#hoard fan fiction

[squigglebottom]

Food Fight Fun

Happy Hoard Trailer Premiere Day!

I was inspired by this certain part of the trailer where Michael and Maria are having a food fight and just the way he’s towering over her like that gave me naughty thoughts! 😛

Micahel(Hoard) x Fem!Reader

Warnings: food fetish, p in v, food fight, nipple sucking, oral sex, language.

It was a pretty uneventful Thursday night. Nothing really good on telly or funds for a shopping spree. Michael stopped by to relieve your boredom and get a free meal out of you.

You decided on a simple taco night since you really didn’t have anything else to make, payday was tomorrow. Michael grabbed the ground beef and started frying it in the pan as you fetched the condiments and plates.

While cooking, Michael talked your ear off like usual about work, his favourite team, and the stupid shit his mates did. You didn’t care so much and every now and then let out an “uh huh.”

You both sat at the table and munched away. Michael asked why you were so quiet, “I’ve just got nothing interesting to say…besides you were going on and on and I couldn’t get a word in edge wise.”

Michael looked at you in shock, “Well, excuse me for having an interesting life unlike you ya hermit.”

“I am not a hermit! I just choose not to interact with the crazies out there for longer than I care to.”

“I’m out there everyday…am I one of the crazies?”

“Yah…maybe you are and I shouldn’t let you in my house eating up all me food!”

You looked down at your plate, the corner of your eye you can see Michael smirk.

“If you don’t like me eating up all your food…then you can have it back!”

With the end of that sentence, Michael flung his half eaten taco right at your face! It took you a while to process what just happened and then you responded, “What the actual fuck you crazy bastard?”

Michael started laughing. You stood up and walked towards him. “Oh that’s funny, huh? Laugh at this, you twat.” You took your taco and slammed it on top of his head, smearing it all over his hair and face. He started to go after you as you went into the kitchen for more “fire power.”

You started throwing eggs at him that pretty much landed on the floor since he was so good at dodging them. He went to the sink and grabbed the hose spraying you all over. You had the peanut butter in hand, grabbed a huge hand full and smeared it all over his face. While he was blind from peanut butter, you were able to get the hose and started pouring water down his pants.

“Oh fuckin’ hell! That’s cold! Stop!”

He then grabs you, picks you up, and lays you on the dining room table. He towers over you as you’re both out of breath. You take your finger and wipe the peanut butter off his face and stick it in your mouth with a gentle “mmm”.

“Do you want a taste?”

“Sure, love.”

You swipe another bit off his face and are about to put it in his mouth, when you get a wicked idea. Lifting up your shirt, you smear your finger over your stomach. Michael takes his long, thick tongue and glides it over your torso.

“That was good. Perhaps we need more peanut butter and other tasty treats.”

You remain on the table as Michael walks back to the kitchen to retrieve the peanut butter but also the whipped cream, ice cream, and chocolate syrup. He makes it back to the table, ripping off both of your soaked and food stained clothes.

You look over at the items with confusion, “ I understand everything else…but what’s with the ice cream?”

“I decided to make you into a delicious little sundae.”

Michael smeared the peanut butter on both sides of your neck licking so slowly. His hot breath on your lobes. He poured the chocolate syrup over your breasts and your belly as he wiped it all over you like a sensual massage. He took a spoonful of the ice cream and placed it carefully on both your nipples. The instant coldness made them perfectly hard as Michael lowered his mouth to them. His lips sucked them with force as his tongue waggled around.

He proceeded his waggling down to your belly button stopping right before your needy pussy. He grabbed the can of whipped cream, spraying it all over you. You stared down at that gorgeous face, biting your lip. He dove right in as if he couldn’t wait a second longer. The whipped cream was all over him as he eagerly gobbled up every inch of you.

Your moans grew louder, you grabbed your breasts and wiped the chocolate on your face. Michael started to pick up the pace as he clasped his hands with yours. Your body started to shake as your release mixed with whipped cream covered his face.

You sat up, grabbed the syrup, and dropped to your knees. You wanted a taste of the sundae as well. Michael leaned back against the table as you covered his hard cock in chocolate. You took him in your mouth, all the way to the back of your throat. He let out a loud moan as he grabbed your hair.

“Oh fuck! Yes! Suck my cock, baby. Mmmm…fuck…your mouth feels so good. Such a dirty girl.” He tasted so good, so sweet, you never wanted to stop. You squeezed his thick thighs as he fucked your mouth. His cum ran down your throat as you swallowed every drop.

He fell down to the floor then laid on his back. He lifted you on top of him, guiding his cock into your pussy. You were still so sensitive and him filling you up felt incredible. He might be an immature little shit but damn he knew how to fuck you silly. You rocked back and forth gaining momentum with each thrust. You grabbed the closest item on the table-the whipped cream-and went to town all over his large chest. You ran your tongue all over it before collapsing on top of him.

Holding him tightly, you could feel the topping rubbing against the two of you. He sat up, reached for the syrup, and you grabbed it out of his hand. You poured it in his hair and down his back. Your fingers massaged it into his curls.

Michael grabs you closer as you lay your head on his shoulder. You can see the syrup running down his back all the way to his perfect peach bottom. Damn, the boy had a great ass.

“Are you going to cum with me, baby?” He asks still holding you tight.

“Yes, I’m so close. Oh fuck yes keep going!”

You grasp his hair pulling back his head as he fills you full of his hot cum. Falling to the ground, you both lay on your backs catching your breath.

“Looks like we made quite the mess, yah?”

“Sure as shit we did…I’m not cleaning it up though.”

“What? Why not? I’m the guest…I shouldn’t have to clean up!”

“You fired the first shot, big boy. This is your mess!”

You start to get to and walk towards the bathroom. Michael proceeds to ask where you are going.

“I’m filthy…I’m going to take a shower. Now, if you quit your bitching and clean up fast…perhaps you can join me.”

[whositmcwhatsit]

JADEY BABY i was perusing your masterlist thinking about rereading enjoyable slide when i noticed that- to my surprise- there was a third part to summer festival that id somehow missed when you posted it !!!!! what a wonderful surprise 🤩🤩🤩 didn't realize how much i missed darling sally and her poor overworked elvis until i was reading them again.! just wanted you to know how lovely and enjoyable i still find that sweet little series 🥰🫶🫶

What an absolutely lovely message to get! Weirdly, I have been idly daydreaming about Summer Festival Elvis lately while watching all the outtakes and unused footage from That's the Way It Is.

I'm pretty sure that the August 12th Midnight Show is the pinnacle of all human achievement and also the hottest Elvis ever looked (I reserve the right to change my mind at any time/constantly), which is saying something. When he's exhausted and his hair is soaked with sweat and sticking up in all directions and his eyes are heavy lidded and twinkling... What was I talking about again?

The sit down part of the show gets me like a punch to the gut. As he starts talking about Little Sister with sweat glittering on his eyelashes, I get why the girls pulled on their hair and screamed and fainted.

On the other hand, Aug 13 and the Red Ladder suit... See, how is anyone supposed to make a definitive statement about his hotness when he is just doing this all the time?!

Anyway, thank you so much for this message, the notion of anyone reading and enjoying my writing tickles every time I hear it. I love the idea of having a small part in making someone's day a little better, especially using my delusions and daydreams. We've come a long way from when my friends used to keep a tally chart of how often I mentioned Elvis and would try to perform interventions as only a disgruntled group of pre-teens could.

[cursivequestion]

[avocad1s]

Pen and Paper

Requested By: Multiple anonymous users.

CW: Slightly suggestive. It mentions authors writing nsfw fanfic

Note: You all are crazy 💀 I got like seven requests for a part two ever since I posted about character’s writing fanfic about the creator. Most of them were the same so I decided to combine them.

Based off this post, but can be read as a standalone post

As established in the first part, people enjoy reading fanfics about you. However what we didn’t talk about are the authors of these books.

I think you already know but there are three known authors who write books about you, Yae Miko, Xingqiu, and Albedo.

All of them have their own way of making their writings unique.

Xingqiu writes platonic Creator fan-fiction, some people want to imagine you as their best friend or even as their parent. Having a familial connection to you is what some readers strive to have.

Albedo is the only one including art in his books, kinda like the pov fanarts you’ll see. Only problem with this is Albedo doesn’t make many copies of his books so getting your hand on one is a feat in itself. They go for lots of mora, very few people can afford it and they people who can, hoard them. (Ehem, Ninnguang, Ayato and Pantalone 💀)

Yae runs a publishing house and is the editor for many people’s work. So if anyone has an original idea for a story, it would be her. She is also the one everyone sends their work to so it can be published.

