#it feels like it just pushes everything caitlyn did to the side like it was nothing

[bornwholocker]

One thing i am sort of disappointed about with the arcane ending is how little resolution we got with caitvi and honestly caitlyn’s whole arc, like i get time restraints but man its hard to feel satisfied with her and vi just getting right back together with no apology no real conversation no nothing after cait’s little stint as a dictator

I guess we can assume those things happened off screen? But it just feels like. Agh

[mekakitsune]

caitlyn x vi x reader | nsfw - minors dni

as promised <3 extension of my last post but can be read separately

you, despite your confusion, were happy to hear violet was in contact with her sister once again. you had heard the stories, drunked and slurred as the pink haired girl poured her heart out.

what shocked you, was news of a certain someone finding her way back into violets life. you had respect for vi, for whatever her and caitlyn had going on. your job at the brothel came with many feelings, ones that you had trained yourself to push away. a job is a job, thats what youd tell yourself.

the night went by like any other as of recent, slow and barely steady, leaving you with not much else to do but pack up and find your way home. it was only a small amount of time after your curtains were closed for the night that you heard hushed voices in the hall.

"are you sure?" a voice spoke, seemingly uncertain in the unusually quiet halls of the brothel.

"just...trust me?" it was her, the girl you had seen many times over the last few weeks, the girl who had drunkenly poured her heart out to you in the very room you sat in. sometimes, it was sex, a way to make both of you forget the general dismay of the fissures. other times, you just talked, almost like a small, pitiful therapy session for the both of you.

you had told her to come back, had she needed anything, but to follow her heart, to find the girl that held the key.

the curtian slid open slowly revealing the pair. you gave a gentle, yet sad smile as your eyes locked onto vi's.

"i told you id come back....and look, i brought a friend" she joked with a nervous chuckle, but something in her voice seemed uncertain. you swear you noticed the other girl stifle a laugh with a roll of her eyes.

"im glad you made it safe, both of you." you gave a genuine smile. you knew way more than you should, but seeing violet seem more lively than before, and seemingly sober, you took their appearance together as a good thing.

"im sure the two of you had a lot to say about me, and i get it. it was a lot of miscommunication, on both parts, but i wanted to thank you...for being there for her." the dark haired girl spoke, leaving you surprised at her kind words. you half expected the girl to jump you, not thank you for sleeping with her so called "situationship."

"its what i do." you stated simply, giving the girl a bashful smile. this felt so different from any other client visit.

"she told me about you...how you took care of her." caitlyn spoke smoothly, moving to sit herself beside you on the couch, dangerously close.

"youre a good person for that." she placed her hand on your knee, causing your skin to tingle. vi moves to sit herself beside you on the opposite side, leaving you feeling slightly overcrowded suddenly.

"she did...did everything i needed her to." violet spoke, hand finding yours and giving it a comforting squeeze.

the air suddenly felt hot as the two girls shuffled impossibly close. cool fingers found your chin, belonging to caitlyn, moving your head to look at her. "we want to repay you." she purred, scanning your face carefully for any signs to back off.

"you dont need to pay me...i just thought it was the right thing to do, no strings attached." you spoke softly, words almost getting caught in your throat at the sudden attention from the girl.

caitlyn hummed at your response, a smirk on her pretty lips.

"you know, ever since vi told me about you, the two of us havent been able to stop thinking about you."

you turn slightly to look at vi, who nodded with a sly smile on her face. "s'true. best lay ive had in a long time." she poked your side teasingly, making you huff and laugh softly.

turning back to caitlyn, you spoke– "this isnt how i expected this meeting to go..." you confessed, mesmerized by how easy it was for these two to charm you.

"lifes full of surprises, isnt it?" caitlyn whispered, eyes trailing on your lips. your breath hitches as she leans in, lips almost touching where you suddenly wanted her.

"just say the words and we will stop." her breath tickled your skin, making your chest squeeze in anticipation.

"please dont." you barely manage to speak, and with the final confirmation, her lips press against yours. the kiss was hungry, sinful for just having met the girl. her tongue brushed your lips, and you immediately grant her access to what shes been craving. a whine sounds from your throat as a strong pair of hands find your hips from behind you, rubbing affectionately.

after a few more breathless moments, the girl pulls back from your lips. her eyes seem darker now, filled with something you couldn't place.

a shudder rips through you as vi's lips find your neck, pressing searing kisses against the skin.

"let us take care of you." she muttered between nips on the delicate skin.

you nod desperately, back pressing against her firm chest. caitlyn moves in front of you gracefully, fingers finding the ribbons of your robe, untying it with experienced fingers. the fabric falls down your shoulders revealing your breasts, making both girls hum in approval.

caitlyns hands find home on your chest, squeezing softly and smirking at the cute whines leaving your lips and the arch of your spine. she moves forward to press calculated kisses along the exposed flesh. her lips move to your nipples, sucking the bud softly as you pant beneath her. vi's hands move from your hips to push away the pool of fabric, leaving you bare. caitlyn moves to give vi a silent demand, which the girl immediately obeys. she pulls away from your back just enough to slip her fingers under her own shirt, pulling it off after she shrugs off her jacket. youre pulled back against her with much force, causing you to gasp, the feeling of the warm skin of her breasts against your back making you undeniably soaked.

caitlyns hands move to your thighs, spreading them in a sinful yet delicious manner. she shuffles herself so she is between your legs, and her lips press kissed along your lower stomach and thighs. you gasp and your hips buck into her as she leaves small bites along your plush skin.

after much teasing and marking you up, you feel her breath on your core. you feel her blow cool air onto your dripping pussy, making you moan loudly.

caitlyn laughs slightly at your reaction. "you were right vi, she is cute." she smiled at the display infront of her. vi huffs a laugh against your neck in response –"told ya."

a whine sounds from you again and caitlyn decides she cant hold herself back any longer. the moment her tongue touches your cunt, electric sparks tingle up your spine, making you buck into her once again. her pace is steady, licking and sucking at your swollen clit and dripping hole. once shes deemed you ready, her fingers play with your hole before sliding in two slim digits. you gasp at the intrusion and arch against the girl sat behind you, who is very clearly enjoying the show. vi's lips find your neck again, sucking pretty purple splotches into your heated skin.

it was incredibly overwhelming, the lips on your neck paired with the fingers in your cunt. you were getting close embarrassingly quick, despite having sex for a living. you had never felt so taken care of, so...noticed.

caitlyn watches intently as her fingers slid in and out at a steady pace, moving her head back down to lap at your clit once again. you clench around her fingers tightly, gasping and moaning into the back of your hand. suddenly, a strong hand rips your own away from your lips.

"dont get shy now pretty girl, show her how good shes making you feel, let us hear it." vi muttered into your neck, making you spiral even deeper.

you mind was beginning to fog and your cunt was undeniably dripping onto the couch below, but you didnt care. not when caitlyn was eating you out like you were her last fucking meal. your hips shuddering and your whines pitching told both girls you were close to cumming.

"cum for us baby, let us see it." vi rasped from behind you, hands squeezing at your sensitive chest.

her words were more than enough to push you over the edge, along with caitlyns steady thrusts. she licks at your pussy as you moan shamelessly. you cum hard around her fingers and into her mouth, not missing the groan ripping from caitlyns throat as she swallows everything you give her. she doesnt stop until your panting hard, hips bucking and thighs shaking. she pulls away after letting you ride it out, moving up to slot herself between your thighs. her fingers find your chin as she pulls you into another kiss, this time much messier and far less calculated. you whine against her lips quitely, unintentionally following her as she pulls away. before you can protest, shes leaning over your shoulder and slamming her lips against vi's, making her moan at the taste of you on her girlfriends tongue. you watch in awe as the two girls kiss feverishly.

after a moment caitlyn pulls back again, this time looking down at you. her chest is heaving and her lips are swollen, its an incredible sight to behold.

"i want to see her make you cum now." she nods at vi, who immediately grabs your hips and flips you over so you are beneath her.

"you can give us another, right princess?" vi smirks at your shocked expression, large hands rubbing your thighs.

what have you gotten yourself into? something told you it was going to be a long night.

TAGLIST: @frsnkxie @themoonitselff

let me know if anyone would like to be tagged in future works!

[cherrybomb107]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: forgiveness, or the way it’s often presented, is harmful. That’s one more gripe I have with season two. The way it frames “forgiveness”(the idea that you are obligated to forgive someone lest you be “just as bad as they are” is problematic.)

Because for one, having Jinx apologize for killing Caitlyn’s mom and vow to stop the “cycle of violence” doesn’t make any sense. One, that’s just not something Jinx would ever say. Two, the idea that Jinx killing some Councilors is anywhere near the same thing as Caitlyn becoming a dictator is laughable at best, and insulting to my intelligence at worst. Three, Caitlyn never apologizes or faces any meaningful consequences for her actions! Losing an eye was nothing! She should’ve lost a hand at least and we should’ve seen her reflect on her actions and pledge to do better for Zaun!!! Not just fuck off and ride off into the sunset after everything she did! And lastly, the “cycle of violence” literally isn’t a cycle, it’s just one city oppressing the other for centuries and the other city deciding to fight back! This “cycle” doesn’t begin and end with Jinx and her attack on the Council, so framing it like Jinx is the one who has to take sole responsibility for fixing everything is nonsense.

“But Arcane was never about heroes and villains, everything is morally gray!” You sound dumb. This is obviously a story with overt themes of oppression and revolution. I’m not here to critique morality, I’m here to critique its framing. Why are certain characters “justified” in their heinous actions but others don’t get that luxury? That’s what I’m talking about. Moving on, the problem with “forgiveness” implies that it’s necessary, and the way people conflate forgiveness with letting someone have access to you after everything they did is the problem. You don’t have to forgive someone if you don’t want to. That doesn’t make you “bitter” nor does it mean you’re “holding a grudge”. There is a difference between forgiving someone and just removing yourself from the situation and becoming detached, imo. That’s what should’ve been done with Caitlyn and Jinx. No one in Zaun should’ve been shown dying for their oppressors because “teamwork” nor should Sevika have been shoved on the Council to push this idea of “unity”. Why would Sevika, a Zaunite who has never had and never will have any love for Piltover, be forced to cozy up with the Council? Why is the onus on her, as an oppressed person, to make nice with her oppressors? Why does the institution of Piltover, and people like Caitlyn who uphold that institution and wreak havoc on the underclass of Zaun, never have to answer for their crimes?

Answer: Because they(the writers) want to convince us that Jinx and Caitlyn, and by extension, Piltover and Zaun are “just as bad” as each other, and that both sides need to work together to heal. Only problem with that is, the Piltover/Zaun conflict was not presented that way in season one. I’m sure the writers want us to think it’s one city vs another, when that’s not the case at all. In reality, it’s one city OVER the other, and now they’re trying to convince us “both sides are bad”. While it’s true that there ARE problems on both sides, the problems in Zaun literally wouldn’t be problems if Piltover wasn’t an oppressive institution. Why were the chem barons able to amass power? Because the systems Piltover set up left Zaun behind and allowed power hungry people like Finn, Margo, Chross, and Smeech seize their opportunities for control. Why is there so much crime in Zaun? Again, because of Piltover. The class disparity that Piltover set up means the economic divide between the two cities is a chasm that grows wider and wider every day. People are forced to steal to eat. They join gangs out of necessity, not because they have to. Why did Jinx kill all those enforcers?

That shouldn’t be the question. The real question is: Why does “Jinx”(as in, the persona Powder adopted to feel strong) even exist? Answer, once again, because of Piltover! Jinx is an oppressed person with severe mental health and self esteem issues that have been exacerbated as a result of the crooked system of Piltover. She saw her parents get killed by enforcers(militarized police force that carries out the will of the powers that be and is responsible for harassing, brutalizing, and over policing Zaun) right in front of her before she was even in the double digits. She was then adopted by Vander, but she had to struggle her whole life. Zaun doesn’t even have air to BREATHE unless Piltover decides they deserve it. And thanks to Caitlyn, we get to see how even THAT gets weaponized when Zaun steps out of line. So if they don’t have access to clean air, it’s safe to say that they also don’t have access to the same quality food, water, shelter, clothing, economic, educational, or medical services that Piltovans do, just by virtue of living in Zaun. So you take a severely mentally ill little girl, systematically oppress her, and then clutch your pearls when she becomes violent and lashes out? Label her a “psycho” and a “monster” for killing cops, gang members, and politicians while Caitlyn gets a happily ever after after everything she did? I thought “both sides” were “just as bad”. So why is Jinx the only one who meaningfully suffers? Why does Zaun as a whole always have to pay the price?

Lack of commitment. “Terrorist” is a loaded word that’s been weaponized against marginalized people for ages now. It’s another one to add to the list: angry, crazy, mad, belligerent, monster, savage, animal, etc. All these dehumanizing words are leveled at folks who get tired of taking shit lying down. I’ve never thought that Jinx was a “monster” for killing cops, Councilors, or politicians. Never will. But the show clearly WANTS me to, as well as simultaneously wanting to see Caitlyn’s actions a certain way. I’ve already made a post about why comparing or trying to equalize Caitlyn’s actions and Jinx’s actions is disingenuous and intellectually dishonest imo. Think of it like a bully vs bullied type of thing. There’s this kid and his asshole friends who gets to bully you for weeks, months, or even years and face no repercussions. Then, one day you get fed up, and start fighting back. Whether that be with words, feet, fists, or what have you. If you go down, you go down swinging. When the dust settles, BOTH of y’all are getting disciplined(detention, suspended, expelled, not allowed to go on trips, etc) for “fighting”. And there’s a very good chance one of you will be punished much more harshly than the other. Even though you started fighting back. BACK being the operative word. Every single time this kid pushed, hit, kicked, punched, started rumors about, and isolated you, nothing was done. The one time you start fighting BACK, both of y’all get in trouble because the school has a “zero tolerance policy”.

But you know that’s not true. It can’t be. You’ve been telling the teachers, guidance counselors, and vice principal about what’s been going on. But nothing was done about it. Or if it was, you were the one who was told to move seats. Or switch to a different classroom. Or just ignore them. Or “maybe they’re lashing out cause they have problems going on at home.” It was nothing but excuses when you were getting pushed around. Now when you fight back it’s a problem. Now take that metaphor and apply it to Caitlyn and Jinx. Caitlyn is like that fat rich asshole with parents on the PTA who make hefty donations to the school. Jinx is like the scrawny little nobody who has no one to stick up for them. Piltover is the school system. Caitlyn’s privilege isolated her from any meaningful consequences, while Jinx’s lack of privilege guaranteed she’d face hefty consequences, much more than Caitlyn ever would.

Jinx has lost: her birth parents as a result of state sanctioned violence, her adoptive brothers, her sister, her best friend, her adoptive father, Silco, her sister again, her adoptive father again, her new friend, her sense of self, her life(possibly) and she has to deal with being an oppressed person who struggles with mental health issues on top of all that. Caitlyn has lost: her mother, and her eye. That’s it. She’s never forced to give anything up. She never had to reckon with the reality of what it means to be not just a Piltie, but a Kiramman, and a dictator on top of that. We never see her be genuinely remorseful about her horrible actions in Zaun. Nor does she try to apologize to the people in Zaun or meaningfully make amends. No, Caitlyn gets to live in that big shiny house of hers with her father and girlfriend and the months she spent co-signing martial law will never be addressed. To bring it back to the bully vs bullied comparison, this means that Jinx would have been expelled for fighting back, while Caitlyn gets ISS(in school suspension). “Both sides are bad” yeah well you clearly believe one side is worse! And it’s not the correct one!

Piltover is an oppressive, classist, ableist, and brutal institution. Caitlyn was the head of this institution for months after she experienced a fraction of what Zaunites have experienced for centuries. At the end of the day, Caitlyn’s actions were brushed aside and she got her happy ending, though it wasn’t deserved whatsoever. Meanwhile Jinx, Sevika, Ekko, Isha, countless other Zaunites, and Zaun as a whole did nothing but suffer their whole lives and now they have nothing to show for it. “Both sides are bad” but the bad that the institution is responsible for is never called out, while the bad that the oppressed people did is blown out of proportion and they are severely punished for it.

And yes, I know I’m talking about a mainstream television show with white/non black people in the writers room. I knew I was never gonna get the pro revolution story I wanted to see, and I’ve made peace with that. But, if they wanted to have a “both sides” narrative so bad, then they should’ve stuck with it. BOTH SIDES should have equally suffered and had to reckon with their wrongdoings. The responsibility for doing so shouldn’t have solely been on the shoulders of the minority group. THAT’S the crux of the issue. I was always gonna think “forgiveness” was the coward’s way out. But they never show Piltover apologizing. Only Zaun does, and that’s not right.

