arciam

[arciam]

(Honestly, I just enjoyed this gif from this post too much to not also post it as a stand-alone, so here you go.)

[arciam]

(Thanks to @neo-decadence because I had no idea what this ask was referring to initially.)

Well to be honest, I always find it a little difficult to come up with fully formed and coherent things to say about the storyboards, concept arts and the like. Because that's precisely the thing about them:

They themselves are not "fully formed" (i.e. they undergo many changes on their journey to the finished version that we get to see), nor are they "coherent" - as we only ever get disjointed snippets, it is really very difficult to derive or infer a bigger picture.

For instance, in this case, while "Jayce will be the dark side of Viktor" definitely conjures up certain associations for us, it leaves us without any further context as to how this might have come into play within their character and relationship arcs. However, although I couldn't possibly know the true meaning or intention behind this comment, as I alluded to in the tags of the original ask:

If we do take the "dark side" statement at purely face value for a moment, it's fascinating because it implies an almost opposite trajectory of what we ended up getting. There's a few reasons I think so, the most important of which being that it implies Viktor to be the focal point of internal struggle - a role that, at least in the finished show, fell squarely onto Jayce instead.

(I imagine the former could have worked well if the show had opted to have Viktor follow a more similar arc to his game counterpart, but with what we did get, it's Mel and Viktor representing two possible paths for Jayce, rather than Jayce representing a dark - or light - side of Viktor.)

All this said, though - I couldn't help but find one interpretation that does carry over into the show.

After all: while it does sound very grand and dramatic, being "Viktor's dark side" doesn't necessarily have to signify a defining characteristic of Jayce's.

Instead, it might merely signify him being an unexpected temptation exciting prospect that might... oh I don't know... lead Viktor to risk everything he's fought tooth and nail to achieve against every single odd his entire life and forfeit his secure position, future, and even his mobility aid?

Just a thought.

(And yes, now that I know, I do believe that this shot is a deliberate remnant of that "dark side" sentiment.)

[arciam]

What do you think of the storyboard that came out not long ago that says Jayce is Viktor's dark side?

I don't actually know what this is referring to, precisely - either I haven't seen that one or I simply wouldn't recognise it from this description.

Does anyone know?

[arciam]

I honest to God don't remember the last time I bought merch of anything (much less official), but since I will apparently never be normal about this show, I have actually caved and preordered the season 2 collector's edition that everyone on this forsaken site has kept waving in my face for days..!! 😂

(To be fair, you cannot tempt me with a beautiful box + two (2!) JayVik cards + Timebomb + a gear pin and expect me not to fold like a lawn chair...)

[arciam]

This makes me wonder - since I assume (correct me if I'm wrong, in case anyone knows) that this would have still included Mel's image burning away and turning into Viktor - whether Jayce would have reached out before or after.

Because while either version would have been massive for JayVik, it would have been so with almost polar opposite implications, and I'm honestly unsure which I'd prefer because consider:

1. Jayce ignores Mel and only reaches out for Viktor

Amazing, great, ship is sailing, we love to see it.

2. Jayce first reaches out to touch Mel but then his mind turns her into Viktor

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO like what do you MEAN we get to see Jayce's italicised "Oh." moment happen in real-time???

He always wanted him

[arciam]

July 7th, you say?

Me when I learned that Jayce's birthday is agreed upon to be

July 7th,

aka Tanabata,

aka "Star Festival",

aka the one day a year - according to legend - that the original star-crossed lovers are allowed to meet in the astral plane starry night sky:

[arciam]

"There is always a choice."

"Choose me."

[arciam]

Hot take: While I'm a firm believer that Jayce and Viktor do want each other carnally, I think the total absence of sexual desire wouldn't make their relationship any less valid — and certainly not any less romantic.

We're pretty used to lovers in fiction being ready to die with or for each other, solely because they're so drawn to one another. The whole I burn, I pine, I perish thing.

But imagine doing all that — the world-altering stakes, the ride-or-die loyalty, the dramatic speeches and borderline self-destruction — without lust even factoring into it. Just because you’re that into how they do science?

Real.

There’s something so unhinged — and kind of tender — about loving someone that much intellectually. About recognizing a mind that complements yours so perfectly, it eclipses everything else. Not because you’re not capable of desire, but because it just… doesn’t even rank.

They’re not trying to get into each other’s pants. They’re trying to get into each other’s prototypes.

And if that’s not the most intense academic romance ever written, I don’t know what is. (For the record I do think they fuck post canon though)

[arciam]

Everytime I use this shot in a video edit I remember that it wasn't a fever dream and Viktor really did look at Jayce like that.

[arciam]

Probably the most devastating accidental transition/juxtaposition I've ever done tbh.