The Archons are a different case. They don’t have to read self-insert stories about you because there are definitely people writing Creator x Archon stories. Some of them are horribly out of character since not many people have interacted with their Archon and only have other writings to go off of. But that doesn’t stop them from getting the books. Ei, Zhongli, and Venti like reading romantic books about you. Nahida doesn’t read fanfics about you often, but when she wants to know more about human nature, she’ll read some about you being her parent.

Now onto what everyone requested. You reading these fanfics.

Like I mention before, once you arrive to Teyvat there not going to try and hide these fanfics from you. They just doesn’t expect you to see them.

But you do. In fact, you read them.

To make matters worse you read them in public. Out loud.

Once the acolytes notice what you’re reading out loud they’re mortified. We’re you punishing them? Or do you find humor in reading these? Many characters are ready to get on their knees and apologize for reading these books, they don’t want you to be disgusted with them or get on your bad side. They’d be so sad!

If the authors of these books caught wind that you’ve read their books, they’ll be slightly embarrassed as well. It feels sacrilegious to think of you in such a manner but can you really blame them?

If you ask them to stop writing, they’ll stop publishing the fanfics… what you don’t know won’t hurt you :)

If you don’t care or even encourage it, then many more people will begin writing fanfics. Mostly with the hopes that you’ll read it. Perhaps if they pour their feelings onto paper you’ll notice how they feel for you?

Albedo would ask if you would model for one of his books. He’s drawn you multiple times but if you’re right in front of him, he knows he can make it more accurate. (Please let him, he’s begging with his eyes)

-

Slight nsfw behind this point, if that’s not your cup of tea, you may take your leave.

-

Of course if fanfics exist, so does nsfw fanfics.

You know how in the bookstores they have adult books wrapped in plastic? Yeah, the nations would also put their own barrier so the wrong audience don’t end up grabbing it.

These are the books they do not want you finding. Just imagine the look on their faces if they see you with one of those books.

Before you descended finding these books were almost impossible, many people weren’t sure what you looked like. All they had were scriptures of what your heavenly form looked like and ancient drawings of you that was hard to get your hands on unless you had some kind of power in the nations.

However once they get to see you with their own eyes…

Yeah they’re horknee 💀🙏

Having you in such a provocative way is something for their wildest imagination, so they will use these books to fill that void.

Dom Creator, Sub Creator… you name it. You can find it.

These books cannot be checked out at any library. No one wants a sticky book returned, have some mercy on your librarian.

I apologize for that sentence above 😭

Anyways, could you imagine finding your favorite of age character reading one of these books? They’ll try to quickly hide it a dark blush on their face as they apologize to you for reading such content.

But what makes them blush even darker is when you offer to recreate whatever they’re reading in real life. They’re stuttering and their bodies are trembling, but they aren’t going to deny such an offer from their dearest Creator.

© avocad1s 2023

[pastrydragon]

Ok but Gale and Rolan

Like Rolan is a pretty popular character, people seem to really like him and write a lot of fan fiction about him. And obviously a lot of people love Gale too he's one of the main companions.

So why do I not see them shipped together?

Like the way Rolan talks about Lorraokan before he actually meets the fuck it feels like he kinda has a crush on him, like a little celebrity crush. So we know that Rolan is partial to what he thought Lorraokan was: A brilliant and ambitious wizard who's generous with his arcane knowledge.

And Gale very much ticks all those boxes. He was enough of a magical prodigy to be Mystra's chosen, he had a solid plan to become a GOD and the very first thing he does to try to romance you is teach you some magic.

You can't tell me Rolan wouldn't be following the party around in the tower after the battle, see Gale being king nerd very casually explaining stuff Lorrakaon didn't even vaguely understand and not go:

"Oh."

And with how many times Gale has proven to be a good person by saving the teiflings over and over, Rolan could absolutely mentally gloss over the whole "What if I used the crown of Karsus to become a god?" thing.

And I mean, Rolan could absolutely pull Gale. We know from playing the game that it is not hard to seduce Gale, to the point it's kind of annoying. Post game Rolan could just invite Gale over to look at "This fascinating new tome some adventurers sold me that was recovered from a shipwreck/ancient temple/dragon's hoard! And we haven't talked in so long, please stay for a glass of wine. Oh you write poetry? Tell me more. <3" And he's fucking genuine about wanting to hear the poetry because of course that nerd would.

Like it's not rocket science, honestly it ain't even algebra. I'd give it like 3 months tops before Rolan is bragging about his "BOYFRIEND who is a professor at BLACKSTAFF ACADEMY and did I mention he's adorable?" And he just keeps finding new things about Gale to gush about to the point Cal and Lia start to consider pushing off the roof of the tower just to get him to shut up.

Gale would also be perfectly happy in the relationship, like he really just wants someone who supports him and is a good person maybe? As a treat? And Rolan has shown to be a little heroic himself, protecting orphans, trying to rescue his family single handed and fighting with you against Lorraokan if his spirit isn't totally broken. He can even bridal carry Gale to safety with his 12 str. No really he has 12 strength, you can google it.

Like it's not the OTP to end all OTPs but it's cute. And I'm just confuzzled on why there's barely anything with these two.

[linkspooky]

Bohman is a good character you guys are just mean

Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains is one of the better received spinoff series. Though, like any of the Yu-Gi-Oh spinoffs it's not without its faults. Usually I'm the first to admit the flaws in my favorite silly card game shows, even while I myself take them way too seriously. However, there's one common criticism I can't bring myself to agree with.

That is calling the main antagonist of the second season Bohman "boring" or "badly written." I've noticed fans unfairly blame Bohman for season 2's writing flaws.

Forget for a moment about whether or not you find Bohman's stoic attitude interesting or likable. If you look at characters not as people, but as narrative tools the author uses to say something about the story's themes then Bohman has a lot to say about VRAINS cyberpunk themes.

Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction that tends to focus on "low-life and high-tech." As I like to put it, in Cyberpunk settings technology has greatly advanced while society itself lags behind unable to keep pace with the rate at which technology changes. Yu Gi Oh 5Ds is an example of a cyberpunk dystopia because despite having what is essentially access to free energy, and living in a society with highly advanced technology resources are hoarded by the wealthy and an unnecessary social class divide still exists.

In other words technology changes quickly while humans tend to remain the same.

The central conflict for all three seasons of Vrains are actually based on this very cyberpunk notion. That technology changes, updates, and becomes obsolete at a rate too fast for humans to ever adapt to. For Vrains, the conflict is whether humans can ever coexist with an artificial intelligence they created that can grow and change faster than they can keep up with.

This is well-tread ground in science fiction. The idea itself most likely emerged from I,robot. A science fiction book that is a collection of dirty stories that details a fictional history showing robots growing slowly advanced over time. The framing device is that a journalist is interviewing a "robopsychologist" an expert in the field of analyzing how robots think in their positronic brains.

One of the major themes of the book is despite the fact that robots are 1 - intelligent and 2 - designed by humans, they don't think the same way humans do. Hence why a robopsychologist is needed in the first place. One of the short stories is the first appearance of Asimov's three laws of robotics.

The First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

The Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

The Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

This is just one example. A robot no matter how intelligent it is will be required to think in terms of these three laws, because robots aren't biological, they're programmed to think in pre-determined patterns.

Of course clever enough artificial intelligences are capable of finding loopholes that get around the three laws, but even then they're still forced to think of every action in terms of the three laws.

Robots and humans are both intelligent, but if AI ever becomes self aware it will 1) be able to process information better than any other human can and 2) think differently from humans on a fundamental.

Vrains is themed more than anything else around "robo psychology" or trying to understand the ways in how the Ignis think and how that's different from it's human characters.

Robo-Psychology is actually a common reocurring theme. "DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?" fearless artificial humans known as Replicants who need an empathy test known as the voight kampff test to distinguish them from human beings.

There are other Cyberpunk elements in Vrains. There's a big virtual world where everyone can appear as custom designed avatars, that's taken from Snow Crash or of the most famous and genre defining cyberpunk novels. There's a big rich mega conglomerate that's being opposed by a group of hackers.

However, the central question is whether humans and AI can coexist in spite of the fact that AI are much smarter and evolve faster than us.

Revolver's father believes the Ignis must be destroyed in order to avoid a possible technological singularity in the future.

The technological singularity—or simply the singularity[1]—is a future point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable.  According to the most popular version of the singularity hypothesis an upgradable artificial intelligence will eventually enter a positive feedback loop of self-improvement cycles, each new and more intelligent generation appearing more and more rapidly, causing a rapid increase ("explosion") in intelligence that surpasses anything humans can make.

Basically your computer is smarter than you, but your computer isn't self aware. It needs you to tell it what to do. Artificial intelligence already exists but it's programmed by humans, it doesn't program itself. The technological singularity proposes that eventually a self aware ai, will be able to program itself and improve upon it's own programming- therefore ridding itself of the need of it's human programmers.

