#I just never really stopped to think about Vander before

[angelinthefire]

"Blisters and bedrock" and The Flashback

So I know the flashback scene with Felicia in s2e5 is controversial. So I wanted to take the time to understand it properly, and do a close rewatch.

And I realized that even though I watched the episode like four times before, I never properly evaluated what was going on with Vander, I wasn't thinking of him as a character in his own right, just as a symbol of Vi and Jinx's past, and hence I didn't understand the scene until now.

Of course, it's all about "blisters and bedrock". That phrase is the name of the episode, the line is repeated three times, obviously it's important. So what does it mean?

The first time we hear it, it's in Vander's garbled memories. The memory that's most impactful to him is the failed rebellion on the bridge and its aftermath.

There's fighting, there's Silco looking at him sadly, with almost child-like sadness, there's Felicia's dead body, then Vander trying to drown Silco.

Those memories are followed by his recent experience killing the enforcers at Stillwater, then by seeing Powder, and a still-blurry image of Vi, even though he hasn't actually seen her yet since he awoke as Warwick, almost as though Powder's presence implies Vi.

Then there's the image of Felicia at the jukebox, and then a disfigured Silco, toasting "blisters and bedrock". It's ghostly, almost accusatory, said as Vander's being faced with the gory injury he inflicted. But what it means is a mystery.

The next instance of the phrase is in Vander's apology letter. He gives his little explanation for his actions, and signs off, "blisters and bedrock." Still not super clear. The letter itself is kind of weak, as far as apologies go. And then there's this cryptic phrase at the end.

Finally, Warwick/Vander is drawn to the girls by the scent of Isha's blood. When he first sees Vi, she almost looks like a two-headed creature from his POV shot, with her massive gauntlets looking sort of like heads, with the glowing hextech gems as their eyes (And I think I need to make a separate post about Vi in this episode, because it's so good). They fight. But then she lowers her guard and he sees her, and that's when we get the full flashback.

Right off the bat, it's established that Vander and Felicia are close. He knows that the song she picked has some special significance. The way they look at each other is kind of flirty too.

They're celebrating the opening of The Last Drop, which they intend to be a pillar for the community of the Lanes (which is a very shop-local approach to politics, but whatever). We knew this was Vander and Silco's endeavor, and Felicia is the only other one there, which means she has a special place in their lives.

Silco is largely passive in the scene. We get a cute little bait-and-switch where it seems like he's going to be a super-serious revolutionary, but then he says something playful instead ("I'm bozo one"), so we get a glimpse of what he used to be like, and what the dynamic of his relationship with Vander was.

And then we get to the reveal that Felicia is pregnant. Now, I think what happens next has been twisted through discourse, so I want to quote it directly:

Felicia: The second I told you I put you on the hook. You two are going to figure this Zaun thing out. I don't care if you have to carve it out of the bedrock covered in blisters. You're not allowed to fail anymore. For her. For me. Vander: What’s the point if we can't raise an ankle-biter or two? Silco: To Zaun, then. Blisters and bedrock.

I've seen people characterize this as Vander and Silco promising to look after Felicia's child. It's not that at all. She's not telling them to look after her kid. She's telling them to succeed at winning independence for Zaun for the sake of her child.

"I don't care if you have to carve it out of the bedrock covered in blisters. You're not allowed to fail." That is: Do whatever it takes. Even if it's hard, and ugly, and painful. That's how you'll help my child.

Vander agrees - what they're fighting for is future generations of Zaunites.

And Silco turns it into a toast. Blisters and bedrock - whatever it takes.

So now we know that in the first ghostly flashback, "blisters and bedrock" was an accusation, it was a manifestation of Vander's guilt. "We said, 'whatever it takes'. And look at Felicia. Look at me."

"Blisters and bedrock" gives Vander's apology letter new meaning too. It turns a kind of weak explanation into something much more meaningful. He's saying he'll do what it takes to patch things up.

In an episode all about regrets and missed chances and forgiveness, it really resonates.

And there's one more instance of "blisters and bedrock" being used - in the song "The Beast" off the season 2 soundtrack.

Vander isn't really able to express himself as Warwick. So the songs providing a very literal window into what he's going through is useful. The lyrics of "What have they done to us", used towards the end of the episode, are just straight-up what Vander's thinking in that scene. I don't think the lyrics to "The Beast" are used in the show, but they're very straightforward too.

Here are the lyrics to the bridge of that song:

What happened to the place where we left off Any progress erased, I was dead wrong Couldn't carve out a place, every dream that we chased Through the blisters and bedrock

Vander is recognizing his failure.

When Vander put down his gauntlets to look after Vi and Powder, he wasn't keeping a promise to Felicia. He was *breaking* his promise to her.

The flashback frames the conflict between Vander and Silco in more personal terms too. In terms of what united them, they both promised to fight for Zaun for the sake of Felicia's child. But when those two things are posed against each other, Silco is willing to kill kids in order to fight for Zaun, while Vander gives up the fight for Zaun to protect the kids.

I think it's significant that the flashback doesn't end on "blisters and bedrock". It ends on Vander suggesting a baby name, showing where his priorities are going to be

And when he sees Vi, as Warwick, he sees the girl who he gave up the fight for. He's remembering his failures, he's tormented by his failures. But Vi, and Powder, are worth it for him.

[waywardwhispersblaze]

I'll be forever mad that Jayce ruined the moment right there, but not because I think this would've been a perfect ending for them (I don't). I'm mad because if Jayce had just waited five fucking minutes, the resulting scene would've been so juicy.

Look at the way Vi and Cait look at each other here:

Caitlyn: shocked, betrayed, hurt

Vi just looks sad:

We know from their dialogue in ep 8 that while Vi and Caitlyn were making the plan to distract Ambessa, Vi had another one, to bring in Jinx as a contingency in case Caitlyn couldn't be trusted or failed. She had to know Caitlyn wouldn't take it well once she found out. Vi's priority n°1 was saving Vander though, and they likely didn't have much time to think this through. Basically, she had to know that from Caitlyn's POV, it would look like "Vi chooses Jinx over Cait", edition number 2.

And she was likely right! We know Caitlyn lets go of her anger towards Jinx in the next episode, and accepts that Vi has the right to choose her family, but in my opinion, she wasn't there yet in ep 6. Having a broken Jinx locked up in a cell (her single goal for the last few months) while Vi was lying unconscious on her bed for days very likely helped Caitlyn reassess her priorities in life. But here in this scene she literally doesn't have time to think!

Let's look at Caitlyn a bit more here. During their reunion, She probably expected Vi to hate her guts, but instead, Vi looks grumpy, calls her a mongoose and a cupcake in two sentences, and drops the "my dad needs help" bomb after hesitating for a hot, single second. Moments after that, Caitlyn reevaluates her life choices and decides to make a big career change. Plenty of great posts have already been made about Caitlyn's motivations there, but to sum it up, I'd say it was a combination of: her being already wary of Ambessa and not wanting to let a Noxian warlord get her hands on a dangerous weapon / innocent man, being tired of hating herself, and, yes, her feelings for Vi coming back to her in full force.

For a few, glorious moments, she was working with Vi again! Probably feeling more like herself than she had in months. Maybe she started to hope they could reconcile after all. Maybe, she hoped it could be a "do over" for their failed mission with the strike team, where she'd be helping a member of Vi's family, instead of being torn apart by one of them.

... only to find that Vi didn't actually trust her (which was deserved, but still, ouch), and to come face to face with the source of her seething hatred, the single object of her obsession in the last few months. Right after being saved by said source of seething hatred. It's a lot to take in. She had to be simultaneously disappointed and shocked

So, what was she gonna do? There was probably nothing Vi could have said that wouldn't have pissed Caitlyn off right then (no, Vi, saying "she's changed" probably wouldn't have helped), Jinx opening her mouth would have likely made it worse, but at the same time they still had to run away asap. Caitlyn had already betrayed Ambessa, she couldn't go back. Vi pretty much put her in a position where she'd have no choice but to follow along, no matter how angry she was, at least for a little while...

and I made this post just to say, that the resulting bickering would have been hilarious to see :S

(forget about Jayce waiting five minutes, though, what if it they had an hour? what would Caitlyn had done once they were far enough from the Noxian army? point her gun at Jinx? attempt an arrest? (right in front of Vander? gulp) she might have simply ended up separating from them, and that would have been heartbreaking enough, but a completely different story)

((and that's assuming cult member!vander would have just agreed to leave the commune without acting weird))

[angelltheninth]

Hey I got into arcane recently. The art is just so goooooood. A feast for the eyes really. And everyone is hot like… help. Anyway, sorry for this loser request, but if you haven’t already can you do arcane characters with a virgin fem partner please

Loser request? I really hope that the loser part isn't that the virgin part, because I will have you know Anon that I am no loser. I am on my way to becoming a wizard!

Pairing: Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn Kiramman, Maddie Nolen, Ekko, Vander, Silco, Sevika, Viktor, Jayce, Mel x Fem!Reader

Tags: nsfw, smut, kissing, virginity loss, gentle sex, praise, cunnilingus, size kink, fingering, orgasm encouragement, aftercare

Ko-Fi | Rules | Fandoms and Characters | Commissions

A/N: I'm also asexual so my chances of becoming a wizard are higher than your average persons. Only a few more years and I can be a better version of Harry Potter! Chat please tell me you know the meme I'm referencing and I don't sound like I'm crazy.

Was surprised for sure

She doesn't exactly have a ton of experience either but she has some

Can't say she's not excited about taking your virginity

Literally vibrates with excitement and anticipation of having sex with you and being the first one to make you come

At least as orgasms that are given by someone else that is, she would like to watch you fuck yourself sometime

Gets pussydrunk so easily, her grin smug and eyes literally shimmering

Really into making you ride her face, as you will learn over the course of your first night together

Has so much stamina that you can never even hope to keep up with but she never expected you to

Flattered that she could make you come just with her tongue

But wants to work on your stamina in the future

At first she thinks that she should tease you about it

Then she thinks better of it, since it's not exactly something to be ashamed of, she didn't mean anything bad by her teasing either

It's just... she knows she's not your first girlfriend, so how come you never had sex before

Nerves, well in that case she'll go slow with you, make sure you're not overwhelmed by her

Enthusiastic as she is she holds back, her fingers spreading you open slowly, only pushing them in a bit and then stopping fully

Doesn't stop talking dirty to you, grinning smugly when she feels your pussy tightening around her fingers

Likes it when you're flustered around her, not when you're uncomfortable

Cocky for sure, especially when she manages to make you come and didn't even need to touch your clit to do it

If she did she would have overstimulated you, you were already shaking so much

Keeps assuring you that you don't need to return the favor, but would love it if you do

Been a while since she slept with a virgin so she's actually a little nervous as well

Romantic dates, candle lights, relaxing baths, a massage, she pulls out every trick in the book to make it the best night ever

There's a lot of soft touching and affirmations from her

Has to battle a smile when you're blushing because she's making you feel good

Asks what makes you feel good when you're doing it by yourself and tries to do the same

Experimenting can come later, she wants to make your first time a nice experience, a memorable experience

Kisses down your body, almost like she's worshiping you

Seeing you sopping wet for her definitely helps her know she's doing a good job before she dives forward to eat you out

Tells you to pull her hair a lot, she won't mind

Keeps saying how pretty you are, how beautiful your moans sounds, how she wants to be the only one you moan for from now on

Feels really happy and excited that you'd trust her enough to be the first person to sleep with

Very touchy with you, not just as she's undressing you but in general, so it doesn't feel like it's too much when she guides you to the bed

Grinning she pulls you into a deep kiss and wraps her arms around you to press you against her, thighs sliding between each other

She guids your hips to move against her thigh, chuckling when she feels how slick you're making it

Kisses you the whole time because it's her favorite thing to do and because she knows it'll calm you

Doesn't go for penetration for your first time

But really wants you to sit on her face and to fuck you with her tongue

Subtly writes her name on your clit

Won't rush you into an orgasm, she lets you chase it on your own, her hands soothing against your trembling thighs

Post-orgasm cuddles are some of her favorite things so don't think this will be a one time thing

Before you told him you were a virgin he was a lot more relaxed

Now he feels a kind of pressure on himself to make your first time good

His first time was a quickie and not that memorable at all

So as your boyfriend he wants to give you a better experience and make sure you remember it for the rest of your life

Teases you to cover up his own nerves

He talks to you a lot, particularly when he's getting ready to push his cock into you

Before he does he does warn you that it can be painful but it won't last long

Shakes while pushing his cock into you, he really wants to fuck you but he's holding himself back, he's being considerate of you

Keeps his thrusts slow, smiling down at you before he pulls you into a gentle kiss, telling you how good you feel around him

Leaves it up to you if he pulls out or not

Genuinely surprised, so surprised he drops a glass and it breaks

Doesn't think you should be embaressed by it at all

Some people take a lot of time to feel safe and comfortable to be intimate with others

He's actually pretty flattered that you want him to be the one who took your virginity

Knows he's on the bigger size in terms of dick size so he really doesn't expect you to be able to take all of him, maybe half if you're lucky

It can be too much for your first time

You can just make up for it by giving him a really nice handjob

Pulls you onto his lap and wants to cuddle you afterwards, he was always pretty protective and caring towards you

Now that he's your lover you can expect that his protective tendencies will get even stronger

Surprised when you want to go again so soon but he won't argue with you

Had a feeling you were inexperienced but he didn't want to say anything

Then you might feel pressured into having sex with him and that's the last thing he wants

Besides if he was only after sex then he could get it easily

He wants more than just a one night stand, by now you know that he cares about you and wants this to be a serious relationship

Just because he's serious about this doesn't mean he can take the day off

Actually he thinks it might be better if happens spontaneously

His cock is rock hard when he pulls you onto his lap when you tease him in his office

You need to learn that there are consequences for your actions

Keeps his hand on your mouth as he fucks his cock into you, it would be bad if you were interrupted for your first time and you don't get that orgasm you've been so desperate for

From this moment on he expects you to be at his full disposal and he will be at yours, naturally, there's a lot you still need to learn about pleasuring a man like him

Tries to hold back her cocky smirk but she just can't, oh this is too good, a hot lady like you and no one's fucked you yet

Just means she gets to be the first one to show you how good sex can be

After she's done with you there won't ever be anyone else that'll be able to satisfy you like she could

Has to brag about her skills but won't make fun of you for your lack of skills

Offers to do it in the 69 position so you can mimic her movements

The best way to teach is a hands on method, or in this case the mouth and tongue on

Even though your own movements are a little clumsy and you can't focus all that well you still try to follow her lead the best you can and believe her she loves that hard working side of you

Smokes after sex, that's a habit at this point

But the catch is that she smokes after really good sex so you should take that as the highest of compliments

How soon can you go again because she would love to keep you going all night long

Well he doesn't have much experience to speak off either

So you can both learn new things, you don't have to be nervous around him

Gets hard for you really easily and has to focus to keep himself from coming too soon

Usually this isn't a problem for him but you've been the object of his fantasies and dreams many times before, he hopes this isn't another one of those fantasies

But the moment he pushes his finger inside of you he's convinced it's real, it feels right, to pleasure you, to love you

Keeps rubbing his cock while fingering you, he wants to show you he's just as eager and excited for this as you are

He moves really damn fast when he finally pushes his cock into your pussy, he can't help himself, he can't hold back, it's almost overwhelming

After he feels your inner walls pulsing and massaging his cock he slows down just a little

Not fully slow, but enough to get some control over himself

Doesn't want you get you pregnant on your first night together but in the future you can discuss such things

Almost comes in his pants from excitement

Now that would be embarrassing, for him not for you, he bets you'd love to see that

Someday maybe you will but for now he wants to focus on your pleasure not his

Eats you out like he's been starving for eternity

You have to push him away to get him to stop, your juices dripping from his mouth and into his beard, making it all shiny

Kisses your thighs, covers them with kisses and bites actually, same with your pussy

His eyes roll back when he bottoms out inside of you, he honestly didn't think you'd want all of him for your first time but you were very determined

That determination should be rewarded

He has always been the giver, he loves making his lover feel pleasure, especially if he's the first one to do that for her

You won't escape his arms when he wraps them around you from behind, pampering the back of your neck and shoulders with lazy, appreciative kisses after sex

You should have told her this information sooner, then she wouldn't have flirted with you so hard

Not that she regrets having you naked in her bed or anything like that, the opposite is true, she thinks she should have given you more time to fall into her bed

But if you're still sure you want to do this with her tonight then she will be more than happy to give you pleasure until the Sun rises

Always had a way with words and praise is no different

She might be three fingers deep in your pussy and making you squirt but she'll be damned if she'll stop talking about how sexy you are or how lucky she feels tonight

Never been much of a cuddler, she was always very guarded, but this is a special occasion

Of course she'll let you return the favor

Don't worry about clumsiness or anything like that, just do what feels right, do what makes you feel good

Trust that she'll tell you if it doesn't feel good

She doesn't really do one night stands but she also doesn't sleep over at other people's places a lot, so if you want to do this again you're gonna have to make your intentions clear next time

[plumeria1]

More than friendship

Masterlist

Note : Vi and Reader are 17 and 16 years old, respectively, and this takes place before the first season.

Pairing : Teen Vi x Teen Fem Reader

Warning : None

Content : Fluff

Summary : A talk with Vander open Vi's eyes about her feelings for you

Vi had never really been interested in love. Her family was more than enough for her, and taking care of her sister was the most important thing in her eyes.

At least, that's what she thought.

Until you.

When your parents died, Benzo, who was their closest friend, took you under his wing. That's how you met Ekko, who immediately introduced you to his friends.

Vi didn't know what had drawn her to you; maybe it was the way you frowned when Mylo told you a joke that only he found funny, your smile when Powder joyfully showed you what she had just made, or the way you always tucked that strand of hair behind your ear when you turned your head and it fell in front of your eyes.

You had noticed Vi too. It was her pink hair and powder-blue eyes that caught your attention. And then, you had seen her hands. There was some dried blood on the bandages covering her hand; she had surely fought recently.

You got along well, but from time to time, you could see Vi's gaze change when you were alone. Her expression softened. At first, you thought it was your imagination, but it happened far too often to be just a coincidence. There was something else in the way she looked at you, but you couldn't figure out what it was.

You thought she looked at you the way she looked at Powder. Vi was a head taller than you, and even though you were only a year younger than her, people often said you looked younger than you actually were.

On her part, Vi didn’t understand what was happening to her; the more time she spent with you, the more she wanted to be close to you. Sometimes, she wished time would stop just to be with you for as long as she wanted.

It was to better understand what was happening to her that she went to see Vander; she had often talked to him about you and the time you spent together, and now more than ever, she needed his advice.

-I don't know what's happening to me. When she's around, I don't want her to leave, and I can't stop thinking about her.

Vander laughed, which was rare, then smiled at her before asking a single question.

-Do you love her?

-Of course, she's my friend. If I didn't like her, I wouldn't spend all my time with her.

-I'm not asking you if you like her, but if you love her?

-What?

Vander set down the glass he was drying and went to sit next to Vi.

-Aren't you in love, by any chance?

She widened her eyes in surprise. What was he talking about? She couldn't be in love with you, you were her best friend, but that was it. Right?

-I'm not in love with her, Vander.

Vander knew very well that she was lying to herself, but he also knew that pushing her was the last thing to do.

-Look, I know it's complicated to understand feelings, especially at your age, but I can recognize love when it's so obvious.

-What should I do then?

-Go see her and tell her everything you feel.

-And what if she rejects me, sees me just as a friend, and I mess everything up?

-If you want my opinion, she wouldn't be so close to you if she didn't feel something for you.

She looked at her feet for a moment before making up her mind; she was going to come see you and tell you everything she felt. She stood up, thanked Vander, then left the bar, determined. She knew where to find you; you were always at Benzo's at this hour, so she hurried to go to his place. Along the way, she asked herself so many questions that she felt like her head was going to explode. Was Vander right? Was she really in love with you?

-Hi Benzo, is—

-She’s in her room.

Vi didn’t think and went straight upstairs, climbing the stairs while thinking about everything she was going to say to you; everything was clear in her mind. It was until you opened the door.

-Vi, what are you doing here?

You were face to face with her, and she found herself speechless, her mind suddenly blank. She could only focus on you.

-I... I...

-Don’t stay here, come in.

