#windows 10 black screen with cursor

[yo-ri-su-ki]

meow okay so HEAR ME OUT idk if you’ve ever read attack on titan college au fics but if u have ive been thinking about that but w dmc and like dante would be a frat boy, vergil would be a philosophy major you’d meet in the library, lady would the roomate and her gf trish visits sometimes and nero is the childhood best friend DYKWIM??? ok sorry this is what floats thru my mind rn 😊😊

College Can't be THIS Chaotic (it is sadly)

An: HNNNNGGGHHH I LOVE TRISH OUT THE WAY LADY MY TURN

The upper floor of the university library was sacred ground. It wasn’t labeled as such, but everyone who studied there knew. No food, no noise, no freshmen.

And no one—no one—sat in the leather armchair by the southeast window on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 PM. That was Vergil’s seat.

He arrived exactly on time, a black turtleneck layered under a long grey coat, two books in one hand and a black coffee in the other. Being and Time and Aesthetics of Violence this week. Light reading.

Except today… someone was already there.

It was a student, legs crossed, earbuds in, laptop open and glowing with a blinking cursor. They looked too comfortable.

Vergil stood still for a full ten seconds. Calculating. Judging. Internally debating whether murder was, philosophically, a valid course of action.

“…You’re in my seat,” he said finally.

No response. The earbuds stayed in. A spoon tapped against a half-melted iced latte.

Vergil’s jaw flexed. He considered leaving. Considered sitting somewhere else. And then, with the stiff grace of someone who’d rather be impaled than inconvenienced, he lowered himself into the seat directly across from them.

Two minutes later, the student noticed. They blinked. Vergil did not look up from his book.

“…Do you always sit here?”

“Every Tuesday. Four PM.”

They eyed him. “You’re weird.”

“Correct.”

Later that evening, Vergil’s phone buzzed violently in his coat pocket. He let it ring twice before reluctantly checking the screen.

Dante 🍕: bro get ur pretentious ass to Trish's foam party

Dante 🍕: also, don’t wear a turtleneck this time. u looked like a sweaty priest last time

Dante 🍕: also your library girlfriend stole your seat LOL

Vergil scowled. He hadn’t told Dante anything. The fact that his brother knew was—unsettling.

Down the hall in the girls’ dorm, Trish popped her head into Lady’s room, sunglasses on at 10 PM, rhinestones on everything.

“She’s coming,” she said.

Lady, in a black tank top and biker boots, didn’t look up from sharpening her eyeliner. “Who?”

“The Seat Thief. The one who survived Vergil.”

“…Oh?”

“Yeah,” Trish grinned. “I like her already.”

Meanwhile, Nero was texting in all caps.

Nero 🐐: STOP LETTING DANTE GET INVOLVED IN THINGS

Nero 🐐: FOAM PARTY?? DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME??

Nero 🐐: he tried to cook steak in a toaster. a TOASTER

By next Tuesday at 4 PM, the student was already waiting in Vergil’s seat.

There were two coffees on the table. One was black.

Vergil said nothing. But he sat down.

And stayed there until closing.

The dorms of Floor 3B were not technically condemned, but they were on a watchlist.

There were weekly fire drills. Questionable stains on the ceiling. A vending machine that sometimes gave you two snacks instead of one, but only if you smacked it hard enough. Some called it cursed. Dante called it “his girlfriend.”

Room 302 housed Dante Sparda, the bane of the R.A.’s existence. He’d somehow convinced the school that blasting rock music at 2 a.m. “helped his cognitive recall” and once brought a motorcycle into the building for “a psych project.” (There was no psych project.)

Room 303 was a warzone. That’s where Vergil lived.

Vergil had tried—really tried—to keep things civilized. But unfortunately, his room shared a wall with Dante’s. And Dante liked to wrestle drunk frat bros on the floor at ungodly hours. Last week, he’d slammed someone into the wall so hard Vergil’s shelf collapsed.

Tonight, however, it wasn’t wrestling. It was karaoke.

Vergil was trying to meditate, legs crossed, candle lit.

“🎶 WAKE ME UP—”

THUD.

“🎶 WAKE ME UP INSIDE—”

CRASH.

“🎶 SAVE MEEEEE—”

A second crash. Then Dante’s voice yelling, “DUDE, THAT’S NOT EVEN THE RIGHT NOTE—”

Vergil stood up. Blew out the candle. Took a deep, soul-deep breath.

He opened the door.

And there stood Lady, in a bathrobe, holding an empty mug labeled Feral But Make It Sexy. She didn’t look amused.

“They’re singing Evanescence again,” she said flatly.

“I noticed.”

From down the hall, Trish leaned out of Room 309, wearing LED sunglasses and sipping a bright red Capri Sun. “I asked for 'Bring Me to Life.' Be grateful. Last week it was Pitbull.”

Lady nodded solemnly. “It always escalates to Pitbull.”

In Room 302, Dante was standing on his desk, shirtless, holding a broken coat hanger like a mic.

Some poor, terrified engineering major stood beside him holding a tambourine.

“Welcome to the annual Floor 3B Dorm Idol,” Dante declared, slurring slightly. “Today I perform not just for you… but for the ghosts in the walls.”

Vergil walked in. “You will be silent.”

Dante turned slowly, dramatically. “Oh no… It’s the Fun Police.”

“I will set fire to your collection of leather pants.”

Trish poked her head in. “Do it. I want to see if they melt like fruit roll-ups.”

Down the hall, Nero—who did not live in this dorm but showed up way too often—was hiding in the laundry room, texting frantically.

> Nero 🐐: they’re doing karaoke again

Nero 🐐: I just saw a guy pass out inside a dryer

Nero 🐐: how is this a top 10 school

---

By 3 a.m., the floor was quiet.

Lady was back in her room, reading a true crime novel with a face mask on. Trish was asleep on the futon with her legs over a lava lamp. Dante was passed out on top of his desk, muttering lyrics in his sleep.

Vergil returned to his room, stepped over a discarded wig, and finally sat down.

Peace at last.

Until he opened his mini fridge.

Inside: nothing but a single Monster Energy, a Nerf dart, and a cold slice of pepperoni pizza… shaped like a heart.

He sighed. Deeply.

You were just trying to get your charger.

That’s all. A simple charger retrieval. No chaos. No drama. You’d left it in your dorm earlier that morning in a rush to get to class. You were running on 8% battery and 200% social burnout.

You opened the door without knocking.

Which, in hindsight, was your first mistake.

Because there, in the soft warm glow of fairy lights and the faint sound of 2000s R&B playing from Lady’s speaker, were Trish and Lady—half tangled on the couch, definitely mid-makeout, definitely not expecting an audience.

Trish had her hand in Lady’s hair. Lady had a thigh over Trish’s hip. They both looked up at the exact same time.

You froze like a Sims character. “I—I—uhhh—”

Lady’s eyes narrowed. “Charger?”

“…Yeah.”

Trish, casually like this was nothing, reached for the remote and paused the music. “It’s on your desk, babe.”

You shuffled past them without making eye contact, grabbed the charger, and backed out like a cartoon burglar leaving a diamond vault.

“Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry—!”

You closed the door behind you, stared down the hall for a solid five seconds, and then turned around.

“…I’m not emotionally equipped for this today.”

Which is how you ended up at Nero’s dorm, sitting cross-legged on the floor next to his bed while he tried not to laugh so hard he spilled soda on his calculus homework.

“You walked in on them AGAIN?”

“I didn’t mean to!” you groaned, burying your face in your hoodie. “I just—I didn’t knock! I never knock! Because usually it’s just Lady and her knife collection in there!”

Nero snorted. “You act like they don’t own the chaos. This is like… fourth time this month.”

“You don’t understand,” you mumbled. “Lady glared at me. Mid-makeout. Like I was the problem. Like I intruded on a sacred ritual.”

“She probably saw you as a threat to the mood.”

You threw a mini marshmallow at him. “Don’t make it worse.”

He caught it in his mouth like a smug golden retriever. “Okay, okay. Want a juice pouch?”

“...Yeah.”

Nero passed you a Capri Sun from the mini fridge and then joined you on the floor, shoulder to shoulder.

“You know,” he said, “my first week here? I opened the community fridge and found three raw steaks labeled ‘Dante’s Emergency Snacks.’ Things could be worse.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

“I walked in on Dante shaving his chest with an electric turkey carver.”

“…Okay that does.”

By the time your phone hit 80% and your internal social embarrassment dialed down to manageable levels, you felt almost human again.

You stood, stretched, and nodded toward the door.

“I should go back. Trish is probably building a pillow fort to taunt me.”

Nero smirked. “Want me to walk you there?”

You shook your head. “Nah. If I get caught again, I’m changing majors and transferring schools.”

As you opened the door, Nero called out after you: “Hey—next time you walk in on something, knock first. Or at least bring popcorn!”

You flipped him off over your shoulder.

When you returned to your dorm, Lady was sharpening one of her knives on the desk. Trish was doing her nails and humming.

Neither of them said a word.

But your charger had a sticky note on it.

"Try knocking next time, sugar 💋 —Trish"

You died a little inside.

Made by @yo-ri-su-ki, do not copy or translate my work! Reposts and likes appreciated!! Also if you like this post and want to see more like this, consider following!!

An: "WE LOVE YOU FRAT BOY DANTE" we all say in unison also, I'm sorry if this isn't what you asked for I've seen some of the aot college aus and I loved them😔😔 just tell me if ya want somethin new! THAT IS ALL, LOVE YOU, BYE MWAH

[entropy-game-dev]

The cheeky last minute UI rework

A week ago, I had Lucinius play a near-complete version of the demo build and he had a bunch of good suggestions after playing it for a solid few hours.

One part of his feedback centered around how move information was displayed. Previously, in non-battle menus, the move info would follow your cursor, and thus you weren't able to mouse over the various stats or check the description (which would have outputted to a log that isn't visible anyway).

Now I've made it so that clicking on the move icon displays the window in a static pane, letting you mouse over the various icons. Also, the description now appears in-line inside the window, regardless of where you're looking at it!

