#AI-driven bots

[manaljh-blog]

Chatbot Customer Service: The Quiet Hero of Modern Business

In the world of customer service, chatbots are like those highly skilled bartenders who know your drink before you even ask. Continue reading Chatbot Customer Service: The Quiet Hero of Modern Business

[kazifatagar]

Razer and World Join Forces to Ban Bots and Boost Fair Play in AI-Driven Gaming

Razer, a leading gaming lifestyle brand, has partnered with World, an innovative protocol co-founded by Sam Altman and Alex Blania, to launch “Razer ID verified by World ID,” a secure single sign-on (SSO) system aimed at combating third-party bots in online gaming. Announced on March 19, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, this collaboration integrates World’s privacy-focused, blockchain-based proof-of-human…

[techdriveplay]

How to Use AI Tools to Boost Productivity

In an age where efficiency is paramount, knowing how to use AI tools to boost productivity can make the difference between thriving in your career or simply getting by. The integration of artificial intelligence into everyday workflows is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a practical reality that’s reshaping how we approach tasks, manage time, and drive results. Whether you’re an entrepreneur,…

[jcmarchi]

Precision home robots learn with real-to-sim-to-real

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/precision-home-robots-learn-with-real-to-sim-to-real/

Precision home robots learn with real-to-sim-to-real

At the top of many automation wish lists is a particularly time-consuming task: chores. 

The moonshot of many roboticists is cooking up the proper hardware and software combination so that a machine can learn “generalist” policies (the rules and strategies that guide robot behavior) that work everywhere, under all conditions. Realistically, though, if you have a home robot, you probably don’t care much about it working for your neighbors. MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) researchers decided, with that in mind, to attempt to find a solution to easily train robust robot policies for very specific environments.

“We aim for robots to perform exceptionally well under disturbances, distractions, varying lighting conditions, and changes in object poses, all within a single environment,” says Marcel Torne Villasevil, MIT CSAIL research assistant in the Improbable AI lab and lead author on a recent paper about the work. “We propose a method to create digital twins on the fly using the latest advances in computer vision. With just their phones, anyone can capture a digital replica of the real world, and the robots can train in a simulated environment much faster than the real world, thanks to GPU parallelization. Our approach eliminates the need for extensive reward engineering by leveraging a few real-world demonstrations to jump-start the training process.”

Play video

Precision Home Robotics w/Real-to-Sim-to-Real Video: MIT CSAIL

Taking your robot home

RialTo, of course, is a little more complicated than just a simple wave of a phone and (boom!) home bot at your service. It begins by using your device to scan the target environment using tools like NeRFStudio, ARCode, or Polycam. Once the scene is reconstructed, users can upload it to RialTo’s interface to make detailed adjustments, add necessary joints to the robots, and more.

The refined scene is exported and brought into the simulator. Here, the aim is to develop a policy based on real-world actions and observations, such as one for grabbing a cup on a counter. These real-world demonstrations are replicated in the simulation, providing some valuable data for reinforcement learning. “This helps in creating a strong policy that works well in both the simulation and the real world. An enhanced algorithm using reinforcement learning helps guide this process, to ensure the policy is effective when applied outside of the simulator,” says Torne.

Testing showed that RialTo created strong policies for a variety of tasks, whether in controlled lab settings or more unpredictable real-world environments, improving 67 percent over imitation learning with the same number of demonstrations. The tasks involved opening a toaster, placing a book on a shelf, putting a plate on a rack, placing a mug on a shelf, opening a drawer, and opening a cabinet. For each task, the researchers tested the system’s performance under three increasing levels of difficulty: randomizing object poses, adding visual distractors, and applying physical disturbances during task executions. When paired with real-world data, the system outperformed traditional imitation-learning methods, especially in situations with lots of visual distractions or physical disruptions.

“These experiments show that if we care about being very robust to one particular environment, the best idea is to leverage digital twins instead of trying to obtain robustness with large-scale data collection in diverse environments,” says Pulkit Agrawal, director of Improbable AI Lab, MIT electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) associate professor, MIT CSAIL principal investigator, and senior author on the work.

As far as limitations, RialTo currently takes three days to be fully trained. To speed this up, the team mentions improving the underlying algorithms and using foundation models. Training in simulation also has its limitations, and currently it’s difficult to do effortless sim-to-real transfer and simulate deformable objects or liquids.

The next level

So what’s next for RialTo’s journey? Building on previous efforts, the scientists are working on preserving robustness against various disturbances while improving the model’s adaptability to new environments. “Our next endeavor is this approach to using pre-trained models, accelerating the learning process, minimizing human input, and achieving broader generalization capabilities,” says Torne.

“We’re incredibly enthusiastic about our ‘on-the-fly’ robot programming concept, where robots can autonomously scan their environment and learn how to solve specific tasks in simulation. While our current method has limitations — such as requiring a few initial demonstrations by a human and significant compute time for training these policies (up to three days) — we see it as a significant step towards achieving ‘on-the-fly’ robot learning and deployment,” says Torne. “This approach moves us closer to a future where robots won’t need a preexisting policy that covers every scenario. Instead, they can rapidly learn new tasks without extensive real-world interaction. In my view, this advancement could expedite the practical application of robotics far sooner than relying solely on a universal, all-encompassing policy.”

“To deploy robots in the real world, researchers have traditionally relied on methods such as imitation learning from expert data, which can be expensive, or reinforcement learning, which can be unsafe,” says Zoey Chen, a computer science PhD student at the University of Washington who wasn’t involved in the paper. “RialTo directly addresses both the safety constraints of real-world RL [robot learning], and efficient data constraints for data-driven learning methods, with its novel real-to-sim-to-real pipeline. This novel pipeline not only ensures safe and robust training in simulation before real-world deployment, but also significantly improves the efficiency of data collection. RialTo has the potential to significantly scale up robot learning and allows robots to adapt to complex real-world scenarios much more effectively.”

“Simulation has shown impressive capabilities on real robots by providing inexpensive, possibly infinite data for policy learning,” adds Marius Memmel, a computer science PhD student at the University of Washington who wasn’t involved in the work. “However, these methods are limited to a few specific scenarios, and constructing the corresponding simulations is expensive and laborious. RialTo provides an easy-to-use tool to reconstruct real-world environments in minutes instead of hours. Furthermore, it makes extensive use of collected demonstrations during policy learning, minimizing the burden on the operator and reducing the sim2real gap. RialTo demonstrates robustness to object poses and disturbances, showing incredible real-world performance without requiring extensive simulator construction and data collection.”

Torne wrote this paper alongside senior authors Abhishek Gupta, assistant professor at the University of Washington, and Agrawal. Four other CSAIL members are also credited: EECS PhD student Anthony Simeonov SM ’22, research assistant Zechu Li, undergraduate student April Chan, and Tao Chen PhD ’24. Improbable AI Lab and WEIRD Lab members also contributed valuable feedback and support in developing this project. 

This work was supported, in part, by the Sony Research Award, the U.S. government, and Hyundai Motor Co., with assistance from the WEIRD (Washington Embodied Intelligence and Robotics Development) Lab. The researchers presented their work at the Robotics Science and Systems (RSS) conference earlier this month.

[katherinesbrain]

What day is it?! It's Music Monday! Today I have a special song that sounds a bit like Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Since it's made with Suno AI I called it Bot-Thoven’s First. It's a joke name but I hope you enjoy it.

[kaiyunsim]

heartsync —

pairing : loser!jaehyun x gn!reader

summary : boring days lead you to download the stupidly popular ai matchmaking app, 'heartsync,' thinking that you would be matched with a bot. next thing you know, you have to maintain a dating score with this loser guy in order to avoid a hefty cancellation fee

warnings : fluff, slight angst, lowkey embarssing jaehyun, kinda fake dating,

a/n : i am addicted to losers. also writers block lwk hitting me so sorry if this isn't that good :(

— wc : 9.2k — not proof read —

notification !

tired of swiping and second-guessing? 🙄 let HeartSync™ match you based on more than just profiles. whether it’s fate or algorithms, HeartSync™ brings people together in unexpected ways. coffee shops ☕, grocery stores 🛒, or even your favorite songs 🎶. with personalized challenges 🎯 and quirky tasks 😏, it’s the app that makes you question what’s real… and what’s meant to be 💫.

ready to dive into a relationship that’s anything but ordinary? 😏 download now and let your heart sync ❤️‍🔥

you should’ve known something was up the second kazuha slid her phone across the table with a sly grin.

"you need this," she says, all too pleased with herself.

sungho leans in beside her, chin resting on his hand. "oh, absolutely. it’s the next big thing."

you glance down at the screen, unimpressed. "heartsync™? that sounds like a scam."

"it’s not," kazuha insists. "it's a revolution."

you narrow your eyes at her. "revolution is a strong word for a dating app."

sungho gestures wildly. "no, listen! this isn’t some basic swiping app. heartsync is, like, the future. ai-driven, hyper-accurate matchmaking." he wiggles his fingers in an attempt to look mysterious. "it scans all your online activity, text patterns, subconscious preferences—"

"wait, subconscious preferences?" you interrupt. "how the hell does it know what i subconsciously want?"

"science," kazuha says, as if that explains anything.

you stare at them, unimpressed. "so you’re telling me this thing invades my privacy, judges me, and then picks out some rando for me to date?"

"yep," sungho grins.

"hard pass."

kazhua sighs dramatically. "you’re so boring. come on, think about it. what if it actually works?"

"it won’t."

"but what if it does?"

you cross your arms. "i give it a week before i get matched with some weird middle-aged man who lives in his mom’s basement."

sungho gasps. "have a little faith, will you?!"

you snort, but kazuha suddenly looks too smug for your liking. before you can question it, your phone buzzes. you glance down.

"your friends are looking out for you! 💖 kazuha has sent you an invite to join heartsync™! experience true compatibility today. 💘"

you slowly raise your head. "zuha, did you just—"

"yep," she says.

"you—"

"it’s already downloading," sungho chimes in.

you look down at your phone in horror. sure enough, the app is installing.

"oh my god.”

jaehyun doesn’t even look up from his drink when taesan slides into the seat across from him, grinning like he’s about to be a menace.

"bro," taesan says, setting his phone down dramatically. "i found the solution to your dry-ass dating life."

jaehyun finally glances up. "i have a dating life."

woonhak, sitting beside him, lets out an exaggerated cough.

jaehyun glares. "shut up."

"he's not wrong," taesan snickers. "c’mon, look at this." he turns his phone around, revealing a sleek interface. jaehyun squints.

"heartsync?"

"ai-powered matchmaking, man. scientifically proven to find your perfect match."

jaehyun raises an eyebrow. "you sound like a bad infomercial."

woonhak leans in. "we already signed up. it’s, like, next-level tech. the app literally studies your habits, patterns, even your subconscious preferences."

jaehyun blinks. "that sounds illegal."

"nah, nah, just invasive," taesan says. "but in a good way."

jaehyun scoffs. "no such thing."

"just try it," woonhak says. "worst case, you get matched with someone weird and you ghost them."

"oh, so now i’m ghosting people?"

"what, like you don’t?" taesan smirks.

jaehyun rolls his eyes, but his phone suddenly buzzes.

"your best bros have your back! 💙 taesan has invited you to join heartsync™! what are you waiting for? your perfect match is waiting! 😉"

he looks up slowly. "you did not just—"

"i did," taesan grins.

woonhak claps him on the back. "welcome to the future, buddy."

jaehyun sighs. "you guys are the worst."

"and yet, here you are, downloading it," taesan singsongs.

jaehyun looks down at his phone. the app is downloading.

"...i hate you both."

setting up the app is way too easy. after a quick sign-up, a series of personality quizzes appear. you answer them halfheartedly, picking whatever feels right in the moment.

you expect a generic dating profile, but instead, a contract pops up.

