u/rubiks_shark

TW: mention of harassment (fictional context)

I've been wanting to talk about this scene from e5 for a while now, every time I watch it I think "damn, that's my girl". But it’s not just a “cool” reintroduction scene.

When the harasser approaches, invading her personal space with predatory intent, Vi’s reaction isn't one of fear or even immediate aggression, she treats him with absolute indifference, doesn't even grant him eye contact. To Vi, this man isn't even a predator, he's barely a fly buzzing in her ears. And then, with an entirely utilitarian focus, she notes the quality of his clothing with the clinical detachment of someone shopping at a boutique rather than someone being accosted.

A thing I love is that the "fight" happens off-screen. And that’s the point! we don’t need to see the punches to understand the power dynamic, as Vi doesn't negotiate with bullies, doesn't even acknowledge their "authority" to bully. she simply removes them from her path...

When the scene cuts, Vi is wearing the jacket, and that man is literally where he belongs in her world – the trash.

Also , by skipping the combat, it's like the focus remains on her transformation, which is not limited to her "new look". In fact, that jacket isn't just a stolen property, it can be seen as a symbol of her agency. like, she takes what she needs to survive, and she does it with a butch swagger that feels earned by years of hardship and suffering. Right now, Vi just got out of Stillwater, she's pissed off, she wants to find her sister and overthrow Silco's empire, her aura is like yelling "I define the space I occupy".

Because of my obsession with this scene, I like to imagine a future past s2 where Vi finds a way to channel this energy back into the community she loves. My HC is that she opens a sort of gym that wouldn't just be a place to learn how to throw hooks, it's like a sanctuary for the kids of Zaun to learn exactly what she demonstrated in that alleyway, the power of presence.

Probably she’d teach them how to stand so they never look like target, that their worth isn't negotiated with the world, it’s dictated by them.

She’d mirror Vander’s teachings, but instead of just protecting the lanes, Vi teaches the lanes to protect themselves with her same spirit that refuses to be intimidated.

After all, inspiring others is what Vi has always done.

Everywhere I go, everything I do...

Vi’s guide to trash management and high fashion