#but then who would caitvi my beloved be?

[one21puns]

You are so right

the pricefield to caitvi pipeline is Real bc most of my lis moots are now into arcane posting. i’ve seen much discussion on whether chloe and vi would like each other but i think the problem with that involves putting max and caitlyn in a room together 😭

[multifunctionalnitroglycerin]

The Radiant Dawn, Leona of the Solari – an analysis

Leona, Leona, what to do with you, oh Radiant Dawn, daughter of the Sun-forgers? You who scorn love so, in the face of duty?

What with the latest season of Arcane having fully come out, and many of us still grasping to comprehend the ending of that wonderful series (I will maintain that it’s probably one of the best pieces of media I have ever had the joy of consuming), I got to thinking about another military dictator that leads a scourge against her lover’s people. So, strap in and grab your drinks, cause this is going to be a long one.

I have seen some funny posts juxtapositioning Violyn/ Caitvi and Leodia, and while one cannot deny the first glance similarities in the stories, especially with the new route Piltover’s finest took, the premise of their stories is at its core different.  BUT today we will not explore the similarities and differences in the premise of the broader systems that both stories take place in, but rather take a deeper look into our beloved obstacle of a Targonian “cult leader”, Leona.

            Now Leona’s character in league is rather…unremarkable at first glance. More of an obstacle than a worthy adversary, a mindless cultist that perpetuates the oppression against her peoples’ sister tribe, too blind to see past that, even when her lover begs her to. Personally, I prefer to think of Leona as an unremarkable character with remarkable potential, should Riot decide to ever do anything with it. The roots of a good story have already been planted. Because yes, in Arcane we also talked about oppression, class stratification, abuse of power, and a twisted corrupt judicial system, but now, in Targon, we’ll talk about cults.

I am no expert, but cultism and totalitarian regimes do have a few common points in the way they function, thus the perceived similarities between the two storylines. However, I feel in the hands of capable writers the Targonian storyline can become a beautiful story about religious fanatism, and cultism, the struggle of individuality, and how challenging it is to escape from them, if at all… (I do like some tragic lesbians, sue me. A happy ending that does justice to the inherent tragedy of those two will have to be earned, and if a tragic ending is what does them justice, I will accept it.)

It’s high time we got this party started though, isn’t it?

Leona is born in the Solari tribe of Targon, a tribe that venerated the Sun more than any other upon the mountain. Which at first glance seems innocent enough, right?

Cults in principle, and to my limited understanding, are authoritarian systems that revolve around a particular belief, that have rules and dogma and encourage their members to isolate themselves from would-be questioners of their faith. By taking a look at what we know about the Solari, most of these terms seem to be fulfilled. An authoritarian system based around the worship of the Sun, with strict rules, rigid principles, and rituals, led not by one charismatic leader, as many cults are, but by a council of elders, that determine what is acceptable and what not in Her worship. While they also take care to mindfully curate the available information in the temple and discourage or silence those that oppose their teachings.

Leona is a child born to the Sun-forgers Melia and Iasur, and takes to her parents’ faith with a stride, comfortable in its rigidity and its unrelenting structures. She is reportedly as seen both through her bio and the letter to her parents in “Rise with me”, a near perfect acolyte, her devotion, and excellence in seemingly everything but that one oration class, inspiring envy in her peers, and admiration in her elders, all of them certain that she would one day become a Ra’Horak, a holy warrior of the Solari.

The thing is, that children growing up in cults are a tricky thing to write despite its supposed straightforwardness. Especially if you want to create a character as complicated as I hope Leona will turn out to be. The basics of it are things we already know; children are extremely vulnerable to adult influence; their minds are sponges and their parents’ world is their world. They listen, observe and absorb the behavior, the views and opinions of the people around them, and accept them as reality, because they are children and do not know any better. As one might imagine, the extent of fanatism that Leona grew up with is variable, depending on how her own parents acted and how deep in they were themselves. Now I am a bit rusty on Rakori and Targonian lore, but if we take the short story “Rise with me” into account, I think it is safe to say that Melia and Iasur were in pretty deep.

Another thing to note about children that grow up in cults is that the cult leader and the cult’s needs come first. Which means that the child rarely enjoys their parents’ attention, much less love and affection. Something that in my humble opinion would drive some of them to strive for perfection and trying to satisfy their parents’ every wish and every whim, in hope of getting even a hint of affection. That is something we can see rather clearly in the story if we want to examine a bit Leona’s relationship with her Dayblessed parents.

Before we dive into that, however, what we can summarize from all of the above is that Leona is, in principle, a person that likes rules. Someone that grew up heeding them. That thrives in hierarchical systems, and well-structured environments, with clear denominations for right and wrong, for what one should and should not do. According to the bio this rigidity brings her comfort, and solace. Because it is familiar and comfortable. It’s what in all probability she grew up with. Moreover, Leona is a perfectionist. Something we are told, through her bio, and her own letters and diary, but we can also see when looking at her through the lens of Diana’s eyes.

To continue with my previous point, though, when looking at her relationship with her parents…well, I’ll let you figure this out on your own. We only have her diary entries and letters sent and unsent to garner information from, but that is enough to paint a detailed enough picture of what her relationship with her parents entails. Even without looking at it from the “child that grew up in a cult” angle, we can see there is little affection between them. Even from her first letter, we can feel the clean-cut, prim and proper courteousness of their communication, accompanied by the hints of affection every child holds for their parents. It is, however, far from warm, or heartfelt. It seems more like kind interest, than any real investment, in her parents’ or siblings’ wellbeing and then proceeds to become a report on her achievements and perceived weaknesses. Even the title of the section, the opening of the letter, “Letter from a devoted daughter” holds no personality, as if Leona’s entire being can be compressed and described by those two words.

We do get a similar impression from the letter Polymnius sent to Melia and Iasur. The letter itself contains the priest’s thanks for the new lanternglass crafted by the sun-forger, and also devolves to a report of Leona’s progress after his communication with all of her instructors, and his observation of her skills in battle. Now on the one hand, Polymnius could be just a family friend or the priest responsible for communicating with the acolytes’ families. On the other hand however, one might start questioning just how much control Leona’s parents can exert over her life, even in their absence. Do they hold sway with the priesthood? Are their immense expectations passed on through priests and teachers, adding more and more to the pressure Leona faces every day? To be strong, devout, worthy and good? And again, the letter ends with  “I know you would be proud.” I am sure they would Polymnius, I am sure they would.

            At this point I’d like to point out that he is probably the only person that worries that Leona is taking her duties far too seriously and needs to take a few steps back to relax and delight in the Sun’s gifts. (And honestly, same.)

Moving forward we have the Letter from Sunsworn Priestess Nemyah to a shining pupil, that once more applauds Leona for her achievements, with little to no fanfare. And again we note that sense of depersonalization, of Leona being defined by those characterizations, by her achievements, her rights and wrongs. 

