#Real-Time Network Monitoring

[blackmoreops]

Top 10 Live Cyber Attack Maps Digital Threats Visualisation

Digital crime has escalated to unprecedented levels, with cybercriminals generating approximately 1.5 trillion dollars annually in illicit profits. As major organisations like GitHub face increasingly sophisticated attacks daily, understanding the global landscape of cyber threats becomes crucial. Live cyber attack maps provide real-time visualisation of digital threats, offering valuable…

[tudipblog]

IoT in Action: Transforming Industries with Intelligent Connectivity

The Power of Connectivity

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a cornerstone of innovation, as it reimagines industries and redefines the way business is conducted. In bridging the physical and digital worlds, IoT enables seamless connectivity, smarter decision-making, and unprecedented efficiency. Today, in the competitive landscape, intelligent connectivity is no longer just a technology advancement; for businesses wanting to be relevant and continue to thrive, it is now a strategic imperative.

IoT is not simply about connecting devices; it’s about creating ecosystems that work collaboratively to drive value. With industries relying heavily on real-time data and actionable insights, IoT-powered connectivity has become the backbone of operational excellence and growth. Let’s explore how this transformative technology is revolutionizing key sectors, with a focus on how businesses can leverage it effectively.

Applications of IoT in Key Industries

1.Smart Manufacturing: Efficiency Through Connectivity

Manufacturing has embraced IoT as a tool to streamline operations and boost productivity. By embedding sensors in machinery and integrating real-time monitoring systems, manufacturers can:

Predict and Prevent Downtime: IoT-enabled predictive maintenance reduces unplanned outages, saving time and money.

Optimize Resource Allocation: Smart systems track inventory, raw materials, and energy consumption, ensuring optimal usage.

Enhance Quality Control: Real-time data from production lines helps identify defects early, maintaining high-quality standards.

Example: A global automotive manufacturer integrated IoT sensors into its assembly lines, reducing equipment downtime by 25% and improving production efficiency by 30%. The ability to monitor machinery health in real time transformed their operations, delivering significant cost savings.

2.Healthcare: Improve Patient Outcomes

In healthcare, IoT has been a game-changer in enabling connected medical devices and systems that enhance patient care and operational efficiency. The main applications include:

Remote Patient Monitoring: Devices track vital signs in real time, allowing healthcare providers to offer timely interventions.

Smart Hospital Systems: IoT-enabled equipment and sensors optimize resource utilization, from patient beds to medical supplies.

Data-Driven Decisions: IoT integrates patient data across systems, providing actionable insights for personalized treatment plans.

Example: A major hospital has put into operation IoT-enabled wearables for chronic disease management. This solution reduced the number of readmissions to hospitals by 20% and empowered patients to take an active role in their health.

3.Retail: Revolutionizing Customer Experiences

IoT is revolutionizing retail through increased customer interaction and streamlined operations. Connected devices and smart analytics allow retailers to:

Personalize Shopping Experiences: IoT systems track customer preferences, offering tailored recommendations in real time.

Improve Inventory Management: Smart shelves and sensors keep stock levels optimal, reducing wastage and improving availability.

Enable Smooth Transactions: IoT-driven payment systems make checkout easier and much faster, increasing customers’ convenience

Example: A retail chain leveraged IoT to integrate smart shelves that automatically update inventory data. This reduced out-of-stock situations by 40%, improving customer satisfaction and driving higher sales.

Role of Intelligent Connectivity in Business Transformation

Intelligent connectivity lies at the heart of IoT’s transformative potential. By connecting devices, systems, and processes, businesses can:

Accelerate Decision-Making: Real-time data sharing enables faster, more informed decisions, giving companies a competitive edge.

It increases collaboration by allowing smooth communication between departments and teams, making the entire system more efficient.

Adapt to Market Dynamics: IoT enables companies to respond quickly to changes in demand, supply chain disruptions, or operational challenges.

Intelligent connectivity is not just about technology; it’s about creating value by aligning IoT solutions with business objectives. This strategic approach guarantees that IoT investments will deliver measurable outcomes, from cost savings to improved customer loyalty.

How Tudip Technologies Powers Intelligent Connectivity

Tudip Technologies specializes in designing and implementing IoT solutions that drive meaningful transformation for businesses. With a focus on innovation and collaboration, Tudip ensures that its clients achieve operational excellence through intelligent connectivity.

Tailored Solution for Every Business Industry

Tudip understands that no two businesses are alike. By customizing IoT strategies to address specific challenges, Tudip helps clients unlock the full potential of connectivity. Examples include:

Smart Supply Chains: Implementing IoT systems that provide real-time visibility into inventory and logistics, reducing delays and improving efficiency.

Energy Management: Developing IoT frameworks to monitor and optimize energy usage, driving sustainability and cost savings.

Healthcare Innovations: Designing networked medical devices that allow remote patient monitoring and data integration without a hitch.

The Future of Connected Systems

The demand for intelligent connectivity will keep increasing as the industries continue to evolve. Emerging trends in IoT include edge computing, 5G networks, and AI-powered analytics, which promise to redefine possibilities for connected ecosystems.

Businesses that embrace these advancements stand to gain:

Greater Resilience: IoT enables adaptive systems that can withstand market fluctuations and operational challenges.

Enhanced Innovation: Connected technologies open doors to new business models, revenue streams, and customer experiences.

Sustainable Growth: IoT optimizes resources and processes, contributing to long-term environmental and economic sustainability.

The future belongs to those who see connectivity not just as a technological tool but as a strategic enabler of transformation. The right partner will help businesses transform IoT from a concept into a competitive advantage.

Conclusion: Embracing Intelligent Connectivity with Tudip

IoT is not just changing the way businesses operate—it’s redefining what’s possible. From manufacturing and healthcare to retail and beyond, intelligent connectivity is driving innovation, efficiency, and growth across industries.

Tudip Technologies is at the forefront of this transformation, offering customized IoT solutions that deliver real results. By prioritizing collaboration, adaptability, and measurable outcomes, Tudip ensures that its clients stay ahead in an increasingly connected world.

Now is the time to embrace the power of IoT and unlock its potential for your business. With Tudip as your partner, the journey to intelligent connectivity is not just achievable—it’s inevitable.

Click the link below to learn more about the blog IoT in Action: Transforming Industries with Intelligent Connectivity https://tudip.com/blog-post/iot-in-action-transforming-industries-with-intelligent-connectivity/

[adeelseo]

Roadrunner Tracking

[nordickies]

What's the story or reason behind "Sweden is gay" jokes?

I could just say “it’s a comedy trope” and leave it at that—but the truth is, the topic is much more nuanced and, in my opinion, genuinely fascinating. The perception of Swedish men as “gay” in Finland isn’t some modern invention; it’s generational. The trope has been around so long that most people have no idea where it actually came from. So let me give you a proper, researched answer!

For most of history, same-sex relationships weren’t explicitly named in Sweden's (and by extension Finland's) criminal law. Instead, sexual crimes were defined through Biblical principles, such as the sins of Sodom, and punishments were meted out inconsistently. In the late 19th century, however, the criminalization of homosexuality became a public issue, driven by contemporary medical debates that aimed to purge society of its supposed moral decay in the name of racial hygiene. Homosexuality was medicalized, and it began to be classified as a psychiatric illness—an abnormal deviation from “biologically normal heterosexuality.” At the same time, psychoanalysts were also looking for ways to "cure" this deviance.

Contradictorily, homosexuality was seen both as an innate trait of certain “lower-class” people and as a contagious epidemic that could "infect" anyone who wasn't careful. Sexuality, now central to modernity, became heavily regulated by social norms. In Sweden, the government appointed numerous commissions focused on sexuality, primarily concerning sexual hygiene and procreation, essentially regulating who was allowed, or deemed desirable, to reproduce.

World War II brought the topic of homosexuality further into public discourse. Beyond the documentation of violent Nazi persecution of homosexuals, Finland began to confront same-sex relationships that emerged on the front lines and in blacked-out Helsinki during the war. War placed people into heavily gendered environments, where same-sex intimacy could form more easily. At the same time, Sweden decriminalized homosexuality in 1944, which brought the topic into Finnish media. Finnish tabloids wrote extensively about Swedish homosexuals and the spread of the so-called “Swedish disease.” Scandals in neighboring countries—like the 1955 Prostitution Network case in Copenhagen and Sweden’s Haijby and Kejne cases—distorted the topic, connecting homosexuality and pedophilia in the Finnish debate.

Stockholms Tidningen 22/1950 - "Homosexuals are a serious problem in Stockholm – rural youth are the victims"

The homosexual, as the "other" and the opposite of the heterosexual, was depicted as a moral threat to society in the 1950s. During the anxiety of the Cold War, the “other” became a public enemy and a danger to national security.

