#How Do SSDs Work?

[cute-chamomile]

I need to learn how to do hardware stuff by myself because I went to the computer repairs shop today and got asked if I know how to work with Linux and got a lesson on how RAM works,

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

the 2tb hdd i used for basically the last 15 years of data suddenly failed the other day. pretty distraught tbh.

i took it to a data recovery center thing and just diagnosing it was 65usd. now we're looking at anywhere between 100 to 800usd for the recovery of the data (bc of course they refuse to give you a reasonable number beforehand, only that it depends on """complexity"""")

hate everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[not2nay]

got so mad about technology that I went and took a nap, like some kind of boomer/kindergartner hybrid.

[awkward-teabag]

Good news: Old PC still works so I can go through the files and see what all is on it.

Bad news: The MOBO yelled at me and it crashed twice from overheating and I don't have thermal paste to re-paste the CPU cooler.

[ms-demeanor]

So You Need To Buy A Computer But You Don't Know What Specs Are Good These Days

Hi.

This is literally my job.

Lots of people are buying computers for school right now or are replacing computers as their five-year-old college laptop craps out so here's the standard specs you should be looking for in a (windows) computer purchase in August 2023.

PROCESSOR

Intel i5 (no older than 10th Gen)

Ryzen 7

You can get away with a Ryzen 5 but an intel i3 should be an absolute last resort. You want at least an intel i5 or a Ryzen 7 processor. The current generation of intel processors is 13, but anything 10 or newer is perfectly fine. DO NOT get a higher performance line with an older generation; a 13th gen i5 is better than an 8th gen i7. (Unfortunately I don't know enough about ryzens to tell you which generation is the earliest you should get, but staying within 3 generations is a good rule of thumb)

RAM

8GB absolute minimum

If you don't have at least 8GB RAM on a modern computer it's going to be very, very slow. Ideally you want a computer with at least 16GB, and it's a good idea to get a computer that will let you add or swap RAM down the line (nearly all desktops will let you do this, for laptops you need to check the specs for Memory and see how many slots there are and how many slots are available; laptops with soldered RAM cannot have the memory upgraded - this is common in very slim laptops)

STORAGE

256GB SSD

Computers mostly come with SSDs these days; SSDs are faster than HDDs but typically have lower storage for the same price. That being said: SSDs are coming down in price and if you're installing your own drive you can easily upgrade the size for a low cost. Unfortunately that doesn't do anything for you for the initial purchase.

A lot of cheaper laptops will have a 128GB SSD and, because a lot of stuff is stored in the cloud these days, that can be functional. I still recommend getting a bit more storage than that because it's nice if you can store your music and documents and photos on your device instead of on the cloud. You want to be able to access your files even if you don't have internet access.

But don't get a computer with a big HDD instead of getting a computer with a small SSD. The difference in speed is noticeable.

SCREEN (laptop specific)

Personally I find that touchscreens have a negative impact on battery life and are easier to fuck up than standard screens. They are also harder to replace if they get broken. I do not recommend getting a touch screen unless you absolutely have to.

A lot of college students especially tend to look for the biggest laptop screen possible; don't do that. It's a pain in the ass to carry a 17" laptop around campus and with the way that everything is so thin these days it's easier to damage a 17" screen than a 14" screen.

On the other end of that: laptops with 13" screens tend to be very slim devices that are glued shut and impossible to work on or upgrade.

Your best bet (for both functionality and price) is either a 14" or a 15.6" screen. If you absolutely positively need to have a 10-key keyboard on your laptop, get the 15.6". If you need something portable more than you need 10-key, get a 14"

FORM FACTOR (desktop specific)

If you purchase an all-in-one desktop computer I will begin manifesting in your house physically. All-in-ones take away every advantage desktops have in terms of upgradeability and maintenance; they are expensive and difficult to repair and usually not worth the cost of disassembling to upgrade.

There are about four standard sizes of desktop PC: All-in-One (the size of a monitor with no other footprint), Tower (Big! probably at least two feet long in two directions), Small Form Factor Tower (Very moderate - about the size of a large shoebox), and Mini/Micro/Tiny (Small! about the size of a small hardcover book).

If you are concerned about space you are much better off getting a MicroPC and a bracket to put it on your monitor than you are getting an all-in-one. This will be about a million percent easier to work on than an all-in-one and this way if your monitor dies your computer is still functional.

Small form factor towers and towers are the easiest to work on and upgrade; if you need a burly graphics card you need to get a full size tower, but for everything else a small form factor tower will be fine. Most of our business sales are SFF towers and MicroPCs, the only time we get something larger is if we have to put a $700 graphics card in it. SFF towers will accept small graphics cards and can handle upgrades to the power supply; MicroPCs can only have the RAM and SSD upgraded and don't have room for any other components or their own internal power supply.

WARRANTY

Most desktops come with either a 1 or 3 year warranty; either of these is fine and if you want to upgrade a 1 year to a 3 year that is also fine. I've generally found that if something is going to do a warranty failure on desktop it's going to do it the first year, so you don't get a hell of a lot of added mileage out of an extended warranty but it doesn't hurt and sometimes pays off to do a 3-year.

Laptops are a different story. Laptops mostly come with a 1-year warranty and what I recommend everyone does for every laptop that will allow it is to upgrade that to the longest warranty you can get with added drop/damage protection. The most common question our customers have about laptops is if we can replace a screen and the answer is usually "yes, but it's going to be expensive." If you're purchasing a low-end laptop, the parts and labor for replacing a screen can easily cost more than half the price of a new laptop. HOWEVER, the way that most screens get broken is by getting dropped. So if you have a warranty with drop protection, you just send that sucker back to the factory and they fix it for you.

So, if it is at all possible, check if the manufacturer of a laptop you're looking at has a warranty option with drop protection. Then, within 30 days (though ideally on the first day you get it) of owning your laptop, go to the manufacturer site, register your serial number, and upgrade the warranty. If you can't afford a 3-year upgrade at once set a reminder for yourself to annually renew. But get that drop protection, especially if you are a college student or if you've got kids.

And never, ever put pens or pencils on your laptop keyboard. I've seen people ruin thousand dollar, brand-new laptops that they can't afford to fix because they closed the screen on a ten cent pencil. Keep liquids away from them too.

LIFESPAN

There's a reasonable chance that any computer you buy today will still be able to turn on and run a program or two in ten years. That does not mean that it is "functional."

At my office we estimate that the functional lifespan of desktops is 5-7 years and the functional lifespan of laptops is 3-5 years. Laptops get more wear and tear than desktops and desktops are easier to upgrade to keep them running. At 5 years for desktops and 3 years for laptops you should look at upgrading the RAM in the device and possibly consider replacing the SSD with a new (possibly larger) model, because SSDs and HDDs don't last forever.

COST

This means that you should think of your computers as an annual investment rather than as a one-time purchase. It is more worthwhile to pay $700 for a laptop that will work well for five years than it is to pay $300 for a laptop that will be outdated and slow in one year (which is what will happen if you get an 8th gen i3 with 8GB RAM). If you are going to get a $300 laptop try to get specs as close as possible to the minimums I've laid out here.

If you have to compromise on these specs, the one that is least fixable is the processor. If you get a laptop with an i3 processor you aren't going to be able to upgrade it even if you can add more RAM or a bigger SSD. If you have to get lower specs in order to afford the device put your money into the processor and make sure that the computer has available slots for upgrade and that neither the RAM nor the SSD is soldered to the motherboard. (one easy way to check this is to search "[computer model] RAM upgrade" on youtube and see if anyone has made a video showing what the inside of the laptop looks like and how much effort it takes to replace parts)

Computers are expensive right now. This is frustrating, because historically consumer computer prices have been on a downward trend but since 2020 that trend has been all over the place. Desktop computers are quite expensive at the moment (August 2023) and decent laptops are extremely variably priced.

