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#for science ARCANE: 208. Killing is a Cycle

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I’m not doing a whole thing here. I’ve done it to death and those who get it, get it. Those who don’t never will by choice or lack of ability.

But one of my coworkers recently watched Arcane for the first time and we had a wonderful good-faith conversation and it got me thinking over various things again.

Caitlyn makes plenty of mistakes. Just like everyone in the show. But as a reminder no matter how “calm” she seemed when she struck Vi at the end of this episode (which she clearly wasn’t but its said so often you get it), what was actually going on?

1. Jinx almost killed her repeatedly

2. Jinx killed MANY of her peers

3. Jinx abducted her nude from her home at gunpoint and terrorized her

4. Jinx tried to get Vi to kill her

5. JINX KILLED HER MOTHER

7. Caitlyn very likely could have saved her mother if she’d killed Jinx and ignored Vi’s pleading

8. After all that Caitlyn insists on alternatives to an invasion of Zaun, citing the innocents who will be harmed

9. Tobias is clearly (and understandably) a wreck and Caitlyn is being looked at to be to the stoic leader of her house. In her early twenties. Grieving and afraid.

10. The under-city attacks her mother’s memorial and she almost dies. AGAIN.

11. Rather than any person in command stepping in, the surviving leadership let her lead her mission to Zaun to hunt Jinx, sparing them the responsibility

12. Add numbers 1-11 up and that’s the absolutely unholy pressure cooker boiling in her mind when it all goes down!

This isn’t an anti-Jinx thing, and it most certainly isn’t anti-Vi (see my pages of pro-Vi writing). And this is the absolute most surface level it gets. But the weak and insipid argument that Caitlyn was in a sound state of mind, and chose to hit Vi like she was choosing what to order for lunch, is utter horseshit.

Do me a favor. You read that list, try to extend your emotional intelligence enough to picture how you would feel handling all of that, then tell me how rational you’d be.

Doesn’t matter regardless.

Cause WE.WON.

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Motherfucker being allergic to ginger people

I am confused lol

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Yea.. i’m not around much these days, mostly lurking. But I FOR SURE am not wasting my depressingly tiny amount of free time fighting with those morons anymore lol. To those who can’t grasp Caitlyn’s character arc, I pity you. I sincerely hope when you grow up you rewatch and enjoy this beautiful story properly.

holy shit caitlyn haters are such miserable little twits

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God damn. Every time. Just… god damn

Vi <3

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Amanda Overton on the decision to make Caitlyn call Vi "Violet" in the final scene.

⤷ From Amanda Overton's Q&A with Still Caitvi Discord

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Hello all!

No new discussion or Arcane content- just rambling

Nothing of note to say. Only that I have been MIA for a bit and hope you are all doing well. I finally ordered a copy of the artbook so am hoping to see that soon! It is nice to see the love for this wonderful story continue. I am hoping we get some news on the Noxus show soon!

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Letting Go...Going Home: Chapter 9

Non-Canon Compliant Arcane Fanfic: Warnings for Blood/Gore and such *For the very few who probably care I am SO SORRY that this took so dang long. Life hit me like a damn truck but I am getting back on track! As always I welcome any constructive criticism*

The air was burning.

It was something other people couldn’t really understand, she knew. Something you could only see if you could move with the perversion of Shimmer in your veins like she could.

It was that speed that saved her and Vi’s life.

And it was that speed that showed her the flame turning those who had followed her into charred and blackened husks.

Jinx was almost glad for the roar of the missiles that continued to turn the island into a ruin, because it drowned out the screams of the burning.

She cradled Vi’s fragile form to her chest with every ounce of strength in her body as she hurtled back through the entryway of the prison, stumbling with the shockwave of the first round of explosions and losing her footing as she crossed the threshold.

She turned and landed hard on her side, shielding Vi from the impact, her ears ringing and an all-too-familiar sticky warmth blooming on the side of her head.

Survivors poured into the dark of Stillwater around her, coursing over the bodies of the fallen. The breach Jinx and Ekko had created above showed the sky now choked with smoke and flame, like the eye of a vengeful god staring down at them.

