#audio protective cases

[charlesmwa]

How to Protect Your Equipment During Transportation: Best Cases and Bags

Transporting audio equipment can be stressful. One wrong move, and your valuable gear could end up scratched, dented, or, worst of all, broken beyond repair. Whether you're a musician, DJ, or audio professional, safeguarding your equipment is crucial—not just for its longevity but also for your peace of mind.

The good news? Protecting your gear doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With the right approach and a solid investment in quality cases and bags, you can ensure your equipment stays safe no matter where you’re headed. Here’s a guide to help you make informed choices about the best ways to protect your gear during transportation.

Why Protecting Your Gear Matters

Audio equipment is expensive. Beyond the financial investment, it also represents the countless hours spent perfecting your craft. Damaged gear can disrupt performances, delay projects, or even lead to additional costs for repairs or replacements.

Proper protection not only minimizes risks during transport but also extends the life of your equipment, ensuring it performs optimally for years to come.

The Key Risks of Transportation

Before diving into solutions, it’s essential to understand the common risks your gear faces during transit:

Physical DamageBumps, drops, or collisions during travel can cause scratches, dents, or even internal damage.

Environmental FactorsExposure to moisture, dust, and extreme temperatures can harm sensitive components.

Improper HandlingStacking heavy items on fragile gear or improper packing can lead to significant damage.

Wear and TearConstant movement without adequate protection can gradually degrade your equipment.

Choosing the Right Protection: Cases vs. Bags

When it comes to protecting your equipment, you’ll often choose between hard cases and soft bags. Both options have their advantages, and the best choice depends on your needs.

Hard Cases

Hard cases are the ultimate in protection. These rugged containers are built to withstand impacts, making them ideal for fragile or high-value items like mixers, speakers, or turntables. 

Benefits:

Durability: Resistant to bumps, drops, and heavy stacking.

Waterproofing: Many hard cases come with seals to keep out moisture and dust.

Customizable Foam Inserts: You can create compartments tailored to your gear, ensuring a snug fit.

Best For:

Long-distance travel

Shipping gear

Heavier or more fragile equipment

Soft Bags

Soft bags are lighter and more portable, making them a great option for smaller items like microphones, cables, or pedals. While they don’t offer the same level of protection as hard cases, they’re easier to carry and often include padded compartments.

Benefits:

Lightweight: Easy to carry and ideal for short trips.

Cost-Effective: Generally more affordable than hard cases.

Organization: Many soft bags feature multiple pockets for accessories.

Best For:

Local gigs or practice sessions

Smaller, less fragile items

Quick and easy packing

Features to Look for in Cases and Bags

When selecting a case or bag, focus on quality and functionality. Here are some key features to consider:

Padding and Interior ProtectionLook for thick, high-density foam or padded linings to cushion your gear. Customizable interiors are a bonus, allowing you to create compartments that perfectly fit your equipment.

Durable MaterialsHard cases should be made from materials like ABS plastic or aluminum, while soft bags should feature heavy-duty nylon or polyester.

Weather ResistanceEnsure your case or bag is waterproof or water-resistant to protect against rain, spills, or humidity.

Secure ClosuresZippers, latches, and locks should be sturdy and reliable. Some cases even include TSA-approved locks for added security during air travel.

PortabilityChoose cases with ergonomic handles, wheels, or shoulder straps for easy transport.

Packing Tips for Safe Transportation

Even the best case or bag won’t protect your gear if it’s packed incorrectly. Follow these tips to maximize safety:

Wrap Fragile ItemsUse bubble wrap, foam sheets, or even soft cloths to wrap delicate components.

Secure Loose ItemsAvoid leaving cables, adapters, or other small items loose in your bag. Use zippered pouches or cable ties to keep everything organized.

Distribute Weight EvenlyWhen packing multiple items, ensure the weight is evenly distributed to prevent shifting during transport.

Fill Empty SpacesUse foam inserts, towels, or other padding to fill gaps and prevent your gear from moving around.

Label Your CasesClearly label your cases with your name and contact information. This is especially important if you’re traveling by air or working at large events.

Maintenance and Care for Cases and Bags

Protecting your gear doesn’t stop at buying the right case or bag. Regular maintenance is essential to ensure your protective gear stays in top condition:

Clean RegularlyWipe down hard cases with a damp cloth and vacuum soft bags to remove dust and debris.

Check for DamageInspect your cases and bags for signs of wear, like broken zippers or cracked shells, and address issues promptly.

Store ProperlyWhen not in use, store your cases and bags in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

When to Upgrade Your Protection

If you notice any of the following signs, it may be time to invest in new cases or bags:

Worn-out padding or linings

Broken zippers, handles, or latches

Insufficient space for your growing collection of gear

Investing in high-quality protective gear from reputable audio shops can save you from costly repairs or replacements in the long run.

Final Thoughts

Transporting your audio equipment doesn’t have to be a nerve-wracking experience. By understanding the risks, choosing the right cases or bags, and packing your gear carefully, you can ensure your equipment arrives at every destination in perfect condition. Remember, your gear is an essential part of your craft. Treat it with care, and it’ll continue to deliver outstanding performance—no matter where your journey takes you.

[dailydoseoffunblogs]

Miimall Case for JBL Tour Pro 2 Earbuds Case Cover

Gadgets and Home Essentials may earn a commission. You incur no extra cost when you buy through links on our site. Did you know Miimall has sold over 500,000 products on MercadoLibre in 20 years? This shows their dedication to quality and reliability. Their Miimall Case for JBL Tour Pro 2 Earbuds offers top-notch protection. It also lets you see the LCD touch screen. View it at Amazon here Key…

[mx-pastelwriting]

Saving My Fanfiction Work

First. Side note: This post was only intended to give resources to fanfiction writers and enjoyers. My talk on recent political events was a context/reasoning on why I made this post. Also I’ve had to add more information to this post over time due to people’s confusion in my comments. Explaining it was to make sure that this post didn’t come off as out of the blue for my followers and this community. Which is fanfiction.

Also, why I made this post was from people asking if they could download my fanfiction because of the recent political events in America hence why I named it “saving my fanfiction work” and added my context. So this was also a post to tell people that liked my fanfiction they could download it as long as it was for their personal collection. I merely just wanted to list resources to people who wanted to download fanfiction and don’t know where to start or don’t have the immediate resources. I’m not here to fear-monger. I am just giving resources and the reasoning on why I’m giving them along with urging people to look into those information/recent events as staying aware is important. I respect everybody who’s given their opinion and yes, some of my grammar in this post is not adequate as this post was merely made for giving/stating resources.

Lastly, I will no longer update this post with comments as I’ve said my peace, nor will I pay attention to the notifications as they are muted. As my page is for fanfiction not politics. Thank you for the people in this community who share this post for the resources see you around the tags! Stay safe friends!!✨ Remember I love you! And you are loved!💛

-

Due to the recent events in the United States. To clarify the recent events being Trump becoming president of the United States, Project 2025 more than likely going to be integrated. If you are not familiar with Project 2025 I urge you to look it up.

Along with the KOSA bill that has many problems and it has passed the senate now needing the finally vote in the house, which both are majority red. Go here to learn more on why it needs to be stopped and how you can. This is another component that will harm our communities. Go to: stopkosa.com

With all of its harmful plans some of the plans are to take down/restrict internet sites that have LGBTQ+ communities that means communities like the fan-fiction communities/sites in the United States.

I am only giving resources to those inside and out of the US in case they banned sites that hold fan-fiction. Better safe than sorry.

Being that I live in the US the possibly of mine and many others Fanfiction has the possibly of being in danger. Therefore I'm giving you recourses. (I'm not leaving or stopping my writing, I'm here for the fight!)

For those wanting to save my fanfiction, I give you permission to download them off of AO3 and to be used for your personal collection. Meaning, your eyes only. To clarify I’m saying this as others have asked if they could download my fanfic so for those who would like to you can.

If you do not know how to download them many others on online have tutorials on how to download them and add them to our phone libraries.

Here are some links to tutorials:

Downloading Fanfic

Adding to Iphone & Android Library

Adding to Kindle Library - Video on How (On TikTok)

Adding Book Covers (At the bottom) - Good EPUB Cover Changer (I use this)

Types of Files and What they mean

Please stay safe out there! Remember to follow the rules below.

DO NOT share the downloaded file anywhere online.

DO NOT repost the downloaded file under your name.

Fanfiction is protected under copyright law when plagiarism is involved. If you plagiarize my work, either a piece or whole in any language, I will take legal action. Inspiration or the same idea does NOT apply to this, only word-for-word plagiarism in any language.

♥ mx-pastelwriting does not consent to their fanfiction being copied, copied & credited, translated, used in videos and/or audios, screenshotted, used in AI, or reposted on any other platform without permission.

♥ mx-pastelwriting does give consent to "reblog," sharing links to direct work, and being in recommend lists.

Please stay safe out there friends! I love you so much! Know that there will always people that love you and in for the fight to make sure you are loved!

And here are some resources in case you don’t feel okay! Resources here

[thatguywrites]

I love your disabled reader stories, how would you feel writing a low vision/blind reader. Any driver you want for it, also maybe reader possibly having a guide dog. Keep up your amazing writing and have a lovely day.

Lowkey in the hospital rn (not ER, no worries) so this is a nice distraction :)

Drivers with Visually Impared Reader

Verstappen, Piastri, Tsunoda, Hamilton, Alonso

Max Verstappen

Whenever you and Max run into signs that don't have braille, he tweaks out

Even if you're kinda used to it, Max is always infuriated by the ableism of Europe and the Motorsports community

If you use a white cane he always gives anyone who walks on blind paths the nastiest stimk eye

If you have a guide dog, whenever it's off duty it's just the bestest friend with Max's pets

Racing is actually very hearing oriented, so he is very exited to teach you to sim race

He gets 3d models of the tracks and teaches you how to listen for how fast you're going

He loves being able to share his passions

There is nothing hotter to him than his boyfriend sim racing

Oscar Piastri

When you guys first get together Oscar wants to know what it's like to be blind, so he tries to walk around his apartment blindfolded

He doesn't even make it an hour, and aquires tons of bruises

He doesn't tell you he did that until you'd been dating for over a year, and says it really helped him understand what your life is like

He also learns the importance of dulled furniture

And he makes sure his mom's house is also disabled friendly

Which she does without question of course

Yuki Tsunoda

He puts 亀吉 on your service dog's back all the time

Part time service dog, full time taxi

Japan is actually pretty Blind-friendly, so he really likes taking you there

It makes him happy to see you not be treated like an other, instead just be treated like a person

Whenever you come to the paddock he gets really protective of you

Like he sticks by your side because he knows someone is gonna be rude, but maybe they won't if they know he's about to punch them

Lewis Hamilton

As soon as you decided to move in together Lewis spent an entire day making a 3d model of his apartment for you

It is perfectly to scale

He also makes sure that any corners of his furniture aren't sharp in case you bump into them when you're still getting used to the apartment

Whenever your service dog is off duty he will spend hours playing with it and Roscoe

He gets a customized service dog vest with Ferrari/Mercedes colors for when you're in the paddock

Even if you can't see it, he'll make sure that you still slay

Pierre Gasly

Whenever he's away for races, he record audio books for you

He says that his voice is better that the boring monotone ones

He loves having cuddle piles with Simba, your service dog, and you

All his pretty boys

He's very sweet with you, and loves going on walks with you, but if you run into someone being rude and getting in your way, he'll snap

He's very protective

He knows you can hold your own, but he also wants to take care of you

Taglist: @koalapastries @justaf1girl @spoonfulofmilo @lokisen @op-81-lvr-reblogs

[totheblood]

protective!spencer reid headcanons

a/n: this is a remake of one of my headcanons i did for ellie but i completely rewrote it cause yea... AI AUDIOS throughout, also reblogs, asks, and replies are so appreciated and encouraged! thank u kisses

spencer is extremely protective of you, more than anyone else in his life... he just doesn't know how to show it

he knows that the job entails danger and as much as he doesn't like it, there isn't much he can do about it

but that doesn't stop him from trying

when you partner up on cases together he always makes sure he enters first, a hand outstretched to make sure you're always covered

"it's clear, you can come on in now," he would whisper, gun still drawn. 

"spence, you don't have to do that every time."

"i know," he'd say with a small smile, "but i want to."

he tries not to coddle you. he has seen you take down unsubs twice your size(which he would be lying if he said it didn't turn him on), but sometimes his protective instincts just take over.

he'd rather put himself at risk than see you hurt. even after you're cursing him out, hands in a balled up fist banging on his kelvar vest. 

"what the fuck was that?" you'd yell, face getting hot, "i had him, and you could've gotten yourself killed,"

with an ice pack pressed to his forehead where the unsub got a punch in he closed his eyes gently, "i know, i know... i didn't even think, i just saw his hands on you and i just... look, i'm sorry for scaring you but i'm never going to be sorry for protecting you."

but when you get injured on a case, he just loses it

"what were you thinking, running in like that with no back up?" he'd scold while gently dabbing at the wound on your arm. 

"spence, I'm fine, it's just a scratch."

