#i don't like the final result as i hoped so

[victoriangold]

Loustat Fic Rec MASTERPOST

This is my Masterpost for all the Loustat fics I've read and enjoyed the most. There are about 150 fics ranked by word count. You can mostly find the tags #AU, #PostS2, #S1, plus a few rarer ones.

Updates will be collected and added in the reblogs.

THANK YOU to all the authors putting so much effort into creating these beautiful works that i've spent hours reading!! I owe you the world.

1k - 4k

through all the days out wandering by concertoforgashedneck (1,3k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) A (not-so) brief moment in a certain vampire rockstar's dressing room before the show.

j’veux pas mourir toute seule by WeeBeastie (1,4k, Rated M, #PostS2) alone in New Orleans, Lestat waits - and waits - for Louis to come back to him The Music Man by Gigi_Sinclair (1,5k, Rated E, #PostS2) Louis can't kick down the door to the luxury suite at the Royal Lancaster hotel. Well, he could, but getting arrested by the London police is not going to improve his mood at all. Instead, he knocks with a fist clenched so tightly, he draws blood from his own hand.

mosaic.  by pocketsun (1,6k, Rated E, #PostS2) Months after their intense and stormy reunion, Louis and Lestat finally find themselves coming together once more in the place where they feel most connected to each other– in the intimacy of the bedroom.

That Sound Is Loud Inside Us by thetickingsclock (2,1k, Rated M, #DMCentric) Daniel's turning and the immediate aftermath The End Of All Things by lesfleursrouges (2,1k, Rated E, #S1 ) Louis tries to accept the fact that Lestat will be dead tomorrow and that this is the end of all things.

pour by baberainbow (2,3k, Rated E, #S1 ) Too caught up in the turmoil of not getting his way in this hypothetical scenario, Lestat huffs all put-upon.Because he can't take a hint. Because he's a fucking idiot. Louis wants him carnally. say that you'll hold me forever  by femininomena (2,5k, Rated Teen, #PostS2 ) You got me a room?” Lestat asks as soon as they enter the elevator. “Presumptuous.” Louis chuckles, smiling widely at the half-hearted retort. “Hopeful.” show me the only way (you know how to love) by peacefrog (2,5k, Rated E, #S2E3) After the incident in the park, Lestat comes to Louis again. All I Have to Do is Dream by Anonymous (3,2k, Rated M, #S2) DreamLouis has thoughts. A lot of them. do wrong right by sightetsound (3,4k, Rated E, #S1 ) during episode four, Lestat and Louis experience a dry spell as a result of Claudia sleeping in their room, and then they don't. got it bad for you by ad_castra (3,4k, Rated E, #S1/2) Lestat runs hot when he kills, cheeks flushed red and fresh blood staining his teeth, all amped up and wild with the bloodlust. Louis’s favourite time to kiss him is then, licking it all up and savouring the aftermath.  ain't no mountain by wordsphoenix (3,5k, Rated -, #PostS2 ) Louis is on his way to visit a friend when he hears a familiar voice on the radio. fruit basket by peacefrog (3,5k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) Lestat’s whole body swayed as he walked. Pants sitting low on his hips. Hips like weapons, swell of his ass like a homing beacon. And Louis almost forced himself to look away when Lestat stopped, and turned back.

Into the Woods by Gigi_Sinclair (3,6k, Rated Teen, #PostS2 ) Lestat always had a lot of friends; he’s got more now he’s famous. Louis is okay with that. It would be insane not to be. He’s okay when, under the instruction of the director, the man touches Lestat, putting his big hands on Lestat’s waist and yanking their bodies together. It’s all part of the show, he reminds himself. Then, Lestat and the man kiss. And kiss, and kiss, take after take after take. True that love in withdrawal was the weeping of me by pocketsun (3,6k, Rated E, #S1 ) Louis, avoiding Lestat after their night together, finds peace in a bookshop, but that peace is fleeting when it comes to a certain vampire stalking about. A Point of View by Gigi_Sinclair (3,6k, Rated M, #PostS2) An interview with another vampire. Which he sees as more like the game "Two Truths and a Lie." Threads by lesfleursrouges (3,6k, Rated E, #PostS2) Louis and Lestat find their way back to each other. Slowly. With care. you send me by vulcanscully (3,7k, Rated M, #PostS2 ) Close to a century after their Mardi Gras duet, Louis asks Lestat for a dance.

The Things We Did and Didn’t Do by marbleflan (3,7k, Rated M, #PostS2) You are thinking of him, maybe.” Louis looks up. “What?” Then it clicks. “Armand. You are touching me. In bed,” Lestat says, casual. Maybe too casual. “But you are thinking of him.” Louis doesn’t say anything. There’s not really anything he can say. It’s true, in a way. Not that he’s literally thinking about Armand. Not consciously. But he’s assuming Armand: Armand’s desires, Armand’s preferences, Armand’s reactions. He’s holding Lestat, he’s thinking of Lestat, he’s hard for Lestat. But he’s treating him like Armand. You don't know how to love me good by carmillas_wife_aurora (3,9k, Rated Gen, #PostS2) A song from Lestat causes a fight, a confession, a make out session in a dirty bar bathroom and a reunion. In that exact order.

4k - 5k

all I wanna, ain't no other by femininomena (4k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) GL tonight and ty for the tickets. Daniel said his daughters loved em. It takes every single inch of the self control that Lestat painstakingly curated for over seventy years of isolation for him not to chuck the phone at the wall.

The New Age by Gigi_Sinclair (4k, Rated M, #PostS2) "There was so rarely any restraint between the two of them. Everything was zero to a hundred faster than the cars Armand sometimes liked to show off to his snacks, and fuck whoever got in the way. Louis was fine with that. He got off on it. Now he's in his 140s, he thinks maybe it's time to grow up a little." all i want is to be home by deadratz (4,2k, Rated Teen, #PostS2) It’s strange to see Lestat around such modernity. To see the ways he has moved forward with the passing years, to embrace a new era — growing, even if he hasn’t grown old. The passing of time is still documented in the new way Lestat carries himself, in the way he fits into the present. No longer does Lestat only exist in memories and dreams. He’s no longer as he was the last night Louis saw him, no longer a twentieth century ghost out of place amongst modern walls and furniture. He's here, and he's different, but so much is still the same. Different, but still Lestat. Still beautiful.

in full transparency by ColorMeParanoid (4,3k, Rated T, #PostS2 ) the one in which Lestat can (allegedly) turn into a bat and Bram Stoker is (allegedly) a big fat petty liar Nearer, My Heart, To Thee by JustCallMeWinchester (4,3k, Rated E, #S2E4) Louis knew about his initials in Lestat's coat, after all, the Lestat of his hallucinations could only know what he knew, right? He'd found out the secret one very ordinary night, and now he carried his own secret, from NOLA to Europe, Dubai and back.

longing by baberainbow (4,3k, Rated E, #PostS2) The last night Louis spends with Lestat in the twentieth century; the first night Louis shares with Lestat in the twenty-first. forever's gonna start tonight by trinityofone (4,4k, Rated E, #DMCentric) Is It Vampire Pon Farr or Are We Fucking Soulmates?: The Daniel and Armand Story. If there were scarlet flags, they washed out in the mind of me. by pocketsun (4,5k, Rated E, #PreS2) Louis, as a human and as a vampire, working through his desire for Lestat. Or, four times Louis pleasures himself and the one time Lestat walks in and joins him.

on your side by fakehaunting (4,5k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) “My love,” Lestat murmurs. “I lay flowers for you at your grave and then you come to me. Is that what it really takes?”  Anchor up to me, love. by pocketsun (4,6k, Rated E, #PostS2) In the present day, Lestat finds out about the way in which Louis grieved for him. "You missed me so terribly," Lestat answers, finally appearing in the empty doorway as if Louis had summoned him right from his subconscious. "So terribly, you created a dream version of me. Is this true, mon cher? That you did this?"

Happy 160th! by Angstosaur (4,6k, Rated M, #S1 ) After Claudia's 17th birthday party, Louis senses something is troubling Lestat and eventually finds out that he has never celebrated his birthday. Louis decides to give him something good to remember when he thinks of November 7th in the future.

a singular soul by mllelerockstar (Deluxing) (4,7k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) “Tell me what you need baby.” Lestat shuddered and clutched him closer again. His lips were pressed to Louis’ ear, and he said in a devastated tone, “Say you love me mon cher. Just once, I promise I won’t ask again.” let's just blame it on london by cherhorowitz8 (4,9k, Rated M, #AU) Louis and Lestat try desperately to find a place where they can have sex. Also, Daniel’s wedding is a disaster.An AU one-shot inspired by an episode of Friends.

Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart by prouvaireafterdark (5,1k, Rated E, #S1 ) AKA the very explicit coffin sex AMC never gave us in 1x04 stereoscopic by chinxe (5,2k, Rated M, #PostS2 ) Daniel just wants to get through The Vampire Lestat's documentary in one piece. The Vampires Lestat, Louis and Armand aren't making it any easier for him. don't have to guess by lestatslouis (ad_castra) (5,3k, Rated E, #PostS2) When Louis realises one of his biggest grievances with vampirism is the inability to communicate telepathically with Lestat, he keeps quiet for the sole reason that his sudden inclination to kill should definitely trump weird, psychic sex with his boyfriend. It’s kind of concerning that he considers them both an even playing field. love you loudly by vulcanscully (5,3k, Rated M, #PostS2) three times Lestat reels over Louis touching him in public, and one time they talk about it you cast the dust into nothing by skvadern (5,4k, Rated E, #S1 ) "When you're moving in me, I feel whole, Louis, as I haven't in so long. Entirely whole and adored." Lestat draws Louis over another line in the sand.

shadows in parallel planes by mllelerockstar (Deluxing) (5,4k, Rated Teen, #PostS2 ) it's been three years, one real estate empire and one platinum record since louis and lestat have last seen each other in person

i was on fire for you (but you brought in the cold) by cryptidink (5,4k, Rated E, #S1 ) It’s July in New Orleans and Lestat and Louis are feeling the heat. scarcely can speak for my thinking by cloudings (5,6k, Rated E, #PostS2) It’s been a good while now since they reunited in the rush of the hurricane, the discovery of the truth and treachery hot on their minds. On a warm Summer’s night, Louis and Lestat re-establish what they mean to each other, and re-visit the heat of the nights they used to share. held by vulcanscully (5,7k, Rated M, #PostS2) Louis learns to hold memory in his arms, and to let himself be held.

Tell Me One Thing Right by pomelos (5,7k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) Louis rediscovers his eye for photography, and somewhere along the way, finds a way to express his love to Lestat. no one else will have me like you do by peacefrog (5,8k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) The groupies line up by the dozen to get on their knees for Lestat. Lestat only gets on his knees for Louis. Sum of Our Worst Moments by moderndaylestat (5,8k, Rated E, #S1 ) Expansion of the scene from episode 1x06 where Louis swims the Mississippi to kick Lestat’s ass.

The French Quarter Phantoms by cococris, pocketsun, StarskyGirl  (5,9k, Rated Teen, #S1 ) Lestat flies Louis to New Orleans for a romantic date night that he definitely has planned and isn't at all a spur of the moment thing once they arrive. Definitely not. Only, while on this date, ghosts of their previous life begin to haunt them. The question is, how accurate are these ghost stories? And who knows them better than the two vampires who have lived to tell the tales?

autocorrelation by chinxe (5,9k, Rated E, #PostS2) Lestat wears a ring. Louis doesn't. Daniel pries, and gets a bit more than he bargained for.

6k - 7k

Reach For It by Alethia (6,1k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) "Louis, what is a 'Swiftie?'" "Oh, no," Louis said into the phone, dread gathering. "Did you say something smug and superior?" "I am Lestat. By definition I am superior, so smugness would naturally follow."

you and I both know by lamphouse (6,1k, Rated M, #PostS2) But even when one is dead and gone / It still takes two to make a house a home. Five minutes actually standing in the house with Lestat is all it takes. He thought he knew. He knew, but he wasn't ready for this. We only become more fully what we are by deadpooled (6,2k, Rated Gen, #PostS2) Louis is too shocked to respond immediately. The voice is faint, but it’s not hard to extrapolate when he’d been listening to it dissect his entire undeath for the more tumultuous part of the past month. All he can blurt, both out loud and through the connection, is, “Daniel?”.

personne d'autre by laundry (lovesjar) (6,2k, Rated E, #PostS2) Fuck the handcuffs, Louis thinks, screw the trinkets.

Of Mercy, With Choice by shavir_light (6,2k, Rated E, #PostS2) “I always thought that your victims were truly fortunate, to be gifted with such an exhilarating death,” Lestat says, tangled in the messy sheets. “What bliss it must have been, to be killed by one so beautiful.” Louis and Lestat play at a fantasy. It gets a bit out of hand. not for anything but warmth by wordsphoenix (6,3k, Rated - , #PostS2 ) There's no world in which Louis just leaves him there.

birds of a feather by andrealyn (6,6k, Rated M, #AU) Every few months, Louis dives passionately into a new hobby and drags Daniel along for the ride. Somehow, Louis didn't expect that birding would end up being so fascinating, but both he and Daniel manage to find something worth returning for in the woods. Except maybe Louis is the only one there for birding and not something else. Imperfect for you by Kaylin_KC (6,6k, Rated E, #PostS2) Louis and Lestat talk drag, an unexpected realisation, a love confession and then they fuck about it. And the Knowing Is Sweet, Too by shavir_light (6,6k, Rated E, #PostS2) For his own peace of mind, Louis had to get Lestat out of that miserable shack. He rented him a fully furnished apartment not too far from Rue Royale, then purchased a new, elegant coffin for him to sleep in. Next, a modern wardrobe to help him blend in with the mortals. And finally, he bought him a piano—a nice one, too. He assured Lestat that it was all a loan, just until he got his finances in order. The piano, though, was a gift. And now it was time for Louis to go home. Dry Spell by TorturedTadpoles (6,6k, Rated E, #WrittenPreS2 ) Louis and Lestat have reunited again in 2022 and everything is going well for the couple. Everything except for the fact that they haven't had sex yet. Louis sets out to change that - little did he realise it would bring up some unresolved issues from the past. the landscape after cruelty by kurtstiel (6,7k, Rated E, #PostS2) In the aftermath of the reunion, Louis takes Lestat back to his hotel.

shot at the night by verlec (7,2k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) Louis takes up photography again. Lestat offers to model for him. And what I thought was gone by Nalyra (7,4k, Rated E, #WrittenPreS2) Lestat smiles at him, seductively, blood sweat dripping into his eyes, the blond hair matted by sweat and falling into his face, blue eyes twinkling. Golden skin, shifting under the lights. Displayed. And then he turns to sing into the microphone, silently, fangs bared. The image on the screen flickers, changes, shows the guitarist. Back on Lestat, dancing along a stage, wearing… next to nothing. Or so Louis’ bodily reaction suggests. Memories rise, suddenly and impossible to process. drink up one more time (and i'll make you mine) by peacefrog (7,5k, Rated E, #S1 ) Desire thumped in Lestat like pure, unfiltered animal instinct. Like the want of the kill, the thrill of the hunt. Something up on its hind legs howling for the moon. “The night is young, my sweet. Give me just an hour? S'il te plaît, Louis. If I must, I will beg you.”

I try to be the chill girl, but honestly, I'm not. by pocketsun (7,6k, Rated E, #WrittenPreS2 ) “Let’s keep it casual.” Lestat is unsure if he hears it correctly. He is quite unsure about it as he lies there, panting from the comedown. Don't Poke the Hornet's Nest by TardisRos (7,7k, Rated M, #PostS2 ) Two interviews and three vampires later, Daniel still hasn't learned that prying is not always the wise thing to do.

8 - 9k

there's a religion in our love by ad_castra (8,5k, Rated E, #S1 ) Five times they sleep in Louis' coffin, one time they don't before i gaze at you again by tazatouille (8,6k, Rated Teen, #PostS2 ) Louis tries to figure out what to hold onto and what to let go. With Open Arms by magicbubblepipe (8,6k, Rated E, #PostS2) After reuniting with Lestat in New Orleans, Louis takes him back to his hotel to wait out the hurricane. Filled with a strong sense of protectiveness and a need to express a love too long denied, he also takes the opportunity to give his maker the tender care and affection he deserves. Whip In My Valise by magicbubblepipe (9k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) OR: Lestat sees the kink gear in Louis's Dubai bedroom and reaches some conclusions that may or not be true

hire a gardener for my grave by elke (weidli) (9k, Rated E, #PostS2 ) The first surprise (besides seeing a fledgling vampire gathering rats on Rue Royale, besides feeling Lestat’s presence like an electric-shock hum beneath his skin as he followed that same fledgling into grimier, rundown corners of the city that was his, once, besides seeing Lestat miserable and quiet and clutching at his wooden mockery of a piano) is that it’s Lestat who pulls away first. The second surprise is the reason why. gimme some face, a souvenir by atthebarricade (9k, Rated E, #PostS2) The Vampire Lestat is spiraling out of control. Daniel Molloy calls in backup.

