Zaun Vik And Jayce

Beloved if you could tell me more about how Arcane is a tragic romance staged as a geopolitical collapse in six acts i would love you forever. I find your mind so sexy

okay. i’m going to try and say something semi coherent about this, because you, my beloved mutual asked and i? would die for you.

if we’re going to talk about tragedy, we might as well start with jayce and viktor.  in true tragic fashion, they follow the classical arc to the letter: hamartia (a fatal flaw – hubris, idealism, the belief that their creation could save rather than destroy), peripeteia (the reversal – hextech becoming a weapon rather than a miracle. viktor dying, jayce bringing him back),  and anagnorisis (the moment of recognition – when they realize the cost and the damage. viktor seeing what he’s become and jayce saying what he should have said years ago). and the devastating thing is: these don’t happen separately. they collapse inward, spiral together. the tragedy hits hardest because the fall is of their own making – and because it comes too late. 

if there’s anything i’ve learned from my (very humble and very deeply felt) studies in literature and literary history it’s this: romantic tragedy is not just about heartbreak. it’s about the world collapsing as a consequence of love gone wrong. loyalty, desire, misjudgement and betrayal rippling outward into total ruin. arcane doesnt just tell a tragic love story: it tells five. ten. maybe more. the show is a lattice of relationships – romantic, familial, platonic, political – and every one of them cracks in some way. and each crack runs straight through the city’s foundation somehow.

jayvik may be the most overtly mythic of them all. our science husbands, our gilgamesh and enkidu, our cautionary tale about what happens when affection tries to hold up empire  – but they’re not alone. their spiral isn’t the only one.

arcane, in its very structure, ties systemic collapse to personal grief. every conflict begins in a relationship that couldn’t hold. vi and jinx are antigone and ismene rewritten in gunpowder and neon: sisters locked on opposite sides, loyalty twisted by trauma. mel and ambessa are imperial legacy embodied: the exiled daughter who tried to love her new home, and her mother who thinks love is weakness. caitlyn standing between love, lineage and law. ekko mourning a girl who never got to grow up and jinx is the living fallout of everyone else’s failure to protect her.

even silco and vander – two men who once shared a vision of an independent zaun – become enemies, because one believes revolution requires uproar while the other hopes reasoning might still be enough. and in the end, every character is fighting someone they still remember loving once. no character fights in isolation. every blow lands on someone they once believed in. and that’s why the city burns.

because that’s the thing, right? the show treats interpersonal relationships like structural beams: when they crack, the city does, too. the emotional subplots aren’t really subplots at all: they are the plot. hextech was supposed to be a bridge: between science and magic, between piltover and zaun, between a boy who fell from grace and a man who never got the chance to rise. instead, it becomes the wedge. a miracle turned into a weapon, with the miracle workers on opposite sides of a war they helped create. when the marriage of minds ends in divorce, the whole city pays the price. 

and that’s why we don’t have any neat hero-villain binaries, right? what we do have is people trying to claw their way back to something they lost. a sister, a partner, a version of themselves that they could still forgive. but every attempt to go back costs them something new, again and again. that’s the real tragedy, i think: not just the people lost, but that they keep losing the things they’re trying to save.

if you’ll allow me some nerdy indulgence i’d like to go back to jayce and viktor being our gilgamesh and enkidu by way of hextech. radiant ambition meets terminal wildness. they build a future together and then have to destroy it with their own hands. and the thing is: they don’t fall apart because the love fades, (affection is the one thing holding them together, after all). they fall apart because it festers into betrayal and all the ways they fail to reach each other across the gap that’s widened between them. the tragedy isn’t the end (though i really, really wish they had more time) – it’s everything that leads to it. they hit every note of a classical downfall: a shared dream born of light, warped by power, splintered by grief. their fatal flaws (call it hubris, call it desperation, call it idealism) spiral into the kind of break no apology can fix. and yet, in the end, when everything else is gone, they still choose each other. if antigone dies to bury the one she loves, if gilgamesh carves his grief into stone, then jayce and viktor choose to hold each other in the infinite embrace of the arcane in order to stop what they created from consuming everyone else. not to undo the damage but to stand in its ashes and say: no more.

(aristotle once said that tragedy is supposed to evoke pity and fear, and then purge those emotions through catharsis. this post? may have done the opposite. i have never feared more. i have never pitied harder. and i have certainly not been purged)

11th page. The alternate version of the Council Room scene, but no less painful.

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Chembaron Viktor 👀

Vanco baby chembaron Viktor AU:

A short plot idea for this AU, I am not a writer, but I am a plotter, so if anyone finds inspiration here, feel free to write something based on it and use my art in your fics (with credit, of course).

