the--pipsqueak--alchemist

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

I'm so upset at season 2 for teasing the relationship between sevika and jinx and not actually and genuinely exploring it because to me it is genuinely one of the most fascinating relationships in the entire show. Sevika is only second to Vi when it comes to being the person who has been with Jinx for the most consecutive years. She's been with her longer than Vander was, longer than Silco was. She's seen her go from a beloved little girl to a troubled teen to a lost young adult. She's been there for everything. You don't just watch someone grow up right before your eyes and not have a deep connection with them, even if sevika and jinx disliked each other and didn't get along at all.

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

it kills me how vander gives vi his whole speech about how they can't anger piltover or resist the violence of the enforcers in any significant way because it'll make everything worse and then follows it up with oh but the guy on our side who was following you, you did use the sick fighting and punching i taught you to beat him up, right? nice going. man you cant hold her hand with zaunite blood on it and tell her its not the way when it comes to the oppressors and then say but you did win right? at violence against our own? im proud of you for winning. crazy mixed messages. but it does communicate something real to her that she remembers for the rest of her life: her own people and herself by extension are acceptable targets of violence. the upper classes are not

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

I kind of feel like Jinx’s hallucinations mostly stopped after Silco’s death in part because the cognitive dissonance from working for the guy responsible for the death of her previous family was a big part of what was driving her crazy in season 1.

Like she blamed herself for their deaths and alienation but she also blamed him. We know she did because she brings up him “stabbing Vander in the back” at the tea party. But when she became psychologically, and to a certain extent logistically, dependent on him she didn’t allow herself to feel or even acknowledge that. And that fed into her self-loathing, guilt, and psychosis. So his death actually ended up providing a kind of psychic relief.

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

I am living for all this Jinx on the airship art

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

"Always a dance with you"

print here

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

In another universe

These two destroyed me thanks

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

But I have nothing to fear! For the blue bird is with me.

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

But I have nothing to fear! For the blue bird is with me.

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

Dishonored/Dishonored 2 inspired Arcane game where you play as Jinx navigating a post s1 world. Everything is in chaos after the bombing of the council hall, and both people in Zaun and Piltover are hostile and combative if they spot Jinx cause they either blame her for Silco’s disappearance or for the chaos over at Piltover and bringing in enforcers

Like in Dishonored!verse, the player would have the option to approach their enemies either by pursuing low chaos (relying mainly on sneak attacks. distractions and paint/glitter bombs for avoidance tactics), high (killing a good number of hostile enemies including enforcers and Sevika’s goons that it’s significant but otherwise leaving the non-combatants alone), or higher chaos (sparing practically no one). Pursuing either level of chaos has repercussions later down the “game” with characters becoming more overall aggressive and terrible and the numbers of goons increase as the world becomes more chaotic if Jinx goes high or higher chaos. 

Levels take place both in Zaun and Piltover. The first starts at the direct aftermath from the Councilroom shooting and Jinx is making her run from the dinner party scene. While chaos’s present cause it’s still Zaun and all that but not as bad as later on cause the actual repercussions haven’t set in yet. Later chapters have her not only dodging enforcers and Sevika’s goons but also being chased by Caitlyn, who if she were to kill prior to a certain chapter would result in a game over so basically it’s a test of avoidance even if playing high chaos. Sevika doesn’t become a direct target until the latter half of the game like Hiram Burrows like Dh1. 

If Jinx does end up killing Cait when it comes to her chapter (basically a confrontation with the enforcers with the option to take them out by either sneaky tactics or lethal force) it raises chaos obviously but also impacts the final chapter which is a confrontation between Jinx and Vi, who’ve Jinx is also tasked to avoid at all costs prior to that last chapter. If you go the low chaos route the confrontation has no fighting and Vi approaches Jinx without gauntlets it’s a happy abeit tense reunion. High or higher chaos results in Vi coming at you with gauntlets and ready to full on fight. If you managed to kill Caitlyn while otherwise maintaining a low chaos run Vi stills comes to you without gauntlets on but more hesitant cause she doesn’t know if you killed Caitlyn or not cause your track record in the game has been primarily non-aggressive but there’s also the dinner party to think about.

