#arcane episode 14

[ifeelhuman]

the turning point of act 2, (what is likely to majorly influence the finale) happens here—and the next episode—but it starts here. arcane episode 14 / arcane season 2 episode 5. let’s hear it.

after being noticeably absent from last episode, we finally shift the focus back to Vi. last we saw she was at the bottom of a ventilation shaft in Zaun, punched in the gut with the back of Caitlyn’s gun. earlier in that episode (episode 3 of the season) Vi pleads and asks Cait to promise not to change—not *for* her but because everyone else in Vi’s life has changed. it’s interesting, because it was phrased *almost* like it was for her. of course, at the breaking of that promise and Vi’s refusal to have a child suffer if she has any say so… everyone in her life has changed and we find her at her rock bottom.

Vi has (presumably) been pit fighting probably since near the beginning of the recent timeskip of months. like nearly all of this season’s episodes, we open to a music video montage that shows Vi’s time during these months. she’s sporting a new near-all black look with dark face paint to match—a goth-adjacent aesthetic. that one dude that was a part of Caitlyn’s original strike tweak before martial law (don’t know if we ever got his name, haven’t looked at the credits yet because while he is somewhat alright, he hasn’t been present enough or cool enough yet to have me check) i suppose sought out Vi, knowing how strong she is. it’s difficult to tell in the montage how much he knows (more) about Vi during this time but one can gleam that he knows she’s suffering (obv), has a heavy and unhealthy relationship with alcohol (dude doesn’t get any lines in this episode and we see he eventually leaves her to sulk in her own inebriated state), and likely triggered in some way by Caitlyn. kinda wish we knew more about him or he got more screen time (seemingly being reserved for the final act of the show) but that would also take away from our core characters somewhat and with only 9 episodes per season at less-than-an-hour episode runtimes, i won’t complain. overall i trust the writers.

Vi’s fall from nigh-stability has her transition from being a real champion in the pit to being too drunk and angry to keep up and falters in the ring. she comes to when !! surprisingly !! Jinx shows up and compliments her sister’s look (genuine, too). Vi nearly crushed her windpipe and certainly considers snapping Jinx’s neck at the sight of her but Jinx’s insistence that Vander is alive and needs *their* help (plus seeing Jinx cry or at least leak tears from having her neck strained so much + lack of oxygen) is enough to have Vi let her go.

we’re shown that Vi is aware of Jinx’s status in the undercity as symbol and the look on Vi’s face when she sees Vander illustrated next to Jinx’s graffiti… Vi’s gotta be going thru some rather complex emotions. that *this* is the person the underground has decided to rally with and decided is their gateway or vision to peace and/or sovereignty. if it was any other person Jinx said, Vi might’ve (a) killed Jinx outright or (b) chosen to do so after seeing that mural. but because the person in the mural is the same person Jinx mentioned + the lack of mischief that Jinx is creating (and Vi having no purpose or furies destination) Vi continues to tag along.

Jinx leads Vi with an accompanying Isha through sealed up mines. upon seeing the claw marks on the wall (and the fact that this is a place no one really goes to anymore so Jinx could easily take out Vi here) Vi becomes distrustful once more and of course walks with hesitation. i think the conversation that first takes place here is the first time in the show for Vi to verbalize to Jinx that Vi knows how “crazy” Jinx is by referring to her psychotic state when using the word ‘delusions’ to describe this quest or trek they have found themselves in. they end up calling each other “psycho” in reference to where both of them have ended up in status and allegiance—but it’s so unfair BUT understandable here. of course it would be considered unthinkable for Vi of the part to become an enforcer (no matter how brief her tenure was) but Jinx doesn’t know what led to that decision and how she has a huge hand to play in that. just as much as Vi doesn’t know the years Jinx was left without her and descended into severe mental anguish and disorder.

skipping ahead, they come across a letter from Vander to Silco in what’s probably Vander’s old home/hideout/shack. the contents of which Jinx comes to mention could’ve helped avoid all the trouble in the given circumstances leading to episode 1 of the series. feeling the softness and slight vulnerability from Jinx, Vi almost comforts her with a hand on her shoulder. but no, she can’t do that. after all this time pushing away the idea of them ever reconciling, what does that say to her constitution to and how frail it may be? what about their last confrontation and Vi saying to Jinx that she “killed” Powder? if she let herself see Jinx as part of her family now it may be too much to take. for now.

in the letter we get no real clues to who the woman that Vander is speaking of, that inspired the series of events that lead to episode 1… that is until Vander finds them. or Warwick, i suppose i should say. earlier, in a brief sisterly skirmish, Isha got involved biting Vi and that led to her smacking Isha off of her leading to a bloody nose—just like Powder in episode 3 when Vi lashed out in grief and anger. but that was enough. it was established last episode that Warwick is drawn to and summoned by blood (the or scent of which). so he’s been tracking them while they’ve been tracking *him*. very cool idea put into play here. but back to things.

Warwick lunges and nearly flays Isha if not for Vi stepping in and having a rather impressive fight. one that she not only walks away from but with seemingly no scratches—even Ambessa didn’t walk away from her fight with him unscathed. in the midst of this, Jinx pleads for Vi to hear her. to really hear her when she says that this is Vander. in one of the strongest emotive moments in this show (and there’s quite a number of them), Vi lowers her arms, her gauntlets, her guard (!!) and embraces whatever is to happen next. i think Vi would’ve been content or fine with anything taking place here, imo. she’s been at her rock bottom. she’s alone with no one. fights and drinks all day to forget and just get thru the hours. she lost her sister. Caitlyn. Vander. Ekko isn’t following her like before. she’s totally alone. i think Vi was partly hoping Jinx was wrong and that this beast would tear her apart. she was okay with death at this moment. but she probably didn’t expect herself to be okay (maybe not ready) for Jinx’s honesty to prove itself, to show that she wasn’t lying. that Vander *is* back. she says his name, for what she probably thought would be the last thing she’d ever say. but it isn’t.

in that moment, we, the audience, are shown something that no one character can see or is privy to. the episode, at the moment of impact between Warwick’s charging and Vi’s acceptance, transitions to a time before the show. before the circumstances that led to the bridge revolt from episode 1.

we are properly introduced to Vi and Powder’s mother, Felicia—the woman we now know was the once we saw deceased and Vi break down from. and from the letter. there are some overtones and maybe a little bit of (sexual) tension between Vander and Felicia. i get the feeling that they mayyyy have had a thing in the past but that’s not really important—just character complexities that color the scene further (he even gives Vi her name—something unsolicited but seemingly received well from Felicia. further implying there level of closeness). at The Last Drop, Felicia, Vander, and Silco talk about the dream of Zaun and the realization (and actualization) of which. it’s a really happy and naive time… Felicia reveals her pregnancy, is (by her own admission) oblivious to how to be a mother and children in general, and that she is as a result relying on Vander and Silco to make things happen. to cultivate a community so they can have future generations thrive… starting with her children.

and while that didn’t take place, because the family present circumstances a wondrous and unfathomable takes place. in the dark and dust Jinx sees Vander/Warwick and Vi in tender embrace. crying but standing still, she doesn’t even consider interrupting or joining in until her sister, for the first time since episode 3 of season 1, extends a hand to Jinx. seeing her as family, because she is—even if only by proxy (in Vi’s eyes). Isha joins in and we have a lovely and hearttouching tableau of this family been torn a part now back together. they’re all mighty different from who or what they were before but together again.

