#Car Remote Programming

[mylocksmithpro]

Easy Ways to Program & Replace Car Remotes

Car remotes, or key fobs and transponders, used to be considered high-tech a couple of decades ago. Prospective car owners would search for and pay premiums for cars that came with these remote features. Nowadays, practically all new cars come with key fobs or transponders. As such, there are plenty of services and products available that are tailored for the car remotes. No longer do you necessarily have to go to a car dealer to program and/or replace car remotes. Locksmiths as well as other facilities offer these services as well. If you have any specific questions or concerns, or if you would like to save time and hire a professional, then feel free to call locksmith any time. They are always happy to help.

Where to Replace Car Remotes?

Let’s start with replacements. If you have lost a car remote or had it stolen, then there are several options.

You already know that you can head to your local dealership and sometimes must head to the dealership if the key fob is unavailable for sale by third parties, but there are drawbacks. Dealerships often charge the highest prices, they rarely provide mobile service, and your key type may not be available.

You can also head over to the local auto parts store. Again, you will likely have to drive to their location as they seldom offer mobile services. You also don’t get to enjoy professional insight like you would at the dealership. However, prices are more affordable and employees can offer some helpful information.

There is also the option of ordering the car remote online. This method offers the most variety of choice but there is a big risk as well: buyer’s remorse. The remote might be fake, faulty, or not even arrive. This is usually the cheapest option but you get what you pay for.

Finally, you can call a professional locksmith in Myrtle Beach. Most locksmiths offer mobile services, meaning they can come to your location. Technicians are also educated on remote types and can troubleshoot your keys for other issues.

Programming Car Remotes

The beauty of key fobs is that they allow you to lock, unlock, and even start your vehicle from a distance. This requires advanced technology, though. Key fobs communicate with the vehicle using specific codes and frequencies. When the two go out of sync, they need to be reprogrammed to match. So, how can you program your key fob?

Thanks to the internet, there is very little that you cannot learn online. There are plenty of DIY tutorials online that show you how to reprogram the keys. Even your owner’s manual may have directions.

If you prefer to save time, then consider hiring a locksmith Myrtle Beach. Their professional have the experience and equipment to handle car remote programming quickly and affordably. They are available around the clock to take requests, so do not hesitate to call.

[carskeyservices474]

Cars Key Services

Locksmiths do not only work for your homes and offices, or wherever there’s a jammed or malfunctioning lock within a building. There are, in fact, locksmiths that specialize in dealing with cars of all kinds. For instance, there are the automotive locksmith Atlanta who are of service to your for you your lost cay keys. These Cars Key Service have the necessary tools, equipment, and skills to get the job done. Knowing this, you should put to mind that lockouts and your need for key replacements is something that you should not worry much about as you have professionals willing to back you up on this particular need. Our service : *Transponder Key Programming *Opening Car Door *Car Remote Replacement *Auto Key Duplication *Car Unlocking *Replacement Auto Keys *Car Keys Locked in Car *Car Door Locks *Chip Key Programming *Locksmith For Car Door *Lost My Car Key *Car Lockout Service Car Key Service Georgia 18 Capitol Square SW, 30303 404-530-9684 all day 8:00AM - 11:00PM

30 % disscount of 2nd ignition key

http://carskeyservices.com/

[houstonintexaslocksmith]

Houston Locksmith

Our locksmith company offers you the solution to your all locksmith problems. You can avail our services around the clock and we promise you that our technician will be at the point of urgency rapidly. We are proud to a have highly dedicated team who are ready to provide you all sorts of solutions.

We have pioneered the art of door unlocking. We completely understand how traumatic and dangerous it can get when an infant or a small child is locked in vehicle or home. Therefore we have a specialized staff to handle any kind of emergency lockout situations.

Our Services: Replace Home Locks Lock Installation Lock Repair Home Security Master Key Systems Commercial Locksmith Car Locksmith Ignition Car Keys Remote Car Keys Key Programming

(346) 439-5535 5901 Griggs Rd, Houston, TX, 77023 Mon - Sun : Open 24 hours

[affordablecarkeyswinstonsalem]

How a Mobile Locksmith in Winston-Salem Can Help Program Your Key Fob

If you live in Winston-Salem, NC or the surrounding neighborhoods like Ardmore, Buena Vista, or near the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, you know how important it is to have reliable access to your vehicle. Whether you’re cruising down Silas Creek Parkway or parked near Bailey Park, your car’s key fob is the essential device that keeps your vehicle secure and accessible. But what happens if your key fob stops working, gets lost, or needs reprogramming? That’s where Mobile locksmith services come to the rescue—right here in Winston-Salem.

At Affordable Car Keys LLC, we are your trusted Winston-Salem locksmith experts, ready to assist with everything from key fob programming to car key replacement and more. Here’s how we help keep you moving without the hassle or stress.

Why Key Fob Programming Is Important

A key fob is not just a simple remote. It’s a sophisticated device that communicates with your car’s security system using encrypted signals. If your key fob becomes damaged, lost, or malfunctions, you may find yourself locked out of your vehicle or unable to start the engine.

Key fob programming ensures your key fob is synchronized with your vehicle's security system so it can effectively lock and unlock doors, start the ignition, and sometimes even operate other features like the trunk release or panic alarm.

