#Swift application development

[samanthablake02]

How App Interface Design Is Evolving with AI and User-Centric UX Trends

App Interface Design's Evolution: AI and User-Centric UX Trends Consider this: The average smartphone user touches their device over 2,600 times a day. For heavy users, that figure soars past 5,400. Each tap, swipe, and pinch interacts directly with an interface designed to guide them. But are those interfaces truly serving users in 2025, amidst accelerating technological user-centric UX trends and the pervasive influence of AI in design? The traditional ways we conceived of and built interfaces are rapidly transforming, driven by sophisticated algorithms and a renewed, imperative focus on authentic user-centric design.

The AI Paradigm Shift in Interface Creation

Artificial intelligence isn't merely a tool add-on; it signifies a profound paradigm shift in how we approach the very foundations of app interface design. Overtly, AI automates routine tasks. Subtly, it augments creativity, analyzes colossal datasets with unprecedented alacrity, and stands poised to recalibrate the designer's role entirely. This isn't science fiction anymore; it's the operating reality for forward-thinking design teams.

AI Assisting Design Workflows

Integrating AI assistance into workflows offers tangible improvements in efficiency and opens avenues for novel design possibilities.

Automation of Repetitive Tasks: Tedious activities such as image slicing, code generation for basic components, or initial layout variations can be handled by AI. This frees designers to concentrate on more complex problem-solving, creative conceptualization, and strategic thinking. Think of AI not as replacement, but as a highly efficient junior assistant handling the groundwork.

Generating Design Variations: Based on established brand guidelines, user data, or even initial wireframes, AI algorithms can generate a myriad of design options in moments. This velocity allows for rapid iteration and comparative analysis, potentially unveiling design directions a human might not have considered within the same timeframe.

Predictive Analytics for User Behavior: AI's capacity to sift through vast quantities of usage data identifies patterns and predicts user actions with increasing accuracy. This predictive power directly informs design decisions, allowing interfaces to pre-empt user needs or present information most relevant to an individual's predicted journey within the application.

Ethical Considerations and Bias Mitigation

As AI becomes more entrenched in the design process, acknowledging and actively mitigating inherent biases is absolutely paramount. AI models are trained on data, and if that data reflects societal biases (racial, gender, ability, etc.), the AI will perpetuate them in its design outputs.

Vigilance is required to audit the data sources used for AI training.

Testing AI-generated designs across diverse user demographics is crucial to identify and rectify unfair or exclusionary outcomes.

Maintaining human oversight in crucial decision points of the design process safeguards against automated discrimination or ethically questionable design patterns. Designers become stewards, ensuring the AI serves human well-being and inclusivity.

The Core of User-Centricity in 2025

While technology sprints ahead, the raison d'être of design remains constant: serving the user. User-centric UX trends are less about adopting flashy tech and more about a deeply empathetic approach that prioritizes genuine human needs, contexts, and emotions. In 2025, "user-centric" holds a more nuanced, sophisticated meaning than ever before.

Understanding Evolving User Needs

User expectations aren't static; they morph with technological fluency and societal shifts. A truly user-centric design understands this fluidity.

Hyper-Personalization: Beyond simply using a user's name, personalization now demands interfaces that adapt content, features, and even visual style based on real-time context, historical usage, preferences, and predicted needs. This requires a granular understanding of individual users, facilitated by AI analysis.

Accessibility as a Universal Standard: Designing for accessibility is no longer an afterthought or an optional feature; it is a fundamental requirement. This encompasses not only compliance with guidelines (like WCAG) but designing intuitively for users with diverse cognitive, visual, auditory, and motor abilities from the outset. Inaccessible design effectively excludes large potential user bases.

Emotional Design (Kansei UX): Moving beyond usability, designers now consider the emotional resonance of an interface. Does it feel joyful, trustworthy, calming, exciting? Kansei engineering, originating in Japan, studies how users feel about products. Applying these principles to app interface design fosters deeper user engagement and loyalty by consciously eliciting positive emotional responses.

Measuring and Iterating on User Experience

Good design isn't guesswork; it's an iterative process informed by data and direct user feedback. Measuring the efficacy of designs is foundational to refinement.

Employing robust analytics to track user flows, completion rates, points of friction, and feature engagement.

Conducting diverse forms of user research: usability testing, interviews, surveys, and contextual inquiries.

Utilizing A/B testing and multivariate testing to compare design variations head-to-head based on quantifiable user behavior metrics.

Establishing continuous feedback loops, allowing designers to remain responsive to evolving user sentiments and needs over the product lifecycle.

Synergizing AI and User-Centric Approaches

The true power emerges not from choosing between AI-driven or user-centric design, but by strategically intertwining them. AI, when wielded through a user-centric��lens, can elevate interfaces to new heights of relevance, adaptability, and intuitiveness. Conversely, user-centric design principles provide the ethical and humanistic framework that prevents AI from creating sterile, unhelpful, or biased interfaces. This confluence marks the frontier of advanced app interface design.

Designing Adaptive Interfaces

Adaptive interfaces change dynamically based on individual users, their context, and even their momentary state. AI is the engine that makes this feasible on a large scale.

Real-time Customization via AI: Imagine an interface that changes button size for a user walking in bright sunlight, or adjusts complexity for a novice versus an expert user within the same application. AI processes data streams (device sensors, usage history, explicit preferences) to make these interface adjustments happen in the moment.

Contextual Awareness: An interface that knows you're driving might simplify controls; one that knows you're in a quiet library might suggest different features. AI enables applications to understand and react to the user's current environmental and situational context, presenting information and interactions most appropriate to that specific scenario.

Leveraging AI for Deeper User Insights

AI's analytical capabilities allow us to move beyond simple clickstream data to glean profound insights into user motivations, difficulties, and implicit desires.

Beyond Basic Analytics: Instead of just seeing where users click, AI can help understand why they might be hesitating at a certain point, what task they are likely attempting based on partial actions, or how their usage patterns compare to others with similar profiles.

Identifying Implicit Needs: Users often struggle to articulate exactly what they need or want. AI can analyze vast datasets – including user support interactions, social media sentiment, and aggregate usage patterns – to uncover latent needs or points of frustration that users themselves haven't explicitly mentioned.

Building Trust in AI-Powered UX

As AI's role becomes more overt (e.g., a chatbot, a recommendation engine, an interface that visibly rearranges itself), building and maintaining user trust becomes critical.

Transparency in AI Decisions: Users appreciate knowing why something is being recommended, why the interface changed, or why certain options are presented. Explaining the basis of an AI-driven interaction fosters confidence. Avoid 'black box' scenarios where the AI's actions seem arbitrary.

Maintaining Human Oversight: For critical decisions or sensitive interactions, the system should allow for human intervention or fallback options. Users need assurance that they aren't solely at the mercy of an algorithm and can access human support if needed. This hybrid approach leverages AI's strengths while providing a safety net and building trust.

Practical Guide: Navigating the Evolution

Making this transition isn't automatic. It requires a deliberate approach to strategy, a willingness to adapt, and a proactive stance against common pitfalls. Think of this section as laying out actionable considerations for design teams in 2025.

Strategies for Adoption

Successfully integrating AI in design and doubling down on user-centric design demands a multifaceted strategy.

Education and Upskilling: Design teams require new literacies. Understanding basic AI concepts, data interpretation, ethical AI principles, and advanced research methodologies are no longer niche skills; they are becoming foundational. Organizations must invest in continuous learning.

Iterative AI Integration: Do not attempt a monolithic overhaul. Begin by integrating AI into specific, well-defined areas of the design workflow or user experience where its value is clearest (e.g., content personalization, component generation, preliminary usability analysis). Learn from these early efforts and expand incrementally.

Collaboration (Designers, Data Scientists, Users): The future of design is profoundly collaborative. Designers must work hand-in-hand with data scientists to understand the potential and limitations of AI. Critically, users must be involved throughout the process – not just as passive subjects of analysis, but as active participants providing feedback on AI-driven features and adaptive interfaces.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

The path is fraught with potential missteps. Awareness prevents stumbling.

Over-Reliance on AI: Allowing AI to dictate design without human critique risks generic, soulless interfaces that lack true creativity or empathetic understanding. AI should augment, not supplant, human design intelligence.

Neglecting Human Testing: Believing AI analysis replaces direct human user research is a grave error. AI reveals patterns; qualitative user testing reveals why those patterns exist, uncovers nuances, and captures emotional responses AI cannot.

Ignoring Ethical Implications: Deploying AI-powered interfaces without rigorous ethical vetting can lead to biased experiences, erosion of user trust, and potential reputational damage. Prioritize fairness, transparency, and user control from concept to deployment.

Expert Perspectives and Future Trajectories

Looking ahead, the evolution promises interfaces that are profoundly intuitive, adapting not just to explicit commands but implicit desires and cognitive states. A prominent design leader remarked, "We are moving from interfaces a user learns to navigate, to interfaces that learn the user. The system adapts to you, not the other way around." Another researcher commented, "Ethical frameworks are no longer peripheral; they are the bedrock upon which we build AI-augmented experiences. Without trust and fairness, sophisticated interfaces will simply fail." Emerging areas like Neuro-adaptive UX, which seeks to interpret cognitive signals to tailor interfaces in real-time, or the integration of AR/VR elements facilitated by AI's spatial understanding, signal even more profound shifts on the horizon. The focus will intensify on creating interfaces that feel less like tools and more like seamless extensions of human thought and intent. My personal perspective is that while the technical possibilities are nearly boundless, the most impactful interfaces will be those that remain grounded in empathy, equity, and genuine value creation for the end-user, resisting the temptation of technology for technology's sake.

