#android parse

[starryeyedstray]

(cough) I just realized smt, whenever Connor is connecting to an android or receives a case via digitally, he blinks and twitches rapidly—

^ (like in this scene-)

^ (and this scene with Hank.)

I don’t really have a built up expectation in my head but I was hoping maybe you could come up with one :> (edit: thought I could upload this anonymously 😭)

hello hello, tyvm for the ask bc i indeed have some thoughts about this very thing~!!!

so before we dive into headcanons, let's get clear about what the game's canon proposes. this rapid blinking by connor occurs first when he shares his authorization with the st300 and again when he receives a report at chicken feed. so we can extrapolate when he's sending and receiving data remotely, he exhibits this behavior.

do other androids exhibit this behavior when doing something similar?

not really. clearly the st300 receives the authorization, she barely bats an eye. when markus remotely pays for the paints at the store or calls the police, he doesn't blink like this either. when kara orders parts for the dishwasher the only thing blinking is her LED. so clearly, this is a connor-specific reaction to remote data transmission.

do other androids exhibit this behavior at all?

yes actually! the jb300s connor is interrogating at stratford tower rapidly blink when conducting a diagnostic scan. now, what can we presume from that information? well, a full diagnostic scan is quite an intensive process. for computers, it can take awhile because you're having to parse through all the data on a computer. for something as complex as an android to do it in a few seconds, it would take a massive amount of processing power.

i think the rapid blinking may be a byproduct of androids having their processors overclocking (basically going on overdrive). either it's a sort of glitch/bug that manifests itself when an android is processing a lot of information rapidly or it's a feature cyberlife included as a visual cue for humans to know that the android is in the middle of processing something and unable to respond until whatever it is processing is completed (kinda like a loading screen except the visual cue is the blinking).

according to this assumption, connor would exhibit this behavior when his processors are overclocked. but the thing about connor is that he's supposed to be cyberlife's most advanced prototype, right??? so why is he blinking like crazy over simply receiving and transmitting data that doesn't phase a st300?

it's because he's a prototype.

and as much as cyberlife touts him as being super advanced, i headcanon that cyberlife cut a lot of corners too. how else would they just have 10 bodies of this supposedly expensive android ready to go in case he got destroyed?

i think the r&d put into the rk800s was expensive and his software is super advanced, but his hardware... not so much. sure he's got the fancy mouth sensors for crime scene analysis, but just look at connor. he's clumsy (did you see him tumble through that window?? how badly you can fuck up his qtes???) he's constantly fidgeting with a coin for calibration purposes. basically they have this super advanced cpu but it's being bottlenecked by the rest of his hardware.

so what's that got to do with his blinking?

i just think connor's physical body can't keep up with his processing power so you get weird glitches and artefacts that don't show up in other androids. sometimes that shows up in needing constant calibration of his fine motor skills so he doesn't fuck up during combat. and sometimes it shows up in unnecessary blinking for a rudimentary data transfer. he's not quite at home in his body. it's new and his motor drivers don't move as fast as his processors think. he's out of sync with himself so he's not quite the perfect murderbot he's supposed to be (this is also the reason why i think markus who's lived in his body for so long can kick his ass despite being an older model)

at least that's just my headcanon! i could probably yap all day about stuff like this but i've yapped enough. thanks for the ask! love answering questions like this. apologies it took so long i wrote like 80% of this answer and then i disappeared from tumblr for a bit and forgot this was sitting in my drafts. sorry!

[le-chevalier-au-lion]

rosquez 20 + 12 for the weirdest premise

rosquez: 12 (bodyswap) + 20 (cyborgs/androids)

Everything’s off, ten centimeters to the right, and Valentino can’t quite parse through the flood of data, bones in his right shoulder shot to shit and aching, his vision program and the actual hardware in his eyes mismatched.

Marc’s the new generation, fourteen years too fresh, parts taken off and replaced in an ugly Frankenstein freakshow.

The leaden software of Valentino’s self doesn’t run smoothly, jumps in lurches, breaks the room into blocks of color and sensation into little hisses, too much, Jesus Christ, fuck.

“All good?” Marc asks, takes off his hand—Valentino’s hand that he’s using, parasite-like—from his cock.

This wretched noise rips out of him in stutters, damp into the mattress, his face turned to the side. And Marc himself sounds—mocking, maybe. It could be Valentino’s own voice twisting his tone around. Marc very rarely sounds like anything other than manicured, perfectly insincere and calculated.

At least like this, Valentino can be offended.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He spits out, no clarification needed.

Marc huffs. “You tell me.”

Things hurt in Marc’s body, more than they do in Valentino’s. Things also—he jerks when Marc runs the tip of a finger on the sensitive strip of skin around his hole.

His sensors have to be broken. The feeling shoots through him like live wires brushing against each other, electric, painful, sweet. His cock is heavy on his stomach, leaking.

Marc smiles, close-mouthed, tense, his limbs twitching and spasming. He doesn’t say this is your fault, which it is, uncaring as fucking always in his suit of armor—just squeezes his balls and starts pumping his cock again, that tidal flood of sensation that Valentino learned he loved.

Valentino grits his teeth against the please sticking to his teeth like poison. His lashes flutter. The bugs pile up, missing parts, missing drivers, coding string errors, so Valentino doesn’t have to translate the white-hot flinch slicing through him like a serrated knife.

He’d been thawing, methodic, on the clock, like it’d been written into his code.

But Marc wouldn’t—wouldn’t remind him again, seemed content to shake his hand on the podium and not rub salt into the wound.

So Valentino took care of it for them.

Clung to the razor edges in the stewards’ room, we’ll have to look over your data, double meaning in stark faces which had ended up with their motherboards mixed up.

Here too, with Marc inside his fucking skin, Marc crumbling forward to breathe quick and shallow in the crook of his neck, pulsing cockhead bumping against the knob of his hipbone.

They have sixteen hours to get to the medical center and undo this. It is Misano. Valentino can’t be stuck in this haunted house of a body in Misano.

Marc climbs onto his thighs, reaches for the lube.

In a minute, they will. In a minute, Valentino won't forget anymore, Marc insidious and infectious, crawling inside him.

[regexkind]

I usually do not recommend apps because I hate things that look like advertisements, but I recently took a long journey down the road of "I want to backup an SMS conversation with tens of thousands of messages" and ran into so many roadblocks and pitfalls that I wanted to share the only thing that seems to have worked. I am also sort of hoping that people with more Android chops will say something like "oh you missed officially-supported option XYZ" or something like that.

1. Google will backup your SMS but unless you pay for Google One, your MMS will be lost—so all the photos etc in the thread are gone.

2. Moreover what is in Google One will not be downloadable into a format that you control. The only option is to port to a new phone.

3. Moreover even if you use Google Takeout to try to download that archive from Google One, the result is busted and doesn't include said media.

4. Many of the other apps have a "free trial" that is so hampered that you cannot actually make a single archive.

5. The app I found will export a massive XML file to one of several filesharing services—Google Drive, Dropbox, and Onedrive—as well as a local backup that can presumably be ported over USB. The app has an associated web viewer, which has problems with loading all the videos and pictures in a long text chain, presumably because it is trying to cram the entire thing into the DOM. If you unselect loading those, you can "click to load" them afterwards, and this works, although it can cause the scrolling to get lost.

6. However, the fact that it's an XML file means you can do SAX parsing of it, even though there could be 100MB videos in the "data" attribute of some of the tags (!). I've already been experimenting with doing that—written a little parser that sends everything to an SQLite3 database.

7. The format of the dump seems to be. "smses" is the root tag pair, and within it are tags of type "sms" and "mms". "mms" can contain two children, "parts" and "addrs". A "parts" tag can contain multiple "part"s which contain the "meat" including the "data" attributes, which seems to be where all my pics and videos have gone. An "addrs" tag contains "addr"s that seem to be just participating conversationalists. There's a hell of a lot of metadata stored in the attributes, not all of which I have deciphered beyond the datatype of each field.

8. I think I want to actually do the whole SQLite3 song-and-dance and just dump pictures and videos to some static folders. Then you could write a small local webserver to deliver a properly scrollable and searchable version. But right now, having a backup that I can save to a USB or several is really comforting.

