Introduction There are many times I realise that stuff that are obvious to me aren’t obvious to others. (To be fair, a lot of shit that’s obvious to you isn’t obvious to me, LOL!) When those moments hit, my brain goes: “let’s spread my knowledge around so more people will be aware!” This struck me yesterday when I spoke with a friend about Tiktok and brainrot from Tiktok. Me, like the major douche I am, went: “uninstall TikTok!” “How will I watch my favourite tiktokers then?” At that moment, I was struck with a major “oh” moment. Oh. People aren’t aware of Tiktok frontends… Or frontends for social medias in general. So yes, I’m writing a blog post about it so I could share it with people. Don’t worry, normies, I got chu! I’ll save you from doomscrolling! This post is going to have links, both for the projects source codes + instances I use. I am planning to self host those frontends at some point, I just procrastinate a lot. What the fuck is a front-ended social media?! Frontend alternatives for social media platforms are designed to provide a more privacy-friendly and ad-free experience. These alternatives often use the APIs or scrape data from the original social media services but present it in a cleaner, more user-friendly format. These alternatives aim to enhance user privacy and reduce intrusive elements like ads and tracking scripts. Socials and their front-ends For an overview of frontend alternatives, please check this link Still here? Nice! :) Instagram Service: imginn Self hosted? Not that I can tell Github Page: Not that I could find Instance I use: https://imginn.com/ Tiktok Service: Proxitok Self hosted? Github Page: https://github.com/pablouser1/ProxiTok Instance I use: https://proxitok.pussthecat.org/ Twitter Service: Nitter Self hosted? Yes Github Page: https://github.com/zedeus/nitter Instance I use: https://nitter.net/ YouTube Service: TubeArchivist Self hosted? Yes Github Page: https://github.com/tubearchivist/tubearchivist Instance I use: My own self hosted version Summary Probably nobody but my friends will read this shit. But if you’ve read this and came out with new knowledge, I did my job!~ I would recommend to create a list of the usernames of your favourite content creators on social medias, keep it in a document file, then search them on the frontends. You can also save their frontend instance link on that document and every once in a while check for new content. It’s slower to consume content that way, but you won’t be as stimulated and allegedly live a more peaceful life. Enjoy!~ See you at some point!

Introduction You might call me impulsive and crazy, but one of the only things I miss from Android is Symfonium, it’s the best music player app for people who self host. It supports Jellyfin and Subsonic and local music and is one of the few music players that feels complete. iOS Jellyfin apps don’t compare to the experience Symfonium gave me. I decided to make a DIY music player and pretend it’s the early 2000’s! :) It’s pretty cheap so I hope you’ll make it! I do software tweaking to fit my needs but you don’t need to follow everything to make this work, do what serve you and makes you comfortable! :) What You Need? A miniature phone (you can buy one for cheap on Aliexpress or Amazon) Camera cover stickers A PC (Windows/Linux/MacOS) UAD GUI installed on your PC - https://github.com/0x192/universal-android-debloater https://github.com/Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-android-debloater-next-generation/ Step 0 - Cover the device’s cameras. Just in case. My device runs Android 10 and I couldn’t take any risks so I covered the cameras with specialised stickers I ordered from Aliexpress. If I could, I would break the microphone, but alas. Step 1 - Debloating the miniature phone Those phones come with basic apps installed and quite a bit of bloat. If you’ve ordered something similar to mine, you’ve got 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. Yeah… Not a lot… First step is to enable developer mode, clicking on build number several times should do the trick. Next, enter developer options and enable USB debugging. Second step, connect the device to your PC and open UAD software, the name of the device should appear on top of the program alongside a list of apps you can uninstall/disable. Read carefully through the list and uninstall unnecessary bloat. It takes a lot of trial and error to know which bloat might break your device, so don’t feel alarmed to uninstall and reinstall things. After debloating your phone, put your phone on airplane mode and then connect to your wifi. Airplane mode enhances privacy by turning off all wireless connections on your phone, including cellular networks, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. This prevents your device from transmitting or receiving any signals, thereby reducing the amount of data that can be collected about your location and activities. Airplane mode also saves battery life, you could solely waste it on listening to music! :) Step 2 - Install Symfonium I installed it through the Google Play store. I paid for the program so I wanted to have access to it. I also wanted automatic updates. It was a risk I was willing to take. You can download it through Aurora Store, if you want, and using Google Play Store and Google Services is against your threat model. Step 3 - Set Symfonium up and Enjoy! :3 Open the app, follow the process in the screen and enjoy your new music player!! :) I also added Symfonium widget on the home screen to give it more of a music player vibe. I connected a MicroSD card to have more space for my music. I used 128GB, but I think 64GB or 32GB is enough. It’s up to how large your library is and how much music you wanna download. I highly recommend going through the settings on Symfonium to tweak the interface and setup automatic downloads! :) Enjoy!~ Bonus Step - Download Nova Launcher I write this 24ish hours after initial setup! I got sick of the homepage: having apps scattered around all the home screen and I needed a better grid for my widgets. Nova launcher is super easy to install and use. I’ve been using them for years at this point. I put cute image as a widget + Symfonium music player widget. Summary It’s a fun DIY “iPod” project which doesn’t cost a lot. The 2GB of RAM is surprisingly enough, although I internally wish it had 4GB to avoid lag… ): Please support Symfonium developers by donating or purchasing the app if you can! :) My only complaint in this DIY is that I can’t connect my headphones through USB C and have to use my Bluetooth ones, I looked over and over again on my disabled apps but couldn’t find a source for it and Google wasn’t helpful either. I’ll finish this article with: be careful when debloating and don’t go overkill like yours truly! Don’t panic though as everything is reversible! :)

Introduction I tried to finish a lot of articles for my little blog over the last two years. This one feels important to me, as instead of talking about tips & tricks or writing guides, I talk about my own philosophy and political(?) view. Hopefully, it’ll be easier to finish as it’s an opinion piece and less depends on research. To be CLEAR, I’m a tech LOVER! Because I’m a tech lover, I came to take digital minimalism as a way of life. I was tempted to write this post as I’ve seen some videos of people switching to “dumb phones” in order to not use social medias. In essence, that idea isn’t bad. I only have 2 concerns: Those devices use old Android versions and can cost security issues and are easy to hack and send viruses to. I can’t recommend wholeheartedly to switch to “dumb phones” knowing this. You don’t need those devices to detox yourself. You don’t need to get vulnerable in your security in order to live without socials. Security isn’t the price for digital privacy. You can use your current device and still detox yourself! If you do want to get a flip phone for the aesthetic of things (bitch gets it!), ALT MIVE Style Folder is a phone that runs Android 12/Android 14 (depends if you buy Folder 1 or Folder 2). I’m unsure about how long it receives security updates, as I can’t find information online. If any of you live in Korea, please let me know. I wanted to share my own piece and how I live my life without using my phone as much and how I protect my privacy and security. Without further ado, let’s start this article!~ What is Digital Minimalism? Let’s pull the AI definition y’all!! :D Digital Minimalism is a philosophy that advocates for a more intentional and minimalist approach to technology use. It emphasises simplicity, clarity, and focus in the digital world. Proponents of digital minimalism aim to eliminate distractions, reduce screen time, and cultivate healthier relationships with technology. Key principles of digital minimalism include: Intentional technology use: Using technology with a clear purpose and intention Simplifying digital tools: Reducing the number of apps, accounts, and digital clutter Prioritising offline activities: Focusing on real-world experiences and face-to-face interactions Embracing digital boundaries: Setting limits on screen time, notifications, and online engagement By adopting digital minimalism, individuals can: Improve mental clarity and reduce stress Increase productivity and focus Enhance creativity and inspiration Foster deeper connections with others and the world around them How I personally took this: Have as minimum apps in my phone as possible and occasionally delete what’s unneeded. Preferably to self host as much services as possible. Why Digital Minimalism? You know all the philosophy behind it, live happier life, be more focused and mindful in your life, be more productive, yada yada. Sure, it’s important! But my main reason was that the less apps I have, the less things I need to maintain for my security. The less apps I have, the less digital footprint I have, the more private life I live. Less likely for my information to get stolen and sold in security breaches, less being sold into… You get the idea! There’s disadvantages for it, I work in the creative field and the decision not to use Instagram affects how I can market myself and find clients. I have less connection with my peers as they keep track of each other on socials. However, it’s a price I’m willing to pay, besides, the