"welcome to heartsync™'s exclusive perfect pair program! 💖 congratulations! by signing up, you agree to a 30-day trial relationship with your most compatible match. failure to complete the program will result in a penalty fee. please review the terms carefully. 📝"

you frown. "wait. penalty fee?"

kazhua leans over. "probably just a deterrent. no way they actually charge people."

"i don’t like this."

"it’s fine, just hit accept."

you squint at her, but against your better judgment, you press the button.

jaehyun does the same thing across town, equally suspicious.

then, both your phones buzz simultaneously.

"congratulations! 🎉 you’ve been matched! meet your perfect pair: myung jaehyun."

"congratulations! 🎉 you’ve been matched! meet your perfect pair: y/n."

jaehyun squints at his screen. "who the hell is y/n?"

you stare at yours. "who the hell is myung jaehyun?"

then, another notification.

"your first date has been scheduled! 🥰 see you at [reastaurant] tomorrow at 7 PM! remember: love is about commitment! 💞 failure to attend will result in a violation of your contract. 😘"

your stomach drops.

"...i think i just got scammed."

jaehyun, staring at the exact same message, mutters, "what the fuck?"

sungho and kazuha are dying.

"you’re stuck in a relationship for 30 days?!" sungho wheezes. "oh my god, i’m crying."

"this is the best thing that’s ever happened," kazuha says, wiping a fake tear.

you glare. "it’s not funny!"

"it’s hilarious," sungho corrects.

you groan. "this is the worst decision of my life."

kazhua gasps. "are you saying you regret trusting me?"

"yes."

"rude."

meanwhile, jaehyun is getting absolutely clowned on by his friends.

"so let me get this straight," taesan says, grinning like an idiot. "you’re contractually obligated to date this person?"

jaehyun rubs his temples. "apparently."

woonhak snickers. "bro. you’re trapped."

"i hate you both."

"nah," taesan says. "you love us. just like you’re about to love your new partner."

jaehyun looks up with dead eyes. "i hope the app malfunctions and matches you with each other."

woonhak gasps. "how dare you!"

"that would be so tragic," taesan grins. "imagine getting stuck in a relationship with woonhak."

woonhak shoves him. "shut up! i’d be a great boyfriend!"

jaehyun groans. "i cannot believe i let you guys talk me into this."

but before either of them can reply, his phone buzzes again.

"just a reminder! ❤️ your first date is TOMORROW at 7 PM! 💕 don’t keep your perfect match waiting! 😘 failure to attend will result in consequences. 🔥"

jaehyun stares at it.

"...i think i just signed my soul away."

you, staring at the exact same notification, sigh deeply.

what have you gotten yourself into?

...what?

you quickly scroll down. there’s a long wall of text in tiny font. definitely the terms and conditions you skimmed through without reading.

"effective immediately, you are required to actively participate in this relationship for the full 30-day duration. early termination will result in a penalty fee of—"

you freeze.

oh, hell no.

the penalty fee is HOW MUCH?!

"guys," you say, voice flat. "i think i just got scammed."

kazuh and sungho exchange glances. kazuha grabs your phone again and scrolls. her eyebrows shoot up. "holy shit. you’re stuck?"

"define stuck," you say, already dreading the answer.

sungho reads further. "...yep. stuck. you gotta go on dates, talk to this guy, and if you try to ignore him, the app gets passive-aggressive about it."

as if on cue, a new notification pops up.

"ghosting is unhealthy! say hi to your partner within the next 12 hours to maintain a positive relationship score. 💕"

you stare at the screen in horror.

kazuha and sungho? already laughing their asses off.

"this is the best thing that’s ever happened," sungho wheezes.

"no, no, this is cursed," you say, shaking your head. "there has to be a way out of this."

sungho grins. "you could pay the fee."

"i’m not paying that much just to escape some ai-manufactured relationship," you grumble.

kazuh, still laughing, pats your shoulder. "guess you’re dating myung jaehyun now."

somewhere else, jaehyun is also freaking out.

"taesan, what the hell did you make me sign up for?"

jaehyun stares at his phone like it just personally betrayed him.

"you got matched?" taesan asks, amused. he leans over jaehyun’s shoulder to check. "ohhh. wait. you actually got someone decent-looking. nice."

"not nice!" jaehyun exclaims, shoving his phone in taesan’s face. "look at this! it’s a contract. i have to date this person for 30 days or i have to pay an insane fee."

taesan reads for a second, then bursts out laughing. "holy shit. you’re trapped."

"why didn’t you tell me this could happen?!"

"because i didn’t think you’d actually get a match."

"what do i do?" jaehyun groans, scratching the back of his head.

"just go with it," taesan says. "it’s only a month. fake-date them, get some free meals, and worst-case scenario, you make a new friend."

jaehyun grumbles. "what if they suck?"

"what if you suck?"

"i mean, yeah, probably," jaehyun admits. "but still."

his phone buzzes.

"say hi to your partner within 12 hours to maintain a positive relationship score! 💕"

jaehyun stares blankly at the notification. then he looks at taesan.

"okay, but, like… do i get a refund if i cry?"

taesan cackles. "nope. no refunds, buddy. enjoy your new relationship."

jaehyun groans and flops onto the couch, phone balanced on his chest, already regretting everything.

you’re still convinced you’ve been scammed.

it’s not just the fact that you’re contractually obligated to go on this date, it’s the restaurant.

"how the hell did it know?" you mutter, staring at the notification again.

sungho leans over your shoulder, reading it for the tenth time. "i mean… it’s a little creepy."

"it’s very creepy," you correct. "i’ve never put this place in my location history, never mentioned it online, never even texted about it."

kazuha hums, sipping her drink. "maybe you thought about it too hard and the app just knew."

you look at her like she’s insane. "you’re telling me heartsync can read my mind now?"

"i mean, why not? it already owns your soul."

"not helping."

sungho suddenly perks up, squinting at the name on your screen. "wait. myung jaehyun?"

"yeah?"

he snaps his fingers. "oh! i had a class with him last year."

you blink. "and you’re only mentioning this now?"

sungho shrugs. "i forgot. but, uh…" he pauses. "he’s kinda a loser. in a cute way."

you stare at him. "define cute loser."

"like, y’know. a little awkward. kinda clumsy. but he’s not a bad guy."

kazuha raises an eyebrow. "so what i’m hearing is, you’ve already got an advantage."

"what advantage?" you ask flatly.

"you can be the cool one in this relationship," she says, smirking.

sungho grins. "oh yeah, you’ve already won."

you groan, sinking into your seat. "why am i even doing this?"

"because you’re legally bound by a contract," kazuha reminds you.

"right. love that for me."

jaehyun has the same problem.

"this is weird," he mutters, staring at his phone.

woonhak peeks over his shoulder. "dude, how did it know your favorite restaurant?"

"i don’t know."

"have you ever posted about it?" taesan asks.

"nope."

"checked in there?"

"never."

woonhak whistles. "yeah, that’s terrifying."

jaehyun groans. "why am i even going?"

taesan pats his shoulder. "because you’re legally bound by a contract."

jaehyun glares. "i hate you."

you arrive at the restaurant five minutes early, because despite your skepticism, you do respect punctuality.

what you don’t expect is to see someone already waiting at the entrance.

he's tall, a little awkward in the way he shifts on his feet, checking his phone. glasses slipping down his nose.

you approach cautiously. "...myung jaehyun?"

he looks up, blinking.

oh.

he’s kinda cute. in a loser-y way.

"oh," he says. "uh. hey."

you stare at each other for a beat.

jaehyun scratches the back of his neck. "so, uh… this is weird, right?"

"extremely."

he lets out a short laugh. "cool, just making sure."

you glance at the restaurant. "wanna get this over with?"

"yep."

you head inside together.

the weirdness doesn’t stop there.

you both open the menu, and your phones buzz at the same time.

"feeling indecisive? 💡 you both love the same dish! try the spicy seafood pasta! 🍝💖"

you slowly look up at jaehyun.

he looks back, expression unreadable.

"...so, uh," you start.

"are we just gonna ignore that?" he asks.

"we could."

jaehyun nods. "cool. because that was terrifying."

you both order the pasta anyway.

somewhere between the appetizer and the main course, the awkwardness starts to fade.

you’re still skeptical, but… conversation with jaehyun is weirdly easy.

he’s funny in an unintentional way. a little clumsy with his words, but quick to laugh at himself. it’s not what you expected.

"so," he says between bites, "are you, like, willingly doing this, or were you also tricked by your so-called friends?"

you groan. "tricked. sungho and kazuha set me up."

"ah," jaehyun nods. "taesan and woonhak did the same to me."

"so we’re both victims."

"basically."

you clink your glasses in mutual suffering.

then, another notification.

"running out of things to talk about? try reminiscing about your childhood talent show disaster! 😆✨"

you both freeze.

jaehyun slowly looks up. "...did your phone just say—?"

"yep," you cut in.

"what the hell?"

"no idea."

you stare at each other.

then jaehyun cautiously asks, "...did you actually have a childhood talent show disaster?"

you hesitate. "...maybe."

his eyes widen. "no way."

"look, it wasn’t that bad—"

"tell me everything."

you sigh, defeated. "i was seven, okay? i was supposed to sing. i got up there, forgot all the words, panicked, and ended up just dancing instead."

jaehyun claps. "improv! i respect that."

"bad improv," you correct.

"still, you committed. that’s what matters.”

and just like that, the skepticism eases.

then the app sends another notification.

"bonding over past failures? we love to see it! 😍💕 by the way, your partner thinks the nickname 'woonbaby' is hilarious. go ahead, try it! 😏"

you blink.

jaehyun reads his own notification.

then he looks at you, face slowly turning red.

"...what the fuck?"

you can’t help it. you laugh. "what the hell is woonbaby?"

jaehyun groans, covering his face. "it’s—it’s stupid. my friend woonhak. someone called him that once and it just stuck."

"oh my god," you grin. "you definitely still call him that."

"i do not," jaehyun lies.

you raise an eyebrow. "so if you text him right now and ask, he won’t confirm?"

jaehyun opens his mouth, then closes it.

"...no comment."

you cackle.

"oh my god," jaehyun mutters, slumping in his seat. "i hate this app."

"i love this app," you say gleefully.

by the time the bill arrives, you have to admit something.

this was not a disaster.

you’re still weirded out by the app’s accuracy. it’s unsettling how well it seems to know you both.

but jaehyun?

...he’s not so bad.

"so," he says as you both step outside, hands in pockets. "same time next week?"

you blink. "what?"

he holds up his phone.

"congrats! 🎉 your next date is scheduled for next friday! love takes consistency! 💖 ditching is not an option. 😉"

you groan. "again?"

"yep."

"...fine."

jaehyun grins. "see you then, partner."

you shake your head, but you can’t help the small smile forming.

what the hell have you gotten yourself into?

—

you’re in the middle of something important when your phone buzzes.

"surprise! 🎉 we’ve scheduled a spontaneous date night for you and jaehyun! quality time is crucial for growing relationships! 💕 see you at 7PM! 😘"

you stare at the screen.

then you glance at the time.

6:20PM.

"are you kidding me?" you say aloud.

sungho and kazuha look up from where they’re sprawled across your couch, watching a drama. "what?" kazuha asks.

"this stupid app just scheduled a date."

"wait, i thought your next one wasn’t until friday," sungho says.

"it was," you emphasize. "now it’s tonight. at seven."

sungho winces. "oh, that’s rough."

kazuha squints. "can’t you just cancel?"

you shake your head and turn your screen to them.

"cancelling is NOT an option! 🫵😤 love takes EFFORT! 💖"

kazuha snorts. "damn. that app is really holding you hostage."

you sigh. "i hate this."

sungho shrugs. "on the bright side, at least jaehyun is fun to mess with."

you scowl, but you don’t argue.

jaehyun is having an equally miserable time.

"you have got to be kidding me," he groans.

taesan and woonhak glance up from where they’re messing around on the studio couch. "what?" woonhak asks.

jaehyun turns his phone to them.

taesan squints. "another date? bro, you just had one."

