#there's a good chance she didn't see her again after Jinx got her to chase Vander

[dirtytransmasc]

Sevika protecting Isha (and my feelings below):

I think the most heartbreaking, yet endearing, part of this whole scene, is that Sevika only has one arm.

in holding onto Isha, she renders herself defenseless. she has no clue what she's running into, but she won't put Isha down. she runs blind and unable to quickly fight back with her remaining arm.

and she doesn't give Isha a chance to run on her own. she just holds her. doesn't get angry when she fights her. doesn't scold her. just holds her tighter. and keeping a squirmy kids still is hard enough with two arms, let alone a kid fighting you as hard as she can with just one.

and she's soft with her, just in general. none of that normal tug and sharpness we're used to seeing. she's of course fighting her enough to keep her from slipping out of her grasp, but that's it.

I just. I'm not normal about them.

mother and child, your honor.

[skinnyhyena]

Ultimately, I'm still happy with Arcane s2, and I know there's no way they could have fleshed everything out in 9 episodes. But I'm kinda bitter about Jinx's ending and Jayce. (I'm like 2 weeks behind, does any of this count as spoilers anymore? Spoilers below, I guess)

I didn't really have any stake in the ships presented, I just went "oh?????" and cheered tbh. So when it looked like Jayce and Viktor were a whole thing, it was that, but after sleeping on it, it feels like Jayce came back very single-minded? He and Mel were a whole thing in s1??? But he comes back and he doesn't even seem to notice that she's changed. At first, he didn't even seem to care? I wish we got a better look at his psyche because we know he went through a lot and came back with a huge responsibility, and also seemed to harbor some doubts towards her. But does that mean there just was no trust between them in the first place even though she took chances on him and supported him earlier? I think I remember thinking he was a bit of a tool in s1, but I don't know if this is the same or different. It just feels like they went from being important to each other to distant business partners?

JINX SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN TO SAY GOODBYE!!!! Even FRODO went to a whole nother place but still said GOODBYE to his loved ones first. It's so cruel to have Vi reunited with her family and actually see the goodness in her sister come back only to lose them both again. Ekko has lost SO MUCH, and at least Vi has someone near her (maybe 2 people since the big guy lived??) who can be there for her. Who's gonna be there for HIM!!!! How much did he and Vi really connect??? He has the big Firelight guy, but that last scene of him so alone and distanced from EVERYONE fucking HURTS, MAN!!! I feel like Jinx could go off on her own and "break the cycle" while also leave her loved ones knowing she's ALIVE instead of SUFFERING! It doesn't have much weight as a cliffhanger or anything similar if her story is 'wrapped up'. I do understand Cait not saying anything though. I didn't even get why everyone was saying Jinx survived until I read an article. If Cait didn't actually see Jinx survive, it'd feel cruel to tell Vi, "hey I think she's still alive!" No proof. No chance of finding her. Just Vi once again in an emotional spiral chasing after her sister...... that seems like torture.

Idk I think a few more episodes would have been nice to handle some things more neatly. I'm hoping the other projects will answer some questions about Jinx and Ekko, and also about Zaun. I'll probably rewatch the whole thing again at some point. I still think s2 was absolutely amazing. The animation alone left me dumbstruck

[maya-no-more]

Smoke & Steel | Vi x OC: Chapter Four - Obsidian

Darkness pressed in from all sides.

Ember’s head throbbed, a dull, pulsing ache radiating from the base of her skull. The air was thick with the scent of oil, metal, and something sickly sweet—something chemical. Her fingers twitched against cold steel, and as her senses slowly returned, she registered the weight of restraints biting into her wrists.

She was bound.

Her breath sharpened as she forced her eyes open. Blinding light seared her vision before it settled into a dim, flickering glow. The room was unfamiliar—sterile, clinical. The kind of place where things went to be broken.

Then she heard it. A giggle. High-pitched, lilting, twisted at the edges.

No.It could not be.

She turned her head, and her stomach dropped.

Powder—no, not Powder. Jinx.

The girl in front of her was not the one she remembered. No wide, innocent eyes. No timid, nervous smile. Instead, there was something manic in her expression, a wild kind of glee as she twirled a pistol around her finger, perched on a metal table like she did not have a care in the world. Her blue braids swayed as she tilted her head, examining Ember like a specimen in a jar.

