#I've been reading Caitvi fics like ALL DAY

[chronicsyd]

oKaY, now that I'm done freaking the fuck out about the new teaser for S2 I didn't actually mention anything specific that I found in it (mainly cuz it is only 12 seconds and I was mainly having gay panic over Vi and Caitlyn) but there are a couple things that did stand out to me:

the outfits are a Significant improvement over what they had previously been wearing under Marcus, like why on earth were the women wearing Dresses? also the beret's be bomb as hell (Jinx will probably start on her "Hat Lady" tirade with Caitlyn lol) (I also want the "You're own WHAT?!" line but i don't think it's happening)

Vi definitely looks begrudging (is the best descriptor i think) in the few frames of this, like she doesn't look all that happy to be in an Enforcer uniform (not that I can blame her, all things considered)

solely based on Caitlyn's face, I can tell we're entering our "Unhinged Caitlyn" era and girl looks ready to be on the warpath to go after Jinx.

the only spoken dialogue is "we've got a few surprises of our own" does she specifically mean Vi here? or a new group of Enforcers all together. or maybe she's being warned to "not underestimate Jinx" and she's saying "we have a few tricks up our sleeve" as a response to it in some fashion.

people think the ginger on the left is Marcus's daughter, i don't think it is, his daughter looked to be around Powder's age in act 1 (around 11ish), and the other looks closer to Vi/Caitlyn's age and i don't think the jump in time (if there is one) would be That significant. (Edit: Actually i think I'm gonna redact my statement on this cuz looking again, Caitlyn does seem to have a more "mature face" to me so there might be a time jump where this particular scene comes up)

Caitlyn is clearly sporting a new hextech rifle to go along with Vi's gauntlets (which clearly have been fixed) (in fact the first shot of the gem is what's going into the gauntlet, from the looks of it)

the small callout to Vi's tutu thingy in her LOL design

the gem placing scene and the glove being moved to reveal Vi are two separate scenes, the gloved hand placing the gem back most definitely belongs to Jayce (seeing as he's probably the only one that knows how to fix it) (Also there's a very clear cut between the two scenes as the second clip's focus is on the upper part of the glove, not the gem)

(Sorry for just completely spamming today, I've just been overall freaking out, lol. god, if I'm This riled up over a 12 second teaser you guys are SO not ready for me when an Actual Trailer get's released! but that's all I have for the time being, se ya!)

[letters-to-rosie]

My one oneshot of all time is impossible. 

There are three. Well there are more but I forced myself to stick to three. I'm terrible with choices

'Affection in all the wrong places' by LeBenj 

“You need to stop showing up here,” Ekko says as he unlatches his bedroom window with a loud click.

Without looking at him, Jinx’s lips perk with a hint of a smile. “You need to stop letting me in.”

It's soft and hopeful, with an undertone of hurt, and I love it. 

‘What's broken can still mend’ by MidnightLightHowlite

He hates her as much as she loves him, for nothing good ever happened to people who loved her back. But he cares, and that's different because people who hate you but also care will not forget, because they will forget a kindness but not a curse. People remember curses, remember misfortune if only to avoid it, and she's enough of a sin to be unforgivable.

… 

“You’ve been surviving for so long.” He brings her knuckles to his nose and takes in the gunpowder. When his eyes meet hers they’re frozen. “But have you truly been alive?

So many gems in this fic. It hurts just right. Learning to live and complicated baggage and hope (I might have a thing for that) 

And last one 

‘Why’ by PenguiniShipsIt

‘That's all everyone wanted to do these days. Blow up. Beat everyone up. Hurt someone. End someone.

It got tiring to a point that he'd rather wreck himself than hear everyone around him already wrecked.

And he got what he wanted at the sight of her on his couch. Again.

"Hey." He shook her by the shoulder. "What the hell, Jinx? Is this what we're doing, now? You're just gonna stay here when it—"

She's burning.’

