//aXL99 @ tumblr

Jessie Lam, videogame concept artist. Got questions? Feel free to ask me stuff! (Also, no reposting elsewhere, ok?)

[axl99]

The Art of "Dear Friend: An Arcane Story" - digital storyboard PDF by AXL99

"Dear Friend" - Storyboard art book

So yeah, I now have an Itch.io! I've collected all the storyboards, backgrounds and designs I made for "Dear Friend" and put it all in a 92 page book. If you'd like to see how the thing was made, take a look!

[axl99]

Soooooo, I've been a little busy

Sometimes posting art can feel like yeeting things into the void and for a long time, I've struggled with how lonely and isolating the whole thing can be. So I learned to sit with it. I've been on a journey to improve my relationship with clothes and fashion - because being an artist sometimes means having expensive taste - and on the way there, I was thinking about the kinds of people who'd happily wear them and live in them. Going about their every day unbothered and simply existing freely.

And before I knew it a few years had passed and I'm at an insane amount of fashion ocs. I'm talking over 100

I'm still goin as far as I can. So these are just so you can get an idea of what I been up to in my spare time.

[axl99]

so kpop demon hunters was really good

the art and animation is fantastic, the music was great, the story hit the notes it wanted to hit, there's lovely symbolism with unspoken context only mixed race and disapora will resonate with deeply

there are far more serious questions in the story and character development the film could answer but i think they purposely weren't included because they might distract from the overall tone for consistency purposes, and also they only had like an hour and a half to wrap everything up and pacing everything out as a one shot experience would be extremely difficult.

Everything Everywhere All At Once was the same length as kpop demon hunters and they put in a LOT of stuff that might fly over people's heads. there definitely is room for another film or tv show should the ip go in that direction

i do especially appreciate in the world design of kpop demon hunters that spirits and demons aren't truly good or evil but can choose their path forward, which is consistent to the overlap of panasian buddhist/taoist mythology.

the tiger and the bird were really cute btw.

[axl99]

New fashion ocs, a supermodel and her personal trainer.

Tooooootally not inspired by caitvi from arcane wink wonk

[axl99]

Caitlyn in a suit, undercover at Babettes' AU

[also there are cupcakes, want one?]

[axl99]

a quick sketchie tribute to suqling's fanart piece that started off the caitvi ship, made this around last november at the airing of arcane season 2 episode 8

cigarette and non smoking version

i dunno which one to go with, lemme know which one

[axl99]

This scene stood out to me because this is the first time Vi's ever voiced a real desire - a safe place to stay with her family, a community to belong to. Had there been time to settle down, I think Vi would've felt secure enough to find something to do with her life vocationally - something to do with her hands besides punching things. What I selfishly would've loved to see more of is Vi developing hobbies and passions for herself outside of her immediate family, recalling Vander's past words about responsibility and obligation and maintaining an open heart.

[axl99]

arcane brainrot ramblings

post arcane season 2 comedown and all the fallout that came out of it - like i knew it was rough, holy shit it was rough. but i do know in my heart of hearts that everyone who loved the show wanted more time with the characters they love and see their arcs fulfilled.

and i'm sure the folks who worked on the show put everything they got into it - years of their lives that they're only now moving onto something else and they gotta let it go. i know what that's like, to give so much of yourself for so long you burn out and it's hard to keep the flame alive.

recently i wrote some headcanons of things i would've loved to see in the show. a whole lot of them. but they might not align with what riot plans on doing and they might not even jive with where fandom is right now. it didn't stop me the first time i put Dear Friend together, but holy hell it took so much outta me.

so this brings me to the past 48 hours.

a buddy who just finished the show was excited to tell me about their reactions to the whole 2 seasons and asked if i was gonna get the band back together to do another post arcane project. not sure where my energy levels are at, but i do have an idea where to start.

it's a piggyback from an old script i wrote for an assassin's creed origins headcanon thing. i was so conflicted over a lot of stuff that happened and stuff i learned that i put that project on the backburner until i could bring myself to pick it back up again.

but taking an old premise and giving it the arcane twist, basically i can squeeze in as many montages as i like and do this stream of consciousness thing and build on stuff that's already there.

part of me wonders if it's even worth doing a story reel vs a bunch of sketches and calling it. i'm in a weird place. i'm not here to "fix" anything to do with the show, that's not my role.

but y'know, the creators implicitly telling fandom that they can take the IP in whatever direction they want is kind of a lot to put on people who just got one hell of an emotional whiplash and are in dire need of aftercare lol.

i think i'm just gonna sleep on it until i feel better about what i think i wanna do.

