#yes the lack of hextech is why things are good and i think that's a very weird writing choice

[calcified-fluorited]

arcane fandom for some reason: "you silly goose you just don't get it, it wasn't vi's death that made things peaceful, it was the lack of hextech!" Sorry but the class discrimination, exploitation, oppression, police brutality very much existed before hextech! it was not the explosion that made piltovians prejudiced, they were like that way before that

"but they saw that dead teen (vi) and it made them realise how awful it is to have conflict" be for real please. topside sees zaunites as animals

[melmedarda]

Those in the fandom calling Mel manipulative are suffering from a severe lack of media literacy. Mel being framed as manipulative is a misdirect, said by the writers themselves in the Art of Arcane book. And those who refuse to see Mel as anything other than manipulative are falling into that trap.

The writers have set her up to appear as one thing while being another. She is a woman of mercy. She has all the tools to be like Ambessa, all the upbringing, but she actively pushes against it. She's pragmatic and utilitarian in her political approach. It's not about what is best for her, but what is for the greater good. For Mel it's about giving back. She did not invest in Hextech for herself, but to protect the city of Piltover from threats like Ambessa, while Ambessa only wanted to use it for their family. A lot of the fandom is painting Mel as the woman Ambessa is, and frankly, that is a disservice to Mel's character. She is not perfect. Yes she is wealthy, and yes she was either unaware/inactive in regards to the state of Zaun, I will not deny that. Her inaction caused her much regret, as she says in her game lines, which shoes she can learn the hard lessons from her mistakes. She is not the villain you all believe her to be

She is complex, but she is filled with good will. She never manipulated Jayce but mentored him to operate in the political arena of Piltover so that Hextech would not be monopolized or crushed by those in the council. When she did use her influence within the council, it was to save Jayce from exile, to prepare appropriate measures to protect Piltover by someone who would not taint its purpose (which is why it had to be Jayce), and to grant independence to Zaun. Yes, her decisions appear self-serving at first, but when you take a step back, you see it. It was her way of giving back to the city, she says as much to Jayce. To protect her city and the lives within it. Her approach may not be as straightforward, but she is no less well intentioned for it.

In season 2 she says, "No life is expendable." To Ambessa, she says "If you care for me at all, spare their lives." And her in game line reiterates this sentiment, "To think these gifts were hidden within me. The lives I could have saved…" This is her driving force in all that she does. Her respect for the sanctity of life is what Ambessa considers Mel's weakness, but really, it is her greatest strength and I will always love her for it. It's the reason why I am so eager to see how she fares in Noxus, where strength is glorified, and the only way death is decided is by taking life. It's my hope that she doesn't change, and that her compassion will continue to be her strength. I hope she breaks the cycle, and is free of Ambessa standards. I do not want Riot to make Mel into another Ambessa. I do not want Noxus to taint her.

[avelera]

Hi, I wanna say I really like your posts and enjoy your meta's about jayce.

So I wanna ask a question: How do you interpret jayce's behaviour here?

Personally, I have always believed that since jayce came from a family of blacksmiths, he would at least know how to negotiate or essentially haggle to an extent so do you think that it's on purpose that jayce isn't particularly shown to haggle when it comes to his interactions with zaunites?

Also, aside from that I think silco and Jayce's last scene really goes unnoticed by many epssically when jayce genuinely chooses to be fully transparent and honest with silco admitting that he is scared.

Short answer: My interpretation of this scene is that it is meant to show how privileged and naive Jayce is.

Just to be clear, I adore Jayce, but I will still admit to his flaws as a character. But, I will also point out when "flaws" like privilege can also lead to generous or otherwise laudable behavior, because it's easy to be a saint in paradise.

As for the longer answer, Jayce doesn't haggle for a few reasons:

1 ) Jayce doesn't haggle because he's never known real hardship. He's from a family of blacksmiths, yes, but of a particular flavor. He's actually from a family of factory owners and toolmakers. He's middle class shading to upper middle class either by virtue of being the son of a factory owner or certainly by the time Hextech takes off. What Benzo was charging probably didn't cost that much to him, especially with Kiramman money backing him up. He needed the items more than he needed a bargain to have them. It probably didn't even occur to him to try to get a deal because of how little the items cost to him.

2 ) Jayce doesn't haggle because of cultural differences. To a Zaunite, it's unthinkable not to haggle. To a Piltoverian of a certain class, it's probably unthinkable to haggle.

I've felt this cultural difference as a person from the US while traveling. You would never haggle in the area I'm from (I don't claim to speak for the entire US), because most shops have an established price and that's what you pay. It would be incredibly rude in most instances to haggle. But when I've traveled to other parts of the world, Turkey for example, it's not considered rude at all, but expected. In places like the Istanbul Grand Bazaar, it's expected and there's etiquette governing it, and US customers are regularly fleeced for 10x the actual price if not more.

But you have to understand too, in relation to Jayce and as referenced in point 1, one reason US customers get fleeced in those places is because the amount being demanded as 10x more than the cost of the item is still a negligible amount for them. An item that they could haggle down to 50 cents costing $5 instead isn't really a big deal. Especially if you're on vacation anyway, you can afford to be generous, even if it means getting mocked behind your back as a sucker.

And for some there's an element of generosity to not haggling. Why would I haggle to get a $5 item down to $2, when it's a negligible difference for me, I want the item, and the person I'm haggling with needs the money more? Which leads into:

3 ) Jayce doesn't haggle because he's a good person at heart. Zaunites from Ekko to Silco are aghast at Jayce's lack of haggling, so it's not just a financial thing, it's a cultural thing. But even with the case of Silco, I'd argue one reason Jayce doesn't haggle is because he sees himself in a position of strength. He knows that independence matters more to Zaun than it matters to the Councilors in Piltover, who might whinge about it and the potential profit losses of losing sovereignty over Zaun, but they've been neglecting Zaun for years so boohoo, they can suck it up and get over it.

That to me is Jayce's view. Jayce admits that Zaun is asking for a lot of privileges that probably should be haggled over, like access to the Hexgates and blanket amnesty, but all that would do is drag out the process, possibly lead to more conflict if tensions rise again during the negotiations, and it would still lead to the same conclusion: Zaun deserves to be its own nation after Piltover neglected it. Jayce is a direct thinker and he decides it's better to just rip the bandaid off and let the chips fall where they may, rather than try to nickel and dime Zaun's negotiations when it would cost nothing AND be the morally correct choice for Piltover to just let them go.

