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ratatattouille · 5 months ago

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Why The Arcane S2 Finale Fumbled, Part I

arcane season 2 was artistically beautiful and thematically cheap. every interesting and meaningful thing it did with its characters (even in season 2 act 2) was reduced to romanticized bullshit, utterly divorced from its season 1 roots. it's so bad it can be considered pro-status quo propaganda (and i do mean that). good ships aside (and i do mean the caitivi, jayvik, timebomb holy triad), this season squats and shits on every zaunite character in the show. not just their zaunite-ness, but how it literally shaped who they were as characters.

Let's start with Vi:

Vi and Vander:

Vi's loyalty to The Lanes always went beyond Powder. Zaun was her father's, Vander's dream. Zaun was her friends and her family. When she's giving Caitlyn a tour of The Lanes, we see how much she embodies and revels in Zaunite culture (esp in the food scene). She took responsibility for the vulnerable, like Vander taught her to. Her "protective" trait extended to ALL the vulnerable in The Lanes, because Vander taught her that. It wasn't EVER just Powder. Zaun is her HOME. As a child, she wanted to make a name for herself IN ZAUN "one day, this city's gonna respect us." You can make the excuse that Vander's death meant that side of her died, but it clearly didn't because of how she regarded it while showing Caitlyn around. "Family" to Vander, extended to the vulnerable of Zaun, which is how Vi and Powder came to be his "daughters" in the first place. Because Zaun was for THEM. Zaun WAS THEM. Vander and Silco "weren't allowed to fail" at Zaun (i.e. the two daughters).

Additionally, Vi and Jinx were supposed to succeed where Vander and Silco hadn't: forgiving each other and uniting so they could realize their dream for a free Zaun. A big reason why Zaun struggles to be free is because of their own internal divisions (the different gangs fighting for scraps). But if they united, they would be able to liberate themselves from Piltover (who is still the enemy). The whole reason the others are prosperous in the alternate timeline Ekko and Heimerdinger travel to is because Vander and Silco reconcile (not because Vi dies).

Vander also passes on his sense of responsibility to Vi. He tells a repeatedly vengeful Vi how her ambition to show up her oppressors can overshadow the more pressing priority of looking after those more vulnerable than her i.e. Powder. Like Silco, his advice to his daughter is steeped in his own trauma of getting so zealous he didn’t stop to think what it would cost.

Vi and Caitlyn:

Caitlyn was an interesting development for Vi, particularly because Caitlyn mirrored Vander's care for all people. Caitlyn was an enforcer that wanted to truly understand and help people. This challenged Vi's biases and also gave them a common goal. Caitlyn appealed to Vi because she gave Vi renewed hope for peace in The Lanes. That Zaun could be free through co-operation instead of violence. Her whole teaming up with Caitlyn, romance aside, was predicated on Vi brokering for peace between Zaun and Piltover (and getting revenge on Silco).

The first break-up between the two (Season 1's "Oil and Water") centred around Jinx, more or less. Vi believes Silco is a threat to peace between Piltover and Zaun (even though The Lanes aren't known as Zaun to her, I'm just using the names interchangeably). She believes Jinx is acting out due to Silco's influence, as well (and she isn't wrong). Had Caitlyn not been injured on the bridge (and had Jinx not felt betrayed by Vi), Vi was going to leave her in pursuit of Jinx. Vi has also never fit into Piltover (and that's also shown in Season 2 act 1-2). She makes no connections with Piltovians besides Cait and (an already disillusioned) Loris who we see for like two seconds.

Vi and Jinx:

This show was ALWAYS about a tale of two sisters/cities. When Vi becomes an enforcer, it isn't because she's switched loyalties. She wants peace for The Lanes, she just wants to take Silco's creation--Jinx--out of the equation so it can work. Her priority, like Vander’s, is to keep the vulnerable of The Lanes safe, and both were willing to co-operate with Piltover to protect the people they loved. She believes, like Vander did with Silco, that Jinx (and by extension Zaun) is her responsibility. That the reason bad things happened to Zaunites (Vi’s and Powder’s parents dead on the bridge, Jinx’s mania) is their fault.

Vi blames herself for creating Jinx as Vander does for creating Silco. The only reason Vi agrees to Caitlyn's plan is because, again, their two goals align: get Jinx. The difference is Vi wants to kill Jinx to kill Silco, while Cait wants to kill Jinx to get her city (mother) back. Vi is still explicitly concerned about Jinx, who she has come to see as a threat to other people she loves (e.g. Ekko, Cait, etc). Vi became an enforcer to protect The Lanes and the (appearance) of peace. Vi internalized Vander’s words and doesn’t want war, even if it means Zaun never becomes independent. But she is doing it as penance for what she feels she didn’t do that led Jinx to become what she is.

The show in season 2 TOTALLY LOST THIS FOCUS. Vi's guilt at hunting down her own people with enforcers is ALSO ignored a lot by fandom, especially because her post-breakup scene where she goes full goth is framed as regret for letting Cait down (rather than the self-disgust she would feel for joining her oppressors). Vi played a part in creating Jinx and her enforcer-arc is still centred around Jinx. This gets shoved aside for romance with Cait. All the time we could spend post-breakup focusing on the sisters, quickly circles back to Cait.

Cait, who, literally became a dictator and weaponized the air ducts her mother had created to SAVE ZAUNITES. The whole thing is viewed as Vi betraying Cait instead of Vi betraying Jinx/Zaun/her family and Cait betraying Vi ("promise me you won't change") and her mother. Cait was the one who sought to help Zaun (like her mother) but betrayed who she was when she was willing to kill Isha, an innocent child.

Vi would feel even more guilty at how she is literally in an enforcer's suit when she is about to kill Jinx, the only family she has left. She is literally hunting down Jinx, a Zaunite, like the enforcers had her parents. But we barely explore that. It’s just off to chasing Vander/Warwick only for it to not matter anyways!

(ALSO IMPORTANT: Just to further prove my point on how integral the sister's love for each other was, every show started with a record playing. The cover of the disc was Vi and Jinx. They were always the center focus of the story. The song that the record played? Likely "Our Love" by Curtis Harding and Jazmine Sullivan which goes "Our love is a bubblin' fountain, our love, that flows into the sea, our love, deeper than the ocean, our love for eternity." This love deeper-than-the-ocean can apparently crumble in the face of a dictator girlfriend you've known for less than a year lmao).

Summary of Fumbles:

-Vi's and Jinx's relationship becomes secondary not just to the entire plot of the show but to Vi's arc. Zaun and Piltover's conflict was set up to be the epitome of the show, and the fact that it got shelved for some (ahem military propaganda) epic battle between humans and robots is very telling about the writers and showrunners.

-Vi forgives Cait easily and prematurely, trashing Vi's true loyalties as established in earlier seasons/episodes and robbing Cait’s actions of their appropriate weight.

-(above is an excerpt from Amanda Overton's interview with TheGamer) The culmination of love for Vi's character ends with Caitlyn and not Jinx. Vi's character, whose love is explicitly centred on Zaun and her family, reaches its peak in romance with a Piltovian. To quote Amanda further: "If Vi had no one left to protect, she would fall in love." As if Vi had no ambition outside of protecting her family. As if her dream since she was a kid wasn't tied so much into Zaun. As if the reason she wore an enforcer outfit wasn't because of Zaun. As if Zaunites aren't suffering right under her nose. As if she was the only kid in Stillwater Prison and struggled to survive the whole time she was there. I can't pretend to stomach it. (Again, it's not that Vi shouldn't be happy, it's that the ship had to shove this aspect of her character aside for it to work). If they wanted to really commit to the Vi-in-video game origin story, they should have set it up better and stuck to it.

-Vi herself takes a back seat in most of season 2, and becomes a passive, guilt-riddled yes-man to Cait

-Vander's re-introduction is almost completely worthless to the plot and narrative (he comes back just to die), and he is used as a cheap way to re-unite (and then separate) the daughters in a way that has no significance to the themes (also, Silco as Jinx's father is completely ignored during this time)

-Cait's deferral to fascism should have been permanent. Idc about the shippers at this point. Vi and Cait should have never come back from Cait shoving the back of her gun into Vi's injured side (let alone the gassing of the ducts). Vi would've never forgiven her, attraction or no. The fact that Cait could become a dictator after losing one parent is proof of their class divides (after all, Vi held onto hope despite losing all her parents to enforcers and Jinx was all she had left of her family). That should have cemented the death of that relationship (and it would have made for more compelling storytelling on class). I’m thinking it was kept because it matters more to white Western audiences to have a Romeo x Juliet rendition that assuages their classist sensitivities. Cait becoming a fascist made sense and was true to her character and the world. Vi forgiving her (and then having sex with her in the prison she was thrown into as a child?) destroyed both her character and the narrative.

Yeah, yeah, Vi was overwhelmed by the breadth of love and forgiveness Caitlyn had in letting Jinx go, but that's bare minimum shit. Vi "always choosing wrong" because she *checks notes* keeps trying to reconcile with her sister instead of letting her go since she isn't Powder anymore? So she resolves her guilt by choosing her own pleasure and putting herself first for once. Okay, I don't have a problem with that except that Vi and Jinx were supposed to succeed where Vander and Silco hadn't--by reconciling! And you still won't get me to like the fact that so much of Vi's character arc gets held up in a Piltovian who encouraged her to do the worst shit to her OWN PEOPLE and then fucking turned on her when she couldn't kill her sister. It is frankly amazing how we're supposed to celebrate Caitlyn literally coming between the sisters. I'd rather Vi forgiving Jinx than Caitlyn. And if the whole appeal of Vi's relationship with Caitlyn is that she was overwhelmed with love for how Caitlyn forgave Jinx after she killed her mother, I don't see how a relationship with Cait automatically makes Vi feel less guilty, since Cait also makes her feel guilty for choosing Jinx (remember her accusation "you will always choose her" like sorry I don't want to kill my orphaned, traumatized sister who I ripped into for making an honest mistake as a child and who has carried that since). Caitlyn (as others have pointed out) got a whole ceremony for her mother and instantly turned on Vi's people. The Vi I know would have been like, "You really are all the same," and FUCKING DIPPED. And there's a little acknowledgement of this in act 1 where Vi accuses Caitlyn of acting like Jinx.

Both Jinx and Caitlyn are emotional labour for Vi. Vi still wants to protect Caitlyn from Jinx. There's not that much of a difference, lol, except that Caitlyn is a privileged Piltovian and Jinx is a victim of the abysmal childhood she suffered at the hands of enforcers. Yet the show is more or less saying Vi pursuing reconciliation with Jinx was a bad choice for Vi and the reason the cycle of violence continued (for some reason). The sister reconciliation was what I was here for, personally. Cute ships aside. But noooo, Vi should forgive Cait (not Jinx) to stop the cycle.

And having jail sex is a liberating act for her because it's where they had their meet-cute. (And we're all good bc Caitlyn gave up the Kiramman seat, lmao, like sure okay).

It's frankly made the ship that much more unpalatable. If Vi had to be destroyed as a character for the ship to work, then the ship wasn't all that good (even though it started off that way). It's honestly left such a bad taste in my mouth. What a fuck you to oppressed groups that whole subplot was. (And it's made worse by the fact that the creator thought that was somehow an empowering and liberating act for Vi, like fuck that).

Let's Talk About Victor:

Viktor and Heimerdinger:

Heimerdinger and Viktor were the most polar of opposites. Heimerdinger was not only a privileged, ulta-wealthy Piltovian, but he had a comparatively endless lifespan while Viktor's own human life-span was cut short due to being a Zaunite, born at the bottom of the barrel and raised on toxic fumes that led to his terminal illness. Viktor's desperation to unlock the Arcane was explicitly about him overcoming his circumstances, his illness, his premature death. It wasn't merely about his internalized ableism, but the unjust way in which he had to suffer. Heimmerdinger could afford patience because he had all the time and resources in the world, but Viktor didn't. Not merely because he was a mortal, but because he was a Zaunite.

Viktor and Singed:

Viktor's arc with hextech is foreshadowed with his childhood interaction with Singed. I understand that in the games, Viktor is a villain-type character and his catchphrase or whatever is "Join the Glorious Evolution," which the show hinted at from Season 1 when Singed explained his experiments to Viktor. While Viktor is horrified by Singed killing the creature that he eventually uses for shimmer, Viktor later says, "I understand," hinting that he saw the sacrifice (and death) necessary to "heal" the world of its ailments. Both Viktor and Singed grow up in The Lanes, and both have ailments they want to cure (for Viktor it is his lung cancer and for Singed its his daughter's dying). In season 2, Viktor tells Singed that while he understands what healing all those people could cost him, he will not sacrifice their humanity for Singed's cause. This is because of Sky’s death (which is partly why it is her who is in the Arcane with him).

Sky’s death is what makes Viktor beg Jayce to destroy the hex core, since he couldn’t do it himself. He is willing to die if that means no more innocent people do. But here’s where I get a little touchy. VIKTOR didn’t KNOW she was there. Viktor was simply desperate to live. Sky’s death was not malicious (even if it’s true to his character that he’d feel guilty anyways). It is at this point that Viktor has Jayce promise him to destroy the hex core (and by god is this where a lot of my contention with the finale comes from). Also, it is important to note that Viktor’s self-loathing is depicted only in regard to Sky’s death (NOT HIS BAD LEG). Now Viktor feels guilty not just for Sky’s death, but also necessarily for trying to live (AND PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND). TRYING TO LIVE is subtly treated as an AMBITION that, for Viktor, interfered with his ethics. (And please note that in the end, Singed, who repeatedly embraces unethical practices for reviving his dying daughter gets what he wants).

Anyway, in S2, Jayce blasts Viktor in the chest and all that conviction goes out the window. All this despite Sky (his conscience and “humanity”) being there with him in the astro-nether. Now Viktor's idea of becoming a higher being is just getting rid of emotion (apparently because Jayce did it or something). Jayce killing him without explanation was all of a sudden all he needed to become a divine dictator. The same Viktor that looked terminal illness in the face and preferred to spare others instead of himself? The same Viktor who's immediate action after waking up with a new body was to go and use the arcane he wished had been destroyed to help others? Because the arcane is corrupting him? That’s convenient for a certain political narrative. Especially because anyone would hesitate pressing a button (in Viktor’s case smashing the hex core) that would guarantee their death. Viktor was being human, not corrupt.

Viktor and Jayce:

Now, I think Jayce's speech had some merit and could have been framed better with a little more time and thought. The philosophical idea of perfection or a perfect world (one which Piltoverians strive toward) being untenable, maybe even undesirable, is a fascinating concept worth exploring. BUT MAKING IT ABOUT SOME INTERNALIZED ABLEISM FROM VIKTOR IS FUCKING STUPID!!!! I'm sorry, but Piltover being the city of progress until it actually included becoming progressive with Zaun was absolutely one of the things Jayce and Viktor's sub-plot was trying to explore.

Viktor WANTED TO LIVE. Viktor wanted his people to STOP SUFFERING. Viktor WAS RIGHT. He wasn't merely eliminating "imperfections" (and of FUCKING COURSE A PILTOVIAN WOULD SEE IT THAT WAY), he was trying to cure sick and dying people who did nothing to deserve it. He was buying them time that people like Jayce and Heimmerdinger had in spades, but Viktor and Zaunites had stolen from them.

Children dying of disease and violence in The Lanes was by Piltovian design! It was not some predestined cosmic necessity. Viktor WAS RIGHT TO HATE HIS FUCKING TERMINAL ILLNESS ARE THESE GUYS INSANE??! Wtf kind of message is Viktor embracing it as part of himself sending to vulnerable, impoverished and ill people? Is that supposed to be some kind of fucking comfort? Fuck off right to hell!

Like I'm glad if it resonated with any disabled people, but Viktor's struggle with his body was a protest against Piltover, not himself, and I hate that the writers gutted that character development. Viktor's and Jayce's paths "diverged a long time ago" because Jayce had the luxury and time of pursuing his dream while Viktor didn't. Viktor, even up there as a scholar of Piltover, was still getting the Zaunite treatment.

Jayce had the time to pursue a better world, while Viktor had to struggle for a little more time. When Viktor becomes part of the arcane, suddenly he has all the time in the world to realize HIS OWN DREAM. Why would wanting a better world for others have to result in "dreamless solitude"? Why does wanting progress equal wanting perfection? You are changing the subject and that is cheating!!!!

Viktor becoming obsessed with fixing what ailed humanity was warranted, and his extremism was hinted to have been due in part to the effect the arcane had on him, but it still made the themes of arcane a joke. There was so much potential and the writers (and showrunners) just squandered it for some more romantic bullshit.

The Glorious Fumblings (A Summary):

-"Humanity, our very essence, is inescapable. Our emotions, rage, compassion, hate. Two sides of the same coin, intractably bound. That which inspires us to our greatest good is also the cause of our greatest evil.” That's a neat quote, but wars don't start simply due to emotions or whatever. This lacks class analysis, and it's annoying that the writers made this the whole theme of season 2 (and retroactively the show) in a story on class divides. Cait did not merely gas the Zaunites because of her mother, but because of her privileged upbringing that made it more acceptable to her to view Zaunites as animals (remember Ekko telling her enforcers “hunt us down like animals"). Cait knew the humanity of Zaunites was real. She just chose to ignore it because she could afford to. While it is interesting that Viktor would come to see being human as a flaw that destroys any hope of achieving peace (conflict theory would like a word with you), it ignored that fascism is not an inherently human trait and detracts from how or why it persists in the first place. It's almost the same as saying men/white people oppress women/poc because the latter were mean to them. It's victim-blaming (and false lmao). The British didn't colonize the Americans because the natives did anything to them. All prejudice is unjustified, that's what makes it prejudice. Again, Cait became a fascist when her mom died, but Vi still drew the line at killing children and even council members despite losing every single one of her family members to Piltover's violence against The Lanes. AND THAT’S JUST IT. Why the Zaunites do what they do isn’t simply because of love and hate, but because of the desperate circumstances they are forced into by their oppressors. Why the Piltovians do what they do, isn’t because of love or hate, but because they are bread in luxury and affluence. Pretending that’s not the case is an insult to the work put into Arcane’s first season (and anyone with a brain and basic empathy).

-Jayce's speech would have been cute in another story, but it's downright insulting in Arcane's. Yes, yes, Jayce's words would have been the only ones to have broken the real Viktor out of Arcane Viktor's grasp by appealing to this deep childhood wound, but Viktor's desperation was not to belong (because his leg kept him from playing with other children) but TO LIVE (because he was dying of an illness). Jayce's speech isn't bad, just misplaced. Like most of the finale.

-Viktor did not have to become a fascist-aligned deity in his quest to heal people. It is a typical MCU thing to have a "villain" that's technically right and then destroy their entire character to make their (correct) philosophy untenable by making them do something extreme. Typical pro-status quo propaganda trope. I DON’T CARE if it was so we could get some game version of him. Viktor was right in bringing progress and his discoveries to The Lanes instead of devoting his efforts to Piltover, the fake city of progress.

-While I am annoyed that the climax of the show hinged on Jayce and Viktor and hextech (a tool to explore the inequalities of Piltover and Zaun) instead of Jinx and Vi, I think it kinda makes sense. Hextech built what Piltover has now become. Jayce, Viktor and hextech kinda represent Piltover (what it could be) and Jinx and Vi represent The Lanes (and the Zaun it could be). Both would have been integral, but the story shouldn't have hinged on hextech, IMO. Hextech should have remained a tool to explore the politics of both cities, but instead it overshadowed everything, cheapening the story's themes, characters and world-building.

-Jayce calling the Zaunites to arms was downright absurd. But not as absurd as Zaunites volunteering.

