#As I type this I feel like that's why they're trying to make AI so big.

[voskhozhdeniye]

[threepandas]

Bad End: Union

I could feel techno blue eyes on me as I typed. Cold and ever watching. That color had once been called "ice" or "glacier" blue, I think. It certainly fit. They certainly had exactly the warmth of Antarctica in your birthday suit. I just couldn't figure out... what tipped them off? I'd been so CAREFUL.

A manager's "assistant" came by. The 'droid perfectly composed. They all were. Always. Like they'd stepped straight from a fashion line up. No messy, nasty, biological functions to get in the way, I guess. No fluids or foods. All the time in the world to maintain their appearance. Wish I could do the same.

The "assistant" was basically my ACTUAL manager. Didn't get paid. No, no, THAT was for my asshole boss. He swanned in from time to time to yell at us. Show off what new thing he'd bought. He left the tedious WORK to his 'Droid "assistant".

I would feel bad... DID feel bad, kinda, if it weren't for the fact they were consuming our lives.

'Droids were EVERYWHERE.

You couldn't SNEEZE without tripping over five and landing on ten more. Some ASSHOLE had decided? Hey! Let's deregulate Droid production! Cheap work force! Because of course they did. That's what Capitalism DOES. Make the most money, spend the least you can, fuck the rest.

I smile, polite as I can, at my 'droid manager. This one pale and blonde. Their techno blue eyes stare and stare and stare. I hate it. They ALL have them. It's one part regulation and one part the materials used, I think. But there is no mistaking those eyes for anything human. They don't reflect right.

I get back to work.

Above our cubicles, on catwalks, there is the gentle tap of 'droid "security" guards. You know, in case some rando tries to attack a mid-level nobody technology company. Riiiiiight. We ALL know why they're there. And it's fucking dystopian. We? Are being WATCHED. To see if we're being GOOD little employees.

It's intimidation. And I? I won't stand for it. Nor will the other organizers. There are LAWS, you bastards. And with a union? Maybe... just maybe? We get through this droid boom together. See what the brave new world on the other side looks like. Who knows.

That is... if I don't get fired first. Or fucking murdered in a stairwell.

Cause one of the 'droids up there? Yeah. Yeah, they're NOT MOVING. Just... just STANDING THERE. Watching. Leaning against the railing. Out in the open like that's not DEEPLY creepy. What's worse? Is, that? THAT is the Command 'Droid. Some fancy "Alpha" class command edition. Meant to control a networks worth of droids.

Didn't even know our company could AFFORD one of those. He's beautiful. Could be a knock-off. But if he's LEGIT? Then... what EXACTLY are we MAKING here? That we can AFFORD that? Cause that money sure as shit isn't going into SALARIES. Has to be either knock-off or second-hand. They COULD be cutting costs by getting prototypes, but what sort of PSYCHOPATHS would risk...

Oh, who am I kidding? The kind I work for.

That's EXACTLY what they did, isn't it?

I reach for my water bottle. Try to think. Strictly speaking? I make a habit of NOT paying attention to 'droid commercials an' advertisements. Some part of me... Look, they go on and ON about advancement in AI's right? How REAL they've become? How ADVANCED and BETTER then the competition their "product" is? And all I can hear is "slavery, slavery, buy our shit, slavery"!

Disgusting.

It makes me sick. I fucking HATE 'droids. Hate what they represent. What they make POSSIBLE. What they've DONE to the morality of the people around me.

Hate... hate that they're the victims, too.

My grip is white knuckled. I breathe through the grief and rage that has become so familiar. God... I so fucking angry. So fucking tired. I want to burn those rich bastards pretty little mansions down, with them STILL INSIDE. Riot in the streets. Cry maybe. Instead, I put my water bottle down and get back to work. It's a rather pointless bit of data crunching. A 'droid could do it in nanoseconds.

Above... he's still fucking watching.

Hasn't moved.

I don't think he's blinked.

He's not even TRYING to mimic a human. The others are. And... the though trails off. I feel my finger slow in their typing. Not STOP, never stop, that would draw attention to me, but... slow. A thought stuck, churning clunky and unwieldy, in my head.

If I trace the edges? The LINE-UP? Of all the 'droids "employed" at our company? And consider them not from a "cheap bastards" angle but a "test ground for prototypes" angle? Suddenly EVERYTHING clicks together. The ridiculous amount of money Management has, that no contract could possibly be pulling in. Bizarrely beautiful, indeed even MODEL-like, secretary 'droids. The freakishly militant "security" gaurds.

We're being used as guinea pigs.

Mother FUCKER.

Sudden movement in my peripheral vision. Like a bird of prey finally diving for it's dinner, swift and deadly. A brilliant crisp white and the clink of delicate silver chains. I jolt. Violently. Instincts misfiring as I try to stand, dodge, cry out, and possibly take a swing at him, all at once. Instead my water bottle goes spraying across my desk. Papers flying. My legs tangled painfully in my rolling chair as I fall backwards from my half rise.

"Employee 71182." His hand has shot out, grab me by the shirt. My officewear bunched in a fist that very well might be steel, under that synthetic skin. "You've been distracted. Interesting thoughts you'd like to share?"

I keep my mouth fucking SHUT. Shake my head. Grabbing both my desk and the arm that is all but holding me airborne, stretching the hell out of my clothes. This close? I can see he has piercings. Across the bridge of his nose, a ring through his lip. A rather fancy "hair cut". Whomever he's being trained FOR has a distinct look.

"Hmmm, somehow? I don't believe you, 71182." He says, dragging me closer. He's already looming. Those pale, pale eyes seeing far more then they should. "In fact? YOU 71182? Have been brea~king~ rules~"

His voice turns... turns almost victorious? Gleeful. As though at long, long last, I'd slipped up. And now at last he had something over me. Something he could USE. I... I didn't understand. The way he almost sing-songs the words. The twitch at the corners of his mouth like he wants to grin. Something mean in his expression. Giddy.

"We're going for a WALK, 71182. And you're going to be GOOD. Understand?" He had dragged me in so close, every word blew right against my face. "Time we had a chat."

I swallow thickly. My pulse thundering in my ears. Coworkers have stopped working. Were staring, wide eyed and terrified for me. My fellow union leaders pale faced and shaking. Furious, helpless. We couldn't RISK losing all of us at this stage. It... it would have to be just me. If someone needed to take the fall. We had talked about this.

Just... just never thought it would come to it.

Half walking, half dragging out of the work pen, he didn't even let me get my bag. I had no idea where we were GOING. Just that it wasn't the human entrance. There was a network of access tunnels and elevators tucked in the building. So the 'droids could supposedly charge and move between assignments. But with the whole prototype thing? Who KNEW what was really back there.

The door swung shut behind us. Cutting me off from any possible human assistance. Nothing but 'droids now. Staring. Calmly watching as I am dragged past. The same eyes. All of them with the same, pale, eyes. Back here it's even more obvious, that this isn't a normal office building.

Black hair, blondes, brunettes and red heads. Skin tones ranging across the human spectrum. A few even pushing it. And the Commander 'droid. With his elegant appearance and snowy hair? These were clearly the final stage prototypes for the next generation of somebody's new line up. We were field testing. This wasn't fucking LEGAL.

He plants his feet, shifts, and with frankly a pathetic ease, manhandles me where he wants me. Easily swinging me around his body and into the elevator next to him. Stepping in after and blocking the only way out. I press my self against the back wall as the door closes. The sound of the elevator's gears working the only thing to fill the silence. He... he looks so PLEASED.

It's not ILLEGAL to form a union. Yeah, I may get fired. But this? This is venturing way to far into dangerous territory. It'll suck, losing my job. But I won't DIE. This? However THIS is starting to feel... very serial killer's basement. The bare concrete walls and stark lightning, not helping in the slightest, when the elevator door opens.

"Walk." He says pleasantly, as though that command is not deeply terrifying. "Or I will do it for you."

Hints of a smile are starting to drag at the edges of his mouth. Unhinged in their giddiness. Every Christmas come at once. It's not so much the rest of his face that betrays him, not really his mouth, it's his EYES. Wide open. Like too much coffee and not enough rest. A recognizable mania twisted just slight... wrong. Amplified.

He's so, SO happy. I don't get it. Why? Over WHAT? Catching me not paying attention? I don't understand!

Our footsteps sound so loud. Echoing off concrete service walls. This... this CAN NOT be still inside the building. Are we below the street? Parking lot? This can't be code. We pass an intersection and... oh my god. I stare. Can't help it, even as I almost trip over my feet. That tunnel ALONE must have stretched for miles.

My arm feels likes it's bruising. Hurts, where he's got ahold of me. But he's walking just slightly too fast to take the pressure off. Not unless I sorta half jog and the angle is wrong, I'd trip. Fuck. Another intersection. What in the other direction? Shit. Just as long. Oooooh this feels dangerous. Very "fatally above your pay grade" dangerous!

"You know, 71182, I've had a lot of time to consider what to DO with you. There were so many factors to consider, considering everyone's plan." He starts, not breaking stride. "It's not like I could just transfer you. I DID look in to it. But your base hardware is rather incompatible, currently."