One a final note: I think one reason we're seeing Jayce become a more beloved figure in S2 is because we can now see how radical and progressive his negotiated peace with Silco actually was.

When we only had the context of S1, Jayce's negotiation can come across as too little, too late, or even foolish. But when you see at the end of S2 that, as far as we can tell, without the negotiation going into place, Zaun doesn't have independence and only gains one seat on the Council, you can really see why Jayce using his position of authority while he had it to cut through the bullshit and right what he saw as a systemic wrong in one fell swoop might have been naive but it might have also been the radical change that the city desperately needed. Granted, we'lll never know if the Councilors were right and there could have been negative consequences to not negotiating more. Maybe handing an independent Zaun to Silco and the Chem Barons without haggling would have led to further disaster.

But as the show's theme constantly reiterates, "What could have been?" I think we can see better now that Zaun didn't get everything Jayce was willing to give them at the end of S1, and that's a tragedy. If nothing else, Jayce's willingness to not haggle even when he could wasn't just foolishness, it was because his heart was in the right place and he thought they deserved it. It might be a long time before there's another chance at that kind of progress again without the Man of Progress.

[poisoned-fruit-prose]

𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

synop: you get frustrated when you realize viktor is making more progress than you on hextech.

wc: 1037.

includes: just fluff. reader is a secret mage, and their connection to magic inspired them to start developing hextech. reader and viktor are academic (and romantic) partners. lots of czech pet names. he loves you so much.

author's note: been writing a lot of fics relating to being viktor's "only one" (instead of jayce, though jayvik is still very close to my heart) as if they're memories he's looking back on. maybe this will be some sort of anthology series. hope you enjoy.

Your face scrunched up in the exact way Viktor recognized as your last straw. Before he could speak your name, you were already storming out of the lab, stray papers billowing behind you.

Viktor knew to let you cool off for a moment—the frustration of not understanding was unlike any anger comparable. It was self-deprecating, self-destructing, and the sole reason an institute such as the University was build to assuage. There was no point in consoling you before you were ready. You could read the writing on the wall. Viktor was going into territory you couldn’t follow; he was getting too advanced. You would either have to play catch-up or give up altogether. Both, in your mind, were options only for those who have lost.

Viktor gave you an hour. Well, forty minutes before he decided to get up—it took him twenty to make it to the garden he knew you were stewing in. Your form was predictably balled up beneath the swaying willow tree, the branches engulfed in golden light from the sunset.

He rested his cane against the trunk and grunted as he sat down beside you. He spared you the embarrassment of looking at you; he knew you hated how you looked when you cried. Instead, he looked out over the pond for a long moment.

“You know, I get frustrated too,” he murmured.

“Not over little things like this.” You sniffled. Your tears had long stopped, but you always seemed to have a stuffy nose for the rest of the day. And a godsdamned headache.

“No, admittedly not. But you know what I do get frustrated with?”

You didn’t move, didn’t speak. Viktor shrugged and spoke anyway.

“When you don’t see just how intelligent you are. Just because you cannot understand some of the technicalities of Hextech does not mean you are any less brilliant. You are two things, drahá. You are a scholar, and you are a mage.” He clicked his tongue. “And no matter how far we push Hextech, I cannot begin to fathom what you understand about the Arcane. There is a reason you are my partner on this, and a reason I want you as our guide.”

“Yet if anyone knew I was a mage, I’d be hunted down and killed.”

Viktor sighed. “Maybe not killed—but hunted, yes. That is why I also say you are a scholar. You do not put all your eggs in one basket. You aren’t just a being of magic. You are a perfect storm of words and ideas. You see things others cannot, write things others could only dream to dream of. I cannot let you go around thinking you are stupid when you are the one that conceived Hextech in the first place—the one I go to when I’m stuck and need a fresh perspective.”

“What good am I to the world with words and ideas? Everyone has words—it’s those who can make physical improvements that are the most lauded. You take my words and make with them. How could merely thinking of it compare?”

“That is preposterous, miláčku. Everyone may have words, but it is those who wield them with uncanny ability that give people like us a goal to work towards. Who would I be if you had never explained to me the possibilities of harnessing magic? Likely still following Heimerdinger around, an occasional project here and there—but now I have a hand in changing the world. Your words, your ideas, they are not separate of that. I have the ability to make fire, sure, but you have the ability to use it. You are the foundation of my work. I can only go where you have laid down a path. That is where you lack self-awareness. You are exceptional because your ideas are mixed with your smarts. You dream big, you conceive higher, yet you haven’t thought of anything impossible. Not yet.”

Viktor reached over and gently placed his hand atop your arm.

“And do not think that an award from the Council is the highest honor in life. You have done good for all of Runeterra—but for me especially. If I had the choice, I would shower you with accolades and statues, miláčku. You are an extraordinary thinker, an analytical mind, and a mage immune to the trivialities of academia.” His hand slid up to lift your chin, guiding your gaze back to him. “And you are not that far behind me in invention. Don’t let one problem destroy your vision and hope. You will work through it. You always do.”

You looked at him a long moment, then sighed as you laid your head atop his shoulder. He welcomed you, leaning equal weight against you and holding you still with a hand on your waist.

“...I’m sorry for storming out,” you murmured. “I know that was unprofessional.”

Viktor clicked his tongue. “Oh, please, do you think Jayce is professional?”

You both laughed softly. You sniffled again as you rested a hand atop his knee.

“I think… I’m frustrated, because I want to use magic to help you. And I keep failing. And without the documentation of magic before the Rune Wars, I feel like I’m grasping for a fly in a fog.”

“Don’t worry about me, lásko.”

“You know I can’t do that, Vik.” You nudged him, solemnly playful. “People like you are the reason I started trying to harness the Arcane.”

“Hextech is for everyone.”

“You aren’t included in that?”

Viktor sighed, then leaned up to press a kiss to your hair. “Of course. I just worry you tunnel vision because of me. I don’t want to be the reason you miss a breakthrough.”

“Breakthroughs that don’t lead to you getting better are useless to me.”

“But they are useful for everyone else.”