If you are looking for a decent, upgradeable laptop that will last you a few years, here are a couple of options that you can purchase in August 2023 that have good prices for their specs:

14" Lenovo - $670 - 11th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD

15.6" HP - $540 - 11th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD

14" Dell - $710 - 12th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD

If you are looking for a decent, affordable desktop that will last you a few years, here are a couple of options that you can purchase in August 2023 that have good prices for their specs:

SFF HP - $620 - 10th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD

SFF Lenovo - $560 - Ryzen 7 5000 series, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

Dell Tower - $800 - 10th-gen i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

If I were going to buy any of these I'd probably get the HP laptop or the Dell Tower. The HP Laptop is actually a really good price for what it is.

Anyway happy computering.

[sinning-23]

In The Dead Of Night (Remmick x Modern!Black!Reader)

Ps. Guys I watched Sinners and I want that ENTIRE CAST- the bisexual panic inside my chest was WICKED. So uhhhh expect a lot more works for that lol might even make a master list shi-

Anyway enjoy!

No actual smut til part2 lol

PART 2 HERE

Warnings: fear, tension , Remmick is nasty(canonically so), mentions of religion in, reader isn’t really religious but desperate and will try anything, lil smut with a plot (yall know writting prn is my specialty cmon now), movie spoilers?

P.P.S: will probable be a two parter, I can’t help myself!

Word count: idk man a lot?

Irritation.

That’s what fills the fibre of your being at 3:06am. Unfortunately for you, seasonal allergies were kicking your ssd and right now, you simply couldn’t breath. The constant sniffling and fighting to get comfortable was doing more harm than good.

With a heavy sigh, you toss the covers off your tired frame, using the light from your home screen to guide you to the bathroom for some tissue.

Now, living in this fuckass apartment had been a dream come true for you. The cramped space of your childhood home was begging to drive you crazy and…the tapping at the window every night had gotten worse. You’d tried to explain it to your family, caution soon coursing through the household.

It wasn’t like you wanted to leave, but there was o lot so much fear and paranoia you could bear. Since then, you’d been free from any midnight window visits…

With a light blow, your nose is somewhat taken care of, and the cool water from washing your hands only wakes you further, making your brows furrow. Great, not it would take forever to fall back asleep-

*Tap tap tap*

Clear as day, the pattern rings in your ear and your breath catches. There was no way….

Your had hovers over the bathroom handle, fear striking your chest hard and fast, a dry swallow pushing down your throat as you grip the handle, your phone clad hand raised in a fist to attack.

*Tap…tap…….tap*

It’s closer now, right outside the door in fact, and you can feel your stomach churn. You want to peak out, hoping your mind was simply playing tricks on you, and that you were jsur sleepy?

Yeah, just dreaming a little still?

Hesitation works its way into your fingertips as your peel the door open, shining your phone light down the hall to find-

Nothing.

A breath you hadn’t known you were holding leaves your lips shakily as you take a step past the threshold of the bathroom. About 7 more steps, if you took them wide enough, and you’d be back in the safety of your room.

You could lock the door for good measure, duck under your covers like you’d used to as a little girl and pray for the sun to rise faster. Even if every time you did, it never would.

Hyper aware the perfect word do describe how you’d felt, each creak sounding too close for comfort, and the pad of your bare feet on the carpet felt astronomically louder than before.

You pause, just for a millisecond and as quickly as you had, you’d wished you didn’t….

Because the sound of clothes shuffling, didn’t belonged to you this time. And on instinct those 7 steps turned to 3 as you sprint to your room, praying whatever wished to claim you was just out of reach.

You had turned to look behind you, mind racing and hoping that no one would be there….

Instead in place of the darkened hallway, lightly illuminated by your homescreen, was a silhouette, and two, gleaming crimson dots, reaching for you.

A silent scream tears its way out your throat, like how it would in a sleep paralysis spell.

Unable to move, at the mercy of whatever evil gazing upon your frozen from.

It steps foreward but before it can get to you, you’re already slamming your door and locking it, heart racing as your hands shake.

And so you do the only thing you can, crawling deep under the covers, debating whether or not to call the police. Yeah right…as if they could help right now.

Hell they’d probably see you as the threat and your be shit outta luck either way.

Your heart pounds in your ears, that same tapping against your door now, the creak of the floor just beyond the door stilling you as tears well in your eyes.

“Peach, cmon whatcha hidin’ in there for?”

Clear as fuckin’ day.

You curl into yourself, covering yourself as fearful hiccups and sobs wrack your body. With blurry vision your try to contact anyone that would listen, help you, or at least serve as proof that your weren’t crazy…and that if you died tonight or were possessed, there was solid proof.

“Awe now don’t be like that, wasn’t meant to scare ya.”

The southern drawl only makes your shudder, the false comfort and sympathy in the words lulling you into security as you try to ground yourself, eyes squeezed shut.

“Been knocking real polite for a while now.”

You shake your head, the voice feeling closer than it really was, the rasp in it vibrating in every fibre of your being.

“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus, I rebuke you in the n-name of Jesus, I-I re-rebuke you in…in the name of Jesus.” You echo, turning to pray in in hopes it would deter whatever, no…

Whoever was at your door.

“C’mon now, peach. You know that don’t work.” It chuckled darkly, as if you even attempting to seek God now was entertaining and practically pointless.

“I’d hate to have to pry this door open, I been plenty patient and kind.” It speaks, the sound of your doorknob jiggling leaving as quickly as it came when he hissed.

He chuckles darkly, drumming his knuckles against the door.

*tap…tap..tap.*

“Won’t you let me in, honey?”

——————————————

You refused to let your eyes shut, clinging to yourself as you sweat beneath the covers, practically suffocating in fear and heat. His pleas repeated like the broken record your nana used to play.

The sun has just barely risen, the light slipping in from under your window, illuminating your room in its heavenly light. You breath, having not heard him outside the door.

You move, slow and calculated as you peel off the covers and inch to the door. You press your ear to it, nothing. Hesitantly, you turn the nob, cracking it open to reveal….nothing.

A relieved breath fills your lungs, and you hold it there, observing your doorknob. Had he wanted to come in he could have…but something about your door has stopped him. You glance at the metallic shine, heart sinking.

It’s silver…

With newfound courage your check ever doorknob in the apartment. Each one made of silver, different patterns etched onto them. All accept the front. And just beyond the door lay a tiny matt with lettering printed pretty on the front.

‘Welcome’

You scoop it up, shoving it into the trash and lock the dooor back up. That same chill from the night prior shoots up your spine. The same fear and caution sweep your stomach into ruin.

He didn’t need your spoken permission…it was already written at the very threshold of your home.

It was time to give nana a visit…this was bigger than you.

You scoop up your belongings, glancing at the very hallway he stood in. Along the edge lay streaked fingerprints now in a coppery brown….blood.

“Won’t you let me in, honey?”

You swallow hard, slamming your door and leaving as soon as possible. The day only lasted so long and the last thing you wanted was to be left in the dark.

———————————

Nana had a very…special way about her. Her dark brown hands were wrinkled, age crawling up her forearms as her wrist became smaller, the veins running up the sides a reminder of the life that still coursed within her.

It smelled of old newspaper and inscents she burned nonstop. The walls aged and yellowed along with the plastic on the floral sofa that had been there since you were small.

Her ancient phonograph, somehow still in decent condition plays what sounds like an aged and soulful rendition of ‘Father I Stretch My Hands.’

The sounds sinks your heart into your stomach, nostalgic.

Statues of faceless black figures in patterned skirts and head wraps adorned her shelves like the walls covered in what felt like historical family photos.

Some of your cousins, some of family long since passed. Your favourite was the one of her and her sister Annie in their youth.

Nanna said that one day…Annie didn’t come home. She never spoke more on it, always telling you,

‘You’ll know when the time is right.’

All this you can see from the black metal gate that covered her front door.

With a deep breath, your knuckles rap against the gate, clanging the frame. It’s not long before she’s shuffling to the door, delicate and small, her figure much smaller than the years prior.

“Is that my great grandbaby?” Her voice is of a thousand melted chocolates, rich and dripping with history.

“Yes nana, hi.” You hum, a soft smile reaching your lips as you enter.

Holding her close, the scent of her dusting powder and hot comb fills your senses. She always did keep her hair pressed , even pushing 90.

“Have a seat baby,” She offers, shuffling beside you to the plastic sofa, her small hands coming to hold yours.