This is what leads us to Bohman, an AI designed by another AI.

THE THIRD LAW

Before digging into Bohman let's take a minute to discuss his creator. Lightning was one of the six Ignis, created by Dr. Kogami through the Hanoi Project.

The Hanoi project involved forcing six children to duel in a virtual arena repeatedly, and using the data collected from that experiment to improve the AI they were working on, creating what became known as the Ignis. However, after Dr. Kogami ran several simulations and found that the Ignis would one day be a threat to the humans that created them Hakase decided instead to try destroying the Ignis before that future ever came to pass.

We later learn that this isn't the complete story.

Kogami and Lightning both ran simulations of the future when the Ignis were in their infancy. Kogami's simulations showed him the Ignis would inevitably go to war with humans. Lighting however, ran more in-depth simulations and found that he was the one that was corrupting the data set. If you ran simulations of the five ignis without him, then the projected futures were all in the green, but any simulation with Lightning counted as a part of the group projected a negative future for both humans and AI.

Which means that if Kogami knew that the bug in the program was Lightning, he'd likely respond by just getting rid of Lighting and letting the rest of the Ignis live on as originally intended.

This is where the third law comes into play - a robot must protect its own existence as long as it does not interfere with the first and second law.

Now, I don't think Kogami used the three laws exactly, but artificial intelligences are programmed in certain ways, and Lightning was likely programmed to preserve itself.

Even a human in Lighting's situation would be driven to act as they did. Imagine you're in a group of six people, and you fid out that YOU'RE THE PROBLEM. That if they removed you, everything else would be fine. Wouldn't you be afraid of your creator turning against you? Of your friends turning against you and nobody taking your side?

Lightning is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ai asks him at one point why he went so far as to destroy their safe-haven, lie and said the humans did it and pick a fight with the humans himself, something that might have been avoided if they'd just stayed in hiding. It seems that Lightning is just defective as his creator declared him, but you have to remember he's an AI programmed to think in absolutes. AI, the most humanlike and spontaneous of the AIs ends up making nearly the exact same choices as Lightning when looking at his simulations later on - because they're character foils. As different as they may seem they still think differently from humans.

When Ai explains why he made his decisions based around lighting's simulation, he tells Playmaker that he can't dismiss or ignore the simulation or hope for the best the way Playmaker can because he is data, he thinks in simulations and processes.

AI even admits to feeling the same feelings of self-preservation that Lightning did.

While Lightning may seem selfish, he's selfish in the fact that he's thinking of his own survival above all else. He's afraid of 1) his creators turning against him, and 2) his fellow Ignis turning against him.

To solve the first he decides to make a plan to wipe out his creators. To solve the second, he needs every ignis on his side when he goes to war. The first thing he does is destroy their safe haven and frame the humans for it so the Ignis are more inclined to take his side. He's so afraid of his fellow ignis turning against him he even completely reprograms one of them - a step he doesn't take with the others, he just imprisons Aqua. He probably thought having one more ally would make it more likely for the others to pick his side.

Every step he takes is a roundabout way of ensuring his survival and the other ignis- eve when he actually goes to war with the other ignis he intended on letting them survive. Though his definition of survival (fusing with Bohman) was different than theirs.

So Lightning seems to be working out of an inferiority complex, but what he's really afraid of is that his inferiority makes him expendable.

At that point you have to wonder, what does death mean exactly to a being who is otherwise immortal? Ignis won't die of age, they'll only die if they're captured and have their data stripped apart or corrupted. Kogami made an immortal being afraid to die.

Some part of me thinks though that even after taking all these steps to preserve themselves, the simulations were so convincing that Lighting accepted their death as inevitable. Which is why they made Bohman, to find some way for them to keep on living afterwards.

After all AI are data, ad having their data saved in Bohman is still a form of living by Lightning's definition.

Ghost in The Shell

Bohman is the singularity. He's an AI designed by another AI to improve upon itself. Unlike the rest of the Ignis who were copied off of traumatized chidlren, Lightning basically made him from scratch.

Ghost in the Sell is a famous anime cyberpunk movie directed by Mamoru Oshii. The title comes from "Ghost in the Machine" a term originally used to describe and critique the mind existing alongside and separate from the body. Whereas in the movie the "Ghost" is the huma consciousness, while the "shell" is a cybernetic body.

The protagonist of Ghost in the Shell is Major Motoko Kusanagi, a human that is 99% cyborg at this point, a human brain residing in a completely mechanical body. The movie opens up with a hacker namd PUppet Master who is capable of "ghost-hacking" which is a form of hacking that completely modifies the victim's memories utterly convincing them of their false memories.

There's a famous scene in the movie where a man tells the police about his wife and daughter, only to be told that he's a bachelor who lives alone and he's never had a wife and daughter. Even after the truth is revealed to him, the fake memories are still there in his brain along with the correct ones. Technology is so advanced at this point that digital memories (hacked memories) are able to be manipulated, and seem more real than an analog reality.

Anyway, guess what happens to Bohman twice?

Bohman gets his memories completely rewritten twice. The first time he believes he's a person looking for his lost memories, the second time he thinks he's the real playmaker ripped out of his body, and playmaker is the copy. He's utterly convinced of these realities both time, because Bohman is entirely digital - and simulations are reality, and so simulated memories are just the same as real memories.

I think part of the reason that people find Bohman boring is because he's a little strange conceptually to wrap your head around, as an AI produced AI he's the farthest from behind human. If you use the ghost in the shell example I just gave you though - imagine being utterly convinced that you had a loving wife and daughter only to find out in a police interrogation room you're a single man living in a shitty apartment. imagine after the fact you still remember that they are real, even though you know they're not.

That's the weird space Bohman exists in for most of Season 2 when he's searching for himself. He's an AI designed by an AI so he can be rewritten at any time according to Lightning's whim until Lighting decides he's done cooking.

The Ignis at least interacted with the real world because they were copy pasted from traumatized children, but all Bohman is is data. So, why would he see absorbing human memories into himself and converting them into data as killing them? He is data after all, and he is alive. He has gone through the process of having his own memories rewritten multiple times, and he's fine with it b/c he's data.

Nothing for Bohman is real, everything is programmed so of course he thinks saving other people as data is just fine. He even offers to do the same thing to Playmaker that was done to him.

If Lightning is following the path of self-preservation however, Bohman is following his program to preserve everything in the world by merging with it.

His ideas also follow the idea of transhumanism: the theory that science and technology can help human beings develop beyod what is physically and mentally possible. That technology exists to blur the boundaries of humanity, and what humans are capable of.

Ghost in the Shell isn't just a work of cyberpunk, it's a transhumanist piece. Motoko Kusanagi is a character who has had so many of her human parts replaced with mechanical ones she even posits at one point it's possible for her to simply have been an android that was tricked into thinking it was human with false memories just like Bohman, and she has no real way of knowing for sure. The only biological part of her his her brain after all in a cold mechanical shell.

Bato, who represents the humanist perspective in this movie basically tells Motoko in that scenario it wouldn't matter if she was a machine. If everyone still treats her as human then what's the difference? His views are probably the closest to the humanist views that Playmaker represents in VRAINS.

Motoko Kusanagi meets her complete and total opposite, a ghost in the machine so to speak. The Puppet Master turns out to be an artificial intelligence that has become completely self-aware and is currently living in the network.

The Puppet Master much like Lightning, and later Bohman is gripping with the philosophical conundrum of mortality. In the final scene of the movie, The Puppet Master who wants to be more like all other biological matter on earth asks Motoko to fuse with him, so the two of them can reproduce and create something entirely new. The Puppet Master likens this to the way that biological beings reproduce.

Bohman like The Puppetmaster thinks that merging will fix something that's incomplete inside of him because he's so disconnected from all the biological processes of life. Bohman doesn't have anything except for which Lightning already prepared for him or programmed into him. I mean imagine being a being that can have his memories reprogrammed on the net, that in itself is existentially horrifying. It's only natural he wouldn't feel connected to anything.

Motoko accepts the Puppetmaster's proposal. Playmaker rejects Bohman's proposal. I don't think there's a right answer here, because it's speculative fiction, it's a "What if?" for two different paths people can take in the future.

However, in Bohman's case I don't think he was truly doing what he wanted. Puppet Master became self aware and sought his own answers by breaking free from his programming. Bohman thought he was superior to the Ignis, but in the end he was just following what Lightning programmed him to do. He'd had his identity programmed and reprogrammed so many times, he didn't think of what he wanted until he was on the brink of defeat by playmaker and then it was too late.