Get him back  by Tumbledrylow (9,1k, Rated E, #WrittenPreS2 #RockstarLestat) Louis knew he had no right to be jealous, he had said he wanted just to be friends for a while, he’d just gotten out of a relationship, a long one, and Daniel had made a good point to him; Louis had no idea who he was outside of his companions.(Aka, Loustat friends to lovers again, feat. Jealous Louis suddenly understanding Lestat's crisis over Jonah, Pretty much 5+1 Louis observing Lestat and partners and then they finally talk.

And I can’t sleep, ‘cause thoughts devour, thoughts of you consume. by pocketsun (9,1k, Rated E, #S1 ) Louis’ very loud and very clear desires are broadcast to Lestat during their entire courtship. It’s impressive that Louis can keep a straight face while daydreaming about Lestat so passionately. inertia by chinxe (9,2k, Rated E, #PostS2) Lestat plays hard to get. Louis plays along. hyperspectral by chinxe (9,2k, Rated E, #Posts2) Lestat discovers the wonders of the internet. Louis discovers that, eighty years later, he's still just as normal about Lestat as he has ever been. Lilac Wine is Sweet and Heady by Craftnarok (9,2k, Rated E, #PostS2) With the hurricane about to cave Lestat's shack in on top of them, Louis invites him back to his hotel to keep talking. It's an impulse, not a plan, led by damage and desire, and Louis is more than willing to let it play out and figure out the consequences when the storm's blown over.

Anecdotes by magicbubblepipe (9,3k, Rated E, #S1 ) Set in the first episode, early in their courtship. Louis comes home horny from helping his friend Lestat update his wardrobe and has to take matters into his own hands. Lestat hears his beloved Louis calling his name and sneaks a peek.

i will give you all of me by peacefrog (9,5k, Rated E, #S1 ) Lestat buys Louis the Fairplay Saloon. After, he wants to give him so much more.

[bloomiii]

In the beginning of season 1, Mel is primarily opportunistic and self-interested; she is a morally neutral party, which is to say she is not going to pursue immoral actions but she is also not going to pursue moral actions Unless they benefit her. She does manipulate and "use" Jayce, but Jayce also "uses" Mel. It is a symbiotic relationship.

They both want hextech to work and Mel helps Jayce do that by getting him on the council (without consulting him, but with good intentions). Of course Jayce is NOT politically savvy like Mel and so this has mixed results. Which culminates in Jayce, completely on his own kicking Heimerdinger off the council (note he also orders the border shutdown on his own), frustrated with his lack of sensitivity regarding human mortality and using much of Mel's rhetoric that she has said to him about Heimerdinger (but doesn't necessarily believe 100%, all of which flies over Jayce's head). I do not believe she would have encouraged this and you see how she is shocked at his move, but realizes that this is partially her fault. And she supports him in it.

She is a mentor and sounding board, an important influence just as much as Viktor is. As Jayce is the main character of the Piltover plotline, they are two opposing influences in the beginning.

With Mel and Viktor being on two sides of the "weaponize hextech" debate. And Mel giving into the Noxian way of things at first.

Jayce: We would shatter any attempt at peace. Heimerdinger would never go for this. Mel: Heimerdinger's inaction is what brought us here. You said so yourself. The peace is already broken, Jayce. I'm only asking you to prepare to defend your people. If we're lucky, we'll never need to use it. The decision is yours.

But once the topic of invading the undercity and War comes up explicitly, Mel has shifted from being self-interested to being a voice of reason much like Heimerdinger and much more in line with Viktor.

Jayce: We've been talking about talking for weeks now. They're still cleaning the blood of the bridge. When do we say enough is enough? Mel: Jayce, you don't know war. I do. It must be our last resort. There may be a diplomatic solution.

After she says this, Jayce invades the shimmer factory, on the encouragement of Vi and wanting to stop the killing. But he ultimately realizes that Mel is right and pursues a diplomatic solution; Jayce, after killing the kid and truly realizing that war must be the "last resort," negotiates a deal with Silco, again all on his own.

(Unrelated, but I've always been a bit skeptical of how the show presents the "weaponize hextech" debate because Jayce and Vi's invasion and "weaponizing hextech" is what gives them the opportunity for peace. And as we see in season 1 and 2, Piltover has no way to counter the shimmer soldiers outside of hextech, which really begs the question why Zaun hasn't tried to invade Piltover before, at least enough to get independence. In s1, one council member even says something to the effect of "we couldn't invade because they have shimmer." Like it's weird that Zaun already has a deterrent that they could use to negotiate with Piltover but hasn't. Or that Piltover, realizing the power of shimmer, hasn't tried to seize control of it or stop production.)

Anyway, all of this culminates in the final scene where Jayce gets the council to vote on Zaun's independence with Mel and Viktor on either side of him, all of them aligned in trying for peace. But of course it's ultimately too late and a tragedy.

(I feel like a huge part of the "who should be blamed for hextech" debate is people not wanting to acknowledge that Heimerdinger has always been right, even if he has never been able to say it in a way humans, and Jayce, Viktor and Mel could understand. He was right that hextech could be dangerous, that it needed much more time and safeguards, that it shouldn't just be given to the masses the moment it could be like all three (Jayce, Viktor and Mel) hoped. But it's not as obvious because of their desire to improve lives sooner than later. And because of the audience investment in hoping it can save Viktor. They were all wrong in this and Heimerdinger was right. I mean imagine someone discovering electricity, and a few years later making cars and planes. That's what they did with hextech.)

So, in s2, when Jayce is having that flashback, I think it's him reflecting on everything and Everyone with a new cynicism. And forgetting how they truly thought that hextech could be a force for good. And with this new cynicism, he doubts Mel's actions regarding everything, especially hextech. He questions Mel on whether she knew about her powers and on why she didn't save the council with her powers. He wants to share some of the blame for what he has seen. And he does, I think, realize he is being unfair when he says he is being an "idiot" and an "ass." And later in the council meeting, when he says "this isn't a fair request" to ask people to defend the hexgates when they did not have a hand in causing this crisis.

I interpret their "breakup" less about him choosing Viktor over Mel, but as him choosing to face the consequences of his actions to the end. And knowing that he will likely die as a result. When Viktor tells him to leave in the astral plane, he says "we finish this together." That is Jayce understanding his own part in all of this.

TLDR: While Mel did manipulate and "use" Jayce, Jayce also "used" her and the benefits he got from her influence. And his most dramatic actions, good and bad (kicking Heimerdinger off the council, invading the shimmer factory, negotiating a peace with Silco), are wholly his own.

Analysis: Why Jayce broke up with Mel in Arcane 2.08

Since the finale episodes of Arcane dropped this morning, I've been going back and re-watching some of my favorite scenes, and I was struck by Jayce breaking up with Mel.

First of all, yeah, he clearly does break up with her, though I missed how formally he does so on my first watch-through. He does it in the Council chamber, just before Viktor attacks. But since they get interrupted, he finishes breaking up with her (after checking in with her) on the balcony later.

But what really struck me about the breakup wasn't in those scenes, but actually back in 2.07, when Jayce is alone in cavern in the darkest timeline. I definitely didn't catch on the first viewing that this is where he chose to break up with her.

In the background, you can hear Jayce in the depths of his despair and solitude starts going over in his mind all the steps that led him to where he is.

Here are some of the quotes he hears:

"I never asked for this!" - Himself to Viktor, trying to justify his actions up to that point just before Viktor leaves him.

"This research is everything, my whole life," a quote from one of his first conversations with Viktor but, more importantly, it establishes Jayce's entire raison d'etre up to that point. Hextech research was his life.

"He was my mentor, Mel, and I betrayed him," obviously is Jayce discussing the coup d'etat against Heimerdinger he orchestrated to save Viktor, but it was with Mel's assistance and urging.

"You must destroy it. It corrupts. Consumes." A quote from Heimerdinger, warning against Hextech. Which must feel especially prescient now that Jayce is stuff in the evil bombed-out future where Hextech destroyed the world.

