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after-witch · 1 year ago

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Damn Your Eyes Chapter 2 [Yandere Ren Hana x Reader]

Title: Cream and Sugar [Damn Your Eyes Chapter 2] [Yandere Ren Hana x Reader]

Synopsis: A fateful meeting at a bookstore between you and Ren Hana, years upon years after your escape from Strade, turns into a coffee shop date. You're not supposed to accept drinks from strangers, but Ren's not a stranger--so it's fine, right?

Word count: 5,322

notes: yandere, descriptions of violence/death/wounds, drugging

AO3 LINK

How did one get over something like Strade? Get over that house and that basement? How do you move on with your life when you’ve seen someone’s guts spill out of their body while they’re still alive, and you’ve been instructed to pick them up and play with them for the delight of sick fucks watching it all on a paid stream?

The pretty answer, the one everyone recites when asked, because that’s what you do: with therapy and time and forgiveness for yourself. You take it one day at a time. You treat yourself.

The real answer: You didn’t. You don’t. You can’t.

Not fully. Because “getting over” something like that means it will eventually no longer affect you, no longer being a part of you.

And sure. You will, eventually, go about something that feels like an ordinary life.

You will walk into a grocery store with a tidy little list, you will roll your eyes at the rising cost of laundry detergent, you will smile at a cashier who says they like your outfit. You will date and drink coffee and sway to your favorite song while making dinner.

But inside, inside of you , you are still there--still hovering at the last step of the basement stairs, listening to someone’s guttural shrieks as their skin is blow-torch melted down. Still clinging to Ren in the middle of the night, flinching when his hands wander over a recent gouge, a hastily stitched cut--an accident, he whispers, and you’re never sure if you believe him.

And that is what happened to you.

It took years, of course, to even get close to that semblance of normalcy. A few years were spent in feverish hiding, running from place to place with no paper trails that might lead some gorehound that subscribed to Strade’s torture porn sniffing at your door, hungry for more.

But you settled down, in time. Slowly. Bit by bit, piece by piece, inch by inch.

That took years, too--the settling.

It started with staying in an apartment for more than three months at a time. It started with going to the grocery store wearing only sunglasses, instead of sunglasses, a wig, and the most nondescript clothing you could fish out of a bargain bin. It started with applying for real jobs, not just seedy work that paid cash, quick.

It ended here, in this quaint little home that you shared with your husband for the past five years, though you’d lived together for longer. It ended here, with a modest marketing career that you’d built up after going back to college. It ended here, with a life you built for yourself; frail and a bit unorthodox, but a life nonetheless.

You wouldn’t have been able to survive, if you hadn’t adapted. There is only so much terror the human man can manage before breaking entirely, and so--adaptation.

It was a gift that your husband didn’t mind your… differences. The heavy insistence on home security, the desire for privacy, the slow way you gave trust to strangers--if you gave it at all.

Some things did bother him. He grumbled about your lack of social media presence, and you’d once had an awful fight when his sister put a photo of you on Facebook that you’d demanded, in furious tears, be taken down.

But, deep down, it wasn’t like you could blame your husband for bucking against your near tantrum-like reaction. For the way he sometimes sighed as you locked the front door with triple locks, and an electric sensor. For the way his jaw sometimes set, when you did something that wasn’t normal to anyone who hadn’t been the extended torture victim of a serial killer that doubled as a snuff porn producer.

Because you knew--deeper down--that you were still haunted by the ghosts in that basement. Strade and the torture victims and Ren and yourself, shaking like a leaf, bleeding onto concrete. You knew, even if the man you slept beside in a bed every night had no inkling of it, that you could never step back across that threshold and be the way you were before.

But.

And there’s always a but, isn’t there?

But… that was okay. It was okay that you could never go back; it was okay that you were someone new; it was okay that you weren’t okay, and you’d never be okay in the fullest sense of the word.

Your life was a life you created out of shaking fingers, something clawed out with dirty fingernails. It wasn’t perfect, but it was yours.

What more could you ask for, after Strade?

What more could you ask for, after anything ?

Books are a vice. More than smoking, more than sex. You could give up sex, you could swear you’ll never buy another pack of smokes, but you could never give up books.

Okay, okay. You’re being over dramatic and theatrical. But how can you think of books as anything other than a sinful pleasure when you’re surrounded by these shelves and stacks, imagining that one day you can afford an extension on your home and dedicate an entire room (or two--why not, in a daydream?) solely to books?

You’re not even supposed to be here today. It was your day off, and your calendar was packed to the brim with mundane errands. Today’s schedule certainly didn’t leave room for indulgently browsing at a bookstore, but sometimes you just have to live a little, don’t you?

Although if you come home with yet another bag of books, your husband is bound to shove his face into the nearest couch cushion and scream. But c’mon. It wasn’t your fault that you’d long since run out of shelf space and were prone to stuffing the books into boxes that cluttered the closests.

Your fingers wander over the spines of the books crammed onto the shelves, catching the uneven mismatched spaces between with every dip. The spines are often worn and weathered, some of them even peeling a little.

This was why you preferred secondhand bookstores. No neat lines of fresh new books set up to catch the eye and make a sale here. No, instead there were countless books shoved together with no care for size or color or sometimes (depending on who was stocking that day) even genre.

For instance, today you find a battered paperback copy of Carrie by Stephen King right next to a suspiciously pristine How to Keep Your House from Drowning that probably still has an uncracked spine. That poor soul, with a messy house. Maybe they should have read the book.

You’re about to keep moving when, on second thought: Your partner might get a kick out of finding that book on his nightstand. Or he’ll chuck it at your head (lovingly) for bringing it into the house. It’s a 50/50 gamble that you’re willing to take.

And so you go to pull it out, a private little grin on your face, just as another hand reaches across for Carrie.

Fingers and elbows bump together and you feel that slight flush of awkward embarrassment rush to your cheeks as you sputter out, “Sorry!” Your voice even goes up an octave, an annoying habit that you’ve been trying to train out of yourself.

The stranger pulls away and mutters their own low apology. They sound just as awkward as you, which makes you feel a little better, at least, so you turn to look at them and offer an embarrassed smile and you think, briefly, maybe you’ll grab Carrie for them or cheekily ask if they were going for the cleaning book--

But when you turn to look at them, all thoughts and cheek are snuffed out.

Not because the man in front of you is wearing a nicely tailored business suit and matching fedora hat; a dark gray complimented by a muted burgundy tie. Like he’s off to a meeting or comes from a big city where such outfits are often found in shops and cafes during lunch hours.

Not because the man in front of you is attractive, with red hair with a bit of ever so slightly silver sticking out from underneath his hat; his cologne, soft but spicy, tickles your nose.

But because the man in front of you is Ren.

Older, yes. His hair and face peppered with signs of time, just like yours. There are scars on his face that you remember--some etched onto his flesh right in front of you, and some from that gray area of before, when Strade had yet to take you--and some you don’t.

Your body is lead, your throat is closed up. Speech and movement are now foreign, unknowable things, because Ren is standing right in front of you.

It takes you a moment to shake it off; no, two moments. No, three.

And then you can finally speak, although the word comes out hoarse and whispered, like every ounce of spit in your mouth vanished the instant you saw him. Perhaps it did.

“ Ren ?”

He blinks. His eyes narrow, eyebrows furrowing. For a terrible moment, you find yourself thrown back down the basement steps, when knowing the difference between Strade’s brows furrowing in annoyance or amusement could mean the difference between the degree of your upcoming burns.

And then his expression opens, widens, just enough for you to recognize that he knows who you are now and you’re here, in a bookshop, decades on; not there, not in the basement, where you left Strade’s corpse to rot.

Ren--for he is Ren, and you know it--lifts his hat, his lips turning up in a smile that makes your heart twist painfully, and shows just the bottom edges of his ears in greeting.

He says your name and your ears ring, high and tinny. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a cashier standing at the till rearranging trinkets while clearly spying on whatever bit of vaguely interesting gossip this might turn into during their lunch break.

You had, in truth, imagined this moment before. Countless times. Usually at night, though you weren’t terribly picky; a long trip on a bus, head pressed against the window glass, was also a great time for such thoughts.

You’d imagined finding Ren some day, in many different ways.

In some fantasies, you look him up in the phonebook (a stupid idea fit only for a fantasy, because Ren would never put himself out there like that, just as you hadn’t) and give him a call and meet up at a park and you apologize until your lungs stop working. In another, you run into him somewhere else, a store or park; a coincidence just like this one. In still others, he finds you, offering to meet in a public space because he knows you’d be scared and he wants you to be comfortable and Ren would definitely think of things like that, considering your shared experiences.

In your daydreams, you had a speech prepared. It was always moving, of course. It culminated in a soft, unbearably sweet hug where the two of you squeezed out the pain from the preceding decades and parted in mutual understanding. Maybe with each other’s phone numbers on slips of paper.

But those were daydreams. This is real life.

In real life, your throat feels closed up; your eyes burn with hot tears that want to spill out, and everything from your chest to your cheeks feels hot and swollen. In real life, it is not the daydreams but your nightmares that worm their way into your brain: those nightmares you have (yes, have, still--even this far down the line) where he hates you, where he tells you that you left him there like he’s nothing, where he throws back all your whispered conversations in the dark back in your face.

In real life, you can only stammer out, expecting the nightmarish worst: “Ren. I’m s…sorry. I’m sorry . I shouldn’t--I shouldn’t have --”

Ren raises his hand; his brows furrow again. He says your name, once, twice. Softer. Gentler.

“It’s okay,” he says, low. You don’t know if he means that it’s okay that you left him (it isn’t, is it?) or that it’s going to be okay or that he’s okay or--

Ren must sense your upcoming lack of steady breathing, because he places one steady hand on your shoulder. The way he used to do, when you started thinking about the fact that you were going to die in that house, and it would be an awful death, and the thought of it made you want to tear into your own skin.

