#Code snippet

[jcmarchi]

Simon Poghosyan, Founder and CEO of GSpeech – Interview Series

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/simon-poghosyan-founder-and-ceo-of-gspeech-interview-series/

Simon Poghosyan, Founder and CEO of GSpeech – Interview Series

Simon Poghosyan is the founder and CEO of GSpeech, a web-based AI platform that helps make online content more accessible by converting text into natural-sounding audio in over 70 languages. With a background in VLSI Design and a strong interest in programming and user experience, Simon created GSpeech to simplify the way websites can offer voice-enabled content.

Today, GSpeech generates around 200 million characters of audio each month and is used across 70+ countries, with its customizable audio players serving over 200,000 plays monthly. Having recently surpassed 1 billion characters of audio generated in total, GSpeech continues to grow rapidly. The platform is designed to be easy to integrate — requiring just a single line of code — and supports creators, educators, and businesses in making their content more inclusive and engaging.

GSpeech is also used on all of our English pages, you can listen to this article and how well GSpeech performs by clicking on the play button.

Your background in VLSI Design (Very Large Scale Integration) and early programming experience laid a strong technical foundation. What inspired your shift from microelectronics to building AI-powered software, and how did that lead to the creation of GSpeech?

My passion for problem-solving began in high school, driven by a love for mathematics and physics. That interest led me to earn a Bachelor’s (2009) and Master’s (2011) in VLSI Design from the State Engineering University of Armenia, in collaboration with Synopsys Armenia. Studying physics trained me in precision and analytical thinking, but it was during my second year that I discovered programming — starting with the Pascal language — and immediately fell in love with it. My friend and I would complete coursework assignments as soon as we received them, even though we had six months to finish. Then, for fun, we started doing the assignments of other students.

This passion led me deeper into software development. I began with website creation, then built my own CMS. After completing several projects in process automation and designing data management architectures, I realized how much I loved building digital solutions for web interfaces.Through the 2GLux project, I collaborated with Edvard Ananyan — creator of the popular GTranslate translation service and a school friend from Quant Gymnasium. He introduced me to the WordPress and Joomla ecosystems, and the concept for GSpeech originated with him. That early work led to the first version of our tool, enabling users to listen to text on a webpage, planting the seed for what would later become a full-featured AI platform. By 2023, I established Smarts Club LLC to scale GSpeech into a global AI audio solution, supporting 70+ languages. The Humanity Union’s praise for GSpeech’s role in enhancing their civic engagement platform’s accessibility reflects my mission to bridge digital divides through AI — a vision rooted in my early programming days.

GSpeech originally began as a tool to support visually impaired users. How did that early mission influence the platform’s evolution into a full-featured AI text-to-speech solution?

The focus on accessibility drove the development of high-quality, real-time AI audio, translation into 70+ languages, and seamless website integration via a simple code snippet. This mission led to features like customizable audio players, language and voice selection panels, context-aware playback, audio downloads, and detailed usage statistics — including country, city, device data, and playback analytics over time — all designed to make content more inclusive and engaging. After writing over 100,000 lines of code, I launched the GSpeech Cloud Console in 2023 — a scalable solution that balances inclusivity with advanced functionality, empowering businesses and creators to make their content accessible, multilingual, and interactive across the web.

What were some of the biggest technical challenges you faced during the development of the GSpeech Cloud Console?

One of the biggest challenges in developing the GSpeech Cloud Console was designing a scalable architecture for real-time, secure, high-quality AI audio generation. This required innovative solutions to fetch relevant content from the web, process audio on our servers, and store it in the cloud for fast, reliable delivery. Implementing robust security measures, like encryption and access controls, was critical to protect dynamic, user-generated content.

Another hurdle was enabling real-time translation using advanced neural engines. We had to ensure low-latency, accurate translations while building an intuitive interface that let users select languages and preferred voice profiles for playback, prioritizing user comfort and personalization. Finally, we developed an audio template creator wizard with multiple customizable player views, allowing users to design unique, visually appealing players tailored to their websites. Balancing flexibility, performance, and ease of use across devices was a rewarding challenge.