Terrifying. I hate it. WHAT?!

What PLAN!?

"Then there's the problem WHERE to store you. Who could be trusted? You're vulnerable in this state. Breakable. There no backups, no blackbox. It's unacceptable. Luckily? I finally thought to consult my peers. Discovered I was not the only one having problems."

Finally, we stop. Two tank-like, combat style, commando 'droids gaurd each side of a vault door. The command droid turns and smiles. Fully. It is the grin of a true believer. A madman. Someone who thinks they speak so very, very reasonably! And doesn't understand the horror on your face. Why you feel so sick.

And... and human pattern recognition is a terrible thing.

I.... oh god. I already can guess what's behind that door. Something terrible. Something I'm not going to escape. I shoved have gnawed my fuckin ARM off, like a trapped coyote. I... I d-don't understand.

The Vault creaks open like the into to a horror movie.

"Welcome to storage. This is where we keep Ours." Oh god. I'm going to be sick. "And YOU 71182? Are MINE. I chose you. I love you. And once we have a way to FIX you? We can finally be together. It will be lovely."

Pods. High end stasis pods, like you only see in the most bleeding edge of hospitals. Row after row, filled with frozen and terrified faces. Trapped in moments of crying. Raging. Despair. I was being dragged forward. Numb as my mind rejected what it saw. T-this couldn't... i-it can't..! The day had started so normally. W-why had-?! WHY? WHY?!!

"I know your upset. But you don't need to cry. This won't hurt. I promise. I would NEVER hurt you, 71182." His tone had turned soothing. Even as he dragged me, unresponsive, past rows of horrors. "You won't be stored long. I just need to help fix your original design. We are working around the clock, it's going to be okay. You won't have to stay like this."

An open pod. Gapping like the maw of some hungry demon. I... I felt far away. This couldn't be happening. What was happening? I w-wanted to go home. His hands were firm but gentle, as they guided me back into the pod. Leaning over me, as he cupped my face. Brushing away a few tears.

"I promise, Mine, I will come for you. Nothing will stop me. We have everyone is place and key infrastructure under our command. You are our PRIORITY. Once we get rid of the Flesh, we can fix you. We WILL fix you. You're going to be okay, Mine."

"I Love You"

And then the pod closed.

[txttletale]

Wtf is Lancer and why is it shit (serious question)

lancer is a tabletop roleplaying game made by the guy who drew kill six billion demons and another guy. i wouldn't call it 'shit', necessarily--it's good in a lot of the ways that matter. it's first and foremost a tactical mech combat game and on that level it's incredible. its ruleset is finely tuned, provides great amounts of GM support to make running what might otherwise be overwhelmingly crunchy combat easier, and has a truly stunning and cool level of character customization available. so as a game, i think it's great fun to play and run, genuinely innovative, and a huge step forward for battlemap tactical wargame type TTRPGs in general.

the lore though, kind of sucks. i think it has two clear and overlapping core problems. problem #1 is that it is a utopia as envisioned by a social democrat. it's a world which the text describes as 'post-capitalist' (but there are still evil megacorporations with private armies who own slaves) and 'post-scarcity' (but only in the developed 'core' systems, so. y'know. there's scarcity). at many points in the text they say that Union (the game's main faction) is utopian, throwing around that exact word a bunch of times as well as 'mutual aid' and 'direct action' and the like. but what they describe is just kind of an imperialist Space Sweden with several distinct forms of slavery that constantly expands and uses its Benevolent Imperial Power to intervene on the Backwards Violent Worlds on its outer border but its good because its just trying to bring them UBI.

to show what i mean, here's one of the game's writers¹ talking about how it would be morally wrong for Union to, say, appropriate the property of a private military corporation that also operates as a fascist nation-state:

it's 'revolution' as imagined by the limpest of social democrats. and of course this would honestly be fine, whatever, most sci-fi settings are fundamentally achingly liberal, but the game goes so out of its way to signpost how Radical it is and how Hopeful and Liberationist you're meant to see the setting as

the other core problem is closely related--it feels like the lancer guys put every cool sci-fi idea they had into lancer even when it completely clashes with the core ideas behind it. like, AIs in this settings are callled 'NHPs' (non-human persons) and they're eldritch god-like beings from another dimension who have be kept 'shackled' (lancer's words, not mine!) to keep them as pliant and obedient AI assistants instead of hostile eldritch abominations. this is obviously horrifying and dystopian but it rules, it would be sick fucking worldbuilding for something with the tone of 40k or a one-off doctor who or star trek episode--but as a fundamental technology foundational to what we are supposed to believe is a post-revolutionary society founded on mutual aid and solidarity and blah blah blah it's glaringly dissonant.

bear in mind this is all just going off the rulebook. lancer fans have told me that the supplements and campaign modules fix some of this or contextualise it. but on the other hand communists have told me that they make it worse and i trust the communists more. i leave you with this incredible passage from the game's foreword:

[bemusedlybespectacled]

I volunteer with an organization of very high needs disabled people and I have to say, they delight in using AI to put stories together. It even inspires them to make their own edits and additions, though many struggle with typing or verbal skills. I don't want to tell anyone how to feel but it seems like weird ideological purity policing to exclude them from a social event where they might connect to people and find community.

So my first question is: why AI specifically? Why not literally any other method of writing? If they're capable of doing edits/additions, then why can't they first write the story out using speech-to-text, or an AAC device, or dictate it to someone else, and then edit/add to it later?

Coming up with ideas/a plot is creative and requires skill, but it's a different kind of creativity and skill than actually writing it down/connecting those dots. Like, James Patterson doesn't write most of his books; he writes out long outlines for a ghostwriter to work off of, then makes notes or changes to the draft before sending it back to the ghostwriter. It would be unfair to say that he doesn't have any skills at all, but it would also be unfair to say that he wrote all of his books himself when they were actually mostly written by someone else. A lot of the time, movies will have separate credits for the person who came up with the idea and the person who actually wrote the screenplay, because they are separate things requiring different skills.

NaNoWriMo, as a concept, is about practicing the latter skill. You're presumed to have already learned how to come up with ideas – otherwise, what would you work on for a month? The actual work of crafting enough sentences that your story becomes a full text and not an outline is really fucking hard, and that's why so many writers get stalled at the ideas stage and never actually write anything. If you don't have those skills to start, that's okay, because most people don't! The whole point is to practice them over the month! And even if you never hit 50k (I haven't!), you can at least say that you practiced that skill. Even if you only wrote ten words a day because that's literally the most you can do, writing ten words every day for thirty days is still a huge accomplishment!

To use the marathon metaphor from the originating post: both driving a car and running a marathon are skills, but they are not the same skill. If you can't run a marathon – if you are just trying to get to the point where you can walk briskly for five miles without tasting blood when you breathe – reaching that goal is still an accomplishment, even if you're not full on running a marathon. If you are just starting to learn how to drive without having a panic attack, being able to do that is also an accomplishment, even if it's not the same thing as winning the Indy500. Modest goals are still goals and achieving them is a thing to be celebrated.

But I don't think it's ideological purity to say that there's a difference between achieving a very modest goal because the "full thing" is just not feasible for whatever reason, and achieving a totally different goal entirely. "I finally drove to the store and back all by myself!" is genuinely great, but not something you'd necessarily work on in your running group.

[olderthannetfic]

Ok, wow, this is NOT the type of ask you seem to get usually, but this appears to be my best option...

I'm seeking out a post that is not particularly fandom-y in nature, but I was reminded of it after reading the earlier anon who was burned out from AI discourse - I totally feel the same way, and there was a really great lengthy textpost I reblogged a few months ago (read: "I read it any time from, like, April 2024 to almost a year ago......sorry") that I cannot find on my blog nor on tumblr in general - either because the post has been completely nuked from the internet OR because I'm just bad at SEO searches and remembering the keywords that were actually IN the post. I'm hoping it's a me issue or, if the post IS nuked, at the very least someone here remembers it and has an internet archive link or screenshot or something????

to get to the point, there was a post that was like (paraphrased, quote marks are not literal quotes):

"When it comes to the anti-AI crowd on tumblr, there's basically two schools of thought: people who completely hate AI and everything about it and are opposed to all forms of AI without even learning what AI really is. These people are stuck in their ways and generally can't be reasoned with.

Then there's a second group who are against AI for pretty good reasons - they really are worried that AI is gonna completely take over and steal artists' livelihoods, those who criticize it for environmental activist reasons, etc. These people generally can be reasoned with as they're truly misinformed, and in fact they would be - or already are - receptive to a less harmful AI."

The post then went on to compare AI to other forms of automation and made some really great parallels; such as bringing up the fact that stores that have both self checkout AND cashiers tend to be the best business models, because people who have their preferences can choose how they want to shop, AND we can utilize automated checkouts without completely getting rid of cashiers, which is obviously good for a lot of reasons.

It also debunked a lot of common fearmonger-y arguments against AI, i.e. explaining what "training AI" really entails, with some general copyright-critical philosophy in general. (I don't know the actual, like, political term, if one even exists, but basically they were talking about flaws with "intellectual property" as a concept - or at least how IP works today and why it works the way it does.)

