#but he supposed it makes sense he and viktor are the two sides of the same coin

[mxbbadperson]

OKAY WAIITT WHYD YOU LOWKEY COOK WITH THE WHOLE SINGED SALO PATRONSHIP

also now that I think about it u kinda are right about the whole illness thing, but also… he’d 100% have this kind of sugar daddy relationship with viktor where the only person really giving anything is salo, get me???

Viktor needs this rare plant that only grows on the outskirts of the topside? You bet he’s already sending people to get it, Viktor needs money for more medical equipment? Salos giving him both the money and the best medical equipment he could find.

ALSO, imagine singeds reaction: his protege/ apprentice starts coming home with gifts or something he’s 100% asking about it, and when told of the whole story he’s like “oooohh…. Okay then…” and is 100% already getting in contact with salo.

also the Jayce storyline??? oooo lalaaaa I can’t really choose wether an act 2 s1 aged Jayce would suit or s2 Jayce but honestly??? IMAGINE salo finds out that Jayce also has connections with his miracle boy. Dude would be beyond pissed, barely keeping on his facade , talking about “oh, how interesting.. you knew of viktor that way.. well, i was a patient of his too, you know, how do you think i got my working legs back?”

or maybe he’d be brimming quietly, keeping quiet about his connection to his lil miracle boy? Either way, it’s impending doom for viktor because he’s got TWO very feral men trying to steal him away from the other. So he’s fucked(both literally and figuratively.) (also singed would 100% profit over the 2 men fighting over his boy, somehow???)

of course salo is the only one giving anything bc his treatment is done, there is no more medical advice or medicine to give so what can viktor give him now? (his time perhaps, his attention, his voice in salo's ear, oh, anything, really, anything bc salo will accept anything)

and of course viktor knows of salo's gifts (and gifts from others too) but he doesn't... say anything abt it. he's uncomfortable w/ his admirers attention, their... strange loyalty but leaves them be bc they need him and he has to be sensible bc he does need supplies to help people. so he keeps everyone at arms' length (which is why his clear fondness for jayce is so grating. why is he allowed so close?)

(that's bc jayce is kinda viktor's big brother? can viktor call him that?)

singed knows abt the admirers, they're not subtle, lol, and he's keeping a close eye on them to make sure none of get too close or... you know, needy bc my goodness, his apprenta is too kind and his followers can sense it. and also bc he needs supplies too, heh. and manipulating his apprenta's followers gets him whatever he wants easily. especially now that salo and his money is around

(maybe it could be younger jayce, academy jayce, eager to learn abt magic and it takes him to viktor. or maybe it's a jayce that no matter his age, is grieving his mother bc she's so sick and nothing seems to work! so he makes his way to viktor)

and as said before, singed is keeping an eye on viktor's admirers so no harm will come to him. and really, don't salo and jayce know that useless dogs, dogs that don't give anything, neither money or affection, get thrown away? and dogs who are rabid, who'll try to bite their owners? well, they get put down. (viktor will be upset that they'll get hurt but singed knows he'll get over it eventually, there's so many dogs around after all, all licking his hands and begging for his attention, viktor can and will find new dogs)

[fairy-writes]

Hi!! I saw that you write for Arcane and had a really cute idea for Vander. I don’t really see a lot of fics where you get to see Vander’s reactions to the reader either playing with the kids or comforting them, so I thought a fic centered around that might be cute? (I think also having a bit of slow burn would be sweet, like both Vander and the reader like each other but don’t do anything about it until getting a little push from the kids because they ship).

ONE LITTLE PUSH

Reblogs and Comments are greatly appreciated!!

__________________________________________________________________________

Fandom(s): Arcane: League of Legends

Pairing(s): Vander x Reader

Word Count: 1.9k

Genre(s)/Tag(s): Gender Neutral!Reader, Bit of a Slowburn, Fluff, Getting Together, Reader is Smaller than Vander (but who isn’t?), Sibling Bickering

Notes: VANDER MY FAVORITE

(No, but seriously, contrary to popular belief, he’s my 1st favorite over Viktor)

JUST IN TIME (kind of) FOR SEASON TWO, LETS GOOOOO

__________________________________________________________________________

Vander wasn’t quite sure why you stuck around for so long. 

In fact, he wasn’t sure why you stuck around in the first place. 

But… As Vander watches you with the kids. His kids. He begins to understand why. 

You were kind, unyieldingly so. Even as Mylo grew to start picking on Powder, even as they fought, you were kind and patient and offered them the unending gentle love they all so craved. 

The love he couldn’t afford to give them because who could be gentle in the Undercity? Especially in the depths of the Lanes?

You could. 

Vander was in the middle of pouring a drink when Powder tumbled into The Last Drop. She was covered in bruises and dust from something. Or someone. She barely met his gaze as she clambered to her feet and all but sprinted into the back where they all slept. Vander looked through the multitude of customers and spotted you. 

You had obviously seen Powder go bolting, worry twisting your face as you glanced toward the bar and met his stare. You arched an eyebrow, and he shrugged. You rolled your eyes and sighed before smiling in jest and getting up from where you had been tinkering with the jukebox. 

Vander finally manages to get away from his chatty clients and makes his way back into the back room nearly fifteen minutes later. 

Only to pause by the door. 

“—ylo hates me! He does, I swear!” Powder cries, and you hush her gently, dabbing what looks to be some of the antiseptic you have lying around on her cuts and bruises. Disinfectant was hard to come by, especially in the Lanes, but you were seemingly magic in the sense that you always knew who to talk to to get some. It seems you had worked your magic yet again. 

“Did Mylo say that he hates you?” You ask gently, whispering a quiet “sorry” under your breath as she flinched with the sting of the antiseptic. 

Powder pauses, thinking what had to be her earlier conversation over, 

“Well… No…” She mumbles, and you hum, 

“Can I give you my honest opinion?” You ask, and she stills, looking up at you with wide eyes before nodding. 

“Aren’t you always honest with us?” She asks. You chuckle at that. 

“I suppose I am. But I don’t think Mylo hates you. Does he find you a bit annoying? Maybe. But every big brother thinks that about their younger siblings. I know mine did.” You say, and Powder mulls your words over and over and over in her mind. 

She always did overthink things. 

“I didn't know you had a big brother.” She says eventually, and you let out a loud laugh at that. 

“You are a silly girl for focusing on that. But yes, I came from a big family. And guess what? I was the baby of the family. Just. Like. You.” You say, emphasizing your words with a pinch to her side. Powder squeals with laughter and wriggles away to escape your dastardly tickling. 

Vander hangs his head with a huff and a smile before turning to head back to the bar counter. He can hear your conversation continue as Powder escapes your grasp.

“Now, where did you get all these bruises from?”

“Um… Vi taught me parkour from Topside down…”

“Powder! You’re like seven!”

“Seven and a half! And she said I was ready!”

Ever since you began to stick around, you had become something of a parent figure to the four little children Vander had come into care for. 

To Vi and Powder especially. 

So when Mylo burst into The Last Drop with the words of a fistfight on his tongue, you were the first one out the door. 

Vander was close behind. 

Mylo led you and Vander deep into the Undercity. In fact, it was so far into the Undercity that Vander was worried they were getting into some dark territory. 

Like… Really dark territory. 

But soon enough, the sounds of a fight were heard, and soon after, you were deep in the throng of a multi-person fistfight. Everyone paused for a second when they saw you and then stopped altogether when they spotted Vander not far behind. 

You began to pull people off and shoved them out of the way. You did this again and again, ducking under a few stray punches until you managed to unearth Vi. 

She wasn’t looking too hot. 

Her face was bruised and swollen, and the fifteen-year-old spat out a wad of blood as she bared her bloody teeth and prepared to fight again. 

At least until she saw you. 

It was as if the tension had been released from her shoulders. 

She all but slumped into your grasp, and you stumbled back a step with the sudden weight. Vander yanked the last person away from you both and scooped up his adoptive daughter. She leaned her head into the crook of his neck and was obviously fighting back tears. 

Mylo was hunched over, hands on his knees, and wheezed from all the sprinting. 

“Vi? Violet, can you hear me?” You said as soon as you all returned to The Last Drop, and Vander set her down on the couch. Powder and Claggor had been found a block away, fighting off more thugs from whoever sent them after the literal children. 

He would've pummeled them to a pulp if Vander hadn’t hung up his gauntlets years before. 

Vi’s head lolled from side to side, and you shone a pocket flashlight into her eyes, watching as her pupils dilated and contracted. You were experienced at this, taking care of people, even more so than he thought. 

Were you a doctor deep in your past? 

As Vander thought about it, he realized he didn’t know practically anything about you. Your past, your likes, dislikes, he knew you were good with machines and medicine and that you came from a big family. But that was it. 

And that hurt his heart. 

You ended up ushering everyone out of the room while you worked on caring for Vi. Vander closed the bar early and was in the middle of putting chairs on tables when you emerged. Powder, Mylo, and Claggor dropped what they were doing. They scampered to your side, a chorus of “How’s Vi?” erupting from the kids. You offered them a tired smile and patted their heads. 

“She’ll be okay. She’s resting right now. You can go in and see her if you’re quiet.”

And then it was the two of you. 

Vander set the final chair on top of the table and meandered his way over where you were sitting at the bar, head in your hands. 

You looked tired. 

“Is she really okay?” He asked, and you grunted, rubbing at your temples. 

“She has a broken nose, fractured left arm, some bruised ribs, and a concussion. Which, all things considered, she’s very lucky. It could’ve been a lot worse.” You say, and he sighs, 

“Did she say why she got into the fight?” He replied, and you shrug, 

“She was protecting Powder. Then, more people started showing up until it was an all-out brawl. That’s when we stepped in.” You say, and his shoulders sag. 

Vi was going to be okay. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever said it. But thank you. For everything you’ve done. Taking care of them and all that.” He says, and you just hum. 

“You guys gave me a home after everything. I’m just repaying my debt. Well… that and I love those kids.” You say, and he arches an eyebrow,

“After everything?” He inquires, and you glance up sharply as if not realizing what you had said. 

Eventually, your gaze casts downward, and you run a hand over your head and through your hair. 

“I was a doctor in Piltover before the rebellion. I was caught trying to help the Undercity before they were officially citizens and cast out.” You say, and his arched eyebrow raises even higher. 

“A doctor? Were you any good?” You bark out a dry laugh at that,

“One of the best!” Your voice cracks as you speak, and he feels his heart splinter into pieces. 

Vander should’ve known that Claggor and Mylo were up to something when they came in with sneaky grins on their faces. 

The Last Drop was all but desolate. It was the wee hours of the morning before the people of the Undercity awoke to begin their day. But the door was unlocked, and the kids were allowed to run in and out as they pleased. 

Which they had been doing a lot in the last hour or so. 

“Vander!” Mylor clamored for his adopted father’s attention, waving an excited hand as he scampered up to the counter. Claggor hung behind, ever the stoic young man. But there was mischief in their eyes and curling the corners of their mouths. 

Vander slung the rag he used to wipe the counters down over his shoulder and leaned on the bar counter. 

“What did you do now?” He teased, and Mylo all but squawked. 

“When have I ever done anything?!” Vander just stared, 

“Do you really want me to answer that?” He asked, and Claggor snickered at Mylo’s deflated expression. Mylo quickly spun on a heel and jabbed a finger at his adopted brother, 

“Not a word outta you, Claggor!” He snapped before spinning back as something dawned on him.

“You gotta come with us!” He demanded, and Vander glanced between the two of them. 

“Why?” He asked, and Mylo let out an exaggerated groan.

“No questions! Just come on!” He grabbed Vander’s hand and tried tugging him around the counter and toward the front door. 

Vander relented, locking the door behind him as he followed the two boys. 

Only to realize very quickly what was actually going on. 

His first tip-off was hearing Powder and Vi’s voices, yours mixed in as you asked where you were going, why they were taking you, and what they were doing. 

Vi answered no questions. Powder just chirped excitedly. “You’ll see! You’ll see!”

The six of you met in the middle of the street, Powder dragging you by your hand as you followed behind patiently. You glanced up from listening to Powder, and your gazes met. Vander felt his heart skip a beat as he took in your appearance. There wasn’t anything particularly new, but you looked like you had cleaned up some. Your hair was pinned neatly back, and your clothes looked ironed. 

You looked… Really nice.

“Vander? What’s going on?” You asked, and Vi nudged you with her good arm. Her fractured left one was still healing carefully under your care. 

“We’re setting you two up.” She teased, and you stared dumbly. 

“Setting us up how?” You asked, and now it was Powder’s turn to blurt out an answer, 

“On a date!” 

Before the two of you could react, all four kids all but disappeared around the corner in a cloud of dust. Leaving you facing Vander and utterly alone. 

It was safe to say he was panicking just a little bit. 

“Vander? Do you have any idea what they meant?” You asked gently, and he scrubbed a hand down his face. 

“My guess is they want us to go on a date.” He said, fully prepared to hear rejection. Because who would want to go on a date with him? A middle-aged man with a stained past. His lungs twisted as he heard you take a step closer. 

A smaller hand slipped into his, and he looked down from where he had been staring at Topside. 

Your eyes were lit up, not with disgust at the proposition he was proposing. 

But they were filled with hope for the future this relationship would bring. 

[iamgonnagetyouback]

Heyyy are you requests open?? I have 2 requests for 2 different characters! Recently I just discovered the Ron Weasley Lore and I’m just like why was I sleeping on Ron!!! But could you write something about Ron. Maybe like sorta like glimpse of their relationship throughout the HP years and an aftermath. Ik it’s super long but I love your writing!!!

I’ll send the send one separately cause this one is too long now 😂

ron weasley x reader with your relationship throughout the years

First Year

You and Hermione hit it off immediately – you’re both brilliant, maybe a bit too good at charms and way too nosey. The two of you become an inseparable duo, and Ron? Well, he’s not impressed. He rolls his eyes every time you and Hermione get into a lively debate or excitedly huddle up to compare notes.

“Do you ever stop talking?” he huffs after one particularly long conversation about broomstick history. You give him your best glare, and he just smirks, calling you a “walking library.”

Yeah, he’s not on your favorite people list either.

Second Year

Somehow, Ron’s teasing just gets worse. He sits next to you in Potions and constantly pokes at your side, whispering, “Did you know you snore when you sleep?”

“I do not!” you protest, swatting his hand away.

“Sure, sure,” he grins, leaning back smugly. “Better ask Hermione if you’re not convinced. Or maybe everyone in Gryffindor – they probably heard you all the way up in the boys’ dormitory.”

He even pulls your pigtail one day during Herbology, making you squeal in indignation. He laughs, but you notice Hermione is side-eyeing the whole scene, trying (and failing) to hide a smirk.

Third Year

It's the start of term, and you notice something. Ron’s grown taller, his hair’s more auburn than red in the sunlight, and when he laughs – it’s oddly... nice?

You shake the thought out of your head and give him a harsh glare for no reason as you slam your bag down beside him at breakfast. He jumps and gives you a wide-eyed look.

“What did I do?” he mutters, genuinely looking confused as you stomp off in a huff.

Hermione raises her eyebrows at you later. “Are you sure you don’t have a thing for him?” she teases, barely able to keep her laughter down.

“Absolutely not!” you protest, feeling your cheeks heat up.

Fourth Year

The Yule Ball is coming, and Ron’s been annoying you even more than usual – something about him asking Padma sends you into an unexpected spiral of jealousy. And then, to top it all off, you overhear him fuming about someone dancing with Viktor Krum, and it all clicks in the worst way.

“Oh, of course he likes Hermione,” you mutter to yourself, feeling your chest ache as you walk away before he can say anything else.

The next day, Ron finds you red-eyed, sitting by the lake. He and Harry ask if you’re okay, and in a burst of frustration, you shout, “You two are absolutely clueless!” before storming off.

Ron scratches his head, looking at Harry in complete bafflement. “What did I do?”

Fifth Year

By now, you’ve decided the best way to deal with Ron is to just... not deal with him at all. You start spending more time with Luna, who offers you the peace and acceptance you need. Ron, however, notices the shift.

“Since when are you and Loony Lovegood so close?” he mutters one day, his tone more annoyed than curious.

“Since I found out she’s a better friend than you,” you snap back, not even sparing him a glance.

Harry raises his eyebrows at Ron, while Hermione sighs, clearly fed up with the tension between you two.

“Honestly, Ron, are you ever going to sort this out?” Hermione whispers later. But Ron just shrugs, as though he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to sort out.

Sixth Year

This year, you make a brave decision: move on from Ron. And Draco, of all people, catches your eye. The two of you start dating casually – it’s friendly, flirty, and you like his mischievous sense of humor. But when Ron catches wind of it, he’s absolutely fuming.

“You’re dating Malfoy?” he demands, storming up to you one day in the library.

“Oh, now you care who I’m with?” you retort, rolling your eyes.

Draco smirks, stepping beside you with a cool, “Problem, Weasley?”

You and Draco part ways amicably by the end of the year, but Hermione nearly loses her patience with Ron’s grumbling. “For Merlin’s sake, Ron! She’s single now,” she all but yells at him. “Stop sulking and do something about it.”

Seventh Year

Finally, it’s here – the year everything changes. Between the chaos of the war and the danger lurking around every corner, Ron finally realizes his feelings. He catches himself watching you more than usual, every smile and laugh searing into his mind.

One night, he pulls you aside, eyes downcast. “I... I’ve been a git,” he admits, voice barely above a whisper.

“What was that?” you tease, crossing your arms.

Ron’s cheeks turn red, but he continues, “I’m trying to say... I’m sorry. For everything.” His voice softens, vulnerability flickering in his gaze. “And... I’ve missed you. Really.”

You bite your lip, the old pain and confusion melting away. “Well, it took you long enough to realize that,” you whisper, offering him a small smile.

Ron lets out a shaky laugh, then reaches for your hand. “Can I... would you... go to Hogsmeade with me? Maybe?”

“Maybe,” you reply, and with a teasing grin, “If you buy me a Butterbeer.”

He grins back, squeezing your hand tightly. And as you walk back to the castle, Harry shoots you both a knowing, smug look, while Hermione just shakes her head, finally relieved.

Aftermath

“Dad, you were so clueless!” your daughter exclaims, eyes wide as she stares between you and Ron.

