#web content extraction

[productdata]

Daily Text Content Web Scraping for Real-Time Sentiment Analysis

[tarantula-hawk-wasp]

This can be either original or fan content. I’m generous with definitions if you’re an amv maker or web-weaver that’s art in my heart

[me-uglypretty]

Three words and you know it

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x F!Reader

Summary: Yelena and Kate fools Peter into a web of lies that eventually creates something more than a mischievous prank. [Loosely based on this incorrect quotes]

Warning: 18+ (G), fake relationships, comedy, pranks, fluff | Word count: 3.2k

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Oblivion was neither bad nor good, it was something that depended entirely on an individual’s circumstance. It was the knowing and not knowing. For an instance, there are certain time or situation in which, someone voluntarily walks into a shared space, a look of innocence on their face or that of oblivion, the utmost clarity in their words as they spoke with an unknown oath to gather attention that spew at confusion and awkward conversations. Though, it was to their unawareness.

It begun, a lovely morning for a warm breakfast, an extra sweet treat at the side, and two cups of tea. Natasha assured that breakfast duty was hers for today, and for you to sit comfortable on the kitchen chair. It forced a sort of routine, you would cook for her and she would cook for you, and Natasha profusely placing an extra pancake on your plate. Such arguments of being too full from your side was ignored.

You knew—Natasha knew. The extend of what you could eat, what you hated to eat, and everything that wouldn’t suffice your hunger. Especially for her special breakfast pancake that you truly enjoy, and have in numerous occasions requested for the same food later in the evening. It was your thing with her, and her thing with you.

Natasha knew that at every dreadful mission, the vile smell of gun powder, blood that sticks uncomfortable on your skin that was a mix of yours and the body that fell dead, and the anguish within which you hid with a joke—it was this little routine that curls a genuine smile on your face.

There, a smile etched on your face as you take anguish bites of your breakfast, and the equally contented smile on Natasha’s face as she unashamedly stares at you. A twinkle of some sort in your eyes and hers. The childlike expression which erupts at the most trivial situation or when enjoying the little things in life more than others, but more with each other.

You both were alike in that way, just not in the exact way that would make obvious of another correlation between two former assassins.

It was then, a wisp of white threadlike webs whizzed through the kitchen, an inch away from knocking your plate and a perfect hit to the cabinet behind you. At the exact moment that you swore, Natasha swiftly extracted a knife from beneath the counter, and a sound of cheer erupts with the appearance of Peter Parker.

Occasion alike this is when confusion arrives, playing a tune that led to strokes of awkwardness by the words of Peter, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Mrs Romanoff! I’m still trying to understand this, look it’s so cool, but it's so confusing and this update just made it more confusing…”

The show of a silver bracelet wrapped around his wrist had earned a whistle from Natasha, complimenting him on the new look and discreetly hiding the knife she was holding. He seemed unfazed as he continued talking. The young boy’s likely visit often result in many broken objects, and yet, Tony insists on presenting him with new devices.

“How’s uni?” you enquired, after ensuring that you wouldn’t be hit by another string of web.

Natasha who was sat opposite you, watched amusedly as you navigated your plate correspondingly to where Peter moved in the kitchen. Your attentive gaze on the young boy dithers when you meet the eyes of Natasha, the wiggle of her eyebrows seems to almost take your attention away, if wasn’t for the rumbles of the additional person in the kitchen.

“…I told him that we shouldn’t do it, but it happened anyway,” Peter had gone on, words upon words that was ignored by reason of the woman sat opposite you. “Opps, sorry again, Mrs Romanoff,” he mumbled, hands fixated on the string of web almost hitting straight on Natasha’s forehead as the other end was stuck to his bracelet.

Several taps on the countertop redirects his attention towards the sound. Natasha gave him a pointed look. “Peter…” her voice sounded stern, nearing that of annoyance, before a playful smile emerges on her face, and she waited for the realisation to settle at her attempt of a joke.

The intention was to gather rounds of laughter from the young boy, perhaps, for you to announced again that she was horrible at joking as it always seemed more scary than funny. Despite that, you would laugh, shaking your head as you always did, hand waving away any attempt of explanation for her ways of words in the tone of comedy.

Peter sensed it, she thought. There was a look of confusion on his face as he glanced between two, your shake of head and the grin on her face. His eyes widened, “Sorry, Natasha. No more last names,” he spoke, hands raised in surrender which drew soft chuckles from the spy.

Natasha doesn’t flatter, opting to wink at him then glancing at you. “Do you want anything else?” she murmured the question, voice soften so drastically, and only for you to hear.

You smiled, feeling the warmth that roused at your skin as her eyes remained stuck on you. “Not really, but maybe for lunch…”

It’s easy, the exchanges of words or when eyes met and spoke more than what anyone else could interpret between two. Perhaps, the familiarities of your past had easily engulf this understanding. The learning of life that wasn’t controlled severely, breathing in air that both warmth your chest and made your huff at the scent that carried through the room, after she had sprayed her favourite perfume.

It wasn’t your favourite scent, but you had made it a habit to expect that she always wore the same perfume. Natasha sprayed your jacket with her perfume once, and somehow, she understood that you detested the scent—unless it was on her.

It’s so easy to overlook the other person who stood there, mouth producing noises that seemed like nothing if it wasn’t her voice that spoke or yours that she kept close.

“Goodbye Natasha, and Mrs Romanoff!” Peter waved his right hand while his left grasped onto his sandwich, and he speedily left the kitchen.

It was that, the noise that enticed your attention to the sound. The clatter of silverware followed by grumbles of curses slipping out your mouth, and hands grasping onto the countertop when your knee bumped against the counter. Natasha’s head had promptly turned towards you after staring at the door where Peter’s exited. The first thing she observed was the sheer look of panic on your face, and round eyes widened as you chaotically tried picking up the fallen fork.

Natasha caught onto something there. Her sense of awareness has always been remarkable. Missions completed in perfection due to her foresee of situations and ensuring her head was clear to achieve the best outcome. Thus, your undoubted appearance had proved her theory of something else than simple exchanged of greetings. Before this abrupt occurrence, Natasha was sure that Peter was greeting her as two different persons, and throughout those exchanges, you were always by her side. Bodies almost pressed together by the proximity.

Unless—and her attention shifts, round eyes marvelling at the clear nervousness on your apperance, mouth parted as though you were ready to justify yourself, but only offered her empty blows of air. Natasha raised a single eyebrow, easily grasping your attempts of changing the conversation.

“Was Peter calling you…Mrs Romanoff?”

The question was asked with a firm tone, and it agitated your hands to reach for a tissue or anything closer. A needed distraction from how you could easily utter every little secret by the sound of her voice, the look on her face, and those eyes, so green and gleaming even beneath the gloomy light.

