#jayvik discussion

[multifandomhellhole]

I rarely say my takes unprompted but I genuinely can't stand modern fandom and need to scream into the void over it to thug it out.

it genuinely feels like fandom is in its gen alpha age of regression. I've noticed this heavily with other fandoms, for me I've seen it most in resident evil but now I'm seeing it in arcane too of ship wars being taken WAAAAY to seriously and just everything in general being surrounded by weird purity culture. Not to mention someone always trying to find some deep controversial reason into why you don't like a popular character or treating it like it's a direct attack. That weird portion can be left in 2020 with kinnies and IRL character shit.

What really pisses me off is that people especially on twitter, scream for fandom culture to be back, but the slightest mary sue, terrible animatic, out of character x reader, large age gap, weird fanfic, horrible but fun take, insensitive joke about a well loved character, and/or rare pair art gets crucified there. And y'all wonder why fandom is dead. Genuinely who wants to provide any material for an ungrateful bible thumping community and a hostile one at that? Or one that's so obsessed with canon.

Fandom etiquette is absolutely dead on any other website minus this one and even then I'm seeing some popular tweets that erase the fun of it here on Tumblr for some reason. Since I'm focused on arcane right now I'll be using that as an example. So what if people want to think jinx and Jayce would be friends? That doesn't mean they didn't understand the show or are less superior watchers to you. That means they don't have a stick up their ass. Who cares If someone makes a Viktor coughing joke? He does in fact cough a lot and it's placement can be funny. You are not morally ascended cause you didn't laugh at pixels fictional lung cancer. In fact you are morally shity for telling someone to kill themselves for joking about it.

Who cares if someone ships cait and Maddie over vi or vi with maddie. Or cait with ambessa or Viktor with sky or Viktor with silco. Literally the world kept spinning. Genuinely who gives a fuck it's an animated show about league not a real time war documentary 💀 Creepypasta literally turned a bunch of murders into a found family let's not forget how being delusional makes fandom more fun.

Like I said, Unfortunately since Im in an arcane place of focus this post will be using arcane examples but this does apply to every fandom.

[zairas-realm-gateway]

I know I'm not really in the Jayvik side of Jayce x Viktor shipping (VikJayce shipper here) and I really don't want to step on anyone's toes but I've been seeing a startling number of Jayvik next gen art pop up on my timeline. And almost every post I see has Viktor as the birthing parent. And I have to say that it makes me a lil uncomfy how like almost EVERY post has Viktor as the birthing parent.

Now, I have nothing against trans pregnancy or mpreg (I've written a lot of ABO and mpreg in life, shush).

No, my problem is that Viktor's the birther!

I'm not saying you can't be pregnant while sick or disabled, that's simply not true. I'm just saying that so many people making Viktor the pregnant party concerns me.

See, I'm a caretaker for my disabled sister. She is chronically ill, has chronic pain, and has terrible depression. Specifically, shi has pain in hir back, hip, and leg. She has been like this for over a decade now. There are days her significant other can't even do more than hold her hand or pet her arm when they're in bed because the pain's so fucking bad.

and I cannot tell you how many times shi has straight up told me shi never wants to be pregnant for so many fucking reasons. She talks about how the extra weight would make the pain unbearable. Tells me that if she were ever pregnant she'd probably be constantly in a wheelchair instead of being able to use her cane to get around. Plus, there's a very real chance shi couldn't take hir meds while pregnant so that would be a torment on hir mental health. I think about these conversations constantly whenever I see art of Viktor with babies. But again, I am not saying never give Jayvik kids. I'm just saying...

Please, for the love of God, knock up Jayce some of the time, people!

[idcaboutart]

all that remained were fields of dreamless solitude

only you can show me this

[jibberjibbsart]

Jayce’s Playlist

[ellenchain]

Just a quick doodle because I wanted to draw Jayce Suddenly A Virgin Talis so much

[covencritter]

if mel and viktor had more screentime alone together the aura in that room would literally be INSANE. openly talking smack about their boytoy beefcake. WITH him in the room, probably. viktor's sass combined with mel's wit would've blown jayce's pants clean off.

[221buckythesoldier]

in my humble lesbian opinion, in the case of yurified jayvik, viktor is the butch-est of the two of them. jayce fits piltover's expectations to a T, she'd have longgg hair and wear fancy dresses to galas and viktor'd be rolling into the lab looking the exact same as canon vik

[shitpostingsapphic]

In case you don't want to brave the arcane critical tag (gurl me too), here's what they all boil down to:

"I think the show sucks because it didn't go the way I wanted it to and also I think it's dumb that I have to pay attention to the visuals of a show that uses ANIMATION as a medium, so I'm gonna blame the writing for my lack of understanding"

[dasketcherz]

i think you also described Timebomb there, too

(varigo x Timebomb???)

honestly varigo shares a lot of things with both timebomb and jayvik-

[verysadlesbian]

Y'all think I care about canon????!!!! I was out here, in the motherfuckin' trenches, shipping Destiel!!! I don't fucking care about such unimportant things as "canon".

