#Server Patch Management

[lakshmiglobal]

The Importance of Updates and Patches for Server Security

That’s an excellent topic. Here’s a clear explanation on the importance of updates and patches for server security, written in a professional style suitable for IT managers, business owners, or a general technical audience.

🔒 The Importance of Updates and Patches for Server Security

In today’s digital world, servers are the backbone of most business operations—powering websites, applications, databases, and entire networks. Keeping these servers secure is critical, and one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to protect them is by regularly applying updates and security patches.

🛡️ Why Are Updates and Patches So Important?

1️⃣ Fix Known Vulnerabilities

Every day, cybersecurity researchers and malicious hackers discover new software flaws—known as vulnerabilities—that could be exploited to break into systems.

Vendors release patches to close these security holes.

Without patching, your server is effectively running with unlocked doors, inviting cybercriminals in.

2️⃣ Prevent Malware & Ransomware Attacks

Many large-scale cyber attacks, including ransomware outbreaks, exploit unpatched systems.

Examples: WannaCry and NotPetya leveraged known Windows vulnerabilities that had patches available months before the attacks.

Keeping servers up to date significantly lowers the risk of these devastating incidents.

3️⃣ Protect Sensitive Data & Maintain Compliance

If your business handles sensitive information (like customer data, financial records, or healthcare data), patching helps:

Prevent data breaches that could damage your reputation and lead to legal penalties.

Maintain compliance with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, which often require up-to-date systems.

4️⃣ Improve System Stability & Performance

Patches aren’t only for security—many updates fix bugs that can cause crashes, improve performance, and add new features. This keeps your IT infrastructure running smoothly.

🚨 The Risks of Neglecting Updates

❌ Without Regular Patching🚀 With Regular PatchingHigh chance of malware & ransomware breachesReduced attack surfaceData theft, costly recovery, lost customer trustStrong compliance posturePotential non-compliance finesImproved system stability

⚙️ Best Practices for Server Patching

✅ Implement a patch management policy. Define when, how, and by whom patches are tested and applied.

✅ Use staging environments. Test patches in a staging or QA environment to catch issues before pushing to production.

✅ Automate updates where possible. Use patch management tools (like WSUS, Red Hat Satellite, Ansible, or Puppet) to streamline updates.

✅ Schedule regular maintenance windows. Plan updates during low-traffic times to minimize disruption.

✅ Monitor and audit. Keep records of applied patches for compliance and troubleshooting.

💡 Bottom Line

Applying updates and security patches is one of the most cost-effective ways to secure your servers. It protects your business from threats, ensures regulatory compliance, and keeps your systems running reliably.

Think of patching as locking the doors and windows of your digital infrastructure—essential, routine, and crucial for peace of mind.

✅ Need help creating a patch policy or choosing patch management tools? Let me know your environment (Windows, Linux, VMware, hybrid) — I can draft a simple action plan for you!

The Importance of Updates and Patches for Server Security

[daily-public-domain]

Day 144: Feeling Wired

link

–This image is part of the public domain, meaning you can do anything you want with it ! (you could even sell it as a shirt, poster or whatever)–

[sigzentechnologies]

Say Goodbye to Downtime: Sigzen Technologie's Server Patching 101

In today’s fast-paced digital world, maintaining a resilient IT infrastructure is crucial for business success. Effective server patching plays a pivotal role in minimizing downtime risks and optimizing server performance. Sigzen Technologies, a trusted leader in IT solutions, offers comprehensive server patching services to address these challenges and ensure uninterrupted operations. Let’s…

[zapperrr]

Securing Your Website: Best Practices for Web Developers

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, website security has become a paramount concern for businesses and individuals alike. With cyber threats becoming increasingly sophisticated, it is crucial for web developers to adopt robust security measures to safeguard their websites and the sensitive data they handle. In this article, we'll delve into the best practices that web developers can implement to enhance the security of their websites and protect against potential threats.

Introduction

In today's interconnected world, websites serve as the digital storefront for businesses, making them vulnerable targets for cyber attacks. From data breaches to malware infections, the consequences of a security breach can be severe, ranging from financial loss to damage to reputation. Therefore, prioritizing website security is essential for maintaining the trust and confidence of users.

Understanding Website Security

Before diving into best practices, it's crucial to understand the importance of website security and the common threats faced by websites. Website security encompasses measures taken to protect websites from cyber threats and unauthorized access. Common threats include malware infections, phishing attacks, SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and brute force attacks.

Best Practices for Web Developers

Keeping Software Updated

One of the most fundamental steps in website security is keeping all software, including the content management system (CMS), plugins, and server software, updated with the latest security patches and fixes. Outdated software is often targeted by attackers due to known vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

Implementing HTTPS

Implementing HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) encrypts the data transmitted between the website and its users, ensuring confidentiality and integrity. HTTPS not only protects sensitive information but also boosts trust among visitors, as indicated by the padlock icon in the browser's address bar.

Using Strong Authentication Methods

Implementing strong authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and CAPTCHA, adds an extra layer of security to user accounts. MFA requires users to provide multiple forms of verification, such as a password and a one-time code sent to their mobile device, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

Securing Against SQL Injection Attacks

SQL injection attacks occur when malicious actors exploit vulnerabilities in web applications to execute arbitrary SQL commands. Web developers can prevent SQL injection attacks by using parameterized queries and input validation to sanitize user inputs effectively.

Protecting Sensitive Data

It's essential to employ encryption techniques to protect sensitive data, such as passwords, credit card information, and personal details, stored on the website's servers. Encrypting data at rest and in transit mitigates the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.

Regular Security Audits

Conducting regular security audits helps identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the website's infrastructure and codebase. Penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and code reviews enable web developers to proactively address security issues before they are exploited by attackers.

Choosing a Secure Hosting Provider

Selecting a reputable and secure hosting provider is critical for ensuring the overall security of your website. When evaluating hosting providers, consider factors such as security features, reliability, scalability, and customer support.

Evaluating Security Features

Choose a hosting provider that offers robust security features, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), malware scanning, and DDoS protection. These features help protect your website from various cyber threats and ensure continuous uptime.

Ensuring Regular Backups

Regularly backing up your website's data is essential for mitigating the impact of security incidents, such as data breaches or website compromises. Choose a hosting provider that offers automated backup solutions and store backups securely offsite.

Customer Support and Response to Security Incidents

Opt for a hosting provider that provides responsive customer support and has established protocols for handling security incidents. In the event of a security breach or downtime, prompt assistance from the hosting provider can minimize the impact on your website and business operations.

Implementing Firewall Protection

Firewalls act as a barrier between your website and external threats, filtering incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined security rules. There are several types of firewalls, including network firewalls, web application firewalls (WAF), and host-based firewalls.

Configuring and Maintaining Firewalls

Properly configuring and maintaining firewalls is crucial for effective security. Define firewall rules based on the principle of least privilege, regularly update firewall configurations to reflect changes in the website's infrastructure, and monitor firewall logs for suspicious activity.

Educating Users about Security

In addition to implementing technical measures, educating users about security best practices is essential for enhancing overall website security. Provide users with resources, such as security guidelines, tips for creating strong passwords, and information about common phishing scams.

Importance of User Awareness

Users play a significant role in maintaining website security, as they are often the targets of social engineering attacks. By raising awareness about potential threats and providing guidance on how to recognize and respond to them, web developers can empower users to stay vigilant online.

Providing Training and Resources

Offer training sessions and educational materials to help users understand the importance of security and how to protect themselves while using the website. Regularly communicate updates and reminders about security practices to reinforce good habits.

Monitoring and Responding to Security Incidents

Despite taking preventive measures, security incidents may still occur. Establishing robust monitoring systems and incident response protocols enables web developers to detect and respond to security threats in a timely manner.

Setting Up Monitoring Tools

Utilize monitoring tools, such as intrusion detection systems (IDS), security information and event management (SIEM) systems, and website monitoring services, to detect abnormal behavior and potential security breaches. Configure alerts to notify you of suspicious activity promptly.

Establishing Incident Response Protocols

Develop comprehensive incident response plans that outline roles, responsibilities, and procedures for responding to security incidents. Establish clear communication channels and escalation paths to coordinate responses effectively and minimize the impact of security breaches.

