#vi sobbing that she tried to keep powder safe

[stardvstbby]

i’m going to read a frankly concerning amout of fix it fics once Arcane finishes

i NEED my Vander, Vi, Jinx, and Isha happy family

[beetlejuicyy]

The Sound of Silence

childhood friends! vi x reader

wc: 2.6k

tags: angst, hurt/no comfort, childhood friends, implied caitvi, vi is lowkey manipulative

synopsis: fate brings you and your childhood friend vi together again. while she's struggling with her own demons and her unstable relationship with caitlyn kiramman, you realize you had fallen in love with her. you're vi's safe place, but she is not yours.

note: for clarity, the text in "italic" represents past conversations

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Vi was scared of being alone.

Considering all the events that had led to her knocking on your door, bloodshot tired eyes with no tears left to cry looking at you weakly, teeth chewing the inside of her cheek almost too hard, you had the realization that the woman at your doorstep had always been alone all this time. You let her in, despite having sworn you would never chase her again. You let her in. How could you not, when the pain she had caused you was incomparable to the way your heart shattered seeing her like this, fingernails digging into her skin, still sobbing and unable to keep her posture straight. She muttered weakly something resembling the word 'thanks' and made her way inside your small apartment.

You remained by the door for a few moments, looking at the back of the woman who always stepped proudly.

Vi was scared of being alone. Of course she was, after losing the people she loved, one by one. You had left the undercity when things were still going smoothly. It was an incredible opportunity, to be able to study in Piltover. You visited as often as you could, until Vander's death changed everything. You heard rumours of Powder working for Silco a couple of years later. And you found Vi in a wet, dark and cold cell almost six years later.

You had graduated and already secured a decent job. Through some colleagues who had friends and connections, you happened to find out about a girl with hot pink hair and an attitude that had been her days in prison for several years already. The description resembled the Vi you remembered quite a lot and when your heart skipped a beat at the possibility of finding her again you knew you had to check. Next thing you knew, half your savings were already in an officer's pocket as bribe.

"Vi?" You remembered it like it was yesterday, how your voice broke as it echoed against the stone walls deep underground. The officer stepped aside after announcing your visit to the inmate, allowing you to look inside the dark cell through the iron bars.

She called out your name in response as she appeared out of the shadows, only after hearing your voice, the familiar tone of her name spoken so softly in such a long time leaving her confused. She had grown into a woman, just like you had, and you both stared at each other in silence for a few moments, in disbelief.

You tried your best to help her. You visited as often as you were allowed, sent her goods as much as you were allowed and even reached out to a former classmate who was now a lawyer to get her out of jail. It was a complicated and lenghty process, but you were determined to have your friend back. In the meantime, you continued visiting her despite the  unsettling feeling the prison gave you, telling her all about your new life and reminiscing your childhood together.

This lasted no more than a few months, until you discovered that Vi had been released without notice. And as grateful as you were to find out she was safe and sound, out of that smelly, forsaken cell, things were only getting worse.

Caitlyn Kiramman had her wrapped around her finger. Whenever they would fight, you would find Vi in the darkest, deepest pit, drunk and passed out, beaten up, destroyed. You dragged her out every time. When she found out about Jinx, you held her in your arms and wiped her tears away. Whenever she and Cait reached a disagreement, you were there to listen, rub her back and make sure she fell asleep in a warm bed.

All of this despite the growing realization that you didn't care about Vi simply as a friend. She was ripping a piece of you whenever she was going back to her old ways. No matter how badly they fought, how big their differences, as soon as Vi would bump into Cait she would fold immediately. From annoyed you turned upset until you finally ended up heartbroken.

Vi was scared of being alone. Considering that, you would expect her to care for and respect the people she had left, not take them for granted like she was doing to you.

"I made some tea." You said. It wasn't an offer. Often times you felt like a parent taking care of a sick child, forcing her to take the medicine that had a bad taste. But this time, Vi was awkwardly standing in the middle of your living room, as if she had never stepped foot into your home before. "Sit down."

She obliged, almost mechanically. As you disappeared to the kitchen for a brief moment, Vi's glassy eyes looked around the dimly lit room. It was almost noon, but a storm was approaching and the clouds barely allowed any light from the sun to pass through.

"I'm done, Violet!" You yelled at her back then, she could almost see you right in front of the book shelf, where a tall lamp with warm light was throwing shadows on the walls. "I'm sorry I couldn't take you out of prison on a whim. Or help you with your sister. Or have the influence to fix all your problems."

The sound of cups and plates made her snap back to reality. You walked in with the promised steaming cup of tea and some biscuits. Vi's eyes avoided yours.

"But you can't treat me like a cloth you use to wipe the floor when it gets dirty."

You sat on the chair on the right side of the couch she was sitting on, obviously keeping the distance. The silence was painful.

"This is the last time I pick you up from whatever hell hole you throw yourself into."

Vi understood that very well. And yet, when you didn't come looking for her when she isolated herself from everything and everyone she knew, Vi panicked. She had grown so accustomed to licking her wounds at your place, mending her heart with your touch, calming her nerves with your voice that her steps took her to you purely by instinct, like a trained dog finding its way back to its owner.

"I..." She forced the words out of her mouth, chest heavy and mind blurry. She didn't even realize she was playing with her hands in her lap, flexing the fingers, cracking the knuckles. "I have nowhere to go." Her eyes were fixed on the still surface of the teacup, the flowery scent reaching her nose shyly. You stopped blowing air on your own cup of tea, in an attempt to cool it.

"I'm sure you have a room rented at a motel or something."

No emotion showed on Vi's face, perhaps due to the overwhelming amount of contradicting feelings turning her heart numb. Her empty, wide eyes looked through the cup of steaming tea, her mind replaying the things you told her through sobs and tears last time she was here. There was nothing else to say now, you've said enough back then. There was no point in running in circles, since you poured your heart out and all she could say was 'I didn't know '.

"I held you in my arms and played with your hair until you fell asleep still crying! You're always so touchy, so flirty, and I make sure you know I love that! God damn it, Vi, we made out on the floor, several times already! How can you not know?!"

"I didn't want to be alone." She said a few moments later, not as much of an answer to your previous words but more like a second attempt at conveying her feelings. She was leaning forward now, one elbow on her knee, the other hand reaching for a biscuit. Sugar seemed a nice idea, although it wouldn't be enough to sweeten the bitter taste in her mouth.

Several possible replies crossed your mind. However mad you were at her though, they all seemed too mean, too harsh to voice out. Instead, you took a rather loud sip of your still hot drink, taking some time to think.

"You're afraid of being alone but you come here, take what you need then leave me alone every single time! How is that fair, Vi?! "

Your words echoed in her mind. You didn't seem like you were eager to have the same conversation again, but she was reliving it now like she had done countless times. You did most of the talking back then, leaving her speechless and shocked.

On the other hand, you didn't have the heart to send her away. Only you knew how painfully your fingers ached to wipe the tears away from her eyes. How hard it was to sit away from her, when everything about her face, her body, her voice begged to be held. She had a couple of fresh bruises, probably due to a bar fight. You wanted to take her to the shower and clean her, have her change into something comfortable and fresh, and see her features soften as she fell asleep.

You didn't reply at all. Somehow, a lingering feeling of shame was piercing your heart. Why couldn't you be only a friend to her? You were good at that. It was what she needed. You could never compete with Caitlyn Kiramman, not in looks or status or money or anything else, to be fair. You were unrivaled in friendship, tough, ever since you were kids.

"I'm in love with you, okay?! I hope you're not also deaf, besides being fucking blind! "

Embarrassing. Though, however embarrassing, there was no other way. Weeding the feelings out of your heart was impossible.

Vi was scared of being alone. She became aware of it when you showed up that day on the other side of the iron bars. She had grown so accustomed to the darkness and the solitude, the cold stone and hollow walls. In a way, it was easier, having nothing left to lose.

"Won't you ask me what happened?" She was still hesitant to look at you. The guilt of running away right after your confession had been eating her alive.

"Whatever it is I am sure you'll get over it." You put the cup of tea on the table, forcing your body to move. Sitting there was pointless. It was dangerous. The closer you were to her, the weaker in your resovle.

"You're still as mean as you were back when we were kids." Vi said with a tired chuckle. "But you were never mean to me."

Quicksand. You were standing on it right now when she was choosing to play the sentimental card. In exchange, you chose to stand up and call it a day, refusing to play her game.

