#AI adoption benefits

[thedailybuzzssite]

Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence for Business Growth: Strategies, Applications, and Future Trends

In an era where technology drives market dynamics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges as a transformative force in business. From streamlining operations to enhancing customer experiences, AI is not just a technological upgrade but a pivotal strategy for growth and innovation. This article explores how businesses can leverage AI to boost efficiency, drive profitability, and maintain competitive advantage.

[ajmishra]

Dominating the Market with Cloud Power

Explore how leveraging cloud technology can help businesses dominate the market. Learn how cloud power boosts scalability, reduces costs, enhances innovation, and provides a competitive edge in today's digital landscape. Visit now to read more: Dominating the Market with Cloud Power

[techdriveplay]

What Is the Best Way to Use AI in Content Creation?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed various industries, and content creation is no exception. By understanding what is the best way to use AI in content creation, creators can leverage this technology to enhance productivity, quality, and creativity. From automated writing tools to data analysis, AI offers diverse applications that can streamline the content production process, ensuring…

[grey-space-computing]

Boost E-commerce in Saudi Arabia with ML-Powered Apps

In today's digital era, the e-commerce industry in Saudi Arabia is rapidly expanding, fueled by increasing internet penetration and a tech-savvy population. To stay competitive, businesses are turning to advanced technologies, particularly Machine Learning (ML), to enhance user experiences, optimize operations, and drive growth. This article explores how ML is transforming the e-commerce landscape in Saudi Arabia and how businesses can leverage this technology to boost their success.

The Current E-commerce Landscape in Saudi Arabia

The e-commerce market in Saudi Arabia has seen exponential growth over the past few years. With a young population, widespread smartphone usage, and supportive government policies, the Kingdom is poised to become a leading e-commerce hub in the Middle East. Key players like Noon, Souq, and Jarir have set the stage, but the market is ripe for innovation, especially with the integration of Machine Learning.

The Role of Machine Learning in E-commerce

Machine Learning, a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI), involves the use of algorithms to analyze data, learn from it, and make informed decisions. In e-commerce, ML enhances various aspects, from personalization to fraud detection. Machine Learning’s ability to analyze large datasets and identify trends is crucial for businesses aiming to stay ahead in a competitive market.

Personalized Shopping Experiences

Personalization is crucial in today’s e-commerce environment. ML algorithms analyze user data, such as browsing history and purchase behavior, to recommend products that align with individual preferences. This not only elevates the customer experience but also drives higher conversion rates. For example, platforms that leverage ML for personalization have seen significant boosts in sales, as users are more likely to purchase items that resonate with their interests.

Optimizing Inventory Management

Effective inventory management is critical for e-commerce success. ML-driven predictive analytics can forecast demand with high accuracy, helping businesses maintain optimal inventory levels. This minimizes the chances of overstocking or running out of products, ensuring timely availability for customers. E-commerce giants like Amazon have successfully implemented ML to streamline their inventory management processes, setting a benchmark for others to follow.

Dynamic Pricing Strategies

Price is a major factor influencing consumer decisions. Machine Learning enables real-time dynamic pricing by assessing market trends, competitor rates, and customer demand. This allows businesses to adjust their prices to maximize revenue while remaining competitive. Dynamic pricing, powered by ML, has proven effective in attracting price-sensitive customers and increasing overall profitability.

Enhanced Customer Support

Customer support is another area where ML shines. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can handle a large volume of customer inquiries, providing instant responses and resolving issues efficiently. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also reduces the operational costs associated with maintaining a large support team. E-commerce businesses in Saudi Arabia can greatly benefit from incorporating ML into their customer service strategies.

Fraud Detection and Security

With the rise of online transactions, ensuring the security of customer data and payments is paramount. ML algorithms can detect fraudulent activities by analyzing transaction patterns and identifying anomalies. By implementing ML-driven security measures, e-commerce businesses can protect their customers and build trust, which is essential for long-term success.

Improving Marketing Campaigns

Effective marketing is key to driving e-commerce success. ML can analyze customer data to create targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with specific audiences. It enhances the impact of marketing efforts, leading to improved customer engagement and higher conversion rates. Successful e-commerce platforms use ML to fine-tune their marketing strategies, ensuring that their messages reach the right people at the right time.

Case Study: Successful E-commerce Companies in Saudi Arabia Using ML

Several e-commerce companies in Saudi Arabia have already begun leveraging ML to drive growth. For example, Noon uses ML to personalize the shopping experience and optimize its supply chain, leading to increased customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. These companies serve as examples of how ML can be a game-changer in the competitive e-commerce market.

Challenges of Implementing Machine Learning in E-commerce

While the benefits of ML are clear, implementing this technology in e-commerce is not without challenges. Technical hurdles, such as integrating ML with existing systems, can be daunting. Additionally, there are concerns about data privacy, particularly in handling sensitive customer information. Businesses must address these challenges to fully harness the power of ML.

Future Trends in Machine Learning and E-commerce

As ML continues to evolve, new trends are emerging that will shape the future of e-commerce. For instance, the integration of ML with augmented reality (AR) offers exciting possibilities, such as virtual try-ons for products. Businesses that stay ahead of these trends will be well-positioned to lead the market in the coming years.

Influence of Machine Learning on Consumer Behavior in Saudi Arabia

ML is already influencing consumer behavior in Saudi Arabia, with personalized experiences leading to increased customer loyalty. As more businesses adopt ML, consumers can expect even more tailored shopping experiences, further enhancing their satisfaction and engagement.

Government Support and Regulations

The Saudi government is proactively encouraging the integration of cutting-edge technologies, including ML, within the e-commerce industry. Through initiatives like Vision 2030, the government aims to transform the Kingdom into a global tech hub. However, businesses must also navigate regulations related to data privacy and AI to ensure compliance.

Conclusion

Machine Learning is revolutionizing e-commerce in Saudi Arabia, offering businesses new ways to enhance user experiences, optimize operations, and drive growth. By embracing ML, e-commerce companies can not only stay competitive but also set new standards in the industry. The future of e-commerce in Saudi Arabia is bright, and Machine Learning will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping its success.

FAQs

How does Machine Learning contribute to the e-commerce sector? Machine Learning enhances e-commerce by improving personalization, optimizing inventory, enabling dynamic pricing, and enhancing security.

How can Machine Learning improve customer experiences in e-commerce? ML analyzes user data to provide personalized recommendations, faster customer support, and tailored marketing campaigns, improving overall satisfaction.

What are the challenges of integrating ML in e-commerce? Challenges include technical integration, data privacy concerns, and the need for skilled professionals to manage ML systems effectively.

Which Saudi e-commerce companies are successfully using ML? Companies like Noon and Souq are leveraging ML for personalized shopping experiences, inventory management, and customer support.

What is the future of e-commerce with ML in Saudi Arabia? The future looks promising with trends like ML-driven AR experiences and more personalized

[intelisync]

The Future of Business Growth: AI-Powered Development Strat

AI-powered development is revolutionizing business growth, efficiency, and innovation. By 2024, businesses that harness AI's potential will achieve unprecedented growth, outpacing their competitors. AI's incorporation into business operations enhances productivity, accuracy, and customer experience, driving revenue growth. McKinsey's report indicates that AI could deliver an additional $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030. With the global AI market expected to grow at a CAGR of 37.3% from 2023 to 2030, AI's role in business is becoming increasingly crucial.

AI-powered development uses advanced technologies like machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. AI is transforming industries from finance to healthcare, providing solutions like automated trading systems and predictive diagnostics. AI enhances efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, optimizing operations, and enabling employees to focus on strategic activities. AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants offer real-time support and personalized interactions, improving customer experience. AI's predictive analytics capabilities provide data-driven insights, helping businesses make informed decisions and stay ahead of market trends.

For businesses to fully leverage AI's benefits, a strategic approach to AI implementation is essential. This includes evaluating goals, identifying data sources, selecting appropriate AI tools, and investing in training and education. Addressing challenges like data privacy, system integration, and ethical considerations is critical for successful AI adoption. Partnering with Intelisync can facilitate this process, providing comprehensive AI services that ensure successful AI integration and maximize business impact. Intelisync's expertise in machine learning, data analytics, and AI-driven automation helps businesses unlock their full potential. Contact Intelisync today to start your AI journey and transform your Learn more....

[jcmarchi]

5 underappreciated benefits of AI in cyber security - CyberTalk

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/5-underappreciated-benefits-of-ai-in-cyber-security-cybertalk/

5 underappreciated benefits of AI in cyber security - CyberTalk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The benefits of AI in cyber security are phenomenal, yet not sufficiently well-known. In this article, get insights that cut through the noise; that show you how to put AI to work in ways that will yield worthwhile results.

AI-powered cyber security solutions drive proactive threat prevention, accelerated response times, reduced false positives, optimization of resources and cost efficiency – all of which are strategic advantages that conspire to help create a more agile and robust organizational security posture.

Although 91% of organizations allow that AI adoption is a priority, the large majority are still in the planning or development stages of their AI-in-security journeys. Whether you’re assessing AI-based tooling adoption or wish to get more out of existing AI implementations, this article offers valuable insights that can propel your cyber security strategy forward.

Benefits of AI in cyber security

These are the kinds of returns that you can expect to receive on your AI-powered cyber security investment: 1. Proactive threat prevention and detection. One of the most significant benefits of AI in cyber security is that it transitions organizations from a reactive threat management approach to a proactive one. Here’s what we mean…

Historically, security tools have relied on known signatures or rules. Yet, this has left organizations vulnerable to unknown threats.