The whole building shook and rubble fell in shifting tides as the deafening terror continued. Jinx tried to rise, still holding Vi, and found her traitorous legs shaky and weak.

“I got her, kid,” a rough but comfortingly familiar voice said.

Sevika leaned down, scooping Vi up easily and letting Jinx hook one weary arm around her shoulder, rising and supporting both sisters at once.

“We gotta move deeper in! Everybody in!” Sevika roared over the din as people continued to rush back.

Jinx leaned on Sevika, groaning from the pain in her head. She looked at the older woman tentatively. “Ekko?”

Sevika frowned. “Last I saw he was flying out into it trying to help his people who had been scouting the perimeter… I don’t know after that. It got too thick to see and I had to get as many in as I could.”

A deep and hungry fear raised its head in Jinx’s mind, hopefully urging her to picture Ekko’s mangled body out there among the carnage. But she threaded her fingers through Vi’s and squeezed her sister’s hand, growling.

“He will make it.”

The huddled masses moved further and further until they were in the rotunda of the low-security wing. Massive dark steel with encircling rows of cells rose up, but the roof itself, still high above, seemed to be holding steady.

“They don’t seem to be shelling this far back,” Jinx panted, leaning against a wall gratefully and sliding down.

Sevika nodded. “They can’t bring the whole building down. That bitch is brutal, but she’s not stupid. She still needs to come out looking legitimate when all of this is done. Can’t cross the line from taking back control for public safety to extermination.”

Sevika slid next to Jinx and laid Vi’s head in her lap. “They’re softening us up. Then they’ll come.”

Jinx nodded quietly, looking out over the crowded survivors huddling together. Torchlight cast their faces in flickering glimpses of nightmare and pain.

Some seemed only mildly injured—bruises and lacerations of various kinds, ash-blackened clothing and faces, and eyes that would never forget. Others were worse. Much worse.

A Zaunite no older than Jinx and likely even younger lay on his back fifty yards away or so, screaming into bloodied cloth placed in his mouth to bite on while a grizzled older woman wrapped the ruin that was once his left leg to stop him from bleeding out.

Worse were those who would never scream again… lying under anything they could find to cover them in the oppressive dark.

Jinx covered her face with her hands. “I did this. I led them here.” Her shoulders shook. “Look at them. We can’t hold the Noxians back. Not like this.”

Sevika laid a heavy hand on her shoulder. “We don’t have a choice, kid… and before you go painting yourself as the villain, remember. Every fighter here wanted to be here. Some for you, some for Vi, and many for Zaun. You asked your people to fight alongside you and they said yes. So you don’t get to blame yourself, Jinx. We aren’t dead yet.”

Jinx wiped a quiet tear away and smiled.

“Vi is never gonna believe how nice you are when she’s not awake to hear it.”

Sevika scowled, but Jinx could see the small smile in the low light. “Don’t you worry. She’ll be awake soon enough, and we can get back to punching each other.”

Jinx stood. “Not if we don’t figure something out.” She paced back and forth, still trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her head.

Hopefully, more had lived and were scattered in other chambers and floors of the prison. But before her, only twenty or so fighters remained—and almost none of them in good condition.

She heard voices, banging and yelling. And realized with a start that the inmates in this block hadn’t been cleared before the bombardment began. Dirty and bedraggled faces watched from behind bars at the newcomers. Some yelled and demanded release.

Most were just terrified.

Jinx looked at them all, looked back at Sevika still cradling Violet, and took a long, deep breath. Then exhaled slowly.

The shelling had stopped. They were coming.

She walked back to Sevika and hunkered down, kissing Vi’s forehead.

Vi murmured… hands clenching gently, and for a moment Jinx thought she might wake. But not yet.

Jinx cradled her cheek with one hand. “That’s okay, Vi. Take all the time you need, you big lug.”

She looked back at Sevika. “You need to get them out of here. I don’t know how. I don’t know where. But there has to be another way out. Hell, even if you lead them down and stage a defense from there—I don’t know, but there has to be something. You can’t just sit here waiting to die.”

“There’s probably some tunnels or something, sure. But what will you be doing?” Sevika asked.