And Then There's Jinx:

Jinx and Isha:

Isha's only use, as far as I'm concerned, was to be a reconciling force between the sisters. When Cait was willing to shoot her to get to Jinx, that should have stopped Vi right there and brought her back to defending Jinx 100% I DON’T CARE. When Isha sacrificed her life to save Jinx, that should have been Jinx's wake-up call right there and helped her understand why Vi kept leaving her out of missions as a kid. But instead what do we get? Depressed, suicidal Jinx and an astoundingly even more resentful and indifferent Vi. Now Jinx sees herself as even more of a poison to those she loves (because she can’t protect them like Vi can and frequently kills them while trying to do so). Jinx, who has always wanted to be useful to those she loves. Who pursued her own hextech inventions in order to give her siblings a fighting chance when facing down Silco. Who wants to give Zaun a fighting chance as Silco's daughter (and Isha’s surrogate mother). To be useful to the goals and dreams of her family. Isha was the perfect opportunity to bring the sisters together and get Jinx to embrace all she is (both the Jinx that Vi rejects and the Powder that Silco rejected), but no. Instead, the kid was some kind of foreshadowing to Jinx's own heroic self-sacrifice for her sister (a message that left both sister's arcs unfinished). Or perhaps, Isha was a commentary on the cycle of violence. But that this sub-plot really wasn't needed given what we'd already established in Season 1.

Why do I say this?

Because the cycle of violence is not a "Jinx" issue, but a Piltover one, and the writers making it an interpersonal issue instead of a political/sociological one damaged the story and what Jinx's character could have meant to mentally ill people like her. It wasn't illogical storytelling, just far less meaningful than it could have been. It would have been more powerful and moving and impactful for Jinx to realize where the true cycle of violence (as established the whole fucking show from the dead parents on the bridge, to Vander and Silco, to Jinx and Vi, to Jinx and Ekko, to Isha and Warwick, to Cait and Vi, etc) was coming from.

Jinx needed to accept herself and the love others showed toward her (Silco, Vander, Ekko and Vi). Jinx keeps blowing things up because she repeatedly rejects herself (both Powder and Jinx), ignoring the good she's done and tried to do. Isha was a call back to the good Jinx has done and can continue to do for Zaun and others. Isha and Sevika understood (even though Silco unfairly set it up) that Jinx was actually their good luck, their hope, more than just a hex (pun intended) on the city. After all, Jinx made Sevika her new arm (even though she's the reason Sevika lost her arm in the first place), which further proves that Jinx had the capacity to fix some of what she broke. It would have been better for her to embrace responsibility and have the faith to try and fix things (ESP her relationship with Vi). While it is not unrealistic or necessarily bad writing that she would fake her own death to run away and start over (or just die) trying to save Vi, the arc people she represented deserved was her embracing Vi back, not accepting that she was a curse in Vi's life. And most definitely NOT romanticizing her pain.

Jinx and Ekko:

Ekko's and Jinx's relationship is precisely an exploration of how Piltover's violence against Zaun forced these children with entire futures ahead of them (they are both child prodigies) into endless war and hellish heroism. Ekko and Jinx are repeatedly shown to be hesitant and even unwilling to participate in violence against others, especially their own. Ekko does not hate Jinx, though he wants to, and Jinx does not like who she is when she's violent. She is trigger-happy because she already expects Vi and Ekko to want to kill her (projecting her self-loathing on them, but not entirely unreasonably). She doesn't have faith in their love or mercy because she doesn't see any part of herself as redeemable or loveable, which is why she consistently sabotages her life (but not without help from Vi and others).

Ekko and Jinx are symbols of progress for Zaun AND Piltover (and Heimerdinger saw that, especially when Ekko insisted he had to go back to his timeline, even if the one he had landed in was better). Heimmerdinger saw what they could have been in the alternate timeline, all the genius that was squandered in The Lanes. Jinx and Ekko are the ones most willing to put an end to violence and injustice because both of them are nostalgic for their families. All that’s ever kept them going is the love of their families. Jinx just doesn't have the same faith in her ability to be their hero as Ekko does, but Ekko manages to convince her for a moment anyways.

Ekko recognizes (like Silco, Viktor and Isha) how integral Jinx is to the creation of a new world. She injects colour and life and hope into Zaun and is the only one who can unite all warring factions in Zaun in the first place. I know people have gripes with this Jinx being the hero of Zaun when she literally killed Silco, opening the market for other gangs, but her most famous act is the bombing of the Council, which pretty much all Zaunites were unaware was about to grant them independence. To the average citizen of Zaun and Piltover, Jinx was the symbol of a revolution (even if Jinx didn’t see herself that way and didn’t really want to be). Both her and Ekko are rebel leaders, but that is hardly used in Zaun's interests in the end. (ALSO THAT WHOLE CONVERSATION WITH VIKTOR AND JINX WHERE HE SAID SHE COULD BE USEFUL TO HIS WORK. This show would have won with a Viktor and Jinx team-up to unite Zaun--also in parallel to Jayce and Vi's team up. We could have had it all!)

Jinx and Silco:

This, is only second to Vi in the most FUMBLED things about Jinx. Silco was her guide once Vander died and Vi ran away. Silco not only took care of her, but gave her purpose (someone to love and be loved by and protect) and nurtured her talent (one that many others scorned). Silco accepted Jinx even though he weaponized her (which backfired for him). As much as Silco WAS WRONG to lie about Vi (manipulating Jinx) and even try to kill Vi (which was a dumbass move on his part), he wasn't wrong about Jinx's path to healing: self-acceptance and self-forgiveness. And even though Silco's own stupidity led Jinx to "embrace" Silco's version of Jinx to the point that she bombed the Council right when they'd granted Zaun independence (I wanted to fucking kill myself watching that), Jinx was still not ENTIRELY a jinx as Jinx (e.g. when she rescued Zaunites from Stillwater Prison). This fucked up dude did a whole John-the-Baptist thing where Vander tried to drown him with Jinx so she could embrace her Jinx-ness. But I don't think he was telling her to embrace that she was a curse like Vi meant it, but to embrace her new life (baptism is all about death and rebirth) and her new self and take responsibility for it.

Silco, like Ekko, was the one who saved Jinx from death and offered Jinx a home. While everyone else patronized Jinx for her own childhood trauma, Silco was gentle, understanding and provided space for that, even when her psychosis killed him. He showed zero resentment toward her. But when Silco dies and Vander returns, Jinx just . . . oopsie, doopsie! Forgets about Silco until one final hallucination she has of him in the jail cell. The only one she has where he talks. And what does he say? She needs to break the cycle. How? Not by eliminating Piltover or gaining Zaun's independence like he'd talked about and dreamed about. Not by accepting herself as Jinx and Powder, the inventor, the fighter, daughter of both Silco and Vander, but by offing herself? Leaving her family to think she's dead? Embracing the lie that she really was the poison in their lives and the reason none of them could be happy? The reason they died? NICE! SWELL! WHAT A SATISFYING, INSPIRING CONCLUSION! Even worse, they made her "death" staged. I'm sorry, but do we really believe that this same girl who killed herself multiple times in front of Ekko just 24 hours ago somehow found the will to live and escape into air ducts when she was falling with Vander? She decided to live right when she was about to die? And let's not forget that she was falling to the same song that was playing when she was trying to commit suicide. Why? And why would a heroic death (staged or not) be any form of character growth for Jinx in the first place? When her whole thing is distrusting the love offered to her? Or was she accepting herself by being the one to kill Vander because she knew Vi couldn't? Either way, it's cheap!

I Wonder Who Put All Those Holes In You (Fumbling Summary):

-Vander's letter to Silco could have been why she hallucinated Silco talking to her about forgiveness, but breaking the cycle here is about forgiving (unapologetic) Piltovians instead of herself, which needed to happen to complete her arc.

-Isha and Vander misery porn

-(above is an excerpt from Amanda Overton's TheGamer interview) to paraphrase: "SO OUR GRAND CONCLUSION TO VI AND JINX'S ARC WAS TO CONFIRM THAT YES, JINX WAS INDEED A JINX (AND NOT PILTOVER OR ANYTHING HAHA) AND THE SISTERS WOULD ONLY HAVE PEACE IF THEY NEVER RECONCILED - JUST LIKE THEIR FATHERS BECAUSE THAT WORKED OUT SO WELL THE FIRST TIME! :D THE REASON THEIR LIVES ARE IN SHAMBLES ARE PURELY BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL FAILINGS AND NOT AT ALL BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION PILTOVIANS HAVE PUT ZAUNITES IN! XD WE THINK THIS IS ALSO A FANTASTIC THING TO TELL MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE." :)

-Jinx being the reluctant Girl Saviour of Zaun after clinging onto her identity as a jinx so she didn't have to take responsibility for Zaun should have been the completion of her arc, IMO. As far as Jinx's arc is concerned, she was meant to reject the identity of jinx that Vi gave her and embrace the identity of Jinx that Zaun gave her. Loveable and capable of doing the right thing and saving others. Using hex-tech, something Jayce and Piltover had levelled against her people, against them. And she does this to some extent, but we don't even get a hint as to why Ekko's speech worked (and how he got her to fight alongside him and the Firelights in the first place). We know she does so for Vi, but she so quickly gives up once she and her sister are back on the same team. She allies herself with her sister just to die and then fuck off to another land? BRUH! Like act 3 is SO FRUSTRATING!

Conclusion

If the focus had been on the coming war between Zaun and Piltover, then we could have better explored the internal struggles happening with Vi's and Jinx's characters. Using Isha and Vander as misery porn for Jinx was a bad move. I stand by that. Isha didn't need to die that uselessly. Jinx did not need more "trauma" for any character development (positive or negative). It's not unrealistic that Jinx would be depressed after Isha's death (and that Isha was likely meant to symbolize the constant cycle of violence), but that this sub-plot really wasn't needed given what we'd already established in Season 1.

These are where my gripes with Jinx's and Viktor's arcs in S2 really lie: the story tries to strip the political from the personal! Viktor, on waking up with the arcane in him, goes back to The Lanes, and what does he see? The cycle that Silco mentions in Jinx's hallucination in the cell. This cycle is not merely coming from the interpersonal struggle Zaunites have, but rather, the forces behind those struggles: the starvation, the lack of resources, the poverty. All caused by Piltover. Where Season 2 fails while Season 1 succeeded, is it points the camera away from Piltover as the origin of all this mess, and instead, makes it a stupid cosmic clash between chaos and order (kinda fascist ngl). Zaun lost, and Arcane Season 1 had the tits to show why those in The Lanes were always on a losing streak: Piltover. The commitment to saving Piltover instead of destroying it ruined so many arcs, most notoriously Vi's and Jinx's. This should have ended in a war between the two cities, not one where both fought against robo-people and Ambessa.

But what, instead, do the writers brandish as this solution to the cycle?

Fucking forgiveness (of those who harm and oppress you) and acceptance of your (physical) imperfections (like that's what we were apparently talking about, which no, it wasn't). By refusing to acknowledge Piltover's hand in the desperation and violence and struggle the Zaunite characters find themselves, the show inadvertently ends up excusing Piltover.

TLDR: Bad message to send to oppressed people, mentally ill people, and people dying of terminal illnesses, lmao. The Zaunites ALL LOST with this one.

And I'm going to make a Part 2 to really get into it, but from the perspective of three Piltover characters (and one Zaunite) that really prove my point: Jayce, Mel, Caitlyn and Ekko.

P.S.: It's okay if you think the show is good because it succeeds in many other things, I just think it drops the ball in the places I've mentioned. But if your main criticism of my criticisms is going to be defending your ships, please find another post. Oppression is a serious reality that deserves serious depiction and it's insulting to have such necessary political discussions devolve into dumbass ship wars.

EDIT: I honestly did not expect this post to get more than 20 likes lmao, and i must admit that this was more of a thought dump than a super-deep analysis, but i'm glad a lot of it has resonated with so many of you!

EDIT AGAIN: Here's PART 2.

#zaun #arcane #arcane season 2 #jayvik #timebomb #ekkojinx #caitlyn kiramman #vi #vander #silco #jinx #ekko #isha arcane #jinx and isha #caitvi

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gothamundernightlight · 10 months ago

Text

Random Shit the Waynes Do on Social Media

Dick:

- The white whale of D1 and Olympic gymnastics athletes; always stitches their stunts and challenges, executing them perfectly, but no one knows who he is or who trained him

- Shares pictures of random children, and the whole internet becomes a detective trying to figure out if Bruce Wayne adopted another kid or if his gymnastics students won another trophy

- Photo montages of Haley being the cutest, which slowly transitions into Haley in whatever cute hat the internet can send to Dick’s PO Box

- Random video of him skydiving while giving tips on what to do if your chute doesn’t deploy. He never deploys his chute doing the video and no one can tell if it’s a bit or not.

Jason:

- AI Voiceover text posts providing surprisingly insightful analysis into classic literature

- A full six part rant on the Broadway adaptation of “The Great Gatsy”

- Random selfies complete with wildly made up backstories of any and every new injury he has

- Prank war on Damian specifically (this was intended for Talia but his finger slipped and now the whole internet loves it)

Tim:

- Randomly goes live to do study/work/research with me sessions complete with an actually decent Lofi soundtrack that no one can find (He totally mixes it himself but won’t admit it)

- Did ONE social media vlog for WE’s marketing division and it went so viral he gets forced to do more. The dead eyed stare he gives the camera with every stupid dance the intern teaches him makes the video top-tier

- Cute couples videos with Bernard

- Skateboard tricks (and fails)

- Screenshots of text conversations between him and his siblings discussing the most random shit??

Cass:

- Dance routines/pre-show/GRWM videos

- Shakily filmed videos of her kicking Dick’s ass and everyone just calls her a baddie in the comments. She doesn’t know what that means but she appreciates the love.

- Her and Steph’s late night food runs with the two of them just belting out to a song in a dark parking lot

Steph:

- Posts riddles and puzzles and how to solve them. She’s really good at it. Riddler hates her.

- Apartment tour of all the purple shit she owns. She’ll never admit that the room she’s showing off is her Wayne Manor bedroom, so everyone believes she just has a moderately sized loft apartment somewhere and she just never shows the kitchenette

- Her and Cass’s late night food runs with the two of them just belting out to a song in a dark parking lot

- POV shots of her going up to the boys asking them random questions. Dick matches her energy. Jason tells her to fuck off. Tim is barely conscious. Damian always has an overly rational answer to take the fun out of it. Duke just stares blankly at her (he always comes back later with a proper answer now that he’s had time to think about it). Bruce just stares blankly at her

Damian:

- Art reveals that never get many views but he’s still proud of nonetheless. Dick always comments on them to hype him up

- Accidentally recreates a popular vine that went viral and it’s just him insulting fellow GA kids under his breath but one of them says hi to him and he’s instantly polite back. His most popular video

- The multi-part experiment of him trying to Pavlov Tim, and when it actually works, Tim just chases Damian around the manor. The video cuts to black frames after Tim takes a flying launch at him

- All the pet videos. There are so many. People try to cancel him for exploiting them, but Damian clearly demonstrates that he would never force his animals to participate for views and how they will just leave if they don’t want to do something. Batcow is in the background just two-stepping unprompted

Duke:

- Every morning without fail, he posts a daily sunrise pic of Gotham, with a positive affirmation caption. One day he’s sick and he wakes up to a thousand messages of people panicking because their favorite poster has disappeared. He never misses a sunrise again

- Passionate rants about local government. Will not shut up about it. He might be an anarchist, but he’s forever remain optimistic that one day the systems that define society will one day actually work for all people. Bruce has every single one saved so he can implement Duke’s ideas into reality

- Boxing videos of him training with Luke. It’s never meant to be a thirst trap…but sometimes it is

- Dumb selfies. Duke unironically loves taking them, no matter what face he pulls, what filter he uses, not even caring where he is. This gets him in trouble the one time he posts one of him leaning off the edge of a high rise roof

Babs:

- Constant lectures on cybersecurity and internet safety. She teaches this at the library as a volunteer but feels she can reach a lot of people by building a platform

- Computer build stuff. Brands reach out to her for her reviews and she thoroughly discusses each product in length

- Rarely posts about her disability, but absolutely tears people to shreds when they make ableist comments about her. The only time she brings it up first is when City Hall takes over a month to fix their elevator and she calls them out on it

Harper:

- Electronics repairs. She constantly takes things apart to teach people how to fix it, and this can range from toys to cars. On more than one occasion , her video has been interrupted by someone who planned to be using the vehicle she’s just taken apart

- 2 AM hair dye/maintenance sessions. She constantly gets comments from men being like “Therapy works too, y’know” or “No, you’re so beautiful? Why would you do that to yourself.” She responds to the comments with a video of a gun pointed at the camera with the sole caption being “Fuck Off.”

- Gym videos. She and Dick work out together and he’s the ultimate hype man

- Outfit montages of her getting ready for a random gala and she’s always pulling off the most masc-looking suits that look gorgeous on her

Helena:

- Target practice. She does all kinds of trick shots and crazy crossbow stunts in a wide variety of outfits. Her most popular video is of her in a corset and platform heels.

- Her and Steph bonding over all things purple

- Outfit of the Day posts. The girl has expensive tastes and she absolutely shows it off.

Bruce:

- Occasionally does promo stuff for WE (because Tim refuses to do all of it, and their social media intern won’t back down)

- Shares absolutely wild stories from his college years that somehow always get proven to be true even when the whole comments section is just like “this seems false???”

- Kid tour. He saw one mom do it and felt sad bc he’s never get the kids to agree, but somehow they all did (Alfred bribed them.)

- Shares everything from each one of the charities he’s involved with. Has reposted every single one of their posts on his own personal channel. It raises them hundreds of followers each time.

- One of the kids posted a video montage of Bruce being Brucie and it’s so utterly humiliating? But he won’t delete it because all of the comments say he’s their favorite billionaire and that’s more than his own kids will say.

- Random Pride Month post. Every year it catches people by surprise and every gossip magazine always wonders if Bruce is coming out. He’s just being an ally (and potentially is in denial).

Alfred:

- Prefers not to use social media, but one of the boys filmed him doing random things to teach the internet how to do things properly, like making the bed, doing laundry, etc. Is the internet’s favorite grandpa.

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saebyeokbliss · 3 months ago

Text

BABY, I’M A ROCKSTAR

pairing: rockstar guitarist!kang sae-byeok x fem!manager!reader synopsis: you spend your days managing an up-and-coming band, HOT DIVISION (핫 디비전), making sure everything runs smoothly while keeping your growing feelings for the lead guitarist buried deep. between late-night gigs, teasing bandmates, and stolen glances, you try to stay professional—but it’s hard when she’s always just within reach, unknowingly pulling you closer. as the band’s success takes off, so does the tension between you and her, leaving you wondering if you’re imagining things or if maybe, just maybe, she feels it too. warnings: strong language, smoking, drug use (weed), teasing, mutual pining, intense eye contact, heart palpitations (caused by sae-byeok), secondhand embarrassment (caused by ji-yeong), found family dynamics, relentless shipping from friends, excessive smirking, emotional damage

a/n: i hope this ate its a little rushed but enjoy guys!!

The van smelled like weed, cheap leather, and the lingering scent of No-eul’s mint gum. You were squished between Sae-byeok and Ji-yeong, half-listening to whatever nonsense Se-mi was rambling about while Ji-yeong took another slow drag from the joint between her fingers.

“I’m just saying,” Ji-yeong exhaled, smoke curling toward the ceiling, “if aliens exist, they’re probably already here. Like, disguised as CEOs or some shit.”

Se-mi hummed in agreement, head lolling back against the seat. “That makes sense. No way some of these billionaires are human. Look at Elon Musk.”

Sae-byeok scoffed beside you, arms crossed. “You two are high as hell.”

“And?” Ji-yeong smirked, offering the joint toward Sae-byeok, who just shot her a glare.

You tried to focus on the road ahead, watching as No-eul kept one hand on the wheel, the other adjusting the radio. Unlike her younger sister, No-eul wasn’t much of a talker. She just rolled her eyes at Se-mi and Ji-yeong’s antics and kept driving.

Your phone buzzed in your lap. You glanced down, reading the message from your contact at the label.

[HOT DIVISION CONFIRMED FOR L.A. SHOW. FLIGHTS BOOKED. DETAILS ATTACHED.]

Your stomach flipped.

“Holy shit,” you whispered.

Sae-byeok turned her head toward you. “What?”

You swallowed, rereading the message just to make sure you weren’t imagining it. “We’re playing a show in Los Angeles.”

The van erupted into chaos.

Ji-yeong practically threw herself over you to grab your phone, squinting at the message. “No fucking way.”

Se-mi gasped dramatically, gripping Ji-yeong’s arm. “We’re going international, baby!”