[b-lossm]

•*+Change pt.2+*•

Caitvi x reader [just vi for this part, fluffier but still angsty]

Synopsis: wait hes.. alive? pt.1

SPOILERS FOR ACT 2!!

Its been months since you've seen Cait, or Vi. You don't even know if you three two are still together, Lately you've heard rumors about another 'Hound of the Underground' taking on the pit fighting scene with rigor. The description almost sounds like Vi, but black hair? She was always proud of her reddish pink hair.

You walk into the arena and pay the fee to get the red ticket, you notice her friend loris in the crowd and make your way over to him. After one quick conversation later and you find out what happened and that she came her to 'outrun her demons', your anger for Caitlyn boiling over but quickly simmering down once you see your girlfriend "Holy shit....." you say, admiring her appearance, her muscles somehow got bigger, and the black suited her, but you like the pink more.

Standing there she doesn't notice you at first, focus on punching this guy's jaw again, but then she hears your familiar shouting from the sidelines, at first she thought she was hallucinating you again, but then she realizes its actually you and decides to put on a show just for you.

--

After her match you meet her again, hugging her softly before asking her what happened with Caitlyn even though Loris told you, you had to hear it from her "I don't wanna talk about it Sunshine, what she did made me question everything--made me question if what me and her had was even real or if she was just using me for information and my strength" oh your poor girl. You push her head into the crook of your neck "lets rest yeah? is that okay?" you don't wanna push the subject anymore, knowing that she' gonna tell you about it eventually. She cuddles into you, dropping her fists to hold you close "mph- yeah that's great Sunshine" she gives you soft kisses on your neck, missing the feeling of your skin on hers "G'night Y/n" she mumbles defeatedly "Goodnight" you kiss her forehead and rub the back of her undercut.

Before you surrender yourself to sleep you look around her small room, looking at all the discarded bottles and broken pieces of glass, noticing the beat up punching bag that has her black makeup on it, right where her eyes are 'my poor violet' you think 'what happened to us' your mind drifts to yours and hers room in your little apartment in Piltover, the nights and days you three would spend together, laughing and having fun before they had to leave.

--

The next morning you both wakeup with a start, she sits up slightly to see the source of the noise only to see her.. sister? After their argument, she told the two of you Vander was somehow alive and that he needed help.

"I have to do this y/n" she says while grabbing her gauntlets "Please let me come Vi--please" you beg, not wanting to be alone again, she places her hands on your waist, leaning in for a deep kiss coming back up for air she says "I promise I'll come back, I promise you y/n, go stay with Loris for a bit and I promise you that I'll come back" she hopes that you understand, even though her sister is a crazy she it had to be serious if she wasn't trying to kill her.

--

After your tearful reunion with the man, Jinx leads your little group to the outskirts of the fissures, Vi taking the time to catch you up with what happened, how she feels like her love for Cait was one sided all this time after her betrayal. Attempting to comfort her you try to reassure her that what she thinks isn't true, how she's too focused on grief and how she hit you too-- "What..?" Vi stops walking "She hit.. you too?" her anger is picking up, you can tell "umm. yeah..bu--" "No buts y/n what the fuck?? you didn't even do anything" she cuts you off obviously pissed at your guys' ex girlfriend, you sigh not wanting to talk about it "Vi can we just talk about it later" "No! this isn't oka--" she interrupts you again, then getting cut off by Jinx "We're here!!". The both of you look ahead at this weirdly pastel oasis civilization.

"we will talk about this later" she says with a huff after surrendering her gauntlets. You kiss her cheek to calm her down "Alright" you missed that little flash of red that appeared on her face whenever you did that, you miss the little flash of pink that appeared on Cait' face but you probably aren't gonna see her anytime soon.. you think

———————————————————————

act two will have two parts because so much happened!! tbh i kinda dont like this but whatever

[divinegrey]

𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 / 𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

hi folks! it's good to be back and stretching my writing legs again. starting off with a caitlyn prompt! this could be read as a stand-alone or as a continuation of another caitlyn fic, broken pillars.

prompt: heyya! i'm absolutely in love with caitlyn AND your writing, so i was hoping we could combine the two :DD maybe something along the lines of cait x reader, a continuation of "broken pillars"? reader was injured in the blast, and Cait helps them/her (whatever you prefer) recover. maybe reader sees how much ambessa is manipulating her, and they end up getting into a fight over what's right?

words: 1162

warnings: mentions of violence, light angst, happy ending

“Caitlyn, this crusade is only going to end in more violence. You can’t possibly not see that!”

The Kiramman library has become something more of a battleground, in recent days. You were finally discharged from the hospital after extensive care to the leg you lost in what has been dubbed one of the worst terrorist incidents of Piltover’s history. And in those days since you’ve been home, you’ve become privy to every single thing that happened, everything that Caitlyn went through in her attempt to find Silco. 

Now Silco’s dead, and the whole of Zaun is in disarray. It only took one woman stepping in at the right time for Piltover to begin mobilizing; Ambessa Medarda. 

“It will be necessary for the safety of Piltover, our safety that we find Jinx and put her into Stillwater. She cannot be allowed to remain free for what she did to you,” Caitlyn says, standing at all too far a distance from you. She’s unreachable, has felt utterly unreachable ever since the explosion. Between tending to you, you know the gaps of time when she wasn’t at the hospital was spent sitting beside the famed warlord of Noxus. 

You’ve seen the change happen before your very eyes. It makes you scared. 

Pushing your hands on the wheels of your chair closer, you try again. “Cait, please, just listen to yourself. You’re suggesting arming an entire battalion of Enforcers and leading them into Zaun will fix the problem. You tried the strike team, it didn’t work the way you wanted it to, but that doesn’t mean—” 

“Until Jinx is behind bars, we are not safe.” Caitlyn’s stare is steely, but therein lies the exhaustion found in the bags of her eyes. Neither of you have been sleeping all too well; she comes into bed late at night when you’ve tired yourself out trying to stay up, and she rises before you have a chance to kiss her good morning. Caitlyn turns, hands on her hips. “You are not safe. I cannot stand for it.” 

“So, what? You slap a gun into every willing hand and shoot every Zaunite that gets in the way?” You sigh, leaning back against the cushion with a sigh. “And you’re fine with that? I know you, you’re smarter than this.” You wheel yourself closer to her side, taking her hand. “I know that this has left you distraught. Your mother in a coma, me in a wheelchair, but we are both still here, Caitlyn. An eye for an eye. You took Silco out, the Undercity is in chaos. People down there are scared. The Caitlyn I know and love wouldn’t be putting together weapons; she would be putting together aid, a plan to unite Zaun peacefully as possible.” 

Caitlyn doesn’t look at you. Rather, the fire that burns in the library hearth, the flames reflected and dancing in her eyes. She squeezes your hand, the callouses from shooting for so many years evident on her fingertips. Her throat bobs with a swallow. 

“It makes me scared, Cait. To know that Ambessa is saying these things into your ear and it feels like I can’t even get through to you,” you start, rubbing your thumb over her knuckles. “I’ve been friends with Mel long enough to get a sense of what her mother is like, I’ve studied enough politics to know what Noxus prioritizes. Strength and power. They see that in Hextech. That is all they want. They don’t care if they have to start a war to get it, because that is what they’re good at.” 

Caitlyn blinks, and for the first time in days, you see a tear fall from her eyes. Her chest rises with a heavy breath. “I failed to keep you safe. I had an opportunity to pull the trigger on Jinx. Vi, she— she weakened me. I wanted so badly to believe there was a way to end all of this with everyone alive, and the cost of believing that was nearly losing you and my mother.” A small scoff. “If my mother will ever wake up.” 

“Look at me.” You tug on her arm, and only then does she turn to you. You make a gesture for her to sit down on an armchair and she follows, slumping with an exhaustion you both feel in your bones. You take your hands and hold them tightly. “You can’t burden yourself with every ounce of responsibility, Caitlyn. You are one of the strongest people I know, but even you will crack under that pressure. Please, just give yourself some more time, give Mel and I some more time to try and put together a plan. The Council is angry. Ambessa has power enough as it is, but what she sees in you is someone to exploit. Grief is a powerful motivator; all I ask is that you don’t let it motivate you into something you’ll regret.” 

If it weren’t for you holding her hands, you might not have noticed the shake in her fingers. You know your girlfriend well enough to understand that the shaking only comes when the stress has built up so much that it reaches her hands; a sharpshooter can’t risk shaking hands when they need to take the shot. With something of a forlorn smile, you bend your head, trying to catch her eyes. 

“Love, I promise, you didn’t fail me. Nor your mother. I’m still here, and I still love you so, very deeply with everything I have in my heart. So please, if there is any guilt or grief you carry about me, drop it. Because I am with you, until the end of time,” you say, pouring every ounce of devotion that you possibly can into your words. What you see in turn is the exterior of Caitlyn’s armor cracking, the tears falling, and you cup her face within your hands, bringing her eyes to yours. “I love you, Caitlyn Kiramman.” 

Her hands hold your wrists tight; it’ll take time for her to lay down her guilt, and you’re happy to stand beside her in the meantime. You kiss her, soft and tender, the salt from her tears on your lips but you couldn’t care less. You survived death and lost a leg, a grief that will settle, but you count your blessings where you can find them. Your family is still alive, Caitlyn is still alive, and her parents are still alive. 

It will have to be enough. 

“I love you,” Caitlyn whispers into your mouth. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Your heart is safe with me, and mine with yours. There is a light at the end of this tunnel; we need only find it, okay?” You stroke her cheekbone with your thumb, wiping away the tears as they come. She nods, resting her forehead against yours. 

