#hyper-v install

[techdirectarchive]

Fix PXE Boot Stuck or No Boot Image was found for HyperV VM

In this article, we shall discuss how to “fix PXE Boot Stuck or No Boot Image was found for HyperV VM. The bootloader did not find any operating system”. This means that the bootloader could not find a bootable image from the network to boot the VM. Please see Linux Boot Process Explained Step by Step for Beginners, and how to Fix Windows Stuck on System Restore. Here is how to Fix Hyper-V VM…

[minhosimthings]

The Demon of Destruction || 18+

Synopsis: For the first night of the "Make Heeseung jealous" pact, you spend it with the devil incarnate, Park Sunghoon.

Pairings: detective!Sunghoon × fem!reader

Warnings: Smut minors Dni, dildo use, ab riding, swearing, use of aphrodisiac, mention of alcohol slightly drunk reader, fem!reader, p in v, rough sex, degradation, praise, mention of cheating, creampie, dom!Hoon, reader is called 'angel' and 'sweetheart', overstimulation

A/N: bonjour my babies. This is the first installment of the Lucifer series and I seriously cannot wait to start writing Jayeun's next. Also I am shit at writing riding I realised that whilst writing this so pardon me if you cringe Ii

Series Masterlist

If there was one thing that Park Sunghoon would never have expected to ever happen to him, it was taking one of his best friend's wife to his home with the sole objective of luring her to his bed. Although he didn't have any objection towards it, it was rather peculiar now that he thought about it.

Glancing out the corner of his eye, Sunghoon caught sight of how eerily calm you were. Any other woman would have been biting her lips until they bled. Or perhaps making conversation with him at that point.

But no, you were just...silent, devoid of sound, as if you were a creature mute and deaf.

"If you don't want to go ahead with the plan anymore I'm fine with that." Sunghoon offered, snapping you out of your daze. The bourbon had a greater effect on you than you had thought.

"What—no, of course not." You said, looking at him for the first time since you climbed into his car, "Why would you think that?"

Sunghoon considered you for a while before answering. "No reason, angel."

The nickname made butterflies erupt in your stomach.

Heeseung used to call you angel too.

•|•|•|•|•|•|•|•

"Welcome to my humble abode." Sunghoon whistled, opening the door of the cozy looking house for you. Your expectations of what his house would have looked like, was far different from the house you were standing in now. It was...homelier than you had expected.

"Are you sure you're not married?" You jested, taking off your coat, handing it off to Sunghoon, who hung it up at the door along with his own, "Any sensible woman would be all over this house, and you of course."

"As I said, I'm not that interested in a wife yet." Sunghoon said, guiding you to a small kitchen island, you had to squint in order to see your way through the dimly lit house.

"A drink for the lady?" Sunghoon offered, opening up a cupboard, "I've got whiskey, bourbon, and—" he stopped to look up at you and smirk, "—some special wine."

"What's so special about it?" You leaned against the counter, trying hard to look at him with seducing eyes, "Is it from France?"

"Jake got it for me." Sunghoon popped off the cork of the bottle with a quirk sound, "Apparently it's supposed to work in getting people..ahem-" he looked down, "Into the mood."

Aphrodisiac, you thought, you remembered Heeseung telling you about it once. He had wanted to buy some, before you scolded him, telling him that you were a big enough aphrodisiac for him. Once a laughable memory to you, seemed sadder now.

"Well?" Sunghoon snapped you out of your stupor once again, now nudging a glass of swirling maroon liquid into your hands. You hesitantly took the glass in your hands, inspecting it for a second, before downing it completely.

"Woah angel, slow down." Sunghoon took a sip from his own glass, "It won't work faster if you drink it faster."

Wouldn't it?, you wanted to question him, suddenly becoming hyper aware of Sunghoon's delicate features.

His hair fell perfectly onto his face in stray strands and his figure was strongly built, with slender waist and strong forearms, he almost looked feminine.

"Fuck..." You swore under your breath, holding your head in your hands, causing Sunghoon to look up worriedly. Setting his glass down and quickly walking over to you, he placed his hands on your lower waist before speaking.

"Alright there, sweetheart?"

"Yes I'm—fine." You forced out of your mouth, god did Sunghoon always smell this good?

Turning your body to his, your hands roamed over his stomach, and you could feel evident muscles through his thin shirt. Now that he had taken off his droopy coat, you realised how strongly built he really was.

"See something you like sweetheart?" His devilish smile came onto his face yet again, fueling the fire which kindled in your belly. Sunghoon's arms wrapped around your waist, eradicating the mere inches of air between you two.

One of his hands came up to your chin, his index lifting your dropping head up, as he examined it carefully. You could clearly feel the effects of the wine now, he looked so ethereal, whilst eyeing you up and down. He smirked once more.

"Let's go upstairs shall we, angel?"

|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|•

Heeseung wasn't the kind of man to let go of his treasures that easily. So why exactly he had give you up, Sunghoon couldn't get the answer to that question.

It was invigorating to Sunghoon to see you undress for him. Just one look from his eyes and your shirt was on the floor, the faint tear stains on it forgotten, why would you ever remember Heeseung when a much handsomer devil was in front of you?

So there you were, standing in front of Sunghoon in your petticoat, which barely hid the black of your bra and panties. Not that you wanted to hide it anyway, you thought, internally smiling at how Sunghoon was looking at you with bedroom eyes, before walking over to you with slow steps.

"Heeseung's an idiot for giving up such a beauty." Sunghoon said to no one in particular as he eyed you up and down once more, taking in your nakedness with his ravenous eyes.

His hand came down to your inner thigh, your frail petticoat letting him feel the soft skin before he moved to your stomach. He smiled to himself as he lifted your bra up higher, his hand smoothing over the soft warm skin. Sunghoon bit his lip, his eyes looming over your visible breasts.

"Are you already ravishing me without even touching properly, detective Park?" You chuckled, leaning closer to him. Sunghoon raised a brow.

"I never knew Lee Heeseung's wife would be so..." He trailed off in silence causing you to smile.

"So what?" You quizzed his bemused figure, "So... experienced?"

"I was about to say attractive." Sunghoon chuckled darkly, "But then again—" he let go of your waist, striding to his bed and sitting down at the edge, spreading his legs in a way that made your insides unconsciously burn, "Heeseung isn't a man who'd marry some lowly wench, is he Mrs Lee?"

"You're being brave by calling me that." You followed his footsteps upto the bed, promptly settling yourself down on his thigh, he shuffled a bit to make you more comfortable, "You haven't called me by my name even once since we've arrived here. You just keep calling me angel."

"Why shouldn't I call you angel?" Sunghoon smirked, his hands gripping your hips tightly, pulling you down onto his thigh so harshly it made you wince, "Are you not one?"

"Poetic are you?" You scoffed, trying not to whimper at the distance between your lips and his, along with the added pressure of him keeping your clothed pussy firmly pressed to the fabric of his trousers, "Well, I'm no angel if you're expecting me to be one."

You didn't even get to blink an eye, before you felt your back land painfully against the soft matress. Sunghoon's hands burnt into the skin on your waist and his eyes raged with hellfire. He smelled of wet earth and rain on top of you, looking at you with hungry irises.

"Don't be an angel then." Sunghoon whispered, his jaw dangerously close to yours, you could feel his breath on your lips, "Just be a good girl for me yeah?"

Your hands found his stomach as his lips crashed onto yours. He was devouring you in every way possible, his breath coagulating yours, as he moved his sharp tongue across the flesh of your inner cheek. Your hands on the other side, were tracing his stomach. Through the thin cotton threads of his shirt, you could feel his muscles press against your palm as he kissed you, digging deeper with every moment.

"Sweetheart-" Sunghoon pulled away, you lifted your head slightly to catch his lips again, but he was quicker with his words, "-you've been groping my abs since forever now."

"Don't pretend like you don't like it." You scoffed, looking at him with a condescending expression. That devilish smirk came back to his face.

"Then why don't you get on them?" He asked, pulling away from you and instead lying down on the bed. His position was rather inviting, an unbuttoned shirt, (you had no idea how fast he had taken off his buttons), strong legs spread far apart, and a pretty face, illuminated by the faint moonlight.

You gulped heavily, hesitantly going near him, unsure of ether or not to get your ass onto his elysian figure. Sunghoon seemed to sense your nervousness, as he grabbed your arm and, with surprising strength, pulled you into himself.

As soon as your weight fell on his stomach, you mouth fell agape, and your face went down to make eye contact with him. You never noticed how beautiful Park Sunghoon's eyes were, they were always hidden under the guise of his rakish behaviour.

Sunghoon stops you for a second, motions for you to rise up slightly, and pulls your underwear to the side, exposing your dripping cunt to the air.

“Just move your hips sweetheart,” Sunghoon said, his hands on your waist, helping guide your movements. You sighed in pleasure as you started to feel some pressure. He helped your grind on his chiseled abs, until you hit the correct spot, feeling your cunt practically mold onto his tummy.

“Good job, keep going angel.” He said letting you hold his shoulders for support. Seeing your mouth press into an 'o' shape made his carnivorous tendencies ignite on fire.

His hands float to your hips, encouraging you to continue. You drop back down on him, the feeling of your bare clit rubbing directly against the crests and troughs of his abs was indescribable.

Using his firm grip on your waist, Sunghoon pushes you further onto the sharp hills on his stomach, and you quicken your pace, the searing pleasure in your clit overwhelming you.

"Fuck angel," he says, which elicits a whine from you. "you look so fucking pretty like this."

Your back arches slightly at the sound of his praise, your pace quickening even more. His one hand moving upto your hair fists it tight, earning another whimper from you.

“Such a good girl, you're doing so good angel,” He said, now feeling subtle wetness stain his belly button.

“Oh fuck—I-uhh-“ you moan, going faster on Sunghoon's muscled tummy.

“You gonna cum angel?" Sunghoon asks, a mocking tone to his voice that turned you on even more, that his handsome carved face, like the muse of God's scribe himself.

“F-fuck I’m so close, Hoonie” You whimper, your mouth hung open as you breathe hard. Hearing the nickname, Sunghoon jerked his hips up slightly, making you let out a tiny scream at the stimulation on your raw cunt.

“Cum for me angel.” Sunghoon says. With a few more movements, you were cumming, your back arching into his chest as you felt your pussy get drenched.

You nearly screamed as it hit you so strong your body expelled him, along with your wet release. He was quick to move his hips up again, his cum-coated stomach making you feel things you had never felt before, pushing them into you with a loud squelch. Your senses were on overload.

Sunghoon was consuming your entire being. You could feel every inch of him and you didn’t want to stop. Your core began to tingle, feeling another orgasm approach you, reducing you to a blubbering mess.

“Look at what a mess you’ve made angel,” Sunghoon taunted as you came drastically all over his stomach, "messy girl aren't you?"

Sunghoon carefully gripped your waist and lowered you onto the bed, chuckling at how wet his tummy felt. Of all the women he fucked, you were certainly on the topmost tier.

"Wait a tick for me." You thought you had seen him wink at you, but you weren't sure due to the silent darkness, the only noise coming from the rise and fall of your chest. You heard Sunghoon open his bedside drawer, with a creaking noise.

As you relaxed into the sheets, trying to ignore Sunghoon's shuffling around the drawer, you saw him from the corner of your eye, finally taking something out from it. You could see the shape of something easily recognisable in his hands.

"Do you know what this is, angel?" Sunghoon's hands rested flat on either side of your head as he got on top of you once more, waving the dildo in your face, "Of course you do," he answered his own question, "Heeseung wouldn't have let such a good pussy go without one would he?"

