why go to the grocery store or to a restaurant when you can just get food delivered why go to the mall when you can get same day shipping on amazon why go to the library when you have kindle why make art when there’s ai why go to the cinema when you can stay at home and watch netflix. we are in a loneliness epidemic btw
Reblog this post :) Especially if you’re on mobile, you’ll lose the post if you click the link without thinking. Take a note from your elders before you
Interesting note: It definitely uses whoever you're following now, not at that date. Even the 2020 one includes a lot of people I was absolutely not following yet in Feb 2020, which is actually kind of cool, I can see what they were reblogging from this fandom before I got into it.
Summary: Viktor is your friend. Just your very good friend. You help him and Jayce with their research and you make sure that he takes care of himself. It’s not out of the ordinary for the two of you to be by yourselves occasionally. So why did it feel different when he asked you to go with him to the yearly Yuletide Street Festival?
Word Count: 3k
Warnings: Fluff, reader is emotionally constipated at first, Viktor is unsure how to process emotions
A/N: My finals are over!! I'm fucking free <3
Always wanted to write a "reader doesn't know how to process feelings and neither does Viktor so they go on a totally normal (TM) excursion together" fic
"You want to go where?"
You'd handled odd requests from Viktor and Jayce before. You'd been their guinea pig multiple times with certain theories, gathered weird materials for them from around the school, and had often stayed up even later than them to help them finish working on a major breakthrough.
But this one specific request wasn't so much as 'odd' as it was 'completely out of the ordinary'.
"The festival," Viktor replied calmly as he sat bent over his notes. He was working on a new theory for Hextech that was evidently top secret - meaning that you were not allowed to assist.
"The festival." You repeatedly dumbly.
He hummed an affirmative and nodded, not once looking up from his notebook where he was writing out his calculations.
Viktor had been a little strange when you had first started working for the duo. He was kind, but he was reserved. Over time he had opened up to you more and more which led to an amicable friendship between the two of you. Yes there were times where the two of you had been left alone together, but it was never for long and never explicitly on purpose.
"Is there a reason you're not asking Jayce?" You replied hesitantly, turning back around to continue your own calculations on the blackboard that had been set up in the lab. "I don't mean any offense by it, I just assumed that we weren't really close like that."
You heard the distinct sound of Viktor setting his pencil down and turned your head slightly. Viktor never stopped working. Oddity number two today it seemed.
"If you do not wish to go, you do not have to," he replied calmly. "Jayce is . . occupied that day. I am picking up some items for research and require someone to help me carry them all."
You watched as he shuffled through loose sheets of paper at his desk and hummed to yourself before turning back to your work. It was plausible, of course it was. Viktor had a hard time carrying multiple things at once due to his leg - something that he abhorred mentioning and making a big deal out of. So of course he would need help if he were picking up multiple items.
But the Yuletide Festival was a week-long event. If Jayce was unable to assist him on Wednesday, then why not change it to a different day? Why not ask someone else?
Maybe you were just overthinking it. Reading too much into it and hoping that it was something that it wasn't. "No it's okay, I'll go with you. Besides, the Yuletide Festival is always a lot of fun."
"Would four be a good time to meet?" he asked. His pencil was moving again.
"Four is perfect."
And that was that.
You had managed to forget the unusual request for the remainder of the week, choosing instead to focus on your ongoing classes and the research on Hextech that you were conducting on your own time.
It was a pet project, honestly. And if you were being completely and totally true to yourself, a way to get closer to Viktor. He intrigued you. He was always so studious and put together, sometimes you wanted to see what he looked like when he wasn't in the lab. If he acted the same, talked the same, looked the same.
You made the mistake of bringing up your thoughts to your roommate, Sky, once.
She had laughed right in your face.
"You've got to be kidding me!" she spoke between giggles, trying to cover her mouth as she lounged on your bed. "You're joking, right?"
You drew your eyebrows together in confusion as you swiveled in your desk chair to face her. "I can assure you I am not. I'm just curious, is all."
"Curious." Disbelief coated her words.
"Curious."
She raised her eyebrows at you in turn and stared at you pointedly.
