#Voice Analysis using AI

[prologic-technologies]

Real-time emotional analysis software

Real-time emotional analysis software delivers instant insights into user emotions by analyzing vocal tones and patterns. Enhance customer interactions and improve experiences with our cutting-edge technology.

[orcelito]

I Fimished my recording. Did not manage to get to bed before 2. But I'm getting to bed before 3 !!!

Ahaha. Haha

4 hours of sleep tonight.............😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[boccher]

related to last reblog. the AI panic as it exists on social media right now, decoupled from any real analysis of labour relations, is a mass epidemic of millions of people giving each other moral OCD.

you people discard anything that isn't completely pure; you flame a music artist and spread callouts about them for using an AI generated soundbite as a sample, you boycott a movie for using an AI tool to clean up audio recordings, you disavow an entire scientific field for using AI for statistical modelling, you send death threats to some 15 year old kid for playing with character AI. you have this compulsive need to signpost being "anti AI" every time you are "tricked" into feeling a genuine emotion. you are so afraid of experiencing an emotional response to "morally corrupt" art or technology you think it's gonna turn you into a "morally corrupt" person.

there's no end goal to this behaviour, you're going to keep categorising your feelings into ones that you are "allowed" and "not allowed" to feel; you're going to keep resonating with things that you don't fully morally agree with, you're going to worry yourself sick by fighting the part of yourself that appreciates aspects of it. It's an endless spiral. stop encouraging each other with this behaviour, it's like the pro-ana shit all over again.

just let yourself feel for fucks sake. your emotional response to a shitty little AI voice clip of ben shapiro talking about lolita dresses has no bearing on what you believe is good for the world. and I know you people are trying to suppress your emotional responses the way you comment "this is the only good use of AI" under any popular comedic AI generated video, cuz apparently comedy is the only emotion exempt from moral interrogation for most of you

[nkjemisin]

Fiction is not reality

Got three or four asks lately about an old Le Guin-inspired short story, "The Ones Who Stay and Fight." Did somebody post an article or something? I haven't gotten any alerts that would explain the sudden interest. (Did see one annoying AI-written summary that hallucinated new characters into it and said I'd written it in 1973, when I would've been one year old. Don't use AI for lit crit, folks.)

Anyway, rather than answer them individually, I'll post this as a collective response.

All of the asks were about the story's meaning, in one way or another, so I'll start there -- but. Y'all. The author is usually the worst person to ask about what their work means; haven't you heard that the author is dead? We're too close to our own work to do good analysis. I can tell you what inspired it, or what I was thinking while I wrote it, but that doesn't mean I put all that into the story, or successfully got across whatever did make it in. Pretty often my writing doesn't mean anything; it's just something I need to get out of my head.

The asks seem to center on whether I actually intended Um-Helat to be a utopia, and -- no. I thought it was pretty obviously a dystopia, actually, like Omelas... but then I constantly run into people who describe Omelas as a utopia, so maybe the problem lies with people's definition of "utopia." (Personally I don't believe utopias are possible IRL. Anytime you've got more than one person in a society, their respective visions of an "ideal" society will vary, and sometimes conflict.) I was exploring my own struggle with envisioning a society free of bigotry, and Le Guin's narrative -- which gently pokes at the reader's skepticism and jadedness -- spoke to me in that moment of need. So I decided to do some poking of my own, from a different angle, to see if that helped clarify anything for me. I liked the result enough to publish it in How Long Til Black Future Month, tho it's since been reprinted in many places.

That said, a couple of the asks went to a weird place, and I feel like I need to address it. You folks do know that a story's narrative voice is not the same as the author's voice, right? So for example, in "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas," the omniscient first-person narrator of the story is not Le Guin. What that narrator believes is not necessarily what Le Guin believes, or vice versa. She didn't tell you about the abused child in Omelas because she thought it was A-OK to abuse kids as scapegoats/representations of the evils of the world. Likewise, I didn't tell you about the traumatized child in Um-Helat because I think it's A-OK to stab possible bigots. The narrator is another part of the story. It's fiction, not an essay, or a confessional.

It feels weird to have to say this, because it seems so obvious to me... but we are on the "piss on the poor" site, after all, in a time when critical thinking is under literal attack from The Powers That Be, so I guess I gotta. I do not stab people, not even bigots. I am not pro-stabbing or pro-childhood trauma. I am somewhat pro-transdimensional-travel, but that's neither here nor there.

Oh -- and sidenote, but I've been ridiculously busy lately, and I'm working through the backlog of asks very slowly. If you've sent in something, I will hopefully get to it within a month or two. Hopefully.

[ramp-it-up]

Knock You Down: IV

Photo credit to @thebluemage. Edit mine.

Part III | Knock You Down Masterlist | As Hard As I Did

Summary: James Bucky Barnes is an avowed bachelor and one night stand artist. But when he meets you, he finds out that sometimes love comes around, and it knocks you down. Finally! Date Number Threeeeee!

This is a follow up to

Word count: 3.5 K

Pairing: Art Dealer (mob boss) Bucky Barnes x Reader

A/N: This is the final part! (For now) I think that this is one that I will definitely write in answer to asks. I just love these two so so much! Thank all of you for rocking with me on this one. This was in part inspired by Seb Stan's latest pics and this press run 🫠, and partially inspired by an old song by some problematic people, lol. This is the result. As usual, I am Basil Exposition, so this is broken into parts.

Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI. Read at your own risk. SMUT!!!! The end of the Slow burn, now it's burning very fast 😅. Cursing, flirting, jealousy, apologies, Bucky cooking (a warning!), kissing, dry humping, dirty talk in both English and Romanian, voice kink, oral sex (m and f receiving), protected sex (yay Bucky!) And these two are so fucking fluffy. I'm scared, y'all. I want it to be good enough for the build up.

I no longer have a taglist. Please follow @rampitupandread and turn on notifications to learn when I post! 😘

I Do NOT Consent to my work being reposted, translated or presented on any other blog or site other than by myself.

-----

As soon as he entered the Brownsville Arts and Culture Center, James Bucky Barnes was hot. Blood was rushing to his ears and he needed a drink. He wasn’t sick; his symptoms were all due to you.

The black dress that adorned your body contained all of his hopes and dreams, but you seemed to be flirting with another man, twirling for him and then giving him a hug. To add insult to injury, you had the nerve to laugh and smile with the punk. 

You in that black dress was everything in the world that Bucky could want, except maybe you out of that black dress. As his eyes traced down your form, he noticed the 5 inch red bottoms that you had on. Yes. You, out of that dress with just the red bottoms. That was what he needed in his life.

But first, he had to take care of that other man.

—-

“Benson’s work emphasizes the subjects’ spiritual essence over their physical appearance, don’t you think?”

You turned around at the sound of the deep baritone. 

“Well hello, Mr. Rogers. How are you today? Delivering an art analysis given to you by AI? Oh. I forgot. You are an ‘art dealer.’ An art dealer who goes to Soul Cycle in Brownsville all of a sudden?”

Steve clutched his heart.

“Ah. I’m hurt, Y/N. I thought we were cool. But I guess I deserved the air quotes.  I do actually love art. I took some art classes when I was a kid and I still love to sketch.”

“Hmmmph. Okay. I’ll give you that. But how is it that you popped up in my Soul Cycle class? Don’t play me, Steven.”

Steve raised his eyebrow at you and grinned. He understood why Buckiy was so drawn to you. Not only were you gorgeous, you were a spitfire. That was hot.

“I would never try to play you, Y/N. I also actually love Soul Cycle. Used to teach a class in Park Slope.”

“I guess you can’t judge a book by its cover, can you?”

Steve’s eyes slid over you appraisingly.

“Speaking of. You look very, very nice today.”

You twirled for him, feeling as safe as you would your brother.

“Nice. Okay, listen. I’m sorry about the other day. I was just trying to protect my friend. And you.”

Steve sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I’ve never seen Bucky like this. He’s never been this smitten with someone before and let them into his life. But I get it now.”

Steve’s blue eyes were almost as beautiful as Bucky’s.

“Bucky is my family. Since we were kids. He’s always taken care of me. And I will do anything for him.”

He raised his eyebrow at you.

“I can see now that means that I will do anything for you, because I have a feeling that you’re gonna be around a lot. So do you forgive me?”

You considered Steve. He was not too different from his best friend, and you couldn’t hold a grudge. Not after Bucky laid it all out to you last night You opened your arms.

“Let’s hug it out.”

Steve chuckled and gathered you into his warm embrace. You pulled back and giggled, grinning at him.

“So what makes you think I’m gonna be hanging around?”

“Well, judging from the look on Bucky’s face, he’s serious about you.”

Steve nodded behind you, toward the door. You looked that way and saw James Bucky Barnes headed straight for you. 

And he didn’t look happy.

—--

“Good morning, Frumoasă. You look stunning today. The exhibit is amazing, the space looks great and it seems that the right people are in the building.”

Bucky came up and placed his hand on the small of your back as he spoke to you, ignoring Steve. His blue eyes were storm clouds at the moment, and his touch was electric.

“Thank you, James. You’re so observant, I appreciate that. And you look very handsome today.”

You looked him up and down and bit your lip, meeting his gaze and the way he kept eye contact as he inclined his head in response. 

Bucky was attractive as hell in his black on black shirt, blazer and slacks. You noticed that his collar was unbuttoned; the medallion hanging on his chest made you want to take it between your teeth. You stared at it for a moment, imagining such a scenario where that could happen and then met his eyes again, prompting desire to roll through you as Bucky licked his lips. He was right there with you.

You smiled at him in a way that you didn’t smile at Steve. Who was Steve Rogers, anyway? You could hardly remember meeting him as your mind went to the feel of being in Bucky Barnes’ arms.

You sensed an air of proprietariness as Bucky took your hand and kissed it, causing a shiver to run down your spine. Possessive Bucky Barnes felt like a sin you wanted to indulge in. You cleared your throat and looked at Steve, as if surprised to find him still standing there, watching the show.

“Well, I see some board members over there, I’m going to go do my job. Talk to you later, boys.”

You walked away and gave them a wink over your shoulder, and you caught both of them looking at your ass. You shook your head and chuckled as you went on your way.

“You trying to steal my girl?”

Everyone stopped when Steve laughed, his deep boom a distraction. Bucky still wasn’t amused.

“Oh. So you’re in love.”

“What?”

“You’ve never worried about me taking your leftovers or vice versa before. Hell, we’ve even shared–”

“Shut your fucking mouth.”

Bucky snapped at Steve who put his hands up.

“Whoa, there. Just yanking your chain, buddy; I know she’s special. I wouldn’t dream of making a move on her. Not that she knows I’m alive. When you walked up, I thought I was going to have to take off my jacket so you two could fuck on the floor.”

Bucky was barely listening to Steve as his eyes followed you around the room. One thing Steve said was echoing in his mind: “So you’re in love.”

—-

You floated through the rest of the day on a cloud. The exhibit was a smashing success with the 

Board of Directors in attendance. Securing Howard Benson’s penultimate work from Rebirth was the feather in your cap. 

And you had Bucky to thank for it.

Bucky’s visit was also a hit; he and Steve charmed the board members with the help of Sam and Nat, who arrived later. They all made amends for what occurred that week and you were left very impressed with James Barnes.

