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luka--lu · 2 months ago

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Anthropological and philosophical analysis of Viktor’s story in Season 2 - Part I

Finally gathered thoughts that floated in my mind since Season 2 had ended. These will literally be my first posts ever, will be a bit chaotic, please be kind, I’m shy. But also very critical.

I’ll preface this by saying that I’m not a person with a disability. I cannot claim to know this experience, because I simply don’t. I love Viktor as a character and it so happens he has a disability, it’s something I always consider when engaging with his story. Besides, his story revolves around his disability since S1 Act 2 and he kind of falls into the trope of ‘disability as character motivation’, but he’s much more than that. And that’s what I want to explore in these posts.

My analytical approach is obviously influenced by my experience as an able-bodied person. I’ve had extensive courses on disability studies while at university and focused my bachelor’s thesis partially on disability representation in media (I focused on scars and ‘deformities’, something many Arcane characters have, but that’s perhaps for another post). To people out there who have disabilities and wish to engage with this post - please let me know your thoughts, I’m genuinely trying to learn more.

I want to stress that in my analysis I’m not saying Viktor is entirely ruined as a character by the writers or is bad disability representation. I analyse his story from the perspective of philosophical, cultural and social contexts, and through disability studies theory. I’m not an expert and certainly can't speak on behalf of people with disabilities, I'm talking as an anthropologist and enjoyer of storytelling and art.

Ok that being said, I’ll try to make it coherent and divided by topics, because these’ll be long posts. Some thoughts are a bit disjointed, I’ll be sharing some of my ideas for how Viktor’s arc could’ve been improved. Hopefully it makes sense as a whole.

TRANSHUMANISM & POSTHUMANISIM

Transhumanism as a philosophy and social movement originates from the notion that many people are forced to live worse lives than necessary and can’t reach their full potential. One of the most important thinkers of transhumanism Julian Huxley argued that application of science can prevent poverty, illness and change the world for better. He literally wrote that ‘the man can manage evolution’.

Viktor represents transhumanist ideology in a way that, in Season 2, he literally can’t refuse the job - he was forced the moment Jayce fused him with the Hexcore. Sure, he could have refused to use its power, now residing in his body. But the writers chose to disallow him that choice. So Viktor ‘heals’ Huck and begins his Jesus Era. Viktor later asks Singed if the doctor believes in fate, which is followed by Viktor declaring evolution has a course - superseding nature. This way Viktor exemplifies Huxley’s idea of what transhumanism is:

(...) whether he [man, as in human] is conscious of what he is doing or not, he is in point of fact determining the future direction of evolution (...). That is his inescapable destiny and the sooner he realizes it and starts believing in it, the better for all concerned. (Huxley, Transhumanism)

If the Hexcore was actually sentient and controlled Viktor, then I guess it’s the soul of Julian Huxley.

The same way Huxley's work was grounded in a desire to make the world a better place, so is Viktor’s. His dream of betterment of his people was the primary motivation of Viktor’s character, but it got hijacked by the magical mumbo jumbo of the Hexcore and Arcane powers in S2. His transhumanist ideology wasn’t developed organically, the story just jumps to act 2 and then 3 without proper explanation as to why he turned to this philosophy so radically.

Important to add, Huxley was a eugenicist. Kinda wild to take transhumanist ideas and write Viktor’s, a disabled dying man’s arc, the way they did. Viktor wanted to use technology to change the world, but writers said: ‘hmmmm, what if… magic?? And eugenics! because he has internalised ableism now!’ But more on that later.

Central question regarding transhumanism is who decides what’s an enhancement and what’s a limitation. The short answer is: it’s a personal choice, we can use inventions to improve quality of life if we wish. Yes, some things can be a choice, but in reality it’s kind of compulsory, because the society is built in a way that demands conformity.

Viktor changed himself instead of trying to change the world the way he intended to in S1. His arc was derailed from his initial will to act for the society that needed positive change. Progress for Piltover meant technological advancement in the name of scientific and economic gain. In Viktor’s transhumanist vision, progress is about extending the self - to live without suffering, to cure physical and mental afflictions of Zaunites. It goes beyond his motivation to cure his disease, his actions in S2 don’t fit his characterization in S1. This is why I believe inserting parts of his original League Lore into Arcane would have made an amazing story with transhumanism as background.

Good part of technology is that it gives us opportunities for different forms of embodiment. Embodiment, important in phenomenology and feminist studies, means how we experience ourselves as a living body that feels the world as we inhabit it - how we experience it in connection to us, simultaneously being influenced and influencing the world. There’re plenty of theories that tackle this concept, but let me go the short way.

Transhumanist philosophers talk at length about progress in relation to embodiment. Some critics ask questions about the ethical side: who’s gonna get to use the technology to enhance themselves? What about people who can’t afford technology used for the enhancement? How will technology influence the embodiment of certain people? Specifically, what does this philosophy say about disability?

I will talk more about disability in another section, but transhumanists consider physical disabilities as something open to changes. Different technologies can be used as mobility aids, different advanced procedures could help with improving the standard of life for people with disabilities.

But there still remains a question: what kinds of disability are considered in need of improvement? If technology changes a disabled person's body so they can function similar to able-bodied people, then is the category of 'disabled' even relevant anymore? Is there a definite line when it comes to influencing the body with technology? What kind of progress do transhumanists actually seek and for whom?

We don't hear Viktor’s stance on ideas similar to transhumanist ones, until his talk with Singed, but it's a bit convoluted and isn't developed well enough to be an interesting take on a very controversial and fascinating philosophy that is transhumanism. It’s only indirectly addressed at the end by Old Man Jenkins Viktor when he says ‘There’s no prize to perfection, only an end to pursuit’, meaning that the glorious evolution doesn't really have a destination, even though Viktor believed so.

The change transhumanists seek can never actually reach a final, perfect end - who and when will decide what the end of human evolution looks like? What is the ultimate, trans- or even posthuman form we’re supposed to achieve? Arcane seems to argue that nobody will ever be able to decide, even with godlike powers and knowledge.

Old Man Jenkins Viktor calls back to primary belief of posthumanism, which Nietzshe wrote about:

Man is not the effect of some special purpose, of a will, an end; nor is he an object of an attempt to attain an ‘ideal of humanity’ or ‘an ideal of happiness’ or an ‘ideal of morality’. It is absurd to wish to devolve one’s essence on some end or other. We have invented the concept of ‘end’: in reality there is no end. (Nietzshe, Twilight of the Idols)

Posthumanism is another philosophy that provides an interesting context for analysing Viktor’s arc in S2. I first focused on transhumanism, since his story originally involved using technology to change lives. But Viktor seems to mix transhumanism and posthumanism.

Posthumanism is more about getting rid of core values of humanism. it’s about going beyond what makes humans, well, humans, which is a lot of things (biology, culture, economy, science, politics, environment, religion, social relations ect.). Posthumanism states that humans aren’t really that special, and argues that there are many other creatures and things that are equally as innovative as humans. It’s a philosophy critiquing anthropocentrism. It dismisses the notion of humans as apex creatures that can control and bend the world to their needs and will. The will to extend ourselves and find power within us isn’t exclusively a human trait - all organisms and things on Earth have that potential. (Interesting, that in the destroyed Piltover Jayce saw, the flora and fauna still expanded at the top of the Hexgates).

Viktor’s story isn’t really about that, but it ties to posthumanism when Viktor declares that emotions clash with reason, humanity is a contradiction which causes destruction, so there’s the need to go beyond humanism. Viktor’s ideas about human nature aren't really posthuman. His thought as he was dying after Jayce's attack revolved around the humanist idea that humans actually have an unchangeable essence.

Posthumanism, as understood by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guatarri, states that there’s no essence of ‘humans’. There’s only the potentiality, which comes from an individual will to create oneself, apart from fixed rules of the world. Funny enough, Viktor speaks about similar ‘charge, potential, impulse', but I don’t think it’s in any way connected to Deleuze’s idea. The philosophy of Viktor in S2 seems all over the place with trans- and posthuman ideas underneath, but it's an interesting mix that I wanted to explore, even if only on surface level.

Deleuze is fucking difficult to understand, French philosophers are the demons that always kick my ass, but they had some good stuff to say. In Postscript on the Societies of Control Deleuze claims that society is made by machines, not only in technological sense, but also by different systems: social, political, economic, religious ect. Every system is a machine. In the case of Piltover and Zaun, the social and political machines categorize people and program them to inhabit certain identities and spaces. Human body is also a machine consisting of different anatomical systems. We are machines living in machines, the flow of information and experiences between us and the world is constant. In a way, even before Viktor tried to change everyone into machines, the world was already run by machines.

I also think that technological posthumanism is an amazing lens to analyse the usage of Hextech and its final destruction of the world in Arcane. Technological posthumanism states that humans use tools and technology as integral to our identity and functioning. Inventions are made by humans, but inventions also invent humans - we use tools, art, machines, that extend us, that make us. Humans don’t make technology because they’re free and rational, rather they’re free and rational because they make technology.

Donna Haraway says we're already cyborgs, because tool-making and technology is always a part of our evolution - we incorporate the world into our bodies. We use tools, but according to posthumanism, tools use us in some sense, like a parasite. Interesting that Viktor becomes literally a mix of flesh and machine, influenced by the Hexcore.

Going further, posthumanist thinker Bernard Stiegler writes:

(...) the pursuit of the evolution of the living by other means than life - which is what the history of technics consists in, from the first flaked pebbles to today, a history that is also the history of humanity. (Stiegler, Technics and Time, 1)

Evolution's course is always directed by technology and tools. Stiegler asks: ‘Who’ or ‘what’ does the inventing? ‘Who’ or ‘what’ is invented?.

Jayce and Viktor invent Hextech. Piltover, City of Progress, is made by the development of Hextech. Hextech invents Piltover’s identity, makes its citizens and government free, rational, innovative and progressive, in opposition to Zaun, which supposedly lacks these traits. Is it really Viktor who causes the calamity in the end? Or is it Viktor and Jayce’s invention of Hextech that caused the end of Piltover? Was it humans using technology, or was it technology using humans? Technology can be human’s progression in evolution (as Viktor represented) but it can be the destruction of the world (as Jayce saw in the apocalyptic Piltover). There is no predestined essence or course, there is only the potentiality.

Viktor’s arc with the transhumanist/posthumanist Messiah plot fits a subgenre of these philosophies which states there’s a possibility of a Posthuman God. It means that humans, no longer limited by nature, flesh and emotions, will be able to grow into a god-like state of intelligence. It’s not about ascending to a literal god like Viktor did, but more about posthumans being so advanced and intelligent that modern-day humans wouldn’t be able to comprehend it. It is tied to Nietzshe’s Overman ideal, but that’s another long story.

Summing up, the writers butchered Viktor’s character and did something typical for the general transhumanist discourse. That our problems are technological, not political and social, it’s about science that changes our embodiment, and we need this change because the world is unfair. But why is it unfair? Too difficult of a question for the writers apparently… I'll be dissecting it further below.