To circumnavigate the problem, AI can look back at trends, patterns and anomalies, using volumes of existing data to identify emerging, never-before seen attack types. AI’s capabilities here enable security teams to mitigate issues before they spiral into damaging security incidents.

2. Accelerated response times. When a security incident occurs, time is of the essence. AI-powered cyber security solutions can automate the initial stages of incident response; threat identification, impact assessment and containment.

In some instances, AI may be able to auto-isolate compromised devices from the network. In turn, this prevents the spread of malware (ex. ransomware). Efficient and automatic device isolation can minimize a cyber attack’s financial impact on a business.

3. False positive reduction. False positives – benign activities that are improperly recognized and categorized as malicious – have long been a security team frustration. They consume time and resources while potentially obscuring genuine threats. But AI has much to offer here…

For various technical reasons, AI-powered cyber security tools allow for a markedly more accurate differentiation between suspicious behavior and normal behavior, as compared to traditional cyber security tools. Subsequently, false positive rates decline. When there are fewer false positives, security teams can spend more time engaging with real threats, contributing to a stronger organizational cyber security posture overall.

4. Resource optimization. Given the cyber skills shortage, organizations are under pressure to optimize human resources. Nearly 50% of Check Point survey respondents recognize AI’s potential when it comes to automating repetitive tasks and optimizing resource allocation.

AI can competently tackle log analysis and correlation, vulnerability scanning and assessment, patch management and routine threat hunting. Thus, humans can focus on more complex and strategic initiatives. Ultimately, this approach – apportioning the work between AI and humans – ensures that resources are allocated in a way that maximizes impact and optimizes outcomes.

5. Cost efficiency. AI-powered tools can reduce the need for point solutions. This is because many AI-powered cyber security platforms offer extensive, integrated capabilities. Such consolidation can lead to significant cost savings in terms of software licenses, maintenance and interoperability efforts.

AI also contributes to cyber security cost efficiency due to the fact that it can limit the likelihood and impact of security incidents. Because AI-powered systems can identify threats rapidly and respond quickly, the potential for damage drops and expected breach costs decline.

More information

For more insights into the benefits of AI in cyber security, please see CyberTalk.org’s past coverage. Curious about how ChatGPT-5 could influence your security strategy? Click here.

Discover at transformative, industry-leading AI-powered, cloud-delivered cyber security solution here. Lastly, to receive cyber security thought leadership articles, groundbreaking research and emerging threat analyses each week, subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter.

[probablyasocialecologist]

This is it. Generative AI, as a commercial tech phenomenon, has reached its apex. The hype is evaporating. The tech is too unreliable, too often. The vibes are terrible. The air is escaping from the bubble. To me, the question is more about whether the air will rush out all at once, sending the tech sector careening downward like a balloon that someone blew up, failed to tie off properly, and let go—or more slowly, shrinking down to size in gradual sputters, while emitting embarrassing fart sounds, like a balloon being deliberately pinched around the opening by a smirking teenager. But come on. The jig is up. The technology that was at this time last year being somberly touted as so powerful that it posed an existential threat to humanity is now worrying investors because it is apparently incapable of generating passable marketing emails reliably enough. We’ve had at least a year of companies shelling out for business-grade generative AI, and the results—painted as shinily as possible from a banking and investment sector that would love nothing more than a new technology that can automate office work and creative labor—are one big “meh.” As a Bloomberg story put it last week, “Big Tech Fails to Convince Wall Street That AI Is Paying Off.” From the piece: Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc. had one job heading into this earnings season: show that the billions of dollars they’ve each sunk into the infrastructure propelling the artificial intelligence boom is translating into real sales. In the eyes of Wall Street, they disappointed. Shares in Google owner Alphabet have fallen 7.4% since it reported last week. Microsoft’s stock price has declined in the three days since the company’s own results. Shares of Amazon — the latest to drop its earnings on Thursday — plunged by the most since October 2022 on Friday. Silicon Valley hailed 2024 as the year that companies would begin to deploy generative AI, the type of technology that can create text, images and videos from simple prompts. This mass adoption is meant to finally bring about meaningful profits from the likes of Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot. The fact that those returns have yet to meaningfully materialize is stoking broader concerns about how worthwhile AI will really prove to be. Meanwhile, Nvidia, the AI chipmaker that soared to an absurd $3 trillion valuation, is losing that value with every passing day—26% over the last month or so, and some analysts believe that’s just the beginning. These declines are the result of less-than-stellar early results from corporations who’ve embraced enterprise-tier generative AI, the distinct lack of killer commercial products 18 months into the AI boom, and scathing financial analyses from Goldman Sachs, Sequoia Capital, and Elliot Management, each of whom concluded that there was “too much spend, too little benefit” from generative AI, in the words of Goldman, and that it was “overhyped” and a “bubble” per Elliot. As CNN put it in its report on growing fears of an AI bubble, Some investors had even anticipated that this would be the quarter that tech giants would start to signal that they were backing off their AI infrastructure investments since “AI is not delivering the returns that they were expecting,” D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria told CNN. The opposite happened ��� Google, Microsoft and Meta all signaled that they plan to spend even more as they lay the groundwork for what they hope is an AI future. This can, perhaps, explain some of the investor revolt. The tech giants have responded to mounting concerns by doubling, even tripling down, and planning on spending tens of billions of dollars on researching, developing, and deploying generative AI for the foreseeable future. All this as high profile clients are canceling their contracts. As surveys show that overwhelming majorities of workers say generative AI makes them less productive. As MIT economist and automation scholar Daron Acemoglu warns, “Don’t believe the AI hype.”

6 August 2024

[librarycards]

The narrative surrounding AI is that people will be “left behind” unless they adopt it ASAP. How is AI going to revolutionize education? How is it going to transform agriculture? How is it going to make logistics a million times smarter? Almost every sector is being faced with the proposition that they should jump on the AI train or risk getting left behind.

To my frustration, rather than having concerted, critical, and honest conversations around who benefits from this technology—and why and how—we’ve been sold the idea that it’s inevitable, and we better figure out how to make use of it, to deal with it as best we can.

I could see some approaches to AI being more punitive, like “I will do this and this if you use AI” [...] [but] I really wanted to approach my students as empowered agents of their own learning and to express to them, in the best way that I could at the time, what my reservations are. Not just with the tool in a technical sense and how it, as many people have confirmed, is much more like a stochastic parrot than it is something that learns or that is cognitive.

Beyond that, there is the larger “assemblage” of AI that enables these systems to run in the first place. Since I’m an environmental studies professor, it became clear that a lot of those pieces were an entire material world of energy, water, and other resources; of labor undervalued and exploited. And there’s the racialized and encoded assumptions that emanate through the texts upon which these chatbots are trained.

[kyrieeleisonelise]

Ai + Nino vs Ruby +Kana

The narrative is clearly drawing a parallel between Nino and Ai’s relationship compared to Kana and Ruby. Both involve a hardworking and talented girl (Nino and Kana) feeling growing resentment and bitterness when they are outshone by a newcomer who’s somewhat troubled, but has something ‘special’ about them, and gets favoured by others.  (Ai and Ruby). 

But how similar is the relationship? Is Ruby and Kana’s friendship just as doomed as Ai and Nino’s? 

While they are only meant to be playing roles, it’s clear that Kana does have genuine resentment and jealousy towards Ruby. The fall out between them is real. 

  It’s not touched on much, but it’s mentioned a few times that Ai was favoured by management- Ichigo saw her as a daughter. Similarly, Miyako is Ruby’s adoptive mother, so Ruby does get favoured in the group. 

We are shown just like Nino, Kana is completely outshone by Ruby as an idol. Ruby has more fans and gets more opportunities. Nino and Kana went from main-players to just backup for their more popular member . 

Nino is still fixated on Ai, feeling intensely jealous and hateful of her, but also greatly admiring her and putting her on a pedestal. Kana has been shown to relate to these feelings more and more. 

The latest chapter with Kana playing Nino and Ruby playing Ai shows how the original confrontation plays out.

Nino starts by expressing how lucky Ai is, and how much more popular she is. Nino isn’t initially overtly hostile, but is clearly upset. 

But Ai is very dismissive. It’s not clear if she’s being dense/doesn’t know how to handle the situation, but it comes across like she just doesn’t care. She doesn’t stop eating her ice cream even when Nino is clearly upset. 

Nino gets increasingly frustrated and escalated and says some awful things to Ai, but Ai seems almost completely unbothered, not even breaking her smile. When we saw current-Nino a few chapters back, this event and the following fallout has clearly still deeply impacted her. 

Nino simultaneously hates and is obsessed with Ai. 

Nino is resentful for what she feels Ai took from her, but the fact she was unable to move her emotions a little makes Nino interpret Ai as this almost superhuman infallible being. She puts her on a pedestal. 

Nino was never able to resolve her issues with Ai, because from her point of view, Nino hated and admired Ai to such an extreme degree, and Ai didn’t particularly care at all. She was just a detached being who was vaguely ‘trying to love her’ even if Nino was trying to hurt her. 

But did Ai really not care? Was she as unbreakable as Nino thought she was? Was she so detached from others that nobody could hurt her? 

Not according to Ruby’s interpretation of her reaction. 

With the latest chapter, we have the benefit of hearing Kana’s interpretation of Nino’s character. 

As Kana is playing Nino, she realises that Nino and Ai probably used to be friends. 

