#and it was a brilliant idea Vi

[violentdelightshavevioletends]

Lines that somehow single-handedly kinda broke my heart:

"Thank you."

"Never thank me for that."

[kannady]

do you remember me too?

pairing: sylus x mc reader

synopsis: love and deepspace was a newfound obsession of yours. you installed the game shortly after sylus was released as a love interest. it'd be safe to say he was the reason you installed the app. however, finals week was approaching and you had to say goodbye to your favourite game. not for long, ofcourse. but you decide to login for the last time to check the new event.

word count: 2k

a/n: hey everyone! hope ur enjoying the story so far! my mans sylus FINALLY HERE! teheheh ull see. and i hope this chapter gives some closure abt what is going on. thats my own imagination btw, its not from the game. would love to know ur thoughts. enjoy!

check out all chapters here

Chapter Four

“Excuse me?” Your heart raced. How could she possibly know? Or did she even?

However, instead of answering you, your sister scrutinized you, her gaze sweeping up and down, as if she were trying to confirm something. When the silence grew too awkward, you repeated your question. At this, your sister hastily entered the room and closed the door behind her.

“If what I’m thinking is happening—holy shit!” she squeaked, plopping onto the bed. “Does anything seem weird to you? Or different?” How were you supposed to reply to that? Tell the truth or lie? Why was she asking that specific question?

“Umm… Is it supposed to?” Great. Stay vague.

She narrowed her eyes at you. “You know, just this morning I read an article by Professor Winster—a brilliant man, really. His research is groundbreaking…”

You rolled your eyes as she rambled, scanning the room for distraction—until a single phrase snapped your attention back.

“Soul switching.”

Your sister seemed to know exactly what nerve she’d struck, because once again, that smug expression crossed her face. The words weren’t familiar at all. You had no idea what “soul switching” meant, but for some reason, it intrigued you. You struggled to accept reality, yet you didn’t want to question anything either. Was that what had happened?

“Aha! I knew it! You—” She stood and slowly approached you. “—are someone else.” After her declaration, she folded her arms as if expecting applause from an imaginary audience. It was too late to hide your shock and confusion. Having lost control of your senses, you heard yourself ask, “How do you know that?”

“Well, I wouldn’t have. Your timing was just convenient. That article I mentioned? It talks about soul switching. It’s never been practiced before because it’s extremely dangerous—not to mention completely illegal. Still, it was a very informative read.”

“Oh. Well. Here I am.” Since your sister clearly had an idea of what was going on, you decided to come clean. You told her everything—from what happened after you left to returning home from the park. She was your sister, after all.

She looked deep in thought, as if analyzing and processing everything. “Okay, your turn. What’s soul switching? Why is it dangerous and illegal? And how did you figure it out?”

She took a deep breath. “Do you believe in parallel universes? There’s a theory that another world exists—just like ours, with the same people, but different fates.” She paused, giving you a grave look before continuing. “Soul switching replaces a body’s original soul with one from an alternate universe. Same person, different you. It’s dangerous because—because…” She hesitated, but you needed to know.

“Come on, it’s okay.” You gently placed a hand on her back, encouraging her.

“It’s dangerous because the displaced soul gets lost… and the body left behind dies.”

The last word sent shivers down your spine. I am dead. Your heart sank. Your legs gave way, and you dropped to the floor. You were dead. You were ready to believe this was real—that you weren’t dreaming—but you desperately wished someone would wake you up. You looked at your sister, hoping she’d say it was another prank, but her reaction only confirmed the crushing truth.

Warm tears trickled down your cheeks until your vision blurred, until you were sobbing openly. You had died, and you hadn’t even known. The more reality sank in, the harder you cried. “What about my parents? And everyone else?” you managed between sobs.

Your sister sat beside you. For a moment, she seemed unsure how to respond, how to console you. Finally, she pulled you into her arms. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

Your parents had lost their daughter. And yet, here you were—trapped who-knew-how far away. You wanted to tell them you were okay, but it seemed impossible. Was this really how your story ended?

You buried your face in her shoulder, crying until exhaustion took over. You had seen the pity in her eyes, but you were grateful—grateful for the truth, and grateful she was with you. Someone knew what you were going through. Someone was willing to stand by you. And for now, that was enough.

You didn’t know how long you’d cried or when you’d fallen asleep, but you woke to your sister still holding you, softly patting your back. You smiled to yourself. There was no one you could love more than that little devil beside you. You sat up and rubbed your eyes. “Hi.”

“Hey.” She smiled softly. “Morning, sunshine.”

“How long was I out?”

“A little over an hour. How do you feel?”

How did you feel? Better, definitely. Now that the initial shock had faded, you realized you still had unanswered questions.

“I’m okay.” She didn’t look convinced, but you pressed on. “You never told me—how did you figure out I was someone else?”

“I said your timing was convenient. Right after I finished that article, you barged in, acting strange. The rest just clicked.” She chuckled. “Anyway, while you were asleep, I tried researching soul switching, but I hit a dead end. Professor Winster’s entire blog is gone. Every article—deleted.”

“So, that’s it.” The weight of hopelessness threatened to drag you under again.

“Not necessarily. Someone went through a lot of trouble to bring you here and erase any and every proof of existence of soul switching. They must have a reason.”

You looked up. “What do you mean?”

“Soul switching isn’t just dangerous—it’s nearly impossible. It technically kills two people and requires an insane amount of energy. Bridging universes isn’t something done lightly.”

The implications chilled you. Whoever did this had power—and a motive. If they could do this, what else were they capable of? But you weren’t ready to face that yet. Maybe you already knew. Ever?

Your sister noticed your expression darken. “What is it? Do you know something?”

“No. Of course not.” If it was Ever, you couldn’t risk involving anyone else. You changed the subject. “Tell me about me. What do I do?”

She thought for a moment. “You’re training for the Hunter’s Association licensure exam.”

So, I wanted to be a Hunter.

“What’s my Evol?” You assumed every Hunter had one.

Your sister frowned. “How do you know about Evol? And how did you know Dr. Zayne?”

Would she believe you? At this point, anything was possible. You pulled out your phone. The app kept crashing, but the icon would have to do.

“Look. I used to play this game called Love & Deepspace—”

“Love and Deepspace?” She raised an eyebrow.

You handed her the phone. She tried opening the app, but it crashed again. “Oh my god. Wait here!” She dashed out and returned with a book—a catalog of paintings.

“See the icon? That’s Rafayel.” She flipped through the pages. His artwork was mesmerizing, each piece radiating emotion.

“So, you’re a fan of his?” you murmured, captivated.

“But why is his picture on the app?”

“He’s one of the love interests.”

Her jaw dropped. “What?! What kind of game is this?”

You laughed. “A dating sim, but with a serious main plot.”

“And Dr. Zayne?”

“Also a love interest.”

She stared, stunned. “This is our world? The characters, the places—in this game. They're all real...”

You nodded. “Took me all morning to process it too.”

As you flipped through the book, she added, “By the way, your Evol is Anhausen Class. Resonance.”

Your heart skipped. No. That can’t be. You needed proof before jumping to conclusions.

“How do I use it?”

“I don’t know. You just… focus on enhancing something. You can enhance mine. My Evol is water.” She summoned a water droplet.

You clasped her hand, squeezing your eyes shut. Enhance. Grow. Increase. Nothing happened. Maybe you needed more force? You gripped tighter, willing the droplet to change.

After fifteen minutes, you gave up.

“It’s okay,” she said. “You’ve never done it before.”

“Yeah.” She was right. You couldn’t expect to master something you’d just learned was real.

“So, I was thinking—wanna eat out? Just us.”

You loved the idea. A chance to bond, to learn more about this life.

