#but i feel like jinx and vi should get first pick as the people who had to lose their dad again AND jinx losing isha at the same time

[galatoma]

I feel like jinx and vi should be allowed to kick singed in the balls at least once before this series ends

[venomwrites]

Caitlyn waiting for Vi to wakeup.

Warnings: Spoilers for Ep. 8

“She’s alive?” 

The doctor looks surprised at her sharp, desperate inquiry. Caitlyn could care less about his opinions. For the money she’s throwing at him, he should have none. The doctor nods. 

“Yes. She’s stable,” he continues, “they are going to clean her up—“

“No,” Caitlyn cuts in, “I’ll do it,” the doctor hesitates, “my father is a doctor,” Caitlyn reminds him sternly, “I know what not to touch.”

The doctor hesitates for only a moment longer before he nods. Someone leads her down a long hallway. Caitlyn reminds herself over and over that Vi is alive. Right now, that is the only thing that matters. It still takes her a moment to push open the door and step inside. 

The room is silent except for the beeps of monitors and the hiss of oxygen. Caitlyn can categorize all the numbers. They are stable. Barely. But understandable for someone who has just come out of major surgery. She knows that but it doesn’t make it any easier to approach the bed where Vi is laying. 

She looks like a stranger. 

Tubes snake from under the blanket to carry away waste. One peeks out from her ribs and drains into a rust colored bag of fluids. Above her are more bags. Liquids, blood, antibiotics. They snake through the clear tubing and into her arm. All Caitlyn can think of is how much she would hate this. 

Someone has left a tray with water and sponges. Caitlyn picks one up and wrings it out. She isn’t sure where to start. Brown antiseptic washes Vi’s chest, neck and face. It coats around the white bandage that wraps her head. There’s flecks of it underneath the oxygen mask that covers her face. 

Part of Caitlyn screams that she has no right to do this. No right to touch her after she shoved her away. She’s spent as many nights cursing her as she has longing for her. What right does she have to touch her? But then Caitlyn thinks how much Vi would hate people seeing her like this. Vi trusted he enough to at least try to work together. Caitlyn focuses on that. Jinx is imprisoned, Vander is dead. She’s the closest thing Vi has to a friend. Even if she is a poor excuse for one. 

She starts with her neck. 

Underneath the black greasepaint is the pale, tattooed woman Caitlyn remembers—and it’s not. There are new muscles that coil under Vi’s skin. Vi has always been strong and spent most of her life existing on a diet of prison food. Now she is solid muscle. Caitlyn gently moves the hospital gown to wipe at her chest. She takes care not to disturb the tube that drains the damage from the Noxian spear. 

She feels tears cloud her eyes as she works. 

It feels like her fault that Vi is laying here. No, it is her fault. She went along with Ambessa. She wasn’t fast enough to outsmart her. The knot of anger that has been loosening in her chest unravels faster as she wipes Vi’s leg. The best she can tell Vi hasn’t been taking care of herself. Of course she hasn’t. Caitlyn wanted to hurt her when she dumped her there. Now she feels like a child learning her actions have consequences. 

Before she can get to Vi’s shoulders, she turns to her hands. 

They’ve cut off the bandages Vi always wears. It’s the first time Caitlyn’s seen Vi’s bare hands. She hasn’t been taking care of them either. Some of the marks on her knuckles are pink and bright, they are new. That cracks something new in Caitlyn’s chest. Vi’s entire life is in her hands. Literally and proverbially. And because of Caitlyn they are littered with half healed marks and patches of raw skin. 

“Gods,” Caitlyn can’t quite contain the words, “I’m so sorry.” 

She dabs at her knuckles. Anger has clouded her judgement for so long. All she has wanted is Jinx. But looking at Vi’s mangled hand, Caitlyn knows she would trade anything to undo this. 

She slides a hand under Vi’s neck enough to clean the grease and antiseptic from her shoulders. Then her face. Until the only thing left is her hair. Caitlyn only hesitates a moment before she wipes the sponge across it. Of course the paint comes off. Of course it’s paint. Vi is right there under this hard shell. Just waiting. 

She is such a fool. 

She tucks the gown around Vi’s prone form and unfolds the blanket on top of that. She hopes Vi will open her eyes but she doesn’t. The puff of her breath against the oxygen mask and the beeps of the monitors are the only things that let Caitlyn know she is alive. 

But she is alive. 

Caitlyn doesn’t know why but she reaches into the cabinet and opens out a roll of gauze. She cradles Vi’s arm in her lap and winds it around the skin. Her forearms are the only unblemished part of her. Because they were locked around her sister as she covered her with her body. But Caitlyn wraps them anyway. If Vi wakes up she wants her to know someone thought of her preference. Even if she know Vi will be furious if she finds out it was her. 

Caitlyn draws the blanket up and tucks it around one shoulder. Even though she can hear it on the monitors, she leans forward and places her ear against Vi’s chest. Her heart beats steady against Caitlyn’s cheek. Her chest rises and falls evenly. It’s a drugged sleep but Caitlyn closes her eyes and tries to match it. That way if Vi’s heart stops again, maybe hers will too. She hopes when she opens her eyes Vi will be looking at her. But she doesn’t. 

Caitlyn lets herself look for just a moment. With the black paint stripped away, it’s the Vi she remembers who lays there. The Vi whose haunted her dreams since she left her. Everything in Caitlyn aches to touch her cheek. But she’s overstepped in so many ways. She settles for a press of fingers to Vi’s wrist before she forces herself up. She tucks Vi’s arm underneath the blanket and makes sure it is pulled all the way up. 

There are a thousand things Caitlyn wants to say. 

But words are cheap and Vi won’t hear them. She pushes the cart of cleaning supplies to the side and washes her hands in the bathroom. The greasepaint is stubborn under her fingernails. Even when she tries to scrape at it halfheartedly. She hates the dirtiness but it’s also fitting. Vi doesn’t deserve the stain, she does. Caitlyn allows herself one last look at Vi’s prone form before she leaves the room. 

“Commander?”

“We’re going to the bunker to see the prisoner,” she says, “tell them to expect us.” 

[local-lamppost]

Act 2, Innitial thoughts, It's 4:30am

First of all: I really need to stop staying up late to binge this show...

SO!

Overall I feel a little bit of everything except happiness. It was all rather confusing and chaotic, which I think was meant to go along with the mess that the natural world is currently in, but is more likely a pacing issue. Act 1 could be quick in some places, but this act had far more 'trust me, happened off screen' moments and I'm not a fan.

Aside from that I liked it, my issue of pacing stems from me wanting to see more of these characters. Some were punished by pacing more than others. Viktor was fine, it was perfect A to B from where we left him to where we pick up; unlike Vi and Cait reconciliation.

Vi and Cait need a proper chat. I think Cait disagreed with Ambessa's plan of attack and would have found a way to disrupt things even without finding Vi. Cait's rage has simmered down it seems(still bringing up potential harm to innocents), her focus back on Jinx instead of the Undercity, so it makes sense for her to go against an assault on a peaceful settlement. Her finding Vi was just an added advantage.

The two of them haven't buried the hatchet. Vi must have something to say about what Vi has turned both cities into, and Cait has to acknowledge what her actions have done to her home and the woman she loves. I'm hoping them working together now is just a patch job for the bigger problem to be fixed in Act 3.

Vi and Jinx were adorable. I love that Jinx knew that Vi was pit fighting from the start, keeping an eye on her not out of care but just in case (maybe to get herself some money too, since she was betting on her sister) and that she immediately went to Vi after discovering Vander. The two of them felt like sister for the first time since season 1 act 1. Even their fight was less actively trying to hurt each other and more sibling brawl. It did work to show just how much of a mess Vi is, as she had trouble dealing with Jinx-who even on shimmer should be no physical match for Vi. I think Isha helped as a kind of filter between them, along with Vander. Jinx and Vi had to rely on each other for the first time ever, not even when Jinx was Powder did Vi rely on her. I think seeing Jinx older sister Isha put something into place for Vi. She sees that Jinx can love and care, and that give Vi hope.

And Isha... Isha who became a mirror of Powder, an off shoot of Powder that blows up an off shoot of Vander.

Non verbal characters in animation are always fun to watch because it gives the animators full control. Every gesture and expression has to add to something because there isn't any dialog to assist. A way to progress the story and give a character character through expression alone, and they knocked it outta the park.

Isha dying her hair, playing the monster game, drawing fake smoke tattoos, etc, all to imitate Jinx is adorable. I also love how she isn't just a tag along, but actively pushes Jinx into doing something to the point Jinx thinks she's in cahoots with Sevika. It's foolish to hope she lives, but god do I hope Isha lived.

Viktor is interesting. He is so unbothered by everything, with only the faintest sense of self remaining. I still think Sky is just figment of the Hexcore/Arcane, an avatar for him to play off of. His determination to help others at the cost of himself is that last strand that connects him to humanity, it's his hope and empathy.

And that's what Jayce kills, not the Arcane. There is not doubt in my mind the Herald survived, but Viktor is gone.

I know people are giving Jayce a lot of flack, but I'm holding out on learning what he experienced in his days/weeks spent inside the Arcane. It seemed to tear at his psyche, leaving him with the sole goal to destroy it's spread; and who was spreading it faster than Viktor?

We have yet to see Heimerdinger and Ekko return from the other side so, here's to act 3.

Confirmation on what Singed has been doing.

Lastly, Warwick. I loved the perspective shots with him, I loved his design and voice, and I love Vander. I did not realize just how much I've missed him.

The flashbacks with him, Silco and Felicia (Vi and Jinx's mom) were so bittersweet. Blister's a brimstone, what could've beens, and the promise of the future through children. The song and art for the sequence too was just heartbreaking; not to mention that Vander named Violet. It also seems to be confirmed that toddler Vi would hang out at the Last Drop with her folks, Vander, and Silco which is adorable.

I'm honestly not sure if Isha's attack will kill him, cause quite a bit of damage certainly, but he's been shown to regenerate quickly and from deadly attacks.

[one-chance-sevika]

The Drops of Trust

Part 1

The three of them being welcomed into this village—a tranquil haven in a world ravaged by war—was nothing short of a blessing.

Surely, those who stumble into a safe space after enduring so many sleepless nights should be beyond grateful.

The pristine order that the occupants of the village maintain should bring you a sense of looming responsibility.

There is a place for new members without exception. Being part of a well-balanced community is crucial for a good existence.

"If all of these things were valid, then ..." Vi whispered while playing with her sister's prosthetic finger.

"Oh! You didn't cut that crap yet?"Jinx pulled her hand back abruptly.

"Let Vi speak." said Isha looking up at Jinx and furrowing her little brows

"You didn't even let me get to the strange part!" Vi took off her jacket put it on the chair and picked up a bottle from the floor

"What, you are going to make me feel bad now for not listening to you? I would do that if you were not stinking drunk yet again!" Jinx exclaimed while she tried to take the bottle from Vi's hand

Vi stepped back from Jinx, her expression darkening as she shot her a scornful look, snatching the alcohol bottle from Jinx's pale hands.

