#i dont want to see viktor cry oh my fucking GOD but they did it

[aroacee-of-spades]

^ face of someone (me) who just finished the arcane finale

[hauntingblue]

ARCANE EPISODE 7!!!!

MY GOD I WASNT READY FOR ANY OF THIS!!! WHAT WAS THAT!!!

Also ekko wallpaper I got with my fries lmao

[aluminumallium]

ACT 3 LIVE POST EXCEPT ITS NOT REALLY LIVE BC I POST IT AFTER BUT I WRITE IT AS IM WATCHING. SPOILERS. PRAY

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! okay lets go

AWW WAIT IS THAT EKKO AND JINX AT THE BEGINNING? SOOO CUTE

EKKO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY BOY I MISSED YOU! PANIC ATTACK :(

WHAT. WHAT. WHAT OH MY GOD

OMGGGGGGG H GJHBDSFJHBSDCHNISDBHJFCBHJSDFHJN OMG OMG time shenanigans HAHAHHAH YES. FUCK

ALL ATTENTION ON THIS RN. FREAKING IT

SO HE LIKE WENT TO AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE AFTER GOING THRU THE ARCANE OR WHATEVER? HOLY FUCK THATS AWESOME

SHES SO CUUUTEEEE IM CRYING

MYLOOOO 😭😭😭😭😭😭

HEIMERDINGER KNOWS OHHH FUCK IM RKFJKDIJFSHJFHKJISDFKHJ im going to freak out im freaingout. oh yes its the real heimerdinger ok ok. OH MY GOD HES BEEN THERE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS????????

PASSING OUT IM PASSING OUT IM PASSINGOUT. OLYMPIC LEVEL CRASH OUT GOING ON

WHERE THE FUCK IS HE 😭 SOMEONE GET HIM OUT. THIS IS SOMEWHAT WHAT I EXPECTED BUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE WAY DIFF

....? WHOIS THAT. thats not good. oh man no wonder hes so fucked up dude he ended up in like HOOOOLY FUCK. OH MY GOD VI IS DEAD. FUCK. dude just explain whats going on JUST EXPLAIN IT WTF. IS JAYCE ALIVE IN THIS ONE? IS THAT WHY HE DIDNT GO THERE???? HELP! holy fuck this is so awesome dude

jesus christ he ended up in apocalypse world holy shit. wow. wow. wow this is fucking insane. i cannot overstate how batshit this is

WHAT happened in this one this is freakin me out oh my gyatt Oh no. OH god theories are entering my brain rapid fire

save my boy he aint do nothing wrong 😭 OOO OUCH. WHO IS THAT YEOOOWCHHH

DUDE HE REALLY IS INSANE NOW JESUS CHRIST. HOW IS HE EVEN ALIVE. god hes so sexy like wow LIKE WOW. like wow. jesus christ

AWWWW 😭😭😭😭😭 THEYRE SO CUTE i love them so much dude its unreal. it really is an ideal world huh :(

SHE REALLY IS IN LOVE WITH HIM 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 tiny tiny tiny tiny itty bitty arcane. time loop king!!!

masc men with long hair and middle parts. yup yup yup

AWWW FATHER SON LOVE 😭

WOW SILCO IS SEXY AS FUCK WOW.

POWDER SO CUTE!!!! HEHEHEE

the first 6 episodes i was like This feels a bit fast. this episode is THE PERFECT speed. NO they should. YES! YES!!!!! THEYRE SO SWEETUMS oh no my favorite guy. hows he doooing what is that. hey look its beautiful

thats not good. heimerdinger going hard as fuck.

is that him but dead? is that viktor but freaky. HE REALLY DID DO IT FOR VIKTOR WOW 😭 can i see him. please i really want to see him please PLEASE PLEAAAASE I ASKED SO NICELY.

HE SAID THE LINE HE SAID THE LINE! HE SAID THE LINE! holy fuck heimerdinger is gone. RIP save da world... my finale message...

YUUUP EPISODE 8. OMG MEL! GET OUT OF THERE MY BEAUTIFUL QUEEN!!!!! LETS GO

holy fuck where is she. this is so sick what OMG GLOWING EYES one of my favorite tropes heh..... bro shes in butt fuck nowhere. looking mighty fine beautiful woman. i love you mel i love youuuu <3

mel get out of there :( NO!! NO!!!!! girl she just turned you evil wtf

warwick lives...!...? get that dude out of there :/ viktor i miss you. girl fuck you ambessa. love you though shes so hot. EW GET OUT OF THERE NO!!!!!! THIS IS SO FREAKY THIS IS SO FREAKY. is isha really dead wow. :( loris youre so find

DAMN her hair is so long i never considered it. jinx i love you :( JAAAAAYCE!!!!! BEAUTIFUL KING!!!!!!! YOUR WIFE HAS ARRIVED!!!!!