It brings you back down to the ground, which only makes you want to cry for a different reason.

Ren’s face has a touch of sticky pity on it when he smiles at you.

“Why don’t we go somewhere we can sit down and talk?”

You are sitting in a coffee shop across the way from a fox man who used to be tortured with you in the basement of a serial killer's home that doubled as a snuff film studio. There are people around you, but they might as well be invisible, be nothing at all.

Because every nerve in your body is focused squarely on Ren, sitting in front of you with a muted awkward expression as the pair of you wait silently for the barista to call up your order.

Neither of you have spoken since you sat down.

Sweat is beginning to stick to your neck, but you don’t want to move without warning--don’t want to startle Ren. If you do, maybe he’ll run off, and… no. He wouldn’t run off now. You can tell. He’s not like he used to be, and neither are you.

There are decades between you, and yet--and yet that thread is still there, isn’t it? You could never fully cut it. Maybe it pulled, instead. Pulled and pulled and eventually lost all of its slack on this unassuming afternoon, when the two of you met again in a bookstore. Reaching for books with cracked and weathered spines, lines creasing over the paper like scars on the skin.

Your scars. His scars.

How many times have you traced over the marks on your skin? How many times has he? Maybe he didn’t do it anymore. Maybe he was in a much better space than you, and that’s why he looks so awkward and you feel like your heart is about to pound right out of its chest. Because he’s moved on and you, stupid thing, just woke up in the basement in the middle of a sunny afternoon.

His shoulders straighten; you imagine, under his hat, that his ears have perked. For a moment,, a familiar sensation washes through you. Danger. He’s coming down the stairs and it’s going to hurt.

But Strade is dead. And you are alive, and Ren is alive, and his attention only raised because the barista set both of your coffees down on the counter. Nothing more than that.

Slowly, the world seems like it regains its normal gravity. The sweat clinging to your neck feels silly and not ominous. You can breathe, and the world of the coffee shop seems to settle around you like it would have on any other day.

“I’ll get them,” Ren says, quietly, eyeing you with wariness–like he’s the one worried about you bolting. Fuck. He’s probably right to think that; a moment ago, you might have been the one to run.

Ren pauses after he stands up, and there’s something soft and sad in his eyes when he looks at you. Part of you thinks he’s about to say that he’s going to leave, that this was a mistake. But instead, his lips curl and the softest of smiles, and he asks:

“You still like cream and sugar?”

Oh.

“Yes,” you say, automatically. But you don’t. Not anymore. Tastebuds change and you drink it black with no cream, when you do bother to drink it. It’s not worth correcting, and you don’t. You just watch as he grabs both cups and heads over to the counter on the far side of the coffee shop, where there’s oodles of sugars (and sugar substitutes); creamers; and little tins of milk to add to your drink.

Then your phone vibrates, and the “fuck!” that comes out of your mouth is involuntary. It was about the time that you should have been heading home, bookstore stop notwithstanding. What were you going to say to him? That you’d run into someone from your past that used to get tortured with you? That you remember what Ren looks like when his flesh is sliced into and pulled apart?

You heading home? Took ground beef out for dinner. Tacos?

Your thumb hovers over the phone screen. You’re going to lie. You already know that. Even if you were ready to tell him about your past, it would not be like this. Even you, not particularly attuned to mobile etiquette, knew it was better to confess something like this in person. Although the temptation to confess it all and add silly emojis to punctuate the gritty details was very strong.

Ran into an old friend , you type, finally. They want to hang out a bit. Tacos are fine, don’t wait up! Xoxoxo.

It feels so normal. And that’s okay, isn’t it? That you’re being normal right now. It’s a sign that you’ve come so far, if anything. And you’ll take any of those signs that you can manage to get, so when the text comes in–

Can’t wait to hear about it!

I don’t guarantee there will be tacos left.

Kidding.

… Maybe.

–you let that normalcy wash over you, and it helps you settle as Ren returns, coffee mugs in hand.

His expression is lighter, too. He probably notices the weight off your shoulders, the way you’re trying to look interested and perhaps even excited to see him, rather than looking like you’re about to throw up on a half-empty stomach.

He slides your mug across the table and you can tell at a glance that it’s going to be sweet. A hesitant sip, your tongue curling back from the warmth and inevitable sugar, confirms it. Milky and creamy, just like you used to take it.

“Do you live around here?” Ren asks, taking a sip from his own mug.

Such an average question. It’s almost enough to make you snort. Really, you should be asking him when he got out of that basement and whether or not he ever thought about cutting you open and if he still had dreams, like you did.

Instead, he’s asking something you might ask an old high school friend that you haven’t seen in twenty years.

Fuck. What a world you live in.

Maybe he senses your thoughts. Maybe the two of you really are in tune from what you went through together. Because he cracks a smile, the edge of a sharp tooth showing. And then the smile spreads and turns into a little chuckle. It’s not the giggling snort he would sometimes fall into at the house. It’s something older and more reserved, but that shouldn’t surprise you. You’re the same way.

You take another sip of the coffee. It really is too sweet. That’s how you took it at the house, though. It was better to drown your sorrows in creamer and packets of sugar–pilfered from diners that Strade went to, sometimes to scope for victims–than mope about them all the time.

“I really am curious,” he says, voice light. “If you’re okay with telling me.” Something different in his tone. Offense, maybe? God, it’s strange, being on the lookout for what someone’s tone really means again.

But it’s just Ren. You shouldn’t be so worried about it.

“It’s fine,” you say, just as light. “Yeah, maybe about half an hour away? I have a little house…”

Ren’s eyebrows raise. Not in surprise, exactly. But in interest. It relieves you, just a little, that he didn’t let out some sarcastic remark about having your own place away from him.

“Do you have a garden?” He asks. “You always did talk about getting one.”

A twinge in your heart. Bittersweet and old. Sometimes at night, when the two of you were allowed to curl up together, you would talk about a fantasy world. A world where you never came here; where you’d be and what you’d do. Sometimes, you’d be in a pretty little cottage with a pretty little garden in a pretty little town.

Well. Your garden is pretty, even if your house isn’t an adorable cottage and you live at the edge of sprawling suburbs where you have to drive 20 minutes to get to anything useful. Close enough?

You tell him about it. The house and the garden. You even tell him about your partner, and maybe his smile does quirk down a little, then. But you could be imagining it.

“Do you have kids?” Ren asks, next. If he were anyone else, it would be a mundane question--the kind you ask every couple who's been together a while. In Ren, it feels different. Serious. Sincere. He tilts his head a little, taking another sip of his coffee, which prompts you to do the same.

Kids. Hah. It wasn’t like the thought had never crossed your mind. But it didn’t happen. For a lot of reasons, it didn’t happen. Mind and body and the basement worked against you, and maybe there was a part of you that was afraid to bring anything into the world, because you knew it could be taken away. Taken to someone’s basement and hurt and hurt and hurt –

Ren says your name.

Ren’s hand is on yours.

You glance down at his hand–see a familiar scar, see that your hand underneath his is curled up and tense–and then look up at his face.

Oh, the passing of time.

“Me neither,” he says, softly. Like he knows why you didn’t and couldn’t, and maybe he was the same way.

It hurts too much to think about. So you clear your throat and slowly pull your hand away, letting it rest on the now cooling mug of coffee. You take another swig, despite it not being to your taste anymore. Ren really did put in a lot of creamer.

“What about you?”

His head tilts, almost slow, almost curious.

“Me?”

He blinks.

You blink back.

“Do you live around here?”

A smile–an Ahhh sort of smile.

“No,” he says, simply. He shakes his head. “I travel a lot.” He nods his head. “For business.”

“Oh,” you say. “What sort of business?”

A flicker in his gaze. Something sharp and familiar. It’s gone too soon to matter.

“This and that,” is all he says.

And there’s a strange sort of realization in your head. A fuzziness that seems to spread right to your scalp. This is all too casual, too normal. It’s not at all what it was supposed to be, when you met. Asking about homes and gardens and kids and what you do for work; fuck, you two had been tortured together. Had watched people die. Had helped other people die.

This should have been about more than banal pleasantries. This should have been about reconnecting. About that thread between the two of you that couldn’t be cut, even now.

Maybe it’s that fuzziness in your scalp and maybe it’s the lurching of your heart, but you reach out your hand again towards Ren; your hand and your heart reaching and aching –

“Why did you run that day?” Soft and to the point. All the years have led to this question.

The question drops your hand straight to the table. The thud feels harder than it sounds. What ease your heart had mellowed to earlier melts away entirely, and you can feel adrenaline beginning to pump, your heart pounding and racing. Your ears hurt.

Why did you run? It’s the question you wanted him to ask, isn’t it? The question that would lead to your big sappy explanation and apology and the sentimental hug before you two parted ways, perhaps with phone numbers in your pockets?

But now that Ren is real again; now that he’s here, lines around his eyes and a touch of silver in his hair, you don’t know how to answer.

You ran because you were scared. Scared of people from Strade’s fucked up streams finding you in that house. Scared of Strade’s corpse rotting in the basement. Scared, too, of Ren. Of being chained to him, or by him, and you could never be sure which was more likely.

You ran because you weren’t strong enough to face whatever was left behind for you in that fucking house.

Thickness lodges in your throat but you swallow against it. This is not a daydream. This is real life. And you have to own up to what you did now.

“Ren, I–”

The words don’t come, because the world suddenly spins. The fuzziness prickling on your scalp, your ears ringing, your heart going too fast–this has all been too much for you, you should have known that. There are brief thoughts–heart attack, stroke, fuck, fuck, FUCK–and then Ren’s hand is gripping your upper arm so you don’t fall out of the chair.

