#⚙️ ⋆ arcane

[pearlcigs]

toxic dealer vi pls??🙏

lesbians try to be happy challenge GO! oh u guys failed… before anyone asks YES more dealer!ellie is coming and the requests from the events i’m just lazy

⋆ texts with gf!dealer!vi — tlou discord server

bonus!

despite having been blocked by vi countless times, you still felt your chest tighten and the tears stream down your face. you thought about dming her on instagram, calling her friends, doing something, anything. but trying to talk to her was what got you in this mess in the first place. you were sorry, why couldn’t she see that?

you sniffled to yourself in your dimly lit apartment, staring at the ashtray that you had purchased just so vi could smoke when she was over at your place. you remembered how she’d been so grateful, kissing your face and thanking you for thinking of her. she never used it though, not once.

the soft sound of a key turning in your front door went unnoticed, too busy wishing you said or did something different. the key belonged to vi, you gave her one when she asked (not so) nicely. she saw how you were sprawled out on the couch, sobbing into a pillow when she walked in. she clicked her tongue at the sight, pity filling her chest but not because she felt bad, but because she thought you looked pathetic.

she was quick to console you though, scooping you up in her arms as she sat on the couch. “don’t cry.” her voice held little comfort, but being in her arms was enough for you. “i thought you weren’t coming.” you frowned and held her close, and she returned the tight squeeze. “i was just upset, baby. you know how i get.” she kissed your forehead and you hated how much you adored it.

[sleepytimestardiamond]

jayce accidentally regressing when they’re at the lab, which would normally be fine, viktor’s a flip, he can just watch over jayce til he tires himself out or gets big again, but jayce is having so much fun, an vik wants to have fun too, an all of a sudden there are two little boys in the lab instead of one

nobody comes to check on them til there’s a big noise from the lab n heimerdinger comes to investigate, openin the door to see jay n vik with powder all over their faces cept over their eyes, n when he asks what happened vik tells him “jay wanted to see what would happen if we mixed a bunch of stuff together and that sounded very fun, but!! i told him we had to wear goggles ‘cause lab safety’s very important” and he looks so pleased that he remembered this detail and jay’s still bouncing on his toes from the excitement of the explosion goin “yeah, yeah! an’ it made a big boom, it was so cool!” n heimerdinger doesn’t have the heart to chastise them n instead just tells them they gotta go home

[mama-lua]

cg viktor and big brother jayce stimboard :3

for @sleepytimestardiamond <3

[tasteofchamomile]

sevi has the saddest shiniest eyes oh my goodness :(

[alternative-morenita]

Til' The End | Arcane

how much longer can you play the hero before you become the villain?

From a young age, Hyde had been groomed to lead under the tutelage of her mother until she was forced to the maternal role in her time of death. Believing that her passive-aggressive ways of leading were sufficient, she watches as an ordinary scheme shreds her new family to pieces. Having loss control over her life, she becomes a shell of herself and is terrified of her new role. As she struggles to balance her battles, an intruding figure returns home with questions and a topsider at her side.

pairing: Vi x OC [Hyde]

warning(s): sfw, canon violence, canon gore, cursing, young adult animation, 18+, themes contain fascism/racism (against mages)/dramatized depictions of mental health.

SEASON 1

ACT I

PROLOGUE

EPISODE 1 | 1.5

EPISODE 2

EPISODE 3

ACT II

EPISODE 4

[autumnsartblog]

Viktor…I hated drawing his SUIT

— REBLOGS + COMMENTS appreciated

[teddy-boar]

Jayvik Orchestral Theme

Made a little compilation of their orchestral themes together

A little background playlist to write to, if you will 💜⚙️🦋💜

[zaunite-royalty]

how are you, ekko?

are the firelights doing well?

- @viktorwithhextech

The firlights are doing better than last time you asked, we're both good.

what about you? how is your whole.. 👋🏿 stuff

[metalwinggedfairy]

🎇⏳⚙️ - Isha & Jinx sketches (they arw important to me)

[onna-musha-mari]

𝟙𝟚 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕖𝕝𝕗𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡𝕞𝕒𝕤

𝕕𝕖𝕔. 𝟚𝟝 ✧ 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕖 ✧ 𝕘𝕚𝕗𝕥 𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘

𝕋𝕠 𝕞𝕪 𝕕𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖…

ℙ𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘/ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣: all romantic f/o’s x their pairing

𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤: 469 (only the actual writing, not including the mini titles)

𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: fluff, some do have optional angst, not proofread

𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕤 ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤: less a fic and more a list of what each f/o would get for Christmas and what they would give. F/o first then my (s/i)/oc. I had so much fun doing this! And would love to do it again next year! ❤️ Christmas light dividers by @tsunami-of-tears

𝔸𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕐𝕧𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕖 (The Dragon Prince)

Aaravos gets Yvaine a new sketchbook and fancy pencils, or a star-spider silk shawl. If he gets her the notebook he definitely writes a little note in the front cover for her. Yvaine gets Aaravos any type of spell book/magical item/relic she found that he doesn’t have. Aaravos and Yvaine both help Leola make her gift for the other. (Want Angst? Here, Yvaine kept the sketchbook, and after Aaravos’s imprisonment she constantly rereads his note to her. Reminding herself that there was a time when he did love her.)

