#Web Design Company in Reading

[webdesignservicesblog]

Affordable Web Design Agency in UK

In the digital age, a strong online presence is essential for any business, especially small businesses looking to compete in a crowded marketplace. However, the high cost of professional web design can be a significant barrier. Fortunately, affordable web design experts are the ideal solution, providing high-quality services at prices that even small businesses can handle. Here, we'll discuss why a web design agency is the best choice

1. Cost-effective solution

One of the main benefits of hiring affordable web design experts is cost savings. Small businesses often operate on a tight budget and need to make the most of every dollar spent. Affordable web designers offer competitive pricing that makes professional web design affordable without sacrificing quality.

Benefits of cost-effective web design:

Reduced initial investment: lower initial costs mean more resources can be allocated to other important areas such as marketing and product development.

Lower maintenance costs: Affordable designers often provide packages that include ongoing maintenance, which reduces long-term costs.

2. High-quality professional design

Affordable web design professionals are able to create high-quality and visually appealing websites that will enhance a company's online presence. These professionals understand the importance of a b2b well-designed website in attracting and retaining customers.

Key features of a professional design:

Brand Consistency: Website Design: Ensures that the website design is consistent with the company brand and marketing materials.

User Experience: Focuses on creating a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate.

Responsive Design: Ensures that the website looks great and works well on all devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Benefits of cost-effective web design:

Reduced initial investment: lower initial costs mean more resources can be allocated to other important areas such as marketing and product development.

Lower maintenance costs: Affordable designers often provide packages that include ongoing maintenance, which reduces long-term costs.

2. High-quality professional design

Affordable web design professionals are able to create high-quality and visually appealing websites that will enhance a company's online presence. These professionals understand the importance of a well-designed website in attracting and retaining customers.

Key features of a professional design:

Brand Consistency: Website Design: Ensures that the website design is consistent with the company brand and marketing materials.

User Experience: Focuses on creating a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate.

Responsive Design: Ensures that the website looks great and works well on all devices, including smartphones and tablets.

3. Solutions tailored to the needs of the company

Affordable web design experts provide customized solutions that meet the unique needs of each business. Unlike generic templates, customized designs offer flexibility and originality, helping small businesses stand out above the competition.

Benefits of customized solutions:

Unique design: reflects the personality and values of the business.

Scalability: Allows for future growth and expansion.

Functionality: Customized features that enhance the user experience and meet specific business goals.

4. Quick turnaround time

Small businesses often need to get their websites up and running quickly. Affordable web design experts understand this urgency and are able to provide fast turnaround times without compromising on quality.

The benefits of a quick turnaround:

Faster time to market: it allows businesses to start acquiring customers earlier.

Timely updates: Quickly implement updates and changes as needed..

Competitive advantage: Helps businesses stay ahead of competitors that may be in the design phase.

5. Good understanding of the needs of small businesses

Affordable web design experts typically have extensive experience working with small businesses and understand their unique challenges and requirements. This experience allows them to provide solutions that are effective and practical.

Insights from experienced designers:

Options that are cost-effective: Creative ways to maximize the impact of a limited budget.

Effective communication: Clear and direct communication to ensure the needs of the business are met.

Focused Marketing Strategies: Integrating design elements that support small business marketing efforts.

6. Improved SEO and online visibility

A professionally designed website by an affordable web design expert is often optimized for search engine optimization (SEO), which improves a company's online visibility. This is essential for attracting organic traffic and increasing the likelihood of converting visitors into customers.

SEO Benefits:

Higher search engine rankings: better visibility on search engine results pages.

Increased traffic: attracts more visitors to the website.

Better user experience: SEO-friendly design that increases user engagement and retention.

7. Ongoing support and maintenance.

Affordable web design experts often provide ongoing support and maintenance services to ensure that websites remain up-to-date, secure, and functional. This ongoing support is essential for small businesses that may not have in-house technical expertise.

Support services include:

Regular updates: Keeping the website up to date with the latest trends and technologies.

Security enhancements: protecting the website from potential threats and vulnerabilities.

Technical Support: Help with any questions or issues that may arise.

8. Access to the latest technologies

Affordable web design experts keep abreast of the latest trends and technologies in web design, ensuring that their clients benefit from modern and innovative solutions. This approach can be revolutionary for small businesses looking to take advantage of new tools and features.

Technological advantages:

Modern design aesthetics: Utilizing the latest design trends to make websites look fresh and modern.

Advanced functionality: Incorporating new features that enhance the user experience.

Performance optimization: Techniques to improve site speed and performance.

Conclusion

Affordable web design experts offer small businesses a valuable opportunity to create a professional, high-quality online presence without the prohibitive costs usually associated with website development. These experts provide cost-effective solutions, customized designs, fast turnaround time and ongoing support to help small businesses compete effectively in the digital marketplace.

From improved online visibility to greater user engagement, investing in affordable web design is a strategic move that can yield significant gains. For small businesses that want to make a stronger online presence, working with an affordable web design expert is undoubtedly the best option. For Digital Marketing Services contact Red giraffe web Design agency

[mostlysignssomeportents]

How lock-in hurts design

Berliners: Otherland has added a second date (Jan 28) for my book-talk after the first one sold out - book now!

If you've ever read about design, you've probably encountered the idea of "paving the desire path." A "desire path" is an erosion path created by people departing from the official walkway and taking their own route. The story goes that smart campus planners don't fight the desire paths laid down by students; they pave them, formalizing the route that their constituents have voted for with their feet.

Desire paths aren't always great (Wikipedia notes that "desire paths sometimes cut through sensitive habitats and exclusion zones, threatening wildlife and park security"), but in the context of design, a desire path is a way that users communicate with designers, creating a feedback loop between those two groups. The designers make a product, the users use it in ways that surprise the designer, and the designer integrates all that into a new revision of the product.

This method is widely heralded as a means of "co-innovating" between users and companies. Designers who practice the method are lauded for their humility, their willingness to learn from their users. Tech history is strewn with examples of successful paved desire-paths.

Take John Deere. While today the company is notorious for its war on its customers (via its opposition to right to repair), Deere was once a leader in co-innovation, dispatching roving field engineers to visit farms and learn how farmers had modified their tractors. The best of these modifications would then be worked into the next round of tractor designs, in a virtuous cycle:

https://securityledger.com/2019/03/opinion-my-grandfathers-john-deere-would-support-our-right-to-repair/

But this pattern is even more pronounced in the digital world, because it's much easier to update a digital service than it is to update all the tractors in the field, especially if that service is cloud-based, meaning you can modify the back-end everyone is instantly updated. The most celebrated example of this co-creation is Twitter, whose users created a host of its core features.

Retweets, for example, were a user creation. Users who saw something they liked on the service would type "RT" and paste the text and the link into a new tweet composition window. Same for quote-tweets: users copied the URL for a tweet and pasted it in below their own commentary. Twitter designers observed this user innovation and formalized it, turning it into part of Twitter's core feature-set.

Companies are obsessed with discovering digital desire paths. They pay fortunes for analytics software to produce maps of how their users interact with their services, run focus groups, even embed sneaky screen-recording software into their web-pages:

https://www.wired.com/story/the-dark-side-of-replay-sessions-that-record-your-every-move-online/

This relentless surveillance of users is pursued in the name of making things better for them: let us spy on you and we'll figure out where your pain-points and friction are coming from, and remove those. We all win!

But this impulse is a world apart from the humility and respect implied by co-innovation. The constant, nonconsensual observation of users has more to do with controlling users than learning from them.

That is, after all, the ethos of modern technology: the more control a company can exert over its users ,the more value it can transfer from those users to its shareholders. That's the key to enshittification, the ubiquitous platform decay that has degraded virtually all the technology we use, making it worse every day:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

When you are seeking to control users, the desire paths they create are all too frequently a means to wrestling control back from you. Take advertising: every time a service makes its ads more obnoxious and invasive, it creates an incentive for its users to search for "how do I install an ad-blocker":

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/adblocking-how-about-nah

More than half of all web-users have installed ad-blockers. It's the largest consumer boycott in human history:

https://doc.searls.com/2023/11/11/how-is-the-worlds-biggest-boycott-doing/

But zero app users have installed ad-blockers, because reverse-engineering an app requires that you bypass its encryption, triggering liability under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This law provides for a $500,000 fine and a 5-year prison sentence for "circumvention" of access controls:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/12/youre-holding-it-wrong/#if-dishwashers-were-iphones

Beyond that, modifying an app creates liability under copyright, trademark, patent, trade secrets, noncompete, nondisclosure and so on. It's what Jay Freeman calls "felony contempt of business model":

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

This is why services are so horny to drive you to install their app rather using their websites: they are trying to get you to do something that, given your druthers, you would prefer not to do. They want to force you to exit through the gift shop, you want to carve a desire path straight to the parking lot. Apps let them mobilize the law to literally criminalize those desire paths.

An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a felony to block ads in it (or do anything else that wrestles value back from a company). Apps are web-pages where everything not forbidden is mandatory.

Seen in this light, an app is a way to wage war on desire paths, to abandon the cooperative model for co-innovation in favor of the adversarial model of user control and extraction.

Corporate apologists like to claim that the proliferation of apps proves that users like them. Neoliberal economists love the idea that business as usual represents a "revealed preference." This is an intellectually unserious tautology: "you do this, so you must like it":

https://boingboing.net/2024/01/22/hp-ceo-says-customers-are-a-bad-investment-unless-they-can-be-made-to-buy-companys-drm-ink-cartridges.html

Calling an action where no alternatives are permissible a "preference" or a "choice" is a cheap trick – especially when considered against the "preferences" that reveal themselves when a real choice is possible. Take commercial surveillance: when Apple gave Ios users a choice about being spied on – a one-click opt of of app-based surveillance – 96% of users choice no spying:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/96-of-us-users-opt-out-of-app-tracking-in-ios-14-5-analytics-find/

But then Apple started spying on those very same users that had opted out of spying by Facebook and other Apple competitors:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Neoclassical economists aren't just obsessed with revealed preferences – they also love to bandy about the idea of "moral hazard": economic arrangements that tempt people to be dishonest. This is typically applied to the public ("consumers" in the contemptuous parlance of econospeak). But apps are pure moral hazard – for corporations. The ability to prohibit desire paths – and literally imprison rivals who help your users thwart those prohibitions – is too tempting for companies to resist.

The fact that the majority of web users block ads reveals a strong preference for not being spied on ("users just want relevant ads" is such an obvious lie that doesn't merit any serious discussion):

https://www.iccl.ie/news/82-of-the-irish-public-wants-big-techs-toxic-algorithms-switched-off/

Giant companies attained their scale by learning from their users, not by thwarting them. The person using technology always knows something about what they need to do and how they want to do it that the designers can never anticipate. This is especially true of people who are unlike those designers – people who live on the other side of the world, or the other side of the economic divide, or whose bodies don't work the way that the designers' bodies do:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/20/benevolent-dictators/#felony-contempt-of-business-model

Apps – and other technologies that are locked down so their users can be locked in – are the height of technological arrogance. They embody a belief that users are to be told, not heard. If a user wants to do something that the designer didn't anticipate, that's the user's fault:

https://www.wired.com/2010/06/iphone-4-holding-it-wrong/

Corporate enthusiasm for prohibiting you from reconfiguring the tools you use to suit your needs is a declaration of the end of history. "Sure," John Deere execs say, "we once learned from farmers by observing how they modified their tractors. But today's farmers are so much stupider and we are so much smarter that we have nothing to learn from them anymore."

