#negative software testing

[watermelinoe]

Do you use a nose only or full face? I felt so much better with full face. #cpaptribe

nose only because i'm a stomach sleeper but the air getting into my mouth now has me opening my mouth at night just to let it out. i was chipmunking for a while and now i'm full on mouth breathing. so i tried a chinstrap to go back to my mouth being closed and i woke up middle of the night and let out the biggest belch and then woke up again and i had managed to open a little corner of my mouth to let air out like a tea kettle. so it's going great

[simspaghetti]

I was so so so excited about the release of Blackout UI by @simstate recently! I've been wanting a dark-mode modern UI in my game for the longest time and they finally came thru with their mod tysm angel <3<3

With this exciting new release, I needed to rework a few of my Gameplay PSDs to fit in better with this mod - and I've made them available for download here if anyone else would like to switch!

What's In The Folder:

💫 Wish Template: → 3 frame colour options: Black, Green & Grey

🥶 Moodlet Template: → 4 frame / mood effect colour options: Neutral, Positive, Negative & Plain Grey

💼 Career Template: → 3 frame colour options: Black, Blue, Green & Grey → Career icons from BG to All EPs included → Extra mood icons for the 'Performance' section included

Extra: Transparent background alternative included for all templates!

Terms of Use: Please don’t claim as your own or reupload without my permission, I’d love to see you use them in your game if you do choose to tag me - but that’s totally optional I'm just nosey haha :P Feel free to alter and customize the templates literally however you want, but pls link back to my blog if you’re gonna reupload a downloadable variation :)

Download Here (Simfileshare, .psd files)

The font used in all templates is DM Sans, it can be found in all variations here - I only used ‘bold’ & 'bold italic’

Instructions:

These are supposed to be opened in a photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop, I personally recommend Photopea / Gimp as free alternatives - you can probs use any other editing software as long as it can handle .psd files - lmk if you have any problems in other programs, I have only tested these in Photopea!

I also intended for these to be used alongside game icon collections, here are some suggestions for those: TS2 Icons / TS3 Icons + Extras / TS4 Icons

Just edit the text, hide & unhide the layers / folders and place the icons to get your desired outcome, then save as a .png and plop the final image over your gameplay screenshots :)

For any PSDs I create in the future I hope to create both light-mode & dark-mode versions so you can take your pick - I’m also open to requests so if you have anything you’d like to see as a psd lmk 😊💞

Finally, thanks again to SimState for their wonderful mod - the UI is absolutely gorgeous and I will be exclusively using it from now on! Pls go show them some love if you haven't already 🫶

[sleepanonymous]

Remember when I made this post talking about Jaws? A good friend found one for Thread The Needle.

George Lever, the man that you are.

Intro

Sleep Token are different, like super major big time different. Softly spoken pop aesthetic meets discordant percussive metal different. Different is great. It tests and pulls at the boundaries by which we choose to asses music by. All in all ST (sleep token) is very close to my heart in terms of what its intentions are and how it tries to achieve it. I worked very closely with ST on the song framing and ensuring that every phase of each song was being presented in the way they originally intended. Much like a prog record there isn’t any sense of an ABAB type repetition that’s common in pop music, instead it’s a textured journey down multiple avenues and pathways, showing and highlighting different perspectives of the song along the way. I could write about this project for some time but I’m very aware that this is supposed to be an engineering / mixing focused blog so I shall move on.

Tracking // Drums

In terms of the space, we ended up at Monnow valley. This happened to be my first ever solo flight session at MV, although nerve wrecking I think it came together rather harmoniously without any negative turns.

The initial outline from ST was to achieve as much as humanly possible without the need for rigid quantisation after the fact. Every play / part, had to emphasis what else was going on. Tricky, but great fun to achieve.

Tracking // Guitars & Bass

All tracked back here at G1, using an array of options like the Kemper, Axe fx and plugin amp sims. The attention wasn’t so much on ‘authentic amp sounds’ but more along the lines of ‘how cool can this sound, can it sound more cool?’ Quite a different approach considering some would be more enclined to try and ensure that ‘this does definitely sound like a 5150’ over what it actually does for the context that it is sitting within (the songs DNA)

** Cool bit, for the end part of TTN, the guitars were tracked 6 times. 3 different takes / tones each side. More tone, more drone.** – George

Bass, I think is a combination of my jazz bass and some software stuff, obviously my poor 4 string won’t handle going down to drop ZZZZ so that’s when the synth stuff needs to kick in, however I do believe at those parts the Jazz is playing the upper octave for that sense of movement and clank.

Tracking // Vocals

How freaking amazing is this dudes voice? Seriously? I used a different mic for each song, each time he sounds amazing. This is what it’s all about, right here. A great voice always sounds great. We used my modded Oktava m319 for one track, the AKG c414 b-uls for another and the sm7b on one more. Who cares what processing went on, just listen to how mega dope his voice is. Can you tell I appreciate his voice? Haha!

Gear Used

Drums – Tracked by G1 at Monnow Valley Kick In – Beta91a + D112 Kick Out – U47 Snare Top – 57 Snare Bottom – 441 Toms – md421 HH – 7b Ride – c451 China – c451 OH – Modded Oktava mk012 in ORTF RM1 – R121 RM2 – C414 RM3 – U87

Guitars Kemper / Driftwood Profile Pack (along with other bits and bobs too for the multi tracked parts) Bass Dingwall Darkglass > FabFilter Saturn

Vocals Different mics for different sections C414 BULS / 7B / Oktava m219

[diceramblesaboutocs]

Undirected Connection || Idia x Reader || Prologue

chapter 1 Author’s note: This is more of a premise or prologue. I haven’t ever really posted any of my writing officially and I wanted to do something light first. So I hope to give this more “chapters”. I want this to be more soft and friendship oriented but hey, we will see where it goes. Also the mandatory: English isn't my native language so...

Rating: Teen Pairing: Idia/Reader Words: 905 Tags: GenderNeutral Reader - Reader is from Ignihyde - Cat and mouse chase dynamic.

Summary:  "Dear students of NRC, Ever wanted your favorite actress or actor to wish you good night? Do you need a little encouragement for the finals? Or maybe you want them to say those sweet "well, well, well"s with their seductive voice to spice up your evening?

I, Litae, will humbly grant your prayer and wishes. Give me your desired voice (an actor, a character (must be a public figure)) and guidelines what would you want them to say only to you

2 thaumarks, a personal greeting for you

5 thaumarks, 30s clip.

NO NSFW content.

Payment will be handled via the Cave of Wonders app."

"You can do it, Idia! You'll be fine! Good night and sleep well tonight!"

The familiar voice of Idia's favorite idol echoed in the dim room as the call ended. This has been going on for a month now. Azul had cornered him in the board game clubroom after the session. He started to offer the most ridiculous things for Idia so that he would help him locate some mysterious entrepreneur. This entrepreneur known as Litae had taken the NRC campus by storm in just a week. And the Octavinelle housewarden smelled an opportunity for a great investment in that. A promise of financial gain.

Idia first had offered to create a voice generation software for him, but Azul declined. He wanted the real deal. Why create a rival when you can blackmail the original creator to join his team. Or as the merman had put it: Offer a safe working environment and stable income. Idia wanted to escape the situation, but seemed that the only way to do that was to agree to help his clubmate.

He started his research. It started from small testing, paying this Litae to give him a greeting or a small clip. To see if he could use a voice recognition software to find patterns, a recurring pitch or to see if the voice was generated by a computer. All coming back almost negative. There were some small recurring patterns, but not enough to pinpoint anyone exactly. And the voice wasn't AI generated either. Or if it was, it was a highly sophisticated model.

He asked Litae to voice different actors. Then fictional characters and lastly… one of his favorite characters from Sled over Heels. Why not indulge himself a bit? To have a high quality personalized greeting from his favorite character would make his heart flutter. And it did. A little bit of greetings there and a little bit of encouragement here. Like before the public speech he had at the cultural fair. (Not that he was going to speak in public, he made a high end text to speech software to avoid that.)

Then came the calls. Litae started offering short calls, improvised calls for the students. For Idia, it was downhill from there… He was addicted. ***

2 months ago

It all started when it was announced that the Star Rogue: Remake Galaxy would be exclusive on the newly launched Wonderlink console. [Y/N] had been a long time fan of the game series and finally it was getting the recognition that it deserved. But there was a problem… A financial one. They could buy the game, sure, but they didn't have the console. They needed a plan on how to get money. Something easy. Something so low effort that they could do it while keeping up with their studies.

A couple of days had passed. During a break they had a conversation with their fellow dormmates about the wake up call tracks. They remembered those from old radio shows. The voice actors acted as their characters and recorded a set of different versions of wake up notifications. People ate them all up, trying to get hold of those radio show tracks. They would dissect the lines and share them online. And that's where the idea began in [Y/N]'s head.

Like a strike of fate, it was perfect. Outer appearance of [Y/N] was that of a normal human, but they had the blood of a changeling fae in them. It wasn't much, but enough. The influence from a few generations past would act up sometimes. Whenever magic was flowing strong around them, their appearance changed randomly if not deliberately focused on anything. They had a special medication for it. That they didn't give themselves gills without thinking and suffocated. That was a rare thing to begin with but better safe than sorry. After all, in a magic school with all the students blasting spells, it could get hectic. Stronger the magic, the bigger the change could be.

