#existence without Viktor means death to jayce

[rexxdjarin]

so much of Jayce going after Viktor really comes down to

“please don’t leave me. I don’t want to live without you.”

when you really think about it.

[hexhomos]

I really hate that so many are against Viktor having the kids because his in utero imagery, embryo face splitting, etc... it's just fitting. With his making a better future, for those that exist and will exist... I don't think he'd hate children, not at all. And as for him hating being pregnant, I think most people find it unpleasant LMFAO. Just because he's disabled doesn't mean he isn't capable of carrying. Disabled people can have, and can want to have, children. I should know, as it's personal to me. How do you feel on this?

I think this is all completely valid. At the same time I fully understand the other side of the issue, because (personally) I'm very viscerally repulsed by the idea of having a pregnancy, just on a gut level. Periods make me feel capital T terrible, I have enough health issues routinely that I'm on edge about losing control of my body every 3 months; and having a baby is The most chaotic and disorienting bodily experience you can willingly sign up for. Nine months of gestation! And it's not over even after the baby is out! You could be changed forever!

I'm empathetic to the viewpoint that viktor would be hyperaware of all the associated trials & risks and he wouldn't be super excited to sign up for it. When you're born with an uterus you're bombarded with the messaging that pregnancy is Inevitable and Desired and if you don't do it soon enough you are, in fact, wasting a precious limited resource of your body - and this is the norm, this is expected, but also generally quite horrific. I think people expressing their negative feelings on the trope come more from a place of personal discomfort, and fandom niches are one of the only spaces where this can be expressed without people looking at you like some sort of confessed criminal (or god forbid, a broken woman!!!!)

I don't think Viktor’s imagery necessarily implies pregnancy so much as him being trapped in a state of arrested development, reverting to a pre-ego self (or, a rebirth and reformation) he's on the death-life cycle, quite literally.

I also honestly believe ship babies stuff can be cute, and I've liked some of it. I've even read some pregnant viktor fics before, and eventually decided those aren't for me. To each their own! I like viktor as a spokesperson of body horror and i think the machine herald could do some great free abortions. I'm pro-get-jayce-pregnant. Life will find a way. He would probably see all of the positive sides and brush off the negatives then get really in touch with his feelings. let viktor be the bewildered dad. that's my take

[foggylizzard]

Viktor and his politics - an analysis

I would truly do anything for a more politically minded and motivated Viktor, but I truly believe that Arcane dropped the ball with his character. While his naivety and belief that he can work with Piltover to achieve peace makes sense in the realm of his character as a scientist, it’s just so overplayed. And he’s never disproven, the consequences he suffers are entirely personal.

First, his obsession with the hexcore is written as a personal selfishness. He wants to be live and experience an unburdened body. While his obsession with his disability is a result of an ableist society, and his desire to live is natural, this is framed as selfishness through a disregard of his other projects, to the point where it takes Skye's life. The show places a greater emphasis on Viktor’s self-worth than it does the system that doomed him. His obsession spirals from just his impending death to his disability as a whole as the hexcore infects his mind. And Arcane finds a way to paint his actions as a personal madness, rather than an indication of a larger issue.

They do so by drawing connection to his character arc in flashbacks. Not to Viktor’s poor living standards in the undercity, but to Singed. A singular mad individual who the show passes the blame onto. An easily digestible villain, who goes on to aid Ambessa, and shifts the role of enemy onto Noxus' shoulders.

Singed's motivations are all selfish. He acts under the jurisdiction of a greater authority, but never for the sake of a single cause. He jumps, without remorse, from Silco to Ambessa, for the sole sake of his daughter. He attempts to reach Viktor through a common feeling of isolation, only successfully doing so when Viktor's world view shifts, selfishly. Their initial disconnect is a result of Viktors empathy, particularly towards Rio, who exists as a representation of who Viktor later aims to help. He can relate to those who experience a similar helplessness within their own body, or who can't afford the luxury of scientific/medical aid and aims to solve this issue. Still, his motivations evade the topic of Piltover's oppression of the undercity, despite being personally affected by the actions of the enforcers. Despite many disabilities in the undercity and a general lack of accessible healthcare being the result of Piltover’s neglect.

When Viktor accepts the shimmer offered, and with it, Singed's immoral methods of experimentation, Singed warns him that "they" won't understand, drawing on his own experiences with Heimerdinger. Singed speaks on a greater scale, of Piltover versus Zaun. Piltover does not accept or understand the lengths those in the undercity go to in order to survive, given the poor conditions they were born into. But Viktor is insistent that Jayce will understand. Viktor views his and Jayce's relationship as beyond Piltover and Zaun. He sees their future discussion on a personal scale, where their bond preservers through any preconceived notions about shimmer. Which is exactly why Jayce's prejudiced statement on the bridge shocks him.

Viktor views himself as a Zaunite, but his identity operates passively in Piltover. A defense mechanism developed as a means to survive. That is, unless his credibility or accomplishments are challenged. The first instance of that is on the bridge. Jayce has drawn a line mentally, between his world and that of the undercity, which he associates only with danger due to the recent attacks. He is unable to remember Viktor as a Zaunite due his personal attachment to his partner. Jayce is selfishly motivated. His creations were a result of obsession, and a desire for recognition of his lifelong dream. He craved validation, that he wasn't crazy for fixating on the mage that saved him and his mother.

It is Viktor that provides him with that validation, by indulging his dreams when no one else would. Jayce has such a deep connection to Viktor, that when combined with his lack of experience in politics, he mentally categorizes him as part of his world. Jayce's statements, despite being prejudiced, are not politically rooted. The line he draws is divided not by Piltover and Zaun, but the known and the unknown. Viktor chastises him with a firm reminder that he himself is from the undercity but forgives Jayce almost immediately. Because he is able to see Jayce's intent beyond his inexperienced world view.

The second instance in which Viktor argues on the side of Zaun is when Mel proposes weaponizing the hextech. He immediately disapproves, stating that it wasn't the original intent of their creation. Once again, his disagreement relates to his work. When Mel assumes that the stolen hexgem has been used to create weapons, he has no reaction. Until she implies that she wants the two of them to be involved in the next course of action.

It is Jayce, who first brings up the topic of politics and how it would only cause further unrest. Once again, there is a divide created. Now, with Mel in the conversation, Jayce's focus is drawn to his duty to Piltover, and he forgets his own selfish desires in the pressure placed upon him. But he is a character whose moral code is actively impacted by those around him, especially those he cares for. Just as he had easily agreed with Viktor on the bridge after being challenged, he argues on Mel's behalf after she leaves the room, despite initially disagreeing with her.

Viktor, however, exists somewhat removed from the world of politics. His first priority is science and their shared creations. It is only when he verbally recognizes the political implications of creating weapons that he begins to break through to Jayce. Once again, he places an emphasis on his work, saying first, that they are "scientists, not soldiers". He reminds Jayce why hextech exists, to improve lives, only in order to remind Jayce of the consequences of weaponizing it. His first instinct is not as a Zaunite, fearing for the harm of his people, but as a scientist with an objection and ethical obligation.

Viktor is constantly impacted by his identity as a Zaunite, and speaks openly about it, though there is a line drawn that divides him from any real relation to the undercity. Drawing back to the bridge scene, he exists in a weird juxtaposition where he is able to forgive the personal slight of Jayce's offense, yet he hides the shimmer from him, recognizing their differences in privilege and how it may impact their relationship more than he initially realized. Then in his speech to Jayce after Mel's proposal, he avoids specifics in language when discussing the impact of violence on Zaun. He uses broader terms, taking an anti-violent but ultimately neutral stance by claiming that the purpose of their invention is to aid everyone involved.