It could of just been an ordinary fight between girls, but because of Ai’s emotional walls the argument was never resolved and turned into a much, much bigger rift. Nino wouldn’t of been so upset with Ai if she didn’t originally think of her as a friend. This chapter seems to imply that Nino wasn’t just jealous of Ai, but also incredibly hurt when she felt she couldn’t reach her in any way. 

. 

Nino was deeply wounded by Ai’s seeming indifference to her suffering and to her vitriol. Not only does she continue to hate Ai for hurting her, she also admires her for her skill/talent and see’s her as untouchable and unmovable. 

I explored it a bit further in a previous post, but I think Ai’s handling on Nino’s emotions was due to her lack of social skills/minimising as a defence mechanism rather than indifference.

Will Kana and Ruby end the same way? 

I don’t think so. 

Although Kana is in a similar position to Nino in the recent arc and there have been a lot of parallels, she is a very different character. Nino was a rookie idol and probably much younger than Kana at the time of the argument (if she’s the same age as Ai, probably about 14?). 

Kana is a young adult whose spent decades in show biz and has more life experience than most people her age. Even though Kana has insecurities and can be impulsive/hot-headed she has   had to be resilient to last as long as she has in show biz. 

Ruby is by no means the first person Kana has had to compete against or felt jealous of. Show business is full of competition. Akane is Kana’s main rival for example. Akane has arguably more for Kana to be jealous of; she’s more successful as an actress and she was dating the boy Kana liked. 

Although she is jealous of Ruby, Kana has enough self-insight not to completely loose her mind to it like Nino. 

The only reason she originally expressed her resentment was to help Ruby act (although I believe this was a little extreme and misguided).

Kana’s maturity compared to Nino is evident throughout this chapter with her insightful analysis of Nino’s feelings/her relationship with Ai. 

 Nino doesn’t have the foresight to see how Ai’s background in a children’s home has lead to her developing maladaptive coping strategies. Kana is also able to recognise to an extent how Ruby’s difficult past impacts her behaviour, and has empathy for her. 

Importantly, it’s been established multiple times that Kana’s speciality is acting. Although she does feel jealous of Ruby, part of her knows that ultimately being an idol isn’t her dream. Being an actress is. Kana can never surpass Ruby as an idol, but I don’t think Kana’s true-calling is to be an idol. Even during her argument with Ruby, she specifies that she can’t surpass Ruby as an idol.

Compared to Ai and Nino, where Ai is portrayed as a ‘better’ version of Nino (At least of Nino’s ‘ condensed character-type’ she portrays as an idol).

And Ruby? Ruby is very different from Ai. I’ve mentioned it before in a previous post that Ruby does hide darker parts of herself to an extent, but Ruby is much more open emotionally than Ai.

Just compare their reactions to their friend telling them to die/disappear. 

Ruby does not hide that she is deeply, deeply hurt by Kana. Unlike Nino, Kana is never left feeling that Ruby never cared about their friendship in the first place. 

Ruby allows herself to be vulnerable more than Ai ever could. While Kana admires Ruby, she doesn’t put her on a pedestal, she knows she isn’t a the ‘ultimate invincible idol’. 

During Ruby’s black-star era/rise to fame she was so fixated on revenge that her friendship with Kana and Mem fell on the wayside, but it was clear she still cared about them.

The lead up to Ruby and Kana’s argument is complete different. Instead of being on completely opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, they’re both emphasising with each other; Ruby is worried how her performance will impact Kana’s career, and Kana understand Ruby’s desperation to do well in the movie.  

I don’t know if Kana and Ruby will make up in the next chapter or if this argument is going to continue on. Ruby doesn’t seem to be in the best mental state, so she may not be ready to make amends with Kana immediately. 

I have a feeling the emotions of the characters is going to continue to run parallel to the emotions of who they’re playing in the script. 

But ultimately, I don’t think Ruby and Kana are doomed to follow in Ai and Nino’s footsteps. They are both different people.

I also wonder if Nino and Ai’s relationship would of ended differently if Ai hadn’t been killed. I think Ai matured a lot from her argument with Nino (14) compared to when she had her babies (16). If she hadn’t died, maybe Ai could of matured enough to communicate with Nino and Nino could of matured enough to understand Ai.

This is pure speculation, but I think Ai’s death traumatised Nino to the extent she is frozen in time, unable to move past her childish view of Ai as the perfect idol. A former friend who you wished dead actually getting killed has to be pretty traumatic (and of course, there’s always the possibility of Nino being involved in Ai’s murder which is another can of worms/ ) 

[leonaquitaine]

On the subject of generative AI

Let me start with an apology for deviating from the usual content, and for the wall of text ahead of you. Hopefully, it'll be informative, instructive, and thought-provoking. A couple days ago I released a hastily put-together preset collection as an experiment in 3 aspects of ReShade and virtual photography: MultiLUT to provide a fast, consistent tone to the rendered image, StageDepth for layered textures at different distances, and tone-matching (something that I discussed recently).

For the frames themselves, I used generative AI to create mood boards and provide the visual elements that I later post-processed to create the transparent layers, and worked on creating cohesive LUTs to match the overall tone. As a result, some expressed disappointment and disgust. So let's talk about it.

The concerns of anti-AI groups are significant and must not be overlooked. Fear, which is often justified, serves as a palpable common denominator. While technology is involved, my opinion is that our main concern should be on how companies could misuse it and exclude those most directly affected by decision-making processes.

Throughout history, concerns about technological disruption have been recurring themes, as I can attest from personal experience. Every innovation wave, from typewriters to microcomputers to the shift from analog to digital photography, caused worries about job security and creative control. Astonishingly, even the concept of “Control+Z” (undo) in digital art once drew criticism, with some artists lamenting, “Now you can’t own your mistakes.” Yet, despite initial misgivings and hurdles, these technological advancements have ultimately democratized creative tools, facilitating the widespread adoption of digital photography and design, among other fields.

The history of technology’s disruptive impact is paralleled by its evolution into a democratizing force. Take, for instance, the personal computer: a once-tremendous disruptor that now resides in our pockets, bags, and homes. These devices have empowered modern-day professionals to participate in a global economy and transformed the way we conduct business, pursue education, access entertainment, and communicate with one another.

Labor resistance to technological change has often culminated in defeat. An illustrative example brought up in this NYT article unfolded in 1986 when Rupert Murdoch relocated newspaper production from Fleet Street to a modern facility, leading to the abrupt dismissal of 6,000 workers. Instead of negotiating a gradual transition with worker support, the union’s absolute resistance to the technological change resulted in a loss with no compensation, underscoring the importance of strategic adaptation.

Surprisingly, the Writers Guild of America (W.G.A.) took a different approach when confronted with AI tools like ChatGPT. Rather than seeking an outright ban, they aimed to ensure that if AI was used to enhance writers’ productivity or quality, then guild members would receive a fair share of the benefits. Their efforts bore fruit, providing a promising model for other professional associations.

The crucial insight from these historical instances is that a thorough understanding of technology and strategic action can empower professionals to shape their future. In the current context, addressing AI-related concerns necessitates embracing knowledge, dispelling unwarranted fears, and arriving at negotiation tables equipped with informed decisions.

It's essential to develop and use AI in a responsible and ethical manner; developing safeguards against potential harm is necessary. It is important to have open and transparent conversations about the potential benefits and risks of AI.

Involving workers and other stakeholders in the decision-making process around AI development and deployment is a way to do this. The goal is to make sure AI benefits everyone and not just a chosen few.

While advocates for an outright ban on AI may have the best interests of fellow creatives in mind, unity and informed collaboration among those affected hold the key to ensuring a meaningful future where professionals are fairly compensated for their work. By excluding themselves from the discussion and ostracizing others who share most of their values and goals, they end up weakening chances of meaningful change; we need to understand the technology, its possibilities, and how it can be steered toward benefitting those they source from. And that involves practical experimentation, too. Carl Sagan, in his book 'The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark', said:

"I have a foreboding […] when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness."

In a more personal tone, I'm proud to be married to a wonderful woman - an artist who has her physical artwork in all 50 US states, and several pieces sold around the world. For the last few years she has been studying and adapting her knowledge from analog to digital art, a fact that deeply inspired me to translate real photography practices to the virtual world of Eorzea. In the last months, she has been digging deep into generative AI in order to understand not only how it'll impact her professional life, but also how it can merge with her knowledge so it can enrich and benefit her art; this effort gives her the necessary clarity to voice her concerns, make her own choices and set her own agenda. I wish more people could see how useful her willingness and courage to dive into new technologies in order to understand their impact could be to help shape their own futures.

By comprehending AI and adopting a collective approach, we can transform the current challenges into opportunities. The democratization and responsible utilization of AI can herald a brighter future, where technology becomes a tool for empowerment and unity prevails over division. And now, let's go back to posting about pretty things.

[edaworks]

Wasteland Survival Guide: The Institute, Fusion Reactors, and M.I.T.'s Actual Basement

It's that time again. Periodically I make unreasonable longposts about Fallout-related topics (it's a good way to keep track of fic research). Today I'm tackling nuclear fusion, the Institute, and the real-world Massachusetts Institute of Technology's basement.

Yeah, Yeah, M.I.T. is the Institute, We've All Seen - Wait, What Do You Mean, "The Vault Laboratory?"

M.I.T. - the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - is a highly exclusive research university with a well-deserved reputation for hosting brilliant minds.

It also got its serial numbers filed off in order to host the in-game Institute. Why? Probably because of all the very real research into robotics, artificial intelligence, and power armor (no really). And because M.I.T. is actually doing now what the Institute tries to do in-game with nuclear fusion.

And, of course, because of the vaults in the basement.

