#just. absolute apple shaped unit

[cerise-on-top]

I just read "141 with an S/O who likes muscular people"

BUT! what if they have an S/O who loves to bake or loves cooking.

What if unit 141 follows a diet to keep those muscles and shape? Would they have the heart to tell their lover "no" when they offer some of the food/sweets they just make?

I think all of them would love your food a little too much to simply go on a diet, but some of them are more willing to say no than others! Besides, all of them would sometimes go to the gym together on their days off, just to catch up with each other and burn some unused energy! They're still some rowdy boys, even if Price doesn't always have the time to go to the gym with them!

TF141 with an S/O who Likes to Cook for Them

Price: While he may eat quite a lot, he doesn’t really eat very many desserts, so it’s not often he’d say yes to one of your delicious marble cakes. However, he can appreciate you cooking for him as much as you do. It’s lovely. He comes home from deployment, tired and hungry beyond compare, and there you usually are, making him the most delicious food imaginable, from simple spaghetti to roast pork. Whatever it is you make, he’ll eat it with a smile on his face. Though, from the get go, he’ll tell you that he doesn’t eat too many sweets. He’ll indulge in the occasional cookie, maybe eat a single, thin slice of pie, but that’s it. He’ll tell you no in a nice, polite and gentle way. Besides, considering how much he eats normally, it isn’t really surprising that there’s no space left for your delectable pain au chocolats. He will try something every once in a while, but he’ll usually say no, so staying fit isn’t really a concern for him in the first place. You’d need to continuously insist for him to eat your apple strudel for him to budge, but even then it’s just a tiny piece. He doesn’t particularly have a sweet tooth.

Gaz: He absolutely has a sweet tooth. There are phases where he will consume more croissants than what is probably healthy, and then there are phases where he won’t eat anything sweet at all, won’t even look at it. It all depends on how sick and tired he’s gotten of something like your macarons. Trust me, he will still eat your food like it’s his last meal, but will turn down any and all sweets you make. Gaz does go to the gym fairly often, to keep in shape and maybe grow just a bit stronger as well, despite being rather strong already. You suspect that he sometimes stops eating your sweets because he may have gained weight, but he never confirms or denies this, he just tells you that he needs a break. But, as mentioned already, he can never get enough of your food, even if he’s just eating normal portions for someone his size. That’s why there’s always room for dessert in his stomach. But sometimes he’s content with just eating a banana or a tangerine. It doesn’t always have to be processed sugar, even if he adores your mochis as well. He can cook very well himself, but if you’re always eager to cook for him, then he will simply help you out.

Ghost: Eats a lot, eats sweets every once in a while, it’s as simple as that. He loves you, so he will even eat more sweets just for you, even if he won’t usually eat them as often. Your food is the best out there, and so your cupcakes have a special place in his heart as well. While he won’t dig in whenever you make a batch, you can see him steal one or two from the tray when he thinks you aren’t looking and, for humor reasons, blames it on Soap, regardless of whether he was even here or not. While he may not be a fast eater, he likes to savor every bite of what you made, he eats a mountain of food. When he realizes he has put on some weight, he will call up Soap and Gaz and train with them until the weight is gone. While he has a hard time saying no to you, he tries his best to not eat too much French toast when you make it. He needs to stay fit as a lieutenant, and thus he will softly refuse, or simply eat way smaller portions of sweets than he normally would. But you’d need to pry your home-made ravioli from his cold, dead hands since he loves those so much.

Soap: As mentioned in another ask, this man can eat literal trash and he won’t put on weight, he was blessed genetically in that regard. Likes sweets a lot, so he has no shame about stealing some of your braided easter bread while it’s still cooling down. He can usually be found chewing something, when it’s not your food, it’s some gum he bought. He likes the feeling of having something in his mouth he can bite down on. While he doesn’t eat as much food as, say, Price, he actually prefers to steal the food from your plate, he eats about as many sweets as Gaz does during the prime of his sweet phases. Not per day, he doesn’t love apple cake and the likes that much, but it’s quite a lot. Fortunately, he does train all of it off by going to the gym whenever he can. He does take Gaz along with him during those times, Ghost sometimes as well. While he does goof around with Gaz when he can, he does take his training fairly seriously more often than not. You can make him just about any food and he’ll enjoy it, but he does prefer savory foods, such as roasted chicken. Don’t make his food too spicy, though. He’s very white and can’t eat it otherwise.

[zaebucca]

About scale, process, palette and canvas: a few considerations on pixel art as a medium

User moredogproblems answered an interesting and legitimate question by another, DiscountEarly125, regarding my work and canvas size. He also perfectly isolated two central concepts of pixel art, which are scale and process. Canvas size, which was the theme of DiscountEarly125's specific request, is more of a dependent variable to those two aforementioned concepts, rather than a starting point. I hope the following considerations I shared may help or prompt some other ideas, but this is what I could come up with 15-ish years of experience with pixel art (and a few more years of art and media studies). I was quite in the mood of writing down these few thoughts that have been floating for a while. I apologize as this may also result in a confusing wall of text, but it is all part of a my work and research, and I would love to polish all the material, hopefully with some thoughts, insights from other colleagues, as well as pictures and materials!

A. Scale and canvas size It is true that the bigger the canvas, the more distance one may visually create from pixel art, but I personally think this is to be possibly considered a matter of perceiving pixels, rather than a fundative problem of the medium. In fact I concur with the idea of "process makes the medium" rather than identifying pixel art as how (evidently) pixeled the result feels. The general picture, or the sum of pixels, though, is a really important matter to the medium nonetheless! Pixels themselves work in relation one with another, so it's their overall result that gives context and makes the subject recognizable. This relationship between pixels links back to all the art fundamentals that each artist is taught, from color theory to shape and composition - and so on. So, the canvas size debate usually boils down to a matter of scale or necessity of your subjects. As long as the dimension (canvas) of your subject (as in: a drawing of an apple, a character sprite, a mockup environment) allows you to operate, control and keep an eye on the quantity (number/area of pixels together) and quality (color, shaping of multiple pixels, texturing obtained through color and shapes) of isolated single pixels or pixeled areas, you're in the pixel art universe. The other way around to define the matter of scaling: in order to be operating pixel art fundamentals and techniques, your subject has to be on a scale that allows you to apply principles of pixel art within the space of your canvas and your personal style. These very same principles, or basics, can be applied with different results and extent to bigger and smaller canvases alike, each with their own specific difficulties and variables. It is important to adapt your scale when learning, and trying classic canvases per subject like "16x16px" (standard tile or character sprite unit, tied to older consoles and screen ratios, it's a bit complicated there) is always a nice idea - they also tend to be industry benchmarks and necessities so in case you'd like to consider a professional output, that's very useful.

Scale also applies to the array of colors, and there lies the concept of palette: a number of single hexadecimal hues we are using for each single pixel. Any single pixel can have one hexadecimal color only.

Consequentially it is absolutely true that either a huge canvas or a palette too broad may prevent a viewer from perceiving immediately the "nature" of your medium, namely seeing square pixels, recognizing a certain amount of color - or more thoroughly recognizing that you made some choices for each subject on a pixel level. What could possibly happen on a huge canvas (without zooming in) is that you can't really grasp the pixels, but just the "overall picture" - and that may not differ too much from digital, raster art, which is of course also based on pixels. Therein appearently lies a sort of threshold that is really hard to pin down for us pixel artists, as it depends on screen size, visualization methods, distance, filters and lots of other inherently subjective parts.

This kinda is my case sometimes: I make big environments (possibly too big, and too detailed in each part I tell myself) that are a sum of many lesser parts: both tilesets and sprites that relate (but not strictly adhere) to a basic space unit that is 16x16pixels. You can indeed consider scale in a broader sense as a subdivision or magnification issue, much alike squinting your eyes to focus on a picture's overall contrast or, conversely, analyzing its fundamental parts with a magnifying glass, and then a microscope - an analogy as follows:

a. the picture as a whole is like a colorful rock that you can analyze by magnifying its grain. b. the characters, geographical elements and textures, works like the different substances that compose the rock and give its visible characteristics grain and complexity, c. single pixels constitute the very atoms of those previously recognized substances.

I mean "atom" in the traditional, classical meaning of indivisible, fundative object. That's a "quantized" part of information, which for pixel art is ultimately color (or a binary value, like yes/no black/white). If you were, for example, to crop some parts of my work - let's say 160x144 pixels (a gameboy screen resolution in pixels) you would see the substances that are characters and elements of nature, and when you zoom in again, every atom becomes visible as a single entity of color. There are 29 different type of "atoms" in Ruin Valley as in different, singularly hexadecimal colors that work together in different combinations and shapes to create different substances and characters. 18 of them are used for the different qualities of the environment, and 11 more for extra hues for characters and other elements to pop out a bit.

It's really interesting to see how many pixel artists push this "threshold" of pixel art canvases to the extremely small or the extremely big, whereas, notably, palettes are less open to growth: it is indeed my opinion that pixel art tends to quantize color (quality) over than dimension (quantity). Palettes, notably, do not grow exponentially, but tend to a lower, fixed, controlled amount of individual values instead. This usually gives the artist the true possibility and toolkit through which is possible to think about/with pixels. In other words: color (or its absence) is the founding unit and identity of pixel art as a digital medium.

B. Pixels as process or pixels as objective? Pixels themselves (as strange as that may sound!) are not to be considered an objective of pixel art, I think, but the founding matter of its research as a medium instead. I think that making pixel art is not just devoting oneself to show those jagged, squarey areas or blunt edges that we all know and love: this is just one of the possible aesthetics that pixel art conveys or adopts - especially on small canvases. Pixel art is not about denouncing itself as pixels, but, rather, embracing the square, atomic unit to build an ensemble that conveys a content or a style. That's the important part of the discourse that emancipated pixel art into being a medium, and not just an aesthetic choice or style of representation. Again: process makes this medium. Speaking of that, I consider pixel art as part of a broader family of "quantized art", namely media that operate on/with "indivisible, founding bricks and unities" that can assume a certain quality (color, mainly) within a certain quantity (palette, canvas size) and in relation to its surroundings to describe something. This puts pixel art, with its specifics and with a certain degree of semplification, among other mediums such as cross-stitch, bead art, construction sets, textile art (on a warp and weft basis), (micro-)mosaics and others.

A classic threshold example of process vs objective: oekaki art. Oekaki art - which I love and also happen to make from time to time - doesn't really work or "think" specifically on a pixel base: it doesn't place pixels per se, but uses pixel-based areas and textures on bigger canvases with a certain degree of freedom, like one would normally do with brushes on raster digital art programs (adobe ps, gimp, clip studio and so on) in order to convey an aesthetic with fewer colors and a certain line style and texturing. That way, oekaki uses and knows pixels in a deep way, but doesn't see them primarily in a quantized way. As a result the "overall picture" shows pixels to a certain extent, and it's possible to recognize distinct pixels for each part, but the objective is not an analysis and use of pixel and quantized information, but the use of an aesthetic based upon accessibility of resources, their control and a certain rendering style.

A huge part of pixel art is its absolute accessibility: everyone with a fairly outdated computer or screen and a basic drawing program can study the medium. To be fair, it's indeed considering accessiblity that I highly support an inclusive approach to the term "pixel art" and I think traditional oekaki is a close, beautiful relative that builds upon the rules and techniques of pixel art and pixel rendering, yet keeping its identity as its very own medium - somehow like a dress may be built around/upon textile design. Anyway, boundaries are meant to be crossed and I think there definitely are lots of oekaki and pixel-based art that meet traditional pixel art mid-way - or further. I also think the "is it pixel art?" discourse possibly ensuing - and generally speaking any media belonging purist ontology - is a treacherous, slippery terrain leading to excesses, and this is not my focus today, neither am I able to tackle that subject extensively at the moment.

C. Conclusions and a few good exercises Everything above may be farfetched or too complicated as a starting point. I tried to write all down as orderly as possible. The point of this (possibly discouraging) analysis and the reasoning between scale and process is that (pixel) art is about trying different canvases, and reasoning on one's subject and objective, rather than limiting oneself to presets sizes or styles. It's important to choose something that resonates with us and, in doing so, thinking about other, more interesting limitations: that's the discourse about quantity of space and quality in color. Limiting is the best possible exercise and one I wholeheartedly encourage: by doing so we are progressively delving deeper on the basics, as we learn the fundamental relationships between shapes and colors that we can achieve through pixels. A few good exercises that I too implemented in my own workflow come to mind: 1. Trying different canvases (or sizes) for the same subject (sprite, character art, illustration or so on). This helps a lot finding a comfortable size to apply pixel techniques, as well as getting a hold over fundamentals such as aliasing, linework, conventional representation and so on. 2. Trying different palettes for the same subject, both by varying colors themselves (therefore learning about values and contrast and readability, as well as atmosphere and mood!) or singular hues and their components, in order to discover possible relationship between them. Have fun! 3. Reducing the width of the palette progressively for the same subject: reducing the number of singular colors forces a reasoning on shapes, rapresentation. You may go from 1-bit art (just black/white) to 3 colors, 4, 8 and so on. We'll not talk about transparency as a singular color there, but if you happen to be interested in retro art, transparency counts to the palette size. This exercise is very useful in rendering, and possibly tricky. And definitely fun. :') 4. Choosing an objective and usage of our work: for example trying to learn about old pixel art limitations for games, in order to reason within specifics. Get inspired by traditional games (spriters-resource is your best friend here, in case you have a specific retrogame you're thinking of)! I will probably talk about limitations and style on another post. 5. Four eyes (and other multiples) are better than two: try to talk with people and friends and other artists you trust and feel comfortable with to get their point of view. This can be scary, I know, especially at the beginning. You're not forced to, of course, but if you do (in a safespace) there's lots you can learn about concepts such as readability, subject recognition, rendering and composition. Our eyes and brains get accustomed to something, and pixel art being a rather analytic medium made of synergies, subtle changes, limitations and conventions is especially tricky on the artist's eyes on the long term. Either way, the important thing about pixel art is understanding that this medium is about recognizing and enjoying the process rather than the eventual aesthetic and in order to do so the best choice is to start simple, small, with few colors and techniques at a time! Have fun and hit me up with your progress and considerations. :')

[zeldahime]

Highway to Pail Day 21

[Day 1] [Prev] [Next] @do-it-with-style-events

February 21: Hell's economy has tanked. They have a real supply-and-demon'd problem.

(Author's note: Pronouns used for Beelzebub are ze/zem/zyr.)

It wasn't just generalized incompetence, or irresponsible usage of miracles, or anything else Beelzebub could reasonably be expected to fix or control or at least yell at someone about. No, there was no getting around it. There was a genuine, actual shortage of miraculous energy for, as far as ze could tell, absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Beelzebub's frustration was only compounded by the staff shortages. They'd lost demons over the millennia to overenthusiastic punishment, recalled more from Earth to deal with the influx of the damned that came with winning humans over to Hell, but no matter how ze sliced it, ze couldn't figure out where nearly 7% of their staff had gone. Zyr suspicions went... Upstairs. Someone really liked Her sevens. Not that ze was about to tell Lord Satan that.

Besides, ze knew through.... backchannels that the wankwings on the top floor didn't know anything about it and seemed to be under the impression their own missing were Falling. Beelzebub and Dagon saw no reason to disillusion them of this. It had, however, been impossible to investigate the miraculous energy shortage without alerting the angels of it, and in the course of this, they discovered that the angels seemed to have a miraculous energy shortage as well.

Now this was something Beelzebub could bring to the Boss: proof positive it wasn't zyr fault.

They'd been admitting more humans to Hell than to Heaven since Crawly's trick with the apple, right at the very beginning, and had dedicated entire units to Earthly temptations even after Heaven had recalled most of their angels back to HQ. If miraculous energy was linked to the number of human souls somehow, it'd be weighed in favor of one side or the other. As it stood, they seemed to have similar levels of both energy and staff shortages. There was something deeper going on.

Hopefully, ze could get through zyr explanation before Satan dropped zem off for eight millennia in the Bottomless Pit, or something worse.

Beelzebub hated meetings with the Boss, and over the last three years since the failed Apocalypse, the Boss had only become more unpredictable, going back and forth between extreme violence and the smooth charisma that ze had literally followed into Hell all those years ago. The Apocalypse had shaken him, his mortal son's betrayal making him insecure, for lack of a more politic word. The Boss was adrift, and bringing him bad news was going to be a delicate task.

Oh Seven Circles, Beelzebub couldn't wait for the meeting to be over. Ze had a date waiting for zem topside and didn't want to be late. Ze had packaged a little present for him in a matchbox for the pub, just in case it all went pear-shaped Upstairs. If he Fell, that wouldn't be so bad: he'd survive. But if whatever happened to the 7% happened to him, well. Beelzebub literally didn't know. Having his consciousness stored away might help him avoid it, at least.