Spying on your users to control them is a poor substitute asking your users their permission to learn from them. Without technological self-determination, preferences can't be revealed. Without the right to seize the means of computation, the desire paths never emerge, leaving designers in the dark about what users really want.

Our policymakers swear loyalty to "innovation" but when corporations ask for the right to decide who can innovate and how, they fall all over themselves to create laws that let companies punish users for the crime of contempt of business-model.

I'm Kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/24/everything-not-mandatory/#is-prohibited

Image: Belem (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Desire_path_%2819811581366%29.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

[sphinx-n-friends]

△◬▲ Avengers' Hobbies ▲◬△

Here are some hobbies and interests that I think the Avengers will have when I shift, including my own that I already have here. I will probably update this when I shift and we'll see if I'm right! Some of these are canon, but I'm throwing them in here for fun anyway.

△◬▲◬△

▲ Tony

△ Rubik's cube (and other little puzzles) - That brain of his must have mastered it in a day, so he probably does it mindlessly while he thinks.

△ Formula 1 - As seen in the MCU. But it's SO fitting for him, I just have to put that out there.

△ Concerts - He loves a good party and, based on his t-shirts, he seems to love music. I wouldn't be surprised if he just hangs out on the side of the stages because he's Tony Stark and can.

△ Design - He's made quite a few suits, so I can see him really getting into the creative aspect of things. This applies to all of his inventions too. They have to look as "cool" as he does, right?

▲ Rhodey

△ Reading - Give this man a newspaper or a biography or something, he'll be set.

△ Pool & Ping Pong - Somehow, someway, he's just way better at both of these than 94% of the population. And yes, he will definitely rub it in your face.

△ Piano - I feel like his mother or grandmother taught him how to play when he was young so it's a very sentimental talent of his.

▲ Peter

△ Photography - Obviously. That little stinker is too talented for his own good.

△ Tinkering in the Lab - Based on his enthusiasm in the MCU, I think he spends a lot of his time just messing around in the lab, even if he's alone, though of course he prefers to have company. He gets so excited when an idea of his works.

△ Quality Time - Like I mentioned, he likes company. He might be a little awkward sometimes, but I think that's what makes that time with people mean so much to him. It makes him happy to know that people want to hang out with him.

△ Slacklining - Hear me out. He uses his webs to create a makeshift slackline across buildings or whatever. Maybe he's on a stakeout and gets bored, I don't know, but he's damn good at it.

▲ Bruce

△ The Opera - As we saw in the MCU, he uses music to calm himself down. But I think he has a deeper connection and fascination with it than most may notice. There's something about the harmony between all of the instruments and voices that mesmerizes him. He could go on and on about it, and I can't wait to listen to him rant when I shift!

△ Scientific Research - If he's not the one doing the research, then he's reading all about it. He loves hearing other people's discoveries and he craves getting all the knowledge he can.

△ Meditation - With all of the Hulk nonsense, he got into it to help his anger. Maybe it works sometimes and doesn't other times. I don't know, but I think he has grown to love the process.

▲ Thor

△ History & Storytelling - As we know, he loves sharing stories of his own, but I think he also enjoys hearing them from others. He might one up them afterwards... Still, though. He really likes learning about makes people and places the way they are: their history and experiences.

△ Tests of Physical Strength - He has strength, a lot of it, and he likes to show it. He loves competitions between the Avengers (and winning). Even tug of war, he'll be there.

△ Singing - He sings in the shower. There's no way he doesn't. And he's actually quite good. For some reason, I feel like he might not do it in public much (unless he's drunk or joking around). Maybe it's an Asgardian culture thing.

▲ Scott

△ Scott is just excessively talented for no reason. He can learn any skill. It's actually kind infuriating. Anyway, I'll list a few.

△ Magic, Drums, Arts and Crafts, Card Games, Juggling, etc...

▲ Pietro

△ Sports - He's ridiculously athletic. He has mastered every sport. He probably doesn't even need his powers to be good at them. He's just a boss man like that. I do think his specialty is soccer (football, I know; I'm American, I'm sorry), as in I think he probably played it as a child and was obviously the best.

△ Wii Sports - He's unstoppable. No one can beat him. He has set impossibly high records. Still, he loves playing them so much.

△ Just Dance - Yeah, it's the same situation as the Wii. Those hips don't lie. Unfortunately, this means that it's very hard to convince people to play with him. He happily plays by himself, but of course it's more fun with other people.

▲ Wanda

△ Cooking - As seen in the MCU, but I'm so excited to taste her creations, are you kidding? I bet she finds all sorts of cute recipes on Pinterest too.

△ Ukulele - I remember seeing a guitar in her room in the Compound (Civil War I think?), but I think she started with a little ukulele! Maybe her parents bought her one for her birthday and she was devastated that she lost it during the incident we shall not name. She's such a sweetheart, I can't.

△ Crochet - She could probably crochet using her powers with her eyes closed. I also think she likes doing it to practice her control of her powers for precision purposes.

△ Jigsaw Puzzles - Just like I previously mentioned, I think she enjoys it for practicing her powers, but I also think she likes the peacefulness of it.

▲ Clint

△ Pool - Remember when I said that Rhodey is better at pool than 94% of the population? Yeah, Clint is the one person he can't beat. His aim is unearthly.

△ Harmonica - This guy will whip out a harmonica out of nowhere (one of his many pockets) and give the crew a nice little tune. He's quite skilled too. Name any song and he'll learn it for you in an hour.

△ Card Games - He may act nonchalant or like he doesn't really care about the game, but he will turn around and win with one incredible move and blow everyone's minds, then shrug like it was nothing. That brain is bigger than we give him credit for, I'm calling it right now.

△ Surfing - He just has that vibe. Not the stereotypical surfer dude, but a guy who will casually surf a forty-foot wave after he finishes a mission in Fiji or something. He's cool like that.

▲ Nat

△ Ballet - Despite all the trauma associated with it, I think she still has a soft spot for dancing. It was such a major part of her life for so long, so maybe she does it to heal her inner child.

△ Yoga - She has to stay flexible somehow, right? Also, I think she'd enjoy doing it to calm down after a mission or when she's stressed.

△ Aerial Silks - Speaking of flexibility... Same goes for this! She does all sorts of cool tricks too.

△ Hair - Her hairstyle changed like every movie, who has time to go to a hairdresser when you're a super spy? That lovely lady learned to cut and dye it herself, and I'm sure she'd happily do it for others if they ask. (*Nat and Steve will be together in my DR and I bet she cuts his every time!)

▲ Steve

△ Drawing - As seen in the MCU. He definitely doodles during meetings.

△ Calligraphy - Writing in cursive was way more common and just what everyone did. So, due to his physical limitations, I think he probably spent a lot of time practicing his penmanship and perfecting its art form, especially while he was sick. Drawing and writing were two of his major pastimes.

△ Running - Since he kind of couldn't, or rather, couldn't to the average extent or the extent he wanted to, he takes advantage of his abilities now. He loves the rush too. Can't relate, but go you, Steve!

△ Museums - He likes catching up on what he missed, but also enjoys the stories the world holds. He has always like history, so learning everything about the past seventy years and the rest of time keeps him busy.

▲ Sam

△ Cooking - As seen in TFATWS. But I also think he loves food and is totally a food critic, so obviously he wants to have the best cuisine on deck whenever he wants.

△ Psychology - Since he was a counselor for veterans, I think psychology interests him a lot more than some think. He may be a goof, but there's some wisdom inside him too.

△ Chatting - It's his favorite thing to do. He could talk for days straight. He loves it so, so much.

△ Board Games - He might get a little distracted during card games, thanks to the chatting, but if a board game is pulled out, he is completely invested. There's something about the map-like structure that makes his brain spark.

▲ Bucky

△ Reading - As seen in TFATWS. He loves a good fantasy book to take his mind to a different, sometimes better place.

△ Welding - He would be so good at this. I don't he did this exactly on Sam's parents' boat, but I'm sure he has the mechanical experience.

△ Repairs - As seen in TFATWS. I think he really likes fixing things, having the control to make something right and doing it, even if it's something small like a leaking faucet. It makes him feel helpful.

△ Gardening - Hear me out, stay with me. Imagine how much love and effort he would put into a couple plants, even if they're just houseplants. That nurturing side of him that he showed to Steve in the forties must still be in there. He wants to nurture something (and someone, aka me lol) in the way no one did for him when he was a slave for HYDRA. And once he masters it, he's damn good at it.

△ Games - As seen in TFATWS. There's playfulness in him past the brooding.

▲ Me

△ Abstract painting - I've been painting for a few years now and I love it! I just play some music and zone out, letting the paint take me away... I'm excited to make some art for people's birthdays and whatnot when I shift, just like I do here!

△ Baking - I definitely prefer baking over cooking. Give me a recipe and I can make anything. Plus, I have a major sweet tooth. My CR mom tells me that baking is my love language and she's not wrong.

△ Writing - Creative writing is my passion! I have so many possible book ideas, we'll see if I actually write any of them someday. I certainly want to!

[amarynthian-chronicles]

A Game of Light and Shadows

Sebastian Solace x Reader

Simple pleasures had become a luxury for him a long while ago. Something as simple as lighting a cigarette, relishing the rush it gave to his tormented mind, the flickering flame of his golden lighter creating a playful display of shadows on the walls.

He took a long drag, enjoying the peace of his own company. A semblance of normalcy.

Sebastian was balancing a book in his other hand, his esca glowing enough for him to read. The pages were not in an enviable condition, having survived various disasters before haphazardly ending up in his little makeshift shop. "The Count of Monte Cristo". How ironic. How fitting.

Perhaps it offered a distorted form of comfort. A fragile hope that the wrongfully accused hero could indeed escape his prison and reclaim his destiny. A spark in darkness. And yet, cruel fate had made him unable to withstand proper light. Was he truly condemned to the underworld forever?

A familiar noise in the corner of the room. Sebastian had become so accustomed to your little "visits". His darling little nuisance, his silly little spark, haunting him in the depths.

You stood there in the penumbra, a sly smile gracing your features.

Your inexperience had transformed into skill, your fear morphing into bitter courage. You had become so confident, so strong. He had made you into such a magnificent creature, all according to his design and his plans. He would have you one day.

"Low on supplies, babes? You know the rules, take what you need and leave the required payment. Forgive me for not being a gracious host today."

"Actually, I am here to offer you a gift. Something to thank you for being my guardian angel."

"Is that so? There is no such things as gifts, babes. What do you want?"

You simply approached him, holding up a little bag for him to see. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for you to perform whatever trick you had in store. To his surprise, you produced a little package of ground coffee and two mugs.

"I did notice you have a water boiler here, so I was thinking that maybe we could enjoy something nice and warm together. How does that sound?"

So silly. The hopeful spark in your eyes, the sweet tone of your voice. Even after all the hardships you had endured, and all the changes you had undergone in order to survive into a proper warrior, that tiny bit of whimsy remained. Sebastian could not help but grin, tapping the ash from his cigarette into a nearby tray.

"Despair is a terrible thing, you know. It makes you seek the company of monsters. Loneliness pushes you into the arms any wicked creature in the vicinity, just to feel some sort of comfort."

"Oh, come on, Seb. Don't be so dramatic and have some coffee with me. Is it so outrageous that I simply wish to be your friend? Please? Just a little cup of coffee with me? You can show me what you are reading, as well."

