#intelligent call routing system

[smartcitysystem]

Call Center Solutions Dubai

Upgrade your communication with our IP telephony solutions. Explore call center software, IVR systems, and VoIP business telephone systems for smarter, efficient calls.

[precallai]

How AI-Based Contact Centers Are Transforming Healthcare Support

Introduction

In recent years, the healthcare industry has undergone a technological revolution, and one of the most transformative innovations is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into contact centers. AI-based contact centers are redefining how healthcare organizations interact with patients, manage inquiries, and deliver timely support. These advanced systems offer a powerful combination of automation, data-driven insights, and personalized communication that can significantly enhance patient experiences and operational efficiency.

The Need for Smarter Healthcare Support

Healthcare is a complex and sensitive industry where timely and accurate information can be a matter of life and death. Traditional contact centers, which rely heavily on human agents, often struggle to keep up with increasing patient volumes, regulatory complexities, and the need for 24/7 support. Long wait times, inconsistent service, and data management issues have plagued these systems for years.

With growing patient expectations and the increasing demand for telehealth and remote care services, the need for smarter, more efficient support systems is more pressing than ever. Enter AI-powered contact centers.

What Are AI-Based Contact Centers?

AI-based contact centers leverage technologies such as natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML), voice recognition, and predictive analytics to automate and enhance customer interactions. These systems can understand, interpret, and respond to voice or text-based communications in real time.

Key components of AI-based contact centers include:

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants for first-level support

Voice recognition and speech analytics for real-time call routing and analysis

Predictive analytics for understanding patient behavior and anticipating needs

Intelligent routing systems that connect patients with the most appropriate resource

Automation tools for appointment scheduling, billing inquiries, and follow-ups

Benefits of AI Contact Centers in Healthcare

1. Improved Patient Access and Experience

AI-based contact centers provide 24/7 access to information, helping patients get answers to their questions at any time—without needing to wait for business hours or a human representative. Virtual agents can handle common inquiries like clinic hours, prescription refills, and appointment scheduling, allowing human agents to focus on more complex or sensitive issues.

For example, a patient can interact with a virtual assistant to reschedule an appointment or request lab results, improving the overall experience and reducing frustration.

2. Reduced Wait Times and Operational Efficiency

One of the most noticeable impacts of AI in healthcare contact centers is the dramatic reduction in wait times. Automated systems can simultaneously handle thousands of interactions, eliminating bottlenecks. This scalability is particularly important during public health emergencies, seasonal flu outbreaks, or vaccine rollouts when call volumes surge.

AI also streamlines internal workflows by automating routine tasks, reducing the burden on healthcare staff and allowing them to focus on patient care.

3. Personalized Patient Engagement

AI systems can analyze a patient’s previous interactions, medical history, and preferences to deliver personalized support. Whether it’s reminding a diabetic patient to check their blood sugar or notifying a patient about a needed screening, AI enables proactive outreach based on individual health profiles.

Such personalized engagement improves patient adherence to treatment plans and fosters a stronger relationship between patients and healthcare providers.

4. Enhanced Data Management and Compliance

Managing patient data securely and in compliance with regulations like HIPAA is a major challenge in healthcare. AI-based systems are designed to handle data with high accuracy and security. They can automatically log interactions, detect anomalies, and ensure that sensitive information is stored and transmitted safely.

Additionally, AI can help monitor calls and messages for compliance breaches, flagging any potential risks for review and helping organizations maintain regulatory standards.

5. Better Resource Allocation

AI contact centers can intelligently route calls and messages based on urgency, subject matter, and patient history. For instance, a patient calling about chest pain can be prioritized over someone calling for a routine appointment. This ensures that critical issues are addressed quickly while reducing the workload on clinical staff.

Moreover, analytics generated by AI tools help administrators identify peak call times, common issues, and areas for improvement, allowing for better planning and resource deployment.

Real-World Applications

Several healthcare providers and organizations have already implemented AI-powered contact centers with impressive results:

Cleveland Clinic uses AI to streamline appointment scheduling and answer general health questions through virtual assistants, significantly reducing call center volume.

Kaiser Permanente has incorporated AI chatbots into their patient portals to assist with FAQs, prescription management, and test results, freeing up human agents for more nuanced care coordination.

UK’s National Health Service (NHS) piloted AI tools to manage COVID-19-related inquiries, which played a critical role in triaging patient needs and distributing information during the pandemic.

Challenges and Considerations

While AI-based contact centers offer significant benefits, they also come with challenges:

Privacy and Security: Protecting patient data is paramount. AI systems must comply with strict healthcare regulations and implement robust cybersecurity measures.

Accuracy and Reliability: AI tools must be trained on diverse and representative data sets to avoid errors, miscommunication, or bias.

Human Touch: Not all patient interactions can or should be handled by machines. Ensuring a seamless hand-off from AI to human agents is crucial for maintaining trust and empathy in care delivery.

Cost and Implementation: While long-term cost savings are significant, the upfront investment in AI infrastructure can be substantial, particularly for smaller healthcare providers.

The Future of AI in Healthcare Support

As AI technologies continue to advance, the future of AI-based contact centers in healthcare looks promising. Integration with electronic health records (EHRs), wearable devices, and remote monitoring systems will enable even deeper personalization and automation.

Voice-enabled AI assistants may soon conduct basic triage, schedule follow-ups, or assist clinicians in documenting patient visits. Predictive analytics will become increasingly sophisticated, allowing providers to proactively intervene before a patient’s condition worsens.

Moreover, AI’s role in multilingual support and accessibility for people with disabilities could make healthcare more inclusive and equitable.

Conclusion

AI-based contact centers are not just a technological upgrade—they represent a fundamental shift in how healthcare organizations interact with patients. By improving access, efficiency, personalization, and compliance, these systems have the potential to dramatically enhance both patient outcomes and healthcare delivery.

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, organizations that embrace AI-powered communication will be better positioned to meet rising patient expectations and navigate the challenges of modern care. The future of healthcare support is not just smarter—it’s more human, more responsive, and more connected than ever before.

[dostoyevsky-official]

The child sextortion group 764 and the global collective of loosely associated groups known as “The Com” are using tools and techniques normally used for financially motivated cybercrime tactics — such as SIM swapping, IP grabbing and social engineering — to commit violent crimes, according to exclusive law enforcement and intelligence reports reviewed by CyberScoop.  The reports offer insight into the underbelly of the global network, showing how they are using traditional cybercriminal tools to identify, target, groom, extort, and cause physical and psychological harm to victims as young as 10. They were shared with police nationwide and in some cases, with foreign-allied governments. [...] The group “appears to be situated at the nexus of communities of users who share gore material, [Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremist-White Supremacist] adherents such as M.K.U. and child exploitation actors like 764.” M.K.U., it says, is a neo-Nazi group with a presence in Russia and Ukraine. [...] The groups use methods to trick children into sending sexually explicit photos of themselves, threaten to make the photos public unless they harm themselves, and kill or harm animals, among other crimes. The group’s members have coerced children into attempting suicide, harming themselves, siblings and animals. (x)

///

Wired reported this week that a 19-year-old working for Elon Musk‘s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was given access to sensitive US government systems even though his past association with cybercrime communities should have precluded him from gaining the necessary security clearances to do so. As today’s story explores, the DOGE teen is a former denizen of ‘The Com,’ an archipelago of Discord and Telegram chat channels that function as a kind of distributed cybercriminal social network for facilitating instant collaboration. [...] Internet routing records show that Coristine runs an Internet service provider called Packetware (AS400495). Also known as “DiamondCDN,” Packetware currently hosts tesla[.]sexy and diamondcdn[.]com, among other domains. DiamondCDN was advertised and claimed by someone who used the nickname “Rivage” on several Com-based Discord channels over the years. A review of chat logs from some of those channels show other members frequently referred to Rivage as “Edward.” From late 2020 to late 2024, Rivage’s conversations would show up in multiple Com chat servers that are closely monitored by security companies. In November 2022, Rivage could be seen requesting recommendations for a reliable and powerful DDoS-for-hire service. Rivage made that request in the cybercrime channel “Dstat,” a core Com hub where users could buy and sell attack services. Dstat’s website dstat[.]cc was seized in 2024 as part of “Operation PowerOFF,” an international law enforcement action against DDoS services. (x)

DOGE teen is a pedophile cybercriminal involved in a neonazi CSA-producing cybergang. and he has access to your SSN.

[deldaydreams]

Twisted Wonderland/ Otome AU

Warning: not really dark themes? Mentioned. Gn reader. English is not my first language.

Notes: it’s been a really long time since. I was going to post this as soon as finishing translating this but my mid-term exams were came up so I couldn’t post anything. Anyway I hope you like this post. I will post Octavinelle part soon.

Summary: : One day, you opened your eyes and found yourself in Twisted Wonderland. And the task the System gave you is to get one of the lead characters love meter to 100% by the end of the main story and reach their happy ending.

Parts : rules , 1 , 3 , 4

Leona Kingscholar

Lonely , grumpy savanaclaw's dorm leader, second prince Leona Kingscholar. I can't say that your first official meeting with Leona will be very good, and the same goes for the percentage of your love meter. First of all, good luck, your job is very difficult. However, after the overblot incident, your job will be a little easier.

Leona does not trust anyone due to his nature and experiences. He is sure that you are approaching him for a reason he has difficulty guessing. He will do his best not to get attached to you. After all you will also prefer someone else compared to Leoana , who has always been the other option throughout his life. So please stay by his side when he tells you to get lost, because deep down he loves being with you. I would also like to point out that being by his side will increase your love meter a lot as he runs away from you.

With Leona, it usually happens when he uses you as a pillow and sleeps (sometimes you swear he doesn't sleep). But you try not to talk too much in this activity, because the last time he bit you because you nagged about being late for class and your friends waiting for you while he was taking a nap . Afterwards he threatened to bite you again (not too harshly) and eat you. Although this unexpected event increased Leona's love meter considerably, you understood the warning that day very clearly. Sometimes you two would play chess. And usually, let's say, you are the loser. Leona loves the facial expressions you make when you are trying to figure out his next move or when you are cornered and lose. He also shows the privilege of being a prince in the later stages of your relationship, both materially and emotionally.