“I had a dream about you,” she begins, rubbing the top of your hand and shaking her head.

“And I knew, you would be here soon, looking for help.”

Your heart beats fast, the song in the background making your eyes burn.

“Nana is praying for you. But, sometimes we can’t rely just on that. It takes some work on your part.”

You can’t speak, lips closed and head heavy. Her hand squeezes yours tighter. She takes a moment, shaking her head heavily, reminiscing before she speaks.

“And I think it’s time I tell you about your great aunt Annie.”

————————————

It was 1932, and word of a set of twins returning to the Mississippi Delta has spread like wildfire. 7 long years had came and went and the two had something real special planned. A juke joint of their own, something like a fresh start.

Annie, was involved with one of the twins and had been asked for her services with the food, knowing she could cook delicious meals. Now, Annie was a medicine woman, a healer, wise and well versed in her craft.

That night, your nana, young and curious as she was, followed Annie, wishing to listen to music and sing and dance like everyone else. And so, she snuck inside, just ‘round the back of ‘Club Juke’. Hiding behind crates and barrels of lord knows what.

It has stared off fine, as most things do. Family and friends filling the place, a safe haven, something meant for them. Until three strangers…white strangers, waltzed up, seeking to spend money and join the festivities.

The twins however, and your great aunt Annie felt uneasy, watching them as they turned away slow and awaiting invitation.

Nana watched and listened and danced sneaking fish and ‘Irish beer’ all until gunshots rang out and the festivities came to an abrupt close. Oh she’d be in trouble now. Once Annie found out she was there she’d be in a heap of it. But the trouble…never came.

Mary, the found family member had sprinted away, dress drenched in blood and the scent of death thick.

‘Vampires’ your Nana whispered to herself, looking around her confined space for something, anything to keep her from being harmed.

Lucky enough, within one of the crates were jars of pickled garlic which she was quick to rub against her skin and soak into the pretty little silk dress she wore special for the occasion.

Annie died later that night, sobs wracking your Nana’s body as a bloody battle destroyed Club Juke. Her lover forced to keep a promise to her as he plunged the steak into her slow beating heart.

In an attempt to escape, your Nanna carried as many jars of garlic as she could and exited the way she came, her legs carrying her.

Wasn’t long before the sun rose, the adrenaline too much for her seeing as she collapsed, fainted almost against the plush dirt of the plantation.

———————————————

“Y/n, you keep your head up and your eyes sharp.” She warns, a deep sadness in her own with her warning.

“The devil still lurks for souls…he even looked for mine.” Your nana sighs. Not fearful, but tired and worried for your sake.

“And in that search he’s come lookin for you. Anything to claim that power he lost and anyone tied to the root of that.”

The record stops, an eerie air falling over the aged home. The walls creaked and groaned.

“I…I’m scared.” You admit, only for her to shake her head.

“He knows that.”

There’s a beat of silence and she releases your hands, standing to retrieve something from her antique dresser. A little black bag around a cord was placed into your palms as she closes your fingers around it.

“Nana won’t be mad if you can’t fight no more baby. But this might help.” She hums, almost accepting your fate for you.

“The devil ain’t always scary when you see him, sometimes he can be beautiful.”

———————————

The car ride home was silent. The sun painted the sky in hues of orange yellow and purple as it sets. Night was coming quick, and you had 10 minutes to make it before dark.

The necklace hangs around your neck, something Nana says Annie taught her before leaving this world.

You cling to it, parking outside the complex and quickening your pace the faster the sun dipped past the horizon.

The pale moon greets you, your heart beating faster now as you struggle to open your front door. And just as you close it, you hear it again.

*Tap, tap, tap*

Your heart stalls in your chest. How long has it waited in the dark? What would’ve become of you had you waited a second longer outside of that door? And then, it speaks.

“Why’d you go an take that pretty lil doormat away, honey? Now I’ve gotta be impolite.”

[river-taxbird]

Have YOU got an old Windows PC Microsoft has told you can't run Windows 11? It's time to give it a new life!

How to install Windows 11 on unsupported PC Hardware using Rufus. You can also disable some other Windows 11 bullshit like data harvesting and needing a Microsoft account.

It has been in the news a lot lately that Windows 11 isn't allowed to be installed on PCs without certain requirements, including the TPM 2.0, a chip that was only included in PCs made in 2018 or later. This means that once Windows 10 stops receiving security updates, those PCs will not be able to (officially) run a safe, updated version of Windows anymore. This has led to an estimated 240 million PCs bound for the landfill. Thanks Microsoft! I get you don't want to be seen as the insecure one, but creating this much waste can't be the solution.

(I know nerds, Linux is a thing. I love you but we are not having that conversation. If you want to use Linux on an old PC you are already doing it and you don't need to tell me about it. People need Windows for all sorts of reasons that Linux won't cut.)

So lately I have been helping some under privileged teens get set up with PCs. Their school was giving away their old lab computers, and these kids would usually have no chance to afford even a basic computer. They had their hard drives pulled so I have been setting them up with SSDs, but the question was, what to do about the operating system? So I looked into it and I found out there IS actually a way to bypass Microsoft's system requirement and put Windows 11 on PCs as old as 2010.

You will need: Rufus: An open source ISO burning tool.

A Windows 11 ISO: Available from Microsoft.

A USB Flash Drive, at least 16GB.

A working PC to make the ISO, and a PC from 2018 or older you want to install Windows 11 on.

Here is the guide I used, but I will put it in my own words as well.

Download your Windows 11 ISO, and plug in your USB drive. It will be erased, so don't have anything valuable on it. Run Rufus, select your USB drive in the Device window, and select your Windows 11 ISO with the Select button. (There is supposed to be a feature in Rufus to download your ISO but I couldn't get it to work.?

Choose standard windows installation, and follow the screenshot for your settings. Once you are done that, press Start, and then the magic happens. Another window pops up allowing you to remove the system requirements, the need for a microsoft account, and turn off data collecting. Just click the options you want, and press ok to write your iso to a drive.

From there you just need to use the USB drive to install windows. I won't go into details here, but here are some resources if you don't know how to do it.

Boot your PC from a USB Drive

Install Windows 11 from USB Drive

If you had a licensed copy of Windows 10, Windows 11 will already be licensed. If you don't, then perhaps you can use some kind of... Activation Scripts for Microsoft software, that will allow you to activate them. Of course I cannot link such tools here. So there you go, now you can save a PC made from before 2018 from the landfill, and maybe give it to a deserving teen in the process. The more we can extend the lives of technology and keep it out of the trash, the better.

Additional note: This removes the requirement for having 4GB Minimum of RAM, but I think that requirement should honestly be higher. Windows 11 will be unusable slow on any system with below 8GB of RAM. 8GB is the minimum I think you should have before trying this but it still really not enough for modern use outside of light web and office work. I wouldn't recommend trying this on anything with 4GB or less. I am honestly shocked they are still selling brand new Windows 11 PCs with 4GB of ram. If you're not sure how much RAM you have, you can find out in the performance tab of Task Manager in Windows, if you click the More Details icon on the bottom right. If you don't have enough, RAM for old systems is super cheap and widely available so it would definitely be worth upgrading if you have a ram starved machine you'd like to give a new life.

[joelssimp]

STILL | CHAPTER 03

CW: A high level of caffeine consumption, don't do this at home. Mild flirting.

5.2K words

previous chapter | masterlist | next chapter

03 - Photoshoot

“Oh, I hate you.”

“Shut up Mandy, you love me” I mumbled without looking at my cell phone screen.

The 16-year-old was one of the most avid Star Wars fans I know, and the news that I had spent the afternoon with the actor who played her favorite character came to light. She freaked out like I had never seen before and asked me to tell her every detail.

It was Sunday morning, and I had to deliver the photos from the previous day by lunchtime. So, sitting at the kitchen table, I rushed through the edits to deliver my best, and while I was working, I called the little punk on my cell phone.

Kate was still sleeping, since today was officially our last “free” day, she wanted to make the most of it.

“What does he smell like?” The blonde asked with the greatest excitement in the world.