“Are you okay?” Your vision is clear enough to see the concern in his face. His brows furrow together and he looks around, telling someone– ”Yes, I'm going to get her home” --and you’re about to tell him not to take you to the hospital because your insurance has a high deductible for the emergency room when another dizzy spell hits you, and you’d rather be in debt than dead.

“Should I call an ambulance?” He asks, voice low, calming. Your mind latches onto it. You’re not alone, it’s going to be okay. Someone is here to take care of you, and if you have to go to the emergency room, well, it couldn't have happened at a better time.

Ambulances cost too much money, though, and Ren

“Could you drive me?” Even as you talk, you know something’s wrong. The words come out too slow, a little slurry. Almost like you’re drunk.

Ren starts to shake his head and your dizzy self makes a pitiful sound.

You swear you can see Ren’s ears twitching underneath his hat. You don’t have the presence of mind to think about why–where and when he’s heard that pitiful whimper before–so you just cling to him as he gently pulls you out of your chair.

He grabs your purse and carefully leads you out of the shop. Someone holds the door open, and he tells them that you’re going to the emergency room, thank you for the concern. Your head swims and you might mumble thank you to them, too, but you’re not entirely sure. Are you dying? Is it a stroke? Will the last thing you texted the love of your life be about dinner? It’s funny in that awful, delirious sort of way.

“Ren?” You ask, helpless. You’re holding onto him as tightly as you can, but your fingers feel fuzzy. Your whole body feels fuzzy, actually. Heavy and strange. Drunk and leaden.

“It’s all right,” he murmurs. “Let’s get you into my car, all right?”

You don’t have the presence of mind to wonder why his car is already out on the curb, running, with a driver in the front seat. You aren’t coherent enough to think about things like that; but then, even before you drank the coffee cup laced with a sedative, you didn’t notice the black car following the pair of you down the road to the coffee shop.

You didn’t notice it follow you to the bookstore, either, nor did you give it a second glance when it pulled out of the lot after you stopped in at the grocery store to pick up a few miscellaneous items.

You really had lost your touch after all these years.

Ren grips you carefully while he opens the back door to the car. It’s roomy, expensive. Clean black leather seats that probably don’t show stains. Up front, a driver sits, wearing a hat and sunglasses and a uniform.

There’s a brief thought–Jesus, what does Ren do for a living to afford this?--before Ren is helping you crawl into the backseat.

The movement only makes you dizzier, and you’re telling the person in the front seat, whoever they are, that you need to get to the nearest hospital please.

They don’t even turn to look at you. It’s strange. But then Ren is there in the backseat with you, and you’re mumbling the same thing to him. Rattling off your symptoms–dizzy, fuzzy, confused, tingling hands. You try to remember the test for a stroke but can’t.

Ren smiles at you.

Why is he smiling? That thought comes through loud and clear, but it doesn’t stick for very long.

“Ren,” you say, slurring. “The hospital, the nearest one is… I think it’s… you have to…”

And those words, difficult as they are to get out, slowly drop away. Because while your mind is not capable of many things right now, it is capable of registering something unusual.

Ren.

He doesn’t look worried anymore. No more concern furrowing his brow, no more softness.

Instead, he looks pleased. There’s a smug smile on his face, and you’ve seen it before, but it’s older now. Wiser. Less impulsive and more assured.

A cat–a fox–that caught the canary. And you, what little remains of your logical mind tells you, are one dumb bird.

And he knows that you know. Because he jerks his chin at the driver in the front, who must press some kind of button; the doors lock. Loud. Hard. Your numb hands fumble for the door handle but no matter how much you try to shove the door open, it doesn’t budge.

You're locked in.

“Back to the hotel for now,” Ren says. Not to you. To the driver. Who–to your horror–begins to pull away from the curb.

“Oh, no–” You try to scream. It’s not quite loud enough. Not quite sharp enough. but maybe someone can see you, even through the tinted windows. Or they’ll hear you and tell someone, who will maybe tell someone else, who might call the cops. If you’re lucky.

Ren’s hand cups your mouth firmly.

“Don’t waste your energy, you’ll need it soon.” The hand moves from your lips to your cheek, resting there. The look in Ren’s eyes is blurry–whatever he drugged you with is making it hard to focus–but you recognize bits of it, because you felt the same damn thing.

The awful mixture of nostalgia, regret and ache.

Maybe if you explain everything. Tell him why you ran. Apologize like hell. You won’t be hugging after this, but you won't be drugged up (what did he give you?) in the back of his car, either.

“Ren– the hous e–I ran–I–let me explain, it–”

Ren’s hand trails back to your mouth. The sharp edges of his nails graze against your nose.

“Hush. We’ll talk about all that later.”

Later?

Oh, fuck –

There’s an awful, stabbing pain in your thigh–you look down and see Ren pulling away a syringe with a bright silver needle.

Ren–you try to say his name, but when you open your mouth, nothing comes out. Your lips gape and close and words no longer form.

Your head is swimming now, all highs and lows, dipping and rising over waves that never seem to end. It’s like you're falling asleep in the worst way, hard and rocky.

Like you’re falling backwards down the basement stairs.

Ren’s voice is the last thing you hear before you black out.

“Sweet dreams.”

#the price of flesh #boyfriend to death #ren hana #ren hana x reader #tpof x reader #afterwitch writes #thank you voice to text you saved my marriage. i mean my fic. same thing.#i feel like I'm aiming for... 4 chapters? Maybe 5. Definitely 4 though.

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natalievoncatte · 2 years ago

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cw: violence

Lena checked her watch. She only had a few minutes to pull this off, and had to time it perfectly. Lex was across town meeting with an investment consortium from Japan.

Officially.

She knew what he was planning. She just lacked the proof she needed. Once she had it, she would go to the media through her best friend and confidant, Kara Danvers. She had eyes on Lex right now as he met, in secret, with a Kasnian agent, the same one who'd help him orchestrate the theft of a prototype Lexosuit; that had been one of the first times that Superman had shut down one of Lex's schemes, and earned his undying hatred.

Lena needed the final piece of the puzzle before she involved Kara and pulled her into the danger of her private little war with her brother. This was so far beyond anything Lex had attempted that Lena knew now was the time, she had to stop him now, today. The line had to be drawn here, and no further.

The secure lab was deep in the bowels of the Lexcorp Tower in Metropolis; Lena made the excuse of a meeting with some of the research team working on battery enhancements for the upcoming line of Lexmobiles. (Lena had spent hours genuinely trying to talk Lex out of that god-awful name, and actually call them something marketable, but his towering ego was as immovable as it was monumental)

Lena's heart was racing as she stepped out of the elevator, carrying her briefcase under one arm. She strode down the hall like she owned the place (she did, actually- or half of it, anyway) and made sure anyone watching on the security feeds would pay her no mind. She'd worked here for years; even though she'd moved to National City to lead her own division, away from Lex, Superman, and all the drama, she was not an uncommon sight in this place.

Maybe here.

Lena stopped at the door, a heavy steel slab six feet wide and eight feet tall. Breath catching, she slipped her hand in her pocket and slid her finger through the ring she carried there. When she pulled her hand out, an image inducer created a perfect replica of Lex's hand around her own, projecting the unique contours and ridges of his palm and fingertips while simulating his pulse and unique vitals.

It was either going to work or it wasn't. She pressed the false hand to the sensors and waited. It beeped twice and turned a healthy blue.

The door let out a rush of cool air as it slid silently aside, its motion mirrored by an inner door of the same dimensions sliding in the opposite direction. Lena stepped through and removed the ring; the doors slid ominously closed behind her, latching with a heavy thunk as wrist-thick steel bolts slid home, anchoring them in place.

She knew that not only was the entire room lined with lead, but the lights could instantly switch to a red wavelength and the long sliding panels on the wall would open to reveal K-Radiator emitters. This room was designed to be a death trap for Kryptonians, should one be foolish enough to enter. That was why Lena had to do this alone.

Supergirl would rush in where angels feared to tread, and given the chance, she'd barge through those doors and end up helpless on the floor, at Lex's mercy to murder without witnesses. Or worse.

The lab was smaller than she expected, and Spartan. Despite her brother's notorious, arrogant grandiosity, he could be relentlessly practical when needed, and at heart was utterly ruthless. Lab benches lined the walls, and the computer was no different, visually, from any other workstation, though it was connected to a vast private database and would have very difficult encryption and security protocols that no one in the world could crack.

No one but her.

The far end of the room was dominated by a peculiar machine, resembling an incubation chamber of some kind, roughly human-sized and surrounded by thick steel cables and tubes, with several dozen monitors rigged up all around it, displaying all sorts of information.

Including biorhythmic data and vital signs.

Lena ran a hand over the steel of the external pod. It was warm.

Her throat tightened. This might be worse than she thought.

Turning to the terminal, Lena sat down on the stool and took from her bag a small portable drive and connection cable, setting them on the desktop in front of her. Lex had one of those drinking birds dunking placidly away at a glass of water on the desk, another bit of his peculiar humor. She'd once loved that about him, before his joking took on a mirthless, cruel streak.

Letting out a slow breath, Lena wiggled the mouse and woke the computer. It demanded a password, pass phrase, and passkey. The two she had, the latter was what the drive was for.

She typed BUCEPHALUS in the password field, then THY FEARFUL SYMMETRY in the pass phrase field, then clicked the cursor into the last box and plugged in the drive, and waited.

The program loaded automatically. If she made an attempt to brute-force the passcode, it would set off the alarms and possibly even trigger a deadly trap in this room. Lena had to crack it without cracking it; it took her months to create this algorithm, with the secret and begrudging help of Querl Dox at the DEO. He'd been concerned about it falling into the wrong hands; he was right to fear that, as it could crack virtually any system in seconds.