𝔸𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔸𝕕𝕖𝕝𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕕 (Castlevania)

Adrian gives her one of his mother’s or father’s old research books. Adelheid would definitely make him something, a new invention or alchemical solution specifically made for him.

𝔾𝕚𝕪𝕦𝕦 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕒𝕜𝕠 (Demon Slayer)

Giyuu probably needed Tanjiro to help him get a gift for Sunako, and in the end he would probably make her something like her favorite noodles. Sunako would also ask Tanjiro for help, getting him something practical, something he could use in training.

ℍ𝕠𝕨𝕝 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕄𝕖 (Howl’s Moving Castle)

Howl would probably give something enchanted. He is the greatest wizard in all of Ingary. I would probably get him some type of fancy clothing, fancy jewelry, stuff that fills that love of his appearance.

𝕃𝕠𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℂ𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚 (Voltron)

Lotor’s definitely using the Galra treasury to get her something that she would use or need often. Perhaps a new blaster or an upgrade to her ship or hearing aids. Cassi gets him a joke gift about Universal sign language, but would actually get him a custom sword hilt with an inscription.

ℕ𝕖𝕦𝕧𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔽𝕦𝕝𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚 (Genshin Impact)

Neuvillette gets Fulmati rare flowers from different regions as to add to her green house. Fulmati 100% gets Neuvillette some top quality water, all the fixings.

𝕊𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕣𝕦 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔽𝕦𝕜𝕒 (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Suguru buys Fuka all of the books on her “want to read but don’t have yet” list (hint, it’s a lot) Fuka gets him some experience, like a new museum or an aquarium date just the two of them.

𝕍𝕒𝕩’𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕍𝕝𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕧𝕒 (Vox Machina)

Vax would give Lada a necklace he made himself (with Vex’s help), it would have some charms or things to remind her of him. A small raven feather, wood carven dagger, stuff like that. Lada gives him a hand sewn leather dagger sheath, with embroidery similar to that of her people’s. (Want angst? Don’t mind spoilers? Here you go, Lada always wears Vax’s gift after he goes with the Raven Queen, as a way of remembering him.)

𝕍𝕚𝕜𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕟 (Arcane: LoL)

Viktor uses hextech to make Shan something, like a watch (so she can actually be on time for once) or something that she would like. Shan welded a metal flower for him. Which be keeps on his desk in the lab.

𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕞 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔼𝕝𝕚𝕫𝕒 (Moriarty the Patriot)

William gets Eliza hair pins, brooches, rings, lots of jewelry. Plus some chemistry books. Being a lord has some perks. Eliza in turn gives William some special chalks for his classes (inspired by @saioratral’s William x reader fic)

[shimmeringchemist]

— independent , semiselective , semiactive , written by Codon — hc heavy , canon divergent s2 act3

[pearlcigs]

⋆ waking up on christmas morning ft. ellie, abby, and vi — tlou discord server

the air is cold, snow sticking to the cloudy window. the sky outside was pure, the wind sneaking into the cracks of the window. ELLIE kept you close, hands wrapped around your waist with your back pressed against her chest. the blanket wrapped around both of your frames to shield you from the barren cold. you both know there's presents to be opened but neither of you really find it in you to care. they'll still be there later. you stay there for an hour or so, with her soft kisses along the back of your neck and her stupid christmas puns.

"hey babe," she snickers before she can even start the joke. "what do you call people who have a fear of santa?" she grins widely, laughing to herself knowing she had been planning on telling you this joke for weeks now. you laugh at her silliness, shaking your head, imagining the stupid grin she had on her face. "what?" you inquire. "claustrophobic." she tells eagerly, waiting for your reaction. "god, that's— that's stupid." your laughs beginning to mix with hers.

small snowflakes fell down from the sky, painting the ground white. the sun had just barely rose when you stirred awake, excitement immediately flowing through your veins. the covers are thrown off you by your own accord, the chilly air nipping at your skin. you couldn't help yourself, pulling the blankets off ABBY just as you had done to yourself. she groaned, pulling you against her in an attempt to keep herself warm with no blanket. you giggled in her ear, kissing her cheek with too much energy for her liking.

"wake up, wake up." you kiss her cheek between each word. "what time is it?" she questions, face still pressed against her pillow. "who cares, it's christmas!" you exclaim, pulling on her arm to get her up. "it's time for presents— ooh! i know exactly which one i want you to open first." you continue to pull on her. "alright, alright, i'm coming..." she lets out a small 'oomph' as she sits up, pulling you into her lap. "merry christmas, my love." she gets sweet and sappy for a moment, kissing your forehead. "we're making coffee first." she demands and you just roll your eyes.

the fire crackles, blankets askew on the floor, barely covering both of your bodies. you slept in front of the fire place, VI insisting she just had to stay up all night to catch santa. you couldn't recall when you both fell asleep, only knowing you felt safe in her arms the night before. vi was the first to wake, eyes wondering to the tree that she was just sleeping 10 feet from. presents littered the skirt of the tree, a smile forming on her face as her eyes flickered between your sleeping form and the presents.