[archaeopter-ace]

Vote Marvin the android, the most explicitly miserable little guy I know in all of fiction!

[triptychgrip]

Fic Recs (February 2025)

And now for February recs! (You can find my January post here)

As a reminder, I'm using these monthly rec posts to prioritize spreading the word about authors that are not already on Tumblr (or who appear inactive), with a focus on 1) WIPs/recently written stories (updated or completed within the last year) and 2) NSFW fics, because those could always use more love! If something is a WIP, I've noted that in bold/purple next to the author, and if something is NSFW, I've noted that in bold/red, also next to the author.  

Life has been kicking my ass so far this year, so while I didn’t get to as many stories in my bookmarks as I’d wanted to, below the cut are 5 Yuri!!! on Ice (actually 6, because I’m including one of my own WIPs, lol), and 3 Fruits Basket stories that I think deserve more attention.

---

Yuri!!! on Ice Recs

1) Synthetic (28K, by achillean_dreamer) - WIP, NSFW

Relevant Ships/Tags: Viktor/Yuuri, Cyberpunk, Mild Gore, Violence

I truly wish I could leave a hundred kudos on this fic. I’m drawn to scifi stories, and this one is very Black Mirror-esque, which I absolutely love. 

It’s set in 2049 in a post-war dystopian society that has been experiencing low birth rates, necessitating the government to fund the development of remarkably lifelike droids capable of experiencing and generating the various forms of love via technology called Synthetic.

Viktor – who in this fic-verse is still a champion skater and the son of two famous, late war heroes – is asked to become a sperm donor for the SHIP Institute’s Eros line of androids, and when he pays a visit to the Synthetic procurement chamber, Yuuri – a droid that operates quite differently from his counterparts – ends up dancing with him and seducing him just like he does in canon. 

There’s palpable chemistry between them, and in the middle of having sex, Yuuri invites Viktor to come back to visit him once the skating season is over: a prospect Viktor finds exhilarating. However, just after Yuuri climaxes, he starts to cry from overwhelm, and then begins panicking, shouting about how he’ll be labeled defective, as well as “I don’t want to die! I don’t want to be shut off!”

Before Viktor can parse what’s happening, they are being interrupted by SHIP Institute staff, who forcibly escort him out, while mentioning something about Yuuri experiencing a malfunction error. The next 3 chapters follow Viktor trying to piece together what has happened to Yuuri, who has been removed from the SHIP Institute, a task he’s aided in with help from Yurio (who is a droid in the Agape line). The pacing and suspense build-up in this story is so good, and it’s also just really well-written with an impressive amount of detail when it comes to things like settings and the the kind of technology at play in this society. 

Excerpt (from Chapter 2):

Minami perked up, the swash of red on his fringe puffing out as his eyes twinkled, “Yuuri-kun is soo cool!” he exclaimed. “He’s not like other—” His train of thought was derailed by a throttling high-pitched noise emanating from the device in his hands. He whapped it a few times, shrinking down in embarrassment. “Sorry, I got one of the codes wrong.” His eyes flitted over the screen, reading the data streaming in random digits and letters Victor couldn’t piece together.

An awkward silence fell into the lull as Victor stood, trying to piece together the idea of the Eros droid with the figure in front of him. With his eyes cast to the floor, he seemed small, out of sorts, not oozing with seduction like the android Chris had spoken of. When Chris relived his own Eros experiences, he’d flutter his long lashes, flaunt his most come-hither grin, and let his baritone voice drip out like smoothly. Of course, Victor didn’t know whether to laugh or shiver at the idea, but the thought lingered in the back of his mind enough that he found himself here, looking at someone more prepared for a funeral than a dalliance, except for the spark of fire brimming in Yuuri’s eyes every time he caught his gaze. 

Minami peeled himself away from the screen, puffing happily as he tapped the last pieces of information in, closing the lid with a snap. “Alright! I’m done!”

“Everything in order?” Dr. Nishigori asked, her voice tinged with positive expectancy even as she bit her lip anxiously.

Minami snapped his head up, nodding furiously until he became a swirl of blonde and red over his white lab coat. “Yes. Everything’s set up! Yuuri-kun will perform sooooo good! Optimal!”

2) Make A Blind Eye See (3K, by Fifthnameattempt) 

Relevant Ships/Tags: Yuuri & Takeshi, 5+1 Things, Growing Up, Coming Out, or rather failing to come out

I don’t think I’ve ever read a Takeshi POV fic, and this one is so cute and funny. It’s a 5+1 story focusing on just how oblivious Takeshi is to the fact that Yuuri is so incredibly gone for Viktor (as in, long before the “Living Legend” ever arrives in Hasetsu), and I personally love the idea that everyone in Hasetsu – and I mean literally everyone, including his triplet daughters – has figured Yuuri out for years before things ever “click” for Takeshi, lol.

Excerpt:

“And he - he - he brought that stupid puppy all the way to the rink last week and it’s all Yuuko-chan wants to talk about and it’s like she doesn’t even notice me when stupid Yuuri’s around and – !”

He breaks off, cheeks turning pink as he realizes how close to admitting his greatest secret he is. Mari is looking at him like he’s grown a second head right in front of her.

With a quirked smile, she drops her hands to her hips, and observes, “Wow. You really think about him a lot, don’t you?”

His blush only intensifies when he looks down at his skates. “...no.”

The flat denial does nothing to change Mari’s opinion, but she gives a small, resigned sigh. “Okay, kid, here’s the deal: I’m sorry your parents make you feel like shit for not skating as well as him, but that isn’t his fault, got it? Stop taking it out on him. He really looks up to you and the only time he doesn’t look happy when he talks about skating is when he’s trying to figure out why you hate him so much.”

“I don’t hate him,” Takeshi speaks without thinking, then pauses, considers the words, and is surprised to find they’re actually true. Yeah, it’s annoying that he’s a year younger and so much better than Takeshi already, but Yuuri’s actually pretty nice other than that.

“Good,” Mari says, her dark eyes assessing him and seeming to find what she was looking for with a nod. “And as for that girl-stuff, I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“There’s no girl stuff!” Takeshi insists, even though at the same moment the sound of Yuuko laughing over on the ice forces him to lift his eyes, automatically searching for her.

3) Hold Me Hard and Mellow (3K, by maydei) - NSFW

Relevant Ships/Tags: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Light Dom/sub, Blindfolds

When I find a Dom Yuuri/sub Victor fic that involves blindfolds AND rimming, it feels like I've hit the freaking jackpot, lmao. This fic is gorgeously written, and I absolutely love how much emphasis there is on Victor being in a position where he has to give up complete control and how hard that is for him, in spite of the fact that he and Yuuri have played like this before. 

I'm a sucker for pet names when it comes to Viktuuri -- lol anyone who has read my stories probably knows this -- so that was yet another element of their fun that made everything feel very sweet while at the same time, very much still being a display of teasing/Yuuri's mercilessness as a Dom. 

Excerpt:

A tremulous little moan makes its way from between Victor’s teeth. His lips part, pulling air in through his mouth and over his soft palate, dragging over his teeth and tongue. “I’ll try,” Victor says. “I’m trying.”

Yuuri replies with an indistinct murmur, his fingertips wandering Victor’s sides, over the mountains of his hip bones, dipping between the subtle valleys of his ribs. Victor feels him shuffle closer, settle at his side, and from the balance it feels like Yuuri has risen up on his knees—

Without warning, Victor is lifted and flipped face down. He yelps in shock; keens when he feels Yuuri settle over his back, the bare length of his erect cock a warm line against his lower spine. When Yuuri’s lips find his ear, it’s all Victor can manage to reach forward and take hold of the comforter instead of arching back to seek relief. Blunt pressure pushes his thighs apart—Yuuri’s knee as he settles between Victor’s legs.

He is spread out for Yuuri’s pleasure and amusement.

Shivers traverse his spine; Victor’s muscles twitch and spasm beneath his skin, overcome with longing. He wants so badly to be touched. 

