#* [ vis. ] we're the ones that built this city.

[erodedlight]

a tweat before i go to work! my baby boy in his 'sunday best'.

[jinxedbychaos]

Echoes of Insanity Ch.1

Shadows From the Past and Crystals of Chaos

Two sisters, bound by blood and trauma, descend into madness. Forced to rely on each other to survive, twins Powder and Ash are tormented by their shared past. As the line between sisterly love and obsession blurs, they stand on the edge of self-destruction. Can they break the cycle, or are they destined to be consumed by the darkness within?

jinx (powder) x twin sister

This is the first fanfic I ever write and English is not my first language so bear with me.

I don't have an specific path for this fic so if you have an idea just leave it in the comments and ill put it into consideration.

past-

Powder and I hold tightly to our older sister's hands, one of us on each side of her. As we walk across the bridge, we both sing softly

"Dear friend across the river..." Ashes falling from the sky in pieces. "My hands are cold and bare... dear friend across the river, I'll take what you can spare."

The distant sound of fire echoes in the background.

"I ask for you a penny, my fortune it will be. I ask you without envy— we raise no mighty towers, our homes are built of stone."

we cover our eyes, just as our sister told us to, shielding us from the sight of the bodies lying around.

"So come across the river and find..."

Our singing fades as our sister suddenly stops. wanting to know why I'm the first uncover my eyes followed by powder, looking up at her. I glance downward and freeze, startled by the sight of all the bodies. My grip tightens around my older sister's hand.

Nearby, we hear the sound of fighting. A man is battling, breathing heavily after taking down a enforcer. The man looks back at us, before Vi steps forward, pulling us behind her, shielding us as the man approaches. My heart races, but as he gets closer, we recognize him.

I watch as our older sister frantically scans the area. The man, understanding what she’s searching for, he tilts his head to the left.

There, I see them Mama and Papa, lying on the ground. Clinging to my sister’s arm, I look up at her face. It scrunches, and tears begin to fall. She collapses to her knees, crying out in agony, her sobs filling the air.

Not fully understanding what has happened but desperate to comfort her, we wrap our arms around her, hugging her tightly, trying to make her feel better.

The man carries Powder and me as we sleep, exhausted from everything that happened. Vi walks beside him, clutching his jacket between her fingers. She glances back, watching the enforcers leave, and her grip tightens around Vander's jacket, her expression shifting from sadness to pure anger seeing all the destruction around her.

-------------

present-

"We're almost there," Vi says, looking down at us.

"Aw, man..." I hear Mylo whine.

Vi reaches the top of the building and looks around. I’m just behind Powder as she climbs up and reaches the top, I see her hand reach out to help me. She pulls me up onto the roof.

i let a small thanks

"Hey, Powder, Ash, come take a look," Vi calls.

We walk over to her, standing beside her and gazing out at the view of Piltover.

"Whoa..." I hear Powder whisper.

"It's nice, getting above it all, huh?" Vi says, looking out over the city. Mylo and Claggor join us, standing behind.

Suddenly, an airship flies over our heads. Powder and I watch it, mesmerized.

"One day, we're gonna ride on one of those," Powder says with determination, hugging my arm and smiling at me. And I smile back at her.

"And one day, I'm gonna shoot one of 'em down," Mylo adds, pointing at the airship, mimicking a gun with his fingers as he pretends to shoot at it. Vi quickly swats his arm.

"Vi, are you sure about this?" Claggor asks, looking down at the houses. "Look, if we get caught, we're—" he starts, but Vi cuts him off.

"We're not gonna get caught," Vi replies, her voice full of determination.

Vi leads the way across the rooftops, and we all follow behind her.

"We’ll be in and out before anyone notices." Vi replies.

Birds chirp as they fly by, and we gather at the edge of the roof, looking down.

"All right, everybody, follow me... Just don’t look down," Vi says. Then, she jumps, sliding down the side of the roof before swinging across to the balcony and then jumping to the building in front. She looks back at us from the other side.

Mylo cracks his knuckles and goes next, who clumsily follows Vi’s path, followed by Claggor. They both make it to the other building, claggor landing beside Mylo, who is now munching on a stolen cupcake he found resting on the balcony.

"Couldn't we have just walked there?" Claggor asks, finishing the stolen cupcake.

"Gotta stay out of sight for this one," Vi says, lifting her gaze toward Powder and me, as we still standing on the rooftop of the other building.

Powder looks down, terrified, her breathing growing heavier.

"Called it. This one's on you, Vi," Mylo says, glancing over at us as we stay in our place frozen.

"I'll get them—" Claggor sighs, starting to move.

"No," Vi interrupts. "Powder, ash, look at me. What did I tell you?"

"That... we're ready," Powder replies, her voice trembling but determined as she glances over at me.

"It's okay, Powder, I-I'll go first," I say with a nervous tone.

with that I slide over the roof side and juping into the balcony railing I look down seeing how high is and I my hold in the railing tightens.

"it's okay, Ash. you just need to jump" vi says giving me enough courage to finally jump. I close my eyes, opening them only when I feel solid ground beneath me, i smile in relief and I look back at powder, who's now looking at me.

"see? Ash did it." Vi says to powder reasuring her, and waits for her next move.

With that, Powder steps to the edge and slides down the rooftop, letting out a small scream as she jumps to the balcony railing.

"Phew," Powder exhales, relieved.

She walks along the edge of the balcony, preparing to jump to the next building. But as she land, she loses her balance. I rush to grab her arm, and so does Vi. Together, we pull her back up.

"Thanks," Powder says with a shaky sigh.

I hold onto her arm, my heart still pounding like crazy after watching my sister almost fall.

We follow Vi as she starts walking, passing Mylo, who shakes his head at us disapprovingly.

"What if Vander finds out we're all the way up here?" Claggor asks, nervous.

"Look around you," Vi replies, glancing back at him. "You think anyone topside is going hungry? Besides, this is exactly the kind of job Vander would've pulled when he was our age."

"I'm going. Are you with me or not?" Vi asks, her determination clear.

Mylo shrugs, and Claggor sighs. "Vander's gonna kill us."

"Yeah, only if we screw up," Vi says, looking at all of us. "So don't screw up."

Vi drops down onto a balcony, peering into the workshop to make sure it’s clear.

"All clear," she says once she’s sure no one’s inside.

Mylo is the second to drop onto the balcony. He checks the door, finding it locked. "Who locks their balcony?" he grumbles, kneeling to pick the lock.

I’m the third to drop down, followed by Powder and Claggor.

"Whew, there are tons of enforcers down there," Claggor says, glancing over the balcony to the street below.

"Means we’re in the right place," Vi replies with a grin.

"You gonna get that door open anytime soon?" Vi asks Mylo.

"Working on it," Mylo replies with a sigh. "Seeing as I’m the only one who knows how to pick locks, I suggest—" He startles as Vi kicks the door open and strides into the workshop.

Claggor smacks the back of Mylo’s head. "Animals," Mylo mutters to no one in particular.

I walk in with Powder. "Whoa," we both say in awe, glancing around the workshop like we’ve just walked into a candy store. It’s filled with books and strange artifacts.

Vi drops her bag on the floor, eagerly scanning the bookshelves, while Claggor and Mylo start rummaging through the tables.

"You know, Claggor, for once you're right." Mylo picks up a random object from the table, eyeing it. "We are definitely not supposed to be here." He shrugs and drops the object into his bag.

Claggor opens a drawer and dumps its contents into his own bag.

Powder finds a small model of a horse, knocking over some books as she picks it up and shows it to me. Meanwhile, I start looking around for anything valuable to add to the bag.

Vi stands in front of a chalkboard covered in complex math equations. "Must be an inventor," she mutters.

I spot something shiny on a nearby table. "Whoa, Pow-Pow, look!" I call, holding it up. "I think this is real Valdiani!" Together, we examine the object, turning it around in our hands. Suddenly, it clicks open, and soft music starts playing as a tiny planet begins to spin.

"Oh yeah? What about this?" Mylo holds up a pair of clamps.

"That's a nose hair trimmer," I say, unimpressed.

"Ash, Powder," Vi calls over, "keep an eye out for anything actually valuable before Mylo fills the bag with junk."

