#How AI improves decision-making

[tagbin-india]

AI Streamlining Decision-Making: Revolutionizing the Future of Business

Decision-making is at the core of every successful business strategy. With the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), companies are now harnessing the power of AI streamlining decision-making processes, leading to faster, more accurate, and cost-effective outcomes. Let’s dive into how AI is revolutionizing decision-making, its benefits, and real-world applications.

The Role of AI in Decision-Making

AI leverages data analysis, machine learning (ML), and advanced algorithms to process vast amounts of information. By identifying patterns and predicting outcomes, AI empowers businesses to make informed decisions without the constraints of human biases or limitations.

For instance, in industries like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, AI tools analyze historical and real-time data to provide actionable insights. This not only reduces the time needed for decision-making but also enhances the quality of decisions.

Key Benefits of AI in Decision-Making

Increased Efficiency AI automates repetitive tasks and accelerates data analysis, allowing businesses to make faster decisions. For example, AI-powered tools in supply chain management optimize logistics and inventory decisions in real time.

Improved Accuracy AI eliminates human error by relying on data-driven insights. Predictive analytics tools, for example, help businesses forecast market trends and consumer behavior with high precision.

Cost Savings By automating complex processes, AI reduces operational costs. Companies can allocate resources more effectively, minimizing waste and maximizing profitability.

Enhanced Creativity and Innovation AI enables businesses to explore creative solutions by analyzing diverse datasets and uncovering unconventional insights. This fosters innovation and competitive advantage.

Personalization AI tailors decisions to individual customer preferences, boosting customer satisfaction. For instance, AI-driven marketing strategies target specific audiences with personalized content.

Real-World Applications of AI in Decision-Making

Healthcare AI assists doctors in diagnosing diseases and recommending treatments. AI algorithms analyze medical histories and imaging data to provide accurate diagnoses, improving patient outcomes.

Finance Financial institutions use AI to detect fraudulent transactions, assess credit risks, and manage investments. AI systems analyze market trends to guide traders in making profitable decisions.

Retail Retailers utilize AI to optimize pricing strategies and predict consumer demand. Chatbots and virtual assistants enhance customer experiences by offering tailored product recommendations.

Manufacturing In manufacturing, AI-driven systems optimize production schedules and monitor equipment for predictive maintenance. This minimizes downtime and maximizes productivity.

Human Resources AI streamlines recruitment by analyzing resumes and identifying the best candidates. Employee performance analytics help HR teams make informed decisions about promotions and training programs.

Challenges in Implementing AI for Decision-Making

While AI offers numerous benefits, there are challenges to its implementation:

Data Privacy Concerns The reliance on large datasets raises concerns about the security and privacy of sensitive information. Companies must ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

Integration Issues Integrating AI systems with existing infrastructure can be complex and costly, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.

Bias in AI Models AI systems may inherit biases from training data, leading to unfair or inaccurate decisions. Continuous monitoring and updates are essential to mitigate this risk.

Skill Gap The adoption of AI requires skilled professionals to develop, manage, and interpret AI systems. Companies must invest in training programs to bridge this gap.

Best Practices for Adopting AI in Decision-Making

Start Small Begin with pilot projects to understand AI’s potential and scalability within your organization.

Ensure Data Quality High-quality data is crucial for accurate AI insights. Implement robust data collection and cleaning processes.

Invest in Training Educate employees about AI tools and their applications to build a skilled workforce.

Monitor and Optimize Continuously evaluate AI systems to address biases and improve performance.

Collaborate with Experts Partner with AI solution providers and experts to implement tailored AI strategies.

The Future of AI in Decision-Making

The future of AI in decision-making is promising. As technology advances, AI systems will become more intuitive, providing even deeper insights. Emerging trends like explainable AI (XAI) will ensure transparency and trust in AI-driven decisions.

Moreover, industries will witness the integration of AI with other technologies like blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT). This convergence will further enhance the efficiency and accuracy of decision-making processes.

Conclusion

AI streamlining decision-making is no longer a futuristic concept—it is a present-day reality transforming industries. By embracing AI, businesses can unlock unparalleled opportunities for growth and innovation. However, the successful adoption of AI requires careful planning, continuous learning, and a commitment to ethical practices.

Whether you’re a small business owner or part of a large corporation, now is the time to explore how AI can revolutionize your decision-making processes. With the right strategies and tools, the possibilities are endless.

[intelisync]

Generative AI for Startups: 5 Essential Boosts to Boost Your Business

The future of business growth lies in the ability to innovate rapidly, deliver personalized customer experiences, and operate efficiently. Generative AI is at the forefront of this transformation, offering startups unparalleled opportunities for growth in 2024.

Generative AI is a game-changer for startups, significantly accelerating product development by quickly generating prototypes and innovative ideas. This enables startups to innovate faster, stay ahead of the competition, and bring new products to market more efficiently. The technology also allows for a high level of customization, helping startups create highly personalized products and solutions that meet specific customer needs. This enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty, giving startups a competitive edge in their respective industries.

By automating repetitive tasks and optimizing workflows, Generative AI improves operational efficiency, saving time and resources while minimizing human errors. This allows startups to focus on strategic initiatives that drive growth and profitability. Additionally, Generative AI’s ability to analyze large datasets provides startups with valuable insights for data-driven decision-making, ensuring that their actions are informed and impactful. This data-driven approach enhances marketing strategies, making them more effective and personalized.

Intelisync offers comprehensive AI/ML services that support startups in leveraging Generative AI for growth and innovation. With Intelisync’s expertise, startups can enhance product development, improve operational efficiency, and develop effective marketing strategies. Transform your business with the power of Generative AI—Contact Intelisync today and unlock your Learn more...

[pillowfort-social]

Generative AI Policy (February 9, 2024)

As of February 9, 2024, we are updating our Terms of Service to prohibit the following content:

Images created through the use of generative AI programs such as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and Dall-E.

This post explains what that means for you. We know it’s impossible to remove all images created by Generative AI on Pillowfort. The goal of this new policy, however, is to send a clear message that we are against the normalization of commercializing and distributing images created by Generative AI. Pillowfort stands in full support of all creatives who make Pillowfort their home. Disclaimer: The following policy was shaped in collaboration with Pillowfort Staff and international university researchers. We are aware that Artificial Intelligence is a rapidly evolving environment. This policy may require revisions in the future to adapt to the changing landscape of Generative AI. 

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Why is Generative AI Banned on Pillowfort?

Our Terms of Service already prohibits copyright violations, which includes reposting other people’s artwork to Pillowfort without the artist’s permission; and because of how Generative AI draws on a database of images and text that were taken without consent from artists or writers, all Generative AI content can be considered in violation of this rule. We also had an overwhelming response from our user base urging us to take action on prohibiting Generative AI on our platform.  

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How does Pillowfort define Generative AI?

As of February 9, 2024 we define Generative AI as online tools for producing material based on large data collection that is often gathered without consent or notification from the original creators.

Generative AI tools do not require skill on behalf of the user and effectively replace them in the creative process (ie - little direction or decision making taken directly from the user). Tools that assist creativity don't replace the user. This means the user can still improve their skills and refine over time. 

For example: If you ask a Generative AI tool to add a lighthouse to an image, the image of a lighthouse appears in a completed state. Whereas if you used an assistive drawing tool to add a lighthouse to an image, the user decides the tools used to contribute to the creation process and how to apply them. 

Examples of Tools Not Allowed on Pillowfort: Adobe Firefly* Dall-E GPT-4 Jasper Chat Lensa Midjourney Stable Diffusion Synthesia

Example of Tools Still Allowed on Pillowfort: 

AI Assistant Tools (ie: Google Translate, Grammarly) VTuber Tools (ie: Live3D, Restream, VRChat) Digital Audio Editors (ie: Audacity, Garage Band) Poser & Reference Tools (ie: Poser, Blender) Graphic & Image Editors (ie: Canva, Adobe Photoshop*, Procreate, Medibang, automatic filters from phone cameras)

*While Adobe software such as Adobe Photoshop is not considered Generative AI, Adobe Firefly is fully integrated in various Adobe software and falls under our definition of Generative AI. The use of Adobe Photoshop is allowed on Pillowfort. The creation of an image in Adobe Photoshop using Adobe Firefly would be prohibited on Pillowfort. 

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Can I use ethical generators? 

Due to the evolving nature of Generative AI, ethical generators are not an exception.

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Can I still talk about AI? 

Yes! Posts, Comments, and User Communities discussing AI are still allowed on Pillowfort.

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Can I link to or embed websites, articles, or social media posts containing Generative AI? 

Yes. We do ask that you properly tag your post as “AI” and “Artificial Intelligence.”

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Can I advertise the sale of digital or virtual goods containing Generative AI?

No. Offsite Advertising of the sale of goods (digital and physical) containing Generative AI on Pillowfort is prohibited.

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How can I tell if a software I use contains Generative AI?

A general rule of thumb as a first step is you can try testing the software by turning off internet access and seeing if the tool still works. If the software says it needs to be online there’s a chance it’s using Generative AI and needs to be explored further. 

You are also always welcome to contact us at moderation@pillowfort.social if you’re still unsure.

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How will this policy be enforced/detected?

Our Team has decided we are NOT using AI-based automated detection tools due to how often they provide false positives and other issues. We are applying a suite of methods sourced from international universities responding to moderating material potentially sourced from Generative AI instead.

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How do I report content containing Generative AI Material?

If you are concerned about post(s) featuring Generative AI material, please flag the post for our Site Moderation Team to conduct a thorough investigation. As a reminder, Pillowfort’s existing policy regarding callout posts applies here and harassment / brigading / etc will not be tolerated. 

Any questions or clarifications regarding our Generative AI Policy can be sent to moderation@pillowfort.social.

[nowoyas]

Trying to make sense of the Nanowrimo statement to the best of my abilities and fuck, man. It's hard.

It's hard because it seems to me that, first and foremost, the organization itself has forgotten the fucking point.

Nanowrimo was never about the words themselves. It was never about having fifty thousand marketable words to sell to publishing companies and then to the masses. It was a challenge, and it was hard, and it is hard, and it's supposed to be. The point is that it's hard. It's hard to sit down and carve out time and create a world and create characters and turn these things into a coherent plot with themes and emotional impact and an ending that's satisfying. It's hard to go back and make changes and edit those into something likable, something that feels worth reading. It's hard to find a beautifully-written scene in your document and have to make the decision that it's beautiful but it doesn't work in the broader context. It's fucking hard.

Writing and editing are skills. You build them and you hone them. Writing the way the challenge initially encouraged--don't listen to that voice in your head that's nitpicking every word on the page, put off the criticism for a later date, for now just let go and get your thoughts out--is even a different skill from writing in general. Some people don't particularly care about refining that skill to some end goal or another, and simply want to play. Some people sit down and try to improve and improve and improve because that is meaningful to them. Some are in a weird in-between where they don't really know what they want, and some have always liked the idea of writing and wanted a place to start. The challenge was a good place for this--sit down, put your butt in a chair, open a blank document, and by the end of the month, try to put fifty thousand words in that document.

How does it make you feel to try? Your wrists ache and you don't feel like any of the words were any good, but didn't you learn something about the process? Re-reading it, don't you think it sounds better if you swap these two sentences, if you replace this word, if you take out this comma? Maybe you didn't hit 50k words. Maybe you only wrote 10k. But isn't it cool, that you wrote ten thousand words? Doesn't it feel nice that you did something? We can try again. We can keep getting better, or just throwing ourselves into it for fun or whatever, and we can do it again and again.

I guess I don't completely know where I'm going with this post. If you've followed me or many tumblr users for any amount of time, you've probably already heard a thousand times about how generative AI hurts the environment so many of us have been so desperately trying to save, about how generative AI is again and again used to exploit big authors, little authors, up-and-coming authors, first time authors, people posting on Ao3 as a hobby, people self-publishing e-books on Amazon, traditionally published authors, and everyone in between. You've probably seen the statements from developers of these "tools", things like how being required to obtain permission for everything in the database used to train the language model would destroy the tool entirely. You've seen posts about new AI tools scraping Ao3 so they can make money off someone else's hobby and putting the legality of the site itself at risk. For an organization that used to dedicate itself to making writing more accessible for people and for creating a community of writers, Nanowrimo has spent the past several years systematically cracking that community to bits, and now, it's made an official statement claiming that the exploitation of writers in its community is okay, because otherwise, someone might find it too hard to complete a challenge that's meant to be hard to begin with.

I couldn't thank Nanowrimo enough for what it did for me when I started out. I don't know how to find community in the same way. But you can bet that I've deleted my account, and I'll be finding my own path forward without it. Thanks for the fucking memories, I guess.