the episode, nearing its close, cuts to another scene of characters we haven’t seen for a hot minute. Salo, healed by Viktor, is visiting the HexGate underground failsafe and in the acquiring of Hex(batteries(?)) disturbs the Arcane and it relinquishes Jayce from whatever plane of existence he has been occupying during the timeskip. Jayce is battered, older; his physiology is somewhat altered and directly affected by the Arcane. he is even scarred—we’re not told or shown what he’s gone through but we know *something* monumental in influence has significantly affected him. Jayce talks with Salo and surprisingly, Viktor. Viktor is able to occupy anyone’s mind/body after healing them with the Arcane a la Horde Prime and his clones in the She-Ra Netflix animated series. thru this, we and Jayce learn that indeed Viktor has been making efforts to finally fulfill his promise to heal the undercity and in his eyes, it’s going well. he even invites Jayce to see the fruits of his labor. but Jayce. can only see the Arcane, HexTech as a curse. something to be destroyed. in response, Viktor says something truly interesting. “i see it now. you too have touched the Arcane. your mind suffered.” there so much to this line. but i want to focus on the fact that this implies that Viktor’s current existence is him “touching” the Arcane and *he* seemingly didn’t suffer (that we know of)… but Jayce did, for whatever the reason or circumstance. (maybe his hammer attacking the Arcane in whatever direct way he attempted to in episode 3 of the current season led this this suffering; it was a provocation) Salo, now in control, goes to return to Viktor with his Hex batteries in tow. but were shown just how serious Jayce is in his conviction and brutally murders Salo in one brief move. the start of the end of HexTech.

now… the story i didn’t touch on yet from this episode. Mel, Elora, their disappearance/kidnapping and what’s going on there. we get confirmation that Elora is gone, killed by members of Black Rose 💔. a favorite minor character of mine :(((. Mel even called her a friend, not an assistant showing that she really cared for her. but Mel isn’t alone, even now. in what she’s told is an oculorum, a place to hold or imprison false prophets, is a man. upon a few exchanges and stepping into the light of the room we are introduced to and Mel recognizes him as Kino, her thought-to-be-deceased brother. they talk and Kino reveals that “they” came for him and the reasons for coming for him and Mel as well. we learn that this isn’t Kino as the episode goes on, but this next part we get confirmation is a truth (because “Kino” could’ve been lying all this time for their own ends or means). apparently, Ambessa fell in love while going through a town on conquest and had a child out of wedlock. “Kino” says that whatever this child “inherited” is of terrible interest to their captors. as they talk Mel is drawn to this pattern on the walls and adds to it. perhaps a language or phrase of language left incomplete. “Kino” guides her until she realizes he isn’t who he appears to be. in a moment courage and bravery, Mel bashes this individual’s head into the wall, revealing the power of Black Rose to be all around her now. the person too, shifts between several identities (including Jayce, Ambessa, and most notably, Mel and the young girl from Mel’s flashback that was decapitated by Ambessa) before landing on the likeness of Mel. this person thru voiceover and summoned chains to bound Mel, confirms that Mel is this sought-after child and in her darkest moment… Mel’s power finally reveals itself. in a display of pure golden energy she blasts of the chains off of her in a spherical beam of light, hopefully freed. but now we know what the gold in her body and jewelry have been hinting at. she didn’t survive the attack on the councilors out of pure chance. visually, we’re shown her gold body jewelry glow a light before the missile lands. this could’ve just been a way to show her noticing the attack right before it hits (and it was), but we now know it was so much more than that. she likely saved Jayce with this power too without knowing it. damn.

i loved this episode. the only qualms i’ve really ever had with this show is slight pacing. there’s only 18 total episodes and idk… Mel is one of my favorite characters and so far she’s been utilized wayyy less than season 1 and has had even less appearances. this is the only time she shows up in act 2 and i understand why but it’s saddening. but !! we got so much good out of it. looking forward to next episode.

[serene-cinders]

I feel like he can cook idk

[sovamurka]

OH YEAH. THAT STILL MAKES ME GO AAAAAAAAAAAA, ACTUALLY

I'm afraid there are two more "nobody loves timebomb more than french do" situations:

1) in the artbook Christian Linke of all people says this about the scene, the song, and basically the entirety of episode 7: "I'm hoping that this can be really a moment of pride for the French community, and the people at Fortiche. It's literally a love letter to French culture"

2) Pascal Charrue, Fortiche's co-founder, said in his interview for Netflix France that everybody at Fortiche (storyboarding teams included) were extremely involved and happy about s2e7 to the point where they contributed to the writing of that episode

timebomb is basically fortiche's personal favourite baby at this point and I'm giggling when I think about it aggshdhdjd

Fortiche's work on Ekko and Jinx's bridge fight making the writers go "oh, wait there's romantic tension here" and inspiring them to go ahead and make timebomb canon in S2. Ntm the timebomb song being the only song in the entire series that is in French...

No one loves timebomb more than the French I fear.

[bwat5-blog]

Vi's Grief: An Honest Accounting

**Spoiler Warning for all of Arcane**

The reason I am giving my two cents on this when so many others have done such an excellent job already (check out the one I re-blogged, title is "all because of one woman" i believe), is because of a slew of conversation I have seen recently, making it out like Vi was just having a sad puppy phase waiting on Caitlyn, and that the moment Caitlyn snapped her fingers Vi came padding back for treats and pets.

In fact, what we are witnessing here is to me one of the saddest points of the story. In which a woman so characterized by her tenacity, her hope, her love and her spirit, just has nothing left. So to that end, I am going to be discussing the collective grief that brought Vi so low, and hope to relay the emotional weight and depth this moment should be given. (Even if the pacing of season 2 DID NOT).

Disclaimer: Anyone following me knows Vi is my favorite character and that I have written about her quite a bit. To that end, there be some things in this I just briefly touch on, that I probably got more detailed with in other posts. As always, thank you to anyone who takes the time to read and/or respond. Discourse and appreciation of stories and characters with heart and depth are how keep them alive. Below are a quick list of points I have explored in other posts regarding Vi's character that are relevant to this discussion but not needing full on analyses here.

Vi DID NOT make Jinx

Vi WAS NOT a bad sister

Vi IS NOT the Jinx

Powder:

The genesis of the grief and guilt Vi will struggle with for the rest of the story. In a moment of unimaginable pain, an at most 16 year old Vi lashes out at Powder who has seemingly caused the deaths of their family. She hits her, grabs her roughly around the face and calls her a Jinx before stalking away into the alleyway to cry. She almost instantly stops, looking at her sisters blood on her hands with horror, and stands to go back before Marcus materializes out of the shadows, stealing her away and throwing her in Stillwater for seven years.

I have discussed this tragedy in several posts and with heavy detail, so I will give you the overview here:

Every scrap of evidence before Vi lashes out suggests a loving, supportive, and protective relationship between she and her sister

While older than Powder, as I said per the writers Vi is 14-16 old during this time (I guess they never decided) which is extremely young

Vi tried not to involve Powder in this at all because she wasn't ready, and rightfully so. We have seen Vander's lessons regarding responsibility to those who look up to you settling in Vi's mind over the first three episodes. She knows there is a good chance they may not come back from rescuing Vander, and tries to keep Powder safe.

When Vi lashes out she has seen her entire family die violently, has narrowly survived a fight for her life against multiple adult thugs, and is wounded and afraid

There is no situation where a rational adult would blame Vi for what happened. But, grief isn't rational. One of the last lessons Vander imparted before his passing becomes a part of her so strong it will impact her forever in ways good and bad alike. "when people look up to you, you don't get to be selfish".

Vi loses everything, and everyone. Thrown in frightening, dark, violent prison without cause for seven years. Her whole world shrinks to the darkness in that cell and all she can think about, all she can focus on and hope for, is to someday make it right to the sister who looked up to her.

Jinx:

Seven years locked away from the world and when Vi gets her chance, she takes it. Lets quickly run down their reunion:

Vi immediately embraces Jinx and apologizes for everything that happened.