In this AU Viktor was adopted by Silco and Vander shortly after he left Singed and that was also around the time VI was born (Vander and Silco being in their mid 20s). 

Silco and Vander did all they could for Viktor, went to Pilotover to have a brace built for him (not sure yet, but maybe it was mama Talish who built the brace for baby Viktor) and pulled everything they could to get him into the Academy. Vander and Silco pulled every last coin they had for Viktor's brace and school supplies. But he was only there for a short time before the riots started raising the tension between Zaun and Piltover so Vander and Silco pulled Viktor out of the academy worried about his safety. 

Viktor was in his mid-teens when the riot happened. He, Vi and Powder weren't supposed to be there, but of course they didn't listen and went after their parents. And that's where Viktor saw his aunt and uncle dead and Vander almost killing Silco. He went after Silco as he ran away and was the one to drag his father to Singed to heal him. Viktor still resented Singed for what he did, but he knew if anyone could save Silco, it was him. 

Silco recovery was long, and as they both stayed with Singed Viktor befriended a murk wolf puppy Singed had in a cage intended to sell as he killed her pack, not knowing there were puppies; only one survived. As a way to make up to Viktor, Singed says he can keep the murk wolf. 

After Silco got better, he tried to convince Viktor to go back to the academy, but Viktor refused. Silco wasn't the only one left with PTSD from that day; Viktor witnessed his aunt and uncle die at the hands of enforcers, and then he saw his parent trying to kill his other parent. It left him with a deep fear and sense of needing to protect his loved ones. He couldn't handle leaving his father, and hurt, after almost losing him. 

Viktor helped and was a vital part of building Silco's criminal empire, working with Singed to perfect shimmer as well as working on his own strain that would help his own illness.

Silco told him to stay away from Vander, and while Viktor had no intention to see the man who destroyed his family, he did want to see his sisters Vi and Powder. He would sneak away when they were out of The Last Drop to spend time with them; it was Powder who named his puppy (one head Pixi (my reference to Rio) and the other head Blitz (again my reference to Blitzkrank)).

One time Vander caught them together (Viktor told them not to say anything about him to Vander because he didn't know where he went after the riot, but they are little kids and it slipped). He followed the girls, and they seemed extra excited to go out. 

Viktor went to leave right away, but Vander begged him to send a message to Silco, asked if he found the letter he left for him in the mines. Viktor, weak to the person he once called a father, confesses everything to Silco, that he has been seeing his sisters (Silco knew, of course) and what Vander had said. 

Silco did go back to the mines (first thinking it was a set up, but Vander isn't smart enough for that) and finds the letter, and he and Vander slowly work on their relationship and eventually get back together.

Short time skip to maybe a year or two before season 1 act 1 time. 

Vander and Silco convince Viktor he should go back to the Academy. Things are calmer and the business is going steady Viktor would have the time to attend the academy. Viktor agrees, but only under the condition that he doesn't move to Pilotver, he goes to his classes and comes back under the excuse that he needs to keep up with his own chembaron duties, but really, even though his parents are back together and he's with them and his sisters and new brothers back, he didn't deal with his PTSD and thinks he needs to be there to keep them safe.

So this would be the starting point of the story; all this before is backstory that can be told in flashbacks, just how I would construct the story, IMO that's all. At the core it's a JayVik story.

As Viktor comes back to the Academy, he has a few years to catch up on. Heimer is happy to have him back, he knows how brilliant he is and helps him create a schedule where he can do catch-up work alongside contemporary classes. This is where he meets Jayce and other Pilotver classmates. Harassment started right away as it was clear how intelligent Viktor was and it started out of jealousy and hatred of him being from Zaun, even Jayce joins in on the bullying, even though a small crush is starting to form right away. But it doesn't take long for rumours to spread that Viktor is, in fact, a powerful chembaron, son of the two men who have zaun under their rule. His classmates don't believe this cripple is a powerful crime boss and this rumour only serves to make the harassment worse. Viktor doesn't do anything about it because he promised his dads he won't do anything that would make him a target of the enforcers; they can't risk giving them any excuse. 

Some of the things they call him is; puppy (this is mostly Jayce tho), bitch or mutt (based on his dad Vander being called the Hound), and of couse cripple, drugie (his shimmer violet eyes) ect.

Note about his health, I imagine Viktor's health to be better then in the show because Vander and Silco got him better care when he was a small kid and the shimmer strain he developed with Singed, I had him having some chornic lung issues an he uses the mask in the artwork, it both filters the dirty air that makes his lungs worse and it defuses the shimmer in small amounts to heal his lungs, he used his shimmer to heal himself for years now, why his eyes turned violet, and might have a slight dependency on it, if it can serve some plot purpose.

