#HI TEC SOFTWARE

[snitchcrimsonwrites]

Maybe pt. 2

Pairing: Norm MacLean X Female Reader or OC

Former friends to a relationship?

Life is pretty easy in Vault 33 until you're trying to rekindle a former friendship and raiders attack. Now, our main characters are trying to navigate newfound feelings all while undercovering the mysteries of Vault 33. Stay tuned. Follows the main storyline of season 1; some events may be reordered for plot.

Some of the conversation feels a little clunky, but we want these two to make up and move on, right?

Part 1 Here Part 7 Here Part 12 Here

Part 3 Here Part 8 Here

Part 4 Here Part 9 Here

Part 5 Here Part 10 Here

Part 6 Here Part 11 Here

Norm hates this feeling. Laying in bed, he can feel his stomach twisted in knots. This gut-wrenching feeling has kept him up most of the night, realizing he’s got to make a decision. As far as he’s deduced from his sleepless night of pondering, he’s got two primary options. 

Option A. He pretends yesterday’s conversation with (Y/N) never happened, and they continue exchanging small talk, pleasantries, and those awkward neighbor half-waves until the end of time. The scaredy cat in him prefers this option. It avoids confrontation and maintains the status quo they’ve held for the last couple of years. It is simple and lacks any unnecessary entanglements. Things just go on according to plan. He’s done it before, it can easily be done again. 

OR he can proceed with Option B to confront (Y/N) about what she said in the cafeteria yesterday. This option has sparked his curious side. Cause that entire interaction was odd, wasn’t it? Norm had so many questions, but are they worth pursuing? Opening that can of worms could lead to more problems, more decisions, and fewer answers. No. He needed to know. Curiosity might just kill the cat, but at least he’d be able to sleep at night. 

(Y/N) worked in one of the maintenance labs as Vault 33’s official Pip-Boy Programmer—one of the perks of doing well on the Vault G.O.A.T exams. Norm was eager, planning to stop by the lab first thing before he headed to his desk. Unless someone had major issues with their Pip-Boy, they’d probably have the lab to themselves that early. Alright, it was decided. He threw off the certified Vault-Tec comforter, climbed out of bed, and headed toward the shower to get ready. 

—--------------------

You were already at your desk, pretending to be occupied, when Norm MacLean appeared in the doorway of the lab, leaning on the doorframe and fiddling with his Pip-Boy. Truth be told, you were half-expecting him, especially after yesterday. But maybe not this soon. You were hoping he’d stew on this decision for at least a day.

“Good Morning, Norm. Pip-Boy on the fritz?” you ask, knowing full well that the reason he was here had nothing to do with his Pip-Boy. Even if his Pip-Boy was malfunctioning, Norm was more than capable of taking care of that repair without your assistance. 

“Yeah, I think I’m having some software issues. Do you think you could do a diagnostic run for me?” 

You smile, “Of course. If you wouldn’t mind taking it off and filling out the repair form, I can start right away.” 

He complies, handing you his Pip-Boy and taking the clipboard with the attached Vault-Tec paperwork. As he starts on the paperwork, he estimates he’s got roughly twenty minutes of fake errand cover to work with. 

You attach the Pip-Boy to the diagnostic cable running from your computer, load up the program, and wait. “It will just be a few minutes to get a full picture of what’s going on,” you reassure him. 

“That’s fine. My supervisor knows I was having a few issues with it this morning,” Norm says, barely looking up from the clipboard. 

The two of you fall into awkward silence, neither wanting to be the first to break it. 

You relent. “Hey, I’m sorry if yesterday made you uncomfortable. I know we haven’t spoken much at all lately, but I heard about what happened from Reg, and I just couldn’t stop myself from coming over. It wasn’t right of me to use your situation as my catharsis, especially since we had that failing out. I should have respected that. We can continue on as we were, friendly neighbors in the same Vault.” The words stuck in your throat on the way out. That’s not what you wanted, but if that’s what Norm came here to say, better get it out of the way sooner. 

Oof, now he felt terrible. Norm should have known you’d apologize for thinking you made him uncomfortable. That’s your nature. You’ve always been empathic to the needs of your friends. He needs to come clean. 

“I never wanted that.” 

I’m sorry. What did he say? He never wanted that. To stop being friends? Your brain was going a mile a minute, swirling with questions, too many to vocalize at once. Thankfully, Norm elaborated before you even tried. 

“I never wanted to stop being friends, but the closer we got to graduation, the more effort you seemed to put into exams and passing, being the best in the class. You had ambitions and goals, and (Y/N) you could achieve them. You didn’t need to be dragged down by the Black Sheep of Vault 33.” He tries not to think about his label, and usually, it doesn’t bother him. But right now,  it weighs on him; it feels laminated across his forehead, defining him. 

“Norman,” you manage to sigh out. “I’ve always admired that about you. That’s what I meant yesterday. I wish I had the confidence to act that way before now; I’m sure I’d be much happier. After my dad passed away, I wasn’t sure how I was going to navigate,” you gesture to the air around you, "everything. I was on my own, and subconsciously, I picked up on the reality that the better I did in that classroom or for the Vault, the more control I thought I could have over my life.” 

She didn’t need to explain. He knew exactly what she meant. It is kind of an unspoken rule of Vault 33. Obviously, those who did well on their exams got matched into the most coveted jobs within the vault, but those placements also impacted other situations. Those higher-achieving students had more say in when and to whom they were married, more access to leadership positions, and the list goes on. 

“I had no idea how my life would go, but at least I knew I wanted a hand on the steering wheel. I mean, I’m not sure if I actually want to be married or if that’s part of the programming to be in a relationship, but whatever happens, I want it to at least feel as though I made the decision." You pause and add, "Seriously, could you imagine if I got stuck having to marry Chad Johnston?” 

Norm snorted. The juxtaposition of his former classmates as a married couple was hilarious. Those two couldn’t be more opposites. “Well, at least he’d have someone to teach him to read,” he managed between laughs. 

This garnered a snicker from you as well. “Haha, you’re hilarious,” you say in the most sarcastic tone you can muster. “So, what do you think? Can we act like adults and finally move on? Or do we double down on whatever self-destructive tendencies we’ve got going on here?” 

“Hmmm, I don’t know about you, but I’m really leaning into that second one.” He pauses and puts his hand to his chin. “On the other hand, it might be nice to have lunch with someone I’m not related to.”

DING. “Vault-Tec Pip-Boy diagnostic program is now complete, no issues were detected.” 

You both smile. “Well, it looks like the software issues seemed to have resolved themselves.” 

“Isn’t technology incredible?” Norm asks as he stands to leave. 

[corsairesix]

Fallout TV show thoughts

Spoilers ahead because I'm like, talking about the show and what happens in it.

The first two episodes are the strongest definitely. The vault dwellers being culty trad weirdos and the brotherhood being technofascists is a great return to form. But after that, the aspects of both of those tend to get subsumed into "Lucy and Max are naive"

Lucy and Max kinda stop having ideologies pretty quick. It's easier to accept with Max because he's shown from the beginning to be less interested into the technocult aspects of the Brotherhood but Lucy has fully drunk the vault kool-aid and that kinda becomes secondary to "she's from a vault so she's used to good people"

The central tension of "if it's life or death, you'll abandon your morals" vs "but we have to keep being better anyway" is a really popular one for post-apocalypse stories to tell, but it's kind of a boring Fallout story for me.

The early Brotherhood stuff really hits the sweet spot between the creepy ritualistic aspects and the fact that a lot of them are just shitty bullies. Titus going from the helmet voice to his normal voice was a really good scene.

Tangentially, I don't particularly care for Ghoulgins. I thought the pre-war plot with Walton Goggins was great, but with Ghoulgins it felt like every scene he was in he walks up to someone, snarls a bit, kills everyone present, and walks away with no variation.