"Well, well, well," Jinx purred. "Look what the cat dragged in."

Ember could not speak. Could not breathe. Seven years. Seven years of chasing ghosts, of searching the depths of Zaun, of clinging to the desperate hope that somehow, someway, Powder was still out there. But this was not Powder. This was someone else entirely.

"You’re real," Ember finally choked out.

Jinx’s grin twitched, her fingers tightening around the pistol. "Ding, ding, ding! Give the girl a prize!" She hopped off the table, boots clicking against the floor as she sauntered closer. "Didn’t think I’d ever see your sorry ass again. Not after you up and vanished." Her voice darkened, the playfulness laced with venom. "Guess you got bored and decided to crawl back?"

"I never stopped looking for you." The words spilled out before Ember could stop them.

Jinx froze. Then, she laughed—sharp, cruel. "Oh, that’s rich. You? Looking for me? Cute. Real cute." She leaned in, close enough that Ember could see the way her pupils dilated. "Too bad you didn’t look hard enough."

Ember pulled at her restraints, jaw clenched.

"I—"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Jinx wagged a painted finger before pressing it to Ember's lips. "I don’t really care what you have to say. You left, Em. Just like Vi. Just like everyone else." Her voice wavered, just for a second, but then she was back to smiling, back to pretending it didn't hurt. "But don’t worry! Silco’s got plans for you. Big ones. So you and me? We’re gonna have so much fun."

A door scraped open behind Jinx, and Ember went rigid as heavy footsteps echoed into the room. She didn't have to look to know who it was.

Silco.

He stepped into view, calm, composed, a glass vial of something black swirling between his fingers. His one good eye gleamed in the dim light, and his ruined one remained unblinking as he watched her.

"You should be honored, Silvertip," he said smoothly. "Not many get a second chance after disappointing me. But I see potential in you. I see something greater."

Ember gritted her teeth. "I’m not your soldier."

"Not yet." Silco smirked. "But you will be."

Jinx giggled again, rocking back on her heels. "Oh, this is the best part. You’re gonna love this. Well, not really, but I will."

Silco held up the vial, the black liquid inside catching the light like ink. "This," he explained, "is something new. Something better than Shimmer. Stronger. Purer. The key to absolute obedience."

The blood in Ember’s veins turned to ice.

"You can fight," Silco continued, "but you’ll lose. And when you wake, there will be no more wavering loyalties, no more questions—just action."

Ember’s breathing turned shallow as he stepped aside, revealing the figure standing behind him.

A man, if you could call him that. The bottom half of his face was concealed by tattered cloth, doing a poor job of masking his scarred, gaunt complexion. He was spindly and looked as though he was one stubbed toe away from death. However, there was a cold, calculated, terrifyingly intelligent air about him.

The scientist moved with quiet precision, holding a long, gleaming needle between his fingers. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, grasping Ember’s jaw in an iron grip and wrenching her head painfully to the side.

"Meet Obsidian," Silco murmured. "Your new master."

Before Ember could twist away, the needle plunged deep into her neck.

A searing, molten agony exploded through her veins. It was unlike anything she has ever felt—liquid fire pouring through her bloodstream, scorching every nerve. Her body convulsed, spine arching violently as black tendrils raced beneath her skin, coiling around her limbs, her throat, her eyes. A strangled scream ripped from her throat, raw and primal, but there was no mercy, no reprieve.

Jinx watched, wide-eyed with fascination as Ember’s breathing turned ragged and the veins beneath her skin darkened like cracks in porcelain.

Silco exhaled slowly, pleased. "Now," he said, voice dripping with satisfaction, "let’s begin."

Vi's childhood home was a ruin, a twisted monument to their shattered past. Vi leans against a crumbling wall, her side searing in agony. She presses a hand to the wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood, but it seeps between her fingers, staining her skin crimson.

Caitlyn… She has to wait for Caitlyn. It's her only chance.

Her mind drifts, flickering between the present pain and the ghosts of the past. Ember. She saw her. After all these years, she is alive. But something is wrong. She is different. Cold. Empty.

Stay dead, Vi. Her words echo in Vi’s mind, sharp and cruel. What happened to her? What did Zaun do to her?