Arcane consistently acknowledges Viktor's existence as a disabled Zaunite, and how it affects his personal life and accomplishments, yet they consistently fail to relate this to his world views, especially after his descent into the Machine Herald. It's this implied selfishness that exists as a result of poor writing that sours his character arc, nearly to the point of tired ableist tropes.

Arcane fails to punish Piltover properly. But it, ironically, does an exceptionally adequate job of punishing Viktor as a result of his actions. Narratively, he becomes the villain in season two, despite the audiences understanding and insight into the circumstances that led him down this path. It is his own insecurities that are the danger here. Even his actions after his revival are personally motivated. He goes to the undercity to escape Jayce and finds people to heal as a result. It is never just about Zaun, as he goes on to heal and welcome all into his "place of peace". It is a projected insecurity, that makes his motivations appear sinister despite his earnest attempts to help. Giving Viktor a stronger moral code would make his actions appear less unfounded and place a greater emphasis on the origins of his internalized ableism. On the actions of Piltover, in particular.

The previous disconnects in the writing that absolve Piltover of personal responsibility for his death and condition ultimately make his ending the result of a personal fault. The narrative finds every way to avoid drawing connections between Viktor and Zaun, ultimately contributing to its centrist themes. As we get further into the show, the disconnect grows. It is Piltover's fault that he is dying, yet it is Jinx, a Zaunite, who kills him. It is Jayce, a character so deeply disconnected from politics despite being a councilor, that brings him back against his will. The narrative constantly shifts the responsibility away from Piltover, and thus, flattens the significance of Viktor's character and his suffering in season two.

Does this have a point? Perhaps not. But I find it interesting how Viktor, despite having an inherently radical existence as a disabled Zaunite in Piltover, constantly evades the political topics the show explores. Anyways I'm just disappointed in Arcane's descent into centrism (yes I know it always influenced the writing but I am mourning what could have been)

[interclair]

The principle of magic, which I will be discussing as you read further, is a recurring motif throughout Arcane.

First of all, thanks to her brilliant mind, I would like to credit my sister for coming up with 90% of these ideas and theories.

Now before going to the main point, let’s touch first on the history of runes.

Ryze, once a mage apprentice and later an adept sorcerer with immense arcane power, first learned about the ‘runes’ from his mentor, Tryus. These runes are a collection of shards that hold incredible power. Soon after their existence became known, power-hungry individuals sought to possess the runes for themselves, leading to the devastating ‘Rune Wars.’ When the conflict ended, Ryze took it upon himself to gather all the runes to prevent further abuse.

Moving on to the events of Arcane S1, I propose that the hooded figure who approached Jayce was Ryze. In an effort to save his mother, Ryze used the most stable form of ‘arcane’ magic to its fullest extent until its power diminished (as it no longer glowed) and then entrusted it to Jayce without educating him about its history—likely for safekeeping purposes. This way, Jayce could not use or abuse the stone as others had before him. The question, though, which I think is essential given the latest episodes of S2, remains: why did Ryze choose to give it to Jayce?

Years later, Jayce’s curiosity and admiration pushed him to create his own ‘arcane’ technology in collaboration with Viktor, which became known as Hextech. I believe that the creation of Hextech caused a thinning of the line between the physical and spiritual worlds, which means that magic was now easy to practice or perform.

The main point is that, in many fantasy narratives, the principle governing magic is that whatever you desire comes at a cost. With Hextech or Hexcore, when Viktor wished for a healed body—an intense desire—Sky was inadvertently consumed in the process, representing that necessary “sacrifice.” That’s when the Hextech technology started to devise its own capabilities (not to mention the fusion of Viktor’s blood and Shimmer with it too). This also aligns with Jayce’s analogy when discussing wild runes with Ekko (most notably his audible ‘sigh’ when passing a tome) where a second reaction (sacrifice) is needed to perform an action (magic). I think that was how the wild runes were made, in a sense.

As for Viktor himself, he’s become the medium for the physical and the spiritual world given that his body was nearly completely consumed, save for his face. Essentially, he embodies a sort of living martyr. The way he heals others seems to erase their ‘impurities’ through spiritual means; this creates a void that should have resulted in their death due to its physiological impossibility. However, because both realms must fulfill their part of the ‘deal,’ this physical void is filled with materials from the physical world represented by metallic enhancements. Later on, he’s nicknamed the ‘Herald.’

In the scenes where Jayce, Ekko, and Heimerdinger enter the underground Hextech chamber, visible smoke comes out from their mouths as they speak. This suggests two possibilities: they are alive (which is obvious) and the chamber has a cold temperature. Salo, who was ‘healed’ by Viktor, also went into that chamber one episode later but did not produce any smoke when breathing. It could indicate that he may be lifeless to some extent—less alive than humans. This contrast is further emphasized by Jayce, who, having just returned from his journey, still exhales smoke.

Those ‘healed’ by Viktor appear to serve him as puppets. During the healing process, their souls seem to be extracted in exchange for a more functional body. This concept connects back to the principle of ‘magic,’ where a troubling trade-off occurs: the enhancement of their physical forms comes at the expense of their essence.

Lore-wise, this principle is also present among the Void creatures, known as the Watchers, with an intent to destroy the universe. Lissandra, the Ice Witch, struck a deal with them for immortality, dooming—or rather, sacrificing—her world in the process. As the Watchers prepared for destruction, Lissandra’s sisters opposed this threat which parallels the current situation of Hextech. In Arcane, the gradual corruption of Hextech under Viktor’s influence can be seen as a modern parallel to the Watchers’ creeping influence. Viktor, akin to the Watchers, represents a force of destruction masked by innovation, while Jayce, much like Lissandra’s sisters who resisted the Void, stands as a reluctant counterbalance to the looming threat.

I’m not very sure yet with the time-travel theories, particularly about Viktor and Jayce travelling and meeting in different timelines and portals, but they’re plausible all the same. I’m just incredibly fascinated with the recurring themes and parallels of betrayal and sacrifices made for power. Can’t wait what the last three episodes will give! :)

[melatonindeficient]

Arcane and Jesus Figures

i grew up in a super Christian household and I don't really believe anymore, but whenever I see religious figures in fiction I always get super hooked and end up trying to analyse the entire piece of media in relation to religion, so when Viktor entered his Jesus arc I was like oh hell yeah this is gonna something I'm fixated on for weekssss.

He was prosecuted against yet performed miracles, and when Jayce came in feeling all out of sorts and killed him the first time, he was resurrected. He faced hardships of some sort, he encountered a sort of rebirth, and came out completely changed and changing the world for others.

However...so did literally everyone else.

Maybe that's an exaggeration but "rebirth" can mean a million different things depending on circumstances. The death of Cait's mother could've been her rebirth, and her promise to kill Jinx and eradicate her wrongdoings could easily be compared to the Christian campaign against the devil. Jayce's time in the trenches could've been a rebirth and his salvation of sins could've been his oath to destroy Viktor as the devil. Though we compare Ekko's alternate universe to a heaven, that could also be a rebirth of the same kind. Hell, even Jinx practically came back from the dead after Silco had Singed pump her full of shimmer, though I wouldn't say she had a rebirth of any kind until she met Isha. Basically what I'm saying is that Arcane has little faux-Jesuses running around everywhere.

But if we're gonna say that Viktor is definitively Jesus because he fits the mold the very best, and we're going to assume that the writers stuck pretty close to the actual story of Jesus then that poses one question.

Who is God?

Now my first immediate and obvious guess is the arcane.

But the arcane makes itself present in people who aren't even followers of Viktor (cough cough Jayce's wrist and Ekko's machine) while Viktor's spirit is pretty limited to those who chose to follow him (like he said himself); his disciples.

