#meanwhile jayce has the worst fucking time

[theskyexists]

Episode 6

Issha always too good for her own good

Mercy kill.... Protecting Jinx.

Why does Jayce always fuck everything up. Always.

That last bit with Issha...

The watercolours with Vi and Jinx and their mother

The fact that Caitlyn was already calculating how to get rid of Ambessa (but, once again, non lethally). Saw her chance.

Them working together so beautifully. Ah they were almost there

Episode 7

That was the most beautiful episode I've seen to date. What. WHAT.

I forgive all absence of Ekko before this point.

Oh. Jinx. Powder.

Where did it diverge????

Vi got killed by hextech. I think she stopped Milo from getting blown up? So, Mel and Viktor never lent their support to Jayce to develop it further? There was no incursion by Enforcers because they never escaped and because of that, Silco never...Vander managed to de-escalate the situation by being so heartbroken?

But Vi died. Jayce was probably disgraced. Viktor is probably already dead or dying. Caitlyn...who knows. Never met Vi. Will always be without her...

Is the implication at the end of this episode that Jinx may try to develop hextech? She has more blue shards...

God that dance scene, god. It was so beautiful. The kiss. Wow. Fav het ship top three in one damn episode. What. And then she sees the alternate universe Ekko...his real face

But she gets to keep hers.

THAT HEXTECH DESTROYED WORLD WAS SO AMAZING SCARY AND CREEPY OH GOD

[thesorcerersapprenticeu]

Chapter 17: Pledge and Curse

The second season begins. Jinx and you are broken, scarred by memories that won't let you go. You are desperately trying to keep a clear view amid the chaos.

Meanwhile, Vi and Caitlyn create forces to track you down. And during this chapter, they succeed - but whether they can really catch you is another question.

Jinx also finally asks you the big question: how strong are you really? An insightful, but also unsettling conversation unfolds. You evaluate Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn and Ekko - and define what it really means to fight a battle.

But something is simmering deep inside you. The anger at failing again is growing. And it's only a matter of time before you finally explode.

---

A new chapter of this incredibly intense, traumatic and crisis-ridden story.

With the start of season two, it's straight into the thick of things: A dangerous encounter with Sevika, a confrontation with Vi, Caitlyn and her Enforcer squad - and in the end, a set-up that you can see through immediately.

I'm delighted to have finally reached this point in the story. Because soon the time will come: the finale will be huge. It will be brutal. And it will change everything.

Have fun reading!

---

A condition.

A person who fully accepts and carries out a condition will always be stronger than one who hesitates.

Everyone keeps conditions - unconsciously or deliberately. Every decision is a bet on the future. Sacrificing something in order to gain something else is a fundamental rule of existence.

Every breath is a contract.

Wizards understand this principle better than anyone else. But their conditions are crueler. They give up their morals, their beliefs, their loved ones - all for a spark of more power, a deeper connection to magic, a greater capacity for aura.

In battle, conditions are everything.

A wizard who is prepared to destroy himself is unstoppable. Trading lifetimes for power, memories for knowledge, emotions for absolute control - it is the wagers that decide every battle. But every condition has its price, and many who bid too high pay with their lives.

To conclude a condition, you have to negotiate with yourself.

And people know their own value best.

People train since birth, learn magic in academies, study for decades, spend their lives in research, theory and practice. They discipline themselves, dedicate themselves completely to the pursuit of power - and then you come along.

A child.

With only fragmentary knowledge, with nothing but instinct, talent and desperation.

And you destroy them all.

It's not fair.

Not for them.

Maybe not even for you.

But it is the truth.

Your magic was special. Not only because of your intellect or the incredible amount of natural aura volume, but also because of the Corpse's arm.

An incessant stream of life energy flowed through you - powerful, inexplicable, almost divine. But it wasn't just yours.

Teachers, magicians, people you met on your travels kept asking:

"Why are you concentrating so much aura in your right arm?"

"Are you doing that on purpose? Is it a technique? A trauma?"

And you?

You lied to them all.

Without hesitation. Without guilt.

No one was allowed to know about the Holy Wizards Corpse. No one was allowed to know what was really inside you.

Jayce Talis' map, your own notes, you kept everything secret.

Every single word. Every detail.

And now you're walking here - next to Jinx, in the depths of Zaun. Your hoods pulled low over your face; your steps synchronized with the chaos around you.