"I'll bring you sheets and a pillow. You know where the blanket is. You can sleep on the couch tonight but don't abuse my kindness."

You managed to take only one step before her rough, bruised fingers wrapped around your wrist in a tight grip, not allowing you to leave. Her face was still turned away from you, her eyes reflected in the now cold cup of tea. You looked down at her, expecting her reasoning. All you could see was the back of her leather jacket, two hounds facing away from eachother embroidered on it. Now you realized it wasn't the lack of light in your apartment, her hair really was dyed black. You tried to pull your hand away from her grip but she only held your wrist tighter. You yanked it violently, struggling to break free. She didn't flinch one moment.

"What more do you want from me, Vi?!" You whined. Your arm rexaled in her grip, knowing any resistance was futile. Vi was too stubborn.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep. Please." Tears were pooling up again, blurring her vision. The grip on your wrist weakened and your hand easily slipped through her fingers. Before she could pull her hand away you hooked your pinky around hers, not wanting to let go either, like an unspoken promise.

"You're still as greedy as you were back when we were kids." The corner of her lips curled in a regretful smile. You pulled on her pinky finger, urging her to stand. "Go take a shower, you'll ruin my sheets."

Before she sat up, Vi wiped away the tears yet to fall with her fist while the pinky of her other hand was still glued to yours. With a clearer vision, she looked down at your hands. You took a good look at her.

"You're hurt." Only after the words left your mouth you realized how stupid it sounded.

"It's nothing much I'm... fighting in a pit in the undercity for money."

"Vi..." You sighed. Somehow, you would always end up like this. You'd scold her for getting in trouble while she would tell you about her adventures. After a full day of taking care of everyone, she would come to you to be taken care of. But band aids werent enough anymore. She seemed to be thinking about the same thing. Her fingers slowly brushed against your hands as she held both of them.

Violet had successfully broken your walls once again.

"Do you remember how mad you'd get when I wouldn't come to you when I got hurt? Although you were pretty shitty at applying band aids."

"Vi, stop it. I know what you're doing."

Her eyes finally looked up from your hands to look at you directly for the first time. A clear sky, an endless pool of light blue that you drowned in every time. You felt weak in your knees. As if she knew, she pulled you in her arms, holding you in a tight embrace. She buried her face in your hair, her fists gripping your shirt tightly. She was so warm you could melt. It didn't take long before your hair was wet with her tears. As soon as you noticed, you tried to pull away to check on her but once again she held you even tighter.

"Don't let me go." She begged, voicing the feelings that her body was already conveying. "Please, please, please."

Vi was scared of being alone. The tears formed in your eyes didn't get to fall, as your nose was buried in the crook of her neck. Instead, your tears soaked her skin. She kept repeating the word 'please' like a prayer to god, like she would stop breathing if she didn't. You had the feeling she wasn't asking for the same thing anymore. With every time she said the word, it would seem to bear a different meaning, like it contained and entire story. Maybe she was asking for forgiveness. Maybe she was asking for another chance. Maybe she was asking for the impossible.

You had no idea for how long you stood there. Time had lost all meaning. In any case, like a benevolent goddess, you answered her prayers. As always, you welcomed her in your bed. You wiped her tears away. You played with her hair, humming an old lullaby until she fell asleep. You put her back, piece by piece. As her head was resting on your chest, her breathing even and calm, you wondered what she was dreaming about. The sound of the first raindrops hitting your window made you jump and Vi's nose nuzzled against your skin as she adjusted her position in her sleep. Looking at your intertwined fingers, you realized she had probably never dreamed of you, awake or asleep.

[jinxedbychaos]

Echoes of Insanity Ch. 2

Bound by Chaos

No summary as I'm not good with those

Jinx (Powder) x Twin sister

Past-

Playing by the canals of Zaun, I chase after Powder, her laughter coming out as she zigzag around me, trying to stay just out of reach. The clouded water glistens in the dull light, the distant sound of Zaun's factories a familiar sound in our daily lives. Vi sits on a rock nearby, her eyes never leaving us, a small smile on her face as she observes.

vi's in charge while our parents are at work, and even though she tries to put a tough front, she cares about keeping us safe.

Suddenly, Powder darts behind me, determined to catch up to me. I try to run faster, but my foot catches on a rock hidden in the dirt. making me fall to the ground. pain stings through my knees as I land hard, scraping them raw. tears start to fall off my eyes, and I can't help but let out a chocked sob.

Powder gasps, immediately scared that she might have hurt me. "Ash! I-I didn't mean to, I was just tryin to catch you!" She speaks in a shaky, panicked voice.

Vi already besides us "It's okay, Pow. Accidents happen" Vi says, glancing at her, then back at me with a reassuring smile. "besides some scraped knees wont stop Ash, right Ash?"

you sniffle, wiping away the tears and nodding slowly. Vi grabs a piece of tissue out of her pocket an gently starts cleaning the blood off my knees. She leans in blowing some air on the scrapes like our mom does when we get hurt. "See? all better".

Powder shuffles closer, still looking guilty. She reaches for my hand, her lip quivering. "I'm sorry, Asha. I didn't mean to…" Her eyes shiny with unshed tears, and i can see how guilty she feels.

i squeeze her hand, giving her a small, watery smile. "I-it's okay , powder" I mumble, trying to reassure her. feeling a little more steady now that Vi's taken care of me.

Vi stands and offers her hand to us. "come on, why don't we go home. I'll teach you a new game on the way" she says with a smile, her tone light, trying to lift our spirits.

I grab her hand, already feeling the excitement bubbling inside me at the thought of learning something new from Vi, Powder clings to the other hand.

The scrape on my knee long forgotten, as I follow my sisters, even in the bad times, being together makes everything feel just right again. Vi squeezes our hands, pulling us gently along, and I can't help but feel safe and loved, all the pain fading away under the warmth of their presence.

---------------

Present-

Vi uncovers a large garbage pipe hidden in the ground and quickly scans the area for enforcers.

"Oh, man, not again! I just got this shirt-" Mylo whines, but he's cut off as Vi shoves him into the pipe with a swif kick. Claggor follows, then Powder and me, with Vi coming last.

We slide through the dirty, narrow pipe, letting out startled yelps as we descend. At the end, we tumble into a pile of garbage in an underground disposal area.

"Thought last time was the last time we were gonna do this." Mylo grumbles, pulling a piece of trash out of his hair.

"Well, this time's the last time." Vi replies

"Guys, what was that? What the hell happened back there?" Claggor ask, still looking a bit shaken.

everyone suddenly turn to face powder and me. surprised by the accusation, we both try to defend ourselves.

"We didn't do anything!" Powder blurts out. "We didn't touch anything!" I quickly add.

"you could fill a damn library with all the things you didn't do" Mylo snaps, glaring at us.

Just as I'm about to fire back, Vi cuts in.

"Guys, we just emptied a Piltover penthouse right under the enforcers' noses" She climb out the pile of garbage "so, if you're done beating yourselves up, let's get this home"

We walk thtough the dimly lit disposal area until we find a trapdoor in the ceiling Vi drags some boxes with the help of Claggor an climb up, pushing the door open. she helps Powder and me out first, Then follows.

We step out onto the streets of Zaun, unaware of the two boys following us. As we pass by a boy casually rolling a barrel back and forth with his foot, he smirks. "nice haul?" he asks.

"you could say that" Mylo replies, looking smug.

Vi shoot Mylo a disapproving glare.

"I heard there was some action across the river" the boy continues, flipping a coin between his fingers.

"is that so?" Vi replies, about to move on, but two boys suddenly appear in front of us, blocking the way.

"But now you're, you're tracking this mess of yours through my streets." the boy says

"your streets? what makes you think-" Vi starts to snap, but Claggor quickly interrupts

"listen, we don't want any trouble, okay?" Claggor says, trying to defuse the situation.

One of the boys smirks "hear that, Deckard? They don't want any trouble."

"you know, in my experience trouble finds you" Deckard say, signaling toward Vi. "There's no reason this has to get ugly. How about you share a little taste of your treasure there, and we'll call it even?"

"No, no, no We worked to hard to-" Mylo starts, but Vi cuts him off, placing a hand on his shoulder before stepping forward to face Deckard.

Taking the bag off her shoulder, Vi asks "just a taste?"

"just a taste-" Deckard begins, but before he can finish, Vi swing the bag into his face, knocking him to the ground.

