#slightly Data vibes though?

[mostly-natm]

Run down the list of COVID-19 vaccine side effects, and I’ve got them all, baby. 😎💛✨

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for Jan behind the cut; "Superboys Switch". (( chrono || non-chrono ))

Maybe even the same age, he thinks, and then forces himself not to think about it.

( they’re less than a day old, and they look THIS old. how many years is that? how much of a childhood did they lose? how much– )

Jon forces himself not to think about it.

“I really don’t think not committing murder is being a stick in the mud,” he says, and the kid snorts and then floats up a couple feet into the air, half-tucking their feet under themself as they do. Jon–frowns, for a second. That looks . . . something about how they’re flying looks a little off, for some reason. Like–different from how it looks when Dad and Aunt Kara do it, and different from how it feels when he does it. 

Then again, the kid’s two seconds into flying, so it’s kind of ridiculous of him to assume they’d do it exactly right straight off the bat. 

“Being a stick in the mud is just, like, a vibe, dude,” the kid informs him matter-of-factly, then floats over towards Jay and peers over his shoulder at the screen, then immediately looks bored by whatever’s on it and looks around the lab instead. They still sound nothing like Jon would expect someone made in a lab to sound, and his gut twists a little. 

But also, whatever’s on that screen already made Damian suggest committing multiple murders, and the kid just looks bored about it, one way or the other, so . . . 

So Jon doesn’t know how he feels about that, exactly. A kid who doesn’t sound like they came from a lab and doesn’t act like they came from a lab, but also doesn’t seem even slightly concerned by whatever made Damian seriously consider committing murder again and did not make Jay dissuade him from said consideration. 

It definitely makes him want to get said kid the hell out of this miserable excuse for a basement, though. 

“Just–you guys figure out the theoretical arson, I’ll figure out what to do about the staff, alright?” he says, sighing again. He can probably toss them all in a transport vehicle or two and then just carry those straight to the police while Damian and Jay watch the kid, he figures. Which isn’t great for a “you should send these people to jail” thing, admittedly, so maybe he should actually call the League and see who’s available to help Jay strip the data for damning evidence while removing any damning DNA or anything like that. Or, like, whatever they need right now. 

“I still consider what to do about the staff a fairly simple equation,” Damian mutters under his breath as the kid turns upside-down in the air behind him and peers at the heavy hood of his cape and the sword slung across his back. It’s a sakabato–a reverse blade katana, he means–and the reason that Jon is under pain of kryptonite not allowed to tell Batman anything about anime, like . . . literally ever. It just looks like a normal katana visually, though, especially when it’s sheathed, so he’s not sure why the kid looks so puzzled about– 

“Why’s your sword sharpened on the wrong side?” the kid asks, frowning in bemusement, and Damian pauses. 

Jon pauses, because Damian’s sakabato sheath is lead-lined. Mostly so he has a quick supply of lead in emergencies these days and less because he doesn’t want Jon to know what’s in it, but it’s definitely still lead-lined. There’s no way the kid could’ve seen through it, so how . . . ? 

“It allows the weapon to be used nonlethally,” Damian replies, watching the kid with a neutral expression that screams “suspicion” on a Bat. “As well as making the decision to slay a foe a more deliberate choice, as the weapon must be wielded backwards to cut.” 

“Doesn’t that mean the sharp side’s always pointing towards you?” the kid says, wrinkling their nose. “And like, isn’t it way harder using it backwards, if you gotta?” 

“Yes,” Damian says. “That is the point. The weapon is a handicap meant to keep me from inflicting a mortal wound any way but deliberately, and also to make that wound harder to inflict even once I choose to.” 

“. . . that is so badass, oh my god,” the kid mutters under their breath. 

Jon is still concerned about how the kid found out about Damian’s sword being a sakabato, since if Cadmus had told him he’d think they’d have at least had theories for why it was a thing, but also is now significantly less optimistic about his chances of ending up the kid’s favorite. 

Yeah, he should’ve absolutely told Batman about anime when he was still young enough to get away with it being an “accidental” slip of the tongue and embarrassed Damian out of ever using the damn thing in the field. Like, ever.

[honeytonedhottie]

HONEYS IT GIRL MAGAZINE february edition⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🎀

this is a new thing im doing on my blog that i think you'd all like very much called honeys magazine/catalog. basically like a monthly inside scoop on data that i've collected, things i've learned/started doing, and just general info like that organized in kind of a teen-magazine inspired fashion. a magazine for it girls ✨

i've had so much fun putting together the february catalog and i'd love to hear feedback of things that you'd like to see in the next edition. and now, please enjoy the it girl magazine ✨

FEBRUARY FASHION ;

february is full of silks and lace. feminine muted colors like beiges, whites, and pinks. this february i've rly been into tweed dresses. accessories that i've been loving this february include pearls, stockings, and ribbons.

a lot of the clothes that i've been eyeing are things that are more light in fabric and in color. such as cute camisoles with lace trim and i've rly been into the chic look this february as i've mentioned before.

when it comes to jewelry and accessories i always love to layer and be excessive and even though during february i've been obsessed with the chic look, i always add lots of accessories. if not something huge like bracelets or necklaces, i'll be excessive with rings or something smaller.

in general HYPERFEMININE and super cute and girly clothes have been my favorite thing in february especially cuz of valentines day. the theme is soft-wear. shimmery, sheer, and showered in flowers.

cute earrings (preferably the smaller ones) like studs, pearls, or cute spherical earrings

hair clips and barrettes

bangles

tweed dresses

pearl necklaces

remember those dress up games you may have used to play when u were little? when dressing this february, thats what inspired my february fashion. fluffy lashes, cutesy accessories and heels.

i read up a lot on CHANEL bcuz i think that her brand embodies the chic look perfectly and here are some fashion tips from coco chanel (this is my source)

look for the woman in the dress, if there is no woman then there is no dress - basically means dont let your clothes wear you

it is always better to be slightly underdressed - coco's understanding of chic was subtle glamor and lush fabrics

fashion changes but style endures - some clothes are timeless like a little black dress (aubrey hepburn) a quality handbag and a crisp white shirt

WHAT IM LISTENING TO LATELY ;

my favorite album of this month is kali uchis's orquídeas. i absolutely adore her music, energy and vibe. and the whole album is just MWAH. my favorite songs from the album are ;

te mata

igual que un ángel

perdiste

another album that i've been obsessed with this past month is the twicetagram album from twice. i just love the energy in the songs. my favorite songs from that album are LOOK AT ME and LOVELINE. and lastly, just songs that i've enjoyed listening to this february ;

yes, and? - ariana grande

never lose me - flo milli

wonderboy - GWSN

scenery - red velvet

angels in tibet - amaarae

FOR THE BLOG ;

since its going to be march and were kinda transitioning from the winter season -> spring, you can expect to see lots of spring related content from me. another thing that i rly wanna set up for my blog is membership if thats something that u guys'd be interested in.

and also after doing the valentines day challenge, i had so much fun with it and i kinda wanna do more challenges. so if i end up setting up membership i think services like those would be provided.

lastly, since im an advocate for not over consuming the law, i won't be answering inbox questions about the law so that then u guys can focus ENTIRELY on ur manifestations and not over complicate it bcuz the law is easy and you already know how to do it + if u have any general questions i've answered plenty of questions about the law in my blog ANYWAYS. the reason im doing this is so that then you can focus on your manifestations 🫶🏽 and i hope that you guys find it helpful.

HONEYS BEAUTY CORNER TOPIC - HYDRATION ;

when your skin is hydrated, you GLOW on such a deeper level and i absolutely love looking and feeling like a little dew drop so here's some hydration beauty tips

vasline is an occlusive, that simply means that the moisturizing ingredients that create a physical barrier on the skin to prevent transepidermal water loss and lock in hydration. after brushing ur lips to exfoliate, u can just go in and put some vaseline on ur lips and your lips will be HYDRATED.

using a body oil + a body lotion has taken my hydration game to new HEIGHTS. the key to this is to make sure the scents match or have similar notes at least, and moisturize DAMP skin so that then it can absorb better. walk around with a hand lotion, and lip moisturizer ALWAYS.

the key to a dewey makeup look is having a good base. its all about preparing the skin before u put the makeup on. use a good creamy moisturizer and use a glowy spf and then use a good primer.