“I was working, I'm a fucking professional, a little respect would be good” I looked away from my computer screen to her.

She grunted my name loudly “It's a valid question” She pouted like a spoiled child.

“I... I didn't notice” I looked away this time, feeling my cheeks getting warm.

“Oh, okay.”

“Seriously…”

“You’re lying to me!” Her green eyes were both excited and amused.

“He smells like any rich fucking person in this industry, expensive perfume I can only dream on buying” I gave up and revealed what was partially true.

“Oh, how annoying, my own sister is still fucking lying to me” She pretended to be unnecessarily dramatic.”Where’s Kate? She’s the fun one in that apartment”

“If you keep up this nonsense, I'll hang up, and the only news you'll have about Pedro Pascal will be on the internet like everyone else” I said calmly and she raised her hands as if surrendering.

I sipped the coffee that was next to me and adjusted the color settings on the preset I was using. We let silence fall over our conversation, which was super common when I was working.

“How is dad?” I asked, still focused on the editing I was doing.

“He misses you, but he tries to hide it.”

“Typical” I rolled my eyes quickly, making a face.

“He'll be fine.”

“I know. Thanks for taking care of him.”

“Yeah, yeah, my job and all of that…” She made a gesture of disdain.

My fingers moved nimbly across the keyboard and mousepad. In the meantime, Kate woke up and walked through the kitchen, going straight for the coffee pot. She murmured a good morning to me and another to Mandy, going to sit on the couch.

“I have to go, little punk. I'll call you tomorrow after work.”

“Give Pedro a kiss from me.”

“Fuck you” I showed her the middle finger, and she returned the gesture.

I hung up the call laughing and put the cell phone next to my computer.

“So your sister has a crush on your hero?” Kate had her lips hidden by the coffee mug, but from afar I saw her eyebrow raise suggestively.

“First of all, he's not my hero” I pointed out, knowing she was only doing that to tease me “I wouldn't drown with the vest.”

“But you also wouldn't get out of the water without his help” She pointed out the obvious.

“He did nothing more than his duty” I shrugged, wanting to avoid the subject of yesterday's outing “And yes, my younger sister is one of his biggest fans.”

“She's going to freak out when she comes to visit you.”

“I know” I sighed, finishing the last edit and already started exporting my work to the external SSD.

“You know she just revealed your name to me, right?” Kate said like she was being caught doing something she wasn't supposed to "I wasn't eavesdropping, but that was loud"

“Yeah, I figured I can’t hide that from you.”

“Don’t worry, your secret will be safe with me, Still”

“Thanks”

“Left me thinking: Should I get a cool nickname for me as well?”

“Kate, your business has your name on it. I think it’s a bit too late for that?”

I snorted as she made a disappointed face.

We took advantage of the morning to set up the equipment we would use in the photography studio the next day. Along with the one-year contract, I also managed to close a deal to take the promotional photos that would be used to show the characters to the world.

The time was scheduled for right after the last costume fitting that the main actors would have. The productions were starting to get into a hectic rhythm. Exciting and scary at the same time.

At the end of the afternoon I received part of the payment for this second contract for the studio photos. I set aside Kate’s share, who would be my assistant, and I used the rest to pay for a portion of the house that my father had financed.

Here is the receipt for this month's mortgage. Don't let dad see it, and use his money for the monthly groceries.

You know that if he finds out you're doing this, he'll freak out, right? It was a promise I made to myself when I got this contract.I'll pay for Matt's rehab tomorrow, and I'll send you the receipt here. Hey, you don't have to do this. Relax, Mandy. The contract is way more than I’m used to charge normally. It's okay. Really? Really!

I turned off the phone screen and focused on enjoying the rest of the day with Kate. And that included a night of watching movies, eating a store-bought pizza and a cheap wine.

The anxiety took hold of my mind, preventing me from enjoying a good night's sleep, and instead, I just dozed off a few times, tossing and turning in the warm bed.

I thought about what I had to do, about the huge responsibility that would be leading a photoshoot with several actors and actresses. When I closed my eyes, imagined myself failing, over and over again, not knowing what to do, feeling embarrassed for doing something wrong, and then I woke up again.

My hands felt cold, my heart raced every time I remembered some detail. My mind went back and forth, going over the possibilities. And when the clock struck four in the morning, I decided I wasn't going to stay there lying down any longer.

I made a huge cup of coffee, sat on the couch with my computer on my lap and went over some details about studio lighting. I sketched on some sheets of paper the poses that each actor would need to do, based on the script I had in hand. I described the expressions and the scenes, since I would compose the rest of the scene in Photoshop later.

The sun rose so slow in that morning, the sky that was pitch black gainned some rays of light, the colors were soft, a pastel pink, and then some orange, maybe a little purple in the middle. Beautiful as aways and bringing life back to the city that was starting its day. Ordinary traffic noises, some birds, people talking, all a little distant due to the height of our apartment.

A cold shower was what I needed to fully wake myself up that morning, a real shock to my muscles. And then I went on to make a hearty breakfast, since I didn't know what time I would be able to have lunch, didn't want to be grumpy during such an important day.

Kate woke up confused as hell on what I was doing, pacing back and forth in the kitchen.

"How long did I sleep?" She mumbled hoarsely, rubbing her swollen eyes.

"It's aham, six thirty?" I looked over the clock on top of the oven "We need to be at the studio by eight."

"How long did you sleep?" She emphasized, seeing that I was already more agitated than usual.

"I couldn't sleep well," I explained, focusing on our breakfast. "Bacon?" I pointed to the pan.

She rubbed her left eye and nodded. I gave a weak laugh at her lack of communication that morning and prepared breakfast for both of us. I was already on my third cup of coffee before eight in the morning, my heart started racing every time I remembered that in a few minutes I would be inside a studio with a huge responsibility.

I checked the equipment once more while Kate got ready to leave and soon we were on our way to our first official job for that production.

We set up everything we needed in no time, I moved quickly, the caffeine doing an exceptional job after a bad night of sleep.

I had two lighting assistants and Kate by my side to organize everything. My creative mode pulsed, taking over my directions, coordinating the small team at my disposal with mastery.

I smiled broadly when the first person I wanted to meet walked through the studio entrance. Craig Mazin came towards me accompanied by Neil Druckmann. A few people by their side, all with their proper masks, even though everyone there had already taken the COVID test to enter the studio.

“Still and Kate, it's a pleasure to meet you both” Craig smiled under his mask, still walking towards us “Let's create something amazing together today.”

“Craig and Neil, welcome” I greeted them, feeling my hands cold and sweaty. “Welcome everyone”

“We are big fans of your work” Kate said pleasantly.

“As are We of yours” Neil made what seemed to be a bow.

A fan of my work? One of the best creative minds of our generation?

Are You fucking kidding me?

“I can't wait to create art with you” I pointed to the table where my laptop and notebook were open, directing them there.

“I see you worked hard,” Craig said, impressed with my sketches.

“The scripts helped me a lot, the details are very impressive.”

“The characters are unique and full of details too” Kate added.

“It was easy to understand their essence,” I said too focus on showing that I knew what we were doing.

“I'm glad We made your job easier,” Craig said with a laugh.

We managed to sit down for almost twenty minutes to talk about what needed to be done today, and also throughout the year. It was like a dream coming true, and the calm that came from both of them was just what I needed to calm my own nerves.

The fact that the first session would be with someone I had already met also helped a lot and brought my nerves at ease.

Gabriel walked in smiling, dressed from head to toe as Tommy, his hair slicked back, a denim jacket and a fake rifle hanging on his back. He stopped in front of our small group and turned around proudly showing off the details.

“Wow” I said, applauding him.

“Thank you, thank you” He bowed in a playful way of thanking me “Tommy Miller at your service, ma'am.”

“Tommy Miller from the first episode” Craig pointed out, his eyes shining as he saw the first character come to life in the smallest details.

Gabriel pointed to the director as if to say “good point” and smiled in Kate’s direction.

“Gabriel, this is the other photographer I mentioned to you on Saturday.” I pointed to my friend who was trying to contain herself in place “Kate, this is Gabriel.”