DOESNT MATTER? STUPID. SHE DOESNT EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IDIOT OMFG BE NICE oh god WHAT WWHHAT. get out GET OUT OF MYT HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD

THE BOYS ARE FIGHTINGGGGG. SO HAS YOUR MIND STUPID. .....? THIS IS SO SAD :( I MISS VIKTOR

him and his beautiful wife. omg other him and his beautiful wife. not convinced thats really sky lmfao

SISTERS😭!!!!! they love each other :( NO!!!!!!!!! NO DONT KILL YOURSELF 😭😭😭😭😭😭 OR WHATEVER SHIT YOURE GONNA DO

you will never be a passenger HMMM....

WAR!!!!!! AND SEX? WHENEVER THAT HAPPENS. my assumption is its cait and vi it just makes sense

makeout challenge wow. WOAH HERE IT IS. OHEREHERE IT IS HERE IT IS LETS GO LETS GO! LETS GO LESBIANS SHOUTS OUT!!!!!!

im out of my league. of legends HA.

ambessa pray for your life like damn

IM SO CURIOUS ABOUT EPISODE 6? WHY DID IT START AND END ON THE SAME SCENE IT DOESNT SEEM TO HAVE LOOPED THERE. oh girl what the fuck

warwick come hooome :(

HGNGG THE LINE stop ive been playing this shit on repeat. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS IS SO WEIRDDDD EW WHATS HAPPENING TO HIM

i hate it here WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT bro he just became ouppy shaped

LAST EPISODE im unwell btw.

WHERE THE FUCK IS EKKO 😭😭😭😭😭 BOY SAVE THE WORLD

wow she really is trying to kill herself EKKO!!!! YAY YAY. omfg girl youre abt to toast him

this is life is strange core . sorry

im so sad viktor is gone im fucked up. i miss him so bad I MISS HIM SO BAD 😭😭😭😭😭 I MISS YOU VIKTOR IM SORRY I DIDNT LIKE YOU AS MUCH IN SEASON 1 (not that i didnt like him i just didnt like him as much as jayce. they could never make me hate you jayce)

HE SMIRKED A LITTLE? I THINK I JUST FELT MY SOUL LEAVE MY BODY

MUSIC IS NECESSARY FOR WAR BTW

NO SHES DEAD :( war is hell ugh ambessa is bad as hell she looks so good

WHAT IS THIS. oh my godLORIS NO!!!!!!!!! FUCK. WAR IS HELL

FUCKING SHITTTTTT DUDE WHY IS EVERYTHING GOING WRONG FOR THEM

great. FUCK YOU AMBESSA FUCK YOU NOOO MADDIEEEEEEE FUCK YOUUUUUUUU YOU GOTTA KILL YOURSELF

YEAHHHHH FUCK YES FUCK YEAH GET HER ASS. WHERE IS EKKOOOOO

YESSSSS LETS GET IT JINX LETS GO LETS GO LETS GO LETS GO

FUCK YEAHHH LETS GO LETS GO THIS IS SO HYPE HELL YES

YEAHHHH HER HAIR LOOKS FUCKIN SICK HEHAYAHAAA YES this is unreal. this is unreal how hype this is lets fucking go

THIS RANDOM GUY!!!!! SO SICK!!!!!!. uh oh where is he

THATS NOT GOOD. ANOTHER JAYCE AND VIKTOR FIGHT ITS ABOUT TO BE HYPE

HE LOOKS SO STUPID THIS IS UNREAL. i misss viktor so bad. fuck it all this is Not what i meant by warwick come home :(

THIS IS BAD NEWS. BEAT HER ASS CAITLYN. oh god warwick looks so fucking sick this is so insane. sorry my commentary is just THIS IS AWESOME i dont have a lot of thoughts except for that lmfao

his hair looks so dumb on that head lmfao WHAT IS THAT THING oh its like Oh thats not good. its like his uhh its like his in game hand thing. great he has the power to just turn it back on. stupid stupid stupid

cait is about to look so sick with an eye patch for real. MEL IS SO BADDDDD OH MY GODDDDD im obsessed DAMN SHE DIED had to happen.

