#and how they’re two sides of the same coin

[hy6erion]

viktor and jayce fighting over you??

𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐲 - 𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐞

⇢ 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲/𝐧, 𝐠𝐧! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐨

1. The Scientific Method (or How to Win You Over)

It starts subtly—at least, as subtle as Jayce can manage.

“You know,” he says, leaning against your desk, broad shoulders blocking your view of the latest schematics, “I was thinking—you and I should go out sometime. Just the two of us. For research purposes.”

You don’t even have time to process before Viktor, seated across from you, speaks without looking up from his own work.

“Research into what? The effects of secondhand embarrassment?”

Jayce shoots him a glare. “Into team bonding, Viktor.”

“Mm. And what hypothesis are you testing? That you can single-handedly drive them to madness?” Viktor hums, scratching something in his notes. “A bold assumption, but I suppose it is not entirely unfounded.”

Jayce turns back to you, ignoring him. “Dinner. Drinks. Maybe some—”

“A headache,” Viktor mutters.

Jayce groans, running a hand down his face before pointing at you. “You. Pick a side here.”

You exhale, setting down your pen. “I don’t even know what we’re arguing about.”

“We aren’t arguing,” Viktor says at the same time Jayce huffs, “We are arguing.”

You stare at them both. They stare at each other.

This has been happening for weeks.

It’s not always this obvious—sometimes it’s in the little things, the way Viktor always ensures your coffee is warm but lets Jayce suffer with whatever’s left in the pot. Or how Jayce somehow always has an extra set of tools whenever you’re missing yours, grinning like he wasn’t just waiting for the opportunity.

And the way they bicker—gods, it never ends.

“Fine,” you say, leaning back in your chair. “Jayce, we can do dinner. And Viktor, you can join.”

Jayce groans, throwing his head back. “Not the third-wheel invitation—”

“I accept,” Viktor interrupts smoothly.

Jayce turns to him, expression wounded. “Dude.”

“You do not own them, Jayce.”

“Neither do you!”

Viktor just smiles.

You take another sip of your coffee. This is going to be a long night.

2. The Art of Winning (or Just Being Petty)

“Y/n, my dearest, most trusted lab partner,” Viktor says, sidling up next to you while you’re examining some blueprints. “You are an artist of unparalleled skill. Would you mind assisting me with some designs?”

You raise an eyebrow, but before you can answer, Jayce materializes from across the room.

“Woah, woah, hold on, I was just about to ask them for help.”

Viktor tilts his head, feigning confusion. “Just about to? How convenient.”

Jayce narrows his eyes. “You knew I was gonna ask them—”

“Mm. And yet, I asked first.”

“That doesn’t—”

“Time is linear, Jayce. Surely you understand this.”

Jayce looks ready to explode.

You pinch the bridge of your nose. “You both know I have other work to do, right?”

They don’t. They definitely don’t.

But Jayce recovers first, flashing you his most charming smile. “C’mon, you know I have the bigger project right now—”

“Size does not determine quality, Jayce,” Viktor interrupts. “By that logic, your brain should be much more effective.”

Jayce’s jaw drops. “Did you just—?”

“Mm?” Viktor takes a slow sip of his tea.

You sigh, turning away before you witness a murder. “I’m flipping a coin. Heads, I help Jayce. Tails, I help Viktor.”

Jayce’s shoulders relax. “That seems fair.”

Viktor hums, noncommittal.

You flip. The coin lands. You glance at it.

Then, you slap it onto your palm before either of them can see and say, “I’m helping myself today.”

Viktor huffs a quiet laugh, and Jayce groans, dropping his head onto the nearest surface.

“Brilliant,” Viktor murmurs. “I am rubbing off on you.”

Jayce mumbles something into the desk. You pat his shoulder in consolation before walking away, leaving them to their stalemate.

3. The Heart of the Matter (Or: Maybe They’re Not as Subtle as They Think)

At some point, you begin to wonder if they even know what they’re fighting over.

Because it’s not just lab work. It’s not just projects, or coffee, or who gets to sit next to you during meetings.

It’s you.

And they’re both smart enough to know it, even if neither of them says it outright.