Ron lets out a bark of laughter, ruffling her hair affectionately. “Oi! I was not clueless!” He glances at you, chuckling. “Right, love? I mean, you were just as lost!”

You raise an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Because I distinctly remember somebody storming up to me in the library, fuming about Draco Malfoy.”

Ron’s cheeks turn a shade of red as he leans back, giving a sheepish grin. “I was just looking out for you. Malfoy had an… attitude.”

Your daughter’s giggles fill the room. “Dad, I think you just didn’t want Mum dating anyone else!”

“Okay, maybe there was a bit of that,” he admits, winking at you. “But your mum wasn’t exactly clear either. I mean, there were days she’d stomp off before I’d even said ‘hello!’”

“Oh, that’s true,” you say, giving a playful sigh. “All because of a certain Gryffindor boy with no clue how to express his feelings.”

“Hey!” he protests, throwing his hands up in surrender. “I was just busy fighting off trolls, acromantulas, and basilisks, you know? Didn’t exactly leave time for romance.”

Your daughter grins, eyes twinkling. “And then what, Mum? When did you finally realize Dad was totally in love with you?”

You exchange a knowing smile with Ron, your hands automatically finding each other. “Seventh year,” you reply softly. “After everything we'd been through, he finally told me how he felt.”

Ron squeezes your hand, his thumb brushing over your fingers. “And she finally stopped running off every time I came near her,” he teases, looking down at your daughter. “And then, we just… never let go.”

Your daughter beams, resting her chin on her hands. “You guys are so cute.”

Ron laughs, giving her a light nudge. “Oi, enough with the ‘cute!’ Now, do you want to hear about the time your mum hexed me because she thought I called her a know-it-all?”

“Oh, yes!” she cries, practically bouncing. “Tell me everything!”

And with that, you and Ron launch into another one of your Hogwarts stories, the laughter of your little family echoing warmly through the room.

first time writing for ron and i loved it!!

[nylloth]

My opinion about Arcane s2 (mostly Viktor)

I'm trying to be neutral on this, but I'm upset with what they did to Viktor.

I was wrong about their relationship with Sky (but I had hope), you can see he never really cared for her and the animators put their all into conveying that. Plus, let's say Sky represents Viktor's humanity and Viktor himself gives up on her. And it's a lot easier for him to give her up than it is for Jayce, who he's trying to show this new “world” to.

They have a lot of gay moments with Jayce, I don't know why the writers call it “family”. It's really hard to see family in that. It seems like at some point they decided to change the plot, because at the end Jayce and Viktor just disappear and no one just doesn't care what Jayce has with Mel.

The thing I didn't like the most was how they changed Ryze, that now Ryze is Viktor, the all-powerful mage. We know from the documentary that it was Ryze at one point. That would make more sense than Viktor traveling through time and constantly dooming himself to a series of miseries. But then again, they added the “all for Jayce” aspect to it.

You can see it's supposed to be a different character, right?

I really didn't like how they treated Sky because obviously she wasn't an evil manipulative core. Viktor killed her twice for his own purposes. Once by accident, the second time on purpose. Look, you add a girl who is IN LOVE with a man, make her die twice for him, and show WHY he doesn't care. It's a dirty act. Amanda said she was “proud to write Sky”, I don't know what there is to be proud of. As a woman, it was painful for me to watch. You didn't have to do that. Did you mean to say the character is gay? You don't have to humiliate women to do that.

I always hoped Viktor wouldn't have any romantic innuendos because feelings, for Herald, are a weakness. But the fact that they're indulging JayVik fans makes it look NOTHING like that. Like, I'm not a fan of this ship, but even I don't consider what they showed as brotherly feelings. Especially from Viktor's side. He is literally too concerned with Jayce's opinion.

I also think that the writers largely emphasized the clips and fights, but didn't add to the story itself. I mean Silco's deep thoughts in the first season on political topics and the theme of family in general was shown much better.

Herald is essentially non-existent. It's a character for the last two episodes who is immediately killed off because of a few words from Jayce. Viktor returns and they vaporize somewhere. I take it this is starting a recurring time loop.

They kind of tried to put in Viktor's “here he's come to the realization on his own that humanity is bad”, but they did it SO FAST and literally because of one event that it looked bad. Yeah, it's not about hexcore. VIKTOR SUPPOSEDLY CAME TO THIS ON HIS OWN. Why? Because Jayce shot him, and then Jayce helped him realize otherwise. No, really, what was that?

I also didn't like the redesign. I was hoping the mask would look different, but it looks HORRIBLE.

It's supposed to give the impression that Viktor “shut down and withdrew into himself”, they also tried to make him a “deity”, but since it only lasted 20 minutes before he went back to his normal state, it didn't make any sense… Anyway… I sympathize with everyone who loved Viktor specifically, outside jayvik ship (happy for you guys). I know they are excited, but this is not Viktor's story. You see, Viktor doesn't have his own personal story now, he's too connected to Jayce. You could say he did everything and nothing at the same time. Because he keeps running this time loop, but he's running it because of Jayce's influence.

Waiting for his updated lore to read….. idk I'll read it and forget it like a bad dream.

[tired-truffle]

Even the Gods Cry For Us

A Viktorxfem!reader fic

Chapter Word Count: 5.7k

Part 13/17

Tag list: @im-just-a-simp-le-whore @potatointhedirt (if anyone else would like to be tagged with future updates let me know!)

"Sometimes we don't want to heal because the pain is the last link to what we’ve lost." - J.M. Storm

Masterlist

“You have to be good at something.” Charlotte shook her head, sighing her exasperation.

“Evidently, my skills don’t lie in anything we’ve tried so far.” The tangled mess of knitting to your side taunted you. You must have been capable of doing some things back in your world. Why was it that when you’d come to Runeterra, you’d been unable to do most basic activities and chores with any sort of success? Had that been the price of having magic? 

Seemed like a strange trade, but it wasn’t like you’d had much of a choice - nor would you have chosen any other option if it meant you didn’t get to meet Viktor. 

“Charlotte,” you started, a thought occurring to you, entirely separate from the topic at hand, “why are they called “the Firelights’?”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, “I would imagine it has something to do with firelights, but given that I’m not a member, I haven’t a clue.”

That did very little to answer your question, so you pushed on. “What exactly is a firelight?”

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at you. “Are you pulling my leg, girl? How could you not know what a firelight is? Greenish glowing butt bugs that fly around at night mostly, they’re everywhere.”

You had seen insects matching that description, but that still made little sense to you. “You mean fireflies?”

From the look Charlotte gave you, you would have thought you’d asked her to eat one of the supposed firelights. With a huff, she shook her head. “You say the darndest things sometimes.” She turned towards the next tent, seeing something that caught her eye, “You wait here, I’ll be right back.”

You’d barely had time to voice your confirmation when a clear container with one of your sparks floating idly around broke through your line of sight, two small hands grasping it on either side. 

Blinking, you lowered your gaze until you came upon the proudly grinning face of the young girl you’d met on the way to Stillwater. 

“Oh, hello,” you said with a smile, relief flooding through you and making your limbs weaken. You crouched down to her height and suppressed the waver in your voice. “I’m so happy to see you’re alright. Though I didn’t expect that you’d still have one of my sparks.”

You poked the container, the spark inside zipping around as it reacted to your touch. The girl grinned wider, her helmet flopping as he tilted her head to the side.

“Isha!” A girl called from behind you, and though you’d never met her in person before, you’d heard her speak in a vision and recognized the voice instantly; it belonged to Jinx. “What are you doing? You can’t just go running off like that. Get back here!”

Your vision blurred without warning, the world around you fading into a hazy orange glow.

Isha, unmistakable in her painted helmet and little blue braids, sprinted through a war-torn landscape. Smoke billowed from all directions, and the air was thick with the acetic scent of burning flesh. Her large boots slapped against blood-slicked ground as she dodged debris and fallen bodies. The spark container, now cracked and dirty, bounced on her hip.

You watched, helpless, as she darted between clashing soldiers. Their weapons clanged in bursts of crackling energy and sprays of crimson. Isha weaved through them with a desperate grace, her eyes wide with determination and fear.

For a fleeting moment, you caught a glimpse of a circular structure in the distance, the ceiling blown out; this was the commune.

But before you could grasp any further details, you were launched back into your body, swaying as you adjusted to the difference in time.

Useless, as always. Warning you of things to come but not how to stop it. You clenched your fists at your side, exhaling shakily.

Isha stared up at you, her large eyes wide with wonder. It had been a long time since you’d had a vision in front of anyone who wasn’t Viktor, but you couldn’t blame her for being curious about your glowing eyes. 

You cleared your throat and straightened, trying to shake off the lingering disorientation from the vision. The world around you seemed to snap back into focus, colours intensifying as your eyes readjusted. Isha still gazed up at you, her mouth slightly agape, the spark container clutched tightly to her chest.

Before you could say anything, a blur of vibrant colours rushed past you. Jinx skidded to a halt, her long, blue braids whipping around her torso as she grabbed Isha's hand. The older girl's chest heaved, clearly out of breath from chasing after Isha.

"Sorry about her," Jinx began, her words tumbling out in a rushed stream. "She's just so curious about everything, wouldn’t know a warf-rat was dangerous unless it bit her on the—"

Jinx's rambling apology cut off abruptly as her gaze met yours. Her eyes, a striking shade of pink - so similar to your own - narrowed suspiciously. The manic energy that had propelled her forward seemed to evaporate, replaced by a wary stillness that set your nerves on edge.

“Have I…seen you somewhere before? You look awfully familiar.” 

“Oh, uh, probably not.” You had never been a good liar. “I just have one of those faces.”

She rocked back on her heels, her braids swaying as she eyed the floating sparks. “Think I’d remember a mage in the city that famously hates mages. Have you always had…these?”

She waved at the sparks, and Isha raised her container, shaking it for Jinx to see and blessedly diverting her attention, allowing you to avoid her question.

You watched as Jinx's eyes darted between you and the spark container, and you could almost taste the sour tang of her suspicion.

"Isha, give the lady her…thing back," Jinx said, her voice unnaturally slow and deliberate. Her eyes never left your face, searching for something - recognition, perhaps, or deceit.

"It's okay," you said quickly, holding up your hands in a display of innocence. "It's a gift. She can keep it."

The words tumbled out of your mouth before you could stop them, surprising even yourself. But as you gazed at Isha's hopeful face, framed by those bright blue braids and the oversized helmet, you knew you couldn't bear to take it back. The spark inside the container seemed to pulse in agreement, casting a soft, ethereal glow on the child's round cheeks. Besides, you had plenty more of them, you could do with one less.

Jinx's eyebrows shot up. "A gift? You're just handing out magical…whatever-these-are to random kids?" She laughed, a sharp, disbelieving sound. "That's either really generous or really stupid. Maybe both."

You shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant despite the nervous flutter in your chest. "It's harmless, I promise. Just a bit of light, really."

Jinx's eyes narrowed again, her gaze boring into you with an intensity that made you want to squirm. "Are you sure we haven't met before? There's something about you that's just so familiar."

Your heart raced, and you could feel a bead of sweat forming at the nape of your neck. You desperately wished for Viktor's steadying presence, his logical mind that could navigate these treacherous conversational waters. But he wasn't here, and you were left to flounder on your own.

"I-I don't think so," you stammered, cursing your inability to lie convincingly.

Jinx tilted her head, her long braids swaying like colourful pendulums. "Huh. Weird. Could've sworn I'd seen your face before. Maybe in a dream or something." She shrugged, her restless energy returning as quickly as it had vanished. "Ah, well. C'mon, Isha. Let's let the nice glowy lady get back to her glowing in peace."

Jinx started to turn away, then paused. She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Word of advice, Sparkles. If you're gonna lie, at least try to make it believable. You're worse at it than a Piltie trying to blend in down here."

Your cheeks burned with embarrassment, but before you could stammer out a response, Jinx was already moving. Isha waved goodbye from Jinx's side, the spark container clutched tightly in her other hand. You watched them disappear into the commune, your mind reeling from the encounter. The lingering image of your vision - Isha running through a battlefield that happened to be in your home - overlapped with the reality of her cheerful farewell.

And all it did was strike panic into your heart, with no way to stop that disaster from happening.

“Somehow, that doesn’t shock me.” You sighed, wiping your hand down your face. “Vander died but was revived and mutated into a feral wolf creature and now his adopted daughters have brought him to you to bring him back to himself.”

Viktor had filled you in, and you’d shared with him the contents of your vision of Isha. Worrying as it was, there wasn’t much that either of you could do about it except keep an eye out for trouble. If only you’d been able to get a better look at the soldiers, but with all that dust and carnage, you hadn’t been able to make out any identifying marks.

“That about sums it up, yes.” Viktor disconnected himself from the wires, floating down to stand beside you with quiet clacks as his feet touched the ground. 

“And you think you can do that?” You’d encountered him that night at Stillwater, all feral rage and brutality, like a rabid dog unleashed on a burrow of bunnies. 

He smiled, trailing his fingers down your cheeks. “I do, though I would greatly appreciate your assistance.”

“You…” you frowned, unsure what exactly he thought you could do, “want me to help?”

“I do.” He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, his other hand resting on your hip and tracing little circles through the fabric of your clothes. “You have the most experience with losing yourself beneath layers of pain and fear, and your ability to return my emotions has been extraordinary. You’re the perfect candidate.” 

You snorted, but could do little to cover your blush when his face was so close to yours, watching you with an ardour that made your stomach ripple. “Flatterer.” 

“Eh, it’s simply the truth.” He inched closer to you, and you tilted your chin up in response. But as your eyes fluttered closed, his lips ghosting over yours, you were rudely interrupted. 

“Huh, didn’t expect the metal fortune cookie to have a girlfriend, but I guess everyone has a type.” Jinx leaned against the entryway, arms crossed lazily. “Don’t stop on my account, I’m curious about how this works.” 

With an exasperated but tolerant sigh, Viktor stepped back. “You have a vast imagination, Jinx, I’m certain you could figure it out. But perhaps there are better uses for your time.” Jinx rolled her eyes and you coughed to cover your choke. Viktor’s eyes sparkled with mirth, and he continued, “Milá was just agreeing to aid me with Vander.”

You didn’t remember agreeing to anything, but best to present a united front, right? 

“Hard to agree when you’ve got a tongue down your throat,” Jinx grumbled, and you resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of your nose. “But how can a sparkly mage help anyway?” 

“I’d have to see him first to really get a sense of what I could do. My magic is tied to emotions, so I could potentially connect to his, but my magic is still relatively new, I don’t have the best grasp of its potential,” you answered, stepping forward. “I’d only do it if you want me to try. He’s your father.”

Jinx pursed her lips, considering your words as her vibrant pink eyes darted about the floor. With a huff, she blew her bangs out from her face. “I’ll talk to Vi,” she said at last. “Isha likes you, so you can’t be all bad. I’ll make sure she knows.”

Without further ado, Jinx turned on her heel, sauntering away with a causal “Toodles!” tossed over her shoulder.

You watched Jinx's retreating form, her braids swaying with each step. As her footsteps faded, you turned back to Viktor.

"Well," you sighed, "that was…interesting."

Viktor's lips quirked into a small smile. "Indeed.” And without missing a beat, he added, “Shall we take a walk while we give the girls some time to debate our assistance?”

You took his offered hand, beaming at him. “I would love to.”

Your eyes were drawn to a massive shape hunched in the corner of the greenhouse. Vander - or what used to be Vander - crouched behind a row of leafy ferns. His fur was matted and dull, piercing eyes peering out from the foliage, wary and wild. A low growl rumbled from his throat as you entered. Compared to the last time you saw him, this was a vast improvement - the green of the tank on his back a much more pleasant colour than the vibrant red.

Vi stood protectively in front of him, her stance tense and ready for a fight. Her pink hair was dishevelled, dark circles around her eyes. She was every bit the fiery woman you’d heard her to be, you only wished your visions could have helped her before that haunted look soaked permanently into her features. Jinx lounged on a nearby rock, legs swinging, but her casual posture contradicted the sharpness in her gaze. Little Isha sat cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by a semicircle of multicoloured pebbles she must have taken from the garden beds.

“So,” Vi kicked at the ground, her hands shoved in the pockets of her scuffed-up pants, “you’re the mage that wants to help Vander?”

“Mila,” you corrected gently, “much easier to say than all of that. But yes, I am.” 

“Right,” Vi nodded, eyes darting to Jinx who was pretending not to pay attention, fiddling with the ends of her braids.

You shifted your stance, feeling the weight of Vi's scrutiny. Her eyes, exhausted and wary, bored into you. The greenhouse's humidity clung to your skin, making you acutely aware of every bead of sweat forming on the small of your back.

"So, how exactly does this magic of yours work?" Vi's voice was gruff, laced with skepticism.

You took a deep breath, searching for the right words. "It's…complicated," you began, your gaze drifting to the sparks that danced around you. They pulsed gently as if encouraging you. "My magic is tied to emotions. It's like a bridge between hearts, I guess."

Vi's eyebrow arched, her lips pursing. "A bridge?"

"Yes," you nodded, warming to the metaphor. "I can sense emotions, sometimes even influence them. It's like reaching out and touching someone's soul, feeling what they feel. Though I’ve only done it a handful of times. It's recently only started to cooperate."

As you spoke, a spark drifted towards Isha. The little girl's eyes widened, her hand reaching out to touch it. The spark danced just beyond her fingertips, casting a soft blue glow on her face.

"I'm still learning," you admitted, watching the interaction and deciding it was best to be honest about your inexperience. "It's not an exact science so I can’t make any promises that it’ll make a difference."

Vi softened slightly, her eyes flickering to Vander's huddled form. "And you think this can help him?"

You nodded, trying to project more confidence than you felt. "If I could reach the part of him that's still him, beneath everything else, maybe - and I want to emphasize the maybe - I can help bring him back."

Vi chewed her lip, her gaze darting between you, Viktor, and Vander. The greenhouse fell silent, save for the gentle rustling of leaves and Vander's occasional growl. Even Jinx had stopped fidgeting, her sharp eyes fixed on her sister.

Finally, Vi's shoulders sagged. "Alright," she said. "You’re the healer,” she nodded her head at Viktor, “if you think it could work, well, we'll take all the help we can get."

A wave of relief washed over you, tinged with nervous anticipation. You prayed you wouldn't let them down, they’d had enough disappointment in their lives already.