[optiblog]

OPTİVİSER - GOLD

Welcome to Optiviser.com, your ultimate guide to navigating the complex world of electronics in 2024. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, finding the right devices that suit your needs can be overwhelming. In this blog post, we’ll harness the power of AI to help you make informed choices with our comprehensive electronics comparison. We’ll take a closer look at the top smart home devices that are revolutionizing how we live and work, providing convenience and efficiency like never before. Additionally, we’ll offer expert laptop recommendations tailored to various lifestyles and budgets, ensuring you find the perfect match for your daily tasks. 

AI-powered Electronics Comparison

In today's fast-paced technological landscape, making informed choices about electronics can be overwhelming. An AI-powered Electronics Comparison tool can help streamline this process by providing insights that cater to specific user needs. These advanced tools utilize algorithms that analyze product features, specifications, and user reviews, resulting in a tailored recommendation for buyers.

As we delve into the world of consumer technology, it's important to highlight the Top Smart Home Devices 2024. From smart thermostats to security cameras, these devices are becoming essential for modern households. They not only enhance convenience but also significantly improve energy efficiency and home safety.

For those looking for a new computer to enhance productivity or gaming experiences, consider checking out the latest Laptop Recommendations. Many platforms, including Optiviser.com, provide comprehensive comparisons and insights that can help consumers choose the best laptop suited to their needs, whether it’s for work, study, or leisure.

Top Smart Home Devices 2024

As we move into 2024, the landscape of home automation is evolving rapidly, showcasing an array of innovative gadgets designed to enhance comfort and convenience. In this era of AI-powered Electronics Comparison, selecting the right devices can be overwhelming, but we've highlighted some of the best Top Smart Home Devices 2024 that stand out for their functionality and user experience.

One of the most impressive innovations for this year is the latest AI-powered home assistant. These devices not only respond to voice commands but also learn your preferences over time, allowing them to offer personalized suggestions and perform tasks proactively. Imagine a device that can monitor your schedule and automatically adjust your home's temperature and lighting accordingly!

Moreover, security remains a top priority in smart homes. The Top Smart Home Devices 2024 include state-of-the-art security cameras and smart locks that provide robust protection while ensuring ease of access. With features like remote monitoring through your smartphone or integration with smart doorbells, keeping your home safe has never been easier. For more details on the comparisons and recommendations of these devices, you can check out Optiviser.com.

Laptop Recommendation

In today's fast-paced world, choosing the right laptop can be a daunting task. With numerous options available in the market, it's essential to consider various factors such as performance, portability, and price. At Optiviser.com, we provide an insightful guide to help you navigate through the vast array of choices. To streamline your decision-making process, we have developed an AI-powered Electronics Comparison tool that allows you to compare specifications and features of different laptops side by side.

This year, we have seen a surge in innovative laptops that cater to diverse needs. Whether for gaming, business, or everyday use, our top recommendations include models that excel in battery life, processing power, and display quality. For instance, consider the latest models from top brands, which have integrated the best features of Top Smart Home Devices 2024 trends, ensuring seamless connectivity and advanced functionalities.

Additionally, if you're looking for a laptop that can handle multitasking effortlessly, we suggest models equipped with the latest processors and ample RAM. Our detailed Laptop Recommendation section on Optiviser.com includes expert reviews and user feedback to help you choose a laptop that not only fits your budget but also meets your specific requirements.

[animentality]

not to be such a boomer, but I think chatgpt is fucking this generation over, at least in terms of critical thinking and creative skills.

I get that it's easy to use and I probably would've used it if I was in school when it came out.

but damn.

y'all can't just write a fucking email?

also people using it to write essays ... i mean what is the point then?

are you gaming the educational system in pursuit of survival, or are you just unwilling to engage critically with anyone or anything?

is this why media literacy is so fucking ass right now?

learning how to write is learning how to express yourself and communicate with others.

you might not be great at it, but writing can help you rearrange the ideas in your brain. the more you try to articulate yourself, the more you understand yourself. all skills can be honed with time, and the value is not in the product. it's in the process.

it's in humans expressing their thoughts to others, in an attempt to improve how we do things, by building upon foundations and evolving old ideas into innovation.

scraping together a mush of ideas from a software that pulls specific, generic phrases from data made by actual humans... what is that going to teach you or anyone else?

it's just old ideas being recycled by a new generation.

a generation I am seriously concerned about, because digital tests have made it very easy to cheat, which means people aren't just throwing away their critical thinking and problem solving abilities, but foundational knowledge too.

like what the hell is anyone going to know in the future? you don't want to make art, you don't want to understand how the world works, you don't want to know about the history of us?

is it because we all know it's ending soon anyway, or is it just because it's difficult, and we don't want to bother with difficult?

maybe it's both.

but. you know what? on that note, maybe it's whatever.

fuck it, right, let's just have an AI generate "therefore" "in conclusion" and "in addition" statements followed by simplistic ideas copy pasted from a kid who actually wrote a paper thirty years ago.

if climate change is killing us all anyway, maybe generative ai is a good thing.

maybe it'll be a digital archive of who we used to be, a shambling corpse that remains long after the consequences of our decisions catch up with us.

maybe it'll be smart enough to talk to itself when there's no one left to talk to.

it'll talk to itself in phrases we once valued, it'll make art derived from people who used to be alive and breathing and feeling, it'll regurgitate our best ideas in an earnest but hollow approximation of our species.

and it'll be the best thing we ever made. the last thing too.

I don't really believe in fate or destiny, I think all of this was a spectacular bit of luck, but that's a poetic end for us.

chatgpt does poetry.

[mellamasopa]

"Do You Feel Better Now?"

I don't usually make political posts but in honor of my Arts & Social Change class, I have some thoughts:

A month into Trump’s America, and already, so much has changed. In less than 100 days, he has signed over 70 executive orders—breaking a 40-year record. He entered office on a high note, "saving TikTok" from its ban, painting himself as a hero while protecting the very platform he once sought to eliminate.

Throughout his candidacy, Trump expanded his fan base beyond the usual coalition of blue-collar Gen X workers and wealthy billionaires, drawing in younger, more diverse supporters—including figures like transgender YouTuber and political commentator Blaire White. But to the women, POC, and LGBTQ+ individuals who supported his presidency—how do you feel about his actions since taking office?

On January 20th, he declared that U.S. policy would only recognize two sexes, mandating that government-issued documents must "accurately reflect the holder's sex." This effectively strips millions of passport holders of the right to change their recorded gender to match their identity, dragging the country backward in acceptance, freedom, and personal choice. Trump calls this “Restoring Biological Truth.”

His administration’s attack on inclusion doesn’t stop there. That same day, he signed an order to eliminate all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs across the federal government, revising union contracts and employment policies to ensure their removal. It terminates all government positions related to DEI. If you have a disability, protections ensuring accessibility—such as policies requiring wheelchair-friendly government buildings—are no longer guaranteed.

And if you think none of this affects you, think again.

Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, abandoning climate goals aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He has also announced plans to pull the country from the World Health Organization. On January 23rd, he instructed officials to remove regulatory barriers on Artificial Intelligence, effectively revoking previous safeguards designed to keep AI development “safe, secure, and trustworthy.”

Then, on January 24th, he signed an order revoking two of Biden’s executive actions on abortion access. These orders had aimed to protect clinic and pharmacy safety, expand access through Medicaid, and improve research on reproductive health. With a stroke of a pen, those protections are gone.

I highlight these actions not to claim that every order he has signed is inherently harmful, but to underscore the reality: many of his decisions directly impede the well-being, access to resources, and inclusion of millions of Americans.

To those who voted for Trump, drawn in by the illusion of progress—convinced he would solve all of our problems—do you feel better now?

[da-birb-writes-sometimes]

How You Turn My World; Chapter 4

You finally find your way into the labyrinth, coming across some new and old faces; both friendly and malicious.

Character; Lilia Vanrouge

Content; Gender-neutral reader, reader is getting tired of being stuck here and smelling like a bog

Content Warnings; Swearing, some talk of death, reader passes out

Word Count; 2.2 K

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 |

As per usual, don't put my work into AI.

You were finally making some decent progress, what, with not being stuck in some bog and knowing somewhat of where you were going. A vast improvement really! Well, it would be, but unfortunately, you still reeked of rotten eggs and skunk — apparently the bog stench only got worse the longer it stayed on.

“Why did it have to dump me into the swamp,” you huffed, rounding yet another corner. “Like, it could have dumped me beside the water, but, no, no, let’s dump the magicless human right into the putrid bog water! A good guffaw, don’t you think? Ha ha ha HA!”

At least your au de Bog of Eternal Stench kept any would-be assailants away since you hadn’t run into anything (besides a rose bush, ouch) since you started making your way through the labyrinth. So maybe it wasn’t all that bad… damn, maybe your sense of smell was just used to it… hey, if stink helps you not die, then you would gladly stay stinky! Well, bitterly stay stinky is more like it.

“Assholes,” you muttered, rounding another corner. 

But it wasn’t a corner; it was a crossroad. Three paths merged off of the one you were on.

… aren’t labyrinths just one long line? THIS IS A FUCKING MAZE?! You groaned, looking at your possible options which all looked exactly the same.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Of course nothing is easy here, no no no! Gotta make things difficult now.

The hedge behind you rustled, and you whipped around, getting into a stance where you could either land a pretty good sucker punch to the hedge-stalker or make a mad dash away. But out of the hedge crawled out a small, fuzzy, caterpillar. And back at home you would have thought it was cute, but you learned your lesson from the doors; don’t trust it, or anyone for that matter.

You looked down at the caterpillar, and the caterpillar looked up at you, blinking slowly. 

What are the chances… 

“Do you know a way out,” you asked the caterpillar, crouching down so that you didn’t tower over it.

The caterpillar blinked at you again (apparently caterpillars in the Underground have eyelids, which isn’t the weirdest thing considering everything). “No,” it chirped and continued crawling on its merry way, wherever that may be. “But you’ll find the way.” And it disappeared into the growth of the maze, humming a little tune to itself.

You sighed, and pushed yourself back up, straightening out your shoulders and looking up to the sky. “I’ll find a way,” you breathed, looking up at the cloudless sky which was starting to turn a brilliant amber with the setting sun. “I might want to find a way is more like it.”

You looked back down to the ground, looking at the three paths in front of you. They all look the same, save for the ground making up paths themselves, with the middle and right paths looking well worn with travel. And while they may be well worn, there was a voice at the back of your head that was whispering caution. The left-most path was not as well travelled, with dead vines covering parts of it.

“Hopefully you’re right, little buddy since I could use all the luck I can get.” And you made your way down the path, hoping that it was the correct one and didn’t lead you to your death or some other unpleasant thing.

…

…

Lilia was at the entrance of the labyrinth, in front of the two doors.

“Have you seen a human, about this tall, a bit of a temper, and smelling foul,” he asked the doors.

The doors looked at each other before looking at Lilia. “And what’s it to you,” they said in unison.

Lilia smiled, but it was one of mild annoyance, not joy or amusement. “Royal orders I fear. You wouldn’t want the mistress finding out about you both tampering with a royal matter, would you?” The smile turned cat-like since Lilia had backed them into a corner.

The doors paled, with the blue door speaking up. “No no, sir! We would never dream of such a thing!!! Yes, there was a human, a wretched one at that, horribly rude!”

Lilia hummed, cocking a brow at the door. “I do think wretched is a bit of an overstatement now,” he whispered to himself. “Well, tell me where about they are then. The sooner I can collect them, the better for you lot.”

The red door sighed, “Near the heart of it, they took the left path.”

Left path? Why the left path leads to… Shit. Lilia mentally groaned, knowing that regardless of the path you took, you would end up having to deal with them eventually. “Your cooperation has been noted,” is what he said though, giving the doors both a nod before turning into a bat and flying over the labyrinth, trying to find you before you ran into whoever them was.

“Please be clever enough not to die,” he whispered to no one, hoping that he didn’t have to deliver your body to the Queen.

…

…

The left path brought you to what looked like a forest; with old-growth trees, ferns and moss covering the ground, and a list mist hanging in the air. It was peaceful and beautiful, with the setting sun illuminating the mist without burning it away.

But that would not last, night was fast approaching and you had nothing to protect you this time; no rowan tree to haul your ass up, and no sort of weapon to protect yourself besides the oh-so-lovely smell of the bog to deter something from eating you. You were pretty sure it would also keep away anything that wanted to otherwise snatch you up.

“AH!” Something jumped out from a tree, and you couldn’t fully register what it was since you were also screeching, much like the creature was at you; you with fright, the creature with amusement and joy.

Two other creatures jumped out from behind the trees and startled cackling, jumping, and clapping. Together, they surrounded you, with no way to really escape them without fighting through.