You stepped aside to let her in, and she went to sit on your bed. Looking at her, you could see that she seemed really disturbed; you wondered what could have happened to her. Her cheeks were slightly pink, and she didn’t look you in the eyes like she usually did.

-What’s wrong with you? You look weird.

-I need to tell you something.

You frowned when she finally looked at you.

-I like you a lot. Really a lot. I mean, I think about you all the time, and I don’t like it when you leave because I miss you. I talked to Vander, he says that if I feel this way, it’s because I love you and... and I said it wasn’t true, but actually, it is.

-Vi...

-I tried to tell myself that you were just my friend, but Vander is right, and I had to tell you.

When she finished speaking, you noticed that she was on the verge of tears.

-It wasn’t a good idea to come here... pretend I didn’t say anything.

When she started to get up, you grabbed her wrist, making her stop, but she didn’t turn around.

-Can I speak now?

Vi expected you to push her away, to tell her that you didn’t want to see her anymore, but instead, you surprised her. She agreed to listen to you and sat back down on your bed.

The silence was suffocating; it felt like it had lasted for hours. You were staring into space, searching for the right words.

-I tried, you know. That’s why I didn’t come back to see you this week. I thought that if I didn’t see you for a few days, it would pass, and everything would go back to normal.

You let out a little laugh.

-I thought it had worked, but when I saw you, I realized it was all for nothing. What I’m trying to say is that I like you a lot too. I didn’t say anything because... I was afraid that if I tried something, you’d push me away.

You turned to Vi, waiting for her to say something, but she remained silent. What could she possibly say to you? At a loss for words, she simply took your face gently in her hands, her eyes moving from yours to your lips. She slowly brought her face closer to yours, giving you enough time to push her away if you wanted.

You were the one who closed the gap between you, placing your lips on hers. It was an awkward but sweet first kiss. You had wanted it for a long time; it just took you a while to realize it.

Vi moved away first and rested her forehead against yours, smiling.

-It was...

-Weird?

-A little, but not unpleasant.

You both laughed, and you rested your head on her shoulder.

-And now, what do we do?

-We can do it again. I mean, it's by practicing that we improve.

You laughed because you knew she was avoiding your question, but it didn't bother you; you could wait, and her idea was much more interesting.

This time, it was Vi who initiated the kiss. It was less awkward but just as sweet as the first. You spent the rest of the day talking and kissing until Vi noticed it was getting late and she had to go home. She knew Vander didn’t like his kids staying out on the streets at night.

You walked her to the door and said goodbye with one last kiss before returning to your room.

Later, Vi arrived at the Last Drop and didn’t notice Benzo chatting with Vander over a drink. If she had listened to their conversation, she would have had a funny reaction.

-They took their time.

-Yes, and I won my bet. I had bet that Vi would confess her feelings first, and I was right.

-You cheated. If you hadn't talked to her, she wouldn't have come.

The two men laughed, and eventually, Vander agreed to give up the bet. They talked for a good part of the night before parting ways to rest.

That night, Vi and you fell asleep happy and eager for the next day to see each other again.

[xnalux]

I’d love love love pt3 of streamergfvi! You write her so well <3

streamer!vi hcs christmas special

part 1 part 2

warnings: nsfw 18+, fem!reader

pictures are from pinterest and they're not mine

author’s note: I had to rewrite it twice because my shitty computer was acting up so i'm not fully happy about how it turned out but i really hope you like it. merry christmas pretties ♡

streamergfvi: who didn't really care about christmas decorations but found herself following around an hyper excited and bouncy powder,arms full to the brim with boxes, each one threatening to spill over with the glittery treasures it contained

She found herself trying to balance her weight as powder sat on her shoulders in front of the christmas tree hanging the decorations to it.

''pow the tree is gonna fall over if you add another one''

vi groaned wrinkling her nose as she tried to get one of powder's braid out of her face.

''shut up you grinch''

powder just huffed focused on the task of putting the little elf on top of the tree, the younger sibling stretching out trying to reach the highest part of the fir making vi almost lose balance stumbling a little to the side

''stop moving so much!''

''well if you weren't so short...''

''you are shorter than me''

the two bickered as vander stared at them leaning agaist the kitchen's door frame, arms crossed and a fond smile on his face.

streamergfvi: who is incredibly competitive about snowball fights. her and powder have a little feud. their backyard, a canvas of white, is a battleground of strategically placed forts made of snow and colorful winter gear scattered about like the aftermath of a whimsical blizzard.

Their rivalry is legendary, a spectacle that has been the highlight of winter for the past few years. The neighborhood kids gather around the fence, their breaths forming clouds of anticipation as they whisper about the impending clash of the snow titans.

This year, you've decided to join in the fun, throwing your hat into the ring with Powder. You've been watching their snowball battles from the sidelines, sipping on hot cocoa and offering moral support, but the time has come to immerse yourself in the frosty fray.

The moment the fight begins, it's clear that Vi isn't going to go down without a fight. She charges towards you and Powder, her snowball arsenal at the ready. As she hurls the first volley, you both dodge and retaliate, sending your own icy projectiles flying in her direction. The snow crunches under your boots as you run and duck, the cold sting of the snowflakes on your skin only adding to the thrill.

"Hey, pretty''

vi calls out, her voice a mix of teasing and challenge as she aims another perfectly-formed snowball at you.

"You think you can beat me with those little snow pebbles?"

"Oh, this year you are going down, shortie!"

Powder shouts back, her laughter ringing out like a bell in the crisp winter air.

But vi isn't one to be outdone. She takes advantage of your momentary distraction, and before you know it, she's sneaking up on you from behind.

"Gotcha!"

she exclaims as she tackles you to the ground, the impact sending up a cloud of powdery snow that surrounds you both.

You're laughing too hard to protest as she straddles you, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"Surrender, darling,"

she says, her breath warm on your cold cheek as she holds a snowball over your head.

"You know I'm the king of snowfights"

"Never!"

you reply, trying to push her off, your laughter turning into a playful growl. You wiggle and squirm, trying to break free from her firm grip, but she's too strong.

Powder, noticing your plight, hurls a snowball at Vi, which hits her square in the back.

"Cheap shot!" Vi yells, releasing you to retaliate.

This gives you the perfect opportunity to escape her grasp. You jump to your feet, a snowball in hand, and throw it back at her. It hits her right on the forehead, leaving a perfect white imprint.

"Oh, it's on now!"

she says, her eyes lighting up with excitement. She wipes the snow away, her grin unyielding. It ends up with you straddling her lap asking her to ''beg for mercy'' as powder fill her jacket with snow.

streamergfvi who never lose the change to push her hand in the back pocket of your pants even when you are out in public. And when you playfully glare at her she just

"What?" she give your ass a little squeeze feigning innocence.

"It's cold out here!"

"Well, if my pocket is such a warm sanctuary, I might just have to charge rent,"

you tease, giving her a sideways smirk. She rolls her eyes dramatically, but the smile that tugs at the corners of her mouth betrays her feigned annoyance.

"Rent, huh?"

she says, her voice a low purr as she leans closer, her breath ghosting against your cheek.

"What's the going rate for such prime real estate?"

"Oh, I don't know," you muse, playing along.

"Maybe a kiss for every squeeze?"

Her eyes widen for a moment, as if surprised by my boldness, before she laughs heartily, her whole body shaking with the sound.

"Is that a deal, then?"

The crowd bustles around you, a mix of laughter, chatter, and distant car horns.

"Only if you promise to keep your hands to yourself in public,"

you say, though your voice is laden with affection.

Her hand retreats from your pocket, but only to slide around your waist, pulling you closer.

"You drive a hard bargain," she murmurs, her voice dropping to a whisper that only I can hear. "but it's worth it for that ass."

your laughter rings out again, a sound that never fails to make vi smile. She presses her cheek against your shoulder, her arms tightening around me.

"I'll be good," she promises, her breath warm against your neck.

"For now."

streamergfvi: who hates christmas songs but always ends up humming them whenever she gets lost in thoughts. When the two of you are alone, you can't help but laugh at the sight of her mouthing the lyrics. It's like watching a grumpy cat wearing a Santa hat. And when she catches you watching, she'll blush, a little embarrassed.

So, you lean in and whisper,

"You secretly love it,"

and she rolls her eyes

''shut up''

streamergfvi: who never lose the chance whenever the first notes of "All I Want for Christmas is You" waft through the air from some distant holiday playlist and you two are together, to mouths the words "All I want for Christmas is you,", a smug grin on her face as she points at you

streamergfvi: who is addicted to hot chocolate, it gets to the point it's almost concerning, the moment the first snowflake graces the ground, she's in full-on hot cocoa mode. She has collection of mugs that would put Santa's workshop to shame. marshmallows of every shape and size, whipped cream in canisters, and an assortment of chocolate chips that could fill a stocking.

But what she love even more is drinking it with you (she secretly adds more whipped cream to your mug just to make it more difficult for you to drink it without getting some on yourself)

You took a sip, trying to be dainty about it, but the whipped cream was just too tempting. It clung to your upper lip, a sweet little mustache that vi found absolutely adorable. She couldn't help but let out a soft giggle as she set her own mug down and leaned in. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and her warm breath brushed against your skin as she tenderly licked the whipped cream from your nose. Her smirk widened into a grin, and you felt your cheeks flush.

You decided to play along, you leaned in closer, your sweet breath mingling as you looked at her battling your eyelishes

''thank you baby''

you whispered and you knew you've got her where you wanted by the way her breath hitched and her eyes gazed hungrily at your shiny lips. you let her almost close the gap but as soon as her lips brushed against yours, you pushed your finger, that you previously used to scoop some whipped cream, against her cheek pulling yourself back

"Two can play at this game,"

you whispered, a mischievous glint in your gaze.

gently, you traced the line of the whipped cream from her cheek to the corner of her mouth, painting a sweet path that you couldn't wait to follow. Her eyes still locked on yours, as you slowly briought your finger closer to your own mouth. With an exaggerated show of temptation, you sucked the whipped cream off, savoring the taste as it lingered on your tongue.

"Mmm, you taste so sweet''

her eyes flashed with need and you suddendly found yourself pulled onto her lap as she kissed you passionately

''i'm gonna cover you in whipped cream and lick you clean''

she whispered in your ear

streamergfvi: who let you convince her to wear matching christmas hairband for her christmas stream special.

You were casually lounging on her bed, your fingers dancing across the screen of your phone, searching for some holiday inspiration to sprinkle onto vi's upcoming Christmas stream special when a pop up advertisement caught your eye, a picture of candy cane-themed hairbands.

you looked at vi seated across from you, her back against the bed's headstand while she edited a video for her youtube channel on her lapton perched over her lap, you couldn't help but giggle imagining how she would look wearing it.

vi tore her gaze from the screen of her laptop and arched an eyebrow at you, a small smile curling her lips

''what's so funny?''

she asked as you pulled yourself up to sit on your knees in front of her and held the phone up in front of her. She let her eyes roam over the screen before a smirk formed on her face.

''Yes''

she said without even thinking about it

''yes?'' you asked surprised

''yes you would look incredibly cute in one of this, you want me to buy you one?''

you rolled your eyes

''I want us to wear it, for your christmas stream special''

Vi couldn't help but chuckle at the suggestion, a playful glint in her eyes as she took in the image of the candy cane hairbands.

She leaned forward, setting aside her laptop, and reached for the phone to get a closer look. "You want us to match?" she teased, her voice filled with amusement.

"Come on," you said with a grin

''what about my reputation? the chat is gonna give me hell about it''

you just pouted knowing full well she couldn't resist you ready to hit her with your secret convincing weapon

''please violet? please please please'

you looked at her battling your eyelishes and pushing yourself closer to her

''not fair'' she mumbles trying not to look at you as a blush painted her cheeks.

and that's how she found herself in front of the camera, a pair of candy cane-themed hairbands on her head and a scowl on her face as she read the chat. You giggling seated on her lap.

@/Ekk0: man bat your eyes three times if you are in danger

@/piltiespinerc: vi looks like an evil elf

@/sevikunt: she is also as short as an elf

streamergfvi: who runs as hot as a radiator and streams in a pair of grinch boxer and fuzzy socks set you gifted her and her hoodie. whenever you sleep together during winter it's like a battlefield because she pushes the blankets away in her sleep and you always need to pull them back up.

As the night wears on, the dance of the blankets continues. You, the recipient of her warmth, are engaged in a silent tug-of-war as she unconsciously kicks them off, leaving you exposed to the cold. Your limbs, accustomed to the warm sanctuary provided by the blanket fortress, scurry to pull the covers back up. The fabric whispers and shifts as you both adjust, trying to find a balance between your thermal preferences.

With a sleepy groan that is both endearing and exasperated, she rolls over, her eyes fluttering open just enough to reveal a sliver of hazy awareness. In one swift movement, she abandons the battle of the blankets, opting instead to use her own body as a human comforter. Her form, now a warm, heavy weight, settles over yours like a contented cat. Her head finds its place in the crook of your neck, her breath a gentle warmth against your skin.

Her words, muffled by the pillow and the weight of sleep, are a declaration of warmth and affection.

"Fuck the blankets,"

she murmurs,

"I can warm you up just fine."

And with that, she wraps her limbs around you, effectively trapping your body in a cocoon of love and heat. The battlefield of blankets is forgotten as you both sink into the warm embrace she offers, the chilly winter night outside now just a distant memory. The room feels smaller, but the bed feels infinitely cozier with her sprawled over you, her heartbeat a steady rhythm against your chest.

streamergfvi: who can't keep her hands to herself when you surprise her opening the door of your apartment in a elf costume. Vi mentioned to you once that she thought you would look really fucking cute in an elf costume and today you decided to surprise her. As the door to your apartment swings open vi's eyes widen in surprise and pure, unadulterated lust as she takes in the sight of you. Her gaze lingers on the curve of your hips, the swell of your breasts peeking out from the tight green fabric, and the playful jingle of the bells adorning your hat and shoes.

"Look what Santa left me,"

she murmurs, the corner of her mouth quirking up in a knowing smile.

Before you can even answer, she's already closing the distance between you, her hands finding their way to your hips as she pulls you in for a passionate kiss. Your heart races as you feel her strong arms around you, the warmth of her body pressing against your own. The kiss deepens, her tongue exploring your mouth as if it's a place she's missed dearly. You melt into her embrace, letting out a content sigh.

Breaking the kiss, she looks into your eyes, a playful glint in her own.

"I think someone's been a very naughty elf," she whispers, her voice thick with desire.

Without another word, she scoops you up and carries you into the kitchen, setting you effortlessly onto the cool kitchen counter. The suddenness of it all makes your heart race and your breath hitch in your throat. Your legs instinctively part to allow her closer, and she takes full advantage, stepping between them. Her eyes never leave yours as she leans in, the heat of her breath ghosting over your skin. Her voice is a low, seductive growl,

Her hands are everywhere, tracing the lines of your body with a familiarity that sends shivers down your spine. She runs her thumbs along the hem of your costume, pushing it up slightly to reveal more of your bare thighs. You can't help but whimper at the sensation, your body already responding to her touch.

Her mouth is a searing brand as it trails down your neck, leaving a path of kisses and nips that make you arch into her.

You lean back, supporting yourself on your elbows as she works her way down, her mouth leaving a trail of fire in its wake. You can feel her hot breath against your skin, and it makes you squirm with anticipation.

''fuck violet please''

you moan throwing your head back

Her mouth finds its way to the apex of your thighs, and she kisses you through the thin barrier of your costume, making you squirm with need. The sound of the fabric tearing is music to your ears as she decides she's had enough of the foreplay and dives in, her tongue meeting your skin with a hunger that matches your own.

You grip the counter's edge, your knuckles turning white as she works her magic. The world around you fades away, replaced by the feel of her tongue swirling around your clit, her fingers pressing inside you, and the sweet, sweet friction that builds with each movement.

Your hips buck against her mouth, and she chuckles against your skin, sending vibrations through your core that make you shiver.

You're lost in a haze of pleasure, unable to form coherent thoughts beyond the desperate need for more.

Her rhythm is relentless, each stroke and suck bringing you closer to the edge. You're panting now, your hips rocking against her face as you chase that elusive peak. And when you finally reach it, it's like a starburst of sensation, leaving you trembling and gasping for air. She doesn't stop, though, continuing to kiss and lick until you're a boneless, quivering mess, your legs wrapped around her neck, holding her in place.

she smiles as soon you free her from the hand that had been gripping her hair, your legs relaxing allowing her to push her head back.

''I didn't know we were going for a naughty North Pole theme tonight."

streamergfvi: who asked you to celebrate christmas eve with her, vander and powder knowing you haven't talked to your homophobic family in years and would have probably spent christmas in your apartment alone.

After the icredibly delicious dinner vander cooked, for the first time in your life you felt like you finally belonged as you watched vi and powder wrestle over the remote cotrol of the tv while they bickered about the movie to watch.

''powder we are watching gremlins''

powder tried to reach the remote as vi stretched her arm in the air to prevent her from taking it.

''I'm not watching that stupid movie again''

violet smirked watching powder struggle

''why is that? you think you'll get scared and snuck in my bed in the middle of the night like when you were five''

powder jumped glaring at vi offended

''shut up that was one time''

as you watched them bicker some more you felt the tears fill up the corners of your eyes. ''maybe christmas isn't so bad'' you thought to yourself offering a small content smile to vi when she glanced at you.

streamergfvi: After you watched ''Home Alone'' (yes you teamed up with powder against vi) you and vi went to vi's room to exchange presents.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as you fumbled in your bag, your hands slightly trembling. You had been carrying around the little blue box for what felt like an eternity, the weight of it feeling heavier than any burden you had ever known. Inside was a set of shiny silver keys, attached to a keychain that had a tiny, delicate heart.

Finally, with a deep breath, you pulled out the box and placed it in her hand.

"Merry Christmas, Violet"

you said, trying to keep my voice steady, your heart thudding in your chest like a drum at a parade. She looked at you, a hint of curiosity playing at the corners of her mouth, her eyes searching myours for a clue of what could possibly be hidden within the wrapping.

Vi gently tore open the paper, her movements deliberate, savoring the moment. The box revealed itself, and she lifted the lid with a soft gasp. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the keys, her thumb tracing the heart-shaped charm.

"What's this?"

she whispered, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and hope.

"It's… it's a spare set of my apartment keys,"

You began, the words tumbling out of my mouth faster than you could control.

"I want you to have them because… because I want you to move in with me. I know it's a big step, but I can't imagine my life without you in it, and oh god i had this speech prepared but i don't know i just I love you and i guess a want to wake up to you every morning and fall asleep together every night...''

The room seemed to hold its breath as she looked at the keys, then back at you.

The silence stretched out, feeling like a tightrope walk over a canyon. And then, she broke into the most radiant smile, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"Holy shit, really?"

she asked, and you couldn't help but let out a giggle.

"Really,"

you affirmed, taking her hand in yours.

"I want to come home to you every night, to wake up to your messy hair and the smell of burnt toast in the morning. I want to share our lives, our space, and our future."

Vi looked at you, her gaze unwavering, and then she threw her arms around me, the keys dangling from her hand as you hugged tightly.

"fuck yes,"

she murmured into your neck.

"I'd love to move in with you."

you spent the rest of the night cuddling in her bed, hands interlocked as you talked about your future together, a pair of silver matching rings she gifted you glinting in the dim light of her room. And as the snow continued to fall outside, painting the world in a fresh coat of white, you knew that with Vi by my side, this was going to be the best Christmas yet.

[bookishdreamer28]

୨୧ 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫

~ ᵀʰᵉ ᵉᵛᵉⁿᵗˢ ⁱˢ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰⁱˢ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ ᵃʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒⁿᵉˢ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ʰᵃᵖᵖᵉⁿᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ˢ¹ ~

₊˚⊹ Info: Vi x fem reader, angst to fluff, arguing

₊˚⊹ ᵂᵃʳⁿⁱⁿᵍˢ: ˡᵃⁿᵍᵘᵃᵍᵉ, ᵃ ᶠᵉʷ ᵛⁱᵒˡᵉⁿᵗ ᵃᶜᵗˢ

₊˚⊹ Other: Likes and reblogs are appreciated ♡

You and Vi were inseparable. Ever since the moment you met her when Vander took her and her younger sister Pouder in, you instantly connected. She became your best friend, the person you could count on, the person who was there for you like no one was before, in your younger years. But things were different now, and after what happened that horrible night that haunted you for years, nothing felt worth fighting anymore. But still can't help it bu remenneceing all these joyful moments.

