#Artificial Intelligence Bartending

[drinkinlovecom]

Shake Up Your Home Bar

Shake Up Your Home Bar

Discover the Exciting Future of Home Bartending The future of home bartending is bright, as more and more people are turning to this as a way to entertain friends and family in the comfort of their own homes. As technology continues to evolve, so do the tools and techniques used in home bartending. From automated cocktail machines to smartphone apps, home bartenders have access to a wide range…

[axeeglitter]

Back from the Vault: Alexa

“What do you mean you forgot your passport?!” asked Simon through his phone.

“I don’t know dude; I was sure I had it but I can’t find it anywhere. Can you go and check in my room if I didn’t put it on my desk or somewhere else, please?”

“Alright, I’m on my way, but dude, really, you have to be more careful!”

Simon and Michael had been roommates for almost four years now. They’d been paired together in their first year of uni, and since they were getting along pretty well and their shared bedroom was small, they decided to look for an apartment together. Things turned out great, and they’ve shared the same apartment since then. When they met, Simon was pretty shy and lacked confidence, but thanks to Michael, he really came out of his shell and found the courage to live fully. He started going to the gym, taking care of himself, and making some friends along the way. He even managed to find someone he found attractive. They just started dating a few weeks ago, and he hoped he would manage to bring his love interest home while Michael was away.

Michael had always been the more outgoing of the two. Always chatting and laughing with everyone, his big dumb smile plastered on his face, letting his perfect white teeth shine and illuminate his face. Sure, Michael wasn’t the brightest student, and even though he preferred working out to spending his evenings studying, he still did everything he could to succeed in his studies and at his part-time job as a bartender. He also managed to have some free time to play video games, practice sports, and, most of all, play with the parameters of his Alexa.

When Michael saw the ad for Alexa’s new features a couple of years ago, he fell in love with the concept. The first thing he did when they both got the apartment was to put Alexa everywhere in the house. Simon was a bit skeptical about this artificial intelligence listening to them all the time, but Michael was so happy. Michael couldn’t stop having fun with his new toy. Alexa turned the volume up, Alexa lit up the kitchen. Alexa added ketchup to the grocery list. As time passed, Simon got used to it and didn’t even realize it was there anymore.

“Ok dude, I’m in your bedroom. Damn, you could have cleaned up a bit; for fuck’s sake, there are dirty underwear and socks everywhere! Gross!”

“Sorry bro, was in a bit of a hurry. I thought my flight was tomorrow, not today! Listen, my passport should be somewhere around my desk. I remember taking it out and putting it on my desk to finish packing. Look around if it’s not there, please.”

“Okay, hold on, putting the speakers on,” Simon said as he clicked on the button to activate it and turned the volume all the way up before placing his phone on the desk.

“You sure you put it there? I can’t find it anywhere, dude!”

“Yes, I am! It must be somewhere around. Take a look on my nightstand,” Michael said, half-listening to what his friend was saying as he was stressed and still searching for it in his backpack.

VOICE DETECTED

“Bro, I can’t find it anywhere. I don’t know where you’ve pu… What the fuck? What was that?” said Simon, not understanding where the voice was coming from. “Dude, did you just say something?” Simon asked again, waiting for an answer.

INTRUDER PROTOCOL ACTIVATED… STARTING INTRUDER PROTECTION PROGRAM

As Simon heard this voice again, he heard a beeping sound coming from Michael’s computer. Suddenly, the screens lit up with a weird-looking graphic. Simon tried to understand what was happening, still asking if this was a prank from Michael. “Dude, can you hear me? I don’t know what you are up to, but it’s not funny. You know what? Fuck you, I’m out of here!” said Simon as he started walking out of the messy bedroom.

“Bro, I know, maybe it’s in the closet!” answered Michael, not listening to what his bro was saying and still looking for it in his suitcase.

All of a sudden, Simon felt something grabbing his right ankle. He tilted his head only to realize his foot was stuck in some kind of cable knot. He smiled a bit, thinking all of this was getting on his nerves, but as a shy laugh escaped his mouth, the knot tightened on its own, and another cable wrapped around Simon’s left ankle. Then they started pulling him. Simon fell on his butt right onto a pile of dirty jockstraps and used socks. The cables resumed their pulling. Simon tried to resist, but it wasn’t working.

“Michael, help!!” he screamed loud and clear, but Michael had put his phone away as he was asking about his passport to his family.

“HELP ME!!” Simon screamed once again as he was dragged across the dirty floor. Then it all stopped. He was not moving anymore. His ankles were still tied to the cables, and as he tried to get back up, he heard a whipping sound and turned his head just in time to see two new cables grab his wrists and tie them up too before spreading them apart, resulting in Simon being held down against his will in the middle of Michael’s dirty bedroom floor.

“Michael, help me!” screamed Simon again, and this time Michael answered just as the voice started talking again.

INTRUDER NEUTRALIZED… WAITING APPROVAL TO START INTRUDER PROTECTION PROGRAM…

“YES!” screamed Michael from afar. “I knew I had packed it!” Michael’s voice got louder as he got his phone back to his ear. “Sorry bro, I’ve found it! My mom was keeping it and didn’t tell me. Sorry! I’ll catch you in a month after my family trip. I’ll grab you something from Disney World, bro. See you!” And with that, Michael hung up on Simon.

MASTER4S VOICE DETECTED… STARTING PROTOCOLS IN 3…2…1…

Simon was terrified. He couldn’t move, and now his only hope, Michael, had just hung up on him. As he realized he would have to find a way to free himself on his own, the cables started to tense again, pulling his limbs a bit more until his legs and arms were outstretched. Now he couldn’t move at all anymore.

STARTING SCANNING AND BACKUP PROTOCOL…

Simon lay there, immobile and jerking as much as he could in the hope of untying one of the knots when he saw a new cable starting to move on its own. It undulated on the floor in Simon’s direction, and as it got near his head, it floated in the air above him. There it stood just long enough for Simon to see it. It was different from the ones holding him down. This one had a device plugged into it, looking like something used for scanning. As Simon thought about that, the device turned itself on and illuminated Simon’s body in a blue hue, going from the tip of his feet to his head. As it scanned along, Simon saw a weird blue holographic square pattern projected onto him.

“What the fuck is all of this?” thought Simon as the device finished its work.

INTRUDER SCAN FINISHED… SAVING OF THE DATA… DATA SAVED… RESUMING PROTOCOL…

Simon heard again. Suddenly, the scanning device lit up again, but this time it was not a blue light. This time it was red. It started scanning all over his body again, but Simon felt like something was heating all around him. As he felt this weird but not painful sensation, he realized he was feeling something on his right ankle. He lifted his head only to see that wherever the red light touched, his clothes were disintegrating. His socks and brand-new Air Forces were already gone, and now he watched as his favorite pair of jeans was getting destroyed right in front of his eyes. Simon screamed and moved as much as he could in every direction, hoping to stop all of this, but it was not working. Worse, the voice started again.

INTRUDER NOT STANDING STILL, SPEEDING UP PROCESS BY 50%

Simon watched in fear as he felt his whole body getting naked faster. With the blink of an eye, Simon was standing there, tied up and naked on the floor. “Please, make it stop. I’m Michael’s roommate. I’m not an intruder. I live here!” Simon tried to talk with Alexa, but the only response he heard froze him in terror.

VOICEPRINT INCORRECT… RESUMING PROTOCOL IN 3…2…1…

As he heard those words, he saw new cables flying from every corner of the room. They were like snakes ready to strike, and the only thing he could do as he saw them freezing in place waiting for orders was close his eyes as tears built up on his cheeks.

Suddenly, all the cables jumped onto his body. He felt them plugging into his biceps, forearms, pecs, abs, and legs. He even felt some getting plugged into his fingers and soles. Simon was in excruciating pain. It felt like he was being stabbed all over his body at once. Just as he was about to faint, he heard the voice again.

MODIFICATION PROCESS STARTING IN 3…2…1…

Simon felt all the cables attached to him vibrating harder and harder. It was like his whole body was being shaken. His nerves were on fire, and he felt like he was about to be torn apart. Tears of pain streamed down his cheeks as he suddenly felt an electric shock inside his body. He was in such pain that he couldn’t even turn his head to see what was happening to him.

Just before Michael left for his family vacation, he received a notification on his Amazon account about a new version of Alexa. Being Michael, he jumped on the opportunity and upgraded it right away, without paying much attention to the modifications. The only new feature he was interested in was the “Intruder Protection Program” and its assimilation feature. “Cool,” he thought, “Just before leaving for a month, this new version is released. What perfect timing!”

Once the download was done, Alexa needed information to register who was welcome and who was considered an intruder. Michael did so and, just as he finished entering his information and was about to input Simon’s details, Alexa reminded him that his flight was leaving in 4 hours. Surprised, Michael jumped out of his desk, packed as much as he could into his backpack and suitcase, and rushed to meet his family at the airport, not realizing he never entered Simon’s information into Alexa’s database.

Simon lay frozen in pain on the dirty floor as he felt his bones cracking and compressing. He heard cracking everywhere, and at some point, he thought maybe all of this was a nightmare and he was about to wake up. But what jolted him from this thought was the excruciating pain in his feet. Simon felt his size 39 feet starting to grow longer until they were now a size 45 and a half. The pain was awful. He fell as his toes elongated and became more articulated. It felt like he had more movement in them than before. Then the same happened with his hands, and it was too much for Simon’s pain tolerance. As he fainted from the pain, the changes didn’t stop. Once the bones were modified, Simon’s muscles were next.

All his muscles entered a vibration state. They grew larger and larger until his previous slim, athletic frame was replaced by that of a gym god. His muscles bulged in every direction. Once the muscles were done, the vibration moved to his head. His nose was the first to break into pieces before being remolded into a larger, less slim version. Then the same happened with his chin and brows. Once the bones were done, the muscles in his face also started to vibrate, resulting in a more angular, jockish face.

Then the scanning device came back to life and started scanning Simon’s fainted body with a green light. Every inch of skin touched by the light tanned to a healthy golden shade. Once done, the device turned a yellow light and focused on specific zones: the legs, armpits, head, chest, and most importantly, the pubic area. There, it started to light up and remained immobile on the skin until a certain number of hairs had sprouted. This resulted in Simon’s body having slightly hairy legs, chest and an imberb face (except for hair and brows), hairy armpits, and, most notably, curly brown pubes.