The streets are louder than usual. Rumors are flying, voices are overflowing, and you can feel it in the air: Everything has changed.

("Get the fuck outta my head...")

You keep your gaze lowered, hiding your presence, while your thoughts try to organize themselves - in vain.

Criminal.

Jinx has always been, but now? Now it's both of you.

Silco is dead.

Not planned. But it is anyway.

Vi and Caitlyn? The fragile connection you had with them? Shattered.

And then there's the worst part.

Something you haven't told Jinx yet.

Vander is alive.

All this... for nothing.

The missile, the destruction, the symbolic strike against Piltover - and yet her greatest trauma was still out there somewhere.

How can you tell her?

How can you break her heart, again?

You feel her hand squeeze yours. You instinctively tighten your grip on the steel ball in your other hand.

Because you know that if you tell her... she'll break.

Once again.

I wonder how often she cried?

I wonder how many times she sat alone in the Cannery when you ran away?

How often she must have thought back - to that one window, to the night you threw the monkey bomb and ended everything.

Or started.

"Do you believe in the impossible?"

"Tsk."

You grind your teeth. These words...

Damn.

Vander's voice echoes through your head, as clear as if he were standing right behind you.

The bridge.

The book in your hand.

The scarf around your neck.

The tears you couldn't hold back.

What would Vander say to you now?

"After all, you have a good brain."

Your jaw tightens and you clench your teeth even tighter. Good?

What's good about it?

Back then, in quiet moments, Vander had often spoken to you. He had praised you, told you that you were smart. That you were something special.

And what has become of you?

A wreck.

Not quite human. Not quite a wizard. A wanderer, torn between two worlds.

And all because of a corpse part.

What would Vander say if he could see what you and Powder just did?

Would he still classify you as "smart"?

Or as someone who is guided by his emotions instead of his mind?

Vander was not stupid.

You know that better than anyone.

You overheard his conversations, observed his thoughts. Even when he despised Piltover, he was never impulsive. Never rash.

He knew that a revolution only had a chance if it was well thought out.

And yet he had led one.

And yet he had died.

("So long, sucker...")

The world around you is falling apart.

The streets of Zaun are a riot. Fights, theft, chaos everywhere. People taking what they can get.

Not even a shred of order.

For a moment, just a single moment, you think about killing someone.

Any one of them.

One who steals.

One who beats.

One who lives this miserable, meaningless life.

But you immediately tear yourself away from this thought.

No.

You are not a murderer.

Even if you're so damn angry - you're not taking that step.

At least... not yet.

("I don't wanna see you, I hate this life...")

And then you ask yourself:

Would Jinx do it?

How many people has it already killed?

How many families has it destroyed?

How many lives does she have on her conscience?

And you?

You fell in love with her anyway.

Again.

But what can you do about it?

Because somewhere in there, hidden somewhere deep...

It's still there.

Powder.

("You're gone, sucker, Good luck killing me 'cause I'm already...Already dead inside")

But in the middle of your thoughts, your senses tense up.

Something is wrong.

You stop abruptly. Jinx does too.

Then, out of nowhere -

A scream.

A child falls onto you from a height. You instinctively push Jinx slightly to the side, but before you can activate your aura, it lands on top of you.

"What the?!" Jinx opens her eyes in surprise.

You slowly straighten up again. The little girl sits trembling on the floor, her eyes wide with fear. But you barely pay attention to her - your gaze lifts.

Here they are.

A group of gangsters climb down from the pipes, their steps heavy, their gazes greedy.

Your leader swings a stick in his hand, twirling it casually. But when his gaze falls on you, his movement freezes in mid-air.

He knows who is standing in front of him.

You act.

With one fluid movement, you pull both steel balls out of your coat pocket.

And then - you throw.

The air tears.

The steel balls cut through the darkness with terrifying speed - straight into the faces of the two men next to the boss.

You don't have time to react.

No scream. No last breath.

The steel balls go through them like a hot knife through butter.

The momentum of the attack - the sheer pressure of the magic it contains - is so great that their heads simply burst.

Blood spurts, skulls splinter, bodies collapse like lifeless marionettes.

And then -

BANG.

Jinx pulls the trigger.

A clean shot to the head for the last remaining man.

Two synchronously falling bodies.