“Yes, but…” You gently squeezed his leg. Viktor used his free hand to take yours.

“I understand,” he murmured as he watched his fingers lace between yours. “We will both be just fine. Your concern is endearing, but it will cloud you in your studies. Make Hextech your top priority, and my health will be right there with it. And with me, lásko, always comes you.”

dividers used: clouds • scribble

[cherrybomb107]

After making that essay about all my gripes with act three, I wanna delve into what rubbed me the wrong way about episode seven. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is my second favorite episode of the season (right behind episode four) but everything just felt off, and now I’m able to explain why.

It felt fake. Artificial. Too good to be true. Too polished. Everyone in Zaun was basically a Piltie lite and I hated to see it. I know Zaun doesn’t even technically exist, as it never did officially get its freedom, but Piltover and Zaun are known as twin cities for a reason. They are intertwined, yes, but also completely different. Zaun has its own vibe. It’s punk, patchwork, unpolished, mismatched. But also vibrant, brilliant, thoughtfully crafted and beautiful in its own way. It’s unique. It feels so real, and for the au to strip all that away and make Zaun feel like a shell of its former self was not it.

Zaun has such a rich culture. Not without its own host of flaws ofc, but what culture is perfect? And obviously there are political reasons for why Zaunites do things the way they do (it’s because Piltover’s oppressions forces them to get creative). While I resent the reasons as to why Zaunites have to be so resourceful and creative, I adore the things they were able to build in spite of their hardships. Makes me identify with Zaun even more. The au took all that away. Everything that made Zaun what it is wasn’t there, and I didn’t care for it.

Furthermore, the whole au falls apart if you stop and think about it. Why would Vi’s death be anything more than a drop in the bucket to Piltover? They had been oppressing Zaun for centuries? Vi is not only a Zaunite, but she was also a teenager. There’s a lot to be said about how teenagers aren’t really seen as kids by a lot of folks, and are “less innocent” and their lives are seen as “less important” (though ofc no one would admit that have that kind of bias). Plus when you consider that by virtue of being a Zaunite, Vi would already be considered “less than”, her life would not matter to Piltover WHATSOEVER. Best case, and I do mean best case scenario, they give Vander some financial compensation so he could afford to give Vi the proper funeral she deserves. But I’d bet money they never would’ve even considered doing that if I’m being realistic.

Also, that’s just a horrible message to send. Vi, the parentified child, who spent her whole life fighting like hell to protect her loved ones, had to die in order for not just her family, but her city to flourish. HUH??? That’s an awful thing to imply! Vi dying would NOT have lead to everyone else being fine. It would not have led Vander and Silco to forgive each other. It would NOT led to Zaun prospering economically. It would not have led to Zaun becoming just like Piltover in the worst of ways. That doesn’t even make any sense! Correlation does not equal causation, but those two things have no correlation to begin with! Obviously I know that’s not the message the writers meant to convey, but that’s what they ended up doing imo, and I don’t like that.

Lastly, why are we acting like Hextech is the problem? The oppressive system of Piltover existed way before Hextech came along, so why would its lack of being there affect things that much? Cause if not Hextech, some other revolutionary technology would’ve been invented that somehow only benefits some and hurts everyone else who isn’t as privileged. And yes, ofc I know Hextech only exists precisely BECAUSE of the systemic inequalities between Piltover and Zaun, but it is by no means wholly responsible for these inequalities. Responsible for widening the gap between Piltover and Zaun? Yes! Responsible for the existence of the gap in the first place? Hell no! And it felt like it was framed that way.

Coming back to this post to add something in light of Amanda’s recent comments. I love this episode. I do. Nothing will change that. But it feels like Amanda is going out of her way to make me hate this episode because of her dumbass comment. No an au episode is not a substitute for proper development of main universe Timebomb. I’d even go so far as to say that au Timebomb and mu Timebomb dealt with such fundamentally different circumstances that they might as well be two different couples, and showing mu Timebomb develop isn’t “rehashing” at all. I love the au episode. But that’s not what I’m here for. I’m here for MY Timebomb. I care about the development of THEIR relationship, not some au bottle episode with their au counterparts! Timebomb didn’t share a single meaningful interaction/conversation onscreen. They have no shortage of things to talk about or issues to work through. But we never got to see it. It has to be “left up to interpretation” which will only give fuel to the antis who insist that Ekko only loves au Powder and not his Jinx. Cause that’s all that was shown! God forbid you call using dms and interviews as a crutch to supplement what should’ve been made explicitly clear in the show bad writing though. Here come the dick eaters rattling off excuses about “media literacy”🙄🙄🙄

Anyways TL;DR I wasn’t a fan of the au episode because I felt like it unintentionally sent a horrible message and didn’t stay true to what makes Zaun, Zaun. It ripped out all its best parts and functionally turned it into Piltover Jr. and a fan of that I am NOT

[idkwhatimdoingbutslay]

I think what it is is that the heart of Arcane has changed as of right now. What’s guiding the plot isn’t character dynamics anymore, it’s just plot. It’s not Vi and Jinx or Jinx and Caitlyn or Mel and Ambessa or Ekko and Jinx or Silco and Jinx or Vi and Vander or Jayce and Viktor or Mel and Jayce or even Caitlyn and Vi. There are hints of all of those things, yes, but they weren’t hints in season one, they were driving forces. The characters don’t feel like people as much anymore and their relationships suffer from that.

Edit: I wrote this after act I and I feel this even more after act ii. There is so much intimacy missing this season. The interpersonal conflicts are lacking so hard and I feel like the plot isn’t even heavy enough for the sacrifice to be so great. That’s why we’re missing the importance of characters like Ekko and Vi who are so driven by their care for other people. I’ll come back to this draft once act iii airs.

From season one, I can tell you that this is a tale of two sisters. From season two… I don’t know what’d I’d say.

Edit post act iii: I have to say, regarding this, Act III is the best. I really didn’t hate the focus on Jayce and Viktor and the Arcane considering that’s the name of the show and this is the most consistent and well thought out storyline stretching from s1 to s2, but I do have my gripes with Mel being so disconnected from this story despite her also having the Arcane within her and being a main player in Hextech in s1. The black rose s1 set up was a complete fumble imo. Either do it well or don’t do it at all.