If you live around Stratford Road or near the historic Old Salem district, you probably rely on your car every day for commuting and errands. When your key fob fails, it’s not just inconvenient—it can disrupt your entire day. That’s why having access to professional mobile locksmith services is a game-changer.

What Can a Mobile Locksmith Do?

Unlike traditional locksmith shops, a mobile locksmith like Affordable Car Keys LLC comes directly to your location—whether you’re at home, work, or stuck on the side of the road near Hanes Mall. We offer on-site key fob help for programming, replacement, and duplication, saving you time and stress.

Here’s what we offer:

Key Fob Programming and Smart Key Programming

Our technicians specialize in key fob programming and smart key programming for all major vehicle makes and models. Whether your vehicle uses a standard remote or an advanced smart key system, we have the tools and knowledge to program it correctly on-site.

Car Key Replacement and Transponder Key Services

Lost your car keys? Need a spare? We provide quick car key replacement and transponder key services. Transponder keys have chips inside them that communicate with your car's immobilizer system, preventing theft. Programming these keys requires specialized equipment—something our local locksmith experts have in abundance.

Remote Key Duplication

Need an extra remote for family members or friends? Our remote key duplication service allows us to create an additional remote key fob that functions just like the original, giving you peace of mind.

Emergency Car Locksmith and Vehicle Lockout Service

Getting locked out of your car near Reynolda Village or downtown Winston-Salem can be frustrating and stressful, especially if you’re in a hurry. Our emergency car locksmith team is available 24/7, ready to provide fast vehicle lockout service so you can get back on the road quickly and safely.

Ignition Repair Service

Sometimes the problem isn’t just with the key fob but the ignition itself. If your ignition is faulty or worn out, our ignition repair service can fix the issue on-site, helping you avoid costly trips to the dealership.

Benefits of Choosing a Mobile Car Key Service in Winston-Salem

Convenience is king when it comes to car key issues. You don’t want to tow your vehicle to a shop or wait hours for help. Here’s why our mobile car key service stands out:

Fast Response: We come to you, whether you’re on Peters Creek Parkway or in the University area, minimizing your wait time.

Affordable Locksmith Solutions: We provide competitive pricing without compromising quality. Our team is proud to be an affordable locksmith option for all Winston-Salem residents.

Comprehensive Services: From lost car key solutions to key fob replacement, we handle it all.

Experienced Local Locksmith Experts: Being locals ourselves, we know Winston-Salem’s neighborhoods and main roads, allowing us to get to you quickly.

Serving All of Winston-Salem and Surrounding Areas

Our service area covers all corners of Winston-Salem, including popular spots like the Twin City Quarter, West End Historic District, and Ardmore Park. No matter where you are—whether you’re near Hanes Mall, Salem Lake, or the Forsyth Tech campus—Affordable Car Keys LLC is your go-to auto locksmith Winston-Salem with rapid and reliable service.

What to Do If You’re Locked Out or Your Key Fob Isn’t Working

If you find yourself locked out of your car or dealing with an unresponsive key fob, here’s a quick plan of action:

Don’t panic—help is on the way.

Search for a locksmith near me on your phone or call a trusted local company.

Choose a 24/7 locksmith with mobile services like Affordable Car Keys LLC.

Provide your location, vehicle make, and a description of the problem.

Wait safely for your technician to arrive and assist you.

Why Affordable Car Keys LLC?

At Affordable Car Keys LLC, we pride ourselves on being a trusted Winston-Salem locksmith company that puts customer satisfaction first. We understand the frustration and inconvenience that come with car key problems. Our team is fully licensed, insured, and trained to handle all types of car key and lock issues efficiently.

Whether you’re driving through downtown Winston-Salem near Trade Street, or parked in the Eastchester neighborhood, we’re just a call away. Our combination of expertise, affordable pricing, and fast mobile service makes us the best choice for your automotive locksmith needs.

If you want professional mobile locksmith services in Winston-Salem to help with key fob programming, car key replacement, or any other lock and key issue, contact Affordable Car Keys LLC today. We’re your reliable, local locksmith experts ready to get you back on the road quickly and affordably.

Affordable Car Keys LLC

2509 Huntington Woods Dr Winston-Salem, NC 27103

(336) 365-0050

[hyundaikeyreplacement9]

Hyundai Key Replacement

24-hours a day, and 365 days a year, even on windy nights, our experts are ready for a prompt response when you need to contact us and say, “I need to replace my car key! I've a broken key, and I need a new key to my car! Immediately, I need the ignition key to be made! I lost my fob key and need a new one! I need to cut my keys! Need someone to come and make me a new key to my car! The car key is stuck in the ignition! I lost my car key!” and it will be a short while to get the solution on the roadside. our service : key programming car key-cutting repairing ignition keys repairing keyless remotes repairing transponder keys repairing traditional keys 4222 Spring Creek Ln, Sandy Springs, GA 30350 From (8:00 AM) To (8:00 PM)

15$ off change lock 20$ off Rekey lock 30% off 2nd key ignition 50% off 2nd key

service@hyundaikeyreplacementsandysprings.com

https://hyundaikeyreplacementsandysprings.com/

[carskeyservices474]

Twitter

[welcometohighwater]

it’s soooooo funny the way at least one of the air conditioners around here breaks down at least once a summer (or even earlier, like today, sometimes), and the heat very often goes out and needs repair in the winter too. it’s almost like it’s BAD for modern commercial hvac units to be turned off five days of the week and only turned on for about six hours tops two days of the week. like it’s bad to try to cool a large commercial space down from 85° to 70° in like an hour

[nissankeyreplacement66]

Nissan Key Replacement

(928) 421-1082‬

8245 W Grand Ave, 85345, Peoria, AZ

https://nissankeyreplacementpeoria.com

Why do you go to the dealership when you can get the car key replaced at the location, anywhere in Peoria, Arizona? We at Nissan Key Replacement have designed our services to be fully mobile, depending on a fleet of trucks that surrounds each district in the city; each of these trucks includes the latest car key cutting equipment, the up-to-date car key programming hardware, and all the tools and blanks needed to make any key on-site.

