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blissfulip · 2 months

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Dopamine

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Viktor x f!reader

Rating: Explicit

Tags: enemies to lovers, slow burn, angst, idiots in love (?) dubious science, mostly canon compliant, no use of y/n, chemist!reader, eventual smut, masturbation, angry sex, unprotected sex,

Cw: slight spice if you squint, mentions of blood

Words: 2.27k

[A/N: Sorry for taking a century to finish this, I was humbled byt the AO3 writer curse for like a month, thank you for reading! (also, let me know if you want to be tagged in future fic updates!)]

Tags: @ihopeinevergetsoberr @chemical-killjoy @jinxed-jk @bobobomao @queen-of-elves @thedustybunny @syren201 @thayfass

Chapter 9 (final): can't think of a title

It’s because everything has its own tailored little space, everything is where it’s supposed to be, and I can find every object with a swift look from anywhere within the small cubicle. But to the unknowing eye, the unfamiliar person, this is a faraway place where thoughts can’t sleep and where one needs to swim through a river of trinkets to get to a firm surface. Should I bother to completely clean up or not was a discussion from the past, Viktor will be at the threshold of my domain in less than an hour.

How calm the air was in comparison to the dark storm clouds in my brain. If I clean too much, would it make it seem like I care excessively? But what harm can it do If it does, if I open up to the vulnerable display of cherish and treasure? It shouldn’t do any harm; it won’t. Unless this date and everything before and beyond are nothing but a cruel joke, I have been unfair to him; he would be justified to do so, yet, no, that’s not the type of person Viktor is; vindictiveness is not a proclivity he possesses. Is it? How would I know, really?

Two knocks on the door startled you, sharp yet timid enough to turn your anxious anticipation into longing. Before opening the door, you looked around at the barely cleared-up space going from the door to the bed, to the table, and to the small kitchen, forming a desire path that allowed transit but left the rest of the space surrounded by piles of carefully placed (and clean) but visibly amassed books, clothes, lab equipment, and small knickknacks and ornaments. This should be good enough, you thought.

It was fun to fantasize about the worst, most terrible outcome. You always thought it was better to not hold any expectations; that way, everything good that happened to you would always seem like a pleasant surprise, but Viktor’s slight grin and warm eyes made you feel silly for thinking he would stand you up. He held up the hand that was holding a shopping bag to show you he was prepared and excited to cook you a meal.

“Hey” was the only thing you were able to muster, and you smiled widely as you stood to the side to let him in. He immediately went to the kitchen and started to put away the stuff in the bag inside your fridge.

“Are you looking forward to getting back to work?”

“I was enjoying the unprompted vacation, to be completely honest.” You said with a good-humored chuckle.

“I can’t say I loved getting thwacked in the face, but what followed was surely worth the bloody nose.” You smiled to yourself at the memory of the brassy taste in your tongue.

“How does it feel? Has any of the pain subsided?”

“Barely a faint ache now,” he said, turning and walking to join you sitting on the edge of the bed. “Mostly a happy memory.”

“I suppose it’s good that you won’t need to cross paths with that cretin now that we’ll be confined to our own labs again.”

“I’m not anticipating the interrogation Jayce is going to put me through either,” he said, throwing his body onto the mattress with a loud sigh.

“You can always lie.”

“I suppose so.” He said with a lazy laugh, “Hungry?”

You nodded and extended your hand to help him up.

As you stepped into the kitchen, you decided to step to the side and let Viktor do most of the cooking. The enticing scent of spices immediately enveloped you, and you watched him, already in full culinary swing, wielding a knife with the finesse of a seasoned chef.

"Do you intend to watch me do all the heavy lifting?” he exclaimed, flashing a mischievous grin.

“You’ve worked beside me for long enough to know that if I get involved, I’m going to want to do things my way.”

“I’m fine with that.”

“Are you really? Because I can point out at least three things you’ve done wrong so far.” You say gesturing with your head in the direction of the onions he was chopping (incorrectly, in your humble opinion). “Is the secret ingredient a dash of blood?”

“You say that like you mind the taste.” He teased, earning a playful eye roll from you in return.

As the sunlight shone through the kitchen window, casting a mosaic of patterns on the checkered floor, Viktor hopped between tasks on the limited counter space, going from roughly chopping up potatoes to mixing up a fragrant concoction to marinate the meat in. The rhythmic clinking of utensils and the occasional sizzle of ingredients meeting the hot pan creating a symphony of anticipation. You reveled in the skill and delicateness of his hands and the comforting cadence of his quiet hums. As the finishing touches were added to the pan, Viktor stepped back to take a final look before closing the oven door.

“Thirty minutes should do it,” he said, walking over to sit at the small table.

“Whatever shall we do with so much time?” You said playfully.

“Eh, we could tidy up the room a bit.”

He was met with a grudge-bearing look. “I did; everything has a purpose, and it has been placed in its current place after careful consideration.” He looked around with an ironic guise and then picked up a small pile of puzzle pieces.

“Even this?”

“I’ll need them when I find the box with the rest of the puzzle.” You said confidently.

You found yourself on the defensive as he continued to pick up things and you offered feeble excuses for the chaos every time he looked back at you with a raised eyebrow. The room seemed to echo with your silent protest as Viktor's eyes lingered on a precariously stacked tower of books.

"And what about this?" He pointed accusingly. "Are you trying to build a skyscraper?"

“Your room would look the same if there was a human inhabiting it.”

“I…eh, have slept there every single day for nearly a month.”

“And that was thanks to my monumental mishandling, as you so graciously claimed after we almost blew up, so you’re very welcome.” You said, giving him a teasing grin.

“And I stand by that, but I am very grateful for it now.”

The bickering came to a halt when Viktor’s hand reached for yours and pulled you close to him. A subtle curve on his lips betrayed a desire for something other than argument, and you wondered how he always managed to go from antagonistic to the object of your deepest desires with such ease. You, too, couldn't resist the magnetic pull of the charged atmosphere, feeling the currents shift from discord to an electric anticipation that hung between you like a delicate thread.

“Can you just flirt with me like a normal person? I don’t know; tell me I’m pretty, perhaps.” You said, lightly holding his jaw with one hand.

“Where is the fun in stating the obvious?” He straightened up to give you a peck on the nose. “But if you must know, I believe in the subjective realm of aesthetics that the coalescence of your beautifully crafted features has an unparalleled allure.” He said in a theatrical voice.

“Yeah, nevermind” You broke down into a full-chested laugh that brought tears to your eyes. You both laughed for a long minute before your giggles subsided into a comfortable silence where you just looked at each other and Viktor gently caressed the skin of your waist.

“Pretty merely skims the surface; I trust you know that.”

“You could stand to mention it more,” you said, already halfway through the distance that separated you. Your lips met in a fervent, teasing kiss that spoke a language words could not, and the tension dissolved into a delicate tango of tongues and whispered promises, momentarily eclipsing the cluttered canvas of the room.

You didn’t feel the rush or urgency that plagued your choices the last couple of times you had done this. It felt deliberate and unworried, and you noticed the real taste of his lips, not concealed by conflicting tastes and circumstances this time around.

Just as the moment reached its zenith, an insistent, faint beeping sound startled the both of you, and reality crashed back into focus as the timer on the oven pierced through the haze. Breaking away reluctantly, you shared a rueful laugh and exchanged a quick, lingering kiss before dashing towards the kitchen. Viktor followed close behind to help you set up and smiled at the playful pout on your lips.

“Don’t be sad, zaychik ; it’s better this way.” He said, bringing the missing cutlery to the table and sitting opposite you.

“What do you mean?” You said already stuffing your mouth with some chicken.

“I wouldn’t want to rush it; I fully intend to, eh, take my time with you next time.”

Under your initial disbelief, a thrilling warmth unfurled, coloring your cheeks with an exhilarating blush. And in that moment, as the echoes of his words lingered, you marveled at the boldness that had momentarily shattered the boundaries of polite conversation, leaving behind a residue of exhilaration and the promise of an uncharted, alluring territory.

As you both sat across from each other at the table, the aroma of Viktor’s homemade meal wafted through the air, and the flickering of the last lights on the dusking sky cast a warm glow on the scene, creating a canvas for the intimate moment you were sharing. You caught a glimpse of an affectionate smile on Viktor's face, his eyes reflecting a quiet contentment that echoed your own.

You had a lighthearted conversation throughout, talking about Jayce and Moira and your expectations for resuming your tasks at the labs, but as the remnants of the meal disappeared from the table, you exchanged teasing glances, the air heavy with a flirtatious tension that built with every shared laugh and lingering touch.

“We should have made desert,” you said playfully.

“If you taste as sweet as I remember, I’m sure I can make do with that.” Suddenly, the once cozy room became a haven of intimacy, beckoning you both as you walked the short steps needed to get to the bed.

However, as soon as you found yourself in Viktor’s arms, your noses touching each other in delicate butterfly kisses, the conversation mellowed into a gentle hum, and as your eyes met, a silent agreement passed between you. The fatigue of the day, coupled with the satisfying indulgence in the hearty meal Viktor had made, weighed down on both of you. The soft caress of his fingers along your spine slowly gave way to the soothing rhythm of shared breaths, and the initial spark of desire transformed into a tranquil embrace as you drifted into sleep in each other's arms, an unexpected twist sealing the night with sweet and tender serenity.

-----------------------------------------------

As the first rays of dawn peeked through the curtains, you both stirred from the embrace of sleep, realizing that the night had woven its own kind of magic. The initial confusion melted into shared laughter as you exchanged sleepy glances when you rolled over from the position you had woken up in to face Viktor, discovering that the allure of rest had triumphed over whatever intentions you had when you got to bed. Despite everything, a warmth lingered in the air.

“Is this what you meant when you said you wanted to ´take your time´?” you joked.

“Very funny.”

“Well, getting you to sleep for a couple of hours is always a win in my books.”

“That is quite an unfair assumption,” he said as he stretched. “Do you think one of your uniform shirts would fit me? I am dreading having to go all the way to my dorm to change.”

“Probably a little loose, and it’ll smell of my perfume.”

“Neither sound like a problem.” He said, placing a small kiss on your forehead and walking over to the closet. He turned around briefly with a slightly disapproving look when he saw the piles of tangled clothes, but quickly found one of the shirts. You sat on the edge of the bed with both arms resting behind you as you observed him attentively. He propped his cane on the closet door for a short second to take off the gray t-shirt he had slept in, and he smiled at you when he noticed you staring.

“What?”

You hummed and shrugged casually. “Can I not appreciate the view?”

“There’s nothing to look at.” He chuckled as he put both arms in the maroon sleeves. You frowned.

“There’s plenty to look at, and I frankly do not care if you disagree.” You said playfully as you walked over and started buttoning the shirt so he could hold onto his cane again. “In fact, I’m very much looking forward to seeing the rest of you after work.”

“Can we go to my dorm? I feel claustrophobic here.” He said with a teasing smirk, clearly cut to annoy you.

The hasty donning of work attire and the quick fix of disheveled hair continued after a quick scoff on your part, punctuated by lingering glances and soft touches. As you stood together in the doorway, you made it a point to plant a kiss on the corner of Viktor’s mouth, leaving an intentionally placed imprint of cherry lipstick that you were sure Jayce would not fail to irritate him about. A small punishment for being incorrigible, or perhaps a clear claim to him for any curious eyes.

#viktor #arcane viktor #viktor arcane #viktor x reader #viktor fanfic #arcane fanfic

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thedreamlessnights · 2 years

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Stay

Viktor x gn!Reader || SFW ||

Summary: After a long day at the lab, Viktor comes home to you.

Warnings: A (SFW) massage, mentions of body pain.

Word Count: 1.3k

It’s long past dark by the time Viktor gets home.

When the door opens and he pushes in, movements jerky and pained, you take one look at him and know everything you need to know.

You’d guessed it a while ago - after he hadn’t come home at his usual time. There’ve been many times where he’s arrived much later than this, eyes sparkling with exhilaration from some new development in the lab. And, in fact, back when the Hex Gates were about to be revealed, you’d gone days without seeing him as he and Jayce rushed to get everything perfect.

But today is different, off from the very moment that you’d gotten out of bed.

He’d been quiet - uncharacteristically so, barely a word before he’d kissed you goodbye. He’d hardly even touched his breakfast. Left behind some of his notes that you know are important.

You’d hoped that he’d come home sooner if he was in pain, but it must have not been possible with his schedule. After all, he and Jayce have been expecting a visit from Heimerdinger any day now, looking for updates on their progress. In all of his bad luck, it must have been today.

With a single glance at him now, it’s clear that he’s been eager to get home for hours.

His hair is disheveled, his clothes are coated with a strange, grey slime, and his motions are slow. He sets his things down on the couch without a word, sighing as he attempts to massage a knot out of his shoulder. His limp is harsher than usual, too, and his eyes - usually alight with a fiery astuteness - are dull, almost blunt in the light.

When Tuft hears Viktor’s movement, the poro bounds out of his bed at full speed, chirping and trilling happily when he arrives in the living room. As usual, he begins his show of delight, running in circles around Viktor until the man bends down to pet him, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at Viktor’s lips.

Then he looks at you.

“Hey,” you greet, hoping your voice soothes some of today’s pain. “Bad day?”

“That is an understatement,” he mumbles, wincing as he takes a seat and settles in next to you. Resting his head on your shoulder, he slumps into you, taking in a sharp breath.

Tuft, meanwhile, curls into a ball at his feet, purring contently.

“And you?” Viktor asks. “How was your day?”

“It was alright,” you tell him, your hand moving to play with the silky strands of his hair. It’s become a force of habit by now. “I missed you.”

He groans against the skin of your neck, tucked into your collar.

“I would have given anything to be here with you today,” he grumbles, hand resting over yours. His thumb starts to trace over your knuckles, light, repetitive movements that relax you. He, however, is still stiff as a board. Still covered in grime from the lab, too.

“Heimerdinger?” you ask.

“Among others,” he answers. “Then there was a spill in the lab. Hoskel knocked over a container of vials - oil for the gauntlets.”

“Not dangerous, I hope?”

“No,” he huffs. You can hear the faintest bit of a smile in his voice. “But very, very difficult to clean. The floors are still slippery.”

“Your clothes, too,” you point out, laughing a little. “Want to get changed?”

“If I can manage to get out of them,” Viktor sighs, sitting up and pulling at his vest.

And he’s right, both the fabric of his shirt and pants seem nearly plastered to him. Even after his knee brace is removed, it takes both of you pulling, tugging, and eventually ripping to get the clothes off of him. There goes that outfit.

Strangely enough, the oil doesn’t seem to have gotten onto his skin. Instead, it’s turned gelatinous in consistency - sticking to his shirt like a greyish, coagulated sludge. When it’s pulled away, it leaves the skin completely clean, and, furthermore - intact. How he got this all over him, you have no idea; you’re just grateful it’s not in his hair.