* Interesting to add, transhumanists of today go as far as suggesting we’ll be able to upload our minds into computers/certain devices and this way live forever. Viktor sorta reminded me about that with his astral plane self. There was a movie with Johnny Depp with this idea, Transcendence. This movie is bad tho (*Wendy Williams voice* Guess who’s jealous of Viktor Arcane? … JOHNNY DEPP!)

DISABILITY

In The capacity of contract Stacy Clifford Simplican distinguishes two ways of thinking about disability: medical and social. Medical model means that people have a medical problem when we compare their state to fixed diagnostic norms. The social model is about how society creates disability by making the world adjusted to able-bodied people, while disability is an exception to the norm, an anomaly.

What the social model explains is that the problem isn’t the disabled person’s body, the problem is that they didn’t have a chance to design the world that would accommodate everybody. Medical model is appealing to able-bodied people because it allows them to dismiss their anxieties connected to disability and the possibility of acquiring it. People would have to then face the fact that society is actually unfair, so the medical model allows thinking there’s a distinct difference between able-bodied ‘normal’ people and persons with disabilities. There is ‘us’ (able-bodied) and the Other.

The idea of a cultural Other is key in various theories, especially in post-colonial critical theories, disability studies, social stigma theory ect. It basically means that the dominant group considers everyone who’s an outsider or lacks certain attributes essential to the group, as inherently different, oftentimes meaning lesser, therefore considered ‘other than us’. The Other needs to be distinctly alien to the normative group or culture. In case of people with disabilities the line marking the difference is located in their bodies.

In season 2 Viktor literally crossed the line (haha see what i did there) by rejecting his disabled body and changing into the Machine Herald. By rejecting his embodiment, he wished to fit into the ‘perfect’ embodiment represented by the people of Piltover. However, I consider Machine Herald Viktor as the epitome of what Piltover society considers as the Other. At the end of S2, for people of Piltover the line between what’s worth saving and what’s dangerous yet again locates itself in the body of the Other. The body that originated from the embodiment of the disabled Zaunite.

Viktor’s body is central to his character. We see his embodiment is an experience of pain, struggle, not only physical (he feels his body eroding) and emotional, but also social, he’s a Zaunite in Piltover. He’s double stigmatised as an undercitizen and a disabled person. Theory of stigma tells us that problems disabled people experience oftentimes aren’t connected to the disability itself but to the unequal, negative approach, harmful representations and institutionalised practices that cause the stigmatisation. It all reveals itself in ableism. One of the most important authors of disability studies, Rosemary Garland-Thompson wrote at length about these topics, notably in Extraordinary bodies. I’ll be referring to her work a lot in this post.

Viktor changed his body in S1 and then again in S2, he became Machine Herald, what he thinks is ‘the most he’s ever been’. But Piltover still thinks of him as the Other, a threat - and we know that in their worldview ‘Zaunites’ equals ‘danger’. And here’s the thing - ‘disabled’ is a position you get in a concrete socioeconomic context.

Viktor’s Jesus arc and commune activities focus on ‘fixing’ people and allowing them to live on the outskirts, away from the stigmatising society. Paradoxically, he fixed Zaunites to be able-bodied, like Piltover’s society accepts, but Zaunites can’t join that society, they’re still on the outside. Arguably, they’re trying to create an alternative for the stigmatising society, a new ‘Herald’s vision’. But why does this vision involve getting rid of disabilities?

‘Overcoming limitations’ isn't really about transforming the body. As Abigail Thorn said: ‘You're not gonna fix homelessness by turning homeless people into inspector Gadget’. Arcane S2 Viktor took the wrong angle on the whole ‘helping the Zaunites’ thing. The show for sure states that. And that makes me sad and mad because it’s just.. idk stupid? Viktor as he’s established in S1 is fiercely intelligent, has very strong morals and convictions. He acts recklessly and crosses ethical limits only when it comes to saving himself from literally dying. I don't see how he would go from ‘In pursuit of great we failed to do good’ to complete opposite and being SO misguided in act 2-3 in the 2nd season. They character assassinated him so hard it’s almost unbearable. Still love him, but gods, look how they massacred my boy. Anyway-

Viktor’s disability makes him significantly different from the rest of the cast - as Garland-Thompson wrote, the figure of Otherness is a result of interpreting and giving meaning to bodies. It gives categories and paradigms, which then give us identities. By making Viktor a person with disability the creators had the responsibility of understanding that their writing has real life consequences. Representation in art and media is a means of identification for real life people who relate to Viktor’s embodiment.

Disability is not only a physical state of being, a form of individual embodiment, but also an economic one. It’s true for Viktor - he self-described in S1 as ‘a poor cripple’ - using the language of his oppressors, clearly to pinpoint how he’s perceived by the normative majority of Piltover. I’d argue this doesn’t tell us how he actually feels about his disability. We don't really get his thoughts on it. I see many people assuming he thinks of it as an imperfection from the start and point to S1 when he shies away from the spotlight and then more obviously in S2 Jayce basically confirms to the audience Viktor’s internalised ableism in The Speech.

But I’m not so convinced. Viktor in S1 strikes me as someone who hopes his work will talk for itself, so he doesn't crave the spotlight, but it absolutely could be argued that the reason he hides in shadows is to protect himself from the scrutiny of onlookers. It might be an argument for him thinking poorly about himself and Arcane is known for ‘show don't tell’, but I sort of… wish they told us?

Viktor talks about his disease and focuses on his incoming death, which is central to his character in S1 after act 1. Disability and actively dying are different things though, but in sociocultural contexts are often considered almost the same. It seems to me that the writers made such an assumption - treating Viktor’s leg and his disease interchangeably.

Viktor’s internalised ableism wasn't prominent, I'd say nonexistent, in S1, his focus was on preventing his death, not on getting rid of his disability. He experimented on his leg and tested its durability when running. Season 1 already established that it was the wrong choice (although the running scene is contradictory in its message because of the ‘victorious’ framing and music). Viktor changes his mind at the end of S1 and asks Jayce to destroy the Hexcore. Never, not once, in S1 Viktor declares that he wished to help people of the Undercity get rid of disabilities or that he wants his own to go away. He only speaks about his general health deteriorating.

But then we get Jayce saying Viktor ‘always wanted to cure what he thought were weaknesses; his leg, his disease’. Um no, not true? Viktor always wanted to invent things to make a change for the disenfranchised. He couldn't do so because of his terminal illness and Piltover’s politicians not giving a damn about Zaunites. We don't know how he feels about his disability apart from recognising it as a part of his social status as a Zaunite in Piltover. We get the scene when as a child he shows Singed his leg, meaning he can’t play with kids and is lonely. This could mean he’s either shunned or can't access places where kids play. That's an issue of accessibility and how disability is created by alienating disabled people. It’s not enough proof to argue that Viktor dislikes his disability to the point of wishing to fix it when he becomes an adult.

I argue that Viktor’s internalised ableism was forced onto him by the writers. This way they put the responsibility of dealing with ableism on the disabled individual instead of asking the real question: why is Viktor experiencing ableism in the first place? Why is it Viktor who has to bear the burden of injustice and feel bad about himself? Apart from the positive sentiment of ‘disability is a part of humanity and doesn’t mean you’re broken’, the message of the ending seems to be: 'it's sad you feel bad about yourself, you need to hear you’re valid and get over your internalised ableism or you’ll doom everybody, but we won’t be addressing systemic opression’.

Audre Lorde pointed out issues that stigmatised people face, especially having to be representatives of their marginalised position, having to use their intellectual and emotional labor to address oppression. I can’t agree that Viktor taking on the labor of realising his internalised ableism thanks to Jayce’s Speech is amazing writing. His humanity was denied by the oppressors so much he ended up rejecting it all together? The framing of Viktor’s motivation after becoming Machine Herald is extremely detached from his original character’s. I can’t- it seems like they made him self-loath and cause harm just because the final battle would look cool?

I like Arcane’s message that erasing disability is like erasing humanity and love wins in the end. At the same time it’s done at the cost of the disabled character’s entire arc and positions him as the villain to a society of able-bodied people. I don't vibe with that writing choice. If the writers had the guts and we didn't live in capitalism, maybe we’d get more seasons and something truly revolutionary.

Feminist scholars pointed out how people’s standpoints shape politics, how identity, personhood and body are cultural constructs that need to be questioned. Standpoint theory suggests that representation is always a political act and thus disability representation needs to be treated as such. I don't think Linke and others thought about it this way while writing Viktor. They created a great character though, so allow me to open my ao3 tab and look up canon divergent fics.

Because of Viktor’s arc in S2 becoming about having his autonomy revoked and his supposed internalised ableism, we unfortunately got an interpretation that Garland-Thomson notes as widely accepted - that physical disability is a part of lower social status and a personal tragedy. We could have had Viktor as a transformative example of a physically disabled person who exposes social institutions of power and questions the notion of othering as a rule that permeates the Zaun-Piltover conflict. For that to happen, it wouldn't be Jayce who affirmed Viktor as valid - it would be Viktor affirming himself.

And we know he had the capacity to do that. In S1 act 1 he’s self-confident and we know he got to Piltover thanks to his intellect and resilience. Why would he lose these parts of himself so radically in S2? I understand that he was severely depressed and that could change his perception of self when his health deteriorated. Yet, I believe in S2 the acceptance Jayce talks about could have come from Viktor seeing his own value. Garland-Thomson calls it 'speaking with one’s voice’. To be seen and accepted means having autonomy and possibility to speak about our embodiment with other people. We don't get to see/hear Viktor do that. He speaks of his mortality and deteriorating body in the context of disease, not disability. And he doesn’t really react to Jayce’s Speech.

If the creators wanted a really empowering story about a disabled character, they needed to address that. According to Garland-Thomson, the body is a text that needs interpretation by their owners. Giving meaning to his body, affirming it (maybe choosing to change it only to stop himself from dying) would mean that Viktor frees himself from symbolic and systemic violence, and rebels against fantasies and anxiety projected onto him by the normative society. That would have been based as fuck.

I ship JayVik, but it doesn't mean The Speech is all fine. Jayce might understand some of Viktor’s struggles but he’ll never understand him fully. It’s true that Jayce experienced horrors beyond comprehension, saw how his dream destroyed the world, he starved, had to reflect on his decisions sitting in a dark cave and injured his leg. Him acquiring a disability to parallel Viktor is a very important moment, yet it’s not the same as knowing Viktor’s experience of embodiment.

Jayce didn't live with a disability all his life in the society that considered it as something inferior. Jayce didn't live with despair and desperation of struggling to prevent himself from dying of an illness caused by the actions of an oppressive state. Jayce’s speech is emotional and important for his relationship with Viktor, and I did get teary eyed when he expressed how much he adored Viktor. But they lost me with ‘fix weaknesses, your leg, disease, and there’s beauty in imperfections’.