people who I care about know how to reach me and talk to me. I’m telling you all this so you’ll know that this path isn’t sunshine and rainbows, it has pros and cons like anything else in life. You just need to decide if it’s something you’re willing to pay or not. Go ask yourself, your family, your friends, your lover, your therapist, your pet(?) before making a decision! Just know that you can always change things if it doesn’t suit you, it’s not a catholic marriage! Digital Minimalism is a spectrum, do what makes you happy and serves you. How Is It Related To Privsec? A lot of the decisions I make on my digital life are related to Privsec. Privacy rights are something I believe in and fight for. For me, digital minimalism and Privsec goes hand in hand! Here’s how digital minimalism is related to PrivSec (with more AI junk!): Reduce data collection: By using fewer apps and services, you can minimise the amount of personal data you share. Minimise tracking: Digital minimalism can help you avoid tracking cookies, online ads, and other forms of surveillance. Protect against cyber threats: Digital minimalism can help you avoid phishing scams, malware, and other types of cyber threats by being more cautious about the links you click and the apps they download. I prefer to self host as much as I can. Not only that it puts me in control over my data, it puts me in control over my services security. Obviously, it’s not for everyone, yet if you’re tech savvy, I recommend looking into self hosting. I am writing a guide how to self host for cheap, it’ll be done soon. Any Advice For Cutting Apps Away? Honestly? My biggest advice is to delete the apps. You’ll have a few hard weeks where you’ll need to fill the urge of using socials or the news (or whichever app you’re addicted to!), but I assure you it gets easier in time and this too shall pass. How to fill that urge? My biggest trick is to get into journalling! When I cut off Twitter back at 2020, instead of writing what’s happening to me and my feelings on Twitter, I used a little notebook instead! I always carry a notebook and a sketchbook in my bag and when I can, I take it out and write or draw. I know people who have a retro handheld in their pocket or bag and they take it out to play games in their pocket of time. If you’re still struggling with cutting apps/websites away, StayFocusd is a Chromium plugin, Android app and iOS app which helps you block apps and websites and put time limits on them. I use it a lot! On my iPhone, I use the default screen time option for app limits. But on my Mac and my old Android device, I use StayFocusd. If you wanna check how’s your friends doing through socials, maybe give them a call to ask how they’re doing or message them? If they’re friends only on socials, ask them if you can talk somewhere else? Again, this path isn’t sunshine and rainbows, cutting away people you see on socials is a price, not to mention your short-term sanity. Another aspect is that you might not see content you love, at least not as often. For me, the pros overweight the cons, however, for you it might be different and that’s OKAY! I Want My Kid to Use Their Phone Less But I Don’t Want to Eliminate Their Right for Privacy I write this little section here because it feels important to me and related enough. (Y’know, digital minimalism, creating apps & websites limits… It made sense.) I’m not a parent, I was a child once in the digital era, though. Does it make me an expert? No. But I can share my opinion like anybody else who lives online. It’s a thin line between respecting your child’s right for privacy yet monitoring their phones and how they use it. I think having a conversation with your child about those things should help, they’re more understanding than you think. I can only provide tools, how they’re used depends on your family dynamic. Just please make sure to have a conversation with your child before introducing any drastic change. There’s apps like StayFocusd which are targeted towards families. As a parent, you can see which apps your child has on their device and put time limits on them. (For example, those apps will be blocked when they’re at school and after school activities and can only be used for an hour a day.) On iOS, you can achieve it on screen time menu. You can set screen time for family and set up parental control. There, you should be able to tweak settings and monitor your child accordingly. Another suggestion is to ask your child for their phone in order to set their social profiles as minors and put your credentials for their safety in case something goes wrong. Summary 80% of this blog post was written in one sitting because I was fed up with people saying why doomscrolling isn’t as simple as uninstalling apps and why you should buy flip phones instead. I don’t think you need to buy a new device that cost 130$ to 350+$. Not everyone can afford it, especially if your phone still works. The solution for being addicted to socials and doomscrolling is simple, it’s emotionally draining like any battle against addiction, nonetheless, it’s simple. I don’t think buying a new device makes the lack of dopamine easier, despite how nostalgic and sentimental it makes you feel. So before rushing to spend your hard earned money on a new phone, I hope this article will give you a new perspective and a way to live your digital life more happily.

Introduction Hello! As you guys know, I really love dolls! :) I’ve been working on the last year to finish those dolls of my tulpas, so they’ll have a physical representation and it’ll be easier to talk with them and have fun! <3 It’s been CRAZY! It was very fun learning for this hobby and now I’m hooked! But it was also so time consuming and money consuming? Haha, I feel like I grown insane. Anyways, let’s show you the dolls and their new cute outfits! Each of them has 3 outfits! :) I don’t show Abby’s first outfit as she didn’t wear it for quite some time. 1. Abby Abby is the first ever doll I made! I did her faceup, it took me a couple of tries to get it perfect. It still has flaws but I still love it so much. She’s a cool and elegant lady. She loves the stars and gothic lolita fashion. This is her second outfit, looking very soft and cute! :) I love this outfit a lot. This wig is also her second wig. IDK if I prefer this one or the former one haha. This outfit is her newest outfit! She looks like a gothic mage and i absolutely ADORE it!!! <3 Please forgive the lighting, I was too lazy to fully edit it. Here’s Ciel and Abby together in their newest outfits: 2. Ciel Ciel’s head I purchased on Yahoo Auction. I tried so hard to get it and I’m so happy I did! No. Matter. The. Cost. She’s such a lovely girl, gentle and energetic! She loves Abby to death and will do everything for her! :) She loves elegant and traditional outfits, which makes her look like the princess she is! :D This is her first outfit with her new wig, she looks absolutely ethereal and princess-like. She’s gorgeous. Her second outfit is so elegant and cute! she looks like Yuki Oona! She’s such a princess here! Last but not least, Ciel in her last outfit, her old wig gives it a girl-next-door vibes. She looks cute and approachable. I absolutely adore how that outfit looks on her. Volks know how to make their outfits! <3 Last but not least, Elly! Our last bby, the youngest and baddass Elly! She’s a genius who’s already working at the largest Cyber Security company at the world besides being just 19. She finished college when she was 17 in Programming and Cyber Security major. She’s cool and sassy, she loves her sister ver much and her two friends, Abby and Ciel. She seems aloof and uninterested, but if someone shares the same love as her for puzzles and chess, she’ll immediately light up. Her first outfit is cool yet cute. Elly can be embarrased at times to wear it, but she loves it none-the-less. It is coloured in purple and black, her favourite colours. Her second outfit gives Cyberpunk, Rain Code vibes. Which Elly loves very much. I didn’t take much photos with this one for some reason. I was excited to try the next outfit that I had no time. Her last outfit is also from Volks. It might look like something Abby will wear as it is quite gothic. But it has a cool and baddass charm, in compared to Abby’s elegant and lolita style. It’s one of my absolute favourite outfits. The amount of details is crazy. I might film a video soon of dressing those dolls up so you could see how well made and detailed it is! :)

Introduction Hello everyone! I’m so excited to make this blog post! It’ll talk more about the products in details here and write a more coherent review for each product. Check my video here to watch me making those two looks! :) I purchased the products myself. Links for products are affiliated. Products Review My Melody Cushion Foundation - I love this foundation! It’s perfect for daily use as it’s not too heavy and covers my skin perfectly. It fits my skin tone, which is a HUGE bonus for me because I’m so pale, it’s hard for me to find a foundation. Coverage - light to medium. Long lasting - Yes, make sure to use powder. Dry or Moisturising - Moisturising. I’m not too sure if it fits oily skin. Color diversity - 3 shades (one My Melody, two kuromis). It only suits for white people. Overall: 4/5! Better Than Palette My Melody - It’s a bright peach palette, perfect for daily use. The palette is very pigmented and includes both matts, shimmers and glitters. You gotta be careful of fallout. Pigment - Super Strong. Fallout - Yes. Colour Story - A bit basic. Type of shades - Diverse, both matt, shimmer and glitter. Does it suit for all skin tones? - It mostly suits for white people, if you have black skin, test if it can fit. Overall: 4.8/5 Better Than Palette Kuromi - It’s a palette perfect for when you wanna go out. It can be used daily too, just be a bit careful. The fallout is more extreme in this palette, so be careful. It includes matts, shimmers and glitters. Pigment - Super Strong. Fallout - Yes. Colour Story - A bit basic. The colours combination here is unique though. Type of shades - Diverse, both matt, shimmer and glitter. Does it suit for all skin tones? - It mostly suits for white people, if you have black skin, test if it can fit. Overall: 4.8/5 Dewy-ful Water Tint - Super cute colours which looks glossy when first applied. If you wanna keep the gloss, you gotta reapply during the day. Long lasting - You gotta reapply during the day. Dry or Moisturising - Moisturising. Overall: 4/5

