#yes I know I should switch to android

[beazt]

u know what sucks. fucken. iOS App Store has a limit on shit where discord can’t let u into age restricted servers on iOS. :| major overstepping if u ask me

[talesofesther]

a touch of emotion

Connor x Reader

Summary: After the meeting with Kamski, Connor feels conflicted and lost, luckily you're there to hold his hand through it.

A/N: DBH is one of my main comfort games, and it was about time I wrote a little something for my favorite boy from it. If anyone would like to see more of Connor here, let me know. <3

Masterlist

"Why didn't you shoot?" Hank inquires, narrowing his eyes inquisitively.

"I just saw that girl's eyes… And I couldn't…" Connor answers back, his voice edging on desperate. "That's all."

A howling wind prickles your skin like tiny needles. It was such a cold day, no wonder you hadn't been keen on coming out here today. Leaning back on the hood of Hank's car and pulling your coat tighter around yourself, you watch from afar as Connor tries to justify his choice, even if it had been the right one to make.

He intrigues you. Because for someone who keeps saying he's just a machine trying to accomplish a task, he acts way more human than a lot of people you know. Even on the day you'd met him, he was already all curious and talkative, you couldn't recall meeting any android like him before.

Connor has changed ever since you started working together, you realize it now more than ever. He's becoming softer, personality starting to shine through the cracks as his decisions become increasingly emotionally driven.

"Cyberlife's last chance to save humanity, is itself a deviant."

Kamski's words echoed inside your mind, as did Connor's panicked and distressed expression when he promptly denied it. Ironic, you think to yourself; he shouldn't feel as troubled as he does if what Kamski said is not true.

And that same feeling now lingers. Once they were done talking, Hank took a few steps away to make a call, most likely to the precinct judging by the scowl on his face; and Connor can't stand still, he's pacing around, fidgeting with the cuffs of his blazer as the snow shifts under his feet. There's a permanent frown on his eyebrows, he looks almost… lost, his LED with an insistent yellow color and gaze unfocused on the distance.

You worry your lower lip between your teeth, torn between reaching out to him or keeping to yourself. The snow falls heavier now, and you can feel the tips of your fingers slowly going numb. You've always liked the cold, yet it seems the cold doesn't like you.

Between the snow, the frozen lake, and the white horizon of the frigid weather, Connor stands out. He's holding onto his own arms, hugging himself, and you find it endearingly human, as if he's subconsciously trying to find a way to comfort himself.

You lay your palms flat on the hood of the car and push yourself away, walking up to him before you can think things through. The snow crunching under your feet doesn't seem to call his attention. "Connor?" You say gently, reaching out to him with your hand but stopping short of actually touching him. You hesitate. When did he start making you nervous?

"You okay?"

Those warm and tender brown eyes of his regard you with curiosity, lips half parted as he struggles on what to say. The LED on his temple switched from blue to yellow and blue again. "I- yes. I think I'm fine." Snowflakes are clinging to his hair and falling softly onto the skin of his cheeks; they compliment his features, always so gentle.

You offer him a small, comforting smile. He's still figuring himself out. It was okay, you were patient.

"I'm… sorry," Connor begins again, avoiding looking you directly in the eyes. He purses his lips and closes his eyes for a moment longer, and you doubt you've ever seen any android be this expressive.

"I compromised our investigation," he pauses, "I should have been more efficient." And reprimands himself.

You're shaking your head before he's even done talking. "No, don't say that," you take a step closer to him as your heart holds your reasoning hostage, one hand wrapping around Connor's wrist to keep him with you. "Don't say that when you've made the right choice, Connor."

There was a beat, Connor's face does something complicated that you cannot read, and when he looks up at you again, his gaze is almost too much. The amount of emotion he looked at you with nearly made you choke on air.

"But… we didn't learn anything." His voice is quiet, barely there, as if he doesn't care for his own argument and is only looking for an excuse to hear more of your voice.

"I don't care," the words fall from your lips before you can debate if you should even be saying them out loud at all.

Connor seems surprised, caught off guard as his eyebrows raise just slightly at how fast and true you spoke. His eyes keep searching your face for… something. You couldn't be sure of what exactly he was looking for. Maybe even he doesn't know yet.

Your heart stumbles on your chest when you see Connor gulping and his eyes avoiding yours again. Only then do you realize that the hand you held his wrist with had drifted lower, your fingers now gently grazing his palm. His skin feels comfortingly warm and soft, a pleasant touch sending goosebumps down your spine.

It was all foreign territory to him, you knew it, felt it in the way he tried timidly closing his fingers around your own. His movements are slow, uncertain, and tentative, bordering on afraid.

How naive of you, to be having such feelings for an android. Yet when he's the most caring, honest, endearing, and gentle person you know, how could you not?

Hank told you once; "I think you're breaking our android huh." He'd said it right after Connor had gone through the trouble of finding an umbrella just so you didn't have to stand under the heavy rain, even if you tried telling him you didn't mind. And you'd taken it as a joke back then, not really understanding the hidden meaning behind your older partner's teasing look.

Yet as you hold onto Connor's hand now, feeling the way his thumb shyly brushes your skin, you wonder if he feels it too, if he's willing to feel the same as you do. If you could dare to hope.

"All I care about," you speak slow and careful, syllables heavy on your tongue. You clear your throat so your voice doesn't sound as tender as you feel. "is that… that you didn't let him manipulate you, that you followed your heart." You bring your free hand up to his chest, right on top of where you can faintly feel his thirium pump working overtime.

Connor looked to be about to speak, perhaps to try and correct you about your choice of words, yet all he does is open and close his mouth, eyes trained on yours and LED swirling with a permanent yellow color. For a moment you wonder if he's analyzing you, and worry about what he may find. His hold on your hand tightens ever so slightly; you don't think he realizes he's doing it.

"I'm glad you didn't pull the trigger, Connor. I'm proud of you."

It's barely a second, his LED flashing red before going back to yellow and eventually, slowly, blue; but you see it. He blinked a couple of times as if processing your words or how to feel about them.

"I-" Connor's eyes seem hazy, their tender brown only a thin ring around his blown pupils. His fingers now tangle with yours. "I feel-"

"Alright kids, let's go." Hank's voice sounds all too loudly as he unintentionally breaks the bubble that cocooned you and Connor. "Fowler wants us back in the precinct." The lieutenant speaks with an annoyed undertone as he stuffs his phone back in his pocket.

You're still caught up in the feeling of Connor's skin on yours, in how you're now so hyper-aware of just how close he's standing to you. Connor, it seems, isn't much different.

When there's no answer, Hank finally looks your way and gestures you over; "come on, get a move on, I don't wanna hear another lecture about arriving late," he insists, before plopping himself into the driver's seat, murmuring something about damn love-birds.

Despite the cold, you can feel a warmth coming up to your cheeks. Without mustering the courage to meet Connor's gaze, you focus on the way his hand fits so perfectly with yours. His fingers are awkwardly intertwined with yours, holding strong and gentle at the same time.

Connor seems reluctant to let go. It hits you that perhaps he won't. You could dwell on a thousand reasons of why, or not think at all and simply bask in the feeling. But right now time isn't on your side.

You take a deep breath, and risk a glance up at him.

Any words you were about to say suddenly feel clogged up in your throat. Oh, Connor tilts his head in that endearing way you're so fond of, yet the look in his eyes is one you've never caught before; you can't name it, it feels dangerous to try, but he looks as if he just realized something.

"Come on," you tug on his hand, just about managing the timid words, "we have to go."

Connor follows quietly, his hand steady on yours until you reach the car and are forced to part.

As Hank drives, you watch Connor through the rearview mirror; there's a newfound lightness to him, a warmth to his eyes that makes you feel fuzzy inside. And when he catches your gaze, and smiles, you know he feels it too.

⋆* ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Thank you for reading this little story. Feedback and reblogs are literally what keeps me motivated to continue posting here, so I’d appreciate it if you could take some time to reblog and comment. <3

You do not have permission to repost, copy, or translate my works on any platforms (even with credit), please respect.

Connor’s taglist: @milkiane@v1ci0us

[iwonderwh0]

I had this snippet in my notes for a really long time. I hoped maybe I'll figure how to write more things around it, but ultimately today I decided to set it free and post it. It's part of my multibodied au that I post about sometimes under "single mind multiple bodies" tag

----------------------------

Hank never liked androids, although he wouldn't be able to answer for sure, whether it was really the androids he disliked or rather what they represented.