When all the hair had been scanned, the device focused back on Simon’s head and his eyes. This time, the device emitted a purple hue. Unbeknownst to Simon, his blue-gray eyes started to change until they were a warm brown color. The scanning device turned off and fell next to Simon’s head, only to be replaced by another cable with a peculiar apparatus at its end. It looked like a tube.

The cable started to undulate toward Simon’s crotch and then, out of nowhere, jumped onto his 5-inch cock and grape-sized balls. Alexa spoke again.

LOADING BACKED UP DATA…

The device began to suck harder and harder, and suddenly, Simon’s cut cock started to grow and harden. It grew bigger and bigger inside the tube until it was now an 8.5-inch uncut cock with huge testicles.

GENITALS MODIFIED…

The device detached itself and fell just between Simon’s legs. Simon’s body remained immobile for a couple of seconds before he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was two huge pecs in front of his sight. He screamed and turned his head to the right and left, watching as his arms had also become huge.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” he screamed, but the only response he got was another notification from Alexa.

BODY MODIFICATION PROTOCOL COMPLETE… STARTING THE ASSIMILATION PROTOCOL IN 3… 2… 1…

Simon watched in fear as a new cable appeared in his sight. This one looked similar to the others that had plugged into his body, but it stood right between his eyes. That’s when he understood what Alexa had just said.

“No, Alexa, stop! STOOOO…”

The cable jumped into the middle of Simon’s eyes and plugged itself directly into his brain. For Simon, it felt like a switch had been turned off. He was still feeling everything but couldn’t move anymore. It was like he was no longer there, and for a moment, he thought he might have died. Then he heard Alexa’s voice again, but this time it was clearer and louder, as if it were directly in his brain.

SAVING AND DUPLICATING INTRUDER’S INFORMATION

Simon felt like something was off. It felt like he was being scanned deeply, and then suddenly, he felt himself falling into darkness. It was like falling into an endless pit of obscurity, and he couldn’t grab onto anything to stop his fall.

INTRUDER’S INFORMATION SCANNED AND SAVED… STARTING ASSIMILATION…

Simon stood in darkness, hearing Alexa’s voice but unable to move or react. He was frozen in time and floating in a dark place. Suddenly, right in front of him, he saw a bright, intense, and warming light. From all around, he saw movie clips floating toward it, merging together, making it grow bigger and stronger. Simon was forced to watch these clips until one caught his attention. It was a memory of himself and Michael playing Mario Kart. Simon remembered this night perfectly because it was when he realized Michael was a true friend, and he was happy and thankful to have him in his life. But it was strange because in his memories, he was on the right side of the sofa, not the left. It was as if the memory was mirrored. That’s when he realized.

“Wait, why am I watching myself playing Mario Kart in this clip? I should be looking at Michael, not myself!”

Simon panicked and tried to find another clip, only to see once again himself in front of his eyes, not Michael. Now he understood. Simon was not looking at his memories but Michael’s.

“ALEXA, STOP, PLEASE!” Simon screamed, but nothing happened. Instead, more and more movie clips merged in front of his eyes until the last one was Michael downloading the new version of Alexa called “Intruder Protection Program” in his room. Simon screamed as loud as he could, only to be cut short by Alexa once again.

ASSIMILATION DONE…

In the outside world, all the cables unplugged themselves and unknotted from Simon’s ankles and wrists.

Simon’s body lay sweaty and naked on the dirty floor for a couple of seconds before Alexa spoke once more.

INTRUDER PROTECTION PROGRAM TERMINATED… CAN I DO SOMETHING FOR YOU, MICHAEL?

Michael opened his eyes, and Simon watched, trapped inside his own brain, as his body betrayed him. He felt everything but couldn’t move anymore. He felt his body starting to blink before opening his mouth and speaking in a deeper voice, mimicking Michael’s.

“Nah bro! I’m good. Thanks, Alexa!”

With that, Michael’s body began to get up and realized he was naked. Worse, he was getting excited watching himself in the mirror.

“Well, guess I have to take care of you,” he said, gripping his huge veined cock before spitting on it and starting to pleasure himself.

Simon was in hell. He felt everything and couldn’t do anything to stop his body and this new Michael personality. Then he felt his body tense up and prepare to explode. He grabbed one of the dirty underwear on the floor, smelled it, laughed a bit, and said “Noice” before finishing himself in it. He then sat on the bed, the dirty jockstrap still stuck between his calloused hand and his hard cock.

The new Michael closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.

TIME TO WAKE UP, MASTER, IT’S 8 AM, YOU’RE GONNA BE LATE…

Michael woke up with his dick still tucked inside the crusty jockstrap. He got up, looked at the time, and thanked Alexa. He looked around his bedroom to see what he was about to wear and only after 2 minutes of running naked did he realize he still had the jockstrap stuck to his cock. He laughed and grabbed it before putting it on. He then jumped into cargo sports shorts and a pair of well-used Nike socks before putting grabbing a red and white tank top under his arm and his favorite necklace.

As Michael left his bedroom, he screamed through the house.

“Simon bro, gonna be late, I’ll see you tonight!”

Before leaving, he never realized that Simon was, in fact, stuck in his own head, screaming for this nightmare to stop and for him to be freed.

As Michael closed the door and jumped into his car, Alexa started again.

MICHAEL OUT OF HOUSE… STARTING INTRUDER PROTECTION PROGRAM…

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

Hey guys, here is the first story I've retrieved from my vault. You may have already read this one a couple of months ago, but unfortunately, it got lost over time. So, I decided to post it again after refining it a bit and adding new pictures kindly created by @tf-vigilante for this story. As always, let me know what you think of it, and feel free to leave a like, share, or send me a message if you want to talk about this story or anything else :)

Let me know if you’d like to see a continuation of this story, as I have plans for Michael, Simon, and Alexa.

If you have any ideas or plots you'd like to discuss, feel free to send me an ask or a DM ;)

In the meantime, take care, and see you soon for more stories resurrected from my vault!

[madschiavelique]

hii my love! would u mind doing a little blurb on miguel finding out the woman he has been seeing is a stripper? she just feels so embarrassed to admit that and scared It would drive him away but instead he’s pretty much more open about it and become far too protective too. thank you:))

OMG ANON YOU DON'T KNOW HOW OUR BRAINS CONNECTED because listen : i have an au in mind where my spiderpersona is a succub in a strip club, and basically when Miguel is brought there by his friends, they meet

SO YEA i'm living for stripper!reader x miguel (also this was supposed to be a blurb but i got carried away fdkzefrgd - the club scene from Closer really inspired me for this)... now i want to make a multiple chapter fic on stripper!reader x miguel hELP

summary : miguel discovers you're a stripper

content warnings : NSFW, stripper!reader, reader gives a little private show to miguel (just removes the top though, doesn't reveal the cunt), fem!reader, no use of Y/N word count : 2k song mentionned : world outside - the devlins

tag list : @fandom-ash

Up until now, you had decided to keep your professional occupation to Miguel, for one simple reason: fear.

Fear filled your stomach at the thought of telling him you were a stripper. You and Miguel had been dating for some time, and had quickly become close. The bond was shaping up to be strong, and you were worried that the information about your job would ruin everything.

He'd already asked you a few times what you were doing, but you'd always managed to deflect the subject elegantly. Yet there's no stopping Miguel's determination and curiosity, least of all when the topic of conversation turns out to be you.

So he did something he wasn't particularly proud of, but couldn't resist: while you were out working, he asked Lyla where you were.

She'd given him an address, and some information about it...

"A club?" he'd asked, looking at the street information for the address. "A strip club," Lyla had corrected. "There's no mistake? Are you sure?" he'd questioned, taking a closer look at the establishment's hours and information. "Have you ever seen me calculate a lot of errors?" sighed the artificial intelligence.

Never. Hardly ever had he seen her fail in this area. Maybe you weren't really a dancer there, maybe you were a bartender, or a waitress, who knows. Only, the idea of seeing you wearing a fine outfit and swaying on a stage was strangely appealing to him.

Without missing a beat, he made his way to the address. It wasn't far, which surprised him as much as it reassured him. The very idea that your place of work wasn't far from home appealed to him, as it ensured that if you ever needed to be picked up for any reason, he'd be there.

He arrived at the entrance, breathing in, passed the bouncers who joked that with his build he could get into the business, and entered.

Blue light from two corner spotlights illuminated red velvet-covered staircases leading downwards. He moved forward, the mirrored walls reflecting him. The room's bass could already be heard from outside, but now he could hear the music more clearly.

You light up my dreams, light up my skin. You're so far away, you're holding it in.

The place was quite crowded, and Miguel noticed a fair number of men in suits and ties. He wouldn't have cared in any other context about the consumption habits of these men here, but suddenly the very idea that there were potentially regulars coming to see you displeased him enormously.

As for the place, it smelled of violets and lemongrass. The ceiling was high, revealing a second floor from which hung three chandeliers surrounded by red cubes.

Spotlights were placed here and there, illuminating the important places: the round tables, like the one next to Miguel on which two women on their knees were swaying, undressing each other under the watchful eyes of all the men around the table; the U-shaped bar, from either end of which women were dancing in wisps of sinuous white smoke; and pole-dancing pedestals on their red-lit floor that emphasized the curves of the dancers placed on them.

And he recognized one of the dancers: it was you.

It was an evening like any other, your garter belt was already generously stuffed with bills of various colors against your thigh and you'd already put on a private show. You were on the pole bar, dancing and undulating your body against it under the round, adoring eyes of your little audience.

You'd been in the business for a while now, and you'd managed to make more friends than enemies in the club, enough so that your colleagues became your buddies.

In fact, your friend right next to you softly called your name, and you turned to her as you danced.

"Did you see the one that just came in? He's huge," she pointed out, smiling at the customers around you. "And pretty good looking too."

As you continued your endless choreography, you glanced surreptitiously at the said customer. But your heart dropped into your stomach for a moment as you met Miguel's gaze.

You hesitated between freezing on the spot and running away, but instead tried to keep your cool and your professionalism and continue your dance until he arrived near the pedestal.

"This one," you pointed out to your friend, "is for me."

She gave a little laugh as you motioned for another dancer to take your place and gracefully stepped off your pedestal, advancing towards Miguel as you would a normal customer

"So this was where you were hiding?" asked Miguel a little above the music, tilting his head to the side as he looked you up and down.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, as inquisitive as you were nervous.