When your eyes redirected from your almost empty plate to meet her eyes, you had perceived the look of contemplation on her face. It felt that she was genuinely engrossed in the idea. In a split second where your attempt mask of indifference slips, and you were sure that she knew.

Natasha sighed. “Why did Peter call you that…” her voice softened profusely. “I’m not going to harm you…or throw a knife at you so tell me please?”

The question itself flashed a memory in your mind. A knife that was thrown across the room, slashing a wound on the side of your arm, and if you hadn’t spent that time gawking at the known assassin, you wouldn’t had walked out with a wound to remind you of the moment you met Natasha Romanoff.

She was the enemy first, then she became your closest friend. That endearment kind of feeling, a word that tasted both sweet and bitter at your heart’s desire. At times, you wondered if staying as enemies would be enough. But you stare into her eyes at that moment, a smile that materialises on her face with a look to encourage your confession and the warmth that spread in your chest caused by her.

You would never know, perhaps, you thrive in the prospect of having a close something with her than nothing at all.

In your spiralling state, Natasha’s body remained rigid as she sat there, and waited for an appropriate reason for that mistake. There was a voice in her head that pushed forward the thought she had dejectedly hid away. It was the sound of hope that would persuade for something good than bad. If by her desired outcome, she wouldn’t continue to harbour the truth of her profound feelings that flourish at the mention of your name and more when your eyes met hers, the most delicate sort of gleam that made her body contentedly warm.

A confession may not meet the ears of others, but her mind whirls at the intended notion of being together forever. A significant other. If those words manifested itself into reality, slipping from the tongues of others like a casual banter, it made her heart swell at the idea of marriage. Natasha’s felt sure at the prospect of life spend with you.

Would it be so bad if she was so selfish to want that more than anything else?

Natasha’s round eyes widened, mouth parted slightly, and a little sound of a gasp at the realisation that dawned upon her.

It was assumed as harmless crush alike one she had on Bruce. It was a meant to pass through stages of complete fixation of a relationship she wouldn’t dare ruin to something that wasn’t important. It didn’t went pass that. In fact, she tried pretending that it was a just a friendship. A forged platonic relationship that was so pure and intimate, and now, she was seeing you as someone more than a crush she was forced to disregard.

“Honestly,” you suddenly spoke, and her attention flatters from the whirling thought, returning entirely to you. “I thought it was a mistake at first…little boys, right? But I don’t think he knows,” you finished with a shrug, appearing unbothered by the confession.

It was your reaction that struck her heart wrongly at first. Her expression seemed to flatter by seconds, the soften look to one of confusion to utter hurt. The hint of bore in your tone had easily disregard the nervousness that lingered before. She was almost sure that you were worried for an entirely different reason. One that she shared too.

The worst outcome clashed in her mind than the ones that coloured so vividly of her hope. Her hands fisted at the thought that was ready to confess her entire heart to you, and every vulnerability that she hasn’t yet shared.

Then, she heard the start of rhythmically taps. It was your nails tapping against the kitchen counter. Her shrewd eyes focused on your appearance, attentive gaze trailing a path to where your hands clenched and unclenched, followed by the look on your face. Natasha noticed the corners of your lips twitch, intending to smile or frown, then forcing a look of indifference that appeared more suspicious. It was clearly an act of masking your anxious state from her.

Something clicked in Natasha’s mind. A knowing hum resonated through her throat, her body leaned back nonchalantly and pressed against the chair. The drastic change in the atmosphere had caught onto you.

You didn’t think more of it than her knowing the truth. Natasha must had found out that you haven’t done anything to rebuke the misinformation. However, you start to notice the little act of a smirk on her face, and a subtle look of arrogance on her face. It was that reaction which straighten your posture.

“It’s not a bad thing,” you spoke out of distress. “I mean— it’s not— I’m okay with it! Mistakes happen and it’s no one’s fault…” you trailed, and entirely stopped your splatter of words.

Natasha stared intently at you, daring more words to spill that doesn’t justify yourself at all. It’s that look, the kind used during interrogations, and something you had watched from a safe distance. Natasha’s famous look that expressed, ‘I know the truth,’ and the look that made the other person tremble.

Silence transmitted first.

You contemplated the chances of escaping from having this dreaded conversation, and grimacing at your mind replaying your previous choice of words. A conclusion roused that she must had known, Natasha was definitely—to your absolute confidence—making a joke at your flustered state because she knew the embarrassing misunderstanding that Peter had produced at your expense.

“Wait, before you think that…”

Natasha decided to stop your second sequence of rambling. “I’m not opposed to it,” she spoke, a tone of certainty in her voice as she gauged your reaction.

Natasha observed the seconds where you reacted by your eyes widening almost comically then gaze falling entirely on your plate, mouth parted like you were talking to your breakfast, and you stayed there for a moment too long.

Slowly, a shy smile emerged on your face and when you shifted your gaze to meet her eyes, Natasha was beaming at you with a smile that appeared wider and happier than any kind you had ever saw.

You could only utter a word or more so, a sound. “Oh?”

Natasha nodded her head. “Oh,” she jested, switching her position to lean her elbows on the counter and resting her head on her palm of her hands. Her teeth nimble on her bottom lip, and your eyes blatantly stayed on that sight.

“So…” Natasha started, redirecting your attention away from her lips to meet her glistening eyes. “From my understanding, you like the idea of being my wife?” she teased, and slowly leaned her body forward.

It felt like a similar tactic she used on criminals, but there was a difference ambiance to the way she looked at you. A honied smile, eyes glazed of such tenderness, and you wondered for a second there on what it would feel to have that same look stayed on you forever. Natasha that developed a genuine relationship with you that was far more special and different than the kind shared with Clint. The thought itself distracted you from the actual matter in hand, and warmth that roused from your neck to your face.

You think of that. The first time you met Natasha, the first time you exchanged greetings as partners, the first time you shared a meal together, the first you swore that your feelings were something would progress into nothing, the first time you realised it was more than building an honest attraction to someone from a silly misinformation, the first time you sat and imagined the notion of being Natasha’s wife, the first time you almost confessed your feelings at her sister’s pestering and it dawned on how serious—

You gasped.

Natasha impulsively jumped backward, grasping the knife she had kept hidden again.

The expression on your face had morphed into something that worried Natasha, it wasn’t a shy look of someone sharing similar feeling to her.

You cursed under your breath.

“What?” Natasha questioned, her attention heightens on you and your surroundings. “What’s wrong?” she tried again, her hand clasping over yours.

It seemed to had break your distraction as round eyes fell on her hand at the tender touch. Natasha observed the way your eyes lingered before interlacing your fingers with hers. Where your forefinger seemed to hover over that one finger.

