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mostlysignssomeportents · 4 months

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An adversarial iMessage client for Android

Adversarial interoperability is one of the most reliable ways to protect tech users from predatory corporations: that's when a technologist reverse-engineers an existing product to reconfigure or mod it (interoperability) in ways its users like, but which its manufacturer objects to (adversarial):

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

"Adversarial interop" is a mouthful, so at EFF, we coined the term "competitive compatibility," or comcom, which is a lot easier to say and to spell.

Scratch any tech success and you'll find a comcom story. After all, when a company turns its screws on its users, it's good business to offer an aftermarket mod that loosens them again. HP's $10,000/gallon inkjet ink is like a bat-signal for third-party ink companies. When Mercedes announces that it's going to sell you access to your car's accelerator pedal as a subscription service, that's like an engraved invitation to clever independent mechanics who'll charge you a single fee to permanently unlock that "feature":

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/12/05/carmakers-push-forward-with-plans-to-make-basic-features-subscription-services-despite-widespread-backlash/

Comcom saved giant tech companies like Apple. Microsoft tried to kill the Mac by rolling out a truly cursèd version of MS Office for MacOS. Mac users (5% of the market) who tried to send Word, Excel or Powerpoint files to Windows users (95% of the market) were stymied: their files wouldn't open, or they'd go corrupt. Tech managers like me started throwing the graphic designer's Mac and replacing it with a Windows box with a big graphics card and Windows versions of Adobe's tools.

Comcom saved Apple's bacon. Apple reverse-engineered MS's flagship software suite and made a comcom version, iWork, whose Pages, Numbers and Keynote could flawlessly read and write MS's Word, Excel and Powerpoint files:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/06/adversarial-interoperability-reviving-elegant-weapon-more-civilized-age-slay

It's tempting to think of iWork as benefiting Apple users, and certainly the people who installed and used it benefited from it. But Windows users also benefited from iWork. The existence of iWork meant that Windows users could seamlessly collaborate on and share files with their Mac colleagues. IWork didn't just add a new feature to the Mac ("read and write files that originated with Windows users") – it also added a feature to Windows: "collaborate with Mac users."

Every pirate wants to be an admiral. Though comcom rescued Apple from a monopolist's sneaky attempt to drive it out of business, Apple – now a three trillion dollar company – has repeatedly attacked comcom when it was applied to Apple's products. When Apple did comcom, that was progress. When someone does comcom to Apple, that's piracy.

Apple has many tools at its disposal that Microsoft lacked in the early 2000s. Radical new interpretations of existing copyright, contract, patent and trademark law allows Apple – and other tech giants – to threaten rivals who engage in comcom with both criminal and civil penalties. That's right, you can go to prison for comcom these days. No wonder Jay Freeman calls this "felony contempt of business model":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

Take iMessage, Apple's end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) instant messaging tool. Apple customers can use iMessage to send each other private messages that can't be read or altered by third parties – not cops, not crooks, not even Apple. That's important, because when private messaging systems get hacked, bad things happen:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_celebrity_nude_photo_leak

But Apple has steadfastly refused to offer an iMessage app for non-Apple systems. If you're an Apple customer holding a sensitive discussion with an Android user, Apple refuses to offer you a tool to maintain your privacy. Those messages are sent "in the clear," over the 38-year-old SMS protocol, which is trivial to spy on and disrupt.

Apple sacrifices its users' security and integrity in the hopes that they will put pressure on their friends to move into Apple's walled garden. As CEO Tim Cook told a reporter: if you want to have secure communications with your mother, buy her an iPhone:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tim-cook-says-buy-mom-210347694.html

Last September, a 16-year old high school student calling himself JJTech published a technical teardown of iMessage, showing how any device could send and receive encrypted messages with iMessage users, even without an Apple ID:

https://jjtech.dev/reverse-engineering/imessage-explained/

JJTech even published code to do this, in an open source library called Pypush:

https://github.com/JJTech0130/pypush

In the weeks since, Beeper has been working to productize JJTech's code, and this week, they announced Beeper Mini, an Android-based iMessage client that is end-to-end encrypted:

https://beeper.notion.site/How-Beeper-Mini-Works-966cb11019f8444f90baa314d2f43a54

Beeper is known for a multiprotocol chat client built on Matrix, allowing you to manage several kinds of chat from a single app. These multiprotocol chats have been around forever. Indeed, iMessage started out as one – when it was called "iChat," it supported Google Talk and Jabber, another multiprotocol tool. Other tools like Pidgin have kept the flame alive for decades, and have millions of devoted users:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/07/tower-babel-how-public-interest-internet-trying-save-messaging-and-banish-big

But iMessage support has remained elusive. Last month, Nothing launched Sunchoice, a disastrous attempt to bring iMessage to Android, which used Macs in a data-center to intercept and forward messages to Android users, breaking E2EE and introducing massive surveillance risks:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/21/23970740/sunbird-imessage-app-shut-down-privacy-nothing-chats-phone-2

Beeper Mini does not have these defects. The system encrypts and decrypts messages on the Android device itself, and directly communicates with Apple's servers. It gathers some telemetry for debugging, and this can be turned off in preferences. It sends a single SMS to Apple's servers during setup, which changes your device's bubble from green to blue, so that Apple users now correctly see your device as a secure endpoint for iMessage communications.

Beeper Mini is now available in Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beeper.ima&hl=en_US

Now, this is a high-stakes business. Apple has a long history of threatening companies like Beeper over conduct like this. And Google has a long history deferring to those threats – as it did with OG App, a superior third-party Instagram app that it summarily yanked after Meta complained:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/05/battery-vampire/#drained

But while iMessage for Android is good for Android users, it's also very good for Apple customers, who can now get the privacy and security guarantees of iMessage for all their contacts, not just the ones who bought the same kind of phone as they did. The stakes for communications breaches have never been higher, and antitrust scrutiny on Big Tech companies has never been so intense.

Apple recently announced that it would add RCS support to iOS devices (RCS is a secure successor to SMS):

https://9to5mac.com/2023/11/16/apple-rcs-coming-to-iphone/

Early word from developers suggests that this support will have all kinds of boobytraps. That's par for the course with Apple, who love to announce splashy reversals of their worst policies – like their opposition to right to repair – while finding sneaky ways to go on abusing its customers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/22/vin-locking/#thought-differently

The ball is in Apple's court, and, to a lesser extent, in Google's. As part of the mobile duopoly, Google has joined with Apple in facilitating the removal of comcom tools from its app store. But Google has also spent millions on an ad campaign shaming Apple for exposing its users to privacy risks when talking to Android users:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/21/23883609/google-rcs-message-apple-iphone-ipager-ad

While we all wait for the other shoe to drop, Android users can get set up on Beeper Mini, and technologists can kick the tires on its code libraries and privacy guarantees.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/07/blue-bubbles-for-all/#never-underestimate-the-determination-of-a-kid-who-is-time-rich-and-cash-poor

#pluralistic #multiprotocol #interoperability #adversarial interop #beeper #reverse engineering #blue bubbles #green bubbles #e2ee #end to end encrypted #messaging #jjtech #pypushbeeper mini #matrix #competitive compatibility #comcom

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homeofhousechickens · 5 months

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I have posted this before but then i edited it

#Beeper #photo manipulation #you can do this to your chickens as well #Use the artistic filter lines only on one layer then posterize the layer under it then do some corrections since #it isnt perfect #then utilize Clip studios built in chat bubble makers then boom done

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porterdavis · 4 months

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Do you suffer from 'blue bubble' envy when you send text messages?