You know what? I'll just start at the top...Read on below.

I'll be focusing on fusion-related research in this post, and comparing in-game Institute work on fusion to what's actually happening over at M.I.T. (We'll get to the Media Laboratory and robotics and AI and the, uhm, power armor stuff in a separate post. Or three.)

all actual M.I.T. researchers/faculty/students and/or nuclear physicists have my sincere apologies, I don't know shit about shit but I'm doing my best

I Didn't Sign Up for a Physics Class, but Okay

Here's the thing about nuclear fusion generators - y'know...the ones powering nearly** the entirety of pre-war in-game America?

Including self-contained, miniaturized reactors (fusion cores, fusion cells, microfusion cells, Corvega engines, assaultron and robobrain power supplies, recharger weapons, G.E.C.K.s, etc.) and full-scale reactors (powering vaults, the Lucky 38, the Prydwen (and Rivet City before Maxson Happened), missile silos, etc.)...?

We don't have them yet.

Of course we have nuclear power generation, what are you talking about?

Yes - but nuclear power plants currently operating use fission reactors! Fusion reactors, though? Well...

For the pre-war in-game universe, even more than for us, that fuel-to-energy ratio would have been absurdly important. Companies rushed to implement fusion for damn near every possible use, but waited until the Resource Wars left them no other choice. "No more (viable) oil reserves? Well, shit. Fusion it is."

Because of this, by October 23, 2077, pre-war Western markets were still somewhat new to adopting miniaturized nuclear fusion reactors.

For instance, Chryslus' first fusion vehicles - intentionally reminiscent of the absolutely wild Ford Nucleon concept car dreamed up in 1957 - came to market in 2070, less than a decade before the nuclear exchange.

As for the other benefits of nuclear fusion...Atom knows the in-game universe could do with less radioactive contamination:

It is no wonder the Institute wants to get the reactor in their basement up, running, and running better than originally designed.

Real-life M.I.T. is no stranger to running fusion reactors - they've been at it since the late '60s - but as it turns out, they are currently also "building a better mousetrap," and if they succeed they will be achieving all the Institute would hope for in clean energy production - without the moral deficit.

If nuclear fusion is so great, why aren't we using this technology yet IRL?

Because - and I cannot stress this enough - we are attempting to levitate bits of the Sun inside a donut to make really hot things boil water* so steam will turn a fan attached to a dynamo to power light bulbs.

*(there are two other ways to generate power using this heat)

Naturally...this comes with some complications.

We know fusion reactors can be the most energy-efficient form of power generation - we just need better reactors. That's where M.I.T. comes in.

The biggest problem right now is efficiency:

TL;DR - as of April 2024, all fusion reactors as a matter of course still consume more power to run than they are able to produce (meaning they do not reach "breakeven"). Many cutting-edge reactors also require tritium (very rare) as well as deuterium (very common) fuel.

We did not even see a fusion reaction that reached "breakeven" for power production until December of 2022. That reaction occurred at the National Ignition Facility in California, and their results just passed peer review in February of this year (2024).

Several in-progress reactors aim to improve on this, including ITER (the combined work of dozens of nations) in France, and SPARC: the new reactor under development by Mass Fusion Commonwealth Fusion Systems and M.I.T.'s Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC).

Another big problem with this technology is that it involves plasma.

Plasma, as a particular song reminds us, is what the Sun is made of and The Sun Is Hot. That means plasma carries some very real 'we're-losing-structural-integrity, the-warp-core-is-breaching' risks, and we must jump through all kinds of hoops to work with it.

Why are we shoving the Sun inside a donut, again?

The most well-funded, well-researched way of smashing atoms together involves plasma and magnetic confinement fusion.

This shit is beyond cool. It may also look very familiar:

In-game, the Institute is trying to get what appears to be a spherical tokamak reactor up and running.

Bethesda's choice of reactor was no coincidence: M.I.T. operated the Alcator C-Mod, a spherical tokamak, while Fallout 4 was under development - but that reactor could not achieve "breakeven" IRL, and per Shaun's in-game dialogue, the fictional Alcator C-Mod couldn't either. (Weird given the miniaturized fusion devices everywhere in-universe, but okay, Shaun.)

However, M.I.T. stopped operating that reactor in 2016, a year after Fallout 4's release. SPARC, their planned replacement reactor actually has the sort of power potential we see in-game - and they aim to bring fusion power to market in this decade.

M.I.T., right now, in real life, is doing exactly what you're asked to help the Institute do in-game: build a fusion reactor that surpasses "breakeven."

What the hell is a tokamak and why does it look like half of a Star Trek warp core?

Your typical tokamak reactor is a great big donut-shaped vacuum chamber (the torus), traditionally surrounded by AT LEAST three sets of electromagnets (sometimes many more). M.I.T.'s design for the new SPARC reactor is a bit different, but let's start with the basics.

Why so many magnets?

Because plasma, being Literal Sun Matter, cannot come into contact with the torus containment walls or it will instantly burn through. (This happened in France in 1975. Following initial "well, fuck"s and a couple years' repairs, the logical next step was to publish a paper about it.)

The magnetic fields work to heat the plasma and provide current drive (keep electrons moving in a consistent direction through the plasma and around the torus), while also keeping it from touching anything, preventing a "warp core breach." I'll take a stab at explaining it but the Department of Energy probably does it better.

Meet the magnets:

Toroidal field magnets (blue, above): These enormous D-shaped magnets wrap around and through the torus, conducting an electrical current. This creates a magnetic field that keeps plasma from drifting horizontally into the containment walls.

Central solenoid (green, above): Inside the "donut hole" sits a massive, stacked electromagnet that generates enough electromagnetic force to launch two space shuttles at once. This heats the fuel to about one hundred million degrees Celsius so that it reaches plasma state, and helps "drive" the plasma current around the torus. (Radiofrequency or neutral beam injection heating/drive may be used as well for reactor prototypes aiming for power generation, because current drive from just the solenoid isn’t practical for continuous operation.) The central solenoid also creates another magnetic field called the "poloidal field," which "loops" around the plasma like a collar to prevent it from drifting vertically into the walls. The strongest central solenoid in existence was made for the ITER reactor...by General Atomics.

Outer poloidal field magnets (grey, above): A third set of electromagnets "stacks" up the outside of the torus, and helps maintain and adjust the poloidal field.

Together these three sets of magnets force the plasma to "float" inside the torus, shape it, and provide current drive. The stronger the magnetic field, the higher the reactor's power output.

Okay, and then what?

Given sufficient heat and drive/stability, the plasma fuel mixture undergoes fusion.

Neutrons released during fusion have plenty of kinetic energy (the kind of energy a kickball has midair before it hits you in the face), but no electric charge.

Since magnetic fields only affect negatively or positively charged particles, neutrons completely ignore the fields, sailing straight through and slamming into a "blanket" of metal coating the donut's insides. Neutrons passing into the 'blanket" lose their kinetic energy, which is converted to heat and absorbed by the "blanket." (ITER's "blanket" involves a lot of beryllium, which...behaves a bit differently IRL than it does in-game.)

Heat captured by the "blanket" is then used to generate power. For instance, a water cooling system can bleed heat from the "blanket," regulating temperature and creating superheated highly-pressurized steam to run turbine generators.

I notice you described a "typical" tokamak above -what's the atypical option?

Check out SPARC.

Its huge design departure is that it uses new high-temperature superconducing magnets (most existing types have to be cooled to vacuum-of-space temperatures using something like a liquid helium system to achieve superconductivity, which is a huge power drain) to create a monstrous magnetic field - and its size is tiny in comparison to its projected power output.

Neat. So why did you refer to plasma as a problem?

Well...between the heat and the neutrons, the "blanket," the "first wall" and all plasma-facing surfaces inside the torus take one hell of a beating:

"Neutron degradation of wall surfaces-" "Energy is released in the form of the kinetic energy of the reaction products-" In practical terms, that just means countless neutrons are doing THIS:

...but to the containment wall and other surfaces inside the torus, instead of to Batshuayi's face. And so:

Basically, this stuff breaks fast enough - and the only materials that don't break quickly are rare enough - to create a real barrier to commercial use.

And THIS is one of the problems they're working on solving in M.I.T.'s basement.

Now we can talk about the Vault. FINALLY.

M.I.T. is home to the Center for Science and Technology with Accelerators and Radiation (CSTAR). CSTAR's splash page announces:

Linear plasma devices? You mean like -

No, not like plasma rifles. Instead of weapons, we're talking about tools being used to solve the "plasma fucking destroys everything it touches" problem.

How does CSTAR do this? They've got CLASS. ...No, really:

This field is called plasma-surface interaction science, and if you want a really long but very informative read on how CSTAR's work helps move it forward, check this out. It involves the DIONISOS Linear Plasma Device - a "let's shoot it with plasma and see what happens" tool.

CSTAR also works to better undertstand how materials handle radiation damage, and how they behave after becoming irradiated.

And to handle this sort of work, one needs a...

The Vault Laboratory for Nuclear Science "combines high-intensity particle sources, precision particle detection, and a heavily shielded experimental area to create a facility for nuclear research in high-radiation environments." It contains, among other things:

the DT Neutron Generator, which is used in a variety of experiments, including radiation detector development (pretty damned important) and characterization, fast neutron imaging, and material activation (stuff becoming radioactive).

the DANTE Tandem Accelerator, which was "originally designed to produce high neutron yields for use in cancer therapy research."

And that is what's actually going on in M.I.T.'s basement: truth is cooler than fiction.