Only time will tell of what happens to Piltover and Zaun, but you breathe easier, knowing you have your partner at your side. 

~~~~~

A/N: thank you for reading! anon, i hope this was what you wanted!

[elliesappetite]

The Name That Broke Us (Confrontation)

"To Ashes And Blood" - WOODKID

FREE PALESTINE

Vi x Fem Reader

Rating: 17+

Tags: Angst, mention of caitvi, caitlyn is still in love with vi :(, both sides are right in their own way, vi is confused and scared, y/n is also scared and confused,

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The chill of the night air hit you like a slap, but it was nothing compared to the ache spreading through your chest. Each step away from the apartment felt heavier than the last, but you forced yourself to keep walking. The streets of the Undercity were quieter than usual, a rare reprieve from the usual chaos. Yet, the silence only amplified the storm in your mind.

You tried to ground yourself, focusing on the sound of your boots against the cracked pavement, the faint hum of distant machinery, the muffled voices of those hidden in the shadows. But no matter what you did, her voice echoed in your head.

“Caitlyn.”

You clenched your fists, trying to banish the name. It wasn’t fair—not to you, not to her, not even to Caitlyn, whoever she really was to Vi. You knew the stories, of course. The Enforcer from Piltover. The one who had fought beside Vi, the one who had pulled her out of some of the darkest moments of her life.

You couldn’t compete with a history like that.

Your steps faltered, and you found yourself leaning against a grimy wall in a darkened alley. You pressed the heels of your hands against your eyes, willing yourself not to cry. You had been strong in front of Vi; you didn’t want to crumble now. But the weight of everything was suffocating.

She had been your anchor in the chaos of the Undercity, the one person who made you feel like maybe, just maybe, you could find a little light in the darkness. But tonight had shattered that illusion.

You exhaled shakily and pushed yourself upright. Standing still wouldn’t help. You needed to move, to do something, anything to keep from spiraling further.

So, you walked.

The Undercity had always been a maze, but tonight it felt even more tangled, like the streets were trying to swallow you whole. You weren’t sure where you were going, but eventually, you ended up at an old bar tucked away from the main drag. It was a place you’d been to a handful of times before, usually when you needed to escape for a while.

The dim lighting and the low murmur of conversations were a welcome contrast to the turmoil in your mind. You slid onto a stool at the bar, nodding to the bartender.

“Something strong,” you muttered.

The bartender, a grizzled man with a kind face, didn’t ask questions. He slid a glass of amber liquid toward you, and you downed it in one go, savoring the burn.

“Rough night?” he asked after a moment, his tone casual but sympathetic.

“You could say that,” you replied, your voice hoarse.

He didn’t press further, moving off to tend to another customer. You appreciated the space.

As you nursed your second drink, the door to the bar creaked open, and you froze. You didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“Y/N.”

Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, and it sent a shiver down your spine. You kept your eyes on your drink, refusing to acknowledge her.

Vi moved closer, stopping a few feet away. You could feel her presence, her energy, like a static charge in the air.

“I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now,” she began, her voice low and filled with regret. “But I couldn’t just let you walk away like that.”

You let out a bitter laugh, finally turning to look at her. Her face was drawn, her eyes rimmed with red, and there was a vulnerability in her expression that you rarely saw.

“Why?” you asked, your voice sharper than you intended. “So you could apologize again? Try to convince me that Caitlyn doesn’t mean anything to you?”

“She does mean something to me,” Vi admitted, and your heart sank. “But it’s not what you think.”

“Then what is it?” you demanded, standing to face her. The other patrons in the bar glanced your way, but you didn’t care. “Because from where I’m standing, it sure as hell feels like you’re still in love with her.”

“I’m not,” she said quickly, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “But she’s… she’s a part of my past that I can’t just erase. Caitlyn saved me in ways I can’t even explain. She believed in me when no one else did.”

“And what about me?” you asked, your voice cracking. “I’ve been here, Vi. I’ve fought for you, stood by you, loved you. Does that not matter?”

“It does,” she said, stepping closer. Her voice softened, and she reached for your hand, but you pulled away. “Y/N, it matters more than you know. But I can’t change the fact that I’m still figuring this out. I’m still figuring me out.”

Her words hit you like a punch to the gut. You wanted to scream, to yell at her for being so unsure, for dragging you into her mess. But deep down, you knew she wasn’t trying to hurt you.

“I can’t keep being your second choice,” you said quietly.

“You’re not,” she insisted, desperation creeping into her voice. “You’re not my second choice, Y/N. You’re the one I want to be with. But I need to make peace with my past before I can give you everything you deserve.”

You stared at her, searching her eyes for some semblance of truth. And you found it. But truth wasn’t enough.

“I need time,” you said finally, your voice barely above a whisper.

Vi’s shoulders slumped, but she nodded. “I’ll give you whatever you need. Just… don’t shut me out completely, okay?”

You didn’t respond, turning away and walking toward the door.

The night air hit you again, colder than before, but this time, it felt a little less suffocating. You weren’t sure what the future held, but for now, you were taking things one step at a time.

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The Undercity streets stretched endlessly ahead as you walked, each step a blend of clarity and confusion. The conversation with Vi replayed in your mind like a broken record, her words mingling with your own until you weren’t sure which stung more: the truth she’d spoken or the doubts it left behind.

You didn’t head back to your apartment. The thought of sitting in that small, suffocating space filled with memories of Vi felt unbearable. Instead, you wandered aimlessly, letting the dim glow of neon signs and the distant hum of machinery guide your path.

Eventually, you found yourself on a quiet overlook, a spot you’d discovered years ago when you first moved to the Undercity. From here, you could see the faint glimmer of Piltover far above, its pristine towers a stark contrast to the grime and chaos below. You hated how beautiful it looked, how untouchable.

You sat on the edge of the overlook, letting your legs dangle over the side. The cool metal beneath you was comforting, grounding in a way that your thoughts weren’t.

For a long time, you stayed there, the world around you fading into background noise. You tried to piece together what you were feeling—anger, heartbreak, betrayal—but none of it settled into something coherent. All you knew was that Vi’s words had left a hole in your chest that no amount of reasoning could fill.

“Lost in thought?”

The voice startled you, and you turned to see a familiar figure stepping out of the shadows. Sevika. Her imposing frame and sharp eyes were impossible to mistake.

“What are you doing here?” you asked, wiping at your eyes hastily.

Sevika leaned against the railing, her metal arm glinting faintly in the dim light. “Saw you wandering. Figured you might need some company.”

“I’m fine,” you muttered, turning your gaze back to the horizon.

“Sure you are,” Sevika said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. “That’s why you’re out here staring at Piltover like you’re planning to blow it up.”

You rolled your eyes. “I just needed to think.”

“Uh-huh,” Sevika said, exhaling a plume of smoke. “Let me guess. Vi?”

You stiffened, and Sevika smirked around the cigarette. “Thought so. What’d she do this time?”

“It’s… complicated,” you admitted, not really in the mood to get into the details.

“Complicated,” Sevika echoed, her tone dry. “That’s one way to describe her. Look, I get it—she’s got that whole ‘fight-for-what’s-right’ charm going for her. But she’s also got a knack for dragging people into her mess.”

“She didn’t drag me into anything,” you snapped, defensive despite yourself.

“Didn’t she?” Sevika raised an eyebrow, her tone calm but pointed. “All I’m saying is, maybe it’s time you start asking yourself if you’re doing all the giving while she’s doing all the taking.”

You wanted to argue, but her words struck a nerve.

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Meanwhile, 24 hours later, there was Vi; who was pacing nervously outside a small, unassuming building in the heart of the Undercity. Her hands fidgeted with the straps of her gloves as she tried to calm the storm in her chest. She knew this meeting was a risk, but she couldn’t move forward until she addressed the past.

The door creaked open, and Caitlyn stepped out, her polished Piltover uniform a stark contrast to the grime around her. Her sharp eyes softened when they met Vi’s, and she folded her arms across her chest.

“This is a surprise,” Caitlyn said, her voice neutral but curious. “What made you want to see me Vi?”

“I need to talk,” Vi said, her voice low. “About… everything.”

Caitlyn tilted her head, studying her. “Everything? That’s vague, even for you.”

Vi sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Look, I’ve been a mess lately, okay? And part of that is because of… us. Or what we were. I just need to know where we stand.”

Caitlyn’s brows furrowed, and she leaned against the doorframe. “Vi, we haven’t been ‘us’ for a long time. I thought we made peace with that.”

“We did,” Vi said quickly. “But I think I’m still holding onto some guilt. Like, I owe you something for everything you did for me back then.”

Caitlyn’s expression softened, and she stepped forward, her hand brushing Vi’s arm. “You don’t owe me anything, Vi. I helped you because I cared, and because it was the right thing to do. But you’ve moved on, haven’t you?”

Vi hesitated, her mind flickering to you. “Yeah. I have. But sometimes, it feels like I’m dragging that part of my life into something new, and it’s not fair to her.”

Caitlyn gave a soft smile. “Then let it go. You don’t need my permission to be happy, Vi. And if she makes you happy, focus on that.”

Vi's hands started trembling slightly as she fidgeted with her fingers. Caitlyn looked at her with a curious but cautious expression, waiting for her to speak.

Vi sighed, rubbing her temple as if she were preparing herself for something difficult. “the other night, when we were… when we were together, I said your name, Caitlyn, During—" She stopped herself, wincing.

Caitlyn blinked, a brief flash of shock crossing her features before she masked it with a tight smile. “I didn’t know you still felt that way about me, Vi.”

“I don’t,” Vi said quickly, shaking her head. “I love Y/N. But the guilt’s been messing with my head. I think part of me—part of me has just never really let go of everything that happened between us.” She paused, looking up at Caitlyn, her eyes searching for understanding. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Caitlyn stared at her for a long moment, her lips pressed together. Finally, she spoke, her tone quieter than before. “You shouldn’t carry that around, Vi. You owe it to yourself and to Y/N to be clear about what’s in your heart. You can’t keep dragging the past into the present.”

Vi nodded, guilt washing over her again. “I know. I’m just afraid of losing her. I’m afraid I’ve already done that.”

Caitlyn’s expression softened, but there was something resigned in her eyes. “If you love them, then fight for them, Vi. But if there’s any part of you still clinging to me, then be honest. With them. With yourself. You can’t be fair to anyone if you’re still holding onto old ghosts.”

Vi swallowed hard, the weight of Caitlyn’s words settling heavy on her chest.

For a moment, Vi felt a weight lifting. She nodded, grateful for Caitlyn’s understanding. “Thanks, Cait. Really.”

Caitlyn’s gaze lingered on her for a second longer, and then she said, almost too softly, “I miss this. Talking to you like this. Being close to you.”

Vi froze, unsure of how to respond. Before she could say anything, Caitlyn leaned in. It happened so fast—her lips brushing against Vi’s, tentative but purposeful.

You turned the corner at that exact moment.

Your heart stopped.

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There they were, standing close, Caitlyn’s hand on Vi’s arm and—no. No. That couldn’t be what it looked like. But it was. Caitlyn kissed Vi, and though you couldn’t see Vi’s expression, the fact that she didn’t pull away immediately was enough to shatter the fragile hope you’d been clinging to.

Your breath hitched, and you stumbled backward, your chest tightening. You didn’t wait to see what happened next. You didn’t want to see Vi’s reaction. Whatever it was, it would hurt too much.

Turning on your heel, you walked away as fast as you could, the ache in your chest growing with every step.

Back at your apartment, you slammed the door behind you, your hands shaking as you tried to catch your breath. Your mind raced with a storm of emotions—anger, heartbreak, betrayal—but above all, a crushing sense of clarity.

This was it. There was no fixing this. Vi had made her choice, even if she didn’t realize it yet. And you refused to be the afterthought, the consolation prize.

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By the time Vi returned to the apartment, her thoughts were still a tangled mess. The kiss with Caitlyn had been a mistake—a fleeting moment of confusion that left her sick with guilt. All she wanted now was to see you, to explain everything and make it right.

“Y/N?” she called out as she opened the door. The apartment was eerily quiet, and her heart sank.

She found you in the bedroom, your bag open on the bed, half-filled with clothes and essentials. Your back was to her, but your movements were hurried and frantic, as if you were racing against your own emotions.

“Y/N, what are you doing?” Vi asked, stepping into the room.

You froze for a moment before turning to face her, your expression a mix of heartbreak and determination. “What does it look like?”

Vi’s eyes widened. “You’re leaving? Why? What happened?”

You let out a bitter laugh, shaking your head. “Why don’t you tell me, Vi? Or should I ask Caitlyn?”

Her confusion was replaced by realization, her face paling. “You… you saw?”

“Yeah,” you said, your voice trembling with anger and pain. “I saw. I saw her kiss you. And I saw you not pulling away.”

Vi stepped closer, panic evident in her eyes. “It wasn’t what it looked like. I didn’t kiss her back. I didn’t want—”

You held up a hand, cutting her off. “I don’t care what you wanted, Vi. What matters is that it happened. And that’s not something I can just ignore.”

She reached out to you, but you stepped back, the distance between you feeling insurmountable.

“Y/N, please,” Vi pleaded. “You have to believe me. I love you. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Then why did you?” you asked, your voice breaking despite your best efforts to stay composed. “Why do you keep dragging me into this mess with Caitlyn? I’ve tried so hard to be enough for you, but I’m done trying. I deserve better than this.”

Vi’s shoulders slumped, and she looked at you with an expression that might’ve broken your resolve if you weren’t already so hurt.

“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” she said softly.

“Maybe not,” you replied, your voice steady now. “But it did. And I’m not going to stand here and wait for the next time you ‘didn’t mean’ to hurt me.”

You zipped up your bag and slung it over your shoulder. Vi looked like she wanted to say more, but you didn’t give her the chance.

“I’m done, Vi,” you said, your tone final. “Figure out what you want. But don’t come looking for me until you do.”

With that, you walked past her and out the door, leaving behind the memories and the love that had once felt unshakable. For the first time in what felt like forever, you were putting yourself first. And though it hurt, you knew it was the right thing to do.

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Author's Notes: I absolutely loved writing this.

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Taglist: @almooshiii

[hauntingofhouses]

arcane s2 spoilers. another caitlyn critical rant because i have Thoughts and i'm Annoyed

can i just say i'm soooo annoyed at how the narrative treats ambessa as the worst most irredeemable person and the one true villain of the series while caitlyn who spent half of s2 as a tyrant in both piltover and zaun is just let off the hook despite them working together for most of that time.

"she didnt MEAN it" but she did do it. she terrorized the people of zaun, she was complicit. yes ambessa was using her but that's because she was so easy to use! ambessa barely had to do much manipulation, barely had to lift a finger for caitlyn to give the green light on all the tactics the militant regime used.

now, see, it's not like i'm AGAINST caitlyn redeeming herself. i'm not. i was ready for her to go down a dark path and for vi to pull her out of it. my gripe is with how it was executed. caitlyn did not deserve it, she didn't DO anything to actually work towards redemption and getting vi's forgiveness.

also caitlyn fans being so ready to just push all the blame onto ambessa is so frustrating because you know what. ambessa is an interesting character. and caitlyn's relationship with ambessa was also super interesting because it paralleled the mother-daughter relationships of caitlyn & counselor kiramman, and mel & ambessa. ambessa elevated caitlyn's character from something akin to stale bread dressed in a girlboss copaganda fit, to something actually intriguing to watch.

but of course all that is thrown away because the show apparently didn't have time to do a full caitlyn redemption arc, which would've further developed the character, while simultaneously unpacking the damage she did to zaun and to vi&jinx's relationship. but nope we didn't get that! instead she betrays ambessa off-screen for the sake of a stupid plot twist and because "she was loyal to vi all along!!!! that's the power of love!!!!" and like i love a good sappy wholesome "power of love" moment, but this wasn't it, man. this came out of nowhere and it just felt so jarring, automatically undoing all of caitlyn's development thus far (a negative arc is still character development). and not only does it somehow just undo all the damage she's done, but also just... brushes past it??? like that girl was wearing a whole ass villain cape and everything and we're just... gonna brush past that? okay.

and look. the thing is, i wouldn't be AS salty about this if the ENDING, at least, was different. like maybe if sevika got a word in during any part of act 3. or if the people of zaun were given more agency in rising up against her regime. OR MAYBE if jinx didn't have to DIE in order for CAITLYN to get her happy ending with vi. and yes, maybe jinx didn't actually die and she did manage to survive, but the people who love and care about her (sevika and ekko) are still left behind, unhappy, while she (presumably) left aboard the airship to who-knows-where. and as a side note i would also like to add that ekko is the fucking boy saviour, the MVP of the entire show who saved EVERYONE from viktor, yet he didn't get a happy ending but was left sitting there all alone, not even with his band of firelights! like come on!

but getting back on subject. the story didn't even show vi properly mourning or acknowledging the loss of her sister in the epilogue. instead more focus is given to caitlyn. no mention of jinx in that last caitvi scene. instead it focuses on caitvi's relationship ("are you still in this fight, violet? / "i'm the dirt under your nails, cupcake. nothing is gonna clean me out." even the episode title is taken from that line). season 2 featured caitlyn as a more major protagonist than vi, with the opening episode and even the closing scenes centering on her. and that, ultimately, is where so much of my frustration towards her character is coming from. it feels like the story of two sisters, vi & jinx, was superceded by caitlyn, and what was initially assumed to be paranoia-induced jealousy from jinx towards caitlyn in season 1 suddenly makes sense. caitlyn entered the picture and immediately jinx is forced out of it, in so many ways.