Sweetling, creature of daylight. If moths were attracted to the light, were butterflies attracted to darkness? Perhaps he should indulge your request. It would be one step closer to his web, having your loyalty at his disposal.

He finished his cigarette and placed the book down, taking your bag. A few minutes later, his lair had the scent of freshly brewed coffee permeating the air. How domestic, how lovely. Perhaps, when all was over, he could make this bliss a reality with you. He could build a home with you.

You made a happy hum as you slowly sipped on the warm drink. It did wonders for the senses, awakening and sharpening them. You were about to compliment Sebastian's coffee-making skills, but you suddenly felt a pair of strong arms pull you upwards onto his lap. You felt warmth in your cheeks as Sebastian placed a clawed finger under your chin.

"Now, babes, how about we do some reading together, hm?"

He reached for his book once more and adjusted his position, making sure to continue having his arms around you. You made yourself comfortable, listening to his soft purrs, embraced by his soft darkness. A gentle kiss was placed on your cheek and your neck. You were happy.

[thecozycat]

🧡 Tuesday Tips #2 🧡

What Are RSS and Atom Feeds?

The Small Web movement is about reclaiming personal control over the internet, moving away from the corporate, ad-driven platforms that dominate the online space today. One of the biggest advantages of using RSS or Atom is that you can follow nearly any type of content from all over the web—blogs, news websites, YouTube channels, podcasts, even academic journals! As long as the site provides an RSS or Atom feed (which many still do), you can add it to your reader and automatically get updates when new content is published. You have full control over the flow of information, making it possible to keep up with your favorite creators and websites without being tracked or bombarded by irrelevant content suggestions (Facebook, I’m looking at you).

RSS and Atom feeds are a perfect fit for curating personal content feeds in this movement. You can even follow your friends across the small web as well! It’s like having your own personal news feed of all your friends, except there’s no corporation deciding when, how, or if you’ll even see their posts. You curate your own personalized feed, and using either RSS or Atom ensures that no algorithms can ever manipulate what you see.

So what exactly are RSS and Atom feeds? Both RSS and Atom are web feed formats used to publish updates from websites. They allow you to subscribe to blogs, news sites, podcasts, or any site with frequent updates so you can get all the latest content in one place, typically through an RSS reader.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication): One of the oldest and most popular formats for delivering content updates to users. Websites publish RSS feeds in XML format, which feed readers then display for you.

Atom: A more recent alternative to RSS, designed to address some limitations of the original RSS format. Atom feeds use XML like RSS but have a different structure and were developed to offer more features and flexibility.

Both formats serve the same purpose: they help you get content updates automatically.

Can Your RSS Reader Read Atom Feeds?

The good news is that most modern RSS readers support both RSS and Atom formats. This means you don’t have to worry about whether a website offers an RSS or Atom feed—most readers will be able to handle both seamlessly. 

RSS & Atom Feeds vs. Big Tech Social Media News Feeds

Most social media platforms do not display posts in chronological order. Instead, they use algorithms to determine what content to show you based on your behavior—what you click on, like, or share. These algorithms analyze vast amounts of data and prioritize content that’s most likely to keep you engaged for as long as possible. This manipulation works to increase user engagement and, ultimately, profit for these companies, but it also has a profound impact on what we see and believe. Here are a few examples:

Echo Chambers and Polarization Algorithms tend to show us more of what we already like and agree with. Over time, this creates echo chambers—digital spaces where we are surrounded by similar viewpoints. When people only see content that aligns with their own opinions, it reinforces their beliefs and prevents exposure to different perspectives. This phenomenon can fuel political polarization, as users become more entrenched in their viewpoints, leading to heightened social division.

Amplification of Emotional and Sensational Content Algorithms are designed to promote content that triggers emotional responses, particularly outrage or fear, as these emotions tend to generate more engagement. This is why sensationalized news and emotionally charged political content often appear at the top of feeds. For example, Facebook’s own internal studies, revealed in the 2021 Facebook Papers, showed that its algorithm was amplifying divisive, angry content because it kept users engaged longer. This is particularly harmful when it comes to false narratives, as these stories are more likely to be shared when they evoke strong emotional reactions, leading to widespread public deception.

Surveillance and Data Harvesting Another corrupt aspect of Big Tech’s manipulation is the way these companies harvest vast amounts of user data to further refine their algorithms and maximize ad revenue. Companies track every click, scroll, and interaction to build a detailed profile of each user. This information is sold to advertisers or used to tailor the content in your news feed to keep you hooked. Beyond mere advertising, this data can be used for more insidious purposes, such as political manipulation. More broadly, Big Tech can shape the course of social movements by giving disproportionate visibility to certain voices or downranking others. This power can be used both to promote grassroots campaigns, but also to suppress dissenting voices.

Surveillance Capitalism This term describes how Big Tech companies monetize personal data by surveilling users and creating predictive models of human behavior. By using data harvested from news feed interactions, tech companies can sell detailed user profiles to advertisers, who use these insights to target individuals with precision ads. This economic model, built on constant surveillance, makes it nearly impossible for users to avoid being tracked online. Surveillance capitalism turns user behavior into a commodity, violating privacy in the pursuit of profit. Worse yet, this behavior-modifying system can be used to influence not just what we buy, but how we think and act.

The “Filter Bubble” Effect The term “filter bubble,” refers to the personalization algorithms used by Big Tech to show you only content that aligns with your previous preferences. This isolation of information creates a self-reinforcing loop where users are insulated from viewpoints that challenge their assumptions. This leads to a distorted reality in which everything we see online confirms our existing beliefs, regardless of whether those beliefs are factual. For instance, someone interested in a certain political ideology will be fed more and more content supporting that viewpoint, while dissenting or critical information is filtered out, creating an illusion that everyone shares the same perspective.

RSS & Atom feeds offer a stark contrast to Big Tech news feeds in several key ways:

No algorithms.

No tracking.

No targeting.

No data harvesting.

No distractions.

You’re in full control the content you consume without external corporate influences and manipulation.

RSS and Atom feeds allow you to escape the grasp of these algorithms, trackers, data harvesting, as well as corporate and political agendas. When you use an RSS reader, no one is tracking what you’re reading or recommending content to you based on targeting you and your activity. You can browse in peace, knowing you’re not being manipulated by a hidden algorithm. Using RSS and Atom feeds gives you complete control over the content you consume. Instead of relying on a platform to decide what’s relevant or interesting to you, RSS and Atom empower you to curate your own digital experience. Isn’t that great? You can subscribe to as many or as few feeds as you like, organize them into categories, and stay informed on your own terms to the content and people that matter to you most.

TIP: As you subscribe to multiple RSS feeds, organization becomes key. Most RSS readers allow you to categorize feeds, grouping them by topic or priority. For example, you might have separate folders for news, tech blogs, personal interest websites, or even specific topics like web development. Organizing your feeds ensures that you never miss important updates while keeping your content stream manageable.

...........................................................................

Choose Your RSS Feed Reader

Browser Extensions:

If you’re looking for a list of user-friendly, privacy-focused, fully free and actively updated open-source RSS feed readers for (primarily) Firefox and Chrome-based browsers, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive right in! ........................................................................... FEEDBRO Feedbro is an RSS feed reader that is compatible with both Firefox and Chrome browsers. It offers a user-friendly interface and has features such as feed filtering, sorting, and a built-in search engine. > Get it for Firefox > Get it for Chrome > Get it on Microsoft Edge ........................................................................... SMART RSS Smart RSS allows you to follow new posts on your favorite websites exposing RSS and Atom feeds in a three pane view, providing background loading of new articles and allowing you to organize sources into folders. > Get it for Firefox > Get it for Chrome ...........................................................................

Android & IOS Apps:

Mobile apps are notorious for tracking and harvesting user data, possibly even moreso than pc given the modern smart phone’s ability to record audio, video, and keep track of your location in real time. Here is a list of free, open source, privacy-focused RSS feed reader apps for both Android and iOS so you can enjoy your favorite RSS feeds on the go. ........................................................................... FEEDER Feeder is a fully free/libre feed reader. It supports all common feed formats, including JSONFeed. It doesn’t track you. It doesn’t require any setup. It doesn’t even need you to create an account! Just setup your feeds, or import them from your old reader via OPML, then get on with syncing and reading. > Get Feeder on Google Play (Android) > Get Feeder on F-Droid (Android) ........................................................................... Flym News Reader While no longer being updated, Flym News Reader is still an excellent news reader for Android. Flym News Reader is a simple, modern, totally free (no ads) and opensource project which keeps you inform by fetching your websites/blogs and displaying them in a mobile-optimized way. > Get Flym on Google Play (Android) > Get Flym on F-Droid (Android) ........................................................................... Fiery Feeds Fiery Feeds is a powerful and highly customisable feed reader and read-it-later client that syncs with most services. It features article view modes, feed management, flexible layouts, smart views, color themes, and more! While I wasn’t able to uncover if it was open source, the developer does have a good privacy-respecting policy here. It’s one of the better alternatives for IOS. > Get Fiery Feeds for IOS ...........................................................................

Other PC Software:

So, it looks like you’re on the hunt for the perfect RSS feed reader. Luckily, there are a ton of great open-source options out there that are user-friendly, privacy-focused, free, and actively updated. Let’s dive in! ........................................................................... QuiteRSS First up, we have QuiteRSS. This RSS feed reader is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, making it a great option for those who use multiple operating systems. The interface is simple and intuitive, with a clean layout that’s easy to navigate. To add a new feed, simply click on the “Add Feed” button and enter the URL of the feed you want to subscribe to. You can learn more about their features here. Pros: • QuiteRSS is lightweight and doesn’t use up a lot of system resources. • Available for multiple operating systems. (Windows, Mac, and Linux) Cons: • Some users have reported issues with syncing across devices. > Download QuiteRSS ........................................................................... FEEDREADER For those who want a simple, no-frills RSS feed reader, there’s FeedReader. This reader is available for Windows and Linux. The interface is clean and easy to use, with a basic layout that won’t overwhelm users with too many options. Pros: • FeedReader has a built-in browser, making it easy to view articles without leaving the app. • Available for multiple operating systems. (Windows and Linux) Cons: • Some users have reported issues with syncing across devices. > Download FeedReader ........................................................................... Tiny Tiny RSS Another great option for those who want a privacy-focused RSS feed reader is Tiny Tiny RSS. This reader is self-hosted, which means you’ll need to have your own server to run it on. However, this also means that you have complete control over your data and can ensure your privacy. Adding a new feed is as simple as clicking on the “Add Feed” button and entering the URL. Pros: • Tiny Tiny RSS supports plugins, allowing you to customize it to your needs. Cons: • Setting up a self-hosted RSS feed reader can be daunting for users who are inexperienced with self-hosting their own servers. Best avoid Tiny Tiny RSS if you are unfamiliar with this process. > Tiny Tiny RSS Installation Guide ........................................................................... Feedly Last but not least, we have Feedly. This RSS feed reader is available for Android, iOS, and web, with a paid version available for those who want even more features. Feedly is known for its clean, modern interface that’s easy to navigate. Pros: • Feedly integrates with a ton of other apps and services, making it easy to save articles to read later or share them on social media. Cons: • Some users have reported issues with the free version being limited in features. > Sign Up For Feedly ...........................................................................

