#cancelling my internet to change providers..........

[mekanikaltrifle]

Firestarter by the Prodigy will surely make dealing with ISP live chat easier.

[kangaracha]

QUEENMAKER | CHAPTER 28

---

pairing chan x reader

genre ninth member au, angst, fluff, coming of age, social media, cancel culture, anxiety, depression, forbidden love,

summary To JYPE, the solution is simple; take the sole trainee that will not debut with your brand new girl group, and use her to replace the missing vocalist in your male group that insisted on starting as nine.

Unfortunately, to the fans and the members themselves, it isn't that simple.

status ongoing

taglist OPEN

a/n if there's any random typing in here it's because i leant on the keyboard when my internet went out while trying to upload things, which was a harrowing experience when the internet from two seperate providers went out at the same time and considering the state of the world. anyway it's fine, australia is fine, carry on.

previous | masterlist | next

---

Boxing Day dawns bright and cold and clear-headed, exactly the opposite of the sleepy fog that follows you through your morning routine and out the door, into the cars that will take you and every other idol you can think of to the large stadium that you'll perform in today.

"You're puffy," Changbin says as you stare out the window, watching the freeway slide by. You think he's going to pinch your cheek for a moment; but his hovering hand turns to his own hair instead, trying to ruffle the fringe he'd barely bothered to brush into its place. "Did you sleep?"

"A bit," you answer, and rub at your face with your hands even though you know it won't help. "It'll go away by the time we perform. Don't worry about it."

"You should keep it like that," Hyunjin says, twisting in his seat to get a good look at you. "It's cute."

"Cuter than Changbin?" you ask, making a heart next to your cheek. 

The sputtering and uproar from the seat next to you makes you smile, as does Hyunjin's returning nod. "The most cute," he promises in English, one syllable at a time. "I'm obsessed with you."

"But not with me?" Changbin asks, pouting.

Their conversation continues over your head, even when you smile and tune out, turning back to the window to steal a few more moments to wake yourself up. Sleep had eluded you for most of the night. You'd decided several hours ago that it was stupid, lying there and worrying about a single, tiny thing Minseo had said in passing, and in the light of morning your opinion is no different, but that hadn't changed a thing; when your chest locks up and your mind starts to spin, around and around past all of the possibilities it can come up with, there is just no way to sleep, and when you lie there and you realise that you have to get up in four hours, three hours, two-

Stop thinking about it. It wasn't so hard, in a car full of boys in the daytime, when there's so much else to see and do. It's even easier when you arrive and are plunged into the chaos of backstage, passing by dressing rooms and last-minute rehearsals and meetings between friends in the hallways, all around the teams of staff that run back and forth, ensuring that the day really will go on as planned. There's so much else to think about then, so many things lying ahead of you before you even get on stage, that you get caught right up in the whirlwind of it, forgetting that you were ever tired or worried about anything, or even that your body still hurts from the week before.

It feels like you blink and you are walking down a hallway towards the place Skijigi have chosen to film with Midnight; a bright, open atrium, against a temporary wall of black barriers. Nothing to distract viewers from the facing, no chance of accidentally catching another group in the corner of the video. No way to keep the eagle-eyes of fans away from you, whether or not you still remember the choreography you learned all the way back in May.

Chan's fingers squeeze your wrist as you walk together, letting go again just as subtly as he'd picked it up. You look at him questioningly, and find, not for the first time today, yourself wondering how he looks so good when he has slept just as little as you.

"Okay?" he asks, and doesn't elaborate to any of the ears listening around you.

For that, you're grateful, even as you only give him a tight nod and an acerbic reply that is only half as funny as it's supposed to be. He smiles in pity at your bad joke. You step around the corner first to save yourself the embarrassment of it.

"Y/Nnie!" Minseo's smiling face greets you as soon as you step into view, her strong arms dragging you into a hug. Her embrace is warm and welcoming, a familiar presence that you'd once spent every day with, thinking you would spend your life as sisters, of a kind. It's so distracting that for a moment, you didn't even notice Ellie standing by her shoulder. You see her when you draw away from Minseo, greeting Chan like he is an old friend; and it is like you'd summoned her just from the thought of her last night. The bright smile, the bubble of her voice, the slip of her tongue straight into casual Korean, as if she has known him her whole life...

You don't know what to grab onto, in the storm of emotion that starts its uneasy eddy in your chest. You focus instead on Minseo, drowning out the teasing joke that Ellie says to Chan with the sound of her voice instead.

"I really thought you wouldn't listen to me," Minseo is saying, regardless of whether you're listening or not. "Did you practice the dance last night too? Or do you actually trust me?"

"It was Christmas," you answer, examining the flush of her face and the mischief glinting in her eyes instead of anything in the rest of the room. "Of course I didn't practice. Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Yes," Minseo says, deadpan. "I'm glad you care about holidays now though. I still remember at least one Christmas where you wouldn't even come out to eat with me."

"We don't need to talk about that," you say quickly, because out of the corner of your eye, you can see Chan listening. "I've learnt from my mistakes."

"Have you?" Minseo questions teasingly, one arm looping around yours as you turn to join the others' conversation.

Ellie immediately notices your attention, breaking off whatever she was saying to Chan to give you a thousand-watt smile. "Y/N!" she greets you warmly. "It's so nice to see you. I feel like we haven't talked in a million years; I swear, I run into your boys at the company all the time, but you are so hard to find."

It's hard not to believe the knowing affection in her voice and the enthusiasm with which she greets you. Because it is all real, you have to remind yourself, and convince yourself to let go of the smile that she coaxes from you. The apprehension, the green-eyed envy and the missed futures you keep worrying about whenever you look at her...that's all in your head, not hers. "I'm usually there late and leaving late," you answer awkwardly, trying to smooth the tightness of your chest.

"And still locked in a studio all day," Ellie adds for you, as impertinent as ever. "Right?"

"Right," Minseo confirms, her tongue popping on the 'T'.

"We take her out sometimes," Chan puts in from his own corner, just barely glancing at you as he speaks. "We've been on a lot of schedules recently too."

"With your smash hits in Korea and Japan," Minseo says, squeezing your arm. "It's been nearly impossible to get a hold of any of you."

Ellie nods along emphatically. "I loved your performance in Back Door, by the way," she says directly to you, her hands clasped together in front of her. "Your dancing improved so much, and your voice is like, angelic."

You duck your head in thanks - and embarrassment. "Did you hear her solo song too?" Minseo asks, eagerly adding fuel to the fire. "That's my favourite."

"Oh, yeah!" Ellie gushes. "I play it all the time, seriously, it's one of my favourite songs."

"That was all 3racha," you say quickly, waving them towards Chan like you're passing off a crime. "I just sang it. They did all the real work."

Chan's smile is wicked, as he throws it right back to you. "It wouldn't have been the same song without all of your ideas though."

"Like, one…" you say, your voice fading off at the look he gives you. "Thank you, anyway. Shouldn't we be dancing?"

"We are supposed to be on a time limit," Ellie says smoothly. "What do you want to start with?"

For some reason, everyone looks at you. Their sudden attention kind of makes you want to crawl in a hole and die. You stiffen your shoulders and reply, "Midnight's first?"

"You're right, get it out of the way," Minseo jokes, nudging you playfully. She knows you too well; as does Chan, from the look that hides in the corner of his eye. 