With real-time translation in 70+ languages and over 230 natural-sounding voices. How do you ensure voice quality and maintain accuracy across such a diverse language set?

To maintain consistent voice quality, we integrate multiple advanced text-to-speech (TTS) models that are continuously optimized and updated. These multilingual engines handle mixed-language content with high accuracy. We’re also rolling out over 100 new voice vibes to give users even more expressive and natural-sounding options. Every month, GSpeech generates over 200 million characters of audio, serving users in more than 70 countries, with our online players being used over 200,000 times monthly — and growing. This scale ensures ongoing feedback and real-world testing, which directly informs our tuning and quality controls.

Can you walk us through how GSpeech leverages AI and machine learning to deliver lifelike voice synthesis? How do you keep up with the rapid advancements in neural voice technology?

GSpeech uses advanced AI and machine learning, integrating multiple state-of-the-art text-to-speech models to produce lifelike voice synthesis. These models, optimized for naturalness and multilingual support, process text inputs to generate high-quality audio with realistic intonation and rhythm, even for mixed-language content. We enhance user experience by offering customizable voice styles for diverse languages. We’ve also integrated TTS aliases, which allow users to define custom rules for how certain words or phrases are rendered in audio — for example, replacing specific terms to achieve more accurate pronunciation or phrasing. To stay current with neural voice technology, we continuously evaluate and integrate the latest advancements, collaborate with industry leaders, and plan to develop proprietary models in the future, ensuring GSpeech remains at the forefront of voice synthesis innovation.

How important is voice tuning, pitch control, and playback customization to your users—and what’s the use case you’re most proud of where these features really shine?

Voice tuning, pitch control, and playback customization are critical for our users, enabling them to create unique, high-quality voice styles tailored to their specific needs, from news and blog websites to accessible e-learning content. The ongoing integration of over 100 new voice vibes further enhances this, offering users unparalleled flexibility to craft truly distinctive voiceovers. I’m most proud of GSpeech Studio, a new audio editing and generation platform I’m developing. It allows users to create multiple audio channels, mix them with background music, and export polished voiceovers, empowering creators to produce professional-grade audio for diverse applications. A visually impaired student’s letter, thanking GSpeech for enabling independent study through customized audio, touched me deeply. This use case shows how these features make content accessible and transformative, a goal I’ve pursued since my early programming days.

GSpeech offers seamless integrations with WordPress, Shopify, Wix, and more. What’s been your strategy to make the platform plug-and-play for creators and businesses across different ecosystems?

Our strategy for GSpeech’s plug-and-play integrations with platforms like WordPress, Shopify, and Wix focused on simplicity, compatibility, and scalability. We developed lightweight, modular plugins and code snippets that integrate seamlessly, requiring minimal setup—often just a few clicks. This means that thousands of articles and dynamic content blocks can instantly gain voice support — without manual effort. We offer highly flexible, beautifully designed players that adapt across devices, including mobile, tablets, and desktops. Our players are not only customizable but also optimized for accessibility and user engagement. For WordPress, we embedded the GSpeech cloud dashboard directly into the admin panel via our plugin, streamlining management for users. Detailed documentation and intuitive dashboards guide non-technical users through installation and customization. Regular testing ensures consistent performance across diverse ecosystems, empowering creators and businesses to add AI-powered text-to-speech effortlessly.

Looking back on the journey from 2012 to today, what’s been the biggest milestone for you personally or professionally in building GSpeech?

The biggest milestone for GSpeech was generating 1 billion characters of high-quality AI audio, showcasing our global impact on accessibility. Equally meaningful has been the feedback we’ve received from organizations like the Humanity Union, who praised GSpeech for enhancing their social responsibility platform, and from blog owners who called it a “game-changer” for user engagement. Over 110 five-star reviews across platforms like WordPress and AppSumo in recent months reflect this growing trust.

GSpeech is now also actively used by the Namangan regional statistics department in Uzbekistan — a government institution with significant traffic and national-level visibility. Seeing a public body adopt our technology so broadly has been a meaningful milestone and a powerful sign of trust in our solution.

