#Rumble Video Platform

[indianexpalert]

Rumble to receive $775 million strategic investment from Tether

Video sharing platform and cloud services provider Rumble said on Friday it has entered into an agreement with Tether, a blockchain-enabled platform, to receive a strategic investment of $775 million. Shares of the Toronto-based company were up 43.7% in trading after the bell. Cryptocurrencies have soared since Donald Trump won the presidential election. His pro-cryptocurrency stance, including…

[acquired-stardust]

Gaming Spotlight #11: Digimon Rumble Arena (2001)

Hello this is Larsa here with another spotlight feature on a game you may have missed from the Playstation era. Stand up to the fight!

Before we get to our featured title let's review some history shall we? Super Smash Bros 64 came out in the year 1999 developed by HAL Laboratory, INC. This revolutionary game was inspired by the dream match concept of SNK Corporation's own popular "King of Fighters" series where a bunch of a existing characters are thrown together to duke it out. Many in the industry took notice as the success of the new Nintendo crossover fighting game which created many fans of a whole new genre, platform fighting games.

"Digimon Rumble Arena" or "Digimon Tamers: Battle Evolution" as it is known as in Japan would become one of the first early platform fighting games following in the giant shadow of "Super Smash Bros 64" to stand out as a game worth playing. Right away a fighting game based on one of the most popular anime series of the late 90s and early 00s just seems like a perfect pairing. By the time this game was released Digimon had firmly became a massively popular series already having a theatrical movie release worldwide and currently airing its very popular third season titled "Digimon Tamers". Right away the opening would blow the minds of any young Digimon fans at the time because it was essentially a Digimon dream match title starring the Digimon and tamers of the first three seasons slugging it out for digital supremacy.

Is Guilmon really stronger than Agumon? How about Gatomon versus Renamon? Or how about a mega level battle of Beelzemon versus Omnimon? These were and still are important questions worth asking for any Digimon fan. And these sorts of playground questions are why this game was created.

The gameplay features two opposing Digimon battling it out on one of the several different stages in a 2D plane. These stages are typically filled with unique stage hazards and ring out zones with randomly spawning items in the form cards which have a myriad of effects on the battle. These cards mirror the "Digi-Modify" or "Card Slash!" mechanics from the Digimon Tamers series . The roster is filled with Digimon supported by their appropriate tamers from the show with the same familiar voices for each character featuring over 20 playable Digimon. Unlike "Super Smash Bros" this game features a more traditional health bar system and draining your opponent's life bar to zero means victory. Each Digimon has two special moves and a myriad of normal attack strings you would expect in a fighting game. Right away in a way one would expect from this beloved franchise, Rookie level Digimon are capable of transforming into a stronger even more capable form in the middle of battle through Digivolution. Digivolving improves your stats and gives you a completely new different move-set than before meaning you as a player are often switching dynamically between different gameplay experiences. There are few things that feel better than securing a comeback victory with your favorite mascot Digimon because of a well timed Digivolution. Oh and wiping the floor with your opponent using Wargreymon's mighty signature technique, Terra Force.

The main modes of the game are arcade mode and versus modes. In the Arcade Mode you take your selected Digimon through an arcade style ladder of bouts plus a few mini-games along the way with the goal of unlocking more characters. That is until you reach the new big bad of the game at the top of the ladder. Reapermon (Also known originally as Gokumon or ゴクモン) is a very difficult opponent to overcome and even now he still manages to give me trouble. I and along with anybody else who has ever played this game know of the horrors of his most powerful technique "Burning Cyclone". He is a cheap old school style boss who will test your skill at the game as one would expect from an older fighting game eating your quarters though in this case you thankfully probably own the game and you have as long as necessary to defeat him. Thankfully if you are struggling you can use some in-game cheat codes to fast unlock some Mega level Digimon along with other goodies to help even the odds. As far as versus modes go you can battle a friend locally or even play the mini-games against them. I spent many sessions having tons of fun fighting friends in this game. For an early platform fighting game the controls and mechanics are quite responsive which makes for amusing competitive bouts.

The graphics and soundtrack of the game of the game are very impressive for the platform. The Japanese version of the game features many arrangements of songs from the anime series. However the game does have one big problem: the framerate slowdown is a persistent problem throughout the experience with this game. Unfortunately they are the game's immediate faults but the game has so much excellent fanservice content and a surprisingly responsive solid fighting game underneath that it is easy to forgive the shortcoming. This game is still pretty awesome and loaded with nostalgia for me having grown up with Digimon. This title gets my recommendation for any fans of Digimon to experience especially the Japanese version of the soundtrack if you are ever in need of a quick nostalgia-fueled adrenaline rush.

A gem hidden among the stones, Digimon Rumble Arena is unquestionably stardust.

– Larsa

[the-scarlet-witch-22]

the girl is mine (Agatha Harkness x Reader)

Summary: When your fascination with Mayor Agatha Harkness becomes all consuming, what lengths will you go to in order to get her attention?

Word Count: 3.2K

A/N: Helloooo, this is a fun little one shot I’ve had sitting in my drive for a while and I finally got around to finishing it. Title & fic idea are both heavily inspired by Ariana Grande’s music video ‘the boy is mine’. Agatha has been consuming my every waking thought lately, so I hope you enjoy this fun au! Let me know what you think, my asks/dm’s are always open!

Growing up you never showed much interest in politics, and you certainly could never name more than a few politicians off the top of your head. It was dull, and you failed to find a group of white men who were knocking on death’s door to be riveting. But all of that changed with the election for the new mayor. In the past, you were vaguely aware of upcoming elections, and tried to remember to vote. But you never actively followed a campaign; at least, not until her. 

The her in question being Agatha Harkness, newly elected mayor of New York City. Being the only daughter of the former long-time U.S. Senator Evanora Harkness, politics was in her blood. Running a cutthroat campaign full of promises to clean up the city and help its residents, all whilst viciously annihilating her opponents one by one in debate, she quickly became the candidate to back. Posters of her face were plastered over every crevice of the city; with her perfectly messy dark brown curls, plump red lips, pristinely bright white smile, and lustrous blue eyes it was no surprise you became hooked. 

You followed the campaign at a slightly obsessive level, tuning into every debate and press briefing, even having notifications for Agatha Harkness enabled on every platform hoping for a glimpse of the woman who had slowly taken over your every waking thought. She was brilliant, and she had absolutely no idea you existed. 

At least, not yet. 

A few months after the election, Mayor Harkness appeared to be following through on her campaign promises. Unemployment was at a record low, there were different initiatives to help funding for the public school system, even crime and gang activity became nearly nonexistent. 

However there were rumblings from various journalists that perhaps the mayor wasn’t as perfect as she appeared to be. A few reports were suggesting that instead of eradicating the crime syndicates that had been plaguing the city for decades, she had merely moved operations underground. Others hinted that perhaps she had something to do with her mother’s rather mysterious and sudden death. But that was absurd, you thought to yourself as you watched the mayor on your television screen, her bright blue eyes twinkling back at you as she answered a few questions. 

Potion making had never been your speciality, as you were still fairly inexperienced in most realms of magic, but you froze as Agatha gave a sly wink when being asked how she kept crime rates lowered. Stirring the cauldron with renewed vigor, the pink fumes filled the room as you inhaled.

Your eyes drifted over to the outfit you had hung on the outside of your closet, briefly wondering if the plan you had concocted was too unhinged. But the mayor’s authoritative voice caught your attention once more as you turned back to the screen.

“Yes, you,” Agatha motioned to one of the eager reporters holding their hands up. 

“Madam Mayor, how do you respond to allegations that you accepted illegal campaign donations from some of the top crime families in the city?” 

The mayor didn’t appear to be phased by the question, pursing her lips as she frowned. “Well, I’d say that sounds like yet another baseless claim from the media’s fruitless attempts to discredit my accomplishments. The witch hunts didn’t stop in Salem, did they?” 

The clamor of dozens of reporters resulted in the mayor waving her hand to decline any other questions, leaving the press briefing room with her team in tow. Shutting off your tv, you glanced back at the outfit, a feeling of determination washing over you. 

Popping the cork off the vial, you carefully poured the liquid in the bottle. Pretty soon the only thought on the mayor’s mind would be your name. 

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

The next morning, you were out the door before the sun was over the horizon, running through the plan again in your head with your destination clear in mind. You had come up with the idea late one night while researching the effects of various love potions. It was risky, sure, but you had taken the time to perfect this particular potion, leaving no room for error.