How his classmates find out about him being a crime lord, I have two theories; it could be one of them or it could be both:

1. The parents of his rich kids classmates know about Silco and Vander so they know who he is and his own influence in the undercity and tell their kids (so they keep away from him but they don't believe he's some dangerous mobster and use it to mack Viktor).

2. Sky is one of his classmates and knows about who he is and how dangerous he is and tells everyone to be careful around him and who he is (but again they don't believe it and mock Viktor).

Oh and also whenever Viktor goes to Piltover his murk wolf waits for him by the Zaun side of the bridge, where Viktor tells her she can't go further and to wait for him, he tried leaving her at home, but she refused to let him leave without her. So Pixi and Blitz always wait for Viktor to come back. Sometimes Powder also comes to play with her and wait for big brother. 

Time comes around where the students need to make a big project (for a class or a competition), and Jayce has an idea for something, but he will need something he can't find in Pilotver, he ventures into Zaun and in a pawnshop he asks about what he needs and is told by Benzo of he really wants it he needs to see "the kid", a chembaron that deals in that sort of thing (it can be the gems or a special type of shimmer or something else, not that important). He gets a meeting with the chembaron after paying Benzo a pretty penny for the privilege. 

It's at a bar called The Last Drop an what do you know, he enters and sees Viktor at a bar with a huge murk wolf at his feet (this is the moment of the art, how Jayce sees chembaron Viktor for the first time). Jayce can't believe the rumours are true and is in shock. 

They sit down (Vander from the bar is staring daggers at Jayces lol, if you see a faint shadow in the background of the work that Vander). 

Jayce tells Viktor about his project, and Viktor agrees to get him what he needs if they work on the project together (Viktor is also crushing on Jayce, and them trading insults at class is really like flirting, but not completely; sometimes Jayce crosses the line because he's an idiot). 

The vibe I was going for is them.

These idiots are crushing on each other hard but them being stupid is keeping them apart. Jayce is dealing with his views on zaunites, his jealousy of Viktor's intellect, and his own sexuality. Viktor is a walking sack of trauma and PTSD, Jayce reminds him of Vander, which means he's projecting all his unresolved issues and trauma about Vander on Jayce, trust issues being vulnerable with someone who isn't his siblings or Silco (Vander used to be on that list before the incident).

They gravitate to each other, but when they get close, they clash, very angsty, very hurt/comfort, and little bit of silly because they are such idiots.

Anyway that's as far as I got, I beg if anyone wants to write this, despite this block of text I am very much not a writer, so it would be awesome to actually read a fic like this :)

Bonus the art in b/w cause it looks rad :)

I could never k-

I'm rewatching season 1 so here's a quick 1 layer sketch

“butterflies can’t see their wings, so they’ll never know how beautiful they really are” im gonna throw up

affection that held us together

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miss the rage

JAYVIK DOMESTIC HEADCANONS!!

Who’s more dominant:

In terms of who takes more effort to soften up: Viktor. Jayce will happily display affection towards Viktor publicly. Whether it's something as simple as holding hands or something like a kiss. Viktor prefers to keep that in the privacy of their home. Snuggling up against Jayce whenever possible. Fixing his hair or just holding his face.

Who’s the cuddler:

Jayce lays himself on top of Viktor like a corpse, resting his head on Viktor's chest until he's asleep (or until Viktor tells him to move because he can't breathe). Viktor will happily return the embrace. Also laying himself over Jayce, most of the time asking Jayce to caress his hair in order to fall asleep quicker.

Who’s the big spoon/little spoon:

Jayce loves to be the little spoon, but they switch. When Viktor gets cold, Jayce has no other choice but to be the big spoon. Sometimes suffocating Viktor with the way he tightens his hold on his partner.

What’s their favorite non-sexual activity:

Cooking together. They might not be the best chefs but they surely do make some great cookies whenever they're bored. Viktor needing to stop Jayce every time from eating the raw cookie batter.

Who uses all the hot water:

Viktor. This guy's muscles ACHE. He deserves all the hot water in the world.

Most trivial thing they fight over:

Jayce moving Viktor's things whenever he cleans the house. Viktor has everything meticulously organized in his pile of chaos. Even though it looks like a mess, he knows exactly where everything is. And whenever Jayce cleans up the house and organizes Viktor's things. Suddenly he can't find anything.

Who does most of the cleaning:

Jayce. He prefers to do the more physically straining chores so Viktor doesn't overwork himself even further.