Flashback

"Vi look what I found!" You called for her, excitement filling your voice. Vi turned to look at you, taking off her gloves since she was busy practicing her punches. She smiled softly at how cute you looked when you were excited about something.

"What is it dove?" Your nickname a beautiful sound when she was the one saying it. You approached her and showed her what you had in your hands. It was a ring, with a gorgeously polished green stone on top of it, making it shine brightly when the light was hitting on it.

"Wow, well look at you. My treasure hunter." She pumped playfully her shoulder with yours and you blushed. She carefully took it in her ahnds to inspect it. "This could be very useful if we sell it." Sell it? No.

"Um, I was thinking about keeping it actually. It's not like rings like this one will start falling from the sky every now and then. It's unique."

Vi smirked at you and she chuckled.

" Yeah it's ok I guess. Just not as unique..." you furrowed your brows as she leaned closer to you. "As you." She pulled away, a proud smirk painted on her face as she watched yours turning red.

"I- oh shut up." You grimaced, pretending you didn't like that she was talking like his to you. But in reality, you absolutely loved it.

"Anyways, are you ready to go back? Vander siad not to wander around this late." She grabbed her bag and was about to give you thw ring back, but she stopped.

"What?" You asked curiously.

She took another look at the ring and then put it in her pocket.

"I'm keeping. You never know how useful is going to be in the future." That was all she said, before she took your han in hers gently and left the practice room.

...

You, Vi and the rest of your had thought about having small group meeting on the rooftop, since it was the only place that peaceful enough, even in a town like Zaun.

"And when the guy almost got me, I grabbed his arm, turned it around and then kneed him straight to his face!" Ekko was trting to illustrate the fight and it was so hilarious with how he was portraying the movements, that you couldn't help but laugh out loud. The rest joined you too and Ekko let out frustrated sigh.

"If you were you would've seen how cool it was." Ekko smirked and wrapped you arm his shoulder, giving him a small kiss on his head. Ekko was like a brother to you, and you felt so happy seeing him smiling like that after what he also wne through.

"I know, that's why you're coolset hero here in Zaun" You smiled.

"You really think that I'm cool?" His eyes lighting up with happiness.

"Of course I do!" He huuged tightly and then went to talk to Powder.

You hadn't noticed yet, but Vi was the only one who didn't utter a word all this time. She was too busy looking at you fondly, being completely gone by the way your smile you light up this dark and nasty world, and how caring you were for your small family.

"You ok?" You sat down next to her.

She smiled and gently took your hand in hers.

"Better than ever." She replied and let you rest your head on her shoulder.

...

Everything was blurry. The explosion had you made you fly literally out of the building, and you had survived because Vander had caught uou before you and Vi before you could get hurt. This wasn't supposed to got like this. When Vi had to told me and Powder to stay out of this mission, of course she did not take it well. She wnated to help just like I did, and since I was the only who could think reasonably enough, I had to convince Powder to stay in the bar with me.

But the plan had changed. She was determined to go help them and I needed go with her in case something bad happened. Which of course happened. That's why we now had lost Claggor, Mylo and Vander in one night.

"Vander? VANDER!" I cried hard as I tried to hug his giant unmoving body. "No no no no no" I mumbled to myself as I tried to shake him so he can wake up. There's no way he was dead.

"What the fuck were you thinking huh?" Vi's voice boomed through the rain.

Screamed in my face, while Powder was on her knees next to Vander as she was bawling her eyes out. Vi had slapped her, and I could do was watching in terror as I saw- for the first time - Vi becoming someone else. A stranger.

"I had to follow her Vi. It was dangerous to go out there alone and-"

"You could have prevented her from coming here and stay back in the bar I like I told you to do!" Vi was seething in anger. More tears were building in my eyes and I my knees felt weak at what had happened.

"I don't...I'm sorry Vi-"

"A sorry will NOT CHANGE A FUCKING THING!" Then Vi pushed me hard on the ground and time seemed to stop. I was scared. So scared. Then Vi's expression from anger to terror.

"I...Y/n..." She wanted to take her in her arms. Both Powder and Y/n. But she wasn't in the right state of mind and she was scared that she would hurt them more if she stayed here with them any longer. So she did what she had to do. Get away from them.

"No" Powder's voice shook "VI! No- DON'T LEAVE ME!" She yelled and cried on her knees.

You stood up and went next to Powder and cradled her in your arms. She cried in your chest as you watched Vi disappearing from your sight, leaving you all alone.

"Well what do we have here." His sickeningly disgusting voice said. You slowly turned your head and looked at this piece of shit of a man.

"You asshole" Your hold tightened around Powder, fearing that they would hurt her.

"Get them both gone. I don't need anyone from Vander's little family to roam my streets anymore." Once of Silco's groupies grabbed you harshly by your hair and you screamed loudly.

"It'll be so fun to skin you alive" He chuckled and took me away from Powder. She trief to reach for your hold as she screamed your name repeatedly, not handling the fact that she was going to lost you too. Not wanting ti leace her alone, you throwed a kick behind you and the man let out a scream as he crouched down from pain.

"Don't let ler leave!" Silco said and more man from his group went after you, while trying to shoot you. Not being able to do anything more, you made a promise to yourself that you would find a way to save Powder and you took off. As you ran, you could swear that even though the loud noise of the rain, you thought you still heard Vi calling your name.

Few years later

Your life changed drastically after these events. You were lucky enough that Ekko found you though and you joined the firelights. Without them you wouldn't have survived in the cruel world that Silco had created.

The had grew dark, and you tried to stay in the shadows so you wouldn't get caught since there were many police officers roaming around the streets. You could tell that something had gone wrong. You and Ekko knew about Jinx. Jinx. For you she would always be Powder no matter what. You were aware that she had changed because of Silco, but you had hoped that maybe a small part of her, could still fight for the right causes and remember all the times she spent with us, as Powder.

"I'll go look for another way ok? Make sure that you will not get caught." He whispered and bring you into a hug. You hugged him back and smiled softly.

"Don't worry about me. I got this."

"I know you do." He smirked and then disappeared in the cold, dark night. When you looked back at the enforcers, you could tell that something had gone wrong. They were preparing for something and you didn't know what it was about, but no matter what you had to stay in the dark and cross the bridge as soon as possible.

'Great' you thought and tried to look for another way that could get you to the other side. Once you found it, you were ready to leave but something stopped you. Loud steps could be heard in the silent night, running towards you. Oh no. Someone had definitely found you.

"Shit" you cursed under your breath and tried to escape but before I could even move, I saw a many fireflies flying all over the bridge. Strange. Then suddenly they exploded and I looked for a way to cover myself from them. After a few minutes, when the place was terrifyingly quiet, I made the move to leave but my body was pumped into a hard chest, making me lose my balance. I was about fall but a hard grip around my waist prevented me from doing so.

"Leave me alone right now!" I yelled and tried to escape from her hold but instead it become tighter the moment I spoke making me wince.

"y/n?" The figure's shaking voice made you stop fighting from getting off their hold. This voice. There's...there's no way.

"Vi?" I whispered, and backed away a bit to take a better look. No fucking way. Your reaction at seeing her after years wasn't what she expected, as you hardly pushed her away.

"Dove please let me-" Then a punch was thrown on her jaw and she started at you with wide eyes.

"Shut the fuck up" I girtted my teeth. Vi just atood there, in silence, not believing that she had just found you again after all this time. She was looking for you after he finally got out of the prison. When she couldn't found you at all, she thought she had lost you too for good but now you stood in front of her, her heart started beating again like it did for you all this time.

"Dove I-"

"I don't want you to say a single word. Nothing you'll say will change a thing" Your cold voice gave shivers to Vi. All she could think about was that she needed you desperately. To hold you, kiss you and love you.

Before she could take a step closer to you again, loud noises could be heard on the other side and some rangers made their appearance.

"We have to go now." She grabbed your wrist to follow her but you pulled away.

"I don't want to go anywhere with you. I've had enough with all this."

"Listen to me" she grabbed your shoulders tight "you either going to get yourself killed by them and Jinx, or you going to come with me so we can find a llace to hide for a bit and survive." Sha siad through her teeth and you let out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine." You moved first and then Vi followed closely behind you, just to protect you in case something happened.

After you were running for a few more minutes, you laid your back on a wall to take a breath. You could feel Vi's stare burning on you, but you didn't bother looking at her.

"You're ok?" She said breathlessly.

You shooke your head. Nothing was ok. But you had to put aside all the feelings you felt at the moment and focus on how you could survive the coming war.

"No but I'll manage." You replied coldly and Vi could swear that her heart was breaking piece by piece at the way you wouldn't even spare a glance at her.

"Dove I'm really sorry- I know, I know it'll never be enough. After how I treated both you and Powder that night, after I pushed you and then left you and my sister all alone, in the cold dark I- I never left you!" You looked at her. She almost took a step closer to you but she restrained herself frkm doing so in case you pushed her away again.

"I never left. I just wanted to fet away from you so I wouldn't hurt you more. My mind was clouded by anger and sadness and I took it out on you and Powder. I unfortunately had to see you getting hurt by Silco's men and then shooting at you and my goodness dove, I didn't had the time to come to you. They already had arrested me. Marco, the police officer drugged me and I..." her eyes became glossy.

"Please, you have to believe me. I missed you so much. So fucking much baby you have no-" Her hand was placed to where her heart was beating "it physically pains me to see you resent me like this. You can scream at me, hit me as many times as you want but please. Don't push me away. I don't ever want to experience what is like to not being with you." A sob left her lips and that made your own tears fall from your eyes.

"Oh Vi..." You whimpered and started moving towards her to hug her but Vi already did first, by wrapping her arms around your waist as she held you tight against her warm and solid body. The contact made you cry, and you rested your head on her shoulder so you can muffle the noises. As for Vi, hugging you after all this time felt like she could finally breath again.

"I'm here baby, I'm here and I'm never leaving you again. I'll do everything to earn your trust back and make Powder come back to us to. I'll make our family like it was before." She whispered against your head and her hand was drawing soothing circles on your back.

You pulled back and you stared at her. Her heart clenched when she saw your red eyes.

"I promise you baby, I'll stay. It's forever for us. It was meant for us to be together no matter what." She mumbled against your lips and not being able to control it anymore, you crushed your lips with hers. Vi moaned at the feeling of finally kissing you all this time and she cherished like this was going to be the last kiss she would ever get. Which she would never let that happen after tonight. She brought your body closer to hers, melting into the feeling of holding each other.

When you pulled back after a while, she smiled softly at you.

"My beautiful dove" she murmured against your lips and kissed you once more. You then hugged each other and enjoyed the silence before you had to go back out there.

"Dove?"

"Hm?"

"I have something for you." You looked up at her, a small furrow between your brows. She placed her hand inside the pocket and took out this beautiful ring you had found back then. You gasped and stared at it.

"You had it with you all this time?" Your voice shook with emotion.

"Always. Besides, I told you I would need it cause you never know how useful it can be in the future." She gently took your hand and placed the ring on your ring finger. Your eyes widened and Vi chuckled at your reaction, tears shining still from the tears.

"I know it's too early for things like these, and what will happen with Silco and everything is still unsure. But my future with you is not. Cause I know what I want and I want you. More than anything in this world. You're my forever." Her hand cradled the side of your face softly and you closed your eyes at the feeling comforting feeling of er warm hand touching you.

"...yes"

"Yes?!" Her shocked expression made you giggle.

"I want to do this with you. I want a future with you Violet and you better stay this time." You said between your small sobs. She then kissed you passionately and held you in her strong arms.

"It's me and you"

"Me and you" you whispered and you rested your forehead on hers. You believed her. No matter how angry you felt, how much pain you both had to endure because of her absence, you knew you'd somehow find your way back to each other.

Hope you enjoyed reading this one guys! I'll definitely write more fics with and many ither Arcane characters in the future, so stay tuned to read more 🙌

[reneesghostinthelivingroom]

Vi x reader where they make love in the glowy mines? And the lights flicker on constantly from their noises and sounds?

Exploring

|| vi x fem!reader

|| Warnings; smut, season two spoilers, bottom Vi, top reader (though this switches), grinding, swearing, breast play, clit rubbing, playful banter, orgasm

|| Summary; reader and Vi splits from Jinx and Isha, deciding to have a bit of fun in the mines.

Requests closed!