"That asshole couldn't have fucked me better even with a dildo." You scoffed, rolling your eyes, "do you just have a market of toys in that drawer?"

"Let's just say a lot of women like the foreplay." You could see him smirk even in the darkness, "I mean if you don't want it, I can put it bac-"

"No that's not what I meant!" You panicked, grabbing his arm. You wondered what about your tone of voice made Sunghoon laugh out loud and tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. If anyone asked you later on whether you have felt butterflies or not, you'd had said no.

"Lay down for me angel." His voice was gentler now, a beautiful facade to his internal desires.

Sunghoon places the dildo on your clit and he starts to slowly rub it using the toy while you moan loudly. Moving the toy up and down your pussy, your sinful symphonies become louder, as Sunghoon watched the juices spill from your pussy causing him to groan at the sight. He thrusts the dildo harshly into your walls, and with the slightest touch of the material to your clit, you moan louder than before.

“S-Sunghoon—fuck, I'm-” You moan out as a slap echoes in the room and you feel a sting against your ass cheek. Sunghoon's hand repeatedly thrusts the dildo into your walls, making you wish fervently for his cock to replace it instead. He turns the pace up again as you moan even more while he continues to thrust the dildo in and out of you.

"Aww you want to cum?” he asks, as you struggle beneath him, he wasn't allowing you the pleasure he promised. Your breath came unsteady, fulfilling the reticent desires of Sunghoon's sadistic side.

"speak up, angel, I can't hear you." Sunghoon whispered, leaning down to press a kiss on your forehead. You quickly pursed your lips, letting yourself make only muffled sounds. but you didn't last long, as every thrust and every inaudible whimper seemed to forcefully open your mouth from the inside.

"so pretty.." Sunghoon trailed off, laughing at your pleasured pain, "You want to cum hm?"

"Sunghoon-"

"Beg for it, come on." He commanded, "Beg me to let you cum, go on."

You weren't ready to give in that easy, but Sunghoon knew that. With a slick, carefully placed flick of his wrist, the slightly sharp end of the dildo touched you in a place that could have made you reach heaven and come back.

"Fuck—Sunghoon please!" You cried, tears falling down your face at the stimulation, "Please—let me cum.."

"Well if you say so." Sunghoon chuckled as you could do nothing but nod and after a few minutes of using the dildo, he takes it out of your pussy, pressing it in again.

You finish for a second time. You cling to him tight as the euphoria washes over you again. Locking your legs around his hips, you keep your face pressed to the warm skin of his neck as it goes through you.

Your juices coat the top of the dildo as you moan raucously, feeling ribbons of cum shoot onto the dildo, making Sunghoon smirk in evident pride.

Your arms grab his, as your chest arches into his mouth, hot and wet. You feel as his mouth comes off of the swollen bud as he removes the toy from your pussy, giving you pain and pleasure at the same time.

You were a mess at this point-- your hair was all tangled and you were a flustered mess full of scratches and hickeys on your tits where he had taken them into his mouth. Sunghoon placed a firm slap on your ass, which made your dripping cunt clench around nothing.

"Can you take more, angel?" He whispered to you, smoothing your hair out with his hand.

Sunghoon didn’t give you enough time to answer over his words as his lips crushed to yours. His tongue invaded your mouth as his hands roamed over your body. His roaming hand grabbed your hair as he ripped your face off himself. He looked down at you as you breathed heavily from his attack on your mouth.

"Hoonie~" you moaned into his mouth, "Want—your cock—please."

That was all it took for Sunghoon to practically rip off his belt and trousers, now laying on the floor, with their owner on top of you. Your throat went dry at the sight of his cock, hard and pulsing, the head of it angry red, glistening with precum.

He pulled back slightly, positioning his cock at your entrance and grabbed a fistful of your hair, stretching your upper body closer to him, putting you into an unnatural position.

His body was perfect, lean and muscular, strong and sharp features etched onto his body that looked straight out of a painting.Your gaze wandered over his arms, his chest and down his waist, hips and strong legs; every detail and body part burning into your mind.

You pant heavily, gasping for air as his large cock stretches your insides. His eyes are darkened but a cocky smirk remains. Achingly slow he pumps in making your eyes roll back, groaning at the sight of your mouth slack and panting.

His hips were moving slowly, with deep hard thrusts that made you moan with each push. His hips were doing most of the work, the thrusts were deep enough and hard enough for you to melt against the bed but enough to make everything shake under your skin as you were taking everything he gave you.  Sunghoon was not going fast, which made you wonder for a split second if he wished to. 

"Yes….Hoonie…FUCK!" You mewled as he hit that spot inside of you, hearing him growl for a moment as he was still fucking you deep into the mattress. His hand that was holding your thigh was in a tight grip, not letting you faint as you clung onto his back of dear life, feeling your nails almost break the skin as your moans were getting louder and more vocal. 

His rhythm was consistent, not slowing down or going too fast just to drive you insane as you felt that feeling of an intense orgasm come over you again. 

 "I'm c-close, Hoonie—" You were moaning into his neck as he huffed and stopped his thrusts. You were about to protest at him, teetering right on the edge of that pleasurable fall when he moved swiftly once again. 

Still inside of you, he leaned back a bit and scooped you in his arms, bringing you closer to him. You let out a noise of pain as you felt his entire girth penetrate deep inside you.

As you threw back your head and moan loudly, it dawns on you how very fragile-mannered Heeseung has fucked you. Your hips tremble as your body tenses, the ragged breath escaping your mouth cuts through your symphony of whines.

"Hoonie~Sunghoon—I can't!"

"Yes you can." Sunghoon groans as he feels you clench around him tighter than ever, "Be a good girl for me, angel and take it."

 The knot in your stomach tightened and snapped, your walls spasming and clenching around him as you released all over his cock that was buried deep inside of you. You were seeing stars and your body was shaking from the intensity. 

His cock jerks around against your walls once, twice, before he’s creaming, filling you up with ropes of hot cum. He thrusts deeper into you, a melody arising from both your moans as you felt him inside your very soul.

Soft pants and deep breaths invaded the space around you, not a word being spoken. You stayed like that for only a few seconds, catching your breath as you both came down from your highs. He then carefully pulled out, muttering a string of curses and an unheard comment about the the mess you both made off of his sheets.

"Come on angel." Sunghoon muttered under his breath, in a barely audible voice, not that you were listening anyway, "Let's get you cleaned up."

|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|•

"Tea?" Sunghoon offered you, your second cup of the night, "People say I make the best tea of all the precinct."

"Alright I trust you." You laughed, taking the mug in your hands and relaxing into the atmosphere of the cozy kitchen island, clad in a robe, you had no idea where Sunghoon got it from.

Calm silence followed, wherein you and Sunghoon sipped tea from your respective mugs. Yours had a 'To Uncle Sunghoon' on it, along with what looked like a child's drawing. You giggled to yourself. A gift from Sunghoon's beloved nephew, no less.

"Can-can I ask you something if you don't mind?" Sunghoon asked, and you noticed, that for the first time, there was no cocky tone to his voice.

"Go ahead." You smiled, "Unless it's about my first night with Heeseung."

"No no." Sunghoon laughed, taking another sup of his tea, his lips stained pink from all the kissing that had taken place, "I wanted to ask—how is it like, being married?"

You were taken aback by his question. Park Sunghoon, perhaps the last person on earth, who would ever think of marriage, was asking you about it? Had the bees stopped producing honey today?

"Well, I can't say," you started, "It's different for each person, you know. And, as time goes on, it changes. Which in my case-" you let out a cold laugh, "-is very evident."

Sunghoon was quick to put his hand on yours, giving it a tiny squeeze, along with a warm smile.

"You know who was really upset when he found out about...ahem.. your situation?" Sunghoon suddenly said, intriguing you.

"I don't know—Jay?" You said, realising you were right when you saw Sunghoon's expression, "Oh. Wait—Jay? You're not joking?"

"Y/N, trust me if you saw how much that man was brooding over it, you'd think he was your husband, not Heeseung." Sunghoon chuckled, downing the last bits of his tea, "Would you like to head to bed?"

Though you fell asleep soundly that night, wrapped in Sunghoon's surprisingly soft arms (now that the effects of the wine was over), you kept pondering over his words.

Jay—worrying about you? It was a heart thumping thought, which made you feel like what warm winter suns felt like. Jay Park, you sighed to yourself, before going off to sleep.

The day after tomorrow seemed too far away.

Taglist:@diorsyun @jaeyunluvr @hoondrop @mxxninthesky @alvojake @wondipity @blurryriki @lilyuwon @heeliopheelia @pockettwinzz @heeslomll @shiningnono @noonareads @deobitifull @luvitria @wonibae @nyfwyeonjun @hwa-0403 @saanvilovessunghoon @bubblegyu00 @sunpov @heeheeswifey @chartrucewhore @slut4hee @heesangs-blog @rikiwaify-blog @soobieboobiedoobiedaboobie @kirinaa08 @heeshlove @seokseokjinkim @brownsugarbaybee @yzzyhee @anittamaxwynnn @kgneptun @penny44224 @ribbioniki @strxwbloody @immelissaaa @heesminee3 @nshmrarki @yawnzzhoon @sousydive @yunhoswrldddd @whateverhoon @cloud-lyy @heeseungspookie @nyxtwixx @friedtalong @lyxnneee @hongshuaknow @francinethings23

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I Gave a 10/10 to a BL... me!

Organized, in each category, by ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Nov 2023 Wk 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thurs iQIYI) ep 4 of 8 - I love this show. I adore Tew's the simple backstory. No frills. No fuss. He got dragged in the way many do and he can kill so they kept him. They aren’t trying to make it needlessly complicated (which is rare for Thailand). That said, the pacing is way tf off, the emotional arc is rushed and then sappy out of absolutely nowhere. Before you ask, the kiss is not at issue, we halfway through they should be kissing, but the romantic life changes - too soon. But I don’t care. Finally, they left us this ep reminded of 2 v important things,

this pair kisses beautifully

in BL all mafia be gay

Fun fun!

Last Twilight (Fri YT) ep 2 of 12 - It's official, I love this. It’s a classic caregiver/bodyguard trope where one of them is opening the other one up to the world, but sweetly. I’m enjoying the softness of JimmySea's take and I hope GMM TV takes its cues from the success of My School President and doesn’t push this particular show into rough or edgy territory. Stay on target GMMTV. Don't mess with my bias again!

Twins the series (Fri GaGa) ep 3 of 10 - Finally, our adorable side couple has emerged! This show remains engaging without losing pace (despite the main couple being slow burn), which is all I want from a Thai pulp, and more I could ask for currently from a sports BL. 

(Note: when I dictate the computer always puts "Thai pope" instead of Thai pulp - this is hilarious to me.)

Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 1 of 14 - I guess they didn’t strip the omegaverse out of this. Unfortunately, I’m not an omegaverse fan, so I find its presence extremely off putting. (But it’s kind of amazing that somebody finally put one on our screen.) Unsurprisingly, it’s a lot of alpha posturing and hyper masculinity, because that’s what this kind of worldbuilding is an excuse for (lazy writing and lazier characterization). This means I don’t like Babe AT ALL except that he’s smell orientated and a bit verse. Way is lovely tho, because Nut is a great soft screen presence amongst the testosterone haze. 

Middleman’s Love (Fri YT & iQIYI ep 2 of 8 - I’m not gonna lie (when have I ever bothered to lie to you all?) I’m struggling with this show. The sound effects are getting worse. That is not allowed. Still I found this installment slightly more bearable than the last last, probably because there was more of the cast in play and less of Jade being too cringe to live. 