Other Gameplay notes to consider: Jinx’s shimmer powers count as “outsider magic,” and can either be used to enhance her fighting skills and get more kills or help with avoidance. She has the option to scrap for metal and blueprints to create and upgrade her weapons but that comes at the cost of being spotted or getting killed with the most prized parts/blueprints being harder places to get out unscathed. If you want to avoid that route she can collect money and buy stuff at black markets from people who associated her as Silco’s daughter and have some degree of respect/loyalty towards him to sell her things. The only downside is that the objects aren’t as customizable to one’s playing style and money becomes scarce the further in the game you are. There’s no heart mechanism to read people’s thoughts/feelings like in Dh1/Dh2 but you have the option to listen to Jinx’s hallucinations. They actually don’t really say the people’s actual deepest secrets but gives you a good impression of what Jinx’s mental state is at the moment (varies with chaos obviously). Drinking shimmer restores magic mana and drinking potions restores physical health. 

I don’t know feel free to add your thoughts/ideas to this.

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

★ 【宇暮】 「 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 」 ☆ ✔ republished w/permission ⊳ ⊳ follow me on twitter // bsky

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

"Ekko lost everything in the end, his ideal timeline, his girlfriend, his mentor. He saved the world but was left with nothing😭"

The Firelights: ...

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

I'm gonna be honest...

I think my lesbian brain got activated in season 2 because the moment Mel got removed (physically and thematically) from Jayce I found her character arc a billion times more interesting 😭

It was like she was her own character, removed from any men. Them breaking up was so good for her arc because she's suddenly her own person, yk? Not just having to guide someone along, but guiding herself and leading her own path for herself.

I don't know I just love Mel so much after season 2. It genuinely feels like her actions are now her own, as Jayce said she isn't a passenger in her own life. Free from Ambessa, free to be a Medarda, freed from the politics of Piltover

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

you know what I want to add a little bit more to that post. Mostly about the "Mel got removed from Jayce and finally became her own character" bit.

I fear my first reblog hasn't really captured the spirit of that yet. We get to know Mel in the second episode of season 1 and her first scene shows us how calculating and smart she is. She is also very aloof in this scene, not even acknowledging the person handing her the puzzles. Her conversation with Elora, while still showing some sort of relationship, is also distanced. She talks about her riches and how she is "still the poorest medarda" despite being the richest person in Piltover.

So what this tells us is this:

She is alone. In her family she seems to be the odd one out. She thinks herself to be standing in the shadow of her family (=mother though we only find that out in episode 8 of season 1). In short this basically tells us a contradiction. While everything they already gave us at this point in the show tells us she is incredible, smart, knowledgeable etc, she sells herself short.

When Mel talks to her mother about her banishment it isn't just a conversation, it explains to us who Mel is and why she is that way. It tells us that in a way she is self conscious and hides herself away. This is the starting point of her character, keep that in mind.

Ok, that brings us to my next point. How she used that childrens toy to her advantage. Again, smart as fuck. Had she not done this, then Jayce would have been banished. There were 4 votes against 3 meaning gaining that one vote changed the fate of Jayce, literally. She didn't find Jayce interesting as a person but as an investment during this time though. Nothing about him influenced any of her decisions, especially not here. She chose to give away that toy and she chose to vote against Jayce's banishment.

The look Mel and Jayce give each other after Jayce and Viktor found their way to Hextech also already spoke volumes. They obviously had the hots for each other and like good for them, lmao. After the timejump their relationship has shifted as well. While she still obviously sees the investment, she now also sees him as a person, too. They are extremely comfortable with each other.

Now after Jayce didn't show their newest Hextech project? She did walk away but that also gave us something:

She very obviously isn't resentful. That is also seen in how, while rightfully being annoyed, she immediately gets why Jayce left after their night together. Her giving Jayce the position in the council ALSO wasn't cause she loved him but for political reasons. That, again, tells us another thing about her:

She can clearly separate work and home life.