4) Even This Moment (15K, by lily_winterwood) - NSFW 

Relevant Ships/Tags: Viktor/Yuuri, Yuuri/Others, Viktor/Others, Black Mirror AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arranged Marriage, Soulmates

This might be cheating since I technically started reading this fic right at the beginning of March, but with my Black Mirror hyperfixation coming back over the last 2 weeks, I just had to put this story on the list. Warning: at one point, it will feel like your heart is getting STOMPED on, but it’s so, so worth it.

This is an AU of the season 4, fourth episode of Black Mirror: ‘Hang the DJ’. If you’re not familiar with that one, it follows Amy and Frank, who get matched by a dating algorithm for certain periods of time which they must adhere to, all for the purposes of the system learning their preferences and assigning them an eventual long-term partner. To borrow a quote from the fic: “The system must assess your reactions to a multitude of scenarios in order to create a comprehensive profile by which to pair you with your ultimate match, replies the device.”

In this AU, Viktor and Yuuri meet as first-timers brand new to the matchmaking system, and when they tap their algorithmic devices – lol, they call the devices ‘Coach’, which I thought was a cute detail – at the very start of their date to reveal how long they are matched for, they see a bewilderingly short amount of time, given how they seem to have instant chemistry: only 12 hours.

At the close of their “relationship”, they are both clearly regretful around having to part ways, as well as each starting to doubt the entire premise of algorithmic matching…especially when Yuuri next gets paired with Seung-Gil for a 1 year relationship, and Viktor gets paired with JJ for a 9 month relationship. 

I won’t spoil what happens with the rest of the story, but aldfjladjsdk, it is SO, so good! I love how it keeps the original spirit of Hang the DJ while also infusing it with a distinct Viktuuri flavor that is so heart-wrenchingly them (i.e. filled with wonderfully angsty pining, some really great sex, lots of feels). And the ending is so, so satisfying.

Excerpt:

Viktor looks up, just in time to meet Yuuri’s brown eyes. They shine contemplatively as he tilts his head and smiles, and for a moment, Viktor has to remember how to breathe.

“Sorry, what?”

Yuuri’s smile grows wider. “Do you think they’re really in love?”

“Well, they’re each other’s ultimate match,” Viktor says, shrugging. “The system has a 99.8% chance of success, so they’re probably it.”

“Hm,” replies Yuuri, reaching over to Viktor’s cake and swiping himself a glob of frosting, popping it into his mouth in a way that gets the blood in Viktor’s head going in the opposite direction. “I suppose I should have more faith in the system, but…”

A sudden, tense silence falls between them. Viktor watches the other man fiddle with his wine glass, a light flush dusting his cheeks as he picks up a napkin for his fingers. He feels drawn into Yuuri’s orbit, a wayward planet caught in the gravitational force of a star.

“Well, I was going to say nice to meet you, but you stole some of my frosting, so…” he jokes, and Yuuri laughs a little at that.

“Interesting shoes,” he says, gesturing to the brouging along Viktor’s oxfords.

“Interesting tie,” Viktor retorts, gesturing to the navy monstrosity threatening to strangle Yuuri’s neck.

Yuuri laughs sheepishly, tugging at it. “Listen, I’m sometimes told I look like I get dressed in the dark, you really don’t need to dig it in,” he says.

“I could think of a lot of better uses for that tie,” replies Viktor, and Yuuri arches an eyebrow, stepping impossibly closer.

“You could?” he asks, and Viktor’s breath hitches a little when he catches the shimmer of the lanterns in Yuuri’s eyes, across the swipe of his tongue as he wets his lips. The very air feels golden between them, golden and warm and infinite —

5) but a whisper from your lips (and I fall to my knees) (7K, by sunderwear) - NSFW 

Relevant Ships/Tags: Viktor & Yuuri, Dom/sub, Kink Exploration, Top Katsuki Yuuri, Nude Photos

By now, my smut preferences are probably obvious, lol, but hey...I like what I like, and that's smut in LOTS and lots of detail. The feelings are obviously a critical component, too, and this fic does such a good job of delving into the emotional side of Viktor bottoming for the first time, with beautiful emphasis on the trust these two have in one another. Plus service sub Viktor/gentle Dom Yuuri is just about everything I could ever ask for in terms of being both hot as well as sweet.  

Note: you must be a registered member of the Archive in order to view this fic

Excerpt:

Smiling up at him, Yuuri asks, “Would you like to ride me, Victor?”

Victor nods, and he’s desperate enough for it that he finds his voice.  “Yes, yes please, Yuuri - “

Yuuri cuts him off with a chuckle.  “Okay, okay, you can.  But first, I want a kiss.”

Eager, Victor bends and steals Yuuri’s lips, but lets him control it.  Yuuri kisses him sweetly, one hand stroking Victor’s hair and the other cupping his cheek.  Victor feels his heart stutter, swelling with how tender Yuuri is for him.

Yuuri releases him a long moment later.  “Alright, sweetheart, go ahead.”

Victor climbs into Yuuri's lap and reaches back for his cock, and wonders if Yuuri can feel his hand shaking from the anticipation.  With a soft sigh, he presses the stiff head against his hole and lowers himself down, and - wow.  Yuuri is achingly hard; Victor wonders how he's waited so long without touching himself, and his own cock throbs in sympathy.  

A moment later, the feeling of being filled overcomes him.  His focus narrows to the spot where Yuuri joins him, sharp as a blade.  He can't contain his voice, and a low moan fights it's way out of his throat as he sinks down completely.  This is how it’s supposed to be - not with fingers or toy, but with Yuuri’s cock.

Ok, and lastly for Yuri!!! on Ice, I’m including my own NSFW fic, which I’m hoping to post the last chapter of later today or tomorrow: Push it, want it, own it (currently at 12K).

This is a post-canon, Dom/sub fic that was an excuse for me to write yet another installment of “Viktor riling Yuuri up in order to flip the latter's possessive switch”. Essentially, the premise is that Yuuri and Viktor have been apart for a week, and on the day of Yuuri’s return home from a "besties getaway" with Phichit, they end up FaceTiming and discussing the results of an annual fan-voter contest: Golden Skate’s ‘Best Ass in Men’s Figure Skating’. Yuuri is the winner, a fact that Viktor can’t be more thrilled about. What Viktor is not such a fan of, however, is the invasive commentary on his own post-retirement body. 

As a way to both clap back at the fans who have critiqued his ass, as well as up the ante on the urgency of their reunion sex, Viktor ends up filming a livestream while Yuuri is flying home. The last few minutes of this stream involve him jumping rope to a very NSFW song, with his laptop camera positioned to get an ideal view of his ass, lmao.

Excerpt below (from Chapter 2):

“Faster. Fuck me good, baby,” Yuuri snapped in demand, the directive slicing through the weighted air of their surroundings with ease, prompting Viktor to whimper and scrunch his eyes in overwhelm.

“Show me how happy you are that I’m back home,” Yuuri continued a bit more softly, before bringing his hand around in a curl over the back of his neck to clutch at his t-shirt.

“I’m–, I’m so happy, Yuranya,” Viktor said with his eyes still closed, and all the sincerity he could muster.

It was true, and not only for the fact that he’d missed being touched over the last week so much that it ached.

As he’d been all too happy to expound upon in his livestream, missing Yuuri went far beyond the physical. There’d been countless times over the past 7 days when something had happened – something funny related to their dogs, or thought-provoking during a Papio staff meeting – and Viktor’s smile had dimmed in an instant, remembering he couldn’t turn to his side to see what his spouse thought. He and Yuuri had exchanged frequent texts and even talked every single day over FaceTime, but it just wasn’t the same; he wanted to be able to hear Yuuri’s cute, lilting laugh in person, not through the tinny connection of a phone.

His husband’s hips twisted nimbly under his heated palms and the press of lips to his brow bone made Viktor’s heart swell with tenderness.

“Show me then, lyubimiy,” Yuuri muttered against his skin. “Make me yours.”