As she headed for the door, she felt a weight tugging at her leg. Glancing down, she saw Isha clinging to her tightly. Without hesitation, she scooped Isha up into her arms and stepped out the door.

They went for a little walk; all you could hear were Isha's dainty steps and the clink of Vi's bottle as she chugged the alcohol.

"Why is it so hard for her to hear me out?" Vi looks down at Isha and pats her on the helmet. "It's not like I accuse them of being a damn cult for nothing, there are so many fucking signs" Vi takes another sip from the bottle and licks her lip scar clean.

"She is scared." said Isha in a muffled voice

"You should---"Isha turned her head and pulled on Vi's jeans, signaling that something was happening.

The only thing that the two could see was a figure that stood silently by the fountain. The pristine white robe that was covering their body seemed to be glistening in the soft light. Suddenly the robe's sleeve was soaked in blood. The figure raised their hand deliberately, letting the thick droplets of blood fall into the fountain. The person looked around while lowering the wooden lid.

Vi seized Isha in one swift motion, hurling the bottle aside as it shattered against the ground with a piercing crash. Without a second thought, she bolted toward their little hut.

Once they reached their so-called safe haven, Vi fell into the relentless grip of her nightly routine: drinking until the edges of her mind blurred, tossing and turning in a futile attempt to find rest, only to be haunted by the ghostly echoes of her long-lost lover. She hated the fact that she had to share her space with two other people when she yeared to feel alone. The constant remarks about her drinking and miserable state were not the help she was looking for. She kept tugging at the bandages that were wrapped around her chest, hoping that this would calm her down.

After a few hours of sleep, she woke up in a pool of sweat. Her muscles were sore and glistening in the morning light. She got out of bed and drew the curtain, only for her predictions to come true. She looked back at Jinx, her eyes were filled with fear and concern.

"Jinx, quit messing around with those damn gadgets and come see this"Her hand trembled on the blue and white curtain.

Ps: This is my first fan fic ever, so be nice, please.Also, if you have recommendations, please let me know,I want to improve my writing.

[kittyt-hexxed]

Book Two of Hexed - The Fury of Zaun (Vi x POC!Reader) - Ch.17

Next Upload Date: January 22nd

Act 2: Chapter Seventeen - Smoke on the Water

Word Count: 7.5k

Warnings: Explosions, Murder, Beating Up someone for Revenge, Blood, Bruises, Tying someone up, Dying Teenager, Family Reunions

Summary: The first place to suffer Zaun’s wrath is the one place that No Zaunite should be. Vi struggles to come to terms with her upcoming life changes, and gets an interesting surprise. And, the Undercity may be a tough place but not everyone living there is heartless.

Author Note: Only one chapter instead of two because I’m very sick. But, hopefully your holidays are better than mine! I’m sending love to anyone who may not being having a happy one.

The atmosphere for tonight seems fitting for what’s about to happen. Lightning strikes the air while thick, black clouds block the moonlight from showing through. It was also rapidly cooling down with winter approaching, so there was a deep chill out on the water. You knew that Janna was angry from what she heard, and it seems like even she was joining the mission. Huge waves were hitting the island Stillwater was on and you pitied any ships out on the water. They’d be begging for Janna’s mercy.

“That’s the target.” Heather puts a hand on her hip, “That stupid old rock.”

“You ready to have some real fun, Magpie?” You smirk underneath your mask, nudging her, “With no more shimmer refineries and Silco goons to beat up, you must be bored.”

“Definitely.” Heather giggles, “I know everyone else is feeling the same way. Being able to get back into the action is exciting.” She motions to the group waiting for Ekko’s cue. They’re all talking and moving around with jitters. The Firelights and Furies were teaming up to do this takedown properly since your brother was very good with time. He demanded to come with you, and you had planned on dragging him along anyway. But, it was nice to have him with you on his own. Your friends in the Firelights all requested to join, and who were you to tell them no?

“Fishbones can’t wait to make that building go BOOM!” Jinx laughs, skipping over to you, “I definitely feel the same way! What about you, My Lady?” She throws her arms around you.

“I can’t wait to watch it crumble into the sea.” You smile darkly.

“I’m feeling good about this. We’ve got twenty minutes before the next ship is due to pass the building.” Ekko looks up from his watch, “It’s time to start.” The group's energy immediately sparks up, excited muttering filling the air as you all approach the edge of the Sun Gate. This was the first official act to prepare for the war. People who’ve been locked up unjustly will be getting their freedom and the Hold will be no more.

“Would you like to do the honors, Owl?” You ask your brother.

“Lady Janna, please bring in the fog so we may approach undercover.” Ekko requests. A harsh wind kicks up as a thick fog glides in over the water. Your visibility of the place disappears as the fog becomes as thick as The Gray. No Enforcers on patrol will be able to see you coming. You snap your fingers and a little blue light appears in front of everyone. You had already told them about the plan, but you’ll remind them on the way in. That way everyone has it fresh in their minds.

“Five seconds.” Ekko holds his stopwatch, “Four, three, two, one. GO!” You launch yourself off the edge of the Gate, picking up momentum from the fall, before the chemtech kicks in. You rocket forward into the fog, losing visibility except for the lights that everyone is following. You could feel your anger bubbling beneath your skin ready to burst forth, and the loud screeching of the wings felt like it was expressing your feelings for you. The cry of death Jinx so lovingly calls it.

“Remember, there are forty floors. Take control of the alarm room. Then, we’ll move through the building and kill every Enforcer in sight. Once the people are evacuated from your floor, plant the explosives and continue forward. As long as you keep the time in mind, you should be done in time.” You explain the plan once more, getting confirmation calls back.

“It’s night so all of the inmates are sleeping in their cells.” Heather continues, “Kill the ones that need to be killed first, then wake the others. You must give the all-clear for your floors.”

“I’ll be blowing that baby sky-high once I’m given the all-clear! So, you better make sure your butts are out of there by the end of the twenty minutes if you don’t want to end up in pieces!” Jinx laughs. You see the building coming into view so you straighten up, the wings folding in before your feet hit the ground and you duck into a roll. You spring up onto your feet and you’re sprinting to the large doors with Sevika and Jinx in front of you. They smirk at each other, Jinx’s eyes flashing pink as they whip her Chompers out and yank the pins out with their teeth. ‘The two of them have been bonding very well.’ You think in amusement. The chompers go flying and you signal a warning for the impending explosions, but don’t stop running. Multicolored smoke fills the air as the doors are blown off their hinges, not built to withstand the corrosive chemicals Jinx used in these bombs.

Surprised exclamations come from inside and you use the smoke screen to your advantage. An unsuspecting Enforcer gets his throat sliced with your fans as you dash past him. The others would be taking care of the ones on this level so you didn’t bother going out of your way to take any down. If they were on the way to your destination, then you gleefully sliced into them. Your personal target is the Warden, a man Vi and Caitlyn had told you about when they first arrived at the Grotto. You whistle to get Jinx’s attention and she follows you down the hall to the Warden’s sleeping quarters. More Enforcers are sliced or shot to death, except for the one Jinx stuck a Chomper on. The two of you pause outside his door, listening to see if the commotion had woken him up. The sound of snoring is the only thing you hear and you motion to the door with your head. Jinx smirks, taking a few steps back before lifting her leg and kicking the door in.

“What the fuck?!” The Warden shouts in alarm, scrambling out of his bed in a deliriously tired state.

“Surprise!” You hear Jinx cackle as she rushes toward him with a bundle of rope in her hands. You observe the room as the Warden fights to get Jinx away from him. A pile of letters sits on the desk and you take the time to go through them, raising an eyebrow at some of the illegal correspondence. ‘Is this stuff you can use against Piltover?’ Umbra questions curiously. ‘It should be. Only the Warden has access to this room. This would be where he’d hide the things he doesn’t want anyone to see.’ You drop those letters into a rift and something in the corner of your eyes catches your attention. The silver figure at the top had been glinting in the light coming in from the hallway. ‘This is his staff.’ You casually pick it up, rolling it in your hand and noting that the top of it matches some old marks on Vi’s body. A growl leaves your lips and you whirl around to face the Warden.

“Hello, Warden.” You take slow, measured steps toward him, “A lovely night, isn’t it? The perfect night to blow up a building.” Jinx had tied him up quite skillfully, making sure he couldn’t move any part but his head. You were itching to drive your fans into his stomach but you couldn’t. He wasn’t going to die by your hands.

“Who are you?! How’d you get in here?!” He shouts, struggling in his restraints, “Take off those stupid masks!”

“We’re no one special.” You shrug, resting the end of the staff against his chest, “Well, actually… we’re the nightmares that will torture you for the rest of your short life. You see, we’re here on behalf of a friend. You’ve made a very bad decision, Warden. We’d like to have a chat with you.” You tap the staff against his chest, taking a step back and handing it to Jinx. She had begged to be involved in this. You had said no at first, too blinded by your rage to realize that it would only make sense for her to do it. That changed after you calmed down and you decided to give her the first go.

“Don’t cha worry, this’ll only hurt ya a lot, toots!” Jinx chirps darkly, letting go of the death grip she had on her mind, “This is for my sister!” She snarls and brings the metal end of the staff down on him. You lean against the wall and watch as Jinx hits him. The occasional call from the others comes in through the comms and you keep track of the progress. It seems like everyone is doing really well and you’re not needed for any assistance. Five minutes pass before you call Jinx, and she has to force herself to stop. Her hands tremble with the staff clutched so tightly you’re surprised it hasn’t snapped.

“Can I cut in, Crow?” You hold your hand out for the staff and she gives it to you after a pause.

“Be my guest.” Jinx hums, “He’s still conscious.” You stare at him, hearing Vi's words repeat over and over in your head. You were going to make sure it hurt him to even breathe. With an angry yell, you slam it into his ribs. Your mind went hazy as you repeatedly hit him, knowing that he had caused your love so much pain. Umbra had to warn you to stop right as Jinx grabbed your wrist. The Warden was barely conscious at this point, face swollen and bloody, as you angrily took ragged breaths.

“Ten-minute warning!” Ekko’s voice sounds, “You should be starting your final floor now!”

“He deserves what’s coming to him.” Jinx hisses, “Letting him live is not a mercy.” You nod in agreement, too upset to say anything as the two of you grab him and push him into a rift. You knew that she wanted to kill him as much as you did, but that would allow him to get away with what he’s done. And, as angry as you were, neither of you could allow that.

“Every second of it.” You agree, finally finding your voice, “I’m going to start rigging the floor. You’ve got this, Crow?” You put a hand on her shoulder.