shes so swag omfg how is this even possible

bro save the world from extinction PLEASE. i cant take this anymore THIS IS NOOOO GOOD GUYS. THIS IS BADGE EVEN

PAUSE i need to pause. how the fuck was viktors hand normal in the post extinction world if he looks like this. pls tell me

VIKTOR STOPPPPPP THIS ISNT YOU BAE oh fuck dude lmfao. this is not good. LOOK FAMILIAR??????? LOOK FAMILIAR?????? DID HE DO THIS ON PURPOSE I CANT TELL!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS SO FUCKED UP

he looks so fuckin stupid btw. just yelled i need to calm down

SAVE THE WORLD!!!!!!!! YES YES EKKO YES. HUGE. small. HUGE. small. SMALL SO SMALL LITERALLY TINY. HUGE???? HUGE???? HOLY FUCK. HOLY FUCK. HOLY FUCK DEEP BNREATHS DEEP BREATHS WHAATTTTT this hurts so bad LMFAO im going to hurt THAT SOUNDED SO BAD IM SORRY WHAT WHAT HWAHTHATHAWEHTHWATSHTASWEHSRTHNBSRTHSER

CRYING CRYING CRYING CRYIJNG CRYING HE LOOKS SO STUPID 😭😭😭😭😭😭 WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT

im cvrying my eyes out i need to kill myself

I AM FUCKING SHELL SHOCKED. I AM FUCKING SHELL SHOCKED

i thinkn warwick is really dead this time vi. i think hes really gone NOT HER TOO. fuck my life FUCK MY LIFE

nothing couldve prepared me for this. its over

at least his daughter is alive at least theres SOMETHING here what the fuck ever.

I FUCKING KNEWWWW SHE'D BE SO BAD WITH AN EYEPATCH LETS GO.

theyre so everything wow. wow. wow.

LETS HERE IT FOR THE JAYVIK SHIPPERS WE GOT CANON JAYVIK LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO all else banned. FUCK dude. my thoughts? none its so over. wow that was so fucking good. i didnt know it was possible to make a show this good. wow. YUP

[interpolationz]

episode nine, final episode, over

genuinely nothing in the world could have prepared me for that

i'm in a state of shock

i have literally never sobbed like that over any type of fiction and that's saying a LOT

like i cry about fiction quite often really- but i don't cry like that unless it genuinely feels like the world is ending

what the fuckkkkkkkk did they do to me

okay.....THEYRE ALLOWED TO KILL THEM??

i totally called it with heimerdinger (not checking the spelling) that they could just throw anyone out now but i didn't BELIEVE IT??

one a totally separate note all of a sudden the characters all look like they belong in league, i can only guess why but i was very suddenly aware that this was league of legends. i think the fact they were all fighting together also distinctly looked like they were a team in a video game. plus the fact that they have their final designs which i imagine line up with league champions in general more.

i can say i'm still a bit miffed we didn't get to see the machine herald but i will take the emotional resolution anyway.

i think that was possibly the most emotionally satisfying pieces of media i've ever consumed. really genuinely impressive i'm running out of vocabulary for it.

most of the sobbing is credited towards viktor and jayce's confrontation, fucking gorgeous, everything.

ARE THEY DEAD- like narratively i can't imagine they're alive in any capacity, does mel know?? not that i particularly cared for her (romantic) relationship with jayce but like he just vanished on her.

also that whole confrontation was really gay. like REALLY. i love a good delusional take on characters who weren't written to be queer- but there just isn't a way to read that without acknowledging it surpasses normative relational boundaries. like they are soulmates, no matter how you think that's expressed, whatever that was is beyond most bonds.

JINX??? DEADDDD

WHATTTT

while i'm surprised other characters die it didn't feel completely impossible- but JINX?

i didn't know they were allowed to do that

absolutely adore her relationship with vi in the final episode, really felt balanced, they're not fixed, but it's a positive direction

this is stream of consciousness if you happen figured out so back to the boys

OH MY GOD whatttttt

okay i have to admit i really wanted to see jayce and viktor be like- bitter enemies for like a good at least six years before making up (if ever in canon) but i still can't deny that was beautiful and better than anything i could have imagined. i don't think it would really be possible to create such a satisfying ending with my preferences so ill acknowledge that the show made the right choice.

also

still mourning the lack of MACHINE. i was hoping we'd get to see victors final form not built by the arcane, but like, metalll. i know i love said this like five time already i dont care. the whole, hextech getting stripped away from him and rebuilding his body from metal was insane and im afraid now i have to confront im just also a fan of the admittedly distinct league of legends character.

