#ekko better fix this one specific thing

[helga-grinduil]

what the fuck, arcane

[infinitelystrangemachinex]

Jayce and the fallacy of the butterfly effect in Arcane's narrative

If Jayce's symbol is the butterfly, then my theory is that we're going into a full "butterfly effect" narrative in Act 2. Either we'll watch it happen, or we'll only see Jayce come out the other side of it changed by the experience, knowing - or more importantly, THINKING he knows - what to do to change the future. Literally, to "defend tomorrow."

tl;dr: Jayce will encounter the butterfly effect in season 2. Viktor and Mel both foreshadowed this in season 1. I think Jayce will fixate on Viktor and will believe that stopping or changing Viktor either in the past or the present - most likely the present - will mean he can save the future. I believe this will lead to an even worse tragedy and may have the same effect as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ekko's approach to changing the future by sticking closer to the present - considering only tiny increments of time to alter more immediate future outcomes - will be the superior approach. I also think that Jayce attempting to change the future will create the conditions that push Viktor to become the Machine Herald.

One of the most common reactions even the casual viewer had to Arcane season 1 was this: "If [character] had just done this one small thing a little differently, [tragic event] wouldn't have happened!"

Arcane has been called a Greek tragedy for the main reason that because of how well built up the characters' personalities and reasonings are, there's no other way season 1 could have gone. There was no stopping the multiple tragedies that occurred, because with one event leading to another, the chain of seemingly inevitable events goes too far back to identify what one singular event caused everything, what one character made what one decision to put our characters on the terrible paths they walked.

Arcane is about to investigate this idea in its own narrative, and I think that Jayce will be the character to stumble into the flawed idea that you can change one event, or stop one character, and change the future for the better. This is because Jayce struggles with a few very interesting character flaws, one of them being that he believes himself to be the main character, and it is therefore his responsibility to intervene, be a hero, and fix things.

Viktor and Mel both foreshadow Jayce's future encounter with the butterfly effect.

Recall that Viktor said: "There is always a choice."

Jayce sees choices in black and white, believes that he has no other options but to go along with what he's persuaded and pushed into, and acts too boldly with too much power multiple times.

Recall that Mel said: "We can't change what fate has in store for us, but we don't have to face it alone."

Jayce tries to solve big problems on his own, and though he delegates to Enforcers and the like, Jayce relies on his reasoning and his alone to make important decisions if he doesn't simply become persuaded - usually through strong emotions like fear - by other characters. In addition, since Mel is specifically talking about Viktor's plight here, it's worth mentioning that while Jayce did say that he would help Viktor in acts 2 and 3 of season 1, Jayce does wind up leaving Viktor to face his fate alone. When Jayce tries to change that fate in s2 ep1, ep2 shows that only tragedy can come of this as well.

Viktor and Mel's statements here are not contradictory. Viktor makes the point that you can always make a choice. In context, he's literally referring to the classic "secret third option," because given a choice between aggression and passivity, war and surrender, Viktor chooses to defuse the bomb instead. Mel, interestingly, seems to believe that destiny is fixed in a broad sense, and she operates as a politician and diplomat and investor who navigates that line of destiny in the most optimal way possible. In reality, in context, she is referring to the fact that Viktor can't change the way he was born and so he has no way to change his fate and therefore must face it, which is true - she's only missing the information that Viktor actually does have the means to change his illness and his body. Her wisdom still applies however, because he'll have to accept the hand that fate deals him after he makes that choice. Will he face it alone, or not?

There is always a choice, there's even secret third options, because having a fate doesn't mean that you are doomed to make only one possible series of choices. What it does mean is that each choice comes with a hand that fate deals you. It is impossible to know what all of these branching choices and consequences are in advance, and it is just as impossible in hindsight - the branches are too complex and the end outcomes are all equally meaningful, just different. If Arcane season 2 is to be a tragedy, it may show us that each possible outcome is still tragic if you fall for the fallacy of the butterfly effect.

Jayce is counseled by some of the wisest, cleverest characters with the deepest life experiences in Arcane, but he hardly ever takes that counsel to heart. If he does, he still acts on that counsel in flawed ways that have unintended consequences. This will come to a head in season 2.

Viktor and Jayce both have a butterfly following them around in season 1. The butterfly effect refers to one small seemingly insignificant event changing the course of history, and changing that event therefore changes history. Viktor bled over the railing of a Hexgate in season 1:

And Heimerdinger sees what we can only assume is Viktor's blood contaminating (?) the Hexgate in s2 ep3:

This might be the seemingly unimportant "inciting incident" that Jayce (and Heimerdinger and Ekko) settle on as something that should be avoided or erased by changing the past (if they time-travel with Ekko, for example).

I doubt that, if this is what this crew chooses to fixate on, it will be the only event that is considered as something to change. But let's take this and run with it for the sake of discussion.

As silly as it sounds, how do you stop Viktor from allowing his blood to come into contact with the arcane? Stop Viktor's involvement with the Academy entirely? Don't invent Hextech at all? But what if someone else invents Hextech besides Jayce? What if future tragedy befalls Piltover because it didn't invent Hextech?

The possibilities and what-ifs could branch on forever. But because Jayce is who he is, and because his tragedy with Viktor is still raw and recent and frightening, I think Jayce's butterfly effect experience will have to do with Viktor.

My personal prediction is that the timeskip between s2 ep3 and ep4 will be Jayce experiencing a timeline where Viktor, taken over by the Hexcore, brings about an apocalyptic event similar to what Heimerdinger experienced in his past. Either Jayce and co. can't go into the past to change the present, or Heimerdinger and/or Ekko advise strongly against it to avoid a paradox. This will lead to them re-entering the canon Arcane timeline before this apocalypse, but still after the timeskip. Jayce, believing that destroying Viktor and his cult will save the future, and believing that resurrecting Viktor was Jayce's mistake to fix, attacks him. But the consequences don't unfold the way he hopes, because trying to change fate once the cards have already been dealt has led to tragedy before.

The butterfly is a symbol of something other than just the butterfly effect - change, evolution, and rebirth. If the butterfly symbolizes the butterfly effect for Jayce, then I think it has a different meaning for Viktor - the change and rebirth meaning.

I've always found it very interesting that we see a similar-looking butterfly on Progress Day... but made of metal.

Every time Viktor's situation changes, he adapts and evolves. If Jayce attacks him, if his cult is destroyed, if the Hexcore is causing Viktor to decay, if all of these things happen at once - he'll just evolve again, and I think the Machine Herald is the next step. And the Machine Herald will be a triumph for Viktor, but Jayce will believe that he's created something even worse. The resulting feud will be a personal nightmare for both of them.

I think this still allows Viktor to use his own agency to choose to become the Machine Herald (the MH will probably be the "secret third option" that saves Viktor, or there will be a secret third option that ends the feud) while still allowing Jayce to be offended and horrified at whatever the Machine Herald represents or is trying to do in the undercity. Introducing the element of time travel allows Arcane to explore the meta concept of tragedy and fate that season 1 was built on while showing that you can't "solve" a tragedy, because there are other terrible possibilities lurking behind alternate choices. Especially if what you're trying to change is singular people or events and not systems of power.

This is why Ekko's approach with his Z-drive will be superior to Jayce's sweeping attempt at changing the future. Ekko's goal has always been societal change. He creates his own punk society in the undercity, more progressive and successful than anything Vander or Silco ever created, and a better bastion of safety, hope, and progress than what Heimerdinger founded in Piltover. Trying to change systems by going back in time is most likely futile. But taking what Ekko has already built in the Firelights, curing his tree, and fighting for the Firelights' survival bit by bit by optimizing the present with the Z-drive shows that:

It's more worth it to focus on becoming wise (Ekko's mask is an owl) and making choices you won't regret

It's best if you don't face your fate alone (act as a collective and take care of each other)

Consider every option, not just the obvious black and white choices

Maintain and fix what you've already built instead of abandoning it once things get difficult

Adapt as needed if the choices you made lead to dark consequences, and once again, stick together and take care of each other when the bad times do come

That's my Act 2 but, ultimately, my season 2 prediction based on the butterfly symbolism we've already seen. Ekko's involvement is what will give the series the at least partial happy ending that the creators have referred to. I personally don't think that the Viktor/Jayce feud will end quite so well, but maybe, they will still survive.