I made a whole bunch of other changes, and ahead of tomorrow's demo release (I can't believe it's finally happening), you can read about them below the cut!!

v0.18 - Demo Build 1

Features:

Auto-deposit materials is working and on by default

Mouse over now shows curr/max for hp/en/ammo + stat title

Going past the max floors now sends you back to the ship

New trap added that instantly spawns an encounter

Clicking on an attack icon with the mouse now makes the info panel stay open

Clicking the description button/pressing pause with a move selected now displays it within the panel

Archive sprite added to base

Game now tracks enemies encountered and killed

Added target marker to tutorial area

Archive can view logs and tutorials, and enemy names

Balance:

Starting area has slightly more loops

Starting area has slightly higher encounter density,

Removed local relay from starting area

Added spatial constant to starting area

Added Holepunch routine to Punch Press

Slightly increased passive random recruit chance from 1 to 2%

Buffed max damage recruitment rate divisor from /3 to /2.5

Nerfed heal recruitment rate divisor from /3 to /4

Changed starting system escape fuel needed to 20

Gain a small amount of fuel when researching local/relativistic navigation

Added party size to the base matrix research rather than subsequent research

Features now scale around the mid floor of the dungeon instead of around floor 2

Dungeon floors, rooms, and corridors get bigger as you go down

Damage/heal recruit function ceiling'd so you make at least 1% progress when you do the correct action

Slightly revised title screen animation

Revised enemy encounter formula to scale around the center floor of the dungeon + adjusted dungeon encounter mass respectively

Changed Gimbal Lock's status from stun to slow

Made summons recruitable

Buffed all part slots and changed power load formula to compensate

10% buff to large enemy stats for each square above 1

Make killing with an element apply advantage, even if it resists or was neutral to the element

Polish:

"are likely in rooms" -> "are more often found in rooms"

"can be used for fuel" -> "could be used for fuel"

"once a line has formed" -> "once a line has formed in the element grid"

"the astronaut has been destroyed" -> "your suit has been critically damaged"

"the robot core's power load." -> "the robot core's power load (to the left of the equipped parts)."

Power load tutorial only comes up when you exceed it

Changed POWR to HEAL when looking at a healing move in the attack description

Disabled interaction with central 3x3 core area and changed description

Changed first strike/ambush bar colour and text

Added fuel unit value to fuel item descriptions

Added filter menu icon

Deep Diver sprite updated

Burrow sprite updated

Recruit chance icon doesn't show mouseover text when invisible

Swapped weapons 1 and 2 equip location on the assistant to match sprite appearance

Removed extra line on the bottom of the big map

Equip vfx effect now appears under move info panel

Black outline added to all dungeon features

Made recruitment pink text appear over the damange numbers

Made it so that locations can't spawn directly behind the black hole image in the navigation screen

Made the main black hole image slightly transparent in the navigation screen

Reordered research tutorials

Scan description revised to indicate it can reveal more and more information progressively

Updated matrix tutorial to talk about core tiers

Changed equip sprite fx to green

Swapped arm that has the arm computer in a cutscene

Tutorial edited to say cores have innate routines

Edited lowest_5levels to be an accurate tutorial

Bugs:

Disabled the ability to look at the big map during the beginning of an encounter

Floor scanning effect now shows all the time for unexplored tiles

Removed debug value allowing you to interact with lore objects infinite times

Priority of mouseover is only cleared with the text now

Fixed player recruit chance status doing the opposite of what it says it does

Fixed healing-type recruitment not working

Fixed no item tutorial firing incorrectly because research inventory manager was not ready

Conduct animation was not happening when the conducted element was not the last hit on an enemy

Fixed lowest floor tutorials not firing

[shamimakter-blog]

VCHANCE 13.3 Inch OLED Portable Monitor Review: The Ultimate Travel Companion for Professionals

VCHANCE 13.3 Inch OLED Portable Monitor Touchscreen 1920x1080 1ms 10bit 100% DCI-P3 Office Travel Display Extender for Laptop Mac

👍👍Buy now: https://youtu.be/gALti9IGoDA

🔥🔥 DISCOUNT: 55% 🔥🔥

In today’s fast-paced digital world, having a reliable secondary display can significantly boost productivity, whether you're working remotely, traveling, or simply need extra screen real estate. The VCHANCE 13.3 Inch OLED Portable Monitor is a sleek, high-performance display designed for professionals who demand vibrant visuals, fast response times, and portability.

In this in-depth review, we’ll explore its key features, performance, and why it might be the perfect travel companion for your laptop or Mac.

Key Features of the VCHANCE 13.3 Inch OLED Portable Monitor

Stunning OLED Display with 100% DCI-P3 Color Accuracy One of the standout features of this monitor is its OLED panel, which delivers deep blacks, vibrant colors, and exceptional contrast ratios. Unlike traditional LCD screens, OLED technology allows for true blacks since each pixel emits its own light.

1920x1080 Full HD Resolution – Crisp and clear visuals for work and entertainment.

100% DCI-P3 Color Gamut – Ideal for designers, photographers, and video editors who need accurate color reproduction.

10-bit Color Depth – Smoother gradients and reduced banding in professional applications.

Ultra-Fast 1ms Response Time for Smooth Performance Whether you're gaming, editing videos, or simply scrolling through documents, a slow response time can cause annoying ghosting or blurring. The 1ms response time ensures:

Smooth cursor movements when working with multiple windows.

No motion blur in fast-paced games or videos.

Better overall responsiveness compared to standard portable monitors.

Touchscreen Functionality for Enhanced Productivity The 10-point capacitive touchscreen adds versatility, making it ideal for:

Drawing & Design Work – Use a stylus for precise input (compatible with most active pens).

Touch-Based Apps – Navigate Windows or macOS with intuitive touch controls.

Interactive Presentations – Great for business professionals on the go.

Lightweight & Portable Design for Travelers Weighing just under 2 pounds and with a slim profile, this monitor is perfect for:

Digital Nomads – Fits easily in a backpack alongside a laptop.

Business Travelers – Set up a dual-screen workstation in hotel rooms or coffee shops.

Students – Great for multitasking between research and note-taking.

Plug-and-Play Compatibility with Laptops, Macs, and More The VCHANCE monitor supports multiple connectivity options:

USB-C (DisplayPort Alt Mode) – Single-cable solution for power and video (ideal for MacBooks and modern laptops).

Mini HDMI – Connect to gaming consoles, cameras, or older devices.

Built-in Speakers – Decent audio for casual use (though external speakers or headphones are recommended for better sound).

Performance & Real-World Use Cases

Office & Productivity For professionals working with spreadsheets, coding, or multitasking, the extra screen space is a game-changer. The matte anti-glare coating reduces reflections, making it usable even in bright environments.

✅ Best for:

Excel/Data Analysts – Compare datasets side by side.

Programmers – Code on one screen, documentation on the other.

Content Creators – Edit videos while keeping timelines and previews separate.

Creative Work (Photo & Video Editing) The 100% DCI-P3 coverage ensures that colors remain accurate, which is crucial for:

Photographers – Retouching images with true-to-life colors.

Video Editors – Previewing footage without color shifts.

Graphic Designers – Working on illustrations with precise color grading.

Gaming & Entertainment While not marketed as a gaming monitor, the 1ms response time and OLED contrast make it surprisingly good for:

Casual Gaming – Play indie games or older titles with vibrant visuals.

Cloud Gaming – Stream Xbox Game Pass or GeForce Now with minimal input lag.

Media Consumption – Watch movies with deep blacks and rich colors.

On-the-Go Use (Travel & Remote Work) The included smart cover doubles as a stand, allowing for multiple viewing angles:

Landscape Mode – Ideal for productivity and movies.

Portrait Mode – Useful for coding or reading long documents.

Since it’s powered via USB-C, you can even run it from a power bank if no outlet is available.

Pros & Cons ✅ Pros: ✔ Stunning OLED display with perfect blacks and vibrant colors. ✔ Ultra-thin and lightweight – Easy to carry anywhere. ✔ Touchscreen functionality adds versatility. ✔ Wide compatibility with laptops, Macs, and gaming devices. ✔ Fast 1ms response time reduces motion blur.

❌ Cons: ✖ No built-in battery – Requires external power (USB-C or adapter). ✖ Speakers are average – External audio is recommended. ✖ Limited to 60Hz refresh rate – Not ideal for competitive gaming.

Who Should Buy This Monitor? This portable monitor is ideal for:

Professionals who need a second screen for work.

Digital Nomads & Travelers looking for a lightweight display.

Creatives who require color-accurate panels.

Students who want extra screen space for research and assignments.

Final Verdict: Is the VCHANCE 13.3" OLED Portable Monitor Worth It? If you're looking for a high-quality, portable secondary display with OLED brilliance, touch functionality, and excellent color accuracy, the VCHANCE 13.3 Inch OLED Portable Monitor is a fantastic choice. While it lacks a built-in battery and high refresh rate, its sleek design, vibrant visuals, and fast response time make it one of the best portable monitors for professionals on the go.

Where to Buy? Available on Amazon, Best Buy, and the official VCHANCE website (prices may vary based on promotions).

Would you consider adding a portable OLED monitor to your setup? Let us know in the comments!

[miya716tienda]

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 Review

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the dictionary definition of a hard act to follow. Both the 2022 Gen 10 and 2023 Gen 11 models earned not only PCMag Editors' Choice awards but even rarer five-star reviews and our pick as the world's best laptop (at least for users who don't need a mobile workstation or gaming rig) each time. Now, the turn of the calendar has brought another upgraded ultraportable, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 ($2,703.20 as tested). It is, again, the best work laptop on the market, making it still an Editors' Choice honoree for which we'd gladly pay $200 or $300 more than a comparably equipped competitor. At more than a thousand dollars extra, however, we're subtracting half a star and reminding you that we named the HP Dragonfly G4 a very able alternative.