"santa came!" she shook you awake, eliciting a groan from your sleep deprived lips. she wore a toothy smile on her face, knowing it wasn't really santa who put those presents under the tree, but you. "come onnnn. these presents better be opened by 7 am on the dot." she threatened emptily. she leaned down, kissing your face, your shoulders, your stomach, anywhere she could. with each kiss, the grogginess vanished just a little. you had to admit, seeing her this excited made your heart warmer than hot cocoa.

finished this at 10:53pm 😅 better late than never i suppose..

[sleepytimestardiamond]

Yoo if you're up for it/if you want too, any headcanons on jayvik as caregivers??

If you're still taking requests ofc 👍

yes i would love to !!

jayce sticks to a tight feeding/meal schedule, set bath time, bedtime, etc., whereas viktor is more of a go with the flow kind of cg.

in the same vein, jayce tends to be more nervous and hovers. he’s constantly fussing over you, making sure you’re not too cold or that you have enough toys. meanwhile, viktor is of the opinion that independent exploration and falling down and picking yourself back up (literally or figuratively) helps with learning how to problem solve and with emotion regulation so that if you regress without them around you can at least be somewhat self sufficient until they’re able to get there.

viktor is more verbal than physical with his affection. he goes out of his way to tell you how proud he is of you every day, calls you pet names in his native language, and always makes sure that you know how much your caregivers love you. however, he’ll never turn down a hug or request for cuddles from his little one.

jayce likes doing physical activities with you, at whatever frequency and intensity you’re able to do. he always makes sure to hold your hand when you’re out walking, and he gives you piggyback rides around the lab (it gets both your energy out).

they both make you little toys and trinkets; viktor’s are usually made up of a collection of gears and wires, though he does his best to child proof the more dangerous parts, and jayce’s are usually something decorative made from scrap metal from the forge.

jayce loves to cook for you and is thrilled if you want to join him in the kitchen. viktor will sit and watch as he scribbles notes with leftover thoughts from the lab and occasionally tell you to check that jayce is cooking the recipe correctly. jayce messes up on purpose because it makes you laugh.

there are some days where viktor’s having a bad pain day, or there’s a particularly sharp chill in the air that keeps jayce tucked tightly in bed. when these days happen, you’re usually primarily with your other cg, but they’ll bring you into the bedroom or the living room or wherever their partner currently is, and you’ll show them a picture you colored for them and maybe cuddle (you love being the middle spoon) and they’ll smile fondly at you and think how lucky they are to have such an attentive partner and such a wonderful regressor.

[textbookz-n-sketchbookz]

Textbooks and Sketchbooks - CHAPTER ONE

Awsome Sauce Chapter Recap: Marly goes to her secret spot, falls, and excitedly yells at a random person she sees (extra cool).

Word Count: 3048

Warnings: None!

The grace of a school holiday settled upon Piltover’s Academy, students and staff free for a day to do as they please. While the young scholars socialized and caught up with friends, lounged in their homes, or met up with family, a young artist roamed the streets. Colorful as can be, Marly could be seen walking around. She still had her purse, notebooks, and stoplight red water bottle on her, as usual. Tilting her head as she looked around, the city of Piltover was busy as ever. All around there were merchants selling trinkets and items, elites gossiping as they trotted along, and the citizens of the city living at their finest. 

Glancing at all the people, she quickly jogged away from the mainland, away from all the noise and busy crowded areas. As much as the business was fine with her, and as much as she was often as loud as the city itself, it wasn’t what she was looking for today. Marly hummed softly as she moved around the terrain, diverting from the pristine cut grass and evenly painted buildings towards the more untouched, unkempt sides of Piltover. 

Noise and chatter slowly subsided, now Marly’s ears filled with the sound of rushing water. This place was where the citizens of Piltover rarely went. Not because this area of the city was dangerous, simply because it didn’t reflect the perfecality of Piltover. At this point Marly wasn’t even sure if it was considered a part of the city anymore. Geographically, yes it was part of Piltover. But by now, when people say ‘Piltover’, they think of the City of Progress, where art and science come together hand in hand. A place fit for only the most elite, and the brightest of minds. Such an immaculate city wouldn’t see an area so ragged as something fit and worthy to claim. After all, it was an old, practically abandoned land. Something one finds in a science textbook about how erosion affects the earth, not in a city that’s the pinnacle for progress.

Marly walked along the land, looking over the edge of a rusty staircase. She glanced around, seeing if she had any witnesses. It wouldn’t matter, despite all of Piltover’s laws, there wasn’t one for going into this area. As usual in the areas further away from the big city, there was no one around, everyone being too enthralled with the day to day flawlessness of the main area. She slowly ventured down, one hand holding all her stuff, the other lightly trailing along the handrail. She kept her gaze on her feet, to prevent herself from missing a step, or tripping. Soon she made it down, now standing along what seemed to be a ledge in the middle of an open space. It was too high for her to jump down, and any attempts to climb down were too steep. Water pooled in a small lake at the bottom, though was quite shallow, having dried up over the years. A little stream flowed behind some rocks in the scenery. Once lush plants now wilted, some having turned to thin vines, others having bunches of yellow leaves curled up from lack of care and water. 

The artist often went here for quiet time, a simple escape from the loud city and the stresses that came with it. Sometimes she would draw, other times she would walk around and simply wonder about the part of Piltover that was so different from the main city. She’s drawn this place a couple times, deeming it the only scenery she would be willing to draw on her own time. In her sketchbook, one could find Marly’s studies of the glass windows in the side of the ledge. The glass hadn’t been cleaned in a while, dimmed and damp with time, water leaking from them. She believed the pattern and arrangement of the material to look similar to a geometric skull, perhaps a menacing face or even a mask someone would wear, encased in the circular rim. 