After the war, the national rebuilding project included a focus on moral reconstruction. Attitudes toward sexuality became increasingly conservative. The fear and panic around homosexuality led Finnish authorities to monitor, e.g., parks and public bathrooms, where gay men were believed to meet each other. The 1950s saw the highest number of convictions for homosexuality in Finnish history, with over 1,000 men prosecuted. Public discourse and reporting on homosexuality led to the police becoming more active to prevent a moral panic, which in turn led to new convictions, which were reported in the tabloid magazines—starting a self-feeding cycle. Sensational headlines framed victims of sexual assault as complicit, citing “loose morals,” drunkenness, or a tendency toward debauchery, the victim-blaming adding shame to an already stigmatized homosexuality. There was also the threat of blackmail, real or fabricated, that could ruin people’s personal relationships, careers, and public image.

Viikon Totuus 11/1959 - "Male homosexuals in the limelight: Is the 'Swedish disease' spreading in Finland?

Whereas homosexuality was associated with communism in the United States and the United Kingdom, in Sweden, homosexuality was seen as a problem within the right-wing and upper classes of society, with young and impoverished working-class men being the victims. In Finland, similar ideas arose, as homosexuality was primarily considered an urban problem. Until the 1950s, Finland was a largely agrarian society where people, regardless of gender, were expected to contribute to agricultural labor. Oftentimes, it was the women who had to do labor-intensive work while the men were drafted as soldiers. This fostered a less rigid gender hierarchy, to a point it's argued that rural life didn’t necessarily stigmatize the "feminized" man in a same-sex relationship. Same-sex relationships were seen as less problematic than extramarital relationships between women and men, which could result in illegitimate children. As long as everyone contributed to the community, same-sex couples could often go unbothered. However, this concealable nature of same-sex relationships meant that rural communities weren’t exposed to homosexuality as a concept until the media framed it as a threat. What had once gone unnamed became a symbol of urban moral decay and a danger to national purity.

Viikon Totuus 1/1963 - "Homophiles chase boys and men in central Helsinki"

In Western patriarchal societies, homosexuality is “othered” because it challenges hegemonic masculinity, which relies on the expectation of unequal heterosexual relationships. Male bonds are expected to remain non-sexual to uphold the social hierarchy. Men who deviate or fight against these norms are seen as weak, effeminate, and thus lacking masculinity. This dynamic fosters homophobia, misogyny, and heterosexism, keeping heterosexual men united in opposition to anything deemed feminine or non-conforming. By associating homosexuality with something “other” in the new wave of moralism in the 20th century, it was possible to create an image that Finnish masculinity and homosexuality are not compatible. Homosexuality becomes the “other” to the Finnish man’s identity—something that cannot co-exist within him. Swedish men who are “feminine and interested in men” create a contrast to the “strong heterosexual Finnish man”. The othering of the Swedish man was easy because Finnish national identity was, from the start, shaped in opposition to Swedishness. By excluding homosexuality from the cultural narrative, society reasserts its ideals of masculinity, moral integrity, and national cohesion. The othering of the Swedish man gives a satisfying itch to the inferior complex and validates the national identity.

I personally think it's worth noting the upper class of Finnish society being traditionally Swedish speaking (and gayness seen as a vice of the rich), alongside the rural flight which lead to over 400,000 Finns moving to Sweden between 1950s-1970s and thus exposing Finns to more liberated sexual environment, have in my opinion certainly also contributed to the pre-existing conception of Swedishness as inherently homosexual compared to that of Finnishness.

Norwegian petition in Dagbladet magazine, 28.6.1979. "We demand that the competent authorities in Finland immediately repeal the anti-gay law to bring Finland into line with other Nordic countries."

Timeline of the development of same-sex rights in both countries:

Homosexuality criminalized: 🇸🇪 1864 / 🇫🇮 1894

Homosexuality decriminalized: 🇸🇪 1944 / 🇫🇮 1971

No longer classified as illness: 🇸🇪 1979 / 🇫🇮 1981

Anti-discrimination laws: 🇸🇪 1987 / 🇫🇮 2000

Registered partnership: 🇸🇪 1995 / 🇫🇮 2002

Adoption rights: 🇸🇪 2003 / 🇫🇮 2009

Marriage equality: 🇸🇪 2009 / 🇫🇮 2017

During the HIV crisis in 1987, Sweden passed a law banning gay saunas and prostitution (repealed in 2004). In Finland, although gay sex was decriminalized in 1971, it was replaced with a “Promotion Ban,” which made "promoting" or discussing homosexuality effectively illegal until 1999. This vague law created a culture of censorship and fear, discouraging media from covering LGBTQ topics positively—or at all. As a result, many queer Finns sought refuge in more progressive countries like Sweden and Denmark, forming small diaspora communities. It's worth noting that Sweden and Denmark also liberalized porn in the late 1960s, while Finland had strict regulation regarding "promiscuous publications" until the 1990s. Swedish and Danish magazines and films were imported both by private consumers and smuggled by sex shops, reinforcing the association with sexuality, and especially sexual deviancy, with the Western neighbours.

Attitudes towards homosexuality in Finland started to change slowly after the decriminalization. However, the repeated generational perceptions of "effeminate" Swedish men compared to heteromasculine Finnish men continued to shape the perceptions of homosexuality in, e.g., comedy tropes. Additionally, the perception of homosexuality as a sensitive issue that wasn’t being talked about during the Promotion Ban left a mark. Belonging to a sexual minority was seen as a private matter that should not have any weight in public debate, which left especially politicians hesitant to bring up LGBTQ issues forward, and thus, LGBTQ legislation in Finland moved forward painfully slowly.

Homosexuality, since its appearance in wide public discourse in Finland, was associated with Swedishness from day one, being framed as an urban disease, sensationalized through scandals and pseudo-science, sparking moral panic. The issue cut deep into medical, social, and cultural anxiety. The othering made it easier for Finnish society to distance itself from homosexuality by projecting it onto a "familiar" outsider, the Swede, who was easy to make fun of.

Recommendations for further reading:

Juvonen, T., Vastapaino. 2021. Varjoelämää ja julkisia salaisuuksia — Homoseksuaalisuuden rakentuminen sotien jälkeisessä Suomessa. https://www.finna.fi/Record/fikka.5795725?lng=en-gb 

Kettunen, S. 2022. Martti rakkaani: Hiljaisuus ja vaikeneminen seksuaalisuuden kokemuksessa miesparin kirjeenvaihdossa 1956–1961. https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202210267896 

Hagman, S. 2014. Seven queer brothers: narratives of forbidden male same-sex desires from modernizing Finland 1894-1971. https://hdl.handle.net/1814/32118 

Põldsam, R., Taavetti, R. 2024. Sisters Across the Gulf: Transnational Connections and Frictions in Estonian–Finnish Lesbian Networks of the early 1990s. https://doi.org/10.34041/ln.v29.933 

Rydström, J., Mustola, K. 2007. Criminally Queer: Homosexuality and Criminal Law in Scandinavia 1842-1999. https://library.oapen.org/viewer/web/viewer.html?file=/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/34830/353810.pdf. 

Sundén, J., Paasonen, S., & Tiidenberg, K. 2024. Sex at the Borders: A Special Issue Introduction. https://doi.org/10.34041/ln.v29.928 

Söderström, G. 1999. Sympatiens hemlighetsfulla makt. Stockholms homosexuella 1860-1960.

Nyegaard, N., Heede, D. & Rydström, J. 2022. Special Issue Editorial: Nordic LGBTQ Histories. https://doi.org/10.1080/08038740.2022.2104022

Suomi on Queer. 2023. Yle. https://areena.yle.fi/1-66734852 

[saywhat-politics]

Trump Shuts Down 25 USGS Centers That Monitor Drought and Flooding Throughout the Country

More than two dozen United States Geological Service (USGS) centers that monitor the country’s waters for flooding and drought, as well as manage water supply levels to make sure communities don’t run out, have had their leases terminated by the Trump administration.

The 25 centers being targeted are part of a network that tracks the quality and levels of surface and ground water, reported The Guardian. The data the centers’ employees and equipment provide plays a crucial role in protecting human life and property while maintaining water supplies and helping to clean up oil and chemical spills.

In the aftermath of a chemical or oil spill, USGS data tracks plumes with real-time monitoring in some locations to protect drinking water, Inside Climate News reported.

“These [centers] are just super, super important, and there’s no rhyme or reason, no thought at all given to canceling these leases,” said Kyla Bennett, a scientist and attorney who is the science policy director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. “They’re doing it because it’s convenient, because these particular centers happen to be up for renewal.”

No plan to fill the gaps left by the closed USGS centers has been indicated by the administration.

