#shimmer

[fulcrums501st]

Gonna link this persons post/reply that goes into how shimmer is a great representation of how underprivileged people don’t have the option to chose anything else than what limited resources they have. So when something like shimmer comes along, ofc they’re gonna have to go to it cuz they have no alternatives like hextech.

So uhh what happened to shimmer in season 2?

Not exploring how shimmer production has affected the undercity in s2 is such a missed opportunity tbh.

Obviously there are addicts, but simply dismantling shimmer and destroying all the factories won’t solve addiction. That’ll cause a mass withdrawal and cause ppl to fight over whatever shimmer is remaining.

While it is messed up that Silco made Zaun so dependent on something so volatile as shimmer, that doesn’t change the fact that many are reliant on it. It has become a crux people need. What about the people who work in the shimmer factories? Do they resent shimmer? Are they grateful that it gives them a job? What are the thoughts of the people who may use shimmer but who haven’t become addicts (like Sevika). It’s something they use normally, but maybe not necessarily cuz they’re addicted. Shimmer is clearly parallels to hextech, it takes the place of the technology that Zaun does not have because of systemic inequality.

Are there normal citizens who use shimmer only for emergencies? Do they keep a stash with them in case they are attacked or mugged in the dangerous underground? Do some people start using shimmer cuz it’s the only thing keeping them alive? Are some just power hungry?

Or what about the addict Caitlyn talks to in s1 who says he “just liked the feeling of being powerful for once”. That would be so cool to explore how oppressed people who live in horrific conditions outside of their control might be more likely to become addicts because it gives them a sense of power they’ve lacked their whole lives cuz of inequality. Silco invents shimmer cuz he sees it and other messed up methods as Zaun’s only way to “rise to the surface”. It’s obviously twisted logic, but s1 goes to show that Silco isn’t entirely wrong, his methods are the closest Piltover has come to making Zaun independent.

“Ready to rise to the surface?”

When Cait starts attacking shimmer factories, Zaunites wouldn’t feel freed, they’d be resentful that Topside is taking away one of their only sources of strength (despite how explorative that source of strength may be). From their perspective, dismantling shimmer could feel like another form of oppression, even tho Caitlyn’s intentions are good. Plus, destroying shimmer factories would no matter what lead to a spurge of panicked addicts and crime bosses trying to get their hands on as much remaining shimmer as possible. Shimmer shortages would create chaos that definitely wouldn’t have helped the undercity.

Yes, shimmer is a messed up drug that does a lot of harm, but there were so many interesting ways to explore how Zaun has become so dependent on it in so many ways. You can’t deny that is has become linked to many activities that people rely on. There’s so much nuance to explore there. But this season like doesn’t mention shimmer until after Caitlyn says she’s gonna “dismantle shimmer” (actually maybe the chembarons mention it in ep 2) and then we don’t even see that happen, it’s in a police brutality montage that also glosses over how police brutality affects normal non-crimeboss citizens of the undercity.

Alas, if only s2 has been interested in continuing s1 like idk a second season is supposed to.

[junipercool]

does anyone have any arcane fic recs based around the concept of shimmer and what it does??? i was hoping for more scenes based around shimmer in season 2 and i want to understand more what it is and what it does to the body

if anyone has any recs lmk!!

[therealneilperry]

I love how after using shimmer (and Viktor also used the Hexcore), they’re complexion gets insanely pale. Like, they were pale before but they get corpse like, and I think it’s a sort of visual way of showing that they’re unnatural. They used shimmer and the Hexcore to extend their lives when they should be dead, and so they’re forever stuck in this corpse like body as a reminder.

[jm-chrome]

Shimmer-laced kisses

Arctober Day 4: Shimmer

I've had this hc for a while now about how Jinx has addictive power-up/healing kisses. She cried shimmer when she fired Fishbones, so maybe shimmer found its way to other places too 💋

[captainbearclaws]

Look at what I found at tjmaxxxxxx

✨✨✨

[fairytaleprincessart]

𝓼𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓮

[littledisgustingart]

Lest I owe you my LIFE!!!

[arcanegifs]

#ARCTOBER DAY 4: Shimmer ↳ "Nature has made us intolerant to change, but fortunately, we have the capacity to change our nature."

[metrocat]

! ARCANE S2 SPOILERS !