Anything from lazy marker sketches that took Marly twenty minutes, to intricate charcoal pieces, she drew this little area. She’d even find ways to implement it into her personal art and even school projects. The wilted plants appeared in the background as a supporting element to a piece about nature’s toll on human structures. The shallow lake has some sort of creature drinking out of it, for a creative fantasy painting. That window design that looks so much like a mask is turned into an actual mask, for a fake product design project. This simple area that Marly discovered on a whim has become something so substantial in her art journey.

Standing on the start of the suspended ledge, Marly tilted her head. She slowly stepped away from the base of the staircase, walking towards the middle of the area. She could spot what seemed to be a red shed, its door missing and roof chipped and weathered away. This hasn’t caught her attention before. It’s paint was wearing off, whoever used this in the past was definitely long gone, abandoning the small shed. These were similar traits to the couple of smaller huts and sheds behind this one, lost of their use. As she looked around, she compared the buildings on the ledge to those in the distance, of which were a part of the main Piltovan land. The ones with her were obviously older, in fact this whole area seemed older. Compared to the rest of Piltover, this area still retained its natural composition. It was created by a large fissure, rather than carved out by hand like the rest of the city. 

Continuing to make observations, Marly spotted a large wall, fit with three holes. She tilted her head, squinting her eyes slightly. The holes seemed to be drainage openings, the faint speckle of moving machinery behind them. In past years, the wall wasn’t there, and she would be able to see the city behind it, had she known about this spot then. 

Marly came to the conclusion that this abandoned land had been left behind during Piltover’s main industrialization era. It was now its own little bubble, a humble reminder of how the grand city started. She hoped that this lovely area wouldn’t fall to the Piltover ways, and end up caught in a construction project, hammered away to make room for the next big thing the city has to offer. Thankfully, judging by now everyone had seen to have forgotten this place, there was a bigger chance that it would be left safe.

Turning her attention back to the red shed, Marly stared at it, her gaze sharp. She then stuck her hand into her purse, pulling out a pencil case. Opening it, she dug around, carefully not to knock any supplies out. Marly grabbed an old red marker, something she kept on her for the sake of luck and its familiarity. She made her way to the shed, arms flapping slightly as she jogged. Once she reached it, she uncapped the marker, setting it to a barren section, where the paint was gone, and now unmarked wood was left. Marly’s eyes widened slightly when she saw how the color match was almost perfect, her marker being a slight bit too dark and saturated. Though it added a slight charm to the shed, an imperfect human touch, something that Piltover’s buildings often lacked. She continued to work away, coloring like a child over their parent’s walls. She had no reason to do this, Marly just thought it’d be nice to do something, and leave a bit of herself in this place.

Shifting her foot slightly, Marly’s heel caught on a bit of scrap metal sticking out the ground. She stumbled, arms flailing about as she yelped. Clutching her marker tightly in one hand, Marly slowly regained her balance, sticking her arms up as she looked around, slightly fazed and faltered. She glanced around wildly, searching for the cause of her almost tripping. She quickly spotted the metal, and tilted her head. To be sure it was just that, Marly looked up and around some more, making sure this wasn’t the cause of a person. There was no one around, so why would there be? She’s pretty sure she was the only person that bothered visiting this place. Though, as her gaze flitted over the large wall, she paused. 

In the middle drainage hole, there was a figure. Marly couldn’t make out any big details about who it could be. But there was a person! In the same little space she thought no one else visited, there was a person. They seemed to be sitting on the ledge of the hole, the posing of their body suggested that they were looking at her. Marly perked up, and upon closer examination, they seemed to be wearing the Academy uniform. She furrowed her brow and tilted at this, as it was a holiday. Yes, she considered the uniform pretty, but why wear it on a day with no school? Raising her hands to cup the air around her mouth, she decided to speak. 

“Hey!!” Marly called out, closing her eyes as she spoke. When she thought to ‘speak’, she actually meant ‘yell’. Her voice rang out through the area, and Marly was glad that no one would be close enough to hear her. God forbid Marly ever forget how loud she could be. Thankfully for today, it would only be her and this mystery student. 

The continuous whirring of cogs and machinery is interrupted by the rhythmic clank clank clank of Viktor’s cane. He slowly made his way to the edge of the large drainage hole, ducking underneath the swinging mechanisms. Grateful for the holiday, he sat down on the edge of the hole, staring out into the old land. His blank stare stops when a small blur of color comes into view below. Looking down, Viktor tilted his head, amused as he watched the figure.

The girl had come back again, colorful as ever. Viktor watched her saunter throughout the ledge, as he stayed hidden away in the drainage hole. He often came to this area to think, to get away from the stress of the city. Viktor technically wasn’t supposed to even be at the Academy, he snuck in and hasn’t been discovered since. It wasn’t a particularly burdensome thing to do, pretend to be a student, though it didn’t really allow him to pursue what he wanted to be, a scientist and inventor. Specifically to change the world and make it a better place for everyone. But with his current position, he had a feeling he would just have to wait until someone noticed him. 