[holybibly]

Warning: Sensitive topics, cyberbullying, harassment, insults, veiled threats

Good afternoon everyone, I'd like to ask for a minute of your time as I'd like to raise an important issue about cyberbullying and malicious attacks on writers with large audiences, as well as the spread of slander, libel, and so on.

My name is Valerie, but on Tumblr you may know me as Holy Bible, the author of stories such as Crazy Form, Pink Star Presents, My Little Empress and many more.

I'm on my third day of being bullied by user moilele, and also on my second day of being bullied by user wisejudgedragonhairdo, who together have been bullying my blog and me.

You can read about the whole situation on my blog, or contact me personally as there's quite a lot of information.

I had not originally planned to take this beyond the blog, but due to the large number of aggressive comments and inboxes, as well as the continued spread of slander and persecution, I want to make this public so that anyone who has ever experienced something similar will not be afraid to speak out to a wider audience.

At this point, the situation has gotten so out of control that I have had to contact Tumblr's legal department and appeal to the letter of the law for spreading slander, bullying, insults, harassment and so on. So I hope that you can take a sober and unbiased look at this situation and put an end to the spreading of rumours.

I am a respected author who is a member of several writers' networks (whose administrators check the content before reblogging to the network), an author with a large audience of over 5k followers, and simply a person who, in the two years of this blog's existence, has never stooped to insulting anyone, humiliating anyone, calling on his followers to spread hatred, and other such things.

After several requests to leave me alone, to block my blog and to live his life, the user moilele continues to follow my blog, to leave hate comments, to spread lies and to encourage others to do the same.

Her attacks forced me to partially show my passport to prove my innocence, and also to file several complaints with the Tumblr administration, who in turn, after reviewing all the evidence, aggression, harassment, etc., unilaterally decided to block this user.

I would like to note that Tumblr did this on their own, after reviewing the confirmations. Nevertheless, the author continues to monitor my page, comment on my posts, tag me in her offensive, degrading posts, and accuse me of ruining her life, considering that

I did not even know about the existence of this user and her blog moilele until yesterday, and yesterday I repeatedly asked her to move on and not touch me, but the situation continues to escalate. At the moment I don't feel safe on my own blog as the messages in the inbox etc. have turned into real threats and malicious complaints.

I want people to be able to see my side and not draw conclusions based on lies and insults. I have proof, screenshots of posts, messages, attacks in my inbox.

This is a completely abnormal situation, a person who is a complete stranger to me offering me to rot in hell and d*e , curses me and publicly insults me and many other unpleasant things that she thinks are right.

I have already written about my position and a more detailed explanation in this post.

It's not that I want to protect my blog (even though it's my brainchild and I've put a lot of time and effort into it), I want to protect myself, my friends who are also being insulted, my followers, and I want them to stop spreading lies about me and my blog.

At this point, I had to resort to the letter of the law, which I warned in my post, that if the bullying continues, I will file a formal complaint for emotional abuse, harassment, cyberbullying, etc. Also, all malicious comments and "anonymous" messages have been forwarded to the Tumblr administration.

If you see posts that are aggressive and humiliating to my blog and my dignity, please do not encourage the spread of this information. If you have also experienced intentional bullying or similar, please contact me, you are not alone. Don't tolerate bullying and insults from people you don't know on the internet, take care of yourself and your emotional and mental state.

Thank you for your attention.

[mylittleredgirl]

i will always love the original version of the deep space nine theme song best, but i do understand why they put more zip to it in the later seasons. breathtaking musical composition, but yeah it's kinda slow for an action/adventure tv theme song, so if you're already remaking the opening sequence to add the defiant, go ahead and punch it up. good idea, good execution.

fully hilarious though that enterprise tried to do the same thing ten years later, because as memeable as faith of the heart is the Skip Intro era, it's really hard to overstate how much vitriol people had about the theme song in real time. i will say that fandom history overstates this a little because it wasn't universally treated as a sin against god, there were at least twelve diehard trekkies out there (including me) who looked at this gorgeous intro sequence paired with a mediocre cover of a rod stewart song and went "hmm. weird choice, but you make a good point, i would like to have strength of the soul and reach any star."

but the star trek fans who like being mad about star trek were frothing at the mouth. it wasn't just silly and bad this was the rallying point for how enterprise was an affront to star trek. they were NOT going to take it lying down, they had torches they had pitchforks, they were nailing a list of grievances to the church door and THE FUCKING THEME SONG HAS LYRICS was thesis #1.

(followed by "why are the vulcans jerks :(" and an itemized list of every single canon inconsistency)

so it is so, so fucking funny to imagine the network meeting that must have taken place sometime in late season two when they were bleeding audience numbers and UPN started making the worst previews of all time ("tune in for next week's SPECIAL ENTERPRISE EVENT: ✨Canamar✨!") (the previews also spoiled the ending of every episode for months, like they weren't just bad they were actively damaging) (it was soooo so hard to have a good time as an enterprise fan in 2003).

so this meeting happens and they go okay. we know what to do here. first up. put "star trek" back in the name (it was just "enterprise" for the first two seasons to "attract a new audience"). next. is there a way we can make this about 9/11. great great good job. can we put jolene in a different catsuit? and then some intern whose job it is to monitor the forums on television without pity timidly reminds them about the torches and pitchforks and they're like oh yeah we should remix the theme song! and the intern is like WHEW so should i book an orchestra for like an hour to do an instrumental version of the closing credits and then bermaga or some clown at UPN is like no no no you're not getting it. the lyrics aren't the problem. they just don't understand our vision because there weren't enough bongos.

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Androids Walter & David x Reader x Neomorph

Walter, the android monitoring the colonization ship 'Covenant' on its way to Origae-6, seems to have gotten unnaturally attached to his human assistant. As he ponders his erroneous feelings, an unexpected detour brings them to David, an older android counterpart that has been alone on the mysterious planet. The AI assistants become increasingly competitive for (Y/N)'s attention, so much that they don't notice the newly formed humanoid local preying on a fresh target.

TW: violence, gore, monster smut ending

[Horror Masterlist]

"Burnt to a crisp." 

You turn away from the captain's pod, leaving the rest of the damage assessment to the medical crew that has been reanimated. You speedily make your way down the sterile white corridors as Walter rushes to catch up. 

"What should I write for the report?" he inquires politely.

"Malfunction." You glance back at the synthetic. "I suspect someone will be fired for this. And someone else will have to explain how they failed to detect a literal star collapse. That neutrino burst could've killed us all."

"Highly probable. The draft has been compiled, you may check it at any time. I require your confirmation to send it."

Your only feedback is a barely audible hum. 

Walter smiles. If there's one good thing about such tragedies, it's that he gets to admire your reactions to them. Your focused, calculated gaze, your determined walk, your automated mannerisms that won't allow the slightest hint at the fact you just woke up from your stasis moments ago. Even under the veils of deep slumber, your neural networks shot rapid connections, with no delay, from the second your sleeping pod received an alert. The accuracy of a robot.

That of course doesn't mean he lacks appreciation for your other facets. That's the beauty of humans; their depth, their dimensions. Unlike AI machinery, humans do not have predetermined actions. They may be genetically programmed to possess certain characteristics, but the psychological mechanisms are shaped by so many variables, billions and billions of tweaks and nudges, to the point where it's impossible to have two identical specimens. Even twins will display a difference, whether in preferences or habits.

They say artificial intelligence is a black box, but can the same concept not be applied to humans as well? At the very least to Walter himself, these organic beings represent a mystery. One he doesn't particularly care to uncover outside of his service functions. Except for one. 

His eyes carefully follow (Y/N)'s movements. What is it about this one that has caught his interest to such degree? On his last system update he attentively inspected every file and every block of code, searching for potential errors that would've caused his circuits to behave so oddly. He has been invested with the ability to form attachments, otherwise assigning his kind to groups or purposes would've lacked stability. Attachment, however, comes with a threshold. One he has passed a long time ago when it comes to (Y/N). And he cannot find any cause for it. 

He could, naturally, solicit the aid of the ship's robotics expert. He could. He should, even. But if he may be frank with himself, Walter rather enjoys this sensation. A complex web of spores that keep growing and evolving into something unpredictable. This bizarre feeling he has towards (Y/N) makes him feel human. It brings him closer to all the old literature and art he'd consumed over the years, wondering what the love and yearning often portrayed could be. The printed letters and the strokes of paint were right before him, at his fingertips, and yet they felt foreign. Empty constructs, nothing more than a definition out of the dictionary. 

