#stack cisco

[dreamauri]

♪ — 𝗪𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡? - part eight max verstappen x reader ( angst ) series summary . . . when he wants to be normal, he can count on you, stranger.

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You don’t cry when you land back in Paris.

Not when the plane lands, not when you pick up your bag. Not even when the driver asks, “Back home from holiday?” and you murmur “Something like that,” even though your heart has never felt further from vacation.

But the second you unlock your front door and silence swells up to greet you like an old friend—you fold. Quietly, like laundry. Like you’ve done it before.

The apartment is still. Your plants have grown. The coffee mugs are still stacked from the morning you left. The little “see you later” note you wrote for yourself on the fridge—mocking. You thought you were coming back the same.

You aren’t.

And you can’t breathe around the weight of it.

Because now you know that the voice who once said, “Get some sleep, La,”

—was the same voice who whispered your name behind the McLaren motorhome.

And the boy who made you playlists and sent you meme emojis and talked about nothing for hours to make you laugh…

—was Max fucking Verstappen.

You ignore it all.

So you do what you’re supposed to.

You plug in your work laptop.

You tell your coworkers that Austria was “chaotic but productive.”

You ignore your sim rig in the corner of the living room, unplug it for good.

You mute the Discord server.

You pour yourself into Cisco meetings and errands and microwave dinners. You watch movies you used to laugh through with him in your headphones. 

You pick up your phone at 1 a.m., you click the DM chat out of impulse. The typing bar mocks you. Blinking. Waiting.

You type three words:

I miss you.

And then you hit backspace so fast you nearly sprain your heart.

You delete it.

Because who even are you talking to?

Amilian?

Max?

Yourself?

You shut your laptop. Throw your phone to the other end of the bed.

You sleep on the wrong side.

You dream of Red Bull shirts and unread messages.

A week later, you catch a Formula 1 race by accident. You’re not trying to watch. It just… finds you.

Monza. Dry weather. Verstappen in P2.

The commentators praise his drive. Say something about how he played the long game. Tire management. Smart calls.

You watch him take the podium. He stands a little off-center, Red Bull cap low over his eyes. Carlos is beside him. Lando too. They’re smiling.

Max isn’t.

Not really.

He claps, lifts the trophy. Does the usual. But it’s all automatic. Mechanical. Like a ghost of someone who used to care. He doesn’t look at the camera once.

And you can’t stop staring.

Not because he’s Max Verstappen. But because he’s him. The him you stayed up with. Laughed with. Sang dumb songs with in voice chat.

He’s there. Right there. On every screen.

And Amilian?

He’s gone. He was never real. A vapor. A half-truth spun into warmth.

You sit on your couch long after the race ends. The screen fades to black.

And somewhere deep in your chest, something aches in a shape you can’t name.

Amilian’s gone. Max is everywhere.And you don’t know which one you’re mourning.

[bia-wayne-west]

Pregnancy — Barry Allen x Reader

Characters: Barry Allen (The Flash), Reader (You).

Synopsis: You have been married to Barry for two years. One fine day, you start to feel a hunger worthy of a little speedster.

Warnings: Pregnancy, seasickness, pregnancy discovery

N / A: I did this imagine in 10 minutes. I watched a pregnancy movie with my cousin, and then we went to watch The Flash, she suggested the idea to me and I loved it. Hope you like it.

I'm a Latina girl who doesn't speak fluent English, so I want to apologize for any writing errors you find. Feel free to correct me.

MASTERLIST

The day had begun. The sun came through the window, causing you to curl up even more in the duvets.

You ran your hand over the bed, feeling the sheet to feel Allen's warm body. There was only an empty space, indicating that he had been awake for some time.

Your mind tried to sleep again, however, a sweet smell flooded his nostrils. You could have sworn it smelled like pancakes and condensed milk.

The sheets were set aside as his feet touched the ground. With delicate steps, you made your way to the kitchen, being guided by the wonderful smell. You had no intention of surprising Barry, as he could see everything happening in slow motion and could easily see you approaching.

 Allen held a frying pan, trying to flip a pancake. On the kitchen counter was a stack of pancakes and two coffee cups of Jitters.

With a smile on your face, you approached your husband, placing your hand on the speedster's shoulder. Barry's face lit up, showing a sweet smile.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, my dear.”

“What are you doing?” You ask.

“You always make coffee, I decided to make it for you today.” Allen placed the last finished pancake on the plate, enjoying the view of what he had just prepared. “Are you hungry?”

“I think I could devour a whole cow.” Your stomach churned, complaining of hunger.

 You usually didn't eat much, unlike your husband. Barry had to consume at least fifteen thousand calories daily, so he could stay upright and healthy. He literally ate all day and kept him body skinny.

Unlike you, who hardly felt hungry. You were the perfect couple. When you couldn't finish your snack, Allen was able to eat everything and still had plenty of room in his stomach. A few weeks ago, you began to feel extraordinarily hungry.

 You ate almost the same amount of food as Barry. It seemed like you were a speedster, too. Her sense of smell could sense food being prepared in other rooms, as well as feeling terrible nausea and dizziness. You thought it was vitamin’s problem, and you bought some to make yourself feel better.

 Within seconds, the breakfast table was fully set. Without much ceremony, you joined your husband to enjoy their morning meal.

“I could have sworn you have hypermetabolism too.” He joked when he saw you steal a pancake from him after eating yours.

“I don't know what happened. It feels like I'm eating for an army.” You verbalized, picking up the dishes to wash them. As soon as your hand placed the last glass in the sink, a horrible sensation gripped your entire body. You ran to the bathroom, feeling a terrible urge to vomit. Your body leaned over the toilet as the breakfast was poured out.

In less than a second, Barry appeared at your side, his face full of concern. One hand held your hair, while the other smoothed your back.

 “Are you okay?”

“I am. I think I ate more than my stomach can handle.”

“Let Caitlin examine you.”

“I told you I'm fine, dear.” You got up with Barry's help. Along the way, you felt your vision darken and your body vibrate, as if you were a speedster. “I think going to see Caitlin is a good idea.”

 (…)

“I have two new features.” Caitlin said, as soon as she finished examining your blood. “A good one and a bad one, depending on one's point of view.”

“What's the good news?” Barry asked. Cisco, Joe, Barry, and you were waiting in the exam room. Caitlin held a sheet of paper with the results of your exams.

“You're pregnant.”

 Your world spun. Your chest collapsed with happiness. A year ago, you and Barry were planning to have a child, but you never had any luck.

Allen took your hand. The speedster's face was flooded with a smile. Everyone in the room was happy with the news of yet another person being added to Team Flash.

“And what's the bad news?” You asked.

“Very well.” She seemed to be looking for the right words. “I did an ultrasound, and it looks like the baby's heart has stopped.”

“You mean he's dead?”

Everyone in the room asked at once. Tears had already appeared in your eyes, you had barely gotten used to the idea of being a mother, and your little Allen was no longer with you.

“Theoretically, yes.”

“Explain it properly.” You demanded.

“When Barry was struck by lightning, his heart stopped several times. Doctors believed he had died because the machines couldn't record his heartbeat.” She explained. “But his heart had never stopped, what happened is that he was so fast that not even the machines could keep up.”

“So your theory is that the baby is like Barry?” Cisco chimed in. His face was in an expression it was always when he was thinking. “My God, that completely explains your extraordinary hunger and why you started vibrating like a speedster.”

“Our son is also fast.” Allen said, grinning from ear to ear. He deposited a beak on your lips, still holding your hand.

 Ten years later…

 You've finished setting the lunch table. The dish of the day was pasta with broccoli and cheese. Benjamin Allen's favorite meal.

After putting the last dish on the table, you called your child. Benjamin quickly descended using his powers.