            And then of course we get into the fight between Leona and Diana and the disciplinary letter sent to her by her parents. Which honestly goes about as well as you would expect,

We know that you are capable of better and expect you to rise to the occasion. Leaders in Her Light do not run into impediments that they cannot overcome, nor do they get hindered by such earthly mischief as “a shouting match at school.”

And of course

…will speak with you about how better to secure your future then.

So much for parental love… If anything, it’s a declaration of disappointment, with clear expectations and measures to be met, We know you are better than this, we expect you to be better than this, leaders do not fumble. Sounds particularly loving, doesn’t it? Definitely not like they worry about their reputation, and their image in the community more than their daughter’s wellbeing and most certainly not like they have her future already decided for her. A future they can benefit from, of course.

I will try to keep this at a reasonable length and will not overly analyze Leona’s own unsent replies, for they are pretty straightforward. They are characterized by Leona’s anxiety, fear and guilt for disappointing her parents and failing to reach the tremendous expectations they have set for her.

            So to sum this part up, Leona was raised by overly strict parents, in an environment in which she received little to no affection and positive reinforcement, even for her achievements that far exceeded those of her peers. She has also been burdened with a set of rather impossible expectations, that she strives to reach no matter what. We saw that Iasur and Melia are quick to discipline her and voice their disappointment, rather rancidly might I say, and yet made little to no mention of Leona’s multiple achievements that have been noted by multiple instructors as well as Polymnius. As for Leona herself, one might say she is afraid to be herself and express her own thoughts. Even when she writes a letter that truly encompasses her thoughts and feelings, in that same letter she resolutely states that she will not send it.

So insofar we have an affection-starved, rule-loving perfectionist, that probably hasn’t had any positive reinforcement since she was like 5 and has her parents and everyone around her connect and define her worth as a person though her personal achievements and services in Her light. It would be safe to assume that from a point on, Leona herself starts putting herself in those boxes, limiting her sense of self and worth to the glass ceiling of their expectations, adding more and more expectations on herself, back bending further and further back, until inevitably reaching her breaking point. And of course, this is all she has ever known. The rules, the hierarchy, the expectations, the dogma, is what she grew up with, is what feels familiar, and in a twisted sense, “right”.  We could thus somewhat explain why Leona holds her duty in such high regard. She has come to define herself and her worth as a person, through it. It’s all she has ever really known.

            Not to say that things are as bleak as they seem at first glance. For there is one shining light in Leona’s life, one guiding beacon that tries to break her out of the glass cage, at least at the point in time when Rise With Me takes place, and it is none other than Diana.

            Now, according to Leona’s bio, she saw in Diana an ever-curious spirit devoted to the search for meaning, and the truth, and that’s sth that holds up in the short story as well. Diana’s ingenuity and unique perspective of things, her being the one dissonant voice in the harmonious chorus of the elders’ teachings, intrigue young Leona.

When looking into the respective missives that Leona sends to Diana in respects of their shared oration class, starting from the first one even, we can see that despite all the greatness she has achieved, all her triumphs, and graces, she remains shy, and humble. Even knowing that she is amongst the best of her peers, and the priests’ favorites, she does not brag, does not demand, does not exert any power or control. Instead, she approaches her faults humbly and asks for Diana’s – the outcast’s - help in a respectful manner. She does not let her shortcomings define her or hinder her. She recognizes them as something to improve, and humbly asks for help from someone she believes she can benefit from, someone that will help, and not just shower her with mindless praise.  She recognizes Diana’s ingenuity and applauds her argument construction; while pledging to help her in return should Diana need assistance herself.

Leona is humble and kind. Though to a certain degree we might even consider her having a bit of a people pleasing attitude accompanied by a slight lack of confidence. Perfectionists as a rule hate making mistakes or seeming inadequate. It’s a big blow in their confidence and the sense of self they have constructed around the concept of said perfection. After living for so long in an environment of such heavy expectations, it’s no wonder one might start second-guessing themselves, no matter how good they are, even for the smallest of mistakes.

            Back to Leona though, she is humble, kind and considerate, perhaps even to a fault. There is this sense of her not wanting to impose on Diana’s schedule, on which she rather insists. She doesn’t want to be trouble, she does not want to be a burden, and of course she then offers her own help in return should it be needed, which is the decent and honorable thing to do.

            Leona’s diary entry where she considers asking Diana to the festival is what also gives us a glimpse of the person behind the armor, behind the rule abiding student, behind the mask of achievements and perfection. To no surprise, we get a more in depth perspective of Leona’s own thoughts and feelings, as long as her take on “how to ask the girl I like out without coming across like a total fool, or indoctrinating asshole?” She is anxious, thoughtful and tender, considerate and sweet in her approach, and a little bit hopeless, but I think we can forgive her. She is downright smitten and hasn’t realized how much just yet. She even goes through with one of her plans to ask Diana to practice with the shields, and well, forgive me if I say it is adorable.

            Diana’s presence in Leona’s life and story, however, is not important because the will-be Aspect of the Sun is absolutely smitten with her, or even because she encompasses the total opposite of what Leona is (which let’s be honest, she doesn’t. They are complimentary to one another, not opposites), but because Diana makes Leona think.

            That’s the reason Leona approached her in the first place, her ability to think and construct cohesive and compelling arguments. Something that Leona herself is lacking in, because alongside most of the other Solari acolytes, she lacks critical thinking. An essential component of trying to construct an argument of any sort - if you do not want to parrot something you learned in a book once.

            Diana’s arguments, thoughts and criticisms on their given materials have Leona thinking, examining what she is taught, and what she says in oration class herself. Diana teaches Leona how to think, she teaches her how to construct arguments, how to reinforce them, to find fallacies in arguments and counteract them. In her quest to learn how to defend her point, Leona starts learning how to look deeper into things, to examine their essence, and construct counterpoints. And we can see that she starts thinking about it, if only superficially. She doesn’t go full out critical thinking, or questioning everything she has ever known, it doesn’t work like that, but the seed has been planted.  “Why do you think I need to go deeper than that when it’s widely known already?” It’s not much but it is a start to the path of critical thinking.

And then after an undetermined amount of time, comes their shared ascension. And that’s where the discrepancies in the story start. Mind you the bio was written a few years before the short story came out, so the characterization obviously is not entirely in line with what we know.

            This Leona is one that debates with Diana still, but wants to persuade her not to look further into their faith, and just accept it as it is. At Diana’s sharing the secret of the alcove, Leona is a stone wall of resistance urging her friend away from the climb, afraid for her wellbeing should she inspire further ire from the Solari. When Diana inevitably climbs the mountain, and while her first instinct is to alert the elders, Leona resolves to help and protect her friend instead and follows after her into the night. Against all odds they manage to reach the peak, and she is wreathed in golden light, fighting tooth and nail to keep her sense of self intact. And she wins.