The best part of episode 3 onwards was all of the stuff with young Steve Buscemi solving mysteries

I laughed at the fact that they did Kid in a Fridge 2, but after the fifth time or so that they played that clip it was increasingly obvious that it was the only backstory that Maximus had. We know exactly five-ish seconds of his life outside the story. And sure, part of that was that he's like, raised in a high-control cult, but so is Lucy and we learn a half-dozen hobbies that she has in the first minute.

Also is it just me or did they put one black guy in every scene where Max was getting his ass beat? So like, invoking a certain imagery for sure but not textually saying anything about racism, which seems like the worst of both worlds

There's a running textual and subtextual dichotomy between "innocence/naivete/ignorance" and "willingness to do violence" but it's undercut a little by how often characters screw up by doing violence because they were ignorant or naive

Lee Moldaver call me

(side note, I'm not a "wouldve been way better if at the end the Black Panther turned to the camera & said "i am communist now" & then specified hes the exact kind of communist i am" person, but honestly Fallout is allergic to ever depicting American communists. McCarthyism can only be bad if it's aimed at the wrong target.)

I just realized Sarita Choudhury was in Gawain and the Green Knight and she was really hot there too

I *really* liked the plot device of "Vault-Tec has a fiduciary responsibility to the end of the world" but I thought every company we know the name of sitting around a table and going "we're going to do the end of the world" was corny. I'm surprised Slocum Joe wasn't there to pitch an iced regulah and strawberry frahsted vault.

Slight tweak that could be more compelling--vault tec wants things to be bad/drive up paranoia to sell reservations, but they don't actually want the world to end. It's like an insurance company that wants you to be scared of disasters, but doesn't actually want to pay out. That's the exact type of corporate hubris I could see them trying to thread. And it still works with stuff like suppressing Moldaver's cold fusion.

Wait why was the cold fusion in that guy's head? They injected a similar thing into the dog, so I assumed at first he could like, psychically communicate with the dog and that's why the dog could track his head. But the dog was injected before the guy so like, did the dog just have general cold-fusion tracking software injected? Like I know it was an excuse to have Dogmeat IV, but I genuinely want to know if anyone knows the deal with that.

A good amount of stuff that turns me off of the show is that I genuinely find the post-post-apocalypse of some Fallout games more interesting than just post-apoc.

This show seemed less built up than even Fallout 4. All the locations seemed kinda disconnected from any sense of space. I cackled when the snake oil guy showed up to treat the guy's foot. He's not anywhere near the other two places we've seen him. Is this even his building?

"The Governmint" being two guys and their boss who looks like every wasteland mayor ever was really good. Good enough to wipe out Shady Sands? Jury's still out.

I'm not particularly mad about "they destroyed the NCR!" but I wish they did something interesting. I do like how Moldaver flies NCR flags. That was probably the most interesting element of it

[star-going-supernova]

Hey, Star! Been a while. I mean, besides my singular comments on Ao3. Speaking of I wanted to share some of my thoughts on how Gregory and Cassie work as a team.

I think as far tec skills Cassie does hardware to Gregory's software. For example Gregory has to use a computer in Parts and Service where Cassie can just shove a peice into a broken down animatronic. Gregory gathers security badges where Cassie realies on her wrench. Cassie is set up against virtual enemies or "software" and has to rely on Helpy and "Gregory" where against physical enemies or "Hardware" Gregory relies on smashing or hacking (blaster and camera) his way out. Also the whole Princess quest thing.

Personality wise, Gregory is more feral and willing to break the rules and just doesn't care about laws or potential war crimes. Cassie, however, seems more capable of working with or around society instead of just bulldozing it. Gregory is sneakier, so he doesn’t get caught, and Cassie seems like the type to talk her way out of trouble.

What's your thoughts about this?

Hello, hello, friend! Good to see you back in my inbox!

Oooh, I do like the parallels there, and the contrasting obstacles they face! Put them together and they'd cover each other's weak spots really well!

Accurate assessment of Gregory, lol. Love Cassie maintaining a thin veneer of being a "good kid," but they're both total troublemakers.

You've really made me realize how much I want to see them actually working together, gosh. They're BFFs, your honor!! A two-player game with the two of them would be awesome.

[hitechinstitute09]

The Rise of Flexible Displays: Laptops that Fold or Roll Up for Portability

The future of laptops is unfolding (pun intended) before our very eyes. Gone are the days of bulky, boxy devices that strain your backpack and demand a dedicated desk space. Today, we're witnessing the rise of flexible displays – a revolutionary technology that promises to redefine portability and user experience for laptops.

Even if your laptop malfunctions and requires repairs, fret not! Here in Delhi, institutes like Hi-Tech Institute stand tall, offering comprehensive laptop repairing course in New Delhi. Hi-Tech Institute boasts an impressive 20-year legacy, having trained over 3 lakh students in the art of laptop repair. The industry for laptop and mobile repairs is booming, with an estimated demand of 18 lakh mobile repairing engineers – a promising career path for those interested!

But back to the exciting world of flexible displays! Let's delve into the six key aspects that make this technology so groundbreaking:

1. Enhanced Portability: Imagine a laptop that folds in half, fitting snugly into your pocket like a large smartphone. Or one that rolls up like a magazine, taking up minimal space in your bag. This is the reality promised by flexible displays. Gone are the days of struggling with bulky laptops – these futuristic devices offer ultimate portability, allowing you to work or play seamlessly on the go. Whether you're a frequent traveler, a student on the move, or a professional who values flexibility, foldable and rollable laptops cater to your dynamic lifestyle.

2. Multitasking Reinvented: Flexible displays open doors to a whole new way of interacting with your laptop. Imagine unfolding your device to reveal a larger screen perfect for multitasking, then folding it in half for a more compact tablet-like experience ideal for reading or browsing. Some concepts even envision dual-folding screens, creating a multi-monitor setup on a single device. This level of versatility empowers users to adapt their laptops to specific tasks, seamlessly transitioning between work and entertainment modes.

3. Durability Redefined: One might assume that flexible displays are more susceptible to damage. However, advancements in materials and engineering are addressing this concern. Manufacturers are developing bendable yet durable screens that can withstand everyday bumps and knocks. Additionally, some concepts incorporate self-healing technology, automatically repairing minor scratches or scuffs on the display. This ensures that your flexible laptop remains a reliable companion for years to come.

4. Innovative User Interfaces: The unique form factor of foldable and rollable laptops calls for innovative user interfaces (UIs). Developers are exploring ways to optimize software for these new screen configurations. Imagine using a stylus on a half-folded display for note-taking or artistic creation, or seamlessly transitioning from a keyboard interface to a touch interface as you fold or unfold the screen. These advancements promise an intuitive and user-friendly experience that leverages the full potential of flexible displays.

5. A Boon for Content Creation: The versatility of flexible displays makes them ideal for creative professionals. Imagine photographers editing high-resolution images on a large, unfolded screen, or graphic designers sketching and illustrating on a half-folded tablet mode. The ability to adjust the display size and format opens doors to new forms of creative expression and interaction. Additionally, the portability factor allows creators to work seamlessly on the go, capturing inspiration and transforming it into digital masterpieces anywhere they find themselves.

6. A Glimpse into the Future: Flexible displays are just the beginning of a transformative journey for laptops. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with our devices, blurring the lines between laptops, tablets, and even smartphones. As the technology matures and becomes more affordable, we can expect to see a wider range of foldable and rollable laptop models available to consumers. This shift will undoubtedly reshape the mobile computing landscape, offering users unprecedented levels of portability, versatility, and functionality.

Looking to Become a Part of the Future of Tech?