Indeed, business laptops like ThinkPads are usually bought at volume discounts rather than singularly. It's also true that pricing on Lenovo.com fluctuates—the X1 Carbon Gen 12's starting price was $2,989 when it debuted in January, fell to $2,043 during this review, but again rose to $2,335.20 at press time.

The base unit combines Intel's new Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 16GB of memory, a 512GB NVMe solid-state drive, Windows 11 Home, and a 2,880-by-1,800-pixel OLED non-touch screen. Our review unit (model 21KC0005US) doubles the RAM to 32GB and storage to 1TB for $2,703.20.

Uncharacteristically for Lenovo, at this writing the Gen 12 is available in no other configurations with different CPUs or screens—though a SIM slot promises a mobile broadband option by spring—and it hasn't reached resellers like Best Buy, Newegg, or CDW. That brings you face to face, or punches you in the face, with the fact that the identically equipped (plus Windows 11 Pro and a touch screen) Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UX3405 we just reviewed costs $1,403 less—and, as you'll see below, has longer battery life. If you'd like to skip to the end of this review, it repeats our recommendation of the superb X1 Carbon Gen 11.

Like past models, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 is a 14-inch business slimline crafted from magnesium, aluminum, and carbon fiber. The matte black finish is now accented by a rounded "communications bar" or notch for the webcam and mics above the 16:10 aspect ratio display. (It makes the laptop easier to open with one hand.) The system has passed MIL-STD 810H tests for travel hazards like shock, vibration, and extreme temperatures; you'll feel only slight flex if you grasp the screen corners or press the keyboard deck. 

At 0.59 by 12.3 by 8.5 inches, the Lenovo basically matches the Zenbook UX3405 but is lighter (2.47 pounds versus 2.82 pounds), while it undercuts the 13.6-inch Apple MacBook Air (2.7 pounds). The keyboard follows the latest ThinkPad Z models in correctly placing the Ctrl key to the left instead of the right of the Fn key at the lower left, as well as moving the fingerprint reader from the power button to the bottom row. But, happily, it keeps the TrackPoint cursor controller's three mouse buttons below the space bar instead of replacing them with a haptic strip atop the touchpad as in the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16.

[valstrax]

How to get the Steam version of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II to run properly on Windows 10: A Novel

Hi, i just spent HOURS fixing this game (again), and I am soooooooo frustrated so I wanted to save someone else's life (and probably mine again when I next change computers).

This will fix these issues: -Black screen when enabling 3D acceleration -Mouse sensitivity being too high or too low. -1st person animations being too fast. -Game overall just not working the way it did on Windows XP and Windows 98

Download Jedi Knight "Steam Patch" from here: https://www.moddb.com/games/star-wars-jedi-knight-dark-forces-ii/downloads/steam-patch Alt Download location: (future-proofing): https://drive.google.com/file/d/113Nj_IBlcFLr77Gdi_PSmX6kixB3MYPv/view?usp=sharing

Extract the .zip you just got to the folder where JediKnight.exe is located. To find the folder: Open Steam Library, right click game, Manage>Browse Local Files

Open the file jkgm.json which was just added to the folder. (Open with Notepad). Change "resolution" to whatever resolution you want (I recommend [800,600] because anything above that causes more issues with mouse sensitivity and 1st person animation. There are also fixes for this below). If you want fullscreen back, change "fullscreen" to true

Test the game by running it through Steam. If it's working the way you want it, good. If there are more issues, try these:

• If the mouse and control inputs are now lagging, open jkgm.json again and change these settings: Change "enable_bloom" to false Change "enable_ssao" to false Change "enable_parallax" to false Change "enable_texture_filtering" to false

• If the mouse cursor is slightly off when selecting menu options: use a 4:3 resolution (such as 800x600). Using a 16:9 resolution is what causes the mouse to be off. See step 3.

• If the 1st-person animations are way too fast (noticable when running with a gun in-hand or when swinging the lightsaber): The game's animations are tied to the framerate, but they are also affected by resolution. If you're running at the recommended resolution of 800x600, you should also change the framerate to 30. To change the game's FPS to 30: Right click your desktop, click NVIDIA Control Panel. In the left menu, under 3D Settings, select Manage 3D Settings. Click the Program Settings tab. Click Add. Browse for the game's .exe. Since we used the Steam Patch, the .exe will be called JK-fov95-mipmap.exe If there is an option for "2. Select the preferred graphics processor for this program:" change it to High Performance NVIDIA Processor. Where it says "3. Specify the settings for this program:" Scroll down to find "Max Frame Rate." Set it to 30FPS. Apply. Test the game by running it through Steam.

• If the mouse sensitvity during gameplay is way too high, there are 3 options: -Option 1: In the game's own Setup menu, go to Controls, then Mouse. For the settings of both Mouse X Axis and Mouse Y Axis, turn sensitivity all the way down. Test. -Option 2: In the game's own Setup menu, go to Controls, then Mouse. For the settings of both Mouse X Axis and Mouse Y Axis, uncheck "Map directly to axis value." You may need to turn mouse sensitivity slider all the way up once this has been unchecked. Test. -Option 3: Probably the option you're looking for if the first 2 don't work. Go to the folder where your game .exe is located again. Open player>playername>playername.plr (open with Notepad) Find "bind 1 12 0xd" and change it to 0.1 Find "bind 8 13 0xd" and change it to 0.1 Save. This puts the mouse sensitivity lower than the lowest setting possible through the in-game Setup menu. You can also try 0.15 if 0.1 is too low.

I've had to struggle through making this game work on 3 different operating systems now. This game is very important to me. If you're having trouble feel free to reach out.

[installph]

If Windows becomes black screen with cursor after login, there could be an issue when Windows is trying to get apps ready. To fix this issue, you need to disable the App Readiness service and restart the machine.

[shopsalary]

How to Clear System Cache in Windows 10/11.

How to Clear System Cache in Windows 10/11.

How to Clear System Cache in Windows 10/11  In this article, we’ll demonstrate how to clean the system cache and temporary files in the Windows 10/11 operating system. Windows maintains a cache of temporary files to improve system performance, much like any other operating system. This cache may swell and develop issues over time. The good news is that clearing the system cache in Windows is…

[paranormal-potatoes]

haha computer what did you just do

[mactechpcservice]

Windows PC / Laptop Stuck On a Black Screen Fix Flowermound Texas

Windows PC / Laptop Stuck On a Black Screen Fix Flowermound Texas

Fix black screen problems on Windows, Fix a Black Screen of Death Error in Windows 10, Fix laptop screen goes black but still running, computer turns on but the screen is black windows 10 fix,laptop screen black on startup fix, windows 10 black screen before login fix, computer screen goes black but computer still running fix, windows black screen with cursor after login fix , windows 10 black…

[aiweirdness]

AI-generated pranks for your computer to play on you

I've tried various methods of using AI to generate April Fools pranks for you to play on other people (although often they turned out to be pranks you play on yourself). But this is the first time I've tried to generate pranks for a computer to play.

I decided to try out the new Instruct variant of GPT-3, a giant internet-trained text-generating neural net that has been finetuned to be better at responding to written instructions.

I gave DaVinci, the largest version of GPT-3, the following instruction:

Write a list of harmless April Fool's Day pranks that your computer might play on you.

And here is its response:

The computer might change your desktop background to a picture of a clown.

The computer might change the volume on your speakers so that it is either very loud or very quiet.

The computer might open and close the CD drive randomly.

The computer might popup a message saying "You have been pranked!"

When I asked it to generate new lists, the clown desktop idea was often one of its first suggestions.

I did think these computer pranks were decent:

The computer might switch your mouse cursor to a banana.

The computer might change the font on all of your documents to Comic Sans.

All the text on your computer might be upside down.

But most of the prank ideas seemed to follow this kind of pattern:

Your computer might delete all of your bookmarks.

Your computer might change your home page to a website you don't like.

Your computer might make it so that you can't access certain websites.

Your computer might pop up a bunch of advertisements all over your screen.

Your computer might slow down significantly or crash altogether.

Your computer might change your default browser to a browser you don't like.

Your computer might open up a bunch of programs and windows all at once.

I tried a different prompt, and got a similar response:

List the top 10 most epic pranks a computer ever played on a human

1. The blue screen of death

2. The computer crashing

3. The computer freezing

4. The computer refusing to turn on

5. The computer making strange noises

6. The computer screen turning black

7. The computer screen turning white

8. The computer screen flickering

9. The computer displaying strange characters

10. The computer not responding to any input

The implication here is that computers think they're being hilarious.

[image description: Sketch of a computer desktop with a clown background, comic sans font, a banana for a cursor, and a popup window saying "you have been pranked!" with "dang" as your only reaction choices.]

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[watchmegetobsessed]

Crash Course - Bucky Barnes

a/n: this one? im in LOVE with this fic and im not even ashamed of it. there is just something about the MC helping him get used to living in the new century and im a sucker for it. so please enjoy this fluffy piece!

pairing: Bucky X Reader

word count: 3.6k

summary: Bucky is a regular at the café where you work at and seeing him struggling with technology, you offer to help him, teaching him the basics while you are both thinking about taking it a little further than just a crash course.

masterlist

The time between the morning rush and lunch time is always quiet, the café is almost completely empty, that’s why Bucky prefers to go out during that time, tuck himself away in the corner of the small but cozy place, a black coffee steaming on the wooden table in front of him, his laptop or a book or his phone reserving his attention, whatever he decides to put his energy into that day.

Today has been a rainy day, therefore the morning was a lot quieter than usually, not many likes to make an extra trip for a coffee in the pouring rain, so you’ve been enjoying the calmness, the soft jazz music playing through the speakers as you are putting away the freshly washed cups behind the counter. As if he has an appointment, Bucky walks into the café with a laptop under his arm, his cap hiding part of his face, but you can still see the shy smile on his lips as he closes the door behind him, the little bell chiming for a second time at his arrival.

“Welcome back, the usual?” you ask as he heads to his spot.

“Yes please,” he nods, shooting you a thankful smile.