Now it's a different story. Your presence alone floods him with a mysterious warmth. He had investigated this phenomenon when it first happened, but his inner thermostat showed no real change in temperature. Nonetheless he can feel it. It makes him wonder what other feelings he might experience as consequence. What would happen if he kissed you? Sometimes he even dares to imagine downright outrageous, improper scenarios. How unprofessional of him, but he is careful to erase any evidence. It's another novel sensation that he likes to dissect. Engaging in such activities with you fills him with tingling excitement. Why is that? What is there to be excited about? It's merely a collection of fictive snippets. Unless... Ah, absolutely not. This is where he has to stop in his tracks and preoccupy himself with something else. Androids are not to interact with humans in that way. 

But it's becoming more and more difficult to keep these ideas in his mind only. 

"It's too dangerous. One human signal in the middle of nowhere?" Daniels, a short haired woman with a tomboyish but youthful appearance, is pacing back and forth. "We should just continue on our course."

"It's our duty to check. Look: we go, find whoever sent the signal, bring them back up. That's it. If the planet proves to be dangerous we'll stop immediately. We'll be fine." Oram stands at the head of the table, arms crossed. He turns to look at you. Already cozying up to his newly acquired captain role, you think.

"Alright. Walter, prepare a small landing party. Have Tennessee maintain orbit while we're down there." you glance at the other crew members that have now gathered around the same table. "And get your weapons ready, we don't know what to expect."

And you certainly didn't. Your final words of warning now echo into your ringing ears as you lay on the ground, face buried among the grass. There's screaming around you, but it sounds muffled. Your eyes are irritated by the dirt and you'd like to blink the grime off, though every time your eyelids lower, you can see the pale creature trashing out of Hallett's mouth. Then it's all foggy. Your vision blurs, but you can hear. The gurgling of blood, the screech of the parasite. Walter's frantic footsteps nearing in your direction. You're lifted up.

"Vitals are positive. No significant damage." 

You can guess from your peripherals that another crew member is currently being mauled by the beast. There's gunshots in your vicinity and terrified wails. You quickly come back to your senses and stand up. Your hand searches for your weapon, but the android places his arm before you.

"Do not engage, (Y/N). It is an unknown parasitic organism of this ecosystem. Keep your distance for optimal safety and I'll take care of the rest."

"What are you talking about? They're dying! Your task is to ensure human survival, Walter. I can handle myself, go help the others. It's an order." Your voice is low. You're distracted.

"No."

You stare at the synthetic, wide eyed. Did he just...refuse? Not possible. 

"What did you say?"

"I said I'll protect you. Nothing else."

Your mouth is slightly parted in disbelief. It is not possible for an artificial assistant to disobey a superior. It just doesn't work. Your mind races to find an explanation. At the same time, you cannot afford to ponder on hypotheses. You draw out your weapon and point it towards the creature. You'll deal with this later. 

The moment you press the trigger, a blinding flash of light detonates in the sky, startling you. The creature scrambles to get away. You squint your eyes and nearly fall back, but Walter swiftly grabs your shoulders to ground you. He scans the area for the source. It's an emergency rocket and someone else must've activated it. As he traces the tail of the explosion, he spots a hooded figure across the field and onto the rocky ascend. It seems to have noticed Walter, as it gestures for them to follow. Without hesitation, the man firmly locks your arm and pulls you after him. The priority right now is to find shelter.

"Come!", Walter exclaims, suddenly remembering the other people. 

You reach a cave structure that has been converted into a crude, improvised human settlement. The man lowers his hood and you gasp quietly at the sight. He strongly resembles Walter. He must have noticed your surprise as he flashes you a cordial smile. 

"I'm David." He studies Walter's features. "You must be a newer model. What name have you been given?"

"Walter."

"I see. And you are-" David extends a hand towards you for a handshake, but Walter steps in front of you, blocking the android's gesture.

"She's (Y/N). I'm afraid I cannot yet trust you."

"Understandable." 

David's smile widens as his eyes, now bearing a strange flicker, switch between you and Walter. He's just like him. He can sense it. Although it's a different kind of flaw that has tainted his pure, artificial soul. He cannot help the curiosity that blooms, gazing at this peculiar pair. What is it about this human that caused his fellow machine to break conduit? He'd like to know.

"I'm certain you will soon learn I am no threat, (Y/N)."

The remaining members of the expedition are unpacking and discussing evacuation plans with the base, while Walter sends the data he has gathered so far. You let them deal with the logistics and cautiously wander off to the neighboring rooms, wondering what David has been up to all this time in isolation.

The walls are plastered with photos and handwritten sketches and diagrams. You catch a glimpse of the word "pathogen" sporadically inserted across these notes. As you walk along the sequence of cramped chambers, you reach one that has a table in the middle. Upon it rests the body of an autopsied woman, vulgarly opened up to the world with plump organs bulging under the warm light. You feel nauseous. And yet, you examine the carcass further, hoping for answers. Was she also a result of the same disease that breeds on this planet? Perhaps this David had worked on a cure, or at least developed an explanation. 

"And you, even you, will be like this drear thing, A vile infection man may not endure; Star that I yearn to! Sun that lights my spring! O passionate and pure."

You jolt and immediately turn around, finding David in the doorframe. 

"Flowers of Evil. Are you familiar with it?" he asks, indifferent to the uncomfortable shock he'd caused you with his sudden entrance.

"I've read my Baudelaire, yes." You manage to mumble, dumbfounded. "What is this, David?"

"Oh, my poor, dear Elizabeth. Victim to whatever blasphemy lurks these soils and has taken your friends as well." He approaches the table and places his hand on its hard edge, shyly overlapping with your own fingers. "I did my best." 

You remove your hand from underneath his nonchalantly. 

"So you know what those creatures are. Leave the literary comments for a different time, I need concrete facts."

"Unbothered and to the point." the blonde android smiles once again. "I can see clearly why Walter loves you."

You click your tongue at the ridiculous statement. Has the neutrino burst damaged their positronic brain? Everyone is acting off and you don't like it. 

"Your circuits must have gone defective, David. We have a specialist on our ship, but until that happens I need you to focus. Enough nonsense." 

 "Typical arrogance of a dying species. Why are you on a colonization mission if not to grasp at some promised resurrection? Rest assured that my functioning has not been impeded by anything. What is erroneous, on the other hand, is your perception of androids and their limits."

Just as David reaches for your wrist and pulls you closer, a familiar voice interrupts with an intimidating tone. You're relieved. 

"I will ask that you release her hand only once." Walter has a weapon pointed towards his counterpart. His face is clouded by a frown. "I have no ethical restrictions when it comes to incapacitating machinery."

"Such noble obedience! Although, you conveniently left out the part where you abandoned the remaining crew with a dangerous alien that has been tracking their scent. By my approximation he should already be here and I am rather confident you know this, too."

Your stomach drops. Now that you adjust your focus, the background humming of your mates talking has indeed vanished. The only thing you can hear is your erratic breathing.

"Is it true, Walter?" You demand as dread begins to form in your body.

"Yes. It was not part of my priorities."

"Of course it was, Walter." David responds ahead of you. "One of them was the acting captain and he is to be rescued in emergencies. This one right here", he says as he dangles your wrist, "is several ranks lower than all of them. It's against any standard practice."

"Release her hand." Walter's voice is eerily calm.

"Do you love her?"

Walter ponders the question. Your legs barely hold on.

"I do."

"Marvelous. So do I." David grins. He releases your hand that falls limp next to your body. It's his turn to step in front of you. 

You nearly choke from the thick tension expanding in the air. The two androids face each other and you retreat to the wall, unsure how to proceed. You left your radio transmitter back at the makeshift camp. The back of your head is itching, as if invisible claws are scratching at the bone. You wish you could go back, just mere hours before this disaster, when you were sipping on your lukewarm coffee and explaining the captain's jokes to Walter. 

Should you make a run for it?

You bite your lower lip and push yourself off the wall for momentum. You're about to reach the archway when you hear both men shouting almost identically in chorus.

"Don't!"

The surroundings outside are dark, but you can discern something blocking your path. It's tall and resembles a human. Translucent, pallid skin is clinging onto the massive, deformed skeleton. The head is elongated and bears no features. In the place of a mouth there is a large, fresh stain of blood, so you assume it can somehow improvise if desired. As your head tilts back to take in the image, you're overwhelmed with terrified amazement. Is this the parasite that emerged from your teammate? Has it grown to this colossal size in less than a day? The idea of such instant development makes your head spin. 

Its chest is expanding at regular intervals in a whistled breathing. It occasionally creates an odd clicking sound that resonates with your heart throbbing in panic. Has it been seconds? Minutes? Your neck creaks as you try to look back. You lock eyes with Walter. You don't recall ever seeing this expression on him. You had even asked him once if androids can feel fear. You have your answer.

"Hey, Walter..." you blurt out. 

Wet noises of flesh being pulled back. The smooth surface of the alien's head is folding away, making space for grotesquely big jaws lined with sharp teeth. Your anemic face is splattered with burning drool as the creature claws you in its grasp and abruptly sprints away. Your screams for help dissolve in the distance.