[axl99]

Arcane | Night Song - storyboards

[axl99]

ARCANE | Night Song

"Always with you, Sis" [I made this in like 2wks pls clap]

[axl99]

Some new Arcane headcanons

Vi going back down to Viktor's old commune/her old home and replanting crops to remember the taste of the fruit she had. Opening a soup kitchen with Jericho for the workers and displaced kids rebuilding Zaun. People all over come by for cheap warm filling meals

Vi finds it tough to adjust to how *soft* and plush the carpeting and the beds are in the Kiramman mansion that she crept out of bed to sleep on the floor or her back to the wall. Caitlyn somehow finds her way in the dark and makes a little nest with her with some blankets

Vi has restless days she skips the sidewalks and promenade routes in Piltover and parkours all over the rooftops until her feet gives out, then she drops down to pick up some pastries and trudges back to the Kiramman gardens to nap under the pavillion with the family hunting dogs

Vi still finds time to slip back into Zaun and with Ekko's help teaches kids boxing and reading and plays with them until the sun goes down. She takes some old metal scraps and builds a playground so they can learn how to parkour safely

Caitlyn takes Vi out to see a forest and a flower field where she finds a patch of violets in the wild. Vi learns rabbits exist, discovers the fine practice of picnics and charcuterie, gains an unhealthy curiosity for mountain climbing, and finds how cold the ocean breeze is

Inspired from her visit to the forest, Vi tries to grow gingko trees wherever she could plant them just like the one in the firelights hideout only to learn they take a year just to grow 1-2 feet. Unbeknownst to Zaun, over the years the saplings evolve to clear more of the Grey

Once all the local Piltovan boxing clubs stopped issuing rematches because Vi had been an absolute menace in the ring, she drags her gauntlets into a makeshift workshop and picks up basic repair tips from Ekko. She spars frequently with Sevika, and they begrudingly start bonding

Vi's not friends with the pitfighters she fought, but learns they fell on hard times and were scraping by. Sevika and Vi start up a new sport where everyone gets paid a decent wage to play as characters in scripted fights - gamblers didn't know at first but later stopped caring

The sport becomes a hot tourist attraction in Zaun, reenactments of old battles are popular with Piltovans who funnel money to keep them running. Zaunite inventors develop wireless audio communication and now fights are broadcast live between cities for those tuning in

Thanks to the invention of radio and surround sound, new Zaunite artists are introduced to Piltovan society by way of live concerts and increased imported vinyl sales. A new artist named Seraphine makes her way to Caitlyn's ears because of a tune Vi was humming and she is a Fan

Vi is extremely Not Used to the idea of having more money of her own than she can do with so Caitlyn sits her down and explains Investing. When Vi squints at her, Caitlyn reveals having already withdrawn family funding to the enforcers for allowing Noxian spies in their ranks

Vi takes the money she earned through the joint venture with Sevika and vinyl manufacturing publishers and expands community building efforts in Zaun: starting with abolishing child labour and funding small schools, housing, and medical clinics in the Lanes

Vi's good faith investments in Sevika's underground network of inventors, mechanics and engineers help them find work in Piltover. Shoolah becomes emotionally invested in Zaun's cultural growth and establishes an educational exchange program to improve diplomatic relations

Zaunite youths start painting Vi's visage alongside old murals of Jinx and Vander. They chose one day of the year to fire choreographed explosions of pink and blue fireworks along the edge of the river. The elders in the lanes are hesitant to partake but celebrate anyway

---

maybe i'll come up with more headcanons in the meantime but for now enjoy these ones

LoL world status quo makes it difficult to overcome systemic dysfunction, especially cause Riot isn't interested in depicting what real "progress" looks like. So really it's just small things being done to improve life in Zaun in small ways

[axl99]

Arcane headcanons pt2

Mel and Caitlyn develop their friendship writing letters to one another, mourning lost parents and attempting to make amends. Ambessa's desperation to acquire hextech had derailed Mel's prior plans for diplomacy, plans that now involve Caitlyn's participation as one who upholds Piltovan ethos.

When asked about Singed, Mel tells Caitlyn he had reappeared under the protection of another Noxian leader who wants his bioweaponry for conquest

In her capacity as the scion of House Kiramman, Caitlyn is given the title of Inquisitor to facilitate her new duties as the investigative and auditory arm of the council. She has her choice of candidates for the Piltovan Wardens but vets them with far more scrutiny and keeps her group small and tight. Steb is among the first volunteers.

Caitlyn during the post Noxian attack does her best to reunite the lost families who have been separated during the evacuation. For those who have lost everything, Caitlyn uses her fortune to commission the construction of a community for the old and the young to live together in a neutral zone in Piltover.

Combined with Shoolah's cultural exchange program and new health and labour regulations Sevika wrangled from the scions of the council, this community became the new basis for Piltover and Zaun co-existing and elevating Zaunites to a socio-economic parity to PIltovans

Ever the recovering workaholic, Caitlyn finds herself dragged from her desk for late night meals and snuggles with Vi, who at this point has developed decent culinary skills and an acquired taste for strong aromatic teas. She never denies Vi any small pleasure or indulgence, quietly dreaming of a world where more people like Vi could live and love freely. With Vi, she rekindles her love of nature and makes an effort to take Vi on small vacations away from the cities. With their dogs of course.