Two simultaneous echoing sounds as their lifeless bodies hit the ground.

Silence.

Just the soft clink of your steel balls as they slide back into your hands.

Jinx crouches down, right in front of the little girl, who now stands before you with her eyes wide open. Her breathing is intermittent, her body trembles as her little fingers claw at the dirty ground.

Jinx grins.

"You feel it?" Her voice is soft, almost playful, as she waves her gun in her face. "That... buzzing behind your eyes? That feeling in your chest, like you can't breathe? Because you know, in just a moment, it could all..."

She slowly raises her weapon.

Point it at the girl.

The barrel directly on her forehead.

"Poow!"

"Best feeling in the whole world, Kid." Jinx laughs softly as she stands up.

You watch the scene with a deadpan expression, but your thoughts are racing. The little girl stares at you, her eyes wide open - but not just in fear. Her gaze slowly wanders over your shoulders to the wall behind you.

You don't have to turn around to know what she sees.

The "Wanted" posters.

You hear Jinx turn around, then she snorts. "Yep, that's me." She puts a hand on her hip and grins at the child. Then she points at you with her thumb. "But he here..."

Suddenly she wraps her arm around your shoulder, almost throws herself against you. You can barely feel her weight, but her closeness - the heat of her body - pulls you out of the maelstrom of your thoughts.

"Is well on the way to ending up on just such a poster."

The child looks up at you.

His eyes are wide, full of unspoken questions. And you? You can only imagine what your aura must feel like to them - heavy, oppressive, like a silent, dark storm brewing over the fence.

"You ever need to curse a sibling or a family or a society..." Jinx points to her poster with a casual gesture over her shoulder. "My Card."

You feel her put her arm on your shoulder again. And you let her.

Slowly, she leans closer to you. For a brief moment, you enjoy the wind that blows through the narrow streets - cool and damp - and at the same time the warmth that emanates from Jinx. She seems to like it too, because she moves a little closer.

Then you start moving again.

Through the foggy, poisonous green streets of Zaun.

( "Dirty little animals" )

The little girl hesitates. Then she follows you - small, lost, a silhouette in the fog. Her hand is firmly on her helmet, which is too big, as if she is afraid of losing it.

Sevika slams the door behind her.

An annoyed grunt leaves her lips as she moves across the room, the bottle in one hand, her mechanical arm in the other. With a dull clack, she places it on Silco's old desk and drops heavily onto the chair.

She reaches for her tools with routine movements. But the screw she is trying to loosen is stuck. Her face contorts with effort - and then with frustration. She bangs the table with a curse.

"I can't believe you're dead and I'm still cleaning up your messes."

Addressed directly to Silco.

And you immediately understand that the words are not only addressed to him, but also to you.

Because you are standing there.

Right next to the door.

When Sevika came in, she hadn't noticed you. No one would have noticed you. Not if you didn't want them to. Being invisible - disappearing into shadows - was one of your many specialties. Always has been, unfortunately.

Sevika's aura flickers uneasily, she pulls the bottle to her lips and takes a long, angry swig. Then - a jerk of her shoulder, another growl - and she rams her screwdriver deep into the table.

"Jeez, lady, you crazy?"

Jinx's voice.

Relaxed, playful - but you can hear the undertone.

Sevika reacts immediately. Without hesitation, she rips the screwdriver out of the wood and hurls it in the direction from which Jinx's voice came.

The screwdriver slices through the air, whistling past Jinx by a hair's breadth - and only hits one of her braided strands.

"Talking to dead people." Says Jinx, still lying on her back as if she is completely unimpressed.

Sevika snorts. "Come here to kill me?"

"Haven't we done you enough favors?" Jinx pulls the screwdriver out of her strand, looks at it briefly and then lets herself tilt forward with a satisfied grin. She lands in a casual sitting position on Silco's desk, as if she belongs there.

Sevika reaches slowly and quietly for an empty bottle behind her - but your foot crashes loudly against the floor. A sharp, authoritative sound that makes it clear you've been watching her. She pauses. It would be useless, and she knows it.

"Same time every day." Jinx lets her legs dangle. "Big baby couldn't do it himself."

"Couldn't do much himself." Sevika drops the bottle back on the table and leans heavily on it. Her voice sounds tired, worn. "About now, he'd have me all over the Lanes running his collections."

