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Joseph Kohlmann

@jkohlmann.bsky.social
2.6K followers 3.1K following 6.9K posts

He / him · #Manhattan #NYC · Staff software engineer · Design+eng, #HCI, #DesignSystems, listening, empathy, #house #music, video #games, #photography, #cats, Black feminism, trans rights, Palestinian liberation, antiwhiteness, broken systems, #union labor

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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
For the #Housemarque and #Returnal sickos out there: 1. I named my personal Mac "Helios" 2. Find My now gives me '"Helios" left behind' notifications
An iOS notification from Find My that reads, ‘Time Sensitive: “Helios” left behind. This device is no longer detected near you. It was last seen near [redacted].”
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Google presents: 2 of ? genders
A frame grab showing a wide shot of the Google I/O conference with two smart glasses presented on a screen. On the left is a pair of rounded cats-eye sunglasses from a company named “Gentle Monster”, while on the right appears a fairly nondescript if masculine frame of normal glasses from Warby Parker. A presenter appears standing off to the right of the screen, which is about three times taller. A vertical rectangle grid of beige wood paneling appears behind the screen and along the front edge of the stage.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Here it is: the only “X” app worth installing
A screenshot showing the Fujifilm X app icon, a wide, angular X in white against a gradiated dark gray and black background, with the word “Fujifilm” in all caps and dark gray underneath it. The app’s name is “XApp”.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Okay, so who made the fucking trades, then? Via: www.ft.com/content/06db...
52 minutes ago. George Steer and Amelia Pollard in New York and Malcolm Moore in London. Traders placed $580mn in oil bets ahead of Trump's post on Iran talks. Traders made bets worth half a billion dollars in the oil market about 15 minutes before Donald Trump's post touting "productive" talks with Iran sent the price of crude tumbling and ignited volatility in other assets. Roughly 6,200 Brent and West Texas Intermediate futures contracts changed hands between 6.49am and 6.50am New York time on Monday, just a quarter of an hour ahead of the US president's post on Truth Social that there had in recent days been "productive conversations" with Tehran to end the war in Iran. The notional value of those trades was $580mn, according to FT calculations based on Bloomberg data. Trading volumes for Brent and WTI leapt at the same time, 27 seconds before 6.50am. Futures tracking the S&P 500 share index jumped in price moments after the oil trade, with volumes also rising significantly during that timeframe.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
Here is the generative AI statement for @hinterland.bsky.social’s games with alt text:
Statement Against The Use Of Generative AI

Hinterland is a humans-first company. We believe in the primacy of human creativity, and in the dignity of all human creators. We will never use generative Al for any of our games, nor include any code or content in our games that wasn't created purely by humans.

We are opposed to the widespread exploitation and abuse of human creativity, exploitation that underpins the business models of all generative Al companies. We believe that this fight is an existential fight for the soul of humanity, and we see games standing at the forefront of this fight. There is no ethical application of generative Al, as all commercial models are built on the industrial-scale theft and exploitation of workers, as well as the destruction of our environment, to the sole benefit of the billionaire-class.

We also do not consent to have any of our work added to any generative Al models, for training purposes or otherwise, and will use all legal means at our disposal to protect our creations and our intellectual property. We believe that our work, and the commitment to our players, demands this of us.