When Playmaker defeats him all he thinks about is time spent together with Haru, with the two of them as individuals. Something he can no longer do anymore now that he's absorbed Haru as data, and something that he misses.

He's not even all that sad or horrified at the prospect of death as Lightning was, and he even finds solace in the thought of going to oblivion with Haru, because if he were to keep living it'd be without Haru. In other words the one genuine bond he made with someone else by spending time with them as an individual was more important than his objective of fusing with all of humanity - which he believed was also bonding with them.

This is really important too, because it sets up the Yusaku's rejection of fusing with Ai. Yusaku's reasoning has already been demonstrated to be the case with Bohman and Haru. Bohman was perfectly happy being two individuals, as long as he had a bond with his brother. When he ascended into a higher being he lost that. Ai and Yusaku might solve loneliness in a way by merging together into a higher being, they might even last forever that way, but they'd lose something too.

Once again the problem with AIs is that they think in absolutes. That's important to understanding Lightning, Bohman and even Ai's later actions. Lightning can't stand any percentage chance that he might die, so he kills the professor, destroys the ignis homeworld, pulls the trigger to start humanity himself, he even reprograms his own allies all to give himself some sense of control.

Bohman's entire existence is outside of his control. He's rewritten twice onscreen, probably more than that, and he thinks merging with humanity is the thing that will give him that control - by ascending into a higher being than humanity. However, the temporary bond Bohman had with his brother Haru, was actually what he valued the most all along. Moreso than the idea of fusing with humanity forever.

Even Motoko making the choice to go with the transhumanist option is something that's not portrayed as 100% the right choice. Ghost in the Shell has a sequel that portrays the depression and isolation of Bato, the Major's closest friend and attachment to her humanity after she made the decision to fuse together with Puppet Master. In that case, just like Playmaker said to Ai, even if she ascended to a higher form, and even if she might last forever now on the network, something precious was lost. Motoko may exist somewhere on the netowrk but for Batoto his friend is gone.

Ai exhibits the same flaw as the previous two, he ca only think in absolutes, he can't stand even a 1% chance that Playmaker might choose to sacrifice himself for Ai and die, so he decides to take the choice entirely out of Playmaker's hands. However, no matter what Ai would have lost Playmaker one day, because all bonds are temporary. It's just Ai wanted to have that sense of control, so he chose to self-destruct and take that agency and free choice away from Playmaker.

It's a tragedy that repeats three times. Ai too just like Bohman, spends his last moments thinking about what was most precious to him was the bond he formed with playmaker, as temporary as it was. A tragedy that arises from the inability of the Ais to break away from the way they're programmed to think in simulations and data, even when they're shown to be capable of forming bonds based on empathy with others.

All three of them add something to the themes of artificial intelligence, and transhumanism that are in play at Vrains and none of them are boring because they all contribute to the whole.

Which is why everyone needs to stop being mean to Bohman right now, or else I'm going to make an even longer essay post defending him.

[rosenfey]

⊱ tagged by @thanekrios to recommend some books! I've been back to reading since last winter and it brings me so much joy so I'd absolutely love to talk more about books! ☕🌸

1. — the last book I read:

GRIEF IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS by Max Porter. I just love Max Porter's writing style. It's unlike anything I've ever read before. The way he manages to capture some of the deepest, most confusing human emotions in such a succinct way without making them sound too saccharine is incredible.

2. — a book i recommend:

HOLLOW PLACES by Christopher Hadley. This is my favourite book of all time. I used to sleep with it next to my pillow so the cover is crooked and worn and i love it so much. It's a non-fiction exploration about the life of a medieval legend, how it shaped through the years and affected people around it. It's very much an essay on human memory and culture and our desire to tell stories, inadvertently leaving pieces of ourselves in the narrative as we go. It's beautiful, it's touching, it's incredibly entertaining to read, and it makes me feel so much love inside. As someone who studied folklore and religion in university it is deeply personal for me to visit all the castle ruins and other places people from the past lived in. It's a way to connect with them and to see that even though we are so incredibly different, we are also incredibly similar in some aspects. And this book captures that so well.

3. — a book that i couldn’t put down:

LANNY by Max Porter. Another fave from Max Porter. It's about this sleepy village and the eldritch horror forest being that stalks it and a little boy that is very much very strange. It's also a social commentary and an essay on environmental mindfulness. And it's incredible. I finished it in two days.

4. — a book i’ve read twice (or more):

WITCHES ABROAD by Terry Pratchett. This is where I come out as a Discworld fan. They were a huge part of my childhood and I remember especially loving the books about wizards and the witches. This one was definitely my fave and I did read it basically in one day when I read it for the first time. And I loved it so much I came back to it.

5. — a book on my tbr:

There are literally so many (I have a hoarding problem). But the most recent ones are: The Land of Maybe by Tim Ecott and Master and Margarita.

6. — a book i’ve put down:

The Witcher series... The writing style is really not for me and the plot (and the blatant sexism and male fantasy type of storytelling) lost me after the 5th book (sorry).

7. — a book on my wishlist:

Again, so many. I literally have two excel spreadsheets for my wishlisted books and it's getting out of hand. But the one I am especially keen on getting is A Natural History of Fairies, a beautifully illustrated little guide on fairy folklore.

8. — a favorite book from childhood:

REAPER MAN by Terry Pratchett. I used to be terrified of death when I was a kid. I still am but now I at least know he loves cats, has a horse called Binky, and supports labor workers.

9. — a book you would give to a friend:

WEIRD MEDIEVAL GUYS by Olivia Swarthout. If you are my friend then you know that I am absolutely normal (read "insane") about marginalia art. And this book has some of the silliest ones available for your thine pleasure (I would not want to fuck with a rabbit that has a bomb. Or a cat with a massive club. Or the snail with those grabby hands. Like nu-uh. They would grab me. With their hands. Cuz. Ya know... we still friends right???)

10. — a book of poetry or lyrics you own:

KYTICE by Karel Erben. Okay this is me being Slavic but also not generally into poetry much (as in I don't collect poetry books) but. I adore Kytice. It's a collection of ballads that center around monsters from slavic mythology (eat it witcher I mean I am sorry I just don't like the witcher please don't leave me come back I swear I am more than just a hater listen to me baby give me a chance) and they range from brutally sad to tragic to super gruesome and gory (okay most of them are pretty gory. but in a poetic way). Anyway I am not sure if they were translated to English yet but there is a movie and hopefully that one has subtitles (if not I am gonna learn how to make subtitles because I need people to see it).

11. — a non-fiction book you own:

DON'T TELL MY HORSE by Zora Neale Hurston. Because we need to mention more classical works by people of color. This is basically an anthropological view on the Haitian + Jamaican voodoo beliefs and it's so incredibly intricate and interesting to read I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the subject or just wants to broaden their range of classical literature.

12. — what are you currently reading:

Alice in Wonderland. I got the prettiest edition for my birthday so I am revisiting my childhood. :3

13. — what are you planning on reading next:

The Land of Maybe by Tim Ecott. It's a book about the slow life and nature of the Faroe Islands which is where I am staying at currently!

⊱ tagging (I am not sure who exactly reads from my mutuals so I will be using my regular tag list, feel free to ignore <3):

@hibernationsuit﹒@lavampira﹒@euryalex﹒@starforger﹒@pawnguild

@florbelles﹒@baldurians﹒@archonfurina﹒@dekarios

@inafieldofdaisies﹒@feykiller﹒@zahra-hydris﹒@noughtomaton﹒@corvus-rose

@ferwynter﹒@thefrostyshepard﹒@melancholicrainstorm﹒@sylvthara﹒@katsigian

@rindemption﹒@juniemoe﹒@eldensrings﹒@claudiawolf﹒@therapyvibes

@sibeal﹒@epheyang﹒@lotusfaebell﹒@ravensgard﹒@princessmelinoe

@lutebard﹒@nokstella﹒@pavus﹒@gothimp﹒and you ♡ — (un)like this post to be added / removed.

[aspenonpawzzz]

HENLO! (pls read )

Hi-hi-hi!

My name is Aspen! My pronouns are They/them and It/its, so please use gender-neutral, non human terms when refering to me! I am a TransAlterine Biromantic Asexual, and support All identities (except p3d0s, z0()s, maps, dreamsexuals, or other thing such as those!) NO POLITICS PLEASE (alterine https://yb3.fandom.com/wiki/Alterine)

term hoard sideblog: @aspens-hoard

ASPEC MAFIA COMMANDER!

@aspec-warriors Mafia acc

I am :

a Leo, a 5, a chaotic nutural, introvert ,and a INTJ, plus a red fox, Mexican coy-wolf, and AA wolf THERIAN!

I Mostly shitpost/reblog, but my main theme is The owl house, alterhuman, fandom and art posts!