The rest of the plan was rather reliant on your ability to trick the mayor’s staff into thinking you were a reporter, but hey, using a few charming spells wasn’t unethical if it was in the name of love, right?

By the time you made it to the mayor’s office you were already having second thoughts. Could you go to jail for impersonating a reporter? 

Unfortunately, you had run out of time to turn around as the friendly looking older woman sitting at the front desk waved you over. Approaching her, you ran through what you had practiced saying in the shower. Quickly looking at the personalized name plate on the edge of her desk, you gave her a wide smile.

“Good morning, Sharon. I have an appointment scheduled this morning with Mayor Harkness,” you greeted the receptionist, keeping any trace of nervousness from your tone.

“Oh, an appointment?” Sharon asked, appearing to be confused as she looked at her computer, clicking around with her mouse. “I hate these things, I can never find what I’m looking for. Do you know what never has silly malfunctions? A nice, simple day planner.”

Raising your eyebrows, you nodded along. “Of course. Very reliable.”

Sharon nodded in agreement, still struggling with her computer. “Exactly. I’ve tried explaining that to the mayor but she just waves me away to get her more tea.” She paused, frowning at whatever was on the screen. “I’m not seeing any appointments for this morning. What did you say your name was again?”

Internally sighing, and hoping you had learned this particular spell correctly, you discreetly waved your left hand, mumbling the incantation under your breath. You had never tried an enchantment before, but the spellbook made it appear to be simple enough. As long as you said the right words and had your intention clear in your mind it would work. It had to.

Clearing your throat, you gave her another bright smile. “I’m sure if you check your calendar again, it will have me marked down for an appointment with the mayor. I’m here for a last minute interview.” 

Sharon blinked, and her eyes appeared hazier than they were a moment prior, signaling your spell had worked. Looking back at her computer, she gave you a mindless smile. “Oh of course! This silly computer. Right this way, I’ll take you to the mayor.”

Following the receptionist down the hallway, you made note of how the enchantment did not appear to make any obvious changes, at least not outwardly. You did feel a slight twinge of guilt at manipulating someone without magic, but those thoughts were expelled from your brain as you saw the woman who had bewitched you from the first moment you saw her.

Agatha Harkness was leaning against her open office door, a sly grin on her face as she chatted with a nervous looking employee. Her long dark brown hair was messily splayed across her shoulders, and you could picture running your fingers through it.

With one hand cocked on her hip, and the other tucked in the pocket of her expensive looking purple slacks, you felt your breath hitch. This was really happening.

After a few moments, Agatha looked over at you and her receptionist, and she waved the employee away as she frowned. 

“Shannon, who do we have here?” Agatha curiously asked, looking you up and down.

You frowned, wasn’t her name Sharon?

Sharon didn’t appear to notice, as she mindlessly smiled. “The reporter for your interview is here, Madam Mayor.”

The mayor’s frown deepened, looking between you and her receptionist. “I thought I told you to clear my schedule this morning. I don’t remember agreeing to any more interviews.”

“It’s the only appointment scheduled for this morning,” Sharon insisted, and you prayed to whatever deity that was listening that your spell didn’t wear off too soon. “I must have forgotten to mention it to you.”

Agatha hummed, a thoughtful expression on her face as her gaze remained fixated on her receptionist. “I see.” She finally looked back over in your direction, curiously eyeing you. “I suppose I can spare a few minutes. Thank you, Shannon, that will be all.”

Sharon, or maybe Shannon, walked back to her desk and Agatha held her hand out, gesturing for you to enter her office. You tentatively walked through the doors, as the mayor followed closely behind, shutting the doors shut.

The mayor’s office wasn’t quite what you had expected. It was a lot bigger than you pictured, and the longer you looked around the more you wondered how it was this size. Large violet tinted drapes hung from the windows, and you were momentarily stunned from the view this high up. 

You knew from various interviews that the mayor was an avid reader, so you were unsurprised to find floor to ceiling rows of bookshelves lining three of the four walls. However, you were surprised to find some of them appeared rather old, and you weren’t close enough to read the titles but you managed to make note that a good chunk of them appeared to be in Latin.

“You can take a seat,” Agatha said cordially, walking past you to her desk. “Let’s try and make this snappy.”

Taking a step forward, you pulled one of the chairs out, but in the process of sitting down, the vial of potion you had in your pocket came tumbling out, crashing on the ground as the glass broke, spilling the contents all over the floor. 

Shit.

“I’m so sorry, I forgot I had that in my pocket,” you quickly apologized, trying to think of a somewhat convincing story. “You know how delicate perfume bottles can be.”

“Perfume?” Agatha repeated, tilting her head as she examined you, a calculated expression on her face as the frown lines on her forehead deepened.

“Yes. It’s…French,” you offered, avoiding eye contact as you cleared your throat. This was a horrible idea.

Agatha frowned, intrigue coloring her features as she eyed the now broken vial of potion. “I see…what publication did you say you were from again?”

“The Times,” you lied, straightening your posture as she turned her attention back to you. “It’s actually my first day.”

Raising her eyebrows, the mayor sat back in her seat. “You don’t say, and they sent you to interview me? How ambitious.”

“I’ve been following your career for a while,” you prompted, brainstorming ways to possibly salvage this opportunity. “The work you’ve done for the city is quite admirable.”

“Admirable?” Agatha scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. “I can’t say I’ve been hearing a lot of that from your esteemed peers.”

“Well, some people hate to watch a woman be successful in a position of power,” you offered, and your answer appeared to appease the mayor, as she gave you a curt nod. “Besides, it’s not like you actually did any of those things, people love making up stories.”

You weren’t sure if it was the lighting in the office or your imagination, but there was a brief flash of something on the mayor’s face. If you didn’t know any better, you would say she seemed amused at what you said. But that was ridiculous, right? 

“Of course,” Agatha answered, slowly licking her lips. “Why don’t we get started?”

It was then that reality set in. You hadn’t anticipated actually having to ask the mayor any questions, the potion would have already kicked in at this point. Unfortunately, Agatha observed your hesitation as she let out a deep sigh, and you could tell she was growing more annoyed.

“You know, most journalists send over their questions beforehand,” Agatha informed you, giving you an inscrutable glance as you nervously fumbled around. “I’m a very busy woman, despite what certain media outlets are spewing out.”

“I apologize, Madam Mayor. I don’t want to waste any of your time,” you insisted, wondering yet again why you thought this plan would work to begin with.

Agatha opened her mouth to say something else, but hesitated for a moment, giving you another inquisitive stare. “Very well, I suppose not everyone can be Christiane Amanpour, hm?”

Christiane Amanpour? The name sounded relatively familiar, but you couldn’t place where you had heard it from. 

“You know, the world renowned journalist?” Agatha added on, deep blue eyes boring into your own, and you quickly nodded.

“Of course, I’m such a big fan of her work,” you gushed, but in the back of your mind you had a sinking feeling this wasn’t going the way you hoped it would.

“I’m sure you are,” Agatha mused, and there was something in her words that led you to believe perhaps this was going worse than you were imagining. “How about I ask my assistant to make us some tea? That always helps calm my nerves.”

She was so kindhearted, you noted, feeling yourself relax again as you nodded in agreement. The responding grin Agatha gave you sent a shiver down your spine.. Maybe you could make this work. Sure, you weren’t actually a journalist at The Times and Agatha would eventually realize that when no story came out, but that was a problem for the future. You barely paid attention as Agatha made a quick call to her assistant, but after she hung up you refocused.

“I have to tell you, Sharon was very helpful this morning,” you said honestly, still feeling some lingering guilt over using an enchantment on her. 

“Who’s Sharon?” Agatha deadpanned, giving you a puzzled look. 

For a moment you thought she was joking as you let out a nervous, quiet laugh, until you realized she was being serious.

“Um, your assistant?” 

“Oh, Shannon?” Agatha corrected you, waving her hand dismissively. “She does what she’s told. A bit too chatty for my personal taste.”

You tried to hide the surprise from your face as you processed what the mayor said. That was a bit strange, but maybe the receptionist’s nameplate was wrong? After all, Agatha was so good. All the work she had been doing for the city, you knew she genuinely cared about helping people. Right?

“Of course, my mistake,” you said quietly, awkwardly crossing your legs.

Sharon, or Shannon, came in a few moments later with two cups of tea. Her eyes were still slightly glazed over, but the enchantment would surely wear off soon…probably. Actually, you weren’t sure how long the spell would last. But she would be fine…probably.

When you were alone again, Agatha let out a low chuckle, and you frowned. You didn’t say any of that out loud, right?