Turning his attention back to the colorful figure, Viktor knew he had seen the girl before. The first time he spotted her, he had mistaken her for a child that had run away and gotten lost. She was dressed in strikingly bright clothes that looked out of place in comparison to Piltover fashion. Her figure was small, so from far away he assumed she was a kid. Though, seeing her appear on the ledge below in the Academy uniform made him reform his thoughts. She was simply short, conundrum solved. 

It was always the same girl that appeared. Often clumsy in the way she moved sometimes, while other times moving sharply, as if she was a choppy animation. But in general, she moved like a cartoon character, with big gestures, her shoulder length black hair swaying whenever she moved. When she didn’t wear the Academy uniform she wore uniquely bright clothing. When she did wear the uniform, she kept her colorful shoes, and the abundance of accessories on her arms. Viktor couldn’t make out much more of her, since he was so far away whenever he saw her. He noted that she often had things with her. She would sometimes sit down and look around, before glancing down to what seemed to be paper. Perhaps she was some sort of artist? He had never seen her in the Academy before, staying as his unsolved equation for all the one sided encounters he had with her. Viktor had gotten small glimpses of her face when he glanced in his general direction, but never directly at him. They never interacted, she stayed on the far ledge, and Viktor stayed up in the drainage hole, surely he was just specks of color from her perspective. He never watched her for long, usually a few minutes at most. It would be impolite to invade her privacy, but seeing as she also knew this secretive place, Viktor couldn’t help but be curious.

Today, the girl seemed to contemplate things, before approaching the old red shed. She jogged, her bright clothing making her look like a bright beetle, scurrying about. Viktor tilted his head, and moved to sit on the ledge of the hole. She rarely interacted with the land, usually sitting down and observing. He left his cane behind him, leaning it against the wall. The whirring of machinery behind him was the continuous soundtrack whenever he went here. He let his legs dangle off the ledge, watching as she did something to the shed. She was too far away for him to fully know what she was doing, but all he could pick up was that she was heavily focused on it. 

She moved slightly, before stumbling. Viktor assumed that she almost tripped. He leaned forward as he watched her flail around, the falter earning a yelp from her. The yelp earned a raised eyebrow from Viktor, as he’s never heard anything from her up until now. The girl looked around frantically, staring at the floor. She continued to look around, before her gaze fell on him. Viktor paused, looking back. She had never acknowledged him before, or even been aware that he was even there in the distance. He tilted his head, the girl mirroring his action moments later. 

All of Viktor’s thoughts were interrupted as a loud ‘Hey!!’ sounded, and his eyes widened in surprise. For someone so small, she seemed to pack an explosive voice. He flinched slightly, his hand reaching to the wall to steady himself, before attempting to peer closer.

“Don’t fall!” Came the voice of the girl again, noticing his movement. Viktor chuckled softly, he didn’t plan on it. She waved her arms, the soft rattling of her bright bracelets filling the air.

Today had many firsts for them. First time having the girl see him, first time interacting with her, and first time hearing her speak. Viktor hoped that she would come back to this place, while knowing he would be there. She made quite the first impression when interacting with him. Whoever this was, she seemed very open to being friendly.

After watching the mystery student move from her call, Marly yelled out not to fall. She didn’t want to be the reason such a serene place suddenly becomes a crime scene. She had so many questions about this person. Who are they? Why are they up in the drainage hole? How did they even get up there? How do they also know about this place? But for now, she would focus on interacting with them now.

“Hello!” Marly called out. The figure lifted their arm, waving at her. When there was no verbal response, she assumed they were too quiet for her to hear. She waved back, smiling excietly at the figure. She needed some way to remember this. So she quickly grabbed her sketchbook and a mechanical pencil. “Stay still!” She exclaimed. Thankfully listening, the figure stayed still. 

Marly quickly sketched the figure. It was loose, messy, perhaps even ugly. But it provided all she needed to commit them to memory. Closing her sketchbook and looking back up at the figure, she could see the start of a shadow creeping over the wall. It was getting darker outside. Not wanting to get caught up in walking home at night, she promptly cleaned up her stuff, waving her arms. A short encounter, yes, but perhaps the person would come back to this place. If Marly believed that this was a nice, secret place, maybe this mysterious student did, too. If they believed this was a nice place, they would most likely come back, and maybe then they could talk. 

“Bye! See ya soon!” She smiled, waving her arms once more, colorful kandi bright as a friendly siren. She was sometimes blunt with these things, always straight to the point. The figure stood up after she spoke, pausing before they retreated into the background. Marly turned away, grabbing her things. Sure, she never really got a response from the mystery figure, but there was some sort of understanding connection whenever she spoke. A non-verbal response was just as good a response as any, and she was grateful the figure even did respond. Most students from the Academy would have either ignored her, or thought of her as weird. 

Marly mentally jotted down that she would have to visit the spot again. She hoped the figure would still be there, maybe she could find out more about them. Marly made her way back to the main city, eager to make it home. Then she would be able to jot out all her thoughts, and decipher who this new person could be. In all honesty, they weren’t that much of a mystery. It was only the who are you’s and what you are doing here’s that categorized this person anywhere in the unknown. She shouldn’t even care that much, whoever that person was had all the rights to be in the area as she did. 