I have dislexia, discalucla, and disgraphia, along with AuDHD ,and MaDD.

MaDD side blog @zenith-empire-for-real

I am a vulture culturist, mask maker,a cosplayer, a quadrobist, a fanfic writer, a fan artist, and my aesthetic is Goblincore and cryptidcore!

my favs:

-turn off the lights (panic! at the disco) {IT GOES SO HARD}

-green

-Oh geeez, not again. (band)

-wolfwalkers

-the owl house

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-wild rescuers

-fox

-taiga

Questioning cryptid kin of some kind, possibly Runalong!

I AM A MINOR, SO NO FUNNY BUSINESS

ABT ME

^Role: name |age| {pronouns} [creation/ origin /reason for being in System] /Sexuality or who they like\ ' species' ^

ME! : Aspen |15.5 mentally| {they/it} [Birth] /Biromantic ace\ 'human'

THERIOTYPE(S) : Slate |6| {she/they} [death] /Straight\ 'AA wolf' , Dusty |2 | {He/it} [death] /bisexual\ 'mexican coy-wolf' ,Orion |Unknown| {Any} [Neurodivergency] / unknown\ 'all corvids’ <-this is a hearttype- and Sage |4| {She/It} [Death] /Hetero\ 'red fox'

Kintypes(s): Polaris |400| {They/them} [ protection] /Aroace\ 'divine being'

Fictiontype(s): Hunter/Phantom{He/they/it} |16| [Owl House AU created by me] /Biromantic Demisexual\ 'shapeshifting grimwalker' @phantom-w0lfbane his side blog! OC that became sentient and is part of my PiC au of my irl life and one of the reality tabs I keep running at any time.

Other(s): Salem |13.5| {it/Its} [evil thoughts bastard] /Aroace\ 'Void-kin' @yourlocalangstdealer

Information :

tags:

aspen yips: silly stuff

aspen speaks (REAL): importiant

aspen barks: alterhuman stuff

aspen squeals: fandom/ hyperfixtion

aspen crows: neurodivergency

aspen howls: creative

[instert word or something]] Au: a au of mine Phantom posting: fictionkin/ hunter related stuff

AU MASTERLIST

DNI:

anti-lgbtq+, people who ship canon (insert sexuality) with (instert gender that the person is NOT attracted to) ei, a lesbian with a male, anti-furry,anti-therian,anti-vulture culture,anti-quadrobics, 18+ or kink blogs, if you’re older that 18(unless I knew you before you turned 18, or pass The Vibe Check{stalk ur blog}) , ableists, racists, exculionist, The works.

PLEASE INTERACT:

Alterhumans (Therians, otherkin, otherkith, otherhearted, animal hearted,otherlink,copinglink, furrians[furry therians], holotheres, soul shards, phytanthropes, and ANY OTHERS PLEASE ) furries, TOH or gf fans, artists and writers and cosplayers and musicains, freaks and werdios, vulture culturists, quadrobists, mogia and liom, enbies and enbyfluxes, fictionkins and fictives, systems,LGBTQIA+and people with decency.

PLEASE DO NOT:

treat me lesser/younger than you, treat me like a child, call me human, or person/people, talk Abt politics ,or involve me in such matters, repost(reblogging is fine) my ideas.

RANDOM OTHER BLOG RULES

This is a "Ship and let ship" blog. only exceptions are "insert orenation" with "a gender orenation is NOT attracted to" , Minor with not minor, [age] with [ age more than 2-3 years apart] aroace with anyone, bully x victim (ie bochlow) villian x hero with in certain bounderies, ab#sive or toxic ships, or proships.

NO HATING/DISSING ON OTHERS SHIPS. ANY WILL BE BLOCKED.

any aggressive hating/ threats will be blocked. only z0()s, n3cr0s, p3d0s, and other harmful “philia”s are allowed to be hated on here. if you support/are these, find help and leave this blog. this is not for you.

gatekeeping is not allowed. at all.

support of KOSA and other things like this is not allowed.

take your discorse and politics elsewere. this is a fun blog for fun stuff.

I am a minor, if +18 dni unless I, a trusted person, or a mewtual vet your blog.

I WILL SPAM LIKE AND REBLOG.

I use tonetags.

I AM ONLINE 7-2:50 ON THE WEEK, EXCEPT TUESDAY, WHICH IS 8-10, then 1-3.

Biggest Mewtual- @justalexisfine

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‼️If you request anything,(pfp especially) CREDIT ME‼️

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THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY BLOG! <3

[inviridicorvo]

: *✧･ﾟ:* ━─ׁ──ִ──ׁ─*🪶*─ׅ──ׁ──ׅ─━ *:･ﾟ✧*:

«There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.»

: *✧･ﾟ:* ━─ׁ──ִ──ׁ─*🪶*─ׅ──ׁ──ׅ─━ *:･ﾟ✧*:

introductions & welcomes

// inviridicorvo \\

this blog is primarily a fandom space. that means musings about my favourite characters & verses (uni, multi & anything in between), multimedia fan works (fiction, art, gif sets, edits, and anything beyond). currently, i am fixating on the hobbit and bagginshield in particular. as of writing this, there is not much else to mention, however as i discover & create & evolve, i will add to this post. (more info about me, my fandoms & links to other things below the cut)

i‘d love to make some friends, so don‘t be shy and send me a message! ♡

— i used to have an active tumblr back in the mid-2010s, however it‘s lain dormant for too long; i am no longer the same person i was back then, so i granted myself a fresh start. —

// person behind the letters \\

names: lilly/anna/vi/viktor/corvo

- use whichever you feel most comfortable with -

pronouns: they/them

gender: non-binary

age: 28

languages: german/english

: *✧･ﾟ:* ━─ׁ──ִ──ׁ─*🪶*─ׅ──ׁ──ׅ─━ *:･ﾟ✧*:

portals & alter egos

// this section is currently a work in progress. i will be adding links to my related socials & profiles (like ao3, tiktok, youtube, discord, etc), as well as other blogs & projects (bookish content, professional writing, gaming, etc).

: *✧･ﾟ:* ━─ׁ──ִ──ׁ─*🪶*─ׅ──ׁ──ׅ─━ *:･ﾟ✧*:

fandoms & fixations

// current fixations \\

- the hobbit (bagginshield)

// fandoms & verses \\

- tolkien universe (the hobbit, lord of the rings)

: *✧･ﾟ:* ━─ׁ──ִ──ׁ─*🪶*─ׅ──ׁ──ׅ─━ *:･ﾟ✧*:

[penguinmichael]

Analyzing Arcane: A Critique of Classism and Bureaucratic Corruption

Part 1/2

SPOILERS FOR ARCANE SEASON 1

In 2021, the indie studio Fortiche released an animated series called Arcane in collaboration with the video game company known as Riot Games. The game utilized the characters and world of their most popular game franchise, League of Legends. The show was critically acclaimed by both new audiences and fans of the game it was inspired by. The 9 episode animated series was revered for it's incredibly stylized art style, fast paced writing, and dynamic world building. However, a particularly interesting element of the show was the way it tackled various socio-economic issues. The show takes place in the fictional nation of Piltover, where various high society inventors would get together and create fantastical inventions. Below the nation lies a place known as the Undercity, where those of lower wealth reside and are forced to endure treacherous plights while the people in Piltover hoards all of it's resources. Through this simple setting, conflict occurs. There is a distinct antagonistic relationship between upper and lower class citizens, which forces many of the characters to challenge their predetermined notions and biases. These situations can easily be compared to real life instances, and the television acknowledges the underlying roots that cause these problems to fester in the first place. This problem is addressed through the overarching worldbuilding, the characters, and the supernatural aspects of the show.

SECTION 1: A WORLD OF CONFLICT

Classism: Prejudice or favor of people belonging to a particular social class.

The television series Arcane contains varying levels of conflict that dramatically affect the characters and the fundamental system within the two cities. The main conflict resides in the consistent mistreatment of the denizens within the Undercity, and how one particular incident ended up with high tensions between the two groups. Years before the first events of the show, there was a riot that occurred at the bridge that would connect the Undercity and Piltover. Piltover's enforcers, who are the equivalence of police investigators in the city, were sent to shut down the riot. The riot quickly became violent, and the entire bridge was quickly engulfed in flames. Many people died at the hands of the enforcers, and both sides had people who wanted to ensure that it never happened again. This event is a trigger for much of the upset within the Undercity. Many characters in the show would talk about how the enforcers would abuse them, and how no matter how hard they worked, they would always end up with the scraps while Piltover profited off of them. This event possesses many parallels to real world riots. For example, the Haymarket Riot that occurred on May 4th, 1886. The riot began peacefully as a demonstration of workers rights during an 8 hour work day.