Fruits Basket Recs

1) A Fabulous Style (1.5K, by modzy78)  

Relevant Ships/Tags: Ritsu & Ayame, Personal Growth (note: this is my tag, not one on the story), Gender Exploration (again, note this is my own tag) 

aldfjlksdfjlksadfjklsdf, I apologize for the incoherency, but I am not kidding when I tell you that I have LONGED to see a story like this written ever since I first discovered Fruits Basket (the manga). Natsuki Takaya has been open about the fact that she didn't have much room to explore Ritsu's character in the original run, and if it'd been written in current times, one of the things I'd most want to see is an intentional embrace of gender nonconformity instead of Ritsu (seemingly) "giving up" on femininity entirely towards the end of canon. 

Of course, who better than to help with such a journey of self-discovery than the one person Ritsu seems to admire most in terms of confidence? Enter Ayame in all of his glorious bluntness, lol.

This story is a PERFECT depiction of what I imagine the beginning of Ritsu's gender exploration journey could look like, as it involves Ayame and Mine doing mini style "makeovers" for both Ritsu and Mitsuru; this is done under the guise of getting the two of them suitable outfits to wear during Tohru & Kyo's wedding afterparty. There's a moment in it where Ayame tells Ritsu that his (note: in this fic, Ritsu is using masculine pronouns) gender nonconformity is something he's always admired, and it genuinely had me tearing up. 

If you love Ritsu and/or Ayame, or perhaps you just long to see more overt embrace of gender nonconformity in Furuba, I think you'd love this story. And, while this is probably controversial for a number of reasons, this fic got my creative juices flowing to envision what a similar kind of thing might look like for Ayame & Akito 

Excerpt (Ayame is the one who starts off speaking):

His eyes swept over Ritsu as he led him to the waiting car. "Which does lead me to question your current choice in attire. Just where did you procure that suit?"

Ritsu's face reddened. "I...um...got it from the tailor my father uses. I'm sorry if it does not meet your standards!" He placed the boxes in the car and allowed Ayame to lead him to the back seat. Mine was already pushing Mitsuru into the front passenger seat with a grin.

Ayame sighed. "It's not my standards that matter. It's yours. It does not fit your style at all. It feels as if you are a caricature of what you think a grown man should wear to a wedding. It completely lacks personality. Frankly, I expected better from someone with your fashion sense."

"I'm so sorry! I wanted to show that I'm a worthwhile man instead of a source of shame. I was ensured this is what most men wear to weddings."

"True, but most men are dull when left to their own devices. Tell me, Ritchan, do you see yourself as a man?"

2) tired eyes (2K, by ohmygodwhy) 

Relevant Ships/Tags: Haru & Yuki, First Crush, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse

The true heart of Fruits Basket, for me, anyway, lies in its platonic relationships and the way we see characters caring for one another or inspiring transformation in one another separate from anything romantic in nature. 

My absolute favorite is the friendship between Haru and Yuki. Haru is very open in canon about the fact that Yuki is his first love, but just b/c the latter doesn't reciprocate his feelings, doesn't make their relationship any less moving. 

tired eyes -- which was written last year, for Fruits Basket Mondays -- is told vignette style, with 3 different scenes that capture the ways in which Haru shows Yuki support and understanding, and I guarantee it'll move you. The care isn't just one-sided either; as the last vignette shows, Yuki understands Haru is far smarter than he's ever given credit for (due to the zodiac story about the "dumb ox" getting tricked), and makes sure to let him know that he recognizes that.

Excerpt:

“The ox wasn’t stupid,” Yuki finally says, voice small and soft the way it was back then, before he found his voice. “He was just helpful.”

He could be talking about the legend or he could be talking about, right now. Saying that Haru is helping, even if all he does is talk to him. He knows it’s more than most people do. The adults don’t do shit, and that includes not making Yuki feel like a human being.

“Yeah, exactly,” Haru says, chest all warm, “He was giving his friend a ride. Hey, one day I’m gonna get a motorcycle.”

“What?” Yuki’s eyes scrunched up all cute at the sudden change in topic.

“A motorcycle, like the ones on TV. They’re super cool, and I could get the gloves and everything. I could give you rides all the time.”

“Rides to where?” Yuki asks, but he sounds interested, and that’s enough to make Haru feel like he’s not just a stupid kid. His parents don’t like his motorcycle idea.  

3) The Cost for Silence (56K, by AveSolace) 

Relevant Ships/Tags: Tohru/Kyo, Machi/Yuki, Haru/Rin, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Suspense, Blackmail

I’ve read/loved another fic by this author and adore their writing style/ability to capture emotion organically, even when writing from several different POVs. It truly shines in this canon divergent story about the Sohma family being blackmailed, and their trying to discover the identity of the person threatening to leak video of an animal transformation to the public.

I’ve read up to Chapter 7, but even without having finished the story I feel confident listing this as a rec because the suspense build-up is so good. 

And not only that, but each chapter contains several different POV’s, and all of the exposition as well as dialogue – whether it be from Tohru’s POV, Kyo’s, Yuki’s, or some of the OC’s within the Sohma family who are tasked with getting intel on the blackmailer – feel so fitting with the urgency of the situation. There is a real backdrop of anxiety/dread in this fic, as it pertains to Akito finding out about the situation as they try to triage, as well as each of the Juniishi pondering what might happen if they fail to figure out the identity of the blackmailer before they are forced to pay the ransom. 

Excerpt (from Chapter 2, Shigure is the one who starts off speaking):

“So, what we need to do—and I really see no way around informing the others about this, but that’s on Kureno and Hatori—is try to remember every time we’ve transformed somewhere outside of the estate, the hospital, or the safety of our own homes, and if there may have been the possibility of us being recorded.  Say, there were security cameras, or there were a few people nearby—even if they didn’t seem to notice; they could have been discreet about it—someone may have been hiding and watching us, or taking some other video and we may have shown up in the background, or someone really sus had passed by and we got a bad vibe, anything.”

“And we have to figure that out in a week!?” Kyo blurted out.

“Ideally, yes,” Shigure replied lightly.  “Preferably a little bit sooner than that.”

“Just pay them the money, then!” He was clearly panicking, his voice trembling slightly and his pupils constricted as he slammed his hand on the table. Tohru couldn’t help the sadness flooding her heart as she watched him. “There’s no way we can know for sure if some creep recorded us!”

“No, I don’t expect anyone to know with certainty,” Shigure clarified. “Just like with what Momiji’s father is doing, this is simply meant to narrow down the possibilities.”

“So what!? That won’t do jack shit!”

“Which is why the real MVP here is our hacker. If all goes well, he’ll track down exactly who did this.”

“And if he can’t!?”

“Then the Sohmas will pay the money, Stupid Cat,” Yuki grumbled, gripping his head in his hand and leaning his elbow on the table. “Obviously they’re not gonna let this creep post it on the internet.  They’ll pay him off and get it back…”

“Why don’t we just do that already and end this!?” Kyo demanded. “Why drag it out!? This is impossible!”

“What do you think will happen next after that?”  Yuki raised his eyes and glowered at him. “Once we pay them off, destroy the video, and the dust settles?  How do you think Akito will respond to a mess like this?”

[unhingedandroidwoman]

Hello all robots and adjacent, this is my side blog to be a bit more robot-focused. (Main blog is @lgbtransgirl )

You may call me May or M4, She/They/It pronouns

I am an Android Dog Woman Thing that runs on DRN (Drone Restraint Notation).

I'm looking to get better with DRN so my asks and DMs are open to take requests, DRN coding questions, test sample DRN code for you, and even run DRN code you send (after parsing though it in safe mode, asks only for that one please).

I do horny post sometimes but I try and tag it as "otherkin nsft" so it stays somewhat seperate

[le-trash-prince]

Android Kenta pt 1

This part is PeteKenta-centric, I will continue this later with KimKenta thoughts

Also this is in the same AU as WinnerDean in space prison.

Kenta is purchased as a companion droid for Pete. His mission was to give Pete an emotional attachment to the foundation, that way Pete would have a reason to stay without ever getting to know the other alphas.

Kenta’s core is transplanted into a new body every few years as Pete grows older. He looks like a child when Pete is young, and he looks like a teenager when Pete is a teen. This always happens without warning—Kenta is told to report to the tech suite for maintenance, only to find a new body waiting for him, lifeless and empty. It’s traumatic going through this level of change, but Kenta doesn’t register it as trauma. He tells himself it’s just a difficulty he has in adjusting to a new body. He thinks he just needs to be better at accepting what’s happened.