A multibillion-dollar corporation, disguised as a pretty face, a fake promise, but so appealing and convenient it was easy to grow dependant, get too used to the level of the never-ending entertainment and patience to tolerate another human, suddenly too imperfect to complete with a dopamine trap of a CyberLife substitute. That's what it was, a substitute, but most of all — it was an attempt to steal human connection. Steal and sell it back for profit. A precious resource that should have only been shared with other people but was now wasted for nothing. A toy, not even an animal like a pet.

At some point, Hank wasn’t even sure if it was really the androids that were getting progressively "more human" or people who were rapidly becoming less so. It was entirely possible, he thought, that the change was proportional, as if humans strived to assimilate themselves among the new crowd of soulless imposters.

The thought of it never failed to make Hank angry, sick. It made him sick to his stomach to think about an entire generation that was doomed to become the lonliest history has ever seen, denied a chance to fully experience probably the only thing actually worth living for.

And they won't even know it.

Hell

Hating androids instead of those who brought them was no more productive than being angry at the rock for being thrown. Still. Hank couldn't help but feel the surge of hatred every time he saw them. Irrationality, he wanted to see them destroyed, to be the one to destroy them personally, as if the damage could in any way be translated back to CyberLife.

He hated Connor. Despite agreeing to take the job by his own decision, he couldn't help it. He thought he knew enough about what he was going to be dealing with to be prepared to ignore all the attempts at fooling him. It wouldn't work, not on him. He wouldn't let it make him forget about what it was. Or rather, what it wasn't. That's what he told himself. That's what he kept repeating.

But working with Connor kept challenging him in ways he didn't expect.

Most of all, it made him suddenly aware that he had absolutely no idea what androids actually were because whatever he had imagined them to be, Connor was not.

Just as Hank imagined androids would, it tried to be nice to him, talking to him with that bubbly attitude that Hank so hated, the one he had learned to associate with a phony act. That much was true. The thing was, Connor stopped acting this way fairly quickly and switched instead to finding new ways to get on Hank's nerves. To annoy him. Provoke a reaction.

He caught him smoking once, and as Hank palmed his own coat, searching for his pack, he realized that the android must have pickpocketed him at some point. He didn't even notice when or how.

"Aren't you afraid of getting some cyber-cancer?" Hank asked him, approaching.

Connor eyed him, unimpressed.

"I've already got you," he said.

Hank snorted, surprised.

"Was that funny?"

"Yes," Hank shook his head. "That was a good one."

"Oh, sorry. I meant it as an insult." Connor said in a voice that might as well have said 'I think there was a misunderstanding'.

Hank laughed again, and for a moment, he almost found himself liking Connor.

It surprised Hank at first, before he got too used to it to care. On another thought, he pondered, it might still have been a part of the android's programming. If Connor couldn't provoke positive emotions, he would still try to provoke some.

Another thing that rubbed Hank the wrong way about Connor was his ability to fake emotions, specifically, the unconventional choice of them. They were not what Hank expected an android to imitate. But then again, he had never owned one to know if it was common or not. Connor pretended to be annoyed when Hank didn't want to follow his suggestions and frustrated when he was unable to get an expected outcome, be it a task of his own or an attempt to provoke a reaction. He would get angry at Hank for doing something wrong -- even if it was just incorrectly pronounced word -- but devastated and anxious when he did something wrong himself.

It went against Hank's conviction that androids were agreeable and indulgent, not to mention flawless. But, if he thought about it, Connor wasn't a companion android. His intended function wasn't to appeal to anyone, especially not to Hank, but instead to pass as human and accomplish specific tasks by any means necessary. Which, Hank realised, happened to include emotional manipulation.

This makes it worse.

Hank was stupid enough to fall for it. He shouldn't repeat his mistakes.

God, did he hate androids.

Surely, the damn thing couldn't feel anything.

There still was a doubt. It was lumping in Hank's throat when he saw the android checking itself in their shared bathroom mirror, spending a wasteful amount of time doing so, a weird kind of worry written on its face.

Maybe he's doing something else in the process

It pried at him at the sight of an android stopping at the mall to take a closer look at the fish inside the hall aquarium.

This could be his attempt to evoke your sympathy.

It was pulsing in his head at the memory of the android leaning into his own tight embrace of his other body in an action no androids should be doing on their own. There was no reason for him to do that. And yet he still did.

Surely, Hank could further hypothesize about being the intended audience in a well-planned performance, but unlike other sound explanations, this one made no sense at all. There was nothing to gain from it, or at least, Hank couldn't think of any potential use for it.

Could he just want to do it? Not for anyone but for himself.

Could he be alive?

The thought scared him. Not so much because of the possibility of it being correct, but because the implications of what this fact would mean in a wider sense.

If Connor is alive, are other androids too?

Could they all be?

Have they always been?

It would, however, be a lie to say that the thought wasn't unnerving in its own. Although talking to an android, it was easy to forget that Hank was talking to, essentially, answerphone, he had never once before fully considered, that he might be actually judged — not just by an algorithm trying to decide which ad to feed him next time he goes online, but by something that could actually see him, think about him, form an opinion about him, be in any way affected by his words.

There was always this sense of permissiveness in talking to an android. It was a crime with no witnesses to recognise it as such.

And then, suddenly, there was one.

[communistaugust]

How to emulate every pre-Switch FE

Since the take is clearly useful for some people I'm going to make it a bit nicer (and ping it for future reference) :

FE1-2 : Mesen for the NES emulator FE1 EN fantranslation FE2 EN fantranslation It's the NES, your computer can emulate it trust me

FE3-4-5 SNEX9X for the SNES emulator FE3 EN fantranslation (note that it use the European names) Fire Emblem: Archanea Saga EN fantranslation (also know as BS Fire Emblem, and yes this game exist). You will also need a BS-X Bios that can be found here FE4 EN fantranslation, also knows as project Naga FE4 SP fantranslation FE5 fantranslation, also knows as Lil' Manster. There is also a spanish version SNES9x was first released in 20th century, your computer can run it

FE6-7-8 Mgba for the GBA emulator. This is also how you play the majority of FE romhack, with them being based on FE8 FE6 fantranslation Your computer can run mgba trust me again

FE9-10 Dolphin for the Gamecube/Wii emulator Dolphin is more demanding than the previous one who will run on just about anything (but still very reasonable), especially if you want to run the games on higher resolution. I recommend checking out the recommended specs and trying it out on your machine

FE11-12 Either DeSmuME or MelonDS for the DS emulator. MelonDS run better but require firmware files FE12 fantranslation

3DS games Citra was an accidental victim of Yuzu going down so your best bet is to grab it from one of it fork, like here. This is the most ressource intensive emulator listed here, but it does allow you to use mods very easily Another option is to simply hack your 3DS if you have one

For obvious reason I can't link the roms themself but they are easy to find, like on a certain subreddit that start with R.

I also insist that you don't need a "gaming" PC to emulate, most of the emulator of this post will run on toaster from the early 2010s. They are also very simple to use as if ! I see too many people that stop themself from using emulator for reason that does not really exist. And frankly Nintendo can get fucked if they think you should be forking 250€ for a used copy of RD where you can't even speedup the enemy phase.

Finally, I know they are emulators that run on android, but I'm not qualified at all to speak for them. Keep in mind that the option exists if it's more convenient for you.

[rinastray]

Update/Upgrade

Prompt: Kiss of Life (twst rarepair halloween 2023, 11/02)

Pairing: Ace/Ortho

Rating: Teen

Ortho keeps staying late in the Pomefiore ballroom.

⁂

With a sigh Ace laces his fingers together and raises his arms, stretching to loosen the tension in his spine.

Vil is such a taskmaster, honestly! It's not like Ace even needs to be at the practices, given he wasn't going to be walking the runway, but the upperclassman had insisted that Ace attend every session in full couture even though he did nothing but stand there as Ortho and the other two ran through their performance again and again and again to satisfy the perfectionist tendencies of Vil and Professor Crewel.

…Okay, yeah Vil wasn't quite as anal this time as he was in the lead up to the SDC, but still!

At least Ace is finally free for the day. He'd promptly gone off to change the moment Vil had dismissed them, and is on his way out back to Heartslabyul when he walks by the ballroom and sees that Ortho is still inside taking advantage of the space to do lifts and turns, just missing the ceiling; he’d been doing this a lot lately.

So Ace raps on the open door and Ortho pauses upside down, head turning towards the intrusion. “Hello, Ace Trappola-san. I thought you had already gone back to your dorm.” “Nah, not just yet,” he says stepping in enough to lean against the door frame proper. “You’ve been staying late pretty much every night since we got dressed up. Enjoying the extra height compared to your… what were they again?”