When school started again tomorrow, Marly would try and find time to figure who the person was. Perhaps she would ask around, see if anyone knew. For now, she would stick to the scribbled drawing she had. Messy marks on a page, her only proof that someone else shared this serene space with her. Holding all her stuff, she glanced back at the drainage hole, an unknown feeling lingering in her chest. This was certainly one of Marly’s stranger encounters with someone from her school, to say the least.

(the secret spot in question ⬆️)

[alternative-morenita]

1.2 - Mysteries Unsolved

EP. 2 - MYSTERIES UNSOLVED contents: prologue | 1.1 | 1.1.5 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 |

The boisterous crowd roars obnoxiously as their adrenaline -- and substance -- blown eyes watch the deathmatch beneath them. A tall, athletically slim man hunches over his opponent with her every step, his sharp eyes follow and when she disappears in his blind spot, his pointed dog-like ears twitch.

Face shot, slip right, double jab to left stomach. Slip left, slip right. Left upper hook. 3012

Cast in his shadow, Hyde stands unravelled and alert. Her typically covered figure dawns a simple grey bandage wrap that was buckled tight across her breast, chiselled torso was on display. Her brown skin is traced with scars, black taped hands are intact and soiled with blood. Her short hair was pulled back in a puff, rogue strands brushing against her brow bone.

The two fighters pant, exchanging punches as they fall into a dance of evenly matched hits. Whenever he punched, she slipped and whenever she kicked, he blocked. A bell rings causing them to look up, the official waves an orange flag as a refurbished street sign behind flickers: Ability Round.

Right slip, left slip. Duck under, chest shot. 4036.

With that call, the fighters transform before the crowd's eyes. Sett's hands enlarge and his digits curl inwards as pointed claws begin to grow. Hyde's eyes flash green as matching coloured lines trail down her body and under the waistband of her jeans. Sett jumps forward, right fist reeled back as he gathers all of his might.

Before he could land the hit, a thick vineyard ploughs into his chest. He soars backwards, planting a crescent into the arena's stone walls. He growls, charging at the teen as his legs pick up at preternatural speed. Hyde leans forward, slamming her hands into the stone and grassy mixed floorbed. A zig-zag of weeds sprouts from the crack of force, aiming for the Vastayan.

Left jab. Slip left. Right uppercut. Double left jab, right hook. Face shot. 7900.

One after another, they wrap around his limbs relentlessly despite his attempts at cutting them down. Blinded and winded, Sett fails to free himself when a chakram slings in an arch through the grassy tendrils. He falls to his knees, confused, and as he turns around two other chakrams sling at his shoulders. Pinned to the wall, his eyes widen as Hyde suddenly appears in front of him, the metal heel of her boot connects to his chin and it forces his head against the wall.

His body slumps without further effort. The crowd then roars impossibly louder as the official, a brown yordle that resembled that of a Chilrean, lowers himself into the ring with a bag of cogs in hand. Hyde grabs the chakrams, sheathing them as she makes her way to the yordle's side. He grabs her wrist, speaking to the audience.

Hyde - 8015. Vi - 7900. Hyde - 5390. Vi - 4092.

"And your winner, Zaun's very own," he trails dramatically, "the Champion of the People... Hyde!"

A roar bursts in a round of applause; however, Hyde's reaction was stoic and empty as she accepts her earnings.

Leaving the trenches of the Underground, the crowded party streets were absent and daunting. Three figures burst from a door on her left, two masked enforcers were beating on a random Zaunian. Her eyebrows furrow, the oppressive presence hadn't raided these streets in years.

As if they could feel her presence, the officers look over at the teen. She freezes, her jaw clenching anxiously as they inch toward her. Her earthy eyes fall onto the damp wall beside her, the hum of magic echoes in her ears.

The officers freeze as she punches at a patch of moss that engrained itself within the stone. Enforcers watch the rock and moss come to life, rippling down the wall and blasting through the street. The conjured beam of earth slams against the two, allowing her to escape on foot.

Slipping into a narrow lane, she leaps, climbing effortlessly onto the roof of a building. With the wind blowing through her hair, the child of Janna darts through the sky. Beneath her, the streets of Zaun were flooded with blue suits and fancy masks.

Her face scrunches with anguish as old memories force their way from the corner of her mind. Flashes of enforcers paroling the Underground for pure pleasure as they abuse families and taunt drunkards into fights.

The closer she reaches the Last Drop, the angrier she becomes. Flipping inside Vander's office from the roof, she makes her way downstairs where an angry mob seems to have gathered around Vander and Benzo.

Sevika plants her hand on a table, face scrunched, "we should hit them back. We've got the numbers to beat them."

"Yeah," a man echoes. "Let's teach them what it means to mess with us." The others follow, their cheering sentiments coming together.

Vander and Benzo stand against the bar, unmoved. The barman lights his pipe, inhaling the substance before glancing at the crowd.

"You sure that's what you want?" A voice calls from the back, "let's do it!"

"We've crossed that bridge once before, and we all know how that ended," he states. Hyde's nose twitches, mage marks hum with power once more.

A man shakes his head, "you're just protecting your kids." Vander glances over his shoulder, the group of children that had started the issue watch silently from the shadows.