[whatatime2balive]

It's (Not) My Right To Be Hellish

Pairing: Caitlyn x Vi

(A/n: I made this fic last night and completely forgot to post it to my tumblr account. I will post the ao3 link right after this.  I found out that the creator of Arcane had a headcanon that Vi had a prison wife and I was like "what if I used that in a fic to cause problems!" Alright, so this essentially takes place after the battle act 2 in season 2. We're just pretending that some random magical occurrence stopped the fight early and both sides had to retreat with minimal casualties. Also this is post heartbreaking apology from Caitlyn so her and Vi are friends again. I have not seen act 3 yet so this is all merely under the assumption of everything I know now. Anyways, I love jealousy fics so please enjoy and let me know what you think!)

Vi feels dead on her feet, which is a rather common occurrence these days. As she walked alongside Caitlyn and Maddie, she began replaying the past few weeks in her head as she usually does no matter how hard she tries to ignore it. The battle against Ambessa ended before it even really began. After Isha shot that gun into the air, a massive earthquake broke out which completely destabilized the surface everyone was standing on. It didn't matter what side you were fighting for, everyone immediately fled to get to safety. Honestly, Vi thinks it's a blessing in disguise.

Vander's condition is still up in the air, but they're holding out hope he will pull through. Isha was badly injured from the blast, but they managed to get her to a hospital before the kid went beyond the point of no return. Poor girl can't stay conscious for more than ten minutes, but she's stable and the doctors said she will only improve from here. Jinx hasn't left Isha's side once since she was hospitalized.

And Jinx, well, it's so beyond complicated. As of right now, her and Caitlyn managed to find it in themselves to call a truce until Ambessa is no longer a threat. They're civil for now, so Vi's content.

The only thing that's significantly changed for the better is Vi's relationship with Caitlyn. After everyone fell back, Caitlyn pretty much broke down and apologized so many times that Vi lost track. Vi was hesitant to put any trust in her, even after the battle against Ambessa. It was more of a temporary team up than anything in her eyes.

But Caitlyn sure as hell made it her mission to prove herself. She's already jumping in and allocating resources back to Zaun to improve their quality of life even though it's only been three weeks since the battle. Seeing how invested Caitlyn is in helping the lives of the citizens in Zaun made Vi open up back up to her and before she knew it, it was like no time had passed at all between them. They were friends again.

The problem is that friends are all they would ever be.

Once the two girls reconciled, Caitlyn told Vi that her and Maddie slept together a couple of times in those four months they weren't on speaking terms. It's like someone took a knife to the Zaunite's chest and tore it open. That was Caitlyn's polite way of saying the kiss she shared with Vi was a one off thing that wouldn't happen again.

The minute Caitlyn finished telling her about the situation with Maddie, Vi had immediately cut her off and said that was perfectly fine. She physically did not think she could stand hearing a verbal rejection from Caitlyn, so Vi merely insisted it was no big issue and changed the subject. Vi can't even blame Maddie, who wouldn't fall in love with Caitlyn?

Even after everything that happened between them, the brawler is still a pathetic lovesick fool over that damn sharpshooter. But now that Caitlyn sincerely apologized and is actively righting her wrongs? Damn, Vi really wants to make out with her.

Yet, she can't. Maddie is the one dating Caitlyn, not Vi.

Vi can't even find it in herself to hate Maddie. As a matter of fact, she became rather fast friends with the shorter woman. Maddie's a sweet girl that's been pushing for peace since the first day she clocked in as an enforcer. She doesn't judge Vi for her past in Stillwater like many other enforcers do and she makes great company since Caitlyn's spent most of her time drowning in work as of late.

At the end of the day, it was probably for the best. Maddie's the kind of girl that can hang on Caitlyn's arm without people watching them in disdain. Since Vi gets more and more pathetic by the day, she will take any small morsels of friendship Caitlyn will offer her.

Even if it hurts, Vi really is just grateful to have that damn unhinged mongoose in her life. Just being friends would be enough. It had to be. Though it certainly doesn't help that Vi essentially moved in with Caitlyn until she can find a place of her own. It doesn't seem to bother Maddie, so Vi's been trying to keep an appropriate distance between herself and the Piltover girl.

Life isn't perfect. Far from it. But Vi has hope now. That is so much more than she could have said one month ago.

Today was beyond draining. She's so fucking exhausted, it was probably a mistake to agree to going out tonight. But, well, Maddie insisted that the two of them along with Caitlyn should get a couple drinks at a nice bar to take a bit of the edge off. Vi's pretty sure there's not enough alcohol in all of Piltover to get all her edges off, but she supposed relaxing even a little bit is progress.

So here Vi is, walking at Caitlyn's right while Maddie is strolling on the tall woman's left as they venture to the bar Vi can't even remember the name of. Vi was snapped out of her inner musings when Maddie lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

"Earth to Vi? You in there?" Maddie softly asked.

"Yeah, sorry, I totally zoned out for a hot minute. What were you saying?" Vi asked apologetically.

"I was saying how excited I am to take a breather. It feels like everything around us has only been getting more and more stressful. A chance to unwind is going to do us all some good," Maddie confidently told her.

"Especially you, Vi. Every time I see you, your brows are furrowed," Caitlyn giggled.

To prove her point, Caitlyn lightly dragged her finger against the middle of Vi's brows to smooth out the creases. Vi didn't even know she was furrowing her brows at all. Caitlyn gently stroked the spot a couple more times and Vi could already feel herself start to lean into the touch. How the hell is she so pathetic that the smallest form of physical contact makes her melt?

"What can I say Cup- oh shit I'm dying," Vi hastily blurted out while pretending to cough.

Calling Caitlyn cupcake is a habit Vi is trying really hard to break. She's seen Maddie look upset a couple times when Vi uses the nickname, so out of respect for their relationship, she's been trying to stop. Vi totally gets it. She knows if she were Caitlyn's girlfriend, another girl giving her some cutesy nickname would piss Vi off to no end.

"You alright Vi?" Maddie frowned.

"Yeah, managed to choke on air somehow. I'm just special that way," Vi lied.

At least she caught herself before saying the full nickname. Vi was about to say something else when a feminine voice behind them started to speak.

"Well I'll be damned. If it isn't inmate 516, roaming free once more," the soft voice laughed.

With absolutely zero hesitation, Vi grabbed the shirts of the two enforcers and dragged them into the alleyway that was conveniently right next to them.

"Get your guns out now," Vi hissed.

Caitlyn already had her rifle pointed before Vi could even finish the sentence. Maddie took a split second before following her boss's lead.

"Who on Earth is that?" Maddie whispered quietly.

"Admittedly, I don't know. But they called me by my prison number and everyone in Stillwater absolutely despised me. Not to mention the fact that anyone who's ever known me has tried beating my ass at least once. Better not chance it," Vi whispered back.

"Oh c'mon Babe, do you really not recognize me? I'm hurt, truly," the voice giggled.

Vi's eyes widened and she stepped out of the alleyway, ignoring both Caitlyn and Maddie's protests. Only one woman has ever called her babe.

"Holy shit. Sarah?" Vi asked with wide eyes.

The figure right before her is wearing a cloak covering her face. Then she pulled it back to confirm Vi's suspicions. Standing right in front of her is Miss Sarah Fortune in the flesh.

"Miss me Babe? I know I missed you," Sarah grinned with open arms.

Vi laughed in pure disbelief and rushed into the other woman's arms. Sarah immediately wrapped her arms around the shorter woman and pulled her in even closer. Vi genuinely can't believe it. After all these years, here she stands, alive and well. Oh, what a relief.

"Of course I missed you. I'm honestly surprised you didn't get your ass thrown back into Stillwater," Vi cackled, holding onto her even tighter.

Sarah looks like she always did, but now she's so much more alive than Vi has ever seen in Stillwater. Obviously, prison tends to dull the average person's inner light and everything, but Sarah very clearly is thriving post imprisonment. Her ginger hair has a shine now that it didn't before, those bright blue eyes held much more wonder, and her lightly tanned skin is much softer than it used to be. Being a free woman suits her well.

"Clearly, our guns are unnecessary in this particular scenario. Who's your friend Vi?" Maddie asked while lowering her gun.

"Yes. Tell us, Vi. Who is your friend?" Caitlyn asked with narrowed eyes.

The way she said friend kind of sounds like the way most people would say disease. She didn't even lower her gun yet. That girl really needs a drink.

"Huh. Never thought you of all people would be rolling with enforcers," Sarah said, still locking Vi in an embrace.

Right, the other two girls are still in uniform. She can understand why Sarah would be weary.

"Ah, well Maddie, Caitlyn, this is Sarah. Sarah, Caitlyn and Maddie. It's a long story, but you can trust them. Maddie's never given me any shit for my past in Stillwater and Caitlyn's the one who actually got me released," Vi explained.

At this point, Sarah unwound herself from the hug. Then, to Vi's immense surprise, she held her hand out to Caitlyn.

"In that case, I should be thanking you. If anyone ever deserved to be free, it's Vi," Sarah said.

"Of course. Vi deserves the world," Caitlyn simply stated while cordially shaking her hand.

Vi is going to try really hard not to blush at that. Try is the key word here. Sarah then went to shake Maddie's hand as well. Apparently living in the free world made the woman civilized. That’s something Vi did not expect.

"Nice to meet you both. I'm sure if you guys can put up with Vi's bitching, you must be alright," Sarah grinned.

Maddie laughed. Caitlyn did not, which surprised Vi because that would be a perfect opportunity to make fun of her. To be fair, Cait's been off tonight anyways. Vi simply scowled and shoved Sarah lightly.

"Please, you know you missed me and my bitching," Vi scoffed playfully.

Sarah grinned and slung her arms around Vi's shoulder. The brawler didn't mind the contact, she's always been a touchy feely kind of person with the people she cares about. Sarah's always been rather physically affectionate too, so this is nothing out of the ordinary. The next words she said were not as ordinary.

"I also miss making you my bitch," Sarah whispered into Vi's ear so quietly only she could hear it.

Vi blushed bright right and immediately nailed the redhead in the stomach with her elbow over the sexual innuendo. Sarah laughed and managed to keep her arms over Vi's shoulders.

"Arrest her on the counts of being insufferable," Vi groaned.

"Please, we'd both be locked up for life," Sarah snorted.

"You two are hilarious together. It's pretty cool that you two are able to reunite now of all times. How long have you guys been friends for?" Maddie asked them.

"Vi and I were a lot more than friends back in Stillwater," Sarah said with a shit eating grin.

It would appear that the blush has only gotten worse. It's so embarrassing that her first instinct is to downplay the relationship so that Caitlyn doesn't get the wrong idea, only for Vi to immediately remember Caitlyn does not give a damn. The woman is in a relationship for god's sake. She does not care about Vi's love life, past or otherwise.

"If you want to get technical about it, yes, she was my prison wife. For what, two years?" Vi answered while looking to Sarah for confirmation.

"I thought it was three. To be fair, time bleeds together when you're imprisoned," Sarah shrugged.

"Something like that. Point is, we were prison wives until like a year before Caitlyn busted me out. She just up and disappeared one day," Vi told them.

"Fuck, I am so sorry about that. I didn't know it at the time, but an old friend of mine pulled some strings and got me out early. I had no idea I was getting let out until I was literally dragged by my hair out the door. I tried convincing my friend to get you out too but their pull was only for one favor. I would have written letters but," Sarah trailed off guiltily.

Vi knew. Stillwater doesn't allow any contact from the outside world. Letters are a no go out there. The shorter woman nudged her former lover slightly.

"Relax, Red. I'm happy you got out. You didn't know, you couldn't exactly give me a heads up. Besides, I'm here now too, so everything kind of worked out," Vi told her sincerely.

She honestly meant it too. Sarah's made some nasty mistakes, obviously since she wound up in Stillwater, but she really is a good person deep down. Vi really has always cared about Sarah. It's hard not to when she was the only source of positive human interactions Vi had in that hellhole.

"Well, it has been lovely meeting you, but we have plans tonight, so we really must get going. I do hope we didn't disturb any plans you might have as well," Caitlyn said urgently, already ushering Vi away.

Why did she sound like they're in such a rush? Oh shit, do they have a reservation? Or are they supposed to be there by a certain time? Vi definitely wouldn't have spent the whole time just talking and standing in place if she knew.

"Ah, don't worry about it, I don't have anything to do tonight," Sarah shrugged.

"Really? Then you should join us! You guys seem like you'd have a bit to catch up on. Besides, the more the merrier right?" Maddie asked while looking at Caitlyn.

"I'm not entirely sure where we're going is Sarah's scene," Caitlyn started quietly.

"Oh, that's a great idea! Do you mind, Cait?" Vi asked her.

Caitlyn looked over at her for a moment and Vi could have sworn her eyes softened. Maybe that's just her being delusional.

"If you really want her around, I don't see why not," Caitlyn said with a smile that looked a little too strained to be sincere.

Vi was focusing more on the fact that she could actually interact with Sarah without someone ready to beat them up at all times. She's relieved that the other two women were nice enough to include Sarah.

"Please tell me we're going for drinks," Sarah sighed as the four of them started to resume their walking.

"You must be a mind reader. Maddie and Caitlyn say the place is great, but I've never been so we're taking their word for it," Vi told her.

Sarah nodded as she moved her arm from Vi's shoulder only to link their arms together. It's nice. Familiar and warm. Sarah's always been a source of comfort for Vi. Looks like some things never change.

"Wait, how did you know it was me when you called out? I was faced away from you and my hair's dyed black. How'd you recognize me?" Vi questioned.

"Babe, I know those back tattoos like I know my right hand," Sarah smirked.

Vi is going to really fight down the blush this time and merely rolled her eyes. Of course she'd say something like that. To be fair, her tattoos are very distinctive, even for people who didn't use to kiss them. Vi kind of wonders what it would be like if Caitlyn kissed her tattoos-nope! Not going to go there.

"I gotta say, I love the black hair on you, but I miss the red. It was just so, Vi," Sarah smiled.

"Yeah, I'm planning on dying it back to my natural hair color soon. The black hair's been fun, but I miss the red too," Vi told her.

"If you need help, I can do it. I'm pretty good at dyeing hair," the redhead informed her.

"That is a very thoughtful offer, but I already agreed to it. I've even got the dye back home. You don't need to worry about it," Caitlyn told her with an almost vicious smile.

Perfect, now Caitlyn and Sarah are glaring at each other. Something tells Vi this is going to be a long night.

**********************

Through the whole walk to the bar Vi still doesn't know the name of, Caitlyn's been acting odd. Like, really odd. She keeps side eyeing Vi and Sarah's interlinked arms while giving Sarah very terse answers. It's really unlike Caitlyn to be so blatantly rude to someone she just met. She wasn't even this bad when she got Vi out of Stillwater.

Vi is starting to suspect that Cait and Maddie got into a bit of a fight earlier. Any time Maddie tries initiating any sort of physical touch, Caitlyn always shies away. Granted, Caitlyn always shies away from Maddie's touch, but Vi's pretty sure that's because of her enforcer reputation. She mainly thinks the two fought because of Cait's attitude towards Sarah.

Vi supposes it doesn't matter that much. Sarah's not bothered by it and Vi can't think of many scenarios where the two would frequently cross paths. It's also very possible that their personalities just don't click.

After what feels like years, the quartet made it to the bar. It was a nice place that had a soothing atmosphere about it. Perfect establishment to take a moment to wind down for a minute.

"I intruded on your plans, first rounds on me. What do you guys drink?" Sarah asked.

Caitlyn opened her mouth, probably to interject, but Maddie thankfully beat her to the punch.

"Oh, thank you! I'll have an old fashioned and Cait usually goes for a gin and tonic right?" Maddie asked while looking at the other woman.

Caitlyn simply nodded in response. Vi opened her mouth to tell her order only for Sarah to wave her off.

"Whiskey sour, I know what you're about. Take a seat and I'll find you guys," Sarah nodded.

The three of them moved to sit at a table with four chairs. Vi was sitting across from Caitlyn and Maddie went to the chair next to Caitlyn's. There was a moment of really awkward silence before Maddie spoke up.

"Man, what are the chances you run into her after over a year of not being able to see each other?" the shorter woman asked.

"I know, I'm still kind of reeling a bit myself. To tell you the truth, I was worried about her. I didn't know she was getting let out early. I had been terrified that something worse happened," Vi sighed.

"Thank god everything worked out. She seems like a pretty cool person. What do you think, Cait?" Maddie asked.

"She's fine," Caitlyn deadpanned.

Damn, so she does not Sarah at all. It disappoints Vi a little bit even though it probably shouldn't. Vi just wishes all the important people in her life could just get along. At that moment, Sarah returned with their drinks. A small round of thank yous went around the table.

"Now then, who wants to hear humiliating stories about Vi when she was in prison?" Sarah smirked.

"I know I do," Maddie teased.

"Literally don't even start with me or I swear I'm drinking your shot," Vi glared.

By god, Vi had so many embarrassing moments in prison. She did not need the girl she liked or the girl she liked's girlfriend to have this kind of dirt on her.

"Babe, trust me, you don't want my shot. So basically, Vi walked up to this guard right," Sarah started.

"That's it, fuck you," Vi glared and snatched the shot.

"Babe, you really don't," Sarah started, but it was too late to save Vi.

The moment the alcohol hit her taste buds, Vi had to fight the urge to retch. Sarah quickly put the chaser to Vi's lips and managed to get her to swallow it. Vi winced and covered her mouth. That was such a mistake, why does she do this to herself?

"Are you alright? I don't think I've ever seen alcohol hit you that hard," Caitlyn asked, voice laced with concern.

"You know, it's actually the funniest thing, Vi can not stand vodka. She's totally good with every other kind of alcohol, but for whatever reason her body just can't handle vodka," Sarah told her.