Even No-eul cracked a small smile, drumming her fingers against the steering wheel. “Looks like we made it.”

Sae-byeok’s eyes flickered to yours, something softer there beneath the usual stoicism. “That’s big,” she murmured.

You nodded, heart still racing. “Yeah.”

Then reality hit.

“But I can’t go.”

The excitement in the van screeched to a halt. Ji-yeong frowned. “What do you mean, you can’t go?”

You sighed, rubbing your temples. “I don’t have a passport. I never got one.”

“Just apply for one,” Se-mi said, waving a hand.

You shot her a dry look. “It takes weeks—sometimes months—to process. There’s no way I’ll get it in time.”

A heavy silence settled over the group. Ji-yeong looked genuinely heartbroken. “But you’re our manager.”

No-eul glanced at you through the rearview mirror. “Are you sure there’s no way?”

You shook your head. “Even if I pay for an expedited one, it’s not guaranteed. I won’t make it.”

Sae-byeok was quiet beside you. When you turned to look at her, she was already watching you, brows furrowed.

“You’ll be fine without me,” you tried to joke, nudging her with your elbow. “Just don’t let Ji-yeong and Se-mi get arrested in another country.”

Ji-yeong clutched her chest. “How dare you assume we’d get arrested?”

Se-mi blew out a breath. “No, that’s fair.”

Sae-byeok didn’t smile. If anything, she looked… uneasy.

The rest of the drive was filled with Ji-yeong and Se-mi making plans for what they’d do in LA, but you kept stealing glances at Sae-byeok.

She wasn’t talking.

She was thinking.

And in the pit of your stomach, you knew she wasn’t happy about leaving you behind.

The People Magazine building was sleek, modern, and way too quiet for a group like HOT DIVISION.

You walked a few steps ahead of the girls, phone in hand, skimming through emails while also keeping an ear out for any potential disasters. No-eul was the most responsible of the bunch, but Ji-yeong and Se-mi? They were walking chaos. Sae-byeok, as usual, hovered somewhere in between—cool, collected, and effortlessly intimidating.

The receptionist greeted you with a polite smile, eyes widening slightly when she noticed the four rockstars trailing behind you. You weren’t surprised. HOT DIVISION carried an energy—the kind that turned heads without even trying.

"You're here for the interview and photoshoot?" the receptionist asked.

"Yeah," you replied, tucking your phone into your pocket. "HOT DIVISION."

Ji-yeong leaned onto the counter, flashing a grin. "That’s us."

The receptionist nodded quickly, cheeks slightly pink. "Right! Uh, follow me."

You sighed, already exhausted. This is going to be a long day.

The girls were seated on a long couch in the studio, mics clipped to their outfits. You stood off-camera with the PR team, arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold.

The interviewer, a well-dressed woman with a bright smile, started off with the usual questions.

“So, HOT DIVISION has been making waves in the industry. How does it feel to be one of the biggest rock bands right now?”

No-eul, sitting at the far left, shrugged. “Feels normal.”

Sae-byeok, next to her, nodded. “We just play.”

Ji-yeong snorted. “Okay, well, they just play. I personally feel cool as hell about it.”

Se-mi leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “It’s kinda insane, huh? I mean, one minute we’re playing in tiny bars, and the next we’re flying to LA for a show.”

The interviewer smiled. “Speaking of, how are you all feeling about the upcoming performance in the U.S.?”

Ji-yeong threw an arm around Se-mi. “Excited. Terrified. Ready to make questionable decisions.”

You shot her a warning look from your spot off-camera. She winked at you.

Sae-byeok, ever the professional, answered smoothly. “We’re looking forward to it. It’ll be our first time playing overseas, so we want to make it count.”

The interviewer nodded. “And your manager—” she turned toward you briefly, smiling, “—won’t be joining you due to passport issues, right?”

You stiffened. Oh no.

The girls immediately reacted.

Ji-yeong groaned dramatically. “Don’t remind us.”

Se-mi pouted. “It’s tragic, really.”

No-eul, the most composed of the group, simply nodded. “She keeps us in check. It’ll be weird without her.”

Sae-byeok didn’t say anything at first. She just toyed with the ring on her finger, eyes lowered slightly. Then, after a beat, she murmured, “Yeah. It sucks.”

Your breath caught.

The interviewer, sensing the shift, quickly moved on to lighter topics—music influences, songwriting process, tour stories. You exhaled, trying to ignore the way your heart had flipped at Sae-byeok’s words.

Get it together.

If the interview was chaotic, the photoshoot was absolute anarchy.

“Ji-yeong, stop messing with the props,” you scolded, watching as she twirled a mic stand like a weapon.

“I am the prop,” she shot back, striking a ridiculous pose.

Se-mi adjusted the leather jacket draped over her shoulders. “She’s not wrong.”

The photographer sighed. “Alright, let’s try something serious now.”

That was easier said than done.

Se-mi kept making faces at Ji-yeong. Ji-yeong kept making Se-mi laugh. No-eul kept acting like she was above it all, but you knew she was holding back a smirk. Sae-byeok, ever the professional, somehow managed to look effortlessly cool despite the madness around her.

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Can you all please act normal for five minutes?”

“Normal is boring,” Ji-yeong quipped.

Sae-byeok glanced at you then, a rare hint of amusement in her eyes. “You look stressed.”

You huffed. “I am stressed.”

She tilted her head slightly, as if considering something. Then, with zero warning, she reached out—her fingers brushing against your wrist, just barely. It was nothing. A fleeting touch. But it sent a shockwave through you.

You went rigid.

She must’ve noticed because her lips twitched—just the slightest hint of a smirk before she pulled away.

You swallowed hard, praying no one else noticed.

Unfortunately, Ji-yeong definitely did.

She waggled her eyebrows at you once the photographer turned away, mouthing, What was that?

You shot her a glare. Drop it.

She didn’t.

Instead, she leaned over to Se-mi and whispered something, and before you knew it, both of them were giving you the look.

Oh god.

No-eul, ever the observant one, simply sighed. “You guys are exhausting.”

You groaned, already dreading the inevitable teasing that would come later.

Sae-byeok, on the other hand, just adjusted the strap of her guitar and pretended she didn’t notice the way you were completely falling apart over her.

She definitely noticed.

And she was enjoying it.

The airport was a mess of people, luggage, and last-minute panic.

You walked beside the girls, keeping a mental checklist of everything they needed. Passports? Check. Boarding passes? Check. Ji-yeong and Se-mi not getting distracted by duty-free stores? Barely a check.

Beside you, Cheol clutched the straps of his backpack, eyes flickering between Sae-byeok and No-eul. He had insisted on coming, saying he wanted to see his noonas and their best friends off. You hadn’t argued. If anything, you figured having him around might keep your chest from aching too much when they left.

“You’re gonna bring me something back, right?” Cheol asked, looking between his two sisters.

No-eul ruffled his hair. “I’ll bring you an overpriced keychain.”

Sae-byeok smirked. “I’ll bring you something cooler.”

Cheol looked smug. “Knew you were my favorite noona.”

No-eul scoffed, but there was no real bite to it. You just smiled, watching the exchange.

“Alright, alright,” you said, checking the time. “You guys have about twenty minutes before you need to get through security.”

Ji-yeong groaned. “Ugh. I hate flights.”

“Then don’t come back,” Cheol deadpanned.

Se-mi gasped dramatically. “Betrayal.”

Sae-byeok chuckled under her breath, and you found yourself staring before you could stop. She was so effortlessly cool—hair tucked behind her ears, hands in her jacket pockets, the weight of her guitar case slung over one shoulder.

God. You were never going to survive this tour without her.

One by one, the girls said their goodbyes.

No-eul gave Cheol a rare, tight hug before nodding at you. “Take care of him.”

You nodded back. “Always.”

Ji-yeong hugged you dramatically, rocking you back and forth. “Don’t miss me too much.”

Se-mi squeezed your shoulders. “We’ll send pictures. And maybe—maybe—we won’t get arrested.”

You groaned. “That’s not reassuring.”

Then, finally, Sae-byeok stepped forward.

For a second, she just looked at you, dark eyes flickering with something unreadable. You swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of every inch between you.

Then, instead of a hug, she reached out—slow, deliberate—and tugged at the sleeve of your jacket. Just a tiny pull. Barely anything at all.

But it made your heart stop.

“You should’ve come,” she murmured.

Your throat went dry.

“I—I know,” you managed.

She didn’t say anything else. Just held your gaze for a breath too long before finally stepping back.

Ji-yeong, watching from the side, definitely noticed.

“Alright, lovebirds,” she sing-songed, grabbing Sae-byeok’s wrist before you could combust. “Time to go.”

Sae-byeok rolled her eyes, but you caught the way the corners of her lips twitched.

And then, just like that, they were walking toward security, disappearing into the sea of travelers.

You exhaled, trying to calm the pounding in your chest.

Cheol, beside you, tilted his head. “...Did something just happen?”

“No,” you said way too quickly.

Cheol looked skeptical.

But thankfully, he didn’t push it.

Still, as you both walked back toward the exit, you couldn’t shake the feeling of Sae-byeok’s fingers—gentle, fleeting—ghosting over your sleeve.

And you definitely couldn’t shake the way she had looked at you, like maybe—just maybe—this goodbye wasn’t as simple for her as it should’ve been.

You were lying in bed, scrolling through emails and trying to keep yourself busy when your phone buzzed.

Incoming FaceTime: Ji-yeong 🍃🔥

You sighed, already bracing yourself for whatever chaos was about to unfold. With a swipe of your finger, you answered, and immediately, the screen was filled with Ji-yeong’s grinning face.

“Manager-nim~” she sang. “Look at what we got.”

The camera flipped around, revealing a bed covered in shopping bags—designer logos, streetwear brands, and more shoes than any of them realistically needed.

Se-mi was sprawled across the bed, holding up a leather jacket. “This cost more than my rent used to.”

“I mean, technically, we don’t pay rent anymore,” Ji-yeong pointed out.

“That’s not the point.”

No-eul, ever the level-headed one, was neatly folding a pair of black jeans. “I only bought what I needed.”

Ji-yeong snorted. “Boring.”

Then, the camera moved slightly, and you finally caught sight of her.

Sae-byeok, sitting at the edge of the bed, arms crossed, watching the whole ordeal with an amused expression.

She met your gaze through the screen. “They’re ridiculous.”

You exhaled a small laugh, heart doing that stupid thing it always did when she looked at you like that.

Ji-yeong turned the camera back to herself. “Okay, okay, let’s do a haul. Sae-byeok, narrate.”

Sae-byeok rolled her eyes but played along.

The camera flipped again, showing Se-mi dramatically throwing on her new leather jacket.

“Se-mi,” Sae-byeok drawled, “delusional enough to think it’s cold in LA.”

Se-mi gasped. “Excuse me, fashion knows no temperature.”

Ji-yeong cackled before turning the camera to No-eul, who was now lacing up a pair of combat boots.

“No-eul,” Sae-byeok continued, “dressed like she’s about to start a revolution.”

No-eul glanced up. “That’s not wrong.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “And what about Ji-yeong?”

The camera flipped again, showing Ji-yeong putting on a ridiculous pair of oversized sunglasses.

“Ji-yeong,” Sae-byeok said flatly, “pretending she’s famous.”

Ji-yeong grinned. “I am famous.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re all insane.”

Ji-yeong smirked. “And you love us.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but then Sae-byeok’s voice cut through—calm, steady, too knowing.

“You miss us.”

Your breath hitched.

The screen had shifted slightly, just enough to show Sae-byeok looking directly at you. Unlike Ji-yeong and Se-mi, who were still messing around, she was watching you.

Waiting.

You swallowed. “Of course, I miss you guys.”

Sae-byeok hummed. “Mhm.”

Ji-yeong, still oblivious, waved at the camera. “Alright, we’ll call again later. Don’t cry too much over us.”

You scoffed. “Goodbye, Ji-yeong.”

“Bye, manager-nim~”

The call ended, and the screen went dark.

You let out a slow breath, staring at your reflection.

Even through a screen, even from miles away, Sae-byeok still had you completely unraveling.

The Kang family’s small living room was buzzing with anticipation.

Cheol sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes glued to the TV, while Ms. Kang—sweet as ever—kept offering you snacks every five minutes. You had already accepted a cup of warm tea, more out of politeness than anything, but she still hovered, fussing over you like you were her own child.

“Are you comfortable, dear?” she asked, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder.

You smiled. “I’m good, Ms. Kang. Thank you.”

She patted your arm before settling onto the couch beside you, hands folded neatly in her lap. “I still can’t believe my girls are performing in America. It feels like just yesterday Sae-byeok was teaching Cheol how to tie his shoes.”

Cheol groaned. “Eomma, don’t bring that up.”

You chuckled, but your heart ached a little at Ms. Kang’s words. You knew what this meant to her—to see both Sae-byeok and No-eul making something of themselves after everything they had been through.

The TV screen flickered as the live broadcast finally started. The stage lights dimmed, the crowd roared, and then—

There they were.

HOT DIVISION.

Ji-yeong, ever the showman, was the first to speak into the mic. “Los Angeles, you ready?”

The audience screamed.

You leaned forward, barely breathing as the camera panned to the rest of the band. No-eul, steady behind the drums, twirling a drumstick between her fingers. Se-mi, hyping up the crowd, bass guitar slung low on her hip. And then—

Your chest tightened.

Sae-byeok.

Dressed in all black, guitar in hand, standing at the center of the stage like she belonged there. The stage lights cast a soft glow over her sharp features, and for a moment, she looked almost unreal—like something out of a dream.

She adjusted the strap of her guitar, eyes scanning the crowd. Then, as if she knew you were watching, she tilted her head slightly, lips curling into the smallest, most knowing smirk.

Your pulse skyrocketed.

Cheol smirked beside you. “You’re staring.”

“I am not,” you hissed.

Ms. Kang, ever oblivious, beamed. “Oh, Sae-byeok looks so beautiful.”

You cleared your throat. “Yeah. She does.”

Then, the first chords rang out, and the performance began.

The band was electric. The energy was raw, unfiltered, and completely intoxicating. Ji-yeong’s voice was raspy and powerful, Se-mi’s bassline shook the floor, No-eul’s drumming was sharp and precise, and Sae-byeok—

God, Sae-byeok.

The way she played her guitar—fingers gliding effortlessly over the strings, body moving naturally with the music, eyes half-lidded in concentration—was enough to make your brain short-circuit.

You were so screwed.

Cheol nudged you again. “Still staring.”

“Shut up,” you muttered.

Ms. Kang smiled warmly, unaware of your internal suffering. “She looks happy.”

You swallowed. “Yeah.”

And she did. Sae-byeok wasn’t just playing. She was feeling it—losing herself in the music, in the moment. And for some reason, knowing she was happy made your chest ache in a way you couldn’t quite explain.

Then, just as the song reached its climax, the camera zoomed in on Sae-byeok.

And that’s when it happened.

She looked straight into the lens.

Straight at you.

And then—she winked.

Your heart stopped.

Cheol howled with laughter. “OH MY GOD.”

Ms. Kang clapped her hands together. “Did you see that? She winked! How cute!”

You sat there, stunned, gripping your cup of tea like it was the only thing tethering you to the earth.

She knew.

She absolutely knew.

And she was teasing you.

The song ended, the crowd exploded into cheers, and the screen cut to commercials. But you barely registered any of it.

Because all you could think about was the way Sae-byeok had looked at you—like she knew exactly what she was doing to you.

And worse?

She enjoyed it.

Your phone buzzed violently on the table, the screen lighting up with an incoming FaceTime call.

Incoming FaceTime: Ji-yeong 🍃🔥

You exhaled, already bracing yourself. No doubt they were still on a post-show high, ready to scream in your ear about every little thing. With a swipe, you answered—and immediately, the screen was filled with Ji-yeong, Se-mi, and No-eul squished together, all talking at once.

“DID YOU SEE THAT?!” Ji-yeong shrieked.

“We fucking killed it,” Se-mi added, grinning.

No-eul, ever the calm one, simply gave you a knowing nod. “It went well.”

The camera jostled as they moved, and then—just as expected—Sae-byeok appeared in the background, sitting on the hotel bed, casually scrolling through her phone while the others lost their minds.

Your heart did that stupid thing again.

“I saw,” you said, trying to sound normal. “You guys were insane.”

Ji-yeong cackled. “Duh.”

Se-mi held up her phone. “We’re reading the comments right now. People are losing their shit.”

“Read them to me,” you said, leaning back against the couch.

Ji-yeong cleared her throat dramatically. “Okay, first one—‘HOT DIVISION just changed my brain chemistry. I will never recover.’”

You laughed. “Accurate.”

Se-mi scrolled. “Here’s another—‘Who gave Ji-yeong the right to be that sexy on stage? I need her arrested immediately.’”

Ji-yeong gasped in delight. “Finally, someone who understands me.”

No-eul rolled her eyes. “Here’s a good one—‘No-eul’s drumming is so precise it could probably fix my trust issues.’”

Se-mi fake sniffled. “Beautiful.”

Then, Ji-yeong started wheezing, clutching her stomach. “OH MY GOD. LISTEN TO THIS—‘Did Sae-byeok just wink at the camera? Is she trying to kill us? I’m physically unwell.’”

Your stomach dropped.

Sae-byeok, still looking at her phone, smirked. “That one’s my favorite.”

Ji-yeong, sensing an opportunity for chaos, turned the camera directly to your face. “What about you, manager-nim? How did you feel about the wink?”

You froze.

No-eul sighed. “Ji-yeong.”

Se-mi grinned. “Nah, let her answer.”

Your mouth opened—then closed—then opened again. But nothing came out.

Sae-byeok finally looked up from her phone, eyes locking onto yours through the screen. And the way she was looking at you—calm, amused, waiting—made your brain short-circuit.

What were you supposed to say? Yeah, that wink almost gave me a heart attack? Yeah, I haven’t stopped thinking about it?

Absolutely not.

So, instead, you cleared your throat and muttered, “It was… fine.”

Ji-yeong and Se-mi screamed.

“‘Fine’?! YOU’RE SO FULL OF SHIT,” Ji-yeong howled.

Se-mi clutched her chest. “Oh my god, she’s dying inside.”

No-eul just shook her head. “You two are the worst.”

Meanwhile, Sae-byeok just smirked—subtle, barely there, but you saw it.

And that was worse than anything.

taglist: @everly-summers-solace @knfthxv @madebysae @knfthxv @katieschry1 @imlackingsleep @lyzem @stellssxo @wiltingconquest

#sae byeok #saebyeok x reader #fanfic #squid game #wlw fiction #kang sae byeok x reader #wuh luh wuh

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jungkoode · 1 month ago

Text

死 KKANGPAE | #10 死

† wound tight †

"You’re in the Seduction Division, you’re supposed to be the seductress here, not the other way around. But then he falls asleep on your bed, and he suddenly looks so human… The morning brings him back to normal though, as you remain unaware of how thoroughly he has to wash your scent off his skin. And if that wasn’t enough… AD’s cryptic warning seems more acidic than the lemon breeze that wafts off him.

next | index

⚔ chapter details ⚔

word count: 7k

rating: mature

content: secret rdvz, jeon popping a boner in the most awkward moments, thrill of being discovered, stirring arousal, battling self-control, almost masturbation (m), cryptic warnings, scents that linger too long for their own good

☠ author's note ☠

As promised, chapter 10 delivered the SECOND we hit that goal! Took y'all less than 24 hours on Wattpad which is both flattering and deeply concerning. You're all menaces and I love you, but the bar is officially being raised. I refuse to be bullied by my own readers (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

MY SLEEPY BOYYYYY (;'༎ຶٹ༎ຶ')

He's so traumatized and I am so mean SORRY *dodges all your punches with the grace of someone who absolutely deserves to be punched*

—Don't worry Y/N, we all feel that way towards Jeon, it's totally normal. The "I want to simultaneously slap him and kiss him" experience is universal. Don't beat yourself up over it (〜￣▽￣)〜

This chapter was a whole cocktail of POVs, I know! But there were so many things happening simultaneously that it just came out like this. Think of it as one of those split-screen moments in action movies except instead of car chases it's just traumatized gang members making questionable life choices.