Getting RSS feed URLS

In order to subscribe to a website’s RSS feed and add it to your feed reader, you will first need to get the RSS URL (aka link or web address) to the feed you want to follow.There are a few ways to do this, so if you’re totally new to RSS, let’s start with the easiest way first.

First, you’ll need to know what website or blog you want to subscribe to. If you’re not sure, try searching for it in Google.

Once you’re on the website or blog, look for the orange RSS feed icon. It looks like this: Sometimes it’s located in the top right corner of the page, or at the bottom of the page.

Click on the RSS feed icon. This will take you to a page with a lot of code on it. Don’t worry, you don’t need to understand any of this code!

Look at the address bar in your web browser. This is the URL for the RSS feed. Copy this URL.

If you’ve chosen an RSS Reader from the options previously discussed, open your RSS reader. This could be an app on your smartphone, browser extension, or a website or program on your computer.

In your RSS reader, look for an option to add a new feed. This option might be called “Add Subscription” or “Add Feed”.

Paste the URL for the RSS feed into the field provided in your RSS reader. Then click “Add” or “Subscribe”.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully subscribed to an RSS feed. Now you’ll be able to read new articles from this website or blog as soon as they’re published.

What if there is no RSS feed icon on a website I want to follow?

Unfortunately while many websites are RSS compatible, many websites do not offer RSS directly as a subscription option (ex. Youtube, certain blogs, etc). In this circumstance, it gets a little trickier if you aren’t very tech savvy. Have no fear! I will walk you through the process.

The easiest solution if you are not tech savvy is to use the Get RSS Feed URL extension below for your web browser. This extension will automatically grab the rss feed of the page you’re currently visiting (if it has an rss feed available), and then you can simply copy and paste it from your extension to your reader if your RSS reader is on PC. If your RSS reader is on mobile, however, you can use your PC to create a list of all the feed URLs you want to follow, email the list to yourself, and the copy/paste each url from your list by accessing your email from mobile.

> Get RSS Feed URL for Firefox > Get RSS Feed URL for Chrome

If you are a bit tech savvy, however, there is a more straightforward way to get RSS URLs that is much faster.

If you are on PC, check the source code: If you can’t find the RSS icon, you can check the source code of the website. Right-click on the website and select “View Page Source” or “Inspect Element”. Look for the “” tag with the type “application/rss+xml”. The URL located in the “href” attribute is the RSS feed link. Copy and paste the link into your preferred RSS reader.

One other thing you can try is experiment with adding each of the following to the end of the URL of the page you want to follow: /feed /feeds /rss /rss.xml /atom.xml .atom In most cases where an RSS feed is available, adding one of these options to the end of the page’s URL will bring up the page’s RSS feed. This method is hit or miss but always worth a try as it often comes up successful.

For example, if you wanted to subscribe to my status updates (located at https://status.cafe/users/thecozycat) you would add https://status.cafe/users/thecozycat.atom into your RSS feed reader. Or if you wanted to subscribe to my website activity feed (located at https://smallweb.thecozy.cat/activity/feed/), you would add https://smallweb.thecozy.cat/activity/feed/ into your Feeder app. Now, you’re probably asking, how do you know which one is the right one? You will need to test each of the six options in your web browser by trying each of those options at the end of the url you want to add to your feed. If it’s wrong, you’ll likely get an error page. If it’s right, you’ll see a page with code on it OR your browser may prompt you to download the feed file. That’s how you know you’ve got the right one.

How to Make a Website RSS-Compatible

If you’re building a website and want to offer RSS feeds:

WordPress: By default, WordPress generates an RSS feed at yourwebsite.com/feed. You can also customize it using plugins like RSS Post Importer.

Static Site Generators: Static site generators like Jekyll and Hugo support RSS feeds natively, allowing you to create them automatically as part of your build process.

Custom Websites: For custom sites that don’t offer automatic RSS or Atom feed functionality, you can create an XML file that complies with RSS or Atom feed standards, which includes your website’s content updates.

The RSS feed is essentially an XML file that contains metadata about your website’s posts and updates. This file is structured in a specific format so that RSS readers can interpret and display your content.

Example of a Basic RSS File:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?> <rss version="2.0"> <channel> <title>Your Website Title</title> <link>https://yourwebsite.com</link> <description>Your website description goes here</description> <item> <title>Post 1 Title</title> <link>https://yourwebsite.com/post-1</link> <description>Summary of your post goes here</description> <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate> </item> <!-- Repeat the <item> block for each new post --> </channel> </rss>

Step 2: Modify the Feed for Your Site

Replace the text between the , , and tags with details about your site.

Each tag within the block corresponds to a single blog post or update. Add or remove these as necessary.

Ensure the reflects the correct format as shown in the example above.

Step 3: Save and Upload Once you’ve created your RSS file, save it as rss.xml (or another name you prefer, like feed.xml). Upload this file to the root directory of your website so that users can access it via https://yourwebsite.com/rss.xml.

Making Your Feed Public

Now that your RSS file is live, you’ll want to let people know they can subscribe. Add a link to the RSS feed URL on your website, usually in the header, sidebar, or footer (though, you can place it wherever you like). Many sites use an orange RSS icon, which is easily recognizable.

Keep It Updated

Since this is a static feed, you’ll need to manually add new posts to the RSS file as you create them. Simply update the feed XML file with new <item> blocks whenever you add new content, then re-upload the file.

Big Tech and RSS/Atom Restrictions

RSS and Atom are incredibly useful, though you’re probably wondering: if it’s so great, why aren’t more people aware and using it? Personally, and this is just my belief due to what I’ve witnessed with big tech censorship over the years; it is by design that it is not often spoken about anymore. Big tech (and/or “big brother”) companies want everyone to stay stuck in their own information silos, because it is much easier for them to control narratives and the information you consume there, as well as have more control over your private data for their own capitalistic gains. Those who control the flow of information ultimately control the minds of the masses, and that control can make them a heck of a lot of money.

Unfortunately it is big tech websites such as Facebook that block people’s access to retrieving RSS/Atom feeds from their websites, because if they allowed you access to their RSS/Atom feeds from outside of their website, then they wouldn’t be able to contain you to their controlled information silos, track you, or profit off of you using your data. It’s against their own best interests to allow you this freedom, as keeping you contained to their walled gardens allows them to continue their data harvesting monopolies. So that is probably the biggest downside about RSS and Atom feeds when it comes to big tech social media platforms, is that if the information you care most about comes from your loved ones whom are contained within the walled gardens of these big tech social platforms, you won’t be able to retrieve RSS/Atom to create feeds from your friends there.

Not all social platforms are like this, however. You will just have to experiment with retrieving the feeds from different platforms to discover which big tech platforms have blocked RSS access and which ones haven’t.

Conclusion

I think that covers all the bases! The reason for this article, while a bit lengthy, I feel it is important to teach those who may not be tech-savvy in simple terms that are easy to understand.  I think it is important for everyone to know how to use RSS and Atom, and create their own feeds independent of Big Tech social media platforms. Especially in this day and age where Big Tech has so much control and grasp on the information we consume and our private data is so heavily abused, there has never been a better time to start using RSS and Atom feeds. Aside from TheCozy.Cat being my own personal space, I also want it to double as my personal contribution to helping folks break free from their relationships with corrupt corporate entities.

If you have any questions or suggestions to add to this post that could make it even better, leave me a comment letting me know! As I receive feedback, I will make adjustments accordingly to make this article as simple as possible for those who are just getting started with RSS/Atom feeds.

And as always, if you found all this information useful, be sure to bookmark this page so you can easily find it again. Consider sharing it with your friends as well so they too can discover how to curate their own RSS and Atom feeds!

This post was originally shared from my small web blog here.

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[copperbadge]

A horror trope that I very much enjoy is the "haunted book" -- a book that affects the reader in some way, like the Necronomicon driving people mad, or Dr. Mabuse's book that hypnotizes its reader into doing his bidding. It recently had a nice moment in the Magnus Archives, with the Leitner subplot, and there's even a hint of it in Frankenstein, when Victor reads the work of a scientist that his professors dismiss as nonsense and becomes obsessively deranged studying the subject matter.

So it's not that I think it's time for a revival and lord knows the word "reboot" has begun to stink of soulless profit (I think we're one, maybe two flops from a reboot of the MCU). I'm not the most current on horror media in any case so maybe it's been done, but if not I do think we oughta start considering the idea of a haunted phone app.

Apps are already designed for this, anyway. In our current era, a lot of retail "apps" are just reskinned browsers that load an optimized version of the company's website, and the goal of most apps and websites is to keep you in the app/website. (Which is why the google mail and tumblr apps both have internal web browsers.) A lot of phone games are designed to keep you in the game and continually redirect you towards microtransactions, and even apps that aren't games often gamify use; "gamification" has come to be a polite euphemism for "creating addictive circumstances".

Alongside this, a lot of recent cults and cultlike organizations have determined that straight religion is not the best way in anymore, and are coming in sidelong through MLMs (Nexium), wellness and dietary orthodoxies (Bikram Yoga, a number of insta/tiktok orthorexia gurus), or political movements (Qanon). So you get a cult, set up like a business, with an app you use for your business -- or even a cult with a "wellness" app that monitors your sleep, eating, location (wait, that's just FitBit) -- and slowly it gamifies you right into attempting to raise a Great Old One using the power of your downstream or a nice big helping of olive oil coffee.

Although I hate those thinkpieces/art pieces that are all about "you're so busy on your phone you can't appreciate the world around you, remember when we read real paper books" so I would require that the protagonist defeat the evil also using a phone app, or at the very least blind the evil using the flashlight function. Locking the book away in a library app and then putting the phone on airplane mode is a nice resolution, followed perhaps by it lighting up even though it's offline with a message "someone is attempting to locate this phone" as the post-credits stinger for the sequel.

This thought brought to you by Duolingo, which recently fed me, in succession, the task of translating from Italian the phrases

Who do you see in the mirror?

We open the curtains and see the light.

The pillows and blankets are red.

[ocram-station-admin-and-records]

---------------------------------------- >> Terminal Connected << >> [THUNDERHEAD.exe] Running.. >> Approaching Station - Ocram >> Docking Requested >> "The storm follows still." ----------------------------------------

[The ship of the Black Torrent Mercenary Company, 'Stormpierce,' can be seen in the distance. A smaller shuttle is released from one of the many outer bays, a similar design philosophy to the larger ship present. Angles and dark colors, akin to the size of a research vessel with a skeleton crew. Its identification code is listed as "EXA-7B9-00A"; what that means, only the company would know.] [Were the contents of the shuttle scanned, one would find a single organic presence, alongside what seems to be their mech. It is hard to get a reading on either individual, as if they are both anomalous, or paracausal in some manner that should not be. Alongside the shuttle, a simple broadcast is sent from the main ship, only a few words long.]

<Flashflood> "They requested shore leave. We'll be back."

[The shuttle approaches.]

----------------------------------------

>>Omninet Connection Terminated<< >> May the Rain Fall Again >> A Web Entangled With Blood ----------------------------------------

-Received by Akhaan Security

Shuttle to Stormpiece halt your approach immediately. Energy signatures concurrent with known pirate vessels detected.

Should your intentions be peaceful, hold your position and we'll send a shuttle to meet you halfway. Prepare for inspection.

@queen-of-the-cackle , another job for you, if you've found the skinny fucker. If not... they're probably dead by now.