[medfetabdl]

I bought a companion for my Intellivue MP5

This is an Intellivue MP2, this is just the pic from the eBay listing. It’s in pretty rough cosmetic shape but apparently works just fine.

What’s the difference between this and the MP5? Honestly not much, it uses an external power supply, the battery is much smaller, it doesn’t have the built in printer, and it can’t display as many waves, but that’s about it for differences. The thing that sets the Philips monitors apart from all other brands and makes them so desirable for hospitals is the same reason people buy the expensive Apple products: The ecosystem. The Philips monitors are the only monitors on the market that are based off of monitors made over 40 years ago and everything on those monitors from 40 years ago exists on these along with a bunch of other stuff that’s been added. The other thing is their network capabilities. They are the only system on the market where when paired with the proper servers you can upload vitals data to a server and save it for later, you can transfer a patient from one unit to another just a with a few button pushes and then their information moves to the monitor in the unit they are being transferred to without having to bring the monitor from one unit to another. They continue to receive software updates no matter how old they are (provided the hospital has Philips certified IT personnel) they can communicate with tons of accessories. They can track over 200 different vital signs (this does require special equipment) they can communicate with ventilators and infusion pumps. And there’s tons of other things they can do.

I do want to say that I bought these with some extra money I made during the holidays putting up and taking down Christmas lights. I don’t just have money for these things lying around.

I’d like to give anyone who wants to buy one of these monitors some buying advice

1. Stay away from the MP2 and X2 their external power supplies almost never come with them for a good price, if you want one with the battery and power supply it will cost $500 at the minimum

2. To save some money on cables it’s good to know that HP and Agilent Viridia line of patient monitors use the same pulse oximeter and ECG cables which can save you some significant money on cablee

3. Unfortunately they are significantly harder to get your hands on outside the US. Most of the EBay listing for them are in the US and the sellers will only sell to people within the US. That’s not their fault the US government prohibits the export of a lot of technology. High end medical equipment, high end computer components, IR (thermal) cameras that shoot at over 5 FPS, and lots of other things are all extremely locked down in terms of exporting outside the US because they don’t want it to fall into the hands of China. In fact the FDA supposedly controls the sale of medical equipment in the US but I don’t really think they care about used medical equipment because I have absolutely no medical connections. I do live in the technology capital of the world so that might have something to do with it. On a side note when I say Silicon Valley is the technology capital of the world I’m not joking. Google, Apple, Facebook, Nvidia, Intel, Tesla, Ebay, Zoom, Hewlett-Packard, and many more of the world’s largest tech companies are headquartered here. It does make it a bit easier for me to get my hands on bleeding edge tech or tech that’s harder for most people to get. I have friends who work for Tesla who’ve met Elon, I’ve seen Steve Wozniak in a restaurant, and I know tons of engineers who’ve worked for these companies.

Another thing worthy of note on who I am: At 19 I’m an extremely bright engineer and have an extremely vast amount of knowledge in tons of areas of technology and study. But I’m also mentally unstable I have autism, ADHD, severe anxiety, and Bipolar disorder. I get sprits of depression and can’t seem to stick with anything. I went to university for a year for electrical engineering and dropped out. I dropped out for 2 reasons. I hated all the extra classes that I have no interest in. And I noticed I was a freshman yet I had similar knowledge to that of seniors graduating that year.

[fahrni]

Saturday Morning Coffee

Good morning from Charlottesville, Virginia! ☕️

Up early this morning to drive our youngest daughter to the airport for a trip to California. I’m a little jealous. Thanksgiving in California with our wider family sounds amazing.

I’m still very much enjoying the current project I’m on at work and I wish I could spend the next five years on it. That would be perfectly fine with me, but I believe I’ll be wrapped up early next year then who knows what’s next? 😃

Time for some linkage.

Kyle Wiggers • TechCrunch

In a post on OpenAI’s official blog, the company writes that Altman’s departure follows a “deliberative review process by the board” that concluded that Altman “wasn’t consistently candid in his communications” with other board members, “hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.”

This whole situation is weird and the announcement sounds rushed and leaves one scratching their head.

Ina Fried • Axios

Microsoft, which has invested billions in OpenAI, learned that OpenAI was ousting CEO Sam Altman just a minute before the news was shared with the world, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The firing of Altman seems so rushed. Why wouldn’t the board have taken a bit longer making the decision so they could warn their partners ahead of time?

Microsoft is heavily invested in OpenAI. I can’t imagine they’re happy about how this went down.

L. Jeffrey Zeldman

As for folks who don’t spend their time macro-blogging—“ordinary people” who use rather than spend significant chunks of their day creating web content—Tai points out that this, statistically at least a more important issue than the fate and choices of the artists formerly known as digerati, remains unsolved, but with glimmers of partially solution-shaped indicators in the form of a re-emerging indieweb impulse:

Long live blogs and the indie web. If you’re blogging you’re not answering a the whims of a corporation who could lock you out at any time and can make money off of your hard work.

Own your content. Start a blog and link it everywhere.

Neal Riley • CBS News

CONCORD, N.H. - A suspect is dead after a shooting at New Hampshire State Hospital in Concord Friday afternoon. Police say the situation is now “contained” and all patients at the hospital are safe.

GUNS, GUNS, GUNS, America loves gun.

The GOP likes to say it’s a mental health issue. Fine, let’s get laws and required training so the people with mental health issues don’t get their hands on guns. Right?

Vjeran Pavic • The Verge

The blue versus green bubble debate may finally be winding down. Apple says, in 2024, the iPhone will add support for RCS messaging, the messaging standard used by most Android phones, according to a report from 9to5Mac.

I hope Apple builds this as a separate app. Keep those blue and green bubbles separate. If they do it gives them a chance to build something new in SwiftUI from the word go. That would be really nice to see.

If they have to make it part of Messages hopefully they do it in a way that doesn’t totally screw up the Messages UI.

Oh, and I really hope they keep their own messaging platform.

Jonathan M. Gitlin • Ars Technica

GM will build F1 powertrains in 2028 as long as F1 lets Andretti in

I’m so down with this and am hopeful Andretti Cadillac are given a charter. American racing needs to have a presence it what some see as the premier racing league in the world. There are only 20 drivers in the F1 world today. Two drivers from each of 10 teams. Expanding the grid by two would be amazing, and having an American company producing power units for that team would be absolutely incredible. Here’s hoping Haas does a deal with Ford. 😃

Joan Westenberg

Automattic’s recent announcement that Tumblr is being put into maintenance mode feels like the end of a personal era. Tumblr wasn’t just another social network; it was a cultural phenomenon, a haven for the eclectic and the expressive, where the internet’s fringes found a voice and a community.

I’d hate to see Tumblr disappear. It’s different than WordPress or Facebook or Mastodon or any other blogging platform. It has a different feel to it that’s difficult to describe but Joan’s use of eclectic is a great choice. We need networks like that on the web.

Here’s hoping it finds a way to keep on keepin on. 🤞🏼

Ted Johnson • Deadline

UPDATED, with White House comment: TikTok announced today that it was removing videos that have popped up on the platform in which users of various ages and ethnicities promote Osama bin Laden‘s “Letter to America,” which he had written to justify the attacks on 9/11.

I’ve never seen the video or read the transcript but I’d imagine it lays out his point in a way which makes perfect sense. The problem is, the man was a terrorist. He was all about exterminating the west and western culture. These folks are true believers and they put their money where their mouth is by killing innocent people to further their views.

Earlier in the week I said we were lucky on January 6 when the Capitol was stormed. Those folks were not serious people or it would’ve gotten much, much, worse and they wouldn’t have left.

I feel like the Christian Nationalist movement is on the path to becoming an American terrorist organization and they want to run the nation. Sound familiar? Yeah, it’s what Gaza has/had with Hamas in charge.

A theocracy in the United States will not work.

The Iconfactory

The next step was to give this new product a name. After several weeks of trial and error we landed on “xScope”. The “X” worked for both the operating system and the “examination” done by the tool. All the assets and websites were put in place and we got ready to launch with our unique tool with a unique name.

A hearty congratulations to one of my favorite companies in the world! I’ve been a user of xScope for a number of years now and it’s extremely handy for looking at screen layouts at the pixel level.

Highly birthday!🥳

Folklore

Finally, the team noticed one user that was particularly flummoxed by the dialog box, who even seemed to be getting a bit angry. The moderator interrupted the test and asked him what the problem was. He replied, “I’m not a dolt, why is the software calling me a dolt?”

Folklore is a great site if you’re at all interested in Apple’s early days. So many amazing stories.

Benj Edwards • Ars Technica

On Wednesday at the Microsoft Ignite conference, Microsoft announced two custom chips designed for accelerating in-house AI workloads through its Azure cloud computing service: Microsoft Azure Maia 100 AI Accelerator and the Microsoft Azure Cobalt 100 CPU.

This is really cool and exciting! I hope Microsoft realizes performance boosts and energy savings in their Azure data centers.

Now, how do I get one for my desktop Windows computer. 😁

Bryn Bodayle

The iOS UI framework landscape shifted in 2019 with the introduction of SwiftUI, a first-party declarative UI framework that accomplishes many of the same goals as Epoxy. Although SwiftUI was not a good fit for our needs during its first three years, by 2022 it offered increased stability and API availability. It was around this time that we started to consider adopting SwiftUI at Airbnb.

This will be fun to monitor. Airbnb tried to adopt React Native a few years back and abandoned the effort in favor of native development.

I have a feeling SwiftUI will stick. If you’re an iOS shop you don’t really have any choice. 😁

Dr. Ashish Bamania

Google Rejected Max Howell(Creator Of Homebrew) For Getting This Interview Question Wrong. Can You?

There are plenty of amazing software developers working at smaller shops because they can’t get past these types of interviews.

I’d managed to get an interview with Google in 2018-19 timeframe and canceled it when I was told I’d have to study for a couple weeks before interviewing. I was given links to algorithms and other materials to prepare for the interview. I was also assigned a mentor to help me prepare. 😳

The job was working on Chrome for iOS.

I canceled the interview.

Jena McGregor

Employees frustrated with their CEOs’ return-to-office mandates have tried arguing that remote work is linked with greater productivity. That it helps the environment with fewer commutes and improves diversity by broadening the talent pool. Now, they may have another argument to get their CEOs’ attention: Higher revenue growth.

More support for the remote work lifestyle. When I read articles like this I always think about the other articles I’ve read about working from home being the devil.

Working from home works for me but not for everyone. I’ve even considered going into the office one to two days a week just for a change of pace. Kim asked me “Are you that desperate to get COVID again?” the other day when I mentioned possibly going into work one day next week. She’s not wrong. I definitely do not want COVID again. I got COVID in 2022 at a group onsite and was exposed to COVID at a recent onsite. My luck at the office hasn’t been great.

Steve Yegge

I was at Amazon for about six and a half years, and now I’ve been at Google for that long. One thing that struck me immediately about the two companies – an impression that has been reinforced almost daily – is that Amazon does everything wrong, and Google does everything right.

This is a pretty long read so make sure your mug is full.

Neha Dwivedi • EssentiallySports

As it turns out, Kurt Busch has never been shy about wearing his heart on his sleeve, especially when it comes to his love for Formula 1. Flashback to June 2016, with NASCAR taking a week off, Busch jetted off to catch the Haas F1 Team in action at the Grand Prix of Europe in Azerbaijan, right after he qualified 17th for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at MIS.

I’d like to see some crossover between NASCAR and F1. Let’s start with Kyle Larson in an F1 ride and go from there. Maybe he could drive for Haas or the new Andretti Cadillac team? 😃

[ketologicketologyketogummies]

Ketologic Keto Gummies United States [Beware Scam US] Reviews, | 2023 Scam Exposed Review the Truth Before Buy!

Ketologic Keto Gummies is a formulated therapy for reducing weight. It is not a chemical slimming capsule but organic remedy that brings unlimited benefits. You naturally reduce your cravings of emotional eating and improve metabolic reaction continuously.

Ketologic Keto Gummies is a weight loss formula for absolute consistency satisfaction and good health. It begins to work from day one by eliminating toxins improving your digestion and inducing fat loss. try the product once and never in your life you are going to find it difficult to reduce weight. This is the most important formula for improving your mental and physical health together. If you find it challenging to burn calories from the body, choose this product to get a desirable result. The organic weight loss supplement is a form of a software capsule having organic substances. This is going to help you get rid of older fat storage in the body very naturally. You get a promoted weight loss results and improved energy levels  together by using the product alone.

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Giving Introduction To Ketologic Keto Gummies

Ketologic Keto Gummies is a formulated therapy for reducing weight. It is not a chemical slimming capsule but organic remedy that brings unlimited benefits. You naturally reduce your cravings of emotional eating and improve metabolic reaction continuously. The triggering process of ketosis works efficiently and continuously. You can easily remove extra toxins that create muscular damage and fat accumulation. The quality product has no harmful substances and that is why staying in the process of ketosis for a long time is possible. The therapy acts very promptly to begin with the process of fat loss. Within 14 days you are going to find a visual difference and consuming it for 90 days will give you full fledged results.

Understanding The Workability Of Ketologic Keto Gummies

Use Ketology Gummies for fat loss because it you help your body to reduce extra calories with harmful compounds. You do not have to rely on a specific type of keto diet to activate the process of ketosis. Choosing the best weight loss supplement alone can kickstart fat burning and removal of fat storage from the body cells. The natural fat burning mechanism of the product encourages your body to stay in shape internally. You are never going to find your body bloating and getting out of shape ever again. This is one product that gives you a feeling of fullness for hours without any strain and difficulties. Improve the metabolic reaction of the body and promote thermal GenesisProcess all naturlly.

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Ketologic Keto Gummies has a blend of key components that include as follows-

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The Apple cider vinegar content improves metabolic activity while removing unhealthy fatty acid from the body. You can easily control your appetite with Apple cider vinegar that brings a whole variety of benefits to you.

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Ketologic Keto Gummies has BHB ketone that burns away fat in the cells and improves the body structure. You are never going to get those fat deposits ever again in your life. Eliminating obesity with the formula that knows how to activate ketosis becomes easy.

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The proven ingredient can reduce fat molecules in the intestine and abdominal area. Additionally, it gives you a breakthrough fat burning result without needing you to go to a gym or do something special. It’s just a vitamin enriched ingredient that knows how to fight obesity and promote healthy detoxification. Find your body in a better state than before. Choose the fiber rich content giving you best benefits in no time.

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The pomegranate powder extract is rich in antioxidants and knows how to fight obesity. The substance also cures heart related disorders by improving blood circulation all through your body. When you don’t know how to supply your body with more nutrients during weight loss, Ketology  Gummies is to be chosen instantly. It is the natural weight loss supplement that can simultaneously cure a variety of diseases apart from giving you ultimate fat burning results.

Benefits Of Trying Ketologic Keto Gummies For 3 Months

Have you made up your mind to complete the 90 day therapy for fat loss? If yes, here is the list of health benefits that you would enjoy on using the formula -

   Release ketones

Ketologic Keto Gummies can help to release the process of ketones to improve fat burning. It can make your belly region slim while preventing further fat accumulation. Enhance your general well-being with the best product that never lets you stay dehydrated. This is just a very vital product for heightening of body functioning and detoxifying the body internally.

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The major problem with most of the body shaping formula is that they do not focus on the heavy areas. Ketologic Keto Gummies targets the fat deposits in the body very carefully. This is how it helps to eliminate the extra layers specifically through its ketogenic process. You get a very slender body having a perfect shape and size. Complain no more for heavy buttocks or arms. This is the best supplement for shaping you up in a short span of time.

     Essential minerals

Ketologic Keto Gummies is a nutritive formula for weight reduction that supplies your body with nutrient content also. It has minerals, vitamins and immunity boosting agent from different herbs and extracts. All the additives in the product together improve your body shape and internal functioning. The single product all together supports your fat burning process.

From Where To Place Order For Ketologic Keto Gummies?

You should place your order for Ketologic Keto Gummies from the official website of the manufacturer that delivers you one month supply at a certain shipping price. However, if you do not want to take a pack of 60 capsules, a better idea would be to go for a trial pack that is available at a shipping price only. The quality product is not a scam but a legitimate option to kick away your obesity levels. The best keto gummy can be all yours in just a few clicks. The interested buyers should make an attempt to fill the user form and place the order instantly. Let your body shape remain slim and last for years.