I jump, startled, and I can feel Powder do the same. suddenly, Vi tosses the bag at us, Powder grabbing it.

"huh" Mylo and Claggor grunt in unison, snapping into action and getting ready to fight.

Deckard groans and pushes himself up, his expression turning fierce. one of his friends rushes to Mylo, shoving him to the ground and starts landing punches.

Powder and I watch in shock, taking a few steps back, trying to distance ourselves from the chaos.

Claggor quickly moves in, shoving the boy off Mylo, but on the other side, deckard lunges at Vi, throwing wild punches. She fights back, each hit landing with brutal force.

Powder and I stand frozen, watching in horror as the fight unfolds. I see Powder fall to the ground, sitting back in fear.

Claggor punches one of the man in the face, throwing him back. he crashes to the ground right in front of us, his eyes locking onto ours and then the bag. Panic floods through me, and I grab Powder's arm "Run" I shout. Powders puts the bag around her and we run down an alley, the thug chasing after us.

back in the street, Vi, Claggor and Mylo are still fighting. unaware that we've taken off. Vi manages to knock Deckard to the ground, while Claggor is shoved against a wall. He grabs a handful of dirt and throws it to the face of the thug. The boy stumbles, and Claggor takes the opportunity to bring him down.

Meanwhile, Mylo is struggling beneath another thug, taking punch after punch. Vi rushes to his aid, grabbing a wooden plank and smashing it over the guy's head, knocking him out cold. the three of them stand, bruised but victorious, ready to leave the scene.

As they begin to walk away, Deckard, clutching his side, stumbles to his feet and pulls out a knife. "wait!" he says in pain.

Vi turns around, stepping closer to him. she leans down, staring him dead in the eyes. "wanna se how that ends?" she asks, her voice low and dangerous.

Deckard meets her gaze but says nothing, staggering back as he decides against pushing further.

Vi straightens up and glances around, realizing something "Where's Powder and Ash?" she asks her voice tense.

Meanwhile, Powder and I sprint through the narrow alley, not daring to look back, our breath coming in ragged gasps as we keep running, fear driving us forward.

We threw some crates in the way, desperately trying to slow the boy chasing us. "Oh! You little…" he grunted as he stumbled but kept running.

We darted through the cluttered alley, our breath heavy and frantic. When we reached a dead end blocked by boxes, we quickly hide behind a wall, trying to quiet our panting. Powder clutched the bag tightly, just we it seems like the boy might turn the other way. we accidentally knocked over a wooden plank.

"No, no, no, no!" I whispered, trying to grab the plank before it fell but it hit the ground with a loud bang.

Making the boy tur toward the noise.

Panic flooded me as I searched for any scape. Powder, clutching Mouser, quickly started loading it with nails, her hand shaking. A few nails falling to the ground. "Come on, Mouser, I need you!" she whispered urgently, her voice trembling.

I glance back at her, heart pounding, as she throws Mouser toward the boy's feet. We both held our breath, watching, hopping for a miracle. The parts turning and clicking together… then pink smoke burst out with a small pop.

disbelief crossing our face as the makeshift bomb failed. The boy smirked and started walking toward us, his eyes locked onto the bag.

We back away scared, our backs hitting the railing. In a split second decision, I unclipped the bag from Powder and I throw it into the river, the boy goes to grab it but fails and watches as the bag sinks.

As the boy is distracted, I grab my sister's hand and we bolted, weaving through the alleys, running as fast as we could until we finally reached the meeting spot. Vi, Claggor and Mylo were already waiting for us.

"Powder! Ash!" Vi called out when she saw us, and we ran straight to into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"Where's the bag?" Mylo ask, looking around, concern quickly filling his face as he realized it wasn't with us. Vi glanced at us too, frowning.

Still catching my breath, I stutter "He… he was following us" "He was going to catch us." Powder ads.

"I-i threw it into the river." i say with guilt.

"You did what?!" Mylo yelled, his frustration boiling over.

"we're sorry" Powder and I say in unison, both of us felling the weight of our mistake. Powder looked down, her voice small as she speaks "I tried to stop him with Mouser, but… it didn't work."

"Who saw that coming?" Mylo shots back, putting his arm up.

"doesn't matter. The stuff's gone" Vi interrupted "at least least you two are okay" she said softly, putting a hand on our shoulders.

Vi walks over to the building's door and pushes it open.

"Okay? what about us?" Mylo complained. "I get my face bashed in, and the just get a pass?" He continues as well all stepped inside.

"yup" Vi replies flatly, closing the door behind us.

We crowded into the old elevator. Vi lowered the lever, turning the flickering lights on as we began our descent into the Undercity.

Powder and I leaned against the railing, the weight of guilt heavy on our shoulders. Mylo still fuming.

"Every time" Mylo grumbled, glaring at us "Every time they come, something goes wrong." he pointed at our direction "They just jinx every job"

Powder and I are about to defend ourselves when Vi cuts in.

"Just drop it Mylo" Vi says, starring straight ahead as the elevator slower to a stop. The doors cracked open, and she pulled her hood up, stepping out into the streets of the Undercity.

We follow her, weaving through the crowded streets filled with vendors and people. At one of the stalls, Mylo steals some fruit from a sleeping merchant, stuffing it into his pocket with a smirk.

we continued down the streets until we reached The Last Drop. without a word Vi pushes the door open, and we all slipped inside.

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Ch. 1 - Ch. 3

There should be another chapter by Sunday.

Don't forget to leave likes and to repost

[registeredboykisser]

@poltergeist-punk not edited I'm trying to freewrite and get my creative ass going again. but yippee we overcame writers block!!

(Spoilers for s1ep3 of arcane but tbh if you're on this blog, you've probably already seen it)

The Base Violence Necessary For Change — Silco's POV

He watched Vander writhe on the ground, pained and bloody and bruised.

The absolute monster of a man he made loomed over, disgustingly vile with purple practically glowing throughout his veins. This was all in the name of vengeance, though he couldn't help but feel pricks at his heart when he heard Vi's sobs. He looked over slightly, taking in the pink mess of hair trapped under a piece of rubble. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at the bodies of her friends—her siblings. Then her gray eyes met his, and he averted her gaze.

The smoke surrounding them made it incredibly difficult to breathe, akin to the way the fissures clogged your throat. Though, this environment was much warmer, with the sweat trailing down his temple to the scarring of his face, nearing the point of stinging. The blade in his hand began to slip, and he adjusted his grasp.

He heard the familiar—all too familiar—sound of Vander's growl at the enemy, and panic began to settle again. The way he'd growled when forcing him down into those murky waters—scolded him when he desperately tried to escape, scowled at the way the knife plunged deep into his forearm— felt so similar to this moment. It defeated the purpose of why he was here.

He needed to regain control, set the record straight,

Become a monster himself.

He plunged the knife into Vander's back, the wet squelch of muscle and blood filling his ears. It wouldn't be the first time it did, but this time it felt raw, not drowned out by the water filling his ears, his lungs, his eye. He pushed the bulky man in front of him off of the knife, watching the red consume the typical off-white of his shirt. He stepped back, albeit not dexterously assessing the damage. Memories threatened to flood back, but he did his best to refuse acknowledgement.

Until Vander turned around and wrapped his large hands around his neck, tightening their grip and restricting his air flow. He met his gaze, anger began to dilute with fear—the same fear he felt that night. Vander's hands around his neck, the murky river waters eating away at the flesh and nerves of his eye, desperately gasping for air as his lungs continued to fill with more and more fluid—it was terrifying, and it made him feel so weak.

Vander's gaze was different, he seemed to still hold a fight he'd lost long ago—when he'd taken Powder and Vi under his wing, when he'd made deals with enforcers to keep the Lanes safe, when he feared his power after trying to kill the person he cared for.

And despite everything, he still felt like the same, weak young adult being drowned under that bridge.

Without anymore thought, he took another strike at the man above him. The knife landed in his abdomen this time, drawing much more blood than before without removing it. It only made his windpipe tighter, made him part his lips and gasp for hair. He bared his teeth—and yet he still looked more like a terrified stray than a feared figure. He watched as Vander got closer, willingly forcing the knife deeper and resting his forehead on his. Still so filled with anger, not holding the softness he once hated. But the gesture portrayed a different message. And then that pressure moved to his shoulder, and soon his whole body.