“Nice to meet you Kate” He gave that huge smile he has.

Kate smiled back shyly and said an almost inaudible “likewise.”

“Shall we begin?” I pointed to the place where all the lighting equipment was positioned.

“So, first episode, right?!” Gabriel looked to Neil and Craig for confirmation.

“Tommy, overprotective of his niece, trying to escape somehow with his older brother, ready to face everything and everyone” Neil described what he wanted Gabriel to play at that moment.

I saw the actor gradually change as he listened to the description, his look going from playful to entering the character’s emotions. And with that, I prepared my camera, connected by a cable that went into the USB port of my computer, where Kate positioned herself.

As soon as Gabriel was fully immersed in the new emotions, I started clicking the photos I needed. I positioned him a few times, first visualizing what I wanted in my mind and then trying to describe it to him.

Craig and Neil were with Kate pointing out the photos that turned out good to use, impressed with the result. And after thirty minutes the second person entered the studio, accompanied by a small team. Nico was dressed as Sarah in a way that made it seem like her clothes had come straight out of a video game. She looked much younger than she was, assuming the identity of a pre-teen.

“Nico, we’re finishing with Gabriel and I’ll be right with you,” I said with a smile in her direction.

“No problem, you can take your time with the old man,” she teased, amused.

Gabriel grumbled something and changed to the position I had asked for. I only spent ten more minutes with him, and I already asked my team to change the position and temperature of the lights to what I had imagined for the photos of Nico as Sarah Miller.

For the rest of the morning, I had soft music playing in the studio, and conversations flowed naturally. A totally pleasant atmosphere settled in with everyone. The directors helped me a lot by trying to set the scene for the photos, and they almost jumped in their seats with the results. They looked like two kids on Christmas Day, receiving the presents they always wanted. Only the presents were the actors finally dressed as the characters that until then only inhabited a video game, or within the roles of the scripts.

After Nico, I met Lamar Johnson, probably the only Canadian among the actors. In the story he would be Henry, and he seemed very excited to finally be able to get into character.

I managed to get someone to get me another cup of coffee, since my energy was waning a little.

After Lamar, we were graced with the presence of Kelvonn and his team, including his ASL interpreter. His face marked with red paint, his clothes dirty and torn, bringing a realism to his character Sam. It was a surprise to me that one of the actors was deaf, but I saw it as the perfect opportunity to put my old sign language course to the test.

Kelvonn signed to his interpreter and she turned to us at the same time.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Kelvonn, but you can call me Kelv,” she said immediately and prepared to sign our responses.

This time I looked straight at him and timidly started to sign and also verbalized what I was doing with my hands.

“Hi Kelv,” I said slowly. “People here call me S-t-i-l-l.” I signed letter by letter. “But I’ll give you my real name later.” I saw his eyes light up at the same moment I signed. “Nice to meet you.”

The entire room was focused on our conversation. The silence was palpable and everyone’s curiosity was apparent.

Kelv signed something again and I was able to understand some parts, then his interpreter smiled as she spoke.

“I already like you.”

“This is my friend, K-a-t-e” I signed again and he made a nice to meet you sign “And you know C-r-a-i-g and N-e-i-l.”

“It’s good to finally be here” The interpreter said following Kelv’s signs.

“Shall we begin?” I signed and pointed to the place where the hot lights were being directed by Mark and Thomas, my two young assistants.

He smiled broadly and followed my directions. My sign language was a little rusty, but it was good to know that I could still communicate with those who usually don’t have much accessibility in the world we live in. Neil and Craig were very impressed and I could hear Kate comment something about there being nothing I can’t do.

Lunch was served right there, a requirement of mine so as not to waste too much time, since I still had to photograph seven more actors in the afternoon. Everyone was dragged out of here by their agents as soon as they were done, because they had to go through the cinematography crew to film some lighting tests on their costumes.

My energy was dropping as the hours passed by. I was still excited to meet people like Merle Dandridge, Murray Bartlett, Anna Torv and the fucking Nick Offerman. With him I almost let my obsessed fan of The Office speak louder. His sense of humor made everything there feel lighter, and even though it was four in the afternoon on a day when I hadn't slept at all and was spending all my energy on creativity at work, I felt good, as if it was the only place I belonged.

The headache was my first sign that I was using my spare energy to finish the day. The coffee was no longer working, the mask that I had been wearing for almost nine hours was irritating me a lot, and I was aware that the mark on my nose was deep from the tightness.

“Mark, for the next one, the light needs to come from above, a back light on the right side, and we'll rebound it a little to reveal the details of the shadow” I pointed to the lights that needed to be operated and he nodded, already obeying me.

“We have three more mandatory photos,” Kate pointed to my notebook. “The last three.”

“Long day…” Neil stretched in his chair.

“It would be longer if it weren't for your professionalism” Craig said kindly “I'm very impressed, and I don’t impress easily.”

“That's the most you'll hear from us during the year” Kate was sincere, since our work was usually more spontaneous.

“We work in the shadows” I joked, making them both laugh “All so as not to get in the way of the work that really matters” I gestured as if pointing something out in their direction, implying that the most important work there was the creation of the TV series.

“Based on your perception of lighting, I'm almost getting you to work with Kesnia and her team" Craig said as a joke, but with a hint of truth.

“Very kind of you, but I prefer to leave that part to the professionals.”

“Seriously, I might seek an opinion or two from you” The director admitted, and that made my smile widen.

A small crew entered the studio door, conversations already going on between them, and in their midst I saw the two protagonists laughing together. Bella Ramsey, a prodigy in the world of TV productions, already very comfortable in Ellie's clothes. They talked and laughed with Pedro.

He seemed to have aged at least ten to fifteen years with the makeup they had applied. His hair and beard were much grayer. A fake revolver on his waist and a fake rifle also hanging on his back, and to top it off he had two layers of coats, carefully faded jeans and hiking boots. The famous "apocalypse" style.

His eyes met mine for half a second, making me look away immediately.

"Joel and Ellie, you look perfect," Craig said, opening his arms, excitement escaping him at finally seeing the final product.

"They've been annoying me for ten minutes now," Pedro bumped into his co-star's shoulder. "It's going to be a long year." This made everyone laugh in the room.

“Shut up, you’re going to miss us by the end of this,” Bella replied.

Kate was next to me, and it felt like she was seeing two people from another world. It was our first time with a production that had actors who are truly well-known in Hollywood, so the fan inside of us was ready to fight it’s way out

“Bella and Pedro, these are Kate and Still, they’re responsible for capturing today’s photos, and they’ll be with us for the rest of the year,” the director formally introduced us.

I swear I saw a mischievous smile escape him before he regained his composure to greet us. Bella was very kind, curious about my nickname, but let it go when I just shrugged and said “for mystery purpose only”.

“Shall we start?” I pointed to the place they should take.

Had to positioned the two of them together, being watched by the entire crew. My hands were shaking a little now, the result of unnecessary nervousness and an amount of caffeine that not every human being can handle. 

Neil was guiding the necessary emotions in that photo of the two of them together; I could see their breathing change as they got into character, their playful expressions being replaced by seriousness.

Right there I saw a little girl who needed to be protected, and a father figure who would do anything to achieve his goal. He was looking to our right, while Bella's gaze was directed at us behind the lens.

I took at least ten photos of them in that position, asking the boys to adjust the lights as I saw fit, until I was satisfied.

"This is perfect," I heard Neil's voice from behind the monitor.

My smile came out tired, and a yawn escaped me, pulling the mask that had to be repositioned on my face, and revealing the sleepiness that had been haunting me for a while.

Pedro noticed my state right away, even before I could pull myself together to guide them into another position. This time, Bella was the only one in the photo. And while I was guiding Kate with the adjustments, he was pulled by a short, brunette woman, apparently her personal makeup artist and stylist.

I talked to Bella, making everything more comfortable for the photos. I focused as much as possible on the details, the way the light made an almost perfect silhouette in their messy hair, the small knife her hand gripped, the details of their jacket... Everything to bring out the best of the character.

"How many of those cups of coffee are yours?"