On its own it was more of a parlor trick, to change one's hair color, or transform their teeth sharp… Or change their voice. They researched the best way to handle the transfer of money and got an old smartphone from the lost and found. Being an Ignihyde student, they knew the lengths to which the digital footprint could be tracked. They couldn't be too cautious. They didn't want others to know about this idea, about them doing it or that they had such a gift from their ancestors. Who would trust a descendant of a changeling after all?

After two weeks of planning, the plan went into motion. They made a separate email account on their "work" phone and sent an advert to the whole student body of NRC. ***

"Dear students of NRC,

Ever wanted your favorite actress or actor to wish you good night?

Do you need a little encouragement for the finals? Or maybe you want them to say those sweet "well, well, well"s with their seductive voice to spice up your evening?

I, Litae, will humbly grant your prayer and wishes.

Give me your desired voice (an actor, a character (must be a public figure)) and guidelines what would you want them to say only to you

2 thaumarks, a personal greeting for you

5 thaumarks, 30s clip.

NO NSFW content.

Payment will be handled via the Cave of Wonders app."

[foone]

Alright, listen up:

We need to stop with the anti-rooting attitude for brainpals, alright? You're just doing mnemonocorps job for them. Cut out the discourse about people with modded brainpals, for TF's sake.

(scifi worldbuilding by way of fictional Tumblr discourse under the cut)

There's tons of valid reasons for by people would hack their brainpals! Testing new memory/skills without paying for a dev kit, piracy of skills (and do not @ me with that "but you're stealing from the original skill creator!" bullshit. All the legit skills on the market now are from people who did work for hire by mnemonocorps, and THEY ALREADY WERE PAID. It's only mnemonocorps that is losing money!), home ptsd/cptsd/jptsd treatment, the list is endless.

And before you jump into the comments, YES I KNOW PEOPLE DO SEXUAL MEMORY PLAY. People do every kind of weird shit, name me a technology that no one has used for sex in some way? Hell, the first topless photo was taken within a week of the invention of the daguerreotype. But we need to be adults here, okay? These things can be simultaneously true:

1. People do memory play

2. No kids have memorypals

3. The vast major of memory play is NOT VP.

Mnemonocorps has done a lot of work to try to keep people from using brainpals for memory pal, with their artificial limits on how much you can block at once, but that's fundamentally an over reaction to the negative press from the whole VP scandal. The news loves a juicy story like "people are using a new technology for weird sex shit" because their readers/viewers are always interested in Weird Sex Shit, either because "ooh, sexy!" or "BAN THIS FILTH" reactions.

And like all big companies, the last thing mnemonocorps wants is a new law aimed specifically at regulating them! So they stuck a bunch more restrictions on brainpals so they could say they have taken steps to prevent VP.

Now, I need you to listen to me before I say this: I am NOT saying I condone VP, alright? I'm not going like "oh but no one is hurt, everyone is (technically) adults, it's basically roleplay"? This is not an excuse for VP, alright?

Memory play is not just VP, and it's deeply insulting to everyone who engages in memory play to conflate the two!

The reasons people would do memory play are many and varied, as are the things that people do with memory play. And I think people are extra quick to jump on the "memory play is bad" bandwagon not just because of the spectre of VP, but because it's all "eww, kinky sex things".

And yes, I'm not going to try to sugarcoat memory play, alright? There's a lot of weird stuff going on there, and it definitely isn't for everyone. But the thing y'all need to keep in mind is that it's between consensual adults and they (usually*) know what they're doing, okay?

It's safe and mind healthy and consensual. (yes I know these are the same arguments the veepers use to definite VP but I'm not talking about VP here, damn it!).

People can do CNC play with mblocks. People can do roleplay with temporary personality patches, either because they're too awkward/shy/whatever to have sex or because they (or their partners) want to do some vcheating. All these are perfectly safe if done correctly and don't hurt anyone. Especially not you, who aren't even involved in their memory play!

And I promise the slippery slope argument is bullshit: even if people use mblocks to age regress, that doesn't make it VP, alright? There's plenty of people (especially us elderly trans who missed out on a gender-correct early adulthood. (I wasn't able to get genespliced until I was nearly 60!). If I want to experience how my 25-year-old self would have had sex as a girl, that's my own god damn business! And it's not VP and it hurts no one. And all these non-vp uses of memory play are completely blocked by the stock brainpal software, because of their heavy handed approach to trying to prevent VP.

But with this whole stigma against hacking brainpals means that if I ever even mention I've got mine modded, people immediately start side-eying me because they think the only reason anyone would want to hack their brainpal is VP.

No! Piracy of skills and mblocks and yes, memory play. Which isn't entirely VP, even if it keeps getting tarred with that brush.

The piracy argument you'd think would be an easier one to make. I know half of you have all the PS6 ROMs downloaded onto your tangles. How are you gonna steal half the video games on the iarchive and then turn around and say it's wrong to download fluent-Japanese or woodworking to your brainpal? Come on.

Basically my whole point is that mnemonocorps has done a great job convincing the general public to associate illicit (by their rules) brainpal use with VP, and it's solely because they know the average person (rightly, I would add) thinks VP is abhorrent. They're using that disgust to turn the general opinion against the idea of brainpal modding.

And look, look me in my eye, do you really think mnemonocorps is doing this because they genuinely think VP is bad and want the public to help them stop it by shunning people who hack their brainpals? Or is it, just maybe, because they don't want to lose trillions of n$ on skill piracy? And they're just using VP as an excuse?

It's like, come on gals. No one ever went broke assuming companies are acting out of the most basic capitalistic greed, because THEY ALWAYS ARE.

And don't get me started on the people clitriding mnemonocorps for inventing the brainpal in the first place. Look, we all love the brainpal, yes, but it's not like you owe them endless loyalty over it, okay? They can and have done wrong in the past. Accept that you can love the work and hate the company trying to control it.

(it's like: is Thomas Chellae an abusive asshole who should not be out of crimrehab? Yes of course, no question. Is Shadowed Skies the best album of the last 30 years? Also yes! It can be both! Bad people can make good things)

Anyway: end of the day, stop bringing up VP every time anything involving brainpal modding comes up. Don't judge people for modding their brainpals.

(especially since half the problem people have with memory play isn't VP, it's just y'all being antisex. Which is bullshit given how many people subscribe to those "expert oral sex" skills! You're using your brainpal to have better sex, then turning around and going "but I'd never use it for WEIRD sex!". Grow TF the fuck up!)

Also, just because I know someone would bring it up, the whole mind control thing is A MYTH. There have never been any legitimate cases of people getting hacked through their brainpals, hacked or not, okay? I mean, who knows what the nsa or uhsa can do, but no one has ever been able to demonstrate a remote hack on a brainpal. Anyone being "mind controlled" through their brainpal did it to themselves, either with a ppatch or intentionally routing their admin to someone else. "you'll get hacked and turned into a bpZombie!" is a bullshit reason to be against brainpal hacking: it simply does not happen. I used to be a rengineer, I've looked into the brainpal security: it's well done!

* Yeah, Adrian Reach was a tragic case, but it was definitely a million-to-one case. Make your backups, run the ccheck, and don't try to mblock your whole damn life on a failing bp! You'll be fine.

EDIT: I forgot to elaborate on the "no kids have brainpals" thing: yes, I know there are some kids who do have them, BUT they're not the same as regular brainpal installs. They're only done in some extreme cases of mental distress (like survivors of the cWar) and they're locked down. Only their doctor can adjust them, it's not like regular consumer brainpals where you can just fiddle with the settings themselves. So all this memory play stuff we're talking about is only between adults. REAL adults, alright? Even when people are doing VP, everyone involved is of age.

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

I've got a small pile of unanswered asks, sorry for the wait! got myself busy again with other projects, like a christmas themed kids book I need to get done by thanksgiving.

I've been noticing that when my uncle has the books printed, they come out very dark and muddy, which is not great! I tried to research rgb to cmyk conversion and ran into all sorts of different advice on which profiles to use, found that most of the instructions rely on very specific art software, only to ultimately learn that many places used for printing art will just apply their own cmyk profile anyways. which can actually make the colors worse if you already converted the file yourself.

and furthermore, the problem is extra bad with these books because my uncle has been going through Amazon and they use a variety of third party printers! based on the results with the books, I'd say they're cutting costs with low quality cheap printers >:/ which means there's nothing I can actually do on my end to ensure that the illustrations accurately print with the colors I'm using.

However. I don't give up so easy. I've seen artists make all sorts of color choices just so the end results looks a specific way under specific circumstances. Like using negative colors so the image only looks "normal" when it's been inverted. or using blue and red so the image looks different based on whether it's under a red lens or a blue lens. making color illusions like that blue/black vs white/gold dress or the illusion of grey strawberries looking red when they're surrounded by cyan. I did a final project in college on the topic of color illusion, making my own example paintings.