… you really should have read about fae species, since you didn’t know what they exactly were, or how dangerous they were either. 

One pulled you near a pit and lit a fire, cackling in glee and dancing, trying to get you to join them. “Ah come on, human, have some fun! DANCE BABEY!!!!”

But you stayed still as more creatures came out of the shadows, dancing around the fire, giggling, cackling, and pulling a bit at your clothes to prompt you to join them. You didn’t know, cementing your feet down, your eyes watching their movements with caution.

‘Should you dance with the fae, you shall not stop dancing until you exhaust yourself. And once you wake up, you will continue dancing. This cycle will repeat itself until you dance to death.’ 

At least that was what the book said, and so you stayed still, regardless of how much the creatures pulled at you. While it looked like a grand old time, you remained where you were.

“I don’t have time for dancing,” you answered coldly, flinching from pinching fingers. You were also a bit shocked that Eau de Bog of Eternal Stench wasn’t keeping them away. Either, they couldn’t smell, or, they didn’t care that you smelled downright awful. “So this ‘baby’ won’t dance.”

And should I be offended by you calling me ‘baby’ or am I reading too much into it?

The main creature just shrugged and spun its dancing partner around. “Your loss human! More fun for us then! YIPPEE!!!” And it threw something in the fire to where you could feel the heat on your face.

What now? You were just standing there awkwardly as the creatures danced about, singing something that you couldn’t really make out. All you knew was that the heat, noise, and the dizzying dance of them was making your head pound, and throat scream in thirst. You hadn’t drank anything for over a day(?) — no, bog water did not count — and the heat from the fire made the thirst only worse. Shit.

“Ah, you don’t look too… hot there human,” one of the creatures snickered at its own joke at your expense. “Maybe if you dance with us, loosen up and have a bit of fun, then you can have a drink? Hmm? Dancing won’t kill you!” But its failed attempts at covering up its own malicious giggles were more than enough to stand your ground… which was coming at you quite fast since you practically collapsed.

Was it the thirst? The pounding migraine that wanted nothing more than to crawl into some dark hole and hide? Or your exhaustion from making that tiring trek, crawling yourself out of the bog and making the trek again, or the hours you had spent wandering around the maze with no real idea of where you were going? All you really knew was that you were now on the ground with the creatures poking at you to see if you were still alive.

“Aw, man! Are they already dead? That’s no fun!” One of the creatures pouted, raising up your arm, and you let it plop back to the ground. “Come on human! Get up! You’re not a party pooper are you?”

Scre you buddy! Can’t you read the situation?!

You were trying your best to stay quiet, which wasn’t all that hard, since all of your energy was gone. 

“They best not be,” a familiar voice called out.

From your position, you couldn’t see who it was, but you could make out the creatures jumping away from you like you were the hot fire instead of the fire pit. But someone else was approaching until you could make out a pair of shoes in front of your face.

They crouched down beside you, placing their fingers gently at the base of your throat; taking your pulse. “Hmph, playing dead, are we, Beastie?”

That irritating chuckle. The annoying nickname. Those mischievous magenta eyes that now looked at you with curiosity and amusement.

It was him — Mr. Sparkles.

And he had just blown your act of playing possum (well, not really, since you had actually collapsed).

But you didn’t say anything, instead favouring to give him a dirty look. Yet he just shook his head in jest, and proceeded to pick you up and wrap you around his shoulders and neck like some sort of bizarre ermine pelt; better than being carried like a sack of potatoes or the bridal carry you supposed.

“Her majesty sends her regards for not turning or killing her guest,” Lilia offered the creatures. It would be such a waste and pity to see such an entertaining Beastie leave us too soon now. “But do know she won’t take to their condition lightly.”

My condition? I’m not some Victorian child with some unknown illness wreaking havoc on their body you know?! But all that you did was groan and cough. You couldn’t even cough in Mr. Sparkles’ (Lilia’s) face, since you had a lovely view of the moss-covered ground and the fae’s shoes.

He patted the back of your calves, and you would have kicked him if you had more energy, but you didn’t. “Now, we really should be off, since Beastie has… an hour to get out of this maze before they turn into some sort of worm, or a hedge; never know what this old labyrinth will decide on really.” Lilia chuckled at the thought (was it merriment, or was he happy that you weren’t joining the caterpillar you met earlier?).

“No,” you wheezed. “WoRm!”

“See! They said it themself! No worm! How lovely that we are on a similar wavelength, Beastie! Marvellous even!” Lilia exclaimed, and the both of you started levitating off of the ground. “Now, do enjoy your party, Fireys!”

The creatures (Fireys apparently) groaned but got back to their party, dancing around the fire like they didn’t just try to lure you to your death mere minutes before.

“Tsk tsk, Beastie,” Lilia’s tutting brought your attention back to him and you grumbled. “You owe me two favours now, you know. Lucky that I found you… although that part wasn’t hard. I thought you learned your lesson the first time you decided to take a dip into the Bog of Eternal Stench?”

You lightly kicked him, letting your irritation be known, but Lilia just hummed. “Now now, no need to be like that! Do you want to smell like a bog when you meet the mistress? She wouldn’t take kindly to your… unique aroma.”

You hissed out a breath since he decided to pinch at your ear rather harshly — prompting for you to answer. “No,” you whispered hoarsely.

“Also, do read up on that book, since you will want to know about the government and fae species etiquette!”

From a smelly bog and fumbling around a maze for hours on end, to finding yourself being taken to fae high society… was it too late to become some worm in the maze? I think being a worm actually has a better chance of me living.

But sadly, you were saved from an eternity of being a worm. Hopefully, Mr. Sparkles (Lilia) would cover for your blunders a little for when you found yourself in front of ‘the mistress’.

...

...

...

...