Slowly you step closer. Your hatred for Sevika is still there, unchanged, glowing under your skin. But you can't deny that the sight of her - exhausted, angry, almost broken - evokes a strange kind of respect in you.

"Building his weapons." Jinx.

"Making his deals." Sevika.

"Exploding his enemies." Jinx.

You feel it before it happens. Sevika's aura thickens, seethes. A raw, uncontrolled feeling - and you take a small, inconspicuous step back.

"He dips out, the whole world flips over." Sevika hisses out the words as if she herself is resisting them. And just as you expected, she grabs the chair in front of her and throws it against the wall with all her might. The wood splinters, the sound echoes through the room. "All his plans. Everything we built. The hell are we supposed to do now?"

Her eyes wander to you.

Sevika looks at you and it only takes a second for her to recognize what you are feeling. Your gaze is expressionless, but your aura gives you away.

"And what about you?" She tilts her head. "Never expected someone like you to end up down here just like us."

Your presence, which you have kept hidden until now, now bursts forth. Heavy, oppressive energy that lets everyone in this room feel what is going on inside you.

What you really are.

Sevika grimaces. Perhaps she should have known.

"But you seem to have developed splendidly..." She scoffs. "What's the matter? You look like you're ready to kill someone."

Jinx is watching you. Her gaze wanders back and forth between you - you know she's thinking about what you did earlier. That you killed. That you didn't hesitate.

"Forget about all your ties to your old world."

The words hit you.

You answer immediately.

"That would be hard. Ties are to be severed..."

A moment of silence.

"Not forgotten."

Something jingles, and Sevika turns back to Jinx. Jinx raises her mechanical arm and points it at her.

"The answer to your question..." Jinx with an evil smile. "Watch it all burn."

You leave the building and plunge back into the darkness of Zaun's endless alleyways. Jinx is hiding something under her cloak, her steps are light-footed, almost prancing. You walk beside her, your gaze fixed ahead.

But while Jinx continues to talk, half-laughing and complaining about things that seem unimportant to you at the moment, your mind is already elsewhere.

You can feel it.

The auras.

They follow you. Not close enough to arouse suspicion - but close enough that you can clearly see them.

Interesting.

They keep their distance. A lot of distance. Too much. They know that they would look bad in a direct confrontation.

Cowards.

Your mind is already organizing possible scenarios. How many are there? How much life energy do you sense? What weapons do they carry?

But then this part of your thinking stops.

Because it doesn't matter.

No matter how strong they are. No matter how many there are. No matter what they are planning.

Nothing they do will stop you.

Not after everything you have already experienced. Not after everything you have lost.

Jinx hums next to you, completely unimpressed, completely unaware.

But you can feel it.

Something is simmering inside you.

The anger, the guilt, the despair.

Everything that you have suppressed for so long is now making its way to the surface.

And soon...

You will burst.

The arcade is in semi-darkness. Dust dances in the light of the neon tubes as you sit on the floor, surrounded by metal parts and loose cables. The old boxing machine that Vi once trained on lies in pieces in front of you. Right next to it is a crumpled blueprint - a new, crazy idea from Jinx.

"Oh, this is going to be fun!" Jinx giggles as she holds a screw with her teeth.

"Let's go." You put on the saw and the work begins.

You dismantle the device with an almost synchronized efficiency. Jinx works quickly, wildly, chaotically - you, on the other hand, are precise and calculating. Again and again you improve small errors, stabilize connections, optimize mechanisms.

After a while, Jinx pauses and looks at you curiously.

"Where did you learn that?"

You keep on screwing, trying not to let the question get to you.

"Huh?"

"Back then, you only ever read books. I never even saw you with a screwdriver." She grins, but there's curiosity in her gaze.

Your fingers pause briefly. "I've been many places..."

You want to finish the sentence, but you can't.

The memories of the Cannery are too loud.

The blood.

The screams.

Your own hands, pleading, full of guilt.

"I must have taken something here and there..." you finally mumble, pretending it's not important. "But I wasn't that bad before!" You grin slightly, but it feels wrong.

Jinx laughs, leaning playfully closer to you, "So, how strong are you now?"

You look at her - her purple eyes, once blue, now an echo of shimmer and madness.

And for a moment you lose yourself.

Then you exhale.