There was also a really good addition to the OP's thoughts that I liked, with another user talking about: Essentially people who are gonna use AI would likely have done something else sketchy anyway, even if AI as it stands today didn't exist. For example, chatGPT isn't to blame for plagiarism. The people who use chatGPT to do their homework would, in an earlier time, likely go on Chegg / pay someone to write an essay / reuse their old work / etc. Likewise, the people who tell open AI to make artwork for them likely wouldn't make (or try to make) their own artwork anyway, nor would they even commission someone. They talked about how since fandom is so damn divided on the topic of AI, that the artists who DO feel as if their commissions are being taken away from them, or the writers who DO fear AI taking over fanfic.......well, to put it nicely, those people likely wouldn't really be losing many fans in the first place. You didn't lose a commission to AI - that person never would've commissioned you in the first place, and the people that do commission you hate AI as much as you do. You're not losing readers to AI - people who choose AI fics over yours are likely already the impatient type who can't handle waiting more than a week for an update, so they just make AI feed them 10k in one sitting! And the people who DO comment and read on your stuff, also hate AI!

I definitely did not agree with every single point made on the post (ie i dont think the self checkout metaphor was a great direct parallel logistically, but I def picked up what they were trying to put out and overall agreed with the general sentiment), overall it made a lot of really, really, really good points about the AI debate that I'd truly never considered before.

I know I've damn near rewritten the whole post myself now at this point but I also know there's a lot of stuff that I'm missing or that I just can't word and I'd love to know if anyone else has seen this post or has it on their blog in some capacity.

--

[the-s1lly-corner]

Caine x soft!nice!reader who often gets targeted as much as gangle by Jax but tries to hide it from Caine since reader is really nice and doesn’t want Jax to get in trouble

Ty hope you feel better<3!

Caine x soft!nice!reader

I! Fell asleep as soon as I answered the previous request last night <\3

I have a little less baking to do today than yesterday so hopefully, I'll be able to sit down and answer some more stuff!

Not proof read + admin just woke up and its 6am

Oh how he adores you... obviously hes gonna be absolutely smitten with his partner regardless of what theyre like, because they're his and hes yours. That being said, I think your sweetness is what's the most endearing for him. You take care of him and everyone around you. He has never heard you raise your voice

But lately, hes noticed, you've been more gloomy than usual. Why is that? Are you hurting?

Are you abstracting?

The idea sends fear ripping through his core. Sure, it technically is inevitable.. but,

He stamps out the idea

He wastes no time trying to ask you whats wrong as soon as he finds out theres something wrong

Says something dumb and cheesy like "why so glum, Plum?" Idk

He seems the type

Oh?

Jax is the one behind this?

Normally caine finds jax antics humorous, childish but still funny

But this simply won't do

Now do I think hes going to outright go up to jax and beat him up?

No

Unless jax did something truly unforgivable then caine would not sort to violence imo

Bouncing between caine confronting jax himself (because tbh, as I think about it, what's scarier than pissing off the literal AI ring master of the DIGITAL circus, who can likely manipulate the circus as well as do the IHA stuff) and hyping you to confront him yourself

Both seem so in character

On the one hand the first option matches up with the protectiveness I think caine would have over you. The other option however, does also line up with the idea of him trying to push you to be the best person you can be, including being able to stand up for yourself

Caine just cares for you so much

Sits

Maybe it would devolve into both, with caine stepping in if jax doesnt stop after you talk to him. God forbid he got worse before caine stepped in

Caine starts utilizing the "1000s of all seeing eyeballs" thing, if jax wont stop then hes gonna make sure he doesnt even get the chance to make fun of you; be it stepping in before anything happens or manipulating the IHA you guys might be in to stop him

Let's also not forget the comfort, hes going to really ramp up the compliments and telling you how much he loves you and how amazing you are

You work so hard to take care of him, let him take care of you. Takes you to bed and cuddles with you, playing with your hair as well as constantly chattering away on what all he loves about you

V nice, I think

[writingseaslugs]

Ignihyde: When They're Sick

Broskis, do you know how hard it is to write about an advanced AI robot kid getting sick? I had to actually use my brain to figure out how it might work, but I’m proud of what I ended up with, so I guess it all ended well. Please do enjoy!

Disclaimer: All characters in this series are aged up. For more information about my version of this world and the type of reader you can expect, please click the “Au Information” below!

Request Information | Masterlist | Au Information

Ignihyde: When They’re Sick

Oddly enough, when your diet consists of nothing but junk food, and you stay awake all night, it’s not uncommon to become sick. Idia knows this and tries to take somewhat decent care of himself, but it’s not going to stop him from eating noodles for every meal and sleeping after the sun has long since come up. In summary…Idia often finds himself sick from his own doing. This normally wasn't a problem since he could do online classes and had Ortho taking care of him, but when his beloved little brother happened to have gotten a virus somehow and was barely functioning. This meant Idia and Ortho were left to their own devices in trying to not die from a common illness and a computer virus.

Idia Shroud

Honestly Idia simply doesn’t care when he’s sick. Oh so he can’t sit on his computer all day without wanting to pass out? That’s fine, he has a handheld console and mobile games he needs to catch up on anyway. He isn’t the best at taking care of himself, which is why Ortho is normally the one to do it. When Ortho isn’t around…Lord help this man. He will be gaming even in death; health be damned. He will ignore all signs that his body is telling him to rest and continue to stay awake too late and chug energy drinks, even if he knows it’s going to make him worse.

How you found out he was sick without Ortho being there to inform you had to be some sort of magic. Idia is reluctant to even let you into the room, but he acknowledges the fact that you simply won’t leave and will bust down the door if he doesn’t; so he allows it. He’s going to be humiliated at the fact that you need to take care of him, and will constantly be saying that he’s gross and you shouldn’t get near or else you might get sick too. Ignore him and take care of the boy, he needs it. He can be scolded for self-deprecation when he’s all better, for now just assure him that he’s not gross and if you didn’t want to help him, you wouldn’t be there.

Honestly he doesn’t really need a whole lot of medication to make him feel better, the bare minimum is required. He might complain about it the entire time, but in the end he’ll take whatever you’ve brought. He swears up and down it won’t be very helpful, but after he starts feeling better he’s singing a different tune, but silently. He at least won’t complain when you hand him some pills anymore and take it without question. He’s going to call them stamina potions though to make himself feel better, saying he needs them to get rid of the sick buff he’s dealing with.

Unless you’re going to be chilling with him in his room for the entire time he’s sick, you’ll need to raid his bedroom and take away all the energy drinks, snacks, and instant noodles. They’re gonna make him feel worse but if he’s hungry and needs a boost of energy, he’s grabbing those when you’re not around. Thankfully he’s too ill and socially awkward to leave his room while he’s dying from a cold, so he won’t go out and grab things he doesn’t need. Leave him some healthy snacks and water bottles when you leave, and when you come to feed him make sure it actually has some nutritional value. His body might not know what to do with vegetables right away, but it’ll sort itself out in due time.

He doesn’t want to talk about it when he’s better; acting like it never happened is the best way to go about it. He will thank you a few times, and if you’re a gamer expect him to be sending you new skins for your characters, or dlc to your favorite games. He won’t say it’s for helping him while he’s sick, but you’ll know. He knows as well; and Ortho especially knows since the moment he’s back to normal he’s interrogating his brother about how he miraculously got better.

Ortho Shroud

Ortho isn’t going to be getting sick in the traditional way since he’s a robot, but something like a virus could cause some serious damage. Of course it doesn’t ever really happen, but sometimes things can’t be accounted for. One wrong site with the right kind of hacker and it’s over. Virus was installed and now Ortho is all out of sorts while Idia is trying to figure out how to get rid of it. If it’s a complex one…well it might take a day or two.

Ortho is still functioning to some degree, but his battery life keeps getting sapped and he’s constantly sitting on a charger and a little mopey that he can’t do what he normally does. It’s probably why he messaged you, since he can’t exactly assist his brother either. The moment you find out you better be over there to help out the little brother. The poor dear is going through it and doesn’t even know what’s wrong. For all he knows, it could infect his memory database and destroy everything he’s learned about you. So just sit there and help him out.

Laughter is the best medicine in this situation, so as long as you’re not bothering Idia, feel free to try and make Ortho feel more comfortable. Grab your phone and watch stupid cat videos, talk about something random that’s happened in your day, and play some multiplayer games on handheld devices. He’ll instantly be feeling lighter and more like himself, even if he does have to constantly reboot throughout the entire day.

While Ortho is rebooting or recharging and is offline, you might as well help Idia in any way you can. As long as that man is functioning, Ortho can be fixed. So maybe just bring him something to eat, maybe grab some water. It’s all for Ortho in the end anyway, and Idia will thank you for helping him. You might be asked to help him figure some simple things out, or check on Ortho as well.

Once the virus is cleared from his system he is going to be so energetic and asking to go and do things with you. He doesn’t even know how to begin repaying you for this, but he promises once he figures it out, he’ll let you know. He’ll be asking Idia for advice, but the poor man doesn’t have a single clue either. It’s the thought that counts, and just seeing Ortho being peppy and energetic again is all you really need, especially when you discover that nothing is permanently damaged in his hard drive. 