“Oh don’t mind me, dear,” Agatha said, giving you another charming smile and you felt your worries instantly slip away as she held out one of the cups. “Tea?” 

The mayor’s lithe fingers brushed against yours as you accepted the cup, and you let out an involuntary shiver at the lingering contact. Slowly withdrawing her hand, Agatha smirked at the flush you could feel spreading across your cheeks. Raising her own cup to her lips, you were entranced watching her ruby red lips part as she took a small sip. 

Following her lead, you lifted your cup, but hesitated. The tea’s sweet aroma invaded your senses as you inhaled, and for a moment the scent smelled oddly familiar. You weren’t usually a tea drinker, you preferred coffee, but it was odd, the longer you allowed the scent to settle the more you wondered what was in it. 

Looking up, you found Agatha watching you again, her cup lowered back on her desk as she surveyed you. 

“Is the tea not to your liking?” The mayor asked, appearing genuinely concerned.

“No, it smells great,” you insisted, raising the cup closer to your lips.

Her blue eyes were so warm and inviting, and she gave you a small encouraging nod, enticing you to take a sip. The warm liquid was as sweet as it had smelled, almost too sweet, you noted, allowing it to swirl around your mouth as you swallowed. 

“Good girl,” Agatha murmured, so quietly you barely heard her.

Blinking, you felt the room begin to spin as you struggled to make sense of what was happening. The sickeningly sweet taste lingered in your mouth as you felt your body grow heavier with every breath you let out. You barely heard the crash of your teacup hit the floor as your hands fell to your sides. 

Your eyes struggled to remain open as you attempted to fight whatever was happening to you, but felt firm hands hold you in place.

“Don’t fight it, pet, I’d hate to have Shannon clean up even more of a mess,” Agatha whispered in your ear as everything went dark.

The throbbing of your headache was the first thing you were aware of as you finally came to, eyes fluttering open. There was a dull ache that seemed to run through your entire body, and you struggled to recognize your surroundings. It was then you realized why you felt a dull ache, as you came to the startling realization your body was suspended midair, hands and feet bound. 

Were you still dreaming? 

“Not quite, dear.”

What?

You tried to move your head, but failed as you heard a responding chuckle at your fight to free yourself.

“I must say, you’re clever. Inexperienced, but clever,” Agatha mused as she came into focus, walking towards you with a smirk painted across her face. 

“I…” you struggled to speak, your throat far too dry, and Agatha fake pouted, raising her hand to brush against your face.

“Is someone feeling shy? Where’s that confident little witch who used an enchantment spell on my assistant?” Agatha mocked, lightly slapping your cheek before tracing a finger across your lips. “Tell me, what was your plan after slipping me that love potion?”

“I don’t…I don’t understand,” you said deliriously, still feeling an odd sensation in your head.

“Normally I’d have drained you of your magic by now,” Agatha said aloud, her long fingers moving lower, and you gasped as they wrapped around your neck. “It’s been a long time since someone’s managed to surprise me.”

“You’re a witch?” You managed to get out, torn between the paralyzing fear of what was occurring and a more carnal desire as you felt a heat pool between your legs from the way the mayor was looking at you. 

“And here I thought you were clever,” Agatha said, a wicked gleam in her eyes as she squeezed, the pressure causing you to moan.

She moved closer to you, not releasing her hand from your throat as her lips grazed yours. “Now, I think it’s time I break in my new toy, hm? Why don’t you show me how much you worship me.”

The mayor released you from your magical bindings as you hit the floor, and swirls of purple magic surrounded you, forcing you on your knees as she roughly grabbed your chin, forcing you to look up at her. 

“I’ve always wanted my own pet.”

[mx-pastelwriting]

Kinktober Day 4: Orgasm Denial

Negan Smith x GN! Reader

Summary: Ignoring Negan's whines to let him cum.

Warnings: Established Relationships, Smut, Handjob, Begging, Whines

Kinktober Masterlist

Minors do not interact!

Flooded by the noise of Negan's wet cock gliding in and out of your hands, only to quickly stop as his hips begin to buckle. Heavy groans rumbling out of his chest, followed by begs for mercy.

"Baby, please." His raspy call for mercy failed to dampen your greed, only feeding it. Tip and shaft redden from the hour of joyous torment, seeing the powerful man himself tied to the bed pleading, promising anything just to let him cum.

Starting up again, making his body squirm, begging for relief. Leaning in, kissing his stumbled cheek trailing down his sweated neck, earning only a few cursed gasps before the offers started.

"Anything, anything, just say-" But stopping them with a simple thumbed circle around his cock, pushing up against the slit, playing with the fountain of pre-cum. Moans rose in the room again, terrorizing those who walked past, now knowing he was yours.

"Say it. Tell me I'm the only one," your voice velvet to his melted brain, obeying your trade demand.

"You're the only one. You're my fucking favorite." He sputters, hearing the words hiss through his teeth. Hips rising once gain only to buckle, alerting you to his high creeping back.

Groans mixed with whines fill the room alongside the rapid sounds of his lubed cock against your hands. Satisfied, finally you worked to make him cum, one hand on his shaft, the other on the head, circling. Hearing all of it be praised with unworldly sounds coming from your Negan.

Feeling his hips thrust up as if it were you wrapped around his cock, hearing as he started to gasp, ready to cum, only for you to take your hand away once again at the last second. Hearing as he pleaded, sounding as if he was going to cry, but little did he know this was just the beginning of the night.

Hello, I hope you enjoyed if there is any grammar mistakes or misspellings sorry about that feel free to let me know in the comments, have a great day/afternoon/night!

Fanfiction is protected under copyright law when plagiarism is involved. If you plagiarize my work, either a piece or whole in any language, I will take legal action. Inspiration or the same idea does NOT apply to this, only word-for-word plagiarism in any language.

♥ mx-pastelwriting does not consent to their fanfiction being copied, copied & credited, translated, used in videos and/or audios, screenshotted, used in AI, or reposted on any other platform without permission.

♥ mx-pastelwriting does give consent to "reblog," sharing links to direct work, and being in recommend lists.

Kinktober Taglist: @sophieissleepy @reidsbookcase @hoffmanfan13 @madeleinerg @themoonwithprophets

@hoffmanfan13 @wh0re4-alexademi @supergingerlocks @lightupsketchersperson

@racco0ngirl13 @fran-soup @hope69world @hotchners-wifey @raajali3

@crustyowos @fly-on-the-wall @www-interludeshadow-com @carolb111

@thays0 @theescorpiolovechile @madeleinerg @lokiiified @wonderlandofsilence

@chocolqtelle

[aliorsboxostuff]

A/N Honestly this is really self-indulgent ‘cuz my instincts went “This mf forgets to eat I just know it.” and turned it into a really fluffy fic lmao. I wrote this with a male Spiderman in mind, but gender-neutral readers are also welcome of course! Hope you all enjoyed it!

Lunch

Tags: Miguel O’hara x m!Reader, Possible gn!Reader, Peter B. Parker, Mayday Parker, mention of Gwen, Fluff, Just taking care our resident dilf, He/him prns, Spiderman!Reader, caring!reader, Emotionally constipated Miguel? Emotionally constipated Miguel., Peter being the best wingman, Mayday being her cute self, Self-indulgent

Miguel O’hara doesn't take breaks. Miguel O’hara only leaves his lair if he’s needed on a mission to set another anomaly straight. So what do you do? Exactly, force him into taking a break… Sorta.

Miguel O’hara doesn't take breaks. Miguel O’hara only leaves his lair if he’s needed on a mission to set another anomaly straight. Only when his body is finally demanding food does he leave the monitors in the care of Jessica or Lyla while he goes through the cafeteria for a satisfying meal or his favorite Empanadas. So far, if there wasn't a catastrophic event—Which is pointless because he would've seen it before anyone else—Or a Spider-person that needs his immediate help, he keeps himself perched on his platform, monitoring the vast universes, unblinking, the video of him and his daughter playing just on his peripherals. 

“Miguel! How long have you been up there?” Until you.

Another Spiderman that joined the spider society just a couple of months ago has managed to worm his way into Miguel’s thorn bushes. He doesn't even know how, or when, did you start to become a constant in his nonstop monitoring but you did, annoyingly so. Your voice echoes the large room, steps follow suit as you stand at the base of his lair.

You huff, before pulling your mask off and arching a brow while your question is left unanswered. You’ve only done this a handful of times. The day you learned that Miguel O’hara, the guy that doesn't leave his damn perch unless you can hear his stomach rumble a mile away or his body forces him to take a nap, you’ve dedicated a bit of your time to make sure he takes a time off from those screens. Spiderman or not, he still needs rest. 