"I don't know the choreo, so you'll have to run through it," he says as you break apart, each finding your own space.

"Y/N doesn't remember either." Minseo flashes you a smile designed to rile you up, ignorant of the way that your heart already skips and stutters uneasily in your chest. 

Still, all that comes over your face is the fire she's looking for. "At least I know some of it," you say, one hand tossing your hair over your shoulder. "I know you haven't even bothered to look at any of ours."

The retort delights her. "That's because I kill it in five moves, babe."

"You still can't sing though."

Minseo laughs at you, louder than is polite - and for a moment, you feel a flash of the old times in the JYP practice rooms, when it was just you and her in a corner, working for a dream that looked identical. It's almost a relief, a release of the pressure you've been building in your own chest, until you hear Ellie say, "I don't know whether it's for the better or worse that they were seperated," in an aside to Chan, her smile indulgent. "I don't know if Midnight would have survived this many big personalities. We keep getting in trouble as it is."

"Stray Kids wouldn't be the same without our Y/N," Chan replies evenly, his eyes very deliberately not turning to you. 

You resolve to ignore him in kind, keeping your focus on Minseo. "Show me how to dance then, genius," you say to her alone. She says something smart in reply, but you forget to mark the words, watching instead as Ellie starts to walk Chan through the chorus, one step at a time. It takes a moment for you to drag your eyes away and focus on what you're doing instead of the fears you're making up inside your head; if Minseo notices, she doesn't say anything, just waits for you to find the first position and summon up the scrap of memory you have of the rest of the dance.

You stumble through the first run. It itches at you, the irritation at your limbs for not remembering what they're supposed to do - especially when everyone else around you picks it up so smoothly, their bodies gliding from step to step with that innate skill of adapting and remembering that you just don't seem to possess. The second practice goes smoother, and the third and fourth that you run in the back while they aren't looking. The fifth is the best, shadowing Chan as he perfects it one last time.

He's the first one to mess up a recording, at least, even if you feel like a wooden soldier, hiding in the back. You resolve to loosen up for the next one when you watch it back - even though no one else says a word about it, you stand there, peering over Minseo's shoulder, and you stare at yourself and you think you've never seen something so awkward. It's almost bad enough to make you laugh, except that it's supposed to be posted online for all the vultures to see, and Ellie is right there on your left, every line of her body perfect-

Stop it, you tell yourself firmly, and set yourself to recording until the others decide that it is done. By then, you're just happy to be done with it, to let go of that choreography again and turn back to SKZ, the music that has become your comfort zone.

"You did a great job," Ellie says as you take a sip of water, her weight bouncing on her toes. "Considering how many songs you've learnt since you left us." 

You swallow slowly, stealing time to digest the words. "Thankyou," you say when you are ready. "You guys did a great job with it. I like the changes you've made."

"We couldn't do the kick anymore," she tells you wryly, struggling not to laugh. "I almost kicked Deiji in the face one too many times."

"Are you ready for Back Door?" you ask as a manager takes away your water, fixing your shirt and your hair and glancing around for the others. "I feel like we're running out of time."

"Probably," Ellie sighs, waving her hand in the air. "The time limit is just a suggestion, isn't it?"

"Not when we have soundcheck ten minutes after this," you quip, and watch her freeze mid-action, rethinking her stance.

"Maybe we should hurry," she suggests, making you huff a laugh. "You wouldn't want to miss that." Suddenly, she snaps to attention, standing up tall and straight on her feet. "I'm ready."

"I'm here, I'm here," Minseo puts in from the side, appearing next to her. "Give it to me. Let's go."

You're not really sure, thirty seconds later, how exactly you ended up teaching the steps while Chan stands to the side, offering suggestions. You would rate yourself by far the least qualified to be teaching anything - and yet somehow, you get the job done. The others do the rest, organising the formation and ending poses, and the 'doors' at the beginning, turning you and Chan to block the camera and reveal Midnight as a surprise.

It looks good when it's done. It even almost looks like you're having fun. 

Maybe you do need to relax.

"Thank you so much, guys," Ellie says when it is over, bowing to each of you in turn. "I know you've got to go straight away, but it was so cool to get to dance with you! I can't wait for these to go up."

"No, it's nothing," Chan replies, quicker than she can think of anything else to say. "Thank you for wanting to do a video with us."

"We really have to go," you say to him, unable to ignore the ushering hand of your manager from the sidelines anymore. "See you guys around the company?" 

Your eyes turn straight to Minseo, who is still wearing the biggest, most satisfied grin on her face. "Of course," she answers for both of them. "As if you could get rid of us."

"Good," you say, like you mean it, and wave goodbye as you are near dragged away, down the hall and off towards the stage for the next part in your long day. 

---

TAGLIST

@kokinu09 @rainfallingfromthesky @lixie-phoria @mysweethannie @chlodavids

@hanniemylovelyquokka @tfshouldidohere @lauraliisa @puppysmileseungmin @kalopsian-thoughts

@puppy-minnie @readerofallthingss @dvbkie099 @kthstrawberryshortcake-main @acker-night

@d-chagi @lynlyndoll @borahae-reads @ihrtlix @yienmarkk

@minhwa @i2innie @jinnie-ret @conwunder @amesification

@starssongs98 @weirdhumanbeinglol @morinuu @the-weird-mold-in-the-sink @bokkiesplace

@amyyscorner @jiisungllvr @skzstaykatsy @blackhairandbangs @jungkookies1002

@hyuuukais @imsiriuslyreal @thatonedemigodfromseoul @gini143 @mercurywritesstuff

@splat00z @filmbypsh @palindrome969 @crabrangoongirl25 @enzos-shit

@jabmastersupriseee @kayleefriedchicken @hynjinswrld @duhgurl @cheshireshiya

@keepswingin

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Due to a series of unfortunate events (a cancellation of all direct flights for 2 days), im going to be spending between 90 minutes and three hours in IRELAND of all places. The REPUBLIC of Ireland. I was not expecting this on my american adventure.

I wont get to do any irish things but im flying both flights with Aer Lingus instead of British Airways.

Here is my review of Aer Lingus which is by extension my review of Ireland:

- Holy SHIT this airbus is half the size of the boeing i was going to take. I expected it to have insane turbulence like the KLM washing machines but honestly it's no different to the boeing

- it is nice to hear announcements made in a celtic language first again, even if it's Gaelic and not Cymraeg. I look forward to seeing the "Casnewydd/Newport" sign when i finally take the train home, it's the first symbol of being in Wales.

- We left early. EARLY. On one hand this is leagues above all my BA flights that have never left on time. On the other hand if it left just 60 seconds late, id have recieved a free change of transfer plane. Now i gotta hope we get there "early" enough for me to get through customs and find my next flight. Better prepare to run but theres not much i can do about this. I just hope British Airways dont force me to pay for a rebooked flight because they decided 60 minutes international transfer time was enough (hah!) and i dont have superhuman speed.

- Im sat by an emergency exit. This has funny side effects. I get sliiiightly more leg room, but also im sat by the exit and the door is way, way colder than any other wall in the plane. It's not bothersome but it's funny how i have a free Cooling Wall.