Caring despite all the rightful hesitations, a bit of ridiculousness, and from Ekkos's perspective, an incredulous situation makes for such a good read.

okay I have been super tired, so this took me like 3 days to write lol but we're so back baby here we go!

going one by one:

Affection in all the wrong places is very cute! I like the concept of things having eventually calmed down years later and Ekko and Jinx being able to relate to each other without the mediation of the conflict we see in the show. in some ways it also reminded me of one of my fics, with the whole "years later" thing, and I just think it's fun to see how different authors interpret similar ideas 😊

for What's broken can still mend, I think I actually read this one before I had my account?? I read a lot of CaitVi back then lol but I was just starting to get interested in timebomb. yet the summary sounds familiar...

but anyway, on to the thoughts! this is such a small thing but I love the idea that Vi comes to the Firelight base and plays with kids. I love it so much I might steal it for the end of revolution lol (with credit, naturally). and Ekko deciding not to kill her? wild lol, just wild. a little curious about why then, but hey, it felt very poetic and we can never be mad at that haha also was surprised at how it ended, but I was happy to see that Vi and Jinx made up, because who knows how canon will go 🥲

and for Why!

I feel like I've figured out your pattern lol you like fics where after the events of canon things chill out and Jinx goes to Ekko. and then implied/actual sex haha

the top author's note on this one is so fucking funny lol

I do enjoy Ekko being a bit of a dork here. the first fic I wrote with him in it has him telling bad science jokes lol. but he's also so sassy here which is how he became my favorite Arcane character in the first place, so we love to see that too.

He loved the way she swallowed. around here is when he started to get really terrible and I was so down for it lol. AND it's reciprocal! I like that playfulness coming out with them. you can feel how much they're into each other, and that along with how they're not saying everything (which I feel like is also a commonality between these 3 fics). since this is the longest of the 3 by a good bit, it really comes through, and I like in particular how Jinx is really torn up about the idea of loving him while Ekko is eventually able to convince himself to stop holding back, even though he's still afraid she'll hurt him.

She had seen what happened to people she loved and loved her back.

Not Ekko. Not chubby-cheeked, pouty-faced, sad-eyed, Ekko who hovered around her when she was sick and injured, who tended a nice little garden of friends and firelights, who zipped through the fissures like one of those masked heroes in barbershop stories.

yeahhhhhh this is good shit lol

“Are you aware of any reason she might threaten your safety?”

Yes. I edged her six times and came in her twice.

pffffffft

the end to this one is also really interesting. I would say it's my favorite of the 3. I like how the tension between Ekko and Caitlyn and Vi plays out, though I'm wary of the Firelights being legitimated by Piltover (though Ekko is, too, which is why I love him lol). it's interesting to see them inhabit this space created by all the tension in the world around them. and then, of course, Jinx comes back. more bittersweet than the first 2, but in a way I enjoyed a lot

thank you for sharing! 🥰

[contrivedchaos]

Fic writers' 2022 roundup:

I've never done one of these before, but I was tagged by @pikapeppa, so I'll give it a shot!

Words written: 54,050. It's not a lot, but other than the year I wrote my master's thesis, it's the most actual writing I've done in a long time, fanfic or otherwise. I'll count it as an accomplishment!

Smut scenes: Oof. Let's see. 6? We'll go with 6. Across four different fics.

New things I tried: Within the last 12 months, I've dipped my toes into the Arcane fandom and finished/posted 3 parts for my (ongoing?) three-part CaitVi series: Every Small Disaster, Say My Name (Like an Elegy), and It's Psychosomatic. It's been so much fun! Hopefully I'll find another opportunity to do more for this pairing. I definitely want to write more of them in the future!

Fic I spent the most time on: My longest fic was Where The Time Goes. I started Chlodine Week 5 years ago for this tiny, desperately-hanging-on fandom, but never wrote anything substantial for it beyond a few oneshots. This year I spent 2-3 months working on a labor of love that I never expected to go anywhere. It was a fic almost entirely for myself, and so far it's my favorite thing I've ever written. I was so happy when it was finished.

Fic I spent the least time on: The first fic for my CaitVi series, Every Small Disaster. (This was technically posted Christmas of 2021, but I'll count it) It was my first time dipping my toes into the Arcane fandom, and I think it came out swimmingly!

Favorite thing I wrote: Definitely Where The Time Goes. Chlodine will always have a special place in my heart. I can't think of a fandom that's more dear to me than the Uncharted fandom. It's been a light through the toughest years of my life so far. I owe a lot to it, and particularly the Chlodine ship. I don't see it being outranked as my OTP any time soon.

Favorite fic(s) I read: I've read so many AMAZING things this year. This list will be DIFFICULT to narrow down. Here goes:

Violence and Variations by Thisisatree (@dancing-b0nes): The Locked Tomb has made up the majority of my fic and book re-reading in 2022, and this one is no exception. Technically started this one in 2021, but it's still ongoing, so I'll count it. While it's like 60% a Griddlehark fic, and sort of a re-imagining of their lives post-TLT, practically every ship, in all their wonderful configurations, gets their dirty day in the sun. I have been on the edge of my seat for more than a year with this one, and it shows no signs of stopping. Also extremely spicy! I'm so hooked!