Started; November 29th

Finished; November 30th

~~~

You and Vi had decided to go a different direction from Jinx and Isha. Splitting up to make the search for Vander go faster. Your hands clapped together every now and then. Keeping the glow present in the minds. Vi walked beside you. Her shoulder occasionally brushing yours with how close she was. She was always close. Vi didn't like being away from you. Even for a moment.

"I don't think we're gonna find him here, cute face," Vi commented, looking to you. You shrugged a bit and your eyes met. There was a certain hint of something in that look of hers. A look you'd come to know all too well.

"Is this your way of suggesting something?" You replied, a smirk on your lips. Realizing exactly where this was going. Vi looked back at where they'd come from. Checking to make sure they were alone. That Jinx and Isha were far off in the other direction. She shrugged and looked to you again.

"If you're down," Vi replied. Though she knew your answer. You'd never exactly been afraid to try new positions and locations. One of the many things she liked about you; you loved to explore. Especially when exploring meant... well, her.

Your lips were on hers in a matter of seconds. The lack of sound allowing for the glow to fade. You pushed her up against the wall, the lights in the area around them creating a glow on the impact. Your knee was between her legs. Your lips taking hers in a bruising kiss. Vi rushed to get your clothing off, grinding herself against your knee. Desperate to relieve.

The clothes were tossed to the side in no time at all. Both you and Vi exposed to the cool breeze of the cave against your skins. Her clit digging into your knee. Your knee pressing against her clit, hands to her hips to help with her movements. The glow started to fade, but the sound of Vi's moans brought it back.

"Fuck, don't stop." Vi muttered, her eyes closed and tight. Her hips moving faster, more desperate against you. You easily obeyed, after all you weren't looking to stop any time soon either.

"Wasn't planning on it," you murmured. Lips sucking against Vi's neck. Hand massaging her breasts. The glow began to fade again just as you got a little ahead of yourself with your movements. You stumbled to the floor of the cave, taking Vi with you. You grunted at the impact, the cave once again glowing. Vi laughed when she landed on you. Resting her arms against your chest, looking down at you with a smile.

"You okay, cute face?" She asked, straddling your hips now but staying still. Just in case you had been hurt. But when you nodded, her hips started grinding against you again. "Really need to be more careful," Vi said through pants. You rolled your eyes at her words. No, really?

"Gee, thanks," you huffed. Moaning at the feeling of her clit on yours. The banter quickly forgotten. Movements getting more desperate. Trying to chase your highs. The glows faded around you. Leaving you in darkness, though only for a moment before Vi's moan cut through the air. Her grip on you tightening while she reached her orgasm. Her hips trembled against you. The light filled the cave again.

Your own gasp followed, the knot that had formed in your stomach coming undone shortly after hers. Your back arching into Vi. Body trembling. Your leg jerked. Vi watched you with a smirk. Leaning herself back, hands rested against the cave floor.

"Wanna see if we can sneak in another round?" Vi asked, panting between her words. Your nod was all she needed to keep going. Luckily for the two of you, Jinx and Isha remained completely unaware. Still on their search for Vander. Something both you and Vi had completely forgotten about.

[insomniadreamzz]

heyyyy

G!P! Virgin!Girlfriend! Au Powder x fem! Virgin! Reader.

Powder and the reader have been dating for months now and have never gone beyond light kissing and making out; they always stopped before things got really hot. However, that night, they go a little further during a makeout session, and Powder gets hard. She's embarrassed, but they end up having sex. I think it will probably be soft sex, because it's their first time, but if you prefer something different, that's fine. Have a good day! :)

First time

G!P Powder x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Smut, mention of G!P

You were with Powder in her hideout, she was working on a new project with Ekko while you just chilled on the couch, scrolling through your phone.

When you first met Powder you felt jealous of her snd Ekko interacting and building stuff together but it didn’t take long until she confessed her feelings for you and you both ended up being into a relationship for months now. You knew Ekko had a crush on Powder as well but Powder had her eyes only on you. He had to get used to it and he thankfully did, there was nothing more than a friendship between them.

„All done for today. Let‘s finish up tomorrow.“ Ekko said, Powder nodding in response before they oacked their stuff. You jumped off the couch as you noticed them packing, smiling happily as you made eye contact with Powder, reaching out for holding her hand as you three made your way out of there.

„See ya tomorrow then Ekko!“ Powder waved at him before you both made your way back home. Vander was busy working at the last drop so you both were alone for now. You were wearing your sleeping clothes, today you planned to stay over at Powders place and you both ended up cuddling in bed, just enjoying each other‘s presence.

„Feels good to rest now huh? You used your brain a lot today, I know it’s your hobby but you do deserve to shut it off and take all the rest you need.“ You mentioned as you cuddled into her side, making her chuckle in response. „Don’t worry I will be fully charged for tomorrow.“ She mentioned, you looking up at her with a dreamy smile, her beautiful blue eyes looking into yours with a soft expression before you closed the gap between you, kissing her softly.

You couldn’t stop yourself, being a little carried away by the soft feeling of her lips on yours, straddling her lap without breaking the kiss, her hands automatically moving around your waist while yours move around her neck. The kiss got more heated as you started making out, your tongue moving inside her mouth, gaining a soft gasp from her. It’s not like you haven’t done this before but this time both of you felt very sensitive, not being able to stop the heated kiss, her hands moving like on their own as she didn’t think about what she was doing when they reached for you ass, squeezing it gently which made you moan into the kiss, both if you blushing as you pulled back. „What was that huh?…“ You chuckled, feeling a bulge pressing against your crotch. She really got hard by just making out and hearing your soft moan.

Powder felt a little embarrassed by getting excited so fast, she actually could control herself very well but today it was different. „Ah…I am sorry. We don’t have to…do it. I just got carried away a little.“ She tried to explain herself, her nervous behavior was so cute and you couldn’t stop but smile widely, leaving a peck on her lips. „Hey…it’s totally fine. I love you and I want to…“ You reassured her, caressing her cheeks so gentle with your thumbs and she slowly calmed down, nodding in response. „If you are ready I am too.“

You sat up a little to take off your shirt, revealing your breasts and she did the same. It was the first time you saw each other naked and it showed by you both feeling a little embarrassed but you managed to feel better after reassuring each other, praising each other’s body as your hands gently caressed the soft and warm skin.

It was the first time for you both so you needed to find out first what each of you liked more and it didn’t take long for her to find out what you liked as her hands carefully squeezed your breasts before her mouth found its way on them, gently licking and sucking on your nipples, you moaning softly at the good feeling, signaling her that it felt good. You started grinding against her crotch, gaining a few soft moans from her as well.

At this point you didn’t think too much anymore and just followed your instincts. Sharing a few more kisses and touches before you both agreed to go more further.

You got off her so you could undress yourselves fully, the sight of her hard cock made you bite down on your own lower lip. You already imagined it inside of you but you wanted to try out a little more before you can feel it inside. „Can I…suck it?“ You felt weird asking but you also didn’t know what else to say at this point. Powders cheeks became deep red in response. She still felt nervous being so exposed but she nodded her head. „Yes you can.“ She looked at you adjusting yourself between her legs, leaning down you wrapped your fingers around her shaft before gently licking the tip, sending shivers through her body. Wrapping your lips around it, you started moving, taking her cock down your throat, your tongue swirling around it. Her sweet moans making your own crotch tingle, it was so exciting. „Fuck that feels good…“ She said in between her soft gasps, her hands gently moving through your soft hair.

You kept on pleasuring her with your mouth before Powder stopped you. „Hnng…please let me touch you…“ She begged and you couldn’t deny her, wanting to give her what she wanted as you pulled back, laying down on your back with spreaded legs, you were already so wet for her.

She was now the one positioning herself between your legs. Powders fingers gently touching you, making you moan softly as she teased your clit before slipping one finger inside of you. You moaned out softly, enjoying the feeling. „Does it feel good?“ She asked, unsure if she was doing it right but you nod, eager for more. „Y-Yes…ah…yes please I want more…I want your cock please.“ You literally begged for her to fuck you but Powder knew she had to start slow since it was your first time. One finger is not as much as her whole cock.

„Fine but first…“ She stopped before taking out a condom from her sideboard, putting it on. „We don’t want any oopsies to happen do we?“ She chuckled, being her cute self for a moment. You were actually impressed that she was so prepared, giggling a little in response but you quickly got caught off guard again, humming as she rubbed her cock between your wet folds. „Mhh…are you sure you are ready?“ She wanted to make sure and oh yes you were so ready for her. „Yes please. Please move in, I want it.“ You reassured her once again and so she did, giving you what you wanted as she slowly pushed it, making you whine at the slight pain mixed with pleasure as she carefully studied your facial expression, starting to thrust her hips a little as she was halfway in.

„Does it feel good?“ She asked, making you smile as you nod. „Yes it does…ah…please more…“ You moan so softly, wanting her to fuck you properly. Powder moved deeper inside of you now, making you let out a loud moan and so did she. Both of you being a moaning mess as she thrusted into you, holding her pace steady.

„Fuck…fuck yes fuck me.“ You mumble under your breath, reaching out for her. Your hands on her shoulders as she leaned down a little, you both sharing wet sloppy kisses, moaning into each other’s mouth. Powder noticed you getting close as your cunt clenched around her cock, making her get close as well. Her hips moving faster, literally slamming against you as she went harder and deeper. „Fuck! I am so close.“ She moaned out softly, you started whining in between your moans, nails digging into her shoulders as you were about to reach your orgasm. „M-Me too. Please make me cum! Please! Ah!“ Your legs are shaking when you reached your orgasm, covering her cock with your juices as you came, Powder cumming right after you, both of you moaning loudly, riding out your orgasm before you cup her cheeks and kiss her so deeply.

„I-…fucking love you.“ You mumble between kisses, wanting to keep her close to you. „Fuck I love you too…that was amazing.“ She panted softly, both of you feeling exhausted after your first time.

It was beautiful and you will always remember your first time with your love. Never wanting to let go of her.

[jinxfixeseverything]

Cosy Powder Smut.

I’ve seen people asking for Powder fics on other smut blogs so figured I’d drop this one here.

Powder X Female Reader. One shot.

Powder crept into the bedroom quietly. Pulling her hair loose of her buns, she started to undress silently. Dropping her clothes soundlessly on the floor. She lifted the sheet and slid in next to you. 

You were asleep on your side, softly she shuffled down level with you. You didn’t stir. She tilted her head and began to softly kiss your lips. 

You breathe in through your nose, suddenly startled awake, feeling Powders soft lips on you. 

“Aww, did I wake you?” She spoke softly. “I’m sorry.” She continues, kissing you again, moving her hair behind her ear to keep it out the way. 

You peck her a couple of times before pulling back.

“You seem really sorry.” You joked as she resumed kissing you again. Powder snuffs a small laugh against your lips as you say this, but carries on regardless.

You wrap your arms around her, feeling that she’s in just her underwear. No pjs, or a t shirt to sleep in like usual. You stroke her back lovingly, returning her kisses for a while before rolling on to your back, breaking away. “How was work?” You ask. 

“It was quiet.” She replied. “So I had a lot of time to think about you.” She tells you softly, shifting to lay her full body weight on top of you, kissing you again. Clearly your girl was not letting up and you were slowly becoming more awake, as was likely her plan. 

Running a hand up her back you unclasp the bra, one handed and feel her shuffle around to take it off, not breaking the kiss. She lifted your t shirt revealing your tits and pressed her own to yours, her skin was warm and felt good against your body. She sighed at the contact, gently pushing her tongue into your mouth. You always got wet from the way Powder kissed you, she was sexy even when she wasn’t trying to be, she never really had to do much to turn you on and tonight was no different. 

You slip a hand into the back of her underwear squeezing her tiny butt, her hips press forward against you. Your other hands slips under the fabric of her underwear, both hands pulling her towards you by her butt as she rubs herself against you. Powder whimpers into the kiss on each thrust. Turning you on even more. You move your hands either side of her hips and start to slowly tug the material lower. She rolls off of you, much to your disappointment, sitting next to you, pulling them off herself and throwing them somewhere in the dark room. 

“Get ‘the thing’.” She tells you excitedly, tapping your stomach impatiently. 

You huff at having to stop and get up, shuffling off the bed, making your way to the dresser by the side of the room. You knew exactly what ‘the thing’ was she was referring to.

You switch on the cosy lamp light and pull off your t shirt, standing naked, you reach into the draw for the strap on. The harness was the kind you just step into like tight fitted boxers trunks. And you fiddled with pushing the powder blue cock into the O ring. You reach into the draw again for a fruit flavoured lube, as you’re about to squeeze it onto the shaft, Powder calls to you by name. Looking over to her, she has your attention, your mouth falls slightly open at the sight of her. 

“You’re not gonna need that.” She informs you over her shoulder. Her voice husky. She’s kneeling on the bed, one hand on the headboard, waiting for you. 

You hurriedly toss the lube back in the draw and head back to the bed, crawling up it to where Powder is waiting. You run your hands up her sides and feel her puff out a breath of anticipation. 

You grab the cock shaft and line it up to enter her. She presses her hips back onto the tip before you can even push forward. Quickly swallowing the entire cock with her pussy. She lets out a small whimper, biting her lip as the cock fills her, trying to keep quiet. You guys always felt paranoid that Vander would hear as his bedroom was next door. Powder began to push herself back and forth onto the cock over and over, gripping the headboard. Pursing her lips trying to stifle her moans. Small creaks coming from the head board each time. Your breathing gets heavier seeing your girlfriend’s lithe body taking your dick. You grip onto her hips and meet her thrusts picking up a harder pace as she begins to moan a little louder, with each time. 

“Shh!” You tell her thrusting into her, making her entire body jerk forward every time you pushed into her, a small slapping sound occurred each time your hips came in contact with her. You let out a puff of air trying to steady yourself and not cum too soon. Powder always made it really hard to hold out. 

“Oh god! Yeah!” She moaned loudly. “Dont stop! Just like that!” She continued. 

“Powder!” You whispered urgently. 

“That feels so good.” Powder moaned loudly, dropping her head on top one of her arms, loosing herself in the feeling of your cock pushing into her.  

You jerk her back hard with you, her hands snapping from the head board, to sit back on your lap, as she cried loudly at the sudden movement of the cock being forced inside her so roughly. 

“Fuck! Uh, fuck!” She cried as you held her hips tightly pumping up into her, as she gripped your knees to steady herself. You thrust into Powder, pushing her whole body forward, face first into the pillow, hoping silently that would muffle the noise she was making. She let out a small laugh as she face planted the pillow, but soon got back to moaning loud, gripping the pillow to bury her face, her butt in the air as you pound her. You place one hand on her back, pushing down to keep her there. Her breathing is laboured almost a pant, you can feel your heart racing out of your chest, a sheen of sweat over your body from the effort of pace you were fucking her at. Powder’s body tensed as she reached up and slapped a hand on the headboard trying to grab hold of something to brace her while she came. You rammed into her pulling her hips to meet you as she screamed her orgasm loudly, You slow the pace once her entire body went limp. Letting her go, Powder falls in a heap on her side. You collapse next to her. 

“Holy shit, Pow.” You tell her trying to catch your breath. Powder is panting heavily but doesnt reply, just reaches her hand back, grabbing at you, you knew exactly what she wanted, you shift closer to her a spoon her from behind. She snuggles back into you, smiling when she felt the cock poking just below her butt. 

A door creaks outside and you both hold your breath. Large foot steps in the hallway outside, a light being turned off, the a door quietly shutting. 

“He didn’t hear us did he?” You cringe pressing your forehead into the back of Powders neck. 

“Nah, no way.” Powder said, her voice faltering unconfidently. 

You kiss her shoulder and hope she was right. 

Powder strokes lazy circles on your arms, wrapped around her waist before you both fall asleep in the cosy lamp light.

[worldimaginedreaming]

Imagine Being a Mother Figure to Jinx

Pairing: Vander x Fem!Reader | Parental Jinx & Reader Warnings: Canon trauma, hurt/comfort, found family, parenting a traumatized kid, soft domesticity, slow healing Word Count: ~1,800 Summary: She never calls you “mom,” and that’s okay. You tuck her in anyway. She trusts you in fragments, but you and Vander catch every single one. The world took too much from her — you just want to give a little bit back.

She’s quiet at first.

Not the kind of quiet that’s shy or sweet — the kind that watches. The kind that waits for something bad to happen, because it always does.

You don’t push.

You bring her food. You patch her shirts. You tell her where to find you if she wakes up in the middle of the night.

You don’t expect anything back.

And for a long time, she gives you nothing.

She eats fast. Like someone might take the plate away. Like she has to finish before something explodes.

You never say a word about it.

You just keep setting her place at the table, night after night, like it’s normal.

Like she belongs here.

She doesn’t call you anything for a while. Not “mom,” not “miss,” not even “hey.”

Just stares sometimes. Eyes flicking to you when she thinks you aren’t looking.

You always catch it.

But you pretend you don’t.

Vander is different. He’s all big voice and big hands and a heart the size of Zaun. She trusts him faster. Leans into his hugs, sometimes falls asleep in his lap after long days.

And you — you’re the quieter one. The steady one. The voice in the kitchen at 2AM making tea when her nightmares keep her up.

You don’t mind being the quiet one.

She’s got enough loud in her head already.

One night, she finds you sitting by the window, darning one of her socks.

She just stands there for a minute. Then steps forward, slow.

You glance up. “Can’t sleep?”

She shrugs.

You pat the spot on the bench beside you.

She hesitates, then climbs up.

You say nothing.

You keep sewing.

And after a long silence, she whispers, “They used to tuck me in, before…”

You pause.

You look at her — this too-small girl with too-big eyes and paint on her sleeves.

And you say, “Would you like me to?”

She shrugs again.

But when you follow her to her bed and sit beside her, she doesn’t stop you.

And when you brush her hair back and hum something soft and wordless, she falls asleep with her fingers curled in your shirt.

You don’t cry.

Not then.

You wait until you’re back in bed, curled into Vander’s chest, his big hand on your waist, and then you let yourself feel the full weight of it.

Of her trust.

Of what it means.

He kisses your forehead and whispers, “She’s starting to feel safe.”

You nod.

And hope like hell it lasts.

There are bad days.

Days when she won’t come out of her room. Days when she breaks things just to see if you’ll get mad.

You never raise your voice.

You just clean up, gently, and say: “We can fix it.”

Sometimes Vander helps. Sometimes he sits beside her and tells old war stories until she starts laughing again.

But other times — the really dark ones — it’s just you.

And her.

And a kind of pain you can’t name.

You sit outside her door, talking to her softly through the wood.

“I’m still here,” you say. “Even if you don’t want me right now.”

And sometimes, after hours, the door creaks open. And she falls into your arms without a word.

She never calls you “mom.”

But she starts saying things like, “Where’s she?” when she means you.

Or “She made this” when she brings lunch to Powder or the others.

Once, when she scrapes her knee, she runs to Vander — then asks where you are.

“I want her,” she mumbles, cheeks red.

You come running.

You always do.

And eventually, one day — it just happens.

You’re braiding her hair while she draws in the corner of the workshop. Vander’s talking about something at the bar. She’s humming. You’re laughing.

And she says, without thinking:

“Mom, pass me the blue?”

The room goes quiet.

She freezes.

You freeze.

Even Vander looks up.

She looks horrified. Like she said something wrong. Like she expects punishment.

But you don’t say anything.

You just hand her the blue crayon.

And when her fingers brush yours, you squeeze gently.

Her eyes soften.

And she doesn’t take it back.

That night, you tuck her in.

And she whispers, “Thanks, Mom.”

And falls asleep with your old shawl wrapped around her.

A/N: Here's last one before I wrote other. If you want me too more asked me in the comment or in my private message. Don't forget to share, like and subscribe!

[cosmiclily]

hey, here i go again, this came up to my mind, so if you want and have the time, here it is

what about an angst with Vi, where she dreams about reader wearing a wedding dress, and she's in a suit, it's their wedding, but then she wakes up crying, cause knows she can't have that

btw, hope you're having a good week! 🩷

i sleep so i can see you

vi x reader

wc: 1.6k

cw: hurt no comfort, there is a little description of a panic attack

notes: 😼😼 i love angst and i love to make my comfort characters suffer muahahahaha, jk. there is like 5 seconds of happiness in the beginning and then suffering. thank you for the request!! i’m having an okay week nothing special, hope yours is going well! 😽

Vi was never the marriage type. If you had asked her as a teenager whether she ever wanted to get married, she would have scoffed and said, “Marriage is stupid. Why would I want the state and the church involved in my business?" But she never really meant it.

She wasn’t against marriage out of rebellion or some grand stance against tradition. No, Vi never imagined herself getting married because, deep down, she never believed anyone would stay.

When you lose your parents, grow up in the system, get separated from your sister, and watch every sense of family you ever had slip through your fingers, it becomes hard to believe that anyone would stick around. That anyone would want to stay. That anyone would be willing to put in the work to understand the mess that lives inside you—the trauma, the scars, the weight you carry every single day.

But you did.

You stayed.

You saw through the walls she put up, understood her in a way no one else ever had. You made her feel safe, cared for, like she didn’t have to fight the world alone anymore. You peeled back her layers, tamed the wild animal. And for the first time in her life, Vi found herself thinking that maybe marriage wasn’t such a bad idea.

Maybe sharing her life with someone—sharing everything—wasn’t so terrifying. Maybe growing old with the same person, waking up to the same face every morning, wasn’t a curse.

So when she saw you walking down the aisle, draped in white, makeup done, the biggest, most breathtaking smile on your face, she couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over.

You held a bouquet of violets in your hands, and that small piece of her with you meant the entire world.

Everything was perfect.

Your parents were there, her sister was there, Vander, Ekko, Mylo, Claggor—everyone. Smiling. Happy. Whole.

It was almost too perfect.