So, really, to stick to some kind of religious doctrine, the arcane is more like the Holy Spirit. So there's two out of three of the Holy Trinity, but still no God.

Now to revisit the point about the arcane being present within others, particularly in jayce's wrist, Viktor's position as Jesus becomes more complicated. To be so honest I only had this thought after seeing a tiktok comment saying Jayce held his hammer like a cross, but though Viktor is the one who has an emphasized Jesus arc, Jayce's is just as relevant; to reiterate, he doesn't perform miracles (he tried to with what could have been a life-changing peace deal), and he isn't hated save for prior to his success with Hextech, but he faces a sort of "hell" and comes back to save his people from a "devil." That's a Jesus figure if I ever saw one.

Yet.

Jayce is the reason for Viktors' rebirth, and he is also the reason (well, at least the major part of the reason considering all of the other factors which allowed Hextech to exists) for his own. Jayce kills him seemingly without second thought, and he did so in such a way that it seemed random and out of character, hence why so many people were outraged with him during the week between acts 2 and 3 (rough time for Jayce glazers like myself). Jayce has a Jesus arc, sure, but Jayce is Judas.

So there's always the easy answer, being that there isn't a god at all and maybe all this time it was commentary on how without something to believe in there is chaos but I both don't think that's it and think that that's boorrringggg.

Viktor could be God, but ultimately that would immediately place Jayce as Jesus and I dunno if the jayvik shippers fw a ship between cosmic father and son...

But Viktor could also be the Holy Spirit because he was the one controlling the husks, and could speak through them.

So maybe between those two men alone we have the Holy Trinity AND a Judas.

Alternatively, though, it would make sense for the arcane itself to be "God" and for its runes to be the Holy Spirit. Practically the same entity, but not quite.

The arcane as God, Viktor as Jesus, runes as the Holy Spirit, and Jayce as Judas....

Hextech as the Bible? Sure, let's go with that.

[kisscoolen]

Hi! Can you please share your thoughts on tma and arcane parallels? I'm very curious to hear your opinion on it

oh boy this might be a long one! Glad y’all wanna hear my thoughts though ☺️

MAJOR ARCANE AND TMA SPOILERS BELOW

I see Viktor as an avatar of the extinction, as evolution cannot occur without extinction. As species adapt their undesirable traits die out, leading to the technical death of the species that had those traits. This is what Viktor wants to do with the human race. He wants to adapt us to no longer feel pain, no longer die. But in this process he would wipe out the species once known as humanity, as without these traits we are no longer human.

Jayce is an avatar of the end, as his goal to stop Viktor means keeping death in the world. He knows that death is inevitable, and though he does not embrace his end in open arms, Viktor’s do.

ok so obviously Viktor’s “glorious evolution” is a ritual, and a large scale one at that. You could even argue that it did succeed honestly, and that the last stand hill with all the robots is his panopticon. The empty world that Jayce saw is what would happen to the fears if they were left to run rampant. They cannot exist without fear to feed off of, and when all humans are claimed by the end, it leaves a husk of a world.

Now that I think about it the relationship buildup is pretty similar too. Though Jon and Martin admittedly started on more rocky ground then Jayce and Viktor, they both started as co workers. And both Jayce and Martin saw their partners at their worst, as who they were, not just as a sum of their broken parts. They never even saw them as broken in the first place.

I can only picture all the fanart of Martin holding Jon in his final moments as the same pose Jayce and Viktor held while they dissapeared. They both died by the hands of the one they loved, (sometimes multiple times, I’m looking at you Jayce) and though we kind of got to see where Jon and Martin ended up, I don’t know if we’ll ever get the same for Viktor and Jayce. And that makes it all the sadder, but at least it leaves us room to hope.

I could definitely rant some more about who I think would correlate to what fear, Jinx is absolutely an avatar of the lonely DO NOT fight me on this. But I think this post is long enough lol

[avelera]

I am LOVING all of these Meta posts! I'm still coming through them all, so idk if you answered already, but do you have any thoughts on what Jayce was up to in the Timebomb universe?

Because since he was researching Hextech, Viktor still met him as a kid, but Jayce probably scrapped a LOT of research after Vi dying. So I wonder if:

- Jayce ever met Viktor and what that means for Wizard Viktor being cool with that timeline

- if the Anomaly sent Heimerdinger and Ekko there specifically because the Hexcore was annoyed that there was one timeline where it didn't have any influence over anyone. Whiiich led to Ekko unintentionally dooming that timeline to get home by introducing the anomaly and encouraging Jinx to do more ambitious science, lol. Whoops. (But Ekko is the best boy and I can fault him for nothing)

Which THEN leads me to wonder if part of the reason that the Machine Herald said "that device cannot be" was fully the Hexcore talking because it thought the timeline they went to was the "Jayvik doesn't exist here which means I can't assimilate people" one, which is an anomaly among timelines lol. It sent Ekko there not expecting a miracle but hey, Ekko made it happen as a nice pleasant surprise.

Now the Hexcore will probably turn to non-Jayvik timelines like 👀. Queue Machine Herald Jinx 😆

I hate to say it, because I have thought about it, and I'm pretty sure Jayce is dead in the Timebomb universe. He either died:

In the initial explosion that also killed Vi. If you rewatch the opening of 1.02, Jayce comes really close to being injured or killed himself in that explosion.

Jayce successfully ended his own life after out of guilt and having his dream taken away, because there's no way Heimerdinger was going to coach him on how to get a slap on the wrist instead of full banishment if a child died in the explosion.

There is of course a third, happier option that is theoretically on the table: Heimerdinger couldn't find Jayce in that universe because Jayce accepted his banishment and is no longer in Piltover. Personally, I like to think that in such a universe, Viktor would have gone with him, still seeing the potential in Hextech despite the death of Vi.

I think the device "can't be" because it's made with a second branch of Hextech that Viktor has nothing to do with. Because you're right, for Jayce to make the gems at all means it IS a universe where the wizard saved him, so it's not just a universe without Jayce and/or Viktor.

I will say, we don't know if Jinx is going to start messing with Hextech. I personally took the gems in the drawer to mean she would, but others pointed out that her closing the drawer shows she has the self restraint in that universe to not pursue a dangerous innovation, so maybe that timeline is safe?

[argowrites]

Mortality, Chapter 7

Jinx grinned. She felt young again. She felt Powder again. Vi was there and Ekko was there and no one was mad at her. For a moment, she wondered if this was how it could be. Just the three of them, like before except without Vander, but maybe Silco could be Vander. She would make them all understand how much she needed each one of them, how intrinsically important they all were to her very existence.

“I’ll give you some time. Um, we can talk about everyone staying when you’re done,” Ekko said, looking but not quite looking at Jinx.

Jinx thought about calling after him, asking him to stay. That it really could be like before, but then again, it was good to be with Vi. To have her all to herself again.

“It's been longer. About two weeks, I think,” a new voice who Jinx had not even considered said.

It came from a young woman with hair so dark it was nearly blue. Her voice was elegant and lilting, like she had never seen a hard day in her life. JInx studied her over Vi’s shoulder. She was wearing their clothes, but she looked Piltie through and through. That was strange. They were not supposed to be down there, safe behind their barricades and bridges. Jinx narrowed her eyes. The woman stepped back as if Jinx had threatened her. Maybe she had.

Vi must have felt something. She let go of Jinx and looked between her and the woman and then sighed. Then she smiled and turned so that she was between them, one hand holding Jinx’s, one hand on the woman’s waist.

“This is Caitlyn, Pow. She’s coming with us,” Vi said.