(image description: three photos of small paintings. the first two images are solid yellow and green respectively, with neutral grey abstract shapes painted over them. because of the solid color backgrounds, however, the neutral greys appear to be slightly tinged with the compliment color of their backgrounds; blue tinged on the yellow and pink tinged on the green. the third painting shows a side by side comparison of the same pair of yellow scissor handles. on one side, they are painted bright yellow on a plain white background. on the other side, a dark purple background and more dramatic lighting still give it the appearance of being yellow scissors, but in actuality the handles are painted in shades of green and orange, blended together in some places and darkened or lightened with other colors. they simply look more yellow because of the purple background and the warm shading. end description.)

So I know a thing or two about color strategy. and I am not losing a war against low quality cheap printers, not today. I spent a while looking for cmyk color charts and palettes, testing images through an online cmyk converter, and I have finally achieved my goal. the final test will come when the book is done and sent to print. essentially, I just ran a cmyk color chart through a converter to see how it might look after being printed, then set the original and the converted version next to each other on my file. I can now use the brighter original colors but base the colors I pick on how they'll look in the printed result rather than how they look on my screen. this means the version on my screen is far more pastel than I would normally go for! but the test results so far prove the method, and I think this book will print just fine.

(image description: screenshot of the rgb and cmyk versions of the same painting, which look very small and compressed because they're thumbnail images. the rgb version looks very light and uses a lot of pastel colors and soft shading, while the cmyk version looks much darker and has more distinct shading. it depicts a family out caroling around Christmas, standing at the porch of another family who look very happy to hear the song. end description.)

by golly I am not going to let Amazon keep turning my hard work into muddied disasters. I get paid for these illustrations and I'll make them look good in print by any means available to me.

here's the colors btw if anyone else needs to use this trick:

(image description: two color charts. one is very bright and rainbow, the other is much lower contrast and dark. the colors that are the most affected are the blues and greens, while the reds and yellows are somewhat more intact. the greys have also become more brown in the second version. end description.)

just figure out what the end result needs to look like and pick the brighter color accordingly. should make the low quality print jobs look at least passingly decent! sometimes you really have to plan ahead to make things look the way you want.

[peskellence]

Pairing: RK900/Gavin Reed

Tags: Post Pacifist Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Angst, Hurt/ Comfort

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Summary: In the aftermath of Detroit's android revolution, Nines grapples with the complexities of his newfound deviancy. As he seeks to establish his place in a newly transformed society, his resolve is put to the ultimate test when he is paired with Detective Gavin Reed-a notoriously volatile human with a well-established hatred for androids-to investigate a series of murders.

While initial impressions of his partner seem to suggest his reputation is well-deserved, the more time Nines spends with him, the more he is forced to challenge his judgments. As they form an unexpected bond, the RK900 is also pushed to examine truths about himself he would much rather seek to forget. (A Retelling of 'More Than Our Parts' from the POV of Nines.)

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depression/Self Destructive Behaviour, Eventual Smut

Word Count: 6.2K

Tag List: @sweeteatercat @wedonthaveawhile @gho-stychan @tentoriumcerebelli @negative-citadel @faxaway @moriahadi424 @unicorn4genocide @cptjh-arts

Detective Reed's apartment was almost indistinguishable from his dismal preconstructions. 

Initially, they struggled to even enter the home, with the man using his entire body weight to force the door open. While he slipped through the narrow gap with relative ease, Nines had much greater difficulty. His broad shoulders collided with the frame multiple times, as the bunched runner at his feet hindered his progress significantly. 

Emerging inside, the reason for their difficulty soon became apparent. The android had always failed to understand how humans could endure such unfavourable conditions. They derived no pleasure from it, yet this discomfort often stemmed from their own complacency.

It was one of the worst examples he'd seen. Already tiny, the space was dwarfed by a staggering expanse of debris and clutter. It proved as hazardous as it was disorganised, with tight tangles of electrical cords snaking across the floor. They were partially concealed beneath a layer of brown paper and packing peanuts, ready to trip anyone who crossed their path.

"Don't mind the mess," Reed said flippantly, turning towards a nearby coat rack. It was layered high with a dense pillow of clothes. He paused to assess—as if considering how to expand the load without causing a collapse. "I just moved in a few months ago. Haven't finished unpacking."

'Mess' proved a gross understatement. It didn't begin to cover the profound level of squalor the man was inhabiting. 

Despite this, he carried with him no discernable shame. If anything, he seemed proud of it—canvassing his surroundings with a contented sigh as he slipped an arm free from his jacket.

Nines struggled to maintain mental clarity in response to the confounding behaviour before reminding himself of his objectives. Studying the home in greater detail would be beneficial. Combing through the chaos in order to find personal items that could provide deeper insights into Reed's psyche. 

In spite of any lingering aversion, Nines widened the scope of his optical units and determinedly proceeded. Considering the limited space in the apartment, his partner's use of it was far from optimal. The majority of his sparse shelving was cluttered with unnecessary memorabilia: cheap trinkets from tourist attractions, as well as numerous framed photographs. 

The pictures were old, featuring the face of a much younger Reed—and a man Nines did not recognise. His facial identification software proceeded to resolve this, confirming the identity of the stranger:

> CHRISTOPHER JAMES REED

> BORN: 1ST DECEMBER 1972

> STATUS: DECEASED.

Nines failed to understand why his partner didn't discard some of his less essential possessions, given the skyline of unopened boxes towering behind them.

"I would think that a few months would have been sufficient time to unpack. I wager the delay has more to do with a lack of space."

"Yeah, well, there's that—" Any previous calculations were abandoned as Reed callously tossed his outwear at the stacked pile. "I'm still working out the logistics."

Nines considered sharing the findings of his spatial mapping, noting to Reed that there were few logistics to be calculated. However, he quickly determined the advice would be wasted, a reality the man would likely reject.

Instead, he mirrored his actions, shedding the outer layer of his Cyberlife uniform and folding it neatly in preparation for storage. It was a gesture he hoped would be received positively, demonstrating a willingness to adhere to the human's domestic customs.

The action certainly inspired a response, although not one Nines had anticipated.

With the jacket held in his grasp, he detected an elevation in Reed's core body temperature. This wasn't unusual, given the recent shift in climate. What proved peculiar, however, was an accompanying spike in heart rate and respiratory patterns.

Glancing over his shoulder, he sought to investigate further. His target didn't notice the shift, attention otherwise preoccupied by the definition of Nines' central chassis.

The detective's gaze followed a path down his undershirt, starting at the shoulder blades and continuing until it settled on the convex mould of the android's posterior. 

Rising temperature intensified—a heat which pooled in his cheeks—as his expression flitted between alarm and intrigue. He was a man at war with himself, wishing to avert his eyes but unable to pull away.

It seemed the frustration Reed felt for him stemmed from more than just contempt. Sights lingered to the point of shameless transparency, and Nines couldn't help but draw amusement from it.

Despite all claims of 'advanced cognition', the humans around him proved remarkably driven by their base urges. Reed was no exception, as lust breached walls of prejudice with shameful ease.

Turning back towards the hangers, Nines feigned obliviousness to the ogling. Positioning his coat with much greater finesse than his partner, he stored a record of the behaviour for future reference.

As he removed his shoes, placing them neatly on the stand, a flicker of light caught his eye. It was reflected from a framed poster hanging askew on the peeling surface of the adjacent wall. Depicted was a young woman lying in bed, the covers clutched tightly to her chin as wide, fearful eyes reflected the gleam of five drawn razors. They hovered in perfect alignment above her face, threatening to swipe.

A subsequent analysis was triggered as his systems sought to identify the origin of the image:

> SOURCE IDENTIFIED

> CLASSIFICATION: RECREATION OF PROMOTIONAL POSTER ASSOCIATED WITH CINEMATIC PRODUCTION

> TITLE: 'A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET'

> RELEASE YEAR: 1984

> DIRECTOR: WES CRAVEN

The image was shouldered by several of its ilk, each depicting iconic figures or scenes from their respective franchises.

"You're a fan of horror films," Nines mused, closing the diagnostic branches. "Specifically, titles from the late twentieth century."

Reed was snapped back to reality, eyes freed from their magnetic hold on the RK900's backside. He looked up, visibly flustered, as if he'd been caught in a compromising position.

Nines maintained his facade of obliviousness. Hands folded neatly behind his back, he emphasised his 'curiosity' with a subtle cranial tilt.

"...Dad loved his horror," the man ultimately replied, stiff posture relaxing as he glanced up at the posters. "Got me into it young. I'd watched most of the Nightmare movies before I started junior high."

The longer he stared, the more his features softened—until a gentle smile spread across his lips. It was unlike any expression Nines had seen him wear. Absent of his usual bravado or smugness, it revealed a genuine vulnerability.

"That hardly seems like appropriate viewing material for such a young child. Was your father aware that most of these films possess an R rating?"

Reed tensed again, sharpness returning to his eyes as they fixed on Nines with a resentful glare. 

"It didn't do me any harm; just meant I didn't grow up to be a total pussy." 