Then, as you took another step forward, something shifted.

The aisle stretched, growing impossibly long, like you were further and further away from her. Your smile—so bright, so warm—began to twist at the edges, turning wrong.

Vi tried to move, but her feet were cemented to the ground.

She tried to call your name, but no sound came out.

She tried to run to you, reach for you—anything—but she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t—

Vi jolted awake, gasping.

Her body was shaking, drenched in cold sweat, her chest rising and falling too fast, too uneven. Her face was wet. It took her a second to realize she was crying.

It was a dream. Just a dream.

She wasn’t getting married. You weren’t in a wedding dress in front of her.

Vander wasn’t alive.

Her sister was gone. You were gone.

And she was alone.

Just like always.

The room was dark, suffocatingly quiet except for her ragged breathing.

Vi didn’t even have the energy to think, to process. All she could do was drag herself to the bathroom, sink to her knees, and empty her stomach into the toilet.

She spent what felt like hours on the bathroom floor, her back pressed against the cold tiles, hands trembling, hair sticking to her damp forehead. Vi’s chest rose and fell unevenly, breath hitching as she fought against the weight pressing down on her ribs. It felt like she was drowning.

She’d been through this before—with you.

The nights she’d wake up gasping, screaming, clawing at reality until she felt your hands on her, grounding her, pulling her back. You always knew what to do. You’d whisper soft reassurances, hold her until the shaking stopped, remind her that she wasn’t alone. That she was safe.

But you weren’t here.

And it was her fault.

Everything was her fault.

She was never good enough for anyone to stay. That was her curse—every time she let someone see the real her, every time she let someone in, they left.

And why wouldn’t they? Who would want to deal with this? With her?

Vi forced herself to move, to do something other than spiral. She turned the faucet on and splashed cold water onto her face, gripping the edges of the sink as she tried to anchor herself to reality. But everything still felt off—like she was stuck in some inescapable dream.

Her eyes flicked to the clock. 4:57 AM.

Too early. Too late. Meaningless.

Her hand reached for her phone before she could stop herself, fingers scrolling through her contacts until she found your name.

Her thumb hovered over the call button.

Maybe you’d pick up.

Maybe you’d tell her it wasn’t her fault, that she was fine, that you were fine. That everything was okay. That you were coming home.

But you wouldn’t.

So she didn’t call.

Vi locked her phone and let it drop onto the counter with a dull thud. Then, with a heavy breath, she dragged herself out of the bathroom and back to bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep that wouldn’t come.

When her alarm went off, she was still wide awake.

But even if she was falling apart, life didn’t stop for her.

So, she forced herself up, took a shower, and went to work. It was an uneventful day at the shop—no tattoo appointments, no familiar faces walking in, just a single girl wanting a belly button piercing. By the time 3 p.m. hit, she had nothing left to do.

She thought about going home. Maybe she could force herself to be productive. Maybe she could drown herself in work, find something to focus on so she wouldn’t have to think.

But she knew exactly how that would go. She’d sit in silence, overthink, spiral.

So instead, she took a detour.

Vi knew your habits. She knew you liked to go to that small coffee shop by the river, the one with the rickety outdoor tables and the faded green awning. She knew your order by heart.

And there you were.

Sitting outside, a mug in your hands—probably tea, since you were trying to quit coffee—watching the ducks drift lazily across the water.

You looked exactly the same.

Like you.

And that somehow made it worse.

Her phone felt heavy in her back pocket, like it was calling her name, demanding that she did something. That she said something. That she stopped standing there like a coward, staring at you from a distance, pretending like she wasn’t the one who ruined everything.

But instead of pulling it out, instead of calling you or walking up to you, she just stood there.

Frozen.

She was the one who screwed everything up.

The one who said awful things. The one who pushed you away. The one who locked herself up so tight that even you—the person who had always been so patient, so understanding—couldn’t get through to her.

In her head, it had been inevitable. You were going to leave eventually. Everyone did. So if she accelerated the process, if she pushed you away first, maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much. Maybe she could brace herself, prepare for the pain.

But like hell that worked.

Because here she was, standing across the street, looking at you like a ghost from another life, and it hurt just the same.

And then you looked up.

Your eyes met hers.

For a second, neither of you moved.

Then, just as quickly as you saw her, your expression hardened, and you turned away. Not just looking past her, but through her. Like she was nothing.

Like she was no one.

That was what finally made her snap.

Before she could think, before she could stop herself, she was crossing the street, stepping onto the café’s patio.

“Hey.”

You froze, your grip tightening around your mug, but you didn’t look at her.

Vi clenched her jaw. “So that’s it? You’re just gonna pretend you didn’t see me?”

You exhaled sharply through your nose, finally turning your head. “What do you want, Vi?”

And it wasn’t the words that got to her. It was how you said them. Tired. Like you had already run this conversation a million times in your head. Like you had already decided she wasn’t worth the energy.

Her hands curled into fists. “I—” She hesitated, suddenly realizing she didn’t have a plan. “I just… wanted to talk.”

You scoffed. “Now you wanna talk?”

The bitterness in your voice stung.

“What do you expect me to do?” Vi shot back, voice rising. “Act like we didn’t—” She stopped herself, taking a sharp breath. “I know I messed up. I know I said things I shouldn’t have, but damn, you really hate me that much now?”

You let out a humorless laugh, finally setting your mug down. “Hate you?” You stood up, and she realized just how much closer you were now. “Vi, I don’t have the energy to hate you. I wasted too much of it trying to love you.”

That hit like a punch to the gut.

She opened her mouth, ready to say something, anything, but you weren’t done.

“I gave you everything, and you threw it away” you continued, voice shaking. “And now you’re here? Just expecting me to what,forgive you? Pretend like it didn’t happen?”

“No,” Vi said quickly. “That’s not—”

But you weren’t listening anymore.

“Where the hell was this energy when I was begging you to let me in?” You took a step forward, eyes burning into hers. “Where was this Vi when I was trying to help you?”

Vi clenched her teeth, anger bubbling in her chest—but not at you. At herself.

She didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to make things right.

You just stared at her, something unreadable in your expression. Then, after a beat, you shook your head.

“I hope you figure your shit out, Violet.”

And with that, you picked up your things and walked away, leaving her standing there, heart pounding on her chest.

──────────────────────

masterlist - part two

[madebycloud]

Drowning in Blue

jinx/powder x female reader — 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬⠀𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

summary: you are the chosen one—cursed by a prophecy that will decide the fate of the wizarding world, but the waters of your life have turned to poison, pulling you into a fate worse than death. (Harry Potter AU) requested by anon words: 12.7k warnings/themes: FUCK j.k. rowling, fluff, friends to ??? to ???, hogwarts, slow burn af, soulmates, ravenclaw!jinx, gryffindor!reader, sleep paralysis notes: this is an au of jinx x reader based off the harry potter franchise (but if you haven’t watched/read it don’t worry you’ll be able to read the story just fine!) i do not promote jkr and her transphobia, i wrote this for fun — ✩ part 1.1, part 1.2, part 1.3, part 2.1, part 2.???

“[YEAR 1] The Girl Who Lived”

“Ah, Professor LeBlanc,” Vander greets, eyeing the tabby cat and flashing a smile. The tabby cat then transforms into the pale woman he knows as Professor LeBlanc, with shoulder-length hair and wearing a cloak colored dark green and adorned with red detailing and golden accents.

“How did you know it was me?” Professor LeBlanc asks, walking beside Vander in the quiet neighborhood.

“Let's just say I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly,” Vander answers, readjusting his cloak.

“You'd be stiff too if you sat on a brick wall for that long,” LeBlanc retorts. “Are the whispers on the wind accurate, Vander?”

“Unfortunately… yes,” Vander confirms, glancing sidelong at the pale professor.

“And the girl?” 

“Professor Talis is bringing her.”

“Do you believe it's wise to place such trust in Professor Talis?” 

“Professor Talis is one of the most responsible professors I've had the pleasure of working with,” Vander replies, defending the younger professor against the questioning.

The two professors come to a stop in front of a mansion.

Suddenly, a loud motor sound pierced the night, causing both professors to look up at the sky. 

The bike lands with a screech on the cobblestone street, and a man with short, dark brown hair swings himself off the bike. He lifts his goggles off his eyes, revealing his face, and walks up to LeBlanc and Vander.

“Professor Vander, Professor LeBlanc,” he greets, nodding to the two professors.

“Professor Talis,” Vander greets in return, returning the nod. There is a brief moment of silence before the headmaster asks, “Where is the girl?”

Jayce hums, walking over as she holds the baby wrapped in a bundle over to Vander. 

“Little lady fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristol. Heh. Try not to wake her.” He gently places the bundled-up child into Vander's waiting arms. “There you go,” he murmurs, watching as the larger professor adjusts his grip on the baby.

Vander looks down at the sleeping baby in his arms, admiring her face with her eyelashes fluttering with each breath.

“Vander, do you really think it's safe, leaving her with the Kirammans?” LeBlanc asks, eyeing the girl.

Vander nods his head. “The girl will assuredly find safety within their care.” He hesitates, his voice quieting. “Besides, we have no other options. The Kirammans are the only family she has…”

LeBlanc sighs silently and nods once. “I suppose you are right.” The cat animagus professor turns to look at professor Talis. “Was the trip… difficult?” 

Jayce runs a hand through his hair, attempting to straighten it out. “Uh, I wouldn't say so,” he answers, avoiding eye contact.

LeBlanc hums noncommittally. “You have a bit of motor grease on your cheek.”

Jayce reaches up and touches his cheek, feeling the grease smeared across it. “Oh, yeah, I must have gotten that while working on my bike before I left.”

LeBlanc shakes her head silently, turning her attention to the sleeping baby in Vander's arms. She eyes the scar on her forehead. “Is that where-?” 

“Yes,” Vander replies with a solemn nod, his gaze following hers to the scar. “It will stay with her forever.”

“Couldn't you do anything about it, Vander?” 

Vander contemplates the words. “I could have,” he says slowly, “but it is unwise to meddle with the past.” He adjusts his grip on the child as she begins to squirm.

The three professors approach the large door of the Kiramman estate. Vander carefully lays the baby down on the doormat, and LeBlanc pulls out a letter and places it on top of the baby's blanket-swaddled form.

“I wish her well,” LeBlanc says, looking down at the baby.

“Good luck, little one,” Vander murmurs, crouching and gently stroking the baby's cheek with a large finger.

—

“My letter finally arrived!” you exclaim, running down the stairs towards your cousin who's sitting at the table eating breakfast.

Caitlyn's eyes go wide as they land on the envelope in your hand. “Really?!” she asks excitedly.

You hold up the thick envelope to her view, still panting as you try to catch your breath. “I wonder what house I'm going to be put in,” you say to yourself, finger tracing over the red wax.

“Probably Ravenclaw,” she replies, going back to eating her scrambled eggs, “That's the house our family is usually sorted to.”

You purse your lips in thought. “Maybe, but then again, maybe not.” You turn your attention to the letter, reading it aloud.

Dear Student,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Emillia LeBlanc

The Deputy Headmistress

“Looks about right,” your cousin says, sipping her tea. “That's the same letter I got when I was your age.” She smiles at you fondly.

You carefully place the letter down, sitting down in the chair next to her. “Are you going to help me with shopping for school stuff?”

Caitlyn nods. “Of course, silly. What's family for?”

Your heart swells with love for your cousin. You've known your cousin your entire life, and she's acted like a big sister to you. “Thanks, Cait.”

—

It's a bright and sunny day in London, but you feel just a bit chilly. Maybe it's just nerves...

You and Caitlyn walk down the streets, your letter still clutched in your hand, rereading it a hundredth time since its arrival.

“All students must be equipped with one standard size 2 pewter cauldron and may bring, if they desire, either an owl, a cat, or a toad.” You turn to your cousin. “Could we find all this in London?”

“Most likely.” Caitlyn says. “We'll just have to find the right stores. Don't worry, I know all the best ones.”

The two of you stop, and you stare up at the sign above the old, worn-down pub.

“Leaky Couldron?” you say, wrinkling your nose. “Doesn't look like the... friendliest place to be.”

Caitlyn gives you the side-eye. “Looks can be deceiving,” she murmurs but doesn't elaborate.

You follow her as she walks into the dingy pub, glancing back behind you.

Inside is dim and smells of ale and sweat. You're pretty sure you spied a rat disappearing behind a crate of butterbeer. You can spot a handful of people sitting at tables, drinking in the early morning hours.

“Ah, miss prefect,” a gravelly voice calls out.

You glance over to the source of the voice, a man who looks older than dust, his face covered in scars. He walks towards you, limping as he goes.

Caitlyn gives a polite nod in recognition. “Professor Singed.”

He glances in your direction, studying you curiously before a crooked smile spreads across his face. “Who's this young lady with you?”

Caitlyn puts a hand on your shoulder. “This-” she motions to you, “-is my cousin. She just received her letter, and we're here to get supplies.”

“Your cousin, you mean... the girl who lived...?” the man croaks out.

You look to Caitlyn for reassurance, and you frown when you spot the uncomfortable look she has.

The girl who lived.

“Yes,” she replies curtly. “She's my cousin.” Caitlyn's grip tightens on your shoulder. 

Singed smiles, the scars on his face pulling in odd directions. “Lucky girl.”

You don't feel very lucky.

You catch the nod towards you as he straightens himself. “I'll be off now,” he rasps, shifting his gaze back to your cousin. “Have a lovely day, Miss Kiramman.” He turns and walks towards the door, disappearing.

Your cousin's hand relaxes, and she sighs. “Let's just go. We've got a lot of shopping to do.” Caitlyn nods towards the wall before walking towards it, you following close behind. “Professor Singed is my potions teacher.”

That professor was off... but what did he mean by the girl who lived?

“He looked old,” you say with a huff. And kind of ugly too, you leave out.

Caitlyn doesn't look back at you. “Don't mind him, Singed has always been... odd,” she says  in the tone when someone is hiding something. “Let's just get your supplies, okay?”

You stop as the two of you stand in front of a concealed archway, built from bricks that look to be held together with nothing but luck and prayers. Caitlyn pulls out her wand, flicking it towards the wall.

The bricks shift and become transparent, and you're now able to see the street on the other side. The street stretches out, lined by shops and filled with people. People that are wearing capes and cloaks, carrying cats and toads and owls...

Wizards and Witches. They're everywhere.

“Woah… How'd you do that?”

Caitlyn puts her wand back into her pocket. “Simple magic,” she says before stepping through as you follow behind.

The shops are no ordinary shops that you'd find in ordinary towns. They sell potion ingredients, a broom store, a shop selling owls.

There's a group of people walking past you, all dressed in black robes, and your eyes catch sight of a girl who has chin-length blue hair walking backwards as she enthusiastically talks to a pink-haired girl.

Caitlyn glances down at you. “Don't stare,” she whispers, and you turn your head and act like you weren't just ogling the strange people walking past you.

You both stop at the tall, white building. There are words carved into the stone over the door: Gringotts Bank.

“First things first,” she starts, pointing towards the bank. “You need to get your money.”

“...my money?”

“Oh-” she remembers something, her eyes going wide as your words remind her. “I forgot to tell you. Once you get inside, a professor is going to help you. Professor Jayce Talis.”

You look at your cousin, then the large bank. 

Caitlyn pats your shoulder. “You'll be fine. I have some things to do while you're in there.”

“...okay,” you breathe out. “Okay.”

You walk towards the tall double doors of the bank. Caitlyn helps you push the door open, and you step inside.

The inside of the Gringotts Bank is...

It looks like a palace that a king would live in rather than a bank.

There's a giant crystal chandelier that hangs from the ceiling, and fold covered pillars hold the bank up.

There are at least thirty goblins sitting at desks on both sides of you, counting coins and going over paperwork. One or two look up at you, their faces disinterested as they go back to their work.

You look around, trying to figure out what to do next. Then you hear a deep, kind voice.

“Ah, so it is you.”

You spin around quickly, eyes catching on the tall man who's standing there. He has no wrinkles, no blemishes on his face. Kind eyes and a warm honey-brown color look down at you.

“I am Professor Jayce Talis. You must be Caitlyn's cousin,” he says, walking over and crouching down. He offers his hand to you. You take his hand, and he smiles.

“You look just like-” he pauses in the middle of his words, then quickly composes himself when he realizes he said it aloud. He stands up and quickly steers the conversation in a different direction.

“Well, let's get you sorted out, shall we?” He gestures to a goblin sitting at a desk.

Jayce takes you over to a counter at the end, and a goblin turns to look at the two of you. The goblin has sharp, pointed teeth and a hook nose, and his dark eyes look up at Jayce with annoyance.

“Professor Talis,” the goblin greets, his voice dry and scratchy.

Jayce chuckles, leaning on the counter. “Still counting coins, I see?”

The goblin sneers and grumbles at Jayce. “Always.” Then he looks at you. “Who's this then?”

Professor Talis places a hand on your back and pushes you forward a bit. “This is Cassandra Kiramman's niece.”

“Niece…” he repeats, looking you up and down. He turns to look behind him, scanning several scrolls placed on a counter behind him. “...name?”

Jayce answers the goblin with your name. “Just here to collect her galleons,” he adds.

“Does the kid have her key, professor?” the goblin asks.

“Oh!” Professor Talis rummages through his pockets, searching for something. “Where is it... ah!” he pulls out a gold key. “Here it is.” He hands the key to the goblin but then seems to remember something. His hand reaches in his pocket again and pulls out a letter. “Professor Vander gave me this,” he says, presenting the letter to the goblin.

The goblin takes the key and the letter from Professor Talis' hands, then looks at the golden key. He looks over the letter, skimming it over with his sharp eyes. “Hmm…”

Jayce smiles at the goblin. “Is that a I need to see her vault hmm, or a we need to sort something out hmm?”

The goblin just looks at Jayce and narrows his eyes, turning around to his stack of scrolls again.

“I'm guessing that means vaults,” Professor Talis whispers to you.

—

You, Professor Talis, and a goblin named Griphook are riding in a mine cart down a deep and dark tunnel. 

Finally, the cart stops abruptly, causing you to lurch forward, then Griphook jumps out. “Vault 687,” he grunts, holding out his hand expectantly.

Professor Talis wastes no time in handing over a shiny, golden lamp.

You and Professor Talis follow behind Griphook in the dark, the small lamp the only thing lighting your way forward.

You can hear the steady drip of water and rats scurrying around in the shadows.

Griphook stretches out his hand. “Key, professor?” 

Jayce quickly places the key in the goblin's hand, giving it a quick twist. With a loud click, the vault door swings open, revealing piles of gold inside.

You blink a few times, staring at the piles of galleons in your vault… how much is all this?

Professor Talis chuckles behind you and places one hand on your shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Never thought your parents would leave you with nothing, did you?”

—

Griphook calls out, “Vault 713!”

You turn to Professor Talis and ask, “What's in there, professor?”

Jayce pats your head. “Can't tell you that, kid. Some very secret Hogwarts business.”

Secret. 

You sigh, the mystery of vault 713 intriguing you.

Griphook tells you both to step back, and you obey, watching as the goblin slides a single long finger down the silver door, causing it to melt away.

You and Professor Talis step into the vault, the small space feeling cool and dark. In the center of the vault sits a small, white, stone-looking package. Jayce picks it up, holding it carefully. He then turns to you.

“Listen, kid,” he starts, “you can't tell anyone about this, okay?”

You nod, not sure what's in the little stone package, but you're curious. 

Professor Talis smiles. He pockets the package and pats your head again. “Good, I knew I could count on you.”

—

“Books, parchment, quills, ink, cauldron... and uh…” You walk down the alley as you recite your list. 

Caitlyn nods, looking over the list and checking the items off one by one.

The professor follows behind you two, explaining to Caitlyn that he needs to go with you since you, as a minor, require a guardian.

“...and a wand,” you continue, turning to Professor Talis. “I need a wand.”

“Of course.” Caitlyn glances over the shops that line the alley and points to a smaller looking store. “That store. Ollivanders.”

Jayce hums. “I think we'll stop by Ollivander's before heading to Madam Malkin. You'll get your wand first, then we'll continue down the list.”

The three of you continue walking until you come to a small shop that is much less crowded than the ones you have passed. 

“Why don't you run along there and wait?” The professor begins, “Cait and I just have one more thing to do. It won't be long.” He pats your shoulder as he ushers your cousin away, leaving you to approach the small, crooked shop.

You hear him murmur something, but you're too far away to catch anything. You raise your eyes to the sign above the door. Ollivanders Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC. 

Seems harmless enough.

You step into the dark store and look around, a fine layer of dust settling on everything, including the boxes stacked on the creaky floorboards.

“Hello?”

There's no one in the shop, only the silence and dust. Is anyone even here?

You walk towards the counter, reaching out and gently rapping your knuckles against the wood. “Hello?”

The silence is shattered by the old man, who you think is Ollivander, stepping out from the back of the store, drying his wrinkled hands on a cloth.

“Ah,” the old man says as he approaches you, his pale, silvery eyes staring at you. “I was expecting you.”

You watch silently as the old man hums to himself, his fingers trace over the boxes, searching for something.

He then pulls a box from the shelf. “It seems like only yesterday when your parents were in here getting their first wands, and now look at you.” He lifts the lid and draws a long, slender stick out of the box.

“13 inches, swishy, cherry with a horned serpent horn core.” Ollivander holds the wand out for you to take. “Give it a try.”

You wave the wand, but nothing happens. You swing it around in a small circle, but... still nothing. You move the wand as if you were drawing something across the-

CRACK! 

Blue sparks fly out of the tip of the wand. You duck, bringing the wand close to your chest. You look up at the old man, and he smiles.

“Not quite.” The old man reaches out and gently takes the wand from you, turning back to the shelf.

He picks up a different box. “Eleven inches, walnut, swishy, unicorn tail hair core.” Ollivander hands you the new wand.

You take it and hold it in your hands, looking at the smooth shaft and carefully crafted hilt. You glance up at the old man, who nods.

You swing the wand around the same as the other one, nothing happens until-

CRACK! 

A vase sitting on the shelf across from you suddenly explodes, sending glass shards everywhere.

You look back at the old man. He smiles once again. “Don't worry. We'll find the right one eventually. It's just a matter of time and patience.”

You hand the old man the wand, and he sets it aside.

The old man hums to himself as he takes another box off the shelf. He opens it up but stops, eyeing the wand. “Mmm,” he muses, shaking his head. “No, I don't think that's the one.”