It did exactly that, filling in the require passcode. Lena clicked the LOGON button and let out a soft cry of relief as the screen lit up with Lex's desktop.

He had a series of folders waiting, just sitting there ready to be opened. The folders had names like LEXOSUIT, PARTICLE EMITTER, BINARY FUSION GENERATOR, SPATIAL DISTORTION CANNON, POINT-TO-POINT TRANSMATTER... and PROJECT GALATEA.

Lena opened that folder, and found a series of video files. She opened the first one, dated over a year ago.

Lex' face appeared, the man himself seated in this very lab.

"Mother stole Supergirl's DNA and used it to breach the Fortress of Solitude. She walked those hallowed halls, and didn't invite me! Not only that, she took only one device, when Superman's precious armory was right there for the taking! Is everyone a fool? Am I doomed to be surrounded by incompetents?"

He took a deep breath.

"It doesn't matter. There's enough of what she took left to comprise a viable sample... all I need is time, and I had that in abundance now that I've taken care of that nosy Gotham prosecutor that was working with Superman. He's too busy robbing banks to bother with me, and with the Metropolis police and GCPD in my pocket, Superman and that flying rat of his have nowhere to turn."

Flying rat? What the hell was he talking about?

Lena skipped a few files ahead.

"We'll call her Project Galatea. My initial plan -to create a limited-use drug that would produce Kryptonian superpowers- has been a failure. Nor was I able to successfully create a viable clone."

Lena's stomach sank. Clone? Clone? Had Lex tried to clone Supergirl? Was that was this equipment was for?

"Then it hit me- I could complete the project another way, by filling in the gaps in her DNA, but that still didn't solve all the problems. There was a missing component- I still don't know how Kryptonians actually absorb and process sunlight, for one. Still, that seems to be solving itself. Galatea's cells are absorbing the artificial solar energy that I'm pumping into her maturation chamber at a geometric rate. She might be even more powerful than her mother by the time she matures."

Lena jerked to her feet, a chill running through her body. Mother? Wait, did he mean-

Oh. Oh God.

Lena let the video drone on in the background as she moved back to the chamber. It was encased in steel plating, but it was designed to open. Lena found a pair of goggles on a work table near the control panel and put them on before flipping a switch.

The panels rotated, exposing a human form lying at an angle at rest on a padded platform. A respirator, like a flight mask, was strapped to her face, and she was submerged in thick, bubbling liquid. The chamber would have been too brilliant to look at, if Lena hadn't put on the goggles. It was flooded with brilliant solar radiation.

She'd put the inhabitant between ten and twelve years old, with golden skin and dark hair. Lena blinked a few times; it was like looking at an old picture of herself, actually.

For a brief moment, she just stared.

Then it hit her, and she almost vomited as she shoved the switch and closed the doors over the maturation chamber, stumbling back as she retched.

What did he do?

"I see you've met your niece."

Lena whirled, and found Lex staring her down, standing in front of the lab doors with his hands clasped behind his back, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"How... what... what the fuck did you do, Lex?"

"I think you've already pieced it together."

"Why?"

"Why?" said Lex. "I'll tell you why. Security. The security of a free state, sister. I did it because it had to done."

"This is... this is obscene," said Lena. "This is a violation, Lex. I'm not going to let you get away with it."

He laughed. "Get away with it? What do you mean, get away with it? What are you going to do, sue me for custody?"

"You... this is monstrous, Lex."

"We live in a world of monsters, dear sister," said Lex, stepping closer. "Gods and monsters, and who are we? Men, just men. There's whole universe out there, a multiverse, full of these creatures, and the human race is defenseless against them, and worse, they're being welcomed. They're eating of those Kryptonians' palms, you included, and now there are more of them. The green freak claiming to be a Martian. The so-called Amazon. There's seven or eight of them running around. Eventually it'll be twenty, then thirty, then more. They'll run roughshod over our institutions."

"You're out of your mind," said Lena.

"Am I?" said Lex. "Superman and Supergirl claim they fight for truth, justice, and the American way, right? What if their definition of justice doesn't match ours? What if they decide the American way isn't good enough? What if they decide they need to do more than pull kittens out of trees? Then what? Tell me, Lena, what happens if Superman decides to fly down tomorrow and tear the roof off the White House?"

"He wouldn't do that," said Lena. "I've met him, and I know Supergirl. She's saved my life a dozen times, and I suspect you know exactly what I'm talking about."

Lex shook his head. "Mother's extremism has always been a burden. I've done my best to protect you from her, Lena, and I've been honest about it. That's more than you can say for Supergirl."

"You kept this from me," said Lena.

"Until I was ready. I had to be sure that she was viable before I bring her out of the chamber and introduce you. She's going to be part of the family. Our long lost cousin, who we'll raise as a daughter, knowing that the Earth is truly safe now. That we'll have one of them on our side."

"This... this is Supergirl's child."

"That won't be a problem," said Lex. "It's time for you to grow up and let go of these fantasies, Lena. Supergirl doesn't have any interest in you. You're nothing to her, at best a beloved pet."

"I believe in her. We've worked together."

"I said the same thing about Superman. You know how close we were."

"It's not like that."

Lex's smirk turned cruel. "Isn't it? You've always had a type."

'Fuck you," Lena spat.

He chuckled softly and shook his head. "You're not listening. I guess I have to prove it to you. Computer! Show her."

The droning video log of Lex discussing the problems of merging Kryptonian and human DNA stopped, and another one popped up, taking the entire screen. Lena almost didn't look, but her head turned inexorably and she watched.

"Kara?"

Lena watched Kara Danvers walking down a corridor. She stumbled, as something hit her back, twice. Whatever it was tore holes in her cardigan, and she turned around, standing tall. Taller than usual. She didn't move this time; it was as if little puffs of wind were blowing holes in her clothes.

Except they weren't puffs of wind. They were bullets; Lena could see the muzzle flashes, off camera.

"What... how..."

Kara yanked her glasses off and shook her hair free, ripping the cardigan open, popping the buttons, baring the sweeping crest on the chest of her her blue uniform.

"No," Lena whispered.

"I sent the men who shot her in this recording," said Lex. "Don't worry, I already knew; Mother told me. The alien confessed it to her, before begging her not to tell you. I wonder why."

The video ended.

"This is a trick. She wouldn't... she isn't... she's my best friend."

"No, she's your master and you're an obedient dog, heeling where she tells you, and if you aren't... do you know what happened to the assassins I sent to kill Kara Danvers?"

Lena swallowed. "Shut up, Lex. Stop talking."

He smiled, teeth bared in a wolfish grin. "The martian mind-wiped them. He uses his psychic powers to erase the memories of anyone who compromises her identity."

"Stop," said Lena.

"Ever have any... episodes?" said Lex. "Any of those days, where you were so busy your memory gets a little foggy? Ever find yourself back in your apartment without quite knowing how you got there? Are you sure your own memories haven't been tampered with, Lena?"

"Shut up!" she screamed.

"You've been manipulated, tricked, deceived. She doesn't love you, she never will, and you have nowhere to turn. Help me, Lena. Join me, and we can be a proper family again. We can put things right, and lead a free world to-"

Lena reached into her pocket and pulled out a nickel plated Smith and Wesson Ladysmith revolver with faux-ivory grips bearing Lena's initials. Lex gave it to her on her twenty-first birthday, and went with her to the range the next week to teach her to use it.

"Oh," said Lex.

Lena shot him. The blast was ear-splitting in the confined space, leaving a painful ringing in its wake. Lex crumpled, toppling onto his side as if his strings had been cut. Rolling onto his back, he stemmed the gushing of his lifeblood from the wound just below his ribs and looked at her.

"Didn't think you had it in you," he rasped. "Should have known you'd be the one. You can only count on blood."

Tears stung her eyes, blurred her vision. Lena held out the weapon, her grip trembling as she aimed at his head.

"You'll never stop," she choked out. "You'll kill her. She'll never be safe as long as you're alive."

Lex grinned, the corners of his mouth wet with blood. "Do it."

Lena's finger flexed, but the trigger felt frozen in place. As it shifted slightly, a flood of memories slammed through her- shooting lessons and chess games, strange idle fancies and muted conversations, long rides in the back of sedans. Lena's graduation, Lionel's funeral, Lillian's abuses, Lex standing between their father and Lena with a bruise on his jaw, warning the old man not to lay another hand on her.

A sob tore from her throat. She couldn't do it. She couldn't.

Lex laughed flecks of blood onto the floor.

"Go on, then. I don't need you. I have my own Kryptonian, and she's going to be daddy's little girl."

It was as if the rain suddenly stopped, the sun cracking open the clouds. The gun was terribly loud again, and Lena turned away before she saw the shot connect, looking away from the blood fanning out across the floor as Lex went silent and still.

Shoving the still-hot gun back into her pocket, Lena ran.

Thought I'd share a little bit more from the in-progress Curse of Strahd AU/Crossover!

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ekrochford · 1 month ago

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Return of Maul x Femreader (part 2/?)

[Hope everyone likes! Enjoy!]

Part 2

You look at your chrono on your wrist. It’s past midnight. You haven’t heard a sound in half an hour, but you lie still anyway, eager to believe that it’s not clear to leave your tent yet.

Earlier tonight, Zhalar had had no idea what kind of bomb he was dropping on you. You’re thankful he’s discreet enough to consult you first. What if he’d just gone to Professor straight away?

That’s why it had to be tonight. There’s nothing you can do if Zhalar has a fit of prudence and deems it safest for everyone to report the stranger lurking out in the sands. And what with the uncertainty cast by the GPR’s initial images, who knew what effect that information would have on Professor’s report to the Galactic Histories department.