You looked ahead, gazing into her eyes—alike the moment you first met, the occurrence of such mundane thing, and the constant moments where hearts thumps keenly—and you didn’t look away. Natasha swore to herself at that vital moment, nothing could split the connection between you and her, even if she had to leave with a bleeding heart at the expense of your tenderness towards her.

“What is it?” she asked. It was almost followed by, ‘Do you need me to kill someone?’

You shook your head. “Three words,” you spoke softly, and she looked confused at first. “And you know it,” you continued, softly squeezing her hand.

Natasha doesn’t comprehend your implication. It was unlikely that Peter had misaddressed you as hers on purpose. The absolute innocence and sincerity in his words was supporting his case. She reflected on your words, feeling the thought rush through when your finger traced the minimalistic tattoo on the inside of her wrist.

It clicked. Your pointed look and noted pointers then the look of annoyance that materialised on her face.

“Yelena and Kate.”

You nodded your head. “Yelena and Kate.”

A silent understanding breached between two after the revelation. Of course, it was the mischief duos that landed you in this predicament.

Natasha instantly dived into planning her course of action to scare them into admitting their antics and possibly fear them enough to attempt this prank again. Internally, she was fuming at the idea that someone else could had been paired with you. That her younger sister—once innocent and wouldn’t dare be disobedient—could had your intertwined with another name that wasn’t hers. It wasn’t real, she knew that. But she couldn’t stop the way her heart hammered that you could had possibly felt something for someone else because of one prank.

It lured her to look at you than stared absently at the wall behind you. As her eyes gazed into yours, round globes seemingly gleaming beneath the awful pale kitchen light, the feeling of annoyance seemed to vanish into something warm and soft.

Natasha wasn’t eager to confront her sister, but she was eager to continue where you had left off, where it was clear that you shared her feelings for this specific future too. That was it, wasn’t it?

You appeared to understand her thoughts. “So...” you murmured, and she repeated the same word with a childlike smile on her face. “You’re not opposed to us…hanging out…as wives?”

Laughter echoes in the kitchen at your question. Natasha couldn’t stop the endearing look on her face as you added another joke at her obvious desirability for you. A prank had brought light to your shared feelings on the topic, and it wasn’t nothing alike a passing crush for someone.

Unfortunately for Yelena and Kate, the supposedly best prank might had turned into the worst assisted links of an even more compatible duos by the name of you and Natasha.

NEXT

[callmemonster68]

the mark of sin | y.jw - jungwon

Jungwon: (a mix of fear and desire, breathing unevenly) “I trust you, Y/N. Do what you will. I’m ready to discover.”

paring: virgin!jungwon x fem!reader 18+ | masterlist

wc: 963 

warnings: nsfw content, unprotected sex, loss of virginity

In a distant corner of the universe lies a planet known as Abyssia, home to demons of extraordinary beauty and supernatural powers. In this exotic world, immortality is guaranteed by one peculiar necessity: the vital energy extracted from intense, overwhelming orgasms. This energy sustains Abyssia’s inhabitants, yet ensnares them in a cycle of lust and domination.

Among Abyssia’s denizens was Y/N, a demoness of hypnotizing allure. Her long, black hair shimmered with pink streaks that pulsed with energy whenever she used her powers. Her oriental eyes bore a mesmerizing heterochromia: one as deep as the ocean, the other as gray as an impending storm. Her skin was adorned with a peculiar tattoo, a constellation-like design that seemed alive, shifting with her emotions and powers as if it were an extension of her very soul.

Though she was among the most desired beings of her realm, Y/N felt unsatisfied. The energy exchanged among her kind was intense but predictable, like a dance where every step was known before it happened. Craving something raw and visceral, she decided to leave Abyssia in pursuit of new experiences.

Her destination? Earth.

Upon arrival, disguised to blend in, Y/N roamed the streets of a small town, captivated by the unfiltered emotions of humans. It was there she saw Jungwon—a young man with tousled hair and eyes that radiated a provocative purity. He was a stark contrast to the predators of her world, and his innocence intrigued her.

Determined to possess him entirely, Y/N used her powers to become his neighbor, silently observing him. Her presence exuded a magnetism that Jungwon couldn’t ignore, even if he didn’t understand it. Gradually, she introduced herself, weaving a web of seduction and desire around him. Jungwon, naturally timid, was both hesitant and irresistibly drawn to her fiery aura.

As she led him down a path of forbidden explorations, Jungwon discovered pleasures he had never imagined. Y/N left her mark on him, physically and emotionally, transforming him from an innocent youth into a fervent lover. Yet her seduction was intense and unrelenting; she desired him entirely and tested his boundaries without hesitation.

In the dim candlelight of her room one fateful night, Y/N took things to a new level. She conjured chains and cuffs of gleaming black metal, cold as ice, binding Jungwon to the bed. The tension in the air was palpable.

Y/N: (with an intense gaze, her voice both a promise and a threat) You’re mine now. And I will explore every inch of you. Don’t be afraid to surrender. Let go.

Jungwon: (a mix of fear and desire, breathing unevenly) I trust you, Y/N. Do what you will. I’m ready to discover.

Y/N: (whispering as her fingers glide over his body) You don’t know how much this excites me. Every sound you make is music to me. Let’s lose ourselves until we can no longer tell pain from pleasure. I��ll guide you through this journey.

Releasing her powers, Y/N transformed the very atmosphere around them into a manifestation of her desires: walls trembling, lights flickering, and even the air growing warmer. Jungwon, though frightened, felt irresistibly drawn in, diving deeper into the intoxicating sensations.

Y/N explored every inch of his body, alternating between soft caresses and firm touches, observing his reactions to each new sensation. The sound of shifting chains accompanied Jungwon’s moans as he surrendered completely. S/N, with a predatory smile, pushed the boundaries of pleasure and pain, creating an intoxicating balance that left them in a state of near-supernatural ecstasy.

At the same time, Y/N felt something unexpected—a purity in Jungwon that, instead of simply satisfying her hunger, seemed to intensify it. For the first time, she didn’t just crave his energy; she wanted to understand him, consume him, and protect him all at once. It made her feel vulnerable—a sensation she had never known.

But danger loomed. Y/N knew her presence on Earth would not go unnoticed by others of her kind. They wouldn’t accept her bond with a human, much less her decision to stay with him. Facing threats from her own people, she also had to confront the growing complexity of her feelings for Jungwon.

After an intense exchange of sensations, S/N looked at Jungwon, now more confident.

Y/N: (with a tender gaze) You’ve changed, Jungwon. The purity I saw in you now burns with a new intensity. I want to protect it.

Jungwon: (smiling, still breathless) And I want to discover more about you—not just the demoness who claims me but the S/N who cares for me.

Y/N: (with a soft smile) Then let’s face this together. But remember, what we have is dangerous. I can’t promise the others from Abyssia will leave us in peace.