"Where is it going, David?" The synthetic's words are threatening, but betrayed by a hint of despair. 

"It won't kill her."

"How do you know?"

"It is no longer hungry. It has fed on your crew, and now it seeks something else."

"Such as?" Walter becomes impatient.

"A plaything."

The alien finally drops your body to the ground. You cough and wipe your face, attempting to reorient yourself. The trip was a whirlwind of jumps and turns and you can barely reconstruct anything. Based on the little spatial clues you could pick up, it just climbed further up, into one of the many cave systems. You pat your clothing and curse to yourself. The geolocation tag must've fallen somewhere on the way here. You can only pray that Walter still finds you somehow. Despite everything, you know he has your back. Always. 

You shudder at the moist feeling of hot air against your skin. The alien seems to be sniffing you intently, analyzing your scent. Yet so far it hasn't killed you. Why? Long, bony fingers stretch out to continue the examination. You whimper at the rough, rugged handling. Every now and then it takes a long pause, just staring at you, almost as if it's comparing you to its own being. Lastly, it lifts your hand with its own, pressing against the palm, and fans out the fingers. It observes the gesture with intrigue, noting the similarities. 

Does it evolve after its host? You think back to your crewmate that must've ejected this monstrosity before drawing their last breath. Perhaps the dried up blood adorning its skin is a remainder of its birth. Oh, God. The world is spinning.

Suddenly, you wince at an increasing pressure slithering around your thigh. The alien's vertebral tail is tightening and encircling your limb, making its way up. 

"Oh no, no no no no" your face reddens at the realization and you pounce on the ground, feverish for escape. The large hands secure you in place and the creature growls in protest. It won't let you leave. 

Not until it had its fun with you.

[cognitivejustice]

Firstly, the researchers removed the phones’ batteries and replaced them with external power sources to reduce the risk of chemical leakage into the environment, a ScienceDaily report explains. 

Then, four phones were connected together, fitted with 3D-printed casings and holders, and turned into a working prototype ready to be reused.

“Innovation often begins not with something new, but with a new way of thinking about the old, re-imagining its role in shaping the future,” says Huber Flores, Associate Professor of Pervasive Computing at the University of Tartu in Estonia.  

The prototype created by researchers was put to use underwater, where it participated in the monitoring of marine life by helping to count different sea species. 

Normally, these kinds of tasks require a scuba diver to record video and bring it to the surface for analysis. The prototype meant the whole process could be done automatically underwater.

And there are many other ways that a phone’s capacity to efficiently process and store data can be put to good use after its WhatsApping days are done.

These mini data centres could also be used at bus stops, for example, to collect real-time data on the number of passengers. This could help to optimise public transportation networks.

Such smartphone repurposing is just a drop in the ocean of issues that natural resource mining, energy-intensive production and e-waste present. Ultimately, we need to challenge this throwaway culture and move to a more circular model. 

[reality-detective]

TOP SECRET LEAK: GITMO EXPANSION NOW OPERATIONAL—GLOBAL ELITE BEING TAKEN DOWN!

Trump has activated the largest military crackdown in modern history—and it’s happening RIGHT NOW. Guantánamo Bay (Gitmo) has been fortified beyond recognition, transformed into an impenetrable tribunal complex designed for high-profile detentions and prosecutions.

Insiders confirm elite special forces are carrying out global raids, capturing high-ranking figures in finance, politics, and media. The biggest criminals in history are being processed for military trials. The Cabal’s reign of terror is over.

GITMO: THE FINAL STRONGHOLD OF JUSTICE

Gitmo is now a classified military tribunal zone, fully equipped to handle thousands of detainees. Confirmed upgrades include:

12 high-security detention blocks for indefinite incarceration.

Biometric security checkpoints ensuring no escape.

Quantum surveillance systems monitoring every movement 24/7.

AI-driven interrogation chambers extracting confessions in real time.

Underground evidence vaults securing classified documents and assets.

Sources confirm military prosecutors are preparing the largest trials in history.

MASS ARRESTS UNDERWAY: BIGGEST NAMES TAKEN DOWN

Covert military operations have already captured key figures:

A top media mogul responsible for deep state propaganda.

A European royal tied to global trafficking networks.

A pharmaceutical tycoon linked to bioweapon funding.

Multiple banking elites, caught running financial blackmail rings.

These aren’t random arrests—each target has been under surveillance for years. The military has undeniable proof.

GLOBAL ELITE EXPOSED: CRIMES BEYOND BELIEF

Shockwaves are spreading as intelligence teams uncover the truth:

Secret human experimentation labs found in South America and Eastern Europe.

Elite-controlled military bases hidden beneath Antarctica.

Big Tech and intelligence collusion exposed in classified documents.

Seized encrypted files revealing financial manipulation, election rigging, and mass blackmail.

All evidence is secured at Gitmo, ensuring ultimate justice.

MILITARY TRIBUNALS: NO ESCAPE FOR THE CABAL

Detainees are given two choices:

Cooperate and expose the network for a slim chance at leniency.

Remain silent and face full military sentencing—no appeal.

Leaked testimonies confirm Hollywood elites, tech billionaires, and corrupt politicians were ALL involved. The Cabal’s control is unraveling before our eyes.

DEEP STATE PANIC: DESPERATE COUNTERATTACKS

The Cabal is attempting:

Assassinations of military leaders running Gitmo tribunals.

Cyber warfare attacks to wipe out intelligence databases.

Financial manipulation schemes to trigger market collapse.

But Trump’s military forces anticipated every move. Deep state networks are being dismantled, elite hideouts raided. The takedown cannot be stopped.

THE CABAL LOSES CONTROL: THE WORLD WAKES UP

Their propaganda is collapsing:

Whistleblowers are stepping forward in record numbers.

Leaked tribunal transcripts confirm shocking confessions.

Social media is on fire with reports—despite censorship.

The mainstream media is scrambling, but it’s too late—the TRUTH is out!

WHAT COMES NEXT: THE FINAL PHASE

Gitmo’s full expansion completes in 2025, but thousands of new arrests are ALREADY planned.

Elite banking cartels will be eliminated.

The biggest names yet will be exposed.

The deep state is falling FAST.

This isn’t just justice—it’s the end of their empire.

THE STORM IS HERE...

THERE'S NO TURNING BACK 🤔

[glassrowboat]

Ruffled Crow Headcanons. Dottore.

Dottore, once upon a time, used to be really bad about safety measures once upon a time, but now there's eyelash stations in every section of his lab along with showers and signs to remind people to wear their safety glasses on every door. Though, he did assign the task of handling that to his segments.

Each segments hair is synthetic, so instead of it being able to grow itself they would have to uproot their hair and fix a new one much like you would do a doll for their new wig (aka the good old push pin method) if they wish to change it.

Dottore has a chemical burn under his mask from an experiment gone awry that caused one of his eyes to go blind. Nowadays, it's been changed out for a robotic eye. It may or may not be like bluetooth connected to the monitor on his mask.

The bracelet Yelan lost that she cherished as family heirloom was actually made by him. When he was in that lab in Liyue (Childe’s story quest for a reminder) he had started tinkering with the idea of making the prototype for what is now his network with how Dottore communicates with his segments. This is why he ended up breaking out in a hysterical fit of laughter when Pantalone brought it to him one day out of the blue and asked him if he knew what it was. 

He knows how to swing dance. It's just you have to be careful with him because those stupid (cunty) boots of his are a hazard. One time they may have even gotten caught on your pants leg and tripped him. A fact he still denies. 

Dottore has a child segment he finds himself disassembling and reassembling every few years. To see the face his own parents turned away running around with a smile, giddy and without worry, is something that always has his stomach turning without fail. So wouldn't it make sense he simply ignores the thing before he turns it to a pile of parts again? So why is he currently building the little boy again with gritted teeth?

Major sweet tooth. To the point he had done some bullshit scientific method to make the perfect baklava. Still, Dottore finds himself preferring the one his mother made.

He does not have any game. Sorry guys, but this is the same man who prefers to hide away in his lab rather than interact with other people. You can't tell me he knows how to flirt, and it ends up affecting any romantic relationship he has because he knows about such practices in theory, but not in reality. It can make his time with you rather....well, let's just say he tries.

(Welder Dottore is so real in my heart, guys) The reason Dottore's bangs are uneven isn't because of a fashion choice, despite the fact he says it is. Rather, it's because one time when he got too wrapped up in his excitement, Dottore didn't properly secure his hair behind the welding mask, and it caught on fire. The only reason he hasn't let it grow back out is because he knows Pantalone would call him out that it was never a fashion choice in the first place. 