“I’d rather do this alone.” She looks at you, cracking her knuckles, “I want to get artistic with it.”

“Have fun.” You chuckle, watching her step into the rift, “See ya in ten for the grand finale!” You call right before it closes. You hum to yourself trying to ease the tumultuous mix of anger and glee that was in you. You carefully place the bombs in place, making sure to stick them in the weak points of the structure. Chrissy had given you a copy of the blueprints for Stillwater Hold a week ago. Thanks to Zara breaking it down and explaining it properly, everyone knows where all of the support beams are for each floor. This place was going to crumble like a piece of wet paper and you were looking forward to it.

Time passed a lot faster than you thought it would and soon the official all-clear came through. You knew they would be moving away from the building so you continued where you were going. Instead of using a rift, you took the elevator down, watching as the counter rolled up to forty. You take a deep breath as the gate opens and you walk down the hallway, taking in the line painted on the floor. You pause in front of the last cell and hold your hand out, the metal of the bars warps and bends, ripping open to give you a view of the inside.

“Solitary?” You pause in the middle of braiding her hair.

“Yeah. The cell is on the bottom floor. Forty. I was in there more than my original cell, so it ended up being my assigned place in solitary. They even carved my inmate number into the bars.” Vi chuckles, leaning her head back to look up at you, “One of the walls has a dent in it because I was always punching it. There are doodles in the concrete after that one time I managed to sneak a pen down there… then, there are the bloodstains…” She sighs.

Your hands tremble as your firelight illuminates the cell, showing everything Vi mentioned to you. You swallow hard, crouching down at a large bloodstain in the cement, and run your fingertips over it. A sharp gasp leaves your lips as a wave of pain and grief washes over you. The sound of Vi’s scream rattles in your ears and you fall over in shock. You grit your teeth and your fists clench so tightly that you think you might break your fingers. You stand up and place the last of your bombs right in the middle of the room.

‘The rage you’re feeling right now would be enough to ignite these bombs.’ Umbra says dryly. You chuckle, feeling anything but amused as you step out of the cell and straight into a rift. She was right. All you can feel right now is rage. You knew what Vi was talking about was horrible, but to see it? To see the cell that she spent the majority of the last six years in? To feel the emotions stuck to the room like a bad odor. ‘I’m going to burn Piltover to the ground.’ You growl. You drop through the sky, seeing the glow of the other wings hanging around a safe distance from Stillwater. Your wings activate, slowly descending until you’re in line with the others and you greet them.

“My surveillance is done.” You say to Jinx who does a little dance.

“Alright, everyone! You have ten seconds!” Jinx shouts, slamming her hand down on a glowing button, “Get ready for the fireworks!” She throws her arms up. Not even a second later, there’s a loud boom and the building gets blown apart. You all shout in joy as more explosions sound and then the fireworks go off in the sky to signify the war starting. Various colors of smoke fill the air and you watch as Stillwater Hold crumbles into the ground.

“Piltover will no longer be able to imprison our people.” Sevika says and even though her voice modifier makes her sound emotionless, you all knew how liberating this felt. Zaun was able to handle its own. Always has been. The fact that Piltover didn’t allow that and shoehorned everyone into Stillwater Prison regardless of a petty crime or not was disgusting. With the Dredge being cleared through, there’d be more than enough space for any new residents.

“I used to wish I could use my winds to knock it down. I couldn’t. Not with Zaunites inside.” Janna’s voice sounds out around you, “Thank you for freeing our people from Piltover’s grasp. I can now breathe a little easier.”

“This is only the beginning.” You say, watching the smoke mix in a beautiful display of anarchy, “We’re going to do what they did to us. Put them in a hole they can’t get out of without our help.”

The current weather is perfectly describing the way Vi is feeling. A harsh wind is blowing, whistling through the breezeway of the Sun Gate, and complimenting the crashing waves. Vi had seated herself on the railing with her back to the support and let her legs dangle over each side as she watched the water. Cassandra had her sit down yesterday and create a schedule that included etiquette lessons, her Enforcer duties, and meetings with the Council. Vi hadn’t said much, not wanting her mouth to get her in trouble. Then she’d be stuck with more etiquette lessons and it would've been more trouble than it was worth. After that, Vi went up to her room and thought through everything that happened with Y/n. There was something that was bothering her, but she couldn’t place her finger on it. She was angry and upset, but it didn’t feel like it was entirely her emotions.

“Hey, Vi!” Kevin comes over, waving enthusiastically, “I didn’t expect to see you out here this late at night! Are you in the doghouse with the Sheriff?” She frowns slightly, not really in the mood to talk but the kid was always nice to her despite her prickly demeanor. He liked to hang around her when he knew she was on duty, and she never questioned why.

“No, I came out here on my own. I find it easier to think during this time, and I didn’t want to go to sleep.” Vi shrugs, “So, here I am.”

“You know, that’s why I prefer the night shift. Nothing really happens at night, and it’s just a time I can enjoy the relatively quiet evening.” He leans against the support across from her, “The other Enforcers like that they can just goof around with each other.”

“Yeah. The past few nights I’ve been out here, I’ve overheard them cracking jokes and playing some stupid game.” Vi glances down the breezeway, seeing vacant spots where the others are supposed to be, “You all seem content.” Kevin lets out a heavy sigh that catches Vi’s attention. The guy was always very cheerful around her. It was unusual to hear him be so upset.

“Sometimes I think being an Enforcer is too easy for what we’re supposed to be doing.” He raps his knuckles against the railing, clearly agitated. ‘I guess I’m not the only one in a contemplative mood.’ Vi observes him as he fidgets. The Enforcers were too relaxed around her since she was supposed to be in Caitlyn’s pocket. She found it interesting, considering the fact that a vast majority of people in Zaun are terrified of her. ‘Piltovens don’t know when they’re in danger, do they?’

“And what’s that?” Vi spits, glaring out at the distant figure of Stillwater Hold in the distance. She wished that building would disappear. Every time she was forced to patrol this gate, it taunted her about all of her failures. The marks on her body from that place could fade, but the painful memories wouldn’t.

“Maintaining the order and safety of the people, enforcing the laws, and preventing, detecting, and investigating criminal activities.” Comes his robotic answer, “But… there’s been nothing since I joined. You’d think there’d be issues in the night but there’s nothing.”

“You want there to be conflict?” Vi narrows her eyes at him.

“No, but it’s so annoying seeing the others act like it’s not even a job. They do whatever they want and don’t even patrol or do their other assignments. I just wish there was something that made them realize it’s not some cushy free time.”

“Careful what you wish for.” Vi snorts, watching as thick fog rolls in and hides Stillwater from her vision, “You never know if that one is the one to come true.” A loud, eerie screeching noise fills the air that makes Vi’s adrenaline spike. She snaps into awareness, looking around her for the source of the sound but she can’t see anything. ‘The fog is too thick. All I can see is the damned light coming from the Hold.’ She scoffs but her body doesn’t relax. There could be a threat out here and without being able to see it makes her extremely uncomfortable.

“What the fuck was that?!” Kevin shouts and Vi shushes him. She listens intently, trying to find out if she can hear something else or if that noise repeats itself. The crashing of the waves and occasional lightning strike is all her ears can pick up. ‘That’s unsettling.’ Vi frowns. ‘I haven’t heard anything like that before. Maybe it’s a bird call?’

“Whatever it was, it’s gone now.” Vi shrugs, “So, you were complaining?”

“I’m not complaining. I’m just frustrated.” Kevin huffs, turning to look at her, “Besides, what made you join the Enforcers? Someone mentioned you’re supposed to be helping with the Jinx problem, but you’re never with the squads that go into Zaun.” Vi bites her tongue to keep herself from snapping at him. ‘He doesn’t know that he’s talking about my sister. Relax, Vi. Don’t let your temper get the better of you.’ She takes a deep breath and looks back out to the fog.

“Sorry, kid. That’s something way above your rank.” Vi snorts at the irony of her words, “But if you must know, I’m here to protect someone. Not for any heroic shit or whatnot.”

“From Jinx?” Kevin presses.

“Keep asking questions and we’ll find out how long it takes before you hit the water.” Vi says dully and Kevin’s jaw drops. They fall into silence for a while and Vi didn’t care that he was there as long as he was quiet. Her mind wanders to the conversation she had with Tobias in the evening. He made it a point to bring her a cup of coffee when he didn’t see her in the library. The first time he did it, he asked that she keep it a secret because he wasn’t supposed to be drinking coffee. It gave him too much energy. It has slowly become something she looked forward to, especially when she found out that his favorite brand was her mother’s favorite. Vi had cried when she realized it, the loss of her mother stinging harder now that she needed a nurturing hand. Yesterday evening, he told her how he had come to appreciate her presence. It made him feel less lonely, and he had earnestly told her that her sister was more than welcome to stay with them. Vi didn’t know how to take it. He had no clue who he was inviting over, but his words were genuine. That was an appalling thing to Vi. Tobias was so kind and Cassandra was… not. She couldn’t wrap her head around it.

An explosion sounds, jolting Vi out of her thoughts and she nearly falls onto the breezeway with how fast she jumps up onto the railing. The fog had been thinned out by whatever exploded and was rapidly fading away as more explosions went off. They were clearly at a distance from how muted it was, but the fact that she can hear it meant it was a big one. It wasn’t long before the fog had given away to show her a view of the bay and Stillwater Hold. Or, where Stillwater used to be. The bright light that used to be there was gone and although it was nighttime, she was supposed to be able to see the building clearly from the Sun Gate. It wasn’t there.

“HOLY SHIT! SOUND THE ALARM!” Kevin screams and Vi can hear him running to the others, “STILLWATER HAS BEEN BLOWN UP! GUYS! GUYS!”

Vi is frozen where she is. Multicolored smoke rises into the night sky in a mixture of yellow, green, pink, and blue. It was so vibrant it was hard to miss, especially as fireworks burst in a silent display. ‘The prison is… gone.’ She thinks in disbelief. The colored smoke could only point to the one person she knew that used it. ‘Powder… What have you… Why would you…?’ Vi’s feet carry her down and away from the railing in her haze. She starts running, sprinting down the breezeway, down the stairs, and towards the launch point that was used for Stillwater. Her gaze kept leading back to the smoke in the sky whenever she could see it. It was like a message from her sister. But why?

Vi stops suddenly when she reaches the launch point. She can clearly see the smoke in the distance, undeniable proof that it’s coming from Stillwater. But, on the end of the dock is a sight she never expected to see. A group of Enforcers is standing there in shock as they gaze up at the Warden of Stillwater, tied up and dangling from some poles. She slowly moves closer, taking note of the familiar oil pastel doodles that depict the man as a monster. Words were written all around, calling out the man as corrupt and an abuser of power. Vi can feel too many emotions flood her body, forcing her to sink her nails into the palm of her hand to ground herself. Seeing the man who abused her like this, who allowed others to beat her until she was unconscious… she was completely and utterly gleeful about it.