The wind caused by your little one's speed left one of the glasses on the table unbalanced. Before Ben had a chance to catch him, another speedster came in front of him. Barry put the glass right where it was before, and went to meet him.

The brunette wrapped his arms around his body and pressed a sweet kiss to her neck. A laugh escaped his throat as he saw his son utter an exclamation of disgust.

“Please, your son is here watching you be completely disgusting. Ben said, sitting in the chair.

Benjamin has the same hair color as yours, but he had the same green eyes as his father. Everyone who saw him always said the same thing, that he was a faithful copy of Barry Allen.

 He and your husband were the guardians of Central City. The little one has not yet obtained all of his father's abilities, but he has the super speed and the ability to vibrate his body and molecules.

 In the middle of lunch, you smiled when you saw the size of your child's plate, which was three times larger than yours. That scene reminded him of something.

“Ben, would you like to hear the story of the day I found out I was pregnant?”

[thebisexualdogdad]

1. “I’m confused— what happened last night? And also, are you naked? Why are you naked?”

Barry Allen and male reader? 🤭

Barry Allen x GN!reader (no pronouns used but male reader leaning)

Sunlight shines through the cracks of your blinds, waking you up with a splitting headache.

Stretching your arms out you hit someones back, realizing you aren't alone.

“Huh?” You mumble to yourself, you didn't remember coming home with anybody last night… but wait a second, these were definitely not your bedsheets.

Looking around the room it occurs to you that this was not your home so where the hell were you and who was lying next to you.

The mystery man rolls over and it's none other than Barry Allen.

You hooked up with Barry Allen.

“Morning Y/N,” he mutters and then his eyes fly open, “Y/N?”

“Uh hey Barry,” you say sitting up in his bed, the bedsheets falling around your bare waist.

“I'm confused- what happened last night? And also, are you naked? Why are you naked?” He questions, shooting upright to notice his clothes are also nowhere to be seen, “why am I naked?”

“Guess that special speedster grade alcohol Cisco made really can get you drunk,” you chuckle awkwardly.

Moments from last night start to flash in Barry's mind, from the two of you drunkenly singing karaoke to you having him pinned up against the outside of the bar sloppily making out to clothing being shed as you stumbled through his apartment with your lips on his neck.

“So we-”

“Yep.”

“I'm so sorry Y/N I don't usually do that sort of thing and it's been so long that I've been drunk that I-” he rambles.

You cut him off with a laugh, “Barry it's okay, I don't regret anything that happened.”

“You don't?” He sighs in relief.

“No I don't,” you assure him, “in fact maybe I can borrow your kitchen to make you breakfast and we can talk about if this was a one time thing or if I can possibly take you on a real date sometime?”

Barry smiles, running his hand through his messy hair, “I'd really like that.”

“Great so how many stacks of pancakes do you need to feed that metabolism of yours? 5? 10?” You tease.

“Better make 15 just to be safe,” he jokes.

“15 stacks of pancakes coming up,” you smile, getting out of his bed to look for your pants.

He tries to be a gentleman and not stare at your naked body but damn did you have a great ass.

He really hopes this wasn't going to be a one time thing.

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

⚡️ Slushies and Sweaters

Slushies and Sweaters: It is movie night at the lab. Harry and his girlfriend Y/N have made an appearance at the request of their friends, and as usual, everything is bigger at Star labs. Bigger screen, bigger couches, bigger food spread. When Y/N/N steps out to use the restroom, she walks back into a food fight. Taking a slushee to the chest, Y/N/N will find that this movie night is going to be a little more exciting than usual.

Warnings: Language, Mentioned Nudity.

To Note: Harry Wells x Female!Reader.

Word Count: ~3.0k

Harry Wells

“This looks a little excessive,” you whisper to Harry as your eyes flicker over the copious amounts of food piled on the tables in the TV room.

“You know how Allen and Ramon are,” Harry answers quietly before placing a hand on your back and leading you over to the sofa.

You sit down and grab a blanket from the stack on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

“You want your usual?”

Blinking up at Harry, you give him a smile and a nod.
“Yes, please, but not too much. I don’t want to make myself sick from all that junk food,” you answer as Harry raises his eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitches.

“At least someone is being responsible tonight,” he huffs before moving to the table.

With your lips in a smile, you spread the blanket out on your lap and chest, snuggling into it to stave off the icy chill of the lab.

It’s movie night, and somehow Cisco and Barry have convinced Harry to join. Usually it would just be Cisco, Caitlin, Barry, Iris, Ralph, and you—but ever since it became public news that you and Harry are dating, they’ve been trying to catch Harry being romantic. Aka: not a grump.

Naturally it hasn’t happened yet, so they’ve picked a horror movie for tonight hoping you’ll get scared and Harry will, in turn, be lovey-dovey and let you cower against him. Fat chance. Harry isn’t big on PDA, and you’ve only been dating for like two months. The most you’ve done is kiss—and never around the others.

“Y/N/N. Y/N/N. Y/N/N.” Cisco calls as he slips into the spot on your left, slurping from his jumbo slushee. He wiggles his eyebrows. “You ready for movie night?”

“You mean am I ready to watch a horror movie you guys picked out to try and scare me?” you question, arching an eyebrow as Harry comes over with a small bowl of popcorn and a glass of your favorite drink.

Beaming up at him, you accept the drink as he sits down on your right.
“Yes, but I’m not planning on screaming like a little girl, you know…”

“We’ll see,” Cisco giggles to himself as Barry zips in and everyone gets settled.

You scoot closer to Harry so your legs and arms are touching as Caitlin starts scrolling through the movie library until she gets to Insidious.

“Insidious?” you question as Caitlin clicks it with a sigh. “Not a bad choice. Patrick Wilson is pretty hot, so I guess that’s a plus…”

Harry lets out a huff while Caitlin echoes your words, agreeing that Patrick Wilson is indeed hot.

“Next movie night I vote for watching Phantom of the Opera,” Caitlin says as the title sequence starts up. Ralph turns the lights off, plunging the room into darkness.

Absentmindedly picking at the popcorn, you gulp your drink. It’s one of your kryptonites.

Finished with your drink, you abandon it along with the popcorn to flop to the right and use Harry’s shoulder as a headrest. Ever so sneakily, Harry slips his arm underneath your blanket and around your waist, his fingers settling on the curve of your hip.

The movie goes by surprisingly fast, and by the time it’s halfway through, Cisco and Ralph are picking fights with each other and your bladder is nearly bursting.

Calling for a bathroom break, you untangle yourself from your fleece blanket and quickly skedaddle to the nearest bathroom.

After relieving your bladder, you start washing your hands when you hear the sounds of yelling and light crashing.

Frowning, you look at the door as you dry your hands off and wonder what the heck is going on this time.

There are more shouts and laughter, and heaving out a big sigh, you go to investigate what happened in the movie room during the few short minutes you were away.

The closer you get, the louder the shouts and laughter become.

Narrowing your eyes, you walk into the room and stop at the snack table...

…Only to have something red, cold, and wet hit you in the chest, dousing your chin, neck, and upper shirt.

A startled gasp leaves your lips at the cold temperature quickly soaking into your body, and spitting out the sweet cherry slushee you’ve just taken to the chest, you open your eyes to glare at the room’s occupants.

There is food everywhere—popcorn litters the floor, a chair is overturned next to a pile of Twizzlers, and all sorts of candy have been flung about. It’s chaos.

Your friends are caught red-handed in the middle of a food fight.

Cisco gapes at you while Caitlin covers her mouth and Iris starts giggling. Even Harry has a shocked look on his face—not to mention he looks like he has sour cream in his hair from the little taco set up.