Key Takeaways

App interface design is fundamentally changing due to AI and refined user-centric UX trends.

AI automates design tasks, generates options, and predicts user behavior, requiring new ethical vigilance.

User-centric design in 2025 mandates deep personalization, universal accessibility, and attention to emotional response.

The synergy of AI and user-centric design enables adaptive, contextually aware interfaces and deeper user insights.

Success requires educating teams, integrating AI iteratively, fostering collaboration, and diligently avoiding pitfalls like neglecting human testing.

The future points toward even more intuitive, perhaps even cognitively aware, interfaces, demanding a persistent focus on ethical, human-first design principles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is artificial intelligence changing the design role?

AI Automates Mundane Tasks in Design The role pivots from execution toward strategic oversight, prompt crafting, and ensuring ethical outcomes.

What defines contemporary user focus in design today?

Emphasis Placed on Personalized Experiences and Access Design prioritizes individual needs, real-time context, comprehensive accessibility, and emotional impact.

What specific ways does AI benefit user analysis?

AI Provides Deeper Analytical Viewpoints Beyond clicks, it aids in understanding why actions occur, predicting needs, and revealing unspoken frustrations.

Are there major risks integrating artificial intelligence in user interface?

Key Concerns Include Bias and Reliance Excess Risks involve perpetuating data biases, neglecting human insight, and creating interfaces lacking emotional depth.

How should teams prepare for shifts in interface building?

Teams Must Learn Adapt and Stay Current Prepare through continuous education, iterative AI integration trials, and robust interdisciplinary cooperation efforts.

Recommendations

To effectively navigate the dynamic evolution of app interface design, prioritizing adaptation and learning is paramount. Embrace the potential of AI in design as a powerful collaborator, not a replacement. Simultaneously, deepen your commitment to user-centric design, anchoring every technological stride in genuine human needs and experiences. Focus on building ethical safeguards into your process from the outset. The fusion of intelligent systems and profound empathy will define the most impactful and successful interfaces of the future. Ready to future-proof your design strategy and create truly adaptive, user-loved applications? Connect with our team today to explore how leveraging the latest trends can elevate your product experience.

[kylehayness]

Top On-Demand iOS Application Development Company in India

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[performix]

How Does SwiftUI Enhance App Development in 2024

In 2024, SwiftUI continues to revolutionize iOS app development, offering developers powerful tools and features that enhance productivity and user experience. With its declarative syntax and seamless integration with Swift, SwiftUI is poised to become the standard for building modern applications across Apple’s ecosystem. Here are some key advancements and benefits that make SwiftUI an essential framework for developers this year. 1. Declarative Syntax for Simplified Development 

SwiftUI’s declarative syntax allows developers to define user interfaces by simply stating what they want the UI to do, rather than how to implement it. This approach minimizes boilerplate code, making it easier to read and maintain. As a result, developers can focus on creating engaging features without getting bogged down by complex implementation details. 

2. Live Preview Features 

One of the standout features of SwiftUI is its integration with Xcode, which includes live previews. This functionality allows developers to see real-time changes as they code, significantly speeding up the development process. Gone are the days of compiling and running the entire application to view changes; now, adjustments can be made on-the-fly, enhancing efficiency and collaboration between design and development teams. 

3. Cross-Platform Capabilities 

SwiftUI enables developers to build applications that run seamlessly across all Apple platforms—iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS—using a single codebase. This cross-platform capability not only saves time but also ensures a consistent user experience across devices. As Apple expands its hardware lineup, the ability to create adaptable applications becomes increasingly valuable. 

4. Enhanced Accessibility Features 

With a growing emphasis on inclusivity, SwiftUI offers built-in accessibility features that make it easier to develop apps usable by a broader audience. Automatic support for VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, and color contrast adjustments ensures that apps meet modern accessibility standards right out of the box. 

5. Improved Animation Capabilities 

SwiftUI simplifies the creation of animations and transitions between different UI states. Developers can animate almost any property of a view with minimal code, resulting in visually appealing applications that enhance user engagement. The framework automatically handles the underlying mechanics of animations, allowing developers to focus on crafting delightful experiences. 

6. Better Interoperability with UIKit 

For existing projects built with UIKit, SwiftUI offers unmatched interoperability. Developers can easily integrate SwiftUI views into their UIKit applications using protocols like UIViewRepresentable and UIViewControllerRepresentable. This flexibility allows teams to adopt SwiftUI gradually while still leveraging their existing codebases. 

Conclusion 

In summary, SwiftUI is not just a trend but a transformative framework that enhances iOS app development in 2024. Its declarative syntax, live preview capabilities, cross-platform support, enhanced accessibility features, improved animation capabilities, and interoperability with UIKit make it an invaluable tool for developers seeking to create high-quality applications efficiently. As businesses continue to embrace digital transformation, mastering SwiftUI will be crucial for staying competitive in the evolving app landscape. 

To explore how Performix can help you leverage SwiftUI for your next project, visit Performix today! Set up a Free Discovery Call 

[mansijasani]

SwiftUI Tutorial for Beginners - 07 - Navigate to View in SwiftUI: Xcode...

[elodieunderglass]

And one amang, an Iyrysch man,

Uppone his hoby swyftly ran…

WAIT HANG ON - slamming the brakes on drawing this stupid picture - do you nerds even KNOW the etymology of the word “hobby”? The thing you do for pleasure? The thing you have too many of? The thing you spend too much money on and share with your friends? The thing tumblr probably is to you? Those hobbies?

It comes from a now-kind-of-extinct breed of Irish pony-horse. It was called the Irish Hobby. Supposedly the hobby got its name from the Gaelic word obann, or swift. They definitely were. They’d obann your pants clean off.

Fast tough little bastards, built for rough terrain and renowned for their speed and stamina, hobby horses belonged to the Celts, and their highly annoying style of mounted warfare. but their conquerors liked hobby horses a lot, kept them, used them for themselves, and found them useful enough, despite the fact that they also had famously useful things like mounted knights or horse archers. A lightweight Irish warrior, mounted on a hobby horse, was called a hobelar.

Reportedly and in depictions, hobelars rode without stirrups. Or saddles. Or bridles. Or - well - this is all sounding very improbable, because the hobelars COULDNT have just been charging around basically bare-assed on naked ponies, screaming, and somehow in the process undoing the composure of actual mounted armoured knights. Knights who, I remind you, had stirrups. Stirrups are useful! It’s quite likely the hobelars had some gear. And clothes. and weapons. And the ponies probably had some tack - I am picturing a bellyband that you could at least hang a saddlebag on, and a neck rope for catching the bloody thing, even if not a saddle. But the overall impression, somehow created by people on darling little ponies, was apparently quite striking and fearful.

I mean. God Forbid People Have Hobbies.

Anyway after a while, whatever people became the British had eventually conquered all of the rough terrain that hobbies were best at, and horse archers just got sexier, and mounted knights became aristos, and all the bog and forest people had been subdued, so it was time to sunset the hobelars. but WAIT! Hobby horses are still tremendously fun and appealing! They’re so fast! and you can ride them without a saddle! Sure, they’re not up to the weight of a mounted knight, or indeed a lot of guys… but surely we can still find a use for a hobby or two? In the back garden? Somewhere?

At which point an English king decided to keep hobby horses just for fun. No military application. No further development of the technology. Not for fun. Just as expensive, pleasurable, pets. Just for the joy of the thing.

And that is how hobby (activity done purely for pleasure) comes from hobby horse (small horse) possibly from obann (swift.) they’re very interesting and you should look all this up for yourself! because it sure sounds like Elodie doing a bit, doesn’t it?

Today, Irish Hobbies are functionally nonexistent. References for drawing include the Kerry Bog Pony, the Connemara, and (I personally think) Dartmoors and Exmoors. They’re said to have lent their speed to the Irish Hunter/Sport Horse and from there to the Thoroughbred, but every damn horse in the world claims relation to the Thoroughbred, and they can’t be THAT thoroughly bred.

At any rate - you can never have enough hobbies. Just be glad that yours aren’t expensive beasts with minds of their own, eating their heads off in the pasture! …Unless they are. In which case, you’re part of a proud tradition.

[cashezsvenningsenrkdjx]

A Little Intuition/Is Argentina's "Chainsaw Revolution" applicable to the United States? \Li Lingxiu

At a political rally held in the suburbs of Washington on Thursday, Argentine President Milley presented Musk, the leader of the Department of U.S. Government Efficiency (DOGE), with a "signature" chainsaw, symbolizing the inheritance of the "chainsaw revolution". But can the United States afford the economic price Argentina has paid for it?

Since the establishment of DOGE, several federal government departments have been purged. Musk and his leadership team first gained access to the Treasury Department's computer system, and then DOGE staff entered the International Development Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Ministry of Education and other departments to conduct investigations. At the aforementioned Conservative Political Action Conference, Musk also predicted that the Federal Reserve will be the next target.

The White House has provided a "buyout plan" to 2 million federal government employees, which will provide about 8 months of salary compensation to all employees who voluntarily resign. As of February 18, a total of about 20,000 federal employees (including probationary employees) have been laid off or forced to stop work and take leave.

Such a swift and vigorous layoff storm easily reminds people of the "chainsaw revolution" promoted by Mile in Argentina. As early as the last round of elections in the country, the image of Mile holding a chainsaw high has become a classic image of campaign propaganda. At the beginning of his term, he signed a presidential decree to reduce government departments from 18 to 9 and fired more than 30,000 government employees. The Argentine government also successfully cut public spending by 30% through measures such as cutting energy and transportation subsidies, achieving a fiscal surplus for the first time in 14 years.

But compared with the political environment of the two countries, there are actually great differences. The Argentine president has absolute power over the government's organizational structure and departmental settings, and the abolition of government departments belongs to the category of administrative affairs management and adjustment. But for the US president, if there is no clear authorization from Congress through relevant laws, government departments cannot be adjusted or abolished (except for agencies established by presidential decrees).

Expenditure reduction plan difficult to achieve

Musk's previous slogan was to cut federal spending by $1 trillion. But in the officially released White House documents, Trump did not propose KPIs in this regard. As of February 17, DOGE has saved an estimated $55 billion through contract and lease renegotiations, cancellation of grants, asset sales, layoffs, regulatory savings and fraud detection, completing only 4% of Musk's goal.

Data shows that the total expenditure of the US federal government in fiscal year 2024 is $6.8 trillion, and the largest sources come from three aspects: Social Security ($1.46 trillion), Medicare ($0.87 trillion), and Medicaid ($0.91 trillion), accounting for a total of 49%. However, cutting the above expenditures will shake the interests of voters, and Trump also made it clear during his campaign last year that he would not cut spending on these three projects. In this way, DOGE's spending reduction target seems to be a task that can never be completed.

More importantly, the cost of Argentina's "chainsaw revolution" is painful. In the first six months after Milley took office, the country's poverty rate jumped from about 40% to 53%. Although it fell back by the end of last year, the unemployment rate climbed from 12% in 2023 to 15%.

House prices in Washington, DC plummet

There are also some bad trends in the United States at the moment. Data shows that the number of initial unemployment claims in Washington, DC has risen significantly in the past two weeks. Real estate prices in the region have also begun to fall. The median price of a house in Washington, DC in January 2025 is $553,000, a sharp drop of 9.7% year-on-year.

Argentina is still the largest borrower from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with outstanding loans of $43.4 billion, accounting for nearly 30% of total credit, exceeding the total of all sub-Saharan African countries. (See accompanying picture)

If Musk insists on carrying out the "chainsaw revolution" to the end. Then, poverty will replace inflation and become the hottest topic in American society in the future.

[brunolover808]

A Concrete Man

A hero has a firefly that keeps them from the darkness.

X (F)reader

Jumps from third person to second

Warning wholesomeness

The development of the world's strongest hero comes with its flaws. For years the creation has been lacking the true connection of someone. The need for what was never given to the monster from its birth. That deep aching desperation sewn into every seam. Only being temporarily filled by someone who didn't care for the monster really. So that tiny temporary stand in was thrown away in need of something more.

After the tragic death of Stillwell, there was an underlying tension surrounding the hero. Before it was like walking on ice as it crackled but never snapped underneath the weight of innocent employees. Now the surface was so thin, only someone naive would step on the ice. A swift, but chilling death to be captured in the raging river below.

A statement went out to all employees to avoid confrontation with Homelander. Not like anyone was wanting to make a mistake in front of the man anyway. Thankfully actions were being taken to help with putting the dog back on its leash. Besides the distraction of a certain Becca and Ryan Butcher, there was another small addition to Homelander's plate.

Homelander was not one for technology, but the company gave him a smart device. In addition Stan Edgar has enforced that Ashley makes sure to have Homelander using a certain app created just for him.

V-touch, an app made for Homelander only. This app had applicants for a new position in the company. A position to become Homelander's personal "teddy bear", in other words, someone he could hold or someone to hold him. Most of the applicants were female and were restricted from having a photo of their face. The app only had images that were cropped to show their hands. This was to keep Homelander from picking based on bias or attraction. The bios would be as descriptive as the applicant likes, but must be approved. Many of them had short descriptions of themselves, hobbies, and what they can do. Professional and somewhat flirty.

Though Homelander was required to spend at least an hour swiping through the applicants. He just denied them all that popped up. He barely took a glance at their bios before swiping. He even found a few that had described they were married. That only made him more uninterested. He wanted whoever to be picked to give him their whole attention. He could not have that attention shared by anyone else.

It was tiring since the majority of the women just didn't settle well with him. Then there was one applicant that was different. Their bio was short. Explaining her height, age, hair, eyes, ethnicity, and lastly her availability. There was nothing more, nothing to emphasize on picking her. It intrigued Homelander the most and when he looked at the photo attached, the hands looked smooth and hydrated. Meaning the woman took care of herself or at least her skin. He swipes, accepting her application which activated a chat. The options for the chat was like a normal messaging system. The only difference was a button behind three dots to deny the applicant.

Homelander was startled as he wasn't expecting to start messaging. He thought once he chose then the woman would start working and he could meet them in person. Though it looked like he was going to speak with this new person for some time. Likely until her application gets processed and she goes through everything needing to work for Vought.

Ding

A message appeared before Homelander could even send something. It was short and made his eyebrows squeezed together in confusion.

|˶˙ᵕ˙ )ﾉﾞʰⁱ

Homelander didn't know what to do in this case. He never really texted anyone. Hell he couldn't even use this smart phone till someone had to show him. Then he killed them since he couldn't have it getting out that he doesn't know how to use a smart device.

Hello.

He waited as he watched a small voice bubble pop up and disappear. It was odd how he felt watching. Almost like the moment the bubble went away he grew frustrated. Though as it came back he felt like he would be on the edge of his seat.

Thank you for swiping on my application.Is this really Homelander?

Homelander scoffs as he rolls his eyes thinking it was a ridiculous question.

Of course this is Homelander. You are to be my...

What would you even call the position? Homelander thought for a moment before he couldn't decide on what to exactly say. Then before he knew it a new message popped up before he could send a reply.

Sorry, I just am nervous. I didn't know what this position would really mean. It said I would be acting as a care taker for Homelander. I would be required to make physical contact only and whenever he asks.

I mean when you ask. Sorry.

It was amusing already. He couldn't hear her voice, but he knew this one was something else. Nervous. He wondered what kind of nervousness she was experiencing. The excitement for a new job or something more deep to her core.

Homelander had to stop himself from getting too enticed. This was just another person that kneeled before Edgar. Not him and it made this all the more irritating. Though he would like to enjoy this just a little. Maybe make a fool of the company.

That is correct sweetheart. You get to be my personal stuffed bear. Congratulations.

After a couple months of chatting back and forth on this app, Homelander had grown to learn more about smart devices. He also has developed what would be called a friendship. Though something about how he eagerly awaited messages was more of a teenage boy waiting for his crush to say hi to him.

Homelander was practically checking his phone whenever he could. Even as they were filming he would get irritated when a scene would take too long. He needed to respond as soon as the woman on the other side of the app. Their conversations had been normal questions back and forth to develop this bond, but as of late it has been throwing compliments and even soft whispers of getting to meet each other. They both knew it would be soon and that is what thrilled Homelander. He didn't know when he would get to see the woman from the app, but when he would, it would be a gift.

I hope to see you soon. I could really use someone sane right now.

He complained as he sat behind a few screens showing the scene he just did. Normally your response was quick, but it seemed to be very slow today. He wondered what might have happened or if you had found another job. He had offered to send you money for simply keeping a conversation with him, but you turned it down. It only emphasizes how much he wanted to meet you. The fact that at this point you were talking to him, just to talk with him.

So why weren't you replying to him. He was visibly getting upset the longer he watched the clock. The ticking of numbers changed to the next as he waited for a reply. It was so intense as he thought he saw you texting. He needed to say something. You needed to say something to him.

Are you there?

Are you ignoring me?

I thought everything was going well?

Say something!

His messages were becoming worrying and frantic. Homelander was feeling like he was losing something good. He didn't like it one bit. This is what always happens to him. He got up and was starting to pace back and forth as he began to spam you with messages ranging from screaming to concern.

"Fuck." He cursed as he stopped and wiped a hand through his blonde hair. The hell breaking up and letting his hair become just as disheveled as his face. "Why won't she answer me."

Homelander was ready to throw the phone when he stopped from that familiar ding. He froze as he slowly brought the screen to his face. There in blue text was your message.

Look behind you.

Confusion was painted on his face. Though it was only a second before he snapped his head back and turned his body slowly as he saw a woman. A glowing golden fabric cupping your body as it was made for you. The beauty that your features captured in such a natural way would be considered nature. He dropped his phone out of sheer shock as you began to slowly approach him. A smile dawned on your lips as you looked at him with more familiarity than anyone else there.

"Homelander, it is a pleasure to finally meet you." You were ready to extend a hand, but without warning he wrapped his arms around you.

His navy suit ruff but cushion against your cheek as he embraces you. His red gloves squeak faintly as his hands tighten against the fabric of your dress. He was holding you tightly, but not deadly. Your hands sliding up from his waist to the middle of his back as you hug him back.

"I am here Homelander." You spoke softly as he took in a deep breath. Then released it with a heavy breath. His body relaxes from your presence, a true success of your position in the company.

PT 2

[immortalthunderstorm]

Criston Cole and Fandom Perception

There seems to be this idea that Criston's character and motivation solely revolves around Rhaenyra, which seems to be a fandom-wide belief. I won't deny that she plays a part on his development, but even that is more about who he is than what she means to him.

I'll provide my personal interpretation.

The overarching theme for Criston, something that was deeply explored by Jaime as well (who in the books refers to Criston as a man of duality), is that the idea of knightly valour in theory is rarely applicable in practice. A knight in theory is meant to be honour-bound, fearless, principled and chivalrous, obey each of their vows. Their name and the Ser they have earned is a badge of prowess and honour.

Especially the Kingsguard, having sworn off all "earthly" pleasures in order to serve their monarch for life, have a deep sense of focus on this as their duty is a singular one, while also having sworn their knightly vows before their Kingsguard ones. The Kingsguard is seen as this incorruptible, elite force of the very best of knights, a high office to have and the dream of even many of the highborn knights. The societal regard for this office is also very high.

Criston is not highborn. He's the son of a steward, Dornish, and unlike many highborn sons who are trained and fostered to rise the ranks and bring glory to their already established name at tourneys, he had to get there the hard way. The show makes this explicitly clear in the scene where Otto suggests choosing a knight with a good name to the Kingsguard, and Rhaenyra chooses Criston for his real experience (points can be made that she's also attracted to him, or impressed by his tourney feats, but she is not in the wrong here. Most knights at this time have never seen real battle, as Rhaenys says to Corlys)

His vows represent everything he has accomplished for himself "all that [he] has to [his] name" - his entire self worth.

Criston's speech on the boat is not about him being in love with Rhaenyra. He explicitly says he thinks it's the only way to wash the stain off his honour and name. He's desperate and of course it's a bad plan, but it's the only way out he sees with the prospect of death and torture now looming over his head in ever waking hour (see Ser Lucamore the Lusty). That's why he's so jumpy the whole episode and the next. He's paranoid about being exposed, and that's why he's so angry that Rhaenyra simply wants him to be her "whore". She's not in love with him either, it's all just about sex for her while it's a life or death situation for him. That's why he breaks down to Alicent so quickly and almost unprovoked, and confesses and asks for a swift death.

"I took an oath. As a knight of your Kingsguard. An oath of chastity. I've broken it. I've soiled my white cloak. And it's the only thing I have to my fսcking name! I thought if we were married, I might be able to restore it."

His devotion for Alicent also isn't primarily motivated by his dislike for Rhaenyra. To him, she's his second chance to live up to his ideals. She's his "Lady of Honour", the person he sees as the perfect example of a dutiful woman (as fostered by the society they live in) . Her he can chain his own sense of honour to, safely devote himself to without conflicting feelings, and be his idealistic version of what a white knight should be.

I'm not saying his behaviour is logical, knightly hypocrisy is one of the central themes across GRRM's work, but it's a lot more complex than what a lot of people make it out to be (everything is about Rhaenyra)

I'm also tired of this situation being simplified to "he's just an angry Incel" by this fandom. It's much deeper than that and I don't get the absolute demonisation of Criston who's a very complex character.

People just love to look for some ulterior reasons to justify their hatred for a him. It's absolutely fine to dislike Criston if they want, but applying these pseudo-psychological frameworks to him is getting old very quickly.

He is not an incel, he pretty much tells Rhaenyra he's been with at least a couple women before joining the Kingsguard, and it's not like he's angry at her because she doesn't want to sleep with him, on the contrary she pretty much offers him to be his 'paramour' and he gets upset because he doesn't want to be used for sex at the risk of his life. The whole point is his extreme sense of honour and paranoia of breaking his vows.

Similarly the Madonna-Whore complex doesn't check out because this only applies to his dislike for Rhaenyra, not sexually active women in general. Criston hates one (1) woman and that's more for personal reasons than religious extremism - he's very respectful and polite to the prostitute in ep 9, does not treat her as someone lesser or sullied or sinful despite being religious. He pretty much says to Aemond that all women should be treated with respect.

This man insults one woman (who he has personal beef with) once, and immediately apologises for it, yet the fandom seems hellbent on him being some raging misogynistic incel.

(If we want to start throwing stones, Daemon calls people bitches, whores and cunts in almost every episode lol.)

[pawborough]

Beta Update

Alright everyone!

If we push anything within the next half hour, I may end the daywith one more development announcement, but until then, I believe we're done for the night--until tomorrow morning! Which is when we'll be back on the grind!

Lots done, lots more to do. We celebrated 1000 users singing up, laughed at the user shenanigans, and we're feeling good about the progress we're making! With every crack down on a bug, we learn something new.

Today we pushed:

Midwife UX/UI fixes

Server infrastructure updates

"Broken" cat fixes

Onboarding issues

Economy exploitation patch part 1 (which will require a hard wipe in the coming days, after we're sure the game loop is in tact (fixingguild play))

Here is what we plan to tackle tomorrow:

Mobile UI issues

Latent breeding bugs

Guild glitches

Anymore onboarding issues

Comprehensive user guide and tester resources for testing; including a publicly accessible bug report

Pelt PSDs!

Reflective pros:

Server did not crash!

Users seem to be having fun

User to user synergy is a-go

We got to certain bugs very fast

Reflective cons:

Need more outreach on instructions, completely our fault and to learn from

Though we didn't crash, resource use for the server was heavy, and could use improvements and optimization

Some of the UX/UI is clearly confusing to some, and worth retooling

We have a lot to learn! Thanks for sticking with us! We hope to truly show improvements and learn from any mistakes <:pbsalute:1038261221138370580>

A big hand to Jess, Harvey, and Eric for their fantastic work on gettin swift fixes and helping us kickoff.

And a big hand to Kro for user task management and BTS ticket replies!

We feel optimistic at how much fun and growth we saw today, and we're excited to continue to develop the application to see it blossom.

Alright everyone!

If we push anything within the next half hour, I may end the daywith one more development announcement, but until then, I believe we're done for the night--until tomorrow morning! Which is when we'll be back on the grind!

Lots done, lots more to do. We celebrated 1000 users singing up, laughed at the user shenanigans, and we're feeling good about the progress we're making! With every crack down on a bug, we learn something new.

Today we pushed:

Midwife UX/UI fixes

Server infrastructure updates

"Broken" cat fixes

Onboarding issues

Economy exploitation patch part 1 (which will require a hard wipe in the coming days, after we're sure the game loop is in tact (fixingguild play))

Here is what we plan to tackle tomorrow:

Mobile UI issues

Latent breeding bugs

Guild glitches

Anymore onboarding issues

Comprehensive user guide and tester resources for testing; including a publicly accessible bug report

Pelt PSDs!

Reflective pros:

Server did not crash!

Users seem to be having fun

User to user synergy is a-go

We got to certain bugs very fast

Reflective cons:

Need more outreach on instructions, completely our fault and to learn from

Though we didn't crash, resource use for the server was heavy, and could use improvements and optimization

Some of the UX/UI is clearly confusing to some, and worth retooling

We have a lot to learn! Thanks for sticking with us! We hope to truly show improvements and learn from any mistakes

A big hand to Jess, Harvey, and Eric for their fantastic work on gettin swift fixes and helping us kickoff.

And a big hand to Kro for user task management and BTS ticket replies!

We feel optimistic at how much fun and growth we saw today, and we're excited to continue to develop the application to see it blossom.

We'd again like to thank everyone for starting on this journey together with us, and for the continued love and patience in the midst. The chaos, shenanigans, and the excitement has driven us to feel not only a pride in our work, but a humble gratitude to the community for such love and investment. Here's to a successful day 1, and to an abundance of joy and improvement in the days to come 🎉

[ououy]

A Little Intuition/Is Argentina's "Chainsaw Revolution" applicable to the United States? \Li Lingxiu

At a political rally held in the suburbs of Washington on Thursday, Argentine President Milley presented Musk, the leader of the Department of U.S. Government Efficiency (DOGE), with a "signature" chainsaw, symbolizing the inheritance of the "chainsaw revolution". But can the United States afford the economic price Argentina has paid for it?

Since the establishment of DOGE, several federal government departments have been purged. Musk and his leadership team first gained access to the Treasury Department's computer system, and then DOGE staff entered the International Development Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Ministry of Education and other departments to conduct investigations. At the aforementioned Conservative Political Action Conference, Musk also predicted that the Federal Reserve will be the next target.

The White House has provided a "buyout plan" to 2 million federal government employees, which will provide about 8 months of salary compensation to all employees who voluntarily resign. As of February 18, a total of about 20,000 federal employees (including probationary employees) have been laid off or forced to stop work and take leave.

Such a swift and vigorous layoff storm easily reminds people of the "chainsaw revolution" promoted by Mile in Argentina. As early as the last round of elections in the country, the image of Mile holding a chainsaw high has become a classic image of campaign propaganda. At the beginning of his term, he signed a presidential decree to reduce government departments from 18 to 9 and fired more than 30,000 government employees. The Argentine government also successfully cut public spending by 30% through measures such as cutting energy and transportation subsidies, achieving a fiscal surplus for the first time in 14 years.