━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━━━

Y/N looked into Jungwon’s eyes, her heart pounding with an intensity she could barely contain.

Y/N: (gently extending her hand) I want you to know that you’re mine, in a way that goes beyond what we can see.

As she touched his arm, a soft light emanated, leaving behind a shimmering trace that seemed to dance between them.

Jungwon: (shivering as a chill ran down his spine) What was that?

Y/N: (with an enigmatic smile) It’s my magic. Now, you’ll always feel my presence, even when we’re apart.

Jungwon: (smiling, feeling a deep connection) So, I’m marked forever?

Y/N: (nodding) Forever.

Now, Y/N and Jungwon’s fates are intertwined in a story of unbridled desire, corruption, and a passion that defies both human and divine laws. How far are they willing to go to stay together? And how might this forbidden union transform not only their lives but also the destinies of two worlds?

✿ If you don't reblog and comment, you can be sure I'll be showing up in your dreams tonight... and I won’t be as sweet as in the story ✿

[i-luv-queen]

Katamari Damacy XMB™ Premium Avatar Pack

Thank you to Alan on the Katamari on the Web server for extracting these for me! Previously, I had 4/5 icons, albeit in lower quality. I extracted as many as I could find from PlayStation leaderboards, but no one used the Semi-Real Prince avatar for obvious reasons. Since we have them in their full quality now, that’s another piece of Katamari downloadable content preserved. Now, we need to keep looking for the PS3/PSP themes!

[lensman-arms-race]

Which Skibidi Toilet characters should you eat?

Delicious, a delicacy:

Regular Skibidi Toilets: steam them in their shells, and extract the roe from the cistern for an excellent tangy spread. The organs also make great sausages.

Regular Camera units: If you boil the head until the casing is soft, you can crack it open and eat the camera within. The lenses will acquire a jelly-like consistency and can be used like aspic. Don't forget to harvest the transmission fluids and coolants from the main body - you can boil this down to a sticky reduction that tastes not unlike barbecue sauce. The best-kept secret? Boil down their coats; they reduce to a membrane that you can use for sausage casings. If you bag a Camera unit carrying a Baba Booey button, look for the detonators nearby - the explosives make a lovely hot peppery sauce.

Decent snacks:

Regular and large Speaker units: Their bodies are full of nicely chewy wires. Inside the head you can find the speaker-cone. Pull that out and stuff it with wires, then you can fold them over into something like pierogi. Large speakers obviously give you more bang for your buck; their heads contain multiple cones.

Large Camera units: Their heads and bodies are mostly tough and gamey; an acquired taste. However, you can harvest the film inside the reels on their head and use it like tagliatelle pasta, or like seaweed. Grind up the microphone for a nutmeg-like spice.

Edible if you're desperate:

Regular TV units: You must remove or drain the teleport circuit before cooking, otherwise it will explode from the heat. Removing it is preferred; if you can harvest the black fog within, you can use it to make a sauce that tastes not unlike hoisin. Thoroughly boil the head to remove the hazardous sharpness from the glass; it should acquire a soft, slightly sticky crunch a bit like sugar candy. Makes an intriguing alternative to seaweed wrap for sushi rolls (try making them with Skibidi roe).

Partially edible:

Acid tank Skibidi Toilets: Remove the tanks entirely. Don't let any of the contents get onto the meat; it's like trying to make meringue with egg whites contaminated by yolk. Just doesn't work.

Astro Toilets: Same as Skibidi Toilets but it's so much more effort to break into their shells.

Technically edible:

Secret Agent: As with any human, the tastiest part is the 'web' of flesh between the thumb and forefinger. It's not worth it, though - eating the Secret Agent is not recommended. His meat is oddly grey-green and oily for a human, and he'll re-appear a week later while you are tormented with memories that shouldn't be in your head.

Skibidi Kitty: Cat meat is unpleasant tasting. Plus, how could you?

Probably toxic:

Skibidi parasites: the meat of the 'tongue' appendage causes hallucinations if ingested, with variable side effects. The parasite is safe to eat with the tongue removed, but is tough as old boots.

[virgothozul]

Has anyone used SquidgeWorld Archive ( https://squidgeworld.org/ ) to read/post fanfictions ? Apparently it's exactly like Ao3 but with a clear position against AI :

Their Terms of Service state :

7. Added May 13th, 2023: Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) generated works are not supported in the archive. The only exception to this rule would be partial only in posts that are clearly marked meta as part of discussion of said works. Otherwise, no. AI generated works are not welcomed in the archive 8. Added September 24th, 2023: Web scraping by artificial intelligence (AI), or any process of extracting data from the contents of this website for the purpose of use with artificial intelligence (AI) is strictly prohibited. Any data collection, content aggregation, or use of contents on this website in any way for training datasets or machine learning models is expressly prohibited. For more information, contact us via the “Contact Us” section of this website, or via any of the links on other Squidge.org property websites.

It sounds nice ! I love Ao3 but indeed it doesn't mention AI, simply stating that "AI generated works are allowed". So it's good that at least some fanwork websites are addressing the issue ! Hopefully Ao3 will release a clear rule against web scraping / machine learning for all posted works.

Now if you're wondering what is available right now on SqWA, I haven't checked all my favorite tags yet. If you're planning on writing something, maybe give it a go ?? So we'll have more to look forward to !

[mariacallous]

In March 2007, Google’s then senior executive in charge of acquisitions, David Drummond, emailed the company’s board of directors a case for buying DoubleClick. It was an obscure software developer that helped websites sell ads. But it had about 60 percent market share and could accelerate Google’s growth while keeping rivals at bay. A “Microsoft-owned DoubleClick represents a major competitive threat,” court papers show Drummond writing.

Three weeks later, on Friday the 13th, Google announced the acquisition of DoubleClick for $3.1 billion. The US Department of Justice and 17 states including California and Colorado now allege that the day marked the beginning of Google’s unchecked dominance in online ads—and all the trouble that comes with it.

The government contends that controlling DoubleClick enabled Google to corner websites into doing business with its other services. That has resulted in Google allegedly monopolizing three big links of a vital digital advertising supply chain, which funnels over $12 billion in annual revenue to websites and apps in the US alone.

It’s a big amount. But a government expert estimates in court filings that if Google were not allegedly destroying its competition illegally, those publishers would be receiving up to an additional hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Starved of that potential funding, “publishers are pushed to put more ads on their websites, to put more content behind costly paywalls, or to cease business altogether,” the government alleges. It all adds up to a subpar experience on the web for consumers, Colorado attorney general Phil Weiser says.

“Google is able to extract hiked-up costs, and those are passed on to consumers,” he alleges. “The overall outcome we want is for consumers to have more access to content supported by advertising revenue and for people who are seeking advertising not to have to pay inflated costs.”

Google disputes the accusations.