Securing your website requires a proactive approach that involves implementing a combination of technical measures, choosing a secure hosting provider, educating users about security best practices, and establishing robust monitoring and incident response protocols. By following these best practices, web developers can mitigate the risk of security breaches and safeguard their websites and the sensitive data they handle.

[silentwisher-feed]

Vanishing Victories: The Ghost Bug Haunting Battlebit Remastered Community Servers

Vanishing Victories: The Ghost Bug Haunting Battlebit Remastered Community Servers Battlebit Remastered’s community servers offer a personalized gaming experience, yet harbor a flaw that jeopardizes player progression. The crux of the issue is the loss of levels and unlocks when servers are improperly shut down. Personal Encounter: On October 9, 2023, I faced this problem firsthand—hours of…

[prettyboykatsuki-moved]

I can just imagine fujo neet reader practicing different sex position with rin to make sure she gets the proportions right.

✮ tags ; fem!reader, sexual tension, rin's pov, RIN IS KIND OF MEAN TO HER BUT HE WANTS HER SO BAD FDKJJS, reader is a fujoshi and bl mangaka, pre-relationship, they work together, part of a ficverse i haven't written yet Sorry, ONE JOKE ABOUT RIN WANTING TO OFF HIMSELF, SUPER SUGGESTIVE LOL 18+

✮ wc ; 3.5k (WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!)

✮ a/n ; i had to do this for my sanity. i promise i will write them a proper fic with them i promise.

You never text Rin.

Not really. Not first at least. It's a new... friendship. Kind of. Sort of. Most of your communication thus far has been through meetings and random in-person chance encounters. Outside of that, Rin will call you since it's faster. If you do "text", it's mostly through twitter DM's.

There's a discord server your fans run, and you pop in there often enough. He's had the invitation extended but declined unilaterally, since he'd rather not see himself fucking Isagi anymore than he already has in his short, miserable career.

It surprised him this morning, seeing your message flash across the top of his screen. Asking, specifically, for him to come over and help you with something related to the new manga you were writing. He had it in his right mind to decline, but after learning it wasn't a doujin for him, he semi-reluctantly agreed.

Rin doesn't know when exactly your relationship to him grew this...comfortable. Inviting him over to your house, begging him for favors, not wincing every time he talks to you. Rin isn't an extrovert but compared to you he's a social butterfly. And your aversion to people in general, Rin thought, would prevent you from doing anything more than squeak at him forever just like you did when he met you.

(Though nothing in his life has been normal since your arrival in it. He's not sure why you would remain unchanged when he certainly hasn't.)

He doesn't know what to feel when you ask him for a favor, and he doesn't know what force of nature compels him to go. If it's morbid curiosity or annoyance or something else even worse.

It was compelling enough to take the train all the way out to Machida - an hour long trip from his own place. His manager hounded him to take you something, so he has a bag of ginseng energy drinks and snacks with him as a gift. He took the bus with his mask on, and then walked all the way to your building.

Your apartment is tucked somewhere classically suburban - attached at the far end of a residential street and behind concrete support beams for a highway just overhead. Cherry blossom trees and other shades of white flowers grow around it in thick patches, making the entrance hard to find. Rin would've had trouble if you didn’t give him details on exactly where to go.

It's an older building, stone walls worn and grass-stained from age. At the gate are groups of old people talking amongst each other as they sort through recycling and trash. All visor hats and sunspots, they fawn over Rin for a long while before he goes in and interrogates him with questions. None of them know him, which is relieving. It quickly graduates to them asking who he's there to visit, if he has a girlfriend or not.

All of them ooh and aah when he mentions your name, say something about being relieved she's found a man so handsome and that Rin should marry you because even though you're a little strange you're a good girl. Rin does not have the time nor energy to correct them - only nods and bows his head and leaves.

On the elevator ride up to your floor, he can't help but think repeatedly that this isn't the kind of place he'd expect you to live. He thought it'd be out in the middle of nowhere, maybe in a damp and broken building.

But this is a nice place with nice people, vibrant and colorful. Totally opposite from what he considers your personality.

Suitable or not, Rin manages to make it to your floor without a hitch.

He finds you, then, as he'd expect. Down a long hall, behind an unassuming white door. When you open it, you're a mess. Your hair completely unkempt, face greasy, a wild look in your eyes and complete surprise in your expression as if you didn't invite him over. You do, however, manage to invite him in without stuttering or stumbling over your words foolishly like you did the first time you spoke to him.

Another surprise is how... clean your living room is. It's lived in but he was expecting more mess in there. Your bedroom is in a similar state, undoubtedly messy but not terrible. Your NEET tendencies finally end up showing when you drag Rin into your office where you draw your manga.

It's not dirty but it's cluttered. There's a pull out sofa on one wall, with a blanket and pillow littered about and pages upon pages of paper sheets with scrapped panels about the floor. One wall has a bunch of post-its with several notes in both English and Japanese, and another has tacked up pieces of art. Both yours and other peoples. He chooses to ignore the ones of him and Isagi, The walls themselves are cream colored and uninteresting and the wood floors are slippery. At the far end of the room is a spread of desks, a PC set-up and a professional looking tablet among various art supplies in stacked boxes.

It's this room you bring Rin into without explaining yourself at all, mumbling and muttering as you give him a place to sit and go back to your work for fifteen silent minutes.

When you're finally finished doing whatever the fuck you were doing, you turn yourself back towards Rin. Bluelight glasses fall down the bridge of your nose as you swivel around in your chair - your sweatpants half pulled up your leg with the other pulled down. You're wearing fuzzy socks with Naruto characters on them.

You stare at him, pulling your glasses off and rubbing your eyes - dark circles under them.

"Uhm," Your voice is clipped and thick with exhaustion. "You came."

Rin deadpans. "You asked me to come."

"I thought you'd say no."

He did too. He doesn't respond back. You chew your lips, already anxious and Rin resists the urge to say something about it.

"Okay. Uhm. Please don't get mad," You start with and then explain, looking away. Your hands pull your sleeves over your palms. "So. Like. For my new series, I'm finally getting to the sex scene but I've never drawn characters with an intense height difference like this. And I need... new reference photos.... and uhm," You rub your feet together on your chair where you sit "Well our height differences and size is the exact one my characters have. So."

Rin stares at you. "So?"

"SoIwaswonderingifyou'dtakereferenceimagesforsexpositionswithme,"

Rin feels his jaw lock. "Slower."

You frown and look away, tucking your chin with embarrassment. "I was uhm, like, wondering if you'd take... take the uhm, sex position reference photos with me, please."

"What?"

You clasp your hands together, immediately prostrating yourself by throwing yourself down the ground. He flinches back, wondering if you're gonna hold onto his leg next.

"Please, please help me. You're the exact height of my seme and you uhm have similar builds and he's doing the most of the legwork. The poses are a little bit hard but I want them to look good or Minami-san will eat me and I'm scared of her, please help me."

"Who is Minami-san?"

You sniffle, on the verge of tears just thinking about it. "My editor. She used to be my fan. She's scary. Please, Rin-kun, please."

"What the hell did you do before?"

You frown at him, big wet puppy-dog eyes.

"It was hard. Sometimes I'd pose with my big stuffed animals and make up the proportions. Oh and usually watched porn and stuff. Sometimes I'd get lucky with stockphotos. But I don’t get the angle exactly right unless I have good references."

Rin wonders if anything you have ever said has processed in your mind before saying it. He doubts it for some reason.

"So," Rin pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes the image of you humping your stuffed animals out of his head. "You're asking me to.. pose with you?"

You nod and chew your lip. "Please, I promise I'd never ask you for this if I wasn't s-scared of Minami-san! Please?"

"I should make you pay me for this," He sneers. You flinch back and close your eyes.

"I'm sorry." You whine wetly, but then open your eyes again anyway. "Please help me."

Rin doesn't know why he helps you. Maybe you're just too pathetic for him to ignore. Maybe he's a masochist. Maybe inhaling the same air as Bachira last week turned him stupid.

He pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Fine."

__

If Rin didn't believe you before when you told him you make your own references, he'd definitely believe you after you take him to your bedroom.

Your bed is in the center of your room, instead of being pushed against a wall. Large stuffed animals laid in one corner. On both sides of the room, are makeshift digital camera stands and remote-controlled lighting among another remote for said cameras. There's about 4-6 angles from what you explained to Rin, and a few adjustable lights. It's an elaborate set-up and takes the kind of dedication Rin can only imagine a hardcore fujoshi freak like yourself thinking up.

