#and inventing new uses for Hextech | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yukioos · 7 months ago

Note

Hmo.. Viktor x drunk!reader, After attending an event and overdid it with the alcohol due to mel being best friends with reader (Progress day or other events that lets them loosen up) (No nsfw or yes nsfw!)

NASTY DOG

SUMMARY: viktor x reader // on progress day, you tend to celebrate and drink too much, ignoring viktor’s worries. you end up confessing your feelings to your best friend, and take your relationship a step further.

AUTHORS NOTE: eeeee this ask is amazinggg!!! i love the idea of mel n reader being best friends sm!!!!! this is 2.2k words, a lot longer than i expected it to be

WARNINGS: suggestive but no smut, making out, not a lot of mel and reader talking, mention about reader and viktor having maybe sex later, not proofread

the way the city of piltover progressed and changed throughout the years has always fascinated you. watching new inventions come and go was always interesting, and the city had a spectacularly advanced community. heimerdinger always tells you and the members of the piltover community stories about how he founded the city. he is especially smart in science and works hard to improve the lives of those around him, which you always admired.

you were pleased when you figured out he found a new assistant, viktor. he grew to be your best friend quickly, and always rambled about his studies and his mistakes. whenever he makes a new discovery, you are always the first person he tells, and he explains it with such detail.

he’s a handsome guy. you never understood why people weren’t all over him, maybe because he was closed off and spent his days in a lab. he’s a busy man, you know that as well as you recognize the palm of your hand, but he always finds a way to make time for you.

there’s no doubt he loves you. as his best friend, you are always his first priority, but he loves to indulge in his interests, that being inventions. as a way to spend time with you and enjoy science at the same time, sometimes he lets you sit next to him in the laboratory while he’s working.

he occasionally asks you to pass him an instrument he can use, but most of the time, he just tells you to sit there and look pretty. you know well that he doesn’t like to be bothered during his work, and normally he hates it when someone is in the room with him as he’s working. however, it’s a different story when that person is you.

he never feels bothered by you, no. in fact, you help him concentrate more than he does when he’s without you. he doesn’t mind the soft sound of you turning pages in the book he bought you, and he doesn’t mind when you stand up to take a small sip of water. he rather enjoys when you do those small actions without even realizing it’s a large thing for him. he can’t help but realize it brings immense joy to him when you ask a little question like, ‘what does that do?’ when he picks up an instrument for his work, or when you make a quick statement, ‘that’s a pretty color,’ when he oh-so unintentionally adds your favorite color to his works.

you’ve always supported him with his hextech project, even though you could get frustrated with the way he’s acted in the past. sometimes he would feel agitated because he couldn’t figure a part out, or if he messed something up. despite this, you’ve continued to tell him that a true scientist never figures something out perfectly on the first try. you hoped your words would affect him, and thank god they do. once you overheard jayce complaining about how something isn’t working right, and viktor repeated your words back to him. that of course, made your heart swell with pride.

you always knew the hextech would, sometime in the future, impact a whole civilization. heimerdinger said he’s never seen anything like it in his 314 years of living, nor anything that came close to it ever since piltover was founded 200 years ago.

speaking of which, jayce is planning to give the big speech tonight. lucky for you, viktor decided to give you front-row seats to the assembly.

jayce suggested that viktor should join him on the stage and share the speech, but he refused. it wasn’t uncommon for people to have stage fright. the speech was impressive, jayce did an amazing job, honoring each and every one of the members of piltover.

after the ceremony, a party was hosted by a volunteer group, who set up a large room full of drinks and a feast for thousands. you hadn’t had time to talk to viktor in between the ceremony and party, so you began to take a few drinks with mel.

you hesitated a bit, but eventually gave in when mel reminded you that it’s the only party piltover will have for their 200th anniversary. the fancy room is decorated with gold banners featuring the words ‘happy progress day.’ there are couches, tables, and booths all around, as if it is serving as an elegant restaurant.

not too long after, your vision starts to become blurry, and your words slur. you turn around to see viktor and jayce sitting in a dark red booth, most likely discussing their next chapter of hextech over a glass of wine.

you grin and cheer, then mumble to mel, “oh, it’s viktor! i’ll be right back, mel!” and she nods, chuckling as she softly pats your back.

you walk over to viktor with a bounce in every step, feeling giddy after taking one too many sips of wine. he quickly spots your recognizable figure and smiles at you, eyes softening at your stumbling body.

“i thought i told you not to drink too much,” he wraps an arm around your shoulder, rubbing it gently before continuing, “you know drinking isn’t good for you.”

his worried voice makes you smile, and your cheeks flush, as they always do around him. a warm feeling spreads your body, and you hum, staring at viktor’s bright eyes. jayce soon gets pulled away by someone who seemingly needs his attention, and lets out a little “let’s work on the hextech tomorrow, viktor,” ending with a small goodbye.

“oh, good! now i have you all to myself!” you smile, placing your arm on viktor’s bicep, “didn’t you talk to heimer— heim— um…” you mumble, putting your finger to your lip and rubbing your temple, “i can’t remember, vik…”

“heimerdinger?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion. you must be drunk out of your mind if you can’t even remember the professor’s name.

“oh, yes! such a sweet guy… anyway, he talked to you about your new little gadgets, right? how’d that go?”

he knew you’d forget in a few minutes, but responded anyway. he sighed with frustration, “jayce and i showed the professor that the hextech is safe. he approved, of course, but i even found out a way to fortify the crystals, as you might remember me testing it out yesterday. we showed him the gloves and the hex claw—“

“i love the hex claw! it’s sooo cool, i love how you can control it with your own hand!” you comment, smiling and looking up at viktor through your eyelashes.

he blushes and nods, “eh, yes, thank you. we worked hard on it— but, anyways, heimerdinger explained the gadgets will most likely be perfected in a decade. i mean, why can’t we use the equipment now? i understand there are a few things wrong, but they would help the community so much!” he furrows his brows in frustration, eyes squinting.

“awh, baby, i know you worked hard on that. heimer— heim… um…” you forgot his name again, causing your best friend to smirk and chuckle to himself. you place your hand on his chest, “you’re real handsome, vik. don’t understand why people aren’t all over you.”

the way you look up at him with big eyes, your hand on his chest, gets his heart racing. he suddenly feels more nervous with the compliment and your actions. you rub his chest so caringly and keep glancing from his tie to his eyes.

you move closer to him, “your heart’s racing, baby. you nervous?” he bites his lip and glances to where jayce would have sat, trying to avoid your intimidating gaze.

he feels so small around you. not in a bad way, of course, you didn’t break him down, but instead built him up and made him a more confident version of himself. but when you were like this, when you flirt with him like this, his heart melts. he swears he would’ve fallen to his knees if he was standing. he would never admit it to anyone, but you could take over his life, control every single thing he does and he’d still be happy because at least he’d be with you.

“y’know, you’re so sweet, so caring and loving. you’re the smartest person i know, and you don’t get much credit for it. i hope you know i love you and everything you do for me and this city, vikky. i really mean it.”

i love you.

all his problems disappear when you say those three words, and his eyes visibly widen. he doubts you for the first time in his life, and he asks, “did councilor medarda tell you to say this? are you messing with me? because if you are—“

“sweetheart, i’ve never been more serious in my life. you’re my best friend, but i want more. i want you.”

you slowly straddle his lap, hand still perched on his chest. you look deep into his eyes as if you are trying to find his soul hidden inside.

he remembers you once said if you had to merge souls with anyone, it’d be him. you claimed you wouldn’t complain about anything, and you’re practically the same person. it truly was an intimate conversation with him, and you finally spoke out that you wanted to stay with him for eternity. you just wish you knew how.

you rub his chest, wishing you could rip his vest off and feel him, skin-to-skin. you completely forget you are in a public space, however, the chatter and people had died down, and most retreated to their homes already.

you bring a hand up to his cheek, and he can’t help but lean into the comforting feeling of your palm. rubbing his cold cheek, you feel shaking hands on your waist. you grin and glance up to his eyes, then down to his lips multiple times, trying to find any part of him that doesn’t want to go through.

but you can’t find anything, so you close your eyes and softly kiss his lips. you have a party in your head, congratulating yourself for finally kissing him and confessing your feelings. your lips continue to move against his cold ones, and soon you begin to hear soft whimpers from the man.

you grin into the kiss, understanding the effect you have on the scientist. moving your hand to the back of his head, you feel adrenaline coursing and pumping through your veins. this is the most exhilarating moment of your life.

he grips your waist tighter, and one hand moves down to your ass. it lingers for a couple of seconds, waiting to see if you’ll push it off. when you don’t, he grips the plush of your ass hard, and you whimper into the kiss.

he feels proud of himself, loving your reaction to the small action. he brings his other hand under and up your back, feeling the soft skin against his palm.

you feel as if you’re about to lose oxygen and pass out, not wanting to break up the kiss. you push past your wants and desires, moving away from him for a split second. the combo of his tired eyes and plump lips is surely a sight. a string of saliva is still connected to your lips to his, but you don’t care.

god, you need to be closer to him, you need to be one. you grip his shoulder and tugged on his hair, eliciting a moan from his mouth. you push your lips against him, always wanting more from him. you whimper against his lips, however, still being the dominant figure in the action.

moving closer to him, you feel safer, and heat blooms from his chest. you wrap your arms around his shoulders, still keeping a hand in his soft hair. as you move closer to him, your chest pushes against him. he groans, feeling your soft and warm body close to his.

he’s knocked out of his thoughts when he’s reminded that you’re in a public space, and he taps your unclothed arm. you hate to part your lips, but concede, as you need air.

you whine against his chest and bring your hands back to rest on his shoulders. he mumbles and stutters, “s-sweetheart, we really shouldn’t be doing this here. we should go back to your room—“ he looks like he wants to say something more, but he catches himself and bites his tongue.