“Hello. A pleasure to meet you,” the woman started. Typical Piltie. “I’ve heard–”

Jinx completely ignored Caitlyn. There had been a little bit too much information in what Vi had said for her to take it all in at once.

Wow. She’s replaced you, Mylo whispered. It was the first thing he had said in days.

“No,” Jinx said.

“No? What–Powder?” Vi stammered.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Jinx said quickly before collecting herself. “What do you mean coming? What do you mean going?”

“We’re leaving Zaun, Pow. There’s nothing for us here. Or Caitlyn. And she’s–I–she’s coming with us,” Vi said, already bossing her around again.

“There’s plenty of stuff! My stuff."

Fandom: Arcane: League of Legends

Rating: Mature

Chapters: 7/?

Characters: Viktor, Singed, Silco, Jinx, Ekko, Jayce, Mel, Sevika, Caitlyn, Vi

Relationships: Jayce/Viktor, Caitlyn/Vi, Singed & Viktor, Jinx & Viktor,

Additional Tags: Angst, Multiple POV, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Major Character Death, Black Death AU

[placiotrash]

Arcane s2 act 1 & 2 SPOILERS

Arcane is gonna make me end it all I swear What do you MEAN the first words Jayce said to Viktor when he first saw him emerge from his cocoon is "Viktor, My God" what do you MEAN "it was Affection that held us together"

And like the first thing Viktor said when he sees Jayce again is "I'd feared I wouldn't hace the chance to speak to you again" and "I was clouded by emotions. Come, visit me." LIKE WHAT

Lets not even get to the comparisons of Viktor becoming a messiah and healing the sick and poor in Zaun vs Jayce becoming a "traitor" and killing him when he was warmly welcomed. Of course, The roles of traitor and savior can be switched, since I don't think Viktor was doing the right thing, making his little cult and seemingly stripping people of their autonomy (whether he wanted to or was even aware he was doing it) and Jayce seemingly seeing past what was going on/having some reason (based on what he presumingly experienced in the wild rune) for doing what he does- everyone knows Jayce is a rightious person- if he thinks what he's doing will have save more people than it will hurt, he'll do it.

He and Viktor are the same in that they both want to save as many lives as possible, but they both tend to ignore the possible consequences (to varying degrees). Viktor was trying to merge parts of himself with the hextech thing to augment himself, without considering the real life consequences (if the expirement was unsuccesful, he could have made his disability worse, or even died- rip Sky, she was a real one- and if it DID work, who could guarantee i would work for everyone? - Sky, again. For Jayce, it the chaos his weapons would create without being guarded for misuse. He accidently killed a child in a fight because he was using his hextech, meant to HELP PEOPLE, in a way it wasn't designed to be used, without authorization or thinking through his plan enough)

NOW, though, Viktor became a part of the hextech he feared, and is helping people without really thinking through the consequences (again) like the horrifying fact that he can use the people he heals as a conduit for his consciousness, literally possessing their bodies, or the fact that they all seem to abandon their old lives and dedicate themselves wholy to him. Like has it occured that hmm, maybe these people are a little TOO into the whole "Im their savior" thing? Like we even see salo, a prideful man, become so devoted to Vik in such a short amount of time. Viktor's so hot. And let's not even mention the fact that as Viktor was walking in the fissures, the Hexcore literally SHOWS HIM where to go. Like if that doesn't scream some sort of manipulation, i don't know what does.

and we see the fact that the second Viktor (or rather the Hexcore) is destoryed (which might have been inevitable since Sky -or someone else i can't remember rn- mentioned how he was weakening with every miracle he performed, and something about how even machines have their limits. either this implies that Viktor himself was weakening as the conduit to the arcane in the hexcore, or the hexcore inside him itself was weakening with all vik was doing) all his followers seem to cry out with Viktor's own voice and falling limp, the arcane flowing out of them. Without the Hexcore, they die. Sure, they experienced a short existence without their illnesses, but if it comes at the price of literally needing the Hexcore to exist, how is it any better than an addicting drug? Exctasy in exchange for dependence. Life or death is the choice one makes when they are healed by Viktor, without them even knowing.

And Jayce. What has Jayce SEEN in the wild rune to become so disturbed by even the sight of Salo, one of Vik's followers. His 'glitches' always seem to respond with close proxy to them, and it makes me think that whatever is going on with Viktor and the hexcore, he's able to see right through it. Jayce's so hot. Jayce is ultimately a rightious man, so he wouldn't have 'killed' Viktor, the man he literally revived against his principles or promises, without REALLY GOOD REASONS. But that doesn't mean Jayce is in his right mind either. Like with Viktor, I think both of them are being (whether lightly or strongly) influenced. Viktor with the Hexcore, and Jayce with the Wild Rune.

But I do want to point out I think Jayce wanted to destroy the hexcore he put in Viktor, since he shot him in the chest where the core was, but this is up to debate. I think Jayce might know he didn't kill Viktor, since Jayce, whether influenced or not, would have MOURNED that man. Jayce started crying and ran who knows how far with Viktor in his arms when he thought that man died, you're telling me he wouldn't have fallen to his knees and cried both in grief and in guilt at what he'd done? No, Viktor had him wrapped around his finger, no way he'd walk away (disturbed and confused and in chaos, but not sad, not truly) without the show making this more of a big deal. That's how much I trust this show- no way they'd build up the relationship with these two without more going on.

Viktor, on the surface, seemed like the messiah the people in the fissures were saying he was, but in reality was betraying his principles to 'save' other and making them beholden to him. Jayce, who shot Viktor, the man who welcomed him back with open arms, stopped forsaking his principles and the promise he made to Viktor (before his first rebirth) and stuck his guns fueled by the knowledge he'd gained in the wild rune- that he was, in the end, saving more people than he was forsaking (and i do believe he saved viktor).

I don't play LoL, so I don't know the endgame outcome for these characters. Im hanging by a thread that they'll be okay (Act 3 is going to devistate me)

[absoluteham]

Arcane Season 2, Part Two

Okay, the theme I think they're exploring is how one person can have disproportional influence, whether they're trying to or not, especially when they're stepping into a hole left by someone or something else. The universe hates a vacuum, but what (who) steps into that vacuum can change everything.

Vi and Powder were probably on track to be normal kids in Zaun, but when the Enforcers kill their parents, Vander steps in. His influence is a good one, but different, and they grow up good but maybe a little more rough.

Powder is abandoned by Vi at the same time they lost Vander. Silco steps into that gap, and under his influence, Powder's worst impulses are fed and she becomes a monster, Jynx. When Silco is dead and she ends up with Isha in that emptiness, it brings out more of her goodness and playfulness, and she softens again.

As for Vi, she never lets one person fully fill the emptiness that Vander left. The first person she really lets get close to her is Caitlyn. Under Cait's influence, she becomes (reluctantly) more willing to go along with the establishment, to try to trust the Council and Enforcers. But then when Caitlyn betrays her, she spirals and self-destructs. Until Jynx returns and tries to reassemble their little family, and you see Vi start to hope for that again, and start to forgive.

As for Cait, in the vacuum left after her mother's death, her first instinct is to pull Vi closer (especially since her father refuses to step up and fill that hole). But the main thing left in that hole is anger and grief, and when Ambessa steps in, she presses Cait to feed that anger. Cait also has most of Piltover calling Zaun animals, saying they must be dealt with, and to focus on the Greater Good, the ends justifying the means. In the vacuum left by her betrayal of Vi and the loss of her mother, that influence gets to her. But into that vacuum of Vi, she also lets in Maddie, who appeals to her better angels.