I must say I'm actually happy with how this chapter turned out because we're finally diving deeper into the spicier themes! The thrill of forbidden attraction! The danger lurking around every corner! The "I shouldn't want this but I REALLY want this" internal struggle! And the sexual tension thick enough to cut with one of V's knives! PEAK FICTION!

Anyway, thanks for reading as always! Your comments sustain me through the dark nights of writer's block and existential dread. Love you all, you magnificent enablers!

⚔ socials ⚔

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tumblr/twitter: @jungkoode

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎

You're about to crawl into bed when someone knocks on your door. At 3 AM. Because of course.

Opening it reveals Jeon standing there like this is totally normal, holding a plastic bag with your hoodie peeking out.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" You whisper-yell, heart immediately kicking into overdrive.

"Just want my jacket ba—" You slap your hand over his mouth before he can finish.

His lips are warm against your palm and you try very hard not to think about that.

"Are you actually insane?" Your voice drops even lower. "You can't be here!"

"I know." He scowls when you remove your hand. "That's why I want to make this quick."

"Ever heard of morning? You know, when people normally wake up?"

"Not like I'm sleeping anywa—"

A cough echoes from one of the other rooms and your body moves on pure instinct. You grab his wrist and yank him inside before anyone can catch Kkangpae's deadliest assassin lurking outside your door at ass o'clock.

He stumbles, definitely more from surprise than your strength, and his mouth opens—maybe to curse you out—but you slap your hand over it again, gesturing frantically at Yunjin's sleeping form with your free hand.

"Don't," you mouth, somewhere between begging and threatening.

His dark eyes lock with yours, and something electric crackles between you. Your hand is still pressed against his mouth, his skin burning against your palm, and suddenly you're very aware that you just dragged Jeon into your bedroom in the middle of the night.

Shit.

You drop your hand from his mouth, careful and slow. The jacket's on your bed, and you edge toward it like you're approaching a wild animal. Jeon follows, surprisingly quiet for someone who radiates danger like a space heater. Sets the plastic bag with your hoodie by the bed.

Just as you reach for his jacket—because of course this whole mess started with that stupid piece of leather—it slips through your fingers. The thud it makes hitting the floor might as well be a bomb going off in the silent room.

Your heart stops.

"Y/N?" Yunjin's sleepy voice makes your blood run cold.

Pure panic takes over.

Before you can think it through, you're shoving Jeon onto your bed and climbing on top of him. His hands grab your hips automatically, and you press yourself against him, trying to make his tall frame disappear under yours.

You yank the blankets over both of you, praying they hide his shape. Your heart's beating so hard you're sure Jeon can feel it where your chest meets his. The whole situation would be m̶o̶r̶t̶i̶f̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ dangerous if you weren't so terrified of getting caught.

"Everything's fine," you whisper-call back. "Just dropped the jacket."

Jeon's frozen underneath you, every muscle locked tight. You can feel his chest rising and falling, his breath hitting your neck in controlled bursts. He's warm—too warm—and solid in all the places you're trying very hard not to think about.

"'Kay..." Yunjin mumbles. "Sleep soon..."

You nod uselessly in the dark, too aware of Jeon's hands still gripping your hips. Moonlight catches his eyes, and even in the shadows, his gaze burns into yours with an intensity that makes your stomach flutter.

This is fine. Everything's fine.

But it's like time itself freezes.

You hold your breath as Yunjin shifts in her bed, the sheets rustling before she settles back into sleep with a soft sigh. You stay perfectly still, counting heartbeats, waiting to make sure she's really out.

When her breathing evens out again, you let yourself relax—as much as anyone can relax while straddling Jeon in the middle of the night. The room goes quiet except for your matched breathing, and suddenly the blanket cocoon feels very small, very intimate.

You lift your head slowly, trying to minimize movement, and fuck—his face is right there, barely inches from yours. His dark eyes catch what little moonlight filters through the blanket, and there's something in them beyond the usual annoyance.

Something that makes you almost sigh.

"Don't move," you breathe, barely a whisper. "Just... wait till she's deeper asleep."

The silence feels thick enough to choke on. Because everything seems to shrink to this moment: the warmth of his hands on your hips, how solid his chest feels against yours, the way his breath mingles with yours in the tiny space between you.

His eyes dance upwards, gaze locking with yours momentarily.

Then it drops to your mouth—for a split second—before snapping back up, and your whole body tingles like you've been shocked.

This is insane. This is really fucking insane.

How his fingers press into your hips, how your thighs are bracketing his sides, how close your faces are.

You can see little details you've never noticed before, like the faint freckles across his nose you've somehow ignored all this time.

You don't know why you seem to catalog that information.

But you do know why your heart pounds so hard you're sure he can feel it where your chests meet.

Because you can say whatever, but he's definitely hot. And this is dangerous.

So, so dangerous.

Jeon shifts under you—just barely, but enough to make you notice how tense he is. His whole body feels impressively stiff, and you ponder if he's really as unbothered by this position as he's trying to act.

You need to focus. Need to ignore how his eyes look softer in the dim lighting, or how his hands seem the perfect fucking size on your hips. There must still be some remnants of vodka on your body that making it hard to think about anything except how close he is.

"Jeon," you breathe against his cheek. "You need to—"

He moves again, more obviously this time.

You lose your balance for a split second, shifting to catch yourself, and—oh.

Oh fuck.

"Shit—" The word hisses out between his teeth like he's been burned.

You want to die.

You want to drown.

Because that's definitely his cock pressing against your ass through the thin cotton of your pajamas.

A tiny gasp escapes before you can stop it as everything clicks into place—why he's so tense, why his breathing sounds so controlled.

He's hard.

You freeze, heart thundering in your chest. This was already dangerous, but now it's dangerous dangerous. You try to tell yourself it's just biology, just a normal reaction to having someone straddling him. Nothing personal.

He's just a guy, after all. These things happen.

That's what you tell yourself, but it's getting real hard to think straight when you can feel exactly how hard Jeon is underneath you.

And why does that knowledge give you chills?

This is Jeon—the guy who's been nothing but cold and distant since day one. Mr. Perfect Sniper with his perfect control, dick hard just because you're straddling him.

It shouldn't be hot.

You shouldn't find it hot.

But then again... you're already thinking about how easy would be to shift your hips, to feel more of that thick line pressing against you.

You could play it off as getting comfortable, just an innocent adjustment.

Your body practically vibrates with the urge to move.

But no. No. You're not that desperate. This is just adrenaline and proximity making you stupid.

Except... you can't make yourself pull away. His warmth seeps through your thin pajamas, and when did his eyes get so gentle? You've never seen him look like this—all that ice melted into something darker, hungrier.

That goddamn silver chain around his neck catches some light, drawing your eyes to where his black turtleneck hugs every muscle. You wonder if his tattoos extend past what you can see, if his skin is as hot everywhere else as it is under your palms.

You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to block out how right he feels under you. But the question burns in your mind anyway, dangerous and tempting:

What if?

You jerk away from him like you've been burned, the what if still echoing in your head. Your heart slams against your ribs so hard you're surprised Yunjin can't hear it from her bed.

Now you're lying next to him, shoulders touching, and his body heat feels like it's trying to brand you.

Embarrassment hits you in waves, hot and suffocating.

What the actual fuck just happened?

You're supposed to be better than this. You're in the fucking Seduction Division—you're trained to be the hunter, not the prey. You're the one who's supposed to make people fall apart with a look, not the one getting flustered over an accidental boner pressed against your ass.

But here you are anyway, frozen like a rookie, your body still tingling everywhere he touched you. The ghost of his hardness against you refuses to fade, and you hate how your stomach flips at the memory.

"Get it together," you whisper to yourself, trying to sound more confident than you feel.

You close your eyes, take a big breath, willing your heart to slow the fuck down.

The minutes crawl by as you listen to Yunjin's breathing, waiting for it to even out into sleep. And when her breaths finally turn deep and rhythmic, you allow yourself to relax slightly.

Time to end this disaster.

"Jeon." You elbow him gently. "Coast is clear."

Nothing.

You frown, poking him harder. "Jeon, get up."

Still nothing.

Annoyance bubbles up in your chest, mixing with something that feels dangerously close to concern. You turn carefully, trying not to make noise, and—

This motherfucker fell asleep.

The notorious Chief of Tactical Assassinations, Kkangpae's deadliest sniper, passed out in your bed like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Perfect. Just perfect.

You almost want to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Here you are, having a whole crisis, and this asshole just... falls asleep. The audacity.

You let out a long breath, trying to calm your racing thoughts. You should be planning how to get him out without anyone noticing, or worrying about what happens if someone catches you. Instead, your traitorous brain keeps replaying how his hands felt on your hips, how his breath hitched when you—nope. Not going there.

You turn around slightly, noticing the little details of his face. You've never seen him like this before. All those sharp edges are soft in sleep, his usual scowl smoothed away. His stupidly long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks, and his chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm that's weirdly hypnotic.

Something twists in your chest. It's strange seeing him so... vulnerable.

No ice-prince mask, no walls—just...

Jeon.

You can't help but stare a little. It's not every day you get to see him with his guard down. Not that you want to see him like this. He's still an ass. A very attractive ass who's currently making little sighing noises in his sleep, but still an ass.

The anger from earlier starts to fade, replaced by something d̶a̶n̶g̶e̶r̶o̶u̶s̶ inconvenient. You blame it on the late hour and leftover adrenaline from earlier. Because you definitely don't care about how peaceful he looks right now, or how his hair falls across his forehead in a way that makes your fingers itch to brush it back.

You sigh in defeat. No way to wake him without risking Yunjin catching you, which means you're stuck with your division chief in your bed until morning.

Ideal, really.

You pull the blanket up over him carefully, definitely not caring about waking him up. It's just common courtesy. You'd do it for anyone.

Right.

Sleep tugs at your eyes as the adrenaline crash hits. Your last thought before drifting off is that Jeon better not snore, or you're smothering him with a pillow, Council member or not.

What a fucking mess.

Jungkook drifts into consciousness slowly, which is... strange. Usually his body snaps awake like a rubber band, heart racing from whatever nightmare decided to visit.

But this morning feels different. Peaceful. His mind is oddly quiet.

Then the cold hits him—an empty space beside him where warmth should be. His eyes flutter open, adjusting to unfamiliar shadows.

This isn't his room.

The realization shoots through him like ice water.

He bolts upright, heart finally doing that familiar panicked dance against his ribs. Everything's wrong—the walls are too close, the air too soft. Even the smell is different. No pine or wood here, just something milky and spiced that makes his insides whirl.

His eyes scan the room frantically, survival instincts kicking in as he—

Oh.

Oh right.

Last night.

The jacket exchange. The whispered arguments. You shoving him onto your bed when Yunjin almost caught you two. The weight of you on top of him, how his body betrayed him, the way you felt pressed against—

Jungkook cuts that thought off sharply. More important is the fact that he slept. Actually slept, without a single nightmare tearing him awake. No blood-soaked memories, no echoes of gunshots, no accusing eyes.

Just... peace.

He sits there, trying to process this impossibility. His fingers find his lip ring automatically, playing with it as his mind races.

When was the last time he slept through the night?

Months?

Years?

But you're gone now, the room empty except for lingering traces of chai tea in the air. Something uncomfortable twists in his chest.

Where are you?

The thought comes unbidden, unwanted. He pushes it away, along with the memory of how perfectly you fit against him in the dark.

The door opens and you walk in, wearing fresh clothes like this is any normal morning. Jungkook's jaw clenches automatically. Your casual confidence grates against his nerves, reminding him that he's somehow let himself get tangled in something he can't control.

This isn't how things are supposed to work. His world operates on precision, on distance. On rifles and gunshots and detachment.

But here in your room, surrounded by vanilla and chai tea and you, all his careful walls feel paper-thin.

You look at him and he feels exposed, like you can see right through him. His hair falls messily into his eyes, a far cry from his usual slicked-back perfection. He knows he must look disheveled, vulnerable in a way that makes his skin crawl.

"Good morning, thundercloud."

Your voice is gentle, warm and buttery like the aroma you embody. He manages a nod and a vague sound of acknowledgment, the nickname washing over him without really landing. His brain feels fuzzy, slow—but not in the usual way, not with the sharp edges of sleep deprivation and nightmares.

For the first time in... he can't even remember how long, his mind isn't screaming with V's cold glare or AD's hatred.

Something coils in his stomach.

"What time is it?" The question comes out rougher than intended, an attempt to ground himself in something concrete and measurable.

Your presence feels too solid, too real in the soft morning light. Like if he looks at you too long, he'll have to acknowledge how well he slept with you nearby, how the nightmares stayed away for once.

He doesn't want to think about what that means.

Your eyes dart to the digital clock between your and Yunjin's beds, then back to Jeon. You can't help but think he looks weirdly soft in the morning light, all rumpled clothes and messy hair.

"10:30AM."

His eyelashes flutter like he's still processing, then his eyes go wide. You can practically see the moment it clicks.

"What?"

It's weird, seeing him process this. For someone like Jeon, who probably schedules his bathroom breaks, sleeping past dawn must feel like the world's tilted off its axis.

And truly, the contrast is striking—this is the same man who can take out targets from impossible distances, who makes seasoned gang members nervous with just a look.

Yet right now, looking like he just rolled out of bed, he looks almost c̶u̶t̶e̶ stupid.

You can't help but study him while he's too thrown off to notice. The sharp edges of his jawline seem softer, the perpetual tension in his shoulders gone. Even his stormy aura feels rather like a gentle summer brain.

You wonder what it means that he actually slept here. The man who probably counts sheep with a sniper scope, passed out in your bed like it was the most natural thing in the world.

But those aren't questions you get to ask, and they definitely aren't ones he'd answer.

Still. It's kind of fascinating, really, seeing Jeon so out of it. Like catching a trick of the great and powerful Oz.

And the thing is... It's a well-known thing, his morning routine. Always first at breakfast, like some kind of deadly alarm clock for the rest of the gang... His empty table by the window is probably sitting there right now, throwing off the whole cafeteria's ecosystem.

You see the exact moment reality crashes in. Ten-thirty means he's missed his usual spot, missed being the first one there.

It means people must have noticed.

You drift to the little table by your window, pouring water just to have something to do with your hands. Because there are so many ways this could go wrong. The Chief of Tactical Assassinations sleeping in a recruit's room? That's the kind of scandal that gets people transferred to different divisions—or worse.

"People are gonna notice you weren't at your usual brooding spot this morning."

"I know." His voice is steady, controlled—familiar coldness seeping back in. "I'll handle it."

Something about his confidence settles your nerves a bit. This is Jeon after all—co-leader of the Assassination Division. If anyone can get out of this mess without starting gang-wide gossip, it's him.

Still. The sight of him in your room, black turtleneck rumpled from sleep, is going to be burned into your brain for a while.

"What about your roommate?" His voice is low, tense.

And okay, it's a bit funny. The fearsome Jeon, worried about getting caught in a recruit's room like a teenager sneaking out past curfew. Sounds like a joke.

"Training session." You watch his face carefully. "Yunjin left early. Didn't see you."

The relief that washes over him is subtle—just a slight drop in his shoulders, a loosening around his eyes. But you catch it anyway. The last thing either of you needs is gossip about why Jeon spent the night in Seduction.

He sighs like he's been holding his breath all morning, pushing tattooed fingers through his messy hair. You realize it's not often you see him without his usual rings, without that careful polish he maintains.

It shouldn't be hot.

It is.

His eyes track from your door to the space outside, probably calculating escape routes like the assassin he is.

Old habits die hard, apparently.

"Need to get back before people start asking questions." He stands in one fluid motion, and there's the Jeon you know—precisely lethal and absolutely in control.

"Yeah, we should be careful." You try to keep your voice neutral. "This could cause problems if anyone finds out."

His dark eyes meet yours, and silence tickles between you.

You both know what's at stake here. One whisper about Jeon sleeping in your room could start an avalanche neither of you is ready for.

Kkangpae might feel like family sometimes, but rules are rules. And you've heard enough stories about what happens to people who break them.

Plus, after last night's revelations about RM's brother and his fiancée's betrayal, the "no attachments" policy makes a lot more sense.

The irony of looking like you have broken that exact rule less than twelve hours after learning why it exists isn't lost on you.

Especially with Jeon, who lives by them like they're written in his DNA. Being on the Council means setting an example, and last night was... an accident. A weird collision of circumstances that shouldn't have happened.

Still, when he pauses at your door, something twists in your chest. You wonder if you'll ever be this close to him again.

It's probably for the best if you're not.

"Thanks." The word sounds foreign coming from him, like he's not used to saying it.

"For what?"

"For... not waking me up." His voice drops so low you barely catch it.

"Don't mention it." You try to sound casual, like your heart isn't doing stupid flips. "Looked like you needed it."

He nods, and holy shit, is that...

A smile?

His hand lingers on the doorknob a second too long, which is weird for someone usually so decisive. Then he's gone, slipping into the hallway like a shadow.

The door clicks shut and you lean against it, letting out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. Your room feels too big now, too quiet. Like all the air got sucked out with him.

Get your heart out the gutter, bitch.

This is stupid. Attraction isn't a luxury you can afford in Kkangpae, especially not to someone like Jeon. He's literally the kind of danger that comes wrapped in leather jackets and piercings.

It's not just his physical skills that make him lethal. It's the way he commands attention without saying a word, how his gaze pins you in place more effectively than handcuffs ever could.

But fuck if that isn't exactly what makes your heart race.

You push away from the door, pacing your room like a caged animal. It's too early for this shit. These thoughts are dangerous—the kind that get people killed in places like Kkangpae. But your brain keeps circling back to the weight of him against you, to that split second when his breathing stuttered.

Focus.

You've seen what Jeon can do. The way he moves like death given form, how people scramble to clear his path in the hallways. It's m̶a̶g̶n̶e̶t̶i̶c̶ terrifying how much power he holds.

He's powerful. Dangerous in a way that shouldn't be alluring.

Your eyes drift to the morning light streaming through your window, painting greenery in soft gold. Out there, people are going about their normal lives, no idea that one of Korea's deadliest assassins just spent the night in your bed.

And that thought makes you laugh—a weird, choked sound that holds no humor.

Because Jeon isn't just a bad idea. He's career suicide wrapped in pine and tobacco scent. He's everything you should run from if you want to survive in this world.

You keep pacing, trying to outrun the memory of his body pressed against yours, the hard line of his cock against your ass.

It was just biology, you tell yourself. Basic human reaction to having someone straddle you. Nothing personal.

But god—the way his breath hitched, how his fingers dug into your hips... When was the last time anyone looked at you with that kind of raw hunger? Like they wanted to d̶e̶v̶o̶u̶r̶ destroy you?

Stop it. You're supposed to be the seductress here, not the one getting all hot and bothered over an accidental boner.

You know exactly how Jeon operates, how his division operates.

He's not the type to lose his cool over something as basic as physical contact. And yet... the way he reacted to you was definitely not part of his usual 'get away from me' persona.

Nah.

You're probably reading way too much into this. Making up some romance novel fantasy about the deadly assassin who secretly wants you. He's probably in his office right now, rolling his eyes at how obviously affected you were. Because this is Jeon—cold, aloof Jeon who can pin a target blindfolded while solving complex math equations in his head.

So his dick got hard. Big fucking deal. He's human, unfortunately equipped with basic biological responses. Doesn't mean anything except that friction plus pressure equals exactly what you'd expect.

But... You bet he'd look fucking hot losing that control, having all that stupid lethality focused entirely on f̶u̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ having you... Your body hums with the memory of his hands on your hips, how easily he could have f̶l̶i̶p̶p̶e̶d̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ moved you.

And the thing is—it wouldn't have to mean anything, right? Just sex. No feelings, no drama, no breaking RM's precious rules. You're both adults who sometimes need to blow off steam. Simple solution to a simple problem.

Except nothing about Jeon is simple.

Honestly, he's probably already forgotten about the whole thing, while you're here having a whole crisis over how his hands felt on your hips.

You're just another recruit to him, an inconvenience at best.

Right?

Yet... Maybe he still wants you? Sexually, at least?

Fuck. You don't know anymore.

"For fuck's sake," you groan into your pillow.