Here's the answer for you non-iOS people.

#beeper mini #blue bubble #texting

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manicplank · 1 month

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The Color Pink (Part 5)

This looks long, but there's a lot of dialogue. Enjoy!

The First Date

Hazel was rushing to close up the cafe in a fit of excitement. Today was the day she got to go on a date with The Noise. She was so ecstatic that she was shaking. She hurriedly put all the dishes on the rack to dry. She locked up and raced home as if she was being chased by a tiger. She took a shower and blow dried her hair. She added an extra little curl at the ends. She was debating whether or not to put makeup on but decided against it as she wanted to be as natural as possible. She put one a cute pink and white plaid dress with a cropped cardigan over her shoulders. She wore a white bow in her hair and white Mary Janes. She took the short walk to The Pig City and tried to find a cab, but it was so busy that she couldn't seem to get one's attention. She waved her arms until she was practically flailing. She finally got one to pull over for her. She realized she never got the address to the place. "Where to," the cab driver asked.

"Do you know the bubble tea place," she responded.

"Ramen Spot is the only place in the city that serves bubble tea."

"Okay, then go there."

The Noise was nervous. On his way home from work, he was trembling. He had to stop and take a few breathers, he even chain smoked three cigarettes as opposed to his usual one. He didn't know why he was so nervous. It's not a date, he thought, it's totally not a date. But it was a date, and he knew it. As much as he denied it, he wouldn't have been so nervous if it wasn't. He got home and showered. He was still super nervous. What if she doesn't show up? What if she changed her mind? What if she can't stand me and leaves? He put on a nice but somewhat casual grey suit with a yellow dress shirt and black tie. He inhaled deeply and sighed before he headed out.

Noise got there before her, and this made him even more nervous. He was definitely overdressed for being at a ramen shop. He sat down at an empty table, and his phone vibrated. It was a text from Hazel;

Cab got stuck in traffic, but I'll be there in a minute!

He felt great relief knowing he wasn't going to get stood up. The door opened, and there she was. He looked up and tried to keep his jaw from dropping in awe. She looked around but didn't see him at first. He waved at her, and she was shocked to see what he looked like out of costume. She had seen it before in some of his shows and movies, but to see it in person was a whole different experience. She smiled before she walked up to the table and sat down. "Hey," she greeted, "I, uh, didn't recognize you at first." He smiled and let out a tiny laugh.

"Yeah, I don't blame you," he scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I don't expect anything less considering I wear a mask most of the time."

She scanned the table. "Um... Where's the menus?"

"Oh! Sorry, I forgot you haven't been here before. The menu is at the counter."

"You order at the counter?"

"Yeah. You order at the counter and then they bring your stuff to you when it's ready."

"Wow, that's unique. I've never heard of that."

"Everything here is really good. At least, I think."

"Well, come on! Let's order!"

They walk up to the counter, and Hazel grabbed the menu. She scanned it for a minute as she was anxious about taking too long.

"I'll take the rose black bubble tea," The Noise started to order, "and two orders of the fried dumplings." He looked at Hazel and nodded. "You ready?"

"Oh! No, no, I can pay for myself," she fretted.

"Come on," he spoke calmly, "let me treat you. That way, you're not losing anything if you don't like it."

She smiled and shrugged. "Okay, um... I'll get the strawberry milk taro bubble tea and um... the house tonkotsu ramen?"

The cashier smiled and nodded. The Noise paid, and the cashier handed him a beeper. The two sat back down at their table. "I gotta be honest," The Noise vented, "I'm a bit nervous."

Hazel sighed and giggled. "Me too. I don't know why, but this feels so different from when we talk in the cafe."

"Because it is different. A different atmosphere, a different place, different circumstances."

"I'm mostly surprised you asked me out. When we were in the cafe, I thought you were just being nice."

He laughed. "I thought the same thing! I thought you were just giving good customer service."

"Yes and no. I mean, of course I wanted to give good service to The Noise."

"Please," he smiled, "just call me Theodore."

"Wait," she raised her eyebrows, "is that your real name?"

"Yeah. Theodore Noise is my actual name. I was born with it."

"The Noise... Theodore Noise... Oh, my God, that's so clever!"

"Heh heh..." He blushed. "Thanks. Not as clever as your French 'Noisette' thing."

She laughed. "We both have clever little plays on our names, huh?"

"Yeah."

"..."

"So," she started, "tell me about your line of work! What's it like being a celebrity actor?"

"Eh, it has its pros and cons."

"I remember you telling me that at the cafe."

"Yeah. It's great, but it can suck at times. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of fun most of the time, but it's still work, ya know?"

"I get it. I have the same feeling about working in my cafe. It's nice, and I'm glad I do it, but some days are just so grating."

"Running a whole business is grating in general. Would you be surprised if I told you I do office work, too?"

"Really? That's crazy!"

"Well, yeah, but I'm the CEO. I have to do interviews and paperwork for employees, I have to proofread scripts, go over pilots, go through reviews and ratings. The list goes on and on."

"That sounds awful!"

"It's not the worst, but I prefer to be on set."

"I can sort of relate. I have to do all of my own financial and accounting assets. It's miserable! I get it wrong all the time, I'm terrible at math!"

"Same here. Math is the bane of my existence. Thankfully, I have an accountant for all of that. She's also my financial advisor."

Before Hazel could respond, the pager started beeping. A couple shrimp employees came out with their food, and Noise waved them down. They came over and served them their food and drinks. Hazel was impressed, the food looked amazing. Theodore handed them the pager and thanked them. She stopped them before they left, "Can we get some chopsticks?" One of the employees left and came back with two pairs of chopsticks. Noise looked nervously at the chopsticks. Hazel thanked the employee before they walked off.

"Those dumplings look amazing," she said.

"Yeah," he responded, "they're great."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just um... I don't know how to use chopsticks."

"Really?"

"Mhm. It's a bit embarrassing, I know."

"No, it's not! Here, I'll show you."

She took her chopsticks and held them in her hand. "See," she pointed it out, "you hold them like this." He put the chopsticks in his hand. He tried his best, but it felt so awkward. "You use your thumb, index, and middle finger to control them back and forth." He tried to pick up one of the dumplings and dunk it in the cup of sauce, but he dropped it. It splashed and left a small mess on the table. He blushed and seemed flustered. She giggled, "It's okay. It takes a minute to get the hang of. You can keep trying, or you can just eat with a fork if it makes you feel more comfortable."

"I think I'll just use a fork. I'd hate to make a mess." He grabbed a napkin and wiped up the small spill. "Thanks for showing me, though."

She smiled. "You're welcome! Don't worry about being bad at it. It takes some practice."

He laughed, but he still felt a bit embarrassed. "Anyways, did you want to try one of the dumplings?"

"Oh, um, what's in them?"

"It's a mixture of chicken, pork, cabbage, and carrots."

"Nah, I don't really like cabbage."

"Neither do I, but you can't even taste it. It's really good with the sauce, too. They make their own soy sauce."

"Alright, I guess I'll try one."

He scooted his plate to the center of the table so she wouldn't have to reach over it. She picked one up with her chopsticks and dipped it in the sauce. She put her hand underneath to catch any of the drips as she took a bite. Her eyes widened. "She chewed it and swallowed. "Wow," she exclaimed, "that's amazing! You weren't kidding!"

"I know! I was super shocked when I tried it. There's only six of them, so that's why I usually get two orders. They also have them boiled, but I like the taste of the pan fried."

She took a bite of her ramen and slurped it up. "Oh! Sorry, that was rude."

"How is it rude? That's how you're supposed to eat ramen."

"Oh, thank God, you actually know the etiquette."

"Yep. I'm not entirely ignorant."

"I didn't mean-"

"No, no, I know what you meant," he chuckled.

The two went on to eat their meals and drink their teas. They small talked here and there in between bites. The tension wasn't as high, and the mood had lightened a lot. Hazel mixed all the toppings into her soup. "You want a bite," she asked.

"Mm-mm," Theo shook his head. "I'm not the biggest fan of ramen."

"Really?"

"Yep. I've tried it a couple times. It just wasn't for me."

"That's fair. At least you tried it."

As they tried to enjoy their meal, they were interrupted by a group of fans. Three women had approached the table. "Sorry to interrupt," said one of them, "but are you The Noise?" Theodore sighed, "Yep, that's me. I'm kind of in the middle of something, though."

"Can we get your autograph?"

"Yeah, but make it quick. Got a pen and paper?"

One of the girls scrambled over to the cashier to borrow a pen. He didn't have paper other than receipts, so he gave them three blank ones. She rushed back over to The Noise and handed him the pen and papers. He signed all three and handed each of them one. They looked at each other and squealed. As they walked away you can her each of them say;

"I'm gonna get mine framed!"

"I'm gonna get mine laminated!"

"I'm gonna eat mine!"

Theodore looked over at Hazel. "Sorry about that." He looked slightly annoyed. "That happens a lot. I swear it's been happening more and more."

Hazel smiled. "That's okay! Don't let it ruin our meal."

He smiled back. "Yeah. You're right."

The two finished their meal and continued to chat for a bit longer. It had gotten dark out, and they had already been together for hours. The awkward tension had faded away completely. It was time for them to part ways. Theo held the door for her as they left. She turned around at him and had a huge smile.

"I had a great time tonight," she giggled.

Theodore smiled back at her. "I'm glad to hear that. I did, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Come here!" She held her arms up, and he hugged her. They held each other and swayed for a bit. Hazel's heart raced as she rested her head on his chest. She felt something with him, something special. He was sweeter than she thought, especially with how bashful he got when he first saw her. She thought it was cute when he got embarrassed for not being able to use chopsticks. She was still a bit in denial. Maybe it was just her being in her own head and being intrigued by her celebrity crush.

What she didn't know is that he felt the same. His heart was also racing. What he classified as "totally not a date" had quickly turned into one. He already felt comfortable with her. He could actually be and act like himself. She was so soft and comfortable to hold. She was beautiful and kind. He realized that she wasn't just being nice to him when he was at the cafe. She was genuinely being herself.

They pulled away after hugging and swaying for minutes straight. He dragged his hand down her arm as the hug ended and held her hand. She looked down as she blushed.

"You want me to drive you home," he asked.

"No, I'm okay. I'll take the cab."

"Okay," he smiled at her, "just thought I'd ask."

"But I would appreciate it if you stand with me while I wait for one. I don't uh... really feel safe in the city at night."

"Of course."

They stood together side by side as the date had come to a great end. He looked at her, finally realizing that he did like her. He swallowed his fear as he said, "Wanna do this again, sometime?"

She looked at him in delight. "Of course!"

"You have my number. Call me or text me anytime. Even if we don't make plans, I'd love to get to know you better."

"Absolutely! Just don't let me interrupt you at work again!"

They laughed as a taxi pulled up. She kept eye contact as she debated kissing him, but she decided it was way too soon. Instead, she pulled him in for another hug. "Thank you," she softly said into his ear. She got into the taxi and waved to him as it pulled off. She watched out the window as they drove through the city. All of the lights were so beautiful. Even though the city was full of crime, it was also filled with grace. She couldn't stop smiling as she thought about him.

He watched as the taxi pulled off to make sure she was safe. He walked off into the parking lot and back into his car. He huffed as he sat. He pulled the pack of cigarettes out of his dashboard and hit it three times on his hand before he opened it up and took out a cigarette. He grabbed a lighter and shielded the flame from the wind as he lit the cigarette and took a long drag. He exhaled, "Ugh, fuck." Despite the good time, he couldn't help but feel anxious. He was worried that something would go wrong, that he would ruin it somehow.

#pizza tower #noise #the noise #headcanon #noisette #pizza tower fanfic #fanfic #pink fic

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deadmomjokes · 7 months

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as a teacher, hearing about the way you communicate so clearly and thoroughly with your child is so inspiring. I wish more people had resources on how to communicate with kids like you do.

I'm very bad at taking compliments, so I'll just say "Thank you" and also qualify that she makes it pretty easy. She's very smart and has always, from day one basically, needed to know the reasons behind everything. In other circumstances, she would probably be called "stubborn" or "defiant." But the thing is, I remember my own "stubbornness" growing up, and it was almost always the result of me not understanding why things were the way they were. From a young age, I hated with a burning passion the "Because I said so" thing. So I determined that I didn't want to do that when/if I had kids of my own.

My daughter is very bright and curious and makes that easy for me. Her "why" phase was/is pretty specific, which is helpful in keeping ahead of the frustration-induced rage-meltdowns. (Not all of them, of course, because some concepts are really hard to grasp even as an adult, let alone when you're 4 years old and everything Feels Too Big.)

But I also made a conscious effort to start practicing early, before she could talk or push back on a lot of stuff. It felt so weird and silly at first, but I basically narrated everything I did with/around her, and put a reason for it. So a trip to the store sounded like this:

"We made it to the store to get our groceries, so we have yummy food to eat. Let's go inside and get a buggy--that's where we'll put all the things we get, because we can't carry them all in just our hands. I'm going to put you in the buggy, too, right here in this seat, that way you can see what's going on but I have both my hands to push the buggy and grab the things we need. Here, look, some bananas! Let's get some of those because you love to eat them. Oh, no, sorry baby, we can't eat them right now. This stuff isn't ours until we pay for it at the very end-- that's the part with the beep-beeper and the bags. When we get home we can have some of the bananas, because then they are our bananas." Etc, etc, on and on.

People looked at me like I was nuts. It felt a little nuts at times, especially before she could respond verbally. But it worked. It built a habit for me to give a reason for why I'm doing things, or making her do things. More importantly, I feel like, it made me stop and question when I didn't have a good reason for my answers or behaviors. Like if she comes up and asks to blow bubbles outside, and I go, "No baby, not right now," she can be like "why not?" And I have to look at myself and my reasoning. Is it because I'm actually busy or we're genuinely about to do something else that precludes the 5 minutes it'd take to do bubbles? Or is it because I just don't feel like it? It's not fair for "I don't feel like it" to supersede her desires for connection and entertainment all the time. (Sometimes you're just worn out and don't have the bandwidth for it, and that's valid. Parents are people too! But it can't be all the time, yk?) So if I don't have a good reason why not, I let her know that I thought about it more and changed my mind, and off we go to blow bubbles.

I also heard the advice, idk where or when, that you need to practice on your children what you want from them. So if I want my child to be kind, I have to be kind to her, in ways that she can see and appreciate. If I want her to know it's okay to change your mind, I have to point out when that happens for me, like in the above bubbles example. If I want her to be a decent human being who respects others, is empathetic, appreciates the efforts of others, speaks kindly, thinks about how her actions impact those around her, etc... You get the idea. It starts with me. And I try to consciously remind myself of that fact.

It's not always easy, because kids aren't always rational (but to be fair, neither are adults lol). And what is rational to a 4 year old is not always the same as what is rational to me, the adult with almost 3 decades of experience more than her. So sometimes it's like explaining to the wind why it ought to blow in a different direction. But the longer I get to know her, the more I'm able to pick up on the way she sees things, her personal defaults, the way she talks around concepts she's not sure about, etc. It's part of what's cool about getting to be her parent. I get such a close-up view of this little person becoming a little person, and it makes me stop and think about things I have taken for granted for a long time.

I'm rambling again, but I have developed a lot of Strong Feelings about the way kids are treated and looked at in general, and a lot of determination to do better for the kids I get the privilege of loving.

#parenting #kids #adventures of bean #asks

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kats-fic-recs · 1 year

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The Best Haikyuu fics I read in 2022

Iwaoi

Lost in Translation

Because misfortune come in threes, Iwaizumi Hajime starts his Thursday having a screaming fight with Shittykawa, spends his lunch break listening to the UCI women's volleyball team gossiping about how Ushijima Wakatoshi had gone public about his longtime love affair with Oikawa Tooru, and closes out the day by drunkenly dropping his phone into a sewer grate.

just hear me out

To stimulate Japan's low birthrates and take most of the guesswork out of dating, a beeper system was biologically developed in people's wrists, an audible confirmation to show romantic compatibility.

Iwaizumi's beeper has been going off for Oikawa since they've been kids. Oikawa's has only ever been silent.

In Defense of Reptiles (and Other Gross Things)

In their seventh year, Oikawa is chosen to be the Hogwarts champion in the Triwizard Tournament, and Iwaizumi suffers.

to be first, to be best

Hajime is apparently something of a masochist, and as he stares down at the tie-dyed AREA51 T-shirt in his hands, he thinks “I’m totally in love with this asshole, aren't I?”

evergreen

It’s exhausting to realize that he still knows Oikawa. He has no idea what stores Oikawa shops at anymore, which bands he’s been listening to lately, whether he still keeps plants in his apartment and whether they’re dying without Iwaizumi around to remind him to water them. But he knows how rain tastes on Oikawa’s lips in the summer and the drumbeat baseline of Oikawa’s heart under his palm, and there are some people you never really grow out of no matter how many other things change.

“When you left,” Iwaizumi says, swallowing against a scratchy throat, “I tried hard, for a long time, not to need you. You can’t blame me for being angry that it was easier for you to leave than it was for me to let you go.”

Ten years after he rejected Iwaizumi's marriage proposal, Oikawa is back in Sendai.

no love like your love

It happens when Daniel is rushing from the food court to the CS building, juggling his phone and a water bottle and a Panda Express takeout container. His lunch date with the cute girl from French class had gone longer than it should have, and he’s too worried about being late to pay any mind to the incoming call that flashes across his screen. Beyond noting that the number is international, he thinks nothing of it, declines, and moves on.

The person calls again, though, in the middle of the lecture, and he has to scramble to silence his phone before his professor can single him out.

By the time the period is over, he has five more missed calls and a text.

From: +81-XXX-XXX-XXXX

is this daniel? iwa-chan’s roommate? call me back when you’re available!!

Sometimes a love is so bright that those outside it can't help but bear witness.

Or: Iwaizumi and Oikawa from 5 + 1 points of view through the years.

heaven is a place in my head

For Iwaizumi, it’s a relief to be able to linger in the cocoon of this intermediate summer, blanketed from the buffeting winds of adulthood and responsibility and real decisionmaking. He would love nothing more than for it to stretch out and out and out, like a bubblegum bubble that spreads itself thin around the air trapped inside it until it pops.

But Oikawa has never liked having nothing to do. He gets restless if he’s bored for too long, starts feeling like he’s running out of time or something dumb like that. So Iwaizumi is almost expecting it when Oikawa barges into his room the afternoon of a heavy summer shower, overgrown bangs dripping rainwater into his eyes, a waterlogged piece of paper crumpled in his fist and a familiar hopeful gleam in his eyes.

When Oikawa convinces Iwaizumi to spend their last summer in Japan as camp counselors, Iwaizumi is prepared for bug bites, sunburns, and rowdy children.

He’s not prepared to spend two weeks kissing his best friend in what might just be the worst thought-out summer fling in existence.

— with melting wax and loosened strings

"If Oikawa is Hajime’s home — is Japan — then this room is his shrine. And Oikawa stands in the centre of it, eyes wide and mouth agape."

Hajime is a visual artist. He's been in love with Oikawa for such a long time that his hands know every curve and bend to Oikawa's figure. But now, with thousands of kilometres and hours between them, Iwaizumi is starting to forget Oikawa's features. It's enough to send him spiralling.

Or, 'Devotion, (2020, colourised)'.

Look For Him

She laughs gently. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so heartbroken before, Hajime.”

Iwaizumi sighs and prods at the mackerel with a chopstick. “Sorry. I can’t help it. It’s just different, you know? Like Oikawa pissed me off so much that now he’s not here I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“But you weren’t always annoyed with him, were you?” his grandmother smiles serenely and takes a sip of her tea. “My, my, Hajime, old women see everything. I saw you out there with my finches, when you were kissing Tooru’s nose. Your mother and father used to do the very same thing, you know, when they were younger. And look how long they’ve lasted. I hope you and Tooru last, Hajime. He’s very good for you.”

Oikawa has kissed Iwaizumi more times than either of them can count; it’s a constant thing, their lips never really leaving the other’s skin. There are, however, times when they’ve kissed that are burned into their memories. Eight of them, to be precise.

Cup of sugar

After about a month of his time in Irvine, the first package arrives. It’s standing there, on the table, big and heavy and exuding a familiarity that nearly brings tears to Hajime’s eyes.

“That’s really sweet,” Kevin says, eyeing Hajime’s valiant attempts to cut into the cardboard with a knife, “from your family?”

“My boyfriend,” Hajime clarifies, eyes not even straying to the return address. “That idiot’s the only one who would send me something after one month of being apart.”

Tooru and Hajime go long-distance, and Hajime contemplates whether he's accidentally become a sugar baby.

iwaizumi hajime has a ring

Iwaizumi Hajime has a ring on his finger.

A simple gold band with modest silver trimming resting snuggly on the fourth finger of his left hand.

Hajime is only 23 years old, is only in the midst of the second year of his post-graduate degree, and to Charlie’s apparently outdated knowledge, has been single at the very least since his move to America a little over a year ago.

Imagine his surprise when the dude came waltzing back after a month-long break, with a wedding ring on his finger, legally wed, and not speaking a word about it.

In which Hajime gets married and his friends in California have no idea who the lucky woman is.

KuroKen

And if you leave, will you promise you'll find your way back to me?

“Then it’s settled,” Kuroo says. “I’m going to call you every day, until you get sick of me.”

I could never get sick of you, Kenma thinks but doesn’t say. I think it’s going to be the other way around.

Or: the one where Kuroo goes to university and Kenma tries to deal with missing him, perhaps more than one should miss their best friend.

Show A Little Faith

“Why are you sending me a singing Valentine telegram?" Kenma asks, mouth flattened. "It’s six months until Valentine’s Day.”

“I bought a dwarf over the summer to use as cupid.” Kuroo says. “I figured he could use some practice.”

Presenting Kenma as the Boy-Who-Lived, whose living becomes a lot more interesting when Ravenclaw Prince Kuroo Tetsurou starts sending him singing telegrams about defeating the Dark Lord.

you're the brake lines failing (as my car swerves off the freeway)

Kenma thinks that Kuroo looks ugly with his head bent against the arm of the couch like that. Then Kenma thinks that he wants to marry him, and is promptly thrown into the 5 stages of grief.

the book of love is long and boring

“Since when did you become the all-knowing authority on love,” Kuroo teases as he rests his chin on Kenma’s bed, and Kenma bristles before a frown mars his face.

Because it’s not like Kuroo’s wrong.

Kenma's never really thought much about love, until an assignment from class forces him to. And then suddenly, it's the only thing that's on his mind.

teach me the way home

Don’t go far off, not even for a day, because —

because — I don’t know how to say it: a day is long

and I will be waiting for you, as in an empty station

when the trains are parked off somewhere else, asleep.

Kuroo and Kenma grow up in transit.

My Nameless World (I’ll Let You In)

It’s a modest two-bedroom in the western suburbs, far enough from the bustling crowds to be affordable but still counting, technically, as Tokyo. They’re noisy before they sleep but quiet when they rise, shuffling mutedly out of the door for joint morning runs before bursting back into the apartment for joint morning showers. Shouyou cooks breakfast while Kageyama packs their lunch and gym bags, and they never share a goodbye kiss because they always leave together.

It’s warm and cozy and disgustingly domestic, and it’s probably everything Shouyou’s ever dreamed of.

Except, Kenma thinks irately, Kageyama doesn’t actually live here.

===

Shouyou moves in with Kenma when he ends up in Tokyo for college. Kenma subsequently realizes that half the things in Shouyou’s boxes are actually Kageyama’s because he should have fucking known.

Kagehina

well, maybe i'm a crook

The thing is-- Hinata is in love with Kageyama and everyone knows it, including Kageyama.

by this time next year

"I got offers from two universities," Kageyama announces, pointing at his chest with his thumb. "I'm going to play volleyball at Keio this spring."

"You still have to pass an exam, even if it's an easy one," Takeda-sensei hurries to add, although he is beaming and bursting with pride at his fluffy little crow chick taking off to play volleyball at a university level.

"I'll pass," Kageyama says with the same kind of confidence he uses when he tells Hinata he'll get the toss to him. He looks straight at Hinata, and Hinata jerks and turns red, wondering if maybe Kageyama knew he was daydreaming about something as stupid as the way Kageyama talks to him during a game. But then Kageyama just points at him and says, "You'd better get in, too."

Hinata, stupid, naive, idiot that he is, grins wide and nods and says, "Yeah!"

He doesn't know what he's in for.

Bokuaka

daisy rings and frivolous things (i am deliriously in love with you)

Akaashi Keiji is in love. Bokuto Koutarou is a star. Everyone on Fukurodani has a gambling problem.

paper rings

Akaashi Keiji knows his relationship with Bokuto Koutarou has an expiration date. It was inevitable. Even the best things must end. Especially with Bokuto's dreams of volleyball stardom on the line, they don't have any other choice. Akaashi has made his peace with that.

Bokuto has other ideas.

surfacing

Keiji’s boyfriend has been cheating on him. During their public confrontation, he ends up walking out with the other man - Bokuto Koutarou. They strike up an unlikely friendship born from the bond of heartbreak, and, eventually, help one another to heal parts of themselves they perhaps hadn't even known were broken.

Alternatively: Bokuto tries to set Akaashi up with a rebound to make up for being “the other man.” It both does and does not go according to plan.

notice me kouhai

This was definitely, somehow, Bokuto's fault.

the strange music of your heart

"Hey," Konoha says, tone hushed, one day after practice when he and Bokuto end up staying behind together. "Akaashi likes you, you know?"

Bokuto is in the process of putting on a clean shirt. "Of course he does," he says, voice too close to his ears under the fabric. "We're friends!" He pulls the shirt down, freeing his head. "What," he says, suddenly self-conscious, "does someone not like me?"

in which akaashi falls for bokuto first.

Miscellaneous

Experimental Probability

Atsumu stares blankly back at him. "So, let me get this straight. Ya want me to kiss ya so you can tell whether or not yer in love with my brother?"

Rin winces at his word choice. "Not exactly how I would have phrased it, but yeah, pretty much."

Or: Suna Rintarou is not in love with his best friend. Scientific evidence would suggest otherwise.

Close to the Chest

It takes Yahaba thirteen years to realize he's different from the other kids, one to figure out how to hide it, and two more to learn to be happy just the way he is. Yahaba's journey ft. an extremely annoyed Kyoutani, best friend in the world Watari, and loads and loads of good senpai Oikawa.

seam-ripper

Asahi’s life is prone to falling apart at the very seams, something he has been aware of since his unfortunate birth approximately sixteen long, hard years ago. Due to the infallible accuracy of this fact, Asahi begins his second year of high school by getting involved in his very first physical altercation; he is subsequently subjected to what might be considered the most embarrassing social situation of the decade. And to top it all off with the perfect catastrophe cherry on the disaster sundae that is Asahi’s miserable existence, Suga is laughing at him.

Or, the story of Asahi and Nishinoya’s near-disastrous get-together.

hair smell

“Actually,” Takahiro starts, uncharacteristically serious. “You… Your hair smells nice.”

“My hair?” Issei blinks.

Takahiro nods. “Yeah.” He reaches a hand up, but doesn’t run his fingers through the curls—instead, he pushes them in at his scalp and scratches. He’s clearly very careful not to ruin the frizzy tangles on Issei’s head that are only achievable by means of product, air drying, and then sleeping-but-not-really on rough cotton pillowcases. The gesture is personal; it worms its way into Issei’s heart and takes root there, squeezing tight, pulsing in time with each of his heartbeats.

“I don’t know what it is,” Takahiro confesses. His face is still serious, but the line of his brow is definitely easing. “Your product? Conditioner?”

Issei shrugs. He didn’t even know about his hair smell until just now.

“But, anyway,” Takahiro continues, and he maintains steady eye contact, although his voice is suddenly small. “Sometimes I’ll smell it on someone else, and it makes me think of you.”

“Oh,” Issei says.

the inherent romance of classical conditioning (or, the fine art of emotional recognition)

It's stupid. Atsumu isn't a romantic, no matter how many times he's imagined laying Sakusa out and finally really touching him.