- Internet is about same price as BA and i can use discord (good) but i cant use youtube (very bad, you should probably only go for for the im service)

- The dinner was about the same quality as the British airways food, but they had TWO meat options instead of one. I took the Beef Stew. Very yummy. They had cheese and tomato on the side instead of the cursed tomato couscous yoghurt that looks like strawberry muesli which british airways keep serving (prison food). I also really liked the chocolate mousse, slightly easier to eat than the chocolate brownie i get with BA, but i find it weird aer lingus serve most of their drinks in tiny cartons. Why??? At least i get a tiny water bottle with BA, like a souvenir. Also theres a tinier bread roll and no cheese with it, but the cheese felt out of place anyway. Not as out of place as the tiny creamer pot i get on both airlines, with no coffee in sight. It's like a shot.

- you dont get any free alcohol on this flight, you have to pay for your 1 can can of lager. With a credit card. Mine was in the overhead locker. Thankfully a guy on my aisle was feeling generous and bought my can. Downgrade from BA including 2 alcoholic drinks in the flights

- instead of a nice pasty or bacon egg roll for breakfast they gave me a tiny carton of orange juice and a Nature Valley granola bar. Horrible

- the in flight entertainment is on a screen from 2009 instead of 1999. There is no funny controller that stops working randomly. It is a normal ass touch screen. Unfortunately i lost my provided earbuds at the start of the flight so i havent done anything with it

- no reclining chair on this airbus :( it's an overnight flight. My chair is missing an arm but i assume thats because it is by the emergency exit

- BA do this thing where they dim the lights and turn them back on an hour before arrival. Aer Lingus have decided to "dim" the lights by having these purple lights on, instead of turning them off.

More to come when i arrive at the airport

[elenor222]

sunburn

Pairing: Magnus Carlsen x reader

Fandom: chess

Words: 832

Warnings: angst, past relationship, failure

previous

Interlude: What My Therapist Said About Him

The first thing you notice when you walk in is that Vanessa, your therapist, has changed the covers of her sofa. They’re no longer a dark sea green, instead they’re pastel. You snort. Vanessa smiles at you.

“Yeah, everybody complained about the covers.” Vanessa says, to your dismay.

“I liked them.” You tell her honestly. That sofa color was the only thing that made you come back twice now. It provided you a sense of normalcy that could hypnotize you in order for her to fix you.  

You shrugged and sat down. The coffee table had two coffees, freshly made. She knew you enough to remember your order.

“Ready?” Vanessa asks. You look up at her like a kid. She gives you a warm smile as she turns on her tape.

Vanessa: how are we feeling today?

You: erm.. good?

You fidget in the sofa. The space is suddenly too big for you to conquer. Your arms linger on your lap, shaky. Vanessa is in her mid-thirties with a child who idolizes you and a husband too good to be true. She’s tall, with blonde hair and blue ever seeing eyes. You envy her, you’re sure she can see it on your face.

Vanessa: any updates on the party you are invited this Thursday?

You: I don’t think I’ll go.

Vanessa pretends to think for a moment before she gives you a rehearsed question. Your mom always gets a hang of the frauds.

Vanessa: why do you cancel when people ask you to show up?

You: I’m not ready yet.

Vanessa: hmm, that’s fair.

You:

You stare back at her like you’re not afraid.

Vanessa: Okay, we should start with chess.

You: okay

She tries to smile at you. You look back, sunken eyes and a jawline too perfect for any real diet.

Vanessa: when did it stop feeling like yours?

You: Zurich.

Vanessa: Did it have something to do with your dad? Your mom mentioned him to me.

You: yes and no. he was always absent from both of our lives. When he came, he left everything in shreds and then mom endured. For a long time, I only remember my birthday wishes were that he leaves. Finally. He did then. Mom turned obsessive.

You’re honest with her like a sister. You don’t trust her —sure, but who trusts their sisters and therapists?

Vanessa:

You: don’t make that face like you understand.

Vanessa: let’s circle back to Zurich then

You: yeah….

Vanessa:

You: okay, ask. I mean, it’s not like you’re going to leak this.

You try at a joke. It falls flat when you see Vanessa raise her right eyebrow.

Vanessa: no, honey.

You: Uhh so, I walked away from chess after Zurich. What else is there to … unravel?

Vanessa: did you drink the night before Zurich?

You: mhmm.

She knows. The world knows. The internet especially knows.

Vanessa: why?

You: he said it would be okay

Vanessa: and it wasn’t?

You: ….no

Vanessa: are you angry on him or yourself?

You: both? I didn’t know what I was doing. But I don’t think he drank, if at all, I don’t remember well to point fingers though. It felt like he made a fool out of me. All the time I gave him….. both on and off the board, I didn’t deserve that. He always feared id outplay him in the endgame. And I would’ve. I…. would’ve.

Vanessa: I hear you. You felt betrayed.

You:

Yes. Yes. God, yes.

Vanessa: so, did you trust him or a version that you made of him?

You: I trusted him. Yes. I was high, I would even as far as to say I mythologized him.

Vanessa: was he your safety net?

You: mhmm, I don’t like to think so. I was doing well in the field. I had sponsors and titles.

Vanessa: what is it that you needed from him that you couldn’t ask for?

You: love.

Your heartbeat stops for a moment. The stillness shocks you. You didn’t think you could get that real.

Vanessa: do you think he knew he was hurting you?

You: no.

Vanessa: you mention in our last session that you felt he stopped seeing you. Care to elaborate?

You: after the game, he tried to be civil. I was crying. I wasn’t another GM. I was his girl. He knew that. And still.

You let a tear fall. You watch her ignore it.

Vanessa: are you angry that he moved on or that you didn’t?

You: both. Neither.

You might be breaking.

Vanessa: honey, what are you afraid will happen if you felt better?

You: I don’t. I haven’t felt better in a year. I don’t think I’ll feel better in year to come.

Would she charge extra if you sobbed on her sofa?

Vanessa: would you want to say something to him if he were here?

You: I’d ask if he ever felt bad. Not sorry—just bad.

next

[ladykyriaa]

A KPOP (CPOP?JPOP?) Idol Jinshi X Doctor's assistant Maomao

Now on Ao3!!

how he fell (hard?)

The sound of cheers could be heard even outside the stadium. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the arena, all waiting for the performance of a lifetime. At least, that’s what they’ll tell their families and friends. In truth, it was probably to get a once in a lifetime chance to spectate the three dazzling shamelessly beautiful men about to perform. Celestial, just as the name suggests, is a group of three with looks that could rival even the Greek gods themselves.

Rihaku with his incredible upper body mass muscles like those of wrestlers, and yet possessed the gentle gaze and a nature that was less intimidating than that of a golden retriever. Rikuson, who had managed to captivate the girls for his “gentleman behavior” whenever he got out and about. To give an example, he once went trending over the internet for several weeks because he held open a door for a mother and child that had their hands full, and then proceeded to help them to their car. Lastly, Jinshi who had managed to not only catch the eyes of both men and women, but also those from the older generations. “He reminds me back to my younger days” is what they would say when asked while giggling and blushing like maidens in love. It was truly a sight.

the men had been together for about 4 years. Jinshi, of course has had the longest career out of all of them being that he started as a child actor. And now at 24 years old, he’s become one of, if not, the most sought-after celebrity by young men and women, their parents and even their grandparents. But of course, just because you’ve been trained from a very young age and have become basically the epitome of grace and elegance, doesn’t mean you’re not prone to accidents yourself.