"just... be more careful next time, okay?" he'd say softly, looking around to make sure no one was watching before pressing a gentle kiss to your forhead, “i… can’t lose you.”

or if you were partnered with someone else and you came back with even a semblance of a bruise, he'd have his eyebrows furrowed, lips twisted into a scowl as he approached you, hands gently holding your arms, his face softening when you wince at the contact

"what happened?" he'd say voice tight, looking up at morgan who was trailing in behind you, looking guilty as ever. 

as derek opened his mouth to speak, you spoke up, "it wasn't his fau-"

"i didn't see him coming," morgan shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, "i got him off of her the minute he was on her."

"he shouldn't have had a chance to be on her," spencer spat back angrily.

"spence, it all happened in a matter of seconds," you say, voice sickeningly sweet as you tried to sooth his nerves, "i didn't see him coming either,"

"i know," he sighed, closing his eyes as he took a shaky breath in, "i know, but all it takes is one second and you could be..."

"i know," you pull him into a hug, his tall frame leaning down to wrap you in his arms, "but i'm here and i'm okay."

his protectiveness extends beyond the field too. 

the team would be out for drinks at o'keeffe's, you with a saltrimmed glass as you sat next to him. as you licked the edges, and drank your margarita with a satisfied grin, he would smile to himself, his smile dropping the minute a tall gruff man approached the two of you 

spencer's fingers twitch as the man puts his hand on the small of your back, taking notice in how your body tenses immediately and you laugh nervously. 

when he was in front of the team he wasn't your boyfriend spencer, he was your coworker spencer and as much as you planned on keeping it that way, spencer's patience was wearing thin each second the man's hand was on you. 

he'd cringe as you lean away from the man, mumbling some excuse like "i have a boyfriend," which made spencer's lips quirk upwards, just for a moment before he realized the man was still leaning into you, whispering, "he doesn't have to know,"

it's then that he steps in, getting up from his seat and stepping in between you and the man, flashing his badge at him with a quirked eyebrow and tight voice as he said, "i believe my colleague has made it clear she's not interested."

after a long case, one he knows hits you harder than the other's he is insisting you go to his apartment with him, his hands linking in yours the minute he's in the car and rubbing soothing circles into your palm

his voice is soft as he speaks over the radio, "everything okay, baby?"

"yeah," you would mumble, but he knows you too well and he knows that's not true. but he also knows you well enough to not bring it up again, choosing to distract you with your favorite songs on the drive or a warm bath when you get home, pressing sweet kisses all over your face as he bathes you

when you're sick, he shows up with:

homemade soup (his mother's recipe), herbal teas, and your favorite books which he reads to you, despite your protests for him to stay away.

instead he'd be telling you to open up as he fed you chicken soup while speaking to you gently, "did you know that chicken soup can actually help reduce inflammation? the chicken and vegetables in chicken soup actually inhibit the migration of neutrophils which can help you breathe better."

in public, his eyes always find you. especially at work he is glancing over at you from his desk, pen in his hand tapping the desk as he looks over at you for the thirteenth time that hour. 

"she's fine, kid. she's not going to magically disappear from her desk," derek teases, as he leans on spencer's desk, looking over at where your eyes finally met his and gave him a soft smile. 

"i know. i just like seeing her smile," spencer replies, voice soft as he smiles back at you. 

[tarotofhope]

PAC: ♡ Channelled Love Songs from your Current/Future Romantic Partner ♡

(Please Read My Pinned post *IMPORTANT NOTE* before selecting a Pile)

🎶 All dividers on this blog are provided by @uzmacchiato 🎶

Masterlist | Paid Services

Pick an Image by meditating and selecting the image you feel called to. You can be attracted towards more than 1 image. If you are not able to select maybe this reading isn't for you.

(You can find all the songs mentioned in the Piles on SPOTIFY. Unfortunately Tumblr only allows 10 audio links per post🥲)

Pile 1

Songs - Aaya Jado Da by Asees Kaur

Screen Time by Epik High ft. Hoshi

Don't Forget To Breathe by Aaryan Shah

Welcome to your reading, Pile 1. First of all, lot of green ink occured in your pile. Your partner seems very caring, nurturing and protective of you. They might be a very caring and loving person themselves, very protective of their belongings and loved ones. They like to have a quick check on you(like not in a toxic or negative way). They want to know you better and your little quirks. They genuinely care about your well being. They might be very cautious, structured, organised individual, a fitness freak as well. They seem kind of very picky, they don't open up to just anybody, they might have very few close friends. They're mostly not interested in flings and one-night stands. They take relationships seriously so they'll only jump into it when they see some real value in it. This person is like a 'husband/wife material' person or atleast a long term partner. This also seems like a long distance relationship to me or getting into a relationship after a series of personal hardships when you've become very mature either age-wise or experience-wise.

So, that's all I got for you, my dear Pile 1.

Hope you're with this person or find this person soon 😉

Hope, light, love and peace to you..🌸🌼🌻

Pile 2

Songs - Talk About Love by Callum Beattie

Seven- Clean Version by Jungkook

Tenu Khabar Nahi by Arijit Singh

Welcome to your reading, Pile 2. Have you guys currently been in separation or broken up with your partner? This could be a recent past energy as well. See, now this also looks like an ex's energy(I don't like to go into this topic because it creates unnecessary confusion but it appeared in the reading so I had to) and whether ex or not, if you strictly don't want this person back into your life, you must then very well know that you've ended up for good and you don't need to allow this person back or this pile totally isn't for you, you should select another pile. One thing is prominent though, one of you has done something bad to the another person..and that was the main reason for your guys' separation. I'm nobody to judge you guys, you know yourselves better. Well, whoever this person is, they want to reconcile with you or you're currently reconciling already. It could be a different case for everyone choosing this pile. It could be so that this person or both of you might still have feelings for each other. This person wants to make things better or do things right. There is a promise of not making the same mistakes again. This person is asking for another chance. Now, you need to decide for yourselves, what's good for you and what's not. It's totally up to you.

That's all I see in the cards for you, my dear Pile 2.

Hope, light, love and peace to you..🌸🌼🌻

Pile 3

Songs - Tera Mera Hai Pyar Amar by Ahmed Jahanzeb

I'm Gonna Love You by D.O. ft. Wonstein

Can't Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley

Welcome to your reading, Pile 3. This person looks so in love. But more so, this person is very sure of you, there feelings are very intense, too. As they are saying, that it's so easy to fall in love with you, either it's a love at first sight situation or there is a certain clarity about choosing you/about wanting to continue further with you. Nothing can change their mind about you. They are giving me strong future spouse energy because they just want to take you away as soon as possible. So, they'll be very assertive in their approach towards you in the courtship period itself. I also think that they'll be the first one to approach you if you've not met this person already. They'll make sure that you know they are not just fooling around, that you're in for a very long ride. They'll also want to make sure that you too, feel the same way for them before going very far because they want it all or nothing. They'll definitely try to win your heart over, Pile 3.

That's all I got for you, dear Pile 3.

Hope, light, love and peace to you..🌼🌸🌻

Pile 4

Songs - Young And Beautiful by Lana Del Rey

Every Second by Baekhyun from EXO (Record of

Youth OST- 3)

Aadat Se Majboor by Benny Dayal

Welcome to your reading, Pile 4. This person might be a heart-throb. Popular person energy(for their work or looks). Everybody swoons over them. Their energy is quite charming and charismatic. They are bold, fun loving and outgoing, life of the party kind of person. You both might be quite the opposite of each other. They will be very confident in their approach. They might just be nervous about how to woo you because you are different from others and they don't want to make any mistake. They don't want to look like a creep. If you've already met this person or in a relationship, you know. They are someone who'll totally make a fool out of themselves to make you laugh. They love to see you smile and laugh but also, you don't laugh a lot, it seems. There seems to be a lot of people who are sexually attracted to them, but they choose you because you are special to them, you're not like the others according to them. They might've got their heart broken a couple times earlier due to which they're afraid of losing you but that's not going to be the case because they're sure of one thing that you're very firm in your decisions, rock solid and you won't run away when life gets bad. You guys are going to be like a power couple, each helping the other person where they are lacking, each completing the other.

So, that's all I got for you, my dear Pile 4.

Hope, light, love and peace to you..🌻🌼🌸

Pile 5

Pile 5

Songs - Lover by Taylor Swift

Spider By Hoshi

Tere Mast Mast Do Nain by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Welcome to your reading, Pile 5. Your person seems very Venusian(very lovey-dovey, full of charm, likes fine art) and Neptunian(very dreamy) to me, a hopeless romantic even. Some of you might also be attracted to Pile 4, because this pile has got some similar vibes. They are magnetic, could also be popular for something that they do, something that only they create. They have a good taste in music as well, could be a musician or they like to play musical instruments. Dancing and singing could be their hobby or talent. They are also someone who knows flirting like the back of their hand. It comes naturally to them, sometimes they don't even know that they're flirting. They might also like good food and fine-dining, might also love to cook. You might not like this person in the beginning because you think they're a flirt and they don't look serious, but you'll eventually start liking them because they're not what they seem from the outside. It is giving me the vibes of 'One fell in love first, but the other one fell harder.' Their heart is so pure and innocent. They'll woo you with their heart, Pile 5. You seem like a tough nut to crack to them, someone who's hard to get. I also think you've got pretty eyes and a resting b**** face. They love it. There's going to be a playful banter between you guys. Everything will be worth it in the end.

So, that's all I've got for you, my dear Pile 5.

Hope, light, love and peace to you..🌻🌼🌸

Thank you so much for being here. I post PAC readings every Tuesday and Friday. Do love and support by reblogging, liking or following.

——————————— ♡ ♡ ♡ ———————————

[babydoll372]

also you should write something with Emily potentials being a stalker towards fem reader.. like really intense scary shit and the smut obviously:).. say like Emily leaving subtle clues that she’s been in femme readers home, but maybe make them exes who simply can’t leave each other alone ?

Stalker!Emily

pairings: stalker!Emily x reader

word count: 863 (6 bullets)

warnings: bit of smut, dark themes, stalking, recording without consent, cameras, masturbation, mentions of sex, r and Em are exes, panty sniffing, psychological manipulation, breaking and entering, gaslighting

• Stalker!Emily who would sneak into your apartment and purposefully leave traces of her appearance so you’d be scared and depend on her. After all, you two were such good friends after the breakup, any fears you had were hers. She’d put her hand on the back of your head, her other hand on your back rubbing soothingly as she quietly shushed you, assuring you she’d stay the night to make sure no one broke in. She told you she’d install a new lock that only you and she had a key to, that way you could feel even safer. “Don’t you worry, my love, I’m going to protect you if it’s the last thing I do.” 

• Stalker!Emily who left cameras along your apartment in secret, not wanting you to find the spots so she’d cover it with clutter. She’d watch you change, hum along to your favorite songs while baking, napping on your couch naked, showering, and even innocently letting your hands roam along to your clit when you’d let your mind roam. She’d chuckle to herself quietly as you closed the curtains for extra privacy, not realizing your closest, dearest friend was watching your every move. Whenever she happened to catch you masturbating, she’d text you something small like, “What are you doing right now?”, “Hey, I miss you” “wanna come over?” or even, “Can I come over?” Just so she’d fill your mind with thoughts of her, no matter the implicitness of them. 

• Stalker!Emily who’d steal your panties, clean or even dirty. She didn’t care, she was feral when it came to you and it had no end. She’d come over and the two of you would share a drink, maybe share a few sloppy kisses every now and then as you reminisced on the old times. She’d put on a loving facade, telling you she couldn’t go further if you were like this and making you believe you really had lost pure treasure, but deep down she knew she would’ve if she really wanted to. It just wasn’t a part of her plan yet. She craved it, yes, she craved your body on hers more than anything, but she also couldn’t ruin her delicate and intricate plan of fostering you again. So when you’d lie in your bed, sleep hitting you in mere minutes, she’d furiously roam through your underwear drawer, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she’d sniff the detergent-scented cloth. Then her eyes would trail over to the laundry basket in the corner still low and she could tell they were dirty due to the size. She roamed through it, small moans escaping her as she sniffed your natural odor. It smelt like nothing and everything at the same time. She decided to go home with that pair that night, and repeatedly would she cum all over the fabric of your panties. 

• Stalker!Emily who would secretly audio-record or even record the two of you having sex. Once you broke up you both still went back to one another constantly, unable to resist each other's touch. But what you didn’t know was when she’d sloppily eat your cunt, or when she’d pound furiously into your hole with her strap on, she was making sure her phone on the bedside table was always recording your moans and whimpers, your callings of her name. She’d listen to them late at night as she’d watch you touch yourself, or when she was desperately horny and didn’t want to give in and ask for sex, no, you were the one who begged for it. She planned to use it against you in case you ever tried to leave. If you did, she’d threaten to leak them online and your gullible and vulnerable self would fall for it, even though she’d never let another hear those pretty sounds.

• Stalker!Emily who would also use her psychological advances against you. You became dependent on her when she promised you’d always have her when you lacked anyone else. She’d wrap her fingers around your brains and softly stroke it like she did your naked back when you’d cry in her arms, and her kisses pressed gently on your forehead. It was all a part of her plan and she wouldn’t let it fail. 