Mylo grumbles and tosses the nose hair trimmer aside. As he digs through papers on the table, he uncovers a strange triangular object with a blue crystal in the center. "Uh... guys?"

Claggor and Vi both turn to look at it.

"Wait, Vi, how the hell did we find this place?" Claggor asks.

"It was a tip from Little Man," Vi replies.

"Little Man?" Mylo echoes.

"Just leave it," Vi says, irritated

Meanwhile, Powder and I explore further, walking down a hallway and reaching another room. As we look around, I spot something two sandwiches on a table. "Woo-hoo!" I cheer, grabbing the sandwiches and I hand one to Powder and take the other for myself bitting into it.

Powder uncovers a chest. We look at it, and she tries to lift it, but it’s too heavy. I help her, but we barely manage to shift it. Accidentally, I press a button, and the lid springs open, revealing six glowing crystals.

"Whoa," we say in unison. Powder picks one up, inspecting it closely.

"What is that?" I ask, eyes wide.

Back in the main room, Vi, Mylo, and Claggor are still shoving objects into their bags. Suddenly, Vi freezes, listening intently. She hears footsteps approaching the door.

"Mylo!" Vi says, pointing to a chair.

Mylo grabs the chair and runs to block the door.

"Powder, Ash, we gotta go," Vi whispers urgently.

A gasp escapes from me as Powder and I quickly grab the blue crystals. I take two, and Powder takes four.

"Hello?" A man’s voice calls from outside. "Is someone in there?" his tone growing urgent as he tries to open the door.

I shove the stones into my pocket while Powder stashes the rest, but she accidentally drops one, either of us noticing it. The stone rolls across the floor, releasing streams of blue energy.

We rush toward Vi, who grabs our arms and leads us down the hallway to the main room, where Mylo and Claggor are waiting by the balcony doors.

"Come on!" Mylo urges, trying to hurry us.

"We’ll be fine. Just get back on the roof," Vi commands, grabbing her bag from the floor.

But before we can reach the balcony, in the other room the blue stone rolls into the wall, shattering and erupting into a massive blue explosion. The blast sends us flying across the room, slamming into the balcony floor.

The force of the explosion knocks us to the ground as blue energy streaks out through the balcony. My ears ring painfully from the deafening sound.

Vi scrambles back to us, checking if we’re okay.

The entire place starts to collapse around us.

"Hold on!" Vi shouts.

Powder and I cling to each other desperately, like our lives depend on it.

Below, enforcers spot the crumbling building and scramble out of the way as debris crashes onto the street.

Vi rushes to the edge and looks down, locking eyes with an enforcer.

"Shit," she mutters under her breath.

Suddenly, honks blare through the streets alerting the city of the intruders.

We all sprint through the streets of Piltover, enforcers right behind us.

"Stop right there!" one of them yells, throwing a trap that nearly catches Claggor, but instead wraps around a light pole.

We keep running, pushing through crowds, darting down stairs, as more traps fly toward us.

We reach a bridge just as it begins to rise. We leap over the widening gap, one enforcer missing the jump and falling through.

"This way!" Vi shouts, leading us through the alleys. We run so fast, barely stopping as we hit a wall, but we keep going. Vi breaks a pipe, creating a cloud of steam that leaves the enforcers coughing and disoriented.

They search the now-empty alley, one signaling to the others to keep looking.

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Ch. 2

That's all I'm still editing the next chapter but be done by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

[decimae]

We gotta talk about that Arcane ending

First off, before we start, CW: suicidal ideation, suicide, ableism (the show could use this too) - I will be talking about other subtext too in the second post. And, obviously spoilers for the entirety of season 2.

Okay, so I'm going to give a recap (feel free to skip) for those who haven't seen Arcane or need one. Here's Jinx's arc, which is whose are we're going to be talking about in this post:

Jinx is one of the main characters of the show, and she has lots of mental health issues. She builds explosives and weapons. In season 1, in the first arc (where she's named Powder) she loses her surrogate father figure Vander when she's still a little kid (this father figure adopted her after she became an orphan). In particular, she messes up the mission to save him, and her sister Vi gets angry at her (calling her a Jinx) and they get separated, with her getting adopted by another surrogate father figure Silco, who is the villain of season 1, believing her sister to have abandoned her/died.

After a timeskip, she is shown to be impulsive and aggressive, having changed her name to Jinx. She is shown to hallucinate, hear voices, and not be stable at all. She attacks the richer society and takes a magical gemstone. Vi has been in prison all this time, so she was out of her life until the story continues where she gets busted out by a vigilante cop, Caitlyn to look for the gemstone. She is first unsure about how to feel about Vi returning - is happy that Vi alive, but frustrated that Vi is working together with a cop and scared she will leave her again. Silco makes those doubts only stronger. But she still chooses to use a flare that Vi gave her when she was young - Vi promised to come save her when she used the flare. Vi and Caitlyn do go towards her, trying to calm her down. But the flare also attracts Ekko (one of their friends as a kid) and his followers, who have built a secret society and who have bad experiences with Jinx. They attack her and take the gemstone, and abduct Vi and Caitlyn. They makes some kind of deal to return the gemstone in return for rights. On the bridge where the deal is supposed to take part, Vi says bye to Caitlyn and starts to return to Jinx, but they are backstabbed by corrupt police and Jinx takes Vi trying to save Caitlyn as her putting someone else first again. With this betrayal of trust, Jinx uses her explosives to attack everyone on the bridge, and Ekko and Jinx fight whilst Caitlyn and Vi, injured from the blast, flee. Jinx gets pushed down by Ekko, and releases an explosive in front of her trying to take out Ekko with herself. Jinx is saved by Silco, having shown to have taken the gemstone back and who uses desperate measures to save her.

Now possibly more unstable (possibly by the way she was saved), she abducts Vi, Caitlyn and Silco, and puts them all bound at a table. Her hallucinations are shown to significantly increase. She argues with Vi, Silco and her hallucinations. Caitlyn frees herself, and threatens Jinx with a gun. Jinx, enpowered by the drugs, hits Caitlyn but gets very confused after. In her confusion, she shoots Silco. She mourns him, and angrily indicates to her sister that she's Jinx now, for good, and attacks the city council with a weapon made with the gemstone to end season 1. At the start of season 2, we see Jinx mourning Silco, wanted by the upper city, who sent a team with Cait and Vi (who has now teamed up with the cops), and quite a bit of the undercity too who want the cops out. Jinx ends up saving a little kid (Isha) from some undercity goons, who starts to follow her around. Sevika, one of Silco's followers who was previously not very keen on her (but loyal to Silco), bonds with her over her connection to Silco. In particular, they describe finishing her off as "doing her a favor". At the end of the first arc, Jinx orchestrates a confrontation between her and Vi (and Sevika comes to her aid). She does not seem very keen on life anymore, saying things like "No matter what I do, I just can't seem to die." and "I'm glad it's you" as Vi has her pinned. However, Isha comes in to save her and the arc ends. After a timeskip, Jinx becomes a symbol of resistance of the undercity. Isha manages to ground her, she seems way more emotionally stable, and she doesn't really do anything aggressive anymore - the inciting incident is Isha fighting back and getting arrested. In the jailbreak she encounters a monstrous form of Vander (her and Vi's father figure) who has been magically kept alive.

The two of them team up (Vi has felt betrayed by Caitlyn for reasons irrelevant to this summary) and find Vander, and bring him to a healing cult/commune, who successfully start a healing process. But the commune gets attacked and the healing gets corrupted, and Isha sacrifices herself to save everyone from the corrupted Vander. Jinx just lets herself get arrested after this. Ekko meanwhile is stuck in a different dimension where the inciting incident never happened because Vi died in the opening scene, and everything is cool. He is dating Powder(Jinx) there, who is mentally stable, and he seemingly falls in love, but still finds his way back to the original dimension. Vi goes to save Jinx from jail, where Jinx seemingly is rotting. She clearly feels horrible "There is no good version of me" and she (temporarily) locks Vi in and escapes whilst saying she will "Break the cycle". The final episode starts with Jinx committing suicide, with Ekko trying to talk her out of it but failing, but then him using his time machine over and over until she does not. A few scenes later, Jinx comes to the aid of Vi with Ekko, promising to always support her. The two of them fight the now corrupted Vander, a bunch of irrelevant plot happens and gets resolved, and Vander ends up knocked out on an unstable steel beam together with Vi. Jinx urges her to flee, but instead Vi starts to cry about her father figure. Vander wakes up and attacks Vi, and Jinx comes in to save her one last time, but gets knocked off the edge, but Vi holds on to her. However, Vander is holding on to Jinx, so she lets go. We see Jinx and Vander fall off, and Jinx embracing the raging Vander whilst grabbing an explosive. We see a shot of an suggestion, and Vi mourning her sister. The show ends with everyone mourning the people lost, but we do see a shot of the air ducts of the building we were looking at.