Enough. This is pointless. Jeon is who he is—cold, controlled, untouchable. Even if technically hooking up wouldn't break any rules (it's not a relationship if it's just sex, right?), he'd never go for it. Trying to seduce him would be like trying to melt a glacier with a match.

Last night was a fluke. A perfect storm of circumstances that'll never happen again. You need to focus on training, on surviving in this cutthroat world. Focus on anything but how his fingers dug into your skin, how his voice roughened when—

"Fuck," you tell your empty room.

Maybe that's exactly what you need, b̶i̶t̶c̶h̶ though.

The scent of you haunts him like a ghost he can't exorcise.

Jeon slips from your room like a shadow, silent, deathly like he's been trained to. The door clicks shut behind him and he exhales slowly, only now realizing he'd been holding his breath.

Your scent—chai tea with undertones of something softer, more intimate—clings to his clothes, his skin, his fucking hair. It makes his head spin in a way that's dangerously close to intoxication.

The morning light streaming through the hallway windows hits different somehow. Brighter. Sharper. More real than it has any right to be. Or maybe it's just his sleep-addled brain trying to process the fact that he actually slept through the night.

No nightmares clawing at his consciousness.

No haunting memories of thorned roses and blood-soaked floors.

No phantom voices snarling accusations in his ear.

Just... peace.

Weird, unsettling, unwanted peace.

He needs to move. Questions will start flying if anyone notices his absence from breakfast. Eyebrows raised at the feared assassin missing his usual spot at the corner table, back to the wall, eyes on every entrance.

The thought makes his jaw clench hard enough to hurt. He needs his quarters, his routine, anything to ground him back in the cold reality he's built for himself.

The common area of the Seduction Division stretches before him like a minefield. His footsteps make no sound as he crosses it—a habit born from years of training and necessity. His ears strain for any sign of movement, any hint that he's not alone—but the silence is clear.

There's no one around to see him, to wonder why the Chief of Tactical Assassinations is sneaking through the Seduction Division at dawn like some guilty fucking teenager.

His card practically stabs the elevator scanner, urgency making his movements sharp and jerky. The wait feels endless, each second increasing the risk of discovery. The faster he can get back to his floor—back to his world of order and control—the sooner he can forget how w̶e̶l̶l̶ strange it felt waking up in your bed drenched in buttery smells.

As soon as the elevator arrives he steps in, jabbing his floor number with force. The doors slide close, and another wave of chai tea hits him—your goddamn cloying scent.

It's absurd, how your presence somehow kept the demons at bay when nothing else has worked for years.

No.

He shakes the thought away violently, like a dog trying to dislodge a tick. The elevator descends, and he forces his breathing to slow, to steady. Rebuild the walls brick by brick. Lock away anything resembling vulnerability.

By the time the doors open, his face is a perfect mask again, all traces of the man who slept beside you locked away behind steel and concrete.

The walk to his room feels longer than usual, each step carrying him further from your door but not from the memory of what happened there. Only when he's inside his quarters, surrounded by the familiar scents of pine and wood that he's cultivated so carefully, does some of the tension leave his shoulders.

He stands frozen in the center of his room, trying to piece himself together.

But your scent still clings to him, sweet and spicy and maddeningly comforting. Because he can't escape the memory of your body pressed against his, warm and soft in all the places he's been cold and hard for so long.

A groan slips past his defenses as he scrubs a hand over his face. Chai tea has invaded every fiber of his clothing, every pore of his skin. It's suffocating, asphyxiating, and he can't fucking breathe without inhaling more of you.

"Shit," he mutters, fingers fumbling with his shirt buttons with uncharacteristic clumsiness.

The fabric feels charged somehow, holding the ghost of your curves like some kind of cruel imprint against his skin. He needs to get it off, needs to wash away every trace of you before it sinks in any deeper than it already has.

His clothes hit the floor in a messy heap that would shock anyone who's seen the military precision of his quarters.

But right now he doesn't care, because he needs to wash off the lingering remnants of your proximity. So he stalks to the bathroom, steps echoing his frustration against the tile floor.

This shouldn't be getting to him. You're nothing but an annoyance, a complication he never asked for.

So why can't he shake the feeling of your hands on him, your breath against his neck, your body yielding beneath his?

The shower spray hits like ice, shocking a hiss from between clenched teeth. Good. Let it freeze out the lingering heat of you, the maddening softness that threatens to unravel years of curated self-control.

He braces against the wall, water pounding down his back as he hangs his head. It's been so long since anyone touched him like that. Not since...

The thought stings, an old wound that never quite closed, still seeping poison into his veins after all this time.

But his body is a fucking traitor because it clearly gives 0 fucks about old wounds or hard-learned lessons. All it knows is the memory of your hips under his hands, your thighs straddling his lap, the perfect curve of your ass that he's caught himself staring at more times than he'd ever admit. Arousal flares hot and insistent despite his best efforts to quash it.

His tongue finds his lip ring automatically, worrying the metal in that nervous tell he can never quite shake. But even this small habit betrays him, reminding him of how your eyes had lingered there, dark with want that mirrored his own.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

It was just biology. Basic human response to friction and warmth and proximity. It's not like he wants to f̶u̶c̶k̶ touch you specifically. It could have been anyone. It should be anyone else.

But lust is a bitch, so naturally, horror floods him as he glances down to find himself hardening—a basic impulse he can't seem to control no matter how much he despises himself for it.

And maybe for one dangerous moment, he considers giving in. Because how long has it been since he last touched himself?

The memory feels distant, buried under missions and paperwork and endless nights of insomnia, and his hand drifts lower, drawn by the promise of relief after so many months of n̶o̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ numbness.

"Fuck." He jerks his hand back like it's been burned, water droplets flying from his fingertips.

What the hell is he doing? He's the Chief of Tactical Assassinations, not some hormone-driven rookie who can't control his basic urges. You're just an ensign in the Seduction Division, and he's already learned what happens when chiefs get involved with recruits. The scars from last time still keep him up at night, still haunt him every time he closes his eyes.

This isn't him. He doesn't do this—doesn't let physical needs compromise his control. That's V's territory, letting desire override discipline and common sense. Jeon is better than that. Has to be better than that. The alternative is unthinkable.

He cranks the water to ice cold with a snarl, punishment for his body's rebellion. The shock of it steals his breath and sends goosebumps racing across his skin, but at least it kills the arousal. He finishes washing mechanically, movements sharp with self-directed anger that borders on violence.

The freezing air hits him like a slap as he steps out, raising goosebumps across his skin and making his muscles tense.

Good. The cold helps him think clearly, helps him remember who he is and what's expected of him.

He dries off quickly and dresses mechanically, creating barriers between himself and the untamed arousal stirring somewhere in the lower regions of his brain.

By the time he emerges from his quarters, he feels like he's back to normal—no trace remains of the man who woke up in your bed. His expression is pure ice, posture rigid, shoulders straight.

Though if someone were to look deep into his eyes, they'd see them dark and stormy with everything he's trying to bury.

But that doesn't matter, because the Chief of Tactical Assassinations doesn't lose control.

Not for anyone.

Your body feels like it's been through a meat grinder, and honestly? You're kind of into it.

You drag yourself toward the elevator, muscles screaming in that satisfying way that only comes from getting absolutely demolished during training.

Kazuha had you doing laps for what felt like eternity, her burgundy hair streaming behind her like some predatory sea creature as she demonstrated "proper form" for the fifteenth time. The chlorine smell still clings to your skin despite the quick shower, and your hair's doing that weird half-damp thing that's going to look like absolute trash in about twenty minutes.

"Swimming builds stealth," she'd said earlier, pushing wet strands from her face with that intense look she gets when she's in full instructor mode. "Helps you move silently. Might save your life someday."

Can't really argue with that. In this line of work, the more ways you know how to not die, the better your chances of, well, not dying. Even if your arms currently feel like overcooked noodles and you're pretty sure your lungs have filed for divorce.

The hallway stretches ahead like a never-ending tunnel. Whoever designed this place clearly had a hard-on for minimalism—all sleek surfaces and indirect lighting. Very "secret criminal organization with excellent taste," which you suppose is the point.

You notice Kazuha keeps glancing at her digital card as you walk, the blue glow illuminating her face in quick flashes. She's got that look—the one that says she's sitting on information and trying to decide if it's worth sharing. After about the fifth glance, she finally breaks the comfortable silence between you.

"Heard about the camping trip?" she asks, voice casual but eyes watchful.

"The what now?" You slow your pace, raising an eyebrow so high it might actually leave your face. The words 'camping' and 'deadly criminal organization' don't exactly go together in your mind.

"Moon's latest idea." Her lips quirk up in that way that means she finds something both ridiculous and amusing. "Team building or whatever. Though knowing him, it's probably more about testing survival skills than roasting marshmallows."

You snort—actually snort—imagining Seoul's deadliest criminals sitting cross-legged in a circle singing campfire songs: V with a guitar. Jeon scowling at a marshmallow. AD refusing to leave his tent without Wi-Fi. The mental image is too much.

"When's this happening?" you ask, already mentally cataloging what outdoor gear you own (approximately none) and what you'll need to borrow (approximately everything).

"Next weekend. Mandatory for everyone—even the Council." She grins, and there's something almost childishly delighted in her expression. "Can't wait to see how some of them handle roughing it."

"Bet Jeon's secretly a wilderness expert." The words tumble out before your brain can slam on the brakes. "Probably knows fifty ways to start a fire with just his glare."

And why the fuck do you always do this? It's like your mouth has a direct line to the Jeon-obsessed part of your brain that you try so hard to keep locked in a box labeled 'do not open, contains bad decisions.'

Kazuha's laugh bounces off the walls, bright and genuine. "True. But I'm more excited to watch V try to pitch a tent. That'll be worth all the mosquito bites."

You both crack up at the mental image—V, with his designer clothes and perfectly styled hair, struggling with tent poles and swearing elegantly. Doing some dramatic gestures as he insists this is beyond his pay grade.

The conversation flows easier after that, like a dam breaking. Division gossip (apparently someone from Logistics hooked up with one of J-Hope's medics), latest missions (Flower's team extracted information from some politician last week), the weird mix of normal and deadly that makes up your daily life.

But part of your brain keeps circling back to the camping trip. It might be interesting, seeing everyone outside these walls. Away from the usual hierarchy and rules. Maybe even see certain people—a certain person—in a different light...

Stop it. Bad brain.

The elevator takes its sweet time arriving, but for once you don't mind. These moments—just chatting and laughing like you're normal twenty-somethings instead of trained criminals—make the whole "chose a life of crime" thing a bit more bearable. Almost like you could be two friends heading to a coffee shop instead of two members of a seduction team returning from combat training.

Then the doors slide open with that soft pneumatic hiss, and the mood shifts faster than V's trigger finger.

Because AD is there, and he looms in the elevator like a human popsicle in pajamas. His blonde hair's a disaster zone, like he's been running his hands through it for hours, and his expression screams 'I will digitally erase your entire existence if you so much as breathe in my direction.'

You and Kazuha instinctively hang back, keeping a respectful distance as you step inside.

The silence is thick enough to choke on. You exchange glances with Kazuha, her eyes wide in a silent what the actual fuck is his deal today? AD's usually grumpy—it's like his personality setting is permanently stuck on 'irritated genius'—but this is next level, even for him.

The elevator hums, counting floors with soft electronic beeps. You study the back of AD's head, noting how his shoulders are hunched forward like he's carrying something heavy.

Something's definitely got the Chief of Cyber Intelligence more pissy than usual.

Maybe someone touched his keyboard. Or breathed near his servers. Or existed in his general vicinity when he was coding.

"Seduction Division?" His voice breaks the silence suddenly, barely above a mumble but somehow filling the entire space.

You stiffen, feeling your spine straighten automatically. Kazuha goes still beside you, her usual fluid energy freezing in place.

"Yes?" you answer, because someone has to and she's not opening her mouth.

AD turns slowly, pivoting on his heel. His dark eyes meet yours, and there's something in them that makes your stomach drop—not anger or irritation, but... Concern? Fear? Something you've never seen on his face before.

"Be careful," he says softly, but there's steel under the words, a warning wrapped in those two simple syllables.

Before you can process what that means—before you can even think to ask what the hell he's talking about—the elevator stops, and AD steps out without another word, his pajama-clad form disappearing down the hallway like some bizarre sleep-deprived ghost.

The doors slide shut, and you let out a heavy breath.

"What was that about?" Kazuha whispers, looking as confused as you feel.

"No idea." You shake your head. "But when AD warns you about something..."

"You listen." She finishes, expression thoughtful.

The elevator continues its descent, but your mind's stuck on AD's warning. He's not exactly known for caring about other divisions' business. Whatever prompted that cryptic message must be serious.

Question is: what is he trying to warn you about?

goal: 125 notes. next chapter will be posted immediately AS SOON as the goal is reached. 🧚🏻 do your thing kiki nation. <3

next | index

🔪 taglist 🔪

@cannotalwaysbenight @livingformintyoongi @itstoastsworld @redcherrykook @somehowukook @stutixmaru @chloepiccoliniii @kimnamjoonmiddletoe @rpwprpwprpwprw @jimineepaboya @annyeongbitch7 @mar-lo-pap @whothefuckisthishoe @mikrokookiex

no reposts, translations, or adaptations

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mortalfaerie · 8 months ago

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hi here's a little series on what i think the gravity falls kids grew up to do since they're 25 now

Pacifica "Paz" Northwest

after weirdmagedden, she became increasingly disenchanted with her parent's and their worldview, which led her to start questioning the structures around her

though they sold the mansion, her parents had a lot of money in real estate and they live in a condo building they own in town

she took a job at greasy's diner initially as an act of rebellion but stuck around throughout high school because it gave her a refreshing taste of the real world

she got really into politics, also initially as an act of rebellion, but did eventually become a really staunch take-no-shit feminist and went to protests in portland

she reconnected with the twins one summer during their teen years once she had "been cured of her rich girl mentality" (-mabel) and she and mabel became pretty close. things remained a little awkward with dipper when they were teens, but they relaxed once he realized she did actually care about mabel and wasn't going to hurt her

she's actually very analytical and level headed, which makes her a good foil to dipper - who continues seeking out mysteries to solve in gravity falls

she continued competitive golf and even won some local and regional titles in the women's junior division, which gets her an offer to go play golf at UCLA (conveniently, also where dipper goes)

she got access to her trust fund when she turned eighteen, and relies a lot less on her parents after that. she continues to try to have a relationship with them but it very aware of the toll they take on her, leading her to go low-contact with them in university.

she joins a sorority (i think kkg, she feels like a kappa) and probably ends up as treasurer or some other leadership position

she majors in political science, makes the dean's list, and gets an honors degree. she considers becoming a lawyer, but decides she's more interested in public policy & decides to go into policy analysis & international relations

she and dipper have a prolonged will-they-won't-they throughout college, finally getting together in the summer before their senior year. this borrowed from rockslide on ao3 but hilariously, she doesn't realize he's trans until she sees his too surgery scars for the first time because 1) she only ever knew him as a guy and 2) she only saw him in the summers growing up.

her parents disapprove of their relationship and generally the pines family, which is the straw that breaks the camel's back for her to go fully no contact. after that point, she's embraced by the pines family as one of their own.

she graduates magnum cum laude and dipper is her biggest supporter. he gets an offer to do his doctorate in archeology at king's college london, which ends up working perfectly because she gets a job at the us embassy in london.

they move to england together and rent a flat in a new building because even though the historic ones are beautiful, she can't deal with more ghosts.

i think by this point they've been there for two and a half years and they've gotten a cat (named tyrone, or ty for short) and dipper's just made the transition from phd student to phd candidate and started his dissertation.

#gravity falls #pacifica northwest #dipper pines #trans dipper pines #mystery twins #mabel pines #dipcifica #dipper x pacifica

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valeisaslut · 6 days ago

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along with ellie being different/looking different/being a lesbian compared to other women singers/celebs who are famous alongside her, i can’t stop thinking about how also… the notion of being a “rockstar” is unfortunately and incredibly VERY male dominated.

even with being the daughter of joel, i can’t imagine how much misogyny she must’ve faced from her own “peers” in that musical scene/genre. i wouldn’t even be surprised if men gave her shit BECAUSE joel is her father. you know those super annoying, gatekeep-y type of men who are like… “nirvana? oh yeah? name five songs.” she must’ve been surrounded by them.

the idea of a “rockstar” is always so typically a man, a womanizer, sleaze and star power… thinking very heavily about ellie breaking through such a general “man thing.” thinking about men belittling her, trying to sexualize her, trying to make her into something she’s not. treating her as though she would never be an equal.

and ellie? taking it all in. internalizing it. spite or self protection, maybe it was both, but she became the untouchable thing. she beat them at their own game. she wasn’t their equal, she was BETTER. but she lost herself in the process.

#sorry making headcanons about a story that doesn’t belong to me

OMG. OMFG. I ALWAYS WANTED TO YAP RELENTLESSLY ABOUT THIS. YES. YES. YESSSSSSS!!!!!! I WANNA FUCKING KISS YOU SO HARD YOU BEAUTIFUL GORGEOUS GENIUS NONNIE!!!!!

don’t EVER apologize for making headcanons about my story because this is CANON behavior. i’m gripping it w both hands and screaming “EXACTLY.”

you’re completely right: the concept of a “rockstar” is so deeply gendered and steeped in misogyny. it’s loud, it’s cocky, it’s male by default. and ellie? ellie is none of the things those men wanted her to be. not straight, not submissive, not grateful. not legacy-only. not manufactured. not anyone’s muse. just a fucking star.

she grew up hearing joel called a legend 3 times in the same phrase. she could play guitar before she could do a long division, and instead of being seen as a prodigy, people just said: oh, that’s joel’s kid.

so from the start she’s less than in the eyes of men who will never, ever hold a candle to her talent. and she knows that. she’s spent her entire life being treated like an industry fluke, like she got a shortcut, like she owes the world something for having talent and a vagina.

and what does she do in return? she takes their blueprint, rips it up, and builds her own fucking empire alongside jesse and dina.

six grammys in one night. six. let’s NEVER forget chapter five.

she swept the entire industry and stood there in custom dior looking like she could bite the head off every man in that room and they still clapped like crazy. she has more women simping for her than any man ever could. she doesn’t have to say she’s the best—everyone already knows.

but none of that stops the criticism. because she’s a lesbian and angry and unapologetic. because she doesn’t play the good little queer girl. because she doesn’t soften the edges of her masculinity. because she doesn’t care if men want to fuck her or not. and that’s terrifying for them.

and still. still. she internalizes it. of course she does. all that hate, all that scrutiny, all that fear she inspires: it doesn’t disappear when the lights go down. it settles in her bones. it becomes the voice in her head that says “joel would’ve done that better, you’re just lucky, you’re not enough.”

and that voice doesn’t just show up in insecurities or her addiction—it shows up EVEN in bed. she can give and give and give, but receiving? letting someone take care of her? FIGURES TO CHAPTER FIVE being so shocked ab reader wanting to give her head.

she’d rather wear the strap than talk about why she never comes first. she’d rather collect bodies than risk getting close. she learned how to be wanted without being vulnerable. that’s the trick. that’s the armor.

but it’s not real love. not until you.

because you’re the only one who makes her feel like she’s not a product. not a headline. not the “lesbian rockstar daughter of joel miller.” just ellie. who can be soft and selfish and scared. who can cry and be held and fall apart without the world watching.

so yeah. she beat them at their own game. she made herself untouchable. but now, for the first time, she’s learning how to be held.

THANK YOU truly for giving me a space to talk about this topic, i appreciate not only you reading, but taking your time to reflect, send this amazing inbox and think about all the things im slipping thru the lines. ilysmmmmm💞💞💞💞💞

#val answers anons!💜

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wolfiesmoon · 1 year ago

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My princess

baji x fem!reader

another one for my baji girlies😘😘😘😘😘😘

do not be fooled by the title by the way this is not what it seems😈 @riabriyn one tag for uuuu

Also warning there's a few swear words!

"So, where is he?" your friend asked, glancing at her watch. You had finally promised your friends that they'd get to meet your new boyfriend. They complain that he's all you've been talking about lately and you can't really blame them since that's the truth.