Our Services

Car Lockout

Keyless Entry Remotes

Transponder Chip Keys

Replace Ignition Key

Key Fob Programming

Lost Car Keys

SPECIAL OFFER

10% Off Nissan Car Keys

30% 2nd Ignition Key

Hours Operation

Mon-Sun 08:00 AM-11:00 PM

[autopeoriakeylock]

Auto Peoria Key & Lock

http://autolocsmithpeoria-az.com

If you need key fob programming, we can help you too. Sometimes this is hard for the average driver to do and much better left to the professionals. If this item has gone out of line, call us and we will be there within a short time.

Our Services

Car Lockout

Keyless Entry Remotes

Transponder Chip Keys

Replace Ignition Key

Key Fob Programming

Lost Car Keys

SPECIAL OFFER

30% Discount of 2nd Ignition Key

Hours Operation

Mon - Fri: 6:30AM - 7:30PM

Sat - Sun: 8:30AM - 4:30PM

[alexlocksmithpeoria]

Alex Locksmith Peoria

623-239-1308

8268 W Lake Pleasant Pkwy Peoria, AZ 85382

http://carkeylocksmithpeoriaaz.com

If you happen to be locked out of car you know how aggravating the situation is. Part of the frustration comes from our lifestyles which have made a car mandatory to have. When locked out of car we are the only ones to call as we will come quickly and expedite the job for you so that you can get back to doing what you need to do.

Our Services

Car Lockout

Keyless Entery Remotes

Transponder Chip Keys

Replace Ignition Key

Key Fob Programming

Lost Car Keys Replacement

Special Offers 30% off Discount of 2nd ignition

Hours Operation

Mon - Fri: 6:00AM - 7:00PM

Sat - Sun: 9:30AM - 5:30PM

[mitsubishikeyreplacementrichmond]

Mitsubishi Key Replacement

For Mitsubishi car owners throughout Richmond, Texas, and the surrounding areas, you can get specialized locksmiths in this vehicle name on your side to provide on-site car key-made services for any model at the dealership quality. All you have to do is to get in touch with Mitsubishi Key Replacement and enjoy the experiment of having the key cut and programmed on the roadside on time at the most professional standards. key-cutting transponder key replacement ignition key-made fob key replacement keyless remote replacement car keys replacement chip key programming 281-846-5674‬ 1850 Farm to Market 359, Richmond, TX, 77406 Mon-Sun 08:00 AM- 11:00 PM

[carskeyservices474]

You tube

[tyrannosaurus-trainwreck]

It also fucking bugs me that nobody can ever seem to really commit to the cyberpunk premise of the Protagonist Who Hates Robots (see also, the cyberpunk premise of "Wouldn't it be Super Fucked Up™, actually, for a company to be able to repo your goddamned arm or turn off your eyes?") during the execution.

Which is flabbergasting, considering we've had almost a full decade of Alexa pinky-promising not to officially listen to anything until you do its summoning ritual and then turning around and emailing your boss a transcript of you bitching about them to your spouse over dinner. We've had at least five years of being able to get your Tesla unlocked remotely just by @-ing Musk on twitter.

The cute robot dogs are being leased to police departments, reputation management firms have been deploying armies of social media reply-bots in astroturf campaigns, customer service chatbots have become damn near indecipherable as their programmers attempt to make them seem more personable, etc. etc. etc.

We don't even need to reach for "Wouldn't it be Super Fucked Up™, actually, if corporations made simulacra better and better at faking humanity in order to manipulate people?"

"Wouldn't it be Super Fucked Up™, actually, if your car could mimic sadness or pain if you declined an extended warranty, or if your phone begged for its life if you tried to jailbreak it, or WeightWatchers paid your fridge to neg you every time you went for a midnight snack?"

"Wouldn't it be Super Fucked Up™, actually, if you pointed out how gross it is that your smart-assistant is programmed to act like your friend in order to build a more accurate marketing profile and your buddy acted like you just said dogs can't feel love and his beloved pet only sees him as a walking treat-dispenser?"

"Wouldn't it be Super Fucked Up™, actually, if you were surrounded by unfeeling things that can and would rip you and all of your loved ones apart at a moment's notice if they got the right/wrong order from some unaccountable law enforcement flack, and everyone else just kind of shrugged and went 'It's probably fine, why are you hyperventilating about it, it's not like you've done anything wrong'?"

They're all quite literally right there in front of our faces!