“Sure. I’d love that!”

After freshening up, you followed her to an upscale restaurant—your parents’ canceled reservation worked in your favor.

“Don’t we need a reservation?” you asked, eyeing the elegant facade.

“Mom and Dad had one, but after today, they decided to stay home. So, lucky us!”

Guilt prickled at ruining their plans, but the moment passed as you were seated on the second floor near the balcony. The view was breathtaking.

You thanked the waiter as he took your jacket and pulled out your chair. Then you saw it—a single black feather resting on your plate.

As usual, everyone's been added to the taglist. Lemme know if you wanna be too. Dont forget to share ur thoughts!

tags: @zenbutnotreally, @godoffuckedupcats, @noxus123, @madam8, @agustdxjiminx, @liz9898, @lemonn015, @tearydamsel, @diegojeanne, @alyssac9, @dummiebunny, @acesgarden, @bigclownshoes, @sylusgirlie7, @roseyjean, @poptrim

[morbethgames]

NEW UPDATE IS OUT!

I’M FREE! FREEEEEE! 32 MOSTLY UNIQUE VARIATIONS OF INTIMATE SCENES DONE!

Clears throat

So, like stated above, the update is out! I’ll leave a list of patch notes, but this is majorly a bigger one for Alzarez and Lance romancers. The Lance extra story “Movie and Dessert” is being released with this update. You will need to replay the game. I’m sorry about that. BUT it’s because I added in new variables to the train scene so that stuff said there could possibly be brought up in this new scene! Reactivity, yay!

Along with that, you’ll get to read Alvarez’s flashback scene which is the actual end of Chapter 4. Along with a lot of little goodies. All in all, there was about… 44k-45k words added into this update? 40k of them are entirely optional and only happen if you choose to hang out with Lance after Alvarez’s flashback scene scene.

Not gonna lie, 1 variation in I was confident it would take two weeks. 8 variations in I was a bit tired but still energized to get this scene done. 16 variations in I had to step away for a couple of days to not let my brain melt. By the time I hit mid-twenties in variation for this scene, I was finding myself thinking that it just. wasn’t. worth it.

I have no idea if I’ll make the other intimate scenes this branching. It was honestly a lot of work. Like, a lot, it it was so fatiguing after a while, but I knew I had to get it done. IT’s also the reason I paused my patreon this month, because it wouldn’t be fair to charge people for something that they’re not getting early as promised in the rewards. This took way longer than I thought, so I wanted to just release it to everyone at once.

I do hope you guys enjoy it, and without further ado, here are the patch notes for this update.

Stay Brilliant, -Vi

Patch Notes:

“Movie and Dessert” Lance Extra Scene is finished.

Alvarez Flashback scene is finished.

Added a Text Box Investigation Tab in the Stats Screen.

You are now able to toggle between Text Box Investigations and regular choice script gameplay for TBI sequences.

You can now view the Text Box Investigation tutorial at any time via the stats screen.

Removed the Text Box Investigation Tutorial from chapter 4.

Added an option in the beginning of the game to Fade To Black during intimate scenes.

You can now pick asexual and aromantic as separate options, and they are not tied to each other.

Grammar edits and fixes (thank you to all who report them).

🛡️Patreon | Forum Page | Demo Link🛡️

[save-the-villainous-cat]

Broke college student hero and rich over the top villain. Hero is tired and done. That's it that's the request lmao

“…that has got to be the dumbest idea ever. That’s…I don’t even have any words left,” the hero said but they knew just as well as the villain how their ears had turned tomato red.

For the record, it was a stupid idea. And it was something the hero definitely had to stomach for a few days before deciding.

“I am not interested in twisting the knife but your apartment is pathetic,” the villain said. They picked up a dusty snow globe and observed it. A little figure with a lei stared back at them and the hero cringed internally when they realised it must’ve been over a decade old. As if they had the money to visit Hawai’i any time soon. “And I’m not one for adding salt to wounds but you are, undeniably, poor.”

“Wow, thank you. What are you gonna say next? That I have no prospects?”

“I don’t know, are you already a burden to your parents?” the villain asked, a sly smile stretching over their lips. They seemed quite amused at the hero’s current situation, despite offering their help. Eventually they sat down on the hero’s creaking bed which didn’t help the hero when they tried to tell them they were doing just fine.

“Not that I know of,” the hero said. They crossed their arms in front of their chest and tried to stare at the villain as intensely as they could. “I’m not this desperate, you know? I’m alright. I’m good. This is fine, my apartment is okay.”

The villain stared at the empty ramen packages on the hero’s stove.

“That stuff kills you, you know?” they said, their thumb pointing at the trash angrily.

“I’m doing fine. I’m great. Great physique. Amazing grades. Impeccable catching-criminals-rate.”

“Brilliant,” the villain said. They tilted their head. “Great physique?”

“Yup.”

“Hm.” They looked around the room slowly, observing every imperfection. The hero was ashamed. They weren’t the cleanest person. “A little birdie told me you’re failing most of your classes. Which isn’t all that surprising, given that you’re spending most nights on rooftops in that…interesting costume.”

The villain looked them up and down and the hero stared at them, eyes wide. They had mentioned before that the hero’s costume wasn’t hiding much. The hero had thought it to be a joke.

“I’m not a child, you know? I don’t need your help with ridiculous offers.”

“How old are you again?” the villain asked.

“I’m a year older than you,” the hero reminded them and the villain gave them a belittling look. Sometimes the hero forgot about that, too. The villain seemed like they’d everything figured out. Organised, rich, intelligent — the hero was falling behind and didn’t even know how to change that.

On top of all that, the villain was taller than them.

“I apologise for not respecting my elders then.”

“You—”

“Look, this is a shithole. If we get married you could have a good life. That’s all there is to it. It’s a signature on a paper and some financial decisions. Nothing else,” the villain said. They seemed to suggest this quite casually, as if the hero’s parents wouldn’t freak out on them for failing to introduce their spouse.

Their parents had been asking for grandchildren already. That alone seemed like a burden with the little sexual experience the hero had. It was exhausting and the hero was starting to feel the pressure of college and their nightly activities together. The villain was technically right.

If they lived with someone else, if they had money, they could at least get something real to eat for dinner.

“Well, aren’t you such a generous soul? Offering your money, your life to me like that…”

“We wouldn’t see each other much.”

The hero’s heart was doing something weird.

“Of course…” They stared at the floor. There was something the villain wanted. Some kind of information, some kind of contract. They weren’t doing this because they were a nice and sweet person. Behind every decision, there was a plan. There was calculation. The villain functioned that way.

“Obviously, you can screw whoever you want,” the villain clarified but the hero hadn’t even asked for it nor did they desire it. For a brief moment, they gazed at each other but it was more than that. It was more than a simple look. It was a question, it was an answer. And the hero felt trapped. They feared the villain had a wrong picture of them in their head.

“Why are you offering this?”

“Because it’s an agreement on paper, nothing more. I wouldn’t force you to sleep in the same bed. We don’t even have to live on the same floor,” the villain said but they hadn’t understood the hero.

“I meant the marriage specifically. Why are you doing this? What am I supposed to do in return?”

Now, the villain lowered their gaze. They scratched the back of their neck and the hero was more than curious. If the villain wanted information, the hero would have to decline. They rather lived in this horrible apartment and live from paycheck to paycheck instead of endangering anyone.

“I need protection,” they mumbled. “There’s a mole in my team. Someone tried to assassinate me two times last week. Normally I would…I would have my ways but I don’t want any of my employees to suffer.”

The hero was flabbergasted. They had expected anything but this.