"It's complicated..."

Because it is the truth.

Without the Corpse Arm, you would have no magic. No aura. No power.

But even with him... are you really strong?

In all your travels, you've heard it over and over again: "You have so much potential." "One day you will be dangerous." Even Singed had said it.

But potential is nothing without proof.

You haven't proven anything yet.

Jinx continues to watch you, waiting for an answer.

"I think..." You pause.

And then...

"But I dare say you're still far from your peak. Maybe ten percent, if I'm being generous."

Singed's words echo in your head.

"Far from your peak."

Your stomach contracts.

How strong would you become one day?

And what does "far from" mean?

From what you've heard from others - masters, teachers, opponents - you're already at an extremely high level, both as a mage and as a tactician.

"Maybe ten percent."

Ten percent of your potential.

That doesn't mean you'll only get ten times stronger. No. That's not how magic works.

Jinx tilts her head to one side. "So? What's the answer?"

You exhale slowly. "I'm strong, I can tell you that."

Then you pause.

"But there are stronger ones."

Jinx frowns. "So it's simple. Whoever is stronger wins."

You shake your head. "No. That's not what a fight between two mages is about."

She blinks. "Huh? Of course it's about that. A fight is decided by strength. Or by having more people than your opponent."

You laugh quietly.

And in your head you rewind - to the moment when you asked this question yourself.

Back then, when you met your first teacher.

How could someone like you - a child that any adult could finish off with a maximum of three strokes - ever win?

Now it's your turn to answer this question.

And it feels... weird.

As if you were talking to yourself.

In a calm, slow voice, characterized by nostalgia, you say:

"The moment you start talking about who can win in a sorcerer fight, you're wrong."

Jinx frowns, but you continue.

"Unless you know every single in and out of the other's Magic, there is no point in thinking about Magical fights."

She thinks about it, you can see that in her face.

But you know that she doesn't yet fully understand your words.

And maybe, just maybe, it's better this way.

"But all in all, I'd say I can beat almost any opponent..." You grin slightly as you screw the last bolt into the machine. "As long as I plan who I'm going up against in advance, I'll make sure I win. No matter what happens."

Jinx raises an eyebrow, her typical playful grin creeping onto her face. "And how would you rate me?"

You pause and look at her for a moment.

Her aura has definitely become stronger. It used to be pure white, but now... now it has a distinct purple shimmer. The shimmer has left its mark - not only physically, but also on a deeper, almost metaphysical level.

You raise one hand and hold up a few fingers.

"I give you... six out of ten."

It's quiet for a moment. Jinx blinks, then leans closer to you, her grin remains, but her eyes sparkle challengingly.

"Six out of ten? What?" She cries out, obviously offended, even though you can tell she's not entirely serious. "What do you think of the others? Vi? That weird enforcer? Or... Ekko?"

You lean back and think.

Vi... Her fighting spirit is unwavering. She has a strong aura, probably due to her unyielding will. Unconsciously, she even uses it in her strikes, which makes her extremely dangerous for normal opponents. But she fights too offensively, relying too much on her instincts. She is easy to counter.

Caitlyn is different. Her aura is calm, almost calculating. In a hand-to-hand fight, she would probably lose most of the time - unless she develops a strategy to keep her head above water. She's smarter than Vi, thinks cooler... but she too often reacts too emotionally.

Ekko... physically he's only slightly below Vi, but tactically? That's where he surpasses her. He doesn't just run blindly into battle, but analyzes, looks for weak points, exploits his surroundings perfectly. Without tactics he would be dangerous - with tactics he is a real threat.

On a scale of one to ten, you'd give Vi a five. Caitlyn a 5.5. And Ekko? A clear six.

But... that doesn't mean Ekko would beat Vi in a straight fight. Like you said - no one ever knows how a fight will actually go.

"Vi: five. That Enforcer: five and a half. And Ekko six." You lean forward again, your gaze calmer than before. "But that doesn't mean Ekko would beat Vi."

Jinx shakes her head slightly, her grin wider than before.

"And how many points are you giving yourself?"

You hesitate, then smile slightly. "I won't tell you that."

Jinx frowns, scoots closer to you and pokes you in the side. "Oh, come on! Tell me! It's not like you're going to lose, is it?"

You just shake your head.

"I don't rate myself."