It’s in the way Jayce’s gaze lingers whenever you laugh, like he’s memorizing the sound. The way Viktor’s voice softens when he murmurs your name, careful, like he knows the weight it holds.

It’s in how they both wait for you at the end of the day, pretending it’s just coincidence.

It’s in the way Viktor watches Jayce’s arm brush against yours and says nothing, but his fingers tighten around his cane. In how Jayce watches Viktor pull you in to murmur something close and he says nothing, but his jaw tenses.

It’s in the way neither of them will ever say it—but neither of them will yield, either.

And you?Well.

You just let them fight.

[tens-converse]

a really long rant about why this comment is wrong

i have talked about this time and time again, but the way the doctor who fandom treats donna is so weird.

“[donna] and her character are both arrogant and unpleasant.”

first of all, let’s discuss the “arrogant” portion of this statement.

donna noble has a hard exterior. she has been so put down in her life that her shell is the only thing that she feels will protect her from anymore heartbreak and disappointment! she acts aloof and above others because she feels the exact OPPOSITE. it is proven time and time again that donna feels deeply for others and has even put herself in actual life threatening situations because she CARES that much about others. it also makes no sense to call her arrogant when half of her lines are her demeaning herself and her arc is literally her acceptance of the fact that she IS special and she CAN BE worth something to someone.

second of all, unpleasant? what i’ve found is that donna haters say unpleasant to mean “not complacent in every idiotic idea the doctor has.” its misogyny at its finest. they want donna to be head over heels and awed by everything the doctor does. when she treats him as an equal, they hate it because they’re so used to the women in doctor who thinking the doctor is all knowing and amazing. donna saw him for how he really was before she got his persona.

the thing about donna and the doctor is they are two sides of the same coin. one knows he’s supposed to be important and has a hard time coping with that, and one is convinced she can never be seen as anything but a failure to other people. they both put on a mask of false confidence, but they both understand that neither is okay.

“constant bad behavior and insults are [donna’s] idea of fun.”

yeah, and so is ten’s. that’s why they work so well together. he loved every conversation and argument they had. he held her in such high regard and their banter was a part of what he loved so much about her. it set her apart from other companions. it kept him in check, it made him reevaluate his ego and decisions. not to mention that “bad behavior” and those insults stopped him from literally offing himself.

in conclusion:

the doctor would hate this person, the doctor would hate a lot of the people in this fandom who mistreat and mischaracterize donna. a lot of you are way to comfortable perpetuating misogyny. this isn’t the first time i’ve seen comments like this made about her. i’ve even seen whovians on here be awful about her and disgustingly mischaracterize both her AND the doctor’s feelings about her. i’m tired of seeing it!

[sapphiresaphics]

No… no it wasn’t. You’ve got it backwards.

Yes, the class struggles was a SETTING. But it was NOT the central theme of the show. Anyone who says it is isn’t observing the entirety of the show as a whole and are solely basing it off of the first half of season 1.

And I get it… we had 3 years between seasons, so it feels like season 1 and season 2 are very different. But they really are not. They are two sides of the same coin. And you’ve gotta critique the show as a WHOLE, not just by what you liked in season 1.

And I would argue that the arcane was QUITE prevalent in season 1. All of the stuff with Viktor and his experimentation with his leg and the visions he was getting… none of that had to do with the classism and everything to do with the way the magic system works.

This is League of Legends. Power corrupts. That’s like… 90% of all the stories in League of Legends. Again, Heimerdinger actually spells it out for us in season 2.

What’s important to note is that Arcane isn’t a show about how power corrupts. Again, like the classism issues, this is a feature that is explored but it isn’t the central thesis of the entire show.

The central thesis is the cycle of violence. The classism, the magic system, the ways in which power affects people, corrupts people.. it’s all in service of the main thesis about how the cycle of violence continues and perpetuates.

That is what is actually being explored across the two seasons. And they’re using the lore of League of Legends to explore these themes. So I think it’s fair to say that saying “it’s league of legends” isn’t a cop out answer, but a revealing one. One that forces you to look beyond the simple black and white classism issues and dig deeper into the lore and to figure out why these elements were chosen to be explored in this narrative.