He sets the box down and turns to look at you, an idea brewing in his head. “I wonder…” he murmurs as he rummages through the box. He withdraws a slender wand and hands it to you. “Try it.”

The second your fingers wrap around the handle, you hear the wand hum inside your skull. You flex your fingers, testing how it feels… perfect.

The shop feels louder, sounds and smells coming at you like you've never experienced before.

Your eyes dart around the room before landing on the old man, who scratches his head as he examines the wand in your hand. “Curious indeed,” he mumbles, “very curious.”

You raise an eyebrow at the old man's response, hoping he'd say something. You clear your throat, but Ollivander doesn't even look up, his eyes still fixed on the wand.

“I remember every wand I've ever sold,” he starts, eyeing your new wand. “Just so happens that this wand's phoenix made another feather, just one other to it.” His eyes lock on the scar on your forehead. “Funny thing, that the brother wand to that one-” he motions to your wand “-is the very one that gave you that mark on your head.” He points a bony finger at your forehead.

Your scar tingles and you reach a hand up to touch it. You’ve never been too fond of the scar, especially since it makes you... different.

Brother wand.

Sounds weird, honestly. Like it's some sort of… prophecy.

You drop your hand from your scar, looking back at the old man. “And who owned that wand?” you question, your fingers tracing the shaft of the wand.

“It belonged to the greatest wizard who ever lived. Before his fall from grace,” he explains, narrowing his eyes at you. “And the phoenix did only ever give one other feather.” The old man taps his chin, his mouth twisting in thought. “It's curious how such an instrument of destruction ended up in your hand, isn't it?”

You look down at the wand again, unsure of what to do. “It's just a wand, though, right?” you say with a frown before looking back to the old man. “It's not like it's evil or anything.”

The old man seems intrigued, a smile growing on his face. “No dear, wands don't hold any form of power of their own. Their power comes from the one who wields it.”

He steps forward, bending down so he's eye level with you. “It's the wizard or witch who decides what their wands do, and if wands are capable of great wrong… they are also capable of great right.”

“Just remember this,” he adds before standing up, “The wand chooses the wizard.” He then turns and begins tidying up the shelves, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

You turn over the wand in your hand, examining every detail. Something tells you this is... important, it's important somehow.

Then, you hear a knock at the window. Turning around, you see your cousin outside the shop, waving through the glass. Professor Talis stands beside her, holding a cat in his arms. You walk over and open the door.

“Well?” Jayce asks, looking over your shoulder at the wandmaker. “Did our little newcomer find a match?”

You nod, holding the wand in the air. “Yeah,” you reply, turning to Professor Talis. “Found one on like, the third try. It kinda hums.”

He chuckles. “That's a good thing, means it's a good match.”

—

The very one that gave you that mark on your head.

That's what the old man said.

Brother wand.

It's weird to describe a wand as a brother. A little creepy too.

Does that mean it's connected to you in some way?

You hear Professor Talis' voice and snap out of your thoughts. “Huh?” You blink a few times, looking up from your own bowl of soup. You've barely touched yours.

“You're being awfully quiet,” he prods. “Something on your mind?” he asks, looking back and forth between you and Caitlyn.

You reach a tentative hand up to touch the scar on your forehead, your fingers tracing over the jagged edges. “He…” you pause, looking up at your cousin, “...he killed my parents, didn't he?”

Caitlyn pauses mid-bite.

Professor Talis stops eating, his eyes slowly moving to you.

You think you've hit a sensitive spot, and the room feels strangely still.

Jayce shoots a cautionary look at your cousin, then looks down at his unfinished soup. “...yes,” he responds finally, shifting awkwardly in his seat. “Your parents… they died at his hands.”

Caitlyn takes a pause from her bread to steal another glance at you, her face twisted with obvious guilt. You don't really know why she feels guilty, but it's pretty apparent.

You lower your hand slowly from your forehead. “Why though?” you ask no one in particular. “Why did he do it? What did they do?”

Professor Talis takes a deep breath, collecting himself for a moment.

“First-” he starts slowly, being careful about what he's saying. “-you need to understand something. Not all wizards are good. Some of them go bad. A few years ago... there was one wizard who... went as bad as bad can get…”

He trails off, looking at your cousin, but she doesn't pay much attention. His eyes dart over to your own, and he pauses. “And his name was… his name… his…”

“Maybe if you wrote it down?” you suggest.

“No, I can't spell it. His name was…” The professor hesitates, uncomfortable, but he finally musters the courage to finish his sentence. “Swain,” he whispers.

Swain.

You blink a few times, rolling the name over in your head. Where have you heard that name before? your aunt never mentioned anything about this ‘Swain’ in your childhood.

“Swain?” you repeat.

Jayce flinches at your words, holding a finger to his lips. “Shhh,” he hushes as he scans the Leaky Cauldron, watching the shadows carefully. He's checking to see if anyone is listening in. Once he's satisfied, he leans back into his chair, taking a long glance around the area.

Professor Talis stirs his soup around with his spoon, staring down into his bowl. “Back then... they were hard times,” he mutters. “Bad times.” After a long pause, he lets the spoon plop back into his soup.

“Some wizards fell to the wrong path,” he continues on, “He gathered some followers. Brought them to the dark side.”

“Your parents... tried to stop him,” his eyes meet yours. “But none of them survived once he set his mind to killing them.”

Professor Talis goes silent for a moment, staring down at his soup again. The spoon swirls around in the soup, circling in a whirlpool of broth and vegetables.

“No one lived,” he whispers, looking up at you. “Except…” Professor Talis pauses before sighing deeply. “Except you.”

You take a long draw of air. “...me?”

Caitlyn nods, finally finding her words. “That scar on your forehead…” her fingers flutter to her own forehead, tracing a line on her own skin, as if tracing the path of your scar. “It's not just any old cut. It's the mark left behind by a dark curse. A curse that only the most evil wizards use.”

“But... what happened to Swa-... to You-Know-Who?”

Caitlyn looks at the professor, who stirs his soup contemplatively, then looks back at you. “Well, some say he died.”

“Codswallop in my opinion,” Professor Talis cuts in. “Nope, I'm not one to bet against that snake. He's out there, and while he's tired now, I don't think that'll stop him for long.” He puts the spoon down and gives you a warm smile, although one tired from stress and worries. “But one thing's for damned sure…”

“...something about that night stumped him,” The professor murmurs. “That's why everybody knows your name. That's why your name rings across the land.” He lifts his spoon, pointing it at you. “You're the girl who lived.”

—

A month later…

“You... expect me to just run through the wall and I'll be in the Hogwarts Express?”

You stare at the wall between platforms 9 and 10, wondering if you've finally lost your marbles.

“Yep! That's how we do it here,” Caitlyn says as she leans against the stone wall with a laugh. “You just run, and you'll smash right into the platform.”

You look at her doubtfully. 

She reaches over and pats your back, encouraging you to continue. “Go ahead and run at the wall. It's okay. You won't get hurt.”

You take a step back, looking at the solid wall. It's just a normal wall. Not only that, it's stone.

There is no way that running into a solid piece of brick will result in anything but you getting seriously hurt and winding up in an infirmary bed, surely.

You look at your cousin, who only nods in affirmation and motions for you to continue.

You hesitate, taking another glance at the wall. Then, with a deep breath, you decide to be bold. Boldly stupid, that is. You let out a grunt of determination before taking off at the wall.

You shut your eyes, bracing for the impact, and- and…

Something is odd. Or rather, nothing is there. You expected to slam right into the hard wall, but now you're...

You peek one eye open, then open your other.

You're standing in... a train station. But not any train station, it's a strangely vibrant platform filled with people walking around and talking with each other.

To your right, a large train sits, a train that looks rather regal. You have to crane your neck to look at its height, and then you have to crane your neck again to see the top of the smokestack, which is spewing out clouds of smoke.

Then the train whistles sharply. The sound is loud enough to ring in your ears and echoes throughout the station, causing everyone—you included—to flinch slightly in surprise.

People rush past you, boarding the train, disappearing into the various open doors.

Caitlyn's voice appears behind you. “You alright?”

“Yeah…” you reply, looking at your cousin.

She pats your shoulder. “Let's get on the train, then.”

It takes you and Cailtyn several minutes to get aboard the train, with how packed it is, and the two of you manage to find an unoccupied compartment.

You both sit down and take a deep breath as you catch your breath from running.

“You can put your stuff here,” she instructs, pointing to a few empty spots overhead. “There's plenty of space. It's probably better to put your stuff up there instead of keeping it down here where it can roll around. Wouldn't want to get squashed, would you?”

You do as Caitlyn says, shoving your trunk and other supplies into the overhead storage.

“There you go,” she says, looking around the compartment, “I'll be back. I've got something to take care of, you know, prefect business.” Caitlyn pats your shoulder. “I won't be long. Try not to do anything stupid.”

“I'll... try,” you say, watching her disappear out of the compartment door.

You sit down. Now that your cousin isn't here...

You're left all alone, and you shift in your seat. At first, you're just sitting there, admiring the interior of the train.

Then, the train starts to move.

You hear the whistle shriek again, the brakes shift, and suddenly the train lurches forward. Slowly, the train begins to speed up.

The train passes through the countryside, past rolling hills and dense forests.

It's peaceful you could almost fall asleep here... until-

“HI!”

“AH!-” you exclaim, before your brain catches up to your instincts.

You spin around to face the open compartment door and see a girl, probably the same age as you, with chin-length blue hair.

“Sorry, sorry,” she says, not looking apologetic in fact, smiling slightly. “I didn't mean to startle you.”

The girl steps into the compartment, awkwardly shuffles into it, and plops herself on the seat opposite you.

You observe the stranger.

She's got blue hair. She's lean and pretty pale. She's also short, but it's hard to tell how short exactly while she's sitting down. She's shifting in her seat as well, not sitting still.

“I'm Powder... firstie, and you are...?”

You're still recovering from the startle but manage to get your brain working, though you still have no idea who this stranger is. Still, you reply with your name.

She repeats your name and looks like she's mulling it over in her mind. Then she snaps her fingers, as if she'd just remembered something. “So it's true! I mean, do you really have the... the...?” she trails off, gesturing at your forehead.

...that was definitely a weird question to ask someone you just met, and the suddenness of it leaves you dumbfounded.

She doesn't seem to notice the odd question, or if she does, she doesn't seem to mind.

You're not sure why the girl needs to know. 

She drums her fingers on her knees while staring at you, as if your silence gave her carte blanche to ask nosy questions.

You purse your lips together, and she suddenly realizes you're not going to reply. Her fingers stop drumming, and she slumps back in her seat.

She's impatient.

Powder folds her arms across her chest and gives you an annoyed look, like she's expecting an answer.

You stare back at her, not sure what to say.

The silence is broken when your stomach suddenly gives a loud grumble.

Powder raises an eyebrow. “Hungry?”

Just then, a welcome rescue from your grumbling stomach arrives in the form of a woman pushing a trolley filled with sweets. She then peeks her head into the compartment. “Care for anything off the trolley, dears?”

Powder suddenly stands up from her seat. “Ooh! I'll take this, and this, and this, and a few of those- ooh, and a box of those-” she rattles off a whole list of things, pointing to every item on the trolley. “Is it all FREE?!”

The trolley lady laughs as Powder rattles off her list. She looks amused at Powder's excitement, though she gives you a brief look of concern. “Of course not. It all costs money.”

Powder's face immediately drops, and her eyes land on her pockets. She fishes out a few coins and holds them up eagerly. “I've got enough for a few.”

The trolley lady gives the coins a quick glance. Her face immediately darkens as she sees the pitiful amount of money Powder is holding.

“A few?” she repeats. “Honey, that's not enough for even one of those...” The woman turns her attention to you. “What about you, dear?”

You rummage through your pocket as the trolley lady looks on. You take out all the coins you took from the bank earlier and give them to the trolley lady. “We'll take the lot.”

—

“Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans?” 

It looks like it's going to taste like sweets—not any kind of sweets, every kind of sweets.

Powder looks away from the sweets on her lap and eyes the box of jellybeans in your hands. “They mean every flavor. You get chocolate and peppermint, and I think I've heard of one that's supposed to taste like liver or something,” Powder says. “Be careful with those! my brother once said he got a bogey-flavored one.”

Gross.

But at the same time, the whole every flavor bit intrigues you.

You've never had sweets that tasted like anything but sweets so you have no idea what it would taste like.

You open the box and pluck one, popping it into your mouth.

You expect something sweet and fruity, but the taste of the jellybean is far from sweet.

No, you get smacked with the taste of-

...old, worn sock that's been left out for a week in the summer.

You gag and spit out the jellybean. “Yuck!” The taste doesn't go away, and you stick your tongue out, trying to get rid of it.

Powder laughs. “I told you to be careful!”

“You said they had chocolate and peppermint!”

“Yeah, and liver, and bogey,” Powder retorts.

“Alright, alright. I get it. You warned me.” You sigh and push the box of jellybeans away. “Never again.”

“Don't worry, I've got something better.” She pulls out a box of chocolate frogs from the pile of sweets on the seat. She hands one to you. “Here. These are much better.”

You unwrap the chocolate frog, revealing the actual chocolate underneath.

It looks like a normal chocolate frog, save for the fact that it appears to be moving. You give it a poke with your index finger, and the chocolate frog lets out a loud ribbit.

You try to keep a straight face. “Is that... normal?” you ask, looking back at Powder.

“Yeah, it is. Don't worry, they're pretty common. Besides, they taste great.”

You look down at your chocolate frog. It lets out another loud ribbit. Before you can take a bite, the frog leaps out of your hand and leaps onto the windowsill.

“What-”

“Don't worry,” she reassures. “They do that-” Powder is cut off as your chocolate frog leaps away from the window.

You and Powder both look out the window of the train, trying to find the escaped chocolate frog. It's nowhere in sight, probably hopped away as soon as it found freedom.

“Don't worry, they're supposed to do that. It's kind of a gimmick. I've lost like, three of them already.”

“Supposed to? are they going to come back?” you ask, and Powder snorts in response.

“Yeah, like that's going to happen. They probably went off to breed.”

You give her a flat look that says, ‘are you serious?’ and Powder bursts out laughing.

“I'm just kidding, they don't breed. I don't think they can.”

You roll your eyes, but she keeps going.

“It's actually kind of a tradition to save their cards as a collection. You get a card with every chocolate frog.” She points to the now-empty wrapper. “I've got a whole bunch of them already.”

“You collect the cards?”

She nods, a proud look taking over her face. “Yep. It's a hobby of mine.”

You look at the empty wrapper and flip it over in your hands, finding an image on the back. “Heimerdinger?”

It's an image of a small, yordle-like creature that looks like a gnome.

Powder makes an exaggerated gesture with her hand. “Professor Heimerdinger is like, a legend. Everyone knows about Professor Heim, but I've got about six cards of him. It's pretty neat to have a whole bunch of them.”

You start to read aloud the description. “He is best known for his groundbreaking research in the field of science and his numerous inventions and discoveries, which have helped advance the magical community. Approximately three hundred years old. Professor Heimerdinger enjoys-” you look up from the card, “-three hundred years old?”

“Yep,” Powder agrees. “Most yordles are that old.” She pauses. “Actually, I think all yordles are that old. I saw it in one of my history books.”

If he's really that old... he's probably seen through a lot of history, and you can't even imagine what he's been through.

You stare at the card again. There's empty space where the image of Heimerdinger used to be. “What? It's gone. It was just here.” 

That's a little weird... you turn the card over in your hand, wondering if you just imagined that there was a yordle on the back of that wrapper.

“Hm? Oh, that's normal.”

“Normal?”

Powder nods, unperturbed. “The picture never stays there for too long. It just pops up and disappears again, see?” she points at the card.

You watch as the image reappears on the back of the card, then vanishes again, then reappears, then vanishes.

“See? Totally normal,” Powder assures you. “They're called moving images. It's like a video, but it's a pic-”

“Pow!”

You turn at the sudden noise. There, standing in the doorway, is a boy in a yellow sweater with a badger on it.

“Been looking for you!”

Powder groans, recognizing the boy immediately. “Ekko,” she mutters, “why are you here?”

Ekko ignores this question and turns to you, eyeing you up and down. “Wait, wait, wait... are you the girl who lived?!”

“Is everyone going to start calling me that?” you complain, as Powder sighs next to you.

Ekko grins, sitting himself across from you. “You're kinda famous, you know that, right?” he smirks, propping his feet up on the seat next to him.

Powder smacks his feet off, annoyed. “Don't kick the seats.”

Ekko shrugs, unfazed by her irritation. “Just sayin'. I mean, you're the girl who survived the killing curse.”

You shift in your seat, uncomfortable. It's not like you asked to be famous for surviving something traumatic.

You look out the window at the hills and small villages and towns you pass by. “Yeah, I know,” you mutter, but Ekko either doesn't notice or doesn't care about your annoyance.

“What's it like?”

“What's what like?”

“Being the one who lived. The legend who vanquished You-Know-Who. That stuff,” Ekko clarifies.

“I don't remember any of it,” you say truthfully. “So nothing. I just got a scar out of it.”

Ekko looks dissatisfied with your answer. He stands up, stretching his arms. “Anyway, Pow,” he turns to Powder, grinning, “let's go, your sister is looking for you.”

Powder groans, clearly not wanting to leave your side yet. “Does it have to be now?”

Ekko gestures for her to get up. “Yes, now. You know how she can be when she wants something.”

Powder sighs, standing up reluctantly. She shoots you an apologetic look as she follows Ekko out of the compartment. “Sorry 'bout that. See ya around, yeah?”

You nod, watching as Powder leaves the compartment. Ekko looks back at you, eyeing you curiously, before shutting the compartment door. You're left to your thoughts, feeling slightly lonely without Powder there.

It was nice to have some company, even if it was just for a short while.

It's lonely just sitting in here by yourself... you shouldn't complain. You shouldn't be expecting people to talk to you all the time. But sometimes, it's nice to have... someone to spend time with. Or at least, you think it is.

You feel like you know Powder somehow, yet you just met her. You wonder why that is.

You look out the window again, contemplating... your life?

You don't see your face in the reflection. Instead, you see a pale blue-haired girl with pink eyes staring back at you.

Weird. You're getting tired. You yawn, blinking away the blurry vision.

The girl is gone.

...was she there at all?

Your eyelids are heavy. You're tired, but you don't know why. You've gotten plenty of sleep last night...

Yet you find yourself falling into sleep.

—

You wake up, feeling bleary-eyed and tired.

Everything is black.

You try to look around, but there's nothing to look at. You reach out to feel around, but you can't feel anything either.

Then you hear it—quiet sobs. It's very faint, but you can hear them still.

It's strange... the voice is familiar.

You feel like you should... go towards the sound. You can see a figure in front of you, a girl with long blue hair.

The girl's back is turned, facing away from you. She's sitting on the empty plane of black with her legs curled up to her chest, her head buried into her knees.

You don't know who this girl is, but something about her is familiar. You're not sure how you know her, but you know her.

There's a weird feeling in your stomach.

You watch as the girl raises her head from her knees, turning to look at you... except she doesn't have a face.

The girl's nose is gone. Her eyes are gone. Her mouth is gone. It just looks like a blank canvas where her face should be. Except this canvas is covered in... blood?

This can't be real. But if this is a dream, why can you feel your heart thumping in your chest? why is there a sudden sense of worry in your gut?

In the blink of an eye, the figure's hand shoots out—there's a wand clutched in her hand, and the tip of it is now pointed at you.

The wand doesn't look like much to fear; it's slim and delicate, just a simple stick of wood.

No, fear isn't coming from the wand... it's coming from the strange, faceless girl holding it. She points it at you, trembling, a shaky grip, as if she's been weakened.

“I'm sorry.”

You recognize that voice.

The girl takes a deep, shuddering breath, her hand trembling even more. “I'm sorry,” she repeats.

Your brain goes completely still for a few seconds, trying to process what's happening.

Then, your mouth starts moving on its own, and you say a word you've never said before.

“Jinx.”

It's strange, yet familiar, like you're saying this name for the first time but it still feels weirdly normal to say. You don't know why you said it, and you still don't know who this girl is, but you know that's her name.

You just know.

—

“We're almost here.” You wake up at the sound of your cousin's voice, opening your eyes.

The first thing you notice is that you're staring out a window, except it's dark, and you just see your own reflection staring back at you. You don't really pay it any attention, though, because you find yourself distracted by the strange feeling in your forehead.

But before you can linger on the thought, the weird feeling is gone without a trace, erasing it as if it never happened in the first place.

And just like that, your mind is blank. Completely wiped... you can't even remember what you were just thinking about.

“Are you ready?” your cousin continues.

You look away from the window, focusing your bleary vision on your cousin. The candy and chocolate wrappers are littered all over the compartment, and you watch as your cousin picks them up and puts them in a plastic bag.

“You're back,” you mumble, rubbing your eyes as you sit up straight.

Caitlyn nods, placing the plastic bag down next to the compartment's door. “Yeah, the prefect duties got pretty busy.”

“I bet.” You lean back on the soft seat. “What did you have to do anyway?”

“All sorts of things. Helping first years find their way, breaking up arguments. You would not believe how many rules some students are already breaking before we've even arrived at Hogwarts.”

“Mmm sounds handful.” You make space on the seat beside you for her.

“Sorry, I left you all alone in the compartment.” Caitlyn says, sitting down next to you. “You didn't get up to any trouble, did you?”

You rub your forehead, the feeling that you forgot something nagging at you. “I just took a quick nap.”

“That's good.” She nods, crossing her legs. “I was worried you might get bored.”

“Yeah, not much to do, I guess…” You gaze out the window. It's already night, the darkness outside making it hard to see anything but faint flashes of trees. “The journey so far hasn't been too bad.”

Caitlyn hums, also looking out the window.

You look back at her, noticing the worried look on her face. “You okay?” 

She hesitates for a few seconds before replying, “Yeah, I'm just thinking about…” she looks at you, “your upcoming year.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I'm your cousin and all,” she starts, choosing her words carefully. “I just worry.”

The sound of the train brakes squealing startles the both of you.

“Are we already there?” You look out the window again.

Caitlyn stands up and opens the compartment door, peering outside momentarily. “Looks like it,” she turns back to you, grinning.

—

“First years! First years over here!”

