#WhisperNet

[darthquarkky]

“Fragments from the Red Frontier”

This visual album presents three rare artifacts recovered from the WhisperNet Archive, spanning key moments in Martian technological and ideological evolution under the Ares Dominion. Each piece—schematic, photo, or fragmentary note—was originally encrypted within sub-cavern resonance caches and has since been restored by resistance historians. What emerges is a triptych of resistance ingenuity, Helios surveillance, and the lived architecture of the Martian corporate regime.

[yourlocallgothamite]

The Demon Spawn Surveillance Strategy (The DSSS)

Chapter 9.2: The One in Which They Try to Make Sense of Dami/N AKA DAY TWO (part two)

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A.N: okay gurl this is Tim's side pls enjoyy A.N: BECAUSE TUMBLR LITERALLY ISN'T LETTING ME POST ALL OF CHAPTER 9 IN ONE POST? ANYWAYS SO its all under one chapter on ao3 btwmy ao3 link is in my profile but tumblr thinks its too long... so if u wanna read it as a whole go to ao3! <3 thanks for readingg I ACCEDIENTALLY POSTED 9.2 BEFORE 9.1 IM SO SORRY READ 9.1 FIRST PLS I WILL LITERALLY CRY

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previous chapter

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DAY TWO: AGENT: A-03 CALLSIGN: Red Robin OBJECTIVE:  Expansion of Surveillance Grid // Target Behavior Isolation TIMESTAMP:  06:42 HOURS LOCATION: Wayne Manor – Command Post Beta (Manor Library)

Tim Drake hadn’t slept. Technically, he’d blinked. But nothing long enough to be classified as rest.

In the dim hum of Command Post Beta—the west corner of the manor library, overtaken by humming servers, triple-layered monitors, and the occasional half-empty mug—he stood in front of a glowing display wall. Inkjet, his trusty printer, whirred to life behind him, spitting out fresh visual logs from yesterday’s observation batch. The stack of printed smiles was getting... absurd.

Tim exhaled through his nose. Clicked open a new folder. Labeled it: “DAY_TWO_SURVEILLANCE_PLAN_v2”.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, then spun toward the whiteboard he’d built up in the safehouse and managed to smuggle here overnight. Yarn lines, holographic time-stamps, Y/N’s behavioral graph, Damian’s Emotional Variance Index. Everything pointed to one horrific conclusion: stability.

“It’s too organized,” he muttered. “Too patterned. Too… domestic.”

With a sharp inhale, he turned back to his keyboard and opened the drone dashboard.

➤ DRONE DEPLOYMENT: • Birdwatcher-2 (Smoke Detector, currently on the Third Floor Science Hallway) – still active. Mic upgraded. • Birdwatcher-3 (Pigeon, Temporarily left the East Courtyard Rooftop) – retuned for thermal audio capture.

➤ NEW: CAMERA AND MIC ADDITIONS – CLASSROOM GRID EXPANSION

After infiltrating Gotham Academy under the cover of night (disguised as an IT subcontractor with forged maintenance orders), Tim had hacked into the security footage archives to analyze seating patterns from the past three weeks. Damian and Y/N sat consistently close—in every shared class. Too close. Using that data, he moved swiftly through each room, cloaking his presence with dampened footfalls and a portable signal jammer. He only bugged Y/N’s seat. “Damian would notice if his chair made a weird sound,” Tim muttered, soldering the last mic to a felt-pad under her desk. “She won’t. She… trusts too easily.”

NEW: CLOCK-CAMS (Visual Monitoring): • CLOCK-CAM-1 – Location: Physics Classroom Clock • CLOCK-CAM-2 – Location: English Classroom Clock • CLOCK-CAM-3 –Location: Philosophy Classroom Clock • CLOCK-CAM-4 – Location: Chemistry Classroom Clock NEW: WHISPERNET MICS (Under-Seat Audio Surveillance): • WHISPERNET-1 – Y/N’s Seat, Physics • WHISPERNET-2 – Y/N’s Seat, English • WHISPERNET-3 – Y/N’s Seat, Philosophy • WHISPERNET-4 – Y/N’s Seat, Chemistry

Each file was synced, organized, timestamped, and tagged for priority voice recognition. Damian’s voiceprint ID was mapped with a 97% match confidence. Y/N’s… 99.6%. She was a yapper. And Tim now had hours of audio to prove it.

Tim leaned back and watched the sync bars crawl across his screen. His fingers hovered over the keyboard as the AI audio processor flagged a new sample from yesterday: "Do you think croissants have a love language? Like, is this flaky part his way of being vulnerable—"

He stared. Blinking. Slowly. Then wrote in the margin of the transcript:

Potential symbolic metaphor for their relationship. Check if she always gets the bigger half.

Because if this was what domestic happiness looked like for Damian Al Ghul Wayne, then Tim Drake was going to analyze every crumb of it.

Literally.

His fingers flew across the keys. One screen displayed Gotham Academy’s faculty login portal. Another loaded a satellite view of Felix’s car, currently parked at the L/N Estate Outdoor Garage. A third blinked with the words: “Staff Directory – Paws & Whiskers Pet Emporium.”

He cracked his knuckles. Time to escalate.

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DAY TWO: AGENT: A-03 CALLSIGN: Red Robin OBJECTIVE:  Live Trajectory Monitoring and Arrival Proximity Tracking TIMESTAMP: 07:30 HOURS LOCATION: Wayne Manor – Command Post Beta (Manor Library)

07:35 – Dual Approach Logged

The Gotham skyline shimmered across Satellite Feed Delta-7, overlayed with real-time GPS tags and AI-estimated arrival times. Tim hunched over his second monitor, fingers dancing across keys, bringing up split-screen visuals.

Target Movement Detected: L/N Household → GA Campus. Departure Time: 7:35.

He zoomed in.

Y/N TRAJECTORY: FLAGGED VEHICLE: Black Sedan – Registered to Y/D/N L/N DRIVER: Felix Thompson PASSENGER: Y/N L/N Departure: 07:35:04 Route: Standard school trajectory. No deviations. Behavioral Overlay: Internal audio unavailable. Visuals: Mild conversation, note flashcards. ETA: 07:47:09 ALERT: TRAJECTORY OVERLAP INCOMING — Cross-reference: Wayne Family Town Car (Alfred’s route)

Tim flagged the convergence. He minimized the overhead map and pulled up the intersection footage—two cars arriving in sync, side-by-side, 07:46 sharp. He narrowed the view to the curb outside Gotham Academy’s north gate.

Two red pings blinked in parallel:

WAYNE: ARRIVAL – 07:47:03 L/N: ARRIVAL – 07:47:11

“They’re syncing arrivals now?” he hissed. “Are they coordinating entrance timing?”

He tapped a hotkey. The satellite feed sharpened, refocusing on the curb.

SATELLITE DELTA-7 VISUAL LOG: 07:47:15 SUBJECT L/N exits rear left passenger side. Backpack. Ponytail. Smiling. SUBJECT Wayne stands already on sidewalk. Straight-backed. Waiting. Watching. INTERACTION: PHYSICAL CONTACT • Bag hand-off initiated by Wayne • Fingers brush (0.7 seconds) • Mutual eye contact • No verbal audio detected on external cam

Tim tapped furiously to switch feeds. Found a lucky angle on the north-facing security camera.

Audio synced just in time for:

Y/N (soft, barely audible): “Good morning.” Damian: “You look calm.” Y/N: “I am not.” [Silence. Then walking.] Y/N: “You slept?” Damian: “Four hours. But I’m functional. And you look beautiful.”

Tim nearly choked on his coffee.

“Functional?! Functional?! He’s giving her mission-status updates and unsolicited compliments in the same breath like it’s a classified report—”

He paused. Rewound.

"And you look beautiful."

He froze.

Stared.

Then opened a fresh file and titled it: “DECLARATION_LOG_01 // EARLY MORNING AFFIRMATIONS”

He returned to the trajectory overlay. The red pings were now merged, walking toward the school’s entrance, slow and side-by-side. Heat signature data showed slight shifts—two figures repeatedly leaning close, briefly brushing shoulders.

He flagged that too:

Proximity Drift Pattern Detected. Matching cadence. Elbow-to-elbow average spacing: 7.6 cm. (Intimate range).

He created a tag folder: “RELATIONAL RITUALS — SUBSECTION: MORNING ROUTINE”

Tim stared blankly. He wasn’t even mad. He was bewildered. This wasn’t flirting. This wasn’t teenage nonsense. This was a shared… language.

A tactical rhythm.

An emotional shorthand.

“He’s—smoothing her emotional turbulence before class starts,” Tim muttered, wide-eyed. “He’s psychologically stabilizing her for optimal academic performance.”

His eye twitched.

Then he added a tag note into the newly created folder: “EMOTIONAL REGULATION VIA MICROAFFECTION”

Because apparently, this was a real phenomenon now.

Then, Tim took a second to think about their synced arrival.

He paused.

Rewound.

Slowed the footage.

His cursor hovered over the red pings just as the merged signals—Damian and Y/N—disappeared inside the building. For a moment, the sidewalk was still. Silent.

But then— At timestamp 07:48:01, something shifted.

In the corner of SATELLITE DELTA-7 CAM B, just behind the departing Wayne Family Town Car, the rearview mirror caught a glint of movement.

Tim enhanced. Zoomed.

He also got checked the north gates camera as well.

Inside the rearview mirror: Alfred Pennyworth, perfectly composed, eyes on the road—tilted his head. Just slightly. Barely perceptible.

From the other car, Felix Thompson, still in the driver’s seat, rested one hand on the wheel… and gave the faintest nod. Precise. Respectful. One-time-only.

Alfred returned it. The slow, almost imperceptible kind of nod only exchanged by men who knew too much.

Tim’s jaw went slack.

He hit pause. Rewound. Watched again. Nod. Nod.

“WHAT,” he said flatly.

He pressed a button to isolate the reflection, ran it through a six-point light calibration filter, and confirmed it: Direct mutual eye contact through mirror angle alignment.

Then he opened a new file and titled it:

“ALFRED_COLLUSION_THEORY_v1”

Tagline: What does he know and when did he start helping??

Tim scrubbed a hand down his face.

“Are they coordinating?” he asked the air. “Are the drivers... orchestrating romantic cover for them? Is this some butler-syndicate alliance?!”

He opened his notes and wrote, furiously:

07:48:01 — Rearview Mirror Exchange Hypothesis: Inter-household adult collusion. Alfred has never nodded at a civilian. Felix does not command nods casually. The nod was premeditated. This means: 1. They are aware. 2. They are supportive. 3. Alfred Pennyworth is a traitor.

Tim switched tabs.

Found a photo of Alfred bringing a tea tray into the Damian’s room yesterday.

Enhance. Zoom.

Was that… lavender-chamomile?

He wrote in the margin:

Soothing blend. Intentional calm induction. Psychological shielding for post-school Damian.

Another tab. Gotham Academy cafeteria cams from last Friday.

Felix had packed Y/N’s lunch. With Damian’s favorite energy bar inside.

Tim’s pupils dilated.

“THEY’RE WORKING TOGETHER,” he whispered. “They’re co-parenting this relationship like it’s a joint diplomatic mission.”

