I've edited it anyways. Chengar please don't afflict us with negative will power because people weren't paying enough attention. A mechanics breaking vote that ruins the rest of the arc is ridiculous.
Adhoc vote count started by Randino Treviani on Feb 12, 2025 at 4:15 PM, finished with 86 posts and 56 votes.
Goddamn it. I was gonna change my vote in the last hour if it was tied but I fell asleep and woke up too late.
I've edited it anyways. Chengar please don't afflict us with negative will power because people weren't paying enough attention. A mechanics breaking vote that ruins the rest of the arc is ridiculous.
Adhoc vote count started by Randino Treviani on Feb 12, 2025 at 4:15 PM, finished with 86 posts and 56 votes.
I've edited it anyways. Chengar please don't afflict us with negative will power because people weren't paying enough attention. A mechanics breaking vote that ruins the rest of the arc is ridiculous.
Um, maybe I'm reading your tally wrong (very possible, since I know very little about how they work), but it looks like the final outcome is still in favor of all three options that cost willpower.
Welp, should be interesting where that goes, I guess.
Huh speaking of Ekko, I forget why exactly Benzo was killed in the first place. Wonder if that could be a potential diversion,especially since roughly no one in Zaun is going to hear anything but whatever story Silco wants to put out.
In canon Benzo was with Vander when they were waiting for the sheriff and got killed by the Chemtech punk, but that seemed to be more collateral damage than him being targeted. That being said he was one of Vander's closest associate, so he might become a target depending on how the power grab goes.
He was also a member of his gang along with Silco, depending on what he knows about the fallout between them, he might distrust anything Silco says out of principle, which could lead to him either investigating and getting silenced, or Silco deciding that he can't afford to risk him being like Vander and interfering with his plans by trying to encourage people into less violent actions.
Does Ekko in this timeline even has a reason to hate Silco, at least for now?
In Canon he hated him for killing Benzo, Vander and most of the gang. But in this version he probably knows next to nothing about Silco, the gang's death aren't due to Silco, he doesn't know what he did to Vander, and Benzo is alive. Assuming Silco doesn't move against Benzo, I wonder what might happen there.
Hopefully we can tell him what happened which solves that
Um, maybe I'm reading your tally wrong (very possible, since I know very little about how they work), but it looks like the final outcome is still in favor of all three options that cost willpower.
Welp, should be interesting where that goes, I guess.
And Seraphine is one vote behind the workshop. If we end up with a tie I'm not sure if I'll do my usual tie-breaker, or just let her willpower go negative. Which normally isn't a thing willpower is supposed to do, but feels like an adequate way to represent her just being burnt out on doing anything after so much activity.
As Chengar explains here. By switching my vote back to Ekko from Seraphina I undid the tie and workshop+Ekko went through, so Powder won't spend the rest of the Arc catatonically staring at the ceiling while opportunities pass her by.
What is the point if it looks like Even with 66 everything, the QM gonna make everything go his way? This just another quest that should have stay a fic if the QM is not let US change or decide things without a massive disadvantage or not caring and using a setting as excuse.
What is the point if it looks like Even with 66 everything, the QM gonna make everything go his way? This just another quest that should have stay a fic if the QM is not let US change or decide things without a massive disadvantage or not caring and using a setting as excuse.
We did change things, and can continue to do so. That 12-3 resulted in an approach which convinced Heimerdinger and the council to support Hextech. It's been made clear that Caitlyn can be saved from cop hood and we've put ourselves in the best spot to do so. We finished the mouser bomb and made everything worse instead of teasing Vi and Caitlyn and causing a public outburst that could have united Vi and Caitlyn in chasing powder up a tree and lead to an almost kiss that someone nosy would have immortalized in painting.
Things change, but Jinx is one 11 year old inheriting generations old problems, fighting her personal trauma's and being dragged down by everyone else's failures even when she wins. Point in Case, it was one of Vi's failures that had Jinx run off before she could lecture the boys on safety, Jayce's that created the situation where Vi felt compelled to cross at all, Silco taking deliberate action to ruin Vander's life.
That we got anything done at all in the space of a 2 weeks and change before the tragedy is pretty impressive, to say nothing of our golden 2 days of wins in Piltover while everyone else was failing there rolls.