A lie. A clear, obvious lie.

Even as a child, you always asked yourself this question: Who would win in a fight? You know your own abilities, your limits - and you know for a fact that you would rate yourself higher than a six. Perhaps not through brute strength alone, but through your tactical precision and deep understanding of magic.

But then Jinx breaks the silence with a question that catches you off guard.

"But tell me... back then..."

You look at her. Her smile has disappeared. She looks serious - no, sad.

"You're not really from the Undercity, are you?"

Your heart skips a beat.

For a moment, your lungs seem to refuse the vital oxygen.

You stare at each other. Jinx's gaze is penetrating, knowing.

You don't want to answer. But you don't have to.

Because that's when you feel it.

A tremor runs over your skin as your heightened senses sound the alarm. Several people - right in front of the arcade. You recognize two of the auras immediately. And you know it's about to get dangerous.

"What..." Jinx stands up abruptly, and you immediately follow her. "That smell..."

Green gas seeps through the broken window.

You react immediately. Without a word, you retreat into the shadows before anyone notices you. You hide your presence - and as Jinx instinctively clings to you, you hide hers too.

Five silhouettes enter the arcade.

A single glance is enough to confirm it. Two of them are Vi and Caitlyn.

Sweat beads down your forehead. If you hadn't noticed them so early... Jinx might have inhaled the gas.

She draws her gun next to you. Her fingers are tightly closed around the trigger.

No.

You place one hand on hers and gently press it down.

Jinx looks at you, her eyes wide, full of despair. Tears gather in her eyelashes. And you know - she's doing it in yours too.

You both look at Vi, who is walking past your hiding place unsuspectingly.

She is now your enemy.

A tear falls from Jinx's cheek.

You see them fall in slow motion.

And at that moment, you jerk your hands into your coat pockets to pull out your spellbook. Aura pulses through your fingers, enveloping the pages, ready to get you both out of here.

We have to leave!

The tear falls - right in front of Vi.

Her head jerks upwards, her eyes frantically search the darkness. But she finds nothing. You are already on the move.

Hand in hand, you sneak through the thick fog of gas, as silent as shadows. Jinx pulls you along, her fingers clutching yours as you move through the wreckage of the arcade.

A network of loose cables dangles next to you. Jinx grabs them in a flash and connects two ends together.

A sudden shower of sparks sprays through the room.

The enforcers flinch.

"What was that?!"

"Damn it, stay alert!"

It doesn't matter. You've been out for a long time.

Freshness - or at least what passed for "fresh" in Zaun - hits you as you reach the narrow alley.

Jinx is trembling. Her breathing is heavy, and then -

"SHIT!"

Her scream echoes through the narrow walls, raw and unfiltered.

You reflexively cover your ears. It feels like they're about to burst.

Both of you are wheezing, coughing. The gas has settled in your lungs. Jinx seems to have coped better - she pulls you along, stumbling, cursing.

You feel it immediately.

Several pairs of eyes rest on you.

The streets of Zaun are never empty.

And as you take the first steps, you warn her in a low, serious voice:

"It's not over yet. Get ready."

---

And the next chapter is here!

Yes, the update has been a while in coming, but that's mainly because I've been incredibly ill for the last two weeks. Fortunately, I had almost finished the chapter of the Hold On story, so I just had to add the finishing touches.

Slowly, the story is taking a decisive turn, and I think I've already set my course. In case it wasn't quite obvious in this chapter - the reader's anger is slowly beginning to surface. And he's going to need it for the finale.

If anyone has any questions about the part where Jinx asks for a scale of one to ten and you answer her, feel free to write it in the comments! I'm willing to explain my thoughts on it - including why Vi got a 5, Caitlyn got a 5.5, and Ekko got a 6 from the reader.

By the way: You rate yourself as a 7.5 - just so you all know. But of course, we're only talking about a few categories here. In the magic area, everyone else would get a zero, while you would score everywhere - a fair rating, if you like.

The next update goes to the Rat Story, where the last three chapters are now starting!

Thanks for reading and feel free to leave support!