“i know that look, vik. don’t feel guilty about this, i didn’t have too much to drink, i’m aware of my actions, i’m okay.” you smile up at him and give him a quick peck, more intimate and cherished than the last, “let’s go up to my room.”

he smiles, and you stumble out of the booth, viktor follows right after you. he grabs his cane and stumbles, still nervous and sweaty after the interaction with you. you hold his hand and continue talking to him, rambling about some show of how two characters are gods who represent life and death, who happen to be each other’s spouses.

you recommend he watches the movie, but deep in your mind, you’re still thinking about how you could make yours and viktor’s night even better.

viktor listens to all your words, he always does. but now, he just wants you to shut up, he wants to consume you and become one, as you said a few days ago. he tries to not grip your hand tightly, trying not to express his feelings at the moment, of how badly he wants you.

#yukioos #arcane #arcane x you #arcane x reader #viktor x you #viktor x reader #viktor league of legends #viktor #no spoilers

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honeydazai · 6 months ago

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₊˚⊹♡ how they express their love for you

feat.: Viktor, Jayce, Silco, Vander, Sevika

notes: the same prompt has also been written before by my beloved @moonlight-in-the-sea here!! observe it or perish.

VIKTOR, all scepticism and sharp edges, raised eyebrows and discontent twitches of his lip when it comes to interacting with most people, has long learned to be open and honest with you. It's been a bit of a work in progress, the two of you growing closer over time, a natural development, but it's certainly paid out — his open expression and warm smile whenever he's with you makes your chest feel tight with affection, as does the fact that he has let his guards down completely, discussing just about every topic with you, ranging from the kinks of new inventions he still had to figure out, to gossip about the councillors. His humour blooms around you and Jayce, becoming one of his most noticeable traits.

It's no secret that he's working more often than not, that he's eating and sleeping in the lab whenever you don't put a stop to it, but, as you grow closer, he makes sure to split his attention between his two greatest passions; you, and his work. It shows in multiple ways, either through him inviting you to come along and watch, proudly introducing the new hextech inventions to you, eyes shining brighter than blue stones, or him actually taking half a day off to spend with you instead, taking you out to explore Piltover's little shops or simply staying at home with you, all domestic bliss.

It's strikingly obvious to both you, and to everyone around you, that JAYCE is especially fond of you, given how much he's touching you. They're all innocent gestures, like his huge hand resting on your upper arm, or on the small of your back when the two of you walk next to each other, or the warm hug he pulls you into when seeing you for the first time that day, strong arms inescapable, but it happens too often to be a coincidence. Whether he himself knows he's doing it is debatable — your best guess is that it comes so naturally to him that he barely even notices.

He's surprisingly attentive when it comes to your wellbeing — it shows in him always having a blanket on hand, or him giving you his jacket, when you're cold, in him asking if you've eaten already and keeping foods you like around.

His family's work is forging, and even though he's not quite as used to working on something this delicate, he does extraordinarily well when it comes to making you jewellery, working every night until there's no flaws to be detected. He also asks Mel or Viktor — Mel, preferably; subtlety is more her strength — to figure out what kind of gemstones you prefer to use those in the design.

SILCO is a man who values privacy — and yet, he has no issue with you constantly hanging around his office. Really, he's weak enough for you that he might attempt to scold you when you sit on his desk, pushing important documents to the side, or even on his lap while he's working, claiming your rightful place, arms looped around his neck, but his words never come off as truly strict, tone exasperated, but he'd never do anything against it. At this point, his office is as much your space as it is his, given how your belongings lie around everywhere — your lipgloss on his desk, your spare jacket on his wall, your favourite snacks secretly stocked in his drawers.

He's strikingly loyal, never even looking twice at someone else, given how he can only see himself being with you. Silco's always thinking of you, which shows not only in the way he brings you small gifts and trinkets — not unlike a crow — whenever he has to traverse the Undercity, but also through him wanting to keep your relationship a secret. It's most likely a sensitive topic, because he doesn't want you to think he's ashamed of you, never, but he's an influential man, and he just cannot stand the idea of someone harming you because of your connection to him. He's terrified of losing you.

VANDER is caring by nature, it shows in the way he protects his children and friends, his loved ones, his people. Still, with you, it's all the more obvious. Whenever you make your way to the bar, spending nights and early mornings at The Last Drop, he has your favourite drink already poured for you, including any modifications and snacks you like. In his mind, there's a whole section of facts about you, including your favourite positions to sleep in, your most beloved outfits, and the food you always ask for at the street vendor the two of you usually visit, and he couldn't stop himself from constantly gaining more information about what you like and dislike if he tried.

He's fond of physical affection, both strong arms wrapped around your waist when the two of you are sleeping, or the large of his hand splayed out on your lower back when he's guiding you through the crowds gathering in the bar. Not only does he simply enjoy touching you, the person he loves so very close to him, but he also wants to know you're safe at all times — if any stranger approaches you, setting you on edge, he's right there by your side. At night, he might cling to you a bit more tightly than usual when he's had bad thoughts of losing you the day long.

SEVIKA is entirely smitten by you. It's obvious enough that some of her colleagues comment on it, laughing and jeering at the heart-eyes she gives you whenever you walk by, gaze lingering for way too long, roaming over the curves of your hip and the way your hair moves in the wind. She's not bothered by anyone poking fun at her; yeah, she's heads over heels for you. So what?

She also really enjoys listening to you talk. After a hard day of work, there's nothing more relaxing to her than simply focusing on you, on your voice, on the peculiar way you pronounce certain words, and when she rests her head in your lap, your fingers gently threading through her hair, she just wants you to ramble about whatever comes to your mind.

Compared to Vander, her protection of you is mostly verbal — though that does not mean she wouldn't punch a guy until he's coughing blood if he looked at you the wrong way. Still, she's influential, imposing enough with just a raised eyebrow and a warning word for almost anyone to turn, tail between their legs, when they're staring at you for even a moment too long.

₊˚⊹♡ my commissions are open! ♡ tag list!

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ceaselesswatchersspecialboy · 6 months ago

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The more I think on it, Arcane season two fundamentally doesn’t work as a story for Zaun or Piltover because it misses the entire point of the two cities: in a world of magic, they are cities of invention and science.

Visually, they’re based on Steampunk and Cyberpunk, which works for what both cities represent. Steampunk is associated with the Industrial Revolution, particularly in the Victorian era, and is thereby representative of invention and bringing humanity forward into an era of new technology, fitting for the City of progress. Meanwhile, Cyberpunk is associated with a society oppressed by technology, and often the rebellion against that society, or how the people suffer under it.

To Zaun and Piltover, magic becomes science, notably in the form of Hextech. It blurs the lines between the two, and truly does encapsulate the phrase ‘magic is just science we don’t understand yet’.

A lot of Piltover and Zaun’s champions are designed around this idea, and it’s what creates the unique appearance of the region.

This focus on technology and how discovery impacts the people also worked in season one’s favour, as it felt more down to earth almost, despite the fantastical world, and allowed us to explore the society over the fantasy, which worked for the story Arcane told.

Season two flipping this on its head, and making the science into magic, erased the identity of Piltover and Zaun and what made the lore and the characters unique from the rest of Runeterra in the first place. It makes the world feel smaller in the process as well.

#arcane #arcane critical #arcane criticism #the show IS called arcane I’m aware #but there were so many ways to incorporate the arcane that didn’t involve taking away the core identity of the twin cities #they did so with Hextech!

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avelera · 14 days ago

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Bizarre to me to see a Twitter hot-take that Viktor and Jayce would be against AI.

Like, I get the impulse to have your favorite character have the same politics and beliefs as you, but there’s fanon and then there’s headcanon that literally directly contradicts canon.

Because Viktor literally invents magical Hextech AI. He speaks reverently of the Hexcore as Hextech that thinks and adapts, aka literally machine learning, the other name for AI.

To be sure, post-evil future Jayce and post-Sky’s death Viktor and/or Mage Viktor can absolutely be styled as anti-AI but that would be from the standpoint of the end of their arcs, after they’ve seen its ultimate fallout.

Like, literally, Viktor’s entire arc is a magical, reimagined Evil AI cautionary tale. Bro isn’t against AI when he creates the Hexcore, he literally invents it within the world of Arcane and is excited about its creation.

In our world, he’d absolutely be one of those early machine learning/AI pioneers waxing poetic about the potential the technology has for improving people’s lives.

“But Viktor wants to help people, he’d never support AI!” YEAH, the people who invented AI wanted to help people too! That’s the point! That’s the cautionary tale! Viktor and other AI creators made this new technology, often in reality and very often in fiction, hoping to help people only to see their invention turned to evil uses. That’s the proverbial naïveté of the scientist. We see it over and over again in fiction. It’s a really common stock trope. Indeed, I often find the trope rather tiresome and Luddite and often used to make anti-scientific stories but the point stands that it can be used too to talk about real-life scientific cautionary tales.

Viktor is only anti-AI in the sense that he’s the original AI tech bro of Runeterra. And Jayce is right there supporting him! Viktor invents it, pioneers it, promotes it, and only after it kills someone in front of him does he turn against it and even then, he is then transformed against his will into the literal tool of a literal Evil AI. It is a stock trope. It is a stock cautionary tale.

Without Sky’s death, he’d probably be right there with Jayce still promoting Hextech Artificial Intelligence (or standing just behind him in the shadows, beaming).

#Viktor arcane #arcane #arcane meta #such a bizarre take to me #like I get it and yeah post canon I’d agree #but Viktor IS an ai tech bro #he doesn’t share your politics when he makes the Hexcore he’s canonically antithetical to that view #jayvik

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bitchface24-7 · 4 months ago

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May I request for some slight angst? (maybe a little sexual tension)

Jayce disappeared, leaving the reader as Ambessa's last hope for securing Hextech weaponry. Meanwhile, at the commune, Viktor learns from one of his followers that Hextech is now being used for weapons. Recognizing the familiar design (crafted by the reader) he decides to rescue them from Ambessa's grasp.