[x-reader-things]

I also just finished watching arcane again!! The series is phenomenal-and I was once again reminded I would love to hold hands with Viktor-

Can I request some headcanons for how Viktor would comfort his partner who experiences anxiety? Gn!reader please!!

Thank you for requesting! :DDD

This is my first time writing specifically for Arcane and this character so I hope it’s on character - did my best with the little I skimmed from his fandom wiki for Arcane and from what I remember from the show-

AND YES IT IS A PHENOMENAL ONE HOLY SHIT THE ANIMATION AND THE CHARACTERS AND THE VOICE ACTING ARE????? CHEFS KISS

Personally Vi and Ekko are my favorites- <33

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!!

“It’ll pass soon”

Viktor x reader [romantic]

Summary ; In which you’re anxious, and Viktor always knows how to help you out.

Requested? ; Yes

Warnings ; none, besides small descriptions of physical anxiety - kinda based it on what I deal with myself, but everyone reacts to anxiety differently.

Definitions ; счастье моё (stchastye moyo) - gender-neutral, meaning “my happiness”

Word count ; 554

——————————————————————

Viktor is, first and foremost, a scientist.

He notices things through keen observation, studies them to no end to understand them, and draws conclusions that should be able to help others like himself.

And with those skills, comes observing you.

How you act. What you like and dislike. What makes you comfortable and uncomfortable.

And definitely what makes you anxious.

He knows hextech can’t truly fix that.

He should know, he deals with anxiety himself.

So as a partner and a scientist, he recognizes the signs.

The nervous glances.

The subtle deep breaths you take to calm yourself down. Or at least try to.

Never works. Maybe sometimes on the rare occasion, but not completely.

Then there’s the nervous jitters - maybe bouncing your leg, or running a hand through your hair constantly (if you have the hair type to do it) or running a hand over your face, or shaking your hands out to try and get the shakiness away.

Whatever it is, Viktor recognizes it.

He waits and checks in every so often, just to see if you’re able to calm yourself down first, instead of prying you to tell him what was going on.

When you don’t calm down though, he decides a distraction is probably better to try first.

He shows you the inventions he and Jayce are working on, discusses them with you, tries to see what you think about it. Half of the time that helps you calm down, primarily because you focus on his voice, and also because you love hearing and experiencing his work.

Anxiety is a fickle thing.

So when it doesn’t work out, that’s when he asks you what’s wrong.

“You don’t have to tell me just yet, but I’d like to know whenever you’re ready.”

If it’s really bad, he has you both sit down, and you just lay your head on his shoulder. He rests his cheek against your head and wraps an arm around you, one of his hands coming up to run against your upper arm to ground you there. Breathes slowly until you do it too.

And he waits until you’re ready to talk.

If it’s a sudden panic you just grab onto his shoulder or hand and squeeze it, and he already knows.

Viktor either excuses himself from his work or if he’s talking to someone (normally it’s just Jayce - he understands immediately and spares you a quick sympathetic nod), and lets you lead him to a secluded area nearby and lets you spew your worries and panic to him.

He tells you you’re safe with him.

Reminds you that things would be ok and that with anxiety this is normal.

“It’ll pass soon. I know it doesn’t feel like it but it will, alright? How about this, tell me five things you can see right now.”

“Um - the ground. The tile.”

“Good, good. What else?”

“Your shoes. They’re uh - they’re kind of scuffed, you should get them cleaned.”

He laughs quietly. “What else, счастье моё?”

“The window.” Another encouraging hum for you to continue. “The hexgate outside. It’s glowing, some airship just came through.” Your eyes settle on the person in front of you. “You.”

Viktor smiles at you. “A little on the nose, huh?”

You smile back at him.

He helps you breathe again.

He always does.

[ferinehuntressmoved]

　⸻ [ T ] HINGS BETWEEN EKKO AND CAITLYN HAD gotten better; despite the troubles with the council being lost and the chaos that had ensued, Caitlyn was a friend to the firelights. As bumpy as it had been with Vi at first, it was the same with Ekko and Caitlyn could not blame him for that; what Piltie had ever gone out of their way to genuinely help the undercity? He was protecting his people and his territory, she could not fault him for such actions. She held respect that Ekko allowed her time to meet with him, she had heard about someone being a mage down here who might be able to help her.

The gemstone affected her, years ago, but she never had a chance to talk about it with anyone. The only person she had told was Vi, and its because of Vi that they had come to talk with Ekko. Caitlyn had learned how to use her ability, but she didn't know much more than that. Things were... different. She could feel emotions, and see auras, and the gemstone, it was infused with her that she didn't know what else might come from it. Even her... hallucinations were something she guessed might come from the stone itself. She hadn't ever had them til now, and only when she was in severe danger.

"Thank you, Ekko," Caitlyn expressed her words as she waited for the other to show up. Before she had much chance to say something else, Ekko was already off and leaving her with Taliyah. Caitlyn found herself a little out of her element, as her thumb brushed against the spinner ring on her finger, quickly swiping it a few times to ease her anxiety, and turned to look at Taliyah who suggested a different location and Caitlyn nodded. Busy feet clicked against the gravel ground as she settled down on a bench. She kept quiet for now, as her nose caught the of the spices and sniffed the air. The aroma filled her nose, flooding her mind as she closed her eyes to focus on the way it shifted and turned. It was sweet and spiced, with hinty flavors of nut. It smelled delicious and she opened her eyes once a cup had been set in front of her.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you," Caitlyn said, placing her cool hands around the cup and letting the warmth fill her. "Well, it's a bit... complicated," Caitlyn whispered, brushing her finger along the rim of the cup. For a brief moment, she turned her eyes, examining the area. No one in earshot, not that she didn't trust these people but this was a specific thing she kept hidden from the world. Caitlyn tugged at her zaunite outfit, fixing the glove as she looked down at the paw pads against her fingers and tapped them against the table. "Ekko said it was safe to discuss these matters with you, that you might have some knowledge to help me, with magic," Caitlyn expressed and then lifted the cup to her lips. The flavor excited her tongue, reminding her of her cinnamon chai but just different in flavor. "Piltover, while they have hextech, are still not... magic friendly. Here in the undercity, though, perhaps we could speak on it, without prying ears,"

◈ ━━━━━━ Some sunlight reaces the wall of the enclave, but not much, blocked by the great tree. Taliyah is fully uniformed and armed, pebbles and crystal bombs readied. It used to not be necessary to be armed at all times, but the three-way war between Zaun, Piltover and Noxus is only tangling further, and the Firelights find themselves pressed for survival-- and for peace, representing the fourth party that wishes not to be used as weapons or livestock in the war. Conversing with her team member, she absently fiddles with the pebbles in her pocket. The small stones, too, mark the passage of time and change; years ago, the wide open desert had been her loom, and she wove great boulders unbridled. Zaun had demanded subtlety, and she'd learnt the lessons given to her.

Further down in the enclave, their leader has been deep in discussion with a guest for a while now. The sudden call for Taliyah to join them isn't expected, snapping her away from her conversation. She peers down from her vantage point at the level of the tree's canopy, to glimpse at the guest-- a tall, slim silhouette beside Ekko-- and in one swift motion, Taliyah grabs her hoverboard and swoops down to them, wondering why they'd require her, of all the Firelights.

The first thing she notes about the guest is that they are very tall, rather impressed with the tilt of head required to look up at them. She then turns to Ekko, expecting an introduction, but he's already being dragged away by another Firelight, leaving the two to their own devices. This matter clearly doesn't involve him anymore.

