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Imperator Cuntlyn Kiramman my beloved

@caitlynprotector

need her so bad it's not even funny anymore https://archiveofourown.org/users/erjastark

I was supposed to work on my essay but I wrote 2k words of childhood Caitvi AU instead welp

(takes place after the explosion in Jayce's lab)

“Down the corridor,” Grayson says in her rough, though not unkind voice, “last door to the right. And do me a favour, young Violet,”

Vi raises one of her eyebrows while she tries not to flinch at the use of her full name. She doesn’t even like it when her family calls her that but the Sheriff of Piltover? That’s so much worse. 

“Try to be kind. Young Kiramman has had a rough couple of days so she might be snappish towards you.”

The young girl scoffs, “So she can be a pain in my ass but I have to play nice?” She crosses her arms in front of her chest, already done with this entire stunt, “Great.

Surprisingly, Grayson doesn’t fall for the bait. She merely huffs, more to herself than Vi. 

“Considering that you and your little group are particularly at fault for her stay here, I think she has every right to be a little crass towards you.”

“Then why do I even have to go talk to her in the first place?” She isn’t whining per se, voicing her complains does not count as whining. ”She probably won’t accept my apology anyway.” 

All of this is just. so. stupid. 

“That doesn’t mean that she doesn’t deserve to hear it,” Grayson gently persists, “And now go. The sooner you go, the sooner you can leave.”

Well, Vi can’t argue with that logic, although she makes sure to groan extra loudly as she turns around and begins her own personal walk of shame. She knows that Grayson is right but that doesn’t make it any less humiliating. 

Groveling at some piltie princess’ feet and begging her for forgiveness? No one in the undercity is every going to let her live this down if they find out. And they will find out since Mylo, that stupid blabber mouth, knows that she’s currently topside. All of this just to keep the rest of them out of trouble. 

The worst part is that Caitlyn Kiramman is probably completely fine and only staying this long in the hospital so her councilor mom can gain some sympathy points. 

Then again, Vander must know more than she does and he wouldn’t have made her go all the way topside if it was nothing. 

--

“You’re going to visit the Kirammans and apologize.”

Vi blinks slowly once. Twice. She waits for the punchline of the joke but nothing else follows Vander’s insane request. 

“You want me to apologize to some rich Piltie counciler for blowing up one shabby lab?” He’s got to be kidding. “Why? It’s not like they can’t afford to buy ten more of those They probably wouldn’t even have noticed if the enforcers hadn’t made such a big deal out of it.”

“You’re not apologizing to Cassandra Kiramman,” Vander sighs and for the first time, Vi can see his age in his wrinkled brow and tired eyes. “You’re going to apologize to their daughter, Caitlyn.” 

Vi frowns, “Daughter?” She didn’t know the Kirammans had a daughter. “Why the hell should I talk to their daughter?” 

“Because Sheriff Grayson has told me that she’s been in the hospital since your little stunt topside.”

She stops pacing, her feet rooted to the old carpet as her blood runs cold. 

Shit. 

-- 

I want to talk about THIS moment. Right before. There's a TON of people misreading Caitlyn's intent because she's using such a playful demeanor after Vi's sorrowful self-deprecation. To be honest, it's the best response she could have had, and the best tactic. Her demeanor serves as a stark contrast to the spiral of self hatred that Vi is going down, and it's an excellent distraction. Caitlyn is stopping her line of thinking, right then and there, and she does it while delivering one of the most romantic and understated declarations of love I've ever seen.

Stay with me here.

Let's be very clear: Caitlyn did NOT come to the cell with the goal of seducing Vi. Not even. How do we know? Aside from several context clues that come before this scene, the way Caitlyn responds to the kiss is very telling:

See how long it takes Cait to even register what the fuck is going on?? She's literally like "oh. OH. we're kissing? WE'RE KISSING." And Vi also OPENS HER EYES very briefly, to check that Caitlyn is as into this as she is, right as Cait settles into the kiss, likely sensing her hesitation/delayed reaction. This scene is NOT Caitlyn seducing Vi. This scene is Caitlyn giving herself to Vi, and Vi choosing exactly what she wants to do with her, which is VERY different.

What does Caitlyn say right before the kiss? She says, "Do you really think I needed all the guards at the hexgates?" Translation: I left Jinx's cell unguarded on purpose. I want you to know that I heard you during our last conversation. I want you to know that I trust you. I want you to know that my love and care for you is more important than my need to sate my grief and desire for revenge. I choose you.

And following: "Sorry to say, you've grown a bit predictable." Translation: I know you. I see you. I knew you would choose this, coming after your sister, and I facilitated the circumstances in which you COULD choose this. You don't choose wrong. You choose love, and I understand that now. I want you to know that I support your choices, and they won't cost you the people you care about, at least not me, not anymore. I know that you'll always choose your sister, and I've made peace with that. What you want is what I want.

That is MONUMENTAL. That's quite possibly one of the most romantic things I've ever seen in media. Because who the hell has the guts to give up their grief and forgive their mother's murderer, all for love? That's a level of sacrifice that not enough people are acknowledging.

People say Caitlyn never changed, never felt remorse, never grew from the bad choices she made. I say wrong. And this was the turning point.

+ she was fully ready to lose Vi in the process of this (given how close they were back in Viktor's commune I'm sure Caitlyn thought about the possibility of Vi leaving with Jinx and therefore maybe never seeing her again) and she STILL chose to give Vi that opportunity

I will never shut up about my girl the arcane fandom does NOT deserve her

Do you think part of what made Vi sound so happy and endeared and almost amused when she said "Cait, I don't fucking care," was that in this moment, in the middle of making out, Caitlyn pulls away and stumbles out an honest explanation about how she had been with someone else?

This is the Caitlyn she knows. Not the puppet dictator, not the vengeful daughter, not even the suave girl who leaned against the wall and told her she's predictable a mere few seconds ago. This, the dorky, awkward, nervous Caitlyn is the one she first fell for, the one she first met. And yeah, Caitlyn is complex and can be dark and she's not the same, maybe she never was. But that part of her, the part that stuttered at Vi's flirting in the brothel, the part that tried to offer herself up to the Firelights in her place then sputtered in disbelief at Vi's appearance, the part that earned the name Cupcake, that part is real. Maybe it's tarnished, maybe it's changed, but it's still a part of her. And Vi had missed it desperately.

I'll never love anything as much as I love these two lesbian disasters

thank you Arcane Season 2 Episode 8 for confirming my theory that Caitvi are the kind of couple where you have to loudly announce your presence before entering a room because the chance that these two freaks are going at it is NEVER zero no matter where they are

who wins the war over Caitlyn's mind?

a cunning war lord who exploits Caitlyn's grief and anger over losing her mother in a horrible tragedy and uses it to turn her bitter while whispering promises of revenge and salvation in her ear for MONTHS

or

her butch ex-girlfriend who is covered in oil, grease and blood calling her 'Cupcake' right after insulting her and then spits in her face

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