[X][Workshop] Participate in Workshop Building
[X][Ekko] Write a letter to be discreetly delivered to Ekko
[X][Seraphine] Ask her to wait
I frowned and shifted the wrench rack back to the left. Then to the right. Then back to the left again. I couldn't figure out which position looked better. It'd probably end up depending on what projects I was working on.
Jayce chuckled and patted my head. "I know that feeling. When I got my first workshop I swear I spent a whole week just tweaking little things back and forth trying to decide exactly where I wanted everything. Let's focus on the big picture for right now, you can decide whether you want your wrenches where they are or five centimeters to the left later."
"'Kay." I left the rack behind to check on something else. There was plenty to work on when it came to getting an entire workshop set up. It was kinda amazing how quickly it was all coming together, but I suppose that was what happened when you had Kiramman money. There was an old saying about how you could pick two out of getting something done fast, well, and cheaply, and it was pretty clear which two they'd picked. Or maybe they'd already purchased a lot of the stuff for the lab we were gonna set up in Zaun and were putting the gear into my new workshop now.
They'd set up a new outbuilding for me, probably because they didn't wanna risk me blowing up my workshop and taking half the mansion with it. Probably smart, considering what had happened to our last workshop. Not that I planned on repeating that accident, but sometimes things happened. It wasn't like I'd meant to get my family killed, but that happened.
I didn't mind, my workshop being in its own little building meant I'd have more privacy. It was close enough to the main mansion that I could get there without any trouble and get meals delivered, but far enough away to put the mansion outside the blast radius. Though I'd still had to deal with a few annoying restrictions; the Kirammans didn't want me getting anything like chemfuel until the workshop had all the finishing touches. I got it, chemfuel can burn and blow up, but I'd been working with it for years without all these extra safety measures like sprinkler systems and flash doors.
Then again, maybe a little more safety was a good thing right now. If I'd been safer with my mousers maybe I'd still have a family. Part of me wondered if that was the real reason they weren't letting me have chemfuel or a few other things yet. Sure, they could say it was all about making my workshop safer, but maybe they just didn't want me to have access to anything I could make explode until I was better. Or at least until I could convincingly fake being okay.
Ugh. It wasn't like I didn't know I was a mess. Writing my letter to Ekko had taken most of yesterday, and it hadn't been a very long letter. I'd put down a sentence or two, then lie in bed staring at the ceiling for an hour until I could figure out what I wanted to say next. In the end I got all the important stuff across: I was alive, staying in Piltover with the Kirammans, I'd killed my family, Silco was a bad guy who'd dosed Vander with something that made him go nuts and turn into a big freaky monster, and Sevika was working with him.
I hoped Ekko and Benzo would be okay. I didn't know exactly who Silco was, but I was pretty sure he'd been one of Vander's old revolutionary friends. I'd heard the name a few times, but nobody ever said it where Vander could hear them. So an old friend who'd turned into an enemy, which probably meant he wouldn't get along with Benzo either. Especially if Ekko told Benzo everything I'd included in my letter, which I sure hoped he would. He needed to know Silco was bad news.
Viktor cleared his throat. "You should have plenty of components to work with, and once we get the fuel situation settled we can set up your micro-forge. I have to say, Jinx, I'm a touch envious. I wish I'd had half these tools at your age."
Jayce chuckled and added. "I know how you feel. Even if I probably wouldn't have asked for quite so many cans of fluorescent spraypaint."
"There's nothing wrong with a bit of style," Viktor shot back with the driest of grins.
"It's alright." I knew he was right. Two weeks ago I would've been over the moon about getting all this stuff, and overflowing with ideas for what I wanted to make. Now? I just couldn't find the energy for it. It was cool, I liked it, and I'd probably come up with some great ideas for what to make with it eventually, but right now I just didn't have anything.
Still, I didn't want to seem completely ungrateful. They'd both spent a lot of time helping me set up my workshop, and the Kirammans had sunk some real money into making it happen. Or at least, it felt like real money to me, maybe it was just a rounding error in their books. Still, I ought to say something. "Um. Thanks. For… you know…"
"Of course." Jayce sat down on the floor so he could be eye-to-eye with me. Viktor looked like he would've done the same if not for his bum leg. "If there's anything you need or anything we can do to help you, anything at all…"
I grimaced. I didn't want to be even more of a burden on everyone than I was already. "You two are probably really busy with all the Hextech stuff right now."