You’ve been waiting. Your name was on the shower sign-up sheet, so you arrived at your assigned time and scrubbed as well as the low-flow camp shower allowed. You put on your last clean clothes and hauled your spares to the wash set-up standing beside the showers. Both used endlessly recycled water that pumped through a five-fold filtration system. Supposedly, the water that came out was as fresh as its first use. Supposedly.

“I saw Zhalar outside your tent earlier,” Ralla had said, crossing her arms. It was her shift to mind the washer and dryer to make sure they didn’t eat everyone’s clothes. Her dark lips pressed into a sly grin. “What was that all about, hmm?”

Stars, she’s nosy. She’s the rumor mill, granary, and frontline sales team all in one. “He was asking about you.”

Ralla perked up, instantly hooked. “What?! What’d he ask?!”

“He wanted to know if your tattoos are uneven on purpose.”

Ralla’s hands flew to her face before she could stop them, then curled into small fists. “That’s not funny.” As per her home culture, Ralla had a small pattern tattooed above each eyebrow to mark a major event, supposedly when she was accepted into the University. She tells everyone that she’ll add to it when she achieves her doctorate but in the meantime, it’s always seemed to you that the one on the left is a little closer to the center than the one on the right.

“It’s none of your business, Ralla.”

“You have laundry duty tomorrow night,” she answered angrily. “Don’t forget.”

“I won’t.” You left her to head back to your tent. You don’t worry about your clothes; Ralla is generally not foolish enough to push anyone too far. And sabotaging someone’s socks when the nearest market is a day’s ride away is undeniably too far.

But that leaves you here, now, with nothing to do but wait another five minutes to make sure that there aren’t any stragglers lingering by the campfire to see you leave the protective circle of the sensors.

The sensors. Damn. They’ll alarm when you cross the line. Well… your position grants you access to the security sensor codes. You can turn them off, cross outside, and then reactivate them—then repeat the process when you come back. You roll over on your side and retrieve your datapad; after entering your personal credentials, you’re able to access the sensor codes for the dig. You lay back, reassured.

It’s been quiet for a long time, and in the silence, your heart begins to punch against your eardrums.

You’ll be seeing him again soon. Sooner than you thought, since you thought you’d be seeing him never. Even if your dreams were frequent reminders, in your waking hours you hadn’t expected to cross paths again.

It’s a ghost town out there; you sit up in the dark. You’re still dressed, ready to go. You pull on your boots by feel.

It has to be you. Who knows what he’s doing out here, out in the Dune Sea, but the obvious answer has something to do with you. Whether he’s looking for another roll in the hay—or sand—or whether he’s here to silence you permanently, it’s your mess to deal with.

That thought freezes your fingers on your boot laces. There was that terrifying moment, there at the end. You’d been sure you were a goner. And then… he’d just let you go.

Did he change his mind?

You try to listen for the sound of your gut clanging one direction or the other. Your catastrophe signal, the intuition that had kept you intact through your Outer-Rim travels. It was as quiet now as the sleeping forest of tents, not a peep, even when you imagined what waited for you out in the dunes.

You step out into the cool desert night; it smells like sand, air so dry it cracks the nose and mouth and eyelids. For the second time, you gather up your little handful of Force ability and cast it like a net. It’s easier the second time around, now that you know you can do it.

As before, an answer flares like a single scorching beat of thunder. You swallow and turn further into camp, just one last stop. You search through the tents (most of them identical) until you think you have the right one.

“Zhalar?”

Muffled mutterings, and then Zhalar’s large ears appear in the flap of his tent. He’s groggy with sleep, nose twitching, blinking and bare-chested. But he’s alert enough and fixes you with a bleary stare.

“What are you doing here?”

You bend down to be on eye level. “Hey, do me a favor.”

“What? What favor?” His ears quiver, and he shakes his head as if to clear it.

“If…uh…if I turn up missing tomorrow…”

“What?!”

“Shh! Listen, I’m not expecting it, but just in case.”

Zhalar’s looking at you with his mouth hanging open, revealing elongated top and bottom canines. “What… you want me to cover for you?”

“No, if I’m not in camp tomorrow, I want you to tell Professor the truth. What you saw—smelled—in Mos Eisley, and on the way back from the Jawas. I’m just going now to see what he wants, I’m not expecting trouble. But, you know… in case trouble finds me.”

Zhalar is fully awake now, looking like he’s just listened to you explain that you were going to try and eat mortar. His eyes narrow. His brows furrow.

“Are you serious?”

“Sadly, yes.”

“Why not just tell Professor yourself now?”

It’s your turn to look at Zhalar like he’s said something remarkably stupid. “He’d flip his lid. He’d freak—half his feathers would fall out. He’d have us pack up tonight and leave tomorrow.”

Zhalar doesn’t argue, only shrugs to cede the point.

“Besides,” you continue, “I don’t think he’s here to cause trouble. If I go talk to him, I can probably get him to just go away.”

Zhalar sighs. “Fine. Go ‘talk to him’. How should I describe your murder suspect if we find your lifeless body dumped in the desert?”

“Haha, very funny. He’s Zabrak. Red skin, black tattoos. All black clothes.”

“Yeah, I thought he smelled like a Zabrak.” Zhalar blinks at you, thinking. His lips twist wryly. “So, is it true about male Zabraks…?”

“No! No, it’s not true! Did you need to be able to describe that, too?”

“Maybe. Is that gonna be the murder weapon?” He smirks at you, showing pointed teeth.

You’ve barely spoken to Zhalar before. You had no idea he could banter. It’s a pleasant surprise to find someone as abrasive as you are. “Just tell Professor, if I’m not back.”

He retreats back into his tent, muttering. You can barely make out the words as he seals his tent shut. “You must really be something, if he’s hiked all the way out here just to see you again.”

The thought does not reassure you. Because if you’re being honest, you weren’t the one knocking the stars out of his sky—quite the other way around. So if he’s come all this way, following you into the Dune Sea… he’s come for something else.

---

The desert surrounds you on all sides. The galaxy domes upward, outward into space, tinted with the particle colors of terrestrial atmosphere: in the place of void black, the stars burn white in a field of deep and dark velvet blue.

The sensor code worked perfectly. You slipped out of camp without a peep. When you pushed out a call, this time, the answer was near. The dig site is only over the dune just behind you, barely ten minute’s walk. You follow the direction of the red pulse against your skin, heading to a cluster of rock outcroppings planted among the dancing sands. In the moonlight, they look like craggy silver faces with black shadows, watching.

You can feel the nearness of him. It’s impossible to say whether the feeling is magnetic or repulsive, but the urge to draw closer wins out. You boots churn through the soft sand, stubborn and set on their path.

The echo in your mind wisps out as you reach the rock, but you don’t need it now. You round a break into a sand-carved bowl of a canyon, rock walls and open sky.

And there he is. Black hood thrown back, lightsaber worn in plain sight on his belt. Perched on a shelf of rock, arms resting on his knees. He looks up, and neither of you pretend to be shocked to see the other.

Maul.

---

Like what you read?

#ekrochford #star wars #self insert #smut #fanfiction #fem reader #darth maul #maul #maul opress #tattooine #archeologist

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allyssl · 2 months ago

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dunno why but brain latched onto white nosed coatis fer the animal inspo

PlaytimeCo decided to dip into the potential market of home security The motion sensors are easy to install and charge, plus he's got a cute design to get the kiddos invested!

totally no reason for a toy company to make a security system

Aubject A, since Sawyer can't get them to respond to anything they can't tie back to their name in a way

After conditioning, they served as a guard within the prison. They followed Sawyer after the Hour of Joy to keep some sense of familiarity.

don't quite have all of their abilities figured out yet

they can see through the alert paw cameras internal wiring allows tazer teeths they can use the nitrogen gas similar to Catnap with the smoke

don't know if i want em to have the red smoke but brains leaning no on that

#my art #poppy playtime #Cooper the Coati #Cooper #Alex

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acideathr · 2 months ago

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‧₊˚♪𝄞࿐₊˚⊹ 𝖙𝖜𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖜𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝄞₊ ⊹ 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖙 ● 𝖌𝖑𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖚𝖘 𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖖𝖚𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖉𝖊 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝘄𝗼 ● 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 ⤿ 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 ● 𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻

♫ .. “ ... 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 ... “ ★ . •° . －𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘳 ．．• ♡︎

˖ ݁♬⋆.˚𝄞. FLEUR CITY

*chattering*

rook: oh, how stunning...

rook: you can just FEEL the history emanating from the city streets. not to mention there are flowers growing everywhere — how fragrant fleur city is!

idia: EEP!

idia: beauty! flowers! colors! light! festivities! the sheer sparkliness is overwhelming...!

silver: yes, it truly puts me in a lively mood.

ruggie: pretty much everyone around here's dressed like us.

ruggie: i thought we'd stick out like sore thumbs, but nope. we look right at home.

idia: i desperately wanna get this walk over with as fast as humanly possible...

idia: so, uh, hey... the map says there's a flea market in this area.

idia: that could cover all our needs...

silver: interesting. we should check it out.

