#Hit 4 Crack Software

[naomikozura]

Playing With Fire: Chapter 3

Jason Todd (Red Hood) x Fem!Reader (Criminal)

Trope: Enemies to Lovers, Forbidden Romance

Warnings: strong language, angst (slight) violence, mention of weapons, use of bombs (slight), use of weapons, bodily violence, attempted murder, drinking, some sexual themes (slight), breaking into homes, stalking (if you squint) (lmk if I missed any!)

WC: 10.7K

Summary: Killing men is almost as easy as seducing them…. almost. Your job to get in contact with Penguin’s potential new partner comes easy, convincing him to work with your side of the crime ring should be simple. Not when a specific someone doesn’t know his boundaries, especially when it comes to your personal affairs.

Series Masterlist

Chapter 2 || Chapter 4

Another day, another mission, another raid by the son of a bitch. You had just about enough of his stupid games. You were currently hiding and spying in on one of his hidden locations, trying to dismantle his operations one by one.

You had placed a series of explosives around the shipment he had, planning to destroy it all, and so you waited patiently on the roof of the building just a block away, saying through your goggles and watching as he held his AK-47 in hand and looked over the men packing up the crates for delivery.

You waited a few minutes before you felt the vibration in your wrist go off. Perfect timing. You thought as you watched the crates implode and cause a massive cloud of smoke around all of the men, the explosions getting louder and bigger with each one that detonated. You smirked at yourself.

$100K gone.

You watched as Red’s men scrambled to find the source, his eyes narrowed as he looked up, his eyes meeting yours knowing he had zoomed in his helmet’s software. You smirked at him, waving as he grabbed the sniper off the ground next to him and aiming at you.

Not today motherfucker.

Another explosion went off, causing Red to lose balance, seeing the anger in his body language as you stood and ran off to the other buildings, disappearing as you hid in the night.

You: 1

Red: 0

But your lead was short lived, a few days later you had another run in, this time he found a job you were on. You were trying to get information from another server database, only to find him already there. You saw the hard drive in his hand, chasing after him as he escaped into the underground train system.

You threw a star at him, causing a rip in his thigh but he recovered quickly by shooting at you, slowing you down but missing as you tried catching up to him. You pulled out your own gun, shooting at his feet causing him to trip and you jumped, kicking him in the head and seeing the crack of his helmet. How thick was that thing that could survive so many of your kicks?!

He grabbed your arm, flinging you over his shoulder as your back slammed to the ground with force. You grunted as you tried to stand, his boot connecting with your side as he kicked you towards the ledge of the ramp. Your body struggled to get ahead, but you felt his boot dig into your shoulder, your head leaning over the edge as you struggled.

He was trying to fucking kill you and you were not about ti give him the satisfaction. He leaned down, his knee now digging into your shoulder to hold you in place as his gloved hand grabbed your face, forcing you to look at his ominous stare. His helmet was bright red like blood, and you knew his hands were covered in it. Gotham ran red because of him and he loved it.

“Scared of a little train?”

“More like I’m scared of that ugly face of yours”, you spit out as he wrapped his hand around your throat, cutting off your oxygen supply to make you pass out while forcing your head down over the ledge. Your body was in fight or flight as he slowly started to hold his weight, torturing you with the psychological factor of if he holds you here, you get hit by the train, you die. He was elongating the torture to get at you.

You heard the rumble of the train from the floor, your body going into overdrive. His grip stayed on your throat, slowing crushing your windpipe and causing you to see black points in your vision, the lack of oxygen causing you to almost lose consciousness.

“Come on sweetheart, I know you’ve got more fight in you than this' ', he mocked, your hands trying to loosen his grip, pulling at his hands but his grip only tightened into an iron grip. “I’m sure you’re just as pretty with your head off your shoulders''

The sound of the whistle from the train slowly got louder and louder, your panic setting in but you covered it up well. You reached for your knife, slicing at his arm and maiming his skin. He only sucked in a painful breath, before lifting your body and slamming it against the concrete. You could feel the train getting closer and his intent getting stronger.

You slid your leg in between the two of you, using it to push him off of you and your force pushing you onto the train tracks, your body hitting the heavy metal with force. You couldn’t breathe. You were disoriented. You tried pushing yourself up, your vision hazy.

You tried standing, your body still crouched as the rumble of the train came by. It was about to be here. You needed to get out. Now.

You tried to focus, once you stood you were met with Red pointing his Jericho 941 at you.

“Move and I’ll shoot”, he threatened.

He was forcing you into a corner….

This was his payback for the bomb and the roof.

Fuck!

The train’s headlights shined at you, the blaring honk sounding out and rattling you to your core. Red’s lock on you didn’t falter. You had about five seconds to get out and live or stay and get smashed into nothing.

The train was going at least 200 miles an hour, you waited until it was only a few mere meters before you ducked at the sound of Red’s gun shooting off, the bullet digging into your shoulder as the train sped by, your body launching itself onto the opposing platform. Your arm is burning in pain.

The son of a bitch shot you.

You quickly ran with the train, looking over and seeing Red running alongside you on the opposite side through the gaps in between the cars. You needed to get the hell out of here.

You kept running down the platform, once the train passed completely watching as Red jumped from his side over to yours, the stomp of his boots loud as he bolted towards you.

You had a good gain on him but he was fast. If you could reach the stairs you’d be able to get away from him. But just as you reached the first flight you felt him grab you, pulling you back down and slamming you against the wall.

His helmet got close to your face, his eyes narrowed and you had daggers of your own. You struggled against him, but stopped when he dug his hand into the gunshot wound you had. You let out a scream, the pain burning through your body as the adrenaline pumped through your veins.

“I love making little errand rats scream.” he whispered. “Teaches them to stay in their fucking place”, you lifted your legs, kicking at him as he pulled you down with him, your bodies falling to the ground as he landed on top of you.

“You’re a fighter. I’ll give you that.” you continued trying to get at him, pushing your body out from under him, reaching for your gun only to feel him weigh you down with his body. Forcing your arm behind your back as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pressing down on your throat. “Who said you could leave?”

The position was painful, your injured arm would probably get infected if he didn’t stop fucking with it. You kept trying to move away, your energy running out from the adrenaline wearing off and the pain settling in.

“You need to learn better, Sweetheart. You’re nothing without Penguin behind you”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a fucking child!”, you forced out, your anger still deep in your soul. Your hair stuck to your face because of the sweat, your body shutting down at the wound taking over your senses. Red looked at you before he laughed deeply.

“Black Mask knows what he’s getting into, I wouldn't expect Penguin’s little pet to understand that.”

“L-Let… me- go..”, you choked out, your vocal chords being crushed under the weight of his arm. His crimson covered head moved closer, almost like his mouth was next to your ear.

“Deliver a message to the fat ass you call a boss and that piece of shit Sionis.”, his distorted voice commanded. You felt the air leaving your lungs as you reached a hand up to try and loosen his grip, only to cause him to narrow his eyes and tighten his hold.

“Tell them Gotham will run red soon. And it won’t be my blood painting the city if they decide to refuse my demands.”.

Your eyes nearly closed due to the lack of oxygen, but after a few seconds you felt your body get tossed to the ground like a rag doll. You tried to catch your breath but you felt weak, you had been deprived of air for too long. All you saw was that red helmet looking down at you before he disappeared, the pain flowing through your body as you gave into the tiredness and the extent of your wounds.

•

•

•

Soreness overtook your body, the timing in your ears causing your head to hurt. You forced your eyes open only to see the empty underground train station. Nothing but dried blood on the ground from your shoulder wound. You pushed yourself up, your shoulder burning as the pain shot through your body. Your arm was sore and burned, it left you frustrated. You wanted to find the son of a bitch and rip his eyes out.

Red would meet his match, you just needed to hit him when he was at his weakest, catch him off guard. You knew you’d have the upper hand and it would be the only way to get him to buckle.

Your goal was to take him down and it would give you everything. The bounty. The protection. The reputation. You would be the one who took down the Red Hood. You would have it all and you wouldn’t need Penguin’s name for anything anymore.

You pushed yourself off the ground, your arm limp as a wave of pain flooded you again. You needed to clean the wound and wrap it, the fucker probably risked getting it infected.

You pulled yourself through the streets, your legs shaky but you found your way back to your apartment, stripping your body of your bloody clothes and hopping into the shower. You let the warm water rinse off all the sweat, blood, and dirt from your body, the steam covering you in a comforting blanket. Your head hung under the water, your arm feeling better under the warmth. You had a few other cuts and sore spots that you knew would leave bruises but nothing else worried you. You needed to disinfect and wrap your arm, rest was also on the agenda since you’d been up for almost 26 hours before you ran into Red and had him knock you out.

You wrapped yourself in a towel and stepped out of the shower an hour later, your body relaxed after having so much built up tension. You cleaned all your wounds and wrapped your arm after pouring alcohol and ointment on it.

Once you were done, you let yourself fall on the bed, wearing only your underwear and an oversized t-shirt. Your head lolled to the side, noting the time.

It was barely 6am.

You could probably get a few hours of sleep before heading to the Lounge. You set the alarm, letting your eyes close and fall into a slumber from exhaustion and not being suffocated. You needed rest. Your eyes closed as the sun had barely started rising.

“It looks a lot better than it did a few days ago. Just keep putting the medicine on it and keep it wrapped”, the doctor said as he finished wrapping your arm. The soreness is still present after three days.

Penguin had taken you off patrol to recover from your fight with Red. It gave you the perfect time to go in and work on the Calvi case. It required no real physical activity and your arm was still healing so it was the better option.

You slid your top back over your head, slowly guiding your arm through the sleeve and rolling it to loosen the stress.

The day continued as normal, Penguin giving you intel, you finding more information on Calvi, and eventually making it through to find out where his routine spots were.

You managed to get dressed for the night, letting Penguin know your communications wouldn’t be as frequent in order to successfully pull this through.

The mid thigh dress loosely hung on your body, tight enough to show your figure but loose enough to make your curves smooth delicately. Your hair framing your face in a loosely done blowout. Your make up was simple, but you applied a dark red lipstick making your lips appear more seductive. It was always the best way to get men to give you everything you wanted.

You had made your way to Upper Gotham, calling a private car to take you to the Sapphire. An upscale, luxury club that only elite members could enter into. Luckily for you, you managed to bypass the system and register yourself as a top paying member, as well as getting you the exclusive induction card that only elite members had. No one knew what it looked like except those members. Luckily for you getting yours wasn’t too hard. Just a couple strings pulled and boom, you had it.

You walk up to the concierge, sliding your card as the screen flashes green and she lets you walk by. You followed into the main hall, the room full of all kinds of people from every rich family in the city. You recognized businessmen, stock brokers, luxury goods traders, liquor tyrants, everyone who was anyone would come to the club. Especially during the weekend once the offices closed.

You skimmed the room quickly, your outfit helping you blend into the crowd and gave off a silent luxury appeal, not too loud, but not too obviously fake. The dress was simple, classy, and anyone with a good eye could recognize the vintage piece from a mile away. You needed to blend in after all.

You moved through the room, your eyes keeping focused on the bar as you sat on one of the stools, leaning forward as the bartender placed a napkin down, asking for your drink order. You quickly told him a glass of the house red, you didn’t need to be inebriated tonight. You needed to focus.

Once the bartender returned, you picked up the glass and sipped the bold drink as you let the taste seep into your tastebuds. It was rich even for a house wine.

There were a few men playing chess at the table across the room, each one focused on calculative thoughts before moving a piece across the board. You always knew that life was like a game of chess. The better at the game, the better you were at playing your cards in real life. It wasn’t hard to navigate anything, though it required training and skill. Something you had spent the last six years trying to perfect. It was airtight. At least, as close to it as you could possibly get.

A form moving from the entrance caught your eye. He had dark hair that was slicked back, a dark suit fitted to his body that almost melded perfectly. He was tall, built, and had an aura of sophistication floating around him.

Calvi.

He walked over to the men playing chess, shaking their hands as you focused in on what they could possibly be talking about. They all laughed and you tried to make yourself not stand out for staring so long. The glass of wine touched your lips again before setting it down, pushing a strand of hair out of your face as you made eye contact with him. His eyes focused on you as you moved your hair back, reeling him in just like you wanted.

He excused himself, motioning to the bar and the men nodded, continuing their game as you swiveled back towards the counter and feeling his gaze on your back like a burning fire.

Too easy.

“Is this seat taken?’, his deep voice rang out, looking up you noticed his dark eyes held intent in them, strong and committed.

“No. Go ahead.”, you motioned softly as you let your hair fall over your shoulder as you watched him with hooded eyes.

“Whisky. Neat, please.”, he motioned to the bartender as he quickly nodded, starting to prepare his drink. Once the drink was set in front of him, he took a sip then turned towards you. “I’ve never seen you here before. Are you new?”

“I am. My name is Vivian”, you responded before taking another sip of your wine. “Got an invite from a colleague of mine, said this is one of the most exclusive clubs in Gotham and figured I had to check it out after getting such a kind invite.”

“It’s the most exclusive and holds all the most influential people in Gotham.”, he mentioned before leaning back smoothly, his confidence radiating off his body. It was a good thing he was attractive because this would be so much harder if he wasn’t. “My name is Calvi Calbera”.

“So, I take it that you’re a part of Gotham’s influential elite?”, your eyes couldn’t have held more seductiveness to them even if you tried, his body language giving away that you had him reeled in.

“Probably one of the most influential.”, he smirked, bringing his glass to his lips before setting it down gently on the counter. “I work in the luxury goods market. Seems to bring in a lot of revenue when you work with… delicacies.”

“Any ones in particular that you like?”