She chuckles as she stops at the front of the crowd, her lips twisting into a feral smirk. A flash of white in the corner of her eye has her turning to see a piece of paper falling toward her. She almost wrote it off as trash before she remembered that it’s not common in Piltover. Vi catches it and sees her Hellhound symbol on the front which prompts her to open it. ‘To my slug-eating crab, I hope you like this gift!’ Her heart constricts in her chest and she hurriedly stuffs it into her pocket before anyone notices. ‘I’ll finish reading this when I get somewhere private.’

“Yeah, I’ll leave this one to you guys…” Vi laughs, backing away from her little sister’s masterpiece, “That’s some amazing rigging work though. So, good luck getting him down!” She waves and starts walking back up the dock. None of them even acknowledge her, too appalled by the sight to do more than stare. Vi can hear shouting and the pounding of boots as more Enforcers rush this way. ‘Did she… blow up Stillwater for… me?’ Vi thinks in surprise, glancing at the pocket the note was shoved into. ‘There’s only one way to find out.’

“Vi!” Caitlyn’s voice makes her stop in her tracks. Vi sighs heavily, not wanting Caitlyn to ruin the joyous mood she’s in, before plastering a smile on her face. She whirls around to see Caitlyn marching over to her with a sight frown on her face. The normally put-together woman was hurriedly tying her hair up, most likely woken up by the news. Vi was impressed with how quickly she made it down here, considering she’d have to run all the way from her mansion.

“Cupcake!” Vi says cheerfully, “What can I do for you?” Caitlyn grabs Vi by her bicep and yanks her onto a secluded area of the docks.

“If you wanted to kiss me in private, you could have just asked.” Vi teases her, making Caitlyn quickly let her arm go.

“We need to chat.” Caitlyn says sternly, crossing her hands over her chest. Vi’s hand twitches slightly before an amused smile flicks onto her face. That was another word that had a different meaning in Zaun than in Piltover.

“You don’t have the hands for stabbing.” Vi pats her shoulder in fake sympathy.

“...What?” Caitlyn’s voice goes up in pitch as her face twists in confusion.

“No worries, I won’t get in your way.” Vi puts her hands up in surrender and slowly backs away, “I’ll see you when the boats get here, Cupcake!” She hurriedly walks away as Caitlyn shouts out her name. By this point, she should understand Vi’s tactics to get away from her, but it continued to work every time. ‘Sorry, Cait, but I have a note from my sister to read before we go to see the damage done. Normally I wouldn’t want to go back there, but… Powder did this.’ Vi finds a quiet area and gets comfortable, tugging the note from her pocket. Her Hellhound symbol was something she hadn’t seen in a long time. The sight of the demon dog made something in her ache.

To my slug-eating crab, I hope you like this gift! We weren’t going to do it so soon, but you know how convincing anger can be! Don’t worry, no innocent people were harmed in the explosion. But, are you proud of me?! It’s my biggest BOOM, yet! Hahaha! This is my way of telling you that… no monster is going to get you as long as I’m here. That’s my job! With Love, Your Slug Monster!

Vi flinches when a tear hits the paper. She hurriedly wipes her tears away, but more start falling as she does. The few times she’s seen her sister since being released from Stillwater Hold have been… not so great. To see that Powder still cares about her after everything that has happened is some good news she desperately needed.

The sound of laughter and happy chatter greets you and your team as you approach the Temple. A group of children is playing with a bouncy ball out front while some acolytes watch them and talk. After blowing up Stillwater Hold, your group broke apart and got to work. Half went back to Zaun to talk with the people freed from the Hold and the others waited for the ships to come in. You had returned to Zaun and addressed the people you freed. You were direct about why they had been released but told them that they had a choice. They could remain in Zaun and prepare for war or they could leave for another country. They all chose to stay. Fue had come back in high spirits, rambling about how fun the raids were. It was challenging yet fun to sneak around the Enforcers out on the water. Landon had remained as a lookout - making you feel nostalgic about that role - while everyone else rushed the ships. The haul this time around was much greater than the last and everyone was feeling very proud of it.

“Lady Hexxit! Ekko!” One of the acolytes grins widely when she sees you, “Welcome to the Temple!” The children gasp when they realize who you are and excitedly run over to greet you. You laugh, place your box on the ground, and crouch down to hug the children. They zip around, giving hugs to everyone and asking what you’ve brought them this time. It warmed your heart to hear them cheer when Ekko said it was more food and clothes.

“Good morning.” You greet the acolytes as the children run back to their games, “We’re here to drop off some gifts. Is the Priestess in today?”

“Yes, she’s in the middle of a blessing so please be respectful if you’d like to go in during this time.” Another acolyte responds, “Lady Janna has granted us her presence as well.”

“We will be respectful, as always. Thank you, ladies.” You nod your head and they bow, opening the doors with welcoming smiles. You’re immediately greeted by another acolyte who leads your group through the temple. Although this wasn’t your first time coming through, this was just how they treated their guests. No guest was to feel unwelcomed as long as they weren’t there to cause harm. You’re being led past the blessing chamber when you pause by the door. Laying across an altar table is a teenager no older than sixteen, dozens of black candles surrounding him as the Priestess waves her staff over him. Off to the side is Janna, her staff clenched in her hand as a frown darkens her face.

“He has Lung Blight.” The acolyte says softly, “He’s an orphan we’ve been looking after. Parents died of the same sickness recently. Lady Janna tries to guide the air through his lungs, but they are weak and failing him.”

“Just like Ty.” Heather mutters. You glance behind you to see everyone gazing into the chamber with sad expressions. People were still dying, and although you were making progress on cleaning the air, it felt like it was going too slow.

“He doesn’t have long left, I’m afraid. This blessing is for his safe passage into the afterlife.” The acolyte sighs, shaking his head, “It never gets easy.”

“Could you save him?” Jinx steps forward, nudging you, “You brought me back to life. Maybe you can… heal his lungs?” She questions.

“I-I don’t know. I don’t even know how I brought you back, flower. I don’t know if I can heal him.” You frown and turn back to the sight. You gasp softly when Janna suddenly appears in front of you, grabbing your wrist with a pleading gaze.

“Please, my sweet breeze. Please, try to save him. I cannot watch another one of my people die.” Janna begs you, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Lady Janna, I-”

“I shall assist you with my magic. Please. I witnessed you bring Jinx back to life. I believe that you can do this.” Janna says passionately, making your heart clench.

“Okay. I’ll give it a try.” You nod. With those words, Sevika takes your box and Janna leads you into the chamber. The Priestess looks up, giving you a curious look and you give her a soft smile. You can hear the boy’s raspy breathing as you get closer and it makes your heart clench with sadness. The memories of Ty flash into your mind.

“Hello there.” You greet him, his eyes widening when he sees you, “I may be able to help you breathe again, but I will only attempt to do so with your permission.”

“H-How- can you- do- that?” He struggles to speak.

“I have magic.” You whisper, letting a flame flicker to life at your fingertips, “Do you wish to have a chance at life once more? I can’t guarantee you won’t get sick again, but-”

“Yes!” He gasps out, grabbing your hand, “Pl- ease!” You squeeze his hand and nod.

“You don’t mind, Priestess?” You double-check with her.

“Please.” She motions to the teenager, “Do whatever you can.” Janna walks around to the other side of the altar and grabs your other hand. There’s a quiet understanding between the two of you as she places her hand on his chest.

“Close your eyes and do your best to relax.” You instruct him. He stares at you for a moment before closing his eyes and allowing his body to relax. You take a deep breath and allow your eyes to slip shut as well. ‘Dig deep, Y/n. You’ve got this. You can do this. Whatever you did before… do it again.’ You feel your mind sink deeper, focusing on your heartbeat and then the feeling of their hands in yours. A cool energy washes over you from your left hand, like a refreshing breeze on a hot day. It travels through you and feeds your magic, soothing it and allowing you to focus on pushing it into the teenager. Another wave of energy flows into you, making you gasp as it burns your nerves like electricity. You’ve got this. Somewhere deep inside of you recognizes it as the Arcane. As your magic enters his body, an image of it appears in your mind and you can see that his lungs are almost dead. A stream of your magic fills his lungs and you watch in awe as it begins to heal the damage. Your eyes flutter open, the low candlelight stinging your eyes for a moment before you gaze at the boy. His chest was rising steadily with no signs of a struggle and you realize that he is asleep.

“You did it!” The Priestess gasps, her hands flying up to her mouth. Janna grins widely, appearing next to you and sweeping you into a tight hug. You can hear the others cheering in the background as your mind starts to process what you did. ‘I did it… I… did it.’ You feel tears sting your eyes as Janna puts you down. ‘Thank you for your belief in me.’ You think, hoping the Arcane heard you. You glance at your friends, catching sight of your guest nervously fidgeting in the back. ‘Right, one last thing before we start sorting through the supplies.’ You hold your hand out towards the group and beckon the man forward. His eyes widen as the group steps aside for him, revealing him to the other women in the room.

“Dad?” You hear the Priestess whisper in disbelief.

“Marigold...” The old man breathes out, walking into the chamber in awe, “Look at you… you’re- you’ve… grown.”

“Dad!” The Priestess shouts, running forward to embrace her father, “But, how are you here? Y-You were sent to Stillwater for life!” She wipes her tears away, glancing around the area at all of you. A wide grin crosses your face as the others do the same, happy to reunite the loving woman with her only parent. She shared her heartbreaking story about her father working hard to raise her on his own when she had gotten into some trouble. At the time, she wasn’t a fighter but her friends had begged her to join them as a scout in case something went wrong. They were jumped early in the morning by a group of Pilties who had thought it would be fun to rough up some Zaunites. She pleaded with them that she didn’t want to fight, but they didn’t care. Her father had saved their lives, but it ended with him being sent away to Stillwater for the crippling injuries he gave the Piltoven teenagers.

“Your friends surprised us in the middle of the night, telling us that they were freeing us and the dead Enforcers were quite convincing.” He chuckles.

“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have snuck out that night-!”

“-Don’t apologize. I’m your father. I would do it all over again if it meant that you survived to see another day.” He shakes his head, “I’m here now, and I’d love to hear about how you got into such a prestigious position.”

“Of course!” She nods, then turns to you, “Thank you. Thank you for bringing my father home. I-I could never repay you for this.”

“How about helping us distribute more food and clothing?” You smile sweetly, “There’s suddenly more people who will need assistance.”

“Let’s get to work then.” She nods. You all leave the room while some acolytes tend to the teenager. You were still in shock that you managed to do that. Both times you’ve done magic like that you were either guided or in a very distressed state. You had thought those two times might’ve been a stroke of luck or even something you couldn’t do on your own. You even tried to redo something like that when Auvern had broken her wrist, but nothing happened. To know that you can still do it brings you some relief.