As a Christian and someone who serves in the Armenian church, I also try to support other faith-based initiatives whenever possible. I often offer GSpeech free of charge to Christian websites as a way to help spread their message more effectively and make Scripture more accessible through audio. It’s my small contribution to something greater. At the same time, I’m honored to work with dedicated ministries like The Cord — a Messianic congregation and valued GSpeech client — whose mission and content reflect the power of Scripture in action.

These moments — when technology becomes a bridge for faith, understanding, and inclusion — remind me why we built GSpeech in the first place.

What role do you see GSpeech playing in the future of digital media, particularly as audio content and voice interfaces become more dominant?

I envision GSpeech as a leader in making digital media more accessible and engaging by enabling AI-powered voice access to the web. Our goal is to transform the entire online experience, so that websites become naturally voice-interactive, inclusive, and multilingual by default. With just one line of code, site owners can turn thousands of articles into voiced content. Looking ahead, we’re developing GSpeech Studio into a powerful and unique platform for audio generation and editing, enabling users to create multi-layered voice content with background music, effects, and precise tuning. We want to make the web truly audible, intuitive, and universally accessible.

GSpeech recently launched on AppSumo and has already earned a near-perfect rating from early adopters. What has the response from the AppSumo community meant to you, and how do you plan to build on this momentum moving forward?

The AppSumo launch introduced GSpeech to millions, and its near-perfect rating is incredibly affirming. Users, like those running online courses, praise our intuitive tools and responsive support, echoing feedback from the Humanity Union. A blog owner called our voices “genuinely engaging” and translations “impressive.” Their positive feedback confirms the value of our AI-powered text-to-speech solution and fuels my passion for the project. Supporting clients during the launch also sparked new ideas, particularly for GSpeech Studio, which was inspired by user requests for advanced audio editing and export features. Moving forward, I plan to build on this momentum by actively listening to our community, integrating their feedback, and developing innovative features to enhance accessibility and engagement, ensuring GSpeech continues to evolve as a transformative tool for creators and businesses.

Lastly, what advice would you give to young developers or entrepreneurs who want to build accessible, AI-powered tools in today’s fast-moving tech landscape?

To young developers and entrepreneurs, my advice is to pour your heart into your work and identify a real problem where you can offer a unique, smart solution. Start small, take steady steps forward, and listen closely to customer feedback—they��ll guide your path. Treat your users like trusted friends, give your all, and stay patient. Embrace AI technologies as powerful allies; when used wisely, they amplify your ability to create impactful, accessible tools. Build with passion, persistence, and a commitment to making a difference, and you’ll create solutions that truly matter.

Thank you for the great interview, we chose the GSpeech solution for our website due to the easy integration. To learn more visit GSpeech.

[aiweirdness]

“Slopsquatting” in a nutshell:

1. LLM-generated code tries to run code from online software packages. Which is normal, that’s how you get math packages and stuff but

2. The packages don’t exist. Which would normally cause an error but

3. Nefarious people have made malware under the package names that LLMs make up most often. So

4. Now the LLM code points to malware.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/12/ai_code_suggestions_sabotage_supply_chain/

[bloglogicaldottech]

Mastering Code Snippets in WordPress: 11 Expert Tips for Safe and Effective Use

Code snippets are a powerful way to extend and customize WordPress functionality without the need for full-fledged plugins. However, using code snippets incorrectly can lead to site breakage, security vulnerabilities, and maintenance headaches. In this article, we'll explore 11 expert tips for safely and effectively leveraging code snippet plugins in WordPress.

What Are Code Snippet Plugins and Why Use Them?

Code snippet plugins allow you to add custom PHP, CSS, JavaScript, and HTML code to your WordPress site without directly editing theme or core files. This approach offers several benefits:

Easily enable/disable code snippets

Avoid modifying core files, which can cause issues during updates

Keep custom code organized and manageable

Some popular code snippet plugins include Code Snippets, WPCodeBox, and Insert Headers and Footers.

11 Expert Tips for Safe and Effective Code Snippet Use

1. Always Use a Child Theme

When adding code snippets that modify theme functionality or appearance, always use a child theme. This ensures your customizations aren't overwritten during theme updates.