So there's no explanation for why Atsumu is constantly stuck thinking about brushing his fingertips against the meat of Sakusa's palms or the prominent tendons in his freaky wrists.

There's no explanation for why doing dishes sets off a warm burn in his ribcage, or why when he smells disinfectant he inhales like he's walking past a bakery.

Yer doin' this to me, he thinks furiously, as Sakusa derails his thoughts with kisses that come more and more frequently now. Yer conditionin' me, and I can't stop it.

Tending to a Wounded Heart

“Now, Iwaizumi-san, while I am flattered by your interest and must admit you’re very attractive, I must inform you my heart belongs to another, and I’m not sure your dear captain Oikaw-“ Satori wasn’t even able to finish his jest, as a fuming Iwaizumi interrupted him. A blush blooming from his hairline down to his neck.

“I’M NOT HITTING ON YOU, DUMBASS!”

...

After being discovered in the midst of breakdown in the bathroom of Seijoh, Tendou Satori strikes up an unusual friendship with Iwaizumi who seems keen on helping Tendou navigate his own unrequited feelings, despite ignoring his own.

All the while Tendou's teammates are becoming more and more concerned with their blocker's new behavior and mysterious texting buddy.

No more time to waste

Tsukishima Kei has a theory: crushes were originally conceived as a cosmic torture device. Now, he doesn’t exactly have a broad sample size to study, being completely unwilling to engage with either Hinata or Kuroo’s pining for their resolutely-stoic best friends, but it’s true from his experience. He has it worse than them, at any rate. His best friend is the furthest thing imaginable from stoic.

Tsukishima suffers through training camp in a heatwave. His infuriatingly attractive best friend does absolutely nothing to help.

my heart beats for contract law

"You had an emotional breakdown in a McDonalds drive-through."

"Mmm."

"And proposed to me."

"Shhh."

"In a McDonalds drive-through, Hiro."

Takahiro huffs out a nervous laugh, keeping his eyes closed. "You love it," he repeats, nuzzling closer.

Mint and Pine

Yahaba yanks at Kyoutani’s uniform in the club room and ties his tie so tight after morning practice that sometimes Kyoutani thinks he’s trying to fucking strangle him.

don't bother checking my work (i've never cared for math anyway)

It isn’t until Shirabu’s back at LOCCENT that it really sinks in. Forty-eight wins? An impressive number, true, and a definite sign of Ushijima’s strength, especially compared to Tendou. But in anyone else, an unbalanced score like that would indicate a depressingly low chance of drift compatibility.

Drifting with Ushijima was simple statistically, but potentially deadly realistically. And drifting with Tendou? A veritable nightmare. If not for Washijou’s insistence, Shirabu would have dropped him long ago.

Still, something is calling to him. Something beyond numbers and data projections.

Because Ushijima may have knocked Tendou down forty-eight times. But that means there were forty-nine times he got back up.

Overflow

He laid his palm flat over Asahi’s jaw, almost shivering when the sparks fluttered up his arm and settled in his chest. His thumb came to rest in the little dip below Asahi’s lower lip, the skin there quivering with the tremble of Asahi’s mouth.

Glancing away from where he’d been intently watching the path of his fingers, Yuu found Asahi’s eyes wide open, with terror or awe it was hard to tell. And it hit him then what he’d just been doing.

Well, not really hit him. It sank into him, slow and staticky and warm and anxious—the realization that he’d never touched anybody like this before.

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pinkyjulien · 5 months

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AAH Sorry for the tag but @wraithsoutlaws your tags on my latest post

Inspired me to make a lil ✨ STINKY SHOWCASE ✨

His jacket is fully customized 🤏 he kept some of the OG stuff tho, like the Aldecaldos logo! (proud to be part of his new fam after all uwu)

Stayin true to his RVC00N persona, his gears are full of stripes and lightings ⚡

He's got a little beeper on his belt, an extension of his Cyberdeck! (special mention for his bubble butt 🍑)

Aaaand his cyberdeck! I'll probably rework the actual model with a custom ported one, cause the vanilla mesh is kinda... wonky 👁👄👁

Tho I'm still proud and really happy with his custom interface ghfhgf 👉👈 including an opened message from Mitch, telling him to be careful with a goofy lil selfie

#AAAAAAAAHHhgfh #I'm obsessed with details hgfh #they hold so much lil stories and yknow 👁👄👁 love hgh #if you see this and liked the breakdown first I gib you a pat on the head #but also- take this as a sign to do the same UwU share details about your blorbo #Cyberpunk 2077 #Valentin Da Silva #About: Valentin #modding shenanigans

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birdclowns · 7 months

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semicompleted saturday

ty for the tags @heartstringsduet & @inflarescent <333333

this was the first fic I started to write, and I don't think I've posted anything about it? I moved onto other projects and it's been at the bottom of my google docs forever. it's rough. it's only been looked over as I wrote it. but the premise of it is neat.

tk gets into a fight on a call. gets angry at carlos. goes out with the girls. gets into a different fight. tk things. <3

“I understand the situation was fucked, TK, but, baby, you can’t just punch people.” He absent mindedly holds TK’s injured arm, inspecting it as if he could do a better job than Tommy Vega herself. He looks into his eyes, all big, brown and soulful, “No matter how much they try to egg you on.”

He lifts his brows up as TK goes to argue, fixing him with a look. TK shuts his mouth.

“Your badge is to help injured people, not injure them." He frowns as TK rolls his eyes, pulling his arm out of his grip.

“I don’t think you understand how it was very much a fight or be fought situation, Carlos-”

“I was literally seconds away-”

“I didn’t know that.”

Their attention snaps towards the bay doors at the sound of the ambulance returning, watching it as it backs in. The shrill sounds of the back-up beeper halts their conversation, both unwilling to get into a volume battle with the ambulance - though TK would probably win if he really wanted to.

The paramedic duo hop out of it, Nancy waving wildly at them in greeting. With a wave back, the two idly watch as the women get back to work.

Once the sounds of Nancy and Tommy going through inventory and chatting fill the air, TK turns to face Carlos again, a smug grin replacing his previous frown.

He taps his temple with the uninjured arm. “At least there’s no concussion this time,” he says, eyes crinkling at the edges, unnecessarily proud of himself for not getting a concussion. “No harm no foul, babe, I’m perfectly fine.” His expression would be cute if he wasn't avoiding the point of the conversation.

“At least there’s no- TK do you hear yourself?” Carlos’ mouth is left ajar, looking at the paramedic as if he’d just grown another head. Maybe if he had another he’d have a couple more brain cells to stop himself from getting into fights.

“TK, the fact you don’t have a concussion and - by the way, you’re not fine, look at your arm and back - isn’t the point,” his voice is low, aware of the others in the station now, though the tone is still chiding.

TK’s nonchalance is hurtling him towards the edge of wanting to simultaneously wrap him in bubble wrap and keep him locked away in their loft forever so he can keep him safe and wanting to shake him furiously.

“The point,” he grits out, keeping his eyes locked onto TK’s, “is that you can’t keep putting yourself into dangerous situations because you can’t control yourself enough to deescalate without it ending in violence.”

Carlos watches the transformation on his husband’s face, stomach drooping. He watches the carefree smile disappear, teeth clenching behind tight set lips. The tension in his body is palpable, hands shoved roughly into the pockets of his uniform pants, posture straight and guarded.