How did this even happen? Jinshi questioned himself as he sat waiting in the ER. In all his 18 years of career, this was probably the biggest blunder he’d ever made. Even when he was found drunk and passed out in the park that one time couldn’t have been worse than this. No, maybe that was worse. The big boss certainly gave me enough grievances to last a lifetime. He looked at his presumably, no definitely sprained ankle and thought if he could ask for the rest of his schedules to be canceled. He deserved the break, did he not?

“Sorry for the wait.” A gentle, wispy voice called out as they entered the room. The man that entered look to be about 50-60 years old and had wrinkles all over his face, despite that he looked to be a gentle soul. “We’ll run over some tests just to make sure none of the bones are shattered. But at the very least, this is sure to be sprained. I’m afraid you’re going to have to cancel all your activities for the next month or so.” Well, Jinshi didn’t have any problems with that. He was actually quite glad with the chance of a proper break. His manager, Gaoshun, however…

“Maomao, dear. Please run some blood test for me.” It was only at that moment that he realized someone else was in the room with them. A thinly, pale freckled girl was holding a tray with what he presumed to be medical tools on it. Wait, blood test? Isn’t that-

“After you’re done you can change into the hospital gown that is provided. Someone will come and get you soon.” The Doctor said and promptly left the room. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the word blood test. Was it truly necessary though? Jinshi didn’t quite think so. In fact, “You know I can just tell you what my blood type is, we don’t have to run a blood test.” he gave his best smile that usually was able to get people, no matter who, the things he wanted. He was expecting some swooning, maybe a bit of giggling and blush. Disgust, however.

That was the farthest thing from his mind.

Huh? Why isn’t it working.

The girl, Maomao, looked at him like he was the lowest of low, worse than a caterpillar itself. In fact, Jinshi thought, she might look at a caterpillar with more fondness than she did at him because why isn’t it working?? She managed to school her expression into a flat one before he could voice out his indignancies, however.

“You know that’s not how it works” she said, unimpressed. “Now, your arm please.”

“Can’t we just skip this whole part? I think this is quite unnecessary, don’t you?” Jinshi was not one to give up, and so he’ll keep trying however many times he could. No one could ever resist his inhuman beauty. No one. And so, he smiled. The brightest and sweetest one he could.

The girl did not budge. Not an inch. Nada. Instead, she raised an eyebrow, “sir, are you terrified of needles by chance?”

He can feel his smile stuck in place. “Whatever made you think that?” keep smiling, keep smiling, just keep smiling. “Surely you don’t think, I, a 24-year-old man, am scared of a mere silver, do you?” just. keep. Smiling.

She shrugged, “You may be surprised, but it’s actually quite common. Depending on the severance of those fears, one might even try and ­­jump out the window.” She said with such nonchalance you would think she’s talking about the weather. Jinshi was honestly tempted to try. “Hm. How peculiar.” He kept his eyes on the window. He thought she may have noticed because she walked towards it and closed it.

“You know, you look quite familiar. And that’s saying something because I don’t even remember the faces of my colleagues two months into the job.” Mouth agape, He nearly scoffed.

 familiar? does being 18 years on tv only got him to the point of familiarity??

This is outrageous. Did their marketing team have not done enough?

He was sure if he were to ask the girl’s grandma wherever-she-may-be about who he was, then he was sure even she would’ve given a better answer than “you look familiar.”

It would’ve been better if the girl hadn’t known of him at all because hey, maybe she grew up without the internet because there is no way in hell he could’ve looked just familiar. That would imply that she didn’t even bother to pay attention.

“You’re all done.” What?

 “What?” he blinked out of his musings, only to realize she was already packing her tools except the hospital gown that was left for him.

“You’re done. I’ve gotten the sample.” Done? He looked down at his arm and sure enough there was a small bandage covering the part where he supposedly got injected. “Make sure to change into the hospital gown. Or do you perhaps need help?” She can not be serious. He could feel his face burning and judging by the disgust look that appeared on her face, seriously what is up with that. Maybe she took notice. “I can bring your bodyguard in.”

“No, no. I uh, I can do it myself” seemingly satisfied, she began to leave the room.

“Wait!” The girl stopped and raised an eyebrow. “Did uh, was your question only to distract me? From the injection that is. Was it a genuine question?” she seemed to ponder for a minute, thinking of the best way to answer him.

“Well, yes and no, I suppose. But it did work on you, didn’t it Mr. Jinshi?” and then without further ado, she left.

And maybe she took something else with her along the way, Jinshi mused to himself.

.

.

I AM CACKLING. THIS HUNK OF A MF. started because i cant stop imagining modern au jinshi as a kpop idol wtf.

Guys you dont understand i have AN EXAM ASSIGNMENT DUE TOMORROW. I've nEVER EVEN WRITTEN A FIC BEFORE. ALL MY LIFE. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME

oh my god this obsession has got to stop im being so serious rn

whoever came across this sorry excuse of a story i am so sorry but i wrote this in one sitting, literally no draft no thing. nada. I just wanted to get this out of my chest

finally i can continue my assignments. i think. hopefully.

[uupdirector]

A Change in Plans

Greetings; curious, concerned, simple visitors, or fellow subscribers/followers.

I’ve been quiet for a bit. In other news, the sky is blue - what’s changed, really haha

I’ve had a lot of time to really think about where my life has been going since my last big hiatus from 2022, and while there’s still a lot of things I’m trying to figure out, a general basis for it is starting to take shape; in order for my productivity and creative energy to truly thrive, I need to make a big change that prioritizes making it a passion I can truly enjoy for myself, and not just building the foundation for that joy off of other people’s appreciation and love for it.

Don’t misinterpret my words - I am forever grateful for all of the positive and constructive reinforcement that a lot of you folks have given me over the years to make this journey of mine fun and memorable. I’ve met a lot of amazing people throughout my time crafting stories that meant as much to them as it did for me, and to see many of them branch out into their own passions and opportunities they wouldn’t have imagined themselves doing years ago brings a big smile to my face. I will always appreciate those I’ve met finding their place either somewhere out there in the world, or on this wonderful cesspool that is the internet. I’m also just as grateful for those that have inspired me into making many of the ideas in my fucked-up noggin come to life. I don’t know where I’d be without any of them, and I always look forward to their next best thing so I can cheer them on just as much as they and many others had for me.

But times change, and so must I - not for the sake of others, but for myself. I’ve been trapped in a cycle of constant burnout for reasons that I continue to learn more about as time goes by, and with every positive step that I make, I always find myself one step closer to breaking that cycle. But some steps require mantling or breaking past obstacles that otherwise impede my progress, and the worst part is that they’re not even put there to make the journey more difficult - they’re a PART of that journey, and in order for me to keep moving forward, I need to make some difficult decisions.