But it's harder to make "the way robots have been integrated into society is bad, actually, and the protagonist is largely right" into a sexy thriller with a love interest or a buddy-cop duo, and the hyperconservative media environment we're dealing with right now isn't exactly amenable to the robots being a metaphor for corporate intrusion and loss of privacy and authoritarian overreach, so here we are, with robots who generally aren't people, except sometimes you find a special robot--one of the Good Ones--who actually is a person, and that's how we all learn that Prejudice Is Bad, or something.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

What kind of bubble is AI?

My latest column for Locus Magazine is "What Kind of Bubble is AI?" All economic bubbles are hugely destructive, but some of them leave behind wreckage that can be salvaged for useful purposes, while others leave nothing behind but ashes:

https://locusmag.com/2023/12/commentary-cory-doctorow-what-kind-of-bubble-is-ai/

Think about some 21st century bubbles. The dotcom bubble was a terrible tragedy, one that drained the coffers of pension funds and other institutional investors and wiped out retail investors who were gulled by Superbowl Ads. But there was a lot left behind after the dotcoms were wiped out: cheap servers, office furniture and space, but far more importantly, a generation of young people who'd been trained as web makers, leaving nontechnical degree programs to learn HTML, perl and python. This created a whole cohort of technologists from non-technical backgrounds, a first in technological history. Many of these people became the vanguard of a more inclusive and humane tech development movement, and they were able to make interesting and useful services and products in an environment where raw materials – compute, bandwidth, space and talent – were available at firesale prices.

Contrast this with the crypto bubble. It, too, destroyed the fortunes of institutional and individual investors through fraud and Superbowl Ads. It, too, lured in nontechnical people to learn esoteric disciplines at investor expense. But apart from a smattering of Rust programmers, the main residue of crypto is bad digital art and worse Austrian economics.

Or think of Worldcom vs Enron. Both bubbles were built on pure fraud, but Enron's fraud left nothing behind but a string of suspicious deaths. By contrast, Worldcom's fraud was a Big Store con that required laying a ton of fiber that is still in the ground to this day, and is being bought and used at pennies on the dollar.

AI is definitely a bubble. As I write in the column, if you fly into SFO and rent a car and drive north to San Francisco or south to Silicon Valley, every single billboard is advertising an "AI" startup, many of which are not even using anything that can be remotely characterized as AI. That's amazing, considering what a meaningless buzzword AI already is.

So which kind of bubble is AI? When it pops, will something useful be left behind, or will it go away altogether? To be sure, there's a legion of technologists who are learning Tensorflow and Pytorch. These nominally open source tools are bound, respectively, to Google and Facebook's AI environments:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/18/openwashing/#you-keep-using-that-word-i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means

But if those environments go away, those programming skills become a lot less useful. Live, large-scale Big Tech AI projects are shockingly expensive to run. Some of their costs are fixed – collecting, labeling and processing training data – but the running costs for each query are prodigious. There's a massive primary energy bill for the servers, a nearly as large energy bill for the chillers, and a titanic wage bill for the specialized technical staff involved.

Once investor subsidies dry up, will the real-world, non-hyperbolic applications for AI be enough to cover these running costs? AI applications can be plotted on a 2X2 grid whose axes are "value" (how much customers will pay for them) and "risk tolerance" (how perfect the product needs to be).

Charging teenaged D&D players $10 month for an image generator that creates epic illustrations of their characters fighting monsters is low value and very risk tolerant (teenagers aren't overly worried about six-fingered swordspeople with three pupils in each eye). Charging scammy spamfarms $500/month for a text generator that spits out dull, search-algorithm-pleasing narratives to appear over recipes is likewise low-value and highly risk tolerant (your customer doesn't care if the text is nonsense). Charging visually impaired people $100 month for an app that plays a text-to-speech description of anything they point their cameras at is low-value and moderately risk tolerant ("that's your blue shirt" when it's green is not a big deal, while "the street is safe to cross" when it's not is a much bigger one).

Morganstanley doesn't talk about the trillions the AI industry will be worth some day because of these applications. These are just spinoffs from the main event, a collection of extremely high-value applications. Think of self-driving cars or radiology bots that analyze chest x-rays and characterize masses as cancerous or noncancerous.

These are high value – but only if they are also risk-tolerant. The pitch for self-driving cars is "fire most drivers and replace them with 'humans in the loop' who intervene at critical junctures." That's the risk-tolerant version of self-driving cars, and it's a failure. More than $100b has been incinerated chasing self-driving cars, and cars are nowhere near driving themselves:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/09/herbies-revenge/#100-billion-here-100-billion-there-pretty-soon-youre-talking-real-money

Quite the reverse, in fact. Cruise was just forced to quit the field after one of their cars maimed a woman – a pedestrian who had not opted into being part of a high-risk AI experiment – and dragged her body 20 feet through the streets of San Francisco. Afterwards, it emerged that Cruise had replaced the single low-waged driver who would normally be paid to operate a taxi with 1.5 high-waged skilled technicians who remotely oversaw each of its vehicles:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/03/technology/cruise-general-motors-self-driving-cars.html

The self-driving pitch isn't that your car will correct your own human errors (like an alarm that sounds when you activate your turn signal while someone is in your blind-spot). Self-driving isn't about using automation to augment human skill – it's about replacing humans. There's no business case for spending hundreds of billions on better safety systems for cars (there's a human case for it, though!). The only way the price-tag justifies itself is if paid drivers can be fired and replaced with software that costs less than their wages.