Who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working:

Viktor. Jayce believes he can fix the problem. When, in reality, he either has no clue and does nothing or makes the problem even worse.

Who leaves their stuff around:

Viktor. His 'organized chaos' spreads all throughout the house. The kitchen, the living room, the bedroom. He has stuff everywhere. Weirdly enough, when he explains why he leaves his stuff in such specific places, it makes sense.

Who remembers anniversaries:

Both, but in different ways. Viktor remembers the date. And if he sees that day is today, he'll just remember. Jayce has it on his calendar. Big, red, bold letters, a circle and arrows on the date. Not only yearly but monthly. It's their anniversary every month.

Who cooks normally:

Viktor. While Jayce cleans the house, Viktor cooks. He's somewhat of a good chef. Not the greatest but the grandma kind of good. Home-y.

How often do they fight:

Rarely. And most of the time it's the smallest thing that becomes a huge problem because they both happen to be stressed from work. Apologizing profusely at each other the moment Viktor says "I'll sleep on the couch tonight". Jayce being unable to make his partner sleep on the uncomfortable living room couch.

What do they do when they’re away from each other:

Viktor just works, works and works. Hextech reminds him of Jayce. And he wants to show him all the stuff he's done while Jayce has been away. Also as a means to distract himself.

Jayce mourns like someone just died. The slightest mention of anything remotely related to Viktor? "Oh, I wish he was here". He draws his partner on his notes much more often than usual, which is already pretty often. And if he sees something Viktor might like, he buys it and wraps it nicely, waiting to give it to him when they reunite.

Nicknames for each other:

Jayce to Viktor: V, Vik, sweetheart, honey, love, genius.

Viktor to Jayce: Jay, sweetheart, man of progress (teasingly), handsome. Even though he prefers to just call him by his name.

Who is more likely to pay for dinner:

Jayce 100%. "Oh, I have the money for it." "Oh, I ate more than you, I'll pay." "Oh! Who could've paid already?"

Who steals the covers at night:

Viktor. This guy will wrap himself in a cocoon (no pun intended) of blankets and fabric. Jayce doesn't care at all. He's the type of guy to be in shorts in the middle of December. "Is it hot in here or is it ju-" It's just you, Jayce. Jayce is like a woman going through menopause. And Viktor, aside from his lack of bodily fat making him cold, likes to avoid the cold as much as possible. Since cold makes his joints ache even more than they already do.

What would they get each other for gifts:

Jayce gets gifts at stores. Cool pens he finds, clothes, books... Viktor makes them, whether it's random origami he hands Jayce every once in a while, handwritten notes or small little artifacts.

Who kissed who first:

Viktor. Even though Jayce was the one to lean in. Viktor was the one to close the gap between their lips.

Who made the first move:

Jayce. Once Jayce started liking Viktor, who had been liking Jayce for longer, he started over-analyzing every gesture Viktor made. Eventually coming to the realization that their feelings were mutual. After a long day at work, it was night time. And Jayce, naturally, came into Viktor's lab to plead and beg so Viktor went home and didn't work until passing out. As they chatted while Viktor finished up whatever he had his hands on. Jayce told him something between a giggle "You know? It's funny, I've had people telling me we're like... a couple. Wouldn't that be crazy?". Viktor glanced at him and looked away, not laughing, not even a smirk. It looked almost like embarrassment. That's when Jayce was 100% sure and he made his move: "Would it be crazy to you?"

Who remembers things:

Both and neither. Jayce has his mind on a million different things. And Viktor's head is either foggy from working or from pain. They remember the stuff the other doesn't.

Who started the relationship:

Jayce, he needed to pry the words out of Viktor.

-"Would it be crazy?"

+"..."

-"Viktor?"

+"Maybe"

And after minutes and minutes, Viktor finally confessed. With a lot of work.

Who cusses more:

Jayce and Viktor both don't cuss very frequently. Both when they cut his finger or something like that. Jayce says is out loud, on the other side, Viktor says it under his breath.

What would they do if the other one was hurt:

Anything. ANYTHING. I mean, have you watched the show? Jayce is more used to acting whenever Viktor is hurt though. He worries a lot whenever Viktor shows the slightest sign of discomfort. Overthinking and thinking his condition is worsening.

Who is the dirty talker:

Jayce. He's way less subtle about it. He'll say anything just to get a reaction out of Viktor. He'll say it confidently, a grin on his face and his chest puffed out. On the other side, Viktor says it completely relaxed. Making Jayce wanna go to pound town whenever God enlightens Viktor and makes him talk to Jayce that way.

If the ep 6 reunion went differently...