THE LAST HOPE - VIKTOR X READER

synopsis: Viktor is gone, Jayce is gone, Sky is gone. You're all that's left of the Hextech team, and Ambessa will use you to ensure she gets what she wants. You're smart, efficient, and skilled. You have no choice. Unless… maybe you do.

warnings: talks of war, guilt-tripping, feelings of abandonment and hopelessness, getting saved by Viktor Pookie, comfort, fluff, angst

genre: m/f or m/m

p.s. Y'all have got some scrumptious ideas. I hope y'all enjoy this… also that middle picture… omg y'all when I found it on Pinterest… lord have mercy he's SO FINE WTF 😩😩

Viktor is gone, Jayce is missing, and Sky is dead. You're the last one of the Hextexh team. You have no idea where it all went wrong.

Was it when Mel got Jayce into the Council? Was it the bomb? Was it the Hexcore killing Sky? Mutating Viktor? It definitely turned to dog shit when your groups invention caught the eye and interest of Ambess Medarda.

You're smart. But you're better at working with your hands. You were constantly in the forge with Jayce, creating prototype after prototype. You even helped him with Viktor’s cane and brace.

You're quite efficient at creating something from nothing. If you have a detailed blueprint, you can make it.

And Ambessa Medarda knows this.

You have no place to run and hide. You're trapped. A rabbit against the wolf.

You stood no chance against her.

So you did what you were told. Reluctantly. Hatefully. Regretfully you did what you were told.

The weapons and armour you designed were top-notch. High quality. Legendary. The best of the best. Ambessa let you know of her pride and praise for your work.

It felt good.

It felt disgusting.

You fought against her as best you could, but she's better than you in every way that matters. One day, after you finished the latest weapon blueprint she bluntly told you,

“You’re just as guilty as I, child. Your hands are covered in blood just as much as mine are. I may have been wielding the weapons. But you made them.”

She walks out of the lab, and you collapse onto the ground. Sobs wracking your body as you hyperventilate. She's right. Oh god she's right! How many people have been injured, maimed, killed by your inventions? Your genius? You gag a few times, almost throwing up at the nauseous feeling deep in your stomach.

You never wanted this. You wanted to help people. You wanted to save others. Instead, you're killing them.

God Viktor, Sky, and Jayce would be so disappointed. But what can you do? You have guards stationed at every door, people in the shadows constantly ministering your every move, and no freedom.

You're trapped.

Until… you aren't.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Viktor knows something is wrong. Jayce is missing, Sky is dead, and he has no news on you. You, his beloved friend and cherished partner. His followers have nothing to give. No sightings, no understanding of where you could be. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

It isn't until a follower of his enters his personal chambers does Viktor know where you are.

They're holding a beautifully crafted sword. The blade is sharp, polished, and deadly. The pommel is a beautiful design, and the hilt has a secure strip of leather to help grip.

The hexgem captures Viktor's attention immediately. As does the faintest swirl design on the pommel. It's your initials. They're faint, barely legible, but they're there.

You always sign your work. “Just in case someone decides to steal it!” you'd always say. But your signature would be bold, fancy, and sometimes over the top. Always incorporated delicately and tastefully in your work. But this… this is subdued. Hidden. Almost shameful. You don't want your name attached to these weapons, but they are yours.

And Viktor knows only a few people in this world knows of your signature style.

One of them is dead and the other is missing.

Viktor knows where to get you. Where to save you. And he's gonna make sure he does just that.

He thanks the follower who brought the sword to his attention, and leaves his chambers. He leaves the commune.

He hopes you are okay. He prays for it actually.

He doesn't know what he’ll do if you aren't.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

It starts out like any other day. Working in the lab, ignoring the painful nostalgia that hits you, working in the forge, hating your life, eat, sleep, repeat.

But something felt different. You felt it in your gut.

When you hear shouting and banging outside the labs doors you inhale sharply and pick up a letter opener. At least you have something to defend yourself with, even if it’s a bit pathetic.

The letter opener clangs back onto the desk when you see a very familiar figure open the lab doors.

It’s Viktor.

You tear up a bit at the sight, a few tears streaking down your face against your will as you gaze at the man you thought you'd never see again.

His face is as handsome as ever. His skin is mottled in various shades of purple, some golden bits of metal scatter throughout his body. His hair is longer with some blond pieces framing his face in a gorgeous way.

He's wearing what seems to be the blanket Jayce gave him all those months ago. But its styled in a way you never thought you'd see Viktor in. His waist and ribs exposed on one side, multiple leather belts hold the piece together. Sky’s pin is on the blanket as well.

God he looks amazing.

He's your saviour. You could kiss him.

And that's what you do.

Without thinking of the consequences this action may cause, you bolt towards Viktor and leap into his arms, crushing your lips against his. Your arms wrap around his neck and your hands grasp desperately into his long luscious hair.

Viktor gasps a bit and you take the initiative into caressing your tongue into his mouth. That causes Viktor to wrap his arms around your waist and kiss you back firmer. Hungrier.

God you could do this for hours, unfortunately, you need to breath.

You pull back slowly and touch your forehead to Viktor's. A nonverbal way of communication.

I love you. I missed you. I’ll always be with you.

Viktor huffs out a laugh, “I wasn't expecting that.”

“You should've. I dropped hints the size of boulders that I liked you before…”

“Before everything went to shit.”

“Yeah…”

Viktor nidges his nose against yours and lightly tilts your face to press a kiss to your cheek. A smile graces your face in what feels like years.

Viktor's grip tightens on your waist and you gasp in shock. You've always appreciated his hands. How strong yet delicate they were. Agile in ways you couldn't comprehend. Now they're squeezing bruises into your skin, your surprised you haven't collapsed yet.

“May I… make up for the lost time I unintentionally lost? Many nights I could've had you instead of my hand. What a shame.”

You inhale sharply when a kiss and sharp nip is placed on your neck. Your dreaming. You have to be dreaming. Viktor hasn't saved you. You're stuck as Ambessa’s weaponsmith, you're sleeping in the lab, you haven't eaten yet today. This is a delusion.

But the stinging in your neck proves it to be reality.

You bit your lower lip nervously and nod your head yes rapidly, “Take me. Please. Take me away from here and make me yours.”

Viktor chuckles a bit. Its dark and smooth, “Darling, you're already mine. But let’s go back to my commune hmm? Seeing you debauched is for my eyes only.”

And with that, Viktor leads you out of the lab you all once shared. Away from Piltover. From Ambessa and her demands. To a place of safety with the man you've always had a small crush on.

Who's going to wreck your shit?

You can tell. His demeanour, his attitude. The way he looks at you. The way he's walking without a cane. His back straight and proud.

You know you won't be walking for a while after Viktor has had his way with you.

You aren't complaining.

I got a little sloppy at the end but I hope y'all like it! Viktor’s always so… breathtaking. Honestly, I’m down horrendous for this man its not even funny. I think I'd scare him if I was in the Arcane-verse 💀

#arcane #viktor arcane #arcane imagine #arcane x reader #viktor imagine #viktor x reader #fem!reader #male!reader #gender neutral reader #banners by cafekitsune

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tkpuke · 6 months ago

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“You’re awfully cocky for someone who’s ticklish” w/ Jayce and Viktor? You decide the lee & ler :3

Jayce + Viktor - 8. “You’re awfully cocky for someone who’s ticklish.”

It was yet another all-nighter pulled by Jayce and Viktor, tweaking and adding new ideas on this Hextech invention. It consumed them both, all they ever talk about and think. They both know this is life-changing, as it will change a lot of what people believe in. So in that case, it has to be perfect. Working on it 24/7 will make that happen, right?

For Jayce, he didn’t think so. Although he would love to continue working on it, he values his sleep more and pulling a fifth all-nighter in a row has really taken a toll on him. He also values and cares about how much sleep his partner gets.

He places a gentle hand on Viktor’s shoulder, a yawn slipping out. “Okay, I think it’s time for sleep yeah?” Viktor didn’t even glance over, continuing to screw something on. “Alright then, goodnight.”

Jayce watches Viktor, expecting him to get up. He doesn’t. He mentally sighs, not wanting to persist yet again for Viktor to take a well deserved break. “C’mon, that means you too. Don’t worry, our invention isn’t going anywhere.” He slightly teases, resting a hand behind the top of the chair.

Viktor decides to tease back. “I know. Can’t really go far when I’m not working on it. Afterall I’m the one who ehhh kind of made all of this possible.”

Viktor smiles to himself when Jayce just stares, thinking he won that little quip battle. Although Jayce wasn’t just staring, he was plotting. He spun the chair Viktor was sitting in to face him, sticking his hands under his arms to quickly skitter all over with no warning. This fact of Viktor being terrible ticklish was something Jayce discovered not too long ago, when it happened accidental. After that, Jayce only uses it to take his partner down a peg or two whenever he gives unwanted sass.

“You’re awfully cocky for someone who’s ticklish.” Jayce watches Viktor squirm helplessly, grabbing onto his arms for support because he’s slipping a bit down on his chair. “Jahayce!” Viktor only says, hair already messy from his constant squirming. He decides to trail his hands down near his upper ribs, which earns him his favorite reaction. Vitkor scrunching up his nose, the feeling all too ticklish to handle as his giggles go an octave higher. “Plehehease! Nohot this!”

Jayce pretends to hum in thought, not once stopping his attack. “Will you promise me you’re going straight to bed if I stop?” Viktor shakes his head yes, but that wasn’t the response he was looking for. “No no, promise me.” Viktor absolutely hates how much of a teasy shit Jayce can get whenever he does this, and he also hates how much it makes everything more ticklish.

“I prohohomise!” Viktor giggles out, slipping down a little bit from his seat. Jayce’s hands follow, but slows the attack a tiny bit. “Really?” He can’t help but drag it on a little more because he’d be lying to himself if he said he doesn’t love watching Vitkor laugh so carefree. That’s the only time he really hears the man laugh, anyway.