This act felt a lot more propelled by the relationships in this show. What I loved about Arcane s1 is that it’s not just a bunch of people within a plot but a bunch of people making the plot. Things aren’t just happening to them, they are actively making them happen. This cast in s1 is how you write real, good and well thought out plot devices. They’re all elements of a narrative that feel so so real.

Episode seven being the best episode of the season is such a good example of this. We get to see the characters we love in the story we love. We get to see the consequences of the characters existing (or not). We also have an Ekko centric episode which is just the cherry on top.

Act II wasn’t too bad in the relationship propelling the story aspect with Jinx, Vi and Vander (and Isha). But they barely lasted and the Warwick we saw in act III was so obviously not Vander that it felt kind of meh. And Isha felt empty to me, sorry. She should have lasted longer but she would have no significant part to play in act III. She was just TOO MUCH of a plot device to me.

The fact that we got ONE Silco hallucination and it was in act III is another reason why I feel like it’s better in this way. I know Jinx was getting healthier and whatnot, but in act I we didn’t see any hallucinations at all after her literally killing Silco and really leaning into the Jinx persona which felt a little off.

Erm not to talk about the lesbians but I’m gonna do that lmao. This season was so wishy washy we them. We got what we wanted but not how we wanted it. Their characters were kinda fumbled (Caitlyn less so) so thereby, their relationship felt a little fumbled. I think them ending their respective storylines separately is fine, but having them hardly be intertwined felt off. And even the final scene with them felt a little empty. Like of course they’ll forever be together but that can’t be it. There’s so much more to CaitVi than that. I feel like they’re missing the “despite it all……”, even tho it was implied pretty well I suppose. Idk, just a little unsatisfied with the “Dirt Under Your Nails” line.

TLDR; this show is made up of characters and relationships that make the story move forward and I feel like s2 was lacking in this in comparison to s1.

[nylloth]

@tloczek

I'm afraid Viktor's whole story won't fit in comment. First off he was never the “time traveling wizard” who gave Jayce the stone. The time loop is the worst trope that leads him to “Only Jayce can change my mind”. not a consequence of his decisions (s1 Sky death changed his mind without Jayce!), not a result of his work, not something logical, but only Jayce. It's silly

Secondly his “cultists” were not puppets of the void, Viktor believed in choice! He only helped those who asked for his help. He gave them new arms and legs, but he didn't force them or render them unconscious. They believed in him, that's why it's a cult. They had personalities. Viktor doesn't have a disability in LoL, his choice of evolutions isn't forced by illness. I'm fine with adding a disability, but it should never be the sole reason for his belief in evolution. Jayce is emphasizing Viktor's disability in his final sentence, again! Evolution is NOT about that.

Jayce changes Viktor's mind in 5 minutes, the original Viktor is always true to his views as they are not born out of resentment or lack of self-confidence. “Hasty” is putting it mildly. Keep in mind that Viktor made the decision to kill his humanity (Sky), for the sake of this evolution. It should have been a dramatic and sad process. So why wasn't it? Because he already gets his humanity back in the next episode because of Jayce's words. This nullifies killing Sky and makes this move extremely tasteless.

LoL MH has motivation and belief in what he is doing. These are feelings stronger than resentment or disappointment. Jayce killed Viktor and he became disillusioned with humanity (and Jayce???) and so chose evolution. Viktor had no convictions, he's like a guided kitten who got trapped because Jayce resurrected him.

Gradually changing your own body because you believe it, and unwanted resurrection from the dead are not the same thing.

I said it after the first act, he's a hostage to circumstance. Everything's been decided for him. The murder, the resurrection, the second murder without any discussion. Only at the end he makes his own decision, only to abandon it 10 minutes later. This is bad for any character, not just Viktor. The character doesn't stick to his views.

Viktor's evolution never destroyed nature, but if you take that element out of Jayce's story (the apocalypse) then all their interactions immediately lose meaning. And of course Viktor can't talk about “loneliness”, because Viktor is not alone with his supporters. (which are not empty)

LoL Jayce are not opposed to hextech. He thinks it should be controlled and that's why he and Viktor had a conflict. They used different methods and that's why their quarrels seemed more logical. Arcane Jayce hates everything to do with it.

The time loop creates a bunch of gaps, like in au where Ekko got to, where hextech wasn't invented and Viktor can't be a mage there.

Viktor also has a robot son, Blitz. He is not mentioned in Arcane and since Viktor dissolved in time (don't know what happened to them), he will never be. Jayce's influence literally predetermines Viktor's entire fate (death-resurrection-death), but they kind of make it look like Viktor is looping his own suffering fate with a time loop (the stone). That seems like a bad plot move to me. All Viktor's roads lead to Jayce, and believe me, that never happened in the original lore. Yes, they were adversaries, but Viktor had a robot son, ties to Renata, other henchmen, etc… It wasn't just “me and my friendship with Jayce, the only person who can change my mind”.

It's as if the characters can't exist outside of this cycle, making them appendages. While the original Viktor lore still exists, I suggest you read it, there are some nice stories in there and this man is much more like the Viktor from season one than Viktor we see in season two. He has motivation, motives, determination and a separate personality. I'd say Viktor s1 was a pretty good backstory for Viktor LoL if they didn't kill him off in season 2 with the first episode. Knowing the original lore and comparing it to what we got, there is a bad flavor. I know ppl like Jayce/Viktor connection, for parallels, but given the pacing of the story and the crappy “time loop” branch, it sucks. Though even if it had been given more time it wouldn't have worked. For the reasons I described above.

“Viktor and Jayce got the best ending ever” if you knew Viktor's original lore and appreciated him as a separate character and not an appendage to Jayce, you would never say that.

[featherlumina]

So. I’ve got some questions and thoughts about Viktor’s cane. (And a heads up—I am abled, so I apologise profusely if I miss something or get anything wrong!)

I saw another user point out that baby Viktor uses his cane incorrectly. According to my trawling of the interwebs, using a cane on the opposite side of the affected limb is best as it provides better overall body support. Vik’s bad leg is his right, so he should use his cane in his left hand.

We can only assume that coming from Zaun, and with limited access to education or medical experts, lil’ Vik had to make do (especially given that his cane is a bent stick that’s been repaired and modified).  So yes. Viktor is young and no one around him knows better.