[sometipsygnostalgic]

still only 4 minutes into s2e4 but...

i refuse to say arcane s2 is "bad" because queer animation is being shot behind the shed right now, we're not going to see anything like this again in a very long time. but of the three and a bit eps ive seen so far, it's all been... Things Happen, instead of characters driving events.

the jinx scenes have been incredible, she's definitely the highlight, i love the warmer approach they've taken with her and the other lady working together, it feels natural, but everything involving the other characters feels so rushed and hollow.

specifically it seems every cait and vi scene has a budget of nothing. half of it is fairly cheap montages and everything seems to be exposited instead of naturally shown. like yeah they did a good job of showing why cait so desperately wants to shoot jinx. and i thought the reveal that the previously shown poison gas was the cops was great! but since then it just seems like we're not allowed to get into their heads.

like, why does vi NOT want to be an enforcer? why is it then enough for a couple of nice cops to talk to her? though i can infer she feels responsibility for the attack that ambessa the other underground gang performed on the event later. also who the fuck is the cop with the shield? what is his deal? but we don't get time in vi's head. we don't see her revolving all these thoughts around, she changes her mind about stuff in split second moments because there's no time.

and cait. she is the worst offender by far. her reactions seem very extreme because they need to be, not because being extreme is any sort of established part of her character. I am constantly comparing Cait to Glimmer from She-ra, but that's because everything Cait's doing here is exactly how Glimmer reacted after the Horde got her mum killed, except Glimmer had all that darkness as a pre-established part of her, and they spent a long time showing it being encouraged by Shadow Weaver. Meanwhile with Cait, a good hearted cop who has shown NO desire for corruption or power thirst... she's turning on her friends immediately, and we are TOLD that Ambessa is leading her astray, we are never SHOWN this. It's very clear this is because there needs to be a plot, not because any care is being given to Cait as a character. It's very disappointing.

i do love that scene in s2e1 with jayce carrying viktor to the room to save him. the way that was shot, with us watching present and immediate future jayce react to viktor's body, it was amazing. that is a great example of cinematography and storytelling without dialogue - he was so terrified!!!

i have no idea what's going on in viktor's head now though. we've spent very little time with him. to me it seems like he's being brainwashed with an image of the assistant who was killed, a lot like the one guy from Scavenger's Reign who was brainwashed by the fat alien with a hallucination of his dead wife. but we only get a 3 second glimpse of this whereas Scavenger's Reign spends many episodes on it.

Ekko may as well not exist at the moment.

[fuckyeahisawthat]

[puts my Actual Serious Media Analysis headcanon carefully up on a shelf] ok but JUST IMAGINE

A scenario where occasionally getting each other off just becomes part of their caretaking routine for each other as definitely-not-weirdly-codependent lab partners. They bring each other coffee and takeout and finish each other's equations and sometimes give each other a handy or a blowjob. Just bro stuff, y'know. Only as a last resort distraction or relaxation tactic of course. Jayce is stuck in a paralyzing anxiety spiral; Viktor is having a pain flare; the post-nut clarity did help them solve that design problem that one time so maybe it'll work again-- This is a practical and completely rational method of stress relief and nothing more.

I actually think it wouldn't happen all that often because every time it is just too emotionally fraught for both of them. For Viktor it's like...at best a form of physical caretaking so intimate it's almost unbearable, and at worst a pity fuck he's too lonely to say no to. Maybe he even feels like he is using Jayce a little, his friend who is so generous and kind but can't possibly feel anything romantic for him. Never asking for more than a brief exchange of physical release because hearing Jayce say Viktor, I'm so sorry but I just don't feel that way about you would be too devastating. Meanwhile Jayce is trying so so hard to be what Viktor needs, which seems to be physical satisfaction and nothing more, but he's dying inside the whole time because he has never once in his life been chill and casual about sex and he wants to kiss Viktor so so so so bad like all the time and also Viktor gives amazing head and he can't stop thinking about it.

And then afterwards, the next day or later that night if they go back to work, they're just sitting side by side Not Talking About It and stewing in their own private hells of (perceived) unrequited longing like the scared emotionally damaged idiots they are.

Anyway this kind of dynamic is DELICIOUS and I am WELL AWARE that I have not explored it in a fic yet but I swear I'm GONNA.

Listen. If you ask me for my Actual Serious Media Analysis headcanon, it's that Jayce and Viktor never so much as kissed in those 7...ish timeskip years of working together every day. Which is unfortunate because I have never seen a combined set of neuroses more ripe for a friends-with-benefits mutual pining while fucking scenario.