After a few hours of work, Ekko grabs you and the two of you change before heading up to Piltover. You had quietly discussed the progress on cleaning up the pollution in the Undercity and learned that they had run into a snag with the systems they were trying to create. With the two of you being so busy with other projects, there was no way you’d be able to assist with it. That’s when Zara suggested approaching Viktor and Sky once more. They hadn’t taken you up on your invitation to live at the Grotto or the Rapids, but you continuously kept in touch. You planned to go and see them in their lab today as Y/n and Ekko Pyre as a way to have free access to them… without scaring them every time.

So, you and your brother went for a stroll through Piltover. There was a bit of an issue getting into the city since Enforcers were guarding the entrance, but you got through without killing anyone. The IDs your uncle had given you proved extremely useful in that circumstance. You and Ekko tried hard not to smile when you heard people talking about the tragic explosion of Stillwater Hold. You hadn’t heard anyone mention Jinx’s name, so you assume that they were still keeping her a secret from the citizens. Their excuse for the explosion at the Councilor’s Building was that an experimental device had gone wrong. You found it ridiculous that the people accepted that, but you had to give credit for the quick thinking. It wasn’t hard to find the location of Jayce and Viktor’s shared lab. Their lab was in the heart of the city, so you picked up some fruit smoothies - then had to fight your brother over getting to drink your OWN - and headed inside.

“Good afternoon!” You’re greeted by Sky whose eyes widen when she looks up from her desk, “Oh! Y/n, Ekko, you’re here!” She gets up from the desk and rushes over to hug you.

“Hey, Sky!” Ekko chuckles, “We’ve brought food and drinks for our hardworking friends.” He lifts the bag which has sandwiches from Molina's, the butcher cafe in Zaun that you knew they loved.

“Thank you.” Sky smiles, accepting the two drinks from you, “Vik’s in his lab, so I can take you there.” She leads you down the hall and into an elevator.

“How are the two of you?” You playfully nudge her, “Any new relationship information we should know?”

“Not yet.” Sky laughs, stepping out of the elevator. The rest of the journey is quiet, as you don’t want to talk about anything too sensitive where it can be heard. Sky knocks on the door to Viktor’s lab and it slides open with a soft woosh. Viktor brightens up when he sees his fiancee and then grins when he sees you and Ekko.

“If it isn’t two of my favorite inventors!” Viktor says happily, accepting the drink from Sky, “Impressive work on Stillwater by the way. I overheard Jayce muttering about how it’s irreparable and I thought he was going to pop a blood vessel.”

“We had some inside help.” Ekko smiles slyly, “Now, we brought some food to eat, so take a break from whatever you’re doing.” He reaches into the bag and tosses a sandwich to him. Viktor catches it, smiling at the sticker on it that said Molina’s when he sees it. The four of you take a seat on the floor away from his work and enjoy a nice lunch. You talk about what happened with Stillwater and the process that you went through. They tell you that no official statement has been reached, but Jayce has been running around all morning. It won’t be long before they’re releasing a detailed statement on what happened.

“So, Viktor. Sky. I wanted to extend another invitation to you two about staying with us in Zaun. We’d love to have you back home, especially because we need someone with your expertise.” You state, tucking your trash back into the paper bag.

“What do you mean you need our expertise?” Viktor furrows his brow.

“We’ve run into a snag with the purification process on a machine being created to assist in cleaning up Zaun. The only person we know who can help is you.” Ekko responds, “We need you.”

“Can I… we… get back to you on that?” Viktor hesitates, sharing a glance with Sky, “We’re trying to get things settled here without causing any issues.”

“Of course. You could just show up at our front door if need be.” You shrug.

“Thank you.” Sky says sincerely, “We really appreciate how welcoming you’ve been.”

“Sky, you’re-” Ekko gets cut off as the door opens. You all look up to see the Man of Progress himself walking into the room. He gives you and your brother a curious look before turning to Viktor.

“The Council needs you to sit in on this meeting about Stillwater.” Jayce says, “And, who are your friends?”

“Jayce, this is Heiress and Heir Pyre. They’re friends of mine that I met a while ago during Progress Day.” Viktor introduces you to him. Jayce’s eyes nearly pop out of his head at that and you can see how fast he’s thinking.

“It’s nice to meet you, Heiress and Heir Pyre.” He reaches out to shake your hands and you begrudgingly do, “Actually, would you like to come to the Council meeting? We could use your expertise and perspective.” You blink in surprise. ‘Did someone talk to him about me? Either way, this is not something I should be passing up.’ You and Ekko share a glance and he nods at you. He signals to you that you should be the one to go while he hangs back to talk with Sky. You nod at him before addressing Jayce.

“If the Council would be okay with that, but my brother has a prior meeting with Sky.” You answer, making Jayce nod.

“Meet me in the lobby in five minutes.” Jayce says before exiting the room.

“Does he talk to you like that all the time?” Ekko questions, appalled.

“Yes.” Viktor and Sky chorus.

“Can I strangle him?” Ekko asks seriously.

“Only after I do it.” Sky huffs, crossing her arms.

“Please don’t strangle him. He, unfortunately, writes my checks.” Viktor sighs, standing up and stretching. You do the same and clean up the mess of the food wrappers on the floor. You weren’t expecting to waltz into a Council meeting but here you were. It looks like your new identity is already getting you into places you’ve never been before.

[gauntlets-shot]

starter for @misstantabismuses

It's not like Vi could escape her past or the Undercity in general and this new rumor only proved that. As if she had enough to think about when it came to Jinx. Pulling Vander into the mix seemed shallow, in her opinion at least. "Someone said he was the leader of the Lanes way back when." "No, he was the old owner of the Last Drop." "Apparently all his kids die in some freak accident. That's probably what made him go insane." "I heard Silco used to be friends with him." Those were just some of the things she heard around on the streets. Every sign pointed Vi to believe that the being they were talking about was Vander but she had hugged his corpse, his shimmer infused corpse and she hadn't heard a heartbeat. Was there really a way he could be alive though? She wanted to believe all of but maybe it was just that kid inside of her that wouldn't let go of her dad. Whatever it was, Vi had to see for herself.

She couldn't go around and just grab people to intimidate them and heckle them for information since she was a known enforcer now (admittedly that killed her inside a bit) so Vi went to the first place she knew she could get info: the brothel. Vi kept her head low as she went to speak with Babette and sure enough, the rumors seemed to be true. The fighter was inclined to listen to the old Yordle as she had never steered her wrong in the past but still, Vi wouldn't fully believe anything until she ran into Vander herself. Plus, Babette was one of Vander's friends so if she had heard about all of this, she should know for herself, right?

Vi was told that Vander, or rather Warwick (go figure, he and Powder both opted for name changes) would be after certain people today or was suspected to show up around said people, so Vi dedicated the whole day to staking out around those people in order to catch him. It was a shitty plan, one with not too much thought put into it but Vi was desperate at this point. The sun was almost setting and Vi was about to give up but suddenly, as she walked by a random alley way, the beast appeared out of nowhere and Vi's eyes bugged out of her skull. He looked just like the descriptions she was given, the blueish-purpleish fur stuck out like a sore thumb in the Zaunite haze. The beast had equipment on his back too, which she didn't get quite a good description on what that would look like but it checked out. Another detail that stuck out were the beast's piercing red eyes that glowed with bloodlust.

Vi kept her space just in case Warwick didn't know who she was but everything weighed down on her like a pile of bricks. The fighter's breathing picked up and she was sure her heart was going to explode at the sight of him. Tears began to form in her eyes and although she was internally spiraling, her body seemed to be fairly calm on the outside, perhaps a little fazed but that was it. He looked so different and in pain but she couldn't explain it. She wanted to help, she wanted to run into the beast and give him a hug even though he looked nothing like before but she knew. Vi knew this was her dad. She could feel it in her gut and her heart. "Vander?" She asked quietly. Her voice didn't even sound like her own anymore, it sounded like that broken teenager who would do anything for her family, her father included.

[gauntlets-shot]

just--a--jinx

“No—and for the record, I never hinted that you go up to Piltover. I just think there is another safer way of going about this.” 

Sharp, appraising eyes snapped up to Caitlyn. 

“‘…Safe?’” Jinx echoed the word as though she was unfamiliar with its meaning. 

Safer for who? 

No. No no no. This wasn’t right. It didn’t feel right. This stupid Topsider wasn’t making any sense. 

“Do you have some sort of secret passage way to Silco? Perhaps we could use those and…Never mind, we will figure out what to do on the way.”

And what?

Shoot him! A loud voice crowed in the back of Jinx’s head. 

Tie him up! Another suggested.

Stick pins in his eyes! A third voice interjected. 

There was no way Hat Lady was going to be down with that. It was as though the enforcer realised this, what with how quickly the suggestion tapered off into nothing. Whatever. It didn’t matter anyway. They weren’t doing this the ‘enforcer way’. That had never been part of the deal. 

“But first, can we please get something to eat? And you can’t leave me here to die. Do you really think getting to Silco and making it through Silco’s thugs will be easy? You can’t do this alone…plus call me empathetic, but I’m worried about your current mental state. That might cloud your judgement, don’t you think? Also if you let me die here, more enforcers will be sent down here. One of us dies and ten more show up. Then you’ll have to deal with them and Silco’s forces.”

“Uuuuuuuugh fine, whatever!” Jinx groaned. At least if the stupid enforcer was eating she wasn’t going to be making dumb suggestions or trying to steer Jinx in the direction she wanted under the guise of it being Jinx’s idea. 

Getting to Silco would be easy. Doing it with an enforcer was the challenge. Did Hat Lady realise what was being sacrificed just so she could have her little piece of the cake? Talk of bad judgement, empathy and repercussions fell on deaf ears. By that point, Jinx had already selected a direction and begun to walk. Yup. Taking an enforcer to get food. That was normal. Zaun’s finest for the Topside lady! Haha. Where would they go? Did this mean the next decision was going to be a Jinx decision? It was only fair that they got to take turns. 

“Listen, Hat Lady, if I was gonna kill ya, I’d pick something cooler than Slow Annoying Hunger Death.” Jinx drawled as she picked a route back towards the busy markets. It’d be easier to blend in there. Soon the smell of fish, hot pies and mystery soups began to fill the air. They were a team. At least for now. And teammates gave each other fair warning, right? 

My sister’s dead and you’re kinda buggin’ me. 

I wasn’t gonna kill ya, so stop making it sound so fun. 

A broad gesture pointed out the array of food stalls.

Pick one. 

“Maybe we should set a trap.” Jinx suggested, switching abruptly to a tone of false affability now that they were navigating busy streets. Acting upset and vulnerable only put a target on your head in The Lanes. Nope. Dead sister thoughts were promptly boxed up and buried in the darker recesses of Jinx’s mind as they wove through the market together. 