Jinx asks if Vi is real, clearly concerning but Vi doesn't bat an eye and just comforts her sister

When Jinx tearfully admits she has changed (the tone clearly indicating in a bad way as Vi understands) Vi does not judge or question, affirming that Jinx did what she had to in order to survive

After seeing Caitlyn and the paranoia and fear planted by Sevika and Silco in Jinx takes ahold of her, Vi continues to try and embrace her sister even pushing Jinx's machine gun out from under her chin

Fights back to back with Jinx against the firelights. We only see first real sign of fear/concern over Jinx's behavior when she realize how manic/gleeful Jinx is in combat, but Vi is taken by the firelights before it can be addressed

Vi immediately tries to take responsibility, accepts her, comforts her, and tries to protect her. They are separated and taken to the firelights hideout where she is reunited with Ekko. Ekko tells her unequivocally that Powder is gone. There is only Jinx, and that she works for Silco because she wants to. Now of course that is not entirely correct either. Jinx is an extremely complex character dealing with a multitude of factors to her decisions. What it really comes down to is this, when Ekko assures Vi she cannot change Jinx, Vi replies "I know my sister, I can reach her.. I have to try"

The Bridge:

After everything she has seen, and everything she has been through and been told Vi turns around from Caitlyn and Ekko, her every intention of going back into the Undercity for her sister alone. She only turns around after the combined betrayal by Marcus, and detonation of the firelights by Jinx almost kill Ekko and Caitlyn. Vi then is witness to her little sister breaking down and almost murdering them both, surrounded by the bodies from Jinx's bombs.

The Dinner Party:

Vi spent seven years in that terrible place, all with the dream of finding Powder and making things right between them. We have seen Vi stabbed, beaten, hunted and shot at all in pursuit of this dream. Jinx herself has at this point almost killed Vi herself. And even still, "when people look up to you, you don't get to be selfish".. All Vi can see is that she failed her little sister. From the sad and tender moment with Caitlyn in Cait's bedroom, to the fact that Vi goes after Sevika and Silco alone to put an end to it, she is carrying so much grief and sorrow over what's occurred. And its all made manifest at Jinx's dinner party.

This is a very intense scene and we could come at it from a lot of angles. To my view these are what matter:

Jinx has abducted Vi, Caitlyn and Silco

Jinx is finally acknowledging all of Silco's crimes against their family, but wants Vi to kill Caitlyn in exchange for "getting powder back"

Vi will not sacrifice Caitlyn but tries to keep Jinx and Caitlyn from hurting each other. Leading to Caitlyn having a shot at Jinx and not taking it before being knocked out

Vi and Silco "battle" over Jinx's soul leading to her breaking down but ultimately saving Vi's life over Silco. She then attacks the Piltover council, killing Caitlyn's mother

Interlude:

What follows is the aftermath of Jinx's attack and the eventual attack by Chem Barron on the memorial. The sister Vi fought so hard to get home to, has killed Caitlyn's mother. And worse yet, Vi convinced Caitlyn to stay her hand before it happened. Vi has tried so hard to protect the people she loves, tried to keep them safe. And while learning she cannot save everyone, and that the weight of the world is not hers alone are two of Vi's most character defining lessons. She isn't there yet.

The Ventilation Chamber:

"My sister is gone.. there's only Jinx now".

People have said Vi gave up on her sister too quickly, that she never really loved her, and that nothing justified donning the uniform and coming after Jinx in this way. As we have just been over it I won't list it all in-depth, but in short, Vi has been violently forced to recognize that Powder has become a violent, unstable, unpredictable murderer. And Vi still blames herself for this transformation that left only Jinx behind. So she does what she always tried to do, even if its the worst possible thing someone could ask of her. She puts on the uniform that has symbolized her parents death, her peoples oppression, and seven years of terror and abuse. So she can take responsibility and end the threat to the entire land that her sister has become. And it ends with her little sister ready to die.. happy believing it will be Vi's hands that end her.

Caitlyn:

Vi and Caitlyn are one of the driving forces of the story. Their love story has mattered so much to many people for many reasons, myself included. For this discussion, we are focusing on the moments that demonstrate their meaning to each other, and what is lost when it all goes wrong. Eventually I am doing a deep-dive on their story and going point by point, but this will focus more on the big picture.

Meeting:

After seven years of isolation and pain at the hands of enforcers. Vi is greeted by Caitlyn wanting information. They play their roles, Vi the cocky inmate, Caitlyn the uptight officer, until Vi reveals she has been beaten up. Caitlyn's response is a stoic thing. She does not march to the desk demanding justice. She does not get all teary eyed and beg Vi's forgiveness for her organizations corruption. She crosses the red line. She decides not to walk away. Later in their discussion, Vi accuses all enforcers of being "Asshole criminals in fancy uniforms". Caitlyn does not bluster. She does not fight. She does not curse Vi as some undercity thug and leave. She just listens. It's the sort of thing you would normally consider insignificant. But we see it from Caitlyn again later when she is talking with Ekko. Even if she doesn't believe it yet, Caitlyn listens. And Vi hasn't had that in a very long time. All concluding in Caitlyn Kiramman, scion of one of the great houses, freeing Vi from prison. The vulnerability in Vi's face when the door opens, and the shock on Caitlyn's face in response is beautiful.

Caitlyn Saves Vi:

Caitlyn's rescue of Vi from Sevika is when Vi's walls start to slowly come down. It's not an instant process. Even after being stabbed Vi is still making jokes, trying to do it all herself. But as the events play out we see the true beginnings of their connection. Caitlyn barely knows Vi. But she immediately engages Sevika to save her, and even trades her prized weapon to save Vi's life. The incredibly soft and tender physical contact between is so telling. And Vi for all of her tough, harsh exterior has been denied anything like this her entire life. Caitlyn has freed Vi, saved her life, and is likely the first real affection Vi has had in her life since before Vander was killed.

Vi Chooses Caitlyn:

We discussed this incident earlier pertaining to Vi/Jinx. So all we need to say here is that for the first time since being freed, we see Vi prioritize something.. or someone.. over getting back to her sister. The concern and relief in her face clear to find Caitlyn alive.

Caitlyn's Abduction/The Dinner Party:

We discussed this event in detail earlier. But some things we have to remember when discussing Vi's relationship with Caitlyn are as follows:

Caitlyn was abducted from her own home

Jinx offers Vi "Powder" back if she will kill Caitlyn

Caitlyn repeatedly tries to tell Vi Jinx is too far gone, but doesn't take the shot at Vi's urging

Caitlyn is violently knocked out by Jinx

Caitlyn has to watch as Jinx murders her mother

This woman that Vi has clearly come to care for, perhaps even love by now (hard to say it a shorter tv show), has now been terrorized and almost killed by Jinx repeatedly. And now so has her mother.

The Strike Team:

In the aftermath of Jinx's attack, all is thrown into chaos and confusion. Retaliation by Piltover upon the undercity is not a question. Its happening. Caitlyn is trying to manage her grief, while Vi is trying to be there for her and manage her grief/guilt over Jinx's part in it all. Caitlyn offers her the badge in order for them to be together to try and bring Jinx to justice, but Vi refuses. The enforcers are the symbol of too much pain from Vi's past. It takes the attack on the memorial for Vi to relent, knowing the only way she keep Caitlyn safe and have any control over what happens with her sister, is to join the strike team and wage war in the streets of her birth.

I have discussed the strike team and the morality of their actions in other documents so here I just want to talk about what this means between Caitlyn and Vi. Vi knows Caitlyn was going. And this was the only way to stay by the woman she loves. But i think at least on some level, even though they are hunting chem barons, and even though the use of the grey is not NEARLY what the fandom has made out of it, Vi is wearing an enforcer uniform, in Zaun's streets, doing violence. I don't know how that couldn't weigh on her. Even if logically she knows she is doing the right thing, it has to feel like a betrayal of where she came from. Caitlyn knows this as well but with each passing day is relenting more and more to her rage before Vi's eyes

The Kiss:

"Everyone in my life changed promise me you won't change"

We all knew it was far too late for Caitlyn to keep that promise. And as I have said in another post, it wasn't really a fair thing for Vi to ask. But does that make Caitlyn a liar and Vi selfish? No.. Caitlyn sees the woman she loves laying bare her fear and her vulnerability, in a way she knows Vi only trusts her enough to show. A way she knows Vi is only showing because Vi loves her.