Now let's come to Leona in dark mode. Leona is a possessive lover by nature. Although it bothers him when you spend time with others, he respects you, but she can enter dark mode, especially depending on how he learns about your friendship with Malleus Draconia. In fact, Leona is also aware of the existence of the system. Not talking to him about this system stuff or following someone else's route along with his route can again put him in dark mode. Leona in dark mode is quite possessive. He wants everyone to know that you belong to him. He even leaves clues that others can understand without you noticing. Leona is very cunning and intelligent. He knows that brute force is not enough to possess you completely. He acts like a perfect lover in your relationship. He monopolizes you financially and emotionally . He introduces you to his family on holidays. Even if you don't realize it, these meetings are called engagement meetings in the press. Farena is ready to do anything for his only brother.

Ruggie Bucchi

Laid-back yet cunning, Savanaclaw second year student Ruggie Bucchi. Dear player who chose the Ruggie route, first of all, if you want to increase your love meter, I should mention that a portion of your income will go to buying donuts for this hyena boy. Please adjust your income with him in mind. Everything else aside, it won't be that hard to be friends with Ruggie, but it will take a long time for him to fully trust you and increase his love meter. However, once you exceed that limit, your love meter will increase continuously.

Your time with Ruggie is usually spent eating meals together or listening to him complain about Leona. Listening to him, giggling while he complains... oh, you are really too much for Ruggie... Also, watching him in club activities will increase your love meter quite a bit. Now, I may have said at the beginning that a portion of your income will go to this hyena boy, but that doesn't mean he does nothing. Although he doesn't get gifts very often, this hyena boy saves money to buy you gifts on special occasions. Even though he can't spoil you right now, he promises himself that he will spoil you as he wants in the future.

Now let's talk about Ruggie in dark mode...Ruggie knows he's not the best. After all, your environment is full of people who are smarter, more talented, richer, and more handsome than him. What kind of relationship you have with these people doesn't matter to Ruggie in dark mode, what matters is that Ruggie is inadequate to them in many ways and that you might leave him because of his inadequacy. What if you find someone who can spoil you as you want? Someone who can give you the life you deserve...

At first, you don't notice anything, but the "suspicious accidents" that people around you experience make you realize what's going on quickly. Ruggie doesn't use his unique spell on you, meaning he doesn't use it to a certain extent, but this doesn't apply to others. I think you can get help from Leona when you start to suspect him.

If you don't put him in normal mode before it's too late, he won't hesitate to use his unique spell on you. Ruggie's only wish is to live a happy life with you, even if that means he has to make you his puppet...

Jack Howl

Looks tough on the outside but is actually quite caring, first-year Savaclaw student Jack Howl. Your love meter increases little by little after you meet Jack. This wolf boy really respects you a lot. After all, it is really respectable that you, who is non-magical and from another universe, can deal with so many things. Your friendship will progress in a short time with the right steps.

In your free time, you usually do sports together, forced by Jack. If you are not used to sports, I wish you luck. It will be quite difficult to keep up with Jack, but don't worry, there will be short breaks and motivational speeches and cheers from Jack that he thinks are motivating in his own way. This wolf boy does most of what you want, even if he doesn't want to show it. Even if he doesn't like it. Do you want to play with his wolf form? Okay, but only for 5 minutes. Do you want to stroke his tail? Okay, but don't take too long. Do you want to go shopping with him? Okay, but don't expect too much comment from him. Because when he asked you what you thought about the last outfit you tried on, he praised you in his own way and the store employees looked at you strangely. Even though Jack supports and praises you in everything, his praise can be a bit strange. Also, when you cheer for him or compliment him, don't be fooled even if he tells you that it’s unnecessary or that you're wrong. His tail shows how much he likes it. Jack may lie to you but his tail never does.

Jack has always respected your boundaries and still does. Even though his inner wolf side has completely different thoughts, he manages to control himself. However, if that dark wolf side of his loses control… oh boy. He changes from a gentlemanly man to a possessive, jealous, restrictive person. He questions everything you do. Why were you talking to that boy? Who is he? This can also lead to fights. If you can't get him to normal mode without his love meter going too high, it will debatable whether you'll get a very happy ending.

[luvrodite]

ᯓ★ ONE. OCTOBER 1 | FUCK OR DIE

GOT ME CALLING OUT FOR HELP (S-O-S) [3.8k]

in retrospect, it was only a matter of time before you got hit. you should consider yourself lucky — there are worse fates than being fucked like your life depends on it (it’s gotham. of course it does) or: you get hit and jason deals with the fallout

content warnings. f!reader, dubious consent due to intoxication, chemical aphrodisiac, established relationship, dry humping, fingering, penetrative sex, begging, unprotected sex, creampie, prevention of pulling out.

ⓘ minors, blank and ageless blogs do not interact, you will be blocked!

<< kinktober masterlist | week 2 >>

It goes like this:

On a monday evening, Pamela fucking Isley decides to take her quarrel with Gotham's newest weapons company – God, could they fucking give it a break? B had only busted the last one a few weeks ago before they'd brought the city down on everyone – to new heights.

Jason's sitting in traffic with a bag of groceries slung around the handle of his bike when he gets the call. He's eager to beat you home, ready to make you dinner and heavily intent on wining and dining you after a long weekend of missing each other.

His fingers tap against his thighs impatiently, impatience sitting beneath his skin like an itch. Spikes of activity during the week had meant his plans for Friday night – dinner and a deserved night off – had been pushed to the backburner. He'd returned home in the early stillness of dawn, unable to get more than a couple of hours with you before your phone had rung, a friend's emergency pulling you out of bed with an apologetic grimace and a promise to reschedule your date night.

The headset in his ear notifies him of an incoming call, the syllables of your name dulled by the clinical, robotic voice of his phone's intelligence system. His mouth curves up into a smile beneath his helmet.

"Hi, baby," he answers immediately. "I'm on my way home, you need anything? I just left the store but I can go back–"

You cut him off in a tight voice. Later, he'll be ashamed that the first thing that comes to mind is, not another fucking postponement. Now, his brows furrow at your tone, stomach dipping uncertainly when it becomes clear that this is something more serious.

Your voice wobbles, high-pitched and tearful. At the same time, the dash on his bike begins to flash in rapid succession, the paging system he'd installed for the bats to communicate with him glaring back at him, blood red.

ORACLE: CHEMICAL LEAK DOWNTOWN. BATS + R.ROBIN EN ROUTE. ALL UNITS STANDBY.

His dread plummets and for a moment his throat closes over. You're speaking to him but he struggles to make it out through the ringing in his ears.

"Jason, I'm – I'm home but I don't – I don't know what to do."

He bites back a curse and tries to swallow the lump in his throat, grappling for words of comfort.

"It's okay," he soothes, straining to keep his voice level. "Listen, sweetheart, can you go lock the door for me? I'm – shit – I'll be home soon, alright? It'll be okay. We'll fix it."

He doesn't give himself time to linger on the call after you confirm you've locked it, barking out a command to dial Oracle that his system fails to pick up twice, only registering after he steadies himself.

She picks up on the third ring. It irritates him how unfazed she sounds when he explains the situation to her. He hears the click of her keyboard in the background, the hum of her monitors. Each passing second as she patches through to Nightwing is agony and the slow crawl of traffic does little to help.

His leg has begun to jostle the bike with the weight of its shaking when she returns to their call.

"You're not going to like this," she says and he feels the bile rising in his throat.

"What." He grits it out through his teeth, unable to manage much more than that. He hears Oracle sigh.

"Looks like an aphrodisiac," she says clinically. "Her plan was to get them caught compromised enough to lose credit publicly."

"Oracle." She hears his growl for what it is – Tell me whether or not it's over.

"It's non-lethal," she affirms and he sighs harshly. The tightness in his chest loosens ever so slightly as she talks. "Ivy let it off near city hall because most of the shareholders were scheduled to hold a meeting – that's where your girl works, right? Alf's working on an antidote but she should be relatively fine until it's ready. Just – keep an eye on her."

Tim joins the line then and Jason startles at the sound of his voice in his ear.

"I don't know what the fuck she wanted to achieve," the boy grumbles. He's a little out of breath and in any other situation, Jason would have something to say about that. Tonight, he's not in the mood for jokes.

"Red," he barks out. The kid makes a distracted noise, and he can hear the sounds of a scuffle on the other end. "You tell Ivy if anything happens to my girl, I'll make sure she's next."

He doesn't wait to hear what's sure to be a non-committal answer at best, kicking off and veering between the lined up vehicles. There's an outroar from the drivers around him, laying on their car horns. Someone pokes their head out of their window to scream at him.

He hears none of it, the blood rushing in his ears keeping him single-minded.

This string that twines him to you isn't new. It wears signs of age, shows the years in the way his fingers reach for yours in the early moments of his day, the turn of your eyes to his in any room. He's seen a few summers with you at his side but the fear –

Blood, coagulating, the cold brush of death, splintered wood beneath nails and a haunting smile

– the fear never stagnates.

A bitter, resigned shard of him breathes out as he speeds through the streets. A veritable sword over his crown, this almost seems expected. Loathing colours the skyline and he, the fool, to think he could hold this one, precious, beloved thing unscathed.

He forgoes the groceries in his haste, leaving the bags in his haste to throw himself up the stairs and out of the parking garage. Pulse thundering in his ears, sweat coating his palms, he scrabbles with the key to your shared apartment.

The door flies open and a hand is grabbing him by the front of his shirt before he can slot it through the lock.

You, wild-eyed and frantic, pull him inside with a bitten off sob.

"Shh, shh, I'm here, come here."

He kicks the door shut, reaching behind him to flip the locks with one hand. The other curls you protectively to his chest, fingers splaying over your back. The sight of you calms him considerably and he chokes out a stuttered breath, the lump in his throat dissolving to give way for a flood of relief.