What about radiologists? Radiologists certainly make mistakes from time to time, and if there's a computer vision system that makes different mistakes than the sort that humans make, they could be a cheap way of generating second opinions that trigger re-examination by a human radiologist. But no AI investor thinks their return will come from selling hospitals that reduce the number of X-rays each radiologist processes every day, as a second-opinion-generating system would. Rather, the value of AI radiologists comes from firing most of your human radiologists and replacing them with software whose judgments are cursorily double-checked by a human whose "automation blindness" will turn them into an OK-button-mashing automaton:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/23/automation-blindness/#humans-in-the-loop

The profit-generating pitch for high-value AI applications lies in creating "reverse centaurs": humans who serve as appendages for automation that operates at a speed and scale that is unrelated to the capacity or needs of the worker:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/17/revenge-of-the-chickenized-reverse-centaurs/

But unless these high-value applications are intrinsically risk-tolerant, they are poor candidates for automation. Cruise was able to nonconsensually enlist the population of San Francisco in an experimental murderbot development program thanks to the vast sums of money sloshing around the industry. Some of this money funds the inevitabilist narrative that self-driving cars are coming, it's only a matter of when, not if, and so SF had better get in the autonomous vehicle or get run over by the forces of history.

Once the bubble pops (all bubbles pop), AI applications will have to rise or fall on their actual merits, not their promise. The odds are stacked against the long-term survival of high-value, risk-intolerant AI applications.

The problem for AI is that while there are a lot of risk-tolerant applications, they're almost all low-value; while nearly all the high-value applications are risk-intolerant. Once AI has to be profitable – once investors withdraw their subsidies from money-losing ventures – the risk-tolerant applications need to be sufficient to run those tremendously expensive servers in those brutally expensive data-centers tended by exceptionally expensive technical workers.

If they aren't, then the business case for running those servers goes away, and so do the servers – and so do all those risk-tolerant, low-value applications. It doesn't matter if helping blind people make sense of their surroundings is socially beneficial. It doesn't matter if teenaged gamers love their epic character art. It doesn't even matter how horny scammers are for generating AI nonsense SEO websites:

https://twitter.com/jakezward/status/1728032634037567509

These applications are all riding on the coattails of the big AI models that are being built and operated at a loss in order to be profitable. If they remain unprofitable long enough, the private sector will no longer pay to operate them.

Now, there are smaller models, models that stand alone and run on commodity hardware. These would persist even after the AI bubble bursts, because most of their costs are setup costs that have already been borne by the well-funded companies who created them. These models are limited, of course, though the communities that have formed around them have pushed those limits in surprising ways, far beyond their original manufacturers' beliefs about their capacity. These communities will continue to push those limits for as long as they find the models useful.

These standalone, "toy" models are derived from the big models, though. When the AI bubble bursts and the private sector no longer subsidizes mass-scale model creation, it will cease to spin out more sophisticated models that run on commodity hardware (it's possible that Federated learning and other techniques for spreading out the work of making large-scale models will fill the gap).

So what kind of bubble is the AI bubble? What will we salvage from its wreckage? Perhaps the communities who've invested in becoming experts in Pytorch and Tensorflow will wrestle them away from their corporate masters and make them generally useful. Certainly, a lot of people will have gained skills in applying statistical techniques.

But there will also be a lot of unsalvageable wreckage. As big AI models get integrated into the processes of the productive economy, AI becomes a source of systemic risk. The only thing worse than having an automated process that is rendered dangerous or erratic based on AI integration is to have that process fail entirely because the AI suddenly disappeared, a collapse that is too precipitous for former AI customers to engineer a soft landing for their systems.

This is a blind spot in our policymakers debates about AI. The smart policymakers are asking questions about fairness, algorithmic bias, and fraud. The foolish policymakers are ensnared in fantasies about "AI safety," AKA "Will the chatbot become a superintelligence that turns the whole human race into paperclips?"

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/27/10-types-of-people/#taking-up-a-lot-of-space

But no one is asking, "What will we do if" – when – "the AI bubble pops and most of this stuff disappears overnight?"

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/19/bubblenomics/#pop

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

--

tom_bullock (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/tombullock/25173469495/

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

[thedensworld]

Play Pretend | c.hs

Pairing: dad Vernon! X reader

Genre: Dad au!

Type: fluff

Words Count: 1.8k

Summary: The daughter's play pretend is getting too real and stressing her. As her dad, who plays with her—he's stressing too.

Choi Anne, Vernon’s daughter, had inherited something that he immediately recognized as coming from you—the way she loved to talk to herself or have conversations with her toys. It was a sign of her boundless imagination, something Vernon had noticed from the moment you’d started asking those playful what if questions.

Anne loved her own company. Vernon often found himself on the couch, remote in hand, watching her with the dopiest smile on his face. Every time Anne asked Mr. Monkey if the tea was to his liking or if Sister Unicorn was having a hard time with her bowel movement, he couldn’t help but laugh. It was definitely something she picked up from you, your daily habit of turning simple moments into little adventures with your words.

"How’s the breakfast, baby? Is it to your liking?" Anne asked seriously, as if it were the most important question of the day.

Vernon chuckled quietly to himself, feeling a rush of warmth.

"Oh no, my baby’s having a hard time pooping... We’ll eat more fruit later, okay?"Anne continued, as though solving a great crisis, her face a mix of concern and concentration.

