#Mel protecting Cait in a funny way

[piritos03]

Mel is a bit late to the party

[danothan]

i am female manipulating you….tell me about your hyperfixations and special interests…..

!! well my biggest hypfix rn is arcane and my most pressing special interest is dc, so i’ve been trying to find as many similarities as i can between my respective faves (aka jayce talis and barry allen). no other reason than self-indulgent crossovers and categorizational satisfaction U__U

i’ve done this before, but now i’m also adding a visual component by comparing screenshots/panels! here’s a taste:

[s2e1 spoilers below cut]

i was thinking abt what i said abt their compartmentalizing tendencies, which led me to think abt the different ways jayce confides in his loved ones and how that plays into his inability to see the bigger picture. after his partner viktor nearly dies in the councilroom attack, jayce confides in mel (gf) for emotional support but tells caitlyn (family friend) what he’s actually thinking. when mel asks how viktor’s doing and jayce responds “he’s still breathing,” it feels defeated but leaves room for hope. when cait asks the same, he tells her “honestly, i don’t even know if he’s still in there,” like there’s less stakes to have to hide behind optimism

that’s not to say he isn’t vulnerable w mel ofc, he lies his head in her lap and allows her to comfort him thru his survivor’s guilt. however, this only reassures his emotional unease (sm to be said abt this x his argument style, but that’s for another day). with cait, he’s definitely not confiding for comfort lmao (i still think it’s funny and so very little sister of her to ask jayce how his dying partner is doing and then immediately start venting abt her own problems). instead, it’s more like jayce is trying to process, even if it’s just to be honest w himself

all of this to say, the ppl in jayce’s life have specific roles, which means he goes to them for specific things. this is a normal thing that pretty much everyone does, but in jayce’s case, his compartmentalizing feeds into his tunnel vision + influenceable disposition. having specific ppl for specific things is great for not burdening any one person w all of your problems, but it makes it harder for him to see the bigger picture outside of himself. there’s a reason why jayce is notorious for his recency bias; it’s easy to get lost in the details when you can only see what’s being reflected at you in a given moment

this tendency to compartmentalize is a trait jayce shares w barry “i try not to blur the lines” allen. if anyone is going to have specific ppl for specific things, it’s gonna be the guy that splits his life into two personas (that he refuses to overlap yet can’t exist without the other, but hey, who’s keeping track?). barry does it a little differently tho; whereas jayce is very external in his emotions, barry is internal, going so far as to use his powers to speedrun his grief alone so he can be there for other ppl instead

they’re both very intense in their emotions, but barry bottles his up until they reach a boiling point. if he confides in someone, there’s a calculated secrecy that jayce doesn’t have. for example, barry’s best friend hal (who knew him first as the flash) usually has to force barry to admit his feelings abt smth, while his gf/wife iris (who knew him first as barry) feels like she’s pulling teeth to get any information out of him. “flash is flash, barry is barry”; he tries not to blur the lines, and this extends to the ppl that know him

it’s not that barry wants to hide himself (in fact, his love language is to understand and to be understood), he just has a hard time letting any one person know all of him. he’s social and sensitive but selectively vulnerable. it’s like he scatters fragments of himself so that everyone can have a piece, but no one has the full picture. it’s no surprise he isn’t able to see the big picture himself

between their compartmentalization, their short-sightedness, and their audacious idea of protecting their loved ones, i think the jayce-to-barry pipeline was inevitable for me lol. but interestingly enough, i never realized how different they were in their similarities until i wrote it all out here! i hope this makes sense if you aren’t familiar w the characters, it’s definitely been enlightening for me ^__^

[ruggythebugwithamug]

ARCANE SPOILER FOR ACT 3 SEASON 2

My ramblings and feelings! Enjoy.

Ok thoughts and feelings, I am not super feral for this show but I like it, and I am satisfied with the end. Though, I have one note (right at the end).

happy Ekko is alive and got his cool badass moment (TWICE! Both when all the firelights came to save the day + Sevilla and Zaun pals and he did his time stuff) though I wonder who exactly he wrote the note for- OH HEIMERDINGER? (I am bad at spelling) maybe maybe

Other dimension Zaun-is-a-nation Powder is epic and I am very happy the body switching shenanigans didn’t lead to her actual ekko being poofed out of existence. Also found it very funny that ekko is here like gathering shards of hex crystal from a crime seen he definitely broke into while Powder just straight up has them all in the Vi cabinet. Girl had an *insane* week that week (or month idk the timeline)

I like how Viktor slowly became more radicalised in his cult shit in every transformation. I do not like what Viktor helped do to dad. Leave dad alone.