And for her part, to ask someone who has lost a loved one not to change is impossible. That loss leaves a whole, and you can't be who you were before that hole was carved from you. But Vi has watched the woman she loves sliding further and further down this dark road unable to do anything but try and be there for and keep her safe. Vi's entire world was violently ripped away before she was imprisoned. And now the events of the last few weeks have taken her sister as well. Caitlyn is all that she has and she is afraid.

Heartbreak:

The fight in the chamber comes. It is fearsome, and terrifying, and heart breaking. But when it quiets, Caitlyn has Jinx in her sights. The woman who murdered her mother, who abducted her, who has caused Vi so much pain she is RIGHT. THERE. And Vi stops her.

There has been much debate on what happened. Perhaps in that moment, Caitlyn didn't care if she hit isha. Or, she truly believed she would not and was willing to risk it. Neither are the Caitlyn we know. So Vi stops her. Trying to get her to see the child in danger through Caitlyn's rage and pain.

This whole sequence turned my stomach. It feels like a violation as its supposed to. Once separated after the explosions, Caitlyn and Vi argue, and Caitlyn breaks her promise. She tells Vi she is no different than Jinx. Jinx who killed her mother. Who terrorized her. Who killed those enforcers and became Silco's daughter. And when Vi tries to stop her leaving. Caitlyn hits her in the stomach with her rifle. Leaving her all alone and in pain, crying on the ground.

Conclusion:

Well once again this ran longer than I meant it to. I for sure repeated some things some of you have seen from me already, and I'm sure there was a more concise way to do this. But much like Vi's breakdown over Vander's body at the end, or Caitlyn's becoming the commander, this is an extremely dark, bleak moment that the breakneck pace of season 2 flashes by. And a lot of people really seem to underestimate what she is going through. Up to this point, Vi had defined herself by her loyalty and strength. Her willingness to stand for those she loves no matter the cost to herself. She only knows how to live for those she loves, and believes that is all she is worth. Now, in a very short period of time, the hope of reuniting with her sister has been violently, savagely destroyed. The Last Drop is forever changed. Vander, Milo and Claggor are dead. And the woman she loves, the woman she began to believe loved her (we know Caitlyn does but her darkness is for another post), has left her as broken and alone its like she never rescued her from that prison at all.

[itzmoss]

i yearn for a vld reboot but its animated by the same people that animated arcane, and also its tv-14 for more chances to be violent or have harsher language

and yea yea blah blah klance happens cus im a klancer but thats not the point of this post

the point of this post is that by the time they get to the garfle warfle snick episode, its just game changer, bob is just sam reich and hes been here the whole time....

(also the paladins deserve to get permanently injured more they blew up so many times but somehow were okay???? wheres my prosthetic leg hunk??? my prosethetic arm lance??? wheres my needs a cane for chronic pain pidge???? and i would assume a lot of them would end up needing hearing aids...)

[a-green-misstep]

A list of all Jayce and/or Viktor scenes in Arcane (wth time stamps)

SPOILERS for all of arcane

Season 1:

EP1

11:00 - 11:50

Jayce is heard, not seen during lab the break in

EP2

0:00 - 7:50, 11:50-12:20, 14:15-19:00, 20:00-21:40, 23:20-24:30, 31:30-33:40

Jayce introduced, goes in front of the council, almost kills himself and is stopped by Viktor who wants to work with him

EP3

7:30-8:40, 13:00-15:20, 17:00-18:00, 19:10-20:00, 25:10-27:00

they break into the lab and make a breakthrough in hextex

EP4

0:00-5:30, 11:00-14:30, 20:15-22:15, 23:10-26:30, 28:40-31:50, 33:00-35:20

hextex has advanced, Jaycee gets flirty with Mel, makes a public address, gets robbed by Jinx, and is made a council member

EP5

8:30-10:00, 13:20-14:00, 15:10-16:20, 19:00-21:20, 25:40-29:00, 31:30-32

Jaycee has lost focus on science for politics, and Viktor gets a breakthrough in the hex-core! Jaycee fucks and Viktor is in the hospital.

EP6

0-8:30, 13:00-16:15, 18:00-20:00, 22:30-26:00, 31:20-32:20

Baby Viktor, Viktor is getting weird and meets up with an old freind, Jayce fires Heimerdinger

EP7

5:10-8:40, 13:00-14:20, 23:00-27:30

Viktor is taking drugs and Jayce is getting hot in the forge. "I'm from the undercity"

EP8

5:30-6:20, 19:00-23:30, 24:30-35:00

Councilman Jayce meets Vi, Viktor runs, self-harms for the Hexcore, and kills Sky. Jayce forges the Hex hammer, raids a factory, and kills a child

EP9

0:00-2:30, 4:40-6:30, 8:30-10:40, 13:30-16:00, 23:00-24:20

Jayce sad about the dead kid, Viktor is sad about dead Sky and almost kills himself. "In the pursuit to be great, we failed to do good.". The boys get blow up

Season 2:

EP1

0:00-2:30, 14:00-16:00, 23:30-31:00, 34:15-36:30

Jayce survives, Viktor is dead and Jayce saves him with Hextec. Hex cacoon. Jaycee fighting aginst undercity gang.

EP2

13:00-17:00, 19:30-22:00, 32:20-36:00

Hex-Jesus leaves Jayce :(. Jayce almost kills Heimerdinger but instead talks science with Echo. Hex-Jesus starts a new religion.

EP3

13:30-15:30, 18:00-19:00, 21:20-24:30,

wild runs, the gang goes to visit the Hex-gates... it doesn't go well.

EP4

nothing

EP5

35:00-40:00

Jayce is back, and is doing bad. Viktor is now somehow speaking through Salo. "I thought you were done with hex-tec, and me." Jayce SMASHES Salo.

EP6

The entire episode is them.

Viktors the prophet, he has surpassed bodily existence. He helps heal, until Jayce comes to him, and kills his body.

EP7

8:00-10:30, 15:30-16:30, 17:00-20:00, 22:00-22:30, 27:30-28:00, 32:40-37:00

Jayce is in the Future, is being haunted by the mage, and spends months in a crevice with a broken leg, going mad. He is rendered disabled (like Viktor), and climbs to the top of piltover to find where the end of the world begins. (meanwhile Echo goes to prom)

EP8

6:00-6:20, 7:20-9:00, 14:00-20:00, 23:00-28:10, 33:30-37:00

Viktor has reached the glorious evolution, he spies on and trys to kill Jayce. Jayce is going to war. Viktor is alone, and is inbodied by a monster.

EP9

4:40-6:00, 18:00-18:50, 22:00-23:00, 27:00-39:00

Viktor has transformed, he wants for the world to become one, a collective consciousness. Jaycee and Echo convince/beat Viktor into understanding that he is wrong, and to end it, Jayce and Viktor, as partners finish things together, and their souls implode into themselves whilst they hold each other close.

[reboundttv]

Here's a Bunch of Words Expressing Frustration with Online People Part 2 I Guess? Arcane.

(Part 1 was about reactions to Wonder Woman #14, but that was on Twitter and it's gone now.)

It's been long enough. People who haven't seen it have successfully avoided spoilers. SO. Let's talk about the CaitVi sex scene.

Because there are a LOT of opinions about how it was handled, how it was written, etc. And I've seen a lot of...basically, Purity Culture, over how they never worked out their feelings, and Caitlyn never had to answer for trying to kill Jinx, or getting Vi to become an Enforcer or hitting her in Ep.3 or the dictatorship or the fascism or-

Here's the thing: Neither Caitlyn nor Vi know what's going to happen. They don't know tomorrow. They don't even know six hours from now.