Press Any Key To Continue
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Horizon rules — sorry to all the haters, but Goth Aloy can’t hear you
A portrait of Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West. Aloy, a young woman with light, flush complexion and long, orange-red braided hair, faces the camera while standing in profile and turning to her right. Aloy’s spear and bow are visible on her back, and the bow fills the left half of the frame. Aloy’s armor is gunmetal and electric blue, plus magenta and turquoise necklaces. Her makeup is a smoky eye with perpendicular lines ending in an outlined circle, plus a red eyeliner along the bottom of her eye and a a muted pomegranate lipstick. The background shows the night sky with light green auroras amidst the clouds.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Gonna tell everyone I know that I “played” the “Big Game” this evening /s Got a new #Returnal #PS5 Tower of Sisyphus high score of 108,558,847 — Phase 12, Room 12, Rank 226 of 9940. That’s over 11 million higher than my previous high score!
A screenshot of Returnal’s Tower of Sisyphus scoreboard for the previous cycle, or run. The score breakdown is displayed on a glowy, monochrome green display with futuristic typography. The breakdown reads: Combat category. Weak Point Kills: 165. Melee Kills: 307. Hostiles Eliminated: 1,004. Malformed Hostiles Eliminated: 182. Explorer category. Floors Cleared: 134. Silphium Found: 44. Obolites Collected: 11,194. Calibrators Collected: 17. Skill category. Perfect Floors: 98. Consecutive Perfect Floors: 97. Peak Adrenaline: 5. Mid-air Melee: 301. Objectives category: Pylioids Eliminated: 23. Algos Defeated: 2. Algos’ Final Form Defeated: 1. Algos’ Infinity Form Defeated: 8. Phase 12, Room 12. Multiplier category. Average: 77.10. Highest: 100.00. Final: 100.00. Rank: 226 of 9,940. Total Score: 108,558,847.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Put some more soundtrack thoughts on ResetEra: post in thread 'Metroid Prime 4: Beyond |OT| Voilà! Vi-O-La!' www.resetera.com/threads/metr...
Popping back in to once again extol the virtues of the soundtrack. The game's default mix is crowded, but I enjoyed how the game sounded in speakers with the Music Volume at 100 / 100, and the Sound Effects and Speech Volume each set to 50 / 100. I also gave the Special Release: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond playlist on Nintendo Music a close listen. I wasn't sure we'd get another Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano soundtrack, let alone for a Metroid game. For me, these two composers need no introduction, so I'll just say I loved what they did here. What's more, the production is top-notch technically, like, maybe the best produced Nintendo soundtrack to date. I have listened to all the old soundtracks several times, and this new one is a big step up in terms of the instrumentation quality and the real vocalists. With pre-release footage I was concerned they were overusing choir samples, but after beating the game and going back to the soundtrack, two things stood out: choirs and vocal samples were a huge part of previous soundtracks, and, I'm glad they gave the real vocalists so much to do on this one. In retrospect, repeated listening to the old soundtrack habituated me to thinking of the synthesized choirs as pads or other instruments, rather than as chants and operatic vocals. That might be why I was taken aback by the new soundtrack at first.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Photo by me
A cropped screenshot of the iOS Home Screen showing the Dock with Phone, Safari, Bear, and Apple Music icons in it. Notably, Bear’s icon is a white silhouette of a stylized bear illustration. The Dock and icons are clear and demonstrate iOS 26’s Liquid Glass design language. A mostly clear blue sky with green deciduous tree appears in the background, which the Dock and icons blur and distort realistically.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Clown Town
Ian Fischer (KingmakersGamedev) @ianfisch.bsky.social: I have no doubt she knows a ton about gamergate, but that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about how much of a role gamergate had into shaping the current political climate. That's a very different thing.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
From 2024: flic.kr/p/2rQdmkf #MonochromeMonday #MonochromMontag #Photography #BlackandWhitePhotography #BNWPhotography #UrbanPhotography #ArchitecturePhotography #Ricoh #RicohGR #RicohGRIII #GRIII
A portrait oriented black and white photo of the Time Warner Center’s back side. Near the center top, two prominent towers with a sheared parallelogram like shape jut out behind other buildings, including a boxy dark complex in the middle ground, and more residential brick buildings in the foreground. Deciduous trees fill the immediate foreground, covering up the brick buildings.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
A dramatic reading, courtesy of the macOS text-to-speech voice “Bad News”:
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
Thank you for linking to this
Steamed Hams for An Unforgettable Luncheon
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
HUMAN artists, use only one piece to convince people to follow you (flic.kr/p/2rqViYz)
A photo of trees and other greenery in Central Park, tightly framed and zoomed so that the trees and bushes completely cover the frame. On the far left you can see the side of a bridge, and immediately to the right of a tree trunk, a person wearing a bright red shirt standing along a pathway to the bridge currently hidden from view. Some of the trees with beige and brown-gray trunks also show slightly yellowing leaves, which stand out against the layers of green around them. Two famous Central Park lamps appear in the shot: one in the distance along the hidden path, and one near a tree trunk in the lower right third of the frame. Overall the shot conveys an enveloping density of greenery and tree canopies, with just a small opening in the upper right giving a hint of washed out building façade beyond the confines of the park.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Care to comment, Mr. @kenklippenstein.bsky.social