The rise of flexible displays presents exciting opportunities not just for users but also for those interested in the world of tech repair. As the demand for these innovative devices grows, so will the need for skilled professionals who can diagnose and repair them. Enrolling at a reputable laptop repairing institute in Delhi like Hi-Tech Institute can equip you with the knowledge and expertise necessary to thrive in this ever-evolving industry. With their 20-year legacy and commitment to excellence, Hi-Tech Institute can be your stepping stone to a rewarding career in laptop repair.

So, are you ready to embrace the future of laptops? Flexible displays promise a world of possibilities, offering portability, versatility, and a user experience unlike anything we've seen before. As this technology continues to evolve, one thing is certain – the future of laptops is looking bright, flexible, and full of exciting potential.

[gmlocg]

151.) Spy vs. Spy

Release: October 1984 | GGF: Action, Strategy, Puzzle | Developer(s): First Star Software, Inc. | Publisher(s): First Star Software, Inc., Beyond, SEGA Enterprises Ltd., Hot-B Co., Ltd., Kotobuki System Co., Ltd., Tynesoft Computer Software, Wicked Software, Hi-Tec Software Ltd., Tec Toy Indústria de Brinquedos S.A. | Platform(s): Apple II (1984), Atari 8-bit (1984), Commodore 64 (1984), Amstrad CPC (1985), ZX Spectrum (1985), NES (1986), PC-98 (1986), SEGA Master System (1986), Sharp X1 (1986), BBC Micro (1987), Commodore 16, Plus/4 (1987), Electron (1987), Amiga (1989), Atari ST (1989), Game Boy (1991), Game Boy Color (1999)

[hi-tec-solutions]

Apple Laptop Repair at HiTec Solutions in Oxford

Introduction:

In the ever-evolving world of technology, Apple laptops have become an integral part of our lives. However, like any electronic device, these laptops are also prone to occasional malfunctions and hardware issues. When faced with such challenges, it is essential to find a reliable repair service that can efficiently diagnose and fix the problem. In Oxford, HiTec Solutions stands out as a trusted destination for Apple laptop repair. Let's delve deeper into the services they offer and why they are the go-to solution for all your Apple laptop repair needs.

Expert Technicians:

At HiTec Solutions, you can expect your Apple laptop to be handled by a team of highly skilled and certified technicians. These professionals possess extensive knowledge and experience in repairing various models of Apple laptops. Whether you own a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or any other Apple laptop, rest assured that HiTec Solutions has the expertise to diagnose and resolve any hardware or software issue.

Comprehensive Repair Services:

HiTec Solutions offers a wide range of repair services to cater to the diverse needs of Apple laptop users. From fixing common problems like broken screens, malfunctioning keyboards, or faulty batteries to advanced repairs involving logic board or hard drive replacements, they have the necessary tools and expertise to get your laptop up and running again. Additionally, they provide software troubleshooting, data recovery, and virus removal services, ensuring that your laptop functions seamlessly.

Quality Parts and Warranty:

When it comes to repairing Apple laptops, HiTec Solutions understands the importance of using genuine parts to maintain the integrity and performance of the device. They source high-quality components directly from Apple or authorized distributors, ensuring that your laptop receives the best possible treatment. Moreover, HiTec Solutions provides a warranty on all their repairs, giving customers peace of mind knowing that their laptops are in safe hands.

Efficient Turnaround Time:

One of the key advantages of choosing HiTec Solutions for your Apple laptop repair is their commitment to providing prompt and efficient service. They understand the inconvenience caused by a malfunctioning laptop and strive to minimize the downtime for their customers. With their streamlined repair process, they aim to diagnose and repair the issue as quickly as possible, allowing you to get back to your work or personal tasks without delay.

Convenience and Accessibility:

Located in Oxford, HiTec Solutions offers convenient accessibility for both residents and businesses in the area. Their centrally located repair center is easily accessible by public transport or private vehicles. Additionally, they provide flexible service options, including on-site repairs or pickup and delivery services, making it convenient for customers who are unable to visit their repair center in person.

Conclusion:

When faced with a faulty Apple laptop, it is crucial to entrust its repair to a reliable and experienced service provider. HiTec Solutions in Oxford stands out as a go-to destination for Apple laptop repair, offering expert technicians, comprehensive repair services, genuine parts, efficient turnaround time, and convenient accessibility. With their commitment to customer satisfaction and quality repairs, HiTec Solutions is the trusted choice for all your Apple laptop repair needs in Oxford.

📞 Contact: Hi-Tec Solution

📍 Address: 99A St Aldate's, Oxford OX1 1BT, United Kingdom

📧 Email: info@htsolution.co.uk

☎️ Phone: 01865 594774

💻 Website: https://www.htsolution.co.uk

[ammg-old2]

In April, lawyers for the airline Avianca noticed something strange. A passenger, Robert Mata, had sued the airline, alleging that a serving cart on a flight had struck and severely injured his left knee, but several cases cited in Mata’s lawsuit didn’t appear to exist. The judge couldn’t verify them, either. It turned out that ChatGPT had made them all up, fabricating names and decisions. One of Mata’s lawyers, Steven A. Schwartz, had used the chatbot as an assistant—his first time using the program for legal research—and, as Schwartz wrote in an affidavit, “was unaware of the possibility that its content could be false.”

The incident was only one in a litany of instances of generative AI spreading falsehoods, not to mention financial scams, nonconsensual porn, and more. Tech companies are marketing their AI products and potentially reaping enormous profits, with little accountability or legal oversight for the real-world damage those products can cause. The federal government is now trying to catch up.

Late last month, the Biden administration announced that seven tech companies at the forefront of AI development had agreed to a set of voluntary commitments to ensure that their products are “safe, secure, and trustworthy.” Those commitments follow a flurry of White House summits on AI, congressional testimonies on regulating the technology, and declarations from various government agencies that they are taking AI seriously. In the announcement, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and others pledged to subject their products to third-party testing, invest in bias reduction, and be more transparent about their AI systems’ capabilities and limitations.

The language is promising but also just a promise, lacking enforcement mechanisms and details about next steps. Regulating AI requires a lumbering bureaucracy to take on notoriously secretive companies and rapidly evolving technologies. Much of the Biden administration’s language apes tech luminaries’ PR lines about their products’ world-ending capacities, such as bioweapons and machines that “self-replicate.” Government action will be essential for safeguarding people’s lives and livelihoods—not just from the supposed long-term threat of evil, superintelligent machines, but also from everyday threats. Generative AI has already exhibited gross biases and potential for misuse. And for more than a decade, less advanced but similarly opaque and often discriminatory algorithms have been used to screen résumés and determine credit scores, in diagnostic software, and as part of facial-recognition tools.

I spoke with a number of experts and walked away with a list of five of the most effective ways the government could regulate AI to protect the country against the tech’s quotidian risks, as well as its more hypothetical, apocalyptic dangers.

1. Don’t take AI companies’ word on anything.

A drug advertised for chemotherapy has to demonstrably benefit cancer patients in clinical trials, such as by shrinking tumors, and then get FDA approval. Then its manufacturer has to disclose side effects patients might experience. But no such accountability exists for AI products. “Companies are making claims about AI being able to do X or Y thing, but then not substantiating that they can,” Sarah Myers West, the managing director of the AI Now Institute and a former senior FTC adviser on AI, told me. Numerous tech firms have been criticized for misrepresenting how biased or effective their algorithms are, or providing almost no evidence with which to evaluate them.

Mandating that AI tools undergo third-party testing to ensure that they meet agreed-upon metrics of bias, accuracy, and interpretability “is a really important first step,” Alexandra Givens, the president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit that advocates for privacy and human rights on the internet and receives some funding from the tech industry, told me. Companies could be compelled to disclose information about how their programs were trained, the software’s limitations, and how they mitigated potential harms. “Right now, there’s extraordinary information asymmetry,” she said—tech companies tend to reveal very little about how they train and validate their software. An audit could involve testing how often, say, a computer-vision program misrecognizes Black versus white faces or whether chatbots associate certain jobs with stereotypical gender roles (ChatGPT once stated that attorneys cannot be pregnant, because attorneys must be men).