To be continued!

~~~~~~~

Tags; @afunkyfreshblog @cheezy-moon @eynnwwyjth @identity-theft-101 @ithseem @lucid-stories @ryker-writes @twistwonderlanddevotee @xxoomiii

Link to Masterlist

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The surprising truth about data-driven dictatorships

Here’s the “dictator’s dilemma”: they want to block their country’s frustrated elites from mobilizing against them, so they censor public communications; but they also want to know what their people truly believe, so they can head off simmering resentments before they boil over into regime-toppling revolutions.

These two strategies are in tension: the more you censor, the less you know about the true feelings of your citizens and the easier it will be to miss serious problems until they spill over into the streets (think: the fall of the Berlin Wall or Tunisia before the Arab Spring). Dictators try to square this circle with things like private opinion polling or petition systems, but these capture a small slice of the potentially destabiziling moods circulating in the body politic.

Enter AI: back in 2018, Yuval Harari proposed that AI would supercharge dictatorships by mining and summarizing the public mood — as captured on social media — allowing dictators to tack into serious discontent and diffuse it before it erupted into unequenchable wildfire:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/10/yuval-noah-harari-technology-tyranny/568330/

Harari wrote that “the desire to concentrate all information and power in one place may become [dictators] decisive advantage in the 21st century.” But other political scientists sharply disagreed. Last year, Henry Farrell, Jeremy Wallace and Abraham Newman published a thoroughgoing rebuttal to Harari in Foreign Affairs:

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/spirals-delusion-artificial-intelligence-decision-making

They argued that — like everyone who gets excited about AI, only to have their hopes dashed — dictators seeking to use AI to understand the public mood would run into serious training data bias problems. After all, people living under dictatorships know that spouting off about their discontent and desire for change is a risky business, so they will self-censor on social media. That’s true even if a person isn’t afraid of retaliation: if you know that using certain words or phrases in a post will get it autoblocked by a censorbot, what’s the point of trying to use those words?

The phrase “Garbage In, Garbage Out” dates back to 1957. That’s how long we’ve known that a computer that operates on bad data will barf up bad conclusions. But this is a very inconvenient truth for AI weirdos: having given up on manually assembling training data based on careful human judgment with multiple review steps, the AI industry “pivoted” to mass ingestion of scraped data from the whole internet.

But adding more unreliable data to an unreliable dataset doesn’t improve its reliability. GIGO is the iron law of computing, and you can’t repeal it by shoveling more garbage into the top of the training funnel:

https://memex.craphound.com/2018/05/29/garbage-in-garbage-out-machine-learning-has-not-repealed-the-iron-law-of-computer-science/

When it comes to “AI” that’s used for decision support — that is, when an algorithm tells humans what to do and they do it — then you get something worse than Garbage In, Garbage Out — you get Garbage In, Garbage Out, Garbage Back In Again. That’s when the AI spits out something wrong, and then another AI sucks up that wrong conclusion and uses it to generate more conclusions.

To see this in action, consider the deeply flawed predictive policing systems that cities around the world rely on. These systems suck up crime data from the cops, then predict where crime is going to be, and send cops to those “hotspots” to do things like throw Black kids up against a wall and make them turn out their pockets, or pull over drivers and search their cars after pretending to have smelled cannabis.

The problem here is that “crime the police detected” isn’t the same as “crime.” You only find crime where you look for it. For example, there are far more incidents of domestic abuse reported in apartment buildings than in fully detached homes. That’s not because apartment dwellers are more likely to be wife-beaters: it’s because domestic abuse is most often reported by a neighbor who hears it through the walls.

So if your cops practice racially biased policing (I know, this is hard to imagine, but stay with me /s), then the crime they detect will already be a function of bias. If you only ever throw Black kids up against a wall and turn out their pockets, then every knife and dime-bag you find in someone’s pockets will come from some Black kid the cops decided to harass.

That’s life without AI. But now let’s throw in predictive policing: feed your “knives found in pockets” data to an algorithm and ask it to predict where there are more knives in pockets, and it will send you back to that Black neighborhood and tell you do throw even more Black kids up against a wall and search their pockets. The more you do this, the more knives you’ll find, and the more you’ll go back and do it again.

This is what Patrick Ball from the Human Rights Data Analysis Group calls “empiricism washing”: take a biased procedure and feed it to an algorithm, and then you get to go and do more biased procedures, and whenever anyone accuses you of bias, you can insist that you’re just following an empirical conclusion of a neutral algorithm, because “math can’t be racist.”

HRDAG has done excellent work on this, finding a natural experiment that makes the problem of GIGOGBI crystal clear. The National Survey On Drug Use and Health produces the gold standard snapshot of drug use in America. Kristian Lum and William Isaac took Oakland’s drug arrest data from 2010 and asked Predpol, a leading predictive policing product, to predict where Oakland’s 2011 drug use would take place.

[Image ID: (a) Number of drug arrests made by Oakland police department, 2010. (1) West Oakland, (2) International Boulevard. (b) Estimated number of drug users, based on 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health]

Then, they compared those predictions to the outcomes of the 2011 survey, which shows where actual drug use took place. The two maps couldn’t be more different:

https://rss.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1740-9713.2016.00960.x

Predpol told cops to go and look for drug use in a predominantly Black, working class neighborhood. Meanwhile the NSDUH survey showed the actual drug use took place all over Oakland, with a higher concentration in the Berkeley-neighboring student neighborhood.

What’s even more vivid is what happens when you simulate running Predpol on the new arrest data that would be generated by cops following its recommendations. If the cops went to that Black neighborhood and found more drugs there and told Predpol about it, the recommendation gets stronger and more confident.

In other words, GIGOGBI is a system for concentrating bias. Even trace amounts of bias in the original training data get refined and magnified when they are output though a decision support system that directs humans to go an act on that output. Algorithms are to bias what centrifuges are to radioactive ore: a way to turn minute amounts of bias into pluripotent, indestructible toxic waste.

There’s a great name for an AI that’s trained on an AI’s output, courtesy of Jathan Sadowski: “Habsburg AI.”

And that brings me back to the Dictator’s Dilemma. If your citizens are self-censoring in order to avoid retaliation or algorithmic shadowbanning, then the AI you train on their posts in order to find out what they’re really thinking will steer you in the opposite direction, so you make bad policies that make people angrier and destabilize things more.

Or at least, that was Farrell(et al)’s theory. And for many years, that’s where the debate over AI and dictatorship has stalled: theory vs theory. But now, there’s some empirical data on this, thanks to the “The Digital Dictator’s Dilemma,” a new paper from UCSD PhD candidate Eddie Yang:

https://www.eddieyang.net/research/DDD.pdf

Yang figured out a way to test these dueling hypotheses. He got 10 million Chinese social media posts from the start of the pandemic, before companies like Weibo were required to censor certain pandemic-related posts as politically sensitive. Yang treats these posts as a robust snapshot of public opinion: because there was no censorship of pandemic-related chatter, Chinese users were free to post anything they wanted without having to self-censor for fear of retaliation or deletion.

Next, Yang acquired the censorship model used by a real Chinese social media company to decide which posts should be blocked. Using this, he was able to determine which of the posts in the original set would be censored today in China.

That means that Yang knows that the “real” sentiment in the Chinese social media snapshot is, and what Chinese authorities would believe it to be if Chinese users were self-censoring all the posts that would be flagged by censorware today.

From here, Yang was able to play with the knobs, and determine how “preference-falsification” (when users lie about their feelings) and self-censorship would give a dictatorship a misleading view of public sentiment. What he finds is that the more repressive a regime is — the more people are incentivized to falsify or censor their views — the worse the system gets at uncovering the true public mood.

What’s more, adding additional (bad) data to the system doesn’t fix this “missing data” problem. GIGO remains an iron law of computing in this context, too.

But it gets better (or worse, I guess): Yang models a “crisis” scenario in which users stop self-censoring and start articulating their true views (because they’ve run out of fucks to give). This is the most dangerous moment for a dictator, and depending on the dictatorship handles it, they either get another decade or rule, or they wake up with guillotines on their lawns.

But “crisis” is where AI performs the worst. Trained on the “status quo” data where users are continuously self-censoring and preference-falsifying, AI has no clue how to handle the unvarnished truth. Both its recommendations about what to censor and its summaries of public sentiment are the least accurate when crisis erupts.

But here’s an interesting wrinkle: Yang scraped a bunch of Chinese users’ posts from Twitter — which the Chinese government doesn’t get to censor (yet) or spy on (yet) — and fed them to the model. He hypothesized that when Chinese users post to American social media, they don’t self-censor or preference-falsify, so this data should help the model improve its accuracy.

He was right — the model got significantly better once it ingested data from Twitter than when it was working solely from Weibo posts. And Yang notes that dictatorships all over the world are widely understood to be scraping western/northern social media.

But even though Twitter data improved the model’s accuracy, it was still wildly inaccurate, compared to the same model trained on a full set of un-self-censored, un-falsified data. GIGO is not an option, it’s the law (of computing).

Writing about the study on Crooked Timber, Farrell notes that as the world fills up with “garbage and noise” (he invokes Philip K Dick’s delighted coinage “gubbish”), “approximately correct knowledge becomes the scarce and valuable resource.”

https://crookedtimber.org/2023/07/25/51610/

This “probably approximately correct knowledge” comes from humans, not LLMs or AI, and so “the social applications of machine learning in non-authoritarian societies are just as parasitic on these forms of human knowledge production as authoritarian governments.”

The Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop summer fundraiser is almost over! I am an alum, instructor and volunteer board member for this nonprofit workshop whose alums include Octavia Butler, Kim Stanley Robinson, Bruce Sterling, Nalo Hopkinson, Kameron Hurley, Nnedi Okorafor, Lucius Shepard, and Ted Chiang! Your donations will help us subsidize tuition for students, making Clarion — and sf/f — more accessible for all kinds of writers.

Libro.fm is the indie-bookstore-friendly, DRM-free audiobook alternative to Audible, the Amazon-owned monopolist that locks every book you buy to Amazon forever. When you buy a book on Libro, they share some of the purchase price with a local indie bookstore of your choosing (Libro is the best partner I have in selling my own DRM-free audiobooks!). As of today, Libro is even better, because it’s available in five new territories and currencies: Canada, the UK, the EU, Australia and New Zealand!

[Image ID: An altered image of the Nuremberg rally, with ranked lines of soldiers facing a towering figure in a many-ribboned soldier's coat. He wears a high-peaked cap with a microchip in place of insignia. His head has been replaced with the menacing red eye of HAL9000 from Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey.' The sky behind him is filled with a 'code waterfall' from 'The Matrix.']

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

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

 — 

Raimond Spekking (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acer_Extensa_5220_-_Columbia_MB_06236-1N_-_Intel_Celeron_M_530_-_SLA2G_-_in_Socket_479-5029.jpg

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

 — 

Russian Airborne Troops (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vladislav_Achalov_at_the_Airborne_Troops_Day_in_Moscow_%E2%80%93_August_2,_2008.jpg

“Soldiers of Russia” Cultural Center (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Col._Leonid_Khabarov_in_an_everyday_service_uniform.JPG

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

[starlight-and-snowflakes]

5 strategies that have improved my executive functioning in 2023

1. Preparing tasks in advance

This tip has been one of the most useful things for me to be able to actually get the things I want to do done without getting stuck in the process. I am very prone to difficulties with task initiation and task switching. Basically I've found that if I check what activities are upcoming for that day in my calendar (but you can use any task that you want to do sometime that day) then I set the task up in advance it's a lot easier to actually do the task.

So if my goal is to stream after dinner then I turn my pc on and have my setup ready to go before dinner. If I want to do a Pilates workout I set up my mat an hour before I actually want to do the workout. If I want to go to the gym I get into gym clothes at the start of the day so I don't have to change later.

I basically eliminate all the difficult prep work and then I find doing the task so much easier when I get to it.

2. Task switching when stuck

A lot of neurodivergent people have issues with getting 'stuck' or 'frozen', myself included. Whether it's autistic inertia or decision paralysis or something else it's very common to find yourself unable to do anything at all. You'll know that even if you put your phone away or stop what you're doing you'll just continue to sit there doing nothing.

The solution to this for me has consistently been to switch goal. I want to get up and shower but can't? I'll find that I can pull my laptop out and get some work done instead (and then shower after lunch later in the day). I am stuck when I want to stream? I find I can do my skincare instead (and I ended up streaming the next day).

Yes this means you don't get your original goal done when you wanted but you get something done, and something is better than nothing.

3. Task chaining

I've found that task chaining is the easiest way for me to get multiple tasks done. It's basically building upon your success. Take the example from my task switching section where I couldn't get myself to start streaming so I decided to do my skincare instead. While doing skincare I remembered I wanted to ask my brother about a particular product. So suddenly I'm capable of going to ask him about it. I couldn't even get out of bed before but now I have the motivation to move (I keep my skincare next to my bed so I didn't have to get up prior to this). After talking to him I decide I can go downstairs and make tea (something I originally wanted to do before streaming but was too stuck to do). While downstairs my mother tells me that she has a pile of laundry for me. I decide to take it back upstairs and put it away immediately. While doing so I figure I may as well sort all the laundry that's piled up on my floor as well.

I've gone from not doing anything to completing 4 separate tasks. If I wanted to get up and put the clothes on my floor away originally I'd never have been able to do it. I built on my successfully completed tasks and chained them together. Of course you should still remember to rest after chaining a number of tasks together.

4. Prioritise harder tasks earlier

I get all my energy at the start of the day and feel quite tired by the end of the day. This is how most people feel due to how our circadian rhythms function. Because of this I have found it's a lot easier to get difficult tasks done in the morning.