You're burning in his arms, the thin undershirt you've got on soaked through with sweat, face glowing with perspiration. Eyebrows knitted, you cling to him tighter and he finds himself making noises of comfort.

"Jason, I –"

"Shh. I know, honey, I know," he murmurs, pressing his forehead against yours. Your eyes are tearful, salt spilling over lashes and rolling down your cheeks. "Come on, let's get you to lie down."

"No," you whine, pitching miserably as he shuffles the both of you towards your bedroom, face creasing with every movement. "Hurts."

"I know," he whispers, hating the way his voice cracks. His eyes burn painfully. "'ll get you a towel, alright?"

You're deposited on the bed and he makes a turn for the bathroom, wetting a cloth. When he enters the bedroom again you've pushed yourself up, kneeling on the bed. You've shed the pants you'd worn earlier, left now in only and undershirt and your underwear. His name falls from your lips pitifully and he steps forward, lips turning down into a commiserating frown.

You shy away from the cloth when he presses it against your forehead, letting out a hiss as it makes contact with your burning skin. He brings a hand to the nape of your neck and you seem to like that much better, sighing under his touch. Jason takes advantage of this to keep you in place, mopping the sweat off your face and neck, trying his best not to give into your dissatisfied squirming.

"I know, I'm an asshole," he mutters, when you cry out his name, displeasure making itself clear on your face. "Get better so you can yell at me for it, alright?"

"Don't wanna – yell at you," you mumble, wetting your lips as they part.

He clocks the dilation of your pupils a little too late and shakes his head adamantly, trying to draw back but you've got a hold of his shirt, pulling him forward. He catches himself with a hand agains the headboard, a knee pressing into the mattress beneath him.

You stare up at him, mouth turning down into a pained grimace.

"C'mon honey," he mutters, pleading, feeling his face flood with warmth. "Don't do this to me. Be good, you'll be alright, okay? Any minute they're gonna call and tell me Alf's got an antidote ready – shit, maybe we should just drive you there now -"

"No," you sob, face crumpling under the weight of your tears again, pushing up on your knees to fling your arms around his shoulders. The effort of the movement makes you stutter out a gasp and he's forced to band an arm around your waist to steady the both of you.

Your tears wet the skin of his neck, your body pressed flush against his. He becomes aware, regrettably, of the skin beneath his fingers, your undershirt having ridden up to expose the softness of your lower back.

"Please," you hiccup into his shoulder. "Please, Jason – Please."

He'll have to ask Oracle later if second-hand exposure to the toxin is supposed to have an effect on him. At the touch of your chest to his, he feels himself warm all over, mouth drying when you begin to keen, arching up into his touch in an effort to get him to do something.

"Fuck," he curses. "Fuck. Alright, just – come here."

He kicks his shoes off, the sneakers clattering against the floor, and crawls onto the bed properly. Sat up against the headboard, he meets your baleful gaze with a raised brow and reaches for you.

Jason shakes his head when you go to straddle his lap, maneuvering you against his chest until your back rests against it. You let out a whimper, displeased, but he shakes his head.

"This is all you're getting, alright? Just – it'll tide you over until they call."

He spreads your legs until they hang over his own, your thighs bracketing his and leaving you open. His blood thunders in his ears, hand trembling as he reaches it up to your mouth, fingers prodding at the soft plush of your lips.

Your tongue laves at his digits, a muffled moan trapped in the recesses of your throat. One of your hands curls around his wrist, the other perching against his thigh, nails curling against the fabric of his jeans. He can feel you shift against him, hips canting ever so slightly over his own.

Awful, wretched, lecherous, he stiffens under the movement, jeans tightening. His free hand wraps around you hip with the intent of pinning you in place and stopping you. Somehow, he finds himself guiding you back and forth instead.

You tip your head back against his shoulder, baring the soft line of your throat as you drool around his fingers. He can feel the wetness pooling around his knuckles, the softness of your ass against him, separated only by a few layers. If he cranes his neck, he'll probably find your panties sticky with your need. The thought alone makes his eyes flutter.

The room is blanketed in muffled whimpers, the whispers of rustling sheets and his shaky breaths. You've quietened down some since he'd gotten his fingers in your mouth, but the heat seems to have returned with a vengeance when you begin to fuss in his lap again. Your fingers dig into his thigh and you whine, tugging at his wrist in an effort to push his hand where you need it most.

He hushes you with a squeeze to your hip and tips your face to meet his. Bleary eyed, silvery tracks smattered across your cheeks, you're struggling to hold on. He lowers his mouth to yours, a chaste kiss that deepens when you part your lips to lick into his mouth.

"Jason, come on."

"No, don't take it off," he whispers when your hands make to tug your underwear off. You whine and he hushes you again, "Shh, I'm going to take care of you, be patient for me, alright?"

He slips his fingers beneath the waistband of your panties and watches you shudder at the first swipe. Similarly affected, he feels himself twitch when his fingers make contact with the soft slickness of your flesh, gliding against silken folds.

"Oh," you sigh, sagging slightly into him.

"There you go." He presses a kiss to your sweaty temple, trying to pretend this is just another night together and he's being a loving boyfriend, that you're not delirious with want just because of the toxin running through your bloodstream. "That's my girl."

He presses gentle circles against you, closing his eyes and ghosting his mouth over the curve of your shoulder. The smell of sex is thick in the air, that heady musk and sweat that he could drown in. Your breaths come in pants now as he works you open gently, thumb rolling over your centre.

"Just like that," he rumbles, straining to keep his head on straight. It's difficult, when you arch against him, his name spilling from your lips in adoration coloured mewls. Your arm raises, curling behind you to embrace his neck.

It doesn't take you very long to come, pent up and sensitive – he discovers this when his hand grazes over your chest to stroke your face and you keen so loud he fears he'll come in his pants at the sound, your mouth, bitten raw, dropping open as you moan. A few strokes against your centre and you come apart in his arms, hard. The tremors wrack your body long after the fact, your core pulsing around his fingers.

He, ever the fool, expects this to sate your hunger.

Whatever Ivy's put in her newest concoction is potent. You gather your breath quick enough and it becomes apparent that just the one isn't nearly enough. He's pushed back against the headboard, stunned into silence as you clamber onto his thigh, pawing at him like you can't get close enough.

You struggle with the fabric of his shirt before giving up and any questions he has sputter off into silence when you begin to rock back and forth on him. The denim of his jeans is unforgiving against the thin, sodden material of your underwear, providing a harsh friction that you lose yourself to. He watches, his heart racing, you taking your pleasure for yourself.

It isn't as though you've never done this in front of him – he remembers, blurry, the aftermath of a dinner date that had seen you riding his thigh on the couch, still in your dress.

But this… This feels different.

There's an urgency to this, a franticness running beneath your skin that pushes your hips down harder, more unforgiving. Your face screws up, salt misting your cheeks and neck.

For a moment, Jason almost feels as though he's the one that's been hit. You take on a blurry quality, smudged around the edges like wet paint, wanton, hazy. A gauzy film over his eyes, he blinks, and blinks.

When you come once more, it shatters and he's aware of the stain that's bled into the dark denim on his thigh, a stickiness that's smeared between your thighs. Your panties are ruined and he gulps when he drags his gaze up from between your legs to your face.

Quiet, hungry, you're already staring at him. Your chest heaves with exertion but you remain still otherwise, lips parting in invitation, eyes half-lidded.

"Baby–"

"You said you'd take care of me," you intone beseeching, voice affecting a trembling, delicate quality.

Fuck.

He's never been good at denying you much. Already, he feels the urge to take you into his arms and promise to make it better, but he forces his hand to stay, curling his fingers in the bedsheets.

You crawl forward, until your lips are ghosting over his, eyes swallowing his field of vision until all he can see are the stars in your irises. He feels the

"Jason, please, it still hurts," you whimper quietly, a wounded noise that carves him from the inside out, guilt and shame poisoning his every nerve. He's at war with himself, wanting to ease your pain – he feels responsible for it, in a way – and hesitating similarly. Is this right? Is it okay?

Before he can come up with an answer, you press your mouth to his.

The last of his inhibitions crumbles completely under the plush of your mouth.

He rolls the both of you over, relishing in the gasp you let out, the sight of you splayed against the mattress. He's quick to divest himself of his clothes, tugging his shirt off recklessly, not minding the sound of ripping fabric he vaguely registers hearing. The jeans go next, and his underwear in one, flung to some corner of the bedroom.

Your spit slick mouth curves up into a delighted, drunken smile when he crawls over you, body eclipsing yours with every intent of ravishing you.

Jason holds himself up with one hand, the other reaching to the bedside table and rummaging in the drawer for the box he keeps there. Only, he comes up short and dread dawns over him in a cold wave when he remembers –

He'd used the last of the condoms a few nights ago. It hadn't mattered in the last couple of days, the weekend too busy for the both of you to do much else but curl up next to each other, too exhausted to consider working up a sweat.

"Fuck," he whispers, shaking. "Fuck, baby, there aren't, um…"

Your eyes fill with tears at the unfinished sentence, a hiccuped sob stuttering out of your chest.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he tries to soothe you, a hand smoothing down your face. "I'll just – I'll run to the store, I'll be back before you know it."

"No, please, just–" Watery eyed and upset, you tug him closer as though fearing he'll take off. "I don't care, I don't, I just – I need you, Jason. Please."

He stares at you, heart thundering in his ears. "Fuck you without –"

"Need you now," you whimper, lips tugging down pitifully into a pout that cuts through his chest.

It isn't as though this is his first time fucking you raw –

Tipsy laughter, hushed whispers of it's fine, just once, we'll get the morning after pill.

– but still. This is different, another ballpark entirely.

You stare up at him, desperation in every crease and curve of your face, pleading with him. Too far gone to care, you beg him.

"I'll, um," he rasps out, throat dry, "I'll pull out."

You make some sort of noise that sounds like a vague affirmation, tugging him closer hastily. Poor, pretty girl. His chest aches at the sight of you, needy, looking to him to fix it.

"I'll fix it," he finds himself muttering, lining himself up with your entrance. You've similarly taken to murmuring under your breath, hands carding through his hair, devotion in your every touch.