With a reassuring nod from Viktor, you slowly made your way toward Vander, your heart hammering against your ribcage with each hesitant step.

Vander tracked your every movement. His massive form tensed as you drew near, muscles rippling beneath matted fur. A low, rumbling growl vibrated through the space, the hair at the nape of your neck standing on end.

When you were just a few feet away, you slowly lowered yourself to one knee. The cool stone seeped through your clothes, grounding you. You took a deep breath, inhaling the rich, earthy scent of the greenhouse. Your sparks danced around you, casting shifting patterns of light across Vander's fur.

"Hello, Vander," you said, barely above a whisper. You smiled, hoping to convey warmth and safety. "You've raised two incredible daughters. Strong, brave, and fiercely loyal. You must be so proud."

At the mention of his daughters, something flickered in Vander's eyes. The growl faded, replaced by a softer rumble. His massive head tilted slightly, regarding you with what might have been curiosity.

Encouraged, you continued, "They love you so much, and they haven’t given up on you. That speaks volumes about the father you were and still are."

Vander's posture relaxed slightly, his shoulders lowering from their defensive hunch. You could feel the shift in the air, the tension easing ever so slightly.

Taking a deep breath, you reached out with your magic. It unfurled from you like tendrils of light, invisible to the others but brilliant in your mind's eye. As your magic touched Vander, a surge of warring emotions crashed over you.

Pain, raw and searing, engulfed you and ripped you apart from the inside out. Your chest constricted, muscles tensing as you fought against the urge to scream. But beneath the physical agony lay a deeper, gnawing anguish that clawed at your insides, threatening to hollow you out.

Grief followed, a bottomless well of sorrow that drowned you. The sound of screams echoed in your ears and the weight of responsibility crushed down on broad shoulders.

You gritted your teeth, forcing yourself to breathe through the onslaught. Sweat beaded on your forehead, your hands trembling with the effort of maintaining the connection.

You pushed further, digging deeper. That couldn’t be all there was, there had to be something else beneath, something to keep him going. You felt it then. Love. Pure, fierce, unconditional love. Love for Vi and Jinx, burning bright and unfaltering. Love for Zaun - not just the place, but its people. Vander's pride in the resilience of the Undercity, his admiration for those who carved out lives amidst a sea of injustice.

But these were all just pieces of him, to truly sort through such a complex web… The strands of his emotions writhed and pulsed, each one lashing out to ensnare you. Fear coiled around your ankles like a skeletal hand while rage burned hot against your skin. Despair hung heavy in your lungs, thick and cloying, making it difficult to breathe. Echoes of explosions reverberated in your ears, punctuated by the heart-wrenching cries of children. Your vision blurred with tears - were they yours or Vander's? It was impossible to tell where you ended and he began.

You pulled back, gasping for air as if you'd been underwater. Your lungs burned, and your head spun with lingering echoes of Vander. Sweat trickled down your temples, and your hands shook as you pushed yourself to your feet.

"He’s all tangled up like barbed wire. It's a maze in there." You closed your eyes, trying to steady yourself as the world tilted around you. "But I think…I think I might be able to help unravel them. It could make it easier for Viktor to pry his consciousness out of the pain."

You’d seen that glimmer of love within him, and while it was surrounded by horror, there had to be some way to reach it and pull it out without ripping it to shreds.

Vi's eyes lit up with desperate hope, while Jinx leaned forward, her vibrant energy subdued. "You can do that?" Vi asked as though she was afraid of your answer.

You nodded, then immediately regretted it as a wave of dizziness washed over you. Viktor’s hand on your elbow steadied you, and you leaned into his touch. "Maybe," you amended, not wanting to give false hope. "It's not a guarantee, but it's a chance."

“A chance is better than what we had a day ago.”

You opened your mouth to respond, but Viktor took the opportunity to cut in. "We will do everything we can to restore Vander," he said, his hand still steady on your elbow. "However, this process will require concentration and a calm environment."

Jinx snorted, twirling one of her braids around her finger. "Yeah, because this greenhouse is such a party central."

Viktor's lips twitched, suppressing a smile. "Nevertheless, Milá and I will need space to work. Perhaps you'd like to explore the commune? There are quite a few fascinating innovations I'm sure you'd appreciate."

Vi nodded, her gaze lingering on Vander, reluctant to part from him. "Right, yeah. We should…we should go." She turned to Jinx and Isha, gesturing towards the door.

Jinx hopped off her perch, stretching languidly. "Ooh, alone time with the boyfriend, huh?" she said, wiggling her eyebrows at you. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"Jinx!" Vi hissed, glowering at Jinx. "This isn't the time for-"

"Relax, sis," Jinx laughed, slinging an arm around Vi's shoulders. "I'm just lightening the mood. Come on, let's go see what kind of trouble we can get into out there. Let the magic people do their magic thing."

As they left, Isha trailing behind them with her pebbles clutched in her tiny fists, you turned back to Vander. The massive creature watched you with wary eyes, but there was something else there now - a glimmer of recognition, perhaps even hope.

And you would hold onto that hope as hard as you could.

You spent the next several days immersed in Vander's tangled psyche. Each morning, you and Viktor settled into a rhythm - you'd reach out with your magic, creating a bridge of calm amidst the choppy waves and cries of Vander's emotions, while Viktor carefully probed at his consciousness.

The landscape of Vander's mind was a treacherous terrain. You navigated through dark caverns of despair, their walls slick with grief and mildew. Jagged peaks of rage jutted up suddenly, forcing you to climb hand over foot, your fingers bloodied by the time you reached the summit. Vast deserts of emptiness stretched as far as the eye could see, mirages of hope shimmering on the horizon only to vanish as you drew near.

But there were moments of beauty too. Oases of love, verdant and lush, where memories of Vi and Jinx as children played like a sweet melody. You lingered in these spaces, drawing strength from the pure joy that radiated from them.

As Viktor worked, you often had to soothe Vander. His emotions would flare up like a wounded animal, lashing out in fear and pain. You'd bundle him up in blankets of calm, whispering reassurances that echoed through the chambers of his mind. "It's okay," you'd murmur, your voice carrying the weight of conviction. "You're safe. We're here to help. Your daughters love you, remember that."

Sometimes, the intensity of it all overwhelmed you. You'd emerge from the trance gasping, your body drenched in sweat, trembling from the effort. Viktor would be there, his cool metal hand on your back, grounding you. "Take a moment," he'd say, his lilting voice a balm to your frayed nerves. "You're doing wonderfully."

As the days passed, you began to see progress. The tangled web of emotions began to loosen, threads of coherent thought weaving through the madness. Vander's growls grew less frequent, replaced by moments of lucidity where his eyes would focus, recognition flickering in their depths - and on the odd day, he would speak in short sentences.

You delved deeper and deeper into Vander's mind. The familiar landscape unfolded before you, but something new caught your attention - a pulsing thread of foreign feeling, steady and persistent.

Your curiosity sparked and you followed it, weaving through the intricate network of thoughts and emotions until you brushed against something unexpected - Viktor's presence. You hadn’t come into contact with him while buried deep in Vander’s psyche - as much as you had wanted to. This wasn’t about you and Viktor, this was about Vander. Yet you’d spent so much time moving within Vander’s emotions, wadding through his baser instincts, that they had started to rub off on you, and your ability to catch yourself before pursuing your desires was waning.

His essence was cool and precise, like the edge of a finely honed blade. But there, nestled at its core, was a swirling knot of guilt. It throbbed with a dull, aching constancy, weighing down Viktor's spirit like an anchor.

Pulling yourself towards it, you cradled the knot of guilt in your arms, finding it surprisingly heavy for something intangible. It pulsed against your chest, a living thing made of regret and sorrow. You curled around it, assuming a fetal position on the edge of Vander's mind, feeling the raw emotion seep into your core.

"Viktor," you whispered, your voice echoing through the mental landscape, "what is this?"

You sensed his spirit recoil, like a wounded animal shrinking from a helping hand. The cool precision of his essence wavered, uncertainty bleeding through. Viktor's spirit drifted closer, then further away, indecisive. You longed to reach out, to offer comfort, but the gulf between you felt insurmountable. Instead, you hugged the ball of guilt tighter, as if by shouldering Viktor's burden you could somehow ease his pain.

Slowly, reluctantly, you extricated yourself from Vander's mind. The physical world rushed back, a cacophony of sensations after the ethereal landscape you'd been navigating. You blinked, adjusting to the dim light of the greenhouse.

Vander lay on the ground, his massive form twitching slightly. His ears flicked irritably, the only outward sign that he was aware of your presence. You watched him for a moment, wondering how such a turbulent inner world could be contained in a seemingly peaceful exterior.

Viktor withdrew from Vander's mind with a sharp intake of breath, his multi-coloured eyes snapping open. He stared at you, his face carefully blank, but you could see the tension in the tightness of his jaw, the rigidness of his hands as he clasped them in his lap.

You stood cautiously, your legs wobbly from hours of sitting motionless. The small greenhouse felt thick and oppressive after the vast expanse of Vander's mind. Sweat collected on your forehead, and you wiped it away with a shaky hand. Viktor's gaze never wavered, following your every movement with an intensity that made your skin prickle.

You motioned for him to follow, not trusting yourself to speak. Your feet carried you deeper into the greenhouse, past rows of shimmering plants and budding flowers.

At last, you reached the bench tucked away in the furthest corner. You sat, patting the space beside you. Viktor hesitated, his body language screaming discomfort. After a long moment, he lowered himself onto the bench, perching on the edge as if ready to bolt at any second.

You tried not to think about the last time you'd sat here together, when playful banter had given way to heated touches and breathless sighs. The memory of his lips on your skin, his hands exploring every curve, almost derailing your thoughts. You shoved it aside, focusing on the tense line of Viktor's shoulders, the way his fingers drummed an anxious rhythm on his thigh.

You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for the conversation ahead.

"Viktor," you began, your voice pitched low, "I felt something in there. Something that wasn't Vander's." You paused, searching for the right words. "It was you. Your guilt. It's eating you alive, isn't it?"

Panic flashed in his eyes before he schooled his gaze back into careful neutrality. "I don't know what you mean," he said, but his voice lacked conviction.

He had always been rather obstinate about accepting help, but you hadn’t let that stop you from offering it before. You reached out, hesitating for a moment before placing your hand on his arm. "It's okay," you said. "You can talk to me. You’ve been there for me so many times, let me be here for you."

You watched as emotions warred across his face - fear, shame, longing. He was silent for several beats before he found his voice. "It's Sky," he admitted, his voice cracking. "I see her whenever I am…working." He laughed bitterly. "I know it's not truly her. It can't be. But…"

"But it feels real," you finished for him, well acquainted with how disorienting it can be to be unable to banish a vision you knew to be false.

Viktor nodded, his shoulders slumping. "She's a manifestation of my guilt. My failure. I should have protected her. I should not have been so reckless.”

You squeezed his arm gently, cutting off his spiral of self-recrimination. "You didn’t know that she’d come to the lab so late."

He shook his head vehemently. "You don't understand. If I had been more careful, if I had thought it through—"

“I don’t understand?” You hadn’t meant to cut him off, but you simply couldn’t get past those first three words. “Out of everyone else in this entire world, I may be the only other one who does understand.”

Viktor's eyes widened and he opened his mouth, then closed it again, words failing him. You watched as he struggled, his usual eloquence deserting him in the face of his own oversight.

"I…you're right," he managed. "I apologize. That was incredibly thoughtless of me."

The greenhouse fell silent, save for the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant hum of life outside. A bead of condensation rolled down a nearby leaf, catching the light and scattering it in a tiny rainbow. You focused on it, gathering your thoughts.

"It's okay," you said at last, your voice soft but steady. You turned to face Viktor fully, taking in the lines of exhaustion corroding his features, the way his shoulders hunched as if pressed beneath a mountain. "But you know you aren't alone in this, right? I miss her too."

The words hung in between you, fragile as spun glass. Viktor closed his eyes, his expression twisting with grief so raw it made your heart ache.

You reached out, your fingers intertwining with his. "Sky was like starlight. Brilliant and beautiful and gone too soon. But her light touched so many of us. We all carry a piece of her."

And above all else, you knew those words to be true, felt them resound in your soul.

"I’m afraid I did not know her as well as I should have. Will you tell me?" he asked, barely audible. "Tell me what you remember?"

Talking about Sky came as easily as rain did from heavy clouds - though it did not stop your heart from aching. You spoke of Sky's laughter, how it would bubble up from deep inside her, infectious and bright. You recalled the way she'd furrow her brow when concentrating, her tongue poking out just slightly. You described the feeling of her hugs, fierce and warm, as if she could pour all her love into you through that simple gesture.

As you talked, the tension slowly bled from Viktor's frame. His grip on your hand loosened, though he didn't let go. His forehead smoothed out, and his breathing evened. You could almost see the weight lifting from his shoulders, shared between the two of you now.

When your words finally ran dry, a comfortable silence settled over you both. The greenhouse had grown darker, the setting sun painting the glass walls in shades of orange and pink. A cool breeze whispered through the leaves, carrying the scent of night-blooming flowers. You could have sworn you smelled her perfume, floral and clean, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

A memory surfaced, sharp and clear. That first night after Viktor had awoken from his Hexcore-induced slumber, when you'd thought you were hallucinating Sky's ghostly form. Viktor had seen her too. You'd been so caught up in the nervousness of being unwell while navigating the Undercity streets, you'd almost forgotten about that strange, shared moment.

"Wait," you said, sitting up straighter. "When we were walking here after we’d left your childhood house, I saw Sky, and you said you could see her too. I’d almost forgotten it, but…" You trailed off, watching Viktor's face carefully.

His eyes widened in recognition. "I remember," he said softly. "I thought it was a side effect of the Hexcore. Or that I was going mad." He let out a shaky breath. "I still don’t entirely know what it was, if I’m being candid.”

“That thing you carry isn’t Sky, I can feel that much.”

“That’s a relief, I would not wish to imprison her in my mind.”

"It's not her,” you reaffirmed. “But maybe it's a part of her. Something she left behind." You paused, choosing your words carefully. "What if it's not just guilt manifesting? What if it's a gift?"

Viktor's forehead pinched, his thick eyebrows bunching up. "A gift? How could my failure be a gift?"

"Not your failure," you said, shaking your head. "Her legacy. Her drive to help others and make a difference. Maybe she left that with you to carry on."

Viktor was silent for a long moment, his gaze distant. When he spoke, his voice was thick and rough. "I never thought of it that way."

"You’re honouring her memory by helping others. That’s what she wanted above all else; for everyone to be given the tools they needed to thrive, to live peacefully and free from suffering." You leaned against him, wrapping your arm around his as you rested your head on his shoulder. “She’d be so proud of everything you’ve done.”

"She would be proud of you too," he said. "For all you've managed to overcome, the people you've helped."

You opened your mouth to protest, but the words died on your lips as memories flooded your mind. Charlotte's joyful glow as she regaled you with tales of her daughter. Stillwater, where your shield had stood firm against the Vander’s attacks, saving those who’d have been shredded without it. And now Vander himself, his fractured psyche slowly knitting back together under your patient support.

“Yeah,” you smiled, small and bittersweet, “I guess she would be.”

Next Chapter

A/N: Missing my girl Sky :’(

Buckle up everyone, we are getting to the big stuff! Only 4 more chapters left...

[sapphiresaphics]

Having spent time now with the full series I still don’t feel the pacing issues other people seemed to have with it.

I get that as the episodes are releasing and we only have 3 a week and don’t have the full picture of what they’re planning it can be really easy to feel lost and confused.

But now knowing where they were going, a lot of those supposed “rushed plot lines” people were complaining about make sense. The importance of the Black Rose stuff now makes sense because it’s Ambessa’s entire motivation for why she’s doing the things she’s doing. It makes sense to take Ekko and Jayce out of the plot briefly when they visit the hexcore cuz that forces Ambessa to side with Singe. It makes sense why the Warwick stuff was being set up because that ended up being the catalyst to propel Viktor into being the Machine Herald.

Also, it makes sense now why Piltover and Zaun played such an important role in being the stage for where THIS story was set. I get people wanted the show to be more about the inequality, but the inequality was always just the set dressing for the main characters to be in and was never the central focus of the show. Not even back in season 1.

Like back in season 1 the inequality helped explain the characters motivations, but the central core message the story was telling was how people compromised their morals with good intentions only to achieve terrible results.

Jayce built Hextech to help the undercity and he ends up using it against them. Viktor obsesses so much over fixing his disease that he compromises and takes shimmer and in the process Sky dies. Silco dreams of a free Zaun, but it results in him essentially becoming a drug lord and harming the people of Zaun more than helping them. Caitlyn breaks Vi out of prison to help her hunt down Jinx, and in the process of having Vi return into her life inadvertently causes Jinx to double down and attack the Piltover council.

Inequality was a setting and a backdrop, but the show was never focused on resolving or exploring those issues much deeper than it was.

Also, about that pacing.. have you guys gone back and rewatched Season 1? The first 2 episodes are pretty chill with the pacing, but episode 3 goes crazy. And so does episode 4 and 5 and 6… like the pacing gets wilder and wilder as the season goes on until towards the end we are jumping from Silco reeling from nearly getting killed by Sevika to having a friendly discussion with Jayce on the bridge to being captured by Jinx. It’s FAST guys. Breakneck speed.

I will also say that rewatching season 1 gives me an appreciation for a lot of the parallels they had in season 2 that I missed. Things like “Remember Me” being the theme to when Vander attacks Silco back in season 1. Or like how when AU Powder appears on the dance floor with Ekko mirrors how Jinx approached him on the bridge in Season 1 Episode 7. Or how Jayce and Viktor invented Hextech floating up on the ceiling, and the series ends with the two floating in the ethereal plane together.

I maintain that a lot of these criticisms about season 2’s pacing are not as bad as some people think they are once you take the whole series together as a whole. Without that 3 year gap or the wait between episode drops, the whole series blends together much more seamlessly.

And then there’s like… season 2 episode 7? That episode stops all the forward momentum and resets our expectations. It provides us with context for some of the stuff we had seen and helps us understand the stakes going forward. When people are complaining the series is going by too fast I just can’t agree because that episode exists and it literally stops us in our tracks before ramping up again.