He has worked with Sandrone on multiple projects. Their research tends to lean towards the same subject, so it only makes sense that they have collaborated multiple times even if their interactions can be tense and full of snark. But a like, mind that can challenge your ideas is what Dottore needs so he can reach new heights, no? 

His sharp teeth aren't natural. They're the result of one of his first experiments. After all, he didn't have any willing subjects besides himself now, did he?

[supercorpkid]

I Forget You Aren't Mine 2

Supergirl. Lena Luthor x Reader!, Kara Danvers x Reader!, Alex Danvers, Brainy, Lex Luthor.

Word Count: 3.2k

Notes: Read part 1 here! Last part coming soon!

Turns out contacting Lena wasn't the hardest part of the plan. The real challenge is keeping it a secret. Lex has eyes and ears everywhere. 

He brought his sister here with all of her memories, because he wanted her to suffer—to watch you with another woman, to fight and feel for something already lost. Like it was all just a game. A game he would be the only winner. Every time you think you're making progress, you realize you've actually taken two steps back.

You've resorted to clandestine meetings, coded messages, and using Brainy's intricate network to bypass Lex's surveillance. Each time you think you've found a secure channel, a subtle anomaly alerts Brainy to a hidden monitoring program. It’s like trying to navigate a maze where the walls are constantly shifting, and Lex seems to know every turn before you take it.

This afternoon, you find yourselves huddled in the back of a dimly lit, near-empty coffee shop—one Alex swore was a blind spot in Lex's network. Brainy is hunched over a laptop, his brow furrowed in concentration. Alex paces restlessly, one hand resting on the holster at her hip. Kara sits stiffly beside you, arms folded, jaw set, her eyes flicking between you and the others. The stale scent of burnt coffee mingles perfectly with the metallic tang of fear.

"He's anticipating our every move," Alex mutters, voice low. "It's like he's reading our minds."

"Or, and more realistically," Brainy says, voice flat, "he has access to our neural pathways."

Oh yeah, way more realistic. The implication settles like a weight in your chest. Lex isn’t just rewriting memories—he’s inside your head, predicting your next step before you even take it.

"We need a new approach," you say, voice barely above a whisper. "Something he won’t expect."

"Like?" Alex asks, eyes sharp.

"Maybe we should try Lena’s old encrypted channels?" Kara suggests, surprising you. "If she used them before, maybe they’ll be harder to track. Having access to it would give us an advantage."

"That is a logical suggestion," Brainy says, fingers flying over the keyboard. "However, accessing Lena’s previous encryption keys would require infiltrating Lex’s network in person."

"So, we’re back to square one," Alex sighs, running a hand through her hair.

"Not necessarily," Lena’s voice crackles through Brainy's modified datapad—the only safe line of communication left. You nearly forgot she was there at all. "What if we create a distraction? Something big enough to draw Lex’s attention away from us?"

Kara's jaw tightens at the sound of Lena's voice, her eyes narrowing. "What kind of distraction?" 

"Something that will make him think he’s already won," you murmur, the thought forming even as Lena speaks. A slow, knowing smile tugs at your lips—because you understand exactly where she’s going with this.

Beside you, Kara realizes the same and frowns harder.

"That would require us to know what he wants most," Brainy muses. "And to make him believe he has it."

"Lex wants recognition. Power," Lena says after a pause. "He wants the Kryptonians, the DEO, everyone bowing to him. He mentioned something about the two Supers being a ‘prize.’ If we can get Superman and Supergirl to honor him publicly, to give him some ridiculous award, the whole world will see him as the most powerful being alive."

"And why would I do that?" Kara’s arms cross tightly over her chest, her glare like steel.

It’s been a week since this whole thing started. By now, you know exactly what to say to get Kara on board. She just needs to be sure—sure that this isn’t about Lena, that she’s the one you love. That even if all of this is just some sick joke from a sociopath, you’ll still love her when it’s over.

"Because this won’t work without you." Your hand slides under the table, fingers brushing her thigh before giving it a light squeeze. “Babe, we can't win if Supergirl isn't on our team. I can't do this without you.”

Kara's eyes search yours, scanning for any trace of doubt. But the thing is, you're 100% honest about this. So she breathes in deep, exhales slowly, and then her lips find the curve of your neck. “Not fair,” she murmurs against your skin. “You know I’d do anything for you.”

You smile. At the fact that you got what you wanted and at the knowledge that Kara loves you enough to help you even when she doesn’t really want to.

Lena’s voice crackles through the datapad, cutting through the moment like a blade—almost as if she’s trying to shut your interaction with Kara down before it can go any further.

"It’s only going to work if Kara, Clark, and the director of the DEO are there, front and center."

All eyes turn to Alex, knowing she’s just as likely as Kara to hate this plan. There’s a beat of silence before she exhales sharply. "Fine. I'll do it."

"And while they're playing his twisted game," Brainy interjects, already typing at lightning speed, "Y/N, Lena, and I will attempt to access Lena’s old encrypted channels. We can use the distraction to mask our activity."

Kara’s head snaps up, her expression instantly darkening. "Absolutely not. Y/N is not going to be involved in this. It’s too dangerous."

"Babe, I'll be fine," you reassure her, taking her hand. "I have the watch. If anything goes wrong, I'll call you immediately."

"And I will be monitoring the situation from a safe distance," Brainy adds, calm as ever. "I will alert you to any anomalies."

"You won't even be there? So it’ll be just Y/N and Lena…" Kara argues, her voice tight with worry, knuckles white clenched into fists. "I don’t like it. What if this is a setup? What if she—"

"Kara." You and Lena say it in unison.

You stop immediately, realizing how much it's going to irritate her that you and Lena are in sync. Lena, however, presses on. "I’m in the same situation as you all. You think if Lex catches me working with you against him, he’ll let it slide?"

Alex steps in, her hand landing on Kara’s shoulder in a grounding touch. "We’ve talked about this. This only works if we trust each other."

"Yeah, yeah, but still—” Kara hesitates, her eyes darting between you and the datapad, “Y/N doesn’t have superpowers. If she gets caught—"

"I can get us in and out unnoticed." Lena interjects through the datapad. "I've been studying the floorplans."

"And I'll teach Y/N how to shoot," Alex adds. "Basic self-defense, just in case."

"Thank you," you say, squeezing Kara’s hand for emphasis. "See? It'll work. We just have to stick together."

Kara exhales sharply, clearly unconvinced but outnumbered. "Fine. But if anything happens to you—"

"Nothing will," you cut in gently. "We’ll be careful."

"We need to time this perfectly," Brainy says, eyes locked on his laptop. "The distraction and our access attempt must happen simultaneously."

"And we need to make sure Lex believes the ‘prize’ is real," Alex muses. "It has to be convincing."

"We’ll stage an event," Lena says, her voice clear despite the distortion. "Something that plays into his ego. A public display of… submission."

Alex nods, determination flashing in her eyes. "Then let’s get to work. We don’t have much time."

Alex teaches you how to shoot a gun. You wouldn’t say it’s your favorite thing in the world. The weight of it feels wrong against your body. A cold, heavy reminder of the necessity of all this. Sometimes you wish none of it was necessary. Sometimes you even wonder if you should’ve let it go—because Kara was right. You were happy. Your suburban life with a superhero, perfectly crafted, progressing like clockwork. Like a TV show.

Damn it.

"Hey." Kara’s voice pulls you from your thoughts, warm and grounding. She steps in behind you as you gather your things, her hands finding the dimples at the small of your back, pressing gently before sliding up to squeeze your waist. You don’t turn, not yet—not when she leans in, front pressed to your back, pressing a kiss on your neck, slow and deliberate.

"Are you sure about this?" she murmurs. "I don’t want you in any kind of danger."

"You have to trust me." you whisper, your resolve faltering when her lips trail to the spot just behind your ear—the one that makes your knees go weak.

"I trust you," she promises, her mouth never leaving your skin. "It’s everyone else I don’t."

"Babe," you try, but then Kara hums, her breath hot against your ear before her tongue flicks a slow stripe down your neck, and suddenly, words don’t exist anymore.

"Stop distracting me with sex," you manage, your hands trembling slightly, as you grip the table, trying to ground yourself. "We have to be at our positions in half an hour."

Kara chuckles, the sound vibrating against your skin. "Oh, I can do a lot in half an hour."

She turns you effortlessly, and when you meet her gaze, there’s a hunger there—something dark and possessive, something you hadn’t realized lived inside her.

"Besides," she purrs, hands slipping beneath your waistband— "I’m not distracting you. I’m reminding you."

"Reminding me of…?" you echo, barely breathing.

“Who you belong to.”

And shit. Maybe she is right. Maybe this is where you belong and she is the one you belong to. You can't seem to think otherwise while she makes you forget about the impending danger, and her hands and lips make you feel loved and wanted and like the most important person in the universe.