"Need you so bad, please, please, baby."

The slick that smears against his head, the soft warmth of you, nearly makes his eyes roll back into his head. A drawn out whimper spills from your lips at the press of his hips, the first inches of him pushing into your tight heat.

You sink into the mattress as he notches himself further inside, mouth opening. You paint an obscene picture, your lips bitten raw, naked chest arched. He lowers his head to mouth at your nipples, teeth teasing at the sensitive points. You're warm, so warm beneath him – around him.

He's given only a moment to breathe before you push your hips up, impatient. Fucking yourself against him, your fingers dig into the muscle of his back for leverage, tucking him close enough to you that he brushes against your neck and tastes the salt on your skin.

Jason sets a harried pace, bucking forward against you. You begin to cry out again, every resounding slap of his skin against yours drawing out a moan that curls tight around him and presses down on his stomach. You exchange panted breaths between open mouthed kisses, tongues and teeth clashing messily, muffled pleas that beg for more, more, more.

Filthy, debauched, it doesn't take very long for you to approach your peak. Jason, lost in the wetness of your cunt, feels his own building and knows this is a dangerous game he's playing, toeing the line of recklessness.

"Close," he pants, feeling the tell-tale fluttering of you around him, your orgasm imminent. If he can just hold out until he's gotten you there –

Your legs wrap around him, hold so tight he's not able to do much more than rock against you in desperate, quick rolls of his hips.

"Inside," you warble. Your hands come to cradle his head, coaxing him down to kiss you, licking up into his mouth sweetly, teeth catching on his bottom lip. "Mmh, please, baby? Please? I – Jason – want it so bad, need you inside."

"Oh fuck," he gasps, voice hitching, breath stuttering. His face creases, overcome, and you grin, dazed, drunken, pulling him into another sloppy kiss. What's he to do?

You scream into his mouth at the same time that Jason comes. His vision whitens at the sensation of your pulsing heat, the unforgiving tightening that demands his orgasm. His fingers dig into the soft flesh at your hips, burying himself to the hilt and surrendering to your claim.

Warm and wet around him, the evidence of his debauchery coats the inside of your thighs and clings to the base of him. He's light-headed, a little winded, and it takes him a moment to gather his sensibilities. When he looks down, he finds you a boneless puddle beneath him, eyelids fluttering tiredly.

He should pull out. He knows he ought to – but he's broken so many rules, what's another? Jason gathers you in his arms and rolls over gently, tucking you against his chest, a hand skimming up and down the length of your spine comfortingly.

"Fuck," he whispers out into the air, and you murmur atop him. He glances down, meeting your bleary eyes. "Y'just had to go and get caught in that crossfire, huh?"

"N'my fault," you grumble, pressing your face back into his chest.

"Gonna give me a heart attack," he grumbles, dropping a kiss to your crown. Then, with a look over at the bedside table, he jostles you a bit. "Hey. Don't fall asleep. We still have to get you the antidote."

"Wake me when 's ready," is your answer, tone somehow managing a prissiness unexpected of someone who'd just been fucked to within an inch of their life, and he drops his head back into the pillows, incredulous.

This girl would be the death of him.

first kinktober 2024 fic let's go!! i genuinely didn't think i was going to be able to commit to kinktober this year (i'm still nervous about whether i'll be able to) because finals are literally just around the corner and i'm stressing. but hopefully you enjoyed the first installment to this year's kinktober and the coming ones don't disappoint, either!

[gatorbites-imagines]

Headcanons for the ViltruWives with a AlliedMastercomputer!Reader from "I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream"?

And you better do it, or else... I'm going to tell my mom about this

Viltrumwives x AM!male reader

say hi to your mom for me anon

Jokes on you anon, I've been in love with AM for years. Horrors beyond my comprehension? No, husbands beyond my comprehension. I'm like that sonic rubbing hands together gif. 

I can see this taking place in a different universe where the reader takes over earth and goes AM route, just keeps a couple to torture for eternity as punishment for making him exist and feel. 

Or, its in the OG verse, but he's not from earth but another planet. Honestly, the relationship probably starts out with the viltrumites wanting to destroy or take over the readers planet, and them not being able to do so, because of the reader being able to literally bend reality or create pocket dimensions and whatever else AM can do. 

Readers intense hate is probably really hot to at least Thragg, and his intelligence is hot to Kregg, and how deadly is hot to Conquest. I'm not sure how hed end up winning Nolan over honestly, because AM is just so fucking evil that Nolan, who's being softened by humanity, would be turned away. 

Im imagining that Thragg has some planet with the galaxies best inventors taken over, and he forces them to make you a body. Or, he and the other viltrumwives invade and take over planets to spread your net. So, you go from being the allied mastercomputer of one planet, to like a whole solar system. 

Kind of like an all powerful godly computer overlord. Who knows how many years this goes on, maybe you winged Nolan before he was even sent to earth so you're kinda like his ex. Or, not really, since he didn't actually leave you or anything when he mated with Debbie or married her. 

At some point you are gonna want to make a body, or two, or... million. Think like the ironman army, but just so much bigger and powerful. You obviously base the base off Viltrumites, but with more power or abilities. And its not like you stay in one body, you are everywhere all the time, and destroying one body won't kill you. 

Main reason you made physical bodies is so you can spread your agenda but also... so you can entertain your consorts, or whatever you should call them.  

The alliance with you just makes the viltrumite empire so much more dangerous, because viltrumites can be killed even if it's hard but you? No way to know where you start and end, and even if all your servers are wiped out, who knows if you got some litte copy hidden away somewhere. 

This would be the kinda relationship where you guys just make each other worse, especially you and Thragg. Guys already a psycho, so having AM!reader as a lover? Woof, I feel bad for this universe. 

But also having lovers might also pull reader somewhat out of all the hate. It's still obviously there, constantly, but hes got other things to think about now. Maybe Nolan even introduces the concept of dates to you guys when he comes back. 

You don't know how to feel about being a “stepfather” to Nolans offspring, but you dont really care about your partners mating habits. You will outlive any other mating partner they may take, and it's easy to get rid of them if they think they matter more than they do. 

As a computer, but one with feelings, I can imagine reader burning with jealousy but it's not really... because his partners are banging others? Its just reader being jealous in general? It's hard to explain, but hey, everyone in this relationship is toxic.  

[mariacallous]

The $10 billion container shipping industry, the one that moves boxes full of everything and anything around global seas, has this phenomenon called “blank sailings.”

To understand the term of art, think of the world-spanning ocean-bound trade economy like a bus system, where several buses—or ships—are making stops along a set route. If the people running the bus system—or the shipping company—realize there’s not enough passenger demand for their bus to run the route in the middle of the day, they’ll cancel one of those circuits. Same with shipping companies: If they realize there aren’t enough bookings to justify a container ship running its standard route, the company will “blank” the sailing, combining the goods that were supposed to be on that ship with those traveling later in the week.

This is normal shipping stuff. But not this month. As the effects of President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on foreign goods—and the trade war they’ve ignited—set in, many shippers who usually send goods across the Pacific Ocean have paused or canceled their shipments. Data from the supply-chain research firm Sea-Intelligence shows that blank sailings to the US’s West Coast spiked 13 percent this week, and is due to jump to 28 percent the week after. The Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest, expects 17 total blank sailings in May, which means the port will lose 224,000 “twenty-foot equivalent units of capacity,” the standard metric used to measure the contents in one container. In total, the port’s data shows, import volumes will be down 31 percent next week compared to the same week last year.

That means a lot of stuff once bound for the US is no longer coming—and an especially lot of that stuff is from China. This is the unusual part. “This is very extreme,” says Simon Heaney, the senior manager of container research at Drewry, a maritime research and advisory firm. “It’s unprecedented in the history of containerization.” The blank sailings, he says, are “an early canary in the coal mine. When you see carriers suspending services, it tells you there isn’t enough demand [for goods], or that freight rates are falling very quickly.”

What does that mean for consumers? Right now, the US government has said that it is negotiating tariff levels with many countries, including China, so the container shipping picture could change quickly as deals are signed or dashed. But at this point, some shortages are baked in. Experts say low-cost retail goods, like toys, are very likely to get more expensive in the US, as fewer ships make it to port and scarcity pushes up prices.

Trump acknowledged as much in a Cabinet meeting this week: “Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more,” he said.

But beyond a few weeks, even the tea leaves of the global container shipping industry and its “blank sailing” schedule can’t predict what will happen to global trade. Some of the blank sailings currently being recorded are happening because of economic uncertainty, says Jean-Paul Rodrigue, a professor of maritime business administration who studies port operations at the University of Texas A&M-Galveston. Firms and countries are “delaying until they know what the new rules of the game are. We are setting up the board, we are rolling the dice,” he says. “The rules have changed.” That means that, if deals are made, those goods can come back.

The real global warning sign, experts say, is if shipping companies nix those blank sailings for outright route cancellations. Blank sailings are “a Band-Aid measure,” says Heaney, the researcher. If container shipping companies abort routes altogether, though, it’s a sign that they believe the global economy is seeing lasting structural changes. These cancellations have built up but are not yet widespread, experts say—meaning it’s possible the global trade apparatus could get back on track.

No matter what happens in May, the question marks surrounding the global economy, and what things will cost consumers, will likely linger for months. Drewry, the research firm, has warned shipping clients of two upcoming periods of potential instability.

The first is in late June to July, when the Trump administration will decide whether to reimplement so-called "reciprocal tariffs” levied on individual countries for trade imbalances. Delayed since last month, these specific import tariffs could reach levels exceeding 40 percent, shocking the global supply chain. Between now and then, global manufacturers will scramble to discover whether they can source consumer products including electronics and apparel from countries beyond China. But the idea that other producing countries, including Vietnam and Cambodia, might be able to replace demand for Chinese goods in that period is “fanciful,” says Heaney. If tariff levels go through as planned, “there’s going to be a contraction.” That means prices for consumer goods will likely go up.