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Best Gummies 2023 Oder Ketology Keto Gummies From “Official Website”

Ketologic Keto Gummies is never going to let your health detriment or decrease. It is a very genuine product for reducing your body size and shape naturally. The reduced cost of the product in the current trial period has made it reachable for many customers out there. If you want a real option for reducing your belly and buttock fat, the best CBD gummiesvare meant for that.

Ketologic Keto Gummies Review From The Users 

People on using Ketologic Keto Gummies revealed that there was not a single day of discomfort and uneasiness. The all natural supplement for weight reduction allowed them to meet their goals very easily and happily. Unlike other chemical compounds of reducing weight, this was a perfect belly shaping product that gave a better dose of health. The excellent alternative to gymming and difficult diet plans, Ketologic Keto Gummies is legitimate and sustainable. It is a very flavourful option to reduce weight and deliver a noticeable nutrient content to your body. You can never feel lethargic tired and uneasy with this particular blend that has its roots in the mother nature.

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The pure CBD has nothing to do with any side-effects or bad effects. It simply eliminates pain, anxiety and discomfort from your life while giving a relaxing and healing effect naturally. The blend of multiple compounds support your body so that you can accomplish the goal of weight loss very effortlessly. The system promotes body mobility and flexibility very easily. It has a very amazing way to maintain restful night sleep and boost general health on a daily basis.

Final Words

Ketologic Keto Gummies is not detrimental to anybody who is above 18 years of age. Somehow, you should ensure that there is no ongoing additional remedy as it would not have a good effect on you. Reduce muscular damage obesity and anxiety very easily with the product. The effective option to reduce weight and detoxify the body gives overnight benefits.  Approved by the leading health agencies and exports of the world, this product is not related with any disorders at all. You should not try to choose the copycat version of the formula from the e-commerce store. Go for the original Ketologic Keto Gummies from the manufacturer page and let it develop a good health with time.

Ketologic Keto Gummies is a helpful option for managing chronic pain and regular discomfort. It is a scientific option to reduce obesity diseases and chronic difficulties. Prevention of seizures is also possible with the Ketology Keto gummy that changes the way you look upon things. The product delivers a complete guarantee and warranty on its workability and a performance. Within 60 days of product use, you get a complete idea of how things actually are. In case of dissatisfaction, the manufacturer Website entertains refunding as well. Free from gelatin and unwanted items, Ketologic Keto Gummies gives a full spectrum of health benefits to every user. It is a pure remedy to improve your health levels and nutritional composition.

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Best Gummies 2023 Oder Ketology Keto Gummies From “Official Website”

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[ketogummiesnewzealand]

Keto Gummies New Zealand Review, Benefits, Cost, and SCAM OR LEGIT!

Keto Gummies New Zealand:-

In the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, do you ever wish there has been a way to go into ketosis that failed to want sticking to the ketogenic food regimen like a fanatical zealot? If you said yes, you've got probably attempted counting calories and maintaining a food diary with Keto Gummies New Zealand before. You might have upped your hobby and water consumption in case you have been certainly committed to decreasing weight.

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Then, could you complicated on Keto Gummies New Zealand?

A nutritional complement, which includes Keto Gummies New Zealand Reviews, may additionally help you shed pounds more quickly. The goal of the use of this product should be to reap and hold a ketogenic country. The metabolic country of ketosis, in which fats as opposed to carbs is used for energy, results in fast weight reduction and a lower in body fats. The breakdown of fat into ketones occurs within the liver. Ketones, like those located in Keto Gummies New Zealand, may additionally help people shed pounds, experience energized, and perform better mentally and cognitively. Ketones are produced while fat is oxidized.

Australia, Canada, and the UK are just a few of the places where Keto Gummies New Zealand Reviews have visible extra fulfillment than any other gummy brand. In-intensity medical trying out and confirmation were done to assure lengthy-lasting effects. Perhaps the maximum appealing exceptional of this product is that it's far made entirely from natural and natural materials, with none adulteration or the addition of chemicals that could have quick-term however potentially harmful outcomes.

Why New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom and Not Somewhere Else Why do humans maintain coming again for more of Keto Gummies New Zealand?

The lengthy-lasting benefits of this excellent formulation can be attributed to the rigorous clinical testing and studies that went into their improvement. The most attractive feature of this product is that it's miles made absolutely of natural and herbal components with none shape of adulteration or the use of chemical substances to create quick and surprising consequences.

If you're taking the right dose on a regular basis, you may be able to shed undesirable kilos, form your body how you need it to look, and enhance your health. The combination of a negative food regimen and a loss of exercise together with your sedentary way of life may additionally quickly lead to immoderate frame fat, which in flip can create fitness troubles.

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If you eat even this sort of treats, your body will start to produce ketones. It reasons a metabolic nation known as ketosis, which forces the body to start the use of fats shops as an alternative strength source.

Using the Staples of Keto Gummies New Zealand:

Green tea's popularity stems from the reality that it has been shown to lessen each average frame weight and frame fats percentage.

The popular nutritional complement garcinia cambogia has been confirmed to assist the frame burn extra fat, which may cause considerable weight loss. More than just a strong fat burner, it additionally provides a host of different advantages.

Although there have been no pronounced side consequences from the use of raspberry ketones as a dietary complement, this has not stopped its utilization. Reduced frame fat increases the hazard of developing obesity-associated health troubles. This was to be expected, after all.

Dandelion, that is a extremely good supplement to any weight-reduction plan considering that it is rich in nutrients A, C, and K. Put really, dandelion has powerful antioxidant properties. Apple cider vinegar is the most vital element due to the vitamins it contains and its capacity to assist in weight manage. One can also put it to use to assist them shed pounds, in addition to its apparent use inside the kitchen and the study room.

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[itcars]

Details: The Aston Martin Valhalla

Aston Martin’s transformational journey takes a huge step forwards with the Valhalla concept car brought to production reality as an extraordinary, truly driver-focused mid-engined hybrid supercar.

Valhalla is the latest and most significant product of the brand’s Project Horizon strategy to-date; a car which will broaden the model portfolio to reflect Aston Martin’s presence in Formula One, set best-in-class standards for performance, dynamics and driving pleasure, and drive the transition from internal combustion to hybrid to full electric powertrains.

Built with chassis, aerodynamic and electronics expertise forged in Formula One, and a cutting-edge hybrid powertrain technology at its heart, Valhalla is a formidable technological showcase. Yet far from engineering the driver out of the loop, Valhalla’s sole focus is immersing them in a new kind of supercar driving experience. One which brings unprecedented excitement, enjoyment, and driver engagement to the top of the supercar sector.

With pinpoint handling, prodigious levels of downforce and a breathtaking blend of instant battery-electric torque and the intensity of a scintillating V8 engine, Valhalla’s fusion of raw emotion and hybrid efficiency reflects a new era. One defined by a shift in attitudes and expectations that demands contemporary supercars are not just sensational to look at and thrilling to drive, but that they truly reflect the technology employed in the highest level of motorsport. As such Valhalla is at the forefront; an authentic, next generation Aston Martin road racer, designed around the driver, for the driver and built to be enjoyed.

Valhalla heralds a new definition of Aston Martin. With a mid-engined 950bhp gasoline/battery electric powertrain, new carbon fiber structure and aerodynamics shaped by the pioneering philosophy first seen in the revolutionary Aston Martin Valkyrie, Valhalla will bring the perfect balance of hypercar performance and advanced powertrain, driving dynamics and uniquely sophisticated design materials to truly redefine the supercar sector.

For a true engineer like Moers, Valhalla marks the moment where Aston Martin delivers on earlier promises, he says: “Preserving the essence of an exceptional concept car is vital when meeting the challenge of bringing it into production. With Valhalla not only have we stayed true to our commitment to build a world-beating supercar, but we have exceeded our original aims. The result is a pure driving machine - one which exists right at the cutting edge of performance and technology yet allows the driver to feel the emotion and thrill of complete connection and control.”

At the beating heart of Valhalla is its all-new PHEV powertrain, which features three motors; foremost of these is a rear-mid-mounted 4.0 litre twin-turbo bespoke V8 engine. The most advanced, responsive and highest performing V8 engine ever fitted to an Aston Martin, it features a flat-plane crankshaft for increased responsiveness. Revving to 7200rpm and developing 750PS, it sends drive exclusively to the rear axle. Exhaling through a lightweight exhaust system with active flaps for an adjustable and authentic Aston Martin sound character it also features top-exit tailpipes to maximize visual and aural drama.

Supplementing this new V8 engine is a 150kW/400V battery hybrid system utilizing a pair of E-Motors; one mounted on the front axle and the other on the rear axle. The electric system contributes a further 204PS for a headline combined power output of 950PS. When driven in EV mode battery power is directed exclusively to the front axle. In other driving modes battery power is split between front and rear axles, the percentage sent to each axle constantly varies according to driving demands. In certain situations, 100% of battery power can be sent to the rear axle, supplementing the full force of the ICE V8 for maximum performance.

Completing the powertrain is an all-new 8-speed DCT transmission. Exclusively designed and built for Aston Martin, this new paddle-shift gearbox has been developed specifically for the hybrid era. Featuring e-reverse (which utilizes the PHEV’s electric motors and thereby saves weight by negating the need for a conventional reverse gear) the transmission also features an Electronic Limited-Slip Differential (E-Diff) on the rear axle for maximum traction and handling agility.

Electrical power is also used to enhance low speed control and response as well as provide reversing capability. And, thanks to the instantaneous torque from the E-Motors, the hybrid system augments the V8 engine to deliver sensational standing start acceleration and in-gear response. Outright performance is further aided by the E-Motor and V8 ICE being able to run different gears in the DCT simultaneously, which enables a maximum torque delivery of 1000Nm.

Running in EV-only mode, Valhalla will be capable of a maximum 80mph / 130km/h and has a zero-emission range of 15km. Predicted CO2 (WLTP) is less than 200g/km. Unleashing all 950PS the Valhalla will reach a top speed of 217mph / 330km/h and will complete the sprint from 0-62mph in just 2.5 seconds. In terms of outright track capability, a stunning 6:30 Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time is being targeted.

In terms of its structure, Valhalla is built around a new a carbon fiber tub for maximum stiffness with minimum weight penalty. Featuring Formula One® style push rod front suspension complete with inboard mounted springs and dampers reducing unsprung mass and provides a brilliant packaging solution. Together with the rear-end’s multilink design, Valhalla uses Multimatic Variable Spring rate and Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) Damper units providing adjustable ride frequency for exceptional performance on road and track. In addition to stiffer suspension, Track mode sees ride height dramatically reduced in order to maximize downforce. At the other end of the speed scale, a front axle lift system raises the nose for improved approach angle on awkward inclines.

The carbon tub’s inherent rigidity means suspension loadings can be controlled with absolute precision and every minute input to the electric power-assisted steering faithfully translated into an immediate and intuitive direction change. High performance Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes (complete with brake-by-wire technology) guarantee exceptional stopping power, and bespoke Michelin tires (20in front, 21in rear) developed specifically for Valhalla provide a final and all-important layer of excellence. This intimate, uncorrupted connection between driver and car sits at the core of the Valhalla experience, with advanced materials and electronics serving only to enhance the driver’s enjoyment, confidence and sense of complete control.

With a target dry weight of less than 1550kg Valhalla will have an unrivalled power-to-weight ratio compared to its class rivals. Weight of a different kind - that generated by aerodynamic downforce - also plays its part in Valhalla’s unmatched dynamic capabilities. Benefitting from a flow-down of the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar’s Formula One® inspired aerodynamic philosophy, Valhalla employs a combination of active aerodynamic surfaces - specifically the front surfaces and rear wing - and masterful management of underbody airflow through dramatic venturi tunnels. At 150mph Valhalla’s meticulously sculpted aerodynamic surfaces generate an impressive 600kg of downforce, enough for mighty high-speed cornering ability and unshakable stability.

The pursuit of downforce demands uncompromising functionality, but expertly working the airflow beneath the car has left Aston Martin’s design team with a clean upper body surface with which they have created a memorable mid-engined shape that is original yet unmistakably Aston Martin. Uncorrupted by the need for aggressive wings that jut into the airstream, Valhalla’s predominantly carbon fiber body blends function and beauty in a manner that befits a new generation of mid-engined supercar. Spectacular forward-hinged dihedral doors bring drama to the beginning and end of every journey, while cut-outs in the roof ease ingress and egress. A distinctive roof scoop feeds air directly into the V8 engine’s intakes, with additional side and rear intakes and vents integrated smoothly into the overall body design.

Valhalla, the luxury brands first series production mid-engined supercar will be available in both left-hand and right-hand drive, expanding its appeal across international markets. Cockpit room has been increased compared to the Aston Martin Valkyrie, though many Formula One inspired hallmarks remain, such as a pared back cockpit design with clear, simple ergonomics unashamedly focused around the driver. An innovative new Aston Martin HMI system features a central touchscreen display and incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Adjustable pedals and steering column enable the seat bases to be fixed to the chassis structure. The footwells are also raised for a low hip-to-heel seating position redolent of a Formula One car.

For Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, Valhalla is an opportunity for the Aston Martin design team to express extreme performance with fresh form and proportion, and to capture the brand’s bold future-forward approach: “When we created the Valhalla concept we were keen to emphasize the design legacy of the Aston Martin Valkyrie and that intent remains unchanged, but the execution has evolved considerably in order to reach production of this all-new car. Though the legacy of Valkyrie is clear, Valhalla is now a more mature, fully resolved piece of design. One which combines the pure aerodynamic function you would expect from a marque competing in Formula One® together with the beautiful form, striking proportions and exemplary detailing for which Aston Martin is renowned.”

Full LED Matrix headlights with adaptive functionality and high-beam assist deliver excellent forward vision in the dark, and Dual Zone Air Conditioning provides high level of occupant comfort. In order to comply with the latest regulatory requirements, Valhalla also incorporates the latest Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. These include Auto Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Active Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear View Parking Camera (with Surround View option).

Dynamic development of the Valhalla will be the task of Aston Martin’s award-winning dynamics team and complemented with an enviable pool of talent which also includes Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team drivers Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll and Nico Hulkenburg. They will give their invaluable perspective to the project and bring added authenticity to a car which boasts such a clear connection to Aston Martin’s Grand Prix machines.

Valhalla is a new generation Aston Martin, it defines a new driver and driving experience – ‘the Mastery of Driving’, a true ultra-luxury, exclusive, British supercar.

[tezzbot]

appledash headcanons? i need more of them in my life tbh </3 [also i love the way you draw ponies,,, they're just so,,,, shaped and cool,,,]

i have been thinking a lot about dash moving in with the apples a lot recently, like her getting accustomed to their little traditions and like trying to like find her place in the household n stuff, maybe confiding in sugarbelle since this was a process shes already been through getting used to living w the apples?

i just like to imagine little domestic scenes like at night when its dark and theyre all in like. the living room or whatever just sitting together chatting, telling stories n jokes and stuff n its all cozy and warm, maybe the couples cuddled up on the couches, granny knitting or smth in Her Chair, and in the mornings when everyones getting up its like they all have to figure out how to weave in and out of each others way cus like, adding sb and rd to the house its more crowded than its been in decades and it ends up looking like some kind of weird dance up and down the stairs on the landing and in the kitchen lol

i also like to imagine they have a little like firepit maybe a little bit in the orchard behind the house and if they sit out there long enough it starts feeling like an at home camping trip... if youve ever been sat outside though sundown around fire you know the feeling qwq.. maybe aj brings out an instrument of hers and gives little personal apple chord performances or they do a little family singsong w tunes that have been passed down through generations apple to apple or she just mindlessly like lightly plays it giving a little bit of bg music

and then eventually, after getting used to her living there, when dash has to leave for however long for wonderbolts excursions her absence is absolutely felt, maybe the house is slightly quieter without her rowdy ass hovering around jokingly whining about all the work she has to do now lmao

and oh man having rds parents over for dinner or something would be a laugh and a half for fuckin sure omg everyone just swapping stories embarassing each other like families are supposed to do

i feel like dash would be good helping bring in the harvests, i dont think shed buck i dont think pegasi are built for that lol shed probably just fly from tree to tree and just shimmy and shake the apples down, i feel like sugarbelle would like help w the finances n stuff and do little bake sales in the ponyville market from time to time or maybe the cmcs take her stuff to the schools to help w funds to keep the farm going, though i think dash's celebrity paycheck would help cover anything that keeps them out of the red :P

god can you imagine how excited dash and aj would be to hear that theyre going to be aunts to big mac and sugarbelles foal,,, i feel like theyd be like omg congrats thats so cool :)!! but like in private theyre like OH MYG OD WE ARE GOING TO BE THE BEST AUNTS EVER IN THE WORLD fghgjgkhfhfg

ANYWAY sorry this got long and was more abt the apples as a unit rather than just appledash lmao i just have a lot of feelings about domestic shit it makes me so so so soft<3<3

and thank you so much!!! i love drawing the horses :P

[d-criss-news]

20 Questions With Darren Criss: How Acting Has Helped Him Make New Music

While Darren Criss has graced our TV screens with a range of characters, from high schooler Blaine Anderson on Glee to serial killer Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, he was last spotted just being himself, on our For You Page on TikTok. “I’m walking to rehearsal with a guitar on my back with a Trader Joe’s bag ... I did not bring an umbrella because I forgot that it was raining. I’m rocking that NYC musician life,” the Glee alum explained in the hilarious clip posted three days ago.