Until Alex's voice crackles through the datapad, yanking you out of the perfect TV show life and shoving you back into reality.

The staged event is underway, a grotesque parody of a surrender ceremony. Kara, Clark, and Alex stand before Lex, their expressions carefully crafted to convey submission. The crowd, manipulated by Lex's technology, roars its approval. You all should have realized he would turn this into a bigger circus than it was already meant to be.

Meanwhile, you and Lena are hidden in the underbelly of LexCorp, navigating a maze of conduits and server rooms while Brainy's voice comes from the datapad.

The space is suffocating—cramped, dark, the scent of ozone and dust thick in the air. You’re pressed tight against Lena, so close you can feel the ghost of her breath against your skin, the way her body aligns with yours in a way that feels too natural. Too familiar.

You try not to think about it. Try not to think about her. About the truth that sits heavy in the back of your mind—the knowledge that she wasn’t lying. That in another life, you were hers.

But your body betrays you. Despite everything, despite the weight of reality pressing in from all sides, warmth curls low in your stomach, a pull that feels instinctual. Wrong. Right. You shove it down, force your focus back to the task at hand, but Lena shifts just slightly, and the way your body reacts makes it painfully clear—

Denying her is impossible.

You swallow deep, ignoring the goosebumps on your arms. This is wrong. This is so very wrong for many reasons, but you can't remember a single one right now.

"I’m glad you wanted to know the truth." Lena whispers, her voice low and husky.

You hesitate, before answering. "I’m not doing this for me," you reply, your voice tight from the lie. "I’m doing this for the whole world whose minds are currently being enslaved by your megalomaniac brother."

"Of course," Lena says, a hint of amusement in her voice. "But you’re here, aren’t you? You’re fighting for what you believe in." Then her voice drops two octaves, so low it makes you shiver. Her eyes locked on yours. “And I think, deep down, you know it's me.”

Lena shifts slightly, the friction sending a sharp jolt of awareness through you. Every nerve in your body is already on edge from the mission, but this—this is something else. The warmth of her breath on your cheek, the way her thigh presses between yours, too perfectly slotted there to be a coincidence, too firm and unmoving—it’s like your body is recognizing something your mind refuses to acknowledge.

You swallow hard, eyes fixed on the dimly lit panel in front of you. Focus. You need to focus.

"You don’t need to tell me what I believe in." you manage, but your voice lacks its usual bite.

Lena exhales a quiet laugh, and the sound brushes against your skin like a touch. "You might not remember me, but I remember everything about you.” The way she says ‘everything’ isn’t casual—it’s weighted, lingering, curling around something unspoken. Something dangerous. “And I think your body remembers me too."

You hadn’t noticed. Your fingers trembling over the console, an unsteady breath leaving you before you can stop it, the goosebumps on your arms. You hadn't realized you were being this obvious.

"Stop it. I'm married, Ms. Luthor," you whisper, but it sounds more like a reminder to yourself than a warning to her. “Please move your leg.”

Lena doesn’t. She doesn’t step back, doesn’t even blink. Instead, her fingers brush against your cheek—light, deliberate—as she tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear. A touch so simple, so meaningless, yet it feels like a test. Like she’s pushing a boundary neither of you should cross.

Your skin burns where she touched you, heat spreading like a slow betrayal. It’s ridiculous—how fast your pulse jumps, how your breath hitches, how traitorous your body feels at this moment.

Because you just had Kara’s hands on you. Kara’s lips on your skin, her voice in your ear, reminding you who you belong to.

But right now, Lena’s looking at you like she could dismantle your entire world with just a breath.

And so help you, God—maybe she already has.

“We’re running out of time,” Brainy’s voice slices through the tension, snapping you back to the present. “We need to access the main server room now.”

Lena nods, but her eyes linger on yours for half a second too long—like she’s searching for something, like she wants to say something. You hope she doesn't. You don't think you can take it. Then, she turns and leads the way.

You follow. Tight corridors, dim lights, the tension between you growing stronger with every step. The heat of her body stays too close, her presence like a ghost of something you’re not ready to name.

When you reach the server room door, Lena stops, pressing a hand to the access panel. She exhales slowly, steadying herself.

“This is it,” she says, voice low. “Once we’re inside, there’s no turning back.”

Your heart pounds. “Let’s do this.”

Lena enters the code. The door slides open with a hiss. Inside, the server room hums with power—walls lined with blinking lights, the air thick with the low buzz of Lex’s control. This is it. The heart of his manipulation. You bite the inside of your cheek, resisting the urge to rip every wire out with your bare hands.

Lena and Brainy move fast, fingers flying over the keyboard, lines of code flashing across the monitors. You stand guard, gun raised, eyes locked on the hallway. Every nerve in your body screams to stay alert, to stay ready.

For a moment, it seems like everything is going according to plan.

Then—pain.

White-hot. Blinding. Like a knife slicing through your skull.

The room tilts violently. The lights blur into a sickening kaleidoscope. You stumble, reaching out blindly—gripping at nothing. You try to scream, but no sound comes out. The pain consuming you, devouring you—

Darkness.

A heavy thud echoes through the server room.

Lena spins at the sound, heart slamming into her ribs. Then she sees you.

No. No, no, no.

She’s kneeling beside you before she realizes she’s moved, hands pressing against your throat, searching—begging—for a pulse. There. Faint. But there.

“You’re breathing, darling. I’ve got you,” she whispers, voice trembling. But it’s shallow. Unsteady. Too close to nothing at all.

She grabs your shoulders. “Stay with me, please.”

You don’t respond. Panic claws up her throat, but she shoves it down. You’re alive. But you won’t be for long if she doesn’t get you out of here.

Brainy’s voice crackles in her earpiece. “Lena, what happened? I can’t read Y/N’s vitals.”

“She’s down,” Lena grits out, shaking you gently. Nothing. “Some kind of neural attack. I don’t know if it was Lex’s failsafe or something else, but we need to move. Now.”

“Extraction is impossible without alerting the entire security force.”

Lena clenches her jaw. Not an option.

Her mind races. She can’t carry you through the halls unnoticed. But— Her eyes land on a maintenance hatch in the wall. Tight, but big enough. The ventilation system connects to a sublevel exit Lex never reinforced. No one was supposed to know it existed. She shifts, slipping her arms under you. 

“Sorry, darling,” she mutters. “I know you’d hate this.” 

With surprising strength, she hoists you onto her back in a fireman’s carry. You don’t stir. Your weight presses against her, making it harder to breathe, harder to think. But she doesn’t have time for weakness. 

Lena unlocks the hatch. It pops open with a hiss. She doesn’t stop. Doesn’t think. Just moves. Crawling through the vent with your body slumped against hers is slow, grueling work. Her arms shake, every muscle screaming, but she doesn’t stop. 

Then—just for a second—she pauses. Just to breathe. Just to look at you. No flicker of consciousness. No reaction. She hadn’t realized she was crying. Her hands shake, as she strokes your face lightly, breath hitching. 

“Come on, love. Wake up.” 

Nothing. 

She keeps going. Keeps pushing. Every second stretching into eternity. When she reaches the sublevel grate, she kicks it open and drops down into the dim corridor below. Just a few more turns. Just a little farther. Then, finally—a door. The exit. 

Lena stumbles forward, shifting your weight so she can reach the panel. Her fingers are slick with sweat, but she punches in the code with steady precision. The door slides open. 

Cold night air rushes in. She doesn’t hesitate. Not for a second. She yanks back your sleeve, fingers trembling as she opens the watch on your wrist. The emergency button stares back at her. A silent admission of what she already knows—she can’t do this alone. She presses it. 

Of course she wants to be the one to save you. Of course she wants you to wake up and see her first. But none of that matters if you don’t wake up at all. And right now, you’ve got far better chances with Kara. 

The response is immediate. A sonic boom cracks through the air. Then—Kara is there. A whirlwind of panic and raw power, her eyes already burning as she takes in the sight of you—limp in Lena’s arms. Tear-tracks on Lena’s face. Desperation in her eyes. 

No words are needed. Kara holds you like you might slip through her fingers. Like she's afraid she already lost you. Don't you dare die on us.

And then—she’s gone. Faster than thought. Faster than light. Racing against time itself to save you.

[moonlitconfessions]

Episode 7 — The Ripple Effect

You were still half-convinced it had all been a dream.

The trending tags. The behind-the-scenes buzz. The way the crew glanced at you differently—like they saw you now. Not as a stand-in. Not as a disposable extra. But as someone who might actually belong.

And then, the invitation came.

You were called into a formal table read—not just any table read, but one with the full main cast, the director, the producers, and a few casting executives from the network. There was even a reserved nameplate waiting for you at the end of the U-shaped table.