The Speech is sweet on the surface level but it rubbed me the wrong way, because not only it didn't make sense with Viktor’s arc in S1, but it also feels weird to say that disability and terminal illness are an imperfection in which there's beauty. Imperfection is a tad insensitive of a term in this context... Having Jayce - who was more privileged socially, essentially able-bodied all his life and acquired his disability only recently - say this to Viktor, is kind of an odd choice. I do see what they’re trying to say: such experiences shape us but they don't define us. That Jayce loved Viktor as a whole human being with every part as integral to who he is.

At the end Jayce frees Viktor from his loneliness. Lovely stuff and I like it on a personal level, altho the Speech was poorly worded. Narratively, it tells me that the disabled character needed another person to say he was all he needed to be from the start. But it ignores the social context of why Viktor was lonely. Jayce's speech shifts focus from systemic oppression and inaccessibility to interpersonal connection he had with Viktor and the emotional side of it. It's possible to both establish a loving bond and acknowledge the discrimination Viktor experienced. But that didn’t happen in the story.

Viktor’s actions as written in S2 seem to stem partially from an immense need for acceptance and a wish not to be lonely. Of course he has Jayce in the end. My JayVik side is kicking its feet in the air and giggling, but when I look at it from a representation perspective it's kind of bad. Jayce is after all a privileged man who has never experienced life long marginalisation, chronic pain and despair of accepting his death when there's so much work to do for a good cause. And he might have understood how lonely Viktor was, how Jayce neglected his partner but still, Jayce cannot fully get it if it's not his lived experience.

Viktor is defined by his body by the unfair society he exists in and it's impossible for him to ignore it, because that's what shapes him every day. It's understandable he’d want to be healthy but I dislike the ‘Magic Cure for disability’ trope they went with in S2 when Viktor merged with the Hexcore. The trope is widely considered regressive and even harmful when it comes to nuanced disability representation. Viktor's case isn't as obvious, so I'm not trying to pass any finite judgement here.

I wish we knew if there were people with disabilities or sensitivity readers at any stage of the creative process of making Arcane.

I’ll be referring to the topic of Viktor’s disability in other sections of my posts, so it’s not really the end of this subject.

THE RADICAL OTHER

As I wrote earlier, the concept of the Other is extremely important in anthropology. There’s a more expanded and emancipatory theory that I'd like to touch upon - the concept of Radical Otherness.

In itself, this concept is disruptive. When we’re faced with the Radical Other, we’re confused. We cannot relate to them, cannot ignore them, our predisposed opinions and structures of understanding are being postponed. It creates a cognitive dissonance, forces us to change perspective, create space for the Other and look for Otherness in ourselves. It can also cause bigger fear and cause us to alienate the Other even further than we initially did.

Experiencing Otherness touches our bodies and senses without us having prior notice of it. This experience disturbs us, it calls on us, it asks us to respond and to react. German philosopher, Bernhard Waldenfels writes in Bodily experience between selfhood and otherness that people usually either welcome the Other as a guest or exclude the Other as an enemy. The Other is always transformed in a way that the normative society has disposal over them or they're available for the society's intentions. Radical Otherness, according to Waldenfels, is not available to anyone.

Viktor's disabled body is turned into a grotesque fusion of flesh and metal, then into an alien-like creature, not a cyborg which would be more in sync with transhumanist ideas of technological augmentation of the human body. The way Viktor looks in his god-like form is aesthetic but foreign.

What it means for disability visual representation is that Viktor either reinforces or rejects the sociopolitical relations that make the disability a kind of Otherness.

Interpreting Viktor the Machine Herald as rejecting oppressive notions, I’d say he symbolises what’s rebellious, exposing injustice and disrupting social order. He left Piltover behind and came back to cause a radical reinterpretation of the world. He looks absolutely different, strange, magical - and we know people of Piltover fear magic. But because he’s the villain and dies at the end, I'm more inclined to say the writers meant to show his transformation as a symbol of unpredictability, lack of stabilisation, anarchy - and that’s both dangerous and brave.

Viktor as Machine Herald can be read as embodiment of personal freedom by rejection of cultural uniformisation. But if it were to be true, he should have rejected conformity while still disabled or at least not transform with Singed’s alchemy. By the time we reach the last episode, his arc is a story of Piltover having to tame ,,the freak’’ as Garland-Thomson would describe it.

The freakiness of Machine Herald’s form is also an interesting choice, because it’s somewhat humanoid but unnatural. It reminds me of the practice of freak shows where people with unusual bodies and disabilities were displayed as freaks of nature, odd creatures. Able-bodied audience gawked at them and while looking in the face of the Others, they’d re-establish themselves as ‘the normal ones’. I hope you catch my drift and see how this is not a good look to have Viktor morph into an alien looking creature that all of Piltover fights in the end…

If I try to find positives in S2’s writing, I can speculate that Viktor becoming the Radical Other in an empowering sense would mean that he embodied an alternative to the status quo. Him leaving and in sense rebelling against domination of Piltover wouldn’t be an intellectual choice but a manifestation of his condition as a person. In this interpretation, his transformation is radical, it’s a positive marker of his individual story.

It’s still a story of oppression though - our Viktor doesn't save himself, Jayce does it for him. I’m not gonna be talking about Old Man Jenkins Viktor orchestrating everything to save himself by having Jayce sent on a mission to save main timeline Viktor. I’m focusing on the Viktor we got to know in S1. It’s beautiful to be seen and supported, the scene at the end was so loving, and my AroAce ass relished it. I love JayVik, yeah, though I think the message of Viktor’s arc being so centered on Jayce’s affirmation of him made the message a bit less complex. They’re soulmates, your honor, but they’re so codependent it’s really toxic yaoi.

Jokes aside, it would be amazing if Viktor chose to become the radical Other. He’d make an autonomous decision to use his status of the Other as the ultimate ‘fuck you’ to the system. The system that overlooked him and prescribed him the identity of an undercitizen, ‘an outsider looking in’.

His arc would be even more profound if he recognised his internalised ableism and chose to become the Machine Herald the way he did in the League Lore. In League, his practices aren’t entirely ethical either, but that's besides the point. His decisions were made out of dissatisfaction with Piltover’s corrupt academia and politics, and the moral duty he felt to aid his fellow Zaunites in the face of calamities and everyday hardships.

The Arcane version of the Divorce arc could’ve made JayVik more complex if they let Viktor express disappointment with Jayce’s decision to weaponize Hextech and Council’s lack of interest in the Undercity’s issues. Then the 'our paths diverged long ago' would be more impactful.

The character arc is a mess but I tried to reach and look for sth more interesting. I think the Radical Otherness of Machine Herald is a compelling angle. Not what writers intended, for sure not, I don’t think they taught anything through that deeply. My take on Viktor the Radical Other is a bit surface level, but it's just one of many things I wanted to share here.

ENDING PART I...

It all could have been more interesting if Viktor wasn't influenced by Hexcore as we’re led to believe, because… this is cheap writing and yet again takes away his autonomy, which he was denied far too much in S2. The magical stuff took away from Viktor’s character and lost focus of his actual motivation.

I think what we got isn’t good enough, but I appreciate bits that can be read as more meaningful, that's where my idea for this 'essay' came from. I just wish the writers had the guts to let Viktor be angry, come back to Zaun, not do the cult stuff and just help people, join the rebellion, basically tell the Pilties: ‘I hope I confuse the hell out of you’.

That’s it for the first part of this analysis. Part 2 coming soon i guess. (Edit: Second paaaart here)

literally me writing this fucking dissertation:

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81folklore · 1 year ago

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heaven - PIASTRI - part 4

pairings: oscar piastri x private!fem!reader (fc: gracie abrams)

summary: oscars winter break as seen through social media

type: social media au (smau)

authors note: THEYRE BACK BABYYY!! ive missed these two so much so here 🤲 i spent a while trying to decide what i wanted to happen with these two (already have some plans) but i needed to post and my current wip is so frustrating 😕

authors note 2: its official theyre my favorites, i had sooooo much fun writing this, just two babies in love!!!! requests are always open and feel free to come chat!! (also i wrote this at 6am so sorry if there are any typos🫶)

heaven masterlist masterlist

yourusername

liked by oscarpiastri, logansargeant and 9,289 others

always dressing up 🖤

📸 oscarpiastri

view comments

yourfriend3 actually insane

yourfriend7 you are so lovely

oscarpiastri how are you even real

yourusername babyyyy☹️

oscarpiastri 😍😍

yourusername 🤩🤩

user5 ur outfits are always unreal

landonorris is thought u were staying in tonight??

yourusername we are..i dressed up for fun😁

user7 THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE

user18 SKWKZIWJJS

user93 my jaw DROPPED

yourfriend2 my favorite outfit of yours!!

user54 biggest question is if we’ll get winter break content😕

yourusername

liked by oscarpiastri, yourfriend1 and 13,279 others

my favorite time of year💫

view comments

oscarpiastri weenie waits for no one

yourusername heyy he likes sleeping in the warm☹️☹️

oscarpiastri still steals my seat😕

user54 oh my god

user3 DID OSCAR TAKE THOSE?!

yourusername yesss🫠

yourfriend6 see you soon!!

user68 the outfits NEVER disappoint

user2 im so ok

user26 THE FOURTH PHOTO??

user63 THE LAST PHOTO??

user5 you are so so pretty

yourusername thank uuuu🫶

oscarpiastri

liked by aussiegrit, yourusername and 436,742 others

life without racecars☀️

view comments

user54 OH MY GOD

user77 i may never recover

yourusername weenie and back photos oh i won *liked by creator*

landonorris ?!?!!?!

user2 LMAOOOO

user4 i feel ill i cant cope

user32 i need someone to love me the way they love each other

yourusername ☀️☀️

user9 the third photo..the THIRD PHOTO

user44 don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry

twitter

yourusername

liked by oscarpiastri, landonorris and 14,281 others

oscar oscar oscar

i hold so much love for you i often feel like its about to spill out of me, unable to be contained, and when im with you i let it. i let it fill the room and cover you until you really feel how much i love you

every day i wake up thinking about how lucky i am that i get to love you, that i get to live with you. its a blessing and im the luckiest girl in the world

ill never be able to fully explain just what you mean to me, just how much youve impacted and improved my life. everyday i find myself thinking of you and finding bits of you in places i least expect and then i get filled with this happiness that i only experience with you

you are the light of my life oscar piastri and i will love you in every universe, i promise

tagged oscarpiastri

comments on this post have been limited

oscarpiastri i love you more than words can describe, you have made me the happiest man alive

oscarpiastri i am in awe of you every single day and i cannot believe i get to spend them with you

yourusername 🩷🩷

op81priv

liked by yourusername, ln4priv and 37 others

the love i feel for you is infinite and is strong enough to keep me alive forever

you keep my heart filled with a love that ive never felt before and i will only ever feel for you

you’re my forever person, my bestfriend and i will love you until i cant love any more

comments on this post have been limited

yourusername oh oscar i love you so much

yourusername forever sounds perfect to me

twitter

yourusername added to their story

#f1 x reader #f1 instagram au #f1 smau #f1 social media au #social media au #formula 1 insta au #formula 1 social media au #formula one x reader #formula 1 x reader #oscar piastri #oscar piastri x reader #formula 1 imagine #f1 imagine #f1 insta au #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 x you #★ private oscar

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thatlittlered · 4 months ago

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an almost kiss | celebrimbor

warning(s): afab!reader (use of the word lady), discreet TROP spoilers

GIF by @suguretos

author's note: this is based on @morganas-pendragons' request for a first kiss, which I turned into an almost kiss because I already technically wrote that and her delicious thoughts on touch-starved brimby... I mean, just look at him

read the rest of "the craft" here

-.-.-

The air is thick from the heat of the forge when you peek inside, expecting to find every smith hard at work, but as the fog clears, only Lord Celebrimbor himself can be seen, completely engrossed in his craft.