The large man pressed against him, making him readjust himself to handle the weight. The hand on his throat dropped to his side, and he quickly took a breath. He silently thanked Janna for the air, even if it was in the form of smoke.

If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine their most domestic moments. Vander's warm body surrounding his, Felicia chuckling while conversing with Connol, when Silco provided a breakthrough on their mission. He appreciated it and would've stayed there for longer, to forget the way Vander had tried to take his life momentarily. He wanted to indulge in the warmth against him, as his breathing slowed and his mind stopped racing.

The man always had a way of grounding him and his wild thoughts.

But the warmth soon started to run cold, the pulse against his chest no longer present, the breath on his neck just memories of it. And it soon became useless to continue.

His mind wandered, wondering if things would've been different if Vander had continued to fight instead of flea, if he had chosen to leave the children orphaned. But this was the universe they were in now, and he got to spend their final moments seeing that life in Vander come back.

He exhaled and tipped his head, unhanding the knife and reaching his hand to Vander's chest.

"I knew you still had it in you."

He breathed, but he couldn't tell if he was talking to Vander's now limp body or himself.

He pushed Vander off the ledge of the bridge and watched him descend into the flames.

[venranae]

rewatching arcane for the first time in years AND MY GOD, like vi and vander loved Powder so much, vi's whole thing was about wanting to protect her thats literally all she cared about but powder thought that protection was her being seen as weak, when it was literally love for her lil sister and the need to keep her safe CAN YOU HEAR ME SOBBING ON THE FLOOR. AND VANDER OMG, literally everything he did was for his kids, he was willing to die for them he literally died protecting them, literally did anything and everything he could to protect his girl im cryingfggg. EP 3 IS SO FUCKING TRAGIC LIKE COME THE FUCK ON THEY'RE KIDS, vi just lost everyone she loved cause of powders bomb of course she lashed out, like bro if smth my lil sister did just accidentally cause my dad to die and i had to watch him in desperation drink some freak concoction that let him live a little bit longer JUST so that he can protect me and tackle me out of a building thats about to explode and DIE FOR ME, YEAH ID LASH OUT AND NEED TO GO ROUND THE CORNER TO SOB TOO. but she tried to go back, her instinct was to protect her sister when she saw silco near her LIKE SHE LOVES HER she JUST watched vander die like shes 15 aeghaeghhh.

Thats literally the most tragic thing in all of arcane, both vi and jinx acted out of love and to protect each other but messed up and caused a misunderstanding so severe it forever changed their relationship and it KEEPS happening like later on when they meet again and jinx feels betrayed bc of caitlyn even tho it was not Vi's intention to ever betray Jinx at all. They are both not at fault which makes it so frustrating. They are victims of the circumstances and things COULD have been so different. There is no right or wrong side to pick and I feel so bad for both of them 😭

[tmrrwppl]

Say that again, I didn't quite hear ya Messed with the wrong bitch in the wrong era I been at work and I got my badge of honour Honey, I've changed so much since I last saw ya

When Casimiro Tellemanca ran away at 14, against his own better judgement, he brought his 10 year old sister, Clarissa, along with him.

Together, they arrived in New York City and fell in with a group of other homeless kids who were thrilled upon finding Cas had the ability to move things with his mind and disappear when he wanted to. They weren't however as thrilled with the soft little girl attached to his hip, who often tried to be helpful and didn't provide much help, despite her best attempts.

Around 2002, Cas was introduced to Roger Price, who immediately took to Cas and his sister, becoming a sort of guide to the other teenagers in the group and trying to keep them out of trouble.

In 2003, Roger told Cas he would be leaving for a while, and telling him what he needed to do to avoid Ultra and stay off the radar. While Cas wanted to listen, he also managed to follow Roger with Clari and the other kids from a distance, wanting to help him somehow. Cas forced Clari to stay behind while he and the others snuck into the seemingly random laboratory. Roger had a confrontation with another man, the two arguing and using their powers against each other as Roger attempted to detonate a bomb. Cas had been trying to get the other kids out of the building when he saw his little sister pick up Roger's bomb and activate it-- before she suddenly collapsed to the ground screaming moments before it exploded.

Cas managed to teleport to her and Roger got them both out of the building. But unfortunately, it appeared the other kids died in the explosion... or the resulting gunfire that seemed to happen suddenly from within the building. Roger comforted them as best he could, saying it was most likely because they weren't like them... and didn't have powers. Cas wanted to argue that Clari didn't either, and that she was useless and had caused all of this, but as soon as he said it the 13 year old was crying so hard that he could feel her sobs in his own head, projecting them telepathically. Oh.

Roger told them to run and stay safe, and stay away from Ultra, and for Cas to protect Clari... before going to get into his car... Which then exploded.

Both Cas and Clari were thrown back away from the car, Clari landing in the street and Cas around the alley.

Before Cas could get to his sister's side, he was slammed to the ground, arrested for the apparent bombings, his clothing later confirming the gunpowder from the first explosive was on his jacket-- from when he had grabbed his sister.

He was sentenced to 20 years at Ryker's in the aftermath, since they decided to charge him as an adult. He didn't fight it, he thought Clari had been killed in the explosion with Roger and blamed himself for all of it. Especially the fact she died thinking he thought she was useless.

Meanwhile, Clarissa had been safely stolen away by an Ultra Agent, treated in a private room at a hospital as Hugh Bathory, the man who had been fighting Roger, hovered over her bed. He was intrigued by the small girl having broken out upon throwing the bomb, despite her prime barrier resisting only after the moment.

All Clari could remember was Cas' anger, tell Roger she was useless, and that she ruined everything. And he left her.

Years later, Cas could remember the moment he woke up from his grief, it was seeing a news report about Ultra working on a new gene therapy to track potential evolutionary mutations. Speaking was a man named Jedikiah Price, and behind him was Hugh Bathory... And at Bathory's side, older but still recognizable, was his little sister. He didn't even make a plan, he just teleported out of his cell to go find her.

Cast of characters vs Arcane Counterparts (loosely based)

Casimiro 'Cas' Tellemanca - Violet/Vi

Clarissa 'Clari' Tellemanca - Powder/Jinx

Hugh "The Founder" Bathory - Silco

Roger Price - Vander

Jordan Reynolds - Caitlyn

Russell Kwon - Ekko

John Young - Jayce

Killian McCrane - Viktor

Jedikiah Price - Heimerdinger

[uraveragelonelyhuman]

Reuniting With Ekko, Vi And Viktor

EKKO

You had been a kid taken in by Vander

And he was friends with a man named Benzo, who had also taken a kid under his wing

So, you had always been close to Ekko and Powder most out of all the kids

Being closer to their age and all

You all were together everyday, never leaving each other's side

You and Ekko were hanging out one day when you saw a strange man come into the shop

You both could tell he wasn't from the Undercity

And he paid Ekko in gold, Ekko charged him double price with your convincing

And after you both followed him to his pretty apartment in Piltover

And you could tell he was rich, or had rich connections

So when you guys came back you told Vi, she was proud as hell of you both

And her, Powder, Claggor and Mylo left to rob the apartment

That was the start of it all

Vander was taken, Benzo was killed and in the middle of the night after staying with Ekko to help him, you felt the ground shake

You panicked, telling Ekko to stay there in the shop as you ran like hell

When you got there Vi was leaning against a wall as she sobbed

You kneeled down beside her to check on her, worried as she looked at you shocked

Then you both looked up, seeing the man recognized as Silco standing above your best friend on the ground

You both bolted, standing up to go get her before you were hit on the head

You fell to the ground, your conscious abandoning you

When you woke up, you were in a stone cell with Vi shaking you

You both were in prison, you thought they couldn't keep you there without trial o question

But you were wrong

Simply because you were from the Undercity, they kept you both there

For seven years

Vi kept you safe, you were all she had

But you both wanted out

And one day you got it

When a certain someone came around with a drawing of a monkey

You finally came back to the Undercity, looking for Powder and Ekko

And you found Powder, just not in the way you thought

And then you were ambushed by people in masks

One you swore you saw before, lingering in the shadows

And then you woke up in a random room

The one in the mask leaning against a wall

You opened your eyes, your head hurt like hell from being knocked out. You groaned as you sat up, rubbing your head as you looked around. You looked in the corner, a ray of light seeping in until you saw something.

Leaning against a wall, in the shadows a man with a white owl mask leaned against a wall. You glared, standing up as you clenched your fists.