            At this point, I think we can all see the difference between bio-Leona and the Leona that the short story sets the foundations of. Obviously for the sake of storytelling and with some tweaking these two could co-exist as canon versions of Leona in different times of her life. We could potentially be talking about a tragic story about how religion and blind adherence to duty and tradition drive a wedge between two people that very much love each other. Or the bio could be a bit of a “historical account” of what happened, and Leona having had to care for Diana after her punishments one too many times puts up a wall of resistance, an ultimatum of the “I don’t want to lose you” kind.

            No matter the case, and despite of what Riot might decide to do to expand on their story, and either give us a critical thinking Leona, or a very good reason for not having a critical thinking Leona, the point is that Leona is incredibly loyal to those she cares about.

            And now comes the point of the ascension. The critical point in their story, where instead of going with Diana, and living their happily ever after away from the system that tortured them both, albeit in completely different manners, Leona chooses to stay.

            And I think sometimes when thinking about Leona, we do not always recognize that this is the point where everything is going down. This is the point where everything we have so far discussed comes into play. Because their ascension is a traumatic experience. One that upends everything Leona has ever known. The process of their ascension is traumatic, the very essence of it, bloody terrifying. Because it is a jump into the unknown. It challenges the truths that she has constructed her whole sense of self around, demolishes the very principles that she grew up enforcing.

            There is this interaction in Legends of Runeterra, where Diana urges Leona to understand that Day needs Night, referencing the visions they both saw upon Targon’s peak. And what does Leona reply? “Visions from memories not my own.”

            Full-blown denial. Not that I particularly blame her initial reaction. Because what is it that we have here? We have that affection-starved perfectionist that grew up in a cult, that wounded inner child that has come to tie her worth as a person to the degree of her personal achievements. We have that honorable, rule abiding, and duty loving person, a person that finds solace in strict structures and hierarchies, that thrives in them, thrown into absolute CHAOS.

You have Leona, that rule abiding idiot, that transcends her own limits that takes that one calculated risk to follow Diana and save her from the mountain’s clutches and ends up with watching a blast of divine light slamming into Diana. She goes to help, and before she can help a blast of divine light slams into her, filling her head with a second divine conscience, with visions and memories of other Sun Aspects, of times when truly the people of the mountain were united. And then the onslaught ends, and she faces a Diana different from the one she knows, a Diana dressed in the colors of the enemy.

            So Leona, bearing all of the characteristics we mentioned above, is bloody terrified out of her wits. She is faced with such terrifyingly foreign notions, with such stress, that what is she going to do? She regresses back to what she already knows. And what she knows are the elders and the Solari, and the priests, the rules, the scriptures, the dogma. In face of that terrifying truth she regresses back to the perceived safety of that toxic and unhealthy system -that on top of everything is a cult- that she grew up in.

            Now this brings forth this thought about ignorance. Because Leona is ignorant of the truth. She is, however, intimately familiar with the narrative she has grown up with. People are familiar with their ignorance, and oftentimes they choose to bear the ills of what they know than to fly to others that they know not of. And thus, they are cowards. (Hamlet anyone?)

Leona is a prime example of that. Instead of sitting down and considering the new information, the truth revealed, the unknown future ahead, she clings to her ignorance, to her half-knowledge of the story, because it is familiar, and safe. And she is bloody terrified of the new unknown that Diana proposes they follow.

Now that is not to say that everything we have discussed boils down to Leona is a coward. Though that is partly true. But she is also a kid that grew up in a system that fostered that kind of cowardice. She is someone that grew up in an environment of cultism and religious fanatism, and she grew up ingrained to it. Contrary to Diana as one might point out. And these are all things we need to take into account when handling a character like Leona, and care that we do not flatten such immense complexity of conditions and circumstances, such depth of thought and emotion to “brainless genocidal cultist”. 

(Now if you ask, why does Diana have critical thinking, why did she not get ingrained and lost in that system despite growing up in it for as long if not longer than Leona, what is it that makes her different from the other cult kids, I have absolutely no idea, but that’s not the point of this particular post.)

To finish this off, the point of this post is not to excuse Leona of all the horrible things she has done, or even to argue that she is not a genocidal cultist- she very much is, and the point is definitely not to say that it is not her fault and she was just a product of her circumstances. We all are products of the circumstances that surround us, but we are not passive participants in those conditions. No, the point is to try and understand where Leona might be coming from, and to demonstrate that even the simplest and most obtuse of character concepts can have an intricate and complicated story behind them.

If you did manage to reach the end of this, congratulations! Have a cookie and don’t forget to hydrate!

[iiheartarc]

MY TAKE ON THE CAITVI DISCOURSE

total wordcount: 1591

I will say that I've briefly commented on their dynamic in the past, but it was worded really badly so I feel like I need to defend my writing skills a little bit as well with this, but that's just a sidenote. 💀

I think what a lot of people are missing when people do criticise CaitVi is that they aren't necessarily hating on the ship, it's what writing choices have done to it.

I'm not even going to even say I'm a CaitVi hater, I'm not (S1 CaitVi my beloved, you deserved better), but I do think the choices that writers made this season heavily effected how audiences portrayed the ship, even including myself.

Idk I hope this insight might give some people more perspective on why CaitVi became so hated in this season, people rlly need to start looking at both sides and not taking criticism as a personal attack. It really could've been avoided too if the writers had added more time or extended the series onto a third season, but that's another issue on its own.

1. Caitlyn hits Vi

I really don't get why people are so quick to defend Caitlyn on this one, especially considering the amount of hate Vi got when she hit Powder. Are both inexcusable? Yes. But I do think that the situation is a little different when it's a fifteen year old child who had just witnessed the death of her entire family and a twenty something year old woman who took out her anger and grief on the woman she loved because she blocked her shot.

I do think that people also do ignore the immense amount of trauma that Caitlyn suffered at the hand of Jinx, but unlike when Vi 'abandoned' Powder, (again, that's a whole other conversation, we know she was not abandoned), Vi was not that direct source of anguish to Caitlyn the way Powder was to Vi. (Pls lmk if you want me to expand further on this)

Again, not excusing Vi hitting Powder, I'm pointing out the differences.

It's then also incredibly tone deaf when Caitlyn hits her on two more occasions with the same gun, the third time being played off as a joke. It really doesn't come off well, especially when Vi had been a victim of police-brutality even before the abuse she faced at the hands of the enforcers in Stillwater.

And then, even after all this, it's never addressed. It's brushed over, like Vi's entire trauma in the show, the most we get is Caitlyn brushing her hand over Vi's abdomen in the cell scene. Again, can be taken as an apology, but I think that for some very specific things (like hitting your romantic partner), verbal apologies do need to be made in order to communicate healthily and somewhat build a healthier relationship.