It is a sight.

You have been inside before, of course, but what could you learn of true creation from a simple visit? Seeing the master Elven-smith at work is a revelation.

It serves your curiosity to not be discovered, yet guilt eats at you at the thought of taking advantage of his good nature and hospitality to serve your own whims. He looks different here, too, where he is shed of noble duties. The careless roll of his sleeves and his apron serve to remind you that in this little corner of the world, he is nothing but a talented craftsman. A true creator.

‘My Lord.’

The clatter ceases once you make your presence known. A sharp tool you could not possibly think to name rests in his hand, but he quickly lays it aside when he looks at you. The lines of dedication on his face melt away as he smiles.

‘My Lady.’

‘I am sorry to have startled you.’

‘You haven’t.’

He dares not move, dazed to have you here when he has been absorbed by the very notion of you for hours – days even. It almost makes it seem possible to will his desires into existence. How long need he think about your touch before that too is bestowed upon him? He will offer the time, however long it may be.

He wonders briefly how he might look to you now. The last member of the House of Fëanor, renowned smith and Lord of Eregion by his own right, caught by surprise and rendered speechless by an offer as simple as your company. You, on the other hand, seem to always be at ease, always drawing nearer.

‘I am sorry to disturb your work as well.’

‘You aren’t.’

‘To disturb you then.’

‘Impossible. I was the one to invite you here in the first place, was I not?’

‘Oh, but that was an arranged visit. I come now of my own volition, that is an imposition in itself.’

‘I only regret that you’ve caught me unprepared and ill-mannered.’

‘I don’t believe you could ever be caught ill-mannered, my Lord.’

‘Perhaps it is the delight of your presence that ensures it then.’

His laughter eases the years away from his face and you wish to tell him that. You wish for him to know your thoughts as plainly as they come to you.

‘You’ve such a kind and earnest smile, Lord Celebrimbor, as is all else about you. Almost like a warm glow washing over us, akin that of Laurelin itself.’

He laughs again – bless the Valar! Bless the honey of your mouth and the sharpness of your mind and whatever he has done to earn the gift of your appreciation, of your mere thought to compare him of all elves to the gold tree of Valinor, but oh, curse it too. Curse that he cannot ever find within himself the words to reciprocate, in spite of all the nights he lies awake to thoughts of you.

How can someone so skilled with a hammer not possess a trace of the skill of the tongue? You must teach him. You must make him worthy of you.

He watches in silence as you look around. A tentative hand comes to trace the intricate carvings on the furnace.

‘Everything in your city seems so carefully crafted.’

‘Well, I suppose I have an eye for detail, given my work.’

‘Undoubtedly so, but I think it’s much more than just that. It is a labour of great love and dedication to mind such details.’

‘A true craftsman recognizes nothing is ever negligible, despite how it may seem. Even from sand, comes glass.’

‘What a wise thing to say,’ you turn to him, ‘you truly are most interesting, Lord Celebrimbor.’

‘I can only hope to keep up with you, my Lady. You most certainly surpass me in both words and wisdom. Your company is a blessing.’

‘As is yours.’

Your hand is a comfort unlike any other when it reaches for him. He has not been touched in eons, but even if he had, it would not compare. His own hands are filthy with remnants of his work and it brings him shame to dirty such pristine skin. The Valar must have loved you as well, for they, superior creators as they are, ensured your beauty would reach even to your fingertips.

‘Would you show me what you were working on?’

‘Nothing exciting, I fear. I was only cutting out some pieces of emerald from their cluster.’

‘How can that not be exciting? Cutting a brilliant, precious gem from what was but a mere piece of rock not long ago.’

You see as he does. The beauty of things. Their importance. The dark green rock sits large and proud on his workbench, cleaned of any remnants of the earth that birthed it, yet still a long way from its final form. He senses your enthusiasm in the hesitance with which you approach.

‘It is mere jewel-craft. Petty work. I aspire to larger projects now that I’ve been provided with a forge suited for them. I have you to thank for that.’

‘Hardly. It was the High King’s wise foresight to recognize that your gifts would be of much use in the fight against evil, and the work of Herald Elrond’s persuasion to make it possible.’

‘Ah, Herald Elrond does indeed possess quite the persuasive tongue. It is to be envied.’ And envy it he does, especially so when Elrond visits and spends your shared dinners conversing you whilst he himself can only gaze lovelorn. ‘But, please, do not undermine your contribution. You have been the most insightful of councils. I… I, for one, am glad to have you here.’

For the first time in the weeks that you have known each other, he finds the nerve to approach you first. Not as your host, but as your… friend. It helps to see you distracted by the ore in front of you, too entranced to notice he is studying you in return.

‘Do not worry, it is not fragile. You may touch it if you’d like.’

Your daring hand springs forth.

‘It is beautiful.’

‘It will be more valuable once it’s cut.’

‘More valuable, perhaps,’ you hum, ‘but not more beautiful. I believe the colour is the same as your eyes.’

Your honeyed mouth renders the elven-smith incapable of sensible thought. You could ask him to cut off his hand and he would happily oblige you, let you pick the knife even. Anything to draw the praise you so generously give, even though he tends to think his eyes are small and beady and their only possible use is looking at you.

That is why;

‘You should have it then.’

A breath is released. This is not quite the facile manner of speech he had hoped to master. Foolish, traitorous mind going hand in hand with a foolish, traitorous mouth. You, in all your benevolence, simply blink in surprise. Teach him! Teach him how to speak his love.

‘I couldn’t possibly.’

‘I’m sure you appreciate it far more than any other would. If you want it, I wish for you to have it.’

‘You are so generous, my Lord, but whatever would I do with such an ore? Its beauty is undeniable, but I am no craftsman.’

It is quite a large rock. Childish embarrassment rushes through him, the kind he has not felt since he was but an elfling apprenticed to his father and found comfort in his arms when he was brought to tears by his uncle’s temper.

Perhaps being in love is a childlike, vulnerable sentiment in itself.

‘A piece then.’

He does not await your answer. The tool is large and sharp in his talented hands. The piece he cuts is roughly the size of your palm as he presses it inside with reverence.

‘There you go.’

You inspect it with a caress of your lovely finger.

‘I can polish it if you’ve changed your mind.’

‘No. No, it is perfect just like this.’

The sunlight is bright and warm as it pours from his window and you take the opportunity to hold the piece up against its rays, revealing hues of forest green. The light reflects off it for a moment, drawing your attention back to Celebrimbor. He, too, looks glorious under the sun’s cast. You wish to study him further. To know all the markings of his face. He wishes it too, so he does not draw back when your feet bring you closer, and allows you to hold up the stone again, this time near his eyes.

‘I was right then; they are the same colour.’

Perhaps being in love is a glorious sentiment instead. The gentle and warm embrace of affectionate words. No one has spoken of his eyes before. No one has come this close either. None but the wind that he can recall. All his memories and senses have been replaced by you, as if he was brought to existence by your meeting.

All these things, he might never find the words to tell you.

You do not mind.

You care only for his kind soul, his emerald eyes and the soft beating of his heart under your palm. Your heads bow together as if in silent communication, foreheads and noses touching so that you might come to breathe the same air. An almost kiss.

Does he remind you of the gold tree now that your touch has eased the years off his face, and your proximity has once again brought forth the gleeful radiance of his smile? Always, yes.

An almost kiss, and a joy short-lived when his assistant decides to interrupt you.

‘My Lord.’

You do not fly apart, but separate slowly, painfully instead.

‘Thank you, Lord Celebrimbor, for your gift, and for your company.’

Mirdania lowers her head as you take your leave, perhaps in respect, or, perhaps, in embarrassment. For you, there is none. Not for Celebrimbor either, when he is left gazing at the shadow of you that remains. Her words fall on deaf ears.

#celebrimbor x reader #celebrimbor #the rings of power #rings of power #trop #trop season 2 #trop spoilers #the lord of the rings

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firstkanaphans · 3 months ago

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Khun Dome's Peaceful Property fic, CH. 2

The director of Peaceful Property wrote a fic as a Christmas present for the fandom. You can read my translation of the first chapter here. And you can find the original Thai version of this chapter here.

2 days ago The night Peach called Home but he didn’t pick up Sat, 21/12 peach93 & Dome Online Psychic

peach93: [phone call to Dome lasting 01:13:06] peach93: Thank you na krap, Uncle Dome Online Psychic: Not a problem ja Dome Online Psychic: I’m always here if you need advice Dome Online Psychic: 💯💯💯 peach93: But Uncle krap peach93: I still have doubts peach93: Why does it have to be on the night of the 24th? Dome Online Psychic: It’s in accordance with Western astrology Dome Online Psychic: It’s just a coincidence that it also happens to be Christmas Eve peach93: But aren’t you a Thai psychic krap? Dome Online Psychic: Do you believe me or not? peach93: Fine fine. I believe you krap. Dome Online Psychic: Just do exactly as your uncle tells you Dome Online Psychic: And it’ll fix your bad luck Dome Online Psychic: Your life will be free from aging, illness, and disease Dome Online Psychic: So you can love each other for a very long time peach93: We’re just friends krap Dome Online Psychic: [picture of a very surprised Peach] [Translator’s note: It’s Tay Tawan] peach93: Wait a minute na krap. How did you get my picture? Dome Online Psychic: I am a psychic Dome Online Psychic: Seeing the future ❌ Seeing two male friends act suspiciously ✅ Dome Online Psychic: May it be so. Like TayNew 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 peach93: Uncle!

