#interview questions for web testing

[ezeetester]

🚨 QA Freshers & Aspiring Testers — Don’t Miss This! 🚨 Ever been asked "What's the difference between Smoke and Sanity Testing?" in an interview and fumbled? 😅 I've broken it down clearly and practically in my latest blog — with real-world examples,💡✅ 🔗 Read now & never mix them up again: https://ezeetester.wordpress.com/?p=368 #SoftwareTesting #QAInterviews #SmokeVsSanity #TestingTips #CareerInQA

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

slightly different from the book rec asks but you mentioned Jamie loftus so… any non-fiction podcast recs?

wow the great news is that I am pretty much constantly listening to a nonfiction podcast of one kind or another so this is huge for me. here are some of my faves!

Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal, and Society - joined by a rotating cast of guest experts, sex historian Kate Lister goes on a romp through history to learn all about the sexual norms and revolutions of yesteryear.

Black People Love Paramore - in episodes that follow the formate of "Black People Love X," host Sequoia Holmes interviews her guests about their passions for pop cultural niches where Black people are often underrepresented, overlooked, or excluded altogether. heavy focus on music, as the title suggests, but topics also include Tony Hawk, pet ownership, and a memorable episode about being a slut featuring Ify Nwadiwe.

Maintenance Phase - truly like the #1 pod I get hype for when new episodes go up. hosted by fat activist Aubrey Gordon and methodology queen Michael Hobbes, focused on investigating and debunking various health and wellness fads as well as fatphobic misconceptions.

Oh No, Ross and Carrie - ONRAC just ended after thirteen and a half years of investigating all kinds of claims about wellness, spirituality, and the paranormal, ranging from self-proclaimed faith healers to exorcists to alien sightings to pet psychics to the creationist Ark-themed theme park in Kentucky. they have a HUGE backlog, great for browsing.

The Sporkful - a short and sweet podcast hosted by pasta enthusiast Dan Pashman, with each episode focusing on a different question, trend, or event from the world of food. despite being a pretty lighthearted show Pashman is admirably unafraid to tackle the less savory side of food culture; I first became aware of the podcast when he scored a searing interview with Sohla El-Wahlly after the revelation of massive workplace discrimination at YouTube's former darling, BA Test Kitchen.

The Stacks - the only book podcast I can currently tolerate. host Traci Thomas chats with authors about their new fiction and nonfiction releases and hosts a monthly book club. very chill listening, but dangerous for your to-read list.

There Are No Girls on the Internet - host Bridget Todd dives deep into tech trends, online outrages, and misinformation moments across the web. for my money, TANGOTI's coverage of the fatalities at Travis Scott's 2021 Astroworld event and the ensuing satanic panic conspiracy theories were some of the absolute best reporting around the event. currently on hiatus, so you have plenty of time to raid the archives!

Vibe Check - poet Saeed Jones and journalists Zach Stafford and Sam Sanders discuss pop culture and politics, answer listener requests for advice, and generally queen out together. you want nuance? the girlies have Nuance. genuinely one of the warmest and kindest podcasts in my rotation.

[blueiscoool]

A Looted Bronze Statue That May Depict Marcus Aurelius Is Returning to Turkey

The repatriation comes after years of legal disputes over the true identity and provenance of the 6-foot-4 artwork, which has been housed at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

A headless bronze statue that may depict the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius will be repatriated to Turkey after an investigation determined that it had been looted, smuggled and sold through a web of antiquities dealers before arriving at the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1986.

The Manhattan district attorney’s antiquities trafficking unit first identified and took possession of the looted statue in 2023. But the statue remained in Cleveland while the museum challenged the seizure.

Last week, the museum relented and agreed to return the statue to Turkey. According to a statement, “new scientific testing” had revealed that the second-century C.E. statue was “likely present” at the Sebasteion, a shrine near the ancient Roman settlement of Bubon.

“The New York district attorney approached us with a claim and evidence that we felt was not utterly persuasive,” William M. Griswold, the director of the Cleveland Museum of Art, tells the Art Newspaper’s Daniel Grant. Officials then requested scientific tests to determine the validity of the claim.

All parties agreed that the scientific investigation would be led by Ernst Pernicka, an archaeologist and chemist who serves as the senior director and managing director of the Curt-Engelhorn-Center for Archaeometry in Germany.

As Pernicka tells the Art Newspaper, his tests followed a “well-established scientific procedure,” which included soil samples, lead isotope analysis and 3D modeling of the shrine site. Soil from within the statue matched soils in Turkey, and lead at the foot of the statue matched lead residue on a stone base where it may have been attached at the Sebasteion. Investigators also traveled to nearby villages to conduct interviews with locals who remember the looting.

Per the New York Times’ Graham Bowley and Tom Mashberg, the story goes something like this: Built nearly 2,000 years ago, the shrine featured bronze statues of Roman emperors, including Lucius Verus, Valerian and Commodus. An earthquake later buried the site, which was discovered by farmers in the 1960s. Villagers plundered the shrine and sold the bronzes to antiquities dealers like Robert Hecht, who faced allegations of smuggling before his death in 2012. After covert restoration in Switzerland and Britain, the items were sold to collectors and museums around the world.

With the statue of Marcus Aurelius returning to Turkey, the antiquities trafficking unit has seized 15 items looted from Bubon, collectively valued at nearly $80 million, according to a statement.

Turkish officials are celebrating the news. In a social media post, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy lauded the efforts to return the statue “to its rightful land,” per a translation by Türkiye Today. He added, “History is beautiful in its rightful place, and we will preserve it.”

In a legal sense, the case is closed. But mysteries about the bronze remain. The most glaring question: Who does the headless statue really depict?

When the Cleveland Museum of Art bought the statue from the Edward H. Merrin Gallery for $1.85 million in 1986, the receipt said “figure of a draped emperor (probably Marcus Aurelius), Roman, late second century [C.E.], bronze,” according to the Times. Standing at 6-foot-4, even without a head, it’s now thought to be worth around $20 million.

n its statement, the museum claims to have made a “relatively recent determination” that the statue is an unnamed philosopher rather than Marcus Aurelius. One stone base at the Sebasteion is inscribed with the ruler’s name, but the tests revealed that the statue was likely positioned on a different stone base without an inscription.

“Without a head or identifying inscription, the identity of the statue remains uncertain,” the museum adds.

However, Turkish officials dispute the museum’s claims, suggesting that the statue does depict Marcus Aurelius—both an emperor and philosopher—and may have been moved around between plinths, per the Times.

For now, the mysterious statue remains in the Cleveland Museum of Art. As Griswold tells the Art Newspaper, “The Turkish authorities are prepared to consider permitting the work to remain here in Cleveland for a brief period, so that our visitors may say farewell to the sculpture and so that we may explain to the public some of what we’ve learned in this process.”

By Eli Wizevich.

[cowboylikeyouu]

sometimes i have the urge to write an avengers actors AU that i don't take seriously at all, and just make a series of crack oneshots out of it where every installment is just one of those funny interview formats, like:

wanda & pietro maximoff answer the web's most searched questions

natasha romanoff & clint barton take the lie detector test

tony stark | chicken shop date

natasha romanoff | chicken shop date

steve rogers reads thirst tweets

steve rogers & bucky barnes test their friendship

cast of [movie they're all in together] test how well they know each other

bucky barnes & clint barton | actors on actors

tony stark & clint barton argue over the internet's biggest debates

wanda maximoff & natasha romanoff compare their imdb pages

bucky barney, sam wilson, & steve rogers play 'never have i ever'

bruce banner & natasha romanoff | actors on actors

tony stark & steve rogers | actors on actors

bucky barnes & clint barton: the puppy interview

etc.

etc.

and bc i'm annoying it would obviously evolve into a winterhawk fic somehow, but just like... sprinkled across different interviews. just imagine them being paired up for actors on actors and it's SO obvious that clint hasn't seen bucky's recent movie and bucky isn't offended but he finds it way too funny and then just starts getting everything wrong about clint & his movies on purpose to fuck with him, and everyone in the comments (bc obviously i would be writing out youtube comment sections) is arguing about whether they have chemistry or not (bucky & steve are besties and a part of the internet has been shipping them for years, so these people obv are winterhawk antis). and then (after a bunch of random interviews with some of the characters who already knew each other & worked on a movie together) all the avengers get casted in a movie together and THEN the press tour madness starts and they get to do all these fun group interviews & shit. tony & steve start hooking up and the internet somehow finds out so the road's clear for all the winterhawk girlies😼 idk a lot of flirting in interviews, a lot of side remarks from the rest of the cast, and bc i'm VERY annoying and it's all i need in life, it all would end with the clint & bucky puppy interview (they're already dating at that point and they kinda confirm it in that interview) and one of the puppies is lucky & clint obviously tries (& succeeds) to adopt him :3

[circeyoru]

When You Don’t Know Love = Requested

[Yandere Human & Demon!Alastor x Victim Angelic!Reader]

The Request

What is love? Alastor can’t really answer that question. He knows he loves his mother, the sweetest soul on Earth that cared for him. He knows he loves people’s attention on him, it proved that he was worth something unlike how his father would curse and split on him. He also knows he loves his job as a radio host, how people relied on him and his words for entertainment and serious matters or information. But above all, he knows he loves to kill

Apart from his lack of answer to this question, there was another point to his character. The want for control and knowledge. He knows he wanted things to be in his hands and for the things he owned to be in perfect and working condition. That was how he picked his new workstation and earned money, through aiming as the best host in the company and the most entertaining in the channel. That was how he could afford his mother and himself that new big house they were eying for a while

When it seemed like everything was in his grasp, he thought he had everything he ever needed. That was until his mother was on her deathbed and accepted it, not him though, he searched high and low for a cure. With his fame and wealth, he thought he could have it, he loves his mother, he loves this perfect time he was living in, he loves this ideal reality that was his

But it was taken from him. He felt rage, he felt hopeless, he felt dull

Every day, he found himself hunting more and avoiding things that reminded his mind of his mother. Those stupid memories, those stupid emotions that made his heart beat quicken. That was how he identified his twisted love. His heart had quick down once his mother was gone and he knew then, his life would be slow and dull 

Yet into his life walked in you. You were a simple traveller, going from town to town to help people and learn new things, small and big. You happened upon his hometown because of his radio. He never thought you’d be a new light in his life, at least, you started off as a small splash of paint

His boss brought you in for a special programme that Alastor was arranged to host as a podcast, a sort of interview for you to share your knowledge and stories to the listeners. The first one was heavily scripted so listeners would be introduced to the new programme and you in general, then the feedback was beyond good, the show went on with more freedom for both you and Alastor. That opened doors for you and Alastor to chat outside of work, to mingle for work

Like everyone else, you found Alastor charming and a gentleman that put other men to shame. He was perfect in every sense. Though Alastor flirted with you, as a way to test you, you never reciprocated nor did you give in. He admired that, he felt like he didn’t need to be his perfect masked self, almost in a way that was similar to when he was with his mother. There was just something about this feeling that he can’t put a finger on

What is it?

He put this on the fact that he couldn’t catch you in his web like the others were. You were attracted to him, but not to the point where you’d throw yourself at him. He tested it be letting one of his fangirls interrupt his business meeting with you in a cafe one afternoon, but you didn’t even have a hint of annoyance or anger, you merely looked over your notes and his, even asking if he needed you to leave

Peculiar indeed

It got to the point where the simple programme meeting with you at the cafe wasn’t enough. Soon, he found himself inviting you out, lunch, dinner, a stroll, a market shopping, anything to get you to spend more time with him. He loves listening to you telling him your stories of your travel, but then he came to hate having you on that programme where you also tell the world your stories. He loves that he was the first to hear it from your lips, but he hates that he need to share to all the other strangers

Your voice, he wants it for his ears. Your attention, he wants it on him. Your eyes, he wants it gazing only at him. Your mind, he wants it to only think of him. Your heart, he wants it to beat for him

This feeling. This suffocating feeling. It’s familiar, to the point he clutches his heart like it would stop its aching. He recognize this. He felt this way when he was hunting down someone in the forest in the dead of night. He felt this way when he was stalking down his next prey

Perhaps, that was it? You’re his next prey

So he got everything set up. It was naive and foolish of you not to suspect him when he invited you into the forest when the sun was setting. Surely, you heard his broadcast of the serial killer? Why aren’t you more careful? Ah, yes, Alastor was here to protect you. Yes yes, of course

BANG!

Not

When pain shot through your shoulder, your body fell to the ground. Your teary eyes stared up in horror at his sickly grin, his lips moved as he taunted, ���Better start running, dear, else you might end up being one with his forest.” And ran you did. Alastor felt that ache in his heart, that rush in his body as he propped him to running after you

The game was on. You put up more of a fight, he’ll admit, maybe more so than some of his prey. Still, you were no match for him. In no time, he stopped and smiled at you when you had looked behind to see if you lost him. His hands raised his shotgun, one eye closed as he aimed. A beating heart, yours was beating wildly for survival, and his was beating wildly for…

BANG!

His smile fell when your body fell limp on the forest grounds. His eyes widened before they blinked, his gun was dropped and his legs rushed him to your side. He kneeled to your side, drenching his pants in your blood. He stared at his shaking hands and his breath hitched. These feelings in him. What was this?

Usually, he’d be laughing or trying to contain his laughter so as not to alert others. Or he’d be looking around to make sure no one saw his evil deed. Now he was doing the complete opposite

A drop of water fell on your body. Was it raining? No, it’s coming from his face, more accurately, his eyes. Why was he crying? Wait, why did he bring his body so close to you. This all felt so familiar, he was also hugging his mother like this. He swallowed, his grip on your body growing tighter and tighter. Someone, anyone, tell him… Why was he feeling this way?

It felt like he was watching from an outsider’s perspective. His hands were pressing against the bloody wounds on your body to try and stop the bleeding, then he was clinging so close to you so you don’t get cold. He spoke to you so you wouldn’t be bored in the silence. He kissed you so you’d wake up like sleeping beauty from a long sleep

Nothing worked

Now he stared at the script as he read out your accidential death by some hunter in the forest. His tears fell once more but his smile was forced on. His mother loves his smile. You also love his smile. So he’ll smile

It was too late. He can answer that question now. The one about love. What is love? The feeling he felt towards you. The feeling that makes him at home. The feeling that makes him want nothing more than you and you alone

Yet what took that away? He did. He took away his happiness and love. He might as well kill himself right then and there when he took your life. He questioned himself, why, why didn’t he understand those feelings for you were love? Why did he understand and know when it was too late? WHY?