"I was trying to create magic." Jayce to the Council to defend his Hextech research and save himself from banishment, but, he only mentioned magic at Mel's goading, which I would guess he's beginning to recognize now for what it was in retrospect.

"It's your time now, Jayce." Mel, part of her goading of Jayce into advancing Hextech research and his political career.

"Perhaps it's time for the era of magic." Mel's words on the night she saw Hextech for the first time, after helping Jayce and Viktor break into Heimerdinger's lab.

"You must destroy it." Heimerdinger about the Hexcore, again, probably feeling pretty prescient right now with Jayce literally in the pit of despair in a the evil Hextech future.

Finally, while looking out over the fire while clearly going nearly insane from the isolation, Jayce begins to hallucinate seeing Mel. But then, her image in the fire gives way to Viktor's.

The decision has been made there. It's not just Jayce reflecting on his two closest loved ones (as I thought the first time), rather, it is the moment Jayce makes his decision: he is picking Viktor over Mel. He has decided that the reason he is here in this terrible place is because of Mel, not Viktor. He is choosing his partner, going back to what they had before she became involved in their life. His new course is set.

Now, I want to preface the next part by saying I love Mel, she's a fascinating character, and though I ship Jayvik I also ship/shipped MelJayVik, so this isn't coming from a place of bias. I'm just analyzing the material when I say these flashbacks were Jayce rearranging the narrative in his head and realizing Mel's been manipulating and goading him in his pursuit of Hextech.

Given where he is when this is happening: starving, freezing, in pain, alone for weeks if not months in a stone box, slowly going insane, surrounded by the burnt corpses of people destroyed by Hextech, I'd say... yeah. His need for someone to blame is pretty understandable. He even starts whispering, "No!" in a panic at the memories in response to what she says in his mind.

So when we get to the Council chamber in the main timeline in 2.08, I'd argue that Jayce is spoiling for a fight. He's had months of agony to decide things are over with Mel and that he's angry at her. He wants to blame her for what happened to Viktor, for what happened to him, and he's in pain and he wants to lash out. The relationship is definitely over.

But then Mel is in pain too. And Viktor shows up, with his own autonomy, showing that they all had their shitty parts to play in this drama.

The attack by Viktor adds another element, Jayce was probably also mourning that he had to shoot Viktor at that point, another thing that was painful and made him want to lash out and blame others for this horrible place he's in emotionally and the horrific place he's been in physically until recently.

It's only after Viktor's attack though that Jayce realizes that this situation is complex, it's not all Mel's fault. It would be easier to just pin all the blame on Mel and make Jayce and Viktor her victims, but Viktor shows to him that he has his own agency and Jayce needs to be clear-eyed going forward about who he is saving, because it's not "Mel's victim". Viktor is his own person.

Jayce also remembers some of the care he once had for Mel when he catches her before she falls (in a tender moment I mistook for a full reconciliation between them the first time but no, it's just him remembering he cares for her wellbeing). Jayce can't trust her anymore, after realizing just how adept she was at manipulating him without his realizing, but he does still care for her as a person. And he's cooled off enough to address the pain she is clearly carrying.

(I admit, I do love this moment of him calling himself an ass, because I adore Jayce but it's a lovely beat of self awareness and really shows his growth as a person that he can say this to someone that just hours before he was squaring up to fight against and blame for all his misfortunes.)

But anyway, the moments you really see that it's over between Mel and Jayce:

When he doesn't explain to her what happened to him. That's not for her to know anymore. He's decided that they're not together or intimate anymore. And he's probably still hurting from realizing how she's used what he told her in the past to encourage/manipulate him to her own ends and therefore wary of sharing. This is also a reason for the breakup: he can't share the immense pain he's been in because he can't trust her anymore, and he knows it. It's over.

In the scene on the balcony when he turns away from her instead of towards her before offering his advice. Jayce is very touchy-feely, he always offers physical comfort to his loved ones. But there, he deliberately turns away instead of taking her in his arms and comforting her. Again: it's over between them. But he still respects her. So he reminds her of how indomitable she is, along with offering the slight backhanded compliment born of his distrust for her: she's never the passenger, she is always the one in control. He knows, because he's realized she used to control him.

I've mentioned in other meta that this season deals in a lot of comeuppance for events in S1, and this is arguably Mel's. She'll be ok, she's got magical sun powers and she's the head of a powerful house now. But she doesn't get to keep Jayce in her life as her lover anymore after what she did, because she did manipulate him, even if she had good intentions mixed with the self-interested ones.

The trust is simply gone now. But he cares for her and wishes her well, so, I'd argue they parted on as good of terms as could be done.

[gejo333]

Can you make a fic based off of wife!reader & husband!miguel?

Miguel was with his friends downstairs and they were pretty drunk after all those beers & Miguel had said something hurtful to reader? Just pure angst 🙂‍↕️🫶🏻

Your Spiderbite Hurts Me the Most

Miguel O’Hara x Wife Reader Oneshot

Sorry I haven’t answered this in so long!

Hope you enjoy it! 💕

Wc: 1.7k

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Your tired gaze stared half-heartedly at the paper in your hands. Another negative pregnancy test. As soon as you saw the result your crumbled up the paper and threw it into the bin underneath the sink. Taking a deep breath as you lean your hands against the marble counter top.

"Y/n! Where did you go?! We're out of beers down here!" Your husband's voice roared from downstairs followed by his boastful laugh.

You claw your nails against the palm of your hands daring for blood to spill. Not like your husband would care if you hurt yourself. Probably wouldn't blink an eye if you slit your wrists here and dropped dead on the bathroom floor. Your gaze went to the large sparkling rock on your left hand as you felt another piece of your heart break. With every fiber of your being did you miss the man who gave you this ring five years ago. How you would do anything in the universe to get that version of your husband back.

"Y/n!"

"Coming!"

You make sure you look presentable before rushing downstairs to the main living space. You put up a loving and happy smile as you head towards your husband who was sitting down on the sofa chair talking with his friends from work.

"Finally you come down. Can you get us more beer?"

"Is that seriously why you called me downstairs?" You chuckled trying to hide your annoyance.

"We're out of beer. I thought you could be a doll and go get us some more." Miguel slapped your ass making your face redden in embarrassment as you slap his hand away, glaring down at him. He and his friends only laughed in return as he grabbed you by the waist and placed you on his lap. You pulled back as you could smell the beer on his breath.

"Don't you think you've had enough?"

"I've heard enough of your complaining. Am I right?" He laughed followed by his other friends.

"Hey Miguel maybe you should go teach her a lesson in the bedroom." One of his guy friends chimed in. You felt your gut raise to your throat as you saw the creepy look on his face as he said that. God when did Miguel start hanging around such sleeze bags? You missed his old colleagues like Jess and Peter. But after your last miscarriage about a year ago you haven't seen them since. You honestly haven't seen your real husband either.

"How about you guys enjoy the football match and I'll pick up more beer and snacks for you." You get out of Miguel's lap before he can decide if he wants to take up his friend's suggestion.

Without evening a glance from your husband who went back to talking to his friends as you grab your coat, gloves, scarf, and purse and head out to the store.

The ice chill of a December night wrap around your body as you walk outside. Maybe you take the long way. Let him and his asshole friends wait longer.

As you walk on the street you notice all the Christmas decorations throughout the city. If anyone was in their apartment they wouldn't even know it was the festive holiday.

A couple not much older than you and Miguel walk past you, arm in arm enjoying each other company and whispering sweet comments. You felt extra cold on your right side, the side Miguel was always on when walking outside together arm in arm as you rest you head against his bicep. Now you rarely go anywhere together and when you do your always a foot a part from each other.

You quickly wipe a tear falling down your cheek as the couple walking past you briefly smiles at you in pity.

As you walk into the store you notice a woman look up at something in the sky in awe as you hear her say to someone, "Look! It's Spiderman."

You lazily walk down each isle trying your best to waste more time and annoy your husband. After getting the beer and chips your husband likes as well as a couple of bottles of Chardonnay for yourself you lazily push the cart passed the electronic section where quite a few people were stopped in front of the TVs watching the news.

"Wow that spiderman sure is amazing." Said one man.

"I saw him in person once. He is so big!" Said a woman.

"He has the perfect physique. I wonder if his face is just as attractive." Said another woman talking to her friend.

"I heard he has a deep voice." She replied.