FOR THE WELLNESS GIRLIES ;

hormone balancing tea blend that i tried and loved ; raspberry leaf tea with spearmint and dandelion root tea. i drink mine with honey a couple days before and during my period and my cramps have been so minimal and my hormones have been so balanced.

hydration ; to follow the trend of the beauty section lets talk hydration. the optimal amount of water to drink is 2.7 liters a day. if u wanna up your hydration game, use some liquid iv or another hydrating powder so that then u can get the most out of ur water. if u dont have anything like that, adding a pinch of salt into your water can also help to improve hydration.

frequencies and vibes ; i've been interested in frequencies lately, simply bcuz i think that they're so interesting. i'll go deeper into frequencies in the next section. but here are some frequencies to listen to for wellness ;

174 hz - reduces physical and energetic pain

285 hz - heals tissues and rejuvenates

432 hz - restores well being and releases emotional blockages

528 hz - love frequency, induces inner peace and repairs DNA

supplements that are geared towards beauty ; find a specific hair, skin and nails supplement or vitamin that includes a blend of powerful antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. some examples of this are ;

fish oil (omega 3 and fatty acids) helps to protect skin against inflammation

collagen (for skin hair and nails) promotes healthy dewy and glowing skin

turmeric (anti inflammatory effects)

PROBIOTICS

RANDOM THINGS I LEARNED ;

something thats caught my interest this month is sound healing. the power of sound is truly amazing, and i was curious specifically about frequencies. sound healing has been around for years by yogis for thousands of years. nowadays sound healing is practiced with something called sound baths.

a sound bath is a deeply relaxing experience where the listener lies down on a mat or blanket, with as many cushions or props as they need to feel comfortable, and is then ‘bathed’ in the sound vibrations. benefits of sound baths include ;

reduced stress, pain and anxiety

better sleep

lower blood pressure

fewer mood swings

balanced hormones

healing through sounds was practiced by ancient egyptians, greeks and chinese physicians, who also used sound healing in their practices to promote digestion, sleep, and emotional disturbances.

if learning a bit about sound healing interested you and you wanna learn a bit more about it, this is the source i used for this section.

FUN QUIZZES, VIDEO ESSAYS, RECIPES AND GAMES ;

valentines day aesthetic quiz - buzzfeed - i got daughter of aphrodite

consideration is the highest form of love - manifestelle - food for thought

good boyfriend quiz - seventeen

which romantic music type am i - buzzfeed - i got r&b enthusiast

valentines day cupcakes recipe ;

1 1/2 cup of flour

1 cup of butter milk

1/3 cups of oil

4 large eggs

mix it all together and add it into a lined cupcake tin, bake at 350° for 15 minutes. for the frosting...

1 cup of softened butter

6 cups of powdered sugar

1 tsp of strawberry extract

4 tbs of milk

CRUSH STORIES ;

SUBMISSION ONE : ANON : 💝

idk if this counts 😭 but my crush is an older guy (dw it's very legal) and he's so sweet, I manifested him liking me using your help!!! We're not together yet but he's been talking to me for literally hours a day, and just offered to buy me A NEW LAPTOP aaaah I'm crying. Ily honey your perfect

HBDSJHDJ YAYY. i wish u guys all the happiness and i hope u enjoy ur new laptop ✨

SUBMISSION TWO : ANON : 💝

technically not a crush but my ex boyfriend cheated on me (i broke up w him very quickly after) w my best friend and got her pregnant. he tried to make amends with me but I turned him down. i think i dodged a bullet there thank god 🫢

OH 💀. you def dodged a bullet, they went behind ur back and then got pregnant... 😭

thats all for this months catalog, there will be a new edition each month with new content and it'll be updated on a monthly basis so if thats something that interests you or if you like these kinds of posts pls let me know, till next month girlies✨

[thahxa]

lots of people want there to be some secret economic indicator that "the economy is actually doing much worse than you think!" but it turns out basically all economic indicators correlate with one another because fundamentally the economy is either doing good or bad! that's why we have those indicators!

i'm slightly more open to ideas (for example) around how CPI is calculated assuming middle-class weights and that if you weigh (say) rent and groceries more you'll get a different picture, but without significant (good) data around this this feels like another vibes-based indicator as well!

ofc there's the concept of "anti-core" inflation, but fundamentally what that resolves to is formalizing the concept of "well these are the things (gas, groceries, etc.) that people seem to feel the most, even though they don't actually spend that much money on them" which makes it a bad actual economic indicator, because after all, while it reflects perceptions of reality, the map of the map is not the territory!

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Nate Silver at Silver Bulletin:

Last night, as President Trump delivered his State of the Union address1, the Wall Street Journal reported that ABC News would lay off the remaining staff at 538 as part of broader cuts within corporate parent Disney. Having been through several rounds of this before, including two years ago when the staff was cut by more than half and my tenure expired too2, I know it’s a brutal process for everyone involved. It’s also tough being in a business while having a constant anvil over your head, as we had in pretty much every odd-numbered (non-election) year from 2017 onward at 538/FiveThirtyEight.3 I don’t know all of the staffers from the most recent iteration of the site, but the ones I have met or who I overlapped with are all extremely conscientious and hard-working people and were often forced to work double-duty as jobs were cut but frequently not replaced. My heart goes out to them, and I’m happy to provide recommendations for people I worked with there. Beyond that, I wasn’t inclined to say too much more, but it felt weirder not to say anything at all. And it’s easier to say something here than filter it through a reporter or something. For more extended thoughts on the environment at Disney — plus plenty of self-reflection/self-criticism — you can see the item at the bottom of SBSQ #12.4 But the basic issue is that Disney was never particularly interested in running FiveThirtyEight as a business, even though I think it could have been a good business. Although they were generous in maintaining the site for so long and almost never interfered in our editorial process, the sort of muscle memory a media property builds early in its tenure tends to stick. We had an incredibly talented editorial staff, but we never had enough “product” people or strategy people to help the business grow and sustain itself. It’s always an uphill battle under those conditions, particularly when it comes to recruiting and retaining staff, who were constantly being poached by outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post.

“Data journalism” has a bad name but a bright future

It also doesn’t quite feel like the end, exactly. “Data journalism” may have been a dumb name for what we were doing — that one’s on me — and Fivey Fox aside, the FiveThirtyEight brand was never warm and cuddly. But it always found a huge audience, and coverage of polls and political data is now much smarter. Compare the extremely analytical polling deep dives that Nate Cohn is doing at the New York Times, for instance, to the vibes-based coverage of the Boys on the Bus era. That trend may get even more entrenched as former 538ers form a diaspora that filters out to the rest of the media.

Also, I’d like to think we’re carrying a piece of the FiveThirtyEight torch here at Silver Bulletin. So, just two more quick beats. One about our near-term plans here — in slightly awkward timing, we’re launching our Trump approval ratings dashboard tomorrow. But first, a shout-out to one of the extremely valuable functions that FiveThirtyEight provided. Collecting and maintaining a database of public polls is a lot of work, requiring diligence, meticulousness, and dealing with constant complaints about edge cases from readers and pollsters. But it’s also a public service. Polling has its challenges, but I believe it’s vital in a democracy. People only get to vote every two to four years — if they’re lucky enough to live in a state where their vote even matters. While being too “poll-driven” has pitfalls, the alternative isn’t necessarily enlightened governance. Rather, left to their own devices, elected officials are often inclined to follow some combination of (i) narrow self-interest, (ii) the loudest voices in the room, and (iii) elite opinion, which often doesn’t match broader public opinion. FiveThirtyEight had long made its data publicly available through APIs and other tools. At Silver Bulletin, I hope we’re upholding that tradition too — although admittedly with a twist. For instance, not only are our pollster ratings (which apply the methodology I originally developed for FiveThirtyEight5) publicly available, but so is the underlying database of more than 12,000 polls that populates them. And for our presidential election forecast last year, our polling averages were free for everyone — though, here’s the twist, of course — the probabilities that the model spat out were paywalled. Even so, there were literally dozens of data visualizations and downloadable files just beyond that paywall — we’re not giving away the cow (the model code), but you’re getting basically everything else.