Before I continue, I just want to clear the air and provide some reassurance so that none of ya’ll take this the wrong way - I’m not going anywhere. I’m still gonna be doing what makes me happy, and while I got a lot of ideas on my mind, I need to make this change that I’m afraid others might find hard to get used to. But it’s also possible that these concerns could be a big fat nothing burger and that nobody will actually mind this new process. Anxiety is still a bitch lmao

Let’s get this out of the way; I’m going to be privatizing my plans from heron forth. Forget what you already know about any projects I’ve talked about, regardless if it’s something I have a large focus on, temporarily put to the side, or completely abandoned - I want to start things off with a clean slate. This isn’t to say that there are any that are being cancelled, but even if that were the case, this change primarily means that I’m not going to be talking about those things from now on. I’ve said this in a multitude of ways, and almost every time I never actually commit to it because throughout my creative hobby, I’ve always been heavily reliant on trigger happiness to determine whether or not I want to start something, talk about it, and release trailers or teasers for them. It’s one thing to do what you love, but you can’t just stick with that and make promises you can’t keep, otherwise you’re not just disappointing others, but yourself as well for feeling like you’ve failed people. This is the reason why I relabeled ReFreshed - Familiar Territory from Episode 1 to a Pilot Episode. Up until it’s release, it never occurred to me whether or not I would even be interested in making a follow-up, as I was relying too much on my trigger happiness that I got too excited for what the future could behold if it were to turn into a new series. By labeling it as a Pilot episode, it emphasizes that whatever happens next will be my decision to make, and I’m not about to get anyone’s hopes up with a promise that I can’t keep anymore. For Depths of the Archive, it’s reveal in early 2024 was done out of impulse, and despite my Resolution of 2025 update, I didn’t really know when I would be ready to start this, if at all. While it doesn’t hurt to keep people up to speed when needed, unnecessary updates out of obligation or personal pressure with no real progress made or shown don’t really help. It’s basically me just saying “I’M NOT DEAD!!” when most people probably know that and don’t really care unless expressed otherwise. It’s easier for me to just go with the flow I’m in.

And that’s about it. I’m going to be keeping rather quiet publicly when it comes to things that I’m working on, but regardless, ya’ll will know when they come out as per usual. I apologize if this seems like I’m distancing myself from those that have been watching me for a long time, but I assure you all that’s not the case. I still enjoy talking with you guys, I appreciate all the kind words you’ve given me over the years, and I enjoy making things that bring you all joy in many shapes and forms. I just need to do this for myself because when you get older, sometimes things get harder, especially when you’re so used to doing them a certain way but can’t accommodate for it anymore energy-wise. One thing I can say with confidence is that this will put a lot of pressure off of me, because pressure is the last thing I need when trying to enjoy something for the fun of it all again.

Now that it’s official, I’m gonna get back to it. Whatever that may be, you’ll know. Much love, folks <3

[lesbian-forte]

Criticisms of Vocaloid and why I like SynthV

I'm not trying to change anyone's mind here, but I would like to say my piece after certain takes seem to miss the point entirely. This might be a bit of a rant.

Vocaloid has gone stagnant in recent years. Yamaha doesn't care. Yamaha doesn't need Vocaloid and is a large corporation that gets much more money off of their DAW software and actual instruments as opposed to something as niche as vocal synths that are both only big in Japan and also only if they're in the top ten or so.

Yamaha stopped putting effort into Vocaloid during the V4-V5 transition. There is a reason V4 has so many cancelled voicebanks. Several developers were working on V4 and Yamaha rendered their devkit suddenly worthless. Devs would have to purchase a V5 devkit and start work over, or quit Vocaloid. And as vocal synth companies are generally very small, few of them would want to continue or even be able to afford it.

So they moved. Miku splitting off for Piapro gave them an opening, and others started looking for alternatives. Then IA went to CeVIO. And more and more. And by the time V5's sun was setting, all the third parties that worked on that were gone too.

But for a while, you didn't hear much from most of them. If a company released a V4 at the tailend of its lifespan or a V5, they had to wait for exclusivity to expire. And Yamaha's exclusivity deals are harsh (ending distribution of existing song voicebanks in the case of utaus with the same VP) and long, borderline predatory. So voices that companies wanted to update couldn't receive them until those expired, or else refresh that deal and stay constrained by a company that didn't even want to bother with them.

So, come V6, Yamaha was desperate. Internet Co had made an ultimatum that if a Vocaloid 6 didn't come out soon, then they'd be going too. That was their last, and after Crypton packed their bags, most important third party. So they accelerated their plans and looked at what the new guys were doing to be so successful.

They took the wrong lesson.

AI is not inherently better. Sample-based voicebanks will always have their place. Traditional samples can allow an unnaturally large range and harsher voice acting than would be possible to maintain. AI is more accurate to the voice provider, and you have a greater degree of freedom with its tone, plus updates and additional features are so much easier- but Yamaha took 'AI' at face value and made a low-quality copy that sounds significantly worse than prior Vocaloid versions and pushed it with Gumi. They could have stuck to improving their concatenative synthesis render quality further- that's what SynthV started as, R1 was just a very well-rendered sample-based program that is probably just a fancy utau under the hood.

But Vocaloid jumped on the bandwagon by doing the absolute bare minimum and claiming the ear-grating engine noise that can cause actual nausea is remaining faithful to the 'Vocaloid sound' even though styrofoam on the mic and a sometimes pleasant metallic twang sound nothing alike. They didn't improve accessibility, V6 has the same stability issues as V5, and the shiny new feature Vocalochanger is just RVC but worse.

Then, less than a year after product launch, they start up VxB and don't do anything to improve the software they're actively selling. Internet Co themselves called this out in the form of a Gumi tweet. Then Internet Co got in talks with Tokyo6 and saw a possible out, so they gave it a go. They're still under contract by Yamaha so what they can do is limited, but we saw them stray as well. And the result is a much better quality version (though arguably still worse than her V4) despite being an exact port.

We're still getting a Gumi Solid V6 because V6 can't do emotions and they still have to be separate banks, and VxB still got a major update even though it's dying in April with radio silence for V6 development, while CeVIO/VoiSona is releasing 2.0s that get major acclaim like Ci Flower's reputation totally getting turned around, and SynthV is sitting pretty with several voicebanks announced and several coming out in December alone, and the most recent in-progress update including both voice-to-midi (which is what vocalochanger should've been) and Spanish.

I do not like V6, V5, or Yamaha. It could've been amazing for Gumi or Una to get updates so they'd have crosslang (or better crosslang) capabilities, as I work in English. But the result was extremely poorly implemented and Yamaha has made no effort to fix that.

I use SynthV all the time, I'd do the same for CeVIO if it offered crosslang as well rather than just dictionaries and a couple English banks. I'm not against trying new things. But I either want the other programs to have the things to suit my needs in a quality manner that's intuitive to use or for the voicebanks I love to get versions on programs that already do. It's not that complicated.

The jokes and the yammering from rabid SynthV fans dissing Vocaloid can get to be too much sometimes. But you have to consider where that actually comes from. It's in response to suddenly being spoiled with a cheap, accessible, high-quality program when the expensive, poorly constructed, difficult one has been dominating the market with anti-consumer, anti-third party practices for years.

P.S.: Also you can do robotic tuning and mixing on realistic vocal synths, it's called doing the same thing as before and then adding it in post. You think utaites swallow vocoders or something? No, they just use different tools to get the same result as engine noise. Not fighting the voice when you're trying to go for realistic vs manual tuning and adding some very easy effects on when doing it the other way around is better, actually.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Serial Adulting

BEHOLD ME WITH AWE AND DISBELIEF, FOR I HAVE MADE A DIFFICULT PHONE CALL.

(Look, I may make difficult phone calls professionally, but that's different. I personally made a difficult phone call to do with my life and my life alone, and I probably have ADHD, so I deserve a cookie.)