The big fellow who manned the giant magic gun (I forget his name, but the nice enforcer guy) SHOULD HAVE WORN HIS HELMET. I am sad he is dead, but if he’s actively manning the giant weapon that is definitely a threat to the Noxian warriors, he is a very clear target. AND HE’S NOT WEARING A HELMET, THEY HAVE LITTLE SIDES THAT MIGHT PROTECT THE NECK AND EVERYTHING! Dumb ways to die.

go doctor man, very nice that that woman you care about is seemingly alive again (we love the mad scientist does mad science for a loved one trope)

Hell yeah sorceress Mel, I have no fucking clue what’s going on with her backstory things happened and I comprehend none of it

As for the bigger things that happened, the whole Jayce/Viktor in astral projection thing definitely reminded me that yeah… while a lot of the story is emotionally driven by the relationships between the undercity fam, Viktor and Jayce’s experimentation with hextech was core to the plot and they kind of are the most influential characters in the story. That scene just reminded me of that in a meta-sense.

I’m not a big shipping person, like, gay people on screen kissing is cool, straight people kissing on screen is cool (I am covering the screen, I don’t want to see anyone kissing, but the romance part is nice) I… don’t know what happened with them. Are they soulmates? Why is Viktor old and giving baby jayce a rock?? Did he use Ekko’s funky time machine??? Their relationship is… I don’t really care if they’re meant to be read as just really affectionate lab bros or a thing… I just- what the fuck was that ending in that regard? I guess we’re space people now. (I am not complaining, I am just confused)

Also speaking of viktor’s cult, when I saw the weird robot angel things I asked ‘why is the angel machine doing a backflip?’ They are very acrobatic.

anyways, onto Vi and Caitlyn. At least we are a little bit happy in the end. Not surprised they got back together, ‘s pretty neat though.

Jinx is very much alive to me. There are theories! There are mysterious blueprints! Blueprints with possible escape routes-

So is Isha. I have no proof of this of course, but for my sanity Isha defied the odds and definitely didn’t die from the crazy gun explosion thing.

Okay as for my only negative note on the whole story… why did Maddie betray Caitlyn? Genuinely? I could have totally missed some foreshadowing or whatever, but… she was an enforcer before Ambessa got really involved in everything right? So, it’s not like she was put in as a spy- There was that line about professional relationships but like… that was before Caitlyn went against Ambessa. Who was Maddie on the side of initially?

Did she join Ambessa because she was spiteful that Cait got back with Vi? (I would prefer that not be the reason since that just feels like a shallow reason for you to kill someone?? Maddie’s a background character but she deserves better than that as motive.) OR is she just super into the whole martial law thing? She aligned with Ambessa because her political ideals are more in line with how they lead their country. (I’d prefer this) Anyways, I will wait for the character analysis people to do there thing because like… unless there’s a whole heap of subtle clues foreshadowing Maddie’ betrayal… that feels like a plot hole, it just doesn’t make sense. She’s GOTTA have a reason.

besides that, tiny, tiny thing that’s been gnawing at my mind, this was pretty good. Thanks everyone who worked on the show, you won’t see this, but I am astral-projecting (Viktor style) praises to you.

I am open for chat but I will be asleep so if you talk to me I’ll probably only reply tomorrow.

[wordyneonlights]

AHEM

Here are my unsolicited arcane thoughts

Ep 4

The PARALLELS between Jinx mourning Silco and Cait mourning her mom

And the PARALLELS between Isha leaving without telling Jinx because she wanted to help and Powder doing the exact same thingggg as a kid

Flipping Cait sleeping with ginger enforcer lady (girl, why can't you be professionally entangled with Vi??????)

The enforcer not knowing Jinx, please that was too funny.

And the Jinx/Sevika dynamic????? It's giving older sis and bratty younger sis. I love it

And can we just acknowledge how GOOD Sevika looks???? Like, oh my gosh, I'm salivating that undercut mmmffggggg.gg

That scene with everyone appreciating Jinx, touching her shoulders and hands in that sort of 'well done' gesture. Goshhhh I'm sure she's never had that many people count on her and then actually succeeded in that way before.