“I’m supposed to be your bodyguard? Me protecting you?” The hero would’ve laughed but they were too surprised by the fact that the villain could’ve died last week.

The villain took a deep breath and leaned back, eyes half-lidded.

“It’s more like…detective work. The marriage is supposed to cover for the both of us. You living at my place out of a sudden would be less suspicious if people thought we were…you know. Plus, I could give you money that way. As payment.”

The hero stared at them. Admittedly, they felt as tired as the villain looked. Both had been through a few rough months. The hero wasn’t sure what to say.

“Think about it,” the villain said. They stood up and walked over to the door. But before they could even reach for the doorknob, the hero grabbed their arm.

“I swear, if you’re using me, if you use the…situation I’m in—”

“Believe me. I don’t enjoy seeing you live like this.” The hero pressed them against the door. They’d missed being close like this. “And I’m getting anxious.”

“You’ll have to meet my parents,” the hero said. They looked down at the villain’s expensive clothes. They couldn’t really concentrate.

But the villain only grinned. They pulled the hero closer, close enough to kiss them. “And they’ll love me.”

Two days later, the hero agreed.

A week later, they hooked up for the first time.

[seleneprince]

They're truly nothing like the Wayne family. They always knew that, but as years passed, it started to feel less isolating and more like something to be proud of.

They're not crime fighters. They're not brilliant strategists always two steps ahead. Not some valiants heroes or vigilantes or whatever that risks their lives everyday in the name of good. Quite the opposite, in fact.

No. They're a cockroaches, Mom being the biggest of all. A survivor. She'll do anything and everything in her power to keep them alive, to protect those she loves. She'll break any rules and bend herself backwards as many times as she needs to, if it means getting what she wants. Even toying with the limits within life or death.

Even hurting her loved ones in the process.

It starts with Daughter! Darling.

She reads about Mithridates VI of Pontus, the king who built an immunity to poison by ingesting small amounts over time.

At first, it’s just curiosity. A stray thought. A passing idea.

But then she remembers Scarecrow’s gas. She remembers waking up bound to a chair, inhaling terror. She remembers that helpless feeling.

And she brings the idea to her mom, Wife! Darling.

The woman listens. Doesn’t brush her off, or tells daughter her idea it’s too dangerous.

Instead? She thinks. And considerates.

Because Wife! Darling already knows what it’s like to lose control. To have her power stripped away. To be at the mercy of someone stronger, crueler.

She already lost her first family. She will not lose this one.

So she makes a choice. A brutal, painful choice.

They will do it together.

It starts slowly. Controlled doses. Poison administered in meticulous increments. Monitored. Adjusted.

The first doses are hell.

The nausea. The fever. The muscle weakness. Female Twin! Darling sobs into her mom’s lap, shaking, asking why they’re doing this. Begging the pain to stop. Male! Twin Darling tries to tough it out, but at night he grips his sisters’s hands like a lifeline. Neglected! Daughter Darling forces herself to eat, even when every bite makes her stomach churn.

And Wife! Darling?

She suffers quietly.

She’s already experienced her own fair share of poisons, toxins, and drugs in her past life. But watching her babies suffer?

That is the worst pain of all.

She does not let them see her cry. Only Alfred gets to see her crumble, and comforts her everytime.

At some point, they stop sleeping in separate rooms, ending up in their mom’s bed every night.

They huddle together. Sweat-soaked, exhausted, but together.

The older sister strokes her little sister’s hair when she whimpers in her sleep. The little brother clutches mom’s wrist in the dead of night, just to feel her pulse. The woman sings softly, old lullabies, desperate to comfort them.

And somehow, this agony brings them closer.

They suffer as one. They grow as one. Stronger. Together. Always.

Only one person outside their unit sees all of it happen.

Alfred.

He doesn’t interfere nor ever lectures the woman about it. Because deep down, he understands her motives.

Instead, he brings cold compresses, extra blankets. Prepares food when they’re too weak to stand and keeps their secret, protecting their privacy.

And when the worst is over?

When their bodies begin to adapt to the toxins, when their fevers fade faster, when their immunity starts to take hold?

Alfred is the first to notice.

And deep down, he is both horrified and proud.

The oldest daughter inhales fear gas again and doesn't feel anything beyond a tickle in her nose. The little brother drinks a poisoned cup and finds it sweet. The little sister accidentally eats intoxicated food and her body doesn't even process it. The mother injects herself poison to her veins, and all she gets is a slight headache.

They realise it was all worth it, in the end.

(She just wished that most poisons weren't green coloured. She hates green)

[hikaruchen]

I shine only with the light you gave me. — The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives

INPRNT

-

This is a recreation of The Meeting on the Turret Stairs (1864) by Frederic William Burton. Credit to the wonderful @soulhollow for giving me the brilliant idea and commissioning this 💚

-

The costume design for Alfred

They said they wanted to see Alfred in purple/gold tones, so I self-indulgently designed a costume for Alfred (though again not necessarily trying to be historical accurate)

-

Details for archaeology nerds (So it happens again I guess)

1. The tablet-woven bend

Design is loosely taken from an actual archaeological find from the Taplow Barrow in Buckinghamsire, dating to the early 7th century. The original piece really had the gold threads on it by the way. You can see the modern reconstruction here.

2. Pattern on the tunic

Taken from a part of an arcade illustration in the Royal Bible (Royal 1. E. vi, 4r.) c. 1000-1025 in British Library, London. Added some vine patterns that are quite common to see in insular art for reasons.

3. Pattern on the shawl

Taken from a part of the stole and the maniple in St. Cuthbert’s coffin, dated to early 10th century, now in Durham Cathedral Museum.

4. Embroidery on Alfred’s sleeves

The pattern is from an illustration in the manuscript of Bede’s Life of St Cuthbert (MS 183, f. 1v) c. 937 in Parker Library, Cambridge, which depicts King Æthelstan showing the book to St Cuthbert himself.

-

The process

Such a pleasure to work on this one! Thank you again for giving me the chance✨

[bwat5-blog]

The Beauty In Caitlyn & Violet's Reconnecting

**Spoilers for Arcane Season 2**

I spoke recently on my issues with the pacing of Cait and Vi's reunion and I can't change how I feel on that. But it doesn't take away from the meaning and heart of what we got. When Caitlyn and Vi run into each other..onto each other? outside of the commune, Cait is so stiff... It seems almost comical for a moment before you realize she has been shutting herself from the idea that Vi could still care for her. Until she hears her nickname. The stunning animation of this show does all the work as Cait's eyes soften. Its hardly a brilliant insight from me, but when you think about what a dark, and terrible place Caitlyn had been in mentally so months. Grieving, alone, (fuck you Maddie you traitor), still so full of rage and hate and being told the entire time that she was right to keep hating, right to hold on... sound familiar?

But when Vi comes back to her, its like someone lights the fire in her again, that hope, that trust from the person she wronged the most giving her the will to become who she was meant to be. The Real Commander. Who fights alongside her soldiers to protect those she cares for, and sheds her own blood to keep others safe.

Imagine for a moment that Caitlyn had lashed out at Vi when she found her in the cell. That she hadn't arranged for Vi to have the chance to help her sister, and laid down her hatred for the person she loves. I don't know that Vi would ever have come back from that. For Vi, who cares so deeply for her loved ones and thinks so little of herself, in that one decision Caitlyn showed Vi that she was more important to her than her hate. And that she knows Vi so well and loves Vi's heart, her belief, and her trust.

Idk... this is just a raindrop in an ocean of what could be said about these two. I honestly feel like their story will be remembered as one of the great fictional love stories of our time for what they mean to so many people. Have a good one!

[chimuelo2005-blog]

Jayce Talis' worst enemy is the fandom.