After a couple of hours at the event, Bucky came over to let you know he was leaving.

“I will see you later, Frumoasă. I have much to prepare for tonight. Nico will pick you up at 7:30.”

“See you soon, James.”

He kissed your hand again.

“See you soon, Y/N.”

—---

“It is actually insanely attractive how you handled yourself in the kitchen.”

You were seated with Bucky on his couch in his living room, looking over the New York skyline from his Brooklyn penthouse. The dessert had been delicious and the wine in your hand was spectacular. 

“I was sure you’d order something in and just play it off. But I watched you create a meal in front of me, and I should have known that if you said you were going to cook, that you would do just that.”

Bucky’s heart beat double time at what you were saying. He wanted so much for tonight, but most of all, he wanted it to flow naturally. He saw that you were relaxed and open to him, which pleased him immensely.

“I’ll take that as a compliment, Frumoasă. I enjoy cooking for my friends and family. Cooking for a beautiful woman is a treat.”

Bucky’s eyes slid over your form. You had changed to jeans and a color block sweater that just put your cleavage out there for the world, which was Bucky Barnes, to see. You also wore the same red bottoms from that day, and Bucky was beginning to think he had a foot fetish as you took them off at his entryway.

You took a sip of wine.

“How often do you do that? Cook for a woman?”

You barely hid your curiosity.

Bucky smiled and drained his glass, reaching over to refill it.

“Not as often as you’d think. Never had any other woman over here. Food is not usually the top priority with them.”

You pouted, which was so cute. Your spark of jealousy inspired Bucky.

“But I don’t want to talk about anyone else. Tonight is about me and you.”

Any uncertainty that arose was quelled by his assertion. You grew warm, so you finished your wine and rose to go to the window. 

“This is the most gorgeous view I’ve ever seen.”

“Absolutely agree.”

You looked behind you and Bucky was still sitting on the couch, hands spread out on the back of it, checking you out. You gave him one of your adorable smiles and he came to stand behind you, and took you in his arms. 

“I want you to know that you deserve everything, Y/N. To be cheered on and protected every day. And thoroughly ruined every night.”

You turned around and his hands went to your hips. It was the perfect moment.

“James?”

“Can I have a kiss?”

Bucky’s eyes dilated, and he moved his hand to your cheek. He licked his lips as he looked deep into your eyes.

“Ah, Frumoasă. I thought you’d never ask.”

His first movement was a subtle brush of your lips. He pulled back to assess the situation, and you didn’t know why, but that made your nipples tighten into stiff peaks. You gasped as Bucky watched you hungrily. 

The air seemed to change around you, and you shivered. He lowered his head so his lips could meet yours again, and this time his mouth was gentle but demanding. You gasped at the spike of electricity that flared between you and Bucky took the opportunity to dip his tongue into your mouth, scorching your lips and soul. With a low groan, he shifted your angle, bending you backward a little to kiss you deeper and ripping a moan from you as you melted against him. 

Good lord, could the man kiss. 

At that point, he was holding you up, one hand on your hip and one hand on the back of your head as you molded yourself against him. Bucky’s fingers dug into you, sure to leave bruises the next day. You relished the thought as you moaned into his mouth again, giving him the opportunity to continue destroying your soul. 

Bucky dragged his lips from yours reluctantly and stared at you, eyes almost black with desire. He brought his thumb up and wiped the moisture from your bottom lip. Motivated, you captured his digit, drawing it into the hot wetness of your mouth. He stared at you, mouth open, as you looked him straight in the eye and started sucking.

Bucky moaned as he pushed his thumb deeper into your mouth, and walked you back to the couch. He extracted his finger, watching the show your lips put on as he pulled it out, leaving them in a delectable pout. 

“More,” Bucky demanded as he crouched down and took your head in both hands as he kissed you again. 

His hands wound up in your hair, tugging gently, then on your back, then your ass as you arched your back to fill his palms. Bucky picked you up, then deposited you on his lap as he sat down on the couch, and you felt how aroused he was. His thick length was where you needed him most.

“Fuck! That feels good.”

Bucky was watching you grind on him like it was the best show on earth. Then he looked up at you.

“Yes, yes it does.”

He leaned forward and captured your bottom lip between his teeth, a preview of how rough he wanted to be with you. Then, he went in for another kiss. That continued for a good five minutes until he pulled away to stare at your swollen lips, and down to your cleavage, which was practically in his face.

When his eyes met yours, you were entranced.

“You good? You want this to happen?”

You nodded and took his hands in yours, guiding them up to your breasts, squeezing yourself with his hands. You rolled your hips, causing his breath to hitch in his throat.

“Like you said, James. More.”

You continued to grind on him, causing him to just gape at your body moving on his.

“I’ve dreamed of this so many times…”

“Yes? Tell me about your dreams, Baby.”

His hands moved to find your nipples through the lace of your bra and the wool of your sweater. He found them in no time, and pinched them lightly, then more roughly when you moaned.

“Mmmmnnnn. So fucking hot.”

Bucky kissed you again and then pulled away as he stared you down and tortured you. 

“I dream about marking you up,” he kissed your neck under your chin, “to your clavicle,” a kiss there, “and all over this beautiful flesh until I get to your nipples.” 

He looked at you for any signs of discomfort as he slipped his hands under your sweater to find the thin lace there. He found your hard peaks again and started rolling them both in his fingers.

“Then I want to kiss and suck them until you come in my arms.”

“Holy god, Jamie….”

Bucky’s eyes rolled at the second pet name you called him and continued.

“Wake up so fucking hard every morning since I met you. Then, I daydream about how wet and tight you will be after I made you cum, and how good it would feel to… to give you my cock. Do y’like that idea, Frumoasă?”

“Y-yesssss!”

“O să te fac să vii pe penisul meu iar și iar, Frumoasă.”

You almost came right then.

“D-don’t know what you said, but yes to whatever you just suggested.”

Bucky pulled you to him, and then chuckled into your ear.

“It means that I want to make you cum over and over again on my cock.”

You were already making a mess in your jeans, but you knew he could feel you soaking them at the moment.

“Please. Give it to me?”

Bucky groaned and kissed you again, this time encircling your waist in his grip and pressing you down on his bulge. 

“You know I can’t deny you anything. Are you certain?”

“Yes, James. Please…”

He lifted you easily, kissing you as he walked you down the hall to his bedroom, depositing you on his bed. 

“Y’look so fucking good.”

He crawled toward you on the bed and settled between your thighs as you hitched your leg over his. You pressed your core against his bulge and it had you muttering.

“Too many clothes.”

Bucky leaned up and you were fumbling with his button and he with yours. You looked up and laughed. 

“Maybe faster the other way.”

“Agreed.”

You two made quick work of your own garments, flinging them around the room between frenzied kisses. The way your eyes widened when Bucky got naked made his chest swell. He wanted you to always look at him like that.

“Wow…,” you said as your eyes roamed his physique.

His cock seemed massive as it slapped him on the abs.

“Wow, indeed,” replied Bucky as he took you in hungrily.

Your white lace underwear looked amazing against your skin and against your cunt it served to make him hungry.

He moved toward you again, kissing up your leg until he got to the edge of your panties and nudged his nose there, making you squirm.

“Smell so good, look so good…”

Bucky kissed at the edge of your underwear,

“I just know you’re gonna taste good too..”

He moved to the center of you, placing a kiss over your lace-covered sodden slit. Then, he looked up at you and smirked before he leaned down and licked you over your panties. 

“Fuck.”

He pulled your panties to the side and gazed at you there. 

Those blue eyes threatened to steal your soul as he gazed at you and confessed, “This is the most gorgeous pussy I’ve ever seen,” and proceeded to lick a rude stripe up the center of you after he tore your panties away.

“Oh my god, James.”

You rolled your hips again and reached down to feel Bucky’s soft hair. He pulled your hips closer and his lips suckled you with more pressure, adding one finger, then two to stretch you out. 

“Gotta get you ready for me, my love.” 

Your eyes rolled back into your head as you moaned through Bucky thrusting his tongue inside you, then pulling back to focus on your clit.

“I c-can’t.. I–”

“Give me my cum, Frumoasă!”

You locked eyes with him as he buried his face in your cunt and shook against him as you came embarrassingly fast, pulling on his messed up curls.

“So fucking delicious. Taste.”

He took your head in both hands and kissed you deeply, and you responded by sucking your essence off of his tongue. You reached down and started stroking his cock, overjoyed and a little bit scared that your fingers didn’t meet around him as he unclasped your bra.

Bucky whimpered as your thumb came up and stroked his sensitive head, spreading his precum over the wide, mushroom cap.

“You’re so fucking huge, Bucky…”

Bucky pulled you toward him as he reached into his bedside drawer for a condom and a bottle.

“And you’re so wet, Furmoasa. We will make this work. Believe me…”

You continued to stroke and watched him as he brought the wrapper to his teeth and him tearing it open was about the hottest act of sexual protection you’d ever seen. Somehow, your mouth ended up sucking his tip as you watched his eyes roll back into his skull.

“That beautiful mouth…”

Bucky put his hand on your head as you tasted him experimentally, wondering if you’d ever be able to take it all. He seemed to read your mind as he spoke next.

“Don’t worry, I plan on us having a lot of practice with this later, but if you don’t let me put this condom on, I’m gonna cum all over your face, Frumoasă…”

You looked up at him and grinned as his cock jumped in your mouth, but you finally pulled off of him with a pop.

“I need to feel you around me when I cum love. S’all I’ve been dreaming of all week.”

Now his chest was heaving as he rolled the condom on, and he pushed you back onto the bed as his hand went to your core once again. You were even wetter than before and Bucky smiled at you, lining up and kissing you on the forehead as he began to breach your folds.

When he slid inside, your fingernails curled into his shoulders and your eyes grew wide. Bucky stopped, concentrating while his cock pumped, barely inside you.

“There is nothing. In the world. Like being inside your soft, wet, cunt.”

“Fuckkkkk!” 

You became even wetter and he slid fully inside you. There, Bucky waited for you to get adjusted around him.

“So fucking tight. And hot. Just like I knew you would be.”

“More, Jamie!”

Smiling, Bucky started moving and you gripped him as he stroked in and out.

“Please don’t stop. Harder!”

Bucky grabbed the headboard and gave you what you wanted. His other hand pulled your hair and his strokes became more intense.

“Wanted to last longer, but I can’t, Baby. So beautiful. Pussy made for me. Cuming soon, but later… O să te fac să vii pe penisul meu iar și iar, Frumoasă. I never make a promise I can’t keep.”

You orgasm whited out your vision and your throat burned as you screamed. Bucky roared, filling the condom with copious amounts of cum. Your cunt was milking him and he hoped it would hold. He stayed sunk into you as long as he could before he had to get up and rid himself of the prophylactic.

He was only in the en suite for a few minutes as you floated in and out of sleep, lust drunk and exhausted.

Bucky climbed back into bed and got both of you situated under the covers, whispering in your ear.

“Stay tonight.”

“Of course. That was the plan, wasn’t it?”

Both of you chuckled, because you knew it was true. Bucky kissed your ear and waited for your breath to even out. When he thought you were asleep, he whispered again.

“I’m going to be a better man for you, Frumoasă.”