Today Tue, 21/12 14:14 Vimarnsukman Ghost-Hunting Co.

pangx2🍞: [Screenshot of the thumbnail for an episode of “Ghost Talk Radio: The Haunting Wave of the New Generation.” The episode is titled “The Demon of Wat Pho Kla has been defeated” and the host’s name is Khun Polka.] [Translator's note: Wat Pho Kla is the temple Peach was visiting in the previous chapter. And also Khun Polka appears to be GMMTV manager P’Jack.] pangx2🍞: Isn’t this the ghost the villagers asked for your help with, Hia? peach93: Yes pangx2🍞: Oh! You did the job by yourself without saying anything? pangx2🍞: I missed out on filming the ghost-busting content peach93: Ha ha go HOME!: [gif of Michael Scott from “The Office” saying “OH, WOW!”] Lawyer Kan: May I say something na ka Lawyer Kan: I have told the customers at the restaurant that we will be closing early tonight ka Lawyer Kan: For your Secret Santa activity, Khun Home peach93: Thank you so much, Kan! go HOME!: [gif of an animated penguin coming out of its shell saying “I LOVE YOU! ❤️”] Lawyer Kan: I will pretend not to see your message, Khun Home na ka go HOME!: 💔💔💔

pangx2🍞, Lawyer Kan, & Suradech Ketmuangrong

pangx2🍞: Did you see, Mae!!! Lawyer Kan: See what ka? pangx2🍞: [screenshot of the above text conversation where Peach admits to ghost-busting solo] Lawyer Kan: I can read it in the group just fine by myself na ka pangx2🍞: In my whole life, I’ve never caught Hia in a lie. Not even once pangx2🍞: This is the very first time! Lawyer Kan: What are you talking about na ka? pangx2🍞: I’ve already looked into everything pangx2🍞: Hia was the one who went to exorcise the ghost for the villagers that night pangx2🍞: But it seems Hia pangx2🍞: Oops. Sent it too soon ha ha pangx2🍞: It seems P’Home was there too pangx2🍞: They’re such good actors pangx2🍞: Secretly going to exorcise ghosts together just the two of them! pangx2🍞: It’s very suspisious ka pangx2🍞: Isn’t that right, P’Suradech? Suradech Ketmuangrong: Krap Lawyer Kan: You spelled “suspicious” wrong ka Lawyer Kan: Why don’t you just ask them directly ka? Lawyer Kan: Since you’ve already figured everything out Lawyer Kan: As it is now, you’re hiding the truth just like them ka pangx2🍞: Whose side are you on, Maeeeee!!!! Lawyer Kan: I’m just saying that everything you’ve accused them of Lawyer Kan: Cannot be used as evidence in court ka Lawyer Kan: Legally… pangx2🍞: 😪😪😪 pangx2🍞: Wake me up when you’re done typing Lawyer Kan: You have to find more concrete evidence ka pangx2🍞: [picture of Peach and Home asleep in bed together] pangx2🍞: This isn’t evidence enough ka?! Lawyer Kan: Stop using the same old evidence ka pangx2🍞: Then what do you want me to do, Mae? pangx2🍞: In just a few hours, it will be time for Secret Santa pangx2🍞: I will expose them during the game! pangx2🍞: I will expose them during the gameee!!! pangx2🍞: I will expose them during the gameeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!! Lawyer Kan: Then you will need a witness ka

Lawyer Kan invites Dome Online Psychic to chat

Dome Online Psychic: Hello, Khun Lawyer Kan. This is the new Line account of Uncle Dome Online Psychic since the old Line account I used for a very long time has disappeared. You can contact the team here na krap. Thank you krap 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Lawyer Kan: @ Dome Online Psychic I would like to speak directly with Uncle Dome ka. I do not want to speak with the automated message response system ka.

Dome Online Psychic joined to chat

Dome Online Psychic: What’s up ja, Nong Noo Kan? Lawyer Kan: Allow me to get right to the point na ka, Khun Uncle Dome Dome Online Psychic: Do you want a group reading? Dome Online Psychic: That will be more expensive na

Suradech Ketmuangrong left chat

pangx2🍞: Oh! P’Suradech!!! pangx2🍞: Wait! I will pay for you!!! Dome Online Psychic: What do you want to know, Nong Noo Kan? Dome Online Psychic: I see your soulmate is in this group too na Lawyer Kan: I don’t want to talk about that ka! pangx2🍞: [gif of a cartoon rabbit saying “EH, I’M CONFUZZLED…”]

pangx2🍞invites Suradech Ketmuangrong to chat

Dome Online Psychic: Oh! Then what do you want to talk about ja? Lawyer Kan: [picture of Peach and Home asleep in bed together] Dome Online Psychic: Didn’t you say not to use the same old evidence ja? Lawyer Kan: My friend is curious ka Lawyer Kan: Whether these two are dating ka Pangx2🍞: Not just me ka Suradech Ketmuangrong: Krap Dome Online Psychic: Hmm Dome Online Psychic: Where should I start? Lawyer Kan: You can just jump straight to the answer ka Dome Online Psychic: Well it’s like this…

15:13 peach93 & go HOME!

go HOME!: [picture of Home posing for the camera wearing a designer backpack] peach93: What do you want? go HOME!: I just thought you might like to see it peach93: You did not peach93: Are you going to ask if you should post it? go HOME!: Should I post it? peach93: Learn to think for yourself sometimes go HOME!: [gif of Adam Sandler giving the camera a thumbs down, captioned “LAME”] go HOME!: [screenshot of the above picture now posted to Instagram with the caption “Once upon a time.” The picture has 1.3K likes and was posted 1 minute ago.] peach93: I bet if you post it, you will get a thousand likes immediately na go HOME!: I already posted it peach93: I was being sarcastic go HOME!: oh go HOME!: what’s your problem? go HOME!: if you didn’t want me to post it you could have just said so peach93: Would it have stopped you? go HOME!: fine go HOME!: i’ll delete it peach93: Why? peach93: It’s already out there peach93: People are reposting it on Twitter go HOME!: dude go HOME!: it’s called X now you know? peach93: Not funny go HOME!: so what do you want me to do? peach93: Forget it go HOME!: [gif of blinking man] go HOME!: i’m sorry na go HOME!: but when you post a picture go HOME!: you tag everyone go HOME!: except me peach93: I tag you go HOME!: hidden tags are not tags peach93: You’re talking nonsense peach93: You need to learn to think peach93: Why might I hide the tag? go HOME!: i don’t like to think! go HOME!: if there’s something you want to say just say it peach93: 😩 go HOME!: fine go HOME!: i’m dumb go HOME!: i have no idea what you’re talking about go HOME!: i never do go HOME!: that’s why i always have to ask you directly peach93: For me, you are more special than anyone else peach93: Do you understand now? go HOME!: more special than anyone else go HOME!: are you making fun of me? peach93: Ughhhhhhhhhhhh go HOME!: then what do you want? peach93: 😩😩😩 go HOME!: tell me!!!! peach93: Go tag me in that picture go HOME!: tag you? go HOME!: what for??? peach93: Are you going to tag me or not? go HOME!: fine fine fine go HOME!: [Screenshot of the same Instagram post with “peach93” now tagged right in the middle. The picture was posted 4 minutes ago and now has 2.7K likes.] go HOME!: happy now? peach93: I’m going to call you. Answer the phone peach93: [phone call with Home lasting 00:04:13] peach93: 🙂 go HOME!: [gif of a confused man captioned “THAT’S IT?”] go HOME!: next time you have something to say, just say it directly peach93: You still don’t understand go HOME!: 😿😿😿 go HOME!: be patient with me go HOME!: okay? peach93: Fine go HOME!: [Screenshot from Home’s Instagram of a picture of him shirtless sitting on the side of the pool. It has 13K likes and was posted 3 months ago.] peach93: Don’t post that one! go HOME!: It was posted a long time ago!!!

16:17 pangx2🍞, Lawyer Kan, Suradech Ketmuangrong, & Dome Online Psychic

Dome Online Psychic: [phone call lasting 01:04:13] pangx2🍞: Oh my godddddddddd Lawyer Kan: Thank you for the information na ka, Uncle Dome Dome Online Psychic: Keep an open mind, kids! pangx2🍞: So do we have to pretend like we don’t know ka? Dome Online Psychic: I can’t give you much advice Dome Online Psychic: action = reaction Dome Online Psychic: Bad luck can only be stopped by not dwelling on it Lawyer Kan: But you’re sure your predictions are correct ka? Dome Online Psychic: My predictions are only estimates Lawyer Kan: I’m starting to doubt everything you’ve told us ka Dome Online Psychic: If there’s nothing else, I will be leaving now na ja

Dome Online Psychic left chat

pangx2🍞: Mae pangx2🍞: i think he overcharged you Lawyer Kan: Yes ka Lawyer Kan: This is clearly a scam. He is a fraud. Lawyer Kan: Where did he go? pangx2🍞: We should take everything he said with a grain of salt, Mae pangx2🍞: But at least we have more evidence now pangx2🍞: [gif of mischievous racoon rubbing his hands together captioned “Hehehehe….”] Suradech Ketmuangrong: Krup

7 hours later 23:57 Vimarnsukman Ghost-Hunting Co.

pangx2🍞: [A collection of 4 pictures from the Secret Santa event.] [Translator’s note: They’re BTS pictures from the filming of Peaceful Property. Dome’s in one of them.] go HOME!: [gif of a tired baby raising his arms captioned “YAY”] pangx2🍞: So funnnnnnn pangx2🍞: except no one had time to dress according to the theme pangx2🍞: let’s do it again next year p’homeeeee 💖💖💖 go HOME!: sure thing girl! Lawyer Kan: I just got home na ka Lawyer Kan: Today was fun ka. Thank you na ka peach93: Are you sure it was fun? peach93: Ai’Home ate the cake all by himself and didn’t share with anyone pangx2🍞: 555555555555 go HOME!: [gif of man looking around as if to say “Me?”] go HOME!: who ate the cake and didn’t share it with anyone? pangx2🍞: 👀👀👀 Lawyer Kan: You’re a growing boy ka. I understand ka. Lawyer Kan: Merry Christmas, everyone ka pangx2🍞: merry christmas jaaaaaa peach93: 🥳 🥳 🥳 go HOME!: [gif of dancing Santa Claus captioned “MERRY CHRISTMAS”]

pangx2🍞, Lawyer Kan, & Suradech Ketmuangrong pangx2🍞: Mae!!! Lawyer Kan: What is it now ka? pangx2🍞: Did you see the way they were looking at each other? pangx2🍞: I only have one word: loveeeeeeeeeee Lawyer Kan: Khun Pang ka Lawyer Kan: Stop rambling ka Lawyer Kan: I think they were acting normal Lawyer Kan: It’s normal for boys to flirt with each other Lawyer Kan: And argue like a married couple Lawyer Kan: And stare into each other’s eyes Lawyer Kan: It’s normal ka pangx2🍞: Normal pangx2🍞: When is that normal? pangx2🍞: since p’home came into my brother’s life pangx2🍞: he smiles more often pangx2🍞: #crying 😭😭😭 Lawyer Kan: Just let them be themselves ka pangx2🍞: but i think they really like each other pangx2🍞: it’s just that neither of them will make the first move pangx2🍞: right, p’suradech? Suradech Ketmuangrong: Krup pangx2🍞: you’re no fun pangx2🍞: i’m going to chat with my other friends Lawyer Kan: Congratulations on having more than four friends na ka

3 hours later Wed, 25/12 03:13 Vimarnsukman Ghost-Hunting Co.