In the absence of Viktor, Jayce flails, burying himself in work and withdrawing from everyone around him, working himself into a froth. He stabilizes a little under Heimerdinger and Ekko's influence, but when he learns the truth(?) about Hextech and what he has done by unleashing it, it pushes him over the edge. Without Viktor and Heimerdinger to talk things through, he jumps to all his own conclusions and goes rogue.

And it happens on a larger scale, too. In the absence of a figurehead like Vander, Zaun ends up putting Jynx on a pedestal, because she's the only one to successfully fight back. Others cling to Viktor, who seems like he must have all the answers. We'll see in the next few episodes if Sevika succeeds in stepping into a unifying role or if Zaun is too divided. Similarly, above ground, in the vacuum left by the council, Piltover looks to Caitlyn-- because of her family name and her job, not because they know anything about her.

But influence isn't absolute. Despite Vander's influence, Vi abandoned Powder in her moment of grief and pain-- even if she regrets it within minutes. Cait does the same to Vi years later, in her own moment of grief and pain, but despite Ambessa's influence, she doesn't completely lose sight of her desire for good and justice. (We know from the dialogue that she personally forbade the use of Stillwater's worst cells-- her own baby prison reform.) And when Vi gives her the opportunity, she still knows what's right.

It's just example after example of someone filling an absence with their own influence, sometimes intentionally, often unintentionally. And even outside of "good" or "bad" influences, at the very least, the influences feed different parts of their existing nature. Despite Silco's influence, Jynx still has a soft side, and when Isha feeds that instead of her resentment, it changes her. Cait's grief and anger, and her fear of Jynx, when fed by Ambessa, blind her to her desire for actual justice and peace.

I just think it's neat, okay?

[ao3feed-piltovers-finest]

Under the Knife

by nokpipp

When a reckless, battle-hardened former military doctor is forced to co-lead a department with a prim, icy, by the book surgical heiress Kiramman General Hospital may not be a battlefield, but for Dr. Violet Lane and Dr. Caitlyn Kiramman, it might as well be the front lines.

Orders, protocols, and scalpels are their weapons. And their clashing beliefs? Sharp enough to cut each other open.

Inside the operating room they must make life-or-death decisions together. Outside it they’ll have to learn to coexist without killing one another first.

A hatred that slowly turns into respect. A respect that dangerously burns into something more. In a world where a single mistake can mean death there’s no room for feelings. And yet… feelings demand to exist.

Words: 4843, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Arcane: League of Legends (Cartoon 2021)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F

Characters: Caitlyn (League of Legends), Vi (League of Legends), Mel Medarda, Jayce (League of Legends), Viktor (League of Legends), Sevika (Arcane: League of Legends), Tobias Kiramman, Cassandra Kiramman

Relationships: Caitlyn/Vi (League of Legends), Caitlyn & Vi (League of Legends)

Additional Tags: AU, Doctor - Freeform

Read onA03. from AO3 works tagged ‘Caitlyn/Vi (League of Legends)’

[moltengoldveins]

crud. In the weeds again thinking about. The Sauce. And by the sauce I mean how media can so easily and painfully evoke class struggle by just…. Not giving characters names.

like. In arcane. Nobody from Zaun has a last name. Not a one. Vader and Silco die and are left in the dirt. They’re tossed in the river. Their names are forgotten by everything but their people, but never written down. Never inscribed on a grave, never carved in marble. Silco was a rich bastard at the end of it but I’d didn’t buy him importance. It didn’t buy him permanence. It didn’t buy him enough respect for even a shallow grave, because as far as pullover was concerned he wasn’t even human. It didn’t buy him a last name. Viktor lived his whole life making Piltover the wealthiest city in the world and it didn’t matter, because he had no name. Can’t plaster a first name on blimps and coffee mugs, not by itself.

there’s something deeply human about family names. About full names and middle names and extra titles. About knowing where you come from, and knowing that the people around you respect where you come from enough to call you by it. I wear my grandfather’s dog tags around my neck and they have my last name on them. Caitlyn’s mom was given a monument and a funeral. Her daughter was given the Kirramen Keys and the power to do whatever she wanted with her family’s history. Even Jayce, thought he came from what seems to be a middle-lower class family for Piltovian standards, is introduced almost universally with his last name, and it’s that last name that gets plastered over every surface in the golden city.

Vi tattooed half her own name on her face because that’s all she had left. We never find out if Victor has anything other than a first name, and honestly, I doubt he does. All the undercity residents have is their actual living family, biological or otherwise, no ancestors, no heritage. So when Powder looses her family… she loses her name. She’s Jinx. Not because she is A Jinx, but because without Vander and Violet and Milo and Claggor, there is no Powder. There are no documents, no evidence, no history of her existence. With the death of the people she loves she is not only isolated but completely and utterly wiped from history. It’s the being known of it all. It’s the methods by which people know one another and know themselves. It’s the fact that even Vander, the most infamous and influential member of the undercity, is so entirely unknown by both piltover and Zaun that after his death, the only thing that’s left is a statue dedicated to The Hound of the Underground. Nobody in the upper city has any way of discovering he ever existed.

Jayce looses everything, sure. But he also doesn’t. He has something he cannot lose. He has his history. He has his family. He has his identity. He has a name.

the Zaunites aren’t that lucky.

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Since I guess this is what we're all doing this morning...

(FWIW based on my best-guess math Jayce and Viktor are about 8-10 years older than Vi, 13-15 years older than Jinx, and maybe 15 years younger than Vander and Silco, if you're wondering what the age gap situation is)

Vander and Jayce: ohh sad wet kicked puppy Jayce would get to Vander's soft heart you know it. Maybe this is in some scenario where Jayce got exiled from Piltover without it resulting in the death of one of Vander's kids. This poor naive Piltie seems harmless and down on his luck and he's about 5 seconds away from getting mugged at any moment so Vander just makes it known that this guy is his, doesn't even mean it in a sexual way at first but now no one will mess with him. Except Jayce isn't a kid, he's a grown man in his mid-20s and sooo physically and emotionally needy eventually one thing leads to another. Vander having to put the brakes on it at first because he thinks Jayce expects this to be a quid pro quo situation but no, the poor fucker is just lonely and fuck, maybe Vander is a little bit lonely too. Vander realizing partway through, oh Janna's tits this guy has never been with a man and he has no idea what he's doing but his trust is very endearing. Vander trying to be sweet and encouraging and realizing Jayce has a praise kink a mile wide. Jayce having an O.O moment realizing just how much he likes having a partner who can pick him up and throw him around a bit, a possibility he never considered because he was always the Big Guy before.

Silco and Viktor: I think they're both perceptive enough to understand how the other one got to be the way they are, even if Mr. "there is always a choice" and Mr. "by any means necessary" would have all kinds of heated ideological debates. This is also where I say that I personally don't think Viktor's opposition to violence is absolute; I don't think he would condemn someone with no other form of power for using violence to defend themselves, but I DO think he'd have a big problem with Silco doing things that hurt ordinary people in Zaun in pursuit of some larger, abstract political goal. But also I think Silco could get to him over time. He'd tap into the class anger that Viktor mostly had to tamp down while living in Piltover, or if this is an AU where Viktor never left Zaun then maybe that part of him is not so suppressed. And the thing they have in common is the stubborn conviction that they are right no matter if no one else sees it. I think Viktor could eventually be coaxed down some pretty dark roads on the basis of "You're right, you know you're right, you know exactly how to help people, you just need the power to do it and I can give that to you." Also. Everyone thinks they know what the dynamic is between the 40-something chem baron and his young pretty pet mad scientist but Viktor is the one who has Silco bent over the desk sobbing and begging for mercy. I don't think of Viktor as a particularly mean dom in most circumstances but like. He could get there. Also he has a sixth sense for guys with a choking fetish apparently.