Viktor’s bare skin, now exposed, is silky-smooth to the touch. Even more so than usual, as you find out when you run your hand down the length of his forearm.

“Maybe you and Jayce should sell that oil,” you murmur, kissing his forehead. “It made your skin really soft.”

“Yes,” he snorts, “but only if the citizens of Piltover don’t mind smelling of grease.”

Which is true. You can’t deny that the scent is very present on him. But he also smells of coffee, and of your shampoo that he’s been stealing, and of a thousand other things that make your chest seem to swell with warmth.

Needless to say, it doesn’t stop you from wrapping your arms around him and nuzzling into him, and it doesn’t stop him from pulling you close.

“Do you want a bath?” you ask him. “I can draw you one-”

“No,” he says quickly, albeit exhausted in tone. “No, I’ve been moving around all day. I don’t want to move off this couch for the next several hours.”

As firm as his words may be, he’s shivering under you. The chill of the weather has made its way in through the walls, and, aside from his boxers, Viktor is practically naked.

You can’t count how many times you’ve come home from a bad day at work, sore and exhausted, and Viktor had seemed to make everything better. He’d made you warm, comforting meals, drawn up your baths, and massaged your sore back as you’d told him about your day.

If he’s comfortable with it, you’d like to repay him.

“Okay,” you hum. “How about I go get you some clean clothes, heat up the leftovers from dinner, and… we’ll sit here and enjoy each other’s company?”

He debates it for a moment.

“Alright,” he says.

He slowly releases you, and you stand. It doesn’t take long to gather up some soft pajamas and a warm plate of food for him. As you do, Viktor begins to massage his leg, which you can tell is tender - his movements are slow and he’s grimacing even at the slightest amount of force. So, you also warm up a compress and some oil for him, collecting everything in your arms.

The pajamas go next to him on the couch, and the food goes on the table in front of him, along with the oil. The compress is carefully set down next to his leg, and he sighs with relief as he takes it and applies it where it aches the most.

“You are amazing,” he sighs, leaning forward and grabbing his plate. “I haven’t eaten all day - Jayce and I were too worried about cleaning up the oil. I couldn’t exactly go get lunch looking like that.”

“There’s more food left over, too,” you tell him, sitting next to him. “Mind if I massage your leg?”

“No,” he says, “but… be gentle with it, please. It’s especially stubborn today.”

You’re always gentle, but today you start off with the softest of touches, feather-light against the tense muscle. Even that is enough to make Viktor tense up in pain, so you take your time, slowly working from his thigh down to his knee.

The warm oil, rubbed into your hands, serves to soothe and to relax as you slowly add in pressure, pressing through wound sinew and knots until, finally, they start to give way.

Viktor’s relief is palpable - where he’d winced at your touch in the beginning, his head now lolls back against the couch, eyes shut as you continue your work. You only stop when you realize he might be asleep, plate set to his side and breathing coming in a smooth, even rhythm.

As soon as you stop, Viktor - eyes still closed - raises a hand toward you. When you take it, he pulls you in closer, drawing you into his chest.

“Stay,” Viktor requests.

And you do.

#viktor x reader #arcane viktor x reader #arcane viktor x you #viktor x reader arcane #arcane viktor #viktor #viktor arcane #mywriting

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piltoversfinest-caitvi · 2 years

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Christian Linke and Alex Yee Q&A

From here (will update if there’s more)

With special addition from Amanda’s

Below the cut are the questions and answers they provided

Q: Anything in regards to an art book for this show? Would love nothing more than to secure a copy of one.

Christian: There is one in the works! I remember talking to some folks at Fortiche and Riot about it a few months ago. I'm not sure where they are in the process, but it's coming for sure.

Q: Hi! Do you think Caitlyn and Vi shippers will be happy with the upcoming season?

Alex: There's that part they might like, and that part they're probably gonna hate.

Amanda (A reply to Alex’s post): I take full responsibility for both. And stand by that they make the show better!

Q: How did you all go about capturing such minute and captivating micro-expressions? Also, Caitlyn and Vi have been really fun for my wife and I to watch together as a lesbian couple. We really hope we get to see their relationship grow in new and interesting ways. I'm curious about how their roles as "Piltover's Finest" will differ from how they do in LoL. Will caitlyn still be a sheriff, or more of a private eye working independently from the Enforcers?

Also, what is the likelihood we will see them as official "girlfriends" next season? Will it mainly be implied or outright stated? I realize if you can't share much, but I (and my wife) are dying to know.

Lastly, will we get to see the entire tattoo on Vi's back at any point?

Christian:

I appreciate you speaking to the smaller details of the character moments. Generally speaking, people in animation will advise against those silent beats where subtle expressions mean as much as any word could, but that's the sort of drama we really craved in the animation space. We simply have awesome animators :) And a wildly talented animation director Bart Manoury, who defined that entire look for Arcane.

For Vi's tattoo -- we have the complete design, I'm not quite sure why we haven't shared it with everyone. Let me inquire about that.

Regarding Vi and Caitlyn, I wish I could say more at this point, but a lot of the answers I'd give you would spoil the experience on screen. I'm confident in the direction we're taking it, and I very much wanna hear from you once Season 2 is out.

Q: what we should expect for Viktor in season 2?

Christian: Everything

Q: Will there be anymore merch drops for Arcane? O: I would love to have posters or even figures/statues/nendoroids of any of the characters!

Christian: Yes. I myself am the sort of person that likes to have dozens of statues, trinkets and figurines on his shelf. The underwhelming amount of merch during Season 1's release is very high on my list of gripes. We're actively working on making sure that we do much better next time around.

Alex: I certainly hope so!

Q: Are there plans to release the scripts for Arcane? I would love to study these.I know you guys don't come from a typical Hollywood background and that's what I love about Arcane, it's so fresh and new. How did you learn how to create a show? How did you write the finale to encapsulate so much emotion and meaning?

Christian: Yes! Quite frankly, we just haven't gotten to consolidating all the different versions yet. Some of it also touches on Season 2 spoiler risks, so I'm afraid we still need to find the time to go through the mountain that is our Season 1 scripts. ;o

In the beginning, we certainly had no idea how to craft a TV series. Personally, I tried to read a lot of books about story crafting and screenwriting. I can't say that I found many of them useful, but at least they all confirmed the general framework of act structures and character drive.

We spent a good amount of time in meetings with other folks who worked in the industry, always looking for that secret sauce that unlocks a TV story structure, and... turns out it doesn't exist. So once you come to that conclusion, it becomes a bit easier to roll up your sleeves and go "alright, let's find our own". At this point, we have our own "metrics" and processes to track plot and character. It's always somewhat messy when you intend to craft a complex story, but that's just part of the work.

Good story (in my mind) is all about hard choices. Many writers talk about being "character driven" without actually writing character driven stories. If you ask your hero whether or not they will help save the world from an alien invasion, the answer always is "yes, duh". Thus, the character doesn't REALLY have a decision to make. The sole question that remains is "HOW are they gonna overcome their obstacle?" -- which is entertaining, but it really doesn't drive the story forward with full autonomy.

I think Alex and I gravitate toward stories that leave characters with costly or even impossible choices.

Amanda (Add onto Christian’s post): I think of this in terms of what a character hopes and fears. You have to know what these are (and make sure the audience knows too) and use them to tug a character towards impossible decisions. I also think you have to be able to relate to these hopes and fears. As Christian mentioned, the fear of dying in an alien invasion isn’t relatable. Neither is the hope of winning a civil war (for most people), but what made Silco’s quest for Zaun’s freedom relatable is that it was rooted in his hope that he could win back his brother Vander’s respect. And without his respect, Silco feared he was the “dirty little thing” his station in life always ascribed to him. Fearing you aren’t good enough, and craving respect from family are deeply relatable emotions. This is what a “character driven story” means to me!!

Q: I've watched this show many many times, introducing it to new people, and always finding another detail or two I didn't during previous watches! While writing the story, what was the most complex story-telling issue you guys ran into?

Christian: We wanted all of our characters to be "real", and thus, make imperfect decisions. The finale of the 3rd episode was scary, because both Vi and Powder really mess up and make terrible decisions. At the same time, we didn't want these choices to alienate them entirely.Characters like Jinx and Silco constantly murder and manipulate. Can an audience still root for them? It's a bit of a dance between their many risky actions and choices.

Amanda (Add onto Christian’s): Again, I think this comes from relatable motivations. Jinx, (and Powder before her), was always desperate to prove herself worthy — worthy of her sister’s faith in her, worthy of Silco’s faith in her. We shouldn’t have to prove ourselves worthy of love, but that is a struggle we all face in so many different ways. A character making terrible decisions is much more forgivable if you too have felt what they’re feeling. I always say I love characters that do the right thing for the wrong reasons, or the wrong thing for the right reasons, everything else is boring!

Q: If you could have made arcane about any other part of runeterra which one has most interest to you?

Christian: Sheesh... there's a lot. ;) We've been working on Arcane for over 7 years now, so naturally, you have ideas for other stories over time.I think the "grimsical" tone that Arcane features works well for Alex and I. That said, I'm really interested in exploring some more quirky stuff as well. The League IP has a lot to offer, it's very diverse in cultural and tonal aspects.

Alex: There are stories I'd love to tell all over Runeterra. One of the joys of working on Arcane was having the opportunity to dive deep into the style, look, and culture of Piltover/Zaun. At Riot we of course have our ideas, but there is still a magic of discovery whenever you invest time conceptualizing one of Runeterra's regions.I've always been a fan of the intrigue/machinations of Noxus, the aesthetics and history of Ionia, the mythos of the Freljord.

Q: In an episode of “Into the Rift”, it’s said that the early drafts of Arcane weren’t good. How much of that draft and the final show are similar or different? Just character arcs and interactions? Major plot points? Or was the entire idea of the show changed?

Christian: A lot (if not all) of the story structure and character arcs were the same.

Crafting the episodes and scenes in a fashion that builds the right tension over time and tracks all the parallel stories wasn't really clicking yet at that time, so Alex and I getting help from the outside and learning more about how to "break an episode" really unlocked the episodes to be stronger.

Alex: The broad strokes of the show never really changed. I'd say the biggest evolutions concerned pacing and development of emotional storytelling. We were more plot-focused before that. We always wanted big emotional beats between characters, we just strengthened their integration to the overall story.

Often, a slight shift in our approach significantly changed the spirit of a scene or beat. We were fortunate to have brainstormed so many moments before we rebooted the story though, it gave us a wealth to draw from when we went into the proper writer's room.

Q: What were some of the small touches in the art and writing of Arcane that didn't mean that much in the big picture, but that you really enjoyed personally?

Christian: Man... also too many to count. ;) The wonderful thing about our collaboration with Fortiche is that artists at the studio are really empowered. An example that Alex likes to bring up and that we all really love is the ash tray in Silco's office. We didn't instruct them to make it look like Jinx painted it in her trademark whimsical style, they did that themselves. They were tasked with designing a simple ash tray and thought, "how can I do more with this than the minimum?" -- and so they did. Now, an ash tray tells a story.

Q: Will season 2 be the final season in the Piltover and Zaun region? Will there be more interactions between Ekko and Jinx in season 2?

Christian: I don't think answering this first question would actually benefit you, so I'm not gonna do it. Oh yes (to the q of Ekko and Jinx).

Q: Will there be another season of bridging the rift or any more behind the scenes content?

Christian: I don't know if it's gonna be another full Bridging The Rift, but I know that we're filming BTS material all around. So in some shape or form, there are gonna be more glimpses behind the curtain for you. :)

Q: If you could choose a single word to describe season 2, what would you pick?

Christian: War

Alex: Rubicon

Amanda: Well I’m more of a sap than these guys, but I say “forgiveness.”

Q: What were some of the biggest influences on Arcane in terms of writing or animation?

Christian: Alex and I were talking a lot about Peaky Blinders while we were working on Season 1.For animation, there really isn't that much I would reference to be frank. When we started Arcane, there wasn't really anything out there that had the look and style we had in mind.

Amanda: Let’s not forget our “Lord of the Rings” dollar jar. Bunch of bills in there from you, Christian!!

Christian: True. Though Arcane development started long before Spiderverse.

Q: When is season 2 coming?

Christian: B-)

Q: How long do you see yourself doing Arcane? Can you see the series becoming a revolving door of stories told from different regions of Runeterra at some point?Have you ever had a great idea for something in the show, that came too late? eg: animation is too far along to change

Christian: We definitely want to explore other regions. At the same time, we've all seen shows and movies that try to cram in too many different perspectives too quickly. I think we gotta earn our way into a larger world view first. So definitely coming in the future, but we have to find the right pace for the story we wanna tell.

Regarding having an idea for something that came too late -- yes, constantly. ;) As someone much wiser than us once said: "Art is never finished, only abandoned".

Q: Does "Our Love" image on the record in the show refer to personifications of Piltover and Zaun? Since the girls are colour coded as respective cities over big red-dot in the sky.

Christian: Indeed!

Q: When making the soundtrack for the show, what did you and/or others have in mind for selecting artists and sounds for what would end up making the cut? Were there any you were considering that didn’t make it?

Christian: It starts with the editors at Fortiche looking for the right moment(s) in every episode that could feature a "music video moment". Usually, the vibe and mood of the story boards paints a target that we then try to cast appropriately.

You tend to have a shortlist of 5-10 artists that you then try to hunt.

During Season 1, it was really hard to find artists, because we were an unproven studio, and a lot of artists weren't interested in animated series. Luckily, the ones who joined us did so because they really believed in the vision, more so than it being an easy win.

Amanda: The storyboard artists make the intention of the scene work. Without them our writing would be boring, flat words. Coming from a live action background, the collaboration in the boards feels like working with a director and the actors all at once — they decide camera angles and blocking which is everything to the emotion and feeling of a scene.

Q: Did you guys overall have a favorite scene or episode from the final product? What was it like/how did it feel to take in all of the positive reactions, to witness the major impact that Arcane left?

Christian: The finale of Episode 6 is always very powerful to me. Probably that. It was a powerful feeling, because you poured your entire existence into this project for over half a decade, well knowing that the League audience is unmerciful. It was super-scary to imagine that they may not like it. That's a chunk of your life you'd never get back. Thankfully, it worked out. :)

Alex: Definitely one of the hardest questions to answer. Kind of a copout to say the dinner scene (109), but I always marvel at the emotion Fortiche was able to evoke in animation there. Similar feeling for the bridge fight (107), even though I do really love the intergration with music and how much story is told.