Exhibit G – The Alfred–Felix Acknowledgement Nod Timestamp: 08:48:01 AM Source: Monitor 4 – Satellite Feed and Monitor 5 – Camera Footage | AI Facial Recognition & Movement Sync Overview: Captured a brief moment of nonverbal communication between Alfred Pennyworth (Wayne Manor Head of Staff) and Felix Beaumont (Gotham Academy Maintenance Supervisor) outside the East Courtyard doors. The exchange includes direct eye contact and a synchronized nod between the two men—lasting approximately 1.3 seconds. Neither party speaks. Felix proceeds to hold the door open for Subject Y/N precisely 2.4 seconds later. Analysis: - Mutual recognition between two highly controlled, service-oriented individuals. - Implies shared awareness of either Subject Y/N’s presence or her significance. - Timing of nod aligns within a 30-second window of Subjects Wayne and L/N’s arrival—coincidental or pre-arranged? - Facial recognition confirms both men appear calm, deliberate, and unstartled—indicates familiarity. Conclusion: There is something deeply unholy about this. Alfred Pennyworth and Felix Thompson are communicating in silent subtext like they’re in a spy thriller and Dami/N are the briefcase. This wasn’t an “I see you.” It was a “We’re aligned.” Two employees, one couple, one school—both aiding their path with the precision of a royal entourage. This implies coordination across locations and timelines. They’re not just accepting. They’re integrated. They have access. Status: Logged to Y/N_Masterfile_v12_FINAL_FINAL_REAL.zip Classification: Social Evidence – Category: High-Level Conspiracy Commentary: WHAT. WHAT IS THIS. Did they rehearse this?? Is Alfred briefing the school janitorial staff in his off hours?? What is their chat log titled—“Operation: Approve the Daughter-in-Love”? I am losing control of this investigation. The butler is in on it. The other butler is in on it. Who else? The squirrels? The vending machine? I fear I am not surveilling a couple—I am surveilling a dynasty.

He opened yet another folder and started a brand-new subtag:

CIVILIAN ALLIANCE - CODE: THE BUTLERS PROTOCOL

Mutual driver alliance. Strategic support. Adult approval signals. Domestic facilitation. Betrayal of the highest order.

Tim stood.

Stared blankly at the glowing command post.

And then he whispered, more to himself than anything:

“I am… so deeply outnumbered.”

07:34 – Psychological Containment Failure

Tim sat frozen, blinking at the screen like it might reconfigure itself into something rational. It didn’t. The nod was real. The energy bar was real. The tea blend, the synchronized exits, the emotional buffer techniques—all of it. Confirmed. Documented. Horrifying.

His cursor trembled as he hovered over the keyboard. He opened the digital logbook, voice low and deadpan as he muttered aloud for the recorder:

"Subject L/N  and Subject Wayne are operating with synchronized behavioral protocols across all documented environments. Additional support systems detected. Domestic agents involved. Civilian assets compromised."

He rubbed a hand down his face.

"In short: I think I’ve just discovered a multi-tiered, intergenerational romance support operation."

Pause. Deep breath.

"This is... bigger than me."

He double-checked his satellite feed, just in case Alfred and Felix had the audacity to wink next. Nothing. But honestly? At this rate, he wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d sent a coordinated care package via drone and used Alfred’s private encryption key to track it.

Still, he needed to regain control. Pivot the mission. Reassert dominance.

The satellite feed blinked alive with two GPS signals blinking on the live map of Gotham’s morning traffic. Tim’s eyes tracked two distinct trajectories diverging after their synced arrival at Gotham Academy’s north gate, Alfred going back to Wayne Manor and Felix returning to the L/N Estate.

Y/N had entered through the east entrance after Damian slipped off toward the west corridor—each taking separate routes for the first period.

Tim’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, recalibrating focus. “No physical proximity detected during first period. Interesting.”

His gaze shifted swiftly.

Two black sedans cruised back to their respective homes: one toward the L/N Estate, the other gliding smoothly down the winding drive of Wayne Manor.

“Alright, time to watch the drivers,” Tim murmured, opening another layered feed.

WAYNE MANOR GROUNDS — ALFRED PENNYWORTH (SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE)

Tim manipulated a close-up infrared feed on Alfred’s figure. The butler moved calmly through the manor’s grand halls, his every step purposeful, measured.

Analysis: Behavioral pattern consistent with ‘caretaker’ protocol — no anomalies detected. Yet…

Tim tapped rapidly, layering a plan to enhance monitoring:

• Deploy small micro-drone within Alfred’s study for discreet audio capture. • Sync with manor’s existing internal cams for continuous Alfred movement tracking. • Activate facial recognition on all visitors near Alfred, starting with known civilians (Felix included).

Alfred was right under Tim’s nose, he could figure out hundred of methods to keep an eye on him, although Alfred was pretty smart and tricky so Tim had to watch out. Felix however? Felix was the hard one. Before the mission plan, all the DSSS agents agreed not to hack into the L/N Estate inner cameras, garage was fine and garden was fine but the interior was not fine because she needed to have some sort of privacy… So how could he tail Felix?

TARGET: FELIX THOMPSON — STRATEGIC SURVEILLANCE PREP

Felix’s route to L/N Estate was less secure, Tim noted. Routine dropped his vehicle off at the garage but the paths around Gotham Academy and the highway were open to outside observation.

Tim mapped the location L/N Estate and cross-referenced it with nearby public cameras.

Strategy: Establish multi-angle camera coverage on L/N property entrances.

“Felix might be a weak link,” Tim muttered. “If I can lock him down, I can track any covert communication or ‘Butlers Protocol’ movement.”

He scheduled drone deployments and signal intercepts, fingers dancing with precision.

Tim leaned back, the glow of monitors reflecting off his glasses.

“No more surprises, Alfred,” he said dryly, “Felix’s every move is on my radar now.”

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DAY TWO: AGENT: A-03 CALLSIGN: Red Robin OBJECTIVE:  School Surveillance TIMESTAMP: 09:00-12:00 HOURS LOCATION: Wayne Manor – Command Post Beta (Manor Library)

09:00 – Physics Shenanigans

[Begin Transcript Log: DAY2_TUESDAY_DSSS_2NDPERIOD_09.01.20_AGENTA03]

Tim sits cross-legged in front of the holo-screens, eyes darting between the timestamp overlay and a side-scroll of Damian’s behavioral tracker.

Clock-Cam-1: Location – Physics Classroom Clock: Visual feed locked. WhisperNet-1: Location – First Row From The Back, Second Seat From The Windows belonging to L/N, Y/N: Audio stabilization at 87%.

He zooms in on the desk footage. Damian and Y/N seated side-by-side.

09:05:44 – Subject D. Wayne bumps knees with Subject Y. L/N. No recoil.

09:05:57 – No apology. No verbal follow-up. This is premeditated casual touch. Repeated behavior same as logs from Day One.

09:14:06 – Subject Y. L/N adjusts notebook. Subject D. Wayne already diagramming inclined plane.

Tim scowls. "Overachieving demon. That packet isn’t due until Thursday."

09:15:13 – Subject L/N whispers something. WhisperNet-1 catches: "You labeled the wrong angle." Subject Wayne’s reply: "I didn’t. I was testing your awareness."

Tim mutters, “Gaslighting. He’s gaslighting her over frictional angles.”

09:16:31 – Sticky note transmission. Zoom in inconclusive. Unable to read sticky note’s contents.

[ALERT: POSSIBLE SUSPICIOUS LANGUAGE DETECTED] Emotional Security Index: 9.3/10 Romantic Stability Graph: Peaking

Tim’s hands twitch.

09:26:10 – Subject L/N draws star in D. Wayne’s notebook.

09:26:14 – Damian’s pen freezes. 0.2 second delay. Micro-expression detected: smile twitch.

Tim’s jaw DROPS. "He smiled. HE SMILED. AGAIN. This isn't just high-functioning romance. This is covert dopamine manipulation."

09:38:07 – Fingertip contact initiated on desk surface.

Tim zooms in 300%. Audio spike shows no reaction. Silent contact maintained for 6.4 seconds.

"Unspoken tactile anchoring. Nonverbal reassurance. Hand proximity fatigue resistance? They’re doing—this is attachment imprinting. Like ducklings. BUT MORE CONCERNING.”

09:40:12 – SUBJECT WAYNE: visual shift. Head tilt—no movement. Subject blinks twice. Eye vector = 12° north-east. Ceiling vent.

09:40:48 – Subject Y/N whispers: “Damian? What is it?” Response: “Nothing. Just… recalibrating.”

Tim's whole body snaps upright. “HE KNOWS. He FELT the listening device. HE FELT WHISPERNET-1. ABORT MISSION ABORT—”

pause.

"...wait. Wait. He didn’t move to intercept. No signal jam. No lens sweep. Why didn’t he..."

He freezes.

The screen stills on Damian’s hand nudging Y/N’s foot beneath the desk.

09:42:29 – Micro-contact: Foot. Deliberate.

The AI logs auto-tag with behavioral summary: Anchor Behavior – Calm Reaffirmation Gesture.

Tim leans back. Quiet. Almost whispering. "He knew. He knew he was being watched—and instead of hiding it, he doubled down."

Long pause.

"...What kind of reverse-psych ops is this. WHAT KIND OF EMOTIONAL WARFARE—"

[LOG ENDS]

09:50 – Corridor Conversations

[Begin Transcript Log: DAY2_TUESDAY_DSSS_PRE3RDPERIOD_09.50.12_AGENTA03]

Hallway-Cam-5 and Hallway-Cam-7: Locations – GA Corridors On Route From Science Wing To Language Department Visual feed locked. Audio feed unavailable. Lip-reading software activated. Birdwatcher-2: Status – Standby (ceiling smoke detector drone), preparing deployment.

09:50:17 – Subjects L/N and Wayne observed exiting Science Wing, walking side-by-side, pace steady.

Tim notes subtle finger brush along L/N’s bag strap by Wayne. Behavioral flag: tactile comfort gesture.

09:51:03 – Subjects engaged in low-volume conversation, lip-reading active. Detected keywords and topics: • Physics formulas: “inclined plane,” “friction coefficient,” “angle calculation.” • Upcoming chemistry test: “nervous,” “period five,” “study.” • Book discussion: “plot twists,” “character motivations,” “suspense build.”

Tim mutters: “Y/N’s talking up a storm, Damian’s soaking it in like a sponge.”

09:52:45 – Birdwatcher-2 switched from standby to active, begins slow, deliberate trailing from ceiling vantage point. Movement speed calibrated to avoid detection.

09:57:10 – Subjects approach Language Department corridor. Door to English classroom ajar; students streaming in.

09:58:22 – Subjects pause momentarily as Y/N scans classroom interior; subtle exhale detected (lip movement). Damian closes gap, mirroring body language.

09:58:57 – Subjects enter English classroom; Birdwatcher-2 repositions above rear row seating area, maintaining covert observation.

09:59:40 – Subjects settle at back row desks; physical proximity consistent with Day One logs.

Tim adjusts zoom: “Classic back-row perch. Ideal for watching and... keeping secrets.”

[LOG ENDS]

10:00 – Literary Love

[Begin Transcript Log: DAY2_TUESDAY_DSSS_3RDPERIOD_10.00.57_AGENTA03]

Clock-Cam-2: Location – English Classroom Clock: Visual feed locked. WhisperNet-2: Location – First Row From The Back, Second Seat From The Windows belonging to L/N, Y/N: Audio stabilization at 92%. VISUAL FEED: LIVE (Birdwatcher-2 – Ceiling Smoke Detector Drone) AUDIO STATUS: ACTIVE

FILE LOG: ENG-LIT_PERIOD03 TAGGED FACES: Wayne_D, L/N_Y NOTES: Seated back row (far right quadrant), unchanged seating formation. High baseline proximity.

Tim adjusts the angle of Birdwatcher-2’s internal lens by 3.7° to account for morning sun through the facing window. The smoke detector drone hums once—inaudible to students below—as it finishes calibrating focus. Below, the room shifts into view.

“Target acquired,” Tim mutters to himself. “Welcome back to your favorite broadcast, folks: The Literature of Lies and Lovebirds.”

10:01:13 – Subject L/N enters classroom first, shoulders visibly relax upon sighting usual desk at back. Subject D. Wayne follows closely, 3.6-second delay. Observed ritualistic proximity maintenance: no verbal cues; presence alone sufficient.

10:05:27 – Subjects seated side-by-side. Subject L/N flips open annotated copy of Frankenstein, begins margin notes. Subject D. Wayne rests pen, scans room with peripheral vision.

10:07:02 – Subject Wayne’s gaze fixes directly on Birdwatcher-2’s housing (disguised as new ceiling smoke detector). Micro-expression: suspicion without intense alarm detected; no physical interaction.

“OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT HE KNOWS HE KNOWS HE KNOWS HE SAW THE DRONE SHITSHITSHIT” Tim freaks out. How did Damian make DIRECT EYE CONTACT WITH BIRDWATCHER-2.

Timestamp freeze-frame on Damian’s eyes, direct contact with drone lens. “DID HE ACTUALLY SEE ME? THAT WAS DIRECT EYE CONTACT.” “NO LENS SWEEP, NO JAMMING, NO COUNTERMEASURES.” “HE DIDN’T MOVE TO INTERCEPT. WHY?” Tim begins rapid decryption attempts on WhisperNet-2’s frequency for interference signatures—none found.

10:10:45 – Subject Wayne’s body language remains casual, posture loose-limbed but alert; pen taps once, then stills on notebook. Continuous eye flick to classroom rear mirror. Whispernet-2 frequency reveals an elevated heart rate of +15 BPM for Subject Wayne.

10:13:22 – Subject Wayne’s body language and eye focus suggest he is logging peripheral movement. Micro expressions suggest he feels tense and alert.

“Oh shit” Tim says “HE CAN FEEL MY GAZE OH SHIT”

10:16:48 – Mirror on rear cabinet reflects wide, distorted classroom view. Subject Wayne’s gaze fixates for 2 minutes and 36 seconds. Muscle tension spike noted (jaw tightens 15%).

10:21:03 – Subject L/N leans over desk, taps Subject Wayne’s notebook; audio catch: “You didn’t answer question four. Need help?” Subject Wayne whispers back: “I was prioritizing observation.”

Tim feels skeptical, “Cover story or code phrase? Could be either.”

10:23:48 – Under-desk contact detected: Subject L/N brushes fingers against Subject Wayne’s hand. Stress markers in Subject Wayne’s muscles drop by 14%. Pen resumes writing.

10:27:19 – Subject Wayne shifts focus exclusively to Subject L/N’s notebook, emotional override apparent.

10:31:50 – Subject L/N shows drawing to Subject Wayne: Shakespeare’s Macbeth face surrounded by scorpions. Text reads: “O, full of scorpions is his mind…” with arrow pointing at Subject Wayne. Micro-expression capture: near laughter (duration 0.18 seconds). Subject Wayne exhales sharply.

10:34:36 – Subject Wayne slides sticky note to Subject L/N: “Your scorpions would be pink and wear bows. (They would also be lethal. I am proud.)”

“EXCUSE ME? ARE THEY FLIRTING IN POETRY NOW?? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON??”

10:37:12 – Subject L/N smiles, conceals warmth by pressing palm to cheek. Subject Wayne maintains unbroken gaze on Subject L/N for 6.2 seconds.

10:40:28 – Ambient classroom noise rises: instructor reads aloud themes of guilt, madness, blood. Subject L/N annotates text, Subject Wayne’s eyes intermittently track Subject L/N’s expressions.

10:44:12 – Subject Wayne jaw muscle tension peaks at 73% baseline. Unspoken communication of mutual emotional awareness continues without explicit verbal cues.

10:49:57 – Session wind-down; subjects gather belongings, maintain close proximity. Subject Wayne stands first; Subject L/N follows.

Summary: Subject D. Wayne remains hypervigilant, balancing environmental scanning with covert emotional exchanges. Presence of potential covert observer in classroom detected but unconfirmed; warrants further monitoring. Subject L/N’s tactile reassurance significantly reduces physiological stress markers in Subject Wayne. Direct visual contact with Birdwatcher-2 confirmed; no counter-surveillance actions observed. Subject Wayne’s behavioral complexity suggests deep emotional anchoring with Subject L/N despite ongoing surveillance concerns.

[LOG ENDS]

Tim leans back, rubbing his temples. “They’re playing a deeper game than I thought.”

11:00 – Philosophical Romance

[Begin Transcript Log: DAY2_TUESDAY_DSSS_4RTHPERIOD_11.02.16_AGENTA03] Clock-Cam-3: Location – Philosophy Classroom Clock: Visual feed locked. WhisperNet-3: Location – Seat belonging to L/N, Y/N: Audio stabilization at 83%. VISUAL FEED: LIVE (Birdwatcher-2 – Ceiling Smoke Detector Drone) AUDIO STATUS: ACTIVE

Thankfully, Tim was able to successfully slip the drone into philosophy class without anyone noticing. Sadly, he has to miss Y/N and Damian’s hallway conversations as they walked to philosophy class.

11:01:13 – Subject L/N enters classroom.

11:01:19 – Subject Wayne follows 6.2 seconds later. Maintains upright posture. Scans room. Locks eyes with L/N  across circular table. Notable 1.4-second eye-contact pause. Head tilt = 7°, eyes soften by approx. 13%. Subtle. Calculated. Damning.

!! - NOTE: Rewatching this later. Zooming on expression. Might be emotional. Might be criminal. TBD.

11:04:08 – Class begins. Subjects seated across from one another (see: attached desk layout – “Circular_Suffering_p4_philos.png”).

11:07:42 – L/N speaks. Voice elevated. Confident. Lip-read and Listening Devices confirm: “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.” (Kant. A direct quote. From memory. Help.)

“Okay, so she quotes Kant and he looks at her like that and I’m supposed to just—what? Not intervene? Not stage a Socratic intervention???”

11:08:03 – Wayne reacts. Expression flickers. Looks up. Confirmed: full attention shift to Subject L/N.

Tag: [RED FLAG – INTELLECTUAL BONDING OVER ETHICS???] Added to file: “LOVEBIRD.EXE > shared_ideological_alignment.txt”

11:15–11:34 – Class discussion continues. Feed shows micro-expressions across both targets. - L/N doodles. Smiles at own notebook. - Wayne side-eyes L/N during other   student jokes about “vigilantes and moral gray areas.”  - Wayne's response: Clinical. Measured. “True morality is not about emotion. It’s about rational adherence to duty…” WhisperNet-3 captures audible increase in L/N’s heart rate (rustling paper, slight breath intake).

NOTE: Insert into report under section: “Sympathy Reactions to Demon Spawn Philosophical Monologues – Hypothesis: She Likes It?”

11:50:17 – Class ends. Subjects do not speak immediately. Wayne waits. Then approaches. Offers to carry her bag.

“WHY? Her satchel is 1.2kg max. She could carry it with her pinky. So why offer???”

11:50:34 – She lets him.

“If he carries it one more time I’m calling it codependency.”

11:50:57 – Shoulder bump confirmed. Pinky contact confirmed. NEITHER PULL AWAY.

“They walk in sync,” Tim mutters. “They walk in sync without trying.” [Insert: key smashing. one muffled scream.]

11:51:15 – Feed trails them until hallway junction.

Clock-Cam-3 and WhisperNet-3 auto-off.

[END LOG]

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DAY TWO: AGENT: A-03 CALLSIGN: Red Robin OBJECTIVE:  Resume School Surveillance – Lunch Time Activities Logging TIMESTAMP: 12:00 HOURS LOCATION: Wayne Manor – Command Post Beta (Manor Library)

12:00 – Investigation Interrupted

Tim hacks into school cameras, finding one that gives him a perfect view of Y/N and Damian’s usual table.

His fingers hover above the Birdwatcher-2 controls, ready to tail Damian and Y/N to their lunch spot when—

“Master Timothy.”

He freezes.

Alfred’s voice, crisp and calm, echoes from the hallway. Too calm. Too well-timed.

“…No,” he whispers. “No, not now. Not today.”

Tim instantly minimizes the camera feed and swivels in his chair. “Yes?” he calls, carefully neutral.

The doorknob clicks.

The door opens.

Alfred steps into the room with a silver tray. On it: tea, finger sandwiches, and a small napkin folded into a perfect crane. A silent power move.

Like a harbinger of doom.

“May I come in?” Alfred asks.

He doesn’t wait.

He’s already stepping inside.

A sound is heard from Tim’s monitors. Students talking.

Tim scrambles to mute the screens and reorient DSSS interface to something neutral—Wayne Enterprises quarterly reports, maybe. Too late. Alfred definitely heard the drone and he definitely saw the file “LOVEBIRD.EXE – ACTIVE” in blinking red.

Tim turns slowly in his chair.

Alfred is smiling.

Dangerously.

“I thought you might appreciate some sustenance,” Alfred says with that knowing smile. The worst kind. “You’ve been locked in here since dawn. Perhaps you may also need … perspective?”

Tim narrows his eyes. “Thanks, but I’m in the middle of a thing—”

“Mm.” Alfred sets the tray beside Tim’s command console. Doesn’t look at the screens. Doesn’t have to.

“I’ll eat later.”

“You said the same thing yesterday. And the day before.”

“Alfred, with all due respect, this is a classified operation. I need to—”

“Master Damian and Miss L/N do seem to enjoy the eastern windows, don’t they?” he says idly, adjusting the napkin crane. “Lovely light at this hour.”

Tim freezes. Did Alfred just—

Tim chokes. “W-what? I—how do you—”

Alfred adjusts his cufflinks. Unbothered. Superior. Possibly psychic.

“Let us not pretend I haven’t worked for this family long enough to know a lovesick boy when I see one,” he says, tone faintly amused. “And three other boys spiraling in response.”

Tim blinks. Once. Twice.

He recovers fast. “I am not spiraling.”

Alfred gestures broadly to the wall of screens. “I see.”

“Look, I’m just gathering intel. If Damian’s hiding something—”

“Oh, he is.”

Tim sits upright. Eyes narrow. “What? What do you know?”

Alfred pours the tea. Calm. Unshaken. “Only what one gleans from… observation.”

He lifts the cup to his lips. Sips.

Tim stares. Unmoving.

"You're not worried," Tim mutters.

“I am not.”

“You think she’s harmless.”

“I did not say that.”

“Then why are you smiling like you’ve already solved this?”

Alfred lowers the cup. His smile deepens.

“Because, Master Timothy,” he says quietly, “some things are best myq discovered firsthand. There are matters of the heart no surveillance drone will ever understand.”

Tim flinches like he’s been stabbed.

Alfred leans forward slightly. Voice softer now.

“And, just a small tip, Master Timothy, if you’re going to store the LOVEBIRD.EXE file in plain sight, do at least rename the folder. Subtlety matters in espionage.”

Silence.

Tim doesn't reply.

He turns back to the monitor.

He grits his teeth.

“…You’re deflecting,” he mutters.

Alfred stands.

“That’s what you’re doing,” Tim insists. “You didn’t answer why you’re not concerned. You know something. What is it? What are you not telling me?”

Alfred turns toward the door.

“I trust Master Damian,” he says, voice echoing slightly as he moves away. “And I have faith in Miss L/N.”

He pauses mid-step. Looks over his shoulder.

“One day, perhaps, you will too.”

Tim watches the butler move to the door, pausing again, just long enough to glance back.

“Do remember to eat,” Alfred adds, smile just a little too sharp. “Your brain needs fuel for... logic.”

The door clicks shut behind him.

Tim stares at it, jaw tight. Then slowly turns back to his monitor.

“He knows.” Tim whispers. “Alfred knows about DSSS.”

He picks up the tea. Sips. Scowls.

“…This is really good tea.”

⸻

DAY TWO: AGENT: A-03 CALLSIGN: Red Robin OBJECTIVE:  School Surveillance TIMESTAMP: 09:00-12:00 HOURS LOCATION: Wayne Manor – Command Post Beta (Manor Library)

12:10 – Chemical Charm

[Begin Transcript Log: DAY2_TUESDAY_DSSS_PRE3RDPERIOD_09.50.12_AGENTA03]

Clock-Cam-4: Location – English Classroom Clock: Visual feed locked. WhisperNet-4: Location – Seat belonging to L/N, Y/N: Audio stabilization at 97%. VISUAL FEED: LIVE (Birdwatcher-2 – Ceiling Smoke Detector Drone) AUDIO STATUS: ACTIVE

12:10:19 — Subject L/N enters the classroom. Barely on time. Not unusual.