When he saw couples on the street, being so loving towards each other. The ghost memories and fantasy of what was and could be you and him clouded his mind and eyes. He always found himself turning the other way. Then he also found their death bodies not too long after

“I hate you, I hate you…” Alastor found himself stabbing into the male repeatedly for recognizing his emotions to and for his lover better than Alastor himself. “If only… If only I knew… My darling… My darling wouldn’t be… My love wouldn’t be six feet under!”

It took some time, but the Princess’ fantasy became reality in the end. So much happened and Heaven accepted the redeemed demon souls into their pearly gates. Unfortunately, Alastor found his Hell just beginning

No surprise when he couldn’t find you anywhere in Hell, you were such a pure soul. Back then, he knew he never liked it when your attention was elsewhere or seeked by others. He wanted to gudge out their eyes and tongue so no one would defile you with their eyes or taint your ears. So you belonged to Heaven

Try as he might, he would never be able to go to Heaven and join you. Yet it irked him when other demons and angels would surround your blinding light. He didn’t make peace with the thought, but he had to put on a smiling face when he congratulated the Princess on her hard work. If only it never worked

But news of Heaven sending down some talented angels to help with the redemption project brought the Princess and her lover into a panic to ready everything. On the appointed day, the heavenly portal opened at the lobby of the hotel while everyone stood at attention to welcome their newest staff or partners

Alastor thought he wouldn’t care less. He thought it meant he was going to be more annoyed with everything. Yet, this was a welcoming surprise

Your angelic form stood out, not because you were the first to step out of the portal, those two pairs of silver wings with golden highlight while the others only had white wings did you justice for your graceful appearance. Your halo hovered above your head as a symbol of your purity and goodness

You were just as beautiful as the day he killed you

While you went to talk with Charlie and introduct everyone and their duties, Alastor felt his claws clutching his heart once more. This suffocating feeling was back and even stronger than before. His smile widened. His legs moved and brought his form to you, like he forgot that he could travel through the shadows

“My dear,” Alastor stopped at your side and took your hand in his, holding onto it too tightly like he was trying to draw blood. He looked up at you, “I deeply, sincerely, apologize for killing you.” 

He ignored the gasps and shocked look he was given. Even your look of terror and fear as your mind replayed the memories of that night. The shadow rose around the two of you to encage and ward off the other. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll never hurt you again, my heart can’t bear it. I’ll make it up to you and show you all of my love.” Alastor kissed your hand ever so gently, “Now that you’re here, I can’t let this opportunity slip. I’ll have you. Now and forevermore.”

Note: Another Yandere Alastor here. The ending's up for interpretation. I personally saw him kidnapping you to his shadow realm or something to keep you by his side. What's your ending?

Circe Y. 

My Works: MASTERLIST

Taglist:

@aconfusedwonderland @crowleysthings @donustellaron @mistpurpl3 @lucifers-silhouette @fluffy-koalala

[bylerlipglances]

Manifesting Joe Keery & Charlie Heaton | Noah Schnapp & Finn Wolfhard doing the entire ST s5 promo, press tour, press interviews together. something like this:

LADbible's : Agree To Disagree | Snack Wars

GQ's : GQ Friendship Quiz | Action Replay

Vogue: Their "Firsts" | Painting Challenge

Netflix : Swap Roles | Cake decoration

Vanity Fair: How Well They Know Each Other

Buzzfeed: The Co-Star Test

Tonight's Show: True confessions

Wired: Web's Most Searched Questions

Make it happen, Netflix. I’m begging. 🙏 No more love triangle themed promos, press interviews! I’m so done! Give us the Stonathan & byler promos for ST s5.

[nyan-koii]

Hii! Do you have any recs of sebschumi fics or content on tumblr? Or like literally anything; pictures, interviews? I'm new to this duo and I'm lacking the content. :(

HI ANON !! SO SORRY FOR THE LATE REPLY I HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL 💖

Thank you so so much for this question. I genuinely squealed and teared up when i saw this. Im happy theyre getting more acknowledgement and that you're willing to learn more about them !! For starters, they dont have much contents at all and most of them are quite difficult to find but i've gathered some of them that will help you to understand why this ship and their bond between one another beats every other seb's pairings 🙏 it's quite a long thread because i want to pull you down into this hole hehehehhehehehe

Tumblr contents

1. @/effervescentdragon post of hero worshipping and yearning

: this emotional heart wrenching web weaving about sebschumi is so incredible as it gives you an insight of how they both work and play out in each other's life from the first time seb saw michael at the karting club and the times when seb reminiscence about his past with michael. This was the last straw that made me realise that sebschumi deserves so so much if not more than sebmark ngl. Everything just hurts and they did it so well with the web weaving!!

2. @/schumi-honey post about germancedes and how michael always chooses seb at the end of the day

: now this one is REALLY REALLY INTERESTING FOR ME BECAUSE michael, being in a team that gave brawn their world champion, jean todt asking him to come back into said team with a potentially wdc teammate who is also half german half finnish but races under the german flag will still find and choose sebastian vettel at the end of the day. If that doesnt sound crazy to you then i'm sorry but you're missing out. The post is incredible as it shows how does michael act with a person, and with sebastian. He changes completely !! Thats true love man.

3. @/andromedasummer post about mary sue seb

: this one gives a view of how sebastian is totally the y/n in his life story and when that moment of truth comes to your realization, you just gotta go like DAMN this kid is lucky af because a wdc michael, the pride of german at that time chooses SEBASTIAN VETTEL to be his successor among all other kids, Michael that said "this 12 year old is making my life difficult! He's so fast," to Gerhard who will later on recruit him under redbull sponsorship. Crazy right? It's like Seb is the chosen one in Michael's life. The one that will continue his legacy (people have been calling and referring him as 'baby schumi') and the one that will eventually become one of his closest friend on and outside the grid. And we also got this from the post which has never left my mind after reading it and never failed to make me cry... they both are so superior and connected with each other... red string of fate type of dynamic is so strong here....

4. Kart Club Kerpen Sebschumi

: this just means a lot to me because michael and seb first met here and to see them karting with each other, laughing and getting so so comfortable around each other's presence shows how much they've grown while indirectly growing up with one another. SEBSCHUMI YOU'RE MY WORLDDDD

5. Pranksters Sebschumi

: It's just so so fun and refreshing to see their dynamics in this one. Michael and seb being menances, partners in crime everytime they're spotted together and how seb will do anything michael asked him to even if it means causing riot in other's life,,, LIKE???? I CANT BELIEVE THESE GAYS OMG but yeah, their dynamics are soooo good i love them so much 💖

6. Recent Seb interview about Michael

: this iirc was during that time where seb did a test with porsche and then we got this interview saying how seb just misses michael which he refers to as a friend.... my heart broke im telling you i cant handle it😞 michael also said that he was glad to found seb in his life and that in his world full of ego, seb is the only one that he feels genuine to be with which michael also labelled their relationship as something special. SHOOT ME ALREADY KILL ME IM IN TEARS RIGHT NOW DAWGGG

Fic recs

Onto the good part now☺ keep in mind that we barely have any fics about them so please if any of you guys have ideas for them, dont be afraid to share it to ao3 <3 because I WILL BE THE PERSON THAT WILL THOROUGHLY ENJOY IT THE MOST LIKE I'LL BE YOUR NO 1 FAN !!! And please dont forget to comment and leave kudos to them 🙏

1. Never have I ever by Tianvette

: theres this unspoken rule created by god tianvette regarding sebschumi and honestly, it really really shaped them both into so much more because like,, that headcanon? That fanon?? It's canon now because ONLY MICHAEL CAN CALL SEBASTIAN AS "BASTI" AND NO ONE ELSE GETS TO CALL HIM THAT 🙏 so thank you to this fic for making them more special than ever.

2. Im sorry by @/n-ico-ando

: OKAY OKAY OKAY THIS IS ACTUALLY THE FIC THAT MADE ME GOT INTO OLD F1 FANDOM, SEBASTIAN VETTEL AND SEBSCHUMI ITS JUST SO GOOD OKAY?!?!? JUST READ IT AND YOU'LL GET WHAT I MEAN I LOVE THIS FIC WITH MY WHOLE LIFE IT CHANGED ME TO A BETTER PERSON AURGGHGHSHAJSA VERY VERY NORMAL WITH THIS ONE,, I SWEAR.... MY BIBLE MY CAUSE OF EUPHORIA

3. I'm gonna take mind of you with me by @/likethegardensofbabylonn

: this fic is ongoing but GOSH GOSH GOSH OH GOD THE WAY I SCREAMED WHEN I FIRST READ IT. The settings took place with seb remembering his memories with michael before and after the accident so yeah, if you need a good heartbreaking and gut wrenching story about angsty sebschumi, this is the one because it's just so perfect with seb's thoughts his internal conflicts and how the author makes a great interpretations on seb's character. This fic feels so close to me because of how true and close the whole settings and narrations sound like with my thoughts so yes, it's something you should invest your time and think of everytime someone said sebschumi.

4. Use me Use me (cause i ain't no average groupie) by @/horn-knee-demons-anonymous

: I HAVE NO WORDS FOR THIS FIC EXCEPT THAT HOW BRILLIANT AND ALLURING THE STORY IS. I've always wanted a seb harem fic with sebschumi as the endgame considering of the drought ive been facing so when this fic came, it's as if god has heard my prayers because truly this fic alongside with the author herself, my guiding moonlight and the stars of my night, are just god given with how much they changed the trajectory of my life and im so glad i met her and able to read her works. The worldbuilding, the consistency in every single characters, the dynamics, their interactions and every single wordings here leaves you wanting for more and makes you feel like you're on the edge of your seat! It's like "am i allowed to be reading this for free!?!?" But really, this is a masterpiece so please give them all of your love and be there while it's still ongoing <3

5. Hurts by Molly_lovers1

: as a fan of dead dove with a huge favouritism of age gap and underage characters, i was super happy when i first read this fic mainly because of the struggle, the push and pull dynamics between sebschumi and their guilt ridden thoughts as well as their burning desire that makes this feels so so good yet vile to be reading. It's that kind of fic where i jerked off to every night while thinking about it lolll BUT IM SO SO SO NORMAL ABOUT IT.

6. How to treat a guest by yours truly

: shameless self promo but i was trying to spread my sebschumika agenda here☺💖 i hope you get the vision too hehe !!

Videos

The complete compilations of all known sebschumi sources can be found here though it doesnt cover much of the roc contents but still!! This one is a really really good guide for them both 🥰

Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel Compilation

And ROC 2007 cuts of sebastian vettel because this was their first race together as a teammate, michael had just retired and he brought a newly fresh boy as his team to compete against all the other drivers. If that's not love and bias then i dont know what to say because oh god, this does so much to me as a person who worships sebschumi everyday.

Roc 2007 Sebastian Vettel Cuts

Articles

I cant put pictures anymore so this is all for now !! I hope by the end of this post, everyone will become and realize the true power of sebschumi 🥰🙏🔥🔥

[mariacallous]

On paper, the first candidate looked perfect. Thomas was from rural Tennessee and had studied computer science at the University of Missouri. His résumé said he’d been a professional programmer for eight years, and he’d breezed through a preliminary coding test. All of this was excellent news for Thomas’ prospective boss, Simon Wijckmans, founder of the web security startup C.Side. The 27-year-old Belgian was based in London but was looking for ambitious, fully remote coders.

Thomas had an Anglo-Saxon surname, so Wijckmans was surprised when he clicked into his Google Meet and found himself speaking with a heavily accented young man of Asian origin. Thomas had set a generic image of an office as his background. His internet connection was laggy—odd for a professional coder—and his end of the call was noisy. To Wijckmans, Thomas sounded like he was sitting in a large, crowded space, maybe a dorm or a call center.

Wijckmans fired off his interview questions, and Thomas’ responses were solid enough. But Wijckmans noticed that Thomas seemed most interested in asking about his salary. He didn’t come across as curious about the actual work or about how the company operated or even about benefits like startup stock or health coverage. Odd, thought Wijckmans. The conversation came to a close, and he got ready for the next interview in his queue.

Once again, the applicant said they were based in the US, had an Anglo name, and appeared to be a young Asian man with a thick, non-American accent. He used a basic virtual background, was on a terrible internet connection, and had a single-minded focus on salary. This candidate, though, was wearing glasses. In the lenses, Wijckmans spotted the reflection of multiple screens, and he could make out a white chatbox with messages scrolling by. “He was clearly either chatting with somebody or on some AI tool,” Wijckmans remembers.

On high alert, Wijckmans grabbed screenshots and took notes. After the call ended, he went back over the job applications. He found that his company’s listings were being flooded with applicants just like these: an opening for a full-stack developer got more than 500 applications in a day, far more than usual. And when he looked more deeply into the applicants’ coding tests, he saw that many candidates appeared to have used a virtual private network, or VPN, which allows you to mask your computer’s true location.

Wijckmans didn’t know it yet, but he’d stumbled onto the edges of an audacious, global cybercrime operation. He’d unwittingly made contact with an army of seemingly unassuming IT workers, deployed to work remotely for American and European companies under false identities, all to bankroll the government of North Korea.

With a little help from some friends on the ground, of course.

christina chapman was living in a trailer in Brook Park, Minnesota, a hamlet north of Minneapolis, when she got a note from a recruiter that changed her life. A bubbly 44-year-old with curly red hair and glasses, she loved her dogs and her mom and posting social justice content on TikTok. In her spare time she listened to K-pop, enjoyed Renaissance fairs, and got into cosplay. Chapman was also, according to her sparse online résumé, learning to code online.

It was March 2020 when she clicked on the message in her LinkedIn account. A foreign company was looking for somebody to “be the US face” of the business. The company needed help finding remote employment for overseas workers. Chapman signed on. It’s unclear how fast her workload grew, but by October 2022 she could afford a move from chilly Minnesota to a low-slung, four-bedroom house in Litchfield Park, Arizona. It wasn’t fancy—a suburban corner lot with a few thin trees—but it was a big upgrade over the trailer.