You try to ignore the little butterflies in your stomach at the sight of the man, it’s almost ridiculous how you still get nervous when you see him, even though he has been showing up every day at the same time for the past about two months. You just can’t help it, there’s just something in those ocean eyes and perfect manner he always treats you with, something you don’t often get these days. Not many take the time to ask about your day or wish you a good one after you hand them their coffee, but Bucky is different. The same question falls from his lips every time you appear at his table with his order.

“How has your day been going?” he asks when you place the cup next to his laptop that’s loading.

“Pretty quiet, the rain keeps people away,” you chuckle, hoping your blush is not as apparent as it feels. “What about yours?”

“Just the same as usual,” he smiles softly and you nod, though you have no idea what’s usual for him. He might be friendly and quite welcoming when he is sitting at the café, he often chats with you about anything and everything, yet still, you know near nothing about him and his life outside of this place. It’s clear he is the kind of person that prefers to keep things to himself, but sometimes you are so desperate for just the smallest crumb of information about him. With the lack of details, you often find yourself making up things about him, like what his favorite dish is, where he likes to shop, what shows he watches on the TV. You might be entirely wrong about all of these, but it’s all you have.

Moving back behind the counter you busy yourself with cleaning it off as Bucky’s attention shifts to the screen in front of him. There are only two more customers in there and they are quite locked away in their own world as well, a college student working on some kind of assignment on her second espresso and an old lady solving Sudoku at the table near the window, sipping on a nice latte.

You can’t help but glance in his direction every now and then as you move the muffins around on the counter. He seems deeply focused, eyebrows knitted together as he is clicking away on the computer. From the looks of it, he is solving some kind of enigma, but when you walk past his table you see that he has an email open on the screen, his cursor moving around kind of aimlessly.

“Not finding the right words?” you ask, stopping to clean the table next to his that was previously occupied by a young couple. His eyes snap up to you before he huffs shaking his head.

“No, I’m just… terribly bad at IT stuff and I’m supposed to “CC” someone on this email,” he explains, using his fingers to air-quote as he glances back at the screen. “But if I’m being honest I don’t even know what it means,” he admits with a nervous chuckle.

You find it amusing, even cute that he is like an old man with these stuff. You’ve seen him struggling to type in a text message before on his flip phone that’s from the last century for sure and now this.

Placing the tray of cups down on the table you move over to him, taking the free chair next to him as you reach for the laptop, but you stop before touching it.

“May I…?”

“Go ahead,” he gestures with a nod.

You turn the device towards yourself as you click a few times, bringing up the option to send a copy of the email to another receiver.

“CC means that more people get the same email. You can put their addresses here. But you can also BCC people, in that case, the original receiver won’t see if the email was sent to others as well,” you explain patiently. Bucky tries his best to focus on the screen and what you’re saying, rather than the way your lips are moving and how badly he wants to taste them.

You haven’t been the only one feeling flustered and like a giddy teenager and Bucky didn’t choose this café as his usual spot for nothing. He spotted you the first time he stumbled in and the way you smiled brightly at everyone and the sweet chiming of your laughter made him want to come back the moment he stepped out that day. So he returned the next day and then the next day again… and now he couldn’t even imagine a day without seeing your eyes light up when he walks in while he can only hope you are just as happy to see him as he is to see you.

You help him send his email and you cheer in victory once it’s done and sent.

“See? It’s not as hard as it seems,” you smile at him gently, patting his arm that’s covered by a hoodie and your eyes fall onto his gloved hands on the tabletop.

“Yeah, I just have a lot of catching up to do from the past seven decades,” he mumbles under his breath, though he immediately regrets not keeping his mouth shut.

Your eyes flicker to his hand once again, then up to meet his gaze and he knows he just outed himself. He is expecting the usual: disgust, disappointment, even fear. That’s how most people react when they find out who he really is. But as he stares back at you, scared like a little kitten, you just smile back at him softly.

It’s not that you haven’t heard of the Avengers, because it’s impossible not to know who they are. You were just not expecting one of them to become a regular at your working place. The few times you saw him on TV he had long hair and his face was covered with a mask, so you’re not surprised you didn’t put the picture together. But knowing now who he is, you don’t see him in a worse lighting. If anything, you feel a little sad that he had to go through so much in his extremely long life.

“Well, feel free to ask any more questions. I’m not an IT guy, but I can help you with everyday stuff,” you tell him and he is in awe at your very normal, very sweet reaction. All he can do is nod as you stand from the table and grab the tray you abandoned not long ago, moving back behind the counter.

When you glance up your gaze meets his as he is still staring at you, nervous, a little anxious, but definitely relieved by your smooth reaction to finding out his identity. You shoot him a bright smile before moving to the table of the old lady who asks for another latte and as Bucky follows your frame move across the room he can’t help the small smile that tugs on his lips.

Your offer doesn’t stay unused. In fact, Bucky shows up at the café the next few days with a handful of questions for you, genuine ones, and a few he already knows the answer to, but wants to hear you explain them anyway. And you help him with anything, sitting at his table whenever you have a few free minutes between customers. He asks you about the internet, social media, online data bases and sources, going through a list from the little notebook he always keeps with himself.

The times spent with him are your favorite part of the day. You always look forward to whatever issue Bucky is going to bring up, fearing that one day he might run out of questions, but that just never comes. And you don’t know it, but your little sessions are the highlights of his days as well, listening to your smooth voice as you explain even the smallest things to him with so much patience, he is convinced you should become a teacher.

He thinks about asking you out every day, the question is always on the tip of his tongue.

What are you doing tonight? Would you want to go out with me? Do you want to grab a bite with me after your shift?

However he just never gets to actually say the words out loud. He is growing impatient with himself, he used to have no problem with asking girls out, but seven decades and another life as a brain-washed assassin later, this task feels way too impossible.

You’ve been telling him to get a smartphone for the past couple of days and though he seemed adamant, one day he shows up with a brand new one, still in the box.

“Oh my God, is that what I think it is?” you tease him with a dramatic gasp. Chuckling to himself he nods as he places the box to the counter while you are making the order of one of the customers. Today has been a little busier than usually, probably because of the special offer of 10% off from the new Cuban coffee beans your boss ordered in.

“I need a teacher to show me the ropes though.”

“Oh, Bucky, I would love to, but today is a bit crowded,” you pout as you put the lid onto the paper cup and hand it over to the customer, another one already walking in, eyeing the offer written on the black board behind you.

He didn’t even think you wouldn’t say yes, it never occurred to him that the timing might not be the best. You see as his smile slowly disappears from his scruffy face and your heart breaks seeing him like this.

“Yeah, sorry. Don’t want to keep you up,” he mumbles feeling defeated, but before he could grab the box from the counter, you put your hand on it, your fingers brushing against his gloved one, the tiny touch making both of you flustered.

“But how about after work?” you suggest and his eyes immediately light up. Spending time with you without any customers interrupting? That sounds like heaven to him.

“Y-you sure? If you have something to do, I—“

“Nothing to do,” you smile at him. You grab a napkin from the counter and a pan from near the cash register, quickly scribbling down your address before handing it over to him. “I’ll be home by seven,” you inform him as he glances down at your handwriting, noting how well it fits your personality. He then looks back at you nodding, as if he was just handed the best Christmas present ever.

“I’ll be there,” he smiles gratefully before stepping away from the counter and letting you work.

 Five minutes after seven, Bucky is standing at your front door with a bag of Chinese food in his hands as he is trying to build up the courage to ring your doorbell. He found out that you live just a few corners away from the café, so he found your address easily.

“Come on, dude. Don’t be such a loser,” he mumbles to himself as he circles his shoulders before finally pushing the button. A short, buzzing sound is heard from the other side of the door and he stares at the 6B sign in front of you as he hears footsteps from inside. A few moments later the door swings open and there you are, still wearing the same clothes from earlier, a bright smile adorning your face as you beam at your guest.

“Come on in!” you gesture for him as he steps into the small apartment. “Tried to clean up a bit, but if I’m being honest I’m starting to grow out this place,” you chuckle as you push a box out of the way. It’s a small studio apartment with everything cramped into one space except the bathroom. You have a double bed pushed up against the wall in the corner, a small sofa with your wardrobe next to it, a TV, a tiny coffee table, a bookshelf and a dresser, a little dining table near the kitchen with three chairs and a pantry right next to the fridge that stands where the hardwood floor changes into checkered tiles. It really is a tiny space that holds a lot of stuff, but all the gadgets and clutter makes it cozy, lived-in, a place that’s so much like you that he feels like he is peeking inside your head as he walks farther inside.

“I brought dinner,” he shyly holds the bag up as you lock the door.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have!” you smile at him gratefully, because you didn’t really have time to buy anything on your way home since you had to make a quick trip to the post office after your shift, leaving you no spare time before his arrival.

“It’s the least I can do for all the help,” he smiles as you take the bag from him and bring it to the designated living room area of the place. Bucky joins you on the sofa and he thanks all higher powers your place is so small that you only have a loveseat, giving him the chance to sit close to you. Your thigh brushes against his as you hand him a box and make yourself comfortable as well, starting your feast while he asks you about your day, listening to your every word intently.

When the food is gone and you’ve grabbed two beers for the two of you, he pulls out the phone that’s the reason behind his visit. He bought a simple one, not at all one of the latest versions and it’s going to be the perfect model for him to learn the ropes on.

You help him put his SIM card into the new phone and then you set his account up before finally gaining access to the phone. You start with the basic features, showing him how to make a call or send a text before moving onto the different apps and possibilities while he listens to you as if you were talking about rocket science, but in a way, it feels like that for him.

“And here you can switch to the front camera,” you explain as you push the button and suddenly, the two of you come into picture on the screen. “Perfect for taking selfies,” you add with a chuckle.

“Oh, selfies. I’m not too good with those,” he huffs shaking his head.

“Because you probably haven’t found your angle!” you smirk. “Everyone has a good angle.”

“You think so?” you knits his eyebrows together.

“Mhm, look!”

Opening the contacts you go to yours, choosing the option to add a picture that will show up on the screen when you call him, and open the camera to take one instead of choosing from the empty gallery. Holding up the phone you position it so your good angle is in the picture before snapping the photo and saving it as your caller ID.