I don't really want to talk about the abusive implications of this, because I don't think I'm someone who can talk about it with a full understanding because that's something I've fortunately never been through, but the blatant disregard and shunning of abuse survivors when they pull up the red flags raised because of this is disgusting. In real life, or if it had even been someone else in the show, if the ship had been a heterosexual relationship, people would call Caitlyn an abuser and would be outraged that Vi had been paired with her in the end. But I digress.

1. The cell sex scene

Initially I hadn't been too bothered about this when I had first watched the episode, but when you really think about it, it shouldn't have happened. Hell, they could've had sex in Caitlyn's office and half of the criticism wouldn't have happened, the ship wouldn't be so hated and the fandom wouldn't be half as divided as it is now (from what I've seen).

First and foremost, the cell.

All I can say is wtf. It was such a poor choice it's actually unfathomable to me now. I don't know why the writers thought that it'd be a good idea for Caitlyn and Vi to have their first time in a jail cell, not only the one Jinx had been locked in, but the one Vi had herself been locked in for what we can assume to be hours. The place of her abuse should not be somewhere where the writers could possibly think would be a suitable for a victim to have such an intimate moment with her partner.

Then there's the fact that Vi had looked to have had some sort of breakdown, we see she's sh and there are literal crates in the wall from where she punched it as well as her knuckles bleeding. As soon as she sees Caitlyn, there's a parallel to when they first met, to when Vi is quite literally caged. She's clearly not in the right state of mind, and so when the scene eventually happens it inevitably comes off as wrong because Vi is incredibly emotionally vulnerable in that moment.

"But Vi initiated it!" That still doesn't make it okay. I do think that this also came with an issue of timing, but then again, as I mentioned earlier, it literally could've been in the office as they argued and it would've been recieved so much better then the cell scene was. Vi wasn't breaking down, she wasn't locked in a reminder of the abuse she faced and her sister hadn't just ran off to do goodness knows what (in Vi's POV, us as the audience know exactly what she's about to do). They could've even have it fade to black and cut to the next scene tangled in bed doing whatever they would've been doing in the cell, Vi would assumably have had time to calm down, would be having sex in a warm and safe environment, and guess what? The audience would've been even happier.

Sure there would've been criticism, but Vi could literally save a thousand babies and adopt them all and still face hate, because a lot of the hate is being directed to Vi too because of the situation with Jinx. That, again, is a whole other situation.

3. "Dirt Under Your Nails"

Again, for the love of god, there can be so many takeaways from this sentence but do not be surprised that people didn't like it. I didn't, it made me cringe horribly.

And before people throw 'media literacy is dead', this whole post (practically essay), is analysing a piece of media that I love. To be literate, you can draw different interpretations and conclusions and that's exactly what I'm doing. It's like saying literacy is dead if two people were to disagree on what the meaning of Macbeth's quote 'I am in blood' meant.

I digress.

I think the main issue here is the class difference between Vi and Cait. Caitlyn is from the aristocracy, a direct heir to a position of power in Piltover, while Vi is lower class, effected indefinitely by growing up in poverty. Even though she grew up as Vander's kid, they were still 'scraping for scraps'. The wealth margin between the two is almost immeasurable, and with the difference in money comes a difference in experiences, as we - the audiences - know.

It especially comes off wrong considering the class tensions and political themes heavily focussed on within the first season. The conflict between Piltover and Zaun, the abuse of power and exploitation of Zaunites by both topside and the chembarons, the prevalence of police brutality on the streets of the Undercity. Again, Vi is someone who is directly effected by this, while Caitlyn came into this blissfully naïve. She did learn yes, and in s1 she was so determined to help, but when then this progress reverts into her calling zaunites 'animals' and using the grey as a weapon, it again makes Vi's words feel uncomfortable.

Again, I think this was a massive timing issue, I would've love to see Caitlyn succumb fully to a villain arc. It would've been so interesting to delve into.

I think Vi has always had the image of herself that she'll always be viewed as less by Piltover, that she herself views herself as less. She says it herself to Vander in s1 ep2 while they're on the bridge, "I grew up knowing I'm less than them." So when she then says as her final words in the show, "I'm the dirt under your nails" obviously, that's going to come across as tacky.

People are free to think of romantic connotations for this, I won't stop you, but when you think about how the show was so focussed on class tensions, police brutality, oppression and exploitation, it doesn't come off right. Idk, that's what got me so interested with the show in the first place, the way these themes were explored so deeply but subtly in a way that didn't feel forced, so Vi's words really rubbed me the wrong way.

Conclusion

So I hope everyone that read somewhat gets where I'm coming from, this was my attempt to try and explain what I think needed to be, badly. Again, you can like the ship, I'm not saying I don't, but it also needs to be acknowledged that there is so many things that could've been worked on properly, done properly or addressed properly, and ignoring criticism won't help these issues to be fixed in the future.

Feel free to ask any questions and thanks for reading this long ass rant :)

[gntlets]

　　[ ON CANON DIVERGENCE AND SEASON 2. ]

i've been cooking up these thoughts for a while as i've meditated on where s2 left us, but conversations with @gettnup and @gambl4r only reinforced a few things for me regarding my portrayal of vi, so it's finally time to share with the world at large.

IN REGARDS TO THE ENFORCER OF IT ALL. at the end of the day, vi's always going to be toxically co-dependent and desperate specifically in relation to her sister; jinx ( ft. a special shoutout to my bully @j1hnxed <3 ) is her number one person, the most important thing to her, and that's never going to change regardless of ship or circumstance. she's all vi thought of and all that kept her going in as miserable and traumatizing a place as stillwater ( to the point where the guards essentially had to beat her to make her stop mentioning her ) and her main motivation throughout the entire show. their relationship is wildly important to vi, often at the cost of everyone else around her, and easily the most fascinating thing about the show for me personally, so that does reflect not only in my threads but also my portrayal.

of course caitlyn was also important to her ( pulled her free from her hell of seven years, saved her life, helped her when she had very few friends or allies to her name ) but vi wasn't just chasing tail by temporarily becoming an enforcer, she was trying to stop jinx and avenge what became of her beloved sister before she could hurt more people or tarnish powder's memory any further. it was all impulsively sought opportunity, something she should have considered more carefully before she trampled over everything she herself stands for; would have considered more carefully were it again not for being fresh out of a prison of almost a decade and experiencing trauma after trauma after trauma, the kind so brutal and expansive that it warrants its own post later on. the tl;dr is i don't believe vi is some blameless hero for anything she's done or the decisions she has made, nor do i think she's anywhere close to evil or malicious. she's a mess of complexities, she's a human being who loves her sister and who just can't seem to stop fucking up, and i eat it up.

but please dear god note that by act 2 and thereafter, vi's already permanently stripped herself of any enforcer identity; i don't fuck with any theories or canons that suggest otherwise. allying herself with her oppressors was a temporary mistake over and done with, and one that she's still working to make up for both for her loved ones and for herself. her own values, her own opinions, remain skeptical and cynical re: topsiders and everything that has to do with their politics. she isn't perfect, morally, and her defensive hard-headed temper has a rough time fully facing everything she's done as black and white wrong when it was all so driven by her sister, but she's also so simultaneously sick with guilt, with self-loathing about a few of her key choices anyway that she knows she needs to do ... something. vi is a character constantly at war with herself.