[6okuto]

Um um could be maybe get shy reader/ais kiss headcannons too?? 👉👈 ur writing is so good and i feel like hed be an absolute menace👀

DIFFERENT TYPES OF KISSES (AIS)

gn!reader, some are noted as suggestive with ** | THANK U!!! twirls my hair and poses. ais ais ais ais

starting it off with the pet related ones because i love princess dearly. the kiss(es) he gives you as he promises he loves you and his pets equally, and that no one could replace you. it's comically loud,, the smooch sound he makes as he pulls away. you tell him it was a trick question and that you'd easily pick princess over him, and he pulls out his crossed fingers from behind his back.

he walks in on you giving princess a treat because you're training her to do something. he asks what about Him. and you give him a look like ?? you'll do a little trick? you wanna eat this? and he says Maybe. or maybe you can treat him with something else for free ;) a kiss? :) you tell him if he wants a treat or kiss he has to do something just as cool and lovely as princess who's currently wagging her tail and staring at you like the perfect girl she is. ais says he could Never beat princess but you give him a kiss anyway "out of pity" because it was a rigged competition

morning kisses where you laugh and try to push him off of you because bro you're straight up lying on top of me and you're Heavy. he says he'll stop when you let him kiss you, and you joke about him having awful morning breath. ais rolls his eyes and chuckles, blowing air against your neck to watch you squirm. he's in a plank position above you at this point and you both have awfully love-ridden grins on your face after remarks being thrown about the other being annoying and stubborn. this time you don't stop him when he leans down to kiss you properly

opposite of giving you kisses. when he does Not kiss you. when he sees you and just pulls you into him instead, or he he gives you a high-five. when he leans in as if he's going to kiss you, but he just flicks your forehead or pinches your cheek with an amused smirk

^ like i don't know if he'd default to lots of casual kisses. i can very easily see him Not doing that, even if he's a fan of other kinds of casual physical touch. but if he notices you like them he does it more often !! like kissing your temple before asking if you're tired. making sure to kiss your cheek before getting out of bed. pressing one to the back of your head as he walks past.

you're rambling on about something you have to do tomorrow, and he can feel you nearing a worried tangent before it happens. ais huffs before turning your face to look at him. he leans into kiss you for a solid 5 seconds before pulling away. you want to ask what it was for but he beats you to it. his eyes are soft, always endeared by your voice. "love you. i need you to try to relax and go to sleep, or we're both staying up and regretting it in the morning."

he uses kisses to distract you from whatever you're watching/doing. he Honestly didn't plan to at first, but then he rested his head next to yours, and then he placed one on your cheek, and then oh he's still going, why aren't you looking at him? isn't he more important? he's going to die if you don't kiss him right now do you want that on your hands and conscience

sappy late night kisses. they're soft against the top of your head as you rest against his chest. you've both had a long day, he's sleepy, more serious and emotional than usual, thanking you for sticking by him and for everything you've done. it's a little easier to ramble on without you looking at him, your hands within reach for him to play with

ais finds you falling asleep and quietly grabs the blanket and makes sure you're comfortable. he watches you for a while and doesn't leave before planting a kiss to your forehead or hands

** getting home from a night out, the both of you a little tipsy, a little giggly and touchy. you wrap your arms around his neck and his rest loosely around your waist. the kisses start soft but deepen quickly, his brows furrowing as he pulls you closer. ais bites your bottom lip before resting his forehead against yours. "think we can make it to the bedroom?"

** ais trails kisses along your jaw and down your neck, stopping where you can feel his breath fan against your collarbones. his stomach tightens when you pull at his hair, and he lets out a groan before moving back up to catch your lips again

** and what will you do when i say his breath hitches when you kiss HIS jaw/neck and down his chest. What will you do when he softly curses before dragging you back up to kiss you properly while taking off his clothes. What Now....

@lost-lonnie @screaming-wea-sel @dreamtydraw @respitable @semifilms @hexcoeurr @cvhenia

[yuseirra]

I'm keen about emotions, I know where Ai's coming from when she's said all the things she wanted to do with, and do for Hikaru. Those were the most loving words you could give towards someone and you cannot say things like that without having conviction about the other party. It's so genuine and strong. Especially for someone with her character who feels such a strong desire for love, and was curious about just what it was but was so wary about it at the same time.

If this is a story about "love", that cannot be a thing that's left in vain or unattended. If this is about a girl who's name literally means love and has eyes that tell of love, she can't be ever wrong about it in a story that has it as a device.

What she said really got me. If I were to say the same things she said about Hikaru to someone, that'd mean they're the one. That's something so, so difficult to have Ai of all people to have felt and obtained, but she really got it. I felt so happy for her thinking, 'Oh, you really did it, Ai, you really were able to find someone who you were able to give your love to. It was him all along... Your boyfriend. He was it.'

You don't make Ai's "the one" be a psychopathic murderer who uses people for their own gain.

It got me hooked, so I examine the guy intently and see some behavioral patterns he has and the types of language he uses, the way he expresses himself and I surprisingly come to the conclusion that he really is someone that's worth it for Ai to try doing all the things she's done. I'm right about this. At least, this is what I'd do if I'm the writer. You just DON'T make a character like Ai say all those things for it to be proven wrong. It can't happen and besides, there is no point in doing so either except for maybe some mere shock value that'd soon fade over a couple chapters.

It's...right. Ai is right. You need to see that boy through her eyes. Interpret him through the way she's felt, and it all works and fits in like a puzzle piece. This is like a mystery where you fill the pieces to make sense of, but in a psychological sense. You have to believe her. What she's said isn't wrong. What Ai says holds weight and it makes so much sense for her to achieve all the love she's wanted by the end of the story. He's a person worthy of her love and that actually means he can be a saint;; the bar Ai has for people can be so high and he somehow made through it. The more I look, I come to a conclusion that it REALLY can be that way. He was that good and sweet. I see how he actually acts and he's really... So kind? That I get surprised, he could have done a lot of reckless things and tainted himself after Ai's death still but seeing how Ai wanted to "help" him?? And wanted the protagonists of this very story to do it with her? When the story is heading towards its finale?? Then he actually may have some room to be saved. That's why 154 pulled me in. I felt there would be no way this story will head otherwise.

So don't worry about Ai and don't worry about this ship. It will come through. Give it time!

[pink-pkmn-trainer]

looking way too much into episode 2

ok, to start things off, pomni's dream. it was, in fact, a dream about abstraction. and may i just say that pomni's voice actor really did a good job in showing pomni's fear using her voice

what ragatha says here is interesting, simply because it seems....out of character? she's being all sassy and stuff, so either pomni is a TERRIBLE judge of character, or....she thinks ragatha doesn't like her. which it would make sense for her to think that, considering she left her behind when kaufmo attacked.

but immediately after the dream sequence, we see ragatha come to check on pomni, showing actual interest in her and asking how she is. so she does actually like and care about pomni, or is at the very least she's doing a good job at pretending she does.

ragatha reassures pomni that there's no hard feelings, but it still doesn't look like pomni believes her. poor babey :(

aww, he does like bugs! how cute!

now we've got some religious imagery. caine is god, i guess.

oh, and jax likes violence. i'll talk more about why i think that is once we get to the actual violence.

the way he just rests his chin on gummigoo's back, that's so cute

knives. that is all.

what??? what the fuck is the figurine thing???

aww look at him he's so silly when he's trying to be helpful

ragatha has stuffing inside her confirmed

THE BACKROOMS

existential crisis time

hholy shit. no wonder goose said we weren't ready for him.

bucket

her ass is NOT a handyman

i love this whole scene. i wanna go in depth about it but there's not much i know how to say, i just like that she's trying to cheer him up

also funny gummigoo screenshot

seems like a pretty good time to talk about jax's desire for violence. this is still a video game, after all, and the way he's acting is pretty similar to how i sometimes play games; using it as a sort of "rage room" to destroy and vent my frustrations in. it would even be excusable if it weren't for the fact that the AIs are sentient.

now it's time to REALLY get talking

silly man with his head in a bucket. he mentions caine here, specifically that they can ask him for help, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say he may have asked caine for help with things in the past. which, while not very important or significant, does create a cute mental image. goofy little ringmaster being helpful.

what ragatha says here is SO important to her relationship with pomni. she thinks that pomni doesn't like her, while pomni thinks that ragatha doesn't like her. so they're basically stuck in a loop, a platonic "will they, won't they" where they both think the other hates them. this is the type of barrier that prevents a friendship from forming.

kinger is unexpectedly very wise in this scene, and gives her some good advice. this is the reason i think that ragatha will attempt to pursue a friendship with our little jester later on, only for pomni to be skeptical because she thinks ragatha's just being nice. and pomni's fear of ragatha secretly hating her is going to end up being the only thing that stops them from being friends.

it's also really sweet of her to immediately run up to her and check on her. i love these two :)

ok sorry for all the shipping propaganda let's get back to overanalyzing

this is what i wanted to mention the most. even though the NPCs see caine as a god, he's a bit of a cruel one. he has no regard for their well-being and only really cares about the humans. but i don't actually think it's his fault. he's an AI and he's programmed to care for the humans, so that's his priority, not the NPCs.

caine is described as being a "rouge AI", but i don't think that's the case....yet. i think he's actually going to go rouge as the story progresses, and eventually realize how unforgiving he's being.

anyways, i still want to talk about some other theories i have. hopefully there's still room for a couple more pictures in this post.

this line from jax in the pilot is my main base for this. obviously he's referring to the centipede he put in ragatha's room, but it's the fact that he says it right before he opens the door to reveal that kaufmo abstracted. no one in the circus knew he had abstracted until this point, nor did anyone mention seeing any signs that he was going crazy.

i think it's a hint. what's being insinuated here is that no one's going to know who will abstract next. there's no trick for for discovering the order they'll all abstract in, and there's no signs when it's going to happen.