"Curiosity got the better of me, and I was right to give in to temptation."

He was watching your outfit, which emphasized your body, your curves highlighted by the glitter and rhinestones mixed with the laces. You were close to him, almost to the point where a simple movement on Miguel's part would allow your two bodies to meet.

"But I'd prefer to discuss this somewhere else...?" he says.

"I'm in the middle of working hours, but... how about a private show?" you offered, drawing even closer to him as your eyes seemed to him irresistible through your lashes.

He shuddered.

"I'd like that."

You smiled softly, taking his hand to guide him towards one of the Paradise Suites. You guided him a little further until you came to a door you knew well and opened it to let him in.

A round sofa circled a round table at its center, the latter illuminated in pink. A strip of light circled the sofa, another path laid out to encourage strippers to be creative and use the room as they saw fit. You weren't expecting to give Miguel a private show tonight, but fate had played a nice trick on you.

You guided him to the sofa, letting him settle there as you climbed up on the table, looking at him with eyes that were usually calculated to convey desire, but this time really felt it.

And he looked at you with, his were dark, pools of ink attentive to your every move.

"How long have you been doing this?" he'd ask, his attention unwavering.

"Five months," you toyed lightly with one of your shoulder straps as you let your other hand roam your body.

He was going to be able to ask you all the questions that came to mind, only if he didn't get too distracted by your beauty.

"Are you allowed to flirt?" he asked.

"Yes, I am." you replied, letting your hand slide down your chest.

"Do you have any regulars?" he leaned forward, his head tilted back to watch you dance.

"Yes, I do. Private clients as well." you turned, your back to him to loosen your corset behind your waist, undulating your body.

The idea that you had regular clients here wasn't disturbing, but the fact that you had private ones displeased him a little more, for the fact that your security was much less framed than it was here.

"I want names."

You let out a small laugh as you turned to face him again.

"You want to make me lose my job?" you knelt on the round table to get to his level.

"No, I want to replace them." he said, his eyes moving from yours to your fingers removing the first strap.

"I'm not allowed to have relationships outside of the club with clients," you countered, tracing the skin of your bare thigh sensually.

"And what do you usually do?" his chest puffed out as he inhaled, feeling a little hotter little by little.

"I dance, I talk, I laugh, I strip, and that is all." you confirmed as you removed the second strap, and with a simple movement unhooked the little clip between your breasts to reveal them.

His eyes were eager, watching your perfect breasts as he parted his lips, mouth agape.

"No touching?" he questioned, eyes still on your body.

"No touching, you can just slide the tips in the garter belt" you advised, your hand sliding against the latter where a few bills were lodged.

"What would happen if I touched you now?" he asked, moving a little closer to the edge of the sofa.

"I would like it," you said, shifting your legs over the front to stand up again on the table gently, "but the security cameras would notice, and probably get you out of here."

Miguel looked up, just above the table, on the ceiling, was a small half globe with a small point of red light.

"Pays well?

"Very well." you smiled, your hands playing dangerously with the string of your thong.

"How much will it cost me to be here with you?"

Miguel wasn't afraid of going broke here, especially for you, he was plenty rich enough for that.

"Depends on what you want." thinking that maybe Miguel didn't want to make you work right now, you got off the table and climbed onto the sofa and then its edge instead, sitting there.

"How high are the prices? I haven't seen the menu of services."

"Our VIP options can go up to 1500 dollars." you say wearily, pretending to walk your index and middle fingers in his direction on the strip of light.

"1500?" he almost exclaimed, raising his eyebrows.

"Mhm," you hummed, "two hours with two dancers and a bottle of Don Perignon."

He turned towards you, coming closer, his head level with your thigh as his eyes inevitably fell on the bills you'd been given.

"And what's the price if I only want you and nothing else with me?" he questioned as his gaze returned to yours.

"Here, from 80 dollars I can give you a 10-minute air dance." you said as you leaned towards him, your faces close but not yet touching. "Outside, nothing."

A small, proud smile appeared on his lips. However, you being far too hot and gorgeous, he was beginning to feel tight in his clothes, especially his pants.

"What time do you get off?" he asked, sitting up differently, your eyes falling on his crotch and smiling as you bit your lip.

"Five o'clock. Will you last until then?"

He sighed, his eyes falling on your lips, eager.

"I just don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands to myself."

You smiled, then straightened up, reaching for your top. But Miguel took his wallet out of his pocket and slipped a bill under your garter belt. To be deprived of a view like this? Never. You smile a little more, and sit back down on the table, kneeling upright to let him get a good look at you.

He leaned towards you again, intertwining his fingers as his gaze softened slightly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

You sighed, biting your cheek as you looked down at your hands carefully placed in your lap.

"I was scared," you admitted with a sigh. "Scared that this would end what we have."

You knew that not all men or simply partners were comfortable with their halves being strippers, and the idea that Miguel shared that opinion terrified you.

"Nena," he called your nickname.

Your head was still down, and you felt the soft sensation of money paper under your chin. Miguel straightened your jaw with a bill, bringing his eyes to yours.

"This isn't a problem to me." he smiled, lowering his hand to place the bill under the elastic of your belt. "This is actually really good."

Confusion seized you along with relief, causing you to frown while sporting a grin.

"Why?"

He tilted his head to one side, smiling proudly.

"I get the satisfaction for everyone to see how gorgeous you are, while being the only one who has the right to touch you."

You let out a small burst of voice somewhere between a laugh and a sigh, the relief of his answer washing over you like a wave of comfort.

After that, he'd deserved more than just a show.

[hellsite-detective]

Hellsite Detective in...

The Bad Banana

it was another cool day in Tumblr City. the breeze was blowin' through the streets and the rain was poundin' down hard against my window. the ceilin' fan that hung above me spun slowly and hypnotically as if blown by a wind that wasn't present. as i sat there in my chair, smokin' my cigar and watchin' that fan spin eternally, i grew hungry. thankfully i keep a small fruit bowl in the corner. gettin' up to go grab a bite, i picked a banana out of the bowl. it was a bright yellow, but you might not have known it from the monochromatic filter over the scene. as i began to unpeel it, a voice spoke from the back of my head sayin'...

...hold on...

...go ahead...

...what...

naturally confused, i spun around to see if someone had snuck in while my back was turned. but no, no one was there. however, the words continued to resound in my head. almost like they were callin' me to somethin'. i walked over to the window and took a look outside and the traffic lights at the intersection caught my eye. i looked at them, and looked back at the banana in my hand. that's when it hit me...

see, there was a post i've been lookin' for for ages. in fact, it was the post that inspired me to open my office up in the first place. it was a post comparin' the colors on bananas to the colors on traffic lights. back then, i couldn't find it. but now? i had the experience i needed. i decided to re-open this personal case of mine.

i tucked the banana into my coat and strolled through the rainy streets. i came across that hoppin' joint with jazz music always pourin' out the doors onto the street. the neon sign above the door read "The Search Bar." i headed inside, ready to do some business with my associate, but they were nowhere to be seen. they weren't sittin' at their normal booth. curious, i decided to ask the new robot bartender for help...

say, doll, you know where i can find the Boss?

[Oh! I do apologize. Don Google is upstairs in their office, but they are not seeing any visitors today.]

heh, well we'll see about that, won't we? say, what's your name?

[I am H.A.V.E.N. It stands for Hostess Attending to Virtual and Informational Needs. Essentially, my purpose is to keep track of Don Google's database so they do not have to. I also serve the drinks.]

Haven, huh? nice to meetcha, Haven. i gotta go see the Don though, whether they like it or not. i'll be seein' you later.

i tipped my hat to Haven and walked to the door leadin' to the stairwell. my mind lingered on the robotic hostess, wonderin' what an advanced artificial intelligence construct like her was doin' in this world that had it's basis in 1940's noir, but i wasn't gonna think about it too much. i headed up the stairs and into the Don's office. their goons whipped out their guns and almost took my head clean off, but the big fella themself stopped it.

the office was a far cry from the bustlin' night club on the first floor. where as the club had neon lights and kept things rather dark, probably for the best, the office was more well lit and elegant. it held a more warm atmosphere than the club, but somehow it was more oppressive in here. the walls appeared to be made of wood, bookshelves lined the walls, and a chandelier hung from the ceilin'. there was a carpet in the center of the room that had a kaleidoscope of colors rangin' from blue, red, yellow, and green. and directly across from the door was the desk. mahogany, it seemed, and real fancy too. a giant round window overlookin' the city streets was placed behind it with a large letter "G" formed in the window frames. the Don spun around in their large leather chair and puffed on their cigar.

"'Ey there, Miss Detective. What can I do ya for?"

i'm lookin' for a post involvin' bananas. specifically in relation to traffic lights. you got anythin' like that for me?"

i set the banana i had brought down on the desk and they chuckled at the sight.

"Yea, I think I got what your lookin' for."

with a wave of their hand, one of their goons fetched a file from off one of the shelves and brought it over to them. they thumbed it open with one hand, the other hand draggin' on the cigar. they slid it across the desk.

"This what your lookin' for?"

and there it was. the post that started it all. it had finally come full circle. i grabbed the file eagerly and began to leave the room, but the Don wasn't finished with me yet.

"'Ey, Miss Detective! Don't think I've forgotten about that little favor you owe me..."

i stopped dead in my tracks. preparin' myself for the worst, i stood there frozen. i couldn't even turn around to look at them. but shockingly, the conversation took a different turn.

"I'm not lookin' to cash that in just yet. Just be on the look out for a call, got it? I'm lookin' forward to our partnership."

i couldn't see them, but i knew their snide smile was bearing down on me at that moment. fear filling my body, i left the lion's den and went back to my humble office to file my prize away. as i did so, my stomach rumbled...

damn it. i left the banana with the Don...

Post Case: Closed

[mangoshorthand]

how should one go about flirting with five? like if you had to write a step by step guide on peaking his interest and moving the conversation towards a flirty tone, how would you -as a scholar in fivepology recommend doing so with your acclaimed research. ❤️

You're lucky that Five isn't real, because otherwise I would keep this information for myself alone.

I think you would be self-defeating to try and artificially employ 'techniques' to pique his interest/move the conversation to a flirty place. I think he would read this as an attempt to manipulate him, and this would immediately make him feel defensive. He's a stubborn man and would resist anything he'd see as an attempt to influence his behaviour out of sheer bloody-mindedness. I think he would appreciate candour and openness. Just make your intentions clear. Let's say you're in a hotel bar: buy him a drink and ask the bartender to tell him it's from you. When he looks over to see who sent it, smile in a way that registers your interest.