While Criss’ acting work has earned him acclaim and stardom, he leaned into making music during the pandemic. On Aug. 20, he dropped a new EP, Masquerade, featuring five new tracks that Criss says were inspired by the different characters Criss has embraced throughout his career. After Criss wrote songs for his musical comedy web series Royalties and Apple TV+’s animated sitcom Central Park before the pandemic struck the United States, he then used those experiences as a precursor to his new EP. As Criss continues to promote his new music, he answered 20 of Billboard's questions – giving us a peek into how his new EP came together, and how growing up in San Fransisco shaped him as an actor, singer and all-around artist.

1. What inspired your latest project, Masquerade?

Although I would have preferred that it come at a far less grim cost, I finally had the time. Before the pandemic, I had written 10 new songs for my show Royalties -- along with an original song for Disney and another for Apple’s Central Park. These were all assignments in which I was writing for a certain scenario and character. Go figure. It was the most music I had ever written in a calendar year. This really emboldened me to rethink how I made my own music— to start putting a focus on “character creation” in my songs, rather than personal reflection. The latter was not proving to be as productive. The alchemy of having this time and having set a new intention with my own songwriting and producing made me put on a few of my favorite masques and throw myself a Masquerade.

2. How do you think your background as an actor complements your music?

They are one and the same to me. I treat acting roles like musical pieces— dialogue is like scoring a melody; there’s pace, dynamics, cadence, tone. Physical characterization is like producing -- zeroing in on the bass line, deciding on the kick pattern. Vocal characterization is like choosing the right sonic experience, choosing the most effective snare sound, and mixing the high end or low end. It goes without saying that it works in the complete opposite direction. Making each song is taking on a different role literally and employing the use of different masques to maximize the effectiveness of the particular story being told.

3. On Instagram  you wrote that “Masquerade is a small collection of the variety of musical masques that have always inspired me.” Which track do you identify with most in your real life?

Everybody absorbs songs differently. Some key into the lyrics, some into the melody, some the production, some into vocal performance. When I listen to songs, I consider all of their value on totally different scales. So it’s hard to say if there’s any track I “identify” with more than any others, since I -- by nature -- identify with all of them. I think I just identify with certain aspects more than others. If it helps for a more interesting answer, I will say I enjoy the slightly more classical, playful -- dare I say -- more Broadway-leaning wordplay of “Walk of Shame,” but that’s just talking about lyricism. I enjoy the attitude of “F*kn Around,” the batsh--t musicality of “I Can’t Dance,” the relentless grooves of “Let’s” and “For A Night Like This.” All have different ingredients I really enjoy having an excuse to dive into.

4. What’s the first piece of music that you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

Beatles audio cassettes: “Help” and “Hard Day’s Night.” I just listened on repeat on a tape-playing Walkman until my brother and I got a stereo for our room with a CD player in it, which was  when I just bought the same two albums again, but this time as compact discs.

5. What was the first concert you saw?It’s hard to say, because my parents took us to a lot of classical concerts when we were small. But I guess this question usually refers to what was the first concert you went to on your own volition, and that my friend, was definitely Warped Tour ’01. My brother and I went on our own— two teenagers going to their first music festival, in the golden age of that particular genre and culture. It was f--king incredible.

6. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?

My dad was in private banking and advised really, really wealthy people on how to handle their money. My mom was, by choice, a stay-at-home mom, but in reality, she was my dad’s consigliere. They discussed absolutely everything together. They were a real team, and I saw that every single day in the house. They both had a background in finance (That’s how they met in the first place.) and were incredibly skilled at all the hardcore adulting things that I absolutely suck at. They were total finance wizards together. So of course, instead of becoming an accountant, I picked up playing the guitar and ran as far I could with it. Luckily, they were all about it.

7. What was your favorite homecooked meal growing up?

My dad was an incredible chef. For special occasions, I’d request his crab cakes. They were unreal. I’ve never had a crab cake anywhere in the world that was good as my dad’s.

8. Who made you realize you could be an artist full-time?

I don’t know if I’ve actually realized that yet.

9. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?

The specifics change every day, but the core idea at the top is to continue being consistently inconsistent with my choices, and to keep getting audiences to constantly reconsider their consideration of me. But I mean, sure, what performer doesn’t want to play Coachella? What songwriter doesn’t want to have Adele sing one of their songs? What actor doesn’t want to be in a Wes Anderson film?

10.  How did your hometown/city shape who you are?

San Francisco. I mean, come on. I was really lucky. The older I get, the more grateful I am for just being born and raised there. It’s an incredibly diverse, culturally rich, colorful, inclusive, vibrant city. By the time I was born, it had served as a beacon for millions of creative, out-of-the-box thinkers to gather and thrive. I grew up around that. The combination of that with having parents, who were unbelievably supportive of the arts themselves, laid an incredibly fortunate foundation to consider the life of an artist as a legitimately viable option. It’s a foundation that I am supremely aware is not the case for millions of young artists around the world. I was absurdly lucky.

11.  What’s the last song you listened to?

I mean probably one of mine, but not by choice. I know, lame. But I’m promoting a new EP, what’d you expect? But if you wanna know what I’ve been listening to, as far as new s--t is concerned: a lot of Lizzy McAlpine, Remi Wolf, and Charlie Burg.

12.  If you could see any artist in concert, dead or alive, who would it be?

The Beatles is an obvious "yeah, duh." Sammy Davis, Mel Tormé, or of course, Nat King Cole. I would’ve loved to see Howard Ashman give a lecture on his creative process and his body of work.

13. What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen happen in the crowd of one of your sets?

I feel like just having a crowd at all, at any one of my sets, is pretty wild enough.

14. What’s your karaoke go-to?

The real answer to this I’ll write into a book one day, because I have a lot to say about karaoke etiquette. I have two options here: I can either name a song that I like to sing for me, for fun, or I can name a song that really gets the group going. The answer depends on what kind of karaoke night we’re dealing with here. So I will say, after I’ve selected a ton of songs that services a decent enough party vibe for everyone else, then I would do one for me, and that would be the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling.”

15. What’s one thing your most devoted fans don’t know about you?

What I have up my sleeve.

16. What TV show did you binge-watch over the past year?

Dave is a stroke of genius. There are episodes that I believe are bona fide masterpieces. Also, My Brilliant Friend is a masterclass in cinematic television.

17. What movie, or song, always makes you cry?

It’s A Wonderful Life.

18. What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

Get used to sharing everything about yourself and your life now, or more astutely, to the idea that you don’t necessarily get to control how your life is shared. I know it’s not really your thing, but you’re gonna have to get used to it, so start building up those calluses now. And don’t worry, all the stuff you love now will be cool again in your mid-thirties, so keep some of those clothes because you’ll be a full-blown fashion icon if you just keep wearing exactly what you’re wearing. Oh nd also, put money into Apple and Facebook.

19.  What new hobby did you take on in the last year?

I’ve always been a linguaphile. My idea of leisure time is getting to study or review other languages. This past year, I took the time to finally dive into learning how to read, write, and speak Japanese. Other than making music, it was one of the biggest components of my 2020-2021.

20. What do you hope to accomplish or experience by the end of 2021?

I hope I get to play live shows again.

[miszswan]

CALIFORNIA NUMB - INTRODUCTION

content warning : mentions of mature topics such as sexual content, anxiety, eating disorders, a tad bit of angst, sexual innuendoes, alcohol, drugs and sensitive language

𝘪.          Take one look at imani mathenge and you’ll see a happy girl with a smile as bright as the stars. Was the smile genuine? Yes. Was it always that way? No, for many years of her life it was an absolute fake, plastic smile.

𝘪𝘪.          She could remember it like it started yesterday. A two year old Imani accompanied by her parents and older siblings the family of six decided to go spend the day at Northgate Mall. After wandering around for an hour the family decided to go to the ice rink.

𝘪𝘪𝘪.         Now keep in mind that the oldest of the Khumalo well currently Mathenge siblings was only seven and following him was the twins at age six and the youngest of the bunch at two. Due to that, neither Kamaria or Dingane were to keen on taking their kids ice skating.

𝘪𝘷.         Nevertheless the sweet innocent Imani wanted to try it out. At first she fell flat on her face. Her father who was just putting on his skates to her on the rink immediately rushed over. He expected to find a crying, wailing child instead the toddler laughed as she pushed herself to her feet. With a sigh he took the tiny hand and the two took the stage. Now although it took a few rounds before the girl was able to skate properly and on her own, she managed. At the very young age of two years old Amogelang Imani Khumalo managed to skate around the whole rink.

𝘷.          That’s when Dingane Khumalo knew that his daughter was destined to become an figure skater. That’s quite a rare case you see. A professional ice skater in a country where there are barely any ice rinks in a country to begin with, but nevertheless she succeeded. She began lessons, went to competitions, earned hundreds of trophies and medals. Within her first 8 years of her career her name was well known throughout the ice skating world.

𝘷𝘪.          That’s how the Khumalo family ended up in Kentucky. Dingane Khumalo had been looking into other places or training facilities for his daughter to learn. So when he gets a call from a team in the United States he’s overjoyed and more than proud of his youngest daughter.

𝘷𝘪𝘪.         So with some convincing the Khumalo family of six moved across the world. To a small neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky. That’s how our two lovebirds met. Looking back on it, it’s a very funny story. On her first day at her new school, Imani the mysterious African new girl that everyone had been whispering about for hours sat at a table with people yapping into ear left right and center. Then there he came. Jackman Harlow pushed his way through the crowd and sat across her. Before introducing himself Jack took the liberty of stealing one of her apple slices.

𝘷𝘪𝘪𝘪        Now one thing many have learned in the past was to never steal Imani’s food ( mainly because she starved herself half of the time to keep in shape) but because of that she was so focused on that one missing slice she missed his whole introduction. So the moment Jack stopped talking, Imani began to yell at him. Next thing the two knew, a teacher had forced them to ‘hug it out’ to make amends. Once Imani got home after ice skating practice she realized how childish she was, so in order to truly make amends the ten year old baked a red velvet cake and took it over to the Harlow household ( who so conveniently lived across the street ) she apologized to the boy for yelling and he did the same. From that very moment a small flower blossomed into a beautiful friendship.

𝘪𝘹          That friendship was the one thing that kept Imani afloat for the upcoming years. Her training became more intense and before she knew it she was competing in the Winter Olympics, at the early age of sixteen she became the youngest black person to win a gold medal at the Olympics. What should’ve been a victorious moment and an amazing memory became the soul reason for her demise. For the moment she won that medal, everything went down hill. Her father became a bigger douche bag than before. He pushed her further, made her eat certain things which pushed her further than she should’ve been.

𝘹           All of the practices, exercises and early mornings, all of the lies that came out of her fathers mouth all came down to one of her qualifiers in 2014. She could remember ever detail of the events leading to the epic finale. It started with her surgery a few weeks before, then it was her father practically dragging her out two days before her competition to make a routine to win the hearts of the judges, then it lead to her not sleeping for those two days, then moments before her performance she remembers stuffing a bunch of painkillers down her throat to avoid the aching pain in her back. Next thing she knew she was skating, leaped into the air for a split second the collapsed onto the ground.

𝘹𝘪          After that day everything changed, mostly for the better. Once her healing process was complete, Imani finally began to take control of her life and before she knew it, she was living the dream that her father had forced her to bury years ago. That dream came with choices, most of her choices got her roles and opportunities to grow as a woman while others practically forced her away from her family, specifically her best friend. So what happens when she sees him for the first time in months? Will they still have the same connection and bond before or will things be different?

savannah lee smith ━━━ imani mathenge

featuring...

jack harlow. . . . himself

urban wyatt. . . . himself

lil nas x. . . . himself

dylan o’brien. . . . himself

phoebe dynevor. . . . herself

jordan fisher . . . . bakari mathenge

zeus irons . . . .mandle mathenge

ryan destiny . . . . kamili mathenge

chloe bailey. . . . chloe dawson

halle bailey . . . . halle dawson

maude apatow. . . . hazel pereira

rachel zegler. . . . herself

fah yongwarree. . . . mekhala zhao

gossip girl cast as themselves

Stargirl cast as themselves

tags: @lcandothisallday @harlowsbby @jackssneakylinkk @bella-20015 let me know if I should add you

MAIN MASTERLIST

[infjsnightmare]

Wedding Aesthetics: Dazai

A/N: This was requested by @pompompurin1028 I think Dazai is definitely on the more non-traditional side of things. He wants his wedding to be less about the expectations people will have about the wedding and more about just celebrating the things he and his S/O love. He wouldn't want a huge fuss made about planning this or that, but he would absolutely want to be the one making the fuss over his S/O. This is a man who practices some vows in front of a mirror, but just ends up winging it at the alter pouring his entire heart out, while pretending he isn't tearing up. And he knows his S/O will do the same. I think he would pick sky blue as his wedding color, telling his S/O that they've opened up the sky for him.

*************************************************

If his S/O is fem: He wants his S/O to be relaxed and confident in a dress that is uniquely her. I think he'd like something a little more casual, but wouldn't mind seeing some skin. Something his S/O can slip into and out of quite easily. Also something she can move and dance and run around with him in. He just wants her to feel like herself. If she isn't someone who is usually dolled up, then he doesn't want her to change her usual routine. He might like a little extra attention to his S/O hair so he can run his fingers through it and watch it move with her when they dance.

If his S/O is masc/Dazai's clothes: This man wants to wear matching outfits with his masc S/O, please just let him. He wants to feel like a unit, like the two of them are halves of one whole. Life makes sense with him by his side and he wants to show the world. Dazai would like his S/O to wear white with him. Dazai thinks he looks good in white and he wants to look attractive to his S/O on their wedding day. Dazai probably wouldn't get a suit that is too restricting or has too many layers since he wants to play around and have fun with his S/O. I think a nice button up and a suit vest would be his top pick, since he can also comfortably wear his bandages underneath. He would probably prefer to wear his normal trousers, but in matching colors with his S/O. He would also do that sideswept hairstyle(like in dead apple). Please, the man even showered for the occasion!

Bouqet/ Boutonniere: Dazai is tasking Kenji with handpicking the bouquet and boutonniere flowers. He thinks that the natural look of the wild flowers complements the wild look he sometimes sees in his S/O's eyes. He also thinks that hand-picked flowers have more meaning. He used to have enough money to buy what he wanted, so he would focus more on the things that can be hand-done for the wedding. He would go out on his own searching for blue wild flowers to add to the bouquet and boutonniere to make sure they match though.

The Rings: This boy is getting matching ring finger tattoos He would want wedding bands that have a design related to something the two of them really love. They would be different shapes according to what they each like, but the same thematically, so he feels like they belong together. He would never take it off. That ring is never getting washed. He would also constantly be trying the ring on before the wedding, savoring how it feels. When he is exchanging rings, he seems as smug and confident as ever, but his hand is trembling. If he ever sees his S/O without the ring on, he would probably be heartbroken, even though y'know, they're probably just cleaning it.

The Venue: He wants marry his S/O someplace that has a significant meaning to both of them. It doesn't matter if they met at the literal garbage dump or The Lupin and they hang out there for fun, he will have his wedding there if it means something to them. This man is done with the decorum of the world. His S/O is his world, so he wants to relive all those memories on his wedding day. There isn't any need for a large venue since it will be an intimate gathering of only those people most important to him and his S/O. He would at least put in the elbow grease to make sure that wherever he picked was up to his S/O standards appearance-wise. Dazai cleaning? Yeah, it's more likely than Kunikida thought.

Decorations: All the decorations are hand made and painted the same shade of sky blue. Dazai makes dates with his S/O out creating the decorations. He will use old, cleaned out sake bottles as vases and have his S/O paint little designs on them. He'll also make decorations out of photos of him and his S/O. He has a lot of chaotic energy, so some of these dates were at 2am when neither of them could sleep.