IN REGARDS TO CAITVI / VI'S FUTURE. can absolutely be ship or partner or verse dependent, but for my main and default verse, vi does not remain with caitlyn, much less in piltover, post-canon. when the dust clears and everything settles, the fact remains that vi absolutely hates it topside and certainly doesn't feel as though she belongs there. with or without jinx ( although act 3 does seem to imply that caitlyn realizes jinx is alive and thus more than likely does loop vi in on this knowledge ) vi won't and can't shake zaun. one identity crisis later and she's inevitably pulled right back home, to make amends, to work on herself, to recollect ... whether that means rebuilding what she's lost with @gettnup and the firelights, or going rogue for a while with borderline vigilante style intentions as she tries to clear the air with her people, or even finally find some common threads with @gambl4r. maybe they'll get drunk-married in the zaunite equivalent of vegas somewhere. who can say.

note that i also very much emphasize all of vi's lingering ptsd, anger issues, alcoholism, and other defining mental health issues ( further identified in the dossier in my pinned post ) for my portrayal; i loved the heaviness and intensity of her mental state in act 2, and don't agree that it could be so quickly cast aside like that peaceful moment at the end of act 3 seemed to want us to believe. vi is severely damaged, and i'll continue to write her that way.

regardless of her path, one thing is certain: she belongs to zaun, and that's always where she'll be.

[dfaxtory]

Eat You Alive

No queerbait. No second-guess. Thanks Riot, I love Arcane SS2. Recommend! :3

Arcane: League of Legends Season 2 exceeded my expectations in many ways. Notably, the series boldly depicted a clear romantic relationship between Vi and Cait, even including love scenes (and they were done beautifully).

After watching the 1st season, I was worried that the creators would use their relationship as 'queerbaiting' (luring viewers with LGBT undertones without confirming the characters' identities). But after finishing Season 2, it's clear that their relationship is integral to the plot, confirming its authenticity and defying any anti-shipper theories. (Congratulations to the #CaitVi shippers!)

Beyond the romantic relationship, the creators' decision to portray Vi as a butch lesbian is a breath of fresh air. Mainstream media often presents lesbian characters as either hyper-feminine to appeal to male audiences or as masculine butcha who are either ugly, villains, or objects of 'transformation' (i.e. 'corrective r*pe') for straight male characters.

By creating a butch Vi who is in a relationship with Cait, and whose relationship is so widely beloved by fan, is a groundbraking story for me. It's a hopeful sign that both creators and consumers of media are becoming more open-minded than the previous era.

There were many memorable scenes throughout the season, but my favorite was Ekko's dance sequence. The cinematography and music were perfectly matched, making it a truly iconic moment. Compared to the intense, passionate relationship between Vi and Cait, Ekko and Powder's bond felt more tender and pure.

Aside from the main characters, Sevika was my favorite. She underwent a significant character development from the previous season. If Jinx needed a friend, I'd ship her with Sevika. I loved their chemistry (honestly, I like Isha on the same level as Sevika, but… sigh… T_T).

For all these reasons, Arcane: League of Legends Season 2 is undeniable one of my all-time favorite animated series.

Arcane: League of Legends SS2 เกินความคาดหมายของฉันในหลายๆ ด้าน โดยเฉพาะการที่ซีรี่ย์ส์นี้กล้าแสดงความสัมพันธ์เชิงชู้สาวที่ชัดเจนระหว่าง Vi กับ Cait และกล้าใส่ฉากรักของคู่นี้ลงไปในเรื่อง (และทำออกมาได้ดีด้วย)

ตอนที่ดูซีซั่นแรกจบ ฉันแอบหวั่นใจว่าทางผู้ผลิตจะใช้ความสัมพันธ์ของคู่นี้เป็น "queerbait" (ใช้กลิ่นอาย LGBT เป็นเหยื่อล่อคนดูแต่ไม่มีการยืนยันว่าตัวละครในเรื่องเป็น LGBT จริงๆ) แต่เมื่อดูซีซั่น 2 จบก็พบว่าทางผู้ผลิตผูกความสัมพันธ์ของทั้งคู่ไว้กับโครงเรื่อง นับเป็นเครื่องยืนยันว่าความสัมพันธ์ของทั้งคู่เป็นของจริงไม่ใช่แค่ผู้ชมจิ้นกันไปเอง (ยินดีกับลูกเรือ #CaitVi ด้วย)

นอกจากความสัมพันธ์เชิงชู้สาวแล้ว การที่ทางผู้ผลิตกล้ากำหนดให้ Vi มีบุคลิกแบบบุชเลสเบี้ยน (เลสเบี้ยนที่มีความเป็นชายสูง หรือที่คนไทยเรียกว่า "ทอม") นับเป็นเรื่องที่แปลกใหม่ เมื่อเทียบกับการที่สื่อกระแสหลักส่วนใหญ่ถ้าไม่กำหนดให้ตัวละครเลสเบี้ยนสวยเซ็กซี่เพื่อดึงดูดใจผู้ชมที่เป็นชาย ก็มักจะกำหนดให้ตัวละครเลสเบี้ยนที่เป็นบุชโรคจิตนิสัยไม่ดีและมักจบลงด้วยการถูกตัวละครชาย "เปลี่ยนทอมให้เป็นเธอ"

การที่ทางผู้ผลิตสร้าง Vi ให้เป็นบุชและมีความรักที่สมหวังกับ Cait แถมความสัมพันธ์ของคู่นี้ยังเป็นที่นิยมของผู้ชมส่วนใหญ่ด้วยจึงนับเป็นเรื่องที่น่าประหลาดใจสำหรับฉัน เป็นสัญญาณทำให้มองเห็นว่าวงการสื่อบันเทิงทั้งผู้ผลิตและผู้บริโภคมีทัศนคติต่อ LGBT ��ีขึ้นและเปิดกว้างกว่าเมื่อก่อน

ตลอดทั้งซีซั่นมีฉากน่าประทับใจอยู่มากมาย แต่ฉากที่ฉันชอบที่สุดคือฉากเต้นรำของ Ekko ทั้งมุมกล้องและเพลงประกอบถูกจัดสรรมาอย่างลงตัวทำให้นี่เป็นหนึ่งในฉากที่จะตราตรึงเข้าไปในหัวใจของคนดูได้ไม่ยาก เมื่อเทียบกับความสัมพันธ์ที่รุนแรงและเร่าร้อนของ Vi กับ Cait ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่าง Ekko กับ Powder ให้ความรู้สึกที่นุ่มละมุนและบริสุทธิ์กว่า

ถ้าไม่นับเหล่าตัวเอก ตัวละครที่ฉันชอบมากที่สุดในซีซั่นนี้คือ Sevika เธอเป็นตัวละครที่มีพัฒนาการจากซีซั่นที่แล้วอย่างก้าวกระโดด ถ้า Jinx จะมีเพื่อนสนิทสักคนฉันก็เชียร์ Sevika นี่แหละฉันชอบเคมีของเธอตอนอยู่กับ Jinx มาก (ที่จริงฉันชอบ Isha พอๆ กับ Sevika นะ แต่… เฮ้อ… T_T )

ด้วยเหตุผลที่ว่ามาทั้งหมด Arcane: League of Legends SS2 จึงเป็นหนึ่งในอนิเมชั่นซีรี่ย์สที่ฉันชอบที่สุดไปอีกนานแสนนาน

-devilray- FB and X - dfaxtory

[nickeverdeen]

Could I request an Arcane match up?