Okay, I need to talk about Jayce Talis because the way this fandom butchers his character is insane. People act like he’s just some dumb, arrogant golden boy who bumbled his way into power, but if that were true, he never would’ve made it past episode one. Jayce is smart —like, actually smart. He’s just not the same kind of smart as Viktor, and people act like that makes him useless.

Jayce isn’t a scientist in the way Viktor is. Viktor is all about pure innovation, pushing boundaries no matter the cost. Jayce? He’s an engineer. He takes ideas and makes them functional, practical, marketable. Hextech wouldn’t have happened without him—not because Viktor isn’t brilliant, but because Viktor never would’ve played politics, never would’ve known how to navigate Piltover’s elite, never would’ve gotten the funding or public support. Jayce made Hextech into something that mattered on a global scale. And yeah, he stumbles, yeah, he gets caught up in bureaucracy, but acting like he’s just some dumb himbo is a massive misread of his character.

And speaking of massive misreads: let’s talk about Jayce and Viktor. Because whatever *that* was? It wasn’t just friendship.

Jayce and Viktor’s relationship is so intense, so emotionally charged, and so central to both of their arcs that you can’t just hand-wave it away as “science bros.” Like, Viktor is the only person who fully understands Jayce’s ambitions, and Jayce is the only person who ever made Viktor believe he could actually change the world. Their whole dynamic is built on this deep, aching need for each other—not just professionally, but personally. Jayce trusts Viktor in a way he doesn’t trust anyone else. Viktor pushes Jayce in a way no one else does. And when that trust starts to crack? When they start moving in different directions? It wrecks them both.

Jayce doesn’t fall apart when he fights Vi. He doesn’t fall apart when he gets manipulated by Mel, when he struggles with the council, when he makes bad political moves. He falls apart when he realizes he and Viktor are no longer on the same path. That’s what breaks him. And the way he looks at Viktor when he finds out he’s dying? The way he crumbles at the idea of losing him? Come on.

So yeah. Jayce Talis is not dumb, and his relationship with Viktor is not just some casual friendship. That man was ready to rip apart the entire council the second Viktor started slipping away from him. If that’s not love, at least I know that's certainly not just friendship.

[nickeverdeen]

Fancy and Dusty | Powder x Kiramman fem!reader

Pairings: Powder x reader (mutual crush), Vi x Caitlyn (romantic), Vi x reader (platonic), Powder x Caitlyn (platonic), reader x Caitlyn (sisters), Vi x Powder (sisters)

Type of fic: Comedy, Fluff

Warnings: A bit of insecurity from Powder’s side

Summary: I tried so hard, but I have no idea how to put this into summary, I’m sorry

———————————

The Kiramman estate was unusually lively that afternoon. It wasn’t every day that all of you got together like this, but when it happened, it always felt like a mix of chaos and comfort.

Caitlyn and Powder were seated at a large oak table in the family’s private study, tools and materials sprawled across the surface. Powder was eagerly showing Caitlyn how her newest gadget worked—a small, birdlike contraption that fluttered its wings before sputtering out and landing in Caitlyn’s lap.

Meanwhile, you were in the garden sparring with Vi. It was more playful than serious, with Vi throwing slow punches and exaggerated feints, her grin never leaving her face.

“Come on, you’re gonna have to hit harder than that!” Vi teased, dodging one of your jabs effortlessly.

“Don’t tempt me!” you shot back, laughing as you lunged at her again.

Vi ducked under your swing, her hand gently tapping your shoulder as she sidestepped. “Careful, squirt. Don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of my sister.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t hide the blush that crept up your cheeks. “Shut up, Vi.”

Vi just smirked knowingly.

Back in the study, Caitlyn adjusted the scope of her rifle as Powder watched intently. “Alright, so you align this piece here…” Caitlyn explained, her tone patient as she demonstrated. Powder nodded along, her hands fiddling with one of her gadgets.

It was a quiet moment—until Caitlyn noticed the way Powder’s eyes kept drifting to the window, where you and Vi were sparring. Powder’s expression softened, her lips curling into a small, almost dreamy smile as she watched you laugh.

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow but said nothing for a moment. Instead, she finished adjusting the rifle and handed it to Powder. “Here. Try loading it now.”

Powder blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. “Oh, right. Yeah, okay.” She took the rifle and began loading it, her hands moving almost automatically.

After a beat, Caitlyn leaned back in her chair, her voice casual. “So… you and my sister?”

Powder froze, her hands fumbling with the rifle. “W-what?”

Caitlyn gave her a knowing look. “You’ve been staring at her for the past five minutes.”

Powder’s face turned bright red, and she quickly looked down at the rifle in her hands. “I wasn’t—okay, maybe I was, but it’s not like that! I mean, she’s—she’s your sister! And she’s… she’s out of my league.”

Caitlyn tilted her head. “Out of your league?”

“Yeah.” Powder shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably. “I mean, look at her. She’s got everyone wrapped around her finger. Boys, girls… she could have anyone she wants. And me? I’m just… not enough for that.”

Caitlyn’s expression softened. “You’re not “not enough”, Powder. You’re brilliant, kind, and—if I may say so—a lot less chaotic than I expected.”

Powder snorted. “Thanks, I think.”

Caitlyn smiled. “Listen, I can’t speak for her feelings, but I can tell you this: she doesn’t care about leagues. She likes people for who they are, not where they stand.”

Powder glanced up at Caitlyn, hesitant. “You really think so?”

“I know so,” Caitlyn said firmly, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

Meanwhile, you and Vi were taking a break, both of you sitting on the grass to catch your breath. Vi stretched her arms behind her head, a relaxed grin on her face.

“You’ve got a decent punch for someone who spends most of their time reading,” Vi teased.

“Gee, thanks,” you replied dryly, nudging her with your shoulder.

After a moment of comfortable silence, you glanced at her, a little hesitant but curious. “Hey, Vi?”

“Yeah?”

“Does Powder like girls?”

Vi’s laugh was immediate and loud, catching you off guard. “What kind of question is that?” she asked, still chuckling.

You shrugged, trying to play it cool. “I was just wondering.”

Vi raised an eyebrow at you, her grin turning a little smug. “Why? You thinking about making a move, squirt?”

Your face went red, and you shoved her playfully. “Shut up!”

Vi laughed harder, ruffling your hair affectionately. “Relax, kid. To answer your question—yeah, she does. But don’t tell her I told you that, or she’ll probably throw one of her gadgets at me.”

You tried to hide your smile, but Vi caught it anyway. “What?” she asked, her tone teasing. “You’ve got that look.”

“What look?”

“The look.”

You groaned, flopping back onto the grass as Vi laughed.

As the afternoon went on, the four of you eventually gathered back inside, the air filled with laughter and teasing. But every now and then, your eyes would meet Powder’s, and for just a moment, it felt like the rest of the world faded away.

[waitmyturtles]

Gelboys, and the Delicious Art of Eliciting Cringe

A bunch of my amazing friends are doing an amazing project in rewatching the wonderful 2019 drama, Theory of Love, and watching the romcom films that are thematically associated with each ToL episode. Their recent ToL posts have gotten me thinking about Third and cringe.

When I think about Theory of Love, I always firstly think about wanting to chuck a chancla at Third's conker.

I'm a Khai defender, even while admitting that he was a gigantic putz to Third during a lot of the series. But, as the lovely @lurkingshan said to me when I first tuned into ToL -- Third was the architect of his own misery.

Oh, indeed he was. This incommunicative wet blanket! I wanted to keep yelling at Third: if you crush on a person, they can't read yer mind until you say something about it!