We don't need a bunch of preceding episodes where somehow they have the time to get psychoanalyzed on-screen so that when they're finally intimate it's completely moral and unproblematic.

Arcane was never about being unproblematic. It was a show about broken people doing horrible things for selfish reasons, for better and for worse. Singed LITERALLY TELLS YOU AS MUCH (Season 2 Episode 5):

Caitlyn: "Why? Why do all this?" Singed: "Why does anyone commit acts others deem unspeakable? For love."

For context, he wants to conquer death so that he can save his daughter. And look at how it's worded. "acts others deem unspeakable." The awful things he's doing, he's rationalized them as necessary so that he can accomplish his goals. Whether it's him, or Viktor, Jayce, Caitlyn, Vi, Jinx... ALL of the characters in Arcane are like that. No one in this show was perfect. Far from it, actually.

And in that scene, Caitlyn and Vi are two broken, messed-up people. Their whole worlds have been upended. Vi believes that she's lost everything and everyone important to her, and that it is of her own doing. Caitlyn is questioning the only thing that's ever made sense in her life: her duty to Piltover and how that's run up against her own morals and how she has changed to accommodate them, rather than stayed true. Caitlyn also has guilt over being intimate with Maddie. (fuck maddie all my homies hate maddie)

And the only thing they have, in that moment, is each other. The only kind of, sort of constant in their lives. Is it perfect and unproblematic? No. Is it healthy? Arguably not. The scene is messy, and clumsy, and for fuck sake they're having sex in a prison cell.

But are those the things that actually matter? Is that the story that's trying to be told? NO. No, it is not. Broken people, just trying to make sense of what's going on around them. Trying to find others to hold on to, to anchor themselves. Find that closeness and intimacy, and even if it doesn't work out the way they want, they'll still have each other.

[dnd-shows-have-my-soul]

Bells Hells Level 14

It is very likely that after the three-episode special that is Downfall, we are going to see the Hells level up to 14 (considering that Sam is joining with a level 14 character.)

Because of that, I figured that I would post this update now as a taste for what lies ahead. 

All in all, Level 14 is a kind of a mixed bag in terms of what people get. To start with our non-multiclassers, 3 out 4 of them get subclass-based features, two of which we are completely aware of. 

Imogen, as a level 14 Aberrant Mind Sorcerer, gets the Revelation in Flesh feature. Basically, as a bonus action, she can spend a sorcery point to receive one of the following features. 

Can see any invisible creature within 60 feet of her, provided it isn't behind total cover.

Gain a flying speed equal to her walking speed (30 ft)

Gain a swim speed equal to twice her walking speed (60ft), and she can breathe underwater

Move through any space as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing, and is able to spend 5 feet of movement to escape from nonmagical restraints or being grappled.

Each feature lasts for 10 minutes, but there is no limit to how many times she can do this or how many features she can have active at once. So long as she has the available sorcery points, Imogen can do this. 

Dorian also gets a new College of Swords feature, Master's Flourish. Now, whenever he uses one of his Blade Flourishes, he can roll a d6 and use it instead of expending a Bardic Inspiration die (currently a d10). The overall roll might be lower, but he can use bardic inspiration without having to worry about his flourishes. 

Finally, Ashton receives his 14th-level subclass feature, but because it is a homebrew we don’t know exactly what it is. What we do know from CR cooldown, is that 14th level is “Where everything goes crazy.” So that’s fun. In all seriousness, if I had to guess, the feature could be similar to the Wild Magic’s Barb 14th level feature, where instead of simply rolling for a specific build, Tal could instead roll two d4 and choose which one he wants. But knowing Tal, its probably something far more complicated. 

Orym, as our final non-multiclasser, gets another ASI with this level up. There are a lot of roads for him to choose from. Choosing to boast his Con is a likely option, but they are also a number of feats that are very much on the table. Sentinel, Mage Slayer, Bountiful Luck, Martial Adept are all feats I could see Orym going for. Hell, I could even see him mutliclassing depending on what Downfall shows us. 

Speaking of multiclassers, let's look at the final three Hells. Two of the remaining folks, I am pretty certain I know their direction. 

To start, Fearne has a very simple level-up. She will likely be grabbing another druid level, bringing her to level 11, and granting her access to 6th level spells. To note, because of her Arcane Trickster multiclass, Fearne spell slots are kinda weird. Before she already had access to her 6th level spell slot, but could not prepare 6th level spells until now. This doesn’t affect this level up, but in the future it will be something to be aware of. Some notable druid spells Fearne can now prepare are: Heal, Heroes’ Feast, Sunbeam, Transport via Plants, and Wind Walk.

Chetney is another very easy one. Likely grabbing another level in Blood Hunter, Chetney will get his Brand of Tethering feature. When using his Brand of Castigation, branded creatures are now unable to take the Dash action, and if they attempt to teleport or to leave their current plane, the creature will take 4d6 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the attempt to teleport or leave the plane fails. Additionally, with this level up, Chetney can use his Blood Maledict three times between rests and he learns another Blood Curse.

And finally, on the biggest variable, Laudna. Before the sword incident, I was very certain that Laudna would be sticking with Sorcerer throughout level-ups. Mechanically, choosing Sorcerer would be the better option, as it would grant her 6th-level spells and a 6th-level spell slot (notable spells include: Arcane Gate, Circle of Death, Disintegrate, Globe of Invulnerability, Mass Suggestion, and Scatter.) But storywise, I could very much see Marisha leaning back into Warlock for narrative reasons. If she chooses this, Laudna would gain her 4th level in Warlock, granting her an ASI or New Feat. Based on her stats, Launda would likely choose a Feat. In that, I could see her grabbing War Caster, Mystic Conflux, Metamagic Adept, or even Skill Expert. Personally, I want to see her take another level in Sorcerer, but either way, I’m excited.

Anyway, thanks for listening to me ramble, and see yall soon!

[chronicsyd]

Opinions I have that might upset Arcane fans (well, mainly Jinx fans but oh well 🤷‍♀️)

1) I’m not sexually/romantically attracted to Jinx (I’ve said before that I’m 23 years old and thinking about Jinx in that way is weird to me, mostly cuz her age is very ambiguous and even the oldest she Could be (maybe 19) is still too young to me) (harassing people that don’t think she’s attractive makes you an asshole)

2) Jinx is not an “uwu pooki innocent bean 🥺” she’s still responsible for the decisions that she makes

3) Jinx d riders are probably some of the most annoying people in the fandom (vilifying other characters because Jinx is your fav makes you an asshole)

4) If it weren’t for Caitlyn, Vi would have never gotten out of Stillwater and reunited with Jinx

5) People claiming Vi to be “bland” truly missed what her character represents (on that note, there’s more to her character than just being hot)

6) Caitlyn did not maliciously interrupt Vi and Jinx’s reunion in episode 6, she was merely following Vi (what she’s been doing the entire time) and Vi withheld the info that Jinx was her sister

7) Silco was not a good father figure or person

8) Vi was wrong for hitting Powder yes, but she was overwhelmed watching basically her entire family die right in front of her eyes and Powder practically told her she was responsible. Vi’s only like 15 in act 1, she’s still Very much a child so saying shit like “she should have acted more mature” is stupid

9) Vi, Silco and Piltover had their part to play in the creation of Jinx. Jinx couldn’t move on from Vi hitting her and “abandoning” her (it was out of Vi’s control but that’s how it was to Jinx), Silco manipulated Jinx into thinking Vi never cared for her, and Piltover running a corrupt government didn’t help

10) calling Vi “selfish” for not shooting Caitlyn is stupid and idiotic. No, she wasn’t going to “get Powder back” if she did so, if you paid attention the show makes that pretty clear. It wouldn’t accomplish anything other than hurting Vi further (because despite the terms the two left each other on Vi still Cares about Caitlyn)

11) I find Jayce to be a rather boring protagonist

12) Silco groomed Jinx. People think grooming is Only sexual when in fact it goes a hell of a lot deeper than that.