The redhead is now soothingly rubbing Vi's back as she tries to recover from that heinous shot. All Vi's focused on is not physically convulsing. It would appear that her pettiness gave her some immediate karma.

"I totally deserved that," Vi managed to groan out. Sarah laughed and squeezed her shoulder.

"Probably. I'll be back. For obvious reasons, I need another drink," Sarah chuckled.

"Now obviously I don't know much about your guys' relationship, but you and Sarah look pretty good together, Vi," Maddie teased once Sarah left.

"Please, Vi could do better than that," Caitlyn scoffed while rolling her eyes.

"Hey, I get you're probably weary of her because she was thrown in Stillwater, but Sarah's not so bad," Vi insisted. She felt a very strong urge to defend her friend after everything she's been through.

"I'm getting another drink," was all Caitlyn said before leaving the table.

Vi hadn't even noticed Caitlyn's drink was already gone at this point. She must have guzzled that thing.

"I'm so sorry, I'll go talk to her. I don't understand what is with her tonight," Maddie sighed as she got up to follow the other enforcer.

Vi nodded and took a small sip of her own drink. She really didn't get Caitlyn's problem with Sarah. Even if it was the whole she's an enforcer and Sarah was an inmate, by that logic Maddie would be acting the same way.

At once, the answer hit Vi like a ton of bricks. Of course, Caitlyn's blatant disdain for Sarah is so obvious now! Sarah must have gotten in trouble with the law and Caitlyn had to take care of it!

That made perfect sense. It genuinely would have surprised the Zaunite to know that her ex managed to stay out of trouble with the law. While Sarah certainly wouldn't do anything major to draw attention to herself after Stillwater, it would be just like her to commit some petty theft crime. Caitlyn must have been one of the enforcers that had to deal with Sarah. It explains literally everything about how those two dislike each other.

That even explains why Maddie is perfectly fine with Sarah. She's a junior officer that just started going on the field, so it's likely she hasn't dealt with too many run-ins with criminals.

"Hey, where'd the enforcers go?" Sarah asked as she returned to her seat.

"Caitlyn needed another drink and Maddie followed," Vi explained.

She figured she's just going to ask Caitlyn about whatever Sarah did later. After so long of not being able to see one of her closest friends, she doesn't want to taint the memory of getting into whatever stupid shit she's done since her release. Obviously whatever Sarah did was either insignificant or already taken care of since Caitlyn isn't trying to arrest her.

Vi twisted herself a little bit in her seat to get a better look at Sarah. It's the first time they've been aloneish since reuniting and she looks more vulnerable now. More open. Sarah took one of Vi's hands in hers and squeezed it gently.

"I was worried about leaving you in there," Sarah admitted quietly.

"I was worried about what happened to you when you left," Vi softly told her.

"I meant what I said to that enforcer chick. If anyone ever deserved to be free, it's you," the redhead smiled.

"You give me too much credit," Vi chuckled.

"You don't give yourself enough. I will say, even though I'm happy we're both out of Stillwater and everything, I think it's so fucked up that we can't even have sex anymore. The sex was good when we were in prison, imagine how awesome it would've been as free women," Sarah sighed mournfully.

"Oh, why can't we have sex now?" Vi asked in confusion.

Vi doubts Sarah's in a relationship given what she just said and how touchy she's been throughout the night. Maybe she got an injury or something?

"What, are you forgetting about that blue haired girlfriend of yours that looks like she wants to pull that gun on me every time I interact with you?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What? Cait and I? No, her and Maddie or dating. I'm single," Vi clarified.

Honestly, it feels like a slap in the face for her to have assumed Caitlyn liked her back. Vi prays she's not obvious in her feelings, she does not need or want to cause anymore problems.

"Well if that's the case, I feel bad for the Maddie chick. Blue Hair does not like her," Sarah scoffed. Vi opened her mouth to defend the relationship before Sarah leaned in close. "But more importantly, you're still single?"

Vi laughed and nodded. Sarah stared at her for a long moment, as if she was considering something.

"Sail away with me," Sarah decided to say. Vi's brain short-circuited.

"Huh?" Vi ever so eloquently asked.

"I've got a boat, a decent sized crew, and a world undiscovered. C'mon, think about it. You, me, the vast open sea, a lot of sex," Sarah teased.

"Oh my god do not tempt me right now, that sounds so nice," Vi sighed.

It really, really did. The idea of just dumping all her problems here and sailing off with the beautiful redhead sounded too good to be true. She could ignore the pain of losing her family, of losing Caitlyn, of losing everything she held dear.

"But I can't. I'm sure you've heard about the issues with Piltover, Zaun, and Noxus. We're getting ready for war. I have to protect my people. All of them," Vi frowned.

"Disappointed, but not surprised. You've always been a fighter, that's why you got your ass thrown into solitary half the time. I get it. Even so, now that I know you're free, you're stuck with staying in contact with me now. I'll write you so many letters you'll get sick of my handwriting. I'll be telling you where the ports I go to are, so you'll have no excuse to not write me back," Sarah smiled.

"You got yourself a deal, Red," Vi grinned.

"And hey, maybe when the dust settles, you can sail around for at least a little bit with me. The offer will always stand," Sarah told her.

"I will hold you to that," Vi nodded.

Just because she can't ditch her responsibilities at the current moment in time doesn't mean that a vacation in the future is out of the question. Granted, this is under the assumption that Vi gets to have a future, but there's no need for technicalities right now.

"Well, I am still here for a couple weeks, so that sex offer is still on the table," Sarah whispered, leaning in close.

Vi, yet again, is tempted. Sarah knows what she likes and is familiar to her. Vi might not burn at her touch or yearn for the smallest bit of contact the way she does with Caitlyn, but Sarah is still wonderful. Vi was saved from making a decision when a glass cup slammed on the table. Both former inmates jolted and looked up to see Caitlyn giving them a stare that kind of made Vi fear for her life.

"Sorry. I saw a spider," Caitlyn plainly said. Vi's eyes widened and she quickly stood up.

"Oh please tell me you got that little fucker," Vi hissed.

"I didn't take you for an arachnophobe, Violet. You can take down fully grown men twice your size but you're running at the first sight of a tiny spider. It's cute, really," Caitlyn teased with a glint in her eyes.

Vi felt warmth spread across her chest. That's the Caitlyn she knows and loves. Hopefully that drink she got is helping at least a little bit.

"Oh whatever, Cup-Caitlyn," Vi snorted, internally kicking herself for the slip up of the nickname.

Whatever enjoyment Caitlyn had from messing with Vi was immediately gone. The woman across from her grimaced and looked down at her drink. Shit, now even Caitlyn's getting uncomfortable with that nickname.

Vi resisted the urge to sigh and took a swig of her own drink. It really is going to be a long night.

**********************

Once the four of them decided that they drank enough for the night, Sarah split off from the group once they left the bar. She was close to the port where her boat's docked, so there wasn't a need to walk her home or anything. Once Vi and Sarah shared a quick hug and exchanged contact information, the redhead was off.

The walk back to Caitlyn's place was mostly silent. A tension Vi can't quite place was swimming all over the trio. It felt like forever until they reached the Kiramman household. Caitlyn gave Maddie a quick farewell and walked through the front doors.

So admittedly, Vi was under the impression they would be walking Maddie home. When she realized she was actually quite wrong, Vi gave Maddie a hasty goodbye and followed Caitlyn.

When Vi walked through the front doors, Caitlyn was sitting on the couch and pouring herself another drink. Apparently she simply did not get enough in the past two hours. Vi figures now is as good a time as any to broach the subject of whatever Sarah did.

"Alright, you can be honest with me, what the hell did she do?" Vi sighed as she sat next to Caitlyn.

"What the hell did who do?" the taller woman asked.

"Sarah. What did she do?" Vi asked.

"I'm not following," Caitlyn plainly stated.

"What crime did Sarah commit after she's been free? Her impulse control has always been shit, it doesn't surprise me that she's had a run in with the law. Just tell me what she did," Vi sighed. Caitlyn looked her up and down for a moment, then turned away from her.

"If Sarah's done anything illegal, I wouldn't know about it," Caitlyn told her.

Vi's jaw actually dropped. A million questions are going through her head right now. However, she only verbalized one.

"The what the fuck is your problem with Sarah?" Vi blurted out.

Caitlyn yet again slammed her cup on the table in front of her. Vi's surprised it didn't shatter upon impact.

"Do not taunt me, you know very well why I don't like her," Caitlyn spat.

Vi has genuinely never been as lost as she is right now. How in the fresh hell is she supposed to know why Caitlyn dislikes Sarah to this extent?

"No, I really don't. Look, I get you might be weary of her past at Stillwater. Hell, I can't blame you for not liking her personality but," Vi started, only to get cut off by the woman in front of her.

"Personality? You think I don't like Sarah because of her fucking personality?" Caitlyn practically seethed.

"I quite literally can not comprehend any other reason!" Vi exclaimed in pure distress.

Actually what is happening right now. Caitlyn pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment. The Piltover woman clenched her jaw and looked directly into Vi's eyes.

"If you're really going to make me say it out loud, then fine, I'll say it. I don't like her because it is very obvious to me just how much you like her," Caitlyn scowled.

"I genuinely want you to know that I have never been more confused in my life than I am right now. Why does it matter if I like Sarah?" Vi asked.

"Everything you do matters to me!" Caitlyn snapped.

Vi's confusion is only worsening as she stares at Caitlyn. Her blue eyes held so much pain that it made Vi sick to her stomach. She wants to help. She wants to ease the pain Caitlyn is in immediately. Vi tried to find some kind of words of comfort but the other woman simply kept on going.

"It matters to me that you can't stand vodka. It matters to me that you still get nightmares about Stillwater. It matters to me that when you smile, your entire face glows. It matters to me that you've been pulling away from me. It matters to me that I deserve your rejection and hatred. It matters to me that I want so badly to be in your life and you don't want the same," Caitlyn blurted out, tears starting to well in her eyes.

Vi fought the urge to cry. It was so close to a confession and yet not. The Zaunite merely sighed and moved to grab the glass Caitlyn slammed on the table.

"You need to go to bed, Cait. You're dating Maddie, you really shouldn't be saying things like this," Vi sighed.

"What? I'm not dating Maddie," Caitlyn frowned.

Vi dropped the glass in shock. Miraculously, it didn't spill or shatter. When this emotional crisis is over, Vi has to know what kind of indestructible glass cups Caitlyn buys.

"What? I one hundred percent thought the two of you were together," Vi honestly told her.

"No, no, I never even considered it. I suppose we can tack that on the list of reasons why I'm a terrible person. I was always clear with Maddie that our relationship was only physical and bound to be temporary. I think she got a bit too hopeful along the way," Caitlyn sighed.

Holy shit. Vi's actually the dumbest woman alive. To the shock of absolutely no one, unfortunately. Okay quick Vi, stop staring at her like a dumbass and actually say something to comfort her. Vi moved closer to Caitlyn and firmly held onto her hand.

"I never hated you. I couldn't even if I wanted to. I've been pulling away because I thought you were dating Maddie. I didn't want to cause any problems there so I thought giving you space was the best thing to do. I mean, you even seemed to hate it when I called you Cupcake. I slipped up a couple times tonight and you just looked so upset. I thought I was just doing what you wanted," Vi shrugged.

"I only looked disappointed tonight because you kept correcting yourself. I never thought I'd want to be called something as ridiculous as a cupcake until you stopped calling me one," Caitlyn softly admitted

"Hey, you take that back. Cupcake's aren't ridiculous, they're absolutely delightful," Vi softly joked.

A small smile swept over Caitlyn's face that made Vi's heart pound in her chest. There has never been a more beautiful smile than the one right in front of her.

"Why did you think I was dating Maddie?" Caitlyn suddenly asked.

"It may seem stupid now, but it's because you told me about the fact that you guys slept together. I took it as your way of telling me that kiss didn't matter and was a one time thing. So I just kind of changed the subject to avoid hearing it out loud," Vi sheepishly told her.

"I only told you about Maddie because I was trying to be honest and have you hear it from me. Looking back, it probably would have made more sense to ask you out before mentioning it. I thought you brushing it off and changing the subject was your way of saying you weren't interested. I didn't blame you, especially after everything," Caitlyn sighed.

"You know I've already forgiven you and I already know you meant it. I just can't believe we're both this stupid. See, this is expected behavior from me, but I thought you were smarter than this Cupcake," Vi teased.

Caitlyn let out a laugh this time which sent Vi into a fight of giggles too. Once their laughter died down, Caitlyn reached out and gently cupped her hands under Vi's face. The Zaunite leaned into the warm touch, feeling a sense of peace wash over her.

"Will you just be my girlfriend? It doesn't matter how long I have to wait or what I need to do, I want you to know that I adore you and no matter what the future holds, I want you by my side. I'm going to work every day to be deserving of you so I just," Caitlyn rambled before Vi cut her off with a kiss.

"Yeah, I'll be your girlfriend, Cupcake," Vi giggled once they pulled apart.

Caitlyn looked like someone told her she won the lottery with how ecstatic she looked. It filled Vi's heart with joy knowing she's responsible for that look. It was at that moment that Vi came to another realization.

"At least the mystery of tonight is finally solved. You were so jealous of Sarah it made you seem insane," Vi grinned. Caitlyn blushed and rolled her eyes.

"So what if I was?" the Piltover woman grumbled.

Vi honestly wasn't expecting her to admit it, especially not so quickly. She simply chuckled and moved in to kiss Caitlyn's cheek.

"You don't have to be. I've only got eyes for you, Cupcake," Vi smiled.

"You should know you don't have to worry about Maddie. As totally fucked up as it is to say, I only started sleeping with her because her eyes reminded of yours," Caitlyn sighed.

"I think what's even more fucked up is how happy that makes me," Vi honestly stated.

Before she could even blink, Caitlyn yanked Vi in for another kiss. This one was different from the first. It was desperate, hungry, and it made Vi feel like she just got lit on fire.

The Zaunite kissed back with just as much vigor. Caitlyn broke the kiss only to move her lips down Vi's neck. Those soft lips pressed hot, open mouthed kisses along her neck. Vi audibly gasped when Caitlyn found the crook of her neck.

Caitlyn got the message that it was her sweet spot and started sucking at the vulnerable spot. Vi moaned at the unexpected action at an embarrassingly high volume. In an attempt to recover some of her dignity, Vi bit her lip to prevent any noises from coming out. Caitlyn pulled back a bit and frowned at the sight.

"As hot as you are biting your lip, I want to hear you. I've wanted this for so long words can't even describe it," Caitlyn said.

With that, she returned to making sure no spot on Vi's neck is left untouched by her lips. Vi could only cling onto Caitlyn's shirt as she was ravaged by the taller woman. Reluctantly, Vi allowed the low moans and gasps to escape her lips.

"How do you feel about taking some clothes off, hmm?" Caitlyn asked, searching Vi's eyes for any sense of hesitation. There was absolutely none.

"Let me touch you, Cupcake, please. I need to," Vi begged.

Caitlyn didn't need much convincing. While Caitlyn took both her pants and shirt off, Vi could only manage yanking off her shirt before getting pulled into the other woman. Now they're both laying side by side on the thankfully large couch, bodies entangled with one another.

Holy fuck, this is really happening.

"Tell me what you want from me Caitlyn, shit. I'll do anything you need me to," Vi breathlessly told her.

"Aren't you a good girl, hmm? So eager to please," Caitlyn smirked.

Vi blushed brightly at the call out while Caitlyn took off her bra. She guided Vi's head down to her breasts. Safe to say, the shorter woman got the message really quick. Vi took her beautiful girlfriend's left nipple in her mouth and traced the areola with her tongue. Caitlyn gasped and put a hand in Vi's hair, urging her closer.

As her mouth was working on Caitlyn's breast, Vi's hands began trailing up and down the taller woman's soft sides. She gently massaged and squeezed them, allowing Caitlyn to melt under her touch. Her mouth quickly went to the right nipple and began to give it the same treatment as the left. Caitlyn's ragged breathing is merely edging her on. Vi can already feel herself getting wet from everything she's doing to her lover.

"Inside, I need you to put your fingers inside me," Caitlyn insisted while tossing her underwear off.

She certainly didn't need to tell Vi twice. That doesn't mean Vi won't mess with her a little bit. The Zaunite began slowly trailing the tips of her fingers down Caitlyn's stomach while still giving her chest plenty of attention. Eventually, her fingers made it to Caitlyn's cunt and holy fuck was it wet.

Both women audibly gasped when Vi made contact with Cait's slit. Vi decided she was going to be a little playful and began slowly stroking two fingers up and down the Piltover woman's sex without actually entering inside her. Caitlyn's grip on her head tightened and caused a delightful sting.

Caitlyn began bucking her hips in hopes of getting Vi's fingers inside, but at just the right time the Zaunite would manage to pull back. When Vi looked up, she could see the blissed out face on her lover and that sent a wave of heat straight to her core.

She's honestly having the time of her life teasing Caitlyn. The whimpers of being so close yet not quite getting what she wanted was driving Vi absolutely mad. Then, Caitlyn cupped Vi's face and pulled her away from the breast she was paying special attention to. When Vi looked at Caitlyn, she was an expression the Zaunite had never seen before. It was a calculating look that meant business.

"I'm warning you right now, you can tease me as long as you like, but I promise you I will return the favor tenfold when I get my hands on you. Now are you going to be a good girl and fuck me, or are you going to continue acting like you have control?" Caitlyn firmly asked her.

If Vi wasn't sure if she had a praise kink before, she knows she does now. The prospect of being a good girl was the push Vi needed to slowly slip one finger inside of Caitlyn's beautiful cunt. Plus, she's hot when she's bossy. Caitlyn moaned lowly and grabbed onto Vi's back.

"Another one," the Piltover woman managed to command.

Very eager to see her girlfriend come, Vi did as instructed. The second finger slipped inside with absolutely zero resistance. There Vi sat, absolutely mesmerized at the sight of Caitlyn taking in two of Vi's fingers. She's starting to think she might actually come from this sight alone.

"You're so beautiful clenching on my fingers like this Cait, holy fuck," Vi whispered.

The other woman almost immediately tightened around Vi. Looks like she's not the only one that enjoys a bit of complimenting during sex.