“Yehes! My gohohod Jayce, plea—“ suddenly Jayce retracted his hands, Vitkor greedily sucking in air. He looks down at his partner with a raised brow, acting innocent on what could possibly be the reason why Vitkor is out of breath. He looks up, seeing a helping hand towards him to help him up and he hesitantly takes it.

They walk down the halls to their rooms, Viktor looking over to Jayce. “You know I hate when you do that, right?” He only shrugs. “Then don’t be so mean to me next time.” Vitkor rolls his eyes in response, smiling a little. “Oh, don’t be such a crybaby.”

Jayce pokes his side, chuckling to see him flinch. “What was that?”

#tickle fic #arcane tickle #jayvik tickle #jayvik tickle fic #Jayce arcane #Viktor arcane #tickle prompt #my BABIES!!!!!!!#oh how I love them so much

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jaijeijayjei · 5 months ago

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I'm starting to realize people perceive Mel with the assumption that she has bad intentions, so that's all they see in her.

The writers have said Mel was written to seem as a one-dimensional manipulator, but in reality she is a multi-layered individual with complex motivations. Rewatching her earlier scenes with that in mind brings her into a completely new light.

(justification for these interpretations under the cut)

"Mel invested in Hextech for power and influence"

Or, she invested in them because she believed in Hextech's potential to change the world for the better?

"Mel pressured Jayce to reveal his new inventions so she can cash in on the profit"

Or, she understands Heimerdinger is stuck in the past and doesn't want him to hinder Jayce's progress?

"Mel sleeps with Jayce to make him more pliable"

Or, she genuinely admires Jayce and sees a way to be free of her family's bloody legacy by working alongside him.

"Mel turns Jayce into a corrupt politician for her own gain"

Or, Mel believes protecting Hextech's interest is more important than trade laws.

"Mel wanted Hextech weapons to make Piltover more powerful"

Or, she only wanted weapons as a last resort and for self-defense.

"Mel will do anything to prove herself to her family"

Or, Mel also wants to prove that ruling with diplomacy is superior to ruling with cold pragmatism and brute force.

Yes there are times Mel acts out of self-interest and a desire for power, but those aren't her only motivations. Mel subverts the "shady corrupt politician" trope, she is not defined by it.

I believe Mel is being genuine in her conversation with Jayce in S1 E5, about wanting to give back to the world. In her argument with Jayce in S2 E8, she explains why she invested in Hextech to begin with. She saw two brilliant scientists, capable of impossible things, rallying the hearts of a nation. Mel believed in Jayce and Viktor's potential to do good. Also, she has shown the wellbeing of Piltover (and in S2, the safety of Zaunites), are more important to her than personal gain.

Jayce specifically went to her for advice, and she gave it. Doesn't this imply Jayce views her as an ally or advisor as well as an investor? He clearly values her opinions.

During Mel's whole childhood, her family and homeland tried to shape her into someone she was not- a cold, pragmatic ruler willing to do anything to maintain power. Her way of ruling was scorned by her mother as "soft spined" and foolish, but with Jayce she found someone who believed in and appreciated her. Plus she was personally affronted when he left her in bed. It's more than likely she acted out of genuine attraction and admiration.

Side note: Jayce has already shown he's alright with breaking the rules for the greater good. He illegally experimented with magic, broke into Heimer's lab, and led an unsanctioned attack. Jayce and Mel are more aligned in this way than he realizes- Mel believes securing Hextech's future is more important than breaking a few trade laws. Jayce was in a vulnerable position, with a target on his back. She could have used that against him, but didn't.

Mel is a pragmatic pacifist, even from childhood. Mel is very much anti-war because she understands how destructive it is, having grown up in Noxus.

Mel's rift from her family is an ideological one- she values leading with diplomacy is disgusted by Noxus' brutality. If she can make Piltover successful, it proves that there are better ways to rule than what Noxus insists upon. Mel has also shown her morals are more important to her than power. She turns down opportunities to elevate her position tremendously by siding with her mother or advocating for an invasion because it goes against her moral compass.

#arcane #mel medarda #mel arcane #meljay #jayce talis #mel league of legends #arcane fandom #not everything mel does is a calculated move to get richer and more powerful #is it really so hard to believe she can also have altruistic motivations?#ofc shes not a saint but no one in the show is #so many assume the worst from mel and that shapes their whole perception of her #but characters like silco jinx or viktor get so much more compassion and leniency??

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fuckyeahisawthat · 5 days ago

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who decides the future of hextech?

Hot take: I don't think Hextech functions like a scrappy tech startup at all. I know the Arcane writers have made this comparison themselves, but it doesn't really track with what we see in the show.

It's made pretty clear that Jayce and Viktor have at best limited control over what direction Hextech goes in. In a city that's hostile to and suspicious of magic, they need the continued goodwill of the Council, and the wealthy families who sit on the Council, for their work to continue to exist at all. And that shapes how Hextech develops.

For the first 6-10 years of its existence (however long you think the S1 timeskip is), Hextech consists of one (1) project: the Hexgates. A major piece of international transit infrastructure, utilizing a brand-new technology that no one knew was even possible a few years earlier, and requiring a massive financial outlay for construction years before seeing any profits. Frankly, taking that from the very first shaky proof of concept to a fully functioning piece of infrastructure in less than 10 years is astonishing. This isn't like inventing Facebook; this is equivalent to creating the internet itself.

An infrastructure project on the scale of the Hexgates could be entirely state-funded (and therefore state-controlled, answering to the Council). But from the dialogue and visual storytelling, I think it's reasonable to infer that Hextech functions more like a public-private partnership.

In the modern era, PPPs have come to be associated with privatization and neoliberal capitalism. But funding infrastructure development this way was common in the 19th century too, closer to the time period from which Arcane draws its steampunk-ish inspiration.

So who's picking up the tab? I think it's some combination of government funding from the Council and private funding from Mel Medarda and the Kirammans.

We see one other Kiramman-funded infrastructure project in the show: the Undercity ventilation system.

And, as we see in that case, what may seem like a purely benevolent investment for the good of the city as a whole comes with a very high potential for control. (And where do the Hexgate plans end up at the end of the show? In the Kiramman family vault, accessible only with the Kiramman key.)

The Kiramman family crest is all over Hextech at Progress Day. It's prominent on the stage when Jayce speaks, positioned as equal to his own House.

Cassandra Kiramman introduces Jayce's speech, and Jayce gets trotted around the Kiramman family tent like a show pony beforehand.

The Kiramman crest is also on the box containing the hexgems, which makes me suspect that the facility needed to process the gemstones is either owned or financed by the Kirammans.

Mel's influence is more subtle. There's no Medarda crest on anything associated with Hextech; once you learn a bit about Mel's relationship with her family, that is not surprising. But clearly Mel feels comfortable speaking to other investors on behalf of Hextech, without feeling the need to run it by Jayce or Viktor first.

I think this exchange implies that (1) getting additional, outside investors is something new that they haven't done to finance earlier rounds of Hextech development, and (2) Mel is planning ahead in case the Council doesn't like the direction Hextech is going next and they need to secure additional funding.

I wouldn't be surprised if Mel was the one who steered them toward shipping and long-distance trade as a marketable use for Hextech in the first place, something many of the councillors seem to have an economic stake in.

Throughout this whole scene with Jayce and Mel, the Hexgate model sitting on her desk is very prominent. It's the first thing we see in the scene; the color and lighting make it stand out; and it appears in the frame in multiple shots. It's the thing that's always there between them.

Mel and Cassandra Kiramman are also councilors, and along with Heimerdinger they are Hextech's main allies on the Council--3 out of 7. Jayce and Viktor really can't afford to piss off any of them...which gets complicated when they want opposite things.

At the time of Progress Day, Hextech is at a turning point.

This conversation implies that they have not had a lot of freedom to develop and build whatever they wanted in the years during the timeskip. It's an interesting reversal of the dynamic we saw from them in 1.02 and 1.03. This time Jayce is the one forging ahead, confident they can get what they want, while Viktor is the one pointing out obstacles. (This is also the first time we see Viktor's face post-timeskip and register how much sicker he's become, which...oof.)

Regardless of how much they talk about "bringing magic to the people," I think it's notable that both their little spiels focus on how these inventions would increase worker productivity. This is a presentation designed for people who are thinking about their bottom line. And they seem to expect that any new developments with Hextech will have to be given Council approval before they can proceed.

(I think all of this puts the Hexcore in a slightly different light, too. It's quite possibly the first Hextech device since Jayce's original prototype that they've built without thinking about the pitch meeting. It's not a single-purpose object with an immediate, obvious use. In the beginning, it seems to recapture some of that original sense of wonder and discovery. And Viktor built it. I can see how he would be protective of his creation even before things Got Weird with it.)

And then, of course, everything goes off the rails. The gemstone gets stolen; Jayce gets pulled onto the Council. And after that point, every new Hextech object that Jayce makes is a weapon.

Jayce and Viktor's arc can be read as a story about the hubris of scientists thinking they can control forces they don't understand and anticipate every possible consequence, or a story about their naivete in thinking they could keep their research somehow above politics in a world full of conflict. And it's not not about those things. But it can also be read as a story about how discovery, creativity, and people's natural altruistic impulses get constrained by capitalism, and how often innovation is only valued if it can be made to serve war or profit.

(As for who controls the future of Hextech after the end of the show? With Viktor, Jayce, Mel and Heimerdinger all gone from Piltover...Caitlyn, probably. A detail I would love to see someone use in a fic.)