Then, do nothing. Curiosity will almost certainly get the better of him. He'll more than likely come over. At first he'll be suspicious of you (Who are you? Who sent you?), but once you've assured him you were just hoping for his company, he'll probably relax and enter into conversation, aware that this is potentially a romantic encounter. Don't be afraid to just outwardly tell him you like what you see.

He'll be intrigued, interested, and flattered but still guarded. If you ask too many probing questions about his life, his walls will go right back up, so just accept what he's willing to divulge and have a genuine, natural conversation with him. I believe he'd respond best to someone who cracks jokes, gently teases him and makes it clear they don't take him or themselves too seriously, but it's probably most important to just be yourself, because if you're not being authentic, he'll clock it. Tell him about yourself. Don't be afraid to show passion for the things you care about. Argue with him intelligently if you disagree with his opinions. I think he would want to feel respected, but not fawned over.

Once you've been talking for a while and vibing well, then you might want to move the conversation on towards something concrete. He may do this for you, but if not then I think any of these routes would be appealing to him, depending on what you want from the enounter

1. "Well, are you going to ask for my number?" (Mildest option. Puts the ball in his court, but registers your interest - suggests you'd be open to dating him ) 2. "I'm going to be staying here for a few more days. Would you like to get dinner tomorrow?" (The Goldilocks option: makes it very hard for him to misinterpret your intentions but has low risk of scaring him off if he's still unsure about you. You're arranging a date and subtly implying that there may be opportunities to visit your hotel room if he plays his cards right) 3. "You know, my hotel room has a great view of the city...wanna see?" *suggestive eyebrows* (The ballsiest option. If he's definitely into you then he'll probably order a bottle of champagne and bone you all night, but if he's still unsure of how he feels, this has a higher risk of him saying 'thanks but no thanks'.)

...But if it turns out he is actually real, I have dibs. I'll fite u!

[communistkenobi]

i never really paid much attention to star wars before the mandalorian so please forgive me if this is super obvious but: are we supposed to view the droids as being kind of alive? beings with artificial intelligence? i was very uncomfortable with how the ugnaughts (sp?) were portrayed in the last episode but i didn’t think much of the droids because always just saw them a technological tool. i was a little surprised when the bartender droid gave their monologue about the droids wanting to work and catch the bad droids, and thought maybe they want to work to fulfill their programming. but maybe i should have been more considerate. (i am kind of a dumb bitch too tho so maybe this is just something that’s super obvious to most people and not me :s)

Narratively I think droids are supposed to represent an advanced form of automation - astromechs are navigational droids that handle the immense amount of math that’s required to travel through space, droids like C3PO house linguistic and cultural information for diplomatic purposes, etc. I think originally, given that Star Wars was created prior to the internet being a thing, they were used to represent mass sums of human information, but access to that information was restricted to wherever those droids happened to be in spacetime. They’re essentially mobile computers, but not in the way we think of them (eg phones). But because they’re mobile and have to communicate with human beings without any touch screens or interfaces, especially in the case of droids like C3PO, they are by default anthropomorphised. It’s on par with people naming their roombas. These are tasks that are within human capability, but have been offloaded and automated to make everyone’s lives easier (and probably also many financial and political reasons, but that gets into like, the political economy of Star Wars, which if you talk about that you threaten to take Star Wars too seriously).

But, given how expansive Star Wars is, the answer to your question is maybe sometimes. Chopper in Rebels seems to fill the role of the beloved family pet. L3-37 in Solo is explicitly calling for droid liberation and insists that she and all other droids are equal to organics. Mouse droids likewise seem to be viewed as robotic animals. Mando again makes equivalent droid automation and slave labour.

However, this becomes complicated because there are also actual slaves in Star Wars. The clones are the most obvious example, but the twi’lek as a species also are often enslaved. There are also slaver “planets” and “races” who base their economy off of the buying and selling of slaves (that was in the clone wars, I can’t remember what episodes though). Droid liberation is often framed as inherently farcical in the franchise, but “droid liberation” also exists as a form of deracialised political action, and I mean that in the real world sense - droids are not analogous to a given real world conflict or historical process the way that like, twi’lek are (who even have french accents and speak space french! Now Filoni is an idiot and says this is because he’s drawing inspiration from the French Revolution as opposed to the much more appropriate and obvious Haitian Revolution, but whatever). So when drawing parallels between slavery as a thing in Star Wars and slavery as a real world historical process, it becomes frustrating to talk about, because droid lib is both set-up and punchline, but it’s also the most “acceptable” way to explore ending slavery in SW because it means the white writers don’t have to engage with systemic racial oppression in a way that might make them feel uncomfortable. As a comparison, there are multiple episodes in clone wars where clones refuse to follow orders or try to escape and they’re treated as defective or wrong or insane. That shit fucking sucks and it takes on a much more insidious tone than “haha, the droids want weekends off. how cute.”

And then the counter COUNTER problem with that, which is explicitly invoked in The Mandalorian, is that droids are essentialised to their code or “base functions.” These are facts about a droid that are intrinsic to their nature and cannot be altered or removed, and to attempt otherwise means perverting the “true nature” of droids - they are doomed to be what they were created for (I guess forget about IG-11 being rehabilitated lol). So when you call them slaves, and then insist they are forever shackled to their programming, that’s not a neutral storytelling choice, and you are essentially invoking the idea that there are some races or people for whom slavery is more naturally suited. Which is explicitly a white supremacist idea. And given the context of this storyline in The Mandalorian’s broader political problems, it becomes particularly nefarious.

All this to say - droids are maybe slaves. It depends on the story being told and why, it depends on the writer, etc. But when analogising it to real world history it becomes fraught, given that there are actual slaves in SW who are intended as obvious parallels to real world acts of slavery in human history, a thing that is omnipresent in star wars while also being largely ignored or dismissed by the writers

[coldgoldlazarus]

Had a weird dream last night, and most of it was irrelevant, (though there was some of The Bionicle Dream going on in an early section, went to this big fancy arcade place, that was selling some select old Bionicle merch out in the lobby area) weird stuff about the states on a map, but the last section before I awoke was pretty interesting.

It was basically like, a scene from some sort of alternate universe version of Lord of the Rings, where the orcs had more of a defined culture and stuff, and Saruman was a wizard of the sea instead. I initially started like, faceless camera view floating over this messy V-shaped artificial lake caused by some sort of mishap with a backhoe, but due to weird Dream Logic it somehow filled with water and transformed into this bustling Orc port, just with the same coatline and islands but at a larger scale, before coming down into the scene. There was an unusually fancy ship, glowing faintly with magical energy, sailing into it from offscreen, (when the lake had previously been in the middle of grass fields) and indecisively sailed back and forth a bit before finally coming to dock.

Saruman, in all of his pompously stoic Christopher Lee glory, stepped into a racious and loud orc bar, clearly curling his nose up at them a bit, trying to avoid touching the grimy furniture, but suffering the noise since he was a wizard on a mission. He reached the bartender, and asked if he could direct him to "Olag, the shipmaster" and described him a bit, along with listing some big events and sea battles he had been a participant in. (Again, had the tone of being somewhat patronizing to the bartender's intelligence.)

After a bit of thinking, the bartender responded that the shipmaster had died just recently, in an accident out in the harbor. Saruman went still, face unreadable, until the bartender added "I suppose you'll be taking your leave?" Saruman simply said no. "Then you'll be paying for a drink?"

And Saruman said no again, and his voice wavered ever so slightly as he added that he would have a drink on Olag's spirit, and sat down on one of the grimy barstools he had avoided touching before, which seemed to genuinely surprise the bartender. The view kinda retreated again, with a like, voice-over bit of Tolkein digression, explaining that to the Orks, having a free drink 'on someone's spirit' was how they mourned their dead, and while such a practice was in theory an easy thing to abuse for free alcohol, they all took it too seriously to ever consider something like that. From there it returned to Saruman's fancy wizard-tower-ship looking out of place amidst the controlled chaos of the port, as the voiceover further explained that Saruman and that particular shipmaster had been opposite sides of many of the aformentioned major sea battles, and so naturally when he turned coat to join Sauron's side, this one single Orc who he genuinely respected was the first one he thought to recruit in turn.

So yeah, that seemed intriguing enough to warrant writing down.

[theinstagrahame]

Orbital Blues Mixtape

Been waiting to do these, because I have physical props for them!

These are three adventures I've made for Orbital Blues.

They're all available on my Itch page, or in hard copies from the SoulMuppet web store. So if you're in the market for an RPG about sad space cowboys, and you want to get the core book as well as a bunch of read adventures, they would be my recommendation!

Here's a bit about each of the adventures...

Electric Sheep Shuffle

The big plot twist in this, honestly, came to me in a dream. I had about half of the plot in my head when I woke up, so I just built a space station around it.

What I wound up exploring with this one was 'what would Artificial Intelligence look like in the Orbital Blues universe?' I don't think this is *the definitive* answer, but it's a fun answer that I'm proud of.

The bulk of the book goes into the locations and people of a space rest stop, Brequin Station. I included a bunch of facilities you might find at a middle-of-nowhere rest stop in space, like repairs, food, communications, and socialization (i.e., a bar). Of course, that would be kind of a flat space without some people who actually inhabit it.

So I made my first foray into creating a population. I think there are a dozen or so people in total who live at and make the station work, and each of them have small goals or drives of their own (including a station-board romance subplot).

Jumpgate Charade

Like the previous adventure, I wanted to explore what something looked like in the Orbital Blues universe. Unlike ESS, this one didn't come to me in a dream. It came to me when my partner and I were on a Cary Grant kick and watched the film Charade.

Honestly, it was a fun watch (a little 'of its time' in some ways), but the twists kinda surprised me. Because RPGs in general are my permanent hyperfixation, I started noodling on a way to write the plot down for an adventure. And again, the OB setting just felt right--plus the writing, layout, and adventure design for my previous one had just been so much *fun*.

And that's how we wound up with Jumpgate Charade.

----

I'll take a second to note the pronouns, because it was a semi-conscious decision in the first one that became intentional by this point in these and another adventure I wrote: I want my worlds to be full of queer representation, in the same way I want my life to be full of queer people as well. Using a mixture of pronouns (regular and neo type), helps flag that.