I understand that some side characters outside the central 7-8 mains weren’t fully developed much and that is definitely a valid criticism of the show… however I would also remind people that season 1 had a similar problem. Grayson was a fascinating character I wish I knew more about, but outside of a small cameo in episode 5 she’s just gone out of the series forever and nobody brings her up again ever. We never learn much about Huck. We never learn what happened to Clagger and Mylo’s parents. We never learn anything about Finn and what he did. We never learn more about the robot council member or the woman who has a clock on her neck. There are a LOT of characters who just never come back at all in season 1.

I dunno guys.. the more I digest this series the more many of the criticisms feel unfounded or a real reach for something to complain about.

[blueguydraws]

I just finished Arcane season 2. While Arcane is still revolutionary, sadly i think i have some unpopular opinions.

So yes, Arcane changed our idea of what an animeted series could be, i kept pausing it to admire its art, but i think the story itself fell kinda short in season 2. Most of all they tried to shove WAY too much into 9 short episodes. This story definitely needed to be at least 3 seasons long and i dont know why couldnt have that been possible? Yeah its very expensive and takes years to make, but it is as popular as it could be, i tought it made back its cost, so why did they wrap it up so fast?

Plus because the story of so many characters had to be told in such a short time, none of them could get enough time and all of their developments happened in flashes so it all felt sudden and unnatural.

The first season was way more streamlined. It had only 3 major general lines. Viktor and Jayce creating hextech, Vi and Cate looking for Jinx, and Silco's gang preparing for war. And somethimes these story lines met each other. It was straight forward. Now in season 2 so many things wanted to happen at the same time that it was hard to follow at some points.

To be fair i should propably watch it again in one sitting to form a proper opinion on it, since i am sure i missed or forgot some details, but here we go.

Viktor first of all, i was very curious to see how will he turn into the "glorious evolution" cyborg guy. When they introduced his illness and showed how he tried to cure himself with hextech, i tought i knew how this all gonna go. Plus he was already in conflict with Jayce since he wanted to take things more slowly and safely, their first argument happened over not revealing the perfected crystal to the public. I tought because Viktor knows he is running out of time he will hurry the development more and more even if it comes with dangers and eventually ditches piltover to get free of regulations. I felt reassured in this idea when he met up with Singed, it made sense for them to team up since the doctor was already making serums that enhance people so it felt natural for the evolution guy to join him.

Except none of his sickness and struggle matters too much because he gets blown up regardless and then revived with the hexcore. Like okay? And then we barely see him except for one episode where he is Jesus now and then at the end where he turned into a god. ???

Stories where friends grow apart and even become enemies are great, it makes for great drama and tragedy. Except it has to be properly fleshed out othervise it will not feel satisfying. Except here it felt like the writers took a quick shortcut and just made both of them instant enemies with magic. Viktor didnt even felt like the same person, yeah i know that is how character development works, but it happened so suddenly it was as if he just got replaced with a diferent character.

Even his cult leader arc still could have happend if we went with a closer adaptation. Lets say he grows desperate and impatient so he leaves piltover and joins up with Singed, eventually he starts healing and fixing up people with a mix of shimmer serums and hextech augmentations. Meanwhile his condition gets worse so he has to complete himself with hextech too. Before he knows it he has loyal followers. And when push comes to shove between Zaun and Piltover, he decides that his place is with his people, so him and Jayce become enemies for a while. Maybe Viktor even already kept steeling crystals from Piltover thus making the tension between the two sides worse. And as he becomes less and less human, yet way stronger, its only natural that he compares that process to evolution.

But in the actual show it felt like the writers tought "oh shit we are running out of time and Viktor is suppose to be an entirely diferent character, quick, make him say the line" it felt kinda random.

Its a hot take but i never liked Jinx, yeah i know all of Silco's gang is just a bunch of murderers, but at least they have a plan and reasons. In season 1 most of the time Jinx acted on impulses or based on what her own halucinations told her. She somehow kept screwing over both sides at the same time. I tought she is way too far gone and there is just no way she is getting out if this all alive. Plus i cant see Vi and Cate being together with Jinx still in the picture after what she have done, how would that work? Even tho they were clearly meant to be endgame.

In this season they were giving her somewhat of a redemption arc, she almost felt like a diferent character wich is fine, except how much could she possibly change in this few short weeks after years of being the local joker? I guess the child was there to anchor her, but then when the writers had no more purpose for her, they made a 9 years old pull off a fucking kamikaze attack??? How? Why? We are gravely overestimating toddlers here.

Plus Vi and Cate made up odly fast, they had a very nasty breakup, like after an argument Cate just hit Vi on the stomach unpromted (wich was kinda weird), then they didnt see each other for months, i assumed it would take a bit longer and a bit more talking to restart their relationship, but then they immediately just start fucking in Jinx's prison cell WHILE JINX WENT TO KILL HERSELF??? Like i hated Jinx but not that much XD

And if the writers insist that Jinx is a changed person why are they also want to punish her as if she was still that psycho? And even if she is getting herself together why does she acts like a whole diferent person? She told Cate that she didnt knew that her mother was in there implying that she is sorry for killing her. But what is that even suppose to mean? At the time she didnt even knew who Cate was or that she existed a day ago, or who was on the cuncil. And either way someones mother was still there, the same way all people had relationships who Jinx killed but for years she didnt give a shit and all of a sudden she grew a concience? (Plus why did she gave herself up?)

Allright i guess good for her, but then why did she got killed at the end? I guess it was to atone for her crimes, wich is fine. But i wish it was a bit more meaningfull. Of course saving her sister is pretty meaningfull, but at that point the whole battle was over, the drones were dead, except somehow the beast still came back to life. I wish Jinx's sacrifice was more important to the whole general plot not just a little side event. Maybe she should have sacrificed herself in a decicive moment for the undercity, and then maybe it all could have been connected to Silco as well as he dedicated his life for it, and now so does Jinx.

Btw does anyone know why the ginger girl was suddenly about to kill Cate? I either missed it or totally forgot.

Halfway i remembered that wait, wasnt this suppose to be about the struggle and conflict between the two parts of this city? That original premise got pretty derailed with all this Viktor turning into a god for some reason and a foreign army attacking nonsense. I guess its not the worst idea to have the two sides join against a common enemy, we saw this trope before, but isnt it a little convinient?

The peace between the two sides should have happened because and thru people who had connection to both sides, like Viktor or Vi and Cate.

We still could have had Ambessa meddling with the whole situation but that ultimately should have only ended in the conflict between the two cities escalating. In season two Zaun basically just took the bullying form Piltover and then they were suddenly friends at the end. I am actually not criticising that they also fought against Ambessa, she was their enemiy too, but now the story became something else than what it was initially supposed to be.

The alternative universe. Yes paralell worlds are a fun concept, and they work in certain stories like spiderverse where that was the whole premise. But i really dislike it when its just added to stories suddenly. The fact that there are infinite worlds that are just as important and valid as the one we have been following really cheapens everything that have been happening, because now the stakes arent even that big, who cares if this universe blows up, there are billion others that are exactly the same.

Plus why was that universe all good? What changed, what was the diference? At first i tought maybe here Zaun and Piltover just allways had a better relationship? But then Silco shows up with the scar wich means that the revolution and the attempt at his life all happened. So once again, why and how this world is just better? Why did Silco forgive? What is this even trying to say, that it all would be fine if everyone was just nice to each other? I bet they never thought of that in the main universe. It felt very fanfic-y and disrespectfull to the whole story so far.

Plus what was even the point? It just took from the very limited and precious time of the story. Yeah this is how Ekko got his time travel device, but couldnt have he just built that in the main world maybe while making weapons just in case the whole worsening situation will get even worse? Jayce also could have just got a long lucid nightmare-vision of the future from Viktor (wich could have been the exact same) instead of literally getting transported into a failed world.

And am i the only one who thinks that its kinda stupid that the parents of Vi and Jinx knew Vander and Silco closely and personally? If so why did silco wanted to kill the kids of Felicia. In season 1 it seemed like they were just totally random kids to him. Yeah he is evil but still. What are the ods that its her kids? Zaun is a big place.

Oh and i just remebered, i find it a little funny, how at first the setting seems like its about these dastardly capitalists opressing the undercity, wich is kinda true, except the council members kinda just idiots and naive. Ignorant at worst. While Zaun keeps spitting up pshychos and freaks. And at every point the council allways votes for caution. Even when they kept getting attacked, they decide against violence because people would be caught in the crossfire and its actually Vi who calls them out and wants an army to march down there and cleane out the place. I really would have expected it to go the opposite way. Even when they got hit with a whole missile, first they still just vote against any drastic measures and decide to simply put a bounty on Jinx's head. I am not saying this is bad, its actually an interesting subversion of expectations, but its still a little funny.

Oh and i cant belive what Jayce said at the end. Did he really told Viktor that his illness and other imperfections are not something to fix because they are part of him and imperfections make people unike? My brother in Christ, you are talking about his crippling condition that made him live with pain and was actively killing him. Are you serious? And i heard this "imperfections make us who we are" bullshit multiple times before, but its one of those nonsense tropes that sound nice with music in the background but make zero sense if you think about it. Idk why writers insist so much. People are made up of positive, neutral, and negative traits. Why do people keep saying that out of the three its the negative ones that you have to hold on to or ignore. Imperfections are being insecure, quick to anger, jealous, or in this case being sick. None of them are good and all make the life of people harder.

I propably forgot about a few things, and i may change my opinions as it all settles down. But these are my initial toughts.

Plus its just me or was it hard to follow how much time supposed to pass between each event?

[triptychgrip]

The Katsuki-Nikiforovs Take Vanity Fair's Lie Detector Test

I'm such a huge sucker for writing post-canon Viktuuri content involving media appearances, and absolutely love Vanity Fair's Lie Detector Game series, so writing my new fic about Yuuri/Viktor filming an episode (with Phichit/Yurio/Otabek also present) was such a blast!

Chapter 1 features Viktor's turn in the hot seat, and Chapter 2 will feature Yuuri's turn (plus some very relatable Reddit content of their fans reacting to their episode)

Below is an excerpt that I hope will pique your interest in this or my other Yuri!!! on Ice stories!

-------

“Is your name Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov?” Yuuri read off of the page, aiming for an impassive tone.

However, the smile that crept over his face was involuntary; how else was he supposed to react when Viktor’s heart-shaped one immediately emerged?

“I am! During my very happy engagement, I was just ‘Viktor Nikiforov’, but life got exponentially better when I married my soulmate back in April 2019 and got to add on his surname,” he smoothly replied, after which Phichit and several of the filming crew members loudly awww'd.

In contrast, Yura gave a very put-upon sigh, followed by a mutter of what sounded like “Jesus…it’s already begun.” (And out of the corner of his eye, Yuuri thought he saw Otabek laughing at his best friend’s dismay).

“Good answer, lyubimiy,” he responded, blushing and feeling fond. “Moving on…are you thirty-two years old?”

A small pout immediately formed on his spouse’s lips, and when he answered, his voice sounded sulky.

“Unfortunately. A veritable fossil, as my much grumpier student makes sure to remind me every day,” he replied, jabbing an accusatory finger in Yura’s general direction.

The Ice Tiger exchanged a smirk with Otabek and they both laughed.

Having fully expected Viktor’s forlorn tone, Yuuri grinned but otherwise chose not to comment; if he really did state everything that flitted through his head over the course of this game, he and Viktor would be here all day and end up missing their group dinner reservation at Casa Limone: a restaurant that Celestino had personally vouched for when Phichit had reminded him about the trip.

“In addition to being the best figure skater in the world, are you also a skating coach and choreographer?”

Viktor’s reply was immediate and exuberant.

“I am! A skating coach and choreographer to two extremely talented athletes, that is. But given that I’m retired, I don’t know about being ‘the best’ anymore,” he said, before surveying him, shrewdly.

Yuuri had a sudden sense of foreboding around what his husband was about to say, and wondered how possible it would be for his blush to deepen even further.

“My Yuuri is the reigning Olympic Champion in Men’s Singles figure skating, as well as a 3-time World Champion, and a 2-time Grand Prix Final Champion!” Viktor crowed, looking directly at the camera and holding up 3 fingers on his right hand, and 2 fingers on his left. “His quad flip and quad lutz are better than mine ever were, plus he continues to have the most stunning spins and step sequences in the field!”

“He’s telling the truth, he really does believe that you’re the best, Yuuri,” Funmi confirmed, making Yuuri feel the urge to hide his head in his hands.

More cooing cut through the air, and he decided to offer a counterpoint.

“I know he’s not lying and that he actually believes that, but Vitya will always be the best, end of story…sorry to everyone else in the field, including our very good friends,” he commented, dryly, with a glance to the side at the spectating trio. “Oh, and he’s also wrong about my quads.”

Holding a hand up when Viktor made a clear attempt to retort, Yuuri hastily rushed onwards.

“Continuing on with the last calibration question,” he firmly announced, “are you married to me, Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov?”

His rebuke seemingly forgotten, his love positively beamed . In response, Yuuri couldn’t resist stretching his hand across the table so that they could interlace their fingers.

“Yes! Very, very happily so, luchik,” Viktor earnestly answered, hunching down a bit to press a kiss to his wedding ring (causing the seemingly unruffled Andressa to direct a very dreamy expression their way, which made Yuuri giggle).

“Is anyone else feeling horrified right now?” Yura loudly interjected, prompting Kariesha and Otabek to let out highly spirited laughs. “For God’s sake, those were the calibration questions . This thing hasn’t even kicked off yet!”

Phichit’s commentary couldn’t have been more different in tone.

“I know, isn’t this excellent!? I already have like 4 different sappy clips for my Instagram reels!”

Yuuri ignored the two of them in favor of kissing Viktor’s hand in turn, and didn’t bother to lower his voice when he reciprocated his spouse’s tender sentiment.

“Likewise, Viten’ka,” he replied, smiling warmly at him. “Getting to call you my husband is the absolute best part of my life.”

[zalisok]

TUA Season 4 Episode 2

Time for episode 2! Spoilers ahead.

Is Luther sick? Because of the marigold??

The iconic crab dance. go luther go

They have their powers back jesus christ. And they all look pretty sick oh no don't hurt them

oh luther :(

"no don't look at me" "no don't look at me i'm hideous" these two I swear to god

LASER EYES LILA LET'S GO (she can't control it) but LET'S GO (subtitles: Lila's eyes become blip)

oh they let Viktor swear now:))) and his new powers sound a bit different, kind of like a gust of wind?

ben what

"i know you're all too terminally emo" BEN I CAN'T

oh Viktor's pissed...Allison too...

they are tAILS? not tENTACLES noW? bEN??

Klaus didn't take it!!! that's actually awesome, good for him for staying sober

omg viktor is going at it he's pissed as HELL(well, under the circumstances, i get it)

"Maybe because we ended the world three times" yes Allison say it

the silence is deafening

luther trying to be the peacemaker he's trying, guys

bEnjAmIN (subtitles: smarmy laughter) he's such an asshole i love it

"a human sippy cup" ouch

"he's a Klaus that Claire likes" :3

oh mY gOD ben

ROAD TRIP (side note Allison supporting Ben and Viktor and Lila linking hands--they're a family, guys)

Diego and Lila are really going through it huh. Three kids, and they never really had the best parental figures growing up (Grace is amazing, but there are some things robots can't replicate). They're trying their best.

this has mom/dad wrangling kids to summer camp/church vibes (both of which are not fun to me, but i digress)

why is there BABY SHARK??????noooOOOO

they listened to that for a whole hour how are they not insane yet

ok i take it back it's been three hours they are NOT having a good time

WHY IS THERE SO MUCH PUKING STOP IT PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HOW DOES ONE PRODUCE SO MUCH VOMIT (i'm slightly upset they spend so much time of that)

hahah the glass

oh she's not diego :(

lila?? i don't like that look

how do diego and ben go from fighting to hugging so fast lol

why do they keep calling diego fat? he's not??

listening to christmas carols in august does not feel right

is ben a karen now hahaha--also, is this jennifer? recognize her from the trailer

sloane would've loved it

"we're not friends" aww :( that makes sense though

why are they spending so much time here when they should be helping jennifer? or investigating the marigold?

klaus doing tarot--hope nothing too bad happens

ben and the restaurant owner(jennifer??)--pretty nice

my first thought was that the old lady seems sweet but after a few seconds i have second thoughts

now that lila and five are talking about the cleanse--why do their powers appear the way they do now? some of theirs haven't changed, like diego and luther, some of them have a bit, like five's viktor's and ben's (i suppose viktor's is still sound-based) and some of their are entirely different (like lila's). don't know allison's yet though.

i really don't want this tension between five, diego and lila to be a big plot point. it doesn't seem to be going anywhere

oh things are getting weird

what the fuck oh shit

why does five keep appearing in the subway?

"lila use your eyeball thing" lol

oh the subway is so COOL--the alphabet is interesting

"It's okay, you can trust me" not really the best thing to say, i guess?

the whole town is in on this?????

a train that goes between timelines???interesting

diego and lila omg

DIEGO that's insane

omg klaus has been in the van for the whole time, blissfully unaware. typical, really

that's jennifer???how does klaus know that's jennifer???

what the fuck

oh my god what

OH SHIT

luther:(((

ALLISON WHAT that is so cool

omg evil santa

please stop with the sharks please please

oh my god for a moment i thought he was dead thank god

what is it with luther and sconces

WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT what was that

omg gene and jean why are they taking her???????????

overall: what is going on??? again, i have many questions. I also feel like some of the time in the episode was wasted on things like puking and weird jokes, so there wasn't a lot of plot. The time they spent at the carnival dragged on for a bit. I am still very intrigued, though--and worried, because two episodes have passed and not a lot has happened.