13) you need better media literacy if you don’t understand Vi’s trauma or why she and Caitlyn fit so well together

14) it’s dumb to be mad at Vi that she doesn’t want to call Powder Jinx (the last thing she called her, feeding into Powder’s insecurities) and not wanting to accept Jinx being a mass murderer who clearly enjoys doing it (watch Vi and Jinx vs the Firelights fight again if you must)

15) Vander isn’t a superstar of a father either. He put way too much responsibility in the hands of a 15 year old girl and makes her think that every bad outcome is her fault

16) Vi didn’t replace Jinx with Caitlyn. Hell, the first chance she gets she ditches her and tries to find Jinx solo, and still wants to go back to her in episode 7. Also acting like Vi isn’t allowed to have anyone Other than Powder is stupid and selfish.

17) Vi has a habit of making really poor impulse decisions and it’s going to get her into trouble if she doesn’t get a rain check on them

I might make some points later, and you can agree or disagree these are just my opinions after all… alright bu-bye!

[totally-not-a-slug]

Jayvik discord server!| 16+

hallloo!! ik ik. some of you might be confused since i post gf content, dw, I'm still kicking, just also have some arcane on my mind after the new episodes..(I'm shaking sobbing cant do this AGH) we can chat about things in general, jayvik, theories, aus to sending art, commissions, artrades, and..ROLEPLAY GRAAAAA they make me cry or wtv proshippers/darkshippers dni.

[agentoffangirling]

Okay! Now that I'm all finished with Doctor Who, here are my takeaways:

-10/14 is prolly my fav, I know it's cliche but he's a wonderful Doctor and I really love David Tennant

-On the ranking of Doctors, I just can't rank them. I love 12 and 13 and 15, there's no way I could place them all on a pedestal, they're all equal in my eyes

-For someone who typically enjoys serialized content, I'm kinda surprised I took so well to the episodic nature of the show

-I much prefer the platonic relationships of the Doctor and their companions over the romantic ones. Donna and Ten and Ruby and Fifteen you have my heart

-It's so fucking convoluted but I'm having fun so really, who cares?? This is a show about a flying police box that goes to ancient Rome and Earth 5000 years in the future, I can manage a weird-ass adoption/abduction birth story. I've had worse

-13 IS SO GOOD, WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE ON HER?? Maybe her episodes aren't the best, but Jodie does such a good job in the role, her Doctor is so charismatic and charming and can I please travel with her

-On traveling with 13, I would probably die. She's not responsible and neither am I, we're a recipe for disaster

-I also enjoyed how, for once, 13's companions didn't have a tragic end. We have far too many Claras and Donnas and Roses that I'm glad that Yaz and the others were able to just. Leave the TARDIS

-I was completely right on my Dan take, bro just leaves after two episodes and did little to nothing except convince Thasmin to kiss

-Which they didn't. They deserved that. GIMME THASMIN KISS

-But I don't hate Dan, he just doesn't need to be there. Or if he's there, you don't need to bill him as a companion. He's fine, but mostly unnecessary and relatively forgettable

-I cannot wait for this year's Christmas special

-Also Vastra and Jenny deserve their own spinoff, why did they just fall off the face of the Earth

I'm going to take a bit of a break to watch "Arcane" and focus on other things, then start watching Series 1 and finish it by the end of December

(Bc technically I didn't watch it. For the billionth time, I'm sorry, I made a mistake)

But I really really enjoyed it! Overall, I would rate the show a solid 8/10

[tastefulvomitscenes]

Warning: May contain SPOILERS

Arcane: Season 2 (2024)

Episode 7: Pretend like It's the First Time

From 6:14 to 6:46

From 8:28 to 8:57

English

Audio and visual

[stormingfrost]

anyway I’m gonna info dump about my rotg wip that’s taken me literal years to write and still isn’t even close to being done but its bouncing around my head like a dvd symbol and i need to talk about it rn so here

Jack’s dad dies when Jack is 14 and becomes the Wind

guardian training is actually just watching informational employee training videos about child care

Jack dies on his 18th birthday

Death from puss in boots is here and guides Jack as he’s fresh from drowning and before becoming frost and is stuck in limbo. No other shrek related things come up at all, it’s just him.

nightlight and Jack are not the same person but are at the same time. Idk that part of the wip isn’t that developed yet

Jack started out as aroace bc projection but now has a gf (Tooth) and an ex bf (Shadowbent). He’s still ace tho

jack and pitch continue being mirrors to each other but this time bring in past lives and things get super messy (and traumatic for jack)

Shadowbent is the mvp bc I love him

tooth and Shadowbent become friends despite Jack’s awkwardness around Shadowbent (they all become pretty close, considering everything)

bunny isn’t an alien but still has all the trauma of the books because I like to make my favorite characters suffer

bunny was a father and had a little brother that looked like Jack… just a smidge

north and bunny are married and Jack has no clue. This leads to shenanigans.

Sandy gets trapped in an alternate universe where he and pitch are not only allies but dating. This decision was made before I knew what arcane was but goddamnit that one timebomb French song is their song now

Woody the talking Christmas tree is a demon robot (look it up im scared of that thing)

Bunny gets trapped in weird FNAF scenario where all of the animatronics are of the guardians

Jack’s sister is the sun and the moon doesn’t like her

a giant spider tries to eat Tooth

Nightlight is implied to be a mass murderer

north gets stuck in a time loop and is so tired by the end of it, he takes a nap for a month

Jack loves Frankenstein and hates victor because he gets reminded of MiM

tooth and Jack get stuck in the wizard of oz. Jack is Dorothy and Tooth is Ozma while Baby Tooth is Toto. If I had the capacity to put musical numbers in a fanfic this would be a musical episode

Jack paints the fall leaves pretty colors

bunny and jack get trapped in the lotus hotel and find out that some human guy keeps a collection of spirits in the basement

pitch steals Jack’s intestine

Tooth has an identity crisis and breaks the multiverse

north lowkey adopts Jack

tooth becomes queen of all fairies

Pitch develops a drug that’s like the fear toxin in batman

jack crashes his own funeral. Twice.

bunny gets gifted a paintbrush from Jack after they had a fight

north got the title of a saint while being a bandit. He’s still confused about it

tooth wasn’t supposed to be born

[bwat5-blog]

In Defense of Vi

*i accidentally posted this in a community first so the formatting is a little off. Sorry*

**Spoilers for all of Arcane**

In Defense of Vi

I must start off saying Vi is my favorite character for disclosure. However, I understand she is not everyone’s and that’s okay! This is not about favorites. But I am writing a few of these because I feel like media literacy itself is severely lacking, regarding a few characters in this story among our fandom and it REALLY bothers me. There are few common criticisms of Vi that are being thrown around that are just bizarre:

Vi is a bad sister

Vi betrayed her people by becoming an enforcer

Vi is “The Jinx” as demonstrated by the AU episode and all those people would be alive and happy if she had died

Vi got Jinx killed at the end of the series (even though we all know Jinx is alive)

Season 1 Act 1:

Per the writers Vi is 14-16 years old in Act 1. When we first see her she is crying from seeing her parents killed, but she is also keeping Powder close and watching over her. Now Vi is a kid. She can’t see Vander’s point of view on why maintaining peace is important, and until it’s too late she never considered the ramifications of leading the group of kids who look up to her on the heist. However, even at her young age, from the time of the heist to the taking of Vander by Sico, we see her fight to protect her siblings, watch over and support Powder, tell Powder he differences make her special and strong, and even take steps to turn herself into law enforcement to spare her people any more pain. Even at that young age she is Brave, selfless and loyal to a fault.