An email from Ken Klippenstein in “Inbox - iCloud” from 7:58 PM, subject line: “690606 is your Substack verification code”. The first few words of the message body read, “Here’s your verification code to sign in to Substack: 690606. This code will only be valid for the next 10 minutes. If the code…”
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
You’re very welcome! Hang in there!!! 😢💜 Here’s Mel on my lap from earlier
Mellie the cat, an adult gray shorthair cat, is sitting on Joe’s lap in front of a white desk. Mellie’s head is on the right, ears perked up, looking forward. The shot is from overhead, and we can see a wireless “clacky” keyboard, a plastic laptop stand, a mint green and brown placemat, two black coaster, and a can of Celsius.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
This one’s for you, @bbghost.bsky.social!!!
A photo of the underground subway platform at Hoyt-Schermerhorn St. in Brooklyn, NY, taken at a slight angle so as to imply a more expansive continuation of the platform off to the right of the frame. The far wall is covered in white tiles with a distinct stripe of light mint green with a darker mint green border. The platform across the tracks appears in a dingy gray/brown, with several tiled pillars and a large black sign with “Hoyt-Schermerhorn St.” in bold white letters hanging from the ceiling. An overhead fluorescent light appears in the upper-right corner of the frame, and the yellow paint of the platform curb appears along the lower right.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Walter Bloomberg’s Prophecy has been fulfilled www.nytimes.com/live/2025/04...
*Walter Bloomberg, a Twitter verified account with the username @DeItaone, says in a since deleted tweet, “🚨 HASSETT: TRUMP IS CONSIDERING A 90-DAY PAUSE IN TARIFFS FOR ALL COUNTRIES EXCEPT CHINA”
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
Here we go, finally:
A photo of seven purple crocus flowers growing on a patch of land enveloped by dead leaves. A dappled shaft of sunlight appears across the lower right corner of the frame.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
@papapishu.bsky.social Dust of ̶L̶i̶f̶e̶ Highlight Reel
A screenshot of the bottom-right corner of Monster Hunter Wilds, which shows an item equipped named “Dust of Life”, but the Highlight Reel show’s semitransparent “HR” logo is covering up the word “Life”.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Just faxed this to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s office.
A letter dated March 13th, 2025. To the office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: As your constituent, I am demanding that you vote “no” on the cloture and “no” on the Republican Spending Bill. Since Inauguration Day, the Democratic Party establishment, including you, have aided and abetted the violent destruction of the American administrative state. You are a direct accomplice to this ransacking, having failed to mount any meaningful opposition to the Nazis in the White House and Congress. Hence, I am shocked but sadly unsurprised by your horrible choice, along with Senator Schumer, to vote “yes” on funding this government. All this does is grant these Nazis legislative affirmation they need to further accelerate their destructive plans of austerity, privatization, eugenics, racism, and white supremacy. You have failed me and millions of other New Yorkers, who have counted on you to throw a wrench in the machine of American fascism. The best thing you can do right now is resign; I certainly won’t be voting for you ever again. The second best thing is to vote “no”, to slow down this five-alarm fire. Don’t you dare continue to fan the flames. Sincerely, Joseph Kohlmann.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
To the office of Coward @schumer.senate.gov:
A screenshot of a letter dated March 13th, 2025. To the office of Coward Chuck Schumer: Just 52 days in to the second Trump administration, this government has done damage that will take decades to even begin recovery. And I’m talking about the damage done by so-called Democrat “leaders” such as yourself. You are no leader. Your best choice would be to resign in disgrace as soon as humanly possible. As a constituent, you have betrayed my trust, not to mention the trust of millions of other New Yorkers. We were counting on you to mount real opposition against this fascist Nazi government. That means throwing a wrench in the gears. Putting your body on the line to protect your constituents from harm. Doing everything you can to slow down the Nazis in Congress and the White House. Instead, when push comes to shove, what did you do? You chose to acquiesce to the Nazis, in opposition to even the rest of the Congressional Democrats, as a means to keep the government open. You are so profoundly, disgracefully out of your depth. Keeping this government open does nothing but give an actual legislative green light to the ongoing sabotage. In closing, you are a coward, a fool, and a traitor to your constituents. I look forward to the moment you are forced out of Congress by a real opposition leader. Very sincerely yours, Joseph Kohlmann.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Looks like there’s some kind of Following timeline scrolling glitch in v1.99, in which the timeline rapidly shuffles between content without any scroll gesture interaction from the user. Seen on iPhone 160 Pro Max / iOS 18.3.2 (warning: moderately fast flashing content on-screen):
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Is that him
A screenshot of a frame from a Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 trailer in which all characters are dressed in stereotypically French attire. This particular screenshot features Alexandre Gillet as Gustave, who’s wearing round, gold rimmed sunglasses, a red beret, neck-length flowing wavy brown hair, a mustache and tightly trimmed beared, a white shirt with black horizontal stripes, and a red and white checkered sash over his left shoulder. The character is facing the camera, looking off-screen to the left.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
This appears to be all the Democrats are capable of doing:
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Relatedly: x.com/BoringBiz_/s...
Boring_Business (@BoringBiz_ on Twitter): Three levels of wealth: No LinkedIn, LinkedIn, No LinkedIn