[fragmcntdstars]

@araneorum ( christina stane )

viktor  found  himself  somewhere  new  [  ...  ] again  .   was  this  revenge  for  having  been  the  cause  of  two  different  apocalypses  ?   apocali  ?   the  russian  hargreeves  wasn't  really  sure  if  there  was  a  way  to  make  sense  of  duplicate  apocalypses  ,  but  he  wasn't  also  sure  how  to  not  actively  cause  an  apocalypse  .   had  he  really  caused  the  one  in  dallas  ?   maybe  ,  but  that  wasn't  actively  his  fault  .   the  one  where  he  hurt  allison  was  definitely  his  fault  –  he  still  beat  himself  up  over  that  one  even  though  she  had  gotten  over  that  .   well  ,  maybe  she  hadn't  entirely  gotten  over  that  ,  but  viktor  had  given  her  enough  room  .   he  supposed  that  it  was  going  to  be  easy  to  give  her  room  now  ,  considering  he  really  didn't  even  know  where  he  was  .

he  knew  that  he  was  in  a  city  –  there  were  some  sounds  that  he'd  never  forgotten  .   he  feels  his  power  twisting  almost  at  his  fingertips  ,  but  he  can't  use  them  right  now  .   he  mainly  needs  to  figure  out  where  he  was  .   how  he'd  gotten  there  was  probably  an  easier  thing  to  find  out  .   he  didn't  know  how  much  five  had  used  his  powers  ,  especially  with  the  fight  on  sissy's  farm  ( he'd  never  quite  forgive  himself  for  that  )  ,  so  he  felt  safe  in  assuming  that  he'd  gotten  separated  in  the  time  -  stream  .   was  that  even  the  right  word  ?   he  really  shouldn't  worry  about  the  words  to  use  ,  but  it  wasn't  something  that  he  could  help  .   his  stomach  growled  a  little  ,  jolting  him  out  of  whatever  spiral  his  thoughts  would  have  inevitably  found  .   he  looks  around  the  area  &&  ends  up  finding  a  coffee  shop  .   digging  in  his  back  pocket  ,  he  gives  a  sigh  of  relief  as  he  pulls  out  a  wallet  .

had  luther  given  him  the  money  ?   it  had  to  have  been  him  .   klaus  didn't  carry  anything  on  him  &&  he  wasn't  sure  if  he'd  managed  to  get  back  on  five's  good  side  after  what  he'd  done  .   still  ,  he  needed  to  eat  or  get  something  to  drink  .   no  matter  where  he'd  gone  ,  viktor  knew  that  money  was  going  to  get  him  pretty  far  .   maybe  he'd  even  try  to  find  a  hotel  room  or  something  .   he  goes  across  the  street  to  the  coffee  shop  ,  almost  jogging  across  the  crosswalk  before  the  light  changed  on  him  .   he  knew  that  he  could  do  a  lot  with  his  powers  ,  but  he  wasn't  sure  if  that  extended  to  stopping  a  car  that  was  coming  right  for  him  .   entering  the  coffee  shop  ,  he  stops  to  look  at  the  menu  before  he  rubs  the  back  of  his  neck  .  

"  damn  .   i  need  to  get  a  haircut  ,  "  he  mutters  to  himself  before  tugging  a  lone  hair  tie  out  of  his  back  pocket  .   he  puts  up  his  hair  in  a  man  -  bun  before  crossing  his  arms  ,  studying  the  menu  further  in  some  vain  attempt  to  figure  out  what  he'd  want  to  eat  or  drink  .   there  were  too  many  choices  ,  but  he  at  least  knew  that  he  wanted  to  get  a  mocha  or  any  other  hot  coffee  drink  .   the  flavor  didn't  really  matter  –  he  only  knew  that  he  didn't  want  espresso  that  day  .

[arom-antix]

I've been thinking about this for days ever since I saw @viktortittiforov's reblog pop up in my own dash and this has only fueled my thoughts XD Tbh I don't think the ISU would give a single damn whether Yuuri is wearing the correct team jacket. That's not really their dominion, they're just the ones who make the skating rules and judge and arrange and all that.

Now the federeations on the other hand. Team jackets are a type of national branding, letting everyone know what country a skater belongs to. They also tend to have sponsors on them which of course pay for their logos and their support of the federation they sponsor to be broadcast internationally. I'm not sure it's absolutely requited that a skater wears their federation jackets, I assume that depends on the rules the federation has set, but not wearing it definitely won't earn you any favours.

In this situation there are two federations to consider of course: the JSF (Japanese federation) and the FFKKR (Russian federation).

First, the Japanese federation would have all the issues with it listed above. Yuuri is the top men's skater in Japan. Him wearing anything is bound to be very much noticed by anyone with any focus on the Japanese field. And not just that, Yuuri is in the top of the international top so his face and indirect endorsement is worth a lot to the JSF and anyone associated with them like sponsors. Another issue they could have is that Yuuri isn't just wearing another jacket. He's wearing a Russian Olympic jacket. The team jackets show the country you skate for and are allied with competitively so Yuuri wearing this implies he's not only not skating for Japan but also skating for Russia as an Olympian. This is real bad rep for the JSF in a branding sense, the implication that their top men's skater is now allied with Russia instead of them.

As for the FFKKR, team jackets are worn by the representatives of the given nation and as such, the federation and country are judged by the wearers of their branding. This is of course very good when one of their athletes does well. The federation and nation will be all over them, and as such not only will the athlete be seen as great, the country they skate for will as well within the sport. But the thing about branding is that if anyone else wears it, they're now also the face of your brand. Of course Yuuri is in no way a bad representative of your skating federation, he is top tier after all, but the FFKKR has no control over Yuuri, no way to make sure their image isn't compromised by him wearing their branding and so they could very well be relatively upset that Viktor would act so irresponsibly with their brand and possibly put them in hot water with the JSF.

Skating is FULL of politics so getting on the bad side of a major federation is not something you ever want, even if you're a big federation yourself. The politics of figure skating are complex, tense, and kept low-key because in reality they're not supposed to be there even though everyone knows they are. But appearances and all that. It'd look bad to openly admit. I don't think this would become any kind of incident, just brushed off as a one time thing at the time, but it could lead to tension between the federations, especially because there likely already is due to Viktor's mixed loyalties. He's still very likely close to the FFKKR as the top of the top for so long. He was their ace (tbh more their steamroller) and he then suddenly defected to coach, not another Russian skater, but a Japanese skater. He left competition in a way that was a MAJOR blow to the FFKKR and an objective boon to the JSF, propping up their star skater to even greater heights and giving them the improved image of The Federation Who Has Nikiforov^TM. That HAS to have caused tension between the federations and between Viktor and the FFKKR and, by proxy, the FFKKR and Yuuri as the guy who "stole" their greatest asset.

Then again I might just be thinking WAY too hard about this and it wouldn't matter in the SLIGHTEST if Yuuri wore the jacket XD I don't think he'd be allowed to wear it during his skate due to all the stuff mentioned above and you're also not allowed to wear any kind of logos, sponsorships, flags, anything branded during your skate which would disqualify team jackets (I'm talking the 16/17 season, not 24/25 btw. That's a whole bucket of worms). Also, Yuuri would melt. Anyone who's ever skated anything resembling a programme would know that not even the deepest depths of Siberian winter would be cold enough to keep you from sweating during your routine XD Poor spectators though. Anyway, whether Yuuri could wear it during warmup, I don't think he would. Again, all the representative of the JSF and not the FFKKR stuff. But off ice and off camera? I don't think anyone would really mind much. Maybe he'd get a strong word from the JSF or something. But when he isn't representing the JSF and Japan as a skater and is just in the arena, not skating, not getting scored, not getting interviewed, etc. I think he could get away with it, especially if the rink is inhospitably cold and his own coats and jackets are out of commission. Although that would likely be the bigger thing in that scenario. A rink that's way too cold makes super hard ice (bad, ice hardness matters) and a bad sports environment in general as the skaters will be working way harder to stay warm as their bodies are constantly and rapidly cooling, giving a major advantage to the skaters who start off each group since they're skating straight from the six minutes. Would also cost the rink a fortune.

Again, I would just be wildly overthinking this but who would I even be if I didn't overthink every little detail about something that's ultimately not even that important XD It's fun, what can I say. I like to apply my knowledge.

Now a place where it would be allowed in any way you desire (I see your tags, husbestie, I know what you want) is at practice. Of course that isn't very interesting, but it is completely without rules so. Do with it what you will XD Or maybe at an ice show of some kind. That could probably be arranged considering the loose rules and the plethora of wild exhibition programmes out there. Next Onsen On Ice anyone? Viktor makes the rules for that one after all ;))))

a little yuuri art! <3

[darling-i-read-it]

In An Hour

Viktor x fem!reader

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: arcane spoilers, sickness

Author’s Note: this is sadder than i intended it being im gonna need to write one thats much happier than this lmao

Summary: Viktor has been pining for you for years and only gets up the nerve to tell you when he learns he’s going to die soon.

Genre: angst but not like heart wrenching im gonna die angst ig

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director/creator

(not my gif)

Viktor was sitting, rather annoyed at the fact Jayce had decided not to talk about the other projects that the two of them had been working on. They were ready to be out in the world, that was why Hextech was created. He was furiously writing something down, though his train of thought was loose. He didn’t want to talk to Jayce. He didn’t talk to anyone. He could be petty in peace.

“Viktor?” you whispered, opening the door to his room. He turned around in his seat, eyes softening. He could talk to you.

“Hello,” he muttered. His room was a mess, papers and pencils littered everywhere, different equations half heartedly written on things. He was working only by the dim lighting of his work station lamp. It was like a sunset glow on the tips of his hair. “Can I help you?”

“Can I come in?” “Of course.” He gestured for you to come inside. You did so, shutting the door behind you. You walked up by his desk. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” he questioned, looking up at you. You sat down on the edge of his desk, crumpling some papers as you did so but he didn’t stop you.

“Just checking in on you.” He dropped his chin a bit, giving you a narrow look through his eyelashes. You smiled, shrugging. “I’m allowed to check in on my friend aren’t I?” Friend. How Viktor had grown to detest that word. You had met through Hextech and grown close, arguably closer than him and Jayce. He had been pining for you ever since. He was unfortunately almost certain you were in love with Jayce. He couldn’t blame you; Jayce was perfect in a lot of ways that Viktor lacked.

“Yes, I suppose you are.” He leaned back in his chair. “Any particular reason?” “No, I told you, I just wanted to see you.” You shuffled the papers he was working on aside and leaned your neck to the side to see what he had been writing. “What are you working on now, smartypants?” He chuckled and gestured to the papers.

“You tell me.” “Oh no no. I am not the scientist in this friendship,” you said, laughing. You picked up one of the papers. “It’s like you’re speaking a whole other language,” you whispered, genuinely trying to make sense of the scribbles and notes.

“You know, I could teach you,” he suggested. You rolled your eyes.

“Yeah right. It would take me a whole lifetime to learn even half of what you know,” you said honestly. You handed him the paper. “But why don’t you try, hmm?” He gave you a doe eyed look. He could talk about this for hours. He knew you didn’t care but the offer was standing and it made him smile weakly.

“I’ll bore you to sleep.” You shook your head, laughing gently.

“You could never. I could listen to your funny accent for hours.”

“Funny accent?” he teased. You opened your mouth to say something else when the door swung open. The two of you turned to see Jayce, standing straight in his councilman attire.

“There you are Y/N,” he said. “I told you to meet me twenty minutes ago.” You got off the desk and stood up straighter.

“Sorry, I lost track of time,” you admitted. “I was just asking Viktor about the new things you guys are working on. It looks complicated and-”

“I don’t have time to talk about that right now,” Jayce said quickly. Viktor’s face fell. He was reminded of how Jayce had acted recently and he didn’t like it. You nodded slowly. If you liked it or not, Jayce was your superior. You turned to Viktor.

“You get to bore me later,” you said, with that small hint of a smile on your face. He nodded once and purposefully did not make eye contact with Jayce as the two of you left.

===

You ran your hands through your hair, walking through the corridor. You breathed evenly, peaking in the window of each room in hope to find Viktor. You hadn’t spoken to him much the past few days because you had been so busy helping Jayce with the council. The last couple of weeks have been busy. You haven’t had more than a couple moments to yourself. The longest moment you had was in his room the other day.

Where was Jayce? He should be going with you to find Viktor, talk to him about everything that has been happening. The fact that he was on the council now and making decisions but didn’t show the other creations must have rubbed Viktor the wrong way. It had rubbed you the wrong way and you weren’t the sciency person, you were just the moral support. You had meant to bring it up to him but hadn’t had the time.

You knocked on the door to the room Jayce and Viktor did most of their research. Last you checked Viktor had been messing with the possibility of Hextech being able to adapt and grow. You were betting that’s where he was.

There was no answer. You opened the door anyway.

“Viktor?” you whispered. “Jayce?” Your eyes scanned the room and quickly landed on Viktor who was collapsed on the floor. Your eyes went wide with shock. “Viktor!” You rushed up to him, kneeling beside him on the ground. He was on his side. You shook him, trying to see if he was awake. There was blood on the counter, as well as oozing down his chin. “Viktor?” You looked around. “Help! Somebody!” You looked around the room and then down at him. Panicked, you moved his hair out of his face so you could see him clearly. He was still breathing. “I’m gonna get help. Don’t worry Vik. I’m gonna get help.”

===

“Where the hell were you?!” you yelled at Jayce, finger against his chest. “You’re supposed to be helping him with that damn thing!”

“Where was I? Where were you? Aren’t you supposed to be there at our beck and call?” Your mouth fell open.

“And I am! I haven’t seen Viktor in days because I’ve been helping you,” you explained. “I’ve been at your side endlessly and you don’t even need me! You use me as a crutch Jayce!”

“Because he doesn’t do anything when he’s with you, you’re a distraction to Viktor.” You shook your head.

“Jayce Viktor is in a hospital bed right now. I’m exhausted of you. Come to his damn beside or don’t but that’s where I will be.” You walked past him into the hospital bed, refusing to put up with him any longer. You sat down in the chair beside Viktor’s bed and grabbed his still hand. You could hear Jayce’s voice outside the room, muffled and mixed with the Mel’s. “Oh Viktor,” you whispered, putting your head on your intertwined hands. “Don’t die on me now, we haven’t even had the chance to live yet,” you whispered.

“I’ve lived plenty.” You put your head up quickly, looking into his weak eyes.

“Viktor!” You tried to stand but he was using his entire strength to keep your hands locked together. Your face softened.

“What did they say?” Your gaze fell and the tears you had been fighting suddenly welled up in your eyes.

“They said you were dying, Vik.” He was silent. You looked up at him, his face serene, only slightly unnerved. He sat in silence. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” you whispered. “For whatever happened. I kinda told Jayce off for not letting me be there.” “Good for you my darling.” You met his eyes. He was looking down at you with his careful gaze like he was saying ‘why not now?’ You squeezed his hand.

“Don’t you do this to me when you’re dying.” “I’ve been dying for a very long time,” he said.

“You’re supposed to be letting that settle in. You have to figure out how you’re gonna fix this dying thing, not confessing your love for me.”

“Who said I confessed my love?”

“Should I take back my last sentence?” He paused.

“No.” You nodded and got up, sitting on his hospital bed beside him. You brushed his hair out of his face, a pained look across your features. “I don’t expect you to love a dying man out of pity.”

“Can I love one because I want to?” you asked softly, your voice so low it was breaking. He smiled ever so slightly. With whatever he could muster he raised your hand in his and kissed it.

“I couldn’t let you.”

“Well then I guess I’ll have to force you to let me.” You leaned over him and kissed his forehead. Your lips hovered over his skin. You moved your head down slowly and stared into his eyes. He was pleading with them, gently, always gently. You kissed him. His lips were soft and yearning. When you pulled away his eyes stayed closed. “Now you can’t die,” you demanded.

“What if I force you to let me?” he questioned. You held his frail hand to your chest.

“You don’t have the strength.”

“Rude,” he joked. Jayce walked in the room solemnly. You both turned to look at him. For what it was worth, he did read the room the moment he walked in. He had been hoping you and Viktor would finally get it on after all these years.

“I wish you two didn’t confess your annoying love for each other like this,” he muttered, sitting down on the chair. Viktors face fell with more mixed emotions than he had ever had.

“So do I,” he whispered. “Believe me.”

“I’ll figure this out,” you whispered.

“You already said you weren’t the scientist,” Viktor said.

“I lied. I’m gonna figure this out. I will figure this out,” you promised. You looked him in the eyes and tried to force him to believe you. You stood up straight.

“Y/N…”

“Jayce, I quit. I’m gonna go figure this out now.” Before either of them could speak you stood up but Viktor grabbed your hand, holding you down. You turned to him.

“Figure this out in an hour. Please, don’t go yet.” You stared at him and nodded slowly, sitting back down.

“In an hour.” He gave you a kind smile.

“In an hour,” he repeated.

[goddessofroyalty]

Idk if you have 'Jayce passing out while Viktor's giving birth' on your prompts list yet, but if not can we get a drabble of it? No pressure. Just something funny and short. Maybe Caitlyn steps in to help Viktor out, or even Ximena, the real MVP in all of this. Thinking of Jayce waking up then getting an absolute ribbing from his mother for passing out and missing the birth of his child kills me lmao

Hadn’t been prompted it yet but take the thing I wrote in the hotel at the convention when I realised I didn’t have my other book with me.

I will write the adventures of “Jayce will never live this down” later.

Tags: mpreg, childbirth (more graphic than the other one despite being significantly shorter)

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

“Jayce,” Viktor says and Jayce’s full attention in on him despite his blooming panic.

His panic doesn’t matter. Viktor needs him. Needs Jayce’s support while he births their child.

“Are you alright?” Viktor asks, concern in his eyes despite the pain still clear in them. “You look pale.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Jayce has to be fine, has to be strong. It’s not him that has his legs spread-wide on the hospital bed, their child stretching him to his limit as they crown. That’s Viktor. Jayce just needs to do whatever he can to comfort and support him.

The doctors say something and Jayce stupidly looks down to their child being born. A head partially out covered in white and red fluid and he’s pretty sure the latter is blood. And he has no idea how something so big is supposed to fit out of Viktor at all.

“Actually I’m not fine,” Jayce says looking back at Viktor’s face. Not that it helps because Viktor is clearly in pain, his expression tight as he pushes. “I’m not fine at all.”

“Jayce,” Viktor says, his voice somehow steady despite the fact he is literally being split in two by their child. “You need to-“

Whatever Jayce apparently needs to do he doesn’t hear from the fact of the floor coming rushing up to his face.

Jayce wakes on the hard floor of the hospital, a pillow under his head that doesn’t help with the headache he has.

All of that is forgotten when he sits up and sees Viktor in the hospital bed. A tired but relieved expression on his face and a bundle of fabric against his chest that Jayce just knows is their child.