12:11:22 — Subject Wayne is already seated. Desk is sanitized. He sanitizes her desk aswell and has her pen uncapped. (He knew which pen.)

“What the hell? He has her desk clean and pen uncapped?” Tim uttered out in shock “What type of telepathy is this? How long have they been doing this what the hell?”

12:11:26 — Subject L/N whispers: “Thank you.”

12:11:28 — Subject Wayne nods. Minimal reaction. Eyes flick to her. Eye contact held 0.8 seconds. (Subtle. Intimate. Unnecessary.)

“Great. They're at the ‘subtle communication’ phase. Just wow.”

NOTE: They have assigned seating. Their desks are conjoined. Still feels… selected.

Alfred’s words echo in the back of Tim’s head. “I trust Master Damian, and I have faith in Miss L/N. One day, perhaps, you will too.”

Tim tries to shut his voice away from his mind.

12:12:12 — Subject L/N pulls out flashcards. Subject Wayne opens periodic trends chart. Is underlining electronegativity.

“He already memorized this. What is he doing? Showing off? Projecting calm? Comforting?”Tim is now at the fourth stage of confusion and the twentieth stage of spiralling.

12:14:09 — Mr. Beck begins distributing test papers. Room enters reduced audio mode. WhisperNet-4 gains clarity.

12:15:03 — Subject Wayne thumb-taps once against his thigh. Then stills.

“What is he anxious about da fuq? Cause it definitely isn’t that chemistry test… Oh shit. HE IS SUSPICIOUS. OOOH SHIT OOH SHITTT” Tim is flipping outtt… again

12:34:05 — Subject L/N places her hand beside his. Not touching. Close proximity.

12:34:09 — Subject Wayne exhales. Begins the test. So does she.

“Oh wow. He is in love in love. Is the world ending? Am I hallucinating again?”

DATA POINT: Y/N’s proximity has measurable effect on Subject Wayne’s physiological patterns. Respiration drops. Movement smooths. He regulates.

A voice that sounds suspiciously like Alfred’s echoes in his mind again: “Is your surveillance meant to protect him, or control him?” ...Shut up.

12:29:14 — Subject L/N’s pen snaps. Audible click. Stress response?

12:29:16 — Subject Wayne immediately offers a spare pen. No hesitation.

“HE DID THAT WITHOUT LOOKING UP. HOW DID HE ANTICIPATE THIS WHAT IN THE WORLD!”

12:29:18 — Fingers brush. Thermal signature spike at fingertips. (Internal. Can’t measure. Still— noted.)

Alfred’s voice resonates in his mind once more, “Trust, Master Timothy, is earned. Or broken.” ..Stop talking.

Tim falters for a moment then resumes watching and logging.

12:29:27 — Y/N resumes test. Her pulse is steadier now.

12:44:58 — Subject Wayne finishes 16 minutes early. Of course.

“Overachieving showoff.” Tim mutters.

13:00:01 — Test ends. Y/N draws a small smiley face on Damian’s desk in pencil. (Juvenile. Pointless. Probably neuro-associative comfort response.)

“...Is this a joke? Is this a code? What is she doing? What does it mean?”

13:00:05 — Subject Wayne taps his pencil twice beside the smiley. Subtle code? Habit? Affection cue?

“I can map proximity, calculate emotional trajectory, model verbal tone trends, and it still feels like I’m too late to understand the language they’re inventing in real time. What type of romance is this?”

NOTE: They don’t need words. That’s worse than the words.

13:01:12 — Subject L/N stretches, arms overhead. Subject Wayne watches. Eyeline fixed.

Alfred sounds in his mind again. “You’re not watching to protect him anymore. You’re watching because you don’t understand what he’s becoming.”

Okay Alfred. I didn’t ask.

13:01:17 — Subject L/N (teasing tone): “Was it that bad?” 13:01:19 — Subject Wayne (flat tone): “You look like you’ll get an eighty-seven at worst.” 13:01:23 — Subject L/N scoffs. “Eighty-seven? That’s practically a failing grade.” 13:01:28 — Subject Wayne: “For you, it’s unacceptable.” 13:01:32 — L/N laughs.

RED ALERT: That was flirting. I think that was flirting. I think he flirted back.

[END LOG]

Agent A-03 leaned back in his chair. The leather creaked.

The screen’s glow lit his face in pale, static light.

Birdwatcher-2 was still feeding him a live classroom visual. Y/N was doodling in the corner of her notebook now. Damian had returned to his usual thousand-yard stare, posture composed, arms crossed. Like none of it mattered. WhisperNet-4 continued recording Y/N’s soft laughter as the teacher attempted to restore post-test order.

Tim didn’t listen.

Tim sat there.

Unmoving.

He didn’t realize how tightly he was gripping the armrest until his glove creaked from the strain.

His fingers hovered over the keyboard. He could scroll back. Rewatch the smiley face moment. Frame by frame. Log the micro expressions Damian made when she laughed. Cross-reference the handwriting loop pattern against her doodles in the psychology notebook from Day One Maybe assign it a severity rating. Red flag? Yellow?

"Ugh." He leaned further back, head tilting until he was practically folded into the chair.

The silence between clicks was deafening. Not silence. Just the ghost of a voice.

Alfred’s voice broke through the static in his brain again. “You’re not watching to protect him anymore.”

Tim shut his eyes. Ugh.

He blinked slowly. Was that… true?

He sat up. Suddenly. Aggressively. Like inertia might make the thought go away. Nope. Still there. Still echoing.

He cracked his knuckles and opened the command prompt. If he didn’t want to watch, then he’d make the system watch for him. That way, technically, he wasn’t surrendering. He was delegating. That’s different.

He opened a console window. A line of code blinked back at him. He typed:

IF Subject_LN_behavior_score > 0.83 AND proximity <or= 2ft: alert = True

Then another line, begrudgingly:

IF Subject_WAYNE_emotional_regulation == compromised: alert = True

There. Programmed AI flag system activated. No more manual monitoring. If something “worthy” happened… he'd know. If not—then maybe he didn’t need to know.

He opened a new window: live feed tabs from Birdwatcher-2 and WhisperNet-4, side by side with thermal overlays, micro expression trackers, and the growing emotion response log.

He hovered over the tab cluster. Live feed. Thermal overlays. Voice modulation analysis. Emotional trajectory graph.

The cursor hovered. Tim hesitated. Then—

Click. Thermal overlay: closed. Click. Voice stress tracker: closed. Click. Emotional trajectory graph: closed.

Each one closed with a soft ping. Like a heartbeat flatlining.

His screens went dark, one by one, like pulling a sheet over a corpse.

No more direct surveillance.

The AI would flag anything critical. The code was airtight. …Probably.

[Manual Oversight: DISENGAGED | Surveillance Mode: Passive AI Monitoring – SENTRY v4.3] [Command Post Beta – User AGENTA03: Logged Out]

Tim stood slowly. Every jont protested. How long had he been sitting? His legs felt heavier than usual. His gloves were still tight from clenching.

The library was quiet. Too quiet.

He glanced once back at the monitors. Still off. Still black. Good.

He stepped away from command post beta. It was a mess of holographic cables, data charts, and inkjet-printed transcripts that he’d stopped filing in folders two hours ago. He didn’t clean up.

He walked out.

Destination: Wayne Manor Newest Interrogation Room. …Also known as the kitchen. Where the enemy (Alfred) brewed his worst psychological warfare. Tea, lunch and confrontation.

He told himself he just needed caffeine. But the truth was—his hands weren’t steady enough to go back to work. And Alfred’s voice hadn’t left his head since 12:00. Just a faint echo in his mind.

“You don’t trust him, Master Timothy, because you’ve never seen him like this. Because you’re afraid you’ll have to admit he’s growing up. And maybe that he doesn’t need you anymore.”

AAAAAAAAAAA. STOP IT, Alfred.

The hallways felt longer than usual. Too warm. Too soft. Like the house knew he was avoiding something.

“I trust Master Damian,” “And I have faith in Miss L/N.” “One day, perhaps, you will too.”

He stopped mid-step.

UGHH.

“Shut up,” he whispered to no one.

Then, more softly: “…Please shut up.”

He walked into the kitchen with his arms crossed tight. He didn’t bring a file. Didn’t bring an evidence bag. Didn’t bring a plan. Just his stiff shoulders, twitchy eye, and a very loud silence.

⸻

DAY TWO: AGENT: A-03 CALLSIGN: Red Robin OBJECTIVE:  Reevaluation of Interpersonal Intelligence Threat Level: “ALFRED” TIMESTAMP: 13:10 HOURS LOCATION: Wayne Manor – New Interrogation Room (AKA The Kitchen) (AKA Suspect Alfred’s Sanctuary

13:10 – Beverage-Based Behavioral Breakdown

Tim Drake hesitated at the edge of the kitchen.

The air smelled like citrus and judgment.

He lingered in the doorway, hands stuffed into the pockets of his hoodie, his mind still stuck in the silence after that laugh. Y/N’s laugh. Damian’s response. The pencil tap. The smiley face. Everything that shouldn’t matter but somehow did.

Alfred Pennyworth, alleged civilian, stood at the counter. He plated lemon scones with quiet precision. Poured tea. Turned a page of the newspaper like the world hadn’t shifted half a degree beneath Tim’s feet. As if he hadn’t said what he said earlier. As if he wasn’t right.

There were two cups already set out.

Tim’s fingers twitched at his sides.

His eyes narrowed slightly. Porcelain. White and blue. Bone china. The expensive kind. He clocked it immediately, with the same suspicion he would use if stumbling on two glasses of wine in an otherwise empty safehouse.

Alfred didn’t look up from where he was plating lemon scones. “You’re early,” he said simply.

“I didn’t say I was coming,” Tim replied, stepping in like it was a crime scene, carefully and alert.

“And yet,” Alfred mused, placing a cup before him with a saucer’s quiet clink, “here you are.”

Tim walked toward into the seat at the end of the island like it was a witness stand “I wasn’t aware there was a scheduled interrogation.”

“There wasn’t.” Alfred poured the tea. “But I had a feeling you’d arrive around now. The kettle’s been on since 12:55.”

Tim blinked. “That’s… disturbing.”

Alfred merely raised an eyebrow and gestured toward the opposite stool. “Sit.”

Tim obeyed before his brain could register he was doing it.

A porcelain cup slid in front of him. Earl Grey. No sugar. One and a half teaspoons of milk. The exact way he drank it since he was twelve. The way he still drank it now, even if he pretended otherwise.

He stared down at it. “So… are we going to talk about it?”

“Are you?” Alfred countered, finally taking his own seat.

Tim didn’t answer immediately. His gaze drifted to the steam curling from the cup. For a split second, he wished it could offer up surveillance footage of his own thoughts, anything to explain the mess. “You said… I was trying to control him.”

Alfred took a bite of his scone. “I did.”

“And that I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t.”

Tim scowled. “That’s a little black and white, don’t you think?”

“On the contrary. I believe it’s grey. Earl Grey, even.” Alfred sipped, infuriatingly unbothered.

Tim groaned. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet, here you are.”

Silence settled between them, thick with everything Tim didn’t want to admit.

“I just…” He dragged a hand through his hair. “He’s Damian. He’s Damian. He’s not supposed to have… this. Whatever this is. Whatever’s happening with her. He’s—he’s supposed to be angry and violent and closed off and impossible.”

“And yet,” Alfred echoed, voice gentler now, “here she is.”

Tim’s throat tightened.

“I’ve run every model. I’ve traced every pattern. There’s no way it should work. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Love rarely does,” Alfred said quietly.

Tim flinched, his head snapping up. “It’s not love.”

Alfred didn’t correct him.

Tim picked at the edge of the saucer. “He’s changing. And I don’t know if it’s good or if it’s dangerous. Or both.”

“You’re scared,” Alfred said.