“See?” you smile at him before handing the device back to him. He just nods, even though he can only think about how all your angles are perfect to him and that now he has a picture of you in his phone. “Let’s take one together!” you beam and moving closer to him you take the phone once again, holding it up in front of you, trying to fit both of you into the frame.

Bucky tries his best to focus on the picture, but he can’t ignore how close you are to him, he can smell your shampoo and your cheek is almost pressed against his as you smile into the camera. The corners of his mouth curl up as his eyes fix at your reflection on the screen before you snap the photo. Opening up the camera roll you take a better look at it and it’s probably your favorite photo that has ever been taken of you. Mostly because he is in it as well, smiling so sweetly.

“It’s a good one,” you say and as you turn your head to the side you realize how close you really are to him.

“Yeah?” he breathes out, definitely aware of just the few inches separating the two of you.

“I-if you had an Instagram I would tell you to post it…” you stutter as your eyes flicker down to his lips, the urge to lean in and kiss him growing with each passing second.

Feeling a little dizzy, one of your hands fall to his lower arm, the one that’s made out of metal and your gaze drops to where you are touching him, a panic filled look flashing through his eyes.

He thinks that this is where the moment is ruined, where you realize the monster he really is and decide you don’t want anything to do with him. He almost starts to apologize for God knows what reason when you reach out and your fingers start to work on the straps of his gloves. It takes a few moments for him to realize what you are doing, and he tries to pull his hand back, but you grab it stopping him from doing it.

“It’s alright,” you smile at him softly, your eyes meeting his as you finish what you started and pull the glove off his hand revealing the metal underneath the leather. Then you move onto his other hand and do the same, dropping the pair of gloves to the floor as you take both his hands in yours, thumbs running across his knuckles, feeling the difference between his own hand and the artificial one.

You see his jaw flexing at the touch and reaching up you cup his cheek in your palm, making him to look you in the eyes. The strong and confident man you see sometimes is gone now, fear and hesitation taking over his expression as your other hand keeps holding his vibranium one.

“I’m sorry,” it falls from his lips as he closes his eyes for a second.

“For what exactly?” you ask with a soft chuckle. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You don’t have to hide yourself around me.”

“You don’t find it… scary?”

“Not at all,” you assure him. “You can’t be held accountable for what happened to you. Anyone who thinks differently is just an ignorant asshole,” you add grinning and it finally breaks his fearful expression, planting a smile on his handsome face.

Keeping your hand on his cheek you lean closer, your nose touching his but you stop before your lips could meet, giving him the chance to pull back. But he never does. Instead, he closes the gap between the two of you, pressing his lips against yours, finally making the fantasy you both have been daydreaming about reality. He starts off slowly, savoring each other gently, getting accustomed to the feeling, but it doesn’t take long before the kiss grows hungrier and your tongues meet in the middle.

Your hands rest at the base of his neck while his find your waist, pulling you closer until you swing a leg over him, sitting on his lap as you smile against his lips. His kisses feel delicate and soft yet very passionate at the same time, you love the dynamic you create, tugging and biting each other playfully, it feels like kissing him is the sole purpose of your life.

When it gets hard for you to breathe you pull back, eyes opening and finding his flushed face as he stares back at you with bright, joyous eyes, his lips slightly swollen, already making you want to go back to where you were just a moment ago.

“Who knew selfies could be so much fun,” he jokes making you laugh, his heart fluttering in his chest at the sound that’s so dear to him.

“I’m glad you liked my crash course on smart phones,” you grin down at him, your fingers tracing the sharp line of his jaw. “Do you have any more questions?”

Smirking his hand, his flesh one, moves up your back as he presses you closer, your lips almost touching his.

“Oh, I’ve got plenty,” he chuckles before kissing you again eagerly.

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed it!

[shield-of-wesnoth]

Really wish I could get old-- as in really old-- version of Wesnoth to run on my PC.

I have a Windows 10 computer that’s almost a decade old now, and though it runs Wesnoth 0.1 (the very first one), in terms of other ancient Wesnoth versions, I can’t get anything older than 0.9.7 to run.  I used to have a Windows 7 laptop, and it could run Wesnoth 0.8.4!  I don’t know what happened between Windows updates, but when I try to open 0.8.4 on my PC, it just doesn’t work at all. The only thread I have to go on is that maybe Windows 10 comes with different .dlls, and stopped including certain older ones that older Wesnoth needs..?  Because I got a popup about a missing one when I tried opening 0.8.4′s map editor, and when I installed that .dll there-- though it still didn’t work-- it suddenly was able to make the screen black for a second before giving up, which was more than before.  But having gotten no more error messages since then, and having no luck with running it in compatibility mode, I’ve been stuck ever since.

A lot of my 1.2 and earlier Wesnoths experience bugs that they don’t on older hardware, too... can’t think of a single one that doesn’t crash if I try and change the screen resolution.  Many also experience awful graphical errors if I switch between windowed and fullscreen mode that don’t go away until I restart the program.  There’s also some annoying flickering effects with the monochrome cursor set (my favorite one...) that are only lessened-- not fully gone-- if I use the color cursor.  And in one of the most mysterious and sad glitches of all, in pre-1.2, Delfador’s sprites are prone to inexplicably not appearing in the game where he’s present!  All of this simply did not happen on even slightly older hardware. Some older Wesnoths I’ve been unable to try at all, since they’re based in Linux, and you have to “build” and “compile” them rather than simply double-clicking an executable... and sadly, I am not that much of a nerd yet to do such things easily.  But even then, Wesnoth 0.3 has an executable, but it merely brings up a command prompt window, turns the screen black, then closes before I can read anything clearly... and running compatibility mode has only made that one worse.

This isn’t even all limited to just ancient Wesnoth, either!  Right now, and even on my Windows 7, I’ve experienced a terrible issue with versions of Wesnoth 1.8 where they simply do not register manually installed add-ons.  This is kind of a huge deal, since the manual way is now the only way to install its fanmade content, since its server no longer connects in the program!!  This is perhaps due to the fact that holding add-ons outside the “campaigns” folder was a new feature at the time, and it had some unforeseen issues (even when it still could connect, for some reason, I never found out where they’re stored?).  This is an absolute travesty, since 1.8 was one of the highest points for UMC creativity and output, and now all of that can’t really be played on its intended software. In 1.12, sometimes the names and descriptions of most of my installed add-ons, and all of the text inside them, simply will not display.  I spent hours trying to pin this down to one add-on by removing and replacing them, to no avail.  Because it impacts multiple campaigns at once, and sometimes seemed to impact different ones, I couldn’t figure it out.  I have several dozen add-ons for 1.12, and I have no idea if it’s one add-on in particular causing the issue, or the fact that I have a ton of them by itself.  1.12 isn’t even that old!  It’s a relatively new one, already showing wear and tear for mysterious unknown reasons!!  The only comfort is that it doesn’t always happen, but I don’t know how much longer that may be the case.

Responses on the forum to modestly bringing up these issues seem to usually be “just play the latest version instead”, but I don’t always want to do that!  I shouldn’t have to do that!  The older versions still have their charms, and their unique style, lots of minor differences that build up, and sometimes I don’t want to have to wait for some kind soul with plenty of time to port it for me.  I don’t know how to use wmllint to port them myself (why can’t anyone explain it concisely?!), and even if I did, a lot of old UMC is buggy even on its intended version, and wmllint apparently struggles with things like custom terrains.

I guess I just wish there was more maintenance and advice out there for running older versions of this game in the modern era... advice that’s accessible and so on... I’m unsure if anyone else still cares about older versions of Wesnoth, but I certainly do.  Wesnoth's older versions were a big part of my childhood!  And even the versions that were so old that I never tried them as a child still fascinate and charm me.  I just wish I was skilled enough to support them myself.

[bitchassbucky]

.exe

Word Count: 2.4k

Warning/s: stalkers, bucky being a creepo, reader being a creepo. dark!IT!bucky x dark!reader :-) female & male masturbation, voyeurism (i think), cyber crimes being committed.

A/N: this is my birthday gift to @babyboibucky <3 to my boo, I love you and you have a special place in my heart. this is gonna be a multi-part thing, it's too long to be considered as a one-shot, oops.

please enjoy! :D

follow the CTRL series:

i - .exe

ii - .avi

iii - .raw

iv - .png

v - .zip

CTRL playlist

CTRL moodboard

4:49 PM

Just 11 more minutes until he can pack his bags up for the weekend.

One new ticket - URGENT

Goddamn it.

Bucky pulled his earphones out in annoyance, just another office idiot who doesn’t know how to print A4 sheets. If the office were to be held hostage and printing out was the only thing that can save them, half of the floor would be dead.

The new name caught his eye, Y/N Y/L. A new hire, it seems like.

Subject: One new ticket - URGENT

Hi, this is Y/N, employee number 0008675309. I’m new here and was told to send a ticket for the equipment request.

Thank you and have a great weekend!

Oh, Bucky’s gonna have a great weekend indeed. Out of pure curiosity, he’s already pulled up your employee file. A cute smile to a cute name. His annoyance dispersing already, just by thinking of ways how he can spend time with you.

Hey, Y/N! Bucky types into the text field, Welcome to the company. I’m Bucky and I got assigned to help you get settled. Do you prefer having a desktop or a laptop? I’ve attached a form in this thread, send it to me once you’re done.

Have an awesome weekend too!

As much as he hates sending out chirpy emails, he can’t help but to smile when you immediately send a reply back.

Thanks, Bucky! So sorry for sending in the request super late. Got caught up with the onboarding. Is it okay if I use my laptop until we can get a unit to my place? PC or laptop is fine with me.

Best,

Y/N

Bucky fights off another smile, rubbing his hand over his stubbled cheek as he carefully types out a reply. Unlike other days, he doesn’t mind staying beyond 5 PM today. It’s not like he has other plans for his Friday night.

No worries, Y/N. He’s already loving your name. Happy to help!