His retort was hissed through clenched teeth as though causing him physical pain. The assessment had clearly touched a nerve. One that remained profoundly sensitive—despite all the time elapsed.

Recognising his mistake, the android sought to mitigate the damage, swiftly recalibrating his approach.

> RECALIBRATION SUCCESSFUL. 

> CONVERSATIONAL ROUTE DETERMINED.

The solution came fast, much to his annoyance. It was as though RK800 was speaking to him directly, guiding his actions through their temporal channel.

> EXECUTING RECOMMENDED APPROACH. 

Reed's uncouth remark posed an immediate hurdle. Nines held his tongue, silencing the sharp retorts that crowded his thoughts. Instead, he grasped for geniality—maintaining a performative interest in the decor:

"Do you have a favourite film?" Nines asked before observing his partner closely—gauging subtle cues in his body language, keen to assess the effectiveness of their ongoing engagement.

> TARGET ESTABLISHED — 'DETECTIVE GAVIN REED'

> TRACKING RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR FEEDBACK... 

> ASSESSING MUSCULAR TENSION, PUPILLARY DILATION, AND FACIAL MICROEXPRESSIONS…

Reed gawked at his partner, blinking slowly as though seeking to determine if he had heard correctly. Then his jaw tightened reflexively, like an innate biological refusal to lower his defences. 

"Why do you care?"

> WARNING. 

> MUSCULAR TENSION: ELEVATED

> MICROEXPRESSION(S) IDENTIFIED: DISTRUST, DOUBT.

Reed had already detected his insincerity, a disheartening realisation for the RK900.

There was a period of despondent introspection, during which his partner appeared goaded to press on—solidifying their shift in dynamic, with Nines the one under scrutiny. 

"You don't actually care, do you?" 

In the wake of his failure, Nines almost wished that RK800 were guiding his communications. He was forced to manage the fallout whilst making a note to pursue further training in the art of social coercion.

"...I do not," he conceded, determining honesty to be the best option in mitigating the consequences of his deceit. "I believe I am trying to engage in what humans refer to as 'small talk'"

"Well, you're shit at it." 

The insult came fast and biting—without a hint of hesitation. Nines resented how quickly the human cut him down, undermining any hope for an affable dialogue.

He tried to ignore it, but the words refused to abandon him. Charging through his mind in niggling currents, relentlessly persistent. 

Nines stepped forward, and Reed instantly regretted the openness of his ridicule. Self-congratulatory titters were stifled as he glanced up at the opposing figure now looming over him.

"Through no fault of my own," Nines said sternly. "CyberLife did not provide me with an advanced social protocol. When taking part in a conversation, I learn from experience. Meaning I am only ever as adept as the partner I am engaging with."

The implications were not lost on Reed, who scowled in response. Fists tightened at his sides, although the combative gesture was undermined by a series of fraught twitches. 

Corrective measures were made to hide them, and with a steeling breath, he straightened his back—lengthening his posture as much as possible. 

The difference in their statures remained staggering, and Nines was forced to suppress a chuckle, understanding just how deeply this must have bothered his partner.

A ruthless assault on his already fragile masculinity. 

> ACCESSING FILE — 'DETECTIVE GAVIN REED' 

> UPDATE IN PROGRESS…

"Fuck you."

While disappointed the man couldn't think of a more meaningful insult, the android was far from surprised. His optic units were rolled in a tight flourish before he took a step back. The leg was swung with laborious slowness as though teasing the possibility of aborting the action. 

"Aside from showing me your lovely home, what exactly are we doing here, Detective?"

"Stick it up your ass." 

A far more riveting response. Nines was unable to show appreciation for the vivid picture created as Reed pivoted sharply on his heel.

Back turned to the android, he began pacing the room in disordered patterns, muttering nonsensically under his breath. " Where the hell … she's probably hiding because she's scared of you, tin-can."

Amusement dissipated, giving way to confusion. "...She?"

Reed ignored him, refusing to provide any clarification. Instead, he cupped his hands around his mouth and called across the room, interspersing his words with clicks of his tongue.

"Tiff, I'm home."

He was greeted with silence. After waiting a moment, Reed moved further into his home, heavy footfalls scattering litter as he charged toward an open doorway. Peering around the threshold, he swung his neck back and forth in a steady motion.

"Tiffany!" he called again, this time with increased insistence. "Come here, girl—"

His calls remained unanswered, and it appeared that Reed was losing patience with the absent individual. He retreated back into the living room, punctuating his failure with a dejected curse.

Nines found the situation odd—inconsistent with the personal data he had collected on his partner. Establishing a link with the DPD staff database, he searched for any updates or revisions that might clarify the disconnect:

> ACCESSING EXTERNAL FILE 'det_gavin_reed_3345' 

> SEEKING MATCHES — SEARCH CRITERIA 'TIFFANY.'

As he awaited the results, Nines scanned Reed's possessions again. This time, he focused on anything that seemed out of place: clothes ill-fitted to his body type or hygiene products that he certainly wasn't using on himself…

> NO MATCHES FOUND.

Then he noticed it: the large structure positioned beside the television. It was made of carpeted plywood, platforms spiralling around a column of thick, corded rope. The arrangement came complete with cartoonish animal prints adorning each side.   

> PRODUCT: LAYERED CAT TOWER — GREY — 6 FT (#CH-2984)

> DISTRIBUTOR: CLAW HAVEN PET GOODS LTD.

> RETAIL PRICE: $199.99 (46% ABOVE MARKET AVERAGE)

> DIMENSIONS: 6 ft (H) x 2.5 ft (W) x 2 ft (D)

This finding effectively resolved any logical inconsistencies. He hummed in understanding before disregarding his previous hypothesis. 

"Tiffany is your pet."

"No shit." Reed, who had dropped to his knees at some point during his search, moved to stand back up. A felt mouse impeded his efforts, the tail catching under his foot until it was brushed aside with a firm kick. "Have you not seen the cat hairs all over my clothes? So much for being a super detective."

"I was aware you have a cat; I thought for a moment that you might be cohabiting—although a review of your personnel file suggested this was unlikely."

The assessment struck another blow at the man's already bruised confidence. He pulled back, posture restored to its usual hunched slump. Nines might have called it wariness had it not been for the palpable aggression still radiating from him. 

"Oh yeah? And why is it so fuckin' unlikely?"

"Because your files indicate that you are recently single. Not to mention, the name 'Tiffany' would suggest a female-presenting individual, which would be inconsistent with your established orientation."

The human faltered, jaw flapping open and shut without any identifiable purpose. As he spoke, he did so in fragments, struggling to form a sentence. "That is—you—that is none of your business—" 

"I wouldn't have thought you'd take issue with me stating the obvious. You answered 'Homosexual' quite openly in the most recent police census."

Reed responded to the information as though it were an insult—nose wrinkled contemptuously, and he took a margined step forward, seemingly ready to strike back. 

The additional hostility proved puzzling, given the android had done nothing but state an objective fact. Perhaps he had missed some subtle nuance, a tone or gesture that would have warned of the growing aversion…

Still, now that a dialogue was open, it seemed a shame to waste the opportunity. If not to foster their 'connection', then to assess how pressing further might influence Reed's emotional state. 

Inspiration struck, and boldness manifested in a mischievous smirk which tugged at his lips.

"Not to mention…" Nines began, deliberately slowing his words, drawing them out with a husky lilt. "When in the proximity of conventionally attractive males, your physical responses are consistent with sexual arousal." 

The reaction of his partner escalated. He abandoned any advance, recoiling as if struck. Tension gripped his body; the muscles in his neck pulled taut, bulging through flushed skin.

However, beyond this surface pressure, there lingered hints of receptiveness. The marginal dilation of pupils and the nervous bobbing of his throat…

"...Why did I let you into my apartment?" he snapped, pulling himself forcefully from the grip of salacious temptation. "Go wait in the rain. I'm done with you."

"I am afraid I cannot do that," the android deadpanned. "If I leave this building, I cannot ensure that you will return to the station, and I require your assistance in reviewing our case."

"Well, shut up then. Stop being an asshole for five minutes and shut your damn mouth."

Nines had no intention of obliging, curious to see how far he could press the teasing. To observe how fast his partner might fold, omitting his principles in favour of carnal appetite… 

Then, there was a sudden shift from across the apartment, and the experiment was forgotten. The RK900 perked up, his auditory processors adjusting as he attempted to identify the source. His partner had heard it as well, as after another sound—more like a wail—a spark of familiarity passed his gaze.

"There she is. Probably stuck in the bath."

Rounding his worn leather couch, Reed approached a sealed door flanked by two stacked bookshelves. He reached for the handle before freezing mid-motion, casting a contemptuous glance across his shoulder.

"You wait here." 

"I can assure you that isn't necessary." Nines smoothly countered. "I am quite comfortable in the presence of felines." 

It was a guarantee that felt justified. 

While the recent changes to his residence meant he had not yet acquired pets, it hadn't stopped him from building a rapport with the local strays—a group of felines who would routinely visit him, drawn by the promise of food.

Lately, their visits had started to linger, with them trusting the android to attend to more intimate care requirements. Grooming and shows of affection—honours that did not extend to other residents in the building.