#arcane #hextech #jayce talis #viktor arcane #mel medarda #cassandra kiramman #caitlyn kiramman

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captain039 · 7 months ago

Text

Heal your hurt

Viktor x reader

Warnings: Hurt/comfort, angst, health issues, mental health issues, light swearing, chubby reader, intimacy, sexual, friends to lovers, reader has chronic pain

I just need to take care of Viktor and for him to take care of me xD

It’s a quiet day, rain gently pattering on the window of your shared apartment. Viktor’s been your roommate for three years now, but you’ve known him since you were little. You’ve always loved Viktor, lately though it just seems different, you catch yourself staring at him, watching the way his eyes scan over journals, notes and blueprints, watch the way his jaw sometimes clenches a little too harshly or his high cheekbones. Watching him slowly grow tired while you read on the bed making sure he doesn’t fall asleep at the desk, or how he makes his tea in the morning, his hair a mess his eyes barely open. It makes your cheeks heat and your thighs clench. You want to throw yourself out the window some days at how bad it gets, you can’t help but wonder, let your mind wander to thoughts you shouldn’t be thinking about him, you imagine straddling him, making sure he’s comfortable before slowing sinking-

The door opening makes you startle, your book falls to the floor and you stare blankly before you register.

“Welcome home” you call to Viktor who just hums and heads to his desk lying his things down. He looks tired today more so than usual, his limp is worse than normal and you can see the tense lines in his jaw and brow.

“How was your day?” You ask. You know better than to ask if he’s ok, always being brushed off.

“Good” he answers simply sitting down and resting his cane against the table, it wouldn’t be a talking day then. You sigh softly picking up your book and lying it on the table head in hand, elbow resting on the table as you look out the window, watching the rain fall.

“Did you have a good day?” Viktor’s voice comes and you look to him, he’s looking at you to which surprised you.

“It was boring” you shrug and he nods.

“Jayce says hello,” he says and turns back to his desk.

“Tell him I say hi back” you say and he nods. You stand up deciding to take a shower instead of sitting, your hips protest and you swear you feel like someone just stabbed you in the tailbone. You want to curse but keep it in and awkwardly go to the bathroom. You run a bath, put in a few drops of oil and a scoop of bath salts, it’s your damn fault for sitting in that chair too long. You want to slap yourself but don’t as you strip and struggle with your pants and socks. You sit on the toilet seat jaw clenching. In times like these you missed your mother, her helpful hand her warm words and her caring touch, she made you feel less useless. You force your legs up and take off your socks one by one it takes you too long and you’re rushing to turn the taps off before you even get your pants off. You sigh shimmying your pants off before you settle in the bath with a small sigh of satisfaction. A temporary subdue of pain, you figured by now they’d invent something to stop this kind of thing, but no, we’re just inventing blimps and hextech. You sit in the bath eyes closed head resting on the small bath pillow that Viktor bought you. It’s… nice the small things he does, he’ll buy you a small gift you use every day like a new bookmark, a blanket or something you need, he’ll leave one of your jackets hanging by the door if it’s cold, he always knows how to make the best tea.

“Are you alive in there?” A gentle knock echos from the door and you open your eyes realising you were lost in thought.

“Yeah I’m alive” you call out hearing a soft rare chuckle from Viktor.

“Would you like a tea?” He asks and the thought of hot tea makes you smile.

“Yes please” you answer. Getting out of the bath seems to be harder than getting in, you feel ten times heavier and drying your body feels like running a marathon. You struggle to your room, listen to the kettle boil as you take some pain meds and get dressed carefully. You leave your room and collapse on the couch ungracefully and sigh. You’ve never outright told Viktor of your problems, you figure he can see them even though you try to hide, sometimes it’s too much to hide, but you don’t want your burdens on him when he already has his own.

“Tea” Viktor says and hands you the cup. You thank him and sit up properly sipping the herbal drink with a small sigh.

“Viktor?” You ask as he sits at his desk and he hums back. You pause for a moment sighing and shaking your head.

“Sorry, don’t worry” you brush off picking up a book instead. You don’t see him falter and stop what he’s doing till you hear his voice.

“How is your book?” He asks.

“S, good” you hum.

“What’s it about?” He adds and you flick your eyes up seeing him writing something down.

“You don’t like my silly romance novels” you snort softly.

“Indulge me” he answers and something in your stomach flutters.

“I- ok. It’s about opposing kingdoms the Prince and the Princess must marry to form an alliance between each kingdom, they hate each other though and she’s been planning to murder him to get revenge for mother’s death. They’re forced to be together for appearance and she slowly finds out that it wasn’t in fact the prince that killed her mother but someone else, I think it was one of the king's assassins and the prince had no idea about it, anyway, she realised that the prince is not the evil mastermind he appears to be, he’s a soft-hearted gentleman who cares for the people in secret and tries to save the kingdom from collapsing” you explain only halfway through the book.

“Has either one confessed?” He asks.

“No, she’s still learning about her feelings but he’s head over heels just doesn’t want to push her” You shrug sipping your tea again and reading the page you were on.

“An enemies to lovers? Is that what you called it?” He comments and you smile to yourself.

“Yeah, that’s what it’s called” you answer.

“With a slow…burn?” He tilts his head and your smile widens even if he can’t see it.

“Also correct” you let out a small giggle.

“I am slowly learning your… book language” You feel your stomach do a flip with butterflies at his words and you force yourself to stop smiling. You clear your throat and nod.

“Yeah, you’re doing good” you mumble focusing on finishing your tea and page.

Next part ->

#x reader #Viktor x reader #Viktor Arcane #Viktor #fluff #hurt/comfort

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inthehexcore · 7 months ago

Text

progress day party

summary: Jayce convinced you to go to a Councilor Party as his plus one. You were terrified.

content: sweet jayce, shy/nervous reader, fluff, meeting some of the other councilors, fem! reader, little backstory part before the request! probably ooc jayce but im trying to get the hang of it!! <3

wordcount: 2.016

a/n: this one got requested! thank you so much, the request changed a bit i think, but hope you enjoy it nonetheless! not as long/exactly as i wanted but :)

⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

Piltover's Golden Boy. The man of Progress. Co-inventor of Hextech.

Your friend. Your partner. Jayce Talis.

The first time you met him, you nearly fainted out of nervousness. You had known about Jayce for a long time already. Sky, your friend and former roommate, had applied for an internship at Hextech. You were so excited for her to follow her dreams, to show the world what she could do. One day, she asked if you could come with her, something about needing help with research. Even though you knew close to nothing about all the difficult work she did, you agreed. Never would you have guessed for that day to turn your life upside down.

"They said that I could use their lab! With everything in it! Well, I can't use any of the Hextech without supervision, but that's no problem!"

Sky and you had a great bond. Friends - sisters, almost. Though both rather introverted, the two of you would always open up around one another. She already held a clipboard in her hands, crossing off random squares before turning the corner, you walking behind her.

"I still can not believe you did it! I mean, of course I believe in you, but wow! An internship at Hextech with Jayce Talis and Vik-"

The tall doors opened to reveal the huge lab behind it. Never had you seen something so grand, so bright. Your eyes were not even sure where to look. There were big chalkboards along the entire length of the wall, desks with tools, even a table filled with what seemed like new Hextech inventions. But something that might have shocked you most was the two men in the corner of the room.

Had you misunderstood? You thought it would just be Sky and you.

"Oh, Viktor!" she smiled, "Jayce! Could I still use the lab?"

"Ah, Sky!" Jayce looked away from his desk, smiling as he stood up and walked toward the two of you, "And your guest!"

"The unfortunate subject for my research," laughed your friend, quickly introducing you to Jayce as you stood there in silence.

"I tried to clean up as well as I could, but," Jayce chuckled, rubbing his neck. He could have swept one more time, "Anyway. Would either of you like something... to drink?"

Viktor looked back from over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised before he turned to his work again. Jayce, oh Jayce.

Ever since that day, both you and the golden boy kept finding one another. At the market you ran into him - quite literally. You did not pay attention to where you were walking, which ended in you on the ground and Jayce profusely apologizing. Then that time where you tried to enter the Academy without your special school card. The enforcers only looked at you with a raised eyebrow, not letting you through to retrieve the very card that you had left inside. Luck seemed to be on your side as Jayce just walked by at that moment, smiling at the enforcers before mumbling a 'she's with me'. Not to forget all the times that Sky invited you for more research, only to say that she needed to retrieve something from her new dorm, leaving you and Jayce all alone in the big lab.

All that felt so long ago.

Never had you expected that you would be standing in front of the tall mirror, nerves running through your body as you glanced at the floor-length dress again. 'It's just a small party with the council. We will meet some others, enjoy some drinks, and then I will do my speech!' Jayce had said, holding your hand as you walked through Piltover. Reluctantly, you had said yes, and the excitement in Jayce's face made you feel warm. But inside, you were terrified. The Council. Those weren't just any type of party guests.

"Hey," you heard a knock on the door behind you, "Are you dressed?"

"Yes," a shaky sigh left your lips as you furrowed your eyebrows, running your hand over your dress again.

The door slowly opened, revealing your one and only behind it. Dressed in a suit that was ironed to perfection, the red and gold colours of House Talis decorating it all over. No wonder that Piltover loved the man so much - so nice, so motivated, so gorgeous.

"My god," he smiled, walking closer to you to press a kiss to your cheek, "You look beautiful."

Your dress, too, was coloured red and gold. When standing next to Jayce, it was undeniable that the two of you matched. Belonged. Yet, you didn't feel like you did.

"Says you," it was impossible not to smile around him, "You look good in these colours."

"I have something for you," he hummed, revealing a small box that he had hidden in his pocket, "A little Progress Day gift."

"For me?"

He nodded, handing you the item with a big smile on his face. How could you say no? You opened the white box with a giggle, placing the red ribbon that was tied around it on the vanity next to you. The item inside the box made you let out a gasp.

"Do you like it?" Jayce excitedly asked, a big grin on his face.

"Like it?" you looked up at him, eyes big and mouth wide open, "Jayce, I love it! This - This is amazing!"

"Made it all myself," he proudly said, "Though I'm not used to making hammers on this scale."

Inside the box sat a necklace with the most beautiful pendant you had ever seen. A little hammer, silver with red details, resting on top of silky fabric.