All of this to mostly draw porn of him and his rival. He tries not to think about it too hard because he thinks it's going to give him an aneurysm. Rin sits at the edge of your bed as you adjust each of the cameras individually.

"What do you do if it's not on a bed?"

You flinch like you aren't expecting him to talk. "Uhm. I either simulate as best I can o-or move my things and bed around. It's why I moved my desk to my office."

Rin stares at you. "You take it seriously."

You nod meekly. "Producing high-quality doujin is what made me money, so I have to work hard. Being poor is tough."

If Rin didn't find you so unbearable he might find that awe-inspiring in his own fucked up way.

"Okay. Everything is set-up. Now for the poses," You say, suddenly sparking back to life. Rin sits and watches. "They're having sex on a public beach so the bed and the way the seme sort of sinks into the sand will be good... I think the bridge one is the one we'll do first."

"The bridge?"

You nod, talking in short sentences. But Rin can tell this is where you're comfortable, doing things for this... hobby. Your usual constant embarrassment and shame seem to disappear when it comes to it. It's fascinating like a car crash. "Uhm. You have to stand on your knees and then, I'll lay on my back and arch my back up to meet your... y'know. It'll emphasize the height difference."

Rin stares at you agape. You take the remote control for your cameras in your hands and look at him expectantly.

Rin doesn't know whats wrong with him. Why the hell did he agree to this?

"Do you want me to take my jacket off?"

You nod, surprised. He shrugs the thing off of his shoulders and tosses it onto the floor.

Rin, per your instruction, gets into the position in the middle of the bed. He stands on his knees waiting for you. You join him a minute after, squinting at your phone screen beforehand. He isn't sure what he's expecting as a result of your ask, but he sure is shocked when he finds you placing your feet flat on the bed next to his knees and pushing yourself up for your crotch to meet his.

He knows that’s what you said but your shamelessness proves to be… shocking.

He tries not to let it show. His jaw ticks. His face feels warm but his expression remains neutral all the same. You shift and adjust and don't seem concerned at all - like it doesn't occur to you that this is in any way socially unacceptable. Or it's unfathomable Rin would take advantage of this. That this is weird, or could be interpreted in less than innocent ways. Rin knows you're so out of touch that it probably isn't. That this is, to you, just considered a favor which is partially why he even agrees.

But you're mid-brushing up against his bulge. The angle of your back forms a triangle, your arms laid flat at your sides as you squirm and push. And your expression shifts, deep in thought.

"Uhm, like, would you mind p-putting your hands on my hips? Kind of squeezing tight like it's," You flush this time, but Rin harbors doubt it's about him. "Like it feels good I guess? Like hard, and stuff so you can see the indent."

He's so astonished, he does it on autopilot. Neutral and even. He lets his hands grab your hips and holds tight just as you ask. Your long, loose sweatshirt falls down revealing the soft skin of your tummy. He can see the tops of your underwear, the thin cotton kind that come in 6-packs with a single bow in the middle in a grey color.

You don't seem to care about it. Rin shouldn't either, but his body does seem to care. His brain does. Something is happening in his gut. Anger maybe. Some cheap, frustrated desire to make fun of you.

Instead the words he's been wanting to ask since you proposed this tumble out of his mouth. He stares at you.

"Is this the first time someone's done this with you?"

You jump with a start, but remain in position. You take the pictures first, six clicks in a row before answering.

"H-huh? Why-why are you asking that?"

He doesn't know. Really. And he knows how it sounds. Rin doesn't say anything and you fold under the immense pressure of his gaze.

"S-stop staring," You say, and take a few more pictures, lowering your back just a little but still staying up right. "And no. No one tall enough or with the right physique."

There is another gnawing question, another burning curiosity. He makes his voice as even and unaffected and apathetic as he can. As mean as possible.

"Have you ever even had sex?"

Your eyes blow wide, but you seem to fall for the persona of apathy, curious boredom and cruelty. Worse, you seem a little used to it. You squirm this time and Rin holds you firmly in place. Your voice is small.

"Uhm, like, once I guess. I-it was with a guy, I didn't really date him but he seemed interested in me and I didn't think I'd ever have the opportunity again s-so I did it and I didn't uhm, it wasn't very good or anything." You reply, and he can feel your toes curl in your socks next to him and his brain feels like it'll melt from out of his ears. "Sorry, I don't-don't think you care about that, just uhm, felt like I should explain."

"Yeah," Rin feels dizzy. "Do you need another pose?"

You blink and then nod. "Yeah! Another one kind of like this, but with the legs like uhm, on your chest and my feet closer to your head. With you leaned back a little. Does that make sense? The butterfly position, I think."

Rin swallows something at the back of throat.

He nods, pulling you into position so easily he can heard you gasp. Your legs straighten against his clothed chest, and your sweatshirt falls far enough to let him see your bra. A fabric sports kind, a little worn - just the logo visible. He doesn't say anything about it, your feet resting near his neck. You make a little soft noise.

"This feels a little difficult to be in. Poor uke. Sorry if this one is kind of weird, but can you put your hands, I dunno, on my ass, I guess? I know that's probably too much but I think it'll be a good detail, so please? I'll pay you"

Rin stares at you, teeth gritting so hard he feels the back of his skull throb. "Fine."

Rin, per your request, puts his hands on your ass. It's easy enough, and he doesn't hold too tight. But it's too intimate, too stupidly fucking intimate, and he can feel you. You're hardly paying attention, caught up in your own head with whatever else. Rin is paying too much attention. Like how your sweatpants aren't thick enough to cover the outline of your frumpy cotton panties and how your soft all over. He's going to kill someone. Maybe himself.

Six more clicks and a little noise of satisfaction.

"Okay!!! I think these will turn out so great, and I can use them later too. Just one more. I have a lot of refs for this position, but uhm - I want to see if I can get the proportions correct, so if you'd please lay down," You tell him with such genuine excitement he can't find it in himself to say anything horribly cruel. "I'll be doing most of the work this time. I just-just need to see how uke will compare..."

You mutter something to yourself as Rin lets you down and lays himself down on your bed. You sit next to him for a long while, squinting at your phone. Rin stares at you as you. Wonders if he's gone completely insane, and tries to ignore the doom of the impending hard-on cozying itself in his pants.

Unceremoniously, you find yourself perching over Rin's lap. Not bothering to give him any pretense, it's the one thing about today that's really getting him.

"Oh, I need my hands for this," You give him the remote and stare down at him wide-eyed, over his lap. This has to be hell. "Could you take the photos this time?"

He closes his eyes and counts to ten and wonders if a concussion has made him insane. "Hm."

You brighten and Rin feels his chest go tight. "Thanks!"

Rin just nods, his mouth drying as you start to move and pose. A picture with your hands next to his head, and anothe r where you're sat up - your hands at your sides. Rin obediently takes pictures when you ask, his entire body tensing every single time you move.

"Okay, last one," You say. This time, you put your hands on his chest. Just the one. You must have something specific in your head that you're wanting to recreate. You bend down close, looking down at him as you do - your other hand clenched.

Rin looks up at you. He should not be thinking about you in any way. He's looking at the way your lips curve and plump and at your bare skin and your dark circles and your stupid licensed anime hoodie. He just gapes at you in confusion and mystique. He's around so many weirdos. It's not like there's anything special about you. You’re just another freak who makes porn of him. Plenty of people do that.

A loser and an idiot with no sense of self-preservation. There's nothing special about this, but Rin hasn’t been able to convince himself of that.

You stare down at him.

"Take a picture?"

Rin looks at you. Studies your expression. You seem like you're thinking. It's the only oppurtunity he has to pry.

"Did you want to ask something?" He says first. “You’re not hard to read.”

You startle, then nod. Your hand is on his chest. It's warm, and smaller than his.

"Oh, I-I guess I was wondering about what you asked me earlier. And uhm, like, I don't know. If you ever did anything. Your relationships aren't in the media and fans speculate but," You fall flat on your words. "I guess I was just curious."

Rin hates this question. It's why he never answers it. Why he hates being called a hearthrob, always too shallow and too personal for his taste.