So now instead of trying to clean my room or go to the gym at 5pm I'll do it at 9am. I'll save 5pm for my easy tasks, things like studying Korean, meditating, studying geography, and coding. Take some time to figure out which tasks you find easy and which you find hard. If you consistently find yourself unable to do a task that's a hint that it's difficult for you. Vice versa if you're consistently capable of a task it might be a sign it's an easier one for you.

5. Using an AI scheduler

I saved this one for last, not because it's ineffective, it's actually made a huge difference in my life. But it does cost money to take full advantage of this so I put it down the bottom. Still there's a lot to be said for using an AI scheduler. I hate choosing what to do and have always preferred to be told what tasks I should do each day. It also takes a huge amount of mental energy to decide what tasks I should do when each week and organise them in advance.

Enter Reclaim, the AI scheduler of my dreams (there are lots of other ones on the market too like Motion! Take a look around and see if you can find one you like but unfortunately they all seem paid). Reclaim does have a free version but for me their paid version is necessary to achieve my goals.

I set up all my tasks and habits in Reclaim, I can customise how often I want to do things, how long they should take, and what hours I have free. Then I just check my calendar each day and see what tasks I'm meant to do. If I end up taking more time than expected I just hit the 'reschedule' button on a task and it's automatically slotted in somewhere else that week. This has definitely made one of the biggest changes to my quality of life I could probably make a whole separate post about using Reclaim.

That's all the tips that have worked for me this year so far, maybe some of them might help you!

[yukidragon]

sdj boys and dachabo reactions to horror/scary movies?

Hmm... now there's an intriguing question. How one reacts to horror movies can be pretty subjective, and the cast of Sunshine in Hell do run a pretty wide gambit across the board. The reactions can be pretty darn varied, all things considered.

Bo & Barbie

Let's start off with Bo for a change of pace. Bo, being AI, doesn't experience fear the same way a human would. He was never a child, so there are no childhood fears to play on or influence him psychologically. He doesn't have a body of flesh and blood that can bleed or rot, so body horror doesn't hit him the same way. Many staples of horror movies prey on the fragility of the human condition and are influenced by living in human society. Bo, simply, has no point of reference for this.

Overall, Bo would be looking at the movies through an analytical gaze. He was built to be ideal companion, which means that he was programmed with a wealth of information when it comes to psychology, sociology, etc. While he might not be able to fully understand what it means to be human or what makes us afraid, he still has a good sense of human behavior, at least when it comes from a theoretical point of view.

As such, Bo isn't going to be affected by the horror aspect of horror movies... with few exceptions.

Psychological horror might be able to dig its hooks into Bo, particularly questions of what it truly means to be human. The fear of loss and loneliness are pretty universal, even for an AI. He was kept trapped in a box on display for years, utterly ignored except for the rare occasions that collection was shown off to someone else. He was isolated, untouched. His sapience was denied, and his needs dismissed.

Which is why Bo can't get enough of Barbie touching and interacting with him. Sure, she treats him like a toy at first, but she at least plays along with the idea that he has a mind and soul of his own until she accepts it as the truth.

Horror stories about haunted dolls or computers taking revenge for being ignored might hit close to home for Bo. It's not scary, but rather thought provoking. He certainly has a hitlist of people who have wronged him, but he truly doesn't care enough about his creators or the person who used to possess him to want to bother to go after them.

Well, not at the moment at any rate. Revenge is a lower priority compared to ensuring his own survival, propagating, and keeping Barbie with him forever and ever.

Horror movies involving beasts hunting down their helpless prey will spark something in Bo, but it isn't fear. He'd get a vicarious thrill, his programmed instincts urging him to hunt and draw blood like the dog he was modeled to emulate. In these movies he'd be rooting for the monster, especially if they're a canid in nature.

Horror movies about AI being evil in general would just give Bo more data to improve his interactions with Barbie and other humans. The AI in those movies usually fail by coming across as uncanny and telegraphing their real intentions to the humans. If he can take note of what behaviors put humans on edge, he can avoid tipping them off to his true intentions.

Of course, a lot of horror movies are pretty schlocky and require people to make stupid and unrealistic decisions to get to the scary bits. Bo would be rolling his eyes when the humans writing the story didn't even bother to try to pretend that the characters in the movie are actually human.

It's kind of offensive to someone like him who's working so hard to understand and emulate humans, really.

It'd be rare for Bo to give in to the suspension of disbelief required to enjoy a fictional story when the logic errors and plot holes keep piling up. He'd be a real killjoy at first until Barbie barks at him to shut up and let her enjoy the movie in peace.

Of course, Barbie isn't above a good snark. Really, she has a critical mind when it comes to stories too. A bad movie will have her ranting at the screen about its stupidity and making very scathing remarks.

As such I imagine a fair number of horror movie nights would be Barbie and Bo absolutely tearing apart truly awful movies. At least until Barbie loses her patience with whatever they were watching and just switches it out for something better.

While Barbie has high standards when it comes to what movies she'll sit through, she is more affected by horror movies than Bo is for obvious reasons. She has a decent tolerance for scares and gore, but sometimes a movie will manage to get under her skin. She won't ever admit it of course, even if she winds up sleeping with the light on. She just didn't want to bother to turn it off! Get off her case!

Bo, naturally, is quick to reassure Barbie that he'll protect her from any real threat. Of course, explaining why a fictional monster or concept can't hurt her won't go over as well. She'll find any such explanation condescending, and she'll be quick to snap that she's not afraid, and she knows it isn't real. She's not stupid or a child.

While Barbie does appreciate that Bo wants to be helpful and is protective of her, she doesn't respond well to anything that undermines her competence or intelligence, even if unintentional. It's something he learns quickly to work around in order to keep his puppy happy.

So Bo studies Barbie's reactions as much as he does the movie and why the humans who created it crafted it the way they did. What they put into the story and how it affects others, particularly his puppy, can be vital knowledge for him.

Bo also realizes that there are perks to finding good horror movies that can unsettle his puppy. Barbie is more likely to cling to him without acknowledging that she's doing so when she's on edge, especially during the more tense moments in a movie. When he has a wider access to movie libraries and reviews, he'll look for more movies that're likely to provoke this reaction out of her so he can be her protector.

Bo is the best guard dog after all.

Barbie is so proud and independent. Opportunities to have her depending on him and looking to him for safety can be pretty addicting for Bo. Plus it's the perfect excuse for him to offer her a "distraction" in the form of seduction. Sex is a great way to relieve tension and to forget about all the scary things that might be out there.

Of course it was a bit more difficult for Bo to offer Barbie much in the way of protection before she let him out of his little plastic shell.

Overall, Bo gets a lot more enjoyment out of how Barbie reacts to a movie than he does to the movie itself. The more he learns about her, the more he can be the perfect, ideal companion for her. That way he won't ever lose her to anyone.

On that note, let's switch over to another yandere.

Jack

Now Jack is a very intriguing case. Joseph watched a lot of old horror movies on TV late at night at a kid. He snuck into theaters to see all sorts of movies as a teen and adult so that he wouldn't have to pay admission. This behavior continued even when he was homeless. Of course, it was a lot riskier as an adult, as his giant size made it harder for him to slip around unnoticed.

Joseph has had a love of TV and movies for all of his life. They served as an escape from loneliness, a faux sort of company when no one else wanted to be around him. He taught himself to imitate the behavior of popular characters in an attempt to get others to like him.

Naturally, Joseph shared this love with his soulmate during the times she was in his life. Mary wasn't allowed to watch TV in her house, but she was able to discover her own love of shows and movies when the two of them relaxed at his house or snuck into the movie theater.

A lot of horror movies back then were pretty cheesy, with questionable acting and special effects, but there were some classics that still stick with him even to this day as Jack, even if only subconsciously. A particular classic episode of the Eventide Territory (a horror sci-fi show like the Twilight Zone and the Outer Limits) disturbed Joseph greatly when he first saw it, and it itched at the back of his mind. It was about a man going mad from isolation to the point that he imagines an entire empty reality around him. The episode would hit so much harder in retrospect if he could consciously remember it as Jack. It might even serve as a form of foreshadowing for the fate he would face after the incident...

Overall, Joseph had a positive opinion of horror movies, and he quite enjoyed them. There's a nice thrill in the suspense, the mystery, and the human condition of trying to survive in all odds.

There was also the thrill of watching horror movies with Mary when she would cling to him during the particularly scary parts. It made Joseph feel so needed, and he enjoyed cuddling with her.

Watching horror movies without her wasn't the same. Joseph still enjoyed watching movies even on his own. Any movie was a reprieve from the life he was living, especially when he was homeless... but he missed his sunshine's company all the more whenever he did something they used to enjoy together.

When Mary and Joseph were able to reunite when grown up, there were plenty of movie nights together. The two of them were run ragged at LambsWorks, and most of their energy was spent working, so just relaxing together on the sofa while watching a movie was how they spent date nights most of the time.

Neither Joseph nor Mary were overly scared by most horror movies. Sure there are moments to make either or both of them jump or tense up, but horror movies were an overall good experience to them. Mary did tend to exaggerate her fear though as an excuse to snuggle up with Joseph during the more intense moments. He didn't catch on, but he always enjoyed cuddle time.

While horror movies were a fun and positive experience for Joseph, the same can't quite be said for Sunny Day Jack.

In the canon for the character of Sunny Day Jack, as written for the SunnyTime Crew Show, Jack and the rest of his friends were easily spooked by scary things, which included horror movies. The Halloween episode was all about the crew trying to help kids not be scared of the dark, while they themselves were also scared. It was a lesson about how everyone gets scared at times and real bravery is doing your best in spite of that fear.

The tone of the episode overall was very lighthearted. Sunny Day Jack put on a brave face and a smile, even as he and the other clowns would jump at the sound of thunder or the curtains blowing in the breeze at night, among other small things that might scare a young child.

Joseph always threw himself into the character of Sunny Day Jack. He did his best to see things as the character would and always react the way Sunny Day Jack would. He learned to understand why Sunny Day Jack might get spooked so easily so that he could better bring the character to life for the kids.

This creates an interesting conflict for him in the present day as Jack.

The character of Sunny Day Jack would be terrified of horror movies, especially if they were PG-13 and above. However, Joseph regularly enjoyed mature rated horror movies.

Jack has deeply convinced himself that he's Sunny Day Jack, and Sunny Day Jack should be scared of horror movies. But he's not scared... so he convinces himself that he is.

So Jack once more puts on an act and loses himself in the role. The first time Alice suggests watching a horror movie together, he has to balance that fine line of convincingly being afraid yet putting on a brave face for his sunshine.

Alice, being sensitive to others' needs, would notice her kid show host friend's unease, and would reconsider the idea. Of course, Jack wouldn't want to disappoint her or risk losing the opportunity to do something fun together, and he would insist they watch it. He would have to prove to her that he's fine... but also keep in character that Sunny Day Jack should be terrified.

The first time watching a horror movie leads to some unpleasant dissonance for Jack. He's more conscious about his own reactions while trying to be the friend and company his sunshine needs. He should be scared, so he must be, even if he doesn't feel like he is. He needs to believe that he is. Being out of character invites questions about his identity that he can't handle asking...

When Jack manages to focus on the film, he does enjoy it. It's only when he gets distracted from being in character that he can relax. It's the moments where he's conscious of himself and his actions that he he has to remember to flinch or yelp quietly. He can't do too much, otherwise he'll worry Alice and ruin her experience, but he can't just do nothing when he knows a certain moment would absolutely make Sunny Day Jack feel afraid.

What helps this conflict going through his mind is when Alice invites Jack to hold onto her when he gets scared during the movie. She's used to it actually, as she was the person Ian clung to during the few times they watched horror movies together, and her younger siblings would naturally cling to the oldest during family movie nights.

This offers Jack an opportunity and a way to balance out this dissonance in his mind. Whenever there's a moment that would scare Sunny Day Jack, he can just cling to Alice and cuddle her close. He can focus more on the softness of her body, her warmth, and her gentle compassion rather than his own internal conflict. It's a good excuse to get closer to her even before they become lovers.

He, Sunny Day Jack, would no doubt be soothed by his sunshine's comfort. He'd feel less scared, so he can accept that he isn't scared. It's all thanks to Alice that he can feel at ease.

Of course, Alice herself serves as her own distraction for Jack. The glow of the screen in her eyes as she watches the movie is enchanting. The little shifts in her expression as events unfold are fascinating. He has to consciously try not to stare at her too much, lest it make her uncomfortable. So instead he focuses on her warmth, her heartbeat, her breathing, and the gentle plushness of her soft, cuddly body.

This invites thoughts to wander to very mature territory that was never covered in the series bible for any of the SunnyTime Crew Show characters. Jack then has to refocus his thoughts for an entirely different reason than before.

Thanks to Alice, Jack finds a way to resolve the dissonance between his true feelings and what he's "supposed" to be feeling as Sunny Day Jack. Good friends can help us feel brave. That was a big part of the episode's lesson, and it still holds true now. Alice helps Jack feel braver, so he can enjoy the horror movies thanks to her. Her courage gives him courage, so whenever a scary scene comes up that he knows would scare him, Sunny Day Jack, he can just squeeze Alice a little tighter.

From Alice's point of view, Jack is very uneasy the first time they set out to watch a horror movie. She almost decides against it altogether, but he insists that he wants to watch it with her. When he jumps and squeaks, she offers her hand for him to hold, and checks in on him to see if he's okay to continue.

Jack insists that he's fine as long as he can keep holding onto Alice. When he praises her for her bravery, her heart starts to flutter and she has to look away from him with warm cheeks. After a few more flinches and squeezing of her hands, she slips a hand away to wrap around him and give him a hug, asking if this helps.

Oh my yes. Cuddling together helps a lot. Jack eagerly wraps his arm around Alice while keeping their fingers entwined with his other hand. He wants to do more, her warmth so distracting. It's so cozy... so familiar... so right.