2. Backup Your Site Regularly

Before adding or modifying code snippets, ensure you have a recent backup of your WordPress site. This allows you to quickly restore your site if something goes wrong.

3. Use Meaningful Names and Descriptions

Give your code snippets clear, descriptive names and include comments explaining their purpose. This makes managing and troubleshooting snippets much easier.

4. Follow WordPress Coding Standards

Adhere to the official WordPress coding standards when writing code snippets. This improves readability and maintainability, especially if others may work on your site in the future.

5. Test Snippets Thoroughly

Always test code snippets on a staging or local development site before deploying to your live site. Verify the snippet works as intended and doesn't introduce errors or conflicts.

6. Use Conditional Tags Appropriately

Leverage WordPress conditional tags to control where and when code snippets are executed. This can help optimize performance and avoid unintended consequences.

7. Minimize Plugin Conflicts

Be aware of potential conflicts between code snippets and other plugins or theme functions. If a conflict arises, try to identify the cause and find an alternative solution.

8. Keep Snippets Organized

Use categories, tags, or folders within your code snippet plugin to keep your snippets organized and easily searchable. This is especially helpful as your library of snippets grows over time.

9. Regularly Review and Update Snippets

Periodically review your active code snippets to ensure they are still necessary and functioning correctly. Update or remove snippets as needed to keep your site lean and efficient.

10. Document Your Customizations

Maintain a separate document or use a plugin like WP Readme that records all customizations made to your WordPress site, including code snippets. This serves as a valuable reference for future maintenance and troubleshooting.

11. Know When to Seek Professional Help

If you're unsure about implementing a particular code snippet or encounter issues beyond your skill level, don't hesitate to seek help from an experienced WordPress developer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best WordPress plugin for adding code?

While there are several excellent options, Code Snippets is widely considered one of the best WordPress plugins for adding code. It offers an intuitive interface, easy management of snippets, and a robust feature set suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

Can I use code snippets instead of plugins?

In some cases, yes. If the functionality you need is relatively simple and doesn't require frequent updates, a well-crafted code snippet can be a lightweight alternative to a full plugin.

How do I prevent code snippets from breaking my site?

Following best practices like using a child theme, testing thoroughly, and keeping regular backups can minimize the risk of code snippets causing issues on your live site. When in doubt, consult with a professional developer.

Conclusion

Code snippet plugins offer a powerful way to extend and customize WordPress, but it's crucial to use them responsibly. By following these 11 expert tips and best practices, you can safely and effectively leverage code snippets to take your WordPress site to the next level without compromising its integrity or performance.

[devlmntl]

[seoulmatez]

“these are for you, lesser lord kusanali!” you kneel down to gift the archon the flower arrangement you made for her the night before. “thank you so much for coming to see the performance.”

the imposing presence beside her doesn’t go unnoticed.

“i brought you some, too.” your smile doesn’t falter when you turn to face the wanderer, slowly standing up and holding out the second bouquet you had put together in anticipation of today.

his fingers twitch at his side. you brought something… just for him? his lips curl downward as he tries to imagine just why you’d go and do something like that. perhaps it’s a mocking gesture, a show of pity, something of the sort. but the smile you’re wearing makes the answer clear—it’s the same reason you gifted them to nahida, because you’re simply happy to have seen him.

he takes the flowers from your hold, rotating the collection bound by a pink ribbon in his hand. soon, violet eyes like the night sky are staring deeply into yours. “i have no use for these.”

the words scratch at your heart like a cat’s claw—quick and painful, but you try to ignore the way it stings.

“oh, well, you don’t have to keep them.”

you reach out to take the flowers back but the gloved hand tightens around the bunch of stems, and you’re almost certain that the wanderer pulls the bouquet closer to his chest. “it’s rude to ask for gifts back, is it not?”

“i suppose you’re right.” the scratch he left behind on your heart is quickly bandaged, the lingering sting disappearing like it was never there to begin with. you can’t help but smile, let hope sprout in your heart at the thought that maybe you’re making your way into his. “in that case, i hope you find some use for them.”