“Y/N, I totally didn’t mean—” Cisco starts weakly as your eye twitches, but before he can get any more words out, you snag the bowl of Cisco’s beloved chips and throw it at him.

He lets out a girlish scream before diving for cover.

Then the food fight starts back up.

Lunging to your right, you grab a handful of guacamole and lob it at the other side of the room, laughing when it hits Ralph square in the face.

Giggling, you duck as Iris throws a handful of M&M’s at you, some of them actually hitting your slushee-soaked shirt.

Taking partial cover behind the table, you grab the takeout container full of the remaining guacamole and prepare for retaliation.

Taking another bit of guacamole, you pop up and throw the green glop in your hand at random, hitting Barry in the side.

“Hey!” Barry exclaims. “I thought I was on your side, Y/N!”

“There are no sides in a food fight, Barry!” you call back, throwing another handful of guacamole at him.

“Does the boyfriend get an exception?” Harry questions, ducking from a flying pretzel.

You turn his way and take a spiteful—but loving—handful of guacamole and smash it into his chest while smiling sweetly up at him.

“Nope!”

Harry’s mouth drops open and he stares at the green substance slipping from his black sweater and onto the floor.

Laughing at the priceless look on his face, you dance away from his reaching arms and reach for the remaining bowl of lettuce.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Harry huffs behind you, and centimeters before your fingers close around the bowl, his hands wrap around your waist and he hauls you back.

You’re thrown over his shoulder and the blood starts rushing to your head as you half-heartedly beat at his back.

“Harry!” you protest loudly as the food continues to be thrown around you. “Put me down! This is cheating! Harry!”

Cisco and Ralph then team up and pelt you with little bits of popcorn and candy. Harry spins you in a circle, and you just know he has one of those little smirks on his face.

“Harrison Wells!” you screech, slamming both of your palms on his back while kicking your legs.

Resistance is futile.

Harry is deceptively strong for someone who spends so much time in his lab, and you aren’t going anywhere unless he wants you to.

You can hear more laughter and giggles as you continue to squirm, and the last bit of food must have been thrown because the onslaught finally ceases.

“For the record,” you speak up, still hanging upside down on Harry’s shoulder, “whoever threw the first and second throws gets to clean this mess up.”

You hear both Cisco and Ralph groan, and Caitlin snicker at them.

“Barry, wanna give us a hand?”

“I think I’d rather have Y/N/N not mad at me,” Barry replies timidly, like the smart man he is.

“Good choice,” you mumble before poking Harry in the small of his back. “You know I love it when you go all He-Man, but I’d rather not smell like a slushee come tomorrow.”

“Come on, I’m sure you left a spare change of clothes somewhere,” Harry says before walking in the direction of his room.

“Well, it’s not like I have much of a choice at the moment,” you huff, propping yourself up on your elbow and dropping your chin into your hand.

As Harry walks, you stare Ralph and Cisco down.
“This better be cleaned up by tomorrow morning.”

They both gulp and nod as Harry rounds the corner.

Letting out a soft sigh, you drum your fingers on Harry's back.
“How did you end up with sour cream in your hair?” you query.

Harry lets out another huff.
“You can thank Cisco.”

Your lips split into a grin you’re glad he can’t see.
“But at least Cisco didn’t smear avocado on my favorite sweater.”

“Guacamole, actually.”

“Feh.”

“Oh come on, you and I both know those sweaters of yours are practically indestructible. One wash and it’ll be good as new,” you huff back. “But it was pretty funny…”

He doesn’t think it’s funny because a few seconds later, he’s pinching your ass.

You let out a small squeal and wiggle on his shoulder.

“Harry!” you exclaim, shooting a dirty look at his shoulder as he enters his room. He pulls you back over his shoulder and sets your feet on the floor.

“That was so uncalled for!”

“Was it?” he counters, gently taking your wrists and looking down at you with a raised eyebrow.

You pout your lips at him before shivering slightly and wrinkling your nose. Looking down, you stare at your light blue shirt that’s plastered to your skin, your bra showing through in parts.

“I don’t suppose I can borrow your bathroom? This is both uncomfortable and cold…” you mutter as you eye your red-tinged neck and chest.

Harry pulls you forward once more before releasing your wrists, wrapping an arm around your waist. His other hand cups your head as he leans down, inspecting the mess.

“It looks like it’s staining your skin,” Harry observes, eyebrows furrowing. “You may want more than just a quick cleanup.”

“Well, it’s not like I can lick it off myself,” you murmur. “Besides, I’m not the one with sour cream in my hair.”

Harry lets out an amused snort before brushing a drop of slushee from your neck.

“You can borrow my shower, but that shirt is going to have to come off now if you don’t want it to stain.”

He detaches himself and walks off to get the stain remover. You peel your shirt from your skin and pull it over your head, grimacing at how sticky and gross your skin feels.

Turning your shirt right side out, you hold it in front of you, inspecting the damage. It’s a good thing this wasn’t one of your favorite shirts.

While you’re distracted, Harry comes up behind you—sans sweater—and wraps his arms around your bare waist.

You feel his nose brush across your shoulder before his tongue darts out, licking a stripe up your sticky neck. Your face flames red as you repress a small squeak.

“You know, I probably don’t taste very good,” you whisper, curling your fingers into his arms. “You know, probably like Red 40?”

Harry chuckles against your skin, pressing a few light kisses that make you shiver before twisting your body in his arms. You plant your hands on his chest and look up into his face.

“Can you blame me for being envious of a droplet running across your skin?”

You lick your lip, eyes darting away as your face heats up.

“Envious of a slushee, Dr. Wells?” you tease, returning your eyes to his sparkling blue ones. “May I inform you that I’m not dating a slushee?”

His lips curve into a half smile, half smirk, and he bends down to press his lips against yours.

You’ll admit, this is not how you expected tonight to end—you, shirtless and covered in melted slushee while making out with Harry. But you’re not complaining.

You kiss back, happy to be receiving any affection from the great Harrison Wells of Earth-Two. His hands glide over your bare back, stroking your skin and leaving delightful little zings.

Groaning softly against his lips, your fingers clutch at his shirt when he deepens the kiss and nips at your bottom lip.

It’s moments like this that you treasure the most. Just you and Harry.

Except… you’re shivering.

“I think I should probably get my girlfriend cleaned and warmed up before we go any further,” Harry sighs against your lips before hugging you close and pressing a kiss to your hair. “How would you feel about showering with me?”

“People actually do that?” you ask, resting your head against his chest. “Like actually shower rather than just goof off?”

“Yeah, Y/N/N,” Harry replies with a small laugh. “People do actually take showers with the intention to get clean.”

Snorting, you sock him lightly in the stomach before grabbing his wrist and tugging him in the direction of the bathroom.

Once inside, you start shimmying your jeans down your legs as Harry gets the shower going.

You haven’t exactly thought this through. Showering with Harry means you’ll be naked. He hasn’t seen you naked yet… and you haven’t seen him.

Is now a good time to freak out?

You glance down at your bra and underwear-clad body.

Come on, Y/N, you really like Harry and he’s never made you feel uncomfortable.

Reaching back, you undo the hooks of your bra and let the damp material fall from your shoulders. From there, you push your underwear down your legs and flick them to the side.

Glancing over your shoulder, you catch Harry staring at your back—and your exposed butt. He’s in the process of removing his shirt, the fabric tangled around his arms.

Giving him a teasing smile, you step into the shower.

Hot water pelts your sticky skin and you sigh out as the heat immediately starts soothing your cold body. Letting out a deep breath, you brush your hands through your hair.

“Feel better?” Harry asks, sidling up behind you and snaking his arms around your waist as he buries his face in your neck.

New shivers dance up your spine, but not from the cold.

Sighing, you lean back into Harry’s arms.