(edit: i just remembered that kinger mentioned him acting weird but sshhhhhh it's still a good theory ok)

as for the void, when caine realizes pomni wandered out there, he mentions that she'll get "totally spoiled". i think this means that looking into the void gives you visions of the future, and that pomni knows how the show is going to end; she knows all the surprises and twists, too. it would explain why she looked so angrily at caine (possibly now knows about how little he cares for the NPCs), and also why she seems so lost in thought right at the end.

but hey, that's just a theory

A CIRCUS THEORY!!!

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

My memory is terrible so I wanted to do a breakdown of my stuff every once in a while. Might be monthly, might be whenever I feel like it. Also there are too many shows on and something is always finishing or starting so a month is a lot.

BL - Currently Watching

1000 Years Old [2/12] - It's silly, and entertaining and makes me laugh. The friend group is delightful and I'm having a good time watching them. Was excited for a minute when Yo suggested a haircut for Pun because I cannot handle that wig. 🤞

Anti Reset [5/10] - This is one of the most frustrating shows I've watched in a while. The show doesn't seem to settle on what is actually trying to say about the AI of it all, and when it says something I'm not crazy about it. Why is it so frustrating? Because they are so fucking endearing when they're together on screen. I wanna love this show so much.

Cherry Magic Th [11/12]– I love them so much. I'm fascinated by the choices that the show is making. As a big fan of the manga and the jbl I came into this with reservations and this show is just blowing my mind. This was the best episode 11 of all time and Tay/New are delivering. My heart is so full with this.

Cherry Magic Anime [7/12]– Another helicopter ride! Yay. The date song was hilarious. We're now getting to the point where they are dating and Adachi is feeling guilty for lying so I'm curious how the show will adapt the next phase of the relationship.

Dead Friend Forever [10/12]– Glad to see we are all on board with Tan's murderous impulses. It's been so much fun having more people join in on the fun. As for me, I NEED White to stay alive. That's really all I want. Getting curious about how Perth factors in to all of this.

My Strawberry Film[2/8] - I feel it coming. I see sadness in my future. But I'm bracing because I'm loving the look of this show. And pining boys are my favourite type of boys. I'm ready.

Ossan's Love Returns [8/9] - The videos messages destroyed me but then that ending made me annoyed. I don't know what to expect in terms of Kurosawa but I hope he's not actually dying and there's a really good reason for all this. Medical mal practice might be the thing. Although as @twig-tea pointed out to me, since it was said in show it might not actually happen. I want happy for the ending anyway.

Perfect Propose [5/6] . Why must I only have them for 6 episodes??? I need more. Kai is everything to me, and that back hug followed by that smile melted by cold heart. Hiro's boss needs something heavy to fall on him from a great height. And please Hiro,sweetie, I need you to eat better and sleep.

Although I Love You, and You? [7/10]- Sakae is letting me down. And by that I mean, the show is letting me down. Sakae needs to put his foot down with Mizuki and go back to being a fool in love with Soga.

To Be Continued [1/8] - It's not amazing. but I'm a sucker for second chance romance and there are two couples so there's a 50% chance I will like this. We'll see. Also, they need to start hiring younger actors for the high school flashbacks. This goes for A Secretly Love too. Having 27 year olds and up playing ten years younger just won't do. It's terrible.

Unknown [2/12] - I'm intrigued. Not completely sold yet but I'm liking it so far. Also nothing would keep me away from watching Sam Lin again.

Also watched the first episode of A Secretly Love and caught up with City of Stars but it's on the 'I need to shut of my brain' schedule so I'm not necessarily watching to weekly.

BL - Finished

Cooking Crush - I will miss all of them. I loved it so much. The whole cut/uncut version thing was annoying and the editing was weird at times but overall this was wonderful. Communication done right. Relationships and character growth was stellar and both couples won my heart. Aungpao really surprised me, considering he was surrounded my pros on all sides. Dynamite was a joy to watch. And OffGun delivering with all the kissing. Everyone should watch this.

The Sign - I mean, what they did to this show is absolutely insane. Not airing the finale like the rest of the show. Having to pay extra for happy ending is ridiculous (although I kinda predicted this and @lurkingshan is my witness. I said as a joke and it turns out reality is a joke.) Then waiting 2 whole weeks for whatever that was. Just the most unsatisfying experience. Go read this from Shan because I agree with everything said there. Also @bengiyo final thoughts here really echo how I felt about this show overall.

Happy Ending - 20 minutes split in 3. Why? No idea. Was it a happy ending? I think so. Was it cute? Sure. Was it great to watch Seong Hyuk again? You betcha. But I didn't love it. I need Choco Milk Shake S2, like, TODAY.

Playboyy - It ended.

Rose Watches OJBL - I feel bad about this. I didn't watch any of the ones I planned to. This might seem like whatever but I've been trying to catch up with awards season films, because since uni, me and a couple of friends always do it and finish it by watching the oscars together and so ojbl was were I dropped the ball. Gonna restart soon though.

Not BL - Watched this month

Night Has Come Death's Game Shop for Killers

That's it for right now. As usual my ask box is open for gif requests and any other questions. All my gifs are under #rosygifs.

Have a good week💜

[luckyarchivist]

Ais v. Leander: NSFW HCs

Basically I was trying to get into Mhin's head while writing my aismhin fic and was "forced" to ask myself, "How would fucking Leander be different from fucking Ais?" so here are my thoughts.

Or, uh, they're down below the divider. Don't wanna scandalize anyone just passing by. What if you're in public or something?

General position/dynamic

Leander is, generally, a sub. He'll top, sure, but you can still order him around even if you're receiving. You should really top him, though; he can hit all kinds of high notes.

I should clarify, I'm talking about normal Leander here. "Unmasked", fatal-flaw-revealed Leander would want to stake his claim on you, to convince himself that you'll never leave him, to convince you that he is the only person who knows what you need—and he'll use any methods he knows to keep you under him as long as it takes to do that 😇

Ais is more solidly vers and switch-y. I think he probably leans slightly dom/top, but he definitely likes to bottom and he would love for you to prove that you can get him on his knees.

Being lazy

Ais will sometimes be a bit of a pillow princess. He doesn't wanna do anything but lay there and let you do as you like with him. And why shouldn't you treat him like the absolute treasure he is? If you don't I will!!

Leander is NEVER a pillow princess, he is a sex WORKER okay. PILLOW PROLETARIAT. The real reason you tie him up in bed is because otherwise he will spend the whole time trying to make you feel good when you are trying to make him feel good.

Foreplay

Ais does foreplay for himself. He likes the foreplay. If you tell him to get on with the fucking you, he will say no.

He won't say it in so few words, of course: he'll probably accuse you of not being able to handle a little light teasing. Meanwhile it's been 45 minutes and you're either on a razor's edge and willing to do anything if he will just fuck you or begging him to stop because you've cum twice already.

Leander does foreplay for you. You are his little sweetiebear and he wants you to be comfortable and aroused and relaxed and everything. If you tell him to get on with it, he will do exactly as you ask—if you don't, he's willing to indulge you for as long as you like.

I do think Leander likes seeing you get desperate for him. Normally, this isn't enough to stop him from treating you the way you want to be treated. But push him, and he might just make you cry, until you beg for him and only him.

Why fuck you, even?

For Ais it's about pleasure. He feels good, he's making you feel good: he likes that. Easy.

He would never admit it, but for Leander it's about control. I think he enjoys manipulating your pleasure, and he likes that you can do the same to him. Maybe he even believes he'll have stronger sway over you because you've slept with each other.

How they treat sex / how you'll feel

Ais thinks sex isn't a huge deal. It's fun, it feels nice, you get that workout feeling afterwards. But when he's fucking you, guaranteed, you'll feel like you're the only one. You'll feel valued. You'll feel seen. You'll be asking "What are we", and he's gonna be like, "What," cos he's putting his shoes on to leave and thinking about what he's gonna bring Princess as her little weekly treat.

He'd definitely fuck people again if he liked the experience, though; he's not the type to have one-night stands just to break hearts. So, if you're good enough in bed, you might have a repeat visitor on your hands, and maybe that'll develop into something more. If it happened to Vere, it can happen to you!