Absolute Zero (Weds iQIYI) ep 8 of 12 - AKA temporal paradox of pain.

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) Friends Forever ep 13 of 24 - Ooo it’s a bit of a teacher/student (coach/player) thing. Linguistic negotiation and kinkification of phi. Also actually kinky. But not consensually. Gonna get dark. Bummer. 

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 1 of 14(!) eps - Whines. Must I? Gaga doesn’t have a skip ahead button. Sad sack main characters really do not work for me. But this was better than I expected. I wasn’t expecting much. 

Look: This is helmed by Cheewin (shudder) with screenplay by Den (Only Friends - shudder the second) under Copy A Bangkok (they deserve not my shuddders). It's gonna be a shizz show people. It's Thai dark War of Y style - my least favorites. Apparently, there is meant to be a "plot" but when has Cheewin ever bothered with plot?

On a completely different note does the blond look like that Korean actor/idol from At a Distance Spring is Green & Wanna One to anyone else? Or is it just me? (Park Ji Hoon)

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

A Breeze of Love (Korea iQIYI) eps 3-4 of 8 - I like it a lot. Dongwook is so obtuse and socially awkward and reserved and needy and Dohyun is so gay over and simultaneously wildly confused by this behavior. Fantastic. A bit stiff, even for Korea, btu I'm okay with it since everything else I'm watching right now is decidedly NOT stiff.

I finished it!

Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru AKA Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo - Japan BL movie 1.5 hr

Best friends life together during university - cheerful sunshine loves to cook, grumpy tsundere loves to eat. Aki is a bit manic pixie dream boy for me (not my favorite archetype) but they’re cute and it’s one of those Japanese slice of life pieces like Our Dining Table that isn’t really a romance in fact it’s barely a drama. This isn’t friends to lovers because they’re basically already in a relationship (which everyone around them knows) they just aren’t fucking. I did spend a lot of time worrying that they weren’t eating any green things whatsoever. In the end this isn’t my thing when there’s no kissing at all, and this was a bit too dull even for JBL. Sorry Japan, one cannot trade on cute and cheese alone. I know, you want to. But that's not a BL or a personality. 6/10 

I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan, maybe coming to Netflix) 8 eps - This classic friends-to-lovers BL is everything Japan does best. Angsty. Emo. Aching. Driven by real thirst. Yamato is deeply in love with his childhood bestie, Kakeru, and has been for ages, unable to hide his ungainly damaging high school need. He wants Kakeru in every way possible and it oozes off of the screen. Kakeru is silly and a little simple, but not frenetic or overly camp about it. He is earnest, and genuinely wants to keep Yamato in his life which means giving a romance (and gayness) a fair chance. We watch him realize his affection and what form it can take in a truly authentic way. This show was impossibly kind to both of its lead characters and I felt honored that I got to watch something so lovely and rare play out on my screen.

I LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS. IT'S SO GOOD.

10/10

Let me be perfectly clear: I have watched 646 BLs and only handed out nine 10/10s.

I talk more about why this one made the cut, here.

It's Airing But...

One Room Angel (Japan Gaga) 6 eps - adaptation of Harada’s manga (which I did not like) about a clerk who's stabbed, nearly dies, and returns home to find an angel waiting for him. With only 5 eps and a good chance this won’t end happy, I'm gonna wait and let you tell me how it goes.

SHADOW (Thai Gaga) 14 eps - I'm not wild about Thai horror (or horror at all) even one featuring Singto and Fluke. I'm holding off on this one and if told it's good I'll binge later.

Beyond The Star (Weds iQIYI) 8 eps - House of Stars meets Boyband. I was NOT impressed. Waiting to be told if I should bother.

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - I find this series more fun to binge, so I'm waiting until it completes its run.

Next Week Looks Like This

STARTING

11/20 Bake Me Please (Mon Gaga) ep 1 of 6 - trailer here, stars Ohm (of OhmFluke) opposite Guide (bestie from IFYLITA). This looks like an actually gay version of Antique Bakery (play it again, BL). I'm intrigued, it looks HELLA pretty.

11/22 7 Days Before Valentine (Weds ????) ep 1 of 10 - trailer here, horror-esk. Adapted from y-novel of the same name, directed by Tu (180 Degree) stars Jet (Why You… Y Me?). When you want your old love again, but fate sends you a reaper instead. All he can do for you is kill people. I'll likely give this a pass and wait to binge if safe.

11/24 VIP Only (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - Screenplay by Lin Pei Yu (WBL) about a chef who courts a shy writer with spicy beef noodles.

11/25 The Sign (Sat ????) ep 1 of 10 - trailer here, horror-esk, but with a suspense and adult characters. Special investigators who loved each other in previous lives reunite in new bodies. Stars Billy Patchanon (BillySeng) & Babe Tanatat (new). Includes other SCOY favorites as a special investigation team. I may give this a try (depending on distribution) because I'm into the non-horror bits.

11/26 The Whisperer (Sun ????) 1 of 10 - trailer here. Thai horror BL that ALSO involves cheating (what joy is mine). He has dimples (My Ride) but I don't think even that gives me the will. You can tell me how this goes.

11/26 Cooking Crush (Sun YT) 1 of 12 - OffGun are back, trailer here. Adapted from the novel “Love Course! เสื้อกาวน์รุกเสื้อกุ๊กรับ” by iJune4S this is about Prem who runs a not-so-popular restaurant with 2 friends. About to go on a cooking competition with a huge reward, Prem gets involved with Ten, a stressed-out med student who wants Prem to teach him to cook.

Still Coming November BL

11/30 For Him (Thurs ????) ep 1 of 10 - high heat trailer, I suspect iQIYI will scoop this one up. From the people who brought us Unforgotten Night (please no) based on a y-novel, man nursing a heartbreak has a one-night stand, but the other boy didn't want it to end. It looks terribly trashy so I'm in! Maybe I'll do a trash watch?

Nov 2023 line up with screen caps here. Not kept updated.

Original 2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

To be fair this was last week but I did get the screen shot until now. (You are Mine)

I Cannot Reach You serving all Japan's favorite tropes plus some very un-Japan decent kisses.

(Last week)

[sharssims]

100 Cats Challenge - Lavish - Kitten #80

Born in game. Kitten, Female. Hyper, Non-Destructive. Mom: Willow. Dad: Lavender (made by SharsSims)

For The Sims 3. Place .sim file directly into your SavedSims folder. Because this is a Kitten, it won’t show up if you go to the Cats category because that only allows for Adults and Elders. Stay in the main category of your sims bin and filter by Custom, and then you will see all teh kittens.

😸 DOWNLOAD – SimFileShare

You will need to install cat eye defaults Burnt Waffles Nilou Onomatopeia Pet Eyes (v.1), or else kitty will just not look the same and EA eyes could cause slight trauma.. heh.

💜 Lavish was named and claimed by GG

TOU: Don’t upload to another site. Don’t claim as your own creation. Feel free to share photos of my creations in game and tag me so I can see them, and it would be lovely if you credit me! Watch the Crazy Cats live on my Twitch. You can name and claim your baby kitty with channel points!

[palmtreesx3]

GET OFF - The V-Card

The V-Card

<- Prologue || Next ->

Series Masterlist

Get in the mood for this installment:

Series Playlist

The V-Card Mood Board

Summary: (3.7k) Everyone is nervous for their first time, right? Steve and Robin are busy tackling a lot of their firsts - first day in the shop, first week in the city, first friends (or something) in the city. It’s all a little intimidating and both quickly find that old habits die hard - particularly for Steve. It’s going to take more than just a new city to really give these two a new life. Be sure to read the Prologue before reading! 

Warnings: it's a sex shop, guys - so it's generally just NSFW 18+. In this AU Hawkins is weird and cannon events happen to some extent, but not to all familiar characters. If they are present in Chicago for this AU, they have no ties to Hawkins. Absent parents, excessive drinking, poor coping mechanisms, M/F hookups and implied/light smut, mentions of female oral, our boy on his King Steve shit, one night stands, careless hookups, and a coming out. 

Shout out to @loveshotzz for the blatant Whatta Man nod in this chapter. IYKYK. 

Chicago: That Saturday, 1993

The sun was beating in through the front apartment window as Steve sat on the couch with a can of High Life, taking a breather from all of the unpacking. He has been hyper-focused all weekend on getting settled and unpacked - a complete 180° from Robin's settling in approach, which looked more like making sure her sheets were on her bed and simply ignoring the rest of the boxes stacked up inside her doorway than anything else. 

For a split second Steve considered picking up the phone and calling home just to check in, let his parents know they've got their bearings and are all safe in the city, but as that thought settled, he realized how absolutely ridiculous it was. They never cared where he was and what he was doing before, so there's no reason for them to actually start caring now that he's finally gone. Worming it's way deep in his brain another thought occurs to him - if he just would have packed up and left, it probably would have taken them months to even realize it. 

Plus, the second he talks to either one of them he knows they're going to ask about a job, and he's not quite ready for how that conversation might go. Yeah Dad, we're all set, start at the sex shop 10am on Monday!  He shakes his head and laughs to himself at the thought before throwing his head back letting the beer, just starting to warm and lose its crispness, run down his throat. It's tasting a bit bitter now…and Steve can relate. 

Pulling him from his self-deprecating thoughts, Robin swings open the door with the sound of jangling key chains being shaken like maracas, the soundtrack to her grand entrance. 

"Got your keeeeys, Dingus! It's officially official now!" She tosses the key ring over to Steve, who has his eyebrows raised as they land about 5 ft to his left on the other side of the couch. 

"Nice one, Robs. Maybe one day we'll find you some aim."

"Long shot, buddy. Better chance of me confidently shooting my shot with Stevie Nicks than that ever happening. But good on you for thinking I have any potential whatsoever."

"S'wat friends are for, Robbie." He grins at her sideways before leaning over to pick up his new set of keys. "The hell is this?" He asks, dangling the keys up in the air. 

Hopping up and down with incredibly youthful glee, Robin beams at the boy and exclaims "A TAMAGOTCHI. I got one too. Orange for you. Blue for me. Pretty sure even if we could have a pet in this building it wouldn't end well, so I got us these!" 

"This is ridiculous. I can't believe you got us a toy." Robin slips on the couch nestled up close to Steve, pressing the button on both to initiate their hatching as she presses her shoulder into his side. A beat of silence goes by before he throws his arm over her shoulders and says, "Show me how to do it, Robs. Can't wait for mine to outlive yours." He smiles down at her. 

"Eat shit. Whoever kills theirs first buys the other a drink."

The twinkling sound signaling the hatching of each of their eggs echoes through the apartment as they eye up their pets and glare back at one another.

"Oh, it's on. Never been more confident about a deal before in my life."

"Speaking of drinks … " Robin muses. " Whaddya wanna do tonight? "

Steve's not quite sure how long it's going to take for him to get used to the sheer quantity of people here in Chicago. He's pretty sure there's as many people in this club right now than there is in the whole of Hawkins. 

When they arrived, Steve was feeling a lot. It was overwhelming and nothing in Hawkins flashed so bright and shook so loud… except maybe the 4th of July Carnival and their fireworks on the outskirts of town, but that was nothing compared to this. 

One drink in and finding a place to hunker down near the bar at a table, he felt more comfortable. He was enjoying Robin's running commentary while she spent the better part of an hour people-watching, still passively feeling the heat radiating off of the dance floor, when he decided to switch over from the lukewarm beers to a sweet and sharp whiskey and soda. 