She was good at traps. You could control the variables with a trap. Single people out. It was early enough that there was no real confirmation that Jinx had changed sides. All of Silco’s warmth and guardianship undone in the space in one afternoon…he’d need more than just rumours to believe it. 

“Jinx goes poof, Silco comes looking. Easy.” 

No Vi. No Silco. 

Hell, once it was over, Hat Lady would be gone too. 

Alone. All alone.

Jinx shook the ugly thought from her head.

In all fairness, Caitlyn thought Jinx could find some sort of enjoyment in watching her starve to death. Clearly Jinx liked deaths that were more gruesome, perhaps more festive but was there no thrill to watch Caitlyn die slowly? Then if she did die, it wouldn't be by Jinx's hand and she'd be off Scott free—Caitlyn quickly shook her head and pursed her lips. It was just the hunger making her have such ridiculous thoughts, that's all it was. Thankfully, the blue haired girl began to walk and Caitlyn followed without any hesitation.

Caitlyn took a look at her options once Jinx had successfully guided her to some food. They were markets, sort of like Piltover except way less fancy. Down here, they were all huts held together by sticks and cloth. It was a hard contrast but Caitlyn absorbed the scene quickly so that she could find something to eat. She spotted some fish nearby and despite smelling amazing, it didn't quite look it. She tried not to make a face at the charred meal but desperate times called for desperate measures. Plus they were technically on the run still.

She went to grab a few pieces of fish before she paused. Caitlyn didn't have any money. It had surely been looted from her person when she was captured. Curse it all. She looked towards Jinx but only for a second. If the blue haired girl did have any money, why on earth would she give it to her? Sighing, Caitlyn looked around again before she noticed some of the gold finishes on her uniform. Gold should've held its current value even down here, right? She hesitated before she tore off a small chunk. She turned it over in her hand before she grabbed the fish and offered it to the shop keeper. "Will this cover it?" Caitlyn asked but the shop keeper looked more than satisfied. She must have overpaid. No matter, she had gotten food hassle free.

"A trap?" Caitlyn asked as she took a bite from one of her sticks of fish. She let Jinx explain herself before she shrugged. "That's not a bad idea." She wanted the food to be in her system so she could think properly but either way, it really wasn't a bad idea. "Would you care to elaborate on that idea?" Caitlyn asked as the pair began to walk again. Word would get around that Jinx was with some enforcer and that said enforcer paid a shop keeper in literal gold for a few fishes. That clearly wasn't something that happened everyday.

💣EVERYBODY PANIC!💣

Vi. 

The name ached in her brain, wrenching forth a sea of memories soaked in vile anger and tenderness. 

Your sister is dead. 

How many times had Silco uttered the words? Soothing every fear, wound and anxiety Vi had left along with her sister on the bridge that fateful night. But that wasn’t the truth, was it? Vi had never been dead. Just…gone, and Silco was fighting to keep it that way. It was an earth shattering revelation, hearing Silco’s hushed, urgent conversations about ‘dealing’ with family as though it were some ugly wound that needed lancing. What had really driven the sense of anger and betrayal deep was Silco’s pointed silence on the topic when Jinx returned for his daily medication. There had been a time where the routine was tender, where they’d shared secrets with one another and upheld a pact of honesty. But Vi’s name never left Silco’s lips. He was lying about her. He was trying to keep her a secret. 

The knowledge made Jinx want to drive the needle deep into Silco’s eye. Over and over and over and over. 

She did not. 

The one shred of self restraint holding back the tidal wave of anger and hurt from challenging her so-called father figure was the knowledge of the person tied in the other room. An enforcer. An enforcer that for some reason, had been talking to Vi about something that Silco didn’t like. But if Silco didn’t like Vi, who was the real enemy? The thoughts writhed in an agitated, wounded mess, battling with each other in a fruitless effort to make sense of it all. If Silco found out that she knew about Vi, everything would speed up. No. She’d heard Silco’s side of things in the whispers he exchanged when he believed she wasn’t listening. What about their prisoner? What did she know? 

It hadn’t been difficult to find where they’d been keeping her. Marcus and Silco had been spending the better part of the day formulating some convoluted plan of attack. As Jinx moved soundlessly past Silco’s office, she heard the two inside, hours deep into a debate on this shiny new enforcer’s life. 

Jinx entered the holding room noiselessly from above, perching on the rough, dusty rafters to stare down at the woman tied to the chair. She didn’t look as old as the other enforcers Jinx had learned the faces of. A cold distance filtered into Jinx’s gaze while she watched the enforcer as though she were a spider Jinx hadn’t decided whether or not to stomp on. 

“Ugh, I thought they’d never leave.” The snide commentary sounded from above as Jinx swung her legs over one of the wooden beams. 

“Y’know, it’s not sounding good for you in the old Decisions Room. Guess you should’ve kept outta the way.” 

There was a soft thump as Jinx hopped down from her vantage point, strolling absently towards the door to fix a makeshift barricade. She didn’t want any interruptions, after all. This chat was going to be important. 

Jinx’s voice softened to something dangerously quiet. Tender, with the threat of teeth. 

“…But you didn’t.” 

Jinx hooked around to the enforcer, imposing an unsettling lack of distance between them as she leaned into the unsettling behaviour that so often prized results from people. 

“Let’s talk about that.”

(( Starter for @gauntlets-shot ))

[thenationofzaun]

Mylo took out his own feelings of inadequacy onto Jinx, and exacerbated hers.

I've seen lots of people say that Mylo was right in his belittling of Jinx, that he was only verbalizing a truth that Vi refused to see, or that while he could've been nicer when criticizing Jinx, his claim that she really was a bad luck charm that should be left behind was accurate. I disagree with this.

I can't stress enough that Mylo's constant bullying of Jinx revealed more about him than it did her. Mylo was an extremely insecure teenager who had little confidence in his own place within their group, who felt like he wasn't contributing as much as he would've liked to, and had a need to impress Vi, whom he looked up to. And he dealt with this by doing what a lot of insecure people do - belittle someone else who A) threatens their ego, or B) is an easy target (is weaker than them or has obvious shortcomings). This makes that other person the black sheep of the group, so they don't have to be. And Jinx fit both criteria.

In his very first appearance, you'll notice how often Mylo looks at Vi for approval. He's happy when she acknowledges him after his joke,

and then immediately looks to her when he successfully replicates her leap from one roof to another.

But during the actual job, it's clear that Mylo contributes very little. First, he takes too long to pick the lock on the door, and Vi has to kick it open.

Then, he has trouble distinguishing between valuable items and junk.

But you know who does know how to discern between items that are valuable and ones that aren't? Jinx. And Vi calls this out right in front of Mylo, embarrassing him. Notice how bothered he is by her comment.

Of course, Jinx goes on to make her own blunders during the job, but this just strengthens my point. Jinx fits criteria A) and B). She has valuable skills that Mylo doesn't, and Vi, someone he admires, calls attention to it. And she's accident-prone and screws up in more obvious, explosive ways than he does. Of course he picks on her. It's a good way to draw the group's attention away from his own shortcomings and onto hers.

During the street fight later on (that Mylo carelessly provoked), Vi and Claggor come out on top like badasses. Meanwhile, Mylo struggles and Vi has to save him.

But what happens right after that? Jinx gets cornered and loses their entire haul, except for the crystals. Mylo is (very understandably) frustrated and scolds her for this, but his performance in that fight was second worst after Jinx. His treatment of Jinx is mostly genuine frustration at her mistakes screwing them all over, and partially a way to bolster his own low self esteem. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't quite work. Vi has taken note of all of Mylo's mistakes despite his best efforts to deflect the spotlight onto Jinx's. And she calls him out for them when he, yet again, begins insulting her little sister.

But even after this, he still insults Jinx the very next episode. Right after Claggor teases him about losing to Jinx in a shooting game.

Now, Mylo wasn't a useless screw up with nothing to contribute, and neither was young Jinx. Without Mylo, Vander wouldn't have gotten free of his shackles and been able to protect and save Vi. But to accomplish freeing Vander, he needed encouragement and positive reinforcement to boost his confidence in himself and his abilities (things he denied Jinx).

Mylo wasn't useless, he was just incredibly insecure that he might be viewed that way and desperate to shield himself from being perceived as such. So he ostracized Jinx, a younger, weaker person who made a lot of mistakes he could easily call attention to, who also made him feel a little threatened since she was skilled in ways he wasn't. It's a very human reaction, typical of an immature teenager. He doesn't deserve to be dragged through the mud, but in no way were his "criticisms" wholly true, needed, or helpful. They were the words of an insecure boy, desperate not to be deemed the weak link in the group. And they had a greatly damaging effect on Jinx's self worth and insecurities.

It's cool that Mylo is a character with this much depth considering he dies in the third episode. And this just makes me even sadder to see the effect his bullying had on Jinx, considering they both had very similar insecurities.

[ashescroissant]

If You Love Arcane Play League of Legends - But Please Understand A Few Things

I’ve seen a lot of posts going around about League of Legends, most of them telling folks not to play the game. When in fact, you should play. We need more people to play the game and keep it alive. I’ve been playing League of Legends since Season 2, here’s some tips, advice, and a handy guide to play League safely, some resources to get you started, and what to expect from the game.

1. League of Legends is a hard game!!!  If you don’t like hard games, that’s okay. You can play against the bots. But if you want to play the meat of the game which is PVP, you need to understand that it is hard, and complicated with a lot of depth. 

People have literally spent years trying to master this game and even those at the top of the ladder still feel they have much to learn. It’s one of the main reasons that the community is so toxic. Because League is already difficult for one player, if another player isn’t playing well, it effects every single other person in the match.

If my Jinx, Vi, or Caitlyn is 0/10/0 that effects me as Fiora your mid lane Yasuo, your jungler, and your support, even if we didn’t start on the same lane. It makes it harder for all of us to win. 

The main thing to understand is that League is a strategy game, and you need to play it like one. I’ll link to some helpful resources to get you started.

2. The League Community is toxic, but that doesn’t mean you have to be, or need to interact with them.

Typing /Mute All in the chat mutes literally everything that could ever be said, or spammed in the chat. Use it. There are also mute buttons for specific people. Or. Within the game settings, you can turn the chat off entirely. 

3. The champions featured in Arcane are not good starter champions, with the exception of Caitlyn

Jayce - Is a Hybrid champion who is pretty hard to learn, but really fun once you do learn him.

Jinx - Is easy to pick up, but hard to master, and has a lot of flaws in the grand scheme of the game. 

Caitlyn - Is incredibly strong right now, easy to learn, and has the longest attack range in the game. (Aside from late game Tristana.) She is very safe and pretty easy to learn. If you want to pick up the game, I strongly suggest starting with Caitlyn. 

Vi - Vi is a jungle champion, jungle is a difficult role with a ton of responsibility, but lots of agency for the player in that role. Vi herself is rather easy to play, but the role she plays in is not. Only try picking her up once you have a better understanding of the game as a whole. 