I think I've discussed the whole Musical Flats thing before. Suffice to say that the move is now Actually Happening, to the point where my stepfather, who won't deviate from The Plan if held at fucking gunpoint (once he actually gets around to making one - do not talk to me about the procrastination), was happy to have me make the arrangements to get my phone and internet swapped over. So obviously I had to get in touch with my ISP to get everything changed over.

That was ... well, yeah. You all know the drill by now. But taking it in order:

I actually started this process yesterday afternoon, when I combined a "Happy Mother's Day" call to my mother (I know it's in June for most of you; it's in March here) with a check-in of The State Of Things with my stepfather, since I wanted to be sure all was ready before I organised things. Thing is ... you know how they always encourage you to Do The Thing Online because their phone lines are overloaded? Well ... the thing they don't tell you is that the reason that their phone lines are overloaded is because Doing The Thing Online doesn't. Fucking. Work. I mean this literally, in that the "Arrange A Move" part of the website wouldn't load. Everything else was loading jut fine, so it wasn't any kind of outage. It's just ... their servers apparently weren't happy with the load they were taking, I guess. Which ... is it wrong that I'm side-eyeing the inability of a fucking internet service provider to make sure its servers can handle a load?

Anyway, I figured I'd try in the actual week, in the hopes that maybe there'd be fewer people trying to access it and I might be able to Do The Thing Online. Nope. Of course not. So I called the number. And of course I was on hold for, like, half an hour. And that is why I did not decide to call on the Sunday. Mother's Day would not stop people from calling about their internet or phone, and might have been harder up for staff because actually Being Out And Seeing Their Mums or something, I dunno.

Finally got through. Charming gentleman. It's not so much him I have the issue with as I do ... well, it's BT, so while it is an ISP, it's also still The Phone Company. Anyway, first thing I discovered is that somehow - I have no idea how, but somehow - they had never closed the ticket from when I moved in here from the other flat. They still had a five-year-old ticket open on my account and I didn't find out about it until I needed to open a new one. That Says Things about their organisational skills that really concern the hell out of me - mostly the thing where there was a second ticket that was closed, so they somehow double-booked and only closed one. I guess it's better than losing the booking altogether, anyway.

So then there was The Sales Spiel (because as well as An ISP and The Phone Company, BT is also the modern day equivalent of The Cable Company). I could tell it was a script, and I knew he was obliged by the terms of his employment to say it, but the minute he started asking what I use my internet connection for and conversation went to Netflix, I knew what he was going to say. I went over my service package options at least a week before I made the call, and I know they're selling a whole "Netflix / Disney / all the premium channels" Entertainment Bundle Pack, and I knew he was going to try to sell me on it. However, as I told him, I barely watch my Netflix. I don't watch my TV to any great degree, and certainly not any of the non-streaming channels. I pay my TV License as a precaution, nothing more. I mean, I did kind of consider it the first time I saw it, but I want the option to cancel my services as and when required / desired, not have it hooked to what baseline entertainment package I get with the phone and internet in perpetuity.

So I got to sort out a paperwork SNAFU and dodged an Upselling Attempt, and got everything sorted as regards the internet and phone in the other flat. It's arranged for early in the week, and I'll have a couple of days to move in completely, rather than having it all crammed into one day the way Stepdad had the previous move set up. In his defense, I didn't have an official fibromyalgia diagnosis yet, but given that I was literally off on long-term sick leave, he probably should have known better than to push that hard. This time, when I asked him on the phone yesterday about moving stuff that I don't use very often in before the Official Move, he rushed to reassure me that no, that's fine, that was in fact the intention.

Anyway. I did the Big Scary Adulting Thing, and I deserve a cookie. However, I'm mostly going to get More Adulting. Serial Adulting, if you will. I have plans for how to handle the whole "get all the unnecessary things OUT OF THE HOUSE before a move" situation, and one of those involves an obligation to take out at least one bag of whatever needs throwing away at least once a day. Generally as an "any time I leave the house" thing, which I have to do now because Errands. Which I would like to get finished before schools let out. I'd forgotten that there are two sets of rush hours on public transport in this city - the Adults To / From Work rush hours, and the Kids To / From School rush hours.

But after all of that? All those acts of Serial Adulthood? I DESERVE A COOKIE.

[biomic]

One Moffat-era Who fan to another, how do you feel about the news that Moffat is writing a drama about Cancel Culture (starring Karen Gillian)? I've found it kinda hard to take :(

yeah, hoo boy, saw the news about that on twitter. he's not a hard right reactionary the way some people would argue based on his lesser work so im not necessarily expecting The Worst Trainwreck Ever Made, but he's certainly stuck his foot in his mouth plenty of times in the past and im not sure what new insight he'd be able to provide as a white guy in his 60s. "steven moffat writing new dramedy about cancel culture" feels like a concept specifically designed to piss people on the internet off, why would you even do this man lmao

tbh i haven't followed a ton of his non-DW work so this wouldn't have been on my radar anyway, and even if it does suck hard i don't see it changing my feelings on what he's written previously

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in BOSTON with Randall "XKCD" Munroe (Apr 11), then PROVIDENCE (Apr 12), and beyond!

#20yrsago Every copy of Reason customized with sat photos of subscribers’ homes https://web.archive.org/web/20100521071233/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/05/business/mediatalk-putting-40000-readers-one-by-one-on-a-cover.html

#15yrsago Congressman who’s giving payday loan companies legal 391% APR loans says he’s powerless to resist their lobbying https://consumerist.com/2009/04/05/house-preparing-to-legalize-payday-loans-with-391-aprs/

#5yrsago The New York Times’s chilling multimedia package on China’s use of “smart city” tech to create an open-air prison https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/04/world/asia/xinjiang-china-surveillance-prison.html

#5yrsago Googler uprising leads to shut down of AI ethics committee that included the president of the Heritage Foundation https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/4/4/18295933/google-cancels-ai-ethics-board

#5yrsago Most paint-spatters are valid perl programs https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZGGNMfmfpWB-DzWS3Jr-YLcRNRjhp3FKS6v0KELxXK8/preview

#5yrsago The Internet Archive has recovered 500,000+ of the 50,000,000 songs Myspace “accidentally” deleted during a server migration https://www.techspot.com/news/79511-internet-archive-recovers-half-million-lost-myspace-songs.html

#5yrsago Ontario’s low-budget Trump-alike wants to eliminate sedation for people getting colonoscopies https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/04/04/exclusive-changes-proposed-to-ohip-coverage/

#5yrsago Colorado’s net neutrality law will deny grant money to ISPs that engage in network discrimination https://coloradosun.com/2019/04/05/colorados-own-net-neutrality-bill-gets-some-teeth/

[sidewalk-scrawls]

Officially got my internet canceled with this provider, but unfortunately, now I feel insane.

The customer service person asked why I was canceling, and one of the reasons I gave was that, when the company took over from my previous provider, they downgraded my service but kept my bill the same without telling me. (I recently discovered I was on a 100kbps plan, which is absolutely not what I signed up for 4 years ago. I don't remember if I initially signed up for 300kbps or 500kbps, but I'm like 99.9% sure it was one of them.)

When I mentioned this, the customer service person looked at my billing history because of course she did, and she said "Oh, this is an old [redacted] plan... We don't have a record of it ever changing," and suggested that maybe it was a problem with my old provider.

And you know what, that was a real possibility given that this company took over from my previous provider a few years ago, and I don't have access to my old billing statements. I'm also terrible at checking my bills when they're on autopay.