“I missed it?” Jayce asks, hurrying to get up and to Viktor’s side. His suspicion is confirmed when Viktor adjusts the bundle to reveal a tiny, pink-skinned baby.

Their baby.

As caught up in love at the site of them as Jayce is it doesn’t change how guilty he feels about having missed their birth.

“Technically, you were there the whole time,” Viktor says with a nod to where Jayce had been lying on the floor. “The nurses did offer to drag you out but I said to leave you where you fell.”

“I- I’m sorry,” Jayce says, resting his forehead against Viktor’s even if his eyes don’t leave their new son’s face. “How was it?”

“Oh incredibly painful and his head got stuck a little after you passed out so I now have stitches to be mindful of,” Viktor says. The fact Jayce knows his tone to be the one he uses when he’s trying to make Jayce squirm doesn’t make him feel even less terrible for not even being awake to support Viktor through it. “But it is done now and I think he was worth all the effort don’t you?”

“I-“ Jayce doesn’t know what to say. He is so happy to have his son born but he doesn’t want Viktor to think he doesn’t appreciate how hard it was for him, especially seeing Jayce clearly hadn’t been able to stomach just watching it happen.

Their son stirs slightly, tiny lips smacking together as he seems to realize Jayce is there – staring up with a curious intensity.

“He’s perfect Vik,” Jayce says, daring to reach out and run a finger along their son’s soft newborn cheek.

“Are you crying?” Viktor asks and Jayce realizes that, yes, he is.

“I’m sorry, I just, gods, Vik, look at him, he’s- thank you.” Jayce doesn’t know if he’s even making any sense anymore but it is hard to think about anything but how amazing it was for them to have a child and how amazing Viktor was for making them.

“How are you feeling though?” Jayce asks because he realizes he hadn’t gotten that answer from Viktor.

“Sore,” Viktor admits, “but mostly tired. Can you take him, considering you have had a chance to nap while I had him?”

“Yes, sure.” Jayce doesn’t bother correcting Viktor about the reason he had been unconscious, he knows it’s just teasing and in a way it is true. Viktor probably hasn’t had a chance to rest at all yet and while Jayce might not have intended to he had technically had a rest.

“Thank you,” Viktor says, carefully handing their son over.

It’s terrifying at first, their baby looking even tinier in Jayce’s arms. But he needs to get used to it because he’s their father and that means he’s responsible to look after them.

“Oh and call the nurse,” Viktor says, carefully shifting down in the bed to get comfortable. “They want to check you don’t have a concussion. You went down pretty hard.”

[everafterfics]

By the Light of the Full Moon [Werewolf! Viktor x Reader]

Summary: You find out that Viktor is a werewolf. His feelings make things a bit complicated.

Word count is 9,544. I only mention it cause this one is super long. I’ve been working on this for far too long tbh

Warnings: Masturbation, arousal 

The lab door opened and shut quietly as you entered. “Good morning.” You greeted the two scientists you assisted.

“Morning Y/N!” The more chipper one, Jayce, responded.

“Good morning.” Viktor turned on his lab stool to return your greeting, a small grin on his face.

You returned his smile before getting down to business. “So what are we working on today?”

Jayce crossed the room to you and placed a hand on your shoulder. He spoke to you as he led you over to his desk. “Well Viktor doesn’t need any assistance today but I could sure use another set of eyes on my project.”

“Alright. What’s the project?”

Jayce went on to explain the pair of gauntlets that he was working on, how they would go about helping those in the mining industry. Viktor couldn’t help but listen in on the conversation, though he was supposed to be focusing on his own invention.

It was hard for Viktor on days like today. Being a disabled man from the Undercity was something he could handle, but also hiding a secret as big as being a werewolf in Piltover on the day of a full moon? It was unbearably tricky. The werewolf curse heightened his senses on the day of the full moon, sometimes to the extent where it made it impossible for him to even get any work done. Viktor attempted to ignore the sounds of your two voices discussing the gauntlets. Thankfully after not too long you and Jayce had begun to work in silence beside each other.

Several hours passed in that blissful silence before another distraction caused Viktor to cease his work. A sweet smell entered his nostrils, one that he’d come to recognize as yours after these past few months. Although this time there was an unfamiliar scent to you, one he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He turned his head to find you standing beside him.

“I know Jayce said you didn’t need any assistance today, but I’m almost finished helping him and I wanted to see if you needed anything?” You shyly tucked your hair behind your ear and waited for his answer.

Viktors heart beat faster with your increased proximity. Your scent was intoxicating and he could hardly stand it. “I am fine thank you.” He responded before turning away from you and placing a hand over his face to try and dull the smell.

You cocked your head to the side and leaned onto his desk. “Is something wrong Viktor?” 

“Ah- I’m fine. It’s just a headache.” He lied. He tightly clenched his free hand into a fist on the table. It was an attempt to draw his attention away from your overwhelming aroma.

“Oh. Maybe you could use something to eat? It is just about lunch time. Do you want me to grab you something?”

Viktor did notice an emptiness in his stomach now that you mentioned it. “Yes food would be good. A steak sandwich would be nice.”

“Oh alright… Yeah I can grab that for you.” You were a little caught off guard at that request. Usually he asked for something lighter, or sweeter when you did the lunch runs.

“Is that ok?” He asks.

“Yes! You just don’t usually get something like that is all.” You blushed at admitting you know what he usually likes to eat.

“The iron will be good for my headache.” He lied. He didn’t know if it would actually help a headache, but he had an intense craving for meat during every full moon.

“I guess that makes sense… I’ll get right on it” you smiled at him before heading over to Jayce. “Jayce, I’m doing a lunch run. You want anything?”

Viktor released the breath he didn’t know he was holding. Your scent lingered around him until you finally left the lab in your quest for food. 

Jayce, seeing the visible discomfort in his partner, made his way to Viktors desk. “Is it bad this month?” Viktor jumped at the sudden voice beside him. He visibly relaxed at the sight of Jayce, unclenching his fist to reveal a bloody palm and a set of claws on his fingers. Jayce cringed at the sight, “Yeesh, I guess it is. Let me get you some bandages”

Jayce retrieved the first aide kit and began to clean and bandage Viktors hand. “It’s not just the moon,” Viktor admitted, “it’s her.”

Jayce stopped what he was doing and gave Viktor his undivided attention. “Who? Y/N?”

“Yes. For some reason her scent is overwhelming. It was driving me crazy! I could hardly think when she was standing next to me.” Viktor leaned onto the desk in front of him and placed his head in his hands.

“Her scent? I mean I guess I’m not surprised since you have a wolfs sense of smell… can you always smell her?”

“I can, but it’s usually diluted. And before you ask you have a particular smell too.” 

Jayce leaned on the table and looked at Viktor with curiosity in his eyes. “What do I smell like?”

Viktor whipped his head towards Jayce, a hint of annoyance on his face. Still, he answered Jayces question. “Metal and that cheap cologne you always wear.” Jayce laughed at his answer and leaned back in his chair. Viktors face softened and he sighed. “She usually smells of wild flowers and vanilla, but today there was something different mixed in. And whatever it was…” he looked away from Jayce and stared into the distance. “… I had a physical reaction to it.”

“A physical reaction?” Jayce had a suspicion of what Viktor meant and raised an accusatory eyebrow.

Viktor looked back at him with aggravation. “Yes. You know…” he roughly gestured towards his lap.

“I see. And… that’s a bad thing?” “I’ve never felt that way about someone before. To have such a reaction to her…” Viktor returned his head to his hands as he once again leaned on the table. “It’s confusing…”

Jayce wanted to help Viktor, so he began to brainstorm. “Could it be the wolf making you feel this way? Maybe it’s more of an animal instinct or something than sexual attraction?”

“I’m not sure if it is a wolf thing, it’s not like there is a manual for any of this.” Viktor gestured to the air at nothing in particular.

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with you feeling a sexual attraction to her you know.” Jayce gave a small chuckle.

“I suppose.” Viktor mumbled begrudgingly. 

“Come on Viktor, you’ve known her for some time now. You like her romantically don’t you?”

Viktor looked away again and hesitated for a moment. He could feel Jayce staring him down for an answer. Sighing, he gave in. “Yes, I do.”

“Then it’s no wonder your feelings would develop further! Or that her scent would influence those feelings.” Jayce boasted with a smile. “If you want my advice, you should tell her how you feel.”

Viktor looked at him as if he were insane. “I can’t do that.”

“If it’s because of your curse, then you might as well let her know about that too.” Jayce folded his arms over his chest.

“Of course it’s because of my curse. I would rather continue our professional relationship than have no relationship at all because she is scared of what I am.”

Jayce opened his mouth to respond, but the door to the lab opened and he looked towards it. You had returned with food in hand. Jayce placed a hand on Viktors shoulder as he left his side, making sure to leave him with a parting glance. He walked up to you and grabbed his sandwich from the bag you were carrying them in. “I’ll take that, thanks.” He returned to his own desk, leaving you with the other two sandwiches in the bag.

You rolled your eyes at Jayces actions and walked towards Viktor. “Lunch is here.” You said and extended a hand with his sandwich out to him. Your scent was again wafting all around him. His body reacted as it had before, leaving him blushing. Viktor reached for the sandwich with his bandaged hand. Spotting the bandages you placed the sandwich directly on the desk instead and took his hand. You gently rubbed it. “What happened?” 

Your face held such concern, it left Viktors heart beating wildly. He didn’t even realize that between his feelings and the full moon, his curse had caused him to sprout a tail. “It was only a lab accident.” He somehow managed to come up with an excuse despite just how crazy you were driving him. His tail wagged wildly with delight, luckily you were focused on his hand and nowhere else.

“It’s not too painful is it?” You held his hand a little firmer, keeping your eyes pasted on Viktors face. He was looking at your hand in his own. His mouth went dry as he tried to answer. He shook his head as a response. 

A chuckle from behind you drove your attention away from one another. With his attention diverted Viktor was able to speak up again, “Just what is so funny?” His tail dropped along with his mood.

“Nothing. I just remembered that I saw a rather funny looking dog earlier today. Have you ever seen a dog with a happy wagging tail, but just the most sour look on his face? Its quite the sight.” Jayce commented, slyly making fun of Viktor.

Viktor didn’t appreciate it and scowled. “Huh I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dog like that. But I hardly think that sounds funny. Sorry Jayce” You replied. Though you didn’t know Jayce was making fun of him, your comment caused Viktors tail to begin to wag again in appreciation.

“Well, maybe you’ll see one sooner than you think. Then I’m sure you’ll be laughing with me.”

“Perhaps we should all eat before our appetites are ruined.” Viktor said.

“Good idea.” You smiled and moved away to a free spot towards Jayce to eat your lunch.

The freedom from your scent directly around him finally gave Viktor the solace he needed. He was able to calm his senses, his tail receded away, and his thoughts mostly cleared. 

Luckily the day went on smoothly. Jayce gave you another task to help him with so Viktor didn’t have to worry about exposing his secret. When the sun was beginning to set Jayce stood and turned to you. “Well I think it’s about time to turn in for the night don’t you think?” 

“I suppose so.” You stood as well and began to gather your belongings.

“I think I am going to stay late tonight.” Viktor said.

“What else is new?” Jayce laughed. “Come on Y/N. I’ll walk you home.” 

You and Jayce left together, leaving Viktor alone in the lab. Your place wasn’t too far from the academy so the walk with Jayce was short. Of course he spent the entire time talking of his theories about the Atlas Gauntlets you were helping him design. It seemed Viktor wasn’t the only one who was a workaholic. You reached your apartment, bid Jayce good bye, and thanked him for walking you home.

After entering your small apartment you couldn’t help but think of what Jayce was rambling about. It did hold some merit and if you could work out the calculations… you had to write down your thoughts. Placing your bag on the counter you began to dig through it for your journal. No matter how hard you looked it just didn’t seem to be there. You let out a disgruntled noise. “I must have left it in the lab.” You mumbled to yourself. You didn’t really need it right this moment, but Jayce made the wheels in your head start turning. It wasn’t too late either. You could make it to the lab and back in no time at all.

You stuck your keys and wallet in your pockets, opting to travel light, and headed back to the lab. The sun had almost completely set by the time you made it there. You grabbed hold of the door handle and lightly turned it as you always do, but were surprised to find it locked. ‘That’s weird. Viktor said he was staying late’ you thought to yourself. You quickly came to the conclusion that he must have changed his mind. You took out your keys to the lab and unlocked the door before quietly entering and shutting the door behind you.

A strange groaning sound caught your ear, it sounded like someone was in pain. You turned your attention towards Viktors desk. There on the ground you saw him curled in the fetal position. “Viktor!” You shouted and ran to him, dropping to your knees behind his trembling form. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Once the initial shock had worn off you noticed that he was completely nude. A harsh blush covered your cheeks and you only had more questions. 

Viktor looked up at you, his face riddled with terror. “What are you doing here?!” He shouted before contorting in pain, letting out a harsh cry of agony. “You have-you have to run.” He forced the words out of his throat.

Your hands trembled as they ghosted over his shoulder. “Viktor. What- whatever this is I can help. Just let me-“

You don’t get to finish as Viktor whips his head back towards you. “RUN!” His shout is mixed with an animalistic growl that left you stunned and trembling. His face had changed, taking on a canine form with large sharp teeth. You watched in terror as the rest of his body followed similar changes. He cried in pain as his spine cracked and lengthened. His limbs stretched and contorted to accommodate both a quadrupedal and bipedal stance. His fingers lengthened, sharp claws growing on their ends to form an odd combination of human hand and paw. The final change came with thick mahogany fur covering his entire body. For a moment he just laid there on the floor, breathing, his entire body reeling from the change.

It was then that you were finally able to break away from your paralyzed state, realizing what you just witnessed. Viktor was a werewolf and he might be dangerous. You moved slowly at first, just to stand. When he didn’t react you began to back away. His ears perked in your direction first, then his whole head whipped your way. You turned on your heel and sprinted for the door, but Viktor was faster. In a single bound he was on top of you, pinning you to the ground.

You shook in terror, your breath followed suit, and tears threatened to fall from your eyes. He let out a low growl as his head came closer to your own. “V-Viktor! Please!” You cried. He huffed out a breath near your face before inhaling. His large jaw opened wide, ready to make the kill… then he stopped…

Wildflowers and Vanilla.

Viktor staggered back on his hind legs, shaking his head in confusion. The memories of his human half came flooding back. It overtook his animalistic urges. He stopped and looked up at you. You were leaning up now, looking at him with terrified eyes, small trickles of blood ran down your arms where he had you pinned down with his claws. He whimpered at the sight of you. Viktor backed away, limping on his bad leg, until his back was pinned to the desk against the wall.

The way he looked at you now was different. The beastial gaze that he held before was gone. “Viktor?” You squeaked his name from your throat. “Do you recognize me?” You came to your feet with shaking knees.

The wolfman held out his large hands in an attempt to tell you to stay back. “You do, don’t you?” You took a step towards him. He bowed his head down and away from your gaze. The fear that was once in your eyes faded to compassion. You crossed towards him, stopping when you noticed that he had started to shake. Your heart sank to see him so scared. “Oh Viktor…” you said to yourself. You spoke softly to him, as comforting as you could. “It’s alright. I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. And I know you would ever willingly harm me.” You slowly lowered down to your knees not more than a few strides from him. He looked down at you with concern laced in his eyes. You gazed up at him softly and outstretched your arms. “Come here”

Viktor hesitated before using the desk behind him to help lower himself to the ground. He very slowly crawled towards you. Now that you weren’t terrified you noticed that he didn’t put weight on one of his back legs. Even in this form he still had a bad leg. It was oddly comforting to know that he was the same Viktor that you’d come to know. 

He took a seat in front of you and you laced your arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. “So this is what was really bothering you today. I wish I could’ve helped.” Viktor whimpered into your shoulder as a response and you held him tighter, stroking a hand down his back. His tail began to thump against the lab floor. It was slow but gradually picked up speed the longer you held him there. A smile spread across your face when you noticed it. 

‘Why does this seem familiar?’ You thought to yourself. After a moment you realized something. “Wait.” You released Viktor from your hug and sat back on your heels. “Jayces comment earlier, the one about the dog, was that supposed to be about you?”

Viktor huffed in response, clearly annoyed at the memory. He stalked on all fours to his desk and laid down beneath it with his back to you. You chuckled at his reaction. But with the knowledge of it being about Viktor you wondered when something like that even occurred.

“Hold on, did you have a tail earlier today and I was too oblivious to notice?” You crawled after him towards the desk.

Viktor placed his paw like hands over his face in embarrassment.

You thought about when it could have happened. Given the timing of Jayces comment the most likely time was…“Was it when I was holding your hand?” 

If wolves could blush Viktor would certainly have been quite red in the face. Instead a small embarrassed whimper left his throat as as an answer.

You hummed in response. Then a thought occurred to you. You almost dare not ask the question, rather scared of what his answer might be. “Viktor? Do you… have feelings for me?”

Viktor tensed up completely. Then he began to squirm, tucking his head further to shield himself from embarrassment.

A light dusting of blush fell upon your cheeks. You gave a sad smile at his reaction to your question, and placed a hand gently on his back. “Viktor, can you come out from under there please? I’d prefer to talk to you face to face.” 

Reluctantly, Viktor backed out from under the desk. He turned and sat in front of you with his head facing away. You gently took his muzzle into your hands and turned it to face you. You sweetly kissed the top of his head. “I have feelings for you too Viktor.“ You let yourself fall back onto your heels and stroked a hand down his face, gazing into his golden eyes. “For quite some time I’ve wanted nothing but to be by your side. To hold you close, share sweet kisses, and to know everything about you. And I’m glad I’m getting to know this side of you as well.”

Unable to give a kiss back Viktor leaned foreword lightly licked your cheek. You giggled at the action, leaving a giddy smile on your face. You pulled him into a hug. “This wasn’t at all how I imagined telling you this” you laughed. Viktor let out a small woof in agreement. “You either huh?”

A growl in your stomach reminded you that you hadn’t eaten dinner yet. You pulled away from Viktor and he cocked his head to the side, looking at you curiously. “Sorry. I didn’t eat before coming back to the lab. I didn’t exactly expect to be here more than a few minutes.” You stood up and walked to the desk you had worked at earlier in the day. You picked up your journal and looked at. “I came to grab my journal, but that seems kind of pointless now.” Setting the leather bound book back on the desk you turned and looked at Viktor. 