“Diamonds. They’re the most expensive and most worth the investment.”, you didn’t miss how his eyes trailed down your body, your dress clinging to your curves and the smooth skin of your legs showing off as you crossed them slightly. It didn’t take a genius to guess what he was thinking of. “You should come by my estate. We can talk more about them in private, in the comfort of a home.”

You wanted to cringe at his offer. His estate. You just remembered exactly why you hated the majority of the rich people in Gotham. You forced your face to stay neutral, your eyes flickering to your glass before taking the last sip of the wine.

“If you have some good red, and something worthwhile, I’ll consider it.”, you placed a hand on his knee, smiling at him with a sweet look on your face. Sweet yet seductive. It made him latch onto the bait. He leaned in, taking out a business card and handing it to you.

“Here’s the address, come on Saturday. When you arrive tell them you have an appointment with me.”, his voice was laced with lust, you could even see the tightness of his pants. You just did your finishing move, looking at his eyes before flickering quickly to his lips, then quickly back to his gaze seeing the growing darkness in his hues. Your face leaned into his, your hand moving slowly up his leg and slightly on his thigh.

“I look forward to it.”, you smiled at him, grabbing your purse and leaving a $100 on the counter before walking away, his eyes on you as you walked out confidently but slowly so he could reel more into the trap you laid out.

Once you reached the outside of the building, your car pulled up, the valet opening the door as you stepped inside and got comfortable. You gave the driver your address as he started following his GPS.

You looked at the card Calvi gave you, looking at the information and finding out his estate was about 30 minutes outside of the main parts of the city. Gotham Heights. The rich and powerful all lived on this side of the city.

You committed to memorizing the address, tucking it into your purse as the driver arrived at your complex, tipping the driver before heading up the elevator and pushing through the door of your apartment.

It was late, looking at the clock as it read 10pm.

You really shouldn’t have stayed so long but the time seemed to pass a lot faster when the jobs involved going undercover versus being in the field. You liked infiltrating others’ lives and playing the part even for just a few hours. It brought some insight to the life you’d never have.

Kicking off your heels, you rubbed the backs of your feet, ankles red from walking in them for the evening. You never sported heels often but you did so enough that it was easy enough to walk in them. They still hurt your feet though.

A small noise snapped you to attention, pulling out your gun from the drawer in the kitchen, just one of many you had stashed throughout the apartment. You slowly did a walk through, looking closely at each of the rooms, looking through everything as you finished out the closets in the living room and moved into the bedroom.

The lights were off. Nothing seemed out of place.

You slowly moved towards the restroom, checking the closet, in the shower, hell even the cabinets even though logically a human couldn’t fit in there. You relaxed slightly, walking back into the bedroom, the darkness looming from outside as the night got darker.

Just as you began to walk out of the room, you noticed something.

One of the vases you had filled with water was knocked over…

What the hell?

The feeling of rough hands gripping your arm sent you into fight mode, struggling against the person assaulting you as you tried to hit them with the bottom of the gun. Their grip tightened, forcing your hand to release the gun before you felt your body get thrown on the bed and shoved into the mattress.

Just as you began to curse at them, a large hand clamped over your mouth, that familiar red helmet bringing an anger in your bones.

“Shhh, don’t want to wake the neighbors now do we?”, he muttered.

Your eyes glared daggers at him, wishing they were real so he could suffer from the cuts. Your body was stuck under his, his muscular legs holding your body in place as the rest of his frame was being held up by one arm. He was huge compared to you. His body radiating a heat that left your skin on fire. You felt exposed. You weren’t wearing anything but a measly dress, your chest almost flush against his.

“You sure do make it believable enough that you’re one of them.”, he had a mocking tone to his voice, your body still trying to thrash against him but to no avail. “Now, what are you doing at Sapphire talking to Calvi Calbera?”

Before he made another move, you kicked him in the groin, hard enough to make him double over and loosen his grip on you. It was more than enough time to shove him to the ground, grabbing the dagger that was hidden under your dresser and getting on top of him, your knees holding down his arms as you held the dagger to his throat.

“How the hell did you find where I live?!”, you bit out, your breath uneven as you felt the rush of adrenaline in your body. “How did you get in?!”

“Sweetheart, I’m a detective. I can find anything out about anyone in this city whenever I want. Even you.”, his eyes narrowed as a way to taunt you causing your jaw to clench in irritation as you brought your face closer to his and staring at him with murder in your eyes.

“How. Did. You. Get. In.”, you repeated, this time more serious and the knife pricking his skin, the small trickle of blood running down the side of his neck.

“Window, doll.”, he motioned slightly with a small cock of his head. “You didn’t lock it.”

You turned to look at the window, noticing the lock was intact, not broken. If he broke in, the lock wouldn’t look like it was brand new and yet it was. Had you really forgotten to lock it? You looked at the window before turning back to Red, confusion quickly covered up with frustration.

“You have no right coming to my home.”

“I wasn’t asking for an invite.” , you leaned back slightly, the weight of your legs on his arms lifting as you felt him sit up, your body still sitting on his as you glared at him. He didn’t make any sudden movements, just held your gaze as you held the knife to his throat still.

“Why are you here?”, you asked, about to pull yourself off of him before his hand grabbed a handful of your hair, gripping it and forcing you to look at him.

“You need to learn your place. That’s why I’m here.”, he pulled you closer to his helmet, his eyes boring into yours. “You cost me $100k. On a good shipment batch. I think I’ll have to send a message back to the fat bird to get my point across to not fuck with me.”

“You have tried killing me every time we’ve run into each other for the past month!”, you fought back, his grip tightening.

“Don’t act like the feeling isn’t mutual”, he breathed.

“I have a job to do. Killing you gets me out of this fucking city”, you struggled against him, trying to make him release his grip.

“And you’ve failed every time. Why is that sweetheart? What are you hiding?”

“Fuck. Off.”, you bit out.

Why was he testing you?

He had an open shot to snap your neck, he could just do it and get it over with.

“Does it have to do with Black Mask? You seem to hold a resentment when all he wants is your attention”

“I don’t care about what he wants. I don’t give a damn about him.”

His gaze held yours, feeling his hand go slack as you pushed yourself off of him. You threw the knife on the dresser, rolling your arm from the soreness. He watched you as you moved, his eyes skimming over your body as your back was turned to him.

What was your motive? Why did you let him go?

The question whirled in his head as you turned, staring at him as he remained exposed on the floor. He wasn’t vulnerable, he had everything he needed to disable you, yet he didn’t move.

“Leave. Now.”

“So bossy”, he muttered as he stood, his frame towering over you. Your body moved back as he pressed you against the nightstand, his arms on either side of your body as he caged you in. “What’s going on in that head of yours? Why let me go when your job is to kill me?” he mummed, cocking his head in turn.

“Spite”, was all you said, the seconds ticking by as he let out a deep chuckle before pushing back and heading towards the window he’d climbed in through, pushing himself out and leaving.

There was an emptiness that flooded the room, but you couldn’t quite place it. Red was getting too comfortable with just showing up into your life whenever he wanted. What was he hiding? What was he up to?

You slipped out of your dress, changing into an oversized shirt and leaving nothing but underwear on as you tied your hair up and washed your face. You stared at yourself for a moment in the mirror, a flood of emotion overwhelming you as you reached to touch the necklace around your neck.

Would everything be different if you were still here?

The memories flooded you, every pact you made to never become a part of this life entering your mind. Would you have been swept away and been out of Gotham had he come back?

~

“You do realize that Batman will kill me if he found out about this?”, Robin said as you and him snuck through the city, reaching another rooftop that just peered over the water.

“C’mon it’ll be fine, besides when do you ever see fireworks that aren’t because of some criminal trying to create a diversion?”, you laughed as he rolled his eyes.

“Good point.”, he smiled, following as you stood on the ledge, watching as the countdown sounding out went down a second at a time.

“Okay Gotham, let’s get ready for our 10-second countdown!” you heard the announcer over the speaker say as the crowd chanted.

“5! 4! 3! 2!….1!”, the onslaught of fireworks and sparklers lit up the night, the crowd screaming, shouting, celebrating the coming of the New Year.

You looked at the fireworks, your eyes glowing at the sight. It’d be the first time you’ve seen them in such a way. celebratory fashion.

“Aren’t they-“, your words got cut off at the feeling of Robin grabbing your face, planting a kiss on your lips and bringing you closer to him. You melted into him, his hands tightening around your waist. He flooded your senses, your entire body falling into his charm, his humor, his intelligence, his heart, his everything.

He pulled away from the kiss, his forehead resting on yours as he stared at you.

“Happy New Year (Y/n)”, he whispered as you smiled against his lips.

“Happy New Year, Rob”, you whispered back.

~

If only times were as simple as they once were. Nothing was ever as it seemed and that was the reality of your situation. Everything would always fade away from you, only leaving yourself to get out alive.

What a foolish thing to believe in at such a young age. You were only 15, him 16. There was too much of life to live to assume that moment could stay isolated in time forever. You could only hope.

Turning off the faucet, you went back to bed, laying down as you looked out the window and took in the light from the moon, a part of you feeling like someone was watching.

You looked at the lock, lifting yourself up to close it but freezing in the process. You couldn’t explain why but you settled back into bed.

The lock on the window still left open.

You had finalized the steps of your plan, fixing your hair as you pinned a few pieces up and left others to frame your face. It gave you a delicate look, softened your features and gave you a sort of edge. It was dark, sultry.

Spraying a few pumps of your perfume on your neck and wrists, you took one last look in the mirror. You looked sexy, seductive, like any man would fall at your feet. It gave you a boost of confidence as you grabbed your small clutch off the counter, ensuring your dagger was hidden at the bottom with a decent amount of cash, your wallet, lipstick, and your gun. It was along the lining but the bulge was hidden thanks to the other items in your bag.

It took about 20-30 minutes to reach Calvi’s estate, watching as the mansion pulled into view. It was beautiful, and the architecture was gothic but with a light twist of old money and class. It was bright, the reflection from the setting sun making it glow beautifully. There was a garden in the front as the gates opened, the driver buzzing in at the entrance as you showed your identification. Fake identification at that.

The car pulled into the driveway that wrapped around a fountain. It was made of marble, and had beautiful carvings in the stone. It was so intricate you could’ve sworn it might’ve been made by a renaissance sculptor.

The door opened as one of the butlers pulled it away from the car, holding a hand for you to grab onto as you thanked them, a soft smile thrown in their direction.

You walked up the staircase, Calvi waiting for you in his fitted suit, his hair freshly cut and his hands in his pockets as he smiled at you. He extended a hand, taking yours in his as he pressed a kiss on your knuckles.

Chivalry isn’t dead after all.

His eyes did a quick skim of your body, the dress you wore hugging your figure perfectly, the back being exposed to show some skin. It had a pearl chain that hung loosely in the back, but overall the entire ensemble was more than enough to lure him in.

He led you down the hall, the walls covered in old art and the tables filled with flowers, probably thanks to his housing staff. It was unique, grand, over the top yet simple and calming at the same time. You’d been in Gotham Heights’ homes before, but none really drew you in like this one was right now. Calvi had taste, or at least the person who selected his decor had taste.

A flash of blue caught your eye, you stopped as you looked at it. Perfectly marked shades of yellow contrast against the blue, it was beautiful. Something you’d never imagined you’d see.

“Is this real?”, you asked, your eyes glued to the painting.

“Every piece in this house is real, my dear.”

Your head tilted as you soaked in the work of art in front of you. The impressionism was well done, though you knew the history behind the piece.

“You like Van Gogh?”Calvi hummed next to you.

You paused for a moment, soaking in admiration at the lilies in the painting. Each stroke is simple, delicate, and impactful. Van Gogh definitely had a mind far beyond comprehension. You closed your eyes, turning to Calvi and smiling at him.

“No. Not at all actually.”, you responded as you followed him down the hall.

~

“You like to read?”, you laughed as you grabbed one of the books Robin had brought with him.

“Yeah, I read a lot of Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf too.”, he flipped through some of the pages, almost like he was examining the book as you read the back of the book in your hand.

“How exactly did you get into reading?”

Robin shrugged. “I guess all that free time sneaking into libraries paid off.” he handed you a fry, biting down on it as you finished reading the back of the hardcover. “What about you? Do you like reading?”

“Mmm, no. But the family has a lot of cool paintings around the house. Sometimes I look up what they are and learn about the history of it. I think Rembrant and Van Gogh are my favorites.”

“Yeah? Art history. Almost as cool as Literature”

“It’s way cooler than Literature”, you smirked at him as he rolled his eyes behind his mask.

“Okay, I’ll bite. What’s your favorite and why?”, he leaned back on his hands, watching as you sat in your thoughts for a few moments, contemplating an answer before lighting up in excitement.

“Oh! Definitely a Vase with irises against a yellow background.”

“Jesus, who the hell gave it that long name?”

You shoved his shoulder playfully before grabbing another fry from the small basket he’d brought with him. He often brought burgers and fries for the two of you to share while you caught up for the week. He was able to see you more frequently compared to when you first met a few months ago.

“Van Gogh did, and it’s a great work of art. It’s an impressionist painting. He did it while he was in the psych clinic. I think it’s actually one of the last paintings he ever did before he died. Anyway, I just really like it. The contrast makes it even more interesting to look at because blue and yellow are such bright happy colors and yet, you understand the emotion he felt. A lot of people think it symbolizes his desire to escape, leave the asylum and never look back.”

“Is that why you like it? Because he wanted to escape and never look back?”, you knew exactly why he asked, your heart tugging in your chest as you met his eye line.

“Yeah, I guess so.”, you confessed, “But, I’ve been wanting to escape a lot less recently.”

Robin smiled at you softly, your eyes staring at him with gratitude. He really had made Gotham worthwhile. He made everything worthwhile.

“Yeah, me too.”

~

“And this is our sitting room. I usually bring guests in to sit and share a drink while we talk over business, personal matters, or just anything life throws at us.”