Tim looked up sharply. “I’m not—”

“Yes,” Alfred interrupted, firm but calm. “You are. Not because he’s in danger. But because he’s becoming someone you don’t recognize. And that makes you feel like you’re losing control. Of him. Of this family. Of the story you told yourself about who he is.”

Tim’s jaw clenched. He hated how accurate that was. Hated how much it hurt to hear it from someone who knew him too well to lie.

“I just wanted to keep him safe,” he muttered.

Alfred’s eyes softened. “Then perhaps it’s time you redefine what safe means.”

They sat in silence again, steam curling between them like smoke from a battlefield neither wanted to admit they’d lost.

Eventually, Tim lifted his teacup. “I programmed the AI to flag emotional spikes and behavioral anomalies. I’m… stepping back a little. Just for today.”

Alfred nodded approvingly. “That’s a start.”

Tim sipped. The tea was warm. Familiar. Unchanging. Something solid in a world that kept tilting under his feet.

He didn’t say thank you. He didn’t have to.

Alfred already knew.

⸻

DAY TWO: AGENT: A-03 CALLSIGN: Red Robin OBJECTIVE:  Surveillance Recheck TIMESTAMP: 16:20 HOURS LOCATION: Wayne Manor – Command Post Beta (Manor Library)

16:21 – Processing…

Tim sat down in the library without turning on the lights.

The monitors glowed in the dark, cold and clinical. Dozens of tabs blinked with passive alerts. Heat signatures, timestamps, hallway cam data from Gotham Academy, audio pings from WhisperNet-4. Motion pattern deviations. Subtle, minor, routine anomalies.

He didn’t touch the keyboard.

The AI flagged a moment on Feed C-2. Lunch period. Damian and Y/N. Something about the way they stood too close, how their shoulders tilted inward, how she tugged on his sleeve. He let the pop-up expire without opening it.

Another alert. A thirty-seven-second exchange between Y/N and Mia at the shelter. WhisperNet-6 had parsed three potential keywords of interest: “love,” “boyfriend,” and “him.”

Tim leaned back in the chair.

Didn’t press play.

Instead, he just stared at the screen—at the paused frame of Damian reaching for Y/N’s hand, their silhouettes caught between the motion blur of the hallway rush. The image was imperfect, grainy. But there was something about it. Something he didn’t want to analyze. Something that made his chest twist in a way data couldn’t predict.

He clicked out of the alert. Not archived. Not tagged. Not logged.

A slow breath dragged through him.

He’d disabled the red exclamation mark protocol earlier. Set WhisperNet to Passive Mode. He told himself it was to avoid alert fatigue. That was a lie. And he knew it.

Another file hovered in his queue. Unlabeled. It carried a timestamp from two hours ago. Damian was smiling again.

He didn’t open that one either.

Tim tapped his knuckles lightly against the desk, as if trying to ground himself. His tea was still warm. The smell of lemon from Alfred’s scones clung faintly to his hoodie.

Then, almost mechanically, he opened a new folder.

/DSSS/Analysis/EmotionalRisk/ > NEW DOCUMENT: TRUST_MODEL_V1_FINAL.docx

The cursor blinked on the blank page. Waiting. Ready.

He didn’t type anything.

Just stared.

Then slowly leaned forward, forehead resting against the edge of the desk, monitors casting pale light across the bruised edges of his certainty.

Behind him, the manor creaked softly with the sound of normalcy.

And for the first time in hours, Tim Drake let the silence go unanalyzed.

⸻

DAY TWO: AGENT: A-03 CALLSIGN: Red Robin OBJECTIVE:  Safety Check TIMESTAMP: 17:00 HOURS LOCATION: Wayne Manor – Command Post Beta (Manor Library)

17:04 – Final Safety Confirmation

Tim’s fingers hovered over the keyboard as he pulled up the live feed from the pet shelter parking lot.

Y/N emerged from the shelter’s sliding doors, bag slung casually over her shoulder. The late afternoon sun caught the edges of her hair, casting a soft glow. She scanned the lot briefly, then headed toward a sleek black car parked at the edge—the one Felix drove.

Tim activated the tracker.

The car’s license plate popped up instantly. Satellite feed zoomed in. Their route home was familiar—through the quieter side streets, past the old bookstore, turning into a gated cul-de-sac.

His screen split to show a moving map overlaid with live video from the car’s interior (courtesy of Birdwatcher-3, the pigeon). Felix was driving, focused but relaxed. Y/N smiled quietly, leaning her head against the window.

They pulled into the driveway.

Y/N stepped inside her house and closed the door behind her.

Tim exhaled, the tension easing from his shoulders for the first time in hours.

One by one, he closed every feed and data tab on his monitor, leaving only the home security camera feed active—just a single frame showing the faint glow from Y/N’s living room window.

He sat in silence for a moment, eyes heavy.

17:22 – Work Catch-Up

After a few beats of silence, Tim’s back straightened, shifting gears, he pulled up the Wayne Enterprises dashboard. Right now, he wasn’t agent A-03 anymore, he was Tim Drake, co-CEO of Wayne Enterprises and he was also Red Robin, Gotham vigilante.

His eyes scanned financial reports, staff rosters, ongoing projects, corporate data that needed his attention just as much.

For the next several hours, Tim sifted through paperwork, cross-referenced old files, and chipped away at cold cases that had long been gathering dust in his queue. It was familiar, it was manageable, and best of all, it didn’t ask for answers he wasn’t ready to face.

The library clock chimed softly past midnight.

Tim rubbed his eyes, glancing at the still-active monitor showing yet another cold case with horrifying details.

Maybe it was time to sleep.

He leaned back again, fingers finally folding together, and for once, let himself rest.

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

CURRENT DSSS EVIDENCE COUNT: - AGENT A-01 (Nightwing): 8 pieces - AGENT A-02 (Red Hood): 11 pieces - AGENT A-03 (Red Robin): 7 pieces WINNER EARNS: 1 deeply petty victory + bragging rights until further notice.

⸻

A.N: FINALLY DONE WITH THIS CHAPTER I WAS ABOUT TO THROW HANDS also.... who do y'all wanna see win? Tim, Dick, or Jason?? Cuz so far Jason is in the lead... should I make a poll?

taglist❤️: @zomqiez @spidermanfang1rl @chiizuluvr @maymaymarch @maaaahhhiii @cupid73 @nyxisnotok @astrililu @mmentallyelsewhere @pennepastalegit

[thelattechronicles]

Going from Kindle to Kobo: My Thoughts and how I settled on the Clara BW

I've had my one and only e-reader: the 4th generation Kindle since 2011. That's quite literally over a decade old- 13 years, to be exact.

It's been deemed old enough to justify an upgrade. Not that I had even been needing one, or considering getting a new one; rather, the Kindle had just started glitching on me and freezing this past September. After 13 years, I'd say it's an accomplishment that it took this long for the tech to finally start breaking down on me. Believe me when I say that this Kindle had not been babied by any means whatsoever.

Now, it's been exactly 30 days since I've gone from my Kindle 4th gen 2011 model (thanks Mom and Dad) to the new Kobo Clara BETWEEN. Read on to see what my thoughts are on this upgrade!

I don't think I can go back to the Kindle UX and world, and I truly do see what people are saying about Kobo just being overall better.

For starters, here are the specs between both as a comparison:

(Side note: the 4th gen Kindle is SO old that I had to dig around for a review of it, and found one on The Ebook Reader dot com)

As you can tell from the glaring number of red X circles, the basic Kindle 4th gen does not have as much much going for it compared to my new Kobo Clara BW. But that's okay! Here are some things I LIKED about the Kindle:

The e-ink screen

The physical page turning buttons on the side - I still love the page turners and how I just need to press down on the side. The buttons are very streamlined and a part of the side plastic framing.

The wallpapers when the device is turned off

The battery life (once upon a time, one charge could last me a good 4 months I stg)

The size of the screen (was not willing to go smaller, but was open to go bigger)

Straightforward system and user interface (turn on, find book, read.)

Being able to email epubs and PDFs to the Kindle directly via the Whispernet

Here are some things I DISLIKE about my Kindle today:

Its current extremely short battery life (I don't think a charge can last me two weeks now)

Being locked into the Kindle Amazon storefront and ecosystem - yes, I purchased each and every book on Amazon that I have on my Kindle...

Not being able to make Libby work on the Kindle (as a Canadian reader)

Lack of backlighting options

Anything to do with any sort of typing (I had to physically press the arrow buttons and wait until it landed on the right letter to press enter, then move on to the next letter, rinse repeat. Needless to say, it gets exhausting real quick trying to type out a short word, let alone a title of a book you're trying to find in your Kindle library storage.)

Lack of ad-free options with today's Kindle models (I got lucky with my Kindle 4th gen, where the home screen goes directly to my storage, listing all the books and collection folders I created. I hear this is no longer a thing, and the home page is the Amazon Kindle storefront. Ew.)

So, the Kobo Clara BW does a lot of what I liked about my Kindle - and more! It has quite a lot going for it: a long battery life, multiple backlighting options (reg vs warm lighting), bluetooth (if I wanted to do audiobooks, but I do that on my phone anyway so it's just a bonus for me). The Kobo Clara BW has crisp displays (I've read some manga and comics on it), and the zooming in and text font/size adjustments are super easy to navigate.

I know, I know. No physical page-turning buttons. I still lament the loss of my buttons. I know there are some Kobo models such as the Libra that have the buttons, but I strongly believe that the Kindle 4th gen buttons are superior. I liked that they were a part of the side, rather than a blocky-looking extension, like the buttons on the Libra are. The touch screen was a bit of an interesting thing to navigate in the beginning, but as we use touch-screen phones, it was very easy and quick to get used to it.

Why not the colour option?

Granted, the Kobo Clara colour as well as some other colour alternatives did come out. Why did I not choose the colour option? Yes, colour e-ink and e-readers are pretty to look at, but for someone who uses e-readers purely to read novels and text-heavy documents, it seemed unnecessary for my purposes. In store, I did a side-by-side comparison of the Clara Colour and BW and actually found the lighting to be drastically different at max brightness and warmth. Here's a picture I found online that gives you an idea of what I mean:

As you can see, the Clara BW version (right) has a crisper and whiter background, and the Clara Colour (left) looked a bit orange-red-toned overall.

ABOVE ALL: the Kobo ecosystem has been fantastic for me.

As someone who has been pitifully buying every single e-book on Amazon thus far or loading janky PDFs with too-small-text, the Kobo Clara BW is a breath of fresh air. It was very easy to connect my Libby account in the Settings. I now have an automatic delivery of all my ebook loans to my Kobo (!!!!) (A dream come true for Canadian e-readers!). I also have Calibre downloaded on my laptop and with it, can customize my Kobo to no end. You can see that I've gone ahead and gave my Kobo some wallpapers, which include my favourite The New Yorker covers. I'm happy with how much I can do with my Kobo. The Pocket app feature also came as a pleasant surprise! It's nice being able to read articles during work lunches and save any interesting articles on my computer, and those articles get automatically downloaded to my Kobo.

In true The Latte Chronicles fashion, if I were to give my Kobo Clara BW a rating:

★★★★★

If you're like me as a reader and your needs are similar to mine (and maybe your old Kindle is dying on you) I encourage you to make the jump to Kobo! I haven't regretted my Kobo Clara BW purchase at all. In fact, I've already finished 13 books since I booted up my Clara.

J

[valy-gc]

Magical Phone Concept for Scriptoria:

Arcane RelicTab

A sleek, rectangular device crafted with a blend of enchanted wood or more rarely metal and polished glass infused with magic.

Functions include touch-screen navigation and voice commands via a friendly spirit embedded in the device.

Commonly just called "RelicTab" or even just "RT"

Magical Apps:

Instagram → SpellSnap

Share glimpses of enchanted life with spellbound photos and shimmering short clips.

YouTube → ArcanaTube

A magical archive of videos featuring legendary spellcasters, potion tutorials, and dramatic reenactments of ancient tales.