Twice by BonesforTime: Another TLT fic, this one's a re-imagining of the events at Canaan House in Gideon the Ninth, with such a unique take on what it means to be a Lyctor and on the dynamics of the cavalier/necromancer relationship. And lore and world-building! Another Griddlehark-focused fic, this one constantly has me in stitches, combined with such a raw, intimate writing style for the smut scenes. Bones has such a way with words, and they continue to amaze me with each new installment. Definitely continuing this one into 2023!

Table Manners by Armengard (@armengard): Y'all know I go absolutely feral for anything by Armengard. Their first contribution to the CaitVi space is no exception. They took me out with a one-shot earlier this year that will undoubtedly be on my fic re-read rotation for years to come. Can't say enough positive things about their entire catalog, so this one is also definitely worth a read. And sooooooo spicy! Whew!

Even The Hardiest Desert Blooms Need to Get Wet Sometimes by Pikapeppa (@pikapeppa): Literally the only writer of MLW ships this lesbian will read these days. Their writing style is just that good. It's so refreshing and engaging that if they decided to author a dictionary, I'd probably read it. I jumped back into the Horizon fandom (extremely late, forgive me) after a major surgery over the summer, and the first thing I did upon playing Forbidden West was dive back into their fics. This one is a Drakkaloy fic, and is not only entertaining, but also extremely spicy. Definitely a must-read!

Your Mouth and Its Flowers by driluth (@driluth): Technically late 2021, but I'll count it. This is a CaitVi AU based on one of my favorite books of 2022, This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. The symbolism! The way Red and Blue are literally Vi and Caitlyn, and are so amazingly portrayed in this AU! Definitely a hidden gem for me to find in 2022! But I'm so glad I did!

Writing goals for next year: I don't have any particular writing goals for 2023. I'm looking forward to the Horizon Forbidden West DLC, so if I can get my hands on a PS VR 2, maybe I'll get inspired to dip a toe into the Horizon fandom. I'm definitely tempted by all the WLW potential for this series. Also more TLT...Alecto is coming in September, so there is still more to work with. We'll see!

[dittoremus]

get to know better tag

how come i'm always late for these things :') anyway, thank you so much @popyandshit for the tag!! 💖

three ships: oh boy we're off to a difficult start. i've gone through many fandoms and i'm a compulsive shipper so i can't bring myself to choose. i'll just say my favorite marauders ships since it's been my latest long lasting obsession?? i guess?? AND EVEN THAT'S A STRUGGLE FOR ME. i'll just go with dorlene, wolfstar and recently i've been really into jily again.

WAIT NEVERMIND I'VE CHANGED MY MIND AND I'M MENTIONING OTHER SHIPS: KANEJ (SOC), CAITVI (ARCANE), PYNCH (TRC), CATRADORA (SHERA) AND MANY OTHERS

first ship: i think the first one i properly and actively shipped was percabeth??

last song: IT'S KILLING ME THAT IT WON'T BE AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY UNTIL FRIDAY

last movie: everything everywhere all at once (watched it this weekend with my mother)

currently watching: i finished watching heartstopper s2 a couple days ago. currently i'm rewatching the walking dead (i may be working on something and i'm hoping i can use it as inspiration) and my friend is forcing me to start alchemy of souls so i guess we can add that to the list.

currently reading: i'M STILL READING DAISY JONES AND THE SIX (I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S TAKING ME SO LONG WHEN USUALLY I'M A FAST READER AND I AM LIKING THE BOOK). as for fics i've mostly been reading one shots (if you have any long fanfic recs please send them my way)

last thing i wrote: a very VERY basic draft of the first chapters of the zombie au i'm working on

currently writing: the above-mentioned zombie au (and a project for uni lol)

i have no clue who to tag so feel free to do it if you want ✨

[sky-ham]

Congrats on finishing all your pieces for Inktober! Please don't hesitate to promote your Ko-fi more! May I ask what your favorite Caitvi fics have been and what fics you're planning to read now that you have the time for it?