Jinx found Isha... ugh I'm in tears

That Victor frankenstein dupe is one messed up mf holy crap????

Ep 5.

Vi... Holy shit. Please, writers, give her more than twenty seconds of happiness.

On the other hand I do love the new look... minus the alcoholism of course.

ALSO, what the FLIP happened to my boy Ekko???? He's my emotional support character he can't be dead !!!!!

Caitlyn and Ambessa proof of why we probably shouldn't support woman's wrongs.

Ayeeee Mel's back !! And hallucinating vividly, love that for her. The braids do be screaming for moisture, though.

Ohhhh step into the light is giving beauty and the beast. And we've got a sibling reunion !!!! And Kino's fine as hell damn.

Gosh Vi all I need is five minutes and a red bull please just give me one chanceeee. The black and red is so working for her.

Vi, vi, vi seeing the way Jinx cares for isha the way she cared/cares for powder.

Ah, so Victor Frankenrevek is trying to pull a Mr Freeze

And Mel, gosh, poor Mel... who has explodey captain marvel powers ??? Is that what protected her during the explosion???

Vanders note and what might have been and that beautiful shot of Vi and Jinx (aslo alluding to what might have been) chat I can't take this anymore.

Silco???? Holy crap he looks so... normal??? Content??? Free of anguish??? And Vander seems so light and at peace.

Oh, Silco's eyes??? HELLO!!! Beautiful and gorgeous holy crap

THAT WAS VI'S MOM !!!!! VANDER NAMED VI !!!!!!! NO ONE TALK TO ME NO ONE LOOK AT ME !!!!

I'm in tears.

What have they done to us

Holy shit JAYCE???? Um, ok ya'll you've convinced me. While I love the reunion and all WHERE IS EKKO ! ! !

And heimerdinger of course.

Uh.... Jayce, I'm not sure cold blooded murder is going to solve your hextech problem

Ep 6

What do you mean after this there's only three more then it's finished?????

Viktor seems ... slightly unhinged but good for him I think ???

I want to ride Ambessa's abs

Did Viktor make a commune???

Love is actually so beautiful and powerful omigosh.

Vi and Jinx and their parents and their memories I am this close to losing my mind. Please, writers, let Vi have happiness and peace, please, pretty please, pretty pretty please with cherries on top.

Arcane is actually just about the lengths we go for love, i will be taking no counterarguments.

Vi PLEASE give me your eyeshadow tutorial, I'll give you the best head of your life if you show me how to-

HOLY SHIT VI/CAIT REUNION IM NOT OK

Ugh why do hot women have to have bad morals.

And here comes Jayce, ya'll this episode is TENSE.

Writers give Vi happiness that lasts for more than 20 seconds challenge.

I wanna eat those blue red fruit things.

Jinx experiencing big sisterhood, good for her !!!

Honest + Patient + Shut the fuck up= trust. Got it!

Oh Caitlyn, i knew I could trust you (no, I didn't, but I love to be proven wrong).

Jayce, my brother, please calm it down, you're disturbing the commune.

Oh HELL yeah, Jinx v Ambessa's dickrider I love itttt

OHHHHH YEAH VANDER IS BACK BITCHESSSSS

JAYCE !!!! BRO!!!!! What the FLIP?!?!??!!

Oh my shit I think bro just committed mass murder.

CAN YOU PLEASE JUST LET THESE GIRLS WIN????? PLEASE!!!!!! PLEASE?!?!!??!?!

Rage, compassion, hate

Oh Viktor...

Fuck I hate this show, what the fuck.

[lazydragonslayer]

ok fine. i can't not watch it. episode 9

the final music video.

ohh my god. jesus christ. insane way to open.