“Seriously man,” You sigh, considering swinging yourself up to that damn platform. “Have you eaten anything for the last 7 hours?”

Another silence. “You missed lunch, y'know, if it weren't for Lyla I would have thought you died.”

Of course, nothing. You blink, annoyed, before deciding to just turn around and head to the cafeteria yourself. If he won't get food for himself then you will.

At this point, seeing you exit Miguel’s office has been a normal recurrence for the other Spider-people. So when you walk down the corridor, others wave and said their hi’s while you reply back. As much as you miss your universe, hanging out with others of your kind is refreshing. You reach the end of the walkway where it drops before you shoot out webs and swing to where the cafeteria is, cutting your journey short. Who knows how long Miguel has neglected his stomach?

You picked up today's dinner menu, thanking the server, before snagging an Empanada and then swiftly swinging back to Miguel's office. You make your way inside, making sure to not trip on the scattered tech and cables, and to no one’s surprise; he’s still staring at those screens. 

“Here,” You sat the plate and box down on one of the many boxes and tables around his office. “Eat it, or not. I’m sure your stomach will appreciate it if you do,”

You shrugged before swiftly walking back to exit his lair once more, rolling your eyes when he doesn't respond again. Typical.

—

“I really don't get his problem, I mean, I'm just looking out for him, isn't that what teammates do?”

“No ones ever really brought him food, man,”

“Yeah well he’ll get his own food when he starves, and I don't think the others would like that,” You snicker before landing beside Peter. He was heading to Miguels to report a new potential member so you tagged along, besides you missed holding Mayday. 

“I think he appreciates it though,” Peter presses the button and the door opens, the three of you walking inside. You cross your arm, watching as Mayday starts to scale his dad, her giggles contagious.

“Weird way of showing it,” You huff, eyeing the girl as she starts pulling at Peter's strands before you reach for her, cradling her against your chest and tickling her little body. “No ‘Thank you’? Or y’know, a small ‘thanks’ maybe?” 

She coos, turning her head as if she understands your rambling. You hold her under her arms, then nuzzle her fluffy hair which makes her giggle.  You stare down her eyes, wrinkling your nose. “He’s a little crap isn't he, May?” She cackles in delight which makes you grin.

“Hey, no swearing around the kid,” Peter grumbles and when Mayday makes grabby hands towards her father, you hand her back.

“Says the dad that takes his daughter on missions?” You smirk, lightly punching Pete’s shoulder, making both of you laugh, and Mayday follows suit with her giggles. Finally reaching Miguel’s lair, the man is always on his platform, before Peter calls for him to report. As you watch the platform dramatically descend, this time with Miguel holding a screen tablet and facing you and Peter.

At least he’s not facing those screens this time, you thought. You cross your arms, eye scanning around the room when you spot a clean cafeteria plate on the same table you left it on a couple of hours before. 

“Hey uh…” Peter hums when you start to reach for the plate. “You go on ahead, I’ll be right back,” 

You quickly picked up the utensil and went ahead outside, already swinging your way toward the cafeteria. You peek inside the box and to your delight, the empanada you brought for him is already gone. You smile, humming in relief as you make your way to drop off the plate. You gave it to the staff and threw the box into the trash before you made your way back to the lair again.

A smile creeps its way to your lips and it won't leave, the feeling of a small blooming rose inside your heart as you realize Miguel does eat the food you leave for him. 

As you made your way through the doors, you heard the deep baritone of Miguel's voice conversing with Peter. 

“I don't understand him.” That made your step falter. You swiftly pressed back to the hallway leading to Miguel's lair, making sure to hear their voices clearly, though deep down you knew you shouldn't do this. 

“What don't you understand, man? He just cares about you,” Peter's voice is accompanied by Mayday's giggling. “He brings you food and makes sure you take breaks, I mean, I think that’s a pretty good thing,”

“I know It’s a good thing, Peter. But why? What does he want?”

“Not everything needs to have an ulterior motive, Miguel,” Peter chuckles, you can hear Mayday's laughs too. “Maybe he just wants to. Who knows,”

Then there was silence. You blink, processing the conversation, a million other thoughts fly by you, the biggest was your worry about burdening him. Maybe Miguel doesn't want you to do this, why else would he think you wanted something from him? Maybe you should back down, leave him alone like how everyone else treats him, maybe-

“It is… Nice of him, though,” A sudden rush of heat flows into your cheeks.

“I should thank him, one of these days,” Miguel continued. At this point, Peter should have sensed you but has said nothing. Until Mayday turns the corner and then came crawling into your view, you decided to make your appearance. 

You scoop up the little girl, cuddling her close to your chest. “Hey, kiddo! You shouldn't be back here!”

She cackles, little hands reaching for your strands which makes you laugh. You pull your head up to see Miguel and Peter standing at the end of the hallway, Peter with an oddly smug look while Miguel suddenly turns towards his monitors. “What’d I miss?”

“Nothin’, just done reporting,” Peter shrugs nonchalantly, walking towards you before taking Mayday, “I should head back though, this little spider needs her nap, don't you?” 

Mayday giggles in her father's arm, Peter already waving as he exits the office. “Later, you two!”

“See ya’ Pete!” You wave back, catching May’ little hands waving too before the door closes. 

Now it's just you and Miguel. It's rare seeing him off of the platform, away from that far-away bubble. You’ve only seen him on duty with other Spideys, that's the only time he’s away from the glowing screens. He’s still focused on the screen tablet when you jogged closer. Now that you’re meters away from him, You notice how broad his shoulders actually are, and the slight curls on the back of his head. You clear your throat, looking at anything other than Miguel.

“So… The new recruit Peter gave you? We taking them in?”

“Huh? Yeah, yes.” Miguel shifts slightly, you rub your hands together.

“Alright, cool,” You cringe, the air suffocating with tension and unspoken words. You look around, before deflating, your hand scratching the back of your neck. “Well… I’m gonna go then-”

“Wait.” You stop yourself from turning. “You don't have to keep doing that,”

“Doing what?” You raise a brow, with your mask off and Miguel in front of you, he can clearly see your slightly smug face.

“That. Bringing me food. I don't need it,” Miguel finally pries his eyes away from the tablet, now meeting yours. 

You chuckle. “Last time I checked, you're still human Miguel,”

“I can do that myself,” He steps towards you, which makes you pull up your hands defensively. 

“Alright, sure boss, but you only eat when your body forces you. That can't be healthy,” You huff, crossing your arms and meeting his deep reds. He backs down, looking towards the far wall. 

Great, an argument instead of him just agreeing with me, You sighs, looking down at the concrete floor. What were you thinking? Miguel can take care of himself, of course, he’s a fucking old man and you probably disrupted his old man metabolism or some shit like that.

“I- Thanks.” Your perk up, quickly meeting his still-averting eyes. “That's what I wanted to say. Thanks,”

You smirk. ”Yeah, of course, Miguel,” 

“Maybe… You can let Lyla take over, or someone, and uh…” Shit, maybe this is too bold…

Fuck it. “Join me for lunch, sometime?”

It was a mistake. The deafening silence was clearly a loud rejection from Miguel and you wanted to quickly blurt out something, anything to salvage what you had before, but he beat you to it.

“Sure, sometime,” You whip your head around, almost smacking with how close Miguel and you were standing. His eyes widened slightly, a ghost of a smirk across his lips and it made you gulp.

“Y-yeah, sometimes, yeah,” His brow quirks a bit when you start stumbling your way through his lair. “I should uh- I think Gwen called me so uh-” 

The last thing he saw from you was your stuttering word and your body turning the corner of his office, then a loud ‘Fuck yeah!’ before you disappeared. Truly a wonder how you, out of anyone, managed to pique Miguel’s interest. 

Reblogs are appreciated <3

[odinsblog]

Vance has had a six-figure stake in Rumble, an online video platform. The company has played host to Russian propaganda and to far-right personalities like Stew Peters and Tim Pool. It has also featured even more extreme content, including explicitly neo-Nazi images and themes like this song touting the “Reich” and calling for Jews to be placed in ovens from a “dissident rapper” with a dedicated page on the site. The site features a plethora of channels and videos dedicated to the concept of “white genocide,” which is a core belief for white supremacists. It also hosts channels for explicitly white supremacist organizations including VDare and Patriot Front, which has led masked demonstrations around the country.

