exhales, crawling into your lap with a satisfied sigh. 

You chuckle gently before you start speaking again, “You got me to stop working without a plan?” 

“I’m fine with anything as long as it’s with you.” March says softly, kissing you just as well. “We can figure it out along the way… buuuuut~!” 

March’s face lights up, and starts fiddling with the camera attached to her waist. “I diiiid get a new camera! I have some ideas on what we could do!”

Topaz:

“So.” Topaz says, walking up behind you. “You’re still working, huh?” 

After jumping a bit from being startled, and her chuckling as a result, she walks up next to you and leans on your desk. Her white hair is visible from the light of your computer’s monitor.

“Yeah, I just wanted to get this one thing finished.” You reply after allowing your heart rate to go back down.

“Y/n… you said that a few hours ago.” Topaz chuckles as she rolls her eyes. It was true. It’s now midnight, and a few hours ago you said you just had to wrap up one more thing done, and now even at midnight you still weren’t done.

“Uhhhh…” you mumble, obviously guilty, freezing up. 

“Don’t you work yourself to death as well?” You suddenly accuse to tease her back, chuckling. 

“Don’t avoid the question, babe.” She laughs, poking your forehead, “I’m very aware that I overwork myself too.”

“You know what you did, and I know what you are.” She grabs your cheek and pinches it.

“Hey, cut that out, Topaz!” You laugh back, grabbing her hand. 

She laughs softly, taking her hand away from your grasp to reach over and run her hand through your hair. “You’re too cute like that, y’know?” She asks her gentle gaze resting on you. Her hand moves down to your cheek and caresses it.

“Let’s go to bed now.” She says, her hand going to your’s and squeezing it. 

“Ju-“ you try to speak.

“Ah. Nope.” Topaz cuts you off, her other hand resting a finger on your lips to silence you. “You’re going to bed with me.”

She smirks and tugs your arm, yanking you into the bedroom which you both shared.

Author’s notes: sorry about march’s part being really short didnt know how to make it longer

also about the Stelle being bad at cooking HC its really just some silly think i thought of one day because i find it really cute if she’s only has the ability to make tv dinners or sandwiches 

also this is my first fic/post so please leave criticisms/critiques or request something (be as harsh as you want with the critiques/criticisms its okay 🫶❤️)

[alexanderwales]

I'm a lover of standards, mostly because they're carefully designed semi-taxonomies that have to bump up against the real world and deal with complications that happen when used beyond scope, or when time marches forward and the assumptions the standard was made under crumble.

I was looking at a pill I take and saw that it had two symbols on it, a circle next to a pinched circle, and I thought, "huh, this must be part of some identification system", but I was confused, because 1) circle and pinched circle seem difficult to manually enter into a system and 2) order seems difficult to determine, which isn't a problem per se, but does unnecessarily lower the number of bits the engraving gives. It struck me that this seemed, on its face, like a bad standard, and I thought "there's probably an interesting reason it's like this".

Turns out there is no standard!

For purposes of this section, code imprint means any single letter or number or any combination of letters and numbers, including, e.g., words, company name, and National Drug Code, or a mark, symbol, logo, or monogram, or a combination of letters, numbers, and marks or symbols, assigned by a drug firm to a specific drug product.

This is crazy to me. The system is just "eh, make sure it's uniquely identifiable". This is caveman shit. And the system is not even "have a unique code imprint", it's

Unless exempted under § 206.7, no drug product in solid oral dosage form may be introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce unless it is clearly marked or imprinted with a code imprint that, in conjunction with the product's size, shape, and color, permits the unique identification of the drug product and the manufacturer or distributor of the product.

So two pills can have the same code imprint so long as they're different colors! Fuck the colorblind, I guess? Not to mention how much it sucks having to enter some of this shit into a computer system, or how much it must suck to maintain a searchable database of drugs.

This is one of those cases where I really would have expected a bunch of intelligent people to have done their best to make a system that worked well under 99% of circumstances and then buckled under some kind of real world constraints or shifting landscapes.

Instead, it's a free-for-all, just total lack of coherent vision and respect for standards in a place where it feels like there really ought to be standards, given how regulated the industry is.

(One of the big use cases here is "person found unconscious with unknown pills", which is time critical and a case where you want a person with no training or experience to be able to correctly transmit information rather than trying to decide whether the pill's color is teal or blue, or whether the symbol is a pinched circle or a regular circle.)

(And yeah, part of the reason this has never come to fruition is because Big Pharma just doesn't want to do it, since it would mean retooling some of their production lines or something, and would also allow for less in the way of branding. They're required to put on the imprint code, so ... I don't know, smells like bullshit to me, or like a case for gradually phasing in enforcement. Hardly the most pressing issue facing the United States healthcare system, I know.)

[seoliee]

LAD Men as Cats

Here again to serve pure fluffiness. I love cats and I love LAD Men. So, I thought, why don't I try to mix the two together and here we are.

Kind of weird to make my precious fishy; Rafayel into a cat though because he absolutely hates them.