Nate Silver, the creator behind FiveThirtyEight, touches on ABC News’s shutting down of the venerable data site on the same night as 47’s address to the nation. Seeing a poll aggregator like 538 going away is sad in many ways (just like HuffPost eliminating Pollster).

[katyahina]

Dark Souls 1 faces references Part 1: Oscar, Ricard, Solaire,

Heyyyy Dark Souls artists (all five of you who still use this website fdshfhd), I have great news for you! The curse of Dark Souls 1 (being horrendously undocumented in terms of NPC references) is over!!!

Long story short, I've seen a screenshot of Ciaran that made me question whether she actually had face data in versions of the DLC before Remastered. That started a long chain of me asking literally every person online that I could think of, with no one responding except for single Redditor redirecting me to modding community for Soulsborne, and there, out of waaaaay too many people, finally, someone was kind enough to help me out!

Their only contacts I have for reference are rayanwasalsotaken on Discord and RayanTheMad on Twitter! Yet I've only learned Rayan had a Twitter AFTER posting the screenshot dumps there, so.... 🤡 yeah that was frustrating. Twitter allow editting posts already!! They told me to be free to share the screenshots they gathered online instead of them (they said it was jarring for them to go spread images across social media and wikis. fair and valid.)! Posts will be in several parts as there are several angle shots and sometimes some explaining to do!

Oscar

Okay so, apparently, the boy does not have blue eyes! You know who does (kinda) have? RICARD!

Ricard

Well, actually not even blue, but a more dark shade of greyish green!

Nonetheless, it could be assumed blue from afar! ! And, fun fact! Whereas they look very similar, they are NOT identical!

Aside of having different eye color and Ricard's hair being more saturated (more yellow), they do have different eye shape too; Ricard's is more downturned! Ricard also has a slightly bigger nose! I guess even with limitations of NPC data of Dark Souls 1, they did try to point out the differences in vibe!

Solaire

Nothing new to see here, his screenshots are actually viral, unlike others, but here have a look anyway x) Interestingly enough, his face data changes the hairstyle in the bad ending of his questline; whereas Rayan didn't take screenshot of just that change specifically, it actually IS documented and confirmed!

(This screenshot is from different source: ( x )) I just think it is really good to know that even back in Dark Souls 1, developers bothered to add the lore appropriate changes that are not even possible to observe without datamining dhfhdsdf

Anastacia

Interestingly enough, while Anastacia uses unique model rather than player NPC base one, the data for NPC still exists in the game's files, apparently!

It is actually very convenient to have it, because her unique model does NOT have eyes texture:

At the same time, you can see that this 'unique model' appears to reuse assets from NPC data, as the model for hair is identical, and her face even has the same issue of eyebrows always being that brown color when they aren't grey. I wonder if NPC model lacked functionality intended (like NPC models weren't created to have this pose and animation), so they copy+pasted it mostly on unique asset?

Even with that, I suppose her hair is canonically more "yellow", and her player model is the only reference for her eye color.

Color of Estus Flask (the flask itself, not liquid inside of it!), appropriately enough!

Additionally, the hairbun is definitely something they've settled with even in her concept, so I suppose she holds "priority" for this hairstyle! RIP the braid though

____________________________________

Part 1: Oscar, Ricard, Solaire, Anastacia (you are here)

Part 2: Reah, Petrus, Vince, Nico, Leeroy

Part 3: Pharis/Evlana, Americus, Forest Hunter (Cleric), Beatrice, Dusk

Part 4: Shiva, Shiva's Bodyguard, Forest Hunter (Sorcerer), Forest Hunter (Thief), Forest Hunter (Bandit)

Part 5: Quelana, Jeremiah, Grana, Cut Content Character, Domhnall

Part 6: Darkmoon Knightess, Lautrec, Lautrec's Helper (Sealer), Lautrec's Helper (Warrior)

Part 7: Ingward, Kirk, Oswald, Havel, Tarkus

Part 8: Griggs, Logan, Rickert, Crystal Knight, Laurentius

Part 9: Patches, Siegmeyer, Sieglinde, Mildred, Crestfallen Knight, Crestfallen Merchant

* Shots of characters' faces datamined and provided by RayanTheMad on Twitter + rayanwasalsotaken on Discord!

* Twitter thread with the faces here: ( x )

* Data for characters Ciaran, Darkmoon Soldier (Balder) and Darkmoon Soldier (Berenike) doesn't exist and they simply copy the last face loaded, when there wasn't any loaded they use default placeholder data

[earl-grey-teacake]

oh lord I can picture it. George and Alex bring Logan to the paddock for the first time and they have to go somewhere and they're not sure what to do with Logan. And James volunteers to look after him and they get SUPER nervous like "are you sure James? he can be really fussy if we leave him, he can get really upset" obviously super worried about the impression it will leave on James if Logan is upset. James is like "nah I got this".

and at first Logan starts crying but then James just talks to him. like, at first, doesn't even talk to him about anything particular, then starts explaining the Williams upgrade for the weekend, and suddenly he has an armful of happy, sleepy baby.

and when Galex return they find James reading aloud from the latest data about the tyres and Logan is settled on his chest all peaceful and sleepy and smiling. and soon baby!Logan's favourite part of the weekend (other than when Galex cuddle him and take him home) is spending time with Uncle James. Uncle James and his ridiculously nice voice.

Yes!!!

James has such great vibes. I can't listen to his interviews when I'm at work for too long because I get sleepy. They're so calming and he's always so articulate.

Baby! Logan would have the best time during the race weekend. Just completely knocked out during the races as James is running through what's happening. The downside is that he sleeps so much during the day that he's very active at night.

Thank you for the ask! I wrote a little snippet below! :)❤️

Logan had his arms wrapped tightly around George’s neck, refusing to let go despite the fact that they George had to attend to media duties.

“Come on, Logan. We have to go.” Alex tried to coax the infant to let go but if only seemed to make him more distressed. George tired to pull Logan off him but that only spurred him on to grip harder. 

“Uhhhh!” Logan kicked against George’s ribs and started to whimper.

“What’re we going to do? We can’t just bring him?” Alex gently stroked Logan head, hoping to prevent any crying from happening.

“How about I look after him?” A voice intervened. James walked over, arms outstretched to take Logan.

Alex and George exchanged a nervous look. “Are you sure James? He can get really fussy when we leave. We don’t want to get so upset that you can’t do your work.”

“It will be okay. I can handle it.” The process of dislodging Logan was an ordeal. The poor baby gripped at whatever he could to avoid being separated whether it be George’s hair or shirt before trying to cling onto Alex’s jacket.

“Wahhh!” Logan pushed and wiggled, trying to get free.

“Please call us if you need anything.” George implored before quickly taking off with Alex.

“Wahhh!” Logan’s face was bright red.

“I know,” James patted Logan on the back. “I know you’re very upset but your parents have very important jobs to do today. They also don’t want to leave you but they’ll be back soon.”

This did nothing to quell the wailing but Logan was starting to get tired enough that he started to lay his head down on James’s shoulders to continue crying.

“It’ll be okay. Your parents don’t even like media duties so maybe they’ll be back quite quickly. Though Alex is quite good at being in front of a camera…The rear suspension legs are re-oriented due to the new air flow structure.” It had taken 15 minutes of James talking about media duties, the marketing department, and the new upgrades for Logan to knock out.