Third filled me with a sense of dread and cringe. He couldn't bring himself to communicate his crush on Khai to Khai. My dread came from watching Khai continue to do his Khai things, with my knowing that Third would get increasingly heartbroken vis à vis Khai, without Third intervening unto himself to stop his cascade into misery until it was too late for him. As a viewer, I saw Third devolve, slowly crumbling into more and more despair.

In my 2023 review of Theory of Love, I argued that part of the show's brilliance in presenting such a pitiful Third at the start was a brilliant narrative move to lull us viewers into feeling a sense of implicit empathy towards Third -- a sympathetic bias that would then lead to us viewers to not question Third on his actually very questionable decisions. I thought it was such a good play on the part of the screenwriters to tease us viewers like this.

What I'm absolutely LOVING about the currently-airing Gelboys are similar feelings of simultaneous empathy and cringe for the guys in the love triangle that's been established as of episode three among Fou4mod, Chian, and Bua.

We were first presented with Fou4mod and his life deal: his wildin' family, his musical predilections, his bisexuality -- and his very strong internal demand for clarity in relationships. Surely the moment of crying in the mall to end episode one gave me the teeny-bopper shivers, but I got the strongest sense of cringe from Fou4mod's behavior at the end of episode two, when we saw him -- in real time!!! -- compromise and negotiate around his internal emotional compass for the sake of keeping the waffling Chian close to him.

(h/t @clairedaring )

That shit was just painful to watch (and it was AMAZINGLY well done). For my sake, it was particularly painful because I could so, so, SO relate to being just like that when I was a teenager.

I'm an old mom and auntie now, but ::hacking cough:: back in mah day, I remember being a 15-year-old teenager and thinking that my only rule in relationships would be that if I was lucky enough to date someone cute, then that would be all I'd need. I wouldn't demand anything else. I'd consider myself worthy if someone cute liked me back.

Cue the sirens and alarms! Someone should have, because of course, with that mindset, I got myself into a whole lot of messy-ass shit, dealing with a bunch of assholes during and well after my college years. I had a common mix of low self-esteem and and ill-conceived priorities that led me to date a string of incompatible dillweeds until I got myself into more mature relationships from my mid-20s on (with those relationships not always being perfect ones, either).

I find the cringe that Fou4mod and Chian present to be SO particularly viscerally painful because, to me -- it is SO relatable.

We have here teenagers who don't know what they're thinking, what they're feeling, what they're even doing -- because they don't have the comparative life experience to know what their actions might result in by way of what we, as the more mature and invisible audience, expect as their natural emotional ends. Fou4mod and Chian have no idea, because this is the first time they're going through these waffling human interactions, in love, dating, courtship, relationships, hook-ups, whatever.

Take even Chian's waffling and cringey behavior. I am loving all the varied takes on Chian (cc @tinrange and @mirmoria). It is so easy at this point, now that we've consumed episode three, to perhaps demonize Chian, and I definitely feel at times like I want to do that, too.

But I want to take a step back and assess Chian's existence as we know it at this moment -- from my perspective, of all things, as a worried mom, and as a former teen myself.

I love what @tinrange presented in her post about Chian's existence and status as a teenager who is very, very alone, and is looking for some kind of connection ANYWHERE, no matter how unhealthy he knows, and his friends know, those connections to be. Chian is so alone, we might even consider his current state one of (temporary?) abandonment. I love that his moment getting advice from chatGPT shocked so many of us to states of stomach discomfort.

But, also -- this kid is ALWAYS connected online. The headphones are in. Killing time with his napping and/or studying friends, watching a drama on 2.0x. Scrolling IG endlessly. Repeatedly editing his Close Friends list. Thinking about the symbolism of sharing a story to literally one person. Receiving the heartbreak, in silence, of realizing those symbolic efforts keep cyclically coming to naught as Bua flip-flops his attention to others.

Chian is in an almost constant state of distraction. During the very few times that we see him disconnected -- like the moment above, when he sees Bua with Moo after doing Bua's nails (like a chump), or the moment when he negotiates his unclear status with Fou4mod -- he is able to, finally, get in touch with the discomfort of the instability of his status with Bua. And it's clearly breaking him.

But he's not stopping the cycle, as of episode three. His wheel, for now, seems to keep turning in the same direction, back towards his attraction to Bua, almost serving Bua the attention that Bua wants, on a platter.

Chian, I'd posit, doesn't have the life experience yet to know how to break that cycle. From the perspective of a worried mom, what would I say to Chian? "That Bua guy is a POS, you gotta move on"?

My advice would be useless, we know that. We know Chian's not been listening to his friends, to the point of his friends giving up on Chian, knowing Chian is going to repeat the cycle of servitude and rejection that he's been dishing up to Bua.

But besides Chian not listening to his friends, I'll say again that Chian -- especially without the physical presence of supportive and empathetic family near him to give him perhaps sounder advice than his friends -- does not have the guidance or skill set to know HOW to change his behavior. He might only be able to break away from Bua when Bua does something idiotic or drastic. Which, we know, will leave Chian even more in the dumps -- because that specific scenario would leave Chian with absolutely no agency to change his hoped-for outcomes.

WE, as the viewers, know how Chian needs to change his behavior. But Chian, as a very wonderfully written natural teenager, has no idea how to do that yet. And I think that's just so very raw and realistic, and it's being beautifully done in this show.

What was great about Khai in Theory of Love was that, in the second half of the series, we saw him engage in very specific acts of behavioral change to get to a place to be a realistic partner to Third. I talked in my ToL piece about how behavioral change is very much the most difficult type of change a human can make.

While I don't have a lot of hope for a positive outcome for Chian (YET), I am at least encouraged by Fou4mod continuing to dally around the center of his own moral compass, hinting to Chian that he'd like an update on that status question, stat.

Fou4mod centers himself around his desire for clarity, even though he's really messing around the edges of it, eliciting the concern of Baabin. But Fou4mod still has that conviction. It hasn't burnt out yet. He has hope, and that hope is defining and disappointing him, as we see in the last scene of the episode, as he stands in-between Bua, Moo, and Chian. And unlike Chian -- Fou4mod has family, lots of it, around him, and a friend that's patiently by his side, there to comment on Fou4mod's navigation of this very titchy and ick situation.

Fou4mod has optimism and is guided by his center. Bua seems like a big ol' playa (but we'll find out more if/when we get an episode about him). While Chian, in many ways, does indeed deserve to be put into a blender, I want to make one little note of hope I have for him, something that makes me cringe at him just a tiny little bit less:

While Bua used his Close Friends list to show off his flirting towards Moo to Chian, Chian removed Fou4mod from his list before he uploaded his own flirtatious moment with Bua.

The whole IG flirting circle thing is just messy and uncool anyway. But at least Chian thought to put up a boundary that Bua himself hadn't thought of. Maybe Chian will show us a glimpse of an internal compass that we're unaware of as this series goes on.