There's a hint of the tingling, coursing sensation Taliyah connects to her affinity with the earth, more pronounced beneath the feet of the woman before her. It's a rare sensation, but one Taliyah recognizes from her encounters with mages, or being near Hextech devices. The latter is a much more common occurrence, and she has learnt to be wary of it. It almost smells like arrogance too, with the way the wielders of Hextech machinery so often believe in the supremacy of their tools.

The callous, scrutinizing edge to her expression softens, as she reminds herself that Ekko would only let a trusted friend visit and move about so freely. Introductions are brief, and Taliyah is quick to suggest a better spot for conversation-- a ring of makeshift benches at a corner of the enclave. With the scarcity now more pronounced since the start of the war, she doesn't have much to offer her guest; it's a tiny pouch of sticky caramels, mixed with Shuriman spices the Firelights had plundered, meant to flavor hot water. Saved for an occasion like this.

She drops one into her own mug, and she's briefly in her Babajan's tent again, pouring tea for her mother and the elder, the liquid pluming with the fragrance of spices. This custom of hospitality never left her, or she never left it, despite the many things she forsake after arriving at Zaun on the ship that was supposed to go to Noxus.

The melancholic notion gives way to wonder about her guest's aura. If she isn't a mere wielder of Hextech, could she be a mage or magicborn, like Taliyah?

❛ So-- Caitlyn. You've come all this way. What do you have on your mind that I can tend to, in Ekko's stead? ❜

When Taliyah eyes the woman, there's the sense of a flow, from her to @ferinehuntress, but not the other way around. It's so brief it might have been a shiver, and Taliyah is left grasping for the sensation, before it dissolves into obscurity.

I've always wanted to meet another mage, Taliyah desires to tell her, in that lighter, unbarred voice from before she left Shurima. It's held back by wariness of indigo uniforms and fine textiles, acquired in her later life as a Firelight.

[lepusrufus]

I can't stop thinking about the SAR au asdfghjkl; you really managed to get me 197% invested with that drabble, holy shit!!! The tension? The way it starts out normal, but the little oddities pile up until you're left questioning just about everything? Mwah! 11/10 💕💕💕

The more I think about it, the more curious I get! And it's like. stairs?? but they're spooky. Ya managed to make stairs spooky (I feel like that's impressive)!

So fucking good, my dude. Scent trail suddenly stopping just shy of a freaky set of stairs that don't go anywhere? Something about them drawing Cait closer? Vi saying /never/ to go up them? And then the kid is found somewhere up high, with no way down, and a grown ass adult needs climbing gear to get to them?? magic freaky stairs. Love it.

As I mentioned before, this whole AU is based on a fairly popular series of short horror stories and an excuse for me to mess around with this specific kind of horror. So if you want more of this I definitely recc checking them out on reddit or youtube if you're the listening type like me)

Now with that being said... well congrats now there's a part two to Annie's rescue. Complete with more weirdness and lesbians lesbianing so enjoy :V

////

By the time they reached their other team members, Jinx was already halfway up the cliff. Gangly limbs moving with far more grace than they did in any other situation, grabbing onto the rock and fixing the rope attached to her harness in swift practiced movements.

She only spared a glance downward when the two arrived, giving her sister a mock salute. She was too far up to be heard anyways. Ekko regarded them similarly, with a nod from where he was standing with Benzo, making sure things went smoothly. He noticed the frown ever present on Caitlyn's face, never having really left, and remembered the urgency she had talked over the radio with.

"Found anything out there?" he asked, eyeing both women one after the other.

"No."

It was Vi the one to speak up, getting that single word out with finality in her tone while not taking her eyes off her sister. Ekko didn't miss the way Caitlyn’s eyes snapped to her, frown deepening as she was about to say something but thought better of it. She shook her head instead and busied her hands with fixing the already well fitted harness on her dog.

Ekko didn't press further either.

A few dozen meters above, Jinx finally hauled her body over the last remaining ledge that separated her from the small girl. "Hey there," she said, a smile that she hoped was reassuring on her face while she focused on finding a sturdy spot to attach the rope. She found the perfect tight crevice for it, testing it with a few forceful tugs and nodding her contentment when it wouldn't budge.

When she took in the girl -Annie, she remembered- she was glad to see she didn't seem particularly frightened, if not a bit shaken. Most children in that situation would be small trembling messes and always rather difficult to rescue. Scratch that, adults were just as difficult if not worse more often than not, but at least she could give them a few choice words to make them snap out of it without adding to some long lasting trauma.

She would inquire later on why exactly she wasn't scared, but if it made her job easier in the moment then she wasn't complaining.

Jinx crouched down in front of Annie, taking out the extra harness she brought with her.

"Let's put this on so I can get you back to your parents, what do you say?"

Annie looked between Jinx’s bright blue eyes and the harness in her hands with some apprehension. It was a few long seconds of Jinx forcing an encouraging smile before the little girl nodded tentatively. With a relieved sigh, the equipment was quickly fixed and properly tightened to the size of a small child, finishing up with attaching it to Jinx's own harness.

"Alrighty, you just hold on tight. It'll be like a little roller-coaster. Do you like roller-coasters?"

Annie held onto her thin frame as if her life depended on it -it didn't really, they were tied together after all- and shook her head. Jinx’s smile faltered before turning into a grimace as she sucked air through her teeth, expression unseen by the little girl who opted to squeeze her eyes shut.

Well then.

It took them a few good minutes to get down. Far longer than necessary given Jinx’s record of being able to scale down a rope at lightning speeds, to her sister's dismay. But she supposed propelling towards the ground with a child who just spent hours on a cliff for all she knew would be a bad idea. So she took her time. Slowly pushed off the wall on sturdy legs and made sure they were both steady at any given time.

The moment their feet touched the grass at the base of the cliff, Annie all but jumped away. Her plan got cut short by the harness still keeping her attached to Jinx, who couldn't help a snort as she felt the sudden yank. But the moment she was free, her colleagues were there to help.

Vi, ever the kid whisperer, as Jinx dubbed her, kneeled down in front of Annie with a kind smile that did nothing to cover the relief she felt. She asked how she was feeling, if she was injured or hurting anywhere, and Annie nodded or shook her head shyly at most of her questions.

"Are you cold? Your mom gave us your vest," she said while giving Caitlyn’s leg a few quick pats.

Her partner was still deep in thought, long fingers fidgeting with the patch on her jacket that read Zaun National Park. So much so that by the fifth pat she jumped slightly, having forgotten that she was even holding the red garment in her hand and clumsily giving it to Vi when her mind finally caught up.

"There we go," Vi said, holding the vest up so Annie could push her arms through it. "Let's get you back to your parents."

Vi scooped up the girl effortlessly, letting her rest her head on one strong shoulder as she and Caitlyn started the trek back to the main station. The rest stayed behind to gather up all the equipment and said they would catch up soon, not wanting to keep the kid and her parents away from each other longer than necessary.

They were merely twenty minutes into the hike when the sky started to darken properly. It was already late when they had found Annie, and there was no doubt that the majority of the journey back would be made in the dark. Vi didn’t mind, having been part of more rescue operations that stretched well into the night than she cared to count, so the dark woods didn't make her feel as uneasy as they once did. And Caitlyn didn’t seem to be particularly bothered by it either, simply pulling out her flashlight and illuminating the path ahead.

Annie however was clutching harder to Vi's uniform, small fists pulling on the fabric in a gesture that was probably meant to be subtle but was noticed nonetheless. Vi put one hand on her back, hoping it would bring some comfort.

"Are you scared?" she asked softly.

"No."

Vi hummed, eyes fixated up ahead. She saw Caitlyn turn and give her a quizzical look at the sudden break of silence.

"Are you sure?"

Annie hesitated for a few seconds, the contemplation obvious as she thought about an answer. "I don't like the dark," she finally settled on, voice quieter than before.

"There’s nothing to be scared of out here," Vi said.