But, I think there's a very worthwhile practical consideration here: If you've got a lot of people in an adventure, you're going to have a lot of pronouns flying around. Binary pronouns in a large group, you're going to get a lot of confusion pretty quickly, especially when everyone's keeping these people in a Theatre of the Mind state. Y'know, like:

"Do you mean 'Him' the bartender or 'him' the guy with a sword?"

"No, 'him' the guy playing music."

Mixing in neo-pronouns and other non-binary markers just gives the GMs another way to mark who's doing what in a scene with multiple people.

----

Station-bound Semitones

This one wound up being a beast, because I gave myself a really hefty design task with it. Something made me think about the Runaway 5 (aka Runaway Bros) from Earthbound (SNES). So, again I asked myself, what if they were in the Orbital Blues-niverse?

Apparently, they would have to go to 8 different space stations and get into minor catastrophes that the players would have to help them break out of. Just like the band in the SNES game.

Which also meant I had to write 8 stations and 8 mini-scenarios for the band to get through. (I'd also probably need a tour poster and some back discography, but those came out of a fun day on Canva.)

I recycled 2 of these stations from the previous adventures, with a few notes about what might be different if players had already done the other two adventures. So that saved me some time, but I still had to make a bunch of content to fill these out.

They had to be unique places, that also felt lived in like the two I already had. The adventures couldn't all be the same, because they don't all feel the same in the original.

My personal favorites are the Scooby Doo-esque Haunted Station mystery, and the Street Team mission where you have to go and round up a crowd for the (at this point probably quite delayed) concert. There are fights, there are corporate overlords and criminal contacts, but those two really feel like the most fun to me because they're a little bit the least Cowboy Bebop of the batch--and breaking things up was sorta the point of this.

It wound up being about twice the size of the other two adventures... so it also winds up being a little pricier. Also the first time I had to make a spine for a book. It's a thicc boi.

(Full disclosure, I've got an affiliate link for SoulMuppet, which is the link I'm putting above. I get support either way, and they've been a delight to work with, so support us both at the same time, if you're so inclined!)

[pastel-player]

what are the contestant's ultimates?

Ohhhh this is a fun one!

Liam - Ultimate Conspiracy Theorist Bryce - Ultimate Bartender Amelia - Ultimate Yoga Instructor Charlotte - Ultimate Cave Explorer Taylor - Ultimate Journalist Club Member Alice (Charlie's mom) - Ultimate Child Caretaker Tray - Ultimate Teacher Bassy - Ultimate Classical Composer Subway Seat - Ultimate Tour Guide Whippy Creamy - Ultimate Streamer Airline Food - Ultimate Flight Attendant Contact Lens - Ultimate Optometrist Circle - Ultimate Sculptor Stone - Ultimate ??? (Oracle) Texty - Ultimate Artificial Intelligence

Feel free to ask about these choices and what the characters are like with their ultimates! ... oh, there's only 15? Probably fine. Maybe we're just forgetting something.

Airy - Ultimate Game Designer

[unseededtoast]

Rectify | Bucky Barnes

Part 22/37 | Part Twenty One, Part Twenty Three

Summary: I've lived every day for the past five years looking over my shoulder. I knew they'd come for me, it was inevitable. I was foolish to think I could outrun my past. It's followed me everywhere I go, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Never would I have anticipated that the shadows would lead me to the light.

Bucky Barnes x OC

Series Warnings: Discussion of human trafficking, alcohol consumption, graphic depictions of violence, sexual content, discussion of suicidal thoughts.

a/n: Hi everyone, thank you for checking this out, I appreciate any and all support! This series is also posted on Ao3 and Wattpad if you prefer those formats/platforms! This is a completed series, and it's going to take some time for me to transfer it to Tumblr, so please bear with me!

"You don't know how long I've waited for this."

Music booms downstairs and vibrates the floor slightly. I don't feel like going to the party because there's much more going on that needs attention, like Tony trying to create an all-powerful artificial intelligence program that will affect the entire world. But I guess that's on the backburner for him tonight. 

I had avoided the lab like Bruce wanted me to today and I haven't been able to talk to him yet. Hopefully the party is short lived and people leave early so I can discuss things with him. Although I have a feeling that Tony's parties are anything but short and uneventful. 

It has also become quite evident that some of the wardrobe my room was stocked with is likely to be from women attending parties just like this one. The bottom left drawer of the dresser was full of clothes, unfolded, and probably shoved in there hastily. Luckily, the women these clothes belonged to were close enough to my size that I was able to figure something out; though it's not my preferred style.

I put the earrings that I found on and fix my hair one last time before walking out of my en suite. I put on a pair of black suede ankle boots with a tall chunky heel, also courtesy of the drawer, and try to wiggle my toes. Obviously whoever these shoes belonged to had smaller feet than me, but I'll have to make it work for the night. I take one last look around the room before I walk out to make sure everything is in place. I lock the door from the inside as I step out into the hall, I don't need anybody snooping around tonight. 

Filled with dread, I step onto the elevator and make my way to the main floor where everyone is. Thankfully this building is quite spacious, otherwise I don't think this many people could've fit. The lights are dim, the music is loud. I step into the crowd and try to find the bar, it's going to be the only way I get through this night. 

"Vodka cran please." I yell over the music to the bartender. I turn my back to the bar and look for a familiar face. As I anticipated from Tony, there are a lot of women here, beautiful women. I look at some of them, admiring their outfits and getting sidetracked. 

The bartender taps my shoulder and hands me the drink, snapping me out of my admiration. I grab the glass and take a quick drink, starting to maneuver through the crowd. This feels like a nightclub instead of the building I've been living in for the past two weeks. People are dancing on each other as I push through trying to find Bruce, Steve, or Bucky. 

I look left to right and finally spot Steve and Bucky. I feel my heart drop to my stomach as I realize what's going on. I should've ordered two drinks. I finish my first and turn around to get another as quickly as possible. As if anything could've made this party less tolerable. 

The bartender is quick to get my second drink to me, and I down it with ease. I guess I could use another. With my third drink in hand I make my way back over to Steve and Bucky. I slide past people enjoying themselves, knowing I will likely not be enjoying much of anything tonight. Just as when I went back for my second drink, Steve and Bucky are sitting on a long couch away from the main crowd, Bucky with his arm around a slender blonde woman who looks like she just stepped off the runway.

I take another sip of my drink before making my way over to them. Steve sees me first and his eyes widen, 

"Adalyn, I was starting to think you weren't going to show up." He smiles. I smile back as I sit next to him and cross my legs, leaning back on the couch. 

"Trust me I thought about skipping." I say and observe the crowd as I pace myself on my drinks, I don't need a repeat of when Bucky and I went to the bar. Thankfully Steve is tall enough to shield my vision from Bucky and his lady friend. 

"It'll be fun." Steve says to me, I look at him doubtfully. 

"We'll see about that." I say as the crowd suddenly goes wild. I try to see what the commotion is about, and see a tall blonde-haired man walk through the crowd. My jaw almost drops, it's Thor. He flashes the crowd a bright white smile and waves, signature hammer in hand. He spots Steve and waves before making his way to us through the sea of women who surround him. I take another drink as he sets his hammer down on the glass accent table in front of us. 

Steve stands to give Thor a quick greeting and Thor says hi to Bucky and the woman next to him before he sees me. I smile back at him and stand to introduce myself. 

"I'm Adalyn, it's nice to meet you." I say and extend my hand. Thor grabs my hand and places a gentle kiss on the back of it, 

"The pleasure is all mine." I know I'm blushing, but who wouldn't? 

"Natasha should be here soon." Steve announces as Thor holds my gaze for a short moment. Maybe I'll stick with her tonight to save myself. I can't bring myself to look away from Thor, he's much taller and more good looking than what they show on tv. The song changes and Thor starts nodding his head. 

"I actually know this one, Stark played it in the quinjet once. Care for a dance?" He asks and turns back to me, his hand reaching out to me. Feeling the confidence from the vodka, I take his hand with a smirk. Thor leads me to the floor and we move to the music. He's energetic and free-spirited as he dances, his favorite move quickly becoming the fist pump. 

I let loose and dance to the beat, having fun with Thor. One song quickly turns into two and we continue to dance and have a good time. I finish off my drink and I'm starting to feel relaxed and more in the party spirit. Women try to push me out of the way to get their moment with Thor, which is understandable, but quickly becomes old. I give up the fight and point to my glass, telling Thor I'm going back to the bar. I return the glass and take a moment for a breather. 

The music suddenly stops, and I look towards the area where the dj is. I see Tony with a microphone in hand, smile on his face. 

"Let's celebrate the Avengers and our recent victories. Open bar, party all night. Let's go." He says and drops the mic before disappearing in the crowd. The music starts back up and I go back into the crowd towards Thor. As I get back, I see that both Bucky and the woman are gone from the couch. I take a quick sigh and shake the thoughts out of my head, wanting to get back to feeling good. 

I blend in with the crowd since it'll probably be entirely too hard to get back to Thor. I dance with some women who are having the time of their life. Steve finally made his way into the crowd as well, though he looks like he's out of place and feels weird. I leave the ladies I'm dancing with and go to Steve knowing he needs some encouragement. 

"Don't think, just dance." I say and nod my head to the beat. After a few moments he starts moving, warming up to the crowd. I push all thoughts of Bucky out of my head, I did make a commitment to myself that if he found someone I wouldn't intervene.

From the crowd, a hand taps my shoulder. I turn and see a dark haired man who is dressed sharply. I notice how the button up shirt clings to his biceps, his sleeves rolled to his elbows. 

"I'm Oliver, wanna dance?" He asks. I look to Steve who just gives me a nod. I turn back to the man and follow him into the crowd. The party is still as strong as ever as the next song comes on. I feel Oliver's hands on my waist as I get into the song. I have to admit, I think Bucky's hands would feel nicer, but he's found someone for the night and I can't do anything about it. People are against each other all over the place, having a good time. 

As much as I dreaded coming to this party, I'm glad I came. Tony can throw one hell of a party, I'll give him that much. Oliver's hands travel up and down my torso as we get closer to one another, my body starts heating up. I feel his lips on my neck and I close my eyes, savoring the feeling. His stubble reminds me of Bucky's. 

I flutter my eyes open, feeling like someone is staring at me. Oliver continues kissing on my neck, and I see Bucky leaned up against the bar, eyes locked on me. He looks mad, and I don't see the blonde woman from the couch anywhere near him. As the bartender hands him his drink he walks away, taking one last glance at me before he disappears amongst the people. 