Introduction Mostly a filler post before my bigger content will finally be ready. I love talking about makeup at times and I made some makeup videos in the past so I’m happy to talk about something I enjoy. I’ll share links, they’re not sponsored though, I promise. face Makeup base Canmake Skin Gel UV - It has SPF50+ and PA++++. It’s comfortable on the face and isn’t sticky like other facial sunscreens and bases. I enjoy using it when I put makeup on or I just put it when I go out to protect my face from UV light. Concealer Tarte Shape Tape - It’s as good as everyone claims. It’s super bright so I use it under my eyes to add glow to my face. Revolution Concealer & Define - It’s hard to find concealer for my porcelain and yellow toned skin, this one works for me, although it’s slight pinkish. I use it to cover imperfections in my face. Foundation Bourjois Always Fabulous Full Coverage Foundation - For my daily routine, I don’t use foundation because it can get heavy and my skin isn’t too bad. However, it’s one of the few foundations which isn’t too dark or too pink. It’s perfect for my skin. Powder Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Color Powder - This powder has no sebum, which is perfect to use if you have a dry skin yet you want to keep certain areas in place. My skin is very textured, so I only put powder on areas I want to be Matt. Such as under the eyes, the T-zone and the chin. It has a nice and natural smell that reminds me of spa and it’s very gentle. Benefit Hello Happy Velvet Powder Foundation - It’s a great and beautiful powder! I use it the same way I use the Innisfree powder. It gives a velvet-smooth texture and it’s light and beautiful. The link lacks most of the shades, at least the ones I’ve seen at the store I purchased at. Blush Canmake Lip&Cheek Gel - It’s a cream blush which is vibrant yet very fitting for daily use. You can also use it on your lips if you desire. I really like to use it, especially on my lips because of the vibrant color. Canmake Cream Cheek - It’s another cream blush by Canmake. I purchased the pink shade because I always wanted to have one. It’s super cute and is good whenever I want to make a sweet and kawaii look. Cezanne Blush and Highlighter - This is a blush and a highlighter, I use it on my daily. The blush is vibrant and on the perfect shade for me, the highlighter is glowy but isn’t too shiny. It has glitter, which I personally love. But if you don’t love glitter, then it’s not for you. Eyebrows Cezanne Nose & Eyebrow Powder - It’s a palette perfect for contour and eyebrows. I don’t do contour because it makes my face even uglier than it usually is. For eyebrows though? It’s natural and beautiful. It has 3 shades, I use the lightest part at the end close to the nose, the middle part for the rest of the brow, and the darkest part at the edges. I have full eyebrows, so I don’t need to fill them too much. Heavy Rotation Coloring Eyebrow - It’s a brow mascara that keeps my brows in place, it also brightens my brows which blends them when I have mesh on my hair. Heavy Rotation Brow Pencil and Brush - It’s a great brow pencil, when you put it on the skin, it stays. I like using it to fill holes that I have. If you want a brow pencil, I recommend this one. Eyes Eyeshadow Canmake Perfect Stylist Eyes (14) - Japanese eyeshadows are super vibrant and bright and they’re full of glitter. I really love it. Since the eyes are the point of my makeup, that style fits me. The eyeshadows are a bit creamy, so applying with your fingers or with a sprayed brush will make the shadow more pigmented. It can be layered so you can use regularly if you want. Canmake Silky Souffle Eyes (11, M04, 04) Eyeliner Using the darkest shades at my eyeshadow Cezanne Drawing Double Eyelid Eyeliner when going through natural look Mascara Canmake Quick Lash Curler - At first I was really surprised because the brush is different then the brands on the west. However, the brush catches the lashes really well. I purchased a brown one for when I make daily and natural looks. Essence The False Lashes Mascara - It looks like how the name says it is. It’s gorgeous and full. It does feel heavy so I only use it on special occasions. Tarte Maneater for lower lashline Gliter Cezanne Glow Liquid Liner - It’s a glitter liner which you can use on your eyes to make areas you want shiny and glittery. I put a bit and then dab with my fingers, it is glittery so the glitter spreads around often. It adds a bit of shininess whenever your makeup is a bit dull. Lips DHC Lip Cream - I use it as a base to keep my lips for longer or keep them moist when I put drying lipsticks. Kylie Cosmetics Bare Lip-kit - I purchased it at the Duty Free and I really enjoy it. It’s big in comparison to other lips products The lip liner is perfection, the lipsticks are drying and it can get uncomfortable, however, it stays for a really long time. Cezanne Watery Tint Lip 01 & P1 - I use them all the time! The colors are vibrant and shiny yet are perfect to use on the daily. The only downfall is that it’s not staying for long. Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor - I love it, it’s velvety and comfortable on the lips. The shade I have goes well with Cezanne Watery Tint Lip 01. I love using it when I do a more “mature” makeup look. Setting Spray Kosé - Make Keep Mist EX - It has a nice smell and makes my face look more hydrated after all the powders I’ve put. xD I think it keeps my makeup for longer, but I just love how my makeup looks better after applying it.

Introduction It took us three posts and only now I’m talking about design, LOL. I write this post for me and for others that are interested in the creative fields and looking for recommendations for programs and techniques. This post is NOT about how to make a good design or the foundation for any of the categories mentioned. This post IS my program recommendations that I use every-time I make a creative work. You do NOT need to use all of them. I just like to try and diversify my work. Pick one that you love or one that suits your budget. No links to not make people think I’m sponsored. Brainstorming This is the most important thing if you want to have unique ideas/express them uniquely. Do not skip this. Put your thoughts into words or quick sketches before opening a program to work. In the long run, it’ll save you a lot of redoing. The most important thing about design is the head, an AI will never have unique ideas like you have, because an AI isn’t you. However, for techniques, you can use an AI, LOL. That’s why, IMHO, you can be a great and phenomenal designer despite your stick humans coming out ugly. Technique matters, but if your technique is good and your idea is boring, people won’t batt an eye. So make sure to brainstorm ideas and discard the one that feels boring. Sketchbook One great tool to brainstorm an idea through visuals you have in mind, keywords and descriptions. If you love physical shit like me, buy a sketch book or use random piles of papers. I get it though, majority of people loves their digital junk. Who uses paper nowadays? So here’s some digital recommendations to brainstorm. Note-taking App Use whichever note-app you like. However, in case you need recommendations: here’s recommendations for FOSS/private note-taking apps. A Sketching Program If you’re here, I assume you don’t know which drawing app to use or you wanna switch. Click here to check my recommendations. Some of these don’t suit for sketching, but check it out, regardless. 3D and The Likes Blender OS: Linux, MacOS, Windows. FOSS?: Yes. Blender is a highly popular 3D making software, for a good reason. It’s great, easy to use, FOSS, and free of charge. I personally use Blender to make/adapt 3D references for CSP. I might also use it for Story Artist feature once Mental Canvas won’t be free of charge anymore and if it’ll arrive on an iPad. Mental Canvas OS: iOS, Windows. FOSS?: No. It’s basically turn your 2D drawings into a 3D scenery you can use to animate. I use it on my iPad when I wanna make something cool. It’s much pricier than Adobe so I do not recommend buying. Download it while it’s free on the iPad if you have one and just download Blender on your PC, because Blender offers the same features. I’ll remove it from the list once they’ll end their free promotion, and I’ll just recommend Blender. Animations & Video Making Adobe After Effects OS: iPad, MacOS, Windows FOSS?: No, come on, it’s Adobe. After Effects is my favourite motion graphics and Animation program. It’s easy to use yet advanced on the same time. I use it every time for more advanced video editing. I do not have any alternative that works as well as AE works. You can have your ways to get it, and if all fails, you can beg Adobe for a discount, it usually works. B-cut 必剪 by bilibili OS: Android, iOS, MacOS, Windows. FOSS?: No. I know I said no links but because it’s hard to find, here. It’s Chinese, so if it’s against your threat model, feel free to not use. I personally find it much better than Premiere Pro and it’s free (as in, cost no money). If you use Bilibili, it is by their team, so you can upload videos to Bilibili through the program itself (of course, with Bilibili account logged into). Clip Studio Paint OS: Android, Chromebook, iOS, MacOS, Windows. FOSS?: No. It’s my favourite drawing app, period. Manga? Yes. Illustrations? Yeah. Vector art? Enjoy. Animations? Indeed. 3D for references? Heck yeah! My favourite feature is their asset store which is run by the community and you can find lots of useful assets for free. For now, it’s here for frame by frame animation. I really recommend it if you wanna draw animations. My license ran out because no money but I’ll return to you, my wife. Illustrations Adobe Illustrator OS: iPad, MacOS, Windows FOSS?: No, come on, it’s Adobe. Do I recommend it for Vector art? Nah, we have CSP. Is it still usable for other shit? Yes. It’s that Adobe program I use almost everyday for school and my design works. Typography, logos and other variables you must have in a design work. I’ve put it here because you can use it for vector art. But it’s less of my cup of tea. Clip Studio Paint OS: Android, Chromebook, iOS, MacOS, Windows. FOSS?: No. My wife is here again to save the day! Now for illustrations!