You're just really happy that you have a boyfriend like the rest of them, is all.

"He should arrive right about now." You smiled happily. You can't wait to see him already.

You heard the sound of a motorcycle in the distance and your smile widened, knowing he was about to arrive. Oh, you'll show him off so hard. All your friends are gonna be so jealous.

When he stopped in front of you and your friends, you ran up to him and hugged him before he could even step off the bike. "I missed you, babe!"

"You literally saw me yesterday." He sounded annoyed but he hugged you back.

You looked back at your friends as Baji got off the bike, eyebrow raising at their shocked expressions.

"That's... your boyfriend?" One of them asked cautiously. You nodded slowly.

"Girl, you should have told us your boyfriend is uhhh... a delinquent." Your friend picked her words carefully, too afraid to upset your mystery of a boyfriend.

"But I told you about him..." Baji was looking in between all of you, trying to understand your collective confusion.

"You told us that he's your little princess and that he brings you flowers and takes you to cat cafés. I think all of us collectively imagined something different."

"All these things still hold true, though. Can't he be a delinquent but also super sweet?" You shrugged. You didn't lie a single time when you said those things.

"You call me your what now?" Baji placed a hand on your shoulder, still in disbelief.

"I call you my little princess!" You smiled warmly at him, turning around and hugging him once more. Despite his shock, he hugged you back again.

"Why the fuck would you call me that? Couldn't you have picked something better?" Your friends just watched the two of you, not sure what to do.

You pouted. "But little princess fits you so well..."

"What exactly screams little princess about me to you?" He asked. Your friends asked the same question internally.

"You're so cute and sweet and you have the prettiest hair. All princess qualities."

Ok, now your friends just think you're delusional. And so does Baji, a little bit. Though he loves you regardless.

"Listen, can't you just call me something better?"

"Hmmmm... how about 'my little meow meow'?" You offered after thinking for a few seconds.

"I asked for something better." Baji sighed.

Normally it wasn't his thing to back off from anything really, but he had a feeling you would come up with something even more embarrasing if he kept pushing. You kind of remind him of his mom back when he was younger. She kept insisting to call him the most embarrasing nicknames, even in front of his friends.

Those nicknames are a secret he'll make Mikey take to the grave.

"Whatever, just call me your princess or something. I don't give a shit anymore." He huffed.

He watched your face light up and you thanked him excitedly, to which he just clicked his tongue in return.

Your friends noted that his cheeks are a little red. What an odd pair the two of you are.

𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅Bonus fic (You thought it was over? Think again😈😈😈)

"Aaah, you look so cute, I could just squish your cheeks!" Baji had to slap your hand away because you were actually going to do it.

He let you play with his hair since you kept asking to and now he has a baby pink bow tied into a ponytail on his head.

"Awww, you're no fun." You placed your hands back down, pouting playfully.

He happened to glance at the clock, realising that he was supposed to be having a first division meeting very soon. The way you played with his hair relaxed him so much that he lost track of time.

He shot upright, making you flinch slightly.

"Where are you going?" you asked, worried you upset him.

"Shit. I have a meeting." he hissed behind clenched teeth. Well, you suppose you can't blame him. Though you did want to play with his hair for way longer.

He quickly left, hopping onto his motorcycle and driving off to the meeting location. One thing he would never do is be late to his own meeting.

Luckily, he arrived a bit before everyone else did, with only Chifuyu waiting for him there. "Oh, Baji-san, I- What's that?" Chifuyu pointed at the pretty pink bow.

Oh, he completely forgot about that. Normally he would be embarrased because of something like this, but strangely, the bow you put in his hair filled him with a sense of pride. Like a sign that he's really yours.

Before Baji could explain the bow, everyone from the first division stopped in front of the meeting place on their bikes.

"Let's begin." Baji sat down on the edge of the fountain across from the other gang members.

All of the gang members gathered were visibly holding back laughter, some even let a few giggles slip.

This irked Baji to no end.

"You guys got a problem with my girlfriend's sense of style? Laugh at me, I fucking dare you." Everyone's expressions instantly straightened at Baji's scary face.

Chifuyu let out a little "ohhh..." since he figured out that you were the one who gave him that bow.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. So yesterday..." as he talked about the reason they're even having this meeting, he was filled with a sense of pride.

That pretty pink bow is proof that he has a beautiful girlfriend and he isn't afraid to show her off.

#˗ˏˋ ★ ♡ 「Wolfie’s other works」 ♡ ★ ˎˊ˗#tokyo revengers x you #tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo rev x reader #tokyo rev x you #tokyo rev x y/n #baji x you #baji x y/n #baji keisuke x reader #baji x reader #baji keisuke #baji keisuke x you #baji fluff

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esotheria-sims · 9 months ago

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Long Overdue Life Update

Whew, the title sounds kinda ominous, doesn't it?

Lemme say right off the bat that this isn't some Big PSA post or anything to that effect. I'm only checking in because I've been quiet for a while and figured an update is the least I can do. 🙂

Nothing major or life-changing is happening on my end; I've just been shitty at finding the time for sim-blogging these past months due to work and other day-to-day rl stuff, though I have been simming a bit in the background. Mostly going on download sprees and sorting cc, but I'm also about two-thirds through my next BaCC rotation and have a few new hair and handswap wips that are share-ready save for previews.

Oh and also: I got a new puppy! She's a 3-and-a-half-months-old Jack Russel mix and the main culprit for the abovementioned lack-of-time for simming. The cute lil' attention hog wants ALL the cuddles! "PC time? What PC time? Pet me instead, hooman!"

Everyone, this is Lucy!

Other things of note in my life, in no particular order:

We've had relatives from Croatia visiting last week with their kids. The kids are super smart and super cute but with the energy levels of a medium-sized nuclear reactor. It's been fun.

I finally went to see a Rammstein concert!!! 🤯 The experience of a lifetime, holy shit. I literally have no words to describe how mesmerizing that stage was. Like, I shit you not, I have 3 GBs worth of concert footage.

Speaking of metal: Gojira KILLED IT at the Olympics Opening! Also: Turkish Shooter Guy and Norwegian Muffin Man are living rent-free in my head. I'm the worst, I only follow professional sports for the memes.😆

I've been moved to a new division at work and am currently sitting in a small office with the two biggest goobers in the entire institution. Between that and me finally having accumulated enough knowledge + experience to have a clue what I'm doing, work's been pretty stress-free for once.

Conversely, my colleagues from the old division are struggling due to lack of staff, too much work, mismanagement, internal strife, and pressure from both within and outside the institution. I feel so bad for them, but at the same time, a selfish part of me is grateful that I'm not there to suffer the shitshow on my own hide.

I have unanswered asks from (probably) months ago and am Very Ashamed of the fact. I'll get back to you guys, I promise! 😰

#text post #non sims #personal #rl

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physalian · 10 months ago

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Transformers Prime Appreciation Post

You know what. You know what?? This show has featured in so much of my writing advice, it deserves its own “This show is amazing and has amazing writing and shit you can learn from it to be a better writer” post. It’s streamable on Netflix at the time of this post. I own it on DVD. I have all three seasons on actual, physical discs that I bought new for my DVD collection. That’s how much I love this show.

What is TFP? TFP aired on The Hub network, the joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Channel that died after MLP ended, I think. We lost cable before that happened. TFP was probably single-handedly sustained by MLP money for a while, like the rest of HBO on GOT.

This show came out when I entered high school and I have extremely vivid memories of some of the constant previews they showed of the season 1 finale 3-parter, to the point where whenever I watch the scenes that were in those teasers, I still get a physical reaction from being bludgeoned over the head with those lines of dialogue.

I used to scroll ahead in the TV guide as far as the scheduled programming allowed, just to catch snippets of what episodes were slated to air within the next month. This show was the shit.

But it was too expensive and its budget got eaten by Friendship is Magic. The bronies ruin everything I guess.

It’s 3 seasons (technically 2.5 since 3 was only greenlit for half its episode count) of near-perfection and a tv-movie. There are a few weak episodes, sure, and one absolute dud of a clipshow episode, but there are no awful episodes. There ain’t no “Great Divide” for this show.

Why you should watch it:

1. A “kids” show that absolutely takes itself seriously

One of the Autobots dies 5 minutes into the series and it’s the inciting incident for the entire story. He gets blown up, taken prisoner, and then stabbed through his chest by a Decepticon’s fist without warning. He then gets brought back as a zombie, killed again, infects his partner with the zombie juice when she’s trying to save him, and dies for good.

Two main characters get straight-up murdered, long-running characters whose deaths have lofty consequences for the narrative. There’s betrayals, double-agents, robot torture, robots getting eaten alive by scraplets, gaslighting of an amnesiac, near-murders of POWs, near-murders of fan-favorites who get so hurt, their recovery spans 4 whole episodes, attempted child murder, terrorism, and mad science.

But there is also some heavy emotional shit. The surviving partner of the zombie is damaged by his loss for the entire show because she can’t properly manage her grief. There’s characters going on suicide missions to avenge their dead/dying friends, getting beat to shit while a child watches helplessly on the sidelines screaming at them to get up and run through tears. There’s war flashbacks to dead friends and comrades and the terror and fallout of being eons-old soldiers.

There’s quiet moments, too, about grief and loss and living with disability and disfigurement from battlefield wounds. There’s the machinations of a tragic villain, openly and explicitly abused in front of his whole team and who keeps crawling back and groveling at his master’s feet and his internal identity crisis over who he is, if he’s not with his abuser. There’s the fallout of an extremely divisive trolley problem where a normally calm and collected character loses their shit with grief over the decision that was made. There’s the quiet rumblings of dissent and rebellion in the ranks and all the backstabbing that follows.

And there’s clever moments. Rogues and rebels orchestrating complex and interwoven plots to further their agendas. A POW who no one would ever expect to be captured absolutely trouncing their captives and laughing all the while while they free themselves. Characters who always have a backup plan to force others into awful predicaments.

The first episode after the 5-episode mini-movie that opens the show features an A-plot about school science projects, and a B-plot about waking a loyal ‘Con from stasis and trying to convince him to bow down to the ‘Cons’ temp leader, Starscream, while Megatron is elsewhere. It does not end well for him. The very next episode features robots getting eaten alive by alien metal termites.

2. Depth of Character

Beyond the actual plot, the villains might be more compelling characters than the heroes across many arcs and episodes. You’ve got five main autobots for most of the show that generally fit the 5-man band:

Optimus: Leader

Ratchet: Smart Guy

Bulkhead: Tough Guy

Arcee: Lancer

Bumblebee: Heart

Also guest starring the Alien Robot Cowboy Samurai known as Wheeljack, he’s amazing.

These characters have some really rich episodes and arcs, and moments where they have to put their own values, wants, and agendas aside for the greater good or the problem at hand. They feel like real people, for lack of a better word. They laugh, they cry, they rage, they grieve, and since the show is one long storyline, what happens seemingly inconsequentially in season 1 will come back to haunt them in season 3.

But then you have the villains, an extremely dysfunctional team of “every man for himself, we’re all not here because we like each other, but because we hate the Autobots,” and I can tell from the fanfic that the ‘Cons are the much more popular characters to write about.

Megatron: The fascist narcissist warlord

Starscream: His scheming SIC both too smart and too dumb for his own good

Soundwave: The utterly badass TIC comms chief who never loses and is insanely, fiercely loyal to the cause

KnockOut: The absolutely gay-as-fuck cosmedic surgeon/chief of medical voiced by Daran Norris, who’s only design requirement was to make him a sexy sportscar, and they ended up with a cherry red Aston Martin. One of his first lines in the show is "*whistle* Sweet rims” at Optimus in truck mode.

Breakdown: KO’s himbo, canon* boyfriend with some of the best, cringey puns

Airachnid: Arcee’s arch nemesis, the only other female transformer, a “love to loathe her” type

And others down the line for both teams.

*Canon insofar as a kids show on a kids network allows a la “we’ve given you as much subtext as we can, do the rest”.

KO is technically my favorite but it’s a tossup between many and that is a feat, especially when they’re the villains. They are all extremely compelling characters.

3. The Story

With some exceptions, episodes don’t happen in isolation. Most of season 1 is a bit random with a foggy throughline, but season 2 is utterly amazing, sans that one clipshow the producers probably insisted on.

Season 2 is the show’s finest hour and without spoiling anything: The end of season 1 sees this database that had been in the ‘Cons possession suddenly now with the means to decode and decrypt whatever’s locked behind it. The database contains coordinates on Earth of a myriad of confiscated weapons, ancient relics, and the like and the entire season is one big fetch quest with both sides racing and beating the shit out of each other to decode coordinates and retrieve the relics before the other side.

The macguffins are pretty cool in their own right (alien mustard gas, a giant Final Fantasy sword, an alien nuke, a phase-shifter) but it’s the intensity of the story and the action and drama that happens around the various quests that is so amazing.

At one point, the show takes four episodes to tackle a fetch quest across four separate relics that involves the entire cast on both sides and the two rogues all gunning for their targets at the same time, ending with one character critically injured that grinds the whole plot to a stop.

The show is one long story, as I mentioned, where something that happens in episode 2 shows up again as critically important in episode 40 and that’s a heck of an achievement on the writers’ part, making it all feel like it was planned that way from the start, even though it wasn’t.

Season 3 is… lesser, mostly because it has half as many episodes because the show was canceled. However, the writers knew about the cancellation early enough to still deliver a satisfying story, and wrap up loose ends with a tv-movie that is also pretty good.

Episode-to-episode there’s definitely a mixed bag of what kind of tone you’ll get. It’s still a kids show and there are human characters so there are some lesser episodes with the humans’ lives as the focus and the Autobots running support. Then you’ll have small-screen perfection, but like I said, there’s never a single episode of story (not clipshow) that I skip upon rewatch, no matter how many times I’ve seen it. The second “clipshow” episode is far and gone above the first, told through the eyes of a character as they’re on trial, only their scenes through the story, as they await judgment that might see them executed.

4. The Production Value

The majority of the animation budget rightfully went to the transformers themselves, which left the environments and the human characters a little rough around the edges. But you came for alien robots and before I got this show on DVD, I streamed crap quality episodes online. Once I saw these characters in full HD color, for the first time since it aired on TV, I was blown away. The reflections are, bar none, the best part. Which seems like a strange hill to die on but these are shiny metal giants. There’s some shots where you can see the reactions of other characters reflected hazily in the chest plates of the speaking character, and this is kids animated TV.

Some episodes do stand out, possibly because they changed studios, but some do have some off-kilter coloring or shadows, but you wouldn’t notice if you’re not like me and have picked some scenes apart frame by frame.

The music, also, is amazing. It’s grand and epic and far and gone from the 80s synthesizers, with a few choir tracks thrown in. The foley and sound design can get a little gratuitous with the metal-on-metal squeals, but none of it ever feels out of place.

I bought the directors’ commentary without knowing it for seasons 1 and 3 and they talked about having all the digital screens in the backgrounds of both bases constantly moving and showing data, not just static, blank images, and it really ups the feel of the quality and care put into the show when there’s always something cool to look at in every frame.

There are also some money shots. At one point there’s a fight that demands Optimus and Megatron join forces and with zero dialogue between them, only choreography in the span of about 25 seconds of animation shows you that these two really were old friends, old allies, old confidants. Their moves are mirrored, back to back, showing that Megatron clearly taught Optimus how to fight and this shot, the one at the top of the post, is too good to not spoil.

5. The Writing

Beyond the overall arcs, I mentioned in my “How to make your writing less stiff” post that the dialogue in this show is stellar. Due to animation budgets, they didn’t have the means to fully render a huge variety of environments, and that includes anything on Cybertron. So, when necessary, outside of when characters actually go to Cybertron later in the show, they use some beautiful matte paintings and voiceover narration by Ratchet, absolutely dumping exposition on the audience in spectacular fashion.

I have the director’s commentary. I know Ratchet’s monologues were a thing of beauty. They also had the cast all recording their dialogue at once, standing in a big U for more natural line deliveries.

The actual writing though, from the different ways the characters speak to the lore, the backstories, how the show can be a horror trip one minute and a kids’ science fair the next, showed incredible variety and flexibility in the writers’ room.

Optimus’ lines remain my favorite because they’re just that juicy, but then you have characters like Starscream, a perpetual schemer who loves to hear himself talk, pontificating whenever he can about his plans and how much he hates Megatron and how self-important he is. Or other righteous characters who use Big Words like Optimus that don’t feel out of place against somebody like KnockOut who says stuff like “I like the way I look in steel-belted radials” or Wheeljack who clearly learned English from watching Clint Eastwood movies.

Or, a later character, Shockwave, the most “robotic” of the robots and very poncy and scientific with the way he talks and interprets the world, with most of his lines including whether or not a character’s choices were “logical”.

This show is fantastic at creating tension out of mundanity and keeping you on the edge of your seat for nail-biting action scenes. You feel the anguish and the grief with the characters. Their rage and elation and devastation.

Some faults, because I love this show and I can recognize them

The human characters are… well, teenagers. Miko is pretty divisive, you’ve got the camp of “wah she’s a girl and she’s annoying” and just people who don’t find them as compelling. Which, fair. Their animation is a bit gummy and sometimes they disappear for entire episodes and their human world arcs are kind of abandoned. They’re not the best, but this isn’t about humans, it’s about transformers.

Due to probably time constraints with the show being canceled, some transformers’ arcs also felt abandoned or not given their due time to shine (of which fanfic has made painfully clear and rectified). It’s a very tight plot, but there are some dangling loose ends.

Sometimes it is incredibly in-your-face that this is a show meant to sell toys, particularly in season 3 with the whole uh, “we must become beast hunters” and the soft rebrand.

There exists a subplot of C-list villains, human militants who want to dissect cybertronian biology and make weapons. While some of their episodes are absolute bangers, you can tell the writers were getting sick of them before they’re finally written out of the show.

And a few awkward lines here and there.

Other cool shit if nothing else has convinced you

No love triangle or romantic subplot for the two female robots and one of the female humans. You can read one of Arcee’s relationships as romantic or platonic, but she is far beyond just “the girl” of the group, she’s a badass. The other romantic subplot is between a mom who’s deadbeat ex-husband is inexplicably missing, and a pot-bellied Army vet, and it’s really sweet and healthy.

(I think) incredible representation of characters with disability, in Bumblebee’s various war scars and his mutism.

The Gays. I swear there’s a page in the art book (of which I am desperate to find a copy of) for KnockOut and the caption of his art legit says something like “we made him too sexy, oops”.

So. Many. Puns. Puns that know they’re awful and relish in it. Dad jokes, too.

Ratchet losing his mind over how human children can get “twisted limbs and metal burn” if they do a dangerous thing before realizing the latter does not apply. Ratchet losing his mind in general. Just all of the cranky medic. Jeffrey Combs can make a phone book entertaining.

One of the last times we’ll probably get Peter Cullen and Frank Welker together doing Optimus and Megatron, the OGs. And also, one tiny moment where Frank has to say “treasure” and he still flubs it just like he does for Fred in Scooby Doo.

Consistency between character injuries. If Optimus’ sword breaks in a battle, whenever he summons it before he can have time to fix it, it’s still broken in ensuing shots.

An episode of zombies infecting the Decepticons’ ship and Starscream and KnockOut accidentally admitting they love each other while cowering in terror, while also calling back to a different pair of characters they did not witness saying the exact same lines.

Optimus transforming, ramming Megatron in the chest in truck mode, booting him off a cliff, and using his tires to melt rubber in Megatron’s face once they land because he is pissed.

All of Starscream’s immensely satisfying comeuppance for situations he gets himself into.

Using the murder termites for good in a rather horrifying death of a random goon.

Megatron’s hate boner for Optimus that clearly shows how badly these two don’t actually want to kill each other, despite having a million chances to do so, because like Batman and the Joker, “you and I are destined to do this for eternity,” and killing one would leave the other alone, after eons of fighting.

The gorgeous matte paintings.

—

Somebody on here once drew KnockOut with Autobot blue eyes and I have not been able to find that post since. If anyone sees it, please send it to me, it was gorgeous.

Now go watch this show. You can do it in a weekend.