The incident at the warehouse during the attempted rescue of Vander and what follows, is heartbreaking for a variety of reasons, but we also get a good glimpse into the bedrock of Vi’s character during these events. The only time we ever see her leave Powder behind is in this mission because it is so obviously dangerous. We then see Vi, a child, fight for her life to save her family through her own pain and fear. It even seems like they may succeed until Powder’s bomb detonates and their world falls apart.

Now comes the incident that has drawn Vi all sorts of criticism in the fandom. Upon realizing Powder’s part in what occurred, Vi grabs her roughly, hits her, yells at her and calls her a Jinx. Fans have used this moment to draw parallels to Caitlyn’s treatment of Vi at the end of Season 2 Act 1, have linked it to the moment at the end of Season 1 when Jinx claims Vi created her, and labeled Vi a bad sister. Things that should be noted:

Vi is not even old enough to have finished puberty in terms of mental development

She has just watched her brothers die violently

She has just narrowly survived a fight against several adult thugs, many of whom were armed and could have killed her at any point

She is standing over the dead body of her adoptive father. The man who carried them off of that bridge, who even taught her to box.

Obviously Vi was wrong to lash out at Powder. But her reaction was beyond understandable. She is a grieving child in horrible pain, having a very raw moment blaming the only target available. She goes around the corner, is almost immediately horrified at the sight of her sister’s blood on her hands, and tries to go back to her, everything ruined by Marcus and Silco.

Stillwater: Per the writers, Vi spent 6-7 years in Stillwater. Where we learn she was routinely abused and assaulted, deprived of all kindness and basic human decency. A teenage girl who just lost her entire family, and whose last words to her beloved little sister, who she feels immensely responsible for were words of anger. She is unjustly thrown in this horrible place that will craft her into the woman we meet in act 2.

Season 1 Act 2:

We then, of course follow Vi on her journey with Caitlyn to find Powder. Vi watched enforcers kill her parents. She spent a childhood on the run from them. She has been regularly assaulted by them and has been imprisoned by their leader with no cause for years. Yet still, when a stranger in that uniform comes, Vi takes the first chance she can to try and get back to Powder. While in the undercity she is:

She is stabbed

She is beaten

She is hunted

She is knocked out

Al those things considered, and she does not give up. Finally finding Jinx when Jinx sets off the flare. Vi immediately tells her it’s okay that she has changed, its okay that she’s had to do bad things, and tries to apologize for leaving her sister behind even though it was never her choice. Its not until Jinx blows the bridge, killing enforcers, and trying to kill Vi and Caitlyn and Echo that Vi finally goes back to Piltover.

Season 1 Act 3:

Vi doesn’t see Jinx again until the end of this season. But Vi still tries to talk Jinx down at her “dinner party”. She tries to get Jinx to leave with her. Tries to keep Caitlyn and Jinx from harming each other. And while Silco has encouraged every feeling and emotion in Jinx that has fed her mental trauma and her issues, Vi tries to call her back to her real self-reminding her of her true name and those who love her. Tragically despite all of her efforts, all of her pain and shedding of her own blood, she has to watch as her beloved sister murders the mother of the woman she loves

Season 2 Act 1:

We see Vi trying to navigate the immense grief and guilt over her sister’s actions and be there for Caitlyn. An obviously emotionally fraught scenario given Piltovers grief after the attack and their attitudes towards the under city. The big plot point of her Arc in this act is her putting on the uniform of the enforcer. Of note in this are several points:

She initially refuses

When she does agree to do it, Caitlyn has explained she is afraid if she goes alone after Jinx, either she or Jinx will die. Those are the two true nightmare scenarios for Vi. And She tells Vi putting on the uniform is really the only way to be a part of it

Vi knew Piltover retaliation was coming no matter what. After the memorial attack its only exacerbated. Being a part of it is the only way to have someone who knows and cares for under city, Jinx, and Caitlyn there

The use of the grey while undeniably immoral in their efforts to apprehend Jinx is not fatal. And as Vi later explains it was to keep innocent people out of harm’s way while they tracked her sister

As soon as they locate her sister Vi sends the other enforcers home to limit collateral damage

This act culminates in the battle of the Chamber of Janna (Just what I’m calling it). People have used the fact that Vi calls her sister Jinx, and that she partakes in this battle as evidence of her being a bad sister. However, there are details that cannot be ignored:

As far as the name goes by this point Jinx has been insistent on the name herself

In spite of all of her efforts up to this point, Vi has been almost killed by her sister repeatedly, watched her sister almost kill the woman she loves repeatedly, and watched her sister murder the woman she loves mother

Jinx tells Vi quite plainly she hopes she and Caitlyn slept together already before.. heavily implying her intention to kill them. Jinx also tells Sevika earlier that is exactly her intention

Vi cannot bring herself to finish Jinx when she has the chance and stops the fight completely when Isha is in danger

The conclusion of this act sees Vi’s desperate attempts to do the right thing thrown back in her face as she loses her sister again, and Caitlyn breaks her heart and shatters her status as the only enforcer ever to be kind to Vi after a lifetime of loss.

Season 2 Act 2:

Ah Vi’s pitfighter stage. Although I don’t believe the show explicitly tells us how long its been, the writers and various internet sources suggest it has been several months. We find Vi abusing alcohol, fighting nightly with zero regard for her own safety, hallucinating Caitlyn being there for her, and after pushing away Loris being completely and totally alone. Fortunately, most of the conversation I see around this stage is fairly on point although I think we all agree it should have been more fleshed out. We are seeing Vi at her absolute lowest point. To quote Linkin Park in a way She tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end it didn’t even matter. She has been betrayed and broken by everyone left in her life who could do so, until of course Jinx returns with news of Vander’s re-emergence. Now, there is a lot of talk about Vi’s behavior during this act and comparing her to Jinx in terms of “who was the better sister”. Lets break it down!

Vi’s aggression toward Jinx when Jinx comes to her

There is really nothing to say here. Vi is at her lowest point and Jinx who has caused so much harm is here talking about their dead dad she indirectly killed

Vi Hits Isha

Isha is adorable and tenacious, and her death made me wish I’d never seen this show/deem it the best show ever at the same time, because that scene was so amazingly done. However, Isha also much like jumping Rictus jumps in the middle of a fight between Vi and Jinx and Vi lashes out one time without really realizing AND STOPS IMMEDIATELY.

Vi not trusting Jinx when Vander first arrives

Vander’s first move when he arrives is trying to kill Isha. And despite her conflict with her sister, and not knowing this little girl at all, Vi throws her own body in front of Isha tangling with the monstrous form Vander has been forced into. And after fighting for her life, even with all that Jinx has done, VI PUTS HER LIFE IN HER SISTER’S HANDS AND LOWERS HER GAUNTLETS.

The end of Act 2 is mostly positive between the sisters and we are blessed/cursed to see Vi getting just a brief taste of happiness like it could all work out.

She wants to stay in the commune with Powder and Isha and Vander

We see her trusting and loyal nature in trusting Caitlyn to help them when she is honest

Vi throws her own body over her sisters to protect her from the blast when Isha dies, even while having to process her dads death all over again (or so she things cause the writers hate us)

Season 3 Act 3:

Here we primarily deal with the “Vi was the Jinx” people and the “Vi got Jinx killed” people. The Vi was the jinx thing is all coming from Echo’s little journey to the Alternate Universe. And yes. At the surface level, while the main universe where Vi is alive is rife with tragedy, the alternate universe where she was killed during the heist as a kid is happier and more peaceful. However, it is in no way BECAUSE she is dead. The AU is at peace because hex tech never happened. We could really deep dive this with a murder board list of cause and effect here, but ultimately the only deaths that can actually be laid at Vi’s feet in any credible way, are people killed by Jinx because Vi couldn’t bring herself to end her life. BECAUSE SHE NEVER TRULY STOPS BELIEVING IN HER SISTER.