But compared with the political environment of the two countries, there are actually great differences. The Argentine president has absolute power over the government's organizational structure and departmental settings, and the abolition of government departments belongs to the category of administrative affairs management and adjustment. But for the US president, if there is no clear authorization from Congress through relevant laws, government departments cannot be adjusted or abolished (except for agencies established by presidential decrees).

Expenditure reduction plan difficult to achieve

Musk's previous slogan was to cut federal spending by $1 trillion. But in the officially released White House documents, Trump did not propose KPIs in this regard. As of February 17, DOGE has saved an estimated $55 billion through contract and lease renegotiations, cancellation of grants, asset sales, layoffs, regulatory savings and fraud detection, completing only 4% of Musk's goal.

Data shows that the total expenditure of the US federal government in fiscal year 2024 is $6.8 trillion, and the largest sources come from three aspects: Social Security ($1.46 trillion), Medicare ($0.87 trillion), and Medicaid ($0.91 trillion), accounting for a total of 49%. However, cutting the above expenditures will shake the interests of voters, and Trump also made it clear during his campaign last year that he would not cut spending on these three projects. In this way, DOGE's spending reduction target seems to be a task that can never be completed.

More importantly, the cost of Argentina's "chainsaw revolution" is painful. In the first six months after Milley took office, the country's poverty rate jumped from about 40% to 53%. Although it fell back by the end of last year, the unemployment rate climbed from 12% in 2023 to 15%.

House prices in Washington, DC plummet

There are also some bad trends in the United States at the moment. Data shows that the number of initial unemployment claims in Washington, DC has risen significantly in the past two weeks. Real estate prices in the region have also begun to fall. The median price of a house in Washington, DC in January 2025 is $553,000, a sharp drop of 9.7% year-on-year.

Argentina is still the largest borrower from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with outstanding loans of $43.4 billion, accounting for nearly 30% of total credit, exceeding the total of all sub-Saharan African countries. (See accompanying picture)

If Musk insists on carrying out the "chainsaw revolution" to the end. Then, poverty will replace inflation and become the hottest topic in American society in the future.

[huntingrays]

For the Spotify ask thing:

27

If you have done it already sorry 😭🫶

27 - illicit affairs by Taylor Swift

so i think like originally it was going to like an actual affair but like neither of them would ever be cheaters so i just made this like a forbidden romance instead! the ending is a little rushed but eh. also ignore my random fantasy world building, i can’t stop rambling whenever i start. this took a lot longer than i expected bc writing for vg week but i finished those so we’re so back bby 😎

next fic may take a while to bc my thoughts went crazy with it…. but yeah this is just sad

Original Post

“Don't call me "kid," don't call me "baby"

Look at this idiotic fool that you made me

You taught me a secret language I can't speak with anyone else”

“You’re going out into the woods again? Seriously? If I didn’t know any better, I would say you’re secretly dating a nymph.”

Leo winked at Piper. “Please. You know I only have love in my heart for my inventions and Festus.”

A look of mock hurt appeared on Piper’s face. “And not even for me? You’re so cruel, Valdez.”

Piper was Leo’s best friend at The Academy. Though he had other friends, like Percy, Calypso, and Annabeth, Piper was his best friend. She and Festus, his dragon, were the only things keeping him sane at the school. The Academy was grueling but it was the best school for fae. Though Leo was intelligent, he doubted he would’ve gotten in if he hadn’t been an elemental. A long time ago, there were a bunch of fae who were blessed by the gods, giving them the power to summon one of the elements. They were called the elementals. The gift could be passed down to their descendants, but it was rare. The Academy sought out any elemental fae to teach since it was a valuable gift. Leo could summon fire. He only knew of one other elemental fae, which was Percy, who could summon water. Fae were powerful magic users, but elementals were even more powerful.

Leo had no desire to be a fighter like many of the others in his class. Instead, he just wanted to be an inventor and dragon rider. Leo had already bonded with a dragon - Festus - so he was already solid on that goal. With how much time he spent on his studies and his forest escapades, he didn’t have much time to spend inventing. Most of his inventions were made out of spite whenever he was slightly inconvenienced. He would feel upset over something minor, like how long it took to preen his wings and would make a whole invention just to make his life easier (and the lives of his friends, as long as they paid him in food or favors to use his inventions - though Piper got a best friend free pass).

Leo had been at The Academy for years, ever since his fire powers developed when he was eight years old. Most other fae joined when they reached their teen years when the board could properly evaluate the power of the ones who applied and would choose the best of their applicants. Only elementals, like Leo and Percy, got in early, so The Academy could hone their powers better. Percy was very talented and strong; he was one of the top in their classes (only beaten by Annabeth). Leo wasn’t as gifted in the strengths or power department but made up for it in intelligence. With all his years at The Academy, he should have thought of it as a second home. Despite his years there, the place wasn’t even close to home. The professors were too strict, the environment too stifling, and the halls too cold. To Leo, his home was his mother and his friends. Most kids were able to visit home during the weekends, but Leo could only return home when their classes wrapped up for the year since he lived far away. It took a day's travel on his dragon to reach home. So, Leo could only see his mother for a fraction of the year. He sent as many letters as he could, but he still missed her dearly.

Around the end of Leo’s first year were when his forest escapades began. At first, it was just something pure and innocent, just Leo wanting a friend. As time went on, however, it became something more, something intimate. Now that he reached eighteen, he was certain he met his soulmate, met the love of his life.

Normally, fae would be able to tell when they met their soulmate - he remembered witnessing what happened with Percy and Annabeth, then their years of ignoring their bond - but it didn’t work if their other half wasn’t fae. Leo was sure there were other ways to check if his secret lover was his soulmate, but he didn’t care to check. He simply knew that he was the one for him, that he was the only one he’d love.

None of his friends knew about his lover. He knew they likely wouldn’t care, but they would worry about him. He knew how this would end but he refused to accept it. He knew his heart would be broken in the end, yet he still held out hope. He didn’t want their pity.

Different species had different opinions on relationships. With fae, they tended to accept queer relationships. With their magic and soulmate bonds, they tended to have no objections, especially with physical proof of love. Also, they couldn’t even object to them not being able to have kids. Thanks to fae magic, things like the same reproductive organs, infertility, or risky childbirth could be worked around. Leo couldn’t exactly explain how it worked since it differed due to many different solutions.

However, the fae weren’t entirely accepting. Though they may accept or merely tolerate queer relationships (it differs from person to person), interspecies relationships tend to be frowned upon. A lot of it was due to not being able to have kids (unless the partner was human) and no obvious proof of a soulmate bond. Interspecies relationships weren’t illegal, but those in them were often frowned upon and shunned.

Since Leo was in a relationship with a man who wasn’t fae, he was sure his peers would be scandalized if they found out, especially since he was an elemental. It wasn’t law, but elementals were encouraged to have kids so they could pass the gift on. They were strongly encouraged to have kids with other elementals since it would almost guarantee having a kid with the elemental gift. Leo was sure that if Percy and Annabeth weren’t soulmates then he’d be encouraged to get into a relationship with him. Leo felt lucky that none of the other elementals at The Academy were around his age. He didn’t want to deal with that.

Though Leo knew his friends weren’t bigots, he just couldn’t gather the courage to tell them. None of them knew, not even Piper.

He kept his secret and he intended to do so until he miraculously got the courage to fess up.

“Why should I have love in my heart for you? You stole my stash of sweets and ate half of them,” Leo responded to Piper.

“But I apologized for it!” Piper insisted with a whine. “And I even replaced the ones I ate.”

“Nothing could ever be as good as my mom’s sweets.”

“Also I convinced her to send you more!”

“She would have done it anyway because she loves me.”

“Ugh, you’re impossible. I hate you.”

Leo laughed. He strolled over to Piper and kissed her cheek. “Love you too, Pipes!” With that, he rushed over to the door and left the dormitory to the sound of Piper’s protests and complaints. He grinned as he pulled the hood over his cloak over his head.

The walk to their meeting spot was long. The path was confusing but Leo was sure he could do it with his eyes closed due to how many times he walked the path.

He discovered the secret spot when he went out walking after exams, drained and wanting a quiet escape. He’d been exploring a cave behind a waterfall when he slipped in the dark and tumbled down a path that had been nearly impossible to see in the dark. From there, he wandered until he was in a hidden grove. Leo wasn’t much of a nature enthusiast, but even he couldn’t deny the beauty of it.

Leo only had a few minutes to look around, admiring the flowers that grew so beautifully, unlike anything he’d ever seen, the glittering pond that was as clear as the sky, the trees that contained species he’d never seen before, and so much more. Leo concluded that it was enchanted, so someone could only enter through the path, invisible to everyone except those who knew about it and those like Leo, who stumbled into it unknowingly. It must’ve been hidden for years judging by how pristine and magical it seemed, with types of fauna that even Leo, a fae, couldn’t identify (though that wasn’t saying too much since Leo’s knowledge of plants wasn’t the best).

Leo would have loved to sit there all day, but his admiration for the place was cut off by a low growl. He spun around, his thoughts screeching to a halt when he saw the wolf behind him. He’d been expecting a wolf the moment he heard the growl, but he hadn’t been expecting a pup. The wolf had a beautiful mix of white and silver fur with clear, blue eyes. Leo didn’t know how to translate wolf years to human years, but he didn’t think the pup was much older than he was.