Oh and no, Caleb in this one. I might make a separate one for him though like I did last time. I'LL STOP NOW SORRY.

What if they're your pet cats?

Word Count: 1.5k words

— RAFAYEL : Grey Birman

• Rafayel was a birthday gift from your best friend. You were immediately pulled in by his mesmerizing eyes that seemed to shine and bore deep within you. The first time you took him into your arms, he looks up at you with a guarded gaze followed up with a low growl.

• It didn't take long for Rafayel to get used to you and his new surroundings, his bursts of energy zooming all over the place that you sometimes can't keep up with him.

• Being an office worker and situated to work from home. You're always confined in your study and in front of a computer often leaving Rafayel on his own company.

• There was a time that you were in a zoom call with your bosses when Rafayel leaps up on your computer desk. He meows softly, trying to get your attention but you were far too focused on your work. He rubs the side of his face on your hand that rests on top of the mouse, and you returned the gesture by petting his cheek in which he purrs at.

• Rafayel walks in front of you, blocking your vision with his built and his fluffy fur as his long puffy tail glides under your chin in the playful manner. You excused yourself from the call and places him down. "Not now, Rafayel. Be patient." You gave him a quick pet before returning to your call.

• Being a very affectionate and somewhat mischievous cat. Rafayel wouldn't let that slide. He leaps up on top of a drawer where one of your mini ornaments were located, eyeing one of them. He heard you calling him, mouthing words that says 'Don't think about it.' So now you finally gave him the attention he wants. His paw gently hits the ornament off of the drawer as it fell down on the carpet flooring and he scurries away.

• After the call ended. You went to pick up the fallen ornament and much to your relief it wasn't broken. When you went downstairs, you saw Rafayel perched down on the armrest of your couch, his eyes on you. He jumped off, running up to you and rubbing himself and subtly wrapping his tail around your legs while purring. Acting as if nothing happened.

• You sigh, picking him up into your arms. You can't stay mad at him. "You're a very naughty kitty, y'know that?" You pull him into your arms, hugging him as he leans into your touch. "But it's part of your charm." Though, you still have to reprimand his actions by not giving him any treats in the next few days.

— XAVIER : White Turkish Angora

• You arrived home from work only to see a puff of white ball on your porch. You slowly got closer, realizing it's a cat curled into a ball and sleeping. You crouched down to take a closer look.

• The cat wakes up, stretching its limps then looking up at you with narrowed sleepy eyes, blinking slowly. You were sure it would scurry away, but it didn't even moved an inch from its spot.

• You reached your hand out to it, waiting for it to do something, but it only watches as your hand gets closer, letting you scratch the side of its head and leaning into your hand which melted your heart immediately. The cat got up on its four legs, and goes to rub against you. There you noticed it doesn't have a collar on. You obviously can't leave it to fend for itself out in the coldness of the night so you did the most reasonable thing and let it inside. The cat immediately went over to your couch, finding a good spot and going back to sleep. It's as if it already owns your place, you think.

• The next morning. You visit the local veterinary clinic to get the cat checked. There, you found out it's a male cat. You made eye contact with him, silently apologizing for calling him a 'she' last night. The vet also said he doesn't have a microchip on him, but is a very healthy cat, adding that he's also very friendly and calm.

• Once both of you are home. You took decent pictures of him, deciding to make posters and spread it around the neighborhood in case he has a family. After all, he might've had a collar, but lost it somewhere. You heard a low meowing sound, switching your gaze down and there he is looking up at you expectedly. "You're hungry, aren't you?" You chuckled, going into the kitchen and him following you. You open the cupboard, taking out a can of wet catfood and transferring its contents on his bowl afterwards setting it down, allowing him to eat. You decide to keep him until his owners claim him. If nobody comes for him in a month, you're going to keep him.

• The next days were quite eventful. You came home to him waiting for you by the door, greeting you with a very happy meow which dissipates all your fatigue away. Ever since having him, you no longer felt lonely and you always looked forward to coming home. He always slept next to you, and wakes up at the same time as you. He practically follows you everywhere in the house which you found adorable and endearing.

• You sat down on your couch with him laying comfortably on your lap as you pet his fur. Instead of watching whatever is on the television, your eyes are on him. A thought came into your mind, and that's naming him. But, you quickly tossed the thought away as naming him would only make you more attached to him and by then, letting him go would hurt you than it should've. Your chest felt tight at the thought of losing his companionship. It may sound selfish, but you silently prayed that nobody would come to claim him.

• One day, you came home from work and as usual he's there at the door step waiting for her like he always does. You pick him up into your arms, then setting him down on the couch and kneeling in front of him. You open your bag to take something out and reaches your hands to the back of his head. You retreat your hands away, letting the light tag rest on his neck and engraved with the name 'Xavier'.

• Indeed, a month has already passed and thankfully, nobody came. "Xavier. Do you like that name?" As if responding to her. Xavier goes up to you and gently licked your chin, you melt and nuzzles against him which he reciprocates with a loud purr. You will no longer feel lonely with Xavier around.

— ZAYNE : Black Persian

• Zayne was given to you by your cousin who told you she couldn't keep him anymore because him and her other male cat kept attacking each other. You, on the other hand have no qualms on adopting him. The thought of having a non-human companion is better than having an actual human.

• Zayne is a very quiet and aloof cat. Very quiet. At first, you thought that all cats are like him, but you watched a few cat videos where some of them would act like him, but have random bursts of energy at times and are playful. Zayne on the other hand, you looked at him at the other end of the couch, he seemed to mind his own business and is very cold.

• You tried to play with the toy stick with a mouse attached on the end only for him to ignore you completely. He didn't even spared you a single glance. You never thought there will be a time where your heart was broken by a cat. From that moment, you made a vow to yourself that you would make him love you.

• You started by inching closer, petting his head. At first, he moved away from your hand and ran off. But, you didn't stop and kept on trying until he would only flinch for a bit, but never run away. Though, he never purred.

• Then one day, you came home later than usual from work. To your surprise, you saw Zayne by the porch of your front door, as if waiting for you. You took him into your arms, snuggling him close. "You must've been worried. I'm sorry." Once they're inside, he jumped out of your arms and went back to his usual self. You only chuckled, this is the most affection you can get from him and you won't complain anymore.

• The next morning. You slowly opened your eyes, expecting to see what she always sees in the morning, but a tuff of black fur blocks your vision. Your heart warms and melts. This is the first time Zayne has slept on your bed and right next to you. Most importantly, he's purring. Your hand moves on its own and gently pets his head, he slightly opens his eyes, his gaze on you for a bit and went back to sleep, purring even louder.

Writing is very therapeutic to me. I can freely write down my ideas and let them unfold.

Thank you for reading until the end.

[phielows]

SuperBat being domestic

No thoughts just Superbat being domestic on a daily basis whilst they share Clark's apartment (Bruce insisted on living there even though Clark hesitated at first bcs he might not he that comfy about that sort of lifestyle but nonetheless, Bruce was eager)

I imagine that in normal days, as they wake up, Clark would mostly be the first one to wake up and tries his hardest not to melt as he stare at Bruce's sleeping figure as Bruce looks so much at peace whilst sleeping with his heart beating in a smooth rhythm—an expression he cannot seem to show when dealing with stuff when he's awake. But if Bruce was the first one to wake up (which only happens if he's waken up by something or he just happens to wake up much early than Clark) Bruce would lift Clark's arm up, put it around him and snuggled closer to Clark, burying his face in Clark's chest or neck.

When both of their cities aren't at risk at being destroyed or the world not being seconds away into turning into ash bcs of some sicko doing something horrendous— i could imagine them just doing their respective works from their corporate jobs with Clark typing down a report about some happenings and his alter ego,Superman and Bruce just taking care of some stocks for his company. Them working in their laptops/computer with coffee beside them and them sitting beside each other. If Clark notices that Bruce's coffee became cold due to his busy-ness, he'd use his heat ray vision to quickly heat it up before placing a kiss on Bruce's head and going to the kitchen.

Bruce on the other hand would order some snacks (sometimes it could feed a whole family) to their apartment so that Clark won't have to cook anymore and save up some energy. He'd place random sticky notes on Clark's working space with simple yet sweet affimations in it if he sees Clark struggling with some works.

[viridianriver]

'Artificial Intelligence' Tech - Not Intelligent as in Smart - Intelligence as in 'Intelligence Agency'

I work in tech, hell my last email ended in '.ai' and I used to HATE the term Artificial Intelligence. It's computer vision, it's machine learning, I'd always argue.

Lately, I've changed my mind. Artificial Intelligence is a perfectly descriptive word for what has been created. As long as you take the word 'Intelligence' to refer to data that an intelligence agency or other interested party may collect.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Back when I was in 'AI' - the vibe was just odd. Investors were throwing money at it as fast as they could take out loans to do so. All the while, engineers were sounding the alarm that 'AI' is really just a fancy statistical tool and won't ever become truly smart let alone conscious. The investors, baffingly, did the equivalent of putting their fingers in their ears while screaming 'LALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU"

Meanwhile, CEOs were making all sorts of wild promises about what AI will end up doing, promises that mainly served to stress out the engineers. Who still couldn't figure out why the hell we were making this silly overhyped shit anyway.

SYSTEMS THINKING

As Stafford Beer said, 'The Purpose of A System is What It Does" - basically meaning that if a system is created, and maintained, and continues to serve a purpose? You can read the intended purpose from the function of a system. (This kind of thinking can be applied everywhere - for example the penal system. Perhaps, the purpose of that system is to do what it does - provide an institutional structure for enslavement / convict-leasing?)

So, let's ask ourselves, what does AI do? Since there are so many things out there calling themselves AI, I'm going to start with one example. Microsoft Copilot.

Microsoft is selling PCs with integrated AI which, among other things, frequently screenshots and saves images of your activity. It doesn't protect against copying passwords or sensitive data, and it comes enabled by default. Now, my old-ass-self has a word for that. Spyware. It's a word that's fallen out of fashion, but I think it ought to make a comeback.