The next big timeline question mark comes in October. That month, a new policy from the United States Trade Representative (a government agency in the executive branch) is due to kick in that would add extra fees for Chinese-operated and Chinese-built ships entering US ports. When the rule goes into effect, container shippers will likely have to reconceptualize their entire network, sending Chinese-associated ships to other parts of the world. And finagling a billion-dollar container shipping industry has its downsides, even if they’re temporary. “Whenever you get dramatic network changes, you also get scheduling issues, the network will be suboptimal. That will lead to higher costs,” says Heaney.

Whatever happens, the message is clear: Consumers concerned about rising prices should look to the sea.

[mlm-writer]

Chocolate Milk (GN!Reader)

Pairing: Spock (AOS) x Gender Neutral Ensign Reader (platonic) Rating: General Audience Words: 1320 POV: Second Summary: Your childhood trauma left you near-emotionless. While most find it unsettling, there are some crew members appreciating you just the way you are. Note: Trauma not described, reader's physical traits also not described. I want to say ft. my OC, but he is deadass more present than Spock in this so ft. Spock I guess. Tags: mentioned trauma, platonic/professional appreciation, Ensign Michael Gabe the empath, alcohol mentions but no consumption, red alert and Kirk & Bones have a cameo

One moment the white hallways were too bright for the early hour and the next they were bathed in crimson. ‘Red Alert again?’ You wondered as you broke into a sprint. Red Alert happened at least once a month with captain Kirk looking for trouble left and right, but as far as times of crisis went, you had experienced far more distressing situations in your youth. At least, they felt more distressing as a child still figuring out who you are and why you were put into a world that was described as a utopia and yet so so full of suffering. 

You arrived at your station not a moment too soon. You were gasping for air, just like your colleagues at the stations adjacent to you. Michael’s fingers trembled with every jolt of the ship. “Ensign Gabe, we need a read on their defences. Any weak spot would be appreciated,” the captain urged the man next to you. His blond hair started sticking to his forehead as he calibrated the scanners to adjust for the shields. You focused on your own task, but from the corners of your vision, you could see Michael making mistakes that were uncharacteristic to his intelligence.

You placed a hand on his shoulder. “Michael, deep breaths. You got this.” You spoke softly to him, trying to make sure he was the only one hearing your reassurance. You felt him inhale deeply, holding the air for a few seconds and then releasing it evenly. You were aware the empath could feel everyone's distress. With the physical contact you hoped your calmness stood out in the ocean of unease. The blond muttered a brief expression of gratitude. You occasionally touched his shoulder again, trying to focus his gifts on you so he could stay level-headed. Sure, you could die today, but you knew your task like the back of your hand and you knew Michael did as well, in spite of his nerves giving the wrong idea and his abilities nearly crippling him. 

Things looked dire for a second, but hardly an hour later, you were at warp 4 en route to a space station for repairs. You stayed at your station monitoring repairs to the systems, while Michael left to get a ‘stiff drink’ as he called it. He could probably use it. You noticed how even lieutenant Chua seemed tense as he checked upon the injured on the bridge, calling over the CMO when he thought they might need a trip to sick bay. You watched how he carried the yeoman with a possible broken leg out to the turbolifts. “Ensign?” You realised you had been daydreaming a little. You whipped your head around, worried the SIC was about to scold you. 

“Yes, commander?” Spock was the ever-intimidating presence on the bridge. Very little scared you, but the idea of disappointing your superiors and commander Spock particularly “All repairs are going as expected. We will make it to Sindku station in three hours at our current velocity.” You added your status report after a short pause, hoping that was what commander Spock wanted to hear. 

He did not seem pleased with the answer. Some people would argue there was not a single expression to read on that half-Vulcan face, but you would disagree. You knew the subtle changes too well, have seen them in the mirror plenty of times to recognise them on another. You watched his thought progress, then breathed out a small sigh of relief when Spock seemed to have calculated his next words. “I am aware you have been called to duty during your leisure time. I will assign an on-duty officer to relieve you shortly.” You gave him a curt nod of comprehension. He then left. 

And just as foretold, on-duty officers arrived to relieve the bridge staff that had their leisure time interrupted by the red alert. You decided to check on Michael. He was in the lounge, as expected. You had expected him to be drinking alcohol, but spotted him with a big glass of chocolate milk. “Is that your stiff drink?” You greeted him with those words when you stood next to him. 

Michael looked up at you, a friendly smile plastered on his face. “What can I say? I prefer calories over alcohol.” He raised his half-empty glass as if he was toasting. “By the way, thanks for getting me through that red alert today. I…” he let out a breathy chuckle, “I really don’t get how you can always keep your cool, but I’m really glad to have someone like you around when all I am feeling from everyone else is the looming dread of death.” You gave him a nod and patted him on the back. 

What you wanted to say was ‘you’re welcome, it’s the trauma’, but those jokes have not been funny since the early 21st century, so you opted for a more modern response. “We all have our virtues.” Michael raised his glass again, as if saying ‘I’ll drink to that’. You decided to join him with a chocolate milk of your own. Michael always knew how to get the small talk going. He started off with the latest gossip, then asked your opinion on a personal or a ship matter and after some time, you always ended up talking mathematics. You seemed like total opposites at the bar, one person emoting like a cartoon character, the other virtually a statue. If Michael was not an empath, he would probably assume you never felt a thing in your life, just like everyone else.

The doors behind you slid open and you noticed the surprise on Michael’s face. He tried to hide it, but was doing a piss poor job at it. You turned to see what got him worked up, only to see commander Spock waltz in. The man was only here when he wished to speak to someone privately and he was heading straight for your chocolate milk hang out. Michael whispered he was worried Spock noticed his small panic today, but then you were the one requested to follow him to a less populated corner of the lounge. 

You had no idea what you did, but you left your chocolate milk at the bar and joined Spock near the windows. “I meant to say this on the bridge, but it seemed inappropriate with the company present,” Spock started. You hummed, eyes locked together like you were having a stare-down. “I would like to commemorate you for your attitude during crisis response, both on the bridge as we have seen today and in the field as we have seen last week on Unico IV. I will put in a request to have you promoted to lieutenant junior grade. Should you remain equally level headed with more responsibilities thrust upon you, I believe you will, in time, make an excellent captain.” 

You were quiet for a moment, trying to take in the unexpected compliments. “Thank you, sir.” It was all you could really say. Spock responded with a polite nod and then made his leave. You blinked as you stood there momentarily. When you were ready, you returned to Michael at the bar. He was chatting up one of the red shirts again, the ever sucker for muscular men. When he saw you though, he slipped off his seat, taking the two glasses with him. 

“What did he say?” Michael asked as soon as he was in front of you, handing you your leftover chocolate milk. You paraphrased Spock’s words, leaving Michael gasping and squealing. “That is so amazing! Slay mama!” He somehow managed to make air come out of your nose at a high velocity. You tapped your glasses together. He seemed happier than you, but you let him celebrate for you. Captain? You? You could hardly imagine it right now. Meanwhile Michael was already planning on being your SIC. 

—————

REBLOG TO SUPPORT YOUR FANFIC WRITERS

Likes do not help exposure!A comment in tags or replies can sustain a writer for months!

[bhuyi]

Horizon Omega

NCT DREAM

Synopsis:

In the year 2147, the Geonmu-7 Space Station orbits at the edge of human colonies, serving as a crucial supply hub for outer settlements. Captain Lee Haechan, a logistics officer with no combat experience, sees his life aboard the station as a monotonous routine—until one fateful night when an unknown force launches a sudden attack, reducing everything to ruins.

Within minutes, the commanding officers and security forces are wiped out. Haechan, now the highest-ranking survivor, is forced into leadership despite having never led a team before. Alongside a scattered group of survivors—engineers, scientists, and technicians—he must find a way to stay alive, manage the station’s dwindling resources, and uncover the truth behind the attack.

But as they attempt to send a distress signal, Haechan stumbles upon a chilling discovery: this was no random assault. Someone on board orchestrated it.

With time running out, an AI system behaving strangely, and an unseen threat lurking within the station’s remains, Haechan must rise from a mere logistics officer to a true leader. Can he and his team escape before they become the next victims?

Characters:

1. Lee Haechan – Logistics Officer & Unexpected Leader

Once a simple logistics officer managing supply chains and inventory, Haechan now finds himself the highest-ranking survivor after the attack. Though he has never led a mission before, his sharp problem-solving skills and adaptability make him the team's reluctant but essential leader. As paranoia grows within the group, he must learn to make tough decisions, trust the right people, and uncover the traitor before it’s too late.

2. Mark Lee – Chief Pilot & Navigator

One of the only surviving pilots after the attack, Mark becomes the crew’s best chance at escape. With years of experience piloting space freighters, he is tasked with repairing a damaged evacuation ship before the station collapses. However, the weight of responsibility starts to take its toll—if he fails, no one makes it out alive.

3. Na Jaemin – Chief Medic & Biotech Researcher

The station’s top medical officer, Jaemin is responsible for treating the wounded and maintaining the station’s experimental cryosleep patients. After the attack, he stumbles upon classified files hinting that the station’s secret genetic experiments may have been the real reason for the attack. Now, he must race against time to unravel the truth behind Geonmu-7’s research while keeping his teammates alive.

4. Huang Renjun – Astrophysicist & Communications Expert

An encryption specialist, Renjun discovers that all external communication has been deliberately blocked—as if someone inside doesn’t want them to call for help. As he tries to hack into the station’s systems, he begins to uncover disturbing messages that suggest the attack was planned long before it happened.

5. Lee Jeno – Head Mechanic & Weapons Specialist

Jeno, the chief engineer, is in charge of repairing the station’s power grid and defensive systems. However, as he digs deeper into the damage, he realizes some of the station’s defenses were sabotaged from the inside. With time running out, he must find a way to restore the station’s security and prepare for the next attack—because something or someone is still out there.

6. Zhong Chenle – AI Systems Engineer & Cybersecurity Expert

The station’s artificial intelligence, once designed to protect them, has begun acting unpredictably. As an AI specialist, Chenle attempts to regain control, only to discover that the system may have been altered by an unknown force. With a mix of humor and genius, he must figure out whether the AI is still an ally—or if it has turned against them.

