Won’t lie, I’m as excited for Caitlyn’s corruption arc as I am for any Caitvi romance - though I expect them to be pretty intertwined and the main source of conflict between Caitlyn and Vi. Vi’s entire S1 arc was struggling and failing to prevent Jinx being corrupted by her trauma; it seems right that S2 would have her try to stop that from happening to Cait too.

I think they’re probably going to go with an Batman-esque vigilante angle for Caitlyn, but I would love to see her just swing hard into Cunty Politician.

I need Caitlyn “if I cannot become ungovernable I will become the government” Kiramman to have a full-on Machiavellian anti-hero arc so that The General Public finally takes her seriously.

Analysis:

I've mentioned it before, but Caitlyn's character embodies nearly all the traits of a Machiavellian with high cognitive empathy.

Firstly and most obviously, she manipulates systems and people to accomplish her goals. Vi would still be in Stillwater and much of Act II and III would not have happened if Caitlyn weren't willing to cleverly and unscrupulously lie and forge her way to success.

We can argue she's not a very good liar. I argue that doesn't really matter. One, her lies work. Two, she is clearly ready and willing to deceive so long as she thinks it's for a good reason. The inclination is what matters. I think the important question to ask is, "What is this character willing do to?"

Secondly, she's huge on agency. It's one of the main features of her character. She demonstrates (from the five-factor model): achievement-striving, assertiveness, self-confidence, emotional invulnerability, activity, and competence.

Regarding emotional invulnerability. I want to touch on this because I think it's missed. Caitlyn is an extremely guarded character. She reveals almost no personal information about herself, even to Vi. During high-stress situations, she flinches from her own vulnerability, tries to play it off, or compartmentalizes heavily.

Vi is the bleeding heart, the open book, the one who can't guard worth a damn (it's not even subtext, other characters say this to her face and I believe it has a dual meaning).

Meanwhile, Caitlyn waits until Vi is vulnerable with her and shows her respect before even giving Vi her name. (I have more to say about the "Cupcake" scene but that's for another time).

Other aspects of a Machiavellian character include:

Cynicism, selfishness, callousness, arrogance, deliberation and orderliness.

I argue that Caitlyn's character hints at the first one, gets away with the next three because she's "sweet," and blatantly embodies the last two.

Caitlyn in S1 is a sharp edge sheathed in kindness. We like what she's currently doing and think she's a Good Person because her trajectory aligns with our own sense of right and wrong. But Caitlyn is doing what she wants. What she thinks is right. Again, it's not subtext.

Marcus: "She does whatever she wants, I can't control her!"

And in S2, I think the same behaviors we currently love in her could easily be used to spin her down a corruption arc that leaves us a bit aghast -- but shouldn't leave us surprised.

I argue such an arc would be squarely in character.

Paraphrasing from the AMA:

"Everyone is a little bit opposite of who they are in Season One."

What will that mean for Caitlyn?

I don't know, but the recipe for a very interesting time is written all over her character.

Fight against the system

Shadowheart has two hands :3c

Mama K

Vi and Caitlyn

one prediction for season 2 arcane?

One prediction? I have to choose just one?

Based on all the hints and tiny tidbits we’ve been getting, I think S2 is going to be pretty emotionally rough, on everybody. Irregardless of who survives the missile attack (and it looks very much like Kirammama does not) the fallout of that is probably going to result in a civil war between the two cities, and with Ambessa around, the Hextech-Weaponry subplot related to her pushing Jayce and Mel, and Viktor’s descent into becoming Borg (Drama) Queen it’s going to grab the attention of other parts of Runeterra. I think we’re going to see some Noxus Champions pop up as things escalate, and the civil war threatens to spread to other regions; there was an interview that implied we were getting three seasons in Piltover before moving out iirc, and I think the war is a logical plan to do it as a way to interconnect everything, so season 2 is where we’re going to get a LOT of heat.

CaitVi specific..? Oh boy. Oh man. Oh loves. I have three million theories of where it could go, but basing specifically on the themes and though processes of the first season and interviews and hints and jokes aside…

I think we’re going to get a kiss, at the very least. Cement that yeah, they’re the big romantic plot and we want to root for their relationship, before the show puts that relationship through the wringer. And while we’ve gotten very little hint-wise on where Vi is going to be in s2 we’ve gotten a surprisingly good amount of glimpses behind the curtain related to Caitlyn specifically - and that most recent screenshot/leak of her animation model all bruised up in armour and looking pissed? And the preview dialogue they accounted s2 with, where Caitlyn says (to Vi) she’s going to fight Jinx and it will only end with either she or Jinx dead? It’s very likely that their conflict is going to be Caitlyn - representing Piltover and Jinx - representing Zaun having a personal fight that mirrors the one the cities are going to go through, with Vi stuck in the middle. Caitlyn was the naive, idealistic bleeding heart of the first season, and after the tea party she was on the edge of being ready to take a life; I think she’s going to have a pretty big breakdown and Vi’s going to have to realize she’s experiencing another person she loves get twisted up by misguided hate. (And can I say that I would love this, Vi being the character who had nothing BUT years of stewing over her anger and hate to not let that ruin her, to be the light in the darkness) I wouldn’t be surprised if the second or third act ends with Vi and Caitlyn fighting each other, as Vi tries to stop Caitlyn from going down a dark path while we all shout at our screens.

(Vi’s line of dialogue in the s2 announcement being her self-sacrificing ‘I can do this alone’ attitude again - does she abandon Caitlyn again to try and save Jinx on her own? What if she’s not talking about Jinx???)

Okay that’s multiple predictions oops, anyway, before I really start rambling.

On the assumption we’re getting a third season for Arcane, then season 2 is going to be our Empire Strikes Back - it’s gonna end bleak, lots of dramatic loose ends and worries, with our girls on opposite sides of a war that we’ll have to anxiously wait another 3-5 years to be resolved. We know how their journey ends, so I think the show is gonna put us through a hell of a time to get there.

I’m so hyped for it.

Caitvi Actors AU where Vi and Cait are actors on a tv show who seemingly don’t get along in the spotlight.

Behind closed doors, it’s a different story 😉

Oh man this past month has kicked my ass, but I’m back on my feet! Let’s do this thing, let’s kick it, let’s write some fanfiction.

ya gettin what im puttin down?

Riot saw that I was hyperfixating on a different video game and dragged me back with this lore continuity news update oh my god the what if’s here.

yes im still here hi

hi

Hey friends! The Baldur’s Gate ladies continue to gnaw at my brain like a tadpole, and I’ve written a Shadowzel fic to feed the rot.

Is it a character study? Yes. Is it smut? Also yes. Is it Shadowheart getting pushed up against the wall to finally resolve the tension between them in the wake of exhaustion after gestures vaguely everything*? Definitely yes.

*everything being Act 2

I posted it up last night, but if you missed it here it is!

Ao3 subscriptions are so fucking wild to me. Every time I write my silly fanfictions and post them 124 people get an email just to let them know that this idiot is posting their fanfictions again. I send 124 people an email every time I write smut. Imagine sending 124 physical letters out just to be like “hello everyone, I put some guys we made up in our heads through the horrors again.” Absolutely absurd. I am kissing all of you on the lips.

the rituals are very intricate

what if you took a bath with karlach and then she could cool down in the water and you could have a hot tub???