Suradech Ketmuangrong: Everyone krap Suradech Ketmuangrong: Khun Noo has something he would like to tell everyone krap Suradech Ketmuangrong: Only he doesn’t want to disturb everyone’s sleep Suradech Ketmuangrong: So I am typing this message for you to read later per his orders krap Suradech Ketmuangrong: [picture of Home in a hospital bed] Suradech Ketmuangrong: Khun Noo is very sick Suradech Ketmuangrong: He had been admitted to the hospital krap

To be continued

Chapter 3

#it's getting gayer 👀#peaceful property #peaceful property fic #written by the director #translated by me #peachhome

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shedidntevenswear · 2 years ago

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Ive said it once ill say it again, i cannot believe taylor was only like 14 or 15 when she wrote cold as you. that song is like the epitome of that meme thats like “adult men spend their lives trying to articulate concepts and emotions that teenage girls have figured out by age 16”

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sophieinwonderland · 10 months ago

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Debunking Anti(-endo's)Misinfo. AKA: How are anti-endos so bad at sources????

(The original)

Oh, well good on you for trying to cover everything! Nice of anti-endos to finally start trying to use science to prove their arguments. I'm sure these sources will totally be reliable and will prove your points beyond a shadow of a doubt, and that you won't just be falling flat on your face with every single attempt at basic reading comprehension, and end up repeatedly make a complete fool of yourself.

Let's go!

Off to a pretty strong start, acknowledging that many endogenic systems don't have DID or OSDD. Sadly, that basic fact is something that seems to escape most anti-endos. So with this in mind, I think it's safe to say the goal of this post is going to be to prove...

You can't possibly have DID without trauma.

You can't possibly have OSDD without trauma.

You can't be a system without DID/OSDD.

Let's read through and see how they'll do at proving their points by the end. I promise you, the results... won't surprise you. 😉

Well, there goes that strong start.

The source here is a Carrd and so-called "common sense."

Meanwhile, in the World Health Organization's ICD-11, alters or dissociative identities are described as "distinct personality states." In the same page, it's stated that you can have multiple "distinct personality states" without a disorder.

This is information from the World Health Organization affirming that you can be plural without a disorder. And I think that prevails over your so-called "common sense."

See also these screenshots from the plurality chapter of Transgender Mental Health, a book published by the American Psychiatric Association:

Finally, I really want to put a focus on this line of logic: "you cannot have alters without having a disorder, this is common sense as it's not normal to have alters."

Normal has multiple meanings in different contexts. The ICD-11's boundary with normality uses normal to mean "non-pathological." But this post seems to be using "normal" in the lay way to mean "common."

And that makes this particular rhetoric extremely dangerous and harmful to many communities. "If it's not common, it's a mental illness," was the basis for homosexuality and being transgender being listed as mental illnesses. "Most people don't think this way, so there's something wrong with them."

This could also easily be used to pathologize Otherkin and other alterhumans as mentally ill because it's not "normal" to identify as an animal.

The modern World Health Organization and American Psychiatric Association recognize the fact that simply thinking unusually or differently isn't an illness or disorder.

Statements like yours do not exist within a vacuum, but harken back to decades past when any non-typical thinking would have you labeled as having a disorder that needed treated.

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

Let's be thankful to live in a world today where our differences aren't considered disorders. And let's not resort to ideologies that threaten to return us to those days past.

Wait... who suggests this? Who are they? I think I need more info...

So... "some researchers."

Also, can we talk about how this starts off with "sometimes called multiple personality disorder." I checked to see if this was before the name changed in the ICD (which I believe was 2015) and it doesn't seem to be! Oldest archive I can find is 2020!

Rethink.org is a charity.

These are not peer-reviewed papers.

The page references "some researchers" without names or sources.

I have no idea who authored this or if they're qualified at all in this field.

This is a terrible source. A web page by an anonymous author citing other unnamed authors with no reason to think anyone who wrote this had any idea what they were talking about!

This says DID is caused by many things, and lists trauma as only one that's included. This doesn't back up the idea DID/OSDD can only be caused by trauma, and suggests the opposite.

Oh, and "it's also known as split personality disorder." 😔

Go home WebMD.

Usually associated with doesn't mean it's a requirement, and in fact implies that it isn't always.

"Is associated with." "Can be a response to trauma."

Reiterating that the first two goals here were to prove you can't have DID or OSDD without trauma. And these aren't doing that.

An association doesn't mean there's a causation, and it doesn't mean that association is there in 100% of cases.

"often develop."

Like with "usually", you wouldn't use the word often if if something always happened. The choice of wording implies you can have dissociative disorders without trauma.

Are... they messing with us right now???

I swear, you can't have a post that sets out with the goal of disproving the existence of endogenic plurality, and then use quotes that seem to consistently imply there can be other causes for DID and not pick up on that theme!

Oh, yay! We finally got a quote that's actually trying to argue the point we started with.

But, again, this runs into a similar issue to the ReThink.org one. This is a random independent organization. There is no author for this article. It hasn't undergone peer review like an academic paper would.

There is no evidence the person who wrote this article is actually educated in dissociative disorders.

And finally back to "usually."

You must be so proud...

Source Round-Up

There was a lot here, so let's just recap.

6 out of 8 of these sources only say that DID is "usually" or "often" or "can be" caused by or associated with trauma. These actually imply there are cases where it's NOT caused by trauma, going against the original goals of this post.

Finally, there were two sources, Rethink and Mind.org, which did suggest DID is just caused by trauma, full stop. But both of these are extremely questionable as sources.

Neither named their authors. There's no indication what the review process is for their websites. And "Rethink" merely said this is what "some researchers" believe.

So let's double back to those goals set at the beginning.

You can't possibly have DID without trauma: One source says this, but the reliability of that source is questionable. Another source says some researchers are saying this but doesn't name any researchers or cite those sources. Meanwhile, the other six sources imply that it IS possible for DID to exist without trauma.

You can't possibly have OSDD without trauma: Neither of the two sources that suggest DID can only be caused by trauma mention OSDD at all.

You can't be a system without DID/OSDD: None of the sources suggest you need DID/OSDD to be a system or to be plural.

So far, you've failed to prove you can't be a system without DID or OSDD. You've failed to show you can't have OSDD without trauma. And the case for DID being exclusive to trauma frankly looks weaker than before you started talking.

Incredible work so far!!!

And I mean that in the way that nothing about this is remotely credible!

Ugh. There is SO much wrong here. First, no sources for their claims about tulpamancy.

Now, tulpamancy draws its name from a Tibetan Buddhist practice called sprul pa.

This is not the same practice though. And the Tibetan Buddhist practice is NOT CALLED TULPAMANCY.

Something which should be obvious to anyone who knows even the most basic facts about language, with the -mancy suffix being derived from Latin. And tulpamancy as a practice generally isn't religious.

From Dr. Samuel Veissiere of McGill University:

The community is primarily divided between so-called psychological and metaphysical explanatory principles. In the psychological community, neuroscience (or folk neuroscience) is the explanation of choice. Tulpas are understood as mental constructs that have achieved sentience. The metaphysical explanation holds that Tulpas are agents of supernatural origins that exist outside the hosts’ minds, and who come to communicate with them. Of 118 respondents queried on the question, 76.5% identified with the psychological explanation, 8.5% with the metaphysical, and 14% with a variety of “other” explanations, such as a mixture of psychological and metaphysical.

When discussing the research into tulpamancy, we're not discussing a religious or spiritual practice that's been validated by psychologists.

We're talking about a primarily psychological practice that's been validated by psychologists.

And as for the DSM quote, it confirms that religious practices aren't a disorder. Cool. But it also implies that religious practices can result in multiple distinct personality states. Hence why they needed that criterion. It's not stated as explicitly in the DSM as in the ICD, but the implication is there, especially when taken together.

Whether you call these "alters" or not is up to you. Most endogenic systems aren't using the word "alter" to describe their headmates.

But regardless of the word, what the research is showing is that there are multiple phenomena which can result in people having multiple self-conscious agents sharing the same body.

I mean, you've still done a really bad job at showing DID and OSDD form purely from trauma, with many of your sources straight up saying the opposite.

And remember, a lot of mixed origin systems will say that their other headmates aren't caused by or related to their disorder. And there are documented cases of people with DID both having alters associated with DID, and having non-aversive entities they commune with outside of that, as Kluft references in this paper:

The woman he describes here, who experienced ceding control to another entity who talked through her, would qualify as a mixed origin system in the modern plural community.

SIX OF YOUR EIGHT SOURCES LEFT THE DOOR OPEN FOR DID TO FORM WITHOUT TRAUMA!

NONE CLAIMED OSDD COULD ONLY COME FROM TRAUMA!

NONE CLAIMED YOU NEEDED DID OR OSDD TO BE PLURAL!

Your sources are NOT claiming what you think they're claiming!!!!!!!

If this is "all the proof you need," to say endogenic systems aren't valid, it's clear you were only ever interested in confirming your worldview.

But surely you can't seriously think this will convince anyone who isn't already indoctrinated!

Not even addressing this in full. It's such a blatant strawman that it's not worth my time.

There are similarities between plurality and being LGBTQ. Especially to the many trans systems out there who are seeing anti-endos use the same rhetoric that transmeds have. Or like you did earlier, are endorsing the same types of views that led to homosexuality being pathologized until the 70s. But nobody is saying it's the exactly the same!

I'm not sure what this is specifically referring to. But it might be about the line in the differential diagnosis for DID in the PTSD section where it's stated DID may not be preceded by trauma or have co-occurring PTSD symptoms.

It does also say in another section that DID is associated with trauma, but it never actually says that's the only way to get DID.

This is a straight-up lie. Most sources used by endogenic systems are less than a decade old, with some being as recent as 2023.

Here's the breakdown of some of the dates in @guardianssystem's doc, for reference:

I mean, I feel like part of the reason nobody has been able to disprove it is because a lot of its more specific claims have been really hard to test.

But that's neither here nor there.

The bigger issue you'll run into is that the creators of the theory you're citing have stated that there may be other ways for people to be plural. Or as they phrased it, having "conscious and self-conscious dissociated parts."

The above quote is from two of the three authors of The Haunted Self, the creators of the theory of the structural dissociation.

The TOSD is made to propose a way trauma can cause dissociative disorders to develop. But it does NOT suggest you need to have dissociative disorders to be plural, and I doubt the authors appreciated their work being twisted like that

Final Grade:

F-

This started with three goals.

Let's look back at them one last time.

You can't possibly have DID without trauma.

You can't possibly have OSDD without trauma.

You can't be a system without DID/OSDD.

By the end of this, have any of these claims successfully been proven?

I don't feel they have.

The first claim is what all the sources tried to focus on. But most of the sources didn't say that and didn't support it. All but two implied that DID could possibly form other ways.

And for the others? Nothing suggests OSDD can only be caused by trauma.

And you failed to provide any sources that suggested you couldn't be plural without DID and OSDD.

You completely and utterly failed to find decent sources to back up your claims, and to make a compelling case for them, at every conceivable juncture.

If I were you, I would be embarrassed to have put out something of such poor quality.