Okay, so my issues with this are twofold, clearly split by season. Season 1 Jinx is unrealistic, stereotypical, unkind. She felt not very real to me, she felt like bad representation. Not the worst I've seen, but not like great.

But season 2 Jinx, boy, season 2 Jinx. I started off by really liking her arc. It makes sense that she was feeling suicidal after all that, and her suicidality felt grounded, it felt real. It was a very emotional arc to see her just try to get her sister to end her, which is really fucked up but also it makes sense for her character.

And it was also very nice to see her grow out of it, to see her happy, to see her grounded again. To show that no, that it isn't necessary to be permanently fucked up, that the people around you can make life worth living, that you can build up a life.

The whole separate dimension where Vi wasn't alive and Jinx was perfectly fine seems pretty fucked up in retrospect. Mostly because of the "one person caused all this tragedy" implication, rather than these things being a systemic problem. It was nice to see how the world could be better, but I wish they would have done that in the real world, but I understand why they didn't. Anyways the relationship between Ekko and Powder was also kind of fucked up, because he wasn't the Ekko she knew.

I didn't love them killing of Isha, but I understand that they wanted to go back to a tragedy. It made sense as an escalation of the arc, I guess (but not really in-universe). The fall of Jinx to suicidality makes sense, that's not something you lose so quickly, it felt grounded too.

I felt like him trying to stop her from committing suicide was pretty fucked up to show like this, to show her committing suicide and him undoing it. It was also fucked up because of his possible motivations, he was saving her because he was in love with her, but yet they weren't in a relationship. And she suddenly appears to be doing better. The show didn't really explore this well.

Anyways, this was all still reasonable enough for me to continue watching. But then the end of the finale happens, and she kills herself in a heroic sacrifice, and I got so angry. Like, that's dangerous, you do not show a suicidal person killing themselves in a productive way, that's how you amplify the suicidality of people. This is literally going to kill people, this writing, I think.

If they wanted a heroic sacrifice there they could have had Vander come to his senses one last time. That would have made an emotional impact too, would have been more thematic (with him dying protecting Vi in the first arc, and him dying protecting Vi/Jinx in the last arc).

You just don't let a suicidal character commit a heroic sacrifice. If a suicidal character must die, you should let them die in a way that shows that no, it wasn't good that they died, or that it wasn't their choice that they did. Neither of which is the case here.

Of course, there's a small nod at the end at Jinx possibly having survived. But that's a very small nod and it doesn't take away the subtext. They really fucked the subtext of Jinx's arc up, imo.

Anyways I have more criticisms about dumb subtext but they're not nearly as bad/dangerous and are about another big arc, I'll post that in a reply coming soon.

[practically-an-x-man]

What would your ocs do in Arcane? How well would they fit into the universe/stand out? Would they be from Piltover or Zaun? Somewhere else?

Ooooooh good question, thank you!! I added Indie and Prometheus to the usual lineup since I know you know them better than some of the others.

Rae: Zaun. She'd be a similar character to Vi I think, the same sort of scrappy type always getting into fights. Eventually she runs into some upscale-looking guy, who's quite literally fallen from Piltover into Zaun at the hands of his father, and she helps him put things back together.

Robin: Piltover. She'd be from family wealth that gradually trickled away, and now she and her siblings are all packed into the same house, trying to hold onto the home before it gets repossessed by the city. They work together to design sound-based and communications tech, hoping one of their inventions will make it big and generate the money to keep their house.

Madison: Born in Piltover, but having fled to Zaun after things spiraled out of hand. Since then, she's developed a sort of cloaking tech, allowing her to sneak around near-invisibly, and plans to use it to get revenge on the ones who chased her away from her old life.

Ophelia: Piltover, and would be a very similar character to Viktor with his tech. Her father's inventions have them sitting reasonably comfortably in Piltover, though they're not rich by any means, but after his death it falls to Ophelia to innovate on his ideas and complete what he started.

Gia: The middle-class outskirts of Piltover, where she retains her flower shop and does her best to keep herself afloat so she doesn't have to relocate to Zaun. She's convinced that if she had to move, her prosthetic leg would be scrapped for parts and she'd be left on the streets (whether or not that's true, it motivates her to stay strictly in Piltover)

Jasper: Is a professional sci-fi derbyist à la Alita: Battle Angel (idk if there's something like that in Arcane but we're gonna pretend there is), having been born in Zaun but using their career to drive them up into Piltover.

Kestrel: Flips between Piltover and Zaun, often seen flying atop a wing-shaped glider that from high above looks like a small, soaring falcon. Nobody's quite sure who they are, where they came from, or which city they really belong to, but they're occasionally seen consorting with an adventurer on his rare visits to the two cities.

Katherine: Born in the outskirts of Piltover but later sent to the central laboratories as a historical research intern, she's devoted to understanding the history between the two cities and what divides them. Perhaps in time her research will drive her to a successful, steady life, but for now she's tethered to the boots of tenured professors.

Quinn: Works as a thief and pickpocket down in Zaun, and has lived their her whole life. Once, she and her crew risked a venture up to Piltover for a more valuable gig, but she fell from one of the stacks and broke her back in the escape. After recovery, she kept working, and built hidden compartments into her hollow crutches to hide the best of her haul. (It's very similar to her actual story, lol)

Eris: Nobody knows quite what they are. A fighter enhanced by years of shimmer usage, an immigrant from a far-off land where war brings endless accolades, a high-tech cyborg with sophisticated and near-indestructible prosthetics... nobody really knows, and rumors fly. All anyone knows is that they're dangerous, they've been around for a very long time, and it's best not to get on their bad side.

Nikoletta: Born in the deepest underbelly of Zaun, she functions as a crime lord. Nobody on Piltover knows she exists, but everyone in Zaun is quick to learn and bend to her rules. She's the queen of the shadows, the queen of the criminals, and she only ever meets in darkness. Nobody's seen her face in years, she's only known as the commander of the shadows.

Jimmy: He's an information broker known as The Ghost (yes, pulling this idea from that ask I just answered for him about a sci-fi AU lol). Outfitted with plasma-charged tech that allows him to slip through walls, he knows every single thing that goes on in both cities. And he's hard to track down - some say he's got a place in some hidden corner of Piltover, with a gentleman who supplies him with his tech, but that's all just another rumor.

Indigo: Born in Zaun, but conscripted into mechanics for military weapons in Piltover almost as soon as she was old enough to legally work. She tends to keep to herself, despite her striking appearance, but... one day a Piltovian general walks in on her sabotaging one of the weapons, and things quickly spiral out of hand.

Prometheus: Little more than a legend, at this point. In Zaun, they're known as the guardian of sleep, a good-luck charm to let children sleep in peace. It's said that a hungry child will dream of food and wake with a full belly, under their watch, and problems seem to dissolve in sleep for those who deserve to have their burdens eased. In Piltover, however, they're known as more of a horror story: once a scientist, who dove too deep into their experiments with arcanite and somehow became a coalesced form of pure, sentient energy. Maybe it's all just a folk tale, maybe they never existed at all, but the stories infiltrate the minds of everyone in the two cities... in some form or another.

[callme6olet]

What makes Arcane great: S1E1

I had no expectations for Arcane when it came out. I don't play League and don't intend to. But the show blew my mind, and a year and a half later, I can still say it's my favorite show ever.

Episode 1 is "Welcome to the Playground." The plot is pretty straightforward: a robbery gone wrong. Vi, Powder, and company bungle the robbery, the penthouse explodes, and they lose everything but a handful of crystals. There's pushback from the enforcers, Vander plays peacekeeper, and Silco experiments with shimmer.