*footsteps*

rook: ah, what a lovely flea market! the splendor of the colorful tents make my heart go pitter—patter!

ruggie: aw yeah, wonder what kinda finds i can dig up...

ruggie: oh hey, someone dropped their hat... whoa!

ruggie: it's filled with coins!

rook: you're right. it's an upside—down hat with coins inside.

silver: they're in front of every shop.

ruggie: okay, i know what's goin' on here... someone lost this! wouldn't it be best if i picked it up?

idia: somehow i doubt it'd make it back to its owner, lawl.

rollo: surely you're not thinking of pilfering the contents of that hat.

rook: ah, bonjour, roi du mouchoir — my friend with the ornate handkerchief!

rollo: ......

rollo: were you by chance addressing ME with that "roi" title?

rook: oui, but of course!

idia: he's asking because there's nothing "of course" about it...

silver: don't worry, we're not trying to steal or anything.

ruggie thought someone lost this and wanted to return to its owner.

ruggie: yeah, i resent that accusation!

rollo: oh, is that so? i beg your pardon, then.

rollo: no one lost it. people put their money in those hats when making purchases.

idia: huh? wait, so like... these beaten—up old hats are their cash registers?

rollo: indeed.

idia: have these people even HEARD of security?

rollo: pardon?

rollo: it's a long—standing fleur city tradition.

rollo: there's a saying that if you place a hat upside down and put money in it, the money will find its way back to you in no time if it ever gets lost.

idia: and so people just leave hats full of money out in the open? i know the shopkeepers can see them, but anybody could swipe one and run.

ruggie: this must be a real safe part of town.

rollo: indeed it is. we pride ourselves on the practice. it's like a symbol of how peaceful we are.

idia: the whole place would go bankrupt if someone like ruggie set up a shop here...

ruggie: shyeheehee. i take that as a compliment.

rollo: yes, well... sadly, we still get ill—mannered outsiders visiting our city. especially around festival time.

rollo: so the people in town always form a city watch to keep the peace this time of year.

rollo: see that figure standing under those lights? and the one in front of the building behind us? they're a part of it.

silver: the way they stand does remind me of guards.

ruggie: yikes. good thing you told me all this now.

rollo: the city watch is made up of volunteers who are inspired by the righteous judge.

rollo: tales claim the righteous judge was an ardent proponent of improving city security during his time.

rollo: it's a wonderful thing. we must deter any and all wrongdoings.

silver: agreed. when someone does something wrong, it's important to give them a chance to reflect on their mistakes.

idia: wouldn't it be easier to set up security cams and sensors rather than having people stand guard around town?

idia: seems to me like digital solutions could manage their money and peacekeeping efforts more effectively, while letting everyone rest...

idia: *sigh* then again, i guess you're not supposed to change up traditions. that's like the whole point.

rook: it's simply marvelous how your peaceful city of happy residents instills its citizenry with a sense of diligence and pride!

⭑♪⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 ⭑♪⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁

©𝗖𝗢𝗣𝗬𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 ● @acideathr 2025 ⤿ my work is not yours to take; posting chapters requires significant time and effort. all credit is due to aniplex and yana toboso; show your support by downloading the twisted wonderland. this blog particularly caters to players who cannot access the en game because of their region or those who aren't willing to download the game

#acideathr #twisted wonderland #twst #twst wonderland #disney twst #disney twisted wonderland #twst event #glorious masquerade #rollo flamme #twst rollo #ruggie bucchi #twst ruggie #rook hunt #twst rook #idia shroud #twst idia #silver vanrouge #twst silver

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radiantlyshiftingrebel · 29 days ago

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Photonic Integrated Circuit Market 2033: Key Players, Segments, and Forecasts

Market Overview

The Global Photonic Integrated Circuit Market Size is Expected to Grow from USD 11.85 Billion in 2023 to USD 94.05 Billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 23.02% during the forecast period 2023-2033.

Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Market is witnessing transformative momentum, fueled by the global push towards faster, energy-efficient, and miniaturized optical components. As data demands soar and photonics become essential in telecom, AI, quantum computing, and biosensing, PICs are emerging as the nerve center of next-generation optical solutions. These chips integrate multiple photonic functions into a single chip, drastically improving performance and cost-efficiency.

Market Growth and Key Drivers

The market is set to grow at an exceptional pace, driven by:

Data Center Expansion: Surging internet traffic and cloud services are fueling PIC-based optical transceivers.

5G & Beyond: Demand for faster, low-latency communication is driving adoption in telecom infrastructure.

Quantum & AI Computing: PICs are critical to the advancement of light-based quantum circuits and high-speed AI processors.

Medical Diagnostics: Miniaturized photonic sensors are revolutionizing biomedical imaging and lab-on-chip diagnostics.

Defense & Aerospace: PICs provide enhanced signal processing and secure communication capabilities.

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Market Challenges

Despite strong potential, the PIC market faces several hurdles:

Fabrication Complexity: Advanced PICs demand high-precision manufacturing and integration techniques.

Standardization Issues: Lack of global standards slows down mass deployment and interoperability.

High Initial Investment: R&D and setup costs can be prohibitive, especially for SMEs and startups.

Thermal Management: Maintaining performance while managing heat in densely packed circuits remains a challenge.

Market Segmentation

By Component: Lasers, Modulators, Detectors, Multiplexers/Demultiplexers, Others

By Integration Type: Monolithic Integration, Hybrid Integration

By Material: Indium Phosphide (InP), Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI), Others

By Application: Optical Communication, Sensing, Biomedical, Quantum Computing, RF Signal Processing

By End User: Telecom, Healthcare, Data Centers, Aerospace & Defense, Academia

Regional Analysis

North America: Leading in R&D, startups, and federal defense contracts.

Europe: Home to silicon photonics innovation and academic-industrial collaboration.

Asia-Pacific: Witnessing rapid adoption due to telecom expansion and smart manufacturing in China, South Korea, and Japan.

Middle East & Africa: Emerging opportunities in smart city and surveillance tech.

Latin America: Gradual growth driven by increasing telecom and IoT penetration.

Competitive Landscape

Key players shaping the market include:

Intel Corporation

Cisco Systems

Infinera Corporation

NeoPhotonics

IBM

II-VI Incorporated

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Broadcom Inc.

GlobalFoundries

PhotonDelta (Europe-based accelerator)

Positioning and Strategies

Leading companies are focusing on:

Vertical Integration: Owning every stage from design to packaging for cost control and performance.

Strategic Partnerships: Collaborations with telecom operators, hyperscalers, and research institutes.

Application-Specific Customization: Tailoring PICs for specific end-user applications (e.g., medical devices or LiDAR systems).

Global Fab Alliances: Leveraging cross-continental manufacturing capabilities for scale and speed.

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Recent Developments

Intel unveiled a next-gen 200G PIC-based optical transceiver targeting AI data centers.

Infinera's XR optics platform is redefining network scaling with dynamic bandwidth allocation.

European Photonics Alliance launched an initiative to accelerate PIC adoption in SMEs.

Startups like Ayar Labs and Lightmatter raised significant VC funding to develop photonics-based computing solutions.

Trends and Innovation

Co-Packaged Optics (CPO): Integrating optics with switching ASICs for power and latency optimization.

Silicon Photonics: Scalable, CMOS-compatible manufacturing opening the doors to mass production.

Quantum Photonic Chips: Rapid R&D in quantum-safe communications and computing.

Edge Photonics: Enabling localized, high-speed data processing for Industry 4.0 and IoT applications.

AI-Powered Design: ML models used for photonic circuit simulation and optimization.

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Opportunities

Telecom & Cloud Providers: Demand for next-gen, low-latency networks creates significant opportunities.

Healthcare Startups: PICs enable affordable, portable diagnostics, expanding precision medicine.

Defense & Security: High-performance signal processing and surveillance enhancements.

Automotive LiDAR: Integration of PICs into autonomous vehicle sensor suites.

Future Outlook

The Photonic Integrated Circuit Market is moving from research-focused innovation to mainstream commercial adoption. By 2030, PICs are expected to power a wide array of industries—fundamentally redefining computing, communication, and sensing systems. Standardization, improved design tools, and silicon photonics will be pivotal in unlocking scalable mass adoption.

Conclusion

As digital transformation becomes more photon-powered, Photonic Integrated Circuits stand at the frontier of high-speed, high-efficiency technology. For decision-makers, investors, startups, and policymakers, now is the moment to align strategies, fund innovation, and build the ecosystem that will define the photonic era.

About the Spherical Insights

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which is catering to different industry such as financial sectors, industrial sectors, government organizations, universities, non-profits and corporations. The company's mission is to work with businesses to achieve business objectives and maintain strategic improvements.

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mastergarryblogs · 2 months ago

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Palladium Market Gold Rush: Why Everyone’s Talking About This Metal Right Now

Executive Summary

We present a comprehensive analysis of the global palladium market, offering an in-depth review of its evolution, key growth drivers, and future trajectory through 2031. With a projected CAGR of 5.8% from 2024 to 2031, the palladium sector is poised for sustained growth, underpinned by the metal’s indispensable role in emissions reduction technologies and clean energy applications. This article offers strategic insights into supply dynamics, regional developments, application diversification, and key palladium market players.

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Palladium Market Dynamics and Future Outlook

Surging Demand in the Automotive Sector

The automotive industry continues to anchor the palladium market, accounting for the largest share of global consumption. Palladium is critical in catalytic converters for gasoline engines, which are essential for complying with tightening emission regulations in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The rising global vehicle population, coupled with policy mandates for greener transportation, is expected to drive consistent demand.

Technological Integration in Electronics and Hydrogen Applications

Palladium's superior electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance secure its place in the electronics sector, especially in multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), connectors, and hard disk drives. Meanwhile, hydrogen storage and purification systems, as well as fuel cell technologies, represent emerging frontiers that are poised to significantly expand palladium's industrial footprint.

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Palladium Market Segmentation: Application Analysis

Automotive Catalysts

Accounts for over 80% of global palladium demand

Used in gasoline engines, particularly in China and the U.S.