All of the experts I spoke with agreed that the tech companies themselves shouldn’t be able to declare their own products safe. Otherwise, there is a substantial risk of “audit washing”—in which a dangerous product gains legitimacy from a meaningless stamp of approval, Ellen Goodman, a law professor at Rutgers, told me. Although numerous proposals currently call for after-the-fact audits, others have called for safety assessments to start much earlier. The potentially high-stakes applications of AI mean that these companies should “have to prove their products are not harmful before they can release them into the marketplace,” Safiya Noble, an internet-studies scholar at UCLA, told me.

Clear benchmarks and licenses are also crucial: A government standard would not be effective if watered down, and a hodgepodge of safety labels would breed confusion to the point of being illegible, similar to the differences among free-range, cage-free, and pasture-raised eggs.

2. We don’t need a Department of AI.

Establishing basic assessments of and disclosures about AI systems wouldn’t require a new government agency, even though that’s what some tech executives have called for. Existing laws apply to many uses for AI: therapy bots, automated financial assistants, search engines promising truthful responses. In turn, the relevant federal agencies have the subject expertise to enforce those laws; for instance, the FDA could have to assess and approve a therapy bot like a medical device. “In naming a central AI agency that’s going to do all the things, you lose the most important aspect of algorithmic assessment,” Givens said, “which is, what is the context in which it is being deployed, and what is the impact on that particular set of communities?”

A new AI department could run the risk of creating regulatory capture, with major AI companies staffing, advising, and lobbying the agency. Instead, experts told me, they’d like to see more funding for existing agencies to hire staff and develop expertise on AI, which might require action from Congress. “There could be a very aggressive way in which existing enforcement agencies could be more empowered to do this if you provided them more resources,” Alex Hanna, the director of research at the Distributed AI Research Institute, told me.

3. The White House can lead by example.

Far-reaching legislation to regulate AI could take years and face challenges from tech companies in court. Another, possibly faster approach could involve the federal government acting by example in the AI models it uses, the research it supports, and the funding it disburses. For instance, earlier this year, a federal task force recommended that the government commit $2.6 billion to funding AI research and development. Any company hoping to access those resources could be forced to meet a number of standards, which could lead to industry-wide adoption—somewhat akin to the tax incentives and subsidies encouraging green energy in the Inflation Reduction Act.

The government is also a major purchaser and user of AI itself, and could require its vendors to subject themselves to audits and release transparency reports. “The biggest thing the Biden administration can do is make it binding administration policy that AI can only be purchased, developed, used if it goes through meaningful testing for safety, efficacy, nondiscrimination, and protecting people’s privacy,” Givens told me.

4. AI needs a tamper-proof seal.

Deepfakes and other synthetic media—images, videos, and audio clips that an AI system can whip up in seconds—have already spread misinformation and been used in nonconsensual pornography. Last month’s voluntary commitments include developing a watermark to tell users they are interacting with AI-generated content, but the language is vague and the path forward unclear. Many existing methods of watermarking, such as the block of rainbow pixels at the bottom of any image generated by DALL-E 2, are easy to manipulate or remove. A more robust method would involve logging where, when, and how a piece of media was created—like a digital stamp from a camera—as well as every edit it undergoes. Companies including Adobe, Microsoft, and Sony are already working to implement one such standard, although such approaches might be difficult for the public to understand.

Sam Gregory, the executive director of the human-rights organization Witness, told me that government standards for labeling AI-generated content would need to be enforced throughout the AI supply chain by everybody from the makers of text-to-image models to app and web-browser developers. We need a tamper-proof seal, not a sticker.

To encourage the adoption of a standard way to denote AI content, Goodman told me, the government could mandate that web browsers, computers, and other devices recognize the label. Such a mandate would be similar to the federal requirement that new televisions include a part, known as a “V-chip,” that recognizes the maturity ratings set by the TV industry, which parents can use to block programs.

5. Build ways for people to protect their work from AI.

Multiple high-profile lawsuits are currently accusing AI models, such as ChatGPT and the image-generator Midjourney, of stealing writers’ and artists’ work. Intellectual property has become central to debates over generative AI, and two general types of copyright infringement are at play: the images, text, and other data the models are trained on, and the images and text they spit back out.

On the input side, allegations that generative-AI models are violating copyright law may stumble in court, Daniel Gervais, a law professor at Vanderbilt, told me. Making copies of images, articles, videos, and other media online to develop a training dataset likely falls under “fair use,” because training an AI model on the material meaningfully transforms it. The standard for proving copyright violations on the output side may also pose difficulties, because proving that an AI output is similar to a specific copyrighted work—not just in the style of Kehinde Wiley, but the spitting image of one of his paintings—is a high legal threshold.

Gervais said he imagines that a market-negotiated agreement between rights-holders and AI developers will arrive before any sort of legal standard. In the EU, for instance, artists and writers can opt out of having their work used to train AI, which could incentivize a deal that’s in the interest of both artists and Silicon Valley. “Publishers see this as a source of income, and the tech companies have invested so much in their technology,” Gervais said. Another possible option would be an even more stringent opt-in standard, which would require anybody owning copyrighted material to provide explicit permission for their data to be used. In the U.S., Gervais said, an option to opt out may be unnecessary. A law passed to protect copyright on the internet makes it illegal to strip a file of its “copyright management information,” such as labels with the work’s creator and date of publication, and many observers allege that creating datasets to train generative AI violates that law. The fine for removing such information could run up to tens of thousands of dollars per work, and even higher for other copyright infringements—a financial risk that, multiplied by perhaps millions of violations in a dataset, could be too big for companies to take.

Few, if any, of these policies are guaranteed. They face numerous practical, political, and legal hurdles, not least of which is Silicon Valley’s formidable lobbying arm. Nor will such regulations alone be enough to stop all the ways the tech can negatively affect Americans. AI is rife with the privacy violations, monopolistic business practices, and poor treatment of workers, all of which have plagued the tech industry for years.

But some sort of regulation is coming: The Biden administration has said it is working on bipartisan legislation, and it promised guidance on the responsible use of AI by federal agencies before the end of summer; numerousbillsare pending before Congress. Until then, tech companies may just continue to roll out new and untested products, no matter who or what is steamrolled in the process.

[retrocgads]

UK 1991

[imgoingtofreakoutnow]

I’m sorry if I spam your Ask today but it’s difficult to find a someone that write Supernatural and TVU. Well, you would see in a minute 🙈

Can I start requesting a Ship of TVU and Supernatural if it’s not to much trouble?

My name is Nallely. I enjoy relaxing in serene, bucolic environments, soft sound but I love the physical manifestation of comfort and luxury but this doesn’t mean I don’t know the value of things or that I’m afraid to roll up my sleeves and work hard to earn it. I’m have a loyal nature and my word is everything to me. At first I can be very serious when I meet new people, just at first. I tent to think the pros and cons of everything, my brain don’t stop to think. I’m stubborn as hell. Well, I’m a Taurus. What can I said? I like to spend time with my family and friends, love to play video games and even play soccer, I’m a very tec nerd girl.

Hi! Thank you for your request!💚⚘

Mmm... after what you told me, I definitely ship you with... Sam Winchester

This man loves spending time in relaxing places

Especially with you

Libraries, parks, old churches, forests...

He loves the soft sounds, the calm and peace that fills those places

And your presence by his side is just another welcome addition, if not the BEST

With him, you can't really expect a very luxurious life style...