"Here," he reached for the necklace, unclasping the necklace to put it around your neck, his warm fingers tracing along your back as he kissed your shoulder, "Perfect,"

It made your face heat up as you only smiled, turning around to press a kiss to his nose.

"Ready?"

"As ready as I can be," you breathed in deeply.

It made his eyebrows crease - not because you didn't radiate the same excitement as he did, but because you almost seemed... worried. Maybe even scared.

"Would you maybe rather stay here?" he offered, softly taking hold of your hand, "I can pick you up after the party."

"No, no! It's just..." you sighed, shaking your head, "Just silly. I can't help but feel nervous. It's the Council, and I am not a smart inventor like you, or..."

He nodded understandingly - he himself was still not even sure why he was dubbed as the Man of Progress. As if he was the only person who had worked on Hextech.

"If you want to leave at any moment, you can tell me. Promise?"

"Promise."

So, hand in hand, the two of you made your way to where the party was held. The doors you stood in front of were huge and the hallways were decorated with gold and many more expensive materials. Yet, with Jayce's hand in yours, you felt less afraid.

The doors seemed to open automatically when the two of you arrived, revealing the bustling party that laid behind. People greeted him almost immediately, shaking his (free) hand and babbling on about everything.

"Ah, if you'll excuse me," he apologized, rubbing your hand with his thumb as he softly tugged you along, "Miss Medarda is right over there."

Miss Medarda as in Councilor Mel Medarda? The woman stood in front of the balcony, looking out over Piltover. She turned around as she heard footsteps approaching, and you felt even more nervous than before.

"Ah, Jayce! And your partner, from what I have heard?"

Jayce introduced you to the councilor as you shook her hand, shyly smiling and nodding.

"She is," he proudly smiled, "I thought to introduce the two of you - I think you will get along well. Plus, I can assure you, Miss Medarda is much more fun to speak to than... Them."

Mel let out a laugh, raising the cup to her lips.

"It is not hard to be more interesting than them. We can stick together," she looked at you with a smile, "That is, if you don't mind."

"I do not," you softly responded, looking at Jayce one last time as he pressed a kiss to your temple, breathing out deeply before letting out a chuckle, going back to his duty as the Golden Boy.

Mel plucked another glass off a tray, handing it to you.

"Now, I have heard so much about you from Jayce, but I would love to get to know you myself."

Time seemed to fly by as you stuck with Mel, holding onto your empty glass as you listened to one of her stories. Elora had also come to join into conversation, and you appreciated that they stayed with you.

None of you even realized that it was time to head to the Speech until you felt big hands on your shoulders.

"Ready to go? I promised Viktor that we would meet him there."

"Already?"

He hummed and nodded.

"Why don't you sit with us at the speech?" Mel offered, smiling as she looked at you, "Mrs. Talis will sit in the front row as well. I would be happy for you to join us."

"I would love to," you nodded quickly, giving both women a big smile, "Thank you Mel, Elora."

With your hand in his, Jayce guided you back out into the hallway and toward where Viktor would be waiting.

"Mel, huh? No more 'scary' Miss Medarda?"

You let out a laugh, covering your face with your hand as you shook your head.

"Looking back, I can't believe why I was so nervous. Both she and Elora were incredibly friendly and warm."

It didn't take long for the two of you to meet Viktor, greeting him before you split up from the duo to go and find a seat. It made your nerves heighten again - being completely separated from Jayce was something that made socializing harder than it could be. As you went through the security, you followed the groups of chattering people. Did it look silly, walking in by yourself?

The room was grand, and Councilor Kiramman was already standing at the side of the stage, talking to one of the Enforcers. You averted your gaze to the first row of the seats, most already taken. Was this where you were going to sit?

Mel saw you before you could spot her, walking over to the enforcer who guarded the entrance.

"She's with me," the woman said, holding out her arm for you to take before guiding you to your seat, "Don't want you to get lost."

You giggled, thanking her as you sat down on one of the plush chairs, right inbetween Mel and Mrs. Talis.

"Ah," Ximena excitedly exclaimed, smiling at you, "I was hoping you would be here. When Miss Medarda told me that she reserved a seat for you, I could not help but be happy! Oh, isn't today an amazing Progress Day? And the speech hasn't even begun!"

Jayce's mother was one of the sweetest people you had ever met - it wasn't hard to see that she passed all that love on to Jayce.

"He will do amazing, I'm sure."

And amazing he did. With the fireworks lighting up the sky and Jayce's bright smile, you could not help but feel your heart bursting. You had held Ximena's hand as she looked up at her son, her eyes shining with tears and a proud smile on her face. Illuminated with the colourful and bright lights, Jayce looked like an angel.

After shaking many hands and receiving many congratulations, you and your partner were finally back home. He let out a tired sigh, flopping down on the couch as you let out a chuckle, taking off your heels and pulling pins out your hair.

"You did amazing, Jayce."

"You think so?"

You hummed, nodding before also sitting down on the couch, snuggling against him as you let out a content sigh.

"As you said - the future is bright."

#arcane imagines #arcane x reader #arcane #arcane oneshots #jayce talis imagine #jayce talis #jayce talis oneshot #jayce talis x reader

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roninreverie · 8 months ago

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The Tragedy of Sky and Viktor

As a kid, Viktor chose Singed over Sky.

(Understandable. He couldn't play like she could and she didn't express her interests in his invention then.)

As an adult, he chose to use Singed's Shimmer Variant over her Research.

(Again, he was backed against a wall, literally dying, and he didn't know about her notes or if her research could even help. The timing and miscommunication wound up augmenting his body but getting her killed.)

Now, alive, he chooses Sky and returns to their home.

(Seeing the blueprints for Hextech weapons and Jayce's blatant promise breaks to save his life didn't help.)

But it's not her anymore...

And he's become something new.

#arcane #arcane spoilers #arcane season 2 #arcane viktor #sky young #skyvik #Delicious angst and miscomunication #Their connection means so much to me!#EDIT: NVM You two can do no wrong! 😭 Despite everything its still you

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timebambi · 3 months ago

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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.

#i just keep seeing this hc and it makes me want to pull my hair out everytime #this is not cute #this is stupid #arcane #arcane critical #vi

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aspenmissing · 3 months ago

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ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ɢɪʀʟ ᴅᴀᴅ

ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ || ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ || 3298 ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ || ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: ɴᴏɴᴇ

ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛ ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀ: @i-will-be-something ᴍʏ ᴅᴇᴀʀ! ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜱᴏ ꜰᴜɴ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ! ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴅᴏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴀꜱᴋ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ᴅᴀᴅᴅʏ!ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ

ᴘᴀʀᴛ 1

ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ | ᴠɪᴋᴛᴏʀ | ᴀʀᴇʟʟᴀ | ᴋᴀɪᴀ

Years had passed, and the once tiny hands that clung to Jayce’s fingers had grown bigger, stronger. Arella, now a vibrant young teen, had inherited her father’s curiosity and keen intellect. She spent much of her time in his workshop, absorbing every bit of knowledge she could, eager to follow in his footsteps. Kaia, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of energy and determination, with an adventurous spirit that kept everyone on their toes.

The house was rarely quiet, laughter and chatter filling the air like an ever-present melody. But with the growing years also came new challenges, bittersweet moments, and memories that would forever shape their family.

The "Disaster Invention" Incident

One evening, Jayce returned home from work to find Arella standing nervously in the hallway, her hands clasped together in front of her. The moment he saw her expression—somewhere between guilt and excitement—his heart sank.

“What happened?” he asked, already bracing himself.

“Um…” Arella hesitated, her eyes flicking toward the workshop door, which was slightly ajar. “I may have… kinda… blown something up?”

Jayce groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Arella…”

“It wasn’t that bad!” she defended quickly. “Kaia was helping me, and we were just trying to make a self-stirring mug—”

“By using unstable hextech energy?” Jayce interrupted, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Kaia, who had been hiding behind her sister, peeked out. “It almost worked,” she offered, looking hopeful.

Jayce sighed heavily. “Alright, let’s go see the damage.”

When he stepped into the workshop, he was met with the sight of a blackened countertop, gears strewn everywhere, and a faint sizzling sound coming from what looked like the remains of their invention. There was a concerning crack in one of the shelves, a scorch mark trailing up the wall, and a pungent smell that made Jayce immediately step back and wave a hand in front of his nose.

“By the Forge,” he muttered. “What did you two do?”

Kaia shuffled her feet, glancing sideways at Arella. “Well… we thought if we used a tiny bit of hextech energy to power the stirring mechanism, it would make it more efficient…”

“…But we may have underestimated how much power it needed,” Arella finished quickly, looking up at her father with an innocent expression that had long stopped working on him.

Jayce groaned again and walked further into the room, stepping carefully over scattered tools and what looked like… was that a melted spoon? He picked it up, inspecting it with exasperation. “How did this even happen?”

Kaia bit her lip. “Uh, funny story. The spoon was part of the self-stirring mechanism, but when the energy surged, it—um—kind of became part of the machine?”

Jayce turned slowly, staring at them in disbelief. “It fused into the machine?”

Arella nodded quickly. “We actually thought that was kinda cool!”

Kaia perked up. “Yeah, until it started sparking and, uh… shooting molten sugar everywhere.”

Jayce visibly tensed. “What?”

Arella cleared her throat. “It, um, exploded. Just a tiny bit.”

Jayce inhaled sharply and rubbed his temples. “And no one got hurt?”

Kaia beamed. “Nope! We were super fast. When it started making weird noises, we took cover under the workbench!”

Jayce pinched the bridge of his nose. “So let me get this straight… you two knew something was about to go wrong, so instead of stopping it, you hid?”

“Well,” Arella started slowly, “it was mostly already happening. We figured it was too late to fix it by then.”

Jayce groaned again, walking over to assess the damage more closely. He gingerly poked at the remnants of the contraption. It let out a sad little whirr before another spark popped out, making him step back quickly. He turned to his daughters, his expression torn between exhaustion and amazement at their ability to cause chaos. “Your mother is going to kill me.”