"always a dance with you" i'm normal

jinx jumps instead of pulling the pin again to protect ekko. it's fine that's fine

i don't think I'm gonna survive this one guys

love everyone hanging out in the war room with their cool edgy makeovers

cait's railgun is pretty cool i must say

did she ever break up with maddie

oh well i guess she doesn't have to now. what a weird confusing character

the pacing in this episode is insane. everything is happening so fast

on a surface level this execution scene is pretty badass though

where the fuck did jinx get that

so much is happening so fast

love that piltovan artillery is just hexgates that launch shipping crates full of explosives

jesus viktor looks insane

rip sevika.

all of these side characters are dying like we're supposed to care but we just did not receive the time to become invested in them even a little bit

why is this fight between cait/mel and ambessa even happening. like it looks cool but in context why is this being allowed to happen

yes league devs i see ambessa's kaenic rookern. you can stop showing it to me

oh holy shit i was not expecting them to kill her

her and heimer dying is leading me to believe that perhaps the timeline is going to be changed

i feel like we skipped some steps in vi and jinx's relationship

the way that jayce and viktor just go shooting through the middle of what should theoretically be a very emotional, impactful fight is very funny

ekko gets to save the world? please?

"you must go jayce" bitch he's in your astral realm.

well i just don't like it. i simply do not think that we should have done this to jinx

jesus christ. don't just put raum there as a fun little teaser after all of that

Ok so the unfortunate thing is that I just did not like the episode. I feel like the show completely failed to wrap up at least Vi, Jinx, or Caitlyn's characters in a satisfying manner and seemingly completely handwaved the entire conflict between Piltover and Zaun, which was set up as, y'know, the driving conflict of the show.

I'm just going to pretend that this episode doesn't exist and go back and rewatch season 1.

[flopsy-art]

This is a long one boys here all my thoughts

so many spoilers

Jayce experiencing the horrors VS ekko finally not experiencing the horrors

Heimerdinger Banjo is actually everything to me

Ekko and Powder cute ngl MUSIC SLAPS

I miss him already (the death toll starts)

MEL. everything about Mel.

Cait looks epic with the high collar and the ponytail

JAYCE AND MEL WITH ARCANE MONSTER FIGHT it's a really good fight Mel is so powerful (was this Mel/ Jayce breakup? They've both changed so much)

Arcane monster has all the runes EXCEPT for the one that Jayce holds (that Viktor gave him omg like dude)

Jayce and Viktor are irrevocably tied together. Champions of each other's mutal destruction and salvation and it's evident in every fukcinh scene like wtf

Jinx really hit the "I just wanna die now" level

Vi loves her sister so much. And Jinx loves her sister so much, even when she just wants it to end.

Jayce's fucking "You will never be a passenger" to Mel

"Has experienced the horrors" Jayce is so fukcinh epic like yeah. He has realised what actually matters.

ON SCREEN LESBIAN SEX wow man they didn't hold back slay

SKY WAS MANIFESTATION OF VIKTORS LAST DREG OF HUMANITY. Also Viktor actively killing vander for his own survival and watching Vader fully burn in the process like.

He's gone, gone.

Ekko holding Jinx back from the edge. I love him so much.

"Viktor is at the centre of all this isn't he?" And Jayce sees. Viktor in this reality right before he killed him. Then the spot where old Viktor told him he's the only one who could fix it in the future explosion timeline. And then Viktor right before Jayce killed him smiles, like-

Vi's fit is so epic

ISTG I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS CHARACTER, I know thats the point but still. blue locs person I love you (add one to the kill count)

MARKSMAN CAIT SLAY she is so cool

Before they open the arcane vander monster box istg it sounds like a digierido?

Not Maddie standing right behind Cait

Jayce better fukcinh hurry up man, he taking the power out of the hexgate way too delicately

NOOOO LORIS I SWEAR TO FUCK this one made me so sad wtf (add one to the kill count, this is a war the kill count is already so bad)

Cait is so slay but so it random fish? Person. Like they're so absolutely epic.

AND THEN THE BOMB DOESN'T FUKCINH GO OFF And everything goes to shit.

MADDIE TURNCOAT MOMENT look okay she is still epic is this just makes her even better in my mind. I mean fukcinh evil but still.

NOT THE CAIT STAB "desperation is the doorway to oblivion, child." as if she isn't the one who's fukcinh desperate, anyway

Maddie so prepared to shoot her omfg-

MEL- I know fucking hell Maddie just got full on headshotted (add one to the kill count) - MELLLLLLLLL

JINX AND EKKO (MUSIC SLAPS) theyre both so fucking cool SEVIKA AND THE OTHER ZAUNITES!!!

Jinx there to save her sister like istg

This random guy man. So brave istg.