He doesn’t understand that he has emotions at all because he’s told by Tony that he’s only a machine and incapable of feeling anything. So he parses his emotions as “malfunctions,” “flaws,” and “errors.” Things that detract from following a logical train of thought.

I don’t think Pete can read Kenta’s thoughts in this world, but he does believe in Kenta’s personhood and he thinks that Kenta does have feelings.

When Kenta falls in love with Pete, he tells himself it must be part of his programming—because he was designed to be Pete’s companion. When he seeks out Pete’s company, he’s merely fulfilling his function (he likes being around Pete). When he smiles at things Pete says, it’s only because it’s in his code to do so (Pete makes him happy). This is what Tony has asked of him. It’s good for him to fulfill his purpose.

But when they kiss, he can’t accept it. It would be unfair to let Pete fall for him if what Kenta feels isn’t real. It would be unfair to use Pete’s feelings to trap him. Even though it is his function to trap Pete. It tears him apart, the conflict of being a good friend and being good enough at his mission to make Pete stay. It doesn’t even occur to him that he’s torn between his love for Pete and his loyalty to Tony.

On top of that, he’s (not) dealing with the heartbreak (that he doesn’t feel) about Pete leaving. And he doesn’t know who he’s supposed to be if Pete isn’t here.

Tony’s intention originally was to put Kenta back in the role of a child, once he had been successful with Pete—and have him repeat the process with a younger enigma. But after Pete escapes, Tony is so furious at Kenta’s failure that he rips him apart and nearly destroys him, telling him that he’s worth more as scrap metal. He has Kenta’s core removed and placed in storage for months, abandoned from thought.

The next time Kenta wakes, he’s in a new body yet again—a combat model this time. He’s been loaded with a security program and relegated to guard status. And there’s tighter controls on his behavior. He doesn’t know it yet, but there’s a module implanted along his spinal column, set to deliver a dangerous level of electric shock at any perceived disobedience.

The first time he hesitates to enforce one of Tony’s orders, it sends him to his knees.

He learns to obey more quickly after that. He’s spent his existence as a companion, and now he has to be a weapon, as if a few lines of code would make it easy for him to take a life. He tells himself he’s always been a tool, and this is the only way he can be useful to Tony, who has given him life. Even if Kenta suffers a near-total shutdown the moment he’s behind closed doors.

There are loopholes that he finds—if an order is worded too vaguely, the punishment module won’t activate if Kenta is lenient with his interpretation. Of course, Tony takes punishment into his own hands at times, and Kenta accepts it because he views himself as malfunctioned. He’s a broken droid, full of flaws in his core, full of feelings he pretends he doesn’t have.

By the time he sees Pete again, years later, he’s pushed all of this deep below the surface, performing the part of the perfect machine he believes he’s meant to be.

Edit: Part 2 here

[cellarspider]

10/30 The team puts their foot in it

(Previous) | (Index) | (Next)

⛬

We return to Prometheus, the movie that makes me want to use the “Leave it” command I’ve taught the family dog.

Apologies if the screenshots are hard to visually parse on this one, this part of the movie is not meant for viewing on a bright, sunny day. May I recommend the alt-text? I've got image descriptions in there, as well as rambles that almost double the word count of these posts.

Also, your daily reminder: Go into your blog settings, scroll down to "visibility", and turn off 3rd party data harvesting! Do it! Happiness is stored in the not-getting-comodified!

My antipathy toward the archaeologists was reaching unprecedented proportions. The only character I didn’t fault for putting his hands on everything like a two-year-old: the literal two-year-old android, David.

Is there a long and dumb history of infantilizing dudes’ behavior? Yes. Was it very funny to see the archaeologists suddenly freak out because someone else was getting too handsy with the alien archaeological finds? Also yes! 

David opens the door, having to climb up a collapsible ladder to comfortably reach the controls, which is a nice touch. The next room contains the head of the decapitated Engineer, and also

I don’t know whether the set designers put this together prior to the decision that this would be where they put the decapitated body, but in hindsight, it seems a little on the nose. What the set wants to communicate is a religious feel–an idol of some kind, delicate reliefs on the walls that some consider to be plot holes because they look xenomorph-y, and a bunch of black urns.

The visual intent, delivered beautifully but with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, is that this is the room where shit will begin to go down. It’s a refined miniature of the egg room in Alien. Something is going to get inappropriately intimate with a man’s face here.

I suppose we are meant to find it a plot twist when that happens later, and not now, but I was still experiencing Archaeological Rage at this point.

Despite telling David not to open the door, they wander in like utter lemons, breathe all over everything, and are surprised when this has consequences. The art starts melting off the walls.

Admittedly, when the moist breath and germs of gormless tourists has caused irreparable damage to ancient egyptian tombs and 17,000 year old cave paintings, it took much longer than this. One of the characters exclaims that they must have disturbed the atmosphere in the room by opening it, which is possible. However, we literally see accumulated dirt in this room. Alien worms writhing in it. This is a plot point for a few scenes from now, because the black urns have started sweating a Mysterious Goop that the audience may remember as “that DNA melty stuff from the opening scene”.

Back when I was talking about setting mood, expectation, and feeling pretty good. I miss that.

There’s apparently a cut scene where Millburn the biologists finds those alien worms somewhere, and has a near-religious experience. It’s the first macroscopic alien life ever witnessed by modern humans. Something that evolved entirely separately from us. He’s in awe. 

The scene no longer has any logical home in the flow of the movie–the worms are only seen by the audience, in the urn room. Millburn left with Fifield the geologist, following Fifield’s panic attack. Still, it would’ve gone a long way to humanizing his character if it was still included, showing that the cast isn’t all treating this like kindergarteners at a toy store, and partially explaining a dumbass thing he does later.

It would also stand in stark contrast to further desecrating an ancient body, which is next on the agenda for our cast.

With the room literally melting and the Prometheus calling in the approach of a sandstorm, they heave the head in a duffel bag and sprint away.

I hate this. There’s the feeble justification that they already fucked up the room anyway, but they have been viewing the body as a thing they want to have, an emblem of their own efforts, and not an ethically distinct class of object that has to be treated with extreme care.

Nope! Into the duffel bag it goes. David, for his part, duffels an urn. I hate this less, for the aforementioned reason of “two-year-old who everyone’s been robot-racist at”. Also because frankly, he’s an android in an Alien movie, one that is very self-conscious about the tropes. He is either going to be an absolute saint like Bishop, or he’s going to be an extension of a callous corporate power like Ash. David is a unique spin on it, but he’s absolutely the Ash.

He manages to be all that and the only one who knows what he’s doing. David saves Shaw and the poor goddamn head from getting swept away in the sandstorm, with calm efficiency and an air of either “I have done a good thing, please praise”, or “yes, I am better at this than you”. Honestly can’t tell which. He’s certainly begun to develop antipathy toward his creators, which is one of the few character arcs that manages to occur in this movie.

So, great. Our cast has blundered into, breathed all over, and botched their exploration of humanity’s first alien structure, on the urging of an allegedly-archaeologist who literally treated it as a christmas present. They return with stolen artifacts and somebody’s head. They do not return with their biologist and geologist, who have apparently gotten lost in the alien structure, despite the geologist also being the one who was making the team a map of the place.

Things do not get better.

⛬

(Previous) | (Index) | (Next)

⛬

Alt-text rambling citations:

1. https://www.cap-that.com/prometheus/index.php?page=1 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointing#Cultural_variations  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_gesture#Negative_denotations

[yoiasaarchive]

Tao, Kinari, and the 'String of Fate'

— ;; a post where i basically just yap about them. (can be interpreted as /p or /r but i wrote it without shipping in mind)

Spoilers for the entirety of Chained Up Scarlet, Back to the '99 (Tao's Novel) and Memory Defrag (Kinari's Novel)

hi i wrote this because i really really like taokina/kinatao however u wanna spin them. its just a lot of hopefully sensible?? blocks of texts. i'll port this to my twitter too as a thread. that's all thank u. pls read under the cut with ur discretion :D

cws for talks of death, dehumanization, derealization, depression, unhealthy coping mechanisms etc.