I'll throw a nod to the Chuck/Thieram scene with Jinx (106). It is/was a moment of general silliness, both in the writing act and the show that doesn't always feel like it fits with the rest of the tone, but it makes me smile that it survived all the way to the finish.

Q: What's your favorite episode of the show? Did Silco braid Jinx's hair? How long did Jinx's tattoos take? Who's your favorite character?

Christian: Probably 106. Yes, though he most definitely sucked at it, no matter how much he tried. Eventually, he paid someone to invent a machine that can braid Jinx's hair, but Jinx would always tinker with it, to a point where it once nearly strangled her in the process. He once asked Sevika to do it, but Sevika threatened to quit. So Silco had to keep doing it, until Jinx was old enough to learn it. Not sure I understand the question. Heimerdinger.

Q: You mentioned passionate tweets on social media. Does that mean the creators of Arcane see a large part of the fans tweets, fanart, disccusion?

Christian: Yeah, we see a good amount. Though Arcane's fan art on twitter tends to be a bit of a minefield. :X

Alex: We see quite a bit, but I have the feeling it's only the tip of the iceberg. I wish I had the fluency to dip into more of the fan reactions from all the non-English regions where Arcane was released.

Q: Are there people in the production crew you'd like to give a shout out to and why? Who are the unsung heroes of Arcane? What's a small detail or easter egg in the show that no one has discovered yet? What is your favorite plugin/audio effect that you used to produce any song in the Arcane soundtrack? Any teases for S2?

Christian:

I'd say that the story board artists are truly the creative unsung heroes. Our story boarders are FANTASTIC, and the amount of things they have to juggle is insane. And yet, none of their work ends up in the final picture, which always makes me sad.

There's loads. I think someday -- maybe in a few years -- I'll wanna check in on that and see which have just not gotten discovered. :)

Gulfoss. It's pure magic.

Q: Are all the scripts complete for Season 2?

Christian: Yes. Though there's always some amount of tweaks that happen in the process. Seeing story boards & hearing voices for the first time makes you realize that something doesn't quite click, or there's new opportunities you didn't recognize before.

Q: What were some events and actions that you really liked and wanted in the show, but had to rewrite or cut because they didn’t properly push story arc of some characters, or went against how that character should act at that point in their arc? Or what was your proudest achievement with this show that was cut, rewritten, or something that you knew the viewing audience would never know about?

Christian: There was another scene in Episode 107, a flashback between Ekko and Powder that takes place a few months after the end of Episode 103. It was a very touching moment during which Ekko tries to save Powder from Silco, but Powder refuses to go with him. "Powder is dead" .Alas... sometimes, it is your darlings that end up on the chopping block. Animation is expensive, and time is very much so money.

Q: How did y’all decide to include Get Jinxed by Djerv in the show, even though it was created for the LoL version of Jinx back in 2013? Does that song actually exist in the Arcane universe, or was it just part of soundtrack/Jinx’s imagination?

Christian: The song has a lot of meaning for us, because it was the first time Fortiche and I worked together on something. The beginning of the whole relationship.I don't think the song exists in the Arcane universe, no. That was more a selfish little moment for us. :)

Q: One of the things I really liked about Arcane was how there was no fat. There was not a single scene that felt tacked on or unnecessary, but you still managed to flesh out the world. Noxus was a great example. Their inclusion made the world feel bigger but it didn’t slow down the plot for a second.I know it’s a group effort deciding which scenes to cut but I was wondering what you’re criteria is when making those decisions.

Christian: I know that some people said Arcane moves at a pace that's too brisk, but both Alex and I like it when episodes really move the story forward. We all have our favorite TV shows that often enough present us filler episodes. We just didn't want that.

We followed act structures per episode. Every character story line would get their 3 acts, plus "twist" to set up the future conflict.

We did also have a piece of paper in our writer's room that spelled out our criteria for a successful scene:

- How does this scene develop the character?

- How does this scene further the plot?

- How does this scene teach the audience something new about the world?

You don't always get all 3, but it needs to have at least 2.

Q: Is it possible for Mel Medarda to return in Season 2? :c

Alex: Solidly possible.

Q: Are there gonna be any sex scenes in S2?

Christian: Ew, no! Gross. Maybe.

Alex: Hmm... any characters springing to mind?

Christian: I dunno Alex. Haven't seen anything on social media that makes me believe people even thought about this.

Amanda: They hired me back for season two, which means there will be sex. I’m the reason it’s in season one.

Q: Why did you name the show Arcane? When you were first developing the show who would you say was the character that changed the most from how you originally developed/ thought of them? Did Jinx and Vander have a close relationship? Does Jinx actually see Vander as someone who betrayed Silco?

Christian: Magic ties a lot of our world together. Every region, every champion has a different relationship with it.

Viktor for sure. I kinda just wanna leave it there. ;P

They weren't as close as Vander and Vi were. Vander was the person that Vi looked up, whereas she was the person Powder looked up to. I don't think that Jinx necessarily blamed Vander for what happened, though she does think (now) that Vander chose wrong.

Q: I want to ask if there's anything you can share about the Firelights! I'd definitely love to know more about them and how they were conceptualised, some more information about the members if possible, perhaps even word on their involvement on next season?

I think the idea of "Hope for a better Zaun" is one of the core tenets of Ekko, and I'm certainly proud to see that he has a group that is actively working towards that goal. I'm satisfied with where you've taken his storyline and I can definitely say you guys completely understand him!

Christian: Appreciate that! The firelights were inspired by and named after the green insects that you see flying around especially in episode 107. They come out of nowhere, swooping in, zipping through the air, and they look cool. :)

It happens easily that a place like Zaun gets written off because dangerous experiments and shady streets scare people off. In many ways, however, it is the kind of place where a truly revolutionary technology or idea can find purchase. So if you ask me, Zaun really is the place where the true magic can happen, and Ekko totally gets that and wants to enable and amplify that.

Q: Who was the easiest character to write and who was the hardest?

Christian: Hardest I'd say Silco and Jinx. They're both stylized in very different ways. Alex is the specialist for their dialogue on our team.

Alex: They all give you trouble here and there, but I would say on average Heimerdinger and Jayce were easier to write than Silco and Jinx.

Q: Will we ever get to see a younger silco and vander pre betrayal? Also any flashbacks to silco being a dad to powder when he first took her in?

Christian: You will, in fact.

Amanda (Reply to Christian): Spoiler! In the episode that always makes me cry.

Q: Will we ever learn about why Vander betrayed Silco? What was Silco planning on doing after he gained the Nation of Zaun? Would he have attempted to improve Zaun? Even though Silco is dead, can we expect to see more of him in s2? (ex. Flashbacks and mentions of him from other characters?) What are your opinions on Silco overall? Did you expect to see him as such a fan favorite?

Christian: Silco was a very special character. During the early phase of development, we talked about everyone's chip on their shoulder. Silco's was being "the dirty little thing". Never being enough. Always having topside look down on him. He could never quite past it, and if it would take his life to escape that existence, so be it. He had nothing to lose.

At the end of the season, he realizes far too late what it's like to have something to lose. Just like Vander, radical notions begin to stumble when your loved ones are threatened by your ideology. "It all makes sense now, brother."

I don't think he had a plan after the Nation of Zaun. It was an impossible pipe dream from the beginning, and if you ask me, achieving it would probably have ruined him.

We did not expect Silco to become such a fan favorite. Jason Spisak did such a wonderful job, it's hard to put in words just how transformative his performances have been.

Alex: We've always liked the relationship between Silco and Vander. It's the original rift that informs the generational split between the sisters. I'll just say, it's a story we'd like to tell.

I think Silco always wanted to improve Zaun, though there are always trade-offs to progress. To me, the real question is who would have helped him realize this vision, and what would have mattered to him at that point in time.

Silco is one of those characters you can get addicted to writing, but I don't think we ever expected him to be such a fan favorite. It really blew my mind when some people engaged with him more as a father figure than Vander.

Amanda (Add onto Alex’s post): To me, the story of Arcane at its core is whether or not the sisters will repeat the sins of their fathers. As Vi and Jinx’s story unfolds we hope you’ll recognize the parallels between Vander and Silco’s story and be desperate for them to take a different path, impossible as that path seems to be.

Q: Did you begin writing the story with the idea of having an antagonistic corrupting/nurturing force to serve as the catalyst for who Jinx would become, or was he developed gradually over time as the right piece to fill what the script needed?

Alex: We knew fairly early that we wanted to have, as Christian put it, a non-champion "svengali" to oppose Vander in the first three episodes. The world felt small when every character happened to be a champion, and we liked the idea of the principle villain being someone who needed others to fight for him. It felt so oppositional to League.

However, we didn't initially plan for Silco to have such a presence throughout the latter half of the season, that developed over time. In fact, we were nervous about giving him too much screen time once the story with Vi and Jinx was rolling. I do remember us asking ourselves right up to the end whether or not Silco would have traded Jinx for his vision of Zaun.

Q: What's a piece of advice you'd give to people trying to create interesting/dynamic characters and stories?

Alex: For me, the best moments come from characters when they surprise you. It's easy to feel omnipotent/omniscient when you are a storyteller. You're usually one step ahead. But sometimes, as you brainstorm all the ways a character might handle a situation or argue a point, they say or do something you hadn't considered. In the best instances, it knocks you off-kilter as much as their opponent in the scene/story. I guess this is all to say, strive to make your characters cleverer than you.

Q: Which scene in the show holds a special meaning to you and why? Possibly because you relate to it personally or there's a funny story behind it from during production.

Alex: There are many, but I'll call out Silco's monologue at the beginning of 103 "Ever wonder what it's like to drown?"This used to be the opening to the show. It sort of encapsulates the core of the story. I think after writing this with Christian, and hearing Jason's performance, it was the first time he looked at me and thought "you might actually be able to write." Of course, I quickly disabused him of this fantasy.

Amanda (Add onto Alex’s post): And it’s my fault that this beautiful sequence is no longer the opening of the show. But I love what it adds to the gut punch of episode 103 and I’ll defend that choice until the day I die. (Even if Alex doesn’t exactly agree with me…)

Q: How did you decide the tone for Arcane? It has adult themes and topics but presents them with such maturity despite being seemingly high fantasy. Was the tone decided from the beginning?

Alex: Tone was the original looming question. We decided we needed to see Vi and Jinx in their younger years as sisters in order to feel the loss and yearning as they struggled to reconnect, but this also made the show feel more "kiddy." I remember calling Christian after having an epiphany that our tone could be like that of the edgier anime I appreciated growing up - no idea why this didn't occur sooner, it just hadn't felt as much like League at the time. For me, anime straddled a tonal line unlike anything else at the time - the bridge from childhood to adulthood.

Once that locked into place, it got a lot easier for me to find the story, although you're always wondering if this or that moment pushes too far. The scene where Singed injects Jinx with Shimmer gave us pause for a little while.

Some anime refs: Hellsing, Berserk, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Gungrave

Q: One question: Who came up with the idea, for Jinx Vs Ekko fight scene, it was a work of art, absolutely surreal experience, so many emotions and exposition in such small amount of time.And also on the topic : how in the world did You managed to fit so, so, so many of such scenes in only nine episodes? I mean, on top of my head, flare scene, Victors run and the climax! So much emotions on screen, i couldn't handle it.

Alex: The credit goes almost entirely to Fortiche and the music team on the bridge fight. 107 felt like a fulcrum-point in their authorship of the series - weaving their music video superpowers with the storytelling.

How we crammed so many scenes in? We wrote scripts that were too long and then battled in editing to save as many darlings as possible. (Slightly joking, but slightly not.)

Thanks for watching!

Q: Now that it's been a year, and you've been able to properly see the praise and criticism of the series, is there anything you wish you did differently? Did you expect it to blow up as much as it did?

Alex: My strategy is more to try to learn and adapt as opposed to rue the missed opportunities. Luckily, I'd say a lot of what we saw in reactions to season 1 aligned well with what we were focused on in season 2, though we did adjust emphasis here and there when we felt like fans had a strong connection with certain beats.

I don't think we ever expected it to have quite the reception it had, though we were always very confident in the quality of our voice actors' performances and the artistic brilliance of Fortiche.

Q: Will we get to know more about the mysterious wizard, who saved Jayce and his mom, in upcoming seasons?

Alex: There will be magic.

Q: I wanted to ask if you could share a list of the champs you worked on during your time on a League, since not many people may know what you worked on prior to Arcane but I loved the creative AMAs you used to host on the forums lime for Zyra and Varus.

Alex: When I was on League, champions would always have an assigned writer/creative focused principally on their story and thematics, but it takes a village to develop a champion, so it would be disingenuous to take credit for many aspects of what they became. Some of my favorite contributions were on champions to whom I wasn't assigned. Sometimes the heart of a champion was present before they came across our desks. And then players could also imbue champions with characteristics/meaning that superseded our intentions (Blitzcrank springs to mind).

That caveat aside, some of the champs I worked on who are close to my heart despite murdering me on Summoner's Rift: Lee Sin, Graves, Leona, Caitlyn, Varus, Lulu, Thresh, Ahri, Riven, Draven, Viktor, Irelia, Nocturne, Jarvan, Karma, Maokai, Nautilus, Sejuani, Sona, Wukong, Vladimir...

There was also a lot of side content and legendary skins (I recently recalled Christian and I working together on the first PROJECT video.) It's important to note a lot of these characters were significantly deepened in updates and later content. Working at Riot is more about doing your best to carry and pass a baton than being an auteur.

Q: will we ever see vi's abs

Alex: I'll put in a request.

Q: When you where writing it, did you have any moments where everything just connected and you thought “wow! I can’t believe we’re this clever!”? If so, when?

Alex: I think what would happen more often is that I would see the end result of something I wrote and think "Wow! Thank heavens Fortiche, the voice actors, and all the other teams managed to make me look like something other than a blathering idiot!"

Of course... no one can stop me all the time.

Q: I believe Riot executives have realized the importance of Arcane to the company, does their support make production easier than before? Will season 2 come out quicker because of that?

Alex: Their support is a huge part of why Arcane has the time, trust, and resources to hit the quality we aim for. People who've worked in the industry always tell us how rare and special our situation is. However, I'd say that extra trust is more likely to mean the season would incubate for more time, rather than less.We know you're all waiting though.

We always try to find the sweet spot between bringing you content and trying to improve/polish it.

Q: In the scene where Finn tries persuading Sevika into betraying Silco, Finn mentioned something about "bigger fish than silco". I feel like this was potential foreshadowing to who will fill the power vacuum Silco left, but I'm not sure. Was Finn referencing someone within the scope of Season 1, or was he talking about someone/something we'll see in the future? (cause it makes me wanna think he was referencing Urgot potentionally)

At the end of the Bridging the Rift, y'all mentioned wanting to expand to other Runeterra regions in animation. Will these new series be anthology to Arcane, or will it be directly/partially carrying on some of Arcane's plotlines?

