#quote analysis

He kisses me breathless, and for just that second, time doesn't matter. My heart races, and I wrap my arms around his neck, pouring everything I feel for him into my response. It's chaotic and desperate and over far too soon.

"Come back to me," I demand as he moves away. "Only ever you."

— Xaden Riorson & Violet Sorrengail, in Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Something that I’ve always admired about Arcane is its ability to tap into the most heartbreaking concepts, and portray them in a breathtaking way that puts across the stark reality of such concepts, yet blends in the beauty of visual symbolism, dialogue, and emotional complexity.

The opening scene of S.2, Ep.2 is a brilliant example of heartbreak and grief, with Jinx’s farewell to Silco cutting deeply to the core of her character. Her words, especially, “Except this time, you aren’t here to put it all back together, because someone put all those holes in you,” carry a devastating emotional weight. What makes this line so heart-wrenchingly haunting is its childlike simplicity, masking the violent nature of Silco’s death behind a tone of innocence.

The phrasing feels almost as though a child were trying to make sense of something incomprehensible, softening the horror of death by turning it into something more clear and manageable. “Put it all back together” evokes the imagery of broken toys, where fixing things can be an act of reassurance and love. Silco was the one who used to ‘put her back together’ when her mind fractured, acting as both a caretaker and the very creator of her evolving identity. Now, the reversal is straight-up cruel; she quite frankly cannot repair him, and the finality of “all those holes in you” is heartbreakingly literal, yet phrased as if a child were describing a once revered doll, lost by damage.

This childlike lens shines a tragic contrast with the reality of Jinx’s world. It’s a brutal, unforgiving place that has stolen her innocence time and time again, yet in this moment, the words suggest a yearning to escape the harshness. This juxtaposition mirrors her core struggle - wavering between a fractured, older psyche, and the lost, uncertain child she once was.

Visually, the scene is amplified with its soft, muted underwater setting, a place where her words like bubbles seem to float, untethered by logic or chronology. It’s as if she’s clinging to the last remnants of her childhood: words, images, and a desperate belief that things can be undone, even when they can’t. In the water, time itself seems irrelevant, just as it does in grief.

This quote also ties directly to Silco’s role in her life. Despite his manipulations, he became a parental figure who accepted her for all her chaos. Her phrasing suggests she still sees him in this light, not as the dangerous and cunning underlord of Zaun, but as a steady, almost mythical presence who was always there to catch her when she fell. This childlike portrayal of Silco’s death renders it even more tragic. She simplifies the trauma into something she can understand and endure; a defense mechanism as fragile and devastating as Powder’s remaining sense of self.

Somehow, these lyrics never fail to make me cry. I crumble at no desires except the desire to have somebody my own.

“Yes you did. You may not think so, but you did.”

This interaction does a LOT to me. This loyal to the end mutt who’s just stepped too far out of his comfort zone, screaming and crying and thrashing away from his master’s touch. The master, who watches him chase his own tail nervously and lay down and whine and bark and howl at the sky for god’s forgiveness, but pets him and reassures him it’s ok. And the pet listens anyways, because that’s who he’s supposed to be for his master. Good and loyal.

Lloyd’s eagerness to please Flagg falling for a second is a KEY part in his story, even if it’s almost right at the end. This doubt just rips all my heartstrings to PIECES and it shows that Lloyd’s scared side never ever went away. That even when following Flagg’s orders, he can still find ways to defy him. The thing is that almost immediately after he falls right back into Flagg’s hands. He’s not immune to this manipulation and that’s his downfall.

I chose “You have always been the Scion of Arthur, and neither of us can afford to forget it.”

And oh boy I had thoughts.

1. This feels VERY interesting. It feels like it’s going back to Sel Who Doesn’t Care About Anyone, but at the same time… Bree says it’s ‘almost an accusation.’ She nearly starts crying. I think it’s much closer to ‘You are the Scion, and I am your Kingsmage, and anything else is forbidden on every level.’ Yes, at this point they’re barely flirting. But Sel is infuriatingly careful, and this is also probably a self-reminder.

2. Saying that neither of them can forget it seems particularly poignant seeing that Sel knows what happens when Arthur’s Scion does abandon their post. I don’t think Nick is a bad person, to be clear. (I don’t like him either, but still.) No matter what you think of him, though, he walked away from his responsibilities. We don’t know if-had he been Called while he was still AWOL-he would have fought. I doubt it. And that is dangerous.

2a(?). It’s bad that Bree’s absent… But not only do the other Legendborn know that she’s still fighting, she is at the very least trying. She doesn’t get it right all the time. Hell, she probably doesn’t get it right half the time. But she is giving her all to being the best king possible-a title she doesn’t want, one given to her by violence and prejudice. And I think everyone can see that. Even when she breaks down, it’s not ‘I want to quit’ or ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ Maybe it’s ‘I wish I wasn’t the one doing this,’ or ‘I’m not strong enough,’ but she’s almost always more worried about just letting her friends down, about someone getting hurt! That is a true king. You’re allowed to have bad days, you’re allowed to be selfish. But you cannot quit when (I’m not gonna count them rn) people and potentially literally the entire world is depending on you.

Alexander Hamilton to John Laurens, September 16, 1780

I was just re-reading this quote for the first time in a while, and realized it’s got some unique qualities that point to its integrity as a piece of evidence.

With the Laurens-Hamilton relationship, how many possible meanings a letter has is almost more important than what is said in the first place. This isn’t a quote that can be excused as humor or teasing or “how people wrote back then.” It’s a serious quote from Hamilton that talks about his relationship with Laurens, which we don’t have to many of. It’s not like the beginning of the April 1779 letter, which can be brushed off as “how people wrote.” It’s not innuendo that can be excused as “bawdy humor.” It’s a serious and non-flowery or sentimental sentence which contains many elements that point to a romance between Hamilton and Laurens. There is no other strong explanation for Laurens to be directly compared to Schuyler. (And especially the “black eyes” part-- in spite of something Hamilton is attracted to about his wife, he still has a “part” for Laurens...) The rest of the quote is even more implicating-- why would Laurens want Hamilton to be married so that Hamilton’s affection would wane? Why would their relationship need a cure if it was a socially acceptable friendship? 

Queen. ”

— When I first read this quote THIS stood out to me (in my current first reading analysis) —

"What the hell's this?"

"They're keeping monsters as pets right here in the middle of the Hero Association HQ?"

"In that case I guess it's no big deal to keep a dog or two where I live."

I... Don't know what to make of it. There's several ways to interpret them.

Saitama's phrasing, for starters. He uses the term "pets", and compares it to having Rover (who, he definitely knows is a monstrous canine. He doesn't seem to care about the monstrous part though). I can't tell if he means that in a derogatory way, like an equivalent to a test subject, or if he genuinely thinks they're keeping them as something akin to a household pet. That they train them like one would a dog.

Second, his nonchalance (boredom?) about it. Part of me believes it's just cuz he's still hung up about Tatsumaki destroying his house. But another thinks that... he wasn't surprised about it. Like he knew the HA is extremely shady and this discovery only confirmed his suspicions rather than completely caught him off guard. But if he knew something was up, how did he know? Did he see something before? Overhear something? Did someone tell him?

Also, the way he adds "right here in the middle of the Hero Association HQ", emphasizing the placement and holding of the monsters. It sounds like either he knew H.A. had them but just didn't know where (and thus didn't expect them "in the middle of the H.A. HQ"), or he didn't expect it at all, but was shocked more so about their location rather than the fact they were there.