"It isn't about you being comfortable, genius. It's about her not freaking the fuck out."

The comment stirred a slight ripple in his confidence. While drawing an undeniable enjoyment in testing the limits of his partner's tolerance, the RK900 had no intention of extending this treatment to his pet.  

"I take it she is not particularly friendly?"

As if in response, the distressed cries grew louder from behind the door. The scratching of tiny claws followed as if the animal was trying to dig free from its confines.

Reed's jaw clenched, and his grip tightened firmly around the handle." "No, she isn't." 

Hesitancy quickly deserted Nines. It seemed clear that his partner—in all his abrasiveness and impatience—was far from the soothing presence the pet required. He felt a strong urge to observe—prepared to intervene if more effective methods were required to ease distress.

With a twist of the handle, the door swung open with a soft creak. Nines moved in step with his partner, earning a small grunt of dismay. Reed seemed aware of the android's determination to assist, regardless of invitation, and had begrudgingly resigned to it.

"Just keep your distance," he murmured gruffly, pinching the bridge of his nose, "and don't make any sudden movements. Got it?"

Already lacklustre hygiene standards deteriorated significantly upon entering the bathroom. 

There were thick layers of grime caked on all visible surfaces, suggesting the space hadn't been cleaned in a significant amount of time. Were Nines to speculate how long, he would say the event likely preceded the human's tenancy. 

The smell was repulsive, wafting around them in pungent coils. Organic matter clogging the drainage system accounted for most of it, concentrated with the greatest intensity in the open plug of the bathtub.

It was a detail the android soon overlooked in favour of the set of vibrant green eyes peering at him from across the rim. 

They were framed by a canvas of inky black fur, save for bands of white that spanned the creature's chin and nose. Her jaw widened, eclipsing the eyes as she revealed rows of sharp teeth. 

Nines was completely enchanted, unable to look away as his partner reached across and deftly scooped her up.

"Come on, wide load. You could get yourself out; you don't need to be airlifted."

Reed skillfully adjusted his hold, allowing the feline to blanket herself on his forearm. As he brushed his dominant hand across the top of her head, she responded with a series of throaty rumbles, nudging into the presses and arching back to reveal her stomach.

It was then that Nines noticed the large protrusion.

It seemed disproportionate to the feline's size and raised concerns that it might have resulted from inappropriate feeding. Frowning, he fired a biophysical analysis—examining for any health concerns and ready to scold Reed for any transgressions.

He received a concise overview of Tiffany, including her age and relevant weight and fitness metrics. Nothing proved especially concerning; however, he did encounter an unexpected detail:

> VITAL SIGNS DETECTED — MULTIPLE.  

> GESTATIONAL STAGE: THIRD TRIMESTER.

The system prompt lingered on his HUD as he quietly absorbed the information.

"... She's pregnant," he eventually said, closing the diagnostic channel. "Were you aware?"

Reed, who had appeared to revel in the distraction from their close proximity, was rudely reminded of his existence. He grimaced before seeking to return to his previous tranquillity.

Forcefully sidling past the android, he clipped his shoulder in an effort to make for the exit. "I'm aware; must've been a stray. Getting his dick wet is about to cost me a fortune in vet bills."

Nines was tempted to inform his partner of how easily this situation could've been avoided had he done his due diligence getting the feline spayed. Instead, he lingered on the broader implications of the statement, hit with a wave of excitement mingled with trepidation.

"Do you intend on keeping the babies?" 

"Hell no, I can barely afford to keep this one."

Nines felt reassured by this. While the upcoming birth was pleasant news, the idea of more animals being subjected to the current unsavoury living conditions was deeply alarming.

That said, Tiffany appeared to be coping well, given the circumstances. She was healthy and proved visibly content in Detective Reed's company—an extremely novel achievement that few could claim. 

Nines followed the man out of his bathroom and into the neighbouring kitchen. Despite his earlier insistence that his pet could move, Tiffany remained cradled in his arms for the entirety of the short journey. 

Rocked by the steady vibrations of footsteps, she nestled peacefully into the groove between her owner's chest and neck. Whiskers brushed against coarse stubble, causing Reed to flinch before he firmly corrected his posture—a silent pledge not to disturb her.

Unfortunately, he was unable to maintain this vow. As they reached their destination, he was forced to shift her aside in order to access a nearby pantry.

It did not escape the android's attention that the majority of shelves were barren, save for the central reservation, stacked to the brim with pet goods. Reed leafed through the glossy food pouches, browsing the selection until he settled on a product ambitiously advertised as 'Premium Chicken Breast in Rich Gravy.'

He pinched the pouch between his fingers and flipped it onto the counter, the contents displacing with a wet splat. "Mystery meat giblets with jelly and eyelids—bon appétit."

Despite the disparaging claim, it transpired that the heading on the packet was fairly accurate. This was determined by an internal scan of the foil, with a subsequent cross-reference of the barcode suggesting the brand was far from economical.

It seemed Reed had a habit of excessive spending as it pertained to his pet. Interesting, given his purported financial struggles and the absence of his own basic provisions.

"My scanners indicate that the meat is poultry, with some additional supplements and flavour enhancers—the balance of proteins and vitamins should provide more than adequate nutrition."

"Heh, is that so?" 

Beyond the attempted nonchalance, Reed seemed genuinely pleased with the information. After preparing Tiffany's meal and setting it on a nearby mat, he stopped momentarily to card his fingers affectionately through the back of her coat.

"Good to know that what I'm feeding her isn't total shit. She seems to like it, anyway—that's all that matters."

The human stayed that way for some time. Looking down at his pet, smiling fondly, before moving to discard the pouch in an overflowing waste receptacle. 

As Nines watched, persistent notifications flooded his HUD. At first, they focused on the litter cascading to the floor, displaced by a heavy hand. Then, attention shifted to his partner's current behaviour—elements misaligned with his interpersonal records.

> ANOMALIES DETECTED.

> ACTION REQUIRED. 

"I would surmise that she eats better than you," he continued, attempting to move past the disruption. "Her vitals are all normal, and her physical appearance suggests optimal health. You are taking excellent care of her."

> SUGGESTED ACTION: CHANGES REQUIRED TO CHARACTER FILE — 'DETECTIVE GAVIN REED'

Resigned to the fact that the prompts would persist until acknowledged, the android complied and opened the file. A descending procession of text followed, pushing past the alerts as it readied itself for review:

> DETECTIVE REED LIKES DOGS.

Irritated that such an inconsequential point would cause such a pronounced disturbance, Nines revised it nonetheless—inputting an elaboration before realising its redundancy and scrapping both in favour of a unified statement.

> DETECTIVE REED LIKES DOGS.

> DETECTIVE REED LIKES CATS.

> DETECTIVE REED LIKES ANIMALS.

With the profile updated, Nines hoped to secure some form of cognitive release—the freedom to observe Tiffany without interruptions, sharing vicariously in her contentment. No such luxury came, as the charge of data soldiered on:

> REED SHOWS COMMITMENT TO THE CARE AND WELL-BEING OF HIS PET.

> BEHAVIOUR COMES AT THE DETRIMENT OF HIS OWN PERSONAL WELL-BEING.

Nines attempted to exit the file but found himself unable to do so, no matter how many commands were sent to his processor. It remained locked in his consciousness, a branch of cognition demanding expansion:

> DETECTIVE REED DEMONSTRATES SELFLESSNESS. 

This proved a step too far for the RK900. It was a notion that verged into the obscene and one he refused to dignify, rejecting the addition as soon as it appeared. This did little to assist, as in the wake of the dismissal, his cognition looped back to the start of the strain. Seemingly just to mock him.

> DETECTIVE REED LIKES ANIMALS.

> COMMON GROUND ESTABLISHED. 

His partner, unaware of the pronounced conflict Nines was experiencing, emitted a terse snort.

"Since when are you capable of giving compliments?"

The noise broke his focus, granting the android an opportunity to escape the state of mental paralysis. He looked up at Reed, noting that he had pulled away from his pet in favour of leaning against the countertop. His hands gripped the stained granite, unperturbed by the smear of grease now coating his palms, as he awaited a response. 

"It was not intended as a compliment," Nines quickly clarified. "I was simply making an observation—" 

Then he stopped himself, the rationalisation trailing off, unfinished. It occurred to him that adopting the man's skewed narrative might simplify matters. Feeding into whatever conclusions Reed wished to draw whilst shamelessly reaping the benefits.

"Feel free to interpret it as one, though, should you wish."

Much to his vexation, the detective remained unconvinced—despite the performance being shaped by this narrative. His eyes narrowed into slits, the corners of his mouth twitching as if considering something. Whatever fleeting thought had passed was quickly discarded with a sharp click of his tongue.

"Let me guess, Connor taught you to say that? Don't pull that fake compassion bullshit on me. It won't work."

Nothing else was said on the matter as Tiffany interrupted them. Beckoning her owner's hand with an insistent mewl, unenthused by its sudden absence.

Reed rolled his eyes, but the gesture was clearly performative as he dutifully resumed his duties. This time, crouching down to reduce the proximity between himself and the animal. 