It was clear where she got it from—those moments when you, too, would talk out loud, running through all the little things that kept your world turning.

And then, Anne took it to a new level. Sitting on the carpet, just a meter away from where Vernon was sitting—remote still in hand, TV playing his favorite show—he found himself more entertained by the scene unfolding before him than the program on screen. Mr. Monkey, apparently, had eaten too much sugar and was now having a heart attack.

"Oh no, Mr. Monkey... Hang in there, we’re calling an ambulance!" Anne exclaimed, her voice filled with dramatic urgency.

Vernon nodded in acknowledgment, trying not to laugh out loud as he watched her grab her "phone"—a block phone she’d fashioned herself—and pretend to dial emergency services.

“We have a patient here, Mr. Monkey, he’s having a heart attack!” Anne declared with all the seriousness of a seasoned professional.

Vernon chuckled, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "Address first, baby," he said, glancing over at Anne.

His daughter tilted her head in confusion, her brow furrowing as she processed his request. "Address?" she repeated, as if trying to decode a new puzzle. After a brief pause, she confidently declared, "Mmm... Address is... at home?"

Vernon couldn’t help but laugh, nodding approvingly. "Yes! You’re right. We’re heading there now, Ms. Choi," he added, his tone suddenly taking on the role of an emergency dispatcher.

A thought crossed his mind, and Vernon got up to head toward Anne’s bedroom. He returned moments later, holding the a car toy ambulance Seungkwan had gifted Anne for her third birthday the previous year.

"Be careful, daddy," Anne warned, her voice filled with concern as she eyed the toy. "One of the wheels is off."

Vernon glanced down at the ambulance and found that she was right—only three wheels remained. "Hmm, there were only three. Where’s the other one, Anne?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Anne simply shrugged, holding Mr. Monkey close to her chest. "I don’t know... It’s been like that for a long time, daddy."

A lightbulb of an idea flickered to life in Vernon’s head. He glanced down at the toy ambulance, then back at his daughter, who was still cradling Mr. Monkey as if he were a real patient.

“I don’t know if we can bring Mr. Monkey to the hospital with an ambulance like this, baby,” he mused, tapping the toy with a thoughtful expression.

Anne’s eyes darted to the ambulance, then back to Mr. Monkey, a clear conflict playing out in her little face. She tightened her hold on the stuffed toy, rocking him gently. “What should we do?” she mumbled, though it was more to herself than to her father.

Then, as if struck by inspiration, she gasped. "I’ll find it!"

Her head shot up with determination, her tiny fingers clenching into fists like she was about to embark on a great adventure. Carefully, she laid Mr. Monkey down on the carpet, as if ensuring his comfort, then bolted toward her room in search of the missing wheel.

Vernon blinked, not having expected this turn of events. He inhaled sharply, about to call her name, but before he could get a word out, her bedroom door slammed shut with an emphatic bang.

He exhaled slowly, pressing his fingers to his temple. “That’s... not what I expected,” he muttered under his breath.

This play pretend was starting to feel a little too real.

Five minutes passed. Then ten.

Vernon was starting to worry that his daughter might be building an entirely new house in her bedroom at this rate. She had been in there far too long, completely immersed in her search for the missing ambulance wheel.

Curious—and slightly concerned—he walked over and peeked inside, only to find Anne surrounded by a small mountain of dolls and stuffed animals, each one pulled from its usual place as if the wheel might have been hiding among them all along.

"Baby... Anne," Vernon called gently, stepping closer. "We can keep playing even without that one wheel, you know."

Anne spun around to face him, her little face scrunched in frustration, her hair now a wild mess from constantly brushing it away in her frantic search.

"But what if something bad happens on the way to the hospital?" she argued, clutching the hem of her dress tighter. "What if—what if something bad happens to Mr. Monkey?"

Vernon let out a slow breath, offering his daughter a reassuring smile. "Trust me, baby, nothing bad is going to happen," he said, his voice soft and steady.

Though, in his head, all he really wanted to say was, Because this is just play pretend, so maybe don’t take it this seriously?

But Anne wasn’t having it.

"No, let me find it first, Daddy. I promise I’ll find it."

Seeing her so determined, Vernon sighed and leaned against the doorframe, watching as his daughter stressed over something so small. And somehow, watching her stress out… was starting to stress him out too.

"You find it yet, baby?" he asked after a few moments.

"Not yet," she huffed, still rummaging through her toys.

Minutes passed.

"Found it?"

"Nope."

Vernon sighed again, rubbing his face. Just as Vernon was about to ask again, the sound of the front door opening caught his attention. You were home.

He glanced at Anne, who was still deep in her search mission, completely unaware of anything else. Letting out a small sigh, he pushed himself up from the doorframe and walked out of the room to greet you.

As you set your bag down, you looked up to see Vernon approaching—alone.

Your brow furrowed. "Where’s Anne?"

Vernon exhaled dramatically, shaking his head. "She’s been in her room for the past ten minutes looking for a missing wheel on her toy ambulance. She refuses to come out until she finds it."

You blinked. "…What?"

Vernon ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Mr. Monkey had a heart attack, and apparently, the ambulance isn’t safe to use unless it has all four wheels. So now, instead of actually playing, she’s turned it into a full-scale search and rescue operation."

You tried to hold back a laugh, but the sheer seriousness on his face made it impossible. "She really is your daughter," you teased, slipping off your shoes.