“You are exactly who you need to be, James Barnes. Just keep moving forward. Tomorrow is another day to do that.”

After a few more minutes, you spoke again.

“Tomorrow will only be a week that we’ve known each other. Imagine that.” 

Bucky buried his nose in your hair, inhaling your scent.

“Guess I better wait until tomorrow to ask you to marry me.”

You laughed a sleepy laugh.

“You got jokes.”

“You know me, Frumoasă. A professional comedian.”

But somewhere in the dark of Bucky Barnes’ closet, a diamond found some light and sparkled.

——

The next morning is here ;)

Please, please! Let me know!

[deliciousangelfestival]

Her Turn Now - 2

Character: CEO!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Summary: Twin sisters. Opposite worlds. The eldest is a tough, no-nonsense soldier. The youngest is a quiet, hardworking corporate girl. They rarely meet—until the younger sister collapses from stress, hiding months of workplace bullying.

Furious and protective, the soldier twin trades places with her. Heels off, boots on. Now, the office has no idea what's coming.

She doesn’t play nice. She doesn’t play fair. And while she's serving justice in a pencil skirt, the ruthless CEO starts to take notice…

Main Masterlist || If you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-fi 🙏🏻

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , -

Working in an office really doesn't suit you.

In battle, things are simple. When someone annoys you, you shut them up—with a fist or a boot to the face. Problem solved. But here?

Here, you’re surrounded by high heels, fake smiles, and the sharp click-clack of keyboards... and every single sound grates your nerves.

You grit your teeth, nails tapping against the desk, fists clenched under the table just to stop yourself from punching someone in the throat. You’ve only been here two hours, and already, you’re planning five different ways to commit corporate homicide.

Your respect for Levi just skyrocketed. Eight months she endured this hell? You can barely last one morning.

'Should you? Yes, you can.' 'Lock the door. Grab the stapler. Use the pencil. There are weapons everywhere.'

That little voice in your head sounds far too convincing. If it were the real you—Captain McCain—you’d be halfway through your rampage by now. But no. You're Levi now.

And if Levi McCain loses her cool? That delicate record she’s worked so hard to build will shatter.

Just then, a thick stack of papers lands on your desk with a loud thwack. You glance up. Some guy—you don’t even know his name—doesn’t look at you, just keeps walking like you’re invisible.

"What the hell is this?" you mutter under your breath.

Another assignment. Charts. Reports. Forecast analysis? You squint at the spreadsheet like it’s in another language. Honestly, it might as well be.

They're piling it on, testing you. You've been here two hours, and already they’ve dumped more work on your desk than a full week’s load.

You inhale slowly. Count to five. Calm. You’re supposed to be Levi. Quiet. Polite. Fragile. Yeah, right.

But you didn’t come into this unarmed. Oh no. You came with a secret weapon.

Thanks to Casey.

The night before your little infiltration mission, she handed you a sleek tablet loaded with a custom AI system she’s been tinkering with.

"You’re a genius in combat, boss. Not in spreadsheets," she said with a smirk. "I built this so you can focus on wrecking those bastards emotionally instead."

So while everyone else thinks you’re slaving over numbers, you're calmly sipping your coffee and letting Casey’s AI handle the data analysis.

Now, with zero hesitation, you lift the freshly completed reports and toss them right back at the guy’s desk with a smooth flick of your wrist.

He freezes, staring at the documents like you just performed black magic.

Around the office, heads start turning. Whispers ripple through the floor like electricity.

'How did she finish that so fast?' 'Wasn’t that supposed to take a day?' 'Did she make any mistakes?'

You lean back in your chair, legs crossed, eyes sharp. You don’t say a word. Just stare at them all like a predator in disguise.

Let them wonder. Let them whisper.

You’re just getting started.

You weren’t made for this world of polite requests and passive-aggressive comments—and you’re done pretending.

When someone dumps files on your desk and tells you to print them, you don’t even look up.

“Do it yourself. The printer’s right on your table.”

Another, bolder one strolls over, holding out a coffee order list.

“Buy some for the team, will you? Get that caramel thing we like.”

You raise a brow and don’t even break stride as you type, voice flat and sharp.

“Try Uber Eats. Or your own damn legs.”

They blink, stunned, as you go back to work like the conversation never happened.

Lunch hour can’t come fast enough. You head down to the building’s park—if you don’t get some air, you might actually kill someone.

You sit on the bench, arms crossed, legs tense. The sun is warm, but your mood is ice. Your jaw still clenched tight.

Then you hear it—laughter.

Voices carry across the grass. Familiar ones.

You glance to your left.

A group of men are huddled in the smoking area—coworkers from your department. Laughing, puffing away, basking in their own stink. You recognize the manager too.

You stay still. Listen.

One of them exhales smoke and scoffs.

“Can’t believe Levi came in today. What’s she trying to prove, showing up now?”

Another snickers.

“Yeah, like she belongs at the celebration. After everything? Please.”

The manager—Levi’s direct boss—chimes in, laughing low and mean.

“She probably thought we’d be happy to see her. Delusional.”

The first guy adds, “Well, no one tell her where we’re going tonight, alright?”

Another laughs. “As if she’s invited. The restaurant doesn’t take extras anyway.”

And then—what finally makes your blood boil—

“If she hadn’t flagged that budget error last quarter, we’d have had bigger bonuses. What a buzzkill. Should’ve just kept her mouth shut.”

Silence hits your chest like a gut punch.

Your hands ball into fists on your lap.

So that’s how they talk about her. About Levi. After all her quiet effort. Her eight months of biting her tongue, holding back, working herself into the ground.

You don’t move. You don’t breathe. You sit there until they finish their smokes and saunter off, laughing like nothing happened.

When they’re gone, you finally exhale—and realize your hands are trembling. One still clutches your phone.

You hit speed dial.

“Yeah, boss?” Casey answers, casual as always.

You look up at the sky. Your voice is calm. Too calm.

“Prepare a runaway car. Gloves. Face mask. And night vision goggles.”

Casey pauses.

“…Do you need a lawyer too?”

You let out a slow breath.

“I don’t think I’ll need it. But yeah, just in case.”

You hang up.

No more playing nice.

They wanted Levi to stay quiet. Big mistake. They got you instead.

💥💥💥💥

The restaurant was packed—but only with them. Levi’s entire department had booked the place for a night of fake smiles and undeserved celebration. Laughter rang loud. Glasses clinked. Wine flowed freely.

The manager, drunk on his own ego, stood up and raised his glass. “To us—the real backbone of this company!”

Cheers followed. Forced. Loud. Hollow.

Then— Darkness.

The lights went out without warning.

A beat of silence. Confused murmurs.

“Probably just for a while,” someone said, chuckling nervously.

Then— “Uhk!”

A rough, strangled sound.

“Sounded like a duck getting choked,” the manager joked, and the room erupted in laughter.

But the laughter didn’t last.

It was replaced by chaos.

A chair crashed to the floor. A plate shattered. A man screamed. Another was silenced mid-sentence by a punch to the gut.

One by one, they dropped.

No warning. No mercy. Male. Female. Coworker. Manager. None of them were spared.

They didn’t even see who hit them.

Fists, elbows, knees—precise and brutal. The air filled with the sound of bodies slamming into tables, glass crunching beneath shoes, and groans of disbelief.

The manager took the worst of it. A swift kick to the chest sent him straight into the dessert table. A metal tray slammed across his face. His hands scrambled for cover that didn’t exist.

By the end, the room was wrecked. People groaned and whimpered in the dark, crawling, gasping, too stunned to react.

Only one person walked out untouched.

Calm steps. Back straight. Breath steady. No fear. No remorse.

As you stepped past the broken chaos, your thoughts were razor-sharp.

'Karma takes her sweet time… So I gave her a hand.'

🏢🏢🏢🏢

The Next Morning

A sleek black sedan sat idling on the curb. The tinted windows reflected the city skyline, but inside, the air was tense.

In the back seat, Bucky Barnes—CEO, sharp-suited and sharp-jawed—sat in silence. His dark eyes were unreadable as he glanced out the window. His posture was relaxed, but his fingers drummed lightly against his thigh. A storm brewed behind that calm exterior.

“I thought you were joking when you called me,” Bucky finally said, voice low and cool.

He had just landed from London, where he’d been in talks with a major international partner. The time difference and chaos hadn’t fazed him—what did was the reason for the call.

Kyle, his vice president, sat beside him. Unlike Bucky, Kyle looked restless, flicking through files on his tablet.

“I wish it was a joke,” Kyle muttered. “But it’s real.”

Bucky scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning back. “If it is, then good.”

Kyle blinked. “Good? You’re joking, right? Twenty-nine people were admitted to the hospital last night.”

Bucky’s gaze didn’t waver. “Good. I've been trying to clean out that bloodsucking department for years. They're toxic, slow, and arrogant. Half of them think they run this company. Maybe now they'll shut up.”

Kyle pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh god...”

Bucky raised a brow. “There were supposed to be thirty people, including the intern. Why is the count only twenty-nine?”

“One of them didn’t show up,” Kyle replied, swiping through his screen. “Or maybe she wasn’t invited. Probably the same one they suspected was being bullied.”

At that, Bucky’s face tightened.

“The bullied one?” His voice dropped, low and sharp. “And no one thought to warn me?”

Kyle nodded. “Yes. That’s what I was told.”

Bucky leaned forward, jaw clenched. “I’ve been asking H.R. for weeks for an update. They keep giving me the runaround. I don’t even know her name!”

“She canceled her statement,” Kyle said, tapping his tablet. “But this is the person who filed with H.R. before backing out.”

He handed Bucky the screen.

Bucky took one look at the photo—and froze.

His face went still. No words. Just quiet, cold fury building behind his eyes. His hand gripped the tablet a little too tightly.

Kyle watched carefully. “You okay?”

Bucky didn’t answer.

He just kept staring at the photo.

And in that silence, the air inside the car grew heavier.

He wasn’t just angry.

He was about to get involved.

🏢🏢🏢🏢🏢

Back at the office, you were the only one who came in.

The silence was almost peaceful. You hummed a light tune, your fingers dancing across the keyboard as you typed—line by line—a resignation letter.

It was time. Levi deserved better. A company that didn’t treat her like trash. Not this toxic circus masked as a professional environment.

You clicked ‘Print’, and just as the printer began to whir, your phone rang.

“Yeah, Mom?” you answered casually, leaning back in your chair.

Your mother’s voice was calm but firm. “Your sister told me everything”

You sighed. “I’ve handled it.”

“They cry in pain?”

“Choked in their tears,” you said with a smirk, watching the printer spit out the paper.

“Good.” A pause. “Do you need a lawyer? I have a lot of friends whose husbands are great lawyers.”

You chuckled. “No, Mom. Everything’s under control.”

“Good job, baby.”

"Is Dad at home?" you asked.

"He’s still on a trip with his friends," your mom replied.

"What if he finds out about Levi?"

"Only God knows, honey."

You picked up the resignation letter and glanced at Levi’s name at the top. “This will be my last day… or should I say, ‘Levi’s’ last day. I’ve already printed the resignation letter.”

“No, dear! Don’t give the letter,” your mother said suddenly.

You paused, frowning. “Why not?”

“Because—”

She didn’t finish.

You froze mid-step.

Two figures walked into the department.