Starting today, both sides’ arguments will be put to the test in what’s expected to be a weekslong trial before US district judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia. The government wants her to find that Google has violated federal antitrust law and then issue orders that restore competition. In a best-case scenario, according to several Google critics and experts in online ads who spoke with WIRED, internet users could find themselves more pleasantly informed and entertained.

It could take years for the ad market to shake out, says Adam Heimlich, a longtime digital ad executive who’s extensively researched Google. But over time, fresh competition could lower supply chain fees and increase innovation. That would drive “better monetization of websites and better quality of websites,” says Heimlich, who now runs AI software developer Chalice Custom Algorithms.

Tim Vanderhook, CEO of ad-buying software developer Viant Technology, which both competes and partners with Google, believes that consumers would encounter a greater variety of ads, fewer creepy ads, and pages less cluttered with ads. “A substantially improved browsing experience,” he says.

Of course, all depends on the outcome of the case. Over the past year, Google lost its two other antitrust trials—concerning illegal search and mobile app store monopolies. Though the verdicts are under appeal, they’ve made the company’s critics optimistic about the ad tech trial.

Google argues that it faces fierce competition from Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and others. It further contends that customers benefited from each of the acquisitions, contracts, and features that the government is challenging. “Google has designed a set of products that work efficiently with each other and attract a valuable customer base,” the company’s attorneys wrote in a 359-page rebuttal.

For years, Google publicly has maintained that its ad tech projects wouldn’t harm clients or competition. “We will be able to help publishers and advertisers generate more revenue, which will fuel the creation of even more rich and diverse content on the internet,” Drummond testified in 2007 to US senators concerned about the DoubleClick deal’s impact on competition and privacy. US antitrust regulators at the time cleared the purchase. But at least one of them, in hindsight, has said he should have blocked it.

Deep Control

The Justice Department alleges that acquiring DoubleClick gave Google “a pool of captive publishers that now had fewer alternatives and faced substantial switching costs associated with changing to another publisher ad server.” The global market share of Google’s tool for publishers is now 91 percent, according to court papers. The company holds similar control over ad exchanges that broker deals (around 70 percent) and tools used by advertisers (85 percent), the court filings say.

Google’s dominance, the government argues, has “impaired the ability of publishers and advertisers to choose the ad tech tools they would prefer to use and diminished the number and quality of viable options available to them.”

The government alleges that Google staff spoke internally about how they have been earning an unfair portion of what advertisers spend on advertising, to the tune of over a third of every $1 spent in some cases.

Some of Google’s competitors want the tech giant to be broken up into multiple independent companies, so each of its advertising services competes on its own merits without the benefit of one pumping up another. The rivals also support rules that would bar Google from preferencing its own services. “What all in the industry are looking for is fair competition,” Viant’s Vanderhook says.

If Google ad tech alternatives win more business, not everyone is so sure that the users will notice a difference. “We’re talking about moving from the NYSE to Nasdaq,” Ari Paparo, a former DoubleClick and Google executive who now runs the media company Marketecture, tells WIRED. The technology behind the scenes may shift, but the experience for investors—or in this case, internet surfers—doesn’t.

Some advertising experts predict that if Google is broken up, users’ experiences would get even worse. Andrey Meshkov, chief technology officer of ad-block developer AdGuard, expects increasingly invasive tracking as competition intensifies. Products also may cost more because companies need to not only hire additional help to run ads but also buy more ads to achieve the same goals. “So the ad clutter is going to get worse,” Beth Egan, an ad executive turned Syracuse University associate professor, told reporters in a recent call arranged by a Google-funded advocacy group.

But Dina Srinivasan, a former ad executive who as an antitrust scholar wrote a Stanford Technology Law Review paper on Google’s dominance, says advertisers would end up paying lower fees, and the savings would be passed on to their customers. That future would mark an end to the spell Google allegedly cast with its DoubleClick deal. And it could happen even if Google wins in Virginia. A trial in a similar lawsuit filed by Texas, 15 other states, and Puerto Rico is scheduled for March.

[probablyasocialecologist]

To bring about its hypothetical future, OpenAI must build a new digital ecosystem, pushing users toward the ChatGPT app or toward preëxisting products that integrate its technology such as Bing, the search engine run by OpenAI’s major investor, Microsoft. Google, by contrast, already controls the technology that undergirds many of our online experiences, from search and e-mail to Android smartphone-operating systems. At its conference, the company showed how it plans to make A.I. central to all of the above. Some Google searches now yield A.I.-generated “Overview” summaries, which appear in tinted boxes above any links to external Web sites. Liz Reid, Google’s head of search, described the generated results with the ominously tautological tagline “Google will do the Googling for you.” (The company envisions that you will rely on the same search mechanism to trawl your own digital archive, using its Gemini assistant to, say, pull up photos of your child swimming over the years or summarize e-mail threads in your in-box.) Nilay Patel, the editor-in-chief of the tech publication the Verge, has been using the phrase “Google Zero” to describe the point at which Google will stop driving any traffic to external Web sites and answer every query on its own with A.I. The recent presentations made clear that such a point is rapidly approaching. One of Google’s demonstrations showed a user asking the A.I. a question about a YouTube video on pickleball: “What is the two-bounce rule?” The A.I. then extracted the answer from the footage and displayed the answer in writing, thus allowing the user to avoid watching either the video or any advertising that would have provided revenue to its creator. When I Google “how to decorate a bathroom with no windows” (my personal litmus test for A.I. creativity), I am now presented with an Overview that looks a lot like an authoritative blog post, theoretically obviating my need to interact directly with any content authored by a human being. Google Search was once seen as the best path for getting to what’s on the Web. Now, ironically, its goal is to avoid sending us anywhere. The only way to use the search function without seeing A.I.-generated content is to click a small “More” tab and select “Web” search. Then Google will do what it was always supposed to do: crawl the Internet looking for URLs that are relevant to your queries, and then display them to you. The Internet is still out there, it’s just increasingly hard to find. If A.I. is to be our primary guide to the world’s information, if it is to be our 24/7 assistant-librarian-companion as the tech companies propose, then it must constantly be adding new information to its data sets. That information cannot be generated by A.I., because A.I. tools are not capable of even one iota of original thought or analysis, nor can they report live from the field. (An information model that is continuously updated, using human labor, to inform us about what’s going on right now—we might call it a newspaper.) For a decade or more, social media was a great way to motivate billions of human beings to constantly upload new information to the Internet. Users were driven by the possibilities of fame and profit and mundane connection. Many media companies were motivated by the possibility of selling digital ads, often with Google itself as a middle man. In the A.I. era, in which Google can simply digest a segment of your post or video and serve it up to a viewer, perhaps not even acknowledging you as the original author, those incentives for creating and sharing disappear. In other words, Google and OpenAI seem poised to cause the erosion of the very ecosystem their tools depend on.