“Much…” you breathe, resting the back of your head on his shoulder. “I’m starting to see the appeal in this and we haven’t even done anything yet.”

Harry chuckles before reaching for the washcloth and the soap he uses.

“I’m afraid the only soap and shampoo I have in here, Miss Y/L/N, are the ones I use. So if you’ll tolerate smelling like me, I can clean you up.”

“Isn’t it a thing for guys to make their significant others smell like them?” you question, leaning your head back to look up into Harry’s face. “I already like the way you smell, so that’s a bonus for me—because I’ll be reminded of you.”

From there, Harry gently scrubs your skin clean of slushee and other food particles while you run your fingers through his hair, working out the remnants of sour cream clinging to his dark strands.

There’s something deeply intimate about showering with Harry—but in a completely non-sexual way. His hands move over your skin with care, rubbing soothing circles until your body feels like silk.

You’d probably be perfectly content to stand there running your fingers through his freshly washed hair until the water runs cold, but then Harry spins you back around. Your fingers are torn from his hair as you let out a low, childish grumble.

“Hey, you got to have fun with my hair,” Harry muses huskily in your ear, holding your back against his chest. “I think it’s my turn.”

Pouting like a four-year-old, you grumble more under your breath as he begins to run his fingers through your hair.

In less than a minute, you understand the social grooming of primates. Having your hair washed and played with by someone feels heavenly—especially when it’s Harry.

Eventually, the shower has to end. While drying off, Harry manages to convince you to stay the night, citing that it’s late and that the responsible thing would be not driving home. Not that you were going to resist that hard—it means you get to snuggle.

After pulling on your underwear and slipping into one of Harry’s clean shirts, you climb into bed with him. You snuggle close to his chest, sighing as his arm wraps securely around your waist.

“So, are you convinced?” Harry asks, lightly brushing his fingers up and down your arm.

You lean your head back to look up into his face.

“Convinced about what?”

“Showering together,” he prompts with a lazy half-smile.

You blink up at him before letting out a content sigh.

“I think I rather enjoy them,” you answer, reaching up to play with his drying hair. “But next time I want more time to play with your hair.”

“Is that all you want to do?” he teases, an eyebrow arching.

You give a half-shrug and tug lightly on the ends of his hair.

“I like playing with your hair. It’s so soft and silky, and always spiky and messy.” You smile as you snuggle in closer. “Besides… how often do we get to just hold each other?”

“Not often enough,” Harry sighs, pressing a kiss to your damp hair. “Which makes me sometimes wonder what you even see in me.”

Your arms around his torso tighten as you bury your face into his chest.

“What I see,” you whisper, “is a brilliant man who’s devoted to his work, to his family, and who would do anything to protect his daughter. And I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

He sighs again, and his grip tightens around your body.

He doesn’t argue. That’s a good sign.

You fall asleep in his arms, a smile on your lips.

Date Published: 7/6/22

Last Edit: 29/4/22

Harry Wells

[techav]

Sharing a Computer with More Friends

A few months ago I built an I/O expansion board for my homebrew 68030 project with a 4-port serial card to go with it, and got BASIC running for four simultaneous users. It worked, but not as well as I had hoped. I wanted to be able to run two of those serial cards to support 8 total users, but it had proven unstable enough that with just the one card I had to slow down the whole system to 8MHz.

So I designed a new serial card.

I had previously been running this computer without any issues at 32MHz with a mezzanine card with FPU & IDE as well as a video card. The main board by itself can clear 56MHz. Having to go all the way down to 8MHz just didn't sit well with me. I want this machine to run as fast as possible for its 8 users.

I put extra time into reviewing worst-case timing for all components and graphing out how signals would propagate. The 16C554 quad UARTs I'm designing around are modern parts that can handle pretty fast bus speeds themselves — easily up to 50MHz with no wait states on the 68030 bus — assuming all the glue logic can get out of the way fast enough.

Signal propagation delays add up quickly.

My first draft schematic used discrete 74-series logic for chip selection, signal decoding, timing, etc. At slower bus speeds this wouldn't have been a problem. But I want this thing to run as fast as possible. By the time critical signals had made it through all those logic gates, I was looking at already being well into one wait state by the time the UART would see a 50MHz bus cycle begin.

I needed something faster. I was also running low on space on the board for all the components I needed. The obvious answer was programmable logic. I settled on the ATF22V10 as a good compromise of speed, size, availability, and programmability. It's available in DIP with gate delays down to 7ns. Where discrete gates were necessary, I selected the fastest parts I could. The final design I came up with showed a worst case timing that would only need one wait state at 50MHz and none for anything slower.

It ended up being a tight fit, but I was able to make it work on a 4-layer board within the same footprint of my main board, putting some components on the back side. (It may look like a bunch of empty space, but there's actually a lot going on running full RS232 with handshaking for 8 ports).

New problem. I had blown my budget for the project. As much as I love those stacked DE9 connectors, they're expensive. And there's no getting around the $10 pricetag for each of those quad UARTs. Even using parts on-hand where possible, I was looking at a hefty Mouser order.

[jbevren] suggested using ganged RJ45 connectors with the Cisco pinout instead of stacked DE9, to save space & cut costs. [Chartreuse] suggested buffering the TTL serial TX/RX signals to drive the LEDs that are frequently included on PCB-mount RJ45 connectors. Both great ideas. I was able to cut 20% off my parts order and add some nice diagnostic lights to the design.

Two weeks later, I received five new PCBs straight from China. I of course wasted no time setting into starting to assemble one.

I really set myself up for a challenge on this one. I learned to solder some 25 years ago and have done countless projects in that time. But I think this might be the most compact, most heavily populated, most surface mount board I've ever assembled myself. (There are 56 size 0805 (that's 2x1.2mm) capacitors alone!)

After a few hours soldering, I had enough assembled to test the first serial port. If the first port worked then the other three on that chip should work too, and there's a great chance the other chip would work as well.

And it did work! After some poking around with the oscilloscope to make sure nothing was amiss, I started up the computer and it ran just fine at 8MHz.

And at 16MHz.

And at 25MHz.

And at 32MHz.

And at 40MHz.

And almost at 50MHz!

Remember what I said about my timing graphs showing one wait state for 50MHz? The computer actually booted up and ran just fine at 50MHz. The problem was when I tried typing in a BASIC program certain letters were getting switched around, and try as I might, BASIC just refused to 'RQN' my program. It was pretty consistently losing bit 3, likely from that signal having to travel just a tiny bit farther than the others. A problem that will probably be resolved with an extra wait state.

Good enough for a first test! A few hours more and I finished assembling the card.

I did have some problems with cleaning up flux off the board, and I had to touch up a few weak solder joints, but so far everything seems to be working. I've updated my little multi-user kernel to run all 8 users from this new card and it's running stable at 40MHz.

I need to update my logic on the 22V10 to fix a bug in the wait state generator. I would love to see this thing actually running at 50MHz — a 25% overclock for the 40MHz CPU I am currently running. I also want to expand my little kernel program to add some new features like the ability to configure the console serial ports and maybe even load programs from disk.

I hope to bring this machine with a collection of terminals and modems this June to VCF Southwest 2025 for an interactive exhibit that can be dialed into from other exhibits at the show.

[horseradish-girly]

Does anyone else wanna have a sleepover terminating RJ-45 and playing with my cisco 2911 and 2960 and build a dual stack network with several random vlans so we can play minecraft on my raspberry pi server for fun?