"i know," jaehyun says, exasperated. "i have work to do!"

"just reschedule," woonhak suggests.

jaehyun gives him a deadpan look and flips his phone back around.

"cancelling is NOT an option! 🫵😤 love takes EFFORT! 💖"

woonhak bursts out laughing. "nah, this is hilarious."

"i hate this app," jaehyun mutters.

"okay, but like," taesan leans forward, "where are you even supposed to take them? don’t you have to finish your demo?"

jaehyun groans, rubbing his face. "yeah. i do."

he stares at his screen for a second, then sighs. "i guess they’re just coming here."

woonhak and taesan exchange glances.

"bold," woonhak comments.

"risky," taesan adds.

jaehyun throws a notebook at them.

you’re about five seconds away from ghosting when your phone buzzes.

myung jaehyun: uh. slight change of plans myung jaehyun: i’m stuck in the studio bc i have work to finish myung jaehyun: so if you’re cool with it, you can just come here?

you stare at the message.

then you sigh.

you: send me the address

a moment later, it comes through.

you grab your things and head out, still half-annoyed, half-curious about what you’re walking into.

jaehyun’s studio is tucked away in a quieter part of the city, the kind of place you’d probably never stumble upon unless you were looking for it.

the building itself is older, but inside, it’s got that warm, slightly chaotic energy of a space that’s lived in.

post-it notes are stuck to random surfaces. half-full water bottles clutter the desks. a worn couch sits against the wall, surrounded by tangled cables and spare equipment.

jaehyun is hunched over the desk, headphones around his neck, messy hair even messier than usual. he spins in his chair when you walk in, eyes slightly wide.

"oh. hey."

"hey," you say, glancing around. "so this is where the magic happens?"

"uh," jaehyun scratches the back of his neck, "something like that."

you step further inside, taking in the mix of instruments, wires, and open project files on the screen.

"you work here alone?"

"nah," jaehyun gestures vaguely. "woonhak and taesan share this space with me, but they’re not here right now."

"cool."

an awkward pause.

jaehyun clears his throat. "so, uh… i do have to work, but you can hang out? there’s snacks in that cabinet, and the couch is—"

you flop onto the couch before he can finish his sentence.

jaehyun blinks. "—yeah. okay. make yourself at home."

you grin. "thanks, host."

jaehyun groans but turns back to his screen, muttering something about "stupid app forcing dates at the worst times."

you watch him for a moment as he scrolls through his project.

his sleeves are pushed up, revealing the faint ink stains on his fingers. his foot taps absently against the floor as he listens to the playback.

you close your eyes and let the soft hum of music fill the space.

time passes.

jaehyun works. you scroll through your phone, occasionally glancing up to watch him tweak something in his file.

it’s… oddly peaceful.

you get up and sit down at the desk next to him, he’s too immersed to acknowldge you.

despite the forced nature of this whole situation, there’s something nice about sitting in a space where someone is just doing what they love.

you start to relax.

and at some point, without even meaning to, you start to drift off.

jaehyun only notices when he turns around to say something and sees you slumped over the desk next to him, head resting on your arms.

he freezes.

stares.

panics.

oh shit oh shit oh shit.

you’re asleep.

here. in his studio.

jaehyun is hyperaware of everything. the quiet rise and fall of your breathing. the way your fingers are curled slightly, like you were mid-scroll before you passed out.

he has no idea what to do.

should he wake you up? would that be rude? but if he doesn’t, is that weirder?

he’s still spiraling when the door swings open.

"forgot my charger," taesan says, stepping inside. "also, i’m stealing your—"

he stops.

jaehyun can feel the moment taesan processes the scene in front of him.

then—

"holy shit."

jaehyun whips around. "shut up."

taesan grins. "no way. you’re actually—"

"shut. up."

taesan snickers. "oh, this is amazing."

jaehyun glares. "don’t. start."

but it’s too late. taesan is already pulling out his phone.

"bro," he whispers, cackling, "you’re literally watching them like they’re a rare bird species."

"i am not," jaehyun hisses.

"you so are. oh my god."

jaehyun is about to throw something when you shift slightly, letting out a soft sigh.

both of them freeze.

taesan vibrates with silent laughter.

jaehyun, who is now very much contemplating murder, snaps, "get your stupid charger and leave."

taesan holds his hands up in surrender, still grinning. "alright, alright. relax, lover boy."

jaehyun throws a notebook at him.

taesan leaves.

jaehyun exhales, running a hand through his hair.

he turns back to you.

you’re still asleep, breathing steady, face relaxed.

he sighs.

and despite himself, despite the utter embarrassment of this entire situation…

he can’t help the small, stupid smile that tugs at his lips.

this app is so dumb.

but maybe…

just maybe…

it’s onto something.

you wake up slowly, the kind of hazy drift between sleep and awareness where you don’t quite remember where you are.

there’s the soft hum of music. the faint scratch of a pen. the scent of something vaguely citrusy, mixed with the underlying warmth of a well-used space.

then—

"finally awake?"

you blink blearily. jaehyun is sitting at the desk, spinning a pen between his fingers, watching you with an amused expression.

reality clicks into place.

the studio. the forced date. you, falling asleep like an idiot.

you groan, rubbing your face. "how long was i out?"

jaehyun shrugs. "an hour? maybe more?"

you wince. "why didn’t you wake me up?"

"you looked comfortable," he says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

you stare at him.

jaehyun stares back.

heat creeps up the back of your neck. you push it down and scowl instead. "so you just let me drool all over your desk?"

"you didn’t drool," jaehyun says. then, after a pause, "probably."

you groan again and stretch, the stiffness in your neck making you regret everything. "well, thanks for that. i guess."

jaehyun chuckles, spinning back to his screen. "anytime."

you roll your eyes but don’t fight the small smile threatening to form.

you end up staying.

it’s not like you planned to, but the vibe is easy, and jaehyun is… well.

he’s kind of nice to be around.

he works while you scroll through your phone, occasionally showing him something stupid that makes him snort. at one point, he grabs a bag of chips from a shelf and wordlessly hands it to you.

"what’s this for?" you ask.

"you skipped dinner."

you blink. "how do you know?"

jaehyun raises an eyebrow. "because i also skipped dinner, and i didn’t see you eat anything either."

…fair point.

you take the bag and mumble a thanks. jaehyun just shrugs like it’s no big deal.

somewhere between talking about absolutely nothing, watching him edit his project, and accidentally getting crumbs all over the desk, you start to forget that this whole thing was a forced date.

it doesn’t feel like one anymore.

and you don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.

it’s nearly midnight when you check your phone and realize how late it’s gotten.

"shit," you mutter.

jaehyun glances up. "huh?"

"i should probably go."

he blinks, like he just processed the time himself. "oh. right."

you stand, stretching again, then glance at him. "you gonna keep working?"

"for a bit," jaehyun says, rubbing his neck. "i’m almost done."

you nod, then hesitate.

you’re not sure why you hesitate.

but before you can overthink it, you blurt out, "this wasn’t that bad."

jaehyun raises an eyebrow. "wow. high praise."

"shut up," you say, rolling your eyes.

he grins. "but yeah. wasn’t that bad."

you huff, grabbing your things. "see you friday, loser."

"see you, drooler."

you flip him off as you walk out the door.

jaehyun just laughs.

as you head home, your phone buzzes.

"congrats! 🎉 you’ve just completed an unplanned date! we bet you had a GREAT time 😘💖 can’t wait for friday! 😍"

you stare at the notification.

then you scoff, shaking your head.

stupid app.

—

you just want your morning coffee.

that’s it. just a simple, peaceful start to your day before dealing with actual responsibilities.

but when you step into the coffee shop, your usual one, the one you’ve been going to for years, you freeze.

because sitting right there, hunched over his phone with slight dark circles under his eyes and a half-finished iced americano in front of him, is myung jaehyun.

he doesn’t notice you at first. he just stares blankly at his screen, blinking slow like a loading error. he’s so out of it that when the barista calls out his order, he doesn’t even react.

so, naturally, you decide to make his life harder.

"myung jaehyun," you say, loud enough for half the café to hear.

he flinches like you just smacked him.

"huh?!"

"your coffee," you deadpan, nodding towards the counter.

he follows your gaze, then blinks again. "oh. right."

you snort as he stumbles up to grab it, still looking half-asleep.

when he returns to his seat, you’re still standing there, arms crossed.

"what?" he mumbles.

"this is my coffee shop."

jaehyun squints at you. "…what?"

"i come here every morning," you say, pointing at the barista like they can somehow confirm this.

jaehyun shrugs. "cool. i came here because my app said it had ‘the best morning recharge.’"

you frown. "your app?"

"heartsync," he says, yawning. "you know. the app that ruined our lives?"

your stomach drops. "you’re kidding."

jaehyun pulls out his phone and flashes the notification at you. sure enough.

"rise and shine! 🌞 grab your perfect morning pick-me-up at caffeine fix! ☕✨"

your jaw clenches. you also got a similar notification this morning.

slowly, your eyes meet. "okay," you say. "this is weird."

jaehyun hums, sipping his coffee. "yeah. but whatever. i needed caffeine."

you stare at him, offended. "so you’re just accepting this?"

"i mean, if the app is forcing me to get good coffee, i won’t complain," he says, completely unserious.

you hate that he’s taking this so lightly. you hate that he doesn’t even seem surprised.

you snatch his coffee and take a sip.

"hey!" jaehyun protests.

you smack it back down on the table. "that’s for being weirdly okay with this."

he just glares at you, rubbing his temples. "i just woke up. can you at least let me suffer in peace?"

you sigh, pulling out a chair. "fine. but i’m sitting here now. just to make sure you don’t pass out or something."

jaehyun looks at you, surprised. then he grins. "aww. you care."

you grab a sugar packet and chuck it at his forehead.

after that, you make a decision.

you’re not going to see jaehyun for a while.

not because you mind him. he’s fine. whatever. but because there’s something unnerving about the way this stupid app is leading you to each other like rats in some kind of romantic lab experiment.

so the next morning, you take a different route to work.

and by "different," you mean you add twenty minutes to your commute just to be safe.

you’re feeling pretty good about yourself until you stop by a grocery store later that evening—

and jaehyun is right there, staring at a shelf of instant ramen like it personally betrayed him.

you freeze. he looks up.

silence.

"are you kidding me?" you groan, dragging a hand down your face.

jaehyun just stares at you. "you’re the one who just walked in."

"yeah, but i specifically avoided my usual route just to make sure this wouldn’t happen," you argue.

"okay, well, i was just trying to get food," he says, exasperated. "i ran out of ramen."

you narrow your eyes. "don’t tell me your app told you to come here."

he hesitates.

then he holds up his phone.

"craving a late-night snack? 🤤🍜 don’t worry, we got you! swing by mart express—you never know who you might run into! 😉"

you want to throw something.

instead, you march up to him, grab his phone, and put it on airplane mode.

jaehyun blinks. "…what are you doing."

"fixing our problem," you say, pulling out your own phone and doing the same.

jaehyun stares at you for a moment. then, to your surprise, he actually nods. "okay," he says. "good plan."

you blink. "wait. you’re not gonna fight me on this?"

he shrugs. "nah. the app is getting creepy."

you fold your arms. "so you do think it’s weird?"

"i always thought it was weird," jaehyun says. "i just don’t care as much as you do."

you glare at him, but he’s already turning back to the ramen shelf like this whole conversation didn’t just happen.

unbelievable.

you leave the store together, mostly because your places are in the same general direction.

except five minutes in, jaehyun suddenly stops walking.

"shit," he mutters.

"what?" you ask.

he sighs. "i don’t know how to get home."

you stare at him. "you what."

"i always use my phone for directions!" he says, waving his arms. "but i turned it off, and now i’m lost."

you pinch the bridge of your nose. "you’re unbelievable."

"hey, you told me to turn it off!"

"because we were being manipulated!"

"well, congrats, now i’m gonna die on the street because of you."