It was a lie and she knew it. Even Caitlyn, who had been working there for not even a month seemed well aware of that when she turned again, one eyebrow quirked up in skepticism. Vi gave her a look, eyes widening ever so slightly, that told her to not say a word to the girl. Annie, whose head was still resting against Vi's shoulder, was none the wiser to their silent exchange.

Because it was half a lie. There were always things that could harm you out in the wilderness. But Vi had learned long ago that the key to getting out unscathed was to have a healthy amount of respect for the nature that surrounded her. Of course there were the… freak accidents, but nobody really spoke about those.

"But you can't see anything. What if the bear comes back?"

Annie's voice was quiet and muffled against Vi's uniform, but it was more than enough to cause the two officers to exchange a worried look.

"Bear?" Caitlyn asked, despite a small frown from Vi that tried to communicate that maybe now wasn't the best time.

Her reply came in the form of a quiet affirmative hum. "He took me to his home and said he would bring me more friends so I wouldn't be lonely," Annie explained in a small voice.

That sentence alone was enough to send a shiver down Vi’s back, who clenched her jaw and kept her focus fixated on the path ahead. Not the time. Now was not the time damn it. Not when they were only halfway through the woods and the only thing that kept them from plunging into pitch black darkness were flashlights whose batteries she may or may not have forgotten to check. A thing that Caitlyn seemed less inclined than her to ignore.

"He what?" she whispered with some alarm, her pace faltering as she whipped her head to the side at Vi and the girl in her arms.

It even startled Sniper a bit, the sudden movement tugging on his leash and causing him to raise his muzzle towards his owner inquisitively. Caitlyn paid it no mind, eyes boring onto the side of Vi's head and daring her to meet her gaze. She didn’t.

"Mhm," Annie unknowingly interrupted their little one sided staredown. "But I got scared and it made him mad. So he just left me on that cliff."

Caitlyn didn’t say anything after that. She simply looked down at Annie's feet and took in the way her shoes looked so clean, soles a little dusty but nowhere near dirty enough to indicate a walk up the mountain. Her clothes were in a similar condition too, in too good of a shape for someone who presumably made her way through dense thorny thickets and up a sheer cliffside.

Despite the silence that enveloped them afterwards, the tension was clear as day. Annie had dozed off at one point probably due to sheer exhaustion while Caitlyn led the way, her flashlight kept on the path ahead. She threw a few glances towards Vi, eyes narrowing for a split second with questions sitting on the tip of her tongue. Then she saw the practiced neutrality on her partner's expression, practiced but not enough to completely conceal the stress that lay underneath, and dropped it.

It was another half hour of hiking without pause, neither of them wanted to stop for one reason or another, until they finally reached the familiar gravel path to the station. Annie's parents were sitting on one of the wooden benches outside, her mother shooting to her feet and sprinting to them the moment they came into view. She was quickly followed by her father and sister.

There were tears, there were words of gratiture exchanged that Vi graciously replied to with a kind smile and a simple happy to get her back safe. All the while Caitlyn hung back a few paces, offering a kind smile at the gratitudes but otherwise pretending to keep herself busy with checking Sniper over for any non existing injuries or debris stuck in his fur.

It took a while for the parents to compose themselves, with Annie held tightly in their arms. By the time they were ready to complete some paperwork for a report and leave, their colleagues had finally caught up too. Jinx was loudly chatting with Ekko about whatever project they were planning to work on next, while Benzo was right behind them, holding up his flashlight yet still not managing to prevent the two from stumbling when they got too engrossed in their conversation. Vi greeted them at the base of the low porch of the station, teasingly congratulating her sister on her job, yet the fondness in her voice was unmistakable. It gained her a whack with one long braid and a playful shoulder shove as the group walked past them and made their way inside.

"You coming?" Vi asked, once they were the only two people still left outside. "We're gonna make some cheap hot chocolate. Or tea for you," she tried for something casual and failed.

Caitlyn was still crouched down next to her dog, a hand absentmindedly playing with one of the buckles from his harness. When she looked up at her partner, her eyes held the same intensity from before, framed by a frown that was yet to let her beautiful features relax.

"Vi."

There was an edge of something in her voice. If she looked hard enough Vi could recognize it as distrust and it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Yeah?"

"If you don’t tell me exactly what the hell is going on here I'm putting in my one week notice tomorrow and leaving."

It was an empty threat and they both knew it to an extent. Not only because Caitlyn wouldn't simply pack her stuff and leave a position that finally allowed her to help people in a more substantial way, but also because there were countless other K9 teams out there that could replace her in no time. But Caitlyn held out some hope that Vi harbored some affection for her, enough to not want her gone at least.

Vi sighed deeply, her shoulders dropping in defeat as she ran a hand though messy pink hair.

"Yeah. Yeah okay that sounds fair," she said, though it didn't placate Caitlyn much. Her frown still in place, she kept looking at her partner expectantly. "Uh- we both have tomorrow off right? Why don't we um, meet for coffee and I'll give you the proper run-down?"

Vi tried for a warm smile, but it came out shy when she noticed the way Caitlyn’s expression turned from harsh to surprise, complete with a blush dusting her pale cheeks. Vi tried to convince herself that she was just seeing things in the almost absent light that came from the porch, but it didn't stop some heat from raising to her own face.

Well, this wasn’t exactly how Vi would've liked to ask her out, but desperate times…

Caitlyn cleared her throat, averting her eyes for a moment and Vi was afraid she had horribly overstepped some boundary. "Yes. That would be nice," Caitlyn said then, and soothed some of Vi’s fears a little.

This time, the charming smile came more easily as she stuck out a hand for her partner to take. She pulled her up from the dusty battered ground and gestured towards the porch as if to say after you. "I'll pick you up at nine," she said as Caitlyn took the first step on the stairs.

Caitlyn looked back down at her. "You don't know where I live, Vi," she deadpanned, but the amusement in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Damn I can't even be a gentlewoman anymore," Vi muttered and the giggle she got in response made her think that maybe this was still salvageable.

[lilmajorshawty]

The Bachelorette 7th house style.🏖(who suits you)

Sun in the 7th: please don’t outshine me!

You’ll likely marry someone who’s rather simple in their expression. They could have fire planets or be rather confident and self assured in their own personality causing them to have a more laid back personality rather than a “dramatic” one. They likely will let you shine and encourage your individuality and uniqueness or rather create an environment in which you express more of your own personality when around them. A partner that’s two concided or self invested can be very harmful to them as they themselves are the ones in need of feeling “valid.” It’s not to say their lovers can’t be proud in nature, it’s mainly that the partners that are usually best for them have a private yet self aware and self understood quality to them! This is what they sun in the 7th housers look up to! Someone who knows who they are! So likely dating or marrying Someone with a strong identity and humble nature in which these natives can really experiment and learn from helps! As it aids in building their own individual personality. The partner is likely to have sun in heavy aspect or Aries/Leo in aspect!

🏜Sampha - Plastic 100 ‘c

🏜Sampha - without

🏜Sampha - Can’t get close

🏜Solange - can’t get close

🏜Beyoncé - Standing on the sun

Moon in the 7th: please nurture me!

You likely won’t marry an overly emotional type! Just the contrary actually! Likely your marriage partner will have a very healthy relationship with their own personal emotions. They’re likely to be emotionally intelligent and calm as to better provide you a space and environment in which you can express your own emotional nature. You’ll likely feel much more emotionally expressive and moody when around them! And they’ll handle this in stride or often with a sympathetic and nurturing energy! They will have water influence and or water signs planets at least somewhere in their chart or aspects to the moon/Pluto/Neptune. For these natives it is best the end up with a more emotionally put together partner as they themselves can be very emotional! They usually do well with partners who have a more grounded and experienced approaches when it comes to emotions or dealing with emotions. For them having someone to take care of them as well as nurture them is what they need as they often feel like they’re missing that crucial aspect! A partner who is slightly independent and who encourages them to be as well is also extremely beneficial for them as it cultivates emotional individuality(allowing them to understand their own feelings apart from everyone else’s)

🕋Daughter - Home

🕋Daughter - Candles

🕋Elena tonra - Undead

🕋Daughter - Alone/With you

🕋Daughter - Smother

Mercury in the 7th: please listen to me!