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Wednesday, 12-11-24, 2pm Pacific

Aaaaaaand a good afternoon to all, Mr. Baggins here, back with our Afternoon Stack of Classic Wax! Today I've set the dial on my Wayback Machine to 1970, not just because it was a great year for the music, but because we are gonna do another little deep-dive, this time, with one of my all-time favorite bands from the '70s, WAR! We first heard of them as the unique-sounding backup band for Eric Burdon's 1970 hit "Spill The Wine"...with the percussion, and that organ flourish and bad-ass drumming, I was hooked! I was eleven when it came out and it is STILL one of my favorite songs!

The story was that Burdon had collapsed on-stage from "an asthma attack" while on tour with them and dropped out mid-tour, leaving them to do the rest of the tour and their massive career on their own, which they did quite handily, going on to become one of the BIGGEST bands of the '70s. Their first sans-Burdon single, All Day Music, became an instant Top 40 hit. The blend of Afro and Latino sounds along with their undeniable ability to generate a groove set them apart from any other band at the time. There is a certain kind of "south texas" feel to their music, so much so that when I first heard this song, I thought they were a San Antonio band, because the SA radio station I listened to from 120 miles away played them a lot.

The next single, Slippin' Into Darkness (issued in early '72), went Gold and cemented their fusion of Latin and Afro and Pop/Rock as "the sound" in everybody's heads. I remember this song blasting out of radios everywhere!

Their next single went all the way to Number 7, the title cut from their magnum opus album, The World Is A Ghetto, set them firmly in the rock/pop/soul pantheon. Recorded and issued in late 1972.

The album gave us another couple of bad-ass hits: the next single was Cisco Kid, was almost a Number 1...it got all the way to Number 2! It's also one of the songs that made me think they were a Texas band (plus their album cut "southern part of texas"). I was actually surprised to find out they were from Long Beach!

The next single quickly became one of my favorite songs of all time; it got all the way to Number 7, another top ten tune that I remember being on the radio ALL the time! Another one issued in '72 but a hit into the next year.

Their next hit, Me and Baby Brother, was also ubiquitous. That really is one of the things I remember about them: all these songs are so uniquely THEM, i have a hard time separating them out by year in my head, it's like their music was just all One Really Groovy Year! This was also recorded in '73 and became a hit in '74.

Their next single was a lot more "pop", it got all the way to Number 6 on the chart, and was an anthem of sorts for that odd, odd, ODD period that was the middle of the '70s.

Their next hit was a return to their trademark sound, and one of their biggest hits, going all the way to Number 7.

Their next single would be their last really big hit, Summer. It was one of those songs that defined my teenage years...it was '76, I had just bought my '69 Mustang fast back, and really did used to go "ridin' 'round town with all the windows down, 8-track playin' all your favorite sounds..."

And that wraps up today's Afternoon Stack of Classic Wax! I hope you've enjoyed our timewarp back to the '70s and one of the biggest bands of the decade! Mr. Baggins signing off for now, I'll be back at 7pm with a set to soothe our achin' nerves and help ease us all into a good night.

Until then, be kind, babies, be kind.

Baggins out.

[maletofujoshi]

apotheosis is a minecraft mod i played with a bit in "cisco's ultimate rpg adventure" pack, and ... i think it kinda sucks ass? but in an odd way. like. hmm. so basically it adds "levels" to mobs which is just a multiplier on their stats that ups the further you get from spawn, and at certain progression milestones. later enemies are basically impossible to deal with without supercharged gear, they have too much health, they deal too much damage. but then... its supposed to be rpg progression, but like. 2 stats outshine literally everything else. so the only way to make real progress outside of early game, when your numbers are merely in the double digits, is too maximize your crit chance and crit damage. there's a mechanic called "overcrit" or something, and it basically allows your crits to crit if you go over 100% crit chance. and like. literally nothing else is viable for endgame damage except for that...? well. there's an addition that works with another modpack to boost specific elemental spell power and that stacks in a funny way, but even if you want that, you still will also be wanting the crit stuff as well!

what ends up happening is like. either you die in 1 hit or the enemy dies in 1 hit whenever ur up against a boss. so like. mhm. and it's minecraft so.

[brooklynislandgirl]

@southern-belle-outcasts {{xx}} This. This is the very thing that she enjoys about Cisco. That his ego is shallow enough that she can see the lattice comprised of awkwardness and sweetness when he thinks he's in the wrong. She doesn't need to read minds when she can read his face. He thinks he's upset her somehow though he's not sure what it was exactly that was said or done. Most men she knows would and have found fault in her, blaming her for their inadequacies real or imagined. He also seems to miss the fact that she is only teasing him. He is pretty great though. She makes a face at that variation of her name, though at his request, she does pick up a stack of sticky notes and from the nebulous depths of her bag she produces her signature purple sparkly gel pen. Carefully she writes down both Elizabeth and Irene the way they are spelled back home. Her print is small, neat. "...'S okay if ya no can. Besides, I t'ink I'm really a Beth anyway. But I'm guessin' ya nevah been fan of Francisco. Least dey don' call you Frisco. Of course, 'round da islands... we'd call you Palakiko in full, or Kiko for Cisco. Limited alphabet an' all." She comes up behind him to peek at the screens in front of him, resting her chin on his shoulder briefly. She doesn't exactly understand what he's hoping for, but she knows yearning when she sees it. That'll maybe be the next topic she brings up. "I bo'd admire you for serious long distance relationship an' yet...don' get it. I no can imagine bein' wi' someone I couldn't actually be wi'd. You really are such a strong person, ya know? An' I t'ink...nevah easy bein' a younger sibling, always in ya braddah's shadow." Even, and maybe especially, when that brother is...gone. She leans her head against his. "Probably not somet'ing eiddah one of us wan talk about. So. So wha's easier for ya? Tell me 'bout dis screen an' wha' ya lookin' for...or somet'ing else?"

[gradsireninc]

How To Get An Online Internship In the IT Sector (Skills And Tips)

Internships provide invaluable opportunities to gain practical skills, build professional networks, and get your foot in the door with top tech companies.

With remote tech internships exploding in IT, online internships are now more accessible than ever. Whether a college student or career changer seeking hands-on IT experience, virtual internships allow you to work from anywhere.

However, competition can be fierce, and simply applying is often insufficient. Follow this comprehensive guide to develop the right technical abilities.

After reading this, you can effectively showcase your potential, and maximize your chances of securing a remote tech internship.

Understand In-Demand IT Skills

The first step is gaining a solid grasp of the most in-demand technical and soft skills. While specific requirements vary by company and role, these competencies form a strong foundation:

Technical Skills:

Proficiency in programming languages like Python, JavaScript, Java, and C++

Experience with front-end frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js

Back-end development skills - APIs, microservices, SQL databases Cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud

IT infrastructure skills - servers, networks, security

Data science abilities like SQL, R, Python

Web development and design

Mobile app development - Android, iOS, hybrid

Soft Skills:

Communication and collaboration

Analytical thinking and problem-solving

Leadership and teamwork

Creativity and innovation

Fast learning ability

Detail and deadline-oriented

Flexibility and adaptability

Obtain Relevant Credentials

While hands-on skills hold more weight, relevant academic credentials and professional IT certifications can strengthen your profile. Consider pursuing:

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, or related engineering fields

Internship-specific courses teaching technical and soft skills

Certificates like CompTIA, AWS, Cisco, Microsoft, Google, etc.

Accredited boot camp programs focusing on applied skills

MOOCs to build expertise in trending technologies like AI/ML, cybersecurity

Open source contributions on GitHub to demonstrate coding skills

The right credentials display a work ethic and supplement practical abilities gained through projects.

Build An Impressive Project Portfolio

Nothing showcases skills better than real-world examples of your work. Develop a portfolio of strong coding, design, and analytical projects related to your target internship field.