What makes this episode stick? Long and short, it's a perfect Episode One: the character building, worldbuilding, and pacing are all on point, and it sets the stage for all the conflicts that drive the show. What follows, it's less of a breakdown and more of a commentary, a zoom-in on some of my favorite moments.

That first scene.

The opening scene is a flashback, our first look into this world, and it does what a good first scene should: it tells us what the whole season, maybe the whole show, is about. On a macro scale, it's the conflict between Piltover and Zaun: class struggles, the oppression of societal structures that built themselves over centuries. On the micro scale, it's the conflict between Powder and Vi: two people who love each other, but who are forced apart by pain. In three minutes, we see everything we need to know about their relationship.

The first shot is the bridge, the dividing line between Piltover and Zaun, in a firestorm. The first line is Powder singing: "Dear friend across the river, my hands are cold and bare. Dear friend across the river, I'll take what you can spare." The first character we see, it isn't either of our protagonists--it's an enforcer, their face demonized by the helmet and the glitched-out scribbling we'll later come to associate with Jinx's schizophrenia. The show is showing us, visually, that this is where Powder's mental illness starts. This is the root of her belief that everyone is out to hurt her, and who can blame her? Too, we're seeing people in order of power: first the city itself, then the enforcers, then the children. We are zooming in through layers of oppression. And in the background, the voice of a girl asking a friend for help, framing the maco conflict beautifully: ask without envy, and violence is what you receive.

The scene keeps showing and not telling. We see Vander's moment of realization, the point when he takes off the cast irons because he's seeing what his violence has wrought--not in the death of his allies, but in the pain of their children, now orphans.

Deeper than that, though, we see the core of Vi and Jinx's relationship--one which is founded in love, but which is deeply unhealthy. Vi is the protector. She will walk through the field of blood while Powder keeps her hands over her eyes. When they see Vander, Powder shies away and Vi steps forward: she will fight, will not let her sister get hurt. When they see their dead parents, Powder is not the first to cry--she looks at Vi. As long as Vi is there, she is safe. When Vi breaks down, Powder comforts her rather than crying herself. She is repaying the favor, learning by example: putting others before her. In short, they're codependent. Powder needs someone, and Vi needs to be needed.

The Job.

They rob the house, we get a chase scene. There's some great visual worldbuilding, and the writers also somehow manage to simultaneously capture the inciting incident of the show and a slice-of-life for the gang. This is just another day for them, and yet it spirals out of control so slowly and so inevitably. It doesn't feel forced, in my opinion, for one reason: the crystals. This is raw power that nobody understands--it's less like the main characters happened, by Main Character Syndrome, to stumble into the plot, and more like something was bound to go wrong from meddling with the arcane.

Another point: everyone--even Powder--is very competent. The heist goes wrong not because they fucked up, but because of bad luck and poor decision-making. Powder slips up, sure, but then, she's doing parkour at the age of . . . 10ish? She's also shown to have a keener eye for tech than the rest, and in the second episode, we get to see what she'd be like if she had access to a gun. The setup and character designs make me feel like Mylo or Claggor is going to slip up in some way and ruin the job; the fact that they don't is a relief. It would've felt like dumbing down the characters, taking the easy way out.

On the chase back across the bridge, one of the enforcers doesn't make the jump. It's not that big of a leap, but it is a very believable stumble. For me, this is such a great moment--it's explaining the world, the style, the rules of the show. It's telling us that people can be skilled, but they're not superheroes, not even action heroes.

Like, normally he'd make that, right? In a movie, anyway. In real life, I'd expect it to go exactly how it does. This sets expectations, sets the tone, and makes the main characters seem that much more competent. All in about two seconds of screentime. It's the small things, sometimes.

the brawl.

Not too complicated of a plot: street tough tries to mug them, they don't pay up, everyone fights. Powder runs and loses the treasure. What makes it stellar is the fact that the fight is only the backdrop, not the main focus. The focus is the characters. We have Deckard, the street tough--such a stock character, but even he has depth. The line "in my experience, trouble finds you" is such a prime example of good writing, of one line doing double duty. It's a threat, sure, but it also humanizes him. It makes us notice the scars on his face, realize that he's had his fair share of trouble that he didn't go looking for.

The fight breaks out, and we get to see Powder experiencing trauma purely through the shot's framing and the slow-motion. The return to a normal frame rate lets us experience her oh shit moment--again, purely visually. She runs, tries tossing a grenade, and the device malfunctions. Powder feels like a failure. There's an argument to be made that she was subconsciously self-sabotaging, that she wouldn't let herself make a working contraption because she needs Vi. Success would mean independence, would mean leaving the shadow of her big sister's protection.

At the end, Deckard pulls a knife and Vi walks up to him, asks if he wants to see how that ends. Because she's just taken a few punches and won the fight, this line feels earned. If she'd won easily, she'd seem arrogant here. If she'd gotten the shit kicked out of her, it would read like she was bluffing. As is, we get to see her as not only a badass, but someone who's willing not to fight. No empty threats from her--unlike Deckard--but she uses her words, this time. Doesn't want a death on her hands.

Welcome to the playground.

The title drop is in a song, both non-diegetic and later, in the Last Drop, diegetic. It's a banger, and the descent into the underworld is also pretty slick. Nothing special, but also beautifully executed. In my head, it's like the Mos Eisley cantina: a quick introduction to the scum and villainy, a vignette of a world that's dirty, inhabited, lived-in.

The other standout moment to me is Vander's introduction--not because of anything that happens this episode, but because the man he helps comes back later on to help Vi. This is just an example of what the show does so well and so consistently: there are no wasted details, and every character has depth. Everyone is human.

We see this again with Marcus and Grayson, the two enforcers. Grayson seems relatively important, but Marcus, in this episode, is just an overzealous nobody. The fact that he then develops into an important side character, that his story is shown with such depth and so little screen time, is incredible.

Vi and Powder.

The penultimate sequence is Vi comforting Powder, whose insecurities have only grown over the course of this episode--and understandably so. But she's not angry at Vi, even after she heard her seemingly agree with Mylo about Powder being a failure. She is not looking to right wrongs: she is looking for her sister's comfort. For attention. Vi is ready and willing to give it. Powder is her motivation for nearly everything she does. Vi rarely, if ever, does things for herself, for her own protection, security, or gain. Her selflessness is a great strength, but her codependence is what ultimately breaks her relationship with Powder.

This screenshot, it says so much about the show. For one, I picked it almost at random. Every frame is gorgeous. For another--look at Vi's face, close to the camera. Out of focus.

Out of focus. It's animated. There is no camera. It takes more work to put her out of focus than it does to put her in focus, and yet that decision was made. It tells us where to look, subtly tricks us into believing that this is real, what we're seeing, that it happened, was caught on film.

And I mean--look at it. At this piece of art. Look a the love in Vi's eyes, those eyes we can barely even see. Look at the hurt on Powder's face, the way she's pouting. How her shoulder's hunched. The art style does an amazing job of capturing emotion, of exaggerating just the right amount, of noticing and capturing the different planes of the face, the micro-expressions that make an emotion seem real. And you can't fault the composition--Vi in the foreground, big, protective. Powder in the background, backlit. She is the focus. Too, she and Vi are both surrounded by light on one side, darkness on the other--but Vi looks at the light, and Powder looks at the dark. It is, perhaps, her only real fault, the defining factor that makes one traumatized sister end up on the good side and the other on the bad side. Everything else Powder suffers is a matter of circumstance. This decision--reflected again in Episode 9 (and probably elsewhere), in a frame so beautiful I painted it and hung it on my wall--is the one thing that, in my mind, truly reflects on Powder's character. She is focused on her failure. She almost forgets to show Vi her success, the bag of crystals she held onto. It's not that she's wrong for feeling dejected, or that it's as easy as deciding to feel happy. It's more like this: looking at the light might not make you happy. You can't control that. But you can control the fact that you gave it your attention. That you tried. That you fought, that you searched, even if you came up lacking.

Vi is a fighter. Jinx, ultimately, is a destroyer.

Silco's lab.