4. There are some really great champions, that haven’t been featured in Arcane yet, who are great for newbies and deserving of your love and attention! Please check them out!

I couldn’t even begin to list all of them here, but I will show off a few of my personal favorites.

Illaoi - Top Lane Juggernaut

Big strong lady who brings the fricken kraken to battle with her! Illaoi is an awesome champion, a very strong top laner for beginners, and really not that hard to learn. You can check out DirtyMobs on youtube if you want to learn more about her. He is a GrandMaster Illaoi one-trick and is a super nice guy with great informational content for you to learn from.

https://www.youtube.com/c/DirtyMobs

Samira - Riot’s love letter to Devil May Cry - Bottom Lane ADC  While Samira is not as strong as she once was (and by that I mean completely overpowered.) she is still incredibly fun to play, has a really awesome backstory, in game lines, and great style abilities. I would not pick her up as your first champion but definitely one to pick up after you’ve learned the game a bit. 

Diana/Leona - Mid Lane Assassin - Tanky Support

While Diana and Leona are quite different in terms of their roles and their gameplay, they go together in the lore. Quite literally! They are canonically gay, and both are great introductions to a more aggressive and tanky support in Leona, and a great starter Mid Lane assassin in Diana. 

And that’s only a few! League has some amazing characters and incredibly cool lore behind all of them. I truly adore this game and all of it’s characters and have loved them for years. 

5. We Need You!

Part of the reason that the community is so toxic, is because no one wants to play because of it. As we all know, the best way to change things is to enact that change. I for one would love to see a surge of new and friendly faces on the rift! Please help those of us who love the game and aren’t toxic, breathe new life into our favorite game and keep it alive!

Lastly some helpful resources!

Starter Guide To League Of Legends - From SkillCapped https://youtu.be/u9JdENUoGik While Skill Capped is totally a scam. Their youtube videos such as this one can be incredibly helpful for new players.

Neace (Youtube/Facebook Streams)Coach:  https://www.youtube.com/c/NEACE/videos - While Neace might not be the nicest guy in the world, he is a coach for League and has tons of content for you to learn from. 

RossBoomsocks: https://www.youtube.com/user/RossBoomsocks While not a coach or pro-player of any sort. Ross does some great comedy videos, silly builds for champions, and is just all around fun to watch. He does also have some helpful tidbits in there.

Virkayu: https://www.youtube.com/c/virkayu Virkayu is youtuber who mainly focuses on educating players about the jungle role. (Basically if you want to play Vi, start with this guy.)

xFSN Saber: https://www.youtube.com/c/xFSNSaber If you wanna learn how to play Caitlyn and Jinx, this is your guy. He is a Challenger ADC coach and Caitlyn main, and has tons of educational content and coaching videos for you to learn from.

[takerfoxx]

Arcane, Season 1, Episode 2, "Some Mysteries Are Better Left Unsolved," First Impressions!

In which we see the other side of the kids' misadventures.

I guess I should have known that the owner of the robbed laboratory would come into play, given how much character it had. Here we meet someone who also promises to be a major player in the show to come, a brilliant young man named Jayce, who is a student at a prestigious academy. Naturally, he isn't at all pleased that his workshop was robbed and then blown up. But he's even less pleased that in doing so, his secret project has been discovered, which puts his entire future in jeopardy.

See, through Jayce's eyes we learn some very important bits of worldbuilding. Piltover is a city built on science (or whatever the steampunk sci-fi equivalent is) that is meant to be a sanctuary from magic, known as the Arcane, hence the show name. However, when he was a child, he and his mother were saved from a blizzard by a mysterious magic man, inspiring Jayce's fascination with the Arcane and driving him to try to find a way to control magic using technology, as apparently being able to use magic is just something you're born with.

But apparently that's a big no-no in Piltover, and it costs him everything. He's expelled, disgraced, forced away from his best friend Caitlyn (whom I did raise an eyebrow at when she was named, because of...reasons), and had all his research taken away, leaving him feeling like there is no path for him other than straight down. Literally.

Until he's stopped by a man from the academy, one who is very interested in his research, and wants to help him complete it.

On the undercity side of things, the issues caused by Vi and her gang's little misadventures continue to escalate. That explosion crossed a major line, one that the enforcers cannot overlook, and now Vander is put into the very unenviable position of either turning in the kids his cares about or risk having the hammer brought down on his community. Many people, however, want to fight, including Vi herself, which is something he absolutely will not allow, and for a very interesting reason.

It is here we get another bit of backstory. It turns out that gruesome battle we saw in the first episode was caused by him, when he led the citizens of Zaun in an uprising against Piltover, only to fail horribly, costing many lives. That's why he now has a deal with the enforcers. That's why he's so adamant about not stirring up trouble. He was the one who stirred up trouble, and it cost him and those close to him dearly.

However, while his dilemma is clearly tearing him up inside, it's suddenly taken out of his hands, when Vi decides to turn herself in to save everyone else.

Oh boy.

Okay, first episode was introducing us to the world and the primary conflict, while this showed us the other side while building tension for something bigger. We've come to understand more about this world and what drives its characters while moving things closer to what promises to be something massive. I admit, I did not predict Vi turning herself in, but it does make sense in hindsight. I was wondering how she would end up becoming one of the cops that she hates, but this makes sense to get her onto the other side.

Also, on the Powder side, now that I know that she's Jinx I'm noticing more and more hints to what she eventually becomes, from her toylike grenades to her markmanship skills to the clapping monkey from her music video being the alarm Vander uses to tell them to hide. I get the feeling that Vi was sort of her moral compass, the thing that keeps her grounded, and now with Vi gone we're probably going to see her spiral downward ever the quicker.

And I am happy to say that while I still don't know the LoL characters, I am getting better at picking them out. Jayce was obvious, as was Ryze, as was Heimerdinger, and given what I now know about Vi, seeing young Caitlyn definitely caused me to raise my brow. Wonder how they're going to meet.

Same with Viktor. I feel that reveal would have gotten an audible gasp from anyone who does play League, but for me, it was a, "Oh, he's a canon character, isn't he." Kind of surprised that Silco isn't. You would think they would use a game character for such an important villain. I do feel sort of bad for Deckard, as much as an ass as he was. I wonder if he's toast or if he'll get cured.

I like Jayce. He's not exactly reinventing the wheel with his characterization, but he's still very likeable, and I empathize with his ambitions. He's going to have a, "Dear God, what have I done?" moment when he realizes what Viktor is really up to, isn't he?

Anyway, I'm going on a trip to visit family, so don't expect anymore reactions until sometime next week. I am totally hooked, however. I just hope Youtube will stop suggesting spoiler videos to me.

[irarelypostanything]

"Arcane" Pitch Meeting (ScreenRant Rip-Off)

*Spoilers*

Producer: So I understand you have a new TV series for me

Writer: Yes, sir, I do. It's called "Arcane," and it's a prequel to "League of Legends"

Producer: Right, this is going to get people thrilled about the video game. Before we begin, how much money were you thinking this would cost us?

Writer: Oh, I was thinking maybe 100-

Producer: Million? You're asking for 100 million?

Writer: I suppose $100 million would be...acceptable. Might be a little difficult, but I'll see what we can whip up

Producer: Sorry, the Riot Games budget has been kind of tight these days

Writer: I was thinking we'll need a theme song by Imagine Dragons

Producer: Naturally

Writer: ...an outro song by Sting, a full cast of A-list actors, and access to the Fortiche animation team with all the money they want from us

Producer: Granted. But what is the actual story?

Writer: I was thinking we'd focus on Vi and Jinx. I always had a backstory in mind for them when we first wrote them into the game

Producer: Great! So a fun little popcorn thriller about a superhero origin story?

Writer: ...No

Producer: A child-friendly merchandising scheme similar to the Lego Movie?

Writer: Every time there's a cool action scene, a child will get murdered to remind us that we should be ashamed of ourselves for celebrating violence without realizing the ramifications of war

Producer: Oh

Writer: We're going to start with Jinx, only she's an innocent little girl whose parents have been killed and who has serious abandonment issues. In spite of this, she shows no obvious signs of psychological disorders

Producer: Uh-oh

Writer: Yeah, and we're just kind of going to explain how she got the way she is.

Producer: Does she fall into toxic water?

Writer: Yeah, but that's not really the gist of it. Basically, she accidentally kills her own friends and has the tormented images of their corpses etched into her memory

Producer: Oh my god, what is this show?

Writer: She'll kind of get adopted by this guy named Silco, and his deal is he's this drug lord who distributed something called Shimmer, which is a little bit like cocaine and steroids but a lot more terrifying

Producer: I don't know how I feel about this

Writer: You'll love it, even though half of the people you care about will die. There are these two conflicted sides of a city - one is relatively wealthy, and one is completely poor and disgusting and drug-infested. Silco rules the "underside," and Vi gets picked up by an "enforcer" from the surface side before a time skip

Producer: So it's kind of like a battle between surface and underside? Jinx is like the champion criminal, and Vi gets adopted into this kind of police family?

Writer: No, Vi spends ten years in prison

Producer: Oh, she does?

writer: Yeah, and even after all that time she still goes after her sister, to save her, but her sister has been traumatized by years of extreme violence and inner conflict. Silco is going to reveal that he always cared about Jinx, which is going to be really sad when she instinctually kills him and then passes the point of no return in her transformation. So what do you think?

Producer: Can we tone down some of the violence?

Writer: No

Producer: Can we have a cute Teemo cameo?

Writer: No

Producer: Can we change the climactic moment so that Silco is a little more of a stereotypical villain, and we don't feel emotionally devastated by his death?

Writer: No

Producer: Will the show be good?

Writer: Yes

Producer: All right. I hope you at least don't end on some cliffhanger that likely kills everyone's favorite character

Writer: No promises

[hey-ho-hero]

League of Legends Roleplay Casting Call

Hello everyone! Are you looking for a chance to be a part of a friendly group of League Roleplayers? 

Than do I have the proposition for you! 

My name is Hero and I am looking for people who are interested in joining a Discord Roleplay group! The server is a multi-skin, star guardian centric, high school AU plot based in Valoran High. For a more detailed plot description so far please look below!

Please try to choose from Base skins, any of the space skins (Odyssey, Dark star, etc), Academy, or Star Guardian skins. No OCs this time around folks! We also do not accept duplicates of already claimed characters.

This RP does go through multiple arcs, by the way! We are currently in Arc two!

We have several rules that I ask you be considerate of: The first and foremost is be active. We ask if you plan to be inactive for upwards of three weeks that you talk to one of the admins.  We can’t help you if the plot goes to fast because you are inactive. We ask that you also that you be respectful to your fellow members and the admins. For the most part this is a plot intensive server, and there can be heavy themes involved, as well as nsfw in the correct channels, so please if you want to apply please bare that in mind!