They chose Piltover and Zaun for a reason.

They chose the Arcane magic for a reason.

The show is called Arcane. It has a purpose in this story. It has a meaning and a message they’re trying to say with it. Understanding the lore of League of Legends will help you understand the message better.

Okay, after seeing a bunch of WILD takes on Arcane (and specifically season 2), I feel like I need to educate you guys on some deep Arcane Lore to understand why some things are happening in Arcane.

Magic in League of Legends is kinda a curse. It’s a gift from the gods, but the gods are also cosmic Eldridge Horror H.P.Lovecraft style deities of malevolence. The more you use the magic, the more corrupted you’ll become.

And rest assured… Magic WANTS to be used, just like the One Ring in Lord of the Rings WANTS to be found. When people use magic in League of Legends it’s very easy for the power to corrupt in unusual ways as the magic flows through them and convinces them that their way is the right way.

Heimerdinger actually calls this out:

“I've seen miracles spring from the hands of mages many times, but so often they turned to horrors. I'd always presumed it was due to mankind's turbulent relationship with power.. but perhaps it is a property of the Arcane itself.”

This is explained by Rise in League of Legends lore:

"Magic wants to be used," said the sorcerer. "It is all around us, emanating from the first fragments of creation. It wants to be wielded. And that is the true challenge on the path we both walk. When you realize what the magic wants, how eager it is... Well, then the difficulty isn't how to begin wielding it. It's knowing when to stop."

So like… THIS is why Hextech is so dangerous. Hextech isn’t just like nuclear power being introduced into the world, but like a version of nuclear power that ITSELF wants to destroy the world and will possess and corrupt anyone it can reach around them to achieve its goals.

And THIS is why when Viktor is fused with Hextech he starts seeing Sky and being led down to the undercity to “heal” all the shimmer addicts and become a hive mind community. Viktor THINKS he’s doing something good, but all along hes being guided and manipulated by the powers of cosmic magic.

And THIS is why he needs to be snapped out of it to realize what he’s done. He is NOT himself when he’s manipulating and controlling everyone. The Arcane has been guiding him there so it can be used and achieve what it wants.

Magic isn’t progress. It isn’t beneficial to the world by and large. It’s DANGEROUS and CORRUPTING.

Just think about this too: in areas where the Arcane seeps into the world, it corrupts the world around it. What do you think is making those toxic caves under Zaun? What do you think is in Shimmer? Why do you think Jayce was being corrupted in the AU world when he fell down into that cave? Why do you think that AU works was so bleak and moldy and gross?

You guys need to understand the role of Magic in League of Legends lore to understand WHY the show LITERALLY CALLED ARCANE is about the dangers of magic and how it manipulated and corrupts people to spur the cycle of violence until it destroys everything.

If you were ever confused about why the show that SEEMS to start as a commentary on systemic oppression ends with a giant cosmic marvel style battle, THIS is why. The Arcane is waking up. It’s heard it’s masters call. It WANTS to be used. And it’ll use ANYONE it can find to achieve its goals. Zaunites and Pilties alike.

Every one of you who’s like “oh but shimmer is Zaun’s only form of medicine! It’s bad Piltover tried to snuff it out!” is REALLY missing the forest for the trees.

When you stop trying to compare Arcane’s storyline to that of real world conflicts and history and instead engage with Arcane on its own terms with its own lore, a lot of what you might think are weird choices start to make a lot of sense.

Arcane can be enjoyed by everyone but it was made for the fans of League of Legends first and foremost. Maybe brush up on some of the lore and you’ll start to see what the writers were ACTUALLY trying to say.

[justafewberries]

The foils that are Luke Castellan and Jason Grace

Jason Grace is what Luke Castellan would have been if he hadn’t revolted. They’re two sides of the same coin. One chose war, one chose loyalty, and yet, they both died. 

The first time we meet either of them, they’re described similarly. 

Percy describes Luke as tall and muscular with sandy-hair, a friendly smile, and a prominent scar on his right cheek: 

Meanwhile, Piper describes Jason similarly, as having close-cropped blond hair, a kind, gentle face, and a “cute little scar”: 

Notably, they both share the presence of a scar. 