Vi and Powder leave us on a perfect crescendo, a fade out, a vow that this city is gonna respect them--and then the writers leave that, somehow manage to pull off something better. We get our reveal of Silco, who's so over-the-top he ought to be trite, but he's not. The sadism, the scarred face, the orange eye--they're all too much. But they're balanced perfectly with his sibilant voice, his menacing but not overbearing manner.

We see Deckard, learn that he's answering to someone, that this underwater lair is the center of a secret organization. And again, no detail left behind--Deckard, that random street tough, is important.

Silco and his mad scientist--who, best I can tell, is named Singed--feed a rat some shimmer and watch it kill a cat. It's a perfect way to show off the drug. We could've seen a human hulking out, but instead we're also shown what the drug is for: reversing the roles, turning the hunter into the hunted. Making the meek powerful.

And then we fade to black. This scene, it solves a problem I wouldn't have been able to put my finger on otherwise: it escalates the stakes. It lets us know that the conflict we've stumbled onto, it's going to get bigger. Episode 1 is intensely focused on Powder and Vi, is practically a slice of life. This last scene, it's our reason to come back.

[somuchbetterthanthat]

Actually now that I think about it, there would be something kind of sad/funny/ironic that it's still the explosion that bring them back together. Silco is like "what hAPPENED you FOOL, can't you reign in your kids TWO seconds", then Vander sends another letter, longer, more sentimental that it has ever been-- explaining that Vi is more important to him, peace is more important to him, and that will not change, therefore he is going to surrender to the enforcers, and will Silco--

He knows that Silco's work is not glamourous, downright ugly and dangerous -- but still who else could he entrusts with Zaun fully? Benzo can help with the kids, although they'll be upset, and enraged, and Silco might have to deal with this, but the city was always theirs, wasn't it? All its people their people.

For once in his life, Silco arrives too late at the bar in a fury; They had an agreement, albeit silent: they work together. This works if they are both together. This feels like Vader trying to deflect all other again. This feels like Vader is trying to kill the shadow of relationship they'd built back. it's UNACCEPTABLE. But Vader has already been taken, the kids are already planning some folly, and there is only little Powder left at the bar, furious and upset at being left behind as well.

Silco takes one look at this child and he's gone for and barks "Come on, child. We're saving your oaf of a father." after Powder explains in angry tears about her siblings plans.

(Meanwhile: something something, Vi/Claggor/Mylo end up in Piltover meeting lil Caitlyn and/or maybe Viktor and Jayce in trying to sneak back into Piltover to find a way to save their dad? Vander spends several weeks in prison and remembers that enforcers are the worst and he hates all of it and god, maybe Silco is right--)

Anyway, Vander is rescued, Silco tries to be all Smooth Villain Rescuing The Hero Only For His Selfish Purpose but then again he's got Powder hanging from his shoulders and she's BEAMING at Vander going "Silco and I DID THIS, we SAVED YOU, Silco is so nice and he told me you were BEST FRIENDS, can we all live together please"

Silco and Vander spending years as bitter enemies, with now wildly different ideals on how to get their city respected/at peace/freed, etc. and .... still having the annoying and absolute realization that they still won't achieve anything if the other is gone;;

Vander is the first one who makes it obvious, the day someone tries to attack Silco and he and his people show up to beat them up get them to fuck off. It leads to the first time seeing each other again since Vander tried to kill Silco himself, and it's NOT good, but they also still know each other best, still can read each other's gaze, etc.

Silco's way to "protection" is much more subtile, mostly because Vander has become the peaceful face of Zaun, sort of (how ironic), rather than the symbol of its freedom, but it still happens -- generally it's taken care of in shadows.

Eventually, of course, it becomes... sensible to communicate in SOME fashion. Sevika agrees the first few times to be a placeholder - then she grows annoyed and tell them to grow the fuck up; so they start sending letters again -- crypted, of course, with old-fashioned ways of doing it that only them still remember using from... Days long gone.

Vander, once again, is the first one to make it personal (another apology; a little reflexion on how his kids are doing; a "do you remember-"). Silco never answers those beyond "do you think I care? Focus on what matters now, if you please." right until one day he's the one bringing a memory up first.

Anyway, something something, the Kids, something something, Silco and Powder, something something, they both end up rekindling their relationship, forging a new, proper connection, never quite forgetting the past but trying to be stronger from it, and they raise teenagers together and free their city. Or something. At the very least both kinda judge their daughter when she starts dating a cop.

[takerfoxx]

Arcane, Season 1, Episode 2, "Some Mysteries Are Better Left Unsolved," First Impressions!

In which we see the other side of the kids' misadventures.

I guess I should have known that the owner of the robbed laboratory would come into play, given how much character it had. Here we meet someone who also promises to be a major player in the show to come, a brilliant young man named Jayce, who is a student at a prestigious academy. Naturally, he isn't at all pleased that his workshop was robbed and then blown up. But he's even less pleased that in doing so, his secret project has been discovered, which puts his entire future in jeopardy.

See, through Jayce's eyes we learn some very important bits of worldbuilding. Piltover is a city built on science (or whatever the steampunk sci-fi equivalent is) that is meant to be a sanctuary from magic, known as the Arcane, hence the show name. However, when he was a child, he and his mother were saved from a blizzard by a mysterious magic man, inspiring Jayce's fascination with the Arcane and driving him to try to find a way to control magic using technology, as apparently being able to use magic is just something you're born with.

But apparently that's a big no-no in Piltover, and it costs him everything. He's expelled, disgraced, forced away from his best friend Caitlyn (whom I did raise an eyebrow at when she was named, because of...reasons), and had all his research taken away, leaving him feeling like there is no path for him other than straight down. Literally.

Until he's stopped by a man from the academy, one who is very interested in his research, and wants to help him complete it.

On the undercity side of things, the issues caused by Vi and her gang's little misadventures continue to escalate. That explosion crossed a major line, one that the enforcers cannot overlook, and now Vander is put into the very unenviable position of either turning in the kids his cares about or risk having the hammer brought down on his community. Many people, however, want to fight, including Vi herself, which is something he absolutely will not allow, and for a very interesting reason.

It is here we get another bit of backstory. It turns out that gruesome battle we saw in the first episode was caused by him, when he led the citizens of Zaun in an uprising against Piltover, only to fail horribly, costing many lives. That's why he now has a deal with the enforcers. That's why he's so adamant about not stirring up trouble. He was the one who stirred up trouble, and it cost him and those close to him dearly.

However, while his dilemma is clearly tearing him up inside, it's suddenly taken out of his hands, when Vi decides to turn herself in to save everyone else.

Oh boy.

Okay, first episode was introducing us to the world and the primary conflict, while this showed us the other side while building tension for something bigger. We've come to understand more about this world and what drives its characters while moving things closer to what promises to be something massive. I admit, I did not predict Vi turning herself in, but it does make sense in hindsight. I was wondering how she would end up becoming one of the cops that she hates, but this makes sense to get her onto the other side.

Also, on the Powder side, now that I know that she's Jinx I'm noticing more and more hints to what she eventually becomes, from her toylike grenades to her markmanship skills to the clapping monkey from her music video being the alarm Vander uses to tell them to hide. I get the feeling that Vi was sort of her moral compass, the thing that keeps her grounded, and now with Vi gone we're probably going to see her spiral downward ever the quicker.

And I am happy to say that while I still don't know the LoL characters, I am getting better at picking them out. Jayce was obvious, as was Ryze, as was Heimerdinger, and given what I now know about Vi, seeing young Caitlyn definitely caused me to raise my brow. Wonder how they're going to meet.

Same with Viktor. I feel that reveal would have gotten an audible gasp from anyone who does play League, but for me, it was a, "Oh, he's a canon character, isn't he." Kind of surprised that Silco isn't. You would think they would use a game character for such an important villain. I do feel sort of bad for Deckard, as much as an ass as he was. I wonder if he's toast or if he'll get cured.

I like Jayce. He's not exactly reinventing the wheel with his characterization, but he's still very likeable, and I empathize with his ambitions. He's going to have a, "Dear God, what have I done?" moment when he realizes what Viktor is really up to, isn't he?

Anyway, I'm going on a trip to visit family, so don't expect anymore reactions until sometime next week. I am totally hooked, however. I just hope Youtube will stop suggesting spoiler videos to me.

[httphoneyb]

Fatal | Mobster!Tom x OC!