MADDIE ohhhhh i nearly forgott

she was so cute, and yet, so- idk what happened there. it was bothering me that it seemed like we never saw her really act after caitlyn just...left her? but yeah ig that makes sense.

i'm going to start crying again if i try and remember what the actual quotes are but holy shit the things jayce says to viktor in this episode are CRAZY- like everything i've ever wanted a fictional character to say out loud wtfffffff

oh my godddd that scene makes me SICK

okay okay it's been twenty minutes i've been procrastinating now- i'll start act III

once again arcane live-blogging will be restricted to this thread and spoilers will be under read more cuts

good luck everyone 🫡

[thescreaminghat]

arcane act 3 thoughts on accountability (in terms of viktor and jayce)

I like how Jayce and Viktor are forced to take accountability for their own actions as a result of what they do in act 3. There’s no silly drama where the two miscommunicate and then yell their ideologies at each other. Rather, the conflict comes from the two being put into positions where believable external influences are forcing them to challenge their own personal moral boundaries. Jayce is pushed to the edge by having to deal with the responsibilities of being a councilman while trying to do what’s “right” in his own mind, but his experiences as a relatively privileged person in Piltover and exposure to the violence done by Jinx imposes a lens of prejudice against Zaun as a whole, which leads him to group “all Zaunites” into one category without fully understanding why the undercity has this hatred for Piltover. Viktor, on the other hand, is also being pushed to the edge by his sickness and his frustration at not being able to take more meaningful steps to launch improvements for Zaun. This reaches a breaking point in his relationship with Jayce when he realizes that Jayce has become the one thing that Viktor, from his experiences as a poor kid from Zaun, has actively worked against: a reactionary willing to listen to a council of the rich and weaponize tech to hurt the oppressed. Both are being wound up by stressors to do stupid things and cause destruction where they least want it, and their methods are neither completely wrong nor right (though I do feel that Jayce has more of the responsibility for the consequences of his actions given his position of political power).

And Act 3 delivers on that. Jayce realizes, after accidentally shooting a kid with the Mercury Hammer, that it wasn’t the existence of the hammer itself that “weaponized” Hextech, but his own choice to act like a toxic “macho” anime protagonist and use police violence against a factory of poor and mostly child labourers. Vi also makes a great point in that for someone like her, this kind of scene is common - enforcers and the undercity’s toxic gasses are killing children every day, but people like Jayce never had to see the violence. So whatever attention is directed to Jayce’s emotional response to the child’s death is redirected to feeling for the people of Zaun; the scene essentially reminds us that Jayce’s feelings of guilt should not be the main focus of this kind of tragedy, because it erases the suffering of the victims. Rather, this should be a moment for learning and taking accountability. Jayce’s moment of development is thus well-balanced, because his personal guilt (still as a privileged man with power) doesn’t overshadow the violence that has been done to the people. 

Similarly, Viktor comes to realize that he has lost a part of his ideology of protecting and helping others by obsessing over the Hexcore. Again, I don’t think it’s inherently wrong to want to continue to live and cure yourself of a wasting disease---and the way Viktor cries out in both anger and relief after being able to run is something I will never be able to get out of my head---but in the Hexcore’s case, it’s coming at the expense of other people. Honestly Sky is such a sweetheart (and her adorable crush on Viktor is what 100% of the fanbase would experience if we ever got the opportunity to be in proximity to this man), and I understood her death not just as “Viktor losing an opportunity for romantic human connection,” but also as “Viktor realizes that even if he is tormented mentally and physically by his own death, seeing an innocent person die, even accidentally, as a result of his desire to live goes against everything he has worked for as a scientist, a human being, and a child of Zaun.” His desire has always been to help others, and I don’t think this ideology makes him a martyr; the opposite is true---he is an active, empathetic person who wants to work to improve and preserve life, because he knows he cannot control the failings of his own health. And to take away life and autonomy from others or put their bodies through that kind of pain and fear of death is the antithesis to his moral values. So when he reads Sky’s notes and cries in grief, we’re seeing the response of a man who realizes he did something that took away from the humanity he would otherwise die to protect.

And I think it’s so important that Jayce reciprocates the act of saving Viktor from suicide (beyond just the shipping aspect), because both of them realize in this moment that they have responsibilities on their shoulders, that they are still accountable for their actions, and that they still need to live and face those mistakes in order to fix and prevent them. When Viktor says that “in pursuit of the great, we forgot to do good,” and Jayce agrees instead of trying to justify or downplay the destructiveness of his actions, it shows an amazing level of maturity. These two are still good in their hearts, and they don’t see people as means to an end. They made stupid choices, but they realize that the choices were still theirs (which is exactly what I needed to see from the series to address the lack of agency that Viktor had in Act 2), and they will continue to live and work in order to correct those choices and meaningfully live out their ideologies. 

And it is even more tragic knowing that Jinx, someone who was so badly hurt by the systemic exploitation of both Piltover and Zaun, and the trauma of her upbringing, made a horribly destructive choice that will inevitably drive people like Jayce and Viktor apart and into more reactionary states of mind, thus leading them to make bad choices that, this time, may not be resolved with a unified turn towards humanity. 

[ask2pblog]

The 2Ps were in the middle of a meeting, until some guy comes crushing through the ceiling and lands on Viktor's lap. There's now a large hole on the ceiling. The man Viktor on the lips, ruffles Kuro's hair, calling him a 'cute little girl' and puts a 'kick me' on Al's back without him even noticing it. He then jumps out of the window, survives the fall and is never seen again.

➖2pAmerica/ Al: “BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA”

The moment he hears, “Cute little girl,” Al burst out laughing. Starts clapping when the man jumped out the window, even yelling “PLEASE COME BACK HOLY SHIT HAHAHA”. Does not stop teasing Viktor and Kuro. “Haha was that your  boyfriend Viktor?” “Pft, hello cute little girl~” Suffice to say, his back was kicked many times, and cowlick cut off by a katana.

➖2pCanada/ Matt: “,,, am i still high?”’

A loud crash with the man landing on Viktor’s lap, how did the man even get inside the building? Thinking if he took some weed before the meeting started but honestly just ????. W H y?? Gotta give the human some credit for even touching Kuro. Was the second asshole to kick Al’s back.

➖2pFrance/ François: *kick Al’s back after the meeting*

Doesn’t even flinch when the man breaks through, he just sighs. Seeing the man kiss Viktor, he doesn’t wanna be the next victim and inches away. Kicks Al just to shut him up, even when the paper wasn’t there anymore.

➖2pEngland/ Oliver: “oH DEAR, ARE YOU ALRIGHT- DONT JUMP- AAAH”

Mom mode activated. Scared the poor human is injured but confused at what happened to Viktor and Kuro. Tried stopping many fights that happened after, and calmed down Viktor when Flavio posted a picture of Viktor getting kissed. A grey hair appeared that day.

➖2pChina/ Xiao: “HA CUTE LITTLE GIRL-”

Then he got beat up by Kuro.

➖2pRussia/ Viktor: “I am calling the police”

Puts on his detective hat, wants this man’s name, address, etc. All so the man can pay damage for the ceiling and window along with a restraining order.Almost beat up Flavio when Flavio posted the picture of him being kissed.

➖2pGermany/ Lutz: “RUN BUDDY RUNN”

Knows the guy is screwed when he messed with Viktor then Kuro? Was the guy who told Al that there’s a paper on his back,,, after a couple of hours. He also laughed, but mostly encouraged the guy. Went looking where Gilen went after the whole disaster, what a good bro.

➖2pPrussia/ Gilen: *hides under the table*

He is spooked. Too much yelling and doesn’t wanna be touch by the man. Someone save this crying baby. Regrets being dragged by Lutz to the meeting since he ain’t a country, ain’t his problem.

➖2pAustria/ Roland: “NO MORTALS ALLOWED”

Feels threatened jealous by the man’s entrance. Screams at him to get out- oh no he touched Kuro. Knows hell will know be released, and checks on Gilen to make sure he is safe. Lowkey kicked Al in the back at some time too.

➖2pItaly/ Luciano: “OH ARE YOU FUCKIN KIDDING-”

He just wants one day with no disruptions. This man is throwing knives at the human out of anger but ends up causing more damage to the walls. Calms down, and immEDIATELY ROUNDHOUSE KICK AL’S BACK. Yes, Luciano was the first asshole to kick Al’s back.

➖2pRomano/ Flavio: “DONT GET RUBBLE ON MY HAIR”

Concerned about his hair more than his life. Jumps like a cat when the guy crashed through, and snapchats the whole thing. When Viktor asked him to delete the picture of being kissed, Flavio posted it. That was the day Flavio almost released the PacifistRage ™.

➖2pJapan/ Kuro: “Get ready to die”

Busy beating up Xiao when laughed by… u guessed it, Xiao. Teams up with Viktor to find hunt the guy down. Was so close to cutting off the guy’s head, disappointed he missed. When teased by Al, didn’t missed this time and cut off his cowlick.

➖2pSpain/ Andrés: “Flavio, there’s rubble on your hair and clothes”

There isn’t. Just wanna fuck with Flavio. God what an asshole. Wants to join the man who jumped out the window to escape the meeting, but slipped on broken glass and was sent to the building’s infirmary. How the fuck does one slip on broken glass first off.

[isaacathom]

ok heres my eurovision liveblog thoughts i guess

i love slovenias look but im not a.... trap fan?? is that the genre? not a fan of that. also not a flashing light thank, thank you.

‘the need for everyone to fall in love’ the need??????? sfuck off

uhhhhhh...... oh thats cute. oh those lil videos are cute. and i appreciate them. i wish she’d say the /O/ in old because she clearly can but it just sounds like ‘ahld’ or smth.

what wa the point of the australian presenter to spoil the fact her husband showed up on stage like that wouldve been sweet if i hadnt KNOWN it.

‘electronic groups’ oh god AGAIN? oh thank god. oh this is nice.

‘really gets under your skin’ wow these presenters suck. thats very much the wrong metaphor. like that literally means the opposite of what you WANTED it to mean. shit. fuck.

these presenters honestly are just kinda ass. also ‘songwriters are saying it doesnt make sense’ ??? are they stupid. its. its not exactly abstract expressionism?????? what the fuck are they talking about. also what was hthat camera cut with a bald man just side eyed the camera like hes ready to kill. my god. what a legend. but was thatcomment.a joke? wild. oh it was a joke. ok. yea no im not feeling their humour. also why do they keep cutting out.

oh im really liking portugals. like it just feels nice. its sorta cozy.

‘thats one way to put it’??????? was that a gay joke?????? what the fuck was that. what was that?????? like, she said ‘listening to music for 73 hours straight’ and she went ‘straight? thats one way to put it’ IS IT A GAY JOKE???? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN. im so confused. i dont understand. pls. why.

ooh its time for the invader, im Ready???? i think im ready. im sorta not but i sorta am. no choice, i cant pause. im liking this song though. ok cool im getting second hand anxiety about knowing an invader is coming. im not ready. i have no choice but OH BOY!!!! oh boy!!....... ok she handled that fairly well, but the fact her vocals kept going does look weird (tho its just clearly a backing vocal track to help boost it or to allow her to hold long notes, so im not fussed)

i like this song tho, i sorta wish she’d taken the reperform . ooOOOOH ‘absolute cockhead’ same. i like that they decided to cut to an interview to allow for the backstage crew and security to figure out what the Fuck just happened. like its obvious it was an unplanned interview but i think that was a good way to do it. a+

oh fuck thats ethereal. wooooahhhhhhhhhHHH. oh bitch. oh my god. i love this. oh i REALLY like this one. gave me chills. also, ‘crazy colonel sanders’ what, the flutist? yall are uncreative fuckers. he looks nothing like colonel sanders, in ANY way. like he just loosk like your reclusive grandfather. or like uhhhh montgomery montgomery from the asoue movie (i forget the actor sorry i know hes big)

oh this song hurts and it really shouldnt. ow. fuck. im meant to be doing my essay and im crying on the couch bitch Fuck. listen dude songs about close family dying hurt me so bad. HES CRYING TOO!!!!! bitch. ow. god no wonder he came 4th, that shit fucking Hurt me. oh my god. my throat hurts. god dammit germany! no!!!! bad!!!!! i came for fun. im slain.

im a fan of this albanian song too. it feels sorta like im listening to uhhhhh...... one of chelseas french musicals, actually. specifically robin du bois. i think its the instrumentation. big fan. oh my god i Love him.

why is their outfits being designed by gautier matter. wow those are square shoulders. i wish he hadnt. looks like something a Sith Lord would wear. the shoulders are better in context of the whole outfit. just..... not on a close up, i dont think. uh lovely song btw. oh the converse do not work with that outfit. why is she wearing sneaker esque shoes. what the hell was that.

he did a backflip?? in rehea- woah. hold on. black bars????? they havent been there the whole time, have they?? this looks like an aesthetic choice???? im confused. oh no did he have to dance like that. was that to fill in for the backflip they had to cut because he hurt himself. :| did they just dab. this is disgusting. i mean the song is nice but Why tho. czech hipster man, why must you hurt me. also i love how ‘whats up eurovision’ worked perfectly with the beat. v nice.

i heard viktor krum, what did he do. what does he have to do with this. why the fuck did they mention viktor krum, that actor is bulgarian and this is denmark???? i cant rewind. did i miss a joke. also ooh this is a fun viking beat.

WHAT HE FUCK DOES VIKTOR KRUM HAVE TO DO WITH IT. these commentators absolutely suck. i literally dont understand. they look NOTHING like durmstrang??? yall fuckers seen the movie?

also wow this is the much hyped australian act................. hmm. yea no we deserved 20th place. this isnt great. it also doesnt feel like shes hitting certain notes? but im tone deaf so i cant judge. this really isnt great. like ‘oh were a win chance’ yall blind from patriotism. i prefer most of the others. this isnt great. (i mean i dont wanna be that downer asshole but i Mean......... this is a competition and we got what we deserved here) oh god no that didnt work. nnn nah.

also STOP THE FUCKING FLASHING LIGHTS you fucking assholes. oh my god. im just /begging/. oh my god shut the fuck up commentators. these commentators honestly fucking suck. i hate them.

the commentators dabbed. Why. WHY. whats wrong with yall. fuck me.

also im still bewildered by the ‘straight? one way to put it’ joke like genuinely what was it. if the prior performance had been one of the gayer ones that i know are coming up, then maybe itd make sense. this is bewildering. heyyy its the ncis lady. i like her.

im waiting to finally hear israels unbutchered song ver (the ‘vote for israel’ ad presumably fucked it).

fuck i need food and i cant pause. god, is every song a favourite, yeesh. small aside - im sick of bands with a Single female. cowards. i mean this band is fairly diverse and i appreciate that! thats very nice!!! its not a specific knock. just like.... come on........... where the girls in the big bands at.

X RATED WIGGLES???????? are you all fucking mad. good lord this shit is absurd. oh this feels like a gameshow set. i like this. oh i like this. this is an aesthetic. i love the illusion stuff. im a Big fan. i dont think id call any of this x rated... m, certainly. wouldnt ban most of this from tv, you feel me. i thought that was quite fun. can you stop talking over the actual presenters please, you australian cockheads. im really hungry.

ooh i like this. edm, right??? i kinda dig it. like its hit or miss for the genre but i like this.

I WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE BLACK BARS. fuckers. it was stylistic, right? i appreciate it.

oh. screamo? fantastic. just what i want! :) precisely my genre :) big fan of screaming :) OOH this opening beats though, ooooohhh fuck yea. lets hear it boys. oh, les screaming, more yelling. no im mostly okay with that. its in hungarian but thats aight. im sure the nordic countries appreciate this hard rock representation. also, flashing lights!!! stop! oh im not a fan of the backup singers there. thats a shame.

‘unique song’ thematically??? yall fucking crazy weve covered both bullying and metoo in two previous songs. ya dunce.

ok lets hear it. OH her vocals are gorgeous. also by ‘referencing jpop’ are you talking about the outfit??? im mixed on it because idk shit about ~culture~ but it is cute, i suppose. i dunno anything about jpop either.

but wow that ad really did not represent this song well. dumbass.

huh. country. weird. i mean this is nice, sure, but its not my thing.

HEYYY IRELAND!!! helloooo. this is nice. just nice and sweet. like that was just nice.

ooh cyprus. oh my fucking god STOP SAYING FAVOURITE you absolute fucking balloons. ‘how does she get the outfit on’ you can see the zip and its obviously a full body suit, ding dong. dumb man. im liking this though. big fan.

oh final song, thank god, i can almost go get FOOD!!! im hungry.

was that a russian overlay. interesting?? i also feel like some of these overlays definitely arent italian. are they singing italian tho? are the overlays just thematic w/ some subtitle esque ones? its nice though. like, the message is definitely in a good close and i love it on that level..... on a uh...... Song level? not really.

well that was neat.... im getting food. oh jeez the commentators almost spoke over each other yeesh.

why do they keep saying fucking viktor krum. im so fucking mad about that. its so fucking stupid. like thats. thats not. thats not remotely close??? you dumbass.

not an exhaustive list, but i like norway, portugal, UK, germany (brings me to fucking tears), albania, france (STOP GOING ON ABOUT GAUTIER), finland, bulgaria, moldova, sweden, israel, cyprus. theyre nice. germany fucked me up the most so i think im legally required to say i wish germany had won.

‘heres sandra bullock and jennifer lawrence’ shut the actual fuck up.

anyway im leaving. that was fun.