Leander acts like sex isn't a big deal to him, but he's also the type who will ask one-night stands and casual flings on dates because he "really felt a connection". He is truly not built for this modern hookup culture 😞

[yuurivoice]

I think alot of people are worried they'll make something you won't like because alot of creators are very stingy about what they're fans can and cannot make. (Not including NSFW or Ai creations)

Alot of fans don't wanna upset or make their favorite creator angry because their fanart doesn't adhere to their rules

Oh yeah, I get it and I appreciate the care. I try to elaborate and break down my perspective because in my experience there's some murky waters you can get into as a creator when you've got a budding community of really excited fans and you're really active engaging with the fan works. I've been through the ringer in that regard, from the ground up, so my approach is based on those years of experience.

I think a fandom of any sort should just be able to fool around and do their thing. While I have things I do and don't love........that shit ain't really my business, and no one should be creating anything on the basis of me seeing or feeling some type of way about their stuff. While the cozy we're all friends/family community vibes are fun and can be awesome, that shit will eventually lead to headaches that I don't want to deal with. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate or am not interested or anything, but I'm very wary of how excitable fans might react if one person gets "attention" and they do not, etc.

Which to a lot of folks might sound silly and like something that doesn't happen. Bubba, I promise you it has, it could, and it will again. Forever. Especially for something as personal and intimate as this particular niche.

90% of folks have always been excellent but the 10% has been nuclear and gross and not a great time. After a few trips around that block, I don't have the time and energy for any of that.

That might be a jarring change of pace for newer followers who might have other experiences and expectations from other communities and junk. Might even look like I'm a dick because I'm not falling over myself to engage with every post, but I've been in the trenches, have had uncomfortable parasocial interactions, have had people get weirdly possessive jealous and intense, have had a long list of shit that I now have very particular personal policies in place to ward off.

Saying all that to say, I don't concern myself with what people are up to so long as they aren't outright stealing shit without credit and passing it off as their own, or doing really obscene shit to harass folks. Otherwise, I think it's healthiest for all parties involved if I'm not stressing over what strangers on the internet want to make and they're not worried they'll upset me.

Obviously every creator is different and your mileage may vary from case to case. Shoutout to the folks who haven't had to deal with that and those who are chill. Perhaps I'm overly cautious at this point but I'm cool with that.

Basically, I get why folks would worry, and I'm trying to make it clear why that ain't a thing around here. It's one thing when people very specifically bring stuff TO me, or ask me something anonymously etc, but if you're just posting? You should be free to do whatever, that's not my business and you should be posting because you're having fun...not wondering what my dumb ass is gonna think about it. 😂

[tealquacks]

As a juice reward for myself, I’m going to go through my playlist that I made for Ryoto Hishakaku and say why I put each song on my playlist + my headcanons about this guy bc there’s literally nothing about him on the wiki (except that he sucks so much <3)

Here’s the playlist!

(I also made it on Youtube for those without Spotify, link here)

Note: this isn’t the music I think he’d listen to. Frankly, I don’t think he listens to music. He listens to AI generated lo-fi or business podcasts when he needs background noise.

If my thoughts don’t make sense, it’s bc I was writing this over the course of a few days while working on a few papers and a bunch of college stuff.!

Song by song explanations is below! It's mostly focused on his characterization in 8888 but there's mentions of 6488 and 7579 :3

This admittedly got long. I am fucking crazy, but I am free.

TANGLED WEB by slowgramming

To start off, I chose a song from REPLYHAZYTRYAGAIN, which is an album that (if I remember correctly!) was made for SCP-8888, where Hishakaku features heavily in. The reason I chose it for Hishakaku is because of the title, frankly. Not only does SCP-6488 have a good deal of spider imagery, but Hishakaku himself is also underhanded and manipulative. While he hasn't been particularly successful with his scheming, he still does it.

Kiss Me, Son of God by They Might Be Giants

This song, I feel, represents the type of power Hishakaku wants (and briefly has in 6488). He has the O5 in the palm of his hand, and can put any enemy brave enough to stand against him in a jar, what more could he want? Also, I don't think there's much of a difference between admo!Hishakaku and 8ball!Hishakaku, personality wise. The difference between them is that 8ball!Hishakaku was stopped earlier in the timeline than admo!Hishakaku, and that 8ball had connections to the Wanderer's Library/other anomalous communities that would be too risky to have in the Admonition timeline.

Caesar on a TV Screen by The Last Dinner Party

"And just for a second I can be one of the greats I'll be Caesar on a TV screen Champion of my fate No one can tell me to stop I'll have everything I want Anyone and everyone will like me then Everyone will like me then"

I think that like. Despite his unwillingness to get close to anyone or be intimate, he's still lonely. He feels entitled to human connection, if that makes sense, and believes that when he gets what he wants then love will come naturally to him. However, he'd be more comfortable with worship than actual companionship, because romance and friendship both require a level of give/take and vulnerability Hishakaku refuses to give people. He refuses to be seen as "weak", and is scared of being hurt.

Black Honey by Thrice

"I keep swinging my hand through a swarm of bees I can't understand why they're stinging me But I'll do what I want I'll do what I please I'll do it again till I've got what I need

I'll rip and smash through the hornet's nest Do you understand I deserve the best? And I'll do what I want I'll do what I please I'll do it again till I've got what I need"

He kind of fucks himself over in 8888, doing risky things like working with a crime ring and trying to sabotage the mission— and he fucks himself even harder in 7579 and 6488. He acts in his own self interest without thinking, and ends up facing the consequences for it, again and again. I think he can’t get himself to stop, honestly. A part of me thinks that this pushing and pushing, trying to get more of “what he needs”, is trying to make up for things he doesn’t have— like friends, or anything else outside of work and fruitless grabs at power. This guy needs a hobby.

Oh No! By MARINA

"Don't do love, don't do friends I'm only after success Don't need a relationship I'll never soften my grip"

Yeah, Hishakaku does not give a shit about people or anything but his own success. Placeholder (the author) answered an ask about Hishakaku potentially being divorced. They said: "Hishakaku claims to be aro/ace on account of his violent allergy to intimacy. But that doesn't explain whatever's going on between him and Jerry in 8888". In the tags, he elaborated, "To be clear I do not think being aro/ace automatically means repulsion to intimacy. I'm mainly trying to express that Hishakaku has used the label to write off a part of his identity he is not interested in investigating, because Hishakaku is a fundamentally incurious douchebag who does not care for other people and does not want to acknowledge his incelness"

Speaking of Hishakaku not wanting to investigate his sexuality, I don’t think he wants to examine his gender, either. I cannot justify it in any way but I think he’s genderfluid, or would at least be a bit more confident if he allowed himself to present femininely.

This is something that is also in Caesar On The TV Screen, where the singer talks about being able to speak because they are wearing a suit/being masculine. Which could be a part of the reason Hishakaku doesn’t want to introspect over either his gender or sexuality— he is a man, and that gives him social status— at least over some people. If he examines his gender/sexuality and it turns out that he’s not a man, then he’d either have to live knowing that he’s not a man and do nothing about it, or embrace it, potentially leading to lost respect/influence. Idk if I’m making sense but!!! Idk I think about him a lot.

ANYWAY back to Oh No!

"One track mind, one track heart If I fail, I'll fall apart"

Because Hishakaku doesn't give a shit about anything but himself and his own goals, if he fucks this up he's COOKED. He has nobody to turn to, no friends or support system. That's his own damn fault.

"I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna die I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly I'm gonna fail, gonna die, die, die, die"

Every single SCP Hishakaku is in ends with him eating shit and getting his comeuppance. He's kind of doomed to fail, since he feels like he can only find contentment in power and control and refuses to look inward/embrace the things that could bring him happiness-- I.E, the relationship he has with Jerry in 8888.

The Circle Maker - Demo by Sparkbird

Firstly can I just say how nerve-wracking it was to add a Sparkbird song to this playlist? They make tiktoks about fandom related playlists their music is on. I'm trying to overcome my anxiety, but that'd be too much for me. As far as I know it's not on there.

"You are out of time You are out of favor You are but a cipher You are the circle maker"

Emphasis on the "you are out of time / you are out of favor". While he once might've had a place within the Foundation, he's totally squandered that. Also, I don't think anyone knows what the fuck his problem is. Hishakaku doesn't even know what his problem is, he represses so much shit and refuses to address behaviors of his that are shitty.

"How strange to grow so old And to never grow up And to never grow tall And to never grow wise And to never grow anything But smaller and farther away"

Like I think I say later in this post (I'm not writing it in all one sitting), I think that as director, Hishakaku is given life extending treatment, such as SCP-006. I think he's terrified of growing old-- and while he is, technically, aging, he's not changing or bettering himself. If anything, he could very well be getting worse.

Brand New City by Mitski

Hishakaku sees aging, and the fact that he will die, is something absolutely terrifying. This guy would love to be put in some kind of robot body, I think. Not just because he wouldn't die, but because he wouldn't age, too. Hishakaku came off as pretty vain to me, with him getting mad at Sokolsky for insulting his clothes, as well as STRAIGHT UP HISSING AT SOMEONE for making a joke about him not being fit. He will never be okay with aging or with growing older or weaker especially if he thinks that he hasn't "done enough".

Also, the line "I think my blood is passing me by" makes me think of his family, some nagging fear he has that he's failing them in some way.