I'm a 5'0 trans guy, studying creative writing and with a diploma in childcare. I love writing, making collages and baking when I'm able to. I also love playing video games, even if I really suck at them.

I'm pretty badly chronically ill, I essentially have the flu 24/7, and I'm severely mentally ill with complex ptsd, which mainly means I can't control my emotions at all and have a tendency to overreact and I struggle with hella nightmares. I also have autism, adhd and just a niiice long list of shit going on! But it's okay we ball

I love pink, sanrio and generally soft things. I used to do taekwondo and love running before I got sick, and I also used to paint and love studying before I got sick too, though now I can't do any of the above since I'm in a wheelchair if I leave the house and I struggle to retain new information.

I have a real deep love for CaitVi tbh.. only thing that could get between me and my bf is a poly with them 🙏 so scared for the next season tbh

I've been described as the human version of fluttershy, but I've also been described as very stubborn and sarcastic. I generally have to be reliant on others due to my health, but I love people very very deeply

I'm looking for romantic match ups, out of sheer curiosity, and also because I have arcane ocs I ship with certain people and I'd be curious to see who they'd be matched up to.. I just feel a bit weird asking for my ocs to be matched up LOL

Your Arcane match is…

Viktor

Viktor would love hearing about your creative writing and would often ask to read your work, offering thoughtful feedback

He’d see your words as a window into your soul and cherish them deeply

Aware of your physical limitations, Viktor would design small gadgets to make your daily life more comfortable

He’d do it subtly, ensuring you never feel pitied

He would encourage you to take breaks when your health limits your activities, reminding you that rest is an act of strength, not weakness

Viktor might initially be unfamiliar with your love for Sanrio but would grow to adore it

You’d catch him researching characters to surprise you with themed gifts

He’d make sure your shared space is filled with cozy blankets, plush pillows, and calming lights, creating a sanctuary for both of you

Viktor, though reserved about his own struggles, would find solace in opening up to you about his insecurities, knowing you’d never judge him

After a nightmare, Viktor would hold your hand or softly hum while you ground yourself, offering quiet, unwavering support

Your stubbornness and sarcasm would amuse Viktor, and he’d counter with his dry wit, creating playful banter that lightens heavy moments

When you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, Viktor would remind you that it’s okay to feel deeply, offering calm words and a safe space to process

Your love for collages would inspire Viktor to collaborate with you, combining your artistic touch with his meticulous design to create something meaningful

He’d eagerly join you in baking, even if he’s not particularly skilled

His attempts at decorating cookies would make you laugh until your sides hurt

Despite being analytical, Viktor wouldn’t excel at video games either, but playing together would become a beloved pastime filled with laughter and learning

Knowing you love running and taekwondo but can no longer participate, Viktor would find ways to bring the joy of movement back into your life, like scenic wheelchair strolls or virtual fitness games

Viktor would notice your needs before you voice them, from fetching water during a coughing fit to gently guiding you to rest when you’re overexerted

Both of you have faced significant challenges, and your relationship would thrive on the mutual recognition of each other’s resilience and determination

You’d spend evenings cuddled on the couch, Viktor engrossed in his work while you write or make collages

The quiet companionship would be a balm for your souls

Viktor would integrate subtle pink elements into his workspace to match your aesthetic, from a pen holder to small Sanrio-themed decorations

Your love for learning, though hindered by your health, would inspire Viktor to create innovative ways for you to absorb information, like audiobooks or interactive tools

Viktor would fiercely advocate for your needs, whether in a medical setting or navigating daily life, ensuring your voice is heard and respected

Despite both of your struggles, Viktor’s love for you would be steadfast, rooted in admiration for your kindness, creativity, and determination

[firesign-18]

I saw in your bookmarks that you also like Zutara so I got curious...what other stories and characters do you like? :>>>

Haha oh my god I am actually a recent Zutara enjoyer but an enthusiastic one! (I missed ATLA the first time round and just recently watched it, but that fic ‘Salt and Scale’ is already a total masterpiece.)

Anywayyy, so other ships. It’s a lot of girlkissers haha.

I *love* Aerti and Sulemio. Both really underserviced fanfic wise too (though with a couple of masterpieces in there) so I’ve got some plans to write for them eventually (much more tgck to get through in my WIPs first though).

Of course my beloved Farcille, again in dire need of more fics. F/F is a barren wasteland half the time.

And my girls CaitVi, who in a turn up have got a delightful array of riches on AO3. Some of the modern AU stuff of them is just fantastic.

Also like most of the anime loving world I am so seated for Dandadan and MomoKarun - they’re so frigging cute.

More generally / non-ships, I love a real blend - soft, gentle things like Freiren and Spy x Family (Yor my beloved), gritty shit like Blue Eyed Samurai and Arcane, action orientated stuff like Bleach, and then things that sort of fall between all that like Witch From Mercury, MHA, One Piece, Dungeon Meshi etc. Dragon Ball Z and Pokémon were my gateway to all things anime / manga when I was a kid so they’ll always have a special place in my heart. I’ve seen Akira multiple times in the cinema too and damn that shit was made for the big screen and surround sound.

And I’m a bit of a gamer when I’ve got time so ya know FF, Zelda, Witcher, Fall Out etc etc…

I’ve probably forgotten things but yeah, that would be my attempt at a summary!

What about you???

P.s. much as I hate JKR and her bullshit I am also a quiet enjoyer of Dramione - some of the fics are top fucking tier.