You snapped back to reality at the sound of Calvi’s voice. You forced yourself to tuck away the thought of the past, focusing on the task at hand. He led you into the room, motioning at the butler inside to fetch some drinks. You sat down gently on the couch, watching as he grabbed the two glasses from the waiter and handed one to you.

“Our Finest red.”, he motioned as you took a sip of the wine.

It was rich, full and sweet. You didn’t know a red could be sweet and yet, here it was. It tasted magnificent.

"So, Vivian.”, he put his arm on the headrest behind you. “A penny for your thoughts?”

“Just wondering how you managed to get such a beautiful home, I’m feeling quite jealous.”, you smiled at him, sipping your glass once again.

“My family works in luxury goods, but after the passing of my parents I figured I could use my investments… differently.”

“Differently?”, you cocked an eyebrow.

“There is a whole other side to the Gotham business than you realize, my dear.”, he leaned in.

I realize more than you do asshole.

“Should I be worried?”, you leaned forward, gently placing a hand on his knee, his eyes flickering with pride.

“I’ll share so long as you can keep it a secret?”, Oh. He was dying to impress you. You could see it all over his body language. Calvi was a smart man, filthy rich, and even had questionable business practices. You needed to see if he truly played a hand in Gotham’s underground like Penguin’s intel had stated. If he did, getting him to partner with the Boss would be a lot easier than you thought.

“If it makes you feel better… I’ll share a secret first. Even the playing field.”, you ran your hand along his tie, fixing it to lay flat on his dress shirt and under the suit he had on. Your eyes met his dark ones as he watched you intently.

“Please share..”, his lips remained parted as he watched your movements, you could tell his heart was beating faster just by the looks of him.

You leaned forward, your face inches from his before you parted your lips, your mouth strategically close to his for effect. “I have a thing for men with a little… edge to them.” you whispered, recognizing the flicker in his eyes the moment you spoke. “You’ve reeled me in, can you get me hooked?”

“I can get you more than just hooked, baby.”, he moved towards you, “I’ll get you addicted.”

You lifted a hand, tracing his jaw slightly, your lips softly grazing his as you pushed him against the couch, throwing your legs over his as you sat up, melding your body close to his.

“So then, enlighten me.”

His hand landed on your thigh, his fingers squeezing a bit before he spoke, the tension growing by the second. “I have connections with the trades on the East side of Gotham. A few business partners help me invest my money where money never ends. I get protection, money, and reputation. All I do is invest and help them make shipments then I make more income than the majority of the people at Sapphire.”

Bingo. He confirmed what you needed to know. If he already had connections with the underground, who were they with?

“Sounds dangerous.”, you fed the bait slowly.

“It keeps money in my pockets, keeps the business alive. Gotham’s underground is a never ending flow of money”

You felt his hand trail up your thigh, the skin growing cold as he pushed your dress up slightly. His eyes tried to dig into yours, but your facade was bulletproof. No one could break you or make you show your true self. Calvi would never even come close to doing so.

The knock on the room door broke the moment much to your satisfaction. Calvi closed his eyes in annoyance, calling out for the guest to come in. Two tall men came in, dressed in all black and wearing a headset. You moved away from Calvi as he stood, walking over to the men as they talked in whispers with him. You committed every part of their appearance to memory, from the clothing they wore, the brand of the headset, to the miniscule scars they had that almost seemed like a branding symbol. You stowed it away in the capsule in your head to later jot down for future reference.

“Vivian.”Calvi turned towards you as you rose from the couch, fixing the small part of your dress that rose a centimeter. “I’m afraid something has come up that requires my attention. I’ll fetch a car for you but please, we need to finish our conversation next time.”

You looked up at him with innocence in your eyes, simply nodding before placing a soft kiss on his cheek, placing a gentle hand on his arm before you went down the corridor to the outside where the car waited for you. You had given your address to the driver and he dropped you off at your complex, leaving you to push through the doors and crash on the bed.

Once you hit the sheets you let out a sigh of relief. God, why was this so taxing? What information did this man have that was so important to Penguin when there were a hundred other men who had the same connections that the boss could do business with? The act of questioning the boss wasn’t an option though, so instead you continued with your assignment as normal.

The next few weeks proved to be normal, simple, barely any information of use. The whole job seemed lackluster, almost a waste of your time but you needed to convince Calvi to work with Penguin. It would be the biggest asset in getting your payout.

That was the goal for your upcoming visit after all.

2 Weeks Later

Entering the location Calvi had given you gave you an edge, it was a club. Mid-level. It was where all of the crooked men of Gotham came to dip into the pool of the underground. It also happened to be one of the investments that Calvi had on the East side. It was similar to the Lounge, though the clientele were more Upper Gotham trying to hide in the shadows.

You walked into the room with seductive confidence, your aura radiating pure lust, seduction, and darkness. You walked to the back of the club, feeling some of the men look at you as you passed by. They would always be enamored by you, all the brainless men in the underground were. They never knew who you were, never knew your name or your looks because you did good in presenting yourself entirely differently each time.

DIfferent hair, different makeup, different energy. Needless to say, they all fell for it every single time. Your dress hugged your figure, stopping mid thigh and carving out your curves to be more prominent, your long, dark hair falling down your back as you fixed your earrings that had dangling strands as you reapplied your dark red lipstick. Seduction was the game and you were the physical embodiment of the word.

You walked up to the red door down the hall, a tall bulky man standing in front of the door as he stared at your body, his eyes roaming and taking you in. You internally smirked at how easy men were to manipulate.

“I have a meeting with Calvi, my name is Vivian.”, you lied through your teeth as the guard grunted and walked inside the room, only to open the door for you a few moments later. “Thank you.”, your lips pulled into a perfect red smile as you walked by him, looking into the room and taking in your surroundings.

The room had a dark atmosphere but was lit by dim lights around the room. A couch in the middle of the room with two solo seating seats, a glass table in the middle with a glass bottle of what seemed like whiskey on the tray on top, two glasses complimenting the bottle. You took in the velvet colors on the furniture, the paintings on the walls adding nice accents as the door on the very end of the room opposite of the main door opened.

“Vivian.”, he smiled at the sight of you, a few men surrounding him as they played poker. They all looked familiar. Probably those men from Sapphire he played chess with. He placed a gentle hand on your back, leading you to the couch as the men watched you intently. “I’m glad you made it.” his suave voice rang out, deep but sophisticated, full of authority.

He had his dark hair slicked back, a dark suit fitted to his body that probably cost him a couple thousands of dollars, his bold gold watch wrapped around his wrist as he walked towards you adjusting his cuffs. He radiated a type of energy that would leave a normal woman at his feet, begging to be taken by him. Your eyes zeroed in on him, taking him in with your dark hues, letting the second round of the game begin.

“Thank you for inviting me, I’ve been looking forward to hearing from you again.”, you sat down as you looked up at him, your stare innocently seductive. He dropped a smile at you, one that could make anyone swoon after him, but you knew his background and you needed to play your cards right in order to convince this man fully.

You watched as he walked to the far side of the room, near the small bar area. “Any wine?”

“Château Lafite Rothschild, if you have it”,

“I love a woman with expensive taste.” he pulled out a bottle which left an impressive look on your face. “1998, it’s more aged.”

He poured your wine before pouring his own Whiskey into a glass and walking over to you, handing you the wine before sitting next to you. You opened your body up to him, not letting him take a hint of your body language being too closed off.

He turned his body to face you, his arm on the head of the couch and his leg crossed over his other. He exuded dominant energy even in a position of relaxation. You weren’t naive though, you knew he was always on guard, especially working with the criminals of Gotham on a regular basis. Anyone could call a hit on him, it made sense he didn’t let his guard down completely.

“I really appreciate aged wine, it’s more of a delicacy so it’s nice when someone actually has it around.”, you smiled at him, his eyes focused on you while you noticed his friends skimming your legs. God these men. So easy to manipulate.

“I wanted to ask about a painting, actually.”, you asked truthfully.

“Anything for you Vivian.”, his full focus was on you, before he motioned for his men to kick out his guests, all the men leaving in a file line as the music from the club slowly leaked into the backroom and his guards stood outside the door. The two of you now alone.

“I want to see how much it would cost to get a Monet in hand. One that has a good price on it.”, his eyes flickered with interest at the mention of the French artist. He had to know how to source one one way or another.

“Which painting are you wanting to inquire about?”

“I’ve wanted to own an authentic version of Le Bassin Aux Nymphéas.”, you said confidently, trying to gauge his interest.

“My dear, it's an $80 million painting.”

“I just.. Wanted to see how much it would take to get it. I have the funds to back up my inquiry.” you played with his tie, smoothing out the folds of his suit.

“I know it’s a difficult piece to acquire, I would need someone to endorse my interests and hold power over the transactional process. I couldn’t think of anyone better than you”, you slowly placed your hand on his chest, letting him soak in your touch. You felt the way his body reacted slightly to you, his heart skipping a beat. You looked into his eyes, seeing that same lustful emotion run through his body. You could see the tightening in his jaw, his hand clenching slightly on the couch.

You noticed the immediate intrigue in his expression. Even he knew the process of getting such a painting would be difficult, expensive and timely. He had a strong hand in the world of luxury goods, his entire business and company focused on the foreign trade of luxury goods and rare objects for high profile clients. This was just another job he would be able to make by pulling black market strings. Everyone in the real world knew Calvi as the charming, handsome CEO of a luxury goods company, but the underground knew him as a black market ring leader. What he made in the underground quadrupled in 6 months what he made in a year in his company. To say he was wealthy would be an understatement.

“What made you so interested in an $80 million painting?”

“I want it for my personal collection. I want it to be desired, taken care of, protected”, your voice flowed through your lips smoothly, your body leaning into Calvi’s as you played softly with his collar, your fingers tracing lines on his suit. Your eyes focused on his tie before meeting his eyes and seeing the absolute craze happening inside of him. His brown eyes stared at you with lust, desire, control, and you knew you were playing your game well.

“I want it to be treated, the way any timeless rarity, any delicate precious luxury should be treated.”, his hand found its way to your leg, rubbing soft circles on your skin as you played your cards. You stared at his lips, then flashed back up to his eyes, letting yourself soak into the moment, letting him slowly unravel underneath your spell. Calvi’s eyes focused on your eyes, then down to your lips, the bright color of your red lips slowly drawing him in.

“You know how to do that don’t you? How to take care of.. Precious delicacies?”, you whispered against his lips, almost pressing against yours as he breathed. You let your hand lay on his chest as the other landed on his hand on your leg. Checkmate.

“I know more than just simply taking care of them, my dear.”, he breathed as he closed the gap between the two of you, his lips savagely consuming you, your hand on his chest as he pushed you against the couch. His hand reached into your hair, tightening as he deepened the kiss, his tongue battling it out with yours as you felt his skin catch on fire. He had been wanting to devour you since you first met a month ago, and now, he was a mindless pawn in your game to get what you wanted. You played the part well, you knew it would be far too easy to get someone like him to fall to his knees for you. It only took a month, but it worked.

“Boss.”

Calvi pulled away, his hand still tangled in your hair as you opened your eyes and met his, his hues full of lust and need. Only after a second, he turned to his guard.

“What is it?”, his voice was filled with irritation.

“I hate to interrupt, but you have a visitor.”, the guard let out. “He’s here for business”

“Tell him to come back tomorrow”, Calvi turned to you again, his eyes taking in your swollen lips and dark eyes. Empty eyes but he didn’t need to know how void of emotion you were.

“Sir.”, the guard pressed before saying something that even you couldn’t ignore. “It’s the Red Hood.”

You felt your blood run cold, forcing yourself to remain calm at the mention of his name. You noticed how Calvi almost immediately snapped into attention. He looked at his guard, nodding and telling him to give him five minutes before bringing him in. He fixed his suit and his hair, wiping off the red stain that was on his lips as you fixed your hair and your dress.

“I didn’t know you had company.”, you said as you watched him. “I can come back another time.”

“Nonsense, my dear. It’ll be quick business, then we can get back to our… discussion about your inquiry on the Monet.”

As he finished, the door opened again, your eyes panned over to the other man standing at the door. A wall of pure, solid muscle covered completely in kevlar, daggers, and guns. A black motorcycle jacket on his upper half and dark combat boots, his bright red helmet making a statement as he entered. He completely flooded your senses with his intensity and dominance. You stared at him as he looked into the room, but you knew he was glaring daggers at you from under his helmet. When didn’t he completely despise anything you did?

“Red Hood. It’s a pleasure to have you here.” Calvi spoke confidently, his hand motioning towards the seat in front of the couch as he sat down next to you. You noticed the slits where his eyes should be narrow slightly no doubt recognizing what you and Calvi were doing. Your hair was a bit messy, and your lips were swollen. To anyone else they would have ignored it. But Red caught it immediately.

“What can I help you with?”

“I don’t mean to interrupt your… affairs, but I have an order to make”, Red’s deep, distorted voice rang out as he glared at Calvi’s hand slightly touching you from the top of the couch. Your eyes narrowed at him and even not being able to see his expression, you knew he was pissed. “I need 4 shipments of Fear Toxin and Miraclo, and two shipments holding AK47s, MFA1 Carbines, and M1928s.”

“When do you need your shipments?”

“Next week.”, Red stood with his arms crossed, staring at you then back at Calvi. You sent him looks filled with annoyance and frustration. You wanted nothing more than to be able to punch him in the jaw. “We have work that needs to be done.”

A subtle threat only meant for you.

What was he planning?

“It’ll be a tight schedule, but I’ll make sure it gets here in 3 days time. I’ll give you your total statement then to ensure payment is processed and received.”

“Good, now, get home Calvi.”, he ordered. You nearly scoffed at how you just witnessed the Red Hood give the king of the black market orders.