Three drinks in and sufficiently loose, Robin is fluttering around the edges of the bar and the dance floor - now making friends with some of the people she's been eying up all night with her inhibitions down as far as Steve has ever seen them. He's drunkenly grinning at his friend, happy to see a kind of social side of her that feels new, even though he knows the roots of it have been buried deep inside her for her whole life, interwoven through her heart and her brain stem, just waiting for permission to come out and untangle itself. 

"Steve! STEVE!" She shouts over the thumping bass of the music, wildly gesturing for him to come over to where she now stands, in the center of a group of people who look friendly enough for him to oblige. 

Four drinks in and now the group is laughing, hollering and leaning in hard to catch an ounce of what the others are saying. Steve's eyes are squinting trying hard to read their new friends lips as they try and converse over shots and the loud music in the dark. Turns out Robin found a whole group of people that live in the same building as they do and, as one does when they're absolutely shit faced, they all immediately began talking about how they're all new best friends, curling arms around one another's necks and slurring "I love you guys" over drinks number five and six. 

Steve is feeling a familiar twinge. It's not his fault that he has no idea that there are ways to make friends other than people pleasing or trauma bonding. Now relishing in the ease of finding city-friends over an open drink and the immediacy of acceptance that comes with puffing out his peacock feathers and playing the delicate social hierarchy game he mastered in his teens, he barely even notices that he's dusting off his King Steve party tricks. The stress of the last few years that have him wound up tighter than a watch melt away as the coy and flirty remarks start flowing like a waterfall and the locker room talk comes back like riding a bike. 

Six drinks down the hatch and Robin can't find Steve. Any other time, and Robin would be absolutely losing all the marbles in her basket worrying over Steve. Especially in this new city. She'd assume he was dead. That someone finally came to whisk him away and lock him up for all the things that he's not supposed to know. Sure, Steve can handle things. He's definitely the most capable person she knows and he quite literally raised himself, and saved himself more than once, but none of that even matters right now because she's just swaying to the beat of Janet Jackson pumping through the club speakers with her new soulmates who live on the top floor. 

Instead Steve is at the bar, queuing up drink number seven for him and drink number who-knows-what for the absolutely smoking girl at his side named Melissa, who apparently lives just up the staircase, too. She's reminded him three times so far that he can just call her Missy, but not without leaning in close, just next to his ear to make sure he hears just how sweet she sounds. And boy does he want to know more about how sweet she sounds. 

Steve's eager hands are hooked in her belt loops, the girl's bright red tube top riding up her stomach as she pushes herself into him. Her fingers are tangling through his sweaty hair and his are ghosting over her collarbone and down her arm. His lips are on hers before drink seven is even delivered, so he caps off his night with her tongue down his throat instead. 

He has no clue what time it is as they tumble through the apartment door, Melissa Missy still giggling at his orange Tamagotchi keychain as his lips chase hers once again and the door slams shut. Perfect. Robin's not home, he thinks. Completely forgetting he was there at the club with her in the first place, he tugs at the girls long blond hair at the roots, runs his hands over her glistening and glittered shoulders and shoves her down into his plush comforter the second they reach his bedroom. 

He's so caught up in this big-city hottie he managed to get into his bed on his first weekend in town, he doesn't hear Robin come in the door, nor does he notice her clanging around the kitchen to chug down a few huge glasses of water in hopes of being at least a little conscious tomorrow morning. Robin, however, does notice Steve clanging around the bedroom, especially after she hears a deep and throaty moan that is unmistakably female. 

"Ha. Fuck yeah, Stevie. Losing that Windy City V-Card." She says quietly while wobbling to her room. Meanwhile, Steve's got his head buried deep under the sheets, blindly grasping at the girl's perky tits while he lavishes at the thought of this being the kind of opportunities that present themselves here in Chicago. His first time in this big sprawling city made him feel like he was on top of the world. 

The confident bubble he found himself in all night popped when he later woke to feel the warm summer breeze from the open window tickling his now exposed back, comforter slipping down and exposing his hips along with a peek of his ass to the girl who was accidentally pulling it off as she stood up from the bed. Unabashedly naked, she stretches her arms in a yawn, Steve rolls to peek at the clock. 4:36am. "Where are you off to?" his raspy, sleep laden voice cuts the silence as she finds herself caught gathering her things. "Are you try'n't sneak out on me?" He mumbles with a smile, thinking he's being flirty and cute. 

"That's exactly what I'm doing, hon." She winks, as she snags her cheeky hot pink thong off the back of his desk chair and shoves it in her pocket on the way out the bedroom door. "I'll be quiet on my way out. Don't worry. Maybe I'll see ya around. Maybe I won't. It was fun though. You were a KING with that tongue so I wouldn't be opposed…but it's honestly unlikely." 

And Steve is there, left tangled and alone and feeling stone cold sober after that dose of honesty from Melissa, left wondering if this is how all the girls back in Hawkins felt after he dipped out on them. Having his fun but knowing it wouldn't go any further than that. Getting off under Skull Rock, in the back of his BMW, atop their pink frilly pillows with their parents in the room next door - all hanging on to the hope of just a little more - the potential of being needed and wanted and good enough for the likes of King Steve, but waking up empty and disposable instead. If he didn't already hate himself before, he definitely does now. 

"Sooooo." Robin sings out, while twirling her spoon through her milky cereal. "We gonna talk about that little Bedroom Rodeo last night or what?" 

"Robin. Please. It's too early for this." He presses his palms into his eyes, trying to stave off the pulsing just beyond his sinuses. "and did you just say Bedroom Rodeo? The fuck?"

"Well, yeah. Bedroom Rodeo… ya know. Crushing the buns? Two person pushups? Horizontal Tango? Please tell me with all that racket you at least got off?" 

"Ew Rob, where the fuck are you coming up with these?" He looks at her as she shrugs, slurping the last of her sweet cereal milk straight from the bowl as she did it. "This may be shocking, but… probably the most annoying thing you've ever said. Crushing the buns? Are you serious?" he says as he walks over and face plants dramatically onto the couch. 

Rolling over to his back and sliding on the wire rims of the glasses he never lets anyone but Robin see him in, the apartment comes into focus and so does his best friend, sitting at the counter grinning from ear to ear while tugging up her eyebrows to him in a taunt, chomping on her cereal and looking far to comfortable in his own goddamn yellow sweatshirt. His hand jutting out abruptly and gesturing to her morning attire with a furrowed brow and a questioning look, she says absolutely nothing in response. "Are you serious? Get your own clothes!"

"Eh, yours was already unpacked and my box of cozy stuff is on the bottom. I didn't get to it yet." She says casually. 

“Yeah okay. The box pile huh? Well don’t think we’re going to be sharing everything around here.” 

To which he watches her lips curl up in a Cheshire cat grin as she responds “Aw man, not even the ladies?” 

He hates this already. 

"Need some coffee, tiger? Probably a little sluggish after testing out that mattress."

His groan was loud at that one. "ROBIN! "

"Fine, I'll leave you alone…for now. But we're gonna talk about some rules for when we're Jamming the Clam later over a smoke, ya got me? Roommate ground rules at all." She winked as she sauntered down the hallway to her room. 

"Sure Robbie. Whatever you want. But do me a favor… if you're so goddamn chipper this morning maybe you can unpack a freaking box from that mega-pile. Won't be bringing back some hot piece to your room to Jam the Clam in that fuckin' disaster zone!" He shouts at her back. 

Throwing up a peace sign and swaying her hips a little more (albeit awkwardly) she makes a show of acknowledging her friends request before shutting her bedroom door behind her. 

"Robin, right? And… " Murray looks at him up and down.

"Steve" the boy scowls. 

"Wow. Okay then. Cheer up Rico Suave. Robin! You didn't tell me your friend had this much charisma when you stopped by last week."

Murray Bauman is the manager of The Hideout. Maybe he owns the place, it's not entirely clear, but what is immediately crystal is that Murray is always ready to dish it out. "Alright then, welcome to The Hideout. I wanted to name it Murray's Pleasure Emporium but that got shot down pretty fuckin fast by my partner, so it is what it is."

With his salt-and-pepper hair, neatly groomed yet slightly disheveled, and a well-maintained beard framing his jawline, Murray's appearance hints at a man who has seen his fair share of adventures. Despite his brash exterior it's quickly clear that Murray effortlessly creates a comfortable atmosphere, so it's no wonder he finds himself successful in an environment where he can push boundaries and help others to explore their fantasies and fulfill their desires.

"So here's how this is gonna work. You two are gonna work retail. You'll need to run the register, oversee the displays, manage the inventory and help the customers. Peace-a cake, right?" He spurts off while simultaneously counting the money in the register for the day. 

Robin and Steve spit out a garbled acknowledgement while Murray looks back and forth between the two. "Red, did you say you two were... roommates?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

Eyes knocking back and forth to look between the two friends, Steve can already see where this is going. Been there a thousand times. So he cuts off Murray's silent analysis and offers up the information needed to satisfy his curiosity. "No, we aren't dating. And .. ah ah. Wait." He cuts him off as Murray starts to open his mouth, ready to counter back "...and NO, before you go there, we aren't fucking either. Didn't happen. Won't happen. Platonic."

"With a capital P." Robin finishes the end of Steve's sentence. "We can't promise we won't be weird, but we can one hundred percent promise there will not be any lovers quarreling with us."

"Well alright then. Loud and clear." Murray says in response. He claps his hands loudly and rubs them together before continuing on with his sex shop monologue. 

"Back to business, then. Covered the retail bits - Ah, yeah here we go. As you can see, the shop offers an extensive selection of adult toys, lingerie for the ladies…or the men, sensual massage oils - a personal favorite - and other products that cater to a wide range of tastes and sexual preferences. I like the good stuff, because I have taste. So that's what I sell. I also like to have all the latest shit because I'm progressive. Call me sexually innovative, if you will. If it's new, we're gonna have it."

Steve and Robin follow dutifully behind him taking it all in. Robin's eyes are as wide as saucers and she's distracted by all of the things she does not yet understand as Murray continues to spout out information on products, business and his own personal sexual philosophies. Steve poked her shoulder and she grimaces, and returns to planet earth to hear the rest of Murray's great new hire speech. 

"The people who come in here are not sex freaks. You got that? They're normal people. Don't gotta be some pervert to want to get off and feel good, so if you can't be open-minded and nonjudgmental then you might as well not even clock in after this. Got it?"

Both nod in agreement and the edges of Murray's lips curl up in a smirk. "Perfect. Come." He directs as he walks to the register and it's adjoining display case where a wide array of colorful dildos stand spread out for selection. 

"Not that it's a job requirement or anything but, I'm assuming if you're wanting to work here and my pleasure palace your… ahem.. sufficiently experienced. Cause you're gonna need to sell the product if you get my drift. People have way more questions than you could imagine. Just yesterday I had to tell a kid that Anal Beads are, in fact, for your anus..."

Robin's mouth is aghast. Steve looks around again taking it all in and he finally laughs at Murray, who is looking them over as if he can't believe these two kids standing here in front of him know anything about the kind of sex he sells. "Listen, Murray. I didn't set out to move here to this city and work in a shop full of dildos. Surprisingly, my incredibly inexperienced friend here signed me up against my will to hawk condoms like morning coffee. Robin doesn't know shit - sorry Robs, but you don't." She shrugs her shoulders, looking at Murray and nods in agreement at her friends words. "And while I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I'm not what you might consider all that adventurous, I've got more notches than I'm proud of and unlike most guys I can find a girl's clit. SO… I'd appreciate it if you stopped talking to me like this is 6th grade health class and let us get to work."

"I have very little to add." Robin says, "and after what I heard the other night, I'll attest to what Steve says. He sure can make 'em moan." 