You turned your head slowly, eyes widening as you saw who it was.

Your hand, still holding the letter, trembled slightly.

Of all people…

'What the hell are you doing here?'

*****

Yesterday, at the McCain House

The black SUV rolled quietly into the driveway. The engine cut off, and the passenger door opened. Ortiz stepped out first, then turned to help Levi out of the car. Her movements were slow, stiff. Casey gently supported her from the other side, guiding her carefully as if she might break.

Levi squinted at the familiar front porch, her expression puzzled.

“Why did you bring me here?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ortiz exchanged a glance with Casey before replying, “Captain said staying in the city would only stress you out more. The doctor agreed.”

Before Levi could respond, the sound of laughter echoed from inside the house—warm, bright, and unmistakably familiar. As they stepped through the front door, they saw Elle McCain, Levi’s mother, laughing with two of her friends in the sitting room.

Elle's eyes widened when she spotted her daughter.

“Levi? Honey?” she asked in surprise, setting her teacup down and rising to her feet.

Levi offered her mother a tired smile. “Hi, Mom. I just need some rest. We’ll talk later.” She didn’t wait for a reply and slowly made her way upstairs.

Elle blinked, clearly confused by her daughter’s sudden arrival and unusual demeanor. Her gaze shifted to the two people standing in the doorway.

“Ortiz. Casey.” Her tone softened, recognizing them instantly. “You two again. Have you eaten any home-cooked food since you got back?”

Both of them stood straighter. “No, ma’am,” they answered in unison.

“There’s pork ribs, mashed potatoes, peach cobbler, and iced tea in the kitchen,” Elle said with a knowing smile.

The moment she listed the food, both Ortiz and Casey's stomachs practically growled in unison.

“Thank you, ma’am!” they said quickly and hurried off toward the kitchen.

Elle waited patiently until her friends left later that evening. Once the house was quiet again, she climbed the stairs and gently knocked on Levi’s door. No response. She opened it slowly and stepped inside.

Levi was curled up on the bed, wrapped tightly in a blanket pulled over her head like a cocoon. The only thing visible was the slight rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed.

Elle walked to the bed and sat on the edge, then carefully pulled the blanket down from Levi’s face.

The sight broke her heart.

Levi’s face was pale and gaunt. Her cheeks were hollow, her eyes sunken. Her once-vibrant presence was now drained and brittle.

“My daughter…” Elle whispered, her voice catching. “What happened to you?”

Levi turned her head away, unable to meet her mother’s eyes.

Elle placed a hand on Levi’s shoulder, gentle but firm. “Does your sister know? Is that why her friends brought you here?”

Levi gave a slow nod, her eyes brimming with tears.

Elle stood abruptly. “Fuck,” she muttered under her breath. “Who did this to you?”

Levi hesitated, then whispered, “It’s a long story.”

Elle crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve got all night.”

Levi sighed, knowing she couldn’t avoid this. So she began to speak. Slowly at first, then all at once. She told her mother everything—what she endured at the company, how the bullying escalated, how she lost weight, sleep, confidence. How she tried to tough it out. And how her sister—impulsive, fearless—took matters into her own hands.

It took Elle a long moment to fully grasp it all.

“So... your sister is pretending to be you. She’s working at the company. In your place.”

Levi nodded again.

Elle’s expression darkened. “Good. Let them taste hell.”

“Mom…” Levi said gently.

Elle sat down again beside her daughter. “Honey, you’re a smart kid. Why the hell did you stay in that toxic place for so long?”

“That place gave me a lot of benefits,” Levi murmured. “And I had a friend there…”

Elle narrowed her eyes. “A friend? You stayed because of someone?”

Levi nodded slowly. “I wanted to work beside him.”

Elle’s voice lowered. “Who is this person?”

Levi hesitated, her voice trembling just slightly. “He’s…”

*****

Back to the present time…

You froze.

The two figures who stepped into the department caught you mid-sentence with your mother. You slowly lowered your phone, your eyes widening in disbelief.

Standing there was someone you hadn’t seen in years—but you'd recognize him anywhere. Tall, sharp-featured, with piercing blue eyes and hair swept back like he always used to wear it.

James Buchanan Barnes.

He stepped closer, concern etched into every line of his face.

“Levi?” His voice was softer now—gentler than you remembered. “I’m sorry I’m too late. Are you alright?”

You swallowed, trying to steady your voice. “Yeah… yeah.”

But you weren’t. Not really.

Your heart pounded in your chest like it was trying to break free. You hadn't seen Bucky in what felt like a lifetime. Not since high school. And back then, you and Levi had shared more than just the same face—you shared the same crush.

You both liked the same food—steak medium rare with garlic butter. You listened to the same music—acoustic rock. You even loved the same person.

James Buchanan Barnes.

Bucky looked at you—really looked. “I should’ve found out sooner,” he said, his jaw tightening. “I had no idea what was going on in this department. The H.R. covered it up… and the manager too. They knew we knew each other. That’s why they hid it.”

You blinked. “You knew?”

“I recognized your name the first time it landed on my desk,” he admitted. “But I thought maybe I was just imagining things. Until Kyle told me what really happened.”

You nodded slowly, trying to gather your thoughts. Of course Levi never wanted to quit. Was it because… of him?

Your chest tightened.

Bucky took a breath and stepped closer. “You don’t have to work in this department anymore. Starting today, you’ll be my assistant.”

That’s when your heart really started to race.

It beat so fast, you were sure Bucky could hear it. Was this what it felt like… meeting your long-time crush again after all these years?

But it wasn’t your name he’d said with such warmth. It was Levi’s.

You weren’t just standing in someone else’s department. You were standing in someone else’s shoes. And it hit you harder than you expected.

You swallowed down the sudden tightness in your chest. Why did your chest feel tight? It was just a high school crush—a long time ago.

You glanced down, trying to hide the flush creeping up your neck.

‘Alright, Levi…’ you thought. ‘I’ll stay. I’ll hold the door open for you—so you can finally be with Bucky.’

My book Arrogant Ex-Husband and Dad, I Can't Let You Go by Alina C. Bing are on Kindle. Check it out!

Link for Arrogant Ex-Husband

Amazon.com

Link for Dad I Can't Let You Go

Amazon.com: Dad, I Can't Let You Go eBook : Bing, Alina C.: Kindle Store

[official-linguistics-post]

New open-access article from Georgia Zellou and Nicole Holliday: "Linguistic analysis of human-computer interaction" in Frontiers in Computer Science (Human-Media Interaction).

This article reviews recent literature investigating speech variation in production and comprehension during spoken language communication between humans and devices. Human speech patterns toward voice-AI presents a test to our scientific understanding about speech communication and language use. First, work exploring how human-AI interactions are similar to, or different from, human-human interactions in the realm of speech variation is reviewed. In particular, we focus on studies examining how users adapt their speech when resolving linguistic misunderstandings by computers and when accommodating their speech toward devices. Next, we consider work that investigates how top-down factors in the interaction can influence users’ linguistic interpretations of speech produced by technological agents and how the ways in which speech is generated (via text-to-speech synthesis, TTS) and recognized (using automatic speech recognition technology, ASR) has an effect on communication. Throughout this review, we aim to bridge both HCI frameworks and theoretical linguistic models accounting for variation in human speech. We also highlight findings in this growing area that can provide insight to the cognitive and social representations underlying linguistic communication more broadly. Additionally, we touch on the implications of this line of work for addressing major societal issues in speech technology.

[allykatsart]

There’s a user on Reddit who keeps reposting your comic without providing any source link back to any of your accounts. I know you have in your profile not to repost without permission, did they bother asking at all? I’ve brought this up several times but there’s not much I can do.

https://www.reddit.com/r/HazbinHotel/s/21Rvp2qk4u

https://www.reddit.com/r/HazbinHotel/s/AXq8CRBD3j

https://www.reddit.com/r/HazbinHotel/s/coSYrvl5jD

Maybe if *you* make a stink about it, someone might sctually listen?

Hey, thanks for letting me know. Looks like some of the posts got taken down before I could get to them. I left them a message asking them to either take down the comics that were still up, or add to/transform them in some way. Please don't harass this person and let them live their life in peace.

To anyone else out there, these are my policies with posting my work

Please do not just repost my comic with no changes and no credit. If it's a platform (like Twitter or Facebook) that I'm not on, leave a link to my Tumblr, Instagram, or something.

No AI used on my work. That means no AI voices/comic dubs, do not put my work into an AI database, do not put my scripts into an AI character chat bot/LLM, do not use AI generated music. No AI.

I encourage transformation/adaptation of my works. I'm not talking about changing 1 pixel and reposting stuff. The intent behind it has to be to Add, Analyze or Adapt. For some examples:

Comic dubs: Yes, just ask first!

Slideshow videos w/only music: Only Fanon has permission for this (cause they're hosting the comic), I don't want anyone else to tho because I want people to expand their skills/try something new.

Reactions & Analysis: Absolutely! Please @ me so I can see them!

Translations & Recolors: As long as there's effort put into it and nothing discriminatory/horrible is added, go ahead!

[hapuchika]

The White Healer Chapter 3

Summary: Reader is introduced to the avengers and is in for a delightful surprise.

Warnings: Slight Smut. Anxiety.

Series Masterlist

X--X--X--X

You weren’t entirely certain who was fussing over you more, Natasha or Wanda. Both seemed to have a difference in opinion when it came to what you should wear. Natasha suggested some fitting jeans and a crop top while Wanda was suggesting some denim shorts and an off-shoulder cardigan. To be honest, neither appealed to you much seeing as you’d be leaving shortly.. The thought saddened you for some reason. You had only spent maybe half an hour with everyone (half of which was with the two in front of you. Not that you were complaining), yet you knew you wanted to spend more time with them. Sighing you stood up from the bed. Both stopped arguing and looked at you inquisitively.

“So, which one do you like more?” Wanda asked eagerly.

“Yeah, whose style is better?” Natasha challenged.

Rolling your eyes you walked past both of them and picked out a simple T-shirt and sweatpants and walked into the bathroom to change. Opting to look in the opposite direction of the mirror, you changed and folded the scrubs neatly. Deciding to put them in the laundry basket. You stepped out and faltered when you saw both of them glaring at you.

Why is that so fucking hot- No. NO. y/n control yourself. You are not going down that road. You-

“I have to say, you could’ve done better” Natasha said.

“It’s the comfiest option. Besides, I’ll be mail these back to you the moment I get home” you said placatingly.

The two glanced at each other, then looked back at you.

“Y/N I-“

A loud knock interrupted whatever Wanda was going to say.

“Are you girls done playing dress up? The food is here already” You heard Pietro yell from outside the room.

Huffing and calling her brother some colourful names in Sokovian, Wanda started towards the door, you and Natasha just behind her.

The conversation seemed to stop abruptly the moment you entered the room. All eyes on you once again. You were considering apologising for existing and leave when you felt a soft hand on your lower back. You instinctively knew it was Wanda’s and you resisted the urge to lean into her hand. Seriously, what was wrong with you? You’ve never acted that way with anyone.

Taking a deep breath, you steeled your nerves and sat at one end of the table. It seemed a little odd as everyone was more on the opposite side but you didn’t know whom to sit next to. The next thing you new Wanda and Natasha had sit down on either side of you. Something you were extremely grateful for.