Summary: Violet Thorne and Tom Holland are both on opposing sides in the midst of a mob war. What happens when fatal collides with dangerous?

t w o

--

"Dad, I don't know what you want me to do here!" Violet sighed loudly throwing her hands in the air. Her father watching her pace back and forth infront of his desk.

"My love, I don't understand why you insist on me giving my seat to your brother. You are my first born thus, it's yours," he explained in a hushed tone.

"I want out of this dad! I've been trying to get out of this! And I can't do that i-if you keep dragging me back in!" Violet didn't understand how her father couldn't comprehend what she's been trying to say for the past hour.

The skin on her arm felt raw. Her nails dragged across it continuously since the topic was brought up.

"Then explain to me why, Violeta!" He stood slamming his hands on the dark oak desk.

Violet knew he had a rule about speaking to his children calmly, reserving his assertive voice for their enemies and prisoners.

He was always a gentle man around her and her brothers, some would say you wouldn't be able to tell he ran a mob while he was around his children. This circumstance was a rarity in her family.

So she stood and let the silence envelope the room.

"Exactly my point. You have no reason for wanting to be out of the business. Not a valid one anyway."

When in fact she did.

Her whole life Violet watched her brothers grow up like soldiers. As soon as they could walk, a gun was placed into their hands and the boys were taught how to shoot.

She didn't want a family like that. She's terrified to have a family like that.

"This could all be yours, my love. This...this empire was built on first borns, you are to continue it on. I'm growing old, Violeta. I need you to take my place. Especially when we're in the midst of a war."

"A war?"

"The Hollands have been crossing multiple mob boundaries in the past months. They're making alliances with the Diaz mob and broke their truce with the Rizzos. They're expanding. I can't do this on my own, Violeta."

"Pappa but you're not on your own..theres five other boys in the house waiting to take your spot. Leo has a knack for this, Dad. Use him!"

He chuckled lowly, "We both know you'd give Leonardo a run for his money."

"That's not my point. What I am saying is tha-" Violet was cut off by Luca, the youngest of the six, as he swung the wooden doors open doors open.

"We found the mole," was all he said before turning around and leaving.

"Mole? What mole?" Violet walked with her father out of his office, confusion written all over her face.

"Some of our info was leaked and other mobs got ahold of our shipments, drug and weapon outlets, even some safe houses." She could feel her father getting angrier as she reached the basement of their mansion.

"What?!"

Angelo, the third oldest joined them, "We found a usb full of our shipment dates and outposts. It was a cook, says the Hollands sent him."

Of course it was

She watched her father take out knives and guns as he headed for the lowest floor. The mere smell of that place made her stomach churn.

"You coming?" Angelo stopped midstep and turned to her.

"Yeah I'm just gonna save myself the trouble and head out for the day," Violet backed away from the flight of stairs.

"Hey Vi..just so you know, you're gonna have to suck it up one day, this job has no place for personal morals," Angelo turned around and decended the stairs, leaving Violet chewing at her lip.

What if he was right?

What if she really just needed to suck it up?

What if this was meant for her?

What if

What if

What if

Wh-

"Earth to Violet!" Leo waved a hand infront of her face.

The raven haired girl was dragged out of her own throughts.

"Tom wants to talk to you." Leo whispered, afraid that their father someone would hear.

Violet's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Tom? Tom Holland?"

"Yes Tom Holland! Who else!" Her brother sighed in annoyance, "He sent a letter this morning, good thing I got to it before Dad."

A light blue envelope was placed in her hand.

"A letter? Guy doesn't own a phone?" she scoffed, eyes skimming through the writing, the letters were smooth and neat, contrasting the many wrinkles on the paper.

"He's traditional I guess. Whatever. It just says he wants to meet with you to discuss some things blah blah blah...some thing about weapons yadda yadda.." Leo talked animatedly. His hands always waving around as he spoke.

"Why not Dad? I'm not in charge."

"Dad has it out for him, he's paranoid these days. Thinks everyone's out to get him."

"And what if it's a trap?"

"I'll have men tail you for protection, but other than that I think this is you know...good."

"Good? Good how?"

"Look, I don't wanna see this war that Pappa's been talking about happen. People will die. If theres a way to stop it, I think only you can pull it off."

"As much as I'm flattered, there's no point in me talking to him. I'm not taking Dad's place."

Leo rolled his eyes at his stubborn sister.

"No one said anything about that! Just go talk to him and see what he wants!"

"Fine."

"Yes!"

"But-"

"Oh no."

"You have to handle that southwest gang of criminals scamming our casinos."

"Ugh."

---

"Have they replied?" Tom asked as Harrison walked into the room.

"She's on her way now, actually. Eager girl," Harrison chuckled. "What do you want with her anyway?"

"Nothing harmful. Just trying to see if she could hold her own." Tom smirked as the burn of scotch travelled down his throat.

Violet rolled up to the front of the Holland mansion, a bit bigger than the Thorne's but then again, who's keeping track these days? Right?

Sam Holland walked to the car and opened the door for Violet. "Miss Thorne."

Violet took his hand and bent to look back at her driver in the car.

"When should I pick you up ma'am?"

"I'll call for you, Artie. Thank you." she smiled gratefully and followed the twin into the house.

"Bring a weapon with you, Thorne?" Harrison called from the top of the foyer.

"You think I'm gonna go into enemy territory without one?" she retorted. "Whoa! Kid! What're you doing!"

"Can't take any chances." Sam began to pat her down staring from her waist.

"Think we're gonna roll and show our bellies just cos you're a woman?" Harrison chuckled.

"I was counting on it.." she pouted as Sam seized her gun.

"Now there's no need for that ,Sammy." All of a sudden Tom appeared next to Harrison and started decending the stairs. "Don't you know how to treat a lady?" He grinned at her, "Let her keep the gun."

"Tom-"

"Let her keep the gun." Venom dripped from Tom's voice as he spoke slowly, "After all, this is just a casual talk right?" His eyes moved to hers, an ominous meaning behind his words unsettled her but stayed holding his gaze.

"Sure is." she took her gun back and slipped it on the band on her jeans as Tom looked behind her and whispered, "Then tell your men to turn around and go home."

Violet's heart dropped to her stomach and turned, the men Leo had sent with her we're parked outside the gates of the mansion, headlights turned off and obvious guns in hand. She sighed and called her brother.

"Yeah?"

"Tell them to go home." she said simply into the phone as Tom smirked at her.

"Vi, you can't be serious."

"Just do it."

She hung up the phone and threw a taunting smile at the boys before her.

"Follow me." Tom led Violet up the stairs and into what she assumed was his office. Much like her father's, the office was very manly and dark.

Taking a seat infront of his desk she asked, "Why am I here, Holland?"

"I want a cut of your drug profits." Tom said simply.

"And what do I get in return?" Violet leans forward to place her forearms on the desk.

"Safe travels. I know that for years your family has been funneling your weapons through my side of the city to get to them across the Atlantic. And for years my guys have been giving you trouble," Violet nods, pouring herself her own cup of scotch, "All I'm asking for is say..20% of your drug profits and I let your guys through with no hassle."

Violet finally breaks eye contact with Tom and doubles over in laughter, catching the mob boss off guard.

"20%?! Ha! You're delusional." She scoffs at him.

He stared at her with a look of both amusement and annoyance.

"Mr. Holland," Violet recollected herself as she sat with poise, sharp eyes looking at the man before her, "did you know that my family runs America's biggest underground drug cartel? We have 8 different bases across the country, and 2 abroad. Bringing in approximately twenty-million dollars a year each. You're asking me to cut 20% of my 200 million a year to..what," she did the math quickly in her head as Tom gaped at her in disbelief, "$160,000,000 for safe travels, as you put it, for one of our outposts?You've gone insane. Your men aren't anything mine can't handle. Now if you'll excuse me."

Tom ran his calloused hands up and down his face in exhaustion. Man she was a hassle.

"Wait."

Violet sat back down and looked at him in boredom.

"15%"

"Eight."

"Thirteen."

"Six."

"Fifteen."

"Six."

"Twelve."

"Three."

Tom cussed outloud and leaned back in his chair. "8% and I'll tell you what the Rizzo's down south are planning."