[sheriff-millk]

I LOVE CHIBI JAYCE.

I love them all.

[tinseltrinkets]

I don’t know why people think that in order to appreciate Viktor and Mel, both individually and in their relation to Jayce, one has to be discounted or dehumanized.

It does a disservice to all three characters, putting Mel and Viktor’s worth entirely on Jayce and turning Jayce into nothing more than a trophy of honor.

All three of them had, in different ways, beautiful relationships with each other.

Do I believe in JayVik endgame? Yeah.

But do I also think that Mel and Jayce had a beautiful connection, not just as romantic partners but as genuine friends, and that this doesn’t have to be ignored for Jayce and Viktor’s to be realized? Of course.

Fandom does thrive off discourse, but it also thrives on appreciation. We can advocate for the appreciation of one character without bringing down another.

A lot of those who discredit JayVik do so in the acknowledgment of the misogynoir towards Mel. This is definitely a factor, especially when she’s made out to be only an obstacle or experience for Jayce to realize Viktor is his soulmate.

But this doesn’t need to be accompanied with ableism towards Viktor and homophobia towards the ship itself.

Some people might ship JayVik because yaoi, but that doesn’t mean there’s no merit to it or that that’s everyone’s reason.

JayVik is not, by any means, forced.

Their motivations from the start to discover something revolutionary is from a displaced need for love and appreciation.

Jayce wants to feel worthy of appreciation and feel that he’s contributed something to the world. He explicitly states when talking about being unable to help Viktor that he hates to feel useless, and I don’t think that’s a disingenuous statement.

Viktor wants to feel that his appreciation is something that matters, that he matters and that by going above and beyond in contributing to society, he’s disproving all the misconceptions of his value that he’s internalized.

The reveal that Viktor was that mage that propelled this dream in both of them aligns both with the plotline and the themes. Two people realizing that their love (however you interpret it) for each other was the real dream, the memories of discovery being re-contextualized to emphasize the discovery of each other rather than of a scientific breakthrough, is truly remarkable.

Along with this, Mel and Jayce’s journey, especially pertaining to Mel’s character, showing that through seeing that the gifts she was taught to value for their ability to manipulate and attain power can be used to heal and connect with others and connect with herself past her expectations as Medarda and discover herself as a person who is warm, kind, and powerful in a way she couldn’t imagined without it accompanying violence, intimidation, and a complete lack of warmth or intimacy, is also remarkable.

While this is wonderful by itself, I’m glad that Mel is going to be the center of a new story, where she doesn’t just have to discover herself, but also hopefully connection with others. A lot of the time, the “strong black woman who doesn’t need anyone else” is sort of an excuse to not flesh out her relationship to other characters. People other than Jayce. Even Jayce and Viktor had other positive connections in their lives. So far we haven’t Mel truly be able to connect with anyone outside of Jayce, which thus far had made sense for her character as she had to keep a lot of her relationships pragmatic. But now she has the opportunity to be herself and use her gifts the way she wants to.

I think instead of hoping that her and Jayce’s relationship will be rejuvenated to fulfill this (because unfortunately, yes, he has been the only character she’s been able to connect with positively), we should be excited for the potential of her having her own story.

[pheracy]

Jayce & Singed: Two sides of the same coin in Viktor's life. A parallel analysis between these scenes ☯️

Singed, far from rejecting Viktor's curiosity, acknowledges and values it. This scene is a moment of mutual understanding: Singed sees in Viktor a brilliant child who suffers from being different, and Viktor finds for the first time someone who doesn't judge him. This parallel reinforces the idea that Jayce, without knowing it, plays a similar role to the one Singed had in Viktor's childhood. Both scenes occur at turning points in Viktor's life. The first time, when he meets Singed, marks the beginning of his path in science. The second, when Jayce repeats the gesture, symbolizes his decision to return to Singed, closing a circle. Singed and Jayce represent two ways of support in Viktor's life. While Singed understands him in his struggle for progress at any cost, Jayce supports him from friendship and morality, although they eventually drift apart.