“Excuse me?”, Calvi questioned. “Get home? Are you my mother now?”

“No, but I am the guy keeping protection on your little operations, so if you want our contract to not be void, I suggest you listen. I won’t repeat myself twice.”

So Red was his contact. No wonder Calvi seemed well composed and confident in himself. Red was giving him all the protection he needed along with the pay for sourcing weapons for him. Foreign goods. Yeah, those militant weapons were foreign alright.

Calvi stared at him, letting the seconds pass and the tension grow, before standing and fixing his suit. “It’s a pleasure as always Hood. Vivian, let’s go, my dear.”

“The girl leaves. You won’t be needing her to help you get home.”

Calvi narrowed his eyes, your position still sitting on the couch. You felt your body fill with overwhelming anger, you wanted to kill the Red Hood more than anything but you couldn’t give up your facade of the calm, collected woman you were right now. You’d have to deal with him later.

“Vivian, I’ll get my driver to-”

“I’ll make sure she gets a ride.”, Red interrupted him. “I’ll have your guard get her a cab.”

Calvi clenched his teeth, his jaw flexing as you stood and walked over to him. You swayed your hips purposely to get a rise out of the masked vigilante, reaching your hands to touch Calvi’s face.

“I can get home. I look forward to continuing our discussion when we’re able to, okay?”, Calvi grunted in agreement before you gave him a kiss on the cheek, keeping your touch on him longer than you normally would just to get a rise out of the man burning holes into your back. You walked past Red Hood, walking out the door and getting in your cab. You were silent the entire way home, letting yourself bask in the anger eating you alive as you tried to calm down.

You entered your apartment angrily, throwing your clutch on the counter before shoving the heels off your feet.

Who did he think he was?!

God, you were on the right track, you have Calvi wrapped around your finger and of course, it’s him that Calvi has ties with. Now your entire plan was set back thanks to the infuriating red vermin.

You placed your hands on the counter, leaning forward as you stared at the ground. You needed to breathe. Relax. You could not let him get to you. Especially not like this.

Was this payback for the past month of you raiding his jobs? For making him lose all that money? He already wanted to kill you and you him, but why did him barging in on your jobs piss you off even more? You’d rather he just put the bullet in your head and call it a day than have to deal with the anger that flooded your veins every time you saw him.

“You really know how to play the part of seductress don’t you?”, that deep, distorted voice ripped you out of your focus. You felt the anger rise in you again. You turned to look at him, all 225 pounds of him, with his overwhelming presence, his annoying glare as he stared at your form. You were still wearing your dress, your hair still done and your makeup still flawless. And yet, the ugly side of you was about to come out and go head to head with this man.

“Get out of my apartment, Red.”, you bit out, the venom lacing your voice.

“What were you planning on doing? Seducing him?”, he pressed, his voice had an edge to it. “Were you going to reel him in? Get him under your spell so he would do you favors?”

“I said, get out!”, you turned to look at him, your eyes red with fury, your skin burning in irritation, and your heart pounding as you stood in front of him, looking up due to the obvious height difference. Red started to walk towards you, forcing you against the wall as he raised his arm to trap you against his muscular form and the brick. You wanted to fucking kill him.

“Were you going to let him have his way with you?”, he lowered his head, his voice deeper than it was before, the edge growing sharper. There was something dark in his voice, dangerous, full of instability. Your jaw clenched as you tried shoving him away, punching his chest as you shoved your face in his, the hate evident like you were an angered bull.

“Let him be taken by you? Let him touch you, use you, maybe even let him fuck you?”, You punched him again, shoving your hands into his chest as you pushed out of his grasp, snapping at him when he tried to touch you.

“Fucking leave me alone!” you yelled, your voice raw and your adrenaline pumping. You were certain you could kill him right now given the chance. You tried reaching for the gun in your bag, only to feel his hands stop you, pushing you against the table as he pressed his chest flush with your back, his face right next to your ear as he spoke in a dark tone.

“I know your little game, (Y/n). You can fool Calvi, seduce him, manipulate him, brainwash him. But I know. I know every little thing that you’re doing.”, he pressed his body against you, his leg separating your thighs, pressing against you. “You can’t fool me, sweetheart.”

“You son of a bitch..”, you felt on fire, struggling against him, pushing yourself back as he turned you around, forcing himself into your space. Your body was still wrapped in your dress, your breasts were practically on his chest, his arms trapping you as he overwhelmed your senses.

“Tell me, (Y/n), do you think he’d know how to take care of you?”, his voice got deeper, his hand grabbing your face so your eyes would meet his. His body pressed against you, the muscle of his legs causing your skin to heat. “Would he know the first thing about where to touch you?”, his leg pushed against your core, your body responding to his sudden movements. “Would he know how to fuck you?”.

Your eyes narrowed in hatred, absolute hate and fury. There was no hiding it, even he could see the absolute lack of control you had right now and you hated it. You hated him.

His voice was in your ear, his hand grabbing your waist as the other wrapped itself around your throat. “Would he be able to make you scream his name?”. God, he filled your senses and pushed you into overdrive. “Would he be able to absolutely fuck the sense out of you and make you his? Take every part of you and make you beg?” his voice dripped with conviction, repeating himself a final time. “Tell me sweetheart, do you think he’s the one to make you his?”

You couldn’t take the pressure building in between your thighs. You didn’t want to have this reaction to him, but your body had other plans, ones you couldn’t control or hide.

“Why are you so interested in my personal life, Red?”, you challenged. You needed to get your power back from him. “Do you think you’d be able to do even half of what you’re saying Calvi would do to me?”

“Sweetheart, if I had you, there wouldn’t be a doubt in anyone’s mind who you belonged to.”

You stared at him with heat in your eyes, you knew he could see how flustered you were but you didn’t want to give him more power than he already had. You suddenly felt his gloved hand on your neck, his fingers softly clutching your face.

“I don’t belong to anyone. Especially not you”, you bit out, your teeth clenched as he held your gaze.

“Keep telling yourself that, Sweetheart.”, he pushed himself away from you, heading towards the window. “Calvi works for me. He won’t be so naive to fall into your tricks.”

“Leave, Red.”, you forced out, your anger still consuming you. You watched as he climbed out the window and out into the night, your body still in overdrive from his touch.

Why did he leave you feeling this way?

How did he get you this riled up?

Why did he care about you going after Calvi?

And most importantly, what was his motive?

A/N: Here is chapter 3! Hope you guys enjoy it!

I have been sick the past week so I was able to edit and get this up for you guys. I love the reactions to this series so please leave all your comments and thoughts! I love reading them and look forward to hearing more from you guys.

Until Next Week xx.

[thornsofthefuture]

an interview with razorz of EPILEPTICS — a talk about music, molly and life

today, we had the honor to interview razorz, the frontperson of EPILEPTICS, once a witch-house & electronic band, now a reggaeton, post-hardcore & rave one-person project. EPILEPTICS has been in the industry since 2013. the band quickly gained popularity because of the self-titled LP released through the YOUTH 1984 label. the LP has been adored by fans of the witch-house & electronic genre. songs like Esoteric, Heroin Chic and Carpathian hit the charts, making EPILEPTICS a legend and a huge influence in the international Witch House scene, along with their chaotic live shows and then-elusive personas, setting the blueprint of aesthetic and sound for many bands and artists to come.

[this interview includes explicit content & mentions of self harm. some viewers might find this content triggering. proceed with caution.]

thorns of the future: first question: how did you find out that you wanted to be a music producer?

razorz: Out of necessity, I was 15-16 playing in black metal, crust and grindcore bands, I always realized that I was the only one writing songs and throwing ideas. When me and Amanda Failure started EPILEPTICS, we had no idea how to do electronic music, I read somewhere about this software "Reason 4". I cracked a copy and started messing with it, I was amazed that you could do music, an entire song on a laptop, a 2008 HP mini to be precise, we came from the world of guitars, amps, pedals and drums, we couldn't believe it. Now I do records and remixes for other people and I can tell you 100% that I'm not sure of what I am doing, I can't let other people do my songs cause I am very specific with everything, only a couple of occassions this has happened, MYKKA from Argentina, a superstar prod. she produced for Bad Bunny, Duki, Bhavi, Ysy A, and a bunch of other important people and she made some of the heaviest, nastiest dubstep ever before that, she has legit Gold Records and is one of the top producers from Latin America, so she made the beat for Suicide Season because I bugged her for a year and she thought that EPLPTCS was kinda cool and weird and SVGAWA (Ukrainian Witch House rockstar) a brother to me is the only person on earth that reads my mind and knows what I want, they are the 2 only people who have made beats for me, I became a producer but that was never the goal, when we started I did not even know what a producer was.

thorns of the future: tell us about the craziest person you've ever seen in the crowd during your live show.

razorz: On a festival in Moscow 2018 there was this girl and a dude that tried god-knows whatever designer drug and they were on the floor, could not move their legs or talk but they were moving their torsos to the music, they were in the back and I was impressed how unphased everybody was, like "hey, I think these guys are dying" and nobody gave a shit, here in Mexico in like 2017 some girls and dudes showed up with mutilated arms to the front row and I used to cut myself on some shows if I had a vibe going on, at Station Hall in Moscow I stagedived at the end with wounds open in the arms and some girl I believe licked them at the stagedive, that was crazy, after me, King Plague was gonna DJ and she refused to until the stage was cleaned up, I left it full of blood, that's the dumb stuff I was doing at the time, when I saw that followers of the band were destroying themselves from us openly encouraging the use of drugs and self mutilation, I stopped with that, a couple of people I really cared about actually died from that, there was this infectious "bug" on tours that was not healthy for anybody, we were dangerous to ourselves and the people around us, but that's the past.

thorns of the future: what were your thoughts during your first ever live show?

razorz: As EPILEPTICS? I was very nervous because Failure got in trouble and couldn't make it to the show but I didn't know, I played at like 3am at this indie little festival in a hall in here, a girl complained it was too noisy and it was hurting her ears, there is video of that show, gonna upload it to YouTube and about Failure, days later she answered the phone and turns out she was caught  drunk driving that evening so her parents were getting her out of detention that night, I barely remember it, I was coked out of my mind and drinking anisette on that one, but I had played a bunch of metal/punk shows before EPLPTCS which are the worst, after coming from those scenes you are 120% bulletproof to anything, nothing is worse than those shows, you work and play your ass off for nothing in the tiniest places in the worst conditions with the worst crowds.

thorns of the future: what made you switch from electronic music to your current genre?

razorz: We never intended to be a Witch House band, we just wanted to blend what Salem and Glass Teeth were doing with UK rave music and jungle, we were "adopted" and thrown in the bunch by the people and we are grateful for that, I see the impact now that us and the Russian bands and prods had on the current musical landscape, we were a bunch of angsty teenagers that just wanted to unleash. Anyway I lived the Witch House thing to the fullest, I played all the fests, met everybody, got signed twice and made money, I was in Russia when Witch House was mainstream music there, you would walk into a Bershka store and they were playing Crossparty, it was not underground at all, in Spain it was a big deal as well, before Sidewalks toured the circuit, before Crim3s, I did, I saw it and we all knew it was gonna end eventually, everybody was living the lifestyle, everybody was running out of ideas and americans put the final nail in the coffin of Witch House with their stupid songs about ghosts, terror and daft shit like that, around 2019 the scene was dead worldwide and you can ask anybody who was there, Dann K left the band and it was only me now, I always hated rap music but we were played on Mexican radio a legendary station in here called Reactor 105, they believed in us and played our songs, one day I was listening and Bring the Noize by M.I.A. came up, I was floored, I could not believe the sound of that, so I started listening more, started to consume UK grime, weird ethnic stuff like kuduro (it's a music genre) and soundsystems, reggaeton was huge in here always and at that time there were this really dense/heavy loud af tracks coming from South America along with the trap scene from Argentina and I was into that as well, I needed a rebranding of everything and now I was gonna front so I did "lost u" which is a monster witch pop song as a goodbye for the "Version 1" of the band, plus me being razorz and EPILEPTICS being pretty much my life for 5 years at that point, I was not 18 anymore and you have to think like "I guess this is what I am gonna do, so I need to be more commercial" and at that time I was partying a lot and liking commercial af music and seemed reachable so I went for the full selling out if you will and I don't regret it at all, underground is not fun.

thorns of the future: how old were you when you first started making music?

razorz: I always played music, my mum is a huge music fan, she was an 80's goth and she also liked metal so I got my 1st drumkit when I was 3, then a guitar at 6, she was very supportive, my dad didn't really care, I never learned theory, so I would play CDs and learn from there, my first song I'd say I was 12 (?) it was some sort of a Carcass death metal song. So it went from there, there is this ultra depressive neoclassical autumn vibes piano/acoustic guitar project called 'Bläire' (which was my pseudonym in black metal bands I played in) I recorded it alone in my bedroom when I was like 15, it was supposed to come out on cassette on a Finnish black metal label but it closed 2 weeks before the release and that broke me so I put a couple of those tracks as hidden tracks on the 1st and 2nd EPILEPTICS records (Autumnal Black Metal Tape and Santander respectively) I will eventually put that whole EP myself on Spotify.

thorns of the future: who's your biggest inspiration?

razorz: Way too many people to mention, but Liam Howlett (The Prodigy), Skrillex (who I was a fan of since From First to Last) and Ethan Kath (him exclusively, fuck that other person in that band) made it seem realistic cause they were punky guys like me. Nowadays I get inspired by anything, many people wouldn't believe all the shit I listen to, all over the place.

thorns of the future: what's your favourite song that you produced?