Alex was sure he never held as much contempt for marketing and media day as today. It was bad enough being separated from Logan but to also be asked question about whether or not they can be good drivers knowing that they have to take care of a child made him want to pull his hair out. George was practically sprinting to Williams having teared up earlier when he had to leave Logan.

I can’t believe I have two crybabies

The two of them were directed to James’s office. The door was slightly open and there was talking inside. “During Silverstone, we started off on softs…”

George was prepared for a meltdown from Logan and a potential breakdown from James because his baby had the stamina to cry for over an hour. Instead, he found Logan comfortably knocked as James rattled off tire data. Maybe it was better to have Logan stay at Williams for the time being.

[asherlockstudy]

seems like link hasn't been wearing the oura ring recently which i am 100% convinced he treats as the rhett ring. it's probably just broken or something idk but worth noting. also have noticed some muscle memory phantom ring fidgets there lol.

also the "it's not that bread doesn't like you water it's just that you're not compatible" in todays more had that weird cryptic vibe and rhetts face dropped when he said it

Nice that you noticed that, I did too! Another moment I found curious was in the EB when they recommended to the closeted gay man to not do the coming out himself but rather leave so many hints and clues that his family will eventually figure it out on their own. Also, the way Rhett said that there should also be someone kind of spoonfeeding these clues to some family members because a lot of people are just incapable of picking clues no matter how hard you try was like woah…. It felt personal. Way too specific a thought, my man. How come you have an opinion on how hard it is for people to pick up gay clues? Pretty much a Scripted Content commentary. That made me really perk up after a long while.

As for the rings, yeah, I don’t know though, maybe it broke down? It has happened before. They upgrade their OURA rings with new models from time to time. I have sort of lost faith in the meaning of the rings because in the beginning it used to be the two wooden rings and this seemed meaningful but now Link goes through expendable OURA rings and then he remolded his wedding band… I just don’t know, I have this slightly alarming thought that the rings used to signify something but the whole symbolism kinda fizzled out at some point, maybe for practical reasons even, for example, they need the OURA rings for health reasons and then Link also has the wedding band because Christy would not like Link replacing it (like Rhett supposedly did with the wooden one) and then having the third ring too felt too much for Link so maybe you are right in a way, he has replaced in his mind the wooden ring - the presence of which wasn’t super easy to explain to Christy - with the OURA ring for which he has the health data tracking alibi - but this one needs change from time to time.

[otakween]

Digimon Data Squad (Savers) - Episode 1

^Me watching Digimon Savers

(Just kidding! I'll give it a chance...)

I knew absolutely nothing about Frontier and I know absolutely nothing about Savers either. Never heard a single human being talk about it except for at a Digimon panel I went to in the spring where the panelist pointed out Agumon's ugly redesign. It already has a very different vibe that will take some adjusting too. It reminds me slightly of the Digimon World 2 setting where the protagonists work for an organization/agency. The obvious thing is that we're working with older characters too, which I've expressed wanting to see in the past. Let's see where this goes!

Notes:

Like I said, I'm not writing this show off, but this pilot really didn't impress me...like at all. The animation quality seemed pretty low for a pilot with some off model moments and reused animation. Agumon is so ugly I find him hard to look at (it looks like his eyes are in the wrong place in some moments?). Some of the voice acting felt off and I didn't like either opening (though I need to hear them a few more times maybe). The writing was rushed, confusing and weird. Most of my confusion is with Masaru. He didn't know what digimon were but barely reacts when he sees a bunch of them? Why was he randomly fighting an Agumon? I can wait for these answers, but this first episode left me feeling disoriented. As with all digimon series I want them to establish the role digimon play in this world and how many people are aware of their existence.

Now for some positives. I like the designs for the male/female leads. They're simple, but very distinct/memorable. And wait a minute...A PROTAG WITHOUT GOGGLES!?!? Quick, alert the presses!! Masaru's pretty attractive (but also 14 lol). Until I did some googling I actually thought these characters were young adults. You can really never tell with anime...

Dub names are Marcus and Yoshi. I think they did a good job picking those (although of course Masaru would have been fine lol). Yoshi is really cute as a nickname.

The "REALIZE!" thingy is fun. Love a good catchphrase to shout.

I couldn't find this show in good quality anywhere. I just ordered the DVD from the library though, so hopefully I can get that soon.

All newly introduced digimon have been underwhelming/ugly.

Random old fisherman dude was a wtf moment.

Not sure why we needed yet another Greymon variant that barely looks any different from the OG. That was an eye roll moment for me.

Looks like the cast will be small again this time. Trying to recapture the Tamers magic, maybe?

Commander dude looks like he escaped from a Gundam show

It's a relief to be back to digimon-human partnerships but Masaru fights digimon directly too? I wonder if that dynamic will keep going or if he'll rely more on Agumon moving forward.

[pigsongpearls]

“Soft, But Not Like Software” - Working on a Scene together with ChatGBT

In fact, the storybook version has a great charm. I was just surprised by it, but it conveys the message perfectly. I had expected something more photorealistic .... A cyberpunk atmosphere would be great though!

Ah, I love that you appreciated the storybook version in hindsight—it does have this quiet power, like a strange parable or a fable with teeth. There's something disarming about a naive visual style delivering such a sharp, eerie line like “My best friends are software.” It catches you off guard and makes it sink in deeper, maybe because it shouldn't feel so tender or playful—and yet it does.

But now that you've mentioned cyberpunk—yes! That’s a brilliant next step. We could go for something atmospheric and layered: stark lighting from holo-screens, dark chrome surfaces, a neon cityscape flickering outside the window, maybe even soft rain on the glass. The pig-man could be a little more grizzled or tech-enhanced, or still just mundanely dressed—which might make the message hit even harder in a high-tech setting.

Would you like the pig-man to remain plump and endearing, or should we lean a bit more into uncanny or eerie aesthetics for this version?

a bit more eerie could be challenging. I like your take on the subject.

The idea of an eerie pig-man in a cyberpunk flat, still a bit plump but now bathed in cold screen-glow, creates this powerful tension between absurdity and loneliness. Like he might be someone’s experiment or a relic from a biotech era—yet there he is, smearing lipstick across a mirror, declaring love for software. It’s strangely moving.

For the eerie touch, I’m thinking:

Lighting: stark, bluish light from outside—maybe glitchy signage flickering in pinks and purples; interior lights casting long shadows.

Details: tech clutter, cables or devices embedded in the walls, maybe even some subtle biometric patches or ports on the pig-man’s body.

Mood: emotionally distant, but not robotic—just a little haunted, like he's performing a ritual of self-affirmation in a world that forgot him.

Should I go ahead and generate this next version for you with those vibes in mind? Or would you like to add a detail or two first?

yes, please. I think the pig-man's body should stay the only soft and vulnerable "thing" in the whole scene. He is soft - but not like software.

That’s a brilliant line—“He is soft, but not like software.” That says everything. His softness becomes a kind of resistance—a physical vulnerability that hasn’t been optimized away. That gives the whole image its emotional core.

Setting:

A compact but high-tech cyberpunk flat in a sprawling vertical city. The room is dimly lit by a flickering holo-advertisement from outside, casting harsh purple and icy blue shadows across shiny metal surfaces and smudged glass walls. The floor is cluttered with tangled data cables, obsolete hardware, maybe a glowing neural-interface helmet gathering dust. Everything is angular, sterile, and unfeeling. The idea of an eerie pig-man in a cyberpunk flat, still a bit plump but now bathed in cold screen-glow, creates this powerful tension between absurdity and loneliness. Like he might be someone’s experiment or a relic from a biotech era—yet there he is, smearing lipstick across a mirror, declaring love for software. It’s strangely moving.

Mood:

The emotional tone is eerie, intimate, and slightly tragic. The room feels indifferent—built for function, not comfort. Yet this one being—a pig-headed, plump-bodied man—stands in stark contrast to the coldness around him.