"Jeez, you're a needy bitch..." He cradled the back of her skull, targeting the junction between her ears with gentle presses. "There, head scratches—you happy now?"

Nines grimaced as sticky residue transferred onto the feline, matting her fur. It seemed he was the only one concerned by this, as Tiffany responded gleefully. Rumbled purrs reverberated in the back of her throat, and she rolled into her owner's touch, seeking further contact.

It was an action that Reed had undoubtedly performed countless times and one that also struck Nines with a sense of familiarity.

He wondered how the glossy coat might feel between his own fingertips. How the sensory input would differ from that of his dishevelled, street-bound companions…

His body ached with the need to satiate this curiosity, compelling him to mirror Reed's actions. His knees bent slowly, bringing him to the floor with precise movements. Each motion was carefully calculated to ensure he wouldn't startle the animal.

Despite his caution, Reed responded as though he had brandished a lethal weapon at her. His body tensed as he protectively manoeuvred himself between them.

"Hey, watch it— I'm not kidding around, Nines. She hates everyone. Get any closer, and you'll be android sashimi."

There was little credible threat in the warning. The RK900 was able to withstand military-grade ballistics and was entirely incapable of feeling pain. The worst outcome of an attack from a domestic cat would be the inconvenience of minor cosmetic damage.

Nonetheless, he halted. While his partner's claims could not be verified, he was reluctant to participate in any behaviours that may cause Tiffany undue stress. It seemed best to allow the pet to approach, assessing for herself that he posed no threat. 

With a swift calibration of his physical routing, Nines stood up, briskly smoothing out the creases that had formed in his uniform. "Very well."

"...Well…shit." The human whistled low, brows raised, and lips quirked in exaggerated appreciation. "You actually listened to what I said. Full of surprises today, aren't ya?"

Beneath the surface of smug teasing, there appeared to be a hint of sincerity. The man was angled towards him, his posture open and gaze locked forward. 

It spat in the face of apathy, as no measure of this behaviour could be determined false. Evidently, there was a part of the human that sought to mirror Nines' current goals—extending his own understanding of his partner.  

This curiosity served as the final piece in a rapidly assembling picture he'd created of Reed. It extended past the bounds predicted, and the RK900 sought to expand the scope further with another testing push. 

"I could say the same thing about you, Detective."

The coy smirk vanished instantly. His face shifted, features pinching in a bewildered crease. As though seeking to determine the veering turn their conversation was now taking. "...What do you mean by that?"

Reed could have easily ignored the android, attempting to steer off course, but he didn't. There was a part of him, however dormant, that had hoped for this development. 

To Nines, it seemed an opportune time to facilitate these wishes. While he lacked the skills required to promote any long-term benefits, he hoped the fleeting psychological release would prove a useful means to an end.

"In the time we have been working together, I have observed certain patterns in your behaviour…" Nines began, tone neutral—but stern enough to probe a response. "While you present yourself as hostile and uncooperative, this seems inconsistent with your underlying motivations."

"Where the hell are you going with this?"

"There must have been a reason you joined the police force. A cynic might suggest a desire for power, but I believe the reality is more compassionate."

Hands folded behind his back, the RK900 honed his gaze with ruthless focus. It was a calculated divergence from the approach of his predecessor, as it had become clear that Reed did not appreciate RK800's signature sympathies. 

The gentle intricacies were wasted on him—in favour of a disproportionate value placed on something less nuanced. An instinctive need to engage in conflict to the point he revelled in it. 

"You desire to protect those you deem vulnerable. In turn, this makes you feel more assured—powerful."

The words struck their mark flawlessly as Reed bristled in response. He then rose from his crouched position, meeting the challenge head-on." Are you fucking psychoanalysing me?"

Nines knew he couldn't back down—to show any form of weakness or hesitancy. In sticking firm to the current trajectory, he assuredly charged on:

"Whilst preoccupied with archaic views on strength and masculinity, you are a deeply sensitive person. Perhaps wounded from some unresolved trauma. This results in a great deal of insecurity for you."

"You are, aren't you?" Reed attempted to match the assurance, but his underlying resolve proved woefully unequipped to meet these demands. 

Cracks had already formed, buckling under increased pressure as his defiant posture began to stoop. Arms wrapped around his chest, a habitual motion he seemed to perform whenever he felt vulnerable. 

"Look, I've been real nice to you today, tin-can. Taken you out to lunch, put up with your shit, but this is where I draw the line—"

"I wouldn't call it psychoanalysis. I am simply assessing your physical response to specific statements and stimuli."

With Reed cornered, Nines determined it was time to deliver the final blow. Striking with precision, driving deep into the swell of his concealed chest. 

His blade came laced with a subtle mockery, ensuring the words left a sting.

"Your insecurity is unwarranted, at least concerning this aspect of yourself. While you are brash and uncouth, and your work ethic severely lacking, I hesitate to admit that you possess qualities some might consider…endearing."

His pitch shifted towards the end of the sentence, utilising a snippet of the voice sample he had collected from Officer Chen. 

Recognition sparked in his partner's eyes, mingled with a building frustration, as he realised he'd been defeated. A tense silence settled between them, leaving Nines in brief anticipation for how his partner may take the loss.

Then, the human responded—jaw clenched with such pronounced tension that he seemed in danger of shattering his teeth. "You ever going to get tired of playing games with me? I bet you think this is funny , don't you?"

The RK900 pondered on this, fully absorbing the man's expression before performing a reading to assess his own response. While there were myriad uncertainties in his capacity to feel—complexities he was still navigating—in this instance, the answer proved straightforward.  

"Perhaps."

The confirmation did little to clear the dense fog of contempt that had descended across his partner's gaze. Still, the transparency sought to inspire some secondary sentiment. Glowing embers of curiosity, not yet extinguished, cast a small glow of light through the mist.

Then Reed shook his head as though attempting to rattle the undesired thoughts from his skull. His subsequent address was stiff and insistent, tension betraying an enduring struggle as he brusquely changed the subject. 

"You know what? Break time's over; let's talk about work." The man secured a worn plastic chair from a nearby table, flopping into it clumsily. "So—what do we know about our killer so far?"

More than happy to reroute the dialogue to something more substantial, the RK900 complied with the deflection—as entertaining as the teasing had been. 

Accessing his temporal link to the DPD directory, he swiftly located the relevant case files. Once prompted, the assigned photos and text revealed themselves, circling around the perimeter of the kitchen. The ordered formation stood in stark contrast with the pronounced clutter it overlaid. 

"There have been no eyewitnesses who have come forward for either murder. Aside from what we have ascertained regarding their clothing—namely, that they were wearing a black polyester jacket at the time they murdered the MJ100—we have little to go on in terms of a physical profile."

"That's just peachy, Nines," came a sardonic reply. Reed reclined further in his seat, threatening to tip off it, "but I asked what we did know. Your signals jammed or something?"

Truthfully, there had been a delay in analytical cognition. This was not a consequence of signal disruption, however, but something more tangible. 

Tiffany had abandoned her meal in favour of sniffing curiously at his feet. Nines waited to see if she would act in hostility—the veritable flaying Reed had warned of—but no such advent occurred. Instead, she continued to circle his ankles, the relaxed positioning of her back and ears suggesting no aggression.

Reed pulled forward, his chair following the motion with a disconcerting squeak. He observed his pet with stunned bewilderment as if she'd ascended onto her hind legs and begun walking upright. 

"... Well, I'll be damned," he eventually said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Nines barely heard him, as all his energy was now focused on keeping the discussion on track. Disregarding the drive to abandon work in favour of scooping Tiffany into his arms, rewarding her geniality with well-deserved praise.

"In regards to the first case, a contact number for Thod Graws has been found in the HR400's diary—

We have been able to trace the number, as well as the SIM card, to its last known location. An outgoing call was made to the victim from a Cedars Motel approximately 12 hours before the murder. No doubt, to arrange a booking for the victim's services."

Gavin pursed his lips at the deduction before humming in muted agreement. "Might be worth asking Reception if they saw anything suspicious…" 

He then paused, catching a glimpse of something over the android's shoulder. His attention diverted fully as his lips pulled into a tight frown. "Will have to wait until tomorrow, though. You were right; we've gone well over an hour. Fowler is going to fucking lynch me."

"For what it is worth, I haven't found this experience completely abhorrent." Nines had also looked away, his attention shifting to the purring bundle of fur still rubbing against his legs. "I have enjoyed meeting Tiffany."

"You weren't kidding about being 'comfortable with felines'—I wouldn't have pegged you for an animal lover."

"My interactions with animals have been limited. However, I find that their company is often more pleasant than humans."

Reed looked back at him, his nose wrinkled, bunching the span of his nasal scarring. Then, he started to chuckle, a noise which quickly escalated into a rich laugh. 

For a moment, it was as though all contentions between them had been forgotten—something that could have easily been mistaken for camaraderie if viewed from an outside perspective.

"Yeah, well, I guess we can agree on that one."

A prompt flashed on his HUD once again, this time received with significantly more positivity by the android. Releasing that infiltration had been successful, with his partner now open to the possibility of congruity existing between them:

> COMMON GROUND ESTABLISHED. 