When and if there are more animated shows outside of Piltover and Zaun, is Fortiche willing to make these projects or can we see different animation studios throwing their hat in the ring? (ie Japanese studio animates Ionia series)

Alex:

Heh, I wondered if this stood out to anyone. There is someone he's referencing, who does capitalize on Silco's death, though I don't know if this will be apparent in season 2. It's one of the things we wanted to connect, but didn't feel was important enough to sacrifice some of the other scenes we wanted.

No specifics to report yet, but we do hope we'll be able to feel a connection between different stories we might tell, even if the camera moves to a very different place.

We love working with Fortiche and (hopefully) vice versa. We also want to explore a range of styles for League content. The question is how to best have the capacity to deliver stories regularly without diluting the quality.

Q: Will there be information about Orianna somewhere in Arcane?

Will there be hints in Arcane Season 2 about Warwick's creation?

Will Janna have any mention in Arcane?

Amanda: Yes! (not sure if a yes to all three or a specific one)

212 notes · View notes

hiramaris · 8 months

Text

Dusk til Dawn

Part 14

Summary: Following Episode 9. And spoilers for Episode 10.

Author’s note: As Episode 10 is just released I just want to say heads up for those who are not yet finished. Completing the game without spoilers really made a difference, and as much as possible I want everyone to experience that. And for those finished, I’ll gladly welcome you to my domain where MC took a different route.

Disclaimer: I do not own Duskwood or any of the related characters. Duskwood is created by and owned by Everbyte Studio. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only. I am not making any profit from this story. All rights of the original Duskwood story belong to Everbyte Studio.

Warning: Mentions of blood, suicide, violence, pedophiles, drugs, gun, murder, sex offenders, kidnapping

gif from weheartit.com

“Officer Alan! The stream was cut off! And the hatch won’t open!”

“What?! Miss Donfort and Y/n are still there! Go force it open!” Alan was barking orders. From sending more paramedics and firefighters to talking with the newly arrived FBI.

“The fire is spreading fast! Hurry up!”

Urgent shouts filled the air.

Lilly couldn’t comprehend anymore what was happening around her. One moment they were still inside the cabin panicking about Jake and Y/n’s lack of updates since they descended from the shaft and then Jessy got a call from an agent who claimed she was Y/n’s subordinate. Not long after, they were all escorted inside a vehicle along with the rest of Y/n’s squad.

They couldn’t understand what was happening. Why was the FBI here? Did Y/n contact them to finally capture Jake? But that’s unlikely, you would never do that to him. So just why?

The woman who contacted Jessy must have noticed the look of confusion among their group and began to explain. “Our Chief likes to do everything on their own. You can imagine how stressful that might be for our squad,” Agent Hartmann chuckled wryly. “But they mean well. We just wish they'd allow us to help more. After all, we're a team.” Her gaze hardened. “Now Chief L/n needs our help more than ever. That’s why we are here.”

“Did Y/n inform you of their location?” Cleo voiced the question that was likely on everyone's mind.

The raven-haired agent shook her head, her expression serious. “We tracked them.” She motioned all five of them to follow her to the back of the vehicle to see loads of computers and gadgets set up to perfection. If Lilly were to imagine Jake’s setup, it would probably look like this. “Did you finally manage to breach into our culprit’s laptop, Aerith?”

A redheaded woman swiveled her chair to face them, fingers dancing across the keyboard as she worked on her screens. “Affirmative,” she confirmed before returning to her task. “The guy doesn't even have a password on his computer. Seriously, who does that?” She scoffed as she manipulated the keyboards, bringing up multiple camera feeds. One screen displayed a blinking red dot on what appeared to be a map—presumably Y/n's location.

However, it was one particular monitor that seized their attention, and Lilly's heart sank at the sight.

A hand suddenly clutched Lilly's shoulder. “Lilly…” Jessy's voice trembled as she whispered, her eyes fixed on the monitor. “Why is Richy pointing a gun at Y/n?”

Agent Hartmann swiftly made her way to the driver's seat, her urgency palpable. “Viktor, we need to hurry!”

A loud screech of tires brought Lilly back to the present moment as another vehicle came to a sudden halt, and she strained to see through the commotion. Lilly could see Agent Hartmann, who had been in a heated discussion with Alan for a while, go pale as a tall figure emerged from the vehicle. The man was easily surrounded by men wearing the same uniform as Y/n's squad.

It didn't take long for her to realize that this must be the Director they had mentioned earlier. His presence seemed to command attention effortlessly.

Identifying him was not difficult. His deliberate, measured steps and the pristine condition of his black suit, along with his impeccably styled blonde hair, marked him as a man of authority. Even without doing anything, an aura of power seemed to radiate from him.

Shit. Lilly's mind raced. What could the Director be doing here? Her anxiety surged as she watched the unfolding scene.

Not long after, a gunshot rang out, followed by the harsh, echoing sound of metal striking the ground. The men who had been gathered around the hatch, attempting to force it open earlier, scattered to the sides.

Smoke rose from the newly opened hatch, obscuring the view. However, through the haze, the unmistakable silhouettes of two figures can be seen.

Tears welled up in Lilly's eyes, and all the emotions she had been trying to hold back since the FBI had dropped them off overwhelmed her. She watched, her heart pounding, as Hannah and you emerged from the hatch. You held a Glock in your other hand, which you had probably used to open the hatch, while your other arm was wrapped around Hannah's shoulders as she helped you walk.

However, before they could race toward the two of you, you were both escorted to the paramedics. The men surrounding the Director began to disperse and held Lilly and the others back, preventing them from approaching your location.

“Let me go!” Thomas bellows as he struggles to get past the agent. “Hannah! Hannah!” But the man didn’t budge. Thomas yanks him by his collar. “That’s my girlfriend!”

The agent, maintaining a stern demeanor, responded, “we understand, sir. But we can’t let you in just yet. Especially Chief Y/l/n is gravely injured.”

“B-but…” Jessy sniffed. She has been crying nonstop since they arrived here. “You already forbid us to see Richy and Jake. Now Hannah and Y/n?!”

“Ma’am, you need to understand.” The agent prompted indifferently. “Three of them are injured and Miss Donfort is still shaken up. So, please. Just give us a moment. We will let you see them once we’re through.”

“Damn,” Dan mutters, his shoulder slumping.

“We understand, sir,” Cleo responded, her voice cracking didn’t go unnoticed by Lilly.

Cleo urges them to back up a bit to the side despite the general protests from the gang. It was significantly far from Y/n and Hannah’s position, but they could still see them from here. Lilly is glad that despite the situation, Cleo was able to keep a level head which is exactly what the group needs right now because honestly speaking? Lilly is on the verge of going to her sister herself.

“Unfucking believable.” Dan rasped out.

“We need to calm down, okay?” Cleo faced them. “The more we resist, the more they won’t allow us to see them.”

“I just don’t understand!” Thomas couldn't contain his frustration. He covered his face with his hand, voice strained, “Why can’t they just let us see them? We’re not just some bystanders! For god’s sake, Hannah’s sister is here, too! At the very least, they should have let Hannah see Lilly!”

Lilly began to zone out as her eyes focused on where Hannah and you were. She can see your squad dotting on you as they carry you to the paramedics. Lilly’s mouth went dry as she noticed the numerous bruises and cuts on your body. And with your clothes being black, it's hard to make out any other wounds beneath them but the droplets of blood trickling down on the ground from what seems to be a wound on your abdomen already tells her you have a serious wound.

And Hannah…

Hannah seemed to be okay. Apart from her smoke-etched face and slight scratches from her arms, there don’t seem to be any noticeable wounds on her. Thank God.

But the look of sheer horror is written all over her face. She looked emotionally wrecked. The blanket and what seemed to be a mug of warm drink did little to Hannah’s shaking form. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were puffy and grim as she focused her sole attention on Y/n as the paramedics began to treat their wounds. If Hannah had noticed Lilly and the group, she didn’t show; not daring them any single glance.

Hannah’s still shaken; Lilly noted. Who wouldn’t? What happened down there was fucked up. And despite the irresistible urge to approach their place, Lilly knew deep down they wouldn’t be able to give much help.

****

It felt like ages before any of these people acknowledged their group. Jessy only allowed herself to breathe freely when she saw you stand up from the stretcher. The paramedics had you remove your shirt to treat your wounds, and now your whole torso was almost covered by gauze. There was still a glaring red stain on your right side despite the blood being stopped by the bandages. Your head was also wrapped with bandages, but the dried blood from the side of your head had been cleaned now. You seemed okay now, too, better than earlier when Jessy had almost thought you weren't breathing at all.

Once Agent Hartmann gave them the signal, Jessy practically raced towards you. You only have seconds to react on time when Jessy’s body collided with yours in a searing embrace. It didn’t last longer than she would have preferred because she heard you groan in pain, only realizing she held you a little too tight, earning one member of the paramedics to admonish her.

“I’m okay, I’m okay…” you managed to say amid grunts as you gently pulled her back into your arms. Jessy is careful now to not put any pressure on your wounds.

“Damn, Y/n!” Dan made a move to slap you lightly on your arm, but Jessy swatted his hands away, daring him to continue. “Geez, I just want to praise them.”

After ensuring you were okay, Jessy turned her attention to Hannah, who throughout the whole ordeal remained staring from the distance. Even when Lilly, Thomas, and Cleo tried to embrace her, she flinched away, unconsciously gravitating closer to you. Lilly and Cleo quickly understood and gave her space, but Thomas was a bit persistent in trying to comfort her. Just as he was about to reach out to her, Hannah scampered away, seeking refuge practically behind you, whimpering softly.

Thomas quickly withdrew his hands like he was burned, finally getting the message. “Hannah...?” He questioned, a hurt expression crossed his face at the thought of his girlfriend flinching away from him.

“Hannah,” Jessy started carefully. But when Hannah darted her eyes to her with a fearful look, Jessy closed her mouth shut.

“Uh…” you begin as you start shielding Hannah behind you away from their prying eyes. You only stopped moving when you were able to create a significant distance between both of you and the gang. “She’s still shaken up.”

“Hannah… no one’s gonna hurt you anymore,” Lilly finally spoke after a long while. She was practically begging for her sister to talk to them. And despite the guilty feeling rising in Jessy’s chest at the notion that she was far more worried about Y/n than her friend, she couldn’t help but notice how Hannah was holding onto Y/n’s arms like some sort of lifeline. And from the look on Thomas’ face, she knew he noticed it too.

“What happened inside…" you trailed off, shaking your head. "It was horrible. Give her some time.”

Thomas began to open his mouth, likely to voice his protest, but the man from earlier returned. Jessy watched as you visibly stiffened at the sight of him. Despite any discomfort, you tried to stand straight, fighting back the wince that threatened to cross your face as you attempted to salute. “Director,” you greeted, your voice steady.

“Agent L/n.” The Director replied, his voice a few notches lower.

His cold cobalt eyes bore into yours, and Jessy observed as you, for the first time, seemed to shrink in your place. It might have been imperceptible to others, but Jessy can easily see through your facade. That despite trying to battle the eyes of your own superior, fear can still be seen etched from your eyes.

“Agents,” the Director cleared his throat to address his men, but his gaze never left you. “I need a private moment with Agent L/n, if you may. You can assist Agent Hartmann and the others in securing the hacker and the mechanic. Do make sure they are patched up accordingly before you do so. After all,” he added with a small smirk that made your expression harden, “we are not that cruel.”

Jessy and the others visibly bristled at how the Director referred to their friends. What did he mean by ‘restrained’?

Richy may have done something horrible but that doesn't make him a terrible person! And Jake! Y/n has stated he was wanted with the same people they are working with. What happens to him now?

This is the only time Hannah acknowledges the Director's presence. Her eyes widened and there was obvious panic in them. Lilly almost wore the same expression. Jessy's not entirely sure but they are probably just as shocked about the words that flew from the Director's mouth.

“Everyone,” you said, commanding their attention. Everyone but the Director was surprised at your sudden change of demeanor and tone. It was cold and calculating. There was barely any trace of emotions that could be seen in your eyes and that scared Jessy. “Please give us a moment.”

For a brief moment, nobody moved, and silence enveloped the atmosphere.

“Now, please,” you stressed. You turned towards Hannah, giving her what Jessy assumed was an encouraging nod. Hannah seemed to understand and let herself be guided by Lilly a little further to Y/n's location.

“What the hell was that?” Dan was the first to react. “Richy's a douche I know, and Hackerman's weird and all but what the fuck? What are they going to do with them? Is Y/n going to let something happen to them?”

��Calm down,” Cleo interjected. “I'm sure Y/n wouldn't let anything happen to them.”

“If they are going to arrest them,” Hannah spoke for the first time. Her eyes are a bit different now. Despite the tears staining her cheeks, there's a subtle fire in them. “They should arrest me, too. After what...” She shook her head as she fought the tears from coming. Thomas instinctively tried to reach out to her but— “DON'T TOUCH ME!” She shrieked and everyone froze.

Hannah had never been one to raise her voice. Actually, the words ‘shouting’ and ‘Hannah’ are two completely different concepts. It was quite hard to picture the past Hannah to the Hannah in front of them now. But Jessy couldn't really blame her if this whole ordeal changed her.

Her outburst was loud enough to capture your and the Director's attention. Jessy could see that you wanted to go to them, but it seemed you were in the middle of a heated discussion, even if it didn't look like it.

“Don't touch me,” Hannah repeated with a sob. Now quieter that it was barely audible. Thomas, once again retreated back, clutching his hands as if to physically stop him from doing something. “We're murderers, okay?! And we deserve to be in prison if that's what they want!”

“Hannah, honey...” Cleo took a cautious step but didn't dare to touch her. Tears glistened in Cleo's eyes as she struggled to find the right words. “None of that. We heard everything. Ted's responsible to...” Cleo paused, not wanting to bring out Jennifer's name in the middle of Hannah's outburst, “to everything that happened. Not you. Not Richy...”

“You don't get it!" Hannah cried. “Accident or not, we moved the body. Can't you see how sick that is?!” She turned to Thomas, her eyes searching for any sign of his feelings, her chest heaving with emotion. “What do you think about me now, huh? Do you still want to stay with someone like me?! Do you still think I can be able to tell you something like that and expect you to accept it?! Were you disappointed when you got to know me? The real me?!”

“Hannah!” Lilly bellowed, her voice cutting through the heated exchange. “Enough!”

“But that's the truth!” Hannah shouted back with a bitter laugh, her voice trembling with emotion. “You all probably go all through all this trouble just to find out your sister, your lover, and your friend was a murderer all along.” She looked at each of them in turn, her eyes filled with pain. “Can you really say that it was all worth it?”