[butchreg]

puppy ! regressor caitlyn kiramman headcanons !!

requested by anon. i see caitlyn as more of a bunny or kitty regressor but why can't she be a puppy too ? also i've decided that i'll turn anons back on once i've gotten through all the requests that i have. if another meanie tries something again i might turn them back off but :3.

as typical for me this post contains he/him vi ! if that's not your thing that's okay but hate / transphobia will be blocked. arcane masterlist here , upcoming list here

she's a pretty quiet pup but she follows vi around wherever he goes. she's not exactly the most threatening pup, her bark is worse than her bite but vi lets her think she's his guard dog.

puppy ! caitlyn who wears a collar with a tag that says "if lost return to mama" with vi's contact information and she's soo proud of it ! she loves the way her tags jangle as she walks, she'll stim that way sometimes !

everyone knows she's vi's puppy, sometimes people will give him little treats or toys to give to caitlyn, and people are always asking him about her. he's always happy to chat about his pup !

she's a very obedient pup, definitely a good girl, keeping her nose out of trouble. she's always there when jayce or vi calls. imagine vi coming home from a long day, patting his knees and calling for caitlyn. "yoohooo, where's caiti?" caitlyn comes running immediately, tags jangling as she runs towards vi, jumping up on him excitedly, licking his face like a real puppy would. this makes vi giggle, gently pushing her away because her licks tickle.

caitlyn will only get loud if she's left alone for too long, especially when she misses vi. she's a very loyal girl and after all she's only little, a few hours feels even longer when you're so small. she starts out with a few soft whimpers, maybe a few experimental yips. before long though she's howling, sobs wracking her body. she only stops when she's tired herself out, sobs and howls subsiding back to small whimpers. vi is heartbroken when he comes back to find cait curled up asleep on the floor, eyes swollen from crying. he pampers his baby, apologizing over and over again when she wakes up.

vi getting jinx to make caitlyn a custom dog bed which excites her so much !!! jinx pretends to be annoyed and uncomfortable when caitlyn hugs her but she can't contain a smile. vi taking so many pictures of cait in her little bed, cait so deeply regressed all she can do is babble and yip quietly.

vi and jayce getting the brilliant idea of teaching puppy ! cait tricks... it would be so chaotic Flop Duo cheering and yelling every time she does anything, feeding her too many treats because they can't get over what a cutie she is.

vi tying a little bow to caitlyn's collar, kissing her head telling her what a pretty little puppy she is.

caitlyn isn't the most playful pup, she's very laid back and calm, but she Loves squeaky toys. if someone is to squeak one around her she gets a bit rowdy until she has it in her mouth. she may even try to tug it out of their hands, though vi scolds her gently for this.

caitlyn being one of those silly puppies who does Not stop chewing on her squeaky toy even after it's sound has gotten super annoying for everyone else. being autistic she struggles to pick up on this, especially when she's so engrossed in her toy.

adding a picture of what i think her ears look like :3 i imagine her tail to have a bow as well.

[mischieveousmayhem]

I'm thinking of Bruce Wayne x stark!reader. What if their company are just rivals that don't like eachothers guts very much? They met eachother with their mask on so they both didn't know eachothers identity. So like, I get the idea of there's a maybe commotion in one of the gala they both are invited, maybe one of the rogues did sum crazy again that needs both of them to act fast. And things starts brewing from there😧🔥🔥🔥

Hidden Teamwork

Pairing: Bruce Wayne x Stark! Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: CROSSOVER, violence, enemies to lovers.

Synopsis: Y/N L/N sets foot into Gotham City for a Gala for the biggest and richest companies. However, it can't be a normal night.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the likes and follows I have received!! I apologize for disappearing but I am starting to write again:) Please enjoy!

—

Wayne Empire; one of the biggest companies to exist. Stark International; Another big company.

Though they both have their similarities, it didn't mean necessarily they were allies, realistically they clashed because they were so big, popular and most importantly similar.

There was a big Gala, where all businesses sent one representative to. Which you, Y/N Stark, was sent to Gotham City, to represent her big brother's company, which was founded by their father.

Of course, you were not thrilled because THE Bruce Wayne was going to be there, and you would have to put on the most phony smile ever and thug it out.

You stood in the middle of the gala, in a black dress/suit, blending in with everyone else. You were talking to a bunch of other business owners and workers, who had brilliant ideas to expand their companies. You even found a few companies you could work with in the future.

However, you couldn't fully avoid the billionaire himself, Bruce Wayne. The two of you had crossed paths multiple times and never even dared to speak to each other. Instead, death stares were thrown at each other, which you have to say is childish for their big age.

The peaceful night, turned not so peaceful as suddenly there was a big explosion heard. You turned around and saw a bunch of goons with guns, and other sorts of weapons. You look around trying to figure out the best place to suit up.

Before trying to find a place to suit up, you help escort innocent people outside of the building.

"Help!!" An elderly voice says behind you. It's an old man who runs another one of the biggest companies ever, you rush to his side immediately.

"I got you sir, we need to get out, it's not safe for us." You say while helping him. You bite your lip clearly stressed out.

After escorting everyone out, you go in an alley nearby and suit-up. You're trying your newest invention, the collapsable suit.

After you got your suit on, you were officially "Iron-Sib", which was short for Iron Sibling because you weren't exactly an official avenger, but you were there in dire situations.

You fly to the gala and levitate in front of the goons, who were hired by top-notch villains.

"Face it Vi—" You were about to tell the goons to surrender because they will never win however, a dark figure suddenly swoops in and knocks some of them out.

"What the?!? Who are you?" You literally were shocked under your mask.

"I'm Batman," The figure speaks, "Now help me."

After being shocked for a solid 30 seconds, you then help the Dark Knight himself, knockout about a total of 335 goons.

Before knocking out the last goon, you hold him by his shirt, "Who hired you?"

The Batman was watching from the distance. Who were you? Why were you helping? He didn't need your help.

"Please!! I was just doing my job don't hurt me!!" The figure was scared, your grip tightened just a tad, "Okay, okay!! Lex Luther and the Riddler teamed up for this!! Lex Luther wanted important information that was held here but The Riddler just wanted distraction and disturbance!!"

You don't knock this goon up, but you tie him down so he can't move.

"Your job is done , I got Lex Luther and The Riddler." The Batman spoke.

"I'm sorry but I think you are going to need my help." You speak while crossing your arms.

"I work alone." The Dark Knight answers.

"Not today."

It was obvious you weren't going to let The Batman take down the two villains alone. However you didn't even have to track them down as you hear two voices behind you two.

"Dammit Riddler! You failed me!!" The bald one spoke.

"I didn't know The stupid Bat and that thing would be there! It isn't my fault." The one wearing a hideous green color spoke.

You put it together to figure out who was who, but you didn't act and neither did the Batman for the two were sitting there arguing for a bit about how the Riddler should have planned for Batman.

While the two were distracted, you were the one to make the first move by kicking The Riddler in his groin area. That had to hurt!! Your wearing a metal suit. Which means by that, he was already down, clutching that area miserably. As you tied him up , you watched The Batman fight Lex Luther with hand-to-hand combat.

You watch as The Batman has such agility, making him able to dodge, and such strength, making him able to land powerful hits on Luther.

You can't help but to wonder to yourself; Who is The Batman?

You can't help but to realize how similar that dark voice is to ugly (handsome) , disgusting (mouthwatering), Bruce Wayne's voice.

Lost in your thoughts, you hadn't realized Luther was knocked out and restrained. You look up at The Batman and speak,

"So you're The Batman?" You ask. He nods subtlety but enough for you to notice. "I'm Iron-Sib. Nice working with you."

That's all you say before flying off to that alley and taking off your suit before returning to the crowd of innocent people, acting like you were there the whole time.

That was until you hear that billionaire, Bruce Wayne's voice behind you, "Someone looks disheveled."

"As if the Gala, didn't just get ruined." You say.

"No, you're too calm."

"So are you." You squint.

He had the smallest smile on his face, "Want to grab some dinner since this was ruined?"

You stare at him for a moment. You guys hated each other's guts because of your companies. But now he is asking you for dinner.

"Of course..." You smile, "Bat." That last part was barely audible, but he heard you , which confirmed your suspicions about each other. You were Iron-Sib and he was The Batman. What a start of a beautiful romance.

[ang3lzi]

Can I request headcanons of how would it be like to date Steb, Vander, Jayce, Viktor, Silco, Ekko, and poly Jayce and Viktor with gn s/o please?