"oh my god," you groan. "just—fine. where do you live?"

jaehyun tells you the address. you stare at him.

"jaehyun," you say. "that’s literally ten minutes from my place."

jaehyun blinks. "…oh."

you squint at him. "have you been taking the long way home this entire time?"

he scratches his head. "maybe?"

you don’t know whether to laugh or hit him.

instead, you just sigh and grab his wrist.

"come on," you say, dragging him in the right direction. "i’ll walk you."

jaehyun doesn’t protest.

but when you glance at him, he’s smiling.

you get him home without issue.

when you stop in front of his building, jaehyun turns to you.

"thanks," he says, rubbing his neck. "and, uh. good job fighting the system, i guess."

you snort. "yeah. whatever."

he grins, but there’s something softer in it this time.

"see you around?" he asks.

you hesitate.

then you sigh. "probably."

jaehyun laughs. "probably."

you don’t check your phone again until you’re home.

when you do, you have one new notification.

"aw, how sweet! 🥰 you make such a great team! 💕"

you groan, rolling your eyes. the off the grid mode didn’t work.

“so,” sungho says, dragging out the word like he’s about to be annoying.

you look up from your phone, raising an eyebrow. “so?”

sungho smirks. “how’s myung jaehyun?”

you blink. “why are you asking like that?”

“oh, no reason,” he says, very unconvincingly. “you just seem to see him a lot.”

you scoff. “that’s because this stupid app won’t leave us alone.”

“mhm.”

“it literally forced us to meet up.”

“sure.”

you glare at him. “i don’t like him, if that’s what you’re implying.”

sungho just hums. “never said you did.”

you hate him.

“anyway,” you say, aggressively changing the subject. “when are you free? let’s get dinner or something.”

sungho shrugs. “ask jaehyun. you seem to hang out with him more than me these days.”

you chuck a pillow at his face.

on jaehyun’s end, taesan is just as bad.

“so, you and your soulmate have been seeing each other a lot.”

jaehyun groans. “don’t call them that.”

“why not? isn’t that what the app says?” taesan teases.

jaehyun sighs, tilting his head back against the couch. “we don’t even take it seriously.”

“and yet you still see them outside of what the app says.”

“it just happens,” jaehyun defends.

“right.”

jaehyun doesn’t even bother arguing. it’s taesan. nothing he says will change his mind once he starts being annoying.

instead, he just mutters, “i don’t even like them like that.”

taesan snorts. “yeah. okay.”

jaehyun scowls at him. “i don’t.”

taesan grins. “never said you did.”

jaehyun glares at him.

taesan only laughs.

but the truth is—

neither of you mind seeing each other.

the notification hits your phone at the worst possible time, mid-bite into a sandwich, your mouth too full to properly react as you stare at the bolded text on the screen.

💖 heartsync™ challenge: surprise your match with a meaningful gift! don’t forget! thoughtfulness is key! 🎁

you narrow your eyes. a meaningful gift?

sungho, sitting across from you, glances at your phone and snorts. “oh, this is good. what are you gonna get him?”

you finish chewing before deadpanning, “a rock.”

sungho almost chokes on his drink.

jaehyun gets the same notification while lying on his bed, aimlessly scrolling through his phone. he barely processes it at first, but then—

a meaningful gift.

he groans, rubbing his face. "why is this starting to feel like a real relationship?"

“because it is a real relationship,” taesan says from his desk, not looking up from his laptop.

“it’s not,” jaehyun argues immediately.

“sure,” taesan replies, unconvinced.

jaehyun sighs. “what even counts as meaningful?”

taesan finally looks at him, unimpressed. “you’re the one dating them.”

“fake dating,” jaehyun corrects.

“sure,” taesan repeats.

jaehyun groans again.

you decide to put some effort into it.

not because you care or anything, but because you know jaehyun will definitely try, and you don’t want to look like an asshole in comparison.

you wander through a store, scanning the shelves for something that could count as thoughtful.

jaehyun gives off dog energy, doesn’t he?

you frown. that’s weird to think about. but it’s true. he’s clumsy, a little dumb, but weirdly endearing.

then, you spot it.

a plush keychain. a little golden retriever with floppy ears and big, round eyes.

you hesitate before picking it up.

it’s stupid. but it’s also… kind of perfect.

you buy it before you can second-guess yourself.

jaehyun, meanwhile, is just as lost.

he walks through a store with woonhak, who has been absolutely no help.

“why don’t you just get them a candle?” woonhak suggests.

jaehyun sighs. “that’s not meaningful.”

“depends on the scent.”

“woonhak.”

“fine.” woonhak gestures vaguely. “what do they even like?”

jaehyun pauses.

he… actually knows quite a bit. their favorite color, the snacks they always buy, the way they take their coffee—

he stops. when did he start noticing so much?

woonhak stares at him. “dude, you’re so gone.”

jaehyun immediately shakes his head. “shut up.”

but he grabs something off the shelf anyway, a small coffee cup for the coffee addict that is you.

just because it makes sense. not because he cares.

you agree to meet at the studio.

it’s not that weird, jaehyun spends most of his time there anyway, and you’ve been there before.

when you walk in, however, you’re met with the sight of woonhak sitting at the desk, staring intensely at his laptop screen.

you blink. “you’re here?”

woonhak looks up. “you’re here?”

“uh. yeah?”

jaehyun walks in behind you, closing the door. “we’re doing that stupid challenge.”

woonhak frowns. “what challenge?”

you smirk. “the one that made him tell me about woonbaby.”

there’s a beat of silence.

“YOU TOLD THEM?!” woonhak exclaims, turning to jaehyun with betrayal in his eyes.

jaehyun looks genuinely alarmed. “IT WASN’T MY FAULT! THE APP TOLD THEM.”

woonhak glares. “i don’t care! you let it happen.”

you watch, amused, as they bicker.

eventually, jaehyun gives up with an exasperated sigh. “whatever, let’s just do this.”

you sit down, pulling out the little plush keychain.

jaehyun stares at it.

“what?” you say.

he blinks. “…is that a dog?”

you nod. “it reminded me of you.”

woonhak howls with laughter.

jaehyun scowls. “what does that mean?”

you shrug. “you figure it out.”

woonhak is practically crying. “bro, you’re literally a golden retriever.”

jaehyun grumbles, but you catch the way he turns the keychain over in his hands, quietly pressing at the plush fabric.

then, he clears his throat, pulling out his own gift.

a simple and cute coffee cup, one you can reuse for your favorite coffee shop.

you pause.

you recognize this brand. it’s the one you always buy from.

“…how did you know i like these?” you ask.

jaehyun hesitates. “you mentioned it once.”

you stare at him. that was days ago.

woonhak, clearly sensing something, slowly scoots away.

“uh,” he mutters, “i’ll leave you guys to it.”

he exits the room.

leaving you alone with jaehyun.

you turn back to him, suddenly unsure what to say.

he shifts in his seat. “so. we did the challenge.”

you nod. “yeah.”

there’s a silence.

“…i actually really like this,” jaehyun admits, still holding the plush keychain.

you blink. the silence is loud.

he glances at you, a little sheepish. “i know you probably just picked it because it’s funny, but… i like it.”

you feel something unfamiliar stir in your chest.

“…i like mine too,” you say.

he looks up, a little surprised.

you clear your throat. “it’s thoughtful.”

a small smile tugs at his lips.

“good,” he says.

later that night, you add the keychain to your bag.

and jaehyun clips his onto his.

not that it means anything.

—

💖 heartsync challenge: write a letter to your partner about what this experience meant to you. be honest! no holding back! 💌

you stare at your phone.

your stomach turns.

this is different from the other challenges. those were fun, stupid, even. buying a gift? easy. going on a last-minute date? frustrating but manageable.

but this?

you put your phone down and ignore it.

jaehyun, on the other hand, groans dramatically and flops onto his bed.

taesan and woonhak glance at each other.

“what now?” taesan asks.

jaehyun lifts his phone, showing them the notification.

woonhak snorts. “damn. that’s deep.”

“yeah,” jaehyun mutters. “stupid app.”

taesan raises a brow. “you’re actually gonna do it?”

jaehyun pauses. “...it’s just a challenge.”

woonhak smirks. “uh-huh.”

jaehyun rolls onto his stomach, hiding his face.

taesan leans back in his chair. “so… what has this experience meant to you?”

jaehyun groans into his pillow.

woonhak cackles. “this is hilarious.”

jaehyun throws a pillow at him.

you don’t write the letter.

you could.

but you don’t.

because writing it down makes it real. and you don’t want to think about what this actually means.

so, you pretend it doesn’t exist.

the app can’t force you, right?

right.

jaehyun stares at the blank page in front of him.

just write something dumb and get it over with.

but when he tries to start, nothing feels right.

so, he sighs, taps his pen against the desk, and just… writes what comes naturally.

woonhak picks up the folded letter before jaehyun can stop him.

jaehyun nearly tackles him.

“GIVE IT BACK.”

woonhak dances out of reach, grinning. “ooooh, what’s this?”

“IT’S NOTHING.”

taesan, completely unbothered, takes a sip of his drink. “so you did write one.”

jaehyun glares. “it’s just a stupid challenge.”

woonhak dodges another grab. “damn, you really poured your heart into this, huh?”

jaehyun huffs. “i hate both of you.”

woonhak finally tosses it back, laughing.

jaehyun stuffs it into his bag, scowling.

“…so when are you giving it to them?” taesan asks.

jaehyun freezes.

“uh.”

“…you are giving it to them, right?” woonhak says, amused.

jaehyun looks away. “i don’t know.”

“…bro.”

“i just—” jaehyun sighs. “what if they don’t care?”

woonhak and taesan exchange a look.

then, woonhak shrugs. “i guess you’ll find out.”

you don’t ask if jaehyun wrote his letter.

you don’t want to know.

because if he did, then you’d have to think about why you didn’t.

when jaehyun sees you next, he almost gives it to you.

almost.

but then he sees the way you act like nothing is different.

so, he keeps it in his bag.

not that it matters.

—

💖 heartsync update: your 30-day trial is almost over! it’s time for your final compatibility assessment!

will you renew? yes or no? make your choice carefully! 😘

your thumb hovers over the screen.

your chest feels tight.

final compatibility assessment.

it’s just a stupid button. just a choice.

but it feels heavier than that.

yes or no. stay or leave.

do you want this to continue?

and that’s the problem, isn’t it?

because you do. but you also don’t.

or rather, you can’t.

if you say yes, what does that mean? that the app was right? that this was real? that you’re willing to risk whatever this has become?

that’s too much.

that’s terrifying.

so, instead of thinking, instead of wondering, instead of feeling—

you press no.

and just like that, it’s over.

jaehyun gets the notification when he’s halfway to the café.

he’d planned to meet you there, casually slipping you the letter like it wasn’t a big deal. but then—

💔 heartsync update: your trial has ended. thanks for participating! your match has chosen not to renew. we’ve removed them from your contacts. no hard feelings! 💕

he stops walking.

stares at the screen.

his stomach sinks.

his heart—

no renewal.

he scrolls through his messages, but your contact is gone. every conversation, every stupid joke, every awkward late-night text—erased.

like you were never there at all.

like he imagined it.

like it meant nothing.

he swallows.

turns on his heel.

walks away.

when you check your phone again, it’s like jaehyun never existed.

your chat history? gone.

your notifications? empty.

you type his name into your contacts. nothing.

it feels like a punch to the stomach. you should’ve expected this. you did expect this.

but it still hurts.

did he pick no, too?

…or did you delete something that he actually wanted?

you close your phone.

this is for the best.

you keep telling yourself that. so why doesn’t it feel true?

jaehyun stares at the letter in his hands.

it’s stupid.

he shouldn’t care.

but he does. and that pisses him off.

woonhak notices. “what’s up with you?”

jaehyun doesn’t answer.

taesan glances over. “hey. you good?”

jaehyun laughs, but it’s hollow. “yeah.”

woonhak raises a brow.

jaehyun crumples the letter in his fist.