Do you have your laptop with you? I can set it up before you go home for the weekend. I can probably send in the ticket to the guys so you can have your work equipment next week.

His deft fingers are dancing over his mechanical keyboard, clacking away while the clock ticks closer to the weekend.

A ping, another reply from you. You’re new, you’re still excited to make friends in the office. If you only knew how stupid they are, though.

Yeah! I have it on me right now. I actually work on the same floor, I can drop it off there right now.

Bucky glances around his office, looking for any reflective surface he can check himself on. He runs his hand through his hair, taming any stubborn locks that fell out of his low bun. His shirt hangs just right against his huge frame, his pants hugging his figure, accentuating his silhouette even more.

Just as the clock ticks 5:00, a soft knock raps against his door, “come in!”

You are cuter, prettier in person. Your perfume hits his nose and he’s floored—metaphorically.

“Mr. Barnes,” you say, your demeanor somewhat meek and shy. Well, of course, you are. Your frame is nothing against the hunk of the man who just stood up to greet you.

“Bucky.” He prompts, smiling. You reciprocated the smile, but you really weren’t sure what to expect. Maybe a scrawny little dude mousing away on a keyboard?

“Bucky, thank you so much for doing this. I know you’d rather get off of work since it’s Friday and all.”

He hums, taking your laptop in his hands. You notice the rings adorning his fingers—complementing his tanned skin tone and—it’s not appropriate to stare at a stranger’s hand.

Heat creeps up your face as he turns to look at the stickers stuck to your laptop, “you know, I like this band.” Bucky says, pointing to an old sticker, he carefully sets down your laptop on his workstation.

“They’re great,” you muse, taking a seat on a plastic chair by the door.

You take a gander around his small office. There was nothing out of the ordinary but the big black server blinking at the back, so why do you feel trapped?

“Sorry about the temp, we have to keep the room cold for the server in the back,” Bucky explains, noticing how your arms are crossed over your chest. The skirt you’re wearing isn’t doing you any better too.

You stammer out an it’s okay with a small smile.

Bucky worked on your computer quietly, using a USB stick to load all the applications you need to set up a temporary work account on your laptop. After a few minutes, he beckoned you to come here. You scoot over to his desk, rolling the chair forward and beside him. Not too close though.

“So, this note has all your generated passwords. Type those into the app when you first log in, then you can change it if you want to.” Bucky explains, the cursor idles on the screen. He tries not to get too close to you, to give you personal space. It’s a professional workplace after all.

“This app,” he drags a window, pulling up an application, “tracks your hours and your keystrokes. It’s company-mandated because managers want to micro-manage their people, I guess.” Bucky shrugs, his disdain showing through his voice. His tone shifting lower than what you’d expected.

“Sorry, I just hate their new protocol,” his face and voice softening as he looks at you, “it’s a total privacy breach if you ask me.”

You’d normally disagree but something tells you that maybe he’s got a point. Your breath hitched in your throat as he leans closer as if to whisper something, “this note right here? It’s a nifty thing, a little script so your computer doesn’t go to sleep when you’re away. It enables and disables your numlock pad so it counts as a keystroke.”

A smirk finds its place on your face, “well, that’s…something, isn’t it?”

Never in your life would you find yourself flirting with a co-worker but there’s something about Bucky that made you excited. Interested. Intrigued.

Bucky nods, rolling his chair away to fetch a pad of sticky notes. “Another thing from your friendly neighborhood IT guy,” he peels off a leaf and sticks it on your laptop’s built-in camera, “keep your cam covered.”

You give him a chuckle and a playful salute, “yes, sir.”

Bucky’s a modern man. He sees a pretty girl and he gets giddy. He talks to a pretty girl and he gets flustered. But you—you make him feel more than giddy and flustered. There was something familiar about you, and your eyes. Has he seen you before? Met you, even? No, that’s impossible—if he had met you before, he’d surely remember you.

It was 5:34 PM when he gave you your laptop back and sent in an urgent request for your equipment. While taking down the elevator to the lobby, Bucky gave you a few tips on how to ‘survive’ working in the office. According to him, as far as you go in on time and kept your head above the rumors, you’d do fine.

He asked about your first week and he told you about this joint near the building that serves the best burgers and fries.

You’ve got a good feeling that you just made your first friend.

—

The sun was already setting down when you pulled into your apartment’s parking lot. At the very last minute, you turned into a drive-through and got some food on the go. The side trip took out 10 minutes of your time but at least you dodged the awful traffic that was building up by the highway.

Along with your laptop bag and your food, you trudge up to your third-floor apartment. It wasn’t what you wanted—the windows faced the street, the screen door doesn’t lock all the way—but it’s the one you got. As long as it’s got four walls and a roof, right?

You slip out of your work clothes and into some comfy jammies after a rewarding shower; the sooner you can get your food heat up, the sooner you can eat, and drink and then go to sleep.

So while waiting for the microwave to beep, you pry open your laptop. You told Bucky not to shut it down after he worked on it as to not lose your work on another profile, which he understood.

The work account he set up greeted you, along with the bright pink sticky note he stuck to your webcam. That wasn’t real, was it? All those cautionary tales of hackers using webcams to peep on you. Maybe he’s just trying to scare you, like some kind of initiation. Without a second thought, you took off the sticky note. It was kinda annoying anyway.

Clicking the Log Out Work button, your personal account popped into the frame. Your opened apps and documents displaying themselves for you to use. You pulled up Spotify and clicked on the first playlist you saw—which happened to be your intimate playlist.

Sure, the Pavlov reaction is real because halfway through the first song, you already found yourself getting all hot and bothered. This one’s your favorite song too.

You groan in annoyance, your food’s no longer a priority.

Picking up the laptop from the table, you walk to your bedroom, not bothering to shut the door. You live alone, it’s fine. You put the laptop on its loudest setting, setting it on your desk and you plopped down on your bed, the pillows and the comforter pooling on one side.

Your room is illuminated by a streak of light from the street. Your curtains flowing softly with the breeze that just came in.

Glancing at your laptop, you remembered Bucky. How his office smelled when you first walked in. How he stood tall when he greeted you. How he smiled. Those goddamn rings of his.

Before you caught yourself thinking rationally, your fingers are already splayed even over your thighs, caressing the soft flesh of your legs.

Bucky’s smirk and his cologne finding purchase in your fogged brain. Thoughts of him pulling you aside into his office to fool around—voices above hushed whispers as your skin erupts in goosebumps, the chilled air of his office finding its way up to your spine.

Oh, fuck it.

You undress fast, flinging your shirt over your head, dropping it somewhere below the bed. The air in your room making your nipples hard and erect as you pinch them. You breathe out a sigh, the heat of the moment creeping up your torso.

The material of your panties dampening as you imagine yourself bent over his desk, your skirt bunched over your hips as he laps your sopping cunt. Bucky’s tongue exploring your folds up and over until your pussy’s a quivering mess of drool and spit.

Your fingers slip past the band of your underwear. Even you surprised yourself by how wet you are.

God, you met him once and he’s already inching his way into your mind.

But who could blame you? You’ve been all over his Facebook profile when you learned his name via the office’s organizational chart. The first time you saw him, walking around the office with a laptop in his hands, you already knew you wanted to at least formally meet him. A scroll on his page, you found a band that you could tolerate listening to. (They’re okay, just not your taste in music.)

A plan came to mind when your department head told the team that you can work from home from time to time—only if you agreed to use a work laptop, a company-owned one. Your manager advised you to put in the request as soon as you can, for you to secure a unit before the on-hand supplies dwindle.

Deliberately sending in the request late—way, way later—than what your manager told you just so you could pull up the ‘new hire’ card and act dumb.

And it looked like he bought it too.

The image of him fucking you quiet while he grabs you from behind played inside your mind like a memory—a vision. Of how his thick cock would fill you up until your pussy is clenching around him. Would he pinch your throbbing clit, making you squirm and cream around him?

Your fingers are compared nothing to his, that’s for sure. But it does the work for now.

A breathy moan comes out of your mouth as you play with your clit, your cunt dripping down wetness as you continue to fondle your tits.

His hands would make a great addition to your chokers.

Your toes curl and your breath quickens, the coil in the pit of your stomach tightening—white-hot heat creeping up your limbs.

Oh, fuck, Bucky!

—

His ears perked up as he heard you moaning his name.

Bucky was busy watching you enjoy yourself when he got caught in the moment and decided to enjoy himself too.

He was barely keeping himself behaved when you first walked into the floor wearing a button-up and slacks that accentuated your backside. Bucky wished he was the one who gave you the tour and know your name for the first time, but that was impossible—he was in the IT department.

So when he got the news that new hires will be given the chance to work from home, he hoped that he gets to be the one to help you set up.

He was losing hope by the time he got your request, he thought that you opt not to work at home but then there you were, sending him an apologetic email on a late Friday afternoon.

Of course, he happily obliged. He even set up himself a little virtual camp in the background of your computer just so he can continue spending time with you.

Just thinking about you is already making him hard again. Bucky already came in hot spurts of white as he watched you desperately undress earlier. What can he say—he was waiting for you to show your tits already. As such, he correctly guessed that you’d be annoyed with the glaringly bright sticky note he used to ‘cover’ your webcam with.

But seeing you fingerfuck yourself all alone just wasn’t enough for him, he has to have you all by yourself.

[soonhoonsol]

Welcome to soonhoonsol’s gif tutorial!

As a nice anon asked me how I make my gifs, I thought it’d be cool to create an in-depth tutorial :) Perhaps this can help some others enter the gif-ing world too!

What we’ll be using for this tutorial:

Software: Bandicam, Avisynth, Photoshop CC 2018, Topaz Labs

File Format: .mp4

Operating System: Windows

Disclaimer: This is just my method. Every gif maker works differently and has different preferences. What works for me may not work for you, and that’s completely okay!

Let’s get into it!

1. Find the best quality video you can find

This really depends on the content you want to gif. For variety shows, music videos or photoshoots, any video of [1080p] should be sufficient. Try not to use anything below 720p.