Mobile apps - publish on app stores or use GitHub project pages

Websites - deploy online via hosting services

Data science - showcase Jupyter notebooks, visualizations

Open source code - contribute to public projects on GitHub

Technical writing - blog posts explaining key concepts

Automation and scripts - record demo videos

Choose projects demonstrating both breadth and depth. Align them to skills required for your desired internship roles.

Master Technical Interview Skills

IT internship interviews often include challenging technical questions and assessments. Be prepared to:

Explain your code and projects clearly. Review them beforehand.

Discuss concepts related to key technologies on your resume. Ramp up on fundamentals.

Solve coding challenges focused on algorithms, data structures, etc. Practice online judges like LeetCode.

Address system design and analytical problems. Read case interview guides.

Show communication and collaboration skills through pair programming tests.

Ask smart, well-researched questions about the company’s tech stack, projects, etc.

Schedule dedicated time for technical interview practice daily. Learn to think aloud while coding and get feedback from peers.

Show Passion and Curiosity

Beyond raw skills, demonstrating genuine passion and curiosity for technology goes a long way.

Take online courses and certifications beyond the college curriculum

Build side projects and engage in hackathons for self-learning

Stay updated on industry news, trends, and innovations

Be active on forums like StackOverflow to exchange knowledge

Attend tech events and conferences

Participate in groups like coding clubs and prior internship programs

Follow tech leaders on social mediaListen to tech podcasts while commuting

Show interest in the company’s mission, products, and culture

This passion shines through in interviews and applications, distinguishing you from other candidates.

Promote Your Personal Brand

In the digital age, your online presence and personal brand are make-or-break. Craft a strong brand image across:

LinkedIn profile - showcase achievements, skills, recommendations

GitHub - displays coding activity and quality through clean repositories

Portfolio website - highlight projects and share valuable content

Social media - post career updates and useful insights, but avoid oversharing

Blogs/videos - demonstrate communication abilities and thought leadership

Online communities - actively engage and build relationships

Ensure your profiles are professional and consistent. Let your technical abilities and potential speak for themselves.

Optimize Your Internship Applications

Applying isn’t enough. You must optimize your internship applications to get a reply:

Ensure you apply to openings that strongly match your profile Customize your resume and cover letters using keywords in the job description

Speak to skills gained from coursework, online learning, and personal projects

Quantify achievements rather than just listing responsibilities

Emphasize passion for technology and fast learning abilities

Ask insightful questions that show business understanding

Follow up respectfully if you don’t hear back in 1-2 weeks

Show interest in full-time conversion early and often

Apply early since competitive openings close quickly

Leverage referrals from your network if possible

This is how you do apply meaningfully. If you want a good internship, focus on the quality of applications. The hard work will pay off.

Succeed in Your Remote Internship

The hard work pays off when you secure that long-awaited internship! Continue standing out through the actual internship by:

Over Communicating in remote settings - proactively collaborate

Asking smart questions and owning your learning

Finding mentors and building connections remotely

Absorbing constructive criticism with maturity

Shipping quality work on or before deadlines

Clarifying expectations frequently

Going above and beyond prescribed responsibilities sometimes

Getting regular feedback and asking for more work

Leaving with letters of recommendation and job referrals

When you follow these tips, you are sure to succeed in your remote internship. Remember, soft skills can get you long ahead in the company, sometimes core skills can’t.

Conclusion

With careful preparation, tenacity, and a passion for technology, you will be able to get internships jobs in USA that suit your needs in the thriving IT sector.

Use this guide to build the right skills, create an impressive personal brand, ace the applications, and excel in your internship.

Additionally, you can browse some good job portals. For instance, GrandSiren can help you get remote tech internships. The portal has the best internship jobs in India and USA you’ll find. The investment will pay dividends throughout your career in this digital age. Wishing you the best of luck! Let me know in the comments about your internship hunt journey.

[gradsiren]

How To Get An Online Internship In the IT Sector (Skills And Tips)

Internships provide invaluable opportunities to gain practical skills, build professional networks, and get your foot in the door with top tech companies.

With remote tech internships exploding in IT, online internships are now more accessible than ever. Whether a college student or career changer seeking hands-on IT experience, virtual internships allow you to work from anywhere.

However, competition can be fierce, and simply applying is often insufficient. Follow this comprehensive guide to develop the right technical abilities.

After reading this, you can effectively showcase your potential, and maximize your chances of securing a remote tech internship.

Understand In-Demand IT Skills

The first step is gaining a solid grasp of the most in-demand technical and soft skills. While specific requirements vary by company and role, these competencies form a strong foundation:

Technical Skills:

>> Proficiency in programming languages like Python, JavaScript, Java, and C++ >> Experience with front-end frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js >> Back-end development skills - APIs, microservices, SQL databases >> Cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud >> IT infrastructure skills - servers, networks, security >> Data science abilities like SQL, R, Python >> Web development and design >> Mobile app development - Android, iOS, hybrid

Soft Skills:

>> Communication and collaboration >> Analytical thinking and problem-solving >> Leadership and teamwork >> Creativity and innovation >> Fast learning ability >> Detail and deadline-oriented >> Flexibility and adaptability

Obtain Relevant Credentials

While hands-on skills hold more weight, relevant academic credentials and professional IT certifications can strengthen your profile. Consider pursuing:

>> Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, or related engineering fields. >> Internship-specific courses teaching technical and soft skills. >> Certificates like CompTIA, AWS, Cisco, Microsoft, Google, etc. >> Accredited boot camp programs focusing on applied skills. >> MOOCs to build expertise in trending technologies like AI/ML, cybersecurity. >> Open source contributions on GitHub to demonstrate coding skills.

The right credentials display a work ethic and supplement practical abilities gained through projects.

Build An Impressive Project Portfolio

Nothing showcases skills better than real-world examples of your work. Develop a portfolio of strong coding, design, and analytical projects related to your target internship field.

>> Mobile apps - publish on app stores or use GitHub project pages >> Websites - deploy online via hosting services >> Data science - showcase Jupyter notebooks, visualizations >> Open source code - contribute to public projects on GitHub >> Technical writing - blog posts explaining key concepts >> Automation and scripts - record demo videos

Choose projects demonstrating both breadth and depth. Align them to skills required for your desired internship roles.

Master Technical Interview Skills

IT internship interviews often include challenging technical questions and assessments. Be prepared to:

>> Explain your code and projects clearly. Review them beforehand. >> Discuss concepts related to key technologies on your resume. Ramp up on fundamentals. >> Solve coding challenges focused on algorithms, data structures, etc. Practice online judges like LeetCode. >> Address system design and analytical problems. Read case interview guides. >> Show communication and collaboration skills through pair programming tests. >> Ask smart, well-researched questions about the company’s tech stack, projects, etc.

Schedule dedicated time for technical interview practice daily. Learn to think aloud while coding and get feedback from peers.

Show Passion and Curiosity

Beyond raw skills, demonstrating genuine passion and curiosity for technology goes a long way.

>> Take online courses and certifications beyond the college curriculum >> Build side projects and engage in hackathons for self-learning >> Stay updated on industry news, trends, and innovations >> Be active on forums like StackOverflow to exchange knowledge >> Attend tech events and conferences >> Participate in groups like coding clubs and prior internship programs >> Follow tech leaders on social media >> Listen to tech podcasts while commuting >> Show interest in the company’s mission, products, and culture

This passion shines through in interviews and applications, distinguishing you from other candidates.

Promote Your Personal Brand

In the digital age, your online presence and personal brand are make-or-break. Craft a strong brand image across:

>> LinkedIn profile - showcase achievements, skills, recommendations >> GitHub - displays coding activity and quality through clean repositories >> Portfolio website - highlight projects and share valuable content >> Social media - post career updates and useful insights, but avoid oversharing >> Blogs/videos - demonstrate communication abilities and thought leadership >> Online communities - actively engage and build relationships

Ensure your profiles are professional and consistent. Let your technical abilities and potential speak for themselves.