Chapman then started documenting more of her life on TikTok and YouTube, mostly talking about her diet, fitness, or mental health. In one chatty video, shared in June 2023, she described grabbing breakfast on the go—an açaí bowl and a smoothie— because work was so busy. “My clients are going crazy!” she complained. In the background, the camera caught a glimpse of metal racks holding at least a dozen open laptops covered in sticky notes. A few months later, federal investigators raided Chapman’s home, seized the laptops, and eventually filed charges alleging that she had spent three years aiding the “illicit revenue generation efforts” of the government of North Korea.

For maybe a decade, North Korean intelligence services have been training young IT workers and sending them abroad in teams, often to China or Russia. From these bases, they scour the web for job listings all over, usually in software engineering, and usually with Western companies. They favor roles that are fully remote, with solid wages, good access to data and systems, and few responsibilities. Over time they began applying for these jobs using stolen or fake identities and relying on members of their criminal teams to provide fictional references; some have even started using AI to pass coding tests, video interviews, and background checks.

But if an applicant lands a job offer, the syndicate needs somebody on the ground in the country the applicant claims to live in. A fake employee, after all, can’t use the addresses or bank accounts linked to their stolen IDs, and they can’t dial in to a company’s networks from overseas without instantly triggering suspicion. That’s where someone like Christina Chapman comes in.

As the “facilitator” for hundreds of North Korea–linked jobs, Chapman signed fraudulent documents and handled some of the fake workers’ salaries. She would often receive their paychecks in one of her bank accounts, take a cut, and wire the rest overseas: Federal prosecutors say Chapman was promised as much as 30 percent of the money that passed through her hands.

Her most important job, though, was tending the “laptop farm.” After being hired, a fake worker will typically ask for their company computer to be sent to a different address than the one on record—usually with some tale about a last-minute move or needing to stay with a sick relative. The new address, of course, belongs to the facilitator, in this case Chapman. Sometimes the facilitator forwards the laptop to an address overseas, but more commonly that person holds onto it and installs software that allows it to be controlled remotely. Then the fake employee can connect to their machine from anywhere in the world while appearing to be in the US. (“You know how to install Anydesk?” one North Korean operative asked Chapman in 2022. “I do it practically EVERYDAY!” she replied.)

In messages with her handlers, Chapman discussed sending government forms like the I-9, which attests that a person is legally able to work in the US. (“I did my best to copy your signature,” she wrote. “Haha. Thank you,” came the response.) She also did basic tech troubleshooting and dialed into meetings on a worker’s behalf, sometimes on short notice, as in this conversation from November 2023:

Worker: We are going to have laptop setup meeting in 20 mins. Can you join Teams meeting and follow what IT guy say? Because it will require to restart laptop multiple times and I can not handle that. You can mute and just follow what they say ...

Chapman: Who do I say I am?

Worker: You don’t have to say, I will be joining there too.

Chapman: I just typed in the name Daniel. If they ask WHY you are using two devices, just say the microphone on your laptop doesn’t work right ... Most IT people are fine with that explanation.

Sometimes, she got jumpy. “I hope you guys can find other people to do your physical I9s,” she wrote to her bosses in 2023, according to court documents. “I will SEND them for you, but have someone else do the paperwork. I can go to FEDERAL PRISON for falsifying federal documents.” Michael Barnhart, an investigator at cybersecurity company DTEX and a leading expert on the North Korean IT worker threat, says Chapman’s involvement followed a standard pattern—from an innocuous initial contact on LinkedIn to escalating requests. “Little by little, the asks get bigger and bigger,” he says. “Then by the end of the day, you’re asking the facilitator to go to a government facility to pick up an actual government ID.”

By the time investigators raided Chapman’s home, she was housing several dozen laptops, each with a sticky note indicating the fake worker’s identity and employer. Some of the North Korean operatives worked multiple jobs; some had been toiling quietly for years. Prosecutors said at least 300 employers had been pulled into this single scheme, including “a top-five national television network and media company, a premier Silicon Valley technology company, an aerospace and defense manufacturer, an iconic American car manufacturer, a high-end retail store, and one of the most recognizable media and entertainment companies in the world.” Chapman, they alleged, had helped pass along at least $17 million. She pleaded guilty in February 2025 to charges relating to wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering and is awaiting sentencing.

Chapman’s case is just one of several North Korean fake-worker prosecutions making their way through US courts. A Ukrainian named Oleksandr Didenko has been accused of setting up a freelancing website to connect fake IT workers with stolen identities. Prosecutors say at least one worker was linked to Chapman’s laptop farm and that Didenko also has ties to operations in San Diego and Virginia. Didenko was arrested in Poland last year and was extradited to the United States. In Tennessee, 38-year-old Matthew Knoot is due to stand trial for his alleged role in a scheme that investigators say sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to accounts linked to North Korea via his laptop farm in Nashville. (Knoot has pleaded not guilty.) And in January 2025, Florida prosecutors filed charges against two American citizens, Erick Ntekereze Prince and Emanuel Ashtor, as well as a Mexican accomplice and two North Koreans. (None of the defendants’ lawyers in these cases responded to requests for comment.) The indictments claim that Prince and Ashtor had spent six years running a string of fake staffing companies that placed North Koreans in at least 64 businesses.

before the hermit kingdom had its laptop farms, it had a single confirmed internet connection, at least as far as the outside world could tell. As recently as 2010, that one link to the web was reserved for use by high-ranking officials. Then, in 2011, 27-year-old Kim Jong Un succeeded his father as the country’s dictator. Secretly educated in Switzerland and said to be an avid gamer, the younger Kim made IT a national priority. In 2012, he urged some schools to “pay special attention to intensifying their computer education” to create new possibilities for the government and military. Computer science is now on some high school curricula, while college students can take courses on information security, robotics, and engineering.

The most promising students are taught hacking techniques and foreign languages that can make them more effective operatives. Staff from government agencies including the Reconnaissance General Bureau— the nation’s clandestine intelligence service—recruit the highest-scoring graduates of top schools like Kim Chaek University of Technology (described by many as “the MIT of North Korea”) or the prestigious University of Sciences in Pyongsong. They are promised good wages and unfettered access to the internet—the real internet, not the intranet available to well-off North Koreans, which consists of a mere handful of heavily censored North Korean websites.

The earliest cyberattacks launched by Pyongyang were simple affairs: defacing websites with political messages or launching denial-of-service attacks to shut down US websites. They soon grew more audacious. In 2014, North Korean hackers famously stole and leaked confidential information from Sony’s film studio. Then they targeted financial institutions: Fraudulent trades pulled more than $81 million from the Bank of Bangladesh’s accounts at the New York Federal Reserve. After that, North Korean hackers moved into ransomware—the WannaCry attack in 2017 locked hundreds of thousands of Windows computers in 150 countries and demanded payments in bitcoin. While the amount of revenue the attack generated is up for debate—some say it earned just $140,000 in payouts—it wreaked much wider damage as companies worked to upgrade their systems and security, costing as much as $4 billion, according to one estimate.

Governments responded with more sanctions and stronger security measures, and the regime pivoted, dialing back on ransomware in favor of quieter schemes. It turns out these are also more lucrative: Today, the most valuable tool in North Korea’s cybercrime armory is cryptocurrency theft. In 2022, hackers stole more than $600 million worth of the cryptocurrency ether by attacking the blockchain game Axie Infinity; in February of this year, they robbed the Dubai-based crypto exchange Bybit of $1.5 billion worth of digital currency. The IT pretender scam, meanwhile, seems to have been growing slowly until the pandemic dramatically expanded the number of remote jobs, and Pyongyang saw the perfect opportunity.

In 2024, according to a recent report from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, the number of people working in North Korea’s cyber divisions—which includes pretenders, crypto thieves, and military hackers—stood at 8,400, up from 6,800 two years earlier. Some of these workers are based in the country, but many are stationed overseas in China, Russia, Pakistan, or elsewhere. They are relatively well compensated, but their posting is hardly cushy.

Teams of 10 to 20 young men live and work out of a single apartment, sleeping four or five to a room and grinding up to 14 hours a day at weird hours to correspond with their remote job’s time zone. They have quotas of illicit earnings they are expected to meet. Their movements are tightly controlled, as are those of their relatives, who are effectively held hostage to prevent defections. “You don’t have any freedom,” says Hyun-Seung Lee, a North Korean defector who lives in Washington, DC, and says some of his old friends were part of such operations. “You’re not allowed to leave the apartment unless you need to purchase something, like grocery shopping, and that is arranged by the team leader. Two or three people must go together so there’s no opportunity for them to explore.”

The US government estimates that a typical team of pretenders can earn up to $3 million each year for Pyongyang. Experts say the money is pumped into everything from Kim Jong Un’s personal slush fund to the country’s nuclear weapons program. A few million dollars may seem small next to the flashy crypto heists— but with so many teams operating in obscurity, the fraud is effective precisely because it is so mundane.

in the summer of 2022, a major multinational company hired a remote engineer to work on website development. “He would dial in to meetings, he would participate in discussions,” an executive at the company told me on condition of anonymity. “His manager said he was considered the most productive member of the team.”

One day, his coworkers organized a surprise to celebrate his birthday. Colleagues gathered on a video call to congratulate him, only to be startled by his response—but it’s not my birthday. After nearly a year at the company, the worker had apparently forgotten the birth date listed in his records. It was enough to spark suspicion, and soon afterward the security team discovered that he was running remote access tools on his work computer, and he was let go. It was only later, when federal investigators discovered one of his pay stubs at Christina Chapman’s laptop farm in Arizona, that the company connected the dots and realized it had employed a foreign agent for nearly a year.

For many pretenders, the goal is simply to earn a good salary to send back to Pyongyang, not so much to steal money or data. “We’ve seen long-tail operations where they were going 10, 12, 18 months working in some of these organizations,” says Adam Meyers, a senior vice president for counter adversary operations at the security company CrowdStrike. Sometimes, though, North Korean operatives last just a few days— enough time to download huge amounts of company data or plant malicious software in a company’s systems before abruptly quitting. That code could alter financial data or manipulate security information. Or these seeds could lay dormant for months, even years.

“The potential risk from even one minute of access to systems is almost unlimited for an individual company,” says Declan Cummings, the head of engineering at software company Cinder. Experts say that attacks are ramping up not just in the US but also in Germany, France, Britain, Japan and other countries. They urge companies to do rigorous due diligence: speak directly to references, watch for candidates making sudden changes of address, use reputable online screening tools, and conduct a physical interview or in-person ID verification.

But none of these methods are foolproof, and AI tools are constantly weakening them. ChatGPT and the like give almost anyone the capacity to answer esoteric questions in real time with unearned confidence, and their fluency with coding threatens to make programming tests irrelevant. AI video filters and deepfakes can also add to the subterfuge.

At an onboarding call, for instance, many HR representatives now ask new employees to hold their ID up to the camera for closer inspection. “But the fraudsters have a neat trick there,” says Donal Greene, a biometrics expert at the online background check provider Certn. They take a green-colored card the exact shape and size of an identity card—a mini green screen—and, using deepfake technology, project the image of an ID onto it. “They can actually move it and show the reflection,” says Greene. “It’s very sophisticated.” North Korean agents have even been known to send look-alikes to pick up a physical ID card from an office or to take a drug test required by prospective employers.

Even security experts can be fooled. In July 2024, Knowbe4, a Florida-based company that offers security training, discovered that a new hire known as “Kyle” was actually a foreign agent. “He interviewed great,” says Brian Jack, KnowBe4’s chief information security officer. “He was on camera, his résumé was right, his background check cleared, his ID cleared verification. We didn’t have any reason to suspect this wasn’t a valid candidate.” But when his facilitator—the US-based individual giving him cover—tried to install malware on Kyle’s company computer, the security team caught on and shut him out.

Back in london, Simon Wijckmans couldn’t let go of the idea that somebody had tried to fool him. He’d just read about the Knowbe4 case, which deepened his suspicions. He conducted background checks and discovered that some of his candidates were definitely using stolen identities. And, he found, some of them were linked to known North Korean operations. So Wijckmans decided to wage a little counter exercise of his own, and he invited me to observe.

I dial in to Google Meet at 3 am Pacific time, tired and bleary. We deliberately picked this offensively early hour because it’s 6 am in Miami, where the candidate, “Harry,” claims to be.

Harry joins the call, looking pretty fresh-faced. He’s maybe in his late twenties, with short, straight, black hair. Everything about him seems deliberately nonspecific: He wears a plain black crewneck sweater and speaks into an off-brand headset. “I just woke up early today for this interview, no problem,” he says. “I know that working with UK hours is kind of a requirement, so I can get my working hours to yours, so no problem with it.”

So far, everything matches the hallmarks of a fake worker. Harry’s virtual background is one of the default options provided by Google Meet, and his connection is a touch slow. His English is good but heavily accented, even though he tells us he was born in New York and grew up in Brooklyn. Wijckmans starts with some typical interview questions, and Harry keeps glancing off to his right as he responds. He talks about various coding languages and name-drops the frameworks he’s familiar with. Wijckmans starts asking some deeper technical questions. Harry pauses. He looks confused. “Can I rejoin the meeting?” he asks. “I have a problem with my microphone.” Wijckman nods, and Harry disappears.

A couple of minutes pass, and I start to fret that we’ve scared him away, but then he pops back into the meeting. His connection isn’t much better, but his answers are clearer. Maybe he restarted his chatbot, or got a coworker to coach him. The call runs a few more minutes and we say goodbye.

Our next applicant calls himself “Nic.” On his résumé he’s got a link to a personal website, but this guy doesn’t look much like the profile photo on the site. This is his second interview with Wijckmans, and we are certain that he’s faking it: He’s one of the applicants who failed the background check after his first call, although he doesn’t know that.

Nic’s English is worse than Harry’s: When he’s asked what time it is, he tells us it’s “six and past” before correcting himself and saying “quarter to seven.” Where does he live? “I’m in Ohio for now,” he beams, like a kid who got something right in a pop quiz.

Several minutes in, though, his answers become nonsensical. Simon asks him a question about web security. “Political leaders ... government officials or the agencies responsible for border security,” Nic says. “They’re responsible for monitoring and also securing the borders, so we can employ the personnel to patrol the borders and also check the documents and enforce the immigration laws.”

I’m swapping messages with Wijckmans on the back channel we’ve set up when it dawns on us: Whatever AI bot Nic seems to be using must have misinterpreted a mention of “Border Gateway Protocol”—a system for sending traffic across the internet—with national borders, and started spewing verbiage about immigration enforcement. “What a waste of time,” Wijckmans messages me. We wrap up the conversation abruptly.