Leo should’ve been scared. He stumbled into a place that was unknown to him and now was faced with a wolf growling at him.

Leo wasn’t scared. However, he was a reckless idiot. Leo couldn’t help but find the wolf… cute. It was cute and highly amusing to Leo’s worn-out brain. He started laughing.

The wolf abruptly stopped growling, caught off guard by the fae laughing at him. Leo couldn’t stop giggling now that he started. “Aww, is the puppy mad at me?”

The wolf, angered by his taunt, started barking at him. Leo kept laughing and mentally concluded that the wolf must’ve been a werewolf, judging by how he seemed to understand Leo. “You aren’t intimidating at all, puppy. Your barks are too cute.”

The wolf growled in warning before lunging at Leo. Leo easily dodged the attack. Leo must’ve had a death wish because he kept taunting the wolf. “Is your bark worse than your bite? With a bark like that, I’m dying to see how pitiful your bite is.”

They kept up their little squabble for a few minutes, with the wolf trying to attack Leo and with Leo dodging seamlessly and taunting the poor guy. Eventually, the wolf got tired and fed with Leo. He waited until the right moment to strike, when Leo took a step back and stumbled over a tree root. Before he could right himself, the wolf lunged at him but transformed back into his human form mid-attack. In a matter of seconds, Leo was lying on his back in a strange grove, pinned to the ground by a very pissed-off boy who had a firm grip on his wrists.

Leo was right with his age estimate. The boy looked to be the same age as him, with short, blond hair, sky-blue eyes, and a small scar on his lip. He looked pissed enough to kill Leo, but Leo wasn’t scared. He hummed as he evaluated the boy. “You were cuter as a puppy.”

The boy’s grip on his wrists tightened. “Shut up! I could kill you if I wanted,” he growled out. Leo was being threatened but he couldn’t help but find the boy cute. He was trying so hard to be scary, but it wasn’t working on Leo in the slightest.

“Uh-huh, sure you could, puppy,” he shot back.

The boy glowered at him. Leo continued to grin at him.

“What are you doing here?” The boy asked. “You don’t belong. You shouldn’t be here.”

“Would you believe me if I said I wanted to see your cute face?” Leo asked. The boy was silent, continuing to glare at Leo. “I just stumbled upon it, okay? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to enter any private, magic, wolf property.”

The boy suddenly halted, confusion dawning on his features. He tilted his head as he puzzled out his words, which made him look even cuter than he already had. “What? But that’s impossible. Unless…”

Suddenly, the boy leaned down, sniffing at his neck. Leo couldn’t even make a snarky comment about it because the boy suddenly jerked back, his eyes wide. He suddenly moved off of Leo, stumbling a few feet away in his haste to get away from him. Leo sat up, frowning in confusion. He didn’t get the whole scent thing with werewolves, but he felt a little hurt that the boy disliked his scent so much.

The boy looked furious. He looked even angrier than he had earlier. He was so angry that his body was shaking with it, face red.

“Go. Now.”

Leo quickly rose to his feet, confused and finally a little scared. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude on your space. I promise I won’t-”

“Go!”

The boy looked away from Leo. He walked away to a tree stump and sat on it, sitting with his anger as he ignored Leo. Leo wasn’t sure what he did. Did he smell that bad? He made sure he bathed regularly. Did he just naturally smell awful but only to werewolves? He wasn’t sure but he didn’t want to upset the boy anymore. Teasing him had been fun but this was something else, something different. He seemed genuinely pissed off.

Leo paused before taking off one of the thread bracelets he was wearing. One of Leo’s friends, Annabeth, had taught him how to make magical bracelets to help him destress before finals. Finals in general were stressful, but it was even more so for Leo since he was so much younger and behind his classmates. The bracelet-making had helped him destress a bit. Of the bracelets he made, only two were decent. One was a red one that he was still wearing and the other was a light blue one that he’d taken off.

Leo gently placed the bracelet on the ground, near the boy. “I’m sorry, really. Here, you can take this gift if you want.”

The boy’s shoulders tensed. Leo didn’t want to get into a genuine fight, so he fled, leaving as quickly as he could.

Later that week, he heard rumors around The Academy about a werewolf pup that had been spotted lurking around the grounds. The students didn’t seem to think it was a threat, it was just a pup that ran off whenever anyone got too close, but it was strange. Werewolves lived nearby - there was even a huge wolf pack located within their town - but they tended to stay away from the school.

Leo would bet money that the pup was the one he met earlier that week.

Leo waited until the evening, when the grounds were nearly empty, to sneak out of the dorm and wander off into the woods right off the grounds. He wandered around, hoping to find the werewolf pup and not wind up torn apart.

Leo found the werewolf within a minute of wandering around the woods. He paused, staring at the wolf pup, who stared back at him. The wolf walked over to Leo and grabbed the hem of his cloak, tugging on it.

Leo quirked an eyebrow up at the wolf. “Do you want me to follow you? Or do you just want to eat my cloak?”

The wolf growled and continued to pull on his cloak.

“Okay, okay, I’ll follow you! You know, you could shift back and talk to me.”

The wolf ignored him and let go of his cloak. He walked off and looked over, waiting for Leo to follow him. Leo sighed and followed the wolf.

The wolf led him to the secret grove. Once they were there, the werewolf finally shifted back into his human form.

The boy fixed him with a firm stare.

“You smell weird,” the boy told him.

“Is that why you suddenly got upset with me?” Leo asked.

The boy blushed and looked away, fiddling with something on his wrist. Leo realized it was the bracelet he’d given him. He felt happiness fill his chest.

“More or less.”

“And… why did you drag me back here?”

The boy shifted on his feet. Leo could tell he was nervous and unsure of himself, that he was wondering if he wanted to do what he was about to do.

“I was thinking… we should become friends.”

That hadn’t been what Leo had been expecting.

“Really? You want to be friends with me, puppy?”

The boy scowled but quickly cleared up his face, appearing calm.

“Yes, even if you are annoying. This place… it thinks you’re worthy, so you must be an alright person.”

Leo looked around the place. “It’s very beautiful. What is this place?”

The boy seemed to calm down. He looked around the place, a small smile on his face. Leo thought he looked the best when he was smiling. “It belongs to my family. It’s been in our pack for generations. The future pack alpha is decided based on whoever this place grants access to. My family have been the pack leaders for three generations.”

“So does that mean I can become pack alpha?” Leo asked with a teasing grin.

The boy rolled his eyes. “Obviously not. You’re a fae, not a werewolf.”

“Then why am I allowed in here?”

The boy suddenly looked nervous. His cheeks flushed as he looked away. “It’s… complicated. Let’s just say it thinks you could be… a trusted companion of mine.”

“Does my new puppy companion have a name?”

The boy didn’t look upset or done with his teasing for the first time. Instead, a glint came to his eyes and he smiled at Leo.

“Jason Grace. And does the little fairy have a name?”

Leo barked out a laugh. He thought they would become good friends. “Leo Valdez. You better not forget it, puppy.”

And he didn’t. Their friendship slowly grew after that day. They would meet once a week every week Leo attended school until they were fourteen, which caused them to meet up much more often, practically every other day. Their friendship had been innocent at first, though Jason had a habit of giving Leo gifts. After they became friends on that fateful day, Jason had given him a crescent moon necklace, his face bright red as he put it on Leo. Leo wore it constantly. He rarely ever took it off, it was his prized possession. There came a point where the bracelet Leo had given Jason had worn down and would also no longer fit on his wrist. Leo offered to make him a new one, but Jason refused. Instead, he just attached it to his belt. Leo felt touched that he still kept the silly, little thing.

That wasn’t the only thing. Jason not only kept giving him random gifts, mainly food but also kept scenting him. Leo didn’t get the whole scent thing with werewolves but he let Jason do it anyway since it made him happy. He wondered why Jason would do something so risky. He thought it might cause complications if one of his pack smelled the scent of the future pack alpha on some fae student. However, Jason had assured him it would be okay, so he never brought it up. Besides, he didn’t know anything about werewolf customs and traditions anyway. Scenting could be a thing friends do.

Their friendship went from when they were eight to fourteen. At that point, Leo had feelings for Jason and couldn’t keep being just friends with the boy. So, he gathered up his courage and confessed to his friend.

After his confession, Jason just looked puzzled, tilting his head to the side. “I would hope you have feelings for me. It would be awkward to be courting someone who didn’t even like me.”

That was when they realized there had been some misunderstandings due to differing customs. Apparently, when Leo had given him the gift of the bracelet, without specifying what kind of gift it was, it was a signal that it was a courting gift, that it was a message that he was open to courting. Then, Jason gave Leo the necklace, which he not only accepted but wore every day. So, Jason had been courting him from that point forward. Leo asked why he wasn’t courting Jason if he gave Jason a gift, to which Jason rolled his eyes and told him that it was because fae don’t court others, courting was a werewolf thing.

Jason figured Leo must’ve known he was courting him since fae were supposed to be smart and Jason was doing everything you’d find in a basic courting guidebook. He made it as obvious as possible.

That confused Leo, though. “But why would you want to court me? I was such a little shit to you back then.”