Subject to substitution risk from platinum and rhodium, yet remains dominant due to performance consistency

Electronics

Essential for connector plating, capacitor electrodes, and sensors

Demand influenced by rising production of smartphones, laptops, and EV components

Jewelry

Known for being hypoallergenic and tarnish-resistant

Preferred in modern, minimalist designs and in wedding jewelry in Europe and North America

Dentistry

Valued for biocompatibility and durability

Utilized in dental alloys for crowns, bridges, and inlays

Chemical Industry

Acts as a catalyst in petroleum refining and bulk chemical production

Plays a growing role in green chemistry processes

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology

Used in hydrogen purification membranes

Enables hydrogen oxidation reactions in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs)

Palladium Market Segmentation: By Source

Primary Mining

Predominantly from Russia, South Africa, and Canada

Often co-extracted with platinum and nickel

Remains the largest supply source despite environmental and geopolitical constraints

Byproduct Recovery

Extracted during the processing of nickel, copper, and platinum group metals (PGMs)

Efficient source in regions lacking dedicated palladium mines

Recycling

Accounts for a growing portion of supply, especially in North America and Europe

Primarily sourced from end-of-life catalytic converters and electronic waste

Helps stabilize market prices and support sustainability goals

Regional Palladium Market Insights

North America

Dominated by strong automotive and electronics sectors

Recycling infrastructure well-developed

The U.S. remains a key consumer, especially in catalytic converter manufacturing

Asia-Pacific

China, Japan, and India are major consumers and importers

Rapid industrialization and automobile production driving demand

Government initiatives support fuel cell development

Europe

Strong emphasis on green transportation and hydrogen fuel

Home to leading automotive OEMs and chemical manufacturers

High environmental standards foster recycling and substitution R&D

Middle East and Africa

South Africa remains a major producer via primary mining operations

Expansion of mining operations expected through 2030

South America

Brazil plays a critical role in automotive production and PGM consumption

Limited mining capacity but increasing interest in resource development

Competitive Landscape: Key Palladium Market Players

The palladium market is shaped by vertically integrated companies with global reach. The major players include:

Anglo American Platinum Limited

Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel)

Sibanye-Stillwater

Impala Platinum

Northam Platinum

Glencore

Johnson Matthey

China National Gold Group Corporation

African Rainbow Minerals

Zimplats

Heraeus Group

MMC Kazakhmys

These companies control significant portions of the global supply chain from mining and refining to recycling and R&D. Strategic mergers, joint ventures, and technological innovations are central to their market positioning.

Strategic Palladium Market Outlook and Forecast (2024–2031)

The global palladium market is anticipated to witness robust growth, driven by a combination of regulatory mandates, technological shifts, and industrial diversification. Emerging economies will play a pivotal role in consumption growth, while sustainability efforts and circular economy models will reshape supply paradigms.

Key Palladium Market Forecast Drivers

Emission regulation policies in G7 nations and China

Growth in electric and hybrid vehicle production

Increased recycling efficiency via AI and automation

Rise of hydrogen economies boosting demand in clean energy

Strategic Recommendations

Diversify sourcing via investments in byproduct recovery and secondary refining technologies

Expand downstream applications, especially in the hydrogen and electronics sectors

Strengthen supply chain resilience to mitigate geopolitical risks

Promote recycling ecosystems in emerging markets

Invest in substitution research to balance cost and performance across PGMs

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Conclusion

With expanding demand across legacy and emerging industries, the palladium market stands at the intersection of industrial progress and environmental sustainability. Our strategic outlook reveals significant opportunities for market stakeholders willing to innovate, adapt, and lead. The next decade promises a dynamic evolution in the global palladium landscape—one defined by both technological advancement and responsible resource stewardship.

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kishorxox · 5 months ago

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Smart Mirrors Market Size, Share & Report Trends 2025

Meticulous Research®—a leading global market research company, published a research report titled, ‘Smart Mirrors Market by Offering (Hardware, Software, Services), Installation Type (Wall Mounted, Free-Styled), Application (Automotive, Healthcare, Residential, Retail, Media & Entertainment, Corporate) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2032.’

The global smart mirrors market is projected to reach $8.85 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 16.4% from 2025 to 2032. The growth of this market is attributed to smart mirrors being an alternative to convex mirrors for enhanced safety features in the automobile sector, the rising need for home security, and the shift of the retail industry from traditional to digital. However, security breach of confidential and personal data restrains market growth. The growing Industry 4.0 adoption to offer lucrative opportunities and untapped potential in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to create significant opportunities for this market. However, a lack of awareness about smart mirrors and higher cost than ordinary mirrors pose challenges to market growth.

The global smart mirrors market is segmented by offering, installation type, application, and geography. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyses the regional and country-level markets.

Key Players

The key players profiled in the global smart mirrors market study include Japan Display Inc. (Japan), Gentex Corporation (U.S.), Magna International Inc. (Canada), Harman International Industries, Incorporated (U.S.), Murakami Corporation (Japan), Ficosa Internacional SA (Spain), Mirrocool, Inc. (U.S.), Electric Mirror, Inc. (U.S.), ad notam AG (Germany), Dirror (Germany), Seymour Powell Limited (U.K.), Alke (Italy), HILO Solutions, Inc. (Canada), Evervue USA Inc. (U.S.) and Séura (U.S.).

Based on offering, the global smart mirrors market is segmented into hardware, software, and services. In 2025, the hardware segment is expected to account for the largest share of the global smart mirrors market. The hardware segment includes displays, cameras, and sensors, along with connectivity and audio components, which form a major share of the cost of the complete smart mirror system. The smart mirror offers a platform for shoppers to try on new clothes, check the sizes or varieties of clothes in a store, and share information related to the tried clothes on social media platforms. Smart rear-view mirrors are being increasingly utilized to enhance safety in cars and reduce complications of camera systems. Smart rear-view mirrors for automotive applications can work normally even in the event of poor weather conditions with minimum obstructions to drivers. Unlike conventional mirrors, electric mirrors utilized in vehicles have the features of auto-adjusting their displays under different light intensities and thus provide better assistance to drivers under all weather conditions. These features make mirror technology irreplaceable. As automotive and retail continue to grow, this will create lucrative opportunities for smart mirror hardware in the coming years.

Based on installation type, the global smart mirrors market is segmented into wall-mounted and free-styled. In 2025, the wall-mounted segment is expected to account for the larger share of the global smart mirrors market. The growing consumer preference for wall-mounted smart mirrors over free-standing mirrors is influencing the growth of the segment. Free-standing mirrors are more likely to fall or topple over, whereas wall-mounted mirrors are significantly less likely to do so. Furthermore, as smart mirrors are more expensive than regular mirrors, buyers are more cautious about choosing wall-mounted smart mirrors. These are installed on the wall, saving space by freeing up the floor area and improving the overall appearance of a room. Such mirrors are space-saving alternatives, thereby, demand for wall-mounted smart mirrors is gaining traction.

Based on application, the global smart mirrors market is segmented into automotive, healthcare, residential, hospitality, retail, media & entertainment, corporate, and other applications. In 2025, the retail segment is expected to account for the largest share of the smart mirrors market. The large share of the segment is attributed to their ability to enhance customer experiences, improve engagement, and provide valuable data for businesses. These devices offer various functionalities that cater to different industries, transforming the way businesses interact with customers. In the retail sector, smart mirrors are used in stores to create interactive and immersive shopping experiences, enabling customers to virtually try on clothing, accessories, and makeup. This technology enhances customer convenience, reduces return rates, and boosts sales. Thereby, the potential growth of the retail sector is likely to create lucrative opportunities for the segment in the coming years.

Based on geography, the global smart mirrors market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. In 2025, North America is expected to account for the largest share of the smart mirrors market. The large share of this market is attributed to the customers' awareness of AI developments and its application in smart mirrors. As of present, integrating smart speakers such as Alexa into these mirrors increases their popularity at residencies across North America. Moreover, growing investments, strategic developments, and increasing new entrants in the market space are driving the market growth. As technology advances, smart mirrors are likely to offer even more novel capabilities and become more widespread in people's daily lives.

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Key Questions Answered in the Report:

Which are the high-growth market segments in terms of offering, installation type, application, and geography?

What is the historical market size for smart mirrors across the globe?

What are the market forecasts and estimates for the period 2025–2032?

What are the major drivers, opportunities, and challenges in the global smart mirrors market?

Who are the major players in the market, and what are their market shares?

What is the competitive landscape like for the global smart mirrors market?

What are the recent developments in the global smart mirrors market?

What are the different strategies adopted by the major players in the market?

What are the key geographic trends, and which are the high-growth countries?

Who are the local emerging players in the global smart mirrors market, and how do they compete with other players?

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#Smart Mirrors Market #Digital Mirrors #Interative Mirrors #Mirror Hardware #Wall Mounted Mirrors #Smart Mirror Sensors #Mirror Display

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smbmatters · 1 year ago

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Exploring the Latest Breakthroughs in Technology

Introduction

Technology is evolving at a rapid pace, bringing with it groundbreaking innovations that are reshaping our world. From artificial intelligence to renewable energy solutions, these advancements are enhancing our lives in ways we never imagined. In this article, we'll explore some of the most exciting recent breakthroughs in technology that are set to transform various industries and everyday life.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are at the forefront of technological innovation. AI and ML are being integrated into a myriad of applications, from healthcare diagnostics to personalized marketing. These technologies analyze vast amounts of data to make predictions, automate processes, and provide valuable insights.

AI in Healthcare

AI is revolutionizing healthcare by improving diagnostic accuracy and patient care. Machine learning algorithms can analyze medical images to detect diseases like cancer at early stages, enabling timely treatment and better patient outcomes.

AI in Everyday Life

In our daily lives, AI powers virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, enhances customer service through chat-bots, and personalizes our online shopping experiences. The continuous improvement of AI algorithms is making these applications smarter and more efficient.