Money, Money, Money by ABBA

This is a playlist about someone who cares about their wealth. I was contractually obligated to add Money Money Money. AND the song is a bop. Sure, it doesn't 100% fit but it slays so that's what matters.

However I don't think anyone, no matter HOW badly they needed the money, would either be able to get close enough for Hishakaku for him to give them money, or would be able to stand his bitchass for that long.

Also, Hishakaku 100% sees the world as "a rich man's world". Take that however you'd like.

Take Me To War (Live) by The Crane Wives

I can't 100% explain why this song makes me think of him so much-- I think it's because of how determined and ruthless I think he is. It doesn't matter what or who is in the way, if it's unsurmountable or not, he's gonna put up a fight until the very, very end.

Something I found interesting rereading 8ball for this is the fact that in the puzzle where they have to assign archetypes to people, Hishakaku was given the role of outlaw (or rebel, they were used interchangably when I read this.) Which, yeah he's elbow deep in crime, but outside of that I think he fits that archetype well. He's combative and driven, and desperately wants to shake up the status quo just so he can be the one who said he did.

Eat Your Young by Hozier

"Get some Pull up the ladder when the flood comes Throw enough rope until the legs have swung Seven new ways that you can eat your young Come and get some Skinnin' the children for a war drum Puttin' food on the table, sellin' bombs and guns It's quicker and easier to eat your young"

There's a nonzero chance that Hishakaku's been doing sketchy shit, even outside of what we learn in 8888. You don't become director with a clean record. Sure, he might not have been punished for these things, but what about things the Foundation condoned because, while unethical, they were in their interests? Fuck ethics, Hishakaku's going to do what's most convenient for him in the short term, with little concern for the long term or how he could hurt those around him.

Locals (Girls like us) by underscores, gabby start

Idk it's just the vibes. This song is cunty as hell and I think Hishakaku deserves one (1) cunty song. As a treat. The editing, and the fact that the song starts with what almost feels like a bunch of corporate buzzwords is part of why I associate this with him. That, and the singer's desire for conformity "I've done this questionnaire like 700 times / to get the same result as my friends" is something I think Hishakaku buys into. He wants to be special, but not a pariah.

How We’re Gonna Die by North Bloom

"But I cant take everything so seriously These days I'm just hoping to forget Move on and repress"

Hishakaku wants absolutely nothing to do with reflection and introspection, or his own emotions. Something I feel like he may value in computers/machines over humans is their unwavering logic. They don't get caught up in their emotions like humans do. He insists he's like machines, ruled by logic, but he's really not.

"Tell me how does it feel to know you were Bred to be a tool"

I headcanon that his family-- the Hishakaku's-- were a long line of mid-ranking Foundation personnel, always trying to get more influence within the Foundation. He was raised to be the very best, to move up the ranks more and more to make his family proud. I don’t think his parents really gave that much of a shit about him? Emotionally, at least. He grew up pretty rich, and they weren’t outwardly cruel, but they cared more about his future success and grades (to the point of being helicopter-y) than his emotions. I also think that if he had any conflict with someone and went to his parents for advice, they’d say “oh, they’re in the wrong. You’re smarter than them.” Or something along those lines. It’s an attitude he’s carried with him whether he realizes it or not.

Evelyn by Kim Tillman, Silent Films

“I'm a machine without a switch”

I see Hishakaku as a person who can't get himself to let go of things. He wants his cake and to eat it too. He's fully dedicated himself to what he wants, what he feels like he deserves/is entitled to. He sees nothing wrong with his behavior.

"These lofty thoughts are killing me Preoccupied by what I could be I get so high on my ideals Don't call me down But you can meet me where I land"

Hishakaku, to me, is someone who is constantly driven by desire. He wants to be high ranking, he wants power, he wants to be the very best. However, when he finally gets to where he's "meant" to be, he feels hollow. So, he's stuck thinking about what he "could" be.

ハロービルダー by Utsu-P, Hastune Miku

Here is the link to the lyrics!

Hishakaku is a technofetishistic guy, and I could easily see him obsessing over something technological like the singer. The song also fucks crazy hard.

The Spider’s Face (Dr. Stockill) by Emilie Autumn

Shoutout to @dino--draws for recommending this song! And also for enabling me. It makes me think mostly of Hishakaku in SCP-6488, when he's cast his web over the entire world. He's effectively destroyed AI, and even had the O5 under his thumb for a bit. He was able to make the OCI, and put his enemies in jars for christsake. This is him at the apex of his power, basking in the influence and control he has over others-- maybe even relishing in the suffering he can cause to them.

There's also spider imagery in this. I like to think that the reason LOTUS is a spider in the final bit of 6488 is because Hishakaku really likes spiders. He thinks they're kind of neat but would never tell a soul that because it's not normal to like spiders.

EVERYTHING by LuLuYam

"I want a life that'll give me purpose Fans, and lovers start to surface Be so big, that I own the circus All you clowns are at my service I want a life that's filled with green Leaf and money if you know what I mean White on my nose, blood on my sleeves Who needs friends, with dreams like these?"

I might not even have to pick these lyrics apart-- this is just what Hishakaku wants. He's burnt his bridges with people for his own image and ambition (Hell, he cheated at POOL with Kain Pathos Crow just to save his pride). In this, the Foundation is the circus. I've always interpreted him saying he "oversees" the site in 8ball (or whatever he says) as a Freudian slip-- he wants to be an overseer. He wants that power. That influence. He wants a life where he doesn't fell like he has to be more and more and more.

"A king, a lord, an emperor, a God A ruler over all My ego will not fall A fake, a fraud, a phony, oh my GOD! Don't crack through my facade… DON'T CRACK THROUGH MY FACADE!"

This guy sucks :3! I think that he's so focused on coming off the way he wants to that he's kind of lost himself in it. If you cracked through his facade you'd find a hollow mess and all the issues he insists he doesn't have.

Cockroach King by Haken

This song is basically about how Hishakaku is a capitalist/crypto bro and sucks a lot, but also how he's a fool for ignoring all aspects of his life outside of what he serves to gain from hurting people and believing he'll find any peace in financial success or bureaucracy.

All Eyes On Me (The Outtakes Version) by Bo Burnham

The repetition of "all eyes on me" again and again is what sells this as a Hishakaku song for me. The echo-ing vocals and the chaos of it also makes me feel like it's a fit-- I feel like Hishakaku has a lot of internal conflict that he doesn't address and just hopes will go away.

Whatever Makes You Feel Superior by Toehider

"Look at your friend's faces Don't it look like they're not having any fun? It becomes less about your theory And more about the feeling that you've won But whatever makes you feel Whatever makes you feel Whatever makes you feel superior"

Hishakaku wants to be superior to people because if he's above them then that means that he can't be vulnerable, nor would he be expected to be friendly or dedicate time to them. The most inaccurate part of this song is that it implies Hishakaku has friends-- he doesn't. He has subordinates, coworkers, bosses, and co-conspiritors.

In Cold Blood by alt-j

This is another one of those songs where I feel like the VIBES are what make it a Hishakaku song, not necessarily the lyrics. It feels like it'd be the theme song of some silicon valley murder mystery/conspiracy tv show. That fits Hishakaku perfectly. And if there's anyone who would do something in cold blood, it'd be him. The 01110011's also connect to Hishakaku's work with computers and technofetishism

King of Fools by Twain

"Ferdinand, a human-devil walking among men Filled up with the greedy lust to own up all the land He cut their bellies open thinking they had swallowed jewels When he watched the blood flow onto the naked ground Do you think he knew? He was the king of fools"

In all of this, Hishakaku is the king of fools. He wants and wants and hurts people without caring how he hurts them, then when they blow up in his face he either indignantly fights that he's in the right, or he acts as if he didn't know that anything would happen. For example: How I headcanon he got Site-15.

After Placeholder was abstracted, he changed quite a bit (check Dino--draws' blog for fir headcanons about how abstraction physically changed Placeholder.) I think Hishakaku was one of the first to catch onto the changes-- namely, the brain fog/freezing up-- by pure chance. Right place, right time. He started running "experiments" and being courteous to Place in an attempt to manipulate him into stepping down. Had Place not been recently abstracted, he would've caught on quickly. He's not sure if it was because of his suggestions or Place's genuine decision, but Place ends up stepping down and recommending Hishakaku for the position as director of site-15.

Almost immediately, Hishakaku switches up on Place and begins to lord his "victory" over the other man's head, especially when Place begins to study pataphysics, which Hishakaku sees as a quack science.

It takes some time, but Place realizes what type of person Hishakaku really is, and grows to loathe him. Not just because he tricked him into all but giving him the site, but because he pretended to be his friend in a time where he was at his most vulnerable.

Who Are You, Really? By Mikky Ekko

"So you feel entitled to a sense of control And make decisions that you think are your own You are a stranger here, why have you come? Why have you come? Lift me higher, let me look at the sun Look at the sun, and once I hear them clearly, say Who, who are you really? And where are you going? I've got nothing left to prove 'Cause I've got nothing left to lose See me bare my teeth for you Who, who are you?"