Murray stands behind the counter looking Steve up and down. He lets out a loud, boisterous laugh into the still air of the shop before he starts again "Well then, Steve. I can respect that. I think you both are going to be a mess, but I can work with it... So let's hop to it."

Beyond the merchandise, the pair learn that Murray hosts educational workshops and events at The Hideout for its patrons and the community and often has specials and promos going inside for shoppers. After the first half of their day, it's clear that Murray runs a business that he is proud of and his customers are loyal. Steve decides that when people ask, he's just going to tell them he works retail. Because he in fact… does. 

As their training winds down, Murray comes out of his back office carrying a giant tray and welding some embarrassing dance moves as he delivers it delicately to the counter. "Hey, hey, hey assholes! Before we head out, we have to set up this display for tomorrow. Let's rock and roll my friends!" Robin scans the contents of the tray curiously, not so sure how all of the items fit together to make anything that resembles a display. "Uh, okay but like… what is it?" She says. 

Steve snickers as he takes in the tray full of cupcakes, bananas and condoms. "Well Robbie, despite what it looks like I don't think Murray is letting us set up snack time. I'm not sure what the cupcakes are for, but these here look like they're to practice getting the condoms on the banana."

"Bingo! Rico Suave gets the points! We're doing a condom demo tomorrow, so he's right on that. What he's wrong about though, is that the cupcakes ARE for a snack." Murray fist bumps Steve and turns to see Robin's gears turning at maximum speed. 

“What’s the matter, first time, Red?” Murray spits out, through a wide gleaming smile that Steve swears sparkles in the light, like some goddamn cartoon. 

"Actually.. ." She draws out "while I don't have the clit-finding prowess of my friend Steve here, I only strive to one day be able to eat pussy as well as he apparently can. So yes, this is my first time sliding on a condom, thank you very much." 

Murray nods and his grin never ceases, although now there's a bit more approval and admiration than taunt behind it. "C'mon then, lemme show you how to slide these on like a fuckin pro." 

Steve is beaming watching his friend speak so casually about it. Murray really is good at what he does and making people feel comfortable, or this city really is just what Robin needs, either way, the way Murray doesn't skip a beat and starts teaching Robin the art of rolling on a condom like it's just any old day makes Steve think about how many wild things they're going to get into here. And honestly it's all fine, because there’s a first time for everything.

Divider by @firefly-graphics

🏷️ TAGLIST: @livsters @katie-tibo @johnricharddeacy @angywritesstuff @k-k0129 @tisthedamnseason69 @middle-of-the-earth @thebrazilianatheist   @mochminnie @micheledawn1975 @falling-throughthe-hourglass @rafaaoli @ash5monster01 @gabessock @onyxslayss

[wanderersrest]

An Abbreviated History of Mecha Part 7: The Witching Hour Is Here!

Spoiler Warning: This post contains spoilers for one Brave Bang Bravern. I'd recommend watching at least the first episode of Bravern before continuing.

Welcome to the final installment of An Abbreviated History of Mecha! Last time, we had some technical difficulties due to the Lich screwing things up with its time shenanigans covered what many would consider to be mecha's "Dark Age." Now, we will see how the genre has recovered. It remains to be seen how this decade will go down in history, but so far mecha shows have had a minor bit of a rebound. Though that insipid line of thinking (you've probably heard it at one point: "mecha shows are about the robots, not the characters") is still doing a bit of harm to the general reception of mecha shows, the canon is doing better than before. Not well, like it was in the 90's, but it's not in dire straits.

Victory is never decided by mobile suit performance alone.

Nor by the skill of the pilot, alone.

The result itself is the only proof!

Kyoukai Senki/AMAIM: Warrior At the Borderline (2021)

Kicking off the decade, 2021 would give us a new franchise in the form of the former Xebec, now Sunrise Beyond series AMAIM: Warrior At the Borderline. Sporting smaller robots in a setting similar to Code Geass but Japan was split into three by three world superpowers like it was Post-World War II Germany, AMAIM would be one of the few new mecha shows to come out that would be animated entirely in 2D.

Megaton Musashi (2021)

Developed by Level-5 Studios, Megaton Musashi is a game series that pays homage to the mecha stories of old, particularly that of Getter Robo. The game itself would suffer in terms of marketing, as Level-5 would end up shuttering their US studio in this decade. Which is wild, because this series would also get an anime adaptation that's only started airing this year.

Also, Megaton Musashi has a lot of crossovers with older mecha shows like Getter Robo and Combattler V.

SSSS.Dynazenon (2021) & Gridman Universe (2023)

Returning in 2021 would be Studio Trigger with the follow-up to SSSS.Gridman, SSSS.Dynazenon. Based off of the Dyna Dragon from the original Gridman the Hyper Agent, SSSS.Dynazenon would carry on the energy from its predecessor in terms of energy and heart.

2023 would also see the worlds of SSSS.Gridman and SSSS.Dynazenon collide with the movie finale Gridman Universe, bringing the casts of both shows together for one last hurrah for Trigger's Gridman trilogy.

Back Arrow (2021)

While 2021 was a good year for mecha in general, one show that doesn't get talked about more is Goro Taniguchi's Back Arrow. Set in the walled world of Lingalind, Back Arrow would give us a story where the mecha are powered by a character's convictions.

That's right! Back Arrow is quite possibly the single greatest series in terms of highlighting what piloted giant robots are all about. These stories were never about the giant robot itself; the giant robots were living extensions of the pilots who controlled them. Hence why the breiheights of Back Arrow are based purely on a character's core beliefs.

Getter Robo Arc (2021)

2020 would also see the surprise announcement of an adaptation of the unfortunately unfinished Getter Robo Arc. With the goal of wrapping up the story as best as possible without the guiding hand of series creator Ken Ishikawa, Getter Robo Arc's anime adaptation would finally release in 2021. With this, the Getter Robo saga can finally come to an end.

If you've already watched his video on Getter Robo, Cheese GX also has a follow-up covering Getter Robo Arc specifically.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash (2021) & Cucuruz Doan's Island (2022)

And in case you didn't believe me when I said 2021 was a good year for mecha, let me remind you of something: Gundam was featured as part of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Gundam would see the creation of the now-disassembled RX-78-2 Gundam in Yokohama as part of the celebration of the games. The RX-0 Gundam Unicorn would also make a cameo in the background during the Olympic Rock Climbing event, as Gundam Front Tokyo was the venue.

Most important of all for us, is that 2021 would see the release of part one of a trilogy of movies based on the Hathaway's Flash novel. And as if that wasn't enough, 2022 would also see the release of a movie based on the infamous episode of the original series known as Cucuruz Doan's Island. And as a reminder: Gundam's not done yet. I haven't even gotten to the other big Gundam series yet. These were just the two major series released for the Universal Century in this decade.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (2022)

Where Gundam made really big news in this decade was with the release of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. Set in the Ad Stella timeline, G-Witch would bring awareness to the franchise that hadn't really been seen since it's heyday in the 90's. G-Witch would also differentiate itself from the rest of the Gundam series by presenting us with Gundam's first female main protagonist, the very tanuki-coded Suletta Mercury (and that depends, because if we're saying Gundam protagonist, then I'd argue technically War in the Pocket's Christina McKenzie has Suletta beat by a couple decades; this isn't even getting into Ecoile du Ciel). And not only is she the first female protagonist, Suletta is also Gundam's first queer protagonist!

Bullbuster (2023)

If there is any series that I wish I had caught while it was airing last year, it would definitely be Bullbuster. Cut from the same cloth as Patlabor and Dai-Guard, Bullbuster presents to us a construction robot is used to fight... aliens?

LEGO movie, is that you?

Okay, seriously though, I do think Bullbuster got drowned out due to being in a year that also included The Witch From Mercury.

Brave Bang Bravern (2024)

Man, if you thought The Witch From Mecury was gay...

2024 would open with Cygames Studio's Brave Bang Bravern. Directed by Masami Obari (a man who I have somehow failed to mention until now), Bravern would manage to capture the joy of the Brave franchise of old (and really mecha shows on the whole), all while making it very gay.

And I mean it. Bravern is quite possibly the single gayest show to come out in the 2020's. Maybe even of all time.

And that's really a wrap on pretty much everything that's come out, but there is one upcoming series set to come out next month...

Grendizer U (Airs July 2024)

Not seeming to want to be left out, the Mazinger saga would also get a surprise announcement in 2023 with a teaser for Grendizer U. Set to air in 2024, Grendizer U is going to be a reboot of the original UFO Robot Grendizer series, though some changes have been made (namely, Kouji has now brought along both Sayaka and Professor Yumi; more importantly, Kouji will now be piloting Mazinger Z instead of playing a support role like he did in the original Grendizer).

You can bet that I will be covering this series, especially if it's picked up by Crunchyroll this coming summer.

Looking Beyond Grendizer U & 2024: Live-action Gundam, Hathaway Parts 2 & 3, Gunbuster 3, and Patlabor EZY

Going beyond 2024, there are also other series that are set to be released some time in this decade. 2016 saw the release of the Patlabor Reboot promo, which is supposedly a test run for a new Patlabor series: Patlabor EZY. Supposedly set to air sometime in 2026 (at least last I saw), I'm as excited about this as Isao Ohta is about any type of gun that comes across his path.

Studio Gaina (again, not to be confused with the now-closed Gainax) also has plans to release Gunbuster 3, though that will probably be on the shelves for now until Grendizer U wraps up.

And of course, Gundam still has two more parts of the Hathaway movies to work on. There's also a live-action Gundam series that is also in the works at Legendary.

Conclusion

And that's a wrap, folks. Finally, after ten whole posts, I've covered an incomplete history of mecha! Yes that's right! Incomplete! Why did you think it was called abbreviated?

Jokes aside, I thought this would be a relatively simple project. Just cover a handful of mecha shows from the decades since their inception, say a thing or two about them, and move on. It turns out that, even when I cherry-picked the shows to talk about, there were still a lot of them.

Do I regret doing it, though? No. Well, maybe that bit about Valvrave specifically. Outside of that, I think it is important that this series of posts still exist. I tried my best to be as impartial as possible, and hopefully you, dear reader, have caught that. I really don't want this project to turn out to be identical in tone to Professor Otaku's Complete History of Mecha video series. Man literally cannot hide his disdain for shows he doesn't like very well, and I think it does a massive disservice to both his series and himself.

What I want you to take away from this series of posts is: every show I covered on here is someone's favorite. I've seen at least one person go to bat for every series I named here. I've done it for G Gundam and Patlabor, and I plan on doing it for a couple more series on here. The real important thing here is that this post helps in dismissing that wrong-headed claim of "mecha shows are just about the robots and not the characters." Which is a thing I will talk about soon.

But not right now. Now I want to rest. And by rest, I mean throwing my wrist out while playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

God Groose is such a great character.

[stabbysideblog]

REAP WHAT YOU SOW CHAPTER 4

Log 2.19

Prisoner status: Alive, remains in the corner of the cell unless otherwise prompted.

Known commands

Sit

Kill

Play dead

Stay

Roll over

Chase

Come

Heel

Off

Place

Fight

Patrol

Run

Wait

Eat

Notes: Today I will shave his head. It will make the surgery easier in the long run. He does not touch his food unless told to eat. I fished 8 potatoes out of the water. He has not eaten since arriving at the prison. When I instructed him that he is to eat what I give him when he gives him it he understood. Longer commands are not lost on him. 

Log 2.19.2

Prisoner status: Sick, he ate all of the potatoes too quickly.

Notes: He still follows commands when visibly sick. 