If you need some proof, the Arcane Afterglow for Season 2 Act 3 addresses Echo’s journey, and the writer (I believe) explains that the purpose of echo seeing this place is to restore his faith in what his world can be. Its nothing to do with learning Vi was the issue the whole time.

I feel like someone could write a college thesis on hex tech and its poisonous impact on the lives of these people. If anything is “The Jinx” it’s the arcane and hex tech. Heimerdinger tells Jayce and Victor this from Day 1. It literally becomes the entire crux of those two men’s story to learn how they were wrong to bring hex tech into the world and have to fix their mistake.

For the rest of the show Vi’s story is straightforward but still clearly shows her character to be loving, loyal and true. She stands up for her sister after all the changes she has seen in her and even tries to break her out jail, with even Jinx noting “You’re really never going to give up on me”

“Vi Got Jinx Killed”- There is more between the attempted jail break and this incident, we could talk about Vi’s bravery during combat and trying to save lives including her sisters when the Vander drone attacks the air balloon. But Vi causing Jinx’s death is the real crux here. First of all, anyone who paid any sort of attention knows Jinx isn’t dead. But that’s not really the point. The point is that here at this final moment, Vi just couldn’t take any more:

She watched her birth parents die

She watched Vander die the first time saving her

She watched him die the second time after they had just got him back

Now has to say goodbye to him again

And here’s the thing folks. This isn’t subtle. We see what she is flashing back to her in her mind. She is watching him die for the first time all over again and its heartbreaking. It really seems like she can’t even hear Jinx she is so lost to her grief in that moment. When Vander attacks her for the last time, buff badass Vi sounds like a frightened child (in the most heartbreaking way not mocking). And Jinx does the noble thing and saves the older sister she knew would never stop loving her. Also, for people saying Vi is “too happy” for Jinx dying. She is literally sitting alone drinking and humming the song Jinx was singing when their parents died. It’s a “Happy ending” in terms of Vi and Cait getting to be together and be alive, but its quite clear they have a boatload of trauma on their shoulders. Vi has not found peace. But because of her sister’s sacrifice, she is finally has a chance.

[amostdelectablescribbler]

Another oddly specific set of tips for fight scenes;

1–Weight Classes

“I’m 260lbs tho” yes, and in an untrained street fight, a smaller, trained fighter even with fairly elementary knowledge of fighting and grappling avoidance, the bigger fighter will be shown a helluva time. Especially once the big guy with big muscles gets gassed out. If you have more muscle you need more oxygen, and so stamina becomes far more of a factor. This is why heavyweight fighters need to train stamina hard, as getting caught out of breath means you’re gonna blink and wake up on a stretcher. The little guy is gonna have more stamina, especially if they run a lot in the story. They won’t feel it so bad, but the big guy maybe has 30 seconds of swinging until they need a breather. At which point the little fighter’s weaker punches can chip away at the big one’s chin.

Additionally; muscle hurts more when it gets hit. A leg kick will start cramping up if you don’t check it and are muscular. Fat is the opposite. Build in armour, meaning only headshots mean anything. That extra weight means punches hit harder too, as Ek= 1/2 m v^2

This also means the little guy hitting super fast is gonna do big damage, while the big guy needs a bit of distance to get up to (higher) speed. Your fat boy, though, is almost certainly gonna be low on cardio without training. They only have a few swings of high power before technique dissolves.

2–Mismatching Strength.

Zuko vs Azula is a good example. Zuko, even with the comet, could never match azula in raw power. Volume maybe, but her flames burn hotter and more efficiently, so Zuko, knowing this, used his gas tank to his advantage. The size of fire she output meant it was unsustainable, and so he waited, matching her attacks and using the minimum fire needed to deflect or block her strikes. You can even rewatch the fight for more detail, but Zuko who is unable to, pardon the pun, fight fire with fire, had to adapt his strategy and play to his strengths—his persistence and tenacity. He’s used to running on empty, azula has never had to as far as we know.

This leads me to; if you put your unstoppable force against the immovable object, they cancel. For an interesting fight, you need a bit of diversity of style. Another example is episode 3 of Arcane. The fight on the walkway means Vi’s smaller stature cannot be used against her, as it’s opponents 1 at a time conveyor belt style. Her weaker 14 year old girl punches can never match the strength of a 30 year old huge bald man. She knows that his size slows him down, so she waits, blocks the stab and goes for a hard and clean uppercut. Precision and speed won her that fight, along with vander’s old gloves.

There’s always a bigger fish, and that means eventually someone’s gonna be better than the hero.

Unrelated, in my own work; Claudia only punches. She’s a brawler, and likes hitting stuff. She also can’t shoot a gun to save her life. Awful shot. I threw her in against a guy with a gun. She had to use a table, filing cabinets, another goon, etc, as shields and projectiles. You have to get creative with this, but if you succeed, it is good. Always throw opposites in the ring together. Wrestling and boxing, swords and guns, etc.

3–Counters

Striking and grappling counter each other. If a grappler is past a striker’s guard, the striker is done for. Only elbows can save them now. If a striker keeps distance, the grappler can do nothing but get pieced in the chin and hope they don’t fall over.

Is all.

[twinkpoll]

TWINK POLL OFFICIAL BRACKET FINALISTS

Drum roll, please!

AUTOMATICALLY ADVANCE TO THE SHOWDOWN:

LINK (LEGEND OF ZELDA)

Final nomination count: 31

TINTIN (THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN)

Final nomination count: 12

THE REST UNDER THE CUT

ADVANCE VIA VOTES:

LIO FOTIA (PROMARE)

Final nomination count: 23

2. MERLIN (BBC MERLIN)

Final nomination count: 17

3. THE ONCE-LER (THE LORAX)

Final nomination count: 16

4. JULIAN BASHIR (STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE 9)

Final nomination count: 15

5. KUZCO (THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE)

Final nomination count: 13

6. KURAPIKA (HUNTER X HUNTER)

Final nomination count: 12

7. JAMES (POKÉMON)

Final nomination count: 12

8. HOWL JENKINS PENDRAGON (HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE)

Final nomination count: 12

9. VASH THE STAMPEDE (TRIGUN/TRIGUN STAMPEDE)

Final nomination count: 11

10. JASKIER (THE WITCHER)

Final nomination count: 11

11. TAAKO (THE ADVENTURE ZONE)

Final nomation count: 10

12. BILLY "WICCAN" KAPLAN (MARVEL)

Final nomination count: 10

13. VIKTOR (ARCANE)

Final nomination count: 9

14. OBI-WAN KENOBI (STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE)

Final nomination count: 9 and I hate every one of you

15. HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK III (HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON)

Final nomination count: 9

16. TIM "RED ROBIN/ROBIN" DRAKE (DC COMICS)

Final nomination count: 8

17. STILES STILINSKI (TEEN WOLF)

Final nomination count: 8

18. NAGITO KOMAEDA (DANGANRONPA)

Final nomination count: 8

19. LUCIUS SPRIGGS (OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH)

Final nomination count: 8

20. SAURON (TOLKIEN)

Final nomination count: 7 (art by Elena Kukanova)

21. KURT HUMMEL (GLEE)

Final nomination count: 7

22. GUILLERMO DE LA CRUZ (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS)

Final nomination count: 7

23. CLOUD STRIFE (FINAL FANTASY)

Final nomination count: 7

24. WYLAN VAN EYCK/HENDRICKS (THE GRISHAVERSE)

Final nomination count: 6 (sorry, I had to use a show screenshot, but if you want to share some fanart, including artist credit, I could use, feel free!)

25. TAMAKI SUOH (OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB)

Final nomination count: 6

SURPRISE BACK ALLEY DEAL CHARACTER

Nominated by @girlfailure-bracket, absolute legend

HARUHI FUJIOKA (OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB)