#vi's request spoilers

[viwifey]

CAIT + NECK KISSES -> MADDIE VS. VI

[arcanegifs]

ARCANE LEAGUE OF LEGENDS (2021-2024) ↳ "Months of peacekeeping occupation. Countless operations. Oceans of sweat and tears. I'd begun to think we might finally see an end to Zaun's perverse abominations. How foolish was I?"

[mantisgodsdomain]

Hello, Bug Fables fandom. Welcome to our kitchen. Today, we offer you: canned cordyceps. There are four chapters to this, and we intend to release one every three days until this work is complete. This work contains (and is practically nothing but) Leif's Request spoilers. Come read our fic.

[zomb-core]

request post !ARCANE!

Hi,

submit any requests you have for Arcane x reader oneshots/headcanons (can be multiple parts) NSFW allowed.

I accept anon requests.

[bbangsuns]

i need somebody | e.l

requested? yes, by anon

pairing: ethan landry x reader (race/ethnicity not specified)

warnings: ghostface doesn't exist, ethan calls reader pretty girl but that's the only allusions to gender, slight angst, mentions of weed, ethan and reader being a little mean to each other (just to protect themselves from heartbreak again), alcohol consumption, sad reader, sad ethan, idiots who are still in love

a/n: this might be the longest thing i’ve written? i had to break up the text kinda weird since some of it was too long so im sorry about that. also i listened to i need somebody by day6 while writing this

word count: 3.655

when your relationship with ethan started 3 years ago, it was truly one of the best days of your life. he was the sweetest, most attentive person you'd ever met, always making sure you were satisfied and happy with him. it was constantly you two against the world, always having each others' backs and being at each other's side the moment either of you called. unfortunately for you, nothing good ever lasts in this world, not even the relationship you thought unbreakable.

for the last few months, it seems as though ethan wants nothing to do with you, constantly making excuses as to why he can’t be with you or why he has to leave early. every time he runs out on you, you feel your heart breaking more and more, not sure how much longer you’d be able to tolerate his sketchy and distant behavior. as it turns out, you wouldn’t have to deal with it much longer, because a party that weekend is what would ultimately be the last straw.

the day had honestly started out normally, chad texting you earlier in the day asking if you wanted to go to a frat party that was being thrown for halloween. he was shocked at how quickly you agreed, but he was excited to see you nonetheless. the idea of free alcohol and loud music attracted you, deciding you’d use it as a distraction from ethan and your relationship which was slowly but surely falling apart. looking at the time, you saw you had about 7 hours before the party actually started so you decided on taking a nap for a while to pass the time, already having an idea of what you wanted to dress up as.

you woke up a couple hours later, realizing you’d slept longer than you had originally intended. you got out of bed and went to the bathroom, deciding a quick shower would be in your best interest. what was supposed to take 10 minutes ended up taking about 40 minutes, having gotten lost in your thoughts about ethan and where you guys would end up. you got out of the shower and got dressed in the clothes you had picked out for the costume and dried your hair, getting started on the makeup right after. you desperately hoped this party would really serve as the perfect distraction.

— 2 hours later — you completed the finishing touches of your costume, looking at yourself in the mirror. you smiled at yourself, satisfied with the way everything turned out. you looked at the time, cursing when you realized you were an hour late. you rushed out of your apartment, quickly locking the door behind you and making your way down the stairs. luckily the place where the party was being hosted was only about a 10 minute walk from your place, so you weren’t worried about having to take the subway so late at night. arriving to the party, you make a beeline for the alcohol, grabbing a red solo cup and filling it with whatever concoction they created. taking a large drink, you cringed at the taste of cheap liquor but you paid it no mind, quickly finishing the drink and filling up the cup again. as you went to refill your cup, you heard someone call you over so you quickly poured the mixture in your cup and headed over.

"hey smiley! we're over here!" you heard chad yell over the music, waving his hands wildly with ethan at his side looking embarrassed and, maybe even nervous or pissed off? you couldn't tell, and honestly you didn't want to know what he was thinking. nonetheless you walked over to where they were, rolling your eyes at the nickname chad gave you but a smile was on your lips no matter how badly you wanted it to go away.

"there they are! i thought you bailed on me last minute!" chad was now talking in your ear directly so you could hear him clearly. you leaned into his ear also, your voice raised slightly.

"there's NO WAY i would've passed up on free booze and weed, man!" you told him, smacking him on the chest with a laugh, taking a sip of the drink in your cup. chad simply laughed at you, nodding his head knowing you were right. before he could say anything else, tara walked in and caught his attention, causing the boy to quickly excuse himself before going after her. you shook your head and turned your attention to your boyfriend, catching him already staring at you. you felt your face get warm as his eyes trailed down your body, taking you in. you gave him a lopsided smile, hesitating a little before you ultimately decided to move closer to him. the tension in his body seemed to melt away almost immediately, his arms wrapping around your waist and yours around his neck, careful not to spill the contents in your cup.

"hey there, pretty girl" ethan whispered in your ear, placing a kiss on your neck, goosebumps rising on your skin at the feeling. you leaned your head on his shoulder, taking a moment to just breathe him in, happy that things seemed okay.

"hi pretty boy" you chimed back, a laugh escaping your mouth as you saw the visible red tinge on his cheeks even in the shitty lighting. he just shook his head and kissed your cheek, taking another moment to look at your costume.

"you look like, really good babe" he commented, feeling your confidence shoot up a bit. right as you went to say something back about how good he looked in his knight costume, you felt a tap on your shoulder. you turned around, confused as to who the hell was interrupting your rare moments of peace with ethan. you were faced with some blond boy who was obviously wasted, but he still had a smirk on his face that made your skin crawl.

"hey baby, ditch this loser and come dance with me. i'll make it worth your while" he spoke in a disgustingly flirty tone that made you want to vomit. you tried your best to keep the grimace off your face and forced a tight-lipped smile to your face, shaking your head and giving him an answer that would hopefully satisfy him and make him leave.

"i'll come dance with you later i promise" you replied tensely, hoping he'd get the hint and leave you alone. in his drunken stupor, he didn't seem to sense the frustration lacing your voice and nodded, the smirk on his face ever present. he walked away, rambling about how he's gonna get lucky that night. turning back around, you didn't expect to see the look of anger that ethan was currently wearing and it scared you if you were being honest.

"eth, what's wrong? why are you looking at me like that?" you asked, your stomach sinking when he all but shoved your hands off of him. “You’re seriously gonna ask me that right now?” he scoffed at you, shaking his head and shoving past you. It took a moment for you to follow behind him, standing there in disbelief at how quickly his mood turned sour. When you reached him, you grabbed his arm and forced him outside, not wanting to argue in front of a bunch of strangers. He tugged his arm out of your grip, acting as though your touch was burning him.

“What the fuck is going on, ethan? Why are you treating me like that?” you exclaimed, trying not to raise your voice too much in order to avoid onlookers. Ethan just looked away, his jaw clenched so hard you were afraid his teeth would crack. you pushed that thought to the back of your mind, though, because you needed answers, so you walked right in front of him, crossing your arms over your chest.

“well? are you gonna tell me what i did to deserve this type of treatment?” although you tried to sound to sound strong, the desperation was evident in your voice, wanting to know how you could fix things.

he stayed silent for a moment before speaking up, his voice distant and cold, “i’m not in the mood, so maybe you should just go hang out with one of the many guys you’ve allowed to flirt with you.” for the second time that night you were left speechless, not understanding why he’d say something so absurd.

“baby, what the hell are you talking about? you’re the only one i want to spend my time with!” you were moments away from crying out of frustration, wishing he’d just be straightforward about what’s bothering him.

“are you sure about that? because you seem pretty fucking happy when someone offers up their number or offers to take you out." he practically scolded you; all you could do was stare at him, bewildered at the fact he thinks you could somehow be happy with anyone that isn't him.

"ethan, i have no idea what the hell you're talking about. why would i be happy with some freak?" you retorted, waving your hands around. he simply let out a humorless laugh, crossing his arms across his chest. then he spoke the words you never in a million years thought he'd tell you.

"you know what, y/n? i don't care anymore. we're done." as soon as those words left his mouth, he shoved past you roughly, leaving the party without telling anyone. you on the other hand, you were frozen in place with tears clouding your vision, not wanting to believe he had ended things so easily, as if ripping your heart out of your chest and stomping on it was no big deal. you were so deep in your head that you didn't even know anika and mindy were next to you, jumping when you felt a hand on your shoulder.

"hey bub, what happened?" anika asked you, concern lacing her voice as she took in your shaking figure and bloodshot eyes. you shook your head, not wanting to say the words, knowing your heart would break all over again at the realization of what had transpired minutes prior, but they eventually came out.

"he broke up with me" your voice was wobbly, the pain evident to the two girls in front of you; anika was shocked, she never thought ethan would be the type to leave you heartbroken in the middle of a party. mindy, however, was pissed at the tall boy; what the hell was his problem? why would he break up with someone as caring, sweet, and kind as you? whatever his excuses are, she was already planning on giving him a piece of her mind and hopefully beat some sense into him.

"oh honey, i'm so sorry. do you want to go home? we can get the rest of the group together to watch a movie or something if you'd like to?" anika murmured, rubbing a hand up and down your back in an attempt to soothe you. all you could do was let out a shaky breath and nod your head, not trusting your voice quite yet. mindy squeezed your hand, mumbling to anika about going to collect everyone else, letting her girlfriend console you since she was better at it. she guided you back inside to the front door, telling mindy that they were going to wait on the sidewalk instead to get away from everyone else.

about ten minutes later she walked out with everyone tailing behind her, chad immediately heading towards you to wrap you in his arms, placing a kiss to your forehead. tears immediately sprang to your eyes but you forced them back, not wanting to cry on the side of the street; instead, you wrapped your own arms around his waist, feeling grateful that you had chad and everyone else as your best friends. after a minute of just standing there with him, you forced yourself to stand tall and put up a facade, no matter how much it hurt. you unwrapped yourself from chad but still stuck close to him and anika, needing their presence to feel grounded as you spoke to the group.

"thank you, and i'm sorry for ruining the fun. if you want, you guys can go back inside and enjoy the party while i head home" you insisted, feeling the guilt creep in at the fact that they were going to miss out on a party just because you were upset. what you didn't expect, though, was mindy to scoff in disbelief and look at you as if you were crazy.

"there's no way we're going to leave you alone right now! you're clearly hurting and are in desperate need of some group lovin', so be quiet and accept that you're not going to win this argument" she rambled with a small smile on her face, her hands moving wildly at her sides as your friends nodded. you couldn't help but let out a laugh at seeing her behavior, her smile growing at the fact that she was able to cheer you up, even by a bit.

acknowledging defeat, you decided to just go with it, "okay fine! i won't argue with you, especially because it'd be pointless knowing how relentless you can be." this caused tara and chad to let out a cheer, glad that you were deciding to not shut them out. you smiled and shook your head, forever thankful that you wouldn't be going through this alone.

--1 month later--

despite having an amazing support system, the last month had consisted of some of your lowest moments. every morning when you woke up, you'd expect to find ethan laying next to you, his curly hair sticking out in every direction, but the hole in your heart only grew as you felt cold bed sheets each time. you hadn't spoken to him since that night, but the pain and sadness was slowly turning to anger; anger because of how he acted childishly and only considered how he felt, not taking into consideration how his actions would affect you.

unbeknownst to you though, was that ethan was equally as miserable and angry as you were, but the anger was directed at himself once he realized just how badly he had fucked up, which chad never failed to remind him of.

"what the hell were you thinking man? how could you just break her heart like that? and with some bullshit excuse too." he told the taller boy one day, still upset at the fact that his roommate and friend had been so cruel to the one person that didn't deserve it. at his question, ethan just let out a deep sigh, rubbing his hands over his face in frustration.

"fuck, i don't know. i was just feeling insecure at the fact that they'd always be smiling whenever someone was flirting with them and i got into my own head, deciding that distancing myself and basically breaking their heart was the right way to go about it" he lamented, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood but he paid it no mind, too occupied in trying find a way to make it up to you, if you still wanted anything to do with him that is. seeing the doleful expression on his friend's face, chad felt a tug at his heart as he recalled that exact same look on your own face just a few hours earlier while he was hanging out with you.

"look man, i promised them i wouldn't say anything but it doesn't matter; they're really fuckin' pissed at you for what you did to them, but they're also just as miserable as you are even though they try to hide it. i know that if you got off your ass, went over there, and gave them a real explanation and showed you're willing to fight to get them back, they'd forgive you. they're still stupidly in love with you after all" at his words, ethan's heart sped up, a wave of anxiety fluttering in his stomach--you were still in love with him? but would you actually take him back? at this point, ethan didn't care, he just wanted to make things right with you. jumping up, he ran to his room and threw on a hoodie and some shoes, rushing out of the dorm before chad could say anything else.

taking the subway to get to your apartment across town, ethan was painfully aware of his clammy palms, rubbing them on his pants with a grimace. time seemed to speed by because before he knew it, he was already standing in front of your door, having been on auto-pilot throughout the short trip. right as he was going to knock on your door you opened it, clad in one of his shirts and shorts; the sight had him reeling, realizing that chad may have been right. unfortunately, he didn't have a chance to speak before you went to slam the door in his face, leaving him speechless with a pain in his chest, but he didn't come all this way just to give up. he knocked on your door this time, speaking through it in hopes that you would open up again.

"baby please, i just want to talk and apologize for what i did. you deserve a real explanation, not some bullshit" he begged, ready to fall to his knees if that's what it took. luckily for him, you had opened the door once again, a small smile ready to grace his features but upon seeing the blank expression on your face, it fell just as quickly as it came.

glaring at him, you pulled the door open all the way and stepped to the side, your voice as cold as his was that halloween night,

"hurry up. you have 10 minutes to explain yourself and then you leave." it was more of a command than anything else, and your icy tone terrified ethan because he had never heard you speak that way, but instead of commenting on it he just rushed inside before you decided to change your mind. he sat on your couch, his whole body tense but happy nonetheless at the fact that you were willing to hear him out, albeit begrudgingly. ethan rubbed his sweaty hands up and down his thighs once more before he took a deep breath and began his explanation.

"that night…that night is one of the biggest mistakes i have ever made in my life. i had one too many drinks that chad made me drink, and it brought all my insecurities to the surface. seeing you smile at that guy that night after he so obviously flirted with you just made me feel so angry, and i know it seems like a terrible excuse and you're probably right, but the drinks mixed with the thoughts already in my mind, i took it out on you and hurt you on purpose and it wasn't fair to you at all. i knew i fucked up the moment i walked out of the house, but i figured you'd want nothing to do with me afterwards so i never made the effort to reach out. this last month, though, has been one of the worst months of my life. i've missed you so much and i realized that i can't do this without you by my side."

by the end of his rambling, ethan was completely out of breath and his eyes were burning from the tears that had begun gathering in his eyes but he didn't care, he needed you to know what had been on his chest for months. you simply stared at him, your eyes glossy with unshed tears of your own and you sniffled, feeling the resentment towards him slowly melt away. you kept your guard up though, not wanting to put your heart out there just yet, scared that it would be broken all over again. noticing your hesitation, ethan stood up and walked in front of you, slowly grabbing your hands and intertwining your fingers. you looked up at him, removing your hands from his and throwing your arms around his neck, tugging him as close as possible to your body. he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and placed his own arms around your waist, hugging you tightly. the tears finally fell from your eyes and this time you didn't try to stop them, not caring if his sweater got dirty, not that he minded either.

“i wish you would’ve told me how you were feeling instead of icing me out, eth. i could’ve helped you or done something to make you feel better, you know.” you muttered into his neck, not wanting to move from your spot in his arms, and he just nodded his head softly, his hair tickling your ears.

"i'm so sorry, sweetheart. i love you more than anything and i'm going to do anything i can to prove it, i'm never letting you go again" he mumbled into your neck, unsure if you heard him or understood him for that matter. he knew you heard him when you tightened your grip, placing a small kiss to his neck before pulling back and placing your lips on his, relishing the feeling of them on you for the first time in weeks. ethan moved his lips against your own slowly, moving one hand up to cup your jaw, keeping your face as close as he could. you pulled away after a minute, giving him the first genuine smile you've had in a while. ethan felt his heart speeding up at the sight of your pretty little smile being directed towards him for the first time in nearly two months.

"i love you too, e. also just know i am gonna hold you to that promise" you teased lightly, already feeling your heart being mended at having your boy in your arms once again; you'd have to thank chad for smacking some sense into the both of you.

[mantisgodsart]

Group 2/5 - here's Team Snakemouth! Experimenting a bit with line weight here. This time, 2/3 of the bastards are aro! You'll never guess who.

(Part 1)

[moonlitluka]

If you have any scream requests 👀

[secret-bug-pain-blog]

Febuwhump, Day 6 - Secrets Revealed

There was so much more formatting on this. We regret ever adding formatting to our cordyceps fic. From now on we're posting all fics in plain text only. AO3 link here.

Kina stared blankly at the monitor. At the roach text she only now realized why she could read. At the total lockdown notification, at the cold, flickering blue of the hologram, at the brilliant red alarm displayed across it.

Cordyceps.

She felt Leif shrink, in the back of her mind.

How long had he been there? Leif had been in her head for months, ever since the beginning of spring, ever since that over-long hibernation, ever since the trip to retrieve Snakemouth’s artefact. How long had it been – incubating, growing inside of her, without her even knowing? How long had it been, letting a fungus grow inside of her, not even knowing that she might- might-

She had brought a cordyceps infection into the very heart of the Ant Kingdom, and she hadn’t even known.

Her first thought, once she’d managed to stop reeling from the sheer shock of it all, was horror. Horror that she’d been carrying around a parasitic, infectious fungus this whole time, horror that she’d been oblivious to the signs, horror that she hadn’t realized something was off even when she could’ve destroyed the damn kingdom with her ignorance-

She’d been inches from Maki with an infection that could’ve killed him, and she hadn’t even stopped to question the century-old moth taking up residence in her head.

She’d been so stupid, so oblivious, she-

It hurt more, when it was from someone she had trusted.

She wanted to beg for another explanation. She wanted to scream. She wanted to pin Leif by his stupid, fluffy, mycelial throat and ask why he would hide this from her, why he would pretend, why he would spend months travelling with her, in her own damn shell, using her like she was- like she was-

We’re sorry, Leif whimpered. We… we don’t think we knew, either.

She could feel it, now that she was looking for it. Now that she knew what to look for – the network weaved into her shell, tugging at her muscles, woven into her from her claws to her brain stem, shifting and maneuvering her like a second nervous system had made itself at home in her shell.

She… they…

It hurt to realize just how much she had trusted him, now that this was laid bare. How much she’d trusted them, how much she’d been willing to lean on having two bugs working in tandem to operate their body, how much she’d been willing to move over for the new presence in her carapace. How much had she trusted things that were a lie? How much had she believed him, over things that were lies?

Are you even really Leif? Kina asked? She wasn’t even sure if it really meant anything. She wasn’t sure what she meant, anymore, what she even was – what they were, besides…

We don’t know, Leif said. We’re sorry. We thought…

They made a hideous, pitiful noise as they collapsed to the ground together.

They choked on- something. They felt- scattered, lost, confused, hopeless. The synchronization was at once welcomed and hated – they had found it comforting, before, enjoyable, nice to have a companion besides – themselves, but now they only felt unfocused. The razor focus of honing in on the same goal was gone, the feeling of trust and wordless camaraderie shattered, and now the only thing that the feeling of synchronicity did was make them feel worse.

The only thing they had in common was the tarnished, unfocused sense of betrayal. In Leif, in the lab, in the fact that either of them had ever believed that there was nothing to Leif but the same unknown force that’d brought their friends together.

“…Kina? Leif? Are you two…”

They let out a long, despairing warble – pain, confusion, despair, a dozen other emotions mixed into one. They didn’t think that either of them knew all of what was mixed in – it just hurt. Something was wrong with them, something had gone wrong, something had been wrong from the beginning-

“We thought we were him,” Leif warbled through the newly-disconcerting feeling of him hijacking their shared mouth. “We- I thought I was him, I thought I was something else, we thought-“

“Calm down,” Kabbu- Rowan? said. They could hear the drill shells hit the floor, and they felt an abrupt surge of the impulse to yell at him to put them back on – they’d just fought the Zommoth, their Sibling, they could be dangerous, they-

Everything hurt. And not just physically.

“We- I-“ Kina and Leif grappled back and forth, fighting on what to even say. What could they even tell them? What was there to be said? ‘Oh, sorry, we thought that Leif was a moth, but actually he’s a parasite engineered by the roaches in pursuit of immortality-‘

We already knew we were… something, Leif said. Leif- the old Leif- The one that I thought-

The sentence choked itself off, even in the mindspace. They took a moment to regather themselves, at once more separate and more joined than they’d ever been. Kina couldn’t tell where her betrayal ended and Leif’s began.

They could still sense their teammates, standing over them. Soaking in concern, in worry – in fear for them, still not knowing what they really were.

They…

Kina dragged them up, at last. Their limbs felt heavy, weighed down with fear and grief and the faint vestige of hatred.

They had to tell them. Even if it hurt. They couldn’t leave them in the dark, they couldn’t abandon them to uncertainty and fear while they dealt with problems their team still needed to know about, they couldn’t let their teammates soak in the same despair of not-knowing that Kina was all too familiar with.

“…We’re a cordyceps symbiote. Like them.”

“What?!” Kabbu was obviously caught off-guard – they saw him wrestle with his own host, trying to come up with a response. The force Vi put into its sign suggested a significantly ruder version of the phrase.

“We… Leif… are a cordyceps symbiote. Leif – the original Leif – died in Snakemouth den.”

Saying It felt like drawing barbed wire out of their throat. It dragged at them, long and slow and unimaginably painful, fighting against the them that feared and murmured for them to not-tell-never-tell-keep-themselves-safe and the them that couldn’t stand to lie to them any more. It hurt – it burned, admitting it, telling them what they were, what they could do, but it had to be done.

It needed to be done, or they might hurt them more than if they’d simply ripped the bandage off.

“I am not… him. I am- a parasite. I took his body and hollowed out his insides, I consumed his memories until I truly believed I was him, I… I wanted to be him.”

They shuddered, drawing themselves up. It always hurt, saying things like this – admitting wrongdoing, admitting you’d done something wrong when you should have known better and just needing to apologize told everyone of the things you lacked, needing to speak of things that would spell your death in any other scenario, needing-

“…I took over his body. I devoured him, and I became him, and I convinced myself I was always him, and I- we- we just moved on to our next host, when our body was spent.”

They clenched their claws into fists, so hard they could practically feel the carapace creak. They were so much more brittle, as this, than Kina had been alone. Their mycelium traced every corner of her shell, woven through her very veins, changing her to fit their magic, to wield the ice that had extended their hibernation far past its due.

“We chewed through Leif’s corpse, and now we’re poised to do the same to Kina, and drag the whole kingdom down with it.”

Their teammates stood in stunned silence. They could see Rowan and Kabbu struggle with it – too trusting of them, of their intentions, too blind to the parasite amongst them. He took a step forward, seemingly involuntarily, the rattling mess of thoughts in his head obvious even without a connection.

“Leif-“

The burst of static from Vi’s speakers startled both of them. It fixed a glare on them that they could feel even through the bandages, buzzing noise like a flock of angry hornets. It snapped a QUIET towards them that they could only read as a “SHUT UP!” snapping its elytra open with an angry clack.

Its signs were sharp and angry, blurring into each other as it snarled. “If that’s true, then how the hell’d you get all the way from Snakemouth to Kina’s home? We’ve seen your body – are you trying to tell us that you somehow crawled out of your old shell, walked all the way to the Ant Kingdom, shoved yourself into Kina’s shell, and stole her body, and that’s it? You’ve seen my body, and Kabbu still won’t say where he was when he got shoved into Rowan except for “the swamp”! Even if whatever-the-hell-it-was transferred more of you than it did us, there’s no way it was just you seeking out another host.”

Vi’s hands practically flew – it put more emphasis on the signs than they’d ever seen from it, its speakers roaring with white noise that nearly covered the harsh cracks its shell made at some of the flourishes. It looked – agitated, even with its head hidden behind the usual bandages, and they heard its cooling vents click open as its fans turned on. They pulled back – they weren’t sure if it was Leif or Kina that made the choice, their minds mixing in a blend of confused, blackened emotion. They made a noise, deep in their throat, one that was neither moth nor mantis.

“We’re not safe,” they begged. “We’re a parasite in the shell of a dead bug, we’re a prototype of the same thing that just tried to kill all of us, if anything went wrong we could turn on you in seconds-“

“So what you’re a parasite? We were made by roaches too, and you wouldn’t talk like that about us! Our entire frame is built in the corpse of a roach that neither of us knew, we needed me to take control just to be able to leave the damn Sand Castle, we tried to attack you when we went to get the other half of the key – what part of that says safe to you? We tried to kill you because we were ordered to do it. Would you say we’re a monster because we tried to kill you?”

It signed “kill” like it was talking about an execution – a hunting of a traitor, an intruder, a death already deserved. Was that what its programming thought of them, they wondered? They were beginning to feel dizzy – they wondered if it was psychosomatic, or just another symptom of their body being rewired. The splintered shell on their claws was beginning to ache.

They already knew the answer.

“…no.”

Vi spread both sets of arms  - a “well, there you have it” if they’d ever seen one. They felt… conflicted. It wasn’t the same. Vi was a machine, inorganic, unable to spread – they could infect, if they ever sprouted, spread the infection, make more problems than they were ever worth-

But just by the look on Vi’s face, they guessed that it wasn’t going to back down.

And they…

They had done enough fighting for today.

They sat in silence for a moment, just… waiting, as Vi’s speakers buzzed, their volume slowly dropping as Vi watched for their response. They felt.. tired. Wrung-out and exhausted, all their energy more than spent. The still-unhealed split down their thorax burned, splintered and half-open and filled with necrotic pieces of meat after their Sibling’s attacks. The floor was cold under their claws, though they couldn’t tell if it was because of Snakemouth Den’s general temperature or just because of the shoddy state of their body.

They were a mess.

They silently collapsed to the floor, shuddering in a way that could’ve been either misfiring nerves or sheer exhaustion. Everything ached, their claws were barely half-thawed, they were hyperaware of the prickling of damaged cells as a subsystem slowly kicked on to repair. The line felt blurred, still, their mind too heavy with emotion to think rationally, their body weighed down with injury and the still-unfinished modifications they’d forced on it just by being there.

They…

Both Kina and Leif started as big, fluffy arms wrapped around them. Rowan held them close, hugging them so tightly that their systems started to protest the strain. They sat there in shock for a moment, frozen in place. Even after that, he would…?

Vi bonked its head into the back of them, wrapping both sets of arms around them. They sat there, rigid, unable to move – were they really doing – this? Even knowing what they could do, even knowing that they could-

“…If you need to talk about it,” Rowan said, “We’re here.” Vi buzzed something affirmative against their spine, shifting its claws against their shell.

…they didn’t think that they could talk, right now. The world still ached, their chest scraped out and raw. They were tired, worn out and all too close, unable to separate each other from the pool of confused, muddled emotion in their minds. They…

They were more exhausted than they’d ever been before.

And right now, they just wanted to rest.

Maybe, just maybe… it was time to go home.

[adieutristana]

getting married headcanons / arcane women x fem! reader

the thought of marriage and weddings have been on my mind for weeks now and i’m not sure why, but i’m a sap like that. i also haven’t been able to find many fics in the arcane tags about marriage so i figured i’d write my own :)

i’m getting to requests as quickly as possible! my first final is this friday and i’m kinda freaking out. things should speed up once im on winter break!

summary: headcanons of what it would be like marrying arcane characters.

characters included: jinx, vi, mel, sevika, caitlyn.

tags/warnings: fluff. SO much fluff. mentions of (happy) crying, mentions of drinking, s2 spoilers / mentions of death (caitlyn), slight hurt/comfort

men dni.

jinx;

✧.* you had spoken of marriage before, and every time you did, jinx became incredibly emotional. the girl had never seen marriage as something in the cards for her. a master criminal, a symbol, a living martyr? sure. but never a wife. so when you brought up the fact that you one day wanted to marry her, she was inconsolable in the best way possible.

✧.* to think that someone loved her enough to want to marry her, to want to spend the rest of their life by her side was unreal. she never thought she would have that.

✧.* so naturally, when you got down on one knee in front of jinx and opened a velvet box, presenting her with a shining diamond- jinx was in hysterics. she immediately broke into a fit of tears. blubbering, she nodded frantically, shakily taking your hands in hers. you felt a few tears of your own fall from your eyes as you slipped the ring onto her finger.

✧.* "yes, yes, yes- oh god, yes, i want to marry you. are you sure, though? i mean... will i make a good wife? are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody like me?"

✧.* "yes, jinx. i want all of it. all of the chaos, all of the mischief and adventure. all of you."

✧.* jinx immediately makes it a point to show off her brand-new, shiny ring to absolutely everyone. she’s engaged now, and she’s gonna make it everybody’s problem. she would go into sevika’s usual spot- a local casino just to track her down and shove her hand in her face. sevika would just raise an eyebrow, and look back up at jinx. seemingly unamused.

✧.* “i’m a fiancée now! see?”

✧.* “i can see that.”

✧.* “you can at least act like you’re excited for me!”

✧.* jinx’s favorite part of being engaged is probably planning the wedding. she makes almost all of the decorations herself- centerpieces, messy tablecloths, colorful banners. they’re crude and chaotic, but they’re jinx.

✧.* you do manage to talk her into letting a friend make flower arrangements and cater, though.

✧.* while jinx wants to look nice for her big day, she doesn’t really put that much thought into what she wears, instead wanting to hear your input. if you want her to wear a suit, she’ll do so! if you’d rather see her in a dress, fine by her. however, i can’t see her in an extravagant wedding gown… probably something simple.

✧.* she does insist on wearing her hair in a single braid, though.

✧.* jinx wants a small wedding, at a local empty hall she can decorate however she pleases. close friends and (your) family are the only guests welcomed.

✧.* when the day of the wedding comes, jinx is both ecstatic and a nervous wreck. a million thoughts are swirling through her mind, whispering to her from every angle. what if you leave her at the altar? what if you get cold feet? but the fact that you are there, she knows you’re here for the long haul, is what grounds jinx.

✧.* jinx somehow convinced vi to walk her down the aisle.

✧.* it actually wasn’t hard at all, she’s just exaggerating. despite the strains and tainted history between the two, vi wouldn’t miss the chance to see her little sister get married for anything in the world.

✧.* when she walks down the aisle, she’s the first one at the altar. twiddling with her thumbs, eyes darting around the hall.

✧.* when she finally sees you being walked down, though, jinx isn’t able to hold back her tears. it starts out small, then a dam breaks. you just look so beautiful.

✧.* it comes time for the reading of vows, and jinx’s voice is trembling. bless her, she’s sniffling and trying through shaking hands to unfold the paper.

✧.* “i’m not good with words, you know this. i never have been. but you make it so easy. i’ve never felt more like myself with someone, never felt so loved and cared for. i still wonder why you chose to marry someone so chaotic, a ‘master criminal,’ as the pilties put it. but i can’t explain how grateful i am. you love me for everything that i am, and everything i’m not. it’s you and me, always. i love you.”

✧.* after exchanging rings, jinx is practically pouncing on you to close the distance between you. the exact moment the officiant says ‘you may now kiss.’

✧.* jinx is completely different during the reception. the music selection is so perfectly her, but also so you. she’s (horribly) dancing, tugging your wrists to invite you to dance with her. whooping and singing along to the music. this is the happiest you’ve ever seen jinx. your wife.

vi;

✧.* vi is also someone who never saw herself getting married, honest. she had a prison wife at one point, but that was just to get her through each grueling hour at stillwater. the girl never saw herself being married for real. until she met you.

✧.* she first began calling you her wife playfully. vi is a sucker for pet names, isn’t she?

✧.* “i’m home! how’s my wife doing? i didn’t keep ya waiting long, did i?”

✧.* but the more she called you her wife, and the more positive your reactions to the nickname became, it dawned on her that she actually could see herself marrying you. that option had just never clicked in her mind.

✧.* the two of you never properly talked about marriage per se, but it was silently agreed that it was a possibility.

✧.* however, it still caught you completely off guard when vi proposed to you.

✧.* it was in the middle of a field, which already struck you as odd. vi wasn’t one to go exploring in nature typically, but she said she wanted to see the stars with you, so you didn’t ask any questions.

✧.* you’re side-by-side with vi on a shared blanket, while your girlfriend uses her finger to point out each constellation. she’s wrong about the name of the majority, but you don’t have the heart to tell her that. she’s just too cute.

✧.* however, at the end of the night, when you’re occupied with folding the blanket, you glance over your shoulder to see vi on one knee. your hand claps over your mouth and the blanket falls onto the ground.

✧.* “(y/n), i love you. you know this. i tell you every day. but we’ve been together for a while now… and i think i’m ready to take the next step. i call you my wife anyways, why not make it official?”

✧.* with tears welling in your eyes, you nod again and again. hands covering your mouth and one shakily stretching to let vi slip the ring onto your finger.

✧.* it’s a simple ring; a silver band with a rectangular alexandrite in the center. but you can tell from the shine that vi had been saving for this purchase for a while.

✧.* vi wanted to get a ring worthy of you. a ring that showcased her endless devotion to you, and damn, she did a good job hiding the ring as long as she did.

✧.* vi doesn’t waste any time when it comes to planning. she wants a small wedding, but still intimate and romantic.

✧.* almost everything is done by the two of you, with minimal help from jinx. vi does centerpieces, invitations, and the music, while you take care of the catering, flower arrangements, and guest planning.

✧.* jinx likely just makes a few light coverings to give the illusions of different colored lights during the reception.

✧.* your girlfriend fiancée wears a tailored black suit, with a maroon vest and tie. she put a lot into being able to rent it, so she wants to make sure she looks perfect for her soon-to-be wife!

✧.* the day of the ceremony finally arrives. vi is nervous, but she does her best to keep herself grounded. it isn’t until she’s stood at the altar waiting for her bride that anxiety truly sets in.

✧.* yet, all of that anxiety melts the instant she sees you walking down the aisle. your eyes light and full of adoration, only for her. the smile on your face is enough to light up the entire universe on its own.

✧.* it’s then, when she takes your hand as you step up to the altar, that she begins to feel tears pricking at her eyes.

✧.* vi has her vows memorized. she made a habit of reading them aloud every night at least twenty times, over and over again. but she still manages to stumble over her words; something you can’t help but giggle to.

✧.* “my love for you has always been clear. since the day i met you, you’ve never left my mind, or my side. i love all of your cute habits, all of the things you think i don’t notice, the sound of your voice, your smile, those eyes… i love all of you. i promise to love you now, and forever. you complete me.”

✧.* vi is fully crying by the time she finally gets to cup your cheeks and press her lips to yours, holding the kiss longer than she probably should. but she just can’t help herself. you’re her wife now.

✧.* she doesn’t get shitfaced during the reception, but your wife is definitely pretty drunk on the dance floor. busting out moves you didn’t even know she had.

✧.* she feels free to let loose now, have fun, with you by her side. dancing with her. singing along to the music without a care in the world.

mel;

✧.* with mel, marriage wasn’t really a conversation the two of you had, instead, it was a given from the beginning.

✧.* mel takes relationships very seriously and sees anything casual as a waste of her precious time. marriage is the end goal when mel gets into any relationship, so it wouldn’t be any different for you. she loves you, and you love her, the natural thing to do is to get married.

✧.* however, she is a patient woman and willing to wait for whenever you’re ready to commit to marriage. she is busy after all, she can wait as long as needed.

✧.* when you finally are at a place in your life- financially, mentally, emotionally, to be able to comfortably get married, mel wastes no time proposing to you.

✧.* you figured it would be the other way around, and actually did begin window-shopping for a general idea of what ring you’d purchase for your girlfriend.

✧.* but mel has a way of knowing things, and she tells you that she’ll buy it.

✧.* “i know you’ve been browsing around, here and there for a ring. be patient. i’ll handle that, okay?”

✧.* when mel proposes, it’s in a small, intimate space in her home. the woman goes to plenty of galas and parties as a councilwoman, but she wants this moment to be only between her and her girlfriend.

✧.* warm candlelight fills the room, the scent of peonies and baby’s breath subtle. you’re unsure of what’s going on for such decorations- was there a holiday that you forgot? your anniversary wasn’t for another few months, so surely-

✧.* a soft voice from behind you pulls you back to reality. the sight of mel, on one knee, holding open a violet velvet box.

✧.* “my dearest. i know i tell you regularly, and i know you’re aware, but i love you. i love you more than life itself, and i want nothing more than to make the next commitment to you. i need to marry you, (y/n).”

✧.* and god, the ring itself. the stone is practically a boulder. it’s a gold band with a cluster of diamonds framing one big diamond in the middle. yes, mel is the most wealthy woman in piltover, but she’s truly outdone herself.

✧.* you’re in tears, mumbling out choked ‘yes’s as your now-fiancée beams. she takes extra care, gently slipping the ring onto your finger. letting you know just how beautiful it looks on you.

✧.* as much as mel would love to be thoroughly involved in planning the wedding, duty calls. so you have creative liberty- she trusts you. she also does hire a professional wedding planner to get most of the difficult work done. the last thing mel would want is you worrying your pretty head before marrying her.

✧.* a grand hall, with gold interior, fountains, high ceilings and glass chandeliers was selected for your wedding. a place which many former high-ranking members of piltover’s society have been married in years prior.

✧.* as for a dress, mel chooses a grand, white gown. silk with lace trimmings, and a cathedral-length veil. she doesn’t mind what you wear, the only thing that matters to her is your comfort.

✧.* naturally, the majority of piltover is invited to the wedding. it’s not every day that the most high-ranking woman in your city gets married.

✧.* the day of the wedding comes. mel is an expert when it comes to keeping herself calm on the outside; stoic and poised. but internally, she’s a mess.

✧.* mel medarda, getting married? it’s always been something she’s wanted, but now that it’s happening, it’s hitting her what she’s about to do. yet, that makes it so much more exciting.

✧.* her worry is more about what how she’ll be perceived by the public, and presenting a much more vulnerable side of herself.

✧.* when mel walks down the aisle, bouquet in hand, orchestra plucking strings, she’s taking deep breaths to ground herself. this is really happening.

✧.* she sees you walk toward the altar, and she immediately has to close her eyes. only for a second. you look absolutely divine- it’s overwhelming. so many emotions: love, adoration, gratitude, all swirling in mel’s chest.

✧.* mel has her vows memorized. she’s always had a good memory, but she can’t stop her voice from cracking and breaking every few words. the moment is just all-consuming.

✧.* “my love for you is eternal. it always has been, and it always will be. to be stood before all of piltover, making this promise to you is an opportunity i am honored to have. i promise to fiercely love you for as long as you will allow me to, and as long as you will love me. (y/n). my love, my light, and now my wife.”

✧.* she has to wipe away a few stray tears from her face afterward, but she giggles and tightly embraces you. just before brushing your lips with hers, a moment she wishes she could stay in forever.

✧.* the reception is refined and calm. although others may be getting a bit tipsy, mel would much rather slow-dance with you on the floor. stand beside the cake, champagne in hand, just admiring you for all that you are. she swears you’ve never looked more beautiful.

sevika;

✧.* sevika has never given marriage a second thought. for other girls? sure, but never her. she had a job to do, a city to protect, and that was her priority.

✧.* until you in passing mentioned being old and married in jest. that statement hit sevika like a bag of bricks.

✧.* trying to lay her head down to rest, your voice plays on a loop in sevika’s head. being old and married. married. married to each other.

✧.* she simply can’t shake the thought. again, she had never given marriage a second thought, but sevika could truly see herself marrying you. that was how loyal and devoted she was to you, how much she loved you.

✧.* sevika doesn’t mention it, though. that’s the kind of woman she is, isn’t it? moving in silence, but with intention nonetheless.

✧.* however, one day, sevika slips out of your shared home to take care of ‘business.’

✧.* “be back soon, love. i won’t be long. -sevika”, reads a note left on your dresser.

✧.* where sevika is actually going is to a metal smith in zaun, a humble craftsman in a shared space with various other artists. she wants your ring to be perfectly you, and she wants your ring to be one that nobody else possesses. so custom-made is the only option.

✧.* a thick silver band with an amethyst in the center, and engravings on the inside. it takes about two weeks to finish, with sevika checking in about twice every week in the wee hours of the morning. this is one of the most important projects she’s ever overseen.

✧.* once she finally gets it, sevika will not let go of the ring box. a heavy maple wood box housing the most important possession she has, soon to be yours.

✧.* of course, sevika fiddling with her left pocket doesn’t go unnoticed by you. but she brushes it off, tells you that she wasn’t sure if she left something in there from the day before.

✧.* her proposal is spontaneous. she tries to plan it, but she simply cannot wait any longer. she takes the ring box out of her pocket, presenting it to you and slowly opening it.

✧.* “i don’t… i don’t do this stuff. i don’t know how to, i’m sorry. but i… i love you, and i can’t stop thinking about what you said before. about being old and married. i want that, with you.”

✧.* it’s so rare that sevika is completely unguarded, even in private. she’s a soft lover, but you can tell that right now, all of her walls are down. poor woman, she’s even shaking.

✧.* you just grab her hand, a stray tear falling down your cheek, and whisper, “yes.”

✧.* sevika has no idea where to start when it comes to wedding planning (or event planning to begin with.) so you take on most of the responsibility for planning, occasionally enlisting help from friends.

✧.* of course, sevika is still very involved in terms of observing and helping you make decisions.

✧.* you choose a small hall, enough to hold a handful of guests. sevika doesn’t have many people to invite, granted, but there needs to be enough room for her playing mates at the casino, jinx, and your guests.

✧.* your fiancée chooses a dusty plum suit, tailored to her body and the smallest golden hoops in her ears. (you didn’t even know she had her ears pierced until the day of the wedding.)

✧.* the day comes, and sevika sees you walking down the aisle. she stares at you in nothing short of awe, pure joy. her mouth hangs open.

✧.* when you finally step up to meet her at the altar, it takes everything in the woman to not simply whisk you away then and there. patience, sevika, she tells herself.

✧.* she has her vows written down, despite trying to memorize them. she’s just filled with too many emotions. nerves, mostly.

✧.* “standing here now, i realize more than ever how much i love you. you’ve brought something to my life i never thought i’d feel: unconditional, unwavering love. i don’t know how you do it, but you make every day better than the last. you’ve gotten through to my heart. i swear to love you, to be loyal to you, and to protect you.”

✧.* she doesn’t even wait for the officiant to say that you may kiss, she’s immediately closing the distance between you as soon as you finish exchanging vows, kissing her wife again, and again, and again.

✧.* sevika doesn’t do much during the reception, mostly drinking little sips of whine and gazing at you with that longing expression you’ve come to know. if you try to drag her out onto the floor to dance with you, she’ll playfully groan and roll her eyes. but you know she loves it. she loves you.

✧.* “come on, sev, dance with me!”

✧.* “i don’t dance.”

✧.* “well, you do now!”

caitlyn;

✧.* the topic of marriage is a difficult one for caitlyn. as a member of one of the highest-ranking houses in piltover, it’s an expectation that she will one day marry. not necessarily from her parents, but from piltover and tradition.

✧.* honestly, she was indifferent. if she found someone she’d like to marry, great. but if not, she wasn’t going to hold her breath or beat herself up over it.

✧.* when you came into her life, caitlyn could feel her perception of marriage slowly changing. it was still indifferent at best, but she now understood why marriage was so common. why it was a thing, even. her love for you grew stronger by the day, and she wouldn’t be opposed to marriage- if it was you.

✧.* not married because she has to be, but because she wants to be.

✧.* caitlyn is transparent about all of this with you, telling you that while she’s okay with the idea of marriage, she doesn’t expect it. it’s the least she can do: be honest.

✧.* ultimately, the decision is in your hands, and you decide that you undoubtedly want caitlyn to be your wife.

✧.* so you browse every single jeweler in both piltover and the undercity. looking for any hidden gems amongst them. independent jewelers, chains, even heirlooms from your family. but in your search, you find a sole jewelry dealer in the undercity. selling a silver engagement ring with sapphire clusters that perfectly match caitlyn’s eyes.

✧.* you’re in the family’s garden, cait looking off into the distance. observing… the leaves, the flowers, the way the light hits them? you’re unsure, but you decide now is your opportunity.

✧.* “caitlyn.”

✧.* caitlyn quickly turns her head to you, looking the slightest bit concerned. “hm?”

✧.* that’s when you drop to one knee and take out a ring box. caitlyn’s eyes blow wide, both hands clapping over her mouth. she can’t believe the scene that’s playing out in front of her.

✧.* “i can’t contain myself anymore. caitlyn, the time i’ve had with you has been wonderful. the most amazing time of my life. you are the epitome of grace and diligence, consistently leading. you bring out the best in me day after day, and my life feels complete with you in it. caitlyn kiramman, will you marry me?”

✧.* bless caitlyn, she’s trying so hard to keep the tears threatening to spill at bay. she only nods, once, then twice, then over and over before bringing you into a deep kiss.

✧.* when you slip the ring onto her finger, you wish you could freeze time and frame this particular moment. the adoration in the woman’s eyes is one you can’t describe.

✧.* when it comes to wedding planning, cait wants to be as involved as possible. of course, she has a job to do, so that does prolong the planning. but patience is a virtue she learned early, so she doesn’t mind.

✧.* “what’s another few months? we have all the time in the world, dear.”

✧.* the two of you choose to have a small and intimate wedding, inviting her father, a few council members, and anyone you’d like to invite.

✧.* caitlyn chooses a sleek v-neck black dress, fitted to her form with a long train. she opts to wear a small tiara instead of a veil.

✧.* upon further examination, you notice that it’s the very tiara cassandra wore on her wedding day. silver, with small rubies delicately placed. caitlyn honoring her mother in this way brought a whirlwind of emotions to you, but you knew she would be happy for her daughter.

✧.* and for that very reason, among many others, caitlyn’s wedding day is an emotional one for her. she’s elated to be finally marrying the woman she loves, but she wishes more than anything that her mother could be there to see it.

✧.* seeing cait walk down the aisle does wonders to you. waiting at the altar for her was excruciating as is, but you almost have to pick your jaw up off the floor as your fiancée makes her way closer and closer to you. she looks otherworldly.

✧.* she chuckles and beams at you once she steps up to the altar. taking a moment to just admire you. she reaches a slim hand out to gently tuck a lock of hair behind your ear, cupping your cheek in her hand for only a moment. her sapphire eyes full of adoration.

✧.* caitlyn has her vows written down, in that annoyingly perfect penmanship of hers. she reads from the paper, glancing up at you constantly while having to wipe her eyes.

✧.* “(y/n), i didn’t know if this day would ever come. but i’m so glad that it has. my love for you knows no bounds, it festers and grows and builds onto itself every day. it’s exhilarating, as is every day by your side. to call myself your wife will be my greatest honor. and to welcome you into the kiramann family, an even greater honor.”

✧.* she’s fully crying by the time she finishes reading out her vows, looking up at you with the best smile that she can muster. she’s so overcome with love, she can’t help it.

✧.* the moment the officiant says you may kiss, caitlyn is placing one hand firmly on your waist and the other wraps around your lower back. holding you close and brushing her lips against yours.

✧.* cait’s reception is rather relaxed, with a selection of mostly classical and contemporary music playing quietly over speakers. however, she insists on having several slow dances with you. she’s surprisingly good, which makes you suspect she’s experienced with this.

✧.* guiding you back and forth with expertise, her head buried into the crook of your neck. holding you impossibly close to her as she hums in contentment.

[deathbxnny]

Can I request angst for arcane characters x reader. Where they argued with each other and then later on reader is hanging on to dear life (READER SAVE ISHA FROM DEATH PLEASE! IM COPING-)

Arcane women with an s/o that dies after an argument. | Vi, Jinx, Caitlyn x Gn!Reader

So I may have taken this idea in a more extreme direction, ahaha... Anyway, thanks for the great request and I hope you'll enjoy!!<3

(I'm sorry in advance-)

Content: Heavy angst, arguments, spoilers for season 2, established romantic relationships, blood, fatal injuries, sfw

Reader has no set pronouns.

((Not proofread))

》VI

Your argument was a petty one. At least in her humble opinion, at least. She warned you not to push her too far, to not bring up Caitlyn when it wasn't needed. But you ofcourse refused to listen, and it ended in a full-blown screaming match she wasn't proud of. You were just looking out for her, scared she'll lose herself under the bright lights of the fighting pit and the flashing bass of the clubs. The alcohol consumption was destroying her, too, and you wanted to get her out of this hellscape.

You were always so kind and patient with her, something she was always so grateful about. So why did she tell you that she hated you? That you were overbearing? That Caitlyn was far better than you ever could be? She didn't know. She really didn't.

And any apology she may have had died on her tongue when you ran out of her dingy little showroom in tears. Oh, how her heart ached at the sound of YOU apologizing for not being good enough. The clarity of what she had done hit her like a truck then, making her finally see what she had become.

The shame made her turn even worse, your warnings and pleas feeling undeserving to follow. Days turned into weeks, then months, and she eventually forgot all about everyone... except for you. The image of your brokenhearted figure haunts her at every moment. Especially her dreams.

So when Jinx came to her for help, she saw it as a sign. She needed to apologize and get you back. She was desperate for it. She couldn't take it any longer without you. But alas... karma was an odd thing. Instead of hitting her like she wished, she found you being the victim of it instead. Whatever God was out there must've hated her terribly.

You were fighting with the Enforcers during the invasion of the Noxians and the Herald. Battle was never your strong suit, but you were never the type to back down from anything. Especially not when it came to the defense of your home. You had the option to leave. In fact, Caitlyn was the one to give you it. Yet, instead, you grabbed a uniform and headed to the Frontlines at her side. You were always so loyal, so goddamned good.

It was, therefore, not surprising that you threw yourself over Vi when she was being shot at. You had only briefly seen each other before it was time to move, and you gave her a welcoming, weak smile that made her heart hammer against her chest. She wasn't deserving of you. "Why... Why the fuck did you do that?!" She yelled over the sound of chaos above her, when she was finally able to get you somewhere safe. Giving her a bloody grin, you flinched a little at the pain in your chest, an arrow protruding from it. The crimson liquid drenched the blue of your uniform and Vi's palm that she desperately pressed against it. But there was no hope. It was over.

The gods wanted you dead.

Placing your hand over hers, you stopped her frantic movements with a chuckle turned cough. "I... I'm sorry-" "-Stop apologizing! I should be the one doing that! I'm the reason this all happened, I... I'm so fucking sorry." Her tears dropped onto your face, and you reached up with the last of your power to wipe them away. You couldn't breathe anymore. Your heart was beginning to fail, and the primal panic set in in the face of death. Intelligible words spilled out of your mouth, not making any sense to anyone but you. You wanted to tell her how much you still loved her.

But with a deep, rattling breathe your suffering was finally over, and your hand dropped to your side limply. Vi could only stare at you in horror, unable to say a word anymore, before she was dragged away by some Enforcers. She tried to fight her way back to you, yet there was no use.

The last thing she saw was your body being covered by debris from the falling ceiling.

》JINX

You and Jinx had gotten into an argument in the Herald's weird compound over Vander's well-being. Whilst she, too, didn't trust Viktor, she ultimately had no other ideas on how to turn him back to normal. And that's all she really wanted. She wanted her father back so badly that she and Vi were both too blinded to see how odd this entire thing really was. And it didn't help that you were worried about Isha's safety too.

Everyone here felt too robotic to be human. They didn't have real emotions or motivations other than what their leader had already preached about. It all felt superficial and lifeless, like they were husks and empty shells of people. But alas, you were the only one who saw it. Everyone basked in the warm sun and heavenly aura, never daring to glance into the darkness around them in fear of what they may see. The people that were "healed" didn't seem really healed. And you wondered if the Herald himself was blinded too.

Either way, it led to a huge argument in which you asked her to get Vander and everyone else rounded up to leave immediately. She was confused at first, but it started to frustrate her how you couldn't understand how much this meant to her. This was the first step to freedom and having her family back. A family she always wanted to have with you. Jinx got a small taste of that with Isha around now and never wanted to lose it again. But you couldn't shake the feeling that something really bad was going to happen if you didn't get out of here now. It ended with you both going your separate ways for the time being, mainly because you refused to argue in front of the poor small girl.

You avoided each other like the plague in the compound, and Jinx ignored you out of pettiness when you tried to reconcile. The safety of the family you've created was also important to you. More than she'll ever understand. But alas, no one could convince the blue haired girl of talking to you again. Not Vi. Not Isha. Even Vander tried his luck by slightly pushing her towards you. She always took everything so personally. So much so that her stubbornness often caused the death of others she cared about.

And just as she thought that she might have finally escaped that fate, the world had to once again prove her wrong.

The Noxians were attacking, wanting to get ahold of Vander, who had gone crazy and aggressive in response. Calming him down was impossible, and fighting off an entire army of trained warriors even harder. Jinx was panicking, trying to look for you and Isha in the dense, chaotic crowd, until she saw the small girl sprint towards the crazed Warwick with her gun in hand. She was quick to understand what she was trying to do and attempted to stop her, but Vi held her back. But the girl wouldn't die today. No, at least that part of her wish would come true, as she wouldn't lose her family today... just you. Her entire world.

You came sprinting out of the masses, practically tossing Isha into safety as you grabbed the gun from her. Aiming it up at Vander, things slowed down around you when your eyes met Jinx's horrified ones. Her screams echoed in your mind whilst you mouthed "I love you" to her and pulled the trigger, hoping that everyone made it out safe in the end.

》CAITLYN

The funerals of the deaths that were caused by Jinx's actions were all cold and grim. All of them evoke deep hatred in Caitlyn, who now stood at her last one, most guests having cleared out by now in grief. Looking back, she wondered when everything went wrong. After careful analysis, she came to the conclusion that your argument sparked most of the events in a way.

You were feeling betrayed by her lack of presence in her relationship ever since she and Vi had a mission to complete. She never let you in on what exactly they were up to, and she now realises that it was wrong of her. Cait could see how you might have thought that she had something with Vi that was never there. Sure, she was a pleasant company, and the only thing she had in very dangerous moments... but it was never more than that. She was a friend and that's it.

You, on the other hand, were her betrothed, the person she swore her life to and wanted to marry in the coming spring. Her mother had always approved of you two and practically pushed her to the next step, especially at how close she was with you. Cassandra had adopted you as your mother in law from day one, to say the least. And yet... she had disappointed her with the way she yelled at you to get a grip. Caitlyn was so stressed and exhausted in that moment that she couldn't think straight and let it out on you. Something she regrets deeply, perhaps even more than never being able to tell you how sorry she was now.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder, her mother’s stern, yet sympathetic expression greeting her. "It's time." She said, confirming the closing of your casket. Yes, this was your funeral. You had thrown yourself on top of her mother once the ceiling came crashing down. She lived with minor injuries whilst you were crushed by the debris. It was all so fast. Your reflexes were impressive as always. And it cost you your life. You were dead. Gone. She still couldn't believe it, even after gazing at your body for hours on end now.

The rage and anger turned into unspeakable hatred, one she could never shake for as long as she lived. She'd get her revenge one way or another. Even if it means to burn the entirety of Zaun down in your name to achieve it. But instead of voicing it, she took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well." She whispered, not trusting her voice anymore. The guilt was eating her alive, and she couldn't help but sway a bit on her feet at how nauseous she felt. You were always so scared of the dark and tight spaces. This was your worst nightmare, and she couldn't stop thinking about how scared you must've been in your last moments. Her mother said that you cried out Caitlyn's name before you stilled.

And so, as the casket's lid began shifting over your cold, stiff body, she stretched herself ever so slightly to catch last glimpses of your slumbering expression.

She may never forgive herself... but she'd make the undercity beg for her forgiveness instead. It was time for justice to prevail at last.

[hustlecandy]

Part 2 of this post under cut!

11. Bug Rangers

Does anyone else think it's funny that Ann says Bug Rangers is for kids, yet most of the characters we see that enjoy the Bug Rangers are adults? Anyway, here's a Jayde admiring her poster.

12. Paint

Another Vi's Request redraw. What can I say? It's a fun quest!

14. Boomerang

Vi (<- unaware) buying the Beemarang (<- stolen) from Shades (<- jerk) for the first time

15. Snack (Original prompt: Picnic)

Tbh that spot GS Technician shows Team Snakemouth looks like it would make a good picnic spot. If you ignore all the lesser bugs on the path, that is. Also, they're holding the foods they mention liking when you inspect Fry!

16. Original Character

At this rate, this is just gonna be me infodumping about my OCs buuut. Here's Team Thornbush! They were intended to be Team Snakemouth but Fucked Up And Evil, but I couldn't think of an evil version of Leif so they're just a much worse Team Mothiva. Lobeelia, the leader, is Vi's worst traits dialed up to 11 - she's a proud thief who uses her stolen crossbow to threaten those around her into submission and treats her companions like mere obstacles. Jacques is a beetle from the North who had it beat into his head as a grub that he was only useful if he was helping someone else, so he's extremely selfless to the point of self-destructive tendencies and would gladly give his own life for Lobeelia's. Like Cenn and Pisci, they aren't real explorers and just do whatever gets them berries.

20. Wasp

Yet another OC, this is Rusty the Ampulex ferruginea, who - like Hoaxe - was orphaned at a young age. Instead of being adopted by (other) wasps, however, they were mistaken as an ant and adopted by an ant couple. Even after their parents discovered they were actually a wasp, they still treated them like their own flesh and blood. They're currently a guard working at the Rubber Prison, in charge of handling the more rowdy inmates. Being a solitary wasp like Zasp, they weren't affected by Hoaxe's mind control and fought back.

21. Palace

Redraw of one of my favorite scenes from Chapter 4 with my Team Snakemouth humanizations! The reason Leif's hair covers their eyes is since their eyes are technically hollowed out in bug form, in human their eyes are permanently rolled into the back of their head. Fun stuff /s

25. North (Original prompt: Rage)

"You took EVERYTHING from me!" "I don't even know who you are." Moment

[viwifey]

VANDER'S LAST WORDS VS. WARWICK’S FIRST WORD

[bwat5-blog]

"Clearly, Caitlyn Kiramman Should’ve Known Better at 23: A Masterclass in Ignoring Trauma and Believing War Criminals"

**Spoilers for all of Arcane**

Recently I made the mistake of delving into the comments of an otherwise excellent post regarding Caitlyn Kiramman and the aftermath of her time as "dictator", specifically in terms of were there enough consequences? did she do enough to make it right? should more have been done to her? that sort of thing. In the festering cesspool of those comments, I saw a variation of the following statement:

"if we were doing things based on what was fair and just, Caitlyn should have been executed on behalf of the two cities for peace"

It was more crude but you get the point. This person alleged that Caitlyn deserved death for what happened during those few months. Before we move forward lets review what we know about all of this. I have quite recently covered a lot of Caitlyn's arc so I'm not doing a deep dive here. Just enough to address this particular bit of idiocy.

How It Starts:

Like I said we aren't doing a deep dive here, so just for a quick reminder as to where twenty-three year old Caitlyn is mentally at this point(regardless of fault or nuance, just the facts):

Has been almost killed by Jinx three times

Almost killed by Sheriff of Piltover

Abducted naked from her childhood home, forced to dress in Enforcer uniform, bound, gagged, and forced to attend Jinx's tea party where Jinx tries to get Vi to murder Caitlyn

Violently knocked out

Shows Jinx mercy at Vi's request

Jinx kills her mother

Trying to become head of house Kiramman

Undercity attacks the memorial

Survives strike team operations

Brutal fight with Sevika

Vi stops her from shooting again

Very emotional split from Vi after hitting her and leaving her alone

So, with all of that under consideration, a Noxian warlord in her fifties who has commanded troops on various continents across Runeterra, calls her up and says trust me, i have your back, we will get justice for your mother. And Caitlyn folds... Le Gasp?!

Guys I know this is a little more snarky than my usual approach, but this really is just not that complicated. This is not even subtle. We literally see the flash back of Ambessa orchestrating the memorial attack to get us to this point. Caitlyn is an open wound mentally and emotionally, she never stood a chance. Lets take a moment to review some important points here by the way:

Ambessa came to Piltover for Hex-Tech. She doesn't hide this from Mel and is quite clear in her goals.

"If there is a chance hextech can be weaponized, we must have it". Mel responds "Piltover isn't your testing ground... I can't believe you'd start a war just to cover your ass" And Ambessa responds "i would set the world ablaze to protect our family". And the conversation ends with Ambessa ordering her daughter to "let the war unfold".

2. She executes her plan to make Caitlyn her scape-goat in front of:

Councilor Salo

Councilor Shoola

Large group of enforcers

Group of twenty plus people who make up as Ambessa states "every house and family with a modicum of influence"

Not a single, solitary person says a word when Ambessa brings a twenty-three year old grieving young woman with, if we're being generous two months of combat experience though probably less, and says She is in charge now! They let Caitlyn be walked right into the jaws of the wolf herself.

The Great And Terrible Rule Of Caitlyn The Creepy! WHAHAHAHA!:

What she gives her okay on:

Occupation of Zaun

Lawful (under martial law not normal law) arrests of those who cause problems

Yep... there it is folks. There is the great list of terrible crimes against humanity committed by the she-devil of Piltover herself. Checkpoints and arrests. Which by the way I am not justifying. People being arrested subjects them to Ambessa's brutality once they are inside. And as we clearly see Rictus uses the right to arrest to brutalize a Jinxer, and to break up the rally. And Caitlyn absolutely shares some portion of the blame for that. But um.. the way people reacted I was really expecting more public hangings and and labor camps.

**Not really a good place to put this but just fyi, despotic mad-women don't usually have to get up early to please a craftsman guild over supply complaints... just saying..."

"But OP! Sexy Zangief was beating people up and breaking up peaceful rallies!"

Well fortunately we talk about that!

"Was it for my encouragement that your man Rictus was instigating violence?"

How does Ambessa respond? Not with anger, or rage. First with guilt "You don't trust me", then with approval when Caitlyn responds the blade cuts both ways "fearless child, you never shy",

Ambessa is a master manipulator. Caitlyn is and was grieving her mother, and her whirlwind extremely intense romantic relationship with Vi. She had a gargantuan hole in her heart and a woman with decades leading and commanding soldiers and learning strategy slid right in. Recall that in bed with Maddie Caitlyn almost is defending Ambessa, talking about learning so much from her and the lives Ambessa saved with her assistance getting control of Zaun, so they could hunt for Jinx. Caitlyn has legitimately come to care for Ambessa at least on some level. I even believe that on some level Ambessa has come to care for Caitlyn.

2. "Arrests require cause"

When Ambessa is suggesting someone in Zaun knows where Jinx is, this is how Caitlyn responds. Not with orders to start dragging people out into the street. Not executing children in the street or burning down buildings. And when Ambessa tries to justify it "What greater cause is there than returning peace to the city?" Caitlyn responds:

3. "Why is peace always the justification for violence".. (Note Ambessa laying comforting hand on Caitlyn's shoulder during conversation)

Ambessa gives her this speech: "we've lost so many.. the anger, the sorrow.. it's tiring. Gods, I know it's tiring.. But you will never rest knowing that she's out there. Or maybe I underestimated you. Maybe you have the strength I do not.. to forgive.. and trust in tomorrow.. the decision is yours commander.."

"I know you are so tired, I know you are exhausted. I know you want this to be over. But you can't feel safe with her out there. I know you can't. Unless of course you can do what even I can't. Forgive your mothers FUCKING MURDERER. But ya know, up to you"-

If you truly cannot see the insidiousness of how Caitlyn is being twisted and manipulated, I envy you the charmed life you have lead. But be weary my friend, "you're off the edge of the map, here there be monsters." (POC 1)

"But OP! Ambessa was experimenting with Hex-Tech and committing brutal interrogations!"

I will admit the show does not explicitly state that Caitlyn did not know about this. Explicitly. However, given our context clues I feel quite confidant suggesting she did not:

See literally everything she said above

Every time we see them doing this she is not present

It seems like they are in some deep and away part of the prison when they are doing this

In private after the failed hex-tech experiment, Ambessa laments that they didn't secure the scientists before seizing control of Piltover. She is openly discussing that they are the actual ruling power. I seriously doubt she would be doing that anywhere Caitlyn may come knocking.

She Could Have Stopped At Any Time! Maddie Even Say So:

You mean that Maddie? The Noxian spy who keeps an eye on Caitlyn from her fucking bed, taking advantage of Caitlyn's grief and guilt over how things ended with Vi? Caitlyn is reminded she has a choice twice. The first time by the spy in her bed, and the second time by Ambessa herself. Her loyalty is being tested. Not her conscious. Ambessa literally put eyes and ears in her bed, and some of yall wanna argue Caitlyn wasn't being controlled. Ambessa assumed the role of Caitlyn's mother, and had her spy take on the role of Vi. And I will say this. Sure. Caitlyn could have gone to Ambessa and called it all off. No more war, no more martial law, the council is in charge again so no more imprisonment and hex-tech experiments. And maybe.. just maybe Ambessa would have row-row-row your boated her homicidal ass home. I rather doubt it. I suspect that conversation would have ended with Caitlyn getting this treatment:

We have been over this already but for a reminder:

Ambessa came here for hex-tech to fight the blackrose. She instigated the memorial attack for her cause.

"I would set the world ablaze to protect our family"

As we will come to see later, her last living child begs her to stop the bloodshed, even offering to go back with her, and all Ambessa can see is weakness.

Other indicators of how she is doing with everything:

"I never expected this to go on so long.. I thought.. I don't know what I thought.."

"Up again?" Maddie tells us Caitlyn hasn't been sleeping

Forbids the use of the cells Vi was kept in

REWIND BACK TO HELLFIRE:

I recently just did an in-depth doc on the strike team, the use of the grey, and what all of this means in story. So I will keep this brief here. but I do want to discuss it as "SHE WAS GASSING KIDS!" is still being vomited up by every double-digit iq booger eater with a keyboard.

Ambessa orchestrated the memorial attack to force Piltover retaliation

The strike team is an alternative to a full-scale invasion by Piltover.

They are hunting dangerous drug lords, destroying shimmer, and hunting Jinx. All three seem fairly reasonable. The issue is not if they are doing something wrong, it's the reason Caitlyn has them doing it. All you have to do is refer to the handy dandy song lyrics they use as Arcane always does to understand this:

"Can I do the right thing for the wrong reason? Is it bad that I'm making friends with my demons, and Living by a couple deadly sins Just to make sure I finish what you began And I ain't afraid to lose a life or ten If it means that I get to win in the end (woo) So I'ma do this on my own, step into the danger zone Pull the pin and watch it blow" (Hellfire Fever 333)

4. Using a crowd dispersal agent that incapacitates bad guys with no documented fatal effects (see multiple characters exposed who are all alive and seemingly well, those images of the people with health issues were from the unfiltered, unaltered smog the Undercity used to live with)to hunt a target who likes to blow shit up seems fair. Also the fact that it knocks people out means they don't have to kill them.

Caitlyn's Remorse And Attempts To Make Things Right:

Literally starts a war with Ambessa to save Vander

Saves a hurt Vi with Jinx's back exposed to her when she is armed

Takes care of injured Vi in her own bed and postpones any judgement of Jinx until Vi wakes

"I Know!"

"We can't erase our mistakes.. none of us"- Equates herself with Jinx

"No amount of good deed can undo our crimes"- Equates herself with Jinx

"Hating you.. I've hated myself.. I just don't have the energy for it any longer.."

Tender moment showing IMMENSE regret during she and Vi's big scene.

The Cost:

One statement I saw opined that there is a difference between remorse and punishment, and that Caitlyn should have been punished. That giving up her seat and losing an eye hardly qualified. Well! Boy oh boy do I have good news for you. Let's take a gander at the physical "not punishment" she acquires willingly leading from the front lines against Ambessa:

Cracked in the head with rifle stock, twice: Skull fractures anyone? how about a lovely concussion?

Stabbed in the stomach: Internal bleeding, bile leaks, intestinal obstruction due to scar tissue adhesions, bowel perforation, the list goes on.

Kicked in the midsection while still stabbed: potential to drive knife deeper lacerating organs and such, just massive pain, potential catastrophic bleeding if a blood vessel was hit, potential rupturing of stomach, kidneys or liver releasing harmful fluids into abdominal cavity, potential for long term chronic pain or permanent organ damage

Leg sweep by Ambessa driving Caitlyn's head into the ground: potential tbi, brain hemorrhage, or further skull fracture, potential vertebral fractures, potential long term cognitive impairment or loss of motor control if spine is damaged

Kicked again: We covered this. Knife is still there.

Ankle pinned/Leg kick/backhand: All sorts of fun things happening to ligaments and tendons. Potential permanent disability. Potential concussion and bruising as well as a whole host of lacerations.

Headbutt with War mask on: Concussion, skull fracture, brain bleed

KICKED OFF OF HER FEET

Pulls knife out of her own body: Potential fatal bleeding, massive pain, possible peritonitis and respiratory distress depending on what all was damaged during the fight with the knife still in her body.

Sacrifices her own eye

Now lets take a quick look at some reasonable assertions for the mental "not punishment" she will likely suffer from after all of this:

Massive potential for PTSD just from the wounds alone

Losing an eye impacts her shooting which is a huge part of who she is and a link to her mother

A woman she shared a bed with levelled a rifle at her neck and pulled the trigger. Caitlyn thought she was going to die.. that doesn't just go away..

look at her face...

She is twenty four people....

4. Guilt over death toll of war

5. Guilt over Vi's possible death from downward spiral

6. Guilt over Vi's possible death from explosion in commune all born from Noxian;s arriving there

7. Guilt over everything done to the Undercity

8. Guilt over perversion of her families ventilation system

9. The fact that from season 1 Act 2 til now, she only ages a year and probably not even a whole one. Refer to my list in the beginning. She has not a single fucking second to breathe or heal from any of that shit

RESTITUTION:

So aside from willingly leading the battle that most of the undercity walked away from until Jinx shows up and almost dying for it, how does Caitlyn start to make things right you may ask? (because it is a start, for those who don't get that. This is the beginning of a story not an end). For the first time in what we understand to be the history of the twin cities, Zaun has a seat at the table. People are REALLLLYYYYY underselling this. I guess because they wanted a whole political treaty signed and to watch Caitlyn get shame-nunned through the street or something. IDK. But what I do know, is that Caitlyn gave away the ancestral seat of house Kiramman, and all the power and authority that came with it, and it now belongs to someone from the undercity. An equal voice. And it's just the beginning. It's not perfect. It's not all wrapped up in a big shiny bow, it feels real. Change isn't instant. It never has been and it never will be, and if you need that to feel fulfilled I understand, but this show was never going to be that for you.

Caitlyn Should Be Executed?:

So back to the original statement. Caitlyn should be executed in the name of peace between the cities. Well, I'll say this. if you see a 24 year old woman who inside of a year had her entire reality imploded, fell prey to the manipulations of a violent war monger close to 30 years her senior if not more, yet found her way back to herself and shed her own blood as a war hero TO SAVE HUMANITY, and your answer is she should be executed. Sure! So long as you admit you have the humanity of a toaster oven you fucking idiot.

To those of you who have continued to read, and share your thoughts, and been open to kind debate and discourse in good faith. You all mean the world to me. As I have said many times, opening myself up to this community has really happed my "real" life in a lot of ways and I love getting on here to appreciate and celebrate this story with all of you. That being said, this particular issue is so god damn irritating to me I am done being nice about it. Have a wonderful day!

[mantisgodsdomain]

Also, to those who pay attention to this sort of thing: yes, worker pronouns are something we tend to translate to she/her in English. Yes, ZBT-159 uses they/them. The cordyceps colony tends to lean towards the social bug triad of gender, which treats Worker as a "default" in the same way that a lot of human languages tend to have masculine double as their neutral. Though it's in Bugnish rather than Roach, Bau uses the same general sort of thing - "defaulting", and then having that translated in text as they/them.

(Fun Fact: Bugnish, being invented by social bugs with only mild input from roaches, actually completely lacks native pronouns for non-social bugs. You just sort of get assigned a gender formed by the lens of social bug society, and then you have to stick with that to be understood through the lens of Bugnish gender, even if it's a word that doesn't describe you or your species's view of gender whatsoever. People tend to get tetchy if you use Queen pronouns for yourself, though.)

(Bau, belonging to a single-sexed species, doesn't really fit into either binary or trinary. They're neither and both. Their species doesn't have the same system as those around them, so they end up being a weird outlier who doesn't fit in no matter what. Though other dune crickets handle this in different ways, Bau's personal approach is just... going by whatever they're called. They/any as in "people usually default to they/them because they don't know what else to use and Bau doesn't correct them". Their actual gender presentation in bug terms is something like the extreme gender maximalism you see in a lot of older cartoon villains.)

Since we've got all three character chapters of The House Is Established posted, we can now talk about fun things like roach pronouns. Come, learn about the grammar toys for Roach we've been tinkering with.

There are, at current: 8* distinct pronouns in Roach. Three of these are the "original" pronouns, and five were later adapted during communication with social bugs in order to avoid paying deadly insults to the queen or her colony through either treating the queen as interchangeable with other colony members or referring to an entire gender of the colony as objects. The cordyceps of Snakemouth Den speak a dialect that uses the "object" pronouns far more heavily in personal speech, and adds another set of pronouns for specifically inanimate objects.

Roach, when used purely among other Roaches, has three gendered pronouns: Male, Female, and Object. These are used in all personal pronouns (i.e. "I" "me" and "myself" will be different depending on what gender the speaker is using for themself). Object is not generally used to refer to oneself in first person, but can also be used to refer to any non-roach you do not know the gender of, or people you do not respect.

Male and Female also have distinct "plural" variants, for when referring to oneself in first person while speaking for a group. This is similar in usage to the Royal We - it expresses some amount of authority on the speaker's part, and indicates that they are acting as the voice for a group, rather than only themself.

During initial diplomatic relations with the Ant Queen, the genders of Queen, Drone, and Worker. While Worker pronouns have both singular and plural variants, Queen and Drone are plural by default - it is assumed that the speaker is always speaking as the voice of the colony, as these were primarily used for diplomatic purposes, and thus would generally only be used by people actively engaging in diplomacy.

Roach pronouns would later merge into general diplomacy between kingdoms, which would stick around as loan words after the Roaches themselves declined. Two more would also come into formal use by present time. Queen-Alate pronouns refer to an alate that is not yet a queen, and have both singular and plural variants, as a queen-alate is not necessarily attached to a colony by default. King pronouns are plural by default and almost exclusively used by the current Termite King.

Roach pronouns in modern bugnish are considered excessively formal and almost exclusively used for kingdom diplomacy. As all major factions participating in diplomacy at the time of language exchange were social bugs except for Roaches, Male and Female pronouns fall into the category of "obscure enough that no one uses them anymore", as the only people using them were Roaches, and not the surviving Kingdoms. Object also technically falls into this category, but its dual meaning as an insult is somewhat retained, though it is extremely antiquated and would warrant a response similar to calling a real human person a "parasitaster" in the year 2024. Canon Leif, specifically, uses Drone (Plural) almost exclusively.

If this all seems very confusing: don't worry! We have a chart of what pronouns do or do not exist in these variants of roach for your viewing pleasure. Character pronouns are below the cut.

Vi: It/its. Object (Plural). Sometimes swaps to Inanimate Object (Plural) for a few months every decade or so. Will refer to self as Queen (Plural) exclusively when trying to piss people off. No one will call it by Queen (Plural) pronouns unless they are also trying to piss it off.

ZB-159: They/them. Worker (Plural). Occasionally Object (Plural) when referring to self when inactive or under maintenance but English doesn't gender its first-person pronouns in a way where we can get this across.

Leif: He/they/it. Varies between Drone (Plural), Object (Plural), Object (Singular), and Inanimate Object (Singular) based on current mental state. Occasionally will use Queen-Alate (Plural) when speaking as a figure of authority, but English still doesn't gender its first-person pronouns in a way where we can get this across.

Kjdrira: They/it. Either Object (Plural) or Queen (Plural). Situational.

ZB-162: It/its. Object (Plural), Object (Singular), or Inanimate Object (Plural). The conditions upon which ZB-162 will be referred to as any given pronoun roughly correspond to the conditions under which the hive network may be referred to as such. Most of the time, sentences that mention ZB-162 will also include the hive network either by mention or by implication. There is very little distance between ZB-162 and the system it maintains.

[pastel-peach-writes]

hello!! i love your writing, so may i ask? may you write about fem!reader x caitvi with a reader that does ballet? thank you!🌷🌷💋

Sure! I'm a ballet dancer myself so I'm happy to do this request!

En Pointe | CaitVi x Reader

╰┈➤ PLOT: Headcanons of CaitVi with a ballet dancer girlfriend!

╰┈➤ WARNINGS: No Spoilers(S2), She/Her Pronouns, Not Proofread, Suggestive Themes (Second to Last Paragraph)

⍣ ೋ Enjoy!⍣ ೋ

– As someone who's also physically active, Vi makes sure you're taking care of your body after long nights of rehearsal.

– She gives you supplements that help with muscle recovery, makes you protein shakes or smoothies that help you last throughout dress rehearsals or performances, etc.

– She also will invite you to work out with her when your teachers tell you that you need to work on conditioning or stamina.

– If you're running late to practice and your hair is a mess, Caitlyn will always be there to help you with it. Whether that's putting it in a ponytail so you can put it in a bun later or flat-out doing the bun for you while you prepare snacks and waters for class.

– Furthermore, the girls love to attend your rehearsals to watch you dance or to get familiar with your dance studio/school. Sometimes they come during late-night practices with dinner or during early morning practices so they can take you out for brunch later.

– When the time comes for pointe shoe fitting, trust that Lady Caitlyn and Vi are right there at your appointment. The two of them are astonished with how pointe shoes work and never knew how much care and preparation goes into them.

–––

"What do you mean you have to sew them yourself?" Vi asked after her first fitting with you, appalled to hear that the ribbons and elastic come separately.

"Some teachers and dancers prefer different styles of ribbon, elastic, cut, and placement so to make things easier on the pointe shoe makers, the dancers sew the shoes themselves," you informed Vi but Caitlyn was nearby taking notes.

–––

– On days when you forgot a certain pair of shoes or tights, one of the girls would rush home to grab them for you. Even if they were in the middle of work.

– And on the off chance that they can't leave work to help you out, Caitlyn either finds or hires someone to purchase a new pair of shoes for you and then deliver them to your location.

– Safe to say you have many pairs of canvas ballet shoes and even contemporary/jazz shoes if you dabble in those genres too.

– Upon supporting you through your practices and giving you motivation on hard days, Caitlyn and Vi are always there at your shows and performances with flowers or a stuffed animal if you don't like flowers.

– They've told their family and friends about the show too so you have at least two rows, or one really big row, of supporters at every one of your performances.

– Caitlyn would get her family, Jayce, Mel, maybe even Viktor while Vi gets her crew (Yes, including Vander, Mylo, and Claggor), and her sister to attend. Even some of the coworkers Vi got close to attend your shows sometimes.

– After every show, they make sure to feed you. So if you're in between shows, for instance you finished a morning show but you still have an afternoon and evening performance, they would quickly get you food from a nearby restaurant if craft services wasn't provided or good.

– If you only had one show that didn't cut too late into the night, they take you to whichever restaurant you want.

– It could be a restaurant you saw on the way to the venue that you wanted to try or your favorite one back home. Either way, you're getting fed and they're happy to pay for whatever you want.

– On days when practice was an absolute ass and your body was a mess and too sore to function, Caitlyn offers to draw you a warm bath while Vi offers to draw you an ice bath.

– Sometimes they get into petty arguments about which bath is better and what you truly need at the time but usually, they come to a decision on their own.

– After your bath, warm, ice, or both, a meal would already be ready for you and the bed open for your laying.

– If you were too tired to eat, one of them would feed you in bed while the other massaged your sore muscles and applied muscle repair cream.

– If you're one to enjoy adult activities, sometimes the massaging gets carried away. Especially if you're just in your towel. But trust, it's all consensual and if you're not in the mood for such activities, the girls don't even encourage it.

– Okay, that's all! Hope you guys enjoyed <3

WC: 732

[simp-ly-writes]

Save Me

─────── · · How Could You Refuse? (pt.5)

Pairing: Jayce Talis x Shy!Assistant!Reader

─ · · SUMMARY: Jayce feels like he failed you, failed to truly do the good he wanted to for Piltover but with a taste for redemption, new and old faces appearing, and a war on the cusp of starting; he looks towards revenge as he battles with his original creation. You on the other hand? Well it appears everyone is out for your blood for one reason or another...

─ · · TAGS: female pronouns used, protective!Jayce (as in kills someone 😬), hurt/comfort and angst, blood, kissing, briefly mentioned nonconsensual touching, mentions of blood and death, reader is mentioned to have hair and is shorter than Jayce, S2: EP 1-7 spoilers! cliffhanger- to be continued.

─ · · MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQUEST | WORDCOUNT: 4,124

─ · · SERIES MASTERLIST

─ · · A/N: I so badly want to cut towards them being all cute and hot together 🫣 so freakin' bad but the angst before will make it feel that much better when it happens 😭

─────── · ·

─ · · Jayce tossed and turned in your bed last night, restless without the warmth of you beside him. He lived in your apartment, needing to feel that you were near when in actuality... he had no idea where you were...

─ · · When his mother visited him after the attack, she had to get enforcers to kick down your door to reach her son sitting amongst your blueprint covered floors doing his best to not let his tears stain your hard work.

"Jayce," Ximena Talis whispered, sitting down beside her son as he refused to look at her. "Tell me that I'm a bad person, that I failed, I lost myself, I am nothing." Ximena gasped, grasping on tightly, shaking her head and crying once feeling Jayce didn't move to hold her, just sat there.

"You are not lost, you are not nothing, you are my son, you are a leader-"

"Then why don't I feel like one?"

─────── · ·

─ · · Jayce stood a the front of the crowd standing alongside the remaining councillors, he was asked- was supposed to provide the speech yet he could not- not when he was the one that created this mess, not when he failed you.

─ · · Everyone watched as Mel slowly took to the stage, the microphone ringing before she cleared her throat. Tears welled in her eyes, catching in her throat but she persevered knowing that even though these words were hard to admit to herself, admit to the public, they needed to be heard. These people deserved to be remembered and as she looked down to Jayce, his eyes blank yet his outwards appearance still the perfect "golden boy" society expected of him.

But if you looked closer at the details of his outfit, you would find a wrinkled undershirt, a hair-tie of yours stretched around his wrist, and a spot of Viktor's blood on his boots he kept- forcing himself to remember what he had done.

Hearing a shuffling in the crowd, Jayce looked to see Vi and that young girl who had ran up to you both, the picture of what your future together could have looked life- Jayce felt sick. Blinking away tears as he watched the girl look around him to find you before turning up empty handed, she sobbed into her fathers shoulder and suddenly he felt thousands of eyes starring at him- shock and horror coating there features.

Jayce lowered his head as if to confirm their thoughts and not a sound could be heard as Mel continued her speech as everyone had yet another reason to grieve.

─────── · ·

─ · · You were shaking like a leaf in your spot, a gun pressed into your side. The whole cart-ride there the guard was playing with the safety, giggling every time you flinched 'so adorably.' They said you had the 'prettiest whimpers' the 'saddest, shiniest eyes' they had ever seen and what they all loved most of all? That you were Jayce's lover- his world. The perfect way at sticking it back on Piltover.

─ · · Another showed you the drawings they had planned for your corpse afterwards, your head on a stake so that 'Jayce could continue to admire you.' and you felt sick, you didn't want Jayce to see if you were gone, you prayed that they would just kill you in the Undercity, throwing your body into the bay without a hope of being found

─ · · "She would be a fun fuck, wouldn't she? Knees shaking, lips quivering, as you try and fit her-" you shut off your brain, ears ringing as you felt hands touch your waist that brought you back, "is your brain already going dumb? listen up." You wanted nothing more than to be in Jayce's comforting arms, to smell his aftershave in the mornings and be cuddled up by his desk by evening.

─ · · When you arrived at the venue, you were being ushered backstage and for the first time in your life, you hoped to be in the crowd, listening along. Mels speech was good but you had hoped Jayce would have been speaking at your funeral... perhaps that was a selfish thought of yours- wanting to hear your boyfriend speak in your final moments but that would be unfair to him

─ · · You stood still, hands bound behind your back and shackles around your feet. Your mouth was fixed shut with a metal mask, you closed your eyes taking in a deep breath to experience it slowly, listened to your heart beating and thought only about Jayce about every moment you loved and you were ready...

A scream sounded, you were used to the sound by now as your back got kicked falling into view of the crowd in front of Jayce. You could see him immediately stride forwards, grabbing an enforcers shotgun and taking aim before a figure emerged from behind a veil and the two exchanged shots. Mel was being forced off stage with the rest of the council members as you silently cried. There goes my peaceful death.

You tried to yell his name in mourning yet no sound escaped. You tried to get up yet a boot crushed your spine to the stage floor. Your hands stretched and grasped air, trying to reach out but never becoming successful.

You watched as Jayce was restrained, his muscles flexing as he tried to force himself out of the two mans grasps, he shouted your name over and over again, his voice becoming raspier by the minute. You could hear the chainsaw start as you were picked up by the hair on your head. "Are you ready Jayce? is everyone ready!" the voiced mocked, a drop of your blood spilling as Jayce growled and kicked, his eyes promised blood as Renni continued to speak, "your precious little love about to be all dead. But don't you worry my men had their fun with her before this, made sure she's truly going out with a bang! Don't you think it fair for killing my son? I get to take everything away from you in one fell swoop just like you did."

You knew their words about you to be untrue, just being used to dig into Jayce's heart but he took them as truth, watching you struggle, he wanted to kill, a part of you was also hurting for them, for their loss that you understood too well. Then suddenly, a red haired woman came into view holding Jayce's hammer as she swung it across their back, your kidnapper falling towards the crowd, towards Jayce. Your eyes went wide watching as Jayce's back was cut open alongside his shoulder, you gagged and gasped, hands shaking.

"Run... run!" the red haired woman yelled at you, slamming between your feet to split the shackles in two. Caitlyn waved her hand over, pointing towards an exist as you nodded your head and stumbled into a run. You turned your head to watch as Jayce yelled slamming a piece of scrap metal, bashing it against their skull- losing himself to the violence and you shivered.

─────── · ·

─ · · You were sitting in a medical tent, a guards hand shook as they hesitantly touched you, your eyes pleading that it was alright as they pulled the mask from your face and forced the restraints off your hands. You stretched out your jaw, twisting your wrists and testing your joints as they felt around your head and patched up your minor injuries... minor injuries. You thought back to Jayce's back and side but before you could ask, a freshly bandaged Jayce was stumbling towards you, the medical team rushing behind him, bandages in their arms and bags around their shoulders- worried but understanding once they saw you.

You could see as Caitlyn stood at the back, smiling and shaking her head with a scoff, "of course." Jayce held your face, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead against your own. You felt his tears fall and stream down your own cheeks. You were hesitant to touch him seeing the blood dripping across his chest and the various wraps he wore. He pressed his lips against your own, "You're okay," he cried with a smile, "you're okay," he repeated, as if reminding himself you were real.

"Are you okay?" you asked, bringing a hand to touch his cheek. He stared up at you, "yes, I'm okay now. I'm okay." You nodded, unable to find words before gently removing your touch. "You have to finished getting treated, Jayce," you said in response to his pout before moving over on the table and offering him a seat. Jayce held your hand, watching the connection closely to ground himself as he got fixed up.

To your shock when you looked back up Mel and her mother Ambessa were now looking over you both. Mel's mother took a long look at you, analyzing you with disgust, "such a weak thing." You looked back down, gritting your teeth, and gripping Jayce's hand- forcing him to not say anything back.

─────── · ·

─ · · You and Jayce would sit and watch Viktor slowly healed yet as if the sight were too much for him at times, Jayce escaped to the forge. He had an endless pent up anger within him recently that you had never seen before- he wanted, craved revenge.

─ · · You sat in front of Viktor, taking notes by the hour to monitor his condition and heart rate. You gave up trying to track the arcane as it changed too quickly for you to keep up and all your journals had been filled by the first hour of your watching.

Your eyes grew heavy as you leaned on the desk in front of you, back feeling the moonlight as you closed your eyes until a grunt than a groan before a loud bang was heard and you bolted up from your seat to see... AN ALIVE VIKTOR?! You rush over to him, "Oh Viktor!" you cry out, "we're alive, we're okay," you sob to yourself gripping his cane before offering it to him.

"Jayce put you through this too?" Viktor asked, tone cold- angry as he looked you over. "No, no, no! I was kidnapped! Oh you must be cold and you really must eat too- I had no idea how to feed you!" you quickly explain rushing to grab your lab coat and offering it to your old lab partner. You listen to how his scoff echos as you take a cautious step backwards, allowing him space to dress, "Like being kidnapped is any better."

You shake your head with a smile, "what can I get you to eat?" you ask, turning back around before hugging a now clothes Viktor. His hand hover above your back, watching as Jayce stumbles into the room, looking at him and you in shock, tears welling in his eyes- "you're alive!" Jayce rejoices, coming over to join the hug.

"I'm not hungry I just feel a... pulse within me, regenerative but not unpleasant... you promised me... Jayce, that you would destroy the hexcore..." you take a step back, allowing the men to share their moment. You thought to have heard everything that happened in the lab, but this... this was all new information to you. You looked over at the wall Viktor emerged from, how to pulsed like an organic engine, you were tempted to look closer at it... touch it but just before you could, Viktor firmly grasped your wrist, "no... don't."

His words rattled in your skull as you held your head and whined. Viktor quickly let go, a part of him afraid as Jayce quickly ran over to you, checking if any of your wounds had reopened before looking back at Viktor, "I'm stepping down as councillor, we can all work together again. Where we belong all along!"

"I must go now Jayce," Viktor looks down at you, eyes filled with sorrow, "I was supposed to be dead but now... now I must figure out what I must do... alone."

"Do you think its easy? To leave when your whole city looks to you for salvation? To cling to principles when you think your girl and best friend are dead?! You were dying in my arms- she nearly got her head chopped off? I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS! and all you can think to do is walk away and leave?!" Jayce yells, his heart tearing just as it was healing. You bring a chair over, falling into it, not finding the strength in yourself anymore to plead. You just look up to Viktor, watching as his eyes shift in change as you blink your own, thinking to be seeing things, please, take care of yourself, is all you silently ask him.

He does not respond, turning his back, "goodbye." Is all Viktor says, the sound of his cane becoming quieter as he walks down the hall. Jayce looks to where Viktor once stood before turning to you, "I-if you are unsure about anything, just leave me now... I-I rather it all happen at once."

"Jayce," you whisper, standing and quickly striding over to the man holding his head and brushing the hair that falls into his eyes, I never did book that haircut. "I love you, I'm not leaving, I promise, at least not willingly," you try and joke as Jayce lets out a breathy laugh, just leaning into your touch, "thank you."

─────── · ·

─ · · You and Jayce silently clean up the laboratory yet decide to keep Viktor's desk as is.. maybe he will return after some time, you reassure yourself. Standing up on a ladder, Jayce supports the bottom, closely watching as put up another box into storage before picking you up on the way down and settling you on your feet and pulling you in for a kiss.

You smile into it, both giving each other this brief little moment of happiness as the kettle clicks off, you both had agreed to pull an all-nighter for old times sake but by the sounds of screws loosening and some whisper shouting coming up from between the floorboards. Jayce was shoving you behind himself and picking up his hammer.

"Jayce, you're injured!" you whisper-shouted angrily, placing a hand on his hip, trying to pull him back. He glared at you form over his shoulder, "like I would allow you to be taken away from me again," he huffs before turning back around, the end of his hammer shifting your hip so that you are entirely covered by his frame.

"SHHH!" the unknown voice sounds before a tiny head pops-up from the vent cover. The room turns blue as Jayce takes aim and your eyes close, hands covering your ears in preparation before feeling Jayce's hammer slam back down onto the floor. You place your hands on his hips, peering your head around cautious before seeing... the Professor and a young man? looking back at you.

"Professor!" you jump out from behind Jayce, swatting his hand away as he tries to reel you back in before you fall to your knees and welcome him in for a hug. "Its a wonder to see you again!" you smile widely, the Professor returns the short hug before giving you a smile then glaring at Jayce, "What in the devils name has gotten into you!" He points an accusatory finger towards your boyfriend as you stand and laugh.

Jayce gives you an unimpressed look, his palm opening, asking you to return to his side yet you don't return right away, crossing your arms with a mocking glare as he returns a truthful one. "Love that you have my side, babe," Jayce says in a dry tone, "Now why the hell are you two breaking into my lab? and who is he?" he questions.

The boy in question looks up at Jayce before settling on you and offers a wink that has you turning back to Jayce's side between his hammer and hip. "T-this is my new pupil Ekko... Ekko meet my former pupil Jayce and the very brilliant assistant (name)." You all share a nod.

"I apologize for the intrusion," the Professor continues to speak, looking between you and Jayce with curiosity. "I also always knew that you two would work out." It's now your time to scoff, "Hmm, sure you did prof." you begin leaning against Jayce's hammer, "Just like how you tried to marry me and Viktor during my first week." Jayce tenses remembering seeing you in the halls with Viktor when he had just started and before you two began working with one another.

─ · · Ekko continues to stare hard at you as if trying to pick you apart. Jayce and the Professor began their own discussion as you and Ekko shared a silent one, "Hey! Stop giving my girl the eyes," Jayce warned, kissing your cheek in an outwards display. You blinked- looking away, following Jayce's touch as he lead you back to your chairs and pulled you into his lap before presenting a cup of tea for you.

─ · · When the sample gets presented, you both jump to your feet taking your positions as you sit beside the microscope, journal ready and tool bag in your lap. You both smile at one another as Jayce reads you back what he's seeing, flipping through the pages you find your trials on plants when trying to help Viktor, your heart lurches in your chest.

You tap with your finger on a negative box from the results, looking at one another with a wince yet equal curiosity. "How is this here and there?" Jayce mumbles, scratching at his chin while looking at you, "Maybe its something to do with Viktor," you respond in a whisper, eyes searching one another's.

"Are they always like this?" Ekko whispers his questions as the Professor hums thinking back. "For the most part... yes."

"Sooo... whats the verdict?" Ekko addresses the group as you hop down from the desk, taking a look through the microscope. Jayce begins to explain Viktor's hypothesis of wild runes as you run back over to the storage and take out the books Viktor used.

"Sooo, you pissed the arcane off?" Ekko cuts Jayce off. Spinning around in a spare chair. "Well every action sparks a reaction~" Heimerdinger sings before spilling over your tool bag and starts cursing himself out, you giggle, helping to pick up the spill.

"SO! when's the wedding, I'm getting old you know," he asks, handing you the tools. You shake your head, "I don't think either of us have the room on our plates for that plus we've only been officially dating for a year-"

"WHAT! So this entire time you both have not been together?" you shush him before your shoulders sag, "Thats what I've been saying!" Jayce calls from across the room before conversation returns back to seriousness. "If this is affecting the underground then..."

"...the gates," you both whisper before looking up at one another. "Let me come with you and-" Jayce holds you against his chest, his answer firm, "no, stay here and find out if Viktor had anything else on the subject... I'll take them both down." You hesitate, hands resting on his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

"Be sure to come back," you press your head against his heart. He places a hand on your lower back, pressing a kiss to the top of your head, "I will. I promise."

─────── · ·

─ · · You watch as Jayce softly closes the door as you take to the shelves and look under the floorboards, you tare apart the lab in a deep search before hearing a rumble. Dust falls off the highest shelves as you take a few steps back and pause. The rumbling gets louder as you look towards the test gemstones all clattering in their storage casing. You gasp in horror as some start to rise, the room being painted in blue as you duck underneath a table, bracing your head between your knees. What have we done?

─ · · By the time he dust settles, a dozen enforcers have you pinned to the floor alongside a red guard. You shake and try and roll yourself away with no use. Ambessa stands before you, crouching down to pick up your head with a glare, her daughter was so close to having this city under her grasp... if only you were out of the picture. "You are to be put in trial and jailed for endangering the lives of innocence by experimenting with Hextech to the public. Yet you will provide me with answers and results, do you hear me, girl?" You feel yourself getting pick up by your neck, you choke and gasp for air as you feet dangle, you don't want to agree to her terms and yet, how could you refuse? - Jayce, please, forgive me. You nod and take a gasp of breath back, falling to your knees, hands delicately reaching up to your neck with a sob.

──��──── · ·

─ · · When Jayce got consumed by the wild rune he was slammed into a dark Piltover and injured, staggering to his feet, he swayed in the foggy depths before seeing a dozen distant figures turning away from him, he called out receiving no response.

His already torn shoulder screaming out in pain, he did not have the strength to pick up his hammer as he stumbled after what he thought to have just saw. Horror and grief shocked his features as he fell into the arms of a screaming face, one that resembled you. He fell backwards, crawling on his hands and feet. no, no, no! This can't be real, Jayce begged, hands gripping into the earth, burying underneath his fingertips.

He stood, walking up closer yet you changed appearances, now a husk of an ivory sculpture- its neck craning to lean into his shoulder just as you would... the lifeless, faceless figure stared through him. An overwhelming sickness erupted from his guts as he hunched over coughing, stumbling towards a mountains edge to overlook what remained of the city before him and a glowing light in the distance.

─ · · Jayce ran back for his hammer, dragging it along with himself as he took to the streets, his head swung back and forth seeing shadows move, he saw that little girl again, this time she jumped for his neck as he swung back with a grunt, his shoulder giving out as he tipped back and fell... but all he could feel was air, see the sky becoming more distance and then... complete darkness

─ · · When Jayce had reawakened, every bone in his body felt cracked, every muscle bruise so much so it hurt to breath as he forced himself to roll over. Pressing a fist to his mouth to keep him from exposing his guts. He yelled up to the cave ceiling, water dripped to his forehead, he cried while treating his wounds, stumbling as he tried to climb but ultimately failed.

─ · · Jayce felt as his hair and beard grew out, his clothes ripped and tore. He had to dismantle his hammer, fingers bleeding from the sharp metal parts within that now scared his hands in order to fix his leg. Jayce swore to see you the longer he stayed in that ravine, saw you calling out to him above in the shadows. He felt your touch in his sleep, pretended to lay right next to you as the fire embers died part way through.

─ · · Time was lost to the man, he couldn't even recognize his reflection, he talked to a ghost of you in his mind, climb, fine me, please. I need you, you called out to him as he looked up and gritted his teeth. Please, Jayce, you begged as he gripped his hair covering his ears with a yell. PLEASE!

─ · · Day by day, ledge by ledge, Jayce climbed up from the chasm and using the remaining handle of his hammer, he forced himself back up into the light, I'm coming darling, I'm coming, he told himself like a mantra to keep himself somewhat sane. The only thought driving his every step forward without rest or water was the thought of your warm embrace, your lips against his, your laugh in his ear.

He made a promise to you and he was going to keep it.

─────── · ·

─ · · JAYCE TALIS TAGLIST: @sseleniaa @sunshiines-stuff @kiromiix @todorokishoe24 @w2momo @m-arj-1 @reid490

─ · · A/N: jayce stormin' in there all hot, sweaty and bothered afterwards AHHHHH the brainrot is intense rn that i'm attempting my first long-form smut fic in the next chapter...

─ · · SERIES MASTERLIST