Vi for her part, has silently come to terms with her grief and spends her waking moments nurturing her love for Caitlyn and building new friendships where she could in memory of Loris. Something about her brief stay in Viktor's commune after her pitfighting days made her feel like recreating the safe spaces Vander raised his adoptive family.

Vi finds Isha's mining hat in the wreckage of the commune and buries it by her old home where she remembered her playing by the puddles with Jinx. Sevika eventually hears about it from Vi one night while sharing a bottle of whiskey and makes the trip down to pay her respects once a year. She'd never admit Isha made her a little soft, but she'll never forget how much Isha believed in Jinx and the hope that inspired Zaun.

Caitlyn and Ekko have a strained conversation about moving forward that nearly dissolved without Vi acting as a buffer. The hexcore corruption may have disappeared and the Firelights community saved, but the runoff from Piltover and Zaun's rampant industrialization on top of enforcer and gang violence are still core issues.

Caitlyn immediately hyperfocuses weeding out corruption among the enforcers by stripping them of their duties and reassigning them to the post war reconstruction effort under Sevika and Shoolah - who have no qualms rehabilitating them. They are never let back in to any positions of government in Piltover.

With Mel's help and a lot of politicking, there is an amendment to the Ethos which Piltover was founded, to hold the council accountable to their endeavors so there will never be another Jinx, or need of martial law.

Sevika and Caitlyn take great pains to remind the council it is thanks to Zaun that they and PIltover are still standing. Should they fail, Caitlyn tells them not only Hextech cannot be mass manufactured or developed, but they are in a delicate political situation with Noxus. Piltover will not survive another coup, let alone another terrorist attack. Not even the new Medarda scion will be able to save them. Piltover has to change the nature of its parasitic relationship with Zaun to that of a symbiotic one.

Ekko takes Heimerdinger's lessons to heart to find ways to eliminate or repurpose industrial waste; he develops a new clean biofuel to replace shimmer use as well as a weather resistant brick and mortar like material made of compacted trash to repair failing structures and build new homes for Zaunites.

Ekko's new inventions help create dams to filter industrial runoff and make the river waters safe for drinking once more. Any rainwater is also thoroughly filtered and treated for toxins. He, Sevika and Vi spearhead new efforts in agriculture on both land and sea, discovering culinary uses for algae and enabling fish husbandry for the first time in Zaun.

Miffed but inspired by Ekko's genius, Piltovan scholars and crafters worked harder to invent new tools and techniques to improve life in society, but not without first visiting Zaun, the new mecca where necessity is the mother of invention. It comes to no surprise that Zaunite resourcefulness has great potential to change the world, so they began contacting the local engineers and mechanics to share what they know and collaborate on the more challenging reconstruction projects.

Sevika, so used to the schemes of gang leaders and survivor bias of Zaunite life, develops a growing faith in the resilience and fundamental good in her people, the same faith Vander inspired in his supporters. Shoolah sees this gradual change in Sevika and the two quietly nurture a slow and loving relationship. News of this development inspire both shock and delight in post war Zaun and Piltover.

On the old ashes of The Last Drop, Vi and Sevika built an inn called The First Glass - the name is still a work in progress. Rehabilitated gangsters established a labour union of their own and were in charge of keeping the place running smoothly. An unspoken law was established that no fighting or shady business was allowed on or around the premises.

Eventually enough of the areas owned and ran by this neutral faction were safe areas for anyone to travel. Any Zaunite in violation of this law was swiftly brought to justice. A street justice of sorts, but repercussions none the less. Even new gangsters knew not to mess with anyone with ties to Sevika, Jinx and Vi.

Young musicians performed at The First Glass every night, art decorated every surface, weary travellers spent their coin on soft beds and great food and drink, the locals who set up markets around the inn got an influx of business and are given a small discount at the bar. One culinary critic from Demacia was so awestruck he gave a rave 5 star review and made the inn one of the top destinations to visit in Zaun.

Copycats jealous of the inn's success quickly set up competing hotels and taverns to accommodate the growing number of tourists who flew by land, air and sea.

Eventually Caitlyn gathered the courage to travel to Zaun with VI, having kept a distance and provided what support she could in secret. The elders eye her warily and keep a wide berth but they don't dare insult or harass her openly. She shyly meets the people she reunited and the communities they built with those who were without. Ekko allowed her back in to the Firelights enclave where the gingko tree there bloomed bright yellow leaves. She tries Jericho's seafood dishes and unabashedly inhaled the spicy noodles and seasoned sea slugs. She and Vi spend a couple nights at The First Glass, finally experiencing what felt like closure.

[axl99]

Arcane headcanons pt3

Caitlyn had great difficulty adjusting to life without her eye and underwent a stressful rehabilitation while catching up with a massive amount of paperwork and work orders flooding in immediately after the war. She thinks of Vi and her smile constantly as she fights through red tape and stonewalling. Caitlyn plots ways to spend more time with Vi and keeps a list of date ideas the both of them might enjoy.