I try to put myself in the seat of a hiring manager or screener who’s under pressure. The fraudsters’ words may not have always made sense, but their test scores and résumés looked solid, and their technical-sounding guff might be enough to fool an uninformed recruiter. I suspect at least one of them could have made it to the next step in some unsuspecting company’s hiring process.

Wijckmans tells me he has a plan if he comes across another pretender. He has created a web page that looks like a standard coding assessment, which he’ll send to fake candidates. As soon as they hit the button to start the test, their browser will spawn dozens of pop-up pages that bounce around the screen, all of them featuring information on how to defect from North Korea. Then loud music plays—a rickroll, “The Star-Spangled Banner”—before the computer starts downloading random files and emits an ear-splitting beep. “Just a little payback,” he says.

Wijckman’s stunt is not going to stop the pretenders, of course. But maybe it will irritate them for a moment. Then they’ll get back to work, signing on from some hacking sweatshop in China or through a laptop farm in the US, and join the next team meeting—a quiet, camera-off chat with coworkers just like me or you.

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Sanguine Storm - A Vampire!Niklas Kvarforth/Reader One Shot Story.

I wrote a follow up to Interview with the Vampire (which you can find here) Enjoy!

Words - 6,654

Warnings - Adult content and smut below the cut, minors DNI!

You’re used to travelling with your job, flying all over the world to interview musicians. The journey you have taken on this trip though is to conduct a meeting with somebody entirely different; the world authority, she coins herself. On all things vampire. 

It took time and many deep dive searches through the dark web, a place you were not altogether comfortable with visiting, before you found her. God, the sights you saw prior to finding Erzsébet Zrinski. Vampire’s might not be public knowledge, but they thrive openly within the darkest corner of the internet. Vampire porn? You got it, although it costs a fortune. Vampire sex worker services? Yep, you can find those, too, again the price steep.  

By comparison, Erzsébet’s knowledge comes at a very pocket-friendly sum. You just wish she accepted meetings via Zoom, but alas she will only impart her knowledge on a face-to-face basis, to protect herself in case she is ever secretly recorded. “The vampires, they would come for me, should they definitely know what I reveal about them.” 

Testament to this is the steep security she surrounds her modest home with, one located at the very end of a main drag of housing in the city of Szeged. Well, it’s steep if you’re a vampire, with the garlic plants growing all around in window boxes, and the window frames themselves fashioned from silver. 

“Ahh, (Y/N),” she speaks friendlily upon opening her door, eyes scanning the street with caution, pulling a silver coin from her pocket. “Your hand, before I welcome you into my home.” 

Holding it out, she presses it into your skin, waiting. Of course, if you were a vampire, your flesh would smoulder instantly. “You pass the test, but I must pat you down and check your bag for recording equipment before we proceed.” One quick pat down and bag check satisfy her, the elder middle-aged woman reassured even further when she sees you switch your phone off completely, thus earning her trust. 

Following her in, she steers you toward the table within her kitchen, the hearth crackling, a couple of cats and a long-haired terrier dog warming themselves in front of it. They appreciate the little scratches you offer to their heads before you sit down. Once furnished with tea, she joins you.  

“Now, dear. You are having difficulties with a vampire?”  

That’s putting it mildly. “I am, yes. Well, I think I am, but I’m not so sure.” Taking a breath, you begin your tale. “I met him a few months ago, and ever since then I keep thinking I see him. I’ll be walking along and suddenly be able to pick his face out amongst a group of people, but in the next second, he vanishes.” 

“They do indeed move quickly, dear,” she speaks. “Surely, you already knew that?”  

“Of course, but we live in different countries. Over a few thousand miles apart.” 

She sips her tea with a little wink. “A vampire can move a thousand miles in mere minutes. The older they are, the quicker they move and the stronger they are, too. Do you know his age?” 

“Five, in vampire years.” That’s about when you can pin him down to being turned, somewhere around the 2019 time, when Shining ceased playing festivals in the daytime and Niklas’s presence became a lot more reclusive, too. “It isn’t just that, though,” you continue, wringing your hands a few times. “He’s in my head. I hear his voice, I dream about him and it’s like he’s really there with me. He’s taunting me and I don’t know how to make him stop!” 

At seeing your anguish, Erzsébet reaches to pat your hand. “You drank some of his blood when you were with him, didn’t you?” 

A strange question to pose, you think. “I erm, I did, yes.”  

She hisses a wince, shaking her head as she closes her eyes. “Oh, darling girl. You shouldn’t have done that.” 

In truth, you needed to in order to keep up with him. Human flesh is much weaker than immortal, and being flung around a bedroom by a big, horny vampire? It takes its toll on the body, and their blood is healing when imbibed by a human. After the first two hours, you felt like you’d been sandblasted between your legs. “I erm, I needed to, because of what we were doing at the time and ..." 

Her nod is deep, humming knowingly. “I know all about that, dear.” She then whistles, low and lewd, her eyes narrowing a little. “Vigorous isn’t quite enough to describe, is it?” 

No. It would be fair to say that it isn’t. A hail of goose pimples pepper your skin at remembering it, being with him. It was like a thousand tiny lights shone to brilliance all over your body, heart thundering like a war drum, bitten, spanked, mauled, fucked in every position you could ever imagine – and some you never had before – his growls of desire in your ears, the feel of fangs grazing your skin, the taste of your own blood on his mouth. Him. He might have been dead, but while you were with him, you’d never felt more alive.  

While it was your body that called out to him, he now does the same to you, infiltrating your thoughts, haunting your dreams. Calling. Calling you endlessly.  

“Dear, you have a link with him now. His showing up like that? It's truly him, you are not losing your mind. He drank your blood, didn’t he?" Your nod confirms. The woman feels for you, she truly does. Because they’re so largely unbelieved and unknown to society, she doesn’t blame you an ounce for having no clue over how to deal with them. Especially when they become bothersome. “He’ll be able to find his way to you because of that, a bond that is fortified even deeper by his blood also being within you.” 

“For how long?” you sigh, hearing the desperation in your voice fully for the first time. 

“Six months, give or take.” Her mouth thins at your eye roll. “Expect this to last until then, when it’ll begin to weaken and he won’t be able to get inside your mind any longer, or know exactly where you are.” 

Shaking your head, you bite your lip, your insides sagging hard with dejection. “How does he even do it, though? How does it work?” 

“It’s the magic in them. Nobody is quite sure how, but it’s that little bit of magic there that makes them what they are. His blood being within your veins gives him a very direct link to you, meaning he can transmit thoughts and visions. They use it to manipulate people primarily, play with them on an emotional level.  

“If he’s proficient enough to do this as you sleep, then I draw the natural conclusion he was created by an ancient. Young vampires, they don’t have the skill, but if the one who made them is much older in years, then it is possible. That old blood makes them unbelievably powerful, even though in the grand scheme of things, he’s still just a baby at five.” 

Manipulation and emotional mind games. How very on brand for Niklas.  

Taking a sip of your tea, the warm liquid does little to comfort. “I can’t fucking stop thinking about him, Erzsébet. Which is exactly what he wants.” Closing your eyes, you see yourself there atop him, his fangs sunk deep into your neck, his arms clasping you to him as you howl in absolute ecstasy. “I try, but he’s too strong. Too alluring. Too damned charming and handsome for his own good.”  

“I don’t blame you, sweet girl,” she smiles, patting your hand again. “Deadly they may be, but god above, they are beautiful creatures. That allure, it’s near impossible to fight. Especially if he doesn’t want you to. Especially if you know what it is to lie with a vampire, and of course, you do. No mortal can compare to them.”  

Indeed not. The way he touched you, fucked you, it’s forever etched into your memory. No human man can ever hope to compare to Niklas. And yes, you do hate him a little for it, too. In fact, not even a little. A lot. You hate him because you still want him, because he’s worming his way in, for no other reason than the simple fact that he can.  

You remain there in the warmth of Erzsébet’s charming little house for a few more hours, leaning from her expertise, her wealth of knowledge. She feeds you a warming bowl of paprikash and gives you a little wine too, of which you are grateful, paying her for her time and leaving. You depart feeling more knowledgeable, but certainly no better about your predicament.  

The walk back to your hotel isn’t too long, the night warm enough still to enjoy the slow stroll, gazing upon the beauty that are the old buildings of the city. Stunning and looming, they offer a beautiful contrast to the newer, your eyes picking out the details of an architectural artform long abandoned for polished and shiny. Viewing one old building, you pause for a second, marvelling at the detail in each of the gargoyles. A wolf head, a man with his mouth open, the guttering overflow water leaking from it, a horse, Niklas, a dragon...  

Your head snaps back, blinking, seeing the spot he was sitting upon now empty, your hand delving into your pocket to clench tightly around the thick, silver chain you’ve taken to carrying with you everywhere. With your heart racing, you hurry through the streets, feeling a little safer when you pass a long row of bars and restaurants that lead down to the corner your hotel is located upon.  

There he is again in the crowd of people outside. In a blink, he disappears.  

Racing down to the hotel, you can feel him at your back, your shoulders tingling unpleasantly, the weight of his stare making you feel like your body is sinking beneath it, rushing for the door and heading inside. Truly, you’re no safer there really, with it being a public dwelling, meaning he can simply walk in after you. If it was your own home, he would need your permission before he could cross the threshold, so Erzsébet revealed. 

Why the fascination with you, you wonder? Surely, he must have a whole host of people he can do this to, ones located much nearer to home for him. Then again, travelling a few thousand miles, just like Erzsébet said, is truly not tasking for him at all. Still, though. Why you? Why not any of the regulars he likely feeds upon? According to her, vampires do develop a preferred blood source and become quite choosy thereafter.  

It’s all very secret society-esque, how they attain their life source. In every city and town across the world, there are select groups of people who know of their existence, and will allow the undead to feed on them. To know them, you have to look for the mark, a symbol of a small, two-headed bat. Some wear it upon jewellery, others have it tattooed, but willing donors always bear the slightly altered sigil synonymous with vampires somewhere upon their person. 

It still puzzles you, that you are not one of these people, and yet he revealed what he was to you. 

That reason, he keeps to himself, standing atop a tall building as he watches you walk through the foyer of the hotel. He knew it would begin to eat you alive, knowing what he is and not being able to broadcast it, to attain the kind of interview you’d truly like to, reveal what he is to the world with his permission to do so. Of which, he’d obviously never grant. Nothing irritates a journalist more than knowing they have to keep a secret, and that is precisely why he told you.  

Sitting down on the ledge, he closes his eyes, the dark void within him calling out to the blood that pumps through your heart, the body it came from causing it to flare as he smiles, imagining himself with you. He feels your heartbeat escalating as he beams that image into your head, his smirk growing. Meanwhile, you’re gripping onto the elevator rail, your breathing ragged, trying to block him out, his haunting, rumbling laughter filling your ears.  

Opening his eyes again, he looks at the hotel one last time before standing, stepping clean off the eighty foot building and landing neatly upon the ground below, vanishing once more into the night.  

You arrive home two days later, your flight landing at 11pm, an expensive Uber ride ferrying you across the city to your home. Once there, the need to simply fall into bed is overridden by your desire for a little organisation, to settle comfortably after pulling out your clothes and throwing them into the washing machine. Besides, you actually slept for a couple of hours during your flight.  

Once showered and comfortable in an oversized sweatshirt and comfy little shorts, you make yourself a sandwich, not overly hungry, cutting it up into smaller triangles and pouring yourself a glass of wine. It’s a 2018 Tefethen Family Vineyards Merlot; the very same one he bought for you, the one you’ve developed quite the taste for. You suppose too, it serves as a reminder of the night. Although admitting that doesn’t come easily. 

With every sip, you’re transported back to that private room within the bar, remembering the charm and wit of the man, the hilarity of his stories, how immovable his ‘couldn’t give a single fuck’ nature was. That and his intelligence, the breadth of his interests and knowledge, all of it wrapped up in something sinister and unnerving that you couldn’t quite place your finger on. 

If only you’d known then what you do now, that you were interviewing a vampire. 

“You know, you might succeed in getting him out of your head if you stopped fucking thinking about him,” you mutter, taking another bite of your food. “You’re only making it worse.” 

Not even pure loathing of him can truly besmirch the memory. There is something so deeply arousing about fucking living death and surviving it. He could have killed you in a heartbeat, but he didn’t.  

It isn’t like you’ve become lovestruck by him, absolutely not. Meeting an intelligent and fascinating musician isn’t uncommon for you, with the regularity it happens. Meeting a vampire, though, who soon afterwards took you to bed and gave you the best sex of your life? Entirely different. You still crave him beyond measure, and all the hate in the world will never dilute that longing. 

You are, however, incensed that he probably knows that only too well. 

Yes, the knowledge that you still desire him is likely what fuels his mind games. He has to have something to do for fun, you suppose, now that drugs are well and truly out of the equation for him. He could snort every single last gram of cocaine within Bolivia and not feel the effect, being that of course, he’s dead. You can’t help but smirk at that. Schadenfreude feels good when the subject is deserving.  

He certainly revels in the very same, after all. 

Once your sandwich is finished, you listlessly move to the sofa, switching on the TV and seeing there’s a new documentary on Netflix that takes your interest, pouring another glass of wine and settling in to watch. Tiredness has other plans, though.  

It must do, for you have to be asleep when you experience your top being lifted and a cold set of lips pressing a kiss to your navel. After all, Niklas cannot enter your home unless you invite him.  

Not again. For fuck’s sake, he’s relentless! 

“Get off.” Opening your eyes, you see him smirking up at you. God, he’s so smug! 

He places another kiss upon your abdomen, fingers clutching at your shorts. “We both know you don’t mean that, darling.” 

“I’m not your darling,” you mutter, pushing at him with your feet.  

He merely takes one, tickling your toes with his tongue. “You are when I’m balls deep in your pussy.” 

Sighing, you sit up, pushing him away with your hands, his long form settling to the couch as he shakes his head. “Niklas, get out of my head. I know this isn’t real. Fuck off.” 

“No, but it could be,” he speaks, kissing you slowly from your wrist down to your inner elbow, the seductive press of lips making your blood spark. “I’m outside of your home right now. Invite me in, and this becomes very real.”  

Your reply is immediate, resolute. “I don’t want it to be, though.” 