Optimize Your Internship Applications

Applying isn’t enough. You must optimize your internship applications to get a reply:

>> Ensure you apply to openings that strongly match your profile >> Customize your resume and cover letters using keywords in the job description >> Speak to skills gained from coursework, online learning, and personal projects >> Quantify achievements rather than just listing responsibilities >> Emphasize passion for technology and fast learning abilities >> Ask insightful questions that show business understanding >> Follow up respectfully if you don’t hear back in 1-2 weeks >> Show interest in full-time conversion early and often >> Apply early since competitive openings close quickly >> Leverage referrals from your network if possible

This is how you do apply meaningfully. If you want a good internship, focus on the quality of applications. The hard work will pay off.

Succeed in Your Remote Internship

The hard work pays off when you secure that long-awaited internship! Continue standing out through the actual internship by:

>> Over Communicating in remote settings - proactively collaborate >> Asking smart questions and owning your learning >> Finding mentors and building connections remotely >> Absorbing constructive criticism with maturity >> Shipping quality work on or before deadlines >> Clarifying expectations frequently >> Going above and beyond prescribed responsibilities sometimes >> Getting regular feedback and asking for more work >> Leaving with letters of recommendation and job referrals

When you follow these tips, you are sure to succeed in your remote internship. Remember, soft skills can get you long ahead in the company, sometimes core skills can’t.

Conclusion

With careful preparation, tenacity, and a passion for technology, you will be able to get internships jobs in USA that suit your needs in the thriving IT sector.

Use this guide to build the right skills, create an impressive personal brand, ace the applications, and excel in your internship.

Additionally, you can browse some good job portals. For instance, GrandSiren can help you get remote tech internships. The portal has the best internship jobs in India and USA you’ll find.

The investment will pay dividends throughout your career in this digital age. Wishing you the best of luck! Let me know in the comments about your internship hunt journey.

[enchanted-lightning-aes]

For the prompts: “Claude” and “wrong”? (Her being wrong or her proving someone else wrong pfff

Or something else entirely!)

hi there, lee! thank you for this request. this has been a bit of a challenge bc it was difficult to choose who else would be featured, lmao. 😂

i had to keep it small and somewhat domestic. and some platonic dynamics involved. just a space explorer and two meta-humans (x, x) chilling in a library. featuring discussions of astrophysics, sksksk. 🌌🌌

send me a prompt? for any oc, dynamic, fandom characters, concepts.

Word Count: 782

T.W/C.W: None-ish

***

"As much as I'm glad to see you," Cisco said, clasping his hands together. "I wish it wasn't because of business."

Maxine set a stack of textbooks on the table. "Hey, after this, we can hit Jitters if you want. Besides, aren't you bored being in the cortex?" 

"Yeah, you deserve to take a break from Team Flash work," Claude added, taking her sunglasses off. 

"Touché." Cisco grinned, pushing a straw onto his capri sun. "Although, I'm surprised you wanted us to be here for this." 

They were in a local library at Central City, gathered by a table. Surrounded by silence and secluded by bookshelves.  

"Why else would I ask one of the brilliant geniuses I know for help?" Maxine asked wryly. She chuckled. "Um, anyways. My test is gonna be grueling as hell. So, I need any advice on these astrophysics and aeronautical engineering."

"Oof." Claude grimaced, rubbing her forehead.

"Ugh, the atrocity known as academia," Cisco said, tsking. "I took years to earn my Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. I'd join grad school if it wasn't pricey as hell." 

"Wait, you didn't go?" Maxine furrowed her brows. "Why not?" 

"Here's a fun fact. . . working in S.T.A.R Labs and fighting crime doesn't pay much." Cisco flicked a hand. "So, it ain't enough for an entire semester."

Claude scrunched her face. "Didn't you know that before joining Team Flash? Look, I've been piling up your bank account. If you want extra for that, I'd be cool with it." 

"Yeah, you know I spend that cash on recreational purposes, not academic." Cisco chuckled, brushing some of his hair strands back. "Anyways. Maxine, tell us what you got. And we'll help you to the best of our abilities." 

Maxine jumped up to her feet, opening her notebook. Flipping to pages containing scribbles of numbers and letters. Arranged in equations. 

"Whoa," both Cisco and Claude murmured simultaneously. 

"I need to practice on improving my calculations regarding some equations and formulas." Maxine grimaced, steepling her fingers. "I'm having some trouble with the Doppler effect. I'd ask my professor for help. Except she's busy with dozens of students to grade. However, I guess you both need to check if your calculating skills are rusty." 

"Ah, I'm one hundred percent certain I still got it," Claude replied, smirking. 

Cisco wiggled his brows. "Can't wait to see if that's true." 

"Yeah, so, one of the problems features a train," Maxine said, opening a textbook. Turning it to an activity page. "It's highlighted in teal." 

Claude pulled a calculator out of her backpack. She switched it on and typed the equation from the paper. The Doppler effect. Copying the numbers displayed on the page. 

Cisco also whipped out a calculator, typing some equations. He sank deeper in his seat while a sigh whooshed out of him. 

When they both finished, they slid their calculators onto the table. Maxine grabbed her notebook and examined the results on the small screen. 

Maxine scrunched her face, rubbing her chin. "No offense, Professor Strodloge but. . . but Cisco's calculations look correct. The frequency in yours doesn't add up to the fixed speed. Meanwhile for Cisco, the frequency seems to be aligned with it." 

Ouch, she thought, staring ahead at a random wall. She compressed her mouth. 

"Fine, I guess I'm wrong about the calculations," Claude said, her voice low. "Only because astrophysics isn't exactly my area of study." 

"Pffft, you're a space explorer," Cisco pointed out cheekily. "Sorta ironic, don't ya think?" 

"I don't need to calculate while flying a spaceship, dude. I only measure the hours on how I can get there." 

"What an atrocious excuse. At least, the math involved in science is supposedly tolerable than those outside of it." 

"Hey! I'm good at some equations." 

"Yeah, at quantum mechanics, which is completely different from astrophysics." 

"Guys! Can we focus, pretty please?" Maxine frowned, plopping onto her chair. 

When Maxine tapped a pencil on the table's edge, Cisco grinned sheepishly. Claude slid a glance at her calculator, wiping the equations off. 

"Sorry, it's rare for Professor Strodloge to be wrong about science," Cisco murmured, gradually cracking up. "It tends to be trippy for anyone witnessing it." 

Claude shrugged, bowing her head. "Well, you happen to be better at it. Since frequencies are totally your thing." 

"You got that right, at least." Cisco snorted. "Well, you tried. So, that's something."

With a sigh, Claude nodded. 

"Can we get back to my equation problem?" Maxine asked. "My G.P.A depends on this, you know." 

"Yes, yes, so, this is how the train's frequency will be," Cisco replied in his 'comms' voice. "This amount of power ensures it'll travel in this exact rate."

***

[renofmanyalts]

Fact for fact: Merces is an adequate cook if he is given clear instructions or a recipe to follow. If he is told to improvise... well, the result is edible but not very delicious (spices, how do they work?).

Fact for fact: Tell me a fact about your OC and I will respond with a semi-related fact about mine.

Prompt 4: Off the Hook

Who: Zhah'ra Savaptha and Merces Ninthstar (belongs to @ever-searching)

What: Extenuating circumstances leave Zhah'ra and Merces in charge of dinner.