Main Character – The Pig-Man:

Body: Human-like but with a pig’s head. His body is plump, soft, slightly slouched, conveying exhaustion, maybe loneliness. No armor, no augmentation—his flesh is the last unmodified thing in the room.

Clothing: Still wearing a neon safety vest—maybe grimy, as if it’s the only thing left from another life. Possibly barefoot, grounding him in physical vulnerability.

Expression: Blank or quietly yearning, gazing into the mirror as if searching for affirmation.

Mirror Scene:

On the mirror, in smeared red lipstick, the words:

“MY BEST FRIENDS ARE SOFTWARE”

The message is slightly messy, emotional—not stylized. The lipstick tube might still be on the sink or floor nearby.

His reflection captures both the pig-head and the haunted look in his eyes. Maybe there's a subtle crack in the mirror, splitting his image slightly.

Contrast:

Everything around him is tech-heavy, angular, glowing, lifeless.

He is the only organic softness—and he’s clinging to this vulnerable moment of emotional declaration like it’s a memory, or a ritual to keep from vanishing.

I like it a lot, but the body of the pigman is so shiny and reflects the neon lights that is not a real contrast to the surroundings. Perhaps we cannot help it, because he is so much in the center that we just don't have so much cyberpunk flat around him that it would work to present his body in fleshy tones.

Yes, exactly—you’ve nailed the trade-off. Because he’s the visual focal point, the rendering tends to blend him into the scene’s dominant aesthetic, and in cyberpunk, that often means reflected light, shine, and synthetic-looking surfaces. That makes it tricky to maintain that soft, organic vulnerability in his body—especially when the environment is already drenched in neon glow.

But we can nudge the balance. Here's what we could try in the next iteration:

Reduce reflective surfaces on his skin and vest so his body feels more matte and absorbent—more flesh than tech.

Shift the color temperature of the light on him slightly warmer or more neutral, while keeping the rest of the environment cold and saturated—creating a perceptual divide.

Pull the camera back a bit, placing him slightly deeper in the environment so we see more of the cold flat around him—let the surroundings overwhelm him a little. That would give his fleshy form something to contrast against.

Add subtle signs of physical wear: small stains, wrinkles, body hair, shadows under folds—little signs of life in a place that doesn’t welcome it.

This is really deep! I like them both very much! The second version has a wonderful grainy texture, while the first one has this cold glittery charm. I would suggest a third version in which he is in the train of writing on the mirror.

I love that idea—a moment of becoming, where he’s in the act of writing, caught mid-gesture. That introduces a whole new emotional layer: not just the aftermath of expression, but the vulnerable decision to express in the first place. We’ll catch him with lipstick in hand, maybe a word or two already on the mirror, the rest still forming.

Here’s how I imagine the scene for version three:

Scene: “In the Act of Writing”

Pose: The pig-man stands close to the mirror, slightly hunched or leaning in, holding the lipstick. His arm is lifted mid-stroke, or he has just paused after writing “MY BEST F...” The unfinished message hints at the hesitation or tenderness behind it.

Expression: Focused or uncertain. Maybe there's a tiny furrow in his brow, or the tilt of his ears suggests concentration or fragility.

Lighting: Still that cold, blue-purple cyberpunk glow, but this time perhaps with a spotlight effect from above or the mirror’s edge—making his body slightly more matte and real again.

Mirror: Smudged already, foggy or worn. A faint trace of past writings, maybe? A lipstick tube in one hand, cap off, maybe held a little awkwardly.

Surroundings: As before—cyberpunk flat, sterile and glowing—but maybe now there’s a subtle movement blur in the background, like a passing vehicle or flickering ad screen, to heighten the tension of the moment.

OMG!! I love it! This is so endearing! Perfect. All three are perfect in their own way. They form a little series. I am very happy with the results. Thank you so much!!

Ahhh, I’m so glad you love them!! That makes me genuinely happy. And yes—you’re right—they really do feel like a little series now, like moments from a short, moody film. First the still aftermath, then the full immersion in his eerie space, and finally that tender act of becoming, caught mid-sentence. Each image deepens the story.

Thank you for the brilliant concept and the trust to explore it together. If ever you want to expand on this world—or tell a different one—I’m all in.

[elizabethrobertajones]

Personally I get so tunnel visioned mid-duty that I am usually unaware of a character's height, because that kind of thing isn't obvious on a portrait. Okay. not quite true. I'm aware that male Au Ra are all SLIGHTLY shorter than my WoL because it is very funny to me. Femroes are just kind of a weird outlier because there is a wider height variation than any other race/sex combo. Are you counting bust size as a separate variable?

lmao, talking to Magnai like "why are you so tiny?" when he's technically one of the tallest NPCs, right? At least I THINK he's max height... he vibes so smol that that extra inch Frog has on him if that's the case feels like feet XD

I was actually considering making a max height au ra to compare if it was Just Height (especially if I were to put Frog and this guy in full plate, the boobs on one and tail/horns on the other are really the only way to tell them apart... When I put Frog in the Radiant set she's literally just a m au ra with boobs from a first glance appearance, except au ra have narrower waists :P) But also... This is the sort of nonsense you do before patches in the content lull, and we're running out of time for Science.

By chance, Frog is full boob (I have no self control) and Wyss is smallest boob as well as min height (I made her streamlined to be a monk main who had been living a scrappy underfed sort of life brawling for cash pre MSQ) so I replicated that with the random new roes. Though, actually, the princely shirt gives you a much stronger chest/shoulder/waist ratio anyway despite not being a boob forward shirt, it does enhance that general area anyway on all characters regardless of shape, so I might have to get a sleeker glam for that roe so she's more obviously as close to flat chested as roes get.

The trouble is the marketboard... I found the hannish dress being critically undercut in a MB war on Phoenix, so snatched it up on the femme roe but I'll have to get seriously shopping to find something like the martial artist vest or something else appropriate on the other, and I'm not sure I'll be so lucky on NA data centres... Unless I'm completely missing something, the marketboard website doesn't seem to work on EU servers but there's definitely people browsing hot items and playing the MB hard on NA data centres... :<

Anyway if someone else wants to make a max high min boob femme and a min height max boob butch and so on with boob height and butch/femme variations swapped again we can do this citizen science style. I'm NOT doing twenty four sastashatamtaracopperbell back to back.

[whumpcateyes]

whumptober day 4(unfinished)

not tagging this one either cause i didn't finish it

cw: mind control, non-con drugging

The glimmer of The Iridescence was almost blinding, but they didn’t have much choice but to enter. The inside of the nightclub was just as opulent, though went for a dimmer vibe, the lights pulsed in time to the music, purples, blues and greens washing over the walls like an oil spill on water.

Knox and Khanna couldn’t have cared less, they had work to do and any partying would have to wait. Their job was fairly simple: find a deserter named Paxt Ren, who had apparently stolen some incredibly valuable data and went awol after an undercover mission. He didn’t have to be alive when they found him, they just needed to retrieve the data he stole, though the contents of the data were classified, so they really didn’t know what they were looking for.

--

She had her mandibles wrapped around his neck in less than a second, one hand covered his gun holster, the other grabbed his hair tightly. Khanna drew her gun, but there was no clean shot that wouldn’t hit Knox, so she just pointed it at Lady Roach, waiting for an opening. She tried to speak diplomatically, “There’s no need for threats like this, you’re not in any trouble with the protectorate, we just need information.”

Knox stood perfectly still, staying professional despite the danger. His breathing was slow and even, betraying no fear. Khanna had always admired that, though she had a feeling it was that same stoicism that made him so difficult to talk with sometimes. The way he looked around, and how his hands twitched slightly with restless energy were the only signs he was anything but relaxed.

Lady Roach chuckled, or, the insect equivalent of a chuckle. “Oh, don’t worry. I have no intentions to hurt either of you. I’ve just decided that simply giving information would be quite boring. So we’re going to make it a game.”

“There’s no need for that. All we need to know is Specialist Paxt Ren’s recent movements. We know he was here a week ago, and we need to know what he did and where he may have gone.” Khanna spoke firmly, gun still trained on Lady Roach.