Her head lolls back against the concrete, her breath ragged. She has to stay awake. Has to wait for Caitlyn.

Her thoughts drift again, back to Ember. Those eyes… They were so cold, so empty. It was like looking at a stranger. But deep down, Vi knows it was her. The girl she grew up with, the girl she loved.

What happened to you, Ember? The question echoes in her mind, a desperate plea for answers. 

She drifts in and out of consciousness, the pain in her side a constant reminder of her vulnerability. She can’t afford to be weak. Not now. Not when Ember is out there, somewhere, lost in the darkness.

Finally, she hears footsteps. Caitlyn. She is back.

Caitlyn rushes to her side, her face etched with concern. Her movements are swift and efficient as she uncorks a small vial filled with a shimmering purple liquid. Without a word, she gently lifts Vi’s chin, sets the glass against her lips and pours the concoction into her mouth.

The liquid burns as it goes down, a searing heat that spreads through Vi’s veins. She gasps, her body convulsing as the Shimmer takes hold. The pain subsides, replaced instead by an odd surge of energy. She feels stronger, faster. But there is a darkness there too, a primal rage that simmers beneath the surface.

Suddenly, a sound, just outside the building. It could’ve easily been dismissed as the wind or a bird, but Vi isn’t so stupid as to take her chances.

She bursts through the door, Caitlyn close behind her. 

There he stands, surrounded by pleading shimmer addicts, the toxic purple glow emanating from the vials in his hands illuminating their hungry faces. 

“Vander’s prodigy,” Silco purrs, an unsettling lilt present in his otherwise gravelly voice.

In that moment, the world seems to turn off. This man - no, this monster, who singlehandedly destroyed the lives of her and countless others, is simply stood there, mere feet away, fucking smiling.

Vi can see his wrinkled lips move. She can see the people curled at his feet snatching the vials from his grasp, gulping it down like air before contorting into monstrous, veiny, humanoids. She can see them inching towards her, shimmer-laced drool dripping from their open mouths. She can see everything, yet all sound vanishes as it reaches her ears.

She is swallowed by rage, grief and worst of all, guilt. It consumes her from the inside out, slowly chipping away until whatever's left of her finally shatters.

“You talk too much.” 

With that, Vi turns, and with one powerful punch, she strikes one of the support beams holding up the already weakened structure. The force sends cracks splintering up through the wood, the sound echoing down through the valley.

The building groans, teetering on the edge of collapse. And it does. Vi grabs Caitlyn’s hand, pulling her towards a gaping hole in the wall. They scramble through the opening just as the rest of the building collapses, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air.

They stumble away from the wreckage, coughing and gasping for breath. Vi looks back at the collapsed building and the flickering of the massive green eye that once perched on top of it. Her heart is pounding. They had made it out just in time.

As the dust finally settles and the pair are about to make their escape, Vi catches a glimpse of a silhouette standing off in the distance. Tall, cloaked in shadows. She can't see their face, but then a glint of light catches her eye. Silver. A necklace. The necklace she had gifted someone long ago after snagging it from some Piltovan woman’s jewelry box.

Her heart stops. It's her. Ember.

But something isn’t quite right. Something about her stance, her posture… it is harsher, more distant. Even from here, Vi can feel the change. It is dangerous.

“Vi, we have to go!” Caitlyn urges, pulling on her arm.

Vi hesitates, her gaze fixed on Ember. She wants to call out to her, to run to her. But something holds her back. A sense of unease, a feeling that she is looking at a stranger.

Caitlyn pulls her away, and Vi reluctantly follows, her eyes still fixed on Ember. As they disappear into the maze of Zaun’s underbelly, Vi turns back one last time. Ember is still there, watching them. And in the flickering light wreckage, Vi's spots something that freezes her to the spot.

Ember’s eyes, once a wonderful hazel, full of life and curiosity, are consumed by black. Her hands, those warm hands she used to hold while jumping across rooftops or watch while they aptly cleaned her bow, aren’t really hands at all. Instead, they're mechanical now, made of cold, lifeless metal. Vi can see the crude junction of steel and skin, where human turns to machine, and she feels something inside herself break. When had that happened? How could she not have noticed it in the warehouse?