Your marriage partner will be a conversationalist but more so in the sense that they bring out the brainstormer and or mental aspect of your personality. They’re likely to be sharp but humble! They could actually be very shy when you meet them and likely will be very intelligent yet quiet when it comes to communication. They will often make it so communication is always put above all else as to ensure you yourself speak up a little bit more. They will likely have some air influence or an appearance of Virgo or Gemini in their chart or aspects to mercury. A picky and critical nature could be shown here in the partner but is not always fact. It’s good that they end up with someone who’s a more practical talker rather than someone who is a “excessive talker.” They love communication and need it but they need to be the ones doing it! Something that’s often misunderstood about this placement is what mercury seeks here! Mercury wants to see and observe! To hear every view point but also to meet someone they can share that half of themselves with and often it means the world to them to have a listening ear! A partner who can listen to their stories as well as actively participate when need Be! A competent yet subtle partner suits them best.

🏛Florence + The Machine - My Boy Builds Coffins.

🏛Chance the rapper ft erykah badu - Rememory

🏛Florence + The Machine - Sweet Nothing

🏛Ellie Goulding - under the sheets

🏛Ellie Goulding - Guns And Horses

Venus in the 7th: please help me decide!

The marriage partner is likely to be very soothing and chill. They will be charming but also a bit on the creature of comfort and habit type. They will likely be very physical and sensual with you but this will often bring out the same desire within you. You’ll notice that they can bring a desire to take in the Beauty of the moment quite a bit as well as encouraging the more slothish, passive nature within you. That being said it is likely they will be a bit assertive and straightforward to some degree as to cultivate a sense of urgency and stimulation in your life. They could have fire influence or Taurus and libra influence in their chart or aspects to venus. They tend to do better with more aggressive and dominant partners simply because part of their nature is so indecisive! They need a bit of direction and steadfastness In their lives so long as it’s mixed with love and romance. A partner who is respectful but also masculine in their expression is great for them. Comadre and lightehearted teasing and playfulness is the way to their heart so likely a partner who can be fun and detached in a way suites them as it provides them a safe havean to be their charming and sweet selves without feeling like they’re in harms way.

🏹Lana Del Rey - Burning Desire

🏹Lana Del Rey - Music to watch boys to

🏹Lana Del Rey - Art Deco

🏹Sza - Julia

🏹Sza - Warm winds

Mars in the 7th: please don’t fight with me!

Contrary to belief these natives won’t always go for mr or mrs “demonlition derby.” When it comes to romance these natives tend to do best with a relaxed lover! Someone who is able to handle their bouts of aggression or their sometimes random needs to instigate during times of sexual frustration or boredom. They like to go after aggressive types because it’s all they know, and it’s also what gets the party going quickly which they like-calm people make them uneasy as they often feel like they’re waiting for something to “happen.” Someone with a soft and understanding disposition does them great as they get to be on “top” but also have a healthy give and take that isn’t so “toxic.” Their true marriage partner is usually a tender hearted person with a passionate side who is very expressive emotionally about their desire for the mars in the 7th house person! Someone who can handle themselves in an argument whilst remaing respectful is A HUGE hidden turn on for these natives as it shows maturity and groundedness. They also tend to marry sexually passive partners who don’t mind having a lot of sex(so a partner who’s indifferent or has a open mind to their libido is great).

Likely the partner will have water placements or earthy placements with a tinge of fire! Specifically Aries and Leo or aspects to mars and the sun.

🥊Delilah - Love You So

🥊Delilah - insecure

🥊Delilah - Touch me

🥊Mikky ekko - Whats It Like Now

🥊Mikky ekko - Light The Way

Jupiter in the 7th: please keep me happy!

The marriage partner is likely to be spiritual and a bit of a kid at heart! They’ll likely be a huge turning point for the natives as well as someone who encourages you to look deeper within yourself and in the themes in your own life! They can be a catalyst for self discovery or a downright blissful good time! They bring so much luck to your life but also growth for Better or worse. The marriage partner is likely to be optimistic yet grounded in this. They tend to see the big picture in a reasonable light and mainly want you to take those leaps of faiths in good standing. These natives need someone who is postive! Someone who is likely to keep their energy levels high but also keep them grounded with the more realistic and mundane sides of life. Marrying the “other” side of this aspect, someone who is over optimistic, reckless, or flighty isn’t neccesarily helpful and for the most part it’s better for them to go for the higher octave which is someone who is sincere, ardent and spiritually/emotionally grounded in a practical and real world sense. The partner is likely to have plenty of sag/Jupiter energy or fire energy in their chart

⛩ Frank Ocean - We All Try

⛩Frank Ocean - Siegfried

⛩Frank Ocean - Nights

⛩Frank Ocean - pink matter

⛩Fergie - Glamorous

Saturn in the 7th: please don’t ever leave!

The marriage partner is often laid back and strong. They can be strong physically and they can be strong mentally or even variations of these. Their is a tendency for the partner to be highly fixed and focused towards a particular career, cause, or calling in their life. Dedication and loyalty run high and so does the desire to build and create a foundation with the Saturn in the 7th house person. Most people speak on the “lack of love.” Indicated here. On the contrary this is a very loving position as these natives tend to marry very honest and sincere lovers. The marriage partner is usually a bit serious in public but tender and affectionate in private. The marriage partner can be very playful and bubbly behind closed doors and have a rather uplifting and jovial nature with the native. These natives do best with a serious lover who is private with them! For these natives it’s not about “looking the part” it’s about actually cultivating a real bond. It’s likely that the lover could have strong earth energy in their chart or Capricorn/Taurus in high frequency! Venus and or Saturn could be heavily aspected.

🎱Drake - Cameras/ Good Ones Go

🎱Partynextdoor - East liberty

🎱 Partynextdoor - Grown women

🎱Partynextdoor - Transparency

🎱Drake - connect.

Uranus in the 7th: please keep me thinking

The marriage partner is unorthodox but also consistent. Contrary to belief the marriage partner is usually rather on the odd ball side of things, maybe like dating tony stark or doctor stranger or even legion and professor X. They don’t do things linear and may have a more liner persona when it comes to life but they tend to find a safe heaven in you and vice versa! They often have no problem commiting but can be rather detached when it comes to the more intimate moments! They can actually bring out more intimate and tender sides to you that you yourself where unaware of. They bring out the need to love and to understand another person within you. They can seem a bit perplexing and odd but are extremely consistent with their desire to be around you even if it’s a bit like watching a scientist play with their telescope. These natives need a lover who’s different from them, emotionally, mentally and so on. For them they do best with a lover who challenges their mind as well as their heart, someone who makes them think about their actions. In a sense their lovers force them to be “human”

The marriage partner could have air influence and a lot of Uranus aspects especially to their moon and Venus. Gemini and libra could also be aparant.

🎰MGMT - Little Dark Age(Ghost vision remix)

🎰MGMT - Days That Got Away

🎰Passion Pit - Sleepyhead

🎰Passion pit - The Reeling

🎰Passion pit - Constant conversation

Neptune in the 7th: please understand me!

A partner who is kind yet emotionally self aware is best here. The marriage partner tends to be very emotionally receptive and sensitive to the moods of the native. They likely are very cautious and choosey with their words and can have a hard time being angry or aggressive to the native no matter how masculine they may be. A strong desire to protect and care for the native is apparent in the marriage partner and they tend to want intimacy albeit not at the same pace as the Neptune in the 7th house person. The lovers for these natives can be a bit slow to opening up and even slower to committing because of how intense the feelings and emotions are especially since this is a sign of a reunion of karmic lovers. The tendency for the marriage partner to disappear and reappear in the early parts of the relationship is common and it may seem like there are several delays before the partner actually settles down but it’s all for a reason trust me. Upon finally settling down the partner is very VERY tender and loving to the Neptune in the 7th person is likely to move very quickly emotionally when it comes to creating a nest for the two. These natives need a emotionally available partner and one who is able to transverse the complicated emotions of the native! Although they end up with an emotional lover it’s usually fine so long as the lover is able to articulate and submit to the strong feelings! This is why it is also important that their lover is emotionally strong as well as sensitive.