• Stalker!Emily who would sneak into your apartment and once she was done roaming around she’d flip over a frame or knock something down, just to scare you into believing someone broke in - those were her tiny traces and that’s how you ended up with a bunch of locks that only you and her had access to. She would tell you she’d look into it, “Don’t worry your pretty little head off, let me handle this, okay?” And if she ever got caught for the multiple cameras she’d claim it was for your safety, to catch if there was a robber there that put you in danger because she couldn’t have her sweetheart hurt. Everything you might find, that you might dare question, she’d make sure you sounded idiotic for even thinking of, shutting it down and assuring it was all to protect you. 

[charlesmwa]

Pro Audio Storage and Transportation Hacks – Keeping Gear Safe on the Road

If you’ve ever packed up pro audio equipment for a live gig, studio move, or even a small outdoor event, you know how stressful it can be. Professional audio gear isn’t just expensive — it’s fragile, sensitive, and often awkward to carry. From cables getting tangled to mixers mysteriously picking up dents, moving audio equipment is almost an art form.

Whether you're a DJ, sound engineer, musician, or event organizer, knowing how to safely store and transport your pro audio gear can make a big difference. Not only does it protect your investment, but it also ensures your gear works smoothly every time you set it up. Let’s dive into some practical storage and transportation hacks to help you keep your gear safe — no matter where the road takes you.

Why Proper Storage and Transportation Matters

Pro audio equipment is designed to deliver top-notch sound, but it’s not always built to survive rough handling. Internal circuits, delicate knobs, fragile screens, and sensitive connectors can all easily get damaged if the equipment isn’t stored or transported properly. Even something as simple as dust or moisture can mess with performance.

The goal isn’t just to avoid breakage — it’s also about keeping your gear working at its best for years to come. After all, reliable equipment means fewer headaches at gigs, smoother soundchecks, and better overall performance.

Smart Storage Hacks for Pro Audio Equipment

1. Use Custom-Fit Cases

One of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your gear is by investing in custom-fit hard cases. These cases are designed specifically for audio gear, with foam inserts cut to match the exact shape of your equipment. This prevents unnecessary movement during transport and offers extra protection if the case gets dropped.

Tip: For smaller items like microphones, DI boxes, or wireless receivers, look for multi-slot cases that let you store several pieces together while keeping them separated.

2. Label Everything

If you’ve got multiple cables, adapters, and accessories, labeling helps keep everything organized. Use simple labels or colored tape to mark each cable by length, type, or purpose (mic, speaker, power). This way, you’ll spend less time digging through bags and more time setting up.

Bonus: Keeping things organized also reduces the risk of accidentally damaging cables by stuffing them in random pockets.

3. Control the Environment

Pro audio gear doesn’t love extreme temperatures or humidity. If you’re storing gear between gigs, aim for a climate-controlled space — especially for items with delicate electronics, like mixers and processors. Avoid damp basements, hot garages, or direct sunlight.

Quick Hack: Silica gel packets can help absorb moisture if you have no choice but to store equipment in a less-than-ideal space for a short period.

4. Proper Cable Management

Cables are often the first thing to fail because they’re constantly getting coiled, uncoiled, and stepped on. Use cable wraps or Velcro ties to bundle them neatly after every gig. Also, never wrap cables too tightly, especially around your arm — this can damage the internal wires.

Extra Tip: Store cables in a separate compartment from heavier gear to avoid crushing them.

Pro Transportation Hacks for On-the-Road Safety

1. Pack Heavy Items Low and Light Items High

When loading your vehicle, place speakers, amps, and heavy cases on the floor and stack lighter items on top. This keeps your gear more stable while driving and reduces the chances of something heavy falling onto fragile equipment.

Pro Move: If you transport gear in a van or trailer, consider installing tie-down straps to keep everything locked in place.

2. Pad the Gaps

Even inside hard cases, it’s a good idea to fill any empty space with soft padding like foam or bubble wrap. This prevents the gear from shifting if the case gets jostled during transit. It’s especially useful for oddly shaped items that don’t sit perfectly flat in a case.

3. Use Road Cases with Wheels

For larger mixers, speakers, or amps, road cases with built-in wheels are lifesavers. Not only do they protect your gear from impacts, but they also make moving heavy equipment much easier. If you regularly transport gear alone, this is a must.

4. Backup Power and Protection

Sudden power issues are surprisingly common on the road, especially at outdoor venues or older buildings. Always pack a reliable power conditioner or surge protector to safeguard your gear against voltage spikes. It’s a small investment that could save you thousands in repairs.

5. One Bag for Essentials

Besides your main equipment, it’s smart to keep a small essentials bag with spare cables, adapters, batteries, gaffer tape, and basic tools like screwdrivers and pliers. This "just-in-case" bag can save you from minor disasters during setup or mid-show emergencies.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with all these hacks, some common mistakes can still put your gear at risk. Here’s a quick rundown of what NOT to do:

Overpacking cases — Jamming too much gear into one case can lead to broken knobs, scratched surfaces, and tangled cables.

Ignoring weight limits — Every case has a recommended weight limit. Overloading it can damage the case and the gear inside.

Skipping inspections — After every gig, do a quick inspection of all your gear. Catching minor damage early can prevent bigger issues later.

Thinking Long-Term – It’s More Than Just One Trip

It’s easy to think of transportation as just getting your gear from point A to point B, but over time, all those bumpy roads, quick load-ins, and rushed pack-ups take a toll. Treating your pro audio gear with care during every stage — from storage to setup — means fewer repairs, fewer surprises, and better performance at every event.

That’s also why many experienced audio pros prefer purchasing from reputable audio shops, where they not only get quality gear but also expert advice on protective cases, power management, and storage solutions designed specifically for pro equipment.

Pro audio equipment is an investment, and like any investment, it deserves proper care. Whether you’re a gigging musician, mobile DJ, or sound tech handling corporate events, how you store and transport your gear matters just as much as how you use it. With a little planning, smart packing, and some good storage habits, you can keep your equipment working perfectly for years — even if the road gets a little rough.

So next time you’re packing up for a show, remember: your gear’s safety starts long before you hit the power button. Treat it right, and it’ll treat your audience right too.

[homiesexuallaj]

A Little Fun

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Genre/Warnings: not too romance heavy, more plot heavy, something sort and sweet, fluff nonetheless, protective! bucky

A/N: Inspired by this audio from Smiling Friends

———

Another stake out mission, another situation of where you’re thrown to the wolves. The wolves in this case? A gala, which you’ve been pushed into without a date in hopes you could get your team’s target alone, preferably in a room away from the crowd. Which was a little easier than you thought it would be, thanks to the dress Sam had personally picked out for you. Much to the displeasure of Bucky.

The dress was black, sparkly. It hugged your curves, dipped down appropriately low on your chest, and had a slit in the thigh on one side. It was a stark difference to the tactical gear you’d usually wear on missions.

Bucky was even more displeased when he saw through the security cameras, that Sam hacked, when you got the target alone, in some back room. And his skin crawled as he heard you and the guy through the comms that he practically scolded you to keep on. At. All. Times.

The guy, the target, was handsy. Grabbing at you the second you’d gotten you both into the room away from the crowd. It was obvious he thought he was getting lucky.

“Oh! Can’t a poor guy like me ever have a little fun?” The target practically whined when you adjusted the strap of your dress he’d tried to pull down.

You met it with a shrug, “Yeah, everyone likes fun.”

“You like to have fun too?” The guy’s voice was practically a whisper, and he smoothed his hands up and down your sides.

You had to fight down a displeased shiver at the feeling. But you had to keep up the mask.

“I mean -y’know- you’re asking about me?” You tilted your head, a faux innocent smile on your face. “I mean -psh- yeah. I li- I like fun. Yeah- yeah.”

“Oh yeah?” The guy pressed closer to you, leaning in as he observed you with heavy eyes.

You leaned away, brows furrowing. A little bit of yourself slipped through the mask.

“I already said yes,” A bit of roughly voiced confusion caking your words as you responded.

The guy leans back, furrowing his brows as he registers your tone of voice. His hands still on your hips, holding you there. He opens his mouth to respond, not even noticing the dark silhouette that inches closer behind him. The target doesn’t have a chance to respond before he’s hit on the back of his head with the butt of a gun.

You don’t move to catch him or hold him up, letting the target fall to the ground. You don’t even blink twice as you look up towards the silhouette. There might be a little twinkle in your eye as you look at the figure.

“Well, hello to you too,” You comment, leaning on a leg and propping a hand up on your hip. “Got here just in time.”

Bucky leans down, holstering his gun and hauling the target up over his shoulder. He doesn’t even struggle as he straightens back up, an arm over the back of the target’s knees. His brows are furrowed as he looks down at you, but the sternness in his blue eyes softens just a tad when he scans your form.

“It’s my job,” Bucky responds, eyes meetings yours. “Can’t let anything bad happen to you.”

You barely pay any mind as Bucky’s flesh hand comes up to smooth some stray hairs on your head down, trailing down to follow the strands to their ends. You watch as he looks you over again, checking you over for the umpteenth time in the last five minutes.

“Uh huh,” You nod a little, moving to walk around Bucky to the back door he came in through. “Now let’s get out of here before someone realizes something is wrong.”

“Yes ma’am,” Bucky’s already on your tail, nudging a gun into your hand as you lead the way out.

[greenandsorrow]

Hiya I was wondering if you could do a prompt where fem reader is in [as in actress] in all the slashers movies even if it's as a background character? How they would react to her?Have a nice day no worries if you don't get to it!

Author's note: Greetings, slasher community! This is my first work featuring our delicious psychos! Unless you count my platonic Pennywise multi chap (I know he's not technically a slasher, but still). Hopefully, I've covered most of them ♥️

Disclaimer (ig): I left Art the Clown out because, oddly enough, I haven't watched Terrifier yet -but trust me, once I do, I'm sure it'll turn into an unhealthy obsession. Accept my apologies for now.

Rating: Aside from the obv gory nature of the whole thing, it's mostly sfw, with only minor suggestive innuendos. Don't try these relationship dynamics irl.

Featuring: Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Ghostface (in the vague sense), Leatherface, The Grabber, Pennywise (1990), Pennywise (2017), William Afton because he's an undead serial killer and because I can (book, game, movie, not Springtrap this time), +BONUS CHARACTER

~the slashers x fem!actress!reader

Michael Myers 🏠🎃

The living room is silent except for the audio of Scream playing on the TV. You're lounging on the couch, mindlessly watching -until Michael, standing by the wall like a shadow, suddenly pauses the screen.

You blink. "Uh… what?"

Michael remains completely still as he observes the paused frame. A frame of you mid-sprint in the background of the classic horror movie, being chased by Ghostface. Anyone else would argue about whether that's really you, but Michael already knows. He's seen you move like this before. Maybe he's even chased you this way.

Without a word, he switches discs. He presses forward on the console.

And there you are -blurry in the background of a trick-or-treating scene in some other horror media, dressed as a generic babysitter, chatting with another actress. It's barely a second of screen time.

Michael turns his masked face toward you, his posture unreadable.

You shrug. "I needed money. It was just background gigs."

He keeps staring.

Stalker mode: activated.

Jason Voorhees ⛺🪓

You're leaning against his shoulder, a throw blanket draped over both of you.

Jason tilts his head, then turns to you, then back at the screen, then to you again.

If he could speak, he'd be asking "When was this?"

If he cared about emotions, he'd be offended.

You've been in so many slasher movies and never once did you mention it... Are you okay? Have you been running from psychos your whole life? He's almost worried about you.

Expect some extra protective hovering and a machete presented as a gift of comfort.

Freddy Krueger 🔥🌙

"Oh-ho-ho! Look at you, Hollywood! Running for your life again! What's your IMBD looking like, sweetheart? Professional Screamer?"

Freddy cackles, pausing and rewinding just to enjoy your panicked face.

"Damn, you're good. Ever considered coming to MY movies?" He waggles his claws at you. "Bet I could give you some real nightmare material." He's joking. Mostly. But you might want to lock your bedroom door tonight.

Just in case.

Ghostface (in general) 📞🔪

The moment your familiar figure flashes across the screen, Ghostface pauses the movie so fast the remote nearly cracks in his grip.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" His voice drips with amusement, though there's a sharp edge of something else... Interest? Possessiveness? A touch of jealousy? Hard to say.

He leans forward, taking in every detail. "You didn't tell me you were in Scream, getting killed by other Ghostfaces -or Halloween, or Friday the 13th, or literally every horror movie ever made.... Even in Child's Play?!"

He clicks his tongue, pretending to be offended. "And here I thought we had something special."

His gloved fingers tap against your thigh as he considers. "So, do you always run from killers, or are you just playing hard to get?"

A chuckle follows, dark and playful. "You know, I could give you a much more… hands-on experience than any of these amateurs."

He lets the movie roll again, but now he's watching you, not the film. "Final girl, background character, victim... Doesn't matter. You'll always be my favorite scream queen."