But, once a month, you like to take a weekend off everything and spend it in a five-star hotel to just treat yourselves

It's a way to escape the rough life of hunters and you both love to just feel like normal people once in a while

The way you think, pondering pros and cons, is very similar to Sam's

But thankfully yours doesn't shut off when someone is in huge danger and the first thing he comes up with to solve everything is sacrificing himself!

Honestly, if you had been there before, you had probably found a way to avoid them dying at least three times!

Also, you're both tec nerds

Can you imagine what you could do putting both your minds together?!

You could probably hack every software ever created!

You would be so powerful...

Sam loves your loyalty to friends and family

And he likes spending time with other people you love and that don't know anything about the life

It's another small way to escape his life once in a while, and he loves doing it with you

[our-happygirl500-fan]

We already know that Steph is quite good at drawing from her Batgirl run when we constantly see her doodling in her notes during lectures and when she drew out some Batfamily history.

We also recently learned that Cass is good at drawing from Shadow of the Batgirl when she drew as she was learning in the library.

So since both Cass and Steph are good at drawing I am putting forward an Eizouken AU for the Batgirls.

Cass is Mizusaki, because I think if Cass got into drawing and animation for her it would all be about the movement wanting to translate a body language as properly or accurately as she could onto animation, her sketch book would be full of certain poses or trying to translate a specific way someone clenches their jaw at certain or sets her shoulders I could see Cass being drawn to animation by liking the idea of drawing just the way someone moves or runs. (Also Cass is Bruce’s daughter so she’s a little rich girl)

Steph would then be Asakusa because I think Steph would be great at concept designs, she practically already is. The first time we see Steph she’s made puzzles and clues to reveal her fathers plots she’s turned whatever she could get her hands on into tools to fight crime and more often than not even made her own equipment. Bruce even recognises Steph’s talent to imagine and create by specifically giving her, her own Baterang building station to create her own baterangs with whatever properties she wants to give them which she immediately uses to create a specialised baterang specific for the enemy she is currently dealing with. Steph’s brain is constantly inventing, constantly looking for that stimulus this is a girl who took a Gotham hashtag (#battracker) in Batman Eternal where the citizens of Gotham would take pictures of Batman on his patrol and put it on social media and Steph used it to completely map and time Batman’s entire patrol route until she had it memorised down to the second, since the reboot she’s also been shown to be especially good with tec and coding due to her ability to see patterns within the code (taught to her by her father). My point is Steph would love concept art, she already made her own gadgets or adapted what she could into crime fighting tools she’d be great at designing worlds and machines. Also like Asakusa and her backpack Steph is the most creative with the tools in her utility belt.

Barbara of course is Kanamori she brings Cass and Steph down to earth and makes they don’t get carried away, she’s calculating but also encouraging and prioritises and delegates how exactly to make projects and dreams actually happen.

Okay so now I’ve explained everyones roles the AU is basically Barbara tries a bunch of stuff to get Cass to have a hobby so she can have something outside being Batgirl & Cass eventually decides she likes anime and starts drawing things wondering if she can make her own anime too.

We all know Steph’s a big nerd (we all saw her internal monologues in her Batgirl run) so she likes anime too and she’s constantly drawing concepts and ideas some things she even uses to make gadgets. And one day she tells Cass that she likes anime during one of their training sessions and Cass is like ‘:o ! I like anime too!’ and shows Steph her sketches and Steph is like ‘oh I sketch too!’ and shows Cass her sketches and then they put their stuff together and get some really cool things and Cass is like ‘hey we could MAKE an anime’ and Steph is like ‘sure why not’

And Barbara is just happy that Cass is having more interests so she helps them with projects and makes sure they set reasonable goals for themselves and she gives them proper editing software and equipment.

The rest of the Bats love watching everything they make.

[vgprintads]

‘Hi-Tec Software - ‘Hanna-Barbera’’ [’Hong Kong Phooey’, ‘Ruff and Reddy’, ‘Atom Ant’, ‘Yogi’s Great Escape’]

[SPEC / ST / C64 / AMI / ATARI 8-BIT / CPC] [UK] [MAGAZINE] [1990]

Computer and Video Games, September 1990 (#106)

Scanned by Jason Scott, via The Internet Archive

Hi-Tec Software presents an offering of licensed Hanna-Barbera games for your home computer! Ready for an all-nighter of ‘Ruff and Reddy’?

[hi-tec-solutions]

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[returnn-of-the-mac]

The companions (+ Maxson) talk to Sole about an annoying or boring subject and Sole screams Shut Up! 🤐

This one was a lot of fun! Sorry it took so long to complete! If I were a companion in this request, I think I would annoy Sole by fangirling over MCR. Other than that, I’m totally 100% Codsworth (tag yoself when you’re done reading). I also had to change some name brands to made-up pseudonyms to avoid copyright issues. I normally like to write a silent Sole, but this request kinda required a talking Sole. Anyway, please enjoy!😄 (also the movie nickname rq one should be out either tonight or tomorrow!)

FO4 Companions (+Maxson) React: Companions Rambling & Sole Telling Them to Shut Up

Sole’s eye twitched as their companion rambled on for the third day in a row about the same topic. As much as they adored their companion and admired their enthusiasm about the subject, they couldn’t take it anymore. A fed-up Sole stopped dead in their tracks, turned around, and snapped:

Strong:

“Shut up! I‘m done listening to you explain the best way to gut and cook rotting narwhal flesh,” Sole fumed, “I don’t care if you drench it in tato paste or barbecue blood. I’m never going to eat it, Strong. Never!”

Strong frowned, “No be mean human! Or no find milk! Be nice!”

“Strong, I’m sorry. I’m not eating a parasite-infested narwhal corpse.”

“Come on! Rotting horn whale taste like giant fish stick!”

Deacon:

”Shut up! I don’t want to hear about the benefits of changing the HQ password to DEACON IS COOL anymore,” Sole hissed, “Besides, there is a huge hole in your plan. You can’t even spell that with the letters available!”

“Woah there, calm down pal. I didn’t think of that,” Deacon mumbled. He quickly lit up, “But there’s nothing a little permanent marker can’t fix!”

“You think Desdemona isn’t going to notice black marker squiggles all over the door?”

Deacon scoffed, “Um, I’m not stupid. That’s why I’m going to use a brown marker, pal.”

Curie:

“Shut up! I can’t listen to you talk about spinal contusions and brain injuries anymore. It’s making me squeamish.”

Curie immediately stopped talking and her face fell.

“Curie, I’m sorry, I—“

“I’m sorry, [Madame/Monsieur],” the synth began, her eyes welling with tears, “I hope I didn’t upset you. I just find that topic fascinating.”

Gage:

“Shut up! I don’t care about all the pranks you’ve played on Mason. I don’t blame him for being pissed off.”

“Damn. Anyone teach ya manners, boss?” Gage scowled, “Anyway, what? Ya ain’t gonna appreciate the fact that I egged the furry bastard while he was ramblin some mumbo-jumbo-bullshit to his pack of loonies?”

Sole shook their head.

“Or that I lit a bag of Molerat shit on fire right on top of his pompous-ass throne?”

Sole shook their head again.

“Well, boss. You ain’t got no sense of humor, then.”

Piper:

“Shut up! I’m sick and tired about hearing about how Sturges is a synth,” Sole shouted, “I can get behind McDonough being a synth, but there is no way that Sturges is one.”

“But Blue, he has all the signs. He—“

“And so what? What do you want me to do? Even if he hypothetically is a synth, I’m not turning my back on him. I’m still friends with Danse and I’m not dead yet. Curie’s a synth and she’s a sweetheart. X6? Nick?”

Piper‘s face dropped for a moment, before glaring at Sole and turning her back.

Sole sighed, “Piper, I—“

“Don’t talk to me right now.,” The reporter hissed.