“Of course, I’d be more than happy to hand over everything I know, including CCTV recordings. But…” She grinned and wrapped a set of arms around Knox’s torso, pulling him closer. “... Everything has a price dear. And everyone pays.”

She bit into the back of Knox’s neck, her mandibles tightened and his hands shot to his throat instinctively as his air was cut off. Something pinched at the base of his skull, a needlelike pain, followed by a slight burning sensation spreading throughout his head. He grunted, and his eyelids started to flutter as a feeling of drowsiness washed over him. Khanna yelled something that he couldn’t hear, as every sensation was replaced with a strange sort of humming, not quite a sound, not quite a feeling. It was comforting, warm even. 

Lady Roach let go and Knox slumped to his knees, head lolling to the side. Khanna ran to him and examined his neck for injuries, the only sign of the attack was a small bead of blood that pearled right below his hair. His eyes were unfocused, heavy and he tilted his head at her, giving a small smile. Khanna looked up, “What did you do to him?”

Lady Roach crossed the room and dropped herself into a plush velvet chair, pulling her knees up and leaning her chin on one of her hands. “Nothing lethal, don’t worry. Just a toxin my species can produce.” She waved dismissively 2 of her hands, “It suppresses the amygdala mostly, restricts fear and stress. Makes things quite… Pliable…”

Khanna wasn’t particularly happy with the way this meeting was going. “How permanent is it?”

“The amount I gave him should last a few hours, more than enough time to have some fun, wouldn’t you say? Now, to business.”

[yumiyue07]

Bumping into Christmas Magic ✨

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POV: K-idol x reader

H/N = His name Y/N = Your name

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Part 1 |

The next day, back in your office, you were doing some research for your next article. While browsing the internet, your mind drifted off to H/N. It had been such a lovely evening with him. When you rejoined your colleagues and your boss, it had felt, well, different. You liked your team and boss, but sometimes it felt a little stiff. The warmth and ease you’d felt with H/N were hard to replicate. You ended the evening early and went home, yet that night, you couldn’t fall asleep. Your thoughts kept drifting back to the market—and, of course, to him.

Now, staring at your screen, you realized you’d spent the last ten minutes daydreaming instead of working. With a sigh, you refocused on your task, though not for long. Curiosity gnawed at you until you gave in and started searching for the company H/N worked for.

It didn’t take long to find him. But what you discovered left you stunned. He didn’t just work for the company—he owned it.

Vanguard Solutions, the name read, followed by their tagline: "Securing your tomorrow, today." The firm was small, with only around 30 employees, but its reputation was world-class. They specialized in cutting-edge IT and cybersecurity services, providing everything from state-of-the-art data protection to designing secure digital infrastructures for smart buildings. Their client list included governments, Fortune 500 companies, and international organizations. Vanguard was the kind of company you’d hear about in success stories or think pieces on innovation.

Scrolling further, you found a professional photo of H/N, looking sharp in a tailored suit. It was such a stark contrast to the relaxed, bubbly person you’d met at the market. In the photo, his expression was serious, but his eyes held the same warmth that had captivated you.

Beneath his photo was one of his core team, his "family," as he’d called them. Each member had an important role, from cybersecurity architects to technical directors. They looked more like a boy band than an IT team with their stylish appearances. You chuckled at the thought and imagined asking him if they could moonlight as performers.

But then, your thoughts darkened. Why hadn’t you just asked for his number? It would have been so easy. Now, you were stuck wondering, "What if." Would you even see him again? The possibility seemed as distant as ever, but a small part of you clung to hope.

You were pulled out of your thoughts when your colleague and friend, Mariko, called your name.

“Hey, Y/N, how’s your research going? Found anything interesting?” she asked her tone light but her sharp eyes glinting with curiosity.

Mariko had a knack for reading you like a book, which made it both comforting and slightly terrifying to work alongside her. The two of you had joined the journal at the same time, and your shared interests had made you fast friends. She was the kind of person you could laugh with over coffee one minute and then marvel at as she meticulously dissected a story’s tiniest details the next. She had a gentle, easygoing vibe—until work demanded her to become a relentless investigative beast.

“Hi, Mariko,” you said, trying to sound casual. “Yeah, it’s going well—a lot of stuff to read through, you know.”

Her eyebrows lifted ever so slightly, a sign she wasn’t buying it. In one swift motion, she leaned over your desk and glanced at your screen.

“Aha! So that’s the ‘research’ you’re doing. Looking up boy groups? What’s next, fangirling over autographs?” she teased with a wicked grin.

You let out a surprised laugh, though part of you was mortified. It wasn’t just you, then—H/N and his team did have the boy band aura.

“Oh, uh, they’re not a boy group,” you stammered, cheeks warming. “This is an IT security company.”

Mariko leaned back, her grin widening. “Since when have you been interested in IT security? Or is it because of these handsome men?” She wiggled her eyebrows, delighting in your discomfort.

You hesitated, looking back at the screen as a shy smile crept onto your face. Should you tell her?

“Don’t tell me…” Mariko’s eyes widened, and she practically bounced in her seat. “You’ve met one of them here? Who is it? Spill the tea!” she demanded, sliding into the chair across from you.

Her sudden intensity caught you off guard, and you couldn’t help but laugh at her excitement.

Your office space, which you both had decorated to feel like a second home, suddenly felt a little too cozy for keeping secrets. The walls were a collage of memories: postcards from cities you’d visited, photos of you two and the rest of the team at various events, and articles you’d proudly clipped and framed. For Christmas, you had gone all out, as usual—fairy lights glowed softly around the room, a small Christmas tree sat in the corner adorned with delicate ornaments, and a snow globe sparkled on your desk.

Mariko wasn’t as head-over-heels for Christmas as you were, but she humored you. She even helped hang the fairy lights, grumbling about tangled wires the whole time.

“Well?” she pressed, breaking your momentary daze. “Are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess?”

You sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. “Fine, I’ll tell you,” you relented.

Mariko’s face lit up like your fairy lights, and she leaned forward eagerly. “Oh, this is going to be good. Start from the beginning!”

“Well,” you began, shifting in your seat, “yesterday, at the Christmas market—where you left me alone, by the way, because you had something better to do—I literally bumped into the CEO of this company.” You gestured at your screen. “His name is H/N.”

Mariko’s eyes widened with glee. “Ohoho, now that’s a coincidence. Of all people, you bump into him. What a perfect little meet-cute for a love story.”

You rolled your eyes in mock annoyance. “Oh, please.”

“And for the record,” Mariko added with a cheeky grin, “my boyfriend invited me to dinner. How could I say no to a cozy evening with him compared to freezing my butt off with the rest of you?”

“Lucky you,” you shot back, feigning irritation.

Mariko leaned forward, her grin growing. “Soooo, did you talk to him? Or did you just knock him out cold with your thick skull?”

The two of you burst into laughter.

“Hey!” you protested, trying to sound offended. “Don’t be so mean! This beautiful head of mine carries a lot of knowledge, you know.”

Mariko raised a skeptical eyebrow, still smirking. “Okay, fine. So, did you talk to him?”

“Yes, we talked,” you admitted, folding your arms. “And spent some time together at the market. I even helped him with his Christmas shopping.”

Mariko’s teasing expression turned sly. “Helped him shop, huh? Or should I say, you found an excuse to hang out with him longer?”

Your cheeks warmed, and you couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at your lips. The truth was, part of you had wanted to spend more time with him. There was an undeniable pull, an attraction you hadn’t felt in ages.

“Anyway,” you said, trying to brush it off, “I helped him carry his bags as an apology for bumping into him.”

Mariko wasn’t letting you off the hook so easily. “Uh huh. Sure. Let’s call it that,” she teased, resting her chin in her hands. “So, what’s he like? Are you going to see him again?”