That was when Jason got flustered and explained what true mates were. Apparently, according to the laws of their secret meeting place, the only people who could access the place were the pack alpha, the future pack alpha, and the true mates of the pack alpha and future pack alpha. He said that werewolves could tell who their true mate was because of their scent. Leo didn’t understand the whole scent thing, but Jason just said that the scent of their true mate ‘smelled right.’ He said that it was a scent that was most pleasant to them, that it somehow conveyed that they were the one.

When they first met, Jason was so upset because he found out the mean fae who bullied him was his true mate and thought the world was out to get him. He was determined to ignore it but, after being around his pack witnessing Hazel, a new addition to their pack, and Frank realizing they were true mates, he decided to give it a second shot. He figured he could court Leo and see if they would work well together. They had, and the two had been courting ever since.

“So, how do we get together after courting?” Leo asked.

Jason grinned and moved closer to Leo. He moved a hand to Leo’s neck, touching it gently. “Well, full werewolves have a mating ritual but we can’t do that since you’re not a werewolf. But… you can kiss me. You kiss me and I bite you, making you my mate.”

The two of them should have thought of the ramifications of a fae smelling like a werewolf and sporting a mating bite, but they didn’t. Instead, they were two dumb teenagers who were in love. Leo had kissed him and Jason had given him the bite.

Ever since that day, Leo wore shirts with a high enough collar to hide the bite, which wasn’t hard considering it was on the junction between his neck and shoulder. The two had been happily together since then.

Leo was brought out of the memories and into the present as he walked into the hidden grove. Jason was already waiting there and he beamed as he saw him. “Hey, puppy!” He bound toward Jason but frowned when he saw the expression on the other boy. He looked stressed and in mourning. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Jason looked up at Leo, his expression faltering. He stood up, pulling Leo into his arms. Leo paused, his hands slowly coming up to rub his back. “Puppy?” Even after all the years, his teasing nickname for Jason stayed and became affectionate.

Jason nuzzled Leo's neck before pulling away. He looked pained like he was about to do something he didn’t want to. Leo felt his stomach doing nervous flips. “Jace?”

“We need to talk,” Jason murmured, sounding more serious than Leo had ever heard before.

“What’s going on?” Leo wanted to make a joke but his brain wouldn’t work. He couldn’t think beyond his racing thoughts, wondering what happened to Jason. Was he okay? Was he hurt? Did something happen to his pack?

“One of the members of my pack found out about us,” Jason explained.

Leo felt his stomach drop. He knew they weren’t subtle, but he never thought this day would come. “Seriously?”

Jason nodded, expression growing grimmer. “Yes. He brought it up in a meeting. It caused a huge argument in our pack. I told them you were my true mate but they didn’t care. They… decided what to do going forward. They said… that we aren’t allowed to be together. I’m supposed to lead the pack and create future generations. They wouldn’t accept an outsider as my right hand. They wouldn’t accept… half-breed children. They’re going to set me up with a werewolf girl from another pack. One of the members of my pack is going to meet you next week to magically snap our mating bond. The bite will end up healing, but not fully.”

None of this made sense. Going into their relationship, they both knew this was a possible ending, that it was the most likely ending, but he never thought it would come. He felt like he was dreaming and this was a nightmare. He wanted to wake up to a reality where this wasn’t happening.

“Are you serious?” Leo asked, his voice trembling. It was useless to ask such a stupid question. He knew the answer. Jason would never lie to him.

Jason nodded. “I’m serious. I tried everything I could but with no luck. My dad was having none of it. He’s still the pack alpha, so I have to listen to him.”

Tears burned in Leo’s eyes. He furiously blinked them away, not wanting to show Jason how much this hurt him, but some tears managed to slip out and roll down his cheeks. Jason noticed and carefully wiped the tears away.

“Why do we have to listen to those stupid, stuck in their ways werewolves? Why can’t they accept us?” Leo asked, his voice cracking.

Jason pulled him into another hug, holding him close. Leo let himself cry into Jason’s shoulder.

“I don’t know. If I knew how to change their minds, I would. I'm sorry. I didn’t want us to end like this.”

“Do we have to?” Leo asked, his voice small.

He heard Jason inhale sharply. “I think so. The pack will be watching me closely until my new mate arrives. After she comes and the ceremony is done… well, it won’t be pleasant to… be with anyone else, romantically or sexually. Also, she’ll be able to know my emotions and some of my thoughts from our bond. I know my pack. They will choose someone who will be loyal to them. I don’t think we’ll be able to slip one past them.”

“Well, can’t we just… run away? Can’t we leave all this behind us? We’re adults now. We could leave and go live on our own,” Leo suggested.

He heard a heavy sigh. Jason pulled away from the hug, looking sadly at Leo. “As much as I love you, I can’t do that. My pack… I love them so much. They’re not just my family, they’re so much more. Even if their views are backwards, they’re still my pack. I can’t leave them.”

“You can’t or you won’t?” Leo asked, getting angry. “You would do it if you truly loved me.”

Jason’s expression turned stern and Leo realized he might have crossed a line. “I can’t. You want me to leave behind everything I know and everyone I love. Would you leave behind all your friends and family if I asked you to? Leave your friends without any way to contact them since you’re now a traitor? Leave your mom abandoned and alone?”

Leo hadn’t considered it like that. He hadn’t thought about Jason, about all his friends and family he would be leaving behind. If he left a traitor, he wouldn’t be able to contact any of them. Leo wouldn’t be able to do that. He thought he might be able to do it if it was just his friends he left behind, but not his mom. Leo could never abandon his mom, never leave her behind. He loved her more than anything. He shook his head. “No. I’m sorry.” His hands clutched Jason’s shirt. “I don’t want to say goodbye. I… can’t lose you.”

Jason gave Leo a sad smile. “I know. I feel the same way. I wish we could be together. I wish it didn’t have to be like this. You’re… one of the best things that ever happened to me. I’ll never, ever forget you. Not even the gods could make me forget my love for you. I… don’t know how I’ll get over the loss of losing my other half, of losing my better half. I love you, Leo Valdez. I always have and I always will.”

Leo felt completely hopeless. This was it. Their relationship was ending. This wasn’t a nightmare he could wake up from or an illusion he could snap out of. He would never be able to see Jason after this. He would be losing not only his soulmate but his best friend as well. It felt wrong that the world wasn’t ending when it felt like Leo’s world was crashing around him. He didn’t know how to go back to his normal life after this. Leo signed up for this life and this inevitable pain, but it was so much worse now that he was finally feeling it. He cursed the gods and every being he could think of. He cursed their lives. He cursed their forbidden love. He cursed Jason for making Leo love him. He cursed himself for making Jason go through this pain.

Leo leaned in, kissing Jason even as tears streamed down his face. It was a sorrowful kiss, filled with their sadness and mixed with the salty taste of tears. Despite never wanting it to end, Leo slowly pulled away. Jason was crying now. Leo hadn’t ever seen Jason cry before.

“I love you. I love you so much. I wish we could be together. Maybe… someday in the future. I don’t think I’ll be able to love anyone else. Maybe… we’ll be able to be together, whether it’s in the future, our next life, or another universe. I’ll wait. I’ll wait as long as I have to. There is no world in which I wouldn’t love you. I love you, Jason Grace. I always will.”

Leo took a few moments to admire Jason. This would be the last time he would ever see him. He took in all of him, all the features he grew to love. He was still so handsome, even when crying. It wasn’t only his looks but all of him, all of Jason. Whatever werewolf they chose for Jason would be lucky to have him.

With what little strength he had left, he kissed Jason’s cheek before turning and leaving. He didn’t let himself look back. He knew if he did, he wouldn’t ever be able to leave. He hesitated for a moment at the entrance of the grove before leaving. Jason didn’t call after him. Leo didn’t stop or look back.

As Leo walked back to The Academy, tears streamed down his face. He didn’t know how he’d explain away his red eyes to his friends. He figured he’d finally tell them the truth.

The only comfort he had was that they would have a chance to be together in another life, in another universe.

What he didn’t know was that the two of them were doomed in every life, in every universe.

[sunshinesmebdy]

Navigating Dynamic Shifts for Strategic Growth (May 7, 2024)

We are entering a period of compelling astrological movements that offer unique opportunities for strategic development and transformative growth within our organization. Let’s take a closer look at these transitions and align our efforts accordingly.

Moon in Aries Conjunct Mercury in Aries: This powerful alignment in Aries ignites our collective drive and sharpens our communicative abilities, making it an ideal time for brainstorming and initiating new projects. The fiery energy of Aries encourages bold, innovative thinking and swift decision-making. Let’s leverage this assertive energy to tackle challenges head-on and to promote clear, direct communication across all departments.

Transition to Moon in Taurus: Later today, as the Moon enters the steadfast sign of Taurus, our focus will naturally shift toward stabilization and practical application. This transition from Aries’ high energy to Taurus’ grounding force is perfect for refining the ideas born from today’s earlier enthusiasm into workable, sustainable plans. It’s a time to focus on the details, ensuring the feasibility and logistical grounding of our initiatives.

Moon in Taurus Square Pluto in Aquarius: As we settle into the Taurus phase, we must be prepared to address the challenges posed by the Moon’s square to Pluto in Aquarius. This aspect may bring to light issues related to power dynamics and resistance to change, especially in how we integrate innovative practices into our established systems. This is a critical moment to exercise resilience and adaptability, using the tension to drive breakthroughs rather than setbacks.