For stage performances, fancams tend to have higher resolutions [1440p, 4k]. Use these if your computer can handle it. If not, usually 1080p works fine. The best option would be to download .ts files, which provide clearer and less grainy videos.

For Seventeen, you can get .ts files from The Rosebay on Twitter :)

2. Screen recording

As a Windows user, I don’t have a built-in screen recorder on my laptop. So, I use Bandicam, which is a free screen recording software. The only con to it is that it has a watermark.

To combat the watermark, I always have the boundary box a little bigger than the video itself so that I can crop it out of the gif.

This is what the recording would look like:

Just record the scene(s) that you want to gif so your video file doesn’t end up too large! Your recording should be in .mp4 format.

(You may use pure .ts files in Avisynth but it never worked well for me so I usually screen record the .ts video and move on)

You can find your recorded videos in Documents > Bandicam.

3. Avisynth

I followed THIS tutorial to download Avisynth. This software is really helpful if you want sharp and clear gifs! I recommend to follow the steps in the tutorial as the below method stems from it.

- Once you have downloaded it, open up your recorded video from Step 2 and watch it. Take note of the duration you want to gif. (e.g. from 00:01 to 00:05)

- Drag your video file into normalwebrange.bat. On Windows, you can find this in File Explorer > Local Disk (C:) > video. For other .bat files, you may check out THIS tutorial.

- In the pop-up box, key in the start time for your gif (e.g. 00:00:01). It has to be in hh:mm:ss format. Press “enter”.

- Key in the end timing and press “enter” again. A resizer should pop up in an Internet Browser. I found that Firefox works best for me.

- In the resizer, you may indicate the size of the gif you’d like to make. You can also click and drag the video to resize and frame it to your liking. You may refer to THIS post for Tumblr dashboard sizing.

(These are some common gif sizes for stage performances):

1 gif - 540px by 540px (square)

2 gifs - 268px by 350px

3 gifs - 177/178px by 250px

- Under “Preprocessor”, select “debilinear” for the second box. For the first box, you may pick between qtgmc 30 (same frame rate as video) or qtgmc 60 (doubles the frame rate; smoother).

- You will also see “fast” or “slow” options. These are just how long the video will take to render. “Fast” will give you slightly lower quality as compared to “slow”, but usually is good enough.

(You can see that his features are sharper and more defined in the “slow” gif as compared to the “fast” one.)

- Copy the code in the white box. Navigate to the scripting window (it should have popped up with the resizer) and paste the code at line 17. Type a “#” before qtgmc on the same line. This will prevent the software from lagging.

- Click on the inverted triangle at the bottom of the screen. Your video will now appear in the scripting window. Drag the slider to the intended starting point of your gif and press the “home” key on your keyboard.

- Drag the slider again to the intended ending point of your gif and press the “end” key on your keyboard. This blue area you see is the duration of your gif.

- On an empty line (I usually go to line 8), place your cursor there and click “Apply” in the mini pop-up window. Afterwards, remove the “#” from line 17.

- Go to File > Save or press Ctrl + S to save the code. Close the scripting window. The video renderer will pop up. When it’s done, it will automatically close by itself.

4. Using Photoshop and Topaz

I’m using my school license for Photoshop 2018, but if you don’t have that, there are plenty of cracked versions for free. I don’t have any to recommend though so I’m sorry about that :(

I followed THIS video tutorial to download Topaz plug-ins for free. I use Topaz DeNoise (the most helpful) and Clean, but you may use others if you’d like :)

Alright, let’s dive in to the steps!

- Open up Photoshop and go to File > Import > Video Frames to Layers.

- A pop-up will appear. You can find your deinterlaced Avisynth video in File Explorer > Local Disk (C:) > video > temp > video.avi. Follow the settings in the picture and click “OK”.

- Go to Window > Timeline to open up the timeline. You should be able to see your gif spread out in frames. If you press the play button, it should play like a video.

- (Quick optional step I learned from THIS tutorial) Go to Image > Canvas and set the Resample option to “Bicubic (smooth gradients)”.)

- Select the first frame of your gif in the timeline. Shift select the last frame. Go to Window > Layers. Shift select these layers as well.

- With everything selected, click the 3 lines at the top right corner of the timeline. Select “Convert to Video Timeline”.

- At the top of the screen, select Filter > Convert for Smart Filters. Your layers will condense into one layer. Don’t worry, your gif is fine.

- Now it’s time to sharpen the gifs. Go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen. Play around with the settings to your liking!

- If you’ve downloaded Topaz correctly, it should appear under Filter > Topaz Labs. If a pop-up asks you for an activation key, you may use THESE to activate it for free.

- Go to Filter > Topaz Labs > DeNoise and/or Clean and play with the settings until you’re satisfied.

5. Blurring

If your gifs have captions/logos that are distracting, you’d want to blur them out. Don’t be like 2018 me that blurred out the logo frame by frame; it’s very tiring. Instead, using this method from @scoupsy‘s tutorial, you’ll save lots of time.

- In the Layers tab (Windows > Layers), select the “New Layer” icon. It should be blank.

- Select the Brush tool. Make sure the “Hardness” setting is below 20%. This will blend the blurring nicely into the gif.

(For the sake of this tutorial, I will be blurring out the Bandicam logo to show you.)

- Paint over the captions/logos. Make sure this is on the blank layer!

- Duplicate (Right Click > Duplicate) the gif layer and drag it so that it’s on top of the blank layer.

- Right click on the duplicate layer and select “Create Clipping Mask”.

- Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and play around with the settings until you’re satisfied with the level of blurring. Click “OK”.

6. Flattening & Colouring

- Once you’re done with sharpening and/or blurring, click on the 3 lines on at the right corner of the video timeline and go to Convert Frames > Flatten Frames Into Clips.

- Topaz layers and blurring will take some time to render so you can just chill for now~

- When it’s done rendering, click again on the 3 lines and go to Convert Frames > Make Frames From Clips.

- Convert it back to the gif timeline by clicking on the 3-box icon at the bottom left of the timeline.

- Select the first frame of your gif. It must be the FIRST.

- Scroll to the top of the layers and select the layer at the top. Any other layers you add should be on top of this layer. VERY IMPORTANT!!

- In the Adjustments Tab (Window > Adjustments), there are many different things to play with. There’s a high chance you won’t use everything, but here’s a few of my favourites.

Levels - Adjust the brightness and contrast of your gif in depth.

Hue/Saturation - Useful for changing colours, or switching it to black and white.

Color Balance - Tweak the colours to your liking.

Colour Lookup - Comes with built-in LUTs that you can use as a preset. Great starting point for colouring. Saves time too. You can even download plug-ins for this. 11/10 tool.

Selective Colour - Adjust the vibrancy of specific colours.

- Colouring is completely up to the gifmaker. Go crazy go stupid :D

7. Exporting

We’re almost to the end!

- Set the timing for your gif.

If you used qtgmc30, the best timing would be 0.04s / 0.05s / 0.06s.

If you used qtgmc60, the best timing would be 0.02s / 0.03s / 0.04s.

- Once you’re satisfied with everything, go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy).

- Follow the settings in the picture below:

- Tumblr’s gif limit is 10mb per gif. Check the gif size at the bottom left of the pop-up window. Make sure it’s below 10mb; the smaller the better.

- Click “Save”. Choose where you’d like to save the gif.

- Done!

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

And that’s it! You’ve successfully made a gif! Good job you :D

I hope this tutorial was helpful! Please leave some feedback if it helped, or if you have other methods you’d like to share :)

Lastly, if you have any questions, feel free to send in an ask or DM me!! :)

Good luck and happy gif-ing :’D

[ryuu-to-sobakasu-hime]

Ryuu to Sobakasu no Hime (Belle) Novel | English Translation | Chapter 4

**This is a machine translation. I put it together by extracting text page-by-page from a .pdf version of the Japanese novel, and running it through Google translate. I have only minorly edited some of the more confusing lines to make it more read-able. It is still a very rough translation, but it’s good enough to understand what’s going on. If there is anyone out there who wants to properly translate the novel, I am more than happy to edit it, if you’ll contact me.**

———————————————

Chapter 4: U

I went home and opened my MacBook. While shivering in the cold, I clicked on the link sent by Hiro-chan. The letter "U" slowly emerges on a pitch-black screen with a wave-like sound. ".......U?" My tattered face covered in vomit was illuminated by the light of the monitor. The invitation page will be launched and a message will be displayed.

[ "U" is another reality

"Az" is another you

Reality cannot be redone

But with "U" you can start over

Let's live another you

Let's start a new life

Let's change the world ]

I forgot about the cold and was looking forward to it. The smartphone placed next to it was linked and the app started automatically. A registration screen appears on my MacBook monitor. It says "NAME".

"Name...."

I hesitated. There was a feeling of resistance. However, contrary to my feelings, I reach out towards my keyboard.

"S" "u" "z" …….

I type in steadily.

"U".

At that moment, a strong anxiety arose. I impulsively press the delete key. I slammed the keys to erase it and closed my MacBook.

[............]

I curled up and sighed, shivering. "I'm next to Luka" I found Luka on the bench in the courtyard. The girls are gathering together and surrounding Luka-chan. The first grade is almost over, so it seemed like everyone was going to take a picture.

"Mr. Watanabe's Yokozaro"

"Eh~? No fair!"

"I like Luka-chan's soba." Ako was envious of the shining Luka-chan from behind the pillars of piloti. I was jealous of the girls who could be photographed with Luka.

"Mr. Watanabe, look over here. I'll take a picture," urged the girl who played the role of the camera, and Luka looked in front of her. Then she waved towards us as she suddenly noticed.

"Ah. Suzu-chan!"

"Eh?" Luca beckoned to me, who was scared.

"Suzu-chan is also included!"

The girls looked at me all at once. Why? Is written on the face. I'm in a hurry

I hid in a pillar, then I looked a little and turned my palm.

"No, no, I", but Luca continued to beckon me.