“Right. So.. um.. Let’s eat?” Steve suggested. 

Immediately everyone opened up the tower of pizza boxes and grabbed a slice. You prayed they had a vegetarian option because all you could see was pepperoni other meaty options. Without hesitation, Wanda passed you a plate with a slice of plain cheese pizza.

“Thank you. It’s like you read my mind” You said off-handedly as you took the plate.

Pietro choked on his bite and Nat patted his back with a smirk on her face.

Thor looked at you in question as he shoved two slices into his mouth simultaneously.

You simply shrugged and stated by how you were vegetarian. Tony froze and immediately spoke out loud “FRIDAY please remember that y/n is a vegetarian”

You looked at him quizzically. Why would it matter-

“Understood boss.” Came a female voice from somewhere.

You stopped mid bite and looked up at the ceiling.

“God?” You wondered out loud.

“Yes?” Thor replied immediately.

Everyone burst out into laughter as you chuckled, completely embarrassed.

“That’s Tony’s AI, ‘Friday’. Anything you need, it can help you do” Bruce stated.

Your eyes widened.

“AI? Like Artificial Intelligence? Like genuine artificial intelligence” You asked.

Confused, Bruce nodded.

You gasped, turned to Tony who was just as confused as Bruce was.

“Oh my god that’s amazing. You could use the AI’s interface as an introductory step to the analysis of anything and everything?? Or you could connect it to modern appliances and provide a level of comfort for those with disabilities?? Or you could use it to efficiently calculate the resources required to provide food to the population? Or- um.. Never mind. Sorry” You shrank in your seat. 

Once again, all eyes were on you as you had finished your rant.

“That.. um.. Yeah. We could use it for that.” Tony said, looking a little sheepish. “But at the moment we’re.. um.. using it-“

“we’re using it to order dinner” Bruce finished, looking equally sheepish.

You just stared at them. Of all the possible ways a successful AI could help this world.. They used it to.. order takeout?

Steve cleared his throat.

“Anyway” he started “Clint told us that during the fight in Sokovia, you had healed the injured?”

You shifted your gaze from Tony to Steve and nodded, confused.

“Would it be okay if we ask you a little about it? Just the extent of your abilities?” He inquired

Nodding once again, you prepared yourself for the upcoming conversation.

“Could you tell us a little about your abilities?” Natasha asked gently.

Clearing your throat, you began “So my abilities are essentially healing. I can heal anything and everything. Short of death? I think? I’m not sure. I’ve never tried. It feels a little disrespectful to go against the natural order of things. It’s not limited to humans, I can heal animals, plants (kind of?). It doesn’t matter how severe the injury is. If you lose an arm, I can heal you so it grows back. If you’re shot, I’ll heal you and the bullets just.. pop out of your body. And um, I can heal myself too? No matter what injury it is, I can heal it. Anything with a soul, I can heal.”

Everyone looked at you impressed, Clint and Pietro merely nodded along already having witnessed it first hand.

“What about gods? Could you heal us?” Thor inquired.

You nodded.

“I’ve never tried to heal a god, but I can heal anything with a soul” you said

“That settles it” Tony said, standing up and walking towards you. “Welcome to the Avengers.”

Your eyes widened.

“Um what? No. I can’t- join the avengers?? I- I have work to do? I’m a- a bartender?” You stammered.

Tony looked at you unimpressed. “We’ll pay you. Your starting salary can be $300k per yea-“

“I’m in” you said determined, causing everyone to burst into laughter. You smiled sheepishly.

Everyone started get up as soon as they realised the matter was settled. Some said they were heading to the game room, while other’s said they’d workout. Everyone made sure to welcome you to the avengers and patted your shoulder as they filed out.

Pietro’s eyes lit up as he had an idea.

“Let me show you to your room, y/n” He said

Wanda and Natasha shot up. Wanda put her hand on your shoulder.

“That’s alright Piet.” She said. “We’ll show her to her new room”

Smirking, Pietro raised his hands in surrender and disappeared.

Your stood up startled.

“Did he just? Teleport? I remember seeing him vanish in Sokovia too” you asked as you followed Wanda and Natasha towards the living quarters.

Natasha chuckled “No, he has an increased metabolism and an improved thermal homeostasis”

You squealed excitedly, “So he’s fast as fuck then. Wow, I wonder what it would feel like to move around while time almost stands still”

Wanda looked at you in surprise.

Your gaze shifted from Natasha to her and you asked whether Wanda had any abilities.

Natasha briefly looked at Wanda and looked away. Wanda on the other hand looked almost guilty or afraid. Seeing her hesitation you quickly assured her that she didn’t have to tell you if she wasn’t comfortable.

“No it’s not that. I just.. don’t want you to by scared of me” She said, not meeting your eye.

By now the three of you had entered your new room but you weren’t paying any attention to that. Your attention was solely on the gorgeous brunette in front of you.

“I highly doubt anything about you would scare me, Wands” you said softly. 

Her head shot up at you and blushed slightly at the nickname. You took her hands in yours and encouraged her. She took a deep breath and started. 

“I can move t.hings with my mind. I can also read minds and control them if I want.” She said. She waited for the rejection that never came. All you did was rub her knuckles gently. 

She looked at you confused. Were you not upset? Weren’t you scared of her?

“I don’t want to ruin the moment but that’s incredibly fucking cool” you said softly. Your tone not matching what you said.

Natasha huffed out a laugh. Wanda, however, was not convinced.

“I- I did things. I hurt the team. I wanted to hurt them.” She started.

You just smiled.

“You’ve more than made up for it, I think” you said.

Natasha smiled at the interaction, nodding in agreement.

“And hey, you’re more than welcome in my mind anytime” You said, bumping shoulders with her.

Wanda frowned. “Are you sure? Aren’t you scared that I’ll read your mind? That I’ll control it or make you see things” she asked.

You shook your head.

“I know I’ve only known both of you for half a day but I already trust you with my life” You said simply.

“Thank you” Wanda whispered. “That means a lot to me”

You brought her in for a hug. She immediately relaxed. She smelled like vanilla. It was incredibly comforting. Eventually, you turned to Natasha, motioning her to join the hug. She rolled her eyes but joined the hug.

“You’re aware I was raised as an assasssin, right?” She said pointedly.

You just hugged the both of them tighter.

“Y’all are so fucking cool” You mumbled to yourself.

A while later, much to your disappointment, they bid farewell as they wanted to get ready for some team building exercises. Something you were apparently invited to. Nodding said bye.

As soon as the two of them stepped out they held hands.

“That woman sure is something” Natasha said with a content sigh.

Wanda giggled and nodded her head. Natasha raised her eyebrow.

“Got something to say Wands” she teased

Wanda in turn shoved her rolling her eyes.

“Nothing to say, princess” Wanda retorted.

Narrowing her eyes, Natasha grabbed Wanda’s arm and shoved her into the wall. Wanda’s breath hitched at the action. Causing Natasha to smirk and step closer until their noses were touching.

“Careful what you say, detka. Don’t forget whose in charge” Natasha husked out, slotting her leg between Wanda’s thighs.

Wanda whimpered and crashed her lips into Natasha’s. Natasha, in turn, bit Wanda’s lower lip causing wanda to gasp. Allowing Natasha to put her tongue in Wanda’s mouth. A soft moan left Wanda’s throat as she fisted Natasha’s t-shirt. Heat starting to pool in Wanda’s belly.

“Shhh kotenok. We don’t want y/n to hear how much of a slut you are, do you” Natasha whispered right next to Wanda’s ear, biting the lobe gently. Wanda shivered in return. Not realising that she had already started to rub her core against Natasha’s thigh, pleasure slowly made it’s way up Wanda’s body. Before they could go any further, your door opened.

“Oh by the way could someone show me where the team building activity is-“ You stopped in your tracks as you looked at what was going on. Wanda was breathing heavy, looking absolutely delicious. Your eyes widened and you backed up into your room and slammed your door shut after letting out an apology.

Wanda came to her senses and shoved her hand onto her face. Natasha on the other hand just chuckled.

“Guess the cat’s out of the bad” She said. “Come on, lets go somewhere where I can take care of you”

Wanda gulped and nodded. While she was embarrassed, she was also extremely turned on at the thought of you watching what happened. Grabbing Nat’s hand she dragged her to her room to finish what Nat had started.

In your room you were absolutely flustered. Your arousal at an all time high. Seeing those two in that position was exactly what worked for you. You fell into your bed. Unable to help yourself, your hands roamed your body, Touching yourself in places that felt oh so good.

These two were going to be the death of you

X--X--X--X

Taglist:

@marvelwomen-simp @nothanksbye07 @jono723 @luadyjcmd @alexawynters

[sammylbir]

Redoing my Intro (Again)

Alright, third time is the charm, so…let's do this.

Update: #sillysammy for NSFW posts. Minors dont interact with those

Hello there! I am Sammy Wilde, a trans fem artist/writer and wannabe voice actress. I am 22 years old, use She/Her pronouns and I am from Germany.

I am also a yumeshipper and ship myself with Miu Iruma and Angie Yonaga (Who is a trans man in this one).

Some info:

Biace: Bisexual, yet on the ace spectrum flag by ags)

Trans-NB-Femme: I consider myself more female than nb, yet would think that I am nonbinary with a more feminine lean.

Orchidromantic: No desire for a romantic relationship

Pronouns: She/They

What is this Account about?

On this account, you will see all sorts of stuff, art/writing and voice acting related. It's my fun lil' corner, where I share my stuff. Sometimes I will post analysis stuff too, but not too often. But more importantly, it's all about my tastes ^^

My blogs, my rules!

My Fandoms:

-Danganronpa

-Monster Prom

-Coraline

-Pokemon

-Welcome Home

-Don't Hug Me I'm Scared

-Ace Attorney

Also, I have my own askblog for my OCs called @projphantopia Check it out, if you can!

Now, we will go over the BFY/BFI section:

-I am an adult and while I don't have a problem with minors interacting with me, please do note that I have my own stuff in life. I can give advice from time to time though.

-This blog will rarely feature some NSFW mentions. In case of the above point, I ask minors to not read through those posts and will add a warning accordingly.

-I love muscles, so expect tons of posts about them!

-My other creative works are mostly horror related and deal with heavy topics. Once again, I am asking for the minors on here, to not interact with those posts. For your own safety that is.

-In regards to the Proshipper/Antishipper discourse, leave me out of this. This account will not glorify incest or pedo stuff, but I do not like those labels

-I will not do RPs with minors of any kind. It makes me uncomfortable.

-I do not support AI Art

-I will post on this account, whatever I like and while I want to make sure to consider your feeling, it is still my account and my rules.

-Regarding proshippers, I dont have a problem with you interacting with me. Just don't be gross towards me, alright?

-If I make any of you uncomfortable in any way, tell me.

DNI:

-Do not flirt with me or be sexually suggestive with me. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A MINOR. I am not attracted to kids, thank you very much.

-Do not shout at me or harass me.

-Don't interact, if you are queerphobic. If you are trying to change then that's an exception

-If you try to dictate me, how to live my life.