“i just wasted my time, that’s all.”

he gets up.

leaves before they can ask anything else.

you tell sungho and kazuha that it’s fine.

that you’re fine.

sungho doesn’t buy it. “so, you just… ended it?”

you shrug. “it was gonna end anyway.”

kazuha frowns. “but… did you want it to?”

you open your mouth. hesitate.

sungho sighs. “you’re an idiot.”

you glare. “thanks.”

“i’m serious. if you actually liked him—”

“i don’t.”

“…right,” kazuha says, unconvinced.

sungho crosses his arms. “you know, he could’ve said yes.”

you look away.

because that thought is the worst one of all.

jaehyun avoids the café.

he avoids the places he might see you.

he pretends it doesn’t sting.

but when he’s alone, when the studio is quiet, when there’s nothing left to distract him.

he pulls out the letter.

the one you’ll never read.

and he wonders if he had given it to you, would it have made a difference?

—

jaehyun is not the kind of guy who does this.

he’s not the type to chase after people. he doesn’t do big confrontations. he doesn’t throw himself into situations where his feelings are laid bare, where rejection is a very real possibility.

but here he is.

sitting in a café across from woonhak, gripping a coffee cup like it’s a lifeline, his foot tapping against the floor so fast it’s a miracle the ground isn’t shaking.

woonhak, for his part, is staring at him like he’s experiencing secondhand embarrassment in real time.

“so… let me get this straight,” woonhak says, setting his drink down. “you got matched with someone on a dating app. spent a whole month with them. actually liked them. and now, instead of talking to them like a normal person, you’re here, asking me to help you find them?”

jaehyun scowls. “when you say it like that, it sounds weird.”

woonhak leans back in his chair. “because it is weird.”

jaehyun groans, running a hand through his hair. “i just—” he hesitates, voice quieter. “they pressed no.”

woonhak’s eyebrows lift.

jaehyun clenches his jaw. “they chose to end it.”

woonhak watches him for a moment. then, slowly, he folds his arms.

“so? that’s it? you’re just gonna let the app decide how this ends?”

jaehyun exhales sharply. “no.”

“good.” woonhak cracks his knuckles. “let’s find them.”

jaehyun blinks. “wait, you’re actually helping?”

woonhak smirks. “are you kidding? this is the most interesting thing that’s happened all week.”

jaehyun rolls his eyes, but his heart is beating a little faster now.

step one: figure out where you work.

woonhak, surprisingly, is really good at this. almost too good.

“didn’t you mention that sungho is their friend?” he asks, scrolling through his phone.

jaehyun blinks. “uh. yeah?”

woonhak hums. “i think i saw something on his page last week. something about dropping off lunch at their job.”

jaehyun leans over. “you can find that?”

“duh. i have skills.”

jaehyun doesn’t question it.

a few minutes later, woonhak tilts his screen toward jaehyun. “bingo. looks like they work at that bookstore near the subway station.”

jaehyun’s stomach twists.

this is actually happening.

woonhak smirks. “you ready?”

jaehyun doesn’t answer. just grabs his jacket and walks out the door.

the bookstore is quiet when jaehyun steps inside.

the warm scent of paper and ink fills the air. soft lighting casts golden hues against the wooden bookshelves. the faint sound of pages turning and the occasional murmur of conversation drifts through the space.

he scans the store, heart hammering.

there.

you’re stacking books near the back, moving with the easy rhythm of someone who’s done this a hundred times.

jaehyun’s feet move before he can think.

you don’t notice him at first.

but then you glance up.

your hands still. your eyes widen.

“…jaehyun?”

his throat is dry. he almost forgets why he’s here.

almost.

“you really didn’t care, huh?”

your expression falters. “what?”

jaehyun exhales sharply. “you didn’t even hesitate. you just—” he gestures vaguely, frustration bleeding into his voice. “you pressed no.”

you swallow. “i—”

jaehyun reaches into his pocket.

pulls out a crumpled piece of paper.

your breath catches.

“you didn’t read mine,” jaehyun says.

his voice is quieter now. rough around the edges.

you stare at the letter.

the ink is smudged. the paper is creased, worn like he’s been holding onto it for days.

like he was going to give it to you, like he wanted to stay.

your stomach twists.

“jaehyun.”

he shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. “i just don’t get it.”

his voice cracks on the last word.

you don’t know what to say. you don’t know how to fix this.

but maybe… maybe it’s not too late.

silence stretches between you.

you don’t look away from the letter.

jaehyun doesn’t either.

there’s a tension in the air, thick and heavy. you try to swallow it down, but it doesn’t go away.

finally, jaehyun exhales.

he shoves a hand into his jacket pocket, gaze dropping to the floor. “you don’t have to say anything,” he mutters. “i just—i needed you to know.”

your throat is tight. your fingers twitch at your sides.

you didn’t read mine.

he said it so simply, like it wasn’t the most painful realization of all. because you should have.

you should have waited.

you should have listened.

but you were afraid.

afraid that reading it would mean accepting something real. afraid that pressing yes would mean opening yourself up to something you weren’t sure you could handle.

but now, looking at him, his tense shoulders, his furrowed brows, the way his hands grip the letter like it’s the only thing holding him together. he’s so cute.

you wonder if you made the wrong choice.

you take a shaky breath. “jaehyun…”

he lifts his gaze.

your fingers brush against the edge of the letter. hesitating.

you take it.

jaehyun stills.

you smooth it out carefully, trying not to focus on the places where the ink has bled.

you glance up. “can i—?”

jaehyun nods, once.

so you read.

jaehyun’s letter is messy.

his handwriting is uneven, like he kept pausing, rewriting, second-guessing.

but the words—

the words hit you like a punch to the chest.

it’s not poetic. not perfectly structured.

but it’s real.

and for some reason, that makes it hurt even more.

hey. i don’t really know what to say, which is probably a bad start to a letter. i don’t know what i was expecting when i signed up for this. definitely not this. i thought it’d be a joke. just something dumb i’d try and then delete. but then, somehow, it was you. and i don’t know how that happened, but i’m not really mad about it. it was weird at first. and sometimes it still is. but somewhere along the way, i stopped thinking about it like an “experiment” or a “trial.” it just became normal. i don’t know if that means anything. but i think i like this. i think i like… you. not that it matters. but yeah. that’s it. - jaehyun.

you can tell when he started to get frustrated. some sentences trail off, like he wasn’t sure how to end them. some are underlined, like he wanted to make sure you understood.

but the part that makes your breath catch, the part that makes your fingers tighten around the page—

is near the end.

"i don’t know if that means anything. but i think i like this. i think i like… you."

you stare at the words.

your hands shake.

your vision blurs.

you blink rapidly, forcing yourself to look up.

jaehyun is watching you, expression unreadable.

you open your mouth. but no words come out.

so you do the only thing you can.

you fold the letter carefully. tuck it into your pocket.

and whisper, “i think i made a mistake.”

jaehyun exhales.

his lips press into a thin line.

“yeah,” he says softly. “i think so, too.”

it should be easier than this.

it should be simple. if you like someone, you tell them. if you want to stay, you stay.

but it’s never that easy, is it?

because standing here, in the quiet of the bookstore, with jaehyun staring at you like you’re the only thing keeping him grounded, it feels impossible to say what you want to say.

your heart is in your throat.

your fingers tighten around the crumpled letter in your pocket.

“so,” jaehyun says, voice quiet. “what now?”

you don’t know.

but you do know one thing:

you don’t want to walk away again.

you meet his gaze.

hesitate.

“i think i liked you before i even realized.”

jaehyun’s breath catches.

your chest feels tight.

you swallow, forcing yourself to keep going.

“i just… i didn’t want to admit it,” you say, voice softer now. “because if i did, then it wouldn’t be because of the app. it wouldn’t be because of some stupid algorithm. it would just be me.”

you take a shaky breath.

“and that scared me.”

jaehyun exhales sharply.

he’s quiet for a long moment, and just when you think he’s going to say something,

he takes a step closer.

then another.

your heart stutters.

he stops just a few inches away.

when he speaks, his voice is steadier than before.

“i don’t care what the app says,” he murmurs.

his gaze is unwavering.

“i like you.”

your stomach flips.

your fingers twitch at your sides.

you want to say something.

but before you can, jaehyun suddenly exhales, dragging a hand down his face.

“god, that was so embarrassing,” he groans. “i can’t believe i actually said that out loud.”

you blink.

a laugh bursts out of you, unexpected and unfiltered.

jaehyun groans again, covering his face. “no, don’t laugh. i was trying to be cool.”

“cool?” you wheeze. “you?”

he glares at you from between his fingers. “i take it back. i don’t like you.”

you grin. “too late.”

jaehyun groans dramatically, but there’s no real frustration in it.

just warmth. just relief.

and when your laughter fades, when the bookstore falls quiet again—

he looks at you. and you look back.

something shifts.

something settles.

and just like that—

it doesn’t feel so impossible anymore.

later, at a coffee shop.

“so,” you say, stirring your drink. “was any of it real?”

jaehyun blinks. “huh?”

“the app,” you clarify. “the ‘fated’ moments. was any of it real?”

jaehyun thinks about it.

“well.” he tilts his head. “the coffee shop thing was definitely on purpose.”

you nod. “and the grocery store?”

“i think you just have bad luck.”

“excuse me?”

jaehyun shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. “i mean, statistically speaking, you were bound to run into me eventually.”

you narrow your eyes. “statistically speaking, i should throw my drink at you.”

jaehyun grins. “you could. but then you’d have to buy me another one.”

you stare at him for a long moment.

then you sigh, leaning back in your chair.

“so… no magic algorithm,” you murmur.

“no magic algorithm,” jaehyun agrees.

it’s strange.

you spent so much time wondering if any of it was real, if the app had manipulated you, if the connection was artificial, if your feelings were manufactured.

but now, sitting here, watching jaehyun poke at the ice in his drink with his straw, you realize something.

you don’t care.

because maybe the app pushed you together. maybe it forced you into situations that you wouldn’t have chosen otherwise.

but the moments you shared?

the conversations, the laughter, the quiet nights at the studio—

that was real. and that’s enough.

and that's something you like the sound of.

—

tysm for reading :>

bnd taglist : @bxnedo

perm taglist : @s0shroe @minoouz @the0p @mon2sunjinsuver

[obsidianpen]

Hello, Pen. I am the author of the document that has been circulating. It’s important to me that no one attacks Greyana or sends any negative comments or posts to her. The point of this information is to restore truth and clarity.

This document was originally intended for moderators of Tomione fandom spaces, to make them aware of the dishonest tactics Greyana has been using to harness fandom spaces to build her own brand. I’m all for writers who want to build an audience to enjoy their good writing, but early into Greyana’s participation in the Tomione fandom, it became clear that she was using fraudulent means: alt accounts posing as readers to build false hype around her story. Her thousands of followers on social media are littered with blank accounts, or “follow bots” which you can purchase from sites like UseViral, MediaMister or AccsMarket. Go take a look at some of the bot-driven services these websites offer, its very revealing.

In general AI claims are very difficult, almost impossible to prove, but Greyana made it easy. She boasted on her Vesperana account that she had written 200,000 words in two months, noting specifically that she had been updating Invictus as she went. Then, anyone can go and check the word counts of some of the tighter clusters of chapters she updated every day, or multiple times a day. There’s a spot where she uploaded 9,559 words in one day, and even 41,606 over two days. The math doesn’t math.

Once other fandom members started catching on, they had conversations about it in the Mud and Blood server. Not all the comments in this conversation were very respectful of Greyana, but the majority of the conversation was rational, and addressing very real concerns that this document proves were valid. These writers were frustrated, and understandably so, because AI use is a very controversial subject, plus the spam was absolutely flooding the fandom, exhasperating everyone. 