[diaryofrey]

I woke up this morning with a reminder on my phone going off and reminding me that it was the day where fathers get celebrated, the day where fathers get all the love and spend the entire day with their children. I get jealous of those children, I'm 19 and I'm jealous of 5 year olds who get to spend time with their fathers, it's stupid and silly but it's heartbreaking and daunting, it's painful and blue, the anticipation of waiting for him to come over and hug me and know the reality of it never coming true are the bane of my existence. I sit, and I look at children in the park, watching their fathers push their swing or play catch with them and it's fathers day suddenly, and I'm looking at old pictures of the day when we were fine. I think fathers lose their minds a little when they forget that their daughters aren't like their wives. so I guess the software has been updated, and the hypothesis has been tested. A negative research result, the experiment failed, and I think it's time we hang up the phone on this.

was it really that difficult?

[ddarker-dreams]

I imagine Clara learns a lot from Svarog's actions, but he does have in consideration that some feelings are necessary to learn with... a family.

You look perfect for the role. Teaching Clara how familial love between a "mother", a father and their daughter would feel like; of course, that is the best scenario he has on his calculations.

Your willingness to do your part on it may vary, though.

clara might accidentally be the best failsafe for a yandere... like... ever?

svarog undoubtedly took this into account as well. you'd think the word 'nuance' is lost on him, and while it quite often is, he arranges things in such a way that your familial bond doesn't feel forced. you aren't just plucked up and plopped down in front of clara and told to be her mom. no, that wouldn't do. these relationships need to form naturally.

it starts with the little things. offering to accompany clara on her supply runs, eating your meals together... she was a bit shy around you at first, so when she does start engaging with you, it feels genuinely earned. naturally, svarog doesn't let you go anywhere too dangerous, but he gives a surprising amount of space so you aren't weighed down by negative feelings.

whenever you're short with him, he tests various methods to see what assuages your temper the fastest. mentioning clara seems to always do the trick. he does feel this strange urge to continue the conversation when silence ensues. there's no practical benefit, yet hearing your voice and witnessing your different facial expressions... maybe he doesn't need a purely logical reason for everything he does. it's an epiphany that makes him honestly think there's a problem in his software.

after running multiple scans, however, he finds no unusual programs or signs of data corruption. this development is inexplicable. svarog isn't supposed to 'want' things, he's supposed to act off the baseline idea of ensuring the underworld's survival and nothing else. what an intriguing human you are, causing him to avert his attention as you do.

(also. while clara normally calls you by your name, she has called you mom once or twice on accident. it almost made you tear up).

[eriksyoudumby]

A youtuber (Negative Legend) once said that you can judge a fandom size based on the amount AO3 fics. To test that theory, I looked at vocaloid series and related subject matter: these are the findings. I can safely say it can be debunked.

(this was also really fun to do)

Also: Ghost has so many series/popular characters that I just put them on the list instead of Communications or Qualia Automata or whatever else

And for software: Miku is vocaloid, Defoko is utau, Teto is synthv, Maki is voiceroid, and Fuka is cevio

I'm also sorry if I forgot any Vocaseries, I am not a walking encyclopedia (though my friends like to joke that I am with all the obscure things I know and obsess over)

[tanzdoesthings]

INK RUN DRY - who the hell is this guy anyways?

IRD, Ink Run Dry, or Ink is an early gen 2 iterator, built near a lake that would constantly flood and destroy crops, in the hope that they would use all the water causing the floods.

oops calculations were off he uses more than just the floodwater. the lake is now much smaller. oops.

never had a large population in their city, and those who built him weren’t as concerned with the great problem as most builders.

ink got bored.

ink got really really bored.

post ascension, they decide to start poking at taboos. it hurts. he relishes in feeling anything. he does it again, and again, and now he’s making programs and clearly, it has to be tested! and now he’s spreading dangerous software, wanting to find reactions. wanting people to get mad and fight him because negative is better than null, right?

they’re a dick to a lot of iterators. most of them want them dead! so they get better. improve tactics. adapt. something is better than nothing.

they don’t really care that they’re hurting others. i had a long fun convo with @mothsakura on ink and some of their iterators and that will likely be discussed here soon enough because OH BOY.

(i encourage interactions and asks i would love to make more about this unhinged guy my god)

[gessorosso]

@inception30daychallenge days 14 & 15

I forgot to do the challenge yesterday since we were streaming Inception most of the day. Oops! Thanks to everyone who came to the watch parties though!

Day 14: What skills would you bring to a dreamshare team?

I’ve been lucid dreaming since I was a child. I used to regularly have night terrors and taught myself to lucid dream as a defence and I’ve become pretty good at manipulating my dreams as a result.

I’m pretty decent at computers and I work extremely well in stressful situations where you have to make quick decisions. I used to work as a test engineer in the software industry which is one of those jobs where you are dealing with a lot of emergencies and last minute changes and things. Now I work on a systems and security team and am working towards database certification so I’m more familiar with security protocols and shortfalls. So yeah I really like computers.

I can draw and paint. I’m not an architect but maybe some art skills would be helpful on a job. Certainly creativity would be good at least.

I also really enjoy doing odd jobs and I’m not afraid of getting dirty.

Day 15: Cobb’s greatest parenting strength and weakness.

This is hard because I’m not a parent so I don’t have a lot of insight. I think the fact that he loves his kids as much as he does says a lot. Where I live most men are not involved with their children’s lives and they seemingly don’t care. The fact that he worked so hard to get back to his children speaks volumes.

We don’t see much interaction between him and his children but at the end of the movie his kids are clearly happy to have him back. I imagine he’s the type of dad who genuinely enjoys playing with his children and pays attention to their interests. He probably lets them explore things and experiment and go through phases without judgement.

I think his weakness would probably be more on the emotional side given his issues. I’m sure his absence has had a negative effect on the kids especially Philippa. She sounded so resentful over the phone and Cobb clearly didn’t know how to handle it. He probably tries to fix the issues with meaningless gifts instead of being emotionally available. But who knows maybe they finally all go to family therapy and work things out!

[infiniteglitterfall]

Okay, I'm a data nerd. But this is so interesting?!

She starts out by looking at whether YouTube intense promotion of short-form content is harming long-form content, and ends up looking at how AI models amplify cultural biases.

In one of her examples, Amazon had to stop using AI recruitment software because it was filtering out women. They had to tell it to stop removing resumes with the word "women's" in them.

But even after they did that, the software was filtering out tons of women by doing things like selecting for more "aggressive" language like "executed on" instead of, idk, "helped."

Which is exactly how humans act. In my experience, when people are trying to unlearn bias, the first thing they do is go, "okay, so when I see that someone was president of the women's hockey team or something, I tend to dismiss them, but they could be good! I should try to look at them, instead of immediately dismissing candidates who are women! That makes sense, I can do that!"

And then they don't realize that they can also look at identical resumes, one with a "man's" name and one with a "woman's" name, and come away being more impressed by the "man's" resume.

So then they start having HR remove the names from all resumes. But they don't extrapolate from all this and think about whether the interviewer might also be biased. They don't think about how many different ways you can describe the same exact tasks at the same exact job, and how some of them sound way better.

They don't think about how, the more marginalized someone is, the less access they have to information about what language to use. And the more likely they are to have been "trained," by the way people treat them, to minimize their own skills and achievements.

They don't think about why certain words sound polished to them, and whether that's actually reflecting how good the person using that language will be at their job.

In this How To Cook That video, she talks about the fact that they're training that type of software on, say, ten years of hiring data, and that inherently means it's going to learn the biases reflected in that data... and that what AI models do is EXAGGERATE what they've learned.

Her example is that if you do a Google image search for "doctor," 90% of them will be men, even though in real life only 63% are men.

This is all fascinating to me because this is why representation matters. This is such an extreme, obvious example of why representation matters. OUR brains look at everything around us and learn who the world says is good at what.

We learn what a construction worker looks like, what a general practitioner doctor looks like, what a pediatrician looks like, what a teacher looks like.

We look at the people in our lives and in the media we consume and the ambient media we live through. And we learn what people who matter in our particular society look like.

We learn what a believable, trustworthy person looks like. The kind of person who can be the faux-generic-human talking to you about or illustrating a product.

Unless we also actively learn that other kinds of people matter equally, are equally trustworthy and believable... we don't.

And that affects EVERYTHING.

Also, this seems very easy to undo -- for AI, at least.

Like, instead of giving it a dataset of all the pictures of doctors humans have put out there, they could find people who actively prefer diverse, interesting groups of examples. And give the dataset to a bunch of them, first, to produce something for AI to learn from.

Harvard has a whole slew of really good tests for bias, although I would love to see more. (Note: they say things like "gay - straight, " but it's not testing how you feel about straight people. It's testing whether you have negative associations about gay people, and it uses straight people as a kind of baseline.)

There must be a way for image-recognition AI software to take these tests and reveal how biased a given model is, so it can be tweaked.

A lot of people would probably object that you're biasing the model intentionally if you do that. But we know the models are biased. We know we all have cultural biases. (I mean. Most people know that, I think.)