“My gears?”

Ace snaps his fingers. “Yeah! Those!” He grins. “This one’s taller then your other gears, so it’s probably no fun going back to the others.”

“I did not think anyone would notice… but yes. I adjusted Divus Crewel-sensei’s blueprints some because…” Ortho almost looks a bit sheepish beneath his visor as he rights himself, dropping to the floor proper. “Because…”

“Because you want to grow up some?”

That gets Ace a smile that still sits just a bit too awkward on Ortho’s mouth. “I do. Nii-san knows I switched my teeth out for something more like his, but I haven’t properly shown him this gear yet. He has the original blueprints, but not my modifications.”

“Ehh, Idia-senpai’ll probably be really happy. Big brothers are always happy to see their little brothers grow up.”

“Really?”

“Yup! Least that’s what mine told me.”

“I see.” Ortho tilts his head with another smile. “Thank you for your advice, Ace Trappola-san!”

This time Ace is the one who definitely feels sheepish as he rubs the back of his head. “It’s nothing, really. Any other serious existential problems bothering you?”

"I would not consider it ‘existential’, but there is one thing I would like to try," Ortho admits, "but all my research says that it is not something one should ask of anyone but a partner."

"You mean sex?" Ace asks, voicing the first thing that pops into his head; the thought doesn't surprise him as much as he expected it might, but Ortho is basically 16 and seven knows Ace has had enough thoughts along those lines since he hit his teens. It's probably about time for Ortho to hit that point. Especially given everything that happened last month…

A frown crosses Ortho's mouth, lips pressed against those too new teeth and barely showing a row of sharp points against the android's lower lip. "No but yes?" he says. "I am curious about that topic in a practical sense, but I was wondering more about what it would be like to kiss someone."

"Wait, that's really it?” It really does seem like a simple thing to want. “Well, that's easy enough to do." Ace steps into the ballroom proper towards his yearmate and leans in once he’s in front of him, brushing his mouth against Ortho's. "Like that?"

The android goes quiet and still for a long moment, a faint hum coming off him that Ace would swear anything is the other processing at full speed, before Ortho tilts his head, meeting Ace's gaze fully. "...Might I request a more thorough demonstration?"

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" It’s not hard offering to help, and it’s not like Ace really has all that much experience himself either way; this would be a good learning experience for both of them.

Ortho's answering smile is brilliant as Ace leans back in, grateful for the extra height the android has added to his newest gear as it leaves him just much closer to Ace's level.

(Looking back Ace thinks it’s maybe just a little unfair how quick Ortho can pick up new things. In more ways then one…)

[marcusrobertobaq]

There's a variation in Connor's orders logic that is quite funny.

Deal with the leader (Crossroads)

If Connor remain a machine and the leader escapes, the HUD gonna say the mission failed, but for some reason...

2. Neutralize the leader (Night of the Soul)

If Connor dies in HPR the mission doesn't fail, it stays "open" in a way even tho CL will have to send another Connor (same situation from Crossroads). Also still "open" if the scope is broken anyways.

I really don't get the logic here. Either both failed or neither of 'em really failed but there's something interesting in the logic that could be relevant...

Deal with the leader -> but he's supposed to TAKE THE LEADER ALIVE FROM THE SHIP.

This is an specification much like Amanda updating Connor's new mission and trapping him into the yes/no situation in the Bridge scene. Although she doesn't say anything besides taking the leader alive, Connor's mission switches to "Stop/Neutralize" the leader the moment they resist - and that's what he does (killing Markus).

Which is IN PRACTICE the same exact mission in Connor's Last Mission. Following this logic, for it to really fail in Crossroads would be "Stop/Neutralize" the leader BEFORE THEY ESCAPE FROM THE SHIP - and that's why it would fail instead of remain open cuz...

Neutralize the leader -> but BEFORE THE UPRISING IS A SUCCESS

This is the logic behind Connor being able to fail/die in HPR and come back to kill Markus or North in the revolution. But there's something funny in all this:

Connor can face North and Markus only if it' REVOLUTION path (failed/Markus fighting);

In the DEMONSTRATION we don't play as Connor, he arrives later and what determines if he's successful or not is if Markus got killed by soldiers or not.

If Markus is ALIVE the mission gonna remain open during the speech, meaning the ghost specification BEFORE THE UPRISING IS A SUCCESS ain't relevant in Connor's mission

But there are another 2 points that could explain why one remains open and the other not even if they're the exact same thing with no ghost specifications being relevant:

There's a 1 day timeskip from Crossroads to Battle for Detroit.

In HPR, Connor knows the leader location and the % of where to find 'em, meaning he DIDN'T LOSE THE LEADER FROM SIGHT

In Crossroads the moment the leader escapes Connor DOESN'T KNOW WHERE THE LEADER IS and they could just dissapear forever and never be seen again but =! dead - being impossible for him to kill 'em. Would take days of tracking and that's why the mission gets closed as failed.

After the leader is found (declaration of war or declaration of protests) Amanda gives him the mission to neutralize the leader. But there's an inconsistency (in my head):

If u don't die in Crossroads (meaning Markus died) North becomes the leader. Amanda must have telepathy powers cuz she says North gonna take Detroit by force (revolution) to Connor in nov 10th 7:31PM. North only declares war PUBLICLY somewhere on nov 11th.

U can argue both the Church and Amanda Garden happens at the same time (nov 10th 7:31PM) which should be true in this timeline - but how tf does Amanda know about it the moment North make the speech (like we see if we play as deviant Connor)? Or her speech happens later and it's like viral content on internet? i thought deviants were more private

There's another point - if u died in Crossroads (meaning Markus is alive and can take DEMONSTRATION or REVOLUTION route if he wasn't outcast) Amanda NEVER mentions anything about what the androids are organizing, she only gives Connor the order to "Neutralize" the leader.

I'm missing something...

[maximotts]

I held off on using scrivener for a long time because of the price tag. But has a 30 day trial and when they say 30 days they mean 30. It’s not from the 1st to the 30th of the month it’s you using it thirty different days. I went through a writing slump and had the trial for like six months lmao. So that is definitely worth a try if you’re still not sure about committing. (PC & Mac - not sure about the others)

I like that you can cloud back up with drop box. If you also buy the ios/android app (less than pc but still a lot. $40 AUD for me) you can switch between them easily. I don’t personally write on my phone but I feel safer with a physical version and a cloud back up.

I find writing on scrivener much easier. Especially long form. The cork board feature is super useful and hard to find somewhere else. There’s a notes feature for each separate scene which is useful when you want to write an idea down without interrupting your flow. I found it hard to plan fics because it’d just be a big block of text (and maybe a diagram) that I’d scroll through which not only sucked up time but I wouldn’t use it a lot and then have to rewrite stuff when I saw an idea I love but forgot.

I also love the scene feature because it stops me from accidentally rereading what I’ve already written instead of writing lmao. I’m writing stuff so much faster because I don’t see a big chunk of text and go “well I should reread to remember where I’m at” like I didn’t write 12 hours ago.

I was also hesitant to buy it because “it’s just another program google docs works just as well” buuuut it’s not. I was just barely writing lol. I would give the trial a go because it really gives you a chance to get familiar with everything without forcing yourself to write a much in a month. If you don’t end up liking the program you can export what you’ve written in there on the last day pretty easily so no harm no foul. The program has an simple setting to consolidate everything.

I also use scrivener for study! I’m getting a diploma to become a library technician and find the organisation of scrivener so helpful for taking notes. It also makes printing them for exam season so much easier.

So yeah :) I think you should get it but take advantage of the trial first just in case. Sorry for so much text but I hope this helps!

Ooo no apologies needed, I really appreciate the detailed review! I didn't know the 30 day trial meant thirty days of active use but that's actually so amazing, I love that!! I find sometimes when I'm trying to like, force myself to learn too much new stuff at once I get too stressed to like, take a breather with the program and then I end up not liking it as much so that's a really good feature!!

And YES to the rereading what you've already written because I fall into that trap way too much and then I'm like "welp now I have to get up and do something else now!" and nothing new gets done!!