But I distinctly remember my service getting *really* bad immediately after my provider changed, and that drop in signal could certainly be responsible for part of it. And the wildest bit of all... I just looked up my previous provider, and they don't even *offer* a 100kbps plan.

[bahja-blix]

Scammer Alert

​On November 15 2023 of 7:18 PM I got a costumer who purchased a Loona Keychain I had lost connection with so I had decided to sell her giving another person in the world an opportunity to have the Loona item. Since the holidays were slow I've shipped aka purchased a shipping label a few days later on the 18th considering its winter and I have no car to drive to the post office and also included my job hours within the day plus my parents health conditions. On November 18th 2023 I had messaged the person kindly about their order updating them on everything and explained to them their order will come regardless as a business promise even telling them I will be including evidence after I had gotten home via Mum since I again, can't drive to and from. Later on within the same day on the 18th at nearly 6PM the person wanted to cancel their order out of nowhere which confused me on why however I didn't think much of it and proceeded to refund them which to they replied "Thanks!!". Since Black Friday was in season I've decided to lower my prices on all items listed I've disconnected with or want to give an opportunity for others to have, so I did !! And after I've done that the Exact same person ordered from me again with the Exact same username attached. Personally I was skeptical on even letting them purchase from me because of what happened last time but I Thought they had changed their mind not knowing at all that the reason the came back was because I've lowered my prices... but I accepted anyway when I shouldn't have which was my fault. I am new so I'm learning still. Everything goes well with the order even though I had a bad gut feeling. On November 23th 2023 I got to actually provide pictures of their order and took pictures of the post office and they were happy. I thought me and the customer were on good terms as of November 27th 2023... we weren't :((( because on December 2nd of 2023 at 5:19 PM the same person who ordered, turned around to cancel, only to miraculously buy from me again, wanted a full refund Directly after the package was delivered....... 🤯🤯🤯 I was personally hurt and shocked by this being as I was very nice and kind to this person who I thought had a change of heart for the item however, that wasn't the case. So I went to one of my really good friends to get a second opinion on the matter and got some advice to guide me. 

The Second Opinion

Here's how the conversation with one of my good friends went for more evidence

Turns out I was right. I was dealing with someone who was selfish and wanted free stuff

and Yes!! This person is really fucking trying to get that refund Lmao. I legit have a feeling that the item will either be something completely different or nothing at all. 

Why did I share this info to my audience? 

Simply to spread awareness ^w^

People who try to scam others for free stuff try to Intimidate, harass, or try to make you afraid of them when in reality most of the time they have NO POWER especially if you have evidence right by your side. Don't be afraid of people like this. People get scammed all the time because this is the internet were talking about however, the best thing to do is

​Stay calm, don't let the scammer get under your skin

Report the scammer with all evidence present at your finger tips

Need advice from someone you trust? Do what I did to get a second opinion on the matter

I hope this helps !! If you would like to support me then you may share this post anywhere anytime

[shiapetdiary]

Ok let me explain

How truly crazy I am. 

I had a flight to Kansas City to see my lovely friend, in order to maintain our long distance friendship. I bought a plane ticket for $200, even though it is only a 5 hour drive away from where I live, even though my stay was only two nights. I am aware that choosing the illogic inefficient route reveals me as a weakie.

We were all seated on the plane and I was about to fall asleep because it was 4am. I was dreaming about having brunch with my friend upon arrival. But after a while I realized we had not moved, and they announced the flight was delayed.

People clomped with irritation back into the airport. Some people sat in the waiting area, and some people formed a line at the front desk. But I didn’t want to wait because I’m tech savvy and know how to expedite things using the internet, and not a weakie. I called American Airlines to change my flight to a different airline leaving from my airport. The person on the phone and I were both calm and softspoken, in a way that acknowledged that her job was probably not ever chill.

She began to switch me to a United flight, but then the call dropped. I called again. My new collaborator declared switching me was not possible. I don’t like to correct people so I concurred, said goodbye, and hung up. I called again, still calm. New voice put me on hold to ask her supervisor. I observed that some people had moved through the front desk. They did not tell others their results, whether waiting in line was worthy or not. It wasn’t a secret, but to find out you would have to have to inquire, and likely that would have to be a whole conversation, since they are not faceless bots that answer when you push a button, and these types of struggles are individual anyways, any advice would require listening to unnecessary context. Dunno, they would say, my situation is different from yours. I joined in line for the front desk, curious what secret remedy it provided but not willing to ask. 

There are always a million solutions for every problem, and I wanted to test them all at once. While in line, the voice on the phone said I could get a flight arriving by 5pm. I told her I might be able to get an earlier flight via the front desk. I told her I would call her back. All around me people began lamenting that their phones told them the flight was delayed to 6pm!!!! This they were willing to share. 

The line was not moving. Solution numero 5. Walk up to another desk for the next flight to Kansas City. I asked the woman at the desk if there was room, and she told me the flight had just filled up, a flight had been cancelled, had I heard. Apparently not quickly enough.

I got an email that said my flight was changed to 5pm. But now I am thinking, I do not want another cancelled flight, and if I start driving now I will get there at 12pm in time for brunch. Because I was fueled by anger, I thought I had the courage to drive. I went out to the departure desk to cancel and refund my ticket!!!!!!! And they did thank god bless them!!!!!! Best solution achieved!!!!

Then it started SNOWING.

I went back in line and asked them if it was possible to undo my cancellation. 

People working at the desks were very annoyed. Justifiably. I was directed to another person, who put an end to my shenanigans. He said, we can do it but it will take a while to sort out. He said, that’s what happens with your messing around with the system. 

He clicked around and asked me if I had a boyfriend. I said, why? He said, take me with you, because I’m cleaning up all your problems and know how to and that’s what a good boyfriend does. I said, oh trust me my boyfriend KNOWS I’m MESSy 

as if that was a winning retort. 

He printed my new tickets and said it arrives in Kansas City at 11pm. I winced and he said please understand these are the only spots left. I said, yes yes thank you I for sure understand thank you it’s GREAT. You’ve been so kind and informative and I know the people here have been impatient and each one endlessly frustrating in their own ways, everyone knew how to help themselves but no one knew how to help each other, so thank you. He said, “I assigned you first class as well.” 

In conclusion I am not better than anyone. In fact I am worse. 

My seat, 1A. Packaged green olives, white cheddar chips, chocolate covered pretzels, small slices of cheese, a healthy dose of quiet reflection time wherein I thought about whether or not I had made a single good decision today. I accepted them all.

[subjectsix]

I do know most of these have a kind of workaround, and this post has been a great place for people to suggest more and find some for themselves, which rules! Most things I’ve complained about here I’ve got a workaround for already— for those suggesting Linux, I have a machine running Mint

My point is we can’t just wait for The Revolution™️, a vague concept of the future, and the workarounds aren’t solutions, just temporary fixes. My point is it needs to be talked about more (my wall of text got 20,000 notes, that’s wild to me) and we need to be active how we can in carving out our own spaces. I’m debating buying a forum soon and looking for more to join. I cancelled Spotify and I’m working on seeing if a Pi Hole to block ads is good for my household.