- Alexis

[lillaydee]

The Pre-Wedding Honeymoon

Francisco 'Catfish' Morales/F Reader

Frankie got over his aversion to IT to surprise you with a pre-wedding honeymoon, but not without consequences.

Part of the Frankie and Emma Morales series, but can be read as a standalone. One of the two one shots I forgot to transfer from Ao3.

Saw a thing somewhere of a reverse trope - and this story just popped into my head.

What if there were too many beds instead of only one?

NO WARNINGS, just - Fluff and Humor, Sweet Francisco "Catfish" Morales, Soft Francisco "Catfish" Morales

@jessthebaker, @letsgobarbs, @bergamote-catsandbooks

Frankie excelled at a lot of things. A great soldier. A sharp shooter, an excellent pilot. He could pilot anything – a helicopter, a plane, heck, even a boat. When driving his truck, he made it look so easy when you couldn’t even look over the steering wheel without it being in your chest. He could defuse bombs, rewire anything that needed rewiring, dismantle and reassemble weaponry at an impressive speed and accuracy and could practically see in the dark. At home, he could fix anything. You had never seen him call the super or a handyman – he did it all himself, and his work was always impeccable.

Despite all his talents, no one can deny that Frankie was not great with technology, not even him. That was not a secret. Took him forever to get used to a smart phone, using his reliable old Nokia until the buttons wore off so much you could see the rubber underneath the keypads. Teaching him to navigate the Netflix was a challenge on its own, teaching him to use Google Maps on his phone was a different sort of challenge. He might be the one person you knew who still used an actual map.

When he finally got a smart phone, the guys tried to get him back in the game, maybe get a date or two by downloading Tinder for him, even going so far as creating an account, posting his sulky picture to promote their friend to the ladies. He got annoyed with the pinging his phone was making from all the right swipes he was receiving and having no idea how to silent the damned thing, simply asked his sponsor at NA to uninstall it. The girls tried to get him to socialize a bit, setting up an Instagram account for him – the page was basically covered in cobwebs from his lack of interest. Didn’t follow anyone, didn’t even accept any followers. He didn’t know how. The one app he probably took the effort to learn to use involved food deliveries, and that’s because he couldn’t cook to save his life and relied quite heavily on them to survive. He learnt how to use Uber, but still would rather walk or hail a cab the old fashioned way when he could.

When they started their own company and needed a designer to create a website for their business, Frankie was adamant that he meet the designer. He wanted to be able to navigate the website; it needed to be easy to use, simple but informative. He didn’t want potential clients who were IT-blind such as himself to turn away from their company just because the website was a mess, confusing, and difficult to navigate.

Little did he know he would fall madly in love with the web designer.

The problem then became, he got a little bit too reliant on you IT-wise. He watched reels on Insta and TikTok with you on your phone, from your accounts. You made the online reservations at restaurants, ordered an Uber when needed. You set up his computer when he needed to write a report, heck, you even formatted everything for him once he’s done, usually falling asleep on the daybed next to him in the home office waiting for him to finish typing his reports with his pointer fingers, despite having no problem using all his fingers plucking at the thousands of buttons on a helicopter or a plane. You were basically his IT right hand.

And he loved you for it. He loved you so much, he wanted to do something special just to tell you he appreciated everything you did for him.

He knew you had never been on a vacation before. Your mom didn’t have the financial means to take you on holidays when you were growing up, save for maybe a trip to the beach every now and again, which was within driving distance and did not need much budgeting. He knew that constipated asshole you used to date never even took you out on dates, much less a vacation anywhere.

He had heard of a beautiful place near Amsterdam that he knew you would love. He thought of taking you there for your honeymoon, but the timing was off. So, a pre-wedding honeymoon it would be, just so you could experience this at full bloom. He was giddy from excitement. He was determined for this to be a surprise, going to his computer when you went to brunch with the girls to make the reservations. He was doing great. He actually found the website for the place and clicked on reservations for the lodgings available there, choosing the dates for the reservation, clicking ‘next’ on the page to choose the chalets.

And then he had a violent sneezing fit, and everything went to pot.

The website was now in Chinese.

Shit.

Being in special ops, he could speak a little Chinese, but he could not read it. If this was in Dutch or French he could at least use Google to translate the thing on his phone, a feat he was particularly proud of to have learnt from you, but he had no idea what to click on to do that now. He couldn’t ask the guys for help – he’d never hear the end of it. He couldn’t wait for you to come home, it’d ruin the surprise.

So, he decided to trust his instincts instead, clicking on what he believed were the chalet choices, just going by faith that he clicked on the right things.

And then, as if magic was happening, his reservation was completed, the page went back to English, and he heaved a sigh of relief when he received an email confirming his reservations.

After that fiasco, he went to Liv for help with the tickets and other reservations, traumatized by the whole experience.

When the two of you got to Amsterdam, he made you wear a blindfold, wanting to surprise you with the view. You went along with it, waited patiently as the car took the two of you to the farm, as he checked in, the receptionist smiling as he told her his plans on surprising you. She frowned a little when looking at his reservation, but quickly wiped the frown off her face when she saw the way he was looking at you, patiently waiting for him to finish checking in with your blindfold on. He was so excited, and it showed. You could practically see his excitement as he guided you out of the buggy that took you to the chalet, and guided you along the wraparound deck, finally stopping, taking your blindfold off, and asking you to open your eyes.

Tulips.

Everywhere.

Miles and miles of them. All the colours you wished tulips would come in. Just like the screensaver on your computer. Except it’s real. They were swaying and fluttering slightly in the April breeze.

Your smile, your eyes, the way you entire face lit up at what you saw, made his heart grow a hundred times in size.

“Frankie…” you said, your eyes glistening with happy tears.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it! Thank you!” you hugged him tight, sobbing into his chest, so happy you didn’t even realize you had burst into tears. You kissed him, hard, so hard, your mouth was beginning to chafe from his scruff. You stopped when the sliding door behind you opened, the bellboy telling you all your luggage had been brought in.

Frankie kissed you again, gently backing you into the chalet, needing to be much closer to you than he already was. He stopped when your head hit something, squealing a little, opening his eyes, rubbing your head to apologize. And that’s when the two of you realized it.

You were not in a romantic chalet for two.

You were in a dorm.

Frankie had booked a chalet for twelve with six bunkbeds in it.

Fuck.

He went straight to the phone and called the reception. No, sir, there was no mistake. You booked that particular chalet. One glance at the email and he knew he had fucked up. No, sir, there are no other chalets available today.

He sat on one of the couches, hands on his head, disappointed in himself. My God, how stupid could he be? He should’ve just asked someone to help him. And now your dream vacation was ruined.

“Hey,” you said, kneeling in front of him. “What’s wrong?”

“I fucked up, I thought I booked a romantic chalet for two.”

You looked around the room, “I don’t see anyone else here, it’s just us two. So, it is a romantic chalet for two.”

He looked at you, disbelief in his eyes, “Baby, look at the room! These are bunkbeds!” He placed his hands over his face, sighing in frustration.

“So? Frankie, I don’t care. Look where you’ve brought me. I’ve never seen so many tulips in my life! You did great! Frankie? Baby? Look at me please?”

He removed his hands, still looking so disappointed in himself. “I just wanted to take you here, have a nice romantic getaway with you, and now we are in a room full of bunkbeds. This is not romantic baby. I’m so sorry.”

“Not romantic, huh?” you asked, taking his face in your hands, pulling him down for a kiss. “We’ll see about that,” you whispered, climbing up, straddling his lap, kissing him long and hard, grinding on his lap as you did. By the time you came up for air, Frankie looked like all the thoughts in his head had left, dumbstruck, his hat askew, a silly smile on his face.

You stood up before lowering yourself back between his legs on the floor, unbuttoning his flannel and unbuckling his belt on your way down, and Frankie learnt just how grateful you were he brought you there, bunkbeds or no bunkbeds.

**********

After a day of walking hand in hand amongst the tulips and a romantic dinner overlooking the gorgeous burst of colours, taking so many pictures your phone ran out of juice, the two of you went back to the chalet for the night, jet lagged and tired out from your first day of vacation. You were brushing your teeth when you heard a loud grunting from outside. You came out to see Frankie pushing one of the bunkbeds with all his might, trying to get it closer to the one next to it. But the solid wooden bed wasn’t budging.

“Frankie, baby? What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to push the beds together so we could sleep.”

Your eyes travelled to the floor, seeing that the beds were screwed on to the wooden floor with metal plates.

“Uhm, I don’t think you can do that,” you said, pointing to the floor.

“Fuck. Fuck!!!” he yelled, so angry at himself for screwing up so badly.

“Hey, baby, it’s okay, we’ll just take a bed each.”

He looked at you like he was about to cry. “Sleep on separate beds?”

You shrugged, “Worst things have happened,” you said, “We’ll be right next to each other. The beds aren’t that far apart.”

He hung his head, taking his toiletry bag into the bathroom, and soon, you heard him brushing his teeth. You got into one of the bunkbeds, pulling the blanket over your body, yawning as you settled into your pillow. He came out, looked at the bunkbeds on either side of you and chose the one on your right, muttering to himself. He huffed and puffed through pouts as he arranged his pillows, threw the blanket haphazardly over his body and laid down facing you, the pout getting poutier by the second. You got out of bed and went over to kiss him goodnight, and for a hopeful moment, Frankie tried to adjust himself so that the two of you could sleep on the same bed, but the bed was extremely narrow, and the wooden mattress frame was poking at you uncomfortably, so he gave up.

Once on your own bed, your efforts to fall asleep were futile. He was moving around, making so much noise that every time you were about to fall asleep you were awaken again. About 15 minutes had passed when the rustling from his kicking and shuffling finally annoyed the living shit out of you.

“Frankie, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“I can’t sleep without you next to me.”

“I am next to you.”

“You know what I mean.”

“How do you sleep when you travel then?”

“That’s different. You talk to me until I fall asleep and you were not there in the room with me. You are right here, but I can’t touch you. It’s torture.”

You wanted to laugh, but he looked so miserable you sat up in bed.

“Do you want to take the mattresses and sleep on the floor?”

He shot up so fast his head hit the bedframe. His sight got blurry and his eyes watered, but when the pain subsided you were right there to kiss his head better. And when the two of you were finally lying on the mattresses on the floor, he was so happy he had you in his arms he didn’t even care his ass was hanging uncomfortably in the crack between the mattresses that his weight created, falling asleep with his face buried in your hair, a satisfied smile on his face.

And the next day, when the receptionist told him a chalet for two had become available due to a cancellation, he said yes before the nice lady even had the chance to ask if he wanted the room.

He didn’t even mind that you laughed too hard when he finally told you about the incident with the booking and sneezing. How could he when you were lying naked in his arms on a king-sized bed overlooking a field of tulips?

Plus, he had enough bed space to make you regret laughing at him after, punishing you with his head between your legs until you cried.

Frankie learnt his lesson. He needed to get more in touch with the IT stuff. And he did, he got so much better at it. But when the time came for him to book the honeymoon, he did ask Liv to help him out again, just in case.

[pinkofatom]

An irresistible offer

Cassandra put her glasses down on the wooden desk. She tried to alleviate a headache by pinching her nose. Again this insistent company sent an offer. HEXBIM. The name elicited a huff of annoyance. Red hair fell freely as Cassandra rolled her neck. The constant pressure of non-stop messages built up uncomfortable tension.

How dare these corporate drones thought she needed their help. Cassandra became a successful therapist on her own merits. Yes her methods were unconventional — and light on prescriptions. But every single person that reached out for help, left only satisfied.