Beyond physical characteristics, both demigods carry dual-traited weapons. Luke with Backbiter, and Jason with his coin. Both had mothers driven mad by abandonment- May with hopes her son will return, and Beryl believed Jupiter would come back to make her immortal. And both demigods had only met their godly fathers once. Jason, right before the end of BoO, and Luke at his mother’s house years prior to The Lightning Thief. 

They differ the most in how they gained respect. While Jason was handed the role of leader, Luke clawed his way to the top. 

At the feast in BoO, Jason details how he tried everything to push power away, and yet, it followed him wherever he went:

Meanwhile, Luke came from the most crowded cabin. His father only gave him one quest, which was a repeat of Hercules’s mission.

Luke had been at camp for five years before Percy arrived. He was a well established counselor. Everyone liked him. Despite his over-crowded cabin and his lack of quests, he built his own reputation through his skills and charisma. 

And when Luke decides to revolt against the gods, it’s hard to blame him. He feels betrayed, used, and abandoned. He clawed his way to the top, and despite his efforts, he watched his friends die time and time again. 

But Jason witnessed the same, but he stayed loyal to the gods. He was ignored, abandoned, and used, just like Luke.

And yet, they both died from their rebellion. They both stood up to the gods, Luke with the sword, and Jason with the pen. The first time Jason meets his father, he stands up for Apollo, someone he later dies for. He was slow to stand up, yet, he too, did in the end.

They both wanted change. They both wanted better for their friends and family. They both wanted recognition for minor gods. And yet, despite their differing methods of rebellion, they both died only a year apart. There was no justice for the coin of which they were different sides.

[hartteart]

if you hate yourself so much why don’t you hatemarry yourself?

[boatswainer]

I’m scared He was gone all along.

[allthethoughtsandstuff]

im screaming, if you even care

[roykentschesthair]

I know we don’t really know how Roy and Jamie reacted to each other when they very first met, but c’mon, Roy is older, slower, losing the one thing that makes him feel useful and good, his knee a constant aching painful reminder that he’ll never be as good as he was.

Jamie comes in, an asshole, too sure, too cocky, and vulnerable as hell, his abandonment issues in full armored display, he comes in, everything Roy used to be and will never be again and sure, Jamie has worshipped Roy since he was a lad, but Roy doesn’t know that. And sure, Roy is a (self) hating mess, but Jamie doesn’t know that.

They collide

Rock and hard place

And they hate each other, except for how they don’t, and it’s the first time in a long time that Roy has the energy to fight, and the first time maybe ever that Jamie pushes someone away who never actually leaves.

And that hatred buries the potential of their connection for a long time. Until it doesn’t anymore, until they recognize that this disruption of patterned behavior is a good thing.

And they heal each other? Their connection stabilizes and strengthens and it’s beautiful?

Roy learns he can be useful, needed, wanted and not break his body to do it?

Jamie learns that he’s allowed to say no, to ask for what he needs, to be vulnerable, because he no longer needs to fear retribution for it?

This is a rambling mess all just to say that platonic or romantic Jamie and Roy are a love story for the ages

[crochetstim]

god i miss foolish and phil interacting. purgatory was a feast. the moment when they both destroyed the green egg was so Important to me. Also after purgatory when qphil showed qfoosh his wings and said that he trusts him ;-;

[fogsupwindshieldglass]

from “all’s well that ends well” to “all’s fair in love and poetry”

[doomedbythe-narrative]

thinking about how pretty much every adult in dazais life failed him btw

[rosenbergi]

- WIP -

Rain Code AU-ification is happening as we SPEAK!

[hinasho]

Oh don’t look at me just thinking about Takemichi and Kisaki parallels again

[mintmentos]

The good kid reprise continues to be just as good every time I listen to it

[poltergeist-coffee]

it’s 2 am and all i can think about is insaneduo

[zolaliz]

They are the antithesis to each other

One where it is all about faith through questioning, through second guessing, through desperate searching, through pushing back against each other in order to move each other forward

The other is faith through two trusting open minds, through going along blind, through knowing without proving, through taking things as they are, through following along so that they know their way back

me and who