We also ask that you keep in mind that any canon/fanon ships are not guaranteed. If you apply to be a Xayah, don’t expect to be shipped with the Rakan.

Also please note that if you apply to be Lux, we ask you be comfortable picking up where Lux left off before (we’ll catch you up beforehand, of course).

Lastly please check out the characters we have already, and then read the summary of the first arc to see if you’re interested! Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from all of you! Right now we have: Star guardian Lulu, Jinx Jhin and Kayn

Plot summary below the cut

Within the halls of Valoran High Boarding School, Jinx had started a group chat that she left relatively public so anyone could join. In the early morning hours of showering, Lux stepped on Kuro and Shiro after her shower. She then ran  to the group chat to express to Jinx her displeasure. Later on Viktor and Braum joined the chat followed by Jhin way after the other two. Outside of the chat Jinx recommended that Viktor talk to Lux about joining the Star Guardians since Viktor seemed to show interest. When confronting and talking to Lux, she soon expressed her displeasure and sent Viktor off with a threat of blasting him.

Viktor and Lux got into a weird text fight while Jinx comforted and essentially gave information to Viktor that further infuriated Lux upon her learning of it.

After Viktor and Jinx talked for a while, it was clear that Viktor may not become a star guardian, but Jinx held up hope.  She believed that anyone should be welcome, and it caused a few arguments with Lux. Lux and Jinx talk, and it comes to light that Lux has a crush on Jinx.  Lux kisses Jinx, and Jinx runs off, unsure how to feel.  With a little help from Vi, Jinx comes to realize she likes Lux in turn, and they kiss making their relationship official. Meanwhile Jhin is served hedgehog in his lunch, and is thoroughly disgusted.  The lunch lady turns up dead shortly after the incident, and Jhin begins to have dreams of what Jinx assumes is the first star. She encourages him to talk to Lux, but nothing much other than a better understanding comes of the situation. Later on, Jinx troubled by Jhin's situation, and by a sense of something coming, she takes Lulu to dinner where she discovers that Lulu is a star guardian, and is invited onto the team.

Orianna has now joined the chatroom and Jinx, Braum, and Orianna all bought weed off of Vi.

Shaco has joined the chatroom, Jinx grows increasingly troubled by the situation at hand. She now is under the believe that Viktor, Jhin, and Orianna are all going to become members of the dark star, and she doES NOT like that.

She ran off to get some answers, returning only because she was injured while searching the cosmos for what the Dark Stars were. Meanwhile, Jhin was troubled by his nightmares, and had to take a break, leaving the school for a short while and letting Leona sub for the class.  He is now back.

Jinx still is very troubled by the situation she was given, and thus talks to Jhin about her situation.  Jhin convinces her to stay in her club Lux leaves without warning, making Jinx the defacto leader, despite her questioning more and more her involvement with the star guardians.

Yasuo has also returned from some space adventures, and Kayn has been caught stealing from Jhin and many others, and put in the Punishment Room. Caitlyn has hosted a bakesale.

At the bakesale, a new star guardian made his appearance, Malzahar. Though he may not be all he seems, Jinx seems to like him as a person, and wants to trust him. His spider familiar,,,not so much. After the bake sale, things have gotten incredibly serious. Kayn has been corrupted by Rhaast, a Dark star, and Jhin has slowly seeping corruption and an eye void. Out of his eye void crawled out a baby khazix who is growing very fast. Jinx blames herself for kayn's corruption, having left him alone despite promising him she could help him. Jinx leaves to clear her head, though she has a very bad infection that she let go untreated. The infection was caused by a void creature fight. At this same time, Kayn wanders off as well. Jhin goes to find Kayn, and Zoe goes to find Jinx (after Zoe blew dark stars cover). Jhin and Kayn get into a fight, Zoe finds jinx burning up and completely unconcious. Thresh carries jinx to the infirmary, and Jhin carries Kayn. Kayn escapes with some injuries.  Jinx, however, ends up losing her arm as she let the infection spread too much. The baby Khazix is growing very fast, and can speak. Thresh scares the shit out of jinx like a jerk, Talon kills Zoe for blowing the cover of dark star, everyone seems to hate Zoe, which drives her to make a pact with the dark star. Lulu comea back from a family runion with Pix's family. Everything is metaphorically on fire and she has to do damage control, trying to keep jhin and kayn from corrupting completely.

Lulu catches up with all of the chaos and befriends Kayn and Rhaast. Further meetings with Rhaast cement their relationship and they confess their love. Jinx gets her robotic arm and gets to know Rakan better in the hospital. Jhin's corruption spreads further and Loki goes missing, but just as he is found he attacks Jhin, resulting in Jhin having to kill him. In his grief his corrupted eye sucks in an entire home improvement store. Thresh comes to comfort him. His eye later births a voidling, which grows up to be Kha'zix, as well as another creature similar to an alligator, which Jhin gifted the unique name Loki 2, became his new pet. In a fit of jealousy and wrath fueled by the corruption of the Dark Star, kayn goes on a rampage, heralding the start of the apocalypse as the Dark purple sky swirls above the school, which is now on lockdown. Lulu consumates her love with Rhaast before getting kidnapped by Kayn. Rhaast and Kayn battle, Lulu intervenes and puts him into a sedated state. Jinx and Rakan meanwhile confess their love under the corrupted moonlight. Zoe and Yasuo talk on his ship for a while. From there, things only seem to get as the corrupted sky grows. Rhaast and Thresh disappear leaving behind cryptic messages and a world of heartbreak. Jinx is completely losing it, refusing to let Rakan out of her sight the best that she can.

The corruption of the world and the sky reach a breaking point after rhaast and Thresh disappear, and ultimately on the school campus there are only a handful of people left. This leaves Lulu, Jinx, Rakan, Jhin, and Kha'zix to  fight the threat as the gather in the courtyard. First its a wave of voidlings, but Thresh soon reappears, having grown huge, the influence of the Dark Star clouding his judgement and forcing him to fight his friends. Kayn and Rhaast then reappear and enter the fight, and Kayn takes his form and bends Rhaast back into his scythe form, convincing Lulu that Rhaast was killed in the process.  In her grief, Lulu loses her control on her magic. Jinx turns her attention from the void creatures to Kayn, seeing Lulu broken hearted fueling her unstable anger and motivating her to destroy the man she once called her friend. Kayn fights Thresh, in this fight Rakan uses his charm distract Kayn and stirs awake a very much not dead Rhaast. This brings Lulu back to reality and the fight continues, although really it was Kayn Vs Thresh at this point, and Kayn comes out the victor. He wounds Thresh in what could only be assumed to be a mortal way, and Thresh disappears to an unknown destination. After Thresh disappears, Rhaast retracts his pact with Kayn, and is dropped as a weapon. Kayn disappears as well. Lulu gathers up Rhaast, who decides he needs to hide for a while in his weapon form. As the fight is over, and the sky clears up, there's a mix of emotions all round the group of...."Star guardians". Joy, fear, sorrow. But for now, it seems that the world was safe.

[theskyexists]

scriptdoctoring act 3 of Arcane

(CAN’T STOP MYSELF)

Vi and Jinx fight on the bridge - instead of Ekko and Jinx. Vi tries to reach Powder but Jinx feels betrayed over Caitlyn etc. and Vi doesn’t manage - Vi tries not to hurt Jinx but is forced to defend herself. Jinx shows herself in all her gory, murderous and gleeful glory AT Vi. Vi sees the full extent of Jinx’s problems and it really shakes her. Still, Jinx cannot kill Vi after all which ends up with Vi on top (just like Ekko), punching her sister out Again. The thing she never ever wanted to do again - the reason she ran away when she was a kid, because she couldn’t trust herself with Powder right then.

Jinx relives her worst memory right there and attempts to kill them both with the bomb. Ekko returns from dropping Caitlyn off in safe spot to save Vi just in time and fall off the bridge. IT IS VERY COOL

(look, I love Ekko, I love his relationships with Vi and Powder and Jinx, I LOVE him, I loved that fight, the animation, the way it mirrored their games as kids, but that fight should have been Vi’s. Vi was looking for her at right that moment - shes a go-getter. She wouldn’t have run away a second time. NOT YET. It should have been the moment that she realises Jinx is REAL, and maybe, Powder won’t ever come back, and maybe, she really cant deal with it. she’s thrown away from the blast - and she desperately tries to crawl back to Powder(?). But there is Silko. He picks up Jinx, and Vi is too battered to fight him on it. A mirror to the first time this happened. Silko disappaers. All that remains is the blood and corpses. Then Caitlyn drags her away)

When Caitlyn goes to speak to the council she has an impassioned speech about how the people of the Undercity suffer - yes. But she also has solutions. She HAS prepared, strategised with Vi. BECAUSE SHE’S FUCKING SMART. They suggest at that moment that they should hit the drug production centres - based on Vi’s knowledge of how Silko is operating.

The Council is afraid this will be perceived as an act of war and they might have the weapon of enormous destructive potential ready already - yada yada - we have to negotiate first, see if we can make peace. Mel can make her sensible and peace-focused cautioning (which I loved). Vi says: he hates you all! She says: you’ll just let Silko do whatever he likes to us Trenchers if he doesn’t bother you??! She storms out.

We still get the wonderful rainy break-up scene, BUT Caitlyn says: we’ll go back together - we’ll do it together. Jayce will help. Vi looks at Caitlyn’s busted leg - shakes her head, guilt flashes over her face. and - Jayce? That fucking counciller topsider? She’s too disgusted and sad. She tells Caitlyn to forget about her. BUT THEN VI DOES FOLLOWE HER SUGGESTION AND GOES TO JAYCE. in other words Vi DOESN’T cheat on Caitlyn with Jayce (partnership-wise).

Vi goes to Jayce and they do hit the drug production exactly the same. Except: we see what Jayce decides to do to the poor kids who worked there. One of whom he just murdered. He works hard to put them somewhere safe and good with the copious amounts of money he’s supposed to have now. But he doesn’t want to fight the war anymore.

Vi spits: ill do it myself then!!

The rest plays out the same. Caitlyn still pines and worries in the shower, Jinx still kidnaps her like a fucking horror movie creeper, we still get a peace offer and a tea party.

PowderJinx decides to become Jinx. AND doesn’t assume but asks Vi: can you still love me like this, basically already knowing the answer. 

And Vi falters, can’t speak the words. Silko drips blood, Caitlyn lies battered and bleeding on the floor, and her sister is the worst monster that they could ever have thought of giggling together in bed, covered in blood, eyes a monstrous purple. Vander said: take care of Powder. She made Jinx the monster, and she couldn’t protect Powder. And she can’t love Jinx.

Jinx shoots her missile. At the council, which would rather leave the Undercity to the insanity and rot they created than take responsibillity for it.