Vander and Viktor: I could see them being casual fuckbuddies in an AU where Viktor never leaves Zaun. Viktor's younger but he's not inexperienced and he's very good at getting what he wants. And Vander does have a weakness for smart confident twinks with ambition and big ideas. If Viktor never left Zaun then he almost certainly knows who Vander would rather be fucking, knows that at least some of the attraction is really to the past version of someone who doesn't exist anymore, but hey you could do a lot worse than Vander for a bed partner; he trusts Vander not to hurt him and Vander always makes sure he's satisfied, and if Vander slipped up and said someone else's name that one time Viktor is kind enough to pretend he didn't hear. I think Viktor would resist any attempts to discuss, like, feelings. But maybe he does grow his hair out long because Vander likes it, and he likes that he likes it.

Silco and Jayce: this is the darkest one imo. They would have to meet in some timeline that breaks off before the Council Chamber attack, if not earlier, and younger Jayce is SO easy to manipulate. He'd be putty in Silco's hands. We see that Silco is very good at identifying people's potential and steering it toward destruction. If Silco was the person who reached out a hand to Jayce when Jayce was desperate to the point of being suicidal I think it would be bad times indeed. Jayce to Singed speedrun. Hexcore "healing" taking the place of shimmer as the thing that Silco uses to build his army. Age gap + power imbalance not quite as skeevy as it would be if Jayce were an actual child but still skeevy enough especially once Silco gets wind of Jayce's catastrophic desire to please. This is the one with "fuck me from behind so we can both pretend we're fucking someone else."

I LOVE good crack ships!!

Like, Vander and Jayce. Okay, two big buff puppies fucking like beasts. I get it.

Or, Silco and Viktor, two intelligent motherfuckers that want to help their people to unthinkable lengths... Probably freaky sex there. Silco would definetely tell Viktor how perfect he is and Viktor would definetely want to help him with his eye but never say anything because Silco doesn't treat his eye like an imperfection. Stuning.

But!!!!!! Silco and Jayce... And you think Jayce is only one imagining their partner there... like you see Jayce fucking Silco imagining he's Viktor but don't see that probably Silco touches every muscle on Jayce arms and shoulders and fucking think about a young Vander in the mines holding him.

Like fuck off... What do you mean Vander didn't cross your mind holding Viktor too kindly and Viktor closing his eyes thinking about how that could be Jayce if he wasn't so sick and broken (physically). And Vander is so fucking broken thinking about how Viktor wanting to help people of Zaun fucking reminded him of a young Silco, one that let him be the one covered in blood, one Silco that smiled like an idiot and called himself bozo 1, a Silco he hasn't tried to kill yet... But Viktor also reminds him of the Silco that is broken, the man obsessed with getting Zaun into a better place no matter what... And still Vander holds him kindly to trick himself into thinking that is Silco and he found the fucking letter, just for a second, joking to Viktor saying "long hair would suit you"... (I made myself cry)

Are you fucking telling me you look at those blorbos and didn't saw all the fucking drama behind the freaky sex?!

The less drama would be Jayce and Vander and yet i'm pretty sure i can think of some if i think hard enough...

Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!!

[hexhomos]

i’m still pretty new to arcane and stuff but i’ve noticed that not many ppl like jayce especially compared to viktor (ik he’s a dick in the league lore? but even arcane jayce gets a lot of flack) and i wanted to ask what makes jayce compelling to you :o

Oh man how could I explain this. I like Jayce Because he is so utterly flawed, not in spite of; he wants things and the things he wants are not always within his reach nor does he have the perfect, correct, clean answer to get them all the time. Not even most of the time.

Here's the thing that is compelling about this: It's Just Like Real Life.

Most fictional characters operate in a flawless cutting motion from point A to point B, a destined-pathos-comeuppance arc towards a core need of being, and I enjoy quite a bit of those! But Jayce is a reminder that things often aren't that simple. You're gonna do things you're not proud of, not by mistake but by choice or an attempt at damage-control; you're going to hurt people you love by doing what you think is right one moment and feel monstrous on the next. You're not going to be in the best position to call the shots. You're going to be selfish and unlikable and manipulated through naivety and goodwill and you are going to Fuck Up. I find that instead of looking at this as a /condemnation/ it is far more productive to take it as a study in empathy. I'm not filthy fucking rich. I don't have superpowers. If presented with a situation in which someone wants to beat me up, I'm not exactly 'primed' to win it. People don't love me unilaterally. I don't have all the answers. I can't solve everything. All of these things will remain true so long as I live.

The fact that Jayce perfectly exemplifies that struggle is compelling to me. I mean, just look at his subplot in arcane: he's quite literally trying to convince people techno-magic exists and is worth investing on. He can't even *do* magic, he saw it once and became obsessed with it because it was the most dazzling thing he'd ever seen. And then it turns out to be quite dangerous, but goddammit, hasn't this been his entire life's work so far? He's supposed to just give it up? Leave it on the dust and change careers altogether? The Ideal Protagonist would go against the grain at all costs. But Jayce is 24 and an ex-college student and he just blew up at his mother after she spoke on his behalf (but against his mental facilities,) on public trial and every single door has been closed to him under a span of 24 hours and he knows full well that he has no power in this situation, not really, so his very sensible answer is to walk up to a ledge and declare that this is the moment in which you give up. That's better than a life without the purpose he chose.

And the thing is, deep down, he's not depressed beyond rationality or unaware of the powers-that-be that made things this way, he's just angry. He still blows up at Viktor for interrupting this One Last Thing. But he /still/ can't solve this just by wishing alone. It's not how the world works. (It's auspicious that Viktor just so happens to have access to as many answers as he did, when he did.)

Jayce Talis is trying his best. Jayce Talis is also so laser-focused on proving himself through one single brilliant contribution to the world that he’s hilariously inept at reading people and managing social situations beyond the comfort of his lab. (Even though he relies on the patronage that comes from pleasing the Kirammans to gain funds in the first place, and later on the support of the council to continue developing projects with Viktor.) He’s also fairly proud and a bit of catty little bitch (something you see in his journals) and if allowed he would quite probably overwork himself to death. He wants to develop a strain of technology that will change life as it is and he wants to be recognized for it and he wants his mother to be proud of him and he’s caught in a sort of self-interested spiral, because I think it isn’t until Viktor joins him that he realizes these things are tangible and possible and they have a real, practical purpose that go beyond Jayce as a single memorable being. This can be ‘Our’ miracle as opposed to ‘My’ miracle. Is it any wonder at all that he latches on Viktor as he does?

Jayce’s hubris in arcane is entirely motivated by how he’s pushed into a speaking-position he’s not prepared to take (And he acknowledges this, he quite literally SAYS “I never wanted this, you pushed this on me” before the whole thing spirals and he starts liking the boots of every councilor in a 10 meter radius just to avoid their dirtier tactics) -- and his laughable cluelessness, his desire to disappoint as little people as possible is what makes his story a tragedy and puts him into so many bad situations.

This has been pretty broadly about arcane-jayce w/ some universal caveats but personally speaking LoL Jayce/Jayce Giopara appeals to me for a lot of the same reasons, though he’s a lot more unabashedly ambitious and loud mouthed and has the sort of autism that makes you love your work and sound like a complete fucking shithead in most other situations because there’s no fucking way to mask your palpable disinterest in vapid bullshit pleasantries. (its ok i can do this joke <3) He takes the humanity/automation split that exists between him and Viktor and makes it about the parts of the human experience that are less-than-idealized but Real, either way.