“Remember when I told you do not lie to me, because I will know?” Indeed, you do, becoming rapidly lost in the icy blue stare as he leans to you, nose touching yours. “I know that you lie. I feel that you lie. Blood never tells an untruth.”  

He’s right, and you hate that he is, has this power over you, understands how to play you perfectly, your body the instrument he knows exactly how to handle in order to elicit the desired musicality. Tipping your head back, his lips ghost the column of your throat, just enough to feel you yearn for it, chuckling with a deep rasp. “Wake up, and give in.” 

The press of his mouth evokes such a visceral jolt, you sit up on the sofa with a start, breathless, heart hammering, the tight pinch of arousal throbbing deep within. Flinging yourself to your feet, you still don’t know whether you’re going to invite him in and drag him to your bed by his neck, or scream at him for being so fucking insufferable when you get there. Suffice to say you’re stirred heavily in both directions as you yank the front door open, your eyes widening in surprise to be met by nothing.  

Nothing other than the sound of haunting laughter coming from behind you.  

Spinning around, you see him over on the small balcony that your lounge opens onto, waving with a sinisterly amused grin before his head tips back and he laughs more, riddled with mirth. The fucking bastard.  

“Oh, so after all your protests, you do want me?”  

The absolute nerve of him! 

Silver. You need silver, because oh good lord, big, scary vampire or not, you shan’t take this lying down a moment longer. Storming through your apartment, you rip the drawer of the hallway cabinet open, your hands scattering papers, old postcards and other assorted junk out of the way, your fingers grasping exactly what you require before marching to the sliding door and hurling it open. 

“Ooooh, she’s gonna get me!” he states mockingly, holding up his hands, eyes wide.  

Raising the sharp letter opener, you hold it beneath his chin, his flesh beginning to sizzle as he stiffens momentarily. “Leave me alone and I won’t take great pleasure in ramming this upwards, before I tear it down and slice your throat open, you vile sack of dead flesh!”  

He looks puzzled, cocking his head a little. “That’s a little rude, to say such things to the vampire who made you come, what was it, twenty times in three hours?”  

“I mean it!” you snarl, pushing the point harder, watching his smile grow. 

“Do it,” he encourages, leaning closer, his eyes flashing bright, revelling in it. 

“I will! I’ll fucking end you out here!” 

He curls his hands around your wrists, beginning to assist in that pushing. “Darling, did your little Hungarian friend not tell you? For silver to work effectively, it has to be solid, not plated. So no, you won’t end me.” Steering your hand upwards, the letter opener pierces him, Niklas laughing maniacally the further it tears through his flesh, his mouth filling with blood as the point of it exits to the side of his tongue.  

You can only stare on in horror as his cold blood trickles over your fingers, his laughter growing, booming, your nerves setting your body to quiver as he sticks his tongue out and lets the blood flow onto the floor. 

“Fuck, that got me hard,” he laughs, taking the letter opener and ripping from his jaw, dropping it onto the floor with a clatter as his wounds swiftly begin to heal. “And now here you are, with no weapon, and no safety of being inside your home. Just you and me.” He leans close, tongue tickling your earlobe with a faint groan. “So, now what are you going to do?”  

In truth, as your heart thunders so rapidly that you feel nauseous, you have no idea. He’s got you. You cannot return inside, because he’ll simply move rapidly enough to block your path, you can’t call out for help, because there’s nobody coming to save you here. You’re stuck, and the delight he experiences in knowing this plays all over his face.  

“I... I... I...” Floundering is all you have, the shame of it pinking your cheeks, fear cording every muscle tightly.  

“You... you... you...” he mocks, stroking a bloodied finger down your cheek. “This is too much fun! Aren’t you having fun?” Looming over you, he begins to walk, penning you against the wall bordering your balcony and the next, his finger sliding tantalisingly down to your neck. “I must be just as crazy as they say I am, because I’d still take you to bed and fuck you in a heartbeat, (Y/N). Even though you came out here to attack me, I would still show you a very, very good time.”  

You gulp, transfixed by the intensity of his eyes, your bottom lip beginning to quiver as he leans even nearer to you, lips ghosting your neck before his tongue flickers against your pulse point. 

“Give up and invite me in.” 

“No.” 

“Oh, she found her voice,” he whispers, beginning to scatter kisses, his hands clutching your hips gently. “Tell me you want me.” 

“I don’t!” 

“You still lie to me, little human.” More kisses, his thumbs stroking, skimming the top of your shorts, heat beginning to crackle beneath your skin. “Tell me you want me.” 

And god, how you do. How you hate him for it, the juxtapose clashing angrily within you, his arms slipping around your waist as he presses his body into yours, melding himself with you, those kisses against your neck gaining in intensity. He wasn’t lying either, when he said he’d gotten hard.  

“Tell me you want me.”  

Again, that demand is spoken, followed by a faint, aroused groan, knowing he’s eroding away at your resolve. You can feel it happening, brick by brick, your will not to succumb to him crumbling like an ancient tower, your hands moving to smooth down his wide chest. Fuck, he feels good beneath your touch.  

You know you’re the instigator of your own downfall, but you can’t help it. “I want you.” 

His mouth lands upon yours, kissing you, a torrid blaze burning everything in its wake, knocked sideways by the force of him, the blinding allure. There it is, that feeling of a thousand tiny lights blinking into brilliance inside of you, your hands moving to his face, clutching, nails grazing his beard as your tongue rolls sensually with his. 

Pulling away from the kiss, he looks down at you, a grin widening his mouth. “Maybe next time.” 

He vanishes in a flash, leaving you there with your mouth agape, still trying to catch your breath as the fear and desire of it now mixes with sheer furious anger. It is not a particularly fitting alchemy. 

“I fucking hate that vampire!” 

Picking up the bloodied letter opener, you enter your apartment again, locking the door behind you and drawing he curtains, stirred by him so heavily you end up finishing that bottle of wine before you fall asleep, frowning into the darkness. Of course, he can feel your agitation, and it pleases him, which only means you fall asleep even angrier that night.  

In the days that follow, you don’t experience too much disturbance from him, only what your own mind conjures, rapidly shaking your head as if to physically throw the memory of him from your mind whenever it enters your head. Life continues as normal, work keeping you busy, a few visits to the office breaking the monotony of the fact that since lockdown, most of the editorial staff for the magazine now work remotely.  

You also have dinner plans with friends, very much looking forward to catching up with these loved ones, spending your Friday night enjoying their company over good wine and even better food, moving onto a bar afterwards. It’s late by the time you call it a night, trying to find an Uber but quickly realising you’d probably arrive home much sooner if you walked. It’s only thirty-five minutes on foot, give or take. 

The built-up area of the city breaks free from the jungle of concrete, heading through the lesser dense areas but for safety’s sake, keeping to as much of the main roads as you can. There is, however, a route you must take beneath a large bridge, an elevated section of road where it is much safer to pass beneath than upon it, the traffic crazy even at that time of night.  

“Hey, ‘scue me, sweetheart. Got any spare change?”  

Turning, you see a man approach through the quiet gloom, one who obviously isn’t homeless, merely drunk and probably all spent out. “No, I don’t.”  

Continuing to walk, you pick up the pace, knowing the man is staggering along after you. 

“Looks like you have, nicely dressed woman like you,” he speaks, advancing on you. “Oi, don’t fucking ignore me! Wait, talk t’me. You’re pretty. Wanna take me home?” 

“Fuck off.”  

He isn’t fond of hearing that, making a grab for your arm. “Don’t be rude, babe! C’mere!” 

“I said fuck off!” you shout, trying to pull yourself from his clutches, until with immediate effect you’re freed. Turning, you see the man pinned by his throat against the heavy bridge supports, Niklas growling low in his throat, that predatory rumble having its usual effect on you. 

“Never touch her again.” 

The man struggles, but cannot free himself of his grasp. “Who th’fuck are you and where d’ya come from?” 

“Neither matter. Apologise to her.” 

Again, he struggles, the grip around his neck tightening, Niklas lifting him from the floor one handed with staggering ease, the man’s eyes bulging wide. “Fuck off! Let me go!” 

He raises his eyebrows, nodding in your direction. “She told you the same, and yet you didn’t. Why should I, hmm?”  

“Because you’re a fucking psycho!” 

That rouses a wide grin. “Correct.” He then makes a beckoning motion with his hand in your direction. Walking over, you stop reasonably close to him, Niklas physically turning the man’s head in your direction. “Apologise, and I will let you go.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“What for?” 

Oh, he’s having too much fun, playing with him. At least it isn’t you for a change. “For grabbing you.” 

Niklas turns to you, raising his eyebrows. “Happy?” 

“I suppose,” you nod, folding your arms.  

“See?” he grins at the man. “That’s all you had to do.” With one swift movement, the man is hurled through the air like a human javelin, coming to a thudded half against one of the other support pillars about ten feet away, grunting when he hits the ground. Niklas then turns to you, extending his hand.  

“Come on, let’s get you home.” You look between him and the hand a few times, your hesitation earning an eye roll. “I can be gentlemanly when I want to be, (Y/N). Let me walk you home.”  

“Fine,” you pout, “but I’m not holding your hand. I know your reasons for helping me weren’t borne of any benevolence.” 

A single eyebrow arches high. “Then tell me, what were they borne of?” 

“I desire to get between my legs, changing tactics since you know being a shit about it doesn’t sway me.” 

He hums a chuckle as you begin to walk, pressing a hand to your shoulder. “But it does, though. It worked last time, didn’t it?” He’s got you there. Bastard. “I can be quite a decent vampire when I set my mind to it. Women like you shouldn’t have to suffer nuisances like him.” 

“No,” you scoff, looking up at your undead companion, “I only have to suffer the nuisance currently at my side.” He laughs, and you walk together silently for a few seconds, before the question you’ve had burning away on the tip of your tongue finally flutters out. “Why me?” 

“Why not you?” 

Of course, he’s going to be difficult about it. “You must have a slew of other women you can call upon for sex. Why me? Why play the games?”  

“Not just women,” he corrects with a wink. No, you wouldn’t put that past him at all; to confirm he’d fuck anything with a pulse. “Because you are interesting. You’re also an amazing fuck, and my fucking dark lord below... that ass. I could chip a fang on that ass.” 

“You know, leading with that would have made you way less irritating to me than you have been,” you quip, crossing the road, noting the way he touches a protective hand to your lower back. This Niklas, he’s much more in line with how he was when you interviewed him, and you hate that you like it so much.  

“I could have, you’re right,” he begins, smirking. “Where would the fun be in that, though?”  

“It isn’t much fun for me.” 

“It isn’t supposed to be, but it is for me.” 

He’s so fucking insufferable! “Menace.” 

“Hmm, I've been called much worse. I’ll take that.” Looking down at you, he witnesses you trying desperately not to find the humour in that, giving you a soft dig with his elbow. “Come on, crack your face. You know you want to. Plus, you have a pretty smile.” 

Oh, fuck him. Fucking fuck him all the way to hell, the corners of your mouth turning up.  

“That’s a fucking grimace. You look constipated.” 

The snort of laughter his words pull from you cannot be contained, and yes, beneath it you’re furious with him for it. Yourself, too, for weakening your resolve. “See? Much better,” he speaks, turning his gaze from you up towards the sky. “There’s a storm on the way. The thunder is rumbling.” 

“I didn’t hear anything,” you speak. 

“Your ears wouldn’t have picked up on it. It’s a way off. Look at the clouds, it’ll be here soon.” Reaching for you, he lifts you into his arms. “Hold on tightly.”  

You do, experiencing the feeling of what it must be like to get shot out of a canon, a total of three seconds passing before he’s placing you back upon your feet at your front door.  

“There, your vampire delivery service has successfully deposited the cargo at its correct address,” he begins, reaching to run his fingers in a circle at the side of your neck. “I’ve behaved myself. Do I get to be invited in, so I can change that?” 

The wink he accompanies those words with makes your heart skip on a couple of beats, your resolve once again weakening. If only he wasn’t so fucking hot. If only he wasn’t the best sex of your life. If only he wasn’t a temperamental, head-fucking, yet staggeringly charismatic vampire. You might have stood a chance.  

When his mouth locks upon yours, that tentative resolve fractures to pieces.  

“Come in.” you speak between kisses, wondering if this will be a decision you’ll come to regret once you’re no longer blinded by feral desire. Or rather, once he reverts to the more nefarious side of his nature. You’re half herded, half dragging him along, discarded clothes forming a trail through your apartment, Niklas lifting you, fingers dug hard into your thighs. 

Your back hits the wall, his mouth devouring yours, practically eating your face with the hunger coursing through him. It knocks the breath from you, the feel of his icy skin pressed tight against your warmth a sensation you never thought you’d come to crave, yet experiencing it again makes you realise just how much you longed for it.  

The route to your bedroom is recommenced, Niklas kicking the door open, the entanglement of you and him hitting the mattress with a thud. It’s wildly carnivorous, kisses virtually ripped from your lips, his mouth descending, pressing against your throat like brandings searing hot, preceding the true burn, his fangs popping out.  

You cling tight to him as the bite locks onto you like a wolf devouring its kill, the thrill of it sending goose pimples charging across your skin like a herd of wild horses. The sensation of him feeding upon you feels like a thousand thunderstorms striking beneath your skin, blindingly erotic, more so than anyone could comprehend without experiencing it.  

His is a touch that casts silent, wordless spells upon your body, knowing it in a way you’re not even sure you do, mouth descending to settle at your apex, closing over your slit and sucking with a hungry grunt of satisfaction. Cool licks meet the heat of your petals, his fingers digging into the soft of your thighs hard, leaving red crescents upon your skin as your hips shudder against his mouth.  

It’s as if smouldering embers replace the vertebrae of your spine, glowing one by one as his tongue circles in slow firmness to begin with, speeding up, faster, faster... oh, fuck. The rapidity has you clutching the sides of his shaven head, his skin temporarily clawed red by the drag of your nails, your muscles tensing from the duality of it being too much, but somehow not enough.  

Your first orgasm hits you like the storm that’s beginning to swirl overhead, bolts of light cracking the sky as rain patters against the windowpanes, your body shivering, the mouth between your legs granting no clemency. He continues, devouring you like a man half starved, hands trawling your curves to settle upon your breasts, groaning against your folds as his tongue laves at you firmly.  

“Niklas, you need to stop,” you pant, watching him suck on you firmly, shaking his head. 