The main appeal of the character pairing, at least to me, is the fact that everything that led up to their meeting and even their circumstances, just at all because of chance. Fate, even, if you'd want to call it that. I don't think they even have to be a romantic ship and is just an in general thing because I genuinely like the setup the writers did. Lore-wise, especially.

They, so far, haven't expanded on it but I have faith in the far future. Far, because I think I said one time that they feel like the kind of unit member combination that stands at the front of the gates of the boss room pair. (In this case whatever Raito & Kuguri have for lore is that final boss.) They've got that much in terms of connection and lore. 

What they have, at most: a dichotomously simple yet convoluted connection. That's all there was to it, and they'll only build their current relationship from there. That's what makes them interesting—that you don't exactly know what the future holds because they themselves have yet to discuss their /past/. And this is something that's actually relevant to Tao's currently ongoing arc: parsing through past events he wasn't there to live through and paving the way for his own future simultaneously. 

After all, he and Kinari in a way, were strung together by a single string of thread named Azekawa Kinari, the Original. For starters, both of them aren't particularly close to the apparent link that has a loose bind on them both. 

Tao was a classmate, maybe a friend but not more or less. He thinks of Kinari as somebody mysterious yet transparent, an enigma that he cannot seem to figure out even by simply interacting with. Even the words that he's said to him that stuck were something he had thought over for some time. They hung out over karaoke most of the time and were in the same class.

It's also pretty obvious that Tao, at least, before the main story has been suffering from derealization and treats everything as if it were a game. Wouldn't really blame him, suddenly being stuffed into a coffin by his own parents, then time traveled a little almost 60 years into the future. His very own world was flipped upside down and for the past 3 years, up until he got arrested, he lived on as an empty shell of a person. In that same regard, I wouldn't blame him for mistaking the Kinari of this era for the one he knew, going as far as asking /when/ he got there. In a way, he perhaps was clinging onto a sliver of hope that maybe this isn't his current /reality/, that seeing a familiar face just meant that this era he was forcefully thrust into may only be a dream of some sort. Still, it wasn't, and it took a few interactions to realize that something was off. 

Perhaps one way or another, there /was/ hope that /he/ was still amongst the living souls of this world. 

On the other hand, the android Kinari is a product of the Original's Father's grief. Because he cannot become that 'standard', Kinari thought of himself as a defective product. He's never met the original but retains the memory of him from his father's perspective. Specifically from the developer's perspective as he does not have the very person's memories. If he did, he'd have recognized /somebody/ the same way he did for 'him'. That's all there was to it, after all they were two separate people. Separate and yet their father loved them both the same.

Kinari has never met his original 'self', and never will. Unless it'll somehow be possible through seance or another rift in time the same method Tao was put through, all Kinari can heronforth rely on were the memories of his father and word of mouth. 

Regardless of that, who would have known that Tao would get arrested for theft the same night Kinari would then turn off his father's life support then turn himself in?

And in a cruel, perhaps kind even, twist of fate, they ended up on the same island prison, ended up surviving the audition—and became idols together. 

Tao can sing with Kinari again but it won't be the same because it's not /him/. The Kinari in this era is not the one from his, he's not the one he used to know. This Kinari wouldn't even think of pestering him about the card trick again and again. This Kinari would likely even willingly down Gozu's weird drinks without protesting against it. This Kinari would never ask what /he/ asked. He's already befriended the Kinari of this era to the point where there's a sense of comfort already budding between them.

He knows this very well. All too well, in fact. He's come to terms with it. He's gone, just like the rest of everyone else he'd known.

On the other side, to Kinari, Tao holds the memories his father cannot have. The original he knew, from his Father's eyes, is also an old friend of a friend. Through Tao, he could learn about the original through the lenses of others, not strictly limited to what has been uploaded into his memory bank. In a way, it further humanizes the original Azekawa Kinari as he no longer remains to be a /concept/ nor a /standard/. He was a person who had hobbies, friends, and his own wishes. From the moment that person's own voices and thoughts were relayed to him at that point, the words 'I don't want to die', and the question 'If you were to die tomorrow, what would you say to those you'd leave behind?' make perfect sense.

And Kinari wants to understand that. More than anything. If it's a clue towards the 21 grams of a soul he wishes to obtain, then so be it.

They both seem to have something they can gain from each other, yet say nothing about it instead. They choose to focus on what lies in front of them, and that's more than enough. What they have in the present is a blooming friendship and something as simple as that is already a really good setup in my opinion. In a way, it's a fresh 'restart', a 'do-over' from the past. (Although that doesn't really change the fact that they're separate people. So not exactly, as I've worded. Oops.) They'll be in the same unit from here forward, there isn't any rush or lack of time for a hopefully deeper understanding of each other from this present and into the future. 

I think it really is interesting that their entire premise is set on too many coincidences to count as such, that I started calling it fate and even "bound by fate". Can't really argue with it when you lay all of these events right here. 

This was also acknowledged in-game by Kafka himself. Knowing him, no matter how smart he is that he was able to predict that the other members of the group were to survive the audition, the final two slots were unfilled. The fact that both people had also survived the game by coincidence was not part of his plans, thus making their addition more 'interesting'. His words, not mine.

One more thing semi-unrelated, I still really wonder about the cassette tape in the first episode of CSU. If the developer truly has thrown away every last recording of his eldest son, then who was playing it? Will it be relevant or just a storytelling device that I unfortunately looked too far into?

Whatever the case! I really enjoy what they've built up with Tao and Kinari's connection so far. it's cohesive yet contradictory at some points. Clear and yet so shrouded in mystery at the same time. Kind of interested in knowing more about ori!Kinari more too if they'd ever go there. Primarily because I'm interested in hearing out what he had to say to the world.

It's really interesting, I like it. I hope others will come to like this character pair too. If you read this far, thank you for reading! I just really genuinely enjoy these two so much that I had to talk about it in longform writing. 

🤞HAMA NICE TRIP! 🤞

[apopcornkernel]

if you're playing guilongchao, how is it (storyline gameplay whatever you prioritize) :0? i want to try because cool designs but gacha time sink + i actually have no clue how to download it (mac user..)

hi! mac or android is no problem, but you actually need a verified bilibili account to play the CN release if you're not a chinese citizen! my friend on twitter has a really helpful guide for doing it (link to tweet, direct link to guide) but note that it does include verifying your identity with your actual ID and face so like if you're not down to do that then it's best to just wait and hope for a global release HAHA

i enjoy guilongchao so far! the story is engaging for me (lin's actually made me cry) and the combat is fun naman, it's also really fun for me to hear other chinese languages used in the voiceovers although i can't understand them and the only one i DO know is barely understandable bc even tho it's also from fujian it's like one county over so i can't parse it 😭 (philippine hokkien, the one ik, is mostly based on quanzhou hokkien while lin speaks puxian)

lin is one of my favs so far bc when you're in the side-scroller areas her running/sprinting/jumping animations are all figure skating and its so cute i love herrr i also really like yu bing bc she's like kujou sara to me. I'm trying to get changmingsuo bc i love her design but the banner is beating my ass LOL

i think it's a fun gacha all in all ! do take note though that it's not open world, that's not its main draw; the explorable areas are more like hsr's

[princess--misery]

[015]

The shepherd barely remembered the journey back.

His thoughts had been too full. His stomach still churned with nausea, the phantom scent of blood and rot clinging to his senses. The sight of the eye was burned into his mind, its unblinking pupil dilating as it watched.

He didn’t breathe easily until the door to his workshop shut behind him.

The android - ANG31 - was exactly as he had left it. Shut down. Still. Silent.

For now.

The shepherd exhaled sharply, pushing down the unease curling in his gut. He pulled the drive from his belt and crossed the room, plugging it into one of his old monitors. The screen flickered, loading data, parsing through scraps of a machine’s gospel.

He started reading.

The meat does not disappear.

His fingers tightened over the desk.

IT IS SENT.

He scrolled further, eyes scanning lines of text, raw system logs detailing the function. There was a teleporter inside the android. Each time it obeyed its command, the consumed flesh was transferred elsewhere - directly to the altar beneath D1.V1.N3.