[catras-breakup-song]

if sp0p-r0m4nticizes-4buse could stop screenshotting people’s posts to talk about and tear them down without our knowledge, that’d be fantastic. i fucking hate that blog more than others in the 4nt1 circle and was warned apparently the runner is someone to stay away from but now they’ve gone after both me and a beloved mutual directly/personally unprompted for opinions cr1t1c1zing how catradora was handled better than caitvi. i feel like a fool for not blocking on my own cr1t1cal space sooner (or hell even reblogging in agreement about other things first — now deleted) so now i’m just pissed because i have to go and write a response post that i never wanted to debate. i have the counterarguments i could link back to after having already discussed them here for my own peace of mind, but i’ve decided i probably shouldn’t waste my time since it’s only going to make my problem worse and doing so when they won’t even be able to read those posts since i’m not willing to unblock for more drama would be a low blow. i’ll just ignore from here on out.

i’m just upset that the tone was so insulting (“objectively incorrect take, this person didn’t even watch the same show, you can’t like one but not the other, etc.”) so forgive me if this vent is a bit disagreeable because i really try to be better and more respectful than that when i actually do argue with people. i’ve already gone through this a couple months ago with someone else who was faking their civility to my face while also subposting about me so i guess at least SRA didn’t do that… this shit isn’t gonna make stans want to understand your perspective, by the way.

i will admit i did something similar to one of their posts not too long ago (which is where in the comments i was advised to not further engage) so i guess that makes me a hypocrite and i apologize… however i think the difference is i don’t run this blog solely to continue obsessing a piece of media i didn’t enjoy and constantly start discourse over people’s interest in it, nor would that person stress out over being attacked without even necessarily being made aware.

[unknown-cold]

I feel like it's due to a lot of reasons, the first of which is racism and sexism, and a lot of people like the timebomb relationship either because it's straight, even if they don't know who these characters are but they saw a male and female character and said this is good, or because it contains their beloved character Jinx so they prefer timebomb over caitvi. As for jayvik I think for two reasons, first some people like them because their relationship is like brotherhood as is clear in the show (I don't mind some people shipping Viktor and Jayce) but to be fair their relationship in the show is brotherly and not romantic, or they prefer them because they are men yes same as what you just heard, there are people who like Jayce and Viktor because they are guys who have suffered a lot and who have done many things for science and sacrificed themselves (even though they didn't die in reality and Christian Linke confirmed this in a post on Twitter) but anyway the reason I'm saying that is because I find the hate for Caitlyn and Vi is so weird. Especially Caitlyn she made one mistake everyone hated her, and to this day they still talk about her, like they make me think she is the only character who made mistakes in the show, as for Jayce and Viktor who made more mistakes and maybe worse like Jayce inventing Hextech which caused a lot of problems, and also Viktor and his attempt to kill all the people and control them just because he thought that this was the best solution to end the conflicts between them, this is really a terrible thing.

Even Silco the worst character on the show, and has done a lot of bad things. He killed an entire family for control, flooded the entire Zaun with shimmer, and made children work in dangerous factories, all of this and Silco didn't get half the hate that Caitlyn did, and they say they don't hate women, I doubt it.

But is there anyone talking about what Viktor did, is there anyone criticizing Viktor or attacking Viktor or Jayce fans, is there an idiot who called Viktor or Jayce fans supporters of genocide and corrupt governments just because they like this (fictional) character like what happens with Caitlyn fans? No, no, and a fucking no!! you ask why honestly there is no clear answer or one, but I personally think that it is due to bias and dishonesty in the criticism, and is this criticism in its place, or is their goal to distort some of the characters they see because they hate them or do not suit them. And I think that this is their problem if they cannot firstly separate reality from a fictional show and secondly, they cannot separate their feelings and make the criticism as fair as possible without racism or bias.

And a final note, I do not hate Viktor, Jayce, or even Jinx and Ekko, especially since many of you who follow me or see my posts know that I love Viktor so much and that he is one of my favorite characters in Arcane, but I will not deny that he did very bad things, as well as Jinx, Caitlyn, and others, so I will not do as some people do and belittle characters in order to show their favorite character in the best way, no this is clear hypocrisy, and it is not even the goal of the show to reduce the trauma of characters just because you do not like them. And another thing, the talk I said about bias and racism is real and not just a guess from me, because I saw a post by someone saying literally because he liked the character of Caitlyn and her story but he could not accept her because she is a lesbian and he said if Cait was a straight woman he would have loved her, please is this someone who takes his criticism or opinion of the show or any show seriously.

Of course, this is one of hundreds or thousands of comments of this type, which are naive and so annoying.

why is jayvik and timebomb lowkey more popular than caitvi like do ppl hate lesbians or do they prefer to have a dick involved in their fav ship

[fruitynancywheeler]

Tagged by my beloved @lavenderlevetan

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Send me an ask with the title that most intrigues you, and I’ll post a little snippet of it or tell you something about it.

I feel like I am about to crack open my ADHD brain for all to see with this so be prepared for this chaos

Ronance Spy AU

Soulmates AU: The times Kassandra met Kyra in her 2,471 years of life (I have no title for that one just a summary but for AC Odyssey)

I have zero idea what i am going to call this yet (personal novel)

Holding Back (Commander Shepard/Liara)

All I Wanted (Caitvi)

Bound to You, Blood and Time (Ronance)

I Wanna Be Yours (Bechloe)

Freak of Nature (Bechloe)

Can You Feel My Heart? (Harlivy)

Make You Feel (Bechloe)

Temptation (Bechloe)

If You Only Knew (Bechloe)

Untitled Document (Kassandra/Kyra)

Untitled Document (Ellie/Dina)

Privilege (Bechloe)

Dark Paradise (Bechloe)

Anyone who wants to do this can!! I feel like most of who i would have tagged have probably already been tagged so it's a free for all!

[aevallare]

blorbo game arcane ! <3

wow i barely even think abt that show.............

just kidding

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

it is jayce hours. always. jayce time.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

ekko!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ekkoekkoekkoekkoekko it's All About Ekko!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

caitlyn! hate that she seems to just be kind of like a vessel for caitvi fic. i love that spoiled rich girl who's doing her best but has no perspective at all trope. my queen.......

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

BDSM YORDLE. WHAT is their story..... i MUST know more..............

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

would you believe it's finn? xd i think he fucking rules. maybe i'm just a miyavi stan. also possible

oh also caitlyn's dad. tobias kiramman my beloved

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason)

put a little heimerdinger in the plinko. as a treat

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell)

salo i think. hate that dude.