“Y/n and Jake go through the lengths of the world just to get you back to us.” Jessy finally spoke. Her tone wasn't angry or argumentative. She was trying to make her understand. “Try to look at them and tell yourself that what they did is meaningless.”

Hannah went silent, her shoulders slumping as she wiped away her tears.

“It wasn't at all meaningless. I admit that we weren't exactly prepared for the truth.” Jessy went on, taking a tentative step closer. “But we go on as before. All we ever wanted was to find you, and that already meant something. And that something is you. You're our friend Hannah. You and Richy may have done a terrible thing, but that doesn't mean you're terrible people.”

“You don't understand...” Hannah's head shook slowly, her voice filled with despair. “After what happened... even if I could go back, I wouldn't belong here anymore.”

Jessy placed a hesitant hand on Hannah’s shoulder, and this time, Hannah didn’t resist. “It's okay if you don't accept it just yet, but please do remember,” Jessy said softly, her eyes filled with empathy. “We didn't go through all this for nothing.”

****

“We will take the hacker into custody,” you announced as you approached them, Alan following closely behind you. Your agents moved with practiced efficiency, swiftly dragging a barely conscious Jake toward a waiting black SUV, its engine idling and the doors held open by two agents.

“Y/n!” Lilly exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief. Her eyes darted between you and the vehicle. “What the hell?”

“As for the case of Miss Donfort and Mister Roger,” you continued, maintaining a composed demeanor amidst your friends' shock, "we will have to discuss it further at the Headquarters."

You could feel their stares burning into your back, but you resisted the urge to turn around. And for the sake of your own self-preservation, you didn't turn to witness Jake being ushered into the van. You didn't want to see the betrayal in his eyes.

“I expect to see you in my office, Officer Bloomgate,” you added, addressing the man beside you.

Alan almost scoffed. “Just earlier, I was inviting you to my precinct, not the other way around. But I will see you there, Agent L/n.”

“And the media?” you asked.

“We'll handle them.”

“You better make sure,” you replied, your gaze fixed on the van as it prepared to depart. Not daring to meet the eyes of your friends, all bewildered and questioning your actions.

“Y/n…” You felt Lilly tug your arm to face her. “What the hell is happening? Why was Jake–” she couldn't finish her sentence. “I thought…”

“I will handle him,” you answered as truthfully as you could. You turned to Hannah who wore the same expression as Lilly. “don’t worry. I got everything under control, okay?”

“Okay…” she nodded, her mind still clearly racing with confusion.

Your eyes briefly caught the Director's gaze, and you knew it was time to go. Despite the pain surging through your body, you straightened up. “Officer Bloomgate will explain everything to you.”

With that, you forced yourself to leave, but you were well aware of how stubborn your friends were. They wouldn't back down easily, and you could feel their questioning eyes on your back as you walked away.

“Y/n! Hold the fuck up.”

You sighed, not daring to turn around. “Mister Anderson, as I said–”

“Drop the formalities, Y/n, you know that’s crap!” Dan shouted as he tried to follow you with his wheelchair, frustration, and anger clear in his voice and demeanor.

With a deep breath, you willed yourself to continue walking. The vehicle's engine rumbled softly in the background, a stark contrast to the tension in the air. As your foot finally touched the cold, hard floor of the vehicle, a hand shot up to grab you back, and you turned to face a very angry redhead. A crack seemed to appear in your façade, and you desperately tried to fix it before Jessy noticed anything.

“You’re leaving?” she asked, her voice dripping with disbelief, the words echoing in the confined space of the vehicle. Her eyes bore into yours, demanding answers. “You’re just going to leave without saying goodbye?”

“Miss Hawki–”

“No!” She cut you off vehemently, her words laced with frustration. “You don’t get to call me that! What is wrong with you? What happened? Was it the Director? Did he tell you something? Did he threaten–”

This time, you silenced her with your lips, a brief and intense kiss that tasted like a mixture of desperation and farewell. It was a dangerous move, and you knew it. You knew you shouldn't. You knew the risk. You had convinced yourself that it was better to leave without saying anything. The less you opened your mouth, the less you'd screw this up. But seeing Jessy this way, almost broken and full of questions, almost broke down your resolve.

You knew to yourself that you just couldn't allow yourself to leave without saying the words to her.

The night air hung heavy with tension as you drew close, your lips almost touching hers. "I love you," you all but whispered to her lips, the words a fragile promise, a plea. You hoped she heard it, felt it, and understood the depth of those words. "Trust me."

With that, you gently pried her fingers away from you as you finally entered the waiting vehicle. The engine hummed to life once more, vibrating beneath you, and the door closed with a soft thud. As the vehicle pulled away, you couldn't help but steal one last look, seeing her standing there as Lilly and Cleo tried to hold her back from even following after you.

Your heart broke at the sight.

"Are you okay?" You felt a hand squeeze your shoulder.

"Yeah..." You answered absentmindedly. Charlotte took that as her cue to leave. Leaving you alone with your thoughts.

You left her. Leaving her nothing but a chaste kiss and two words. Two words you badly hope she will hold.

She didn’t have to believe the three words you uttered. After all, you just left. But you hoped she believed the two words. There was so much you wanted to say, so many emotions you wanted to convey, but you were afraid that no words would suffice for you to stay. It’s the only thing you could say at the moment. It’s the only thing you could give.

It was funny, in a bitter way, to think that Jessy only needed to be herself and nothing else for you to love her like this. It never took too much to love her. But it took everything in your willpower to even step away.

As you settled into the vehicle, your eyes glanced at the moon on the horizon, its pale light fading as the sun began to rise. You couldn't help but laugh quietly to yourself, a hollow, rueful sound. Like the moon, you left as quickly as you came.

You left.