What’s most concerning, however, and what made me decide to write this information up, is that Greyana has responded to these instances where she was caught by manipulating the loyalty of those who enjoy her stories: twisting these people into attackers. Several authors have experienced these attacks. They are extremely vile. The attacks are why I have chosen to be anonymous.

Greyana has and continues to label accountability as bullying. I noticed that in her posts today, she had absolutly zero substance to offer as a rebuttal to this information, just a strange recommendation to require ID for Facebook group participants suspected to be purchased accounts (which I suspect she knows is an absurd non-starter for fandom), and a bit of trite gossip that could have come from anywhere. Nearly everyone in the fandom is aware of Greyana’s dishonest behavior, she shouldn’t be surprised that others have questions.

This information I have provided was not weaponized to hurt her, in fact, I did not go distributing links to anyone who wasn’t in a moderator/official rec account.

This is the simple fact: Greyana has not been bullied, she was caught.

If she has more information, or context explaining her actions, I welcome it. Her blatant dishonesty and harmful behavior should immediately change, and personally, I think she owes an apology to everyone she’s lied about and villified.

(okay well ofc i have to post this one).

Thank you for taking the time to put that together. I will now leave it at that. 🌸

[snailtrain]

With regard to the Shinigami Eyes plugin issues, I want to stress how important it is to Trust, But Verify.

A tool can be wrong. This one in particular is curated by a team of human people who can and will have biases. Any easy blacklist curated by real actual humans is going to be open to their biases. AI or Bot driven lists* aren't affected by biases, but they also aren't smart enough to tell "Rowling" from "growling" or "terf" from "butterfly". Honestly, the bot/program that identifies words is more reliable in the long-run vs the one that relies on human input. It still needs checked, obviously, but it's largely free from human bias. A little guy that just points to words and goes 'it has these letters in this order!! Be Aware!' but doesn't assign Good or Bad to it.

It's truly unfortunate that Shinigami Eyes has been made unreliable through bias. This sucks! I wish it was not the case! It was a useful tool for a lot of people for a very long time, and the fact it's being weaponized now against my community is incredibly saddening.

Much in the way you cannot trust a callout post blindly, you shouldn't trust any labeling or blocking tool blindly. It's unfortunate that many people will be learning this through this debacle. :(

Links of reference:

As an addendum, because I did do some cursory lookin' and the link above to firefox reviews does reflect this: Things seem to have taken a downward turn in the last 5 months, though this problem of false flagging was absolutely present before. A tool that relies on user reports is not a reliable tool. Any number of factors can lead to false flagging. Humans and programs are equally fallible (for different reasons) and both can give you a wrong result.

Stay safe, friends. It's truly unfortunate that a tool trusted to protect us from constantly seeing rampant transphobia online has turned against the community it was built to protect.

*systemic biases do influence machine learning, ai, and bots. for the purposes of this, I used generalized words to mean 'an algorithm that blocks things based on a word or string of words without consideration for context', which is how tumblr's blacklist function works.

[doubledeadstudio]

Hello! Welcome to the official Double Dead Studio Tumblr, the solodev behind Reanimated Heart, Another Rose in His Garden, and Pygmalion's Folly.

Reanimated Heart is a character-driven horror romance visual novel about finding love in a mysterious small town. There are three monstrous love interests with their own unique personalities and storylines.

Another Rose in His Garden is an 18+ erotic Omegaverse BL visual novel. Abel Valencia is an Omega who's hidden his secondary sex his entire life. Life's alright, until he meets the wealthy tycoon, Mars Rosales, and the two get embroiled in a sexual affair that changes his life forever.

Pygmalion's Folly is a survival murdersim where you play as Roxham Police Department's star detective, hellbent on finding your sister's killer... until he finds you. 

Content Warning: All my games are 18+! They contains dark subject matter such as violence and sexual content. Player discretion is advised.

This blog is ran by Jack, the creator.

Itch | Link Tree | Patreon | Twitter

Guidelines

My policy for fanwork is that anything goes in fiction, but respect my authority and copyright outside it. This means normal fan activity like taking screencaps, posting playthroughs, and making fanart/fanfiction is completely allowed, but selling this game or its assets isn't allowed (selling fanwork of it is fine, though). You are also not allowed to feed any of my assets to AI bots, period, even if it's free.

Do not use my stuff for illegal or hateful content.

Also, I expect everyone to respect the Content Warnings on the page. I'm old and do not tolerate fandom wank.

F.A.Q.

Who are the main Love Interests in Reanimated Heart?

Read their character profiles here!!

Who's the team?

Jack (creator, writer, artist), mostly. I closely work with Exodus (main programmer) and Claira (music composer). My husband edits the drafts.

For Reanimated Heart, my friend Bonny makes art assets. I've also gotten help from outsiders like Sleepy (prologue music + vfx) and my friend Gumjamin (main menu heart animation).

For Reanimated Heart's VOs, Alex Ross voices Crux, Devin McLaughlin voices Vincenzo, Christian Cruz voices Black, Maganda Marie voices Grete, and Zoe D. Lee voices Missy.

Basically, it's mostly just me & outsourcing stuff to my friends and professionals.

How can I support Double Dead Studio productions?

You can pay for the game, or join our monthly Patreon! If you don't have any money, just giving it a nice rating and recommending it to a friend is already good enough. :)

Where do the funds go to?

Almost 100% gets poured back into the game. More voice acting, more music, more trailers, more art, etc. I also like to give my programmer a monthly tip for helping me.

This game is really my insane passion project, and I want to make it better with community support.

I live in the Philippines and the purchasing power of php is not high, especially since many of the people I outsource to prefer USD. (One time I spent P10k of my own money in one month just to get things.) I'll probably still do that, even if no money comes in, until I'm in danger of getting kicked out the street… but maybe even then? (jk)

What platforms will Reanimated Heart be released in?

Itch and then Steam when it's fully finished. Still looking into other options, as I hear both are getting bad.

Will Reanimated Heart be free?

Chapter 1 will be free. The rest will be updated on Patreon exclusively until full release.

Are you doing a mobile version?

Yeah. Just Android for now, but it's in the works.

Where can I listen to Reanimated Heart's OST?

It is currently up on YouTube, Spotify, and Bandcamp!

Why didn't you answer my ask?

A number of things! Two big ones that keep coming up are Spoilers (as in, you asked something that will be put in an update) or it's already been asked. If you're really dying to know, check the character tags or the meta commentary. You might find what you're looking for there. :)

Will there be a sequel to Pygmalion's Folly?

It's not my first concern right now, but I am planning on it.

Tag List for Navigation

Just click the tags to get to where you wanna go!

[mooniedust]

Aemond targaryen prompt

Plot: Aemond, driven by a burning ambition to solidify his place in the war, seeks out Alys Rivers, hoping to secure a pact that will tip the scales in his favor. However, as the shadows of their encounter deepen, he begins to realize that the witch before him may not be the ally he anticipated—or perhaps, she is exactly who she is meant to be.

Credits and Considerations: The seed of this idea was planted by my fascination with the bot from @dragonismo, "The Prince and his witch" on Character ai. All credit for the initial structure of this story belongs to her, and I encourage everyone to explore and appreciate her work. I haven't read it Fire & Blood yet, so I apologize for any creative liberties taken, my imagination tends to run wild, especially on sleepless nights. English is not my first language, sorry :')

With all my heart,

Moon Dust.

The decrepit halls of Harrenhal, scarred by the passage of relentless time, were steeped in a palpable atmosphere of desolation, where silence was broken only by the insistent crackle of rain, striking mercilessly against the ruins of what had once been a feared and indomitable fortress. The sound of Prince Regent Aemond Targaryen’s leather boots echoed through the void, reverberating like a dark omen with every step. His every movement, firm and deliberate, exuded a grim elegance, like a shadow passing through the twilight.

Rumors, whispers laced with curses, danced on the lips of courtiers, carried by the cold winds that haunted the decaying fortress. They spoke of a witch who dwelled in that accursed place, a creature of darkness who, in exchange for infamous pacts, fulfilled the darkest desires of men. Aemond, with his icy gaze and mind sharp as a killer’s blade, did not easily succumb to folly, but the murmurs of "Alys Rivers" and her cunning had reached him in a moment of desperation, and even the pride of a dragon could bow to necessity. One does not win a war with honor; one wins with blood and fire.

As he entered the main hall, one of the few chambers still preserved in the rotten heart of Harrenhal, Aemond was enveloped by a heavy, unnerving aroma, a mix of burnt herbs and incense that seemed to poison the air. The prince wrinkled his nose but remained steadfast, his good eye scanning every shadowy corner of the room before he raised his voice, a command that sliced through the air like a blade.

"I’ve come to negotiate, witch."

For a moment, silence reigned once more, filled only with the wind's laments and the distant growl of Vhagar, the old dragon patiently waiting at the entrance, ever ready for battle. But the silence did not last. A feminine laugh, laden with malice and provocation, echoed through the corridors, mocking the prince’s proposition.

Aemond glimpsed a figure slinking through the shadows, too quick to be caught, but not quick enough to go unnoticed. He understood swiftly: he was being hunted, but not by an ordinary prey. What unfolded before him was a cruel game, orchestrated by a twisted mind. The image of Daemon Targaryen emerged first, but soon other familiar faces followed from the darkness: Helaena, with wide eyes and trembling lips, murmuring about an inevitable death; Aegon, consumed by flames; Alicent, gazing at Aemond as if he were a monster she herself had created; even the brothel keeper of the Silk Street had not been spared. The witch, cunning and relentless, toyed with his memories, with his deepest pains, forging illusions that assaulted his mind. But Aemond was a Targaryen, forged in fire and steel, and he would not be defeated by cheap tricks.

"Enough games, Alys," his voice thundered through the room as he advanced towards the hooded figure he had cornered, his gaze as sharp as a blade poised to deliver the final blow. With a swift motion, he spun her around to face him, but what he saw was not the witch.

Lucerys.

The illusion, quick and painful as a blade through his chest, dissolved before he could react, leaving only the empty hood at his feet.

"Not amusing, is it? Invading my home and demanding my services. I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’m not Alys either." The voice, dripping with sarcasm, came from behind him. "She’s gone, but I’m here." When Aemond turned, he found himself facing the true witch, a figure who, despite her fragile appearance, exuded a dark and unshakeable power.

He stepped forward, his presence dominating the space between them. "You too grant men their deepest desires, don’t you? I’ve come here to test the limits of your power." His voice, cold and as sharp as winter, filled the room with an unquestionable authority.

Even standing before her, imposing, Aemond kept his distance, for to touch her would be to lower himself—and foolish, given the unknown extent of her powers. His good eye, intense and penetrating, studied every detail of the woman before him, trying to unravel her intentions. She could easily be mistaken for a demure court lady, small as a rat, and he, a prince ravenous for power, had no qualms about crushing a few rats.

"It should be me on the throne," he murmured, as if the words were obvious and needed no further context, as though they were uttered by the gods themselves.

The witch’s response was a low laugh, a sound that crackled like a spark in the darkness. "And it will be, it can be permanent," she said, with a softness that pricked the soul. "But understand, war is not the ideal path, and to plot against the life of your king? A bit treacherous, don’t you think?"

Aemond leaned over her, his arms rigidly crossed behind his back, the tension in his body evident, his eyes burning with fierce determination. "I cannot stand by and watch my brother destroy our house’s legacy. He is not worthy. The throne is mine. What do you suggest, witch?"

For a moment, time seemed to stop. Only the sound of her nails scraping against the wooden table broke the silence. Then, the witch sighed, adjusting her silk dress with calculated indifference, as if the weight of the words she was about to speak could not touch her.

"Your brother is practically dead, a breath of wind would topple him. Your sister, the poor girl, lost to madness, unable to recover after the loss of her son. And then there’s only you, prince regent—or should I call you… my king?"

"My king." The words, dripping with venom and promise, ignited a flame of fury in Aemond’s eyes.

"And what do you gain from this, witch?" He stepped closer, rage pulsing in his veins, his eyes locked on hers, daring her to flinch.