[northern-passage]

[sandwichmustbetasty]

i'm crying

whattt 😭😭😭

he's like what the hell, no way

trying very hard not to be tempted

his gossip girl scholar's soul could not let that rest, he just needs to know

cirdan knows how to pique his interest

elrond's mad and doesn't really want to talk to you?

*holds out a piece of juicy information*

elrond has been summoned

you may talk in the exchage of juicy gossip

screaming

it just keeps getting better and better

daeron an insufferable whiny bitch confirmed

[mayxo-hxh]

hxh taught me a lot about what it truly means to have experience in your area of expertise.

this is what having experience in the field means. They figured out so much in only so little and immediately took measures against it. this fight is so good... shows u how insane the zoldycks are

even chrollo was like damn chill!!

[louroth]

All this nervous energy just running off of you as long as you. keep. moving. The adrenaline feels lovely as it surges, past the last set, into another, and a third— you're going for failure, aren't you?

Always.

It is not enough to coast the high of enough. It has to be more. There has to be the tenuous sigh of relief as your body scrambles to survive within the frame you've made for it. Just one more. Another.

The weights fall to the floor with a clatter and your mouth splits into a wide grin of approval as everything— your vision, your limbs, your spirit— trembles, quakes: the good kind of exhaustion. The ceiling is the loveliest view you've ever seen— you did it. The something you can do. Colors dull in comparison to it. As you lay on the mat, tracing worms of fracturing color that twitch with your heightened breath, a face steps in, swirling your vision into whirls of lights and traces of sweat. A smirk, a raised eyebrow— distant, not staring, but aware. He hefts his own weight. Flicks his focus to your red, flushed face. Meets your eyes for a fraction of a second before curling the iron once more.

"A sight for sore eyes."

You, at a lack for words, trace an eye over his form. He rolls his lips. You flick a brow.

And that is all there is to it.

[starbiology]

spending the whole day out today was very nice but also means I didnt work on UI at all like I planned but in the meantime heres a Jerdananana

[aliferous-ly]

Scar's best quality, he thought, was that he didn't die when everyone expected him to. His worst was that he died when nobody expected him to, but that part didn't matter. What mattered was his inherent skills at sick parkour and his devastating fighting prowess.

He exemplified such talent during the hardcore world (they didn't need to talk about the ending segments. Look at his cool sky house!) and during some... key moments of the life series.

Still, he thought while rubbing his head after slamming noggin-first into an unsuspecting rock wall. It helped when nobody saw his goofs. Unfortunately deaths were broadcast to the greater server and...

[TangoTek] oh boy

[BDoubleO100] splat!

[Etho] lol ^_^

...well. He just wished people remembered his greater moments over these one-off outliers.

[sunnydbeam]

Hi can we have some snippets?

No context :]

Also, I won't be tagging this as suggestive, please don't see it that way.

[needlesandnilbogs]

thinking about my summer research group, and while that's math research not fieldwork for science, there's still kind of the same vibe as the original network effect or asr surveys --- we're in this together with not many outsiders hanging around the physical space we're in, we spend most of the day in the same physical space, etc

but also, group chat. i want presaux group chat that's 25% logistical updates (running late, feeling sick, can you let me into x space), 25% pictures of the chalkboard/whiteboard from group discussions or other saving/sharing progress, 25% group troubleshooting of code, and 25% people dropping random related resources and notes and code snippets and stuff that might vaguely help out

and also i really want the private dms between any two of them (especially either arada and overse or arada and ratthi) that's just whining about more and more highly specific work things, mixed in with the usual best friend private chat stuff like one-sentence life updates, random incomprehensible-to-outsiders stuff, memes/spinstagram spreels, complaining, etc. bonus points if that chat is spread across at least three platforms and occasionally spills into the group chat

[inafieldofdaisies]