S2 // E2 - WATCH IT ALL BURN (RENEGADE)

[crossingcate]

lucy’s little carrot patch 🥕

[needanaccount2readarcaneposts]

I don't even necessarily agree that he harmed Zaun more than he helped it. There are a great many people doing worse under Silco, but moving around Zaun during his tenure also shows us a pretty vibrant and bustling city. Realistically, the situation is probably more like: there are some people doing a lot worse, there are some people doing a lot better, and for most of the people in the middle, the needle has only moved slightly in one direction or the other.

We also mostly get a spoken verdict on him from:

People who have specific beef with him for murdering Vander and Benzo,

A person who has been locked in a box for seven years and is going, "Wow, the world sure seems like a grimmer place than I remembered it during the more innocent days of my childhood when my caregivers specifically worked to protect me from the harshness of it. Everything was so much better back then!", and,

People who have no interest in starting shit with Vi, and offer up vague platitudes while having advanced from a street worker to madam of a very well-appointed brothel that serves Shimmer to its patrons.

Even in S2, the season of, "Silco who?", there are people still loyal to him being hunted down by Cait; people are happy to adopt Jinx as their symbol despite her working for Silco for years; and are (presumably? since S2 never bothers to show this development onscreen) happy to not only follow Sevika and Jinx into battle, but to accept Sevika - Silco's right hand of the last seven years - as their representative on the Council afterwards.

Do I think his methods were entirely beneficial? Harmless? No. Of course not. Shimmer created a ton of misery in Zaun. But the show also does things like: show Shimmer as a miracle medicine that can heal a gut wound with one drop, and keep a man with a festering toxic infection in his skull alive and functioning for over a decade; show Shimmer as a next-level fuel for advanced chem-tech prosthetics; show Shimmer as a major export being smuggled out of Zaun; show Shimmer being widely used as a casual intoxicant; show Shimmer itself as an entire industry; and then just... refuses to examine what any of that would actually mean for Zaun, besides Drugs Bad™.

There's no desire to actually engage with questions like, "Why do we think the people of Zaun use Shimmer for medical care?" or, "Why is there a need to develop a parallel industry & economy for Zaun that exists outside of Piltovan interests and control?" or etc. etc., because that kind of exploration might come, shall we say... inconveniently close to adding some complexity or even a hint of justification to Silco's methods, and we can't be having with that in our centrist fantasy. Drugs Bad™ it is!

(This is a bit of a tangent, but just because I've had it rattling around in my head recently: there is also a relevant point to be made about how Shimmer is, itself, a metaphor for how being disadvantaged costs more in many ways than being privileged. How, when you are stuck at the bottom of the heap, there are often no good, easy choices available to you. How it curtails your options, and rarely do they come without a cost.

This is what privilege is: Piltover having hextech, and using it to profit and thrive for years with absolutely no ill-effects, all the while its runoff pollutes the undercity. Privilege is being able to offload the ugly consequences of your choices onto someone else.

In Zaun? Oh, you want a weapon you can use to drive hostile forces out of your city? Here's the thing, it's also fantasy meth that gives you purple turbo-cancer. You want a miracle cure for what ails you? Okay, but it's also fantasy meth that gives you purple turbo-cancer. You want an advanced fuel for your prosthetics? Too bad, it's also fantasy meth that gives you purple turbo-cancer. You need a valuable substance to sell and export to bring profits back in to your black markets and sustain an economy independently of Piltover's control? Yep, you guessed it, it's also fantasy meth that gives you purple turbo-cancer. Shimmer is the double-edged sword; Shimmer is the Vimes Boots Theory of Economic Unfairness on steroids; Shimmer is the rungs of the ladder above you, covered in razor blades.)

the more I think about how s2 fumbled the Piltover/Zaun conflict so bad, the more I become a Silco defender

[lorasdolly]

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐍' 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐀𝐑 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ; ꜰᴇᴍ!ᴅᴏʟʟʏ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ x ꜱᴇᴠɪᴋᴀ ᴀʀᴄᴀɴᴇ

ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ; ɪɴ ᴢᴀᴜɴ, ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ꜱᴀᴠᴇꜱ ꜱᴇᴠɪᴋᴀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀɴ ᴀᴍʙᴜꜱʜ ᴜꜱɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟʏ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴄᴜᴛᴇ ꜱᴄʏᴛʜᴇ. ɢʀᴀᴛᴇꜰᴜʟ, ꜱᴇᴠɪᴋᴀ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋꜱ ʜᴇʀ, ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ—ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ—ɪɴ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴ.