Did someone say "hurt, no comfort"? I've been wanting to make a video centred around Viktor with this song probably since before I made any of the others, really. It's just such a good fit - not only because he becomes, quite literally, the "monster" that Jayce created, but also with the themes of abandonment, betrayed trust and unreceived affection. (I say "unreceived" because obviously, it's not that Viktor's attachment to Jayce is at all unreciprocated; it's just that the love they hold for each other tends to get lost in transmission time and time again.)

Also I spent way too long trying to make sure s1 Viktor's eyes are ✨impeccably golden✨ at all times...

Was it worth it though? Ebsolutely!

[arciam]

Did someone say "hurt, no comfort"? I've been wanting to make a video centred around Viktor with this song probably since before I made any of the others, really. It's just such a good fit - not only because he becomes, quite literally, the "monster" that Jayce created, but also with the themes of abandonment, betrayed trust and unreceived affection. (I say "unreceived" because obviously, it's not that Viktor's attachment to Jayce is at all unreciprocated; it's just that the love they hold for each other tends to get lost in transmission time and time again.)

Also I spent way too long trying to make sure s1 Viktor's eyes are ✨impeccably golden✨ at all times...

Was it worth it though? Ebsolutely!

[arciam]

"It's Viktor."

[arciam]

I will evolve all those willing.*

(*Unless Jayce doesn't want in on it. Then choice is false, bitch.)

[arciam]

Okay..??

[arciam]

Anyone in the market for a JayVik compilation?

✨ If so, here you go! ✨

Season 1 | Season 2

I made these for a friend but found it rude not to share. 😆

(I won't keep them up indefinitely though as they're kinda clogging my drive, so please do download them if you wish to keep them. However, if you find this at some point in the future where the links don't work anymore, just dm me; we'll work something out.)

To clarify: These are not merely "shippy moments" or "all Jayce & Viktor scenes" style compilations.

Instead, I actually tried to create a somewhat comprehensive, faithful depiction of their respective character arcs. A version of Arcane that is only 2h10 long and centres around Jayce and Viktor, essentially.

(The reason I made them in the first place being that my best friend doesn't have a lot of time to watch shows, but still wants to get in on the JayVik game... It all makes sense if you look at it from that perspective. 😂)

In short, this is for those days when you want to "rewatch Arcane" but actually just want to see the Jayce/Viktor plot play out and don't feel like picking out single scenes to watch.

Another few things to keep in mind:

By virtue of being a depiction of their characters and relationship arc, these do also contain a fair amount of Mel (because imo you do need her too in order to fully appreciate JayVik, the parallels etc).

Apart from the choice of scenes (obviously), the one creative liberty I really took with this is in Season 2, putting Episode 7 before Act 2 - I was never really a big fan of the "being confusing for confusion's sake" way they kept the alternate timeline-reveal until after the commune episode. I feel like it works at least equally well the other way around.

...also, please forgive the intros I made, those happened in a moment of silliness and self-indulgence. 😅

[arciam]

Say that again? I'm sorry. I got distracted by your little mannerisms, how you pronounce certain words, and the way your eyes light up when you talk about something you're passionate about, and started day dreaming about spending my life making you laugh, and feel loved and cherished

[arciam]

Underrated JayVik moments/lines (20/∞)

"That research is everything, my - my whole life!"

After grazing this line in multiple entries already, here is finally the dedicated one. I have a few different things to say about it:

1. He is not kidding here.

As I talked about in part 9, my man was literally ready to end it all when he found himself with no one who would support his work - or rather, everything it meant to him. His dreams, his heart.

Whichever way you look at it, Viktor spared Jayce so much more than just a tumble to the pavement; he gave Jayce a reason to keep living.

2. "Our HexTech dream."

...says Jayce, not even one minute later.

So, after considering himself incapable of working with anyone else for who knows how long, he just straight-up commits to making the guy whose name he learnt like an hour ago an equal proprietor of his "whole life"..? Cool, cool. Talk about moving fast.

3. "You've no idea how beautiful it is."

This line - which Jayce said a short while before the scene above takes place - may not seem at all related until you think about what it was that turned the idea of magic and bringing magic to the world into his whole life in the first place.

And yes, it's a great many things: having his life saved, seeing his mother's life saved, the potential to save many more lives. And yet, when explaining to Viktor what this dream (not theory) means to him, he chooses to equally emphasise the beauty of what he saw as a reason for his obsession.

Now, I would consider it low-hanging fruit to say "and because the mage was Viktor all along, this means..!" - if not for the fact that the idea of beauty is referred to by Jayce not only in his first, but also in his last episode:

"There is beauty in imperfections. They made you who you are."

Truly Jayce's (whole) life within the show bookended by the understanding of what beauty means: not an ideal, not the perfect miracle, just one man's indomitable will to live and do good in spite of hardship.

After all: whereas Jayce had always believed it was the desire to "give magic to the world" that was his whole life... ultimately what he wants more than anything is just his - beautiful in every way - partner back.

Part 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/7½/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20

← Prev | Next →