Vi bit her lip as she slowly began to pick up the pace of pushing her fingers inside of Caitlyn's wet pussy. She can feel her girlfriend's walls tighten around her, signaling she's coming to her high soon. Without letting up the pace, Vi leaned down and swallowed Caitlyn's moans with a kiss. Caitlyn wrapped her arms around Vi's neck and tugged her in as close as possible.

"Fuck, keep going, I'm so close," Caitlyn moaned.

Given how fucking tight she is, Vi certainly believes that statement. Vi's fingers began pumping impossibly faster as Caitlyn desperately rutted her hips upward. Caitlyn clutched onto Vi's shoulders as she finally hit her sweet release. With a loud moan, Caitlyn rode out her high on Vi's fingers.

This is probably the hottest thing the Zaunite has seen in her entire life. The woman she's in love with is desperately trying to regain her breath after Vi just gave her an orgasm. This is a memory she will be cherishing for years to come.

Vi slowly took her fingers out of Caitlyn and brought them to her lips. While making direct eye contact with her, Vi tastes Caitlyn's arousal still coating her fingers.

"Tastes sweet. You know, like a cupcake," Vi grinned.

"You are so annoying," the taller woman huffed with no real bite in her voice.

Caitlyn let out a small giggle before yanking Vi down into another searing kiss. It ended way too shortly when Caitlyn pulled away. Then, the Piltover woman looked at Vi and frowned.

"You're wearing way too many clothes. We're going to need to change that," Caitlyn told her.

At once, Caitlyn got to work on undoing her chest bindings. Vi was so focused on kicking off her pants that she didn't notice the white piece of paper slip from her pocket. Apparently, Caitlyn did.

"What's this note for? And why does it say 'when you're ready to sail away with me'?" Caitlyn frowned.

Vi took a moment to process the question because of how elated she was over the fact that she made Caitlyn come. The Zaunite glanced down at the paper before shrugging.

"Oh, Sarah wrote me that. She wanted me to leave with her when she went back to sea. For many obvious reasons I declined, but she still wrote down her next port so that I could write," Vi mumbled.

She didn't really care about the note. What she cared about was having Caitlyn on top of her. As it would turn out, Caitlyn cared quite a bit about said note. The Piltover woman crumpled the note and tossed it dismissively behind her.

"I'm going to make you come so hard you won't even remember your own name, much less her's. You're not going to want to sail away from me when I'm done with you," Caitlyn whispered darkly in Vi's ear.

That's way more attractive than it should have been. Now that Vi's pants and underwear are off, Caitlyn is starting to nip at the shorter woman's chest. Vi whimpered as her girlfriend's soft lips made contact with the valley between her breasts. She's so embarrassingly wet right now, she needs to come soon.

"Cupcake, please, I need you," Vi begged.

"Oh? Need me for what?" Caitlyn asked innocently as she continued to press kisses down to Vi's stomach.

The taunt made Vi want to scream in frustration. It's pretty damn obvious what Vi needs right about now.

"Touch me," Vi insisted.

"My poor darling, I am touching you. If you want something specific from me, you have to be a good girl and ask," Caitlyn smirked as her hands began massaging Vi's thighs.

Oh she's evil. It's like Caitlyn thinks Vi is just some whore that's going to be begging her to come!

Well, she would be correct, but Vi is not happy about it!

"Just eat me out already before I go insane!" the Zaunite whined.

Caitlyn's eyes flashed and before Vi could blink, her girlfriend was pressing open mouthed kisses on her cunt. Vi’s breath hitched in her throat as she slammed her hand over her mouth to stop her moans.

"If I don't get to hear you, you don't get to come. Now let me hear those pretty moans Vi, I won't tell you again," Caitlyn warned.

The fact that she's so vocal is absolutely humiliating to Vi, but the idea of not being able to come is so much worse. Therefore, Vi let her hand flop at her side so now the sounds she makes is all for Caitlyn's ears.

Caitlyn smiled and dragged her tongue up Vi's slit. The Zaunite physically did a full body shiver at the sensation. The pleasure crawled all the way up her spine in a way that was too intoxicating for words.

"Who's making you feel this good, hmm? Go on, say it," Caitlyn quietly hissed.

Vi really doesn't want to speak, her voice is just going to sound all shaky and awkward. But something tells her that Caitlyn is going to get it out of Vi, one way or another. Even if Vi's embarrassed, it's still really hot.

"Fuck, Cupcake, it's you. You make feel so fucking go- oh fuck," Vi gasped as Caitlyn's tongue went inside of her.

Feeling the Piltover woman's tongue inside of her is almost making her scream. She was already so wet and this is making it so worse. It's only a matter of time before Vi completely unravels.

Vi tried moving her hips to speed things along, but Caitlyn pinned them to the couch with her hands. All the Zaunite could do is lay there and take the pleasurable attack on her cunt.

"Tell me you're mine, darling. Tell me you're mine because I have always been yours," Caitlyn moaned into Vi's pussy.

"Fuck, Cupcake, I'm yours. Only yours, oh my god," Vi cried out.

Upon hearing those words, Caitlyn's tongue began vigorously circling Vi's clit. The taller woman began repeatedly pressing against her most sensitive spot and before she could even comprehend it, Vi was coming all over Caitlyn's face.

"Fuck," they both moaned at the same time.

They made eye contact for a moment before giggling like a couple of idiots. Caitlyn slowly moved up Vi's body and gave her kiss while her arousal was still coated over the Piltover woman's lips. Literally everything Caitlyn does is so hot.

Once they broke apart Caitlyn laid next to Vi and began gently messing with her hair. Vi yawned and leaned her head on Vi's shoulder.

"You feeling good? Do you need anything, my darling?" Caitlyn softly asked her.

Vi's tummy did a small backflip at the possessive 'my' in front of darling. The things this woman does to her is actually insane.

"I feel fucking amazing actually. All I need is you, Cupcake," Vi smiled.

"I have to say, I feel pretty fucking amazing myself," Caitlyn chuckled.

"Well then I did my job," Vi giggled.

"I love you, you know. I'm not expecting you to say it back, but I really think you need to," Caitlyn began, only to get cut off with Vi's lips on hers.

"I love you too. Good luck getting rid of me now, sucker," Vi smirked. Caitlyn simply laughed and pulled her in even closer.

"Sounds perfect to me, Vi. That sounds absolutely perfect."

**********************

That very morning, Caitlyn and Vi walked into town hand in hand. Vi was originally concerned that it would hurt her reputation to be with her in such an obviously romantic setting, but Caitlyn was having none of it. As they were strolling down the street, they met up with a couple enforcers that Vi remembers meeting but unfortunately forgot the name of. Oh shit, Maddie’s there too. Hopefully it’s not awkward or anything.

"Oh, congrats on getting back together you two!" the blonde woman smiled at seeing their joined hands.

“Aw, I’m for you guys! You make a sweet couple,” Maddie agreed.

Vi felt herself physically relax. Maddie’s not heartbreakingly upset, which is truly all Vi wanted. Even though Caitlyn may have never reciprocated Maddie’s feelings, she is clearly also relieved that she’s alright with this outcome.

"About time, Vi. That one was a wreck without you," the black haired man teased while pointing to Caitlyn. Vi laughed a bit while Caitlyn blushed.

"Thanks, but we never like, broke up or anything. This is the first time we've started dating," Vi told them.

"Wait seriously?" the blonde asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, it's true. Our relationship is quite new," Caitlyn told them.

"Wow. You guys were not good at hiding it," the blonde deadpanned.

Caitlyn and Vi looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. They were totally right, after all. The two women were awful at hiding their feelings for each other.

Vi smiled easily as the other three enforcers began rambling on about the plans they had coming up this week. Caitlyn gently squeezed Vi's hand which the Zaunite quickly returned. As long as they had each other, they would be alright.

"Hey Babe, how did- ah boo! You guys are totally dating now, aren't you?" the voice behind them identifiable as Sarah groans. Vi bit back a laugh as Caitlyn frowned at Sarah's presence.

"Yes, we are now very happily dating, Sarah," Vi grinned.

"I suppose I'm happy for you. But hey, if you're ever dating unhappily, you know I'm always available," Sarah smirked.

"Vi, grab my gun," Caitlyn deadpanned.

"Huh? Why?" Vi asked.

"Because I might actually shoot her," Caitlyn scowled.

"Yeah, alright, no gun for you," Vi mumbled as she hastily grabbed it from Caitlyn's holster.

And here Vi thought those two might get along now that the air has been cleared. Clearly, that will not be the case. Vi simply kissed Caitlyn's cheek and watched as a small smile graced the other woman's face.

At least now Vi has a little more incentive to survive Ambessa's wrath. A future with Caitlyn is, without a doubt, something worth fighting for.

[venomwrites]

Warnings: Spoilers

Her mail is full of threats. 

It’s sorted for safety, but then it winds up on her table. Pain filled accusation. She should have died instead, how the blade should have gone to her neck not her eye. Jinx should have killed her. How could she do what she did. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. She reads about people’s loved ones who sacrificed themselves. Sometimes people give their names. Most of the time they don’t. 

Caitlyn reads them all. 

She learns about people’s families. Friends. Their darkest desires. How they would kill her. She drinks the poison with her remaining eye. When it starts to throb she uses the drops the doctor gave her and keeps reading. She got these people killed. She can at least know them. When they name themselves she adds them to the list. She makes sure they get their dispensations from the funds and repairs are seen to. Piltover will take care of all its citizens. She will make sure of that. 

After an hour the threats start to bled together but she pushes past it as best she can. She cannot let these people’s pain blend together like that. They deserve so much more, but she can give them that at least. She is about to take a break when the violent blue ink peaks out at her. 

Everything goes still as she extracts the card. 

She doesn’t recognize the place on the front. Somewhere with mountains capped in snow. The card is bordered in yellow. On the front someone has harshly crossed out bright letters. They peak through the ink. WISH YOU WERE HERE. Caitlyn turns the card back to the side with the blue lettering. 

SHE BETTER BE EATING. 

Caitlyn nearly drops the card. There’s no return address. Hers is ‘the big kiramman house’ with nothing underneath it. There isn’t even a stamp. The handwriting is more precise than anything she’s seen from the bloody nailed girl. It’s like a child practicing their letters. Maybe that’s exactly what it is. 

Caitlyn lets out a breath. It’s plausible, they never found a body. Something occurs to Caitlyn and she begins to sort through the letters. Silently she apologizes to every one she pushes aside. She will come back to them. But her mail is delayed. There’s too much of it to sort through daily. So maybe—

Another flash of blue. 

A cityscape this time with strange, alien buildings. 

Wish you were (NOT) here.

TRY HUMMING TO HER IF SHE CAN’T SLEEP

Pink, this time pink. A river with grey animals hopping merrily by. The sun is setting. No wishes decorate the front. 

SHE HATES THE DARK

Blue ink with a blue card. An endless sky dotted with airships. Two figures have been drawn on the front, holding hands in one. 

SWEETS ARE HER FAVORITE

The last is a pink one to go with a wide red desert. Puffy blue clouds dot the sky. Instead of a message there’s a chart. A family tree. Vi’s name is connected to hers with a long line. 

She traces the line with her finger and feels the indent carved into the bottom. The others all have it too. Each card has a secret. She grabs a pencil and drags it lightly along the bottom, adding graphite to the ridges and revealing the words. 

REMIND 

HER

I’M 

ALWAYS 

THERE

Caitlyn’s throat tightens. Jinx doesn’t ask her not to tell. Caitlyn is eternally grateful. They both know she can’t do that but it would feel wrong somehow to go against a request like that. Jinx has sent her the cards. Caitlyn can imagine her thinking this was the right decision. A clean break. She thought she was doing the right thing. 

Vi is curled up in her bed. Caitlyn wishes she could have made it her bed under any other circumstances. She’s seen Vi sleep for weeks, bleed out, cry until she vomits—all in this bed. Every time Caitlyn sees her in it she wants to scream. Wants to drag her out of this room and to her bed. Where things were better, where things made sense. But Vi just curls tighter and ignores her when she tries to speak. 

It’s anything but a clean break. 

“Vi,” she says, announcing herself to the lump in the bed. Vi’s shoulders stiffen which is as much of a reaction as Caitlyn gets from her these days, “these came for me,” she continues, “I think you should read them.”

Vi turns away in refusal towards the darkness of the room. She’s got the curtains on one side of the bed closed. It lets in light and gives people access, but it also sends the clear message she doesn’t want to be bothered. All one would have to do is open the curtains on the other side. No-one dares. Caitlyn perches on the side of the bed. 

Caitlyn is not a music person. 

She has no idea what to hum. 

But she does. 

Grey eyes miserably turn towards her as Caitlyn tries to remember anything resembling a tune. Her parents tried to make her take music lessons but she was never good at them. Still she forces herself to keep going as skepticism seems to cut through even Vi’s stupor. Vi’s lips are pulled into a frown as she stares at her, slowly easing from her side to her back. The most life Caitlyn has seen in her. 

“That was awful, Cupcake,” Vi mumbles, “if I read those will you never do that again?”

Caitlyn could care less as she nods and hands the cards to Vi. She pulls the first one from her bad hand, turns it over and bolts upright so fast it’s a miracle their heads don’t smack together. Vi shoves herself fully into the light. 

“Where—“

“They arrived in the past week,” Caitlyn says, “I brought them as soon as I saw.” 

Vi shuffles through them five times, turning each card over like she is missing something. Caitlyn is not expecting it when she throws off the sheet and gets to her feet. She kneels down and spreads the cards out, looking at them again like she must be missing something. Caitlyn eases herself down next to her. 

“She’s alive,” Vi says numbly, “she’s alive and she’s—“ she shakes her head, “she said she was breaking the cycle. Where is she?”

“I don’t know,” Caitlyn says. 

“Can you find out?!” Vi demands. After having her be so still and quiet, the angry shout catches Caitlyn off guards, “this could be a copycat.”

“Yes,” Caitlyn says slowly, “but I don’t think it is,” she motions to the hidden message, “she knew I would find that.” 

Vi shudders as she stares at the cards. Caitlyn has never felt this useless in her entire life. She’s used to making things happen. But here she’s failing on all accounts. Only Jinx has been able to pull Vi out of her stupor. Caitlyn has tried and failed so many times. She looks at the graphite boxes. Her fingers pick up the one with the airship and her features twist. 

“She said she was going to break the cycle,” Vi says, “how is this breaking the cycle?!” She smacks her good hand on the floor, “Cait where is she?!” 

Her voice breaks desperately around the last word. Great, heaving sobs wrack her frame. Caitlyn just manages to get her so she doesn’t land on her shoulder when she crumples forward. She takes the post card out of her grip and laces their fingers together as Vi wails at the loss. It’s a cruel thing that Vi’s ghosts never stay dead. She never looses someone once. Caitlyn thought she knew grief when she buried her mother. But the wound has started to heal. Every time Vi gets a bit of healing, the wound is wrenched back open. 

Caitlyn wants to promise they will find her, but she doesn’t know if that’s possible. They could date the cards, find the locations, but she knows Jinx will not be there. She will slip away again and the wound in Vi’s chest will rip open all over again. Vi is strong, so strong. But Caitlyn doesn’t know how many times she can bear this loss. Vi’s existed for weeks on nothing more than broth and nutrients. Her muscles are weak. She should not have this kind of strength. But she keeps sobbing. She sounds more like an animal than a person as she wails into Caitlyn’s embrace. 

Caitlyn just folds herself around her, pushing the cards to the side so they won’t get damaged. 

She expects Vi to go listless again. She knows she must be exhausted. But Vi pulls herself up painfully and wipes uselessly at her face. Most of her weight leans on Caitlyn. Caitlyn doesn’t care, she would bear all of Vi’s weight if she let her. She reaches out and touches the underside of Vi’s eye. The tears she wipes are immediately replaced but for a moment Vi leans into her palm. 

“She loves you,” Caitlyn says, “this is her wanting you to make a life of your own.”

“I can’t do that without her,” Vi says, her voice wretched, “Cait she’s my sister.”

“I know,” Caitlyn says, “I know this isn’t fair to you,” the words are messy and she cannot find the right ones, “maybe one day she’ll see that,” she tries, “but she wants you to let her go.”

Vi looks like she is going to sob again, but there are no more tears left. Caitlyn sees the white knuckled fist she’s making in her lap. A stubborn refusal to follow Jinx’s request. Caitlyn goes on instinct and covers Vi’s hand. Vi makes a noise but doesn’t try to stop her as she pulls her fingers open and slots their hands together. 

“Hold onto me,” she says. 

Vi gives her the same gutted look. Caitlyn knows this isn’t fair. She’s put them in this position how many times. Me or Jinx. Choose. Despite her words in the cell she knows Jinx is woven into Vi’s heart. Maybe in some world there is no choice forced upon Vi. Maybe in some world this all works out differently. But here and now Jinx has taken the choice. She’s made it for them. 

Vi lets out a harsh sound between a sob and a moan. But her fingers tighten on Caitlyn’s hand. 

Caitlyn kisses the back of her knuckles and guides Vi’s arm over her shoulder. It’s a familiar position. No matter the wounds. Something goes automatic in Vi and she gets her feet under her as Caitlyn stands up. Vi looks down at the cards. It hasn’t been that long, the cards all arrived differently. If they are to be believed, Jinx has seen so many places already. Places she doubts anyone in the Undercity has gone. 

“She wanted to see the world,” Vi says. 

“She is,” Caitlyn assures her. 

“I—“ Vi tightens her grip, “maybe you should just get the postcards for now,” Caitlyn looks at her, “will you tell me when you do?” 

“Of course,” Caitlyn says, “the moment they arrive.”

Vi looks at her silently and then gives a jerky nod. 

“Could you help me to the shower?” She asks finally. 

Caitlyn smiles and nods. 

The cards continue sporadically. Sometimes months will go by without them. Sometimes several arrive in a week. Caitlyn tells the Enforcers sorting her mail they are not a threat and should be given to her immediately. It’s difficult because sometimes copycats send blue letters, but Caitlyn learns the difference fairly quickly. Vi puts each one into a box before she cries over them. She treasures them, the only proof her sister is alive somewhere. 

Until the box arrives.

For the first time it’s not addressed to Caitlyn. 

“This is a bad idea,” the Enforcer says, “there’s gears in there—“

“Thank you,” Caitlyn tells him, “it’s alright.”

Vi goes stiff when she sees the unopened box. Her eyes widen when she realizes its addressed to her. She rips out a knife and cuts through the packaging before Caitlyn can mention what the scans have shown. There’s a dull click and fine glitter explodes from the box. Caitlyn is very glad she’s wearing her eyepatch as it coats everything in pink and blue. Vi looks back into the box, reaches in and pulls out an envelope. Inside there’s a blue gem and a card. Vi fingers the gem and offers Caitlyn the card. A smile is already pulling at her lips. 