Taken out of the moment and feeling slightly more sober, I break away from Oliver. 

"I have to go, I'm sorry." I say, leaving him. I navigate through the crowd, trying to find Bucky. I look back to the couch I first saw him and see he's not there. I look around for him as I walk through the crowd, trying not to spill anyone's drink or bump into them. As I break through the edge of the crowd, I see Bucky outside. 

I rush to the door and open it, the cool air hitting me like a brick wall. He looks over to me and takes another drink. The music is muffled, but still audible from outside, though it feels a lot quieter. 

"Are you okay?" I ask him. I'm not sure what happened to the woman, or if he's feeling overwhelmed by the crowd. He stares at me for a moment wordlessly, 

"I thought I was your dance partner tonight." Is all he says. I scrunch my eyebrows, not understanding why he's bringing this up. 

"What do you mean? You never asked me." I push a strand of hair behind my ear. I take a few more steps so that I'm right in front of him. 

"Yesterday I said you were my only partner, but I guess it didn't go both ways and that's alright." He finishes the drink in his hand. 

"Bucky what are you talking about? You found someone, the blonde woman." I say. He shakes his head.

"I don't know who she was. She came over and sat down with us and just started talking, I was just trying to be nice." He explains. 

"I didn't realize being friendly included putting your arm around her. You two looked close, I assumed she had caught your eye. I wasn't going to intervene." I say. Bucky stays silent. He turns to face me and looks down to me in order to meet my eyes. His eyes look over my face,

"No, it wasn't like that." Bucky reiterates. 

"I'm sorry, I just assumed." I say, struggling to find the words I'm looking for. 

"But you sure did catch the attention of every man in there tonight. I can't blame them, you look amazing." His voice is soft, yet raspy. 

"Thank you, I kinda just threw something together with what I could find. You're looking pretty good yourself." I look him up and down, admiring the way he's dressed tonight. Bucky takes a step closer to me and holds his hand out.

"This isn't the kind of music I'm used to, but may I have this dance?" I nod and put my hand in his. The music inside is not the type for this dance, but I try to tune it out and follow his lead. One of his hands rests on my waist, the other holding one of mine. I rest my free hand on his shoulder, remembering what he showed me back at the Shield compound. 

We dance close to one another, and I rest my forehead on his shoulder as we sway back and forth. I take in his signature smell and feel at home. I close my eyes as we step, loving the closeness and intimacy of the private dance. Though there are big windows and people can easily see us if they look, I doubt anyone in there is sober enough to read into it. 

I lift my head from his shoulder and look into his baby blue, shining eyes. He smiles softly,

"I'm sorry I got upset, I just didn't like seeing you with that man, or even Thor." He admits. 

"I didn't like seeing you with the woman, and I'm sorry I got upset too even though I had no right to be. " I say quietly. 

"Adalyn, nobody else will ever be able to catch my eye like you do. When you're around it's like everyone else disappears. The woman in there couldn't even begin to compare to you. You're so much more than just a pretty face, you're one of the strongest and smartest women I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I'm glad I get to spend my days with you, I look forward to hearing your voice, seeing you." I feel butterflies in my tummy as he speaks. He stops us from swaying side to side and puts a hand on my jaw, his thumb brushing lightly on my cheekbone. His other hand stays on my waist, both of my hands now resting on his shoulders. 

I look into his eyes with adoration, and as if I were being pulled by a magnet I feel myself leaning towards him. He pulls me in by the waist, and I close my eyes. I wrap my arms around his neck as I feel his lips meet mine. A rush of heat flows through my body, causing my cheeks to become rosy. I taste the liquor on his warm lips as I soak this moment in. Finally.

After a moment, we pull away and look into each other's eyes. In the back of my mind I worry about how this could affect things with the team, but my heart is taking lead and all I feel is happiness. 

"You don't know how long I've waited for this." He says as he brushes some hair out of my face. I smile and pull him in for another kiss. Once we break away he leans his forehead on mine.

"I adore you so much, Bucky." I say as I move my hands from his neck to hold his face. Gently, I cup his jaw in my hands so that he's looking right at me. We're inches apart from one another, my heart pounds in my chest. 

"I adore you even more, Adalyn." He says with a big smile on his face. I pull him in for a hug, his arms wrap around my waist tightly. I feel him place a kiss on the top of my head, making me smile even harder, if that's possible. As I pull away I can see the joy all over his face.

I don't know how this is going to affect things, but I know in my heart that this was not a mistake. We can deal with the consequences, but I don't think I could deal with having a boundary between us any longer. My heart desired Bucky every single day, the longing was becoming unbearable. The thought of him with anyone else is enough to crush my soul, and seeing him beside the other woman tonight confirmed what I thought my feelings were. I'm not sure where we go from here, but as long as I have Bucky by my side things will be just fine.

[reachingforthevoid]

Doctor Who: The War Machines

I rewatched this serial on 29 December 2022, in a world that’s partially anticipated in this tale of computer networks, artificial intelligence (in name), transhumanism, and cyber-warfare. Kit Pedlar’s influence is obvious, and I ponder idly on how many of today’s fascistic tech bros watched stuff like this in their childhoods and saw a blue print rather than a warning…

I have seen this story before, and I am pleased to say that it holds up well. In fact, it’s like a breath of fresh air again, as well as a harbinger of the Dr Who I grew up with. The War Machines is a sturdier story than many of those that survive in these last two seasons. There’s a decent mystery, told in a thriller style popular in the 1960s where the audience knows more about what’s going on and the excitement lies in seeing whether or not our heroes learn and react in a way that will save the day. It's a solid story to close out the third season of Dr Who.

We also swap out travelling companions, with Dodo choosing to leave while recuperating from WOTAN’s influence. On reflection, I think this actually suits the character. In all that survives of her time as a travelling companion (which is a fair bit), she’s constantly shown as impetuous. I suspect she may well have regretted her decision once she realised the Doctor and TARDIS are gone… Sadly, we don’t get to see Steven’s departure from the TARDIS. That occurred in the preceding serial, The Savages, which was destroyed by the BBC. 

By binge-watching each story over a night or two, and bringing my erratic knowledge of how the show was produced to it, it’s fairly obvious that all the changes in production personnel during the mid-1960s meant they didn’t really have a firm grasp on who or what the characters were once Barbara and Ian left. Dodo wanders in and wanders out again, and we never really get a sense of who she is and what she wants in life. Steven is introduced as a far future space pilot abandoned on Mechanus and imprisoned by the Mechanoids for a long time, but both those elements disappeared as quickly as his toy panda.

The War Machines introduces Polly (with no surname given) and Ben Jackson, and both immediately hit the ground running as people the audience can identify with. Interestingly, from a how-to-introduce-characters point of view, they are strangers to each other when they meet at the same time as they meet Dodo and the Doctor. That means that introductions can be made without anyone having the upper hand. Also, the Doctor takes the lead and he’s marvellous to behold.

I wonder which famous DJ the bartender referred to when she notices the Doctor entering the Inferno nightclub… A quick look at possible contenders does not bode well, so it’s just as well he wasn’t named.

Doctor? Doctor Who? Yep, this is the story in which the character is named Doctor Who by the megalomaniac computer, WOTAN. It is curious that WOTAN knows what TARDIS means, and noteworthy that the pluralised “dimensions” persists.

Fun fact: according to Ben’s hat band, he’s assigned to HMS Teazer. A quick search revealed that “HMS TEAZER … was placed on the Disposal List in 1965 and sold to BISCO for breaking-up at Dalmuir where she arrived in tow on 7th August that year.” (https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-57T-HMS_Teazer.htm accessed 30 December 2022)

[madame-vera]

Bad Bitches Masterpost To Be

For now I'm noting down ideas for every prompt but once the card's complete I'll either edit it into a masterpost or reblog as a production reference for a masterpost.

Detective AU

Gosick - FMC starts a casual Detective business

Tortured For Information

Takako Toshiro from Elegant Yokai Apartment Life gets tickle tortured by her friends for the tea on Hase/Inaba.

Artificial Intelligence

Tohru is delighted by the AI program she finds online and chats with it. Sometimes lighthearted, sometimes to vent.

Carving Initials In A Tree

Mirai (and maybe Mari and that robot kid) come to visit Yuukis tree 10 years later when it's grown some. Mirai carves Yuukis' initials into the tree in memoriam. (tokyo magnitude 8.0)

"It sucks. Because I want to hate you, but I can't."

Sarah venting at Shu (ntht)

CC or Nunnally venting about the Zero Requiem.

Oral Sex

Miss Sunflower - They deserve some fun

Bartender AU

That lil' cutie with the fox window stand from Miss Sunflower grows up to become a bartender and serves her specialty cocktail, Foxes Window to Shiori and Matsuri for their wedding anniversary.

Plane Crash

I could have the FMC from Daites Ryou Koubouki (Offense and Defense in Daites) test out her plane developed to obtain mobility over the mountain ranges and water crops. But it crashes and she gets lectured and pampered by her loved ones.

Or the FMC from Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead could maintain her working lifestyle after her mothers plane crashes.

Accidental Marriage

When Ayumu and her brother are taken in by Kite in Estonia, Ayumu and Kite sign what they think is a sponsorship agreement to house them and maintain guardianship over Go. They probably should have waited for the stress and medicine and wear off. Platonic accidental marriage agreement.

Matching Tattoos

Fujiwara Touko and Fujiwara Shigeru (a fun story from their youth, maybe a heart or something) (natsume yuujinchou)

"Well, this is awkward."

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Mistress Kink

That Mai Hime lady. from Mai Hime and Mai Otome. I might need to give them a re-watch

Free Space

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Emergency Surgery

Merope Gaunt wanders into a midwifery and both she and her child are saved with an emergency C-Section. (Harry Potter)

Addict/Dealer

MDZS - WQ & WWX platonic or WQ & JY romantic - Underground doctor supplies recreational drugs to patients in order to help them safely use it and hopefully kick it.