Vander shuffles in front of them. "I'm protecting our people. I'd do the same for any one of you," he softly argues. "We look out for each other. It's the way it's always been. This will blow over. We just need to stand together."

From the shadows, Hyde shakes her head. Her face tightens with anger at every pacifist word that spews from her mentor's mouth.

Sevika speaks up, "the Vander I knew, the one who built the Underground, wouldn't be afraid to fight."

Taking a slow inhale from his pipe once more, Vander steps toward the woman, looking into her eyes. "Do I look afraid?"

She snarls, unflinching. "No. You look weak."

With a sharp whistle, she begins to walk from the bar as the crowd follows. She comes to a small pause at the door, her hazel eyes glancing at Hyde's gold ones in the dark. Sevika sends a nod at the teen before leaving out into the streets. Looking down at Vander, she hops over the railing and lands on the bar.

"So, this is it?" She questions, looking off at the quiet environment of the bar.

"Enforcers raid the Lanes tireously, abusing the old, the sick, and everyone in between and we're just supposed to what? Twiddle our thumbs and hope that everything just goes over their heads?"

He sighs, "Hyde."

She shakes her head, "no. Vander, I'm not a child anymore! I have my rage under control now, but topside still has that pretentious stick shoved up their asses. Nothing has changed in the four years we've played nice."

She points at the door of the Last Drop.

"That explosion that happened during the robbery was the aftermath of something extreme. The owner of the apartment was some rich nerd, of all people. They're going to make an example out of someone and if that means all of Zaun then they will. It's time to start fighting again."

"You know I can't," the man rubs at his bushy eyebrows, shoulders tense.

"We've both seen the consequences of what happens when we rebel. I blame myself for a lot of things, but losing your mom and then the girls' parents... that was my call and I was the only one who left standing."

Hyde shakes her head, "you're forgetting that I was there, too. You've forgotten that those days are no more. We're healthier than we've ever been. Not many of us work within in the mines, struck with Grey. We can fight and we can fight harder than ever before. My mother knew the risks and she still brought me on that bridge, she still stood at your side."

"I get that you want to protect us," she scoffs. "But playing the middle man will only get you killed, Vander. Just pick up your gauntlets and let Piltover know that Zaun simply wants their independence. It's what we deserve."

She walks for the door when Vander chimes from behind. "You're leaving your coin," he calls. She stops, looking at him from over her shoulder.

"It's a part of Ekko's inheritance," Hyde shrugs. "The rest of the stash is hidden with Benzo. Give it to him for me?" With that, she walks out of the Last Drop with a new toy and a plan.

Straddled in the center of Benzo's shop, Hyde drinks from an amethyst-coloured bottle. Her eyes stare hooded and contemplative as calloused fingers trail the electrum lines that have attached themselves to her skin like a tattoo. She hums softly to herself as she remembers the day she discovered her heritage.

"Oh, my little flower," her mother coos, leaning forward on her knees toward the small child curled in a corner. "It seems you've unlocked a sense of yourself a lot quicker than expected."

She glances over at the beanstalk rooted in their living room, just brushing the ceiling. The woman takes on a wince, glancing down at the five-year-old. "Hopefully, we can clean this before your father comes home, yeah?" She chuckles.

"You're... you're not mad at me? At all?" The young girl sniffles, large brown eyes gleaming similar to that of a baby yordle. Her mother laughs, her heart of steel softens, as she shakes her head.

"Of course not, my heart. This simply means that you're growing into a strong woman."

"You are your mother's daughter."

"Hyde?" A gasp breaks her from the flashback. The teen looks up, glazed eyes meeting Vi's sombre ones. "What are you doing here? I, Ekko's been looking for you since Vander gave him your bag of cogs."

The older teen sighs, leaning back in her chair. "I'm doing what no one else seems to be able to do, Vi."

She looks over at the pink-haired girl, a small smirk perks on her face. "Taking responsibility, such an honourable thing that those with the most loving hearts do."

Vi freezes, shaking her head. "No," she breathes.

"Hyde, please tell me you're not going to take the fall for my fuck up. You have Ekko waiting for you to return, you've gotten yourself an apartment -- a job. Why screw that up? Why leave it behind when I can admit my mistakes?"

"As you said," Hyde shrugs, "I've made my accolades. I've fought in a war, I got a job, I've created a mound of inheritance for my loved ones when I'm gone; not a lot of people down here can say they've done the same. You deserve to live that life too, shortcake."

Hyde then looks over at her, eyebrow raised. "What're you doing here?" She retaliates. "I took the capsule for a reason, so what made you come here?"

"Vander," she admits.

"After he gave me a talk about trying to go about everything with violence, we got back home and he realized that his capsule for the Sheriff was gone. I already knew it had to have been you, I heard everything you said to him after Sevika left."

She leans against the older teen's shoulder, head laying on top of the wild mass of curls. "And?" Hyde urges her to continue. The girl bends her head in shame, wide eyes adopting a puppy like pout.

"Since we've met, you have fought for us," she huffs. "This can't be the end of everything," she whispers. "What are we going to do when you're gone?"

Hyde picks her head up by the jaw, softly. "You live, make a name for yourself and live," she lands a soft peck on her forehead.