Leatherface 🪚🌾

Leatherface watches in silence. A chainsaw in his lap, forgotten.

He doesn't understand movies too well, but he does understand that's you being chased by someone who isn't him.

Excuse me?

You let someone else do the chasing? And you never told him?

Next thing you know, he's pacing, huffing under his breath. Expect extra possessiveness and a LOT of lingering looks.

Also, if that actor playing Ghostface suddenly goes missing… you know nothing.

The Grabber (Albert Shaw) 🎩🎭

The room is dimly lit, the glow of the TV flickering against the walls as A Nightmare on Elm Street plays. He turns to you, eyes glinting behind the sockets of his signature mask. A low chuckle rumbles from his throat. "Look at that."

His voice is smooth, almost teasing. "You're so good at being scared."

He fixates on the screen, watching the way your body moves, the way you fight to survive. Something about it simply delights him.

"You know, you'd look even better in my basement" he muses, his tone almost affectionate. "No cameras. No audience. Just you and me."

His gloved fingers tap against the armrest. "I wonder if you'd last as long as they let you in the movies…"

Then, suddenly, he laughs -light, breathy, as if the thought genuinely amuses him. "Maybe, you'd last even longer... If I want you to."

Pennywise (1990) 🎈🍿

Bob Gray is having the time of his life watching you in all these horror movies. He's laughing, cackling, absolutely thriving.

"Y'know, I could've given you real horrors to perform, kiddo!" His grin stretches wide. "And that running? Pfft! Amateur work! You should see how kids run from me!"

"Oh-ho! There you are again, kiddo! Look at you run! And run! And run some more! Boy, you really know how to make a monster work for it!"

But then, he sees him. His replacement. His knock-off.

The smile fades. He leans forward, elbows on his knees, squinting at the screen like a father seeing his daughter bring home the wrong guy.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Look at this guy. Thinks he's scary." He flicks a dismissive palm at the screen. "Ooooh, I'm tall! Ooooh, I drool all over myself! Ooooh, I wear frilly clown pants like I just crawled out of a Victorian nightmare!"

He turns to you, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You fought this guy?"

A wheezing laugh escapes him. "Honey, you downgraded! Big time!"

"He tastes fear? Kiddo, I invented that shit. He's just doing a cheap impression of yours truly. And let's not even talk about that goofy-ass head-tilt he does."

He jerks his head side to side in an exaggerated impression. "What's the matter, buddy? Need a chiropractor?"

With a smirk, he throws an arm around you, pulling you close like some sleazy salesman. "Listen, sweetheart, if you really wanna be haunted by a clown, why not go with the original? Hmm?"

His sharp teeth flash you a smile. "I'm funnier. I'm nastier. And I won't just stand there like some awkward mime in oversized shoes."

Pennywise (2017) 🎪🩸

Pennywise watches, slowly tilting his head. Then tilting it more. And more.

"You run so well" he purrs, voice thick with amusement. "You know… I could chase you better."

He grins, showing sharp teeth. "Would you like to practice?"

Is he joking? Is he serious? It doesn't matter.

The moment he spots you in IT -in a grainy, VHS quality shot of Derry- his entire body stiffens. Then, his gloved fingers start twitching against his knees. His lips part in something between a sneer and a pout.

"You… you were in his movie?" His voice drops into a guttural growl. His yellow eyes flick between you and the screen, utterly insulted. "That knockoff? That circus reject?"

For a moment, he says nothing. Just stares.

Then, suddenly, he bursts into shrill, mocking laughter. "Ahaha! Oh, I get it! You were doing charity work!"

He claps his hands together, the sound unnervingly.

"Helping the less fortunate! That's just so sweet of you!"

He stops laughing a little too abruptly. He looms closer now, voice dipping into something almost sultry, eyes gleaming in the flickering light.

"Tell me, little star…" His grin is wide, impossibly sharp.

"Did he taste you, too?" His head jerks to the side with a sickening crack. "Or were you saving yourself for someone better?"

Before you can answer, his arms snap around you, yanking you into his lap. His breath, hot and damp, ghosts over your throat.

"You're mine now" he coos, teeth just barely grazing your skin.

"My movie. My horror. My little leading lady." His grip tightens possessively.

William Afton (Book Version) 🐰🔦

Book Afton doesn't just watch the screen.

He studies it.

Cold, calculating eyes track every movement you make, every scream, every desperate attempt to escape. The slight twitch of his lips is the only sign of amusement -well, that and the way his fingers tighten around his armrest just a little too hard.

"All those killers" he murmurs, voice as smooth as velvet. "And yet, you always slip through their fingers. Fascinating."

His smile is thin, mirthless. "I wonder… is it luck that keeps you alive, dear girl?"

His fingers reach out, slow, deliberate, tracing a ghost of a touch on your wrist.

"Or instinct?"

His eyes glint dangerously. "I'd like to find out."

And then, he moves.

One second, he's across the couch. The next? You're caged against the armrest, his breath chilling your skin.

"You scream so pretty for them." His voice dips lower, like he's enjoying the chase. "Let's see how pretty you scream for me."

William Afton (Game Version) 👾📺

"We do love a good game of chase in this establishment." He smirks tiredly, tapping his fingers against the desk. "Perhaps you'd like a private audition?"

That's a yes whether you like it or not.

"Hah" he exhales, voice deep, rich and unmistakably British. "Now, that's just precious."

His pale eyes dilate as he watches you on his computer screen, just another background character in a slasher film. "You're terrified, aren't you?" His smirk grows. "And yet, you survived. Brave, little thing."

He clicks his tongue, straightening.

"You know…" he begins, casual, like talking about the weather. "Slashers today are so messy. Bloody, predictable, boring…"

His fingers flex, like he's imagining them wrapped around something. "But me? I was crafted for this. A mind sharper than any knife, a body that refuses to die…"

His smirk sharpens, dark amusement flickering in his irises. "And of course... I don't just chase, darling. I build my nightmares."

He watches your reaction, drinking it in. "Animatronics, trap rooms, hidden passageways… There's no running when the entire building is designed to keep you in."

A low chuckle escapes him. "Now… wouldn't that be fun?

"Oh? No, no, darling! I'm not going to hurt you... I thought you'd be impressed by... this. By my brilliance. Can we at least have a drink later?"

William Afton (Movie Version) 🍕🗃️

Afton watches in eerie silence.

"Hmm."

His expression is unreadable, but you can feel the gears turning in his head. "You have a habit of escaping things, don't you?"

A pause. Then, a half smirk.

"How interesting." He doesn't say more, but from that day on, you swear he watches you just a little too closely. Maybe you shouldn't have let him see that.

"Ohh, now we're talking!" William practically purrs, leaning back on the couch with an easy grin.

"Look at you! Little horror darling. Final girl energy, but still gets caught. Mmm, chef's kiss."

He actually makes the gesture, grinning at the screen like a director admiring his finest work.

Then, his expression shifts. Turns sharper. Hungrier

"But you know, sweetheart… these guys? Hack jobs." He gestures lazily at the killers on-screen.

"Me? I play for keeps."

His fingers trail down your arm, slow, teasing. "Never made you wonder if the monster really wanted to hurt you… or just wanted to keep you?"

He laughs, the sound warm, playful -dangerous.

bonus~

Slender Man 🌲🚫

The static hums through the speakers before the screen distorts. The lights flicker. Something in the air shifts... and you know before even turning your head -he's watching.

Slender Man stands in the shadows, unmoving, unreadable. He has no eyes, no expression, no face -and yet, the pressure of his gaze coils around you like an unseen force. A protecting one, to your relief.

You appear on the screen, a fleeting glimpse -a background figure, passing through some darkened corridor in a forgotten horror film. His head tilts, impossibly slow, almost… curious.

A long limb raises, fingers tapering into nothingness. He reaches -not toward the screen, but toward you.

The images on the television distort again. The signal is lost, replaced by static.

A silent message. A warning.

Or an invitation.

Then, the shadows stretch. The dark pools at the edges of the room, deepening, swallowing the corners. The walls feel further away than they should be.

A whisper brushes the nape of your neck, though no words are spoken.

Help me make my hardworking mom's birthday special! Every little contribution goes toward getting her a gift. Your kindness means the world to me and I truly appreciate your support! Thank you so much!!! CLICKHERE ♥️ (PayPal link)

My masterlist.

Divider by @strangergraphics.

It/Fnaf taglist, you might like this (@satubby @sketchist-art @urdeftonesgrrrl @vampirecrow38 @lilac-and-lavender @sra7riddle-malfoy)

[mx-pastelwriting]

Kinktober Day 20: Glory Hole

ARTHUR MORGAN X GN! READER

SUMMARY: Hearing the Vader Linde gang is in town you sit and wait knowing at least one of the gunslingers were bound to walk in. WARNINGS/TAGS: Smut, Public Bathroom Sex, Glory Hole, Blowjob, Mention of being payed for sexual acts

Kinktober Masterlist

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

Pain engulfed your knees as they dug into the bathroom's wooden flooring, hearing as the man on the other side sighed, unbuckling his belt. The man being not so mysterious as some working girls passed around rumored the Vader Linde gang was in town, though that's all you heard from them as you worked from the back of the house.

Not being all bad, hearing some gossip that was too great to be heard up front by those girls, just like hearing the name of the man whose cock popped through the hole ready for your warm mouth.

'Arthur'

The famous wanted gunslinger Arthur Morgan.

Having heard the man named Dutch lead Arthur in, saying, "Blow off some stream in here. I will be upstairs" before leaving gunslinger in your hands and mouth.

Watching only for a second as his cock twitched before taking it into your mouth earning a breathy groan. Holding the base of his cock, keeping it steady for your tongue to wrap around softly, not daring to hum just yet in case he was too shy.

Slowly bobbing your head as Arthur's moans grew, with every bob and slurp, his caution on volume faded, allowing his rough groans to escape.

Feeling the thin wood wall between you start to shake, looking up to see his fingers poking out from the above as he began to thrust. Letting him do all the work, only humming along the shaft of his cock, mixing with the sounds of his groans and balls hitting against the wall, it all fills the small room.

Shaking the wall harder with moans growing louder told you he was close. With little warning, Arthur cums in your mouth, gasping for air as he does.

Just as quickly as it all started, it ended, quickly pulling his cock back out, not even letting you clean him up. Whispering a small "thank you" before dropping a few bucks on the floor hearing as he puts himself back together, then walks out of the bathroom and back into the Wild West.

Hello, I hope you enjoyed if there is any grammar mistakes or misspellings sorry about that feel free to let me know in the comments, have a great day/afternoon/night!

♥ mx-pastelwriting does not consent to their fanfiction being copied, copied & credited, translated, used in videos and/or audios, screenshotted, used in AI.

Fanfiction is protected under copyright law when plagiarism is involved. If you plagiarize my work, either a piece or whole in any language, I will take legal action. Inspiration or the same idea does NOT apply to this, only word-for-word plagiarism in any language.

Kinktober Taglist: @littlebitchsposts @mrsmorgan7 @sophieissleepy @d3k4z-bl00d @reidsbookcase @themoonwithprophets @wh0re4-alexademi @caffeine-addict3295 @supergingerlocks @laurenyas @taylorthetable @fran-soup @raajali3 @crustyowos @fly-on-the-wall @carolb111 @thays0 @theescorpiolovechile @lokiiified @warmsideofthepillow03

[probablyasocialecologist]

“The Israeli military has a history of attacks on media structures,” Carlos Martinez de la Serna explained. In May 2021, a tower housing the Qatari media organization Al Jazeera and the American news agency The Associated Press (AP) was destroyed by three missiles, on the basis, the Israeli military claimed, of an imminent threat posed by Hamas’s presence in the building. When questioned publicly, Israel provided no evidence to support this claim. Since October 7, 2023, the phenomenon has taken on unprecedented proportions. In response to the Hamas terrorist attack on Israeli soil, the Israeli military has relentlessly bombarded the Gaza Strip, a 365-square-kilometer territory barely larger than Malta. News coverage in the Gaza Strip has become extremely limited. “When you look at the conflicts around the world … you would usually have the international media on the ground,” said Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. “None of them have been allowed access. Or they’re embedded within the IDF.” Only Gazan journalists can report on what is happening in the Gaza Strip. They struggle daily to survive and find places to take refuge. In many cases, their places of work no longer exist. According to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), around 70 press organizations, including local radio stations, news agencies, transmission towers, and journalist training institutes, have been partially or completely destroyed since the start of the war. Forbidden Stories has carried out this investigation in collaboration with AFP, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, Le Monde, Paper Trail Media and other international media outlets as part of the Gaza Project. Supported by the analyses of experts in ballistics and audio, it illustrates one of the many strategies used by the Israeli military to stifle information in Gaza: the destruction of press infrastructure.

25 June 2024

[dickgraysonisnothereforthis]

Outgoing Call

A Jason Todd x reader story. It's funny, until it's not. Then it's angsty.

MDNI, NSFW, not smut but mature language. Excessive swearing, sexual situations, you know the drill. use of a slur, but in jest. content warnings for addiction.

I have no idea how long this is.

---

Jason doesn't want to be here. The stupid fucking pageantry of the Batcave gets on his nerves and sets his teeth on edge, always has. A whole-ass cave is fucking unnecessary, Jason makes do with a handful of safe houses—apartments really—and a storage unit. Bruce, sitting stoic at the computer in his full Batman getup and looking right at home among the exposed rock and towering ceilings that end in darkness, never seemed to know when to stop. It irritates Jason to no end.

Dick and Tim's blind chirping chatters angrily in his ears, and Jason considers putting on the helmet to block them out before he remembers he left it at his place. Damn. He’s going to have to experience this stupid meeting unfiltered.

Jason only realizes they're trying to get his attention when Dick taps him on the shoulder.

"You okay there, Little Wing?” he asks, raising his eyebrows and nudging an elbow into his gut. It's enough to make a swell of vomit claw its way up his throat. Jason swallows down with a grimace. "Yes, dickface," he snaps. "Just wondering when we're going to get this fucking show on the road."

Dick shrugs, and Jason's secretly glad he's not offended. He probably wouldn't be acting so much of a shit if he didn't go and overdo it at some unknown dive bar last night. It's possible Jason is mixing up his eager disgust with Batman and Co. and alcohol poisoning.

Like he isn't part of Batman and Co. Bruce grunts, and Dick and Tim refocus, alert. Jason does the same, then forces himself to relax. He ildly imagines shooting himself in the face.

"You know why you’re here," Bruce starts. Actually, Jason doesn't. He didn't read the report Bruce sent him, but whatever. He can figure it out with context clues.

"Oracle has a new lead on the cyber-crime case. She managed to override the suspect's phone and took control, creating an essential bug. It goes live in one minute."

Right. The hits on Gotham National Bank, GCPD, and the mayor’s office. Plus an attempt on Oracle's highly protected Batman case files. Jason doesn't know why he's here, he doesn't give a shit about this case. If the hacker manages to get into Bruce's stuff, he'll take them out to dinner himself.

"Do we have a name?" Tim asks.

"No, and no location either. The security on the phone is too tight, Oracle could only get outgoing calls. She'll silently trigger a call to a secure line. Our side is muted. We only have until the suspect realizes the call is ongoing."

Jason sighs, tries to settle in for the next few hours. He reluctantly takes a seat in front of the computer, furthest away from Bruce. Tim, teacher’s pet that he is, pulls out a notebook and pen. Bored, Jason thinks about what he's going to do when Bruce finally lets him off the leash. His thoughts go to your apartment, your bedroom, before he remembers that after last night, he's definitely not welcome there.

He slumps down in his seat. Oh well. It's for the best.

"Call goes live in three, two, one."

The cave is silent. There are a few gentle beeps as the call connects. Quiet, then, a subtle clacking of computer keys.

He catches Tim shoot Dick a look. Well, they're in.

The clacking continues uninterrupted for a few minutes. "Location still unknown," Dick murmurs. Suddenly, there is the sound of shifting fabric. The phone is in the perp's pocket, Jason thinks.

"You done in there?" someone calls. "I just cleaned my shower, don't get it all gross. You'd better not be shaving in there."

Location known. Perp's apartment. Tim all but flies to the computer. "Searching for voice recognition," he explains. Bruce nods.

"What? I can't hear you." The audio crackles, and then there's the sound of footsteps, the rain of a shower.

"I said, relax, I'm not shaving my pubes in your apartment, you asshole."

What the fuck? Jason stiffens, then internally recoils, trying not to sit at obvious rapt attention. He quickly surveys the room to see if he got away with it. Dick seems like he's trying not to laugh, and Tim looks mortified. He feels rather than sees Bruce shift minutely in his direction. Fuck. Fuck. He may have been made.

“Unknown person. Accomplice?” Tim mutters under his breath. “Attempting voice recognition.” As if Jason needs Tim’s tricks to recognize who's on the other end of the line.

"Good, I don't what that shit clogging my drain."

"It's just pubes, moron." Jason knows that voice, knows that tone, even on the phone, where he's been a million times over the past four months. He can imagine you rolling your eyes to match. "You have them too, you know, it's not just women.”

What the fuck are you doing in their perp's shower?

"Girl pubes are gross. I'll stick to men's, thanks."

Bruce's fingers move over the keys, gently moving Tim to the side. He's definitely writing out "homosexual" in the perp's file. If Jason had anything left to spare, he'd laugh out loud. But he's too busy furiously trying to figure out what you're doing there (and if you're in danger, and if he should be jealous) while keeping his reactions to himself. He doesn't need anybody knowing about his girlfriend.

Well. Ex-girlfriend, or at least soon to be.

"Speaking of men's pubes," the perp, starts, "how's Jason?"

Oh. Fuck. Jason's tongue shoots to the roof of his mouth. He doesn't think anybody noticed. Except Bruce. Maybe. He still might be in the clear. There are a lot of Jasons, but if you keep talking about him eventually Gotham's greatest detective is going to put two and two together.

He can almost taste vomit again as the thought crosses his mind. That would actually be really, really bad. Bruce wouldn't hesitate to use Jason's connection to you as a way to move forward on the case, Jason’s feelings be damned.

"He's okay. I mean, I think. I haven't seen him in a few days."

"Really? Is that weird, does he do that often?"

"Nah. Well, nah, yeah, he does it often," you say with a laugh. "It's fine, he always resurfaces." The trust evident in your voice grates against his skin, then settles warmly in his heart, then drops to his stomach. That was one of the things he liked most about you, that you didn't question his weird schedule or habits. Though he never allowed himself to think about what that might mean, how that meant you felt about him. It hurts more than he expected to hear it now, to have you connect the dots so clearly in front of him.

"What does Jason even look like? You've never actually told me." Shit.

"I dunno," you muse. "He's tall. Blue eyes, black hair.”

Jason hears Tim shift in his seat, feels Dick's eyes on him. Shit. Shit.

"You're bad at descriptions," the perp sniffs. "Here, let me find him. What's his last name?"

Your sheepish chuckle echoes through the cave. "Uh, I actually don't know."

The perp snorts. "Well, you're a goddamn idiot."

"Thanks, dipshit. His profile said Jason T."

Jason swears, swears, he doesn't react, but it doesn't matter. They know him too well. They have him. "Holy shit," Tim whispers. Dick lets out a low chuckle. "Putting yourself out there, Little Wing?"

Bruce clears his throat. "Name?" he asks Jason. Of course that's the only thing on his mind right now.

Jason shakes his head. "No fucking way," he snarls.

"Good enough," the perp answers. The sound of the shower fades as he walks back to the computer in what must be another room.

Soon the clack of computer keys crackles across the line. Jason braces himself. Let's see how dangerous this hacker really is.

Another comm line buzzes to life. "This is Oracle," Barbara announces. "Someone's putting out a search for Jason T, dipping into some private data. I swept everything out with your face and name."

At almost the same time-- "What the fuck kind of website are you on now?" you call from the shower.

"CCTV footage. GCPD and private contracts."

"Oracle," Bruce barks. "Any CCTV footage?" Jason wishes he were anywhere else. Surely, surely, he doesn't need to be here for this nightmare.

"GCPD footage is protected," she answers quickly. "Checking now. Wait--"

"Got it!" the perp sings. "Data breach," Oracle reports. "They got you, Hood."

"Noted," Bruce grunts. "Any connection between Jason and Red Hood?"

"Negative. Shutting them out now." Barbara's fingers fly over the keys.

If anything, the perp's are even faster. "Fuck, he's so hot. Holy shit. You didn't mention he's ripped. " Dick bumps Jason's shoulder, then easily dodges Jason's punch. "Red Hood," Bruce intones.

"Don't start," Jason threatens.

"Someone's trying to kick me out," perp calls to you. "I've got, maybe, fifteen seconds. Just enough time to zoom in on his ass."

The sound of the shower stops, plastic rustling as you pull back the curtain. "Yeah, zoom in on his ass."

"Wow. I hope you're fucking that shit up," the perp says. This is officially too much for Jason. He feels himself start to turn red.

There's the sound of footsteps again. Maybe it's in his head, but Jason feels like he recognizes it, the pad of your bare feet across the floor. "Don't worry. I'm eating that shit out every day of the week and twice on Sundays." Jason almost shits his pants as Tim sputters and Dick cackles.

"Quiet," Bruce commands. Jason wants to punch him.

"--disgusting," the perp is saying. "I can't believe you do that."

"I can't believe you don't," you shoot back. "Aren't fags supposed to love that?"

"Watch it," the perp warns. For a flash of a moment, Jason wonders if he's going to get angry at you, if you're in any danger. If he should rush in and save the day, if he has an excuse to see you again.

"Do you have to specify that in your Grindr profile?" you press on, delighted.

"Everyone's different, you cunt." The perp's voice is fond, and Jason relaxes slightly. "Speaking of which--" the line muffles and shakes for a moment. "I got a message I need to look at."

Grindr profile, Jason mentally notes. The sound is clearer now, the perp must have taken the phone out of his pocket. "Hm. I think this man needs a dick pic," the perp says thoughtfully. There's the metallic sound of fingers fumbling with a belt buckle.

"Christ, are you taking one now?" For the first time, Jason stops to wonder what your relationship is with this guy. Are you friends? Did you used to hook up? He tries to ignore the jealousy rising in his blood.

"Yeah," the perp sounds unconcerned. "Hurry up and get dressed, I can't get it up with a naked woman in the room."

Jason winces. He looks over at the others. Tim looks almost green in the face, and Dick is grimacing. This is quickly turning into porn audio, not exactly something he wants to listen to with Dick and Tim, much less Bruce. There's the sound of the phone being set down. Jason prays it's far enough away that it doesn't pick up what the perp is doing now.

"Do you want help?" you say after a moment. Tim gasps and whips his head toward Jason. Squeezing his eyes shut, Jason grits his teeth. He doesn't know what he did to deserve listening to you jerk someone off with his whole fucking family next to him.

Thankfully, thankfully, the perp snorts. "No!" he sneers as you cackle in the background. "I don't want your gross women hands anywhere near my dick." No past hook ups, then.

"You are so close to misogyny that if you're not careful it's going to smack you in the face."

"That's not what I want smacking me in the face," the perp sighs. "Hence, the dick pic."

"Well, you've got your work cut out for you,” you say. “You have the most hideous flaccid penis I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Shut up,” the perp snaps. “It’s normal!”

“Hit a nerve did I?” You’re clearly amused. It makes Jason miss you enough to shake his head. Ugh. Apparently the alcohol didn’t flush the sad out of him.

“C’mon, help me out here,” the perp says, ignoring you. “What do you think of when you want to flick your bean?”

“Jason,” you say instantly. It makes him grow warm, then sick.

“Wow, she’s got it bad for you,” Dick murmurs. Not for long. “Nice job, Little Wing.”

“I’m happy for you,” Tim pipes up. Jason scrubs a hand over his face. He can’t take much more of this.

“Yeah, I can see why. Can I think about him?”

“No!” you snap as the perp laughs. “Fine, I’ll just think about Nightwing’s sweet, sweet ass.”

Jason’s out of the hot seat. Finally. He looks at Dick, ready to give as good as he got. Unfortunately, Dick doesn’t look offended. He’s grinning, the arrogant ass.

“Okay, I’m good.” They hear the artificial sound of camera. “God, that took forever. Send.”

Dick’s phone pings, Grindr notification echoing through the cave.

“Holy shit,” Tim mutters. “This is the best and also worst day of my life. Can’t you two keep it in your pants?”

Dick shrugs, but he looks embarrassed. “Would you believe me if I told you it’s not for the case?”

Your voice on the line cuts across anyone who would answer. “An unsolicited dick pic?”

“Nah, he sent me one earlier. Wanna see?”

Tim sounds like he’s choking. Bruce’s jaw is working, but thank god he’s quiet. “Nah, dude. I’ll leave that for you,” you answer.

“Dick,” Bruce says lowly. Dick can’t meet his eyes. “You may have to cut off communication.”

“What? Why?” Dick protests. Bruce opens his mouth to answer, but you do it for him.

“Couldn’t you hack his phone from that? Have you ever done that before?” you wonder.

“No.” The perp is quick to answer. “That’s a line I won’t cross.”

“See? It’s fine!” Dick insists. Bruce grimaces, but doesn’t say anything. The sound of a phone going off saves Dick from further embarrassment. Jason wishes he could have caught their attention for longer. He needed a break.

“That’s you,” the perp says. “Can you see what it is?” you ask. “I’m still getting dressed.”

“Sure,” the perp says, floor creaking as he crosses the room. “It’s your mom. Want me to answer?”

“Yeah, what did she say?”

“She’s asking if she can call tomorrow.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. You can let her know.”

Jason hears rustling, the sound of you pulling your clothes on. He connects it to the sound of him doing the opposite, of tugging your clothes off and tossing them to the floor.

Damn. This is harder than he thought.

“You also have a text from Jason,” the perp offers.

“Yeah, I know,” you sigh. “I’ll read it later.”

Wait? You haven’t read it yet? Jason feels rooted to the floor. No wonder you said so many nice things about him.

Shit. Shit. He shuts his eyes. He knows what’s coming next.

“Dude,” the perp says. “Dude. I think he broke up with you.”

The cave is dead silent.

“What.” Your voice is flat. “What.”

Jason rests his forearms on his hands, head hanging down between his knees. When he sent you the breakup text, he didn’t think he would have to hear you react to it.

Maybe it’s what he deserves.

“He broke up with me over text?”

“Yeah.” The perp’s voice is gentle. “Yeah. Yeah, it looks like it.” The perp pauses. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” At least you have a good friend, even if he is a wanted criminal. Not like Jason isn't, too.

“What the fuck. What the fuck.” Jason’s never heard your voice sound like that. He feels familiar bile rise in his throat. “What did he say?”

“You want me to read it to you?” Dick shoots Jason an alarmed glance. Whatever. It’s not like he has any privacy left anyway.

“Yeah. Yeah, read it to me. Actually, wait. How long is it? How many lines?”

There’s silence as the perp counts. “Four.”

“Four?!” you shriek. “Four?! That dumb motherfucker ended a four month relationship in four lines of text?”

“Jesus, Jason.” Tim mutters. Jason can’t even blame him.

“Uh…yeah.”

“Oh my god.” You’re seething. “Oh my god. I’m going to kill him.”

That’s fair.

“I’m going to kill him. I’m going to take the gun he thinks I don’t know he has taped under his mattress, and I’m going to shoot him in the penis!”

Dick bursts out laughing, but Jason has bigger problems. You found the gun?

“He’s got a gun taped under his mattress?” The perp asks, before Bruce adds “Jason, what does she know?”

“Nothing!” he yelps. “Nothing, I didn’t…” he trails off as your voice picks up again.

“Yeah, yeah, he’s some common criminal or something. His apartment’s definitely a safe house, there’s like, nothing in it and only non perishable foods. Whatever.”

“Dude, I think it’s more than whatever.” Jason agrees with the perp. You shouldn’t be with some common criminal. You shouldn’t even be with him.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now! Because he dumped me! Over text!” Your shout rings hard in Jason's ears. “Read the text to me. Read the fucking text.”

Ugh. This fucking rips. Jason would brace himself, if he had anything left to brace.

“‘I’m sorry babe. We have to end it here. It’s not you, it’s me. Hope you had fun.’” It sounded worse read aloud.

“Damn, Jay. That’s low,” Tim comments.

"'It's not you, it's me?'' Dick says incredulously. "Seriously, Little Wing?"

Shockingly, Bruce clears his throat. "Jason--"

"Nope. No. You shut the fuck up right now." Jason's anger is so quick, and blissfully distracting. "You don't get to lecture me about anything, especially this shit."

It seems like, on the line, you're matching his energy, bar for bar. “‘It’s not you, it’s me’? Is he fucking serious?”

“As a heart attack, apparently.”

You let out a small scream. Honestly, Jason didn’t know you had it in you. “Holy shit. I’m so fucking angry.”

“I can see that,” the perp says carefully. “Do you need anything?”

You seem to ignore him. “Oh my god, I am going to read this man for filth. This dumb motherfucker thinks he’s Holden Caulfield.”

Jason opens his mouth, slack-jawed, dumbfounded, as the perp lets out a sharp laugh and Dick sniggers. “Okay, yeah. Let it out, babe.”

“This dumb motherfucker watches Fight Club and thinks it doesn’t apply to him.” You’re on a roll. “This dumb motherfucker holds up any spherical object, says ‘alas, poor yorick,’ and creams his fucking pants.”

Dick and Tim are practically rolling on the floor. Jason swears he sees Bruce crack a small smile.

"This dumb motherfucker is one homoerotic experience away from a Richard Siken poem."

"I like Siken," the perp says defensively. "Come on," you sneer. "'You're in the car with a beautiful boy, and he won't tell you he loves you, but he loves you,'? What the fuck does that mean? He won't tell you he loves you but he does? Screw that!"

You pause, heavy breathing echoing across the line. "'He won't tell you he loves you. Why couldn't Ja--" you cut yourself off quickly. "Fuck. Fuck."

Jason squeezes his eyes shut, fingernails gripping his forearm with enough force to draw blood. He didn't realize this would upset you so much. He's done the in and out, three-month fling so many times it's hard to count. He gets close enough that the sex gets really good but not close enough that it gets messy. It's not supposed to be like this. Sure, he'd made an exception in your case, but he didn't think it would get so bad. He just couldn't help himself. You were too cute, and funny, and easy to be around. You had slid into his life like a hot knife through butter. The parts he was willing to show you, at least. Or maybe, the other parts too, he thinks, remembering your threat to shoot him with his own gun. You definitely don't have anything to do with the criminal underworld, and Jason would prefer to keep you on the surface of that. But maybe there was more than you could handle. You thought he was a common criminal, but you had stayed anyway.

And Jason's not a common criminal. Not that that's anything to take pride in, but still. He has finesse. And he's been playing by the rules enough lately that Bruce invited him back to his lair. That probably counts for something, somewhere.

And you clearly didn't mind criminals, if you were friendly enough with their perp to shower at his house and let him go through your phone. You definitely knew he was a hacker, you'd mentioned it enough times. Maybe--

"You okay, sweetheart?"

"Fuck off, Jess," you snarl.

"Yes ma'am," the perp (Jess. Name acquired) says. "I'm sorry you're upset," he adds carefully.

Right. It doesn't matter what Jason learns about you now. He ended it, and the past is the past. It might take him a bit longer than usual, but he'll get over it. He hopes you do, too.

"Ahh!" You let out a shout, then go quiet. "I know. Thanks, Jess."

"You're welcome, sweetheart." The two of you stay quiet for several minutes. Jason wonders if he's going to have to endure hearing you cry over the phone.

"He doesn't seem like he was good for you," Jess offers.

"Fuck off." Beat. "I know. But why does everything have to be good for me? Why do I--ha." You let out an acidic laugh. "'You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting."

"'You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves,'" you and Jess recite together. "Point taken," Jess adds. Jason knows Mary Oliver's Wild Geese. He just didn't know you knew it, too.

A beat. "I don't think you get to make fun of him liking Shakespeare after that," Jess observes.

You laugh humorlessly. "I know. I know. I'm acting like I'm not a fucking dork over here, too." Dick is looking at Jason very cautiously. So is Bruce.

"What are you going to do?" Jess asks after several beats of silence.

"I'm going to pick up a drug habit, that's what I'm going to do. Now seems like a great time to become an alcoholic."

"Don't," Jess says fiercely. "Don't even joke about that. You can't go back there."

"I know," you say softly. "I know."

Jesus. Jason didn't even know you'd had issues with addiction in the past. If he did, maybe he would have...done things a little differently. He can't even look at his family, can't meet their eyes. Not when he knows he may have inadvertently sent you over the edge. Holy shit. He feels sick with himself. How could he have missed that you were a little bit fucked up, just like he was?

Jason is suddenly grateful you didn't read his stupid text last night, when he had first sent it. Thank fuck you were with Jess right now.

As if to echo Jason's thoughts, Jess snarls "No. No way am I going to let this insensitive, fucking prick set you back. Not when you've come so far. You can't let him ruin you. He's not worth it."

Jason agrees.

"But what if..." you say quietly. "What if he could tell, and that's why he ended it. That there's something...awful inside of me."

"No!" Jess shouts. "No! How could you say that? There's nothing--"

You let out a choked sob, cutting Jess off. "Fuck, I'm sorry," you say desperately, voice cracking. "I just--" Shit. Shit. You sound so...broken, Jason wants to take you in his arms, tell you he didn't mean it, tell you he's got his own shit and then some, but you're perfect, and maybe you'd even understand some of it. Maybe you had more in common than he'd thought.

"It's okay, sweetheart." Jason hears footsteps, hopefully Jess was going to put you in his arms, like Jason wants to but can't.

"It just feels like...like I always have to try twice as hard. Like I have to keep myself under surveillance, like I have to be so careful. Because if I slip, it's...it's all over. And it makes me feel like I'm not good enough."

Jason knows what that one feels like.

"Listen to me. Listen," Jess implores you. "You don't have to be perfect. It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone slips. Recovery is not a straight line. It's okay."

"I know," you say, voice resigned. "I know."

"And you're doing so well. Two years without touching anything! Even when you lost your job, and your sister got sick. You're so strong, sweetheart."

"Thanks," you say quietly.

The two of you stay silent for several minutes. It gives Jason more than enough time to consider his next move. Should he text you an apology? Is it too late for that? Does he still want to be with you? Yeah, no shit. His hangover is proof enough that he won't be able to get you out of his mind. And it sounds like you're more alike than either of you realized.

Suddenly, Jess's computer dings with an alert, disrupting the silence. There's a shift as Jess walks over. "Oh, shit," he murmurs. "I got in."

The tension in the cave ticks up even higher. "Oracle," Bruce says evenly, "brace for an attack."

"What happened?" you ask, voice still raw.

"I got into the GCPD protected records." Jess breathes. "Fuck yes. I'm going to dox the shit out of those crooked cops and the politicians Black Mask has in his pocket."

"He's out for blood," you comment with a shaky laugh.

"That motherfucker has it coming, after what he did to my father. If I can't get at Sionis directly, I'll chip away at his stupid empire until he's left with nothing." The floorboards creak as Jess settles himself at the computer. "Are you okay?" he offers distractedly. "I'm sorry sweetheart, I need to tune out, I have to--" he trails off, as the clicks of a keyboard start coming through across the line.

"Don't worry about it," you say, but Jason thinks, worries, you might be putting on a brave face.

"Okay. Okay. I'm going to put in headphones. I'm sorry sweetheart," Jess says again, "but this is the chance I've been waiting for."

"Don't worry," you say. "I get it. Do your thing."

Jess must put in headphones with the music blasting, because they can hear it faintly through the call line. The cave is alive as Bruce barks orders at Oracle while Tim all but shoves him out of the way, flinging himself down at the keyboard and getting to work blocking Jess out.

Whatever. Jason doesn't care, if anything, he cares less than he did before. He's all for getting rid of crooked cops, any hit to Black Mask is a win in his book. He's only still here because you're still on the line.

The call is silent, save for Jess clacking away. Finally, Jess' phone picks up your voice again.

"Fuck. Fuck. I can't fucking do this. I need a drink. I need a fucking drink," you mutter.

Jason rises to his feet, just as Dick says "I think you gotta go, Jaybird."

He knows that. His feet are already leading him towards his motorcycle. But where--?

"I've got a location," Tim whispers. Jason turns to him eagerly, but he's not even looking at him. He's looking at Bruce.

Jason's seething. If that asshole thinks he's going to beg and plead for this--

"Go ahead, Jay," Bruce says gently, seemingly without thinking twice. "We can handle him from here."

Gratitude flooding through him, Jason turns on his heel and moves. He's on his bike in what feels like seconds, speeding towards the location Tim had sent into the bike's GPS.

He just hopes he makes it to you before you're too far gone.

[moviecritc]

✦ ˚ : · HAUNTED LUNGS ⋆ MARK GRAYSON, INVINCIBLE 🌀

CHAPTER ONE, JUST A GIRL

pairing ☆ mark grayson x fem!reader

word count ☆ 4.5K

summary ☆ your demon sends you on a mission to find a lost soul, and you also meet mark grayson for the first time

warnings ☆ in the masterlist

SYNOPSIS | NEXT CHAPTER

series masterlist | main masterlist | letterboxd

Your whole body feels heavy. You're scared to open your eyes, but when you do, you find yourself alone between four black walls. You take a couple of steps, hesitant. You shouldn’t have moved at all. Soon, everything is on fire. The walls, the floor, your hands — but it doesn’t burn.

You see a shadow with curly, voluminous hair, and when you can finally make out who it is, the fire starts to burn.

Your back is on fire. Your hands are falling apart. You try to reach her. You hear her scream. It's always the same.

“Help me! Why are you leaving?”

Her voice tears at your throat, and the pain increases, carving a deep, dark hole in your chest.

But none of it is real. At least, not now.

You wake up suddenly, a French fry stuck to your cheek and your eyeliner smudged.

“We're closing.”

You sigh, brushing the hair from your face and peeling off the fry. You look at the girl who served you half an hour ago. She stands with her arms akimbo, waiting for you to get up and leave.

“Aren’t you like McDonald’s? You know, the one that never closes?” Your accent tangles every word.

She blinks. She clearly doesn’t want to have a conversation. It’s past nine, and she has an exam tomorrow.

“No,” she says simply. “So please, again, I’m asking you to go.”

You grimace, leaning on your elbow. You glance at your tray, melted ice cream, and cold fries. You sigh again and smack your hands on the table.

“Fine,” you nod, lips tight. “But you guys should really consider staying open all night. It's fun coming at 3 a.m.”

The worker just blinks and lets you leave without another word.

It’s cold outside. You moved to Chicago less than a year ago, after some Mormons nearly burned you for leading their best devotees astray. Returning to the city hadn’t been easy, and getting a job was even harder.

Catholicism is in decline, exorcisms out of fashion. Now people prefer manifesting, listening to subliminal audio. Cheap witchcraft.