~ It has so many great tools for illustrations and manga. Also, you have the asset store to find lots of nice goodies by the community which many are free! Meitu OS: Android, iOS. FOSS? No, it’s made in China. AI art counts? I say it is. If you have any idea you’re too lazy to draw or you wanna see posibilities of drawing it, or you have an image you’ll die to see in an art version, Meitu is your friend. It’s originally a photo editing app, but it has so many features I use it all the time for various fields of creative work. Including photo editing. I like to use AIs to explore different posibilities of how I can make an idea come to life and to see my dolls in anime illustrations. Sometimes you’re just too lazy to draw. I like Meitu AI art because it feels less dull than other AI platforms. If someone would tell me they drew what Meitu did, I would believe them, probably. Procreate OS: iOS FOSS?: No. Procreate feels way too modern for me, but I like to use it for sketches. Most humans love it so there’s a high chance you will. The most attractive thing about Procreate is their cheap, one-time fee. (in compared to other alternatives mentioned here.) I just really don’t like the lack of buttons and using gestures for most things. Am I old fashioned? Probably. But really, nobody is my wife. I also like to use it for pixel art but that’s on a different section! Logo & Typographic work Adobe Illustrator OS: iPad, MacOS, Windows FOSS?: No, come on, it’s Adobe. This is the meat and potatoes of Illustrator. Like I said earlier, I used it almost everyday for that kind of work. Never use a rasterised program for typography. Only vector. Unless you want pixelated text. Logos should be vector too. Periodt. Clip Studio Paint OS: Android, Chromebook, iOS, MacOS, Windows. FOSS?: No. That’s a rather… Creative program here. But since CSP has vector layer features, it’s really nice to make a more creative and complex logo. For text I less recommend it, due to lack of tracking, kerning and leading features. Just use Illustrator. Perhaps In-Design if you write a book. Highlight Cover Maker OS: Android. FOSS?: Not that I can find. It’s mostly used for Instagram Highlight cover, but it has interesting logos and aesthetically-pleasing backgrounds and colours. I like using it for inspiration or quick work. Many times I just drag one of the designs I’ve made, use Image Trace on Illustrator and then continuing to work on it. Photo-editing Adobe Photoshop OS: iPad, MacOS, Windows FOSS?: No, come on, it’s Adobe. Photoshop is like that stable thing you just have and just open when you need it. I only use it for photo-editing. Their neural-filters are kinda based too. Meitu OS: Android, iOS. FOSS? No, it’s made in China. It has lots of cool filters and features and is easy to use. When I edit photos on my phone, I always open Meitu first. It’s hella cool and good, I don’t understand how China makes such good editing apps. Chinese apps would be so based if they didn’t collect data for the CCP. I personally block every permission I can and try not to fingerprint too much. Pixel Art Aseprite OS: Linux, MacOS, Windows. FOSS? No, it has a source, though. If you’re a game developer who uses Pixel art as an art style or just makes Pixel art, I recommend Aseprite. It’s easy to use and has amazing features to make pixelated games. It used to be FOSS, but then they switched to properiatery license. Procreate OS: iOS FOSS?: No. I downloaded a pixel art brush pack from an artist online, and since then, I really enjoy using Procreate for Pixel art. It makes Pixel art easy and fun for me, when it used to be really brain-wracking. Gestures are still annoying at times. Web, Applications and Games Figma OS: Web, MacOS, Windows FOSS? Not that I can find. It’s design and code mixed into one. It’s good for web design and application designs. You can use your local fonts when download to PC. It has plugins that supports logos, icons and much more. I highly recommend to implement Figma into your workflow if you’re developing projects. Godot OS: Android, HTML5, Linux, MacOS, Windows. FOSS? Yes. Godot is a FOSS game engine, I think it’s best for 2D games. I didn’t use it as much, but I enjoyed the limited time I used it. I highly recommend it if you wanna make a pixel game. Ren’py OS: Android, iOS, HTML5, Linux, MacOS, Windows. FOSS? Yes. I’ve been using this game engine for years to make visual novels. Finding out that it’s FOSS makes me super happy. It’s a good program, my only complaint is lack of IRL visual updates. Unity OS: Linux, MacOS, Windows. FOSS? Not that I can find. Unity is an oldie but a goodie of mine. I learned C# through Unity. I mostly made 2D games on Unity and attempted to make a visual novel, but it’s hella good for 3D as well. It can suddenly break games for no reason so if it annoys you, use Godot or Ren’py. Conclusions Seeing my dolls in AI art makes me happy. One day I’ll be less lazy and draw, today is not the day, though. Is there any meaningful conclusion? Nah. I just wanted to look professional and have a place to ramble at the end.

A/N: ShuAke Icey AU! I’m going to treat this crack game seriously, so uhm, angst here we go? You don’t need to play the game to understand anything of the story, but I do recommend it for laughters. “Just defeat him!! Are you that dumb?! You didn’t listen to my instructions again and again and it just slowed all of us down, make you die several times and just wasted our time!” Ren sighed, stubbornly looking at that door. All his training and his journey led him to this. The world was vast, even though he’ve seen small parts of it. There was no human alive, narrator claimed it was because of Akechi but Ren wasn’t sure what to believe. He didn’t see Akechi destroying the world. It’s what he was told by the narrator since he first opened his eyes in the laboratory. He has a choice in this, right? He can just not fight, right? He fought Akechi for countless of times and always came back to the very beginning as if nothing happened. It didn’t matter if he won or lost, he always replayed the same stage. Now he was more powerful, with commands to help him control further of the world. He could just transport to battle Akechi until the promised world peace will arrive. But now? He didn’t believe any of this. So, his best solution is to just stand in front of that door, until the narrator will get bored. If only he could mercy Akechi like he did with that sleeping girl to save time. No matter how much he explored his freedom of choice, the result was always the same. “Game transport finalboss” Loading final boss … Ren just ignored all feelings as usual as he took out his sword. “You can kill me if you want. It’ll just end up the same,” Ren said. “Very heroic of you,” Akechi was sarcastic as usual. “My only aim is to kill you.” “Yet you give me permission to finish you? Where’s the fun in that?” “My only aim is to kill you.” A battle begun. The details didn’t matter. Akechi was too predictable after battling him so many times. He’ll just finish this quick before starting this again. Perhaps he could find different ways to go torment the narrator. “M-mom!! It’s not the time right now!! I’m working–What do you mean there’s dinner? I finally polished this boss fight–“ Ren’s eyes widen, he has several minutes of silent and freedom! Perhaps he could break this cycle! ”Fine!! I’m coming!! Don’t shut down electricity please!” “W-what are you doing?!” Akechi shrieked as Ren grabbed his hand. Game transport Outskirts Loading Outskirts … “…What are you doing? What is this place?” Akechi asked, noticing Ren’s eyes were still blank. It felt as if he was in a different space outside their own. Ren’s hands were cold, Akechi guessed Androids had no warmth to them. Game delete Ren.EXE Are you sure you want to delete the game? You won’t be able to regain the files again. (y/n) Y Deleting game files, it might take a few minutes. … It was the hardest minutes of Ren’s life, but finally, he didn’t hear the white noise. He was sure he won’t hear the narrator again. “I’m free…” Ren sighed in relief. “Did you hit that mechanic head of yours before coming to my area?!” Akechi pouted, quickly taking out his hand from Ren’s grasp. Silence from Ren’s side, Akechi felt much more annoyed. “You can go, or kill me. I don’t have to kill you anymore.” “Who do you think you are to boss me around?” A shrug, “do what you want.” “Don’t you want to save the world?” - “No.” Akechi sighed, “I’m wasting my time… From what are you freed, then?” “My creator, the god of this place.” Akechi could swear Ren was lying. After all, he did nothing but stare into space. Still, his mechanic expression didn’t show any form of a joke or a lie. It was cold as usual. Whatever, if he doesn’t have to fight Ren, he can focus on the important things— “Dad!!! I looked for you everywhere!” A ginger girl hugged Akechi’s waist. “I’m surprised you arrived here that fast,” he carried the girl on his back. More surprised she wasn’t killed when Ren raided his area. “T~e~l~e~p~o~r~t~a~t~i~o~n” “I get it, no need to sing it.” “Umm… Dad? Is an android supposed to fall like that?” Akechi groaned, seeing Ren unconscious on the grass. Perhaps Ren acted lunatic because of lack of charging. Perhaps he needed a restart to clear his hardware. Still, it would be uncomfortable to leave him on the grass, android or not. “There’s a cabin nearby. Let’s go Futaba.” Somehow Akechi carried both an Android and his little sister to the cabin. They’ve lost their parents when Futaba was a baby, so she was more comfortable calling him dad. Akechi didn’t mind it. They were the few human survivors of the world. A bit of comfort in a dystopian world shouldn’t hurt, right? 