razorz: I am very proud of Nadia Comaneci, that song took me 2 years to write when I was homeless (by choice) and on meth, it encapsulates the hate, actually becoming insane and paranoia like no other song, it has this totally incoherent lyrics that range from violence and death to school shootings, me being Hannah Montana, killing police officers, killing rock music, La Santa Muerte, asexuality as a way of living, suicide, life in the 3rd world, anti materialism, etc. 2 minutes, all of that in 2 fucking minutes, the music video is just a masterpiece too, that the director (Conejo Roto) envisioned, very disturbing and grotesque but not in the obvious way, I love it and its like 4 different music genres squeezed in 2 minutes, again: awesome, it's like a manifesto.

thorns of the future: tell us how you start the process of making music.

razorz: Listening to music, and just observing life, I can be listening to Britney and Kylie Minogue and steal a vocal melody from them, then maybe a drum pattern from Diplo and then a guitar lead part from old Bloc Party, The Kills or The Libertines and a synth from 100gecs and then a flow and snare from a Favela Funk song, or a figure from a riff from Darkthrone, my way of writing music is straight up stealing parts of songs from totally opposite genres and mashing them together, it is rare that a song comes to my head but sometimes that happens.

thorns of the future: how did you come up with the name for your band?

razorz: I have a cousin that was diagnosed with epilepsy that I didnt see often back when we started the band, he had a seizure and I was alone with him at our grandma's house, he had this fucked up convulsion and I was alone with him, his eyes went blank and his mouth was tweaking bad, I told Failure about it and she had a crush on Ian from Joy Division (lame) who was an epileptic too, so she named the band, I thought it was a stupid name and I still hate it, we released 'Esoteric' like weeks later and we kicked the Witch House/rave scene along with the russians and it became this minor hit in a matter of days so we couldn't change it, I still hate the name and think it is silly as fuck, almost 10 years still bothers me.

thorns of the future: what would you like to say to your fans?

razorz: I hate the word fans, I like calling them friends, I'd like to tell them to not have kids, that's the best advice I can give and to never listen to anybody, live your fucking lives however you want.

thorns of the future: what's your favourite drug and why?

razorz: I'm gonna go with molly, I had some of the best times of my life on that one and I did lots of music discovery with my then best friend Axl, we would do tons of molly, not eat for a week and just listen to music nonstop, Dann K. (vocalist/synths on The Sun Hurts My Eyes) got me into shooting coke right in the fucking neck for a bit but it was too awesome so I stopped and went to regular snorting I guess, I have a permanent damage on my palate from doing so much coke for years.

thorns of the future: is there a religion you hate most?

razorz: Oh man... haha anything that involves bombing, cowardly unaliving kids in other countries and treating women like garbage, not gonna name it but I think everybody with a braincell will know what I'm talking about.

thorns of the future: your most unliked subculture is…

razorz: Punks, fucking losers, lame mediocre, miserable people who like to pretend they live in 1985, metalheads too, are pretty stupid and childish and anybody who is playing glam music or trying to be Guns N' Roses in 2024 is amusing to me, oh djent is pretty fucking lame too.

thorns of the future: tell us your least liked artist - is it because of their music or their personality?

razorz: Gonna name a few in no particular order: XXXTentacion, Lil Peep, Arca bothers the shit out of me, mediocre techno, this Sarah Landry bitch who plays "hard techno" which is just a kick loop going on for 3 hrs what's that shit about? Nobody likes it but fucking dunces pretend to like it cause it's "cool", Nina Kraviz, dumb fuck thinking she is modeling while DJing, this stupid pop punk revival bands talking about pizza and smelling their mothers ass they are even doing that here in Mexico, it is insulting, bunch of fucking sons of rich privileged idiots, My Chemical Romance, Tool, 98% of American Witch House talking about ghosts and Halloween and shit lmao, post-2013 Grimes (hung out with her in 2016 and she was annoying as fuck) K pop boybands and girlbands, lame electronic like Porter Robinson, that BLAND stupid disco shit that Daft Punk did, white people acting black, Machine Gun Kelly, DJs who have girls twerking at their sets piss me off beyond belief, Drake is one of the softest and most pathetic individuals to ever put music out, etc man, my hate is unlimited and I have chilled out a lot. Honorable mention to this dumb fuck Anyma, he was Grimes' boyfriend or something, that instead of playing MUSIC he just puts this dumbass lame visuals on his shows, J Balvin and Maluma along with all that soft reggaeton pop bullshit is pretty embarrasing as well, they think us mexicans LOVE that garbage and we don't.

thorns of the future: what's the riskiest thing you've ever done?

razorz: For my own security I can't talk much about it but I am amazed that I was not killed, that I never had a fatal overdose and that I am not in prison talking to you today, whatever you think I've done multiply that by 10 and you will be kind of close, I lived the street life to the max when I was a meth addict and I don't like all this people around the world rapping or singing about it like it's cool cause it's not, the fear of police, paranoia, the nothing, hearing voices and seeing things that are not there, the cold, the "I don't know if I'm gonna come back alive from this one" or going to a free clinic to check if you have AIDS are things I do not miss at all.

we would like to thank razorz of EPILEPTICS for answering all of our questions. we really appreciate you. that's all for now.

images & videos: razorz

spotify:

EPILEPTICS: https://open.spotify.com/artist/20KlxRilj2aFPUDjglUebT

razorz: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3AvvaBzMypsd6UYoE3aNBF

instagram:

EPILEPTICS: https://www.instagram.com/epileptix/

razorz: https://www.instagram.com/r4z0rz/

hyperfollow: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/epileptics

[keelywolfe]

I have to ask: what is your writing/editing process like? You have absolutely spoiled me rotten with the frequency of your updates. Just about every 2-4 days, I get that ping on my inbox from you. That sort of frequency would lead me to suspect short chaps or maybe disjointed and riddled with errors but you are posting QUALITY, LENGTHY installments consistently, and I'm just in awe. Do you just word vomit onto an empty page in one sitting? Do you break it up? Do you edit as you go or at the end, all together? Just anything about your process, if you don't mind sharing, would be great to hear!

Oh, huh, no one has ever asked me that before. This is about how it goes:

First, I use a note-taking software to organize all my ideas and plot threads. I use MS OneNote because I already use it for work so I'm used to it, and I can have it synced between my phone and my laptop (I write on both), but I highly recommend using something like it. I say this not because I am an organized person, but because I am very disorganized and things will quickly descend into chaos without something to maintain order. I have about 50 tabs right now for 'Lucifer' and they contain everything from a single cool line that hit me at 3am (write it DOWN, you will not remember it in the morning, that's the devil talking) to complete outlines of upcoming stories. When I’m finished with a tab I dump it into another folder because I am allergic to deleting anything.

It looks like this:

When I go to use whatever is in a tab, I copy and paste it into a document, and then I write what I guess is the first draft. Just go at it like a monkey on crack trying to get everything that needs to be in the chapter on paper. It doesn’t need to be perfect, I'm just trying to get the shape of it down, with the occasional runaway tangent. 

After the basic bones of the story are down, next is the second draft or as I mentally call it ‘jazzing it up.’ That's when I go back and fix things like the ten paragraphs of dialogue with no indication of who is speaking. Depending on how it's going, I might go through the jazz routine once or several times. I was struggling with the last chapter, it took a few attempts before I finally deleted a segment and then it clicked and I was able to get it where I wanted it to go.

Once I'm happy with the story, I use the Read function in my writing program to read the entire thing to me. It's seriously the best way to catch mistakes or odd phrasing, eyes miss things after reading it so many times, ears are a fresh sense and they catch the missing words and strange turns.

That's about it. I sound weird when it's all down like this. 😂

[jules-has-notes]

My Mother Told Me — VoicePlay music video

A song with just two short verses repeated over and over could easily become boring. But when you've got a lyrics as powerful as this Icelandic verse and singers as creative as VoicePlay, there's no danger of nodding off. In fact, you may have trouble staying in your seat. Just give them a few minutes before you pack up and head for the longships.

Details:

title: My Mother Told Me (feat. Jose Rosario Jr.)

original performers: Peter Franzén as King Harald & Jasper Pääkkönen as Halfdan the Black in Vikings (2013), s.4,ep.9 "Death All 'Round"

written by: lyrics based on chapter 40 of "Egil's Saga", a poem about Egil Skallagrímsson, likely written by Snorri Sturluson; melody composed by Einar Selvik for Vikings

arranged by: Layne Stein

release date: 23 April 2021

My favorite bits:

Jose kicking things off with a clear, confident tone

passing the bare melody to a new singer with each line

Layne singing in a slight thematically appropriate accent

adding hummed harmonies as Geoff takes his turn

Geoff just becoming a viking war horn with those subharmonic drone notes through the second verse

the increasing rhythmic and tonal complexity of the harmonies as the song progresses

Eli's threatening gesture to illustrate how he plans to ♫ "hew many foe-men" ♫

the series of body percussion hits to close out the second verse

that lush homophony in the first half of the third verse

Layne ramping up the percussion in the first bridge as he starts visibly beatboxing

the quick crescendo and crisp cut-off at the end of the bridge

fierce Eli soaring into the heavens as he asserts his destiny further

Jose and J.None's subtle ascending harmony runs

the slow, staggered canon of ♫ "stand up" ♫

building anticipation with the trio's dissonant chords and an extra bar of Geoff's reverberating bassiness

the speed and audio panning on Layne's percussion in the final bridge section

turning away from the camera to gaze upon their respective domains as they settle into those octave harmonies

Trivia:

This song was suggested by a number of Patreon patrons and other fans, so VoicePlay decided to take a crack at it.

It brought in a fair number of new fans, as well, mostly folks who already enjoyed the Vikings TV series and/or sea shanties in general.

Although many people associate the song with the Assassin's Creed: Valhala video game, it isn't actually featured in it. The game does share several historical characters with the Vikings TV series in which this version originated, though, which is probably the source of the confusion.

This was VoicePlay's first collaboration with Jose. They had mutual friends both through the local Orlando performance community and in his Rockapella bandmates.

They were filmed individually against green screen at the PattyCake studio. Jose documented some of what they got up to behind the scenes. [scroll through for photos and videos]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jose Rosario Jr. (@joserosariojr_11)

The landscape backgrounds were created by Eli using Unreal Engine, software usually used to make video games.

The only additional crew member in the studio was makeup artist Rick Underwood, who applied their tattoos.

The symbol on J.None's forehead is a Norse bind-rune, tónlist, meaning "music". All of the guys have one as part of their makeup somewhere, though the others are a bit less visible.

Some of the guys didn't bother removing their makeup before going home for dinner… or meeting people at a restaurant.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Geoff Castellucci (@geophr3y)

These things happen when you marry an artist, I suppose. 🤭

Their new looks received some mixed responses from friends and family on social media.

(The guy giving Geoff a hard time is his brother Greg, who is a Naval officer like their dad. Boys. 🙄)

A few days after the video's public release, they posted a live excerpt from Geoff on their social media accounts in the hopes that it would lure some more viewers to the full version.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VoicePlay (@thevoiceplay)

This song was a bit of a trend for a while. Several other popular versions were recorded by VoicePlay's friends and colleagues, including The Hound + The Fox (feat. Adam Chance), and The Wellermen.

Peter Franzén, the actor who played King Harald in Vikings, also recorded a version with the original Norse lyrics as a collaboration with Swedish band Hindarfjäll that was released in July of the same year.

Dr. Jackson Crawford, a scholar of Old Norse, provided a brief history of the saga, a more literal translation of the lyrics, and a reading in the original language a few months later. There's even a bonus (more bawdy) shanty from his former sailor neighbor.

The VoicePlay vikings returned almost exactly two years later for a bombastic rendition of "Valhalla Calling".

[othernaut]

Character Creation Challenge 2025, Day 4: Corp Borg

Image Archive B6-96 doesn't exist. It isn't located on the second floor of the Southern Watchtower, between Compliance Archive II-01 and the Domain of Ceaseless Summer. No pneumatics travel there; emails never arrive. There certainly isn't a trolley full of proprietary images that have been allowed to rot in stock for six months, lacking anywhere to rest.

Jazz isn't worried. Her department, slashed to a single head, can function just fine, just like this. The lack of managerial direction after the culling doesn't concern her one bit. She hasn't been forgotten. This'll work out just fine.

(They keep finding them in drywalled offices, the bodies. Support for software that's been sunsetted for decades. Withered, single-man departments without responsibilities, without oversight, without food, without air. They drag the groaning things out into the offices by their fingernails. Security still has to walk them out, regardless of whether or not they can stand.)

Just sit back and collect a paycheck. Live the dream. But she can't even effectively freelance - can't create, can't do anything for herself - due to the clause in her contract that owns any work done on company time. And now that everyone else is gone, now that she IS the department, overtime is effectively infinite. Live the dream - unless you can't go home. Until they notice you. Until they remember you can still perform.

Trolley full of proprietary images to B6-96, which doesn't exist. The pencils have been rattling all morning in a soft and subtle earthquake that won't stop. All she has is her own initiative. And she has to make this look good.

Sneakers crunching across the old brown basement carpet as she wheels the trolley through the corridors. Techs are in today, hefting desks and drafting tables out of old offices, wheeling in server racks and PC banks pre-loaded with the latest generative image software. You can still see the long scratches on the walls where the old heads - the layout artists, the physical media guys, the ones who worked in ink and paper - were pulled screaming from their ratholes. A wisp of magenta lurches from the trolley, flickers the fluorescents neon pink for a moment; a pattern of primary color shapes, rods, and squiggles asserts itself momentarily over the carpet. There's a reason you don't let the images pile up for too long.

A heavy jolt hits the building. The lights flicker in their housing, gypsum dust rattles from the walls. Something crashes in an adjacent room; someone curses, automatic and rapid-fire, and it lasts until the lights go out for good.

A low moaning from somewhere far, far below. Motes of light, ketchup red, rise from the carpet around her sensible shoes.

She runs, barreling the trolley ahead of her like a battering ram.