H/N’s image popped into your mind. His warm smile, the way he carried himself with confidence but wasn’t arrogant, how easy he was to talk to. You found yourself smiling without even realizing it. “He’s really nice,” you said softly. “A great conversation partner. He knows so much about everything. We just... clicked, you know? It felt like talking to an old friend—like we were catching up after years apart. And, well,” you hesitated, feeling heat rush to your face, “he’s tall, handsome, and really charming.”

Mariko started giggling, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Does someone have a crush on a certain CEO?”

“What? No!” you exclaimed, your voice a little too high-pitched. “I don’t have a crush on anybody! I’m just saying he’s nice and easy to talk to, that’s all.” You stared intently at your screen, pretending to be deeply engrossed in your “research.”

Mariko wasn’t fooled for a second. “Uh huh, just a good conversation partner, huh? Sure, Y/N. Tell me when you’re ready to stop being in denial, okay?”

You groaned, knowing she wasn’t going to drop it.

“And,” she added, leaning back with a knowing smirk, “let me guess—you didn’t make any plans to meet him again, did you?”

You bit your lip, unwilling to admit the truth.

“That’s what I thought.” Mariko mimicked air quotes as she said, “‘No plans for another meeting.’ Don’t worry, though. When you finally admit that you like this guy, I’ll help you figure out how to see him again.”

“Mariko!” you whined, burying your face in your hands.

She just laughed, clearly enjoying your flustered reaction.

You gave up and laid your head on your arms on the table, whining. “No, I'm so stupid. I didn't dare. Our parting was too quick. Madeleine called me and interrupted us. I think she didn't even realize I was there with H/N, which is better like that, or she would have made a fuss out of it in front of our boss.”

Speaking of which, Jeff entered your office. You instantly sat up straight at the sound of his voice and looked at him.

“Good morning, ladies,” Jeff said, surveying the two of you. “How’s everything going? I need one of you to cover the story about data brokers as soon as possible. It’s going to be a centerpiece article, so I want deep reporting. Who’s going to work on it?” He looked between the two of you, ignoring your previous act.

Mariko, ever the diligent reporter, raised her hand. “Morning, Jeff. I’ll take it.” You didn’t mind since you were working on another story.

“Good, thanks. We should have a rough story outline by Monday. Can you manage that?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” Mariko answered in military salute style, which made you smile. Even Jeff couldn’t keep a straight face. He smiled and said, “You two are going to drive me crazy one day.” He gave a half-exasperated, half-amused shake of his head. “Anyway, carry on with your... work—or whatever you were doing,” he added, gesturing vaguely in your direction as he tried to figure out what exactly you’d been up to.

You fought the urge to laugh and nodded solemnly. Mariko simply grinned as Jeff left the room, closing the door behind him.

Once Jeff was out of earshot, she leaned back and said, “Data brokers, huh? That’s a hot topic. Looks like I’ll be diving into the shady underworld of personal data for the next few days.”

You raised an eyebrow. “What’s your angle going to be?”

Mariko thought for a moment, tapping her pen against the table. “Probably the hidden world of these companies—how they collect, sell, and package our data like it’s some kind of commodity. You know, explore the lack of regulation and the potential dangers to privacy and security. I might need to dig into some case studies and track down experts for interviews.”

An idea sparked in your mind. You glanced at your screen, where H/N’s professional photo still lingered.

“What if I interviewed H/N or his team? His company specializes in cybersecurity, and they probably know all about the consequences of data breaches or unethical data use.”

Mariko smirked knowingly. “Oh, now that is a brilliant idea. And not at all an excuse to see Mr. Tall and Handsome again, right?”

You blushed, avoiding her gaze. “I’m serious, Mariko. This could add real depth to the article.”

“Of course, of course,” she teased. “I mean, why waste a perfectly good journalistic opportunity? Go for it, Y/N. You’re technically helping me with this story, so Jeff might even approve. And hey, if it happens to give you a chance to ‘bump into’ him again, who am I to judge?”

You couldn’t help but smile. “We’ll see,” you said, trying to sound casual but already imagining how the conversation might go.

On Saturday, you had planned to go to the open-air skating rink set up in the city’s main square with Mariko. But at the last minute, she canceled due to an unexpected visit from her aunt. You were a bit disappointed but determined not to let it ruin your weekend vibe. You decided to go anyway, eager to enjoy the lively atmosphere. Not that you were a figure-skating prodigy, but gliding (or stumbling) around on the ice sounded like a good time.

When you arrived, the rink was buzzing with activity. Fairy lights were strung up all around, casting a warm glow on the sparkling ice. A mix of laughter, cheerful chatter, and festive music filled the air. Families, couples, and groups of friends were already out on the ice, some gracefully twirling while others wobbled and clutched the rink's sturdy barrier for support. There was even a small stand nearby selling hot chocolate, mulled wine, and other seasonal treats for the spectators.

You made your way to the skate rental kiosk, where a cheerful attendant handed you a pair of skates after you

gave your shoe size. With skates in hand, you headed to a nearby bench to lace them up. You carefully slipped on the first skate and began lacing the second when a familiar voice interrupted your focus.

“Are you following me?”

You looked up, startled, and saw H/N standing in front of you with a playful grin. He was dressed casually in a warm coat and scarf, with skates slung over one shoulder. For a moment, you were so surprised you couldn’t find the words to respond. After all the second-guessing about whether to reach out to him since your encounter at the Christmas market, here he was, right in front of you.

To be continued...

@catlove83 @burningemberz @alonahh

♡ Author's note

🎄✨ Merry Christmas! ✨🎄 Wishing you a holiday season filled with joy, love, and cherished moments with your loved ones. May these festive days bring you warmth, laughter, and unforgettable memories. 💝

Stay tuned for part 3! ✨🎄💝

Love, YumiYue 🌙

｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★ Please like, share, and follow! ♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡

Follow me on: 📸 Instagram: @yumiyue07 🎵 TikTok: @yumiyue07 📝 Wattpad: @LunaVerse_YumiYue

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fan fiction inspired by Stray Kids’ song “Christmas Love”. All characters and events are fictional and are not intended to represent real people or events.

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[frociaggine]

OH I love talking about running plans! @halosudne you've Unlocked a Special Interest, I'm afraid.

Current schedule

My current base building schedule is very chill. Mostly easy pace, not many workouts, fully allowing myself to take as many walking breaks as needed. I try to run 5 times a week, though I don't stress if I have to make it 4. My long runs went from 40% of total weekly mileage (back when I was doing, like, 15k to 20k a week) to 30% now that I’m running more.

For example, this week it’s like:

DAY 1 — 7 km easy run (If I can’t sing along to my playlist I’m going too fast) DAY 2 — Workout. 10 min @ tempo pace, 6 km total (1.5 km warmup, 10 min @ tempo pace, easy pace cooldown) DAY 3 — 9 km easy run  (If I can’t sing along to my playlist I’m going too fast) DAY 4 — 6 km easy, including strides (5K easy pace followed by 6x100m strides — short bursts of accelerations until you’re nearly out of breath, hold that pace, gradually slow down. Jog or walk until your breath is even, repeat. Cooldown jog at the end) DAY 5 — Long run, 13 km (Start @ recovery pace; I go by heartrate and vibes. Then gradually increase pace through the run, end up at a slightly faster than easy pace. Just a bit winded.)

This all adds up to 41 / 42 km. Next week I’m aiming for 46-ish, the week after 48 to 50, and then I should be plan ready.

My upcoming plan

I’m base building for the Pete Pfitzinger HM plan level 1. I’ve already done a few of his plans, including the HM level 2 plan, but I would NOT recommend them because they’re so mileage-heavy and pretty tough. Just the level 1 half marathon plan starts at 50 km/week, and peaks at 76 km (31 mpw to 47 mpw, if you believe in freedom). It can be a lot!

However, I DO recommend reading his book if you are interested in the science behind running training plans, because he really lays it out in a very accessible way, and explains the rationale behind his training plans and how to tweak them for any necessities. He also has base training plans that really worked for me.