Standing up straighter, Carlos gears up for the argument he knows will happen with this TK. The TK that closes off when a very specific button is pressed. The one that, years ago, would’ve simply fled, leaving a confused and upset Carlos in his dust, instead of talking out.

He watches in confusion as that is exactly what happens.

“TK-” Carlos calls, reaching a hand out, “what are you doing?”

TK stops from his ascent towards the ambulance, turning just enough to look at Carlos over his shoulder with a sneer.

“I’m controlling myself.”

thisll get finished. eventually. maybe. probably. I have him being injured in a different fic instead lmao

idk who's done it so uhhhhhhh

tagging; @mooshkat @thebumblecee @reyesstrand @lemonlyman-dotcom @sanjuwrites @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @bonheur-cafe and you 🫵

#theres a whole 5k to this fic just sitting gathering dust #i coudlve done apartment au but i genuinely plan on working on that more after kidnapped fic #id do art wips but theyre unseen wips for a reason 💕#jasper writes #911 lone star fics #remembered i think i drew something for it. wonder where that went

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mariacallous · 25 days

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Back in 2022 at the annual Code Conference, where tech luminaries submit to onstage interviews, an audience member asked Apple CEO Tim Cook for some tech support. “I can’t send my mom certain videos,” he said; she used an Android device, which means she can't access Apple’s iMessage. Cook’s now-infamous response: “Buy your mom an iPhone.”

Cook’s remark and Apple’s recent decision to block the third-party app Beeper from bridging the Android-to-iMessage interoperability chasm are two of the many examples of allegedly monopolistic behavior cited in the US government’s antitrust suit against Apple. Central to the case is Apple’s practice of “locking in” iPhone customers by undermining competing apps, using its proprietary messaging protocol as glue, and generally making it challenging for people to switch to other phones.

Those accusations are backed up by lawyerly references to the Sherman Act. But the complaint also shows the Department of Justice crafting a cultural narrative, trying to tell a technology tale with a clear message—like an episode of the crime drama Dragnet, says antitrust expert William Kovacic, who teaches at George Washington University and King’s College, London.

The Apple antitrust lawsuit, filed Thursday by the DOJ and more than a dozen state attorneys general, claims that in addition to degrading the quality of third-party apps, Apple “affirmatively undermines the quality of rival smartphones.” Because messages sent between iPhones via Apple’s proprietary network appear in blue bubbles, but those from Android phones appear in green and are excluded from many iMessage features, Apple has signaled to consumers that rival phones are of less quality, the suit alleges.

The suit includes references to the negative cultural and emotional impact of the restrictiveness of some Apple products. It ranges beyond the typical antitrust case, in which investigators might focus on supracompetitive pricing or the conditions of corporate deals that restrict competition. The core of US antitrust cases has long been proving consumers paid higher prices as a result of anticompetitive practices. But a few key paragraphs within the 88-page filing mention the exclusion and social shaming of non-iPhone users confined inside green chat bubbles, distinguishing this case from some of the more recondite explanations of tech market competition in recent years.

“Many non-iPhone users also experience social stigma, exclusion, and blame for ‘breaking’ chats where other participants use iPhones,” the suit reads. It goes on to note that this is particularly powerful for certain demographics, like teenagers, who The Wall Street Journal reported two years ago “dread the ostracism” that comes with having an Android phone.

The DOJ argues that all of this reinforces the switching costs that Apple has baked into its phones. Apple is so dominant in the smartphone market not because its phones are necessarily better, the suit alleges, but because it has made communicating on other smartphones worse, thereby making it harder for consumers to give up their iPhones.

Legal experts say this social stigma argument will need much stronger support to hold up in court, because it doesn’t fit with traditional definitions of antitrust. “What is Apple actually precluding here? It’s almost like a coolness factor when a company successfully creates a network effect for itself, and I’ve never seen that integrated into an antitrust claim before,” says Paul Swanson, a litigation partner at Holland & Hart LLP in Denver, Colorado, who focuses on technology and antitrust. “This is going to be an interesting case for antitrust law.”

Regardless, the DOJ’s complaint builds a powerful message from the cacophony of consumer voices that have vented frustrations with iMessage’s lack of interoperability in recent years. And it’s part of a broader, democratizing theme introduced by Jonathan Kanter, the assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, says Kovacic, who previously served as chair of the Federal Trade Commission. “Kanter basically said, ‘We’re trying to make this body of law accessible to ordinary human beings and take it away from the technicians,’” Kovacic says. “Storytelling is overstated in some ways, but my sense is that a lot of work went into this filing.”

Apple has rejected the DOJ’s allegations. In an earlier statement to WIRED, Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz said that the lawsuit “threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets” and added that its products work “seamlessly” together and “protect people’s privacy and security.”

Cultural arguments about the harms of the iPhone’s stickiness will resonate with a lot of consumers, even if they end up being legally indefensible. Blue bubble vs. green bubble messaging has become a much more mainstream debate that transcends the wonky, technical underpinnings of iMessage’s protocol. Apple has also consistently boasted of iPhone and iMessage’s tight security, while seemingly denying third-party apps—such as Beeper—the ability to offer a similar level of security between iPhones and Android phones.

Apple has suggested that the design of iMessage is not anticompetitive, because iPhone users can install and use any third-party messaging app they please, as long as it’s available in the App Store. Apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Signal can all be installed on iPhones and give messages sent from users on Android or iPhone equal treatment.

The DOJ takes aim at that, too, saying that these other apps first require opt-in from consumers on both sides of a conversation because they form closed systems of their own. And the case points out that Apple hasn’t given app developers any technical means of accessing the iPhone messaging APIs that would allow SMS-like, cross-platform, “text to anyone” functions from those apps.

Swanson says he still believes Apple has been careful to take the necessary steps to legally preserve consumer choice, which is one of the fundamental principles in US antitrust law. “You probably can’t do sophisticated messaging on a T9 phone these days,” he says, referencing the predictive text system that dominated before the iPhone popularized touchscreens. “But there are plenty of other options in the market that won’t deprive you of a network effect.”

Kovacic believes that as the case continues, the DOJ will have to bring forward new evidence and arguments to stand up the cultural aspects of its suit. That could involve tapping theories of economics and the psychology of human behavior to attempt to explain why some technology consumers may unconsciously favor certain products they are emotionally attached to. More likely, he says, the DOJ will have to present contemporaneous business notes that show Apple’s anxiety about competitive apps or emerging technologies, and how the company responded in apparently dubious ways.

One way the DOJ tries to stand up its allegations is by comparing Apple to an earlier antitrust target: Microsoft. In a historic antitrust case filed in 1998, the DOJ presented evidence that Bill Gates’ company was fearful that software like the Netscape browser could weaken the market power of Windows, Kovacic says.

Steven Sinofsky, a former longtime Microsoft executive, wrote in a highly charged blog post on Saturday that he suspects many of the suit’s arguments about Apple’s products will prove to be irrelevant. “Almost all of the [DOJ-Apple] battles will end up being about the terms and conditions of contracts which is the stuff lawyers and courts are good at, and not on product design,” he wrote. “The vast majority of the settlement in the Microsoft case ended up being terms and conditions licensing Windows.”