⋆.˚ Arcane men x gn!reader ⋆.˚

Hii, thank you so much for requesting!! I hope you enjoy these 💗

Summary: arcane men dating headcanons

Tags: silco x reader, vander x reader, Jayce x reader, Viktor x reader

Silco

Silco is protective in a very subtle way. He doesnt show it, but he cares a lot. He would burn down the world to make sure you're okay. He would do things like sending Sevika off to follow you around to make sure you're safe.

If you were having a bad bad or stressful day, he'd sit you down on his couch and pour you a drink.

I feel like you'd be in his office a lot with him. Drinking, smoking, cuddling, all in his office.

His office would also smell like whiskey and nicotine but whatever

Silco likes to hold you in his arms when he's stressed.

Vander

Expect big, long bear hugs!! Especially when you're sleeping 😭 He'd cling onto you like life support.

He would accidentally show you off to everyone at last drop.

If Vander knew you were having a hard day, he'd have your favourite drink and meal waiting for you on the counter.

The kids would adore you and see you as a second parent. Especially Vi since she's always the one taking care of everyone else. She needs somone to look for help too.

Vander would sometimes stand behind the counter, watching you play with the kids. It melts his heart seeing how happy you make them. He had always dreamed of settling down one day and having a family.

Ekko

He loves seeing you smile. He would do the stupidest things just to hear you laugh or smile.

He would make little gadgets for you such as handmade bracelets!!

Ekko really knows how to cherish you. He had lost so many loved ones, too many actually.

He does this by holding you extra tight some nights or by remembering every little thing about you.

LOVES to take you out on rooftop dates. Sometimes you talk, sometimes you just lay there together in peace, gazing up at the twinkling stars.

If you get too cold at night he'd build a projecter so you can still see stars with him.

Steb

Steb Would always, and I mean always make sure to check up on you!

"You sleep alright?"

His love language is definitely acts of service. He's the type of guy to lend you his jacket even if he's on the verge of getting hypothermia. Even if you'd refuse multiple times.

"Dont be stupid, it's cold."

He's not very good with words but he trys.

"I'm not good at talkin' but I'm good at stayin'."

Jayce, Viktor + Poly Jayce and Viktor

Jayce

Jayce is definitely the dreamer typer. He makes sure to support your dreams, even if you think they're silly.

"That’s brilliant. You have to go for it."

Jayce loves to rest his head in your lap.

He’s constantly touching you!! He'd hold your hand under the table at long meetings, press kisses all over your face after not seeing you for a couple of hours and press his forehead against yours.

Viktor

The first thing he sees is your mind. Not your looks or body.

To Viktor, intelligence and creativity and curiosity is the most important thing in a person.

He makes sure to prioritise you over work.

He leaves little notes around his desk to remind him to take a break and come see you, he even sets timers to remind himself.

Late at night, viktor's idea of relaxing is telling you his latest theories or what he found out at work today.

Poly Jayce and viktor

You're the center of their little world.

Viktor and Jayce balance eachother out. Viktor loves listening to you and teaching you while Jayce loves holding you and making you laugh!

With this, they make you feel adored from very angle possible!!

[fear-is-truth]

What is a random headcanons you have of Kai? Like the type of headcanons that would make him seem really human and not like he's constantly a murderer or psychopathic.

KAI ANDERSON // headcanons

a/n: here goes.. but i fear he’s just as fucked up bc i was trying to be realistic ya know

judges people by their handshakes. a weak grip disgusts him, and he’ll never respect someone with gross clammy hands.

watches old footage of leaders like hitler, stalin, or jfk to study their body language, hand movements. kai practices in front of a mirror until it feels natural. every gesture he makes while speaking is rehearsed. the way he waves his hands, points, or clenches his fists is meant to manipulate emotions.

practices subtle gestures (touching someone’s shoulder, making intense eye contact) to make people subconsciously trust him.

enjoys watching true crime documentaries and infodumps about jonestown or heaven’s gate.

remembers oddly specific details about people but weaponises them later in arguments.

thrives on debates, especially when he can dominate someone intellectually. he’ll derail conversations just to win, even if it’s about the dumbest shit like the best way to eat a subway sandwich.

has entire passages of nietzsche and shakespeare memorized, knows random latin phrases and sprinkles them into conversations to seem cultured.

hates losing at anything—he’ll rage quit a game of monopoly if it’s not going his way.

when fixated on something—a person, an idea, or a goal—he becomes consumed by it. spends hours researching or strategising, often at the expense of his health.

has casually invested in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. checks his coinbase and binance accounts obsessively. has strong opinions about dogecoin being a joke.

occasionally reads self-help books.

his library consists mostly of power-centric books. his favourites include the prince by machiavelli, the 48 laws of power by robert greene, the art of war by sun tzu, and nietzsche’s thus spoke zarathustra. also delves into russian literature like dostoevsky’s notes from underground and tolstoy’s war and peace.

collects super offensive internet memes in a private folder. posts pepe memes on 4chan ironically but secretly thinks they’re funny.

leaves people on read for hours, just because.

desensitised himself to gore.

loves gta, rdr2 and civilization VI. played cod religiously in his incel days.

follows elon musk on x (formerly known as twitter) and admires him as a disruptor of society. or maybe it’s a tech bro thing idk. retweets his memes but also calls him a sellout for pandering to the masses.

loathes andrew tate for his shallow and illogical takes but agrees with 10% of his misogynistic rhetoric.

posts inflammatory tweets that toe the line between radicalism and satire, carefully wording them to avoid getting banned.

an avid user of letterboxd. some of his reviews are super scathing—but for some reason, they always blow up. he’d open the app to find that his hate review on la la land got 7.2k likes. screenshot compilations circulate on reddit and instagram.

his letterboxd favourites are: american psycho, fight club, the social network and the matrix (all 5 star ratings)—but claims he likes them for their philosophical depth.

his favourite show is mr. robot, saying elliot alderson is “the closest thing to a genius on tv.” he also likes the twilight zone and breaking bad.

obsessed with eminem—he’s been a fan ever since d-12. the marshall mathers lp are his go-to rage anthems. thinks lose yourself is the pinnacle of motivational music.

thinks kanye west is a misunderstood genius and frequently defends him online.

uses dark mode on every device.

apple loyalist. owns a macbook, iphone, and airpods because he appreciates their sleek and minimalistic design. calls android users “peasants.”

never charges his phone until it has like 2% left.

brilliant with tech—can hack into nearly anything. knows how to code in several languages, always staying on top of the latest tech trends and occasionally contributes to dark web forums.

builds custom pcs for fun. dabbles in coding and hacking. knows how to create computer viruses.

used to spend wayyy too much time on forums like 4chan, r/RedPill, r/foreveralone and r/incels, though he’s mostly active on subreddits like r/iamverybadass, and r/unpopularopinion. also lurks r/atheism just to mock people with religion.

frequently visits r/AmITheAsshole to judge people, always siding with the “bad guy.” bro has the potential to be a criminal defense lawyer that the DA despises.

lowkey obsessed with angelina jolie, specifically from her tomb raider days. probably has a pinup poster stashed somewhere in his room.

uses arctic fox’s poseidon blue hair dye.

firmly believes in the efficiency of 3-in-1 body wash, shampoo, and conditioner.

wears dior sauvage because it’s “masculine but sophisticated.” probably bought it after seeing johnny depp in an ad.

when he’s in a mood, kai loves sneaking up on people to startle them. he’s perfected the art of standing silently in doorways until someone notices.

prefers dogs because they’re trainable, loyal, and trusting on their owner. in other words they are easy to manipulate and control.

constantly rolls his shoulders and cracks his neck. it’s both a habit and a way to intimidate people.