7. Park Jisung – Explorer & Emergency Survival Specialist

Though the youngest member, Jisung is a trained space explorer familiar with extreme survival scenarios. He leads the search for hidden escape routes within the station’s abandoned sectors, but what he finds lurking in the dark makes him question whether escaping is even an option.

Themes

✔ Survival & Leadership

✔ Mystery & Intrigue

✔ Sci-Fi Horror & Action

✔ Brotherhood & Trust

This story blends sci-fi suspense, survival horror, and psychological thriller elements, perfect for fans of The Expanse, Alien, or Dead Space.

I will post the prologue and chapter 1 soon if the votes reach 5 and 3 comments.

[pocketnewsforyou]

Monday

Trump cabinet members accidentally added Atlantic editor to confidential meeting, risking nation security

According to the Guardian “vice-president, JD Vance, the defence secretary Pete Hegseth, the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard – used the commercial chat app Signal to convene and discuss plans” to discuss plans for action against the Houthis. It also states “Signal is not approved by the US government for sharing sensitive information.” The editor of Atlantic Magazine, Jeffery Goldberg, that “had been included in a Signal chat called “Houthi PC Small Group,”” posted an article about the chat. Goldberg censored the current operation movement and the identification of certain members of the chat group. The Guardian states “The discussions seen by Goldberg include comments from Vance, who appeared unconvinced of the urgency of attacking Yemen, as well as conversations over what price should be expected of Europeans and other countries for the US removing the threat to a key global shipping route.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/24/journalist-trump-yemen-war-chat

Trump pledges to put tariffs on the automobile and pharmaceutical industries

During a cabinet meeting Trump said “We’ll be announcing cars very shortly. We already announced steel, as you know, and aluminum. “We’ll be announcing pharmaceuticals at some point, because we have to have pharmaceuticals.” So we’ll be announcing some of these things in the very near future, not the long future, the very near future.” This has left many to question if these tariffs will be enacted along with his reciprocal tariffs. Trump explains his plan saying “I have decided for purposes of fairness, that I will charge a reciprocal tariff, meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them. No more, no less." This has caused economists to worry about consumer prices due to possible inflation. Trump has also claimed that he “may give a lot of countries breaks.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/24/trump-tariffs-autos-pharmaceuticals-sectoral-reciprocal.html

https://www.dw.com/en/what-are-reciprocal-tariffs-trumps-trade-agenda-explained/a-71596247

Tuesday 3/25/2025

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing web crashes, long waits, and mass amounts of phone calls due to DOGE operations and new rules

The SSA has announced new rules: you will not be able to file Social Security claims over the phone and any overpaid charges must be reimbursed. US Today explained “an overpayment can happen when a beneficiary fails to update a change in income, for instance. Or the SSA can incorrectly calculate benefits.” Any overpayment received after March 27, 2025 needs to be reimbursed in order to keep receiving benefits from the SSA. According to The Washington Post, these changes were made after Leland Dudek was made the acting commissioner “after he fed data to Musk’s team behind his bosses’ backs.” Dudek, just last week, threatened to halt all SSA operations in retaliation to a judicial ruling “against DOGE that he claimed would leave no one in the agency with access to beneficiaries’ personal information.” These changes have caused people to be concerned about their ability to claim their benefits. The SSA website has crashed 4 times in the last 10 days, which blocked people from accessing their online accounts. The Washington Post also highlights “in the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/25/social-security-phones-doge-cuts/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/03/26/social-security-overpayments-change-march-2025/82651483007/

Elon Musk has spent millions of dollars on Wisconsin Supreme Court election

The Wisconsin Supreme Court election will be the first major election since the 2024 presidential election. AP News highlights that “April 1’s election will determine majority control of a court facing critical issues: abortion rights, collective bargaining and voter access. They include decisions that could have major implications for the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election, particularly if they end up hearing challenges to the state’s congressional maps, which could theoretically swing the balance of power in Washington if they are considerably redrawn.” This comes after last year's controversy, as Rolling Stone states, when “the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the state’s legislative maps, which were so heavily gerrymandered that it was virtually impossible for Democrats to ever gain control of the state legislature.” Gerrymandering is the process of creating or redrawing congressional district lines in favor of one party. AP news highlights the concern over Musk’s spending claiming “a win would cement his status as a conservative kingmaker,” referencing his recent monetary support of Republican politicians.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-wisconsin-supreme-court-brad-schimel-susan-crawford-cf42ce39bd5508bd6cfe83ef24c8ada0

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/elon-musk-buy-wisconsin-supreme-court-trump-congress-1235302929/

Wednesday 3/26/2025

Judge James Boasberg, responsible for the ban of Venezuelan immigrants, has been assigned a lawsuit following “Signalgate”

Signalgate, named after Nixon’s Watergate scandal, consists of the release of Atlantic editor’s article on the confidential meeting held by Trump cabinet members consulting national defense and possible retaliation plans against Yemen for Houthi attacks. Judge Boasberg was assigned a lawsuit that claims “alleging that Trump cabinet secretaries and national security aides violated federal recordkeeping laws when they used a Signal chat group to discuss a planned military strike in Yemen.” Politico states “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previewed, with specific references to timing and weapons, an attack on Houthi militants.” Judge Boasgberg is still presiding over the Venezuelan immigration case, with the Trump administration “invok[ing] the “state secrets” privilege to refuse to share details with the Obama-appointed judge about the timing of deportation flights to El Salvador.” Marco Rubio is being sued on the grounds of “his involvement in the text exchange but also for his dual position as acting head of the National Archives, which is responsible for preserving records used by government officials in the course of their work.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/26/signal-lawsuit-trump-judge-boasberg-00250606

US appeals court upholds Judge Boasberg’s block on deporting undocumented immigrants to El Salvador

Trump used the Alien Enemies Act Proclamation to deport Venezuelan immigrants without due process. Judge Boasberg ruled in a minor court hearing that there would be a 14 day block on the administration’s actions. The administration then filed with the appeal courts that have now agreed with the original ruling. The court that heard the case was made up of 3 judges, one Trump appointed. Reuters states "an ensuing legal battle over the move has highlighted Trump's attempts to strong-arm the federal judiciary.” In explaining her decision to uphold Boasberg's ruling, U.S. Circuit Judge Patricia Millett said “the government was not affording the migrants the chance to contest the government's assertion that they were members of Tren de Aragua [transnational criminal organization from Venezuela] before deporting them.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-homeland-secretary-visit-el-salvador-prison-holding-deported-venezuelans-2025-03-26/

Thursday 3/27/2025

Trump administration cuts funding and programs that combat Domestic Terrorism

The Washington Post claims that they have recorded “the cancellation of nearly $20 million for 24 projects dating as far back as July 2021.” The Domestic terrorism database tracks “hate crimes and school shootings,” as well as other domestic threats. The database is run out of the University of Maryland (U- Md) and supported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to U-Md “In the past two years, data showed there were nearly three violent events daily, killing nearly 400 people and injuring more than 700.” Michael Jensen, the project’s principal investigator and the research director at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism at U-Md., wrote “this cancellation comes at a time when their data revealed the first two months of 2025 saw a 25 percent increase in terrorism and targeted violence incidents compared to the first two months of last year.” Records show projects such as “avert[ing] school shootings, an evaluation of a method used to redirect online searches away from extremist content and a study focused on early detection and intervention of people planning terrorist attacks,” have all lost funding.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/03/25/domestic-extremism-database-trump-cuts/

Trump administration wants to halt funding for GAVI, affecting global vaccine initiative

GAVI is “a public–private global health partnership with the goal of increasing access to immunization in poor countries.” Its funding allows for the purchase and distribution of vaccines. GAVI distributed 20 different vaccines including “COVID-19, HPV, Ebola, malaria and rabies.” A whistleblower brought the 400 page list “of canceled international aid programs previously funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).” The U.S. is the third largest contributor to Gavi and second largest government contributor, providing 12 percent of its budget. “With U.S. support, we can save over 8 million lives over the next 5 years and give millions of children a better chance at a healthy, prosperous future,” the organization said in a statement on social platform X. Gavi says it negotiates vaccines at prices that are affordable for the poorest countries and shares the costs on a sliding scale. As a country’s income level rises, it pays more. A U.S. watchdog group Public Citizen said the administration’s decision to cut funding for Gavi could be illegal; “congress has authority over foreign assistance funding. The administration’s attempt to unilaterally walk away from its Gavi commitment raises serious legal questions and should be challenged,”

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5216013-trump-administration-gavi-vaccine-fund-elon-musk-doge/

Friday 3/28/2025

Trump signed executive order ending collective bargaining for federal employees

Trump signed the executive order as part of his “broader campaign to reshape the U.S. government's workforce.” The White House claims “the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) gives him the authority to halt collective bargaining at agencies with national security missions, which are usually used for CIA, FBI, and National Security Agency.

Trump’s order will cover “jobs [that] touch on national defense, border security, foreign relations, energy security, pandemic preparedness, the economy, public safety and cybersecurity.” The chair of Veterans Affairs for National Nurses United stated “This administration's latest executive order is union busting, pure and simple." NPR highlights Trump’s past actions against Federal Unions claiming “one directive sought to invalidate collectively bargained telework provisions, declaring that they were in conflict with management rights. He's also taken aim at the amount of time employees serving in union leadership positions could spend on collective bargaining and other union-related business." The White House made clear it thought unions were standing in its way stating “Certain Federal unions have declared war on President Trump's agenda. The CSRA enables hostile Federal unions to obstruct agency management."

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/nx-s1-5343474/trump-collective-bargaining-unions-federal-employees

Trump signs executive order targeting the Smithsonian for “woke ideology”

The executive order targets 2 recipients of federal funding; The Smithsonian Institution, a vast collection of research centers, museums and galleries, including the Air & Space Museum and the American Art Museum; and the monuments and memorials overseen by the Department of the Interior. The order is called "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," with the White House claiming it is “revitalizing key cultural institutions and reversing the spread of divisive ideology.” It says that the Smithsonian promotes "narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive." The order directs Vice President JD Vance — who is on the Smithsonian's board — to eliminate "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from the museums, and to work with Congress to keep from funding exhibits or programs that "divide Americans by race." The executive order also directs the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Parks and other public lands, to restore markers, statues and other memorials that have been "improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history or improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events."