He was standing, more like towering behind you. He was already tall before, but now he had to stand at almost 7 feet tall. You were taken aback for a moment and had to collect your thoughts. “Do you want dinner? I could go and grab us some takeout or something” 

Viktor nodded in response. You proceeded to walk over to Jayces desk and began rummaging through a drawer where you knew he kept takeout menus. Viktor slowly followed behind you. After a minute you found a menu for a diner that was nearby and pulled it out. “Just point to what you want. My treat!” You placed the menu down on top of the desk and grinned at Viktor. He peered at the menu for a couple of minutes before finally pointing to something. You looked at what he picked and giggled. “The steak. I should’ve known… Do you get cravings for meat every full moon?”

Viktor nodded but turned his face from you. You could only guess he was embarrassed by the entire situation. You placed a comforting hand onto his fur covered arm. He looked down at you.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about you know. I’m sure being a werewolf is hard for you, but I don’t think any less of you. Trust me on that.” You let your hand fall from his arm and headed towards the door. Viktor grabbed your arm and stopped you in your tracks. “What is it?”

He ran his paw down your arm, pulled it away, and lifted it to show you the blood from the wound he inflicted earlier.

“Oh. Right, I should probably clean that huh?” You chuckled. So much had happened so quickly that you didn’t even notice the dull ache from the cuts his claws had made in your arm. You quickly retrieved the labs first aide kit, sat down at the nearest desk, and took out the antiseptic. You dabbed a bit onto a cotton ball and then dabbed it over your cut on one arm, cringing at the sting. Viktor watched you intensely with guilty eyes. “Ah, don’t worry Viktor. I’ve gotten worse scrapes before.” You continued to cringe as you cleaned the cuts on your opposite arm as well. “Honestly, the antiseptic hurts more than the cuts.” You joked. You took out the bandages and wrapped them around your upper arm. You looked at Viktor when you went to bandage your dominant arm. “I may need a bit of assistance here.”

He came closer and you held out the wrappings to him. You were glad to see his paws held some form of dexterity and he was able to hold the gauze well enough to wrap it around your other arm. You helped him secure it in place and lifted your head to smile at him. “There, no harm done!”

Viktors expression didn’t change much, and you could tell he still felt guilty. You stood from the desk and made your way over to the door.

“I’ll be back soon, I promise. And please don’t feel bad Viktor. I know you didn’t mean to hurt me.” You dipped out the doors from the lab and locked them behind you.

Your mind reeled as you walked to the nearby diner. So Viktor is a werewolf. That is an unexpected development. I have so many questions for him. Was he born this way, or was he bitten, or scratched? I’m not quite sure how it all works… Does Jayce know? Or is it only me? It’s not like he wanted me to find out. But he and Jayce are closer, so why wouldn’t he tell him… You groaned at your lack of clarity. It was hard to get answers when Viktor couldn’t speak. Still, your heart swelled to think that he trusts you with this secret. He could have easily pushed you away, growled at you until you left, but he didn’t. And to find out that he has the same feelings for you that you have harbored for him was an added bonus you didn’t think you’d ever find out about.

You reached the diner and ordered dinner for you and Viktor. It didn’t take too long before you were on your way back to the lab, food in hand. You unlocked the doors and reentered. Perhaps not too surprisingly Viktor was at his desk attempting to work. It was a rather funny sight. A large wolf man hunched over, a tiny pencil in his large paw hand, attempting to write down calculations. It didn’t look like he was having much success with writing, but he looked very determined. You saw his ear flick, a sure sign that he heard you come in. “You really don’t take a break do you?”

He huffed with a smile and turned his stool towards you. You walked to him and held out the takeout box containing his steak. “Your dinner sir” You mocked the voice of a fancy waiter, hoping to create a light mood. Viktors nostrils flared as he inhaled the scent of the meat. He grabbed the container from you, laid on the floor not too far from his desk, and tore the box open.

You blinked in surprise at the sight. “Alright. Guess I’ll take the desk then.” You mumbled to yourself. You opened your takeout container, which contained a cheeseburger and some fries, and started to eat in silence. You took a quick look down towards Viktor. He was devouring the steak rather quickly and in a very animalistic fashion. You turned your attention back to your own food, but something didn’t sit quite right with you about Viktors actions.

After a few bites you heard a low growling from next to you. Ever so slowly you turned the stool towards him. Viktor had completely decimated the takeout container and everything in it, and now his attention was turned towards you. His eyes darted between you and the half eaten burger you held in your hand. “What you want my burger too?” His low growling continued and he slowly stalked closer. “Viktor if this is supposed to be a joke it’s not funny.”

He placed his pawed hands onto your thighs and hoisted himself up between your legs. His face neared yours and his hands squeezed your thighs below. Your breath hitched and as embarrassing as it was, you could feel yourself becoming aroused by his touch. You did your best to toss the burger away from you in hopes he would chase it, squeezed your eyes shut, and waited.

His weight receded from you quickly and you dared to open your eyes back up, not quite sure what had just happened. However, Viktor was not near the discarded food like you thought he’d be. Instead he sat, back to you, near the wall. 

He’d hoped with all his might that you wouldn’t come towards him. He didn’t want you to see him in this sorry state. The smell around you from earlier in the day had returned, and just as before it caused him to react. Unfortunately this time he didn’t have the cloth of his pants to cover it. His dick had gone erect, sliding out of its canine sheath.

You looked at him, wondering if he had returned to a more human consciousness. Something in his body language told you he did. “Viktor?” You asked and stood up. “What happened to you just now?”

He didn’t react and you dared to get closer to him. He heard your footsteps just behind him and let out a loud Woof! It shocked you for a moment. Still, you reached out and touched his shoulder. He quickly turned and shoved his snout towards your crotch. An impulsive act that Viktor felt terrible about, but your smell was just overwhelming. He couldn’t possibly keep himself away from you. 

You yelped in surprise and he pulled himself away nearly just as fast, covering his nose with his paws. You were left very confused, and embarrassingly turned on by his actions.

  Then you looked down and saw his erect penis. Your face went red, but all the pieces seemed to fit into place in your head. Just now, he could smell your own arousal and it triggered an instinct in him. He looked so ashamed of himself, the way he couldn’t even look at you and his body was trembling. “I-It’s ok.” You tried to console him, but you found yourself suddenly very nervous. “I, um, I’m sorry. It was me right? You could… smell it?” You bit your bottom lip and waited for a reaction. He glanced at you with the saddest eyes you’ve ever seen on him. “If you-if you need some time alone…” You averted your own eyes from him. “I could come back in an hour or so?” You dared to look back, just to see him nod.

You slowly walked towards the door with shaking legs. “I will come back. I promise” You had to let him know that this small interaction didn’t upset you. You couldn’t leave if you thought he would be upset with himself for another action that he couldn’t control due to his animal instinct.

On the other side of the lab door you run into Jayce, almost literally, carrying a bag with a takeout container in it. That would’ve been one hell of an awkward situation to explain if he had come in. “Jayce! You, uh don’t want to go in there.” You had no idea if Viktor had told him or not, but either way Viktor was a bit preoccupied right now. 

Jayce sighed. “So you found out about him huh? Well, it was bound to come out sooner or later. Don’t worry though, he knows me and won’t hurt me.” Jayce tried to push past you, but you wouldn’t budge.

“No!” You spread your arms to the side to block him, though your short stature didn’t do much to help.

“No?” He cocked his head to the side.

“He um… kind of needs some time alone.” You avert your eyes from him.

“Oh?”

You lowered your arms and used your hands to crudely mimic the motion of jacking off. A harsh blush finding its way to your cheeks.

“Oh!” Jayce backed away from you and rubbed the back of his neck. “You found out about that too huh?”

“About… what… exactly?” 

Jayce grimaced and looked away from you. “Well this afternoon Viktor said he smelled something on you that kinda turned him on. I was just guessing thats what happened now”

“A smell?” You thought about this afternoon and nothing struck you as out of the ordinary. You weren’t wearing any different perfume, and you don’t remember being aroused at all. Then you thought of your morning and it hit you like a truck. “I have to go.” You blurted out and took off before Jayce could say a word.

It couldn’t have lingered all morning could it? You thought to yourself. You remembered back to the morning before work. You had woken up from a particularly steamy dream, one containing a certain scientist that you knew. It had left you feeling very horny and you felt that you had no choice but to pleasure yourself. You had cleaned up afterwards, but could the scent have lingered on you? It was embarrassing to even consider! And if Jayce found out that was what the scent was? You don’t think you could ever show your face in the lab again.

You pushed your way through the door to your apartment in a huff. You checked the clock in your kitchen and took a mental note of the time. Just an hour and then you would go back to the lab and hopefully not disturb Viktor in the process. You leaned against the kitchen counter and tried to figure out how to pass the time. If scent was an issue then maybe a shower would wash it off, if that was even possible. It couldn’t hurt anyway. 

So you made your way to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and hopped into the steaming hot water. You had hoped to wash off the scent of arousal, but the shower seemed to be having an opposite effect. You couldn’t stop thinking about Viktor, and not as a wolf but as a man. The mere thought of him getting hard for you made your pussy ache to be touched. 

You reached your hand down and began to rub your clit. The stimulation was just what you needed. But it wasn’t enough, you needed more. You knelt to the ground and let two of your fingers find their way inside of your aching pussy. You thrust into yourself, letting thoughts of Viktor could your mind. Of his cock inside you while he praised your every move. Before you knew it you found the sweet relief you were craving, perhaps a bit sooner than you’d expected.

“Shit.” You let out a shakey breath and raised yourself back to your feet. Well, maybe the shower will wash away the scent. You thought. After taking a moment to compose yourself you actually got to the point of your shower, cleaning yourself.

You shut off the water and went to your room to get dressed. You opted for a clean button up shirt and a plain knee length black skirt. Your attire was much more casual than what you had been wearing earlier. After you were dressed you briefly stopped at your dresser and looked over some of your assorted perfumes on top of it. You picked one up and spritzed it above you, letting the scent of vanilla waft over you. With luck even if the shower didn’t help the perfume would cover anything. Feeling better about everything now you exited your room and looked at the kitchen clock.

You still had about half an hour to kill before you could return to the lab. Remembering that you didn’t exactly get to finish your dinner, you decided to whip up a quick snack. As you ate you contemplated staying the night at the lab with Viktor. Sure it might be considered moving fast since you had just found out about your feelings for one another, but you had more questions and your curiosity wouldn’t let up. If you stayed the night then you could ask your questions as soon as he was human again. At least that was the excuse you gave yourself. Really you didn’t want to leave Viktor alone, and you actually wanted to spend more time with him now that your feelings were out in the open.  

You quickly finished your snack and grabbed a bag to pack some things in. A couple of pillows and some blankets should suffice. The lab did have a couch tucked away for when Viktor stayed late, but having some extra pillows would make it much comfier. There was still about 10 minutes before the hour was up, but the walk back to the lab should take about that long anyway. You put on your black flats, slung the bag of blankets over your shoulder, and headed back to the lab. 

When you reached your destination you knocked on the door before unlocking it. “Viktor, Im back! I’m going to come in now.” You said before slowly opening the door.

Viktor was back at his desk as though nothing had happened. You would gladly put off mentioning the earlier events until Viktor could actually talk about it with you. He let out a small and rather quiet Awoo as a hello. You smiled and tried your hardest not to make an audible noise at how cute the sound he made was. You went over to the couch and placed your bag on it to busy yourself. He was staring at you when you turned around. He cocked his head to the side questioningly.

You glanced at your bag and back to him before nervously rubbing the back of your neck. “So, I thought I may stay the night here. I mean, if it’s alright with you that is! I brought some extra blankets and pillows with me…” 

Viktor made a disapproving noise and your heart sank a little. “Oh, you’re right, it probably wasn’t a good idea.”

Woof! Viktor barked at you to oppose your statement. Now you felt like you were getting mixed signals. You must have had a confused look on your face because Viktor ran a paw over his own face. He made several noises that sounded like he was trying to speak, but in the end just wound up whining. His paws reached for his head and ruffled the longer fur around his ears in frustration.

“Hey! Hey! It’s ok!” You coddled as you ran up to him. You took his hands in your own so he would stop fidgeting with his fur. “I was just getting some mixed signals is all. Let’s figure this out together. Would you like me to stay the night?”

Viktor took a moment before he nodded in response.

“But you think it might be a bad idea?”

He nodded again.

“Are you worried about what happened earlier?”

This time he looked away before nodding. You could tell he felt bad about his actions. You let go of his hands and decided to pull a stool up in front of him to sit on. You wanted this conversation to wait until later, but it seemed like fate had other plans.

“I saw Jayce as I was leaving. He told me about earlier today, with the whole my scent “turning you on” thing.” Viktor visibly cringed to hear that. You placed a hand over his own. “You don’t need to worry about that. Sure, it caught me off guard at first, but it’s natural for that sort of thing to happen with someone you’re attracted to. I promise you I don’t think any less of you, and it won’t bother me if it happens again.” 

Viktor felt frustrated instead of relieved at your statement. Jayce had said practically the same thing to him earlier, but he still felt so awkward. Even if you were both enamored with each other, he still didn’t fully understand this feeling. And perhaps what bothered him most was that he didn’t know if it was coming from the curse or it was actually his own feelings.

With his hesitancy to answer you decided to continue. You removed your hand from his and swallowed nervously before deciding to say your next words. “And to be fair, it’s not like you were the only one that was having a physical reaction. It’s just that it’s more visible on a man. You, um, well even the thought of you can sometimes, well it…” it was your turn to look away in embarrassment. “It makes me wet.” You whispered. You hoped your own confession would make Viktor feel a bit better about his predicament. This time he reached for your hand. When you looked at him you could tell that you had helped. His eyes were soft, like they were thanking you for understanding. 

You smiled in response and quickly changed the subject. “So, if you’re alright with it, can I stay with you tonight?” 

Viktor nodded to you. He then turned and patted the table beside him. You moved your stool closer and sat next to him. He pointed to the journal in front of him.

You looked down at it to see a lot of numbers scribbled on the page. They looked like they had been written by a preschooler “You’re trying to do calculations for the Hexclaw? Right now?”

Boof. He huffed. He handed you the pencil he had been trying to use when you walked in.

You laughed but took the pencil regardless. “If you want me to help solve this, I’m going to have to rewrite everything.” You stood up to retrieve the journal you had left earlier. Viktor let out a low disapproving growl. “I’m sorry, but those numbers look like they were written by a 4 year old” you laughed. Viktor was not fond of that comment. Sitting back down, you patted his shoulder. “It’s not your fault. It can’t be easy writing with such large paws.” Viktor sighed in defeat. You were right after all. 

He sat and watched as you rewrote his calculations in far more legible handwriting. From there you worked to try and solve them. Viktor attempted to help as best as he could, but the communication barrier quickly became an issue. He would growl or whine when you didn’t understand the number he wanted you to write, or if you got a calculation wrong, or if he got frustrated that he couldn’t explain an epiphany he just had. You tired your best for the better half of an hour but ultimately decided that it was a doomed collaboration. 

You placed the pencil down and sighed. “Viktor I think we both know this isn’t working very well. I know you want to keep working but maybe this is a sign to take a night off.” 

Viktor huffed in disapproval and grabbed the pencil you had set down. He tried desperately to write, but nothing came out legible. It only frustrated him more and he banged his paws on the table to prove it.

You had seen him get this angry before, but it was a rare occurrence reserved only for failed experiments and calculations. You placed a hand over one of his paws. “Hey, you’re brilliant. Don’t forget that. Whatever you thought of will still be in that big brain of yours tomorrow.” Viktor grumbled a bit at how right you were. You stood up to lean over him and kiss his forehead. “For now, I think it would be best to step away from your work. You can get back to it bright and early tomorrow.”

Viktor sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. His mind was trying to come to terms with what you had said, and how you made many good points. He finally opened his eyes again and nodded to you. He got off the stool and got onto all fours to walk to the couch. You followed closely behind him. 

Viktor waited for you to set up the pillows and blankets you had brought before he crawled onto the couch. He laid down as he normally would, but being so tall in his werewolf state, his legs dangled off the end. Thankfully even though he was technically larger, Viktor was still rather thin. There was plenty of room for you to lay down beside him. So you nervously did just that, crawling up right beside him after kicking off your shoes. He took the large blanket you had set on the top of the couch and spread it over of the both of you before wrapping his arms around your torso. He pulled you in tight and rested his head on top of your own. The close proximity caused you to blush. Viktor was being far more forward than he had been earlier. Maybe your conversation earlier had cleared away any doubts in his mind.

You found his soft and warm fur against you comforting but at the same time completely nerve racking. You didn’t expect that Viktor would be spooning you on the couch. Sure, you’d hoped the night might end like this, but you definitely expected to be sleeping alone on the couch.

The light snoring behind you signaled that Viktor had fallen asleep. You can’t say that you were surprised that he was able to pass out so quickly. He always looked so exhausted. You tried to calm your nerves, focusing on the comforting things around you. The slow and steady breathing of Viktor, his arms hugging you around your midsection, the warmth of his body against your own. Eventually it paid off and you too nodded off to sleep.

It was around dawn when you were awoken by Viktor stirring behind you. He groaned as his body began to shift back into his human form. His whines of pain garnered your attention and you turned over. You were still half asleep, but in some attempt to soothe him you pulled him into a tight hug so that he was now the little spoon. His cries subsided soon after, replaced by staggered breathing and small whimpers. The change back seemed to be far less extreme than his change last night. Once he had completed his transformation back to human form he quickly fell back into a deep sleep, his whole body exhausted from the shift.

The next time you were woken was later in the morning when the lab doors fell closed with a loud CLANG! It startled you right awake and you shot upright. Viktor seemed unfazed, but rolled towards you when he noticed the lack of your body heat against him. He wrapped his arms around your waist and nuzzled his face into your side.

“Woah, what’s going on here?” Jayce asked when he saw the two of you.

“We-Uh…” You searched your brain for something to say but for some reason nothing seemed to come to mind in your groggy state. Viktor however was fully coherent for just having woken up.

“It was a good nights sleep for once, until you came in making all of that noise.” He commented, his eyes still shut as though he were attempting to get more sleep.