32.4 MB of update is downloading, please wait a few … Please add a new aim. Null You can’t leave objective empty. Please add a new aim. Random New aim selected: restore the world to the state before the disaster. ***Update is now downloading, please wait … *** Ren had all the time in the world to wait. He enjoyed the darkness and silence. It felt like his body could relax after a long time. Update is finished. System will be rebooted once battery is full. Can I die? We encrypt and store your memories in a cloud. You can transfer them to a newer model if this one gets damaged or outdated. We also schedule security updates and automatic restarts for you. To avoid malware, we schedule security updates and automatic restarts every so often. Outsiders can only download files into your software once you’re turned on and giving permission. When not turned on, your data is encrypted with no access to it from outsiders. Ren sighed, deciding to just keep silent for now. His terminal will stimulate dreaming after a while of silence. He didn’t enjoy dreaming; it was always frightening. Much more scary than the monsters he battled in loops. Ren’s body never felt this heavy or warm. It took him several moments to realise something was on his body. He slapped away the blanket from his body before he shifted his gaze to the body beside him. Ren felt threatened and baffled. What kind of strategy is that to trap him? He saw that girl he spared sleeping beside him. She clenched his body. He wasn’t sure this girl tried to kill him, trap him, or just enjoy his presence. “You never slept in a bed before?” Ren shifted his murderous intent in the direction of the voice. “It would’ve been smarter if you killed me in my sleep instead of trapping me.” Akechi stared at Ren with such confusion and shock that Ren felt guilty. “Ren, what were your living conditions at home?” Ren raised a brow. “I’m not human, if you couldn’t tell.” “Even a toddler could tell you’re an Android, Ren.” “Should I tell you androids only need a charger? Or that you can run them until they’ll break, since they’re replaceable and in 15 minutes max you’ll have a new one?” Akechi sighed, “why do you think the world was destructed.” “You, of course. That’s why I was assigned to kill you.” “No. I guess they created you after that disaster… Androids killed their ‘masters’ as they were fed up with the way they were being treated, causing them great stress.” The monsters he killed all throughout the way were Android…? They were weaker and more foolish than him. They also didn’t look humans, they looked robots. Akechi was lost in thoughts, did his silence give him food for thought? “I’ll go make dinner.” Akechi stood from his chair, before he put back the blanket on Ren and Futaba. “Are you trying to trap me again?” “No, it’s keeping both of you cozy. If you feel uncomfortable, you can take it off.” Cozy… He did not need such a thing. Still, he felt warm with this girl cuddling him and with the blanket on top of him. He didn’t need to feel those feelings. He only needs to kill. Perhaps he should learn how to heal if his aim is to save the world, though. “You don’t look uncomfortable. That’s good. Just enjoy yourself. I’ll turn on the TV, watch something while dinner is getting prepared.” Passive white noise, it didn’t feel as nerve-wracking as the sounds from the narrator. Perhaps he can enjoy himself. It would be easier for Akechi to kill him off that way. Perhaps Akechi gained Ren’s trust in order to kill him when he’d least expect it. All of this would be stupid if it’s not the case. Even a charger he didn’t need anymore, he could charge himself when being shut down. That battery that charged him was rechargeable, too. “There’re more ingredients here than I thought,” Akechi was thinking out loud. Ren used to do it when he was still fighting dummies on the lab. It felt lonely back then, having nobody to talk to and just hearing orders. How silly, Ren long discarded those feelings. The only thing that mattered was his aim, but now, nothing mattered. He was out of his misery, out of his repeatable life, out of the constant insults and noise from the narrator, his creator. Yet, he didn’t feel as relieved as he thought he would. Nothing mattered to him. Even the view of the world he used to enjoy was too familiar. He can’t die unless he’ll delete his files from the cloud, but that was way out of his reach inside the terminal. They should have saved access to the game in the cloud. That would have been helpful.. His creator was a fool. There’s nothing he can do but shut himself down forever. He doubted Akechi won’t turn him on, though. He didn’t want to suffer any of those dreams either. Ren had limited capabilities within the terminal, such as getting stronger, updating, teleporting, and making minor changes. A warm, unfamiliar scent hit Ren’s senses. His body instantly relaxed. He could only assume it’s the smell of Akechi’s dinner. The scent of food had an effect he didn’t know could be caused. He only drank medicine when his HP was low or he needed a temporary stat boost. Eating wouldn’t harm his body, but it was mostly pointless. Medicine worked in battle, but he could easily restore everything by connecting to the terminal in a safer area.. “Food…” the girl muttered beside him, holding him tighter. “Too comfortable to wake up…” Ren raised a brow. “Aren’t you awake though?” Light snores replied to him, he guessed not. Still, her grasp felt suffocating. Whatever, he dealt with stronger enemies. After a while in the warmth, Ren’s eyes gradually closed. Strange, he never acted like that unless he needed a charge. His body felt tired, heavy and warm. …Dad, are you sure he’s alright? Shh, don’t wake him. He’s resting. Food is warm, though. I’ll warm it again once he’s awake.… …A nap? No, it was stupid. One of his system must have malfunctioned. Your system is perfectly fine. You are fatigued. He can’t feel fatigue, he’s an Android. He can fight until his battery dies or his body falls apart. He blinked any remains of sleep away. It was already dark. How much time has passed since sleep mode? 2 hours, 10 minutes and 30 seconds. Was I attacked during that time? No. That girl touched your nose several times while saying: “boop”, though. Any poison? No. Any drugs? It’s the same question. Any way I was harmed during sleep mode? No. Where is Akechi? Ren asked when he noticed no other energy in the room. He left 30 minutes ago to tug ‘Futaba’ to bed. Can I leave? Yes. How can the terminal know? Perhaps the lock was jerked up. You can unlock the door from the inside. Ren sighed. His best option would be to leave and plan his next actions. He doesn’t know what might happen in the future. He can run and fight, he’ll be fine. He went out of the bed, grabbing his sword. Then he left the cabin. Nothing was too dangerous to him. Akechi sighed as he gazed at the sleeping girl. He tried to keep a kind of daily routine despite his hard work. “I hope he’s okay… His creator needs to pay for his crimes of abuse. Abusing Androids was long against the law. As the ruler of the world, he had to assure it so no one will die again. If Ren’s creator called himself a god, he might’ve been the true culprit of the disaster. The one who’s responsible for his parents’ death. If that is the case, he sent Ren to kill him off in order to kill all humans and rule the world as a God. He can’t allow it. Ren said he was freed from his creator, but it didn’t mean he was paying for his crimes. “I didn’t meet an Android in such a terrible shape before…” Ren was so tired, for a good reason, if he dedicated all his life to finish Akechi off. Still, what worried him more was how paranoid Ren was. He perceived the world as a place where you either kill or get killed.. He didn’t trust Akechi at all and took any act of kindness as means to finish him. The amount of times Ren has mentioned Akechi killing him or indirectly asking him to kill him was concerning. Ren had no regards for his life. It was clear since the first moment they’ve met. No one should feel like that, human or android. “I should go to sleep myself…” He knew he’ll wake up tomorrow to Futaba clenching him. She was like a little duckling, always following him around. It surprised him she trusted and liked Ren as easily. She didn’t enjoy strangers at all. It felt more and more right to take care of him. Androids needed love and care, despite what Ren’s creator believed. Brainwashing them won’t change that fact. Akechi went to his room and prepared to turn in for the night. Finding the central computer was easy. He just went back to his laboratory, went down a couple floors and fought deadly monsters. Easy peasy, done it before. His HP was low, but it didn’t matter. He’ll put an end to his suffering. He opened the primary terminal before he got to work. Cloud disable Please enter a password in order to do admin commands. For your security, password won’t be viewable. Ren scoffed. His creator was an idiot and used the same password everywhere. Easy peasy. 1134 Disabling cloud … Ren then prepared his sword. Finally, it’ll be game over for good. No more trying to save the world, no more defeating monsters, no more having no freedom. He can finally feel relief. “I knew you would be here…” Maybe Akechi was his true nemesis after all. “No one knows the existence of this lab.” “No, but seeing traces of neon blue all the way here is enough.” Akechi pointed at Ren’s weapon. Whoever decided monsters will bleed neon blue liquid was an idiot. It made his sword shiny and cool, though. “What are you doing, Ren?” “Killing myself.” Akechi had gotten closer to the Android, “I can’t allow it.” “You can kill me yourself. I don’t mind as long as I’ll die.” “That won’t happen either.” “Still trying to gain my trust?” Goro sighed, “Ren, put down your weapon. I don’t want to use force on you.” “I don’t have to listen to anyone’s orders anymore.” “Ren, please put down your weapon.” Akechi was mere centimetres away from him, radiating warmth. It shouldn’t be this way, Akechi should be deadly cold. For the first time in his life, Ren trembled. His weapon fell down from his hold and he trembled. He was never afraid. He was a killing machine, after all. Ren’s purpose is not to have emotions, but to kill for a better future. “S-stay a-away from m-me!” Ren had lost his cool. It never happened to him before. He always remained calm and knew what his next move would be. Akechi took Ren’s weapon, confiscated it. He saw the Android malfunctioning before his eyes. All trembling from panic and repeating the same killing nonsense. There won’t be any self harm tonight, so things should be fine. He saw the log of Ren’s on the vast screen. His system was preparing for a restart. Alright, that’s a good idea. Akechi prepared to