You step out of the train, taking in a deep breath of the cold night's air, and run your hands down your new robes, trying to get rid of the annoying wrinkles.

You look around the busy Hogsmeade station, searching the sea of robes.

Then, a flash of blue catches your eye, and you notice the same girl from earlier. She's standing with a small group of other first years, exchanging idle chatter and occasional smiles.

The girl sees you, her face brightens into a grin, and she waves. She turns to the other students, says something you can't hear, and then starts walking toward you.

“There you are!” Powder exclaims as she gets close. “I was looking for you.”

“Were you-” you're cut off by the gruff man's voice again.

“All first years gather here.”

You and Powder share a look before walking toward the voice, noticing the man's back was facing you. “Come on,” Powder says, tugging at your sleeve.

You both walk closer until you're standing next to the group of first years. Powder lets go of your sleeve and moves to stand next to another girl.

“Good, good,” the man says, “You're all here. Welcome to Hogwarts.” He looks at the group of first years before nodding. “Follow me please.”

You follow him, trying hard to keep up while also keeping your eyes on your new classmate.

Powder is still glancing over her shoulder at you. When you make eye contact, she grins, waving. You wave back and can hear her giggle.

The man stops in front of a lake, and the first years gather around him. You look out in the distance and notice a large castle on a mountain.

“This is the lake,” the man gruffs.

Everyone looks out at the lake. Some seem impressed, others not so much.

“Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm Udyr, the gamekeeper here. We're gonna be taking a short boat ride to the castle.”

The first years start talking amongst themselves, whispering about the massive castle waiting for them atop a mountain.

Powder is looking out at the lake, a smile on her face. You wonder if she even knows she's smiling.

Udyr clears his throat, signaling the students to quiet down. “Right, now. Form a line and face the lake. No pushing.”

Everyone lines up in a somewhat orderly line. Powder is only a few people down from you, and she keeps stealing glances at the castle.

“Alright! Time to go,” the gamekeeper calls out, waving his arm.

The first years slowly walk down to the edge of the lake, where a bunch of small boats are tied to makeshift wooden docks.

“There are enough boats for everyone,” Udyr informs, “So get into a boat.”

The first years begin to file off into the boats, with you following suit. You find a spot in one and take a seat, the wood creaking beneath you.

Powder ends up in another boat, leaving you in a boat with a boy with golden blond hair and two girls with colorful hair, one with a light green and the other with pink.

You glance over at Powder's boat and see her laughing at the boy over whatever he had said.

The blonde boy gives you a friendly smile and greets you with a handshake. “Hey, I'm Ezreal.”

Ezreal's grip is firm, his palm clammy to the touch, but that hardly has any negative effect on your impression of him.

You give him your name, and he replies with a nod of acknowledgment.

The other girl with pink hair chimes in, giving a wave as she speaks. “I'm Seraphine.”

Ezreal grins and glances over to the girl with green hair. “And this is Zeri.”

Zeri looks up, her eyes locking with yours. “Hey,” Zeri says, smiling.

Ezreal chuckles as he takes his hand back from your grip. “Friendly lot we've got here, huh?” He shakes his head and leans back, resting his hands on the edges of the boat. The boat wobbles as he does so, causing Seraphine to grab the edge to steady herself.

“Easy there, Ezreal,” the pink-haired girl says, giving a laugh.

Ezreal smiles apologetically at Seraphine. “Sorry.” He glances back at you and then looks down at the castle. “How'd they get the electricity…?”

“They do magic, remember?” Zeri says. “Who needs electricity when you can just cast spells to get things done?”

Ezreal lets out a sigh, rolling his eyes. “No, Z, that's not what I meant,” he replies. “I meant, like, does Hogwarts have plugs and stuff?”

Seraphine laughs. “I don't think they have plugs… It's a magic school, Ezreal. I don't think they have technology.”

Ezreal groans. “Oh man, I'm going to miss phones and video games.”

Zeri pats him on the back. “Hey, you'll survive, Ez.”

Ezreal gives a pout and looks at you. “What about you? What do you think of this place so far?”

You consider the question, looking around the lake. “It's…” you begin, searching for the right adjectives. “Different.”

Ezreal nods, agreeing. “I still can't believe I'm here.”

Zeri and Seraphine also both nod in agreement. “Me too,” Zeri says, while Seraphine adds, “This is all really new to me as well.”

—

You reach the top of the great stone stairs of Hogwarts, leading into the Entrance Hall.

You look up at the woman that stands before you. She gives you an appraising look before her gaze is diverted by Powder walking up the stairs to stand beside you.

The tall, pale woman has a grim look on her face and cold eyes that make you think she'd relish the chance to watch you squirm in fear as she feeds you to a giant squid in the lake if you so much as step out of line.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” she speaks, her voice just stern enough to make it clear you have a new authority figure to be wary of, yet not unkind enough to make you think she'll actively seek out ways to punish you for your misdeeds.

“My name is Professor LeBlanc, and I am the Deputy Headmistress of this school,” LeBlanc says, giving you, Powder, and the other students around you a look that causes you to stand just a bit straighter. 

“There are four houses, and you will all be sorted into one of them.” LeBlanc says, her eye moving over every student in front of her.

Some of them look excited, some of them look slightly anxious, and others just look bored that they have to sit through another introduction.

“Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff,” the headmistress continues. “Each house values different traits in its students.”

“Gryffindor values courage, bravery, and integrity.” Professor LeBlanc turns her attention to a group of students off to the side. The students seem to stand straighter as Leblanc eyes them.

“Slytherin values ambition, cunning, and resourcefulness.” LeBlanc turns her gaze to another group of students, who seem to puff up with pride.

“Ravenclaw values intelligence, creativity, and wisdom.” LeBlanc  then turns her focus to a third group of students, who look nervous now that they have LeBlanc's entire attention on them.

“And finally, Hufflepuff values hard work, dedication, and loyalty,” LeBlanc continues, looking at the last group of students, who all give Leblanc a nervous smile.

She pauses, her eyes momentarily returning to Powder and you. “Your triumphs will earn you points, any rule-breaking will lose you points. In a few moments, we will be entering the Great Hall, and the sorting ceremony will begin.” LeBlanc steps out of the way, gesturing to the doors. “Any questions?”

You look over at Powder, who meets your eyes and gives you a shrug in reply.

“No questions then.” LeBlanc glances at students once more before nodding to herself and turning to the doors, which swing open with a dramatic flourish.

You follow the headmistress through the doors, stepping into the Great Hall, and look up at the ceilings, the night sky painted on in such detail.

It looks so real, as if you could reach out and touch the twirling stars. You can't tell if it's a painting or if it's actually real-

“It's bewitched to look like the sky outside,” a voice whispers next to you. You tilt your head, and Powder is walking beside you. “I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.”

She takes a minute to study the walls of the Great Hall, then turns her attention to the ceiling once more, her eyes darting between the night sky and the floating candles.

“Pretty neat, I guess,” she finally says, voice low. “Can you imagine falling asleep under that?”

The headmistress leads the first years through the Great Hall, stopping near the front of the hall.

An old, tattered looking hat sits on the stool. Its brim is lopsided and the hat looks like it's one strong gust of wind away from falling apart.

“That's the sorting hat,” Powder whispers, her eyes glued on the old hat. “Apparently the hat can read your personality and puts you in the house that will-”

She is cut off as the hat on the stool suddenly starts to twitch, its mouth (if it can even be called that) opening wide. A low, gravely voice came from the tattered hat and began to sing.

When the hat finally finishes its song, it bows to the four houses.

All the students, particularly the first years, start to nervously and quietly applaud the sorting hat, as if it might somehow get angry with them if they don't give it the attention it clearly desires.

The headmistress unrolls a long piece of parchment. “When you hear your name called, you will go up to the stool and take a seat, then the hat will be placed on your head.” LeBlanc says, a few students gulp. “When the hat makes its decision, take a seat at the table of your house. We will begin.”

You watch as several students go up, the sorting hat resting on their heads for a few seconds, then the hat is removed, and the students take their seats at the corresponding house.

Ezreal is sorted into Slytherin, Seraphine and Zeri are placed into Gryffindor.

You look at Powder, who shifts awkwardly as Professor LeBlanc continues to call students. Finally, Powder hears her own name.

“Lane, Powder.”

Powder looks once at you before walking towards the sorting hat. LeBlanc places the hat on Powder's head, then steps back. Powder's mouth is drawn in a tight line, and you can hardly see her eyes, her hair covering them as the hat rests on her head.

The sorting hat is left on Powder's head for much longer compared to the other students before-

“RAVENCLAW!”

One of the tables burst into applause and cheers. Powder blinks before taking the hat off of her head and handing it back to Professor LeBlanc. She walks to the table, finding an empty spot between two students.

You see Powder's eyes dart around the table, searching until her eyes land on you. She smiles.

Professor LeBlanc continues the sorting, and finally, you hear your name.

You keep your head up and back straight, but that doesn't stop your ears from picking up hushed whispers from your fellow students.

“It's her-”

“Do you think it's really her?”

“The girl who…”

Their words barely register in your mind, but your skin feels like it's burning from the attention.

You sit on the stool, trying to look as calm as possible as you look down at the faces staring up at you. You can't look away from them, despite wanting to bury your head in the ground.

LeBlanc places the hat on your head. You hear her say something but can't quite make out the words—not over the sound of your heart thumping in your ears.

The hat sits on your head, and you feel the slightest pressure.

Then, a voice.

Hmm... interesting…

Your eyes flicker down in surprise. The hat was-

...yes... interesting indeed...

You feel a nudge on your mind, like a finger gently prodding it.

So much courage and loyalty... yet no Hufflepuff...

The pressure on your head intensifies, the hat slowly shifting.

Ambition and a desire to prove yourself... you would make a strong Slytherin...

The hat continues to shift on your head, you can hear the voices of students watching you, and some of their words reach your ears.

“What if she's a dark witch?”

Another voice replies. “Don't be stupid. She can't be evil if she-”

...and intelligence and creativity like yours would do well in Ravenclaw just like your mother…

Mother?

You feel the hat shift again as if it had heard your thoughts.

Yes... the same intelligence and sharp wit.

The hat pauses, leaving you in the silence of your own mind.

But you're a different girl than her, aren't you?

Different.

You're different.

In what way?

In many ways. You could do great things...

...or terrible things.

You could... become… someone...

The hat goes silent again, it has a curious feel in your head—you get the impression that it wants to know more about you.

Like a strange parent that doesn't know who you really are.

Or a therapist.

You're not sure why that last thought enters your mind.

The hat speaks again, louder this time, so it could be heard by everyone in the hall.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

You take the hat off your head and hand it to Professor LeBlanc before moving off the stool. You notice the strange looks given to you from the students when they hear the answer.

You walk to the table, taking an empty seat beside a pink-haired girl. You look around the hall before your eyes settle on Powder, gives you a thumbs up.

You also notice Caitlyn's face from across the hall, clapping and smiling widely at you. You have a feeling she's very proud of you. Even though you just sat on a chair and wore a hat.

The pink-haired girl turns towards you with a smile. “Hey,” she says.

Before you can say hello back or even introduce yourself, she takes the time to study you, her eyes flickering all across your face and body.

After a few seconds, she cocks an eyebrow, then continues with a hand held out towards you. “I'm Violet, by the way. You can call me Vi.”

You shake her hand, returning her grin with a smile of your own. “Nice to meet you, Vi.”

Vi jabs a thumb towards the boy sitting on the other side of her. “Mylo, my brother.”

Mylo glances up, lifting a hand in a half-wave. The guy sitting next to him looks over and grins, holding up a hand in greeting. “Claggor.”

Vi leans forward, pointing towards the Ravenclaw table. “And that's my sister, Powder.”

Powder glances over, spotting your eye again, and grins, waving at you. Vi notices you returning her sister's wave and turns with a raised eyebrow. “You know my sister?”

You nod. “Yep,” you reply, “We met on the train.”

“Oh, did you now?”

Before you can respond, Mylo chimes in. “She's the one with the scar, right? the girl who survived that Dark Lord fella's curse?”

Vi's eyes widen. “Wait, seriously? that's you?”

When you nod to confirm it, Mylo lets out a whistle. “Damn. How'd ya manage to survive?”

Claggor smacks him on the shoulder. “Dude, you can't just ask that.”

“Why not?” Mylo grumbles, rubbing his shoulder where Claggor hit him.

Claggor shrugs as he takes a sip from his goblet. “It's kinda rude, asking something like that.” He looks over at you and shrugs with a smile. “No offense.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Mylo says with a sheepish grin. “I didn't mean to offend you, really.”

You wave a hand and shake your head with a smile. “No, no, it's okay,” you say, “I don't mind.”

“I mean-” Mylo starts to say something else, but Claggor shoves him again, shutting him up.

“Ignore him,” Vi says, “He's a bit of an idiot sometimes.”

“Hey,” Mylo complains, but stops when Vi shoots him a sidelong glance.

You then glance at the empty golden plate in front of you. Your stomach growls, reminding you how hungry you are.

Claggor chuckles warmly. “Hungry, huh?”

You nod. “Yeah, I haven't eaten yet.”

That's when Mylo grins. “You're gonna love the food here, it's the best you'll ever have. The house elves cook it all for us.”

The headmaster rises from his seat, a wide smile on his face. “Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!”

The hall cheers and claps, Vi gives an enthusiastic “WOO!”

“To our new students, welcome! and to returning students, welcome back!” He sweeps an arm towards the four house tables. “Let the feast commence!”

—

After finishing your meal, your attention shifts away from the food and towards the long table at the front of the great hall.

Professor Talis glances up and meets your eye. He gives you a smile and a nod before looking back down at his plate.

You spot Professor Heimerdinger sitting at the end of the professors' table. He's the one from the chocolate frog card with the same bushy mustache and small stature. He's engaged in a conversation with a dark-haired professor next to him.

You continue to scan the long table, and your gaze drifts to Professor Leblanc. She's chatting with the burly man seated in the center of the table. You figure he must be the headmaster, Professor Vander.

You turn your attention back to the professors and notice Professor Singed from the Leaky Cauldron, leaning in to whisper something to a man with a scar over one eye. His eyes lock with your own, and then suddenly-

“Ouch!”

You feel sharp pain, like a searing hot wire being pushed through your skull from the scar on your forehead. You wince, bringing a hand up to rub the scar reflexively.

What was that...?

Vi, having finished her food, looks over at you, noticing your pained wince. “What is it?”

The sudden pain in your forehead subsides, and you lower your hand, looking back to Vi. “It's nothing,” you lie, trying to shrug it off.

You look back over at the man with the scar, but he's no longer looking in your direction.

Strange.

Maybe it was just a headache.

“Who's that other professor chatting with Professor Singed?” you ask Vi, nodding towards the two men.

Vi follows your gaze and grimaces. “Oh, that's Professor Silco, head of Slytherin House. He teaches DADA.”

You look at Professor Silco with a frown. There's something off-putting about him. “He seems intense, is he always like that?” you wonder aloud.

“Yeah,” She says bluntly, “intense and cunning. You'd be smart to steer clear of him.”

You watch as Professor Silco listens to Professor Singed, nodding along to his words.

Then, the conversations around the table start to die down as Professor LeBlanc clinks her glass with a spoon. “Attention, please!” she exclaims as the last few conversations fade out. The hall falls silent.

The headmaster rises from his seat, straightening out his robes. “Ah, just a few more moments of your time now that all of you are fed and watered. I've got a few start of term notices to give you.”

Professor Vander clears his voice and continues. “First years ought to know that the forest on the edge of the school grounds is forbidden to all students. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.”

Heads turn briefly towards Vi and Mylo and Claggor, who look away from the headmaster sheepishly.

“I've also been asked by Professor Heimerdinger-” Professor Vander cuts off, gesturing towards the yordle at the end of the table “-to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.”

There's a collective, annoyed “aww” from the students who had hoped to get away with some mischief.

You take note of the rules. No strolling in the forbidden forest and no magic in the corridors. Simple enough.

“Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house team ought to contact Madam Sevika.”

You sit up a bit. You've heard about the different Quidditch positions: seekers, beaters, chasers, and keepers. You wonder if you'd be any good at playing the game.

“And finally,” Professor Vander says, drawing your attention back to the headmaster, “I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death.”

That's... a pretty harsh punishment.

You turn to Vi for clarification if the headmaster is joking, but she shakes her head, shrugging. She looks equally confused.

“And now, before we all go to bed, let us sing the school song!”

—

The head boy motions for the gathered Gryffindor first years to follow him. “Gryffindors, follow me, please. Keep up, thank you.”

You wave goodbye to Powder, watching her head off in the opposite direction with the rest of the Ravenclaw firsties.

A girl bumps into your shoulder as she walks past you, mumbling a ‘sorry’ before hurrying off to catch up with her friends.

You follow the head boy and stop on the stairs.

The stairs move.

You look up to see where they're going, only to realize that the steps have split off in two different directions. You make a mental note to be careful.

“Come on, come on!”

You keep walking, looking at the paintings on the walls.

One of them has a man with a very long, silvery beard, who winks at you as you walk past.

Another painting shows a group of men and women in medieval clothing, and one of the men tips his hat to you.

They all look so real, it's crazy to think they're just paintings.

...but then again, you're at a school for wizards, so maybe it's not that crazy.

You hear the first years murmuring curiously around you.

“Did you see the one with the beard?”

“Yeah, he smiled at me.”

“I wonder if they can talk.”

It's not long until you reach the hallway, the entrance to the Gryffindor dorms.

The head boy stops walking in front of the portrait of a lady with a powdered white face and big hair. He then turns to face you.

“This is the portrait for the common room. The password changes every month or week. The current password is ‘caput draconis.’ Remember, don't share the password with anyone from other houses, and the painting will know if you don't give the correct password.”

You and the other first years exchange looks.

“Caput draconis…” someone mutters, trying to remember it.

You repeat the words in your head a few times. Caput draconis. Caput draconis. Caput draconis.

The head boy clears his throat. “The correct pronunciation is ‘KAH-put DRAW-con-is,’” he says, enunciating the syllables clearly.

The others nod, and a few of them practice the pronunciation out loud.

The head boy nods in approval and turns back to the portrait. “Caput draconis.” The portrait then swings forward, revealing a stone archway into the common room.

“Come on, come on, get in,” he urges, gesturing for the first years to enter.

You and the other first years file into the common room, and the head boy follows behind, counting each Gryffindor firstie to make sure they all get inside.

There's a fire crackling in the brick fireplace. Couches and wingback chairs are situated around the room for relaxing, and there are several tables and desks for studying.

Some older students are lounging in the common room, some reading or studying, others chatting with friends.

You see Vi and her brothers waving at you. You wave back before turning your attention to the head boy, not wanting to be rude.

The head boy stands next to the fireplace, clearing his throat loudly to get everyone's attention. “Settle down, settle down, everybody.”

The older students quiet down, and the first years stop chatting and turn to look at the head boy.

“All right, welcome to your new home for the next seven years,” he begins. “I'm Tryndamere, a 6th year prefect. My job is to make sure you follow the rules, keep out of trouble, and help the younger students.”

Tryndamere lets his gaze linger on a few of the shyer students, as if to make sure they're paying attention.

“Now, I'm sure you're all eager to unpack your things, but first, I have to lay down a few rules.”

He then begins listing out the rules and guidelines, which include keeping the common room tidy, respecting the other students' privacy, and following curfew.

He also explains that the boy's dormitories are on the left and the girl's on the right and indicates which ones are for which year before leaving you to find your own.

—

You step into the first year girls dorm and find that your trunk has already been brought up and is now waiting at the foot of your bed, which has scarlet-covered comforters.

On your bed is a note, written in a neat, flowing calligraphy. Judging by the neatness of the writing, you know who it's from.

You pick up the note and unfold it.

Dear Cousin,

I hope you found everything in order and that you haven't been terrorized by other students yet.

I left a small care package on your bed, some sweets and other things you might need.

I'll be in the library studying for my upcoming N.E.W.T.S. See you tomorrow.

- C

You turn back to your bed and on top of the comforters is, as she said, a small package. You decide to leave the package for now, you're just too tired and bed is calling your name.

You take one last glance around the dorm and see that Zeri and Seraphine are already asleep in their respective beds.

There's also a cat, the one that Professor Talis and your cousin gifted, sitting by the window.

You change into your pajamas and crawl into your own bed, pulling the scarlet comforters over you. Your head has barely hit the pillow when the tiredness takes over, and you fall fast asleep.

—

You're suddenly plunged into complete darkness, but not the comforting type of darkness you get in the safety of your own bed. 

This is deep, unending darkness that feels like it lasts an eternity.

But then, the darkness is broken. You see a lone figure, blue hair, slender and pale, with her chin to her knee. Her back is turned away from you, and you think you can hear her sobbing.

You've seen this before.

Something about her is tugging at the back of your mind, trying to make you remember something. But what?

You're snapped out of your thoughts when you hear Professor Singed's voice, “You must transfer to Slytherin.” You turn your head towards him. “It is... your destiny.”

Destiny.

Professor Singed continues, his lips moving, but you're finding it difficult to focus on his words.

You keep your eyes fixed on the figure before you.

Who is she?

Despite the growing feeling that you've seen her somewhere before, your mind has no answer.

Why is she crying?

No answer to that one either.

Why does this all feel so familiar?

Again, no answer. Just a frustrating silence.

Your mind becomes aware of something else.

It feels like... something is wrapped tightly around your neck, like a snake slowly coiling around your throat.

You reach up and feel fabric wrapped around your neck, tightening its grip with every passing second.

Wait, is that Professor Singed's robe?

You look down and see the tail of the robe, the rest of the fabric disappearing into Professor Singed's sleeve.

You turn your head towards Singed, and suddenly, the world seems to slow down.