Arella and Kaia exchanged guilty glances before chorusing, “You won’t tell her, right?”

Jayce crossed his arms, giving them both a long, hard stare. “Oh, I should tell her.”

Kaia pouted. “But then we’ll get in trouble.”

Jayce raised an eyebrow. “You are in trouble.”

Arella folded her hands together. “Yes, but you could… I don’t know, fix it before she sees?”

Jayce let out a long sigh. “You two do realize that I was working all day, right? And that I just got home expecting some peace and quiet?”

Kaia gave him an overly innocent look. “But Papa… you love fixing things.”

Jayce opened his mouth, then closed it. He rubbed his face with his hands before muttering, “I hate that you’re right.”

Arella beamed. “So you’ll help us fix it?”

Jayce eyed the disaster in front of him and exhaled. “We’ll… figure something out. Just—no more unsupervised experiments. Ever.”

Kaia pouted. “That’s what you said last time.”

Jayce looked at the smoldering mess again and grumbled,

At that moment, the front door creaked open, and Y/N’s voice echoed down the hall. “Jayce? I’m home! Where are the girls?” Panic flashed across Arella and Kaia’s faces.

Jayce inhaled sharply. “I’ll handle this,” he whispered. “Run.”

The two girls took off in a blur, nearly knocking over a pile of books as they fled. Y/N entered the workshop a second later, taking in the scene with a slow, knowing gaze.

Jayce cleared his throat, attempting his most casual expression. “Hey, honey.”

Y/N’s eyes flicked from the burn marks to the ruined countertop before resting on Jayce’s face. “Jayce.”

“Yes, my love?”

“…What happened?”

Jayce hesitated, then squared his shoulders. “It was me. I, uh… was testing something new, and it backfired.”

Y/N gave him a skeptical look. “You? The man who lectures the girls about safety blew up his own workshop?”

Jayce forced a sheepish smile. “Uh… experimental phase?”

Y/N crossed her arms. “And where are our little inventors?”

Jayce coughed, glancing toward the hallway. “…Strategically relocated.”

Y/N exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “I swear, this family is going to give me gray hair.”

Jayce chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. “Probably. But… at least we’re never bored?”

Y/N groaned, resting her forehead against his chest. “We are so in for it when they get older.”

Jayce laughed softly. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.”

A Typical Sister Argument

One day, Arella was deep in concentration, working on a small gadget in the workshop when Kaia stormed in, arms crossed, her brows furrowed in frustration.

“You took my book!” Kaia accused, her voice sharp.

Arella didn’t look up from her work, her fingers expertly twisting a small gear into place. “I didn’t take your book.”

“Yes, you did!” Kaia huffed, stepping closer. “I left it on my desk, and now it’s gone. And you’re the only one who borrows my stuff without asking.”

Arella finally sighed and put down her screwdriver, glancing up with an unimpressed expression. “Oh. That book? The one on mechanical engineering? I borrowed it because you never read it.”

Kaia gasped dramatically. “That’s not the point! You can’t just take my things!”

Arella rolled her eyes. “Relax. It’s literally on my desk. You can have it back.”

Kaia stomped over, grabbing the book with exaggerated force. “Next time, ask. Or I’ll steal something of yours and see how you like it.”

Arella smirked, leaning back in her chair. “You wouldn’t even know what to do with my stuff.”

Kaia narrowed her eyes. “Watch me.”

Before Arella could respond, Kaia lunged forward and snatched a small device from Arella’s workstation, holding it up triumphantly like a trophy.

“Kaia!” Arella shouted, standing up abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. “Put that down, it’s delicate!”

“Oh, so now you care about people taking things?” Kaia taunted, holding the device above her head as Arella tried to reach for it.

“Because my things can actually break!” Arella snapped, lunging forward to grab it. Kaia quickly dodged, darting to the other side of the table.

“You don’t know that! Maybe it’s tougher than you think,” Kaia teased, shaking the device slightly.

Arella’s face paled. “Kaia, I swear, if you break that—”

Kaia smirked. “Then I guess we’ll be even!”

The argument escalated, their voices rising, both of them moving around the workshop like two combatants locked in a battle of wills. Arella was taller, but Kaia was faster, ducking and weaving around scattered tools and workbenches. It was only a matter of time before something got knocked over.

And that moment came when Kaia took a sharp turn, bumping into a nearby shelf. A wrench teetered dangerously from the top before tumbling down with a loud clang, bouncing off the table and landing on the floor with a resounding thud. Both girls froze, eyes wide, their breathing heavy.

And then a firm voice cut through the tension. “Enough!”

Arella and Kaia flinched as they turned toward the doorway, where Jayce and Y/N stood, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and irritation. Jayce sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What’s going on?”

“She stole my book!” Kaia huffed, pointing an accusing finger at Arella.

Arella scowled, crossing her arms. “And now she’s messing with my stuff!”

Y/N crossed her arms, giving them both a stern look. “This is ridiculous. You’re sisters. You need to respect each other’s things.”

Kaia hesitated, looking down at the device in her hand. For the first time, she noticed the delicate gears and intricate wiring. The thought of actually damaging it made her stomach twist a little. With a grumble, she handed it back to Arella. “Fine.”

Arella sighed, inspecting the device quickly before placing it back on the table. “Sorry. I should’ve asked first.”

Kaia kicked at the floor, mumbling, “Yeah… sorry for grabbing your thing.”

Jayce exhaled, shaking his head. “Alright. Now, are we done acting like toddlers?”

Both girls mumbled a reluctant, “Yes.”

“Good,” Y/N said, rubbing her temples. “Because if I have to break up another fight over a book, I’m confiscating all of them.”

Arella and Kaia exchanged horrified glances before quickly making amends.

From the doorway, Viktor, who had been watching silently with a cup of tea in hand, smirked. “Ah, sibling love.”

Jayce glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. “You knew they were fighting and just stood there?”

Viktor took a slow sip of his tea, his smirk widening slightly. “I was enjoying the show.”

Kaia pouted. “Uncle Vikky, you could have helped me!”

Viktor chuckled, shaking his head. “Ah, but conflict builds character, little one.”

Arella rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

Y/N sighed, turning back to Jayce. “We really need to start locking the workshop.”

Jayce gave his daughters a pointed look. “Or start charging them for every mess they make.”

Kaia gasped. “You wouldn’t!”

Arella smirked. “He would.”

Jayce grinned. “I absolutely would.”

Viktor chuckled once more before turning to leave. “I look forward to the next episode.”

As the dust settled, Kaia and Arella exchanged glances, a silent truce passing between them. The battle may have ended, but the war of sibling rivalry? That would never truly be over.

A Father’s Worst Nightmare

Jayce had faced many things in life—war, politics, even near-death experiences. But nothing, nothing, had prepared him for the day Arella brought home a boy.

Jayce’s eye twitched as he watched the young man standing in his living room, shifting nervously under his scrutinizing gaze. The boy, to his credit, stood up straight, but Jayce could see the way his fingers subtly clenched and unclenched at his sides, a telltale sign of nerves.

Good. He should be nervous.

Arella, standing beside the boy, looked way too amused by the situation. “Papa,” she said, exasperated, “this is Emil. Emil, this is my very dramatic father.”

Jayce ignored the teasing and took a deliberate step closer, towering over the poor kid. “So,” he said, his voice low and authoritative. “What do you want with my daughter?”

Emil swallowed hard. “I… I just want to take Arella to the festival, sir.”

“Sir,” Jayce repeated, raising an eyebrow. At least the kid had manners.

“I promise, I’ll keep her safe,” Emil added quickly.

Jayce narrowed his eyes. “I am her safety.”

Arella groaned, rubbing her temples. “Papa, please.”

Kaia, ever the troublemaker, sat cross-legged on the couch, enjoying every second of the spectacle. “Oh, this is so good,” she whispered gleefully to no one in particular, stuffing a handful of popcorn in her mouth like she was watching the world’s best drama.

Jayce continued his assessment. Emil wasn’t that bad-looking—short, dark hair, sharp but kind eyes, an athletic build. He had that awkward politeness of a boy raised to respect authority. But still, he was a boy, and Jayce wasn’t ready for this.

“I don’t know…” Jayce murmured, rubbing his chin as if deep in thought. “What if something happens? What if she gets cold? What if she gets lost? What if—”

“I won’t,” Arella cut in, arms crossed. “Papa, I am perfectly capable of handling myself.”

Jayce grumbled something unintelligible under his breath, but before he could continue his interrogation, a new voice chimed in from the kitchen.

“Jayce. Let them go.”

Y/N appeared in the doorway, her arms crossed but an amused smile playing on her lips. She gave Jayce that look—the one that meant she had already decided how this was going to go. The one that told him he was fighting a losing battle.

Jayce scowled but ultimately stepped back, sighing dramatically. “Fine. But if anything happens to her—”

“It won’t!” Arella said quickly, grabbing Emil’s hand and practically dragging him out before her father could change his mind.

Jayce crossed his arms and glared at the door long after they were gone, as if his eyes alone could summon his daughter back into the house.

As soon as the door shut, Jayce let out a long, suffering sigh and turned to Y/N. “I hate this.”

She chuckled, walking over to pat his shoulder. “You’ll live.”

Kaia, still watching from the couch, smirked. “That was so fun. I can’t wait for my turn.”

Jayce snapped his gaze to her so fast it was a miracle he didn’t get whiplash. “You will wait.”

Kaia grinned devilishly. “Will I?”

Jayce dragged a hand down his face. “I’m not ready.”

Y/N laughed, wrapping an arm around his waist. “You never will be.”

Meanwhile, Viktor, who had been silently sipping his tea in the corner, finally spoke up. “You know, you are handling this much better than I expected.”

Jayce narrowed his eyes. “You expected me to handle this worse?”