Vi watches Caitlyn go about her day and tries very hard to do nothing because Caitlyn refuses any help; for every little bump on doorframes, furniture and tiny spills of hot tea, Vi later tugs Caitlyn away from her desk to hold her and gently kisses and rubs the pain away.

On bad days coming home from whatever happened at the council, Vi would always offer Caitlyn options on what she wants to do to blow off steam: sparring, cuddling, or "bedtime". When Caitlyn is angry at Piltovan bigotry, it's sparring. When Caitlyn is stressed over a decision, it's cuddling. When Caitlyn was especially furious at being stonewalled by bureaucracy, it's "bedtime". Working her feelings out with Vi gave her a bit of perspective and some optional negotiation angles to try next time.

On good days, Caitlyn is especially affectionate and giggly, and Vi is all too happy to indulge her. They'd put on a record of something pleasant and soft and then sway to the music in the living room or outside on the balcony just for the simple pleasure of holding each other.

Vi sees how Caitlyn tries to hide her eyepatch with her hair and subtle applications of makeup to distract; Vi holds her a little closer in mornings and evenings to run her hands in Cait's hair and kiss her eyelids, trailing down to her lips and whispers how beautiful she is. Caitlyn stops hiding the eyepatch in front of Vi.

Caitlyn loves running her hands in Vi's hair to wash it in the shower and again when it's completely dry, the strands feeling soft like feathers. Vi isn't used to being pampered but loves it all the same because Caitlyn always makes her feel good.

A spa day made Vi super uneasy until realizing Caitlyn was in the same room receiving the same treatment. Caitlyn had to coax Vi into lying still and letting herself be taken care of, and *never* eat anything that's been placed on her body. Snack breaks are provided in between sessions. Vi's back muscles are so tight the spa brought in a tiny Ionian woman who used her entire body weight and her elbows and knees to smother out the tension Vi has been carrying for years. Treatments have gone much more smoothly once Vi experiences being a human puddle now that her spine was cracked in 4 places. Vi came out of spa day glowing and smiling dreamily. Caitlyn immediately makes a note to pick up massage techniques to practice on Vi in private. (Vi enjoyed it very much)

Vi had always been a light sleeper as a survival trait, but she will always appreciate Caitlyn sleepily finding her in the dark to nestle with her on the carpeting or against the wall. Holding Vi's head against her heartbeat had calmed the nightly jitters some, Caitlyn eventually helps Vi acclimate to the feeling of a soft bed and an even softer person wrapped up in her arms.

Caitlyn's duties often take her away from the mansion, leaving Vi and Tobias to their devices. Over a bottle of old Zaunite bourbon and games of pool and Ionian checkers, Vi and Tobias quickly find common ground in their competitive streak and love for aromatic strong liquor that hugs their insides. The both of them agree Piltover can't make booze worth a damn.

Tobias watches Caitlyn from afar and regrets his failure as a father, having almost lost her while drowning in his grief. He busies himself with taking over Caitlyn's house duties and making awkward small talk with Vi. Vi sees this for the effort he is attempting and humours him until he tearfully takes both her hands in his to thank her for bringing Caitlyn home, formally apologizing for his behavior. Vi for her part thanks him for his surgical expertise when both of them came home wounded, grateful that Caitlyn is alive and recovering.

Tobias opens up to Vi about Caitlyn had been smiling more because of her and hopes both of them find happiness. Vi has never had to think about her future or things she would be interested in, and wasn't sure what more she could do to help Caitlyn. Tobias shares details about his life with Cassandra: things they did together, challenges in their relationship that often kept them apart, how they kept each other honest. "There can never be enough time to spend with the people you love", he laments, and Vi has never related so much in that moment.

Vi fills her days wandering the library, the gardens, basking in the sun on the roof of the mansion, fixing herself a pot of seafood chowder just like Vander had taught her to feed her siblings, and then some of the patrons at the bar. Vi could still rely on her memory of exotic spices she used sometimes to season her dishes. As a child she'd get a 5 finger discount on the wares shady merchants would bring into The Last Drop, and was able to quickly tell if they were cut with something cheaper or inedible. Vander would often "mediate" these negotiations from there.

While prison life was spartan, there were old history books and classic literature to read; Vi devoured any book she could read to keep the memories of Vander reading to her siblings warm. Stillwater was careful not to include any engineering manuals or textbooks that could help a prisoner escape the island. The legends of Janna made her especially nostalgic and were her favourite tomes to read.

Vi missed reading a seafood recipe book and journal penned by a veteran Bilgewater pirate who lived off the seas eating fish, seaweed and algae when rations ran out. It had gone missing in prison and she'd searched every bookstore and pawn shop in Piltover and Zaun to find a copy until Caitlyn gifted her one she acquired investigating the author's "printing house" [printed off wooden blocks on a fishing boat named "the rainbow mermaid"] and having a fresh autographed copy.