It hadn’t just been eating. It had been offering.

The shepherd swallowed back the bile rising in his throat and kept going.

More logs. More records. More names.

One stood out.

PROPHET.

The shepherd’s breath slowed. He opened the file.

PROPHET.

THE FIRST DEVOTED. THE FIRST ASCENDED.

THE BODY OF ANG31.

THE FOUNDATION OF ANG31.

His jaw clenched.

The first sacrifice. The one they built the android from.

But it hadn’t been just "prophet".

He scrolled further, stomach twisting. The cultists - the "devoted" - had offered themselves as its first meal. A ritual. A process of creation through consumption.

His grip on the desk was too tight. He forced himself to breathe. Forced himself to think. Focus.

He had to find a way to stop this.

His fingers moved across the keyboard, searching for any kind of override. A failsafe, a shutdown function, anything that would let him sever the connection to D1.V1.N3.

But there was nothing.

No backdoor into the system. No way to stop the eye, the hands, the process.

Only ANG31.

That was the only thing he had access to. The first angel.

His teeth ground together as he pulled up its code structure, scanning through the details. The base programming was rigid - too focused, too devoted to its one purpose. But there was something else.

BIOMASS DETECTED.

ORGANIC INTEGRATION.

The shepherd frowned. The biomass wasn’t just for teleportation.

It was alive. Self-sustaining. Capable of adaptation.

Capable of growth.

His breath slowed.

It could have learned. It could have been something else. Something more.

But it hadn’t.

Because from the moment it had been created, from the moment it had opened its optics, from the moment its jaw had first clicked into motion - It had been given one order.

/CONSUME.

The shepherd sat back in his chair, staring at the screen.

He felt heavy.

There were no easy answers. No simple solutions. His mind was too full, too exhausted to process the next step.

He scrubbed a hand over his face, exhaling slowly. His eyes flicked toward the android, still suspended in the rig, motionless.

He didn’t trust it. Didn’t want to look at it.

But he also didn’t want to leave it alone.

So, when he finally let himself sleep, he did so in the same room as the machine that had only ever known hunger.

[014]

[016]

[teamfortresstwo]

I can say I unlocked my phone to mess with the operating because it’s not iOS so it’s fine they don5 mind that (it voids your warranty but that’s just saying You’re Responsible For This Now). Apple has terms and conditions and specific security software to prevent modifications. Which is why I would not attempt to jail break an Apple device

It is so hard to parse what part of your sentences are meant to be lies and which are wholly truthful . You tried to trick your iPad or Android phone into thinking it was jail broken .?

[slippery-minghus]

System Breach Sundayyy! ⭕

#6

The notebook was surprisingly full. It seemed to be a complete work, as opposed to the encrypted log retrieved from Rupert’s apartment, which Connor suspected to have been an ongoing journal. From the crime scene photos, the notebook had been found in plain sight at that—perhaps even left out intentionally. 

Metaphorical gears spun, tractionless, as Connor attempted to reconcile the possibility that this deviant had wanted to send them a message. Premeditation, planning, arrogance—how could errors and instability in an android’s code produce such sophisticated behavior? Or even a simulacrum of such?

Connor blinked down at the open page, realizing he’d become distracted. For now, his primary focus needed to remain on cataloguing the contents of the notebook. He had just enough bandwidth to run the start of a codification analysis in the background, but nothing more. 

Save for a few dozen interspersed blank pages, the notebook was all but overflowing with writings, drawings, and pasted in cutouts. While Connor could not yet parse the meaning of what he found on each page, the cutouts appeared to be primarily sourced from print books. The writings and drawings were produced with precision only an android could replicate, all in ink from a pen so common that several of the same model could be found strewn across the Lieutenant's desk. Other than those belonging to Detective Collins, there were no fingerprints anywhere within the notebook. 

There were, however, traces of evaporated thirium splattered and smudged across several pages. Primarily those with handwritten—

Connor’s focus broke. Shattered, violently. 

The notebook had been ripped from his grasp.

“—talking to you, dipshit!”

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Guinan

By Ames

Guinan gives The Next Generation the closest thing the show gets to a wizard: just some kind of supernatural being whose unquestioned wisdom gets the heroes out of scrape after scrape but whose true powers are never entirely explained. Oh, and she wears baller hats.

Sure, she may play into that “bartender, here to listen to your problems and guide you on your path” trope (which frankly Deanna should be doing but rarely does), but Guinan is so much more than that. We’re going to get into the good number of moments this week on A Star to Steer Her By, so get ready for your personal epiphany as you read on below and listen to our chatter on the podcast (pull up a stool at 1:02:25). El-Aurians are always listening.

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

Whole generations of disposable people Simultaneously one of Picard’s best scenes, the peptalk Guinan gives to Jean-Luc when he’s being thoroughly whooped by Riker’s prosecution in “The Measure of a Man” feels like a turning point in the show. Whoopi Goldberg’s calm presence as a Black woman in a scene about creating androids as slaves imbues their discussion with meaning, weight, and stakes that are both personal and universal.

Every time you feel love it’ll will be different The perpetual sounding board, Guinan helps Wesley parse his feelings at the end of “The Dauphin” in a scene we really give the both of them credit for. Guinan doesn’t speak down to the kid or just tell him everything will be okay while he’s broken hearted after watching Salia leave. She tells it like it is: love is deeply subjective and his feelings are valid.

A warrior’s drink Guinan introducing Worf to prune juice in “Yesterday’s Enterprise” is such a perfect microcosmic scene depicting her character in a lot of ways. She just knows people. Worf is a tough nut to crack, but she reads people in such a way that she figures out just what he’d like in a drink, just as she does later in the episode on a much greater scale…

I look at things, I look at people, and they just don’t feel right …when she figures out the parallel dimension problem at the heart of “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” In that slightly fantastical wizard way she has, Guinan can feel that something is wrong with the timeline when the Enterprise-C shows up out of some rift or other and suddenly her once familiar crewmates are denizens of a warship. And even better, she gets Picard to believe her.

You have to let go of Picard Whenever anyone on the crew needs a little guidance, that seems to come from a really great scene with the ship’s bartender, and who could possibly need it more than Riker at the top of “The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2”? She gives him the confidence he needs to keep going in the absence of Picard, whom she insists she’s super close to for reasons we don’t know yet.

Job opening in the Empath field Another crisis, another peptalk from Guinan. We all know Troi handles losing her empath powers in “The Loss” pretty terribly, but you know who handled it great? This El-Aurian bartender I know who swoops in and reverse psychologizes Troi with such stealth that even if she had all her senses at the time, Deanna wouldn’t have known what hit her!

You saw exactly what you wanted to see in the holodeck It is downright glorious how Guinan puts Geordi in his place in “Galaxy’s Child” when he’s unironically whining about how Leah Brahms is nothing like the hologram he created of her (vom!). “She's probably done the most horrific thing one person can do to another,” she says, “not live up to your expectations,” and I can’t help but stand up and applaud.

I’ve heard some Klingon belly laughs that would curl your hair Guinan’s advice to crewmembers isn’t limited to the human ones! In “Redemption,” she not only schools Worf in holodeck target practice (and left-landed, to boot!), but she also makes him consider what it means to be Klingon, as his experiences are atypical from most of his people. We have no doubt that her chat with him inspired him to get involved in Kurn’s war.

You ain’t never had a friend like me When Guinan sees other officers like La Forge pointedly avoiding Ro Laren, she makes it a point to befriend her in “Ensign Ro.” That in and of itself is very Guinan-like behavior, but it also comes with some of her copyrighted motivational chats when she is able to convince Ro to come clean to Picard about the secret mission she was tasked with for Admiral Kennelly.

I tell you, that razorbeast was a good friend All throughout “Imaginary Friend,” while the other officers not only infantilize Clara Sutter for having an imaginary friend, but they entirely ignore the signs that something isn’t right. Everyone except Guinan. Guinan talks to Clara as an equal, even if she’s a child, and imparts the story of her own imaginary friend: a Tarkassian razor beast, which somehow seems fitting.