She turns the card over to see familiar mountains. This time the sentiment on front hasn’t been crossed out. It’s been underlined several times. Caitlyn looks at the back. On it is a bunch of numbers. After a moment she realizes its coordinates and a date range.  

It’s an invitation. 

[bonesandthebees]

Arcane makes book club anons come out of lurking lmao (and I'm no exception). I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts and possible analysis when you finish season 2! Likes and dislikes and everything in between, like a full-blown post with 'read more' lol.

Hope you get better soon! Wish all the warmth and coziness ^^

-🌹

OKAY FINALLY FINISHED I'VE BEEN HOLDING ONTO THIS ASK ROSE

so I definitely have Thoughts on arcane that I'll throw under the cut

ok. so overall I really really liked the show. I got a LOT spoiled for me before I watched it (even though I tried to avoid spoilers it just kept ending up on my dash) so that might be why I was okay with some of the more 'controversial' writing choices since I already knew they were coming. like I knew that Vander was still alive going into s2 and was going to come back, I knew Isha was going to die, I knew Jinx was going to die, I knew Viktor and Jayce were going to have a Madoka Magica-esque homoerotic ascending into the universe kind of ending so like I had a lot of knowledge going into it

I've seen a lot of criticism about Isha's death feeling pointless and while I get where that's coming from, personally I didn't mind it because of the drastic change it sparked in Jinx's character. you could argue she was already going in this direction anyway with realizing that she had to step up and do things to help others and that Isha didn't need to die for that, but personally I still think it made sense. I do wish they had spent a little more time fleshing out Jinx's role as an older sister/mother figure to Isha and how that probably changed her perspective of Vi because there's no way that didn't affect how she looked back at her childhood memories with Vi now understanding what it was like to be in Vi's shoes. but I get it, they only had limited time so I'm not, like, upset about it.

however, I do think I have an issue with Jinx dying as a writing choice. while I do appreciate the 'poetic' nature of it with Vander finally getting to rest and one of his daughters needing to take him down, I also think it just didn't need to happen? Jinx and Vi could've both pushed him off the platform and Jinx could've tossed one of her bombs down after him. while I understand the character arc of her sacrificing herself for Vi, I think we'd already reached that point of her character growth by her teaming up with Ekko and joining the final battle and fighting side by side with her sister in the first place. it definitely felt like Jinx's death was kind of just thrown in because the writers wanted to make it feel more like a bittersweet ending than anything else. I will say though, I do understand that Jinx's ending was going to be a tricky one for the writers to figure out no matter what. she did, yknow, commit an act of terrorism and murder several politicians so it would still feel weird for her to get off scot free after that, but maybe she could've just left Piltover/Zaun entirely and gone off to explore the world or something. I just think there were alternatives the writers could've considered.

those were my main issues with the show though. otherwise I really really loved it. call me controversial but I love Caitlyn and Vi and their whole messed up thing going on. I definitely feel like Vi joining the enforcers in Act 1 was REALLY strange for her but I do feel like it was a character choice that made sense after the terrorist attack at the funeral and also everything she'd just recently been through with her sister. Now do I think she would've gone along with Caitlyns' gassing plan... ehhhh debatable but I'm going to let it slide.

But Caitlyn I adore because she's such a messy character. Yes, I like the cop because I like that she's a really shitty person. I like how she's written, sue me. I loved seeing her good intentions and morals get so twisted in s2. I think it was incredibly fucked up of her to use the gas against the Zaunites to try and hunt Jinx down and it's a great example of how horribly messed up she was by her mother's death! And I think her entire dynamic with Ambessa was so well done. Caitlyn was mourning her mother and angry and desperate to find a direction to put that anger in, and Ambessa, a mother, hands her an army and tells her what direction to point her anger in. I've seen some people argue about whether Caitlyn was aware she was being manipulated by Ambessa or not because of that scene where Vi points out to her that Ambessa was doing that and Caitlyn says "I know" and to me it seemed very clear that Caitlyn was saying that she knew she was being manipulated only in retrospect, not during it.

Like, I'm not over here trying to defend Caitlyn's dictator arc or say she gets an excuse because she was manipulated. She still had choice and agency and did some very terrible things but I think it's fascinating how she got to that point and I can understand the circumstances that altered her mind to get to that place. And again, I think it's very important to recognize that Caitlyn had just lost her mother who she had a very complicated relationship with, while Ambessa was a mother herself and while she might not have been traditionally motherly, she definitely positioned herself as a mother-type figure towards Caitlyn in terms of giving her guidance and wanting to push her in the direction she wanted. Caitlyn was such a moral part of the show in s1 so I just really loved seeing how twisted she got in s2.

Okay I rambled a lot about Caitlyn but I have a lot of feelings about her. I like really well-written bad people with good intentions. This is very long now but I have soooo many thoughts about this show and I really loved it even if I do have a few issues here and there. The animation and music and characterization of everyone was so good and I had such a fun time watching it. Also just, so many incredible female characters. They're all so different and complicated and arghhhhhh yes this show is incredible with its women. I haven't even gotten to Mel and how much I love her or Sevika and how she's my favorite female dad figure lmao. But very good show overall!!!

[magical-girl-coral]

I have the brain worms. Snippet from a scene rewrite where Mel is allowed to be a politician.

When they were done explaining the plan, Sevika, Mel recalls, looked as though she was told to swim through Piltover's sewers. "You left us to live on the streets, declared martial law, threw our people into Stilwater for every petty crime you accused us of, made our lives a bigger hell than it was under Vander or Silco, and now you expect us to fight this war for you?" She asked, her voice both still yet terrifying. Thank god this woman never Ambessa. "This has got to be the saddest joke I've ever heard, and I've listened to some of the lines Jinx practiced before confronting her sister. You've got to be as insane as your mother. Maybe it runs in the family." Jayce got up from his seat. Mel put her hand up to make him stand down. "I understand your anger and frustration, and these are not empty words. But I need you to understand that my mother will not just stop with us." Mel took a deep breath, and revealed the skinniness of her side. Sevika's face went still. "When I was a child, my mother would force me to train until I vomited my stomach acid and collapsed from exhaustion. To this day, my body never truly recovered. I could barely sleep or eat under her watchful gaze, always feeling like I had to push myself beyond my limits so maybe one day I'll gain her approval. She never did anything to prove me wrong. In fact, it only proved me right when she banished me for refusing to kill my confidant, Elora, because only bloodshed fits her idea of power." Mel stared straight into Sevika's eyes. "This is the treatment of someone she claims as family, as someone she wishes to protect. Imagine what will happen to Zaun once she reaches the people she sees as nothing more than the dirt on her boots." Sevika seemed to back down, if only a little, but didn't relent. "We don't do this without getting something back. And don't you dare give up scraps again. We deserve more than your leftovers." "How about Zaun independence?" Jayce suggested. For the first time since the meeting started, Sevika's mask fell. "Is this another joke?" "Far from it," Mel said, backing up Jayce. "We can't blindly give you freedom thanks to everything that happened in the past year, but if you prove yourselves during the battle against Noxus, I'm sure some of the nobles will have no choice but to relent, especially since so many of them fled like cowards and will have no room to talk. Besides, now the council is only Jayce, Shoola and I. What do you think of this Shoola." Shoola turned her head to regard Sevika. She cocked her head to the side in mock consideration. "I think I can be persuaded. But I would like to see the negotiations before we settle for good." "What about the Zaunites in uniforms?" One of the men next to Sevika asked. "We refuse to die in our enemy's clothes. It'll be an insult to what we stand for." "The Zaunites in uniforms will be with the ranger shooters along with Caitlyn Kiramman, as far away from my mother's men as possible," Mel answered. "We simply want to make it look as though that's the size of our army so my mother will get overconfident and let her guard down. Once I give the signal, you will come in with your own armors with the materials we will give you. You will not fall wearing enemy colors." That seemed to fully put Sevika at ease. Or the closest she can get to it, at the very least. "When will we get the materials for the armor?" "The second you agree to our plan." Sevika sighed. "I guess that's fair. How do we know what the signal will look like?" Mel's armor glowed for a split second. Sevika's eyes widened. Mel smirked. "Trust me, you'll know."

[blueberrysauce54]

The Game She Plays- Chapter 3

previous chapter: Chapter 2

Athena adjusted the strap of her gym bag.  The move from Zaun to Piltover was years ago, but stepping into the sleek gym still felt like entering another world. Polished floors, state-of-the-art equipment, and people who seemed to glide through life with effortless confidence—it all screamed "Piltover privilege."

"Ready to crush it, coach?" Vi's teasing voice snapped Athena out of her thoughts.

She turned to see her sister leaning against the counter, her signature smirk in place. Vi was always at ease.

"Always," Athena replied, tossing her bag onto the bench.

Their shared shift as fitness instructors wasn't just a job; it was a chance to let off steam and forget about the pressures of fitting into a world so different from Zaun. Athena loved the rhythm of teaching classes, pushing others to their limits, and seeing their progress.

Today's class was a morning private session for a small group. Among the attendees were Mel Medarda and Jayce Talis—two of Piltover University's golden students—and, surprisingly, Caitlyn Kiramman.

Athena's stomach did a weird flip when Caitlyn walked in, her sharp blue eyes scanning the room. She was stunning in a way that made it hard to look away—her hair perfectly pinned back, her posture graceful yet approachable. Athena reminded herself to breathe. Caitlyn was just another client.

"Morning," Caitlyn greeted with a polite smile, setting her water bottle on the floor.

Athena nodded, trying to sound casual. "Ready to work?"

"Always," Caitlyn echoed with a raised eyebrow.

The session passed in a blur of squats, lunges, and Vi's sarcastic commentary. Caitlyn was a natural athlete, her movements precise and fluid. But what caught Athena's attention wasn't just her skill; it was the way Caitlyn glanced at her during breaks, as if trying to figure her out.

After class, Caitlyn lingered as the others left.

"You're good at this," Caitlyn said, tilting her head. "Teaching, I mean."

"Thanks," Athena replied, feeling an unexpected warmth. "You're not too bad yourself. You've done this before?"

"Not officially. Just some training" Caitlyn said, her voice softening.

Athena nodded, unsure of what to say next. She wasn't used to this kind of attention from someone like Caitlyn—a piltie with her life seemingly in perfect order.

Before she could overthink, Vi called from across the room, "Athena! Vander's waiting for us."

"Duty calls," Athena said, grabbing her bag. She hesitated before adding, "See you around, Caitlyn."

Caitlyn smiled, and for a moment, it felt like the bustling gym faded into the background.

"Yeah. See you."

As Athena and Vi walked out into the crisp afternoon air, Vi nudged her. "What's that look?"

"What look?"

"The one you get when someone's under your skin."

Athena rolled her eyes. "No one's under my skin."

"Sure," Vi said with a knowing grin.

But as they headed home to Vander's, Athena couldn't shake the image of Caitlyn's smile—or the way it made her feel like she was stepping into unfamiliar territory.

The hour was a whirlwind of studying, and assignments.  Athena barely had time to think, but her mind kept circling back to Caitlyn. It wasn't like her to get caught up in someone so easily. She was the "tough girl," the one who never let her emotions show, the one who always kept things light with her friends. But there was something about Caitlyn—the way she laughed, the way she looked at her with those piercing blue eyes—that made everything else fade into the background.

Vi noticed the change, of course.

"Alright, spill it," she demanded after lunch. Athena was sitting in her room, when Vi suddenly appeared at her side with that too-knowing smirk on her face.

Athena shot her a warning look. "Spill what?"

Vi raised an eyebrow. "Don't act all innocent. I know that look. You've got a thing for Caitlyn."

"I don't have a thing for anyone," Athena muttered.

"Oh, really?" Vi teased, nudging her with her shoulder. "Because I've been watching you watch her for the last couple days. You can barely take your eyes off her when she's around."

"Can we not do this right now?" Athena groaned.

Vi was relentless, though. "You're not fooling anyone. It's pretty obvious you two have some kind of... connection. But hey, I'm not judging. Just don't hurt her from what you've got going on, okay?"

Athena didn't respond. She knew that. Caitlyn had a kind of quiet, humble strength to her that Athena found... magnetic. It was hard to put into words, but it was there, every time they spoke.

After a few seconds of silence, Vi nudged her again. "So, what are you gonna do about it?"

Athena hesitated. "Nothing. It's probably just the same thing I get with everyone, It'll pass."

"Uh-huh," Vi said, unconvinced. "But if it doesn't?"

Athena sighed. "Then I'll figure it out." "Anyway, we have to get to our evening class." Athena said to change the subject.

In class, their paths crossed more often than she liked to admit. Athena had always prided herself on staying focused. But Caitlyn was different—there was an effortless charm to her, something that disarmed Athena in a way that was both thrilling and terrifying.

"Hey, Athena!"

She turned, and there was Caitlyn again, dressed in her usual polished attire, but this time with a gym bag slung over her shoulder. "Caitlyn," Athena said, "What brings you here, do you have an evening class?"

"I just finished a real workout in the gym, instead of just running on the treadmill at home," Caitlyn said with a slight laugh.

"I can show you a few routines," Athena offered, before she could stop herself. The words were out before she could overthink them.

Caitlyn's eyes lit up. "Really? I'd love that, I've been wanting to get better."

"Okay, well, I'll warn you—I'm tough on my clients," Athena teased, her heart racing a little faster as she started leading Caitlyn toward the gym floor.

Caitlyn smiled, a playful glint in her eyes. "Maybe you'll have to make me a regular."

Athena tried not to let the comment affect her. "I can fit you in for a few more sessions if you want."

"I'll take you up on that." Caitlyn paused, her voice suddenly quieter. "Thanks, Athena. I—"

Before Caitlyn could finish, Vi came from across the hall, a smirk on her face. "Cait. We've got a party to get to, remember?"

Caitlyn blinked, as if startled by the interruption, before nodding. "Right, right. We'll have to catch up later, then. I'm sorry you can't go to the party tonight Athena. "

Vi clapped her hands together. "Come on, Caitlyn. Don't want to keep Mel and Jayce waiting. "

As Caitlyn grabbed her things and headed for the door, she turned to Athena one last time. "Next session, yeah?"

"Yeah," Athena said, her voice betraying a hint of something more than casual.

But as she caught Vi's raised eyebrow and smirk, Athena couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, she was already tangled.

later that night**

Caitlyn smoothed out her dress, a nervous energy coursing through her as she waited for Vi outside the apartment. Mel's parties were always the perfect mix of chaos and elegance—sophisticated enough to attract the upper crust of Piltover's social scene, yet wild enough to leave stories that would be whispered about for weeks.

As Vi walked up, looking effortlessly cool in a leather jacket and jeans, Caitlyn couldn't help but grin. "You ready for this?" Vi asked, her tone light.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Caitlyn replied, though her thoughts lingered on Athena. She'd been genuinely disappointed that Athena couldn't make it. She was stuck closing the gym tonight. Caitlyn had caught herself hoping for another chance to talk to her, to unravel the strange and unexpected layers she'd glimpsed earlier.

Vi noticed Caitlyn's brief pause and nudged her. "She'll be fine. Probably doesn't even care she's missing this party," Vi teased with a smirk.

Caitlyn gave a half-hearted laugh, but the truth was, she cared. A lot more than she wanted to admit.

The party was already in full swing when they arrived. Mel's apartment was a masterpiece of Piltover luxury, the kind of place that radiated wealth without being ostentatious. The music pulsed softly, and groups of people mingled, drinks in hand, laughter and conversation filling the air.

Caitlyn grabbed a drink, letting herself relax as she followed Vi through the crowd. Mel greeted them with her signature smile, her presence commanding as always. Jayce was nearby, chatting animatedly with a group of academics.

"Glad you could make it," Mel said warmly, pulling Caitlyn into a quick hug. "Have fun tonight, alright?"

Caitlyn nodded, but her gaze kept wandering to the door, as if Athena might magically appear.

As the night wore on, Caitlyn found herself loosening up. The drinks were strong, and the music was just loud enough to drown out the nagging thoughts that had been plaguing her all evening. She laughed at Vi's sarcastic commentary on the room's social dynamics and even joined in when Mel challenged her to a game of darts.

Eventually, Vi decided to head home, leaving Caitlyn with Mel and the dwindling crowd. Caitlyn, now more than a little tipsy, found herself sinking onto Mel's plush sofa, a fresh drink in hand.

"You good?" Mel asked, sitting beside her.

Caitlyn nodded, though her flushed cheeks and slightly slurred words betrayed her state. "Y'know," Caitlyn began, her voice a little louder than necessary, "Athena is... really hot."

Mel raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into an amused smile. "Oh no," she murmured. "Here we go."

Caitlyn didn't seem to notice. "Like, really hot," she continued, gesturing dramatically with her hands. "Her abs? Perfect. Her legs? Sculpted by the gods. Her face? Ugh, don't even get me started on her face."

"Caitlyn—" Mel tried to interject, but Caitlyn wasn't done.

"She's just... different, y'know?" Caitlyn said, her voice softening slightly. "She's so nice. She helps me with my workouts and... and she's really nice to me."

Mel sighed, leaning back against the couch. "That's what she wants you to think," she said flatly. "Look, Caitlyn, I like you. You're sweet. But Athena? She's not what you think she is. She sleeps around. A lot. Ask anyone in this room."