I’ve spent a lot of time compromising begrudgingly, so now I’m hopeful (and certain tbh) that people will be the little changes that stop this ball from rolling. Its not convenient or doable for everyone to become Linux users, or all switch to dumb phones, or all quit Facebook— but based on this post everyone’s fed up enough to be heard enough about the fact that we won’t put up with garbage and there are alternatives.

The current major internet spaces don’t foster community well. I saw people on Tiktok lamenting how Ena, an extremely popular series with a new game coming out for free and doing very well for itself, had a “dead fandom” because engagement wasn’t constant and loud. Some people don’t know how the internet was, and don’t know the alternatives suggested in this post.

I guess, really, my point is to not shut up about the fact that ownership of things and the right to repair are extremely important, and to remind people the things we miss can be done right now, and to not let the temporary fixes be the ultimate solutions.

I love love that tons of people on this post are offering to show people their fixes, and providing instructions on how to nuke Edge or Copilot off their computers. I even have a resource post in the works. That’s the online community I’ve missed! It’s still here, we just have to be more proactive about finding it :’)

Its like you say— there are work arounds! And I think everyone is ready for them (and sick of needing them). We gotta form community (small and big) about it and be willing to reject what we can of the growing bloatware and enshittification of stuff

I don't know I'm not done talking about it. It's insane that I can't just uninstall Edge or Copilot. That websites require my phone number to sign up. That people share their contacts to find their friends on social media.

I wouldn't use an adblocker if ads were just banners on the side funding a website I enjoy using and want to support. Ads pop up invasively and fill my whole screen, I misclick and get warped away to another page just for trying to read an article or get a recipe.

Every app shouldn't be like every other app. Instagram didn't need reels and a shop. TikTok doesn't need a store. Instagram doesn't need to be connected to Facebook. I don't want my apps to do everything, I want a hub for a specific thing, and I'll go to that place accordingly.

I love discord, but so much information gets lost to it. I don't want to join to view things. I want to lurk on forums. I want to be a user who can log in and join a conversation by replying to a thread, even if that conversation was two days ago. I know discord has threads, it's not the same. I don't want to have to verify my account with a phone number. I understand safety and digital concerns, but I'm concerned about information like that with leaks everywhere, even with password managers.

I shouldn't have to pay subscriptions to use services and get locked out of old versions. My old disk copy of photoshop should work. I should want to upgrade eventually because I like photoshop and supporting the business. Adobe is a whole other can of worms here.

Streaming is so splintered across everything. Shows release so fast. Things don't get physical releases. I can't stream a movie I own digitally to friends because the share-screen blocks it, even though I own two digital copies, even though I own a physical copy.

I have an iPod, and I had to install a third party OS to easily put my music on it without having to tangle with iTunes. Spotify bricked hardware I purchased because they were unwillingly to upkeep it. They don't pay their artists. iTunes isn't even iTunes anymore and Apple struggles to upkeep it.

My TV shows me ads on the home screen. My dad lost access to eBook he purchased because they were digital and got revoked by the company distributing them. Hitman 1-3 only runs online most of the time. Flash died and is staying alive because people love it and made efforts to keep it up.

I have to click "not now" and can't click "no". I don't just get emails, they want to text me to purchase things online too. My windows start search bar searches online, not just my computer. Everything is blindly called an app now. Everything wants me to upload to the cloud. These are good tools! But why am I forced to use them! Why am I not allowed to own or control them?

No more!!!!! I love my iPod with so much storage and FLAC files. I love having all my fics on my harddrive. I love having USBs and backups. I love running scripts to gut suck stuff out of my Windows computer I don't want that spies on me. I love having forums. I love sending letters. I love neocities and webpages and webrings. I will not be scanning QR codes. Please hand me a physical menu. If I didn't need a smartphone for work I'd get a "dumb" phone so fast. I want things to have buttons. I want to use a mouse. I want replaceable batteries. I want the right to repair. I grew up online and I won't forget how it was!

[flyingrulers1]

Can You Cancel a United Flight for Free? | A Guide to United Airlines Cancellation Policy

One may change the plans of travelling due to various reasons; they may be unexpected, weather and merely the scheduling problems. When you need to cancel your booking with United and fly with the company, one of the questions that may come to your mind is: Can you cancel a United flight without penalty? The United Airlines Cancellation Policy is crucial to learning to avoid paying extra money needlessly and making correct choices.

In this guide, we shall deconstruct when and how to cancel your United airline flight and under what circumstance you might be entitled to a free cancellation.

 An Overview

The policy of the United Airlines Cancellation aims at providing customers with flexibility and, at the same time, establishing some regulations on the basis of types of fares and time. Recently United Airlines has been changing its policies to make it more friendly to travelers, and this has been done since the events amidst Coronavirus.

Is it Possible to Cancel a United Flight Free of Charge?

The brief answer is yes, and it depends on the kinds of tickets that you bought and the way of canceling. The following are the most common cases under which one may freely cancel:

1. 24 hours in Advance of Booking

In United Airlines, there is a risk-free cancellation within 24 hours. Book at least 7 days in advance and get a full refund when you cancel the ticket within 24 H after the booking of the flight ticket at any fare category.

2. Refundable or Payable Tickets

In case you have bought a refundable ticket, you are free to cancel your flight without the departure and have your money back. These are the most expensive varieties of tickets though provide maximum flexibility.

3. Non-Refundable Tickets

As much as non-refundable tickets are not refundable in cash, you may receive a travel credit in case you cancel your flight beforehand. The United Airlines Cancellation Policy enables you to utilize them in your future trip.

4. United Cancellation of Flights

In case the United Airlines flight, regardless of the reason, gets cancelled (weather, technical, etc.), you are morally entitled to receive a full refund or you may be rebooked without paying extra.

5. Members of Elite Status

MileagePlus Premier frequent flyers can also receive greater flexibility around changing or canceling a flight, waived fees in certain circumstances.

How to get out of the United Airlines flight

It is easy to cancel and United airline flights can be canceled online in most of the cases. Here's how:

Log onto the United Airlines Web site.

 Visit www.united.com on the internet and log in.

Visit the page with your trips - My Trips

 Your reservation can be viewed through entering confirmation number and last name.

Choose the Flight You Would like to Cancel

 The option of cancelling the flight (select the Cancel flight button) is available upon clicking the booking that you want to cancel.

Act in accordance with the Prompts

 Based on the type of your ticket, you can have an option of refunding or a travel credit or rescheduling them.

Receive Confirmation

 When you do it, United will mail you an email of confirmation of cancellation.

Noteworthy Comments on Cancellation Policy by the United Airlines

Basic Economy just does not provide free changes or cancellations unless it happens within a 24-hour window.

The travel credits expire within twelve months after being issued.

In international flights, the cancellation policies can be slightly changed depending on the route and also the local regulations.

Final Thoughts

The United Airlines Cancellation Policy is relatively flexible particularly when you cancel within the 24 hours purchase or when you buy a refundable ticket. Non-refundable tickets do not generally provide refunds in cash but they usually provide you with future travel credits or help you to avoid the significant loss of finances.

Therefore, can you avoid being charged if you need to cancel a flight with United? Yes, in a lot of instances but particularly, when you are fast on your feet or you are flexible in how you book tickets. Being aware of your fare type and being knowledgeable on the rules of United can avoid you paying more money and getting stressed at the last minute changes.

To ensure optimal experience, you should always check conditions of the fare you are booking and use the so-called My Trips option on the United site that will allow you to manage or cancel flights without any difficulties.