In other words, the DOJ has shown some of its cards in this initial complaint—and told a story that will resonate with many frustrated smartphone users. But to keep the case alive the agency will have to present additional, concrete, evidence that Apple’s anxieties about its products being devalued led it to act in ways that caused actual harm. If the DOJ wants to make the case against Apple as historic as the one against Microsoft it will have to prove, as Kovacic puts it, “that the anecdotes aren’t just storytelling.”

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shut-up-its-funny · 3 months

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Sonnys Art Masterpost!

(Also here's my fic masterpost) (AU masterpost)

Considering the search function is, how we say: Not Great, I have decided that I shall put all my art stuff (excluded writing) here for ease of access.

[The letters at the beginning of the titles are for the names of who is in the drawings]

-2020

RR Kiss Doodle - Rem Protecting Ro - PLJV The Dollar Doodle - RR Bubbles - RRLJ Couch Sleeps - RR Skirts - Dr. Beepers - RemPJ Animals Doodle - RRLJ Photo Kiss Doodle - RR Corpse Bride - RRJ Flustered - RR Circus - LoganOSTL - RR Animals - Pick A Seat Remus - RemLJ Cuddle Doodle - Logan Doodle - RRLJ LOVE - RR Morning After - Green Chrysanthemum - RR Hand Hold ComicOSTL - Murder Bros First Post - Remsleep Costumes - Anrgy Roman - Sad Logan - Shatter Me Doodle - HH OC

RR Sunglasses Edit - RR Selfie Edit - Intrulogical Amusement Park Edit

-2021

RR Surprise Kiss - RRT Kiss Meme - RR Dance/ Pumpkins Lineart - RR Pick Up LineOSTL - Cute Remas - RR Onesies - Ro Gushing - RR Oh No, He's Hot - RR Borrower AU - RR Comforting - RRJ Swooning - RRT Awed Kiss - RRP Sleeping - RRP Squish Hug - RRR Squoosh - RRL Serenade - RemJT Teasing - RRT Smitten - RRP Cheek Kiss - RJT Conked - RR Offended - RR Forehead Kiss - Face Shuffle Remus - Janus Is Questioning - PattonOSTL - Thomas Is Done w/Janus - LTJ Random Doodles - Bashful Roman - Heart Eyes Remus - Janus Expression - Vee DoodleOSTL - Atlas and I

RR Rowwr Edit - RR Summer MB - RR Kiss Edit

RR Gartic Phone Makeout - RR Gartic Phone Makeout 2

-2022

RRP Cheek Kiss Remaster - RR Face Hold - RR Onesies Remaster - RRL Serenade Remaster

RR Tattoo/Baker AU MB

-2023

RR Barbie MemeOSTL

-2024

RR Seeing StarsOSTL - RR Plushies - RRR Squoosh Remaster - SASI Clue Poster - RR Touch His Tits Tuesday

Intruality Autumn Camping MB

#remrom #romrem #creatnativity #remus sanders #roman sanders #sonnydraws #Sonnys Drawing Masterlist #I did this mostly so I have all my things in one place but hey people might enjoy going through them too #I hope I didn't accidentally double some links

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sillypinkboy · 2 months

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Too Late To Say I Love You

Charcters: Joe Fixit, Bruce Banner, Jake Lockley, Leonard Samson

Relationships: Bloody Protectors (Joe Fixit x Jake Lockley)

Word Count: 785

Tagging: @goodoldfashionedengineer

Notes: Hey it's angst I wrote after the last issue of the main moon knight run. So. Yeah. Major character death. Sorry in advance!

──────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Callused hands gently grazed scared skin. A single breath hung on hot air, ash and coal fell around them. The night was as dark as it could get in such a big city. Originally two faces just meant to - that just wanted to blend in, they’d grown into more. Both knew to keep their heads down. Both knew the danger they were putting themselves through. The thought never could stop them.

Electricity danced between their hands, dying with a sudden wind. Silver eyes dragged against tanned skin, desperate for something. A pulse. a wish. a word.

Both knew death wasn’t something they should deal with - or they did.

Joe had seen the explosion, or at least, the aftermath. He knew that he was supposed to be there. He moved as quickly as he could. Nothing.

Shouldn’t the cabbie be back? Why is he just laying there? Why won’t he breathe?

Joe begged for anything. Just a sign. A small movement. Something to say he was still there.

Nothing came. Nothing changed. An unfamiliar panic bubbled up behind his throat. In his chest. Tears burned in the back of his eyes, but didn’t leave.

Just a bloody corpse. No, a lover. Someone that he didn’t want to lose. Someone he shouldn’t have been able to lose. Someone that he should be able to have lunch with, someone to keep close.

Someone special left to just another body. Just another number. Someone to be forgotten by anyone that knew anything.

It’s not Jake’s name to the body. It’s Marc’s. It’ll be Marc’s funeral. Maybe Steven’s. But not the unknown cabbie.

Why? Why did he have to do this?

Why couldn’t he have stayed out of it for once?

Joe sat silent. He knew it wasn’t Jake’s fault. Dying came with the business.

The heroes won’t remember who Joe won’t forget. He knows that. Tears threaten to pour.

They feel like a fire against his skin, enough to hurt and hurt until you can’t take it. He holds the body close, before he falls. And falls and falls and falls.

Bruce woke up, eyes burning. A familiar hero in his arms. Ash sticks to blood soaked fabric, turning a gray into a red.

His chest beats heavily and he tries to figure out where they ended up.

A destroyed building. A grave site. There’s a desire to leave that pulls at the logical side of his brian. A knowledge to alert the other of what’s happened. His reasons for being there sat unknown, but he tried to leave. But, his body betrays him.

It sits unable to move. Unable to stand. Unable to register what has fully happened.

Blood seeps onto his hands.

He stays unable to move.

Why had Joe brought him here? They’d never been close to the vigilante, Moon Knight. Was it something about the person behind the mask?

His hand twitched.

Recognition set in. Jake. The guy Joe had been seeing.

His throat tightened at the thought of losing someone that close. He took a deep breath - like Leonard had taught him. He took another. And another.

Eventually, he gained control over his movements. A control to leave them. To tell the others. To try and plan for the aftermath.

Bruce gently moved the body off him, laying it face up. He stood up slowly, his body still shaky.

He sent a simple alert- just one to the other heroes. He hoped it reached. Knowing he needed to get out, he left the beeper behind, tucked into the vigilante’s hood. Then he left.

He tried to get as far as quickly as he could, not that it mattered. He just needed to get out. To try and find someone, anyone to help them.

He sits tucked away in a coffee shop, dialing their closest friend.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Months passed, days blurred. Concern had been sparked in everyone. Joe never seemed to let himself be alone. He stopped reaching to be in charge - instead choosing to hold himself to the side. To being a passive viewer.

The change was welcomed by Bruce at first. It was one less fight in his head. One less problem to worry about. The joy of it wore thin, eventually.

The worst of it all was the worry that Leonard had towards it. There was a call. It was late into the night. Unexpected, even. The doctor had asked if Joe was still there, if he had been heard from. The worry for Joe was somewhat unexpected, keeping in mind how much he had been a problem. Bruce had been honest. Told the doc what he knew. The call wasn’t much of a long one, but enough to leave something sour behind.

#bloody protectors #pink writes

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