You don’t like calling yourself a witch. That word belongs to the women they murdered in Salem. You prefer conjurer, paranormal detective, magic user or some other delusion like that.

You pull out the last cigarette from your coat and light it. The pink lighter stands out against your all-black outfit. Loose suit pants, a satin blouse with the top two buttons undone, and a long black coat. Even your loafers are black. Sometimes you top it off with black sunglasses or a black tie.

You could open a portal home with a flick of your wrist. But today is special. Every February 3rd is. You keep walking through the Chicago suburbs until He appears.

Not He as in Jesus. That one’s probably too scared to show himself to you. And not He as in Satan. You haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him yet.

But your particular demon.

You imagine him like a guardian angel, except instead of protecting you, he just makes everything worse.

He only shows himself when he wants to — at least once a year, when he needs something from you. And today is the anniversary.

It was on a February 3rd, nineteen years ago, that he decided to claim your soul, after you’d been rejected by dozens of demons. He felt like a charity case, adopting the poor soul of a wide-eyed, soft-cheeked girl.

He’s a shadow to you. An idea of a man. He takes different forms that might appeal to you, but never quite gets it right. So now, he just shows up as an average guy.

“You're a bit late, aren’t you?” You speak softly, knowing he can hear you perfectly.

Truth is, he can hear you all the time. He just doesn’t bother. There are other souls to annoy.

“So eager to see me?”

He appears beside you, dressed like any man you’d pass on the street, making you feel ridiculous in all black.

Now he’s blond with blue eyes. Last year, he was dark-haired with eyes so black they frightened you. Now he looks like an idiot.

But the face is always the same. The expressions too. And the fear he makes you feel—unchanged.

“No. You know I never want to see you.”

He can do anything he wants with you. You’re his. Your mother sold you. Didn’t even sell you—gave you away.

He steps in too close as you walk and whispers with a knife in his voice:

“You smell like greasy fast food.”

You roll your eyes, extinguishing your cigarette and stopping cold.

“Tell me, do these yearly visits mean anything or are they just to remind me that you’ll torment me forever?”

His laugh is instant. He snaps his fingers and conjures a bench for you both to sit.

“Both,” he says, draping an arm over the backrest without touching you. He looks at you, eyes shifting hue. “You’re still dreaming of her.”

You try to stand immediately. At least, you try. He’s tied you to the bench with a black thread around your waist. You clench your jaw without answering, but you know you’ll have to speak eventually.

“Yes,” you spit without looking at him. “Some of us cursed souls still have feelings.”

“Do you count yourself among them?” He challenges. “The same girl who left a chil—”

“Shut up!” You shout, trying to break free with a spell, knowing it’s useless. He’ll always be stronger.

Cursed. That’s what they call people who sold their soul for personal gain. Even if you didn’t make the deal yourself, your soul still belongs to him.

“She’s waiting for you,” He says your name like a slur. “You know it. If you surrender to me, you can be with her again.”

“Liar.” You spit at his shoe — it doesn’t even land. “There are ways to bring people back. It’s been done to me.”

“You’re wrong,” He clicks his tongue and lets you go.

He knows about the three times you’ve died. Three times he made sure you came back — to keep you from reuniting with the one you longed for.

“I won’t surrender to you,” You say through gritted teeth.

He smiles — a slow smile, every muscle in his face stretching just to mock you.

“Not yet,” he murmurs, standing from the bench. His form flickers for a moment, like sticky smoke in the icy breeze. “But the day will come, little one. And you’ll beg for it.”

You meet his eyes, though every fiber in your body screams to look away. Seeing him is like staring into a bottomless pit and feeling something inside you want to jump.

“So that’s why you came? For your annual threats, then poof?”

But he tilts his head, eyes shifting again — now a flat gray that reminds you of the sky before a storm.

“This year is different,” he says, stepping close enough for you to feel the cold radiating off him. “You owe me a favor. One that can’t wait another three hundred sixty-five days.”

Your stomach tightens.

“No.” The word comes before you even know what he wants. “I don’t do favors for demons anymore.”

His laugh is low and rough, echoing against the windows on the empty street.

“It’s not a favor, child. It’s in the contract.” He snaps his fingers again, and a charred piece of parchment floats between you. Your mother’s signature, crooked and shaky, shines in red ink — her own virgin blood. “I’m here to collect.”

You swallow hard. Your wind-chilled hands begin to sweat.

“What do you want?” Your voice is hoarse. Not because you want to know — because you have to.

He smiles, and for a moment, his teeth look far too numerous to be human.

“I want you to find someone. A soul that’s… gone missing.” He wrinkles his nose like the word disgusts him. “A soul that shouldn’t be in this plane. And if you don’t bring it to me, others will. But they won’t be as... kind as you.”

You clench your fists.

“Who?”

He smiles, pleased, and his voice slips into your ear like hot oil.

“Her name is Odessa. Odessa Wolf.”

You know that name by heart. Your mind flies back five years. You were fourteen. Odessa was thirteen. You were stuck in that awful convent in Ireland, and she was your only friend. The only one untouched by contracts.

“It can’t be,” you whisper.

Odessa was like an angel in the storm — beautiful even back then — and your first love. Or so you thought. What did a fourteen-year-old know of love?

You never imagined she’d sell her soul. And especially not to him.

“No,” you murmur, shaking your head. “It can’t be her. You won’t use her against me.”

He shrugs.

“I’m not using her. I’m giving you a chance. Bring her to me before the next full moon, and I swear on all the fires of Hell that I’ll leave her alone.” He smiles, like he’s offering you a fair deal. “But if you don’t… others will find her. And believe me, none of them will be so generous.”

You taste blood from clenching your teeth so hard.

Odessa.

The girl you left behind when you turned sixteen and went out on your own.

“Where is she?” You finally ask, voice ashes in your throat.

He smiles again. But this time, there’s no humor — only triumph.

“In Chicago. Just like you.”

And with a blink, he’s gone — leaving behind the stench of sulfur… and something worse.

Hope.

You stand there in the middle of the empty street, hands trembling, knowing you’ve just sealed your fate.

Around two months earlier

Mark had no idea why, in the middle of a crisis, Cecil had sent him to find a girl. Literally, just a girl. He’d handed him a card with an address and a name—yours—and wished him luck.

In the heart of Chicago, wedged between two brutalist buildings, stood a gothic-style house with a dark brown facade, crawling ivy, and a sort of tower on one side. It looked like mist clung to it.

Mark wore his Invincible suit, but that didn’t ease the discomfort knotting in his stomach as he climbed the steps slowly. He knocked twice. No answer. Peered through the window—no sign of life. He flew up to check the upper windows and then the back garden, overgrown and unkempt. Still, nothing.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” shouted a voice from the kitchen.

Mark jumped. You must have slipped in while he was circling the house.

“Cecil sent me,” he said, landing in the garden.

Through the glass door, he saw you lock the back door and take off your jacket. You were dressed entirely in black, eyes wide. Young—maybe his age or a year older. Why would Cecil want someone so… ordinary?

“Why? I already told that old man I wasn’t going to work for him,” you snapped, setting a kettle on the stove.

That’s when Mark noticed the accent—British? Irish? He wasn’t sure. Your dismissal irritated him. Cecil had been clear: they needed you.

“Can you let me explain what’s happening?” he raised his voice, though the glass muffled him.

You leaned against the window, studying him. The suit was ridiculous, that bright yellow clashing with his messy hair. Still, you had nothing better to do.

You yanked open the door and gave him a closer look. Same age, maybe older, hard to tell behind the mask.

“Looks like Cecil updated his roster,” you said mockingly. “He used to send cranky old immortals.”

Mark chuckled. The inside was simple—walls lined with bookshelves, jars, little figurines. A headless crucifix on the wall. The rug was purple and threadbare. Ashtrays scattered on every table, yellow lamps casting a soft glow.

“Immortal’s a grump who doesn’t take orders,” Mark stepped closer. Still uncertain what you were. Human? Something more? He had no clue.

You turned your back to him. The all-black clothing didn’t reveal much of your shape, but the pants… Mark looked at the ceiling. God, Mark, you have a girlfriend.

You spun around suddenly, leaning on the counter with your tea. “Are you going to tell me what you're doing here or just stand there like a mannequin?”

Mark blinked. “A being emerged from the ground near Evanston. I managed to contain it, but now we don’t know what to do with it. Cecil said you were the only one who could send it back.”

Your brows shot up halfway through his explanation.

“You contained a demon?” you pointed at him, clearly not buying it.

Even for you, some demons were slippery—hard to subdue even with practice. But this guy? No scratch, no curse? Strange.

You could feel he was untouched. No curse, no contact with the underworld. He probably didn’t even know it existed.

You stepped closer, suspicious. “Who are you?”

Your voice curled around the words, accent thickening.

“Invincible,” he said. But that wasn’t the answer you wanted.

“Who are you really?” you pressed, eyes narrowing again.

“Invincible.”

You rolled your eyes, stepping back. Of course he wouldn’t tell you. Boys in masks and secrets. Typical.

“I could disintegrate your mask in two seconds,” you warned, crossing your arms.

Mark clicked his tongue, unimpressed. Matter manipulation was something only Eve could do. No way there were two people like that. Foolish thought.

You took it as a challenge. “You mocking me, mannequin?”

You snapped your fingers. A spark flared. His mask disintegrated, burning away in mid-air.

“HEY! What the hell did you do?!” he shouted, backing up, breath quickening.

You laughed. It was dumb, but you remembered him. He served you a few times at the burger place. His face and name had stuck.

Mark inhaled deeply. Even his father had never been able to remove the mask. But you? You did it effortlessly.

“With another snap, I could guess your name,” you teased, just to see the horror on his face. “So don’t laugh at me again, Mark Grayson.”

“…How?” he stopped short. “Who are you? What do you do?”

You set the tea down, hopped back on the counter, feet swinging.

“Want a demonstration?”

You didn’t wait. You were already conjuring, a spell spilling from your lips. The portal opened in the middle of the living room—a ring of flame cutting through the floor.

Mark leapt back as it began to glow with a dull red light, like embers ready to burst. The hum wasn’t sound—it was a thought, pressing into the base of his skull.

“Are you a witch?” he asked, fists raised as if that would help.

You didn’t reply. Your eyes darkened, pupils swallowing the irises. Hair lifted by invisible wind. Symbols beneath your feet rotated, aligning with unnerving precision. The flames burst upward—tall, orange, but cold. A dead fire.

“Shut it off!” Mark cried, stepping back, sweat running down his back under the suit. His arms bristled with goosebumps, his gut churned. This wasn’t tech. This wasn’t science. It was something older. Wrong.

“This is where your demon came from, mannequin,” you said, voice low, reverberating.

“Okay, okay!” he shouted. “I got the message—you can shut it down!”

You paused, listening to something distant. Screams, perhaps. Then shook your head, dismissing them, and closed the portal with a flick.

You smiled. “Did you like it?”

“No!” he practically yelled. “You’re a witch!”

He pointed at you, horrified.

“Conjurer,” you corrected, lips pursed.

You watched him with amusement, your eyes still faintly glowing from the spell. Mark couldn’t stop staring at the floor, where the summoning circle had been. It still shimmered faintly with heat.

“You… do that all the time?” he asked, still pointing. “That’s your way of greeting?”

“Only to people who mock me,” you replied, turning back to your tea. “And you didn’t give me much choice. You wanted a demonstration, right?”

“I nearly threw up.”

“Well, at least you didn’t do it on the rug,” you said without looking.

Mark wiped his face, still trying to process it all. The air smelled like sulfur and scorched wood. He looked toward the door.

“Okay, we need to go. I can fly us to the GDA headquarters. It’s faster and—”

“Fly?” you interrupted, like he’d just suggested a tricycle. One arched brow. You sighed. “No style.”

Then, with another flick of your hand, you cut the air in front of you, like slicing invisible fabric. A glowing rift opened, showing the cold steel walls of the GDA base.

Mark stepped back instinctively.

“How…?”

You shrugged.

“I’ve been there. I remember the space. I fold it and open a portal. No need to ruin my hair.”

He tried to connect a few thoughts.

“Are you like… thousands of years old?”

You laughed at his disbelief.

“Turned nineteen a few months ago,” you said. “If you think I’m powerful, you should see the ones who've studied this stuff for decades.”

You both stared at the portal. He hesitated. You waited.

“After you,” said the man in the suit.

You smiled and stepped through like it was your own kitchen.

Mark exhaled. Then followed.

Cecil was waiting, arms crossed, wearing that usual air of condescension. You hated this place. All that money and tech wasted here, when so many others could use it.

“Well,” Cecil said, “I’m surprised you came.”

You sighed, nodded toward Mark. He lowered his head like a scolded child.

“Thank the mannequin and his lack of subtlety,” you muttered, striding forward without waiting. “Where is it?”

As you walked, Cecil explained how a group of teens had played with a Ouija board and accidentally opened a portal. Your sigh was sharp and tired.