"Don't look at me like that," you huffed, crossing your arms. "For Janna's sake I'm a scientist Sky. A scholar. I look at things methodically and with precision. With my brain. I don't do 'feelings'. "
A slow, sly grin crept across her face.
You rolled your eyes and leaned back in your seat. "What."
"I didn't say anything about feelings," she replied smugly.
You decided to wipe the smile off of her face by promptly throwing your nearby sweater at her. It caused a bout of laughter from her, but it certainly didn't help your case.
A day passed. Then two.
You were able to shove Sky's accusations away until Viktor walked into one of your lectures.
It was to hand a professor something, a packet of some kind you weren't exactly sure. You'd stopped paying attention the second that Viktor walked in.
He wasn't wearing his vest, that was the first thing that you noticed. That one detail held your attention the entire time. You were openly staring at him, you knew it and yet you couldn't stop yourself.
You watched him the entire time - eyes glued to him and memorizing everything new that you were seeing.
He turned to look at you at one point and your world slowed down. A polite smile and a wave. That's all that he graced you with, and you were beginning to melt.
And then, imperceptibly, he mouthed one word. Wednesday? Viktor was making sure that you were still available, that your answer hadn't changed.
You blinked and then nodded with a soft smile.
It was after he'd left your class that you realized how right Sky had been.
So here you were, Wednesday morning, staring at your open closet with a strong sense of focus. You'd been standing there for approximately 20 minutes before you heard your dorm room door open and close, signaling that Sky had arrived.
"Honey I'm home!," she called out jokingly, and you listened as she slung her bag over to her room before coming to join you in yours. Her footsteps stopped the second she entered the door, and you listened to her elongated pause, your own eyes still trained on your closet.
"I have nothing to wear," you supplied.
"So I see we've reached the 'break down' stage before the date," she hummed.
"I have nothing to wear."
"You have at least six good shirts in there that would be more than fine."
You whirled around and stared at her. "You have cute dresses."
It took her a moment before she realized what you meant. "No," she held up a finger and started to back up towards her room. "No no no. The last time you borrowed a dress it came back with a rip in it."
"Which I swiftly repaired!" you followed her, avoiding all the books strewn about between the two rooms. "Please Sky?"
She stopped and looked at you, one hand on her doorknob and her back pressed firmly against, before sighing. "You really like him, don't you?"
You paused, looking down at your hands nervously before looking back up at her. "I'm beginning to think that I do."
She groaned and leaned her head back against her door before finally admitting defeat. "Fine. Come on, let's make this quick."
'Quick' ended up taking at least two hours of multiple dresses and accessories before the two of you were finally satisfied with the outcome.
A deep red dress that came to about knee height on you, layered with fleece-lined stockings and a coat. You were pretty proud of yourselves if you were being honest. It was a good outfit, and it suited you well.
And then both of you watched snowflakes float past the window with a sense of dread and all of your hard work went down the drain.
"You'll freeze," Sky said.
"I'll freeze," you replied.
It was back to the drawing board.
Before you knew it, it was ten minutes before four and you were frantic, pulling on your boots and trying desperately to find your winter coat in the entire mess.
"You had it last!" You called out to Sky, rummaging through your closet like a mad man.
"Why would I borrow it?" She called back, likely doing the same as you. "The pockets are falling out, and you know how I like to hoard."
"You borrowed it for that trek across campus last week," you yelled back, referencing her midnight blizzard walk when she needed to pass urgent papers to a professor that she assisted in class.
A knock sounded at the door and your heart dropped. "Sky if you don't find that coat right now!" You walked quickly towards the door, grabbing your gloves and a stray scarf that was by the door.
You opened the door right as Sky found the coat and threw it at you. You caught it with one hand and whirled around with a smile to face Viktor waiting on the other side.
"Viktor!" You greeted, pulling on said coat.
"Everything okay?" He asked, a small smile on his face.
"No!" yelled Sky from her room just as you replied with an enthusiastic "Yes!"
He raised his eyebrows at you and you smiled nervously in return.
"Everything is fine. Sky is simply being dramatic." You quickly exited the room and closed the door behind you before Sky was able to retort, pulling on your scarf after you locked the door.