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ; ʟᴇꜱʙɪᴀɴ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴄᴏᴜʀꜱᴇ, ᴏʀᴀʟ (ʀ!ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠɪɴɢ), ꜱʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ɢᴏʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ, ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴘʟᴀʏ, ꜱᴜʙꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴜꜱᴇ, ꜱᴍᴏᴋɪɴɢ.

(more of dolly!reader :3) not proof read :c

you grabbed your stuff, throwing a few things into a small pink bag. it was rather late, you were supposed to meet up with sevika ages ago, and yet here you were still packing things up.

it was dark and eery in your room, like it usually was.

bombs disguised as uncanny dolls and the scent of all sorts of bodily fluids flooding the place.

as you went to tie your shoes, the loud noise of destruction sounded. a thud across the building, usually never a sign of good news.

you squealed and jumped off the bed, a loud sigh exiting your mouth.

pursing your lips, you hesitated on whether to check it out or not. truly it was none of your business.

but the fleeting concern of it perhaps being sevika entered your mind, making you grab two doll shaped grenades are your tiny scythe.

leaving the rest of the bag behind, you hurried outside the apartment, the horrible scent of zaun flushing in.

while you ran towards the continuous stream of noise, pink dust came from the doll in your hand.

"awh shit," you whined, huffing a bit as you kept running.

they were fragile, delicate and to be treated with care. you designed them that way to ensure not even the make belief girls got neglected before explosion.

but the pep in your step must have ruined something in them, causing the timer to set off.

your pace increased, reaching the railing and stairs where you see sevika getting ambushed by multiple people.

since silco died, the people who respected her decreased.

you told her you'd made sure they remembered who kept them in check, and maybe just now was the right time to show it.

your breathing was uneven, deciding between running down the stairs to have close combat or throwing the soon-to-explode time bomb in your hand.

as the pink dust grew more consistent and the blood coming from sevika began to seep, you mindlessly threw the doll shaped bomb into the fight.

it caused an explosion between sevika and those who were attacking her, pink fire lighting up the trash around them.

a pout graced your face as you saw the doll blow to ashes but you snapped back, jumping down from the railing to vacantly swing your scythe around.

sevika's eyes widened, a low groan leaving her lips as she backed up to not get injured any further.

she watched as you had that little concentrated look on your face, your tongue slightly sticking out.

she let out a dark chuckle, fixing some shimmer into her arm as you kept fighting off the group of men who attempted to hurt sevika.

you pushed a man into the bundle of pink fire behind him, smirking and giggling with the cute scythe in your hand.

you grabbed the other doll-like bomb, setting it off right beneath the man, flinching as it went off.

you thought that was about it, all the men were gone.

you stood there panting, wiping blood away from your lips from the few hits you took.

the scent of metal mixed with sweat took over your nostrils, blood overwhelming your taste buds too.

you hated messes, especially when the messes were on you.

a groan left your lips, the sight of a dead man's half-burned corpse residing in front of you infuriated you more.

right when you were about to turn around to seek out sevika, another man came up behind you, ready to attack.

he was able to push you back a bit, but didn't have the time to do more when sevika ran towards the both of you.

her mechanical fist that was just enhanced by shimmer instantly made contact with the man's face, his body going numb and slamming against the closest wall.

you yelp at the sudden scare, pouting at the fact you didn't get the last hit. "totally not fair!" you complained and whined, hands finding your hips.

sevika was about to speak again, staring your bloody but somehow cute figure up and down when she saw the man who was supposed to be dead show up behind you.

your peripheral vision caught on, huffing and turning around fully to swing your scythe.

your scythe burned through the man's neck, blood splattering on your face and hair.

"eugh- gross!" you exclaimed the moment he fell at your feet.

"not interested," your shoe met his head, kicking it away.

finally, your gaze was able to peacefully meet sevika's. a small smirk painted her features.

"since when are you a fighting doll," she teased, hand running through her hand as she stood up straight.

"i knew you were a stupid doll, and surely a good doll, but fighting? color me suprised." she continued throwing mocking taunts towards you, walking to tower over you.

"hey! i saved your ass, expecting some gratitude any time soon." you said with a petulant expression on your face.

"language, doll." sevika said with a lifted brow.

her hand grabbed your chin forcefully, constraining you to look up at her. "awfully mouthy for such a small doll."

you stayed silent, embracing the small moment of her dominance. even after a violent moment, she knew how to revert you back to normal.

pliant and a mindless mess.