Viktor smirked. “Oh, absolutely. I assumed there would be threats, perhaps a few creative hextech-related warnings. Maybe even an ‘accidental’ electrical malfunction near the boy.”

Jayce blinked. “…You know, that’s not a bad idea.”

“Jayce,” Y/N warned, eyes narrowing.

Jayce sighed dramatically. “Fiiiine.”

Kaia giggled. “You so thought about it, though.”

Jayce crossed his arms. “Maybe.”

Kaia cackled. “I knew it!”

Viktor shook his head in amusement. “Ah, parenthood. Endlessly entertaining.”

Jayce muttered something about needing a drink and trudged toward the kitchen. Y/N simply smiled, watching him go. Their girls were growing up, and even though Jayce would fight it every step of the way, she knew deep down that he wouldn’t change a thing.

But that didn’t mean he had to like it.

As Jayce poured himself a glass of something strong, Viktor followed him, setting his tea cup down with a quiet clink. “You know,” Viktor mused, “if you scare off every boy, she may end up resenting you for it.”

Jayce huffed. “That’s the goal, Vik.”

Viktor chuckled. “Ah, but love is stubborn. You cannot shield her from it forever.”

Jayce took a long sip, sighing. “I can try.”

Y/N walked in, placing a gentle hand on his back. “You will try. And you will fail.”

Jayce groaned. “I hate when you’re right.”

Y/N smirked, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Get used to it.”

Date Night Disaster

“Alright, you two, behave,” Y/N said firmly, adjusting her coat as she and Jayce prepared to leave for a much-needed date night. “And listen to Uncle Vikky, okay?”

Arella and Kaia exchanged glances, both trying to hide their mischievous grins. “Of course, Mama,” Kaia said sweetly.

Jayce narrowed his eyes. “That’s exactly what you said before the last time we left you alone, and we came back to—” he gestured wildly, “—a flour explosion in the kitchen.”

“That was Arella’s fault,” Kaia said quickly, pointing at her sister.

Arella gasped. “Excuse me? You were the one who—”

“Enough,” Y/N cut in, exasperated. “Just no disasters this time. Viktor, you sure you can handle them?”

Viktor, sitting on the couch with his cane resting beside him, gave a small smirk. “They are only two children. How difficult could it be?”

Jayce sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Famous last words.”

With a final, suspicious glance at his daughters, Jayce led Y/N out the door, leaving the girls alone with their reluctant babysitter.

For the first thirty minutes, everything was calm. Too calm.

Viktor was quietly reading while the girls sat across from him, whispering to each other. He knew that whispering was never a good sign.

“Uncle Vikky,” Kaia finally spoke up, her voice innocent. “Can we play a game?”

Viktor glanced over his book. “That depends. What kind of game?”

Arella grinned. “We want to play ‘Make Uncle Vikky Laugh.’”

Viktor raised an eyebrow. “I do not laugh easily.”

Kaia smirked. “Challenge accepted.”

What followed was a series of increasingly absurd attempts to get Viktor to crack. Kaia balanced a spoon on her nose. Arella re-enacted a dramatic—and highly inaccurate—performance of Jayce’s greatest battles. At one point, Kaia wrapped a blanket around herself and declared she was now ‘Queen of the Couch’ and demanded Viktor bow.

He did not bow.

After an hour, Kaia was standing on a chair, dramatically singing a song about how “Uncle Vikky has no soul,” while Arella was attempting to create a moustache out of flour to “give Viktor a new look.”

Viktor, unimpressed but undeniably amused, sighed. “Is this truly what you do when your parents leave?”

Arella shrugged. “Sometimes. Other times, we build things.”

“Or try to,” Kaia muttered.

Viktor set down his book and looked between them. “You want to build something?”

The girls’ eyes lit up. “Yes!”

Viktor smirked. “Then let’s build.”

By the time Jayce and Y/N returned home, expecting at least some minor catastrophe, they were instead met with an unusual sight: Viktor and the girls sitting together on the floor, surrounded by gears, blueprints, and what appeared to be a small functioning automaton.

Y/N blinked. “Did… did they behave?”

Viktor smirked slightly, adjusting his cane as he stood. “For the most part. Though, I may have let them stay up past their bedtime.”

Jayce looked at the tiny mechanical figure on the table, blinking in astonishment. “You built that in one night?”

Arella grinned proudly. “With Uncle Vikky’s help!”

Kaia yawned, rubbing her eyes. “It was awesome.”

Y/N shook her head with a small smile, looking at Viktor. “You’re a miracle worker.”

Viktor smirked. “I have my moments.”

As Jayce carried Kaia to bed and Y/N helped Arella clean up, Viktor gathered his coat, preparing to leave. Before he could step out, Arella suddenly ran up to him and hugged him tightly.

“Thanks, Uncle Vikky,” she murmured sleepily. “You’re the best.”

Viktor stiffened slightly, clearly unaccustomed to the affection, but after a moment, he patted her head gently. “Good night, little one.”

Kaia, half-asleep in Jayce’s arms, mumbled, “We’re gonna make you laugh next time, Vikky…”

Viktor chuckled softly as he stepped out the door. “We shall see.”

And with that, another chaotic but heart-warming night came to an end.

#Arcane #Arcane Fandom #arcane fluff #reader insert #Fluff #jayce x y/n #jayce x reader #jayce talis x reader #jayce x you #Dad!Jayce Talis #Dad!Jayce

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wingedshadowfan · 7 months ago

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⚠️arcane s2 act iii spoilers // criticism ⚠️

i kind of hated the end of arcane. hear me out.

i don't wanna rain on anyone's parade but we can all agree season 2's pacing was super breakneck. not a lot got explained or was given the proper time to develop or be addressed (at least in front of us, the audience, that is - but even then, some things could've been hinted at better) and this goes for both lore, motivations and interpersonal character relationships. (and i can give many examples such as the black rose, maddie's true motivations, caitlyn and vi's fight, jinx rallying up the undercity, viktor and ambessa's plans diverging, etc. but instead, i'll tell you what i think went wrong with what we got to see in the last three eps)

seeing where ep 7 left us made me think "okay ep 8 will start from the same exact spot and we'll see from there" and ofc my expectations were defied but that's not my main problem. i needed to know what happened to ekko, jayce and heimerdinger but even more than that, i wanted to see jinx grieve isha in her own way (by herself and not through being asked or guilt tripped to help someone else's agenda bcuz she clearly had little intrinsic motivation to unite the undercity over a common goal after silco's death) and internalize what she'd meant to isha - and that becoming jinx's catalyst to rally up the undercity. i wanted her to understand why this orphan from the undercity's mines sacrificed herself to save jinx - the symbol of a cause greater than her. i needed her to see what unifying zaun and making tangible institutional change to the undercity would mean in a way sevika never would've been able to show her. it would mean no more powders, no more ishas. not one more. breaking the cycle of violence, poverty, oppression, somewhat like what silco said in ep 9 (which she interpreted as 'you're the problem, so kys' and she attempted to until somehow ekko convinced her to help. how, why and did she even unite the undercity at all or just make her big hot air balloon late-to-the-party entrance with the firelights to a stray kids banger while sevika did all the work down in zaun?).

anyway, ep 8 threw us in for a loop in an alternative universe (and i loved it, don't get me wrong, but considering there were only 2 normal length eps left, it scared me just as much). instrumentally to the plot, we got to see ekko's main ability develop, and we saw jayce's reasons for shooting viktor. the main conflict of the show, the piltover/zaun one, if those 1,5 seasons so far were anything to go by, just got set aside for the time being. over halfway through the season, we've got a new big bad - the possibility of everyone getting possessed by the viktor/hexcore and becoming part of The Glorious Evolution™. it felt like a movie about racism and police brutality added aliens in the last 5 minutes to force oppressed and oppressors to (not all that successfully) work together, massive losses were suffered by everyone, and then the overarching motif wasn't about love or humanity or rebuilding (things that have come up repeatedly in other episodes, including the one ep literally called 'the messege hidden within the pattern'), it was "bad things happen sometimes, but good things happen sometimes too. it is what it is. i guess." like. duh?? as a viewer, this was quite the disappointing ending takeaway from such a masterpiece of a show but more on that in a second.

narratively, we saw a butterfly effect situation in ep 8 that answered the question of 'what could've been?' but even that answer confused me. the undercity was already oppressed and in socioeconomical peril before jayce's hextech - vi's death during that last job (which makes me believe zaun was the same in both universes because why else would they be poor enough to steal from piltover?) prevented it from being invented and thus stopping other things in piltover from happening but how did it lead to progress in the undercity? what happened and what was the key to it all along? why did shimmer not get invented, how did zaun and piltover seemingly unite, why were zaunites all of a sudden seemingly so much materially and culturally richer and better educated in just a few years? (that aside, i love ekko's determination to get back and save his universe's zaun. i loved the alternative jinx and i loved how everyone was wearing vests 10/10)

then, ep 9 felt like a bunch of confusing things happening one after the other to the point it almost overwhelmed me and i was left thinking i didn't understand a single thing from it (except maybe that one scene - that, i understood spiritually). and the first maybe 90% of ep 10 felt like i was just repeatedly getting hit, and again - no time to breathe, no consolation, no resolve, just receiving bad news after bad news, like getting beaten to the ground with stones.

and at the very end, after some of the ends get tied, caitlyn has her speech, which to me, sounds more depressing and hollow than anything else. she talks ambiguously of history and of ups and downs and of a story not yet over, but there's no promise for the future, no motivation to keep going, no bigger picture, no lesson learned. we're not shown much work being done either (and i'll make a separate post examining why it felt that way to me and a separate one abt how i interpreted her conversation w/ vi at the very end). i was left a bit confused, somewhat unsatisfied, and very, very sad.

did anyone else feel that way too? what did i miss, did i misinterpret or misunderstand something? please i'm going insane i had two different friends tell me they had no idea what i was talking about and that the ending was everything they wanted and more

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