"Yes and no," Viktor answered. "Now that the powers that be within Piltover have taken notice of our work, our days are full of meetings and planning. It leads to a mixture of intense boredom while the rich and powerful make us wait simply to remind us of our place or force us to listen to them speak at length on topics they clearly know nothing about, followed by mad dashes of activity to get the actual work done, not to mention replicating all the notes we lost in the explosion."
"And we'll always make time for you," Jayce reassured me. "After all, we're partners." He chuckled and grinned at me. "Not just in the colloquial sense, now. The Kirammans made sure to get everything in writing now that we've grown from speculative research to working on practical applications and getting commercial funding. You're officially a junior partner and part-owner of the Hextech Corporation. If things work out the way I hope they will, you'll have a nice trust fund waiting for you when you reach adulthood."
"Oh. Thanks." I guess knowing I'd have money was nice, but it was hard to care too much about it right now. "And for the workshop. Thanks. Again."
"Of course, Pow—" Jayce caught himself. "Jinx. Sorry, I'm still getting used to it."
"S'alright." At least he was making the effort to get the name right. I suppose if he'd changed his name to something else I'd probably need some time to adjust as well.
It was just like the workshop. Giving me a fancy new workshop wasn't gonna make my family stop being dead or fix anything else that was wrong with my life, but it was still nice to have and I appreciated the gesture. Maybe for now, that was good enough.
I got a letter back from Ekko the next day.
Powder,
"Not off to a great start, Little Man," I grumbled. Though I guess it was hard for him to really understand the name change from just one letter. Still, I'd at least finish reading it.
Thanks for getting in touch, we had no idea what was going on or even if you were still alive. A lot of the people in the Lanes were assuming you died too since nobody's seen you.
I'm so sorry about what happened with Mylo, Claggor, and Vander. It's not your fault, though. I know you blame yourself for giving them the bombs, but a lot of other stuff had to happen to make those bombs go off. Sometimes bad things just happen without it being anyone's fault.
I haven't heard anything firm about Vi. There's all kinds of crazy rumors flying around, but so far I wouldn't believe any of them. If she's alive I'm sure she'll come find you, nothing could stop her.
We'll keep an eye out for Silco and anyone working for him. Benzo already wasn't buying the story Silco has been telling everyone about how they reconciled and Vander went after the Enforcers for payback after handing the Lanes over to Silco. Benzo told me that Silco used to work together, but Silco was a nasty rat bastard who wanted to burn Zaun to the ground just so he could rule over the ashes, and they fell out.
Things are pretty rough down here. The Enforcers might've backed off after Vander's Last Stand, but with him gone everyone's trying to figure out the new pecking order. Silco took over The Last Drop, and between Sevika backing him up and all his lies, way too many people are taking his side. The chembarons seem to be falling in line behind him too, fast enough that he probably cut some kinda deal with them before everything went down.
I grimaced and shook my head. That tracked, Vander had never liked the chembarons, and they hated him back. I didn't know all the details, but he'd said their business was dirty and if he could he'd get rid of them completely. Of course they'd get behind whoever replaced Vander.
Benzo tries not to let it show, but he's pretty worried about how things are going. Silco doesn't have Zaun locked down yet, but a lot of people are falling in line behind him, and the more people he gets following him, the more the rest fall in line. People are scared, and I guess they think putting Silco in charge will fix that and keep us strong. Benzo says they're wrong, that Silco's just gonna build himself up on all their backs.
Yesterday he showed me where I could find his hidden money stash and told me a couple places I could go to hide out, 'just in case something happens.' I think he's afraid Silco's gonna try to shut him down, 'cause he's one of the only big names in the Lanes who isn't okay with Silco being the new boss. They never liked each other back when they were both fighting the Pilties, so it's probably only a matter of time before things get violent.
Stay safe topside. I don't know what it's like over there, but it sounds like you've got good people taking care of you, and Zaun isn't safe for anyone right now.
Ekko
Oh. Oh I hated that. I hated every part of that.
The question was, what was I gonna do about it?