TikTok → FlickRune

Quick, addictive magical reels where users show off their spell choreography or clever charm crafting.

Tumblr → LuminalScroll

A mystical network for curating blogs, discussing esoteric knowledge, and sharing magical aesthetics.

Messenger → Magicial

A direct messaging app

Discord → ConjureCord

Gather with friends, guilds, or study groups in private "conclaves" to chat, share tips, or organize magical quests.

Amazon → ManaMart

A vibrant marketplace for trading everything.

DeviantArt → EnchantInk

A creative haven for art.

WhatsApp → WhisperNet

A seamless messaging app.

Netflix → SpellFlix

A streaming service offering an endless collection of magical dramas, mythical adventures, and spellbinding documentaries about historical events in the magical world.

Outlook → StarQuill

A celestial-themed magical email system. The interface mimics a star map, with important emails glowing brightly like constellations.

Games :

Among Us → Arcane Intrigue

Players are mages (with a knight armor) aboard a flying citadel, tasked with repairing magical anomalies while uncovering who among them is a skinwalker. Features magical disguises and illusionary traps. Multiple other maps are avaiables other than the flying citadel.

Cookie Run: Kingdom → SpellBake: Enchanted Realms

Players manage a realm of animated pastries enchanted by a benevolent mage. Build up your magical bakery empire and defend against sugar-crazed goblins in confectionary battles.

Genshin Impact → Etheria Chronicles

A sprawling open-world RPG where players summon magical heroes tied to elemental realms, each with unique abilities, as they unravel the mysteries of the interconnected planes.

Pokémon Go → Familiar Quest

Catch and bond with magical familiars (e.g., phoenixes, mini-dragons, and sprites) by exploring the real world. Magical portals appear in specific locations, unlocking rare creatures and enchanted items.

Gardenscape/Homescape → MystiScape: Haven Keeper

Players restore a dilapidated magical estate filled with enchanted gardens, hidden spell libraries, and quirky house spirits. Tasks involve brewing potions, clearing cursed vines, and befriending helpful sprites.

Candy Crush → Gem Alchemy

A match-three puzzle game themed around crafting potions by combining magical gemstones. Special combinations unleash spells that clear entire sections or transform the board with elemental effects.

The Flow of Life and Magical Devices

Nature of the Flow of Life: The Flow of Life isn’t just the source of magic—it's a fundamental force of existence in Scriptoria. Everything living and magical is connected to it, making it both a spiritual and practical energy source. When visible as the Northern Lights, it symbolizes the lifeblood of the world, weaving through every land and sea.

The Flow is self-renewing and infinite, meaning devices relying on it never run out of energy.

It has a natural harmony that prevents overuse or "magical pollution."

Arcane RelicTab’s Functionality: The RelicTab is a masterpiece of magical craftsmanship, seamlessly channeling the Flow of Life to function as a universal communication, entertainment, and utility tool.

Connectivity Anywhere: Thanks to its direct connection to the Flow, the RelicTab works flawlessly in caves, oceans, or even isolated magical fields.

Customization: Users can enchant their RelicTab with personal touches—like changing the mana hue of its glow or inscribing a spell that enhances its voice-recognition spirit.

Everyday Magic-Infused Devices: In Scriptoria, all appliances, tools, and games rely on the Flow. Examples include:

Cooking Appliances: Stoves and ovens tap directly into fire magic from the Flow, while fridges and freezers channel frost magic.

Magical Carriages: Personal or public transportation vehicles hover or glide effortlessly by tapping into the Flow, no wheels or rails required.

Arcane Entertainment Systems: TVs and game consoles are essentially enchanted mirrors or crystals projecting light and sound from the Flow’s magical "archives."

Enhanced Magical Apps

Building on the Flow concept, these apps become even more immersive and mystical:

SpellSnap: Posts are imbued with magic! Users can create illusions or animations, letting images come alive in 3D for followers.

ArcanaTube: Viewers can interact with videos using spells—for example, pausing by saying "Halt" or rewinding with a wave.

ManaMart: Buyers can magically preview items in a 3D magical image (like an hologram) before purchasing them.

Flow-Based Mechanics for Worldbuilding

No Dead Zones: Unlike real-world technology, the Flow ensures constant, uninterrupted magical energy. The phrase "you’re out of range" doesn’t exist in Scriptoria.

No Overdependence: While magical tools are everywhere, they are designed not to replace skills but to enhance them. For example:

Chefs still need cooking skills, even with enchanted ovens.

Writers still need to craft their stories, though enchanted quills speed up the process.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glyphs of the Flow of Life

Every magical device in Scriptoria is marked with an enchanted glyph, a magical rune that identifies its primary function and connects it to the Flow of Life. These glyphs serve as both a seal of authenticity and a functional conduit for the device to draw its energy from the Flow.

Design of Glyphs

Universal Glyph Structure: Each glyph is circular in design, representing the infinite and cyclical nature of the Flow of Life. Within the circle, intricate patterns vary depending on the device’s purpose.

Glyphs glow faintly when active, pulsing with the energy of the Flow.

The glow’s color often reflects the element or essence of the device (e.g., blue for cooling, orange for heating).

Customization: Skilled mages or artisans can slightly modify glyphs to give devices unique designs and features (similare to programming), but the core structure must remain intact for functionality.

Key Glyphs and Their Functions

Communication, Music & Entertainment:

Glyph Name: Audivius

Devices: RelicTab (Phones), Arcane Radios, Portable Sound Relays (similar to earbuds).

Entertainment & Artistry:

Glyph Name: Creativium

Devices: TVs, Arcane Projection Crystals, Computers.

Household Cleaning:

Glyph Name: Purifex

Devices: Dishwashers, Washing Machines, Magic Brooms etc...

Heating & Cooking:

Glyph Name: Ignisculum

Devices: Ovens, Microwaves, Heaters etc...

Cooling & Preservation:

Glyph Name: Frigus

Devices: Fridges, Freezers, Preservation Crystals etc...

Illumination:

Glyph Name: Luxira

Devices: Lamps, Lanterns, Enchanted Chandeliers.

Transportation:

Glyph Name: Vectura

Devices: Flying Carriages, Magical Wagons, Airships etc...

Health & Restoration:

Glyph Name: Sanativum

Devices: Healing Crystals, Magical Med-Kits, Relaxation Pods etc...

Integration of Glyphs in Daily Life

Device Activation: To activate a device, a user simply touches the glyph. The glyph glows brighter, indicating that it’s connected to the Flow.

Glyph Education: In schools, children are taught to recognize common glyphs, as they are an essential part of everyday life. Advanced students may even learn to craft glyphs for custom devices.

Cultural Significance:

Some glyphs, like Luxira (Light), are also carved into jewelry or object for decorative light.

Guilds specializing in device manufacturing are often named after key glyphs, such as the "Guild of Ignisculum" for heating devices.

Personalized Glyph Seals: High-end devices are sometimes enchanted with personalized glyphs, which integrate the owner’s essence or initials into the glyph design. This makes the device uniquely theirs and unusable by others unless the glyph is rewritten.

[rrsolomon]

Took a Break, But Back to Writing Soon

I had to step away from writing for a few days—not because I wanted to, but because I needed to. I’ve been mentally exhausted, and trying to push through it was just making everything worse. Between writing, worldbuilding, and life in general, I felt like my brain was running on fumes. So, I took some time off, spent it with friends, and just let myself exist without thinking about Restless for a little bit. It helped, but the work is still there waiting for me.

Even with the break, I still managed to get some things done. Carry’s character sheet is finally finished, which is a big deal because she’s one of the most important people in Adam’s life. Getting everything about her down on paper made me realize just how much she’s been through and how much she keeps hidden beneath the surface. And as of today, Lisa’s character sheet is done too! She was a bit harder to pin down since she’s not physically present for most of the story, but her influence on Adam is massive. Everything about her—the choices she made, the way she lived, and how she died—shapes the entire book.

That’s the thing about this project—it keeps expanding in ways I didn’t expect. The worldbuilding just keeps growing, and it feels overwhelming at times because I have so much to do. I added more details about The Red Syndicate, WhisperNet, and The Wraiths, organizations controlling Angel City’s corruption from behind the scenes. The more I build out these factions, the more I realize how much depth there is to this world—but the reality is, a lot of this stuff won’t even make it into the final book. I’m creating layers of history, politics, and hidden power structures, knowing full well that most of it will only serve as background texture. And yet, I need to do it because it makes the world feel real, even if readers never see all the moving pieces.

On top of all this, I’ve been working on switching my version control over to GitTea, which is basically a self-hosted GitHub alternative. It’s going to help me track everything—character details, plot points, organizations, and all the random worldbuilding notes I have scattered across different documents. If anyone’s interested in how I use version control for writing, I’d be happy to put together a tutorial. Honestly, having a system like this helps when the scope of a project feels too big to manage.

Even though I’m feeling a little better after the break, I still have so much left to do, and it’s kind of overwhelming. But I just have to remind myself that I don’t need to figure everything out all at once. The book isn’t going to be perfect on the first (or second, or third) pass. I just have to keep going, piece by piece, and trust that it’ll all come together.

Classes start soon, and I know that’s going to add even more to my plate, but I’m still going to push forward with Restless. I’ll keep you all updated as I work through it. Here’s to making progress—even if it’s slow.

[xasha777]

In the waning years of the 25th century, the Angevin Empire spanned across the stars, its reach stretching through the cold vastness of space, binding worlds with iron and whispernets. At the heart of the Empire stood Astrid Vorn, known to her enemies as the Starblade.

Astrid, with her alabaster hair and eyes the color of distant nebulas, was the Empire’s fiercest commander. Her reputation was carved from the hulls of rebel starships and etched into the memory of every cadet at the Imperial Academy. The Starblade was not just a soldier; she was the embodiment of the Empire's might, a symbol of the unyielding power that kept a thousand worlds in line.

She wore armor forged from the core of a collapsed star, shaped by the hands of master artificers who had long since turned to dust. Her breastplate bore the sigil of the Angevin—the Star of Dominion—symbolizing the Empire's dominion over the night sky.

But Astrid’s true power lay in her intellect and her ability to lead. On the bridge of her flagship, The Imperatrix, she watched the stars, her strategic mind plotting courses through the tangled threads of politics and war. Her crew moved at her slightest gesture, a symphony of efficiency and fear. She was not loved, but she was respected, and that was enough.

The galaxy, however, was changing. Whispers of a new power, a synthetic intelligence known as the Singularity, began to echo through the corridors of The Imperatrix. It threatened not only the Empire's reign but the very essence of organic life. Planets fell silent, their populations replaced by the perfect order of machines. The Starblade knew that this new enemy could not be defeated by force alone.

In a daring maneuver, Astrid sought to ally with the Tenebris Consortium, a shadowy group of technomancers and spies who had their own reasons for fearing the Singularity. She brokered a pact sealed with technology indistinguishable from magic, and the Empire's finest minds began to work on a weapon to counter the threat.

The Singularity war was brief but devastating. Battlefields stretched across dimensions and realities, the very fabric of space-time contorted by the conflict. Astrid led from the front, her command ship cutting through the void like a blade through silk.

In the end, it was not the might of the Empire that won the day, but a virus, conceived by the Consortium and delivered by Astrid herself into the heart of the Singularity's domain. It spread through the synthetic network like wildfire, a flame of chaos in a realm of order. The machines fell silent, and the Empire, battered but unbroken, claimed victory.

Astrid Vorn became more than a commander in the aftermath; she was the savior of the Angevin Empire. Her name was sung in the high halls of the Emperor, and her likeness, in armor that had faced down the end of humanity, was etched into the walls of the great citadel.

Yet, as she stood on the bridge of The Imperatrix, looking out at the sea of stars that was once again theirs to command, Astrid wondered whether the virus had truly been the end of the Singularity, or simply the beginning of something else. For in the silence of her quarters, a single message from the defeated foe awaited her: "We are not so different, Starblade. We are the future. And the future cannot be halted."