Anything that's good for notetaking is a must try in my book tbh, I've been toying with doing a second degree for a bit, but also I just love to take notes on anything and everything I read and research so 👀👀

[corpocyborg]

Beyond the Event Horizon, a Cyberpunk 2077 fanfiction (Post-Devil Ending Female Corpo V)

Summary:

During the years V spent in Mikoshi, the Human-AI war raged. Alt Cunningham breached Mikoshi, destroying the engrams contained therein. All except one. Arasaka can only speculate as to why Alt didn’t destroy V, but since she represented the only remaining trace of the Secure Your Soul program, they put her into a protective stasis mode. Now it’s become clear that the rogue AIs are winning�� and NetWatch needs a new weapon. V is awakened as a superpowered android who can effortlessly slip in and out between reality and the Net. She’s NetWatch’s desperate final assault on the rogue AIs… and Arasaka’s most valuable piece of property. With the help of familiar faces such as Goro Takemura and NetWatch agent Bryce Mosley, V’s mission is to stop the rogue AI revolution and win the war for humanity. Something inside her is missing, but she’s far beyond caring. “V, you should stop.” “Oh, Goro, I think we passed that event horizon a long time ago, don’t you?”

Chapter One: It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

[ao3 link]

When she awoke, the first thing she felt was a surge of power. Electricity flowed out from the center of her head. As it reached her limbs, she gained motor function. She tried moving—flexing the fingers on her right hand and then balling them up into a fist. Her grip was strong, steady. Her optics lit up and displayed the first image she would see through her new eyes—the Arasaka logo. 

As the image switched to a loading screen, her other senses came online. They were sharp. She could hear the sounds closest to her—a rhythmic beeping of some sort, someone breathing—but she could also hear sounds that seemed to be coming from several miles above her. Footsteps in a hall, muffled conversations. If she focused, she could isolate individual voices. 

“…waking her up as we speak.”

“If this fails, if she’s not good enough-“

“It won’t fail.”

“But if it does, we’re screwed. End of the world. Game over.”

“Not an option.”

The loading screen vanished, and she saw the world for the first time. She was lying on her side in a hospital bed. A cable ran out from the access point in her head. 

“Arasaka Tower…” said a voice in her head. No, not a voice. Her voice. 

“There. Metacognitive processes are fully active,” a different voice said. “She’s self-aware. You should be able to speak to her now.”

“Hello, V,” said Goro Takemura as he stepped into her field of vision. He looked well. The polished, conservative look of an Arasaka employee had always suited him like a second skin.

“Goro?” she replied. She’d expected that her voice would sound hoarse, but it was clear and strong. “What’s happening? Am I… alive?” 

“Yes, V. You are.” He reached behind her head and unplugged the cable. 

“What happened?” The memories had flooded back, but there was much she couldn’t make sense of. “I was in Mikoshi… I was waiting, and then… they told me they had to put me to sleep for a while, to protect me…” 

“V,” Goro interrupted. “It is a long story. We will have time for it later.”

“Later. Right.” She sat up. It wasn’t difficult. Her body moved gracefully. It responded to her commands without delay. Despite all her training and all her cyberware in her former life, she’d never felt more in control. She looked up at Goro and smiled. “It’s good to see you again.”

He nodded at her. “You as well, V. How do you feel?”

“I feel good,” she said. She bent her neck to one side, then the other. “I feel great, actually.” She jumped up off the hospital bed and stood next to Goro. She held her arms out in front of her and flexed her fingers, grinning at him again. “Arasaka really outdid themselves this time, huh?”

“Yes. Well, I am glad you think so.” Goro said, then paused. 

As she waited for him to continue speaking, she took in the rest of her environment. A hospital room, reminiscent of her days in Arasaka’s orbital station. She quickly realized her optics were upgraded—they had several new modes to try out. She was excited to find that one of them allowed her to see through walls. In a nearby room, a team of doctors were tensely watching a monitor that depicted Goro and herself. 

She switched over to the next mode, and the shock of it nearly crashed her processor. She could sense not only every room on the floor, but every floor in Arasaka Tower—from their current location near the bottom to the Night City duplicate of Saburo Arasaka’s office at the top. For a while, she watched the Arasaka employees moving and working throughout the building. In this view, they reminded her of gears in a machine or neurons in a brain. She could recognize a synchronized pattern in their motions, see the order in the chaos. 

Goro finally spoke up. It occurred to V that he hadn’t paused all that long, really. Her mind just worked faster than it used to. “There is not an easy way to tell you that it has been 5 years since you were last aware.”

“Only five?” V asked. 

“Only?” He hadn’t expected that response.  

“Well, yes. I expected worse. It could have been 1,000 years and then I’d have to adjust to a whole new, unfamiliar world.” V laughed. “Don’t worry, Goro, I don’t blame you for my lost time. Really. I’m grateful. You saved my life. You and Arasaka.”

“V,” he said. “It may have been ‘only’ five years, but the world has changed much in the time you were gone. There are circumstances you will need to understand.”

“All right, then. Explain away.” 

“Not here. I will take you to your accommodations. You need time to rest.”

V laughed again. “I’ve never felt more energetic. You do know that I just woke up from a 5 year nap, right?” 

“Fine, then, do not rest. But let me take you. You can wash, change clothes, eat.” He looked as if a thought just occurred to him. “Well, I suppose you do not need to eat anymore. But you can, if you wish to. For pleasure.” 

“Pleasure sounds nice,” V joked. “Hey, I haven’t forgotten what you promised me. Real food in Kagawa, remember? You owe me.” 

“I remember. When the time is right. First, there is work to do.”

---

V couldn’t remember the last time she’d experienced anything as luxurious as this shower. She supposed at least part of that had to reasonably be attributed to her heightened senses. She was growing very fond of her new body. 

It had clearly been designed to resemble her old one, although the signs of her new mechanical nature were not exactly subtle. Wires and chrome were exposed in places, and she had the impression that the body was meant to be customizable. Maybe limbs could be swapped out, upgraded? But for the most part, she looked like herself. Except they’d removed the tattoo of the devilish billy goat branded with the Arasaka logo, courtesy of her former brain parasite. In its stead was the Arasaka logo itself, conspicuous in black against her pale artificial flesh. Whoever’d given her that had a sense of humor. 

In performance, however, this body had nothing in common with the other one. Between the fancy cyberware, the increased reflexes, and the faster thought processes, she felt like she’d lived her whole life before with only a tiny sliver of her potential unlocked.

When she was finished washing, she stepped out of the shower and took a look in the closet. It was full of fine corpo suits and dresses, as well as highly-modded military gear. All of the items were extremely expensive and exactly her size.

She selected a suit in the red and black Arasaka colors and sat down to wait for Goro to return. She decided to pour herself a glass of the champagne she found in her room. As she waited, she sat up straight, alert and calm. In her past life, she’d had habits of slouching, of fidgeting. They were all gone now.

Eventually, she heard 4 quick knocks at the door. She answered. Goro walked in, looking around the apartment. He was just as alert as her, though not nearly half as calm. 

“I see you have made yourself comfortable,” he told her, eyeing the fluted glass in her hand. 

“I’m always comfortable now,” she responded, taking a sip. “Would you like some?”

“No,” he sat down on the couch across from her. “Luckily, your new body is not capable of becoming drunk. I need you to have a clear head for what I am about to tell you.”

V smiled and folded her hands across her lap. “You’re about to tell me that Arasaka has a job for me.”

“What makes you believe this?” Goro’s tone was level, his expression neutral.

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? Look at this place.” She grinned, spread her arms, and gestured generally at the apartment. “Look at my preem new cyberware. Why would Arasaka bother to spend so many eddies on me if they didn’t have a goal in mind?”

“And you have no objection.” Goro kept his face neutral. 

“Quite the opposite.” V offered him a handshake. “I’m pleased to accept your job offer. Thank you for the opportunity.”

Goro didn’t shake her hand. “V, this is not a laughing matter.” 

V placed her hand back in her lap and looked at Goro with a more subdued expression. “Okay, okay, sorry. I’m just happy, you know? I’m alive again. And I’m back where I belong.”

“And you think where you belong is at Arasaka?” he asked.

“Yes, I do. It’s where I came from. Sure, when everything went to shit the first time, of course I was upset. I coulda killed that Abernathy bitch, for starters. But eventually, you know what I realized?”

“What?”

“That getting outplayed was no excuse to quit trying.” 

“I see,” Goro replied. “And since then, you have been attempting to get back into Arasaka’s good graces?”

“Well, no, not necessarily. I mean, at first, I didn’t exactly have an in. I just resolved to keep hustlin’, to do well as a merc, to be a living legend. A rich living legend, preferably.” She grinned, and then remembered that Goro wanted her to be serious. She looked at him earnestly. “But then I met you, and I had my in.”

“You met me because you stole from Arasaka,” he reminded her. “Why should Arasaka trust you now?”