"Who the hell are you?" You asked, your guard fully up as he slowly stepped out of the shadows.

"Why the hell am I here? Why won't you fucking answer?!" You yelled, impatient as he just kept staring at you. 

You then intently watched as he reached up to his mask, your eyes widening as you saw he was taking it off.

His head faced to the ground, his mask hissing as he dropped it to his side. He then stepped into the light, looking up as your eyes found familiarity in his face.

"...Ekko?" You breathed out, shocked as you stepped forward once. You then stopped as he looked at you with a blank stare. "Where the hell have you been?" He asked.

"What? Where am I? What the hell is all this?" You asked, panicking as you looked around. You didn't like not knowing stuff, feeling paranoid of what was to come. 

"What do you know about this?" He asked, opening a case to a blue stone. "Nothing! Powder had it, I don't know why but- shit, oh my god." You said, pacing back and forth as you tried to calm down.

"Where have you been? Where have you and Vi been? And why the hell were you with Jinx and-" Everything felt like it was spinning, Ekko's questions coming in fast and you couldn't keep up.

You felt tears pooling in your eyes, your hands meeting your head as you tried to get the feeling of nausea to pass. 

You wanted to know where you were, what happened while you were gone and what the hell happened to Powder.

"Ekko! Jus-Just shut the hell up!" You cut him off, yelling as he paused and looked at you worried. 

You looked tired, your entire body shaking as you tried to make sense of what was happening. Everything was so fast and you couldn't keep up.

"What the hell is going on?! What happened?! Me and Vi, w-we were thrown in Still- Prison and-" Ekko's eyes widened at your confession, Prison? What the hell did you mean Prison?

"Prison?! What the hell do you mean by Prison, Y/n?" He asked, you looking at him. "Yeah, we were thrown in Stillwater. No trial, nothing for seven fucking years!" You yelled, closing your eyes as you backed up into a pole.

You breathed heavily as you tried to ground yourself. 

"What happened while we were gone?! Powder- or Jinx, or whoever the fuck! What happened to her?! What happened to my best friend…" you trailed off, beginning to sob as everything sunk in.

Through the years you never actually had time to sit and think so it was all coming in like waves.

Vander had died, Benzo died, Claggor and Mylo died. You and I were thrown in jail without question. 

When you got out Powder was someone else, Silco flooded the lanes and took your guys' home. And Ekko was fucking yelling at you.

You hated being yelled at, it was something your birth parents did before leaving you to rot and it stuck with you.

Ekko looked at you sadly, his eyes filled with sympathy and guilt as he remembered you hated being yelled at. He slowly steps toward you, grabbing your hand and softly pulling you close to him.

"It's okay, everything's fine, I'm here…" he quietly stated, you holding onto him for dear life as your breathing calmed down.

"What happened while we were gone…?" You quietly asked, looking up at Ekko. He sighed, shaking his head. "A lot, Y/n. A lot." He stated.

You examined his face, lifting your palm to his right cheek as you sniffled. "Aw, Little man isn't little anymore." You laughed softly, Ekko rolling his eyes at you amusedly.

You slowly pulled back into the hig, your ear rested against his chest where his heart was. 

You found Ekko, and for now you would live in the moment. At least for a bit, because at least he was okay.

VI

You had been taken in by Benzo when young

And met Vi a couple days after

You two were stuck together by the hip

You were close in age and liked being together

You were the calm one while she was the harsh one

Still, match made in heaven

She liked being with you because you were calming

You liked being with her because she was her

And everything was great

Until the apartment heist

Everything went wrong after that

Benzo died

And so did Vander, Mylo and Claggor

What didn't help was Vi had went missing and Powder became Jinx

She never messed with you, visiting you when she could 

But she didn't like being reminded of Powder

She clung to you still because you were all she had left, and you were like her other big sister growing up

You came to terms Vi was dead, you had to survive though

So Babbette offered you a job, at the Brothel

Wasn't your ideal job but you took it

Everything was a bit peaceful in your life for a while

Until the past came knocking

You cleaned up your room in the brothel, your last client had come in and left after about 30 minutes and you were done for the day.

You were tired as hell and just wanted to get to Jericho's, eat and come back and sleep until forever. You had changed into something a bit more comfortable, grabbing your keys and about to head out until you heard the door open.

It then clicked closed just as you reached for your keys. You sighed, talking over your shoulder. "Wrong room. I'm done for the day, sorry." You said, walking forward as your hand grasped your keychain.

"Aw, too bad. You sure you don't have time for me, sweetheart?" That voice…you heard it before. You froze, you felt like you couldn't move at all. You recognized it but you didn't want to accept it.

Over the years your mind played tricks on you, a glimpse in your peripheral had you thinking Vi was around the corner. A whisper in your ear made you flinch thinking it was her only to come back to earth a second later.

You shook your head, not looking behind you. "Enough with the games, brain. She's not here…" you mumbled to yourself, resuming what you had been doing.

"But it's not a game. It's me, Y/n." She said again, this time you felt like crying as you realized she didn't go away. She would've left by now if it was a game.

You slowly turned around, your eyes finding the woman now grown up standing in front of you. She stared back at you with a small smile, her eyes looked you up and down.

"...Vi?" You whispered, afraid to talk as if she would disappear. She nodded her head, stepping closer to you. You gave a small sniffle, as she got closer you lunged at her.

You knocked her back a fre steps before she stabled herself. She gave a small chuckle mixed with a sniffle. She hugged you back, missing your touch over the years.

"You're okay.. How in hell are you alive?" You asked, your head not leaving her chest. "Believe me, I don't even know." She mumbled, resting her chin on top of your head as she closed her eyes.

She felt a little peace in that moment, holding you. Maybe the seven years of hoping and praying paid off, because you were actually here.

Alive. And with her now. 

And god, she was never letting you go, ever again.

VIKTOR

Your dad was Singed, and you met him when his boat flowed through the cavern

That's when you first saw him, you sat next to Rio as it knocked against your foot

He then stepped into your vision

He was hesitant until your dad beckoned him towards you guys as he held his toy boat in his hand

You then noticed his cane, tilting your head at it but shaking it off

Wasn't anything new, and was best not to ask

He was a loner, not being able to play with the other kids

You didn't like playing with them, thought they were idiots who were even ruder than their parents

You preferred staying with your dad and helping Rio

And eventually you three became loners together

You and Viktor grew up close together

You were stuck to the other like glue

You also both helped your dad with his gadgetry and projects

Everything was good, until Rio god worse

You begged your dad to let her go, but he always said the same thing

"The mutation must survive"

But Viktor didn't like it

And he left

You never saw him again for a long time

Viktor sat in his lab, Jayce gone for the day for whatever he did. He was messing with Hex tech, trying to improve it as he heard the lab door open.

"Sorry, Jayce is not here. And I am quite busy." He called over his shoulder, not looking back as he went back to his gadget.

He heard a sigh from behind him. 'Must be Sky.' He thought, not paying anymore mind until a voice broke the silence.

"Aw, not even enough time for little 'ol me?" He paused, it couldn't be. He hadn't seen you for years. And in Piltover? His lab nonetheless?

He turned around, shocked as he saw your smirking face standing at the middle counter of the lab. 

"Y/n!" He exclaimed, smiling as he stood up and grabbed his cane. You laughed, walking towards him and meeting him halfway. You wrapped your arms around his neck.

"I haven't seen you in years." He smiled, you pulling away as you laughed. "Yeah, about time, huh?" He nodded his head. "Yes, how did you know I was here?" He asked.

"I got in contact with your lab partner, Jayce. He was excited to help." You explained, nudging his cheek as he shook his head. "Remind me to thank him, for once." He joked.

"Wow, Piltover really has a hold on you. You have humour now?" You teased, the man rolling his eyes at you amusedly as he pulled away.

"Come, I should show you my creation." He walked over to his desk, you following him

You always wondered what his life was in Piltover, now you could be a part of it.

[the-dumpster-fire-of-life]

aah my bad! 3 with Vi, Ekko, and Viktor perhaps? ^^ thank you!

Heyo! Sorry this took some time I was feeling a bit lazy, lmao. Anyways, here ya go, enjoy!!