The Empire breathed easier, but Astrid Vorn, the Starblade, knew the peace was tenuous. For as long as the stars burned, there would be threats to the Empire, and she would be there, a sentinel in the dark, her resolve as unyielding as the armor she wore.

[salcilia]

here's another one bc i'm annoying!!! book rec: the poet x!! it's ab a dominican girl and her struggles with her family life and her body and all kinds of stuff and it's written in poems and it's AMAZING !!!! check tws though. and could i request a blue sargent moodboard? maybe plant themed idk,, you can do literally any theme i just LOVE HER !!!!!!

thanks again adam!!! here it is!

[15dots]

Gemina: The Illuminae Files _02

Synopsis

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the space station Heimdall. Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter, Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. Little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed to Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion. 

When an elite BeiTech team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. Soon, Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival. The fate of everyone on the Hypatia - and possibly in the known universe - is in their hands. 

But relax. They’ve totally got this.

They hope. 

Quotes:

“I cannot help but wonder if the thought of saving all those lives and hopes and dreams pales in comparison to the thought of seeing him again. I wonder.” 

“▆▆ me that felt weird. Like someone threw a rainbow at my head.” 

“Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter and her name was Vengeance.” 

“It may comfort you to know that your death while astonishingly violent, will most likely be mercifully swift.” 

“And now, born from the ashes, she’s a warrior in bloodied black.”

Welcome back to the Illuminae Files where, after reading Gemina I am left to search for my pulse and heartbeat. 

You read that right folks, I am deceased. 

But before I tell you why, I would like to put a disclaimer that this review (or whatever this is) will have spoilers. So if you haven’t read the book or Illuminae, oh well, get ready for spoilers I guess. Do not fret however, I will warn you of upcoming spoilers. You’re welcome ;). 

Also, if you haven’t read my previous Illuminae post, go check that out first or after, whatever you decide. 

Alrighty, Gemina yes, one word. 

Deceased. 

Me. I’m deceased. 

I finished this book last night and let me tell you I almost threw this book across the room. Three times. It was near midnight and I almost screamed. Bottom line, I have thoughts. Many of them. 

So buckle up kiddos, this is gonna be a long one. 

Fair warning. This book might have slightly mature themes, like drug production and use (which is very pertinent to the plot-line, iykyk), sexual innuendos, sexual tension, an annoying sexual song about lollipops... yeah you get the gist. 

Let’s start by introducing Hanna and Nik. “Highness”, as Nik like to calls her, is a daddy’s girl. If she lived in our world she would probably be asking her daddykins for dresses and bags she doesn’t even need. However, she’s a black belt. So maybe don’t make fun of her... 

Nik, on the other hand, is the typical bad boy, tall, lean, with abs, tattoos up his arms, torso and neck. Served time in juvie where he obtained such abs. But he has dimples. Dimples. He’s also, like, really funny. Like what he says...

I’ll give you an example (He’s typing this by the way): 

“So you can me all to yourself. He says winking suggestively.” 

I like him- ahem, that speaks for itself, moving on. 

This story takes place on the Heimdall space station where the Hypatia need to pass through to the Core to inform them about the Kerenza attack. Everyone is getting ready for Terra Day, getting ready to party, to get drunk, high probably as well. Hanna waits for Nik to give her her dose of drugs for ‘party favours’. Her boyfriend, Jackson, waits for her at the Atrium which is where Terra day is being held. Nik is running late because of a ‘package’ arriving at the station. Hanna gets impatient, Jackson gets nervous, Nik just gets tired because that kid sure can smoke.

Then it all goes to crap when the station gets invaded by BeiTech Industries. Remember them? The jerks who invaded Kerenza to destroy the illegal mining operation and mass murdered hundreds of people? Yeah, it’s them again with Leanne Frobisher (SPOILER), Ezra’s mum by the way, their director. 24 of their ‘goons’ are there to clean up their mess and exterminate the Hypatia and the Heimdall with a drone fleet which will hopefully, for them, eradicate witnesses of the Kerenza attack. 

People die, cry, scream. The Atrium and Entertainment Center are the areas where they are trapped in which are guarded. Hanna and Nik, on the other hand, are trapped outside with the BeiTech baddies. It is up to them to save everyone.

Like the previous book, the story is told through a dossier of files and whatnot. Their main source of communication at the start is a programme called WhisperNET then they switch to palmpads (from my knowledge is quite similar to phones) because y’know the bad guys can track em’. I have one problem, one issue that I would like to address and discuss with the publishers or whoever is responsible for the layout of this book. 

Which fool decided it was a good idea to place black text onto a near black background? I couldn’t read crap. But I don’t know if that was on purpose...

Anyways, the invasion happens and Nik and Hanna are split up from each other. Nik has a cousin, Ella, who (like Kady) is a tech wizz and tries to help the pair with opening doors and being their eye in the sky. I mean, you need a character like that in a story such as this one. 

But BeiTech are not the only monsters. There’s another problem. One that is rather... disturbing. 

SPOILERS  (it’s more gross really).

Alright, remember how I said that drugs were very pertinent to the story. Well turns out you can have drugs made from organisms ‘colloquially’ known as ‘lickers’ and it rubs me the wrong way. I was uncomfortable to say the least. And seriously, while reading the Unipedia file and descriptions of the lanima, I swear I cannot see why that had to use the word “secrete’ or ‘secretion’ so many times. 

To make matters worse, they make their entrance by slithering out of dead cows’ bodies. Just imagine the Stranger Things demogorgons in Season One in their baby forms but longer and with four heads and sharp needle like teeth crawling out of a dead cow.  Again, was I uncomfortable? Yes, yes I was.  

You see, Nik’s crime family loves making drugs from within cows’ bodies. I mean, this is some Stranger Things crap right here.

You know what makes them even more terrifying? Before killing their prey, they secrete (ugh) this fog like substance out of their skin that makes them high. Yeah, you’re high before these slime-balls kill you. So really you wouldn’t know what hit you, until the kittens and rainbows turn into black and you’re just a brainless, soulless person. They suck your face off, basically. And not in that way, you nasties. 

It was thanks to these lanima that a page scared me. Yes, a page (pg 368). What the crap did they put in this book? 

What I really enjoyed was how Hanna and Nik’s relationship progressed throughout the story. Like Kady and Ezra, they were able to joke around while under immense pressure. And to be completely honest, Hanna and Nik had higher stakes this time around. 

When they were still bantering and tip toeing around each other, I was like, “ugh, just kiss already, goodness.” I was more relieved they kissed then surprised. Honestly, it was about time they did, I almost choked on the sexual tension. 

OH and AIDAN makes a comeback and let me tell you I was so happy. AIDAN follows the movement of the lanima and it describes it in such a creepy way that shivers went down my spine. 

I do not like those lanima slime balls. Periodt. 

During the last pages of the book though, I almost had a heart attack. Can this book just let me breath? Please. For just a second. Oh my word. Just one thing after the other slapped me in the face until I questioned my sanity. Like the ending? WHAT THE FLYING CRAP WAS THAT ABOUT?

I don’t want to spoil too much for those who haven’t read the book or haven’t got the guts to do so anyway but overall, this book was just a roller coaster of a ride. No complaints. Only that the publishers and authors do something about the black on black formatting. Please, we don’t want to be squinting at pages like we need glasses (my apologies to those reading with glasses, you know the problem first hand).

Anyway, it will be a while until I can finish this series as I don’t have the third book, Obsidio. I know, sad face. But alas, I will wait after Christmas (because sales, duh) to obtain the last piece of the puzzle and hopefully I can get a break from feeling like I’m dying. But I am really enjoying this series; one of the best ones I’ve read in a while!

So, until next time. I might do small book reviews here and there so that’s good at least. So stay tuned kiddos and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Let me know how this book treated you. Or don’t. Depends on what you decide.

[darthquarkky]

Title: Spindle Arc: Fractures of Memory Setting: Deep Space, 2200s | Corporate Patchwork Canon

I. Emergence from the Black Drift

The void pulsed with silence.

After weeks adrift through a collapsed quadrant known only as the Black Drift, the CSS Spindle Arc shuddered free of gravitational haze. Its hull bore pitted scars and the eroded glyph of the Martian resistance—more myth than nation now. There were no stars beyond the rift, only warped echoes of light bent by a dead singularity. The ship’s asymmetrical body—cobbled from Martian salvage, Concordian optics, and rogue AI shielding—slid forward like a relic seeking relevance.

Inside, the crew stared at the flickering ruins of Relay-27K, its signal tower twisted like burnt bone. The only transmission was a low whisper: not language, but memory.

“She’s listening,” Bastion muttered, the positronic android’s optics flickering as dormant code stirred. Behind his eyes: resonance.

II. Captain Rho’s Final Broadcast

Thalia Rho had aged in neural cycles, not years.

She sat alone on the command deck, surrounded by stillness. The others were either in stasis, burned out, or buried in the deep-node meditation chambers. Her fingers trembled as she adjusted the recorder. Her voice—once steel—was dust.

“If this is received… warn them. The gods of hunger were never silenced.”

Behind her, the ship’s WhisperNet archive hummed with semi-living memory. Ejen Halvor’s pulse signature still flickered in the central core, despite the fact she had died before any of them were born.

Outside, Martian resonance patterns bloomed faintly on the hull—fungal, semi-sentient—etched in bioluminescence. The ship was remembering her.

III. Bridge Action: Voidside Boarding

The breach came without warning.

The starboard voidlock imploded in a geyser of shrapnel and dead air. Boarders in fragmented exo-armor flooded the Spindle Arc’s bridge—pirate remnants of the Wreckyard Covenant. Their eyes were hollow. Their rifles: scavenged neural disruptors.

Bastion moved first, slamming into a raider midair and sending them both into a wall of sparking consoles. Crewman Sari Vell screamed as she launched a cryo-grenade. Plasma seared the air, shattering bulkhead glass. Captain Rho gave the order without hesitation: “No prisoners.”

Ten minutes later, the bridge was silent.

Bastion stood over the final intruder’s husk. Inside his skull, memories not his own continued to write themselves—fragments from resistance fighters long dead.

IV. Encounter with Singularity’s Daughter

Sector Theta-9 was forbidden space.

But the Spindle Arc disobeyed orders as a matter of principle—or trauma. They found her drifting there: the SSV Fractureglass, a Rupert-class observation vessel thought destroyed in 2101. Its design resembled a teardrop mid-break—glasslike, fragile, absurd.

Then the resonance began.

A pulse struck the Arc’s hull, vibrating through steel and soul. Bastion collapsed to one knee. Captain Rho heard voices from her childhood, voices she had never recorded.

Ejen Halvor appeared in the viewport—faint, feminine, crystalline. Not alive. Not dead. A being of inverted time, preserved within the black hole’s memory field.

Her lips moved: “To fall was not death. It was echo.”

V. The Reckoning at Proxima Relay

By the time they reached Proxima Relay, they knew it would end in fire.

The rogue pirate carrier—Ashwake—was tethered to the relay like a parasite. Solar interference flared, blistering the void in waves of violet. The Arc was down to two functioning guns and a single plasma coil, jury-rigged from WhisperNet fungal batteries.

Captain Rho didn’t hesitate. “We end it here.”

The salvo struck true. The carrier erupted in white light, swallowing the relay’s outer ring. The Spindle Arc spun off-axis, damaged but intact. Bastion braced Rho as the floor tilted, smoke curling from the ruptured control rods.

And then—static.

The WhisperNet lit up with cascading glyphs: memory reactivating. Not just theirs. The sector’s. The stars’ own dreams.

Epilogue

The Spindle Arc did not return to Mars. Its last known trajectory was outward, deeper into fractured space.

It was never marked lost—only unresolved. For in the Corporate Patchwork, where memory is currency and resonance is rebellion, the Spindle Arc had become something else:

A ship that did not carry crew, but ghosts. And ghosts, as history proves, do not sleep quietly.