“I’m happy where I am.” 

“But you can’t fuck my mouth while you’re down there.”  

Oh, that caught his attention. His grin widens, deeply sinister but sexy as hell, a rumbling chuckle filling the room. “Dirty girl. I like it, but later. First, I will ruin you.”  

Standard with him, really, his mouth reconnecting once more.  

The wet drag of each lick languidly rolls through your slit, up to your clit again, circling, nudging, glimmers skittering through you when he aims his next suck right there. Your little bud is sucked plumper before being bathed in the fast beating of his tongue. Fast… faster… faster… oh… how is he real?   

Your body arches off the bed, toes curling, an orb of fire rolling through your groin before boom, it explodes, your legs wrapping around his head, feeling your clit throbbing against his tongue. He truly meant it when he stated that he’d ruin you, because once again, he doesn’t cease. With an aroused moan, he closes his mouth around you, hands continuing to stroke your curves, holding you still when your hips begin to purl against his face.  

There’s no other way to explain it, he has you lost in pleasure, unmoored, adrift on the wide, dark sea that is the vampire between your legs, your body quivering as the hum of your energy mingling with his flows unabatingly. He has you cresting a third time before moving to kneel before you, drawing your legs up over his shoulders, sinking every last inch of his thick cock into your heat, transfixing, a shudder of excitement ripping his tattooed form. 

The way vampires move, it’s so different to humans, something hypnotic that you truly can’t describe, but will never tire of seeing, experiencing as he roots himself in the plush of your cunt again and again.  

Otherworldly is perhaps the best way you could coin it, just like him, coupled with the noises he makes, that guttural growl that’s far from human, a beastly rumble that never fails to set your insides to blaze. You hiss at the ebullience of it, nails raking his chest, his cock snagging against the tight clutch of you.  

He’s heavy and wide within you, wracked by muscles cording, jumping under goose pimpled flesh. He speeds up, spearing you deeply, the flex of your heat around him making pleasure tumble through his deadness, sparking light through the dark of him. His body falls to yours, gripping your hips hard, another flash of lightning illuminating the room, his tongue running up your throat as he groans eerily, biting your earlobe.  

Grasping your jaw, he turns your head with a swift jerk, something seeming to soften in him for just a fraction of a second when he kisses you.  

“You...” he begins, hand moving to clutch your throat, “are perhaps the most beautiful woman I have been with in a long time.”  

High praise, coming from a vampire who likely has an entire harem on standby. That little display of tenderness goes just as quickly as it came, though, Niklas pulling you up so you’re sat astride him, one hand remaining in a tight clasp upon your throat, the other beginning to lay rapid, hard spanks to your bum.  

He fucks up into you with brutal force, your own hips rutting against his in a roll so deliciously serpentine, you have him feeling mindless at the way you fuck him back. The pleasure is biting and powerful, like a summer tempest winding tight, rolling over you both without pause in a ceaseless continuation, gaining the same heavy momentum as the storm that rages on outside.  

Except what you and Niklas share that night far outlasts the thunder storm, your body once again ravaged beyond comprehension, until you’re tired and sore, finally coming to rest at somewhere close to 2am. Unlike last time, though, he doesn’t leave right away. It’s almost alien to you, lying there atop his body, feeling his fingers stroke swirls up and down your spine as you recover.  

Turning you onto your side as your eyes grow heavy, he stares at you for a long moment, his fingertip stroking just above your eyebrow. You blink, and it’s in that moment he vanishes, something in you expecting he’d leave wordlessly just like the last time. It’s his nature not to hang around. 

In the days that follow, you wait for his mind games to resume, his presence to come crashing into your dreams, but to your surprise, it never happens. Three months pass and the link to him through your blood fades to nothing at all, life continuing like he never came into it.

Exiting your apartment one morning a further month along from then, you almost kick over the bottle that’s been placed outside your door, bending to pick it up. Tefethen Family Vineyards Merlot; 2018, with a note attached. 

‘It would be unfair for you to return to the bore of a human lover now you’ve had me. If you want me again, call the number below. If I can, I will be there before you’ve even hung up. If not, then you are plainly stupid and have no idea what is good for you.  

You aren’t stupid though, are you?  

N.’ 

No, you’re definitely not. Still, though, you make him wait a further month before calling.

[riddleonhermind]

APRIL 2002

1) and 2) The fan site DigitalJCChasez.net features a transcribed interview from PopWorld.

Transcriber(s): “Kathi”

Title: PopWorld Interview with *NSYNC: April 2002

Original Source: PopWorld broadcast interview (unavailable)

Secondary Source: Digital JC Chasez news page

Current link: https://web.archive.org/web/20030419055307/http://www.digitaljcchasez.net/press2.html#popworld (full transcript)

3) The *NSYNC Studio fan site cites an US Weekly article claiming that the group’s hiatus would be 1 year long. The article also supposedly claimed that the prospects of *NSYNC reuniting hinged on whether Justin’s solo album was successful or not.

Author(s): Unknown

Title: Justin’s Solo Moves

Original Source: US Weekly Magazine (Unavailable)

Secondary Source: *NSYNC Studio newsroom

Current Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20021002210427/http://www.nsyncstudio.com/newsroom/apr02/1094.html 

4) In an Entertainment Weekly article about Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s professional and romantic lives, an unnamed Jive spokesman was quoted as saying that there was no JT album scheduled and that *NSYNC would be working on a new album in the summer.

Author(s): Clarissa Cruz

Title: What’s Next for Britney and Justin?

Original Source: Entertainment Weekly website

Current Link: https://ew.com/article/2002/04/18/whats-next-britney-and-justin-2/  (full article)

5) Pop Dirt.com published a transcript for an interview on MTV’s TRL. According to this transcript, Joey Fatone told Carson Daly that *NSYNC would be taking a break for the rest of the year.

Transcriber(s): Unknown

Title: Joey Fatone Addresses *NSYNC Rumors On TRL

Original Source: MTV Network live broadcast (unavailable)

Secondary Source: PopDirt.com transcript

Current Link: http://popdirt.com/joey-fatone-addresses-nsync-rumors-on-trl/3893/#more-3893 (full transcript)

6) During an interview on the Rosie O’Donnell Show Lance responded to questions about the space trip,saying he still needed to undergo more testing and that being a part of the mission was still indefinite.

Author(s): None

Title :None

Original Source: The Rosie O’Donnell Show broadcast (unavailable)

Secondary Source: Tiffany Martin YouTube channel

Current Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbxwbttGucM (full interview)

[dannyboy-returns]

Research Updates:

THE FUCK YOU MEAN NEW YORK JUST HAD A BIG LIZARD MAN TERRORIZING IT AND THEY RELEASED HIM AFTER HIS ARREST FOR "SCIENCE REASONS"??

lizard guy, electric guy, some guy who threw PUMPKIN BOMBS AT SHIT?? All those fucking guys were employed by the same fucking company and one of those fuckers WAS THE HEIR TO THE FUCKING THING??

AND ITS STILL AN ACTIVE COMPANY??

If I wasn't essentially living in the store of some ex punk rocker this would be the shit that radicalized me. they're trying to "clean up their image" and "go green" now or whatever that means I know they're just buying those little slips that let them go beyond allowed levels of pollution outputs or whatever.. ANYWAY like I said they just let that lizard guy go after a couple years which like I guess he learned his lesson because after his lizard shit he pivoted to spiders probably because of that spider guy who stopped him crazy btw that spiderman guy okay we're just shooting webs now I guess I'd say it'd make me feel a little less like a freak BUT THE FUCKER JUST DISAPPEARED he fought some rando guy in a rhino suit ALSO STOLEN FROM THAT OSCORP PLACE BTW?? and then like accidentally killed some mugger because he got too angry or something stupid like that like dude grow up so I guess back to freak square one.

Anyway Dr. Connors (lizard guy) went on to work with spiders and you'll never guess what city they transferred the guy to. I'd ask him what the fuck is up but the fucker died like 5 years ago. In his sleep too like your lab couldn't have exploded or something cool like that?? you live your life the lizard guy who tried to turn New York into lizard people and then you die in your sleep like a loser. Whatever.

ANYWAY I'm trying to dig more into the project he was working on but apparently it's ongoing and a LOT of the records aren't available to the public so either I have to get good at talking to people, get good at hacking, or get really good at breaking and entering to find out more about it probably the first one the others feel like extreme like hello?? Idk they sound more fun than the just interviewing scientists.i mean. Could be fun still sure they'll probably talk your ear off if you ask them the right questions about what they're doing.

Blah blah blah whatever that's gonna be a work in progress I'll probably see if OSCORP has had anymore scandals they've failed to cover up by now since it's been like 10 years since they're major one back in NYC so .. branching out my research into that spiderman shit. Looking into whatever he could do, reddit threads, old news papers just stuff like that. Mercury might have fun with that stuff. Apparently his reaction time was like CRAZY I'll get them to just throw shit at me at random on the clock see if it'll kick in or something. Climbing stuff might be the test after that but I think a runners build is not one that's ment to be a spotter so I'll have to figure that one out some other time

That's all I got for now. I'll keep updates or whatever. I'll try to at least. Uh byeee

[happiness-of-the-pursuit]

Hi! Decided to make an organized list of my AO3 fics, which as of right now are all for Red, White and Royal Blue. Here's a brief but comprehensive breakdown:

My first fics are part of my RWRB YouTube Interviews series (originally inspired by th0ughts' RWRB media fics):

Prince Henry and FSOTUS Alex Claremont-Diaz Answer the Web’s Most Searched Questions (Rating: T, Words: 2,402)

10 Things Alex Claremont-Diaz Can’t Live Without (Rating: M, Words: 2,928)

10 Things HRH Prince Henry Can’t Live Without (Rating: T, Words: 2,527)

Prince Henry and FSOTUS Alex Claremont-Diaz Take a Couples Quiz (Rating: T, Words: 4,941)

The Super Six Take a Lie Detector Test | Vanity Fair (Rating: M, Words: 7,328)

ALEX CLAREMONT-DIAZ COMMUNES WITH HIS ANCESTORS WHILE EATING SPICY WINGS | Hot Ones (Rating: T, Words: 3,068)

PRINCE HENRY SENTENCES US TO THE DUNGEONS WHILE EATING SPICY WINGS | Hot Ones (Rating: T, 3,056)

FirstPrince Sings Queen, Lil Nas X, and Taylor Swift in a Game of Song Association | ELLE (Rating: T, Words: 2,552)

My One Shots:

Freaky Friday (I woke up in my enemy's body): Dual POV Body Swap AU, diverging from canon at Kensington (Rating: M, Words: 8K)

FirstPrince Week Fics, all currently* one shots:

How well you play...that's up to you: a Grey's Anatomy inspired AU (Rating: M, Words: 4K)

Keep this Love in a Photograph: fluffy slice of life, ft. a photo album (Rating: T, Words: 2.6K)

The Starwand: three summer scenes in Texas; past, present, future (Rating: T, Words: 1.7K)

Somebody Call 911: clandestine hookups behind a roommate's back (Rating: M, Words: 2.4K)

Sets on the Beach: intramural beach volleyball, rivals to lovers (Rating: M, Words: 3.6K)

Water over Blood: 5 times a royal loved Alex & 1 time they loved Henry; featuring firstprince as uncles (Rating: T, Words: 3K)

L(ate) S(leepy) A(morous) T(exting): missing scenes of Alex preparing for the LSAT (Rating: M, Words: 1K)

My Multi-Chapter Works:

Claremont 2008: Now Complete. Canon divergence imagining if Ellen was elected in 2008 instead of 2016. 2009 at Buckingham Palace for tea. A sleepover after a quinceañera in 2010. The 2012 London Olympics. A 2014 Model UN Conference. A funeral in 2015. College and another campaign trail. And the texts, facetimes, and chain emails in between. (Rating: M, Words: 26K)

Baby's First Pride: WIP, update will happen but not soon-having some writer's block on this one. This is simply the Super Six planning and experiencing their first pride month after the emails. (Rating: E, Words: 10K)

I also have a co-written Percy Jackson AU with @inexplicablymine and @read-and-write-. I'll do my best to keep this updated :)

*planning on and expanding one of the FPW fics

[maddieautobot273]

Silk & Cologne (56)

A Miguel O'Hara x OC Fanfic - link to AO3 (X)

Chapter 56: Support - previous chapter (X)

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x Female !Spidersona OC

Words: 3K+ words

Warning: PG for brief flashbacks

Summary: Miguel and Lisa both struggle figuring out what to do next.

////////

Miguel’s P.O.V. 

“Anything yet, Lyla?” 

Miguel was scouring every inch and corner of the Web of Destiny, the map that outlined every link and dimension of the multiverse. After multiple attempts of waiting for her to contact Lisa again and interviewing multiple other Spiders he knew of who had interacted with her in the past, Miguel still couldn’t find any trace of Madame Web’s whereabouts. Before he was getting frustrated, now he is becoming increasingly irritated. 

“Nothing,” Lyla shook her head in dismay before falling flat on her back, hovering in the air, appearing exhausted. “It’s like she’s a ghost!”

Miguel scowled, a frown on his face as he scratched off another sector of the multiverse, or as he calls it the arachno-humanoid poly-multiverse, or the spiderverse as Lisa once called it not too long ago. The corner of his lips curled upward at the memory, but it was short lived as he deactivated the projection of the webs. 

He watches as the webs retract and turn back into branches, shriveling back as the beautiful white tree that sprouted shrinks down to the floor and the spot flickers like a drop rippling in a pond. As it’s happening, one of Lisa’s questions echoes in Miguel’s mind and it only seems to fuel is irritation. ‘Why hasn’t she been helping you with all this anomaly stuff?’ 

He hated that he didn’t know, and he hated that he felt like he couldn’t tell her. 

He hated that he couldn’t communicate with Madame Web like some of the other spiders could, because it reminded him how different he was from the others. 

He hated how she hadn’t reached out to him, wondering if she couldn’t connect with him because he wasn’t bitten by a radioactive spider or simply because she didn’t want to see him. 

Especially after their first and last fateful encounter just over a year ago. 

He still recalled doing one of his gizmo test jumps. Stumbling into her hub, her throne room. He still got shivers crawling up his spine thinking about it, and that slick, thin, smile. 

“Miguel?” Lyla’s voice plucks Miguel’s thoughts back to the present and only then does he realize that he had been squeezing his fists a little too white before he relaxed them.