[sillyseaveerablogs]

WOTR part 3!!! AUGG I'VE FINISHED IT TF Psst, psst, oh @thatsproutguy and @razztazzel and @rawrmoona, Have some Vee slop ⛧ · · ─────── ·☽◯☾· ─────── · · ⛧

The room where the cyclops and his tv girlfriend are sleeping is feeling, well, let’s just say, a bit ominous for a lovely sleepy reapers. The room is messy, nothing but little dust bunnies and spiders web everywhere. Reaper Tisha usually cleans the room from time to time though, but specks are faster than her cleaning the ichor trail Finn left. But that didn’t stop Vee and Sprout cuddling nicely, hand on torso, purring. Sprout seems contentful when he’s hugging his girlfriend from behind, so does the TV. Her mind is still wondering about the survivors, but now, with her boyfriend just clenching her back, she felt assured that they were safe from now on. Just as she turns around to tuck underneath the cyclops’  neck- -KNOCK, KNOCK The Dandelion has arrived, asking “Hey, uh, Vee? Can you open the door? I just want to give you something in command,” . Hmm? What’s up with Dandy waking us up in the middle of the night? Thought the Vee. She quickly stood up, then patted her boyfriend. He purred contently. She strode off and opened the door. It’s Dandy. He twiddles his fingers, apparently too shy to speak, but manages to add, “I know it’s late, but, I’m gonna ask you, ummm, a favor?” Vee tilts her head. “Well, we’re gonna have a meeting about Miss Delilah coming here, so could you remind the, uhh, Reapers, about this?” … No response. “Please, Vee, I can fix this mess, I promise you and Sprout, Miss Delilah can come and extract the parasites out of you.” Dandy pleaded. … No response. “Look, I understand you’re mad at me, but please, we can be like the past, y’know? I just don’t want to see you guys like this.”  His voice is choked with tears. Yes, I’ll tell them right now, thought Vee and she nods her head, promptly. The dandelion is surprised to see a TV following his order and hugs her legs. “Thank you Vee, you’re now acting like a normal toons.” He whimpered with a smiley face. It looks depressing to watch her friend to Be in tears but she has no other options.

*** -Creak. “Hmm?”  Vee foretold to Shelly’s cage. Here, it’s a bit in disarray. The ichor is smudged from the bowl, loud crunching noises can be heard in the distance. “Sh-she-shell?”  The Television muttered, but this got the attention of a hyper fossil. She rushed towards Vee, her feathered pterodactyl host wagging its tail like a happy dog meeting its owner. “GRAH!” She roared loudly. Vee pets her skull dino head and sighs contently. Shelly purred. The shell then goes around the TV and nudges her dagger-like claws. “Hehe…” Then, She remembers why she’s here. “Shell…. Dandy… Meeting… after… run” stuttered the ruined TV. “Mrrmm?” The ammonite questioned. “Meeting….” “Mrawr?” … A lightbulb has lit on Shelly. “MRAH!” = “SO THIS MEANS THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT DINOS?!” “...Uhh” = “Shelly? I don’t think we can talk about dinos at meeting” “Oh” “Don’t.. Dinosaur… we can… be… together” She glitched out the words, but the ammonite could understand what she was saying. “Mmmmrrrrrr.” “Hehe,” *** “Hey,” Vee responded on Tsumugi, the aggressive thread that hates her circuits. It’s unknown why the thread starts hating on her boss. Before this happens, she and Vee had a great relationship as a boss and worker. But now, Mugi growled whenever she wants to comfort her. Maybe she missed her Boyfriend, thought Vee. “Hmm?!” “Meet-” Before she could finish her sentence, Mugi slammed the door in front of her screen, leaving Vee speechless at the attitude.

*** KNOCK KNOCK “Astro?” Vee asked their Bat-sheep moon reaper. Astro’s a nocturnal reaper, meaning he’s active at night to hunt for flesh. Dandy locked him in his room when the survivors didn’t do their run. But he didn’t open the door or mutter something. “Astro?” Vee repeated and started opening the door. The bat is gone for the flesh. … Astro?

[noellevanious]

that fuckin post from a week or so ago about "oh haha did u guys really think the whole Buggy Clown One Piece Promo on Tumblr was some kinda Sleeper agent Tumblr plan to Betray the Writers Strike" shit still haunts me.

The Actual Reasons Why the Assault of ads like that one on the website (specifically the One Piece shit) is that they're another sign that whoever is in charge and making decisions does Not Give a Shit about actual website design or Layout and is reaching the point where they'll take up empty space with more Forced Ads.

They're whole-hog leaning into the (not commonly remembered due to the prevalence of Adblocker plug-ins) Ad Assault format of web design, where literally any empty space is dedicated to ads that, at best, just waste UI space that could go towards actual functional website features, and at worst, actively cause harm, whether through intentionally malicious design (Ads that launch you to another website or force downloads if you click on them, for example), or through "uninformed" "unintentional" design, like potentially triggering users with visual issues (as seen with Buggy the Clown).

For a very long time, Tumblr has been respectably restrained in their ad usage, at least on the website (or, at least until I started just Ublocking everything). A single header of "Here's this Hot Thing we're getting paid to promote" that only shows up at the top of your dashboard is annoying, but not a deal breaker, and was the standard since literally like 2013.

Now all of a sudden, a website that was formerly 60% Empty Space (a Problem, but not necessarily a Bad Problem) has had that space monopolized by purely ad-driven content, between the forced Pop-up One Piece Netflix shit and all the other bloated, pointless garbage that only exists to hopefully try an extract any money out of either you or your data as possible.

[kisspurins]

bookstore ?! 𓆟 ｡˚ 𖦹

♡ works are exclusive to kisspurins on tumblr only !!! no replication consisting of copying, extracting, translating, audio fanfics etc. permitted. most of the content below is +18 and may contain dubcon, noncon or other dc.

the tags #purinsweb and etc. are answered asked about scenarios with the members. for individual members you can check below in tags "member web" like #eunseokweb for more <33

♯ — series 🎧

perverts ❤︎ riize series

♯ — RIIZE 💭

hold me tight ꒰ l.a ꒱

bed peace ꒰ j.sc ꒱

♯ — AMPERS&ONE 💭

tba.

♯ — EXTRA 💭

riwoo thoughts ꒰ bnd ꒱

© KISSPURINS 2024 ✿

[darknesseddiem]

𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐳: 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝟔𝟔

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: In the desolate confines of death row, the sinister presence of Eddie Munson casts a shadow over the world, a malevolent enigma shrouded in darkness and dread. Throughout the annals of time, he has remained an elusive specter, concealing the ghastly depths of his depravity beneath layers of impenetrable silence, his nefarious past a labyrinth of unspeakable horrors that have captivated the collective consciousness of humanity.