To take a high-level view of the function of the system as implemented, I would say it surveils, and surveils without consent. And to apply our systems thinking? Perhaps its purpose is just that.

SOCIOLOGY

There's another principle I want to introduce - that an institution holds insitutional knowledge. But it also holds institutional ignorance. The shit that for the sake of its continued existence, it cannot know.

For a concrete example, my health insurance company didn't know that my birth control pills are classified as a contraceptive. After reading the insurance adjuster the Wikipedia articles on birth control, contraceptives, and on my particular medication, he still did not know whether my birth control was a contraceptive. (Clearly, he did know - as an individual - but in his role as a representative of an institution - he was incapable of knowing - no matter how clearly I explained)

So - I bring this up just to say we shouldn't take the stated purpose of AI at face value. Because sometimes, an institutional lack of knowledge is deliberate.

HISTORY OF INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES

The first formalized intelligence agency was the British Secret Service, founded in 1909. Spying and intelligence gathering had always been a part of warfare, but the structures became much more formalized into intelligence agencies as we know them today during WW1 and WW2.

Now, they're a staple of statecraft. America has one, Russia has one, China has one, this post would become very long if I continued like this...

I first came across the term 'Cyber War' in a dusty old aircraft hanger, looking at a cold-war spy plane. There was an old plaque hung up, making reference to the 'Upcoming Cyber War' that appeared to have been printed in the 80s or 90s. I thought it was silly at the time, it sounded like some shit out of sci-fi.

My mind has changed on that too - in time. Intelligence has become central to warfare; and you can see that in the technologies military powers invest in. Mapping and global positioning systems, signals-intelligence, of both analogue and digital communication.

Artificial intelligence, as implemented would be hugely useful to intelligence agencies. A large-scale statistical analysis tool that excels as image recognition, text-parsing and analysis, and classification of all sorts? In the hands of agencies which already reportedly have access to all of our digital data?

TIKTOK, CHINA, AND AMERICA

I was confused for some time about the reason Tiktok was getting threatened with a forced sale to an American company. They said it was surveiling us, but when I poked through DNS logs, I found that it was behaving near-identically to Facebook/Meta, Twitter, Google, and other companies that weren't getting the same heat.

And I think the reason is intelligence. It's not that the American government doesn't want me to be spied on, classified, and quantified by corporations. It's that they don't want China stepping on their cyber-turf.

The cyber-war is here y'all. Data, in my opinion, has become as geopolitically important as oil, as land, as air or sea dominance. Perhaps even more so.

A CASE STUDY : ELON MUSK

As much smack as I talk about this man - credit where it's due. He understands the role of artificial intelligence, the true role. Not as intelligence in its own right, but intelligence about us.

In buying Twitter, he gained access to a vast trove of intelligence. Intelligence which he used to segment the population of America - and manpulate us.

He used data analytics and targeted advertising to profile American voters ahead of this most recent election, and propogandize us with micro-targeted disinformation. Telling Israel's supporters that Harris was for Palestine, telling Palestine's supporters she was for Israel, and explicitly contradicting his own messaging in the process. And that's just one example out of a much vaster disinformation campaign.

He bought Trump the white house, not by illegally buying votes, but by exploiting the failure of our legal system to keep pace with new technology. He bought our source of communication, and turned it into a personal source of intelligence - for his own ends. (Or... Putin's?)

This, in my mind, is what AI was for all along.

CONCLUSION

AI is a tool that doesn't seem to be made for us. It seems more fit-for-purpose as a tool of intelligence agencies, oligarchs, and police forces. (my nightmare buddy-cop comedy cast) It is a tool to collect, quantify, and loop-back on intelligence about us.

A friend told me recently that he wondered sometimes if the movie 'The Matrix' was real and we were all in it. I laughed him off just like I did with the idea of a cyber war.

Well, I re watched that old movie, and I was again proven wrong. We're in the matrix, the cyber-war is here. And know it or not, you're a cog in the cyber-war machine.

(edit -- part 2 - with the 'how' - is here!)

[random-thot-generator]

Better Not to Know + Pt. 8

KYLE 'GAZ' GARRICK x READER

Summary: A work drama leads to a pregnancy scare. But no worries. Kyle takes care of his girl.

cw: pregnancy, mention of violence, fluff

mdni banner: @saradika-graphics

-

"YOU INCOMPETENT COW! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

Heart thudding in your chest, you turn on shaking legs and walk as fast as you can away from Webster's office. You need to get to the loo, because you're on the verge of bursting into tears, and you don't want to break down in front of everyone.

As you hurry along, you can see your coworkers poking their heads out of their offices, peeking around their computer monitors, creeping away from their workstations, to witness your waddle of shame. The blood rushing in your ears drowns out their whispers, but their pitying looks almost do you in.

The first sob breaks free as you barrel into the ladies' room and stagger into one of the stalls. By the time you plop down on the toilet seat, you're full-on ugly crying.