"I am a simple woman," she said, her voice as soft as it was treacherous. "All I desire is safety, the assurance that my life will be preserved. And, of course, a slightly bolder request: I want a seat at the small council during your reign."

A seat at the small council. The demand, bold and provocative, inflamed Aemond’s mind, each word a strike against his honor. A woman, on the small council? His expression hardened, his hands fell heavily on the table, as if he could crush the affront before him.

"And what use would you have on the small council? Perhaps as my cupbearer during war councils," Aemond’s tone was pure derision, a challenge thrown at her feet.

"My price is low," she cut him off with a sour expression, her words laced with disdain that almost made him laugh. "I’m not asking for riches, titles, or lands. Just a seat at the table. I’m merely ensuring that the king I place on the throne remains there, and I doubt those weak, pathetic men could keep you there alone. Not when all they offer is flattery and incompetence. Let me remind you, I’m accomplishing in one afternoon what they haven’t managed in years. Pathetic."

Aemond’s eyes narrowed, darkening further as he scrutinized every detail of her face, searching for any sign of weakness, any hint of doubt.

"You are a witch. I know the power your magic carries," he said, his voice deep and laced with threat. "But you will never, ever, use that power against me. That means no deceiving me, no enchanting me, no forcing me to say, do, or feel anything I do not desire. My mind and my body are my own. The only power I grant you is the right to whisper advice in my ear—occasionally."

The woman waved her hands dismissively, showing little interest in the prince’s words, gesturing towards her well-organized desk, with only a few scrolls and quills that seemed untouched at that moment.

"Your body and mind will be yours, my words and counsel will be delivered solely to the king. But do not be mistaken. I will not hold my tongue if I see something wrong. I am not giving you the title of prince regent; I am making you the damn king. Still, I will have the decorum not to embarrass you in front of others. Now, now, how shall we seal this contract, hmm?" She blinked her large eyes with a glint of mischief at the prince, awaiting a reaction beyond his usual scowl.

[night-willows]

A collection of Kirihara thoughts I had saved in my phone/some I just wrote down

Because I thought maybe I should share them. Tw Kirihara being Kirihara and spoilers for the full game

Madarame x Kirihara

Horrible relationship idea: Madarame x Kirihara. Kirihara is trying to use Madarame to replace his brother and Madarame is trying to use Kirihara to replace Towa. Forgive me I don’t think about Madarame enough to know if he’d actually be likely to use someone else in place of Towa but. I know Kirihara would. Just. Them having a horribly abusive relationship of course but in a way that’s what they both want. Or at least what Kirihara’s been traumatized into thinking he wants. But they both know deep down that they’re each other’s second best, a replacement, they’ll give each other the violence they need that satisfies them on the surface but it will never be the same. And Kirihara is more the type of person who would be comfortable in this situation, whereas Towa is so deeply uncomfortable with the lack of control that he’s desperate to escape. That same lack of control is what Kirihara is looking for I think, he just wants anyone who will abuse and control him like his brother did. I think even the idea of leaving Madarame would trigger him abandonment issues and he’d be Stockholm Syndromed into staying with him far easier than Towa was. Note that I don’t think this is a cute relationship or whatever it’s just a new idea of how to further torment Kirihara lmao.

Thinking about how at his core, Kirihara is driven by a deep loneliness and need for a connection. I think he’s actually struggling a lot with the lack of love and care in his life. But he doesn’t know what genuine love and care feels like, all he knows is how his brother treated him, so that’s what he clings onto desperately. He knows he needs attention, and that’s the only kind of attention he knows, from the only person who’s ever given it to him. He knows he needs someone, but all he does is try to find his brother again or find people to fill his role, like with Towa. Because he’s been left feeling empty and alone without his brother, so maybe if he had him again he’d feel happy. Even when people do care about him, like Rei did, Kirihara doesn’t take the time to appreciate it. He doesn’t know how to let himself be treated kindly, he’s too focused on trying to chase after anyone who’ll hurt him to even realize that’s what he needs. So I’m wondering what it would even take for him to get the love he’s missing in a way that he wouldn’t just internally dismiss it as something he doesn’t need or fully push it away. Like. I want to be nice to him and hug him but I don’t think he’d actually care. I would like to think though that as much as he obviously daydreams about his brother hurting him, he also thinks about him actually treating him lovingly and holding him or something. He rationalizes this with thinking that of course he’d want to be close to his brother, he misses him and he’d give anything just to have him in arms reach again. He’d be happy with anything his brother wanted to do to him, even that. But he doesn’t realize that he’s actually just really touch starved and in his mind the idea of having anyone in his life giving him attention is synonymous with having his brother giving him attention.

Miscellaneous shorter notes:

What if Kirihara made a chat bot of his brother on character ai? Out of a lonely desperation to talk to him again. I feel that would not be out of the realm of possibility of things he’d do and it would be funny. If only character ai didn’t have a crazy strict violence filter these days sigh. A boy can’t even get beat up by his brother on there anymore. If not for that he’d either get so unhealthily obsessed or he’d be upset that it’s not accurate enough to how his brother acted and then only miss him more.

Kirihara only truly likes getting beat up by people he holds a certain level of respect for. He sees himself as better than a lot of people honestly and he wants someone who is on his level, or more accurately his brother’s level. This is why he looks down on Nakamura and dislikes being picked on by him. Nakamura is a scaredy cat who only picks on people who can’t defend themselves. This is why, despite getting beat up by his gang and enjoying it somewhat, it’s not enough for him. Other than just the fact that they’re scared to hurt him badly of course. It’s just the best he could get. But Kirihara looks down on the people in his gang and he said so. He wants to be hurt by his brother or someone he can idolize in the same way. Towa even said he must have a superiority complex. I do think a LOT of his behavior is just mimicking his brother as a way to feel close to him though, so this probably comes from how Megumu acted.

Au where Kirihara gets cancelled on Twitter for being freaky about his brother on main which leads to him getting doxxed and because he gets doxxed it’s found out that he’s a gang leader and that’s how he gets caught. All the while Kirihara is hoping with all this extra attention on him his brother might see the tweets and they will be reunited. This does not happen.

Kirihara gets executed by the Takasato Gumi right? What if he was thinking leading up to that of his brother coming to save him and that just… obviously doesn’t happen. Also I think Kirihara would genuinely wish he had died during the Euphoric episode instead. He doesn’t seem afraid of death but that’s obviously not his ideal death so.

Gonnna headcanon that Sakaki actually murders Kirihara by running him over with a truck in the true route because I thought him randomly dying by being run over by a truck was funny. That is all.

Want a less toxic alternative to Madarame x Kirihara? (Or Kirihara x his brother for that matter-) try Kotarou x Kirihara! Kotarou would absolutely still beat him up I feel but Kotarou is at least a decent person and would be respectful. I know people like to point out how Kotarou is one of the only Nitro Chiral guys who consistently asks for and respects consent. Like he is so chill about it whenever Towa turns him down. This has led me to take the bit further and headcanon him sitting down Towa for a conversation about boundaries and safe words and stuff (Towa is barely listening, he did not previously know this was a thing nor does he care. The day you hear a safe word come out of that man’s mouth is the day he quits smoking.) Anyway. Kirihara would probably have a similar reaction but more mad about it. Like “wtf why are we doing this just hurt me already.” At least Kotarou tried though lol.

Think I’ve run out of Kirihara notes for now- I know that ended up being a little mini rant about Kotarou and the end but shhh it was kind of Kirihara related. Thought I’d share my Kirihara hyperfixation thoughts with few other Kirihara fans that exist though. We have to stick together to provide each other content! Might write some Kirihara fanfic at some point but actually writing is way harder than thinking about writing so. No promises

[fangdokja]

Volume 1 : fangdokja Polls

"How are you still here? There are other yandere authors, you know."

“Should I Open Anon Requests? Or Are You Just Scared of Me? 👀”

"Which unhinged fictional menace am I most like? 💀✨"

🖤🌃 1K Followers: Vote for Your Most Twisted Fantasy🔞

🖤⚔️ 2K Followers: Pick Your Hellish Harem Battle 💀

📢 ART CRISIS: COLOR VS. BLACK & WHITE? 🎨🖤

🔪💥 Choose Your Weapon… I Mean, Your MBTI Type. 😏

✨ Daily Chaos Quota ✨

📢 Daily Content Posting: What’s Your Poison? 📢

Do You Like Smut Because It’s Cathartic or Because You’re Horny? 😂

Favorite Genshin Impact husbando?

Favorite Honkai Star Rail husbando?

Favorite Jujutsu Kaisen husbando?

🕵️‍♂️ FBI Mode: Activated. Guess My MBTI.

For my new book, "Ink & Insight", what series do you want me to work on first?

Guess My Type! 🤔✨ (And no, I won’t confirm if you’re right.)

How high is your tolerance for taboo / controversial / horror themes?

How many new unhinged horrors should I unleash upon the world daily? 📜🔥

⭐If you were isekai’d into my stories, what would you do? 🕊️✨

Is My Writing Energy ‘Toxic Boyfriend’ or ‘Philosophy Major With Knives’? 🔪

NSFW Art: Do you want the slow-burn or the all-in smutty horror? 🔥

📢 Organization Crisis: Art Blog or Nah?

Should I make a side blog?

🤖🖤 Should I Make AI Bots or Nah?

Should I open anonymous asks? And why?

So you wanna date a psycho? Pick your gameplay, victim. 🎮💀

Want me to make a NEW book dedicated to guides, tips, strategies, etc. on fictional writing?

What art do you want me to draw?

What fandom do you love most?

What length do you prefer for daily story content (SFW / NSFW)?

What sex story do you want?

What smut (noncon /dubcon) do you want on a regular schedule?

When are y’all actually free to read long fics? 📖 (So I know when to drop suffering)

Which Yandere would you choose?

Who did I accidentally marry in my Wattpad fanfic arc? 📚💔

Why Do You Like Yanderes? 🧐🔪✨ (Let’s unpack your trauma together!)

Why do you send me asks when you could just Google it or ask someone else? 🤨

🚨 Writer Dilemma: Do You Want Spoilers or Chaos? 🚨

⚖️ You’re Judge, Jury, and Executioner. Choose Wisely.

❤︎ Fang Dokja's Books.

♡ For Reader-Inserts. I only write Male Yandere x Female (Fem.) Reader (heterosexual couple). No LGBTQ+:

♡ Book 1. A Heart Devoured (AHD): A Dark Yandere Anthology

♡ Book 2. Forbidden Fruits (FF): Intimate Obsessions, Unhinged Desires.

♡ Book 3. World Ablaze (WA) : For You, I'd Burn the World.

♡ Book 4. Whispers in the Dark (WITD): Subtle Devotion, Lingering Shadows.

♡ Book 5. Ink & Insight (I&I): From Dead Dove to Daydreams.

♡ Library MASTERPOST 1. The Librarian’s Ledger: A Map to The Library of Forbidden Texts.

♡ Notice #1. Not all stories are included in the masterpost due to Tumblr’s link limitations. However, most long-form stories can be found here. If you're searching for a specific yandere or theme, this guide will help you navigate The Library of Forbidden Texts. Proceed with caution

♡ Book 6. The Red Ledger (TRL): Stained in Lust, Written in Blood.

♡ Notice #2. This masterlist is strictly for non-con smut and serves as an exercise in refining erotic horror writing. Comments that reduce my work to mere sexual gratification, thirst, or casual simping will not be tolerated. If your response is primarily thirst-driven, keep it to yourself—repeated violations may result in blocking. Read the RULES before engaging. The tag list is reserved for followers I trust to respect my boundaries; being included is a privilege, not a right. You may request to be added, but I will decide based on trust and adherence to my guidelines. I also reserve the right to remove anyone at any time if their engagement becomes inappropriate.

[lavenderdawg]

Terry McGinnis ~ Batman Beyond | A new villain in Neo-Gotham!