The Wedding Cake: The cake is half of a flavor he likes and half of a flavor his S/O likes since he wanted them both to like it. Taste matters far more than appearance to Dazai. He and his S/O hand-made the cake too. It is a far cry from professional, but he will pour his heart and soul into making it together. He kind of likens it to making a baby with his S/O since it is something they both created together. The decoration on it will be simple, since Dazai doesn't want it to look atrocious from using techniques that he and his S/O haven't mastered.

After the Wedding: Dazai thought for a very long time about where he would take his S/O, but they would probably never know that. Because where they end up going for their honeymoon is to their new shared apartment. Dazai made sure to take the week off from work and stock the apartment with enough snacks and video games and activities to last. He prepared a pillow fort in the living room with a mattress in the middle for them to sleep in. Not that they'll be doing much sleeping. And set up lots of candles to set an ambience. There's only one place in the world he wants to go, and that is home where his S/O is.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Facebook vs Robert Bork

Unless you're a certain kind of conservative, you probably haven't heard of Robert Bork, but he's one of the most important people you've never heard of. The best way to understand Bork is that he was Ronald Reagan's court sorcerer.

Reagan was an empty vessel with the hands of ruthless plutocrats shoved up his asshole*, operating him like a hand puppet for their collective will to power.

He served as a kind of dowsing rod for policies that would transfer wealth from the 99% to the 1%.

*Hence the polyps

That dowsing rod pointed straight at Bork. Bork was an alternate history writer, a fabulist with a unique and wildly improbable theory of antitrust statutes: that if you studied the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act with Qanon-style fervor, you'd find hidden messages in them.

Specifically, you would discover that the lawmakers who drafted, debated, amended and passed these laws thought monopolies were good, actually. They were only concerned with a small and possibly mythical minority of monopolies that were "harmful."

Not just any harms: Bork said that these ancient sages were worried about *consumer* harms, which, practically speaking, means monopolies that use their power to raise prices. This, he said, was the only thing that the government should step in to prevent.

Since it is nearly impossible to prove that a given merger or tactic would result in higher prices before the fact, and *also* it's nearly impossible to prove that a price rise after the fact was attributable to monopolism we should probably just forget about antitrust.

Reagan loved this. By shifting antitrust's focus from *democratic* harms (like reducing choice, distorting regulation, hurting workers, etc) to *consumer* harms, he could demote "citizens" (who have a role in shaping policies) to "consumers" - mere ambulatory wallets.

Reagan tried to get Bork a seat on the Supreme Court, but there was a little problem. Bork had committed a string of disgusting crimes while serving as Nixon's Solicitor General, and the Senate refused to confirm him for a seat.

(Conservatives were outraged that committing crimes at the highest level of government disqualified you from the Supreme Court and coined the term "Borked" to describe rich, powerful people who had to face the unfair prospect of being held accountable for their actions)

But Bork - along with the Chicago School economists - went on to completely revolutionize the world's conception of anti-monopoly enforcement, as neoliberal leaders all over the world (Thatcher, Mulroney, Pinochet, Kohl, etc) took up his theories and tuned them into policy.

Bork was a fringe figure, but he was preaching a gospel that stood to make the richest people on Earth *so much richer*, and they bankrolled the hell out of his theories.

For example, 40% of US federal judges have attended "continuing education" seminars at an annual lush Florida junket where they are initiated into the bizarre world of "consumer harm" theory.

https://crookedtimber.org/2018/10/18/law-and-economics/

40 years later, monopolism has surged in every industry, from bottlecaps to pharma, from poultry to pro wrestling, from eyeglasses to emergency rooms, from oil to car parts, from music to publishing to movies to online services to telecoms.

All driven by mergers, all resulting in higher prices (so much for "consumer harm") all wildly distorting of public policy (the decision to let Boeing self-certify the 737 Max is repeated in thousands of ways across hundreds of industries), all brutal news for workers.

It's a disaster, but it's one that we have been powerless to avert or address for so long as "consumer harm" ruled antitrust enforcement.

Finally, that's changing.

In 2019, Dina Srinivasan published a landmark paper: "The Antitrust Case Against Facebook," which made *incredibly* clever arguments showing that FB's democratic harms were also consumer harms, meaning FB could be sued without first undoing Borkism.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3247362

But the magic of this work was in revealing the poverty of the consumer harm standard: she laid out the innumerable ways in which FB is bad for society and showed how a sliver of these harms were technically illegal, raising the question: why isn't *all* this stuff illegal?

Today, Facebook was hit with *two* antitrust suits, one from the FTC and the other from almost every US state (including California!).

The complaints say that FB's acquisitions of Instagram and Whatsapp were anticompetitive.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/9/22158483/facebook-antitrust-lawsuit-anti-competition-behavior-attorneys-general

Of course, they *were* anticompetitive. We know, because Zuck - who specializes in tripping over his own dick - sent out memos extolling the acquisitions' anticompetitive advantages, proving he hasn't learned a thing since he traded incriminating IMs about founding FB.

https://www.esquire.com/uk/latest-news/a19490586/mark-zuckerberg-called-people-who-handed-over-their-data-dumb-f/

The complaints build on Srinivasan's work and they carry the same flavor: claiming "consumer harms" in the acquisitions, but winking and nodding toward a broader, more democracy-focused (and less consumer-focused) critique of monopoly.

It's a weird tightrope act: they want to win, so their argument is designed to balance on the single, fragile hair that borkism stretches across the chasm of monopoly enforcement, but they wanna make sure we see that big sturdy bridge of nonbork antitrust right there.

If there was any doubt, it was erased by the remedies demanded in the complaints. The prosecutors aren't asking for money damages - a fine is a price, after all - instead, they want FB to sell off the companies it bought for illegal purposes.

And they want FB to get regulatory approval for future acquisitions (though the states will let it buy companies for less than $10m without approval). These are not "consumer harm" remedies - they're "democracy" remedies, aimed at removing the company's source of power.

Facebook has stood up a website explaining why it's a cuddly mom-and-pop business that's being bullied by mean government meanies:

https://about.fb.com/building-to-compete/

The argument's pretty similar to the one laid out in a leaked memo in October:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/10/05/florida-man/#dnr

Basically: it would be really hard for us to unwind these illegal, anticompetitive mergers. Seriously, it would cost a bundle and take so much work!

This is an unserious argument, and it shows how badly FB has misgauged the mood.

All of FB's arguments are garbage, really. Take the line that ex-British-Deputy-PM-turned-FB-salesdroid Nick Clegg has been peddling: "STOP TRYING TO BREAK UP FACEBOOK OR THE CHINESE WILL WIN!"

https://www.cnet.com/news/facebooks-nick-clegiden-must-unite-global-powers-to-shape-internet-amid-china-threat

The company's best arguments are about "market definition" - to claim that they don't have a monopoly because of all the competitors they face, provided you define FB's market broadly enough.

Like, "Here at Facebook, we are in the 'using computers' business. Now, just think of how much time you spend using a computer without interacting with FB! Your car has a computer and it's not on FB! How can you say we have a monopoly?!"

If you want to see someone making this argument as well as it can possibly be made and literally getting laughed at by a University of Chicago (!) audience, check out this debate from 2019:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_Jp-GJ9LM0

Forcing FB to divest itself of Whatsapp and Instagram is a no-brainer. The company lied to secure those mergers, broke the promises it made to get permission to make them, and the penalty for that should be unwinding those mergers.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/dont-believe-proven-liars-absolute-minimum-standard-prudence-merger-scrutiny

And if FB fights this for a decade the way IBM fought its antitrust action, fine - IBM outspent the entire DoJ antitrust division every year for 12 years (Bork called it "antitrust's Vietnam"), but even though Big Blue wasn't broken up, they had their spirit broken.

It was fear of another tangle with antitrust regulators that caused IBM to sit idly by while Phoenix cloned the PC ROMs and created the PC clone industry, which became the US computing industry.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/ibm-pc-compatible-how-adversarial-interoperability-saved-pcs-monopolization

And it was the same fear that caused IBM to hire an outside company to make the OS for its PCs, getting a couple of nerds named Paul Allen and Bill Gates to supply one for them.

IBM's 12 years of antitrust hell focused the attention of every tech giant of the age, letting them know what was on their horizon if they acted like IBM had. It created the US tech industry.

Today, VCs call the businesses that Big Tech dominates "the kill zones" because they know that monopolists have the market power to destroy any startup that tries to compete with them.

There is an entire - better, more pluralistic - tech industry that's been suppressed by Big Tech. If FB and Goog and Apple and the other tech giants spend the next decades throwing billions at the FTC and the states attorneys general, it will be money well-spent.

Because it will be money that these companies don't get to spend destroying the next wave of tech companies, co-ops, and platforms.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

TWD 11x05: Out of the Ashes - Details

Okay, let's talk details of 11x05.

 ***As always, spoilers abound below for 11x05. Don’t read until you’ve watched!***

We start with Aaron's dream. First of all, there's the full moon. Remember that Still had a full moon at the beginning, and every time we saw Beta on the outside, such as singing or walking with walkers, it often showed a full moon. In Beta's case, it's probably because his nickname as a singer was Half Moon, but he also had a lot of Beth symbolism around him. I think it’s likely that the reason they gave the name Half Moon was to indicate Beth symbolism.

 Then, Aaron says to Gracie, "we’re almost home." Part of the home theme, and also kind of showed me that this was a dream. There's absolutely no reason why Aaron would randomly be outside the walls with Gracie at night. I don't have a whole lot more to add to the scene than what I said yesterday. I do believe it's a foreshadow of something happening with Gracie, but it also may be a foreshadow of other things that are coming, including stuff with Beth.

This is kind of a funny detail, but I have to say that I love the Jerry bit at the beginning. We see him tiptoeing over people, trying not to wake them on his way to the bathroom. So, we have an entire sequence that can be summed up as, "Jerry pees.” ;D

The next thing we saw was the Commonwealth video. The really cheesy one with Lance Hornsby that we saw in the trailer. Some of the symbols we saw in that video were interesting. Such as a bunny cake (rabbit theme), someone playing a guitar (Beth played a guitar in 5x09), 

ice cream (both Eugene and Stephanie talked about ice cream and it became sort of a Bethyl theme, especially because there were so much Bethyl symbolism around them during those conversations; also, Daryl had his “I never” about frozen yogurt in Still). We see a plaque that says, "The Great War,” (probably a reference to World War I, but also part of the Revolution/War theme).

There was also a blond, Beth-lookalike nurse in blue scrubs.  👀

I also noticed that the Commonwealth badge looks a lot like the UK flag. Not so much in its shape or design, but rather the colors. It's got the same red and blue shades as the United Kingdom flag. Remember that we saw the UK flag around Juliet Ormonde's character in the world beyond. So, we think it's a symbol of the war to come with the CRM.

When Yumiko goes into the bakery looking for her brother, there's a song playing called “Three Speed Girl.” It was just the three that caught my attention. (Look up lyrics). They all a lot of apples in the bakery. Not real apples but glass, decorative ones. Not only Apple theory, but specifically what apples represent.

I've theorized before that the apples could represent separation between loved ones. For example, in 6x14, we see Michonne and Rick wake up together in the room and they both eat an apple. I came to believe that was a foreshadow of Rick leaving in S9 and two of them being separated. @frangipanilove, however, explained it differently. She says that rather than them being separated, she thinks apples represent them coming back together. As then, a reunion after the separation.

I know that sounds like the opposite of what I explained, but really all amounts to the same thing. The kind of separation that I mentioned is what we see with Rick and Michonne being separated, Beth and Daryl being separated, perhaps even Carol and Zeke being separated (if he does, in fact, get a death fake out). And that's always going to result in a reunion down the road. So if we explain as a separation, it will always lead to a reunion. And if we explain as a reunion, it in order for reunion to take place, there must've been a separation first. See what I mean? You can explain it either way.

So, the apples make total sense in the scene. Yumiko has been separated from her brother for a long time. She said it's been years because the two of them were somewhat estranged, even before the apocalypse happened. And now, in this episode, we see a reunion. So, I think were spot on about the Apple symbolism.

As for Beth, we didn't actually see her eat an apple. I think that would've been too on-the-nose. But, given the Snow White symbolism, or template of her arm falling, remember that Snow White ate an apple, which was poisonous, just before we fell she fell and we saw her arm. So, if TWD is using the apple to represent separation, we didn't actually see Beth eat one, but her arm falling like that represents the Snow White template, and right after that, we see her separation from Daryl and the rest of TF. I think it lines up rather well.

When Eugene and Stephonie are walking around, we see a white horse drawing a mail truck. It's a combination of several very potent symbols. We talked about white horses before and how they represent Beth, and life. Then there's the mail or Communication theme. We've seen so many mailboxes on the show, and this was a horse drawing a mail truck. I’ll talk more about the mailbox theme in a few days. Just keep this in mind for now. They're very purposeful symbols and they do represent specific things in the show.

I also noticed that Stephonie is wearing red rimmed glasses. Remember how last week I talked about how Norman was wearing some funky glasses on TTD? Sorry to keep teasing but this is another thing I’ll post about later in the week. I was going to anyway, so seeing the glasses here jumped out at me. For now, just notice that Stephonie is wearing these and they’re red.

When Stephonie decides to help them talk on the radio, they go into the train station. Of course, there are no actual trains running, but the train is a very potent symbol. It's actually being used more as a civic building, and the group tries to be innocuous, though it's obvious they're up to something. Stephonie and Eugene walked calmly through the building while Princess and Zeke take up positions down in the common lobby area. Meanwhile, Mercer is watching them.

Princess tries to head him off and we have a humorous moment where she tries to flirt with him, and tells him he has beautiful eyelashes. It is not exactly the same thing as the eye theme, but I could almost see them going for the eye theme, but twisting it for the sake of humor, because, well, it's Princess. So, she goes with beautiful eyelashes.

 Eugene does manage to get on the radio with Rosita, who tells him the Whisper War is over. They only talk for a moment or two before they lose the feed. Once again, I think that was very purposeful on Commonwealth's part. I think they allowed him to connect with Rosita, but only for a short time before interrupting the feed and bursting into arrest him.

Meanwhile, back in Alexandria, I noticed that Judith asks, "Is he gone?" I sat and thought about this line for a little bit. Obviously, it's the “gone” theme. Usually, the way TWD always uses someone being "gone" to mean that they have disappeared for short time but will return. Very often they are presumed dead. That's why Daryl's, "she's just gone" about Beth is so important. Also, her line to him, "you're going to miss me so bad when I'm gone."

 In this case, I don't think either Judith or Rosita suspect that Eugene is actually dead. She just means did they lose him on the radio feed. And here's something that occurred to me what was thinking about this. It's actually very common when someone loses communication with someone else via radio or walkie-talkie to use the phrase, "get them back." So, something like, "see if you can get them back," or, "I'll get them back." In that context, it just means to raise them on the radio again and reestablish a connection so they can communicate.

The reason this is interesting is that Daryl has said this more than once about Beth or people who were kidnapped. In 5x06 when he was with Carol, he was talking about Beth and said they would observe Grady and then do whatever they needed to do to get her back. I know they also said something similar about Sasha when she was taken by the saviors, and Sasha had massive parallels to Beth during her death arc. So, that had never occurred to me before, but it's almost like they specifically took that line about “getting them back” from radio lingo and are applying it to Beth.

When talking about whether to go to Hilltop, Aaron mentioned that he didn't want to abandon ship. So, a water/ship reference, but it's also close to something Abraham said in 5x05 about going down with the ship.

When they get out Hilltop, I noticed that we have a shot of the water tower, which is now burnt. When they start questioning Keith, he says that Alpha is dead, and someone says that all that does is prove that “he has eyes.” Earlier in Alexandria, Aaron said, “Eyes open.” I know these are really small potatoes references, but there were a LOT of eye mentions in this episode.

A couple of things where Negan and Maggie are concerned. When they get to this house, the cars out front are really interesting. There's a red car out front, which reminded me a lot of the red car that was seen during the filming of the missing 17 days in season five. There are also just a lot of cars with doors or hatchbacks open, which represent the door being opened in 5x09, when Beth disappeared. The hatchback being open can represent the trunk being open. So, just kind of some interesting symbols.

I also thought it was cool that Judith is teaching other kids how to fight.

I think that’s it for Details. Anything I missed?

[oftenderweapons]

Apple Of My Pie (7) — Jin

A Small Town Swoons story 

Chapter 7. 