“Oh, sorry.” Jayce rubbed the back of his neck out of guilt for a moment. He then lifted a paper bag that he held in his other hand. “I did bring you some breakfast though.”

Viktor finally leaned up next to you and rubbed his eyes. “Thank you.” He grumbled.

Jayce made his way across the lab and to a rather empty desk. “I didn’t grab anything for Y/N, sorry about that. If I had known you were staying the night with him I would have.”

“It’s alright. I can go and grab something-“ You stopped your sentence to yawn, “-when I’m more awake.” Jayce simply nodded at you in understanding. 

“Jayce, could you bring me my crutch?” Viktor asked. Getting the hint you scooted to the side to allow Viktor access to stand. He pulled his legs from your shared blanket to sit beside you while he waited for Jayce’s response.

“Sure. I’m assuming you want your clothes too?” Jayce asked as he made his way to the items Viktor had discarded the night prior. 

Viktor suddenly became flustered upon the realization that he was in fact completely naked. He pulled the large blanket from behind you and attempted to cover himself. “Oh, yes, that-um-that would be preferred.”

Jayce gave a quick chuckle at his reaction. He returned Viktors items to him. You averted your eyes to give Viktor the privacy he needed to get dressed. You only returned your gaze to him once you heard the clinking of his crutch against the ground.

Viktor took a seat at the desk where Jayce had placed his breakfast. He opened the takeout bag and let out a content sigh at the smell of freshly cooked eggs and bacon from the container within. He took out the container and some plastic utensils and slowly began to eat. “I’m sure you have many questions Y/N.” He said between bites.

“Perhaps I do have a couple…” you teased as you walked over to the desk to take a seat beside him.

“Now that I can speak again I will gladly answer any. However,” Viktor stopped and put down his utensils. He looked at you, his brows were knitted together with concern but the remainder of his face was serious. “I would like to apologize for everything I did last night. I would never want to make you feel uncomfortable. And now that I can say it with my own voice…” he briefly glanced towards Jayce, who was trying to act as nonchalant as possible but was very clearly listening. “… I love you, Y/N”

Viktors cheeks flushed red. It was an adorable sight. You smiled and placed a hand to his cheek. Leaning forward you pressed your lips to his cheek for a soft kiss. “I love you too, Viktor.” You said once you had pulled away. “And I promise you didn’t make me uncomfortable.” You chuckled. 

Viktor smiled in response. He took a deep breath to ready himself. “So your questions?”

“Right. I guess we should start with how you became a werewolf? Were you born one? Bitten by one?”

“Neither actually…” Viktors gaze trailed off as the memories came flooding back. 

You were taken aback with confusion. “How is that possible?”

“It happened when I was young, maybe 13 or so. I met someone in the Undercity. For a while I helped him take care of a creature with a rare mutation, the goal was to help it survive. In turn he offered his help to me, promising that he could find a way to help me with my leg. As a child the prospect being able to walk unaided was enticing, and I happily accepted. I had no idea that his plan involved using the blood from a werewolf to try and trigger some form of healing capability within me. He had told me it was a serum he formulated. I don’t even know where he got werewolf blood from…” you could tell the memory was getting to Viktor. You placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and he heaved out a sigh of relief before continuing. “After injecting the serum into my leg, I changed into a wolf. I have no memory of what happened directly after the transformation, but I remember suddenly being terrified. I didn’t know what was happening, and by the time I regained my human form my body ached more than ever. My leg was still the same, and I had almost hurt the man who promised to help me. Everything about that day haunts me to think about” 

You leaned into Viktor and rubbed comforting circles on his arm “That’s just awful Viktor. I am so sorry, if I had known I wouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s alright. I’ve come to terms with being a werewolf now. I’ve learned how to adapt and hide it.”

“Do you blame him? The man I mean.” 

Viktor shook his head. “Not anymore. There were other circumstances that drew us apart, but I have come to understand that he was only trying to help me.”

You withdrew your hand from Viktors arm and placed it onto your own. You lightly stroked where the gauze wrapped scratches laid under your sleeves. “Viktor… There’s something else I want to ask.” Your voice held quite a bit of concern. So much so that it worried Viktor.

“What is it?”

“I know I kept saying not to worry about scratching me last night, but I can’t help but wonder… Will these scratches turn me into a werewolf too?” You didn’t want Viktor to blame himself if he did turn you, but the question wouldn’t stop itching at the back of your mind.

Viktor turned away from you and his breath caught in his throat. “Would you hate me if it did?” His voice came out hoarse. Exactly what you hoped he wouldn’t feel, he ended up feeling anyway. Guilt.

You quickly grasped his arm. “No! Of course not! Viktor, I could never hate you! I just- I want to be prepared if it does happen.”

Viktor looked towards you and you could see the uncertainty in his eyes. “Honestly,” His voice still shook as he spoke, “I am not sure what will happen.”

You nodded your head in understanding. “Then I suppose we will just have to wait until the next full moon…”

The next month came and went in the blink of an eye. You and Viktor had become quite the loving couple, but as the days got closer to the full moon Viktor became increasingly nervous for you. Of course your nerves were also anxiously high, but you hid it well. Neither of you knew what the full moon would bring, and neither of you were sure of which outcome you truly wanted. If you didn’t turn then Viktor wouldn’t feel guilty about subjecting you to the same curse as him, you could continue your days as a human. But if you did turn then the curse was something special that the two of you could share with each other.

As you stood in the lab waiting for the full moon to rise, an excitement began to swell within you.

“Whatever happens, I am here for you my love.” Viktor held your hand and gave you a quick kiss before he retreated towards his desk to prepare for the change. 

You didn’t watch him change this time. Instead you stood and waited, staring at the moon through the laboratory window. As the sounds of his transformation began to subside you thought that you were in the clear. 

But suddenly a strained cry escaped your lips and you doubled over, a sharp pain resonated from your spine as it began to stretch and change. You whimpered and clawed at the linoleum tile beneath you as your hands stretched and shifted, long claws growing from your fingertips.

Having finished his change, Viktor took a moment to break away from his animal instinct. Once his mind was clear he looked to see you in pain on the ground. He rushed to your side, letting out soft whimpers to let you know he was there. Viktor knew very well that there was nothing he could do to help you through the pain, but he’d be damned if he left you to go through it alone.

Your pain got worse as your legs began to shift. They felt like they were breaking as they started to take on a digitigrade form. Viktor pressed his form against you in some attempt to comfort you. You continued to whine in pain, your form growing larger as you took on a more canine physique. Your face began to push  forward into a canine muzzle. The final change came with a spread of fur covering the length of your body. You let out one last whine of pain before slumping down, your breath heaving.

When you could finally work up the strength to get onto your feet the whole world felt strange. You staggered on all fours and shook off your tattered clothes, your senses on overdrive. Every sound was too loud. Every scent was too strong. You whimpered and growled, trying to gain your bearings, to remember who you really were.

Viktor rubbed against you to try and calm you. You leaned into his touch and focused on him. The way he smelled of coffee and charcoal. How his body felt warm and safe against yours. You felt yourself begin to settle into this new normal. Viktor nuzzled your face to check on you. You sat on all fours and nuzzled him back. Your tail began to thump on the floor with pleasure. You looked at Viktor and your tail stopped at the sight of his face. He looked so guilty. 

You brought a paw up to his face to let him know everything was ok. As long as Viktor was with you everything would be ok. You let out a small Awoo and caused Viktor to crack a smile. He gave a small howl back. You gave a wolfish grin and howled even louder. 

A moment later Jayce came through the doors to the lab. “Geez Viktor, do you want the whole academy to know about you? Oh…” Jayces eyes went wide at the sight of not one, but two wolves in front of him. “Well, I guess you figured out what happens when you scratch someone. Good thing I got two of these just in case.” Jayce took out a takeout container and threw the contents of it on the ground. To rare steaks hit the floor not too far from you. “Enjoy your dinner, and try not to let the whole of Piltover know that Hextech is harboring werewolves.” He chuckled as he left the two of you to your dinner. The full moons wouldn’t seem so bad now that the two of you had each other to share them.

[endearing-dalliance]

RE: Viktor and Jayce

The team have given several contradictory interviews about Viktor and Jayce's storylines and motivations. In Art of Arcane:

"They start off as close colleagues and friends...end up making radically different choices...and represent two sides of the same coin". Makes sense so far, and seems similar to LoL lore.

Linke continues this in interviews after season 1, but by now, the show does not portray what he describes here:

I get the whole "show not tell" thing, really. But what they showed and told was Viktor explicitly telling Jayce to destroy the Hexcore. Somehow, we were supposed to interpret that as Viktor being pro-Hextech/weaponization?

Later in Art of Arcane:

"We wondered what if they are enemies, where Jayce represents technology helping people and Viktor is like "but what if we do it by taking over organic life?""

What happened to Viktor being more pro-weaponization? Where did organic come from?

And if I say Arcane Season 2 is a textbook example of why creators should stay in their bubble, stick to the script and not let fan reception and opinions dictate how they write the rest of their show?

[seconds-not-decades]

Time and Chase

Pairing: Five Hargreeves x Fem! OC

Author's Note: Hello and welcome. This is a major throwback but we are kicking off my TUA series of fics all the way from season one so that this story actually makes sense. Or about as much sense as it can be. I will be posting daily. *Please note that I am well aware that Elliot Page portrays Viktor, but due to season one being before his transition, that is why his character is still Vanya. I am not deadnaming him and I sincerely hope I don't come across as such. I will transition when I write season three.*

Warnings: mentions of blood, cursing, and violence.

Previous | Next

*Gif credits to its original source/creator*

Man On The Moon

~ * ~

On the first day of October, 1989, forty-three women around the world simultaneously gave birth. None of the women showed any prior signs of pregnancy. Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and playboy adventurer, made it his personal mission to find and adopt as many of these children as possible.

He got seven of them.

~ * ~

Karina finished wrapping her side and headed out the door to go find Five. She was halfway through the main room when Pogo saw her.

"Mrs. Hargreeves, this is a surprise. How are you doing, my dear?" he asked her.

Karina was a bit taken back, not used to being addressed so formally. "Me? Um…I'm all right."

"I see. Are you sure you should be walking around? You were severely injured after all."

Karina waved it off. "Later. Right now, I have a husband to track down and berate."

"Master Luther and Master Diego are currently looking for him actually."

"Did they say where they were going?"

"I believe something about trying to find his van."

Karina nodded. "I know where they are. Thank you."

"Of course. Please be careful."

Karina smiled and quickly left the mansion, heading off to the alleyway across from the prosthetic building. In the distance, she saw and heard Luther and Diego hurrying towards the van.

"This is it. He's still here. This is Five's van," Luther spoke. "Go. Go." He went to open the door, rattling the handle. He sighed.

Diego stepped forward and picked the lock, opening the door. After he opened it, the two tried to go in at the same time.

"I'm One," Luther remarked to Diego.

Diego resisted an eye roll and slid the back door open.

"Damn it," Luther grunted as he slipped inside.

"What are you two up to?" Karina went up to them, watching the two rustle around the van.

"I thought you'd be resting after last night," Diego told her.

"Rested as I can be, anyway. Have you found anything?" she leaned on the van.

"Not yet. I'm surprised to see you here instead of with him," Luther was skimming through the glove box.

"He dropped me off last night and that was the last time I saw him."

"So, even you have no clue where he is? You're his wife," Luther frowned.

Karina shrugged. "We all have secrets I suppose."

"Still can't believe he's the first brother to get hitched amongst us," Diego mumbled.

Karina sighed, deciding to help them in their search. They all looked around for a good ten minutes, still finding nothing. Diego picked up a small notebook and skimmed through it.

He whistled, catching the attention of Luther and Karina. "I know where to find Five," he held up the notebook page.

~ * ~

The three of them made their way to a library. They went inside and looked around.

"Let's split up," Luther suggested.

Diego shot him a look. "Wow. Good thinking."

The three split up and searched around the entire library, along with its multiple floors, but circled back to one another on the top floor with no luck.

"Anything?" Luther asked them.

"No," Karina bit her lip and Diego sighed.

"You wanna know why I left?" Diego stopped Luther in his tracks.

"What? What are you talking about?" he slowly came back over.

"Why I left the Academy."

"Yeah, 'cause you couldn't handle me being Number One."

Karina held back from an exasperated eye roll, wondering where the nearest escape was as she leaned on the wall.

"No. Because that's what you do when you're 17. You move out, become your own person, grow up," Diego lowly said.

"Oh, yeah. You're a real grown-up," Luther shot.

"At least I make my own decisions," Diego shot back, looking at him. "You've never had to hold down a job. Pay bills. You ever even been with a girl?"

Oh Lord, help me Karina thought in exasperation. She crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling, shaking her head.

"I…" Luther cleared his throat almost awkwardly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Diego gave a chuckle of disbelief. "Look, you wanna blame me, blame us for leaving…that's okay. But maybe you're asking yourself the wrong question. Maybe it's not about why we left. Maybe it's about why you stayed," he pointed out.

"I stayed because the world needed me," Luther went over to his side.

"You stayed because you couldn't let go of the way things used to be. The Academy. Dad. With Allison," Diego gave him a meaningful look. "Dad's dead. Mom too, now. We're orphans again, dude."

An elevator bell dinged and Karina began to walk off.

"And things are never gonna go back to the way they used to…be," Diego finished.

Karina heard women laughing.

"Do you ever stop talking?" Luther questioned.

"Where are his parents?" a lady asked and Karina perked up, hurrying in that direction.

"Wow, that was easy," Luther commented as they followed her.

"I'm gonna call security," a blonde walked past Karina.

Diego and Luther halted when they saw the scene. Five was on the ground, snoring, with a bottle of liquor in one hand and his other arm lazily slung around Delores. Karina scoffed as she knelt down to feel his forehead.

"Is he, um…?" Luther strung out.

"Drunk as a skunk," Diego was mildly amused.

Karina glanced up at them, curious to hear their next best course of action as the bottle slipped from Five's grasp. She just sighed, knowing they were in for a long night.

Luther scooped up Five and Delores, the three of them quietly exiting the library.

~ * ~

The alleyway was dark and damp, but, the four really had no idea where there was a safe option to go.

"Well, we can't go back to the house. It's not secure. Those psychopaths could come back at any moment," Luther pointed out.

"I don't have enough room, otherwise I would have offered," Karina softly spoke.

"My place is closer. No one will look for him there," Diego returned.

Five burped and Luther sighed. "If you vomit on me…" he warned the boy.

"You know what's funny?" Five slurred out. "Aah! I'm going through puberty." He scoffed. "Huh. Twice. And I-" He abruptly chuckled. "I drank that whole bottle, didn't I?"

"Afraid so," Karina replied flatly.

"Hiya, wifey," Five's head lulled as he gazed at her drunkenly. "That's what you do when the world you love goes bye-bye. Poof, it's gone." He flailed to take her arm. "What are you guys talkin' about?" He shifted to look at Karina. "And what happened to your pretty face?"

Diego sighed. "Two masked intruders attacked the Academy last night. They came looking for you, and if you need anything more astounding to make you listen to me, they hurt Karina pretty badly. So I need you to focus. What do they want?" he cut to the chase.

"Hazel and Cha-Cha," Five replied.

"Who?" Diego looked back at him.

"You know, I hate code names," Luther added.

"Ah, the best of the best. Except for me, of course," Five chuckled.

"The best of what?" Luther looked down at him.

"You know, Rina always said she hated when I drink. She said it made me surly…" Five rambled, trying to kiss her.

"Hey!" Diego snapped.

"Hm?" Five looked at him. "Yeah?"

"I need you to focus," Diego stopped and turned to face him. "What do this Hazel and Cha-Cha want?"

Five broke out into a snarky grin.

"We just wanna protect you," Diego continued gently.

"Protect me. I don't need your protection, Diego," Five remarked. "Do you have any idea how many people I've killed?"

"No," Diego's voice was low.

"I'm the Four frickin' Horsemen. The apocalypse is coming," Five turned in Luther's arms and vomited behind him.

Luther looked up in alarm and Diego turned away. Karina winced in disgust.

"Will you kiss me yet? I miss you," Five gazed up at her.

"After you're sober and brushed your teeth," she tried not to choke from his breath.

So with that, Diego led them off to his place to lay low for the night.

~ * ~

Diego guided everyone through the gym and into his place. Luther gently laid Five down on the bed, who was deep asleep. Karina perched next to him and she smiled when he subconsciously found her hand and clung to it. She gently brushed some fallen hair out of his peaceful face.

Diego and Luther were watching them thoughtfully.

"Funny. If I didn't know he was such a prick, I'd say he looks almost adorable in his sleep," Diego commented sarcastically.

"Well, don't worry. He'll sober up eventually," Karina returned softly.

"Be back to his normal, unpleasant self," Luther added.

"Yeah, I can't wait that long," Diego walked away a few steps. "I need to find out what his connection is with these lunatics before someone else dies. All that stuff he was saying before-" He paused when everyone heard thumping overhead.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Luther wanted to know.

Outside in the hall, the sound of footsteps approached. Luther and Diego shared a look. Diego unsheathed a knife and quietly crept to the door.

"You throw another one of those goddamn knives at me, I'm pressin' charges!" Al threatened when Diego abruptly swung open the door.

"What do you want, Al?" Diego asked.

Al stepped into the doorway. "I ain't your secretary."

"Yeah," Diego mumbled and headed down the stairs.

"Some lady called for you, said she needs your help."

"What lady?"

"I dunno. Some, uh, detective. I think she said her name was, uh, Blotch or somethin'."

"Patch?" Diego corrected and Al shrugged. He began to grin. "She needs my help."

"She needs you to meet her at that motel, a dump on Calhoun," Al informed him as he came up the stairs and looked at the note Al scribbled down. Luther slowly came over.

"When?" Diego questioned.

"About half an hour ago. Uh, said she found your brother," Al left the room.

The two boys looked at Five in confusion.

"Well, that didn't make sense," Diego commented.

"Klaus," they both drew out in realization.

"Go. I'll wait here with-" Luther stopped himself when Diego ran out and the door slammed shut. "Them," he sighed.

Karina nervously fiddled with her necklace, anxiously awaiting for Diego to return. Luther looked down at Delores in the chair and awkwardly patted her head.

~ * ~