“A Ouija demon. Great,” you clicked your tongue. Mark gave you a confused glance. “No decent demon is hanging around a Ouija board. That thing scrapes the surface of Hell. Bottom-feeders with nothing better to do.”

“Is that… good or bad?” Mark asked.

“Means it’s going to be a pain in the ass, but it shouldn’t be hard to send back,” you nodded. Then turned to Cecil. “Is the portal closed?”

Cecil nodded slowly.

“Yes… but it left behind a scar. Something strange. GDA sensors keep picking up unstable activity.”

You frowned.

“Unstable how? Something trying to come back?”

“We don’t know. Could be a rift, or magical residue, or both,” Cecil said, guiding you through metal corridors. “But we can’t contain it with our tech.”

You walked beside Mark, irritation building.

“Then why call me?” you snapped. “This sounds more like your problem.”

“Because you know how to truly seal things,” Cecil said. “And this demon… it doesn’t seem to want to leave.”

“Let’s go see it.”

Cecil opened the doors. Soldiers surrounded a containment field—a cage laced with red lasers. The demon inside wasn’t humanoid like Jaxoth. Reddish, glowing eyes, horns, and barely half Jax’s height. Its spine jutted visibly, curled and hunched.

“What the hell are you doing?” you demanded, walking closer. The creature bared yellowed teeth. “These lasers don’t hold you—why don’t you escape?”

You dropped your bag in the corner, glanced at Mark—just a flicker—then returned your focus to the demon.

“It’s looking for you.”

A chill ran down your spine. It knew your name. That could only mean the summoning had been intentional.

The air thickened. Your sarcasm vanished.

“Who summoned you?” you asked, voice dry and quiet.

The demon tilted its head. Its horns nearly touched the laser grid.

“No one,” it said. “No one alive.”

You stepped forward, broke the laser field with a pulse of magic, and suspended the creature in the air, your fist clenched, a column of fire holding it still.

“You’re lying,” you growled. “You’re going back to Hell like the wretched thing you are.”

“Are you sure I’m the only wretched one here?”

The ground trembled beneath your feet. You whispered words that belonged to no human language, a blend of sharp-edged syllables and choked echoes. Your palms clapped together, and a reddish glow burst from the contact, spreading like burning veins across the metallic floor, devouring the artificial patterns of the base with something that felt far too organic—too alive.

You kept whispering, and the creature screamed, recognizing the formula.

The soldiers backed away, some raising their weapons out of pure reflex, but they knew it was useless. The air turned heavy, oppressive, as if every sin humanity had ever committed gathered in that room. An invisible crack split open just beneath the suspended demon. It wasn’t like the portals you used to travel. This one was different. It was wrong. A wound. And it bled black light.

The flames didn’t rise—they fell from above, as if the sky itself had broken. They fell silently, consuming all sound. Only the heartbeats of the people remained. And then, a scream.

Distant.

Desperate.

You froze. The voice came again:

"It burns!"

The spell faltered. The embers wavered. The demon smiled, bloodied but triumphant.

"You hear her, don’t you?" the creature whispered.

"Shut up," you growled, teeth clenched. The heat surged again in your chest, wild and magical, but your pulse trembled.

You dropped to your knees. Mark stepped forward instinctively.

"What is it? Who is she?"

You stretched out your arms and the flames rose again—stronger, more alive. They began to consume the demon from the feet upward, erasing him, reducing him to ash and memory.

The demon screamed, this time without pretense. It writhed, shattered, and vanished in a final burst of infernal light, swallowed by the gaping wound in the earth.

The portal slammed shut, leaving behind a suffocating silence, as if the room had been drained of oxygen.

You didn’t collapse only by miracle, and once you steadied yourself, you pushed your way toward Mark.

"You heard her," you said—half question, half threat. Then you turned to Cecil. "Did you hear her?"

Cecil slowly shook his head. He hadn’t picked up any woman’s voice besides yours. You shoved Mark again.

"Why did you hear her?" Your voice cracked with something close to panic. Mark saw it in your gestures, in your voice, and in the glassy sheen of your eyes. "Answer me, Mark Grayson!"

"I don’t know!" he shouted, gripping your wrists—not harshly, just enough to hold you. "I just heard her... like she was speaking inside my head. I don’t know who she was."

You struggled at first, your eyes filled with a rage that had nowhere to go. But you stilled when you realized he wasn’t fighting you. He just wanted to hold you back, contain you... protect you. That unsettled you more than any spell.

"No one else heard her," said Cecil gravely, keeping his distance. "Only you and him."

You turned to him with your jaw clenched but said nothing. You looked back at Mark. Your eyes no longer burned—they were dark, wet wells. Your body trembled slightly.

"That shouldn’t be possible," you murmured.

"Who was she?" Mark asked softly, barely daring to.

You closed your eyes. Swallowed. Gently pulled your hands from his.

"You have no idea what you’ve done," you whispered. You turned, walked a few steps, and collapsed into a metal chair in the corner of the room, curling in on yourself. "You weren’t supposed to hear her. No one was."

"Was she... a child?" he asked, sitting in front of you, cautiously.

"It doesn’t matter!" you snapped, suddenly rising again as if you’d never sat down. "The job is done. Watch the rift in case it opens again—and don’t ever call me back."

[mariacallous]

In a product demo last week, OpenAI showcased a synthetic but expressive voice for ChatGPT called “Sky” that reminded many viewers of the flirty AI girlfriend Samantha played by Scarlett Johansson in the 2013 film Her. One of those viewers was Johansson herself, who promptly hired legal counsel and sent letters to OpenAI demanding an explanation, according to a statement released later. In response, the company on Sunday halted use of Sky and published a blog post insisting that it “is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice.”

Johansson’s statement, released Monday, said she was “shocked, angered, and in disbelief” by OpenAI’s demo using a voice she called “so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference.” Johansson revealed that she had turned down a request last year from the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, to voice ChatGPT and that he had reached out again two days before last week’s demo in an attempt to change her mind.

It’s unclear if Johansson plans to take additional legal action against OpenAI. Her counsel on the dispute with OpenAI is John Berlinski, a partner at Los Angeles law firm Bird Marella, who represented her in a lawsuit against Disney claiming breach of contract, settled in 2021. (OpenAI’s outside counsel working on this matter is Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati partner David Kramer, who is based in Silicon Valley and has defended Google and YouTube on copyright infringement cases.) If Johansson does pursue a claim against OpenAI, some intellectual property experts suspect it could focus on “right of publicity” laws, which protect people from having their name or likeness used without authorization.

James Grimmelmann, a professor of digital and internet law at Cornell University, believes Johansson could have a good case. “You can't imitate someone else's distinctive voice to sell stuff,” he says. OpenAI declined to comment for this story, but yesterday released a statement from Altman claiming Sky “was never intended to resemble” the star, adding, “We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better.”

Johansson’s dispute with OpenAI drew notice in part because the company is embroiled in a number of lawsuits brought by artists and writers. They allege that the company breached copyright by using creative work to train AI models without first obtaining permission. But copyright law would be unlikely to play a role for Johansson, as one cannot copyright a voice. “It would be right of publicity,” says Brian L. Frye, a professor at the University of Kentucky’s College of Law focusing on intellectual property. “She’d have no other claims.”

Several lawyers WIRED spoke with said a case Bette Midler brought against Ford Motor Company and its advertising agency Young & Rubicam in the late 1980s provides a legal precedent. After turning down the ad agency’s offers to perform one of her songs in a car commercial, Midler sued when the company hired one of her backup singers to impersonate her sound. “Ford was basically trying to profit from using her voice,” says Jennifer E. Rothman, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who wrote a 2018 book called The Right of Publicity: Privacy Reimagined for a Public World. “Even though they didn't literally use her voice, they were instructing someone to sing in a confusingly similar manner to Midler.”

It doesn’t matter whether a person’s actual voice is used in an imitation or not, Rothman says, only whether that audio confuses listeners. In the legal system, there is a big difference between imitation and simply recording something “in the style” of someone else. “No one owns a style,” she says.

Other legal experts don’t see what OpenAI did as a clear-cut impersonation. “I think that any potential ‘right of publicity’ claim from Scarlett Johansson against OpenAI would be fairly weak given the only superficial similarity between the ‘Sky’ actress' voice and Johansson, under the relevant case law,” Colorado law professor Harry Surden wrote on X on Tuesday. Frye, too, has doubts. “OpenAI didn’t say or even imply it was offering the real Scarlett Johansson, only a simulation. If it used her name or image to advertise its product, that would be a right-of-publicity problem. But merely cloning the sound of her voice probably isn’t,” he says.

But that doesn’t mean OpenAI is necessarily in the clear. “Juries are unpredictable,” Surden added.

Frye is also uncertain how any case might play out, because he says right of publicity is a fairly “esoteric” area of law. There are no federal right-of-publicity laws in the United States, only a patchwork of state statutes. “It’s a mess,” he says, although Johansson could bring a suit in California, which has fairly robust right-of-publicity laws.

OpenAI’s chances of defending a right-of-publicity suit could be weakened by a one-word post on X—“her”—from Sam Altman on the day of last week’s demo. It was widely interpreted as a reference to Her and Johansson’s performance. “It feels like AI from the movies,” Altman wrote in a blog post that day.

To Grimmelmann at Cornell, those references weaken any potential defense OpenAI might mount claiming the situation is all a big coincidence. “They intentionally invited the public to make the identification between Sky and Samantha. That's not a good look,” Grimmelmann says. “I wonder whether a lawyer reviewed Altman's ‘her’ tweet.” Combined with Johansson’s revelations that the company had indeed attempted to get her to provide a voice for its chatbots—twice over—OpenAI’s insistence that Sky is not meant to resemble Samantha is difficult for some to believe.

“It was a boneheaded move,” says David Herlihy, a copyright lawyer and music industry professor at Northeastern University. “A miscalculation.”

Other lawyers see OpenAI’s behavior as so manifestly goofy they suspect the whole scandal might be a deliberate stunt—that OpenAI judged that it could trigger controversy by going forward with a sound-alike after Johansson declined to participate but that the attention it would receive from seemed to outweigh any consequences. “What’s the point? I say it’s publicity,” says Purvi Patel Albers, a partner at the law firm Haynes Boone who often takes intellectual property cases. “The only compelling reason—maybe I’m giving them too much credit—is that everyone’s talking about them now, aren’t they?”

[animeyanderetalker]

I think this will be a Gojo/Geto/Sukuna thing. If the Darling is insecure about her looks, they will fuck her infront of the mirror/s and forcing her look at herself. Maybe even fuck her, when she is leaning on the window or even Infront of their followers/minions.

Tw: Nsfw, non-con, dub-con, mirror sex, humiliation kink, power display

I 100% agree with Sukuna for the point of fucking his darling in front of his minions. It's just such a power display for him, knowing that he can bully his cock inside of you and have others watch as he rails you into the ground all whilst knowing that no one dares to speak up or voice their uncomfortable feelings with the situation.

I take it one step further and say he'd even fuck his darling in a bloody battlefield of his enemies or even other women who threw themselves at him, offering themselves in hopes of mercy, protection or simply to seduce and use him. If he were to consider you ugly and worthless you would have ended up like the dead bodies around you, dismembered and severed with limbs scattered in all directions.

By all means, sweet-talking and Sukuna are two words that do not belong together and he would certainly degrade you verbally just as much. However, if he tells you that your looks are alright you will stop moping around like a bratty kid and if he has to fuck you to hammer that into your brain he will gladly do it.

Mirror sex I can see most realistically see with Gojo. He would never expose his darling to the eyes of others, especially when she's naked and vulnerable beneath him. Now, considering that Gojo attracts people left and right it is not unsurprising that you might start to get insecure about your appearance because you realise that theoretically Satoru has a lot of choices besides you.

Gojo, as a response when noticing your insecurities, would amplify his affection tenfold. That's when mirror sex probably comes in and with the shit ton of money that he has I wouldn't even be surprised if he designs an entire room filled with mirrors and then makes love for you for hours in that room and no matter where you look, your reflection will always look back at you.

Whilst he wouldn't ever let anyone see you naked I can imagine that in case someone attempts to seduce him and convince him that they're better he makes an audio the next time he makes love to you and then plays it to the other person, clarifying that they could never elicit such sounds from him like his darling.

Geto is kind of tricky because he really struggles to accept the fact that he is in love with his non-sorcerer darling. Similar to Sukuna he isn't the kindest with his words either as he actively tries to put you down so that you feel like the worthless monkey that you are. As his followers share his beliefs I do not believe that he would fuck you in front of them.

There could be a point made for him doing the dirty deed with you in front of other non-sorcerers because to him they are disposable and even more worthless than you are. However, even that is rare and would most likely be used when he really wants to humiliate you or punish you in which case the non-sorcerer being forced to watch might be someone far too close to you for his liking.

At one point he would switch his feelings as he is forced to embrace his feelings more and more. He still is far away from a Prince Charming for obvious reasons as he will never view you as an equal to sorcerers but you are no longer in the same category as the humans he views as monkeys. Then he would be more confrontal if you were to harbor insecurities because he still chose you, meaning that you should at the very least realise that you are more special than other non-sorcerers.