With Singed, Viktor's expression shows surprise. He isn't used to being treated with warmth or being understood, so his instinct is to shrink back and make that doubtful face. Years later, Viktor repeats the exact same gesture and expression when Jayce places his hand on the same shoulder. This shows that, despite his maturity and achievements, he still reacts the same way to unexpected support. It's as if he still doesn't know if he deserves the help he's being given. This parallel reinforces that Viktor's trapped in a cycle he doesn't realize he's repeating. 🔹In his childhood, Viktor witnesses how Singed experiments with Rio and uses shimmer in order for her to survive. He's seeing for the first time the concept of sacrificing something to achieve progress. 🔹In the second scene with Jayce, Viktor's about to do the same thing: turn to Singed and extreme methods to survive. He's returning to the person that offered him an alternative when the world rejected him. Just when Viktor believes that Jayce could be the person to help him, the scene suggests that the true answer for him still lies with Singed, even if it means losing part of himself in the process. Jayce and Singed have been figures of support for him at different times, but in opposite ways: 🔹Singed represents science without limits, sacrifice at any cost. Since childhood, Viktor saw in Singed a brilliant mind unafraid to challenge the rules of nature. 🔹Jayce represents science with restrictions, morality, and political power. He's the hopeful side of progress, the idea that science can change the world without anyone having to suffer for it. The parallel in the shoulder gesture marks the intersection between both influences in Viktor's life. At that moment, he's right at the crossroads between Jayce (friendship, science with limits) and Singed (sacrifice, transhumanism, progress at any cost). 🔹Singed gave Viktor a deep understanding of his suffering: "Loneliness is often the byproduct of a gifted mind". He showed him that his scientific curiosity was not a mistake, but a gift. 🔹Jayce, while offering support, never truly understands Viktor's struggle. He's not willing to walk that path with him. While Singed took Viktor under his wing, Jayce let him go when he needed an ally the most. "Our paths diverged long ago". That hand on the shoulder is key because it happens at moments when Viktor is at a turning point. 🔹Singed did it when he took him in for the first time, indirectly giving him the validation he never had. 🔹Jayce repeated the same gesture at the moment Viktor decided to return to Singed. Both moments represent support, but with a crucial difference: Singed actively supports and guides him, while Jayce, without realizing it, gives him the final motive to return to his former mentor.

In the end, Viktor's tragedy is not just his illness or his transformation, but the fact that he was never able to escape the cycle that shaped his childhood. "Do you believe in fate, doctor? Our paths carved before us, guided by an invisible hand?"

In the second scene, Jayce doesn’t stop Viktor from going to Singed, but he also doesn’t go with him, reinforcing the idea that Jayce has never fully understood Viktor's desperation. This becomes even more evident later when Jayce is surprised to learn that the person Viktor turned to was someone from the Undercity. His reaction shows that, despite their friendship, Jayce still sees the world through a privileged and moralistic perspective. "You didn't say they were from the Undercity".

In Season 2, Jayce finds himself in the same situation Viktor was in during Season 1: desperate, feeling powerless, facing the possibility of losing someone he cares about. And his solution is exactly the same as Singed’s: using science/magic regardless of the consequences. 🔹Singed tries to bring his daughter back using shimmer and forbidden science. 🔹Jayce does the same with Viktor, using Hextech to revive him.

In Season 2, both Jayce and Singed have crossed the same line without realizing it. Now, they are both willing to manipulate life and death, and Viktor is the living proof of that cycle. What started as a subtle parallel in Season 1 has now become a complete confirmation: Jayce has followed the same path that once left Viktor to walk alone. "Two sides of the same coin, intractably bound. That which inspires us to our greatest good is also the cause of our greatest evil.".

What makes this even more painful is that Jayce never understood Viktor well enough to see it coming. 🔹In Season 1, Jayce let Viktor act alone without realizing the cost of that decision. 🔹In Season 2, he follows the same steps himself, unaware that he's falling into the very thing he once rejected.

Thank you so much if you read this far. Let's hope this clip doesn't get stolen like the other 🙂 Any feedback and new ideas are welcome and much appreciated. Let me know what you think about it in the comments! Love you 💜

[windwenn]

Stuff i've been thinking about a lot recently (not unrelated to my feelings about star trek)

[shitpostingsapphic]

If you've been part of a long list of fandoms, you know well the pattern of (for the most part) reaching a finale with the content you're a fan of, criticism of said content being at its peak at that finale, and the slow dwindling of hatred fading until all that's left are the people who have loved that content always, and still speak of it fondly for years to come.

The prequel Star Wars films come to mind. The Legend of Korra. The same will happen for Arcane.

If you're someone who sees the beauty that Arcane brought to the world, don't be discouraged by the criticism. Your love for this piece of art will always last longer than it. And soon that love will be all you hear reciprocated back to you.

[t1nfoilorigam1]

Listen man I love Mel as much as the next guy, and honestly the manipulation just makes her better. However, it's pretty important to acknowledge that she did do that. Like, she manipulated Jayce and Viktor. This is an important plot point. And I'm not saying she didn't genuinely like Jayce, because I think she did, but that was not a healthy relationship. And I think this is difficult for a lot of people to process because Mel's a woman and Jayce is a big, buff man - but that doesn't change the fact that there is a power imbalance in that relationship. And I know a lot of relationships in Arcane are fucked up, and I do acknowledge that they could have a discussion about the exploitation that happened and then move forward with a healthy relationship - but that didn't happen, and it's out of character for both of them. I think some anti MelJay people dislike the ship because of underlying racism and misogyny, but it's not a healthy relationship in the first place and I don't see anybody talking about that. Not to mention in the last part of season 1, Mel explicitly excludes Viktor from the discussion about weaponizing hextech. She tells Jayce, while right next to Viktor, that it's his choice if he wants to make the weapons.