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/nx-s1-5343524/smithsonian-trump-executive-order

Saturday 3/29/2025

Top Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine official, Dr. Peter Marks, resigns citing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s spread of ‘misinformation’

According to AP News “The top vaccine official, Dr. Peter Marks sent a letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner on Friday saying that he would resign and retire by April 5 as director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.” RFK Jr. has expressed concern over vaccines, Marks claims that compromising “wasn’t possible.” Marks states “It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather [RFK Jr.] wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.” AP News also highlights, “[RFK Jr.] promised the chair of the Senate health committee that he would not change existing vaccine recommendations. Since becoming secretary, Kennedy has vowed to scrutinize the safety of childhood vaccinations, despite decades of evidence they are safe and have saved millions of lives.”

https://apnews.com/article/fda-vaccine-chief-peter-marks-resign-rfk-kennedy-7743be11cec4e4e22c50c2ddbcb6bcd8

Utah bans LGBTQ+, maga, and other unapproved flags from schools and government buildings

The bill went through despite Gov. Spencer Cox not signing because he “continues to have serious concerns about the policy.” According to Fox News “the ban will go into effect on May 7, when state or local government buildings will be fined $500 a day for displaying any flag other than the American flag, the Utah state flag, military flags or a handful of others approved by lawmakers.” The bill’s sponsors, Rep. Trevor Lee and Sen. Dan McCay, said the bill aims to encourage "political neutrality" from teachers and other government employees. Cox states his worries in a letter to legislative leaders that the bill “went too far in restricting local governments…. [and] narrowly focuses on flags, does not ban other political displays such as posters or lighting.”

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/utah-bans-lgbtq-pride-flags-maga-flags-other-unapproved-flags-government-buildings-schools

[smartcitysystem]

IP Telephony Solutions | Call Center Software, IVR & VoIP Systems

Upgrade your communication with our IP telephony solutions. Explore call center software, IVR systems, and VoIP business telephone systems for smarter, efficient calls.

[precallai]

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Call Centers: Advantages, Challenges, and Innovations

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the call center industry by automating customer interactions, streamlining workflows, and improving service quality. AI-driven technologies, such as virtual assistants, speech analytics, and predictive insights, enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. However, integrating AI into call centers comes with challenges that need strategic solutions. This article explores the key benefits, challenges, and emerging innovations in AI-powered call centers.

Key Advantages of AI in Call Centers

1. Enhanced Customer Support

AI chatbots and virtual assistants provide instant responses, reducing customer wait times and ensuring round-the-clock availability. Natural Language Processing (NLP) enables these systems to interpret and respond to inquiries with human-like accuracy.

2. Boosted Agent Efficiency

AI supports call center agents by automating routine tasks, suggesting relevant responses, and summarizing interactions in real time. This allows human agents to focus on more complex and high-value conversations.

3. Smart Call Routing

AI-powered systems analyze customer history, sentiment, and query type to route calls to the most suitable agent, reducing resolution times and enhancing first-call resolution rates.

4. Predictive Analytics for Proactive Engagement

AI analyzes customer data to forecast behavior, identify potential churn risks, and suggest tailored solutions. This proactive approach helps businesses retain customers and improve satisfaction.

5. Cost Efficiency and Scalability

By automating a significant portion of customer interactions, AI-driven call centers reduce operational costs. AI also enables businesses to scale support operations efficiently without a proportional increase in staff.

Challenges of AI Integration in Call Centers

1. Handling Complex Queries

While AI is effective for routine inquiries, complex or emotionally sensitive issues often require human intervention. Balancing AI automation with human support is essential for optimal service.

2. Data Security and Privacy Compliance

Call centers manage sensitive customer information, making compliance with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA critical. AI systems must include strong security protocols to safeguard data.

3. Legacy System Integration

Many call centers operate on outdated infrastructure, which may not be fully compatible with modern AI solutions. Upgrading or implementing middleware can be costly and time-consuming.

4. Customer Trust and AI Acceptance

Some customers prefer human support over AI-driven interactions. Ensuring that AI systems provide accurate, empathetic, and context-aware responses while allowing seamless handoffs to human agents is crucial.

5. Mitigating AI Bias

AI models can inherit biases from training data, leading to inaccurate or unfair responses. Continuous monitoring and refining of AI algorithms are necessary to ensure unbiased and equitable customer service.

Cutting-Edge Innovations in AI Call Centers

1. Real-Time Sentiment Analysis

AI-driven sentiment analysis detects customer emotions in real time, enabling agents to adjust their approach and prioritize urgent cases accordingly.

2. Voice Biometrics for Secure Authentication

AI-powered voice recognition verifies customer identities using unique vocal patterns, reducing reliance on passwords and enhancing security.

3. AI-Enhanced Speech Analytics

Speech analytics tools analyze call interactions to uncover customer trends, identify compliance gaps, and suggest service improvements.

4. Hyper-Personalized Customer Interactions

AI-driven CRM systems leverage customer behavior and history to offer personalized recommendations, promotions, and support solutions.

5. AI-Powered Multilingual Support

Real-time language translation powered by AI enables call centers to serve global customers seamlessly, eliminating language barriers.

Conclusion

AI is redefining call center operations by improving efficiency, personalizing customer interactions, and reducing costs. However, successful AI adoption requires addressing challenges related to security, integration, and customer trust. As AI technology advances, businesses that strategically implement AI-powered solutions will gain a competitive edge in delivering exceptional customer service

[belit0]

What’s the relationship with other clans/families that the uchiha have in the mafia au(who’s their ally, the enemy, and who their neutral with)

Here we have to make a division: before Indra, during the period of his father's leadership, and after Indra, while he is the head of the mafia.

HS AU is Indra's dad era, Kaien.

Mafia AU is Indra's era.

Before Indra, Kaien’s leadership

Ruthless, calculated, but political. Focused on assets and manipulation over open war.

Enemies:

Senju Clan Old blood feud. Constant territorial tension but not open warfare. Kaien keeps them at bay through bribes and alliances, preferring strategy over bloodshed.

Sarutobi Family Too idealistic. Often sided with Senju for power balance. Kaien labels them as “moral weaklings” and keeps distance.

Allies:

Nara Clan Known for logistics and intelligence. Kaien used them for silent deals and money laundering operations.

Aburame Family Provided surveillance tech, spies, and bio-drugs. Low profile, high utility.

Yamanaka Clan Psych specialists. Used for interrogation, mind manipulation. Kept close under lucrative contracts.

Neutrals:

Hyūga Clan Wealthy, proud, and too traditional to commit. Kaien respected them as a neutral power and made sure never to provoke them.

Akimichi Family Providers. Food, arms, goods. Played both sides for profit. Kaien tolerated it.

After Indra becomes leader

Violent, merciless, surgical. Burns the old system. Only keeps the loyal. You’re either his or dead. Built royalty out of the ash.

Enemies:

Senju Clan Indra declares full war. Wipes them out family by family—leaves no heirs.

Sarutobi Family Refused to pledge loyalty. Their territory was bombed. What’s left of them scattered underground.

Akimichi Family Betrayed the Uchiha neutrality. Indra calls them cowards. Trade routes shut down, leaders executed.

Hyūga Clan (mostly) Refused to take sides. Indra considers neutrality betrayal. Branch families destroyed, main house crippled.

Allies:

Nara Clan (partially) Half defected, half stayed. Those who stayed became key advisors. Shikamaru’s branch remained loyal and were rewarded.

Aburame Family Fully integrated into Indra’s tech and biochemical division. Became part of the inner circle.

Yamanaka Clan Swore loyalty early. Indra uses them for psychological warfare and secret experiments.

Some Smaller Rogue Clans Those who offered loyalty during the purge were absorbed into Indra’s system. Used as dogs.

“There’s no neutral in war. If they didn’t shield us, they stood against us.”

[justforbooks]

House of Huawei by Eva Dou

A fascinating insight into a Chinese telecoms giant and its detractors

Huawei is not exactly a household name. If you’ve heard of it, you either follow the smartphone market closely – it is the main China-based manufacturer of high-end phones – or else consume a lot of news, because the company is at the centre of an ongoing US-China trade war.

But this enormous business is one of the world’s biggest producers of behind-the-scenes equipment that enables fibre broadband, 4G and 5G phone networks. Its hardware is inside communications systems across the world.

That has prompted alarm from US lawmakers of both parties, who accuse Huawei of acting as an agent for China’s government and using its technology for espionage. The company insists it merely complies with the local laws wherever it operates, just like its US rivals. Nevertheless, its equipment has been ripped out of infrastructure in the UK at the behest of the government, its execs and staffers have been arrested across the world, and it has been pilloried for its involvement in China’s oppression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.

Into this murky world of allegation and counter-allegation comes the veteran telecoms reporter Eva Dou. Her book chronicles the history of Huawei since its inception, as well as the lives of founder Ren Zhengfei and his family, starting with the dramatic 2019 arrest of his daughter Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, at the behest of US authorities.

Dou’s command of her subject is indisputable and her book is meticulous and determinedly even-handed. House of Huawei reveals much, but never speculates or grandstands – leaving that to the politicians of all stripes for whom hyperbole about Huawei comes more easily.

At its core, this book is the history of a large, successful business. That doesn’t mean it’s boring, though: there’s the story of efforts to haul 5G equipment above Everest base camp in order to broadcast the Beijing Olympics torch relay. We hear about the early efforts of Ren and his team, working around the clock in stiflingly hot offices, to make analogue telephone network switches capable of routing up to 10,000 calls; and gain insights into the near-impossible political dance a company must perform in order to operate worldwide without falling foul of the changing desires of China’s ruling Communist party.