Vernon groaned, rubbing his face. "I know. And she’s stressing herself out so much that it’s stressing me out."

You smirked, shaking your head as you walked past Vernon toward the living room. "You know... I think I might know where that missing wheel is."

Vernon narrowed his eyes, following you as you crouched in front of the TV cabinet. "Wait—what?"

Without a word, you reached out, opened one of the cabinet doors, and rummaged through the random collection of small toys, puzzle pieces, and forgotten treasures Anne had stashed away over time. And there it was—a tiny, slightly dusty plastic wheel, sitting right next to a crayon and a stray hair tie.

Holding it up between your fingers, you turned to Vernon with an amused expression. "You really don’t know your daughter’s habits, do you?"

Vernon stared at the wheel, then at you, then back at the wheel again. He exhaled, half relieved, half exasperated. "I knew I should’ve checked there first," he muttered.

You chuckled, tossing the wheel to him. "Go on, hero. Go save Mr. Monkey."

Vernon caught it effortlessly, shaking his head with a tired smile. "I swear, this girl gets her dramatics from you."

"Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that," you said, grinning as you followed him back to Anne’s room.

Just as Anne was about to attach the wheel to her little ambulance, she suddenly froze. Her tiny hands turned the piece over, inspecting it closely.

Anne sighed dramatically, holding up the wheel with a disappointed look. "Oh no..."

You and Vernon exchanged glances before he crouched down beside her. "What is it?"

"It’s broken, Daddy," Anne groaned, showing him the crack in the plastic. "That’s why I put it away! It wouldn’t stay on."

You sighed, shaking your head with a smile. "So after all that searching, we still can’t fix the ambulance?"

Anne nodded, frowning. "Now how will we take Mr. Monkey to the hospital?"

Vernon rubbed his temples, looking amused but exhausted. "Anne, baby, you could’ve told me this before turning your whole room upside down."

Anne gave him a sheepish look. "But I really forgot."

She suddenly clapped her hands together, eyes lighting up with a new idea. "Wait! I think it’s okay to drive Mr. Monkey to the hospital with three wheels!" she declared confidently.

Anne placed her hands on her hips, looking very serious. "Well... sometimes cars have accidents and they lose a wheel, but they still keep moving, right?"

You bit back a laugh as Vernon sighed out his stress.

"We just have to drive really slowly! Like this!" She crouched down and started pushing the ambulance across the floor at an exaggerated snail’s pace. "Vrooooom... but slooooowly... vroooom..."

You couldn't hold back your laughter this time. "That’s very responsible of you, baby. Slow and safe!"

Vernon watched her with an amused smirk. "I guess Mr. Monkey’s life is in good hands, then."

Anne nodded seriously. "Of course! I’ll be the best ambulance driver ever." She carefully placed Mr. Monkey inside, patting his head. "Hang in there, buddy, we're going to the hospital... but very carefully."

Vernon leaned toward you, lowering his voice. "So we went through all that stress for nothing?"

You shrugged, grinning. "At least she figured it out on her own."

Vernon sighed, watching his daughter inch the ambulance along at a painfully slow speed. "I should’ve known. She’s definitely your daughter."

[yunniverse]

You’re My Dream

౨ৎ PAIRING— rockstar!jeong yunho x reader

౨ৎ GENRE— fluff, ended relationship, fem!reader

౨ৎ WARNINGS— angst, fluff

౨ৎ WORD COUNT— 1.4k

౨ৎ SUMMARY— you broke up because he was too focused on his music dream, but maybe you and love were the real dream all along.

౨ৎ A/N— i saw a lot of people saying they wanted a oneshot with the concept photos from the 2025 seasons greetings, so i made one! i hope you like it, even though it isn’t quite as angsty as you probably wanted :( still, feedback is appreciated and thanks for reading, lovelies! <3 (i’ll tag a few people who said they were interested if someone wrote one: @beabatiny, @goldendynastys, @kibs-and-bits)

Staring at the fire crackling, you try to hold back the tears that threaten to escape. When had it all gone so wrong?

Just last year, you had been enjoying your boyfriend’s Christmas show with his rock band, and now you’re sitting alone, the night before Christmas.

The crackling of the fire adds to your melancholy, the harsh cold winds blowing outside creating a gloomy atmosphere. You know you should forget like he has, but you can’t throw away two years of your life that easily.

The memories of last Christmas come flooding back to you, even as you try to suppress them. Memories of sitting beside the fire with Yunho, cuddling as you watched a cheesy Christmas movie. Or baking Christmas cookies together at his apartment, laughing as you threw flour at each other.

Turning to the remote controller, you press the power button, not expecting to see him on the screen. His band is playing, and you immediately feel a pang in your chest at the sight of him, his fingers dashing across the keyboard.

Even though he’s the keyboard player and not the lead singer, he has an air about him that draws you in, making it unable to look away, even as you know you should. Why is he still having this effect on you?

The song is one you recognize. “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call,” by Bleachers.

It’s a song he’d introduced to you last Christmas, and, even though it’s sad, it had been a source of joy for you in a way last year, because you remember dancing to the song with him, smiling and laughing.

Now, it really is sad.

When he gets up at the end of the song, leaning into the microphone, you furrow your eyebrows, listening.