(continue reading)

[chongoblog]

2024 was a year in gaming. I don't have a definitive order or game of the year yet, but here are some of my favorites from this year

-Echoes of Wisdom: One of the more inventive Zelda titles and a real breath of fresh air.

-Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble: Obviously I haven't shut up about this game since I dove headfirst into the speedrunning community and the most recent update has only made me love it more

-Balatro: If you've played this game, you know. Intoxicatingly simple, well-designed, and points go brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

-Animal Well: Dunkey put his whole pussy into promoting this one, and yeah I'd say it was worth the hype. An incredibly inventive Metroidvania where new discoveries and wonder are always just around the corner, all with an incredibly present and almost offputting theming and tone. Great work. Definitely worth checking out if you like exploration titles.

-Core Keeper: I played this one with Red about a year or two ago back when it was in Early Access, but it released officially in October (congrats!) and this one has to be mentioned if only because my reaction to seeing the second boss for the first time was wild. A fun little top-down terraria/minecraft type title. The idea of building a little world with friends in Core Keeper again is very tempting, if it wasn't so damn time-consuming.

-UFO 50: I need to put more time in this game before I can say a lot about it, but it's a lot of game and it's all (from what I've seen) pretty well-designed, introducing tons and tons of creative ideas.

-For some reason I still haven't played Sonic X Shadow Generations

-Pepper Grinder: A really fun platformer for if you want to kill a few hours. Got really into speedrunning this one for a bit before moving on (I think it's because they patched out Mary Poppins, but I think interest was waning a bit anyway, plus Monkey Ball kinda forcibly took its place)

And yeah those are video games

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Kylie Cheung at Jezebel:

The day after Election Day, calls to the Trevor Project’s crisis services hotline for LGBTQ youth surged by 200%; online searches for abortion pills and emergency contraception skyrocketed, too. Queer youth, women, and girls were clearly concerned about what a second Trump presidency meant for their safety and their futures. But the country has been largely apathetic to their fears. Instead, we’re being called to consider young men’s suffering—real and imagined—and the insidious forces that seemed to shift this demographic to the right. A sampling of post-election headlines includes, “We Asked Young Men Why They Voted for Donald Trump—Here’s What They Said,” “The ‘Lost Boys’ of Gen Z: how Trump won the hearts of alienated young men,” “What’s the Matter with Young Male Voters?” and “Trump Offered Men Something That Democrats Never Could.” Of course, Jezebel is now adding to that list, but what’s missing from some of these stories is the manosphere as an increasingly powerful political arm.

Exit polls show Trump received a larger proportion of voters under 30 than any Republican presidential candidate since 2008. In 2020, Joe Biden beat Trump by 11 points among men under 30. Last week, Trump beat Kamala Harris by two points. (Among young white men without college degrees, he beat Harris 56% to 40%.) Some of this should be taken with a grain of salt: Youth turnout dropped sharply from 2020, so these stats offer an incomplete snapshot of an entire generation’s views. But, as journalists, organizers, and the Democratic Party scramble for answers, one concern that’s come to the forefront is the manosphere—a fast-growing, unrepentantly hateful community of men’s lifestyle influencers, podcasters, and media personalities who glorify and preach misogyny to a new generation of young men. Think: serially accused rapist and human trafficker Andrew Tate, hate speech-platforming Twitch streamer Adin Ross, or misogynist streamer Sneako, who once slapped a woman on camera as a “prank.” There’s also TikTok star Bryce Hall, who joined Trump on the campaign trail about a year after collaborating with proud neo-Nazis, including Sneako. One video from December 2023 shows Sneako laughing as he’s approached by young fans who yell, “Fuck the women” and “All gays can die.” He half-jokingly asks the camera, “What have I done?”

On Election Night, Trump handed the mic to UFC President Dana White (who, like Sneako, also slapped a woman on camera) at his victory party, and White directly thanked Ross, as well as the Nelk Boys and Theo Von, more popular manosphere influencers and podcasters who also supported Trump’s campaign. Over the last several months, Trump made numerous appearances on their shows and streams and hosted them at his rallies. And, because this seems to have worked, those who didn’t see Trump’s victory coming are now trying to understand this chilling sphere of influence that’s seemingly been radicalizing young men right under our noses.

It may be annoying, even disturbing to have to take this increasingly mainstream underworld seriously, but Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America (MMFA), tells Jezebel that understanding the manosphere is important to understand “what future generations are going to look like.” Carusone says MMFA researchers tracked at least 20 times that Trump appeared on manosphere podcasts—including those of Von, Hall, the Nelk Boys, and Jake Paul—since May. In 2023, Ross and other popular manosphere creators including JiDion, Steve Deleonardis, Jorge Masvidal, and alleged rapist DJ Akademiks, appeared with Trump at a UFC event. The meet-and-greet was set up by right-wing video platform, Rumble.

MMFA has been closely following manosphere stars for years now, watching them and the social platforms that host them profit off of mocking rape survivors and trans people, or joking about and openly celebrating violence against women to their impressionable, mostly teen and tween boy audiences. Young people who might turn to them for apolitical interests—weightlifting, video games, MMA fighting, dating advice—are increasingly inundated with out-of-context stats and arguments about how much easier it is for women to get jobs, or minorities to get into college, or trans people to succeed at sports. These audiences are radicalized to believe a liberal, feminist world order is crushing them. Now, thanks to social media algorithms, content about weightlifting, video games, MMA fighting, and dating has become a pipeline to the right.

[...] Nicole Regalado, vice president of campaigns at Ultraviolet, told Jezebel her organization has been tracking online misogyny campaigns since Gamergate in 2014, which saw an outbreak of rabid sexism, racism, and queerphobia against perceived feminist progress in the video game industry. But she’s been alarmed by sharp rises in online harassment against women in recent years. It doesn’t help, Regalado said, that at a time when the manosphere is surging, with the help of anti-MeToo backlash and a golden age of media illiteracy, “social media platforms are gutting moderation, trust, and safety teams,” while “platforming and profiting off hate.” A lot of this came to a head with the outcome of the 2024 election, Regalado said, which “followed months of disinformation and racism-misogyny about Kamala Harris” from popular right-wing, manosphere-type influencers. Trump’s victory has only emboldened this toxic stew of misogyny, culminating in the viral “your body, my choice” slogan.

I understand the importance of Democrats and progressives figuring out how to “reach” young men—the electoral stakes are high, especially for the most marginalized among us. But in the last week, I’ve often found myself frustrated, even disgusted by the idea that young men are uniquely suffering because they’re young men, that they deserve outsized sympathy and attention at a time when women and other marginalized communities are on the brink of perhaps one of the severest rollbacks of our rights in modern times. Teen girls and young women suffer from endemic sexual violence and misogyny, and many still find it in their hearts to not elect a fascist. 

Carusone says he’s struggled with this, too. But he’s made sense of it by understanding the manosphere and its toxic, mass appeal as a youth issue. “The 30-year-old men who are upset, the Tucker Carlsons of the world, they need to get over it. They’re not who I’m talking about,” he said. But manosphere content is poisoning the minds of children, shaping them to become violent toward other children, to grow up and inflict violence on marginalized people. “We have to think about this as it relates to kids. If we don’t do something about this now, we’re messing up kids,” Carusone explained. “As these boys and young men grow, they’re going to build and organize political power, and even worse, as they move into maturity, they’re going to be more violent and abusive than previous generations.”

Jezebel does an excellent report on how the cadre of manosphere influencers such as the Nelk Boys, Sneako, and Adin Ross-- who helped push young men to the right and push Donald Trump over the finish line and how they’ll shape politics.

[mariacallous]

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has been making headlines for his “rocky rollout” since being named former President Donald Trump’s running mate last month. The bad headlines and poll numbers have been driven by Vance’s extreme comments about “childless cat ladies,” abortion, and more. Well, along with extreme comments, Vance has some extreme investments. 

Vance has had a six-figure stake in Rumble, an online video platform. The company has played host to Russian propaganda and to far-right personalities like Stew Peters and Tim Pool. It has also featured even more extreme content, including explicitly neo-Nazi images and themes like this song touting the “Reich” and calling for Jews to be placed in ovens from a “dissident rapper” with a dedicated page on the site. The site features a plethora of channels and videos dedicated to the concept of “white genocide,” which is a core belief for white supremacists. It also hosts channels for explicitly white supremacist organizations including VDare and Patriot Front, which has led masked demonstrations around the country. 