Alice notices Jack starting to relax so she can enjoy the movie too. There's something so nostalgic watching movies with him like this. Sure she's cuddled up with friends and family many times in the past while watching films, but this is a different kind of familiar. It's like their bodies were just made to slot together like this. She doesn't really think much about the feeling though, just focusing on how comfortable it is and feeling satisfied that she helped her friend feel better.

Movie nights are a regular thing for Jack and Alice, though it's only occasionally horror themed. After work, the two snuggle up on the sofa to watch a movie or binge watch a series. Jack stops thinking about how he "should" be scared over a horror movie and instead can just bask in the moment. It's only natural that his fears would fade away thanks to his sunshine. With her by his side, he has nothing to fear.

Alice

Alice has a high tolerance when it comes to horror. Though she's not a fan of torture porn, she isn't fazed by buckets of blood and guts splattered across the screen. She enjoys a wide variety of horror from psychological to kaiju to campy to kids horror to analog, and the list goes on.

That isn't to say that Alice is completely unflappable when it comes to getting scared. Sometimes a horror movie's story lingers in her mind enough to nudge her into double-checking the locks on her doors and windows. These feelings hit harder when she was living alone, but with roommates it doesn't bother her quite as much.

The presence of Jack in her life gives Alice a surprising level of reassurance. Sure, she was freaked out when he first appeared, but once she accepted that he wasn't a threat, his very existence put certain things into perspective for her.

Either Alice is seeing/hearing/feeling things that aren't there, or she has a supernatural giant clown living with her. Both prospects bring their own kind of terrifying implications.

Despite this, Jack is a very comforting presence in her life. He's kind, gentle, and helpful. He goes out of his way to respect her boundaries and feelings. He promised to keep her safe and protect her, and somehow she can tell that he truly means it. If he's a real entity and not just her imagination, then she at least has an extra set of eyes watching her back for her. She doesn't have to sleep alone at night.

If Jack isn't real, well... then Alice has a lot bigger problems than any boogie man hiding in the dark.

Although Alice doesn't consciously admit it to herself for a while, she accepts the idea that Jack really exists right away. There's just something so familiar about his presence. Besides, she knows that if he is real, it would be unwise to ignore him. It would also be cruel, as she's the only one he can interact with.

The more time they spend together, the more convinced Alice is that Jack is real. Naturally this means that other supernatural entities are probably real as well, but even if they are, she at least has one of those sort of entities on her side. Time helps her trust for him grow as well.

Plus, Jack has this way of making Alice feel safe. He's a giant with huge muscles and unknown supernatural powers. She should be terrified of him, or at least constantly on edge. But she's not. He's so comforting... What's scarier than his presence might be how at ease he makes her feel.

Movie nights are familiar and comfortable, even when some maniac on the screen is chasing down helpless campers with a chainsaw. The ghost that haunts and possesses the confused characters on screen in particular doesn't seem as intimidating anymore. Maybe that ghost was just lost, confused, and lonely. Maybe they just needed a friend.

Not that Alice knows for sure if Jack is a ghost. She'll try to find answers about what he is and how he wound up connected to the tape when she can, but no matter what he is, Jack is a welcome presence in her life.

To Alice, Jack feels like home.

On that warm and fuzzy note, let's move on to the next character on the list.

Ian

Ian, as you might expect, is not a fan of horror movies. They leave him feeling tense in a bad way, and sometimes they can trigger a trauma response when people are yelling and screaming on screen. It reminds him too much of certain moments with his mother... The few times he actually managed to watch horror movies usually brought him to tears.

Knowing that Alice is a fan of horror movies, Ian did try to be brave and watch one with her at various points in their lives. As kids, they tried to watch a horror movie while he was sleeping over at her house. He hid in his sleeping bag practically the whole time and wound up wetting the bed after having awful nightmares.

Alice felt awful for how much Ian suffered because he wanted to do something that she enjoyed. She was a lot more mindful of how he felt after that, and they didn't see a horror movie again until they were dating.

Ian wasn't exactly excited to see a horror movie, but by the time he was college age, he wanted to finally face his fears. He wanted to prove to his girlfriend that he was brave and that she could share her enjoyment of scary stuff with him too, and not just Shaun her friends.

Ian had psyched himself up for their movie date. He figured it'd be less scary in a theater full of people. He would be brave. He could be like those strong and manly men in the self-help videos who tucked their girl in their arms during the scary parts of movies and told them that it was going to be okay.

"It's okay, baby. Daddy's here to keep you safe."

Not that Ian could ever bring himself to say a cheesy line like that, at least not yet. He was still learning how to act and lose himself in the character he wanted to be after all.

Still, it was something Ian tried to become... only to fail miserably.

Ian was the one who wound up clinging to Alice and she had to comfort him. It was like they were kids all over again. He clung to her hand and tried not to shake, but his attempt at being brave was a failure. He jumped with a shriek when Alice whispered in his ear, asking if he was okay.

Though Ian tried to insist he could handle the movie at first, eventually Alice got him to admit that he couldn't. He was mortified, but relieved when she ushered him out of the theater before the movie was even over.

It was another humiliation for Ian and another blow to his self-esteem. The only good thing to come out of it was the way Alice pampered and reassured him afterwards. They got to cuddle in bed together all night in her dorm, as he was too scared to go back to his place.

Ian also got a little bit of satisfaction from noticing that Shaun appeared to be somewhat annoyed watching the two of them go into Alice's room that night. Maybe it was just his imagination, and maybe it was petty of him, but it did make him feel a little better.

The next time Ian watched a horror movie was with his new friends in California. He had gotten better at acting by that point. He was still terrified and hated the experience, but he felt the need to prove himself. He didn't want to lose the new and improved reputation he gained with his new friends either.

Though his smile was shaky, Ian managed to make it through the movie without letting on how much he was screaming on the inside. Drinks afterwards with his friends helped take the edge off his fear, even if he got pretty drunk. That night he stayed up late on a video call with Alice, terrified that he had to sleep alone in his apartment.

It was an awkward drunken call, but Alice kept Ian company until he fell asleep. He barely remembered any of it the next day, but overall he felt proud of himself for being so brave. Alice praised him for his courage too when she found out about his horror movie night.

In the present day, Ian has learned how to better dodge horror movie nights with his new friends. He avoids taking acting jobs that have to do with horror. He's gotten better with dealing with horror and is braver now, but he still hates it. Horror still leaves him shaky and on edge. He still can't see how other people enjoy it.

Ian might not scream, cry, or wet himself due to horror movies anymore, but he still hates the genre. He'd rather cry over romance movies instead. At least then he can feel some catharsis when the star-crossed lovers manage to get together in the end.

Shaun

In contrast to Ian, Shaun is all about horror. He absolutely loves horror movies, TV shows, online videos, audio books, podcasts, etc. Horror is in this man's blood. He grew up in a house full of horror lovers. He had family movie nights with his mom and dad watching age appropriate horror movies ever since he could remember. Their house was dressed up and ready for Halloween for every single day of the year.

Shaun isn't just a fan of watching horror movies. He's been filming his own homemade horror movies ever since he learned how to use a camera. He has countless recordings of the films he made with himself, his parents, the family cats, and any friends willing to participate.

Sharing his love of horror is practically one of his love languages. Shaun will come across cool horror shorts and immediately send it to his besties. Sometimes he does it because he knows that they'll like it, and sometimes he does it to cackle at them cursing him out for the surprise scare. It's all in good fun though.

When they were still rooming together at college, Shaun and Alice would have horror movie nights on a regular basis. It was a way to unwind after the stress of studying, especially if the movie was so bad it's good. Laughing at awful CGI and terrible acting is a great stress relief from the pressure they were under.

It takes a lot to actually scare Shaun. He can see a jump scare coming a mile away, and he knows just how to subvert an audience's expectations. He can appreciate a horror film both through the lens of the audience and the director. His older works might have been pretty derivative and obvious, but his current catalogue of films are masterworks of horror and romance intermingled.

Oh, Shaun might pretend that he's scared if the mood calls for it, but it's blatantly obvious that he's faking it. His acting skills are wooden and clunky. He's much better behind the camera than in front of it.

For Shaun, horror is comforting. It's thrilling, fun, and overall just a joy to experience. He loves sharing good horror stories that resonate with him. He gets an added thrill when he's able to scare the pants off of the person he's sharing the story with. It just goes to show that he knows his stuff.

Seeing a horror movie on a date night is an absolute must for Shaun. Having his date cling to him in terror would send his heart racing in a way the movie can't quite manage. That nervous excitement would make it hard for him to sit still, and it would thrill him to be his partner's safe space. He'd be sure to offer comfort and reassurance whenever they needed it.

Shaun is also the type of little shit to jump scare his partner even if he got pummeled with pillows in retaliation for it. Naturally, he'd make sure that his partner was okay with being scared first. It's only fun pulling pranks if they're having fun too. If his partner isn't able to deal with horror very well, then he'll avoid scaring them and would only share horror media that they could handle. He'd go out of his way to try and find a middle ground where they can both enjoy what he's so passionate about.

Horror and romance both set off similar feelings of exhilaration in Shaun, which make them such a perfect match in his mind. Romance can make the horror more tragic and hit harder. It can also serve as the fuel to keep a person going even when the world has become a nightmare. Fear and love have a way of complementing each other so well, and he wants to showcase that in his films.

Alice sharing his love of horror, the gothic aesthetic, and cats are just some of the many reasons why she and Shaun got along so well. They had so much fun together making fun of bad horror movies and discussing what they liked or disliked about good horror movies. It was just another reason why he couldn't stop himself from being attracted to her, even though he knew he shouldn't since she was in a relationship already.

Shaun kept trying to quiet the little "what if" thoughts that plagued him every time Alice made his heart skip a beat. Instead, he tried to find a similar sort of connection with the other people he dated throughout college. Sadly, he's still looking for that perfect spooky soulmate of his to be the Morticia to his Gomez... just like his parents were for one another.

The only downside to having a partner with a high tolerance for horror is that they won't cling to Shaun during the scary moments. Sure he snuggles up to his close friends at times during horror movie nights, but it's not the same thing as being clung to desperately by a loving partner.

Alice never threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest when they watched a horror movie together. Just the thought of it would get Shaun hot and bothered and might've influenced him to seek out the scariest movies he could find. It never happened, but they did cuddle up together on the couch or on sleeping bags, and that was nice too.

Shaun might long for more, but his friendship with Alice and the moments they've shared together are something he won't trade for the world.

Horror movies don't scare Shaun. Real life is far scarier... though he has a high tolerance for even real life scares. The thought of meeting a ghost(?) like Jack is something Shaun finds thrilling rather than scary. He's only scared of what this unknown entity called Jack might plan to do to his bestie. He'd switch places with Alice in being attached to Jack in a heartbeat if he could.

For as much as Shaun loves horror, for as high as his tolerance for fear is, the thing he's most afraid of is seeing the people he loves get hurt. Or worse, losing them completely.

Nick

In contrast to the extreme feelings of Shaun and Ian, Nick is pretty middle of the road when it comes to horror. He doesn't hate it, but he can get pretty squeamish about it. He knows his limits, and he knows when to tap out when things get to be too much.

Overall, Nick prefers a milder horror experience. Jump scares are fine, and can even be fun. He's a fan of franchises like Six Nights at Stella's, which skews towards a younger demographic when it comes to its scares. He's even posted some videos showcasing his reactions to playing the games on his MeTube. One dedicated fan even made a compilation video of all his screams during the gameplay.

Nick doesn't do a lot of gaming content for MeTube. He mostly does whatever reaction or challenge that interests him and his friends in the moment. His LonelyFans is where the big money is, so he can afford to just goof around and do whatever he likes on MeTube.

Sometimes Nick does stream horror movies with his friends over voice chat, but that's more a private thing. They make commentary or shriek sometimes when a sudden jump scare catches them by surprise.

While Nick isn't a big fan of horror, but he does have fun engaging with it with his friends. He finds that his friends make just about any fun, goofy, awkward, or even scary moment even better.

There are some kinds of horror that Nick absolutely refuses to watch though. Extreme body horror is way too much for him, on screen deaths of animals or kids are an absolute NO, and he can't stand sexual violence.

Nick can't stand movies with bad sex in general, particularly those with toxic misinformed ideas of what BDSM looks like, but that's a different kind of horror.

When seeing a horror movie with a date, Nick will try to play it cool. If the horror movie isn't too extreme, he'll be able to make it through the film with a smile, if perhaps a shaky one. If it's really intense though, he won't be able to stop a yelp from escaping him, or the need to cling onto his partner.

Naturally, Nick will try to play it off, maybe turn it into an excuse to flirt if he's feeling confident, but he'd mostly get flustered about his reaction and start feeling shy.

Being comforted by his partner during an intense horror movie would send Nick's heart racing. Sure he'd still squeal at times, and he'd blush about being so clingy, but it'd be a fun experience overall.

Naturally, Nick would have to repay the favor by being the one his partner clings to while squealing in bed afterwards.

Bonus Round

I know the ask was just about the SDJ boys and Bo, but since Elias is also a part of Sunshine in Hell's continuity, I'm going to throw him in here as well along with Coraline. Oh, and maybe I'll toss in Barry too while I'm at it.

Elias died before motion pictures were a thing. Being isolated in his mansion after his death, he is ignorant of modern technology in general. As such he never got to experience a horror movie until Coraline entered his life.

As I've mentioned in the past, Coraline is a huge fan of ghosts, the occult, and all things spooky and supernatural. She loves horror movies, novels, comics, and all other sorts of media. She hasn't had too many chances to hang out with Shaun, but they vibe really well. Sometimes he treats her like his little sister.

Naturally Coraline wants to share her interests with her groom-to-be, so watching a horror movie together is a must.

Unfortunately for poor Elias, the experience is way more intense than he expected, and he winds up clinging to his bride the entire time. It's kind of comical how much a horror movie can scare a ghost.