The takeaways:

Yes, M.I.T. really is building a revolutionary fusion reactor with parts from Mass Fusion Commonwealth Fusion Systems.

Yes, there really is a secure underground facility where incredibly advanced research related to nuclear fusion, radiation detection, irradiated materials, and degradation of materials due to radiation exposure takes place.

Yes, I really would spend eight hours researching nuclear physics instead of doing more dishes. Shoutout to @twosides--samecoin for tolerating my absurd hyperfocus on researching this.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk on what M.I.T. is really doing in its basement.

Tune in next time for M.I.T.'s Media Laboratory, and how it is related to real-world power armor, plus: the relationship between Langley, P.A.M.'s IRL cousin, and Vault 101.

** (Fallout is wildly inconsistent re: how widespread fusion is in-game and when it was developed. I mean we're talking a two-decade spread of inconsistency! And somehow the technology - first available to the military - was then miniaturized and made available to the general public before becoming widespread for commercial power generation? And somehow we both do and don't have impossible cold fusion in game? It's a mess. I reject this reality and replace it with a fish, hence this post. Also, I hate fission batteries. don't talk to me about fission batteries, "fission batteries" are small fission reactors but they are definitely not "battery sized" - the "fission batteries" in-universe are so miniaturized that they are more likely another kind of atomic battery like a radioisotope thermoelectric generator and those are subject to a law of diminishing returns as the fuel decays/not producing a reasonably useful power output after over 200 years due to the isotopes normally used/can be VERY dangerous if the shielding is breached or removed, and - you know what, that's also a whole different post.)

[songbird-at-the-fireside-chat]

Browsing the World Wide Web

Browsing the World Wide Web

One of my favorite passions is creating/finding ways to navigate the web that are healthy, authentic, and fun! Here are some resources I use to guide my internet usage. Some language has been slightly adapted for tone and accessibility. For more in-depth reading, follow the links! (taken with permission from https://yair.garden/browsing). Shared Ideals

MelonKing has an excellent list of shared ideals which I try to keep in mind as I browse the web. It's a great starting point!

Creativity is First: We see the ability to design, decorate, and graffiti digital spaces as essential and powerful.

The Internet is Fun: We want the Web to be a playground that's free to explore and enjoy.

Corporations are Boring: We are tired of the monetization, data abuse, and endless breaches of trust in corporate culture.

The Web is Friendly: We believe the Web should be friendly and supportive; caring is a radical act.

Right to Repair: We value the freedom to make, break, and repair our stuff - tinkering is a form of debate and protest.

One World Wide Web: We want free open knowledge and global connectivity, without paywalls, bubbles, or borders.

Chaotic Effort: We believe that value comes from the time and effort put into projects they love for no reason other than love.

No to Web3: In many (but not all) situations, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, unfairly trained AIs, and buzzword tech are unwelcome and uncool.

Manifesto for a New Web

The YesterWeb is an organization seeking to progressively transform internet culture and beyond. After two years, they created three core commitments and three social behavior guidelines to benefit everyone.

A commitment to social responsibility and partisanship.

A commitment to collective well-being and personal growth.

A commitment to rehumanizing social relations and reversing social alienation.

50 additional manifestos can be found here Social Etiquette

Engage in good faith.

Engage in constructive conflict.

Be mindful of participating in a shared, public space.

Why say no to Web 3.0?

One of the shared ideas of our community of web surfers is to push back against "Web 3.0". Here's why:

It's driven by predatory marketing tactics.

It requires complex technological and financial knowledge to fully understand.

It is actively harming the environment.

It caters to early adopters and whales.

It profits off artificial scarcity.

Investors are banking on Web3, and they really don't want to be wrong.

Personalized Web Surfing Guide

Make your web surfing personal and adventurous, away from corporate influences. Here's a simple guide for a unique browsing experience.

Configure your browser

Remove Ads and Clean up Privacy:

Ublock Origin for removing ads

ClearURLs for removing tracking elements from URLs

SponsorBlock for skipping sponsorships on YouTube

Make it a Safer Space:

ShinigamiEyes for highlighting transphobic/anti-LGBTQ sites

TriggerRemover for removing trigger-inducing content from pages

Clean up UI for Beauty and Minimalism:

CleanerReads for a muted Goodreads experience

Minimal; for a minimal and less attention-grabbing internet

Bonuses for a Cool Experience:

Library Extension: Check book availability at local libraries

Translate Web Pages: Translate pages in real-time

Return YouTube Dislike: Bring back the YouTube dislike feature

How to Browse and Surf the Web

Explore Beyond Corporate Sites: While the internet is vast, the majority of users only see a small fraction dominated by large corporate sites. These sites often prioritize shock value and extreme content, overshadowing the richness of the wider web. Explore alternative avenues to discover the internet's diversity.

Search Engines: Avoid corporate search engines like Google. Instead, consider using alternatives like Kagi, which focuses on privacy and doesn't sell your data. While it costs around $10/month, Kagi offers a diverse mix of web content, making it a worthwhile investment for varied search results. Other niche or non-commercial search engines can also provide unique content. While they may not be sustainable for daily use, they're great for discovering new sites. Find them here.

Webrings: Webrings are collections of websites united by a common theme or topic. They offer a unique way to explore sites created by real people, spanning a wide range of interests. Here are some of my favorite webrings:

Hotline Webring

Retro Webring

Low Tech Webring

Geek Webring

Soft Heart Clinic Mental Health Circle ...and here are some list of webring databases to explore!

Curated List of 64 Webrings

Neocities Webrings

Curated List of Active Webrings

Comprehensive List of 210 Webrings

Cliques/Fanlistings Web Cliques/Cliques are groups which you can join usually if you fulfill a certain task such as choosing an animal or listing your astrological sign. Fanlistings do the same for fans of various topics! You can then be linked on the clique's/fan group's site for further website discovery! Here are some web clique directories:

Project Clique

Cliqued

Fanlistings Network

5. Link Directories

Many sites have smaller link directories of buttons where you can find sites that they are "mutuals" (both creators follow each other) and "friends/neighbors" — sites they follow. It's a great way to build community. There are also larger link directories of sites which someone finds cool, and it's a great way to intentionally explore the web. Here are some of my favorites:

SadGrl Links

Melonland Surf Club

Neocities Sites

Onio.Cafe

Though there are many more! 6. Random Site Generators

Finally, there are random site generators which allow you to randomly stumble upon websites. While not very practical, they are a lot of fun and offer a unique way to discover new corners of the web.

A list can be found here

What now?

The next question you have is probably how can you become an active member/contribute in this world of the underground web? I unfortunately don't have the energy to write a guide right now but it will come soon! In broad strokes, consider making a site on Neocities. If you do make a site, remember to include a robots.txt file to get AI and bots out of there and don't forget to rate your site so we can know who it's for. If you'd like to transition off social media I recommend an RSS Reader such as the one at 32bit.cafe or on Fraidycat (guide on this to come soon as well!). For your twitter-fix you can always post a status at Status Cafe and your mood at imood. There is a whole world out there full of passionate and friendly people who are ready to reclaim the web. Excited to see you there!

[not-terezi-pyrope]

Hot take: Any and all efforts asking companies to refuse to adopt automation/AI systems that would save costs for the sake of human jobs (fairly understandable urge on the face of it) should be funnelled into asking them to just. Give you money. Or more properly, to support UBI funds. This is because you are essentially asking for the exact same monetary sacrifice/outcome (suffer reduced profits in order to benefit the worker population) without the added side-effect of engaging in weird anti-tech politics that hurts people who work in engineering fields and the cause of developing generally more productive production chains that could be enhanced by automation.

"But, that's pointless, there's no way we can convince companies to just give away free money!" You're right, that's capitalism baby, and they will refuse to listen to your complaints about automation/AI for the same reason. It's because companies operate under a profit motive by definition, and so you should actually be lobbying for government regulation, i.e. an automation/surplus tax towards a UBI. This avoids the shortfall of the "AI is the devil" approach while also having the advantage of actually being feasibly useful at getting positive outcomes for the working class (lobbying corporations to not adopt cost-cutting measures will not do this, at least not in the long term).

[beautifulsnake2162020]

We have it all (Hualian adopted daughter fanfic) Chapter 5

I used Fengqing Gifs because they are the ones fighting the enemies in the opening scene. Both gifs are by @linglynz

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I only do this for fun.

Premise: Not long after comforting a bullied girl named Meng Ai, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian find themselves adopting her and together they form a family they didn't know they had needed for awhile.

Story/Genre tags: Slice of life-ish (mainly), Family focused, Hua Cheng's houses finally become homes, there may be an overarching story but that's not the focus, Hualian being parents, Fengqing being uncles, Lang Qianqiu falling in love with someone who was raised by the Xianle squad, technically post-canon (though I haven't read the books so if there are some ooc moments please forgive me).

AO3 Link

Chapter 1, Chapter 2 , Chapter 3, Chapter 4

Follower tags: @anonimgato1507

AN: I did my best but I will be the first to admit that I'm not good at writing fight scenes. Having said that, I wanted to give Fengqing their flowers and hopefully show why they are given the position of generals (and Meng Ai's uncles). Hope you enjoy 😅😂

Chapter 5

The Jiangshi were among the first wave that made their way to the shrine. These weren't the typical Jiangshi that regular Taoist priests would animate for proper burial. These Jiangshi were puppets for the magicians who were controlling them. The fortunate thing about these puppets was that once they were slain and their ashes were burnt they were finished.

Then the next wave were demon dogs accompanied by malicious spirits who came into their area in the form of arrows. Arrows that were shot by mortal archers and the dark spirits emerged and rapidly multiplied in their midst.