Bing! Another offer filled her mailbox. Bleary-eyed the therapist read the topic. Letters swam in front of her eyes. Rubbing her eyes Cassandra put on her glasses. With a sigh she opened the cursed message. Maybe if she gave a scathing answer they would finally cease.

Dear Cassandra,

We are HEXBIM, a company specializing in cutting edge technologies, dedicated to helping people reach their full potential.

We recently became aware of your exceptional therapeutic practice. After much consideration, we have decided to adjust our sponsorship proposal to suit your unique requirements and ensure it meets your needs.

The font made the letters dance. Cassandra had to reread it a few times. It did not help her headache. But — she had to admit — it sounded good. Shaking her head the redhead continued.

We are proud of the exceptional success rates our sponsored therapists have achieved, with 100% client satisfaction guaranteed.

By accepting this proposal, you'll receive top-of-the-line technology and cutting-edge therapeutic techniques, ensuring your clients experience transformative results like never before.

Cassandra's eyebrow rose. This sounded far too good. And tailored to her. A twinge of worry curled inside her. However the redhead couldn't stop.

To prove our expertise we have included a simple sample in form of a program.

Please inform us of its effectiveness and of your agreement.

Best regards,

Annika, HEXBIM Connect

Cassandra let out an undignified snort. Did they think she was stupid enough to fall for such bait. Her long fingers moved over the touch pad. Cassandra was going to write them an answer they wouldn't forget. Her mouse pointer hovered over the file. This headache killed her.

Cassandra clicked it. And a new program popped open.

Soothing music filled the office. It made the redhead relax. Her eyes grew heavy and Cassandra's head nodded forward.

A flash of light made her flinch. A simple image of concentric circles appeared on the screen. The colors moved in waves.

Relaxation spread through the redhead's body. Her mouth grew slack and drool collected on her tongue. A single drop escaped Cassandra's lips and landed on her blouse.

Another wave of sounds assaulted the redhead. They mixed with the pain. She felt a strange, unbidden need to keep staring. Her mind tumbled towards it, her focus narrowing as all other thoughts fell away.

Cassandra tried to tear her gaze from it. She tried to move her hands. To close her eyes. But all she managed to do was let out a soft whimper. It felt like something had a hold of her mind. She sagged into her chair.

The redhead felt helpless, her mind trapped within an inescapable web. With each futile effort to free herself, her willpower waned. The music, the light... they seeped into her mind. Every note, every flicker of the colors seemed designed to chip away at her resolve, ensnaring her in their hypnotic grip. Panic surged within Cassandra as she realized the true extent of her peril.

And then a voice came through. It cut through her thoughts like a hot knife, making the therapist whimper.

"I know it feels bad." Cassandra whined.

"Your head is a mess of worries. You feel powerless, unable to help." Her hands clenched the desk. Her knuckles grew white. Cassandra's face contorted.

"But that ends here." A soft gasp escaped the therapist's lips. It was true! All those thoughts that swirled through her head, all that stress. She couldn't stop herself. Tears fell down Cassandra's cheeks and the redhead sobbed in relief.

"HEXBIM has the solution." Cassandra felt the tension and worry drain. "All you have to do is accept." Her face lit up.

"And that's all." She sagged back in her seat. Cassandra felt... relaxed, almost. The redhead felt so light, like she could fly. A soft moan of bliss fell from her parted lips.

"Your clients will become happier, better. They will transform into perfect versions of themselves." Cassandra smiled. "Drones owned by HEXBIM." Her smile became an expression of utter happiness. "And all you have to do is guide them." She felt such an urge to help.

"Open your mind." Her thoughts slowed to a crawl. Cassandra couldn't form a cohesive thought if her life depended on it.

"Listen." She did, listening to the soft music and the dulcet tone. "Watch." The redhead stared into the shifting colors, her eyes growing wide.

"And learn."

🌀🌀🌀

Cassandra let out a long moan. She was in the back of her clinic. Strapped into reclining chairs rested her receptionist and assistant. VR-headsets obscured their faces. The redhead remembered the instructions from that message. Cassandra was going to guide them to become better versions of themselves. To transform into drones for HEXBIM.

Another shiver ran down the redhead's back. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. It felt right, she knew that this was the correct way to help — the only way to help. In response to her thoughts the tight latex uniform buzzed. Vibrations danced over her sensitive skin. A gasp of delight and lust escaped the redhead. Her head nodded forward as she enjoyed her obedience.

Cassandra had to make sure her assistants would be transformed properly. That they would reach their full potential and become the best versions of themselves — perfect, happy drones for HEXBIM.

Her long fingers flew over the controls and a soft moan of pleasure escaped her lips. The two bound women followed suit. It made Cassandra's nipples harden as a shiver ran down her spine. Her clit throbbed in time with her heartbeat.

The redhead bit down on her lips, a faint moan escaped anyway. She had to focus on the task. Cassandra was going to transform them into HEXBIM drones.

The redhead's fingers flew across the keyboard as she made the necessary adjustments. The buzzing and humming of machinery filled the air, adding to the already electrifying atmosphere. She still remembered the delicious drones that installed them. Encased completely in glossy latex. Cassandra imagined her future patients inside such uniforms. The redhead licked her lips at the mental image.

A sting returned the therapist's focus back to her employees. Cassandra felt a wave of bliss and obedience crash into her. It was a reminder of how much easier life was now. How she didn't have to think for herself. The redhead just had to do what HEXBIM wanted. And in return the redhead experienced this amazing pleasure and bliss.

Cassandra concentrated on the task. Her hands danced over the keyboard. She could see their minds being rewired, transformed. Their previous lives erased. All of their wants, dreams and aspirations. The therapist had no doubt that her assistants were experiencing the same euphoric sensations she had.

A warm hug that caressed their minds, slowly replacing their individuality with uniformity. They would lose all of that pesky, annoying willpower. In their place Cassandra knew that they would gain the drive to become the best version of themselves. The willpower to become perfect HEXBIM drones.

And once finished all of them would continue with bringing the freedom of thought to all patients.

[gabessquishytum]

Dream's a software developer (I could see either as an architect for that large-scale view mentality or as the Senior level dev that keeps getting asked to move into management type positions and just straight up refuses because he's been doing code happily for the past fifteen years and doesn't plan on changing that now).

He enjoys his job enough. He likes computers and code. It functions exactly as told (for better or worse) and appreciates the straightforwardness of it all. He's a bit insufferable to work with, but if you have an issue, he'll readily help (just be prepares for critiques on your code in the process).

Hob works at the same company as Dream, but as a front-end dev. The work he does for his day job is kinda boring. All standard corporate style web design. No fancy scripts or fun colors. But in his spare time, he weaves Javascript and CSS like a wizard and creates magical, animated scenes across the page. Would it be easier to just make a video and play it on the page instead? Sure, but where's the fun in that?

Dream and Hob get paired together on a small side project for work. Hob does the front-end work, Dream does the back-end. They get on each other's nerves at first, until Dream spots Hob tinkering with his personal code on their lunch break and is honestly a bit in awe. He's found code beautiful in its own right (the way one appreciates a well-oiled machine) but he's never seen it wielded in such a fashion before. This is the moment he falls just a little bit (read: a lotta bit) in love with Hob. He was already starting to fall for that endless charm and wit of his anyways.

The company hits the first quarter of the New Year and with it come layoffs. Hob gets fired along with some other devs from Dream's same team (a younger pair of devs: Matthew and Jessamy). A fellow named Will comes along to help Dream finish the project in Hob's stead and Dream hates every moment of it. He misses Hob, more than he ever thought he would.

So, in an impulsive rush of anger and longing, he quits the company because how dare it toss someone as good as Hob Gadling out the door without a thought? He's halfway to the café he and Hob had started frequenting together when he realizes that he's just thrown away a career fifteen years in the making. But when he finally gets to the café and sees Hob tapping away on his laptop, he knows he's made the right choice.

Dream slides into the seat across from him and proposes that they build something wonderful together. So they create a small business of their own. They become a freelance web dev team (and steal Jessamy and Matthew as well) and with their skills combined, they take off. It's not huge, but for their size, they're incredibly popular. And Dream's certain he's never enjoyed his work more than when he's working beside Hob.

Later on, Hob proposes to Dream via a custom website with the most beautiful web animations he's ever seen before. And of course, he says yes.

(If you're curious about what inspired this, here's the website: http://www.species-in-pieces.com)

This is such a good concept for a story!!! I really really love aus where Dream and Hob are coworkers. Dream being the grumpy, awkward guy who hides behind his coffee mug while Hob is the popular, chatty one who tries to get Dream involved in fun office activities or socialising after work - it makes so much sense to me.

And Dream quitting his long-term dream job because he's mad that genuinely talented people have been laid off? I love it. Dream just has this inate appreciation for hard work and good art, and that's exactly what Hob (and Jessamy and Matthew) do. How dare the stupid company not understand that they're firing people who deserve to thrive and grow in an environment which actually appreciates them? Everyone is shocked that Dream has quit (not only that, he sends around an email to everyone in the company from the ceo all the way down to the work experience guy, outlining exactly why he quit) because he seemed to be the type to play by the rules and never leave his comfort zone. Apparently, Hob has really helped him bloom into a much more confident person, able to express his principles and strive for better.

And Hob isn't surprised, because he always knew that Dream had the courage, talent and ambition to strike out on his own. Maybe he just needed a bit of love and understanding. Which Hob is only too happy to provide.

Their work together sometimes involves long hours and stress, but Dream wouldn't ever want to go back to the slightly soulless corporation where he used to be. Even if he's tired and a little frustrated by Hob’s disorganised workspace, Dream is perfectly content. There's nothing better than curling up in Hob’s lap while he taps away on a line of code. Plus, he has a great time building their wedding website. Hob got to propose, so Dream gets to celebrate their upcoming marriage with his own expression of love through code. The theme colours are, of course, black and red <3

[aaksconsulting]

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[smashorpassgilf]

Vetted fundraisers oct.16.2024

Karam Rafiq Al-Nabih, 23, and his family. His mother is suffering from a few illnesses that are made worse buy the current war and their exposure to the elements. This is their second gfm. £608 raised of their £7,000 target. Please see his story @karamrafeek

Ahmed moneer alanqar, 33, is trying to get his four daughters and wife to safety. These children range from 12 years to 9 months old. This father has to listen to his children cry every night asking why they were living where they are. He has only €743 raised of €30,000 target. Please read his story @ahmadmoneer

Safaa, 25 her husband and 2 children, Ibtisam and Ibrahim. This young family has lost everything other than each other. They have survived 6 wars, but don't know if they can survive this one. Their children are being raised hearing bombs instead of laughter as they should be. Even to cook food, they have to injure themselves due to open flames. They are at €41,688 raised of their €90,000 goal. Read their story @safaabed8 or @abedalazeiz

Osama Basil, a web designer who lost his livelyhood, and is trying to regain the ability to start his work again to provide for his family. He has €3,612 raised of his €15,000 goal. Please read his full story at @osama--basil-blog

Mohammed + his 5 children. This Fundraiser is being organized by his niece. Due to the lack of medical care, this family has lost their grandmother. They have almost reached their €35,000 goal. Read more at @yasermohammad

Alaa, 49, and his 8 children. They are living in just a tent. Alaa has lost his three clothing companies, his house, everything other than his family. They have only raised €30 of €20,000 goal. This family only wants to survive through this war and rebuild. Please see more @alaahilllis

Amira Nimer, 23, and her siblings and sick mother. Amira has lost her father a few years ago, and still did everything she could to take care of her family and still worked multiple jobs. This family has almost reached their goal. €31,080 raised of €39,000 goal. Read more @amiranimer

[kimbapchan]

Are you sure people aren't asking for image descriptions for accessibility reasons? These are alt text for images that describe what they are for the visually impaired, ie blind, which is not the same as writing it like a fanfiction. It's not common in mxtx fandoms, but if you've ever seen someone reblog a post transcribing what a screenshot of text says, that's the basic concept. Screen readers can't read or describe images yet, so the visually impaired rely on artists or rebloggers to write image descriptions.