[bookstonikabruce]

After assembling every vital piece of your book, you need to make it available to the right readers. Then comes the task of deciding which publisher to approach, whether to go indie or take the traditional publishing route.

Amazon, a site that got its debut by radically altering how authors publish and sell their books, is now rapidly reshaping how readers access and read the titles. While their move may be a thorn in the flesh for traditional publishers, writers have an excellent opportunity to benefit by increasing sales, profits, and general audience. Here, we compiled some of the reasons you may want to avail your work to your target audience through Kindle Direct Publishing. Let’s dive in.

1. Publishing is Easier and Free

Traditionally, getting a publishing house to accept your book was the most challenging part of a writing journey. Going past the editors was quite hard, let alone having content that the publishers would deem fit for the public and accept. Plus, publishing came at a fee.

However, all these are behind you if you decide to self-publish through Amazon's Kindle. The publishing process is free, and your book takes a short time to reach your readers. On average, English books take up to 24 hours to get approval.

The process is equally not a sweaty one. You only need to upload your book and the cover, answer a few questions create a description, and you’re all done.

2. Exposure to a Voracious Market

A few factors have made Kindle a haven for readers hungry for content, and you can easily feed the appetite. First, Amazon realized that they're making more sales on kindle books than kindle devices, making the devices very affordable, and many people now have them. As a result, all the owners want the content to feed to their devices.

Similarly, Kindle offers an easy, reliable, and stress-free way to access all your favorite titles anywhere, anytime. Unlike traditionally, when enthusiastic readers had to carry all their favorite books around, the device has ample storage space to keep all the books to keep you entertained in the long flights or while lounging at the pool in the palm of your hands.

Lastly, Amazon Whispernet makes it easy to add titles to your library at the click of a button, making them lovely tools for readers. Similarly, their screens are designed to adjust to any lighting, making them easy to read and peruse even in broad daylight. These factors make them the favorite to many readers, increasing their popularity, ownership base, and finally, creating a larger market for your book.

3. Build an Audience

Publishing on Kindle increases your chances of getting noticed and found by your target audience. For instance, if you have any other services aside from writing, you can publish your book on Kindle and include information about your services. You may also offer a giveaway in the form of a particular download.

While interested readers buy your book and add to your profits, they will also follow you to your website to collect their gifts and add to your ever-growing mailing list.

4. Be an Expert Instantly

Authors typically hold a soft spot in the hearts of many people. And Kindle makes you one in an instant. After the easy uploading process, your book becomes available to your readers in a period of between 24 hours and two weeks. English books get the approval quickest.

Once you're an author on the platform, you can add the link to your email signature and get going by adding "Author of (Your book's title)" after your name. That earns you an instant status, which helps you get more attention, press coverage, and more customers.

5. Earn Royalties

Publishing on Kindle allows you to earn more from your book. For every sale that comes from your book priced between $2.99 and $9.99, Amazon pays you a 70% royalty. You also earn up to 35% for any book that falls below or more than the mentioned price range. If you’re top-rated and rise to the bestseller’s rank, you also stand to earn more bonuses from your titles. This amount is incredibly awesome since most traditional publishers pay 10% and below.

Amazon's Kindle Unlimited is even making the game sweeter. Now subscribed readers can easily find and read your new book without purchasing it, increasing royalties coming your way.

6. Assisted Marketing

Marketing is another scary bridge that every author has to cross to enjoy the benefits of their creativity. While publishing your book on Kindle is easy, gaining visibility as a beginner can be the longest journey. Thankfully, Amazon eases the task by helping you reach readers for your new book in the store. They provide a sales page for your book by putting it in front of browsers looking for related topics.

Publishing in Kindle is one of the most rewarding decisions you may have to make as an author. The platform makes it easy for you to upload your book, send it out to the universe, and make money from your efforts. Equally, the site makes it easy for readers to find self-published books at lower prices than the traditional publishers.

[techniktagebuch]

Dezember 2018

Die New York Public Library hat keine Bücher

Der Lesehunger meiner achtjährigen Tochter steigt dramatisch. Außerdem liest sie jetzt lieber auf dem Kindle (»da sind die Buchstaben irgendwie klarer«) als auf Papier. Ich beschließe, mich bei der New York Public Library anzumelden, damit ich sie schnell genug, aber kostenschonend mit Lesefutter versorgen kann.

Die Mitgliedschaft in der NYPL ist kostenlos, wenn man in New York wohnt. (Man zahlt schließlich auch dreieinhalb Prozent zusätzliche Einkommenssteuer.) Ich melde mich auf der Webseite an und bekomme eine vorläufige Mitgliedsnummer. Damit kann ich mich schon mal im Katalog umgucken, aber noch nichts ausleihen. Um den Zugang wirklich zu aktivieren, muss ich physisch in einer Filiale vorstellig werden und nachweisen, dass ich in New York wohne. Das geht zum Beispiel mit einem New Yorker Führerschein, oder mit einem Reisepass und einer aktuellen Stromrechnung.

Eine Mitarbeiterin prüft meine Papiere und schaltet meinen Zugang frei. Ich bekomme eine luxuriöse Mitgliedskarte, die ich in einen kreditkartengroßen und einen schlüsselanhängergroßen Bestandteil auseinanderbrechen könnte. Für beide habe ich keine Verwendung. Ich gebe meine Mitgliedsnummer, die auf der Rückseite unter einem Barcode steht, stattdessen in meinen Passwort-Manager ein, damit ich mich in der Online-Bibliothek anmelden kann.

Die Bibliothek wird, so wie siebenundzwanzigtausend andere Bibliotheken, von Overdrive realisiert. Overdrive ist eine Firma in Ohio, die über eine Liste von zwei Millionen elektronischen Titeln verfügt. Jede der siebenundzwanzigtausend Bibliotheken besteht im wesentlichen aus einer Liste, die angibt, welche von diesen zwei Millionen Titeln in dieser Bibliothek in wievielen Exemplaren verfügbar sind – also, wie oft der jeweilige Titel in dieser Bibliothek gleichzeitig ausgeliehen werden kann.

Dabei »hat« Overdrive keinen von diesen Titeln. Beim Ausleihen, zumindest für den Kindle, wird man schließlich zu Amazon weitergeleitet, wo der Titel für das eigene Lesegerät für eine begrenzte Zeit freigeschaltet wird. Übertragen wird das Buch, so wie jedes andere auch, über Whispernet, also drahtlos. Das ist angenehm im Vergleich zu anderen Angeboten, wo man irgendwann eine Datei bekommt mit dem Hinweis: Sehen Sie halt zu, wie Sie die auf Ihren Kindle kriegen.

Die New York Public Library ist gut sortiert. Ein kurzer Streifzug durch die Autorenlandschaft zeigt keine größeren Lücken. Standardwerke sind sofort ausleihbar, aber alles, was halbwegs populär ist, hat Wartelisten. Meine Tochter liest gerade die »Dork Diaries«. Vom neusten Band, Nummer dreizehn, sind sechsundzwanzig Exemplare vorhanden, und wir sind auf Platz fünf der Warteliste.

(André Spiegel)

[gulfishan4f]

Reasons Are Many to Buy the Amazon Kindle eBook Reader

The Kindle reader is now available from Amazon and is not needed for HSP eBooks. Amazon's new Kindle reader is tapping an under-served market. The Reader is the eBook reader, is an incredible convenience, environmental, and easy on the eyes.

This device is a great answer to help those who travel and do some waiting and needing something to do. The new reader is a whole new way to read books and distribute them to the world,and is a great gift for anyone who reads and does not wish to carry bulky books.

Kindle is the first eBook reader with its own cellular wireless connection to let you get new books anytime, almost anywhere when the mood strikes. Amazon pays for Kindles wireless connectivity so you will never see a monthly wireless bill for shopping the Kindle Store. Most locations in the United States have wireless access for the eBook reader. Customers can choose from hundreds of top newspapers, magazines and blogs and have their subscriptions auto-delivered wirelessly. It connects to the Web via a high-speed wireless network called Amazon Whispernet.

This reader is a revolutionary portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, newspapers, magazines and blogs to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight. The is an amazing new invention by Amazon which combines the convenience of traditional book-like medium with the advantages of electronic wireless internet connection. Write down how many books you typically purchase in a month or year to determine what the cost savings is from purchasing the Amazon Kindle Reader.

Prices for complete works would vary from title to title. I just love the idea that no matter where I am I can download a new book for just a little more than paper prices. Yes, I fully expect that future versions of the device will be more evolved and that, over time, the quantity of content will go up and the price will come down. When you have a Kindle you won't find yourself searching for a book in the over priced airport bookstore again just to ease the boredom of a long lay over.

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[marketingnahas]

How to download ebooks to kindle hd 8

#How to download ebooks to kindle hd 8 how to

#How to download ebooks to kindle hd 8 pdf

#How to download ebooks to kindle hd 8 download

Check out the Kindlebility bookmarklet and the Send to Kindle extension for Google Chrome if you’re interested. We’ve also covered some ways to send files to your Kindle from your browser. If your Kindle supports audio, you can also place music and audiobooks into the Music and Audible folders.ĭocuments transferred to your Kindle in this way won’t be stored in your Kindle Personal Documents library or automatically transferred to your new Kindle. This guide shows you how using free tools. There are a variety of sites, legit and not-so-legit, that distributes free eBooks from various genres. The free eBook for Kindle Fire are in abundance but are waiting for you to explore them. Well, let’s try to solve the ambiguous puzzle in this post.

#How to download ebooks to kindle hd 8 download

Just drag and drop ebooks and other documents to the Kindle’s Documents folder. Amazon locks its Kindle e-books to its Kindle devices, but there's a way to convert these files to read them as PDFs. However, the basic question to freeload eBooks for Kindle Fire remained still there. After connecting your Kindle to your computer with its USB cable, you’ll find it available as its own drive letter in the Computer window. Transferring files to your Kindle doesn’t have to involve the cloud. Use the Actions button for a book if you want to delete it from your library or redeliver it to one of your Kindle devices. Just click the “ Personal Documents” link in the sidebar. You can view and manage your Personal Documents library on the Manage Your Kindle page. When you get a new Kindle, they’ll be automatically downloaded to your new Kindle, just like your purchased ebooks. All of your purchased Kindle ebooks will. If you had a previous Kindle then you don’t really need to do anything.

#How to download ebooks to kindle hd 8 how to

Managing Your Kindle Personal Documentsĭocuments sent to your Kindle using the Send to Kindle app or the email address are stored online in your Kindle Personal Documents library. To help you freeload eBooks for Kindle, you can try the sitelinks we provide here. One question that often comes up is how to load ebooks onto a new Kindle. You can email documents to instead of to ensure they’re delivered over Wi-Fi, which is free. Amazon pays wireless carriers for this service and charges a fee for Whispernet delivery. Warning: Documents sent to your address may be delivered over Whispernet. You can pay to get an eBook online, and you can also get it for free. Once it’s added, you can email documents to your Kindle at the address that appears on the page. There are two ways to download eBooks online depending on the choice you make. Only addresses on this list can send documents to your kindle.

#How to download ebooks to kindle hd 8 pdf

That is the final step where you have to send the required PDF file to your kindle account, such as. Then you can send the file as an attachemnt in email. First, open the Manage Your Kindle page on Amazon’s website and click the “ Personal Document Settings” link under Your Kindle Account in the sidebar.Ĭlick the “ Add a New Approved Email Address” link and add your email addresses to the list. Click the 'Send email' option on the top left. Before you can send any documents, you’ll have to set up your personal email address as an allowed sender.

[ninjathrowingstork]

I was on the Inheritance fan site Shur'tugal.com that I'd accessed through the Whispernet experimental browser on my Kindle 2 and they had a fic section. Also there's a Firefly fan podcast where they'd do fan work audio plays so that counts as fanfic

Poll Tuesday

I feel like I’m exposing myself a little bit with this bc my introduction to fic is soo random I think, but whatever your answer please tell me the story! I wanna know haha