Longfellow:

“Shut up! I don’t care about the eight basic knots.”

Longfellow shook his head in disappointment, “I understand you’re sick of this old man bugging you about tying knots, but it is useful information. You never know when you could find yourself in a situation where you need to tie a good ol reef knot, or clove hitch!”

Longfellow pulled a small rope from out of his pocket and Sole sighed.

“Shall we attempt a figure-eight knot today?”

MacCready:

“Shut up! Stop talking about Santa Claus. I know you read about him in an old book we found but—“

MacCready stubbornly crossed his arms, “Oh yeah? I think you’re just being a snob. Some of us haven’t been lucky enough experienced this, [name]. How can you not obsess over a fat guy who spies on people to see if they’re good, breaks into homes, and leaves presents?That’s so cool!” He paused, “I…probably would’ve gotten coal though.”

Sole’s eyebrows furrowed, “Mac—“

“It’s a darn shame he had to die when the bomb dropped. He could’ve brought so much joy to the Commonwealth.”

“—he’s not real.”

MacCready’s jaw dropped, “But the books, the posters, the pictures…there’s so much evidence.”

“Marketing.”

MacCready shook his head in disappointment, “Pre-war Capitalist propaganda…”

Ada:

“Shut up! I already told you I don’t know what a Sara is. How am I supposed to understand what you’re talking about when you tell me you were a Sara prototype?”

“[Sir/Ma’am], like I said before: Sara was a virtual assistant software that was going to be implemented in all future Vault Tec electronic devices. It had a speech recognition engine that could assist users. My biggest flaw was that I could not translate into other languages. I was scraped and remained inactive in a dumpster for years before Jackson reprogrammed me.”

“I still can’t wrap my head around that technological advancement. It doesn’t seem real.”

“Yes, it was highly advanced. That is why it did not make its debut before the bombs dropped.”

Hancock:

“Shut up! I’m done listening to your crazy Daddy-O trip stories. If you hate the chem so much, why don’t you stop taking it?”

Hancock laughed, “Well, [brother/sister], my Daddy-O rides are a lot more fun to talk about than my Jet or Mentat highs,” he thought for a moment, “I mean, besides the time I solved the theory of Quantum Physics on a Mentat high— that was fuckin wild— but other than that it’s more entertaining to talk about the time I shoved an entire summer squash up my ass while on the Big D.”

Cait:

“Shut up! I wish we’d never found that copy of 40 Shades of Silver. Please stop talking about it.”

“Darlin, I never read. But I could not for the life of me put down that book,” Cait sighed, “It was so…wonderfully smutty.”

Sole grimaced.

“That lass really knows how to have a good time. Sounds like a fantasy of mine, gettin hot n dirty n aggressive like that.”

“Stop…”

“Why? Ain’t it a pleasure to talk about?”

Codsworth:

“Shut up! I don’t understand your obsession with Mr. Tidy Magic Erasers. You’ve been talking about them now for. Three. Days.”

Codsworth beamed, “Well, [sir/mum], you know what they say: there’s no tidy like Mr. Tidy!”

Sole rolled their eyes.

“Besides, have you seen how well those suckers eliminate stuck-on grease and grime from dishes,” Codsworth began, “Oh wait, you haven’t. That’s right. You don’t wash your own dishes.”

Preston:

“Shut up! I’m sick and tired of hearing about all the settlements that need our help. Maybe they‘d have a better chance of defending themselves if we didn’t coddle them.”

Preston crossed his arms, “How could you say that, General? I thought you truly embraced the values of the Minutemen.”

“I do Preston, but I think we just need to take a break.”

“Justice never rests. These settlements need us, General. I understand it’s exhausting, but we need to protect these innocent people from the dangers of the Commonwealth.”

Nick:

“Shut up! Please, no more dad jokes. I’m begging you, Nick,” Sole plead, “I’m…I’m annoyed.”

The detective chuckled, “Hi annoyed, I’m Nick Valentine. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Stop!”

“I’m not moving!”

Sole grunted in defeat at the detective wore a smug smirk, pleased by the outcome of his jokes.

Maxson:

“Shut up! I’m tired of hearing about the technological prowess of the Prydwen. It’s not that great. It’s just a blimp.”

“Show some respect,” Maxson growled, “And you think the Prydwen is just a blimp? How dare you deride the work of the prestigious mechanics who designed the Prydwen. It is my pride and joy. It is the most advanced vehicle in the Commonwealth.”

“Maybe you should get those prestigious mechanics to work on your Vertibird death traps.”

Maxson frowned, “Vertibird design overhauls are in the agenda. We just have more important projects to tackle before then…such as the redesign of my quarters,” Sole shook their head as Maxson pulled out a color card, “I’m thinking a Deep Ruby Maroon would feel more homey than the current Grumpy Grunt Grey I currently have. But I also like Apple Cider Brown. What do you think?”

Danse:

“Shut up! Can we please just talk about something other than the Fancy Lad Snack cakes?” Sole pled.

“First of all, don’t talk to me like that, soldier. That’s blatant disrespect and I will not tolerate it,” Danse barked.

“Sorry…”

“Second, that Courser friend of yours is out of his damn mind. How can any sane individual honestly believe that strawberry Fancy Lads are superior to vanilla ones?”

“Each to their own?”

“That only pertains to subjective topics. This argument— if we can even call it that— is a solid fact and therefore cannot be disputed.”

X6-88:

“Shut up! What is with synths and Fancy Lad snack cakes? You’ve been raving about them for three days.”

“Hey, now. I suggest you calm down,” X6 warned, “A lot of people— such as your Brotherhood friend— like the vanilla cakes, [sir/ma’am], but the real delicacy are the strawberry cakes with chocolate icing.”

“Does it really matter who likes what flavor?”

“Yes. This is an urgent matter. We should not have to dispute this to be completely honest. It is a fact that strawberry Fancy Lads are superior to vanilla ones.”

[kackmack]

Fake Smile

Rowan x aelin

 Chapter 2

 Aelin woke up with tears all over her face. She could feel him, she could feel Sam’s touch in her dream, it’s been four years and she still has memories plaguing her. Sam and Aelin grew up together in the same foster home, with the same abusive foster dad that would beat the both of them, she could never let Sam close to her but after she found out he would take the blame to most of the trouble she caused as a young teenager, Aelin knew he protected her, she knew Sam loved her. Finally, after turning 18 and escaping the foster system, she was able to be with him, they had bought an apartment with the little money they had and they both were completely happy, that is until she came back from work late and saw the blood on the floor, his body beaten to pulp, barely recognizable. The police closed the case by saying that it was “robbery gone bad”.

  Aelin stumbled out of bed and went straight to her phone to call the first number she can think of.

  “Hello” Lysandra answered with a husky voice, Aelin realized it was five in the morning.

 “I had another dream of him again, Lys” Aelin sobbed into the phone. 

 “I’m so sorry, Aelin, I miss him too. I wish I could come over, I really do. But Aedion took my car to the shop.” Lysandra said in a soothing voice. 

 “Thank you Lys. I just needed to hear a familiar voice. I promise I’ll be fine.” Aelin said finally settling herself. 

 Few hours of trying and failing to go back to sleep, Aelin decided to call off from work saying she had a stomach bug. Which wasn’t a complete a lie since she did indeed hurl the contents of her stomach up after that dream.  With a t shirt and tight running shorts Aelin decided to run to one of the only places she knew she could get her mind off things for a while. “Adarlans Gym”. Which is owned by Aelins friend Dorian and his father. Dorian and Aelin had a small fling a couple years back but it didn’t work out, staying friends she’s liked fighting in the competitions held at his gym, he usually sponsors her fights.