"Why would I care about some shithole mob?" Violet scoffed at his poor attempt to negotiate.

"They're trying to kill you."

Tom saw that what he said piqued the stubborn girls interest.

"Fine. 16 million a year. Now, tell me more."

Tom inwardly smirked at this, "They think that killing you would kill your empire. They know Robert would never give his seat to anyone else. And they also know you're refusing to take it. If you're gone..all they have to do is wait for your dad to die and your mob along with it."

The room was filled with silence as a million thoughts ran through Violet's mind.

"Huh," she chuckled.

She's laughing? Why would she be laughing at the fact someone's trying to kill her? Tom thought to himself.

"Guess that's just another thing on my list," she got up and slid her coat on, "enjoy your sixteen million, Holland."

"Pleasure doing business with you, Violet." The pair shook hands before Violet said, "Buy your share under a different name, my dad would never sell to a Holland."

"Will do," Tom walked her to the front door, "And for the record..I wouldn't mind you being the business, Violet. You'd be a worthy opponent." Tom complimented her genuinely.

Violet only looked back at him, winking she said, "You bet your sweet ass I'd be."

Tom chuckled as the click of her heels faded and Harrison was at his side.

"So...?"

"Ferocious that one.. smart too." Tom had a sly smile decorating his face.

"But I've got her right where I want her."

---

taglist:

@scuzmunkie

[erodedlight]

“Arthur, it’s 9am, I have to go—“

“… I’m the King, I decide that.”

“Talk about an abuse of power~”

“Mhm. Lay back down.”

“At your command, My Liege ❤️”

[moonsdancer]

I think the show is very much in the zone of having its cake and eating it too. On one hand, presenting a painfully familiar story of class struggle and the violence of exploitation and extractivism enacted by a privileged, wealthy class over a poor, oppressed one and then on the other hand doing a lot of “both sides” framing in the interests of creating complex, compelling characters who are neither good nor bad, right nor wrong and that viewers can root for. Which I kind of expected based on TBSkyen’s (I think?) videos analysing the way Riot depicts the struggle between Piltover and Zaun in the lore and games, how it would carry over into the show, and in general how they deal with systemic ~issues~ e.g., the Shurima situation. And also, I don’t expect to get any sort of radical liberatory from TV shows, it’s always been a one-way trip to deep disappointment, Ekko and the community he's building with the firelights was actually a wonderful surprise.

In some ways it works really well because it gives space for viewers to read and interpret and enjoy e.g., the Heimer situation where this powerful dude was leading the city for hundreds of years and he never did anything? He hadn't even been to the undercity to see what was up? He absolutely deserved to be kicked off lol. But sometimes, Arcane’s so busy ~both sidesing~ things that it either feels like the show is saying nothing at all or what it is saying is really yikes.

They’ll have Vi saying things like, “You didn’t have a choice. He knew what he was signing up for,” after Jayce killed that kid (even if his mother was one of the chembarons, I was like, girl, what!) and then one second later say, “You’ve always been a part of this. You just never had to look it in the eye. One dead kid? There’s hundreds more where he came from, thanks to Silco and thanks to people like you who stuck their heads in the dirt.” Which seems on the face of it to be a powerful indictment of the ways in which Piltovans are implicated in this and have ~allowed~ the situation to fester by playing ostrich. But even with that, I get the sense that we're supposed to see it as more “neglect” rather than the upper class of Piltover actively benefitting from the exploitation of the undercity is yikes.

Cait—and this is one of my main gripes with her—comes off as a rich kid who got to do a poverty tour one time and now thinks she can not only speak for but over the people who’ve been most directly impacted by an oppressive situation. The conversation with Ekko and the stuff at the council were yikes. Because we don't really get into the mercantile clans, there's a big gap in the story. We should've seen either the Kirammans or one of the other big clans used as an insight into how Piltover's wealth has been built at the expense of the undercity explicitly - I'm still unclear of the economic relationship tbh.

The independence peace treaty is such a misguided mess but is framed as a hopeful, morally just move complete with validation from Viktor. The greatest failing of the finale is that we should’ve seen at least part of the negotiations in the council. Why were some of them so mad? Do some of them having mining interests in the fissures? Or other vested interests in maintaining the status quo exactly as it is? That initial agreement didn’t even include reparations for the undercity - which might indicate the show framing the top city as accountable for some of the situation. Just handed the mess that Piltover actively helped to create over to Silco, who literally started a crack epidemic and has children working in his crack factories among other stuff, so Piltover doesn’t have to deal with it. It’s messy.

I have high hopes for Ekko but also, I worry how they’ll position him in relation to everything else. The conversation with Cait was a bit of a warning sign, and his eventual exclusion from the council petition. And really, he was 100% the only main character who I want to hear speaking on issues of potential Zaunite liberation to the council or otherwise. Not Silco, not Viktor who has been working to forward piltie interests for years by this point, not Vi who's been in jail half her life, and certainly not Cait. Someone should write fic in which Ekko was the one who attended the council meeting and Vi stayed to fight Jinx tbh.

The writers did play softball with Piltover, huh?

Is it because they wanted to make the transition of Vi being an Enforcer (apparently) more smooth?

Because they wanted a villain to make the story flow better?

Because it's a lore dump for a game that probably fleshes it out better?

Or the game was already set up like this and they were constrained to that?

It's been bothering me since I first watched Arcane. The treatment of Silco, Piltover and Undercity/Zaun. It's a bit confusing to me with the way I understand it.

Piltover and characters from there barely acknowledge their horrible side even though I know it must be there because you don't get a schism between the Undercity and Piltover with jack shit happening inbetween. I'm pretty sure Piltover exploited the Undercity for resources without care of their wellbeing. The Councilors, well most of the Councilors are portrayed as being feeble minded, up their ass and stupid. They are treated as ineffective. Then there's Mel, the true brains! Except... We're not supposed to see her as actively malicious (and I don't wanna see her as that because Implications on several levels). She knows about the state of Undercity enough to know there can be a messy war but has seemingly done nothing to deescalate this type of situation in the first place?? Don't think about that because she has a character exploration about Choosing peace and it's really all she ever wanted.

Learning about Heimerdinger punched me in the face because this Fluff Ball let the state of the Undercity happen??? He founded Piltover and is all about safety and not letting things be misused but The Wretched Poverty of the Undercity happened under his supervision?? BUT we're not supposed to view him as hurting and making a population destitute. It was accidental?? I don't know. It's like the writers are having Piltover characters just dodge accountability.

The Piltover characters are framed as Misguided, sympathetic, not really all their fault.

Meanwhile.

Silco gets this red carpet treatment. He's in a chiffon dress with a dangerous deep V neck and a risky slit up to the hip. Villianous ass and tiddies on display. He even gets the classic evil capitalist tropes (Even though I'm pretty sure this should be applied to Piltover too with what Silco brings up). It's amazing. Even though the main drive he has is the oppression from Piltover. They don't ever validate Silco on this because he's such an eviiiill man, and wanting to fight is bad. Don't you see, Piltover didn't mean to do it. That's why Vander is capital G, Good. He wants peace no matter how precarious and still very much fucked over everyone still is. This isn't a dig at Vander, I like his character. Just how the story uses him. Even the Enforcers get a sympathetic lens through Marcus because of his relation to Silco.

I have more thoughts but they're scattered. I didn't even get to how Caitlyn seemingly functions to soften Piltover even more with her Not All Topsiders framing she got going on. The amount of frustration I have with her in The Council scene with Vi when she shows pity of all things. Comes off more to me like "Poor little baby Undercity people can't help themselves, they're sick so we need to take care of them" instead of actual solidarity. Is this intentional? Or is it just at face value?

I'm holding out if some of this would be pointed out in Season 2. Maybe Ekko will be my lifesaver in this situation.

[erodedlight]

We're both hurting from losses So why not leave this here and just go home?

Art by NimenosArt on VGen or Inkyoh on BSky!

[erodedlight]

they say pressure makes diamonds, so how the hell am i still coal? (discord only.)

[erodedlight]

say goodbye to the kid before you shuffle off it's ... best to die ... without regrets (c.)