[jayktoralldaylong]

I love this.

arcane act 3 thoughts on accountability (in terms of viktor and jayce)

I like how Jayce and Viktor are forced to take accountability for their own actions as a result of what they do in act 3. There’s no silly drama where the two miscommunicate and then yell their ideologies at each other. Rather, the conflict comes from the two being put into positions where believable external influences are forcing them to challenge their own personal moral boundaries. Jayce is pushed to the edge by having to deal with the responsibilities of being a councilman while trying to do what’s “right” in his own mind, but his experiences as a relatively privileged person in Piltover and exposure to the violence done by Jinx imposes a lens of prejudice against Zaun as a whole, which leads him to group “all Zaunites” into one category without fully understanding why the undercity has this hatred for Piltover. Viktor, on the other hand, is also being pushed to the edge by his sickness and his frustration at not being able to take more meaningful steps to launch improvements for Zaun. This reaches a breaking point in his relationship with Jayce when he realizes that Jayce has become the one thing that Viktor, from his experiences as a poor kid from Zaun, has actively worked against: a reactionary willing to listen to a council of the rich and weaponize tech to hurt the oppressed. Both are being wound up by stressors to do stupid things and cause destruction where they least want it, and their methods are neither completely wrong nor right (though I do feel that Jayce has more of the responsibility for the consequences of his actions given his position of political power).

And Act 3 delivers on that. Jayce realizes, after accidentally shooting a kid with the Mercury Hammer, that it wasn’t the existence of the hammer itself that “weaponized” Hextech, but his own choice to act like a toxic “macho” anime protagonist and use police violence against a factory of poor and mostly child labourers. Vi also makes a great point in that for someone like her, this kind of scene is common - enforcers and the undercity’s toxic gasses are killing children every day, but people like Jayce never had to see the violence. So whatever attention is directed to Jayce’s emotional response to the child’s death is redirected to feeling for the people of Zaun; the scene essentially reminds us that Jayce’s feelings of guilt should not be the main focus of this kind of tragedy, because it erases the suffering of the victims. Rather, this should be a moment for learning and taking accountability. Jayce’s moment of development is thus well-balanced, because his personal guilt (still as a privileged man with power) doesn’t overshadow the violence that has been done to the people. 

Similarly, Viktor comes to realize that he has lost a part of his ideology of protecting and helping others by obsessing over the Hexcore. Again, I don’t think it’s inherently wrong to want to continue to live and cure yourself of a wasting disease—and the way Viktor cries out in both anger and relief after being able to run is something I will never be able to get out of my head—but in the Hexcore’s case, it’s coming at the expense of other people. Honestly Sky is such a sweetheart (and her adorable crush on Viktor is what 100% of the fanbase would experience if we ever got the opportunity to be in proximity to this man), and I understood her death not just as “Viktor losing an opportunity for romantic human connection,” but also as “Viktor realizes that even if he is tormented mentally and physically by his own death, seeing an innocent person die, even accidentally, as a result of his desire to live goes against everything he has worked for as a scientist, a human being, and a child of Zaun.” His desire has always been to help others, and I don’t think this ideology makes him a martyr; the opposite is true—he is an active, empathetic person who wants to work to improve and preserve life, because he knows he cannot control the failings of his own health. And to take away life and autonomy from others or put their bodies through that kind of pain and fear of death is the antithesis to his moral values. So when he reads Sky’s notes and cries in grief, we’re seeing the response of a man who realizes he did something that took away from the humanity he would otherwise die to protect.

And I think it’s so important that Jayce reciprocates the act of saving Viktor from suicide (beyond just the shipping aspect), because both of them realize in this moment that they have responsibilities on their shoulders, that they are still accountable for their actions, and that they still need to live and face those mistakes in order to fix and prevent them. When Viktor says that “in pursuit of the great, we forgot to do good,” and Jayce agrees instead of trying to justify or downplay the destructiveness of his actions, it shows an amazing level of maturity. These two are still good in their hearts, and they don’t see people as means to an end. They made stupid choices, but they realize that the choices were still theirs (which is exactly what I needed to see from the series to address the lack of agency that Viktor had in Act 2), and they will continue to live and work in order to correct those choices and meaningfully live out their ideologies. 

And it is even more tragic knowing that Jinx, someone who was so badly hurt by the systemic exploitation of both Piltover and Zaun, and the trauma of her upbringing, made a horribly destructive choice that will inevitably drive people like Jayce and Viktor apart and into more reactionary states of mind, thus leading them to make bad choices that, this time, may not be resolved with a unified turn towards humanity.