"Whatever girl is with him is so lucky. I'm jealous."

You rolled your eyes from the conversation you eavesdropped as you decided you spent enough time in the store. Ever since this superhuman appeared from nowhere three years ago everyone in Nueva York has been adoring him. Sure, your grateful that the crime rate has gone down significantly, but you didn't understand the hype around him.

After checking out you head back to the penthouse apartment you supposedly called home. Despite such a horrible year between you and Miguel with the constant fights you still loved him with your whole being. You hope maybe one day the man you fell in love with would one day come back to you with a loving smile and open arms to hold you close.

You take a deep breath before sighing as you turn the key in the lock before entering. As you enter the living space all eyes were on you.

"Finally she's back. What took you so long? The store is only two blocks away."Miguel impatiently asked as he walked up to you and snatched the case of beer in your hands.

"Your welcome?" You lightly glare at him which he returns before heading back to the living space.

You stomp after him as he sits back in the same spot. He looks up to you in question for standing in front of him.

"Seriously Miguel?"

"Ooo someone is in trouble with the missus." Said one of his friends who became quiet when Miguel shot him a glare.

Miguel grabbed your waist and forced you to sit on his lap. With the death grip he has on your waist you dared not move.

"Your mind is in circles today. It must have been when you banged it earlier today when cleaning under the table. She such a clutz, no wonder she keeps having miscarriages. Even if we could have a full time pregnancy she probably wouldn't be a good mother either." Miguel chuckles.

A smack echoed in the room as his head was turned to the side with a large red mark and small scratch on his cheek from the large diamond on your wedding band. You immediately got out of his arms and stormed upstairs to your bedroom.

You laid on the bed facing the alarm clock on your side of the bed watching as the hours went by. It wasn't until the clock struck 3am that you heard Miguel stagger into the bedroom. You felt arms pull you against a warm body as lips met your neck.

You wiggled your body out of his grip.

"Por favor mi amor." (Please my love)

You turn your head to face him as you shoot him a light glare. "I'm not in the mood Miguel. Your words really hurt me. I can't barely stand to look at you right now."

You heard him sigh as a chill was felt against your back from the lack of his warmth. You felt the dagger in your heart press deeper, making it hard for air to come into your lungs.

The deafening silence was too much to bear as you immediately get up from the bed and head to the closet to get dressed. When your dressed you leave the bedroom to head downstairs, immediately your followed by your curious husband.

"Where are you going at this hour?"

"Out." You head to the front door to grab your purse. Before you could leave you were stopped by his hand around your wrist. You glared up at him.

"It's not safe for you to be out by yourself. If you need to go for a walk so badly let me come with you." You see concern in his brown eyes, making yourself almost consider his offer. His soft eyes briefly remind you of time before all this heartache. But his words from earlier appeared back in your mind and your bleeding heart once a again turned cold.

"I'm going on this walk to get space away from you." You opened the door a few inches before it was slammed closed again by an hand above you. Your back was against the door with Miguel right in front of you inches away. His fingers lift your chin as his eyes move from your lips to your eyes.

"Please don't go. At least wait till morning. Then we can go out and talk." His lips brushed against yours but before they fully met you pushed him back.

"No. I don't have anything to say to you. I'll only talk to the Miguel who loves me and treats me they way he use to and wouldn't dare speak the words you did today or have you been treating me this past year. If you keep this up...I don't...I don't think I can stay in this marriage any longer." You look to him, eyes wide in shock from your words before you opened the door and left.

As you made it outside you were relieved that he didn't follow you. You continue to walk until you find your self in Central Park where you find a bench.

As soon as you sit the tears fall down your face as you contemplate everything that's happen this year wondering what went wrong. Your weary body and mind succumb to the cold of the night as you pass out from exhaustion on the bench.

Miguel stood before your sleeping state. Reddish-brown eyes gaze down at the clear exhaustion shown in your face in worry as he picks you up bridal style, whispering, "I promise you'll shed no more tears after tonight."

————————————————————————

This definitely will have a sequel. I should have the next chapter of “An Unexpected Match,” out soon! Hope you enjoyed this one shot!

[peachyscenes]

nine to five | office workers!enhypen x fem!reader

notes: SMUT!! so mdni and proceed with caution/at your own risk! porn with some plot. you 🫵, my dear reader are in fact the same person for the rest of this piece/mini-series (not sorry lol). enhypen are pervs! like freaky pervs! decelis corp is lowkey highkey a sex service company lol. you must really need this job but it's ok because same. not required, but i encourage you all to read part one to give it love 🫶🫶

a/n: i apologize for how short this might be, i've been busy with school and work, but i really wanted to get this part out. i'm happy with how it turned out, but if anyone has any suggestions, don't hesitate to reach out to me. happy first of the month!!

taglist!: @vixialuvs @chubbypeach2111 @jungwoosbaey

reblogs are appreciated!!

Welcome to Decelis Corporation! As the new member of the creative department, you're tasked with developing new ideas to help promote the company and bring in new investors! Though the creative department is not as big as the other departments, you and your seven teammates are just as capable and incredibly skilled! Though, no one told you just how skilled they were... And unfortunately you made the mistake of not reading the fine print when signing the contract...

All members are welcome to explore the services provided by Decelis! By signing this contract, you are consenting to every and all services at your own expense (refer to the employee handbook for the list of services)! Please note that services outside of office hours will not count as overtime unless a request has been submitted by the team leader!

Thank you for joining Decelis Corporation! We hope to have you for a while!

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII

Part II: Jay, Administrative Assistant

You're on your way to your lunch break when Jay calls you to his desk. Sunoo, who's ready to clock out with you for the hour, looks just as confused as you are. Not because this isn't the first time that you've been called to Jay's desk, but because he always sends someone else to have you at his desk.

"Your report is terrible."

You grimaced at his tone, your shoulders coming up to your ears at how blatantly annoyed he is at you.

It's no secret that Jay does not like you.

You have no idea why. You try not to bother anyone at the office, going to Heeseung for any and all questions. You also meet your deadlines, even going as far as submitting them early. As for your reports, they're almost always viewed by Heeseung before showing the higher-ups.

But Heeseung is out for the week, meaning that Jay was stepping in for him.

"I'll review it after my break, Jay-"

"Jongseong."

"Right, sorry."

You internally cringe at forgetting the most important thing. He absolutely hates when you call him Jay. He made sure to tell you on your first meeting.

You were excited about working at Decelis. After multiple applications and what felt like hundreds of interviews with no results, you finally got a call back, and after a quick 10 minute interview, you were hired on the spot. You had came into the office the following day, dressed to impress and ready to take on anything that came your way.

You didn't expect to quite literally crash into him. His coffee had spilled all over his clothes and the files he was holding.

Jongseong had never been so pissed and while you were busy apologizing profusely, he made sure to tell you exactly what was up.

"If you want to keep your job, I suggest you take your head out of the clouds."

"I really am sorry... I'll pay for your dry cleaning," you look at his I.D. card. "Jay-"

"It's Jongseong to you."

Heeseung had to step in, apologizing to you on his colleague's behalf before immediately taking you away from the man.

You take back your report from his desk, avoiding eye contact as you hurriedly make your way back to Sunoo. He offers you a small awkward smile. He doesn't say anything, but his eyes tell you that he wants to know what happened.

"I just don't get it Sunny. I don't really bother him, y'know?"

You pick at your food, appetite lost after your interaction with Jay. Sunoo can only offer you a squeeze of his hand for comfort.

"I wish I could help you, but he kind of scares me when he's mad." You let out a huff, already dreading to go back to the office. And right you were. You expected Jay to be snappy with you, but you didn't expect him to be harsher than usual.

"I need that report by 5pm today."

"Can you please work more silently?"

"Stop congregating and get back to your desk."

"It's still terrible, revise it again."

Over and over, Jay would bark at you. Whether it's about your report or because you got up to fill your water bottle, he was on you. Your last straw was when you had tripped over his foot. Jake had given you some documents to scan in the printing room. Jay saw you when you were making your way, you didn't pay any mind to it until it happened. You scuffed a bit of his dress shoe, but it could be easily cleaned. Apparently, Jay didn't think so.

"You're such a klutz. You should watch where you're going-"

"You stuck your foot out on purpose." You cut him off. You've had it with him. "You saw me coming and stuck your foot out. If you wanted to pick a fight or get at me for the tiniest shit, then at least admit it instead of doing petty shit like this."