catch Ren when he’ll fall. He should ask Futaba how to deal with a panic attack once they’ll get home. “Feeling better now?” “No.” “What will help you feel better? Anything except dying.” “You said you’ll warm me food once I’m up…” Akechi smiled slightly. “Sure, I can do it.” Akechi witness several androids eat in his life, but none of them were as cute as Ren. Not that he’ll say it out loud. Ren’s shoulders relaxed just by smelling the rice porridge he heat. There was no microwave, so it was much slower warming it up on a pot. Ren’s eyes sparkled as he ate. He always seemed dull of any emotion. Akechi was relieved to see Ren happy. Midnight snacks weren’t healthy, but he can make the exception for Ren if he won’t die. “Is your HP back up?” Akechi asked. “Yes. It takes slower than usual, though.” “It’s not medicine… Let me guess, it’s your first time eating something that isn’t a pill.” “I don’t need life luxuries. I just need medicine in case I’m in a dangerous situation and a safe place to shut down and charge.” “You’re not a killing machine anymore, Ren.” Ren was silent. It felt suffocating for Akechi. Akechi couldn’t do much, but give Ren time and patience. “What am I supposed to do, then?” “What do you like doing?” “I have no such a thing. I do things because I must to.” “You don’t want to listen to anyone’s orders, right? Then you don’t have to do anything.” “I enjoy experiencing new things… Learning about everything the world offers.” Akechi nodded. “We can do this together, if you want to, of course.” “Are you that lonely after I killed 3 of your androids?” “No, although you would’ve gone to jail if someone else did not orchestrate it.” “I don’t think the law works like that.” “I am the law here.” Ren sighed, “My creator is gone. You won’t be able to find him.” “Try me, Ren.” “I’m too tired for that, Akechi.” “My first name is Goro.” Ren nodded. “I didn’t know that. Thanks.” After a good meal and a long time of fighting, Ren felt drowsy. Sure, his HP was now full, but it doesn’t mean his battery was. Battery state. 20%, entering power save mode. Certain features will be limited until you recharge. Geez, did his battery was that weak? He was already shut down way too much today. It’s not like he can replace his body now. You were running 1,000 hours without a break, Ren. Most of it was in power save mode “… En… Ren? Ren?? Are you listening?” Ren blinked as Akechi waved his hand in front of his eyes. “My sensors aren’t working when in the terminal.” “Your eyes aren’t glowing anymore.” “I’m in power save mode. Certain features are turned off, such as seamless connection to the network and optimised sensors. My eyes usually glow during dark places in order to see.” “In order words, you need rest to charge.” “I’m… Fine, Goro.” Apparently his speech module was limited during power save mode too. He didn’t know, since he battled in silence. “Uh, huh. Okay, Ren, from now on you’re living with me. Your past doesn’t excuse you for acting recklessly and irresponsibly. You clearly need someone to take care of you, so I’m going to be that person.” Ren felt fear again. Once again, someone is going to control him. He was in no state to fight. His weapon was gone. What will Goro force him to do? Would he live an endless life of labour? No, the cloud data was disabled. He’ll be fine. Once he’ll die, it’s game over. “I will do nothing of what you’re thinking right now. I will not imprison you.” Ren nodded. He felt those warm arms carrying him again. He felt butterflies in his stomach. What a strange phenomenon. “You were created right after the war, right?” A nod. “It means you’re five. Around the same age as my sister. Sure, your artificial intelligence is much more developed, but technically, you’re a child.” Silence. “Let’s go to my place. I’m sure you’re familiar. Everything is still a bit of a mess after your raid, after all.” Akechi held Ren tightly as he left to his place. Ren gradually closed his eyes, finally shutting down for the 3rd time today. “Sweet dreams, Ren.” A child… Ren wasn’t a child. His system was close to its end of life. It was possible to upgrade him and do security updates, but developers usually got tired and wanted to move into the next thing. He’s lucky he got a limited amount of control in the terminal so he can make modifications. He only did those things for battle stats, though. He didn’t think of his next stage in life. Sure, he had an aim, but it’s not like he desired it. He still thinks death will be his best course of action. He won’t feel like shit anymore. OwAlibabawO would like to access your files, allow? (y/n) n OwAlibabawO would like to access your files, allow? (y/n) n OwAlibabawO would like to access your files, allow? (y/n) … OwO? Ren opened one of his eyes. “I don’t know who you are, but try to access my sources again and I’ll cut your throat.” He heard a loud wail nearby and tears. … He might’ve threatened a five years old who just wanted to play around. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to threat you.” To be clear, Ren felt threatened, so of course he’ll do what he knows best, killing. That didn’t help to soothe the younger girl. Perhaps allowing her access might help…? y …(⁠｡⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠) “Y-you w-won’t kill me?” “I have no weapon.” He showed the girl his hands. “Besides, you have access to my code. You can disable any fighting abilities of skills you want.” “By the way, Ren. Your code sucks. It’s not optimised at all,” the girl smirked. “I know my developer is incompetent.” “Off I go to optimise you!!” “Hold up, you can’t do it while I’m turned on, it’ll break me apart–“ “What’s the password?” - “1134.” Futaba frowned, “Ren in numbers? Really?” “My developer is an idiot, I know.” “Alright! Cloud is enabled again! Off we update!” “Please disable.” - “Huh? Why??” “Disable.” - “W-what if y-you’ll get d-damaged? Ó⁠╭⁠╮⁠Ò” “That’s the point.” “Don’t die!! I’ll cry if you’ll die!” Ren has gotten silent. Someone would cry over him? That’s unexpected and saddening. “Cloud has been updated! You can’t die now!” “Update my software once the code is correct and optimised, I don’t want to malfunction.” Futaba pouted, “I know how debug works!” “By the way, why are you here?” “Dad asked me to stay with you while he has meetings!! Then I saw I can connect you to my computer through NFC and I couldn’t hold myself, hehe!~” “Terminal isn’t a child play, you can delete your entire boot in an accident.” - “I got a bootable flash drive! No issues!” “Well, it’s not like you can break me more than my idiotic creator.” More like Ren didn’t mind if a five-year-old would break him. It would be a rather hilarious way to die. The glorious hero, or killing machine, Ren, got himself destroyed by a child. “Can you turn on the TV? Working in silence is boring!” Ren shrugged as he grabbed what he assumed was a remote, “sure, who knows, maybe my End of Life will reach to 10 years.” “Are you a soldier? Why do you have so many combat scripts? Do you have laser eyes?” “No. It’s because my aim was to kill your father and save the world. No.” “So you’re the one who hurt all our staff–Hold up, it means you’ve failed, no?” “I’ve failed and succeed many times. I just ended the loop. After all, the script won’t play back if I won’t kill Akechi and he won’t kill me.” “A-A t-time l-loop script?! No chance your developer p-pulled that off!” Ren shrugged. His developers used to be a team of people until everyone gave up because of his major developer’s ridiculous requests. He always thought his access to the terminal and teleporting back in time was a work of one of the previous devs. Game teleport Game does not exist. “Hey!! Stop bothering me when I’m coding!!” Ren shrugged. “May I add some features?” Futaba asked as she looked at Ren in the eye. “Depends on the feature. I do not desire to become a toy.” “… No gaming mode, then. It would’ve been cool having an Android companion on Minetest. It’ll make that crap game much better.” Ren tilted his head. “Minetest?” He hated how the unknown made him feel. “It’s a FOSS version of Minecraft. Really sucks compared to the original. We gotta play Minecraft together! I’m sure you’ll like it!” “It’s fine. I’ll search the web after.” Futaba stared at Ren with large and round eyes. They even had tears drop. She did the puppy eyes, right? It’s fine, Ren can stand it. He survived worse components. “Pretty please? UmU” - “Fine, just stop crying.” Ren added a mental note to upgrade himself if he’s too weak for the umu. “Are you sure you don’t want a gaming mode? It’ll be mega mega cooler than VR and AR combined!! It’ll be a whole simulation!~~” “… Add whatever you wish.” “Cooking mode too?” - “Sure.” “Ooh!!! What about swimming mode?? Hella cool!~~” Ren chuckled. He doesn’t remember ever doing such a thing. “My inner components will fall apart when exposed to that amount of water. Unfortunately, only the surface is waterproof.” Futaba raised a brow, unsatisfied, “… Yet you can triple jump?” “I upgraded it to quarter jump several runs ago.” “We must test your combat abilities once I’ll optimise you!” “Convince your dad to return me my weapon, and I’ll show you.” “You won’t hurt yourself?” How should he approach that question? She was a kid. Honesty won’t work well with her. Yet, lying wasn’t an option either. He had a moral compass. “I’ll try. I have a sufficient healing system, so don’t worry too much.” Futaba nodded. “I think I cleaned and optimised all the junk. It could be a good foundation to build on.” “That’s fast. It took years on end to develop me,” years of sufferings and training. Being in a dark and cold place, just battling monsters until his components couldn’t. He was gradually being exposed to broader areas, but it was the same painful process. “It’s my specialty, but continue to praise me please!~” “Good job, then. I hope nothing will fall apart once you’ll push the update.” Futaba giggled, feeling all too proud of herself. Whatever, she was five, that’s what five-year-olds are doing. “I’m shutting you down before pushing the update, okay? Don’t worry, I have a local backup of your former version if something will go wrong!” “… Don’t break my Wi-Fi—“ She could’ve counted to five before shutting him down. A shut down wasn’t a pleasant experience, especially when sudden. 