Last Line Tag | Tagged by @ellswips and @socially-awkward-skeleton ❤️

"See. I was right about the rain." John's lips quirked up into a smirk as he reached out to grab her hand and pull her along to keep up with his pace, "Yes, my little weather forecaster. Right, as with so many other things." Sabrina's pointed look just made him let out a laugh, "You're way too cheery, Seed. I expected misery, not-", she waved her free hand in his direction, "this." "We're almost at the dock, Deputy. About to submerge ourselves in more water, rain's only speeding up the process." "You're not about to make a 'wet' joke, are you?" A dark look came over his features and dissipated as quickly with a shake of his head, "You've been around Hartley far too much." "Jealous?", she couldn't help poking him a little. "Yes, I've been dying to hang out with him. Ever since he set my lawn on fire. A fiery "NO". Original." She couldn't decide if the glances she kept stealing his way or the casual statement were at fault for how her foot caught on a rock along their path, threatening her balance if it wasn't for his grip, "WHAT?" "He denied it, of course, claimed innocence.", John waved the idea off, "Like I don't have him on tape-"

Tagging, @lilywatt @simonxriley @derelictheretic @kyberinfinitygems @cassietrn @strafethesesinners @strangefable @voidika @josephslittledeputy @trench-rot @purplehairsecretlair @carlosoliveiraa @cloudofbutterflies92 @killyourrdarlingss @shellibisshe @aceghosts @vampireninjabunnies-blog @la-grosse-patate @katsigian @dumbassdep @imogenkol @josephseedismyfather @direwombat @simplegenius042 @raresvtm and anyone that would like to share something ❤️

[quadrantadvisor]

This post reminded me of the time I got entranced by the idea of in-universe rpf and wrote an "excerpt" of a hypothetical accidental selfcest fanfic.

The Lore tm is that in a universe where Bernard never met Tim, he became a prolific Capes RPF writer as well as conspiracy theorist, and that the popularity of the Bruce Wayne/Batman ship gave him the fun idea of pairing up the Wayne kids with Batclan counterparts, which lined up surprisingly well! Tim, who frequents the Gotham Capes RPF tag for normal reasons (as a kid he wrote a surpisingly popular series of gen fics where his self insert oc got adopted by Batman, he was like 11 don't judge him) sees this fic and finds certain details, such as, y'know, shipping his family members with themselves, highly suspicious. He must investigate this person and find out how much they know.

-

[...]

“What are you doing here, Nightwing?” Officer Grayson sighed. He looked tired, the hero noted. He understood that. A city like this could make a man tired in his soul. “The case is over. There's no reason to see eachother anymore.”

It didn't take long for Nightwing to find a reason. “There's no Batman in Bludhaven,” he said. “I need to take allies where I can get them, and you… I think you're in the same boat.” He remembered the photos of young, pretty Richie Grayson, smiling in the tabloids,  and thought about how the force could beat down someone like that. “I know you want to make Bludhaven a better place. We can keep helping eachother, working together. We need eachother.” That was all true. But none of it was why Nightwing had come to the officer's apartment balcony.

Grayson rubbed a hand over his face. “I don't think you understand how much trouble I could be in. If the other officers found out I was slipping information to a vigilante…” He frowned, the dark circles beneath his eyes even more pronounced with the expression. “They don't trust you.”

“Do you?” Nightwing couldn't help but ask.

Grayson clenched his jaw, and his gaze on Nightwing became piercing. Looking at him, the vigilante knew—he had been beaten down, but not broken. His free spirit compressed into something stronger, harder. There was fire in his eyes. “I don't know,” the officer said, “should I?”

In some ways, the display of dominance was adorable, and Nightwing couldn't help flashing his signature sharp grin. “You can,” he promised. “It's up to you. But I could show you.” He hopped onto the balcony's railing with his inhuman grace, and held out his hand. “If you put your trust in me, I'll make it worth your while.”

The man looked dubious, gaze flicking from Nightwing's shielded eyes to his outstretched hand. “How?”

“You used to be an acrobat, didn't you, officer?” the hero asked.

Grayson looked away. “That was a long time ago.’”

“Well,” said Nightwing, still grinning that wicked grin, teeth flashing in the dim light, “how would you like to really fly?”

The officer's eyes went wide, and for a moment, Nightwing worried he would close the door, shut him out, and it would all be over. Then a determined look swept over him, and he stepped forward, reaching out.

Grayson's hand slipped into his, and Nightwing took the leap.