"Watch your tone. I didn't-"

"Stop with your bullshit Jay." You raised your voice at him. "I can't wait until Heeseung comes back." You angrily stomp out of the office to the printing room. As you were scanning through the sheets. You hear the door open. You expected it to be anyone else. You didn't expect Jay to follow you into the printing room.

"You've got some nerve talking to me like that in front of everyone."

You roll your eyes at him and return your attention back to the scanner. You're about to insert another sheet when he harshly takes the stack from your hands.

"What the hell is your problem-!"

What you also didn't expect, was for Jay to kiss you. His grip on your hips was harsh, likely enough to leave a bruise, but the juxtaposition between that and his lips made you dizzy. They were soft, tender on your own. You felt your breath being taken. He kisses you as if he needs you. His pace is slow enough for you to keep up. He sucks your bottom lip between his teeth and nibbles on it.

Jay kisses you differently than Heeseung, and admittedly you like kissing Jay more between the two.

He pulls away after what feels like forever. You finally catch your breath. It's shaky, and your hands have a tight grip on his dress shirt. Your lips are swollen, but you feel good. There's a buzz throughout your body, and Jay is there to soothe you as his hands massage your hips.

"You're such a brat, Baby. I know what you and Heeseung did."

Your breath hitches. You try to get away from Jay to avoid the embarrassment but he keeps you in place, between him and the scanner. He smirks down at you before leaning in.

"I don't appreciate your behavior from earlier. How about I teach you a lesson on respect, hm?"

Jay spins you around and starts to grope your ass. You moan lowly, liking the way he handles you body.

"Heeseung said you were a good girl, but you're so bad with me. Why is that?" His hands begin to ghost over the hem of your pencil skirt, groping your outer thighs. "I'm harsh on you because I want you to do better. You're always slacking off Sweetheart."

"Sometimes you're too mean..." you close your eyes, his hands are so warm. You find yourself relaxing and giving into his touches. "You tripped me on purpose earlier-!" You gasp when he smacks your ass. Your skirt stood between his hand and your skin, but you felt it. Your ass burns at his hit, and it's in that moment that you realize just how strong Jay is. You've seen him move things around the office on his own, and you grow wet thinking of how he'd maneuver you.

"I wanted to see if you'd pay attention. Now stay still and take your punishment like a good girl."

He lifts your skirt up and bunches it up around your waist. His hands skim over your pantyhose clad legs and ass and pulls at the material.

"These fucking tights. They make your legs look so sexy baby, but they're kinda in the way right now." You hear a rip, and gasp when his fingers trace your pussy lips from outside your panties. "So wet, do I make you this wet?"

You meekly nod, hissing out when he moves your panties to the side and immediately inserts two fingers into your sopping cunt. You grip onto the edge of the scanner, ignoring its little melody that signals to you that it's done scanning the document. Jay's fingers are thick, while not as long as Heeseung's, they fill your pussy up good. You mewl out when you feel his thumb tease your other hole. You feel a glob of spit land before he takes it and uses it as lube, teasing the tight ring of your ass before pushing it in. You tense up at the intrusion, but Jay shushes you and places a hand on your back to calm you. He pushes his fingers inside of your two holes in and out, double stimulating you.

"Jongseong! Fuck, your fingers feel so good." You feel yourself begin to move your hips in tune with his fingers, helping him reach deeper into you.

Your moans grow higher in pitch, not caring about where you are right now. Besides, you took the time to finally read the employee handbook after your encounter with Heeseung.

"F-faster Jongseong! Please! Wanna come!"

"You wanna come on my fingers baby? But I thought you said you couldn't wait until Heeseung got here." He fakes a pout as he rests his head on your shoulder.

"N-no! You! Want you to make me come." You throw your head back onto his own shoulder, tongue almost out from how good his fingers were.

"Who's better at filling up your cunt, me or Heeseung?"

You let out a whine, too embarrassed to answer because both men make you feel so good. Jay sees your hesitation as your mushed brain tries to come up with an answer. His free hand rounds your body to push past the band on your pantyhose and underwear, reaching your clit and pinching it harshly. You let out a cry at his ministrations.

"Answer me Baby. Or... is it something else?"

You nod, hoping he'd understand you, but Jay once again pinched your clit hard.

"Words, Sweetheart. Use your big girl words."

You grip his forearm, before finally breaking. Tears run down your face, you're not sure if it's from pleasure or embarrassment.

"B-both! You both fill up my pussy so good!" You turn your head towards Jay, and your eyes widen at how predatory he looks. He smirks at you, before moving is fingers at a faster pace. You moan out, head hanging as you feel the buildup of your orgasm.

"Gonna come! I'm gonna come Jongseong!"

And before you could, he stops his fingers and removes them from your holes, ripping you away from your orgasm. You let out a whine.

"No! I was gonna come!"

Instead, Jongseong gently pulls your skirt down back into place, turning you around to face him before placing a kiss on your forehead.

"Brats don't get to come until they apologize."

You stare at him, dumbfounded. He simply winks at you as he turns to leave, throwing a message behind him as he walks toward the door.

"I like when you call me Jongseong, especially when you're moaning."

You look away, feeling too shy to look at him. And just as he's about to leave, he leaves you with a final message.

"I'll be sure to inform Heeseung of your little... confession." You look up, confused by his words, when you see it. On his phone, a voice recording of everything that went down.

You feel yourself getting wet at the implications of Jongseong's words.

[lurkingshan]

Thoughts on the Blue Canvas Ending

I didn't like it, y'all. I am disappointed that this show undercut its own stakes and themes right at the end for the sake of a tacked on happy ending that did not flow from anything that happened before. That happy epilogue is not remotely believable, so it left me feeling empty.

But let's go back a step. My first complaint began before that, when they decided to go with a double noble idiocy ending to the main story. Now, Qi Lu has been planning to leave without telling Qin Xiao for awhile, and I thought that actually made sense because the story was so clear on the different stakes for each of them. For Qin Xiao, passing this exam was the key to his future, and Qi Lu was going to be fine either way. It was right for Qi Lu to leave and make sure his dad didn't destroy Qin Xiao's life. A rare case of this kind of decision for your loved one's own good that didn't actually feel wrong.

But this is not the case for Qin Xiao's choices in this final episode. Putting himself at risk to protect Qi Lu was stupid, but believable. I understood why he couldn't simply stay put and wait to hear that Teachier Liu rescued Qi Lu, and we've all been waiting for the gang to finally hurt him in a way that messed up his plans. But his decision to leave town and lie about it and go off wandering the streets with no resources in order to protect Qi Lu's future really pissed me off. This show has said over and over again that their lives have different stakes and Qin Xiao needs to look out for himself, only to throw that out the window to follow this dumb trope. And I don't like that Teacher Liu knew the truth--Qi Lu is not going abroad by choice with his mom, he's being forced to go by his father--and didn't speak up once it was clear what Qin Xiao was thinking. It felt wrong and it undercut the story's themes so carelessly.

All that said, it didn't matter anyway, because the show glossed over the consequences of all of that with a six year time skip and post credits exposition dump about how Qin Xiao got into college anyway, contra every single thing this show spent 10 episodes telling us. This renders the stakes of the entire story meaningless, as apparently this exam that we spent weeks preparing for didn't actually matter, and was not in fact a matter of life or death importance for Qin Xiao. Sure, he ended the main story with no money, no family, and no hope, but don't worry because the magical time skip fairy fixed it!

On top of that, this idealistic future that we suddenly find ourselves in doesn't bother to account for Qi Lu's dad. I have no idea why Qi Lu would suddenly be granted the freedom to study film in America and then come back to this town to make films and hang out with his boyfriend. Is his dad dead in a ditch somewhere, because how else would this be possible?? When we saw this sequence earlier in the show, the entire point was that it was a fantasy of an ideal life they knew they couldn't have under their circumstances. To then tack that footage on to the end of the show and try to sell it as the real ending is just insulting.

With Chinese productions you always have to assume some level of interference and story weirdness as a result of managing the censors. My best guess is they they had to go with the separation ending and decided to tack on this epilogue as a way to give the show's fans some measure of happiness. But there were better ways to get to the separation that would have felt more thematically coherent, and the epilogue undercut the story so badly that I wish they hadn't done it.