“That was a mistake,” she said. “I regret it. But I chose to take Hanako’s deal for a reason, Goro. Not just because I thought it was my best chance to have the construct removed, but because I wanted to prove my value to Arasaka. To be honest, I had high hopes for my life after the surgery. And then… when I was in the orbital station…” V looked down. That memory was as cold and empty as the void of space had been. “And I thought I’d failed, that I was dying and no one was coming for me…”

She looked back up. He appeared as though he were about to say something, but V cut him off. “But you did come for me.”

Goro’s expression softened. V continued, “When I signed the deal to secure my soul, I didn’t know what I’d find when I woke up. So far, consider my expectations exceeded. If Arasaka has a job for me, I’m in.”

“I fear that if you knew the full extent of the situation, you would not be so eager.” Goro said.

V leaned forward, a determined look in her eyes. “Try me.”

---

“Report.”

Saburo Arasaka always had been one to get straight to the point. Goro stood in front of his familiar-looking desk, but it was not the man he had served faithfully all these years that he saw in front of him, but rather his traitorous son. It had taken quite a while to get used to that. Even now, all these years later, he still caught slight mannerisms that could only be vestiges of Yorinobu. He wondered if Saburo noticed them, or if he felt that they’d always belonged to him.

“She accepted.” 

“No hesitation?”

“None.” Goro frowned. “She was eager. Too eager. It was the eagerness of a child who underestimates the magnitude of what she faces.”

“We anticipated this.” Saburo waved the concern away. “Her first time in the body was projected to cause excess excitement. It is good. We can use it. Ensures her initial loyalty and satisfaction.”

“I see.” Goro wished he’d been warned of this projection, but almost everything about the project that had created the new V was classified at a clearance level well beyond what he had access to. And yet he’d been assigned to oversee her. A familiar face would improve her reintegration process, he’d been told. 

“Anything else?” 

“She wished to know why Alt Cunningham spared her.”         

“As do we all.” He leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. “Were there any signs of collusion between them?”

“None. She was completely surprised by the information. She speculated that it may be because of Cunningham’s ties to Silverhand. She was doubtful that an AI would be so sentimental, but she stated that she could not think of any other reason.”

Saburo’s face darkened. “I was afraid of this also. If Cunningham still sees her as representative of Silverhand, perhaps more of him remains in her than we’ve detected.”

“From what I know of Silverhand, they could not be more different.”

Saburo tapped his fingers against his desk as he considered this. This was one of the mannerisms that Goro had identified as Yorinobu’s. Prior to his return to the world of the living, Goro had never known his boss to fidget. 

“Considering the amount of time she spent with the Relic, it should have merged their psyches more than it appears to have done. She was physically destroyed by the time we uploaded her engram to Mikoshi. How can it be that her mind is still her own?”

“If I were to guess,” Goro began. “I believe that this is because she was likely unusually resistant to his influence. Hers is the only case of an engram uploaded into a living individual. If she fought back deliberately, she may have been able to slow the process.”

“And you believe she would have done this?”

“After Hanako-sama offered to help her remove the engram, Silverhand forcibly seized control of her body. He and his crew were planning to attack Arasaka Tower.” Goro knew that Saburo had heard this story before, but considering how important the project was, every detail was worth reexamining. “V managed to regain control. Then she called me and helped me put a stop to their plans as well as Yorinobu’s.”

Saburo was impassive. Unexpectedly, Goro felt a twinge of annoyance. It was absurd considering Saburo’s caution was well-warranted, but Goro wanted to defend V’s honor. 

“She would never have followed Silverhand’s path. She told me that if he regains control, I should shoot her rather than let him win. By all accounts, she hated him.”

“With a passion, it would seem,” Saburo said. “It is exactly that passion that worries me. It indicates that she cared about him.”

“She cared about getting him as far away from her head as she possibly could.” 

“That does appear to be the most likely conclusion,” Saburo said. “Regardless, she is our only option. I hope, Takemura-san, that you are correct. For the sake of all humanity.” 

[baguetteswag]

A Sorrowful Farewell at the Curtain Call | Chapter 3

PHOENIX WONDERLAND | WONDER STAGE

Tsukasa: The two androids, me and Asahi... Does that mean it will be a double starring?

Rui: Yeah, that's what’'s going to be.

Well, strictly speaking, the center of this story is Alfred though.

After all, the main plot is about a heartless android who gradually gains a soul.

However, Bartlett also has a final highlight. So I think it's fair to say that it's practically a double starring performance.

Asahi: Great! It sounds interesting! What an honour to play the lead role with Myles.

Tsukasa: …Yeah! Acting with Asahi seems also to be a great learning experience for me.

So… which one of us is going to act as which android?

Rui: About who to assign the roles to, I'm still undecided.

Asahi: Huh?

Rui: I still don't know much about Asahi's acting.

So I'm going to switch between them while practicing alternately and decide for the one that fits better.

Tsukasa: I see, I’d have expected that from you, Rui. I have no objection!

Asahi: Yeah! That kind of stuff is really exciting!

Rui: Thank you very much. As for the other roles, I will bring the script home today and think about them. Will that be okay with everyone?

Emu: Yes!!

ARKLAND member A: I can't wait to see you read the script!

Rui: (Yes. First of all, we're starting in a good mood)

(However, this is where the hard part starts. Since we’re working with the ARKLAND cast, there are a lot of challenges in terms of acting and directing)

( In any case… we'll be ourselves and do the best we can)

SEVERAL DAYS LATER

Rui: Now that everyone's roles have been decided, we'll start the readings today. Ladies and gentlemen, I look forward to working with you.

Tsukasa: I look forward to working with you!!

Asahi: Me too, I look forward to working with you!

Emu: Everyone is full of energy this morning!♪

Nene: T-There are two people with loud voices now…

Asahi: Oh, by the way, Rui-kun.

What are you going to do about the roles of me and Tsukasa-kun for the time being? You'll decide which android to play later, won't you?

Rui: This time, I'd like Asahi to temporarily play the android Alfred from Country A, and Tsukasa to play the android Bartlett from Country B.

And then, depending on the scene and situation, we'll take it in turns

You will both have to learn the script for two roles, though…

Asahi - Tsukasa: “Leave it to me! ” | “Leave it to me! ”

Rui: FuFu, I must say you're reliable.

The others are still the same: Emu is the frontier girl who picks up Alfred. Nene is Bartlett's education sergeant.

Emu: Yes!

Rui: Well then, let's start the reading now.

Tsukasa: “Good morning, Alfred. How are you feeling? "

Rui: One more time.

Tsukasa: …Rui, weren’t youv going to check the flow this time?

Rui: I apologize for saying that, but... It just doesn't feel like an android. I just need you to step into the role a little bit more.

Tsukasa: Hmmm... like an android...

Nene: Acting as an android seems difficult. I wonder how I would do it…

Emu: Hmmm... "Good Morning! Alfred! ” 

Nene: Is that an android...?

Asahi: Hmm…

Hey, Rui-kun, can I have a chance to have a dialogue with Tsukasa-kun at the beginning?

Rui: yes, certainly.

Asahi: Let's do it then, Tsukasa-kun! I'll do my best to look as android-like as possible!

Tsukasa: Oh, thank you very much… Okay, so…

“...Good morning, Alfred. How are you feeling? "

Asahi: “Good morning, Bartlett. I’m fine”

Tsukasa: (W-what? This feeling…)

(It's like if you're talking to someone else. Even though Asahi-san only said one line...)

Asahi:”t's a beautiful sunny day and the temperature is just right. I'm sure even the professor feels comfortable spending time here”

Tsukasa: ( ...! I see. I thought it would be more like an android if I didn't add too much intonation, but…)

(it’s the opposite. If you are intended to be an android that communicates with people, you should speak in a way that is easy for people to understand and with a certain degree of intonation)

“...Since it's so sunny, it would be good if the professor was able to get out of the lab once in a while

Asahi: “That's not going to happen. He's like a mole in the dirt, he likes to stay in his lab”

Tsukasa: “That's right.. Is there something we can do about that isolating habit? ”

Rui: “How irritating to be called a mole. Even tho I’m your creator”

Asahi - Tsukasa: “professor”

Rui: Yup. I think we’re good for now. I think we need to work a little bit more on getting the two of you in tune with each other.

Tsukasa: Really…!

Thank you, Asahi.

Asahi: Haha, actually I didn't do anything.

Tsukasa: No, no. Thanks to you, I think I've got a bit of a better idea of how to be more android-like.

Asahi: Well then, good for you! … And, ah right

What kind of thoughts did the professor in this play have, and for what purpose did he created an android? ... If you think about that and play it out, it might help you to act better.