[softavasilva]

post your favourite or most popular post from each month this year <3 (it’s okay to skip months!) tagged by @deenafier tyy sm, u brilliant gifmaker!

this year was a looott of experimenting and trying out things wayyy our of my comfort zone but im so glad i did them bc i learned a lot and felt like i improved overall plus it was so funn creating so many different creative sets which i owe a lot to the other amazing gifmakers in this site still creating masterpiece content which are so inspiring!! get ready for my rants

jan, most popular: starting it off strong w kieutou jnvjd 

feb, most popular: emisue s2 finale was insane i was going insane  fav: q2 smiley kisses are so soft + hands bc its my weakness  march, most popular: wilson siblings i deserve more of them fav: this raya and namaari set took me too long to do, it was the first time i tried blending with multiple scenes and colours in one canvas, it was def a learning process but im glad i didnt give up bc im proud of it

april, most popular:  lmao its “when will men learn how to stfu” fav: “intimacy of damie” sometimes i look back on this and get really emotional jsnvjs its about the little things!! “dragons + magic” tried to do more blending + vibrant colouring w more visual interest for the first time and i really loved the way it turned out! 

may, most popular: “MAEVE and AIMEE” my favv girls forever in their agenda  fav: my first go at a heavily “graphic” style of gifset w my fav boy to ever exist “Jackson Marchetti” as well as my beloved “Maeve Wiley” I spent so long on both of these bc of lack of experience w typography especially, but w enough trial and errors i was v satifisfied w how it turned out 

june,most popular: “icarly swearing” jkvksjn  fav: learning how to clip scenes into a shape was a struggle im actually so embarrassed at how long it took me to figure out from a tutorial jvdnskj but this “wlw characters” set was so fun to make once i got the hang of it  and it being pride month i ofc had to do this “Lexa” gifset bc shes my fav character to ever. tried a similar theme to my jackson one from above to get better at these type of gifsets and overall i was pretty pleased with it, def came out way better than i was expecting it too. also since i wanted to get better with typography i experimented with a type warp and gradient overlay a lot in this “hayley kiyoko mv”  

july,most popular: “yelena being baby” miss her shes so funny  fav: “samdeena edit” and this “samdeena w warrior nun quote” s/o to the insp link w/o them my creativity would be downnn so pls check em out i truly tried my best to do it justice with my own twisty twist and i was v happy especially w the colouring on these ones!  aug,most popular: “Margot Robbie stunt” shes so impressive <3333  fav: “samdeena playlist”  i experimented with a lot of fonts, warps and overlays in this set, i had so much fun making it! as u can tell i really went all out when fear street came out vnjdfnvjd. this “grace i don’t fear the devil” ofc insp from the person who tagged me hehe. played around a lot with blending modes on this one trying v hard to blend the scnes together to make sense. sept,most popular: “wlw romantic lines” i love being gay fav: “maeve and aimee in s3” i liked the way i coloured this one 

oct,most popular: “emma as maeve” <333 fav: “SEX EDUCATION CHARACTERS + FLOWER ETYMOLOGY” v proud of how the colouring of this one turned out!!! 

nov,most popular: “emily and walt whitman” emisue soft hours  fav: “emisue hands” need i say more 

dec,most popular: “emisue fingers” jvnskjdbjksd fav: a v quick edit i made in between classes of “kate and yelena”. obsessed with arcane and “caitvi + protective” i love this trope sm. 

tagging: @bithcassidy, @you-are-crazy-beautiful , @dani-clayton , @lesbianjamies (feel free not to, and anyone who wants to do this consider yourself tagged i wanna see ur gifs!) 

[caitlynxviolet]

So the one thing that worries me is how season 2 will start in tragedy and put a hold on CaitVi. Or that if Cait's mum is hurt in the rocket strike, she will blame herself (and Vi) for not shooting jinx when she had the chance...

It's the voice lines from the season 2 announcement.. where Vi's voice just breaks me..

Reference:

Cait: Every way I slice it... If I go after your sister alone, one of us comes back in a box.

>> Cait saying she won't hold back this time as her family got hurt maybe??

Vi (crying?): I can do this myself. No one else needs to get hurt.

>> Vi crying because she knows her sister is not her little powder anymore and can't be "saved" and hurt so many innocent people?

Jinx: I'm glad it's you. It had to be you.

>> now this could be addressed to anyone, but I think she's referring to Vi?

What are your thoughts on that one?

I know they are partners in the game and strong suggestion this is in a romantic and professional way but I really can't bear the Angst I get from this voice clip...

Ooh very interesting!

I think Caitlyn is leading Vi towards accepting that doing whatever they have to do means doing it together, rather than alone.

Cait: Every way I slice it... If I go after your sister alone, one of us comes back in a box.

She's bringing up the inevitable outcome that either she or Jinx will die, every way she slices it. Potentially because Jinx would not hesitate to kill her, and if the situation called for it, Caitlyn would retaliate. Maybe because there are a lot of other risks in what going after Jinx involves.

She can't go out there alone and Vi's response is about "doing it herself" so no one else gets hurt. This is the mindset that Caitlyn is trying to get at - that Vi can't let Caitlyn go out there alone, but she also can't expect herself to be able to do it either.

I think at this point of s2, Caitlyn knows how willing Vi is to sacrifice herself for the sake of others and the lengths she'd go to protect others (well, she also heard Vi say "you can fire that thing if you want, but I'm not going anywhere!"). I believe that whenever this situation happens, Caitlyn and Vi are much closer than they ever were.

Vi (crying?): I can do this myself. No one else needs to get hurt.

Caitlyn is too calm and collected for someone who possibly just lost her mother. Vi is the emotional wreck. The stakes are higher for Vi here, meaning that she could lose both her beloved sister and/or Caitlyn. That's why she'd be way more emotional.

If Caitlyn's mom died, it means this conversation takes place when she's processed her grief a little better and she's able to carefully weigh out their options as for what happens next. It means Vi is riddled with guilt and feeling incredibly torn, which is what Caitlyn would have seen from Vi.

I don't think we're meant to see Caitlyn as anything but an empathetic (and lonely/misfit) soul. She's going to want to do right by Vi, I believe. We all know none of the events of the dinner scene is Vi's fault. Why would Caitlyn perceive it any differently? It's deeply fucked up what Jinx did. If anything, I think Caitlyn could resent Jinx for what she did, on Vi's behalf because Vi won't be able to, and, of course, on her own behalf.

We know she thinks Vi has a good heart, but she's referred to Jinx as "lunatic" and "too far gone" at the end. She made sure to tell Vi that what happened to her sister wasn't her fault. It wouldn't make sense for her to switch it up on Vi for something else that Jinx did.

Jinx: I'm glad it's you. It had to be you.

This line could be a red herring, like we're meant to think she's talking to Vi, but it's someone else entirely. When I relistened to it, it sounded bitter. Almost like she is speaking with Caitlyn, like of course my sister sent you to stop me. But she's glad because she won't have to hurt her own sister in the process. It could literally be anyone, though. I think it may be Caitlyn with Vi hidden somewhere, or vice versa (but considering their brawler/sniper dynamic, it would make more sense for it to be Vi).

If they want to make Caitlyn's reaction to Jinx's bombing realistic, that means not blaming Vi and fully hating Jinx instead. Vi is the only one standing by her side, supporting her, and Caitlyn clearly won't stop wanting to be in on the action after this. Vi is her best ally.

On a different note, Christian and Alex have said Caitlyn and Vi will be at the center of the stories they tell in s2. I don't think separating them makes sense, and I don't think that's the intent.