All of this, while maybe including Jayce, are of her own character and not because of someone else. We see her acting in the council too, and that's also interesting. Because while some others like Salo seem to be ready to jump around and scream, she never does. She waits, calculates, listens and then offers her voice. She is never holding back but she also doesn't just react crazy. Not once. Not after the explosion happens in act 1 of season 1, not when Jayce talks about Magic, not when Vi is in the council with Caitlyn, not even in the end of season 1 when Jayce proposes the peace treaty with Zaun. None of this is linked to Jayce or because of Jayce. She just is her own character.

And then season 1 did something incredibly fascinating. Now they actually introduced a character Mel seems to have some dependency to. Her mother; Ambessa Medarda. It's reluctant and it's awkward and it strengthens her character very much.

At this point in the story the love between Jayce and her is already blossoming, it's after their sex scene. Their relationship doesn't influence any of her other decisions, she doesn't suddenly act differently to before or becomes dependent on Jayce. If anything it, again, strengthens her.

When in the beginning we saw her as thinking she is standing in her mothers shadow, she now steps into the light when she steps up and calls out Ambessa. When she lets go of the weight of family holding her down to vote for peace, it also shows how she's grown. She isn't distanced anymore, nor is she someone who stills sees herself in her mothers shadow. Her character went from incredible with an arc before her to that arc being masterfully concluded. And that happened WITH Jayce and not BECAUSE of Jayce. When in the beginning she was aloof, distanced and calculating, in the end she was ready to show herself to Jayce, be herself and be caring. She wasn't distanced and gave Jayce a look into her life (telling him about her family after he told her about his troubles).

She was still very smart but also let herself be emotional about a decision, she gave away the weight of her family and left the shadow it cast over her completely.

Anyways yeah just wanted to talk more about Mel. Because she was nothing but very interesting in season 1 and saying she just now got interesting after not being with Jayce rubbed me the wrong way whoops

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

The worst of all blessings

The best of all curses

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

bro i have now seen several kiramman stans/arcane fans call "the gray" non-lethal. like do you mean the gray from the fissures? the gas so bad that cassandra kiramman built air ducts to keep it out? the gas that caused people to die en mass back in the day? the gas that gave viktor cancer and caused anyone who inhaled it to choke and not breathe? that non-lethal grey?? do y'all not know that you can still die of brain damage days and even weeks after being choked for a short time? those guys choked so hard they cried premium tears and passed out and you think they didn't die? lmao? even if they didn't die that day, most of them would be dead within the month. like how long do you think it would take for the air to clear out? a couple hours? do y'all seriously not understand anything about bio-chemical warfare?

idc if the writers themselves called it non-lethal (which i haven't seen), you don't wield a weapon like that without mass casualties. bio-chemical warfare does damage that lasts generations. the zaunites simply don't have the resources to reverse any damage cait did to their environment and bodies by letting those gases loose for that amount of time. these aren't people with air conditioning in their house. they live in slums tightly packed together, close to the factories where the gasses were trapped. half of them are already starving and sick.

realistically, many of them would die of horrible diseases in a couple of decades if they survived suffocation/contaminated air. "they weren't gassing up all the neighbourhoods." zaun is ONE city.

it makes me sick how so many people are downplaying it. like of all the things to treat lightly, this shit isn't one of them. especially for a damn ship.

it's fucking abysmal out here

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

hostile reminder that I'm a 'Powder and Jinx are the same person' truther

[the--pipsqueak--alchemist]

Yes yes like imagine Johanna or Finnick wearing and dying in a peacemaker uniform 😨😨

ig I can't blame the marketing team for knowing what I wanted better than the creators but they still lied to me

releasing this song without much context?

this in the trailer?

this in the intro?

releasing the Sevika and Jinx team up clip? the Vi one?

where was this vibe in s2??

????????