REUNITING WITH VI, EKKO AND VIKTOR

EKKO

You had been a kid taken in by Vander

And he was friends with a man named Benzo, who had also taken a kid under his wing

So, you had always been close to Ekko and Powder most out of all the kids

Being closer to their age and all

You all were together everyday, never leaving each other's side

You and Ekko were hanging out one day when you saw a strange man come into the shop

You both could tell he wasn't from the Undercity

And he paid Ekko in gold, Ekko charged him double price with your convincing

And after you both followed him to his pretty apartment in Piltover

And you could tell he was rich, or had rich connections

So when you guys came back you told Vi, she was proud as hell of you both

And her, Powder, Claggor and Mylo left to rob the apartment

That was the start of it all

Vander was taken, Benzo was killed and in the middle of the night after staying with Ekko to help him, you felt the ground shake

You panicked, telling Ekko to stay there in the shop as you ran like hell

When you got there Vi was leaning against a wall as she sobbed

You kneeled down beside her to check on her, worried as she looked at you shocked

Then you both looked up, seeing the man recognized as Silco standing above your best friend on the ground

You both bolted, standing up to go get her before you were hit on the head

You fell to the ground, your conscious abandoning you

When you woke up, you were in a stone cell with Vi shaking you

You both were in prison, you thought they couldn't keep you there without trial o question

But you were wrong

Simply because you were from the Undercity, they kept you both there

For seven years

Vi kept you safe, you were all she had

But you both wanted out

And one day you got it

When a certain someone came around with a drawing of a monkey

You finally came back to the Undercity, looking for Powder and Ekko

And you found Powder, just not in the way you thought

And then you were ambushed by people in masks

One you swore you saw before, lingering in the shadows

And then you woke up in a random room

The one in the mask leaning against a wall

You opened your eyes, your head hurt like hell from being knocked out. You groaned as you sat up, rubbing your head as you looked around. You looked in the corner, a ray of light seeping in until you saw something.

Leaning against a wall, in the shadows a man with a white owl mask leaned against a wall.

You glared, standing up as you balled your fists.

"Who the hell are you?" You asked, your guard fully up as he slowly stepped out of the shadows.

"Why the hell am I here? Why won't you fucking answer?!" You yelled, impatient as he just kept staring at you. 

You then intently watched as he reached up to his mask, your eyes widening as you saw he was taking it off.

His head faced to the ground, his mask hissing as he dropped it to his side. He then stepped into the light, looking up as your eyes found familiarity in his face.

"...Ekko?" You breathed out, shocked as you stepped forward once. You then stopped as he looked at you with a blank stare. "Where the hell have you been?" He asked.

"What? Where am I? What the hell is all this?" You asked, panicking as you looked around.

You didn't like not knowing stuff, feeling paranoid of what was to come. 

"What do you know about this?" He asked, opening a case to a blue stone.

"Nothing! Powder had it, I don't know why but- shit, oh my god." You said, pacing back and forth as you tried to calm down.

"Where have you been? Where have you and Vi been? And why the hell were you with Jinx and-"

Everything felt like it was spinning, Ekko's questions coming in fast and you couldn't keep up.

You felt tears pooling in your eyes, your hands meeting your head as you tried to get the feeling of nausea to pass. 

You wanted to know where you were, what happened while you were gone and what the hell happened to Powder.

"Ekko! Jus-Just shut the hell up!" You cut him off, yelling as he paused and looked at you worried. 

You looked tired, your entire body shaking as you tried to make sense of what was happening.

Everything was so fast and you couldn't keep up.

"What the hell is going on?! What happened?! Me and Vi, w-we were thrown in Still- Prison and-"

Ekko's eyes widened at your confession, Prison?

What the hell did you mean Prison?

"Prison?! What the hell do you mean by Prison, Y/n?" He asked, you looking at him.

"Yeah, we were thrown in Stillwater. No trial, nothing for seven fucking years!" You yelled, closing your eyes as you backed up into a pole.

You breathed heavily as you tried to ground yourself. 

"What happened while we were gone?! Powder- or Jinx, or whoever the fuck! What happened to her?! What happened to my best friend…"

you trailed off, beginning to sob as everything sunk in.

Through the years you never actually had time to sit and think so it was all coming in like waves.

Vander had died, Benzo died, Claggor and Mylo died. You and VI were thrown in jail without question. 

When you got out Powder was someone else, Silco flooded the lanes and took your guys' home. And Ekko was fucking yelling at you.

You hated being yelled at, it was something your birth parents did before leaving you to rot and it stuck with you.

Ekko looked at you sadly, his eyes filled with sympathy and guilt as he remembered you hated being yelled at.

He slowly steps toward you, grabbing your hand and softly pulling you close to him.

"It's okay, everything's fine, I'm here…" he quietly stated, you holding onto him for dear life as your breathing calmed down.

"What happened while we were gone…?" You quietly asked, looking up at Ekko. He sighed, shaking his head.

"A lot, Y/n. A lot." He stated.

You examined his face, lifting your palm to his right cheek as you sniffled.

"Aw, Little man isn't little anymore." You laughed softly, Ekko rolling his eyes at you amusedly.

You slowly pulled back into the hig, your ear rested against his chest where his heart was. 

You found Ekko, and for now you would live in the moment. At least for a bit, because at least he was okay.

VI

You had been taken in by Benzo when young

And met Vi a couple days after

You two were stuck together by the hip

You were close in age and liked being together

You were the calm one while she was the harsh one

Still, match made in heaven

She liked being with you because you were calming

You liked being with her because she was her

And everything was great

Until the apartment heist

Everything went wrong after that

Benzo died

And so did Vander, Mylo and Claggor

What didn't help was Vi had went missing and Powder became Jinx

She never messed with you, visiting you when she could 

But she didn't like being reminded of Powder

She clung to you still because you were all she had left, and you were like her other big sister growing up

You came to terms Vi was dead, you had to survive though

So Babbette offered you a job, at the Brothel

Wasn't your ideal job but you took it

Everything was a bit peaceful in your life for a while

Until the past came knocking

You cleaned up your room in the brothel, your last client had come in and left after about 30 minutes and you were done for the day.

You were tired as hell and just wanted to get to Jericho's, eat and come back and sleep until forever.

You had changed into something a bit more comfortable, grabbing your keys and about to head out until you heard the door open.

It then clicked closed just as you reached for your keys. You sighed, talking over your shoulder.

"Wrong room. I'm done for the day, sorry." You said, walking forward as your hand grasped your keychain.

"Aw, too bad. You sure you don't have time for me, sweetheart?"

That voice…you heard it before. You froze, you felt like you couldn't move at all.

You recognized it but you didn't want to accept it.

Over the years your mind played tricks on you, a glimpse in your peripheral had you thinking Vi was around the corner.

A whisper in your ear made you flinch thinking it was her only to come back to earth a second later.

You shook your head, not looking behind you.

"Enough with the games, brain. She's not here…" you mumbled to yourself, resuming what you had been doing.

"But it's not a game. It's me, Y/n." She said again, this time you felt like crying as you realized she didn't go away.

She would've left by now if it was a game.

You slowly turned around, your eyes finding the woman now grown up standing in front of you.

She stared back at you with a small smile, her eyes looked you up and down.

"...Vi?" You whispered, afraid to talk as if she would disappear.

She nodded her head, stepping closer to you.

You gave a small sniffle, as she got closer you lunged at her.

You knocked her back a fre steps before she stabled herself.

She gave a small chuckle mixed with a sniffle. She hugged you back, missing your touch over the years.

"You're okay.. How in hell are you alive?" You asked, your head not leaving her chest.

"Believe me, I don't even know." She mumbled, resting her chin on top of your head as she closed her eyes.

She felt a little peace in that moment, holding you.

Maybe the seven years of hoping and praying paid off, because you were actually here.

Alive. And with her now. 

And god, she was never letting you go, ever again.

VIKTOR

Your dad was Singed, and you met him when his boat flowed through the cavern

That's when you first saw him, you sat next to Rio as it knocked against your foot

He then stepped into your vision

He was hesitant until your dad beckoned him towards you guys as he held his toy boat in his hand

You then noticed his cane, tilting your head at it but shaking it off

Wasn't anything new, and was best not to ask

He was a loner, not being able to play with the other kids

You didn't like playing with them, thought they were idiots who were even ruder than their parents

You preferred staying with your dad and helping Rio

And eventually you three became loners together

You and Viktor grew up close together

You were stuck to the other like glue

You also both helped your dad with his gadgetry and projects

Everything was good, until Rio got worse

You begged your dad to let her go, but he always said the same thing

"The mutation must survive"

But Viktor didn't like it

And he left

You never saw him again for a long time

Viktor sat in his lab, Jayce gone for the day for whatever he did. He was messing with Hex tech, trying to improve it as he heard the lab door open.