The partner will likely have 12th house influence or aspects to Neptune! A Pisces and or Scorpio influence is likely.

🥀Bonobo - Stay The Same Ft. Andreya

🥀The Hics - All we’ll Know

🥀The Hics - Tangle

🥀Bonobo - Silver

🥀Bonobo feat. Grey reverend - first fires

Pluto in the 7th: please be real with me!

The partner is often powerful and intense. They tend to be rather complex but with a warm heart. In a healthy context the partner often pushes the native to dig deep and deal with their bad habits as well as transform them and vice versa for the better. Usually the partner is very loving in a very intimate fashion, likely wanting to completely immerse themselves into you! They often are obsessive in a cute way and very possessive of you. They tend to want to know and explore every inch of you and you’ll likely want the same! The partners are usually karmic and rooted in past life affiliations but that being said the partner is very emotionally intense and can at times take on a domineering and controlling personality. The partner is likely to be someone who is strong in will and impulsive as they often find themselves at the mercy of their intense feelings. It’s best these natives marry the lover who is intense yet self aware! Much like Jupiter in the 7th the negative traits here can be blurred with the postive ones so discretion is advised! A partner who exudes qualities of emotional resilience and emotional passion with a bit of maturity are best for you! Someone who is devoted solely to you as it feeds that ride or die factor to yourself. Someone who can heal and who is understanding without aggression or confrontation is best for you as you need gentle and soothing energy in your life.

The partner will be Scorpio influenced and likely have 8th house, Pluto or even cancer and Neptune energy in their chart! To some degree Saturn or Capricorn might also be present and maybe Taurus.

🌑Chet faker - Your time

🌑Chet Faker - I’m Ready

🌑The weekend - The Fall

🌑The weekend - Prisoner

🌑The weekend - As You Are.

[sandalwoodgripstalkscomics]

Academy Adventures Page 1 Breakdown

Hey y'all,

Sandalwoodgrips here, the guy behind those lovely community collab comics you might have read. I wanted to talk a little about the process behind creating one of these pages, and take you on a little journey from half-baked idea to shiny final comic. Today we’ll be looking at the very first page that Gutter Rat and I worked on for Academy Adventures Series 1!

Ok so how did we get to this awesome looking guy? Well first, Gutter and I do a little brainstorm session before we start on each comic. We hop on a call together and shoot the shit for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, trying to come up with something we both find funny or that Gutter really wants to draw.

For Chrono Broken, I think I had actually come up with a super loose script and put it out there as an idea of what we could do. It just so turns out that Gutter was into the idea. Here’s a look at my initial first pitch:

If you look at the final comic, you’ll notice that a lot of stuff from the script made it to the page, but not quite the way it was written. Nothing is precious. As you’re working on stuff don’t be afraid to change things, to adapt, or to throw everything away entirely. As an example, the look on Ekko’s face in Panel 4, changing it from excited in the script to super worried on the page, I think sells the gravity of the situation but also highlights the hilarity of what he’s unleashed.

Ok, so we have a script that we’re both happy with. What happens next? In short, Gutter goes and works his magic. But I ask, and I do this with all my artists, that they check in for feedback at very specific stages of the process: 1) Thumbs, 2) Pencils, 3) Inks, 4) Flat Colors, 5) Final Colors/Balloons. This helps us take a step back, look at everything, and see if we’re headed in the right direction. Let’s check out Gutter’s thumbs!

Thumbs

First, these thumbs are hyper detailed. There’s an upside to getting this much detail this early - I get a really good idea of what the final page is going to look like! The downside is that it takes more time and if there are things that don’t work, that’s more time spent changing/updating the thumbs, time that could have been better spent elsewhere. But every artist is different and has a different approach. Work with them to figure out a process that works for the both of you.

All right let’s talk feedback! What are some of the things that I wanted us to think about here? 

Panel 1

Flip Ekko horizontally so he’s facing right

This is a personal pet peeve of mine. I want you to follow Ekko into the page.

The word balloons here help to contextualize the situation without needing an establishing shot. We needed as much space as possible for the final panel.

Panel 2 

I wanted to put the kids more obviously in the museum here

You know they’re heading to the museum because the balloons told you so, but you can’t really see it

Suggested having Ekko hanging out fiddling with his device as some other students checked out an exhibit around him

Panel 3 

Solid! I thought this captured exactly what we were trying to show - the bump and Ahri being annoyed - perfectly

My only point of feedback was that this didn’t foreshadow the dino-champs introduction hard enough

Panel 4 

Also really really solid. Ekko’s expression, surprised and scared, is great.

 The crackling energy around the Z-Drive? Hella solid! But just like Panel 3, I wanted us to play a little with the background. 

We’re so focused on Ekko that we don’t get to tease the trouble that his little experiment is going to cause.

Panel 5 

Pure gold. Ekko and his classmates reap the whirlwind. Should’ve made a Yasuo reference there… 

This is what I want to see, panel composition, where the actors are, I can already feel the intensity of the panel. Heck yes. 

I send Gutter all that feedback, we talk about it, and a little later he sends back another draft.

Thumbs 2

Here we’re just refining things, tightening stuff up, and making sure that the flow works.

Panel 1, 

Flipped Ekko, but I wanted the reader to see Ekko first, and for him to guide your eye forward to the balloons and the rest of the page

Panel 2 

We have an awesome little weapon exhibit! I really liked this, plus it gave Gutter a chance to draw Talon, his favorite champ.

I actually like Vlad in this panel, but I didn’t want the panel to look too full/wanted to show off the exhibit more, so I asked Gutter to remove Vlad to let the exhibit breathe

Panel 3 

Good but for the background, need to zoom out a bit

Panel 4. 

Zoom out action also needed

Panel 5 

The easter eggs!

On to inks!

Inks 1

These inks are dope. Truly. The biggest change here is that we added a separate panel for the BOOM sound effect. We found that the transition from nearly exploding Z-Drive to the museum coming to life just didn’t work the way we wanted it to without it.

For Panels 1 and 2 you can see that we’ve made the adjustments from the previous draft. Ekko is situated on the left side of the Panel 1 and Vlad has bowed out of Panel 2, freeing up some space. The only change I asked for in this entire iteration was to move the Renekton blade either to the left or right just a tad so it didn’t line up perfectly with the curve in Darius’ hair.

Panels 3 and 4 are where we get to see some really cool changes. Now, instead of a nondescript rib cage we get to see some pretty scary teeth. Who do they belong to? With our zoom out in Panel 4 you might be able to tell! And this zoom gives us a taste of what’s to come. Next comes colors!

Colors 1

Gutter’s first color pass was great and the Renekton blade/Darius hair issue in Panel 2 was fixed. When it came to feedback, I wanted Gutter to look at a few things: 

Panel 2

Darius’ hair/coat and the gray backing of the display

Panel 3

Ahri’s hair needed to be a little more purple/violet to match the splash

Panel 6

Browns of dinos/champs/walls/floor in Panel 6 too similar

Colors 2

Gutter came back with some updates that worked really well. At this point you’ll notice we’re just making minor tweaks: 

Panel 2 

Changed the weapon exhibit backdrop

Panel 3

Changed Ahri’s hair

Panel 6

Changed some of the colors to more easily differentiate champs

Panel 6

Changed outlines on some champs to help them stand out

Veigar’s more obvious, so is Kled!

Final Colors

Gutter hit me with finals before doing balloons. Honestly, what could I say about this? Looks friggin awesome!

Balloons

I think the only change that we made here was adding a little spice to Cho’s RAAAAWR!! But other than that I was happy to call this hot to trot. 