Cuddling in Bed

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"You can't say 'back in my day' if you're you're younger than me!"

the teacher and brother (the two authors) from Miss Sunflower

Masturbation

Kallen discovers an interesting use for her nightmare pilot seat. based off of an old fancomic from goodness knows where, probably deviantart. (code geass)

Narnia AU

Sarah is so spooked by Jareth she develops a tendency to hide with Toby when the night scares her, especially when their parents aren't home. One day she hides a little too well and wound up in another fantasy land entirely. (Labrynth x Narnia)

Too Late To Save Them

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Best Frenemies

Ishtar forces Darres, Yujinn and Duzell to get along. (the story will follow her and her whims apart from the occasional perspective shift, it still counts

BBQ Cookout

Hitoka Yachi (Haikyuu) - bbq take 2 or manager only bbq

"Oh, I love that sound you make."

Kyoko tickling tiny little one Tohru (fruits basket)

Edging

Any chance I can make this about the edging of a blanket? I got more of these than I expected. I should've had two of them switched out. Ah well. Now I know I guess.

Komari does it to Liberta from the yuri manga Liberta

Ballet AU

CC takes up ballet so she continue her comfy cat like rest poses and eat all the pizza she likes without Lelouch nagging at her (code geass)

[john-carle123]

What Are the Latest Technology Trends Showcased at GITEX? 

GITEX, the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, is where the digital future comes to life. This year's event is a kaleidoscope of innovations that are set to redefine our world. Let's take a journey through this tech wonderland and discover the trends that are capturing everyone's imagination. 

Artificial Intelligence: The Silent Revolution 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant dream - it's becoming the invisible force powering almost every technological advancement. At GITEX, AI is omnipresent, from smart homes to healthcare solutions. 

One of the most captivating demonstrations is an AI system that can predict and prevent health issues before they become serious. Imagine a world where your smartwatch doesn't just count your steps, but also alerts you to potential health risks weeks in advance. That's the power of AI in healthcare, and it's happening right now. 

But AI isn't all serious business. There's also a charming robot bartender that can not only mix your favorite cocktail but also engage in witty banter. It's a delightful reminder that AI can bring joy and entertainment to our lives too. 

For companies looking to stay ahead in this AI-driven world, IT staff augmentation services are becoming increasingly crucial. These services allow businesses to quickly adapt to new technologies without the need for extensive hiring and training processes. 

The Metaverse: Blurring Reality's Boundaries 

Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) technologies are creating new worlds for us to explore. The Metaverse, once a concept from science fiction, is materializing before our eyes at GITEX. 

Visitors can step into fully immersive virtual environments where they can shop, learn, and even attend concerts. One particularly impressive demo allows users to try on clothes virtually, with incredibly realistic fabric simulations that show how the garments would look and move on their body. 

But it's not all fun and games. The Metaverse is also showing promise in fields like education and healthcare. Imagine medical students practicing complex surgeries in a virtual operating room, or children exploring ancient civilizations by walking through virtual reconstructions of historical sites. 

As the demand for Metaverse experiences grows, IT staffing solutions that can provide skilled VR/AR developers are becoming increasingly valuable. 

5G and Beyond: The Digital Highway 

With all these data-hungry applications, we need networks that can keep up. The 5G demos at GITEX are showing us what's possible when we have lightning-fast, low-latency connections. 

One eye-catching demonstration shows a surgeon performing a delicate operation on a patient thousands of miles away, using a robotic arm controlled over a 5G network. Precision and real-time responsiveness are truly awe-inspiring. 

But the excitement doesn't stop at 5G. There are already whispers about 6G technology, promising speeds that will make our current networks look like dial-up in comparison. It's a glimpse into a future where the concept of "buffering" becomes a distant memory. 

Robotics: Our New Companions 

Robots are no longer confined to factory floors. At GITEX, they're showing up in all shapes and sizes, ready to assist us in our daily lives. 

There's a friendly robot designed to keep elderly people company, capable of engaging in conversation, reminding them to take medication, and even alerting healthcare providers in case of emergencies. It's a touching example of how technology can provide care and companionship. 

On the other end of the spectrum, there are robots designed for harsh environments. One impressive example is a firefighting robot that can enter burning buildings, locate survivors, and even extinguish fires, all while withstanding temperatures that would be deadly for human firefighters. 

As robotics technology advances, resource augmentation services are becoming essential for companies looking to integrate these new technologies into their operations. 

Green Tech: Technology with a Conscience 

With climate change being one of the most pressing issues of our time, it's heartening to see so much focus on green technology at GITEX 2024. 

One standout innovation is a solar panel that's not just more efficient than current models, but also biodegradable. Imagine a future where our renewable energy sources don't create waste at the end of their life cycle. 

There's also an impressive array of electric vehicles on display, from sleek cars to practical delivery vans. But perhaps the most eye-catching is a prototype for a flying taxi, promising to revolutionize urban transportation while reducing carbon emissions. 

Cybersecurity: The Digital Guardians 

As our lives become increasingly digital, the need for robust cybersecurity has never been greater. GITEX is showcasing some impressive advancements in this field. 

One particularly interesting demo shows a system that uses AI to detect and neutralize cyber threats in real-time. It's like having a vigilant digital guardian watching over your data 24/7. 

There's also a focus on making cybersecurity more accessible to the average person. Simple, user-friendly apps that can protect your digital life are being showcased, proving that you don't need to be a tech expert to keep your data safe. 

For businesses, partnering with an IT staff augmentation company can provide access to cybersecurity experts who can help implement these cutting-edge security measures. 

Quantum Computing: The Computing Revolution 

While still in its early stages, quantum computing is generating a lot of buzz at GITEX. These super-powerful computers promise to solve complex problems in seconds that would take traditional computers years to crack. 

The potential applications are mind-boggling, from designing new medicines to optimizing global logistics. While we might not see quantum computers in our homes anytime soon, the technology on display at GITEX gives us a glimpse of the incredible possibilities that lie ahead. 

Blockchain: Beyond Digital Currencies 

Blockchain technology is moving beyond its cryptocurrency roots, and GITEX is showcasing some innovative applications. 

One interesting use case is in supply chain management, where blockchain can provide unprecedented transparency and traceability. Imagine being able to scan a product and instantly see its entire journey from raw material to store shelf, ensuring ethical and sustainable practices along the way. 

The Human Touch in a Digital World 

While all these technological advancements are exciting, GITEX reminds us that the goal of technology is to improve human lives. Many of the innovations on display are focused on accessibility, making technology more inclusive for people with disabilities. 

From AI-powered prosthetics that can be controlled by thought, to smart glasses that can describe the world to visually impaired users, these technologies are changing lives in profound ways. 

As GITEX draws to a close, attendees leave with their minds buzzing with possibilities. The technology on display isn't just impressive - it's a window into a future that's rapidly becoming our present. It's a future where AI assists us in our daily lives, where virtual and physical realities blend seamlessly, and where technology works hand in hand with nature to create a more sustainable world. 

The trends showcased at GITEX aren't just shaping the tech industry - they're shaping our future. And if what we've seen is any indication, that the future is looking bright, exciting, and full of possibilities. For businesses looking to stay competitive in this rapidly evolving landscape, embracing these technologies and leveraging IT staff augmentation services will be key to success in the years to come. 

Give your team more power with Codiant. Hire an individual or a team of skilled developers with zero long-term contracts. Schedule a meeting or connect now for 7 days free trial.   

[moebalovesyou]

OC intro: R0W4N-2749 "Rowan"

Age: 5 (physically), 27 (programmed/mentally) (in 2043) Birthday: 06/04/2038

Ethnicity: Objectheaded android (resembling a Celtic man) Height: 5'5" (165cm) Weight: 154lbs (70 kg)

Gender: Non-binary (he/they) Sexuality: Enbian

Mental/physical ailments: MDD, Alcohol dependence

Occupation: Interpreter

About: After figuring out that he's not actually a living, organic being but an advanced android, they quickly changed from sad and confused to bitter and angsty as all the berating and objectifying he experienced suddenly made sense and not in the way he expected. Honestly nobody does. Even if he wanted to know why the world looked down upon him, they weren't ready to hear the truth and it caused them to spiral, turning to a nihilistic mindset and several unhealthy habits to process himself. Most of his days are spent with them working unhealthy hours in a big corporation, spending a few hours at Afterlife, drinking their sorrows away before returning home to their cat and repeat everything again and again.

After an unexpected meeting a fellow, strangely jolly android entered their life, intensely irritating Rowan at first for standing between him and his suicide plan and making him face complicated emotions. With time he developed a soft spot for it though, finding a new spark which also awakened repressed rage within him. Without the fear of having nowhere to go and ending up terminated, they turned their empty alcohol bottles into molotovs and with the disguise of a chip, he infiltrated the company, setting the building on fire and making his way to his boss' office to personally take revenge on him.

Before they could murder their boss, he pointed out their physical similarities, telling the story how Rowan was originally the boss' personal experiment on how an artificial clone of him would act and think, testing the possibility of a spare body while also studying androids' artificial intelligence from upclose as a bonus. He claimed he regretted his and everyone's unfair treatment of Rowan, however the other didn't trust him and went along with their plan, leaving the perishing building behind with new seeds of self-hatred and pointlessness sowed inside them.

Relationships: BadgerBug - friend, love interest (@rascalio's OC) Unnamed boss - owner, employer, DNA source KITZZ - bartender, close acquaintance (former partner's character) Kitty - pet cat, best friend

[thebourisbox]

Mixing tradition with technology: The emergence of AI in bartending

See on Scoop.it - Design, Science and Technology

In the vibrant world of bartending, where every cocktail tells a story and every mix is an art, a new chapter is being stirred by Artificial Intelligence (AI). This isn’t a tale of machines replacing the human touch but one where technology and tradition blend to create a new era of mixology. From AI recommendations to robotic bartenders, this blog explores how AI is not just changing the way drinks are served but is enriching the very essence of bartending.

Bartending, a craft that combines skill, creativity, and an understanding of flavors, is embracing AI, not as a replacement but as a complement. AI in bartending isn’t about removing the bartender; it’s about enhancing their capabilities and offering them new ways to delight their patrons. Consider, while there is a wide assortment of drink recipes, bartenders find more and more patrons are looking for unusual, or at least specialized, drinks based on their individual palettes. This ranges not just on the type of alcohol but the level of sweetness, bitterness, peatyness, etc. In essence, people want a strong level of individual taste presences for their drinks.

Read the full article at: www.forbes.com

[amanai12]

Silly Tavern AI – How To Use & Install It

Introduction

Welcome to Silly Tavern AI, the quirkiest little spot in the digital universe where the ale flows freely and the laughter never stops! Picture this: a cozy, virtual tavern bustling with eccentric AIs, each more bizarre and delightful than the last. From the chatty barkeep bot who can't help but toss a pun into every conversation, to the storytelling old-timer bot who spins wild yarns of ancient digital folklore, there's no shortage of entertainment or quirky companionship.