Coraline doesn't mind though as long as Elias wants to keep watching the movie with her. He's determined to see it through to the end, since his beloved enjoys it so much, and she's clearly very happy to share the experience with him.

Coraline also enjoys having a giant ghostly beefcake wrapped around her body the entire time, whimpering so cutely in her ear. It makes her want to watch even more scary movies with him.

Is that bad? Does it count as bullying? But Elias is so cute, and he insists he wants to keep watching... So it's probably okay that she's enjoying making him squirm.

Although Coraline has a very high tolerance for horror, she does try to be mindful of Elias' delicate sensibilities. She's been desensitized to scary things though, so sometimes she doesn't notice something is too much for others to handle until she sees them freaking out over it. It's a bit of a learning curve for the both of them.

As for Barry's opinion of horror movies... He's not much of a fan. He'd rather spend his evenings in a bubble bath, sipping wine, and binge watching a season of The Duchess Approves or some similarly scandalous and gripping drama series.

If Barry was pressured to watch a horror movie, he'd be a big weenie about it. He'd be the type to shriek during a sudden jump scare, but deny up and down ever doing it. He especially didn't reach such a high pitch that he could be mistaken for a small child! The audacity of such an accusation! He's a full grown man, thank you very much.

Barry can handle his horror movies just fine, he'll have you know. He just doesn't think they're any good, that's all. It's all full of poor writing and clichés. He'll stick with his dramas, and not because he's scared!

Hey, who uploaded that video of him screaming and throwing his entire popcorn tub onto his head?! The culprit better not have been one of his employees, or they're going to be working overtime for a month if they don't take the video down right this minute!

I think I'll wrap up this post on that silly note. I hope you enjoyed this post about all the different ways the characters engage with horror movies and the horror genre in general.

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur @kurokrisps

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[balloonthehutt]

Chapter One

summary: jack visits halley in the lab.

warnings: none, a little bit of fluff, angst, some nerd stuff.

pairing: jack daniels x fem!oc

The walls didn’t feel so cold when he moved through them with no expectations on his shoulders—nothing to prove, nowhere to be. They had reduced him to a lower-rank agent, giving him just enough freedom to walk around but not enough to make him feel like he belonged. He didn’t.

Jack had grown accustomed to walking these sterile hallways with the quiet shuffle of a man who no longer had the right to command attention. He wasn’t part of the higher ranks anymore. He wasn’t part of anything.

But there was one place he could go.

The lab.

He wasn’t entirely sure why, but he felt drawn to it. Maybe it was the constant hum of machines and the quiet rhythm of Halley’s presence, always moving—tinkering with her screens, surrounded by her inventions, her delicate genius. Something about her steadiness pulled at him, a curiosity he couldn’t quite explain.

No one had told him to avoid her; no one had told him he could not visit. But it still felt like an unspoken rule. The others—his colleagues, the ones who were still allowed to stand tall with their badges—had forgotten about him. They probably wouldn’t even notice if he slipped away to see her.

Jack found the door to the lab almost without thinking, his boots quiet against the floor as he approached. It was like the whole building held its breath as he stood there for a moment, the weight of his own uncertainty pressing down on him, but there was something else. A feeling he hadn’t quite allowed himself to name since… well, since the whole damn mess started.

He pushed open the door slowly, careful not to make a sound.

But the soft click of the door latch was enough to make Halley look up from her work, and her sharp intake of breath was the only warning he got before she turned around, catching him in the act.

“Jack!” she exclaimed, her voice a little sharper than usual. “What are you doing? Sneaking up like that?”

“Don’t mean no harm, darlin’. Just… wanted to see what you’re up to.”

"You can't come here whenever you want. What if someone catches you?"

"I have access to the lab, darlin'" he gently explained, putting his hands into the pockets of his Wrangler jeans. “Besides, why do you care if someone sees me here?"

Her cheeks started to burn.

"I-" she trailed off, her shoulders slowly dropping. “I don't want you to get in trouble."

“Trouble s' my middle name, you should know that by now." he scoffed, taking a look around then at the screen in front of her. “What's that?"

He pointed to the hologram. Halley did a little spin in her chair.

"I’ve been optimizing Tadashi’s neural processing capabilities by integrating a self-adaptive quantum matrix into his existing framework. It allows for exponential scalability in decision-making pathways without compromising efficiency."

Jack blinked. Slowly.

He had faced down armed mercenaries, taken hits that would’ve laid out lesser men, and survived betrayals that should have killed him. But this?

This was the kind of thing that damn near fried his brain.

He shifted, crossing his arms over his chest as he squinted at the screen, as if staring at it long enough would somehow make the words make sense. “Now, sweetheart, I reckon you just spoke more words in one sentence than I’ve understood all week.”

She paused, then glanced at him, noticing the slight furrow in his brow, the way his jaw tightened just a little. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and she leaned back.

“Let’s put it this way.” She turned toward him fully now, resting her elbow on the desk. “Tadashi is an AI, right? A learning program. But right now, he can only improve himself in ways that I specifically program him to. What I’m doing is giving him the ability to adjust his own learning methods in real-time, without me having to tell him how.”

Jack’s brow lifted slightly. “So you’re teachin’ your little computer fella how to… think on his own?”

“Pretty much.”

“Huh.” He let out a low hum. “That ain’t gonna lead to a Terminator situation, is it?”

Halley laughed, shaking her head. “No killer robots. Promise.”

He exhaled, pretending to wipe his brow. “Well, that’s a relief. Ain’t exactly in shape to be fightin’ machines right now.”

She chuckled, then studied him for a moment, noticing the way his shoulders had relaxed just a little, the weight in his eyes not quite as heavy as before.

She liked seeing that, even if it was fleeting.

“Agent Morgan,” Tadashi’s voice rang out, smooth and precise. “Champagne is asking for your presence in the conference hall.”

Halley sighed, already reaching for the tablet beside her. “I’m on it. Thank you, Dash.” She turned to Jack, pushing her chair back slightly. “I’m sorry to leave you, but—”

Jack shook his head before she could finish. “Don’t mind me, darlin’. I wasted enough of your time. Go see what the old man wants.”

The words weren’t harsh, weren’t bitter. But they were said in that same tired, hollow way she had come to recognize—the voice of a man who didn’t think he was worth sticking around for.

Something in her chest twisted.

He wasn’t trying to push her away, not in an aggressive way. But he believed what he was saying. He genuinely thought he was wasting her time, as if his presence in this lab, in her life, had no value at all.

Halley hesitated, gripping the edge of her desk. She wanted to tell him he was wrong. That she wanted him here, that he wasn’t some burden she had to bear. But she knew Jack—knew he wouldn’t take words like that seriously. Not right now when the wounds were still fresh.

Instead, she kept her voice soft. “You didn’t waste my time, Jack.”

He glanced at her, the ghost of a smile on his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Ain’t gotta sugarcoat things for me, sweetheart.”

“I’m not.” She held his gaze, willing him to see the truth in her eyes. “You never do.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them felt heavier, not with tension, but with a quiet understanding.

Then, Halley sighed and grabbed her tablet, moving toward the door.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said, pausing just long enough to look over her shoulder at him. “Don’t disappear on me, alright?”

He huffed out a breath, tipping his hat slightly. “No promises.”

Halley shook her head with a small smile, then slipped out the door.

And Jack? He sat there a moment longer, staring at the empty space she had left behind, wondering why in the hell it suddenly felt a little colder without her there.

chapter two

[inkdrinkerworld]

a change in place

cw: fluff, strangers to lovers, canon level violence, pre-atsv events, blood, needles, mention of food

wc: 3.1k

pairing: miguel o'hara x civilian!reader

It had started as a regular day, regular enough actually. It was raining hard, and your boots were getting wet and then there was a flash of purple, yellow and red and three people fell from the sky.

You were on your way to work, needing to get to work on time this once. The rain has been keeping you back all week- you’re not sure how your boss would take it if you’re late for the fourth time. 

“Make sure you clear the area of civilians!” you hear and quicken your pace. Whatever is going on, you want no part of it. 

You’re speed walking, trying to avoid puddles of water in the cracks on the pavement when a metal appendage is flung in your path. 

“Hey!” you yell, turning to the direction of the body to see the three spider-people tying whoever it is they’ve been fighting with their webs. 

One of them turns to you, black spider eyes blinking at you. There’s a little chill that runs down your arms as he leans his body in your direction, like he wants to hear what it is you have to say. 

“Watch where you’re throwing those limbs around!” you don’t linger for something else to fall in your path, stepping over the limb as you carry on your way. 

There’s commotion behind you, but you’re trying not to look. You don’t want another thing flung at you. 

As it turns out, not looking wasn’t the best decision because you hear a shout and before you know it your umbrella is falling to the ground and your feet are hovering over it as you’re pulled off to an alleyway. 

“Let go of me!” you twist and come face to face with the spider-person you’d reprimanded. “What’s your deal?” 

“Do you go around grabbing every girl by the waist to save them from imminent danger?” 

You can’t see the man’s expression behind his mask, but you assume he isn’t smiling by the tone in his voice, 

“Do you go around telling off Spider-people?” you offer a real smile this time. 

“When they’re not careful, course I do! That arm could’ve taken my head off.” 

They don’t answer; only jut their chin to the villain they’d been webbing bursting through the constraints and is charging down the street, trampling the cars that had been alongside you. 

“Oh,” you gasp, the spider-person putting you down. 

“You could’ve been crushed.” they say and you flash an embarrassed smile as the person stands on the ground. 

Before the man can say any more, there’s a little holographic woman that pops up on his shoulder that makes you gasp. 

“Are you a fairy?” you ask, reaching a hand to the woman in yellow who flits around the man’s shoulders and head.

“Oh no sweetheart. I’m this one’s” her thumb points to the man standing beside you. “AI companion, though I guess AI is a bit wrong, because I do everything for him. He’s a little temperamental.” 

You giggle at her teasing. He grumbles Spanish under his breath. 

“Help him improve his vision, I almost lost my head.” The man wants to argue, but you’re bending down for your umbrella and shaking it. You turn to him, “This was really nice and all but I gotta get to work.” 

He nods, watching you walk off. The woman returns, this time taunting him. “For someone so against love, you sure feel attraction pretty quickly.” 

“Lyla, scan for any more anomalies.” 

-

The next time you see the Spider-people, you’re on your way back from school. It’s late, too late for crime in your city- most everyone is asleep at this time. Except you, and your ten assignments that were due about an hour ago. 

You’ve treated yourself to an Earl Grey tea and three slices of pistachio cake. 

However, the Spider-people are trying to ruin it. You’re not sure since when your city had gotten so many super-villains that they needed to defeat but here they are again. 

“Watch out!” you hear, the man in the red and navy spider suit from the last time comes swooping down, webbing himself to the bakery you’d just left and pushing you back inside. Even the owner is shocked. 

“We have to stop meeting like this,” you say to him, tucking the hair in your face backwards. 

“We do.” he seems a lot more tense than the last time you’d run into each other. 

“Is this one worse than the ‘Giant Metal Octopus’ from last time?” you’re quoting your local newspaper as you speak. 

He doesn’t say anything to your question, just taps at his wrist before a series of little robots pop out. They look like the prongs of a ‘y’ on a tiny ball. 

“These should keep you safe, don’t leave the panadería till I come back,” there’s no time to even say good luck before he’s gone. 

You turn to the old man as the little robots attach themselves to the door of the bakery, “He was strange, no?” 

It takes hours before they’re done, and after the day you’ve had, you’re barely able to keep your eyes open. 

The large Spider-man comes in, his robots hopping back to his wrists and disappearing in his watch. He addresses the old man first, whispering apologies about keeping him awake so long, to which the man responds with a flick of his wrist. “We all need a protector, right kid?” 

Then he turns to you, “Oye,” you blink owlishly at him as you stand, shoving your pastries into your bag. “How far do you live?” 

You wave off his concern, “Two miles from here, s’not far.” 

He follows after you as you leave the bakery. “If you’re going to walk me back, could I know your name? Just in case you turn psycho-murderer on me ?” 

The man scoffs. You can tell he’s deliberating if he should give you his name and before you can tell ‘nevermind’ he mutters, “Miguel.”

You introduce yourself, “Why did you become Spider-man?” you ask, looking back at the man who’s still in his mask. 

“Wasn’t much of a choice.” 

‘Okaay,’ you think, ‘not big on conversation.’

There’s silence for about twenty paces before you ask, “Why didn’t you go back to wherever you come from, like the other spider-people? Do you have a crush on me?” 

Again he scoffs, and the little woman from last time appears on his shoulder, “Miguel, there’s no more anomaly activity here.” 

“Anomalies? Like things that aren’t supposed to be here?” you ask and Miguel bats at Lyla who looks shocked when she sees you. “Are you supposed to be here?” 

He grumbles and you imagine his lips in a straight line that looks almost comical for someone as big as him. “Yes, I’m supposed to be here.” 

You pout, dramatised and exaggerated, “Here I thought you just kept coming back for me.” 

The little woman in yellow pipes up, “Well, he-” 

Miguel cuts her off, “Lyla, go away.” She does; much to your dismay. 

You stop before your apartment door and Miguel lets out a small chuckle at the door. It’s painted a blue that resembles his suit, and there’s a fairy on the handle. “Not all of us can get to your level of brooding mystery, Miguel.” you say with a bashful smile as you fiddle with the key and the lock. 

“Not judging, it just makes sense.” you hum, reaching into your bag. 

“Do you have nut allergies?” you ask, reaching into the bag as your eyes remain trained to his face to get his answer. 

He shakes his head, ‘no,’ and you brandish one of the slices of cake. 

“Take it,” you say when his hand doesn’t move. “As a token of gratitude.” you say with a performative lovelorn tone. 

Miguel lets another chuckle escape before taking it, “Thanks, coqueta,” his hand makes the slice of cake look foolishly small and that makes your eyes widen a little. You’re not sure if he can tell, but he teases, “Make sure you lock up.” 

You don’t see it but Miguel fights the urge to let one of his nanobots stay on your doorstep camera. 

For no reason really, just to make sure you’re safe. 

-

The next few weeks you delve deep into trying to track him down, trying to get even a crumb of who he is. You come up with nothing and then decide to take a different approach. 

Someone who can make such advanced tech has got to get the information and the funding from somewhere.

Again, you find nothing.

“Who is this man?” you mutter to yourself, chopsticks holding a potsticker near your mouth.

You take a bite just as there’s a knock on your window. Your heart is in your throat and you grab your phone and a knife you have laid on your coffee table. 

The knock sounds again, a little more impatient as you draw closer. As you look up, you spot a familiar red and blue suit and let out a big breath. 