[hawke-from-kirkwall]

Solas. The Dread Wolf. He is an incredibly fascinating character to me. He has many names. His history is tangled and twisting with love, loyalty, pain, wisdom, betrayal, pride, power, fear, failure, regret- each part telling the story of a truly complex and nuanced person. In this Essay I will...

Something I find absolutely fascinating about Solas over the course of DAI and now DATV is that I feel you can see him struggle with the fact that at every turn his desperate belief that those around him are on some level not real people (a belief he holds on to with white knuckle fists because he knows he cannot complete his goal if he allows himself to see them as real) is challenged. Varric, Cole, Sera, Bull, Lavellan, or even an Inquisitor that's not Elvhen, Felessan, even to some extent Mythal, they directly challenge his view of them. He has to silence them or he won't be strong enough to continue his mission- he'd fail again. So he kills his closest friend, can't even look him in the eye when he does it, he breaks up with Lavellan (or distances himself from a friendly Inquisitor), and abandons the Inquisition without a word, even cuts himself off from Cole because Cole knew who he was and could reveal too much.

Solas cuts himself off from anyone and everything that could tear down his idea that they could be REAL, that they could deserve the same chance he and the other ancient elves had to live, or he knows he will abandon his work. He'd once again fail. And Solas fears he couldn't survive that.

So he forces himself to be detached, cold, calculating, deceptive, and strategic. He once again bears the mantle of Dread Wolf, once again the cost is never too high if it means the People are restored.

Solas fascinates me in his obstinate determination to not accept what he sees, and I believe he knows deep down, is true - his original plan succeeded, but the cost was great and that there is truly no way to reverse it. The world of Thedas, as it is now, completely changed from anything he ever wanted, is the result. But change is a part of life. It cannot be stopped. Fighting change or seeking to reverse change only serves to change things further and never in the way you had planned. Ultimately, Solas's plan was doomed from the start- he could succeed in pulling down the veil, he could "minimize the damage", but the world that would result from it would still not be the world he wants. It would still be subject to the thousand years of change it had gone through and would change further still at the abrupt return of magic and spirits to the world. He cannot predict the outcome and consequences that would be the aftermath of his success. And he doesn't want to! He cannot reconcile his failure so he pushes forward to erase what cannot be erased. It's futile. And I don't believe he is fully blind to it. I am certain he knows, even if he refuses to sit with it long enough to admit it.

Solas is a broken man who's so focused on his one failure that the cost of "repair" doesn't matter. HE has to fix it. HE has to sacrifice. HE has to go it alone. Else he might be persuaded to change his mind, to do the selfish thing and move on, when the ancient elvhen no longer have that chance.

So he holds tight to his bitter resolve only to be challenged again at every turn by Rook and their team, old allies and friends, those he had betrayed. Again.

His story is one of pain, loss, regret, failure, twisted purpose and the incredible power of a small seed of hope.

If you choose this end, Solas finally removes his blinders to see the light of hope in front of him. With or without Lavellan taking the journey with him, Solas finally sees what he'd been so forcefully shoving out of his view - it just takes one choice. One right decision to start a journey towards redemption. He cannot be absolved of guilt for his actions. He cannot change the past. But perhaps with time he can redeem his future.

[Me, typing this up at 10am on a Tuesday... like a normal person. Lol]

[julymusings]

Can we also get a desi reader for Tim, Bruce, and aged up damian, please?

Bruce Wayne x South Asian!Reader

ok i did say whatever you ask is yours...but tbh i'm not much of an anyone-other-than-jason-or-dick girlie (i knowww i'm sorry). maybe in the future i'll write for the others but for now here's some bruce content. hope it's okay pleeease don't hate me. also sorry this took literally 50 years i was going thru some stuff💀

batboys x south asian!reader masterlist

I think he’d try really hard to impress you by taking you to those super fancy Michelin star Indian fusion restaurants. They’re good but don’t have quite the same charm as home cooked Indian food, so you bring him back to your place and cook for him.

I’m gonna be real here…all that man really needs is a kiss and one of grandma’s recipes. You feed him a bite straight from the pot and the softness and intimacy of the action alone almost has him in tears, never mind the love and warmth of a home cooked meal

You two come back to your place late one night after an event and you’re craving some comfort food, so you heat up some leftover rice with ghee and jaggery, and he doesn’t seem to have much of a reaction when he tries it, but when you guys have a fight that results in you not seeing each other for a few days, when you finally return to the manor Alfred informs you that was the only thing he ate because it reminds him of you and he missed you😭

I imagine not being very used to how much money he has, so some of the wealthy stuff he does is kinda weird to you. Seriously, this man has been a billionaire his entire life, so you can’t tell me that at least a morsel of Brucie Wayne’s financial out-of-touchness isn’t a tiny bit real

You tell him that in your culture, it’s common to gift gold at really special milestones/occasions. But he gets carried away.

He buys you a bunch of gold jewelry, like for every occasion and it’s like…real, solid, 22k gold. You try to tell him that it’s too much and you don’t need anymore and please stop buying it but he’s just like “why🤨🤨? That gold necklace was only a thousand dollars that’s so cheap” and you make him stand in the corner

I think he’d feel so weird about not wearing shoes at your place but you make him get used to it🤷‍♀️

He’s a genius fr so he picks up your language very easily

You love the super extra Uber-dramatic soap operas and it’s a guilty pleasure of yours to watch them before bed. I can just imagine the two of you huddled together in bed watching them on your laptop. He makes sure all the TVs in the house have all the channels you like. Eventually he can’t sleep without watching them either😭

I think he’d love certain perfume scents that are from South Asia, and he’d buy you fancy those perfume oils

I’m sorry but…I can NOT see this man wearing a kurta. Like I just don’t think he’d do it.

Lighting incense in the batcave. That’s all

incorporating this ask bc it's relevant:

One day you’re making chai, and you ask him to bring the pot from the stove to the counter for you. That thing^ is lying next to the stove, but he doesn't know what that is. And since he can withstand intense levels of pain without flinching he just. Picks up the boiling pot with his bare hands and brings it to you.

"Why didn't you use the clamp?!" "How was I supposed to know what that thing was!!" You show him how to use it but he's kinda petty ("Why can't you just use a normal pot with a normal handle?! Why are you making more work for yourself?") so he refuses to use it and just keeps handling the pot with his bare hands.

But one day you're deep in conversation while making chai. The pot is boiling and he handles it anyway, but you're distracted and you forget that he can do that. You assume it's not hot so you touch it and burn yourself and he feels sooo bad. He's kissing all over your hands and pampering you for the whole day. He finally gives in and just starts using the stupid clamp.

I hc Bruce as being a consistent meditator. He probably spent a lot of time learning about it while training across the world and it helps him feel grounded and calm. He tries to get his kids to do it too, but they don't all like it as much as him. So if you meditate with him every now and then he really appreciates that.

You try to get him into yoga along with it and he's like...scarily good at it. He's not super flexible like Dick, so he chooses to opt out of the super bendy poses, but his core strength is unmatched. He can balance his entire bodyweight on one limb no sweat. He's not wobbling, shaking, or tipping over. He's still as a statue and he can last for hours. (😏)

If you get married, I don’t think it would be a huge event. Like there would probably be some kind of reception that’s more of a formality/business event than anything else where he puts on Brucie Wayne, but for the actual ceremony I think it would just be the family

He'd fly you to your home country to have the ceremony there at some super fancy historical attraction. Even if it's just you and some other close people, he's getting the whole place shut down for the day just for you.

I can’t imagine needing to step into a stepmom role for anyone? Except maybe Cass, Duke, and Damian when his mom isn’t around. The four of you DEFINITELY gang up on Bruce all the time and make fun of his whiteness.

You’d also totally gift them traditional wear

The first time you make dinner for everyone, you make it spicy and everyone loves it, but Bruce is just sitting there SWEATING

He’s so good at keeping a poker face that you wouldn’t have even been able to tell it was too spicy for him if not for the beads of sweat on his face. You give him milk to help soothe the heat but he never lives it down

But you actually are so mothering to the kids, you make them turmeric milk when they’re sick and chai with biscuits when they come home from school🫶and it's so sweet it makes Bruce fall for you all over again

When you move in the whole wearing shoes in the house still bothers you, but you can’t stop everyone else from doing it, so you declare your bedroom a no shoes zone. Bruce can wear shoes anywhere else in the house but NOT your bedroom.