“I need a break.” Miguel sighed deeply, turning to leave. “I’m gonna go work out, blow off some steam.”

/////////

Lisa’s P.O.V. 

“Your muffins don’t have the little sugar cubes on top?” Spider-Woman Canada gasped, the eyelets of her mask widening as she slipped off her fur-hood in surprise. 

“Did your Ice Caps at any point taste like peanut butter?” I asked her in turn. 

“Um, no?!” She recoiled, hand over her chest. “Lord have mercy, what happened?”

“An American company bought the company and changed the recipes.” I shrugged in defeat before stuffing a Tim-Bit in my mouth. 

“I think that sounds pretty tasty.” Hobie grinned over at me. 

“Not when your nation is having a peanut allergy problem.” I retorted. 

I was hanging out in one of the secluded gymnasiums of the training center with the usual gang. Gwen, and Hobie chilled while Spider-Woman Canada came by to say hi and brought me a little get well gift. A bag full of goodies and signature ice cappuccinos from her dimension’s Tim Horton's. 

After Spider-Doc cleared me to walk again, I’ve been visiting HQ a lot more now. Although I have yet to be cleared by Miguel for active duty. There hasn’t been any activity from Earth-1997, by either Harry Osborne, Dr. Octavious, or any of their goons, but Miguel had been playing it safe these last few days. Incredibly safe. 

As much as I was happy to be able to see all my spider friends on the regular again, I missed helping them out. I wanted to start going on missions again. I wanted to contribute to protecting the multiverse, Miguel’s glorious purpose. 

One day, when Miguel lightens up a bit. 

All of us were watching Pavitr as he rehearsed some dance steps as the music played softly from a boombox. I made conversation with Spider-Woman as I watched him, until he fumbled a step and huffed in frustration, stomping his foot. “I mess up on the same step every time!”

“Whoa, whoa, it’s okay, Pav,” I reached a hand out, gently reassuring him as I stood up from my spot on the floor and approached him. “Run it by me one more time.”

Earlier today Pav texted me via gizmo that he wanted my help practicing a dance. It had come off as a surprise to me because as much as he enjoys music, I didn’t peg Pav for a dancer. Until he explained why he needed my help. 

“I keep coming in too fast on the spin and messing up,” Pav groaned, anxiously running his fingers through his luscious hair. “I’m never going to get this dance right for Gayatri!”

Gayatri was Pavitr’s MJ back in his dimension of Mumbatthan. She was an honors student at their high school, Visions Academy, and was a well known teen model. A ‘classy teenager’ according to Pav’s description of her. 

“Easy, Pav, try not to stress too much,” I gently soothed him. “Other than figure out that step, you’re still doing great, fantastic, even!”

“Can’t you just enchant me with your power and make me do the dance perfectly so I don’t embarrass myself?” Pavitr asked, pointing his fingers together like an innocent kid. 

I crossed my arms over my chest, giving him a disappointing glare. “Pavitr!”

“I don’t know what else to do!” Pav slouched, appearing defeated. “The dance is tomorrow after school!”

“Why don’t I try dancing it with you so we can figure it out together?” I suggested. 

“Please! I will literally get on my knees and beg if you don’t!” Pav clapped his hands together, pleading desperately. 

“Alright, alright, let's take it from the top.” I gently patted his shoulder, ushering him back into starting position. “Gwen?”

“I got’cha.” Gwen reached for the remote of the boombox, restarting the song from the beginning. 

“My man, you got this!” Hobie exclaimed, raising an encouraging fist to his young friend. 

“Deep breathes,” I nodded in agreement as I glanced over at him. 

Pavirtr smiled softly at me as he took a breath and then the music started to play. 

[Lyrics: English translation of FLOWER by Jisoo of BLACKPINK]

Fingers snapping along with strong cords of a bass vibrated our bones as we moved. 

“Eh-eh-eh-ehEh-eh-eh-eh~”

I moved with the beat, changing poses, and then Pav followed and copied me. I shot him an encouraging grin and then the two of us started to move in sync. 

“A-B-C, Do-Re-Mi

I was as nice as that.” 

Pav’s movements were so fluid and smooth. Whenever I’d be practicing my powers and sparring with him, I’d learn about his fighting style, a technique that is inspired by Kalaripayattu, an Indian martial art. He had great balance and synergy, all he had to do was practice and apply that same technique to dance. 

“That’s it, Pav!” I smiled with strong words of affirmation. “You’re doing great!”

“That view has changed completely perhaps

This is also a side of me~” 

Pav showed me some photos of the costumes that they’d be wearing for their stage performance prior to starting our dance practice. I noticed ribbons and cute flower ornaments on their hands and wrists, so I tried suggesting moves that made his body move more gracefully and to move basically with the same flow as the ribbon. Like a flower blowing in the wind. 

Our friends cheered and offered their own words of encouragement, Hobie even snapping his fingers to the beat to help Pav stay on tempo. 

“I fly away like a blue butterfly

It's all on you, you didn't hold on

Even the times that we were in full bloom

To me were a lie, lie, lie!” 

As that last verse ended, our hands descended down with the rhythm of the words. Then when the chorus started to kick in, my footsteps were light as I stepped out of the way, allowing Pav to take center stage. Briefly, we were like ballerinas as we took our places. 

“You and I, crimsonly burned down

I'm okay, would you be as well?

On a beautiful day without a single cloud–” 

This was where the dance would really kick into high gear. It was also coming up to the part where Pavitr kept fumbling. I glanced over at him, seeing his chest beginning to rise and fall heavily as he took deep breaths to keep himself focused. Then he bowed his head. 

“There was nothing left but the scent of a flower~” 

We both shot our hands out, our fingers stroking the air left and right as if they were flower petals as our hips swayed to the beat. Then we sidestepped and twirled before reaching out and guided our hands in a delicate pattern as if we were holding and twirling a ribbon. When we made it to twirl again into the next step, I instead twirled out of Pav’s line of sight and knelt to the floor and watched him as he continued the dance by himself. 

The young teen looked like he was glowing. He took the steps in stride, and when he did the last spin, he planted his feet on the ground, nailing it as he shot his hands up. There was a bright smile on his face as he registered hitting the move perfectly as Hobie and Gwen cheered him on, Spider-Woman Canada applauding while holding a donut. 

Pav struck a pose as the chorus ended and the music faded. 

“There was nothing left but the scent of a flower~” 

We all cheered him on as the song ended. Pav had a bashful flush on his cheeks as he looked at his friends, and when his gaze fell upon me and realized I wasn’t dancing with him, the flush of his cheeks turned darker. “What are you doing over there?!”

“I was letting you have the spotlight.” I grinned.

For a brief moment, my vision flickered and I felt like I was back in the dance studio back in my dimension. I missed seeing Kasey, Hannah, and the twins, Toya and Touga. I missed dancing with my friends. I hated that I had to fake my injury for another two weeks to appear as a normal person without spider powers and an intense healing factor. 

My vision blurred again and suddenly I found myself in the past. I sat in my practice uniform, in one of the practice studios of the idol company I stayed with in Korea. I looked out at the faces of the other aspiring idols and trainees. Some were smiling, others were sizing each other up. 

“How would you feel about flying down to Korea for a few days? To see him?” 

My mother’s question rattled my mind as I shook my head and I found myself back in the present. 

Pavitr laughed softly as he rubbed the back of his neck, that bashful flush still evident on his cheeks. Hobie and Gwen got up from the floor and approached Pav, congratulating him on his practice. I watched them all with a proud smile, and then I suddenly got the urge that we were being watched as I looked over to the archway of the gym. 

Miguel stood against the entryway, arms crossed over his chest as he looked on with a ghost of a smile. When his gaze landed on me, the smile brightened ever so slightly. He offered me a wink before pulling away from the arch and disappearing into the hall, most likely heading for his afternoon workout.  

I hadn’t really seen him all day, and suddenly had the urge to follow after him as I felt an ache in my chest seeing him leave. 

He looked stressed, the wrinkles on his face and along his forehead being more apparent than usual and his eyes looked a little tired. Had he been working more again? I should go check on him. 

“Miss Lisa?” Pavitr’s voice snapped me back into reality as he stood before me, offering a hand to help me up. “Would it be alright if we did the dance again but can I record it on my phone? So I can look at it later for practice back home?”

I offered Pav a sweet smile as I took his hand, allowing him to help me up. “Sure thing.”

////////

Miguel’s P.O.V. 

After running laps and lifting weights, Miguel was still  feeling tense from his failed attempt at tracking Madame Web. He needed to do something more. So he started doing pull ups on a bar that was connected to a dangling ceiling platform a couple feet from the floor, and when he thought it was too easy, Petra, Cyborg-Spider, helped him tie a chain around his waist and wrapped a tire at the bottom of it. 

“No pain, no gain!” Petra cheered with a deep booming voice. 

Miguel could feel his body struggle a little as he continued the routine, feeling how the muscles of his arms pulsed, the veins popping. This was exactly what he needed. He got himself into a rhythm, taking it steady to not overwork himself but his eyes flickered from the spot he was focusing on the wall when he detected movement below him. 

Before it was Cyborg-Spider and Jess watching him and his heart hammered when he took in Lisa’s figure as she approached them. 

“Hey,” She offered the duo a friendly wave. “Busy today are we?”

“Boss man is really ‘pumping the metal’ as they say.” Petra beamed proudly, even going so far as to saluting Miguel. “It is inspirational!”

“Inspirational is certainly a word to describe it.” Jessica grinned as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

“How long has he been at this for?” Lisa asked her. 

“Up there? Just about 10 minutes.” Jess nodded. “He refuses to come down unless he’s drenched in sweat.”

“I’ll come down eventually!” Miguel groaned in a partial teasing and annoyed manner as he did another pull up. 

“Old habits die hard it seems.” Jess shot a glance over to Lisa, rolling her eyes as she stepped away. 

“Do you want to take a break?” Lisa called out to Miguel as she turned to look up and face him. 

Take a break? 

Take a break from the work out, or take a break from finding Madame Web?

“In a minute,” Miguel huffed, taking in a breath as he spared a quick glance down at her. “I’m barely breaking a sweat yet.”

“What did I say about you taking care of yourself?” Lisa gently reminded him. 

Shock, I’m in for it now. 

Lisa uses her web sling to yank herself up to the bar, grabbing hold of it facing Miguel whose face reeled back in surprise. “Dios mio, Lisa, what the shock are you doing?!” - My god 

“You said this wasn’t challenging enough. So I’ll help you make it challenging for you.” Lisa grinned, her mind reeling as Miguel could see the gears turning in her head as she thought of a plan. 

“What are you— Oy!” Miguel looked upon Lisa, stunned as she wrapped her legs around his waist tightly, securing her grip on him by wrapping her arms around his shoulders for support. 

His face blushed a light shade of pink at the sudden contact. Feeling her warmth clash of the heat that radiated from his body, feeling the way she clung to him. The icing on the cake was her faint smile and the tightness of her legs around his waist. 

There’s a pulse of warmth in his lower body as Miguel quickly blocks out the ungentlemanly thought that was creeping into his mind. 

“Go on, do a pull up.” She encouraged with a side tilt of her head. 

Miguel narrowed his eyes curiously at Lisa before his muscles bulged as he did a pull up. With Lisa’s combined body weight along with the tire and metal chain, it did add more weight for Miguel to work with, but he was still able to relatively do a pull up with ease. His head pulled up above the bar and Lisa’s head followed suit on the opposite end. “Satisfied?” 

Without saying another word, Lisa leaned forward and pecked Miguel’s lips with a soft and sweet kiss. His cheeks flushed and for a second his grip on the bar wobbled. Lisa’s lips curled into a smile. “Every time you do a pull up, I’ll reward you with a little treat.” 

Oh shock, karma, the universe, whatever deity is listening to me, what did I do to deserve her? 

Miguel’s face morphed into an eager and playful expression as his gaze sparkled, a cocky grin on his lips. “Game on.” 

They were up there for over half an hour before Miguel finally came down. He kept Lisa secured with one hand, while he freed himself from the chain with the other. His lips tingle and more puffed than usual with a playful smile as he looked down at Lisa. 

“You cheeky little minx.” Miguel pecked her lips again.

“Feeling better now?” Lisa asked him as she adjusted herself slightly, straightening her back. “You seemed a little stressed?”

“Much better, in fact,” Miguel’s smile turned as his other arm wrapped around her to hold her closer to him. “I’m gonna keep you right here with me while I finish the rest of my work.”

Lisa’s eyes widened, gasping a little. “Miguel, you’re not seriously–”

“Yep!” Miguel is already on the move as Lisa squeals in surprise, her grip tightening around her. 

“Miguel O’Hara, put me down!” She laughs softly. 

“In due time, mi Mona Lisa.” Miguel smirks as he carries Lisa out of the training center, not even bothered by the looks of the other spiders watching the spectacle as Lisa hides her flushed, embarrassed face into his neck. 

A welcomed distraction. 

////////

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[self-insert-nightshade]

Guess who made a HSR self insert design purely for a self insert commission? Me.

Commission with Dr. Ratio done by @lemondytart theyre wonderful and amazingly patient while i got my shit together. Details on my self insert under the cut.

Name: Alexis Sagitta

Age: Mid twenties

Description: A short young girl easily lost in crowds and overlooked. If she stands out it's only due to her youthful appearance despite sleepless nights. She keeps her arms free in case she needs them for battle or record keeping. Her skirt and coat hide many things among them being her phone, a small notebook or two, a tablet, and a tape recorder.

Where: Herta Space Station (but gets sent everywhere) - One of Herta's and Asta's personal attendants - often gets thrown into the Simulated Universe to test out bugs after updates

Job: A glorified intern, technically a scientist and researcher, used as Herta's eyes and ears in the form of an innocent, naive and defenseless girl. May or may not be bugged. Runs errands, makes observations, writes reports, and occasionally does research into Aeons.

Hobbies: listening to music when in transport, doodling on the margins of her notes, eating good food wherever she goes, reading whatever is nearby

Path of Erudition and Imaginary damage dealer - weapon: baton hair pin

Interests: Aha, Dr. Ratio, the Simulated Universe, Akivili

Aeons: Current Aeon she's researching is Aha due to her curiosity regarding their path and variations as well as her love of background characters. Unfortunately this has garnered Aha's interest who, similar to Herta, enjoys puppe- nudging her in certain directions/storylines. It helps that her job is so flexible and acts as a record keeper of events. Her interest in Akivili was sparked due to the Astra Express's docking at Herta Station.