#appreciation post #transformers prime #transformers #tfp #animation #long post

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iminyourwallsbabe · 2 months ago

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Yk what I feel like I haven't yapped about CaitVi enough and that's a disservice to my fellow sapphics so this word vomit is for you girl kissers out there

Okay so it goes without saying that CaitVi is kind of divisive. Some people love it 100%, some people think it could've worked better under different circumstances, and some people outright hate it, all viewpoints I understand. I'm the type of person who appreciates it for what it is.

I think the first thing I wanna touch on is the idea that their ending was supposed to be a happy one. I don't think it was. Honestly, I think it was more of a pause than anything. You weren't supposed to go "oh yay good for them", you were supposed to wonder what happens now. The end gives us, and the characters, an opportunity to just get our shit together and move on. So much just happened, there was little time to really, deeply think about it all. I'd like to think that they did work their shit out post-canon. However, I can see why people would think they wouldn't have.

I'm gonna go reverse chronological here. So one of the more glaring issues is whether or not Caitlyn switching sides was authentic and came from a place of genuine understanding of her mistakes. In my opinion, not quite. She was getting there but it would take the final battle for it to really set it. I said this in another post, but when she's sitting there before Ambessa, gun to the back of her head and knife in her side, she looks terrified. Obviously that shit is scary but it's more than that. Caitlyn is more afraid of dying than ever before, because if she died then, that would mean she had no way to fix what she had done. It was setting in just how badly she fucked up and now the entire world is at stake, and what can she do? Nothing. Think back to season 1 when her biggest gripe was not being allowed to do anything substantial or important. It's this again, just more extreme. She wanted to help people then, now she needs to and she can't.

And I think that's what she needed. She has never really been on the receiving end of the consequences of her actions. Not until then. As we've seen in the early parts of season 2, it weighs on her heavy when she thinks she's made a grave error. That's why she even started acting up in the first place. She's willing to abandon all of her morals and growth for the sake of remedying what she thinks she did. So with that in mind, I can imagine when she goes back to Vi, she feels the same if not worse because this time, what happened was actually her fault.

But now we need to talk about Vi and her place in all of this. One of many people's complaints is that Vi folds so easily when it comes to Caitlyn. And you're right, she folds like a fucking napkin but that's not just "oh I'm in love so I'm gonna do whatever for my girlfriend", it's more than that and has nothing to do with Caitlyn specifically. First of all, she has been stuck in Stillwater since she was a teen and hasn't seen the light of day in 7 years. MIND YOU, when she went to jail she was separated from her sister, who at that moment was her only living family member. OH YEAH DID WE FORGET THAT HER ENTIRE FAMILY DIED IN FRONT OF HER THAT SAME NIGHT? It is not a surprise to me at all that she clung to Caitlyn like saran wrap. That tends to happen when you're that fucking lonely. I'm of the belief that it could've been any other woman in the world instead of Caitlyn and she still would've acted the same. I also think that's part of the reason she joined the enforcers. Vi probably thought she was going to lose Caitlyn if she didn't. That doesn't really have anything to do with Caitlyn, that's an internal thing. Again though, are we really surprised that she'd get that desperate? But wait! There's more. After she does join and she tries to call Caitlyn out when she's done too much, it goes very wrong. It's at this point that some people wonder why she didn't just go back to Ekko instead of acting like she was all she had left. I need y'all to be so fr, you think Ekko would've been cool with that? And don't say "oh but he's so forgiving to Jinx" or something, that's just not true. He knows she's dangerous to the people of Zaun and can't personally allow that in his space or his life. It doesn't make it hurt any less but he's very clearly not having that shit. The same would've happened with Vi. She would've came back, he would've been like "I love you but FUCK NAH", and season 2 would've been exactly the same. She would've had to do some serious convincing.

But I say that to say that realistically, Caitlyn was all she had. She couldn't go back home after doing what she did, she definitely couldn't go to Jinx, everybody else is dead, that was it for her. Now we're in the glorious crash out era. I think there's something to be said about the glimpses of Caitlyn we get in that sequence. Those were hallucinations, going off of the fact that Jinx has her own and that more than likely, they share some of the same underlying mental illnesses. Breaking up with Caitlyn like that probably set it off. The straw was starting to break the camel's back. I also think it's interesting how Caitlyn left Vi similarly to how Vi (technically)left Jinx and that's when these issues start. I think it was a good way of showing that Caitlyn was right in a misguided sort of way. It is her blood in her veins. She is not that far off from Jinx, and they both can sit there and go "oh yeah she's crazy" all they want but Vi and Caitlyn were both one or two crash outs away from being like her. If anything, you can argue they kind of got there. Both of their ways of dealing with their pain involved hurting people. Caitlyn with her military dictatorship and attempted mass murder, Vi with her pit fighting, it's not at all the same in severity but conceptually... yeah, all of y'all are of fucked up.

You know I sometimes made jokes about how Caitlyn looks like Vi's mom and kind of acts like Jinx/Powder and how Freud would've had a field day with that but that's not exactly what's happening. I mean the mom thing is still a little sus but like I said before, they both have Jinx tendencies. If anything, Vi sees a reflection of herself in Caitlyn, because one of the big differences between the three of them is that what Vi and Caitlyn do is controlled. Caitlyn enacts violence through military means and generally gets permission to do the things that she does. Vi fights in a pit, that's the time and place for that. Jinx kind of does whatever she wants, except for when her mind/body makes decisions for her. She goes into panic mode and she shoots something, it's almost a natural instinct. If it's not that, it's kind of just "I felt like it". Also, their fears are coming from slightly different places and manifest in different ways. Jinx doesn't trust anyone to stick around, so she tests them and pushes them away. Vi doesn't trust anyone to stick around so she does whatever she can to keep them with her. Caitlyn doesn't trust herself to keep the people she loves around, so she becomes overly protective of them. Are we seeing what I'm saying here? It's like a hall of mirrors with these three but we're not here to talk about their relationship to Jinx, we're here to talk about them.

With this in mind, let's talk about the Fantastic CaitVi Coping and Communication Skills!!!! So the first thing they do when they join sides again is just be freaky as fuck. Like you think Vi spitting on her was a necessary part of the plan? Hell nah! Like honestly you could shoot a hole through the sexual tension between them good lord. Some people argue that the sex scene was unnecessary but looking at how they were acting before that? I'm not surprised that it went the way it did. Jokes aside though, seriously, the fact that they hadn't really addressed what happened properly and just went straight to pound town is so painfully on brand for both of them. Neither of them are good at addressing their issues. Post breakup, Vi became an emo alcoholic and Caitlyn became a whole ass dictator, I don't think they were gonna sit down and talk about their feelings. And honestly, I don't think that closure mattered nearly as much to them as it does to us as the audience. They have bigger issues, yk, like the glorious evolution and all that. Do I think that's necessarily a good thing? No. Do I think it's in character? Very. Anyway, this is why Vi is like "Cait, I don't fucking care" when she tries to begin saying anything about what she did when they were apart. She doesn't fucking care. Not at all. That's not what's important to her in that moment. It's also interesting that the first thing Caitlyn tries to apologize for is for sleeping with another woman, not trying to kill a whole bunch of her people. Notice how she went for the small thing first? She doesn't want to think about the other stuff. Neither of them do. And so they do what they do best and found a totally unhealthy distraction. In this case, it's ✂️🧁.

I think as a fandom we put too much emphasis on what's healthy in a show full of the most insane people I've ever seen. Trying to find a perfectly healthy relationship in this show is like trying to find a super niche website from 2003. You could probably do it but oh my fucking god would it take you a while. And y'all don't have nearly this much to say about Jayvik even though bro was like "ppl from the undercity are dangerous!!!" right to Viktor's face. Not to mention all the other issues they got going on. Jayce straight up killed a child with Hextech, like let's be fr. They're not all sunshine and rainbows and if we're going to criticize CaitVi the way that we do, we gotta have the same energy for Jayvik.

Anyway, I say all that to say that it's hard to focus on what the most therapist approved decision for your relationship is in these conditions and it doesn't make a ship any worse because of that.

I also don't like the idea that it's too unhealthy to be functional. It has the potential to get better and it's implied by the ending that it does, or at least starts to. Think about it like this, if two people on opposite sides of the political spectrum are friends, what do you assume is actually happening there? One party has to be compromising on their beliefs. There's no other way. If you cared so strongly about something, it'd be hard to keep company that opposes it. It's like that with CaitVi. They were on two different sides of a war and Caitlyn had to shift what she believed in order to even befriend Vi let alone be her lover. That whole "oh ur all the same" bit had to go. If anything, it makes me believe that end of season 2 CaitVi is actually healthier than season 1 CaitVi on a fundamental level. Caitlyn's view of Zaunites by the end of season 1 is attached to Vi. Vi was one of the good ones, Vi proved that there was some hope for those people, Vi was an exception. This is why she got so mad in season 2 when Vi tried to tell her she was bugging out. That's why she says "it's her blood in your veins" with so much vitriol. She gets indirectly victimized by a Zaunite, who has already been established as an extremist, and all of a sudden everybody down there is bad again. If you care about them at all you're bad too. At the end of season 2, Caitlyn is amused when she notices that Jinx is still alive. If that doesn't say anything about how much she's developed I don't know what does. Even if she doesn't like her, she doesn't have that same blind hatred anymore and that's the part we have to pay attention to. She's gotten to a point where she thinks even Jinx should have the opportunity to have a second chance. I'd rather date that than Caitlyn "wait you don't have parents?" Kiramman.

That's basically it, shout out to the writers for actually knowing how classism/racism/all the isms tbh actually work and what it looks like to change your beliefs as a a beneficiary of those systems, goodnight

#arcane #arcane s2 #arcane spoilers #caitvi #analysis #arcane analysis #piltovers finest #piltovers gayest #violyn #caitlyn kiramman #caitlyn arcane #vi arcane

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fearfulfertility · 10 days ago

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INTERNAL AFFAIRS INCIDENT REPORT

DRC Internal Affairs Division

Date: [REDACTED]

Subject: Internal Audit - Quota Breach - Case File [REDACTED]

To: Director [REDACTED]

From: Inspector [REDACTED]

I: Audit Trigger

This audit originated from an anomaly flagged by the Compound Oversight Unit following a routine cross-comparison of mortality curves, biometric telemetry, and average fetal volume expansion across paternity compounds in FEMA Zone 5. Paternity Compound 144, in particular, demonstrated a statistically aberrant rise in surrogate experience [REDACTED] collapse, a condition only observed in gestations over 18 fetuses. While the facility’s internal reports claimed average pregnancies between 8 and 11 embryos per surrogate, biometric logs suggested fetal counts ranging from 18 to 23 embryos per case.

Due to the severity of the physiological strain such numbers would imply—and the lack of official documentation acknowledging it—a Level 2 Integrity Audit was ordered. The Internal Affairs Division performed an unannounced sweep of all surrogate biometric records, insemination logs, and surveillance data from Cycles [REDACTED] to [REDACTED].

What followed revealed not only systemic concealment of lethal overloads but also willful obstruction motivated by personal psychological deviance.

II: Surveillance Analysis

Biometric data recovered from Wards 3B through 7E indicated that surrogates began exhibiting rapid and extreme abdominal distension by Day 11, surpassing known volumetric thresholds typically seen by Day 17. Skin tension diagnostics showed redlining stretch marks and dermal fissures in [REDACTED]% of all recorded subjects. In multiple cases, respiratory compression and full [REDACTED] subluxation—typically observed only after Day 30—were logged as early as Day 19.

“We knew something was off when they were too big to move before the second week. One of them just looked like that blueberry girl from Willy Wonka or some shit. But the logs said 14 embryos, so we assumed it was just edema.” - Employee GS-144-217

Footage recovered showed numerous surrogates experiencing aggressive fetal growth and abdominal distension, with growth rates in Ward 6C indicative of at least 23-25 embryonic masses. Two surrogates suffered multi-organ [REDACTED] before a team from the Compound Oversight Unit could intervene, though all fetuses were successfully delivered via cesarean.

“We knew something when we saw the guys from Ward 2. We were blimps compared to them, and they were twice as far along as us. I mean, I can literally see my belly growing!” Surrogate, later determined to be carrying quattuorvigintuplets (24)

Despite this, the internal logs submitted to the Archive Management Unit recorded all affected surrogates as having a “successful delivery with standard expiration.” The discrepancy was manually edited at terminal station 144-T12-OP47—registered to an Insemination Operations Unit employee named [REDACTED] (Employee ID IO-144-611).

III. Device Failure & Impact

Each MNAIS unit in Ward Blocks 3–7 had suffered [REDACTED] desynchronization following an outdated firmware push. Rather than delivering the standard 8-12-embryo load, units programming applied a multiplier to its quota and began injecting up to 24 fertilized embryos per cycle, with no error code generated.

Employee IO-144-611 discovered this failure within three days but refrained from submitting a maintenance report. He manually edited implantation records to match quota expectations, falsely logging a randomization formula (6–11 embryos per surrogate) across all documentation streams. Employee IO-144-611 then overrode the automatic alert system from the local Postpartum Command, which would ultimately log surrogates giving birth to higher fetal quotas than inseminated with.

His actions delayed DRC response for 41 days, during which:

42 surrogates suffered [REDACTED] rupture before Day 28, [REDACTED] overload, or uterine [REDACTED], necessitating emergency C-sections. No fetal fatalities.

17 surrogates expired mid-labor after undergoing compound [REDACTED] due to displaced [REDACTED], necessitating emergency C-sections. No fetal fatalities.

3 surrogates, against all medical prediction, reached Day 33 and birthed successfully, but ultimately expired post-extraction. No fetal fatalities.

26 surrogates still gestating, average 19 embryos per individual.

IV. Behavioral Profile – Employee IO-144-611

Subject: Employee IO-144-611 Tenure: [REDACTED] Position: Regional Implantation Supervisor Clearance Level: Tier II – Override Authorization Security Clearance: Revoked as of [REDACTED]

Following confrontation and seizure of his local system access logs, Employee IO-144-611 was detained and subjected to a Tier III Psychological Assessment. During this evaluation, the root of the concealment was uncovered.

Psychological Findings:

Employee IO-144-611 exhibited a previously undiagnosed paraphilic fixation classified under Government Code [REDACTED]: Macrophilia, a pathological sexual arousal in response to abnormally large bodies or bodily expansion.

Upon exposure to the visual data of overloaded surrogates—particularly those carrying between 19 and 23 fetuses—Employee IO-144-611 demonstrated elevated oxytocin and dopamine levels, a flushed dermal response, and sustained pupil dilation.

Under questioning, he confessed:

“I couldn’t report it. If I said anything, they’d shut it down, recalibrate the racks, lower the numbers again. You don’t understand. They were… monumental.”

He further admitted to deliberately withholding service requests for malfunctioning implantation equipment, specifically the Multi-Nozzle Accelerated Implantation System (MNAIS) units, which had developed a systemic fault causing them to implant +[REDACTED]% above calibrated embryo counts.

V: Displincary Response

1. Equipment

All MNAIS systems in Paternity Compound 144 were ordered offline for 24 hours.

Software rollback and integrity checks were completed under the supervision of IT Command.

Ward 3B was closed to all personnel below Grade-D rank, and affected surrogates were contained to minimize public awareness.

2. Actions

Psychological Services Command has formally reclassified [REDACTED] Employee IO-144-611 as Class-A Deviant – Mentally Compromised via Paraphilic Obstruction.

Archive Management Unit has censored relevant administrative records.

Public Affairs Division has disseminated a press release to DRC-approved news channels, citing [REDACTED] as the cause of the shutdown for Paternity Compound 144.

Facility Operations Command has transferred any personnel who raised professional or personal concerns about the citation.

[REDACTED] Employee IO-144-611 detained to Isolation Cell 6E.

3. Recommended Process Updates

Expand psychological screening to all Grade C employees and below.

Recommend quarterly psychological deviance evaluations of Grade B employees and below.

Implement full biometric auto-logging for all surrogate embryo counts—disable manual override across zones.

Closing Remarks

Employee IO-144-611's indulgence in personal gratification resulted in unsatisfactory delays to our facility's operation. Proper procedures have been implemented to prevent further disruptions and ensure that fetal quotas are adequately maintained.

[Report prepared by Inspector [REDACTED]]

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Sending...

Read...

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Date: [REDACTED]

To: Deputy-Director [REDACTED], Security Office

From: Director [REDACTED]

Subject: Internal Audit - Quota Breach - Case File [REDACTED]

Deputy Director,

Following my review of the [REDACTED] file, I would like to register my formal dissatisfaction with how Inspector [REDACTED] handled this matter. While I acknowledge the necessity of enforcing procedural transparency, the inspector’s decision to escalate the MNAIS malfunction as a containment emergency rather than a potential breakthrough reveals a worrying lack of vision.

To put it plainly, the equipment failure at Paternity Compound 144 resulted in spontaneous fetal yields well above the current national minimums, with documented gestations ranging from 18 to 23 embryos—many of which progressed past Day 25 with surprisingly high internal cohesion and containment. Had Inspector [REDACTED] exercised creative initiative, the anomaly could have been reframed as a pilot overcapacity trial rather than triggering a full-blown mechanical audit and unnecessary decommissioning.

Such a rigid interpretation of oversight policy has compromised a unique opportunity for data extraction and jeopardized our ability to scale gestational loads in future cycles. This shortsighted compliance fanaticism is increasingly common in mid-tier personnel and must be corrected.

Accordingly, I recommend that Inspector [REDACTED] receive formal censure and retraining through the Training & Development Unit for failing to recognize the strategic potential embedded in abnormal conditions. Our agency requires flexibility under pressure, not reflexive alarmism.

On a separate but related note, I would like to approve the personnel reassignment request for Employee IO-144-611. Despite his classified psychological profile, his unique enthusiasm may prove operationally useful if adequately directed. I am authorizing his immediate transfer to Site [REDACTED], where he is to assume the role of Supervisory Insemination Officer. In the correct environment, they are an asset and IO-144-611’s tendencies are no longer a liability.

Please liaise with the Facility Director [REDACTED] at Site [REDACTED] to ensure the transfer.

This matter is now considered closed from my office.

Regards,

Director [REDACTED]

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serve-corps · 9 months ago

Text

Yuri Plisetsky x hockey reader

~~~°•○•°~~~

Yuri Plisetsky. A sixteen year old with almost no time to spare in his life at all yet he's built himself a large enough ego to be named the 'Russian punk' and the 'Russian fairy'. how? don't fucking ask me. he's got talent on his blades that's only grown since he showed a liking to the sport. his effort increased his skill. That is why he's dedicated himself to figure skating.

(y/n) (l/n) however, is a seventeen year old with plenty of spare time on her hands and an alter ego. She herself is also known as the 'jet of (your country)' as well as 'the bullet' see, she's an ice hockey player. a international one. she was also skilled on her blades, she had such control, she could choose her speed at any point.

never in a million years would they both meet; for their professions may be similar but they hate each other. hockey players are far more aggressive on the ice, usually after an ice hockey game, there are large uneven dips in the ice which is a hazard for figure skaters. hockey prioritizes speed and control rather than figure skating which mostly focuses on spins and jumps. That's the difference between them and their skates. hockey skates are rounded while figure skates are pointy and stabby.

the only reason you play is because you grew up on the ice, your father used to take you to a public skate and get you one of the polar bears to keep yourself up. he taught you by tearing you away from it and pushing it away, forcing you to skate to it by yourself to get back your stability polar bear.

it doesn't help that your older brother was also a very renowned ice hockey player and a few of your friends took up hockey as a hobby, all your life clubs revolved around the sport, and you got annoyed at anyone claiming to be a big shot in the ice world that didn't know the dangers of it. the fist fights, the blades, the ice burns, the breaking of bones, the slamming into the sideboard, and not to mention how FUCKING COMPETITIVE EVERYONE WAS!

you were one of 3 females on your team, out of 18 players, you were the most famous. you kicked your brother's ass in fame, he retired early as he decided to gain another profession, he coached little ones on the side for a job but that was out of loyalty for the sport.

one of the girls was a goalie, someone who defends the net meanwhile the other was a defender, They stay behind close-ish to the goal to keep the puck out of their side of the field. you, however, were centre. one of the most active roles, the person who scores and 'usually' gets into the most fights.

Yuri however, was Russia's national figure skater, he was a young prodigy, who was not only coached by the same coach as Viktor Nikiforov but was acquainted with him. he won gold in the international junior league so he aims to be the same in the senior division, the adult version of that bullshit.

we know what Yuri aims to be, his goals and plans, we don't need to go over that.

lets head to the present.