2. Quantum Computing

Quantum Computing promises to solve problems that are currently insurmountable for classical computers. By leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics, quantum computers perform complex calculations at unprecedented speeds.

Advancements in Cryptography

Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize cryptography by breaking encryption codes that secure our digital communications. This breakthrough necessitates the development of new cryptographic methods to protect sensitive information.

Applications in Drug Discovery

In the pharmaceutical industry, quantum computing can simulate molecular interactions at a granular level, accelerating the drug discovery process and leading to the development of new, effective medications.

3. Renewable Energy Technologies

The shift towards renewable energy technologies is crucial in combating climate change. Innovations in solar, wind, and battery technologies are making renewable energy more efficient and accessible.

Solar and Wind Energy

Recent advancements in solar panel efficiency and wind turbine design are increasing the amount of energy harvested from natural sources. These improvements are making renewable energy a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

Energy Storage Solutions

Enhanced battery technologies are crucial for storing renewable energy, ensuring a consistent power supply even when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing. Breakthroughs in battery capacity and lifespan are driving the adoption of renewable energy systems.

4. Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) connects devices and systems, enabling them to communicate and share data. This connectivity is transforming homes, industries, and cities into smarter, more efficient environments.

Smart Homes

IoT technology is making homes smarter by automating lighting, heating, and security systems. Smart home devices can be controlled remotely, offering convenience and energy savings.

Industrial IoT

In industrial settings, IoT devices monitor equipment health and optimize manufacturing processes. Predictive maintenance enabled by IoT sensors can reduce downtime and improve efficiency.

5. Blockchain Technology

Blockchain is revolutionizing how we handle transactions and data security. This decentralized ledger technology ensures transparency and security in various applications.

Financial Transactions

Blockchain is streamlining financial transactions by eliminating the need for intermediaries. It provides a secure and transparent way to transfer funds and verify transactions.

Supply Chain Management

In supply chains, blockchain offers traceability and transparency, reducing fraud and ensuring the authenticity of products. This technology is particularly beneficial in industries like pharmaceuticals and food.

6. 5G Technology

The roll-out of 5G technology is set to enhance connectivity with faster speeds and lower latency. This advancement will support the growth of IoT, autonomous vehicles, and smart cities.

Enhanced Mobile Connectivity

5G technology promises to improve mobile experiences with seamless streaming and quick downloads. It will also enable new applications in virtual and augmented reality.

Smart Cities

5G will facilitate the development of smart cities, where real-time data exchange enhances urban management systems, traffic control, and emergency services.

7. Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles are set to transform transportation. Advances in AI and sensor technology are bringing self-driving cars closer to reality, offering safer and more efficient travel options.

Safety and Efficiency

Autonomous vehicles can reduce accidents caused by human error and optimize traffic flow, reducing congestion and emissions. They hold the potential to revolutionize the logistics and delivery sectors.

Delivery Services

Self-driving delivery vehicles and drones are making logistics faster and more reliable. These innovations are particularly beneficial in urban areas, where they can reduce traffic and pollution.

8. Biotechnology

Biotechnology is advancing rapidly, offering solutions in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental management. Innovations in gene editing, synthetic biology, and bio-engineering are opening new possibilities.

Gene Editing

CRISPR technology is enabling precise gene editing, offering potential cures for genetic diseases and innovations in agriculture. This technology is paving the way for new treatments and sustainable farming practices.

Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is creating new biological systems and organisms, leading to advancements in medicine, bio-fuels, and sustainable materials. This field holds promise for addressing global challenges such as disease and climate change.

9. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

AR and VR technologies are providing immersive experiences in entertainment, education, and various professional fields. These technologies are creating new ways to interact with digital content.

Gaming and Entertainment

AR and VR are enhancing gaming experiences by creating immersive environments and interactive game-play. These technologies are also being used in movies and virtual concerts, offering new forms of entertainment.

Professional Training

In education and professional training, AR and VR offer realistic simulations for hands-on learning. Fields like medicine, engineering, and aviation benefit from these technologies by providing safe and effective training environments.

Conclusion

The latest breakthroughs in technology are driving significant changes across various sectors. From AI and quantum computing to renewable energy and autonomous vehicles, these innovations are shaping the future and improving our lives. Staying informed about these developments is crucial for individuals and businesses alike to leverage the benefits of these technological advancements. As we look to the future, these game-changing technologies will continue to evolve, offering new opportunities and solutions to the challenges we face.

#technology #artificial intelligence #virtual reality #immersive technology #renewableenergy #ai algorithm #valuable insights #internet of things #technological advancements

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govindhtech · 1 year ago

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Genio 510: Redefining the Future of Smart Retail Experiences

Genio IoT Platform by MediaTek

Genio 510

Manufacturers of consumer, business, and industrial devices can benefit from MediaTek Genio IoT Platform’s innovation, quicker market access, and more than a decade of longevity. A range of IoT chipsets called MediaTek Genio IoT is designed to enable and lead the way for innovative gadgets. to cooperation and support from conception to design and production, MediaTek guarantees success. MediaTek can pivot, scale, and adjust to needs thanks to their global network of reliable distributors and business partners.

Genio 510 features

Excellent work

Broad range of third-party modules and power-efficient, high-performing IoT SoCs

AI-driven sophisticated multimedia AI accelerators and cores that improve peripheral intelligent autonomous capabilities

Interaction

Sub-6GHz 5G technologies and Wi-Fi protocols for consumer, business, and industrial use

Both powerful and energy-efficient

Adaptable, quick interfaces

Global 5G modem supported by carriers

Superior assistance

From idea to design to manufacture, MediaTek works with clients, sharing experience and offering thorough documentation, in-depth training, and reliable developer tools.

Safety

IoT SoC with high security and intelligent modules to create goods

Several applications on one common platform

Developing industry, commercial, and enterprise IoT applications on a single platform that works with all SoCs can save development costs and accelerate time to market.

MediaTek Genio 510

Smart retail, industrial, factory automation, and many more Internet of things applications are powered by MediaTek’s Genio 510. Leading manufacturer of fabless semiconductors worldwide, MediaTek will be present at Embedded World 2024, which takes place in Nuremberg this week, along with a number of other firms. Their most recent IoT innovations are on display at the event, and They’ll be talking about how these MediaTek-powered products help a variety of market sectors.

They will be showcasing the recently released MediaTek Genio 510 SoC in one of their demos. The Genio 510 will offer high-efficiency solutions in AI performance, CPU and graphics, 4K display, rich input/output, and 5G and Wi-Fi 6 connection for popular IoT applications. With the Genio 510 and Genio 700 chips being pin-compatible, product developers may now better segment and diversify their designs for different markets without having to pay for a redesign.

Numerous applications, such as digital menus and table service displays, kiosks, smart home displays, point of sale (PoS) devices, and various advertising and public domain HMI applications, are best suited for the MediaTek Genio 510. Industrial HMI covers ruggedized tablets for smart agriculture, healthcare, EV charging infrastructure, factory automation, transportation, warehousing, and logistics. It also includes ruggedized tablets for commercial and industrial vehicles.

The fully integrated, extensive feature set of Genio 510 makes such diversity possible:

Support for two displays, such as an FHD and 4K display

Modern visual quality support for two cameras built on MediaTek’s tried-and-true technologies

For a wide range of computer vision applications, such as facial recognition, object/people identification, collision warning, driver monitoring, gesture and posture detection, and image segmentation, a powerful multi-core AI processor with a dedicated visual processing engine

Rich input/output for peripherals, such as network connectivity, manufacturing equipment, scanners, card readers, and sensors

4K encoding engine (camera recording) and 4K video decoding (multimedia playback for advertising)

Exceptionally power-efficient 6nm SoC

Ready for MediaTek NeuroPilot AI SDK and multitasking OS (time to market accelerated by familiar development environment)

Support for fanless design and industrial grade temperature operation (-40 to 105C)

10-year supply guarantee (one-stop shop supported by a top semiconductor manufacturer in the world)

To what extent does it surpass the alternatives?

The Genio 510 uses more than 50% less power and provides over 250% more CPU performance than the direct alternative!

The MediaTek Genio 510 is an effective IoT platform designed for Edge AI, interactive retail, smart homes, industrial, and commercial uses. It offers multitasking OS, sophisticated multimedia, extremely rapid edge processing, and more. intended for goods that work well with off-grid power systems and fanless enclosure designs.

EVK MediaTek Genio 510

The highly competent Genio 510 (MT8370) edge-AI IoT platform for smart homes, interactive retail, industrial, and commercial applications comes with an evaluation kit called the MediaTek Genio 510 EVK. It offers many multitasking operating systems, a variety of networking choices, very responsive edge processing, and sophisticated multimedia capabilities.

SoC: MediaTek Genio 510

This Edge AI platform, which was created utilising an incredibly efficient 6nm technology, combines an integrated APU (AI processor), DSP, Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, and six cores (2×2.2 GHz Arm Cortex-A78& 4×2.0 GHz Arm Cortex-A55) into a single chip. Video recorded with attached cameras can be converted at up to Full HD resolution while using the least amount of space possible thanks to a HEVC encoding acceleration engine.

FAQS

What is the MediaTek Genio 510?

A chipset intended for a broad spectrum of Internet of Things (IoT) applications is the Genio 510.

What kind of IoT applications is the Genio 510 suited for?

Because of its adaptability, the Genio 510 may be utilised in a wide range of applications, including smart homes, healthcare, transportation, and agriculture, as well as industrial automation (rugged tablets, manufacturing machinery, and point-of-sale systems).

What are the benefits of using the Genio 510?

Rich input/output choices, powerful CPU and graphics processing, compatibility for 4K screens, high-efficiency AI performance, and networking capabilities like 5G and Wi-Fi 6 are all included with the Genio 510.