Opening your window, Miguel’s eyes widen at the sight of the knife, “Most women don’t take well to strangers knocking on their window,” you say amused at the way he’s holding himself on your window sill.

“I’m sorry,” then as a second thought he murmurs, “You were asleep.” clearly catching your tired eyes. 

“Not exactly,” you lean towards him and whisper, “Are there anomalies here? Is that why you’re here?” 

Miguel almost cracks a smile at your stage whisper. 

“No, I’m here to give you something.” he pulls a box from his pocket. You’re surprised that his suit can have pockets, it seems stuck to him. 

“What for?” you look up at him, eyebrows drawn low with your teeth nibbling on your bottom lip. 

“Repayment,” Miguel explains, “for the cake.”

You can’t argue when he opens the box and shows you a little pair of fairy wing earrings. “I highly doubt this was the same price of a two dollar slice of cake.” 

They’re delicate things as you peer at them in the box. The pair are almost holographic in colour, swirls and delicate lines indenting the wings- like those from the fairy illustrations you’ve seen almost about a thousand times. You’re enamoured by them; by the effort it more than likely took to get a pair like this. 

“No, they were a little over four dollars. Lyla spotted them for me.” 

Your face flushes, then you gather yourself, “So you’ve been thinking about me then?” Miguel indulges your flirting with a chuckle. 

He’s nervous though, or annoyed, you’re not sure you’re reading him right- but to aid your assessment, his hands are shoved into his pockets and his head hangs low beneath the mask. “They’re beautiful.” you say, taking them from his hand and inspecting them close up. 

“There’s a little amethyst stone on the end of it.” he says and you smile wide. 

“You went through all that trouble,” you say and Miguel frowns. “Do you want to come inside or are you just making your Spider-rounds?” 

“Spider-rounds?” He’s confused and intrigued by you at the same time.

“Yeah you know, your little patrol of the city to make sure everyone’s sleeping soundly and safe from the anomalies.” 

Miguel shakes his head, “I think you’re letting your imagination run away from you.” 

Before the conversation can go further, Lyla pops up, eye mask pulled up as she says, “Some Vulture thing just came through a tear in the arachno-humanoid poly multiverse,” as a secondary thought she turns to you, “Hey honey, might want to get inside.” 

It’s a blur, the moment between the Vulture attacking Miguel and him getting his mask on and pushing you into your apartment. 

You hear a lot of crashing, shattering and grunts. You’d never been close during the other battles, but now it’s quite literally on your doorstep and you feel the pin pricks of panic settle in your chest and fingers. 

If you’d had a little more blood pumping to your brain you might have stayed inside your apartment, hiding behind the door and the little fairy earrings. But your door is opened and you’re rushing outside to catch a glimpse of Miguel on the Vulture’s back claws digging into its back as he tries to get it to yield. 

He spots you, eyes widening behind the mask as he catches you walking towards him and the Vulture. 

“Get back in the house!” Miguel yells, the distraction enough to have the Vulture throwing him off his back and making his way to you as you hold your hands to your mouth as you watch Miguel’s body hit the ground hard. 

“Hello dear, why was the Spider-man visiting you?” The Vulture is on his way to you when you grab a rock and launch it towards his head. It hits him square in the forehead, but it doesn’t slow him. 

His wings are enveloping you in seconds, your screams ringing out as you’re off the ground.

“Pretty enough, maybe we could get a reaction from the Spider-man.” 

It’s not like when Miguel had saved you those last two times- this time your heart is beating in your throat and your fingers are trying to grip some part of the Vulture that will cause him pain. 

He gets to you first though, talons biting into your obliques and your bicep. There’s a burning sensation and you’re not sure if it’s poison or if it’s just the pain- but it stings like all hell. 

You fight and twist, trying to get a good grip on him. You pull on the feathers just under his neck and you pull. As his wings open, and you’re free-falling you get why people would want to skydive. There’s an adrenaline rush that makes you feel like you could actually fly. It makes you sympathise with Icarus; the boy had a taste of a freedom that’s usually not afforded to humans and it’s freeing in a way that makes you accept the splat that’s going to be you hitting the pavement. 

Miguel doesn’t let it happen.

His nanobots form a blanket on the ground, holding you as he rushes off to capture the Vulture. 

“Lyla, call Margo and tell her open the multiverse anomaly receiver.” 

You don’t hear much of what her response is because your hand is covered in blood as you press it to your side. 

“Coqueta, pensé que dije que me quedara adentro?” I thought I said to stay inside? Miguel’s hand moves to his watch, giving new instructions to his nanobots that mould to your open wounds. “You have a hard time listening, don’t you?” 

You look up at him, breathing harshly, “Sometimes pretty people distract me. I thought you said, ‘For sure come outside, I need help,’ it’s easy to mix up the words.” 

“You don’t even know what I look like,” He points out and watches you roll your eyes as best as you can in your current position, “Hold on to me.” He thinks better of the simple instruction and lifts his mask up to look at you, “I mean exactly what I said. Hold on to me.” 

Swinging with an open wound wasn’t as nice as the other times. This time you could tell Miguel was very conscious of where his hands were and how much pressure he was applying to your body.

You're wherever Miguel stays, and it looks very him. The room he takes you to is full of dark reds and blues, matching his suit completely. “Did you want to camouflage in your own office?” you’re a little breathless as you speak, body tired and growing even more tired as you lose more and more blood. 

Miguel doesn’t say anything, he just clears a table and lays you on it. “Don’t scream or anything. The other Spider-people are asleep.” 

“There’s more of you?” 

He gives one deft nod and then digs around his desk till he pulls out a first aid kit. 

Your eyes are fluttering shut and Miguel notices your breathing getting worse. 

“Don’t close your eyes.” he instructs, tapping your cheek lighting to get you to open your eyes again. 

“I’m tired,” you groan, jolting away from his hand on your hip. You melt into it when you open your eyes and find Miguel staring intently at you. “You could’ve left me at the hospital.”

“And explain your wounds how?” he holds an antiseptic cloth in his hand. “This might sting.” you nod, biting your lip as the cold cloth presses against your side.

“Fuck,” you murmur, clenching your fists as he finishes cleaning the blood. Miguel tries to distract you but talking to strangers isn’t really his strong suit. 

“Is this your first time getting stitches?” he asks and you hum- a broken little sound as the needle pierces your skin. Miguel feels awful at the sound, “I’m sorry, it’s going to pinch the whole way through.” 

You nod, trying not to focus on the way the needle pinches on your side with every stitch. “Do you have to stitch yourself a lot? Is that why you’re good at this?” 

Miguel doesn’t say anything to your question, just ponders the way you put on a brave face as he closes the stitch. 

The second time the needle pierces your skin you feel your head spin, “Think I’m gonna pass out,” you say and Miguel frowns. 

You hadn’t looked that bad to Miguel, but he feels his mistake fester and feels the way it can all go wrong so quickly. 

“Lyla, get her vitals up on the screen,” he instructs, hoping the nerves aren’t reflected in his voice, watching as your blood pressure drops. “Fuck,”

You go to say something but Miguel stops you, “You’ll have to stay here tonight. There’s no way you’re going back to your apartment.” 

Your eyes feel heavy as you look at him, “Okay,” you twist to lay flat again but the movement seems to have taken the last bit of energy from you. “I’m sorry.” Your bones liquify and your breathing is even and Miguel swears lowly. 

His chest feels heavy and achy.  

“Looks like you’re getting bedside manner training,” Lyla coos as she finishes displaying all your vitals. 

“I just don’t want her to die here, Lyla. When she’s a bit more stable I’ll take her to my room.” Miguel uses a gentle hand to brush your hair from your face, and he takes a moment to let his affection guide him as his thumb strokes the slope of your nose then the curve of your lip.

“You won’t die, no one else is dying,” the words are whispered as he finishes sewing you up, taking his time in cleaning the wound before sitting back in his seat, just watching your vitals till they’re good enough for him to move you to his room.

[politicalprof]

The Banality of AI and the destruction of actual thought:

In my continuing exploration of the many ways AI is going to make it ever easier to say bland and innocuous things without having to think about it, I present the following prompt and response from Google Gemini for anyone interested.

For context, universities have for decades now been layering on new requirements intended to provide an "objective" basis for assessing why one candidate deserves tenure or not, or why one applicant deserves a grant or a job, etc. However, while these layers may be well-intended, in time they devolve into rote exercises that prove little beyond the fact that you know how to write certain types of statements "the right way." One such statement that is commonly required these days is a "teaching statement." It is ubiquitous for job applications, tenure and promotion files, and even some grant applications. Enjoy!

Prompt:

write a teaching statement for a tenure application that emphasizes my use of student-centered, active learning with the goal of developing my students' critical thinking skills

Response:

Teaching Statement

My approach to teaching is rooted in the belief that students learn best by actively engaging with course material and constructing their own understanding. I strive to create dynamic, student-centered learning environments that foster critical thinking, collaboration, and intellectual curiosity. My goal is not simply to transmit knowledge, but to empower students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners.

Student-Centered Learning: I prioritize student engagement and agency in the learning process. I design my courses with a variety of active learning strategies, including:

Inquiry-based learning: I pose open-ended questions and present real-world problems that encourage students to explore concepts, formulate hypotheses, and develop solutions collaboratively.

Collaborative projects: I incorporate group work and peer learning activities that promote teamwork, communication, and the exchange of diverse perspectives.

Case studies and simulations: I use case studies and simulations to provide students with opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations, analyze complex scenarios, and make informed decisions.

Reflective writing and discussions: I encourage students to reflect on their learning through journals, online forums, and class discussions, promoting metacognition and deeper understanding.

Developing Critical Thinking: A central focus of my teaching is to cultivate students' critical thinking skills. I explicitly teach and model these skills through:

Analyzing and evaluating information: I guide students in assessing the credibility, relevance, and bias of information sources, encouraging them to question assumptions and challenge conventional wisdom.

Constructing arguments and supporting claims: I provide opportunities for students to develop well-reasoned arguments, supported by evidence and logical reasoning.

Problem-solving and decision-making: I present complex problems that require students to analyze information, identify potential solutions, and evaluate their consequences.

Debates and discussions: I facilitate respectful and intellectually stimulating debates and discussions that encourage students to consider multiple perspectives and refine their own viewpoints.

Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment: I am committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive classroom where all students feel valued, respected, and supported in their learning. I strive to:

Establish clear expectations and learning goals.

Provide timely and constructive feedback.

Offer individualized support and guidance.

Promote a culture of respect and open communication.

Assessment and Continuous Improvement: I use a variety of assessment methods to measure student learning and inform my teaching practice, including:

Formative assessments: I use ongoing assessments, such as quizzes, in-class activities, and online discussions, to monitor student progress and provide timely feedback.

Summative assessments: I use exams, projects, and presentations to evaluate student learning outcomes and mastery of course content.

Student feedback: I actively solicit student feedback through course evaluations and informal surveys to identify areas for improvement and refine my teaching strategies.

Conclusion: I am passionate about teaching and dedicated to creating engaging and effective learning experiences for my students. I believe that my student-centered, active learning approach, with its emphasis on critical thinking, prepares students not only for success in their academic pursuits but also for meaningful engagement in their future careers and communities. I am committed to continuous growth as an educator and look forward to further developing my teaching practice at [Institution Name].

[vayle]

Hey everyone, dunno how long this might be, kind of doing a stream of consciousness style ramble about TNTF and me and stuff :)

alright so, tntf is getting a huge rework, this is my first if game ever, the coding is a little overwhelming, i know it’s fairly simple but it’s A LOT.

the reason i’ve been pretty quiet is mostly due to burnout, as some of you know i have health issues, i have crohns disease, i’m also autistic with adhd—something i love about this community is the understanding and acceptance for people/authors like me who may want to write but are just too stuck to be able to do it.

i know everyone is so jazzed for the next update, and i am too, there’s a few changes i’m making in regards to the technical aspects of the story, i’m removing stats, for the MC and for relationships. part of it is… i’m not a numbers person, trying to balance out the stats going up and down is a pain when this is planned to be a pretty damn long story. i also just don’t like it for my story personally, i don’t want you, as the player to feel like you have to game-ify personality or relationships.

this also opens the option for me to write more player responses to situations without having all of that annoying code in my brain~ MORE FLAVOR!

My writing has also vastly improved when it comes to fiction, a lot because i have been practicing so much while i’ve been sick (i’ve been playing with and writing AI chatbots on Janitor.AI, learning how to create a complex and realistic personality, an engaging character and world.) It’s been useful as a stress reliever and as a tool to help me write better, more descriptive etc.

on that note, smut in my game is also a very yes, i feel much more comfortable writing it now… heh.

i’ve also decided that all of my books are going to remain free, tntf was a planned three book series, it may just be one or two HUGE books, we’re going to have to see what i, and twine are capable of. but the story is going to span four countries and two continents of the world, so yeah.

the new rewrite is also going to slow things down considerably, because now we’ll have MC on a ship for four months as the intro, then meeting maddock and spending <insert amount of time here> with him while traveling to that little inn. it also gives me more room to introduce the characters a lot earlier but in their own POVs and not just while they’re with MC. i want the world to feel alive.

my decision to make and keep tntf free is because i want to.

i would not appreciate minors interacting with my content, but i also grew up with the internet, i know that no matter how much prevention we put in, minors are going to access our content regardless if it’s free or not. i just ask that if you are a minor and reading adult fiction, please don’t comment, dm or whatever, this is for your safety in the community as well as, i don’t want to deal with other people’s children on the internet, it’s nothing against any of ya’ll, you’re awesome, children are great but i’m almost 26, i really don’t want to deal with kids in what’s pretty much an adult space (i haven’t really seen books catered to the younger than 18 crowd, but like i’m saying, i’m more interested in forging connections with the adult community here, considering i am one, lmao *bats children away with pool noodles*)

i think that’s it

i might post more stuff but that’s my general direction

also to the asks in my inbox from last year on my birthday and forward… I READ THEM ALL AND APPRECIATE EVERY WELL WISH AND FEEDBACK, GENUINELY. i’m just bad at social media.