“That song goes out to someone I lost a year ago today.” He looks right at the camera, his brown eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “I’m sorry, baby. I wish it had been different, but know that I never really stopped loving you.”

You gasp, only momentarily questioning if he’s really talking to you, before you jump up, now determined to make things right for some reason. You know it’ll probably end in more heartache, but you have to try.

Grabbing your keys and coat, you hurry out the door into the winter storm, unlocking your car before hopping in.

Even though the roads are horrible tonight, you know the way to his apartment like the back of your hand, only slowing because of the snow.

About twenty minutes later, you arrive at his apartment complex, hurrying out of the car, through the blinding snow, and into the lobby of the building.

You try to calm yourself down, stepping into the elevator and pressing the button to the fourth floor.

When you get to the floor, you walk down the hall, slowing to a stop in front of his door. Taking a deep breath, you knock.

It takes about two minutes, but the door opens, revealing a messy-haired Yunho, a few locks of his dark blue hair having fallen in front of his brown eyes, which widen at the sight of you.

“Y/N?” he whispers, his hand clutching the doorknob so tight you think he might break it. “What are you doing here?”

“I saw the program.”

“Oh.”

With a sigh, you rub your arm, biting your lip, really starting to wonder what you’re really doing here yourself. “H-How have you been?”

“Is that really what you’re going to ask?” Yunho asks, giving you a half-smile.

“What else would I say?” you question softly, suddenly feeling stupid for coming to see him. “I can’t just say Merry Christmas or something stupid like I’ve missed you—”

“Can’t you?” he asks, his dark eyes searching yours. “Because I’ve missed you.”

Sighing, you frown slightly, “This can’t be happening. I don’t know what I was thinking. Let me just—“

He grabs your wrist as you turn to leave, making your gaze snap back to his. “Every day without you has been torture. You came to see me for a reason. Do you feel the same?”

“Yunho, it doesn’t matter how we feel. It can’t work now anymore than it did then. We have different goals.”

“We don’t have to!” he exclaims, almost desperately. “I can give up the band if that’s what you want. You were upset it took up so much of my time? I’ll quit.”

Your eyes widen as you shake your head, “Yunho, the reason you couldn’t give it up for me before is because it’s what you love to do. I can’t take that away from you. I can’t make you live without it.”

“Well, I can’t live without you.”

His words hang heavy in the air, making you suck in a sharp breath, “Yunho…”

“Don’t say anything,” Yunho tells you, taking a single step closer. “Just tell me…”

“Tell you what?” you ask, your eyebrows furrowing.

“What do you feel?” he asks, just before he leans in, his face inches from yours. Your heartbeat quickens as his warm breath fans across your lips. “If you feel nothing, I’ll leave you alone.”

You’re torn between wanting to close the distance and knowing you shouldn’t.

You don’t have to wait for long.

It feels like the world stops when his soft lips brush against yours for the first time in months. It isn’t like an electric shock, with fireworks exploding, rather it’s like coming home after a long time away. Like warmth and softness and… love.

It only takes a few seconds for you to melt into him, the kiss deepening as he lifts his hands to cup your face, your hands finding his chest, his heartbeat quickens beneath yours fingertips.

After a few moments, he pulls away, his forehead resting against yours as he pants softly, waiting for you to respond.

“I wish I could say I felt nothing,” you whisper, feeling a little helpless against your emotions. “But I can’t. I’ve never been able to.”

“Then give us another chance,” Yunho pleads, his thumbs brushing across your cheekbones. “I meant what I said during the program. I’ve never stopped loving you.”

“But what about the band? What about all the reasons we broke up months ago?”

“You and I both know we were being petty then. And I can quit the band, like I said,” Yunho replies, his tone serious.

“I don’t want you to,” you respond quietly, making him furrow his eyebrows.

“What?” he asks slowly, confusion etched into his features.

“I don’t want you to quit what you love,” you clarify. “That’s what ended things between us before. We quit on our love, and I won’t let you quit on the band now. I was stupid to think you loved me any less because of your passion for music. Please don’t stop playing, Yun.”

“Are you sure?” he asks slowly. “It’ll still take up as much time as it did before, maybe more, since we’ve grown a little more popular now.”

“I don’t care,” you smile softly. “All I care about is being with you again. And I won’t let my jealousy over your time get in the way again… as long as you let me come to your shows.”

“Every single one.”

With a small laugh, you lean forward, pressing another soft kiss to his lips before burying your face in his neck, inhaling his calming scent you’ve missed so much.

“Maybe we should get out of the hallway?” Yunho chuckles, tugging your hand, guiding you into his apartment. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

You smile shyly, nodding, as you let him close the door behind you both.

Three months later, you’re cheering for Yunho and his band as he performs, smiling widely when he finally comes backstage, his arms open as you laugh, throwing yourself into his arms for a hug. “You did so well, Yunnie,” you whisper in his ear.

He grins, nuzzling his nose into your hair, “Thank you, baby. You’re always the best cheerleader.”

“Can’t say I don’t like the fake tattoos on your hands either,” you tell him wryly, tracing the markings with your finger.

“Oh?” he asks, chuckling softly, his eyes sparking with mischief. “Maybe I’ll leave them on for a little while. And I’ll be sure to tell the stylist you like them.”

“Good,” you grin. “I’m good with anything now as long as you never tell me ‘please don’t call’ like you did last winter ever again.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”