“What I have to.”

Jinx stood as Sevika’s face contorted in confusion and then a rage so clearly born of fear for her it was almost enough to make her stop.

Sevika started to rise. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but whatever it is, don’t be fucking stupid.”

Jinx turned like lightning and kicked Sevika’s leg out from under her, dropping her back to her ass hard.

“I need you to do this! I’m not a leader. I’m not a commander. But you are. You can save these people. You… you can save her.” She looked at Vi and sighed.

“I’m Jinx. You’ve been telling me for years I’m a symbol,” Jinx said the last word mockingly but grinned, letting a tear fall. “Time for me to go be one.”

Sevika glared up at her, her breath ragged, her chest heaving. “And what the fuck am I supposed to tell Vi when she wakes up and you’re gone?” she asked quietly.

Jinx grinned. “Tell her I love her.”

And turned from the chamber at a full jog, the light of the breach like a distant beacon as she approached from the dark.

Jinx was many things depending on who you asked: A terrorist… Silco’s mad daughter… The heir to the Eye of Zaun…

But in that moment, letting the Shimmer start to burn in her blood, her senses sharpening, the lethargy and pain in her muscles strangled and forced down as she hurtled toward that distant glow—those weren’t the things that mattered.

She was Isha’s guardian… Violet’s sister… And just maybe, if she survived this, she could even be something to Ekko as well.

Thinking of those she loved, Jinx launched herself up the pile of scorched stone and rock, up through the breach into the eye of that angry god, and emerged into the hellscape the Noxians had created.

Devastation reigned. Massive plumes of smoke choked the air. Craters the size of ships marred the ground in all directions, the stench of acrid smoke and burning flesh filling her nostrils.

And through the smoke and flame, like the goddess of death herself, marched Ambessa Medarda, at the head of a full contingent of Noxian soldiers, with more following from the shore.

Fear bloomed in Jinx’s heart.

Fear she would never see Vi’s eyes open, or feel Isha’s arms around her neck, or know the feel of Ekko’s lips on her skin again.

But it was for them that she put those fears away.

Become what they fear.

It was for them that her face stretched into a grin just a bit too wide for her face. And she ran with Shimmer-assisted grace, leaping down across massive bits of fallen stone until she landed in front of the now-blocked entrance to Stillwater itself, sitting on the lip of a barricade, kicking her feet and humming.

The heavy impact of armored boots came to a halt before her, a tall shadow cast over her whole body.

“My, my… I have wondered when we would meet,” a warm voice chuckled that made Jinx’s blood run cold.

Jinx smiled and looked up. Ambessa stood tall and strong, gold war mask glinting in the light, her fearsome chain blades coiled tightly in her grip.

Jinx sprang to her feet so fast the soldiers lined up behind Ambessa seemed to twitch almost as one.

Jinx laughed. “Relax, kiddoes, I’ll behave. I just wanna talk to mommy here.”

She looked at Ambessa and cocked her head to one side. “You wanted to meet me, you coulda just asked. The fireworks are a bit strong for a first date.”

Ambessa was quiet a moment, then threw her head back and laughed. She removed her golden mask, her sharp and clever gaze falling on Jinx like a falcon on a mouse.

“Simply matching your preferred method of communication, my dear. You are, after all, quite well known for your theatrics. Now then, what say you be a good girl and throw down those pistols, and order your surviving fighters outside to do the same? This is over.”

Jinx felt the snarling, hungry darkness rear in her mind and forced it into submission. “No… No, I don’t think so. I’m not big on sharing. I wanna play. Just you. And me. You Noxians are big on the strongest should rule and all that crap. Well! Prove it. You and me. Sister-napping, scheming bitch versus Jinx.”

Ambessa’s grin widened without reaching her eyes. “Now, now, let us remain polite. Your sister was taken as a tool, yes, but I assure you, I could have treated her much worse. Explain to me why I would entertain this clear ploy for time?”