Pairing: Kim Seokjin x reader (nicknamed Buttercup)

Wordcount: 7.1k words

Genre: non-idol!AU, Baker/Café owner!Seokjin, University student!reader Flatmates!AU, Friends To Lovers, Fluff, slightest angst, smut

Rating: 18+ (NSFW content)

A/N: Hello my sweet poppies! Welcome to the Small Town Swoon Universe! 🥰✨

In this episode: Jin and Buttercup finally reunite, and although the real world tries to interrupt their small idyll, Seokjin has the strength to finally impose his needs and confess his feelings. The evening proceeds in the best of ways.

As I mentioned before, this episode made me write things I didn’t know I had in me. Also, this will be the final episode for their storyline, however you will see more of Jin and Buttercup on future stories, mostly in small apparitions here and there. I might come back to this story someday, maybe with some drabbles or some small headcanons, however, I think that now it’s time to let Jin and Buttercup live their special moments with in their own privacy and make up for lost time.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: this is filthy. There’s swearing and light alcohol consumption (wine at dinner, both are pretty sober afterwards). Now, about the filth. Degradation kink, breast worship (involves kissing, licking, biting, grabbing), breast slapping, nipple pinching, one (1) spank, foodplay involving ice cream (so mild temperature play), dom!Seokjin, slightly bratty!reader, grinding, masturbation (both male and female receiving), brief mention of oral (male receiving), cumplay, cumeating, creampie, unprotected sex (please don’t do like them. The right way to go about this would be to use condoms and/or dental dams until you and your partner get the results of the test and are 110% sure you’re clean. If you have any questions, please head to Planned Parenthood’s website, they have wonderful webpages about safe, sane and consensual sex, plus anything you need to keep your sexual health in check. If you can’t check their website, please feel welcome to reach out to me through DMs, I’ll try to help 🥰💜). Also reader is kind of excited about Seokjin being circumcised? And these two have a latent impregnation kink that will show up someday. There are slightly angst discussion about past partners and feelings, but nothing extreme.

Remember to vote for next prompt (check the link in my bio) and in case you need it, here’s my masterlist 💜

In case you need it, here is the music companion

Enjoy ✨💜

Navi: Chapter 1 — Chapter 2 — Chapter 3 — Chapter 4 — Chapter 5 — Chapter 6 — Chapter 7 (7/7)

Seokjin woke up with the ringing of a phone.

He appreciated the warmth and weight next to him, half on top of him.

He looked at you. He allowed himself to do that only for a couple seconds.

Your phone was ringing, and he needed to pick it up before it woke you.

Your face had been so scared and tired when he first saw it at the front door.

He stood and picked up the call just in time.

“Oh, thank God, Buttercup where are you?” Jeongguk’s voice came from the phone.

“It’s Seokjin. She’s with me, at the apartment. She’s sleeping.” He replied, his voice gravelly after being under the cold rain and sleeping for almost two hours.

“She’s with you?”

“Yes, she’s here. She’s sleeping.” Seokjin repeated.

“Kim Seokjin. I am going to kill you!” Yoongi said, stealing the phone from Jeongguk. “We were all looking for her. Poor Jeongguk was in a panic. Are you stupid? Outright dumb? What is it, both your two miserable neurons decided to throw a strike today? Did they accidentally crash and perish? Did they finally decide to end their suffering?”

“Yoongi. Stop,” said Spice from a distance. “She’s safe, stop acting like an overprotective parent.”

“Is she okay? Is she hurt?” Yoongi asked.

“No. I found her here, taking her stuff away.” Seokjin said, his body tensing at the thought. “Is she leaving? What is going on?”

“She’s going to the cottage with Namjoon. They’re leaving on Monday.”

Seokjin rolled his shoulders before exhaling. “How has she been in the last few weeks?”

“A mess. Sad, miserable. And it’s your fault.” Yoongi spoke with vitriolic hostility in his voice.

“I’m gonna fix it, Yoongi. I promise.” Seokjin said, his voice extremely emotional as he looked at you. Your eyes were open and you had the tiniest smile on.

“Are you gonna talk to her? Actually confess? Tell her you love her and be done with all the insecure, selfish bullshit?”

“I’m gonna talk to her.” Seokjin replied, still looking at you. “I’ve got a bunch of stuff to come clear with. And I’ll tell her I’m in love with her. And that she’s not going to Namjoon’s. She’s staying with me.” He winked. “She needs to eat and regain some strength before she goes to the woods, if she still wants to go. I’ll tell her ‘Buttercup, I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for four years.’” His voice broke. “‘I don’t want to spend one more day without you’, that’s what I’ll tell her.”

You were still incredulous, completely still under the blanket.

“And then I’ll ask her to be my girlfriend, and if she turns me down, then it’s alright. I’ll take it like a gentleman. I’ll let her be. But if there’s even a tiny, minuscule part of her that wants to say yes, then I won’t let her go until she agrees to become my girlfriend.” Seokjin explained, with determination filling his voice.

Yoongi got emotional. “Go tell her before you change your mind.”

“She’s right in front of me. She heard every single word.”

“Then I guess you have more important stuff than stay on the phone with me.”

Seokjin chuckled. “Hopefully kiss my new girlfriend, if she lets me.”

You didn’t even understand what was going on before you nodded energetically.

“She said yes. I gotta go.” Jin’s mouth shaped into a large, proud grin.

“Sure. Stay safe. I’m too young to become an uncle.” Yoongi teased with a snicker.

“Goodnight uncle.” Seokjin replied before closing the call.

Your stares stayed locked together as he placed down the phone.

His expression turned serious but kind. “You’re awake.”

You blinked and licked your lips. “I am.” You took a pause, inhaling. “And I want to kiss you.”

He mirrored your action, his tongue slipping out, wetting the seam of his mouth, directing your glance there. “I want to clear things up, before that.”

You closed your eyes, trying not to lose your patience. “What is there to clear up?”

“I just wanted to explain stuff. About Grace and all of the rest...”

From the insecure, agitated look in his eyes, you realised he was scared. You patted the sofa, inviting him to sit beside you. He followed your lead. “I’m listening.” You reassured him, placing your hand on top of his knee.

“When I started dating Grace, I was convinced I could never stand a chance with you. And though Yoongi insisted on the fact that you had feelings for me, I was too shy and too scared to risk it. And after living with you and being so… united. So domestic… I couldn’t handle my feelings anymore.”

You rubbed his arm comfortingly, sitting up, trying to reassure him, to heal him from all those months of insecurities and silence and denial.

“I tried to suppress them. And Grace looked so kind, so respectful. And she’s a beautiful young woman. I could see myself falling for her.”

You pressed your forehead against his shoulder. You still had to realise that such a gesture had a deeper, somehow different meaning, that from then on you were allowed to do that and more.

“But the closer I got to her — and the farther I got from you — the more it all felt wrong. And I don’t even know why I did what I did that Saturday — well Sunday, you know what I mean anyway. I think some part of me was angry because of Edmund or something, or because I thought that I could stop thinking about you if I found someone else to think about and that makes me an absolute idiot—”

You interrupted him. “Don’t hide from me. Ever.” You cupped his face and made him look at you. “You were hurt. And I took similar decisions. What I did with Edmund was somehow similar to what you did with Grace. It’s just that you two had feelings for each other while—” The idea of him being in love with someone else squeezed your lungs until you felt empty.

“I’ve never felt someone as deeply as I feel you, though. I’ve never felt so many things for anyone else beside you.” He said, his eyelashes fluttering as he looked at your lips.

“I love you.” You murmured. There were no other words you could use. “I’m in love with you and I’m not angry that you tried to forget and move on. It doesn’t matter that we fucked or made love to other people. I don’t care that you didn’t tell me. The only thing that matters is that you’re here now and I love you so much.”

He repositioned himself so he could look at you without getting a crick in his neck. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, soft and delicate, worried even.

“Because I couldn’t think about losing you. Because I didn’t even realise I was in love before you started spending time with Grace. Well, I knew I was attracted to you and that I considered you my friend, but I had never really allowed myself to consider I could have more. I was happy with what we had, and I never realised I could lose it, or that someone else could have it instead of me.”

He touched your hair.

“I was okay with what we had. Asking for more felt selfish. Like I was being greedy.”  You lowered your eyes, his gaze too intense for you to resist.

“I want you to be greedy, Buttercup.” He whispered, his hand cupping your jaw. “I want you to take all of me and not leave a crumb for anyone else.” His body felt closer, hotter. “I love you, Buttercup. And not in the friendly way. I love you in a very passionate, very hungry way.” His thumb traced your lower lip as he gazed at it heatedly. “Do you love me too?”

You nodded recklessly, almost snapping your neck. “I love you. In a very unfriendly, very sexy way.”

He smiled. “Good.”

His mouth lowered gently, reaching yours, his whole body inching forward until your eyes lost focus and closed. It was a good kiss. Not perfect but good.

Jin’s lips felt soft against your mouth, maybe a bit too delicate, still, definitely pleasing. With just a pinch of mischief, you pulled at his lower lip lightly, biting it delicately.

The growl he emitted had you smiling before you repeated your teasing move, drawing him in. He exhaled and opened his mouth, sucking your upper lip past his teeth.

That felt better than good, leaning to perfect.

What actually made it perfect was his body completely caving in as he manoeuvred himself on top of you, holding himself up with one hand as his hand explored your body deliciously, caressing your hair, your shoulder before reaching your waist.

Helpless and desperate, you pressed the tip of your tongue against his lower lip, pushing it into his mouth.

His hips pressed sinfully against your thigh as he groaned and tangled his tongue with yours.

You moaned and he whimpered in return, a growl vibrating deep in his throat.

His hand moved under your shirt, stopping abruptly.

Dammit.

Your stomach rumbled noisily, making Seokjin part from you. “You’re really hungry.”

You blushed and looked away. “Yeah.”

He hid his face into your neck, snickering. His breath tickled you. “You feel so good right here.” He said, snuggling closer. “But I have to feed you first.” His fingers dug into your sides. “You’re thin.”

Your nails raked against his back. “I had a bit of a hard time in the last few days.” You mentioned casually.

“Can’t have you like this.” He parted from your body, studying your face attentively. “Let’s get you fed.” He whispered, pecking your lips and standing up, heading to the kitchen.

“You’re kidding, right?” You stood up on wobbly legs and followed him.

He looked back at you. “Not at all.” Jin theatrically opened the fridge and lifted an eyebrow. “Chicken wraps. Salad. An abundant dose of ice cream. I need you sugared up.”

You looked at him with a pout.

“It’s the quickest meal I can arrange, Buttercup. We can have dinner in forty and then cuddle and make out. Dinner is non-negotiable.” He said, getting the chicken strips and the large tortillas, together with cherry tomatoes and cheese.

“Can’t we just… postpone dinner?” You said, too caught up in your grovelling to bring up memories of him and Grace in the kitchen.

“Why would we need to postpone dinner?” He asked, slipping some butter into a pan, together with some garlic, moving the chicken strips onto the pan and roasting them quickly with a random — and a very delicious-smelling — mix of spices.

You dragged your foot against the floor, trying to look demure. “You know why...”

He snickered devilishly. “We’ve waited for four years. One more hour won’t hurt you. Cut the cherry tomatoes, please.”

“Especially because we waited for years we should be forgoing dinner.”

He laughed. “I won’t have you fainting on me. Dinner, then whatever you want, Buttercup. Cut those tomatoes, you’re postponing the fun.” He said, adding a spoonful of chicken broth to keep the meat in the pan soft and tasty.

“Now I remember how insufferable you truly are.” You said, starting with the cutting.

He smirked. “You’re stuck with me from now on, doll.”

“I’m revoking the love declaration.” You muttered.

“Are you revoking your undying lust for me too?” He asked, turning towards you with a lopsided, cocky grin.

You just looked at him with the most insulting look you could muster before returning to the tomatoes.

“Such a good girl. Still cutting those tomatoes to get her reward.” He joked.

Once, this kind of nagging was absent minded, innocent and playful. Now it was outright sexual. Especially since the praise had a shiver running down your spine.

“Don’t tease if you’re gonna make me wait.” You groaned.

He bent and kissed your cheek. “I’m doing it for your good, Buttercup.” He moved to your earlobe. “You’ll thank me later, doll.” He nibbled on the soft skin. “I promise it will feel so good, Buttercup.”

You stretched your neck to the side, offering him the expanse of taut, corded throat.

He grazed it with his teeth, drawing the purple-greenish line of your jugular.

“I bet you taste so damn good,” he murmured, sucking at the base of your throat.

“Jinnie.” You called delicately.

He parted from you abruptly. “Dinner. First, dinner.” He reminded himself. “Dammit, you’re such a tease.” He complained, picking up another larger pan to heat up the tortillas. He also added a light sprinkle of flour to the chicken, to give a creamier texture to the sauce made by the broth and the butter. Once the first tortilla was warm, he placed the chicken on top, mingling it with the tomato pieces and the cheese while you prepared the salad.

Dinner was ready in twenty minutes, the wonderful smell of spices filling your nostrils and making your mouth water as you sat and stared at your tortilla, waiting for Jin to sit down himself. He also added an interesting bottle of white wine to the mix, matching the chicken.

“Enjoy.” He exclaimed before digging in himself.

Your whole mouth was feasting at the taste of the food.

It could feast for something better, your hormones reminded you, but you let that slip.

Dinner was uneventful, the both of you too busy and hungry and tense to start a conversation.

While you were thinking about how to tell Jin you wanted him to ram you into the mattress and slap your tits, he thought whether it was okay for him to want sex already. Okay, technically you had been friends for years, but maybe you wanted to wait, go on actual dates, be a couple, in an official relationship before letting him make love to you.

It was pretty clear that any kind of conversation between such two people would evidently elucidate any semblance of doubt, but it would also be a minefield of misunderstandings and potentially very embarrassing bushes to beat around.

So you both stayed silent, completely oblivious to the lessons you had learned roughly an hour ago.

By the time he stood and prepared a small bowl of plain milk gelato, topped with his special wild berries sauce, doubt had nagged at him enough that he was ready to speak.

He placed the bowl on the table. A lovely royal blue bowl. It was his favourite. Maybe because it was his mother’s favourite. He sat down and patted his hands against his thighs. “Come here.” He murmured.

You obliged, settling on his lap contentedly. He took a spoonful of dessert, making sure that he got some sauce in it before offering it to your awaiting mouth. “Eat up, doll.”

You opened your mouth and enjoyed the refreshing feel of the gelato against your palate.

“I need you to listen to me, Buttercup.” He started. “I know we confessed our feelings and that we’ve been attracted to each other for a very long time.”

You nodded, watching as he offered another spoonful as soon as you opened your mouth.

“I just want you to know that I’m dying to make love to you tonight, but we don’t have to. It’s okay if you want to… I don’t know, get physically intimate a bit at a time, or if you want it to be something special, or—”

You interrupted him. “I want to make love to you too, tonight.”

Your eyes followed him as he licked his lips. “Shall we bring this to the bedroom then?”

Nodding you stood up, going for the living room and grabbing the comforter, walking down the corridor and looking at him from over your shoulder. “What are you waiting for?” You asked before disappearing into his room.

He shook his head in disbelief before grabbing more wild berries sauce. Maybe, hopefully…

He took the bowl of ice cream and a spoon, taking his time before entering his room.

You were already laying on his bed, head to toe a vision.

You had already removed your yoga pants and you were laying there in an oversized t-shirt.

“Tell me how you want me to treat you, Buttercup.” He asked, studying you as he took a mouthful of gelato to his mouth.

“Undress first. Then come here. Feed me that delicious dessert and then feed me your cock.” You said, completely unashamed as his burning gaze explored your naked skin.

“I won’t feed you my cock, sorry doll.” He said, placing the bowl on the nightstand together with the sauce. “I’ll need to suck on your pretty tits first.” He took off his sweater in a flash, your eyes reacquainting with his naked chest, bathing in the glorious width of it. It was really breathtaking, with its plains and slopes and dips.

“You’re gorgeous.” You murmured, looking at him while your hand went to your breast, palming it and teasing the peak while he took off his sweatpants. Watching the delicious shape of him from over his boxers had you moaning just slightly, whimpering weakly before your hand slid under your shirt to grab at your flushed, overheated chest.

Seokjin caught your wrist vigorously, pulling it out. “Those are mine to touch, doll.” He reprimanded you. “All mine.” He repeated, straddling your waist, pinning your hands up.

You looked at him with a wicked smile. This, this, was your best friend, the man you had loved for years. And here he was, pinning your wrists, ready to mark your breasts, to own them.

“Keep ‘em there.” He ordered, letting go of your wrists before stretching his fingers to completely hold your breasts, kneading them lightly to test the texture.

“Fuck, they're so soft.” His eyes closed as he felt them up appreciatively. “I can't wait to suck these.” He said, and his unashamed comment opened another new world to you. His thumbs found your nipples, rolling them under the plush pads of his fingers. “You like this?” He asked, looking in your eyes.