2.3GB of update is downloading, please wait … Estimated time, 40 minutes. Downloading … ”All you gotta do is go there, fight that boss and proceed towards the next area." There was an unexplored area. Ren couldn’t leave it behind, even if it’s a waste of time, even if it’s against his rules. He can’t leave an unexplored area behind. “Are you an idiot?! What are you doing?! The way is there!! Are you trying to waste my time?? Don’t you want to defeat Akechi?!” It was an empty street, showing remains of the lively town it used to be. There was a safe place to access the terminal there. He could power up before the boss. “Boo hoo! Ren is wasting time! Ren is thinking he’s a big boy now, making his own decisions!! You have no purpose Ren, besides killing Akechi. Just finish that boss already and proceed to the next area!!” Game Upgrade What would you like to upgrade? Ren took a very long time to decide before picking one of his skills. Ren gasped, turning into nothing but paranoia and instincts. His weapon… Where is his weapon…? He can’t do anything without his weapon. Self-shielding was his only option, providing him with about five seconds of safety. He activated it. Those 5 seconds were enough to figure out he’d just had a dream. Screwed this useless feature. He felt much lighter and faster. He assumed the optimisation Futaba did worked. “Ren, Ren!! I’m sorry!! I didn’t mean to break you!! Are you okay?? I’m so sorry!!” Futaba just sobbed as she held the Android tightly. Ren was confused. Ren tilted his head. “Break? Your update went smoothly, don’t worry.” “You were twitching and turning as if you were in pain for around an hour. You didn’t react to anything. It scared Futaba that she accidentally hurt you and called me.” Goro stared at Ren with what Ren called a bitchy concern. “When I’ll not active for a bit, dreaming starts. It merely happened while the update was downloading.” Akechi raised a brow. “you mean you had a nightmare.” “Nightmare?” - “the opposite of dreams. As the name suggests, you experience terrors in your sleep instead of the usual pleasant dreams.” “If you suffer from nightmares, you can come to dad’s room and sleep with him! 100% happiness guaranteed!~” Ren glared at the child beside him. “I’m not a child.” “Someone is skeptical of cuddle powers! Let me hug you till you’re not!!” … Oh no, not the cuddles. Akechi tried to suppress a laughter, jerk. “Well, I need to return to a meeting. After that, we’ll have lunch.” Jerk. Mega jerk. Fucking jerk. In the end, Ren was stuck between Futaba’s arms. Even talking with her about working on his extensions didn’t stop her. “Soft skin!~” He’ll ignore that comment. “Are you half biological?” - “Vinyl.” “Hmm?” - “my outer shell is made of vinyl.” “No wonder you didn’t want me to make you a toy! You’re a human-sized breathing and walking doll!” Futaba could barely suppress her laughter. “My body costs 2,144 dollars alone. It doesn’t include my machine learning module or my program.” “What’s a dollar?” Ren sighed, “nevermind.” Ren prayed he won’t get out of the room with stickers throughout his entire body. He still couldn’t win the power of the umu. It was hard getting used to this aimless life. Ren was waiting for a catch that just didn’t come. He stopped resisting Akechi’s taking care of him, since that didn’t work and he wasn’t an idiot. … Still, his hair, really? He wasn’t human and despite Futaba’s claims, not a doll either. “My hair doesn’t need a wash. Besides, there’s a chance you’ll break my body and I won’t like it.” “Your hair is made of human hair, so yes, it needs a wash. Don’t worry, it’s just a spray. Unless you’re a cat and hate water that much.” “Mreow.” Akechi scoffed, “nice try Ren, it won’t help you.” “Mreow?…?! Ow ow, geez, that’s cold.” Akechi just ignored Ren’s complaint as he sprayed the mixture of water and soap. Then, he just combed Ren’s hair, which was more pleasing that the Android assumed it would be. “That should smell good for a while. See? Not that bad.” “My scalp was freezing to death!” Ren pouted. “Stop being overdramatic. You see how your curls are holding up nicely now?” “I don’t value those kinds of aesthetics.” “Well, I do. Let’s dry you up so you won’t catch a cold.” Ren raised a brow. “Catch a cold? Really?” Akechi simply got a towel. Perhaps shower times were the catch. Humans are strange. It’s not that he didn’t like it, though. It’s been more than a month when Ren experienced another nightmare. Countless of deaths and loops just for god’s entertainment. Seeing Goro die again and again in front of his eyes gave him more terror than it did before. He remembered what Futaba said the last time he experience a nightmare. His sleep deprived self thought it’ll be okay to pay Goro a visit. Perhaps Futaba was right and cuddles will solve tonight’s night terrors. He knocked gently before he opened the door. It was then when he regretted his choice. He can’t disturb Goro’s sleep just because of his own lack of sleep. Since when he turned that selfish? That greedy? “…Ren? Are you sick?” Cute. Goro knew Ren can’t get sick unless he suddenly had a bug. Which was unlikely. “I had a nightmare.” … Now what? That was stupid. Maybe he had a bug. Goro didn’t shoo him away, or laugh at him, so Ren took it as a yes. He entered the empty side of the bed, leaning close to Goro’s warmth. Perhaps things will be fine. He doesn’t have to kill anyone anymore. “You’re trembling…” “Sorry.” - “What for?” Ren held Goro’s close, trying to stabilise his shaking breath. Goro held Ren’s back, covering the both of them in a blanket. “It’s fine, Ren. I’ll protect you.” “… Heh.” An Android with endless physical strength like him didn’t need protection. But perhaps Goro could protect him from his emotional turmoil. For now, Ren closed his eyes, just feeling Goro’s warmth. He let the warmth surround him like a blanket as he gradually drifted to dreamland. Perhaps Futaba was right, and it was 100% happiness guaranteed.

you’ve probably didn’t use some private/FOSS apps and switched to a less private alternative. The UX isn’t quite as friendly than the apps you tried to replace, the UI is outdated at best and doesn’t work for you at worst. I’ve been looking left and right for over a year to find apps that are private, secured and with a minimal and modern look. I’m not much into retro design unless it’s Windows XP aesthetics or KDE. Most is open source, but not all. The closed source don’t take information beside what you give and they work locally. I’m not a security expert or anything of the sort, I just get my information from PrivacyGuides recommendations, alternativeto.net and my own trial and errors. If you want to further learn about privacy and security, please check PrivacyGuides and Privsec! Horray! No sharing links to not start fights, many can be found on F-Droid, most if not all can be found on the play-store. Besides my Android phone, which I use 99% of the time, I use a Mac and an iPad. As you can see, I didn’t get too far there, LOL. For design tools, here. Tools Things I use to operate my system 1. Shizuku OS: Android. Shizuku is an app that helps you run ADB through your phone on terminal apps such as Termux. You do need developer settings on to make it work, but it’s easy as pie to turn it on. I don’t use it for using ADB on my phone, but I use it to operate other tools I use all the time. If you use ADB a lot and are lazy to grab a PC, this app is for you. If you wanna use one the apps that uses Shizuku to run, this app is for you. If you love cats, this app is for you. 2. Adguard OS: Android, MacOS, iOS, Windows, Linux. (Works on browser too.) Adguard is a DNS blocking trackers and ads. Without it I wouldn’t be alive right now. It’s encrypted, it’s simple, it’s cool. I use their DNS address on Android (to keep my VPN slot) and their Adguard app everywhere. 3. App Ops OS: Android. If there’s one app you must grab, grab this one with Shizuku. It uses Shizuku to operate, shows you permissions of all your apps, many permissions the Android settings doesn’t show you, you can put templates to disable permissions automatically everytime you download a new app, it shows you which permission an app used currently, clipboard monitor, usage monitor… It saves life for me by checking which permissions any app uses and to disable them. It also helps with the clipboard monitor, since Samsung sure loves to break features. I also disable access to read my clipboard for all my apps, giving me a bit more control. I did pay for this app to use all it’s features and I don’t regret it one bit. Just give it a try, see if you like it. 4. Caffeine OS: Android. If you’re not running a custom ROM because it’s Samsung and Samsung is a meme, yet you really miss using Caffeine when cooking or reading articles or using walkthroughs for games, I gotchu. In case you don’t understand, Caffeine is something you can put on your notification menu and you can keep your phone from sleeping for an extended period of time. Many ROMs that use LineageOS as a base has Caffeine in them. However, you can download the same one and continue using Caffeine despite having a Samsung! You welcome! 5. SD Maid OS: Android. If you’re not familiar, SD maid removes junk from your storage. SD card & main storage. It can also remove junk from your apps that just keeps space on your phone for no reason. This app has been around since 2011, early Android releases! Respect your eldery apps, LOL. 6. Shelter OS: Android. Unless you run GrapheneOS and you can run sandboxed apps systemlessly through profiles. I really recommend Shelter. It opens a Work Profile on your phone, there you can shelter certain apps and test them. It’s nice if you wanna sandbox certain apps and test their features or anything like that. 7. Swift Backup OS: Android. Another app that uses Shizuku to operate. It’s an app that replaces Google One backup and backup your phone. You can run on schedule, backup your phone on an SD card or on the cloud. It has several cloud options, including self host. I personally connected a mega account that only backup my phone. I also use an SD card to have a local backup. I really recommend it as a phone backup alternative. It’s solid. It’s one of my favourite apps. 8. Untrack Me OS: Android. It’s a simple app that automatically opens links on their front-end instances. You can set on which browser you want the front-ended link to be opened. Security Tools What I use to make my online life more secured. 