And there you have it folks! I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for this page. It got us started on an amazing series and an awesome comics adventure through our Academy AU. It also opened the door for me to work with other incredible artists to create equally cool comics.

Whew. If you dug this breakdown, lemme know. I’ll be doing some more of these in the near future and talking about a bunch of comics stuff. Probably won’t be doing this all that consistently, this is personal stuff, but if anyone finds it valuable I’ll do more of this shizz.

[mystech-master]

Zaun Q&A Tidbits

Piltover one here

Piltover got a reddit Q&A, now it’s Zaun’s turn.

link here

question asked by fan

answer from rioter

Q: What made you decide to join Zaun and Piltover into one super-city and what inspired this direction? 

A. This had been in the works for a long while. I know early discussions on the two cities idea were meant to emphasize the differences and similarities of the two cities, while ramping up that connection and conflict through being so close together. They have no choice but be aware of each other every day, and it allows us to delve into ideas about what a symbiotic relationship looks like when not everyone is happy about it. It felt different to all of our other regions, it heightened possibilities for conflict (and therefore drama), and meant we could play very different Champs off each other pretty easily. Regions need to have natural hooks for storytelling and provide opportunities that other places don't. After all, if your new city just does the same as another on the other side of the world, why does the story world need it?

Q. Is Twitch still a resident/champion of Zaun? 

A. Yes!  He will eventually be getting some bio and story love too

Q. I recall some concerns about Zac's parents being deceased in the new lore; what made the team decide to "Uncle Ben" them?

I feel really bad about it; they were cool people who did the right thing, and raised Zac responsibly and lovingly. Those teasers with their scribbled notes on them were really sweet; there's one where they call him cute that makes me smile. Them getting killed in the lore update really guts me, honestly.

At the least I wish one of Zac's parents lived, to be his Aunt May rooting for him. Does Zac really have to be Batman, and not Spiderman?

I do like Ekko's lore, where he explicitly isn't an orphan, so I can't complain that everyone has dead or missing parents, but still, I feel so bad about Zac's plight.

A. Hi, the thinking behind that was that with them still alive, teaching Zac right from wrong, he didn't really have anywhere to go as a character. Was him being good a product of their guidance or something coming from him and what he'd learned? Now he has to embody the goodness he wants for himself by himself, and that's a much more interesting story space... 

Q. Any pre-existing characters served as inspiration for Viktor? Parallels with Doctor Doom are plenty in my mind.

How far has he progressed in terms of his evolution? Does he still need to breathe/eat, has he augmented his cognitive abilities?

It's strongly hinted that he does still have shreds of humanity about him. Is there any part of him that holds any regrets on where he is and how he got there? Or is he completely satisfied with his current existence?

How do you think he feels about Zaun? Characters like Ekko/Blitz/Zac/WW seem almost inseparable from the city, what does Viktor think about it?

Edit: Can he remove his mask? There are mentions of smiles in his story but all we see in the game is his mask. Is it removeable or grafted into his skin?

A. I was inspired by the real-life scientists who worked on developing local anesthesia. Some of them experimented on their own bodies to see if the anesthesia worked before trying their techniques on patients during operations. That mentality felt very much true for Viktor, who wants to make humanity better and would never intentionally hurt someone - he would absolutely test a new method on himself if he thought it might be dangerous or hurtful.

Viktor has performed many modifications to his own mind and body, but neither his body nor mind are entirely machine - right now he is a hybrid, though he is constantly upgrading and tweaking his mechanical parts.

I don't think he feels regret - what would be the point? I'm sure like anyone he has made decisions that he would have changed in hindsight, but he doesn't dwell on these. He uses the knowledge he gains from each experience to move forward and do better in the future. I do think Viktor is happy with his current levels of mechanical modifications, and has eliminated many problems from his life through his experimentation.

Like many of the characters from Zaun, Viktor is very much a product of his society. He has been able to use the ingenuity, freedom, and boundless resources of the city in order to create progress and experiment in ways beyond what anyone had yet accomplished. He is not limited to the rules and regulations that held him back in Piltover - here in Zaun, he can do what no one thought possible.

I've always seen the mask as something he can remove and put back on as needed (i.e., to take a sip of sweetmilk).

Q. I love what you did for Viktor. He's oddly enough "human" and despite augmenting himself with cold steel he's surprisingly warm. He's very sympathetic despite his methods being rather questionable at times. 

A. Glad you liked the Viktor story! :D I had fun trying to imagine what it's like to have have such a strange, logical distance from emotions. And yeah, I definitely don't see him as cold - he can still empathize with others, but he isn't swayed by what he sees as unnecessary emotions like fear. 

Q. Can i ask do you think Viktor is a scientist before a machine herald because he shows signs of sympathy 

A. Interesting question. I would say he is both; they are not mutually exclusive. Viktor very much values science and the scientific method - he teaches Naph to ask questions that dig deeper into a rumor, and to value primary sources as evidence above hearsay. Viktor also believes humans have certain weaknesses of spirit that machines do not have, so he's still very much a "machine herald". Through augmentations, Viktor has done his best to rid himself of what he sees as useless and harmful emotions, but he still has empathy for others (as is hopefully evident in this story). 

Q. Is Zaun's design and style based off of any real cities? 

A. Not wholesale, but all of our work is derived from a lot of real-life references mixed in a particular combination (that will feel like Zaun if you get a sort of rough formula down). There's plenty of Victoriana and Art Deco references, but we don't tend to reference the entire art movement, because that can be too broad. For Zaun's case, we specifically looked at the industrial design in that era and took design cues from it and translated that to architecture instead.

We also kinda think of things like symbolism and how shapes 'feel' to people. For instance, Zaun has a lot of struts and vertical elements. Narratively, we can explain that by saying it's bare metal, it's rough, unpolished, it's the Zaunites' way of building sturdy platforms out from rock. But visually, having struts and vertical elements brings us to a specific industrial era and sets the visual tone of the place as well. So we try and capitalize on these feelings and associations to create the mood of the faction as well.

Response to ^: So Zaun is 1930s New Jersey but in a big canyon?

Response to ^: That's a really good description. We'll go with that. :) It also has strange mechanically augmented people and mutant rats

Q. Would Warwick ever attempt to hunt down Dr.Mundo? How would it go?

So, since Viktor is a misunderstood "Villain", would you say Jayce is a misunderstood hero? It seems like he's really arrogant and only cares about the glory.

A: Ooh. That's an interesting idea.

I'd like to think that Jayce has legitimate heroism within him, but he just needs to stop thinking he's better than everyone else and start focusing on how to work with people.

Q. I have to know, in Viktor's colour story, did he choose to assist Naph solely out of a desire to test and see the results of his fear-suppressing chip mixed with an expectation of a future evolution; or was it derived as well from his lingering human impulses to uplift and grant agency to the downtrodden?

I'm honestly not sure what to, or even what I want to believe of him. The candid nature of Viktor both in his bio and Emberflit Alley really caught me off guard.

A. This isn't the first time Viktor has used the fear-suppressor - he's certainly not using Naph as a test subject. I think Viktor witnessed an inequity when he saw Naph bullied outside his door, knew exactly how that he could help, and fixed the problem. The whole reason Viktor developed all his mechanical augmentations is not just science for science's sake - he genuinely wants to help people and make the world a better place. 

Q. to the artist: how did you make sure that each others style matches and do you guys have a end picture in mind or start and see where it takes you? 

A. Great question! The team has a central idea of what each faction feels like and we try to boil it down to key phrases and also key shapes. We used words like "Industrial", "Claustrophobic", "Pipework", among others, for Zaun. We spend a lot of time gathering reference and trying out different shapes until we hit upon a palette that represents Zaun. Circles, curves, repetitive struts, holes punched in metal. This way, any artist who works on Zaun has a body of research and a database of sorts to work from.Generally, I don't think we have an end picture in mind that's very clear. We have this general idea of how it should feel like, but we don't really know what it'll end up looking like until we go through an iterative process and finally land an image that 'clicks' and excites everyone. 