Caitlyn frowned, her intoxicated brain struggling to process Mel's words. "She's not like that," she insisted, but there was a flicker of doubt in her voice.

Mel tilted her head toward a small group of people still lingering near the bar. "Fine. Go ask them. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Fueled by liquid courage, Caitlyn stumbled over to the group. "Hey," she said, a little too loudly. "What do you guys know about Athena?"

One of the guys, tall with dark hair and an easy grin, looked up from his drink. His expression shifted into one of amused recognition. "Athena?" he repeated, his tone almost reverent. "Oh, man. She's... something else."

Caitlyn tilted her head, urging him to continue.

"She sleeps with a lot of people, you know? Like, a lot. Doesn't care who. Guys, girls... anyone with a pulse." He laughed softly, shaking his head. "I'm not judging her. I mean, who wouldn't wanna fuck her, right?" His voice was breathy, almost appreciative, as if he expected Caitlyn to share in his admiration.

Caitlyn's stomach twisted uncomfortably, but the guy wasn't finished. "There's even this rumor," he added, leaning in conspiratorially, "that she doesn't even remember half their names. Just moves on to the next. Doesn't care who she leaves in her wake."

Caitlyn felt her face flush, but this time it wasn't from the alcohol. She turned away, her thoughts a chaotic swirl of confusion and disappointment.

Back on the couch, Mel glanced up as Caitlyn returned, her expression unreadable. "So?" Mel asked, her tone casual but edged with curiosity.

Caitlyn slumped onto the couch, avoiding Mel's gaze. "I... I don't know," she muttered.

Mel sighed, placing a comforting hand on Caitlyn's shoulder. "Look, Cait. I know it's hard to hear, but Athena isn't worth it. Trust me on this."

Caitlyn didn't respond, her thoughts still tangled. Was Athena really the person everyone said she was? Or was there more to her than the rumors and whispers suggested?

She didn't have the answers, but one thing was certain—Athena had taken up residence in her mind, and Caitlyn wasn't sure how to evict her.

__________

The Game She Plays Chapter List

[barebevil]

This post is about vi arcane, sexual dynamics, and vindication

"I see a version of her that prefers to be the one in control, given, everything about her life" said I to a friend in the week prior to s2 act3 airing, "and as we've seen, vi WANTS, she wants badly, but she holds back holds back holds back until she is given permission to Go For It." I say this because bottom vi had a lot of traction on my timeline. And maybe I made my own algo bed but it just never sat right with me. On account of how its a piss poor reading of the character. To me:) And now, I have been vindicated.

Apropos "...Vi now being more dominant and assertive, finally giving herself permission to feel pleasure and attraction..." quoth Amanda Overton; I have been taking it so personally when people insisted that Vi would take a passive or submissive role during sex. Vi? of arcane? Did you watch the show? It would simply have been at odds with everything previously established about her character! Vi tops, i have been saying to anyone who would listen, so you can imagine how smug and annoying i was when vi went and topped her girl in the show. ("Fork found in kitchen" said my beloved on this matter. "The reverse equivalent of 'what do you think he's gonna do? top you?'")

I feel like it's an aspect that a lot of people just Completely forget about; they equate vulnerability with submissiveness or bottoming or both, when in an emotional sense, this is only really true in the cases where that is the desire. Being assertive, dominant, the Giver, the Doer, the Taker, etc etc, depending, can be Just as vulnerable, if That is the desire. Especially if it is in a context where that is discouraged or stigmatized. Which it especially for women very often is. A lot of people talk as if the only way to be truly vulnerable during sex is to be penetrated, or manhandled, or slapped in the face, in some way opened, softened, humiliated. The flip side is the person who wants to penetrate, to manhandle, to open, to soften, to make humble - who necessarily needs to exist for this dynamic to even make sense! What requires vulnerability to this person is to let themselves have it, take it, claim it, etc. This might be the point at which you want to say "But Maia, it's not that deep" to which my response is simply: It is to me.

"The strong is only truly vulnerable when she relinquishes her strength" is such a half-assed, undercooked analysis. What I want to talk about is "the strong is truly vulnerable when she allows herself to stop holding back." It's so much more true to the text, and so much more exciting to watch, Knowing that this character is finally acting on her desires! That is where the release of tension lies: she is finally getting what she wants. Caitlyn is a character who when she closes herself off becomes controlling and assertive so it would make a lot of sense to her character that her brand of vulnerability would involve shedding that and letting herself Receive. Vi is a character who in moments of uncertainty, or when she is under pressure, Holds Back and Pushes away, so to her it would take trust and vulnerability to Pull Close and Take What She Wants. And that makes Two, as in how many it takes to Tango.

Maybe subs and bottoms are over-represented in online fandom spaces, and be that as it may, it takes a certain open-mindedness and effort towards understanding to trust that the top, the dom, the touch-me-not, the sadist, so forth, Means it when they say what they like and want. It's not unsual to assume that other people want the same thing that you want, and if you want to be topped or touched or dommed or fucked into oblivion, then it might be confusing to you that somebody wants, essentially, the opposite of that. But if consider your own impulses and desires for one second, you will realize that in order for those desires to be met in a way that is satisfying to all parties, you Need this person. You need the top! You need to trust that the top wants to top you, or rather, in this case; that they want to top your favorite character. It takes trust and vulnerability to act on those desires, there needs to be made room for that vulnerability. The bottom or the sub is not the only person giving something of themselves. See above, with regards to tango, and how many people it takes.

And Yes! It is True that not all butches are tops! But you are not doing revolutionary sexual activism by saying that this character would betray the essence of who they are in a sexual context. At best it's lazy and at worst it's straight up misogyny. Please stop assuming that the powerful woman secretly fantasizes about being dominated. It's a tired trope. Vi at her most open, most vulnerable, most honest, is assertive and dominant, and only when she feels safe to do so will she act on those desires. We saw it with every close call and almost-kiss in seasons 1 and 2 both, and then the actual first kiss; Vi clearly wanting to close the gap but holding herself back to let Caitlyn decide how far to take it, and when they finally do kiss, it's Caitlyn who leans in all the way and only Then does Vi allow herself to take what she wants: to kiss her, kiss her more, wrap her arms around her and pull her close. Extrapolate and you got yourself a recipe for a beautiful hot satisfying sexual dynamic. As we then see in the famous ep8 of s2. Reader, I punched the air in victory.

[letters-to-rosie]

(I know you're already tagged, but here's mine anyway) Fanwork creators self rec! When you get this, reply with your five favorite fics/art/podfics/etc. that you've made, then pass on to others. Let’s spread the self-love 🌼

lol yeah I was gonna do it since I got the tag from @lullabyes22-blog but I will consider myself double-tagged

I only have 8 works on my ao3 lol let's go

bloom (Arcane; Caitlyn/Vi) CaitVi, 750 words, short and to the point. I like this one because I wrote it in like 20 minutes and it really did come out nice. Also, there is a pun, and what can be more me

Guardian Revisited (Fullmetal Alchemist Manga/Brotherhood; Lan Fan/Ling) Also a very quick write. There's just so much potential for yearning with this ship. They're like RoyAi but somehow even more emotionally stunted. Anyway, I think this one came out pretty. It makes me happy to read.

The Fire Next Time (Arcane; Ekko-centric, background Caitlyn/Vi) This is the story I started writing pretty much right after I watched Arcane, though I didn't post it for some months after. I was just feeling really emotional about Ekko lol and how much he must've been through. I was also reading James Baldwin at the time, hence the title lol. While it doesn't really get too deep into the politics, I think the relationship between Ekko and Jinx came out well, and since Ekko willingness to look out for her after everything is the heart of the story, I think it works.

talk revolution to me (Arcane; role-swapped Jinx/Ekko) The big one. It just keeps growing. I don't know. Anyway, after doing The Fire Next Time, I wanted to keep exploring political themes in the setting. I also happened to be wondering at the same time if a role-swap between these two was possible (because we all saw the Mush art okay), and I decided to put those ideas together. I do think it's been lagging a little, but in general it's actually pretty good. I'm working on my self-esteem this year. I can say that, right? Well anyway, I'm really glad a lot of people have found and loved it, and I'm extra glad people really love Powder. It's a lot of fun letting her be the hero of her own story and watching her grow, and the audience participation in terms of helping me write has been a blast.

heir (ap)pparent (Arcane; role-swapped Jinx/Ekko) So where the big story is Powder's, this is Ekko's bonus content story. It all started because I was having such a hard time writing him that I needed to experiment getting in his head, and here we are. I've said it before and I'll say it again lol writing a role-swapped Ekko is a pain in the ass. He's probably the hardest POV character I've ever written, but since the main story is over on Powder's side, I really get to just play around in these chapters and that is certainly very fun. Definitely pushes me to grow as a writer, and I'm having a lot of fun with the prose and style.

okay tag time @shokuto (wanna see your fave pieces) @jackalmeat (dude I didn't even realize you were an artist until we'd been mutuals for a while plz share art lol) @typewriteringalaxy (really curious as to your faves) @hungryistrying (same; also curious as to what your faves are)

also I did this q&a tag yesterday lol if anyone wants to see it

[shimmerbeasts]

45 - cait and vi

Spotify Wrapped||Accepting.

Left Outside Alone by Anastacia

Why had she even come back here?

Vi placed her hand on the side of her hip, the patch of dark purple skin where Caitlyn's riffle had slammed into her gut still hurting from the slightest touch. The Zaunite stared up at the large, beautiful house, separated from it by the large, heavy iron gate.

This was how things were supposed to be, right? Zaunites and Pilties did not mix. Never have and never will. Maybe Vi had been foolish enough to assume that Caitlyn might be different. How ironic! She was so terrified of her loved ones changing, yet from that stupid, lovely Piltie girl, she expected a change. After all, what else did it mean to be different?

Vi slammed her fist against the iron gate with a pained and angry grunt. The metal shook ominously, groaning low and hollow as if mocking her for her outburst. Water soaked her back as Vi turned around with a defeated sigh and slumped against it on the ground. Staring up into the rainy clouds above her, Vi made no effort to shield herself from the rain. She had never been scared of water. Balling her hands into fists, Vi wrang her hands, longing to choke the life out of someone.

"Fuck!", she shouted into the night, not that she believed anybody cared to listen. She had screwed everything up! Jinx was still alive if she had survived that sudden explosion of wind and gasses. Caitlyn believed her to be a traitor for family ties seemed to be thicker than those of friendship and love. You don't deserve love, Vi. You deserve nobody! You fucked it up. You made the wrong choices again. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

The sounds of a lone Enforcer, patrolling the streets, tore Vi out of her pity party. Almost without thinking, she jumped as high as she could. As a tiger Vastayan, it was a thing of ease for Vi to clear the fence. Her hand clasped around a tree branch, peeking half over the wall, and Vi pulled herself into the safety of a birch tree, growing on the Kiramman's property.

Vi ducked into the crown of the tree, concealing herself with leaves and smaller branches. Straddling the thick one, she had grabbed, the Zaunite followed the Enforcer wandering past the Kiramman property, idly waving his flashlight around the road. Anywhere but up. Idiot didn't even consider checking the trees. I could have ambushed him right there.

The sudden barks of a dog striking alarm made Vi whirl around on the tree. Peering down at the foot of the tree, she noticed one of Caitlyn's hunting dogs pushing its paws against the wood and barking up at her. Vi ground her teeth and furrowed her brows. Her mind felt like she was being pulled under again.

It was the Baroness who shouted down the tree: "Shut up, Fido!" The dog backed away almost as if it had just been struck across the face. It had never heard the mate of its mistress sound so angry and broken. Baroness was dead silent as she crawled back up the tree branch to slip down the wall again. However, before she could really get far, the telltale sign of a rifle being cocked came from behind.

Without looking back, Baroness said: "Look, sweetcheeks, if you wanna take the shot because it makes you feel better, do so. If not, wait for five bloody minutes and I will be out of your hair."

[anamateurhumanbeing]

Act 2 was good. Like really good, on par with Season 1. We are so back. Maybe. I mean I do have issues, but most of them are me being concerned about how they'll pay everything off in Act 3. Act 2 itself was good, but the sheer amount of plot threads makes me wish more than ever there was a season 3 so they can be payed off properly

Spoiler-filled, not really a review, just my disjointed thoughts, below

I was so nice to see Vi, Jinx, Vander, and Isha be a family, for how ever briefly it lasted. Everything with Vi and Jinx in general was great.

Kind of surprised at how quickly they did the Vander reveal, but I don't think it hurts the plot.

Loving everything that their doing with Viktor and Jayce.

Where are Ekko and Heimerdinger? Their absence, and how little time Mel had, would have probably been less concerning if there weren't literally 3 episodes left.

Isha... damn. I mean, it was kind of obvious that's what they were going to do, but that doesn't mean it will sting any less. My biggest complaint about her in act 1 was how little she and Jinx actually bonded, so it's a good thing we actually got scenes of them as family before they, you know.

Caitlyn... it's funny how in Act 1 I loved Cait but hated Vi, but now my feelings have reversed. The thing is, again, they didn't actually do anything WRONG with Caitlyn's character, it's just that they kind of brush Caitlyn to the side, kind of wasting all of that development I loved in Act 1. We barely saw her as commander, they established she's with Maddie only to do absolutely nothing with that, then before you know it she and Vi are fighting together again. I swear I'm not just salty because I wanted villain Caitlyn (I mean I am, but that's not the point). I liked that she still had some moral compass, and helped Vi with Vander. But please, writers, I beg of you, do not let Vi and Caitlyn just be on good terms again. I don't want to see them kiss until episode 9 at the earliest (again, it all goes back to how this show really needed a third season).

Once again, the only thing I disliked with this Act was one specific character (and again, it's just that we didn't see more of her). It is genuinely funny how much this Season, the one that's actually pushing Vi and Cait as a couple, has made me dislike the shows main paring so much when I was completely rooting for them in Season 1.

So in general, I liked Act 2 more than Act 1, but I'm more worried about Act 3 than I was for Act 2. Still a great show, .

Finished Act 1 of Arcane's second season. It was alright. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but It definitely felt weaker than any of season 1's acts. But it was still overall good, and there's definitely a lot of interesting setup that has me excited for the rest of the season.

Spoiler-filled ramble below.

Caitlyn is becoming a full on villain. Using the vent systems designed by her mother to help the people of Zaun, as a weapon against them in order to avenge her, cold. And then there's the scene where she attempts to shoot Jinx despite Vi and Isha being in the way. Sure she wasn't trying to hurt either of them, but the fact is she still took that risk. And of course the ending, with her becoming the general under Ambessa's thumb. I love all of it. I thought Caitlyn was a pretty good character in Season 1, but her villain arc is far more interesting than anything she did last season, and the best part of this one. I hope she gets worse.

Ambessa's a pretty good character too. I called her staging the attack on the memorial, and I do love how ruthless she is but I am glad there is some nuance to her, as she clearly does miss her son and care for Mel. I can't wait to see more of her with Caitlyn.

What they're doing with Jinx is interesting. I like that she and Sevika have become allies, finding common ground after Silco's death. Her becoming a more heroic figure to the people of Zaun is a pretty interesting direction to take her after last season was more about her becoming a villain, especially as a parallel to Caitlyn becoming darker in her pursuit of Jinx. I need to see them have a 1 v 1 fight. I must confess though, I do not care much for the kid, and I think her jumping inbetween Vi and Jinx during their otherwise really great fight did not feel earned because of how little Jinx and Isha actually bonded. I am looking forward to seeing more though, and I hope Jinx is simultaneously a better and worse role-model than Silco. Oh yeah, the Silco water scene was beautiful.

All the stuff about Jayce, Ekko, Heimerdinger, Mel, and Viktor was all neat, but all of that was more setup, so I don't have many strong feelings on any of them. Nothing bad, but nothing great so far either. It was fun seeing Jayce and Ekko interact though.

And then there's Vi. This is where the act lost me. Going in I was already wondering how they were going to make Vi becoming an enforcer feel natural. The answer? They didn't! Vi changing her mind and becoming an enforcer felt like it happened way to soon. But I would have been fine with it if it was just Vi becoming an enforcer, it's her going along with Caitlyn's plan to literally gas the lanes that I cannot buy. I said I like Caitlyn going down that path, but Vi following her down it really doesn't make sense. Perhaps it would have made more sense if we actually saw how Vi felt about becoming an enforcer and attacking her home, but despite showing Vi's turmoil before becoming an enforcer, they forget to show her turmoil after becoming an enforcer.

I thought her relationship with Jinx was good. I was a little iffy on how easily she was ready to say she had no sister at first, but as the act progressed, it felt more like she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Jinx or Caitlyn. Speaking of Vi and Caitlyn, will I get crucified if I say I don't like how CaitVi was handled? And I thought Vi becoming an enforcer was rushed, it felt like they just brushed by an entire seasons worth of development and drama with their relationship. I didn't really care about them falling out, because they literally became a couple at the start of the same episode. It is a real shame, because Vi was one of my favourite characters last season. While I certainly think they can still get Vi's character back on track, I am not sure how they'll make Caitlyn and Vi get back together, or if I even still want that.

Aside from maybe a few clumsy lines of dialogue, Vi really was the only weak link in the act, everything else was great. The music, the animation, the art, the fights, all just as good as Season 1, cannot wait for next week to get more.