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
noah kulwin on X: "If you have a computer science degree you are presumed stupid until further notice. If you know how to code then I will believe you are illiterate unless proven otherwise. Only safe way forward.” The quoted tweet from “Forever Wario” reads, “The safeguard is impeachment? Aren’t these guys supposed to be smart?” and includes a screenshot of username tszzl saying, “the way the executive is structured should be way more freeform and open to interpretation by the sitting president. why not have a senior advisor with access to treasury? there are tons of unelected powers in government. the safeguard is impeachment”
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
You’re very welcome! I’ve been lowkey obsessed with this bird after seeing one slink by near The Pond in Central Park last September 🤩🥹
A photo of a black-crowned night-heron, a small bird with distinctive red eye, white-gray body, and black top standing on a slab of rock along the shoreline of a large pond. The bird is facing to the right and is looking to slink away sneakily.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
Ed, I’m ethically compelled to note that Desus cooked here x.com/desusnice/st...
A tweet from Desus MF Nice 💯 that says, "the real tiktok is the sound of the clock that ticks while god decides if you’re living in a way that glorifies his image”
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Second Best
Lately I’m convinced that I want, possibly even need, to spend my free
time writing. Coherent, carefully articulated thoughts — let alone “writing”, let alone
editing — are increasing in importance just as their generative commodification accelerates. The latter threatens to hollow out our skulls, laying bare the naked grid of (VC-funded) mouse traps and ping pong balls threatening to drive our daily actions and reactions. I don’t feel like {reading, writing, biking, walking, talking, making, smiling, feeling, enjoying, dreaming, self-actualizing} because my head is already filled with a landfill of cacophonies deposited by cynics, opportunists, bigots, and fascists. Wading through this endless landfill inflicts a particular kind of self doubt: Who put this here? Why does it weigh so heavily on me? Do these people’s rotting mind palaces dwarf my own sense of repression and creative insecurity (empowering, perhaps), or do they magnify it? And who’s going to clean up all this fucking trash? So is this a diary entry? Is this an executive despair that “mind over matter” can help dig out of? I don’t fucking know. I’ll try to figure it out. Footnote: “Edited” in the copy editing sense, not in terms of self censorship or anything else.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
You can also change your Following Feed Preferences:
A screenshot of Bluesky’s Following Feed Preferences, which is described as, “Fine-tune the content you see on your Following feed.” Options include the following toggles: “Show Replies”, “Show Reposts”, “Show Quote Posts”, and "Show Posts from My Feeds”.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 26/09/2024
Me, earlier:
A screenshot of a Slack message from Joseph Kohlmann that reads, “Couldn’t have happened to a bigger piece of shit!!!”
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
There is plenty of time to reach a deal before the election if the company would get serious. But we aren't going to wait forever. Tick tock! Source for this entire thread: NYTGuildTech on Twitter x.com/NYTGuildTech...
White board with the words "46 days left" written in marker.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 17/09/2024
A land of contrasts here on semi-decentralized social media:
A screenshot showing 1.4K followers, 2.1K following on Mastodon, and 114 followers, 476 following on Bluesky.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 17/09/2024
They should have auto-generated alt text for these, c’mon 😤
Celebrating 10M users 🎉 #662,204, Bluesky Elder Certified, First 10%. Joined August 20, 2023.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 15/06/2024
Hahahah holy shit (via: x.com/ericuman/status/1801802705549…)
Ms. Stonesifer organized meetings between Mr. Bezos and top editors and business executives at The Post's headquarters in October. Throughout the meetings, Mr. Bezos asked questions about the coverage, many of them focused on how The Post could turn its stories into products that would serve its users, according to two people familiar with his remarks. He was also focused on reaching new readers, particularly those in the middle of the country.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 09/02/2024
You’re welcome! Here’s a quick screenshot for visual confirmation as well:
The Graysky compose post modal, seen with the system text size set to 80% zoom. Only one line of the two-line reply I’ve typed is visible.The Graysky compose post modal, this time with the system text size set to 100% zoom. Both lines of the two-line reply I’ve typed are now visible.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 05/02/2024
If you see this, post kitty
Mellie the cat, a gray American shorthair kitty, loafing on top of a bedspread with checkered blue and white flannel sheets, a black and gold blanket, and a light blue blanket. Her back is facing the camera and her tucked in hind legs are visible. Her head is lifted up, and she is looking back with her ears perked up and an adorable yet concerned look on her face (the whites of her eyes are showing slightly). Her white neck and white facial markings are also visible. A large green spherical plushie Cthulhu appears behind her.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 14/01/2024
Very good, here for it tbh. Mellie the catte is currently lounging over on the bedspread 🐱🩶
Mellie the cat, a gray and cream-white American shorthair cat, curled up behind a ridge of green checkered flannel bedsheets and a black and white Polartec fleece blanket. Her head is held up while her body is obscured by the bedsheets. Her ears are alert and her eyes are open, seemingly looking towards a window off-camera. A pillow, stuffed leopard, and blue set of headphones also appear in the shot.
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