"Sorry, Jayce is not here. And I am quite busy." He called over his shoulder, not looking back as he went back to his gadget.

He heard a sigh from behind him. 'Must be Sky.' He thought, not paying anymore mind until a voice broke the silence.

"Aw, not even enough time for little 'ol me?" He paused, it couldn't be. He hadn't seen you for years.

And in Piltover? His lab nonetheless?

He turned around, shocked as he saw your smirking face standing at the middle counter of the lab. 

"Y/n!" He exclaimed, smiling as he stood up and grabbed his cane.

You laughed, walking towards him and meeting him halfway.

You wrapped your arms around his neck.

"I haven't seen you in years." He smiled, you pulling away as you laughed.

"Yeah, about time, huh?" He nodded his head. "Yes, how did you know I was here?" He asked.

"I got in contact with your lab partner, Jayce. He was excited to help." You explained, nudging his cheek as he shook his head.

"Remind me to thank him, for once." He joked.

"Wow, Piltover really has a hold on you. You have humour now?" You teased, the man rolling his eyes at you amusedly as he pulled away.

"Come, I should show you my creation." He walked over to his desk, you following him

You always wondered what his life was in Piltover, now you could be apart of it.

[eldritchcreatureofwords]

Penitence. It was a funny thing. In theory, that's what she was doing here- paying penitence. Serving time. She'd been ready to turn herself in to do that, so long ago, ready to throw herself to the wolves. Funny, how quickly that train of thought could change. How quickly what felt like 'paying the piper' fairly, as Vander would say, felt...like nothing. Who cared about a building? Who cared about Piltover? Who cared about what she'd done? It didn't matter. There was no one for it to matter for. They were all dead. They were dead, and she was alone. Alone, and going to die in a cold ass fucking cell in a world where no one gave a shit about her, and she didn't deserve any better. Powder might be alive. You have to hold on for Powder. Powder hates you. You left her, and she hates you, and you deserve that, too. Her freedom wasn't payment. Her freedom meant nothing to dead men. If anything, this was what Vander hadn't wanted. What he'd tried so hard to keep her safe from. So not only had she gotten him killed, she'd let him down anyway. Penitence. Payment. Punishment. Pain. All that was left was pain. So she fought. She fought, and she raged, and she lay on cold cell floors with blood running down her face and body screaming in pain with the blows from heavy fists and feet and Enforcer batons.

"That path? This? That's not gonna solve your problems." Then what will? What do I do? Tell me what to do- Penitence. Payment. Punishment. Pain. She dreamed of them. All the time. She dreamed that they were still alive when the building blew up, screaming for help, screaming her name. She dreamed that they stood beside her bed while she slept, staring down at her, watching her, hating her. She sometimes dreamed that Vander would be outside her cell in solitary, grinning viciously and coldly at her and tapping the baton against the bars. Hurt like you hurt me, he would hiss, take your lumps, Vi. They're on you. We're all on you. You killed us. She'd dream that Powder was in the crowd of visitors that came and went in Stillwater, that she would stand and stare at Vi, and when Vi would call for her, would try to run to her, she would back away, raise her hands over her face and fall back, frightened, cringing, crying. Please, Vi, please, please, Violet, please- She would wake up gagging, sobbing, pound her fists against the wall for hours until her knuckles bleed and her arms shook and the urge to scream and scream and scream finally subsided. Penitence. Payment. Punishment. Pain. It started accidentally, when she was sixteen. There wasn't exactly a tattoo shop inside Stillwater, but people had them none the less. Piercings, too. She avoided them- she saw the infections, the sickness, the punishments that came up from it. But being dragged up from solitary was brutal. Worse when she had cracked ribs and a broken nose; she couldn't stop shaking, and breathing was pure agony. Penitence. She deserved it. She deserved this. She could get through it. She could push through it and survive. She clung to Powder's face, to the desperate hope that her little sister would still love her, still need her, still want her when she got out. If she got out. But God, she was so tired and it hurt so desperately and, shamefully, she found herself huddled at a table at the back of the prison cafeteria crying silently into her arms. She just...needed a minute. Just a minute to drain some of the exhaustion, the pain, to let some of it go. She hadn't slept in nearly two straight days, she couldn't eat, she just wanted- she wanted- Vander. "You look rough, kid." It wasn't Vander, but it may as well have been. She looked up, dashing the tears from her face in one practiced motion, set her jaw, balled her fists. "Yeah, well, you look ugly." She muttered back, sullen, to the lumbering figure above her. The woman- big, bulky, with bright purple hair and an eyebrow pierced not once but two times- only laughed, though, and it was a surprisingly gentle sound. "So I've been told." The woman sat next to her, without her permission, and Vi snarled, pushing back and away from the table- teeth gritted against the pain in her side.

"Leave me the fuck alone." "Those look painful." The woman arched an eyebrow at her. "Vander's kid, right? Vi? Look, I owe the guy. Least I can do is look after his pup." "Vander's dead. You don't have to worry about oweing him anything." She spat back, nastily, and then, because she wanted to be alone, because she wanted this stupid, soft woman who had no right to be so inviting, to remind her of her father, to hurt- "I killed him." The other eyebrow joined the first. "Did you now?" Came the calm question, measured, softly. Just like he would. Just like he had. "Well, that's not what word of mouth says. Must be pretty badass, to take down Vander all by yourself." "Don't patronize-" "I'm not." The woman made a slicing motion with her hand. "Look, pup, you wanna be on your own down here, I can't stop you. But if you want to survive down here? You'll at least let me help you with those ribs." And that started it. She found herself initiated into the woman's gang, taken under her wing, and while it hadn't lasted forever- it had lasted long enough for Vi to grow. And to learn. Learn what to ask, and who to ask it from, and in less then two months, she lay on her cot, eyes closed, breathing rough and shallow, balled up pillowcase in her mouth. Penitence. Payment. Punishment. Pain. It started off simple enough. Powder. The gears and steamworks made their way down her arms, up along the back of her neck, down her spine. Bits and bobs and clouds of steam in honor of her little sister's tinkering. Look closely enough in the puffs of smoke, and you might see the form of a 'P'. The needle was dull, was dirty, and while the hands that worked over her back were steady and calm she couldn't keep the cries locked down. They wracked her throat, ripped out between clenched teeth. Penitence.

"Because Mylo was right! You're a jinx!"

Payment.

"Violet, don't leave me! I need you!"

Punishment.

"Please!"

Pain.

Powder, Powder, Powder. It took months to finish; the gears leading down both arms (backs only, she didn't want to see, didn't want to look, couldn't look) and up her neck; and segueing into a rough outline of a building. The shadowy silhouette of a warehouse, tall smokestack pumping the plumes of steam out from her spine. Months of sweating, crying, her hands clawing the fabric of her bed.

Months of her shirt rubbing roughly across raw, red skin; two infections that had her in the medical ward, panting, screaming, fighting off hallucinations and sobbing under phantom debris. She lived the warehouse again and again. she watched them die again and again. Each stab of the needle, each rub of the rough prison shirt, each time her skin pulled and ached and stabbed as she moved was the crack of a whip, flogging her, giving her what she deserved. When it was done, she wore Powder across her back like a weight. Her shoulders slumped under it; her back seemed permanently bent. It was her reminder. It was a cattle prod, keeping her alive, keeping her going, and a heavy load on her shoulders, making it difficult to get out of bed on the worst days. But she wasn't done. She still owed. The next was Mylo. His lock hung off the back of one side of the warehouse, in the shape of a grenade; on the left side of her spine, halfway down. Beside it, a key; it's teeth forming an M. "Who's M?" The voice dying her skin asked, in the dark; and, exhausted from pain, desperate for human contact, desperate to tell someone he existed, she chuffed a tiny, weak laugh. "My obnoxious, stupid, mouthy little brother." She replied, around a sad smile. Never knew when to shut up, never knew when to stop pushing, arrogant little smart ass, God he was going to be brilliant. "I had three kid siblings." "Had?" "Had." She pressed her face into the pillow. Penitence.

"You guys know I wouldn't take you on a job you couldn't handle, right?"

Payment.

"I could fill a damn library with all the things you didn't do-"

Punishment.