“Because, like it or not, I’m the face of the rebellion, toots. You and your men sweep in and slaughter everyone with your explosions and overwhelming numbers, I’ll be a legend. Oh, especially if you execute me in front of a crowd! All formal and everything. They’ll never stop blowing up buildings in my name. But you crush me one on one? Prove your dominance? You crush their hope”

Ambessa pondered a moment. “Obvious baiting aside, in truth, I have long wondered if you are as good as they make you out to be.” She turned to her soldiers. “If I fall, you return to the ships and leave this land at once. Do I make myself clear?”

As one, the soldiers met shields with spears. A deal struck.

Ambessa dropped her mask and rotated her arms, her heavy chain blades falling into a ready position.

“Come, child. Let us end this.”

Jinx nodded, stepped forward, and placed her hands on her guns.

A breath… Please let her be slow…

That Jinx was faster was the only reason she didn’t die in the first moments of the fight.

Ambessa’s blade whipped out like a viper, cutting deep into a broken column of stone where her neck had been only a second before.

She danced back as the blades whipped through the air, one slithering past, opening a searing line of agony across her midsection—but not deep enough to cut deeply.

Jinx swore, jumping back, firing a quick volley of shots, only for Ambessa to rotate out, the shield on her arm flaring with a green hiss as the shots dispersed across the runes carved there.

Ambessa laughed.

Jinx rotated and moved as a blur up a nearby fallen column and off of it, firing down at Ambessa as she arced overhead.

One shot seared into Ambessa’s calf, and the woman buckled with a hiss of pain as Jinx landed—confidence rushing back for the blink of an eye—until she realized, with horror—

The warlord had faked the pain.

Just as Jinx registered the threat, both blades came down as one, and Jinx barely managed to cross her guns over her head in time, the impact knocking her flat on her back.

Fear and pain washed over Jinx as she tried to catch her breath. The blades were wrenched back, and her guns flew from her grip in pieces.

She tried to force the fuzziness and nausea away, reaching for the knife in her belt—only to have it kicked out of her grip and feel a terrible, crushing weight bear down on her hand. She screamed as something started to break.

“This is the great champion of Zaun?” Ambessa asked those watching, her tone soft with confusion.

Jinx bared her teeth. “You fucking—” Ambessa kicked her in the mouth hard, sending her head back onto the blood-stained stone.

Ambessa leaned down over her, now planting a foot on her chest. “Manners, child. How we leave this world is just as important as how we enter it, and how we conduct ourselves while we are here.”

Jinx laughed, eyes wide with panic, trying to push on the armored boot squeezing the life from her. “Then boy am I screwed.”

Ambessa raised an eyebrow and shrugged, bearing down more.

Jinx tried to hold out, but a wheezing scream ripped from her lungs.

Her vision went dark at the edges and her hearing went fuzzy. Tears of pain ran from her eyes. Somewhere in her mind, she prayed they were going to make it out. She prayed that Violet would know how hard she tried… how badly she wanted to make things right.

Over Ambessa’s shoulder, even though everything else was fuzzy… it was crystal clear when she saw Vi standing there, tall and strong with her big goofy smile, Isha riding on her shoulders waving, and Vander next to them, his eyes warm.

“It’s okay to be afraid, my girl. It’s okay.” His voice comforted her as she started to slip beneath the waves.

In her reverie, Jinx didn’t hear the low rumble and mechanical hum that drew Ambessa’s attention.

She didn’t see the green glow as it rocketed up over the top of Stillwater, dropping toward them like a bird of prey.

But she heard the crack of steel against a jaw—just as she felt the weight suddenly vanish from her chest, letting her breathe through bruised and very likely several broken ribs.

And she heard Ekko’s voice, flat and cold, the eager thrum of his sword bat arcing figure eights through the air, glistening with Ambessa’s blood.

“Hah. The Commander of the Firelights himself! Truly, I am blessed on this day,” Ambessa said, rising to her feet, grinning through blood-stained and broken teeth.

“Come on then. Let’s see if you can end the rebellion here and now, you fucking monster,” Ekko growled.

Ambessa nodded. “It will be my pleasure.”

As she stepped forward, there was a click… a beeping… louder.

Ambessa turned. “BACK!”