But look! He’s still using it incorrectly well into his twenties. Now, maybe he’s a special case and just has a preference for using it in his right hand. And I seriously doubt Fortiche made a mistake with this, because...come on. We’ve seen the detail they go to. 

From this, we can brainstorm a few ideas—maybe Viktor uses it this way because it’s all he knows and for some reason, no one has corrected him. Which, given his status as a Zaunite and a disabled person, is quite a fitting way for the people of Piltover to treat him. Or, maybe, even when working for the Academy, he still lacked the funds to get appropriate treatment and so carried on as he was. Hell, maybe Piltover ostracises anyone with a disability and they’re clueless about proper care (unlikely, but still has a shred of potential).

But after the time skip? He’s corrected his use. Even though he’s now using a crutch instead of a cane, the advice is the same—use it on the opposite side. 

So now we’re thinking...why now? 

Well, I noticed something on the render of Viktor used for the RiotX Arcane experience. Even though it’s non-canon, it’s set once Hextech becomes an accepted technology—a few months or years after, it’s hard to tell. Anyway, he’s using his cane correctly here as well! 

So naturally, this leads me to think that maybe Viktor finally got the right medical advice once he’d made a name for himself as part of Hextech. Like only after achieving something seemingly impossible for a Zaunite was he recognised as a proper member of Piltovan society. Anyway. It’s all conjecture and I have no idea really. :P But I’ve got one final note to make.

So we’ve all seen the back brace Viktor wears, presumably to keep his spine straight because of his crippled leg throwing things off (a really nice detail, really). But I also noticed that he has screws in his actual spine. Like damn. 

I makes me wonder...did he have spinal surgery to fix problems caused by long-term incorrect cane usage!? 

And, by extension, is that another deliberate example of the disadvantages the people of Zaun suffer from? I mean. It makes sense. As if they’d have access to good medical care or advice. All the doctors probably disappeared into Piltover for the cashed up aristocracy. 

(Alternatively, he was destined for spinal surgery and a brace no matter how he used his cane, but... still. :P)

Anyway. Thanks for coming to my TED talk on probably another brilliant detail from Arcane. 

[mercury-hammer]

Jayce writing prompts 👀 college AU or professor AU if you do those, for example how would Jayce interact with a class of students, i bet they banter with him lmao (maybe viktor's there too?)

If canon universe, how about a no-plot, jayce's internal monologue kinda thing, exploring one of his traits that you find interesting (i wanna see you pick his brain apart and explain it to me, a still-jayce-ambivalent person hehe)

I went with the second prompt! And then it got away from me, just a little, Enjoy!! I did giopara instead of talis so I hope that’s alright!

Tw: mentions of self-harm and not listening to ones therapist, vague mentions of fighting and violence.

—

Kicking machines, fundamentally, has never done anyone any good. I mean sure you could kick a machine and it’d work again, but that was only sometimes, and Jayce needed this to work perfectly, All the time, because quite honestly If it didn’t work perfectly all the time, he was going to put his hammer through the ground, or a window, he hadn’t taken the time to calculate which would statistically be More Satisfying, in the event of a small fit of rage

(This was, of course, a lie, it was the window. Always Always the window. He had done the calculations)

This is how he found himself precariously balancing one of the small hextech chips he’d thrown together in a 4 day no sleep bender, between his lips, as he applied thermal paste to the small connector unit, which he had for some ungodly reason made an impossibly small gap for, something about compatibility, whatever Past Jayce was thinking, it was ridiculous, and Current Jayce wasn't having it. Why the fuck would he have made the one part he needed to access often and frequently, have a gap smaller than his pinkie finger.

It took him approximately 5 tries to apply the thermal paste, and then an additional 8 tries to place the chip onto the thermal paste, so that he could turn the stupid machine on again, and see if it blew right back up in his face.

For the wellness of everyone in Runeterra, the abhorred machine ran just as intended.

If Jayce got so excited he threw his book into the wall, accidentally knocking the fire alarm system in place, and sending cascades of cold water down onto his head, no one else was in the lab to bear witness to it. It didn’t happen.

—

Of course, he wasn’t always tinkering away in his lab, occasionally he would be trying (and failing) to seem even somewhat vaguely interested in what the higher class citizens of piltover deemed worthy of their time. It’s not prim nor proper to get blackout smashed at one of these parties, so Jayce had to pull his expression into what he called his “Condescending Cunt” face just to pass off as if he were one of them and also belonged here, in this too big fancy ballroom with small tiny foods he hated the tastes and textures of.

(Another lie, he keeps lying today, he fucking loves those little cocktail sausages)

He should have been paying attention more, because the woman he’s looking in the vague direction of at the moment seems to be waiting for his reply on something she said, and Jayce can’t even remember her bloody name, so why would he remember whatever random thing she had come up with to discuss with him (a thing he’s come to accept over the 10 plus years he’s been attending these things)

“Hm? What oh yes, right, hmm” is the best that Piltover's Sparkly Golden Man of Progress can come up with, but what does he care, really I mean he’s a scientist not a public speaker no matter what the council might think.

She doesn’t look pleased with this answer at all, and storms off before he can act like a respectable person and just ask her what she said. Oh well, it mustn't have been that important.

It’s another 3 hours before he finds it in him to just up and leave, these might’ve been bareable when he was 27, but he’s 43 now, his back hurts, and the lack of anyone interesting enough to talk to was enough to send him careening into the weak champagne they had stocked for the event.

Getting drunk at home was much more enjoyable

—

Being thrown into a concrete wall at Mach speeds isn’t fun. Well it is fun, but Jayce’s therapist told him that was bordering on “self harm” or whatever, so he had to remind himself that it wasn’t fun. Having a laser pointed at his face was not fun, and he didn’t enjoy it.

(Lie again. Really he had to stop, but his life had reached a breaking point about 4 years ago where he realized he had the most fun when he was getting the shit beat out of him by the metal shell of a man he used to care about, he hadn’t told his therapist about that one, he’s sure she’d have some choice words for him about that.)

After party fights were something that Jayce had somehow come to look forward to, it was like after party sex, but he didn’t have to think too hard about the fights like he did with sex. During sex he had to make sure the other person was having fun, that they enjoyed it, fighting Viktor meant he could turn off his brain and swing a massive weapon around without much care, and he didnt have to care if Viktor was enjoying this either, quite frankly he probably wasn’t having as much fun as Jayce was, but they were fighting what did it matter.