Adding them is super easy on tumblr! If you hover over an image in the post editor and click the three dots right next to each other, it'll bring up the option to "Update Image Description." There are ways to add the text via html on ao3, too. We learned all about it in my web design class as it's good practice and required by law for companies in many countries.

It's not required for you to put in the effort if you do not want to, but I thought I'd share the info since your post was related to the topic and I haven't noticed any image descriptions on your comics.

Thankyou for the information. Unfortunately no i'm pretty sure i would have allowed that if it's for accessibility issues I see that the same as asking to translate my comics into diff languages which I generally allow [with credit].

i was approached a few times to 'turn my comic into a written version fic on ao3 for those who prefer to read it instead'.

[micebath]

Bio-Slave

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING ⚠️

BioSlave is a world built on a total landscape of apathy and fear. This is a grimdark biopunk world that is intensely visceral and violent. This is both in regards of physical violence and mental violence. Please know that the writings in this book are recognized as very forwardly bad. Despite this, BioSlave is over the top and a product of insane fascination of edgy fiction popularized by films of the mid-to-late 90s.

This project should not sacrifice your enjoyment for the sake of more bleak subjects. You are more important than whatever this could possibly be.

Triggering Content Inside are as Follows:

Self Harm, Suicide, Cannibalism, Intense Gore, Trafficking/Slavery, Murder, Violence, Implied Violence, Religious Topics, Parasites, Mental Trauma

I’m sure that while writing this I have missed a few, so as the author of this project - I recommend that if you find a subject that was not mentioned that could be triggering. Please remove it promptly. It does not and should not be at your table if it makes you or anyone else uncomfortable.

Thank you for your time and reading this document. It is much appreciated,

-MICEBATH

—————

Additional Preamble: General Setting Ideas

This is a writing project that is an amalgamation of several ideas that I personally find very interesting. When fit together I had realized they created a strangely unique setting.

The rough elevator pitch is what if we mixed Biopunk, grimdark fiction, and the art deco styles of the roaring twenties. Of course with an intense affection for “gun porn”, military history, and purposely really over the top violence. Thus came Bio-Slave. Where my heart asked,”What if Clive Barker made a cyberpunk setting?” But my brain realized I’m nowhere near as talented as I’d need to be to do so. So we settled with this.

Also this is supremely unorganized and a lot is taken directly from my notes document which is basically word vomit on the digital page. Please don’t hurt me.

——

After the forming of the Sprawl - a colossal megacity that spanned the entire eastern coast as far west as Missouri - and the oncoming of the Plague - a disease that wiped out millions of lives which was eventually mutated by Hemotech to be used for Biomods. The mean streets of Chicago have become the pinpoint of our story. Chicago has grown to encompass all of Illinois, yet within the greater Sprawl is only a footnote of intrigue.

The Windy City has grown just as tall as it has wide. Sequestering the downtrodden and sick to the Tangle. The depths below the vast networking web of roadways that are so dense they blot out the sun in some places. Those who were unfortunate enough to be marked as sick were sent into the necropolis. Named Babylon by the inhabitants. Babylon grew into a thriving underground city by the filth that lived there. As Hemotech and the Vatican usurped the American throne - biomodification grew more and more advanced and far more dangerous. As it grew more dangerous the world accepted, even embracing cruelty.

Besides the massive brutalist structures of the necropolis - Chicago some year before the plague underwent a massive city wide remodeling to fit more cleanly into the designs of the greater Sprawl. Returning to classical art deco designs. Now with newly instated mega buildings all adorned with the fantastic brass of the 1920s. Draw bridges lifted by massive brass hands, overpasses thirty stories high held by Atlas himself. The buildings follow suit, only deviating slightly to accommodate the aesthetics of the company that inhabit them. Large stretches of road going through a large statue that while passing through you’re able to see the steel beams holding the structure together are built to not only be a walkway, but to perfectly recreate the anatomy of a human body.

The Tangle: The underneath of the massive web of over and underpasses. The true bottom of the massive vertical city. With the bottom being a filthy mildew trodden poor and savage streets. The Tangle is where most of the poor and sick outside of the necropolis tend to live. It has barely any light from streetlights or electric or bio electric light. Thus the tangle is lit in a sickly green by the bio-light. Either that or fire from burning barrels, torches, lanterns, and so on. The tangle is also the last remaining deposit of pre plague and pre renovation historical sites within Old Chicago.

The Necropolis: Under a lot of the Sprawl and most major old cities became a dumping ground for the dead and disease. Large concrete complexes built as mass graves for the victims of an unknown plague. Over the years - several thousand people have grown to inhabit the underground networks. Keeps them away from the eye of Hemotech, and easy access to freshly dumped dead. Cities have been made from the rotting undergrowth. Such as Babylon, Akkad, and Ur. Each of which being located under the once cities of Chicago, New York, and Boston.

Zeppelins: Another simple solution to the problem of how people get around. The zeppelins are more often than not restricted to the upper epsilon and the wealthy. There are the occasional police blimp used for a display of force and power (to which they have little). There are a few exceptions to the “transit” blimps; with two being of note. The first is the Jewel of Chicago; A beautiful piece of art and engineering. A sparkling ruby red and brass machine used as a private party and dinner space for the top of the top. The conversations had in the Jewel are probably some of the most important in all of Chicago. The second is the DuPont family Icarus Super Zeppelin. A multi story display of power that actually works (sorry cops. Acab). A gargantuan colossus that looms over the cities tallest buildings. On celebratory occasions they even dress it up as a whale for parades.

Monorail: A fantastic example of modern advancement being both fashionable and utility. Very quick and endlessly efficient. Able to get from deep within the tangle to the high rise of the beautiful big money district (on the rare occasion it actually goes to the tangle). The monorail was installed by the late great Arnaud DuPont alongside the art deco stylings. The train supports almost one hundred cabins that can hold upwards of two thousand passengers. This is including the several dining carts and even a private meeting room. The monorail is purposefully unattached to any corporate musing. This is on purpose. Arnaud when creating the monorail intended to use it to bridge the gap between the tangle and the upper class in hopes of dismantling class divides. In turn it was used by the DuPont Monorail company after Arnaud’s death to further class divide. Beau simply doesn’t act upon the company.

Beau LePetite DuPont: A man refined by years of debauchery. His parties are extravagance manifest to the highest order of magnitude. After his father left him a ludicrously sizable inheritance - Beau found himself yearning for the spice of life. Thus within the massive DuPoint Estate he hosts parties that shake the foundations of the Chicago Sprawl. His parties are as much social gatherings as they are pure spectacle. Full orchestras, dancers, drink, opiates, and the more delicate things one may enjoy. Beau himself - despite his status - is quite mysterious. Rarely if ever making the public eye. Choosing to merely observe his events rather than participate. He enjoys the lavish extent of his galas. These parties are so grand that anyone who’s anyone with a social status to matter needs to be there. Strangely; Beau has a single rule that governs his parties. Nobody leaves without one of his golden roses. The few that have picked his mind on this matter have only received the answer,”So that my friends will remember me and that the friends I’ve yet to meet will be more intrigued.”

Beau’s father Arnaud himself was key in the reimagining and rebuilding of Chicago into its beautiful Art Deco stylings. Most fashion styles come from the DuPont family. The only modifications to their particular dress come from most criminal elements. When the DuPonts dress it’s always in a classical fashion (Author Note: That of the roaring 20s) this causes those in power to follow in suit. Of course with their own garnishments - that of leather and latex. Beau stocks his party with a mix of the most ultra-fine alcohols, drink, and food. With the staple being that of a DuPont family delicacy. A champagne made perfect in almost every single way. The taste of extreme and refined flavors mixed with enough punch to give a jolt of life to the drink.

DuPont Estate: The Estate is just as much a living character as Beau himself. The state had stood atop the previously largest tower in Old Chicago. This height doesn’t mean its importance has been diminished by any means. One hundred and seventy stories high atop the tower’s top most dozen floors lies the grand home of Chicago’s most prominent noble family. The home was built by philanthropist Obadiah DuPont - then taken up by Beau’s great grandfather Dominique DuPont. This was passed down to family members next in the bloodline. The wealth of the DuPont family rests on old money. Their specific work is unknown but nonetheless their wealth is abundant. Thus they made the building to be rented out by any company paying the price of rent. The building was made specifically to the taste of Obadiah. Art deco in the classical sense. Every bit of the building was designed with style in mind. For instance; the banisters of the building are carved with beautiful design. Geometric displays of joy and abundance. The walls and floors are sleek black marble chiseled with gold and sparkling lights.

Fashion: Style and taste within the Sprawl has been stuck firmly in the past yet continues its onward march for the future. Due to the architectural elements that have only expanded the decadence of the Roaring 20s, clothing and design would naturally follow suit. Pinstripe suits, heavy trench coats, flapper dresses, and more are all still very much in style. You would be hard pressed to find a single soul without some hint of modern fashion. Though the taste has remained more or less chained to “tradition.” A newfound sense for leather has placed itself within the hearts of many. Heavy combat boots and black leather coats on fine tailored suits. Latex gloves stretched tightly over the legs of a cocktail singer donned equally in beautiful sequins and intense bondage gear. The ever forward push of fashion has also extended to the body itself. It is not uncommon at all to see fully flayed folk wandering with see through surgical plastic adhered to their bleeding meat. Tattoos, scarification, and piercings have also come into the spotlight. Many people carve intricate pieces into the flesh to form cohesive images to stun and amaze. Artful body modification has become a large part of the landscape of the Sprawl alongside its roaring roots. Though due to the increasing number of corporate military forces. There is a rise of militarism in common fashion. Though not everyone strings a hardness to their chest - a notable amount do.

Examples of Fashion:

- Steel needles punctured through the flesh pinning latex masks to the head directly.

- Human leather coats with dyed crimson interiors with matching gloves (nails still attached of course).

- A plate carrier adorned in rosaries and painted with gang designs.

- Flapper dresses with a tattooed skin scarf and a high capacity magazine carrier.

Human Leather Clothing: It’s exactly what it says. Human leather taken from corporate hollow bodies who are picked explicitly for the quality of their flesh and hair. They are used to make any form of leather clothing such as jackets, pants, gloves, hats, and so on. They can be made in any color (both natural and dyed). Typically they’re bought off the rack in most stores unless commissioned. Basically everyone has some kind of leather clothing.

—————

Splicing/Mutation/Biomodding:

Biomodding is the mutation of human dna structures to be made into several different. These are done using micro or macro doses of the Plague to aid in mutation. Regardless of the process this is a constant. Splicing are biomods used on organs or limbs typically from a human artificially co-constructed with animal dna. Example - Utilizing the DNA structure stolen from large cats on a harvested arm to create a large clawed paw or binding human DNA with birds to give a person feather quills that sprout from the head. Mutation is using your own DNA and restructuring it or another person’s.