His story is far from being about “perfect guy” trying to “save the weird creep” -- his fixation with Viktor isn’t just about him being ‘righteous’, it’s about Jayce being whipped for the one guy that Got It. (And he still doesn’t know how to go about it!) He’s rude and antisocial and he’ll probably get bored with you pretty fast if you don’t start talking about engines but he’s here to get things done and not play fetch so it’s not like any of that matters. If Jayce Giopara was put in the role Talis had he’d speedrun bridge-burning so fucking quick it would probably classify for a world record.

And its good! it’s compelling! It’s interesting! and in conclusion:

[persimone]

The 1 Minute AU

A work in progress (a mess), but I have brain worms.

This AU is premised on reversing the end outcomes of Arc 1; Essentially, steal 1 minute away from Jayce and Viktor, and give it to Vi. This means that Vi successfully escapes with Vander, Mylo, and Claggor while Powder uses her explosion to successful destroy the Shimmer plant without hurting her family. While Vander is permanently affected by his injuries, the situation works out much better for Vi and Powder. Yay.

On the other hand, by losing that minute, Heimerdinger arrives with the Police before the gravity Hextech starts working, leading to a fight breaking out in the University, and it ends with Viktor and Jayce fleeing into Zaun with backpacks full of equipment. They end up joining up with Silco and Singed, as they’re essentially the only members of the Undercity with the resources to fund Hextech, and then we smash cut to Progress Day five years later.

Ekko and the Firelights are taking progressively larger risks to try to resist Silco and shimmer. Mylo and Claggor joined up with the Firelights, but usually end up staying back at the Tree to look after Vander and the other progressively injured and ailing population of Zaun. Vi and Powder are running the Last Drop together, barely holding the last public, shimmer-free location of the Lanes together; Silco usually lets them be as he thinks Vander died during the Shimmer explosion, and didn’t link it to Powder. Powder is becoming increasingly more ‘Jinx’ like as she wants to support Ekko, while Vi is desperate to keep her little sister away from direct conflict after the Shimmer factory, and that linking them to Vander (she would act far more like Vander in this AU).

However, instead of Jinx, the Lanes and Piltover are now plagued by Silco’s Heralds. Namely, the Machine Herald Viktor and the Magic Herald Jayce (they both find it a bit funny as Jayce is more mechanic focused while Viktor is the more gifted mage). This Viktor is already much more ‘Machine Herald’ that what we see in S1; since they didn’t do they Hexgate, Viktor and Jayce were able to focus on building an exoskeleton to help Viktor move around the Undercity, and the Hexcore has cure whatever condition was causing the coughing/near death symptoms that plagued him in Act 2. As such, they are able to attack anyone who threatens Silco and steal materials for Hextech. They have conflicting feelings over violence, but justify it to themselves through creating devices that filter out toxins from the Undercity and help heal people in the same fashion as Viktor. The Hex Hammer, Gauntlets and Lazer all exist, and are used as weapons (Jayce is more comfortable with that than Viktor, as in canon).

Instead of bumping into Jinx on the ship, the Firelights now have to contend with Jayce on the ship. He offers them an out, but because they need to destroy the Shimmer, direct conflict ensues. Either Mylo or Claggor dies here (haven’t settled on which), which reinitiates Vi and Powder into the conflict. 

Instead of seeing the ‘Progress’ which came from Hextech at Progress Day, instead we see the outcome of the two Heralds constantly raiding Piltover for materials to construct Hextech. Few innovations have been made in this time, as all the major workshops have been looted. The only company that has survived unscathed from the Heralds is Talis, because Jayce is avoiding his Mom, so most of the funding for innovation is now coming from Ximena Talis. This means that in this AU, not only did Piltover not get the financial boost from the Hexgate, it actually has gone into recession, as a minor house is now the only financially stable one. Ximena bumps into Cait, patrolling at Progress Day to look for the Heralds (Progress Day would be easy pickings for them). In this AU, Cait’s mother is more supportive of the career change as it helps rehabilitate the family name. The Kiermann’s are barely hanging onto their status and Council position, due to their association with Jayce (and their businesses are being violently attacked, while Ximena’s isn’t, so they don’t even have the cash to make up for it like she does). Ximena and Cait talk briefly, to give exposition on the situation, but go their own ways.

Heimerdinger and Mel are constantly fighting: Heimerdinger has doubled down even further on banning Hextech, while Mel is desperate to stabilize the situation by developing powerful countermeasure to the Heralds. Progress Day sees a fight break out publicly between the two as Heimerdinger finds out Mel went behind his back to bring Magic Crystals in to begin research on Hextech countermeasures with Sky. Worst. Progress. Day. Ever.

That night, Viktor breaks into Mel’s warehouse and attempts to steal all the Hex Crystals. He is able to pass them off to Blitzcrank (Viktor and Jayce are much further ahead in this AU since they weren’t hitting the barriers of Politics or Ethics boards as much), but when he realizes that an explosion may have trapped Caitlyn (Jayce would have told him about the Kiermann's and Cait), he goes back to help her. We get a brief scene of the two talking together, and Cait starts to understand that Viktor and Jayce are working for someone else, and aren’t super into killing people, but need the funding and support for Hextech. Viktor is arrested as he couldn't find a way to flee without harming Cait, and Cait is chewed out for even more association with the Heralds by her parents.

Marcus reports that Viktor was captured and is being held in Stillwater to Silco. And Jayce goes full tilt violent. Like, this Jayce just spent the last 5 years in the Undercity; he had to give up a lot of his values and norms to build Hextech, and his relationship with Viktor is the one element that reminds him of who he used to be through their shared values. Without that he starts really getting on the ‘destroy Piltover train’ with Silco. Silco doesn’t love Jayce as a son in the way he did Powder; if anything, he initially saw him as Viktor’s ‘pet piltie’. However, over the years Silco starts to see how the ‘betrayal’ of the Kiermann’s, his mom, and Heimerdinger in the form of not believing in Jayce is eating at the man. Silco doesn’t see Jayce as a symbol of a free Zaun, but rather an ally is dismantling it. He is fuelling Jayce’s more destructive impulses, and they start preparing for a full out attack on Piltover to rescue Viktor/free Zaun.

Cait descends into the Undercity via tram this time to pursue the leads Viktor gave her; this time, no one talks to her except a strange girl calling herself Powder, who cons her into paying for lunch (she snuck out because Vi is losing her mind at Ekko in the aftermath of the Ship attack, and so doesn’t have money). However, when Powder finds out Cait is an enforcer looking to find information on Silco and the Heralds, she brings her to Ekko.

From there I know Vander is going to let Vi know that Powder came to the Tree with an Enforcer, and this is going to culminate in a massive bridge battle with Jayce. Meanwhile, Heimerdinger and Mel are each going to try to pull Viktor to their side. Mel’s Mom shows up and it gets way more militant way more quickly. I’ve already written a scene of Jayce and Ximena talking after Progress Day (this AU doesn’t have to be, but it’s very Jayvik in my mind) where Jayce wants to grab some materials from his childhood bedroom to make a wedding ring for Viktor (this is just after the boat scene, since he kind of blocks out any violence he commits in his mind, rather than how Jinx embraces it). Might post it. Probably won’t. Judgement scares me.

Still figuring out the bugs, but enjoy the brain worm.

[heraldofzaun]

what are your thoughts on viktor and being neurodivergent? though like, obligatory disclaimer that if riot ever did come out and say that "hey! viktor is canonically [something]" that would be catastrophic but i think it is a little bit of fun for consideration

Oh! Well I like to think he's autistic, which is partially because I am too. (Of course in canon it would be catastrophic because haha, oh man, look at how they've treated Blitzcrank's biographies ever since they gave him an updated one. There's some coding in there, alright, and I am... not a fan...)