"mind telling me where'd you find that sharp weapon?" sevika continued, her lips on a flat line.

"jinx got it for me.." your bottom lip extended outward and she brushed her thumb over it.

"now look at you, a bloody mess, doll." she said with a certain edge of approval.

"but i helped you-" you hurried to the defensive, wanting sevika to understand why you did that.

"that you did." sevika's thumb removed blood from your face, or smudging it if anything.

your face lightened up, realizing she wasn't disappointed but infact proud.

you've gotten many reactions from sevika, but very rarely has she been proud.

"i even got all dirty for you.." you said with a sulky glint in your eyes.

"that too, doll." she acknowledged, her mechanical hand grazing over the soft supple skin of your hips and waist.

"i deserve something in return for being so good!" you kept rambling, furrowed brows as you made suggestions.

she chuckled, not fully paying attention to your words but instead focusing on how you look right:

"gettin' ahead of yourself, huh? who said you're in a spot to make demands?" she teased, desperate to see your reaction.

your confident look reverted into a sad puppy, needing reassurance. "not demands, just.. suggestions."

she nodded, finally focusing her gaze on your eyes instead of letting them wander. "good, good."

sevika cancelled her plans of going to the last drop and gambling a few pretty pennies away, instead choosing a pretty doll to entertain her.

she laid you on her bed instead of yours, knowing you hated getting your room messy.

but also because those dolls of yours secretly made her uneasy.

she begun kissing down your neck, licking any blood residue off of you. "poor doll, got all fuckin' dirty f'me." she spoke, muffled words against your neck.

both her real and mechanical hand studied your curves, relishing the moment with a sense of reverence.

she was taunting your tendency of hating dirt, but you were too pleased to notice any of the little details.

"whatdya' need, doll. use your words." sevika reached your belly button with her lips, tracing hearts with her tongue.

"y-you, sevika, please" the desperation in your words seeped through, your hands tangling in her hair as she toyed with the hem of your panties.

slowly lifting them and then releasing them so they'd snap back against your pelvis.

"i need your mouth, sevika." you said, struggling to even form coherent thoughts let alone sentences.

she chuckled against your hips, sliding down your panties. "lift your hips f'me, doll."

you did as asked, arching your back and lifting your hips.

you squirmed the moment the cold breeze hit your core, whining in need.

she put testing kisses on your pussy, then a teasingly slow stripe against your folds.

"shiiit- shit, sevika," your words were breathy, your hands tugging at her hair.

"mind your words, doll." she spoke firmly, finally latching onto your clit with hunger.

"oh- oh my god, fuck-" you whimpered, disregarding her previous orders.

she brought her mechanical arm to hold you down, stopping your squirming as she ate you like a starved woman.

"putting your life at risk f'me, thank you baby, mmff fuck," she spoke against your core, the vibrations being sent down your spine and straight to your clit.

"sevika- sevika please, so close-" you whine, head thrown back against the mattress.

"cum f'me, doll," she said, lapping at your cunt. her hips bucked against the mattress, need overwhelming her too.

but tonight was about you, she'd make sure of that.

you came undone all over her tongue as she made sure to swallow every drop.

you panted, staring down at her bigger frame and the way she rutted her hips against the mattress.

she pulled away, quick to lather your neck in kisses again before landing on your lips.

she kissed you tenderly with a tone of passion she couldn't avoid.

"se..sevika." you spoke at a breath.

"shh, rest." she got up, standing on her two feet before throwing a blanket on top of you.

her hands rummaged the drawer besides her bed for a cigarillo and lighter. as she grabbed them, she found herself sitting on the edge of the bed.

she took a long drag and shifted her head away to not locate the smoke against your face.

you crawled silently towards her, the blanket still draped over your back. you reach for her bicep, needing warmth.

she looked down at you and went back towards her drawer, taking out a small pill that was the color pink.

she brought it towards your lips, immediately your lips parted and tongue sticked out.

she placed it on the small of your tongue as you retreated it back inside your mouth, letting it dissolve.

you shut your eyes and melt away, still grasping at her bicep.

"i'll get ya' a towel." she spoke quietly before standing up and heading towards the bathroom.

[nailsandinspo]

[theautismzone]

✨️𝓑𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓑𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓑𝓪𝓻𝓫𝓲𝓮✨️

x x x x x x x x x

[lovelynightmareperfectdaydream]