Plan: I will be working to retrain Eat to avoid this in the future. Giving him the food should be enough without needing to also issue a command. I will only administer medicine to him in person, all other feedings will be done without me in the room. If I enter and the food is not eaten or in the process of being eaten he will lose it and receive a proportional punishment. 

Log 2.19.3

Prisoner status: unconscious, he had to be instructed to sleep again.

Notes: Sleeps very lightly. 

Log 2.20

Prisoner status: Alive. 

History: He has been better about talking today. He was working for Las Nevadas at the time of his death. He does not know how he ended up here. He has killed at least 30 people and injured countless more. All under command he claims. I am moving up the operation to install the chip. These commands need to be reworked as soon as possible. 

Log 2.20.1

Prisoner status: Untethered. 

Notes: I gave him two opposite commands. I assume he has been trained to handle complex situations like that. I told him to stand and then sit. He followed each in such quick succession it was not incorrect. Still I punished him, he is not to follow commands like a dog anymore. I worry that he will take this to mean he is not to listen at all. I will have to work on his obedience once the chip is installed. Until then I will work on correcting any followed commands. 

Log 2.20.2

Prisoner status: Distressed. 

Note: did not eat the potato that was dispensed

Log 2.20.3

Prisoner status: Hyper-responsive. 

Test results

Electroencephalography-1.pptr

CT-1.pptr

MEG-1.pptr

MRI-1.pptr

Conclusions: Markedly different from Ardent. Will need less frontal lobe and more Parietal lobe stimulation. The Amygdala, Hippocampus, CN VIII,CN V, and CN X are all notable. 

Notes: A MW potion was given to him. Will see tomorrow if it has any adverse effects.

LINK TO AO3 OF THE FIC

(REST BELOW THE CUT)

Log 2.21

Prisoner status: Sick, lingering potion effects

Plan: Today I will teach him that he is to relax when he is unwell, this will assist in his healing after the surgery. I will give him a command to lay down and not get up until he is no longer ill. He will receive a punishment for each command he does follow and a reward for each he does not follow after that. 

Notes: He does not remember yesterday's tests however the false memories are concerning. Will find ways to ameliorate this if it becomes a recurring issue.

Log 2.21.1

Prisoner status: Unconscious, result of punishments

Notes: Commands are proving more difficult than immediately thought to get him to disengage. Will have to adjust plans. No healing potions needed. One regen potion used. 

Log 2.21.2

Prisoner status: Alive

Test results

Reflex-test.pptr

Physical-results.pptr

Com-eye-exam.pptr

Conclusions: poor physical condition but well enough to handle a surgery

Log 2.22

Prisoner status: Alive

Notes: Talkative today. Did not eat the food dispensed. 

Questions asked:

What will my job be?

Am I in trouble?

Will I go back to work soon?

Why?

Notes: Last question was met with swift punishment. The prisoner should not question the warden. I am tired of being gentle. I will schedule the surgery for 1 week from now. He is a murderer and has learned nothing. I don't know what this other Sam thought he was doing but it was foolish and irresponsible. He doesn’t know what this Dream is thinking and could have lost control at any moment. I’ll admit the training is impressive and does seem to go quite deep however it’s not enough. A Dream with a weapon. Stupid. 

Log 2.22.1

Prisoner status: Unconscious from punishment

Notes: I did not account for his lack of food during the punishment. I’ll have to move the surgery back by 3 days. 

Log 2.23

Prisoner status: Alive

Roadmap

Day 10: First sign of “Illness”

Day 9: Medicine in food

Day 8: ML Potion

Day 7: Rest training

Day 6: ML potion

Day 5: Rest training

Day 4: Medicine in food

Day 3: ML potion, Medicine in food

Day 2: ML potion, fasting

Day 1: Date of surgery

Notes: Today will be used exclusively to assess his physical and mental state before the surgery

Log 2.23.1

Prisoner status: Alive. He has been exceptionally well behaved today

Notes: Mental state in abhorrent. Once the chip is in I won’t have to worry about that. Physical state is acceptable. I suspect the other Sam kept him in just good enough of a state to work but just torn down enough that he could overpower him. I can’t deny his work is thorough. But mine is better. He got cocky and left gaps. I will work to close them.

Log 2.24

Prisoner status: Ill, the food I gave him yesterday is taking effect. 

Notes: He is struggling to walk straight, stay focused, and be awake. He also reports nausea and general achy pain. I will lower the dose for the next nine days to make sure it does not interfere with the surgery. 

Log 2.24.1

Prisoner status: Sleeping, the first continuous time without my command.

Chip notes: I will be using a modified version V2.1.2 adjusted to fit his anatomy. It is 90% done I just have to finish building the final 3 sensors. I’ve gone over the code several times. It’s solid.

Log 2.25

Prisoner status: Anxious.

Notes: I lowered the dose but he’s still finding it hard to keep down food. He expressed worry about being punished. He does not know that I won’t punish him for the next 9 days. I reassured him it’s okay to be sick. 

Log 2.26

Prisoner status: Alive, distressed

Notes: He will not remember today so I am using it to do more mentally straining tasks. 

History: He was trained in pandora and was used to guard the prison for a time. Ironic. The four round scars on his neck are from a shock collar he had. He was owned by Sam but answered to him and Quackity. Why would I involve Quackity? He's irresponsible.

Log 2.27

Prisoner status: Resting.

Notes: Today is rest training. It is going better but not well. He responds to every command but then goes back to laying down. I can only lightly punish him for misbehaving. I worry he’s not going to understand if the punishment isn’t strong enough. 

Log 2.28

Prisoner status: Distressed and Sick

Known commands:

Sit

Kill

Play dead

Stay

Roll over

Chase

Come

Heel

Off

Place

Fight

Patrol

Run

Wait

Eat

Bark

Quiet

Statue

Watch

Drop

Spread

Paw

Smile

Get Dressed

Sleep

Speak

Log 2.28.1

Prisoner status: Sleeping. 

Note: Had to be given medicine to help sleep despite the fatigue.

Log 2.29

Prisoner status: Resting badly. 

Notes: Still struggling on getting him to understand what it means to rest when sick. I may have to deal with this inelegantly. 

Log 2.30

Prisoner status: sick

Notes: Today I will put the finishing touches on the chip.

Log 2.30.1

Prisoner status: Quiet

Notes: It’s done. It’s late and I’ve been working all day. Ardent will miss me but this is more important. I have been watching him, he’s reacting perfectly to the situation. Now I will know how this new Dream feels. The server will be safe again once he’s fixed. I feel proud, I feel accomplished. This is not the place to be sharing these feelings, this is strictly a work log. I did miss having a large project. 

Chip DDV2I1 

I learned a lot from the other, this one shouldn’t have any problems. 

Log 2.31

Prisoner status: Scared and sick

Notes: The ML potion continues to give him disturbing false memories. He has backtracked a bit. I cannot get him to talk without a command. I can tell he’s sick from the shaking and the weakness. If this continues I will have to use drastic measures. 

Log 2.31.1

Prisoner status: Injured

Incident report: At approximately 14:36:27 the prisoner experienced a hallucination that led him to call for the warden. I was pouring a cup of coffee at that exact moment and did not hear him until the incident happened. After getting no response he began to slam his hands against the ground. At that point I was back and was able to get him to stop. Luckily it was quick enough that the broken bones were healed with a potion and only bruising remains. 

Log 2.32

Prisoner status: Resting peacefully

Notes: His stress level was getting too high. I used a command to force him to rest. The cell has been quiet and on the cameras he hasn’t moved from his spot. I regret using the command but I cannot risk anything messing this up. 

Log 2.32.1

Prisoner status: Awake

Note: I ran a few minimally invasive tests to corroborate my previous exams. He is able to handle electricity well, possibly from the use of the shock collar. He is able to handle pain well, understandable considering the condition he was found in. He is able to not move when needed. The other Sam at least made him a good patient. 

Log 2.32.2

Prisoner status: Alive, Sitting in the corner of the cell.

Note: I did a quick physical, everything is in working order. It’s time tomorrow. It’s actually happening. I have experience this one should be even better.

Log 2.32.3

Prisoner status: Asleep

Notes: It’s late. He is finally asleep. I have to set up the OR for tomorrow. That's all that is left. The bits I have to cut out in 11 months time will be all that’s left of Dream on this server. 

Log 2.33

Prisoner status: Prepped for surgery.

Notes: Finally, today is the day. I’ve been working on him for the last month. There has been some progress but I expect it to become exponentially more once the chip is installed. 

Log 2.33.1

The surgery took 10 hours. I am exhausted. I’m glad it’s done.  

Log 2.34

Prisoner status: Resting.

Notes: It’s done. 

[aotopmha]

I have been really feeling the limitations of my physical disability recently.

I didn't use to rely on public transport this much for just general movement – I only used it to go to places I really needed to which were a decent distance away from where I needed to go (which I actually very much regret because it was free to me for a while as part of my disability and no longer isn't; I should have used the opportunity more, our public transport is not perfect, but decent enough to be used without massive issues).

Today that reached an high point where I completely forgot to check in my ticket card (we have a card check-in system with busses where you add money or a specific type of ticket to it and use it on a check-in device installed in the bus each time you enter the bus) and got a fine for it as a result for the first time in my life due to a regular inspection.

It was a mess of a ride because the bus was packed and people fainted and ER had to be called, but I still had a bunch of time to check in and just forgot. I was even going to recheck just in case, but inspection hit first, so it was all me.

(Which at the very least was after the ER incident.)

And I realised just how much I have been using transport to get to places because of how exhaustion has now turned into pain, awkwardness and discomfort when walking mildly longer distances.

Not super extreme pain, but rather milder annoying pain, which coupled with all of the above has really been testing my limitations in a way I'm not used to.

And at the start of the year I was feeling especially great about my progress, having gotten into a great routine for working on my walking and posture and everything great coming with it.

I was finally able to find a daily exercise routine that really worked for me and it did wonders to my physical and emotional health.

Current wip theory is that I ended up overdoing it and I'm feeling the consequences in all facets, in unexpected ways.

And I hate it.

I finally found courage and desire to not let my disability limit myself so much – actually exploring the city and trying stuff I've never tried before, actually spending more time outside and enjoying it.

I used to do the bare minimum in terms of going outside because I didn't think there was anything to do because I didn't have friends or money and both are still in fairly limited quantities for me, but recently I started exploring local food places since none of them are hyper-expensive and even if they are, I realised it's okay to treat yourself a few times in a month if you budget properly and keep things balanced.

I realised it's okay to get yourself something good from a local bakery or sushi or burger place occasionally, to add more spice in your life.

Through that also have started to try and diversify and be more smart about my diet as much as possible, too. It's been a gradual process since I moved to just get into a proper self-caring routine.

Eating healthy/properly nutritious and diverse food, keeping up proper hygiene, getting all my chores and responsibilities done as soon as they need to be done, exercising regularly.

Even the fact that I one day decided it's okay to use some of my money for non-essential stuff like games or manga was a long journey because of how limited my money has been my whole life.

In fact, the fine I got isn't too much of a hit because I have been budgeting properly for any possible hits.

And it all has culminated in me genuinely enjoying to go outside, even if it's just a 10-minute walk for groceries.

But hey, guess what, seems my knee decided otherwise and decided it makes my leg an awkward stick after anything more extensive than some walking.

I'm probably going to pull back on my outside time as a first step to see how it effects my walking and really figure out my current limitations and then see how active I can be within those limitations.

And maybe then take a look at further medical help since I've already told my doctors.

I very much fucking hate it, though.