"Make a circle of holy fire around the shrine!" Mu Qing shouts at Feng Xin as they quickly make a larger circumference around the barrier of protection. The fortunate thing was that these creatures stood no chance against the Holy fire they made and even then they had some of their best soldiers standing by in between the barrier and the fire.

Then another wave of Jiangshi came with large Xiangliu spitting venom everywhere and poisoning the soil. This time the Jiangshi were a mix of puppets and Jiangshi who were their own being. The puppets walked, the ones who weren't were hopping.

"We'll need to find the mages causing this!" Feng Xin says after slaying a hopping Jiangshi and blasting it with fire.

"What do you think I've been doing?!" Mu Qing replies as he blasts another Xiangliu away and scorches the area its venom had touched to mitigate its effects. Feng Xin uses his momentum to quickly get his arrows. Mu Qing quickly throws a flame on the arrowhead and Feng Xin shoots at the Xiangliu, just beneath it's nine heads. Nine voices screamed out in agony and it fell.

"One down!"

"Of many. Mortals are starting to join in." Mu Qing says as some of his soldiers managed to remove the cloaks of some of them.

"Stop this now!" One of Mu Qing's soldiers commanded.

"We don't answer to your king, we answer to gold!"

"Mercenaries"

"That explains everything."

Fu Dao was one of the wealthier kingdoms because of their position in the trade route. Soldiers bearing Fu Dao's crest would cause a scandal if they were found. But employing mercenaries had the added benefit of deniability if they were ever caught.

"Stay away from this fight and we'll give you gold."

"We've already been adequately paid!" Mu Qing easily blocks and deflects an attack.

"Everyone, don't kill the mortals but protect the Priestess and her child."

Feng Xin sends a mass telepathic message to all their soldiers who begin rounding up the mortals who have begun joining in the fight.

A swarm of arrows and poisoned needles came and everyone put up magical barriers to shield themselves.

The fight went on and little by little they were making progress as their soldiers manage to put magical shackles on the mage mercenaries and that lessened the presence of demonic creatures in the fight.

However one of the mortal mages managed to get past the fire.

Because he was cloaked in a protection spell.

No. They both thought.

Mu Qing and Feng Xin immediately teleported themselves in the temple grounds.

Their soldiers were dealing with the mortal mage.

Who was serving as a distraction.

Assassins cloaked in a similar protection spell soon came inside the barrier.

"Get in!" Feng Xin commands his soldiers as they begin fighting the mortals who have begun entering.

"I'll take them to Jingdezhen."

"Go, I'll follow."

Mu Qing enters the living quarters in the nick of time as he sees a poisoned needle begin to enter inside. He immediately stops it and puts magic shields on all possible openings in the living quarters.

"What's going on?"

"Get Meng Ai, we're going to Jingdezhen." He immediately slams the door shut as another poisoned needle flew inside. He quickly makes a teleportation portal as Jing Mei wears her satchel and carries a sleeping Meng Ai. Once it was completed he opens the portal and they find themselves just outside of Xiwangmu's temple.

"Oh thank goodness." Jing Mei sighs in relief.

"Here, let me carry her."

"Thank you. If anything we'll at least have decent accomodations tonight."

"Your rooms have already been prepared." The priest says as they approach the entrance of the temple. The feminine tone of his voice making it clear that it was Xiwangmu herself speaking to them.

"Oh thank you Great Mother." Jing Mei makes a bow as Xiwangmu through her priest leads them inside the temple grounds.

"You did well General Xuan Zhen, both you and General Nan Feng have my thanks."

"No problem Xiwangmu, besides I've been itching for a fight for awhile."

"Jing Mei? What happened?" A man rushed to Jing Mei's side. His blue eyes shone in the moonlight, his expression was filled with worry.

"Ji Huifan we were attacked at Puqi shrine, I don't know how they found out...we've been so careful -"

"They hired mercenaries." Mu Qing says with seriousness as he gave Meng Ai to her father.

"Let's discuss further details when we are inside. That you won't have to keep repeating yourself General Xuan Zhen." Xiwangmu says as she continues to lead everyone into the room Hua Cheng and Xie Lian were waiting. Once Meng Ai was placed in bed in the room where her parents stayed and once Feng Xin arrived they began their discussion.

"Mage mercenaries - that's a new low even for them."

"It's been awhile since we've had any contact with your family since we've fled. What I don't understand is how they managed to find out where we were."

"Given the right place to look for them and look for the ones with the right skill level and the right amount of desperation, I'm frankly not surprised that a blood thirsty family would employ them." Hua Cheng says as he leans back on his seat beside Xie Lian.

"Tracking and confirming their targets wouldn't be too difficult for them. Depending on the assignment, most of the preparation would be employing the proper tactics."

"And you know this because?" Hua Cheng raises his eyebrow at Feng Xin in a smug certainty.

"I've had my encounters with some of them. A lot of them lost to me in my gambling den, that's how I learned how they work. And when I'm feeling lazy I just out pay whomever their employer was."

"Do some of them work for you now?"

"Only the ones I consider worthy Gege. Most of them are just mages who have lost clients over time and are desperately looking for money. But considering all we know and considering who their client is, the group that was targetting Jing Mei and Xiao-Ai are an investment of Fu Dao's royal family."

"Why do you say that?" Mu Qing asks skeptically.

"Simple, they didn't care if they were seen or not."

"What do you mean? They attacked in the middle of the night." Feng Xin says arrogantly.

"A night with a full moon, using demonic creatures that would cause a ruckus had anyone other than you or their targets noticed. They also attacked them in Gege's shrine which means they necessarily needed to personally be present since only mortals could pass through magical barriers. They either didn't want to wait or could no longer wait for Jing Mei and Xiao-Ai to leave the safety of the shrine. Considering all of these things, it's obvious that they didn't care to be seen. Which means that they've had the resources to train and be better than most other mercenaries. Over time they have developed the arrogance that it wouldn't matter if they were seen or not."

"And what makes that different from a typical mercenary?"

"A mercenary knows how to keep things discreet. The most sought after ones whether they are a magician or not are the ones who could make things look like an accident or make it look like the death was from natural causes. Mage mercenaries who control demonic creatures use those creatures to kidnap or kill their targets without needing to be physically present."

"Hmm and the fact that there were waves of them headed towards the shrine means -"

"- that they knew." Mu Qing finishes Feng Xin's thought as everyone becomes uncomfortable with the realization.

"Another spy from heaven?!" Feng Xin cries in exasperation.

"No - given the right training and the right time to develop their skills, it's possible for a mortal to tell who is a God and who is a ghost. I'm sure you two have noticed how easily Aiai does it while you were with her." Xie Lian couldn't help but suppress a giggle as Mu Qing and Feng Xin become sheepish at Ji Huifan's comment.

"Either one of the mages my family has employed has that skill or a God with an oracle who has a similar skillset -"

"Wait - Huifan, didn't you say that you lost the ability to see a God's aura when you were cured?" The couple shares a look of realization.

"I didn't exactly lose it, it just wasn't as good as when I was...you know..."

"But that means-"

"- one or a few of my relatives are with them." Another air of discomfort fills the room.

"Does this mean we have to flee again?" Jing Mei asks with trepidation and exhaustion.

"No!" "Absolutely NOT!" "No way."

"You are my oracle and priestess. Your family will always be welcomed in my temples. And right now you may stay here for as long as you wish. And if Generals Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen could lend some of their followers for added protection-"

"No offense Xiwangmu but that wouldn't be enough." She raises her eyebrow at him as Jing Mei is shocked that someone would disrespect her and Ji Huifan's reaction was questioning Hua Cheng's decision to cut her off. She isn't as fickle as the other Gods. Hua Cheng's attitude was refreshing to her when most Gods and mortals would be dictated by their fear and reverence to her domain.

"San Lang."

"Ji Huifen, when you were still a cursed immortal could you still enter Xiwangmu's temples?" He then realized what Hua Cheng was pointing out and sighed a sad tone out.

"Yes, my family and I had no problems entering in any temple. We may not be able to do everything our abilities allow us to do, depending on the God who is worshipped in the temple-"

"But the point still stands that if the three of you remain here, someone could still enter and harm you. They just need to be either a mortal or someone from your family."

"And what do you propose Crimson Rain Sought Flower?" Hua Cheng's gaze meets Xie Lian's as they both smile.

"Xiao-Ai is still asleep right?"

______________________________________________________________

Red was the first color that she sees as she wakes up. This was definitely not Puqi shrine anymore she thought as she slowly began sitting up. It was then that Meng Ai realized that the bed she was waking up from was both softer and smoother than what she was used to.

"Hello Aiai."

"BABA!" She launches herself forward as she embraces Ji Huifan and kisses him on the cheek. He laughs as he brings her to his embrace.

"Thank you for sending them to help me."

"Baba please don't scare mama like that again." He gives her a sad smile knowing that whether it is sooner or later he and Jing Mei will have to let her go to Hua Cheng and Xie Lian.

"Sometimes I can't help it Aiai, everything I do for both you and your mama are out of love. Even if you can't see it right now." She doesn't like that tone he uses despite knowing what he said was true.

"Where are we? Where is mama?"

"She's in the kitchen trying to teach Xie Lian how to cook." He helps her down and outside her room Hua Cheng and Xie Lian were waiting.

"Hello Xiao-Ai, did you sleep well?" Xie Lian asks tenderly while patting her head.

"Yes, it was a long sleep. I don't know how I was able to sleep for that long."