The violence at the riot quickly escalated when dynamite was thrown a the police, which ensued random gunfire by the police into the crowd of rioters. This lead to the deaths of at least 8 people, and left 40 others injured. Writer Hartmut Keil discussed the historical ramifications of this massacre, stating, "U.S. historians have attributed to Haymarket local as well as national significance; they have viewed it as a conspiracy by the ruling elite against the labor movement, as a death-blow to anarchism in the United States, as an attempt at weakening the eight-hour movement, and as a critical watershed for the organization of American labor at large." (Heil, Hatmut) It is also noteworthy to mention how this riot took place on the tail end of the Industrial Revolution, there was an increasingly bigger gap of technology between the upper and lower classes. This draws from a more minor conflict within the show, and that is the dirtiness of the Undercity due to the lack of better technology. One major character, Viktor, becomes terminally ill due to inhaling an overabundance of chemicals in the air. Meanwhile, Piltover not only has clean air, but is seen as a wealthy pillar of innovation. The Haymarket riot is only one example of how Arcane draws from real world events to tell a story and form a complete message.

An additional conflict that occurs throughout the story is the constant negotiation and corruption that exists between the Enforcers from the Upper City and the business owners of the Undercity. In the beginning half of the show, this negotiating occurred between the characters Vander and Grayson. Vander is a well liked bartender in the Undercity, and everyone in Zaun respects Vander. He was also the leader of the initial riot at the bridge, and deeply regrets his decision to fight as it lead to the death of many of his friends. Grayson, on the other hand, is the Chief Enforcer. She is also well aware of the damage that another riot will bring, and tries everything in her power to prevent it. The two strike a deal.

(Grayson and Vander privately discussing the terms of their deal.)

Grayson agrees to keep her Enforcers out of the Undercity as much as possible, as long as Vander agrees to prevent people from the Undercity to cause trouble in Piltover. The deal, however, is not an equal one. Vander is forced into a corner as he does not contain nearly as much military power as Grayson does. And although Grayson does not want violence, she does not have much of say over her troops if Piltover's governing council feels threatened. A special report by David Bayley and Robert Perito identifies this particular form of corruption, "The notion of “noble-cause corruption,” that is, illegal actions undertaken to achieve laudable ends, is a contradiction in terms in relation to the narrow definition. Noble misbehavior by police refers to actions undertaken on the presumption that they achieve a larger social good, such as the extrajudicial killing of vicious criminals or dropping of malicious prosecutions." (Bayley, David)

This deal keeps the peace for a while, however, as the issues in the Undercity are repeatedly ignored, the people of Zaun become restless. These leads to an internal discourse between the people of the Undercity. One side wants to fight the Enforcers while the other wants to prevent more bloodshed. What do the Enforcers do about this? Nothing. They instead cause more problems as they mindlessly barge into the Undercity, looking for the thieves who robbed an inventor's workshop. This conflict coalesces into a massive power shift. Both Vander and Grayson perish from this battle, and two new sides are created. Marcus, who was Grayson's assistant, becomes the Chief Enforcer and works out a deal with Silco, a notorious crime lord in the Undercity and the main antagonist of the series. This deal is marginally worse, for reasons that will be better explained later on.* The concept of police making bribes with business owners is not a stretch of the imagination by any means. The special report also referenced, "The reports of the thirty-two police commissions on the police identified thirty-five forms of corruption, which can be grouped into four categories: scale and organization, predatory forms, subversion of justice, and gifts and discounts." (Bayley, David) There is a massive amount of corruption and bias that exists within the police system, and Arcane emphasizes this through the interactions within it's world.

SECTION 2: THE DIFFERENCES OF PERSPECTIVES

Arcane also utilizes it's characters as a mouthpiece of it's core themes and messages. The story revolves around at least 10 major characters. Each with their own backstories and perspectives that interact with one another. Each choice a character decides to make drastically effects the course of events that happen throughout the narrative. These choices come from predisposed beliefs that each character contains. For example, a character from Topside may automatically distrust a character from the Undercity. Below is a description of some of the key majors characters, and their ideologies that are a direct result of the hierarchical system of Piltover and Zaun.

(Character name from left -> right: Viktor, Heimerdinger, Mel, Jayce, Caitlyn, Vi, Vander, Silco, Jinx/Powder)

Vander: Known as the "Hound of the Underground," Vander is a large, bulky man who prioritizes keeping the peace above everything else. He runs his bar "The Last Drop" and takes in the orphans Vi, Powder, Mylo, and Claggor. He is haunted by his past misdeeds, and is partially responsible for Silco's resentment. Vander represents a misguided complacency, and his faults lie in his avoidance to conduct any change in the unjust status quo.

Silco: Another resident of the Undercity, Silco is a deceitful, calculative crime lord whose main goal is seperate the Undercity into a seperate nation of Zaun. He plans to do this by using Shimmer, an addictive substance that grants temporary super strength to those who consume it. He is the archnemesis of Vander, whom left him to die after a fight on whether or not they should launch an attack on Piltover. Silco represents the highest form of radicalization against the monopolistic hierarchy of Piltover. He possesses an end justify the means' mentality by using his criminal organization to topple the power of Piltover's government. Because of this, he is seen as an unethical monster to most of the other characters.

Vi: The oldest of the orphans that Vander adopted, she is a tough and rebellious thief that wants to fight for the Undercity that she grew up in. Her parents were killed during the riot on the bridge. She is the biological sister to Powder. Vi represents a younger, more naive perspective of fighting for what you believe in no matter what. Towards the beginning of the show, she does not fully understand the cost of what a full revolution would truly have. Despite this, she follows Vander out of a familial bond.

Jayce: Jayce is a young inventor from Piltover who experienced first hand the power of magic. He wants to combine magic and technology to bring forth a new era of progress in Piltover. He succeeds in this endeavor, and creates what is known as hextech. Hextech is the combination of science and magic to create new inventions. but becomes so swept up in politics that he begins to lose sight of why he wanted to do these things in the first place.

Viktor: Viktor is a young scientist who moved from the Undercity to Piltover in order to attend a prestigious academy. He meets Jayce, and assists him in his invention of hextech. Viktor, unlike Jayce, does not get too involved with the politics of Piltover, and becomes increasingly frustrated at Jayce's hesitance to push newer inventions to the public. This impatience is exemplified by the fact that Viktor is dying, and wants to progress hextech to a point where it can potentially heal his disease.

Jinx/Powder: The youngest orphan that Vander takes in, and is seen as helpless by most other characters. In order to prove herself, Powder uses a force she does not fully understand and incurs a tragedy that leads to the death of those close to her. She is then taken in by Silco, who becomes an adopted father to her. However, as she becomes more violent and impulsive. She, like Silco, becomes a major antagonist towards the second half of the show.

Jinx is an important character due to her development throughout the series. Her relationship between her sister Vi and Silco very much resembles the relationship between the upper and lower cities. While she wants to depend on Vi, and have her sister there to look out for her, she cannot deny the damage she both endured/ inflicted. Much like Zaun, Powder reaches her breaking point and decided to become the villainous Jinx by the end of the first season.

Each of these characters interact in a way that advances the concept of these barriers that exist between the upper class and lower class.

The above clip is an example of how societal differences can affect how a character may perceive a different "group" of people. In this scene, Jayce reaches a limit and lets his internal biases control his advice to Viktor. The show does an excellent job at avoiding focalization- and provides other counter views in the story so the audience can immediately come to the conclusion that Jayce is clearly in the wrong for saying something like that. This comes to an emotional point in the show, where Viktor explains how he is FROM the Undercity, and Jayce realizes the impact of his words.

This is absolutely true outside of fiction. The article "The Dangerous Separation of the American Upper Middle Class" describes the disconnect as, "An upper middle class status is likely to be both a cause and consequence of a high degree of self- confidence and ability to navigate the complexities of the world." (Reeves, Richard)

The graph above compares the proportion of those believing things are changing too face and the amount of income they have. Interestingly, those of higher income are more comfortable with change than those of lower income. These complex viewpoints are shown in Arcane, particularly with Silco. Silco fears the development of hextech, because that means Piltover can create a better defense for itself against Silco's shimmer. He desperately wants to delay it's progression because he believes that the Undercity will not stand a chance against it.

SECTION 3: MIXING THE FANTASTICAL WITH THE POLITICAL

The central story of Arcane revolves around the development of two technologies: Shimmer and Hextech. Shimmer is a purple liquid substance that puts it's consumer into a manic bloodlust. The consumer possesses supernatural strength, however will return to normal after the effects wear off. This substance is extremely addictive, and spreads rapidly throughout the Undercity. This is executed by Silco, who creates multiple Shimmer factories in the Undercity.