As the clamor of the world clamors for answers, a legion of investigators and agents converge upon the fortress-like walls of Alcatraz, their futile attempts to extract the truth from the reticent killer echoing like whispers in the abyss. How could one individual orchestrate such a chilling vanishing act, erasing themselves from the annals of history with chilling precision?

With each passing moment, the insidious tendrils of Eddie's enigma tighten their grip, ensnaring the unwitting in a web of intrigue and terror. As the world police organization exhausts every avenue in their pursuit of justice, their efforts are met with naught but silence and defiance from their elusive quarry.

Yet, amidst the chaos and cruelty that enshrouds his existence, Eddie's cryptic revelation sends shockwaves rippling through the corridors of power. For he, the harbinger of death and despair, yearns to immortalize his ghastly tale, to etch his legacy upon the annals of human history with blood-soaked ink.

In a world where shadows dance with sinister intent and the line between truth and fiction blurs into oblivion, Eddie Munson navigates a treacherous labyrinth of deceit and betrayal. As the fabric of reality unravels before his eyes, he learns the chilling truth that in a world gripped by darkness, trust is but a fragile illusion, and history itself is a tapestry woven with the threads of old and dark secrets, concealed from the prying eyes of the world.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: +18 MDNI, gore, mentions of blood; violence, descriptions of torture and death, Eddie is a serial killer, cannibalism, cruelty, mistery, Eddie is on the death row. More will be added with each chapter.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: So, those who have followed me for a while have probably already read the first version of this fanfic, and have probably noticed how my way of writing has changed to this day. After a lot of study of creative writing, I decided to rewrite this story and post it again for you, I hope you enjoy following the trajectory of our favorite criminal.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟐,𝟒𝐤

𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫.

If you like my works, feel free to support me with a small 𝐊𝐨-𝐅𝐢!!

𝐄𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: In the shadowy annals of crime, a figure emerges, casting a chilling pall over the world. Eddie Munson, infamous for his macabre deeds as a serial killer, now stirs fear with an unprecedented proposal. Like a sinister weaver, Eddie prepares to embroider a fabric saturated with long-held vengeance. Whispers of his scheme cloak his intentions in darkness, leaving observers to ponder the depths of his depravity.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐬𝐭: A fleeting glimpse into your life in Paris reveals a tapestry woven with the threads of contentment. Amidst the quaint charm of your bustling bakery, you found solace in the artistry of your craft and the warmth of the friendships you cultivated. Yet, like an unyielding specter, the echoes of your past refuse to fade into obscurity.

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬: At midnight's stroke, a phantom returns, unraveling a web of secrets. With each revelation, old scars bleed anew, casting shadows on the present.

Pretty edit by @birdysaturne.

[fujocoded]

Funding FujoCoded: Stretch Goals!

It’s time! With our first goal met (🎉 thank you!), let’s talk about stretch goals. We have quite a few planned, so we're going to go through them one by one and explain what they are and why we chose them!

Before we go down the list, here's something fun:

Sticker Unlock: At 45 backers, we also unlocked one more sticker!

The goal of our campaign is to cover business expenses most of all. The unlocked content is an extra token of gratitude for your support that also helps us meet our own targets! 

With that said, let's get to our stretch goals...

$4,000: "That's Why I Ship On Company Time" Ao3 Sticker

At $4,000 we'll unlock one more sticker design that you can add to your collection! 

Our first version of this "shipping" sticker features VSCode and a terminal, but there's more than one type of shipping... here's to the other one!

$5,000: "Using NPM with Javascript" Article

Next up, we have our first article. Our plan is to add an Articles section to @fujowebdev where we'll collect simple, free guides to help beginners get past the roadblocks we see them encounter!

This first one will cover the basics of NPM, a core element of modern JavaScript!

"How do I install this JavaScript library? How do I run this open source JavaScript project? How can I get started creating my blog using a tool like @astrodotbuild?" are some of the most common questions we get in our Fandom Coders server. 

Let's give *everyone* the answer!

$6,000: Offering Website Art Prints

Next up, we'll turn the excellent art on our website into prints! These will be (probably) 8x10-sized art prints that will look amazing without breaking the bank. Full specs soon!

...and speaking of the site, you have tried moving the windows, right?

$7,000: "Catching Up With Terminal" Article

Next, another common issue for beginner developers: how to start learning how to handle the Terminal.

This will require some research to determine the major roadblocks, which is how our project operates: active learning from those going through it all!

$8,000: "Crucial Confrontations" Article

And last (for now), something very dear to us: an article extracting some wisdom from the book "Crucial Confrontations": https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Confrontations-Resolving-Promises-Expectations/dp/0071446524

This may seem like an unusual choice, but it highlights how our teaching goals go beyond programming to cover collaboration!

After years of working within our community, we repeatedly found that developing effective communication and confrontation skills helps our collaborators thrive. Unfortunately, the world doesn't teach us how to effectively (but kindly) hold each other accountable.

Some of our most involved collaborators have read this book and found the tools within it transformative. Given this experience, we deeply believe that making some of this wisdom easily accessible (without having to read the full book) will allow all of us to collaborate better!

If we can reach $8,000, this will enable us to test this hypothesis and learn how teaching soft skills beyond programming influences what we're able to achieve! It's a bold idea, but we're excited to see how it turns out in practice.

Help us make it there!

And that's all...for now!

If you want to hop on Twitch right now, you can join us as we put some extra polish on our shiny new FujoCoded website.

And remember, you can back our campaign here to help us achieve these goals and more:

[g0dspeeed]

Discussing things that set themselves up to be hurt and trusting that the other won't take advantage of it. + for either Cappie ship?

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you!

CAPPIE DE LA COSTA & NIKOLAI

Thank you for the Ask. It has haunted me with this scene for days

She loathed it, the silence. It clung to her mood like a spider web, sticky and tickling at her insecurities. Cappie considered Nikolai to be one of the most complicated men she ever met. He was a smooth talker one minute, but stoic the next. Silver-tongued, despicably weaponizing that Russian accent of his to make her blush–that is, until other operatives were around. Fun until it was all morbid business and mission briefs. That's when he loomed in the back of the room like a specter, tall, imposing and with a dark, empty stare, speaking only to offer kidnapping as a tactical advantage or to agree to run an extraction. There was a sketchy professionalism to Nikolai, a sort of detached persona he donned like a second skin. Cappie preferred the cheeky bastard brimming with playful innuendos and hidden touches. She preferred his mouth doing other things, of what it could whisper and what it felt like. She was starting to prefer him a lot. “You knew it already,” Cappie challenged, baiting, begging for noise. A beat of quiet followed. It pinned her to the moment like gravity. She would later wonder if it was intentional, the sadistic fuck.