Keys jingling paired with heavy footsteps catches their attention. Eyes narrowed, Hyde stands off of the stool as she pushes Vi behind her. Her shoulders form a hunch as her fists clench. The door swings open, barely surviving on the broken hinges thanks to the blue eyed girl.

The teens relax, eyes widen with surprise. "Vander?" They question. 

In the doorway stands their father figures, their usual mugged faces had been replaced with one similar to panic.

The taller man sighs in relief as he steps in further, "we don't have much time." 

"How did you find us?" Vi wonders.

Hyde, on the other hand, shakes her head. "You can't keep trying to fix things, Vander." 

His large hands cups their shoulders. "I'm proud of you, both of you. Always have been," a soft smile takes over his bearded face.

Hyde looks off to the side while Vi shakes her head. "Tell her that she shouldn't do this, please. There has to be something else that we can do," she begs.

Dogs begin barking in the distance. Benzo looks over at them, "Vander." He glances over his shoulder before focusing his gaze onto Vi.

He cups her face close, "you've got a good heart. Don't ever lose it. No matter how the world tries to break you. Protect the family." 

His eyes take a moment to glance at Hyde before returning to Vi's wide ones. "What are you--"

Vander pushes her back, into a cellar and shuts the door forcefully, locking it. 

"Vander!" Vi calls. "Let me out. This isn't right," she begins to bang her fist against the wood.

Hyde hears the enforcers enter the shop and looks over at them. She tilts her head, "Grayson." 

The captain nods, "Hyde. Now, am I to be taking you in or that?" She nudges her head in Vander's direction.

The teen holds out her hands, "I'm sure you already know the answer." 

Grayson nods for Marcus to handcuff the teen when Vander steps in front of her. Her tense face slackens, eyeing the man in confusion.

Marcus does the same, snarling. "You going to let me make the arrest or not?"

"You'll oblige a doomed man one last smoke," he sighs and lights his pipe. "The hell he will," Hyde blurts.

Grayson steps forward, "I'm not putting you away, Vander." He shrugs, "the council needs its pound of flesh and it won't be her."

The captain looks up, "without you down here, it all falls apart." Hyde nods, frantically. "Benzo will handle things," Vander nods to the shorter man. 

"He may not have my devilish charm, but he runs a tight ship," the barman compliments. Hyde looks between the men with a glare of betrayal.

"You won't be coming back for a long time," Grayson once again tries to change his mind. 

Vander walks toward Marcus, nodding. "I know." Hyde goes after him, arm reaching for his.

"Stop, please. Vander, stop playing the fucking martyr," she hisses as her honey eyes become teary. Benzo holds her into his chest, a permanent scowl decorates his wrinkled face.

"Why?" Grayson inquiries. Vander hums, "it's the only way."

Handcuffed, he follows Marcus outside. Grayson falls into step without another word while Hyde pushes Benzo off of her. "Let me go," she growls and marches out the shop. 

"Vander--" She falls silent as Grayson and the rest of her men are confronted by a beast.

The sole survivors -- which were herself, Benzo, Vander, and Marcus -- huddle beside one another as their eyes watch every direction for the beast's next attack. 

Amongst the fog, boots click against the wet stone as a figure slowly approaches. A slender man with one blue eye and an orange eye favored on the scarred part of his face comes into light. Benzo and Vander's faces drop as Hyde gazes between the three with confusion. 

"Silco?" Benzo gasps. He growls, "you animal. Go crawl back into whatever hole you came out of." He stalks forward, stick ready.

"Benzo, stay back," Vander calls. 

Hyde panics, her breathing frantic. "Benzo, stop!"

The man, Silco, simply stares at the husky man. "You never did know when to walk away." Vander takes a step forward, "wait."

Benzo goes to swing when the beast returns, racing into the man as his blood coats the ground.

"No!" Vander cries. Hyde belts, "Benzo!"

Vander falls to his knees, eyes closed while Hyde silently cries; finding it impossible to look away.

"Hmm," Silco tilts his head. "Stubborn to the end."

Marcus steps forward, eyes wide. "What the hell have you done? This wasn't the deal!"

Silco steps forward, "deal's changed." He tosses a huge bag of cogs into his chest, walking past him. 

The beast steps closer to them, his growl vibrating through their bones. Hyde steps in front of Vander, her mage marks appearing with a daunting glow. It goes to punch at her when a green shield appears over her, absorbing the impact. Strands of green tendrils bounce off of her form, surrounding the barren alley with light. 

The beast roars, slamming against her shield with both hands. Hyde grits her teeth, her body caving under his weight as her energy begins to deplete. From behind, Vander shakes his head as tears trek down his chiseled face. The monster breaks through her magic, sending the mage stumbling back. 

He slams his fist into her side, forcing her to fall beside Benzo. As if it knew her, the beast sends a taunt-like huff at the girl before stepping to Vander. It reals back its arm as the man closes his eyes, waiting for the hit, and lands a heavy cross against his jaw.

Vander topples, the last he saw was of Silco. 

Silco quietly turns to walk away. The beast grips Vander and Hyde by their hair, dragging their bodies down the street. Hidden in the sky, Ekko stares frozen as his eyes tremble. He watches the plot of blood that circled Benzo's body to the streak of it that followed the trail his sister was dragged. He shakes his head, collapsing onto the metal roof as he watches their shadows dimen in the distance. 

[pomegranate-watermellon]

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