But, for a split second, as the green light flashes a bit brighter, Vi notices the worst sight of all.

Gruesome black stitches lacing Ember’s lips shut. 

WC: ~1500 words

A/N: oopsies i got carried away again. not much for me to say rn tbh other than jeez that was intense. ember's really not having a great time right now lmfao. anyhoo, it might take me a bit to figure out where to go with this story next... (who am i kidding, i'll probably release the next chapter tomorrow) oh well.

seeya in the next one~~

♥♥♥ maya_no_more

[robinofgothamcity]

"now we're stopping the world, stopped it in its tracks. nothing's too broken to find our way back so before it's over, before you run...didn't we have fun?"

♡ pairing: ilja dragunov x fem! reader

♡ note: not checked for grammar or spelling mistakes / i'm so happy ilja won tonight but that doesn't mean that i'm not heartbroken over walter finally losing. anyway, here's a small blurb for all you ilja stans.

"your ex has his big match tonight, you excited to probably see him lose again?" Indi asked jokingly. you rolled your eyes, not wanting to joke about a match you were nervous to watch. "I know tonight for him is a big deal so I don't really want to jinx him or for that matter, Walter," you replied, taking a sip of water.

Indi sighed sensing the excuses rolling off your tongue. you were tapping away nervously on your laptop and you filled out last minute paperwork for the pay-per-view event. she noticed every time you had your nose deep into your laptop it was for one of two reasons. you actually had to get work done or you were so nervous about something that you consumed your life with work until whatever it was that was making you nervous passed.

"what has you so glued to your laptop? I thought all NXT work was finished yesterday?" you shook your head, not responding as you continued to, "Regal wanted me to respond to a few emails for the taping on Tuesday. where's Dexter? I'm surprised the engaged couple isn't together right now," you poked, making Indi smack you on the back of the head.

the entire building was buzzing from excitement. you heard makeup and costume screaming at each other about finishing their clients so the other could get started. wrestlers walked back and forth through catering, chugging back water and standing by the curtains to eat while they watched whatever match was going on.

"look, Walter's over there," Indi whispered. you looked behind you, seeing Walter along with his two henchmen walking to an empty table. you could sense Walter's energy the minute he walked through the door. it was like the biggest unkept secret that Walter carried this energy that just scared anyone who dared to provoke him. "man, Ilja's going to get it rough, regardless if he wins tonight or not," you whispered to Indi as she agreed.

you and Indi remained talking to each other as you watched Dakota's match against Raquel. you were on the writing team for their storyline so you kind of had to pay attention to the match to see where it went after it ended. you managed to be so engrossed into it that you hadn't heard Indi calling your name for a good minute until she finally shook you.

"they want you in makeup and costume, something about Regal wanting you," Indi said. you nodded, closing your laptop and shoving everything int your bag, "I'll be back," you murmured. Indi laughed knowing you weren't exactly coming back anytime soon.

you walked as quickly as possible, not realizing that Regal had no business in makeup and costume but since your mind was so plagued with the thoughts of Ilja's match, you hadn't put two and two together.

once you arrived to makeup and costume, you saw Ilja sitting on one of the chairs as one of the makeup artist apologized profusely to you, "this was all Indi's idea. I swear she was the one who put me to this," she confessed as she walked out of the makeup stall, leaving you with Ilja, the air becoming thick.

"I know this isn't all of Indi's doing so what do you want?"

+

Ilja and you stared at each other, minds racing as the two of you heaved in anger, "I'm not staying on the UK brand, Lacey and I got offered a better deal as a tag team on the main NXT roster and I'm not just letting that go," you repeated to Ilja as he tried to grab your hand again. you quickly shook it off knowing that all he was going to do was try and convince you to stay again.