What have we learned:

Non-disordered and endogenic plurality has been supported and validated across the psychological field, including the World Health Organization's ICD-11 and Trasngender Mental Health which has been reviewed and published by the American Psychiatric Association.

The creators of the theory of structural dissociation believe it might be possible that "self-conscious dissociative parts of the personality" might form without trauma and that this needs to be further researched.

Tulpamancy is a mostly psychological practice that has been studied and validated by psychologists.

Anti-endos are really bad at sources.

Conversely, the majority of endogenic sources are actual peer reviewed academic papers. And contrary to false claims here, many of the papers are actually very recent.

(Tagging some tags from the original post)

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korpuskristae · 3 months ago

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Wrapped Tighly - Severus Snape x Reader

Warnings: Sexual remarks, Sickness

Word Count: 1,100+

Pairing: Severus x Female Reader, Reader uses She/her

Summary: Severus gets a sick after spending too much time outside in the cold.

AN: I wrote this in record-breaking time, at least for me. I want to do a few more prompts for Rickmas this year but I definitely don't have time for all of them sadly. Expect at least four more Rickmas prompts! As always, be wary of spelling errors and general nonsensical sentences, let me know if you see any! As this is one of my more less developed one-shots I can guarantee errors.

⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅

“I absolutely cannot believe your stupidity!” You shrieked. Staring down at Hogwarts’s youngest and most infuriat- “most brilliant professor”. Pale and sickly, Severus lay there barely conscious listening to your verbal degradation as he shivered.

“You are overreacting woman”, he muttered, unable to keep his eyes open and his teeth from chattering as you surrounded him with all the warmth you possibly could. Hearing you slowly fade into the background as he drifted off to sleep once more, he was suddenly awoken by you violently shoving a spoonful of chicken noodle soup in his mouth, which he promptly choked on.

Sputtering, his eyes shot open as he coughed, sitting up in your bed, “What in the blazes!? Are you trying to kill me!?” Glaring at him from your seat next to the bed, you were holding the mug of soup you had lovingly made for dinner before you found out your husband had just so happened to decide to frolic in the snow without so much as a coat.

“You let yourself get hypothermia! You’re the one with a death wish!” you said, wrapping him up in yet another heated blanket after setting the mug of soup down on his nightstand. Standing up, you walked over to the fireplace and jabbed at the log with the poker. “Seriously Sev, it’s the middle of December! In Scotland for Merlin’s sake! We live in a castle surrounded by water! The wind chill alone is enough just cause to avoid prolonged periods out in this horrific weather!” you huffed, poking at the log with a little more aggression than you intended.

Severus, tucked into his mountain of dark blankets, resembled a bat in its most defeated form looking uncharacteristically pitiful. You couldn’t help but feel a little bad for having been so harsh. Nevertheless, the sight was absurd—cocooned in those signature shades of green and black, as though he couldn’t bring himself to wear anything more undignified than that, he looked so out of place, wrapped in those blankets so tightly that even his sense of bitterness seemed muffled. Mentally poking fun at him for the earlier fit he threw when you offered him a pink blanket you couldn’t help but shake your head in amusement, heaven forbid he ever consider something as utterly disgraceful as a pink blanket to provide him with warmth even if he so desperately needed it.

Placing your hand over his forehead Severus flinched slightly, still a little delirious and barely conscious, “How are you feeling?” you said softly, feeling bad for being up in his face for getting sick. His face, obscured slightly by all the blankets, was barely visible save for his eyes, which held their usual sharp glare. His cheeks were slightly flushed now, adding an adorable shade of rosiness to the potion’s master's usual pale complexion.

“I’m fine” he muttered, yet his voice was nasally and groggy, giving his obvious sickness away. He was not fine, in fact, he was far from it. Frostbitten, ill, and hypothermic a mere two hours ago, Severus was the epitome of “not fine”. A sharp almost imperceptible sigh left his lips as he shifted underneath your concerned gaze.

“You’re lying,” you shook your head quietly, rolling your eyes in exasperation before brushing your fingers against his forehead again. Sighing, you spoke once more, “You’re sick Sev…” you said softly, worry creeping into your voice as you felt how high his fever had risen.

He didn’t respond at first, letting the silence stretch on to an uncomfortable degree, much like a child trying to ignore the consequences of their actions by willing them away.

Finally, with a low grumble, he shifted uncomfortably, “I’m not accustomed to being coddled,” he said with a half-hearted sneer, though it lacked its usual venom. He was too exhausted to offer any sarcasm or biting remarks.

You softened at his reluctant admittance and momentary vulnerability, it was something you knew took a lot of strength for him to verbalize. Lowering your hand to brush your hand against his cheek after you pushed the blankets out of his face, a smile tugged at your lips, “I know Sev,” you murmured. “But you’re human, and that means you can’t just shut yourself out when you’re vulnerable, physically and emotionally,” you said, brushing his hair out of his face.

He gave you a pointed look from beneath his pile of fabric, his expression skeptical, but it was clear the only reason you were spared from one of his usual retorts was because he simply did not have the energy for one.

Deciding to take pity on him and spare him from the awkward silence you spoke up, “Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?” You said, coming to the conclusion that Severus was absolutely not going to take his illness seriously, nor was he going to take it easy unless you kept him under constant supervision. Already turning around to search your nightstand on the opposite side of the bed for the hot compress you had, you waited for his response.

He watched you sift through your nightstand for the hot compress, not so subtly checking you out as you bent down. His eyes trailed down your back and landed on your ass, turning around, you arched a brow at him, catching him in the act. Giving him the stereotypical, unimpressed wife look, you gently placed the hot compress on his forehead, causing him to sigh in relief, “Perv” you said lightheartedly.

Huffing in what seemed to be amusement, he looked up at your face, “I’d love for my wife to stop mother-henning me and join me in bed” he huffed reaching out for your waist so he could drag you into bed.

Letting him pull you into his arms, you reluctantly wrapped your arms around his shivering body frowning as you felt him shaking. “Are you cold?” you mumbled, pulling the blankets tighter around him.

“For Merlin’s sake woman, you have me swaddled in several heated blankets, I am warm enough,” he said, rolling his eyes. Dragging you underneath his blankets, he pulled you atop his body, holding your hips before he decided to playfully grope your ass. “Any chance we could partake in other activities that raise one’s body temperature?” He said playfully, arching one of his eyebrows at you in amusement.

Staring at him in disbelief, you let out what seemed to be the hundredth exasperated sigh of the day, “By Merlin you are insatiable.”

Next Rickmas Prompt: Day 9 - Unwanted Solitude - Detective David Friedman

#pro severus snape #severus snape #harry potter #snape fandom #professor snape #pro snape #snape #severus x reader #rickmas2024

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entitled-fangirl · 6 months ago

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HELP ME DECIDE ON MY NEXT FIC!!

I wrote brief (out of context) teasers for various asks in my inbox. Some have the main idea of the story and some don't- That's what makes it fun hehe. Anyway, read these and vote at the bottom which one I should write next!!!!

Red = Jace Velaryon x reader

Blue = Cregan Stark x reader

Green = Gwayne Hightower x reader

SOME ARE A LITTLE NSFW 😅

....................................................................................

"Your mind is racing," he pointed out.

She turned around, seeing Jace standing in the doorway of the library.

His usual grin came over his face as he stepped further into the room. "Mind telling me what ails you?"

She pulled her hair over her shoulder. "I'd prefer to not worry you over trivial things, my prince."

He chuckled lightly and continued to take steps towards her, "And I'd prefer my wife to call me by my name. Seems we are both quite unlucky."

…………………………….................................................

"Surely, you should slow down," Cregan gently suggested as he took the chalice almost empty of wine from his wife's hand.

She giggled when their fingers brushed, "Why would I when I am so thoroughly enjoying myself?"

He set the glass down, "You're a wonder, my love. Let us take you to bed."

A playful look came over her eyes, "Take me to bed?"

…………………………….................................................

"I imagined your pretty thighs wrapped around my head," Cregan whispered in her ear.

Still straddling him, she froze in place. "W…What?"

"I have dreams of devouring you in the most sinful ways," he admitted.

……………………………......................................................

She didn't take his hand when she dismounted her horse.

She was too headstrong of a woman, Cregan often thought.

She was a Bracken, and Brackens were nothing if not stubborn as mules.

The war did nothing to bridge the gap of their marriage. In fact, it made it only grow.

A Bracken married to the Wolf who fought for the Blacks.

It seemed ridiculous.

…………………………….......................................................

Cregan did not wish to marry again. The thought terrified him.

But he understood that his wishes were not taken into account when he was born with the Stark name.

Now, he nervously stood outside of the Winterfell walls, awaiting the young woman that would become his second wife.

He was not a religious man, but he prayed that this marriage would be better.

…………………………...............................................................

Cregan pulled her as physically close as he could and growled lowly in her ear, "I believe if I am kept from you for another minute, I will surely take you out here in front of everyone."

She let out a shuddered breath, "These months have been long without you."

"If you'll let me, I'll make up for every moment," he said as he kissed down her neck, not caring if the entire North saw.

…………………………................................................................

She nodded, running a hand through Daeron's hair affectionately. "Gwayne and his father have never seen eye to eye, not since Alicent became queen. They are just two very different men."

"Is that how all fathers and sons talk?"

She pulled his chin up to make his eyes meet hers, "No. Not all fathers and sons speak in ill regard of one another."

"What if he does it to his own son?"

Her brows furrowed, "What?"

"What if Gwayne speaks like that to the babe?"

She just realized how his eyes glazed over with tears. "Oh, sweet boy." She pulled him to her. "Gwayne is a man with a temper, but he would not do that. There is a barrier between Gwayne and his father. One that cannot be fixed now, and only because of that do they fight."

Daeron considered her words for a while, "So, because there is no barrier with the babe-"

"-Gwayne will love this child with his entire being, I promise you."

She held him for a while, promising to talk to her husband about it later.

………………………………........................................................

"Jace?" She softly spoke into the dark as she stepped out onto the bannister.

Jace's back was to her, but even from there, it was clear something was wrong.

She stepped beside him and set the candle onto the sturdy railing. "My love?"

He finally turned to face her. His eyes were puffy, cheeks red, and hot tears were falling down his face.

………………………………...............................................................

#fanfiction #cregan stark x reader #game of thrones x reader #cregan stark x you #house of the dragon fanfiction #game of thrones fanfiction #game of thrones imagine #game of thrones x y/n #cregan stark x y/n #jace velaryon imagine #jace velaryon x reader #jace velaryon smut #cregan stark imagine #cregan stark smut #gwayne hightower x reader #gwayne hightower imagine #gwayne hightower fanfic

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taleeater · 1 month ago

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The Captive Scientist

Here is a very rough outline for an angsty Jayvik and Ambessa idea.