You nodded, stretching toward the bedside table and switching on the small lamp there. “Wanna see you.” You explained, looking at him, waiting for a reaction.

“Are you sure? You okay with me watching?” He asked, just as your eyes closed and your back arched, your breasts pushing against his palms, your throat emitting the shyest moan.

“Oh, you like this a lot, don't you, Buttercup?” He snickered, bending down to kiss your neck. “Let me hear how good it feels, honey,” He murmured, sucking at your skin gently.

“Please, I want my shirt off, Jin.” That's all you managed to say, squeezing your thighs together once you realised he wasn't giving you anything to grind against.

“You want me to touch your naked skin?” He asked, making you grow even more desperate.

“Please. Jin…”

He looked at your face. It was absolutely adorable as it scrunched up in disappointment, a lovely pout making your lips rounder, softer, plumper. He kissed them briefly. “Sit up, lovely. Let's take this shirt off.” He murmured with a deep baritone timbre.

The shirt was gone in a second, his mouth latching on a nipple before you could even take off the shirt completely.

His hips ground against your belly, his erection pressing hard against your navel while you laid back down, his front arching away from you as his mouth stayed attached to your chest.

“Please, gimme…” You tried to speak, needing something to ease the pressure between your thighs, where your throbbing clitoris felt unforgivably neglected.

“What?” He asked, parting from your breast and looking so blissful and confused, like he didn't even know what was going on, like your breasts had given him a total reset and all he could remember, all he could ever want and do was to stay there and suck, completely oblivious to anything but the object of his lust.

“Need you down there,” was all you managed to say, still too high from the promises of pleasure.

He grinned *hazily. “Down where?” He asked, teasing and unforgiving.

You exhaled and whimpered. “I need you between my legs.”

“Between your legs where, Buttercup? Don't be shy.”

At that you snapped. “If you intend to keep sucking my nipples could you please kindly press your thigh against my clit? I need to grind on something and you're being too fucking uncooperative.”

He laughed almost hysterically. “Of course, Buttercup. See, was it so hard to ask?” He commented, almost too patronising.

“You're making me want to shut your mouth.” You replied, pushing your hips up and finally meeting his hard thigh, giving a low moan.

“Too bad that would keep me from doing this.” He said, sitting up slightly, grabbing the spoon from the bowl and pressing the cold metal to your areola, spreading a thick layer of ice cream there while your hot skin made it melt and dribble down.

“Fucking hell.” You said, watching as his tongue slid out and collected the rivulet of cream that was dangerously rolling down towards the sheets, almost staining them.

His eyes found yours and he grinned. “Feels good?”

You nodded. “Do that again, please.”

He obliged, this time reaching the peak and sucking it, his mouth opening wide as he tried to suck away as much dessert as possible.

Your left hand went to his head, holding him against your breast while your right one went to his ass, pressing it down so that your pelvis and his met, grinding against each other deliciously, his mouth leaving the sucking motion to release a heavy exhale.

“You have the most beautiful tits I've ever seen and touched, Buttercup. They feel so soft and warm and good.” He murmured, so aroused it almost felt painful. “I love them so much.” He confessed, pressing them together and dipping his face in between, moving it side to side. “I love you so damn much, ____.”

He gave a few thrusts with his hips, before pressing his cock harshly between your bodies, your skin feeling so sensitive that you thought you could feel it throb against you.

“I want you inside.” You whispered, grinding into him in response. “Tell me you used a condom the other time.”

He nodded. “I always have.”

You nodded in reply. “You sure you’re clean?”

“I got tested before Grace. And she’s clean.” He said, slowing down at the mention of his ex.

You nodded. “I got checked after Edmund, for peace of mind. All safe.”

“Thank fuck.” He commented, biting the underside of your boob. “I can’t wait to feel you raw on me. If you’re okay with that.”

You confirmed, bobbing your head so energetically you thought it would detach from your neck. “Want to feel you cum inside.” You murmured while he bit his lip and got more ice cream, covering your other breast, the cold of the food and the spoon making you keen and purr. “Is this what you were doing while she made those sounds?”

He tutted and shook his head. “I’ve always wanted this with you. It would never please me as much with anyone else.”

You rolled your eyes. “Liar.”

He arched an eyebrow and stopped his licking and sucking motions, sinking his teeth into your flesh, eliciting a gasp from you, leaving his position only once he was sure he had left a mark. “What did you say?”

“That you’re a liar. That you like this more with me than with anyone else,” you replied, cocky and bratty.

Without thinking twice, he slapped your left breast violently, not even trying to be delicate.

You squealed, your whole body flinching before your fingers gripped the sheets tightly.

“You think I would do this with just anyone?” He asked, almost angry, the hard bite in his voice scaring you just a little.

He eyed the other breast meaningfully, placing his hand there but not slapping the full curve until you shook your head yes, giving him permission.

The second blow had you losing your mind completely, your cunt so sensitive that you felt a heavy gush of arousal drip out of your entrance. “No, Jin.”

“Grip the headboard and stay still.” He said, sitting up and tugging your panties down, the fabric almost ripping at the aggressive movements. “Maybe you don’t get how much you turn me on, Buttercup.” He grinned, looking at you finally naked in front of him.  “Do you know how many times I saw those perky nipples under my shirts? How many times I thought about covering them in any food imaginable?”

You shook your head. “Maybe I wanted you to lay me on top of the kitchen table and shove your cock in my cunt and bruise my tits all over.” You replied, batting your lashes innocently. “Maybe call me your dirty little slut. Throw in a couple spanks.”

He stopped everything he was doing, entirely frozen.

“Is that how you like it?” He asked, completely focused on your reply.

You licked your lips. “With you I might like that, yes.”

“You want to be my dirty little slut?” He asked, staring into your eyes, quoting your words exactly.

You inhaled and nodded.

“You want me to degrade you?” He asked again, settling between your legs and rubbing your thighs.

Again, you shook your head yes.

“What if I called you my cockstarved whore?” He said, slightly hesitant.

You smiled and closed your eyes. “Why don’t you do that while squeezing my cheeks with one hand and slapping my tits with the other?”

He snickered. “You really are a filthy animal, uh?” He slapped your breast and bent down to your face. “You want me to use you like a fuckdoll, mh?”

“Yes, please.”

“I need to stretch you first, though, love.” He said, softening for a second. “Now, out of our little game here, I don’t want to hurt you like that, yes?”

Your mind sobered up for a minute as you listened to him.

“Listen to me now, Buttercup. We need a safeword, love.” He said, touching your face. “You okay with colours? Green is good, yellow is slow down, red is stop.”

“I’m good with that.” You replied, trying to reach his face with yours. “Can you kiss me, please?”

His expression turned longing and fond before he took his time, making love to your mouth with his, his kiss so deep and demanding and passionate until he felt how wet you were against his thigh.

“You’re drenched, doll.” He said, smirking at you. “I want to feel your pretty hand around my cock, Buttercup. Stroke me while I stretch you, love.”

You nodded, your hands leaving the headboard lightning fast sliding into his underwear with speed you doubted you could muster in any other circumstances.

“Fuck, you’re thick.” You said once your fingers wrapped around him.

“That’s what the stretching is for, Buttercup.” He grinned as he looked down at you. His fingers slipped into your slit effortlessly, your inner muscles gripping him immediately.

“And you’re tight. So damn tight.” He replied, bending down to lick at your chest, suctioning your areola into his mouth, shaking his head, making your whole breast bounce in a movement that was too mild to cause pleasure, weren’t it for the incredible amount of arousal circling in your bloodstream.

“Please, Jin. Inside. I’m begging. Please.” You pleaded, stroking him, feeling how long and thick and hot he was, filled with ridges and veins. And he was circumcised. None of your previous partners were.

You explored the differences with your fingers, the lack of skin there so interesting and unusual.

“You like that?” He asked, gritting his teeth as he felt his cock flutter, a drop of precum leaving his slit.

You nodded as you caught his arousal, spreading over the soft, spongy tip, completely undisturbed by foreskin. “I want to see it.” You said before a long moan left your lips, his fingers hitting a sensitive spot inside you, rubbing it with slow movements of his index and middle finger, hooking them and pressing intensely against the smoothest patch of skin. “Oh, god.” You murmured, your eyes fluttering shut as he added his thumb on your clit.

“Cum on my fingers, Buttercup.” He growled. “Then I’ll let you see my cock. You need to cum first, though. Cum for me.”

While your hand stroked him lightly, absentmindedly, the rest of your body focused exclusively on the feel of his digits inside you. ‘I’m close’ was all you managed to say before your hips started following your high, your body becoming completely unresponsive to any semblance of control your mind tried to impose.

“Cum, love.” He said, and your whole being responded, your hand stilling, your breathing stopping, your eyes opening wide before closing again while ecstasy possessed you.

“Yes, love. That’s it. My filthy thing. Show me how you do it.” He spurred you on, watching your body contort in pleasure.

“Jin.” You whined, the first sound you managed to emit since you came apart for him.

“Yes.” He said, removing his thumb from your clit and adding another finger inside you, stretching you wide before you called a yellow.

He extracted his fingers and laid them flat against your mound. “I think I promised you my cock, uh?”

Grinning wildly, you agreed, trying to tug his boxers off. “I want it. I earned it. Give it to me.”

He snickered, cleaning his hand against your breast before collecting your taste and what was left of the gelato with the flat of his tongue. “How demanding.”

“I’ve waited four years. Can’t you just do me already?”

“We could have waited way, way less.” He said, taking the bowl with only a spoonful of molten ice cream, tipping it teasingly over your torso, drawing a line that went from your belly button to your mouth, which you opened wide, letting the liquid dribble in.

Seokjin stared in wonder, imagining something else spilling into your mouth. Once there was nothing left, he placed the bowl back on the bedside table, bending down and licking up the line of cream he had drawn, slowing down to make sure he didn’t leave too much of a mess.

By the time he reached your neck and chin, he was ready to explode with want, his whole body needing to claim, own, possess.

“Is my little slut ready?” He asked, lingering over your face. “Or does she need to learn some more patience?”

You shook your head, licking his lips. “Please.” You begged, your nails raking down his back.

“That’s a good slut. You’re begging for my cock?”

You nodded.

“And you’re so dumb for it you even lost your words?”

You nodded again, grinning.

“She’s the smartest little bean and still gets silly for my cock.” He smiled fondly, almost insultingly. “That’s my pretty fuckdoll.”

He laid down beside you, finally freeing his cock as he arched his hips off the bed and removed his underwear.

Your eyes focused on his dick immediately, the shaft so beautiful, covered in veins just like you had imagined when you had felt it underneath your fingertips.

“Dammit. It’s...” You bent over him, getting your hands on him, bringing your face closer to his crotch, wanting to learn every single detail by heart. “Jin.”

“What.” He replied before throwing his head back, his fingers going to the pillow and gripping it, his hand leaving the fabric to press his palm to his mouth.

You had teasingly taken his tip into your mouth, his skin feeling so smooth and hot, salty, your cheeks and tongue eager to squeeze him tentatively, feeling just how spongy his flesh felt.

He moaned sinfully. “You’re really hungry, aren’t you, my naughty slut.” His hand reached the crown of your head, caressing your head before pulling you off. “I wanna cum in your dripping cunt, Buttercup. Come up here.”

“What if I wanna blow you?” You teased, arching an eyebrow.

“Maybe I’ll let you do that for round four or something, come up here, let me fill that tight warm cunt.”

Closing your eyes, smiling slowly, you straddled his hips. “You’d better keep your mouth on my boobs in the process.”

He giggled. “Wouldn’t have it any different. Come here.” He opened his arms and you propped yourself on your elbows. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

You cupped his cheek and waited for him to kiss you.

He obliged. “Feels so good to taste me on your tongue.” He murmured, stroking your back.

“I haven’t even properly taken you in my mouth.” You quipped, slightly petty.

He smiled and grabbed his cock, placing the tip against your entrance. “I’ll make up for it.” He kissed your cheek. “Take your time.”

You nodded and lowered yourself slowly. Taking the first few inches was blissful, the lack of barrier making him slide easily.

“Fuck, it feels good.” He growled. “You feel so warm and tight, love. You feel fucking amazing.”

You purred as you took some more, the stretch becoming more difficult. Your inner muscles contracted, making you come to a halt.

“Holy fuck.” He murmured, his hips pushing in before he managed to control himself. “Sorry, Buttercup, so sorry.” He apologised as you flinched. He kissed your face repeatedly. “I’m so sorry.” He touched your cheek.

“It feels good, but I need to—” You took more of him. “Go slow.”

He nodded and felt your breast against his palm, hanging heavy, right there for him to reach and touch and fondle and suck. “Sure thing, love.” He looked into your eyes. “Tell me how I can make it better.”

You shook your head. “Just hold me, please.”

He wrapped you in his arms just as you took all of him, sitting on him. “Yes, ____. You are so perfect.”

You closed your eyes, breathing in through your mouth. Slowly, you started rotating your hips, feeling how his cock filled you, pulsating inside you. “Jinnie. I love you.”

“I love you too, Buttercup.” He spoke gently, assisting you as you started riding him, his fingers gripping your hips gently.

“You’re so hot.” You whined, biting your lip, watching as his face contorted in pleasure. “I love you so much,” you said with a whimper, your inner walls constricting around him.

“Stop getting tighter, it feels too good.” He whispered, chuckling in desperation.

“Don’t you wanna fill me up?” You looked at him, batting your eyelashes. “I want you to. Please.” You spoke through a pout, moving faster on him.

He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to keep himself grounded.

You slowly rose to a sitting position, leaving the warmth of his embrace. “Don’t keep me waiting.” You provoked him, spreading your tiny hands over his insanely wide chest, your nails teasing him just a little. “I know you want to watch me drip in your cum.”

He exhaled heavily before giving a deep, breathy laugh, like a short series of hiccups. “You think you deserve my cum, you dirty slut?” He licked his lips, observing your tits shake right in front of his face before slapping them, earning a moan from you. “You really like them slapped, uh? Let’s see if you like spanks too.” He taunted before landing a heavy smack on your ass, enjoying the squeeze of your kegels. “And that pussy likes to clench me so tight.” He grinned, watching as your hand reached your clit, your eyes closed, your hair messy around your face. “Yeah, touch yourself, Buttercup.”

Your gaze met his, your chest blushing as your high approached. “I’m close.”

“It’s okay, keep touching yourself, love. I want you to feel good, honey.” His hips thrust in from beneath, making the stimulation more intense.

“I’m cumming,” you whimpered, leaning even more into your hand as your angle shifted, his cock hitting all the right spots inside you.

As soon as your body crashed on his, Seokjin caught you, holding you close while his throbbing cock kept pistoning in and out of you, focusing on making your orgasm last as he started zeroing in on his own.

“Keep it up, love,” he growled sternly while he felt his restraint slip, “I’m gonna get my slut sloppy with my cum, then I’m gonna lay her on her back and keep it plugged inside her while I fill her up some more.”

You only sobbed and squealed as you felt him get absolutely wild, growling as he gave messier strokes before sinking in deep and staying there, his cock pulsating and spilling his release inside your sensitive walls.

“Goodness, fuck, love. Never had a cunt this good.” He growled, holding his position for a minute, both of you exhausted and breathing heavily.

“Are you really going to do that?” You asked as soon as you came to your senses.

He blinked. “What?”

“The flipping on my back and going for round two?” You asked, parting from him just enough to look him in the face.

“Am I soft?” He asked you, arching an eyebrow.

You squeezed him with your kegels, his lower lip disappearing between his teeth as he felt you get impossibly tighter. “No.” You replied, looking into his dark gaze.

“Then you have your answer.” He smirked before executing his power move, your back hitting the sheets while he adjusted himself on top of you. “Grab the headboard. Hold on tight.” He said before sliding out and snapping his hips forward, his dick hitting the deepest corner of your sex.

“Oh, damn.”

He chuckled ruthlessly. “Damn right.” He replied cockily, slamming into you again, setting a fast, angry pace, watching your lips open wide, his cock coaxing cry after cry from your throat. “Are you gonna cum for me again? Milk this cock with your juicy cunt?”

You nodded helplessly, arching your chest up, trying to get his attention on your nipples.

He bent down obediently, giving you exactly what you were silently asking, his tongue laving your left areola in lazy, teasing licks. “Touch your clit.” He commanded, feeling his edge come around.

While his cock kept ramming in and out of you, his mouth went to your throat, biting you, his neck contorting as he tried to pay more attention to your sensitive skin.