"Nothing long term or serious. It was most for physical relief." Rin says, almost on autopilot. “Not that’d you know what that’s like.”

Your eyes widen. Rin feels his hands twitch, watching your expression finally grown conscious of him. Lust spreads through you like honey and Rin can see it in how you look. You squirm in his lap. He's not usually so aggressive, not usually one to care about sex in any important way. Not one to brag about something so unbelievably inane and trivial.

But it's bothering him, just how much he's fighting the urge to pin you down and fuck you. You of all people. It's not like him. Rough sex is whatever, but it's bothering him how little any of it seems to register in your head anymore like it once did. You could barely breathe the first time you met.

He doesn't know why he cares that you don’t anymore. He doesn’t give a shit about anything related to you

But the thought nothing seems to bother you anymore bothers him.

"Oh... I see. That's uhm, interesting. I b-bet you have a lot more experience than me. Maybe it'd be a good thing to keep you around for that kind of refernce too," You joke.

Rin lets his hand slip up to your hips without asking, not bothering to hide it anymore. His head feels with nothing but stupid useless thoughts. Thoughts of fucking you in your old, worn clothes and stained shirts and comfortable cotton underwear. Thoughts of your hands clutching at his shoulder all weepy with desire and need and stupidity - your big wide eyes bleary and sensitive. It's cruel how relentlessly he thinks about taking advantage of all your differences. Of how unathletic and awkward and unused to everything you are.

It's horrible just how much he's staving off his own arousal about it. Maybe you're strange habits are infecting him, making him strange too strange. All Rin can think about uselessly is how easily he could put you in your place. Fix you in some strange way. You’d be his to fix and you’d cry and weep and want to run away. Rin wouldn’t let you, keep you pinned and caged like an animal.

His throat feels tight. What is fucking wrong with him today?

Is he that pent up? He stares at you, and gets some passing feeling that there is more to it than that. He closes his eyes.

"Whatever," He says, letting go. You don't seem to notice it again, how thick his voice is getting "Are you almost done?"

You nod and smile. "Yes. Thank you."

Rin feels his heart tug and seethes. “You're welcome."

[dreamauri]

♪ — 𝗪𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡? - part eleven max verstappen x reader ( angst ) series summary , when he wants to be normal, he can count on you, stranger.

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Summer break used to feel like a breath of fresh air. Now, it’s just . . . heavy.

He sleeps too much. Or not at all. The sun comes through the window at the wrong angle. His phone is always face down. The sim rig in the corner is gathering dust, like even it knows something’s broken in him.

It’s been weeks since Hungary. Since Belgium. Since her voice.

The walls of his apartment are silent — no comms, no engine hum, no laughter through tinny headphones.

And Max . . . can’t do this anymore.

On the seventh day of summer break, still in last night’s shirt, he powers up his PC.

Just to look, he tells himself.

He logs back into Discord. His fingers hesitate over the server name before clicking in.

He joins one of the active voice chats. Muted.

He doesn't plan on speaking. He just needs to hear her. Just once.

And then —

There it is. There she is. There you are.

Your voice. Soft and bright, laughing at something someone said. Light in all the places Max forgot could hold light. He closes his eyes, leans back in his chair, and just listens.

“Yeah, I might swing by the café after work,” you’re saying. “The interns are driving me insane — if I don’t get caffeine, someone’s getting a stapler thrown at them.”

People laugh. You laugh. Max’s chest tightens. God, he missed that laugh. He missed you.

He leaves the call before he does something stupid.

The next day, he’s on a train to Paris.

No one knows. Not his manager, not the team, not even Victoria. He pulls his hood up, keeps his head down, sunglasses tucked low over tired eyes. He tells himself it’s just a trip. Just coffee. Just closure.

But when he walks into the café you mentioned — tucked on a quiet side street near the river — the barista greets him like fate’s already written the next chapter.

“Mocha?” she says with a smile, handing it over.

Max blinks. “Uh . . . yeah.”

“On the house,” she says, nodding toward the whipped cream. “A girl told us you might drop by.”

His heart stumbles. “She did?”

The barista just winks and moves on.

Max finds a spot to sit outside on the grass in a random park, the paper cup warm in his hands. He stares at the heart drawn in whipped cream on top. Small. Soft. Perfectly imperfect.

He tells himself not to overthink it. She didn’t do that. She didn’t request that they put a heart for him. She’s angry at him. She hates him. She probably warned them not to say anything if he showed up.

The heart was probably just . . . what they always do. A café flourish. Nothing more.

But still.

Still.

He brings the cup to his lips, closes his eyes, and for a split second — just one — lets himself pretend it means something.

That maybe, somewhere in Paris—sitting on a patch of grass to escape your messy life too—you’re thinking of him as well.

[umbrellajam]

I feel like whether Tim is on some level suicidal in RR #12 is very open to interpretation, which is part of what makes it fascinating!

because Tim's homecoming to Gotham is the culmination of an upward/self-actualization arc, after struggling through multiple low points/depression/an extended breakdown.

he finally got proof Bruce is alive. managed to claw Tam and himself out of the Cradle and away from the Council of Spiders/LoA by the skin of their teeth. thumbed his nose at Ra's and reaffirmed his own principles by blowing up all the LoA servers. finally kind of processed that Kon and Bart are both alive again - he just tackle-hugged Kon in RR #9 and told him, "when you found me in Paris, I was in a bad place. Now... Now I'm in a good place." he's full of renewed purpose and the realization that he doesn't, in fact, have to do things alone! (team-up Robin ftw!)

so probably not actively suicidal

but then in all of his frantic calculations to thwart Ra's and save each and every person Bruce loved - he doesn't factor himself in. he doesn't put himself on that list of loved ones and set up a contingency for preserving his own life (wtf Tim).

or does he??? that's where the ambiguity comes in for me, because we don't actually see him discussing the full details of his plan with anyone. and he doesn't mention it in his internal narration, either! because his internal narration is always super reliable..... hmmm.....

we know that Dick isn't aware of any other contingencies, or indeed the full details of the plot they were thwarting - after catching Tim, Dick has to ask him, "You want to tell me what that was all about?" and of course "How did you know I'd be there to save you?"

and as I've mentioned before, I don't think Tim had actually planned for Dick to save him, so his "You're my brother, Dick. You'll always be there for me," response is uh, both loving BS and a "genuinely felt expression of retrospective faith", as Silver put it (and which has been stuck in my mind in glowing cursive letters ever since, lol).

but. we do know that as part of his plan to thwart Ra's ninja-assassinate-Bruce's-loved-ones plot, Tim calls all three of his best friends into Gotham. (among all his other rallied allies.) his best friends who are various combinations of flight and/or superspeed capable. and who had each just smugly patched in via comm to confirm that their protection jobs were all successful, meaning Tim knew they were available if he potentially needed them.

the fact that the rest of the Core Four then twiddle their thumbs and let Tim keep fighting Ra's on his own after confirming Alfred/Selina/Barbara are safe, instead of zipping over to have his back (ie punch the jackass through a wall) almost has to be because of: (a) Tim's plan to deliberately stall so Lucius could file the WE paperwork (on the Watsonian level), (b) Yost allowing Tim to have his Final Showdown with the villain of the arc on his own, and also (c) Yost setting up the emotional climax/reconciliation of Dick catching Tim (both on the Doylist level).

like, Tim stalls Ra's for long enough that Dick is able to glide and grapple his way over from his own ninja-busting detail, we don't think the speedster or the Superboy could have gotten there in time?