Thank you! I've had trouble concentrating on long-form stuff so I haven't read a lot of fics. So far I like SunsetSharkbite's Mermaid AU, which was my Inktober Day 16 piece. It's very cute :)

[space-blue]

I’ll stop asking in multiples one day. For the fandom list. 1, 5, 10

Ehehe thanks for asking, multiple is fun! From these!

What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

Since I'm pretty deep in the aroace waters, I generally don't really have OTPs and also don't really give a fuck what people like. I've shipped some really stupid stuff just for fun, and most of the time I can come up with a scenario that makes me "buy" any coupling.

What happens more often is that a pairing in canon will be baffling to me. Fanfic has the time to expend on a relationship, make it earned or believable. Also fanfic can tweak canon, so yeah. I can get behind pretty much any OTP in fandom if it's presented conclusively. I still have like, one Notp (Thrawn x Pryce), but it's not that I don't get it, just that I dislike it enough to block it from my dash and avoid all fics.

THIS BEING SAID. I cannot understand how canon is trying to sell us Cait x Vi. Sorry guys! Please don't take me to the pillory.

Cait is a 1% hyper privileged and a cop. Vi is a victim of a violent and abusive system, who lost her parents to cops lethal violence and also 5 to 10 years of her youth to cop abuse of power. She and Cait are so diametrically opposed, I cannot believe any normal and sane human being in Vi's position would fall for Cait within two days, no matter how cute or nice she is (and she's not very nice for a large part of it, and insanely naive the entire time).

I just feel like their entire "romance" was rushed at the cost of Vi's entire character integrity. I spent hours assimilating she knows, as a child, how downtrodden she is, how broken the system is, how much more suffering is in stock for them, and then boom, she suffers the worst possible fate short of death, and she falls for the first cute cop she meets? Please... Then she rats out her sister to the entire COUNCIL? Who are you and why are you haunting Vi's body?

So yeah, basically set out to write Fathers and Daughters specifically to fix Vi, because she's the lynchpin characters of this show, and she was done crazy disservice to hurry her into an unconfirmed 2 days romance with Cait.

Absolutely no shade here on Caitvi shippers. I'm very happy the main ship of the fandom is F/F, it's a breath of fresh air compared to so many others. Like I said, I'm certain a lot of fics out there actively fix their relationship by addressing my concern, deepening their relationship, stretching canon over more time, etc. I'm sure I could love those fics too. It's what is in canon that leaves me (；⌣̀_⌣́)

5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?

Nah. I'm an old dysfunctional granny. I follow like 5 people and I'm liberal with my block button. If stuff gets heated over some ship I disconnect from that discourse and don't think about it.

Like I said above, I'm not really that concerned with shipping. Even if I read or write it, I tend to focus on platonic dynamics, found family, and if I ship, it's usually centric to one character. Sure I'll read Silco/anyone or Obi-Wan/Anyone.

So fandom would need to ruin Obi-Wan himself (fear), etc. Which I'm happy to report has never happened yet.

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

Siiiiiiiigh. I'm a Clone Wars fan. Why would you ask me that... I'll have to make a list!! x'D

In all seriousness, most of the Padmé & kiddie politics arcs, droid arcs, Jar Jar arcs (except his epic Windu team up one that was awesome lol)... But the arcs that grate me the most are the flawed ones that have amazing potential but never end up finished.

Umbara?? What happens to Tup???? How do the clones deal with trauma?? How does Anakin feel about his men being put through the grinder with a fallen Jedi? Does it not strain his relationship to Palps?

The Slavery arc. That was so fucked honestly, 14 yo Ahsoka hanging out in a fucking cage in the sun, getting grim promises from her future "owner", a grown ass man with a grudge... Like... There should have been far more repercussions to that. Where is the arc where they heal? Where is the arc where Obi-Wan deals with the after effect of the horrors he witnessed and endured?

Yes, it's a kid's show. But you are showing kids 10+ people being sent falling to their death for kilometers for one man to MAKE A POINT, so some "processing trauma" stuff can't exactly be deemed too dark.

And holy shit let's not forget Deception arc. I love it. Bane/Hardeen my grubby beloveds!! BUT—

WHERE IS THE AFTERMATH!! Obi-Wan CHOSE not to warn Anakin. He played dead, burnt all of his social bridges. It's insane that the show gives them a tiny aborted conversation and that this is never revisited again.

It's also a shame because it's a missed opportunity to spend more time looking at the bridge in confidence between Obi and Anakin. And yes, it's a kid's show. That could be addressed during another exciting mission.

I just feel like the show shies away from its own consequences a lot.