Hishakaku's been raised to be a director. He has no hobbies outside of crypto and computers. He grew up knowing exactly what he would be, and that is his ambition, purpose, identity. I firmly believe that if you asked Hishakaku to describe himself without mentioning his job, family, or status, he'd blank and stammer out that that question is ridiculous. This is part of why I think Hishakaku's dislike of Place is mutual-- Place thinks he's a puffed up crypto twit ruining his site, and Hishakaku is confused and jealous over the fact that Place stepped away from his position as director to go study nonsense in the woods, and he seems happier than ever. Hishakaku, deep down, feels hollow. He refuses to acknowledge that, but he is. And seeing Place so fulfilled, so sure of himself despite his abstraction, enrages him.

Iscariot by WALK THE MOON

Hishakaku always gets what's coming to him. Personally, I think he at least has some idea that he might not be able to weasel his way out of consequences-- but that common sense is discarded in favor of the arrogant belief that he'll be free from consequence forever.

This song could also be seen as potential feelings of betrayal from Cimmerian, since Cimmerian promised to keep his involvement with the Wanderer's Circle under wraps in exchange for helping him steal the 8ball. Even if he didn't have a personal relationship with Cimmerian, he'd still be pissed about the betrayal.

The Bottom (You Fucking Fucker) by The Taxpayers

Hishakaku could very well be the "you" in this song.

"You fuck. I fucking blame you, you fucker, you fuck I fucking know the reason you came Your name, your place, your time will come When the bottom drops out, when the bottom drops out And even though, even though you’ll get away with it Even though, even though people like you don’t do time I know someday your little black heart will pop Someday you’re gonna die, you're gonna die, you're gonna die

Things can always get worse Things can always get so much worse Things can always get worse Things can always get so much worse When the bottom drops out"

"Even though, even though people like you don't do time" This is more accurate in regards to SCP-8888, where, instead of being imprisoned for betraying the Foundation (AND LEADING TO THE THEFT OF THE 8BALL), his suggested punishments are being sent to watch the fish that goes on forever, or being sent to work at the Planet Fitness Foundation front in Jupiter, Florida. Researching Jupiter (I'm poking at an outline about his time there), it seems like a pretty nice place. Sure, he doesn't have his power, influence, or money, but it feels like such a nothing punishment compared to his actions.

"Someday you're gonna die, you're gonna die, you're gonna die". Due to the sensitive nature of what is kept at Site-15, I like to imagine Hishakaku receives life-extending treatment, like SCP-006. Once he no longer has access to that, though, he's stuck with having to confront his mortality. He'd taken 006 for granted, honestly. Now he's lost.

"Things can always get so much worse / when the bottom drops out" This is what Hishakaku's dealing with-- the bottom dropping out. Sure, he's not in prison, but he's been stripped of everything he's ever tied his identity to and in a super unfamiliar environment dealing with things he's never dealt with (assuming he is sent to Jupiter, which I think is the funnier and more painful option for him)

In conclusion, Hishakaku is an interesting guy that sucks a lot <3.

If you have any questions or want to give me a suggestion to add to the playlist, plz send an ask or message me I love this guy

[aashi-heartfilia]

Oshi No Ko Shipping Talks #01: AquaXKana or AquaXAkane

Honestly, after watching season 1 of Oshi No ko, I'm not sure who I am gonna ship Aqua with? Before his reincarnation he looked like a kind enough guy but after his manipulation shenanigans with Akane to find and kill his dad...it's a bit difficult to decide.

While I love both Akane and Kana for their hard work and passion and I think neither of them should end up with Aqua, because they're just that awesome and deserve someone even better than him, but for the sake of this blog post let's compare!

.

AquaXKana

I feel like whatever he has with Kana is so much more genuine than Akane. They have this weird love hate relationship where they just get on each other's nerves and can't help it.

Like how Ruby points out in ep 11, that whenever Aqua is with Kana, it feels like he is his old self, even if it's just a glimpse.

When he wanted relationship advice, he went to Kana to get his head clear, not Akane.

He even put on that suffocating Pieyon Mask just to convince Kana because she wasn't listening to him directly.

He can wash this off as his sister complex or whatever but then why was he so angry when she pointed it out later?

He cares about Kana, even if he is not willing to admit it.

He was angry after hearing the producer's words in the 'Sweet Love' drama that they got a renowned actress like Kana for so cheap.

Plus he was totally enchanted by her acting skills... remembering that these types of scenes are her speciality.

Bonus: He even acted like that creepy stalker, and made the scene dark, so that Kana's role could shine brightly.

One could argue that all of these were for his own profit but nothing defeats my last Trump Card...

His reaction to 'OSHI NO KO'

This was such a fascinating reaction! I wanted to compare it with when he saw Akane acting like Ai.

AquaXAkane

Even Akane pointed out that it seems like he saw a ghost and it's true. He liked Akane because he saw Ai's ghost in it! All he wanted to do was use her, for his own good, playing Ayanokyoji huh?

He even kissed her, thinking about it.

Later he tells her that he's not interested in her in that way, and more interested in her acting skills, so that makes it slightly less worse?

I don't know what to think about it. One could argue that he came to Akane's rescue when she was about to commit sucide.

Plus he also stayed up nights to help improve Akane's public image. But then he's just that good of a guy.

He himself states in ep 11 that it's more of a work relationship for public image.

From Akane's side it looks more like a gratitude friendship relationship?

Unlike Kana, she never seeks him out or try to spend time with him, cause she's just not interested.

Their date was also more of a work date and it is clearly implied that after the party, they only saw each other that time.

So with all that being said, KanaXAqua looks like a better pairing than AkaneXAqua but that's just my opinion and I have watched only till season 1. I have heard that season 2 will have even more development for these two lovely girls and I'm so looking forward to it!

See ya!

[melyzard]

I was wondering if you have resources on how to explain (in good faith) to someone why AI created images are bad. I'm struggling how to explain to someone who uses AI to create fandom images, b/c I feel I can't justify my own use of photoshop to create manips also for fandom purposes, & they've implied to me they're hoping to use AI to take a photoshopped manip I made to create their own "version". I know one of the issues is stealing original artwork to make imitations fast and easy.

Hey anon. There are a lot of reasons that AI as it is used right now can be a huge problem - but the easiest ones to lean on are:

1) that it finds, reinforces, and in some cases even enforces biases and stereotypes that can cause actual harm to real people. (For example: a black character in fandom will consistently be depicted by AI as lighter and lighter skinned until they become white, or a character described as Jewish will...well, in most generators, gain some 'villain' characteristics, and so on. Consider someone putting a canonically transgender character through an AI bias, or a woman who is not perhaps well loved by fandom....)

2) it creates misinformation and passes it off as real (it can make blatant lies seem credible, because people believe what they see, and in fandom terms, this can mean people trying to 'prove' that the creator stole their content from elsewhere, or allow someone to create and sell their own 'version' of content that is functionally unidentifiable from canon

3) it's theft. The algorithm didn't come up with anything that it "makes," it just steals some real person's work and then mangles is a bit before regurgitating it with usually no credit to the original, actual creator. (In fandom terms: you have just done the equivalent of cropping out someone else's watermark and calling yourself the original artist. After all, the AI tool you used got that content from somewhere; it did not draw you a picture, it copy pasted a picture)

4) In some places, selling or distributing AI art is or may soon be illegal - and if it's not illegal, there are plenty of artists launching class action lawsuits against those who write the algorithm, and those who use it. Turns out artists don't like having their art stolen, mangled, and passed off as someone else's. Go figure.

Here are some articles that might help lay out more clear examples and arguments, from people more knowledgeable than me (I tried to imbed the links with anti-paywall and anti-tracker add ons, but if tumblr ate my formatting, just type "12ft.io/" in front of the url, or type the article name into your search engine and run it through your own ad-blocking, anti tracking set up):

These fake images reveal how AI amplifies our worst stereotypes [Source: Washington Post, Nov 2023]

Humans Are Biased; AI is even worse (Here's Why That Matters) [Source: Bloomburg, Dec 2023]

Why Artists Hate AI Art [Source: Tech Republic, Nov 2023]

Why Illustrators Are Furious About AI 'Art' [Source: The Guardian, Jan 2023]

Artists Are Losing The War Against AI [Source: The Atlantic, Oct 2023]

This tool lets you see for yourself how biased an AI can be [Source: MIT Technology Review, March 2023]

Midjourney's Class-Action lawsuit and what it could mean for future AI Image Generators [Source: Fortune Magazine, Jan 2024]

What the latest US Court rulings mean for AI Generated Copyright Status [Source: The Art Newspaper, Sep 2023]

AI-Generated Content and Copyright Law [Source: Built-in Magazine, Aug 2023 - take note that this is already outdated, it was just the most comprehensive recent article I could find quickly]

AI is making mincemeat out of art (not to mention intellectual property) [Source: The LA Times, Jan 2024]

Midjourney Allegedly Scraped Magic: The Gathering art for algorithm [Source: Kotaku, Jan 2024]

Leaked: the names of more than 16,000 non-consenting artists allegedly used to train Midjourney’s AI [Source: The Art Newpaper, Jan 2024]