~~~°•○•°~~~

today you had the skating rink booked with a friend, you came from money as well as your brother trying to encourage your career. your boots were laced as you were on the ice with a stick, puck and a goal. the staff let you borrow a goal for practice.

You two were shooting at the goal left and right, working on perfecting your aim but your friend's stamina dropped after the first 15 minutes. yours, however, was still high and mighty being known as the 'jet' or 'bullet' because of how fast and how long you can go for.

you came off with your friend and handed her a water bottle, casually chatting as she was panting. you heard the doors open and this blonde guy?- girl? you couldn't tell, walked in, and opened the door to the rink.

"Who the fuck brought this shit on the rink?" the words flew out of his mouth harshly with a Russian accent. he hopped onto the ice and you noticed his 'fancy' preppy figure skates.

he skated towards your goal which you set up with a hassle, he started lifting it up with great difficulty and trying to drag it off.

"этот кусок дерьма!- (this piece of shit)" he said, mumbling to himself while grunting.

suddenly, the owners of the rink slammed open the doors and shouted, "YURIII! THE RINK'S BEEN BOUGHT OUT FOR THE NEXT 3 HOURS! I forgot to tell you!!"

she bowed in an apology.

"well, I don't see them. so it doesn't matter-"

at that moment, you stood up and grabbed your stick, you picked up a bag of hockey pucks and threw them on the ice. the bag was now empty and you tossed it aside, stepping onto the ice with accuracy and speed, you dribbled the puck back and forth and shot at the net, close to where Yuri was to scare him off.

he jumped back in fear of getting hit and let out an "ack!-" as he fell onto the cold ice. you sped up your skating and headed straight for him, he tried to scramble out of the way but you were too fast, he braced himself to be a hurdle or something but he ended up getting sprayed by ice. you stopped right in front of him, creating a large wave of shaved ice to flow over him. it got in his hair and face, not to mention his clothes.

he looked up at you and scowled only for his face to change in shock, you were smugly resting your chin on your stick while having one leg crossed behind you. to everyone else, you looked like a stuck up prick.

that applied to Yuri too, but you were beautiful, the lights made you seem angelic while your hair looked almost sexy, up in a ponytail with a few pieces dangling, framing your face. your boots made you seem masculine, your hoodie and leggings didn't help. smash- next question-

his face was slightly dusted pink with a scowl on his face, trying to hide his flusteredness by masking it with being cold. at least you don't have a pretty voice-

"sorry sweetie, but currently this rink is mine! come back in two hours and forty five minuets or stick around and fawn over me until our booking is up.." you said with a sly smirk on your face never leaving once, your voice teasing yet alluring. soft even yet it has a taste of authority.

"черт возьми…(holy shit...)" he breathed out softly with his cheeks going slightly pinker, barley noticeable to everyone.

accept you. you were towering over him see? you could see everything about him. and his steadily growing blush.

however, you're not a ahem- dick so you ignored it and just turned your sly smirk into a genuine soft smile. you dropped your stick to the side by the pile of pucks and knelt next before him.

"ok, sorry. didn't mean to scare you shitless. truce?" you said with a chuckle. Yuri shook his head as if he was ridding himself of thoughts, your chuckle even sounded pretty, no no! You're known as the Russian punk! you can't like someone!

he blinks a few times, trying to calm his panicking mind and he pulls himself up, so do you. "I mean, if you do want to stay, you're more than welcome to take over the music" You shrug at him as your friend joins you on the ice now. he thought she looked mediocre compared to you. but the owner was staring at her and...drooling?

your friend was considered the hot one in the group. You're hot too don't worry, it's just, this one wears makeup and push-up bra's excessively to get everyone's attention. you go natural and your tits are naturally big, you just wear guys clothing.

but not to him. you were the hot friend to him. He couldn't keep his eyes off you for longer than five seconds. honestly? you noticed and thought it was cute, you thought he was cute. every time you caught him oogling, you winked and he scowled looking away.

your friend started gesturing with her hands getting your attention to 'wrap it up', so you did.

"if you couldn't tell, we're training right now, so we sort of need the ice." you said gently only to be cut off by his voice,

"yeah, well I have a championship coming up, its not as important. move."

"I paid for this blondie. I'm not leaving the ice." you said seriously. he doesn't seem to recognize you and you didn't recognise him either so all is fair.

the owner, however, thought differently, she took a photo of you two going face to face with each other, Yuri's face still slightly pink with a scowl and yours with a finger pulling down an eyelid and tongue stuck out of your smiling mouth; leaning towards him.

"ugh. fine. ill wait. but don't think this is me being kind you bitch." he stomped off the ice, purposefully making massive dips with his toe-pick skates.

"alright little mister kitten whiskers." you roll your eyes and chuckle to yourself at his temper tantrum. you don't even know this dude yet you can tell what he's like if he's acting like this. somehow you thought he was cute. shrugging your shoulders, you grabbed a puck and started doing manoeuvres and passes with your friend, trying to figure out what works best for you both, turns out you both excel at passing the puck by throwing it up in the air with your sticks.

it's not an illegal move in hockey but it's very rare and unique, tricky to pull off because you can't hit another player otherwise you get sent to the penalty box.

Yuri watched with interest despite trying to hide it by 'looking' at his phone. after doing a trick shot and succeeding, it was your trick so you started celebrating, jumping on the ice and slowing your skating to dive onto your friend.

"100% using that in our game!!!!" you squealed in joy, your friend holding you up from falling was laughing with you and at you for your celebratory, stupid state.

Yuri couldn't help but faintly smile at your joy, he thought it was cute. you seemed to be really good at this, he hoped you were happy with your life. hoped it was better than his at the least.

your eyes flickered to the boy sat on the side, his eyes quickly flicked away from you and back to his phone, you sighed as picked yourself up, skating over to the 'sullen' boy.

Yoinking his phone out of his hand that was unlocked, you turned on Bluetooth and connected it to the speakers of the rink. handing it back to him you grabbed his arm and pulled him so he was standing up.

"the hell?!"

"wanna skate or not pretty boy?" you said bored, pointing at his phone, knowing damn well he was gunna be pissy if he didn't, and you didn't want that for some reason.

he growled and trudged onto the ice, you're still holding onto his arm, dragging him into the middle.

surprisingly you and your friend didn't make much mess of the ice, it was perfect to skate on. he did a test jump and landed it and smirked. You raised an eyebrow at his smugness about something you could do if you wanted to.

you shimmy off your hoodie and throw it over the side, showing a tight compression shirt, it was cropped so it was a very flattering item on you. Yuri's eyes widened then blushed, turning away for a second to mentally prepare himself because you looked fine as fuck.

turning back to you, you gave him a smirk and pulled off the exact same jump as him in harder skates. he stood confused until he realised it was a challenge. and you were so on.

he smirked and started bragging, "haa? someone like you can't compete with a professional! your call тупица~ (dumbass~)" he cackled out.

he started with a single salchow and landed perfectly as its one of the easiest jumps for a skater.

somehow, you watched how he did it and you copied it to the point miraculously without a single slip up. his eyebrows rose at this, he decided to try a Lutz, it would be almost impossible to do it because you don't have a toe pick and you've never done it before. he finished the jump perfectly and looked at you smugly, as if he was rubbing in that he was better than you.

you didn't take that lightly.

as you did before, you watched how he did it, skated backwards on your left foot, used your right foot to stab into the ice and pick you up, kicking you into the air, you turned yourself around in the air in a 360⁰ turn and land on your right foot, still skating backwards. you stumbled on the landing slightly with your skate wobbling but still landed perfectly no less.

Yuri's jaw dropped a little bit only for him to close it quickly. how the fuck could someone in hockey skates do that with no toe pick?!

he coughed into his hand, trying to regain some sense. this time will be an axel. the hardest jump there is.

"i know you won't be able to do this little bitch!" he shouted as he skated and completed the perfect single Axel. he was even going easy!

you watch with intent and intensity once more. so the difference is that he lands skating forward instead of backward like the Lutz? hm okay..

once again, you copy his moves, you struggle a bit now and as you landed, you didn't land straight and went off diagonally, having to use your other leg to keep balanced. "Hold on! let me do it again!!" you shouted annoyed, you thought you could do it!

you took a start and jumped, you ended up over-spinning, deciding quickly to turn again in the air, you twirled twice, and somehow landed straight. "see! I can do it!!! yes!" you did a little celebratory dance once more while Yuri stood there stunned. you don't even know it but you actually did something harder than he just did. you did a double axel while he did a single axel....

Yuri was annoyed no, pissed. he took a start once more and committed himself to a quadruple axel, the hardest jump possible, you saw that it was the same type of jump and tilted your head in confusion, he just span more? does that mean he fucked up too?

"do it exactly like I did it and ill get off!" he snarled with a grin, a grin that annoyed you.

"fine! you span four times, right? watch." you said stretching your arms across your body.

you set yourself up for the jump and it started, you stuck the tip of your toe in the ground, lifting you in the air, you span...and span...and span...and- CRASH "FUCK!"

your body skidded on the ice and your body was skidding toward the dash boards (boundary walls) head first, your leg was in pain as though it was pulled and that distracted you until your head slammed into the wall, the rest of your body following in suit.

"fuckfuckfuck" you mumbled out.

Yuri stood shocked, fuck he was worried, how bad were you hurt?

he sped over to you and got on his knees, "shit are you okay?!" he asked seriously, your friend following after him, she saw you holding your leg and knelt next to it, straightening it out which earned some curses from you but she undid the boot and carefully took it off, making you let out a sigh of relief.

the blonde felt bad, he shouldn't have dared someone who was brand new to do jumps try and copy him like that. his ego got the best of him.

"how bad does it hurt?" he asked, his accent somehow calming you down despite its aggressive nature.

"i just pulled something, I'll be fine just give me a minute...ugh...ow..." you sat yourself up and leaned against the wall. your ass felt numb from how cold it was. using the side to help yourself up, you stood on the leg with the skate still on, you used your loose foot to gently push you forward, gliding on one foot to the door to the benches.

plopping yourself down on the benches with a thump, you massaged your leg gently, you know you'll be able to ignore the pain soon enough, you play professionally for fuck's sake.

five minuets go by and you're no longer feeling much pain, you start lacing up your boot back onto the leg you injured, getting ready to go back on.

about to step onto the ice, you notice how Yuri picked up all the loose pucks that you already had shot at the net and gathered them into a pile, not to mention a frown on his face.

he looked up from picking up pucks and clicked his tongue at you, he spread his arms wide, letting all the pucks he was holding drop back onto the ice and sliding off to different places.

your friend looked at you, flicking her eyes to him quickly then back to you, raising her eyebrows up and down suggestively with a grin. you picked up a stray puck and threw it at her, she ducked just in time as it hit the glass boundary. She snickered at your reaction, your face ever so slightly pink.

you sighed and skated over to the pouting blonde and patted his shoulder. "it was my fault. I tried something I never tried before. I was bound to fall!" you chuckled as he turned away from you, still grumbling.

"alright pissy pants, you can join us on the ice every Tuesday at this time, okay?" you ask gently leaning to go into his field of view, his face slightly red at proximity.

"get away from me you whore!"

"ouchies..." you fake an exaggerated frown, trying to fake being emotionally hurt, his expression faltered for a second, looking back at you to see if you genuinely took offense but then scowled at your face turning into a shit-eating grin at his concern.

"FUCK OFF YOU PRICK" he skated away as you laughed at his flusteredness.

"blondie! do you even know my name?" you said wiping a 'tear' from your eye. he turned his head over his shoulder in your direction, egging you on.

"(y/n). (y/n) (l/n) the hockey player? have you not heard of me?"

"well, how the hell did you not know I'm Yuri Plisetsky?! Russia's national figure skater! haaah?" he said with a snarky attitude.

"hm? oh I think I heard of you! I think my brother's-friend's-dad is your coach! yakil? no- Yakov! how is he? he said this Viktor guy was being a pain in the ass last time I heard." you chuckled to yourself, not seeing Yuri seething quietly, his face going more red with anger.

"don't act like we're on the same level!" he shouted annoyed at how calm you were, he was kind of hoping you'd be excited to know he was famous but-

"I'm (country's) international player who's played in multiple games worldwide and won. I don't care." you said, waving him off as you skated away.

soon enough, your practice was over but he never said no to seeing you every Tuesday.

sooo he showed up nearly every time. in return, you watched him skate, both at practice, and cheered him on at competitions, sitting on the benches only the skaters were allowed on.

your games that were in the same area Yuri was in at the time usually had an extra visitor of the figure skater himself, you made sure he was sat as close as he could be to your bench, and you did try and beg your coach to let him sit with you but he shot you down.

his anger issues helped cheer you on, it was sweet, knowing he was cheering for you, it made you more fired up than before, and nearly everyone on your team noticed, and so did the commentators'. you heard them over the loudspeaker,

"seems the bullet has a special fan she's listening to in her ear ladies and gents!" you stumbled at this and dropped your stick on the rink, snapping your head to the commentators up in the seats. "seems she didn't want that put out there! oops!"

laughing was heard throughout the rink as well as chuckles from your team and the competitors.

these interactions happened more than you liked to admit, you also didn't want to admit that you started to like the obnoxious blonde who you support and supports you.

social media was a nightmare, the owner of the rink where you first met; who took a photo of you two going face to face with each other posted the photo on all types of social media, the caption being 'Yuri plisetsky x (y/n) (l/n)'. this blew up, leading to so many ship names being made, 'the punk x the bullet', 'the fairy and the jet' they were ruthless.

people were making edits of the two of you looking at each other when you accidentally looked at him for a little too long and he did the same, times here he smiled at you softly which is very out of character for him, when you two blushed at each other, the list goes on.

PEOPLE WERE EVEN WRITING FANFICTION ABOUT IT. Don't ask, you got curious and searched for it. you read them all. just for research purposes. ahem-

other figure skaters and hockey players were calling you out on the ship as well online, what shocked you the most is that Viktor Nikiforov, the famous figure skater reposted some edits, sending them to you and Yuri directly, you did some research about Yuri's world and learned about some large figures. Viktor was apparently the best of the best.

your brother also sent a message to you directly saying, "mother, father, and I all gave our blessing to this boy, bag him (your nickname)"

you threw your phone at the wall to say the least.

after a match where you arose victorious, you went to go see Yuri skate at his competition, it was in Russia and it was the uhm, what was it called? oh yeah, the Grand Prix finals. you knew it was important to him so you had to be there. you just had your final match which coincidently was also in Russia, you made yourself look nice for once.

a dress that can be worn in cold weather with skin-coloured fuzzy thermal tights and white leg warmers. you wore a white dress with embroidered cats going around the bottom of the dress, the cats were white tigers. you wore a red and white jacket, matching Yuri's training one. just for sentimental reasons. you wore red and white Nike trainers to pull it together.

you walked in with a mask on and your hair hid in a white beanie, people couldn't recognise you yet at least, you just looked like a very fashionable fan of the Russian punk.

you waited till it was Yuri's turn on the ice, taking off your mask and beanie, letting your hair frame your face, the people around you took a second glace and started squealing at your appearance.

the commentator instantly caught you in the large crowd, singling you out and saying it over the mic in hopes of getting Yuri to see you just before he got on the ice. he did.

you spotted him on the bench, he was staring right at you with a smile, giving you a wave which you returned.

his turn finally came, he got onto the ice and did a loop of the ice, stopping for a second right in front of you, flashing you a small smile before his performance.

your heart fluttered a bit as you flicked your eyes away for a second, you're not used to that kind of attention.

the music started as you gathered your self respect, only for it to be dropped back into the ground as you infatuation with him grew at how emotional his performance made you feel. all of the passion, the love, the admiration. he was putting all he had into this skate.

his jumps made you wince before your face lit up with joy at it being completely flawless, you hoped he wouldn't get hurt, his performance seemed to be directed in your direction as he kept his eyes focused on you most of the time, he did extreme jumps that looked difficult and made them smooth and flawless. he managed to tug on your heart.

even if you were a hockey player, even if you were supposed to hate figure skaters, even if figure skaters were meant to hate you, you could hear the message his serenade told you, your heart picked up as you heard his music started to slow, his eyes bearing into yours with sincerity that made you choke up.

the performance reached its climax and Yuri was left out of breath, huffing and coughing slightly, he used all of his efforts to send you this message which at this point, if he said it verbally, wouldn't have been as clear as the performance.

you held a hand to your mouth in shock, a singular tear fell from your face at the sheer beauty of his action. you watched as he went to the kiss or cry booth to see his score, it was his own personal record as well as a WORLD FUCKING RECORD!

you walked up to him and stayed silent, just following him, you grabbed the corner of his jacket and smiled, subtly saying "Yes I do too..." with your actions. his attitude raised even more at this, not only did he make a world record, his worries of being rejected flew out of the window.

you followed him to the changing rooms and stood outside the door, silent until there were no more reporters following you and there was nobody in the hallway.

you tugged his jacket again that you didn't let go of. he turned around and raised an eyebrow in confusion, you cut him off before he could say anything.

"I like you too Yuri..." you said with a soft smile, letting go of his jacket as your face warmed slightly. Yuri was worse off than you were, his entire face was bright red and he stumbled a bit. trying to regain himself he coughed into his hand then grabbing yours, he somehow pulled you closer and held your cheek, feeling how warm your face was as he stroked it with his thumb, your breath hitched as your eyes flickered from his to his smiling lips.

he looked so kind smiling at you like this, you liked it, but you liked his attitude as well. As he leaned forward you quickly cupped your hand over his mouth, he let out a surprised noise that sounded an awful lot like a squeak which resulted in a giggle fit from you, he growled slightly and pulled your hand off of his face.

only to grab your head with both hands and smash his lips onto yours, this time making you squeak, he smiled at this and started being more gentle and soft as he pressed his lips against yours with just as much passion as he did on the ice.

you both pulled away, both opening your eyes slowly and both red in the face, you buried your face into the crook of his neck to hide your face from him resulting in him wrapping his arms around your waist, burying his own face in your shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you Yuri..." you muffled against his skin, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and hugging his tightly, "I've liked you for a while..."

"me too милый…(darling)…" he said squeezing your waist a bit tighter. you rocked yourself side to side in the hug, forcing his to do the same.

you eventually left his embrace only to peck his lips again with a smile, if Yuri could melt, he'd be a puddle now but your here, keeping his stable.

this time he leaned forward and pecked your lips but it lasted longer than what you did, he sighed as he finally enjoyed the feeling that he'd been craving for the months you two had been friends.

he pulled away and your lips chased after his as he pulled away, it was cute to him. your eyes slowly opened after the kiss ended and your cheeks were flushed. he thought you looked adorable and he chuckled softly to himself.

"AAWWWEEE!!!" both of your necks snapped to where the voice came from and it was some grey-haired man holding up a phone that seemed to be recording, there was another man wearing glasses and black hair who was pulling on this guy's arm mumbling something about being quiet and leaving them alone.

"I'm sorry yuriiii but I couldn't keep quiet anymore! our little Yurio has gotten himself a girl!!" his voice sounded Russian like your Yuri's. he stopped what he was doing on his phone and then you realised a second too late before he posted the video of the entire interaction onto social media.

soon enough the man's phone was blowing up and the two of you jumped away from each other's hold and were extremely embarrassed. wait a minute.... that's!-…THAT'S VIKTOR!

the black-haired Yuri started dragging him away harder, forcing him out of the room then bowing to the two of you muttering an "IMSOSORRYABOUTHIM" and slamming the door behind him.

silence followed for a bit only for a snort form you to break the quiet,

"what." his Russian accent coming out heavily as he craned his neck to you with a glare.

"nothing....*snort* Yurio~"

"MOTHERFUCKER-"

it may not be common, or socially acceptable but who knew that a famous hockey player would end up being with a famous figure skater? not you two, or the media. you two were a trend from there on, an iconic duo.

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