[space-blue]

Regarding point 1 :

In the Enemy video, there's a montage of very young Vi and Powder having a pillow fight, intercut with their slightly older, show versions having an argument. When it comes to a head, it cuts to the pillow fight to symbolize the hit, but the kid who falls to the floor is definitely older Powder.

I think this an audience friendly hint that Vi is physical when she's angry. She either hit her, or pushed her. Why else would you code a direct strike in your clip like this?

Then during episode 3 itself, Powder cringes away from Vi :

And like, yeah, she's just been hit, so she could be reacting solely to that, but that can also be interpreted as Vi having hit Powder on other occasions, even if this one is the worst. It looks like a reflex.

There's nothing aberrant about kids being handsy with each other. Her hitting Powder on some occasions prior is absolutely no indication that she's a terrible person or a pos sister. They're orphans in a shithole city that doesn't even understand mental health is a thing, so bashing her sister in a moment of emotion? Pssh. Sure. I don't think it'd be unrealistic at all. Vi isn't perfect either.

I wasn't saying that as a judgement on her anyway. Her shock can well be on drawing blood, but also realising how unfortunate this is, considering Vander's last words, etc.

The screenplay is like Amanda's twitter. It's simply not easily accessible, and not what I'm going to seek out to make an analysis of a visual media.

I'm certainly being too harsh by not wording it more like "it seems like her sister hits her on occasion", but there's also no proof of the opposite when watching the show and its accompanying music video.

Point 2:

First off, I guess it's my fault for not being crystal clear again... But my post, like others in the past regarding Jinx, are a direct response to the takes making everything seemingly entirely Silco's fault. Responding to my "Not everything is Silco's fault" take with "But Silco carries blame" is like going in circles on a very tight and unproductive loop.

Of course Silco bears some blame. I can make you an essay on all the shit he probably did wrong, starting with his blatant lack of boundaries and rules and his allowing his kid to take part in his crime organization.

This being said :

He actively participated in making Zaun a more violent and dangerous place than it ever was,

And where exactly do you take this from? The show goes well out of its way to prove that Zaun is doing great under Silco, actually. It has more of everything. Yes, more destitute addicts in the slums, but also more wealth. The chembarons all got richer, but the show also shows us stills emphasizing how well Zaun is doing. The area around the Last Drop has bloomed with signs and new building extensions. Even Babette's brothel uses shimmer as a party drug.

There is no indication that things have gotten more violent? Literally Heimer sees a street fight, but the only other fights we see are instigated by Vi herself? Meanwhile Vander was literally threatening people of death or bodily harm in his pub. Both he, Silco and other characters relate how incredibly worse the Undercity used to be, before they built the Lanes and before "it became a business".

Vander literally led many Zaunites to their death on the bridge like 5 years before act I, resulting in Vi and Powder's parents dying.

We're not shown anything that would let us believe that things have gotten worse. The only gang violence we see is between Silco's people and the Firelights, with the Firelights consistently attacking first.

he actively encouraged Jinx to pursue a path of extreme violence

Yeah. So did Vi. "What makes you different makes you strong" and all her encouragement on making bombs that will hurt people. Silco simply doesn't have a monopoly on wanting Jinx to polish her skills. He just has the money to get her resources, and well, time is on his side on that account.

He is also the reason why Vander, Vi and the rest needed to be saved in the first place.

Yeah. And I don't understand why we're even discussing this. This wasn't a post trying to make Silco into a saint. It was a post trying to point out that the broken 11 yo he inherited wasn't a pure baby angel who he had to break and distort into Jinx all by his lonesome. Nothing more. All the pieces were already well into place, and the environment he provided her only furthered her development into Jinx.

Although, by jinx's own words, it's Vi who created Jinx, not Silco and his hard wrung lessons so... :-p

My post points out that it's not *all* his fault, it never goes and claims Silco is some innocent mew mew who's never done anything wrong. We've all watched the same show, we've all watched Silco come in like a freight train going *choo choo, base violence necessary for change bitches!!*

No one is denying that, but plenty of people are refusing to see that Jinx was already a Powder keg of problems (see what I did there?)

Silco being a murderous zealot on a bloody path to independence and personal vengeance is neither here nor there.

He didn't have to do all of this.

Do all what? What he does in act I?

He did. Of course he did. He had a plan, and Vi's actions changed it, then Marcus messed up by not removing the kids from Vander. Silco is constantly adjusting his plans during act I, grasping at straws in a fast evolving situation until he feels he has no choice but to nab Vander from the streets. To him it makes sense. To him the kids don't matter. He's laser focused on his goal, and to him, this is what it takes.

And it's how we end up at the end of episode 3.

"He didn't have to do all this" could be applied to Powder if you wanted to : "She didn't have to do all this". She could have stayed home like Vi asked her, and not done an arcane bomb.

But she didn't, because she can't. Her character won't allow it.

Vander, Vi and Ekko are all counter-examples to Silco. He chose to do all of this and I don't think he should be absolved of responsibility.

I soooo disagree about Vander, who I think is genuinely not a great guy, but that's a post for another day.

Again, I just don't understand why you take my post to mean to absolve Silco. I am spreading the blame around, not saying Silco's hands are clean. Can you disprove all my other points without mentioning Silco? (I mean ok we discussed Vi's potential handiness, but the other points?)

If you agree with the fact Jinx up to age 11ish is already a traumatised kid, thanks to multiple factors, *none of which are called Silco* then we're on the same page. There is no need to absolve Silco of anything.

Again, what in my post is trying to say that he hasn't done anything wrong ever? Of course he's a mob boss. Of course he wasn't the best dad for Jinx. Of course he contributed to making her who she is.

[and we love him for all of it, the magnificent bastard]

Admitting that Silco isn't the sole responsible culprit for the state of Jinx does not equate absolving Silco of anything.

Heck, him being a mob boss has nothing to do with anything:

Ekko is a gang leader. Just because you're sympathetic to his cause doesn't mean he isn't. He had to stop Scar from skewering Vi like a pig, hinting they don't have a problem with killing.

Vander threatens people verbally twice and he's in three episodes. He coasts on his reputation and history of violence, and tells Vi that violence is bad in one breath and makes sure she won her fight in the next, teaching her she has to be the most violent/win her fights.

I don't think he ever speaks a direct word to Powder in the entire show? lol

He's like, "take care of Powder" and "would you sacrifice Powder"... But he never talks to her... Literally the one scene they share is when he makes her a drink at the end of episode 2 and they don't share a word?

[having a moment] holy shit this is bad lololol I think he says "From?" when she rats out little man and that is IT folks!!

OK. So. Literally everyone you meet in Arcane is some shade of grey. I'd like to point out that Vander had zero problem with Vi leading the kids to do heists. His only objection was that they went to Piltover.

There is no ideal situation in which Powder would have grown into a perfect little mew mew. Even if Silco never existed, she would have gone on to tinker her bombs, still would have whatever her mental condition she has (established on the bridge) and still made her life as a thief if not some worse thing.

There's no bright future for already-traumatised Powder, because Piltover uses and abuses Zaun (while Vander ensures the status quo)

@embershroud108 My response to you is the same. It's neither here not there, my post never denies this.

Silco's influence is what it is. But it would have been vastly different if he were adopting Ren, instead of Jinx. Jinx comes pre-loaded with trauma. Would you disagree?

Was gonna make a post about that and Nate goes and saves me the time! <3

Vander was so absent he pushed so much of the "mom" job on to Vi, a likewise traumatized kid. Jinx steps on a battlefield, sees her dead parents, and then gets mostly raised by her preteen sister. Her brother bullies her for unknown years, her sister hits her on occasion... Enforcers abuse her in the streets, her siblings' idea of "making it" in the world is stealing and fighting over their loot. She's actively encouraged to make bombs that will harm people, for the sake of their little dysfunctional tribe...

Assuming she's about 11 years old by act I, she's spent about 6 years with her family, dirt poor in the slums, then 5 years with Vander, then ~7 years with Silco?

The whole of Zaun bears responsibility for the monster Jinx becomes, and Zaun is the result of Piltover's systemic abuse.

Hot take, Heimerdinger is the one to blame for Jinx, not Silco.

[erodedlight]

oh sweetheart there's a lot of things you could have said, & more you could have done (c.)

[erodedlight]

if you're ready make a sound so the world can hear you! (c.)