VIKTOR CACOON EMPTY of course it was Viktor is at the fukin hexgate

VIKTOR LASER MOMENT OMG his final fukin form. It looks so much cooler than the game omg

When Viktor says "pleased... to see you" his voice becomes less distorted like wtf

Jayce just keeps pulling those canisters out like Viktor isn't almost a god (MUSIC SLAPS)

THE CREATURES ARE OUT. Red protective square is so funny to me. They're all so fucked.

Cait fukcinh "shut up and fight" like I love her

Also Cait has a fukcinh mage slay this is so epic the team up I've always wanted MEL IS SO POWERFUL

Vi running from the arcane monsters so epic go save your sis

Jayce really thinks he's stopped Viktor lmao.

Viktor just puts the canisters back in lmao like in what world

CAIT is so awesome she ripped the KNIFE THAT WAS STILL IN HER FROM BEINH STABBED EARLIER and sliced those protective stones off absolute legend.

Mel. Just everything about this. Mel playing the Order. Mel is so powerful. She is so much like her mum I just- yeah. She is the fukcinh wolf. You will never be the passenger. (add one to the kill count)

I love Jinx's hair! Vander being Vi's main fukcinh folly in every situation.

ANYWAY Viktor fuck shit. Jayce following him. Even tho he's seen where this ends.

Everything being muffled.

JAYCE STILL TRYNA HIT VIKTOR LMAO mega fail but he tried

The Jayce slo-mo mid Vander fight.

I love the glitches once they're on the roof.

Everyone really fucked now like. We have entered a new stage of fucked.

Ekko the only one to wake up not string attached to the arcane.

JAYCE MINDSCAPE TIME.

It's just like. Jayce VS Viktors internalised abelsim.

"You've always wanted to cure what you thought were weaknesses. Your leg. Your disease. But you were never broken, Viktor. There is beauty in imperfections. They made you who you are. An inseperable peice of everything I admired about you."

EKKO! He goes further back. HE GOES FURTHER BACK.

EKKO WITH THE STEEL CHAIR. Man literally smashes the concept of time into Viktors face. And Viktor humanity comes back! He's there!

Jayce comes back into himself and immediately starts his monologue back up lmao.

"I thought I wanted us to give magic to the world. Now, all I want, is my partner back."

He looks so hopeful? He can see Viktor is back in there.

HUMAN VIKTOR VOICE "why do you persist? After everything I've done?"

Jayce's face is so intense man. "Because I promised you." HUG REVELATIONS.

Viktor sees his own mistakes. He sees the reality it becomes. He sees his old self. The regrets the other him has. VIKTOR WENT BACK IN TIME AND TRIED EVERY VERSION TO TRY TO SAVE HIMSELF. AND THE ONLY ONE THAT WORKED WAS INSPIRATION.

"I thought I could bring an end to the world's suffering. But when every equation was solved, all that remained, were fields of dreamless solitude. There is no prize to perfection, only an end to pursuit.

In all timelines, in all possiblities, only you can show me this."

And young Viktors fukcinh face. He understands. The mistakes he's made. He looks up and can see it. And he knows to end it would destroy him, and he asks Jayce to go.

And Jayce grabs his shoulder and rips the rune from his own wrist and gives it to Viktor.

They're just staring into each other's eyes like.

THE 2D ANIMATION. THE OTHER RUNES EVERYONE BEING FREED.

Viktor holds it alone. Jayce grabs his hand. They loose each other. Viktor tried to hold it together alone, Jayce reaches for him. He grabs his hand and his neck and they press foreheads and hold the rune together.

And then they vanish into it together.

There's no coming back from that boys.

(Add two to the kill count?)

And we go straight from that to Vander being Vi's folly. Jinx tries to save her. Like.

"Always with you sis" fukc off NO NOT LIKE THAT

Genuinely so smart of her to hit the core out of the glove. I hate this show. (Music slaps)

I can feel Vi's fukcinh pain man like fuck off.

(add one to the-)

Not Jayce's hammer dissolving into dust.

Anyway that was the most emotion I've felt about a tv show.

I'm actually so glad that young brave guy is still alive at the end.

SEVIKA ON THE COUNCIL!

Mel just like her mum omg.

"Our story isn't over"

I don't think you can emotional damage me anymore than that Arcane.

Vi singing the song her mum would hum really tipped me over the edge there.

She's the dirt her nails -crying- she's the- she the dirt