"Fucking arsehole," you warble out, pawing at the toilet paper.

It's not your fault he missed his zoom meeting with the new client. You set it up for him, added it to his itinerary, set an alert on his computer and even called his cell—which he didn't answer!—to remind him. What else could you have done?

Without leaving word about where he was going, and with no other way to contact him, you ended up having to ask the art director, Lydia, to take the meeting in his stead. She did a brilliant job, despite being unable to explain Webster's absence, and essentially saved the company from losing a major account.

But did Webster thank anyone when he came strolling back in a half hour after the meeting had ended? No. He blamed you because he missed it.

Your sobs hitch in your throat when you hear the door open then close with a thunk. Heels tap softly on the tile floor as you hold your breath, then release it in a rush when you hear Lydia call your name.

"I just need a moment," you reply, trying to steady your voice.

"You need more than that after what that sniveling little shit just put you through. Here," she says, her hand appearing under the door with your phone. "Call your young man to come pick you up."

You're so tempted to do it, but balk at the idea. Running away never solves anything, and besides, you can't get used to relying on Kyle for every little upset. He's being so supportive, and you don't want to take advantage. He doesn't need to be dragged into the middle of your work drama.

Inhaling a fortifying breath, you wipe away the tears and haul yourself up to your feet. You'll be fine once you—

Woah! Stood up too fast, you think, a wave of sudden dizziness overtaking you. You stumble back, sprawling on the toilet with a thud. Eyes fluttering, the edges of your vision go cloudy gray.

There's a roar like rushing water in your ears, Lydia's voice calling your name now sounding distant, indistinct. You try shaking your head to clear it, but that only makes the room tilt at a nauseating angle. With a low groan, you close your eyes, but the darkness pulls you right under as you hear someone (Lydia?) somewhere beyond your stall shouting for help.

>>>>>

Voices.

You hear so many of them, and they're talking over each other, garbled words you can't make out, but there's one voice that keeps calling your name. You frown, not familiar with the voice, and... Someone is touching you. Who is touching you? It makes you shiver with unease.

Eyes slitting open, you're confused by the sight that greets you. There's a strange man leaning over you, his face turned upward, speaking to someone else. Above him, you see the recessed lights of the bathroom ceiling and realize you're lying flat on your back, the cold from the tiled floor seeping through the back of your thin dress. What's going on? How did you end up on the floor?

"Wha'...?" you slur, trying to sit up.

"She's come 'round," the man above you announces, his gaze locked on yours. "You're gonna be fine, love. Passed out on us, yeah? Don't worry, though. We'll take good care of ya."

You passed out?!

There's a flurry of activity going on around you, people still talking, the man above you shifting around, maneuvering your body this way and that. Something flat and hard gets shoved under your back. The baby kicks and real fear takes hold of you as you're lifted and set on a gurney, the hard, flat thing underneath you being taken away.

"My baby!" you gasp out, hands clutching your abdomen. "Is he alright?"

Straps are pulled across you and secured, then a gentle but firm hand encased in a surgical glove presses down on your shoulder.

"Need ya to stay calm, Miss. Your blood pressure got a bit too high, made ya pass out, so we're takin' ya to the A and E to get you and the babe checked over."

Terrified, you glance around as the gurney starts to move, passing through the door of the loo. You see your coworkers huddled back against the walls of the hallway, watching. Frantic, your eyes latch onto a pale-faced Lydia.

"I need Kyle," you plead to her, desperate. "Please, call him!"

Lydia hurries to move along with you, her hand grasping yours. "It's alright, darling. We've already called him. He's going to meet you at the hospital. Just hang in there, love."

The emergency techs wheel you into a waiting lift, one of the building's security guards holding the doors open. The last thing you see before the doors close is Lydia's unsettled expression, your concerned coworkers gathering at her back.

>>>>>

Kyle stands in the hallway outside your hospital room, trying to keep his eyes on the doctor in front of him instead of your prone form lying still in your bed. His hands still tremor at his sides despite being reassured that you and the baby are fine.

"We've given her a mild sedative to calm her nerves, but it's safe for her and the baby. Her blood pressure is almost back to normal now, so she should be fine, but we're going to keep her overnight for observation, just to be safe.

"This isn't uncommon, Mr. Garrick. Abnormally high blood pressure can occur during pregnancy, so we'll need to keep an eye on that, but she and the baby are healthy. Your job is to ensure that she takes it easy for the remainder of the pregnancy. She needs to avoid doing anything strenuous or stressful. Keep her calm, keep her relaxed and keep her off her feet as much as possible until her due date."

Kyle nods and mutters his thanks, ready to go back into your room when someone calls his name. He turns to see a middle-aged woman in a classy dress suit coming towards him, another woman, slightly younger but dressed just as nicely at her side.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Garrick. My name is Lydia Downs and this is Jessica Frank, my assistant."

"You're the one who called, yeah? You work with her?"