Your fingers reached your clit just as he sunk his teeth in the soft curve of your bosom.

“Jin, please.” You croaked, your hips meeting his while the room filled with the sound of skin smashing against skin, the headboard thumping against the wall, the feet of the bed scraping against the floor, his laboured breath interrupting once you felt his cock spill inside you again with the strange, pleasurable sensation of his cum spurting against your walls.

You whimpered, hoping you could still cum one more time, but ready to give that up, if need be.

“Come on, Buttercup. One more. I know you can.” He said, staying inside you, arching off of you and slapping your breast again. “I know you’re still hungry for my cock. Give me one more, my lovely little slut. Gimme more, love. I’m waiting for you.” He said, watching your fingers work your clit furiously.

“Again, Jin.” You whimpered, your voice breaking.

“This?” He asked, hitting again.

“Yes, Jin, Yes. Please, Seokjin.” You begged. “Please, I love you, please, make it good. Please, please, please.” You cooed and chanted, so lost in pleasure you felt your high peak and before it shoved you tumbling downhill, pleasure making you soar and precipitate, like a small bird in a storm.

“Oh, you’re cumming, Buttercup.” He observed delivering small hits to your nipples before pinching one, then the other, tweaking them energetically but carefully.

“Jin.” You whimpered in a long moan.

“Oh, yes, ____. It’s me love. You’re with me, love.” He said, just as you tried getting closer to him, your hand resting on your mound while your other arm wrapped around him.

“I love you.” You whispered, your breath calming down. “I’ll never stop saying it.”

He rolled the both of you on your sides, looking at each other.

“I love you too, Buttercup.” He whispered, bringing you closer to him. “We’re both so messy.”

“The ice cream got so sticky.” You complained sadly, giving him a tired look.

“We should shower.” He considered, kissing your lips.

“You really feel like standing up?”

He eyed you eloquently. “I haven’t even slid out of you yet.”

You hummed. “Don’t want you to.” You mused, nuzzling into him.

“We need to clean you up.” He said, stroking your hair fondly. “My adorable messy slut.” He said with the expression and tone of the most affectionate praise.

You purred under his touch, feeling something flutter in your guts. “Don’t say it if you’re not going to torture me afterwards.”

He chuckled. “Let’s clean you up and get some rest. I’ll give you round three if you behave.”

“And then I can blow you for round four?” You asked, eyes bright and inquisitive.

He outright laughed, the sound making you laugh too. “Maybe.” He said, cupping your cheek and pulling out of you slowly, grabbing his boxers to clean you up as delicately as possible before you both stood and walked to the bathroom.

Seokjin woke up around five am, his alarm telling him it was time to get ready for Sunday shift. He would come back in time to make you breakfast — and maybe make love to you afterwards.

Switching off the alarm, he slid out of your grip, your arm thrown possessively around his waist.

He caressed your face before kissing your forehead and stepping away, knowing that it would take a catastrophe to take himself away from you if he lingered for too long.

Your eyes opened when the alarm stopped, watching his back as he disappeared into the bathroom.

When he came back, he was fully dressed, only his shoes and coat missing. You opened your eyes as he pressed his lips to your cheek. “Bakery?” You asked. “Don’t you have someone for the morning shift?”

He shook his head. “I’ve been considering getting some help. At least for a couple mornings a week.”

You hummed and nodded. “I can come along if you need.”

He denied. “Stay here. I wanna find you sleepy and cosy when I come back. Remember round five?”

You smiled and hid into the pillow. “Yes, please.”

He smiled along. “Good. Go back to sleep, Buttercup. We’re going on our first date today.”

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

Navi: Chapter 1 — Chapter 2 — Chapter 3 — Chapter 4 — Chapter 5 — Chapter 6 — Chapter 7 (7/7)

Masterlist

[your-eternal-muse]

All I Wanted (Was You) Pt. 2

Part 1

Summery: Reader finally gets to talk to Spencer about the events of their relationship

Words: 2.5k

Warnings: Swearing, description of an arrest, manipulation, signs of a toxic relationship, JJ slander, slapping,  reader isn’t a good person in anyway shape or form, just you wait

Pairing: Criminal!Reader x Eventual Criminal!Spencer

A/N: Hey....it’s been a second...how y’all been? So this has been burning a hole in my google drive for weeks now, and I’m gonna be honest I’ve just been too damn lazy to post it. I truely started my new job, and guess what? I got covid, so that was real fucking fun. Plus I’ve been dealing with some personal shit that has not been entirely good for my mental health, but do not fret! I am doing much better than these past few weeks and weather its because of the iron supplement I’m remembering to take daily, or the fact that because I had covid, means the chances of me getting it again are slim, and I just don’t have it in me to care anymore is up in the air. And I do care. I wear my mask and social distance, but when it comes to me personally.....I couldn’t give a fuck. Anyway here it is, the long awaited part two. There are already four parts I have planned, so yay! Another series! Enjoy!

I’ve decided. I hate this fucking room.

I’ve also decided that I hate Agent Jareau. Or A.J. Or whoever the fuck she was.

I openly glare at her from across the table, since I can’t actively do the things that I want to do to her.

The man sitting next to her introduced himself as Agent Hotchner.

He’s the one that pulled Mathew back. Or Dr. Reid. Fuck.

“Ms. Y/l/n and I have spoken, and she has agreed to answer any and all of your questions. You have her full cooperation. On one condition.”

The annoyed grimace spreading across Jareau’s face slaps a smirk on my own.

“What’s the condition?”

I speak now, staring at my reflection in the mirror before moving eye contact back to Hotchner.

“I want to speak to Mat- Dr. Reid. Alone, with no surveillance, for a half hour.”

The room runs cold.

“No.”

“I will answer anything you ask. But only after my own questions are answered.”

I lean forward onto my elbows, still smirking. “You gotta give a little, to get a little.”

“We can answer any questions you have.”

“That’s not what I want. This is my one condition. You don’t give me this, you aren’t getting shit from me.” I spit, wishing I could grab her collar and throttle her.

“Listen here you little-”

“Stand down, JJ.” Hotchner has his arm outstretched in front of her, keeping her from jumping across the table.

“Yeah, JJ. Stand down.” I purr, and her jaw sets.

A cell phone rings.

Hotchner picks up, breaking eye contact with me for a second while he quietly asks, “Are you sure?”

Someone answers, and he doesn’t respond before ending the call and turning back to me.

“He’ll do it.”

Is it bad my heart jumped?

“What?” Jareau is staring at the side of Hotchner's face, but he keeps eye contact with me.

“You get a half hour. And if anything happens inside that room-”

“I don’t appreciate you threatening my client when she has just agreed to cooperate. Now, will you please uncuff her so she can go to the designated room?”

His face is a stone, barely showing any sign of his thoughts.

But he reaches into his pocket, and pulls out the keys while moving around the table to where I sit.

They fall from my wrists, and I pull the sleeves of the sweater Sheila gave me down to cover the red skin.

“Follow me.” he says, and I stand, free for the first time since this morning.

Running only crosses my mind for a second before I follow him through the hallways, glaring eyes burning into my back.

He opens the door to another small conference room, allowing me and Sheila to enter.

“We’ll send him in once you’re ready.” he says and without another word, he closes the door.

Sheila turns to me. “Are you sure this is what you want?” She takes my hands in hers.

“Positive.”

“Okay. You get a half hour. Use it wisely.” She lets go of my hands.

“That’s the plan.” I shove them into my pockets.

She nods, before opening the door, and leaving.

My heart pounds in my chest.

I wring my hands.

The door closes.

He stands, staring.

“Hi.”

I swallow, anger rippling through my bones.

I storm forward, and I see him hold out his hands to try and stop me, but he doesn’t put up much of a fight.

My open palm meets the skin of his cheek and fire eats at my fingers.

We’re both quiet for a moment before I reach forward, feeling his chest, his sides, his pockets.

I feel a bulk under his shirt beneath his waistband on his back.

“Are you fucking serious?” I pull up his shirt, grabbing the phone from his hip.

He doesn’t meet my eye as I see it’s on a call. With a certain agent's name flashing across the screen.

I throw it to the ground, stomping into it with my heel until I hear it crack before picking it up and opening the door.

“Y/n please..”

I throw it into the room of agents.

I meet the eyes of the person who made the initial call.

“You’re fucking lucky the deals still on, Jennifer. Or those people's deaths would be on your hands. So thank your lucky stars that I want to prove my innocence because if I didn’t give a fuck, you would have a lot to fucking explain right now.”

I slam the door shut, locking it behind me. 

I stand, heaving, staring at the swirls in the wood of the door.

I wait until my breathing is less erratic to speak.

“You must think I’m fucking stupid.” My voice is oddly calm for the anger burning through my veins.

“I don’t. I’ve never thought that.” He moves to stand a few feet behind me. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”

I turn then, moving into his face.

“How the hell was it supposed to happen!?”

I hear footsteps approach me as I stir the creamer into my coffee. 

Hands are on my waist, and I barely have time to set my spoon down before he’s turning me around, and capturing me in a bone crushing hug.

I laugh nervously, hugging him back. “Good morning to you too.”

He pushes me back a little bit, and his eyes are red rimmed and frantic. 

“Hey,” I cup his face, running my thumb over the apple of his cheek. “Talk to me baby, what’s wrong?”

Different scenarios run through my mind, all of them terrible.

None of them are what he actually says.

“If I asked you to run away with me, would you?”

My thumb stops. “What?”

His eyes dart back up to mine, and the sheer glow of urgency shining in his pupils makes my heart rate pick up.

“I need to tell you something.”

“What’s going on? You’re scaring me.” My hand starts to fall from his face, but his hands come up to grip my wrists.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry for what? Matty, just talk to me. Whatever it is, we can fix it, I can fix this.”

His eyes dart to the clock on the oven behind me, and his breathing picks up. “Shit.”

He licks his lips. “I-”

My front door slams open.

I jump back, hitting my coffee cup on the counter, spilling the contents.

Officers spill in and my stomach drops to my feet.

“Y/n y/l/n?” An officer comes forward, gun lowered, but finger still on the trigger.

I slowly raise my hands. “Yes? What’s going on? Matty, what’s happening?”

His grip on my arm is like steel, but officers come and pry him away from me, twisting my arm behind my back. His eyes dart between me and the people swarming.

“No! Please, this isn’t-, stop!” He’s shouting, looking around at the officers pool into my house.

I am acutely aware of the gun aimed at my chest.

My arms are pulled behind tight behind me, and it’s instinct to fight.

“What are you doing? Let go of me!”

“Y/n y/l/n you are under arrest for-”

I don’t hear the rest. All I hear is Matty’s voice, his fight to remove himself from the officer who was trying to cuff him.

No.

“Let him go! He didn’t do anything!”

He looks annoyed and frightened and tired all at once.

I’m being pulled away from the scene towards my front door.

“No! No Mathew! Don’t touch him!”

My wrists pull against the handcuffs, burning into my skin.

“Stop! My name is Dr. Spencer Reid! I’m an FBI agent with the behavioral analysis unit.”

I stop.

The officer stops.

The world stops.

“My badge is in my back pocket. I’m going to reach for it now.” He reaches back into his pocket and pulls out a leather badge, opening it to show the officers.

One nods, and they back off of him, letting go of his arms.

“What?” It’s broken and barely a whisper.

His eyes meet mine, and tears are freely rolling down my cheeks, and I blink to try and get rid of them, but it doesn’t work.

“You- You’re a-” I can’t breath. “What?”

My chest hurts.

“Y/n-”

I’m out the door.

The world is in slow motion.

Black coats and red and blue lights are everywhere.

I’m in the back of a police car.

He’s in the yard.

Staring.

“It wasn’t even supposed to. I got the call 5 minutes before they came. I didn’t have any time, I couldn’t do anything.”

“You couldn’t do anything?” I look at him in disbelief.

“You could have, I don’t know, not have lied to me?”

“It’s not that simple.”

His cheek is red.

I fight back the urge to reach forward and hold it against my palm.

We didn’t move, and I realize that this was not the best idea.

I move past him, going to stand by the window.

I never realized  how high up we were.

He turns with me, watching me as I go.

“Who are you?”

I hear him shift. “I’m Dr. Spencer Reid. I’m an agent with the Behavioral analysis unit.”

“Doctor? What are you a doctor of?”

A doctor? A friggin doctor?

“I have 3 BA’s and PhDs in mathematics, chemistry and engineering.”

 I can’t help but let my mouth fall open.

I see a small smile twitch on his face. “I also have an eidetic memory and can read 20,000 words per minute.”

I shut my mouth and scoff. “That just proves that I know absolutely nothing about you.”

I start to pace, wanting to scream from the silence.

I go back and forth inside my head, wondering which question I should ask next. So many bubbled inside my head, it made my brain hurt.

“Why did you go undercover?” is what I settle on.

“We wanted proof that you had part in the murders. We couldn’t get that without inside information. I volunteered because from watching you, I know you’d take pity on me. It’d be believable that I didn’t know what I was doing. You wouldn’t feel intimidated by me.”

His hands are on my shoulders now, stopping back in front of the window. 

He’s close enough now that I can feel his body heat against my back.

I hated that he was right.

“You get defensive around women you consider a threat, and you don’t trust men bigger than you. I was a good middle.”

I really wish he would talk louder. It’d make me feel like he didn’t care. The soft tone he was using was sending comforting signals down my spine.

I don’t want to be comfortable.

I want to be angry.

“So it was all for your case then? Everything you told me, everything we did, all those promises was a lie?”

I take a chance, and turn to face him.

I wish I could stop crying.

“Was anything you told me true?”

“Yes!” His hands tighten around my shoulders, startling me. Realization flashes over his eyes and his hands hesitantly remove themselves from me.

He takes a breath. “At first, work was all it was. I was just supposed to observe you, your behavior and report back to my team. But after a few weeks, something changed. You were fragile, and compassionate. When I looked at you, I didn’t see a cold-blooded killer, or a sociopathic dominate. I saw you. I saw the way you cared for people, how you stood up for your clients, and I couldn’t help myself. I feel in love with you.”

His hands are back on me, now resting just above my elbows.

“I love you. Everything I told you about us and what I wanted to do, that’s the truth.”

I wipe my tears away with my fingertips.

“You asked me this morning, before they took me away, if I wanted to run away with you. Do you still mean it, or was that just a ruse?” I worded the question carefully.

“I mean it.”

I sigh, finally looking up into his eyes. “You don’t think I had anything to do with those murders, do you?”

He shakes his head.

I set my jaw. “I want to hear you say it. It’s the least you owe me.”

He swallows. “No. I don’t think you do. I never did.”

My fingers play with the fabric of his shirt. “Spencer suits you.”

He smiles softly. “Thank you.”

“What are you going to tell your team?”

“Nothing. I can’t. And even if I could I wouldn’t want to.”

“Why? I would think you’d want to tell them everything.”

“Usually I do. But they don’t see you like I do. It’s just better if they don’t know. For everyone.”

I can’t help it.

I lean my head against his chest, and let his arms wrap around me.

We stand like that for what seems like years before I feel wetness on my hair.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

I just hold him tighter.

I know that he’s talking about the present situation. But I can’t help but agree for an entirely different reason.

If he hadn’t been the one to come in that day, we wouldn’t be here.

He wouldn’t feel guilty.

I wouldn’t be licking my wounds, going over every conversation we’ve ever had, trying to figure out what’s true and what’s not.

I’d be sitting in a jail cell, wondering where I went wrong, and he’d be helping his team, with no personal connection to me.

I’d be alone.

I hug him tighter, closing my eyes wishing I could be anywhere else with him.

My pocket feels heavy.

There’s a damp spot on his shirt when I pull away.

“I’m bad for you, Spencer.” My voice breaks.

“Is it bad that I don’t care?”

“You should care. I’m not a good person.”

He places his hands on either side of my face, swiping away me tears with his thumbs.

He doesn’t respond.

He just leans down and kisses me.

Kisses me like it’s the last time he’s able to.

Which may very well be the case.

There’s a knock on the door and he breaks, still keeping his hands on my face.

Another knock.

He drops his hands, sighing, before walking over to the door.

His hand hesitates over the knob.

Another knock.

He unlocks it, and opens it. 

Agent Hotchner stands there, stone faced and slightly angry.

Spencer keeps eye contact with me, until Hotchner speaks.

“Reid.”

He looks down, and then turns and walks away.

Sheila walks in after they leave, closing the door once more behind her.

“How did it go?”

I shove my hands into my pockets. “I just want this to be over.”

She walks over, pulling me into a hug I don’t reciprocate. 

“It’s about to be.”

I remove my hand from my pocket, and set the recorder on the table.

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