(A vial of Shimmer being held by it's creator, Singed)

The fictional substance of Shimmer is a clear symbol for real-life drugs that have created an epidemic in society. It closely resembles steroids or hallucinogens. Steroids can give temporary muscle growth, however, there is an extremely large risk on a unhealthy dependency. The Journal article Drug Legislation and the Minority Poor mentions, "Minority communities have been hardest hit by addictive drug epidemics over past decades and the sentiments of their representatives will of necessity carry great weight in legislative debates. The violence associated with the sale and use of drugs is found primarily in the minority communities of large and medium-sized cities." (Kornblum, William) The correlation of drug usage and low income has been an issue throughout American history. But why is Shimmer most popular in the Undercity? It is because of the lack of power the citizens feel like they have. Many Undercity residents are forced to defend themselves against criminals, and this desperation has them clamoring for any form of power they can get. The St. Joseph Institute states that drug abuse can come from, "Feeling as though you are powerless over your own future..." (St. Joseph Institute). Poverty increases vulnerability and fear, and that fear is covered up through drug addiction. Arcane shows how this feeling of helplessness stems from the lack of proper protection from those who are supposed to protect them.

The other primary invention throughout the show is called Hextech. It was developed by Jayce and Viktor. It is the combination of magic and technology, which was originally a taboo within the community. Hextech is used to create incredible inventions. One example being a way to teleport an entire flying ship to other nations. This granted huge benefits to international trade, and Jayce was seen as an icon by Piltover.

(A Hexgate, which transports airships across the world instantly.)

As tensions build between Topside and the Undercity, the ruling council of Piltover approach Jayce and Viktor with ideas of using hextech as a means of defense. Both Jayce and Viktor are opposed to this, because it went against what Hextech was designed to do in the first place. They created it in order to help people only. But, due to the divide between the two sides of the nation, it was being used to harm others. A Pandora's Box was opened. The story turns from an attempt to create something new to an arms race. Hextech was kept from Undercity in order to prevent Undercity denizens from using it to revolt. Historically, there has always been a level of inaccessibility of new technologies for lower class citizens. In modern times, the technology of a school possesses greatly impacts the effectiveness of educating it's students. The article Is Technology Widening Opportunity Between Rich and Poor Kids? references sociologists Keith E. Stannovich and Anne E. Cunningham, who says, "'The very tool designed to level the playing field is, in fact, un-leveling it. The not-so-small disparities in skills for children of affluence and children of poverty are about to get even larger.'" (Paul, Annie) While educational technology and weaponry are very forms of innovation, they mark a similar precedent. Arcane highlights how something that may seem beneficial for all may only create a bigger divide.

The series Arcane does an effective using it's story to commentate how there is a fundamental disconnect between the upper and lower gaps. Additionally, those who govern this society will inevitably abuse the system they control in order to make themselves feel safer or wealthier. While violence is not an answer to these issues, allowing them to sit and fester will make the gap worse. If class equality is to be achievable, those who are not given a platform must be given it. And the higher class must do their part to adequately assist in reform.

[magicmindless]

any headcanons for Yuko?

Y’know what I have more than a few thoughts about her and it’s been a while since I’ve done something like this but:

A HC list but it’s just Yuko

-Even with the flipdeck, I still feel Yuko could be related to Emmlette in some way, either as a little sister or maybe just close friends

-Yuko grew up in Sakura Bay at first, but then moved to Tastyville to start her business

-This is more about Espen but I feel he had a wife prior to Yuko

-Besides resolving problems with the apartments, Yuko would also have the tenants association help out with community events like festivals or fairs and such

-Though she is well respected as head of the tenants association, some people find her to be a bit stuck up and passive-aggressive despite her politeness

-She is biracial, her mother being Japanese and her father being of German descent

-Pickle was a stray Prudence brought in one day. At first Yuko disapproved of Pickle since Prudence didn’t talk to her or Espen about having a pet, let alone one from the street, but she quickly also grew attached to Pickle, and even helped Prudence train her

-She has a record player at home she plays music on. She’s a frequent visitor of Hugo’s Warped Records surprisingly, but only ever looks for older or more vintage music (she doesn’t mind modern music, but it feels odd to her to play a modern-sounding song on a vintage record player)

-She’s skilled at playing the piano and has even taught Prudence how to play it. She even taught Prudence a special lullaby her mom used to play her to fall asleep at night

-Yuko’s shop, “Lovely Leftovers” has a lot of nice items, but not everything can get sold. There’s a distinct emerald necklace shaped like the moon which has never had a permanent owner for more than a week. And whenever it’s returned, the buyer always seemed a bit… disheveled. Hm…

-The main parasol she carries around was a parting gift from her parents which came in a care package

-She likes board games like chess and checkers

-She’s the only one in her family who tends to go to bed early. She’s also a heavy sleeper, though despite that she moves around quite a bit in her sleep

-She’s straight but is trying to be an ally. It took her a while to catch onto to the fact that Mary and Sue didn’t move in together as really close friends, but when she did find out, she knitted them a really long rainbow scarf they could wear together (because gay people like rainbows right?)

-She knows how to knit and crochet, mainly clothes and blankets. She always knits winter sweaters for her family every year

-Her favorite type of books to read are historical fiction and romance novels. She’s also a fan of poetry like Edger Allan Poe

-Likes collecting jewelry like necklaces and bracelets

-Is the type of mom who basically hoards most of what her children make like drawings or letters and such. They’re all precious to her

-Uses a Polaroid camera to take pictures with, and keeps them in a family photo album

-Her main love-language is gift-giving. Sometimes randomly she’ll give people little gifts like trinkets, baked goods or snacks, or any extra money she has

-She���s a sedimental person. If she likes you enough and you give something to her, she’ll keep it forever, no matter how much it costed

[quackabilly]

Here I've already uploaded this to discourse but you guys can have them too it's toon town OC based

I'm typing this and walking so I'm no spell very good apologies haha

Don't worry about of the only one species and body type I'll be looking that later and making more or whatever haha for now ducks because I was drawing out my ducks:

Left is their technical designs I draw for them out of toon towns color by the lines model restrictions. The right was basically what they look like in game.

Blue one is baby blue/Daffodil/Daffy Blues, and their markings and design is inspired by the pokemon Piplup. They don't yet exist in game, and that's basically because I'm waiting for my irl birthday as I want to give my birthday to them. I ship BB with Cathel/Multislacker and their ship name is Lackadaisy. They have a relaxed gardening vibe with lots of blues, all the blue witch, sea/sailor/ocean, moon items they'll hoard. May also wear a crown or masquerade mask.

Green and red one is Quackabilly and inspired by Hr, Dave Brubot and of course, Duck Shuffler, as I bought his plushie before ever even downloading the game itself. He hoards exclusively gambling and casino motif items. Even if my other save files dont have THAT specific HR, Duck Shuffler or card jester themed item HE WILL.

Lucky predates both of these other goobers AND me joining toontown by a year, being based off the idea of a fictional/fan made casino in Las Nevadas, a parody casino country owned by Quackity's DSMP character. The name? Lucky Duck('s/s). A month later QSMP had the same idea... More or less. Id double down on this and add lucky block markings and a subtle heart motif to lucky.

[khaos1208]

Aziraphale is insatiable…

We all know that Aziraphale is a bad angel. Not like Gabriel, or The Metatron, or Micheal. No, he is bad at being an angel. He is gluttonous, he is prideful, he is envious, he is slothful, he is greedy. So, although Neil may not agree, I ask: why can’t he be lustful??

Aziraphale likes food, he is proud of being an angel, placing his hand on Crowley’s chest when that woman gets too close???, how exhausted he was with Gabriel in that jogging scene, how he hoards all of his books with such ferocity??? So why shouldn’t he also feel lust?

I think the kiss was like the first time Aziraphale had food. Remember, it was Crowley who tempted him to do it. I saw someone point out that Aziraphale’s face when he tried food was a lot like his reaction to the kiss. He liked it, but he knew that he shouldn’t. Not to mention, I think we all saw that look when Crowley was giving his infallible “love advice”. Aziraphale took a deep fucking breath before looking Crowley up and down. If that isn’t textbook checking him out, then I don’t know what is.

We all have heard about Micheal Sheen’s *ahem* respect for fan fiction. Anyone reading this far has heard about how much he believed Aziraphale wants to get absolutely railed by David Tennant Crowley. Micheal Sheen specifically portrayed Aziraphale so blatantly in love. And Neil Gaiman kept it in the final cut. Aziraphale was definitely about to confess during the dance and was prepared to give away his most prized possessions to do so!!!