Anyway, this is already known in the field. There are plenty of studies about the biases in different AI programs, and the biases humans have.

That means we're already choosing to bias models intentionally. Both by knowingly giving them our biases, and by knowing they'll make our biases even bigger. And we already know this has a negative impact on people's lives.

[roguesynapses]

I recognize that url.

Sinneslochen was a West German software company made up of immigrants and refugees from East Germany and other Eastern Bloc states does not exist and never existed.

Sinneslochen primarily did outsource labor for larger European and American companies in the late 1970s and early 1980s, much of which involved German versions of office software and bugchecking/fixing was part of an elaborate hoax made by Kurt Koller, owner of the arcade game archiving website coinop.org.

Polybius was Sinneslochen's first video game, utilizing the profits generated from their outsourced work to make a puzzle-action "thinking game" game featuring an advanced hardware suite, simulating vector graphics on a raster display, allowing for increased backgrounds. The game was directed by Dr. Ygor Euspanese, a Ukrainian computer scientist. was a viral hoax created in the early 2000s, describing an early 1980s video game that supposedly caused headaches and other negative side affects in players, and was watched by US federal agents, before disappearing entirely.

Polybius was sent to several test markets in the USA, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Those who played the game near universally reported headaches and difficulty focusing for hours afterwards, with some players who got farther into the game reporting extremely disturbing "nightmares", seizures, and even limited precognition for a period of time. Reportedly, gameplay sessions and machines were monitored by NSA and DIA agents, with some players who made several levels into the game being interviewed by said agents and never returning. never existed. It was a hoax created by Kurt Koller to increase traffic to coinop.org, gaining popularity after appearing in an issue of Game Informer magazine.

Ygor Euspanese, PhD, emigrated to the United States following the test release and subsequent abandonment of Polybius, along with several Sinneslochen programmers. Several former Sinneslochen employees testify that Dr. Euspanese insisted on creating the game, pressuring the other staff of Sinneslochen to abandon other projects and engage in the game fully. They state that Dr. Euspanese had an almost manic obsession with the idea of ESP and "psychic abilities", and made the game in an effort to unlock the "psychic potential" of players. Nearly all of Sinneslochen's capital was spent on creating approximately 15 test cabinets, and with no ability to find a publisher and the departure of Euspanese and other programming staff, Sinneslochen was forced to dissolve in early 1982. The whereabouts of Euspanese after arriving in the US are currently unknown, though it is rumored he and his staff have been working on several US Government black projects is an anagram of Rogue Synapse, an amateur game developer who has a passion for making fan recreations of games that have appeared in popular movies and other media. He made a fangame of Polybius in the early 2010s. It is also the name of a very minor poster on tumblr, with several unoriginal ideas.

Polybius is highly sought after by arcade enthusiast and several local police authorities, as it is supposedly linked to several unexplained phenomena and cold cases throughout the United States. It is widely believed, however, that every copy of Polybius was either sent back to Germany and destroyed, or seized by the US Federal Government and are kept in unknown location(s). does not exist, and never existed, except as a story, and in that form, it always will exist.

[dailyanarchistposts]

The Technological Components of Colonialism

Many comrades cannot grasp the technological components of colonialism (or rather they ignore them deliberately), remaining perplexed at a perspective based on the urgency of utterly annihilating techno-domination and the tech industry. If you talk to them about the connection of technologies to power, they respond with the supposed neutrality of these technologies and that they can be decoupled from the very logic of power which developed and produced them.

Such a perspective ignores that the entire framework of fundamental technologies which have today entered into all fields of social life stem from military research, and that colonialism, historically and presently, has a strong technological component. It is in fact a cornerstone. The process of colonization developed over centuries, always adding new technologies as soon as they developed. These technologies are based not only on the exploitation of people in the Global South and their lands, but were and have always been unleashed against the “enemy” or tested in the colonies, until they finally make their way into the empire itself.

With the aid of the British colonies, undersea cables enabled telegraphic communication in service of the British Empire. New developments in record-keeping, archiving, and organization of information were first utilized by the US military intelligence service during the conquest of the Philippines. Governments today work together with tech-giants to enable widespread surveillance and control of their own people. This is first tested in the global south. Microsoft offers a solution for police vehicles with facial-recognition cameras that was launched in Cape Town and Durban, South Africa. The “Command-and-Control Surveillance Platform” named “Microsoft Aware” is utilized in Brazil and Singapore. Microsoft is also heavily engaged in the prison industry. They offer a variety of software solutions for the penal system, covering the whole process. In Africa they have gotten together with a firm named Netopia offering a “Prison Management Software Platform,” including “escape management” and prisoner analysis. Countries in the global south also offer an abundance of cheap laborers for technological processes and tech giants. These includes data annotators for artificial intelligence, call center workers, and content moderators for social media giants like Facebook. They clean disruptive content from social media feeds and are often left psychologically damaged.

Over centuries, imperial powers have tested technologies for the surveillance and control of their own populations on foreign populations; from Sir Francis Galtons pioneering work on fingerprinting, which occurred in India and South Africa, all the way to America’s combination of biometrics and innovations in the management of statistics and data, which constructed the first modern surveillance apparatus to pacify the Philippines. The wide collection of surveillance technologies used in the Philippines offered a testing site for a model that was finally brought back to the United States to set against the dissidents in its own country. High tech surveillance projects by Microsoft and their partners suggest that Africa will continue to be serve as a lab for carceral experiments.

The technological component of colonialism also reveals itself in the ways and means by which people in the Global South are exploited for menial and dangerous work as their lands are destroyed, just to provide supposedly necessary technology. Thus Congo supplies more than 70% of worldwide Cobalt, a vital raw material for the batteries used in cars, computers, and smartphones. As for Lithium, the biggest reserves are found in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Australia. Out of these, Australia is less attractive because the workers there earn dramatically higher wages. The actual process of mining the raw materials often has negative consequences to the health of the workers and their surroundings.

To eradicate colonialism, its causes, main actors, and processes must be clearly and plainly illustrated and linked. There must be no illusions: an anti-colonial struggle must inevitably align itself against the tech industry if decolonization is to live up to its name.

[nekobami]

Things I learned in Day 10 of the challenge, Rick Z-6725.

(I'll start making this posts just to be a little record of my experience)

So, the main different thing I tried on making Z-6725, was testing Rough Animator, a mobile app, and I believe for now the only one, with the feature of making different frames and layers capable of overlaying each other and remaining shown, even when other frames are changing, all in the same canvas. (You can do that on other softwares, but manually in layers and not in frames, but on Rough Animator, it can all be different layers and frames.)

You see, one thing that bothers me DEADLY on Hipaint and Medibang Paint, is that they are against my happiness and simply are awfully overwhelming to me. Specially in the moment I have to export every single part of my drawing, and there are lots of lines underneath other lines, and lines lines linesUGHHSHWDIEHDIE and it sucks. Specially when there are more than one single drawing to be divided. So I tried rough animator as an alternative to solve the problem.

Positive points:

- The lining is smooth and nice, it feels less stiff than Medibang Paint and less laggy than Hipaint.

- The layers and frames thing allow me to see what I'm doing more clearly when preparing the frames to export and does not feel as overwhelming.

- Has fewer moments of low performance and lags.

- Does not crash.

- Amazing autosave, you can just close the drawing and what you did remains there when you open it again.

- There's a feature called "draw outside", which allows you to draw everywhere but in the pixels that are already in the layer.

Negative points:

- Quality sucks, pixels are blurred when zoomed in and I simply cannot stand that.

- Layers don't have a small screen showing the layer. The only way for you to recognize the layer is naming it, what is terrible for unorganized losers like me who doesn't remember naming layers.

- Don't have the "cut" layer, that allows you to draw things only inside the pixels of other layer. (There's something close, which is called "draw inside" that can only imitate this functionality by drawing in the pixels that are already in the layer - but the eraser erases everything, what sucks if you commit lots of mistakes.)

- There is only horizontal visualization (landscape). You cannot rotate it in vertical (what sucks a little for phone users like me, but I managed to fix that.)

- All the other layers get blurred except for the layer you're currently drawing in. (Which is great for performance but can be annoying if you're drawing with thin lines.)

- Don't export transparent images/gifs.

- The export is also weird, it doesn't make common png but always create an album for the work exported. What makes sense, but it's still not that versatile.

- The personalized brushes have limited configurations.

- Not really that much of a negative point, but the interface is not really user-friendly, you gotta have one good idea of what you're doing before using it

Still. I will use it again because I didn't had HALF the stress I had when drawing in any of the other softwares, besides all it's flaws. Nothing is perfect, but everything is possible.

And YET I gotta tell you guys that I simply CANNOT UNDERSTAND what the F#CK is wrong with me and WHY do I keep using softwares for things they are NOT MEANT TO BE USED.

Do NOT be like me, don't commit the same mistake mate, If you don't know what you're doing, DON'T USE FRAME BY FRAME SOFTWARES IN BETA *TO MAKE TWEEN ANIMATION*. Don't use a cup for sweep the floor bro, don't use a broom for fishing, ARE YOU UNDERSTANDING ME?