And if you still feel weird about wearing shoes around the manor, he'll buy you a bunch of pairs of home slippers and stash them all over the place

Whenever you stay over he brings you chai in the morning. Once you're married and living with him, he brings it to you in bed every morning. At one point he's like "You know Alfred can bring it for both of us" but you insist it tastes so much better when it's from him, and he can't say no to you.

me personally i like to support women's organizations in south asia, i.e. access to education and better healthcare which means things like menstrual products & obgyn care so i am going to hc that after you share how passionate you are about those, WE partners with an existing charity for those issues, both in south asia and other parts of the world and raises tons of money to donate...take that if you like it (world so bad we writing fanfic about equality now😭)

Since he's a famous billionaire playboy he 100% has an internet presence (likely curated to fit Brucie) and there are tons of edits and memes about him. When the world finds out his partner is south asian, brown people probably go a little insane and there's definitely tons of those memes where they photoshop his face over someone in traditional wear and caption it "Bajju Wagle" or some other name with his initials LMAO

[luciawithoutj]

Made this for that Discord art challenge.

[skeletalheartattack]

bozo dubbed over dubbed over

[zebratimw]

I still love you (Song: Still in Love with You by Deeps)

[soupbtch]

ummm. my fic is done.

[yuriyuruandyuraart]

smile for the camera!

crisis belongs to @amyupup47

[avelera]

hi, I hope you don't mind me coming to kind of vent in your inbox (please toss this out if you do) but I was reading your post on the contrasting way Viktor and Jayce view their first meeting and it got me thinking about how some people just sorta brush aside Jayce's suicide attempt here as being somehow pathetic or an overreaction to what they consider a slap on the wrist and I kinda get really mad about that perspective because I don't think people really follow through on what the trial actually meant for Jayce and what the consequences reasonably could have been. people seem to think he was just embarrassed by the trial without understanding that that kind of reputational hit can be, and clearly was, ruinous.

setting aside entirely the emotional/psychological repercussions of having the thing he'd dedicated roughly 2/3's of his life to taken away, his very public trial ended with his own mother making an insanity plea on his behalf and his extremely wealthy and influential sponsor dropping him like he was radioactive and the actual ruling body of the city declaring him dangerously incompetent. do any of those people who deride him for the suicide attempt actually take the time to think about what that outcome means for him in a social and professional context? he jokes to Caitlyn about working in his family factory but honestly, it is entirely within the realm of possibility that the fallout of the trial has made him a social and professional pariah and his reputation is in such dire straits that he may be entirely unemployable within Piltover, perhaps even to the point of being toxic to his own family business if they take the reputation hit by association with him.

it's not actually hyperbole or an overreaction for him to stand in the wreckage of his life and think his life is over, to be at a complete loss as to how to move forward or come to the belief that moving forward is impossible and despair, especially if he doesn't have a support network which he pretty clearly doesn't. his only connections appear to be his mother and Caitlyn and, for obvious reasons, they're not viable at this time.

he was drowning and Viktor threw him a lifeline and he spends the literal rest of the story trying to return the favor.

Sorry for the delay in responding, there's a lot here I want to address.

First of all, I absolutely agree. I think people underestimate just how much that trial left his life in wreckage. That said, there's a few points I'd like to add some nuance to from my perspective, along the lines of YEAH THIS WAS REALLY BAD and people underestimate how much Viktor did for Jayce with his vote of confidence.

(This is gonna be a long post y'all but I have a LOT of thoughts and feelings about Jayce here so buckle up if you do proceed.)

1 ) The Kirammans dropping him as his patrons is absolutely devastating. It's actually the moment I think I hated Cassandra Kiramman for the most, which was turning Jayce away from her door at his lowest point, and cutting him off from Caitlyn, who seems to be his only friend before Viktor. I think it also demonstrates just how severe the crime was that she did so, by the way, I don't think she was just being cruel for the sake of it. But the fact that in 1.04 she's then showing off Jayce as an accomplishment of her house is particularly infuriating as a result. It's also no exaggeration to say that the Kiramman rejection was the final straw for him. After that, he decided to take his own life, so Cassandra would have been, in my opinion, directly responsible for his death (ironically saving her own life down the line, but then Arcane S1 is a series of hinging butterfly effect moments) if not for Viktor.

2 ) One layer of nuance I wanted to add to the Kiramman rejection in particular that you mentioned is the idea of him working at the Talis hammer factory because I think about this a LOT.

I do want to push back a little on the idea that he wouldn't be able to make a living for himself at the Talis hammer factory. To me (as someone whose family has a family business, though I don't work for it), it was never in doubt Jayce would have been able to work there the rest of his life. It might have been the only place he could get a job in Piltover, in fact, at least one with any sort of prestige or intellectual pursuit attached (basically, with anyone attached or graduated from the Academy).

However, I think Jayce would have had to work in a non-scientific part of the factory, either out on the floor or in the back office. And this is what I've been wanting to address in meta for a while now.

Caitlyn asks him what he's going to do next and Jayce says, "Work for the Talis hammer factory, I guess?" and she exclaims, "You can't do that!"

I think the nuance missing from your point that I'd like to add my view of that scene to is that Caitlyn is essentially saying, "That would kill you."

I get the very strong impression that Caitlyn and Jayce bonded over being members of their family who wanted bigger things than what their parents wanted for them. It's basically there on the page in this exchange.

We explore directly that Caitlyn wants to be a detective instead of working in politics like her mother, and pursues her dream despite adversity and her mother's disapproval.

But I think from this exchange and the one Jayce also has with his mother Ximena, we can glean that the Talis's also wanted Jayce to work for the factory, the family business, instead of going to the Academy to pursue his dream of magic.

(Also as a person whose family has a family business, that I don't work for, that has their own career and faced a lot of consternation from my family in my desire to be a writer, I feel this one very keenly.)

Jayce to me reads as someone who had to fight his family all his life to avoid going into the family business, in his pursuit of something greater.

With the Hextech dream taken away, all that's left to him is his family business, the thing I'd argue we have evidence that he's been fighting to avoid his whole life. It doesn't inspire him. It's not what he wants.

Joining the Talis factory would kill him. And that's what Caitlyn points out, and that's when he realizes she's right and goes to finish the job by his own hand instead. Further evidence I would say that working for his family business would represent a death of the soul to him, such that a physical death is preferable. But since his family built the business, and his mother clearly has reservations about his pursuit of magic, I think we can safely say he's been feeling similar pressures to Caitlyn to conform and join the business instead.

3 ) Now to go back to Viktor, I think this is another reason that Viktor literally and spiritually saved Jayce's life. Jayce outright says to his mother that if his own family won't believe in him, he'll find someone who will. Whether you read Viktor/Jayce as platonic or romantic (spouses are family, after all, which is how I read it), Viktor is Jayce's family from that point forward.

But Viktor doesn't bring Jayce back from the brink just by believing in him at his lowest moment (which is so powerful it can't be underestimated, btw) he also gives Jayce a bit of tough love too just when Jayce needs it.

Like many children of privilege (I'd firmly put Mel in this category, since she too is "trapped in the family business" I'd argue), Jayce saw himself at rock bottom after he lost his patron, the benefits of his House name, his family's support, his research, his equipment, access to his one friend, his access to the Academy, and his reputation.

Viktor points out that he never had any of those things growing up.

I think this is a welcome slap in the face for Jayce. Viktor rose to be the Dean's assistant on ability alone, without any of the scaffolding of privilege, and it humbles Jayce just when he needs it. Viktor is telling him that Jayce already has everything he needs to succeed and that others like Viktor have gotten further with less.

So not only does Viktor give his vote of confidence, he materially shows Jayce there is a way to achieving his dreams without all of the things he just lost.

Not only that, he's won the respect and assistance of someone who has done it before, someone who admires him for what he's done, someone who will help him make this dream a reality when no one else would.

Of course Jayce dedicated his life to Viktor after that. Of course he saw Hextech as their shared dream after that. I'd argue that of course he saw his life as belonging to Viktor after that point, because Viktor saved it.

[witheredbouquet]

drawn for the dragonyule gift exchange on twt, so glad that i could join this year! thank you for hosting, saint starfall ♥

i hope that everyone has a wonderful dragonyule & a happy new year!

[ronanlynchbf]

and then an overwhelming sense of dread apear.

[mikcschmidt]

I actually have . Much to say abt the monty erasure but I fear I maybe just autistic and overreacting n he will appear in a dlc or something I just love monty so much n him being cut out of that gingerbread cookie ruin art was my last straw ((slash jay