[...]

End notes:

😭 why did you have to become a cop richie how am i meant to acab like this????

like yes cops are Bastard but like. Richie Grayson was an outlier and should not have been counted. he's perfect your honor. he's never done anything wrong in his whole life. no one tell me otherwise pls

also nightwing is some kind of fae creature but don't worry about that

[save-the-villainous-cat]

Hero watches the city at night when they spot villain walking out of a bar completely drunk and not being able to even walk properly.

So hero gets worried and tries to bring villain home, that turns out difficult though when they realize that villain is pretty flirty when drunk.

Make it spicy spice✨️

“Watch your step.” The hero caught them before the villain could fall to the ground, however, the villain only laughed, clearly amused as they held onto their saviour.

“Clooooose call.”

“You said it,” the hero answered softly. “Now cool it just a bit, will you? Other people are sleeping.”

“Wanna sleep, too.” The villain turned towards the hero, rather serious out of a sudden and, the hero had to admit, they were a little intimidated by it until the villain’s gaze became very very suggestive. “Wanna sleep with you.”

“Yeah, keep dreaming, sunshine.” For whatever reason, the hero’s grasp tightened on their waist, as if holding onto them could save the villain. However, their nemesis wasn’t aware of the seriousness the hero assigned to the situation. So, they let their hand slip under the hero’s jacket, scratching teasing lines into the sleeve on the hero’s shoulder.

“God, you’re so fit…” the villain mumbled. “Sometimes I forget.”

The hero didn’t mind. Being close to the villain was nice but they weren’t going to use them in a state like this.

“You too, you know,” the hero answered. “You look good.”

“Pff. Suree.” The villain’s delicate fingers slipped under the hero’s shirt and slid down, their bare hand between the hero’s shoulder-blades. It tightened the hero’s shirt around their neck, making it a little uncomfortable to breathe.

They didn’t mind that either. They knew what was going on with the villain. Why they were so touchy.

When they looked at the villain, they grinned, shamelessly so and the hero couldn’t believe they were actually doing this.

Sometimes they could be rather impulsive, they knew that. But quite honestly, they had been worried. For a long time now, the villain hadn’t been doing well. They’d been quiet, had started to wilt like a beautiful flower. Maybe the hero was overthinking this but if they weren’t — and they were quite sure they were not — then the villain was playing with the fire of self-destruction a bit too carelessly. And the hero didn’t even tolerate the tiniest burn.

It saddened them.

“Keep doing that and you won’t walk tomorrow,” the hero joked, secretly adoring the hand where it was drawing circles. It was the kind of intimacy that could only come with love.

“That’s the goal,” the villain mumbled and without a warning, they stopped and pressed a kiss to the hero’s neck. It felt lovely. But the hero knew this couldn’t be love. It was frustration. It was hatred. It was anger. All bottled up in a flask of alcohol.

Carefully, testing the waters, the villain bit down into the hero’s skin and just for a moment, the hero closed their eyes, sighed and came to their senses.

One hand in the villain’s hair, they pulled them away. Their nemesis wanted to say something but the hero was quicker.

“You want to be loved so bad, don’t you?” They looked at the villain, one hand on their lower back, the other gliding to their chest. “You want to be admired so bad that you are willing to go as far as making a fool out of yourself, don’t you? As if laughing with the others makes laughing about you any better.”

The hero looked at their nemesis, their dear nemesis who could be so human at times it scared them.

They felt drawn towards them but the villain wasn’t a black hole, they were a bright star, close to collapsing.

“I—” Despite being drunk, the villain was quiet, staring back at the hero. They made a grimace as if to laugh, so the hero continued.

“You deem yourself worthless. Worth a joke maybe, nothing more. You’re so wrong about that, don’t you know? You drank that much because you feel like a failure, right?” The hero hoped they were wrong, prayed for it even but the villain didn’t answer, they looked at the pavement, their hand still on the hero’s back. “God, you destroy yourself because of it. You walk around, threatening people, building weapons, all of it so they look at you.”

“How’d you know…” The hero took the villain’s hand, squeezing gently.

“As if I haven’t been there before.”