I almost jumped when his voice was so close. I was so focused that I didn't notice him moving, staying a few steps away. Pedro was observing, not letting my tiredness slip by, and I let out a smile at his curiosity.

"As many as it takes to keep me standing after almost ten hours of work!" I replied, my lips, even though hidden by the mask, was curled upwards.

"Did you know that there's a limit to that?" He asked, trying to peek at my camera “For coffee, I mean.”

“When I reach that limit, I'll let you know.”

“Will the warning be you fainting in the middle of work?” He was amused.

I had to ignore him for a second to adjust the jacket Bella was wearing, but I soon went back to where I was.

“How's that hero's ego after Saturday?” I asked quietly, still taking the photos I needed, but almost finishing the - Ellie - part “Are you trying to save me from myself and my coffee addiction?”

“Ha” Pedro let out a laugh, which caught the attention of several people in the room “I can't even save myself from this addiction” He shook his head in denial.

I waited for people to start talking among themselves again before turning to him. His face had some scars, a smile tugged at his lips and his dark eyes watched me as I did my work, attentive to every move.

“Bella, your part is done” I declared, looking away from him “Thank you for your patience and cooperation.”

“No, thank you” They replied sweetly “I can't wait to see the result.”

“I'll make sure to send you a copy when it's ready.”

“Perfect, I'll see you on set?”

“It'll be the only place they'll find me for a year” I winked at them, causing a laugh.

“We're really going to spend a lot of time together. I can't fucking wait.”

“Me too, I'm excited as shit.”

With that, their mother, who was following the process with their agent, guided them to the cinematography staff at the studio next door. Bella said goodbye to everyone and went on to the second part of their work.

“Now it's the old man's turn” I said, looking in Pedro's direction. He rolled his eyes with one corner of his mouth in an almost imperceptible smile and followed my directions.

“Where you want me?” Pedro asked in his deep voice before guided him into the lights and stood there to fix the details of the photo.

I was close enough to fix the rifle strap he was carrying, as it was completely twisted. I muttered “excuse me” before running my hand over the collar of the second jacket he was wearing, and only then I realized that I had somehow been holding my breath.

Remembering my conversation with my younger sister yesterday and I came to the realization that I had lied to her.

His scent wasn’t just rich people’s perfume, he had something familiar, a woody scent with a touch of nicotine. Something very masculine, almost intoxicating.

I adjusted the edge of his pocket that was at the height of his chest and I could feel the hammering of his heart, strong and fast... Or was it my own heart echoing through my senses?

“You know that in the apocalypse my clothes are supposed to be messy, right?” He asked softly, his breath blowing near my nose and then I moved away as quickly as I could.

“If I don’t fix these things now, I’ll waste my precious time later on Photoshop,” I explained, going to get my camera.

“So you’re one of those people who prefers to do it live rather than using effects,” He said as if he was making a mental note.

“Everything is always better live,” this time I focused on my camera so as not to give my reaction away.

It was so obvious he had an effect on my body, and I just hopped I was a good enough liar that no one notice it.

Pedro was an incredible professional, serious when he needed to be serious, and joking when he needed to lighten the mood. I got the best photos of the day with him alone. His ease in getting in and out of character impressed me a lot.

When we finished the work, he seemed to want to say something to me, but he held back and was taken to the studio next door.

Craig and Neil congratulated me on the result of a hard day’s work and said goodbye very satisfied with everything they had seen. I dismissed the boys who had helped me with a grateful smile on my face.

My head was killing me now, heavy with sleepiness, and as soon as the adrenaline went down a little, I felt the pain in my shoulder from the tension that had been in me all day, but I hadn't noticed it until then.

Kate, who was packing our things to leave, came over with one last cup of coffee for today as a way of celebrating. She took off the mask that covered her face and I did the same, feeling relieved.

"You're the best!" She held out the drink to me.

"I wouldn't have made it without your help." We toasted the coffee and I finally sat down.

"I still can't believe the day we had."

"I know right? I'm exhausted, I'll need at least a day to recover," I admitted as I sipped the hot drink.

"Going to call an Uber, and we need to eat something before bed. How about that Chinese spot across the street?"

"I know that if I go home now, I won't even touch these photos, and I need to at least give the first edit a once-over. I'm going to stay here a while longer."

She was even more impressed by that, and she already knew me well enough to know that there was no point in trying to convince me to leave with her. It was a losing battle.

With my best friend, coffee, by my side, I stayed alone in that studio for a while longer. Between one edit and another, I let my gaze run over the lighting equipment, the infinite background, also unable to believe that everything had turned out as expected, I managed to impress people with such a huge responsibility.

A feeling of pride filled me. Pride for having gone through everything I had, for having overcome such a dark time as the pandemic, for having recovered my mental health well enough to be here, almost whole, almost feeling like myself again.

Had to bite my lower lip and let a tear or two fall down my cheek while I continued to work hard on post-production.

"Am I disturbing you?" I heard three knocks on the door, and from a distance I saw only his head looking into the room, like a child waiting for permission.

"Not at all. I'm almost done here” I wiped away the salty traces of tears and sat up straight in my chair.

“I thought you had left, until I saw the light on...” Pedro came in, shy.

He was already wearing his normal clothes, and the only trace of Joel he had was the exaggerated white in his hair and beard.

“I wanted to get some things done before I literally collapsed on my bed,” I explained, my voice soft with exhaustion. “But I'm leaving now.” I closed my laptop and notebook, putting them in my bag.

“Can I give you a ride?”

“No need, I'll call an Uber...”

“Your apartment is on the way from the studio to the apartment I'm staying at.” He cut me off immediately and gave me a half smile. “I insist.”

I remained silent for a few seconds, watching his anxious gestures, and I couldn't help but smile too.

“Okay, but only because I'm in no condition to argue,” I said, giving up.

Pedro punched the air in celebration, always with a hint of joke on it. He came towards me and picked up my bag to help me.

I could easily be mistaken for a zombie from the series, with my sunken eyes and white skin. But he was patient, following me closely until we reached his car.

He stepped forward when he saw we were close enough, and opened the passenger door for me to get in. I couldn't say anything, I just walked past him, collapsing on the soft seat. The door next to me was closed carefully, and he quickly came around to take over as the driver.

"I'm sure you don't live on coffee alone," he said quietly as he started the car. "Do you want to stop somewhere so we can grab something to eat?"

"I don't want to bother you, Pedro. You can just take me to..."

"Come on," he cut me off again. "You're not bothering me. Just… pick a place. I bet that the headache you must be feeling is also from not eating well enough."

“How did you know I had a headache?” I turned to him, curious about his perception.

“Every time someone said something in a louder tone in the studio, you closed your eyes and frowned” He said as if it was normal to notice things like that in people.

“I didn't sleep well last night, I'm functioning on coffee and sugar” I admitted, receiving a weak and low laugh “How about…”

I paused, thinking about something in the area, and decided to suggest some fast food, because I wanted to rest as soon as possible.

“Five Guys?” I finished, and his smile widened, his tongue between his teeth in a mischievous way.

“You read my mind” Finally he said, putting in the address of the fast food closest to us.

[oxygen537art]

istg I luv ur art style so much and also can I get mha smut recommendations (idrc wat ship but mainly bakudeku and dabihawks is wat I'm looking for. shiggydabi is cool too)

Thank you so much for your nice words, I'm glad you enjoy my art! ❤️

I've listed the authors and titles of their works that I once saved in my favorites. I hardly follow updates now, it's been a while since I reread the works listed here, so I rely purely on notes and bookmarks left by past me. Just a reminder that everyone's tastes are different, please read the tags. And check out the authors' other works!

18+, Minors Do Not Interact!