I started idly doodling on a fresh sheet of paper. The obvious course of action would be to get Ekko out of Zaun if things went bad. He was pretty smart with tech stuff, and if I told everyone that one of my friends from Zaun was in trouble I didn't think they'd just leave him hanging. Maybe the Kirammans wouldn't take him in the way they'd done with me, but they wouldn't just leave him there to get killed off by the gangs.
It made sense, but I hated it. It felt too much like running away and just letting Silco have everything he wanted in Zaun. I didn't wanna get Ekko away from him, I wanted to fight back.
I glanced at my doodle. I couldn't make conventional weapons right now, the Kirammans weren't giving me access to stuff like chemfuel or gunpowder. I get it, they were probably worried I'd use it to hurt myself, and telling them that I actually wanted to use it to hurt other people probably wouldn't convince them. Hexgems were obviously out as well.
Still, it's not like I had to have those things. Gunpowder and chemfuel were handy for making weapons, but without them it meant I would just have to get creative. Magnets, compressed air, clockwork … oh yeah, there were options.
I was halfway through sketching out a new design when I hesitated. I'd have to lock myself up in the lab for a while to get this done quickly. Caitlyn wanted to hang out, and I'd asked Seraphine to wait a bit before visiting, not stay away forever. Maybe I shouldn't jump all-in on making stuff to get my payback. Sure, taking it slower gave Silco a bit more time to mess things up, but if I locked myself away in my lab people would start worrying, and might even check on me and find out what I was making. Plus it wasn't like I didn't want to hang out with them. Maybe slowing down a little and talking to people first was a good idea?
Current Stability: -9
Willpower: 0
[ ] Spend Time With Caitlyn and Seraphine
[ ] Go all-in on Designing New Tech to teach Silco a Lesson
Jinx: I'll need a persona, a disguise to strike terror into the hearts of my enemies. I shall become ... Monkeygirl! Powder Monkey? What about a bat? Nah, sounds lame. I'll keep workshopping it...
I think this quest is long overdue for some incorrect quotes: Sheriff!Caitlyn: Jinx! Have you no dignity? Jinx: Of course not! How long have we known eachother?
- Sheriff!Caitlyn: Don't quote me on this, but I believe murder is illegal!
- Silconite!Vi: Hold on! I'm having one of those things... a headache with pictures. Sheriff!Caitlyn: What the fuck? Jinx: She's having an idea.
- Sheriff!Caitlyn: Are you trying to seduce me? Silconite!Vi: Why, are you seducible?
- Sheriff!Caitlyn: Do you always have to attack me with your words? Jinx: Would you prefer me to use a brick?
- *Jinx and Sheriff!Caitlyn are captured and tied back to back together on chairs* Jinx: Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there, bitch. First of all, we just woke up from a very nasty shock and I'm still feeling fuckin' woozy, so I'm gonna request you fetch us some coffee before we get into this. I mean, everyone gets coffees in shitty movies with scenes like this, am I right? I want something iced, bitch. Cait? [Jinx turns her head around to Sheriff!Caitlyn.] Sheriff!Caitlyn: I'll have a Neopolitan cappuccino, more cappu than cino, make sure it's got no more than four ounces of milk, the beans won't have the right texture otherwise, and make sure they spell my name correctly on the cup they always put "Katie" or "Maddie", I hate that. If you can't handle that, I'll have a Venti traditional Misto. Please use soy milk with two blond shots Affogato and Ristretto. I'd also love three vanilla pumps at the very bottom. Then, add the coffee after, then- Silco Goon 1: Enough! We aren't getting youse coffee! Jinx: Wow, I was getting massive douche chills just there, Cait. Congrats!
Look, it's just field research, alright? Seraphine might have some helpful magic tidbits that Jinx can work into her superweapon of doom. Caitlyn might drop incredible nuggets of wisdom about the rights of Zaunites to breathe. We can multitask our revenge. We're so normal.
Even if I thought Jinx designing mess up silco weapons as her first thing was a good idea, I wouldn't do it in her current state, because they'd be weapons of mutual destruction, which is a whole new level of nope right now.
Gunpowder and chemfuel were handy for making weapons, but without them it meant I would just have to get creative. Magnets, compressed air, clockwork … oh yeah, there were options.