"I see," he hummed before stepping out of your way and gesturing for you to continue down the hall.
You obliged, the two of you walking side by side as you pulled on your gloves, ready to face the elements that the outside offered. It wasn't until you stepped into the elevator with him that you realized Viktor looked really good out of his school uniform. Like. Really good.
He was wearing a thick coat like yours, and had a light blue scarf layered inside of it for warmth. No gloves, but he had boots on as well to help with the icy terrain. It was incredibly different from the tailored outfit you were used to seeing him in and for some reason - although these clothes weren't anywhere near as form fitting as the uniform - the outfit just seemed like it suited him more.
It was more muted, and it allowed him to blend in more. To not stand out as much. You didn't realize that you were staring until you saw that he was staring back.
"Do I have something on my face?" He asked with a small laugh, readjusting his grip on his cane and leaning against it a tad more.
A dark blush immediately took over your features. "No! No, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to stare it's just that," you paused and fought the urge to fidget. "I've never seen you out of the school uniform before. You look . . . different." It appeared as though realizing your small crush on Viktor had rendered you incapable of all logical thoughts. Wonderful.
He nodded his head as though he understood, and let you exit the elevator first when it came to a stop at the bottom floor. "Is it a good different or a bad different?" He asked casually as you held the front door of the school open for him.
"A good different," you replied without much thought. "You seem more comfortable like this."
You missed the small smile he shot at you and the way that his eyes softened at the words, but you didn't miss the way his foot slipped on a particularly icy patch of the road.
Your hands shot out to steady him and ended up wrapped around one of his arms, making sure that he was stable.
"Are you alright?" You asked, the two of you stopped on the sidewalk as snow fell gently around you.
"I'm alright," he replied, a little unsteadily. "But perhaps you should hang onto me just in case," he laughed softly and you found it to be the best sound in the world. "Winter is not the kindest season for me."
You smiled in return and looped one of your arms through his, happy for the excuse to be close to him. "Consider it done."
It wasn't long before the two of you found your way to the Street Festival. Soft Yuletide music played from speakers, soft and inviting, and an involuntary smile found its way onto your face as the stalls began to pop up around the two of you.
You had always loved Yuletide, and had made it a point every year to find your way to the Festival. It was a small treat that you allowed yourself, and frankly a great place to shop for cheap but useful gifts.
You fought the urge to go grab yourself a hot cider at the stand selling them a few feet away and leaned in a little closer to Viktor as you made your way through the crowd. "So where exactly are we picking up these research items?"
"At one of the booths," he replied, tugging on your arm slightly and pulling you back in the direction of the stand selling cider. "But we have some time. You usually come to these things, yes?"
You nodded as he guided you into line. "I do. It's one of my favorite Yuletide traditions."
"I have never been."
You stared at him in shock. "You're kidding. It's one of Piltovers' biggest Yuletide celebrations!"
Viktor at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed. "My work is always the busiest at the end of the year. It does not allow me much time for fun." And then he paused, and you could've sworn that he was hesitating. "Would you show me around?"
And you did. After fighting Viktor for the chance to buy him a cider - and losing terribly - you gleefully dragged him around to all the different booths, telling him stories of years past and greeting certain booth owners that you had come to know. You bought him sweets to share, looked longingly at a new coat with pockets that were decidedly not falling out, and laughed as you watched him shake snow from his hair.
"It's nice to see you like this," you admitted as you both sat down next to one of the open fire pits.
"Half-frozen and covered in snow?" He supplied with a wry grin.
"Relaxed," you replied, watching as a group of children began to make snowballs in front of you. "Normal. Not obsessing over Hextech or new ways to change the world. Don't get me wrong, you seem more yourself when you have a theory to test or science to work out," you laughed and finished off the last of your cider. "But for lack of a better word, your domestic side is refreshing."
It took you a moment to realize that Viktor was staring at you, but when you did you turned to face him, embarrassment quickly coloring your features. "I'm so sorry, did I cross a line?"
His grin was slow and gentle, and you felt butterflies rise up in your gut as it occurred. "Not at all. But I do think that it is time for us to pick up my items."