 Today though she was surprised when she walked in and wasn’t the only female in the gym, which she usually was. Sparing in the corner was a beautiful white hair woman, probably around Aelins age, with only a sports bra and shorts on. Aelin wasn’t captivated by her beauty, no she was in awe in how good she was. Aelin hasn’t had much competition in the years she’s fought here so seeing a someone with potential caught here attention as soon as she walked in the door.

 “She’s good right?” Dorian said standing beside her, seemingly coming out of nowhere. 

 “Yeah I can already tell she can beat most of your men” Aelin answered with a smirk. 

“That she has already. Her name is Mannon by the way. She may be one of the only women that can rival you honestly.” He said with a smile. Then raised an eyebrow with having Aelin turned to him, he can see the sweat on her brow. “Did you really run here? I don’t think should doing cardio before you get here and fight.”

 Aelin furrowed a brow and faked a smiled “I didn’t feel like driving and it’s only a couple miles”.  At that she walked to the ring and put some gloves on with Dorian on her heal he slipped on the padded training hand covers and they began training. 

After a few minutes Aelin noticed the white haired women watching her from outside the ring with a smirk on her face. At that she and Dorian stopped and smiled. 

“Hey Mannon meet Aelin. She’s one of the only other females who fight here.”  Then Aelin finally got a good look at the girl. Mannon was trim with muscles curving her whole body and her eyes, her eyes were what caught her eye, they were gold.  

“Well Aelin, I can’t wait till we are both in the ring.” Mannon said with a smirk. “Oh I feel the same.” Aelin answered with a glittering look in her eyes.

 “Well actually, we have a tournament this Friday. If you could get off work, we would be happy to see you both fight.” Dorian interjected.  At that Aelin smiled and took the challenge with no doubt. 

 The next day Aelin was woken up by surprised to see Lysandra let herself in and brought Aelins favorite kind of pastries to eat in bed. They ate as they talked about the wedding plans that Lysandra was having problems with, Aedion was in her words being a “Butt head” because he stubbornly wasn’t agreeing with her over band or DJ.  Although Aelin wanted nothing more than to stay in bed all day and chat with Lysandra, she couldn’t put off work for another day. She just hoped a certain someone wouldn’t show up again.

 Half way through her shift, Aelin was actually feeling alright. With the steady hit, she was making money and didn’t really have time to think about anything then the drink orders and running the food. She almost didn’t notice the silver haired man that now sat in her full section. 

 Trying her best to sound nonchalant Aelin stepped up to the table to see Rowan starring at her. “Hi my name is-“ 

 “I know your name, Aelin” Rowan interrupted. At that she gritted her teeth trying to keep the smile on her face from falling.  

“Well obviously I’m not here for your mediocre wine.” Rowan said smugly. Gods she hated him already.

 “Then why are you here?” Aelin gritted out. 

“I’m here because Fenrys has a crush on you. As immature as it is. But you ditching him the other night caused him to fuck up a pretty big project we have been working on.” His deep voice was barely heard over the rumbling of the other tables. 

“Okay but that still doesn’t explain you being here” Aelin tried not to show her attitude in case the manager over hears her. Rowan’s smile was nothing but vicious.

 “Well princess.” at that Aelin knew she wanted nothing more than to knock him out. The irony of her money troubles and his little nickname did not go over her head. “Fenrys, Lorcan and I work for a technological software development company called MV tec. Yesterday your little puppy couldn’t focus and he screwed up, forcing us to go back a week of progress. Fenrys is a real genius…. Well that is with tec. He’s still young and naïve. It would be great if you called him and for the very least reject him over the phone. So he can go back to chasing someone else.” Rowan didn’t leave her eye contact which made Aelin uneasy. “Lorcan is pissed to say the least on the set back and I’d rather not deal with his temper because Fenrys is still hung up on you.”  

Aelin couldn’t help but do a vicious smile back as she innocently said “Well why on earth would a low life waitress with just a pretty face be taking up his mind so much?” 

Rowans brows rose “Oh you heard that did you.” His smile widened. “Well let’s just say Lorcan isn’t the most pleasant of people. Not that he was really wrong is he?” 

 How dare he? Rowan didn’t know she’s almost done with her bachelor’s degree and the only reason she’s been taking double shifts this summer is so she can afford get into law school in the spring next year. No he has no idea the hard work Aelin does and he has no right to judge her. Her face finally dropped the smile.

 “You know I didn’t ask for him to ask me out. Actually I didn’t ask for any of it. I’ve just been working my shifts in peace. Since it’s such a big problem for you and Lorcan then you can let him down, obviously you both are very interested in his love life. As for me just leave me alone and go back to your company and I’d rather you and your little cadre to leave me alone. OH and as for the low life waitress remarks, I am less than a year away from starting law school… I am Aelin and I will not be afraid of you and your men.”

 Rowan has obviously not been stood up to because the shock on his face was laughable. 

“Alright so if you’re not going to order anything, you can leave.” Aelin said sickly as she walked away to catch up with the other tables trying to get her attention. When she turned back he was gone.

 Authors note: Um I’m kind of way more confident with this chapter. Any feedback would be great. I know i need to make it longer.

@flowersinvegas @shadowstar2313

[retrocgads]

UK 1991

[moonlightreal]

Winx Club season 8/26

In which we get one last surprise retcon.

26 Written in the Stars

Recap says the last prime star is the “star of brotherly love.”  Were the other stars “of” things?  I totally missed that.

Valtor’s asteroid!  ...wait, what’s this?  Valtor is having a chat with a bunch of unforeshadowed Shadowy Figures he calls “my brothers of the darkness dimension.”  Valtor gathered the prime stars to free them and they’re getting impatient.

Gee, this series already dropped one big fat surprise motive, I was not expecting another one in the very last episode!

So Valtor wants to be a powerful sorcerer so he can unseal the darkness dimension and free his buddies.  Whaaaaaat even is this?  Valtor’s not from some weird dimension, he was created by the Three Ancestors!  His backstory is what made him cool, and “buddies in the dark dimension’ is so uninspired!

Season 8, whaddaya doing to me?  -_-

Alfea at sunrise! they’re squeezing the best gorgeous Alfea shots out of their software for this last episode and I am here for it.  Upgraded Alfea is just the greatest.

Kiko rocks on with headphones.  The Trix walk in behind him.  How did they get iiiiiin?! Into the Winx common room, past the school barrier and all the students and teachers.

Kiko sees the Trix and freaks out.  Icy knows the bunny’s name, which is kinda sweet. Knowing your enemies’ pets!  Kiko pelts the Trix with apples from an apparently infinite fruit bowl.  The Winx wake up and find witches dodging apples.

Badass Bloom: “I don’t know how you got here, but I know how you’re gonna leave!”

The Trix turn out to be Stella, Flora and Aisha transformed.  Not bad, writers. Professor Wizgiz made the spell for them for Bloom’s plan to get into Valtor’s asteroid.  Flora says it’ll be dangerous and Aisha sounds kind of fed up when she says, ‘Ok, Flora, but don’t worry too much.”

Bloom’s phone rings, it’s Sky with a be-careful call.

The star box poofs in.  “The goal of your venture will not slip away, but listen carefully to what I’m going to say...”  I assume she’s telling them where Valtor’s asteroid is.  The Wishing Star would know, and I don’t see how else the Winx would.

We cut to the real Trix walking down a dark blue and purple corridor.  Icy is keen to challenge Valtor, she thinks their prime star will give them enough of an advantage.  Darcy and Stormy are not so confidant.  Stormy sensibly suggests they just take their freedom and clear out.

Icy: ‘because right now we’re standing on the needle of a scale.  A scale that will tip in our favor when we take Valtor’s three stars.  We’ll have the power of the wishing star all to ourselves.”  Icy wants to break the spell on Sapphire.  Stormy wants them to be undisputed queens of the magic universe.  Darcy’s dream is to “overturn the law of nature itself.  A world of illusion, can you imagine?”  Ok, they’ll try attacking Valtor with Icy.