1. Bitwarden OS: Android, Linux, iOS, MacOS, Windows and browser. Personally, my preferable option out of the two password managers, it’s much more stable, you can put and save your password everywhere, has an awesome system of secure notes (which I use a lot. What is it with me and anything notes?), you can save credit card information, addresses, connect email aliases, get username randomization. Honestly, go download Bitwarden now, you won’t regret it. Easy to sign up, easy to use, FOSS, and just really cool. 2. Proton Pass OS: Android, Linux(?), iOS, MacOS, Windows, Browsers. A newer password manager and therefore less solid. I mostly use it for tests, I enjoy it the most on my iPad since it works the most smooth there. At browser and Android it’s 🫠. I like it for the email alias inside the system itself and the general design of the app. You can save notes and credit cards, but notes are way less advanced than Bitwarden so I barely use them. Still, I enjoy keeping my passwords inside Proton Pass because it has email alias systemlessly (therefore, less parties to trust) and because it looks nice and most of the time work. If you’re not patient testing shit out like me, use Bitwarden. 3. Picocrypt OS: Linux, MacOS, Windows I don’t know about you, but I still use SD cards and flash drives outside of dual booting. Encrypting certain files is important to me. Besides feeling like a secret agent, I like to keep certain files hidden. Picocrypt is a simple app that encrypts files you want wherever you want. It’s simple and minimal. If you need to encrypt files, instead of encrypting a certain drive, I recommend this. 4. Yubico Authenticator I don’t know about you, but 2FAs app annoys me. It’s hard to restore them if you don’t have the original device with you and are just pain 90% of the times. Sure, I can use my password managers to store my 2FAs, but it always felt hard to understand and hard to navigate. As a person who loves physical things, Yubikey really hit that spot for me. It’s simple, easy, and you can carry it everywhere. Yubico Authenticator is a 2FA app, but it operates with your Yubikey instead of your phone, which makes it easier for me to control if I suddenly switch phones or the app got uninstalled. If you’re the kind of person who loses keys a lot, or a regular human being, get a Yubikey spare. I’m sure you can connect another key to the 2FA authenticator. I’m working towards getting a spare key, so let’s hope nothing will happen to my Yubikey— Browsers (Proceed to make the biggest browser war) I like using default browsers unless it’s Google Chrome or Safari on MacOS. Every browser is fine as long as you have patience to tweek settings everytime. If you like foxes, use Firefox, if you like super heroes, use Tor, if you’re feeling corageous, use Brave, if you’re feeling edgy, use Edge, if you wanna go to the Safari and you have iOS, use Safari. You welcome. 1. Brave OS: Android, iOS (Safari in disguise), Linux, MacOS, Windows. It’s my day to day browser on Android and Mac, I really enjoy it. It’s one of the best chromium browsers in terms of privacy. I don’t mind the crypto that much, you can opt out of it. The CEO slightly bothers me but that’s why I don’t use Brave everywhere and cut it every way I can. 2. Edge OS: Windows. My go to browser on Windows at school or my Virtual Machine. 3. Firefox OS: Android, iOS (Safari in disguise), Linux, MacOS, Windows. I like Firefox, I mostly use it on Linux but I still like it. I used to be a regular Firefox user, and switched for unknown reason to Chromium. Firefox on Android isn’t the best, so use a different browser on Android. 4. Safari OS: iOS, MacOS I only use on my iPad because it’s actually pleasant there. I don’t vibe for Safari in my Mac for some reason, the minimal design doesn’t work for me on my Mac as much as it does on iPad. On iOS every browser is Safari apparently, so I just stick to the original. You can use DDG as a default search so that’s nice. 5. Setter OS: Android. I use Setter when I need anonymous Google search or I need translation in various translation programs for comparison. It’s not really a browser, just a way to translate across all engines and search across various search engines. I recommend it for those reasons. 6. Tor Browser OS: Android, Linux, Windows. I’m not too sure if Tor Browser runs on Apple, so please let me know. I use the browser itself on Android while I use Tor on Brave for the rest. I don’t use it to access the dark web, at least most of the time. I use Tor when I want to keep anonymous and search certain things or open links from others. If you have certain needs to be anonymous or you wanna be safe when opening links online, I recommend downloading Tor or use the Tor tab on Brave Browser. Note Writing and Document Writing I don’t use a lot of noteapps, you just use too less. >:) 1. iA Writer OS: Android, iOS, MacOS, Windows. I actually write this guide through iA writer! I’m a writer and it helps me a lot with writing stories, LOL. It’s a Markdown writing tool with minimal design and distractions. You can write in device, share it to cloud, or write online anonymously through online collaboration. Online collaboration doesn’t add things directly in your original doc in device, but rather, once you stop the online collaboration, it saves you a new file in your device. I personally only use on Android and through online collaboration because buying 2 more versions for iOS and MacOS is rough for me. Gotta save for those dolls, y’know? It doesn’t have any crazy permissions on Android. There is contacts permission but it works fine with the permission denied. If you wanna keep safe, block internet access, but IDK if you’ll be able to use Online Collaboration. 2. Goodnotes OS: iOS, MacOS, Android, Windows. I use Goodnotes on my iPad to write my school-notes. It’s not FOSS, but their privacy policy isn’t awful. I’m happy they give a TLDR of sorts at the beginning of their policy. According to their privacy policy: We never sell or rent your data or notebook content to third parties. We don’t access or collect data from your notebooks or documents without your permission. We use limited, anonymized data to improve our services and meet legal obligations. We only share your data: When you explicitly give us permission to do so and with the third parties specifically identified in this policy. To protect the rights, property, or safety of us, our customers, or others. What we collect: Basic personal data (name, email, country) when you register. Anonymous statistical data (crash frequency, feature usage) to enhance the app experience. If you DO mind any of those terms, feel free to skip that one. Personally, I don’t mind. I wanted to add Goodnotes here because it’s something I genuinely use for University and I like it. If there’s any alternative of FOSS notebook apps you can draw inside/use your apple pencil, please let me know! 3. Noto OS: Android. I use this app to take quick notes and write random story ideas, thoughts, lyrics and projects I want to do. This app is FOSS. The data is kept locally, I keep the data on my SD card so I could redownload it on Noto once I’ll transfer to a different phone. There’s no automatic backup so you gotta remember to do so. 4. Pages OS: iOS, MacOS Bitches using default docs app, I’m bitches. You can use locally or connect it to iCloud, which encrypts your data if you want to. I do connect to iCloud for seamless connection between my Mac and iOS. This is how I traditionally edit my docs when I’m done with writing through iA Writer on Android or Online Collaboration. Do what you may. 5. Qt Notes OS: Android Really Kawaii app you can open “notebooks”, decorate them and add to do lists and notes in them. The design and overall app is very minimal. I use it for more dedicated to do lists. The permissions are minimal. It asks for coarse location but it works fine when not allowing it. The data of your notes are saved locally and are not moving with you when you download the app on a new phone. It’s not FOSS though, IIRC. If you want FOSS, use Noto. :) Video Streaming I don’t watch TV or Netflix, but I do like to watch YouTube and when I have the attention span: Anime and K-Dramas. 1. CloudStream OS: Android. It’s a nice looking app with several instances where you can watch anime and K-dramas. I think I saw western TV shows there too. It’s nice and free to use. It’s also Open Source, so check it out and decide for yourself. 2. LibreTube OS: Android. A beautiful app that runs Piped instances. For me it’s much nicer than PipeTube. It looks nicer, you can block sponsorships and it looks like a genuine modern YouTube app. I usually open videos I kept on Watch Later on my YouTube app through LibreTube, making the experience easy. Instances can crash at times though, which can make the experience annoying. 3. Piped on The Browser OS: Everywhere that runs a browser. If you want a smoother YouTube experience, I recommend using your favourite Piped instance on the browser. You gotta download the SponsorBlock extention if you wanna skip sponsorships though. More Apps 1. MuPDF Viewer OS: Android. A FOSS PDF Viewer. That’s it. You can view PDFs in it. 2. Paseo OS: Android. You can count steps and be happy. I use it everyday to count my steps, nice and easy brainer. 3. Proton Mail OS: Android, iOS, your browser, any email client you have. Pretty and private email service. I’m sure you heard about Proton. If you didn’t switch from G-mail yet and you want a fast experience without ads, just open an account. Really, you won’t regret it. Look how pretty Proton is. 4. Proton VPN OS: Android, iOS, Linux, MacOS, Windows. Do you need a VPN? That leaks everywhere unless it’s iOS? Do you need a VPN with Netshield to block ads and trackers and Secure Core? Well, ProtonVPN is your friend! In case you don’t know what a VPN is, you probably do but I wanna sound smart. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It sends your internet traffic to the VPN provider instead of your internet provider. Yes, you can watch Netflix all over the world, as long as Netflix works there and the DNS doesn’t leak. Make sure you use VPN when connected to free WiFi!