Dick is the one who caught Tim because it was thematic, it's a motif in their relationship and the resolution of their 12-issue arc, and don't get me wrong I wouldn't change that moment for anything - but! he wasn't the only one around who could have done so.

and Iiiiii have to suspect Tim would know that? there's ambiguity and room for interpretation, of course, especially since Tim doesn't say anything at all or call out to anyone as he's actually falling.

but also. Kryptonian superhearing? Tim's comm which could very well still be connected? could he have been relying on allies listening/clue-ing in, whether or not he actually explicitly sketched out a back-up plan with anyone to come back him up, after Lucius was done transferring WE? all according to (dumbass improvised) keikaku??

idk! seems plausible to me, but it's all so open to interpretation, it makes my brain go BRRRRRR 😊 like you can make a compelling case/headcanon/fic any way you look at it!

anyway. Dick catching Tim is very much The Moment Ever Of All Time <3 but also the thought of Kon just hovering at the ready to grab Rob but spotting Dick!Bats swooping in and being like ":))) oh ok. they both need this." is v. hilarious to me

[chanelgrll]

HIYAAA !!1!!1! could u do the killer chat w a mafia related reader????? Idk if you've done it before. Maybe a bartender that gives info out, a avvocato (the one that manages their legal troubles) or sm else entirely!!!! The possibilities are a looooott

A/N: ofc!!! I like the bartender idea so I'm gonna use that! cw: alcohol, suggestive scene, blood, ronin route spoiler

The bar you work at is older than sin and twice as dirty, a little pocket of cigarette smoke and whispered names tucked into the edge of a crooked city. The light barely touches anything but the edges of tumblers. You keep your mouth shut, your ears open, and your clientele coming back.

You're not mafia in name, not officially, but you serve them. In this line of work, loyalty is a currency, and you’ve been spending yours carefully: one pour, one favor, one secret at a time. You make your living off of people's drunk confessions, and sometimes off silence.

That’s probably why he showed up.

Ronin. Or as the server calls him, <goreboy>. That smug bastard with a smile like a knife burning slow, dangerous, a little too intoxicating. You'd heard about him through the usual whispers: a man who murders with no mercy, who laughs while he sharpens his blades. The Devil's Butcher, he found you with some digging, invited you to the server, that was 1 month ago.

But now he sits at your bar, one hand curled around a glass of neat whiskey, eyeing you like you’re the only person in the room who’s real. "Don't tell me you're quiet out of modesty,” he asks, voice smooth and low. “That would ruin the fantasy.”

You raise a brow. “Maybe I just don’t talk to devils.”

His smirk grows. “Darlin’, that’s not what I’ve heard. Word is you know everyone.” You don’t answer. You keep pouring. The first night he finally visited you, he says little, other than asking questions you pretend not to answer. The second night, he starts teasing. By the third, he’s stealing sips from your glass and telling you things no one’s supposed to know.

Like the way he sleeps with a knife under his pillow. Or the time he strangled a man in a church confession booth. Or how he doesn’t actually know how to tie a tie properly, but fakes it well enough.

It’s dangerous, how close he lets you. Even worse is how much you enjoy it.

You don't give information away for free, But when Ronin’s visiting, you slip a few things under the table. Names, meeting spots, small details.

You tell yourself it’s fine. That your heart doesn’t leap a little when he calls you darlin’, or lean a little too close when he reaches for his drink. That the way he watches you when your hands move over a glass isn’t bordering on reverence. Then there are the nights he comes in with blood on his knuckles and a split in his smile. The nights he doesn't talk much. You pour something strong for him, and you don’t ask questions.

Eventually, you hand him a rag and nod toward the sink in the back. That becomes your ritual. No questions, just warmth and a glass and the hush of jazz playing under the buzz of neon. You patch each other up in pieces. He doesn’t say thank you, not aloud, but he’ll linger longer when he leaves. Let his fingers brush yours when he takes his coat.

Once, just once, he kisses your knuckles like you’re royalty and he’s about to die.

The Slaughterhouse Losers is always full with chats. You’re not on it often, but Ronin gets giddy when he can drag you into voice. Your screen lights up with the familiar chaos one night while you're closing down. <goreboy> Guess who just saved their pretty little bartender from being snitched on <Angelic> Did you actually kill someone for LOVE??? <hitmeuppp> WHAT spill the lore IMMEDIATELY <You> didn’t ask for saving

<LUCA_IS_COOL> okay but did you mind tho... <goreboy> Didn’t see you complaining when I showed up <You> i was holding a bat and 2 broken bottles. i was fine. <goreboy> You looked like a fallen angel in a dirty apron. I had to intervene.

Your fingers hesitate. Then you type: <You> …thank you

<goreboy> Anything for you, darling

You minimize the tab before anyone else can see your face turn warm. The thing about the life is that it always comes knocking. Doesn’t matter how neutral you try to stay, how many drinks you pour, how many names you bite your tongue not to say. One day, the wrong man walks through your doors. He’s a cop. And he’s asking questions that cut too close.

“You see Ronin Beaufort in here often?”

You clean a glass. “Never heard of him.”

“Heard he’s tight with a bartender. One who keeps a lot of secrets.”

“Maybe you’ve been drinking in the wrong bars.” You’re not stupid. You don’t send a message. You don’t reach out. You wait. But you know the walls have ears, and the floorboards here are soaked in enough sins to make evil spirits quiver. Ronin doesn’t show that night. Or the next. On the third, just as you’re locking up, you feel the chill behind you.

"You always this good at lying?” his voice murmurs near your ear.

You spin, and he’s there, blood spattered across his collar and cheek, eyes wild like a storm.

“What the hell happened?”

“FBI,” he spits like a curse. “One of them followed me. I left him unconscious in a dumpster, but the fucker had a mic. Thought you might’ve cracked.”

Your jaw tightens. “You really think I’d talk?”

He watches you, a long beat. Then his voice softens. “No. But it scared me, is all.” You should push him away. You should be furious. Instead, you reach out and wipe the blood off his cheek with your thumb.

“I’ve seen you bleed, Ronin. Doesn’t mean I’ll stop standing next to you.” He exhales like that undoes him. Like he wants to sink to his knees. Instead, he kisses you, tasting of copper and want.

The night becomes a fever dream of heavy breathing, bodies tangled in the back office where the city can't see you sin. He kisses like he means it, touch like he’s memorizing every scar. You don't let anyone this close. Not usually. But Ronin’s not anyone. He's chaos, and you're the fool who thinks you can dance in fire without burning.

“You’re gonna be the death of me,” he mutters against your skin.

You pull his hair until he groans. “Then die pretty.”

He laughs, god help you.

You don’t sleep that night. You just lie tangled with him on the old couch, the scent of whiskey and sweat and blood between you, the server buzzing somewhere with chaos you don’t care about. In the early hours, while the neon dies and the street outside is silent, he whispers,

“If I asked you to run with me, would you?” You don’t answer right away. But you don’t say no. The heat dies down eventually. The feds move on. A bribe, a corpse, a misdirected tape , whatever it was, Ronin never tells you, and you don’t ask. But things change after that.

He’s softer with you. In private. Still smug. Still lethal. But sometimes you catch him staring like you’re a ghost that haunts him sweetly. You start marking his usual spot with a napkin and his favorite drink. He starts leaving you little things, like a necklace he said reminded him of your smile. A bullet casing with your initials scratched into the side.

“I’m sentimental,” he shrugs. “Sue me.”

You grin. “I’m your bartender, not your lawyer.”

“That so?” he leans close. “Then pour me something dangerous, sweetheart.” You do, every time.

<goreboy> My bartender just stabbed a guy with a corkscrew <Angelic> LMAO WHAT <You> He threatened Ronin. I got creative <hitmeuppp> im gonna SCREAM this is ROMANCE

<LUCA_IS_COOL> do you guys even need us here? i feel like i’m 3rd wheeling <goreboy> Only when you’re useful, Luca <K9> Can everyone shut up

“You know,” he says one night, “if the world ended tomorrow, I’d still come here. Just to see you pour one last drink.”

You shake your head. “That’s dramatic, even for you.”

He leans over the bar, eyes dark. “Yeah, but it’s true.”

You pause. Then nod. “Same.” You don’t need more than that. The way he looks at you, the way he stays even when he should run, tells you what he can’t quite say. You kiss him across the bar. Let him taste the parts of you that don’t belong to anyone else.

You pour another glass.

He drinks.

And you stay.

Together.

[love--and--venom]

Into the Wonderland: Chapter One

Chapter Summary: You were just trying to enjoy lunch and get some school work done. Unfortunately, a classmate interrupted in the worst way possible and you turn to two of the other patrons for help.

Warnings: Assault, attempted force bond, asshole alpha classmate, idk let me know if I missed anything

Series Masterlist

(“Korean dialogue” / “English dialogue”)

Your afternoon class for the day was canceled last-minute. The hastily-written email came in less than 15 minutes before it was supposed to start, something about a family emergency. For you, this meant you had time to go to your favorite restaurant for lunch. You were well-known among the staff, considering one of your family friends was the owner.