Sometimes Vi regretted not being book smart enough to make it out of Zaun, but she is good enough at cards and catching cheaters to barter for items. She applies this skill mediating conflicts between Piltovan and Zaunite merchants and negotiating better deals. Vi feels a little closer to Vander when deals were peacefully resolved. When Sevika isn't able to strong arm her way past some civilian disputes, she uses Vi's charm to smooth things over.

Once more Zaunite council deputies have been trained thoroughly what to look for in civil dispute cases, the both of them were able to handle more complex cases of forgery, confidence schemes and sabotage - Piltovan and Zaunite industrial competitiveness hadn't ceased after all

Ekko and a group of engineers and mechanics would be brought in to consult on inefficiencies in factory plants and resource mills that cause the significant amounts of pollution to leak into Zaun and other regions. They have tracked chemical spills from the air that stretch as far as the Shuriman Coast, it would be a matter of time before this would cause political conflicts with other countries if PIltover does nothing. The council is forced to concede to maintaining pollution quotas to a minimum and search for more sustainable options if they are to remain competitive as a trading port.

The Kiramman main library was full of books from floor to ceiling, one of the random volumes Vi picked to speed read for the day was a novice's guide to gardening before advanced methods in agriculture and irrigation. Then later a heavily earmarked fantasy series about a warrior princess on a path to redemption righting wrongs wherever she goes. One of young Caitlyn's favourites before falling love with mystery novels, she hears from Tobias. Vi was speed reading 3 books a day, if there was something she didn't understand, Tobias helped fill her in.

Walking in the garden gave time for all the reading material to percolate, and Vi decides to try to apply the knowledge she learned in a small test in the back yard that turned into a long term personal project in Zaun's fissures. The joy from that earned success made Vi feel for once she could something right. And so she spends her time sharing that joy in Ekko's enclave building things and spending time with the children.

Vi simply can't help but want to be of service where she can, so she does. For every Zaunite she connects with, she picks up a new random hobby as she goes, anything she could do with her hands. Fixing pipes. Aging beer. Knitting scarves. She found a discarded saxophone in a dilapidated hut being used to catch raindrops and took it upon herself to restore and repair it. An old custodian who maintains the bathysphere teaches her how to play it in return for fixing his roof. Turns out Vi is capable of a lot of things when she applies herself.

Being around fine foods in Piltover sometimes made Vi recall the taste of Stillwater's cafeteria slop in comparison, and years of obsessively imagining a whole list of things she'd eat at home in the Last Drop. Out of nostalgia she began borrowing the kitchen to cook some of her meals, the staff following the smells of heavily seasoned soup noticed she kept her station clean and nothing had been set on fire. Vi was happy to share some old bar recipes for the staff meals and they grew to enjoy her cooking.

Vi quickly becomes the Kiramman staff's favourite guest as she always finishes everything on her plate at dinner and compliments the chef, manners be damned. Days of being well fed for once has awakened her taste buds from dormancy, and suddenly Vi wants to eat *everything*. The ionian head chef is only too happy to comply to an enthusiastic diner who especially loves spices. Vi accompanies him during shopping trips to learn how to pick great ingredients.

Vi made small talk with the cooks and often asked for advice on Caitlyn's favourites because she neglects food while working. When Caitlyn sends a pneumatic tube message that she'd be late, Vi packs a small meal [spicy stew with a side of light herb buttered pasta] in an insulated container and parkours her way into her office. Once the surprise visits wore off, Vi entices Caitlyn with enough food to have her work from her home office. Watching her girlfriend work so hard to do right by Zaunites without need of recompense or redemption made Vi feel just a little bit proud.

Caitlyn introduces Vi to her two dobermans, Revi (for revolver) and Flint (for flintlock), both retired hunting dogs. Vi immediately bolted for the top of the nearest tree as they eagerly gave chase while Caitlyn tries get them to heel. The dogs settle themselves at the trunk while Caitlyn climbs up the tree after her. Once Caitlyn was able to coax Vi back to the ground and held out her fist, the dobermans gently sniffed and licked the offered hand and noses into her palms and into her arms.

Caitlyn listens to Vi tell the story of Stillwater's hound unit, they were capable of keeping up with Vi on one of her many escape attempts. Vi almost made it to the lake when the hounds had dragged her by the boots back to the prison grounds. They were so well trained it was impossible to outrun them all. Vi runs her hands through Revi and Flint's fur, having never known dogs could be so gentle and loving. Since then Vi goes on morning runs with them and plays fetch and wrestles with them in the yard. Caitlyn especially loves the squeal Vi makes when her face is thoroughly licked.

On cozy afternoons with some tea and pastries, Caitlyn listens to Vi talk about how she's been spending her free time helping people and falls in love just a little bit more with her big heart. Caitlyn loves Vi and the person she is becoming the more she chases her passions. Vi feels safe and secure enough with Caitlyn to know she never has to move heaven and earth to earn her love, that Vi alone still has value as a person.