And you didn’t come back for a long time.

~~~~~

A/n: Apologies for the wait. I lost track of time from the past days reading some awesome fanfictions. Anyway, I was wondering if I should end it here. Actually, I'm already thinking of ending it here, and possibly starting another series or providing one-shots or drabbles or prompts whichever y'all prefer in the same verse so let me know what y'all think. Also, I'm not really certain if I have given this story a satisfactory ending so I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts about it.

#duskwood #duskwood mc #duskwood jessy #duskwood jessy x mc #jessy x mc #mc x jessy #duskwood richy #duskwood jake #duskwood dan #duskwood lilly #duskwood cleo #duskwood hannah #duskwood thomas #duskwood fanfiction

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bringthekaos · 5 months

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more and more as of recent I’ve been thinking about what direction Riot’s design team are going to take Viktor. Bridging the rift had some early stage design stuff teased, but the one coloured image looks very similar to his game design - a design that I don’t think it’s controversial to say sucks. Like there is some amazing fanart of the Machine Herald out there but they all take some liberty with it. It’s going to be a tough job for the design team, coming up with something that has void elements, potential hextech elements, fixing all the prev design problems while still having something that’s identifiable as the machine herald. I am in high hopes however. I was wondering if you had any options on the matter.

Oh you’re absolutely right, for a character that’s supposed to be a cyborg/poster boy for cyborgs, he’s pretty… plain. Kinda just looks like a suit of armor. The only thing that really sets him apart from a regular armored character is that visibly mechanical left arm (and the Hexclaw obviously, but even that and the shoulder pauldron sorta look like they’re strapped on via the bandolier across his chest.)

And as for the solution to this? I think it’s to have less armor, and have the metal be a more obvious part of him. Like, (in League) he’s a vocal proponent of function over form. He doesn’t really care for how something looks so long as it performs its function to perfection. So I think more exposed steampunk-looking bits on his chest, more moving parts. Like Sevika’s arm… gotDAMN that shit is cool, with the way her hand just Swiss Army Knifed into a freaking plasma sword?!?! Shit like that. Also, it’s highly likely that he is going to need Shimmer at some level to upkeep things, an injector tank like the one on her shoulder wouldn’t hurt (though that probably should be armored, cuz we saw via Caitlyn’s excellent shot what happens when it’s exposed).

His Hexcore-augmented parts are obviously a new addition, cuz his right hand in League (according to this splash art) was still flesh and bone.

So that’s a whole world of possibility. It could have some kind of aura around it, hell… maybe he might eventually learn to do magic with them (but like… fucked up Void magic which… big ol’ yikes). Or, there’s the other possibility, wherein he dislikes the influence it had over him (when the Hexcore used his augmented parts to hurt him after he tried to destroy it), and he might amputate them, leaving him with no flesh and bone limbs. Which could actually be another way to update his character design.

And I think a massive part of what is going to make him successful will be sound engineering—the whirs, the clicks, the ambient hum of working machinery. Also his footsteps. Dude needs to sound like an earthquake coming at you. And I think they already gave us a taste, with how that Hexcore-augmented foot sounded as it hit the ground. Overall, I trust the team. They turned the original overly-sexualized and honestly awful designs of Vi and Cait and turned it into something amazing. (I’m not talking about the Enforcer uniform, that’s still way too prissy for an officer, but the way they did it made it more a statement about Piltover and their focus on aesthetics than a comment about Caitlyn). So if they put the same kind of dedication into redesigning the Machine Herald, then I think he is going to be BADASS.

#arcane #arcane league of legends #league of legends #machine herald viktor #arcane Viktor #character design #asks #ace answers

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sharkneto · 5 months

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was backreading old asks and im curious if theres any early thoughts regarding SM v. number, knowing what we know now with chapter 9 now being out: is there anything in the update thats causing you to have to rework things? you mentioned number still fails to stop the apocalypse incident in his timeline - do you think his reset would go smoother than in SM? feels like theres more to account for now, with henderson being completely gone but the commission being invoked in SM for the first time

Number vs his apocalypse week! I'm happy to talk about that one, generically :)

The thing with Number is he's completely independent from the events of SM at that point. He's on a whole different path than that Five, thanks to JT but mostly because of the events of HIT. The new SM chapter has given me ideas to play with more than things I need to rework. Almost all the reworking I've had to do on the bit I've worked with that fic, to be honest, was 1) the realization that no one in HIT fucking told Number that Reggie kills himself and 2) how close he's kept the apocalypse to his chest. So he's pretty sure he's already taken care of the apocalypse with having helped Viktor figure out his powers in a safe, supported environment, but then Reggie still fucking dies at the same time. And, maybe that's just Reggie's time, but Reggie has also still set up the little mystery to get the Umbrellas to work together to stop the apocalypse (...that Number already stopped. Probably. Totally.). So he's got to chase that down to make sure, but he also still hasn't told his siblings about the apocalypse (why worry the siblings over something he's stopped, why put that in Viktor's head), so he's also dealing with it in true Five fashion - inefficiently and suspiciously secretive. So some similar vibes to SM apocalypse weeks, there. I'll put a WIP snip at the bottom for this vibe because I think it's fun.

I've got general beats in mind, have a plotpoint I adore that causes Number so many goddam problems that I don't remember if I've talked about on here or not so I'll keep it vague in case I haven't. I haven't settled on if Number stops his apocalypse or not on the first try, but it for sure is not the easy skate he was expecting it to be (and it really should have been). The world wants to end on April 1st, and life (death?), uh, finds a way. Fives must always have a terrible time during the week leading up to April 1, 2019.

If Number has to do a reset, it will come with its own problems, but it will absolutely be smoother than SM Five's. Number just has so much more information to work with the first time around, and he has a real handle on time travel. There is also no Commission to interrupt him in any way, thanks to their deal with Five at the end of HIT. That said, having fewer unknowns doesn't mean he's going to juggle the pieces correctly. He's still a Five and they are still the Umbrellas.

Anyway, WIP Snip -

Allison pauses in the doorway on her way through to the entry, not expecting Viktor to be in the living room. He's standing by the bookcases and hasn't noticed her yet, his attention on a book in his hands. She’s just about to announce herself when Five appears by the bar with a whumpf.

His gaze passes over her, and he just barely nods an acknowledgement to her before his focus lands on their brother. Viktor turned at his entrance, his back now to Allison. “Hey, Five,” he says.

“Viktor.” A beat passes as Five’s gaze flicks to the book in his hands. It jumps back to Viktor’s face, and then his expression does… something. Softens, maybe. Allison can feel her eyebrows rising as she thinks she categorizes it – is Five trying to show sympathy? Empathy? What is that? It really makes him look a little constipated. Still ignoring her, he asks Viktor, “Are you doing alright?”

Viktor shifts a little. “Yeah, Five. I’m still good. Just like when you asked me before. And the time before that. And the one before that.”

It’s another excruciating pause as Five considers that answer. Then he jerks a nod and the weird expression slips away and he’s back to haughty and judgmental. “Good.” He turns to the bar and reaches over to snag a small bottle of something clear.

Viktor takes a half step forward. “Five—” He’s cut off as Five disappears in flash. He sighs. “He’s so weird,” he says, loud enough for Allison to clearly hear it. Then he glances over his shoulder at her, mouth quirked up in a conspiratorial little grin.

Allison blinks at being acknowledged and pulls a smile on as fast as she can. She hasn’t talked to Viktor one-on-one in over decade, since he was still Vanya. She’s got a general idea of the things she needs to talk to him about, but hadn’t been expecting this to be the moment she ran into him. “Yeah, I don’t know why I thought he’d get more normal with age.”

Viktor snorts a little laugh and turns to fully face her. “No, that ship really sailed once he figured out the time traveling.” He softens a little and adds, “He means well, though. Usually.”

“Yeah,” she agrees, although she’s not sure if she does or not. She commits and steps into the room. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you, I didn’t think anyone was down here.”

“You didn’t. I heard you coming down the hall. I wasn’t sure if you were going to stop in, though.”

Right. Viktor has crazy sound and hearing powers. Not the useless little Seven they grew up with.

Allison immediately chastises herself for the thought. Viktor was never useless; he was just different (she kicks herself again – that’s not really any better).

The silence has stretched just long enough to be awkward. Viktor shifts his weight again, adjusting his grip on the book in his hand. Allison can just see the cover enough to recognize it – Extra Ordinary. She swallows her spike of venom back down.

Casting about for something – anything – to talk about, to push them past whatever this is, her mind replays the weird little interaction she just witnessed. “I thought he quit drinking?”

Viktor shrugs. “He did. For a while.”

Allison nods.

It hangs between them.

“I don’t think it’s as bad as it was back…” he trails off, fingers tightening again over Extra Ordinary.

“Sure,” she rushes to add. She doesn’t actually want to talk about their brother’s drinking problem. “And, I mean, it’s a funeral, so… people drink.” She’s already had a couple, more than she probably should have had; she’s actively trying to better herself for the courts and Claire. There’s no one here, but it’s still not a good look to get drunk at her father’s funeral. “How are you doing with it all?”

His mouth lifts up again in a small smile. “Like I just told Five, I’m fine.”

She forces a quick, humorless laugh. It sounds as stilted as it felt. “Yeah, good point.” She thinks again to the brief, odd interaction. “How many times has he asked you?”

“That was like the fourth in the past two hours.”

“What is that about?” It’s distinctly anti-Five, and him being actively involved and worried about other’s emotions was not the development she expected to come out of the past decade. Even being aware of other’s emotions would be a big step.

“No idea.” His expression falls as he gives it a second of thought. “I don’t know. Maybe he thinks it’s harder on me because Dad drugged me.”

Allison blinks at the blunt referral to the power-suppressing drugs she only learned about a couple hours ago. Something odd flashes over Viktor’s face, too, as he says it, and his gaze gets sharper on her, almost searching. Unsure what that means, she hesitantly asks, “Is it?”

The look passes. She almost wonders if she imagined it. Viktor shakes his head. “No. I don’t think so, anyway. He sucked but it’s weird that he’s… gone. It felt like he’d be around forever. But… I gave up on any answers or closure with him a long time ago.” He punctuates the point with an exaggerated shrug.

Allison nods. Her own feelings on Dad’s death are complicated. Probably yet another thing she’ll have to untangle with her therapist. For now, she’s happy to leave them knotted and neutral. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

Silence lapses between them again, almost comfortable. Her mind flits over categorizing who has it hardest over Dad’s death. She immediately discards herself – she’d had a strained but surface-level positive relationship with their father, if the training and abuse were excluded from consideration. Viktor took himself out of the running. Diego is actively throwing as much of a party as he can get away with. Klaus… is Klaus.

She pauses to consider Ben. Dad broke Ben. There are less blunt, probably more correct ways to think about that, but it is the truth. She wouldn’t blame him if he joined in Diego’s celebration attempts, but he’s been nothing but his usual quiet voice of reason as his fiancé flitted around behind his chair. So not Ben.

It's Luther, probably. He lived with Dad the longest, had still been working for him up until his death, had talked to him only last week. He’s trying to turn Dad’s very normal heart attack into a conspiracy, give it more meaning than it has. And it’s certainly not Five—

Five who hadn’t disagreed with Luther’s insistence that Dad’s death wasn’t natural. Five, who argued with Dad every single chance he got, pushed as many boundaries as he could, who pushed himself to the brink in training sessions and – it seems – even now in his career in academia.

Who has asked Viktor four times if he’s doing alright.

She furrows her brow as that conclusion settles. That feels much more like Five than an angle of empathy and altruism. Glancing up, she meets Viktor’s eyes. His brow is similarly furrowed. He just barely tilts his head, confirming that they’ve been thinking on the same trajectory.

“Do you think Five…?” Viktor starts.

“…is projecting?” she finishes.

That sits between them.

Viktor forces a scoff. “No. No way.” As Allison raises an eyebrow, he insists, “He hated Dad.”

“Yeah. They had a weird relationship.”

“All they did was fight. When we got the news he died, he called me to ask if I wanted to grab a celebratory drink when he got into town for the funeral.”

But he still came to the funeral. “Exactly.”

They process it all for another long second. Viktor slumps slightly. “Ugh, there’s no way I could get him to talk about this.”

Allison shakes her head in agreement. There’s not a therapist alive that could get Five to process his probably very messy, very complicated, very fucked up feelings about their dead father. In some small part for how similar he ended up to him.

That’s another uncharitable thought she forces to the back of her mind, into the dark recesses with her ones about Viktor.

That’s not what she’s here to talk about, to dwell on.

#ask response #jt #hit #number #snips #ficblogging

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elvenbeard · 8 months

Text

3 hours into update 2.0.0....

I love it xD But also, I'm a little bit overwhelmed, but UUUURGGGHHH there are some real gems in there already 😩

So, I didn't start a new playthrough for time reasons and went right in with my post-ending save. There was some initial fuckery with my wardrobe outfits that seems fixed now though after unequipping everything and remaking the outfits xD Custom tattoo and scar mods work just fine though and I might test these next few days what other mods do :D I'm really happy about the tattoos though at least :3

Some Bugs

Also, someone desperately needs to send the NCPD some funds cause....

That vehicle doesn't look like it should be allowed in traffic (this happened twice, and I was cackling xDD honestly just a really funny little bug that's probably gonna get fixed somewhere down the line xD)

But yes... Man the new skills and perks and cyberware and EVERYTHING is so fucking cool, but also so fucking overwhelming when you're already level 42+ and have everything at your disposal all at once xD But I was so excited to see all the different new Kiroshi options and how cyberware is tied to skills like... damn. And the strongest quickhacks really need a fuckton of RAM... as they should. And I still need a fuckton of practise in terms of using them, but I'm really excited to get the hang of it all somewhere down the line :D

They didn't forget about the LIs!!!

But then this:

When I read this in the patch notes, I was so fucking excited xD Hell yeah, a good reason to go to the apartment apart from sorting through my inventory xD Some more Johnny interactions!

AND. A DREAM COME TRUE WITH ONE OF THE DIALOGUES!!!

I was always a bit sad that Johnny had no comments whatsoever on V's relationship with Kerry, when he did with some of the other LIs, so this already made my evening xDD and one of the big perks of jumping in with my post-ending save to already get to see and hear this now :DDD Not gonna spoil what he says but... yes XDD It fits, I figured. And I hope the other LIs get something similar because it's glorious xD

Vehicles and Radio

In regards to vehicle handling... I can definitely feel a difference with my go-to bike! Like, it still has its weaknesses, but also feels a lot more stable in other regards, less flimsy and "heavier" like they described it in the patch notes. I love it a lot. I didn't try vehicle combat yet, although I did get randomly attacked in the badlands by some NPCs once, which was very fun XD I almost had a heart-attack, but it did feel like something that could happen. Sadly didn't manage to get my revenge in time, but next time!!

I like the new radio stations, but didn't hear every song yet... but also, and I think some others already said that, they don't really add much new in terms of sound and genres. Nothing that isn't already there in some shape or form. But still nice to have something new to add to the rotation.

Leveldesign

And as I was driving around, I randomly stumbled right into Dogtown :DDD well, not quite but, damn, that was an impressive moment:

The faction of the guards was labelled as "Test" though xDD Close but, not quite... Figure that's also a little bug though.

Overall... I fucking love how they integrated it into Pacifica o.o It's insanely impressive, huge and rundown and maaaaaan.... I cannot wait to explore behind the walls!!

Also, random little thing... I feel like the clouds looked nicer? But that could be me not paying much attention/ rain being rare-ish in Night City.

Not Dogtown but North Oak, obviously. But... idk o.o The light shining through like that looked so fucking cool and realistic, but I really dont know if maybe this wasn't already part of the Pathtracing update and I just never noticed it like this before XD

And lastly... I discovered whose nooks they added to the Columbarium. Right in the feels.

Cannot wait to discover more little details as I go but URGH yeah. The tiny little Kerry convo already made it worth it for me XDD And Viktor <3 And the Autofixer shop is so cool! And aaahhh I cannot wait to see what's gonna come with PL :333

#cyberpunk 2077 #phantom liberty #phantom liberty spoilers #cyberpunk 2077 spoilers #elven plays cyberpunk 2077 #spoilers

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mangoshorthand · 1 year

Text

Before A Fall [Five Hargreeves x F Reader]. Ch 11 (Hard Feelings Part 2)

SUMMARY: As your life begins to grow around Five's, his attitude becomes a little sinister. When does protection become suffocation and when does taking matters into your own hands become betrayal? (weekly updates)

Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six - Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine - Chapter Ten - Chapter Eleven - Chapter Twelve

Five's got a lot of grovelling to do.

Nothing objectionable below but proceed at your own risk anyway.

Chapter 11: A Biological Matter

Hastily, you hold Five to you and kiss his forehead once, twice, three times. Clearly bewildered, he brings a hand up to your back to reciprocate but you pull away too quickly.

"You need shut the fuck up, listen and not ask questions."

"What?"

You take Santi's hand and shout for Viktor. Already poised for an emergency, you hear him approach on the run.

Sloane is staring at Five's shoulder, still holding the scissors open, pointed at the ceiling. "It's gone...it's just gone!"

Five follows her gaze and brings his hand up to touch the new skin, disbelievingly. As Viktor skids into the room, Klaus waves his focus towards Five's shoulder.

"It was Santi."