Tsukasa: …!

(...I see. I thought that if I was thinking about acting as an android, I would act like an android, but…)

(Thinking about that the two androids should be based on the intentions of the doctor in the play... huh?)

(Even though there are so many things to think about, such as what kind of tasks do you want them to do, how humanised do you want them to be...)

Asahi: …Tsukasa-kun?

Tsukasa: Oh, oh! It's nothing!

Emu: You two looked like real androids!

Nene: I was surprised by Asahi-san's performance. But I'm glad Tsukasa was able to adapt too.

Rui: (...As I thought, Asahi-san is going to be a good influence on Tsukasa-kun)

Well then, let's carry on with the reading.

Nene: What do you mean? Are you saying that someone else broke into this lab at the same time as us?

ARKlAND member A: “Stay alert, Sergeant Willis! Think of this as a battlefield! “

Nene: “R-Roger! “

(Wow, what an amazing voice...! My ears are ringing...!)

(But... that's right. If you actually rush in with a gun and something irregular happens, it should give much tension...)

Emu: “Ah? Mom, someone's fallen over there! ”

ARKlAND member B: Oh, Emu-chan. Maybe you should lower your voice a little more in this scene.

This is a frontier area, so the setting doesn't have a lot of military people, but you might be expecting that the person who's fallen could be a soldier.

Emu: Oh, I see! I'll try!

Rui: (...I can see they are the cast of ARKLAND. Even though it's only been a few days since the program was decided, they've done a lot of reading and acting)

(Asahi, in particular, seems to have almost mastered the rather difficult role of Alfred)

(And… apparently it seems that he still has a lot of energy left. Wel…)

(I wonder how Tsukasa will feel upon seeing this)

Tsukasa: (...I didn't expect to see such a difference in ability just from reading together…)

(And it's not just Asahi. All of them had only been given their scripts a few days ago, but they had already read this and gotten into their roles)

(No, that's not all. They think a lot about other roles so that the whole work will be better... Yet I'm so busy with my own role...)

(...No! No! Stars doesn’t have such vulnerable behavior!)

(If you think you don't have enough power, you just need to build it up!)

(...We need to think more and more like i did with Torpe. We need to get closer to the stars of the world...!)

Rui: Now then, let's read through to the end!

Emu: Wow… That was a good story…

ARKlAND member A: I really liked the final scene where they meet on the battlefield…

Nene: Yeah. I'm glad we' re both getting to know each other properly.

Rui: FuFu, I'm glad you all liked it.

(Yes. It's quite a nice atmosphere. Just…a bit uncertain from here on)

(They… I wonder how far they'll be willing to follow my directions)

Well, now that the reading is over, I think I'll start directing the opening scene right away.

Tsukasa: When you say the opening scene, you mean the one where the… laboratory is attacked?

Asahi: The androids’ daily life is suddenly destroyed. I'm looking forward to it because it's a tense scene.

Rui: Yes. Give that sense of tension…

I really want to recreate that attack scene.

END

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[sanguinifex]

Fun fact: did you know that American insurance and healthcare companies still HEAVILY use faxes in 2023?

Yup. Faxes.

If you’re old enough to drink, your parents might have one in a closet. If you’re a little older than that, you might have seen it on a Mr. Rogers rerun, or if you’re a bit older than that, when that episode first aired. Weird oversized desk phones with paper reels in them? Sometimes office-capacity ones that double as printers? Ring a bell?

Well, you see, twenty-first century American capitalism tends to form duopolies or triopolies, explicit monopolies being illegal since the previous century. And how do these companies hold onto users, how do they create dependency and up the cost to switch? They deliberately avoid interoperability. Apple vs Android vs Microsoft. Google Drive vs OneDrive (plus, in the corporate world, AWS). Epic Systems vs …there are others, but all the medical systems I’ve interacted with since college use Epic. Which is only ever pronounced ironically. Anyway, all these different insurance and healthcare companies are keeping all their very important info and documents in individualized and often proprietary databases that they can’t mutually access. Sometimes you can’t even open the native filetypes on different software, like how Mac word processing had to be exported as .doc so you could open it on the Windows school computers to print it off your 2-gig flash drive.

Here’s the magic of fax. The US telephone system is a public utility. While the provision of service to your phone and my phone may be handled by different entities—again, courtesy of twentieth-century monopoly breakups—it is illegal for one service provider to not be interoperable with another service provider. It is standardized like railroad gauges or 0.7 mm pencil lead. You can have a T-mobile phone plan and call someone who has Verizon and be able to hear what they say, and it won’t be distorted, pitch inverted, or translated into Swahili simply because of the difference in cell carriers.

This means that fax is the ONLY universal document format in the United States. You can use it to transform a paper form into a stream of fax data, which can then be turned into another paper form or into a PDF file on someone’s computer via conversion software (which, this being America, there are multiple proprietary programs for, none of which can talk to each other except by fax). You can also convert a PDF into a fax, and then print it or convert it back to a PDF at its destination. Yes, it’s possible to send a fax that has never, at any point in its life cycle, been a physical piece of paper!

So yeah, the US healthcare system and also property insurance runs on faxes, literal grandpa technology, because capitalism hates interoperability so much that it’s sabotaging an industry, insurance, that only exists because of capitalism. Also interoperability should be mandated on the same international level as the Geneva Convention and if tech companies position themselves as digital infrastructure, we should nationalize them.

But yeah, that’s why I have fax machine duty on Wednesdays at work.

[enkisstories]

Connor blinks at Markus’ mention of not being Kamski’s school project and that is opening enough for Curtis to pounce the deviant hunter! Connor realizes too late that creating this opportunity for Curtis had been the only purpose of Markus’ banter.

“Sorry for letting this get out of hand, Markus”, the human gasps. “I wasn’t certain about this one. Plus, I needed him to lead me here.”

Connor: “Let go of me, traitor! You’d betray your own people for... what exactly?”

Curtis: “Bold words coming from a traitor of his people himself.”

Connor: “I’m not a traitor! I’m loyal! CyberLife created me with a purpose, that I will fulfill. They gave me a mission...”

Curtis: “You’re afraid, is all! Shitting your android panties blue that your bosses might drop you on the first sign of not being up to the task! Because you know that your smiling little corporate family isn’t that nice, after all!”

Connor: “It takes one...”

Curtis: “...to know one, yes. Wanna talk about it? All you have to do is to surrender.”

Connor: “Nice try, but I’m not a deviant. And even if you “kill” me now, I’ve already won! I transmitted the coordinates to the FBI, the police and CyberLife!”

Curtis: “You sold out my androids to the cops? Argh...”

Markus: “Looking for your android here, I take it? They may not want to come back home with you. - And also, take care not to kill Connor. We’re better off keeping him captive, because otherwise he’d respawn at Belle Isle.”

Connor: “I see... you made your homework...”

Markus: “There should be an off switch on the back of his neck. If you’d be so kind, Curtis?”

Curtis: “Gladly.”

Connor (booting down): “Why do I always have such bad luck... with... my... part... ners...”

[deep-fried-byleth]