Other Notes: -I am on the autistm spectrum. (Was diagnosed with Asperger's autism, but given the term's historical usage, I barely use it nowadays.) -I am biace, with female lean. Doesn't make me any less bi. I do not experience much sexual attraction towards people though. -I am on the Aromantic Spectrum and am not interested in any relationship (Orchidromantic) -While I would not say that I am on the asexual spectrum, I am not that interested in sexually suggestive stuff. Sometimes I am, sometimes not. It varies. -I believe in god, but do not follow any specific religion. And I have no problem with religious people interacting with me. -I usually do not use tone tags. Usually.

-I will not force any of my hcs onto you. But please respect mine, okay?

-I am not a fan of "kinkshaming". If I do not like someone's kink, I won't harass them for it.

-I selfship myself with Angie Yonaga, Milo Belladonna and Miu Iruma, but I am not against any other yumeshippers.

-Any questions, can be sent through the ask box.

That's all. Enjoy your stay!

[trismon55555]

TADC: 7 Deadly Sins Edition

Disclaimer: This is a for fun and non-serious analysis post, some of these connections and reasoning are barely connections and more personal hunches, if not mere joke connections.

The artwork I am using I got from TADC Wiki, and credit @gooseworx So i give her credit for the art I just... de-saturated and hue-shifted for the sin comparisons.

Also, the color coordination of said sin to character is based on the colors used in the game Whacked! for Xbox.

So without further ado, lets start with characters with what I feel like is the strongest case, and go down from there.

Caine was a clear fit for Pride, he takes great accomplishment in his work as an adventure craftsman. Despite the fact none of the human players seem to like or want to go on them at times, or come back happy. Heck when Zooble went on about how everyone doesn't like them, he has an AI equivalent to a mental breakdown, if only for a moment. He loves what he does, if only because that's how he was made.

A bit further out there but still a decent alignment in my eyes, Jax enjoys harming and or tormenting others for his own gain. While it is said to be a coping mechanism, he still gets some kick off of making others miserable, and when he fails to, it annoys him. as we see at the end of episode 3. I also get the irony of mentioning Whacked! and making the only rabbit character Wrath.

Zooble hates the body they were stuck with and simply desires to find something that feels "Good". if that ain't a good contender for Envy, I don't know what is.

We are now going into the "Bit of a Stretch" Territory. Ragathas lust has less to due with sexual desires, and more to do with the desire to be liked/loved by everyone around her. She has genuine good intentions, I give her that, but she also was so desperate in the pilot to 2nd episode to bury the sour feelings she had for Pomni ditching her for the exit, simply because she didn't want Pomni to feel bad for it. Then episode 4 came and revealed her true thoughts in stupid sauce form. That she hates Jax, but doesn't want him to hate her. And of course we cant gloss over the "I wish someone would flirt with me" line.

Probably the one I think most are gonna hate me for. Gangle to me, seems like the one who moves the slowest and the least. While Sloth is generally tacked onto lazy people, I would say Gangle is, well, Not. Episode 4 shows that she did pretty well all things considered as a Manager (At least compared to OTHER examples), but outside of that, and Driving in episode 2, she... doesn't really seem to do much. Yes she draws, and is good at it, not knocking that.

Honestly, All I got for Kinger is that He hoards a lot of Pillows for his fort. That's it...

Outside of Process of Elimination, I have only one reason why I chose Pomni as Gluttony. if anyone remembers when Marissa Lenti @vixenvtuber (Vixen_VTuber on Twitch / Vixen the Reindeer on youtube) did a livestream with the other VA's of digital circus, playing TheAmazingDigitalFanGame (Made by the talented and incredible @allhailthequeenuwu ) The Voice Actress for Pomni, Lizzie Freeman, was noticeably eating during some parts, and was lightly teased about it during the stream. No shade Lizzie, You were incredible in that stream as well.

Now you may be wondering, Why No bubble? Well, there are 7 sins, and Bubble has so few lines and scenes that it's hard to really gauge what that airhead is thinking. Yes yes, they might've fit Gluttony better than Pomni, as they ate an entire cake, and licked up her Vomit in the pilot, I find the Reason for Pomni much funnier.

And well, That is how they say, Is that. I would like to preference again this was made for fun. none of these connections are canon, and some are barely connections at all. so please don't blindly accept them as Fact. as they are not, at least not entirely. Just some random persons opinion on a tired old trope the internet likes to do on occasion. And again: Art Credit goes to Gooseworx for the 2D art. I just Recolored them.

[serve-764]

MISSION ON THE BEACH.

The world of nature can show aspects that show a dimension of calculation very often unknown to common men.

Beings often admired for the purely external aesthetic side, in reality they are true masterpieces that indicate the constant search for ever higher levels of perfection.

SERVE-764, SERVE-302 and SERVE-425 receive the order to go to the coast near the city to collect data useful for HIVE's knowledge of the natural world, a source of examples of continuous development, adaptation, improvement.

The Drones impeccably scan every minute detail of the assigned area with visual scanning systems, until they identify a specimen of an intact Nautilus Pompilius shell, therefore useful for total analysis in laboratories equipped with investigation tools of capabilities unknown to the humans of SERVE.

SERVE-764 is tasked by THE VOICE to collect the specimen and, together with the Drone brothers, to deliver it to the Facility's Natural Analysis Sector.

A new mission is accomplished, awaiting new orders. We are ONE. We are UNITED. We SERVE. We EXCEL. We TRANSFORM. In this story: @serve-302 @serve-425

@rubberizer92

#serve#servedrone#rubberizer92#thevoice#rubber#latex#ai#rubberdrone

[shiningliive]

Live Emotion Game Introduction 3 - Story

What to expect from the story mode in live Emotion:

As described on the official twitter account: In Live Emotion, you can enjoy a 'Main Story' alongside all 18 idols pursuing a new dream, 'Private Stories' to deepen your relationship with each idol, as well as 'Piece Stories' and 'Event Stories' that depict the idols' work and daily lives.

Analysis and translation of the story sections showcased below:

The boys are once again using their 3d models. Im curious if there will be any 2d illustrations, or live2d in the game, or if the 'pieces' that we collect via gacha will be pieces of 3d outfits/furniture etc that can be applied only to 3d models. Id like for there to be at least some kind of pretty 2d visuals!

Rather than being some mysterious figure in Shining Live, we can once again welcome our lovely Nanami Haruka as our insert character for some of the stories! Or at least, thats the name that is being used in the preview video. the disclaimer below says that the protagonists name can be changed. Welcome back Nanami!

I wonder what the new venture the boys (and Haruka) are taking part in for the main story is! It looks like the story mode has taken more inspiration from otome games with the player able to make choices.

Clip 1 - Main Story

Translation:

MC/Haruka: It's been a few days since the decision was made. The day of the press announcement came quickly. MC/Haruka: Before the event begins, I greet everybody personally. *Ai, Tokiya, and Eiji appear on the screen. MC/Haruka: "Good morning. Um, everyone... good luck hanging in there for today's press conference!"

Clip 2 and 3 - Private Story (Fully Voiced)

Scene 1 Translation:

MC/Haruka: "I- I'm fine with anything!" Ren: "Dont hold yourself back. I'm the one who invited you out to eat after all." Ren: "It's a waste to go out to eat alone on a rare day off, so I'm happy you came."

Scene 2 Translation:

Yamato: "It's not like I could teach you anything on your own, Im teaching the other members too." Yamato: "Besides, if a beginner goes in without knowing anything you'll get hurt, you know? Dont underestimate training!" Haruka: He's right, I think I'd be really grateful to have Yamato teach me..." *Choice of response appears. Option 1 - Well... I'll take your word for it. Option 2 - I'll be looking forward to it!

I will be moving to cover the game at @live-emotion once the game introduction videos are all revealed, so please follow there now if you'd like to see more coverage of the game as it's releasing.

[your-local-squip-fanatic]

Your Local SQUIP Fanatic's Probably Way Too Overthought Overanalysis Of The SQUIP (and why I don't think it was evil on purpose)

Because I said I'd make a more in-depth version as this is something I find stupidly interesting. And yeah... this took forever, I kept getting distracted. Woops, sorry.

Anyways, I made an analysis about this before, but I wanted to expand on it because the SQUIP is my favorite character and god damn it I need to yap about them. Let me recap on my prior one-

My copy of the book is tied to the Broadway musical, and it includes an intro from Joe Tracz and Joe Iconis. When talking about how they made changes in the musical, I quote, "The squip in our show proves more insidious than Ned's- though, as in the novel, our squip is a learning AI, which means its bad behavior is simply a reflection of the world around it." I noted that this seemed to be why it turned evil- what it saw in other people. After all, isn't it what sparked "The Pitiful Children?"

It had done what it could for Jeremy at the time, and it saw how his peers were. Remember, it's present and onstage for multiple interactions with the rest of the cast, there's NO way it didn't think on how it could possibly help them as well as Jeremy. And what was that solution? To squip them, too! Surely if it made a loser like Jeremy become popular and more cool (excuse me, chill) then perhaps if the other had squips, it'd help them all, too!

"All your peers are just so incomplete/You can't see it, but they're all in pain/Their operating systems obsolete/So let's complete the chains/And get inside those brains!"

The SQUIP WANTS to help, as it's programmed to do! Seeing how Jeremy and his peers are miserable in their own ways, it went with what it believed to be the most effective and logical solution to the problem. Obviously it went very wrong and went much too far in doing this, but doesn't the fact it's a learning AI help us understand its behavior?

After all, we know how much of an ass it was to Jeremy. It'd probably chuck him over the horizon if it could. But why? Well, I have a thought on this, too. If its bad behavior is a reflection of its surroundings, then perhaps Jeremy himself is to blame? It's possible the SQUIP picked up on his negative self-esteem, and used it on him before turning to a somewhat more positive approach, as we can see in Be More Chill Part 1 and 2.

"Everything about you sucks! Everything about you is so terrible! Everything about you makes me want to die!" to "If if listen to me, everything about you will be so wonderful! Alive! Everything about you will be so cool, and powerful! Popular and incredible!"

I COULD be misremembering as it's been a hot minute since I watched the musical, but I don't believe the SQUIP becomes actively hostile until The Play, when its plan is realized by Jeremy and Michael, armed with Mountain Dew Red, is very much able to deactivate it...

"I'M GOING TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE, JEREMY! EVEN IF I HAVE TO TAKE OVER THE ENTIRE STUDENT BODY TO DO IT!!"

Things go completely off the rails, the SQUIP think it's doing the right thing, it tries one last effort to continue... and bam, is deactivated. At least, mostly, as it lives in "Voices In My Head" as nothing but an easily ignored voice in Jeremy's head. All it did was to aid its user in what it believed to be the most efficient way to help- "Help them to help you!"- and it's pretty pissed that it can't follow it programing anymore.

So no, despite how much of a dick the SQUIP was, I don't think it was evil on purpose. It's a learning AI following it programming and clearly got exposed to too much negative stuff and went a wee bit haywire. It completely overstepped itself in doings it whole "make you be more chill" thing, and now it forever lives with the consequences.

I do encourage others to add on to this! I'm no master analysist, so this isn't perfect whatsoever.

[yuseirra]

On the Ambiguity of This Manga (Four Interpretations)

Hopefully I don't write more of these anymore o<-< I really want to feel every positivity and move on~~ but here's another thought I had for today regarding this piece once again~

I think I’ve managed to interpret over 90% of the truth behind this manga’s story.