“Hey, Y/N! Don’t you normally have a class right now?” The host greeted you as you approached the counter.

“It was canceled today. I’m gonna use the time to eat and work on a project for bioinformatics,” you explained. The host hummed in understanding.

“You want to sit in Minali’s section?” You nodded eagerly. Minali was your favorite server. Whenever you came in on her shift, you sat with her. The host gestured for you to follow. She led you back to a small booth in the back corner (you loved this booth because it had an outlet). You thanked the host and got your laptop set up. Minali waved at you with a bright smile. You smiled back and opened R to begin a new coding page.

“Oh, hi Y/N.” You barely started on your code when you were interrupted. You looked up and stared at the guy next to your table for a second.

“Hey! Marcus, right?” 

“You remember, that’s good. It would’ve been awkward if you didn’t.” Marcus rubbed the back of his neck. Your nose scrunched up at his scent, as he wasn’t wearing any scent blockers. It was common courtesy to wear blockers when at a restaurant. You had put on patches before you even stepped in the building. The blockers made sure everyone would be able to enjoy their food without distraction. Marcus was an exchange student, so maybe he just didn’t know. You decided to let it slide.

“As if I could forget your name with how often Dr. Byeon sings your praises,” you teased with a shake of your head. 

“Ah, sorry about that,” he winced.

“Don’t apologize for having such good grades. It’ll help you in the long run.” You waved a bit before turning back to your laptop. God, where did you even want to start with this code?

“Do you mind if I sit here for a minute? My friend is meeting me here soon.” Marcus pointed to the bench across from you. 

“Sure, go ahead.” You jumped when he sat down right next to you. “Uh, you wanna move to the other side?”

“Nah, I don’t. I want to talk to you omega.” You glared at his use of your presentation. He smirked at you, snaking an arm around the back of the booth.

“Well that sucks for you. I’m not interested,” you sneered, slightly baring your teeth. Marcus’ face dropped to annoyance. “I think it’s best for you to leave. Go wait for your friend at the host stand.”

“Yeah? I think it would be best for you to listen when an alpha is speaking.” You rolled your eyes. So he was one of those alphas: pig-headed, easily agitated, and couldn't take no for an answer. “I’ve seen the way you look at me in class. You want me just as bad as I want you.”

“As if! I only ever look at you if you’re presenting your code, you jackass,” you spat and crossed your arms over your chest. 

“I don’t believe that, Y/N. Your scent is always sweeter when you look at me.” And this was why you usually wore scent blockers to class. You could count the number of times you went to class without them on one hand.

“Dude, leave me alone or I will call over the manager.” Marcus scowled at your threat. For a tense moment, he sat in a seething silence. Your glare didn’t falter, which only pissed him off more. Then the hand that was resting on the booth snapped to the back of your neck. You jolted and shoved yourself further into the corner of the booth. Marcus lunged forward, aiming for your neck. You yelped at the feeling of his teeth scraping your scent gland. 

You jabbed your fingers into Marcus’ ribs, loosening his grip on your neck. You quickly ducked under the table and crawled into the aisle. You scoffed in shock. Did this asshole really just try to force a claim on you?!

“What. The. Fuck, Marcus?” You hissed at your classmate. He leapt out of the booth and you stumbled back a few steps. You turned and rushed up to the host stand. She wasn’t there, but two men stood by the stand. They wore masks and scrolled on their phones while they waited for the host to return. The taller of the pair wore a black hoodie, and the other wore a bomber jacket. Without thinking, you wiggled your way between the pair. They looked down at you, eyebrows raised. 

“Hi! Please hide me,” you pleaded. They glanced up at each other before returning to you. You gave a weak smile and puppy eyes.

“Come on, babe. You don’t need to bother these guys just because you’re mad at me,” Marcus lied smoothly. Any indication of anger had disappeared as he pulled the amused boyfriend act. The taller man (that you were currently hiding behind) moved his gaze from you to Marcus. 

“I’m so sorry to bother you-”

“Hey, use English. You know I don’t understand Korean. I don’t want you lying to make yourself look like the victim,” Marcus interrupted. You looked to the man behind you. His eyebrows were furrowed, somewhere between confusion and anger.

“Do you know this guy?” He asked, stepping a tiny bit closer. Marcus glared at the stranger. 

“Yeah, he’s my classmate. He came up to me and asked to sit with me while he waited for a friend,” you began rambling. They listened intently, but didn’t look away from Marcus. The smell of his anger was burning the back of their throats. “Anyway, he didn’t like that I refused a date, so he tried to force a claiming bite on me.” 

“What?!” The shorter of the two exclaimed and turned back to you. The one in front of you stayed locked on Marcus, even though he startled at your admission. 

“Listen, I don’t know what she’s saying to you, but she’s my girlfriend and she’s just pissed I was late,” Marcus cut in. You subconsciously grabbed the sleeve of the man in front of you, just in case Marcus tried to grab you again. 

“I swear, he is just a classmate. We’re not dating. Hell, we aren’t even friends!” You huffed. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, let’s go, Y/N. You’ve wasted enough of these guys’ time,” Marcus demanded and stepped forward. You felt a hand on the small of your back. The man in front of you angled his arm to shield you from your approaching classmate. 

“Yea, I don’t think I believe you,” the taller man drawled in a heavy accent. He tilted his head, sizing up the irritated alpha.

“Dude, come on. She’s fucking lying to you!”

“So? Even if her story is fake, you’re still walking around a restaurant angry and with no scent blockers,” the guy behind you spoke up. You sagged in relief. 

“From where I stand, you look like an alpha trying to use his smell as intimidation,” the taller man concluded. Marcus scowled and clenched his fists. The man in the hoodie removed your hand from his sleeve, pushing you toward his friend. He stepped up to Marcus, towering over him. He glowered down at your classmate. He didn’t falter even as the bell above the door jingled. A fourth man paused at the door, surveying the scene in front of him. 

“Seonghwa, Mingi looks like he’s about to throw hands with some guy,” the newcomer turned and shouted behind him. You heard a soft ‘eh?!’ then multiple sets of hurried footsteps. Six men squeezed into the waiting area of the restaurant. 

“Ah, fuck. San, help me get Mingi back. Yunho go get the manager,” a man with dark, chin-length hair instructed. He and two others sprang into action. One disappeared into the restaurant while the other two grabbed Mingi’s arms in an attempt to draw him back.

“Let go.” Mingi shook their hands off of him. “This asshole tried to force a claim bite on that girl!” Half of the group now stood around you, blocking you from Marcus’ sight.

There was a tense silence as Mingi and Marcus stared each other down. That was until Marcus growled and stepped toward you. Mingi swung without hesitation, punching your classmate square on the jaw. Marcus stumbled backwards.

“Motherfucker, you son of a bitch! I’ll fucking kill you,” Marcus snarled. You gasped. You didn’t think things would devolve to violence. Bomber jacket and one of his friends each shielded you with an arm. Mingi just titled his head at the threats, clearly not worried.

“WHAT is going on out here?!” A voice boomed as the group member returned with a middle-aged man marching in front of him.

“Ji-Won!” You called and pushed your way forward. The man turned to you and wrapped a protective arm around your shoulder. “Oppa, that guy is one of my classmates and he attacked me. I felt his teeth brush against my neck.” You shuddered. Ji-Won whipped his head around to Marcus.

“Leave my restaurant, you are not welcome here,” the elder snapped. Marcus glared around the room, chest heaving in anger.

“You better watch your fucking back, man.” He growled and cracked his neck before storming out the door. Everyone stared after him for a moment.

“Holy shit.” Ji-Won cast a face of disapproval at your language. “Thank you so, so much for your help.”

“No need to thank us. He was a creep, and I wasn’t about to let him take you,” the guy in the bomber jacket spoke up.

“Hongjoong, I cannot thank you enough. Y/N’s mother is a dear friend of mine. I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to her while under my supervision,” Ji-Won praised the young man. Hongjoong’s eyes crinkled in a hidden smile. 

“Have you had a chance to eat yet, my dear?” Ji-Won turned to you. You shook your head.

“Nah, Marcus showed up before Minali could even bring my drink.”

“Would you want to join us?” Several sets of confused eyes turned to Mingi, who just shrugged. You furrowed your eyebrows.