But I'm also very grateful because many people in my position don't have this opportunity to live as full life as possible with the disabilities they live with.

I think I would be at a much more difficult place would I not have a disability pension or some opportunities offered to me to better myself, even as imperfect as they are. And oh boy is it imperfect, but I very much value it.

[linuxlife]

Linux Life Episode 86

Hello everyone back to my Linux Life blog. I admit it has been a while since I wrote anything here . I have continued to use EndeavourOS on my Ryzen 7 Dell laptop. If I any major incidents had came up I would have made an entry.

However nothing really exciting has transpired. I update daily and OK have had a few minor issues but nothing that couldn't be sorted easily so not worth typing up a full blog just for running a yay command which sorted things out.

However given it's March, which some You-tubers and content creators have been running with the hashtag of #Marchintosh in which they look at old Mac stuff.

So I decided to run some older versions of Mac OS using VMWare Workstation which is now free for Windows, Mac and Linux.

For those not up with the technology of Virtual Machines basically the computer creates a sandbox container which pretends to be a certain machine so you can run things like Linux and MacOS using a software created environment.

VMWare Workstation and Oracle Virtualbox are Type 2 Hypervisors as they are known which create the whole environment using software machines which you can configure. All drivers are software based.

Microsoft Hyper-V, Xen and others such as QEMU are Type 1 Hypervisors which as well as having the various environments have software drivers some can use what they call "bare metal" which means it can see and use your actual GPU meaning you can take advantage of video acceleration. It also can give bare metal access to keyboards and mice. These take a lot more setup but work slightly quicker than Type 2 once they are done.

Type 1 systems like Qemu and Bochs may also allow access to different CPU types such as SPARC, PowerPC so you can run alternative OS like Solaris, IRIX and others.

Right now i have explained that back to the #Marchintosh project I was using VMWare Workstation and I decided to install 2 versions of Mac OS.

First I installed Mac OS Catalina (Mac OS X 10.15) now luckily a lot of the leg work had been taken out for me as someone had already created a VMDK file (aka virtual Hard drive) of Catalina with AMD drivers to download. Google is your friend I am not putting up links.

So first you have to unlock VMWare as by default the Windows and Linux versions don't list Mac OS. You do this by downloading a WMWare unlocker and then running it. It will make patch various files to allow it to now run MacOS.

So upon creating the VM and selecting Mac OS 10.15 from options you have to first setup to install the OS later and then when it asks to use a HD point it towards the Catalina AMD VDMK previously downloaded (keep existing format). Set CPUs to 2 and Cores to 4 as I can. Memory set to 8GB, Set networking to NAT and everything else as standard. Selecting Finish.

Now before powering on the VM as I have an AMD Ryzen system I had to edit the VM's VMX file using a text editor.

cpuid.0.eax = “0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:1011” cpuid.0.ebx = “0111:0101:0110:1110:0110:0101:0100:0111” cpuid.0.ecx = “0110:1100:0110:0101:0111:0100:0110:1110” cpuid.0.edx = “0100:1001:0110:0101:0110:1110:0110:1001” cpuid.1.eax = “0000:0000:0000:0001:0000:0110:0111:0001” cpuid.1.ebx = “0000:0010:0000:0001:0000:1000:0000:0000” cpuid.1.ecx = “1000:0010:1001:1000:0010:0010:0000:0011” cpuid.1.edx = “0000:0111:1000:1011:1111:1011:1111:1111” smbios.reflectHost = "TRUE" hw.model = "iMac19,1" board-id = "Mac-AA95B1DDAB278B95"

This is to stop the VM from locking up as it will try and run an Intel CPU setup and freeze. This is the prevention of this happening by making it think its a iMac 19,1 in this case.

Now you need to create a harddrive in the VM settings to install the OS on by editing the settings in VMWare and adding a hard drive in my case 100GB set as one file. Make sure it is set to SATA 0:2 using the Advanced button.

Now power on the VM and it will boot to a menu with four options. Select Disk Utility and format the VMware drive to APFS. Exit Disk Utility and now select Restore OS and it will install. Select newly formatted drive and Agree to license.

It will install and restart more than once but eventually it will succeed. Setup language, Don't import Mac, skip location services, skip Apple ID, create account and setup icon and password. don't send Metrics, skip accessibility.

Eventually you will get a main screen with a dock. Now you can install anything that doesn't use video acceleration. So no games or Final Cut Pro but can be used a media player for Youtube and Logic Pro and Word processing.

There is a way of getting iCloud and Apple ID working but as I don't use it I never did bother. Updates to the system are at your own risk as it can wreck the VM.

Once installed you can power down VM using the Apple menu and remove the Catalina VMDK hard drive from the settings. It provide all the fixed kexts so keyboards, mice and sound should work.

If you want video resolution you can install VMware Tools and the tools to select are the ones from the unlocker tools.

Quite a lot huh? Intel has a similar setup but you can use the ISOs and only need to set SMC.version="0" in the VMX.

For Sonoma (Mac OS 14) you need to download OpenCore which is a very complicated bootloader created by very smart indivials normally used to create Hackintosh setups.

It's incredibly complex and has various guides the most comprehensive being the Dortania Opencore guide which is extensive and extremely long.

Explore so at your own risk. As Sonoma is newer version the only way to get it running on AMD laptops or Desktops in VMWare is to use Opencore. Intel can do fixes to the VMX to get it work.

This one is similar to the previous I had to download an ISO of Sonoma. Google is your friend but here is a good one on github somewhere (hint hint). In my case I downloaded Sonoma version 14.7_21H124 (catchy I know).

I also had to download a VDMK of Opencore that allowed 4 cores to be used. I found this on AMD-OSX as can you.

The reason I chose this ISO as you can download Sequioa one. I tried Sequioa but could not get sound working.

So for this one create VM , Select Mac OS 14, install operating system later. Existing OS select Opencore VDMK (keep existing format), set CPU to 1 and cores to 4. Set Netwoking as Bridged everything else as normal. Finish

Now edit settings on VM. On CD-Rom change to image and point to downloaded Sonoma ISO. Add Second hard drive to write to once again I selected 100GB one file. Make sure it is set to SATA 0:2 using the Advanced button. Make sure Opencore is set to SATA 0:0 also using same button.

Now Power the VM. It will boot to a menu with four options. Select Disk Utility and format the VMware drive to APFS. Exit Disk Utility and now select Install OS and it will install. Select newly formatted drive and Agree to license.

The System will install and may restart several times if you get a halt then Restart Guest using the VMware buttons. It will continue until installed.

Setup as done in Catalina turning off all services and creating account. Upon starting of Mac you will have a white background.

Go to System Settings and Screen Saver and turn off Show as Wallpaper.

Now Sonoma is a lot more miserable about installing programs from the Internet and you will spend a lot of time in the System setting Privacy and Security to allow things.

I installed OpenCore Auxilary Tools and managed to install it after the security nonsense. I then turned on Hard Drives in Finder by selecting Settings.

Now open OPENCORE and open EFI folder then OC folder. Start OCAT and drag config.plist from folder to it. In my case to get sound I had to use VoodooHDA but yours may vary.

The VoodooHDA was in the Kernel tab of OCAT I enabled it and disabled AppleALC. Save and exit. Reboot VM and et voila I had sound.

Your mileage may vary and you may need different kexts depending on soundcard or MAC OS version.

Install VMTools to get better Screen resolution. Set Wallpaper to static rather than dynamic to get better speed.

Close VM edit settings and remove CD iso by unticking connected unless you have a CD drive I don't. DO NOT remove Opencore as it needs that to boot.

And we are done. What a nightmare but fascinating to me. If you got this far you deserve a medal. So ends my #Marchintosh entry.

Until next time good luck and take care

[toxifoxx]

dawg what hte fuck is this class. why did we install hyper-v to just like. open the settings. not even look at anything. and immediately close the settings and hyper-v. And then it tells you to open hyper-v again. the fuck

[seogoogle1]

Windows Server 2016: Revolutionizing Enterprise Computing

In the ever-evolving landscape of enterprise computing, Windows Server 2016 emerges as a beacon of innovation and efficiency, heralding a new era of productivity and scalability for businesses worldwide. Released by Microsoft in September 2016, Windows Server 2016 represents a significant leap forward in terms of security, performance, and versatility, empowering organizations to embrace the challenges of the digital age with confidence. In this in-depth exploration, we delve into the transformative capabilities of Windows Server 2016 and its profound impact on the fabric of enterprise IT.

Introduction to Windows Server 2016

Windows Server 2016 stands as the cornerstone of Microsoft's server operating systems, offering a comprehensive suite of features and functionalities tailored to meet the diverse needs of modern businesses. From enhanced security measures to advanced virtualization capabilities, Windows Server 2016 is designed to provide organizations with the tools they need to thrive in today's dynamic business environment.

Key Features of Windows Server 2016

Enhanced Security: Security is paramount in Windows Server 2016, with features such as Credential Guard, Device Guard, and Just Enough Administration (JEA) providing robust protection against cyber threats. Shielded Virtual Machines (VMs) further bolster security by encrypting VMs to prevent unauthorized access.

Software-Defined Storage: Windows Server 2016 introduces Storage Spaces Direct, a revolutionary software-defined storage solution that enables organizations to create highly available and scalable storage pools using commodity hardware. With Storage Spaces Direct, businesses can achieve greater flexibility and efficiency in managing their storage infrastructure.

Improved Hyper-V: Hyper-V in Windows Server 2016 undergoes significant enhancements, including support for nested virtualization, Shielded VMs, and rolling upgrades. These features enable organizations to optimize resource utilization, improve scalability, and enhance security in virtualized environments.

Nano Server: Nano Server represents a lightweight and minimalistic installation option in Windows Server 2016, designed for cloud-native and containerized workloads. With reduced footprint and overhead, Nano Server enables organizations to achieve greater agility and efficiency in deploying modern applications.

Container Support: Windows Server 2016 embraces the trend of containerization with native support for Docker and Windows containers. By enabling organizations to build, deploy, and manage containerized applications seamlessly, Windows Server 2016 empowers developers to innovate faster and IT operations teams to achieve greater flexibility and scalability.

Benefits of Windows Server 2016

Windows Server 2016 offers a myriad of benefits that position it as the platform of choice for modern enterprise computing:

Enhanced Security: With advanced security features like Credential Guard and Shielded VMs, Windows Server 2016 helps organizations protect their data and infrastructure from a wide range of cyber threats, ensuring peace of mind and regulatory compliance.

Improved Performance: Windows Server 2016 delivers enhanced performance and scalability, enabling organizations to handle the demands of modern workloads with ease and efficiency.

Flexibility and Agility: With support for Nano Server and containers, Windows Server 2016 provides organizations with unparalleled flexibility and agility in deploying and managing their IT infrastructure, facilitating rapid innovation and adaptation to changing business needs.

Cost Savings: By leveraging features such as Storage Spaces Direct and Hyper-V, organizations can achieve significant cost savings through improved resource utilization, reduced hardware requirements, and streamlined management.

Future-Proofing: Windows Server 2016 is designed to support emerging technologies and trends, ensuring that organizations can stay ahead of the curve and adapt to new challenges and opportunities in the digital landscape.

Conclusion: Embracing the Future with Windows Server 2016

In conclusion, Windows Server 2016 stands as a testament to Microsoft's commitment to innovation and excellence in enterprise computing. With its advanced security, enhanced performance, and unparalleled flexibility, Windows Server 2016 empowers organizations to unlock new levels of efficiency, productivity, and resilience. Whether deployed on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid environments, Windows Server 2016 serves as the foundation for digital transformation, enabling organizations to embrace the future with confidence and achieve their full potential in the ever-evolving world of enterprise IT.