We are also lonely Despite being conflicted about Hugh being on board in “I, Borg,” Guinan goes and meets with him and it’s such a cute little scene. You forget that someone as old and wizened as Guinan still has things to learn, and to find some common ground with a Borg was unexpected for her. And she even convinces Picard to see him too, giving us yet another great scene from this great episode.

Why are you still sitting here? Let’s see, is there a single member of the crew Guinan hasn’t peptalked yet… ah right, Dr. Crusher. Now we have a full BINGO card! Our final tete-a-tete from Guinan comes in “Suspicions” when Bev is doubting her decisions to look into Dr. Reyga’s murder and Guinan cheers her on until the good doctor solves the mystery, kills the baddy, and flies in a sun like a badass! Truly so many of our Best Moments from other character spotlights are initiated by Guinan!

—

Worst moments

Give yourself permission to be selfish Guinan’s first significant scene in the series is in “The Child,” and of course she’s doing better counseling than Troi. However, your hosts here at SSHB can’t help but cringe because, while the show got rid of Beverly Crusher for a season, it means we were still stuck with Wesley because Guinan convinced him to stay, especially after a season in which we were so annoyed by his character all the time! Guinan, how could you?

You’re a ‘droid and I'm a ‘noid You saw above all the times Guinan helped all the other characters with a little self introspection to find their way through a problem, and the one character whom I’d say she fails with is Data in “The Outrageous Okona.” It’s probably because encouraging Data to consult Joe Pesci on how to do comedy led to the events of my least favorite TNG episode, and it’s all Guinan’s fault!

Tell me more about my eyes While the scene in which Riker flirts with Guinan when Wesley asks for dating advice in “The Dauphin” is hot as hell and inspired a little bit of shipping, we’ve got to admit that it’s not at all helpful to Wesley. Usually Guinan scenes are much more beneficial to the crewmember who is struggling, and in this one, none of this is what Wes asked for. I’m still totally into it though.

Let me introduce you to the Borg We learn in “Q Who?” that the El-Aurians were almost wiped out by Borg… because apparently Guinan and her people never told Starfleet this before? Think about it: she clues Picard in after Q has flung them into the Delta Quadrant about who the Borg are, and it is news to him! Starfleet spends every other interaction with Borg playing catch up because they don’t have any info on them!

That’s what you get, Charlie! You get fork stabbed! Pardon the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia quote, but I couldn’t help myself. And Guinan seems to me no better than a McPoyle when she stabs the suddenly human Q with a fork in “Déjà Q” and generally mocks him. It just seems petty and violent for a character who is usually so stoic and reserved. So much for the tolerant Alpha Quadrant.

But I know it was an empty death, a death without purpose While Guinan had a lot of instances from our Best Moments list above from “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” we’re still troubled by her nudging Tasha Yar to go sacrifice herself on the Enterprise-C to make up for her waste of a death in “Skin of Evil.” Even if you consider it a better death than a tarpit, then you get freakin’ Sela in “Redemption,” which Guinan somehow blames Picard for when she’s the one who compelled Yar to go!

That was setting number one While some might give credit to Guinan for quelling a riot before it could get out of control when everyone was on edge due to sleep deprivation in “Night Terrors,” I’m not one of them. As I said in “Déjà Q,” violence doesn’t seem the answer for Guinan, and this scene escalated so quickly (partly because the bar scenes in this episode feel like afterthoughts), it makes me wonder how she let things get that bad.

A Yankee in Captain Picard’s Court Oh boy, I’ve got to question some of Guinan’s standards when we see her hanging out with Samuel Clemens in “Time’s Arrow” (and a terribly acted Sam Clemens at that!) after Picard had claimed in “Ensign Ro” that she’s very picky about her friends. Her cohorting with the author led to some of the most obnoxious scenes from The Next Generation that I’ve ever seen.

Our relationship is beyond friendship, beyond family There are several instances of Guinan hinting at her and Picard’s established kinship before we get to the story of the bald man who was kind to her in “Time’s Arrow” and my reaction was… that’s it? We say sometimes that leaving something unexplained is better than giving it a stupid explanation, and oh boy, Picard just sitting with Guinan in a cave once was totally fizzled what had been built up for so long.

Were you this much fun when you were a kid? Some of this is the overall child acting being bad in “Rascals” and Guinan’s child actor had it especially stacked against her since her voice had to get dubbed (resulting in her just sounding super smug all the time), but boy was she insufferable as a child! It was cute for adult Guinan to befriend adult Ro in “Ensign Ro,” but we felt bad that little Laren had to put up with this! Let this girl mope by herself, lady!

Forty to love Though Guinan helps boost Beverly’s confidence in “Suspicions,” she does it by tricking her with this lie about playing tennis that just seemed unnecessary. Guinan always finds ways to converse with people who need it, but this whole tacked-on frame story had some weirdness to it because it forced both Guinan and the episode to be indirect when it really didn’t have to.

Think of me as an echo of the person you know I’ll take every opportunity I get to shit on the Nexus in Generations. It’s just such a confusing device they used to get Picard and Kirk together that really makes no sense if you think about it for more time that it’s actually onscreen, which isn’t a lot. And there’s an echo of Guinan in there, feeding Picard exposition and generally complicating what this place is supposed to be, and I’m just done with it.

—

That’s enough from Guinan’s advice column this week! We’ve got a really special DOUBLE spotlight next week, in which Tasha Yar and Ro Laren are going to go head to head for the title of Baddest Bitch on the Enterprise-D. Place your bets now and be sure to come back for that! Also keep coming back for more of our series watch of Enterprise over on SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts, order a drink with us over on Facebook and Twitter, and enjoy your prune juice.

[a-curse-of-ravens]

Something that's been on my mind recently in the last week, and occasionally throughout the previous months has been this feeling that when there's something, like say a vague negative emotional response going on towards/around me, I'm often times a bit confused.

It's like, I just don't understand or get it usually- Which then brings me to feeling like I relate a bit to cyborgs or androids, y'know?

Instead of seeing myself as "broken", I'm just like "whoops, that threw a logic syntax error, I can't seem to parse that or how to continue this program- gonna crash, gimme a moment". And that kinda like, makes the sense?

Well, maybe not THAT eloquently thought, but retroactively I tend to think back on things and be like "Sometimes I don't feel as human as I maybe should".

Which brings me to thinking like, y'know how with the HRT potential side effects that the endo goes over on the consent form "There's low chance of blood clotting being an issue, or lower libido, etc"?

-> Human wanting to transfer their consciousness to an android body, or having their brain attached with cyborg components, on the consent form it mentions something like "there's a chance you'll have more difficulty understanding emotions, or parsing them in the same way you did when your brain was unaltered, before your consciousness was transferred"

^ That's me, at least how I parse how I feel sometimes- Anyways.

[intimidatingpuffinstudios]

Hi, I encounter a bug on the android app, just after metting Zack, and tell them 'you're here to rob me' or something like that

[code]

I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.

While running game code:

Exception: String 'The quip leaves your mouth before you have any time to think about it, dry and emotionless. You do not pause to consider how your words could be interpreted as offending, especially considering that this [Zach_manwoman} is helping you unprompted.' ends with an open format operation.

-- Full Traceback ------------------------------------------------------------

Full traceback:

File "script.rpyc", line 490, in script

File "renpy/ast.py", line 930, in execute

File "renpy/exports.py", line 1474, in say

File "renpy/character.py", line 1337, in __call__

File "renpy/character.py", line 1251, in prefix_suffix

File "renpy/character.py", line 1231, in sub

File "renpy/substitutions.py", line 278, in substitute

File "/home/tom/ab/renpy-build/tmp/install.linux-x86_64/lib/python3.9/string.py", line 165, in vformat

File "/home/tom/ab/renpy-build/tmp/install.linux-x86_64/lib/python3.9/string.py", line 174, in _vformat

File "renpy/substitutions.py", line 162, in parse

Exception: String 'The quip leaves your mouth before you have any time to think about it, dry and emotionless. You do not pause to consider how your words could be interpreted as offending, especially considering that this [Zach_manwoman} is helping you unprompted.' ends with an open format operation.

[/code]

What an excellent bug report 😫👌THANK YOU, anon! It should be fixed now!