Aphra_After_Dark

The Desk Job

Fight for You, Fighting for Me

how to 69 when both of you have fangs

In For A Penny

Mommy Milkers

Of Corset Is

A Slow Descent

Something New

bluebelle

can I kiss you?

full rack

hard boiled

cozzzynook

“Closer”

"Come on baby bird, show me whose submissive”

“Lace and Feathers”

“Mated” series

“I got you a present birdie”

“I’ll Love you even when you don’t love you”

Self-care is the best care, but with you it’s just better

The sun that stole the moon

“Touya’s Fun Night In”

Cateil

drowning in you

heart and soul

messy

palpable

cellostiel

Maraschino Cherry Juice

Relaxation

The Real Deal

Songbird

So Fucking Electric

DeadBoysWalking

Hyperfixation

Shut Up And Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Good Boy

If Only

Eyes On Me

The Other Way

Wait A Minute, Baby, Stay With Me A While

Turn you inside-out by dorothycanfly

drunkenCharm

As Above So Below

Before I Ever Met You

Begging for Thread

Days of Bloom

Drowning Gods

Good Vibrations

i hold you to my heart's desire

Waiting Game

FeatheredFvck

Bad Behavior

Bet

Breathe

Dickstracted

Euphoria

I'll Do You Two Better

It's A Spring Thing

The One Percent

Unexpected

From flames to ashes by NekoRika (This is a collection of oneshots, but I save the chapters 3, 23, 36, 41, 43)

Neurotoxin

Arrangements

Change Of Pace

Learn To Breathe

Punk Gecko Boi watches Smexy Gaymer and his Goth bf fuck on webcam.mp4

Pixie_Virus

4's a Party

Couch Troubles

Meet-Cute

After Dicking Cuddles by the_pursuit_of_happiness

I'll Make It Fit and Milk Me by paleserendipity

SaltyTomato

Good boy

I hope they have your eyes

Pretty Fingers on Slick Thighs

satan_copilots_my_tardis (I recommend all of their works. Some are only available on Tumblr (18+) @satancopilotsmytardis)

SoenNoAme (TsukkiNoNeko)

Blue Flames, Blue Passion

Captivated By Your Resonating Light

Close To You

Dancing Flames

Diplomatic Approach

Edge of Glory

Glimmer

Heated

Kiss Me Like It's Do Or Die

Play A Little Game

Satisfy the Undisclosed Desires in your Heart

sometimes I wonder which one will be your last lie.

Stuck in Repeat

Tears That Drip Sore

until you learn to love yourself

White Camelia

Your Innocence Is Mine

Wind Down by frozenCinders

Primal Instincts and Pretty Things by truthinadvertising

fuck around and find out and End Racism in the OTW- All Dolled Up by unbalancedcentrifuge

VampyrSutton

Be Good For Me

The Cave

Eyes on Me

Good Little Whore

Hate Fuck

How Are You Alive?

How Do You Live Like This?

How the Mighty Fall

Spring Heat

SSD Day 3~Werebeasts~Claiming Bite/Knotting

SSD Day 6~Anthro~Collar

Werewolfnightwalker

All Of Me

The Consequences of Nesting

Down By the Wexford Border

Save a Horse, Ride a Birdboy

Soft

Take Me Apart So Gently

Turn Off The Lights (We Don't Need Them To Dance)

[fedora-official]

Me, no flash drive to be found, stores closed, need a working linux install tonight: how do I boot my Debian iso from a partition on my SSD if I don't have a flash drive on hand?

Forums: you should just get a flash drive

[swisccfinds]

Cozy Nursery by Hydrangea

How cute is this set?! The crib is just so adorable!

creator's notes-

Hey there :) hope u all are doing well! first off, i'm so sorry for not posting cc the last weeks. last month both my HD and SSD stopped working so I basically lost everything ): Now that I bought a new one I can start making content again.  I hope u guys like this one!! and there's an extra nursery set coming so stay tuned! ❤

📌General info:

BGC except changing table!

8 items + override bath seat (use only one)

2k Texture Maps

Meshes and textures by me, some patterns for textures found on pinterest/google

TS4: find it typing HCNursery in the searchbar

TS3: mostly kids section

📄Details:

bear baby bath seat(override + deco): 4k poly | 4 swatches Baby clothing: 3k | 19 swatches Changing table: 10k | 3 swatches Boho heart mirror: 1k | 1 swatch Cactus wall hanger: 3k | 5 swatches Cute fox baby mobile: 7k | 1 swatch Retro high chair: 5k | 29 swatches Sweet home crib: 13k | 1 swatch

💜You may also like: Cozy nursery extra  | Bear-y cute nursery <3

How cute?! Thank you to Hydrangea for this set make sure to check out the extra set which is included in this post in the creator's notes, and show the creator some love!

download

[elderscrollsconceptart]

Some users on PC have an issue where the Oblivion Remaster shader compilation is not completing.

The game may crash during shader compilation and if you relaunch the game, you can play, but stutters and FPS issues will be worse than if you had successfully compiled shaders. Shader compilation cannot be automatically re-ran so you need to force your PC to restart the compilation.

Here are the steps I took to "fix" this issue:

1. Roll back your Nvidia GPU drivers to 572.83

If you have an AMD GPU, I believe AMD released an updated driver for Oblivion Remastered that should mean no driver rollback is needed.

2. Delete your shader cache via the Disk cleanup windows program

3. Cut/paste this file OUT of this folder path:

steamapps\common\Oblivion Remastered\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace\nvidia\DLSS\Streamline\Binaries\ThirdParty\Win64\sl.pcl.dll

I personally dropped it into a desktop folder so I have it saved somewhere. Just make sure this file is NOT in that folder path anymore.

4. Delete Oblivion.ini from this location:

\steamapps\common\Oblivion Remastered\OblivionRemastered\Content\Dev\ObvData\Oblivion.ini

5. Open Oblivion Remastered and shader compilation should now begin.

If all went well the shader compilation should complete (may take a long time) and you should notice *some* improvements to stuttering as shader are now fully compiled.

Make sure you re select your graphics settings as they will have reverted to default. See below for my personal settings and performance notes. 👇

---

Next part is how I personally went from ~40fps outdoors to a solid 60fps average with occasional dips to 50fps at the lowest.

Caveat I have a high end PC, play on a 4k TV and don't play above 60fps. Your Milage may vary as everyone has their own hardware setup and graphical preferences.

---

1. Make sure your game is installed on SSD. Game just runs alot better on SSD and even warns you to make sure its installed on one.

2. FPS lock/VSync. If you need Vsync to play games like I do. Turn OFF the in-game VSYNC and force VSYNC ON in Nvidia control panel. IDK how AMD gpus work but id imagine you'd use AMDs version of control panel to do the same.

Set the FPS limit to 60fps (or whatever your preference) in the in-game settings. This can also be done instead in the Nvidia control panel so if you set the limit there, be sure to NOT have a limit set in-game settings.

3. DLSS of some kind is a must for most games these days. Especially if playing with Ray Tracing (as you can note below)

Set DLSS to either performance (looks worse, runs better), Quality (looks better, runs a bit worse), or DLAA (looks alot better but most performance hit out of all DLSS settins).

Use FSR if you are on an AMD GPU.

4. DLSS Frame Generation. This literally will give you like 10+ FPS. BUUUTT it gives you CRAZY input lag. Make sure if you use this you also set NVIDIA Reflex to Enabled+Boost. For me this game me the free 10+fps while eliminating the input lag almost entirely.

Note: If you use Frame Generation you will notice the menus in-game have a weird flutter/lag. Beyond this tho the issues are minimal.

If you use AMD GPUs make sure to use the FSR/FSR Frame Generation/XeSS options as these are AMDs versions of the NVIDIA options i discussed above

I know alot of ppl play on different hardware in general so to summarize the graphics settings:

Turn off VYSNC in game and force it via your GPU control panel. Use frame generation and DLSS/FSR as specified above. If your settings don't give you the performance you want, roll them back bit by bit.

ALSO: This may be relevant but as a precaution, make any major graphics settings changes *FROM THE MAIN MENU* After you make the changes, exit and restart the game. Sometimes the changes don't work if you make them while you have a save loaded + don't restart the game.

Hope this all helps at least somebody out there. Send asks or DM if you need any clarification, and remember, Milage may vary so experiment with your settings as needed.

[jor-elsemissary]

AI integration in game software will eat your cpu. It is not a godsend. It is an eldritch creature that will consume resources and burn out your cpu.

An example of this: Oblivion Remaster added AI to the game to generate frames in the world, theoretically to increase fps. It is the reason why everybody was having crashes, poor fps, and hot cpus. I discovered that feature and turned it off and the game became mostly stable and my cpu was happy.