Ekko threw himself over Jinx as the entry to Stillwater exploded. And from the chaos, the surviving warriors of Zaun poured forth, bolstered by countless inmates—Topside and Zaun alike all victims of Ambessa’s abuse and treachery.

Sevika strode forward, her arm converted back to the blade. She smiled down at Jinx. “You did good, kid. The wounded are safe, and Vi is with them.” She stared back ahead as Ekko helped Jinx to her feet.

“Now we finish this.”

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Beautiful

Never shared that one before. Gosh I hate rendering hairs as you can tell lmao

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“People often fail to realize, they aren’t just grieving the one they lost. They are grieving who they were when this person was still in their life”

Hello all! Nothing new for anyone who follows me but I saw this quote and it reminded me of Caitlyn and her story. This is hardly some ground-breaking insight and it very likely came from a motivational poster or bumper sticker. But the point stands.

I have been EXTREMELY clear about my hatred of boiling all of Caitlyn’s trauma down to the loss of her mother. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a momentous and life-changing incident.

When you really consider the fact that her perception of reality was suddenly and violently altered in a very short period of time, it really isn’t that confusing that she fell prey to Ambessa.

Anyway, I can’t be around as much lately but still lurk and hope to finish my fanfic this week!

Take care

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The amount of people who totally disregard the whole speech leading up this moment make me question my own sanity.

I'm not doing a deep-dive. I've talked about this a lot. But Ambessa stands up in front of the rich and powerful of Piltover and plays them like a fucking fiddle. She stokes their fear. Justifies their rage. Promises them safety. And she caps it all off with convincing them to turn over "control" (while of course taking it for herself the whole time) to a traumatized young woman in her early twenties whose ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE just got blown apart.

It isn't complicated. You just need to watch the show. As a reminder, this is Ambessa when she realizes she has won-

"I would set the world ablaze to protect our family"- Ambessa Medarda

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I don't have the same amount of time to get on here lately but after reading through this..

Well... less questions I suppose. More points of confusion. How on earth you get Caitlyn is the reason everything goes wrong in season two is totally baffling.

Does Caitlyn do bad things? Obviously

Does she make mistakes? Obviously

Does she fail to see how she is being manipulated and played until a tremendous amount of damage has already been done? Obviously

But she is the reason everything goes wrong? Please share your mental process of logic explaining that conclusion. Because I cannot possibly imagine how you reached it.

In regards to your nifty list of choices Caitlyn made, first let me say your last one is incorrect. Go back and watch the scene where Ambessa manipulates the elite of Piltover into declaring Martial Law.

You may notice something odd...

Caitlyn isn't there making choices and telling people what to do. Where is our sneaky little dictator?

Oh that's right! Standing with the other Enforcers in no way in a position of power to declare Martial Law. Looking completely shocked and more than a tad scared at this turn of events. How strange.

Anyway moving on!

I have done extremely detailed arguments on the events you mention and can do so again if needed but for now, I will say this. Totally disregarding context doesn't make you more correct. Just more proud of your incorrectness.

If you can't make the point when considering all of what we are given, it's probably a bad point.

Who's gonna tell em about Caitlyn?💀🙏🏾

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Oh look! Pain!

ARCANE (2024)

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reunited

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Just a quick thing since I have seen a random boom of people defending this lately.

If you are defending Jinx abducting Caitlyn, and you are an adult (I’m not ragging on the obvious youngster portion of the fandom), you need to examine that.

And I’m not talking about people saying something like this-

“What Jinx did was terrible. But it is important to remember for honest discussion that she was an extremely mentally ill young woman. Who due to a lifetime of violence, loss, guilt and pain was overcome by her worst impulses and did something horrendous. Also, it’s important to note that Silco and Sevika both contributed to Jinx’s paranoia and fear over Caitlyn’s presence with Vi, making everything worse”.

That is legitimate and honest discussion based in the content and totally worth exploring regarding Jinx as a character.

But this?-

“Sorry not sorry. Caitlyn put on a uniform of a clearly oppressive system that ruined Jinx’s life. She got what she deserved. I don’t feel bad for her”.