Website: https://microsoftlicense.com

[throudin]

My PC is named Gore after the mountain, but I recently set up a dual boot and need a new name and well... "Glory and gore go hand in hand"

GORE: My everything including most gaming GLORY: Games with invasive anti-cheat only

I definitely wasn't nervous modifying my boot while also having BitLocker enabled. Also it's awesome I can just use Hyper-V to install another OS on another disk and then boot off of it for real.

[innovatorbunny]

i hate doing anything more complicated with my computer than just turning it on. if i install hyper v what if a big scary monster pops out

[voroxpete]

I am gonna disagree with OP on something here; I don't thing that knowing how to fuck around in CMD.exe is a necessary prerequisite to playing around with Linux.

There's this presumption that understanding the guts of Windows is some kind of stepping stone to understanding the guts of Linux, and I'm gonna tell you as a professional sys admin who works with both Windows and Linux... I absolutely hate working with Windows.

Windows is a fucking nightmare. Microsoft changes basic design theory every five minutes. It has no unifying philosophy, and no real intention to ever be messed with outside of the UI (and even that is deeply hostile, with the 10/11 UI being comprised of hacked together layers of different interfaces from different eras of Windows design).

Linux is somehow more coherent than this, despite being built by hundreds of random contributors. Seriously, open the KDE settings window and fucking marvel at how everything is just there. Every setting you need, all easily searchable. It's still got its quirks, especially when it comes to theming, but given that Windows theming requires third party software I'd say it still wins that one. And no home user needs theming, it's just cool.

Linux has clearly understood standards for where things like config files go; /etc/ or your home folder. Easy. You have to learn this stuff, but once you learn it it mostly holds true. But God only knows where I'll find that shit on Windows. Maybe in my Documents just fucking cluttering up the place (because no one puts this stuff in hidden folders like they do on Linux), maybe in one of the various meaningless subfolders of AppData, maybe in the program's install folder, maybe somewhere else, who the fuck knows?

You ever install Hyper-V? Your default location for your VMs is in My Documents. On a server. Tell me how that makes any fucking sense.

The Windows permission system is a Lovecraftian nightmare. The Linux permission system can be boiled down to a fucking 3 digit code.

Yeah, learning this shit takes work, but kids learn fast when they're engaged by something and have some good resources to work from. If you're at a place of not knowing anything about how either OS works under the hood, I would absolutely rather throw someone at Linux. Get 'em to make a TryHackMe account and set them loose on the basics course, they'll have a great time.

I'm sure people are gonna yell at me for this, because "Oh well you're a linux nerd so of course you hate Microsoft" without remotely understanding that the reason Linux nerds hate Microsoft is nothing to do with ideology and everything to do with ease of use. Once you take the term to actually get past that barrier and learn the guts, Linux makes so much more sense than Windows. People think Windows is the stepping stone, but it's not; it's just the first rock you washed up on, so everything else looks far away.

Telling young zoomers to "just switch to linux" is nuts some of these ipad kids have never even heard of a cmd.exe or BIOS you're throwing them to the wolves

[sharssims]

100 Cats Challenge – Zoom – Kitten #72

Born in game. Kitten, Male. Adventurous, Hyper. Mom: Willow. Dad: Racer (made by SharsSims)

For The Sims 3. Place .sim file directly into your SavedSims folder. Because this is a Kitten, it won’t show up if you go to the Cats category because that only allows for Adults and Elders. Stay in the main category of your sims bin and filter by Custom, and then you will see all teh kittens.

🐱 DOWNLOAD – SimFileShare

You will need to install cat eye defaults Burnt Waffles Nilou Onomatopeia Pet Eyes (v.1), or else kitty will just not look the same and EA eyes could cause slight trauma.. heh.

🤎 Zoom was named by <redacted>

TOU: Don’t upload to another site. Don’t claim as your own creation. Feel free to share photos of my creations in game and tag me so I can see them, and it would be lovely if you credit me! Watch the Crazy Cats live on my Twitch. You can name and claim your baby kitty with channel points!

[angstyandromanticwriting]

☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽

☦︎︎ “𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚.” ☦︎︎

☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽

An Angela Orosco (SH2R V.) X Fem!Reader Angsty, Cute, and Fluffy Prompt

[Just a Short Prompt For Today]

Minors DNI!!!

* Dealing with some possibly disturbing themes, here!

I will always try and make links between prompts + main instalments whenever I am writing for a consistent few characters!

* Feel free to refer to earlier instalments for this character + her Reader here!

The Word Count [Exclusive to this Prompt]: standing around 1.2k!

Takes place after James has achieved the ‘Leave Ending’ + engaging with the ‘loop’ perspective of the game!

I hope you enjoy it!

There will be more!

!TW(s) [The Specifics]: Implied Past Child Abuse (CSA Themes), Psychological Trauma & Dissociation, PTSD Symptoms (Panic & Flashbacks & Hyper-Vigilance), Violence & Graphic Creature Description, Depictions of Monstrous Representations of Abuse/Abuser, Self-Blame/Guilt Related to Trauma, Screaming/Distress Sounds, Physical Struggle/Combat, Emotional Vulnerability in Survivors of Abuse - if I’ve missed any here, please feel free to let me know; thank you, and I hope you enjoy it!

Breathing/Remember the Past

When you wake - or think you wake, the atmosphere is hazy around you.

Almost - too bright?

And yet - when you find yourself staring into the orbs that could only be Angela’s eyes, your heart still stutters, and you smile softly despite yourself.

You want to speak, but your throat is too tight.

You hardly notice the familiar setting of Neely’s Bar standing decrepit around you both as you lightly hold onto each other, moving slowly together.

Your face has never felt this warm before.

It never really occurs to you that you don’t really have any recollection of this moment with her - perhaps something very distant, but certainly not a part of this lifetime.

Or whatever the hell it was keeping the both of you here somehow.

There’s soft music playing; you don’t recognise the melody - not at first.

Until you hear the piano playing those soft chords in the background.

Your heart stutters again, and your eyelids even flutter for a moment as you reluctantly avert your gaze, and she lightly presses her face into your left shoulder to try and hide the blush that was already forming upon her own cheeks again.

Clair de Lune.

Debussy.

You could almost feel the carpet beneath your feet; could almost feel the wood of the piano as you trace your fingertips over it.

Things you used to do, when you were a kid.

Your mum playing the same piece on the piano.

Your heart skips a beat; you smile - sometimes you wonder how things would have been, if maybe your parents hadn’t been so forceful.

Their ‘great expectations’ of you.

You sigh, the sound hardly escaping you, when Angela pulls away, and you frown, feeling emptier than you did before.

“Ange-?”

You coo gently, and Angela tenses, wincing, as she bows her head, hugging herself tightly again.

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs, eventually, and you tilt your head partially a little. “Maybe - Maybe I’m just not-..”

She sighs, a pained expression on her face again.

“I’ve-.. this isn’t something I’m-.. look, maybe - maybe I’m just not - graceful enough, to - to learn this.”

You frown, before lightly shaking your head; you aren’t about to just let her give up like that.

You just wished she could see herself the way you’d seen her since that day, back at the cemetery.

“Or - hear me out - maybe you just need to trust me enough to let me lead?”

You suggest, and Angela hesitates, her lips moving silently for a moment.

“I do trust you,” she contradicts gently, her gaze only briefly flicking back up to your’s again as her fingertips lightly pick at the material of her jumper again, “it’s not like I don’t trust you, I just-.. Y/n, I - I don’t want to - to disappoint you, okay? I-.. I don’t want - I don’t want to lose you.”

You falter, your expression softening as you shake your head again, your heart throbbing painfully.

“You’re not losing me - I promise, Angela, I - I could never-..”

Your throat tightens again; you’re worried about saying the few words you want to share with her.

You frown again, before nodding tightly, as you try and think of something else you could say.

“You could never - never disappoint me, either,” you try and reassure her, “I’m happy just - being here with you; I’ve always just been-.. Angela, I-”

You tried.

It seems like in every time and place you can’t stop it.

Angela’s eyebrows furrow softly, as you tense, awkwardly clearing your throat again.

“Anyway, we - erm - we should probably-”

“Wait-”

She strains out, and you falter in an instant, before timidly glancing back at her, your heart pounding too fast despite the fear that is still building in the depths of your stomach, now.

“Can-.. before we go-.. can we - at least - try - again, maybe?”

She requests, and you try not to let your eyelids flutter alongside your heart this time.

You fail, and much too easily.

“Sure,” you answer breathlessly, as Angela relaxes, evidently relieved as she smiles faintly back at you, before timidly averting her gaze again.

“Thank you,” she returns, and you almost don’t hear it, as you timidly inch closer to her again.

She, too, steps forward, as she warily allows her gaze to return to your own.

You’re hardly breathing anymore, as you offer her your hand, to start with.

She - in turn - hesitates, just for a brief moment, before she lifts her left hand to rest it in your right one, her own heart stuttering at the feeling all over again.

Your palm is so warm; so soft, against her own, and it makes her smile, even, as she bows her head, afraid of you seeing the effect you’re having on her.

You almost want to lean in and delicately kiss her, but that’s when the atmosphere seems to start fading away, and when your eyes truly begin to open again.

You wince, as you tightly lift your head, but both Angela and the fleshy amalgamation aren’t in the room with you anymore.

You begin to panic even before you hear the scream.

Your first thought when you heard it had been strained, and shaky, as your eyes widen, and you’re reaching for the knife again through the pain burning throughout your body at previously being thrown.

It was the first thing you whispered, and the thing that terrified you more than anything else ever had before.

It was Angela.

The scream could have only been coming from her.

You cry out as you stagger off of the ground, your legs hardly carrying you as you try and push forward toward the door, determined to try and get to her again as you shove the barrier open, almost falling forward as you instead hold yourself up using the wall, before you turn your head, your heart sinking as soon as you see the same monster from before facing away from you, and looming over Angela, now heavily leaning on the ground as she tries to shuffle away from the beast above her, only for it to follow her every step as she whimpers faintly, and you think you can hear her saying your name again.

It only makes you hurt more; only increases the anger you feel toward the monster tormenting her as you draw in a barely audible shaky breath, before you nod tightly, turn to face it, and begin to run toward it before it can even turn around, and try and knock you down somehow.

You noticed that the beast already looked bloodied; Angela must have got a few hits in - with what, you didn’t know, considering you still had the knife, but you were glad regardless that she had managed to hurt it, especially when you were almost certain that this could be a twisted representation of her father’s abuse of her somehow.

You don’t even think, as you drive the knife down into its back, making it release another of those horrific roar-screams, your teeth gritting as it hits your eardrums, and you wonder for a moment if they’re bleeding already.

It doesn’t matter.

Not right now.

Not whilst the creature is still breathing.

Not whilst Angela is still breathing.

You have to do this.

You need to do this.

For her.

Always for her.

Whether it kills you, or doesn’t manage to, somehow.

You’re determined, as you dig into its flesh one more time, before it finally turns around, and you’re knocked back down onto the ground, and miserably all over again.

☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽

Thank you so much for reading, guys!

I hope you enjoyed it, and are looking forward to the next one!

I will ensure to get this uploaded onto the Angela Orosco Masterlist shortly, as well as posted onto ao3, soon!

Until then, I hope you all have a lovely rest of the day/night, and I look forward to seeing you again, soon!

For now, however, I have been - as usual,

And as always,

Your ever faithful, H.H.

Until the next time, guys! 💜

☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽☦︎︎☾☽