You tried to shake off the awkwardness of the situation and eagerly nodded, standing up beside him. You hesitated to reach for his arm again, unsure if he would still welcome it until you watched him hold it out to you expectantly with raised eyebrows.
"It is cold," he provided.
"It is," you replied before taking his arm.
You went and picked up his package, a small thing that you tucked under one arm while the other stayed interlocked with his. You stayed that way as he walked you back to the dorms and the two of you chatted about everything. About theories that you were investigating, professors that you detested, strange habits that Jayce had. You’d barely noticed the passage of time at all until you stopped in front of your door, the night at a close.
“Here,” you handed him the package with outstretched hands, doing your best to avoid looking sad at the prospective end of your evening. “I’m glad I was able to help.”
“I am glad you had fun,” he replied with a grin as he took the package from you.
You stood there for a few moments like that, staring at each other and not exactly knowing what it is that you should say.
“Would you, possibly, be open to doing this again?” Viktor asked, his cheeks tinged slightly pink. You assumed it was from the cold.
“Helping you?” you answered with a tilt of your head. “Of course. I’m always happy to help.”
“No, no not helping me. Rather, doing an activity with me.”
You looked at him blankly, not understanding. “An activity?”
“Yes. An activity”
You had a hunch. A stray thought at what Viktor might be poking at. You weren’t exactly sure if you were right, but you hoped you were. “Do you mean, like a date?”
He shuffled nervously and glanced away from you for a moment before nodding his head. “Yes, like a date.I know it is not professional, and I understand if it makes you uncomfortable. I can walk away and we do not have to discuss it again I just . . I thought that you might possibly . . feel the same.”
You wanted to pinch yourself. There was no way that this was real. But it was real, and Viktor looked like he was about to pass out every second that you continued to stare at him and did not answer. “Of course Viktor, I’d love to go on a date with you.”
You can’t remember what happened after that. You know that you had said your goodbyes with promises to plan said date, and that he had waited until you were safely inside your dorm to leave, but if any other words had been exchanged you were unsure as to what they were.
“A date,” you repeated numbly to Sky. “He asked me on a date.”
It was much harder to remember what had happened after Sky’s enthusiastic screaming had commenced.
At risk of sounding like a hater and an asshole this looks like AI and if its somehow not, the editor who reworked images and sharpened them up made it look like AI
This is the actual image (from a 6 year old reddit post so def not AI). Either someone asked AI to recreate it or AI, being the plagiarism machine it is, was asked for a pic of dogs finding humans in the snow and just ripped off the first image it could find. Another reminder that AI doesn't actually create anything. Also real cute dogs.
People on Tumblr love sharing information about themselves no matter how asinine it is. And I'm the same way. Everybody tell me what the last thing you drank was.
obsessed with the Helena and Irving parallel and what it says about the aspects of our identity we think are fundamental (but aren't)...
Like Outie Irving assumes his Innie is just as radically anti-Lumon as he is. He assumes his hatred of Lumon is something ingrained in his personality! That's why he stays up at night drinking coffee and making paintings, because he hopes that when his innie dreams about the testing floor, he'll say "okay bet" and start exploring. That's what Outie Irving would do, after all. But he miscalculated! His hatred of Lumon isn't inherent--- his desire for meaning and art and spirituality is inherent. That's what his hatred for Lumon is built on. But in a world where there's no meaning outside of Lumon propaganda, of COURSE his innie would become ridiculously devoted to the company.
And Helena!! She is the corporation, that's her whole identity. She presumably assumed that Helly would be just as pro-Lumon as she is. But she miscalculated too! Her devotion to the company isn't inherent, her headstrong and entitled nature is what's inherent! And in a world where she's denied any agency whatsoever, that manifests as rebellion.
It's the same dynamic flipped on its head. They both sent their innies in there with opposite intentions--- one to take down the company, one feed the company's expansion--- only to realize that rebellion and devotion aren't inherent characteristics. Their innies have become the exact opposite of their outie selves, while still being exactly the same!! Because even though your personality is inherent, the values you hold are determined circumstantially. OUGH IT'S SO GOOD.