I don’t have time at the moment to do my usual detailed explanation as to why this is so mind-numbingly idiotic. So, if you say this when you see a naked young woman kidnapped from her bathroom, held for close to a day, possibly tortured (i admit that one is fan-canon only at this point), dressed in her uniform ,bound and gagged and made to listen as her abductor tries to convince the woman she has feelings for to murder her……..

YOU ARE A CREEP

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I’ve said it on many occasions, but this has been my first time participating in a fandom. I have “met” a lot of really wonderful, insightful, and extremely creative people whose passion for this story has been a real positive in my life.

That being said, I truly NEVER expected the outrageous degree to which people misunderstand and misrepresent this story. It is so bad I and many of you have frequently wondered if it’s intentional.

Arcane is a highly detailed and layered story with wonderfully complex characters. But it isn’t subtle in its overall messaging whatsoever.

To @sapphiresaphics specific example, you have to be TRYING to miss the point if you don’t get this.

“I learned from someone… very special. No matter what happened in the past, its never too late to build something new”

The entire point of Arcane is about promoting the idea that no matter how much bad shit you’ve caused, it’s never too late to do something good.

And yet there are still people in the fandom that despise Caitlyn because she doesn’t fall on her hands and knees groveling and begging for forgiveness for her mistakes.

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Very cool read!

Let’s break down VI’s fight style!

Hi, I’m a long time mma fighter, blackbelt and weightlifter. Here’s some thoughts about how our favorite girl fights.

Basics first!

Vi was canonically trained by Vander.

She’s often smaller than her opponents.

Vi, like many female fighters in co-ed combat sports, relies on speed.

She’s fast, very fucking fast.

The speed of her throwing motion is immaculate, a quick get in motion. Designed to slip under the guard of an opponent.

She does very well with larger opponents and tends to throw hits in an upward motion, even keeping herself low on purpose.

This keeps larger opponents off balance, either having to bring themselves down to her or lean and throw off their center of gravity.

Vi, throws fast, but her return speed is horrible. Especially when she’s younger.

Her pullback should be twice as fast as her throw. It’s not.

She drops her guard when she goes for a hook, and almost every single time she dodges.

That’s bad, she’s leaving herself open to a lot of bad blows, and over-relining on her speed to keep her clear of hits.

Here we begin to see some refinement in her fighting. That speed is still there, but that bad habit of hesitation on her return is gone.

Her hits are targeted and concise, she’s going for vital organs.

This fight is actually one of my favorites because it’s one of the rare times we don’t see Vi rely on her power/strength. Sevika matches and outpaces her on that.

Interestingly sevika shows the same issue with her guard. At nearly the exact same stance/throws that Vi does.

While I do think Vander handled the brunt of her training, sevika was definitely part of that training. Both women exhibit the same base style, with obvious adaptations over time spent in different circumstances.

This is where Vi differs from both vander and sevika.

This is a incredibly distinctive choice, she’s not only subverting her normal style, but she’s directly contradicting it.

One of the things that allows Vi a leg up is this sudden shift.

She goes from a low level close quarter opponent, who relys on speed.

To a dynamic, light footed, heavy hit opponent.

Absolutely insane choice but it works incredibly well. You don’t expect a fighter to vary their style that wildly.

This is a Vi specific move. She uses this over and over again against almost every opponent we see her take on.

These dynamic blows throw her entire body weight into that hit, as well as keep the opponent off guard.

Her gauntlets didn’t change this!

She not only has increased power behind those hits, but added agility from the strength of the propelling push.

This allows her to grab onto this very effective sequence and use it over and over again with fantastic success.

Vi is not only a good fighter but she’s SMART she knows the game and can play it well. This is someone who knows how to clock an opponents fighting strategy.

Okay final thing. Violet is an incredible fighter but what stands out to me the most, is the story her fight style tells. She was a child fighting with adults for most of her primary learning years. She knows that she can be easily overpowered. She never takes her opponent to the ground because of this. She throws upward because the people she’s fought are always bigger and taller. She relys on speed and targeted hits because she has too.

Mostly, she’s mad. She fights like every blow is a personal fuck you. This is someone who was a scared child that became angry and violent to protect herself.