Singed is laughing.

His lips are spread into a wide grin, showing off his yellow stained teeth. Trapped like a mouse, pinned by his gaze like a bug on a corkboard. And then... then you hear someone else laugh.

Another laugh, a bit different from Singed's.

You turn your head towards the new figure.

Blue braided hair. Slender. Pale face. Pink eyes.

You've seen her somewhere. You know her. But all thoughts fade when the girl turns to a man with a scar on his left eye.

Professor Silco?

You see the girl whisper something to Silco. He gives her a smile and pats her on the head.

The girl's eyes then lock onto yours. Those pink eyes.

“Stay away from Jinx.” 

That's the last thing you hear when there's a sudden flash of bright, brilliant green, and the surroundings begin to spin.

It's like you're on the fastest of fairground rides, with colors and lights swirling all around you. You can hardly make out where you are, and you know you're going to vomit when this ride comes to a ha-

The dizziness stops, and you blink to clear your eyes. You found yourself sitting on your bed in the Gryffindor dormitory, clutching your chest as you try to breathe.

Your fellow roommates are still deep in their sleep. 

You sigh and slump further into your sheets.

It's just a dream.

You close your eyes and curl up further.

You don't remember anything afterwards.

words: it’s over 10k words so far and it’s only part 1.1… i lowkey feel kinda pressured to make each part just as long if not longer than the first part.. i can feel 100k words incoming ughHHH

[starrrcane]

Spilled coffee

sevika x reader angst chapter two

summary: you realize if sevika is to truly become a leader of zaun she cannot handle any distractions

warnings: profanity, sad sevika :(

The words Sevika said in Silco’s office wouldn’t leave your mind. “He became weak for her. Just like Vander did”

It had been days, but they echoed in your head like a broken record. You turned them over, again and again, trying to figure out if there was something deeper in what she said. Silco and Vander both—leaders who had lost their edge, distracted by the people they loved.

And Sevika? Now she was the leader of it all. Zaun rested on her shoulders. And you...

You started to wonder if you were becoming her distraction.

She was barely home anymore. Most nights, she slept at the office. Even when she was with you, her mind seemed miles away, drowning in the weight of leading a revolution. The two of you hadn’t shared a proper conversation in days. Could she really afford to split her focus between Zaun and you? Could anyone?

The thought ate at you until you couldn’t ignore it anymore. Sevika would never walk away from you—she was too loyal, too stubborn. But you could take matters into your own hands. She didn’t need another person to weigh her down. You loved her too much to let that happen.

And so, one night, you started packing. It wasn’t an impulsive decision. You’d been thinking about it for days, even looked into finding a small apartment on the far side of Zaun. Just something to give Sevika the space she needed.

It wasn’t like she’d notice much of a difference. She wasn’t around enough for it to matter.

You were halfway through clearing out your side of the closet when you heard the front door open and close. Your heart sank. Of all the nights, she had to come home now.

“Why didn’t you come to the door to greet me?” Sevika’s voice called out, slightly playful but tinged with her usual irritation. She appeared in the doorway, her expression softening when she saw you.

But then she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes darted to the suitcase lying open on the bed, then to the ransacked closet, your empty drawers, and finally, to you.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her tone sharp with confusion.

You turned around slowly, forcing yourself to stay calm. “I’m just packing up,” you said, keeping your voice as steady as possible.

Sevika’s brow furrowed. “What the hell?” She stepped further into the room, her voice rising. “To go where?”

“Just… somewhere to stay,” you replied, avoiding her gaze as you folded another shirt into the suitcase.

“What do you mean, ‘somewhere to stay?’” she asked, her tone softening now, a thread of concern weaving through it. “What’s going on?”

You sighed, gripping the edge of the suitcase. “I just think it’s better for me to go. For now.”

Her face twisted with confusion, her sharp features softening into something almost vulnerable. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked, her gray eyes wide and searching.

“No, love,” you said quickly. “I just—” You swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “I just need to leave for a bit.”

Sevika’s lips parted slightly as though she was about to say something, but nothing came. For a moment, she just stood there, watching you like she was trying to piece together a puzzle she didn’t even know was missing pieces from the start.

“You don’t mean that,” she finally said, her voice quieter now. “Don’t go. Stay. I want you here. I need you here.”

Your hands shook slightly as you zipped up the suitcase. “I can’t stay here.”

Her voice cracked. “Why not? What did I do wrong?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then why are you leaving?”

You hesitated, unable to meet her gaze. “I just… need to get away from you a while.”

“Away from me?” she asked, her voice breaking entirely.

“Yes,” you said before you could stop yourself.

The silence that followed was unbearable. You finally turned to look at her and saw the raw hurt in her eyes.

“Oh,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Her shoulders sagged, and she took a small step back, as if the distance between you might shield her from the pain. You could see her mind racing, spiraling, trying to figure out what she had done to drive you away.

You snapped the suitcase shut, avoiding the way her hands twitched as if she wanted to reach out to stop you. When you started toward the door, she finally spoke again, her voice trembling.

“Wait.”

You paused, but you didn’t turn around.

“Please,” she said, the desperation clear now. “Just tell me why.”

You tightened your grip on the suitcase handle, your chest aching. “I can’t.”

And with that, you walked out, leaving Sevika standing alone in the doorway, her unspoken questions hanging heavy in the air.

[eriochromatic]

What are your thoughts on what Silco was like before Vander tried to drown him? I'm seeing these takes on the Silco tag that he was always a bad person and not a real revolutionary, but I don't think that's true. The flashbacks suggest he was coming from a sincere place but became selfish, paranoid, and power hungry (controlling) post-fallout.

LOL I mean you're asking a Silco artist (who specifically likes drawing him in domestic settings) what they think about Silco. so like. no he's not a bad person to me haha.

Of course I'm in the camp that his actions were sincere, perhaps I'm a being a bit generous but I think his actions in s1 are still consistent with that sincerity of wanting undercity independence. We never know exactly what he was going to do once he got his nation of Zaun, so that can be left in the Schrodinger's box of interpretations, positive or negative. But he pretty much agreed to all of Jayce's non Jinx demands like stopping shimmer production and giving hextech back to Piltover. You could even argue that he didn't push back on the blockade that much because he knew he was close to getting independence and could temporarily stop shimmer trade. He specifically says "Jinx will deal with [the blockade]" which is a bit strange bc its not like Jinx is known for her diplomacy LOL. But I think it's because he knows Jinx is currently building a hextech weapon, and the blockade truly won't be an issue once they can just blast through it with Fishbones. Also, that entire scene was clearly there to indicate that unlike the other chem barons who can only see temporary solutions to fix their trade issues, Silco's underlying motivations are still Zaunite independence, not selfish capitalistic gains. Like, Finn clearly did not fucking understand how much power Zaun now has with the hex crystal, he was only focused on blockade hurting his own business.

Honestly calling Silco selfish is the weirdest take to me because the only selfishness we see him display is in relation to Jinx, and his possessiveness is more of a fear of abandonment than actually wanting to control her imo. I guess makes sense ppl might think of Silco that way since we see Silco most often in relation to Jinx, so that colors ppl's opinions. But if you take in account all the scenes that have nothing to do with Jinx… idk I find he's more lenient than the non-Silco fandom makes him out to be. Act 1 his ill will towards Vander was because of ideological and not personal reasons- he was willing to take Vander back if Vander supported Silco's ways. like. thats kind of insane to me. Silco already forgave Vander for ATTEMPTING TO MURDER HIM but was like "you know what's actually unforgivable? you becoming an enforcer bootlicker" idk how much more you can do to show that Silco isn't really motivated by personal selfish reasons (until Jinx came into his life) but revolutionary ones. And honestly I think he himself did not realize how much he loved Jinx until she nearly died, I don't believe for a second he was trying to manipulate her at any point in time. He's just a broken person trying to fix another broken person but like there's a reason why you gotta wear the oxygen mask first before helping your kid, I don't blame him for unintentionally pushing his trauma onto Jinx since it's not like there's therapy in Zaun

So yeah like. I see Silco in a very sympathetic light LOL, flawed and misguided perhaps but doing what he believes is necessary for success… you could argue that under Vander's leadership they would've just continued to be under Piltover's heel forever and Silco at least got something done idk. so I definitely see flashback Silco as someone who's even less culpable of whatever crimes he commits later on, he probably still has a bit of that youthful naivety and hope before the bridge incident fucked everything over lol. and I mean. as much as s2 was a mess, it unfortunately is canon. s2e7 Silco is clearly a well adjusted individual, if he really was a "bad person" I don't think the show would bother showing him in that AU.

Ultimately though I think people see what they want to see, if they already have a bad impression on him the flashback won't do him any favors, they'll just fit his actions into the box they've already given him.

Slight side tangent, there's a visual novel called Umineko (WHICH I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD READ, IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING), and a big theme in the story is "Without love, it cannot be seen," and that has really influenced the way I interact with characters in fictional narratives.

Obviously I love Silco as a character, I wouldn't be spending all this time drawing him if I didn't, and I've probably spent more time thinking about him than the average Arcane viewer. If a person watches Arcane and doesn't like Silco, I won't be surprised they come out of it with a surface level understanding of him without really diving deep into his motivations and actions. It's actually pretty funny because the friend that got me into Arcane was one of those Vi stans whose perception on him was on the more negative side but bc I yapped about him so much they've switched over to seeing the more positive side of him. And I mean same with me and Vi, I don't think I would like her as much as I do if it wasn't for that friend haha

[timebambi]

class bias in arcane : the problem with the "vi can't read" headcanon.

the idea that vi never learned to read or write because she's from zaun is not only ridiculous and completely unsupported by the show, but always revolves around the stigmatization of zaunites in general and the uplifting of caitlyn. which is, obviously, very bad …

this is going to be a bit long, but i really wanted to explore this and share my thoughts, especially because this headcanon harms vi and other zaunite characters in the show indirectly. which is something i. hate. so. much. i just can't comprehend how people are still saying this.

vi can read. the show literally shows us this.

in season 2, vi says to jinx that the letter is from vander to silco. a letter. which is handwritten in manuscript. meaning she's actually reading. because it requires standard literacy skills. so, you know, she can read :)

and she's not the only one. jinx also reads the letter (if you somehow missed her cracking hextech in season 1). vander wrote it himself, meaning he was literate too. silco and vander put their initials on their jackets, just more proof that literacy isn't uncommon in zaun. literally, at no point in season 2 does arcane show a zaunite struggling to read or write.

season 1 already gave us clues about this.

this isn't even new information. in season 1, episode 1, vi searches jayce's lab for valuables to steal, but she still stops to look at the books. that's not something you do if reading is completely foreign to you.

she also looks at jayce's research board, which is covered in scientific notes and calculations and immediately realizes she's in an inventor's workspace. if reading were completely unfamiliar to vi, that mess of writing would just look like abstract symbols or nonsense to her. but no. she can process enough of it to understand what it means.

and let's not forget powder. well, maybe i'm reading too much into that, so you can ignore this if you want. but in the same episode, she picks up a book and seems to read a line before closing it. it doesn't seem to me that she’s staring blankly at the page, but that her eyes are actually following a line of text.

so if vi’s younger sister could read at that time, why wouldn't she ?

zaunites aren't illiterate, arcane shows that over and over again.

okay. so, if vi knowing how to read is still somehow up for debate, what about the other zaunites ?

ekko is literally shown reading, writing, and eventually inventing a time machine in season 2. since this alternate universe shows zaun becoming like piltover, you'd expect a major difference between these two characters. i mean, according to some people, the undercity is full of the poor and uneducated, right ? so with piltover being more open, powder should have had more resources to develop her skills. if that were true, you'd think she'd notice ekko lacking in literacy. but nope. he's just as literate as the powder from that world, since they collaborated without any issues.

maybe i could add viktor. yes, arcane doesn't detail how viktor got into piltover's academy, but his official lore confirms that viktor's intelligence was recognized early, he was already deeply knowledgeable in science as a child, working alongside singed and so later, he was brought to piltover and caught the eye of heimerdinger. i just don't see how any of this would be possible without being literate. there's no way he'd get into the academy without knowing how to read or write.

so, now the question is : why them and not vi ?

why wouldn't vander make sure vi and powder could read ?

again, if you somehow missed that jinx can read and write in season 1, or if you still think that doesn't necessarily mean vi can, and to answer "why them and not vi ?", let's go over this.

nothing in arcane suggests that zaunites are generally illiterate, it's actually the contrary (e.g. ekko, vitkor, silco, vander), so why would vander's kids be the exception ? and if one of them had to be, why vi ? especially when both vi and powder didn't have to work in the mines thanks to vander. no but this alone shows that he invested in their well-being beyond just survival, so why wouldn't that also include making sure they had basic literacy ? even if their parents didn't teach them first, what reason could vander have to not teach vi and powder when he can read and write himself ?

actually, it makes even less sense to assume that the sisters never learned to read, considering they were more privileged than many other kids in zaun, especially since vander kept them out of child labor.

the "vi can't read, so caitlyn teaches her" headcanon is just ... gross.

now let's talk about how this headcanon is not just a silly fandom theory, but something harmful.

there's this recurring fandom trope where caitlyn, the wealthy piltover enforcer, teaches vi, the poor ex-prisoner from zaun, how to read. and it's always framed as something "cute" or "romantic."

except … it's not.

this plays directly into the class divide between them. caitlyn already comes from a position of power and privilege. framing vi as this uneducated, illiterate street kid who needs caitlyn to "civilize" her completely strips away vi's intelligence and independence. it infantilizes her, turning her into some kind of "fixer-upper" project rather than the strong, capable person we know she is.

and after season 2, this headcanon feels even worse. it's as if the fandom is desperate to preserve a "wholesome" version of their relationship, even if it means making vi less than she actually is. if the only way to keep caitvi looking healthy for some of you is to belittle vi's intelligence and reinforce a savior dynamic, then maybe the ship isn't made for you anymore.

this headcanon needs to die.

i guess i have to conclude with the fact that nowhere in arcane is there any real evidence that vi is illiterate. if anything, the show gives us multiple signs that she, and many other zaunites, can read and write just fine. also, the idea that she can't isn't just wrong, it's rooted in a fandom bias that constantly downplays her intelligence while uplifting caitlyn's role in her life.

[zaunitelabs]

Young Hearts

Vi x Reader

TW: none

Synopsis: I sadly lost the request for this one😭😭 but someone requested a young Vi crushing on reader but realizing it was a crush when she was an adult. Hope y’all like it!!!

not proofread, english isn’t my first language language!

-•-

Growing up in Zaun wasn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be fun, and Vi could attest to that. From running around the streets with Powder, Mylo, Claggor, Ekko and Y/N playing dumb games they don’t even remember creating, to just hanging out near the last drop, Vi was happy with her life. While her life wasn’t a lavish one like the one the topsiders lived, it was hers, and she liked that.

Today was a rather calmed day, they hung out at their place, just pacing the time with each other company.

“Please stop that” Mylo said annoyed at Powder, who was loudly going through her box of trinkets.

“I’m working on something” she dismissed, still going through her gears and bolts. Mylo rolled his eyes and huffed loudly, to what Y/N lightly punched his arm.

“Let the little genius work” Y/N said calmly hoping to avoid another fight between Mylo and Powder. Mylo huffed but got the message and stopped nagging, pleased Y/N walked over to Vi, who was lying on her bed, throwing a ball up in the air and catching it. “you sure do seem entertained”

“And you sure do seem to be bored out of your mind” Vi chuckled, catching the ball one last time as she then focused her attention on Y/N.

“Perhaps” Y/N admitted with a chuckled, as she laid down opposite of Vi on the bed and looking at her “that’s why i came to bother you”

“How thoughtful” Vi smiled, yet she found herself breaking off the moment abruptly as she felt her chest about to explode at the sight.

She wasn’t sure why, or what it was, but for some reason she felt sick every time she looked at Y/N. Not sick in the throw up kind of way, but rather in a my stomach feels weird and suddenly i’m lightheaded kind of way. It’s a weird feeling for sure, not something she’s used to, not something she has ever felt before. She had never talked about it to anyone, what was she even supposed to say? That looking at her friend made her feel weird? It’s stupid really, they’d think she’s crazy. It was something so deeply personal that it was hard to articulate. Vi sat up right in the bed and adjusted her hair, just before she could utter another word Vander entered the room.

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news kiddos, but it’s getting late, you guys need to sleep” he said leaning against the door frame “Say goodbye to Y/N and get ready for bed”

“It’s not even that late c’mon!” Powder protested.

“We don’t want Y/N to go back to Benzo’s too late alright? So wrap it up” Vander argued as he waited for his kids to say goodbye to their friend.

“I’ll see you tomorrow” Vi said with a smile.

“See ya” Y/N chuckled as she went to give Vi a hug, as she slip a small note into one of Vi’s pockets. As if she had done nothing she got up and said goodbye to the other as Vander escorted her back to Benzo’s place.

Vi took the note out of her pocket discreetly, not wanting her siblings to get noisy with it. It simply said ‘meet me outside past dark’. Vi couldn’t help but to feel sick again, but she wasn’t sick, she just felt weird. Her stomach fluttered at the meaning, her ears got warm and her palms felt sweaty all of the sudden. She thought of asking Vander what is was that she was feeling, but got too embarrassed every time she was about to do it. She loved Vander like a dad, maybe that’s what made it so difficult, perhaps she’d have the same difficulty with her actual dad, maybe she was thinking too hard about it and trying to find excuses. Vi waited for her siblings to fall asleep so she could sneak out without being noticed, careful to not make any noise and wake Vander up.

She made her way out without any trouble, her hands fidgeting inside the pockets of her jacket as she looked around for Y/N.

“And I was starting to think that you lost my note” Y/N chuckled as she made her presence known by jumping off a nearby building, not too high to be dangerous, but high enough to appear cool.

“Next time you can just, you know, tell me” Vi smiled, her gaze following Y/N steps.

“But what’s then fun in that, besides, Mylo would’ve totally snitched on you had I told you ‘normally’”

“He’s not that much of an asshole you know”

“I know, but he gets to see you everyday and that feels unfair” Y/N muttered.

“Wouldn’t really call that a privilege” Vi joked.

“Yeah whatever, do you want me to show you something cool or not?” Y/N questioned, her eyes lighting up.

“Sure?” Vi said with a slight laugh, excited to see what Y/N’s excitement was all about.

“Okay then let’s get going” Y/N said excitedly as she grabbed Vi’s hand and dragged her along the dimly lit streets of Zaun. Vi’s heart was racing a marathon, why was it racing a marathon?! Why does this always happen with her? It’d be embarrassing to bring it up, right? Like how could she even explain this to her with a straight face? It was a mortifying thought, that she just shoved deeper and deeper into her chest, hoping it would muffle her unstoppable racing heart.

After running and laughing across Zaun Y/N slows down, apparently reaching their destination: a ravine of sorts that possessed a beautiful view of the undercity.

“How did you even find this?” Vi said amused, she had never seen this side of the city before. Typically she’s the one showing people places, or the history of the city, that’s her job as the older sister- but not with Y/N, she was a life of her own.

“I like to go on walks” she answered nonchalantly, as she sat down, one of her legs hanging down the ravine.

“The city looks so alive from up here, even this late at night” Vi said softly, still processing the view.

Y/N nodded with a smile “I had a feeling you’d like it”

Vi smiled and sat next to her, both of them staring down at the city below them.

“Do you ever think about how life must be up there? Like living up there, I mean” Y/N asked, her gaze examining the undercity.

The pink haired girl paused for a second, as she diverted her attention from the dimly lit city towards Y/N “I try not to” she confessed “I have all I want right here”

“That seems fair” Y/N answered lowly.

Vi looked Y/N, her piercing yet soft eyes staring down at the city, her hair messy from all the runny, she couldn’t help herself, she couldn’t take her eyes off of her. “Do you think about it?”

“Sometimes” Y/N admitted “they’ve probably got it easier up there” she said as she laid her head on Vi’s shoulder.

Vi froze at the contact, but she didn’t let her go “Yeah but what’s the fun in that? We know how to get stuff done, we can fend for ourselves. I bet this little pilties wouldn’t survive a day down here”

Y/N laughed “I guess that’s a point for us then”

Vi carefully laid her free arm around Y/N shoulder, softly caressing her arm “We have stories to tell, we have lived, can’t say the same for them”

“We are a community.” Y/N said softly “We got each other”

“That’s also true, we got each other, we only got each other” but it was more than just words for them, it was the truth.

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way” Y/N smiled softly, as they spent the rest of the night talking about nothing really, but it didn’t matter to them, because all they wanted was to be in each others company.

-•-

“She was totally in love with you” Caitlyn chuckled as Vi ended telling one of her childhood stories.

“No she wasn’t” Vi laughed, getting up from the couch “we were just friends”

“You can’t be this oblivious, right? It’s clear as day! She was your first proper crush, and she definitely liked you too”

Vi thought about it for a second. And then another. Oh. Oh Yeah that’s definitely what happened, she wasn’t feeling sick she was crushing on Y/N. Her cheeks go red at the realization. How had she been this clueless until now? Back then she understands, she was young and had bigger problems than to figure out if she liked someone or not- but now? How had she in the ten years that have passed not come to this realization?

Caitlyn laughed “Did you really not know???”

“I-“ Vi was speechless, laughs escaping her “I figure it out with you and that’s what matters”