"Powder's my problem, ok? Your problem is never knowing when to shut up. But I'm gonna help you with that, ready?"

Pain.

"He's our father, too." It was much shorter, much easier then the castle that was Powder. Done in a day, and she could feel it every time she bent, every time she sat, every time someone bumped into her lightly. That night, she dreamed of the first time they'd ever found him, scrawny and half dead in an ally, guarded by Claggor's bulk. She dreamed of the days he'd spent, healing, getting his strength back, her hands stroking through his hair, soothing him as he cried in pain and wiping away the heat of his fever. That night, she remembered his laugh for the first time in a year, his crooked, dimpled smile, the way he'd looked at Claggor when he thought Claggor wasn't looking back, the way he'd blush when she arched her eyebrows at him and grinned. But every time she reached for him, tried to hug him, hold him, touch him, he crumbled to dust in her arms. Claggor came next. Claggor, with his slow voice and slow smile and quick mind; with his huge gentle hands and calm temperament and deep, ferocious love. Claggor who was nearly as protective of Powder as she was, who blushed whenever you brought up Mylo, who shyly admitted, one night, when it was just the two of them, that he was gay and so scared Vander would reject him for it because his own mother had. Claggor who had held her when she couldn't be as strong as she wanted to be, who always had food to share hidden on his person, who couldn't let anyone or anything stay sad or in pain. Who sang songs to her little sister during tantrums and played her games willingly. Who could pick Vi up in one arm, who would wrestle her like a big bear, crashing and banging through the Last Drop like a pair of wild puppies.

Penitence.

"Vi, are- are you sure about this? If we get caught-"

Payment.

"What's the matter, Mylo? You worried Powder's gonna beat you again?"

Punishment.

"We're not gonna get caught."

Pain.

"You're not doing this alone, Vi." She'd wept, during his tattoo. Wept despite herself, wept openly- not in pain, but simply weeping. The hands and voice in the dark hummed to her soothingly, pet her hair when they weren't working on the second key, and didn't ask who 'C' was as it's teeth formed the letter delicately.

The last of them was Vander. She almost didn't add him, almost didn't include him in the mishmash on her body because God, it was already so heavy, so much, carrying the three of them. Her pack, her kids, her boys, and she almost couldn't breathe under their weight.

She didn't want his memory there. She didn't want him there because she was sure, she was sure she couldn't carry him. You did this. You did this, and you don't get to wiggle out of it because you're scared. I can't. I can't. Please. This is the least you can do. Suck it the hell up and take your lumps, Vi.

"Last one?" Asked the voice in the dark, when she came back in for the final time, slipping into Vi's cubicle and sitting on her cot. "This is a lot to go through. Y'know, most people just want me to do something small. Y'know, maybe an initial or a name or something." "I-" She lay flat on her stomach for the final time, forehead on her arms. "Let's just say it's a debt." The hands shrugged. "Not my circus." She replied, taking the little drawing from Vi that showed the last addition to her tattoo. In the center of the whole mess, just under the warehouse, was a blank space. There the final lock was situated, one with no key to go with it. Wide, large, it nestled in the center of a V shape. The pain was second only to the pain of the initial shape; right in the middle of her spine, taking her breath away, earning tiny whimpers and choked groans. It stabbed through her, pinpoints of pain that made white flash before her eyes. Penitence.

"I'm proud of you. Always have been."

Payment.

"You've got a good heart. Don't ever lose it. No matter how the world tries to break you."

Punishment.

"Protect the family."

Pain.

"Take care of Powder." I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry "Hon. Hon, breathe. Breathe. I don't know who you're apologizing to but they aren't here. C'mon, Pink. Come on." She'd been speaking out loud. She'd been whimpering. She closed her eyes, hard, against hot tears, curled up and felt the burn, the ache, the pull of her skin, of Vander. "Leave me alone." The hands in the dark paused, and one settled gently on her shoulder. She shrugged it off, hard. She didn't get comfort. She didn't deserve it. "You know, Pink, if they were important enough to go through all this for, I don't think they'd want you to hurt like this." White-red-rage. "Leave me alone!" She lunged up, swung before she could even register what her body was doing. You don't know them, you don't know me, you don't know what happened, leave leave leave! The punch connected solidly. Vander screamed on her back. Someone screamed for real. It might have been her. It might have been the other woman. It might have been someone else entirely. The next few moments were a familiar blur. Shouting, Enforcers shouting. Rough hands on her shoulders, yanking her arms behind her back, shoving her to her knees to cuff her. Her back hurt. Her stomach hurt. Her chest hurt.

They were so damn heavy. But she smiled, even as she was dragged to her feet, shoved so hard she almost lost her balance. It was done. Piper paid.

[juliafied]

“ no matter what happens, i don't regret having taken you in. “ For Vander 😢

Thanks for the prompt!! I got in my feels with this one.

AO3

--

“I was thinking about what you said.”

Vi’s voice echoes hollow through the empty bar. Vander polishes one last glass before turning around. She’s in her pyjamas, hair even more disheveled than usual, a blanket dragging behind her. The bruise on her cheek is blooming purple, now. It’ll be yellow in a couple of days.

“You should be in bed,” he says, voice low – he’d said goodnight to Powder almost three hours ago, dragged the last of the late-night crowd into the street already. “It’s late, you’ve had a long day.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” she says, and slides into one of the stools in front of him, eyes tired as she perches her chin in one palm.

Vander sighs, slides the already-full kettle onto the one element that’s still lit. “Join me for a cuppa, then?”

“Mmph.”

He takes that as a yes, and before long, the kettle starts to whistle, prompting him to grab some soothingly scented herbs from underneath the bar. Vi watches him, blinking with puffy eyes, until there’s a steaming mug in front of them both.

“What were you thinking about?” he asks, after blowing on the surface of the water, steam swirling out into the air, chilled now that the bodies warming it are gone. Vi takes a sip and swears quietly. He gives her an admonishing look.

“Sorry. Just… you said it’s on me if they get hurt. And I get that, because I have to, because they’re my family.”

She taps her finger against the side of the mug.

“We— I’ve gotten you into a lot of trouble.”

To put it lightly, girl, he thinks, but gives her a wry grin instead. “I do wish sometimes you’d think a little more with that head of yours instead of blocking with it, but it must run in the family.”

His words don’t seem to mollify her. Neither does the long sip she takes of the now-cooled tea.

“D’you ever wish… I mean, you’re not our actual dad. It didn’t have to be on you, whether we got hurt.”

She doesn’t look at him, and he’s jerked back to the red smoke, the blood spilled on the bridge, a little girl with pink hair sobbing as he drops his gauntlets, realizing that whatever they were trying to do, it couldn’t possibly be worth this. Carrying Vi and Powder through the caustic flames, knowing he’d do whatever it takes to keep them safe, because this is on him.

The roughness in Vander’s voice surprises him when he finally speaks, and Vi looks up, a furrow in her brows.

“No matter what happens, Vi,” he starts, and the slightly painful heat from the mug he’s clenching is welcome, grounding, “with the enforcers or the topsiders or anyone, I need you to know that I don’t regret having taken you or your sister in, or Mylo, or Claggor. Even if they start a war over this.”

He needs to reel it in a little, because the look she’s giving him now is bewildered, albeit sleepy. He can’t tell her, but the worry has been eating him alive these past few nights, what with enforcers bashing heads and turning over the streets house by house. Clearing his throat, he refocuses.

“You’re my daughter, Vi, and even if you brought down the entire Noxian military on our heads, I wouldn’t take it back.”

At that, she seems to deflate a little, tugging the corner of the blanket up from where it’s grazed against the floor. “Okay, Vander. I’ll keep that in mind next time I get a tip about an envoy ship filled with treasure coming to harbour.” She tries to sound cavalier, but he can hear the sleep creeping into her voice, and she yawns seemingly against her own volition.

“Alright, master thief, let’s get you to bed,” he says, looping around the bar to where she’s finally slumped against the wood, mug still half-full. Her head lolls on his shoulder as he scoops her up into his arms. He feels the same warmth in his chest as he had all those years ago, in the red smoke. Her hands aren’t so small anymore, but they still wrap gently around his neck as he carries her to where Powder, Mylo, and Claggor are sleeping.

I’d die to keep you safe, he thinks as he glances at the four sleeping children, having settled Vi into her bed.

But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Feel free to send me more Arcane found family prompts! ❤️