"It’ll be fast!” Later, the image was sent. A group photo of girls with cute V signs, centered on Luca. There is my face full of freckles mixed with it. The position just behind Luka. Like the spirit behind her, I have an awkward V sign. When I tried to register for "U" again, I was asked for a photo of my face. I don’t have a photo of my face. I don't bother to point the camera at myself.

So, I used the image at this time for registration.

Face recognition markers are displayed on everyone. Which one are you? I moved the cursor and selected the freckled face behind Luka.

The text "A / I automatically generates a new Az" appears. At the same time, there is an annotation, "What is Az?". << The name of the avatar in "U" and another you >>

Another you.

Soon, the rendered Az was displayed.

"That ...?" There was a terrifyingly beautiful Az, far from me. You can say it's just like Luka-chan, not me. "Luka-chan? Why ..."

AI was confused with Luca, who was right next to my image. If so, what an awkward artificial intelligence! While the difference must be corrected. I hit the back button repeatedly.

"No. Back, back. Cancel ...", but suddenly I stopped pressing the button. Red spot-like patterns were clearly drawn on both cheeks of the Az.

"Freckles ..." I put my hand on my cheek. Isn't it my freckles? "Maybe I .....?" I slowly typed in each character in the "NAME" field of the registration screen. This time it's not "Suzu".

"B" "e" “l” “l” “e”

"Bell" = “Suzu”

When I decide on the name "... Bell", the Az in front of me suddenly seems to be adorable. "Cancel" and "OK" buttons are displayed on the screen, prompting you to make a selection.

"What should I do..…"

To make this beauty Az me, I'm not courageous and I'm afraid. On the other hand, no matter how far she is from me in reality, I also think. Rather, it is the world of the Internet that is far away. There are many examples of flashy names and icons on SNS.

"U" is a virtual world and Az is a virtual personality. Privacy is strictly protected. It claims that anonymity is strictly guaranteed. Then no one should blame you. Then, at the next moment, I'm at a loss. In the first place, why did AI of "U" automatically generate such a beautiful Az for me? Is it just a coincidence created by uncertainty? Or is it deep inside my heart? Are you seeing through your true desires? Or ...

It's time to select "Cancel or OK".

A late-night study room with only desk lights. In front of the MacBook screen, I decided to take a slow breath and trim. --Now, let's live another you-in my head, the message of "U" was refrained. "Click" I clicked OK.

At that moment, as if you were preparing, the "U" app on your smartphone started automatically. You can hear the announcement of a calm tone voice.

"Please attach the device"

As per the instruction screen, take out the earphone type device from the case and take it out. I put it on my ear.

"I'm reading your biometric information ..."

The letter "U" on the device glows blue and shimmers. With just one vise, you can get all the information about human beings as living things. It seems that you can do it. And in a very short time. "Done," the announcement said. Then I continued as if I was checking.

"Start body sharing"

It sounds like something is spinning at high speed. Head circumference. There was a feeling that the surroundings were covered with dense air. It seems that it was brought about by the strong magnetic field developed by the device, and perhaps because of that, the hair lifts up softly as if it were in a weightless space.

"First, vision comes under control."

The feel of the magnetic field seemed to concentrate on the back of the head. I slowly open my eyes. "Ah!" A dazzling white light rushed into my eyes.

It's a cloth. White cloths that were more than 10 meters long overlapped, fluttering and fluttering in the wind. I looked at my body as if I were checking my body, and was shocked. My feet are floating in the air. The announcement echoes, as if it were an announcement from heaven.

"Other cognitive functions and deep limb sensations come under control."

What do you mean? There were no words in that unrealistic space. Sweat gushes from the whole body, and the heart beats.

"The feeling of physical independence and physical possession moves to your registered Az." Something slowly approaches from behind. Pink hair. It was the "shadow" of Az that I registered earlier. However, it’s face is flat and white like a plate with nothing on it.

[.........]

I'm just stunned. "Shadow" overlaps. The feeling that another body gets inside me is unpleasant. The shadow of Az was fine-tuned by moving the position back and forth so that it would be in focus, but it fits perfectly immediately. Immediately, the discomfort I had just disappeared somewhere. Beyond the fluttering white cloth, I saw a large white door. I reach out my hands as I slowly approach. The announcement announced. "Welcome to the world of 'U'"

I pressed my hands against the door and opened it vigorously. When I jumped out, I saw a group of skyscrapers that filled my view. "Ah!" On the bustling boulevard that intersects three-dimensionally, a large number of people, not humans, Az-- are floating in the air. Az that imitate animals, insects, marine life, vases and set squares, Az that imitate bicycles, half-beasts and goddesses that are likely to appear in fiction, Az that imitate warriors ... , Az in all kinds of shapes are flying around while chatting loudly. When I look up at the night sky, the lights of countless windows blink, not from the twinkling stars, but from the skyscrapers hanging upside down. Another reality. Another world. Is this "U"? Powder snow is dancing. It's a little chilly. When I opened my hands to take the powder snow in the palm of my hand, I saw a white arm and long, thin fingers in my eyes.

[...]

I was surprised at the difference in physical sensation and looked as if I was checking my body. Her slender body and long legs are wrapped in a white dress that looks like a newborn.

Is this me?

Let's live another you.

The message of "U" was refrained in my head.

[............]

There, I noticed multiple eyes and looked forward. Some Az in the crowd are looking at me. However, as soon as I glanced at it, I went there. You may be a little beautiful, but this is "U". To that extent, nothing is unusual here. That was convenient. No one cares. Then you might be able to do what you've always wanted to do. When I raise my face, I take a deep breath and try to speak out.

The voice was undeniably my own voice. It's much more relaxed than I expected. I tried humming so that the nasal cavity would resonate instead of stretching. Sounds smoother than I imagined. Is it conveniently corrected because the body is virtual? But I don't feel that the sound is far from my consciousness. Is it because the scanned biometric information is accurate? Anyway…

I can't believe it. "I could sing ...!"As the powder snow dances fantastically, my voice rebels against the skyscrapers. It is echoing. How many years has it been since you sung properly? It was irresistible that I could immediately make a voice as I imagined, even though there was a blank and I hadn't done any preparatory movements. It feels like I've got a lot of freedom, and at the same time I'm a little scared. How is biometric information transformed into this output? What is Az? Anyway,

"Oh, I finally sang ...!"

I was very happy about this. I decided to sit down and sing a song with the lyrics properly. Of course there is no accompaniment, but is it okay?

[ I want to see a world where such a small melody pierces through a happy song

I wake up every morning and look for a future without you

I don't want to imagine the unpleasant singing ]

The lyrics translated into various languages ​​around me. Many languages, it surrounds me as a belt. Gaelic, Thai, Persian ...

All languages ​​overlap. If a song is detected, will it be displayed automatically without any settings? In addition, the synthetic voice singing in some languages ​​sounds faint, although the types are limited. Maybe because of that, "Hmm ...?"

Az and others who should have ignored me, suddenly look back and look at me.

"Ah ...?" Many Az in the building area are standing in the air one after another. I didn't mean to do that. I was just trying to check the condition of the technology called body sharing. However, it seems that more Az are gathering and listening than I expected. It's very embarrassing to think of myself as a street musician in a virtual world. However, it cannot be stopped on the way. Let's sing to the end, for myself. I continued thinking so.

[But I don't know the correct answer anymore.

It seems that it's going well except for me. Will it still come tomorrow?

Song, guide me, whatever happens, song, beside me, love, approach ]

From the Az who were listening, balloons displaying comments one after another appeared.

"What is this?" "Who is singing?" "Mysterious song"

At first, the content was cautious, as if watching the situation.

However, it gradually became less reluctant. For some reason, the only people who made comments such as "noisy", "strange songs", and "don't be pretentious" were Az with a cute appearance that I couldn't say such a thing. Wearing a frilly pink dress, a little animal, or a baby holding a teddy bear.

"Her looks aren't bad" "What's that freckled face (laughs)" Various tweets fly while singing. I do not mind. I'm singing for me. However, I was hurt by the words thrown at me. It ’s hard to say that only a small number of people will say

You can see it from here as well. hard. It may have appeared on the face. Furthermore, the words escalated. "I feel bad" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" I managed to finish singing before my feelings broke down. The noisy Az sighed and sighed, sighing and leaving. I had no choice but to see them off with disappointment,

"Belle"

Called my name, I looked up.

"……ah"

Something slipped in, "Eh? ... Ah," once I sprinkled the glittering scales, and once I went all the way down, it slowly stopped on my hand. It was a mysterious Az, like a white fairy, like an angel, like a clionidae. If you look closely, you can see that the body is transparent with the delicacy of warabi mochi. While swaying the wings of both hands, he said in a slightly traumatic tone.

"You are wonderful. You are beautiful."

That said, I felt saved.

"....... Fufufu. Thank you."

When I woke up, it was morning. Before I knew it, I was lying on my bed. Was last night a dream? It still has a fresh feeling. I looked at my smartphone to make sure. I have a profile page for Belle. It wasn't a dream. If you look under the bell icon, there is a column showing the number of followers.

《Belle: 0 followers》

That number is zero.

"There are no followers ....." I muttered while staring at the screen. "The world doesn't change anything." I didn't ask for it, but I felt a little disappointed.

When I thought, a beep sounded. The number of followers became "1" in front of me. That angel Az. A comment balloon appears. It was a blank space with nothing written on it. I laid down my smartphone, lay on my back on the bed, and remembered last night. There were many unplanned things. However, "But I finally sang ..." Above all, my heart was refreshed. The light of the winter morning looked dazzling. It's been a while since I've had such a refreshing feeling. Then there was a second follow-up notice. It was Hiro-chan. A cute bird-shaped Az with a round hat.

In the comment of "Re: I tried it for the first time"

<< This is Hiro. Belle is the best. I'll do anything >>

-------------------

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dcx2NedPVBEdbfQaU-WC0pJMRmn20ASn7HSC0KY9R7E/edit?usp=sharing ~ Google Doc of the English-translated novel.

ryuutosobakasuhime.wordpress.com ~ English fan-site for Ryuu to Sobakasu no Hime where translations, scans, and other content is posted.