“Oh, I couldn’t intrude-”

“You wouldn’t be,” Hongjoong spoke up this time. You looked around at the other members of the group. Two of them looked confused, and one looked incredibly bored, but most were nodding in agreement.

“If you’re sure. Let me go grab my stuff,” you hesitantly agreed and turned to go back to the booth you were originally seated in. In your panic, you had abandoned all of your schoolwork and belongings.

Back in the waiting area, Mingi watched as you walked away. He was feeling protective, and he didn’t like letting you go on your own. 

Get a hold of yourself, you can’t be this overprotective to a girl you barely know! She looks cute in that skirt, though. Fuck, don’t look at her thighs. Don’t look at her thighs. Shit I looked, Jesus-

“Mingi, you good?” Wooyoung’s voice snapped him out of his inner ramblings. He sent the younger member a tight-lipped smile. The host informed the group that the private room was ready. They waited until you returned to head into the room. 

Well, this should be interesting, you thought as you sat down.

[dayntee]

Re: The Fen'Harem Made Me Do It

I wanted to put this out here for folks to be aware of even though like... most of my mutuals probably know this already.

A bunch of us Solasmancers of various kinds gather together on a Discord server called The Fen'Harem. What you may not know about it is that it's probably the nicest, most chill, most supportive, friendliest online community I've ever been a part of.

No, really, we're like aggressively supportive of one another. When you're feeling down or self-critical, you will absolutely be hit with a deluge of supportive messages, digital hugs, and kind words. It's sort of incredible.

Anywho, there's a good chance if you've read more recent Solavellan (or Solas anything, really) fanfiction and sometimes fanart, you've probably come across one of the authors/artists that hangs out or lurks in our halls. You might have even come across the following tag:

#The Fen'Harem Made Me Do It

This tag's starting to see use on both AO3 and here on tumblr (maybe elsewhere like BlueSky, but I haven't checked). What it means is that the person posting likely is on that server and/or that server is directly responsible for harassing supportively inspiring that work into being.

My own fic, That Year at Arlathan University, is just one of many examples of this. For real, I would have never come up with any of these ideas without the Fen'Harem. I certainly wouldn't still be writing it without them, either. I fell back into Dragon Age fandom with Veilguard at launch; that I'm writing the same crack story almost half a year later is kind of insane. And I've genuinely made some lovely friends that will have a hard time ever getting rid of me now.

(You know who you are.)

This community is incredibly talented and have helped me with innumerable things:

Getting through a very rough depressive patch with unemployment

Helping me get over my fear of writing and posting smut

Inspiring me to be more sex positive overall (which, truthfully, has had an incredibly positive impact on my health and marriage)

Giving me a group of friends I love and know are always there when I need them... and know that I'm there to do the same

I'm a community manager by trade, over ten years of it. Take it from me when I say that these sorts of communities are precious, rare, and take a lot of work to maintain, especially as safe spaces that happen to attract a lot of marginalized folks (fandom do be like that). I'm always grateful I have this place, and it's hard for me to not check in on everyone at least once a day.

This ended up longer than I intended, but TLDR:

Go read our fics here because holy shit everyone is so goddamn talented.

Join the server if you need a place to scream about the egg and never be judged for it. Trust me. We have egg.

The mods deserve a special level of love and appreciation, because they keep this boat safe and afloat and I honestly don't know what I'd do without it

Always put in what you get out of a community. Fandom is a space of giving and taking, and the Fen'Harem is one of the purest forms of that I've ever seen.

And to the rest of the Fen'Harem, ya'll just need to know: I love you guys. 💖

[sigzentechnologies]

Sigzen Technologies's Shield: Safeguarding Your Systems Through Advanced Server Patching

Sigzen Technologies’s Shield represents a paradigm shift in the landscape of cybersecurity defenses. Its multifaceted approach encompasses not just basic patching but a holistic, proactive strategy to fortify systems against evolving threats. This section aims to delve deeper into the core innovations that set Sigzen Technologies’s Shield apart in the domain of advanced server patching. Enhanced…

[radioactivatedspider]

Still the Prettiest Girl in the Room

Main Masterlist Actors Masterlist

My Wattpad📖

Radio's Café☆ - my official discord server!

Want to be added to my taglist? Just a few clicks away! -> Taglist Form

Pairings; Jensen Ackles x reader

Genre; Comfort, Angst/Fluff, Insecurity, Established Relationship

Warnings; Skin condition struggles, Body image & insecurity, Mentions of social comparison, Mild emotional distress

Summary: Y/N feels insecure about her eczema and acne before Jensen’s big premiere, but he reassures her with love, reminding her she’s beautiful just as she is—no spotlight needed.

A/N: It makes me so happy to hear that my writing helps you! Honestly never expected to really get recognition and now that i have it's kind of unbelieveable..But truly am so happy that my writing helps you so much!!

Request: Hi again! LOVED “scratch attack” seriously, thank you so much. Can you write one where Y/N is dealing with both eczema AND acne? There are times where im like “my skin just hates me” and im having those thoughts now. My acne gets better but my eczema gets worse and vice versa, I haven’t had “clear” skin since I was 12 possibly, that’s 10 years! So when Jensen has a premier or a tv interview and wants to bring along his girlfriend/wife, she’s feeling insecure because she’s not one of those girls who breaks out whenever her period is coming, she breaks out ALL THE TIME. She can’t use makeup for the acne scars because of the eczema on her face could get worse, she’s really struggling, as am I.

Thank you SO MUCH, hate that I am flooding your inbox but my parents don’t really “help”, you know?

872 words

You sat cross-legged on the bathroom counter, knees pressed to your chest, hoodie sleeves pulled over your hands. The bright mirror light was unkind, highlighting every patch of red, every cracked dry spot around your mouth, every stubborn blemish that had been lingering for weeks. Maybe months.

The eczema was flaring. Again.

The acne had been calming down. But now your cheeks felt tight, flaky, irritated—like your skin couldn’t decide what it hated more: your hormones or your moisturizer.

Ten years. Ten years and still no break. Not one stretch of truly clear skin. Just bouncing between "almost manageable" and "God, please don't look at me."

And of course, tonight was the night.

Jensen’s new show had a premiere and he’d asked—no, wanted—you on his arm. Like always. Like you belonged there.

But standing next to red-carpet women who looked like porcelain with lashes for days? The kind who had skin that glowed even without makeup?

You didn't feel like you belonged anywhere tonight.

The bathroom door creaked, and you didn’t look up.

You heard his voice before you saw him. “You okay in here?”

“No.” You didn’t lie. “I look awful. I can’t even wear concealer without it flaking like snake skin. I’m trying not to cry because my face is literally cracking. So no, I’m not okay.”

A beat. Then the sound of his boots walking closer, the slight creak of his jeans as he sat on the edge of the bathtub.

You glanced at him through the mirror, barely. His face was soft. Brows relaxed. No judgment, no pity. Just Jensen.

“You ever think your skin’s just allergic to stress? ‘Cause mine breaks out when I eat barbecue too many days in a row and try to pretend I’m not in my forties.” He smiled, dry and dorky.

You didn’t laugh.

He tried again. “I once had a pimple so big in my early twenties they almost had to write it into Smallville.”

Still, nothing.

He leaned forward a little. “Hey. Seriously. Baby…”

You turned to face him, biting the inside of your cheek to stop it from trembling. “I just… I hate this. My face hurts. I feel ugly all the time. I haven’t had ‘good skin’ since I was like, twelve, and it just keeps getting worse or shifting around. I treat one thing, the other flares up. I feel disgusting. Like my skin hates me. And I’m tired of pretending I’m okay when I’m not.”

Jensen’s face changed—quiet, pained, not for himself, but for you. He stood and stepped closer, arms gently hooking under your legs so he could lift you off the counter like nothing, setting you down on the closed toilet lid and kneeling in front of you.

“Hey,” he said again, quieter now. “You don’t ever have to pretend with me. Not ever.”

You finally met his eyes. “But I want to feel pretty. I want to be the girlfriend that turns heads in a good way. I want to wear your arm like a trophy and not feel like I have to hide half my face. I just—tonight, I don’t want people looking at me and thinking, ‘Why is he with her?’”

His jaw ticked a little, like he hated the idea of anyone ever saying that.

“Then we won’t go,” he said simply.

“What?”