A2. In addition to what u/riotwhren said about structures, In term of style itself you can compare Piltover and Zaun : in the case of Piltover, a lot of the architecture and shapes tend to be geometrical and symmetrical , a bit like American Art Deco style, Whereas in Zaun, their ability and craft of metal enables them to do a lot of round shapes, tubes, and intricate flowing shapes quite reminiscent of the Art Nouveau metro gates in Paris.:)

Q. What were your inspirations for Zaun?  What was the in-house sorta guidelines for what made Zaun?  Also, incredible work on the stories - Zaun feels like a living, breathing place and it makes me feel a lot more connected to the champions and proud of Ekko for fighting for it. 

A. Hmmmm, I think the key thing we kept repeating over and over again in meetings, both narratively and visually, was... "We need to make it livable. It can't be too dire with no hope whatsoever, it's gotta feel like someone might actually want to visit it".

And of course, the color green. Before we really delved into exploring the visuals, all the green in Zaun was conceptually all from goo and toxic poisons. But we wanted to make it more livable, so eventually the idea emerged that we could represent the green with the cultivairs, and also moss on bricks and stuff instead of neon goo. That way we kept the green but also made Zaun feel more livable.

Q. will  you keep making lore in perspectives of citizens/people who aren't the actual champions?

A. Most certainly, yeah. It's fun for us (and hopefully for you) to see the world of Runeterra through the eyes of people who aren't mega-badasses. Like how reading Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina made the Star Wars trilogy feel much bigger and deeper. 

Stories about characters who aren't champions allows us to delve into the world in ways the champions can't (or don't often). It broadens the world and keeps it from feeling 'small' by virtue of so many champs all being involved in the everyday lives of people. 

Q. Hello! I am a lore aficionado, and have read and loved every champion's lore, and would like to know more about Warwick, and why you decided to remove Soraka from his lore when she was a very prominent part of his two previous lores. His new lore is still excellent, but it hurts to see such a major player in his lore tragically torn from her spot in his story and character. :(Sincerely, A Warwick main.

A. Partly it was so we can make Soraka her own woman/celestial, partly to give Singed and Warwick's relationship a bit more focus and dynamism. Though we like to include relationships in the origins of our Champs, it's best to do so when those relationships amplify the core of who the Champ is. Personally, I think it was a good move for all three Champs.

Q. Why are u trying to blur some champions identities if u don't have an exact idea of what they are? I'm talking about Janna (also happened to Amumu and Rammus in the past) I mean we are supposed to know exactly what they are, what s up with this ambiguity? 

A. Personally, I don't find Janna's identity all that ambiguous -- she's got some mystery, sure (as magical things should in order to feel properly magical, in my opinion), but she's assuredly a physical manifestation of faith and hope from sailors who prayed for fair winds. Which is why her superpowers are summoning wind and hugging sad gay boys.

Q.--- If you'll indulge me a little further, Noxus's "Conquer and patriate" seems very similar to the Roman Empire's way of running things. Would you say that Noxus's control over Valoran is roughly equivalent to the Roman Empire's control over Europe? And furthermore, does Demacia actually pose much of a threat to Noxus, or do they function more as a "stubbornly unconquerable defender" rather than a political rival?

A. Yep!  Noxus is similar to an ancient Rome or ancient Persia.  And "stubbornly unconquerable defender" is an accurate assessment for Demacia!

Q. A question to help better visualize the city: what sort of fashion do Zaunites wear? What are the differences between each societal class in their dress (i.e. what do the rich vs. poor wear?) And lastly, is there any sort of 'people of Zaun' type concepts anywhere? As I recall, there was at least one concept image for Piltover's people! Thanks! 

A. We do have people concepts, but I'm not sure when we're getting them on Universe. In terms of fashion, there are definitely differences between the classes -- among the lower and middle classes, lots of rolled-up sleeves, layers, and various mechanisms to keep the toxins out and your feet dry. Among the upper classes, brighter, vibrant colors (because $$$), and there's less need to have protective elements in your clothes, so more refined patterns and cuts. In fact, I'd say the rich chem barons would pride themselves on looking nicely presented when riding one of the lush elevators up and down the city.

Q. Does Blitzcrank have any hextech going on in him, or is he entirely steam powered? 

A. Blitzcrank does not have any hextech within his core - he's made from a bunch of discarded golem parts originally powered by steam, but Blitz reconfigured his own mechanics in order to help others. So you might say that he's fueled by the power of LOVE. <removes tinfoil hat>

Q. Has Ryze, in his travels throughout the years, ever been involved with Zaun in some way? 

A. I'm sure he's passed through at some point...

Q. Is there any form of police or anything of the sort in Zaun? half of these guys hunt people at night just for the lulz 

A. The Chem-barons are the kind of unofficial law down there, keeping their patches secure and keeping things - more or less - safe. It's not good for business when things get too out of hand, but it can. And when it does, the retribution is swift and brutal. Also, if things get too out of hand down there, the Pilties might come down... 

(Also if you look on the reddit page there is a huge discussion, too huge for this post, where the Rioters actually ask why people liked the Journal of Justice so much and why they got rid of it. Go check it out if you’re one of those butt hurt people who hate the new lore).

Q. Why the change for Mundo? Why change him from being a scientist who became twisted from his own experiments to being 'lol idk he's purple'?

A. Because his original lore had a massive amount of crossover with Singed both in terms of narrative detail and tonal space. It also just didn't really mesh with his personality ingame, which is much more jovial and darkly comic.

Q. So Blitzcrank is a self-learning AI, but do computers exist in Valoran? if not, is hextech magic enough to this kind of processing?

A. Piltover and Zaun does not have mass production or the factory system - everything they create is made by a talented craftsperson who has studied for years. So all creations are unique, one-of-a-kind bespoke creations, meaning no computers. Blitzcrank doesn't have hextech within his core, he's a steam-powered golem who modified his own mechanics and became sentient in order to make a greater difference in Zaun.

Q. why zaun is full of criminals ? was it a good place in another time ?

A. Not everyone is a criminal, there's a lot of awesome people in Zaun, but harsh times can lead to harsh responses from some.

Q. What exactly is the relationship between Jinx and Ekko?

A. It's complicated.

Q. And what's the relationship between Taliyah and Ekko?

A. I'm not aware there is one...? Though the kid from Shurima might have passed through Zaun in her travels and I suspect they'd have found kindred spirits in one another.

Q. Is Mundo's tongue purple or blue?

A. The blue in the splash is from the potion he drank. 

Q. What kind of relationship do Zaun and Noxus have? Does Zaun regularly supply weapons to Noxus, or does it try to refrain from getting involved in that age-old Demacia/Noxus conflict?

A. Zaun/Piltover trade with Noxus and it's an amicable (as far as any relation with Noxus goes) but the empire is now beginning to see that maybe, just maybe, there's something to this new-fangled technology that's coming out of these two cities.

Q. Does Viktor know about Orianna and if so, what does he think of her?

A. I'd be surprised if he didn't know about her, and he likely thinks of her as some inventor's folly, not yet realizing that there's more to her than a simple clockwork automaton. 

Q. How did Zaun become so toxic and poisoned, it was a normal City like Demacia before anything, wasn't it? :D

A. There was a catastrophe in Zaun's past that sank it into canyons and cliffs that ripped through the landscape, which together with the chem-tech researches that have happened since...well, that's not a good mix.

Q. Any chance of Zaun being completely free from all the gas and poisonous filth? :D

A. I suspect their are chem-alchemists working on that very thing right now.

Q. Were there any inspirations you guys drew upon in the making of Janna's new backstory? I've always wanted a Miss Peregrine-type character in League, so I couldn't be more happy with her new lore, personally <3

A. Kiiiiiind of? We mainly just beat our heads against a wall for a couple weeks until we came up with something that we all liked. We sort of realized after the fact that she's slightly Neil Gaiman-y -- a god who was forgotten and then came back as more people started believing in her again.