You ignore this and kneel in front of the terrified little boy. His round face is anxious.

"Don't be scared. You just did something amazing."

You feel your brain whirr and you look sharply over your shoulder at the adults.

"I have a theory. Hear me out," you turn back to Santi, “tell me how you felt when that happened.”

He stutters and hesitates a little but when you take his hand, he manages.

“Like my tummy was scared. It was tingly.”

Five interrupts,

"What are you?-"

"Shut up Five!" you say, harshly. "Just listen for once!"

You don't turn back to Santi immediately, holding Five's eyes in a glare. Your tone has clearly taken him by surprise; he actually looks cowed. The look suits him. You turn back to Santi.

“Sorry, sweetie: your tummy felt tingly like you were scared? Anything else?”

“I felt sad…and my shoulder hurt a little.”

“Ok...did you feel like that when you hugged Alyssa in the hospital?”

His brow furrows slightly at this, surprised, “Yeah. A bit. I got the tingle."

"Any times before that?"

“The first time was…" his calf's eyes shift upwards as he recalls, "I think when I was crying. Alyssa hugged me because Cole called me stupid.”

Cole?

“Was this the week before Mommy and Daddy got married?”

“Uh...I think."

You think for a few moments. He can replicate…

You turn back to the others, most still stare at where Five’s wound was, Viktor shaking his head.

“We know Santi can replicate organisms, right? Simple ones now, but maybe more complex ones later? And once his body’s ‘remembered’ a bug, he can make one anywhere right?” your head whips back to Santi, like you're watching a tennis match, “could you make a spider for me right now, if I wanted?”

He nods his head and holds out a hand as if to create a dupe, but you put yours on top.

“No, there's no need. Illnesses are much less complex than animals: they’re just biological matter- cells, organisms. If Santi’s had a wound heal before, then maybe it's like an immune response. Maybe his body can replicate the cure."

And maybe the complaint too. If he wants.

“When you hugged Alyssa before the wedding, you were ill for a while, weren’t you?”

“Yeah.” He looks a little scared,

“It’s ok, don’t worry. It’s just, after you hugged her again- Alyssa got better. Did… your head hurt like when you were ill?”

“A little.”

“Has it hurt like that any other time?” you take his hand, “It’s ok. Don’t be scared.”

He sniffles and tears brim under his eyes. He's understood the truth before any of the others. Maybe part of him already knew. His eyes seem to be confirmation of your suspicions.

“I got angry one day. When Cole and Joe and Robert were-m-mean to me. Cole pushed me and the others laughed so I got up and pushed them all back and…”

“And what?” you put your hand against his hot, soft cheek as tears begin to roll down them.

“And my head hurt!”

You pull him into a hug.

"It's okay. Good boy. You're such a good boy for telling me this- and so brave. It's going to be ok."

As you whisper the comforting words, you look over his shoulders at the others. You think it’s dawning on Five, but the others aren’t there yet.

“It’s not JUICED. We know they’re doing shady shit with Ditrico-”

“What?” Five interrupts, face serious and hanging onto your every word.

You don't snap this time. He's asking to understand, not to take over.

“The compound: they’re trying to engineer the kids so that they feel thirsty unless they’ve drunk JUICED. So when four kids get cancer, they panic- in case it was Ditrico causing it- just like you thought.”

You incline your head towards him before continuing.

“So that’s why they set up the funds for their medical bills, that's why they set up the investigation and probably why there was all that security at their head office: they were doing damage limitation just in case it was a side-effect. But it wasn’t.”

You can feel your hands shaking slightly. You address all of them, pulling away from Santi only so much as to be able to look him in the eye.

“Alyssa…she was just unlucky. She was just the one in thousands that gets these tumors. But Santi- you absorbed it and your body learned how to fix it and replicate it. So when the boys were mean to you -when you got angry with Cole and Joe and Robert- you accidentally passed it on."

Your face turns back to Five.

"It's linked to his feelings," you glance at Viktor here and then back at Five, "he felt empathy for you and Alyssa and that's how he was able to heal. But he passed it onto the boys because they made him angry and upset."

There's a moment of silence before Five speaks, dismayed:

“Shit!”

“So…” comes Viktor’s voice, “does this mean we can save them?”

You smile kindly at Santi, taking both of his tense little hands and caressing the palms with your thumbs.

“Well…one of us can.”

That night, Five threatened to tear out his I.V if Sloane didn't remove it. He insisted on climbing all the attic stairs rather than let any of you set him up a bed elsewhere, only accepting help when he reached the third floor and couldn't walk any further, let alone blink.

He was too exhausted to ask questions and fell asleep as soon as you helped him into bed.

This morning, it was only with threats of physical violence that his siblings managed to contain him at the Academy instead of accompanying you and Santi to the hospital. It was lucky for them that his body was still too drained to blink or to put up too much of a fight.

Now, they stand sentinel in his doorway, not allowing him to go beyond the bed or reading chair at most. It’s reasonable to suspect that his weakness will soon fade but, for now, he needs to stay still.

Partly to distract him, partly to keep him up to date, Luther explains how you managed to obtain the information and hands Five the recovered files to read through. After absorbing everything, Five puts all the documents back into the folder and sits disbelievingly for a few minutes.

Klaus breaks the silence that follows with a roguish laugh: “Oh, have you got some shit to eat now, Mister”

“Klaus…” reproaches Luther.

“No. You gotta hear it Five: I did the only thing you didn’t think to do. I asked your girlfriend. And she dealt with it. In like, two days! And if you’d have asked her before you broke into the university, you’d have had an easier time then too. But nooo you’re so obsessed with ‘protecting’ her that you treat her like a kid.”

“So…you and her?” says Five, angry and disbelieving, “You’ve been investigating this behind my back? Behind all of our backs?”

Klaus makes a little noise of frustration “You’re missing the point! I wanted to show you what an asshole you can be. To me too sometimes.”

Five’s neck and jaw tense in that way his siblings have grown to recognise as a warning sign.

“So you did this to piss me off?”

Klaus’s voice takes on the soft cadence that would have held Destiny's Children in thrall.

“No Five. I did it to teach you a lesson…about love…”

He brings his hands together, as if in prayer.

“…and also to piss you off.”

One of Five’s hands thumps the side of his chair in frustration.

“Will someone get this dumb cunt out of here before I’m tempted to over-exert myself?” he spits, teeth gritted.

“Ease up on him, Klaus.” mumbles Viktor, “Fine. You might just want to think about being a partner and less of a patronizing bastard to everyone. Otherwise, she’s gonna wise up, leave you and realize that I’m the hottest one. And then,” he said, rotating his hips suggestively, “she'll want to get a hot slice o’ Klaus and either it's going to be insanely awkward with you or I'll have to say no and that will be SUPER hard on her.” As Five's expression becomes dangerous, Luther wisely distracts him: “You wanna…organize that press conference? I had some adult uniforms dry-cleaned. Not the shirt and tie ones, the mission ones…the sexy ones.” Klaus sighs contentedly, smiling benignly at Five: “Excellent. Nothing like a trip down memory lane to bring the family together.”

His hand clasped tightly in yours, you and Santi stand in the doorway. Cole looks so small, sleeping with shallow breaths beneath the clean white sheets of his hospital bed. His father also sleeps, in a chair leaning against the wall.

It’s easy, when you care about one child, to demonize one that bullies them, but now you look at Cole, all you can see is another little boy, full of promise and on the brink of dying.

Sensing his hesitation, you squat beside Santi and whisper.

“Are you okay?”

He’s still looking at Cole.

“He’s asleep.”

“Yeah, but you can still go in to try and help him.”

He shuffles from foot to foot, makes as if to enter but seems to think better of it. He abruptly shies away and hides his head in your shoulder.

“Hey, it’s okay, don’t worry,” you soothe.

“He doesn’t look like Cole,” he whispers.

You glance over at the small figure. He probably doesn’t look like the Cole that Santi knows. He looks skeletal, even worse than Alyssa did. His eyes and cheeks are sunken, like he could die any day. Perhaps something in Santi’s anger accelerated the illness.

“It’s because he’s ill.”

Santi nods but still hangs back. Gently, you give his hand a supportive squeeze.

“Come on, sweetie. He needs you to be kind.”

Santi hesitates for a moment longer, looking from Cole to his father and back again. Then, he squares his shoulders as much as a seven-year-old can and leads you into the room.

By the time you and Santi came home, Five was up and about again. His tip-off on Di-triberyllium colloid for the FDA and various other authorities were dispatched and his speech to the press ready for tomorrow. Nothing to do now but wait until the morning. Santi had told him excitedly about how he went into the hospital and fixed Cole, Joe and Robert even though they’re mean, because he’s kind.

All the kids saved and evil corporate machinations kept at bay…now he could no longer avoid facing you. No excuses any more. Time to take off the schoolboy shorts and put on his big boy pants.

Up in his room, (both of your room), he pauses. Now he’s here, he isn’t sure what to do. You're sitting on the slipper chair and he on the desk. There’s more to discuss here than just today’s events. He’d thought he understood what he had to do... but now it's time to do it...He straightens his tie, takes in a deep breath and tries:

“You did well.”

“Thanks.”

He thinks back to the first time he’d borne his heart to you. His mouth had still tasted of whiskey-vomit while he laid on your lumpy couch. It was so much easier when he was drunk. He opens his mouth, thinking that he’ll say sorry, or ‘I was wrong’ or ‘I didn’t mean it,’ but instead, it’s something entirely different that comes out:

“I wish you hadn’t gone behind my back with Klaus.”

You shake your head incredulously.

“Would you have listened if I’d come to you?”

He dodges this, looking down briefly at his clasped hands.

“It was still kind of a betrayal.”

“A betrayal of what? You never trusted me in the first place.”

He puts his hands in his pockets, watching his own foot as he swings it back and forth. He can't deny that's...fair. He should probably try this again.

“Luther tells me you really went for that guy when he tried it on. He said he was impressed. Is it wrong that I’m a little proud of-?”

You interrupt him, “I know a chemistry PhD at the college.”

“-huh?”

“My friend Lydia is a chemist. If you’d have just asked me, right from the start, I could have got you in. I could have got you an actual chemist to perform the experiment. That's the sort of thing she does.”

“-but…”

“No. No buts,” the little wisps of hair loose from your hair tie are awry in a wild crown around your face, “it never occurred to you that I might have information. You never thought that something I say could help you while you’re trying to put the world to rights. It never occurred to you that maybe I give a shit whether a corporation’s killing kids?”

“I never said-"

“-But what could I know? I can’t blink to the fucking bathroom or talk to the dead or float or whatever. But you know what, Five? I’m good at my job, I’ve lived in the world, I can comfort you when you wake up screaming and sometimes, maybe fucking sometimes, I know better than you and-”

You dissolve into sobs. They surprise him in their intensity. Shit. He stands and crosses the room.

“Hey- it’s okay. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“You can’t just fuck up and keep saying sorry like that makes it go away. You promised. When we first met, you promised to respect me.”

“I know, I know,” He puts a hand in your hair and tries to soothe, “I’m sorry. You’re right."

“You told me you’d listen.”

The way you emphasize this word makes his gut twist. He removes his hand from your hair. He did promise you to listen and he did promise you respect back when he'd first got together with you. But somehow, he'd never imagined this.

Hell, he'd trusted Dolores with his plans more than he'd trusted you...but then again, Dolores wasn't the kind of girl to run off on her own and get hurt. He'd imagined respect and listening in the context of sex and romance not...

His arrogance, presumption and condescension suddenly break on him like waves; his hand goes up to cover his eyes...fuck. He's a fucking shitty asshole!

“I’m listening. I’m listening now, I promise.”

He reaches for your face again but you pull away from him, putting your head in your hands instead. He steps back and then kneels in front of you, feeling his legs moving seemingly without his volition- it’s like you draw him like a magnet.

This is one of those moments where everything could change. He feels it in the way he feels his power; electricity all over him. He’s never seen you like this before, never understood on a real, guttural level that you might just up and leave him one day- that he might become just another shitty man in your romantic history. His chest hurts a little, and not from any bullet-related causes.

“Please. Let me fix it.”

“You can’t just ‘fix’ it,” your face is still covered, “that’s the problem. You can’t do and say shitty things, feel bad and apologize and think that solves it.”

He shuffles towards you, “I know. I know.”

“You have to change.”

“Yes. I do.”

He bends and lays his cheek on your knees, exposing his neck to you. You don't push him off. He feels vulnerable like this but he guesses he deserves that. This physical position feels important somehow. It's worshipful. It gets his mind into the right frame.

“When we first got together, I promised you to listen and learn and recently I’ve not listened. But I am now, I swear I am. And I’ll show you that I'm learning.”

“So for the next few days you’ll ask my opinion, smile and nod and then do what you were going to do anyway?”

“No.” He kisses your knee briefly before returning to the submissive pose. “Everything you’ve said...especially that night I spoke to Santi, I didn’t want to hear it but it was true. Or true enough. Every fucking time you know me better than I know myself."

He laughs at this sadly.

"I’ve disrespected you and I’ve side-lined you because deep down I thought I was better than you.”

He closes his eyes, as if waiting for a stroke of the guillotine to his bared neck. When you don't respond, he continues,

“You did go behind my back with Klaus but I guess I brought it on myself. I pushed you away. I told myself it’s because I wanted to protect you. That I didn’t want to see you hurt again. And that’s true but it wasn’t the whole truth. But now I know.”

His hands ball into fists as he comes to grip the hem of your shirt. He tries not to pull at you desperately.

“You’re intelligent, intuitive and everything to me.”

His voice cracks and he breathes in hard. He tries to regain control of himself and manages it with difficulty. He knows there’s more to say.

“I want to be a partner to you.”

You still don't touch him, your hands now grip the underside of the chair.

“We can’t be partners if we’re not equals.”

“I know,” he kisses your leg again, “but maybe in time I can learn to live up to you.

Tag list: (please comment to be added or removed.) @dilfjohhny , @sunsunhe, @w4stedtr4sh, @nevbrooke-555, @theredvelvetbitch, @td-miley01, @five-hxrgreeves

Masterpost Alternatively, join me on AO3. Here is a link to the whole series

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hyperesthesias · 8 months

Text

Absence of Faith

Note: This is an excerpt from a fanfiction I probably won't write in its entirety. But this scene has stood out to me lately, for reasons related to things going on in my personal life. If you'd like listening material while you read, Sibeling by Depeche Mode is what I wrote this to.

Context: Viktor is involved with a woman named Anya. They grew up in the same area, and lost contact. They reconnected later in Piltover, shortly before he met Jayce. Anya is an alumnus of the Academy, she is a mage and a theoretical physicist, and a patron for Viktor and later HexTech. In this scene, she has been injured after being caught between the violence in the undercity. (She recovers and is fine, though it's not depicted here.)

potential warnings: unconsciousness, pregnancy, viktor is pro-choice, infertility, terminal illness.

Next chapter

Viktor stood perched against the side of the hospital bed where Anya lay. His cane languishing against his better hip, his eyes cast down on the shadowed floor – the thoughts that plagued his mind seemed to spiral between everything and nothing. The fragility of life, the certainty of death. With his own terminal diagnosis a week prior, the lament of death was still acrid on his tongue.

Thoughts of what could be. Thoughts of what could have been.

Anya lay silent, placid – the pallor that hung over her like a threat made his chest grow weak. She was fine, the nurse reassured him. The doctor had prescribed a mild sedative. She needed rest if the bruises and swelling were going to resolve themselves.

It didn’t quiet his mind any.

But having Jayce there, even if there was nothing he could do, anchored him. His friend, his confidant. Jayce was seemingly impervious to the wrongdoing of the world – a perfectly tanned hide from which things could bounce and roll. He was strong, weathered. Viktor was only the latter, and every day his body reminded him of it.

Another nurse came through the door with a blood pressure machine trailing behind her. No words were spoken, Viktor only moved his cane and watched as the woman tended to his beloved. The reading was low, but not overly concerning – after years of his own ailing health, he had grown accustomed to what was worrying and what wasn’t. It still didn’t allay him.

“Are you her next of kin?” she asked.

“I am. I am her husband,” Viktor said. He shuffled to turn himself towards the bedside.

Jayce pretended not to hear anything as the nurse began to go over Anya’s health with him.

“Her blood pressure isn’t bad, but the doctor may want to keep her overnight to monitor her and the pregnancy. How far along is she?”

“Ten weeks.”

The nurse wrote her notations. “I will keep you updated on what the doctor has to say.”

He didn’t look up when the nurse left, he kept his sight on Anya. His thumb brushed over her cold hand, it was usually his hands that were frigid and sharp to the touch, Anya’s usually warm and soft, like the honey color of her skin. He swallowed silently.

“You didn’t say she was pregnant,” Jayce said.

Viktor half turned to look at his friend, though his sight was still held captive by his beloved. “She asked me not to.”

There was no malice in Jayce, but fear of betrayal and the doubt that Anya did not trust him – even despite their own friendship.

“We were unsure how we were going to proceed,” he continued. “I told her whatever she decided, I would support her.”

Jayce tensed his teeth and took a breath as his friend finally parted from her side. He chose his words carefully, and veiled. “You told me a long time ago you couldn’t have children.”

Viktor shot him a glance as he took a seat beside him on the other end of the room from Anya’s bed. “There was always a fraction of a chance.” The chemical runoff that had scarred his lungs had also devastated other aspects of his health. Prolonged exposure throughout his childhood and young adulthood had rendered him barren. The lasting effects of polio robbed him of the capability of unaided pleasure. It wasn’t enough that the people of Zaun suffered in poverty, they were also denied the ability of reproduction and desire.

Anger seethed in his mouth. It burned his tongue as his eyes lain fixated on Anya. Tensions between the upper and under cities were too high for her to have been wandering the Lanes in her condition. He should have stopped her, he should have gone in her place, he should have forbidden her.

A scoff pulled at his lips as he thought of her outrage that he should forbid her from something. She was strong willed and vibrant. It was his only comfort that she would fare well despite the pain she was in. The child inside of her was another matter.