Crowd around the elevators, clustered muffled bodies staring at the blinking emergency lights. Someone cracks a joke about early lunch; sensible chuckles. One of those bodies sinks wordlessly into the unlit floor, black into black, and no one even notices they're missing. Jazz thunders on, riding the inertia of her now-unstoppable snap decision. The task she had appointed herself has become her sole focus, beyond the safety training videos drilled into her year after year. Freight elevator. Her department relegated to the basement for so long that she knows the way by heart. Red light pulsing above the doorway, emergency power - still power. She skids the trolley to a slow, rumbling stop and taps the elevator open.

Inside, another person. Old winter wear, pink windbreaker, battered ski boots - possibly rentals. Wraparound mirrorshades lift to reveal terrified eyes, red-rimmed doe-leather brown. Sheer terror when Jazz eases the trolley into the elevator. He speaks something like modern Swedish, though fucked up and archaic in a way she can't really place. Seems grateful when she hits the button for the lobby. Keeps repeating that he needs to get out, get away, she thinks - she can relate. Snow melts on his shoulders as the freight elevator rumbles upwards. She can't show him the way out, not now, but she does the best she can to guide him to the front doors from the lobby. Eyes watering in a childlike confusion and gratitude, like a baby that's never been struck.

Doors ding open. Security is there, four of them, and they rush in plain and quick and efficient. Taze the stranger in a single motion and lope him out of the box, twitching and groaning. Jazz holds the elevator open with her foot, waiting for them to vacate. A wisp of an old jingle rises out of the compressed art blocks on the trolley, a memory of when there was more soda than just the one, more options than just this.

Nearly crunches over the guy's dropped wraparound shades on her way out. Something weird in the neon blue reflection: not the ceiling, a cloudy sky. Edge of a mountain. Snow coming down. She pauses, just a little, and picks them up. The perspective shifts to a ski lift rising up the edge of an otherwise familiar mountain. A quaint little lodge, winter-frosted, sits right in the heart of what would be Nekker Bell HQ main lobby. Like here, only quieter.

There are figures in the reflection, distorted and small. A snowsuited man fixes skis onto a tiny, overdressed, potatolike toddler. A smiling woman slides by, ear to an old beige-brick cellphone with a thick, wobbly antenna. Some animal leaps around in the snow, golden-furred in little booties and a knitted sweater, like a hellhound with dark, teary eyes and no miasma of hellish stench.

Snowy, achingly prosaic. Mundane.

Another rumble. The freight elevator shifts a few centimeters; something whines in the overhead mechanism. Jazz wheels the trolley through the doors, out into the overlapping shadows and light of the lobby floor. Tucks the shades into her T-shirt, glass in, cold against her feverish skin. A trio of first responders lean against the curve of the front desk, trading indistinguishable gossip, plain and casual, with two of the five receptionists even as the floor shifts and shudders.

Still got shit to do.

*****

Savings: 111¤ Role: Designer Works for: Nekker Bell Traits: Knowledge 20 (3), Flexibility 13 (1), Integrity 13 (1), Hard Skills 7 (-1), Soft Skills 15 (2) Hit Points: 4 Undos: 1

Assets: Just a shirt and jeans (no damage reduction, -2DR for Flexibility tests), Pen (d3 weapon, at max damage it embeds, Flexibility or Hard Skills DR12 to pull it out and do 1 bleed for 1d4 rounds), Backpack (7 items), Bag of coffee additives, 26-day-old sandwich (it's fine) Incantations: Intern Descend (Summon d4 faithful interns, no armor, d2 scratch, worthless) Artifact: Sketchbook (sketch a location to teleport there, roll a d6; 1-2 the sketch is bad and it doesn't work, 3-4 the sketch is okay and it teleports somewhere else, 5-6 the sketch is workable and it functions as intended)

Complicated past: Family curse (soul's mortgaged from birth) Yearnings: Purity (longs to do ART, ACTUAL FUCKING ART) Reason to work in corporation: A grave mistake (artist wants paycheck, the beartrap closes) Reaction to stress: None (just another day in paradise)

Name: Jazz (like the old dixie cup pattern)

*****

I do like a bit of corporate horror. Severance got hold of me hard for a bit; I've always liked the bits of the SCP Foundation that focused on the odd interactions of the anomalous with a normal office building. Corp Borg files that mundane inhumanity into the framework of Mork Borg, and at first it looked like an awkward fit, making nostalgic and, at times, hilarious Mork Borg's ever-present feeling of grinding, inescapable doom. But as someone who's put time in the customer service mines, "grinding, inescapable doom" is a sensation that well fits the vibe in every modern office. And hey, we like lateral moves, here at the reeling edge of culture.

Corp Borg looks and rolls pretty much precisely like Mork Borg; the colorways are identical, the flashy zine-style aesthetics, the assumption that you know what the hell the book is on about when it says "d6 laptop, 50% chance to inflict code-madness for d3 rounds". Fresh new vinyl flesh poured onto the skeleton of Mork Borg; if you know Mork Borg, you know how this thing works. Which sounds on first blush like a faint condemnation, but Mork Borg is a masterpiece of design, and saying that a thing looks and feels just like it is plaintext praise.

That said, the vibes are... kind of off. Corp Borg can slide too hard into the "horror" side of "corporate horror", treating the fluorescent lights and open-plan offices as set dressing for the capitalist demons that carry the weight of the thing's professed awfulness. Part of what appeals to me about corporate horror is that the corporate part is in every way exactly as horrific as the horror part, only in an insidious, achingly slow way - the horror not of a monster peeling off your skin but of willingly lining up, day after day, to have it abraded down to the muscle layer by the gentle scrub of the office-standard belt sander.

(The reason I got out of the customer service mines was that I had one real, good conversation with a co-worker where she revealed a lot about herself and her personality. We had a lot of similar tastes and opinions; she said I reminded her a lot of herself when she started. She had been ground down to a cynical nub, immediately expecting everyone she met to be stupid, irrational and stubborn. She accepted that her day was going to be misery and the paycheck was just enough of a balm to keep her in it. There was no life in those eyes. Two weeks submitted days later.)

That said, there's enough stuff in Corp Borg that you can assemble the pieces into whatever flavor of corporate sundae you're after - if you think coffee Madonnas and stapler fights are too ridiculous, you can play around with endless overtime, with the slow grinding shift of the mutation tables, with the end of the world delivered by email daemon hot and fresh every morning (and please do not reply).

One thing I will unconditionally laud is the starter adventure in the back of the book (which is excellent, and banks on impostor syndrome as its main mechanism of fear, which I adore) and, crucially, beautifully, the solo play rules. I am pleased beyond expression that not only are solo play rules included right in the book, but that it's comprehensive, well thought out, and comes with delightful flowcharts, exceptions and thematic justification. This is a thing I want to praise loudly until it blossoms into a trend, and it's the thing that elevates Corp Borg from a "huh, neat" to something I'm probably going to reference over and over again on bored work nights.

Next up: A careworn dream of the future.

[samedaycomputerrepairsmelbourne]

Are You Choosing the Right Shop for iPad Repairs in Melbourne?

iPads have become an essential part of our daily lives — from work and study to entertainment and communication. So when something goes wrong, whether it’s a cracked screen, faulty battery, or software glitch, finding a reliable repair service becomes urgent.

But with so many options available, are you choosing the right shop for iPad repairs in Melbourne? The difference between a trusted expert and a subpar service can mean saving your device — or losing it for good.

Let’s walk through what truly matters when choosing a repair provider in Melbourne.

Why Choosing the Right Repair Shop Matters

Not all repair services are created equal. While some offer expert diagnostics and quality parts, others may cut corners with unskilled labor or low-grade components. Making the wrong choice can lead to:

Recurring issues

Damage to internal components

Data loss or privacy risks

Voided Apple warranties

Overpriced or unnecessary repairs

To avoid these risks, it’s essential to work with professionals who specialize in iPad Repairs Melbourne users can rely on for quality and care.

What to Look for in a Reliable iPad Repair Shop

1. Certified and Experienced Technicians

Your iPad deserves expert hands. Choose a repair shop that employs trained technicians with proven experience handling Apple devices. The best iPad repairs in Melbourne come from specialists who know how to work with delicate hardware and software safely.

2. Genuine or High-Quality Replacement Parts

The best repair shops use genuine Apple parts or high-grade OEM alternatives. Avoid places that rely on cheap, low-quality parts, as these can cause more issues down the road.

3. Warranty on Repairs

Any shop offering trustworthy iPad repairs in Melbourne should back their work with a clear warranty—on both parts and labor. This shows confidence in their service and protects you if something goes wrong later.

4. Transparent Pricing

You should never be hit with hidden fees. Look for businesses that offer upfront pricing and honest assessments before any work begins. A reputable provider of iPad Repairs Melbourne will explain costs clearly and stick to the quote.

5. Strong Reviews and Reputation

Search for shops with consistently positive reviews on Google and other platforms. Real customer feedback gives you insight into the quality of service, reliability, and overall experience. A good reputation is key when choosing the right place for iPad repairs in Melbourne.

6. Fast Turnaround Time

When your iPad is out of action, time matters. Many well-rated repair shops in Melbourne offer same-day or next-day service for common problems like screen damage or battery issues.

Red Flags to Avoid

When searching for iPad Repairs Melbourne, keep an eye out for these warning signs:

No physical address or vague contact information

No warranty or service guarantees

Extremely low prices that seem too good to be true

Poor online reviews or no digital presence at all

Pushy upselling or unclear service explanations

Choosing Smart in a Crowded Market

Melbourne has no shortage of tech shops and mobile repair services. But convenience shouldn’t come at the cost of quality. When it comes to iPad repairs Melbourne, choosing the right provider means protecting your device, your data, and your investment.

Whether you're in the CBD, St Kilda, Fitzroy, or the northern suburbs, make sure the shop you choose is experienced, reputable, and clear in their communication.

Final Thoughts

So, are you choosing the right shop for iPad repairs in Melbourne? If you're uncertain, take the time to do a little research. A reliable provider will give you honest answers, use quality parts, and ensure your iPad is returned in excellent working condition.

The right shop is out there — you just need to know what to look for. And when you find one, you'll have peace of mind knowing your device is in capable hands.

[doaguru]

Meet CRM Guru: Your New Digital Partner in Real Estate Success

In today’s fast-moving real estate world, success isn’t just about working harder—it’s about working smarter. As property markets become more competitive and client expectations grow, real estate professionals need more than just intuition and hustle. They need technology that works as hard as they do.

That’s where CRM Guru steps in.

Designed specifically for real estate agents, brokers, and agencies, CRM Guru is more than just software—it’s your strategic partner. From streamlining day-to-day operations to nurturing leads and boosting client satisfaction, CRM Guru helps you work faster, close smarter, and grow bigger. Whether you’re juggling multiple listings or building long-term relationships with buyers and sellers, this tool is built to handle it all with ease.

Let’s dive into how CRM Guru can become the smartest investment in your real estate journey.

Why CRM Guru?

The real estate industry thrives on relationships. Your ability to manage contacts, nurture leads, and efficiently handle follow-ups directly impacts your bottom line. CRM Guru simplifies these tasks, allowing you to focus on what truly matters—building stronger relationships and closing more deals.

Here’s why CRM Guru is essential for every real estate professional:

Key Features That Empower Your Business

1. Advanced Lead Management Effortlessly capture, organize, and prioritize leads. With CRM Guru’s intuitive interface, your pipeline becomes clearer, helping you target your most promising prospects first.

2. Automated Workflow Imagine freeing yourself from repetitive tasks. CRM Guru automates email follow-ups, appointment scheduling, and task reminders, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

3. Insightful Reporting Real-time analytics provide insights into client behavior, sales performance, and marketing effectiveness. Make informed decisions based on accurate, actionable data.

4. Mobile Access Anytime, Anywhere Whether you're in the office, at a property, or on the move, CRM Guru’s robust mobile app keeps your business at your fingertips.

5. Seamless Integrations CRM Guru integrates effortlessly with popular tools such as email services, social media platforms, and real estate listing portals, ensuring your business operates smoothly and efficiently.

Benefits Tailored to Real Estate Professionals

Enhanced Productivity: Spend less time on administrative tasks and more time engaging with clients and prospects.

Better Client Relationships: Personalize communications to keep clients informed and engaged.

Improved Closing Rates: Streamline your processes to respond faster and manage deals more effectively, significantly increasing your closing rates.

Real-Life Applications: How CRM Guru Makes a Difference

Scenario 1: Managing New Listings A new listing hits the market. CRM Guru updates your contact list instantly, automatically notifies potential buyers based on their preferences, schedules follow-up calls, and tracks responses.

Scenario 2: Client Follow-ups Forget manually tracking interactions—CRM Guru ensures each client receives timely, personalized communication. Automated reminders and follow-ups keep conversations going smoothly.

Scenario 3: Performance Tracking Curious about which marketing campaigns bring the best results? CRM Guru’s detailed reporting shows you exactly where your efforts are paying off, allowing for smarter marketing investments.

Ready to Revolutionize Your Real Estate Business?

Don’t let outdated systems or scattered spreadsheets hold you back. Whether you're an independent broker, part of a growing agency, or managing a full-scale real estate firm—CRM Guru adapts to your pace and scales with your vision.

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Don’t just keep up—get ahead. Empower your team, impress your clients, and close more deals with the real estate CRM built for results.

CRM Guru is proudly brought to you by Doaguru Infosystem, a trusted name in innovative technology solutions for businesses across India.

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Email: support@crmguru.com

visit: www.crm.doaguru.com

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is CRM Guru designed for? CRM Guru is tailored specifically for real estate agents, brokers, and agencies who want to streamline operations, manage leads efficiently, and close deals faster.