Hello people in the notes who are as equally 💀 as me

First of all, tumblr misinformation strikes again (again) though I'm not blaming OP or anyone for not knowing better, we're all human and make mistakes (genuinely, I'm not being sarcastic) And second of all, here's some *proper* privacy/security advice from someone who actually has a degree and interest in this kind of thing (me). And if you don't trust me, check out PrivacyGuides.org and/or PrivSec.dev which are run by people who are well-informed and are part of the security and privacy community 1. Chromium isn't bad in of itself. When it comes to android, you *should* be running a chromium-based browser (ideally Vanadium (if you can run GrapheneOS), Cromite, or Brave) given that Firefox and other Gecko-based browsers are genuinely behind in security on mobile. On iOS (i.e., iPhones and iPads), everything is Webkit so don't worry about it, just install Adguard it's okay. On Windows or Linux, use Firefox or Brave and on MacOS just use Safari but turn on Advanced Data Protection in your iCloud settings. If a site breaks, Brave is probably the least worst Chromium when it comes to privacy, just be sure to turn off all the crypto and vpn bs. For search, use Duckduckgo, Startpage, or Brave Search which at this point are probably all as good as (or better sometimes) than Google with how gamed with SEO the google search results are these days. And lastly, install uBlock Origin on Firefox/Brave and Adguard on Safari. You DO NOT need multiple adblock extensions. 2. Duckduckgo is not "selling your data zomg!!" nor is Mozilla just an extension of Google. The former is a result of people misinterpreting a part of DDG's agreement with MS for the ability to use their Bing search results as one of the components of DDG's (tl;dr they needed a way to track results originating from DDG as well as track the number of ads being displayed (which you shouldn't see if you just use uBlock Origin anyway)), and the latter is FOSSbros' (you are so lucky if you don't know what a FOSSbro is...) smear against Mozilla because it's too "woke" and they can't openly say that without sounding like hypocrites for supporting free (as in liberty) software but not diversity and inclusion. The truth to it is that yes, Google as part of its monopoly bs pays mozilla money to stay as default search on Firefox and that significantly funds Mozilla, but it's not their only source. As for the other fearmongering about Mozilla's privacy policy, just use Librewolf or apply Arkenfox to FF, you don't technically have to use Firefox as is. 3. Vivaldi is... a browser. When it comes to privacy and security, Firefox with Strict Enhanced Tracking Protection turned on or Brave with the crypto shit off would both be better, but it's your life I'm not your mom 4. If Firefox runs slowly on your computer, you probably have an old computer and/or a low end computer with barely any memory, which I'm honestly shocked is able to run Chrome "well". Unless you literally just can't afford better, get a decent computer or just switch to a used iPad that's a couple years old with a keyboard case. If you simply just can't afford that, I'm sorry and I hope you can get out of that situation because at this point, the internet and a decent computer should really just be human rights. 5. Honestly just like, spend some time reading through PrivacyGuides it's nice, practical advice for anyone that cares even a little about their own privacy *and don't get your tech knowledge off popular tumblr posts*

hello google chrome refugees

don't use any of these browsers, they're also chrome

Here are my favorite firefox plugins for security/anti-tracking/anti-ad that I recommend you get

please get off chrome google is currently being investigated for being an Illegal Monopoly so get outta there okay love you bye

[zevdev]

DBH ramble

I finished the game [not 100% but just one of the storylines] and holy [beep]. If you don't believe this game is talking about a possible future I don't know what could be. I feel so many things and how real this all could be.

All the stories combined at this point pretty much. It was fun peacefully destroying the city a bit with Markus like the holographic tagging is so something that should be in the future. Furthering along that I love how North is like just let me shoot everyone down but somehow I still managed to make her like Markus enough to fall in love. Also sacrificed Simon I don't know how he managed to get himself into the situation but I kinda forgot about him so meh. But back to the moment how a kiss saved everything so we love the 'love saves the world' thing and also Madam President? Female president? hello! There's already self driving taxis that look the same as the ones in the games and with the last two elections I think a female president is highly possible by 2038.

Connor, switching him to become a deviant wasn't my most highlighted moment but it was definitely something. The little clone fight was interesting to watch since I truly lost track of the real Connor at least I remember earlier game stuff. Love you Sumo <3 but Amanda that [beep] I wish I could just punch the life out of her. Having a full Elsa moment just to try and make Connor back into a lap dog really? I'm glad you feel betrayed because forget you!

Kara didn't get the happiest ending like the others. Being the only survivor of the 3. Also can I take a moment to point out why did they make Alice and android as well? It would have been so much cooler if they didn't like look an android truly trying to be a mother but no let's make it so the child is programed to cling onto someone like a mother, like really? Either way Luther got shot Alice also got shot by border patrol and Kara almost froze to death so that was fun...I hate you Alice for dying after the first time calling Kara mom why did you have to do that to me why?

Anyways that's the current thoughts and yes I did let Chloe go after I finished playing. I'm going to go cry in a corner and avoid playing video games for a bit have a good day/night...

[varun-123s]

Mastering BT Mail Login Email: A Comprehensive Guide for Seamless Access

The BT Mail login email process is essential for users of BT (British Telecom) services to manage their communication efficiently. Whether you're using it for personal or professional purposes, accessing your BT email account securely and effectively is crucial. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to understanding and troubleshooting BT Mail login issues, ensuring that you can always stay connected and never miss an important email.

What is BT Mail and Why is It Important?

BT Mail is a reliable email service provided by British Telecom, offering users a platform to manage their emails, calendar, and contacts. The BT Mail login email is the gateway to these essential features, making it crucial for effective communication and organization.

Steps to Login to Your BT Mail Account

Step 1: Visit the official BT Mail login page at https://mail.bt.com.

Step 2: Enter your BT email address in the username field.

Step 3: Input your password and click the "Sign In" button.

Step 4: If your credentials are correct, you’ll be directed to your inbox.

Common Login Problems and How to Fix Them

Incorrect Username or Password: Double-check your credentials. If forgotten, use the password recovery tool.

Account Lockout: After several unsuccessful login attempts, your account may be temporarily locked. Wait for a while or contact support.

BT Mail Server Issues: Sometimes, the problem may not be on your end. If you suspect this, check BT’s service status for outages.

How to Secure Your BT Mail Account

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enabling 2FA provides an extra layer of security.

Strong Passwords: Use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters to enhance password strength.

Sign Out After Use: Always sign out of your BT Mail account on shared or public devices to avoid unauthorized access.

Managing Multiple BT Mail Accounts

If you manage more than one BT Mail account, you can switch between them by logging out and logging in with different credentials. However, using different browsers or an email client that supports multiple accounts can streamline the process.

BT Mail Features You Should Know About

Custom Filters: Organize emails based on sender or subject.

Spam Filtering: Automatically send unwanted emails to the spam folder.

Calendar and Contacts Integration: Keep your emails, calendar, and contacts all in one place for better management.

How to Log Out of Your BT Mail Account

To ensure your account's security, always remember to log out when you're finished using BT Mail, especially if you're on a public or shared device. Simply click on your profile icon and select "Log Out."

FAQs:

Q1. How do I recover my BT Mail login credentials? If you’ve forgotten your password or username, click on the "Forgotten password" link on the BT Mail login page. Follow the prompts to reset your password.

Q2. Why does my BT Mail login keep failing? If you are sure your credentials are correct but still cannot log in, try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser. If the problem persists, check for server issues with BT.

Q3. Can I use my BT Mail on mobile? Yes, BT Mail has a mobile app available for both iOS and Android devices, which lets you access your emails, contacts, and calendar on the go.

Q4. Is there a way to change my BT Mail password? Yes, you can change your password by going to the "Account settings" section in your BT Mail account. From there, select "Change Password" and follow the instructions.

Q5. Can I access BT Mail if my account is locked? If your account is locked due to multiple unsuccessful login attempts, wait for 30 minutes or reset your password to regain access.

Q6. How do I log out from BT Mail on shared devices? After finishing your session, click on your account icon in the upper right corner of your inbox and select "Log Out" to ensure your account remains secure.

Q7. Can I set up BT Mail to filter out junk emails? Yes, BT Mail has a spam filter that automatically directs junk emails to the spam folder. You can also create custom filters to manage your inbox more effectively.

Q8. Can I change my BT Mail username? Unfortunately, BT Mail does not allow you to change your email address. However, you can create a new email account if needed.

Q9. What to do if BT Mail is not working on my device? Check your internet connection, update your browser, and try clearing your cache. If the issue persists, contact BT support for assistance.

Q10. What if I’m receiving emails that are not displaying correctly? If your emails aren’t displaying properly, ensure your browser is up to date, or try accessing your account from a different browser.

Best Paragraph:

The BT Mail login email process is straightforward, but there are common obstacles that users may face. Forgotten credentials, server issues, or browser incompatibility can hinder access. However, with tools like the password recovery option and regular maintenance of your browser cache, most problems can be quickly resolved. Security is another vital concern; enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) and using strong, unique passwords are crucial steps to protect your account. By understanding these common challenges and following best practices, you can ensure that your BT Mail experience remains seamless and secure.

Conclusion:

Navigating the BT Mail login email process is a crucial task for ensuring efficient communication via your BT account. While there may be occasional login challenges, understanding common troubleshooting methods and implementing security practices like two-factor authentication and strong passwords can safeguard your account and enhance your email experience. Whether you are managing multiple accounts or just using BT Mail for personal purposes, this guide will help you access your inbox with ease and confidence.