“I said—if it’s making you feel this awful, we don’t go. It’s not worth it.”

“But it’s your premiere—”

He gently brushed a thumb over your cheekbone, careful to avoid the eczema. “I’d rather stay home and watch reruns of The Office with you in fuzzy socks than go somewhere that makes you feel like you have to hide.”

Your voice cracked. “But I don’t want to hold you back.”

“You’re not holding me back. You’re my home. You’re my person. The cameras and suits and lights? That’s work. You’re life.”

A hot tear slipped down your cheek. He wiped it gently.

“And for the record,” he said, voice dipping lower as he pressed his forehead to yours, “you are still the prettiest girl in the room. Even when your skin’s being an asshole. Even when you’re curled up in my flannel with no makeup and ice cream stains on your hoodie. Especially then.”

You chuckled through a sniffle. “I’m not fishing for compliments.”

“You don’t have to fish. I’ll hand them to you on a goddamn silver platter.”

You finally, finally smiled, even if it was small.

“I know this sucks,” he said. “And I know it’s not just a bad skin day—it’s a war you’ve been fighting for years. But you don’t have to fight it alone. I’m right here. On your team. Whether we go out or stay in. Whether you feel flawless or feel like hell.”

You closed your eyes. Just for a second. Let yourself lean into that warmth. His hands. His voice. The way he looked at you like your skin could never change how much he loved you.

“Can we just… stay in and cuddle on the couch?” you whispered.

Jensen smiled. “Hell yeah. I’ll even let you pick the movie.”

“You always let me pick the movie.”

“Because I’m a smart man. And because you’re my favorite view anyway.”

Taglist: @globetrotter28 @adrienneleclerc @multiversefanfics @smoothdogsgirl @star-yawnznn

[lotusunique]

Cuts and Bruises

A.Aretas x BlackFem!Reader

Okay so I lost the comment that this was based off but they gave me the idea by basically saying “there’s something about a man bloodied and bruised looking at you like you’ve just hung the moon that does sum to me” and I loved it so here we are!

TW:Mild themes of SA! Mild themes of violence

Tonight was supposed to be fun. Tonight you were supposed to go out and hang with your best friends. But no. You were stuck working at this shitty bar you called a job.

You’d already had a terrible week as it was and now your dickweed of a boss had put you on the schedule. Not to mention this tight ass uniform was huggin all the wrong places.

“Get in and get out. Quick shift”,was all you managed to repeat to yourself through out your slow paced work shift. As you dried a shot glass you recognize a familiar face walk through the door.

The infamous Armando Aretas. He was a regular at this point. Often just coming in after he came from wherever he was. He seemed like the mysterious type so you chose never to pry unless you two were in deep conversation.

He walks over to the bar before opening his mouth, “I know, a jack and coke on the rocks. Lite”,you smirk over at him as he takes a seat. You quickly make his drink and head back over to him.

“I thought you weren’t gonna be here tonight”,he eyes you with a weird look. “Yea I wasn’t supposed to but here I am”,you grown. “Eventually I’m just gonna grow old and die here”,you shrug. “Well,let me know when that is, I’ll grow old with you in here. “, he gives a smile back.

The two of you casually chat until your coworker leans over to you, “can you help out at table 7, I’ve gotta hit the bathroom really quick”, she says before scurrying off to the bathroom.

“ I’ll be right back”, you advise Armando before turning to the table you have to tend to. You walk over to the table which happens to be a group of drunk men. Older maybe 40-50. Obviously they can’t hold their liquor as they’re highly roudy and the smell of beer is pouring off them.

“Hello, what can I get you today?”,You say in your customer service voice. “Shit are you on the menu?”,one of the men gives a deep laugh. You resist the urge to scrunch up your face, “our house specials are up on the board”, you point.

As you turn to show the specials, you feel a hard slap across your ass. You turn back to the men with so much shock across your face. You didn’t plan on loosing your job tonight but you knew you were about to.

The group of men sit around giggling as you put your server book onto the table near by and taking off your earrings. “Oh look, this bitch thinks someone’s scared of her.”,one of the men voices. Before you know it, your fist is flying clean across the man’s face. You prepare to take on all of them but when you look up, Armando’s beating the shit out of them all.

You didn’t know he’d been watching the whole situation unfold but you were happy he was. Within the next thirty seconds to a minute, the fight is broken up by nearby bar goers. The group of men scatter through the front door before you turn to Armando.

“C’mon let’s get you cleaned up”, you say before taking him to a storage space in the back of the bar. You nod over to a somewhat tall desk placed against the wall, “sit”. He gives you an “I don’t want to” look. “Sit.”,you say sternly, shooting him daggers with your eyes. “Yes Ma’am”,He smirks over at you, looking for the first aid kit you didn’t get the chance to see his sly expression.

“Found you!”,you say quietly excited to yourself. Armando gives you a weird glance. “You wanna judge me or you wanna get patched up”,You raise an eyebrow at him as you move towards him, standing in between his legs, meaning you tower him by a little. “You right you right. Patch me up Nurse Y/L/N.”,he smiles.

“Shut up”, you say pulling out an alcohol wipe to clean up a big cut right across his eyebrow, funny enough it’s right above his eyebrow slit. “I’m sorry. Does it hurt?”,you ask eyeing his response. “Not really. Just wanted to make you feel bad”,he looks up at you with a laugh. “You play too damn much”, You laugh, lightly shoving him.

“In a second I’m finna whoop your ass”, you laugh,still cleaning up the light bruises on his face. It was normal for the two of you to talk like this from time to time. Surprisingly one of your best friendships was with someone who just walked into your job one day. You loved that even when he was just in a fight, all bloodied and bruised he still was the finest man you’d ever seen in your natural born life.

“Shit I’m not opposed”,he smirks up at you. “Armando get out my face”,you laugh. “Thank you also.”, you say as you place a band aid on a cut directly on his forehead. “For what?”,he asks. “For beating up those Assholes”, you smile. “Hey I was just following your lead”, he laughs. “Where’d you learn to punch like that?”, he asks.

“My dad was a navy seal. Before he died he taught me everything he knew. So if you think about it, I’m kinda a killing machine. But I promise I use my powers for good”, you say as the two of you laugh.

“This is the most I’ve ever seen you smile in here”, you say noticing how pretty his teeth are. He really kinda is the full package somethings gotta be wrong.

“Wassup with you. I get a vibe but I don’t know the full story so I don’t know if the vibe I’m getting is right.”, you explain. “Well what’s the vibe you’re getting?”,he asks, intrigued.

“ Sometimes I think you’re feeling me then not so much. And it’s kinda like you’re this perfect package. Somethings gotta be off”,you shrug.

“You got a baby mama?”

“No”

“Multiple baby mamas?”

“No”

“Multiple babies”

“There are no babies involved”

“Okay… you a felon?”

*silence*

“Ahhh, ding ding.”

*silence*

“What’d you do? Im not judging I dated a con man once”, You shrug before he burst out laughing.

“That shit is not funny. He tried to steal my identity.”, you let out a laugh.

“Oh but to answer that wavering thought in your head”, Armando says before standing up. He pulls you into him before placing a kiss upon your lips. The kiss wasn’t hungry like you’d expected. It was soft and subtle. It made you wanna melt and you loved every second of it. “I want you. I just was giving you time to realize I was gon have you”, he brushes his thumb against your lips.

[felassan]

Dragon Age: Inquisition's servers were down or experiencing an issue recently. the servers are now reportedly back online: world states can be imported again and the Golden Nug is working again/has reappeared. [source]

EA Answers HQ comments on the topic:

User: "Has the team thought at all about developing an offline way for console players to access the Keep or create a custom World State? With DAI servers not always being a guarantee (ie shut down in the future) and prior game decisions being a major part of Inquisition, I feel like something needs to be done to make sure the game is in a playable state if servers are ever shut down. If you could pass this along to the team and/or give any info you can, that'd be great!" EA Community Manager: "Hi, so, I have discussed that with them before. One of the main issues there is resources on a 10 year old feature. Now one could be like - well just do this and that but that takes resources away from development, testing, patches, updates, new or existing IPs, launches etc. Personally, I think its a brilliant idea and would solve some issues but has it been discussed? Yes. What decisions studios make on their end is different. But, I can send it along to them again as more feedback on this issue."

[source]