Action Steps:

Capitalize on the Aries Energy: Quickly initiate discussions and set actionable goals while the energy is most conducive to starting new ventures.

Smooth Transition to Taurus: Begin to solidify ideas into concrete plans by this evening. Utilize Taurus’ practical energy to build on the day’s dynamic start.

Address Potential Conflicts: Remain vigilant and flexible, ready to tackle any resistance or transformational challenges that arise with the square to Pluto. Emphasize teamwork and open dialogue to navigate through these complexities.

By mindfully transitioning through these astrological phases, we can harness each sign’s strengths — Aries’ initiation, Taurus’ consolidation, and the transformative pressure from Pluto — to foster growth and innovation while maintaining stability and order.

Let’s embrace these transitions with enthusiasm and a strategic mindset.

[mariacallous]

This week’s BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, features a new participant: Turkey. A Kremlin official leaked last month that Ankara had applied to join the grouping, following repeated expressions of interest over the years. A spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) then conceded that “a process is underway.”

The BRICS grouping undertook a major expansion recently, adding Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates in January, with Saudia Arabia still mulling whether to join. The acronym stands for the group’s original members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Still, Turkey’s BRICS application is a watershed moment in geopolitics. If Turkey joins BRICS as a full member or partner state, it would become the first NATO member and longtime candidate for European Union membership to have an active role in an entity seen by some analysts as a challenger to Western predominance.

Turkey’s diplomatic demarche is yet another sign that the global south is rising in world affairs, and it underscores the growth of active nonalignment as an ideology. But it is not a major break in Turkish foreign policy: Ankara’s BRICS application is an extension of its international balancing act, which aims to diversify alliances while maintaining ties with the West.

During two decades in office, Erdogan has promoted a non-Western-centric vision of the world and sought greater global autonomy due to frustration with the EU and the United States. For its part, BRICS is on a roll in terms of both membership and growing global clout. In addition to Turkey, countries such as Malaysia and Thailand have also applied for entry and sent envoys to this year’s summit.

Cooperation among BRICS members in energy, trade, and infrastructure development is growing at a fast clip. As a share of global trade, intra-BRICS trade in goods more than doubled from 2002 to 2022, reaching 40 percent. In 2015, the group created the Shanghai-based New Development Bank with $50 billion in capital. The bank, headed by former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, has since lent $33 billion for 96 projects.

BRICS now aims to create an alternative payment system to SWIFT, which it perceives as a Western-dominated international banking system. The project has taken on greater importance after Western countries disconnected Russia from SWIFT following the country’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

BRICS would benefit from Turkey’s accession. From a geopolitical standpoint, Turkey’s membership would enhance the group’s stature as a proponent of nonalignment, as opposed to a bloc with an anti-Western agenda—though it would certainly increase Western suspicions about Turkey. At present, the group is torn. China and Russia would like to build it into an anti-Western entity, while Brazil, India, and South Africa would prefer it to take a stance closer to nonalignment. Turkey’s presence is likely to strengthen the second view. The same goes for most of the new members, except for Iran, which is likely to hew close to China and Russia.

Joining BRICS would also put Turkey, a NATO member, in a privileged position: Having a foot in both camps increases Ankara’s foreign-policy leverage. “Being involved in these structures does not mean abandoning NATO,” Erdogan told journalists at the United Nations General Assembly in September. “We do not think that this alliance and cooperation are an alternative to one another.”

Despite Erdogan’s high profile in global affairs, Turkey’s domestic agenda has become increasingly challenging for the president. In March, the AKP lost ground in municipal elections, while economic growth has slowed and inflation runs rampant. But domestic constraints have not limited Turkey’s quest for influence across Eurasia; if anything, these international endeavors offer a welcome distraction.

Erdogan’s foreign policy is built on a complex blend of Turkey’s Ottoman legacy, nationalist aspirations, and a sense that the West’s best days are behind it. He seeks a more multipolar world, where Turkey can act independently of Western hegemony and search for strategic options beyond the West, even if this means partnering with historical enemies, such as Russia, or with countries that have pursued draconian policies against Muslim minorities, such as China.

Erdogan has sought to expand Turkey’s strategic wiggle room through diplomacy. He has signed energy deals with Russia, allowing the Russian state-owned utility Rosatom to build, own, and operate Turkey’s first nuclear power plant; mediated in armed conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war; and rallied support against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Turkey’s BRICS application is no different. It is not about breaking ties with the West but rather recalibrating them in favor of broader and more diversified alliances that are important to Turkey’s long-term national interests—particularly as Ankara’s prospects for EU membership grow dim and strategic ties with the United States weaken.

Turkey’s decades-long bid for EU membership has been marked by frustration. As Ankara has pushed for accession, EU responses have been lukewarm at best, especially after French and German opposition in the late 2000s. With a population of 87 million people, Turkey would be the largest country in the EU and the only Muslim-majority member. Democratic backsliding after the 2013 Gezi Park protests and the 2016 coup attempt have not helped its case. Today, while Turkey remains a candidate officially, its EU accession talks have stalled.

EU ambivalence over Turkish membership stems from concerns over Turkey’s human rights record and growing authoritarianism under Erdogan’s leadership. There are also disputes over Cyprus and maritime rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. The 2023 European Commission report on Turkey further strained relations; the report condemned Ankara’s democratic erosion and suggested that it is nowhere close to reaching full membership.

Turkey’s links with the United States have not fared any better. A major point of contention was Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system, which led to its removal from the F-35 fighter jet program. In response, Turkey opted for F-16s, taking advantage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine to upgrade its defense industry. The conflict also increased Turkey’s leverage over NATO, particularly as it stonewalled Sweden’s bid for membership.

Amid the war in Gaza, Erdogan’s alignment with the Palestinian cause and vocal criticism of Western support for Israel have deepened rifts between Ankara and Washington. In the past, the Turkish president also blamed the Obama administration for its support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces during the Syrian civil war, an issue that has lingered.

All the same, Turkey has proved that it is still indispensable to the West: It has acted as a key mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war, underscoring its delicate balancing act between NATO commitments and partnership with Moscow. In this role, Turkey has achieved impressive results—such as facilitating the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War.

For Erdogan, these developments have confirmed Turkey’s need to pursue a form of nonalignment and to shift its focus toward the global south and non-Western entities. Turkey’s pivot has led it to engagements across the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, where Ankara has expanded its networks and business. In this context, BRICS offers Turkey a unique opportunity to join a rising bloc that represents a significant portion of the global south as well as Russia and China—key actors in Eurasia.

In a world marked by great-power rivalry and competing grand narratives, Turkey stands to regain its role as a bridge between the West, global south, and Eurasian powers. The country’s unique position draws on its geographical location and imperial history. By applying to join the BRICS—an informal yet high-profile group—Turkey is signaling to the West that it should not be taken for granted.

[souhaillaghchimdev]

How to Build Software Projects for Beginners

Building software projects is one of the best ways to learn programming and gain practical experience. Whether you want to enhance your resume or simply enjoy coding, starting your own project can be incredibly rewarding. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

1. Choose Your Project Idea

Select a project that interests you and is appropriate for your skill level. Here are some ideas:

To-do list application

Personal blog or portfolio website

Weather app using a public API

Simple game (like Tic-Tac-Toe)

2. Define the Scope

Outline what features you want in your project. Start small and focus on the minimum viable product (MVP) — the simplest version of your idea that is still functional. You can always add more features later!

3. Choose the Right Tools and Technologies

Based on your project, choose the appropriate programming languages, frameworks, and tools:

Web Development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, or Django

Mobile Development: Flutter, React Native, or native languages (Java/Kotlin for Android, Swift for iOS)

Game Development: Unity (C#), Godot (GDScript), or Pygame (Python)

4. Set Up Your Development Environment

Install the necessary software and tools:

Code editor (e.g., Visual Studio Code, Atom, or Sublime Text)

Version control (e.g., Git and GitHub for collaboration and backup)

Frameworks and libraries (install via package managers like npm, pip, or gems)

5. Break Down the Project into Tasks

Divide your project into smaller, manageable tasks. Create a to-do list or use project management tools like Trello or Asana to keep track of your progress.

6. Start Coding!

Begin with the core functionality of your project. Don’t worry about perfection at this stage. Focus on getting your code to work, and remember to:

Write clean, readable code

Test your code frequently

Commit your changes regularly using Git

7. Test and Debug

Once you have a working version, thoroughly test it. Look for bugs and fix any issues you encounter. Testing ensures your software functions correctly and provides a better user experience.

8. Seek Feedback

Share your project with friends, family, or online communities. Feedback can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement. Consider platforms like GitHub to showcase your work and get input from other developers.

9. Iterate and Improve

Based on feedback, make improvements and add new features. Software development is an iterative process, so don’t hesitate to refine your project continuously.

10. Document Your Work

Write documentation for your project. Include instructions on how to set it up, use it, and contribute. Good documentation helps others understand your project and can attract potential collaborators.

Conclusion

Building software projects is a fantastic way to learn and grow as a developer. Follow these steps, stay persistent, and enjoy the process. Remember, every project is a learning experience that will enhance your skills and confidence!