Where: The Stray Inn, South Shroud

When: some time ago, in autumn, soon after the cold room had been installed

Content notes: food, obviously

Music: "Into the Light" by Off the Hook (Splatoon 2) (YouTube, lyrics, such as they are); bonus: "Soup Song" performed by Cisco Houston (YouTube, lyrics)

Zhah'ra stopped short in the doorway to the Stray Inn's kitchens, tail swaying uncertainly as he surveyed the bowls and baskets arrayed on the table. When Ulfric, the innkeeper, had been called away on an emergency, Zhah'ra hadn't thought twice about agreeing to help finish assembling dinner, especially when Ulfric had reassured him that it was all gathered together, and basically all he and Merces would need to do was cut up the ingredients and throw them in a pot. The broth was already simmering on the stove, even.

But this was... a lot of ingredients.

At least the things themselves were familiar enough. He recognized the unavoidable apples from the inn's orchard, and a few pumpkins with their ribbed green-and-orange skins. White beans sat soaking in a bowl. A double handful of celery stalks were arranged in a jar of water like the star's crunchiest flower arrangement. Beside them, a veritable mountain of some green, leafy something — two different green, leafy somethings? — stood heaped on a stack of towelling, still glistening with moisture. Lastly, there was a bundle of what Zhah'ra was pretty sure were leeks, with their thick, white stems and dark green tops. Maayan's exasperated recounting of too many bowls of the sandy, fibrous vegetables played in his mind.

It was just the two of them. The inn had no guests at the moment, and most of the residents were away. He glanced over the intimidating pile of produce, trying to imagine how it might fit together into a cohesive dish.

"Merces..." he said slowly, turning to look at his erstwhile brother-in-arms. "What would you say to having bread and butter for dinner?"

—

Zhah'ra can generally manage to competently get nourishment into himself, if not with very much flair. At this point in time, he had really only recently begun learning to cook, so he had little confidence in his skills when it came to making food others would find palatable.

On top of that, while he's not a strict carnivore, he does feel much better when his diet has higher proportions of meat and fish. He is... markedly unenthused about plain vegetable stew — especially after his stint in Rhalgr's Reach, where a pottage of greens was the usual fare from the communal cookpot. Ulfric's cooking typically circumvents this objection, but "having a bowl of delicious something placed in front of you" and "having to get there yourself from raw ingredients" are two very different propositions!

—

Apparently the perfectionism-busting exercise for me this year is being gentle about artificial deadlines. I started trying to write this soon after prompt 6 came out on Wednesday (i.e., right on schedule for my modified challenge), but I was struggling so much with my usual nonsense that I kept having to go rest. Maybe 2-3 prompt fills a week is too ambitious? (When I ask myself this, my immediate internal response is "well, yeah, that sounds like a lot?") I'm having fun, though! >:(

As an aside, the intended end point for all of those ingredients was pumpkin soup with leeks and white beans. I've never made this particular recipe, but I think it sounds delicious. (I have made this one, beans omitted, and it is.)

[flamingswordofdoom]

Chrome -

> either go to chrome://settings or open settings by going to the 3 vertically stacked dots in the upper right-hand corner and selecting "Settings" near the bottom of the menu that pops up > type "hardware" or "acceleration" in the search bar at the top of the page or go to "system" near the bottom of the list on the left-hand side of the page > uncheck "use hardware acceleration when available" in the middle of the screen

for Edge - (i'm sure they will get on this eventually too)

> open settings in the same way as Chrome, except the dots are horizontal in the upper right-hand corner

> type "hardware" into the search bar in the upper left side

> turn off the setting when it appears at some point

IMPORTANT NOTE

if you are streaming/screensharing via Discord, you need to disable hardware acceleration on there as well. i don't have tumblr on my phone, so here is how to disable on the computer

these are the correct instructions as of january 2nd 2024

> go to "user settings" in the bottom left corner of the app

> go to "voice and video" about 2/3rds down the initial page on the left side

> scroll down about halfway

> disable "OpenH264 Video Codec provided by Cisco Systems, Inc." - this will turn off both hardware acceleration and AV1 video codec. in my personal experience you need both of these disabled as well as OpenH264

firefox just started doing this too so remember kids if you want to stream things like netflix or hulu over discord without the video being blacked out you just have to disable hardware acceleration in your browser settings!

[splitpointsolutions]

Exploring the Top Tools for Cloud Based Network Monitoring in 2025

With businesses increasingly implementing cloud-first programming, there has been no time when network visibility is more required. Conventional monitoring tools are no longer sufficient to monitor the performance, latency and security of the modern and distributed infrastructures.

And that is where cloud based network monitoring enters. It allows IT teams that have hybrid and cloud environments to have real-time views, remotely access them, and also have improved scalability.

Some of those tools are remarkable in terms of their features, user-friendliness, and in-depth analytics, in 2025. This is the list totaling the best alternatives that are assisting companies keep in front of the network problems prior to them affecting operations.

1. Datadog

DevOps and IT teams are fond of using Datadog due to its cloud-native architecture and extensive availability. It also provides visibility of full-stack, metrics, traces as well as logs, all on a single dashboard.

Its Network Performance Monitoring (NPM) allows identifying bottlenecks, tracing traffic and tracking cloud services such as AWS, Azure and Google cloud. It provides teams with the ability to move quickly with real-time alerts and customizable dashboards with the insights.

2. SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability

SolarWinds is traditionally associated with on-prem monitoring solutions, whereas, with shifts toward hybrid cloud observability, it will find itself extremely pertinent in 2025. The platform has evolved and is able to combine conventional network monitoring with cloud insights.

It provides anomaly detection, visual mapping, deep packet inspection using AI. This aids IT teams to troubleshoot through complex environments without switching between tools.

3. ThousandEyes by Cisco

ThousandEyes specializes in digital experience monitoring, and it is especially applicable to large, distributed networks. It also delivers end to end visibility at user to application level across third party infrastructure.

Its cloud agents and the internet outage tracking ensure that businesses can find out in a short time whether a performance problem is either internal or external. The strong support of Cisco gives the accuracy and the access of its network data.

4. LogicMonitor

LogicMonitor is a simple to deploy and scale agentless platform. It is awesome when an organization needs automation and little configuration.

The tool measures bandwidth, uptime, latency and cloud performance among various providers. Its predictive analytics not only identify trends, but they also notify teams before minor problems become major ones.

5. ManageEngine OpManager Plus

OpManager Plus is a powerful tool to be used by those who require an infrastructure support combination of the traditional and cloud-based monitoring. It is compatible with hybrid networks that provide stats such as device health, traffic and application performance.

It is distinguished by the UI, which is clean, self-explanatory, and can be customized. It especially is suitable in the middle-sized IT departments who require an unobstructed glance of both physical and virtual systems.

6. PRTG Network Monitor (Cloud Hosted)

The hosted version of PRTG has the same functions as its widely used desktop version, and its availability is on cloud levels. It carries sensors to keep track of server availability to network capacity and usage as well as cloud services.

It is perfect when companies require such a convenient approach as a license and payment as you go prices. Even the simpler option of the tool can be a good option to apply to the project where IT team size is smaller or you are at the beginning of the cloud migration.

What to Look for in a Monitoring Tool

When choosing a cloud network monitoring solution, it's important to focus on a few key aspects:

Ease of deployment and scalability

Multi-cloud and hybrid support

Custom alerting and reporting

Integration with your existing stack

User-friendly dashboards and automation

Each business is unique in its requirements and there is no such thing like the best tool, only the tool that suits your infrastructure, the size of your team and your response requirements.

Conclusion

With evolving infrastructure it is important to have the correct tools implemented to observe performance and availability. In 2025, the cloud based network monitoring tools will be more competitive, intelligent and responsive than ever.

Be it a Hollywood-sized company or a small IT start-up, by investing in any of these best platforms, you have the sight of keeping secure, flexible and consistent in a cloud driven planet.