#I just might be Default 'Fuck Piltover'

[cookierye]

ive decided it's been long enough. ramble time

let's talk about ambessa in arcane season 2 and the kindred

first things first. as there's a lot of people who don't know league stuff but still watched arcane, fuck are the kindred? well, they're death. kind of

there's multiple interpretations of death in this universe. one of them however is the interpretation of the kindred, two entities that always go together. one grants a death swift and painless, the other toys with its victims and grants them a slow death. depending on the region, this duo can look like a number of different creatures, however for ease's sake i will go with the default freiljord representation: lamb being the first, wolf being the second

the reason why this means anything is because a lot, and i mean a lot of regions believe in the kindred as their twin deities of death. this includes piltover, zaun, and most of what ill talk about here, noxus

noxus is a region that loves its wars. it loves its fighting, and thinks the most honourable way to die is in battle. in regard to the kindred, this translates to that noxians think even death should be fought, therefore being brought to their end by the jaws of the wolf is the only right way to go. a death in lamb's hands, a calm and peaceful one, is seen as a coward's way out

so let's talk about ambessa.

another note for our non league arcane fans: ambessa was added to league of legends after her arcane debut. with that release came a cinematic which i absolutely recommend watching, but to make a long story short: ambessa, while almost having died in battle, was visited by a wolf and got a vision of her being chosen by the kindred, taking a deal granted to her by a very wolf-like version of lamb. she's presumed to be pregnant with mel during the cinematic, and there's imagery of her sacrificing a lamb statue

now to arcane. ambessa is of course a noxian as we all know, and so is of course mel. the only way acceptable for them to die, to her, is in battle.

in a conversation between the medardas during season 2, ambessa makes a comment on "sacrificing one child for another". the black rose makes it clear that ambessa, even if not willingly, let kino die. it seems like ambessa indirectly sacrificed kino to save mel, just like she, in the cinematic, brought the statue of the lamb to be sacrificed

and the finale goes with her going up against caitlyn and mel

during the fight, you might have noticed a little conversation between the medardas. when mel brings out the amulet given to her by leblanc (presumably the sorceress, yes), she says the words "a wolf has no mercy"

wolf, of the kindred, is not a merciful death. it's a long and painful and difficult death. mel knows ambessa might die at the hands of leblanc. to mel, leblanc is the wolf. the painful, slow death

and yet she steps in anyways. because the noxians fight the wolf, even at death

despite that, as ambessa dies in her arms, she looks at mel. and her expression isn't anger or sadness. it's complete and unsheltered pride. happiness. and ambessa's final words are these

"you are the wolf"

mel is ambessa's death at the end. ambessa and mel fought and mel won. ambessa dies in battle, and she dies honourably. ambessa sacrificed kino and died in mel's arms after losing the battle to her

ambessa sacrificed the lamb. died at the hands of what she, herself, called the wolf

kino was ambessa's lamb when mel was her wolf.

[jumumo]

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.

[faemoria-arch]

            it's one of the rare nights he does not seek the distraction of work and instead  ,  comes lean against her  .  gingerly almost  ,  jayce leans into her legs  ,  resting his head on her lap  ,  hair disheveled  ,  appearance almost youthful in its vulnerability  .  he doesn't say a word  ,  but the gaze he aims at her says it all  :  let me have this  ,  please  .

               so few ways she believes left to surprise her  &&  yet he  does  somehow find them time  &&  time again  .  there are a great many of people in piltover who would hate  &&  love to see him like this  ,  drained of all bravado  &&  swagger  &&  too worn down to  𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓭   otherwise  .  there is some perspective in which toothiana supposes it is quite the privilege that he would bare himself to her so  plainly  ,  but she would prefer not to see it in this manner  .               the vastayan’s hands can fill all manner of roles  ,  but for now they are dainty  ,    𝓭𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓮  things  ;;  one woven into his hair  ,  her fingers brush through  &&  do nothing to help with its dishevelment  .  the other rests idly over his chest  ,  as it seems to often default to  &&  she cannot help but take some  pride  in how quickly she recognizes the even slow to his heartbeat  &&  a steadying rise  &&  fall to his breaths at her touch  .                         ¨   it does not have to be like this  ,  you know  ,  ¨  she says  &&  in the melodic colour of her voice it is more like thinking up a tale to lull children to sleep than opening the gateway to any actual conversation  ,  𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓮𝓼  to fall into rather than dwell on the realities that brought him to her in this state  .  ¨  when i have found what i came for  &&  return to my home i could steal you away just like the stories  &&  you could be free of all this  ,  for  countless  years beyond what you would live here  ,  if you wanted  .  ¨           they are very  𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂  lies  ,  if she might say so herself  :  to think she might complete her task  &&  live to see her home again  ,  let alone bring him along with her  .  but even  that  need not be mentioned  ,  because it would not matter  .

                        ¨   do not worry  ,  you do not need to say ‘ no ’  .  i already know why  ,  for the same reason i would not be able to stay here  .  ¨ 

          her body bends  &&  covers his face from the lights in his home  ,  forehead pressed to his  &&  eyes closed as though recalling something that pains her greatly to think of  .  the city turns the knife lodged in his chest  ,  but to remove it entirely would have him bleed out until there was  nothing  .  she does not think jayce would know what to do with himself if not for what this city represents  &&  what he represents to it  .  &&  that is what her home is for her  ,  too  :  a choice in how to die  ,  in the end  ,  alone  . 

                   ¨   but for the evening we can  𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓭  ,  yes  ?  &&  we can rest easy  .  ¨

                                 @hamartio​             ♪  everybody knows shit’s fucked  ♪