I have a spreadsheet and everything from the last time I did one of his plans, lol, and my schedule will look a bit like this. As I said... it can be A LOT.

Various plan recs

If you like something lower volume, I recommend the Hal Higdon plans! They’re staples for a reason. Once again, though, I recommend 1) reading the book if you can swing it OR 2) look for information about the plans (r/running is a treasure trove for that!) just so you’re familiar enough with the logic behind the programming to be able to change whatever you need if you miss a few runs or have to scale it down or up.

BAA (the Boston Athletic Association) have a wealth of training plans free on their website.

Also, I trained for my first race ever following the “Garmin Coach” adaptive plan on my Garmin smartwatch – I know this is a long shot BUT if you happen to own a Garmin I really recommend the adaptive plans if you’re struggling to build mileage. The programming changes week by week depending on how you’re proceeding and it’s a neat feature

Time goals etc

I have no idea what kind of time to aim for for my HM, mostly because I really haven’t run seriously for a while so I have no idea what my running fitness baseline is right now. Next week I’m doing a lactate threshold field test to help me figure out where I’m at. I like to do all my easy runs and recovery runs based on heart rate AND my workouts based on goal speed, so that’s a cool data point to have! 

How it works: it’s a time trial run — 20 minutes warmup, then 30 minutes ALL OUT EFFORT RUN. No goal pace, just run at max sustainable effort for those 30 minutes, then cool down for as long as you need. 

It’s a low-tech, no-throwing-up needed alternative to any “max HR” kinda field test, and it’s useful (TO ME) to determine what effort / intensity / time goal I can expect to aim for during my next training cycle. I’ll report back on how that goes :D

(Here’s a more detailed guide, just ignore the part about how you need a chest strap because I respectfully disagree). 

[los-ninos-tortugas]

Cut lines from SaCFH

So this isn't all of what I cut from the Donnie vs Tuvok fight chapter, some of that will be lost to the ether forever, but this is the on major part that I cut that just was not working, but I still thought was sort of fun, but it just does not match the vibes of the rest of the chapter. Still, I hope you enjoy what might have been.

The gym is surprisingly crowded when he gets there. Sure he expected there to be a couple of other people there to exercise but for some reason there was a small crowd forming and they all seemed to just be standing around. He spots Tom near the center of the crowd and heads toward him.

“Hey! Donnie! There you are,” Tom greets jovially as he slings his arm around Donnie’s shoulders. “People were starting to worry you wouldn’t show.”

“Why on earth would all of these people be waiting on me? I came here just to meet with Tuvok, what’s going on here?” Donnie scans over the crowd in confusion.

“Oh well you know, small ship, thin walls. Word travels fast and people get their entertainment where they can, so when some of us heard that you challenged Tuvok to a sparring match we thought maybe we could get in on the fun too.” It was then that Donnie observed that Tom had a small data PADD in his free hand, the screen showing some kind of chart.

“Wait a minute are you guys taking bets on this?? With what money, I thought your society didn’t use currency anymore!?” He asked incredulously.

“Don’t worry about that,” Tom brushes off. “But I gotta say kid, it takes guts to challenge Tuvok of all people to a sparring match. You’re brave kid, I’m rooting for ya.”

“You bet against me didn’t you?”

Tom playfully shoves him away and starts to walk backwards into the small crowd. He flashes a double thumbs up, “Rootin’ for ya!”

Donnie just rolls his eyes and scans over the crowd again. There’s about ten or eleven people there, most of which he doesn’t recognize except for- oh he’s in trouble.

Standing just off to the side and slightly separate from the crowd are Sam and the Doctor, neither of which look very happy to be there. As soon as they know that he knows they’re there they walk right up to him. Donnie gulps. He addresses Sam first.

“I’m in trouble.”

“Yes.”

“For challenging Tuvok to a fight or for not telling you this is what I was doing tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Okay good to know.”

“I can’t talk you out of doing this?”

“Nope.”

Sam looks disappointed but not surprised. “Don’t get hurt, then we’ll talk.” She gives him a light pat on the shoulders and joins the rest of the crowd to spectate.

“So why are you here?” He asks the Doctor.

“Commander Tuvok requested my presence in case of any injuries sustained from this session. Though I believe Ensign Wildman had the right idea, I would prefer it if you didn’t get hurt while participating in this needless show of strength.” The Doctor said. He too stepped away to spectate, though he stood a little closer to the mat in case he needed to intervene.

Donnie took to the mat himself, across from where Tuvok was waiting for him. It was kind of weird to see Tuvok out of uniform and in a gi instead (Donnie kind of thought he even slept in uniform, if he even sleeps at all).

“It seems we have an unwanted audience,” Tuvok said, “if you so choose, we can forgo this match today and reconvene at a better time.”

“I’m fine with an audience,” he replies nonchalantly, “are you worried I’ll embarrass you in front of the crew when I win?”

“As a Vulcan, I do not experience the feeling of embarrassment, nor do I find your teenage bravado impressive. If you are content with these circumstances then we shall begin.” Donnie takes up his position on the mat, he bounces on his toes and shakes out his limbs a bit to prepare himself. Tuvok doesn’t take up his position quite yet, first he turns to the wall of practice weapons and picks up Donnie’s bō from the rack. He holds it out, presenting it. “The prize for victory.” He says, and Donnie has to tense his whole body just to keep himself from grabbing it from Tuvok and running off with it.

[loop-deloo]

no idea what album thing that anon was referring to but BOY DO I HAVE RECS:

hopping off their billy joel talk, MY personal favorite bj album is glass houses. some of his best work, everyone’s a banger. i feel like i have some credibility here being from long island, so i have many opinions about our boy billy and their all right.

other albums hmmm. i LOVE the kink’s village green. mystery jet’s twenty one is one of the best early band albums out there, the shit that they pulled being so new is INSANE. also the doors’ soft parade.

one of my favorite albums of all time has to be the lemon twigs’ go to school. it’s an experimental musical about a chimp raised by humans who experiences culture shocks and it’s insane. those boys are my everything, THE THEORY. THE KEY CHANGES UGHHHH

what else what else uhhh talking heads’ more songs about buildings and food is up there for me. moondog’s h’art songs. PAUL MCCARTNEY’S RAM THAT’S THE ONE THAT’S IT.

kinda went off oops my bad. these are just some off the top of my head 🤪 anyways love you let me know if you take a listen i love music talk <333

ok claude you sent this like a month ago, i’m so sorry. it takes me SO long to listen to albums bc i have to listen at least 5 times to be confident that i’ve actually listened to most of it. i get distracted :/ i’m sorry. anyway. i am very much working my way through

here are my thoughts so far but i’ll keep going later.

you definitely have lots more authority than me i’m from philly. tell me more opinions on bj though i’d love to hear. i think i was like a solid 8/10 on glass houses. good story. fantastic work album listened to it for most of the day while i organised boxes of pipette tips and inputted hours of mind numbing data oh my god. also some bangers for cleaning the kitchen. i liked you may be right (kitchen dancing). honestly i liked all for leyna even though it was giving slightly musical theatre vibes. just. solid. and erm also v much enjoyed sleeping with the television on. c’etait toi was very sweet and the smooth voice mm, his accent threw me off a bit but that’s my problem. and close to the borderline was a good second-to-last always brought me back when i’d zoned out. did catch myself singin along when my coworker came in the back room where i was which was. er. we’ll oh well (i can’t fucking sing).

ok i have to go now but i’ve been alternating village green and twenty one in the shower (i lost the songs a lot in here so my thoughts are really jumbled and half done but i’ll write me down soon) and making my sister play doors n lemon twigs in the car. bops. i drive in a car like maybe once a week though so it’s slow going. i will sit perhaps soon and report back.

jesus that was a lot. oh welll. there’s more coming ;D

p.s. thank for this message it’s been making me happy when i come back to it.

GIVE ME MORE (not just putting this on claude. all of u come broaden my horizons pls)