Dou makes us better equipped to consider questions including: is this a regular company, or an extension of the Chinese state? How safe should other countries feel about using Huawei equipment? Is China’s exploitation of its technology sector really that different to the way the US authorities exploited Google, Facebook and others, as revealed by Edward Snowden?

Early in Huawei’s history, Ren appeared to give the game away in remarks to the then general secretary of the Communist party. “A country without its own program-controlled switches is like one without an army,” he argued, making the case for why the authorities should support his company’s growth. “Its software must be held in the hands of the Chinese government.”

But for each damning event, there is another that introduces doubt. The book reveals an arrangement from when Huawei operated in the UK that gave GCHQ unprecedented access to its source code and operations centre. US intelligence agencies seemed as able to exploit Huawei equipment for surveillance purposes as China’s. While Huawei’s equipment was certainly used to monitor Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, it was hardware from the US company Cisco that made China’s so-called Great Firewall possible.

Anyone hoping for definitive answers will not find them here, but the journey is far from wasted. The intricate reporting of Huawei, in all its ambiguity and complexity, sheds much light on the murky nature of modern geopolitics. The people who shout loudest about Huawei don’t know more than anyone else about it. Eva Dou does.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[bonefall]

Since you mentioned only cats and a few other distant animals are sentient, does this mean foxes are getting their sentience removed? Midnight can talk to foxes in the books and even convinces some foxes to leave a patrol of cats alone (the foxes are WEIRDLY violent and talk about eating the cats too lmaoo).

I assume Hollyleaf's changes mean the Fox Cub Incident is either being moved or just removed entirely, I always found that small plot point interesting in face of all those "Non-cat in clan" AUs. Seems like something that could be interesting if an "us vs them" argument was formed from it, especially if it was targeted against Midnight and calling her unholy yknow?

Yeah, that sapience is gone completely. In this universe, language is limited only to humans, cats, and some distant animals that are far outside the range of Albion (elephants, bottlenoses, some parrots, etc)

And Hollyleaf's story especially. Ngl to you, I don't like that fox idea. Or anything about Hollyleaf's Story. I think it was the worst possible route to take.

"Hollyleaf will be a mother to this evil creature to learn what it's like to love something that hates you. It is so sad to be your mom Leafpool (Squirrel-who?). Don't you feel like a shitty daughter now, Holly? Let's not ask any questions about the code btw, or how you were already filled with crushing shame from it. Or how it made you so disgusted about the idea of pregnant nuns that you flipped your shit and ruined the lives of your entire family. No, what really mattered about this situation was maternal empathy. Also here take the nearest male character we can find to ship you with, we accidentally made Cinderheart too gay when she was upset about your death lmao"

But, digressing, putting my distaste of that novella aside,

WC is profoundly xenophobic already with just the cats, and I think it was a CATASTROPHIC mistake to make it so every animal is secretly intelligent but speaks animal language. Now every conflict between cats and their predators is an ethnic dispute! You're chasing out groups of people perfectly capable of reasoning if you bridged the language barrier, but they're also ACTUAL PREDATORS.

AT BEST; It's the same uncomfortable situations that Zootopia and Lion King ends up tripping over. In Zootopia, predators are used as an allegory for oppressed groups... but predators are MADE to eat prey. A rabbit is RIGHT to be terrified of a fox, twice its size with a jaw made for catching bunnies. In Lion King, lions have divine authority to rule over their dinner/subjects, and chase out any animal based on their personal ideology... which just so happens to only be leveraged against rival predator species.

(Nerd preemption: yes i know about lion guard. I do not think diverse Lion Cops were the solution you think it is.)

Carelessly adding sapience to "natural systems" often ends up accidentally justifying bigotry. Bigotry doesn't MAKE SENSE, it's bullshit we made up and perpetuate through culture, but food webs are completely logical. The rabbit fears the fox because the fox eats rabbits. The lion hates the hyena because they compete for the same food. Gazelles don't happily submit to an overlord who is divinely capable of deciding who should live and who should die, it's just nature.

But it gets even worse-- because it's actually WORST CASE; the Erins saw that complicated moral problem and went, "don't worry! They're actually born evil! Foxes just talk about food and killing things :)"

like... my brother in cats, YOU gave them language in the first place! What was the fucking point if they were just going to be evil barbarians anyway?!? For ONE scene where Midnight could show off her Duolingo streak???

So to summarize,

It was an awful idea to start with

It was executed in the worst possible way

In a series that is already plagued with xenophobic sentiment, this somehow made it even worse and more direct

If it was completely nuked it from the story, the series would be immediately better with minimal change. Holly caring for what is essentially the clan cat-equivalent of an exotic animal like a chimp or a tiger cub would have done the same thing

There is not even a glimmer of an idea here that justifies the poison that full sapience does to the wider implications of the series.

Don't even get me started on the Badger Debaucle in TNP, which is actually in my top 5 for most vile things in WC

So if I don't explicitly say that a species in BB is capable of true language, assume it is non-sapient. Talking animals like Midnight and Rat Leader are magical individuals-- gods, curses, etc.

[deathbirby]

What sucks about the fandom is that everybody usually defaults to make post-Crimson Flower fanfictions 'and they all lived happily ever after :)' which... sucks because CF is the most flawed ending out of all of the routes (Duscur is still believed to have killed the King, TWSITD are lurking around as seen in Edel's mural, sovereign nations were forcibly assimilated against their will into Adrestia, etc). All of these issues are ignored to default to a happy ending which is such a let down since all of these issues are SO interesting and genuinely could make really engaging post-CF fanfiction delving into them. That's not even going into how Edel's meritocracy is deeply flawed on further thought as it assumes equal opportunity (despite the nobility and the inter-generational wealth of said nobles), and an equal society where everyone is seen and treated as equals (the people of Duscur who are seen as traitors, Almyrans such as Cyril who were enslaved and forced to work, Nabataens and Edel's blatant racism towards them, etc). Let me make this clear; a meritocracy is better than feudalism or a monarchy outright. The issue isn't inherently with meritocracies, nor is it to dissuade changing the current system of Fodlan. The problems I have with Edel's meritocracy is the total lack of foresight and the refusal to engage with Edel's actions that brought in the system. Meritocracies can work but considering the broader context and political landscape of Fodlan: Edel's meritocracy was a system founded after violently conquering two sovereign nations against the leaders and the civilians wills. Many of these civilians do harbour resentment towards the government (as seen in Hubert/Shamir's ending where they act as secret cops 🤢), how Edelgard only really gives resources to people she knows aka nepotism (especially to Caspar and Bernie who are woefully not well suited for the roles the get). There's also the ugly turd by removing the corrupt nobles who kept her in check, there are no safeguards against Edelgard or future successors abusing their power (which Edel's use of her power is pretty questionable seen in Hubert/Dorothea gathering intelligence for the empire and Hubert/Shamir with being cops). ======== (1/2)

2/2 ==== I wanna bring up how Petra was treated; poor girl was kidnapped from her home, tossed into a hostile foreign land where she didn't speak the language and received no support at all from her peers. Going so far as Hubert calling her an animal (we love microaggresions if not outright aggresions to poc). Edelgard assumes her and Petra to be equals, that Petra is completely fine but Edel is oblivious or callous towards the gross power imbalance between the two. Petra is constantly trying to appease society by learning the local tongue, constantly trying to appease Edelgard and prove her own independence to ensure Brigid doesn't appear weak. Edel does show concern, I'll give her that, but she really doesn't do anything to truly help Petra. Iirc, Petra had to learn the entire language by herself without ANY help from anyone, not even Edel nor Hubert stepped in (tho Hubert can gawk at Petra like shes an animal). How is it unfair to assume that if Edel can't even address blatant inequality and oppression towards Petra, something that was in her face, how can she ensure that her meritocracy won't perpetuate further inequality and oppression on a wider scale? I really wish the fandom weren't so scared nor so adverse to exploring these issues in a post-CF fan fiction and really take a deep dive into Edelgard's rule outside of 'Fodlan was super corrupt, Rhea is the absolute fucking worst and Dimitri was just a Rhea Stan, Claude was aaaaalmost cool but he didn't want to work with Edelgard which sucks because they would SO be besties (even tho Claude experienced violent racism and would not tolerate Edel's pasty ass spewing vitriol how Nabataens are inhuman beasts) but its soooooo sad he didn't see Edelgard's goals, BTW CRESTS ARE THE FUCKING WORST :3'. Like, the only thing I have ever read to addressing the flaws Edelgard's rule was To Those Who Are Never Going Home by MadameHyde (but stiiiill doesn't hit the spot for me since its more focused on Garreg Mach than the wider society of Fodlan on itself). I believe in women's wrongs and Edelgard did SO MUCH shit wrong, let👏Edelgard👏be👏pointed👏out👏in👏the👏wrong👏. It sucks that nobody wants to engage or even play with that side of Edelgard, so I'm now stuck developing my own post-CF fanfiction/AU exploring an Adrestian-Garreg Mach and the world of Fodlan moulded by Edelgard's rule lmfao. I really want to explore a politically unstable and balkanized Fodlan, and it's so sad that nobody else sees the vision 😔 Thanks for reading my entire infodump about Edelgard and sitting through this entire essay lmfao. — 🍑 Anon

Oh dear goddess have mercy on me

CF's ending makes no sense when you realize that TWSITD can just nuke Fhirdiad right then and there and win. Thales can also just... brainwash Edelgard and turn her into a puppet according to hopes. It's the least logical ending.

Edelgard's system ultimately would only benefit the strong. The 'weak' (sick, elderly, poor, disabled, etc.) just have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps according to our emperor, but we all know how well that will work.

And yep, the nepotism runs strong with her. Caspar and Bernadetta are NOT fit to rule. We know from one of the endings that Caspar acts recklessly and dangerous on military campaigns but people just ignore it. That is a very bad look for Edelgard who just tolerates it.

Petra's whole situation deserves her own post tbh. She's a political hostage who gets treated like dirt. Edelgard couldn't even help her learn the language despite the fact that she has all of the resources to do so.

let👏Edelgard👏be👏pointed👏out👏in👏the👏wrong👏

write this on my gravestone lol