Like it went from a constant 80C to 65C. My FPS stayed around 30-40 and only dipping below 20 when it rained.

CPU: Intel Core i9

GPU: GeForce RTX 2080 Super

RAM: 32 GB

Storage: 1TB SSD

My rig is getting old but back in ‘21, this build was #3 for top of the line for gaming. So I know my settings are going down the older it gets. I started with Ultra for Oblivion and reduced the settings to try and stabilize the game and nothing was working. I know my rig should be able to handle Oblivion on High at least and was doing fine in buildings and dungeons but struggled in the world and my cpu temp would spike to a constant 80C. That’s when I discovered the AI feature that generated frames in the world to help populate the play area as you approached and to increase framerate.

Except it wasn’t working as it claimed. So I turned it off and suddenly the world stabilized, my framerate increased and I could set it to High. I still had the occasional crash but I noticed it’s because I’m entering an area with large resource population like npcs, ingredients or some weather effect is happening like rain. Tweaking the settings for things like that stabilized the game more, but I never had a framerate problem or a hot cpu anymore after turning off the AI.

That’s how bad the AI integration is.

[ms-demeanor]

One thing that I keep seeing whenever I make posts that are critical of macs is folks in the notes going "they make great computers for the money if you just buy used/refurbs - everyone knows not to buy new" and A) no they don't know that, most people go looking for a new computer unless they have already exhausted the new options in their budget and B) no they don't make great computers for the money, and being used doesn't do anything to make them easier to work on or repair or upgrade.

Here's a breakdown of the anti-consumer, anti-repair features recently introduced in macbooks. If you don't want to watch the video, here's how it's summed up:

In the end the Macbook Pro is a laptop with a soldered-on SSD and RAM, a battery secured with glue, not screws, a keyboard held in with rivets, a display and lid angle sensor no third party can replace without apple. But it has modular ports so I guess that’s something. But I don’t think it’s worthy of IFixIt’s four out of ten reparability score because if it breaks you have to face apple’s repair cost; with no repair competition they can charge whatever they like. You either front the cost, or toss the laptop, leaving me wondering “who really owns this computer?”

Apple doesn't make great computers for the money because they are doing everything possible to make sure that you don't actually own your computer, you just lease the hardware from apple and they determine how long it is allowed to function.

The lid angle sensor discussed in this video replaces a much simpler sensor that has been used in laptops for twenty years AND calibrating the sensor after a repair requires access to proprietary apple software that isn't accessible to either users or third party repair shops. There's no reason for this software not to be included as a diagnostic tool on your computer except that Apple doesn't want users working on apple computers. If your screen breaks, or if the fragile cable that is part of the sensor wears down, your only option to fix this computer is to pay apple.

How long does apple plan to support this hardware? What if you pay $3k for a computer today and it breaks in 7 years - will they still calibrate the replacement screen for you or will they tell you it's time for new hardware EVEN THOUGH YOU COULD HAVE ATTAINED FUNCTIONAL HARDWARE THAT WILL WORK IF APPLE'S SOFTWARE TELLS IT TO?

Look at this article talking about "how long" apple supports various types of hardware. It coos over the fact that a 2013 MacBook Air could be getting updates to this day. That's the longest example in this article, and that's *hardware* support, not the life cycle of the operating system. That is dogshit. That is straight-up dogshit.

Apple computers are DRM locked in a way that windows machines only wish they could pull off, and the apple-only chips are a part of that. They want an entirely walled garden so they can entirely control your interactions with the computer that they own and you're just renting.

Even if they made the best hardware in the world that would last a thousand years and gave you flowers on your birthday it wouldn't matter because modern apple computers don't ever actually belong to apple customers, at the end of the day they belong to apple, and that's on purpose.

This is hardware as a service. This is John Deere. This is subscription access to the things you buy, and if it isn't exactly that right at this moment, that is where things have been heading ever since they realized it was possible to exert a control that granular over their users.

With all sympathy to people who are forced to use them, Fuck Apple I Hope That They Fall Into The Ocean And Are Hidden Away From The Honest Light Of The Sun For Their Crimes.

[weirdmageddon]

with the help of a friend i successfully transfered everything from my PREGNANT surface 3 tablet from 2016 high school with swollen batteries after some frustrations and scares.

the battery swelling and screen warping had happened over a month ago and i hadn’t had plugged my tablet in since then. but today i wanted to get my paint tool sai brushes and textures off of it, only to be reminded of this. so i talked to one of my newer friends who happens to work at a computer repair shop and he swung by my place since he does home visits anyway.

i didn’t actually know how volatile bloated batteries truly are in reality. especially if they’ve been discharged for over a month. people online say theyre dangerous and you shouldnt even turn your device on, but i have a feeling they’re saying that so people don’t get carried away continuing to use them. but i’m smart and know this thing is finished, but i need data that is on here.

my friend says that he’s had customers use laptops with swollen batteries exclusively on the charger for over 6 months after he told them to get it replaced.

when he comes over we plug it in. the fearmongering internet says you should NEVER EVER plug in a device with swollen lithium ion batteries, so i was scared something was gonna happen or the batteries were going to get hot and swell as chemical reactions happen in them. but nothing happened. the internet lied to me. nothing happened. plugging it in was actually necessary to get past the 0xc0000225 blue screen error which i had been receiving even before the batteries swelled so much they opened the screen. it was unpredictable if it would boot up with that or not, sometimes it did sometimes it didn’t. my tablet would also sometimes shut down at random with no warning in the middle of drawing and that’s when i knew i needed to start looking for something else. but yeah so nothing happened and having it plugged in was essential in order for my tablet to not shut off in the 3 hours it took to transfer data to a USB stick.

and my tablet didn’t even get hot the entire time. (though i turned the screen brightness down to 0 in order to protect against any potential source of excessive heat during the process.)

over a decade’s years worth of paint tool sai brush settings …. welcome back on my main laptop where i use my intuos pro to draw now. i will probably be more inclined to make more art now :D

this post was originally a lot longer and more detailed about the technical scares if something were to have gone wrong but tumblr eated it with a background refresh :\ e.g., the memory chip in this device is soldered on, not removable like a m.2 SSD, so if something happened to the hardware, then my data would be unrecoverable.

my friend even bought a portable windows drive to boot into WinPE but thankfully it wasn’t necessary. he brought the USB keyboard since my surface 3 doesn’t recognize the finicky external keyboard attached by magnetic pins until the boot-up process is over and you’re at the lock screen, so it wouldn’t have been possible to do advanced boot during startup with the F8 key (which we also didn’t actually need anyway, since plugging it in got rid of the blue screen booting error).

[dvinaamesca]

I have no pc for a while since it’s at the shop. Idk how long but the guy told me I will be in queue, because they have 30+ fuckin pc to look after. 💀 Yesterday, I thought it would be just easier for both me and the computer tech guy if I remove the old pc parts that needed to upgrade, which I did, it wasn’t much of a deal. I went to the shop and the guy told me that in order for them to put the new motherboard in, they need the microsoft product key to activate the new processor and shit. He said it now cost extra to put them back, do that product key shit, take the old parts out again and put the new ones. 💀

After that, I told him I’ll put them back myself, worried that it might not even turn on or me damaging the parts. He told me once I got it to work again, just log in or create a microsoft acc, link it with my device and bring it to him again. I was like, “Ight, no problem *sweating my tits*.”

I went home, watched tutorials while I worked on putting everything back again, and the wirings were too much because I couldn’t remember how they were plugged in. After maybe an hour and a half, I finally got it to work. Everything was normal, and I was tempted to just rebuild my new specs myself. I didn’t want to risk because I’m aftaid I’ll fuck up and damage the parts, so I just brought them to shop instead. Tech guy was like ok woww. ☺️ *proceeds to bribe me to get xtra 1tb ssd.*

So thanks for tuning in to my story. 😂 Maybe next time if I wanted to upgrade my graphics card, I will be able to do it myself. Or when I’m confident enough to be abke to build my own pc. I cannot wait to cook more screenshots.