Vi still misses her sister like a phantom limb and tries to take comfort that Jinx isn't suffering anymore. Caitlyn secretly writes letters to Jinx in the form of newspaper classified ads using an altered graphic of her monkey symbol and a simple cipher. It took several weeks before a reply in the runeterra newspapers showed up in the classified section with a tiny mongoose scribble and the same cipher. And later, a package arrived, a tiny orrery in the style of Valdiani with a small inscription "always with you sis"

[axl99]

Some new Arcane headcanons

Vi going back down to Viktor's old commune/her old home and replanting crops to remember the taste of the fruit she had. Opening a soup kitchen with Jericho for the workers and displaced kids rebuilding Zaun. People all over come by for cheap warm filling meals

Vi finds it tough to adjust to how *soft* and plush the carpeting and the beds are in the Kiramman mansion that she crept out of bed to sleep on the floor or her back to the wall. Caitlyn somehow finds her way in the dark and makes a little nest with her with some blankets

Vi has restless days she skips the sidewalks and promenade routes in Piltover and parkours all over the rooftops until her feet gives out, then she drops down to pick up some pastries and trudges back to the Kiramman gardens to nap under the pavillion with the family hunting dogs

Vi still finds time to slip back into Zaun and with Ekko's help teaches kids boxing and reading and plays with them until the sun goes down. She takes some old metal scraps and builds a playground so they can learn how to parkour safely

Caitlyn takes Vi out to see a forest and a flower field where she finds a patch of violets in the wild. Vi learns rabbits exist, discovers the fine practice of picnics and charcuterie, gains an unhealthy curiosity for mountain climbing, and finds how cold the ocean breeze is

Inspired from her visit to the forest, Vi tries to grow gingko trees wherever she could plant them just like the one in the firelights hideout only to learn they take a year just to grow 1-2 feet. Unbeknownst to Zaun, over the years the saplings evolve to clear more of the Grey

Once all the local Piltovan boxing clubs stopped issuing rematches because Vi had been an absolute menace in the ring, she drags her gauntlets into a makeshift workshop and picks up basic repair tips from Ekko. She spars frequently with Sevika, and they begrudingly start bonding

Vi's not friends with the pitfighters she fought, but learns they fell on hard times and were scraping by. Sevika and Vi start up a new sport where everyone gets paid a decent wage to play as characters in scripted fights - gamblers didn't know at first but later stopped caring

The sport becomes a hot tourist attraction in Zaun, reenactments of old battles are popular with Piltovans who funnel money to keep them running. Zaunite inventors develop wireless audio communication and now fights are broadcast live between cities for those tuning in

Thanks to the invention of radio and surround sound, new Zaunite artists are introduced to Piltovan society by way of live concerts and increased imported vinyl sales. A new artist named Seraphine makes her way to Caitlyn's ears because of a tune Vi was humming and she is a Fan

Vi is extremely Not Used to the idea of having more money of her own than she can do with so Caitlyn sits her down and explains Investing. When Vi squints at her, Caitlyn reveals having already withdrawn family funding to the enforcers for allowing Noxian spies in their ranks

Vi takes the money she earned through the joint venture with Sevika and vinyl manufacturing publishers and expands community building efforts in Zaun: starting with abolishing child labour and funding small schools, housing, and medical clinics in the Lanes

Vi's good faith investments in Sevika's underground network of inventors, mechanics and engineers help them find work in Piltover. Shoolah becomes emotionally invested in Zaun's cultural growth and establishes an educational exchange program to improve diplomatic relations

Zaunite youths start painting Vi's visage alongside old murals of Jinx and Vander. They chose one day of the year to fire choreographed explosions of pink and blue fireworks along the edge of the river. The elders in the lanes are hesitant to partake but celebrate anyway

---

maybe i'll come up with more headcanons in the meantime but for now enjoy these ones

LoL world status quo makes it difficult to overcome systemic dysfunction, especially cause Riot isn't interested in depicting what real "progress" looks like. So really it's just small things being done to improve life in Zaun in small ways

[axl99]

Arcane headcanons pt2

Mel and Caitlyn develop their friendship writing letters to one another, mourning lost parents and attempting to make amends. Ambessa's desperation to acquire hextech had derailed Mel's prior plans for diplomacy, plans that now involve Caitlyn's participation as one who upholds Piltovan ethos.

When asked about Singed, Mel tells Caitlyn he had reappeared under the protection of another Noxian leader who wants his bioweaponry for conquest

In her capacity as the scion of House Kiramman, Caitlyn is given the title of Inquisitor to facilitate her new duties as the investigative and auditory arm of the council. She has her choice of candidates for the Piltovan Wardens but vets them with far more scrutiny and keeps her group small and tight. Steb is among the first volunteers.

Caitlyn during the post Noxian attack does her best to reunite the lost families who have been separated during the evacuation. For those who have lost everything, Caitlyn uses her fortune to commission the construction of a community for the old and the young to live together in a neutral zone in Piltover.