Tw: Ambessa cucks Jayce, slight non-con, abuse, illness

I went overboard and even wrote a happy ending after the angst 🫣

Ambessa arranges behind Mel’s back to meet the geniuses behind Hextec. Jayce is apprehensive, but Mel isn’t around to interject so he gets pressured into it. So Ambessa visits the lab with her guards, and as soon as Ambessa lays eyes on Viktor, she realizes this handsome twink is really the only one who is keeping Hextec research progressing while Jayce is too mixed up with Mel and politics. She decides then and there to steal him away for herself, and use him to advance her own holdings and army. Jayce is called away for some meeting and leaves, knowing Viktor can handle himself, but also not knowing about Ambessa’s unique… tastes and general demeanor. So once they’re alone, she forcibly comes onto Viktor. He tries his best to fight off her advances, and refuses to work for a warlord and leave Jayce, but she basically has him kidnapped. Jayce discovers that Viktor is gone hours later once Mel discovers what her mother has done. Jayce not for one second believes the claim that Viktor quit and is abandoning him and Piltover to work for Ambessa and go somewhere he’s more ‘appreciated’. So the night before Ambessa has arranged to go back to Nexus, with Viktor in tow, Jayce breaks into their room looking for Viktor, only to discover Viktor tied up on the bed being seduced by Ambessa. The guards apprehend Jayce frozen in his shock, and Ambessa has him bound to a chair in the room to make him watch. And Viktor, for one, is surprised that Jayce came for him, but also surprised to see Jayce seething with rage and… jealousy? It stirs something inside him. So Ambessa cucks Jayce and fucks Viktor in front of him.

The next morning, Ambessa carries out a completely exhausted and barely conscious Viktor past an angry and upset Jayce. He doesn’t have the power to stop her. So Ambessa leaves Piltover with Viktor, and Mel and her guards later rescue Jayce from the empty suite. Jayce goes to the counsel to arrange for a rescue mission, but they won’t allow it because it would be like a declaration of war with Ambessa. They won’t risk war over a mere ‘Zaunite lab assistant’ when they have the real creator of Hextec right there in Piltover. Jayce is furious. Viktor is his equal, and they never would have gotten to where they are now without Viktor. Mel has to hold him back and convince him to wait. She’d do her best to pressure them, but in the meantime, she’d use her resources to arrange a secret infiltration mission to get Viktor back. But then, disaster strikes. The counsel is attacked and bombed by Jinx, and everything comes to a screeching halt. War breaks out between Piltover and Zaun, and Mel and Jayce are forced to dedicate all their time and effort into trying to quell the fighting. At least Viktor wasn’t there to get hurt, but Jayce can’t stop thinking about his partner.

Here’s the other thing: Ambessa doesn’t know that Viktor is sick.

Some time goes by, and Ambessa gets HexGates built in every major city under her control, bringing immense power to her empire. She spoils Viktor, giving him lavish gifts and pleasuring him when she has time, despite his continued resistance. He can’t do anything besides let it happen, because she holds so much power over him, and he is still a prisoner there against his will. Then the attack on Piltover happens, and Ambessa orders that Viktor not be allowed to find out. Knowing that he would become distracted from his work and she wouldn’t allow for anymore resistance.

Months go by, and Ambessa is losing her patience with him. No matter what she does, she cannot get Viktor to create weapons for her. Instead he makes tools, medical devices, agricultural improvements, structural improvements, everything for the betterment of the common people. But nothing to empower her military’s might. And another thing, Viktor is extremely limited in his research capabilities since he no longer has access to the HexCore. He misses Jayce and the memories they had together more than anything. The memory of the look in Jayce’s eyes that fateful night is still a constant presence in his mind. And that’s really the only thing keeping him going, as he slowly becomes more and more ill. But then one evening, Viktor has a horrible coughing fit in his lab that leaves him dizzy. He goes to the door to ask the guards to have someone fetch him some medicine, but then he overhears. The guards are quietly gossiping about the ongoing war between Piltover and Zaun, and how Ambessa was sending resources and troops to help Piltover exterminate Zaun. Viktor is SHOCKED. Immediately, his mind goes to Jayce. Was he okay? Was he injured? Was he fighting Zaun? Or was he fighting to protect it like he had promised him? So many emotions were swirling through him. He demands to speak to Ambessa immediately.

This is where it gets messy. Ambessa arrives and listens as Viktor unleashes his fury, demanding to be released and set back to Piltover to find Jayce and help Zaun. He paces around the room ranting at her, until he gets up in her face waving his finger at her for working to commit a genocide against his people, when her stoic expression cracks. She backhands Viktor, hard, sending him sprawling across the floor and his cane clattering. He coughs as she approaches him, barely having time to push himself up on shaky arms before she reaches down and grabs the front of his shirt and hefts him up, feet dangling above the floor to hold him at eye level. “I think you’re forgetting who has the power here.” She threatens him as Viktor gasps for breath and struggles. She then drops him in a heap on the floor and leaves him, ordering the guards to make sure he keeps working as she leaves for the night, all his demands forgotten and brushed aside.

Viktors life becomes a living hell. No more kindness, no more gifts or attention, or bribes, being forced to work tirelessly without rest for days on end until he collapses over and over again. No one will tell him what’s happening in Piltover, his body is failing him more and more everyday, until he’s left coughing horribly at almost all hours. Forced to work at his desk hooked up to all kinds of machines just to keep him breathing and healthy enough to work properly. And every time Ambessa visits it’s the same. He’s beaten for refusing her demands to design weapons, for not working harder. He’s no longer left alone to his own devices in his lab, he has guards armed with guns and lab assistants breathing down his neck to ensure he stays on task.

It’s around this time that Jayce can’t stand it anymore. Caitlyn had taken over leading the purge of Zaun, and he didn’t have any power to stop Piltover from their invasion. Eventually his efforts to stop the fight got him evicted by the counsel, and he makes his decision. He was going to go find Viktor. Mel tried to dissuade him from his suicide mission, stating that she needed him there, despite Jayce’s distance and aversion to their relationship ever since Viktor was kidnapped. But he brushes her off. She gets upset and pressures him, and forces him to make a choice. “You can’t keep doing this. Will you fight for Piltover, or Zaun? You have to choose. Viktor, or me.” “I choose Viktor.” Jayce says it immediately with absolutely zero hesitation, but Jayce is just as shocked as Mel that he said it. He’s silent for a long moment, finally taking a moment to search inside himself for what he really wants. And it finally dawns on him. All he’s ever really wanted was Viktor. And Mel can see the realization on his face, sighing with defeat because she’s always known those feelings were there, and could do nothing about it. So she finally concedes, and informs Jayce that she will help him get Viktor back from her mother.

She quickly arranges a task force, and sends word that she intends to visit Ambessa in Noxus with the intention of a diplomatic meeting to discuss aid for Piltover's fight against Zaun. So Jayce hides aboard her ship, and when they arrive at the Noxus capital, Mel gets information from some of the guards where Viktor is being held. She gives the information to Jayce, and covers for him while he sneaks into the tower where Viktor is being held. Mel distracts her mother with the meeting. But Ambessa can see right through her, and knows they’ve come to retrieve Viktor. But she knows Viktor is on death’s door, and she won’t be able to squeeze anything else out of the feeble scientist. So she allows for it to happen, and tells Mel right to her face that she shouldn’t try to deceive her family. Mel is shocked that her mother knew and confused as to why her mother is willing to give up Viktor so easily. Meanwhile, Jayce fights through the guards at the lab, and breaks in to find Viktor thin and worn, bruises on his jaw and peaking from any hints of uncovered skin, passed out at his desk pale as a ghost and bleeding from his mouth, his breathing labored and raspy. Jayce drops his hammer and rushes to his partner’s side, tears welling in his eyes as his hands hover above Viktor as he’s too scared to touch him. Viktor looks so fragile now, all his hidden strength Jayce came to know and admire over the years gone from his sick withered frame. Eventually Jayce’s hands find Viktor’s shoulders and he shakes him awake, calling out his name. Viktor blinks awake and thinks for a moment that he must still be dreaming, or dead. But Jayce starts to carefully disconnect him from the machines and IV, gently scooping him up in his arms as he mutters reassurances to Viktor that he was going to get him out of there, and bring him home safe and sound. But as Jayce is finally carrying him out of the lab, his hammer all but forgotten, Viktor finds his voice. “I-…. I never… wanted you... to see me like this… Jayce…” and Jayce’s heart shatters into a million pieces.

He should have been there for Vik, should have come to get him sooner, and never should have left him alone in that lab, alone with Ambessa, and all those nights alone when he left Viktor to attend parties and be with Mel. His place was always next to Viktor. Jayce makes it back to the ship, with Mel close behind after her mother comes to see them off, with the promise that she will be visiting Piltover again soon enough. Viktor is fading fast the whole ride back to Piltover, and Jayce is panicking. He waited too long, and now Viktor was going to die if he didn’t do something. And fast. They arrive in Piltover and Jayce jumps out of the ship with Viktor in his arms before the doors even fully open, ignoring Mel’s shouts from behind. Jayce rushes to their old dusty lab, where the HexCore had been left all but forgotten those past few months. Jayce lays down Viktor and starts pouring over Viktor’s old notes and research with fervor, looking for anything, any way he can use their technology to save Viktor.

Viktor ends up merging with the HexCore and becoming the Machine Herald. His life was saved, his illness cured and his body fixed. But this time, when Viktor emerges from the cocoon in the lab with Jayce, he receives a different kind of response than what he expected. Jayce declares that he loves him. Straight away, whole heartedly and truthfully, with every part of himself. He loves Viktor. And he should have realized it sooner. Should have stayed by his side where he belongs, shouldn’t have let Ambessa take him away, shouldn’t have let Mel and politics and power come between them and take him away from their dream together to save people, to save Zaun, and make the world a better place. And he wanted Viktor’s help to save Zaun from Piltover, once and for all. His words reach Viktor, touch deep inside him, and all at once his very human emotions come flooding back. This is everything he’s always wanted, it felt too good to be true. So to make it real, Viktor drops his staff and reaches up to cup Jayce’s face and kisses him. Like he had imagined time and time again, had dreamed about for months, for years. He needed to know if this love was real. The warmth of his lips and Jayce’s hands on him immediately burn away any lingering memory of Ambessa’s touch. And for the first time he feels whole and loved.

Together, Viktor and Jayce, with Mel’s support, stop the fighting between Zaun and Piltover, defeating Caitlyn’s soldiers easily without her leadership now that she has reunited with Vi, and bringing aid to the Zaunite citizens. In Piltover and Zaun’s weakened state, Ambessa arrives with her army, carrying Jayce’s forgotten hammer into battle to take over the counsel and invade Piltover. Mel and Caitlyn, with Vi, Jayce, and Viktor’s support, face off against Ambessa, and manage to defeat her once and for all. Mel leaves for Noxus to take her mother’s place as head of the family, and arranges generous aid to be sent to Piltover and Zaun. Both cities repair themselves, and a new peace is founded as the city of progress becomes a state ruled by science and equality. Jayce gives up all positions of power so that he and Viktor can live together at the college peacefully. Inventing technology that improves the lives of all the people in Zaun, and across the world, and sharing a wonderful domestic relationship together into old age.

Damn I really ran with this idea 😅 hope you enjoyed it.

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