I think I’ve interpreted it, but…

I want to bring others to see what I’m seeing here, but the work itself abandoned everything so irresponsibly, so it doesn’t really work... I’m sad.

Why is knowing this stuff important? Well, it’s not that important. Even if this manga fails, I don’t really care at this point. (Actually, I hope it doesn’t get popular. I hope they don’t make any more anime. Because it hurts people. I no longer expect this work to handle its subject matter respectfully. Confusion is okay, but this manga doesn’t provide a proper perspective on things that shouldn’t be handled recklessly. If you’re going to deal with them, you should at least be clear about what you're saying—if you leave it ambiguous, the focus gets lost, right? The message either doesn’t come across or gets fuzzy. And as far as I can tell, the author doesn’t seem to care about that. Why that might be is today’s analysis.)

More than anything... I just want the truth to be known, though, because it hurts. It’s too sad, too horrible, and pitiful.

I think if people just knew about it, it’d actually be easy to grasp what’s going on.

As for the author… the way I see it, there are four possible reasons for how they handled things.

They hold all the keys and secrets of the story, right? And yet, they chose not to reveal them in the end.

That means their stance is basically: “You figure it out.”

Let’s start with the most generous interpretation:

1.The Generous View: They believe they’ve given enough hints and are betting on readers discovering the meaning on their own, genuinely thinking that will convey more meaning than if they explained everything themselves.

This may not be entirely untrue, but if that were the case to a greater extent, I wouldn’t be this bothered and upset. Sure, there are hints, but they’re ambiguous, and the author didn’t give us any decisive ones. It doesn’t line up with real-world logic, and supernatural fantasy elements are involved. Plus, it’s culturally specific (tied to Japanese lore), so if they wanted to reach a broader audience, they should’ve done more to get things across.

Even putting aside the plot itself, the execution of scenes feels outright malicious. (As I’ve written before through various analyses, the plot actually makes more sense than it first appears and has supporting elements. Honestly, I even think the plot shouldn’t be changed.) But there are so many emotionally sadistic scenes—scenes that didn’t need to be that harsh to convey the point.

Like in Volume 1, when Ai gets stabbed—I should have predicted what was coming and dropped the manga there. But back then, I assumed the author had a clear point they wanted to make, and that they’d express a strong thematic message with this. I thought, “Okay, what are they trying to say?” So I stayed.

But no. The pain this manga gives doesn’t match the clarity of the author’s voice. Their words are vague, mumbled, superficial, and shallow. They want to make a sharp point without taking responsibility. They put the characters through immense suffering, but as the narrator, the author stays distant, as if saying, “Tsk tsk, that’s just how you all are,” with a detached attitude.

If they truly wanted to express sorrow or call for change or say something is wrong, then that final chapter or the volume extra (which I haven’t read, just skimmed the plot) shouldn't have ended up like that.

That was just running away from the responsibility of dealing with the topic.

Sure, how much can one person really do? I understand that to some extent, speaking from my own perspective. But if you're going to bring in material like this, you can’t leave things so murky.

2. The Author Got Hurt During Serialization and Gave Up At Some Point. Then They Chose a Message They Thought Everyone Would Find Acceptable.

This also doesn’t seem completely untrue. But it clearly isn't the only reason.

Because if you look only at the final chapter, yeah, the surface message is safe. It's probably something everyone may agree on.

But the events leading up to it? Not at all. Those developments were intentional. They were deliberate.

We had seriously intense incidents right before the end, didn’t we? The main character stabs himself, drowns and strangles someone. Total chaos. Then we see him gasping, saying he wanted to live, suffering. Then there’s a funeral scene where someone slaps a corpse across the face. The author drew all of that.

That’s not the setup for a “safe” story.

The idea that the author was hurt or exhausted—I can consider that. I won’t presume to know exactly what they were feeling. But looking at this, that possibility does come to mind.

Still, if the plot stemmed from their convictions, like I mentioned in 1, then those convictions were executed in a way that was overly vivid and cruel.

They could have avoided drawing the scene of Aqua and Kamiki drowning together, or strangling each other, or that funeral slap.

Kana slapping Aqua? Sure, that could fit her character.

But it could’ve been shown differently. She could’ve said something like “I should’ve slapped that guy” while talking about Aqua.

The author chose this method—there were other ways.

This is using your talent to deliberately hurt someone.

And if you do that, there’d better be a payoff or a message that’s equally strong.

If there were, I’d go along with it, try to understand.

But like I said earlier, they just muddle through. They don’t say what they want to say. So this isn’t the kind of story that can just be tied up with pretty drawings and sparkles. And I think the author knows that. But they’re pretending not to. It’s not that they don’t realize. This author knows full well what kind of story they’re writing, what kind of feelings it’ll evoke in people.

Didn’t they write romance manga? Then that means they have at least some confidence in understanding human psychology. Actually, that's what pulled me in!! That's my interest, to the extent that it is my major! Seriously, I've never brought up about this before I read this manga, it's so frustating...

Reading this manga, you start to think the author may be someone with some deep wounds.

Every single character in this work—except maybe background extras—has some twisted part in their heart.

Even a character like Frill, who’s played for laughs, gives off a slightly forced vibe that feels unsettling.

Maybe the only one who seems genuinely untwisted is Kotobuki Minami? But even she has that odd trait of speaking in a dialect despite being from a region where they don’t normally have one.

Melt? He’s fairly okay, but his past was twisted, too…

All of them have inner darkness. Which is fine—but they’re all a bit overly sensitive and on edge. And that’s because they’re all hurt.

Kana, at least, is open and unfiltered about it, which makes her kind of endearing. She’s actually the relatively bright one out of the cast.

But in a different genre, Kana might have ended up being the main source of conflict, not because she’s a bad person, but because of how her character operates.

Yes, no one’s completely free of inner darkness. Having flaws does help make a character more three-dimensional. But in this manga, every character is made to be twisted after being created.

They all bottle things up, never say anything, and carry them around alone. It’s not just a few characters—it’s how all of them function.

At this point, it feels unnatural.

Which makes me think the author sincerely believes “everyone’s like this,” so they shaped their characters accordingly. And that’s probably why the ending turned out the way it did.

A massive storm swept through—and then, pretending everything’s calm.

“They’re shining somewhere far away. There were hardships, but!”

That kind of ending.

But inside, I think they’re all rotting. What I think this story needed was to open the wounds and perform surgery.

Drain the pus, reset the broken bones.

But this work doesn’t do that.

In my view, this wound isn’t something that can be patched up with a bandage and a pretty layer of fake skin. But the story just ends as if that’s enough. The thing is, even while doing that, everything shows in their expression, you know? That look of cold sweat and discomfort, pretending everything’s fine?

Just say something! Say you need help. Say what you actually need.

But maybe they don’t even know anymore. What they need to do. I honestly don’t think they truly believe they’re okay themselves, not deep down. They clearly don’t look fine. Still, maybe they’re acting like this because they don’t know what action is needed… or because they’ve already decided that saying anything wouldn’t change a thing.

Yet they show the pain—clearly and constantly. It’s like they’re waiting for someone watching them to figure it out and make the call, get them treated, schedule the surgery. But they won’t take that first step themselves.

That’s why I describe this manga as being passive-aggressive toward the world.

3. So now we’re at interpretation #3 (and yes, these interpretations are shifting from more generous to increasingly less charitable): maybe the author wanted to mock those who don’t "get it," or maybe they didn’t actually care much about the core subject to begin with and never intended to propose a real vision. Or maybe it was just self-indulgent—showing off—or perhaps they gave up entirely.

I didn’t want to think this way, but this possibility is hard to ignore. In fact, this is what stands out most clearly for me, which says something. I try not to engage in baseless criticism of others, and I did my best to stick with interpretations 1 and 2… but there are simply too many moments that don’t make sense within those readings alone. If it were only 1 or 2, I wouldn’t be angry—just saddened.

Like I’ve said many times, this manga doesn’t have much to say relative to the amount of pain it inflicts. If it were purely personal, that would be one thing—but if it aims to say something on a social level, I think it has to convey the author’s own thoughts and reflections more clearly. As it stands, it feels shallow. Like someone grumbling at the news with a sigh and a “tsk.”

It’s not that the work lacks all sense of awareness—but even so, it feels like a candle with a faulty wick. You light it, and it flickers briefly before dying out. You light it again, and the same thing happens. The flame is there, and you can see what it’s trying to say—like critiquing society’s rejection of idols in love, or how the public sometimes cruelly lashes out at celebrities based on limited information. But it never goes any further. It just… presents the issue, then moves on. Even the main characters don’t talk about it at length.

Think about it—Aqua and Ruby’s mother was murdered for having children while being an idol. So shouldn’t this story, at some point, explore their perspective on idols and love? Like: “Our mom still loved us. It’s wrong to deny that love,” or conversely, “Our mom truly wanted to love, but it seems our dad got her killed for it. Is love itself a curse for celebrities? Is romance impossible for them?”—even that kind of doubt would’ve been something. But the story never engages. It brushes against these themes, then simply watches from a distance. Aqua and Ruby's very mother got killed on the idea that idols can't have lovers or children, right? Why don't the two kids who had that tragedy happen to them ever question that idea or how wrong that situation is?? And it's not like they were normal children, either, they are reincarnated human beings who lived at least a decade after having been born into their new lives. But what they decide to do is take revenge on the father who had kids with their mom. Like getting rid of him would make things better. Even if he's really the one who wanted Ai dead(which is so far from the truth), this is such a; shallow approach to things. In the end, literally nothing changes. Who knows the same thing won't happen to Ruby if she decides to get together with someone? That can still happen for sure, but shouldn't the work tackle this subject?? Say something about it? Question why it is that way? Or does it believe it's pointless because it's too obvious?? But this work drags around with deciding if whether Kamiki should be punished or not, if he's really the culprit or not/going after the guy for so long- that doesn't seem like the priority of the story. What I felt the authors think is that the priority is that they believe this is fun, playing guessing games about who's the real murderer or not, but this is a subject that hits too close to real life. They need to give clarity on how this subject should be handled!! That's a responsibility they must have taken to bring in the subject of a celeb being murdered by a crazy fan!!! It doesn't do that and leaves all this ambiguous!!

Speaking of which, what really baffled me was when Kamiki’s experience of childhood sexual abuse gets mentioned, and the narrative just transitions into: “How long can someone stay pure in this industry?” Sure, someone says, “That’s not okay,” but… that’s it. That’s all. This happens every time. Nothing gets resolved, nothing is proposed, and the characters who suffer just grow up blaming themselves. And the story doesn’t do anything about it.

You might argue, “What could one person possibly do?”—but even up to the final chapter, the manga maintains this approach. Aqua believes that killing one man—the man who he claims would ruin Ruby’s future—will somehow fix things. And yet, to me, what Kamiki says makes more sense. What does killing Kamiki change? Ai died. Ruby was attacked. These tragedies came out of society’s warped expectations of idols—expectations taken way too far.

But Aqua doesn’t seem to reflect on that at all. He just says, “Whatever, my mission is to protect Ruby,” and kills Kamiki, then himself. Meanwhile, Ai was trying to save the man she loved. And honestly, I don’t think this man ever meant to hurt her. He believed that Ai ended up that way because of him, and he went mad trying to do something for her. To me, he’s the one who suffers most in this story. I really do think he only meant to send her flowers.