"why are you so against me going?" you asked again. this time, Ilja stood up, looking into your eye with so much intensity, "if you leave, I won't ever see you again. I won't leave the UK brand and you look like you're dead set on leaving it," you huffed knowing what Ilja was saying was true.

the offer NXT had for you in Florida seemed hell of a lot better than what the UK brand was offering you at the moment and teaming as a tag with Lacey didn't sound as bad as what you were currently doing. you grabbed Ilja's hand and rubbed it softly, "this might be the end for us but it's not all bad. you have a chance at the belt here while I try to go do the same thing just in Florida. maybe this isn't the end, just a see you later?" you asked knowing Ilja was trying to hold in his tears.

you knew Ilja was the kind of man who didn't hold back his emotions. he cried when he felt the tears coming but today he tried as hard as he could to hold it together, "we'll be together again, I promise," you whispered to him.

you felt your leg pulsing as you tried to calm your thoughts down. you had taken a nasty fall down during a match and you knew it was your ankle that had taken the hit or your achilles. a part of you was begging that it was your ankle but in the back of your mind, you knew it was your achilles and an achilles injury usually meant a prolonged healing process.

the medics tried to find the source of your injury but there wasn't much you could do while in the area. it didn't take long for them to wheel you into an ambulance and rush you over to the hospital to actually check out what was wrong. the entire time throughout the ride and waiting on your results, you kept getting a multitude of texts from everyone wondering what happened.

you heard a knock on the door and whispered a 'come in'. the doctor walked in with a pile of paperwork and wary smile. "what's the damage?" you asked, quickly cutting to the chase. he handed you the paperwork and while you could understand somethings, a lot of it was confusing.

"your achilles, it took most of the damage and it's an injury that you won't be coming back from."

your heart stopped hearing the news. you knew an achilles injury was pretty nasty but you never thought it would be the reason why your career ended. the doctor could see your face drop in complete sadness as you tried to hold back sobs. he knew it was best to not continue as you hid your face into your hands. no one thought that a random Tuesday night match would be your last.

Ilja sat on his bed, scrolling through his feed on Twitter when he heard the tweet from your account.

it was a photo of you holding the NXT UK Women's belt close to your heart. his heart sunk as he read the caption.

"didn't we have fun? don't say it was all a waste."

he quickly scrolled through your account to quickly come across the official WWE account. they had made an announcement that you were no longer available to wrestle due to your injury and Ilja knew more than anyone how hurt you must've been. you had moved your entire wrestling career to Florida in order to pursue the women's belt there and now, all of that was gone.

a part of him wanted to text you to make sure you were okay but he knew better than to do that. the two of you hadn't spoken since the breakup and texting you could bring back memories he was sure you didn't want back. a lot of your career was defined as a inter-gender tag team with him and that was how the two of you got signed together.

Ilja bit his tongue back and decided against texting you.

+

you watched the match from the monitors in the back. Ilja had said nothing to you when you asked what he wanted but he brought you in for a searing kiss. you were promptly taken back by his action but you let it happen, missing the way his arms hugged you and the way his intense eyes stared down at you.

Indi stood next to you as she saw you tapping against the table nervously. she knew you'd probably kill her later for making you reunite with Ilja but she knew better than anyone that the two of you belonged together. just like her and Dexter, you and Ilja needed to remain with each other. there was even a few wrestlers on the roster she had to scare away in order for her plan to work.

you saw the way Ilja's chest was turning red as Walter continued to chop at it, making it bleed and creating small cuts here and there. Indi stood next to you as she watched Ilja put Walter in a very easy chokehold. it wasn't one that seemed that Walter would falter too but it happened in an instant, Ilja had him wrapped so tightly that it seemed Walter was about to pass out.

"holy shit."

Walter was quickly tapping himself out of Ilja's grasp as the bell rang. Indi turned over to you to see the way you dropped your bag and without thinking, ran out of the curtains and onto the ramp. a few of the producers called your name to return but you were too far out to hear what they were saying.

the crowd was going wild to see you practically sprinting down the ramp. Ilja hadn't realized what was going on but you snatched the belt away from the ref and stood in front of him, holding it up high as Ilja tried to process what was going on. "you won, Ilja! you finally did it!" you yelled, shaking the belt in front of him.

Ilja's breath hitched as he grabbed the belt and held it tightly for a moment before putting his leg on top of Walter's chest, "you did it," you whispered to him. Ilja screamed in victory as you grabbed his hand and made him hold the belt higher to show the crowd that he had in fact dethroned Walter after 800+ days

you had no idea what this meant for you and Ilja going forward but you had the inkling feeling that somehow, someway, Ilja had crawled his way back into your life. not that you were complaining of course.