I would additionally like to bring attention to the fact that — if my memory serves me right — Crowley was the one to pull away from the kiss. I’m not sure Aziraphale could pull away from that. I’m 100% convinced a kiss is exactly what he was hoping for, only in better circumstances. Maybe if Crowley hadn’t been so angry, so forceful, so desperate to keep him and had kissed him properly then Aziraphale would have stayed. What if Crowley kissed him as lovingly as Jane Austen’s romance novels described and never let go? Could Aziraphale still leave????

Crowley doesn’t need the same physical attention. He doesn’t typically initiate contact. But Aziraphale? Every time he feels love he reaches for Crowley. He begins the physicality to the point where he may be actively searching for it. I certainly know who I think is the bottom (Aziraphale) and who I think is the top (Crowley). 

(They would absolutely be somewhat switchy but humor me.)

Imagine Aziraphale begging, whining for it. To be touched and kissed and fucked. Imagine Crowley lazily licking his lips in anticipation before pulling himself away. Imagine Aziraphale needing it to the point of taking it into his own damn hands since that demon clearly doesn’t know how to use his.

My conclusion??? Yeah, Aziraphale would definitely be unstoppable given the chance to bang Crowley. If they were in a proper relationship, Aziraphale wouldn’t be able to stop himself and would SLAM Crowley with affection. He would need to be reminded that they are in a public space or that they have a reservation at the Ritz in 30 minutes. And he would absolutely suggest that 30 minutes was enough. I truly believe that what Crowley wants is just to be around Aziraphale. But Aziraphale is imperfect, he is lustful, he is demanding (remember the apology dance?). 

And we are all too aware that Crowley can’t say no.

Aziraphale is insatiable.

[leosficlist]

Hello everyone!!

Its been 4-5 years since I was active on this blog, but I never stopped reading Johnlock fan fictions.

Since I’ve been using my ao3 bookmarks as a hoarding ground for every fic I’ve read in that time, I thought those curations may be better appreciated on tumblr!

So stay tuned if you’re still looking to read some Johnlock tales, mostly BBC but occasionally ACD slips in there too.

❤️

[jamiesfootball]

Please tell us more about your original works!!

Honest to God, I was thinking of your stories earlier today and thought how lucky we are you spend any time writing fan fiction (and for the show that is my hyper fixation! How did I get this lucky?) because you’re so fucking talented you should writing real books.

you are always far far nicer to me than i deserve and I LOVE IT! (I LOVE YOU!!)

The wonderful thing about fanfiction is that writing for Ted Lasso has full-on cured my years-long writing slump. And I am looking at all of these book ideas, some of which have been kicking around in my brain for going on 10 years, and i'm like....yeah, yeah. I am going to work on those :D

So these are the ones I'm working on. They are in various states of progress.

My Babies! If any of these are getting finished first, it will be one of these three!

Barnacle - the placeholder name for my DETECTIVE STORY. A woman who has recently left a troubled marriage, our main character is a shell of the person she used to be. Wanting to put as much distance between her and the California life she left behind, she's rented a cabin in the middle of a small tourist town in the northern cold. When a man in the neighboring cabin is murdered during the night, she finds her mind stirred to action as the pieces of herself that she thought lost slowly come back to her. (And then she becomes a private investigator because I love detective stories and she solves crimes and makes friends and this is just the first one and I'm like. super excited about it.)

A Robot Named Future - this one is my long-brewing wip. It's about an AI robot from the not-to-distant future that gets rebooted ('wakes up') in a junkyard the very far distant future. Lots of scifi tropes, lots about the erosion of history and humans always being humans, and of course, food. Like a lot about food in this one.

Chasing Whispers in the Canyon (Western (sort of)) - Injured and AWOL military soldier Joanna is on the brink of death in the middle of the desert when she is saved by a tall, pale stranger. Her and the stranger -- an offputting, odd woman who's absolutely lethal with a pistol - hunker down together in a small town that seems on the verge of its own small war. When trouble comes for Joanna, the stranger risks drawing the attention of her own complicated past to save the woman who is possibly her only friend. (yes, the placeholder title is a song title. One song spurred all of this. I regret nothing)

The ones I'll get to one day!

Boots and Babes on the Boardwalk - I don't know why I titled it this way other than the alliteration (needs a new title). This one is about a partially closeted, mentally ill, middle aged gay man who's running his conservaative family's shady business. He just fell head over heels about another man, and that's serving as an impetus for him to actually look at his life. On temporary hiatus because the plot is a little wobbly

The Lens - Guy who recently went blind and had to drop out of an art program accompanies his still-seeing friend to a museum exhibit. Due to the awkward tension their circumstances have put between them, neither notices when his friend proceeds to lose the camera equipment he'd checked out from campus. With the museum closing in an hour and his friend's final grades on the line, these two piece together where in the museum his friend lost his camera. (this one is more like a novella or a long short story)

The Hoard - One night. One party. Five thieves. One pile of dragon treasure. (Think leverage but the treasure they are stealing belongs to a corrupt government via dragons).

Hawaiian Shirts and Bruised Eyes - A butch, lesbian stuntwoman who broke her arm on a motorcycle meets a nurse at the hospital who may just be the love of her life. The love of her life may also be a serial killer. It's hard to say.

The Frog Witch - vengeful disgraced witch lady seeks revenge against the people who wronged her with the help of a prince who has been cast out from his people. References to Euripedes' Medea.

[red-hot-kick]

I don't really know how to articulate this in a way that won't make someone somewhere very upset so I'm just going to go about this in the way I normally would: as Directly as possible.

I have to set some boundaries when it comes to my art.

For everyone with busy lives, here's the short version: If you believe, in any capacity, that you literally are any of the characters I frequently draw, and/or if you know yourself to be prone to taking fanworks a little too personally (meaning: to the point of causing considerable distress when a work is not compliant with your perceptions), please either keep it to yourself or block me. I mean that.

...Everybody else, strap in for the long version:

I don't know what any of you mean anymore when you say you "kin" a character. Not long ago, if you used the word "kinning" on the internet (ie. elfinkin(d), otherkin, fictionkin, etc.) you were most likely (with a few exceptions) talking about a very specific experience. I'm talking "compulsively eating your mother's jewelry because you're a dragonkin, and dragons hoard and eat rare gems, obviously" type stuff. Not "closet-cosplaying to school as your favorite anime character because you really really relate to/admire them". Those are fundamentally two different things. So why are we using the same term for them?

(...It was a huge mistake to come up with the word "kinnie" as a cutesy nickname, in my honest opinion.)

Now, the definition is too broad, too diluted. Now, if I see that word in a bio or a tag...I legitimately don't know what to expect. Someone could mean that they relate to the characters' plights and stories, or that they aspire to be like them and want to emulate them in their day-to-day life. Maybe they RP the character and (for some reason) don't know of any other terms to use.

...They could also mean that it is their firmly held belief that they are THE Yusuke Kitagawa in the flesh, or that Ryuji himself is beaming his consciousness into their brain from an alternate plane, or that Futaba periodically hacks into their body to speak through them, and so on.

And if the latter examples sound similar to your experience, then buddy, I don't wanna know about it. I have no goddamn business being privy to anyone's mental landscape on this big beautiful internet.

(I do want you to find a licensed clinician if you have the resources to safely do so, though. Sincerely.)

I don't want to be told that I'm not depicting "you" accurately (a thing that has happened!). I also don't want to be held responsible for accidentally hitting upon triggers that I could never anticipate, because of a stranger internalizing a character (voluntarily or not) so deeply into their personhood that a comic/fic/drawing exploring that character's canon in ways that make them uncomfortable can prompt a panic attack or a fit of rage or similar distress responses (a thing that I've been scolded by strangers over! Multiple times, even!). I also ABSOLUTELY don't want anyone to message me as a fictional character to tell me what they think of my art, or to tell me that they look to my art for things to build their personality around (which is also a thing that has happened. Are you seeing a trend?)

In all these scenarios, each person neglected to consider that I'm not a source of new "kin material"! I'm just some fucking guy, screwing around on the internet just like everyone else!

I'm not going to presume the legitimacy of any strangers' mental health status (access to mental healthcare can be next to impossible, I know), nor am I one to criticize how anyone engages with the things they like. However. Please remember that every interaction you have is a two-way street. Artists aren't content farms; they are your fellow fans.

When someone comments or tags my art to say "this is me", or "you drew me wrong", or "I would never do/say that", or that the material made them miserable or angry and that they "hate OP for making it"...I have to see that. It's only happened a handful of times. But that was enough to make me wonder with every kin-adjacent tag I see: Is this another person that feels entitlement or ownership over what I make? Is this another person I should expect comments of disappointment or aggression from if I make something that they disagree with? Do you think that I'm doing any of this for you?