Past: Grew up with her father working for the Business Consolidation Department and her mother as a teacher. Has two brothers whose locations are unknown. One is believed to be working for the IPC and one is believed to make commissions via web work. Has not spoken to her family much after getting swept up into the Herta Space Station. Heard of Dr. Ratio as she was working on her studies in Interstellar Psychology and Cultures and Universal History. She has 2 degrees and 5 minors (All in the arts to keep her sane through her studies (Music, Literature, Astronomy, Culinary, Art)). May or may not have been inspired by Dr. Ratio. Considers herself a bright girl when not distracted by the beauty of the world (people, art, music, food). How did she get to be on the Herta Space Station? She applied to be a Research Assistant, Human Resources Assistant, Administrative Assistant, and a Clerk. During her interview she was asked if she wanted to be all of those to which she replied "I don't believe that's feasible but so long as I get paid well and the benefits are good I can certainly try." She was hired with the simple title of Assistant. Initially she reported directly to Asta but then Herta started to send her more requests.

Relationships:

Herta: Her boss. Her Big Boss. Boss with a capital B. Alexis is pretty sure Herta was the one guiding some of the questions on the interview due to their odd nature. Alexis respects Herta and will comply with requests with reluctance and hesitance but will still fulfill her duties. Has a favorite Herta puppet to interact with and that is the one in her "office" with the simulated universe as she feels that one is more closely connected to the actual Herta. Would love to study one of the Herta puppets but feels like that would be considered creepy and also does not want to get on her boss' bad side.

Asta: Her boss whom she loves and would do nearly anything for. Greatly respects her especially for how she uses her personal funds for the ship. Ensures to check in on her at least once a week and tries to invite her to meals to ensure she's eating. Sees her as a role model and like a sister. Wants to ease her burden and strives to be an efficient and good assistant for her. When Alexis first started on the space station, Asta was very kind to her. Asta is who Alexis goes to whenever she has any questions as Herta isn't likely to answer her well and Asta is patient enough to work with her.

Arlan: He reminds her of her brothers and like Asta she always checks in on him to make sure he's eating and not too stressed. While Alexis does not do much in the ways of security, she can help when it comes to its logistics or the staff. Arlan and Alexis share a similar respect, admiration, and love towards Asta whom they both look up to. Alexis always checks in with Arlan whenever she leaves and returns to the ship even if it's just as simple as a text message of "I'm home. Wanna eat?"

Dr. Ratio: Stalker? Her? No way. She just does the occasional search to see what he's up to, if anything new has happened, stare at his picture it's not creepy she swears it's just healthy admiration with a small dose of fear. Alexis is very aware that as bright as she is she is still quite dense and a tad idealistic. She is content observing and admiring Dr. Ratio for the fear that any interaction would actually crush her spirit due to how high of a pedestal she has put him on. If he even met her eyes she would probably turn to ash on the spot. What she wouldn't do to have that chalk knock her out though...

The Astral Express: Alexis has only worked with the Astral Express very minimally. She is however familiar with the Trailblazer (Stelle/Caelus) due to them both being guinea pigs for the Simulated Universe. She admires their strength and loves their quirks and thinks it's amazing how far they can go in the Simulated Universe. While she doesn't talk to them often, she looks forward to interacting with them and their friends. March 7th and her get along like a house on fire much to Dan Heng's stress and relief. Alexis respects and admires Welt and Himeko with a small crush on Welt due to his patience and intelligence (she definitely asks him questions every now and then). No, she does not know how old Welt is. Himeko is an intelligent beauty whom Alexis isn't sure whether she wants to be or be with. Dan Heng is a tough nut to crack as he sees her mostly as a March 7th number 2 and is a little surprised that she even has a job (and a somewhat interesting one at that) at the Herta Space Station. Alexis is polite to Dan Heng and tries not to be too much but finds it hard when encouraged by March's actions. She does step in if March needs to be redirected though which he is somewhat grateful for.

[scuderlia]

haircut!anon back to yap! (not directly abt haircuts this time but i like the pseudonym.) topic on the board today is-- animal symbolism! reading the most recent snippet my eyes caught on the visual of charles crawling like a dog, which is really in sharp contrast to his typical fanon personification through dominantly herbivores/prey animals (mouse and deer/stag come to mind). (i feel kind of insane typing this out.) feel free to take this idea anywhere you please but like - herbivore-carnivore transition, or was he blood hungry from the start? do you have other strong animal-relational symbolism u associate with girlestappen? is this just a weird fucking question? lol

in reference to this snippet

eee! haircut!anon, i think you may actually live in my brain.

this is all delicious and i have lots to say about it, so bear with me!

i am not immune to the typical charles characterization of prey animal (see: the very elaborate web weave i made about him and deer theory...) but i think that when it's contrasted against his hunger, it really gets interesting.

(section a: CL field-notes)

the biggest thing with charles and what makes his character so compelling is the juxtaposition. he's passionate (and borderline obsessive) about his own performance, and also someone who is quite reserved and considerate of himself and others.

to contextualize this through racing: there is a clear distinguishment between charles on-track and charles off-track—a morbid desire to succeed that is housed within someone who is incredibly caring and attentive, especially towards those he cares about. the fact that charles has kept pretty much all of his friends from childhood (many of whom he karted with, or competed against) speaks volumes to this.

one of my absolute favorite charles characterization/personality quotes comes from his former Team Principal at Prema:

"The first thing that comes to mind when we talk about him is once again his determination, and his almost sickly desire to improve. Whether it was after the first test with us or after the end of the season, he always asked us where he could improve and how he had to do it. It is at the extreme of perfection." — René Rosin (Prema Racing, 2017) via 'Charles as seen by his former team managers' (Charles Leclerc Fans)

i think that above all else, charles' determination is funneled through the consideration of how he can push himself to be perfect. and ultimately, that is the driving force behind his pursuit of desire.

charles is self-described as being non-sentimental, and not particularly religious either. i think a large part of that comes down to how he never falls back on the idea of 'divine fate' or things being out of his hands. yes, there are little rituals he keeps up through racing... memories of his childhood, family, etc. that he carries, but none of them are ever pinned as a reason for either success or failure. ultimately, what happens on track and in competition are direct results of charles, his decisions, and efforts.

the best way i crystalize this for the sake of the narrative is that, to be very one-dimensional about it, charles views his car as a sort of 'phantom limb.' while it is this greater object that is separate from Charles the Person, any mishaps or incidents can ultimately be tied directly back to his direction and control.

charles has this morbid need to reach the pinnacle of what he believes himself to be capable of, and anything that falls short of that is viewed (by him) as a failure. this is primarily evident to me through how, even in the anger of moments where he's crashed or DNF'd, the blame is always directed inwards. he curses himself out, blames his own lack of performance, and even in media interviews afterwards tends to only reference the things that he should have done differently to gauge better results.

to tie this back to ideas of him being ruthless vs. meek, it's not necessarily that charles becomes a different person when he races, but instead that his hunger for perfection comes to the forefront, eclipsing everything else.

(section b: translation to girl!charles)

for girl!charles, i took this greater concept of having hunger eclipse nerves and reservations, and stuffed it into a little guilt-shaped pouch. in order to initially cope with killing and eating people, charles separates her person from her desire, or more-so allows it to be swallowed when necessary.

it is a very transformative thing, being around max. without giving away the entire plot, charles does devolve a bit, or more so gives into her hunger and desire instead of restricting herself. it's mentioned briefly in the snippet i posted, but charles' arc of being a cannibal follows in succession to max's—essentially, max was one first, and charles becomes more ruthless and willing to devour as their relationship progresses.

as killing and eating, especially with max, draw closer and closer to becoming a sacred act, she starts to chase this image of perfection within her own craft. it's something that she wants to be good at, and to do so, she sensationalizes some aspects of it (or maybe romanticizes is a better descriptor... i'm not sure)

the comparison in the drabble was mostly to allude to the animalistic nature of what they're doing, and how charles still makes efforts to try and separate herself from her actions when she eats. Charles the Cannibal and Charles the Girl are two different identities that she carries with her. over time, she starts to realize that the degrees of separation between the two were not as great as she thought, and thus begins her divulsion.

(section c: hunger as an animal)

i'm pretty sure that anything/everything i write will always include animal symbolism, so yes, there's definitely some present within girlestappen. their loyalty and devotion to one another is incredibly dog-like, and evident within the greater narrative of cannibalism and the act of devouring together. lesbians go crazy when a gentle creature bites to protect them.

aside from that, there's also allusions within the individual kills to animals/ideas of predator-and-prey that i haven't yet posted about, and likely won't until i finish the whole fic and publish it (we're 17k in... making moves...)

the one that i will point out now is charles likening the wire that max holds in this snippet to a snake. at this point, charles is still grappling with her attraction to max, and the comparison is intended to a) act as foreshadowing for how the guy she's with is about to die, and b) how his death, and max's actions, are ultimately going to push her to act on that temptation (think serpent in the Garden of Eden)

also... on the herbivore-carnivore topic... i've actually written charles as a vegetarian early on in the story (a decision she initially makes as a means to curb her desire and hunger)... so you nailed it.

this may be incoherent but tldr; charles contains multitudes.

[datasciencewithpythonemexo]

Spring Boot Interview Questions: Prepare for Success

Spring Boot has become one of the most popular frameworks in the Java ecosystem, streamlining robust and scalable web application development. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just getting started, acing a Spring Boot interview can be a significant milestone in your career. To help you prepare effectively, here are the latest Spring Boot interview questions that will test your knowledge and give you a deeper understanding of how the framework works. These questions will be beneficial if you're pursuing a Spring Boot Certification Training Course at eMexo Technologies, in Electronic City Bangalore.

1. What is Spring Boot, and how is it different from Spring Framework?

This is a fundamental question that often appears in Spring Boot interviews. Spring Boot is an extension of the Spring Framework to simplify the development process. It eliminates the need for extensive XML configuration and provides default configurations to facilitate rapid application development. Spring Framework requires developers to configure components manually, while Spring Boot auto-configures them.

By understanding this, you can highlight how Spring Boot training in Electronic City Bangalore at eMexo Technologies helps developers focus more on writing business logic rather than dealing with complex configurations.

2. What are the main features of Spring Boot?

Spring Boot stands out due to several features:

Auto-Configuration: Automatically configures your application based on the libraries on the classpath.

Embedded Servers: It allows the deployment of web applications on embedded servers like Tomcat, Jetty, and Undertow.

Spring Boot Starters: Pre-configured templates that simplify dependency management.

Spring Boot CLI: A command-line interface that allows you to develop Spring applications quickly.

Actuator: Monitors and manages application performance.

These features make Spring Boot an attractive option for developers, which is why the best Spring Boot training institute in Electronic City Bangalore emphasizes hands-on experience with these functionalities.

3. What is the role of @SpringBootApplication in Spring Boot?

The @SpringBootApplication annotation is a core part of Spring Boot, often referred to as the ‘meta-annotation.’ It is a combination of three annotations:

@Configuration: Marks the class as a configuration class for Spring Beans.

@EnableAutoConfiguration: Enables Spring Boot’s auto-configuration feature.

@ComponentScan: Scans the components within the specified package.

This annotation is crucial to understanding Spring Boot’s internal architecture and its ability to simplify configuration.

4. What is Spring Boot Starter, and how is it useful?

A Spring Boot Starter is a set of pre-configured dependencies that simplify the inclusion of libraries in your project. For instance, spring-boot-starter-web includes everything you need for web development, like Spring MVC, embedded Tomcat, and validation support.

Starters save a lot of time, as they eliminate the need to find and include individual dependencies manually. When studying at eMexo Technologies, you’ll get an in-depth look at the variety of Spring Boot Starters available and their importance in building scalable applications.

5. What is a Spring Boot Actuator, and how is it used?

Spring Boot Actuator provides production-ready features to help monitor and manage your Spring Boot application. It offers a wide array of tools like health checks, metrics, and auditing endpoints. The actuator allows you to easily monitor application performance, which is a crucial aspect of microservices-based applications.

6. What are Microservices, and how does Spring Boot help in building them?

Microservices are small, independent services that work together in a larger application. Each service is responsible for a specific business functionality and can be developed, deployed, and maintained independently. Spring Boot simplifies the development of microservices by providing tools like Spring Cloud and Spring Boot Actuator.

7. How does Spring Boot handle dependency injection?

Dependency Injection (DI) is a key feature of the Spring Framework, and Spring Boot uses it to manage object creation and relationships between objects automatically. In Spring Boot, DI is usually handled through annotations like @Autowired, @Component, and @Service.

8. How can you configure a Spring Boot application?

Spring Boot applications can be configured in multiple ways:

application.properties or application.yml files.

Using the @Configuration classes.

Via command-line arguments.

Environment variables.

9. What are profiles in Spring Boot, and how are they used?

Profiles in Spring Boot allow developers to create different configurations for different environments. For example, you can have one profile for development, one for testing, and one for production. You can specify which profile to use by setting it in the application.properties file or as a command-line argument.

10. What are the limitations of Spring Boot?

Despite its many benefits, Spring Boot has some limitations:

Lack of control over auto-configuration can sometimes lead to unexpected behaviors.

Increased memory usage due to embedded servers.

Limited flexibility in large-scale applications that require extensive custom configuration.

Addressing these limitations demonstrates that you have a well-rounded understanding of the framework and can make informed decisions about when and where to use it.

11. How does Spring Boot handle security?

Spring Boot simplifies security through Spring Security, which can be easily integrated into your application. By adding the spring-boot-starter-security dependency, you can configure authentication and authorization in a few lines of code. You can also customize login, registration, and session management features.

12. What is the role of the Spring Initializr in Spring Boot?

The Spring Initializr is an online tool used to generate Spring Boot projects. It allows developers to choose the dependencies and configuration options before downloading the skeleton code. This tool speeds up the initial setup phase, saving time and effort.

In conclusion, being well-prepared for Spring Boot interviews is crucial, especially in a competitive job market. Whether you're taking a Spring Boot course in Electronic City Bangalore or aiming for Spring Boot Certification Training, knowing these key concepts will give you the edge you need. At eMexo Technologies, you’ll receive hands-on training, not just theory, preparing you to answer interview questions and excel in your career confidently.

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