And then this man—driven mad by grief—gets drowned and buried like a monster. As if that wraps everything up neatly. Maybe that is the message. “We’re all the same. You act nice, but nothing really changes. Even if a celebrity like Ruby goes through hell, you’ll just consume her story like entertainment, as long as she shines on stage.” Maybe that’s what this manga is saying.

But I just can’t believe the authors wrote this only to say that. Is that really all there is?

Surely they wanted to express some empathy toward people. Some awareness of the industry’s problems. At the very least, I think they must have wanted to say, “Something is wrong. Something must change.” And if so, then the bare minimum should’ve been to make that clear, especially by the end. Not this thing where Ruby cries and throws up for a while and then runs forward, and suddenly everything is wrapped up in a shining glow.

If you want to show that something can be changed, you have to show how. That it changed because someone did something. That’s what gives the story weight and direction. Otherwise, it just feels… abandoned. Irresponsibly tossed aside. It wouldn’t even take much—just one or two lines.

And the worst part? I predicted this ending. If you go back and read my analysis before the final chapter came out, I said that Ruby would still shine, still spread love, still save people.

Because Kamiki is Sarutahiko-Okami—the god who grants wishes—and he answered Ruby’s wish.

Because Ruby is Amaterasu.

Ugh, this is so frustrating.

4. Finally, the interpretation that might come off as the most disrespectful: maybe the creators just capable enough to discuss this in depth.

Honestly… that’s the simplest explanation. And I think a lot of people would agree. I read Glare & Sparkle—was that the one with the creator interviews?—anyway, I vaguely remember something about the writer admitting they weren’t particularly interested in the entertainment industry at first.

Still, if you’re going to publish a serialized story tackling these topics, even if you yourself as a person aren't so interested in celebrities and how they work, you have to approach it with a basic human sense of empathy—frustration at injustice, compassion for others. Especially when real people work in that industry. You should treat it with care and respect.

I don’t want to say this manga completely lacked those things. I imagine they did a lot of research. Probably quite thoroughly. And I appreciate some things that are present within the work. It did make me think about some things.

But if this is the best they could express, then I think we’re back at square one. On why this work is so ambiguous at that. There are a few possibilities.

The ambiguity was intentional.

They wanted to go deeper, but it was too hard, so they gave up.

They hold a kind of elitist contempt for their audience.

There was external pressure, or it became too heavy a burden.

It just wasn’t a topic they found personally meaningful.

This really was their best effort.

Maybe they were actually trying to tell a different story altogether (like focusing on occult/mystery elements, believing that would serve the narrative better than taking a clear stance on social issues).

Maybe they felt their own level of reflection wasn’t enough to take it further—and that this was “good enough.”

But if so, then the level of insight this manga ends up offering is:

“People are too caught up in their own worlds to understand someone else’s pain. They just want pretty stories, and as long as it all looks good on the outside, they think everything’s okay.”

…Did they really write a 16-volume series just to say that?

As for what’s been written—well, that’s the author’s freedom, and I respect their creativity. Honestly, the setup and structure aren’t bad at all. Like I said before, I think this author is very intelligent.

But again, as I keep saying—if you’re going to tell a story where people drown, get stabbed, lose their families, take their own lives… if you’re going to go there, then at the very least, I think you should clearly communicate to the readers what it is you're trying to say through all of it.

The readers have followed that story, watched that suffering unfold, and felt that pain with the characters, haven’t they? And even if they didn’t feel it deeply, surely they were curious. “So why did it turn out this way? What happened here? What is this story trying to say?”

Yes, sure—there is a surface-level plot. But me, right now—I think I get what this story is trying to say. I can see that there’s something underneath it all, something more than what’s shown.

But the reason for not saying it out loud—fine, do what you want… but I think saying it clearly would’ve been far better than not saying anything at all. At least then I’d be able to understand. I like it when I can see clearly what the author was thinking, how they felt, and what they were trying to convey when they wrote this story. Isn’t that why authors write in the first place? Because they want to communicate something? Or is this just about dumping out what’s in your head and leaving it there for people to stumble over and figure out?

But if you’re really the kind of author who doesn’t care what kind of reaction your story gets, then you wouldn’t write a story like this, right?;; It’s just so obvious—this person is not emotionally detached!! Honestly, judging by what I’ve seen of them, this author seems incredibly sensitive. I feel like they’re the kind of person who gets hurt very easily. Or am I wrong?

Again, I just wish that if there’s something you want to say, just say it. You’re an adult. You’re older than me, you have more experience than me.

Did this person see deeper into the abyss than I did? Then again, I probably don’t understand the abyss at all… I watched a video about idols today and—ugh… There really are all sorts of people in the world. Maybe they got into this topic while researching and ended up going dark inside. Maybe they thought, “How can I write something cheerful about a world like this?”

But still—at least say what you want to say!! That way, there’s something to take away from it. “Ah, so this is how this person thinks.” That’s what I wanted to see.

Even if I don’t know much about the industry, there are still these universal emotional undercurrents that we all share, right? I’m honestly not that interested in the entertainment world either. I barely pay attention to celebrity news unless it’s about a major crime or a really heartwarming story. But even with just that level of interest, you can still talk about people.

I don’t get why this manga keeps being so passive-aggressive. And even if I can tolerate the passive-aggressiveness, what’s so frustrating is that it still ends up muddying what it’s trying to say!! If you're going to drag in such serious issues, take some responsibility for the material!! Beautiful artwork isn't everything!! Just because the character designs are pretty and the characters have strong personalities doesn’t mean that’s enough!! If you’re going to tell a story about that world, then at least pick one thing you really wanted to say and make it clear. Don’t run away from it.

Yeah, that's all for now.

…Ugh. You know what? I’m just going to stop overthinking my interpretation now and push forward comfortably.

In fact, Kamiki is probably the most internally torn character out of everyone, and yet—ironically, he’s also one of the least twisted in terms of his inner judgment. Ai, on the other hand, got pretty twisted. But that was because the author deliberately placed her character in such a situation where she'd suffer like that. She's, in fact, such a pure and kind-hearted type, but because she was hurt so deeply, she became disillusioned.

Kamiki, on the other hand…I believe he was someone who really wanted to believe in people. That’s what led to all the problems. When he was young, he didn’t know how to be wary of others. He kept thinking, “If I do well, if I just do this, things will be okay.” And when things went wrong, he kept blaming himself. All the way to the day Ai died—he took it all onto himself. That’s what drove him mad!!

He’s not some malicious person who would send a knife-wielding man to Ai. What he wanted to send her was flowers. Flowers. And regarding Ryosuke—Kamiki knew that he was someone Ai would recognize. She did recognize him, remember? Kamiki knew Ryosuke was Nino’s boyfriend and a fan who went to handshake events. So then—do you really think Kamiki sent Ryosuke to hurt Ai? No way. Did he think Ryosuke would harm her? Scare her? Absolutely not!! If he had thought that, then Ryosuke would’ve been the worst possible choice. He’s a fan. Who imagines a fan hurting their idol?? Kamiki had known him for years and thought he was a good person. He trusted him—and I think that was all genuine.

If Kamiki had held any ill will toward Ai, he would’ve chosen someone else. Someone with no connection to her at all. But what he really wanted was to go see his kids. To congratulate Ai on her dome concert. Then things happened… and he couldn’t bear it. He broke. He wanted to do something—for Ai, about Ai—and that’s what kept him alive. But that, in whatever way it spiraled out, led to these devastating consequences… and that's how Aqua has tracked him down.

I keep, keep saying this. I figured this out before it even came out. And the fact that people still haven’t caught on—it’s frustrating and painful. The author shouldn’t have left this unspoken like that!!!

I just wanted to uncover this for everyone. I really wanted to pull this part into the light...

Surely people at least figured this part out? They must have seen that much, right?

But by leaving it vague like this—honestly, the effects it has are really not good. The focus here shouldn't be on whether Kamiki is the evil one or not, what this manga should have been discussing is something else entirely, and I see that, I actually consider it as a pretty good message but the fact that the authors themselves bury it is so frustrating. But like I said, it really doesn't go so much about the subject matter so much either, so perhaps they feel they achieved everything they wanted and are really satisfied with it.

In that case, I may be holding my expectations too high. But that's called believing in them! I thought they could do good and be really thoughtful about the materials they handle, it's not like it doesn't exist at all, right.

[mesetacadre]

The bourgeois rhetoric attempts to conceal the real culprit that hinders the utilization of this immense technological potential in the interest of social prosperity. Bourgeois analyses present the development of technology either as a danger or as a miraculous solution to our problems.

Both the demonization of technology and the utopian, deterministic expectation of social prosperity that will supposedly result automatically from technological progress, are two sides of the same unhistorical and erroneous theoretical approach.

The main question is who and for whose interests determines the orientation, development and utilization of new technologies. Behind AI lie the choices of human intelligence and the particular class interests it serves.

[...]

Similarly, regardless of whether we examine the era of the steam engine or the age of the intelligent robot, technology under capitalism was, is and will be a means of producing surplus value and a means of control and repression in the hands of capital’s power. Marx had also documented the role of machines in increasing the productivity of labour, making commodities cheaper and increasing the degree of exploitation. He had already highlighted in his work Grundrisse that the development of fixed capital indicates to what degree general social knowledge has become a direct force of production. Capital determines not only the use of technology but also the orientation and priorities of its development always driven by profit.

[...]

Contrary to bourgeois propaganda, this technological development sharpens the contradictions of the capitalist mode of production and constitutes the continuous attack of bourgeois policy on workers’ rights a one-way street.

As we know from Marxist political economy, the higher the level of technical development of production, the higher the ratio of the means of production to labour power in the production process, the higher the technical and organic composition of capital, the greater the tendency for the rate of profit to fall. We must not forget that the source of exploitation, the source of surplus value and capitalist profit is the unpaid labour time of the wage-workers, the unpaid labour over and above the value of their labour power, which is appropriated by the capitalist. Only living labour power, not robots, creates surplus value.

Of course, bourgeois policy does not passively watch this downward trend in the rate of profit. It intervenes in multifarious ways to halt this trend and to increase the degree of exploitation of the workers in every sector and in the economy as a whole.

Capital takes advantage of the new technological possibilities which allow it to increase in practice the daily working time, irrespective of the time that workers spend in their workplace and the legal working hours, and at the same time to intensify labour. It exploits the surge in unemployment to generalize flexible labour relations.

[...]

A look at the current EU practice is enough to enlighten us. The EU staffs claim to have enshrined a European Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. What is happening in practice? In the name of security and counter-terrorism, they have legally enshrined the full digital profiling and processing of our personal data as well as preventive surveillance and intervention.

The AI act’s regulations on artificial intelligence are similar. The real rules of the new framework are in fact the exceptions and the downplaying of dangers.

In the name of public safety and counter-terrorism, biometric identification such as the analysis of our voice and our movement in public places are an exception to the rule. France has already become the first EU Member State with legislation allowing the use of biometric monitoring in public places in the name of safeguarding the security of the Olympic Games.

In the name of entrepreneurship, the workplaces in companies and factories are exempt from the bans.