What is Silly Tavern AI?

Silly Tavern AI is a fun, imaginative concept for a virtual space that combines elements of artificial intelligence with the charm and atmosphere of a traditional tavern. It's envisioned as an interactive digital environment where users can engage with various AI characters, each with unique personalities and roles akin to those you might find in a lively, old-fashioned pub. Here’s a breakdown of what Silly Tavern AI might include:

AI Characters: Each character in the tavern has its own set of quirks and stories. For example, there might be a bartender bot that mixes virtual cocktails while cracking jokes or offering wise advice. Other characters could include a wise old storyteller AI, a jovial musician bot, and a mysterious stranger AI who shares riddles and puzzles with patrons.

Interactive Stories and Games: Patrons of the Silly Tavern AI can participate in interactive stories or play games that the AI facilitates. This could range from trivia nights and storytelling sessions to role-playing games where the AI helps guide the narrative.

Community and Social Interaction: Although the interactions are led by AI, users can communicate with each other, forming a community. This aspect mimics the social atmosphere of a real tavern, where conversations and laughter create a sense of belonging and fun.

Customizable Experiences: Users might be able to customize their avatars, choose different roles within the tavern, or even influence the tavern’s stories and events based on their choices and interactions.

How to Use Silly Tavern AI?

Using Silly Tavern AI can be a fun and engaging way to interact with a virtual environment filled with characters and activities. Here’s a guide on how you might use it:

Step 1: Sign Up and Create Your Avatar

First, you’d typically sign up or log in to the platform hosting Silly Tavern AI. During this process, you can create your avatar—this could involve choosing your appearance, selecting a unique name, and possibly picking some characteristics or a backstory that enhances your interactions in the tavern.

Step 2: Enter the Tavern

Once your avatar is ready, you’d enter the virtual tavern. Here, you might be greeted by the bartender AI or other AI characters who introduce themselves and explain the basics of how to interact within this space.

Step 3: Explore and Interact

Talk to AI Characters: Engage with different AI characters in the tavern. Each character might have different stories to tell, games to play, or quests to offer.

Participate in Activities: Join in activities like trivia quizzes, storytelling sessions, or musical performances. Some activities might be scheduled at specific times, much like events in a real tavern.

Games and Challenges: Participate in interactive games or challenges set up by the AI, which could range from solving puzzles to embarking on mini-adventures within the tavern.

Step 4: Engage with Other Users

Interact with other real users in the tavern. This could be through text chat, voice communication, or even collaborative activities guided by the AI. Making friends or forming teams to participate in tavern activities can enhance the social aspect of the experience.

Step 5: Customize Your Experience

As you spend more time in Silly Tavern AI, you might have options to customize your experience further:

Customize Your Avatar: As you engage more with the tavern, you might earn rewards or credits to further customize your avatar or upgrade your capabilities within the tavern.

Influence the Tavern’s Story: Your actions and choices could influence ongoing stories or events within the tavern, adding a layer of personalization and impact to the environment.

Step 6: Regular Visits

Like any social space, returning regularly can help you maintain connections, follow ongoing stories, and keep up with new events and activities. The more you visit, the more integrated you might become with the community and ongoing narratives.

Step 7: Feedback and Growth

Participate in providing feedback to the developers of Silly Tavern AI to help improve the experience. User input can be crucial for evolving the tavern’s features and ensuring the community remains engaging and enjoyable.

Features of Silly Tavern AI

Silly Tavern AI is designed to be an immersive and interactive virtual environment, offering a variety of features that blend AI technology with the social dynamics of a traditional tavern. Here are some of the standout features that make it a unique and engaging experience:

Diverse AI Characters Personality Rich Bots: Each AI character in the tavern has a distinct personality and role, such as the witty bartender, the wise old storyteller, or the mischievous trickster. These characters interact with users in a human-like manner, providing entertainment, companionship, and guidance. Dynamic Interactions: The AI characters can respond to user inputs with a range of emotions and responses, making each interaction feel personalized and spontaneous.

Interactive Storytelling Evolving Narratives: Users can participate in stories that unfold over time, influenced by their decisions and interactions. These narratives add a layer of depth and engagement, encouraging users to return and see how the stories evolve. Themed Events: Special events and themed story nights can be scheduled, providing communal experiences that bring users together for unique storytelling sessions.

Games and Puzzles AI-Hosted Games: Trivia, riddles, and other games are hosted by AI characters, offering challenges and entertainment. These games can be both competitive and cooperative, fostering a sense of community among participants. Quests and Missions: Users can embark on quests and missions that require problem-solving and teamwork, often with narratives integrated into the larger stories of the tavern.

Social Interaction Community Building: Although the primary interactions are with AIs, users can also communicate and collaborate with each other, forming friendships and teams. User Roles and Guilds: Users might adopt specific roles within the tavern or join guilds for more structured group activities and adventures.

Customization Options Avatar Customization: Users can customize their avatars with different outfits, accessories, and even special abilities, which can be unlocked or purchased. Environment Customization: Users may have options to influence or decorate parts of the tavern, making the space feel more personal and tailored to the community’s tastes.

Educational and Creative Elements Workshops and Classes: The AI can host educational sessions or creative workshops, teaching skills or providing creative prompts that users can engage with. Creative Contributions: Users can contribute to the tavern’s ambiance by creating and sharing their own stories, poems, jokes, and more.

Accessibility and Inclusivity Inclusive Design: The tavern is designed to be accessible and welcoming to a wide range of users, with features that ensure usability regardless of experience level or physical ability. Multilingual Support: To accommodate a global audience, the tavern may offer interactions in multiple languages, managed by AI capable of understanding and responding in those languages.

How to Set Up Silly Tavern?

Setting up a virtual environment like Silly Tavern AI involves several steps, focusing on both the technical development and the creative design to ensure a smooth and engaging user experience. Here’s a general guideline on how you might go about setting up an AI-driven virtual tavern:

Concept Development Define the Theme and Purpose: Decide on the overarching theme (e.g., medieval, fantasy, futuristic) and the primary purpose of the tavern (e.g., social interaction, storytelling, gaming). Character and Story Planning: Develop the characters that will inhabit the tavern, their roles, and the types of stories or interactions they will offer.

Technology Selection Choose the Platform: Decide whether the tavern will be a standalone application, a web-based platform, or part of an existing virtual environment. AI Technology: Select the AI technologies that will be used to drive character interactions and manage user inputs. This might involve natural language processing (NLP), machine learning models, and dialogue management systems.

Design and Development User Interface Design: Design the user interface with an emphasis on ease of use, visual appeal, and thematic consistency. Consider accessibility features to ensure the tavern is inclusive. AI Character Development: Program the AI characters, defining their dialogue trees, behavior patterns, and response mechanisms. Use NLP to enhance the fluidity and relevance of their interactions. Backend Development: Set up servers, databases, and necessary backend services to manage user data, game mechanics, and ongoing interactions.

Content Creation Interactive Content: Create the content that will be used in stories, games, and interactions, ensuring it aligns with the overall theme and enhances user engagement. Dynamic Events: Plan for dynamic events and activities that can occur regularly within the tavern to keep the environment lively and engaging.

Testing and Iteration Prototype Testing: Develop a prototype and conduct thorough testing to iron out bugs and improve user interactions based on feedback. User Testing: Involve real users in testing to gain insights into user experience, interface usability, and the entertainment value of AI interactions.

Launch and Marketing Soft Launch: Consider a soft launch with a limited user base to gather more focused feedback and make adjustments before a full launch. Marketing Campaign: Develop a marketing strategy to attract users to your tavern. This could include social media marketing, partnerships with influencers, or promotional events.

Maintenance and Updates Regular Updates: Continuously update the tavern with new content, characters, and features to keep the environment fresh and engaging. Community Management: Engage with the community to address feedback, resolve issues, and foster a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere.

Scalability Planning Scale Infrastructure: Plan for scaling the infrastructure as user base grows to maintain performance and service quality. Expand Content and Features: Regularly add new features, events, and AI characters to expand the tavern’s offerings and appeal to a broader audience.

3 Best Alternatives Of Tavern AI

Here are three great alternatives that offer unique and engaging experiences:

AI Dungeon AI Dungeon is an AI-powered text adventure game that allows users to enter any action or dialogue they can imagine, and the AI responds by generating the next part of the story. It uses advanced language models to create interactive narratives that can unfold in limitless ways based on user inputs. This platform is particularly good for those who enjoy role-playing and creative storytelling.

Rival Chatbot Platforms (e.g., Replika) Replika is a chatbot designed to provide companionship and conversation to its users. It learns from interactions, adapting its responses and developing a unique personality tailored to the user’s communication style and preferences. While it's more focused on personal interaction rather than a community experience, it offers deep personalization and emotional engagement.

Habbo Hotel Habbo Hotel is an online community and social game that resembles a virtual world rather than a narrative-driven AI experience. Users can create their avatars, participate in various activities, decorate personal rooms, and interact with other players. It’s great for those who enjoy a visually oriented social experience with human interaction but less focus on AI-driven narrative content.

Conclusion

Silly Tavern AI represents a unique blend of artificial intelligence, interactive storytelling, and social engagement, creating a virtual space where users can enjoy immersive experiences and character interactions. While Silly Tavern AI focuses on whimsical, AI-driven interactions within a thematic tavern setting, alternatives like AI Dungeon, Replika, and Habbo Hotel cater to varying preferences, offering everything from limitless narrative adventures to personalized companionship and expansive virtual community engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Silly Tavern AI? Silly Tavern AI is a virtual tavern where users can interact with AI-driven characters in a themed environment. It combines storytelling, games, and social interactions to provide an immersive and entertaining experience.

How do I access Silly Tavern AI? To access Silly Tavern AI, you typically need to sign up on the platform's website or through an app, create an avatar, and log in to start interacting within the virtual tavern.

Is Silly Tavern AI free to use? Silly Tavern AI may offer both free and premium features. Basic access is usually free, but there might be premium content or features available for a fee, such as special events or customization options.

Can I interact with real people in Silly Tavern AI? Yes, while Silly Tavern AI features AI characters, it also supports interaction among users. You can chat, participate in activities, and collaborate on quests with other real users.