I’ve posted a lot of long posts recently (this is no exception) and this is also on a kind of tricky subject, so I’m readmore’ing it.

So anyways, while I have to admit that some of the reason why (my) Viktor is autistic is because I am - I think that you can make a general semi-convincing argument. Or I'm so wrapped up in my own interpretations that I can, at the least. Anyways, from here on out when I say Viktor I mean my personal take. Your mileage may vary on applying this to other interpretations.

(Also, thoughts on new lore Jayce's being kind of coded to be like, a stereotypical autistic dude? (If you have any I mean.) I don't like that Riot is doing it, of course, but I've seen a few good rehabilitative takes on it in fandom. @hamartio's Jayce springs to mind, because their Jayce has been developed over the years and also written by someone who like. Cares. Anyways, I have my own personal Jayce ideas that rely on his old lore so he's not really an asshole there, at least in those regards, so I don't really have many thoughts on new Jayce. I think new Viktor is... pretty coded as well, but it’s also insanely stereotypical. The whole “always working, always wants certainty, gets into automation not because he (primarily) wants to help those injured by catastrophes in Zaun but because the catastrophes interrupt his work” thing makes me uncomfortable. Maybe I’ll write sometime on why the rewrite of his lore fails, in my opinion, to hit upon the same themes of his first - would that be of interest to folks? Anyways, this parenthetical is too long.)

I think that autistic Viktor is cool and makes sense, somewhat because of the fact that the ways he goes about solving his problems are, er, unorthodox. (Of course I am not saying that the GE is because he’s autistic, because that’s stupid. This is why I’m kind of squirrely about talking so openly about what I think Viktor’s got going on, and why I don’t really trust if a non-autistic person headcanons him as autistic. There’s a lot of room for that headcanon to just reinforce the “autistic people are supergeniuses with no emotions that work based off of Facts and Logic” trope, and I hate that.) Since a lot of autism is about feeling adrift from/at odds with neurotypical society, I think that Viktor’s general solutions and also his idealistic leanings in the face of everything Zaun is tracks for that. Roboticization makes sense as a way to stop suffering and death, because it’s more achievable than individual feats of immortality through magic or whatever. Viktor doesn’t really get why people would be so opposed to it - he’s made it clear that while he dislikes his own emotions and wants them gone, he doesn’t expect others to cast off theirs. (Maybe he expected that when he was in the thick of his emotional pain, mostly because he couldn’t imagine others choosing differently than he at the time, but not in the current day.)

Of course, externally, when the scary cyborg man who admits to cutting off his own limbs says “no, being a robot is cool, you can keep your emotions even”, any Zaunite (or any person) is going to interpret that as “he is definitely lying”. Viktor doesn’t quite make that leap. (I have thoughts on the whole Theory of Mind concept and I don’t mean to say that Viktor can’t empathize - he does, and does too much - with others, but I think that in this instance he just can’t quite understand sometimes why people don’t believe him.) He also doesn’t quite get why people would be so attached to the bodies that they’re currently in, especially if he can make a mechanical replica. Or why people might want to die and pass into non-existence after a life well lived. (To him, personally, there’s always more to do. Also he’s terrified of death but that’s another topic.)

I also think that Viktor’s empathy is of the hyper- rather than hypo- kind, partially because I feel like outside of self-advocacy groups the mere concept of autistic hyperempathy is seen as like... impossible? It’s also because he generally seems to be kind of an emotional guy in canon before Stanwick, what with the lore saying that “almost no trace of the original man remained” in reference to Viktor reemerging as someone without emotions. That, combined with the fact that he was described as having a “hope to better society” before everything went down, kind of makes me believe that he was a naive idealist type. (Again, not that autism makes you naive, but...) But yes, hyperempathy. Hence "no pain, no wars, no suffering, no death” being part of his ideology for the Glorious Evolution. He gets pretty ripped up about people being hurt, and it’s really only gotten worse over the years as he’s grasped the full scope of pain in the world.

Personally, I write pre-Stanwick-incident Viktor as someone who is still somewhat awkward with expressing emotion, but it’s not due to him not having them. It’s due to the fact that the ways in which he naturally expressed them and in which he interacted with the world were just... seen as odd/different/etc. (I don’t think Runeterra has an autism diagnosis or particularly excellent psychology, even in Piltover and Zaun, so he just gets the “you’re a weird dude” treatment for his entire life.) Stimming or smiling a certain way or talking a lot about his interests or, you know, the general autistic existence is weird to most people around him, as it unfortunately is in real life. So he’s more reserved until you actually know him, because he’s just masking all the time. (Fun fact about my Viktor: he’s pretty expressive under that actual mask of his. It helps to not have to micromanage expressions all the time when he isn’t experiencing a bout of flat affect due to [gestures vaguely at everything else going on with his mental state], although he sometimes feels poorly about not being able to manage himself. But that’s his issues, and I think it’s good for him to show emotion.)

Side note - Stanwick was able to do such a number on Viktor due to: a) Stanwick being very charismatic and manipulative, on top of being an actually smart man and scientist - he’s really a great example of a “good Zaunite”, in the sense of being good at being what the culture rewards, b) Viktor actively dealing with the death of his parents and Stanwick being an older adult who’d treated him kindly and had never seemed put-off by Viktor’s oddities, and c) Viktor not realizing that he’d get backstabbed, because yes he knows that that happens in academia but Stanwick’s nice. Whether or not the outcomes would have been the same if Viktor were more competent at being “a good Zaunite”... well, probably not. Viktor ended up where he did because of who he is.

(Secondary side note: Viktor has a very strong and very black-and-white sense of what’s right and wrong, as well as general black-and-white thinking. You can see how that would have... not helped in the situations he was put through.)

This is getting kind of rambling, but I guess the point of this is that Viktor’s wanting to remove his emotions may be cloaked in the language of them being “inefficient” or “unhelpful”, which would feed into autistic stereotypes, but it’s really more of a matter of them being too painful and raw for him to process. He feels too much and hurts too much, and no amount of positive emotions in the world will (in his mind) make up for the pain he’s felt and will feel. So it’s better to not feel anything at all, isn’t it? At least then you aren’t overwhelmed by it all.

Viktor just hasn’t fit in with Zaun for all his life, really. Not as an odd child who can tell you all about science-fiction and techmaturgy, not as an odd and reserved teenager/young adult, not as a bright young doctoral student still dealing with grief but trying to make the best of it, and... not as the Machine Herald. But now he’s given up on trying to fit in, for better or for worse.

(Other miscellaneous and less serious autistic thoughts on him: generally a pretty fixed diet, partially due to being autistic but also due to what’s easily available in Zaun + what agrees with his stomach. A fan of weight and pressure - I like to think that the reason his outfit is like that is that he finds it comforting, and also that he has a weighted blanket or two around. Special interests of general techmaturgy, robotics, and science-fiction. He can talk for hours about any of those, and has. Both his parents were mildly spectrum-y, his mother a little bit moreso, so they just kinda assumed that him being him was out-of-the-ordinary and a bit strange but not something “horribly wrong”. Oh! And his third arm, which is under a little less conscious control than the rest of him, still stims sometimes when he’s working or otherwise not paying attention to it.)

This was very long and jumped around a lot, because I find it hard to give a convincing paragraph-by-paragraph argument about exactly why I think that Viktor is autistic, or rather why I headcanon him as such. But hopefully it was interesting! I just have a lot of thoughts on him, as well as the general state of autistic-coded or perceived-as-autistic-by-individuals (both allistic and autistic) characters in media and so it’s very hard to do anything concise without branching out into discussing other topics.