His braced leg extended, Viktor laid back in the chair and rested his head on the wall behind him. “I would make a terrible parent,” he said to no one in particular.

Jayce furrowed and looked at him, incredulous. “I think you’d make a great father. You’re smart. The world needs more smart parents.”

Viktor rolled his head along the wall. “I am too self centered. Too preoccupied with my own thoughts. My own endeavours. I would be neglectful.”

“Your parents were inventors, too, weren’t they? It’s not impossible to do both.”

“Not impossible. Improbable.”

Jayce almost laughed, but his heart was too heavy. “So was your chance of having children.”

Viktor ebbed his head to look at his friend, a blank expression written across his face.

Despite his doubts about himself, his faith in Anya prevailed. She would have been an excellent parent – attentive, fair, thoughtful, intelligent; qualities that drew him to her in the first place. She always made an effort to include him when they were children living in the Fissures; she never forgot him, never forgot his name. Even after almost fifteen years had passed since they had seen each other in childhood, after they reconnected, her judicious and kind demeanour had never left her. She remained a constant in his life, despite the time they had spent apart.

Viktor did not believe in God, neither Fate, but he gave credence to happy, and unhappy, coincidence – statistical anomalies that varied in subjective favor. Meeting Anya again had been as close as he had come to seeing the face of God, to seeing the strings of Fate.

His life had only improved since she had been in it. Something akin to hope and something close to happiness had found him. They followed her into his path.

The thought of losing her was something he chose not to hold onto. It was his life that hung in the balance, not hers. That is always how it was meant to be. He knew himself to be a doomed man from a young age – children from the Fissures don’t often have long lifespans.

Only that he did not expect his time to come so early, when life seemed better.

But Anya was a different species than him, altogether. A species afforded with long life, with thicker bones and thicker blood. She would have outlived him anyway, despite her immunity to the fumes and fluids of the Fissures.

It made him wonder about the child they had conceived – the statistical anomalies it would possess. Would it inherit the immunity offered by its mother? Or the weakness of the flesh by its father? Would it have her eyes? Or perhaps his own sense of humor?

Would he be alive to see it born?

“Promise me you will look after her.” Viktor did not look at Jayce.

Jayce bowed his head. He did not answer.

Viktor did not need him to. The faith he had in his friend, in those he loved, was the only faith and entity he needed.

“It is a terrible irony. That I should create life. While losing my own.”

#viktor #viktor arcane #arcane viktor #arcane jayce #arcane oc #netflix arcane #viktor fanfic #viktor x oc #jayce #machine herald #viktor the machine herald #arcane fanfic #idk its been a rough week and i needed catharsis #viktor x anya

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blackplaaague · 8 months

Text

🌡🧪💉Hey, y'all! 🌡🧪💉

☢️ Blackplaaague here! ☢️

🩻 I'm a comic artist, internet cartoonist, and goofy little guy who enjoys voice acting, diy clothing, doll customization, and hyperfixating on weird, niche lore for weird, niche things! 🩻

Art sideblog: https://www.tumblr.com/blackplaaaguesketchbook

Why I alternate text: https://www.tumblr.com/blackplaaague/730625551588540416/how-exactly-does-bolding-your-words-help-you-read?source=share

Boundaries:

🗝 I'm currently writing Victoria Darken, a part-comedy, part-horror, sapphic love story about a feral scientist in a city full of cryptids, set in the 1910s. 🗝

🥼 I have other projects going on behind the scenes, too... let's just say I love cosplay! 🥼

🧪 Feel free to drop by anytime to ask me a question or just to chat. I post a lot more memes than art. Anyone can interact, as long as: 🧪

~You aren't here to spread hate

~You're not Racist/sexist/homophobic/transphobic/aphobic/etc

~Only interacting with an 18+ blog

~Also, no terfs, please, that kind of mindset kinda messes with my vibes :|

>:)

About me!

🩵🤍🩶 I am a demigender/genderqueer person who uses they/he pronouns, but I'd be fine with being called an it if you're using it in a reclaimed way. 🩵🤍🩶

⚠️ My name is Ellis, but I also go by Corvus and Viktor because those are my personally-selected middle names and they go hard. ⚠️

☣️ I'm a baby punk, new to the subculture, and I'd love tips and band recs! ☣️

💉 I write my own music, and want to get into dollmaking and wig styling. 💉

🥩 My whole aesthetic is a combination of, like... rotting meat, mad-science-looking-radioactive stuff, and classic punk, so my blog is kind of styled like that. 🥩

☢️ I'm a big fan of a lot of things, but I don't like fandom culture just because of a long history of being bullied. ☢️

💚 I alternate my text like this to help my pals with ADHD read through long text faster, it really works! 💚

Tags I use:

Fnoof: this is how I tag FNaF-related posts. I also have "Link" for all of the Zelda franchise and "he head a cup" for Cuphead. I'm very sorry for being cringe about my favorite video games. It will happen again.

Link: We just explained this

He head a cup: we just explained this, too

VD stuff: me rambling about my webcomic

BP rambles: literally anything I said, in the tags or my own post, that I think is funny. There's some gems in there.

VD spoilers: this is, obviously, spoilers for my comic. Spoilers/gore/other stuff like that is always tagged with a simple tw tag.

Mother Corporation: this is my FNaF AU that I had to make because I couldn't bear to let one of the games of all time rot in a muddle of confusing plotlines and pixel-art character models when I could rewrite half the games on a whim. It's actually pretty good, and only about as canon-deviant as the books and stuff, but I'm aware it's cringe of me so you can filter that tag out if you want.

I love you platonically: positivity and mental health reminders

Summoning the mutuals: I'm tagging people in this post and it could be you.

Peace and love on planet punk rock: this has been a psa about what punk is (a subculture about self-expression, uplifting those smaller than you, and overthrowing bigotry) and what it is not (homophobia, racism, transphobia, etc)

Daily reminder to stay alive: all the posts from my "list to stay alive" queue. I could've made a sideblog, but those always take a long time to get going and I get hundreds of reblogs from friends here who needed it. I'm just glad to help people with them.

Ellis' sketchbook/Blackplaaague's sketchbook: art posts also uploaded on my sideblog @blackplaaaguesketchbook

I'll keep adding new tags and updates as I get new interests and such. This blog is as fluid as I am.

Please keep in mind that, even though I do not have a 200-page DNI, hate, bullying, harassment, or prejudice of any kind is not allowed on this blog. In the tags, the comments, the reblogs, nothing. If you send hateful content to my mutuals and my blog, you're getting blocked on sight. This is a safe space.

🖤🩶💚🤍 ...Also I'm aromantic btw 💚🤍🩶🖤

If we're mutuals, I will read all your posts and it will be great.

Nice to meet you! See ya around!

--Blackplaaague/Ellis

(DM me if any of these images are yours and you'd like credit, I can't remember where I got these, regrettably, and I'd like to provide credit so people can see more of the creator's content!)

IMPORTANT INFO REGARDING FANDOM, BOUNDARIES, AND VICTORIA DARKEN

Link to full post (check reblogs):

https://www.tumblr.com/blackplaaague/729620629418131456/this-might-be-a-stupid-question-but

🖤 I'm not Vivziepop. I'm not Lauren Faust. I am a teenager who likes gothic literature and silly cartoons, and I do this all for my own amusement. If I'm not liking the vibe, I'm out. 🖤

💚 From now on, we are setting boundaries: 💚

*Boundaries in linked post*

Thanks for understanding,

☢️ Ellis ☢️

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thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai · 2 months

Text

Writing update

Today, I've finished the revision of my YOI post-canon story Did My Heart Love 'Til Now. At least, there's nothing I could do to improve the story any further at this point. I have already one person volunteering to beta-read it, but as this story is massive and includes quite a number of themes (not to mention that English isn't my first language), I will need a second beta.

After I emergency-fixed some scenes of the next few chapters of Can You Hear My Heartbeat, I received feedback from my beta that with those changes, the character in question now is more in-character in those chapters and that he's more consistent with how I've wrote him in the story so far. This reinforced my decision to follow this path even though it's a difficult one that will continue to demand educating myself and introspection. I hope that my sensitivity reader will approve of my characterisation as well.

I applied the same changes to DMHLTN in the final stage of this latest revision. Next will be checking all the scenes in the 18 chapters of CYHMH I have yet to post and correct them as well before I send the updated document to my beta. That shouldn't take much longer than one week, and then, I'm free for work on another YOI fanfiction.

As starting this month, I'm going to divide my spare time between writing and working towards a career change, I won't yet resume writing the third instalment of my A Dream Too Large To Bear Alone-series, In Love and War. It's too long and too complex to work on when my time is limited. Instead, I will write the coming-of-age/coming-out story for young Vitya which I've been looking forward to since the idea struck me out of nowhere two months ago. I have yet to write a more detailed outline that I will divide into chapters. And I have a ton of research on post-Soviet Russia ahead. As it turned out, my recent revision of DMHLTN has proven helpful because of all the cues on Viktor's backstory it contains.

#writing update #my yoi fanfic #ADTLTBAverse #can you hear my heartbeat #yoi #yoi fanfic #did my heart love til now #jen's mind vomit #yuri on ice

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blissfulip · 3 months

Text

Dopamine

On AO3

Viktor x f!reader

Rating: Explicit

Tags: enemies to lovers, slow burn, angst, idiots in love (?) dubious science, mostly canon compliant, no use of y/n, chemist!reader, eventual smut, masturbation, angry sex, unprotected sex,

Cw: lot's of blood, slight spice if you squint

Words: 1.7k

[A/N: bit of a shorter one this time, in preparation for the teeth-rotting fluff and filth that awaits in the final chapter~ tags and content warnings to be updated in each chapter, updates weekly(ish). (also, let me know if you want to be tagged in fic updates!)]

Tags: @ihopeinevergetsoberr @chemical-killjoy @jinxed-jk @bobobomao @queen-of-elves @thedustybunny @syren201

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Chapter 8: Blood-tinted

You had become so small all of a sudden. The earnest compulsion to scream at Viktor, to tell him how much his constant presence in your life lately had exerted an influence over your thoughts—a negative one you planned to clarify soon thereafter—was brought to a halt. The blood made you panic, and seeing you there, his own shoulders depleted into a pronounced hunch, as if he expected you to pester him with questions he did not want to answer.

You didn’t; instead, your hand swiftly held his wrist as you conducted him out of the bathroom, and out there, you swerved through the commotion of people clustering in the middle of the room to make your way to the infirmary. It was too late for the nurse to be there, but the room itself was never locked, you knew, so you turned the door handle without a second thought and dragged what remained of Viktor inside.

Viktor sat on one of the cots, lifting his head up with what you assumed was the intention to stop the bleeding.

“Don’t do that; the blood is going to end up in your throat." You said as you grabbed a towel and placed it in front of his face, “Pinch right there—yes, there you go." You continued gently nudging his head forward with your other hand. You noticed the bleeding was also coming out of a small cut on the bridge of his nose, so you needed to find some gauze. You heard Viktor sigh audibly behind you as you rummaged through the drawers.

“Care to explain?”

Silence

“Viktor, what happened?” You said this time, looking at him. He closed his eyes and breathed in.

“I got punched in the face; I believe you’re smart enough to figure that out.”

“Color me shocked!” You said in a sardonic hiss. “By whom and why?” You said punctuating each question with an ironic stare at the same time as you soaked a small piece of gauze in saline solution. Viktor winced slightly at the pain.

“That vacuous donkey, and I suppose he was unhappy as a consequence of me preventing him from following you into the bathroom.”

“Asher?” He chuckled at how fast you got to his name with only that description. “Why would he follow me into the bathroom?”

“Judging by my state, I think you can presume I did not ask any questions.”

Although your knitted frown made it seem like you were upset, it was confusion that bounced all over the walls of your skull.

“Why?” You managed to ask, finally.

“I’ve already said—“

“No, why did you do it? It simply doesn't make any sense to me that you would put yourself in jeopardy for me.”

Silence once again.

“A jumbled mess, selfish, intolerable, and big-headed, remember?”

Silence.

“I don’t actually believe you are most of those things.” Viktor started in a timid voice. “You are not selfish; eh, I suppose I feel a sense of longing for the time in my life where I would take risks the way that you are allowed to do now. I envy that freedom, that’s all.”

The hand you had holding his face in place had long dropped to hold the edge of the cot firmly.

“I do think you are a mess, but that carefree nature you have is not something negative necessarily,” he continued when you gave no signs of interjecting, “and when I said big-headed, I meant to say stubborn.”

“Oh.” A small smile creeped up the corners of your mouth. “I thought you meant I have a big head.”

“I can assure you that you have a normal-sized head.” Viktor said with a lighthearted chuckle. “But you are, in fact, very stubborn.”

“Fair.”

A comfortable atmosphere washed over as you went back to disinfecting his wound. The bleeding had stopped both from his nose and the cut, so you rummaged through the drawers once more to find some medical tape to patch him up.

“To be fair, I also don’t believe you are most of the things I said yesterday.”

“The things you said before we slept together, or during?” You rolled your eyes.

“Before.”

Viktor hummed, a small smirk on his dry-blood-tinted lips.

“So I’m a tad more tolerable to you than I thought, but getting into a fight for me still feels unbelievable.”

Viktor inhaled sharply before giving you a defeated look.

“I can tell you are trying to make me say it, and I don’t appreciate that.”

“Say what?” He looked at you with one eyebrow raised and a long silence, slowly letting it sink in. You were dumbfounded. He couldn’t possibly mean it, but then again, if the previous night did something, it was proving your attraction to him was mutual, and now knowing he does not in fact have the deep aversion to you that you were certain he did, it all fit into an odd puzzle perfectly.

To him, the long, numb silence you had fallen into as your mind followed your convoluted line of reasoning had come off as a cold but polite rejection.

“Naturally, everything was likely circumstantial on your part, and I understand that,” he started saying as he stood up. “You were heavily intoxicated that night at Lara’s house…”

“What? No Viktor—“ You started to say this as you moved out of his way.

“...and I appreciate how well you dealt with what transpired at the lab. I do apologize; however, I should have put my feelings in check and known it was a terrible idea...” Every word he uttered left his mouth louder than the last, and you could hear the tension in his voice as he tried to find the correct string of words to use. Around the last few words, you heard his volume deplete, and before he even finished speaking, his nose started bleeding again.

“Viktor, stop! You are bleeding again— settle down for fucks sake!” Anything you could have said would’ve been useless, as he seemed to not hear any word that came out of you at that moment. He leaned against the wall, and the blood trickled down his mouth like delicately embroidered stitches over his lips.

“...my care should have extended to what happened yesterday; deep down, I knew it wouldn’t be a casual slip-up and an easy-to-forget mistake as it probably is for you, yet I couldn’t hold back—though it was entirely my fault. I recognize that, and I won’t hold it against you…”

It wasn’t that for you either. You said so out loud and tried to convince yourself of that much, but it was not the truth—another well-crafted lie that came porcelain cold and perfect through your teeth. The thin stream of red percolated all the way to his neck. You wanted to say so much, but only lying came easy to you; lies were far and detached, and telling Viktor how you felt seemed too near and vulnerable, too constricting. His eyes now looked at you, not expecting an answer but simply giving himself a break, glossy and distant but still vibrantly golden. You remembered the dreams you had the night before, and they fueled whatever timid wish you had in you. Sure, you couldn’t say something, but you could show him.

The room was narrow enough that the step forward you took was small. You had him pinned against the wall, although not of your own volition, and that aided you in finding a firm grip on the sides of his face before you met his lips with your own. You almost second-guessed yourself when you initially felt no struggle, thinking he must have been so weak from the loss of blood that he hadn’t been able to wriggle himself out of your grasp. A metallic taste creeped its way into your mouth when Viktor’s fingers slithered their way to your jaw, softly prying it open to make way for his tongue.

You tasted his lips for a long while before you both had to grasp for air, Viktor being particularly in need of a break. Endearment peaked through his eyes as he unsuccessfully tried to wipe the bloody tint off your mouth and chin, and you both laughed quietly at the vampiric state of your faces, a picture painted by your silent confession to him. You could have said something then and even had something in mind, but your plans were spoiled by the dry sound of Jayce clearing his throat in an attempt to make himself known.

You know there was nothing you could have said that would serve as an excuse for what happened, and no well-told lie could have steered Jayce’s mind away from the murder scene on your faces; thus, against what you would’ve normally done, you stayed quiet. Viktor did too.

“Just so we’re clear, I always suspected.” He said, an eyebrow raised on his forehead as a sign of satisfaction.

“Is it a prize you want? A pat on the back? A handshake?” Viktor said only half-annoyed, his mood unable to be ruined by any of Jayce’s brazen commentary.

“Do you mind?”

“Alright, I’m going. Just don't do it here; it’s so unsanitary.” He quickly left the room, only a millisecond away from being hit by a bloody towel thrown in his direction. One of the small pieces of gauze you still had on hand was enough to clean both of you up, and you helped each other out among light giggles and child-like mischief, followed by another small kiss to seal the deal.

“How about a proper date?” You asked as you handed Viktor more cotton pads to replace the now-drenched one in his nose. “We could go to the café from last time.”

“I refuse; I won’t be able to look at that waitress's face without wanting to be swallowed by the ground with embarrassment.”

“How dramatic.” You said, rolling your eyes playfully, and Viktor shook his head.

“My dorm tomorrow, we can cook something; I’ve come to find out I rather enjoy it.”

“Why yours? Do you still think my dorm is messy?”

“Yes.” Your hand shot up to clutch your imaginary pearls in an inflated expression of fake outrage.

“Have you considered that if I keep going to yours, it will end up untidy as well?” You smirked at Viktor’s defeated expression.

“Fine.” He said with a loud, frustrated groan, followed by a mellow grin.

#viktor #arcane viktor #viktor arcane #viktor fanfic #viktor x reader

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