In internal agony, she watched Nikolai lean closer over the table, taking his sweet ass time. “Obviously.” That mask of cool indifference fell away, the corners of his mouth lifted into a devilish smirk. Nikolai dug back into his take-out box of beef lo-mein, twirling the contents with a fork before looking up at Cappie. His smile broadened upon hearing her scoff. “So fuckin' annoying–” “Am I?” he crooned. His voice was a throaty purr. It made her toes curl. “Why? Because I knew your legal name before you told me? Did you really think I would let it go, that I would remain ignorant?” Her hazel eyes looked away. Sincerity with Nikolai was the safest route when navigating the landmines of unfamiliar topics, she learned. Or it seemed to work so far. “Well, yeah. Kinda." “Hm.” “I mean, everyone else did.” “I am not everyone else–” “Just call me Cappie–” The words that he grumbled back, Russian and graveled by his irritation, warmed her. She smiled into her next bite of food, and despite himself, Nikolai felt a wave of pride at the accomplishment. Her smiles were like rain. “Right,” he said. “Cappie. Cute, but it's what everyone calls you: The regulars at the bar, your associates, Soap– No. Will not do. I will not call you what everyone calls you. I will call you by your name.” A valiant effort on his part, Cappie saw his bid for intimacy. Her lips parted, caught on the barbed vulnerability of the moment. Rather than deflect, Cappie took a risk. “I don't like it,” she told him.

"Mm."

“My name.”

To that, his face softened in a way that made her swallow.

“Love De La Costa,” said Nikolai, slow like a drawl. A shoulder shrugged. “A beautiful name for a captivating force of a woman–” “Just,” she cut off. “Just got a shitty story to it. You know? That's all.” “Hm, that's all.” “Yep.” She loathed it, the silence, loathed the space it created for more anxieties. She loathed how she couldn't read him. But then, Nikolai broke that nagging quiet. Nikolai reached forward to slide his large hand underneath the frame of her chair between her legs. The chair screeched against the floor as he dragged a smiling Cappie close enough so that he could breathe her in, sensual and warm like amber. Satisfied, Nikolai sat back. “Like me here instead?” she mused. “I like you all the time,” murmured Nikolai. “But this way, I can whisper it for no one to hear but you and me.” “Whisper what?” “Your name.” The apples of her cheeks burned at the way he gazed at her, heat in the brown. “You don't like your name, Love De La Costa, so I will whisper it to you until you love it.”

[kaiserouo]

Hello! In this post I will describe the details of making a render of Apex Legends stuff (namely the video you're watching) so you can make a photo / video to your liking! Even if you don't wanna render things, I think you might still find the process interesting, OR, especially, the tools useful in you future work.

Why am I doing this? Because I'm taking a train and I'm bored. Also there's too little Bloodhound content here. Maybe someone will actually do some cool rendering of them after this.

Idea

Do you know in training mode, Bloodhound will wait for you indefinitely like a puppy with their cute little look-around motion?

Precious footage of Houndy on Youtube

I want them to be my background. So the most important requirements are:

3 Bloodhounds looking around and waiting like that of training mode. (why only 1 if you can have 3?)

Firing range background.

Looks overall good or something (e.g., lighting, motion not synchronized, 1920x1080 for my computer, etc.)

Let's get started.

Model

Well, there won't be multiple Bloodhounds waiting for me in the firing range in-game. I am also not intended to mod R5Reloaded just for this. So we'll use Blender to pose them.

First we need the model. The details of how to use Apex Legends model in blender can be found in this tutorial I found. Basically you just need Blender, semodel + seanim loader, Legion+, and the game itself. You COULD find archives of some models on the web, but manually extracting will guarentee that you can get everything you need.

Reddit Apex Legends model tutorial

Apex File Archive (by Biast12)

Model name list (may be incomplete)

I made an auto shading addon btw

There are a lot of tutorials of how to use Blender. I will not include the details here.

We need:

Models of 3 Bloodhounds (pilot_medium_bloodhound, bloodhound_v21_pilot_level03_w, bloodhound_v21_heroknight_w)

Animation of them waiting indefinitely (mp_pt_medium_training_blood_idle_A_0.seanim)

The names are a bit weird. You can just try to import all the models / animations to find what you want.

Background

Map files are large and hard to load. In my case I never even imported any map in Blender successfully. Fortunately we are looking for a still image background.

I used R5Reloaded's photo mode (or something like that) to get a clean picture. Quite a lot of steps to get a background picture, I know. I used R5Reloaded for other things at that time so this was the most convenient way for me ironically.

R5Reloaded does has a lot of potential, though. Maybe you can use it on other stuff afterwards.

R5Reloaded official page

But if we just make a render in Blender and composite the result with this background, the perspective will certainly not be aligned and the result will look very weird. Probably need a disgusting amount of time just to adjust this stuff.

Thankfully, by the theory of perspective and projective geometry, we can calculate the focal length, the height and the angle of camera all from a single image by your favorite subject: math!

...I mean, by fSpy. We have computers. We don't do the math that others already did for us.

fSpy official page

After getting the parameters of the camera, you can import them into blender directly. The camera from fSpy already has the background image composited so you won't need to do much else in Blender.

Posing & Lighting

We have almost everything we need. So just:

Import all models and camera (from fSpy)

Shade the models and adjust size / position / orientation so it looks good on camera

Import animations on model and adjust the keyframes s.t. they don't do the exact same motion every frame.

We are using the existing animations so posing won't be a problem. If you want to make your own pose you might need some more proper rigging. Not expert on this so that's all I will say.

Now we need the lighting. The lighting environment in the firing range is not really available to us if we don't have the skybox or the map file. Maybe you can find the skybox in Legion+ or archive, but I use lights in Blender instead.

Namely, a sun light to simulate the light from the sun, and a plane light at front for overall light adjusting (probably also simulates reflection from the ground and the environment).

And wait for like half an hour for Blender to spit out all 285 frames and we're done! I let Blender store each and every frame as an image and use ffmpeg to composite them all into a video because I thought I need the high resolution images for something else. Blender does have a setting to just output a video without the intermediate result if I recall correctly.

Conclusion

This is definitely not a complete guide on how to do rendering pieces of work with Blender. I myself am not even well experienced in this kind of stuff. But I think the process is fun and the result is rewarding, especially when seeing your favorite character moving on your background.

I hope you do check out the reference of tools and tutorials above. After all, as an artist (kind of), having the model is like possessing THE absolute reference for a character. Very recommended for every artist to learn how to use Blender and search for models. In 2024 a lot of games are in 3D and there WILL be someone on the web sharing how to extract models from the game or simply gives out the entire archive. You name it! Apex Legends, Titanfall, Destiny, even Ultrakill has like a 1GB blender file for high quality models, if you just google for that ever so slightly.

...Welp actually you can just treat this post as a huge Bloodhound advertisement. The end.