"Hungry little one?" Hua Cheng asks as he kneels down so that their eyes would be at the same level.

"Yes, where are we San Lang?" He opens his hand and waits for her to take it. He couldn't help but smile as he sees she was wearing the necklace he gifted her with a silver butterfly pendant.

"We are in our house, welcome to Paradise Manor."

AN: And this is the start of more Slice of life moments that I had not yet sufficiently delivered 😅😂 I hope none of you were too disappointed with the fight scene.

[koke]

I’ve been enjoying Paris Marx’s writing lately, but the latest piece hits all the right spots.

I remember reading Barlow’s Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace back in my 20s, and nodding along, showing my despise for government. 20 years later, it reads so different. Governments aren’t perfect, but at least they are meant to represent their people and we have ways to replace them. Leaving so much decision power in the hands of private corporations could not end well.

If you listen to CEOs like Sam Altman or venture capitalists like Marc Andreessen, they want us to believe that these tools are the beginning of a vast expansion in human potential, but that’s incredibly hard to believe for anyone who knows the history of Silicon Valley’s deception and can see through the hype to understand how these tools actually work. They’re not intelligent or prescient; they’re just churning out synthetic material that aligns with all the connections they’ve made between the training data they pulled from the open web.

Once again, the push to adopt these AI technologies isn’t about making our lives better, it’s about reducing the cost of producing ever more content to keep people engaged, to serve ads against, and keep people subscribed to struggling streaming services. The public doesn’t want the quality of news, entertainment, and human interactions to further decline because of the demands of investors for even greater profits, but that doesn’t matter. Everything must be sacrificed on the altar of tech capitalism.

[jojikawa]

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙞𝙤: 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 | 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙏𝙬𝙤

WICKED HEARTS

Pilot | MASTERLIST

Author’s note: This is a POC FRIENDLY blog. I am a black girl and I want to write more fics that don’t leave the reader racially ambiguous. This is self-indulgent and I’m just sharing it with you. Jojo is far from realistic. So, I don’t need to be either. Please don’t leave hate! Thanks! 

This is a DARK romance so there will be toxic relationship themes, NSFW themes, descriptions of violence, and gore. There will also be unintentional sexism and racism from the characters toward the reader. The reader is canonically black in this AU but it is written for people from all walks of life to enjoy.

TW? Dio forces his will onto the reader. (Could be triggering but not rape :) )

vampire dividers by mmadeinheavenn

"You are my JOY..." Art by KDash_01 on Twitter!

Authors Note (2/7/2023): this temporary note will be removed soon. I use eleven labs AI to make reading more accessible bc it's hard for me to just sit and read stuff but I ran out of monthly credits to use the program so the audiobook for this chapter will be added later. I am very sorry! - Maron.

WORD COUNT: 3.7k

Several years have passed since your incident with Dio. You avoided seeing him and he didn't try seeking you out…at first.

You introduced yourself to Jonathan and the both of you became fast friends. Although it was platonic, Dio couldn’t stand the fact that someone that belonged to him was able to be in the presence of Jonathan. It wasn’t fair. He didn’t care that things were messed up because of him. Jonathan shouldn’t get to talk to you. This newfound jealousy sat at his core and festered. Dio had been putting on a front the entire time of being “Good guy Dio.” It was the only way he could ever gain back the trust of everyone else. Soon he would turn on them. 

Dio began poisoning his own adoptive father. The very person that showed kindness to him, giving him the benefit of the doubt when no one else would. He lost you but he only continued burning bridges with the ones he loved. Were the two of you new lovers now? He couldn’t stand the thought of it. He didn’t want to believe it because you were too smart for a fool like Jonathan. The idea still ate away at him. Jonathan was a fool but he was indeed much nicer than Dio. 

The rumors of you dating Jonathan were only present in Dio’s head. It was clear to any and everyone that the two of you were just friends. Jonathan often asked about Erina but it seemed like she wanted nothing to do with the Joestar boys. The only thing he could do was respect that. Jonathan would also apologize to you on behalf of Dio. It wasn’t needed or wanted but you accepted it regardless. You shared your way of making tea and baked goods over the years. You were a very prominent family friend. Something that Dio could no longer ignore.

You heard of George Joestar’s sickness and he personally requested that he have some of your famous dessert and tea. You were happy to prepare it for him but it was only once you were ready to have Jonathan deliver, you got the news that the man went out of town. You arrived at the Joestar manor and the door was answered by their butler. That meant that Dio was the only other person taking care of George. 

You met with their father. He looked pale and as if he hadn’t slept in days. It was like he could collapse at any moment. “Hello there, Mr. Joestar.” You greeted the old man with a sweet smile. “I brought your favorite.”You showed him a slice of cake. “Jonathan told me you shouldn’t be eating any sweets but I couldn’t help it.” You then took the tea kettle out of your bag. “I was also able to make it here while the tea was still warm.”

A small smile crept up on the man’s face. “Thank you so much, (y/n). You’ve been a true asset to my boys over the years, but most of all, to me.” You laughed, seating yourself in a nearby chair. “Oh, no worries Mr. Joestar. I believe that I’m just doing the bare minimum.”

Dio lingered outside the door of George’s room. He didn’t even want to admit something like this but he could say he was jealous of his father as well. He was jealous of anyone you gave your time to because of how exclusive your relationship was before.

The muffled voices ceased speaking. Dio began to leave. He didn’t want to see you right now but he was not fast enough. Just as he turned away, he heard the door open and close followed by faint footsteps. As flustered as he had gotten over you, he couldn’t help but face you. There was no way. In what world could he actually be able to ignore you when you were only a few feet away?

When you noticed Dio, it was clear he was eavesdropping. You wanted to believe your feelings for him had faded but a small bit of them was mostly there. You never paid any mind to him until now. He had grown just as big as Jonathan. Then you noticed his arm. It was in a sling as if he had broken it. 

“What happened to you?” You whispered, holding your hand up to your mouth in disbelief. The attire you had on wasn’t something Dio had seen before. It was fit for the cold weather but could be considered promiscuous. A Victorian-style corset dress that highlighted your bust with sleeves that hang off the shoulders. It hugged your curves and left nothing to his imagination. All topped with a beautiful fur cloak that concealed the rest of your body. It seemed as though you dressed a lot nicer than you had when you were only children. 

“It is nothing of your concern.”

You huffed. “I don’t believe it’s nothing.” You laughed out loud, but just a little. This made Dio grit his teeth. “And why do you care? It’s clear that you’ve married some rich bastard. Go bother him.” 

“Still as bitter as ever.” You muttered. “I’m not married, Dio. Jonathan hasn’t told you about me I assumed?” You made your way over to him, examining his arm without touching it just yet. “No. Jonathan hasn’t told me anything about you of the sort. It’s like you want nothing to do with me.” His voice was laced with venom. He held so much anger. All of it would just diminish if you just became his again. 

“The Pendletons had given me a small loan to begin my own tea company a few years ago. I’ve paid them back since then.” You smiled softly. Dio’s face softened at you. Did you finally find salvation from your financial problems…without him? “The tea company you’ve always talked about having…?” Dio remembered all the times that you’d mention being the owner of a tea company in private. It was just something he thought you’d talk about in passing. How could he not have known?!

The Pendletons!? How could they? Dio was supposed to be the one helping you achieve your dreams. Not them. This only made his hate grow more. He was beginning to face the harsh reality that your life never revolved around him. 

You nodded. “My life is my own now.” Grabbing him by his big shoulder, you ushered him to come with you. The oversized man followed. They must’ve tried really hard to hide an entire tea company from him. It didn’t sit right with him that he was completely flushed out of your life. Now there would be a dozen men constantly pining after you.

Dio told you the directions to his study and that’s where you would take care of him. A part of you really wanted to see if he was actually handicapped or if this was a ploy for sympathy. Other than Jonathan and Erina, you were the only person who knew the real Dio and the lengths he could go to. “How did you hurt your arm?” You asked politely. Your fingers grazed themselves over his sling. “A street fight.” He grumbled. You rolled your eyes. “You’re too lavish and frilly for street fights at your age. Am I really supposed to believe that?” You placed your high-end purse to the side and your jewelry made audible jingling sounds as you removed your fur coat. 

Frustrated, Dio ripped off the sling, throwing it to the ground. “Okay. I lied. What do you want me to say? Jonathan attacked me.” 

“Mmm.” You pursed your lips. “Jonathan doesn’t strike me as one to attack his own brother. And to think, the two of you were getting along so well.” You placed a hand on your cheek. You’ve changed so much and grown up quite beautifully. “Oh, so you think I’m lying?” Dio narrowed his eyes at you. “You lied about your arm just now.” You snapped. “I bet you’ve done something wrong and now you’re trying to act hurt for sympathy.” 

“You don’t know anything, woman.” He spat. “You barely even know the man in front of you.” 

You quickly grabbed your handbag. “Fine. Then I have no reason to stay here.” You shrugged to yourself as you put your coat back on. “Wait!” Dio raised his voice a few octaves. You felt his arm grab yours. “Yes?”

“Don’t…leave.” 

The grip he had on your arm tightened with every word. “I’m begging you. Please don’t leave.” Dio cried his crocodile tears. You wanted so badly to believe him but you knew better.

“Dio…” You flashed him a sad smile, raising your free hand to his cheek. You wiped his fake tears and he leaned to your touch. “I still have feelings for you. I’ve already accepted that I will never stop loving you and I’ve held our relationship close to my heart…”

Dio’s face lit up. You had to admit that he looked very adorable when he didn’t have such a scowl on his face. “My feelings have remained for you as well. I haven’t had any relations with any other woman in hopes that one day you-“

“I don’t believe we can be together.”