A former Marine, Vance was elected in 2022 after a career as a bestselling author and venture capitalist. In both the financial world and as he rose in politics, Vance has been backed by the Silicon Valley investor and right-wing donor Peter Thiel. The pair co-founded a firm, Narya Capital, in 2020. In keeping with Thiel’s preferred styling, the company was named after a reference to the “Lord of the Rings” fantasy novels. 

In 2021, Narya Capital made a major investment in Rumble. The investment, which made Narya one of Rumble’s top shareholders, also gave the firm a seat on Rumble’s board. Financial disclosures filed by Vance in conjunction with his Senate bid also show that he made a personal investment in Rumble that was valued between $100,000 and $250,000. 

Rumble went public in 2022 following Narya’s investment. In a filing last year that was reported by CNBC, Narya indicated it planned to sell more than three million shares of Rumble. Narya’s initial investment in Rumble totaled over seven million shares. 

Vance has not yet filed required financial disclosures for last year. He sought an extension in April. His most recent disclosure, which covered 2022, showed the Rumble investment. 

The stake is notable because it represents a direct financial link between Vance and a key outlet for some of the most extreme elements of the far right. Vance’s stake in Rumble was the subject of a New York Times piece during his Senate race in 2022. That story focused on Rumble hosting the Kremlin-backed propaganda network RT, but gave less attention to the extensive hate speech on the site. 

A spokesperson for Rumble did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story. A company representative responded to the prior Times story by saying the company is willing to host those who “hold politically unpopular views, so long as they comply with our content policies,” framing the issue as a matter of free speech. A spokesperson for Vance’s campaign told the paper “J.D. does not play an active role at Rumble, nor does he set Rumble’s content moderation policies” and noted his belief in “free speech rights online.”

Vance isn’t the only figure in Trumpworld who has financial ties to Rumble. Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, signed a seven-figure podcast deal with the company last year. Trump Jr. reportedly played a “pivotal role” in persuading his father to bring Vance onto the Republican presidential ticket. Trump Jr. did not respond to questions about the extremist content on Rumble and about whether his financial relationships influenced his support for Vance.

Representatives for Vance and the Trump campaign also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The campaign of Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, was more forthcoming. Harris 2024 spokesperson Joseph Costello issued a statement to TPM decrying Vance’s links to the extremist content on Rumble. 

“The American people deserve a president who works to bring people together and who gives hate no safe harbor,” Costello said. “Every day the words and actions of Donald Trump and JD Vance prove they belong nowhere near the White House.” 

While the bad headlines have seemingly led Vance’s political stock to drop among some Republicans, shares in Rumble have fared far better. According to CNBC Pro, Rumble stock went up 17 percent on the week Trump picked Vance. The movement prompted a note from JP Morgan analyst Kamal Tamboli, who said the surge was a “quarterly record” for the extremist platform. 

“Retail traders appear to be closely following US election developments,” Tamboli wrote. 

The stock has dropped a bit from its recent high, which came on the day Trump picked Vance. However, it is still up 21 cents from where it was before the pick. The Ohio senator may be a drag on the Trump ticket, but someone out there enjoyed a bit of Vancementum! 

[contemplatingoutlander]

Amazon’s Alexa has been claiming the 2020 election was stolen

The popular voice assistant says the 2020 race was stolen, even as parent company Amazon promotes the tool as a reliable election news source -- foreshadowing a new information battleground

This is a scary WaPo article by Cat Zakrzewski about how big tech is allowing AI to get information from dubious sources. Consequently, it is contributing to the lies and disinformation that exist in today's current political climate.

Even the normally banal but ubiquitous (and not yet AI supercharged) Alexa is prone to pick up and recite political disinformation. Here are some excerpts from the article [color emphasis added]:

Amid concerns the rise of artificial intelligence will supercharge the spread of misinformation comes a wild fabrication from a more prosaic source: Amazon’s Alexa, which declared that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Asked about fraud in the race — in which President Biden defeated former president Donald Trump with 306 electoral college votes — the popular voice assistant said it was “stolen by a massive amount of election fraud,” citing Rumble, a video-streaming service favored by conservatives.

The 2020 races were “notorious for many incidents of irregularities and indications pointing to electoral fraud taking place in major metro centers,” according to Alexa, referencing Substack, a subscription newsletter service. Alexa contended that Trump won Pennsylvania, citing “an Alexa answers contributor.”

Multiple investigations into the 2020 election have revealed no evidence of fraud, and Trump faces federal criminal charges connected to his efforts to overturn the election. Yet Alexa disseminates misinformation about the race, even as parent company Amazon promotes the tool as a reliable election news source to more than 70 million estimated users. [...] Developers “often think that they have to give a balanced viewpoint and they do this by alternating between pulling sources from right and left, thinking this is going to give balance,” [Prof. Meredith] Broussard said. “The most popular sources on the left and right vary dramatically in quality.” Such attempts can be fraught. Earlier this week, the media company the Messenger announced a new partnership with AI company Seekr to “eliminate bias” in the news. Yet Seekr’s website characterizes some articles from the pro-Trump news network One America News as “center” and as having “very high” reliability. Meanwhile, several articles from the Associated Press were rated “very low.” [...] Yet despite a growing clamor in Congress to respond to the threat AI poses to elections, much of the attention has fixated on deepfakes. However, [attorney Jacob] Glick warned Alexa and AI-powered systems could “potentially double down on the damage that’s been done.” “If you have AI models drawing from an internet that is filled with platforms that don’t care about the preservation of democracy … you’re going to get information that includes really dangerous undercurrents,” he said. [color emphasis added]

[bighermie]

Dunkin' Donuts and Diageo Booze Company Threaten to Remove Ads from Rumble if the Platform Does Not Remove Videos by Conservative Personalities #BoycottDunkinDonuts | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hoft

[tods-void]

For anyone who hates YouTube, the YT app and capitalism broadly, YouTube (the corp) has been waging a war on 3rd party apps to make sure their official app is the only way you can view YT content for a while.

If you're on a PC this isn't a problem but obviously we're not using our PCs all the time, especially when we're outside.

I'm sure if you've tried to open YT via your mobile browser you've noticed that the mobile version of the site is pretty dogshit. The options for video playback and playlists is limited. You can't shuffle your playlist, can't skip to the next song, can't loop a song and so on. This is intentional to, again, force you to use the official app. Where you have to either pay for premium or suffer through ads constantly.

In reply to this several people have developed their own YT clients that allow you to access the site's content without ads and without even needing to log in. Apps like NewPipe, Revanced, Incidious and so on. They offer a vastly better mobile experience, have all the options for video and playlist control you could want and are 100% free. Which means they undermine YT's business monopoly and no corpo scumbag would ever allow that.

For the last two weeks people using the 3rd party apps, myself included, have been experiencing problems with videos cutting out midway through and giving errors and as of yesterday the apps are unusable. Hopefully the people behind them figure out a solution and update them soon but I wanted to highlight YT's hostility towards all who reject their business model and their contempt for their users in general. They have a defacto monopoly as a platform. Sure, there are other platforms like it, but most of them are small and/or have a definite rightwing slant towards their content and moderation like Rumble. Not to say YT is any better but those are the platforms far right grifters champion.

Now you might say, well the ads are necessary cos that's how creators make money, to which I will point out that creators receive a fraction of the money each ad on their videos make. And unless you make the most boilerplate uncontroversial slop possible, there's every chance your video will get demonetized, which is the most capitalist realism kind of censorship I've ever seen. In truth creators make scraps which is why most of them have a Kofi or Patreon account where the bulk of their income actually comes from.

So yeah, tl;dr YT are scum, Google are scummer and Alphabet are the scummest. They don't deserve your money and if you want to support anyone, support individual creators through Patreon and the people who make free open source software that undermines YT.

[catonator]

News for Gamers

So the most notable recent gaming news is that there’s going to be a whole lot less gaming news going forward. Which to most of you is probably a massive win. See, IGN announced that they’ve bought roundabout half of the remaining industry that isn’t IGN, and with online news also dying a slow death due to the approaching new wave of journalism called “absolutely nothing”, I can’t imagine IGN and its newly acquired subsidiaries are long for this world.

Not too long ago, I was studying some magazines for my Alan Wake development history categorization project (please don’t ask), and reading the articles in these magazines led me to a startling realisation: Holy shit! This piece of gaming news media doesn’t make me want to kill myself out of second hand embarrassment!

Many of the magazines of yesteryear typically went with the approach of “spend weeks and sometimes months researching the article, and write as concise a section as you can with the contents”. Every magazine contains at least 2 big several-page spreads of some fledgeling investigative journalist talking to a bunch of basement-dwelling nerd developers and explaining their existence to the virginal minds of the general public.