Designer Biomodding (Splicing/Mutations): Sometimes the newly reformed limbs you want aren’t brutish, pulsing, or pointy. Sometimes you want something sleek and more natural. Designer Biomods are reserved for those who’ve spent a lot to get them or who already had a lot in the first place. Higher in the corporate ladder you’ll find these more and more. These biomods are simply more appealing to the eye. You can still have the bone blades and palm mouths, but without the pinky red bloody horror of it. These can range from regular human in appearance to perfectly sculpted pieces of art. Tattoos are replaced with animated images, your skin can change its softness at a thought, or in more practical scenarios - hide the arm sized biospike embedded inside (at least make it look more like you don’t have one). Though not impossible to get as a regular person, the prices for the pieces are far and above average salaries of the blue color.

The Festering:

The Festering is a state one may enter upon grafting of biomods or heavy usage of mutations/tinctures. The Festering is a carnal urge that seeps into the mind to consume human flesh, to drink human blood, or to feed on cerebral fluid. This hunger can be sated by indulging in the process, yet fighting it can cause neurological issues such as heightened aggression, anxiety, depression, compulsive disorders. In some cases fully developed psychopathy, D.I.D, or schizophrenia. Prolonged refusal to consume human flesh may cause intense aggressive outbursts to the point of “becoming feral.” Where one may act out of character and attack on a whim.

—————

Prosthetics: For those who can’t afford or simply don’t want the advanced biomodding - development of prosthetics has evolved to previously unthinkable heights…hooks. For the downtrodden who can’t afford the luxuries of modern technology they have to deal with the bare minimum. Crutches, pegs, hook draw arms, armature hands with very limited mobility. The prosthetics can’t do much more than opening and closing or allowing one to stand mostly unbalanced. For the wealthy who seek to avoid the bodily change or simply yearn for more simple solutions. They use very limited bio electric motors to allow the limb to move more efficiently than the basic. The prosthetics still have limited movement and dexterity, but can give the user as close to a limb as possible. Despite this they still are very limited in their ability.

Homunculus: A sort of offshoot pseudo cloning process that is utilized in the tangle and necropolis. A homunculus is formed through a rudimentary birthing system. Most commonly a street dog is taken and has their womb reformed. Manipulated genetically to be allowed to bare a human fetus. There is no sexual contraception - rather a fully bio mechanical procedure that allows for a child to be grown and carried for months at a time. They are grown to a certain point before their blood turns toxic and kills them. Thus they are removed and place into an amniotic incubator where the rest of the growing process occurs. The child grows more rapidly when in the incubator - coming to the maturity of a toddler within three months after then a teenager at a further seven months. Homunculus are prone to intense deformity. The occasional parasitic twin found within one in ten of these individuals. Even so, most of the homunculus with twins die. On the rare instances they live; typically the twin is slowly consumed by the body. The other hand they’ve been seen to be somewhat sentient and aware though limited. Generally homunculus’s appearance is more or less normal. The main difference being a general webbing of irritated red veins and sinewy skin around the body. Just as often are hefty deformities that allow a homunculus to live but only barely.

Hollow Bodies: Some who’s forcefully mutated to regrow infected organs for the sake of splicing and mutation. Al-a Regrowth for the sake of removal, rework, and resale. Typically hollow bodies are unwilling captives. Some are even drained of blood for infected transfusions.

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Main Players in the Near Apocalypse:

Hemotech: The Mega Conglomerate Pharma Company built from twenty world wide market pharmaceutical companies. Each of which earning several trillion dollars a year prior to the merger. Hemotech produces 95% of the drugs found in everyday life - the other 5% being street drugs. Hemotech are the forefathers of post plague medicine and recovery. Acting as reigning government to the Sprawl. Despite being pharmaceutical in nature they house dozens of other companies within that all specialize in multi faceted things. Ranging from weapons tech to fashion. Hemotech came together during the plague outbreak and ran a quickly successful aiding NeuOrgans. Allowing the people to regain an amount of stability in trying times. On the front they pose themselves as a company of the people but like any corporation they of course drain the Sprawl of its life. The acting CEO is not a singular as to be expected. Rather it is run by a council of directors twenty strong; each member being the owner and chief executive of over one hundred pharmaceutical and medical firms merged prior to the plague. Hemotech earned its stripes and reputation by their advancement in cloning and bio-science. Hemotech as a singular has been acting since the middle of the century, where the first genetic printer was made - originally for farm animals and the like. Once Hemotech proved they were more than a macabre gimmick; they were offered a governmental contract for militaristic development of bio-modifications for the United States during the Coastal War. The mindset of the E.U.S (Eastern United States) was that if they could have genetically engineered soldiers to be perfect, their status as a superpower could never be contested.

The first series of cloned soldiers were an imperfect success. The occasional genetic blip caused a percentage of clones to become deformed at a rapid pace due to DNA unraveling at the seams. Despite this the clone’s organs being designed specifically for the task of maintaining the body allowed even the greatest deformities to be brushed aside in combat. Many people in the homefront and non-cloned soldiers deemed it,”the first war fought with monsters.” Eventually those imperfections were more or less ironed out and replaced with more advanced development of clone design. The first wave of civilian cloned products were that of remapped cloning of one’s body parts that allows more welcoming and easier access to medically necessary replacements. Though the “clone donor” was available - you and your doctor had to sign an official consent contract that any hiccups are not the fault of Hemotech. Thankfully those kinks were few and far between. So for the price of a luxury condo and a tenure in Barcelona - you could replace your leaky heart valve. HemoTech gained massive traction in the Americas. Finding themselves far ahead of the curve and on top of the hill looking down at everyone else.

Necrotech: The epitome of when technology is the end all be all. Though not technically a part of Hemotech; they are often partners with both Hemotech and Anansi Co. The specialization is technological advancement using the dead and focusing around death itself. Necrotech use the dead clones from their partners and the church to study and test macabre systems and weaponry. The success of the company came from the revivification of their CEO in his entirety using only technology sourced from the company itself. When it comes to the extent of cloning operations within the company itself - corporate servants who have yet to pay off their debt to the company (alongside their partnered companies) have their genetic makeup sequenced within a “DNA Locker” that upon death with automatically print out a clone to continue work - costs of the cloning process are included to total debt. Alongside developments in this process; they have also been pioneers is biotech resurrection. Such as the case with the Biospark Auto Defibrillation System (BADS). Where a series of biological checks are made within a micro instant, sending signals back to BADS, to which it electrocutes the body back to semi livable conditions. Necrotech also recently released the,”Sweet Release” and “Heaven or Hell” packages. For when someone is dying of old age they can choose to take the SR pack where they’re are ethically euthanized. The H&H pack allows the patient pass natural but puts them in a dream state of euphoria or abject horror (depending on their request). All of that said their main profit comes from a reliable and unpaid workforce. Not in the traditional corporate slave sense - rather they utilize the bodies of their dead and cloned workers to continue operations.

- Imort-a Co. : A subsidiary of Necrotech that is partnered with Hemotech more intimately; specializing into in depth life extension technology. They are also the resident pharmaceutical sector of the company. Creating the highly popular Synth-a-Mort. Despite being relatively new - they’ve proven themselves intensely capable in the home front of medical technologies. Their standout performance was allowing a ninety-eight year old veteran to live to the whopping age of one hundred and twelve. Admittedly the necessity of life supports were in play but the proof of concept was more than enough for most people.

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Authors Note: Dear fuck that’s a lot of writing. Here’s some art I made for it.

[magicalprofessorsludgedeputy]

Super-style part seven

Part one Part two Part three Part four Part five Part six

Optimus had been having a good day.

He'd slept well, there was fresh coffee when he came into the base, and he'd cleared through his paperwork before lunch. Leaving him to enjoy some reading time in the breakroom before patrol.

Things were unusually pleasant, prowl was watching a nature documentary, Bulkhead was drawing to the side, even ratchet was taking a break in his armchair.

Then bumblebee abruptly dropped in from the skylight

"Where were you all last night?" He questioned almost as soon as his feet hit the floor.

"Why do you ask?" Optimus responded slowly as surprise faded to confusion.

"None of you showed up last night or even texted me back, so where were you?" The scout snapped making the lights pulse dangerously.

"Slow down bee, what are you talking about? Show up where?" He didn't remember anything being scheduled for last night. Then again it wouldn't be the first time he forgot to schedule something of bee's and ended up missing it. He'd never gotten this angry about it though.

"He means that work thing he's got us tickets for." Prowl explained. "I decided against going but I assumed the rest of you would go to be nice."

"No, no, I completely forgot about it I spent all night at home." Optimus panicked.

"I thought it wasn't happening until next week." Bulkhead admitted guiltily.

"I didn't feel like dealing with those types all night and the kid would understand." Ratchet dismissed casually.

Judging by the wreaths of lightning flickering around his limbs, growing more violent with every explanation, it seemed bumblebee did not infact understand.

"Let me get this straight," his voice held a crackling effect it, calm yet sharp in a way optimus had never heard from him before.

"Two of you just decided not to go and the other two didn't care enough to mark the date? I gave you tickets weeks in advance. I asked where you were that night. I told you how important it was to me! For Primus sake we made plans for it and still none of you showed up!!" The TV went static, the lights flickered violently, and burning bright electricity crackled the scouts entire body like writhing snakes.

"Come on bumblebee there's no reason to throw this much of a fit about some minor company party. We're sorry. We'll make up to you in time." Prowl tried to ease.

"Some company dinner!?" Bee shrieked, a nearby light exploding into a thousand peices as electricity around him stretched further. "Last night was the biggest show of the year! One of the most important events in the industry! One of the most important events of my life because I was supposed to share it with you!"

"Kid you need to calm down." Ratchet warned.

"Shut up!" Another light exploded, the TV went dark.

"You don't get to tell me to calm down you knew how important it was to me and you just decided to skip without saying anything!"

That prompted Bulkhead to try his hand at calming the scout before he could do anymore damage."Listen little buddy, we're all really sorry but yelling isn't gonna solve anything. It was wrong of ratchet and prowl to just ditch but they don't care about fashion anyways so it's kinda understandable. We didn't realize how important it was we just thought you were being dramatic is all."

"Agreed. it's not like we even know what you're job is anyway, for all we knew it was going to be some rave filled with a bunch of shallow designers." Prowl chipped in.

"I. SAID. SHUT! UP!" Every light in the room simultaneously exploded in a shower of sparks leaving only the sun filtering through the windows and the writhing web of electricity snapping around bumblebee like tendrils as the only source of light.

"None of you came to the show! None of you bothered to ANSWER ME when I texted you! None of you have ever cared to see me as anything other then some stupid, hyper, troublemaker like everyone else!!"

It was only years of practice that let optimus duck for cover in time for the blast.

There was an explosion of light, a wave of heat and the roar of lightning exploding through the air.

Then it all stopped.

When he opened his eyes and rose to access the damage he saw bee simply standing, head bowed, fists clenched, litterly shaking with rage.

"Forget this." The scout hissed. Soft and quiet and utterly cold.

"Forget all of this." He looked up to meet optimus' gaze.

"I quit."

In one smooth motion bumblebee- Benjamin robbinson apperently, tore off his mask and threw to the ground before storming out.

Leaving the rest of them in a stunned dead silence.