Lydia gives him a tight smile and nods. "Yes. I was with her when she collapsed in the loo, poor thing. We brought her things from the office for her. How is she?"

Kyle relays what the doctor told him as Jessica hands over your belongings. Balling his fist in your soft cashmere cardigan, he glances between the two women.

"Can either of you tell me what happened to her? She seemed fine this morning, otherwise I would never have let her—" His words cut off with a choked sound, teeth clenching.

Face turning sympathetic, Lydia grips his arm. "That's what I'd like to discuss with you, if you have a few moments."

Kyle returns to your room several minutes later, his teeth still clenched, but his hands now shake for a completely different reason. He stays until a nurse comes in to check your vitals and suggests he take a break to stretch his legs and grab something to eat. Standing, he leans over you and plants a soft kiss on your lips.

"No more worries, pet. I promise," he whispers, then stalks out of your room.

>>>>>

It's early the following morning, still dark outside, when you finally begin to stir from sleep. The low murmur of a telly reaches your ears, broadcasting the local news and weather. You figure you must have fallen asleep on the couch again.

Stretching, your eyes slowly open to take in your surroundings, giving you a bit of a shock when you find yourself lying in a dim hospital room, an IV in your arm and a clip leading to a monitor attached to the end of your finger.

"What the..." you breathe out, confused, until the events of the previous day begin coming back to you.

Webster screaming at you. Passing out in the loo. Scared out of your wits as the doctors examined you. Kyle gripping your hand while you waited for news on your baby's condition. Sobbing on Kyle's shoulder with relief when the doctor finally told you that the baby was fine. Kyle pressing his head against yours, whispering sweet words in your ear until you drifted to sleep.

God. Kyle...

Your head turns to find him still seated in the chair next to your bed, one arm lying on the mattress beside yours. He's sound asleep, head tipped back and to the side. Your heart melts at the sight of him.

"Sorry if I woke ya," a soft voice speaks up from your other side.

You turn your head to see an older woman in the hospital bed beside you, an apologetic smile on her friendly, round face.

"No worries," you assure her, keeping your voice down. You glance back at Kyle to make sure you didn't wake him.

"Lad's been watchin' over ya all night," the older woman whispers, grinning with a nod towards Kyle. "Worried sick, he was. Nurses sent him out for a bit, but he came back carryin' those with him. Been here ever since."

She points to a vase of bright pink and ivory star lilies sitting on the window ledge. "He said they were your favorite, bless him. Sweet lad." She nods at your baby bump. "Is this your first?" she asks.

Your hand rubs over your distended belly, a relieved smile appearing when you feel your little bug kick. "Yes, it is. A boy."

"Ahh... a boy, is it? Bet your lad there is excited, yeah?"

You grin, nodding. "Very. We both are."

"Hm, I remember my first. My husband Sam was a nervous wreck the whole time," she says with a soft laugh. "I'm Imogene, by the way, but you can call me Genie."

You give your name in return. "It's nice to meet you, Genie."

There's a sharp inhale beside you, drawing your attention back to Kyle, who's now sitting up and rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand. He blinks, then one of his brilliant smiles spreads across his face.

"Pet," he murmurs, scooting closer to take your hand, relief evident on his face. He brings it up to his mouth to kiss it softly. "Christ, I was so worried about you and the baby."

"Kyle..."

He blinks back sudden tears, his eyes glassy, his breath sounding choked as he huffs. Sniffling, he brings his other hand up to smooth the hair back from your face. "How are ya feelin'? Do ya need anything?"

Your tummy growls and you both snicker. Placing his hand on your stomach, you giggle when the babe kicks him. "I think Junior is saying he wants a snack."

Kyle stands and leans over to press a kiss to your forehead, then your belly. "I'll go get you something. Be right back."

You and Genie watch him hurry out of the room, a man on a mission.

Genie chuckles. "Lad's head over heels for ya, lass."

You can't help the little twinge in your heart. If only, you think, but then push the thought away.

After the scare you had, it's put some things into perspective for you. Here you've been stressing yourself over work, worrying about your situation with Kyle, when it's the baby who should be your main focus. Your little bug is all that matters.

You've been reading too much into Kyle's attention, when in reality he's just been trying to be supportive. You need to stop deluding yourself into believing that it's something more.

You sigh, feeling a bit deflated, but console yourself with the knowledge that at least the two of you are friends now. You both can work together to raise your boy and give him a happy life. Despite what your heart secretly yearns for, that will be enough. It's time to put this silly, girlish crush aside, you decide, and concentrate solely on the baby.

"Mind if I turn up the telly a bit?" Genie asks, pulling you out of your thoughts.

You give a resigned sigh and settle back into your pillows. "No, not at all."

Genie turns up the volume as a stoic looking newscaster reports that an assault occurred outside a strip club the previous evening. Your scalp goes prickly with heat when a picture of your boss, Webster, appears on the screen.

"The assault occurred outside of a local gentleman's club late Wednesday evening. One of the performers, who had accompanied Mr. Gentry outside the club, witnessed the attack."