Combined with Shoolah's cultural exchange program and new health and labour regulations Sevika wrangled from the scions of the council, this community became the new basis for Piltover and Zaun co-existing and elevating Zaunites to a socio-economic parity to PIltovans

Ever the recovering workaholic, Caitlyn finds herself dragged from her desk for late night meals and snuggles with Vi, who at this point has developed decent culinary skills and an acquired taste for strong aromatic teas. She never denies Vi any small pleasure or indulgence, quietly dreaming of a world where more people like Vi could live and love freely. With Vi, she rekindles her love of nature and makes an effort to take Vi on small vacations away from the cities. With their dogs of course.

Vi for her part, has silently come to terms with her grief and spends her waking moments nurturing her love for Caitlyn and building new friendships where she could in memory of Loris. Something about her brief stay in Viktor's commune after her pitfighting days made her feel like recreating the safe spaces Vander raised his adoptive family.

Vi finds Isha's mining hat in the wreckage of the commune and buries it by her old home where she remembered her playing by the puddles with Jinx. Sevika eventually hears about it from Vi one night while sharing a bottle of whiskey and makes the trip down to pay her respects once a year. She'd never admit Isha made her a little soft, but she'll never forget how much Isha believed in Jinx and the hope that inspired Zaun.

Caitlyn and Ekko have a strained conversation about moving forward that nearly dissolved without Vi acting as a buffer. The hexcore corruption may have disappeared and the Firelights community saved, but the runoff from Piltover and Zaun's rampant industrialization on top of enforcer and gang violence are still core issues.

Caitlyn immediately hyperfocuses weeding out corruption among the enforcers by stripping them of their duties and reassigning them to the post war reconstruction effort under Sevika and Shoolah - who have no qualms rehabilitating them. They are never let back in to any positions of government in Piltover.

With Mel's help and a lot of politicking, there is an amendment to the Ethos which Piltover was founded, to hold the council accountable to their endeavors so there will never be another Jinx, or need of martial law.

Sevika and Caitlyn take great pains to remind the council it is thanks to Zaun that they and PIltover are still standing. Should they fail, Caitlyn tells them not only Hextech cannot be mass manufactured or developed, but they are in a delicate political situation with Noxus. Piltover will not survive another coup, let alone another terrorist attack. Not even the new Medarda scion will be able to save them. Piltover has to change the nature of its parasitic relationship with Zaun to that of a symbiotic one.

Ekko takes Heimerdinger's lessons to heart to find ways to eliminate or repurpose industrial waste; he develops a new clean biofuel to replace shimmer use as well as a weather resistant brick and mortar like material made of compacted trash to repair failing structures and build new homes for Zaunites.

Ekko's new inventions help create dams to filter industrial runoff and make the river waters safe for drinking once more. Any rainwater is also thoroughly filtered and treated for toxins. He, Sevika and Vi spearhead new efforts in agriculture on both land and sea, discovering culinary uses for algae and enabling fish husbandry for the first time in Zaun.

Miffed but inspired by Ekko's genius, Piltovan scholars and crafters worked harder to invent new tools and techniques to improve life in society, but not without first visiting Zaun, the new mecca where necessity is the mother of invention. It comes to no surprise that Zaunite resourcefulness has great potential to change the world, so they began contacting the local engineers and mechanics to share what they know and collaborate on the more challenging reconstruction projects.

Sevika, so used to the schemes of gang leaders and survivor bias of Zaunite life, develops a growing faith in the resilience and fundamental good in her people, the same faith Vander inspired in his supporters. Shoolah sees this gradual change in Sevika and the two quietly nurture a slow and loving relationship. News of this development inspire both shock and delight in post war Zaun and Piltover.

On the old ashes of The Last Drop, Vi and Sevika built an inn called The First Glass - the name is still a work in progress. Rehabilitated gangsters established a labour union of their own and were in charge of keeping the place running smoothly. An unspoken law was established that no fighting or shady business was allowed on or around the premises.

Eventually enough of the areas owned and ran by this neutral faction were safe areas for anyone to travel. Any Zaunite in violation of this law was swiftly brought to justice. A street justice of sorts, but repercussions none the less. Even new gangsters knew not to mess with anyone with ties to Sevika, Jinx and Vi.

Young musicians performed at The First Glass every night, art decorated every surface, weary travellers spent their coin on soft beds and great food and drink, the locals who set up markets around the inn got an influx of business and are given a small discount at the bar. One culinary critic from Demacia was so awestruck he gave a rave 5 star review and made the inn one of the top destinations to visit in Zaun.

Copycats jealous of the inn's success quickly set up competing hotels and taverns to accommodate the growing number of tourists who flew by land, air and sea.