his lust for power stems from feeling powerless in his youth, particularly after witnessing his father’s abuse to his mother and the lack of control he had over the situation.

struggles to process complex emotions like guilt, shame, or empathy. often suppresses them or redirects them into rage.

swings between grandiosity (believing he’s destined for greatness) and crippling self-doubt (thinking he’s fundamentally unlovable)

finds it almost impossible to open up emotionally unless it’s to manipulate someone.

criticism, even minor, eats away at him. he’ll stew over it for days, replaying it in his head while devising ways to “prove them wrong.”

gets uneasy if someone expresses affection without clear reason—suspects ulterior motives.

goes online to stalk whoever winter’s dating at the time. sends cryptic, vaguely threatening texts from a burner number or straight up dox them. half of it is for shits and giggles, the other half is rooted in jealousy.

he’s attracted to girls who are intelligent and opinionated. independent but emotionally vulnerable, so he can swoop in and “save” them (he has a saviour complex). loyalty is non-negotiable, and she has to make him feel like her top priority.

anyone resembling winter is immediately his type, but he’d never admit it.

freakishly good at darts and chess.

knows how to pick locks and also, how to build a perfect pipe bomb.

his clown mask is inspired by satan in dante’s divine comedy (based on this convo with @porcelainlipgloss)

alternates between ice-cold showers and scalding hot ones depending on his mood.

drums his fingers or shakes his leg while sitting. can spin a pen around his fingers like a pro. learned it during boring college lectures and now does it absentmindedly.

can’t stand slow walkers, or when someone scrapes a fork on their teeth. his reactions to these are disproportionate and borderline hostile.

prone to road rage.

has read elliot rodger’s manifesto once, mostly out of curiosity and boredom, but ended up getting weirdly immersed in it. he disagreed with the bravado and entitlement, though—he finds it pathetic and would mock it, but still, he couldn’t put it down. deep down, he understands the mindset too well, which makes him uncomfortable.

selectively polite. says “please” and “thank you” when it benefits him but will completely ignore social etiquette in other situations, like cutting lines or taking the last slice of pizza.

his workout playlist consists of nine inch nails, rammstein. aggressive rap like eminem (“till i collapse” is a staple) and dmx. sometimes mixes in orchestral movie scores (the dark knight rises soundtrack pumps him up)

brushes his teeth aggressively, so his toothbrushes always wear out quickly.

loves gas station beef jerky and bags of plain popcorn with way too much salt.

doesn’t drink often, claiming alcohol dulls the mind. but when he does, it’s always something hardcore like everclear or absinthe. has a surprisingly high alcohol tolerance.

can literally live off black coffee or monster zero ultra (white can). claims he doesn’t need caffeine, but drinks it constantly because he “likes the bitterness.”

his handwriting is pretty neat, but only when he’s focused—otherwise, it’s chicken scratch.

loves the smell of gasoline and sharpies.

can’t sit his ass down during phone conversations—kai paces back and forth like a caged animal.

rarely gets more than four hours of sleep.

and when he does sleep, he sleeps on his stomach with one arm dangling off the bed.

sleep talks under extreme stress.

secretly likes it when someone takes care of him. whether it’s bandaging a cut or insisting he eats when he’s been working too hard, he fucking melts. he’ll complain about being babied, but it’s a front.

[sapphiresaphics]

^^^———

I’m P.O’d because I spent 10 mins writing a response only to find they’ve blocked me. So I’m gonna do it anyway here. Let’s go!

So the reason the AU is different is because of the different circumstances of the explosion. In OUR universe the kids set off the explosion and run away. They become fugitives who stole from Piltover and blew up a building. They become low level terrorists in the eyes of Piltover.

But in the AU universe, Vi dies. The kids don’t get away. Marcus finds them crying and mourning her death. The story becomes not as mini terrorists, but as poor kids trying to survive brutalized by the negligence of Jayce (and by extension Piltover). Vi dying here becomes a wake-up call to police themselves better and to help the poor of the undercity.

And let’s not forget Heimerdinger too. He was transported into this universe 3 years before Ekko was and by his own admission has achieved wonderful things here. Given that he’s more connected to helping the undercity because of Ekko, it’s not really much of a stretch to assume that his influence helped shape the AU to become a much better place. That he frequents the Last Drop and knows the kids there is evidence of this.

Powder isn’t cured of her psychosis either. While she doesn’t have the negative catalyst of killing her family and being slapped and name-called by Vi that sets her off into becoming Jinx, she’s still struggling with the loss of Vi in the AU. Vander says as much to her. She may have had healthier coping mechanisms to get her through losing Vi, but she’s still refusing to move on despite how brilliant and smart she is.

Silco knew who the kids were. In our universe the explosion and blame on the kids gives him the opportunity to take Vander down because at this time Silco sees Vander as keeping Zaun from achieving its ultimate goal. But in the AU, the blame for the explosion is on Zaun. This would be a perfect opportunity to reach out to Vander and work with him to champion for the rights of Zaun. So while it’s nice to think that the letter helped bridge the gap, I don’t think that was the only thing that did it. I think Vi dying caused him to reach out.

And finally, there’s no Jayce. He either died in the explosion, was expelled, or killed himself for causing what happened. Either way, without him to champion the idea of Hextech, nobody else is around to MAKE Hextech. That seems pretty straightforward to me.

———

It’s amazing how this initial two paragraph “arcane critical” post requires SO MUCH unpacking. Their ignorance and refusal to see beyond the surface of the show results in them glossing over SO MUCH STUFF that to properly address it all I need to write 6 full paragraphs to explain each point! It’s SO reductive to take this AU and simplify it into “Vi dying is why it’s better.” That’s not wha the show is presenting, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to piece to clues together.

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Maybe it's because I watched all of Arcane after the series was finished and didn't have time to develop theories in between episode drops, or in between seasons. Or maybe it's because I've been on my Paul Atreides bullshit for most of a year (character who undergoes a transformation that alters his experience of reality to something incomprehensible to a normal human, but still maintains a human understanding of and responsibility for his actions). But it never once occurred to me that Viktor was doing the things he does in S2 out of anything other than his own free will. The idea that he was being controlled or manipulated by the Hexcore (beyond it giving him the power to amplify his worst impulses way beyond what would have been possible otherwise) was not a theory I even considered until I started reading meta about S2. It's way more interesting, and imo thematically and tonally consistent, if my man did all that shit himself.

Damaged people spiraling to extreme actions is like the driving force of the plot of this show. Vi and Vander both lash out at someone they love in a moment of shock and grief, in a way that defines the life of that person for years to come. Caitlyn, with her guilt and her need for vengeance and her longing for respect, becomes a military dictator when given unchecked power. Jinx, with her impulsiveness and suicidal self-hatred, becomes a nihilistic vigilante when encouraged to indulge her violent urges without thinking about the consequences. In both of those cases they had someone (Ambessa and Silco) who nudged them onto that slippery slope for that person's own ends. But they still did all that shit themselves.

With Viktor I don't think the force is a person. (And I don't think it's the Hexcore either. Whether the Hexcore is sentient to the degree of having plans and goals is also something I have thoughts on but that's a subject for another post.) I think it's terror at his own powerlessness in the face of his impending mortality. He escaped the conditions of his birth, clawed his way up out of the undercity using nothing but his brilliant mind, and it doesn't matter. The conditions of his birth are gonna get him anyway. He's dying of poverty. If suddenly given the power to Fix Things, of course he is gonna take it. And if he can Fix Things for himself then why not others, who no more deserve to live in these conditions than he does? Of course he's gonna start out from a completely understandable and sympathetic position and take things WAY too far, one seemingly logical step at a time. That's how everything in this show happens.