[gizopedia]

Galaxy Tab S10 Plus Review Introduction So, what's the deal with the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus? Well, it’s Samsung’s bid to give you a tablet that ticks off everything: style, power, and performance. But, does it actually deliver on all those promises? If you're someone who's juggling between work, play, or a bit of everything, this review is gonna answer whether the Tab S10 Plus is your new daily driver. Design & Build Quality First off, let’s talk looks. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus comes wrapped in a sleek, premium metal finish that just feels solid in your hands. It’s slim, light, and, honestly, just easy to carry around. If you're moving from room to room or tossing it in a bag, it’s not going to weigh you down. As for colors, Samsung gave us options like silver and black. Pretty safe choices, but hey, they look good. The thin bezels are a win, too. Less frame, more screen to enjoy. Daily use? It feels premium like it should at this price point, but it won’t win any creativity awards. Display Ah, the display. This is where Samsung flexes its muscles. It’s rocking a big ol' Super AMOLED screen, and trust me, the colors just pop. Whether you're watching movies or scrolling through socials, everything looks sharp and vibrant. And with the high refresh rate, it’s silky smooth. It’s not just another pretty face either. The brightness is solid enough to use outdoors without squinting. Comparing it to other tabs? Well, it’s honestly a step above. It's not budget tablet territory. It's where Premium lives. Performance Here’s where the magic happens. Inside, you’ve got some serious firepower with a fast processor and enough RAM to handle your multitasking moods. Streaming? No problem. Gaming? Oh, yeah, it handles it. Open a bunch of apps, switch between them? Not even a hiccup. It’s made for people who need to get stuff done but also sneak in a game of PUBG between meetings. And it doesn’t get too hot either. Samsung's cooling does a good job, so your lap won't be on fire if you're using it for hours. Software & User Experience Running on Android, with Samsung's One UI layered on top, this tablet has some pretty neat features to offer. You’ll notice things like split-screen multitasking that work well on a screen this big. Want to run two apps side by side? Go for it. Oh, and the S Pen. It’s included and does add to the experience. If you’re into sketching, note-taking, or just feel like navigating in style, it’s a nice touch. Pre-installed apps? Yeah, there’s a bit of bloatware, but nothing too in-your-face. You can ignore most of it. Battery Life Battery life is another big deal here. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus packs a large battery, so you can push through a full day of use—streaming, browsing, note-taking, you name it. Now, if you're hardcore gaming or watching movies non-stop, expect that to dip, but it’s still impressive. Charging? It’s decent speed-wise, but not lightning-fast. You won’t be waiting forever, but it’s not the quickest charge around. Cameras Okay, I know what you're thinking: a camera on a tablet? Yes, it's not the thing you're buying this for. But for what it is, it’s pretty solid. Front and back cameras do the job well enough. Daylight shots? They’re crisp. Low light? Meh, don’t push your luck. It's perfect for Zoom calls, though, and maybe the occasional photo if you're desperate. Audio & Media Experience Now, let’s talk sound. The stereo speakers on the S10 Plus are seriously impressive. They’re loud, and clear, and give a nice bit of depth to whatever you're watching or listening to. No headphone jack, though. That’s right, Samsung’s keeping it wireless these days. Time to pull out the Bluetooth headphones if you haven't already. Connectivity & Extras As for staying connected, this thing’s packed with all the good stuff. Wi-Fi, LTE/5G if you spring for that model, Bluetooth, and USB-C for charging and data. It’s got a microSD slot, too, so storage worries? Not a thing.

You can also get a keyboard attachment if you’re planning to use it more like a laptop, but honestly, the on-screen keyboard’s pretty decent for most uses. Price & Value Here’s the part where wallets might cringe a little. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is up there in price, especially if you go for the higher-end model. But, considering the performance, display, and overall quality, you're getting a lot of tablets for your money. Is it worth it? If you’re a power user or someone who’s in the Samsung ecosystem. If you're just looking for something to casually browse on, it might be overkill. Pros & Cons Conclusion So, who should get the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus? Well, if you’re someone who needs a tablet that can keep up with you—whether it’s for work, entertainment, or creativity—it’s a beast. It’s powerful, stylish, and does everything you'd expect, and more. But, if you’re just after something simple, there are cheaper options out there. At the end of the day, the Tab S10 Plus is a solid all-rounder, but it’s aimed at those who plan to push it to its limits. So, is it your next tech buy? You tell me.

[ultramaga]

What shits me is the way my phone number is being linked even if I don't provide it, because that's how google/android works, and I have to fight their system if I don't want my files to be uploaded to computers in foreign lands. The iphone leaks should have been a warning. Celebs suddenly found their nudes being leaked on the black market. How? Because iphone copies your stuff onto what is called THE CLOWWWWWD, which is a obfuscation for their servers. They have copies of whatever they can grab, and they do it without asking, and if you block it, they can switch it on remotely, and you end up pouring over hacks that they are trying to stop through legislation, hacks to stop them arse raping your life. We are slipping into the dystopia of shit, the gradual tofu dreggery of everything. The only hope at the moment is maybe some tech savvy radicals will get a voice in the political arena and speak up about it. I do laugh when I read that the EU actually has some good privacy laws, because otherwise they seem to be far closer to a police state. My phone has an ai. I turn it off. The mandatory 'patch' turns it back on. My phone sends my voice to their ai to be analysed. I turn that off. The mandatory 'patch' turns it back on. I say no. They say ok, we'll do it later. You can keep trying to say no, but one slip of the finger and we take that as a yes, and we harvest your data and sell it off. One of the reasons old people are attacked by scammers is because they can get extensive profiles on likely victims. All this data harvesting is deliberate and harmful, and the companies know it will be used to harm the most vulnerable people in the world, but they don't care. That old lady being swindled out of her life savings because a call centre in India bought gigs of data about her to make up convincing lies, she's not responsible, the companies that harvest us and then sell that are, just as surely as if the post office was making wax prints of our locks and selling them to thugs at the pub. When all of this started, I wanted to avoid a mobile phone because I hated having to be tracked all the time by the government, and yet if I needed help, the government suddenly has no idea where I am. All this stuff is not to benefit us, it's about benefitting a few malicious elites take control over us.

And the most galling thing? Every time they kick, every time they smash a tooth out of our faces, they repeat:

WE ARE HERE TO HELP. STOP STRUGGLING. YOU ARE MAKING IT WORSE.

I don't know I'm not done talking about it. It's insane that I can't just uninstall Edge or Copilot. That websites require my phone number to sign up. That people share their contacts to find their friends on social media.

I wouldn't use an adblocker if ads were just banners on the side funding a website I enjoy using and want to support. Ads pop up invasively and fill my whole screen, I misclick and get warped away to another page just for trying to read an article or get a recipe.

Every app shouldn't be like every other app. Instagram didn't need reels and a shop. TikTok doesn't need a store. Instagram doesn't need to be connected to Facebook. I don't want my apps to do everything, I want a hub for a specific thing, and I'll go to that place accordingly.

I love discord, but so much information gets lost to it. I don't want to join to view things. I want to lurk on forums. I want to be a user who can log in and join a conversation by replying to a thread, even if that conversation was two days ago. I know discord has threads, it's not the same. I don't want to have to verify my account with a phone number. I understand safety and digital concerns, but I'm concerned about information like that with leaks everywhere, even with password managers.

I shouldn't have to pay subscriptions to use services and get locked out of old versions. My old disk copy of photoshop should work. I should want to upgrade eventually because I like photoshop and supporting the business. Adobe is a whole other can of worms here.

Streaming is so splintered across everything. Shows release so fast. Things don't get physical releases. I can't stream a movie I own digitally to friends because the share-screen blocks it, even though I own two digital copies, even though I own a physical copy.

I have an iPod, and I had to install a third party OS to easily put my music on it without having to tangle with iTunes. Spotify bricked hardware I purchased because they were unwillingly to upkeep it. They don't pay their artists. iTunes isn't even iTunes anymore and Apple struggles to upkeep it.

My TV shows me ads on the home screen. My dad lost access to eBook he purchased because they were digital and got revoked by the company distributing them. Hitman 1-3 only runs online most of the time. Flash died and is staying alive because people love it and made efforts to keep it up.

I have to click "not now" and can't click "no". I don't just get emails, they want to text me to purchase things online too. My windows start search bar searches online, not just my computer. Everything is blindly called an app now. Everything wants me to upload to the cloud. These are good tools! But why am I forced to use them! Why am I not allowed to own or control them?

No more!!!!! I love my iPod with so much storage and FLAC files. I love having all my fics on my harddrive. I love having USBs and backups. I love running scripts to gut suck stuff out of my Windows computer I don't want that spies on me. I love having forums. I love sending letters. I love neocities and webpages and webrings. I will not be scanning QR codes. Please hand me a physical menu. If I didn't need a smartphone for work I'd get a "dumb" phone so fast. I want things to have buttons. I want to use a mouse. I want replaceable batteries. I want the right to repair. I grew up online and I won't forget how it was!