Wow, and Icy says, ‘If things go bad, run, and leave me to my fate.”  so Icy is putting it on the line not just for Sapphire but for Darcy and Stormy, which is remarkably honorable, for Icy.  They hug, and it’s sweet.  Then they enter the throne room!

Valtor’s just done chatting with his shadow buddies I guess.  Icy starts to say something, I think she’s going to bluff that they couldn’t get the star, when the room shakes and rocks fall from the ceiling. Thunder.

Stormy: ‘don’t look at me, I didn’t do it.”  Heh.  Valtor orders the Trix outside to check it out.

Outside, it’s Bloom,  Tec and Musa who’s hitting the building with “sonic shake” I think meant to draw their enemies out.  And it worked!

The Trix are happy to have a fight, even though this would be the perfect time for Icy to do a little “enemy of my enemy” stuff.  But the Trix just like fighting the Winx I guess.  It’s their hobby.

Inside, fake-Trix walk along the corridor and Aisha-as-darcy nearly falls over because her shoes are too tight.  it’s an illusion spell, why are you wearing Trix shoes?  Flora suggests they fly instead.

Fake-trix sneak into the throne room.  Valtor is back to taking to his shadow buddies and he explains his whole plan before turning and seeing the fake-Trix.  Stella is kinda hilarious doing the whole, ‘prime star? Oh, um, didn’t you have it?” thing as Icy.  She says it might be in her pocket and Valtor reminds them they have no pockets.  Pffffft. Seriously, Valtor is dumb as a doorknob not to realize.

The real Trix and Bloom bust in through the roof and Valtor is momentarily confused before the Winx all turn back into themselves.  

Valtor demands the star from Icy.  Stella says, ‘don’t give it to him!” and spills Valtor’s plan to release his shadow buddies.  Valtor tries activating his mark on the Trix but surprise, it’s gone!  

Bloom does a little speech about “if you give it to Valtor it will be the end of everything, the magic universe will cease to exist, is that really whet you want?”  and “On Dyamond I realized there is love in you.”  Bloom doesn’t know about Sapphire, remember, she just knows Icy likes cute baby animals.  

Valtor blasts Bloom and reminds Icy that the Winx are their worst enemies and that they’ll be rich and powerful beyond imagining if they help him out! Then he blasts Bloom again, but she shields herself, lights up, and says, “In your heart you know there’s only one thing to do.”

But Valtor evil-lights up.  

The Winx and Trix know a bad thing when they see it and fly away.

The whole castle busts open and there’s a gargoyle with Valtor’s mark across its chest.  It doesn’t look or sound like Valtor at all, but I guess that’s him.  Giant gargoyle goes after the Winx.  It throws blast after blast of dark magic at them and the girls raise their shields. Rainbow put in a little detail, Tec’s is green and techy, Aisha’s is morphix.  But they can’t hold out for too long.

Here come the Specialists in their ship!  It flies back and forth distracting the gargoyle.

Back on the asteroid, Darcy and Stormy want to skip town, leave the Winx to deal with the giant monster.  But Icy does not want the magic universe destroyed!  Darcy and stormy plead with her, Let’s just save ourselves!”

Flashback to Princess Icy on the overlook, vowing to save her sister.  Young Icy raises glowing hands to her hair, smoothing the yellow frizz into sleek silver, and conjuring the tall thingy Icy uses to hold up her ponytail.  “So, sis… Icy.”  Like she’s embracing the darker possibilities of her name.

Present time Icy: ‘I watched a world crumble before.  I won’t let it happen again. we’ll face this threat!”  The other two go with her.

Valtor at first thinks they’re on his side, but then Icy gives the star to Bloom! She puts it in the star case and the other three fly out of the castle and go into the case as well.  We fade into magc-space and the Wishing Star gets herself back together!

“Yes Winx, you’ve achieved your goal, and I am free.  To make your greatest dream a reality.”

Stella’s stoked. Wishes!  But the others realize they have to ask for something that’s good for everybody.  Bloom knows what they should wish for!

Bloom: “Our wish is to be able to protect the magic universe.  We want to preserve it in harmony, now and forever.”

The star: ‘so be it, Winx.  My brave and generous fairies of light.”

The star sends her light to the Winx and they all glow golden.

Valtor gargoyle tells the Trix this is all their fault.

But before he can bring the violence the glowy Winx all blast him and he is swallowed up in light.  The asteroid disappears, leaving empty space. In the spaceship, Sky cheers.

The Trix realize there’s nothing else for them here, and head off to their next scheme.  Before she does, Icy and Bloom look at each other and share a moment of understanding.

Ok, I think that was a dumb wish.  The Winx protect the magic dimension already!  If you get a wish, you should save it for something you can’t accomplish with the powers you already have!  Maybe they couldn’t have defeated Valtor without lighting up, but they defeated him last time without star power.  I  would’ve liked it better if the Winx had been zapping and then the Trix had to join in to defeat Valtor, or some other use of having three sides in this fight.

I’m also so sure that Bloom would have used the wish to save Dyamond if she’d heard the story about Icy’s sister.  Bloom’s a softie anyway, and she literally suffered the same thing herself.  They could’ve used the wish without powering Icy up further… sigh. it’s such a weird skipping of such an obvious plot.

The Wishing star flies off, and we see her pass the star ship Purripla.  The nautical lumens are happy.  The star visits the cave lumens, unilumens, surf lumens, and then we see Twinkle fly into the throne room on Lumenia. ‘The Winx have won, my queen!  The Wishing Star is back!”  Time for a party on Lumenia, but Twinkle is more interested in the one at Alfea.

Where they’re having a concert, of course.  This song’s a bit livelier than some. The minor fairies, the boys, teachers and Knut, a couple of lumens, and Twinkle and Lumilla are there.  They are my OTP!  I scan the crowd for Orion, but he doesn’t seem to have made it.

In the sky the Wishing Star zooms past, drawing a W between six stars.  It’s the Winx constellation!

And that’s season 8!

But you’re not getting out of here without more ponderings!

It occurs to me that the Winx know—or at least Bloom thinks she knows—that Icy is capable of love, but they know nothing about what the white fox really is.  In the real world where things don’t end after 26 episodes the next thing Bloom would want to do is go back to Dyamond and figure everything out.  Making Icy stop being a threat to the magic dimension would be a huge win.  Although… Icy has spent ten-ish years doing really awful things, she’s not a good person. She’s a terrible person who loves her sister, and if Sapphire regained human form Icy would be… still a terrible person, just one with a human sister.  it’s hard to imagine Icy just returning to being princess of Dyamond and doing a good job.  Or even enjoying it.

I do wonder if we’ll see Sapphire again.  I guessed this is setup for movie 4, it could also be setup for season 9 or it could just disappear like the fairy animals from season 7 just disappeared.

Some thoughts:

The art bugged me less than I thought it would, I honestly stopped noticing after a few episodes.  Even the boys… still looked weird, but my brain didn’t remind me loudly just how weird they look.

Musa/Riven, why must you be so bad as to force me to take a side in a fandom I don’t want to take sides in? -_-  

Liked seeing Knut and the Alfea teachers again, and I’m glad they took the time to bring the minor fairies along to the new art style.  Of course it was all made very confusing since some parts of the world seem to have gone back in time and others don’t.  Mielle looked much younger but was described as being still a teenager.  

All in all, I liked this season!  I will have at least one more post of afterthoughts, and maybe a deep-dive into Icy’s past.  The official Winx youtube channel has a video about it that I haven’t watched since I didn’t want to spoil myself.  We’ll see.  Depending on just how unemployed I turn out to be and how hard I’m working on my fanfics, I may have plenty of time to write about Winx!