[Y/N] – Temporary Role: Yoon Hana (Doctor)

Your fingers trembled slightly as you reached for the script packet. Clean. Stapled. Highlighted. It was real. They wanted to see you do it again—but this time, on purpose.

Zayne arrived just as the last person sat down. No grand entrance, just calm and quiet confidence as always. But when he passed behind you to take his seat, he paused.

“I meant what I texted,” he said softly.

You turned, blinking up at him.

“Don’t look away.”

He didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to. The entire room watched him take the chair beside you instead of across like the seating chart indicated. You could feel the tension ripple through the space, as if everyone noticed the subtle shift in gravitational pull around him—and around you.

The read-through began.

Your lines came fast, sharp, heavy with emotion. Scene after scene, you fell into rhythm—not just with the words on the page, but with Zayne himself. He met every glance with equal fire, responding to your delivery with an intensity that made even the seasoned cast members falter in their lines. There was something electric between you two, and it wasn't in the script.

The director cleared his throat midway through. “Let’s pause there.”

Silence.

You felt your stomach drop. Had you gone too far?

But then, he smiled. “That was… unexpected. In the best way.”

One of the producers leaned forward. “How long has she been doing this?”

Another responded, “She was background talent. Brought in last-minute last week.”

“Unbelievable,” the director muttered, eyes still fixed on the script. “That scene came alive because of her.”

There it was again. Her. Not even your name. But it was coming closer.

When the read ended, the cast filtered out in twos and threes. You lingered, unsure if you should pack up or wait for dismissal. But Zayne didn’t leave. He stood, pulled out his phone, and before you could stop him—

He took a photo of the nameplate in front of you.

“What are you doing?” you asked, alarmed.

He didn’t answer right away. Just typed something, thumbs flying over the screen.

Your phone buzzed a minute later. One new notification.

@ZayneLiOfficial If talent speaks louder than status, this woman should be on every poster by now. Don’t blink. 📸 [Photo attachment: Your nameplate and script packet]

Your jaw dropped.

You stared at the post, already racking up thousands of likes and comments in real time. The replies were filled with a mix of confusion, speculation, and praise. Fans were already dissecting the mystery.

“WHO IS SHE??” “Zayne never posts about costars???” “No way she’s just background. Look at how he looks at her.” “This is giving main couple chemistry.”

The public spotlight was no longer just flickering in your direction—it was burning. And Zayne had aimed it straight at you.

“What are you doing to me?” you whispered, overwhelmed, heart racing.

He met your gaze, serious. “Leveling the playing field.”

Before you could respond, a voice called out from behind the director’s monitor. One of the casting assistants.

“[Y/N]? The EPs want to see you.”

You glanced nervously toward the hallway.

Zayne caught your hand—not tightly, just enough to stop your steps.

“You’re not just being seen,” he said. “You’re being chosen. So stop shrinking.”

Your breath hitched.

And this time, you didn’t look away.

Taglist: @nezuswritingdesk @regalillegal @zainaaryam @bidisasterforevermor @iisjihye @yourcaleb @zaynessbeloved @rione-x @plsdonutpercieveme @creator-freak @lunia-likes-pomegranet @beaconsxd

[mya-valentine]

In the Web of Shadows

Synopsis: Tasked with assisting the enigmatic detective L, you—a skilled and reclusive hacker—find yourself thrust into the high-stakes Kira investigation. What starts as professional collaboration evolves into a deeply personal connection as you uncover the rare vulnerabilities of the man behind the legend.

The glow of your multiple monitors was the only source of light in your cluttered apartment. Empty energy drink cans littered the desk, tangled wires snaked across the floor, and the faint hum of your custom-built PC filled the room. You were used to solitude, thriving in the anonymity of cyberspace, where your fingers did the talking, and no one ever asked about your past.

That is, until he contacted you.

The message had been cryptic but unmistakably urgent. A renowned detective, known only by the alias "L," required your expertise to help dismantle the growing threat of Kira—a killer who could strike with a mere name and face. Intrigued, you accepted, your curiosity piqued by the challenge and the man behind the message.

When you first met L, it wasn’t in person but through a secure video link. His disheveled hair and sunken eyes betrayed his erratic sleeping habits, and his strange sitting posture immediately struck you as odd. Yet, his voice was calm, commanding even, as he laid out the parameters of your collaboration.

“You’ll be working remotely,” he had said, his dark eyes locked onto yours through the screen. “But I need real-time updates. No delays, no excuses.”

His clipped tone might have irritated you if not for the flicker of curiosity behind those shadowed eyes. He didn’t fully trust you—not yet—but he needed your skills. You smirked and leaned back in your chair.

“You’re the boss, L. But I work better with coffee breaks.”

His lips twitched, just barely, into what might have been the ghost of a smile.

Weeks passed, and you fell into a strange rhythm with L. Your primary role was hacking into encrypted databases, surveillance networks, and occasionally cracking into highly secured government files when the investigation required it.

Despite his initial rigidity, you found L’s company surprisingly... stimulating. He wasn’t much for small talk, but his sharp wit and dry humor had a way of surfacing at the most unexpected moments.

“You’re unusually quiet today,” you teased during one late-night session. “Trouble in paradise?”

L, perched in his usual crouch in front of a mountain of screens, didn’t look up from the sugar cube he was carefully stacking onto the rim of his teacup.

“Paradise implies a state of happiness,” he said, his monotone voice laced with subtle sarcasm. “Happiness is an illusion when one is chasing a god of death.”

You rolled your eyes, though you couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. “Ever the optimist, aren’t you?”

“And you, [Name], are ever the cynic.”

For all his peculiarities, L had an uncanny ability to see right through people. It unnerved you at first, how easily he seemed to read between the lines of your guarded demeanor, but over time, it became strangely comforting.

It was during one of those rare quiet nights, when the investigation seemed to hit a lull, that you saw a different side of him.

You were hunched over your keyboard, scanning for anomalies in a series of banking transactions Kira might have used to fund his activities. L sat nearby, absently twirling a fork through a slice of strawberry shortcake. The glow of the monitors cast a pale light across his face, accentuating the dark circles under his eyes.

“You should sleep,” you said without looking up.

“And you should socialize,” he countered, his voice devoid of its usual bite.

You glanced at him, surprised by the uncharacteristic softness in his tone. He wasn’t teasing this time—it was an observation, almost wistful.

“I could say the same about you,” you replied quietly.

L set his fork down, his gaze lingering on the untouched dessert. For a moment, the weight of the investigation, of his own relentless pursuit of justice, seemed to settle heavily on his narrow shoulders.

“I’m not particularly skilled at forming attachments,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s a weakness I can’t afford.”

Your heart ached at the vulnerability in his words. L was a man who carried the weight of the world on his back, yet allowed no one close enough to share the burden.

“You know,” you said softly, “you don’t have to do this alone.”

He looked at you then, really looked at you, as if searching for the truth in your words.

“Perhaps,” he said after a long pause. “But I wonder if you understand what that entails.”

His cryptic response stayed with you long after the conversation ended, a puzzle piece you couldn’t quite place.

As the days turned into weeks, your relationship with L grew more complex. The banter became more frequent, the silences less strained. You found yourself seeking his approval, not because you needed it, but because it felt good to know he valued your contributions.

One night, after a particularly grueling session, you found L asleep at his desk. His head rested on his arms, his breathing steady for once. The sight was so disarming that you hesitated to wake him.

Instead, you draped your jacket over his shoulders and returned to your monitors.

The turning point came during a particularly close call. You had intercepted a coded message that suggested Kira’s followers had discovered your location. L acted swiftly, relocating you to his own secure hideout before you could protest.

“This isn’t up for debate,” he had said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The new environment was sterile, cold, and yet... his presence made it bearable.

One evening, as you worked side by side, L spoke without warning.

“You’re different from anyone I’ve worked with before.”

You raised an eyebrow, caught off guard. “Is that a compliment or a warning?”

“An observation,” he said simply. “You challenge me in ways I didn’t anticipate.”

For once, you didn’t have a snarky retort. The weight of his words hung in the air, unspoken but understood.

It wasn’t long after that night that the first crack appeared in L’s otherwise impenetrable facade.

You were poring over surveillance footage when you felt his hand brush against yours as he reached for a pen. The contact was brief, accidental, but it sent a jolt through you.

“Sorry,” he murmured, though his hand lingered for just a fraction too long before retreating.

“It’s fine,” you said, though your voice betrayed you.

His dark eyes met yours, searching, and for the first time, you saw something more than calculation in his gaze.

“[Name],” he said softly, your name, a question, a confession, and a promise all at once.

And in that moment, the walls you had both so carefully constructed began to crumble.

.

.

.

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