Can I access CRM Guru on my phone? Absolutely. CRM Guru offers a robust mobile app that gives you full access to your leads, schedules, and reports anytime, anywhere.

Does CRM Guru integrate with property listing portals? Yes! CRM Guru seamlessly integrates with major real estate platforms, email providers, and social media tools for a smooth and connected workflow.

Is there a free trial available? Yes. You can sign up for a free trial to explore all the features of CRM Guru and see how it fits your business needs before committing.

What kind of support is available? Our support team is available via phone, email, and live chat to assist you. We also offer onboarding assistance and training sessions to help you get the most out of CRM Guru.

[savvyhrms01]

5 Ways HR Software Can Actually Make Hiring Easier

Hiring can be one of the most rewarding parts of HR, but also one of the most exhausting. Between juggling resumes, coordinating interviews, and trying not to let any great candidates slip through the cracks, it can get overwhelming fast. Over the years, I’ve found that using the right HR software isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a game-changer. Here are five real ways it’s helped me simplify the hiring process.

1. You Can Post Jobs in One Go

I remember when I used to log in to five different sites just to post the same job. Now? With a good HR platform, I write the job description once, hit publish, and it goes live on multiple job boards at the same time. It saves me a ton of time, and I know it’s reaching a wider pool of candidates.

2. Everything Stays in One Place

I used to have resumes in emails, interview notes in Google Docs, and feedback scribbled in notebooks. It was chaos. HR management software pulls it all together—every document, every comment, every update—so I’m not constantly searching for that one note I made about a candidate three weeks ago.

3. It Helps Me Filter Through the Noise

Let’s be honest—some applications just aren’t the right fit. Instead of reading through every single one manually, I now set some basic filters (like must-have experience or specific certifications). The software helps me focus on the most promising candidates from the start.

4. Candidates Aren’t Left Hanging

Nothing turns off a good candidate faster than radio silence. With automation, I can set up polite and timely emails for each stage—whether it's scheduling interviews or just letting someone know they’re not moving forward. It keeps the process professional, and I’ve had candidates thank me for simply keeping them in the loop.

5. It Shows Me What’s Working (and What’s Not)

After a few months, I can look back and actually see data—how long it takes to hire, where the best candidates came from, how many people drop off at each stage. It helps me improve the process without just guessing.

Final Thoughts

HR software in india doesn’t do your job for you, but it takes care of the repetitive stuff so you can focus on what matters: building a strong team. For me, it's not about “going digital” for the sake of it—it’s about working smarter.

[tcawirelesswaipahu]

Cracked Screen Anxiety? Here's How We Fix It Fast and Right

One moment you're scrolling through photos. Next second—crack. Your phone slips. Lands face down. You flip it over and there it is… shattered. You freeze. Panic hits. That screen isn't just glass. It’s your calendar your camera your connection to everything.

We get it. That anxiety is real. But here’s some good news—you don’t have to live with that stress. Our crew at Aloha Phone Repair in Waipahu handles cracked screens every single day. We fix it fast. We fix it right.

Not Just Cosmetic

Think a crack’s no big deal? Think again. Small cracks lead to big problems. Dust sneaks inside. Moisture follows. Then your touchscreen starts glitching. Your battery drains quicker. Suddenly you’re Googling phone repair near me because the phone won’t even turn on.

Don’t wait. We handle phone screen repair fast so your phone doesn’t get worse.

The Real Fix

No gimmicks. No tape. No glue. Just real tools plus trained hands. We carefully remove your broken screen. Clean all internal layers. Install a premium replacement part that fits and functions like new.

Whether it’s a deep spider crack across your iPhone or a flickering Samsung Galaxy screen—we’ll get it fixed without the guesswork.

We Fix It in 3 Simple Steps

Quick Check-In – Walk in or call ahead. No fancy appointments needed.

Full Diagnosis – We check your screen and what might be hiding underneath.

Fast Fix – Most phones ready within 30 to 90 minutes.

That’s it. No stress. No upsells. Just clean honest phone repair service done local.

Why Choose Us

1. We fix screens daily – iPhones Samsungs Pixels we’ve done them all 2. We use real parts – No low-grade stuff that breaks again next week 3. We’re Oahu local – Fast help without crossing half the island 4. You don’t need an appointment – Just walk in whenever 5. Our techs are trained pros – Not some guy in a mall booth 6. We care about your time – Most screen repairs same day

FAQs About Screen Repair in Hawaii

Can I get phone screen repair for my iPhone in Pearl City? Yes. We fix every iPhone model from SE up through 15 Pro Max. Walk in anytime.

How long does iPhone repair take in Ewa Beach? Screen repairs usually done in under an hour. We’ll have you out the door fast.

Do you handle phone repair on Samsung phones in Kapolei? For sure. We stock parts for Galaxy S and Note series plus the newer foldables.

Where’s the best place for phone repair near me in Mililani? We’re right down the road in Waipahu. Near Don Quijote behind 76 Gas. Easy to find.

Do you do phone repair service for ghost touch problems in Honolulu? Yes. Ghost touches often come from cracked glass or pressure issues. We’ll fix it clean.

Can I trust you with Google Pixel screen repairs in Kaneohe? Absolutely. We fix Pixel phones from 3a through 8 Pro. Clean installs every time.

Services We Offer

Phone Repair Phone Screen Repair iPhone Repair Battery Replacement Charging Port Fixes Water Damage Recovery Speaker and Mic Repair Software Diagnostics

Brands We Handle

Apple Samsung Google LG Motorola OnePlus

Contact Info

Aloha Phone Repair by TCA Wireless – Waipahu Left side of the Old Don Quijote, Behind 76 Gas Station 94-144 Farrington Hwy Suite 112, Waipahu, HI 96797 Phone: +1 (808) 944-8886

Stop living with that cracked screen stress. Our trusted phone repair shop has helped hundreds across Oahu. Whether you're near Kapolei or just around the corner from Waipahu—we’ll get your phone fixed clean quick and right.

Your screen deserves a second chance. We’ll give it one.

[amanita-cynth]

Snippet Sunday 4

once again, it is sunday. since ive not entirely purposefully ended up folloing a few whump blogs, i guess ill do some robot whump for the next few of these

--

It was an android, but it felt wrong. There was barely any of the electrical brush of having one nearby that Eights had grown used to from visits to Baltia, and parts of its surface plates had been painstakingly peeled open, wiring and fluid vessels exposed to the open air and mangled almost beyond comprehension with breaks and replacements and additions. 

There was also none of the expressiveness that Eights had grown used to seeing on almost all of the awakened droids in Baltia, a default blank expression fixed on its face as it lurched forward on a badly repaired leg. 

Eights’ combat programme started up without his conscious input at the encroaching annotated danger -- the strange android, as it balanced itself on that one leg and then threw itself forward, found itself caught and held in the air. Its illusory skin started to glitch away and Eights’ systems reacted immediately to the potential for a software attack, throwing it bodily away over the edge of the roof. 

He remembered when Kevin had refused to leave him behind with the raiders and was hit with a wave of relief so intense it sent his internal balance sensors haywire for a few seconds trying to determine if he was still standing upright or not. 

Being stripped down and reduced to...this, an empty puppet for anyone to point like a weapon, hadn’t been something he had even been aware he should be afraid of, but now he sure was. 

Behind that one was two more, and he heard Kevin swear as they closed in before there was the crack of a rare gunshot. One jerked backwards with a spray of electrochemical fluid and the crackle of cooking electronics, but the other one raced past its destroyed companion. 

Eights rapidly estimated its most likely methods of attack and started to load defensive moves of his own, and was completely blindsided by the android that crawled over the side of the roof ledge and threw itself at him over Kevin’s yell.

The next few moments were a jumble of sensory information and warnings that he couldn’t sift through fast enough to keep track of what was happening as the two of them crashed to the ground. Kevin yelled again and Eights head instinctively jerked in that direction -- there was another android, he needed to do something, but the one on top of him- 

It grabbed him with both hands and slammed his head back into the concrete. Something audibly cracked, and for a moment his visual and aural feeds glitched as the jolt ran through his system and jostled connections. 

[zumvublog]

The Ultimate Guide to Starting an eCommerce Business: Your Ticket to Digital Gold

So, you’ve decided to dive into the wild world of eCommerce, huh? Buckle up, buttercup—this ain’t your grandma’s lemonade stand. Starting an online biz is like riding a rollercoaster blindfolded: thrilling, terrifying, and absolutely worth it if you hang on. But where do you even begin? Don’t sweat it! This guide’s your trusty map to navigate the jungle of pixels, products, and profit. Let’s crack this nut wide open.

1. Find Your Niche (No, Not That Kind of “Niche”)

First things first—what’s your golden ticket? Selling cat sweaters? Artisanal pickles? NFT-shaped toilet paper? The key here is to carve out a slice of the market that’s begging for attention. Think of it like dating: you gotta stand out in a sea of swipers. If you’re jumping into a niche already saturated to the brim (looking at you, dropshipping gym gear), you’ll drown faster than a snowman in July.

Pro tip: Passion meets profit. If you’re gonna eat, sleep, and breathe this biz, make sure it’s something that doesn’t make you want to yeet your laptop into the sun.

2. Validate Your Idea—Or Crash and Burn

Hold your horses, hotshot! Before you max out your credit card on inventory, ask yourself: Does anyone actually want this? Cue the “validation” dance. Hop on Google Trends, stalk Reddit threads, or hit up Facebook groups. If folks are griping about a problem your product solves? Boom! You’ve struck oil.

But if crickets chirp louder than your target audience… yikes. Pivot faster than a TikTok trend.

Also Read: Best Software Directory & SaaS Tools

3. Build Your Digital Castle (AKA Your Website)

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Your website isn’t just a pretty face—it’s your 24/7 salesperson. Platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce are your BFFs here. Keep it slick, simple, and stupid-easy to navigate. Cluttered layouts? Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Sprinkle in some magic:

Speed matters: If your site loads slower than a sloth on melatonin, visitors will bail.

Mobile-friendly or bust: Over half of shoppers are scrolling on their phones. Don’t ghost ‘em!

CTAs that pop: “Buy Now” buttons should scream louder than a toddler with a megaphone.

4. Source Products Like a Pro

Now, here’s the fork in the road: Make it, curate it, or dropship it? If you’re crafty, DIY could be your jam. But if you’d rather not glue sequins onto mugs till 3 a.m., wholesalers or print-on-demand services are lifesavers. Dropshipping? Low risk, but thinner margins—so choose wisely, grasshopper.

Warning: Vetting suppliers is like online dating. Skip the sketchy ones, or you’ll end up with a warehouse full of “definitely not what I ordered.”

5. Market Like You Mean It (Or Get Lost in the Noise)

Listen up, buttercup—launching your store without marketing is like throwing a party and forgetting to send invites. Crickets. Time to hustle:

Social Media Savagery: Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest—pick your battlefield. Post content so juicy, followers drool. Influencers? Collab like your biz depends on it (spoiler: it kinda does).

Email Lists = Golden Geese: Capture those emails faster than a greased pig. Offer a discount, a freebie—heck, a dad joke. Just get ‘em hooked.

SEO Sorcery: Google’s the gatekeeper. Sprinkle keywords like fairy dust, blog like your life depends on it, and watch those rankings climb.

6. Customer Service: Don’t Be a Ghost

Newsflash: Customers aren’t ATMs. Treat ‘em like royalty, and they’ll crown you with loyalty. Respond to queries faster than a caffeinated cheetah. Handle complaints with grace (even Karens deserve love). And personal touches? A handwritten note can turn a one-time buyer into a ride-or-die fan.

7. Scale or Bail

Once the cash starts rolling in, don’t kick back just yet. Reinvest like a mad scientist. Test ads, expand product lines, or tap new markets. Automate the boring stuff—email flows, inventory management—so you can focus on the big picture.

But remember: Scaling too fast is like chugging a gallon of espresso. Steady growth trumps a flash-in-the-pan frenzy.

The Bottom Line? Grit > Quit

Let’s keep it 100: eCommerce isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a marathon with potholes, detours, and the occasional victory dance.

Some days, you’ll feel like a boss; others, you’ll question every life choice. But hey—no risk, no reward, right?

So slap on your hustle hat, embrace the chaos, and go make some digital magic. The world’s your oyster… now go find that pearl! 💥

Mic drop. 🎤 Your eCommerce empire starts now. What’re you waiting for?

[mrcharles1979]

Online Check Generator: The Financial Supplement for My Business

Let me tell ya, last year, I came close to missing payroll at my bakery, and boy, was that a moment I wouldn’t forget. My staff—my second family—counts on me to make sure they’re paid on time. But between dealing with pre-printed checks, fixing mistakes on them, and waiting for a new batch to show up, I found myself in a real pickle. That’s when it hit me: this system just wasn’t cutting it for my growing business.

Howdy, I’m Charles. I own a small bakery in this cozy lil’ town, and I’ve been serving up fresh bread, cookies, and cakes for years. My customers keep coming back, and I wouldn’t trade what I do for anything. You want to know what I am tired of and my biggest headache?—Pre-printed checks!

Why Pre-Printed Checks Were Dragging Me Down

When I first started my bakery, I thought pre-printed checks were the bee’s knees. Looked fancy and made me feel like I had my ducks in a row. But let me tell ya, they’re not all they’re cracked up to be.

A Money Pit

Here’s the thing about pre-printed checks: they ain’t cheap. When I moved my bakery to a new location last year, I had a whole stack of checks with my old address printed on them. Guess what? Useless. Had to toss them out and order a new batch, which wasn’t exactly a small expense.

And it ain’t just the money—it’s the waste that gets under my skin. Tossing perfectly good checks in the shredder feels like throwing cash right in the trash can. As a small business owner, every penny counts, and I couldn’t keep blowin’ it on somethin’ as simple as checks.