A young woman with pink hair, large, globe-sized breasts and enhanced, puffy lips pouts at the camera. The name under her image reads 'Patty Cakes'. Hell of a stage name, you think as the reporter asks Patty to describe the attack.

"Me an' Webbie were in his car—um... talking, when this bloke walks up an' smashes Webbie's window. He dragged Webbie out by the neck an' punched him in the face a coupla times then, bam! The bloke slams Webbie right on the hood o' the car. Didn't catch wha' the bloke said t'him, but he whispered somethin' tuh Webbie. Then he got Webbie's wallet, took his ID an' waved it in front o' Webbie's face, an' he said, 'Now you're really gonna pay, mate.' An' then he left. Tha's when I got outta the car t'check on Webbie, an' he yelled at me t'call the police."

"That must have been terrifying to witness, Miss—ah... Cakes. Thank you for recounting your harrowing experience for our viewers. Is there anything else you would like to add?"

'Patty' nods and smiles coyly at the camera, twirling a bit of her hair around her finger. "I'll be on the main stage tomorrow night at Club Steam. There's a cover charge at the door an' a two drink minimum."

The reporter tries to hide his smirk as he says, "Er, right. Back to you Niall."

Webster's picture pops up on the screen again, alongside a photo of his mother as Niall finishes his report by tacking on Webster's affiliation with his mum's advertising company. Oh, no! This is a PR nightmare.

"Hah!" Genie laughs. "That's Evelyn Gentry. She owns half the business district in London, doesn't she? Hoo! Talk about bad press, havin' her own son caught out with a stripper in his car. No mystery what went on there."

Nope. No mystery there. Webster's always been a slimy womanizer, and now everyone is going to know it. You foresee bad things happening in 'Webbie's' future.

"I'll have to get Sam to pick me up some of those gossip magazines. They'll dig up all sorts of dirt on that lad, watch an' see. You can tell he's a dodgy sort," Genie mutters.

Though you're a bit worried about how this will affect your job, you can't help but feel a bit smug about Webster finally getting exactly what he deserved, the sorry wanker. One thing's for certain. Your days of dealing with Webster are over. His mum will probably ship him off somewhere to lie low until this all blows over. Good riddance.

Kyle returns a few minutes later bearing a bowl of fruit and a sandwich, a bottle of juice tucked under his arm.

"Here ya go, pet. Turkey on wheat, light mayo, just the way ya like. They didn't have your favorite brand of juice, though, but it's still cran-apple."

"That's fine," you mumble, still dazed by the news report, absently watching as he opens the juice for you.

It's as he's passing you the bottle that you notice his knuckles are split open and bruised, his hand and wrist slightly swollen. Taking hold of it, you brush your fingers lightly over the damaged flesh.

Surely he didn't...

"Kyle, did someone tell you about what happened to me at work?"

His eyes flare with anger for a brief second, before he schools his expression. "Yeah. A friend of yours from work stopped by to check on you. Lydia Downs. She filled me in."

You just bet she did. Lydia despises Webster. Then again, so does everyone else in the office.

You place a soft little kiss on one of his split knuckles, noticing the way his breath hitches.

"I just saw on the news that my boss, Webster, was assaulted outside a strip club last night. They interviewed the stripper he was with." You glance up at him. "His reputation is ruined. His mum will have to remove him from his position as company manager or risk losing all her brand name clients."

Kyle huffs, a sneer curling up his lip. "Pity, that."

You hum in agreement as you caress his fingers, warmth filling your chest. "Kyle, how did you hurt your hand?"

Kyle flexes it in your grasp. "It's nothin', pet." He then brings it up to gently cradle your cheek, staring down at you with smoldering, half-lidded eyes. "Doc said, no more worries for my girl, so no more worries, yeah?"

You clasp his wrist and turn your face to kiss his palm, your heart pattering as your insides go molten.

"Yeah," you whisper, smiling up at him. "No more worries."

-

pt. 7 | pt. 9

[sugarcream-sims]

RAILGUN WONDERLAND 🐇 ISSUE 1

Pg. 2 interview transcript enclosed below.