Contrast this to modern journalism which goes something like:

Pick subject

Write title

???

Publish

Using this handy guide, let’s construct an article for, oh I dunno, let’s say Kotaku.

First we pick a subject. Let’s see… a game that’s coming out in the not too distant future…Let’s go within Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble. Now we invent a reason to talk about it. Generally this’d be a twitter post by someone with 2 followers or something. I’ll search for the series and pick the newest tweet.

Perfect. Finally we need an entirely unrelated game series that has way more clout to attach to the title… What else features platforming and a ball form… Oh, wait. I have the perfect candidate! Thus we have our title:

Sonic-like Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble rumoured to have a gay protagonist

What? The contents of the article? Who cares! With the invention of this newfangled concept called “social media”, 90% of the users are content with just whining about the imagined contents of the article based on the title alone. The remaining 10% who did actually click on the article for real can be turned away by just covering the site in popups about newsletters, cookies, login prompts and AI chatbots until  they get tired of clicking the X buttons. This way, we can avoid writing anything in the content field, and leave it entirely filled with lorem ipsum.

Somewhere along the way from the 2000s to now, we essentially dropped 99% of the “media” out of newsmedia. News now is basically a really shit title and nothing more. Back in the day, when newscycles were slower, most articles could feature long interviews with the developers, showing more than just shiny screenshots, but also developer intentions, hopes, backgrounds and more.

Newsmedia is the tongues that connects the audience and the developers in the great french kiss of marketing video games. Marketing departments generally hold up the flashiest part of the game up for people to gawk at, but that also tells the audience very little about the game in the end, other than some sparse gameplay details. It was the job of the journalist to bring that information across to the slightly more perceptive core audiences. Now with the backing of media gone, a very crucial part of the game development process is entirely missing.

It’s easier to appreciate things when they’re gone I suppose. But at the same time, since gaming journalism is slowly dying from strangling itself while also blaming everything around it for that, there is a sizable gap in the market for newer, more visceral newshounds. So who knows, maybe someone of the few people reading my blogs could make the next big internet gaming ‘zine? Because I’m pretty sure anyone here capable of stringing more than two sentences together is a more adept writer than anyone at Kotaku right now.

[igotanidea]

Edit : Matt Murdock x fem!avenger!reader

Summary: reader is an avenger who gets shipped with daredevil. And she's familar with all those TikTok videos of them together but made her mission to never let Matt know about them. Even if she would be more than happy to make them reality. It only takes two slightly nosy friends to slip that secret out......

A/N: reader hero name is Shadow. A snippet of her story is here and here.

@somest1 hope you'll enjoy that.

"Matthew."

"Karen." something was definitely on. She never called him by his full name unless she was going to drop him some news that she knew he was not going to like

"Do you know what TikTok is?"

"Vaguely. Is it that app when teenagers do some crazy dance?"

"Crazy dance?" Foggy scoffed "CRAZY dance? You my friend should really get educated on the latest technology news. tiktok is the place where you can express yourself freely, not only by dancing but also by creating edits of the people you know or fictional characters you like....." he started ro rumble, for a while unaware of his friends' shocked face expression." Sorry." only then he realised how he exposed himself "please, continue Karen."

"I'm actually glad for your little lecture, Foggy" she laughed "makes it easier for me to present my case."

"Present your case? You definitely spend to much time with us." Matt smirked "you became a lawyer rather than a journalist."

"It's useful at times." she shrugged "but if it ever were to happen I know Y/N would stop me. She uses a lot of modern words I never knew existed so my vocabulary is expanding in many fields."

"She has to be up to date with that. After all, she runs social networks and is in charge of the PR. No one would be interested in her company if she was using words like "thy" or "thou".

"Speaking of Y/n....."

"What did she do this time.....?" Matt sighed, seemingly annoyed but his ears became just slightly reddened at the tips. "And most importantly, does it have to do with her civil indentity or the Shadow one?"

"A little bit of both I suppose. She's been the object of interest of late."

"What interest?" now Matt was up, not realising that the mere thought of Y/N getting too much attention made his Darevil instict kick in. "I.... I need to stretch my legs...." he awkwardly tried to cover up for the mistake, both Karen and Foggy noticed.

"I didn't mean it like she's in danger or anything like that." Karen scoffed.

"And even if she was, she knows how to handle herself better than Dare...I mean, you, my friend" Foggy added. "She's an avenger after all."

"What is it then?" Matt insisted

"She's a role model for a lot of people. Teenagers. Kids. Who actually use the apps. And they make edits of her. Different edits. And....ships."

"What now?"

"A little edit with a pairing of people who the author believes are good fit." Foggy explained, quickly catching up where Karen was heading with her explanation. Oh, yes, he saw those little videos posted everywhere on the social platforms. I mean, how could he not, they were trending for a couple weeks not.

"Ok. And why exacly are you telling me this? It's not like I can or want to see them." Matt turned away from his friends so they won't see the look on his face. Meaning he actually had something to hide.

"Maybe you would be more interested in the matter if you knew who she's being shipped with....."

"That's her personal bussiness. I have nothing to do with it. Besides, I should be getting back to work, so if you excuse me......" he turned around on his heels and dissappeared in the office, closing the door.

"Foggy?" Karen looked at the other lawyer, silent cry for help in her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. For a lawyer, he can be one hell of an idiot outside of work not getting the hints. "

***

"Hey gyus!" Y/N peeked through the door to Nelson & Murdock law firm. Clearly she was already done with her civil work for the day and came to check up if her friends were still alive in that office. After all, it was hella late.

"Y/n! How nice to see you. I though you would be on your vigilante shit already." Foggy raised head from the papers he was burried in.

"Hush! Keep it quiet, Fog, will you? Can't risk getting my secret identity out. Besides, there's no threat outside today. I would feel itdue to my .... you know, powers" she waved her hands and a thread of shadow appeared. "And if anything happens, Kate and Peter would call upon me. Those two cannot work together, they are both chaotic....."

"I see." Foggy hummed.

"What?" Y/N frowned, feeling that there was something he was not telling her.

"Nothing!"

"You're one bad liar, Franklin Nelson." the girl sat on the chair on the opposite site of his desk and bored eyes into him "Talk."

"Stop doing this."

"I'm not doing anything."

"And who is a bad liar now, huh?" Foggy bridled "I can feel your.... shadows luring me."

"One thing, Foggy. I don't use them for such petty reasons, all right. I know better than to abuse them. My shadows can be a bit ... moody at times. It;s not a force to play around with. So, cross my heart, I'm not doing anything."

"You try to interrogate me in my own office!"

Y/N sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead.

"It's sad you see it that way, but I understand. Maybe we can have some take out instead. I bought some Chinsese." she motioned towards the huge bag, now sitting on the floor. Only now, Foggy realised the smells coming from the package. And the fact that he has not eaten for like 10 hours.

"You're heaven send."

"The upper might disagree with that."

"Foggy? Did you see the latest.... Oh, hello Y/N" Karen walked right into Foggy's office with the phone in her hands and smile on her face, probably due to the video she was watching.

"What put a grin like that on your face Karen?"

"Nothing."

"You two are in collusion with something, aren't you?" the girl rolled her eyes "fine. keep your secret. I will find it out sooner or later and ...."

"Something smells nice here...."

"And here he is. The third musketeer. Hello, Matt."

"Y/N." he muttered, gaze fixed on the floor like he was trying to avoid any possible contact with her, even if he could not see her "what's the scent?"

"New shampoo, I suppose? Do you like it?" she laughed knowing he had super sensing with things like this. "But seriously, I bought some spring rolls and dim sums. Figured you workaholic forgot about lunch. And probably breakfast. And probably yesterday's lunch."

"Did you bring....?"

"Your favourite noodles? Sure I did, Matty." she smiled and he reciprocated with the brightest smile Karen and Foggy has seen on him for the whole day.

"Shall we then?" Karen moved to sit by the table and her gaze crossed with Foggy's who only smirked knowingly.

***

It's been barely an hour since her arrival at the Nelson and Murdock when she jumped at the signal of her phone.

"Damn it! It's Peter" Y/N cussed

"Peter like that spider guy?" Foggy almost choked on his food "When can I get to meet him?"

"Sorry guys, seems like there is in fact an emergency tonight. And while I would love to stay, someone else I know is desperately needed out in the streets, so rain check?" she schmoozed hoping her friends would understand.

"Just go!" Karen waved her hands, already used to such situations.

"Wait. I'll go with you." Mat stood up as well

"Why?"