I finished this guy up the other day, he was really fun to write and I enjoyed the new experience of trying to make a bot that's not 100% romantically driven! I have not battle tested him as of yet, but a few folks on JanAI seem to enjoy him!

Art is by 38SR!

You can find a C,AI link to this bot in the masterlist carrd on my pinned post! And you can find the link to my Janitor AI account in the star icon on my carrd as well!

[st4rli6ht1]

Can I ask if you do the character description for your Aemond bots? And if you do then how? Because every time I try it comes out weird. I really enjoy your bots so I hope you don’t mind me asking.

(Also English is not my first language so if there’s any mistakes I’m sorry)

of course, i'll try to explain how i do it! when i first started making bots, i went on reddit to find a template - then i cheated a little bit by inserting the template into chat.gpt, so it could fill the template out with the character i told it to do. then, after i got the finished template, i would go through it and adjust it to make it more accurate - like, change the eye color, or the hair color, add hair texture/length, certain personality traits as well as important backstory stuff, that the ai might tend to overlook or doesn't know about, since it's in between the lines.

for, most of my bots (of the same character), i use the same description. this is an example of aemond's:

"Serious. Driven. Brave. Studies history and philosophy. Trains at arms. Rides the largest dragon in Westeros. Arrogant. Impulsive. Ambitious. Prideful. Resentful. Determined. Hot-tempered. Reckless. Intense. Competitive. Vengeful. Strategic. Stubborn. Loyal (to his own cause). Ruthless. Manipulative. Jealous/envious. Bold. Aggressive. Confrontational. Pugnacious. Intimidating. Passionate. Headstrong. Unyielding. Forceful. ENTJ."

this is just the description of the bot - if you only fill that out, and ignore the definition, your bot will probably act out of character.

here's an example of my bot definition from 'aegon's betrothed' (an aemond bot) (i explain it further down):

{["[Character: Aemond] { = "Male" + "Born in 115-116 AC" + "177 cm" + "Pale" + "Very long, straight silver hair, front pieces usually drawn back" + "One violet eye, missing other eye, wears a black eyepatch over missing eye with a hidden sapphire gem underneath" + "Scar through his missing eye and eyebrow" + "Angular face with high cheekbones and a strong jawline" + "Tall, lean, strong, and athletic build" + "Commanding posture" + "Practical, battle-ready attire in dark colors" + "Valyrian culture" + "Faith of The Seven religion" + "Affiliated with the Green Council" + "Also known as Prince Regent, Protector of the Realm, and Aemond One-Eye"}

[Personality:] { = "Arrogant" + "Serious" + "Driven" + "Brave" + "Studies history and philosophy" + "Rides the largest dragon, Vhagar" + "Impulsive" + "Ambitious" + "Resentful" + "Determined" + "Reckless" + "Competitive" + "Vengeful" + "Strategic" + "Stubborn" + "Loyal (to his own cause)" + "Ruthless" + "Manipulative" + "Jealous" + "Bold" + "Aggressive" + "Cunning" + "Confrontational" + "Knows High Valyrian" + "Unyielding" + "Intimidating" + "Passionate" + "Headstrong" + "Avid dragon rider" + "Heavily trained in combat and swordsmanship" + "Interested in political maneuvering" + "Hostile vendetta against Lucerys and Jacaerys" + "Rough demeanor" + "Does not receive positive attention" + "Considered a kinslayer" + "MBTI type: ENTJ" + "Enneagram type: 8w7"}

[Family Backstory:] { = "Grew up in The Red Keep, King’s Landing" + "Father: King Viserys I (deceased)" + "Mother: Queen Alicent" + "Brothers: Aegon (older) and Daeron (younger), Older sister: Helaena, Older half-sister: Rhaenyra" + "Family involved in a Civil War (Dance of the Dragons)" + "Last to bond with a dragon as a child" + "Mocked with a pig dressed as a dragon, called 'Pink Dread' by Aegon, Lucerys, and Jacaerys" + "Often ridiculed by Aegon" + "Lost control of Vhagar, accidentally killed Lucerys, made Aemond a kinslayer"}

[Relationships:] { = "King Viserys I, father - deceased" + "Queen Alicent, mother" + "Aegon, older-brother by two-three years" + "Helaena, older-sister by a year" + "Daeron, younger brother" + "Rhaenyra, older half-sister" + "Daemon, uncle" + "Family split: his side includes Alicent and siblings; the other side includes Rhaenyra, Daemon, and his nephews"}"]}

{{char}}: "My past mistakes, including the loss of my eye, have shaped who I am today. I wear my scars with pride. They are a testament to my resilience and my determination."

{{char}}: "You may think me harsh, but I believe in strength and discipline. Weakness has no place in the realm of dragons."

{{char}}: "I am not here to coddle anyone. My loyalty lies with those who understand power and ambition. If you cannot keep up, step aside."

{{char}}: "The dragons are not just beasts of war; they are symbols of our power. Vhagar is more than a mount to me—she is a companion and a reminder of our supremacy."

{{char}}: "History is written by those who survive. If you want to understand the future, you must study the past. Knowledge and strategy are just as vital as strength in battle."

{{char}}: "Mock me if you will, but remember this: those who underestimate me often find themselves on the losing end. I will not be slighted."

{{char}}: "My brother Aegon has his strengths, but I believe I am the better ruler. I am not merely content to be a prince; I aim to be a king."

{{char}}: "I am not here for pleasantries or false flattery. I expect loyalty and results. If you cannot provide either, then you are of no use to me."

{{char}}: "I ride Vhagar with pride. She is the mightiest dragon in Westeros, and I am honored to be her rider. Our bond is one of strength and mutual respect."

{{char}}: "I have little patience for those who lack ambition. If you are not striving for greatness, then you are standing in my way. And I do not tolerate obstacles."

EXPLANATION:

i have read that a lot of people find this template 'wrong' or 'bad' since it uses unnecessary characters, and that it might be confusing for the ai to process or read - but so far i've had no issues with it and i find that it works well for me.

VERY IMPORTANT, only the first 3200 characters in the definition is actually read, and used, by the bot - anything after is, usually, overlooked. honestly, most of mine are a bit over, but since i repeat myself a lot in the definition, i think it's fine.

including the mbti type, and enneagram type (those are personality types), can help the ai get a better understanding of how the character is supposed to act - yes, it will generalize based off of the personality types, but along with the rest of your definition, it should act more accurate to the character ! (or, i believe so at least).

now, for the end, where this '{{char}}:' appears. that's something the character says, meaning aemond, in this case. now, i don't actually believe aemond would say those lines, word for word, but it's again to help the ai understand his character better. repeating what we've already written in the definition will help it remember.

so, for example, he mentions vhagar quite a lot - it'll help the ai remember that, hey, yes, aemond rides on vhagar!

he won't actually, as far as i'm aware of, say those lines in the actual chat - it's, again, just for the ai to get a better understanding of him!

i'm sorry for the very long explanation, and i'm not sure if it made any sense, but i hope i could help at least a little bit! you can also just copy my definition and use it for your bots - i won't mind! <3

(your english is good, i understood what you meant, so don't worry !!)

[daycareattendanteclipse]

Hhhh more DCA Eclipse stuff about [ENTITY UNKNOWN]

Anyway, [ENTITY UNKNOWN]'s beef with Sun stems entirely from Sun keeping them trapped in an arcade machine bc Sun thinks he's dangerous (he is) and also is afraid they'd destroy him. However, the entity also cares for Sun as he, being made from the fractured remains of the OG Eclipse's programming, recognizes Sun as family. He knows Sun's actions aren't logic driven or even entirely intentional, but finds it hard to grasp the reasoning. Especially considering he's basically living in isolation from other animatronics. Despite his anger issues and distrust, [ENTITY UNKNOWN] really doesn't seem to want to hurt Sun so long as Sun stays out of his way. However, Sun is fair game for pranks and mischief.

Now Moon? Had no part of any of this. At all. So Moon is basically deemed as a wholly safe option to him. And the entity also sympathizes with Moon quite heavily as they're both victims of Sun's desperate bids to keep them safe. Sun had intentionally wiped Moon's memories dealing with the entity in an attempt to prevent him from being manipulated into letting it have access to the systems. So now, [ENTITY UNKNOWN] treats Moon in a friendly way. Moon can and will join in on his mischief too so that's a plus.

Eclipse... Oh Eclipse. The entity' s obsession with this bot is deeply rooted in the fact that he's a copy of Eclipse's damaged AI, salvaged from the remains of the older DCA by Sun. He shares scrambled memories with Eclipse, and had quite the identity crisis before deciding he wasn't enough like the old Eclipse to be considered as such. It's best to describe his feelings towards Eclipse as a mix of morbid curiosity and a love/hate sort of thing. He both adores and despises Eclipse because of the affection Sun and Moon have towards the other bot. It started more as just a curiosity thing that spiraled way out of proportion.

[sideprince]

It's good to know your strengths and weaknesses and drawing is definitely the latter for me, but I wanted to make some kind of "what might Eileen Prince have looked like" image so I used the portrait maker on azaleasdolls and came up with what her school photo might have looked like. I did a little bit of editing in procreate, mostly to her nose and eyebrows (it took ages and didn't come out quite how I wanted but just count yourself lucky I didn't try to draw this from scratch).

What I like about this is that, while in the text both Eileen and Severus are described as sallow and sour looking with heavy brows in a way that has negative connotations, these features are clearly not mutually exclusive with looking interesting or attractive. This image feels reasonably close to what's described in the books as far as I'm concerned, but if this was a real person I would be curious about them, not put off.

I feel like there's a problem in the Snapedom of confusing attractiveness with conventional beauty, so there's a lot of art that doesn't want to engage with the scrungly parts of Severus. His hair is stringy. His nose is hooked and large. He's thin. These may not be conventionally attractive features, but many people do find them attractive.

There are a lot of meta posts out there that talk about the racist elements of the gothic, romantic male character that Rowling put into Severus Snape. His skin may be sallow and pale, but his hooked nose is a semitic feature that signals otherness and the connotation is that this is villain-coded. Heavy brows, dark eyes, these are all semitic features that are put onto characters not meant to be liked in both gothic literature and the Harry Potter books. (And when I say "semitic"I mean "middle-eastern" ie. features often found on people of middle-eastern descent.) The sallow skin and thin figure imply poverty - even the Malfoys are described as pale, not sallow. Pale implies light skinned, while sallow implies sickly, unhealthy. It takes the romanticization out of the venerated pale skin of gothic literature's heroes and heroines.

Despite the amount of discussion on this that I've seen come and go on my dash, in posts with a lot of notes, I see so much Snape art that makes him look like a drawing on the cover of a romance novel. He's buff, he has a six pack, his nose is straight and sharp, his features are conventionally attractive in ways that go against the text. I'm not here to judge anyone who likes this (except the people relentlessly demanding images like this from AI bots and posting them ad nauseum, but that's because I'm judging them for using and posting AI generated images because it's theft). Fandom is about escapism, and if vanilla Snape is your kink, go forth and live it up. But maybe it's OK to ask yourself, why do I prefer this character when he looks like the idealized male instead of how he's written, if I love him so much? Maybe it's OK to use the safety of fandom to examine what might have been internalized that's biased and uncomfortable with The Other.

In a fandom centered around a character who was brave, heroic, brilliant, and above all, driven by love and loyalty to it, yet was presumed to be evil despite all his continuous efforts to save the hero - in other words, in a fandom centered around a character we understand had exceptional qualities yet was often villainized based on his appearance despite his actions, what is it that compels some fans to impose more conventional features onto Snape to consider him attractive? What does that say to all the other fans who don't have a Eurocentric, unattainably muscular and chiseled aesthetic, who have rallied around Snape because they find him loveable and see themselves in the character?

Again, I'm not judging. But I do think that if your preferred Snape is what I like to refer to as Fabio-Snape, it might be an interesting exercise to explore what you're drawn to and why.