Representing Liddell Genomics and the greater Hinagiku-Liddell Zaibatsu, I am pleased to announce that we have Iris Liddell in the studio. As always, thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Ms. Liddell. IRIS LIDDELL: Of course. And this must be the man of the hour... mister...? LIDDELL: We call him Dia Mondo. Dia, say hello. DIA MONDO: Good afternoon, sir. Very polite! And such good pronunciation. You can hardly tell he's a genemix. Things have clearly come a long way since your company presented a vat-grown soldier at the Armsracer Summit a decade ago. LIDDELL: There was a refinement period, yes. I suppose I'm getting ahead of myself. Ehem. Ms. Liddell, when your people forwarded a list of your pilot's capabilities to our office, I was absolutely stunned by the breadth of it. Ultra-fine twitch reflexes, 20/5 vision, mental processing speed rivaling a war computer's... LIDDELL: I'm pleased to say that list barely scratches the surface of Dia's attributes. Incredible. Just incredible. But we exhibit a lot of incredible Armordoll pilots in our publication. Some that seem just as superhuman as your Dia Mondo. Do you really think, as you claimed in Wednesday's press release, that your "fabricated pilot program" will be able to outright replace the current generation of aces? Is natural talent obsolete? LIDDELL: To me, ‘talent’ is a dirty word. We waste hundreds of millions of credits scouting out ‘natural talents,’ and millions more sanding off rough edges in pilot training programs, only for most of them to wash out. But what if we didn’t need to rely on luck? What if talent could be manufactured? With the utmost respect, I anticipate that some of our readers might be a little skeptical of that claim. LIDDELL: Believe me, all of our claims and more will be substantiated beyond a shadow of a doubt at the upcoming W3 Exhibition. We're looking forward to it! Mr. Mondo, you'll be up against some of the finest pilots in the world at W3, aces with real combat experience. How do you think a novice like yourself will measure up against Armordoll veterans? MONDO: They're nothing. I'll crush them. You sound very confident! MONDO: I'll crush them all. Er, yes, I see! Great enthusiasm. Well, let's move on to questions submitted by our readership...

[mybabysittersnotavampire]

My *made up* season 3 episode list and what each episode would be about and a quote from each episode

1 • Dusker Back From the Dead

(The title is a mix of both the season 1 and season 2 first episodes) Ethan and Benny use the Cubile Animus to bring Sarah back from the dead using Vice principal Stern as their sacrifice.

“Can you two stop referencing stupid movies and figure out how to get me out of here!” -Sarah

2 • The Date to (re)Start all Dates

Ethan struggles to plan out the perfect date for him and Sarah, afraid to mess it up he tries to make contact with Jesse to give him advice, but things take a turn for the worse when he finds himself stuck in the limbo dimension.

“Doesn’t feel so great to be trapped in limbo now does it.” -Jesse

3 • Della’s Vengeance

(idea partially by @comicbookddr)

When Della finds Benny’s missing spellbook she decides to use it against him as revenge. Making Benny discover she is also a spellmaster.

“Looks like you’re not the only spellmaster at our school” -Ethan

“…well this is just great..” -Benny

4 • Out of this World (inspired by alien candy)

When a new club forms at Whitechapel High, Rory and Benny find the members suspicious and begin to investigate them, nobody believes them until Ethan has an encounter with the club’s leader and finds out that the club is made up of aliens planning on invading their school.

“Rory stop worrying, they are not going to probe you.” -Ethan

5 • Sleepover Seance

When Jane is hosting a sleepover, the girls venture into the basement after watching a scary movie, wanting to have fun of their own they bring out 'Spirit Speaker'. But it isn't a ghost this time, a sleep demon comes out to play.

"How are they all asleep already?" -Rory

6 • Down the Wishing Well

Sarah discovers the local legend that there is an enchanted wishing well in Whitechapel that grants any wish, but at a cost. When she wishes to be human again, the evil spirits of the well possess her.

“I call on the spirits of this wishing well, I wish to be human again.” -Sarah

7 • Jedi’s Anonymous

When Erica finds herself going back to her old geek self, she joins an online chat room anonymously and starts flirting with another user, she decides to meet up with him in real life and discovers she had been talking to Benny the entire time.

“I’ve been talking to you idiot the entire time?!” -Erica

8 • Living Dead Girl

Rory falls six feet deep for the new girl in town. Although the boys quickly realize something isn’t as it seems when she appears in a yearbook over decades old.

“Well if she’s looking for brains, she definitely chose the wrong one..” -Ethan

9 • The Return of Betty & Veronica

Stephanie creates a golem to go to Whitechapel for junior year seeking vengeance. Betty and Veronica are back on the scene, Rory finds out the truth about Betty.

“These underwear are riding up my butt again” -Ethan

10 • Knights of Ninjitsu

Ethan is having trouble writing a fanfiction to send into his favorite game company as part of a contest. When he runs out of ideas he asks Benny to use a spell that gives him more ideas, Benny accidentally uses the wrong spell, trapping Ethan inside of a video game/his computer.

"Benny, do NOT open zombie stomper." -Ethan

11 • Jane’s Vision

When Jane snoops through her brother’s closet she discovers Ethan’s stash of items from their past enemies. The supernatural power radiating from it all makes Jane develop visions early.

12 • The Princess Leia to my Han Solo

Erica realizes that she has feelings for Benny but on her way to tell him she realizes he’s on a date with another girl. He soon finds out his new date isn’t what she seems.. (he finds out she’s a gorgon)

“That should be my geek out there!” -Erica

13 • The Fog is Coming

Grandma Weir senses another dark force coming and warns the boys, while doing so Ethan’s parents overhear, discovering all of him and his friend’s supernatural secrets, trying to keep Ethan from getting hurt they ground him from leaving the house. Will they stop the evil force coming to Whitechapel?

****************************************************

Anyways thanks for reading I know a lot of the titles probably sucked but they were so hard to come up with ok so go cry to your mother if you don’t like them