He should probably pick himself up off the ground, that would be a smart idea, and Jayce was a smart man. He doesn’t pick himself up off the floor, actually he thinks he’s lying there for a good 3 minutes before he can feel sharp metallic claws on his throat, his body being lifted like some discarded doll, and his back hitting the wall of whatever alleyway he and Viktor had met in this time. It takes him a few seconds to lift his eyes up off the ground where they were and oh isn't that a nice sight, at some point he must’ve swung his hammer hard enough to knock Viktor’s mask off.

Relatively speaking, it was the same face as it had always been. Well, no, Viktor’s eyes must have been replaced at some point, black sclera and Orange Iris’ staring back at him, and there was metal playing out his face where the hollows of his cheeks used to be, but the slight crooked angle of his nose was still the same, he still had a gap between his two front teeth, even if they were sharper now, and the moles on his face still stood out against the paleness of his skin.

Oh. Viktor was talking to him, or he might have been talking to him, his mouth was moving, why couldn’t he hear what Viktor was saying. It didn’t matter too much, because the edges of his vision had gotten all hazy, and his arms suddenly felt heavier than the stupid hammer he walked around with everywhere.

Falling into unconsciousness was like a blessed gift.

[yi-dashi-a]

They Call Him Yì Dàshī - Part 1

It was less of a tent, and more cloth held up by twigs, but still it served its purpose. Sleet bounced audibly across its roof, almost drowning out the groans from within. Rows upon rows of dying and the dead lay helpless. Some lacked sense, or an arm and leg, and those who didn’t cry out cackled instead. Most too were covered with weeping sores that pinkened their skin and sizzled with ill intent.

Reality was as simple as that while medics struggled against injuries and symptoms never seen before by the war effort.  

It helped little when an amalgamation of all the suffering nearly ripped the tent from its pegs as he tore open its door. Backlit by a muted sunset, and floating on whispers of thought, he stole the attention of all. Especially so when his voice managed to echo against cloth and carry on the gale,

“|Who is in charge here?|”

“|Y-You… you’re Master Yi!|”

As quickly as Yi had lorded his resolve, so too did it fall out from under him. Suddenly he found himself on a knee, dropping as if gravity wished to pick on him in specific. And even the most hardened of soldier’s present approached him with sluggish disgust, listening close as his husky voice began to fade,

“|I need to tell someone…|”

Unknowingly the Highlander placed a bloodied hand upon his side, expecting to find a pink and gold Ionian insignia there as it had always been. His nerves lit up however when raw skin met cloth, acidic like muck still clinging to him and eating away at the grime between the wefts of his gloves. Other hands then came about him, their ice cool rags feeling as if they were scraping away the skin and muscle of his entire right side, head to toe. It took him a moment to realise they were actually physically peeling his war regalia away from his wounds. The slightest tatters of red stained robe took with them protection from the cold, creating a strange battle between the burning and freezing of his flesh.

He would have screamed, but he was beyond the point of crying out.

“|What happened?|” Said some unknowable someone to the Bladesman, and wrapped up in his own ills it took a second, firmer, “|Wuju Bladesman! What happened to your squad?|” for his goggles to stir upon his head,

“|I don’t know…| Techmaturgical fire… Deadly machines…”

“|… I can’t understand you, Yi.|”

“|He’s dying, captain.|” Spat another man, “|I don’t think he’s in a position to be understood.|”

“|I’m not dying!|” Proclaimed the Bladesman, “|I just… don’t know… what…|”

“|…Yi, please.|”

“|What… happened..?|”

“|Master Yi!|”

The world dulled to his hextech eyes, and no matter how hard he tried to speak no words would leave his gravelly throat. Against the deep, gnawing agony it told him no more, and instead it focused on the deep pelting of the hail that thundered distantly. They hurriedly jostled him about, clearing out a dead man for a live one. With a thud and a wheeze, he came to rest on his front, and work continued whether Yi was aware of it or no.

Fire, he thought, his brain finding no resistance to a stream of consciousness, Explosions, gas, poison, death. Booming… Booming!

Suddenly the rattle of hail didn’t seem so inconspicuous, but before the rise and fall of his chest could leave his control, screeching torture returned along with proper comprehension of spoken word.

“Y... Yì Dàshī?”

Yi’s eyes widened, lenses along with them. Chest to ground as he was, he wasn’t facing the same way as the familiar voice, but he was as determined to change that as the man to his right was to speak up,

“|Master… P-Please. Is that you?|”

“|Easy now…|” Soothed a medic, but the Wuju Practitioner was already grunting and moaning as he arduously shuffled in his position. He nearly flopped back groundward with a hiss of air through his teeth, but the lenses stayed firmly where they sat. And it was important they did, because behind their furious actuations he could behold a sad and sorry soul.

He was half a man, his extremities mostly gone. He hadn’t been like this when last Yi remembered seeing him. For whatever reason he had to remind himself of that. That didn’t change the fact he was bleeding through his makeshift cloth bandages, the healer within noted, especially about the eyes...

“Nn… Sh…”

His eyes. His head was bandaged from top to bottom, allowing only room for speech and for his nose. It was clear though that some pustulant concoction wept from his skull, poorly contained as everything else was. Yet suddenly, Yi found, that when he should have felt his worst he was again fading into a murky grey existence. Upon beholding the man, the student, he felt his breaths measure themselves. The boom of the weather was still present, but it only served to enhance the things he heard.

“|Master..?|” The young soldier reached out with a stub of an arm, his voice ringing clear but distant, “|Did I… Did w-we… do good? Did we fight for what’s... right?|”

Yi’s own arm was a quivering mess as he tried to mimic the other. Against dull tearing sensations he just barely put a hand upon the man,

“Sh… Sh..!”

“…Shu, hm?”

It wasn’t often Yi saw his father’s posture falter, but it wasn’t often that he saw his father so utterly bored either. Sitting at the Wuju Master’s flank, as was tradition, he as well found himself reclining somewhat as the ordeal grew long. Two people, a man and his nervous son, stood before the stage upon which the Wuju Practitioners sat. The father, comedically enough, began to all but prostrate himself before the then Master of the Wuju art, his voice an urgent quiver,

“Yes! Indeed! My son is perfectly adept with the blade for his age. Trust me, and I would be so honoured as for you to take him into your school—“

“--You realise it has been thirty years since this place has operated as an enrolling school?” To that Yi had to scoff. He felt so important somehow, with his birth single-handedly shutting down the school, but despite the outburst the older Practitioner continued, “You came all the way from the Lowlands just to hear me say no. Perhaps with foresight you would have known not to come at all.”

“Please, Master Yi. My son’s destiny is not to run about a farm for the rest of his life. I know he has potential for greatness. Just give him a chance.”

“You already know my answer. If you need tea, or a place to stay, then you are welcome to stay here until you must depart again.”

“Master Yi you need to understand--”

“--However.” The Head of Clan rose to his feet, and Yi took it as his cue to do the same. The then Master was a short statured man, at least in comparison to his son, but he made up for it in an intimidating glare and menacing presence, “If you use this opportunity to continue kissing my sandals, or to try and continue pushing your son upon me, then I will have no choice but to ask you to leave.” The man looked over his shoulder, an audible ‘tch’ exiting his lips when he noted his son’s smarmy grin, “Student?”

“Yes, Master?”

“This meeting is done. Show our guests to a place where they may settle, if they so require.”

“Of course, Master.” In a flourished bow of a lengthy ponytail, and robes worn loose about his lithe body, Yi bustled by his father and set off, “Come along you two. There are plenty of rooms to choose from. Because, you know, this is a school.” With a snort and a laugh, he listened for the padding of their feet upon wooden boards, and sure enough they followed.

But rhythmic sounds of foot traffic soon gave way to a grovelling pest,

“There must be something you can do uh… What do I call you?”

“Don’t look at me.” Yi waved a hand dismissively, “I don’t run anything around here.”

“Surely you’re a powerful man, whatever the title? You must have some sway?”

Yi looked over his shoulder in the slowest of ways, doing so as the hallways they sought to traverse grew dim as sunlight fell away. But his amber eyes shone on still, striking further hilarious fear into the expression of the man,

“Oh, trust me. I have a lot of sway here. Whether any of that sway is for you is another matter entirely…”

But Yi’s voice trailed off when he noted the tiny, spindly boy that walked half a step away from his father. No fear lay there as he watched the Wuju Student’s eyes dance with yellow fire. His face was painted instead with a million questions it seemed, yet he lacked the initiative to ask them. That was something Yi thought to change.

Because why not? This was already boring enough. It wasn’t often they had guests there anyway.

“You know,” He began, turning his gaze forward as the hallway took a sharp ninety-degree bend, “For all the talking you’ve done, you have yet to let the boy say a thing. Not even to give his own name. What would he do if you left him here without his voice?” Though every doorway effectively housed a room of some description, it took Yi a while to choose one in specific. It was perhaps for his own Master’s sanity, if anything. When he finally pulled away a screen door to a dusty dorm, he ensured it was one with a good view of the temple’s courtyard… and of the gate that led out and away from the place. After inspecting the room momentarily, he turned with astute grace and held his amber gaze upon the child directly, “Shu, right?”

“Eh… Y-Yes Mister.” Yi stooped to the boy’s level then, resting his arms upon his braced knee,

“How many passes of the moon have you seen, Shu?”

“… Six. I’m six.”

“Six?” He made an impressed sort of whistle, “A whole six moons. I can’t even remember much from when I was six. Do you like swords?” The boy gave a slow nod, to which Yi inclined his head somewhat, “Do you want to be able to use one?”

“I’m sure he--” The father’s outburst was quelled with but the raising of Yi’s hand, for suddenly he found himself… entranced by the boy and his posture. Something was there, and even a journeyman of Wuju as he, was he felt compelled to test a child in his convictions,

“…Do you want to be able to use a sword, Shu?” Once again the boy nodded, but with more energy this time. At that Yi swiftly quipped with, “Why?”

“Wh…” Shu’s gaze lowered, his brow furrowing. For a moment he looked about the room, then to his silenced father, and then back to Yi. No answer was to be found with his eyes seemingly, so he parroted back the simple question, “… Why?”

“Yes. Why? Why a sword? Why Wuju? Why has your father brought you here?”

“He… I…” With a cute, deep breath, the boy pouted, “I asked to come here, Mister.”

“Oh?”

“Y-Yeah!”

“... Why?”

“Because I...” The child began to chew his lip softly, “... I like Wuju a lot.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere!” Leaning forward with a crooked smile, Yi asked once again, “Why?”

“B-Because… Because…” Shu’s tan face seemed to redden, and he fidgeted where he stood, “It’s because… You’re the demon, right?” To that Yi’s bushy eyebrows rose. Even children could be surprising, or confusing, it seemed,

“Demon?”

“Yeah... Yeah!” From somewhere within his robes the boy managed to fish out a piece of parchment, and with the wall of nerves breaking down he thrust it towards the Bladesman. Though it was a benign sort of thing, Yi still took it from the boy with an air of hesitation,

“What is… this?”

His honey eyes widened, a bit more than he’d care to let on, as he scanned the contents of the paper. It was a simple ink rendering with a style unmistakable. Upon it was a man with a great ringed sword, his robes billowing against the nebulous creature he faced. Its form was near undefined… but notably against the black, sharp ink some gold paint had been stroked for eyes, “… The Demon of the Sky. This was the dance of last Day of Blades. Old Man Wu-Chau paints these for Festival goers. How did you..?”

“I really liked the performance, M… Mister Hui, yeah? You’re the one who played the Demon of the Sky..?” Yi had to admit, he had little interest in the painted arts. Renderings of himself, however, were always things that stroked the ego yet somehow humbled him, especially when little kids took their drawings and held them close to their chest, “I came last year. I saw the fights, but I didn’t like them so much. But then I saw the dances… I want to be able to do that too! I found out it was a Wuju thing though. No one else teaches... so I just tried to remember myself for a long time. I practice every day.”

“… Practice what?” He managed to ask, but suddenly it was he who had the million questions.

“The dances!” The boy exclaimed, “I try to remember it all… but some parts I forget. The part in the drawing though, I remember that part. The part where the Wuju Master says he can run faster than the gale, but then the Sky Demon goes,” And before Yi’s very eyes did the boy take up his near perfect posture, going through motions to the tapping of his foot. Though lacking some finesse, the man almost heard the beat in his mind as the child hit just about every point. Amazingly so. Perfect angled hands corresponded with the right foot shuffling to a beat, and he could certainly keep time, “No, no, no! Back! No. No. No! Like that!”

The boy stood tall and proud at the end of his routine, clicking his heels together so as to stand stock straight, “I wanted to do that, even though my Papa wants me to fight...” That learned posture fell away as soon as it had come though, with Shu’s gaze returning to its nervous distance, “...but  I guess I won’t be doing that now, right? I... I’m sorry. I’m sorry for making everyone angry, Mister Hui...”

It was the Bladesman’s turn to look towards the father, the other man near ready to jump down his throat with excuses for his son’s supposed foolery. Excuses never flew, however, with the Wuju Practitioner rising swiftly to his feet. As trivial as it was, as laughable as it was... he couldn’t help but want to know more. About the child. About his drive. About how, despite all the cool things he must have seen during festival time, it was the non-violence that had drawn him to the temple. His robes were a flurry about him as he took off, stealing some sort of bewondered sound from the boy.

“... Follow me, kid.” He said, almost without thinking, to which the boy once again stuttered,

“Wh... Why, Mister Hui?” And with that know-it-all smile plastered back on his face, YI stopped only momentarily to reply,

“Let us dance.” Before he was lost to the hallways once again.

[higuchisora]

"Her choice to oppress people and commit acts of fascism is NUANCED! Don't be mean 😢😢😢"

Hey do me a favor and never talk again lmao

Like even aside from Arcane, that is certainly... A Take. Possibly the Take of All Time, even. At some point I was glad to see people discuss character nuance... only to realize they actually either didn't know or didn't give a shit and was only using it to mindlessly defend their faves. Like yeah, Silco, for example, was nuanced... he's still a villain lmao. Caitlyn is nuanced. She's still a dictator, babe, lol. Someone being multifaceted- because that's really what they mean- doesn't absolve them of their actions or mean they need to be given grace. Just as I won't pardon Silco for poisoning his own citizens - the people he claimed to want to liberate - I will not pardon Caitlyn for gassing the streets, arresting random people (including children), assaulting her girlfriend, etc. I really don't care why she did it. That's not the point. I can understand why, in the sense that I'm provided an explanation- but I still will criticize the decisions they made.

And yes, oppression PLAYS A PART. Their class PLAYS A PART. Silco was a Zaunite. Caitlyn is from Piltover. Her actions were already worse than his, but with the added level of being from the OPPRESSOR CLASS- her actions are made even worse. Even if they'd done the exact same thing, her actions would be worse because she's already directly benefiting from the suffering of Zaunites even without actively committing crimes and being a fascist. If instead of being a dictator, she'd become a drug kingpin, she'd objectively be worse than Silco on the basis of her coming from a place of privilege. She doesn't fucking need to do that to gather funds- she already has the money. She doesn't need to experiment on shimmer as a weapon- she already has hextech.

Which is also why I find it interesting when people compare her to Jinx- an orphaned Zaunite who has lived her entire life in unfair, unsafe conditions, without proper access to even the basic necessity of clean fucking air. And you find her revenge-killing a SPECIFIC SET of people to be on par with Caitlyn attacking an entire community? Possibly thousands of people, none of which have done anything to her?

"Well what did the council to do Jinx-" be so fucking for real. Out of everyone in Piltover, if anyone is directly fucking responsible for Zaun's suffering, it's THE COUNCIL. And yes, that includes Cassandra fucking Kiramman. She went off to that round table every fucking day and sat there while Zaunites died. They are literally the ones who consistently made the decision to let Zaunites suffer every. Fucking. Day. The enforcers are literally their fault- if they wanted reforms, they'd make a damn policy change. But they didn't. They sanctioned the gunning down of everyone on the bridge the day Jinx and Vi's parents were killed. They sanctioned the lack of worker's rights. They sanctioned the unsafe environment. They sanctioned child labor. They sanctioned unclean water. They sanctioned their suffering.

So yeah, Jinx blew them to bits. And? What will be missed?

Meanwhile, Caitlyn thinks an entire city should answer for this "loss". The only ones who lost anything "good" was her and her father. No one else is shedding tears. That's not to say no one can mourn- again, as multifaceted people, there were things about Cassandra worth mourning for to some- like her husband and daughter, who lost a wife and mother. But you can only do so much harm and so much good before the balance of who you are starts to tip a certain way. I don't care how many volunteer hours you put in at the homeless shelter if you turn around and beat your kids when you get home. Caitlyn's actions have tipped her balance, the same way the council's actions tipped theirs.

Stealing this from my Twitter too. One of the worst things about the Arcane fandom is that it’s impossible to criticize a character’s actions without people jumping down your throat ranting about “morally gray” and “but this character was in the wrong too!”

Girl idgaf!!! I shouldn’t have to bring up “not everything is black and white” and “character complexity” before I try to criticize a character’s actions! Oh my goodness you can’t “but nuance!” your way out of everything! Obviously I understand the situation and characters are full of nuance! That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be allowed to criticize them! It’s possible to understand something and still dislike it. Stop being so condescending and acting like I don’t understand a character just cause I don’t like them. It’s precisely BECAUSE I understand them that I don’t like them.

To continue this tryna be like “well everyone was in the wrong!” falls flat for two reasons. One, the system of inequality that Piltover set up means that there is a fundamental difference between the wrongs of Piltover and the wrongs of Zaun. Trying to put them on the same level makes 0 sense. There are different levels to being wrong, so yes I have more sympathy for the oppressed characters than I do for the characters who are responsible for perpetuating that oppression in the first place. And for two, idc what the other characters did. I’m talking about one character, bringing up another one and trying to move the goal post does not help your point. I see this most often whenever people try to criticize Caitlyn or explain why they dislike her. It’s always “But Jinx did this!” “Ambessa manipulated her!” “But Vi said/did this too!” “Silco was doing this!” Girl idgaf!!! I don’t care what they did or didn’t do! If I’m criticizing one character for their shitty actions, I don’t need you to put on a cape and try to defend your fave by dragging all the other characters into it(and purposely misunderstanding their actions to try to make your point, I might add). Just accept the criticism and go, ugh 🙄🙄🙄