A force that was never known before today filled Dio. The pit in your stomach that causes one to throw up. The feeling that makes you want to throw yourself off of a nearby cliff. Rejection.

You expect Dio to insinuate violence again, but he didn’t. He let go of your arm. “What?” The words fell breathlessly from his mouth. “But I did everything right.” The man cried more, except his voice wasn’t soft. It was deep and raspy. You frowned. “Dio, if you see your behavior now, then you’re solidifying my suspicions of you not changing your outlook on life.” 

Once again, Dio let you go. It was probably the right thing to do. Dio was clearly no good and his presence would only hold you back.

This devil wouldn’t be able to accept the harsh reality. 

Dio did what any man of his stature would. He drank.

It was unlike him to drink but essentially losing you again was enough to drive him to crippling alcoholism. He roamed the streets, not caring about any danger that came his way. It was all over anyway. Jonathan knew he was poisoning George and could be back with evidence at any moment. Dio would rot in jail and he would never see you again. 

In a drunken state, Dio bumped into a duo of ruffians who were also drunk and didn’t take kindly to his misstep. The idea crossed his mind to use the mask on the men. It would surely kill them. It was how he was planning to kill Jonathan, after all. 

Instead, he learned a new secret. Something far more valuable than anything else he would have known about the mask. In the process of being attacked by his vampire victims, Dio hurt the very arm that he had been using as leverage in the past, needing the arm sling for real this time. It was embarrassing, but he didn’t care. Not one bit. There was a change in his plan that could turn everything in his favor.

A day later, you got the news that Dio died. The Joestar mansion caught fire. The news got to you the next morning. You’d be a liar if you said you didn’t cry for him. Dio was sad and miserable but you always hoped that he would come to his senses. Now, you could never be with him.

But life goes on.

You managed your tea company as normal but you found it hard to build connections with other men. No suitors gave you the same attention he did. They wanted you because you were pretty or for your money so their attempts to romance you were very disingenuous. You had gotten thoughts about visiting Jonathan but you believed you still needed time. Seeing him would only make you think about Dio.

You often beat yourself up for being so harsh with Dio. Perhaps, leaving him to figure things out on his own was too cruel of you. The next day, word got to you that Jonathan recovered but there was still no sign of Dio’s body. You assumed the worst and that his body was burned beyond recognition or still buried under the rubble. Either way, it contributed to your sadness and made your job hard. You decided that you would have an assistant take over while you allowed yourself to mourn the loss.

Jonathan and Erina spent their time together. They caught up and began to bond again. You went back to visit the Joestar mansion…or what was left of it. You left flowers for Dio the first day. You hoped that he was resting in a better place now. 

You checked into a nearby Inn. You planned to stay there for a few days and maybe visit Erina too. You were still trying to work things out. 

You were shown to your room. It was the most expensive suite. You had it all to yourself. You often treated yourself and being able to have good living conditions made the situation a bit more bearable. But when nightfall came about, your neighbors would realize that this inn was a house of horrors.

You settled down, bathed yourself, and got ready for the next day. Your night had been going like any other but this night, in particular, had you more on edge. You felt as if you were being watched. Sometimes you would even feel a presence behind you but when you looked…it was nothing?

Perhaps you were put off by the sudden bad news. You figured things took a toll on you and the best idea was to get some rest. Unfortunately, it seems that your sheets weren’t the cleanest. Anyone else would be furious at paying for such a nice suite to have dirty sheets, but from your humble beginnings, you understood that mistakes happen. You would simply request new sheets. You went to the front desk and talked to the staff. They sent a young man up there to change your sheets immediately. 

You thanked the staff and began to walk to your room. It had only been a few minutes since you left but there was already no sight of the boy. “Fast service, I guess.” 

When you got to your room, your door was wide open. The room was dark and it was freezing cold as if all the windows were open. “What in god’s name…?” You reluctantly entered your room. You used the light of the moon to navigate your way. You found your matches and began to relight the candles that were scattered about. You closed your window and tried to warm up once again. When you arrived at the bathroom, you heard…gurgling. 

You placed your hand on the door of the bathroom, trying to gain the courage to open it. You were already getting spooked by the random noises and figures you were seeing through the night. The last thing you wanted was a haunted inn room. 

You barely pushed the door before you heard a deep voice emit from behind you. It was sly and very familiar to you. Could you have been hallucinating!?

“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.”

You quickly spun around. Greeted by a huge man you’ve never seen before, you opened your mouth to scream. His speed allowed him to cover your mouth in an instant with his face obscured by the uneven levels of darkness in the room. The other hand lightly caressed your arm now that he was behind you. 

Tears welled up and immediately began spilling out of your eyes. You grabbed the hand of your attacker, trying to pry it away from your mouth so that you could cry for help.

But it was like he had the strength of 1000 men!

“It’s honestly so touching that you’ve come all this way to show your appreciation for me. Even after ignoring me for 7 years.”

You squirmed, trying to get out of his grip. This has to be a hallucination or ghost of sorts. This suite was haunted. It had to be.

The attacker let you tire yourself out before bluntly dropping you to the ground. You huffed as you tried to crawl away. They watched your pathetic attempt to run away, slowly walking alongside you.

“Somebody help me!” You cried out as you reached the door, only for it to slowly shut in your face. The intruder picked you up before turning you around. Then you saw his face.

His face.

“Dio? You’re alive?” A wave of different emotions washed over you as you processed the face of the man in front of you.

It was Dio.

But Dio Brando died in a fire.

“My lovely (y/n).”

A clawed hand tenderly rubbed your face, staining it with blood. The metallic smell invaded your senses. Your fight or flight mode was going off, like, 30 times more than necessary. “You’re not real!” You squeezed your eyes shut. “Dio died. Stop pretending to be him.”

“Oh, but I am. Your eyes do not deceive you, my dear.” 

The person in front of you was clearly Dio, but he looked so different. His hair was messy and he was completely covered in blood. 

“Wh-what happened to you? How did you live?” You choked out. You didn’t know whether to be overjoyed or completely scared out of your mind. Why was he covered in blood?

Dio laughed. “Oh, Darling, I should have been more honest with you at our last meeting.” He smirked at your behavior. It felt so much better being in direct control this way. He originally didn’t like the idea of scaring you but he seemed to have changed his mind. 

Before he could continue, there was a knock on the door. 

“Ma’am? We heard screaming coming from your room! Is everything alright?” The night attendant spoke muffled speech through the door. “Oh, it seems we have a guest.” Dio placed you on your feet and walked to the door. He opened it to reveal an innocent bystander that he pulled inside. He didn’t allow them to scream or even make a sound before he drained them of all of their life essence, making them as skinny as a skeleton.

You wailed and cried at the sight of witnessing death so closely. With the leftover strength you had, you ran and locked yourself in the bathroom. ‘Dio is a monster!’ You internally panicked. Were you going to die too? Was this his angry spirit coming to punish you for the petty antics the two of you engaged in? Your life was finally beginning to go well. Why? Why would this happen?

“Darling? Don’t tell me you’ve gone in there anyway, despite my requests for you not to.”

It was Dio again. He was jiggling the knob and trying to get inside. 

You took deep breaths, looking around for an escape. There was a small window at the very top of the room you could crawl out of. It seemed like it would work but then you heard a groaning sound.

The gurgling from before got louder until you turned around to see the Inn worker from before. His skin was saggy, pale, and covered in blood while he walked with a limp over to you. It was a zombie. 

Not another moment passed. The door was forcefully removed from the hinges, breaking in half and falling to the ground like scraps of paper. Dio made quick work of the zombie, destroying its body and tossing the remains to the side. 

“I can tell you how I lived.” Dio grabbed you and removed you from the bathroom. “I think you should listen to me, for once.”

Appearing in his hands was a peculiar-looking mask.  “With the help of this, you can live as I do.” Like a painting, Dio paralleled the mask with his very own face. 

You shook your head. “N-No! I don’t want to be a monster.” You tried to pull away but he did not budge. “I don’t remember when I asked such a thing.” He pulled you closer. “Live as I do, (y/n). Reject your humanity. Live forever with me and we can rule the world.” As he spoke, you could see the teeth in his mouth. His canines were longer than the average humans, becoming more visible after noticing them for the first time. 

You wanted to believe so badly that this was just a dream. A nightmare. Anything that meant that it wasn’t real. This was too much. Dio was dead. Dio died in a damn house fire!!

“No!” You shouted, yanking your arm away from him. It was painful but you managed to slip through his grasp and fall to the floor. You stumbled to your feet, attempting to run to the door but Dio tripped you. You didn’t stop. You crawled until you could get on your feet again, but Dio pulled your leg back towards him. A haunting smile crept up on his face. “Dio, please!” You screamed, clawing and kicking at the man. You bruised him, drawing blood, but he didn’t care. You could fight until you got tired. “No! Stop!” The monstrous man tried to force the mask on your face. You didn’t want that. You didn’t want to be a creature like him. “Please, stop!” You continued to fight him, your muscles burning at the overexertion. 

“Resisting only makes it more painful.” He whispered into your ear, barely moving a muscle as you fought for your life. “No! This isn’t right. Please stop!” Your muffled cries fell on deaf ears as he smothered your face with the mask. He used the fresh blood coating his hand to activate it, causing the spikes to come out and penetrate your skull. The sound of your burning transformation filled the entire Inn. It was almost a miracle that you didn’t lose your voice from all the screaming.

“The pain is only temporary, my dear.”