Mistakes Galore

My bakery’s always busy. I’m paying vendors for flour and sugar, settling invoices for equipment repairs, and making sure my staff’s wages are handled. With so much going on, mistakes happen. I’d forget to sign a check here and write the wrong amount there—it was like a comedy of errors, but not the funny kind.

Every time I made a mistake, it meant more time fixing it and less time doing what I love—baking bread and connecting with my customers.

A Time Suck

Pre-printed checks are a real time-eater. Filling them out, organizing them, mailing them—it’s a never-ending cycle. I’d be sitting at my desk after hours, neck aching, just trying to get everything done. 

The Day I Found My Financial Lifesaver

One day, a fellow small business owner told me about the online check generator. I’m a baker, not some tech-savvy whiz. But I was desperate to simplify my life, so I gave it a shot.

Turns out, it was easier than baking a batch of cookies. I set up my account, customized my checks with my bakery’s logo, picked a nice-looking font, and voila—I had myself some professional checks that put my old pre-printed ones to shame.

1. Saved Me Money and Cut the Waste

I don’t have to buy pre-printed checks in bulk anymore. With online check printing, I print them as I need them. No more wasted checks sitting in a drawer or heading to the shredder.

When I moved my bakery again recently, all I had to do was update my address in the system. Took about 30 seconds. That extra cash? I used it to upgrade my oven, something I’d been putting off for years.

2. Gave Me Back My Time

Now, instead of writing checks by hand, I just type in the details, hit print, and boom—I’m done. On payroll days, I use batch printing to get all my staff’s checks sorted in one go.

With all that time I save, I can focus on perfecting my sourdough or catching up with my customers at the counter. That’s the stuff I enjoy, not pushing paper.

3. Made Mistakes a Thing of the Past

The online check printing software doesn’t leave room for errors. It formats everything for me, so I know it’s right the first time. Just last week, I had a new vendor come through with a rush order of premium chocolate. I whipped up a check for them in minutes—no typos, no stress.

4. Gave Me the Flexibility I Needed

What I love most is how easy it is to adapt. Whether I’m paying a vendor, refunding a customer, or sorting payroll, the system’s got me covered.

And don’t even get me started on eChecks—those are a lifesaver for vendors who want their money fast. Sending an eCheck is as easy as sending an email.

How My Bakery’s Thriving

Switching to online check printing has been a game-changer for me. My staff gets paid on time, my vendors are happy, and I’ve got more time to focus on what I love—baking and serving my community.

It’s not just about saving money or time—it’s about giving my bakery a system that works with me, not against me. This little tool has become the financial supplement my business needed to thrive.

What’s Slowing You Down?

If you’re running a small business like me, you’ve probably got your fair share of struggles. Payments shouldn’t be one of them. Online check printing took a load off my shoulders—maybe it’s time it does the same for you.

What’s that one thing in your business that’s holding you back? Could a simple change make all the difference?

[simpletechs]

Forgot Windows 8.1 Local Admin Password No Reset Disk How to Resolve

How to get back into your Windows 8.1 computer if you have forgotten local administrator password no reset disk, how can you reset administrator password in Windows 8.1 without reset disk?

To resolve this problem, you can firstly try Offline NT Password Editor to help reset the forgotten Windows 8.1 administrator password without reset disk. Offline NT password Editor can help clear or reset Windows local account password via CD/DVD. The following procedure will show you the detailed walkthrough.

Trick 1: Use Offline NT Password Editor to Reset Windows 8.1 Local Admin Password (Work with CD/DVD).

When you forgot Windows 8.1 administrator password and a password reset disk was not created, “Offline NT Password Editor”, a free Windows password reset disk, can help you reset forgotten Windows 8.1 local account’s password without knowing it. Free download the ISO file from the official site. Extract the downloaded file and then burn the ISO file on to a writable CD/DVD. Once burning completed, you can use the CD/DVD which is bootable to crack Windows 8.1 Local Admin password.

Step 1: Power on your locked computer and then insert the bootable CD to the CD-ROM.

Step 2: Restart the computer to boot from CD/DVD. If it still boot into Windows, you may need to change device boot order in BIOS. Learn how to boot computer from CD/DVD.

Step 3: When the computer boots from CD and loads Offline NT screen, press Enter until the “step one” appears. Type “1” and hit Enter.

Step 4: Select “Password reset”, type “1” and hit Enter.

Step 5: Select “Edit user data and passwords, type “1” and hit Enter.

Step 6: Select a user account, type “administrator” and hit Enter.

Step 7: Select “Clear user password”, type “1” and hit Enter.

Step 8: Administrator’s password is cleared. Select “Quit editing user and back to user select”, type “!” and hit Enter.

Step 9: Select “Quit”, type “q” and hit Enter.

Step 10: Write back changes, type “y” and hit Enter.

Step 11: When it asks you if try again, type “n” and hit Enter.

Step 12: Now eject your CD and then press CTRL-ALT-DEL to restart the computer.

Step 13: When Windows 8.1 welcome screen appears, click the screen to automatically sign in administrator without password.

Another simple method to reset forgotten Windows 8/8.1 local admin password is using a password recovery program, Windows Password Rescuer, which is working fine for all Windows systems including Windows 11. Here is how to use the utility to reset a local admin password on Windows 8.1/8 PC without logging in.

Trick 2: Reset Windows 8.1 Administrator Password with Windows Password Rescuer Run from USB.

If you have forgotten Windows 8.1 administrator password and need to get back into the account, you can use Windows Password Rescuer to create a bootable USB disk and then use the disk to reset Windows 8.1 local administrator password easily without losing data. It also works perfectly for Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP and Windows server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2003 etc.

Equipment required: Another Windows computer, USB flash drive.

Read more detailed steps: How to reset Windows 8.1 Admin Password with USB.

Step 1: Use another computer to download Windows Password Rescuer and then install the software.

Step 2: Plug in a blank USB flash drive to the computer and launch the software. Select “USB device” on the software screen.

Step 3: Pull down the drive list and select your plugged USB flash drive. Then click “Begin Burning” to create a bootable USB under a minute.

Step 4: Once the burning process is completed, unplug the USB flash drive and then connect it to your locked computer that you want to reset Windows 8.1 password.

Step 5: Power on the locked computer and press F12 as soon as possible to open “Boot Menu”. Press arrow key to highlight USB option and press Enter to boot from USB.

Step 6: Once the locked computer boots from USB and locates Windows Password Rescuer, you can reset administrator or other local user account passwords with several clicks. Now click “Administrator” from user list.

Step 7: Click “Reset Password”, when it asks you if reset administrator password to blank, click “Yes” to confirm it.

Step 8: Administrator password will be removed and shown blank in password list. It means that you will be able to sign in the account without password.

Step 9: Click “Reboot”. When it asks you to remove your USB, remove the USB from your computer and then click “Yes” to restart the computer.

Step 10: After restarting, you can log on administrator without password.

Methods in this article apply to any laptop and desktop computers such as Dell, HP, Toshiba, Acer, Lenovo, Asus etc.

[alohaphonerepairbytcawireless]

Top Phone Repair Services in Manoa: Quick Solutions for Common Issues

When your phone suddenly quits on you, finding fast, reliable, and affordable repair can feel like a challenge, especially in Manoa. Lucky for you, there are quick solutions right here. Whether it’s a cracked screen or a battery that’s draining fast, Phone repair services in Manoa have you covered. Let’s explore a few top services for getting your phone back in working shape in no time.

Common Phone Repair Needs in Manoa

Everyone’s phone takes a hit at some point. Here are the most common Phone repair problems that folks in Manoa bring up:

Cracked ScreensThe most common issue, hands down, is a cracked or shattered screen. Phone Screen Repair can restore your screen’s clarity in just under an hour. It’s fast, clean, and ensures that all touch functions work as new. Don’t wait too long, as even small cracks grow worse over time.

Battery ReplacementWhen you’re running to charge your phone more often than usual, it’s time to replace that battery. A quick visit to a Phone repair near me and you’re back to long-lasting battery life.

Charging Port RepairYour phone stops charging? It’s a classic problem. This can be a result of dust, dirt, or even internal issues. Phone repair services in Manoa know the way to get your port clean and ready without hassle.

Water Damage RepairSpills happen, and water finds its way inside the phone. Local experts can dry out your phone, repair affected parts, and recover any data that survived the incident.

Software MalfunctionsUnexpected shutdowns or apps that won’t open? The fix may not need new parts but rather a software adjustment. Trusted technicians at an iPhone repair or general Phone repair service can bring your device back to speed.

Why Choose Us

Aloha Phone Repair by TCA Wireless has made it our goal to provide the best phone repair options for our customers. Here’s why we’re the choice for Manoa residents:

Experienced TechniciansOur techs are highly trained and experienced with all major phone brands. We know how to handle iPhones, Androids, and more.

Quick TurnaroundMost repairs take an hour or less, so you can get back on schedule without long delays.

Affordable PricingNo hidden fees here—just clear and honest pricing. From iPhone repair to other services, we ensure our repairs fit your budget.

Quality PartsWe source premium replacement parts, so your phone lasts. Cheap materials? Not with us.

Data SecurityWe prioritize your data, so your photos, contacts, and apps remain safe. Our team keeps your privacy a top priority.

Location and ConvenienceOur shop, located inside Don Quijote at 801 Kaheka St, is easy for Manoa residents to reach. Drop in for a repair and get back to your day.

FAQs

1. Where can I find Phone repair near me in Manoa?

You can head over to Aloha Phone Repair by TCA Wireless - Honolulu inside Don Quijote at 801 Kaheka St, Honolulu.

2. How fast can you handle Phone Screen Repair?

We usually complete screen repairs within an hour, so you can be on your way quickly. Walk-ins are always welcome.

3. Does your Phone repair service include water damage repair in Manoa?

Absolutely. Water damage is a common problem, and we have the skills to clean, dry, and replace parts if necessary. Act quickly after water contact for the best results.

4. Can I get iPhone repair for charging port issues?

Yes, we specialize in iPhone repair along with Android fixes. Charging port repairs are simple and handled on the spot.

5. What’s the typical cost for a Phone repair?

Costs depend on the issue and model of your phone. We always provide an estimate beforehand so you know what to expect.

6. How do I know if I need Phone Screen Repair or a full replacement?

If the screen isn’t responsive or shows cracks, you’ll likely need screen repair. However, if there’s no display at all, it could be an issue with the internal display which requires more work.

Contact Details

Aloha Phone Repair by TCA Wireless - HonoluluInside Don Quijote, 801 Kaheka St, Honolulu, HI 96814, United States Phone: +1 (808) 944-8886

Let us be your go-to choice for Phone repair and reliable solutions. With fast and professional service, you’ll have your device back before you know it.

[catgirl-rose]

There's a post that I can't find. It was dunking on a vtuber concert, for a combination of bad animation quality and the audience reacting to him revealing his eyes. The animation part is both Fully Deserved and Not His Fault.

This guy's got a 6 digit sub count on YouTube. I don't know how that translates into dollars, but it's gotta be more than someone with an average of a 2 digit viewer count on twitch who I happen to know well enough to just ask him if it wasn't just shy of the ass crack of dawn where he is. They have the same level of animation to the torsos of their models. The facial animations are better on my friend's model.

I know what software a different vtuber is using to have a 3D model. If I go back in my text history with her she told me which software handles the camera-to-rigging interface. Upper body only animation last I checked into her, but it's reflecting the movement of a person sitting in a chair.

One known good way to do stuff like this is through full body motion capture. This costs money, yes. I know roughly how much money. Low 4 digits, on the high end, to add an existing setup. Doable at an acceptable quality at a price point between $200 and $500. He has the money. This is based on the experiences that I've heard from multiple indie vtubers. He's not indie. He's the top performer of Realic Production's Algorythm Project. If the budget isn't there for better animation, it's because he's getting screwed by his agency. For an understandable reason, honestly. His main viewers don't seem to mind. He's a musician. They're here for music. They got what they came for.

But I saw so many things in the notes about "oh be nice about this, not everyone can afford to have the nicest animation." He holds the record in his home country of Thailand for hitting 100k on YouTube, at 18 days from debut. It's not about the money. He can afford it. I promise.

[sarthak2405]

My top 5 Video game soundtracks

As a gamer i very often end up vibing to soundtracks present in video games whether it is the main menu , durimg some chase scene or some action scene. There truly are some one of a kind soundtracks of video games and i will tell you my top 5

5 - The batman arkham series

The batman arkham series does have some of my favorite soundtracks all credited to Nick Arundel. Some my favorites include "in the batcave" , " batman arkham city main theme" and "Inner demon" .

4 - cod black ops 1

This game holds a special place in my heart for two reasons, this was the game that got me into the whole cod franchise and second reason being the song in this game by the band called the rolling stones, it features a song called " Sympathy for the devil" this song was perfect for the boat section of the game in my opinion

3 - infamous 2

My very first console game ever on the play station 3 the game featured 2 of my favorite soundtracks called " Cole MacGrath" (who is also the main protagonist of the first two games) created by Jim Dooly and "Get Bertrand" created by JD Mayer.

2 - doom eternal

i think we all know what song im going to say, if u dont well lets just youve been missing out. the song is called " Rip and Tear", created by Mic Gordon. there are two thing im going to say about this song. First off is that you sir ( Mick Gordon) have created a masterpiece secondly did you know this song features a freaking metal choir tell me something thats more cooler.

1 - uncharted : Drake's Fortune

This song again needs no introduction to those who have played the games but if you havent first of what have you been doing with your life, if you have a playstation i advise you to spend money and play all 4 games. the song is called " Nates Theme" created by Greg Edmonson and this song has one of the best main menu songs that u can think of, i think this was the only song i ever waited to finish and only then hit play.

Bonus fact im actually listening to one of these songs right now :)