Eventually Caitlyn gathered the courage to travel to Zaun with VI, having kept a distance and provided what support she could in secret. The elders eye her warily and keep a wide berth but they don't dare insult or harass her openly. She shyly meets the people she reunited and the communities they built with those who were without. Ekko allowed her back in to the Firelights enclave where the gingko tree there bloomed bright yellow leaves. She tries Jericho's seafood dishes and unabashedly inhaled the spicy noodles and seasoned sea slugs. She and Vi spend a couple nights at The First Glass, finally experiencing what felt like closure.

[axl99]

Some new Arcane headcanons

Vi going back down to Viktor's old commune/her old home and replanting crops to remember the taste of the fruit she had. Opening a soup kitchen with Jericho for the workers and displaced kids rebuilding Zaun. People all over come by for cheap warm filling meals

Vi finds it tough to adjust to how *soft* and plush the carpeting and the beds are in the Kiramman mansion that she crept out of bed to sleep on the floor or her back to the wall. Caitlyn somehow finds her way in the dark and makes a little nest with her with some blankets

Vi has restless days she skips the sidewalks and promenade routes in Piltover and parkours all over the rooftops until her feet gives out, then she drops down to pick up some pastries and trudges back to the Kiramman gardens to nap under the pavillion with the family hunting dogs

Vi still finds time to slip back into Zaun and with Ekko's help teaches kids boxing and reading and plays with them until the sun goes down. She takes some old metal scraps and builds a playground so they can learn how to parkour safely

Caitlyn takes Vi out to see a forest and a flower field where she finds a patch of violets in the wild. Vi learns rabbits exist, discovers the fine practice of picnics and charcuterie, gains an unhealthy curiosity for mountain climbing, and finds how cold the ocean breeze is

Inspired from her visit to the forest, Vi tries to grow gingko trees wherever she could plant them just like the one in the firelights hideout only to learn they take a year just to grow 1-2 feet. Unbeknownst to Zaun, over the years the saplings evolve to clear more of the Grey

Once all the local Piltovan boxing clubs stopped issuing rematches because Vi had been an absolute menace in the ring, she drags her gauntlets into a makeshift workshop and picks up basic repair tips from Ekko. She spars frequently with Sevika, and they begrudingly start bonding

Vi's not friends with the pitfighters she fought, but learns they fell on hard times and were scraping by. Sevika and Vi start up a new sport where everyone gets paid a decent wage to play as characters in scripted fights - gamblers didn't know at first but later stopped caring

The sport becomes a hot tourist attraction in Zaun, reenactments of old battles are popular with Piltovans who funnel money to keep them running. Zaunite inventors develop wireless audio communication and now fights are broadcast live between cities for those tuning in

Thanks to the invention of radio and surround sound, new Zaunite artists are introduced to Piltovan society by way of live concerts and increased imported vinyl sales. A new artist named Seraphine makes her way to Caitlyn's ears because of a tune Vi was humming and she is a Fan

Vi is extremely Not Used to the idea of having more money of her own than she can do with so Caitlyn sits her down and explains Investing. When Vi squints at her, Caitlyn reveals having already withdrawn family funding to the enforcers for allowing Noxian spies in their ranks

Vi takes the money she earned through the joint venture with Sevika and vinyl manufacturing publishers and expands community building efforts in Zaun: starting with abolishing child labour and funding small schools, housing, and medical clinics in the Lanes

Vi's good faith investments in Sevika's underground network of inventors, mechanics and engineers help them find work in Piltover. Shoolah becomes emotionally invested in Zaun's cultural growth and establishes an educational exchange program to improve diplomatic relations

Zaunite youths start painting Vi's visage alongside old murals of Jinx and Vander. They chose one day of the year to fire choreographed explosions of pink and blue fireworks along the edge of the river. The elders in the lanes are hesitant to partake but celebrate anyway

---

maybe i'll come up with more headcanons in the meantime but for now enjoy these ones

LoL world status quo makes it difficult to overcome systemic dysfunction, especially cause Riot isn't interested in depicting what real "progress" looks like. So really it's just small things being done to improve life in Zaun in small ways

[axl99]

"Always with you, sis"

[axl99]

istg arcane discourse pt idfc

some folks didn't review the s1 footage and just parroted what someone else said so I'm providing screenshots here

for the last time, caitlyn didn't hit vi in the spot sevika wounded vi in s1. caitlyn hitting vi as a parallel to vi hitting jinx as children is not abuse nor is it even framed as such. stop misusing terminology in the age of misinformation, it is a dangerous habit for fandom to have. if you take issue with caitlyn hurting vi, that's your problem. vi has taken much worse, but here vi stays down because she knows she's disappointed someone she loves. [and copes badly] this is what happens when folks make me put my Phoenix Wright hat on :p

for now i return to my little corner of fandom

[axl99]

Caitvi slowdancing in their new loft

i'm still in shock over the show - and i've been holding onto a wip to this to chip away on, i thought i wanna make something sweet and comforting for myself

[axl99]

Sweet kisses to pass the time

i posted this before act 3 aired so imagine my surprise