"I'm bored. I need some action." he shrugged and she smirked .

"Jealous of me getting more attention than you? You don't want me to steal the spotlight, right?"

"Were you thinking anything else?"

"You're just the devil of hell's kitchen, Matty. A local hero. Are you sure you're not beyond your pay grade, trying to deal with the Avengers?" Y/N raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to spite him.

"Young avengeers" he clarified.

"And that makes you even more out of the league." she smirked

"I see the open spot as a team leader. Maybe I should take that instead."

"Over my dead body, Murdock!"

***

Regardless of their constant bickering, Matt and Y/N made quite a good team. Even if they were both individuals, during the years they knew each other, they learned how the other thought and how to avoid a fracture and internal fights. And as much as they would rather die than admit it out loud, it was nice having backup from time to time. Or someone to tend to your wounds.

Did they trust each other? Yes, on some deeper level that only waited to be discovered.

Were they friends? Well, if you were to ask them that question both of them would say yes, but... something more was lingering. And now, after the fight, when the adrenaline was pumping, hearts beating rapidly and they weren't Matt and Y/N but Darededevil and Shadow, Murdock had less inhibitions about her being at his place, resting and getting patched up. Normally, she would just go back to her place, but this time, his apartment was closer and it was wiser to dissapear from the fight scene faster. She really had no counterarguments to that. So she made sure Peter and Kate made it home safe and now, she was just laying on Matt's couch in shorts and tank top, legs dangling freely over the armrest, fresh dressings on her abdomen and an ice pack on the shoulder.

"I actually had fun this time." she chuckled and Matt frowned.

"Dislocated shoulder and a knife to the stomach is fun for you?"

"Not as much as standing against the Chitauri, but yes, it is."

"Stop bragging, will you?" he rolled his eyes, grabbing her legs and taking a spot on the couch, so that her limbs were now resting on his lap. And it was strangely comforting and .... domestic.

"Bragging? Me? You know I would never. Just pointing out at some past events here."

"How old were you when Loki attacked New York? 5? You were not really fighting!"

"I was 15!" she huffed sitting up "And I was already a SHIELD agent! Where were you, huh? High school? I can absolutely imagine you as an awkward teenager "

"You know what..." Matt started but chiming of her phone stopped him from finishing.

"Ugh! I'm not done with you!" she squirmed and reached for the device checking who has the audacity to interrupt her fight with Matt.

"Who's that?" he asked.

"Why so interested all of a sudden?"

"Someone might have mentioned somethign about you getting attention on..... Tiktok?"

"Yeah, trust me, all the heroes and vigilantes do." she muttered

"You know about it?"

"For crying out loud, Matt." she moved her legs and sat up making him miss the contact "I work with the apps! No matter if I want it or not, I came across some of those videos. Some of them are really, really good, those kids have skills, but I try not to search for them. Sometimes you come across some things you wish you could unsee....." she tensed a bit at some distant memory

"I don't think I will have a problem with that" he smirked and her shoulders relax at the joke.

"I bet! It's Karen by the way, speak of the devil. She send me some link. Might be that thing she was watching in the office that got her smiling like crazy." without any hestitation Y/N opened the link and much to her suprised she was put through TikTok .

"She's spending work time on the Internet? Maybe I should reprimand her ..... Y/N?" he felt the change in the atmosphere when Y/N started the edit.

"Oh, no..... " she whispered muting it immediately so that Matt won't hear the music. Heat waves. Used as a soundtrack to her, i.e. Shadow's ship with Matt, i.e. Daredevil. However she was not fast enough.

Sometimes all I think about it you......

"Damn that fucking device!" she almost threw it across the room.

"What is it?" he asked suddenly getting a lot of mutually inconsistent vibes from her.

"NOTHING!"

"You can't lie to me, you know."

"It's nothing, Matt. Forget it." she exited the site, not wanting to see more and put the phone on the table. "Can we go back to our argument?"

"I....." Matt opened his mouth but once again her phone started to ring.

"Ugh!" Y/N cried and picked up.

"Looks like someone's addicted." Matt teased

"Shut up! Hello? Peter? Did you get home safe? Good. Me? Yeah, I'm fine, I'm hanging at Matt's place. You what? Ok, all right I guess." she covered the phone "he wants to go on speaker. You don;t mind, right?"

"Since when do you care about my opinion?"

"It's your apartment. Even I can respect the host boundaries if...."

"Do it. I like that kid."

"Mr. Daredevil?" Peter's voice came through

"Hey kid. You good?"

" Pretty fine."

"No troubles on the way?"

"No, sir. But I .... um..... Can I say something?"

"Keep it rational, Pete" Y/N rubbed her forehead. Parker was like a youger brother to her, but sometimes he acted like a total teenager. With all the worst things coming from it.

"I've been going through your fanpage, Y/N...."

"My what?" the girl raised her head, eyes widening. She knew about the videos and stuff but fanpage? "I can't remember appointing you the head of my personal PR!"

"Let him talk, Y/n. this is going to be fun" Matt slapped her leg playfully and she stuck her tongue at him.

"Um... thanks, Mr. Murdock. So like I said, I;ve been running....."

"And?" she was getting impatient

"I just gotta ask. Are you two together? Cause there are a lot of comments about how good you would fit and.... Y/N? Mr. Murdock?" poor boy was clearly discouraged by the silnce on the other side.

Fuck..... y/n thought. And to think that mere minutes ago she was fighting that Matt would not hear that song. Now it was out.

"Do they?" Matt dwelled, using his lawyer skills to trick the teen. "what exactly do they say?"

"For example......"

"Ok, this is enough. Thank you for calling Peter, this was extremely enlightening. I'm gonna hang up now, take care"

She disconnected, not sure how to act now. The best way out was probably to shrug it off, but since she was emotional before it might not work. However, being casual was worth a shot.

"Well that was a hell of an evening" she stood up and streched her back, a bit of skin showing. "I think I'm gonna head out to my place."

""Y/n" Matt grabbed her hand and made her spun. "Can you explain?"

"Explain what?" she took a step back but he followed "Peter's tosses? I think he's projecting, I swear I saw him hit his head during the fight and....."

"Did you know?"

"About his mental incapabily and wanton imagination?" she was trying so desperately to cover the heat she felt rising towards her cheeks, heartbeat picking up, hands starting to tremble.

"Y/N." his voice became soft, his touch lingering on her skin "Don't do this....." he brush a strand of hair behind her ear, so damn tenderly it made her shiver.

"Matt, I ......"

"Please, talk to me. Did you know?"

"I did." there was no point lying. He would know.

"Were you ok with that? with those videos? You mentioned seeing something you did not like and ...."

"I never consider any possibility of this becoming real...." she confessed "it was just a fantasty and ....."

"And what about now?' he whispered getting even closer

"Now?" she gulped "did anything change?"

"A lot. Now I know too."

"And?" she asked that question so quietly that it made her doubt if he even heard it.

"You should have told me sooner...." his hands wandered onto her waist pulling her close, slowly, carefully, giving her time and space to back out even if they both knew she wouldn;t do such thing. "Can I?" he brushed his lips over hers.

"Mhm....." she mummbled trembingly.

And when he finally closed the gap between them she wished she told him sooner. The way he was touching her, holding her close to him, kissing her..... It made her feel wanted. Loved. Not just as the Shadow, but as Y/N. She felt all. Happiness, relief, joy, sense of belonging, peace..... And a bit of fear and uncertainty if this was right. But that quickly melted away when he deepened the kiss and her hands instinctively moved towards his hair tugging at the roots making his groan.

"I think I'm gonna have to pay more attention to social sites from now on...." he pulled for air and rested his forehead on hers, one hand cupping her cheek, the other on the small on her back, preventing her from getting to far away.

"shall I remind you, you can't see....?"

"Oh, honey, I can imagine. From what I get that song from before.....?"

"Mhm. It was the soundtrack." she muttered "But you can catch up on it all later. Now, can you kiss me more? Please?"

"Don't need to ask me twice, baby." he smiled and captured her lips in his.

@pinksirensong

[ptseti]

UPDATE; African stream is on Rumble:

The SHOCKING Reason Africa Stream Was SILENCED

FVCKERS. Umm, Question: With all our talent in Africa, why don’t we have our own platform? Why do we keep bowing down and catering to these people who have never valued us? We remain divided because we continue to drink the Kool-Aid they serve us. It’s time to put an end to this nonsense and build our own platform. We must stop relying on these racist supremacists. They’ve never liked Black people, and they keep disrespecting us because we allow it by not respecting ourselves.