Jun

One of the main things to highlight about Vi is, the inmeasureable amount of violence and tragedy she has seen and lived through. It’s obvious, from the moment we see her, Vi’s life is tainted blood and dirt. It’s a series of events that show through that turn her into a roughened, tough, violent teenager, later, an adult. It’s hard to be who you want when the world gives you nothing but your fists and scraps, and forced to grow up fast, in spite of everything Vander did to make sure they could all grow up in the best enviroment he could give Vi and the other kids, he’s aware that her fate is a mentality just like his, one of protector and leader, something neither he nor Vi could be spared from.

Like I mentioned in the previous post, plus the events of the end of Act 1 and everything that happened in between it and the start of Act 2, Vi grows up to be someone who doesn’t trust anybody and who only ever resorts to any kind of physical contact for either intimidation or violence, she has no space to be vulnerable, not emotionally nor physically.

At least, not until this happens:

‘‘You gonna help me out, Cupcake?’’ is alot more important than at first glance. It’s not only the first time Vi openly asks for help from Caitlyn, but she does that from anyone. Even in a joking tone, whether in any other circumstance she’d brushed it off or it was a command (mostly as the leader of Mylo, Claggor and Powder).

Vi willingly and openly expresses that she is vulnerable and needs help, and asks it from Caitlyn. She still keeps up her tough, cool-under-pressure attitude, but it’s a good step.

It’s most likely if not definitely, the first sign of compassion and the first physical touch she receives that isn’t violent or double-edged.

Later on it’s reinforced, as Caitlyn gives her the potion and gently holds her chin, as she again stops her from lounging forward in pain, as she holds Vi’s face and comforts her from the bolt of pain it sends her through, it’s when it hits. How is someone to be compassionate, to be affectionate and comforting, if they’ve never received so? How can you give what you’ve never been given?

After that we only see Vi be physically affectionate with two other people: Jinx and Ekko, in both times, reuniting. She’s relieved to see them, and so, hugs them, and gets hugged back. But, in both of those times, during the fight with the Firelights and during the fight on the bridge, respectively, it ends up going terribly wrong; Jinx becomes very violent herself, something Vi had never seen and Ekko ends up wounded and fighting Jinx, maybe even dying as far as her knowledge and assumptions go.

However, with Caitlyn, it goes differently in two major ways.

The first being her farewell with Caitlyn on the Bridge (shoutout to my homie Ekko looking away in the back); this is the first Vi asks for physical contact from her, she knows she won’t see her again, so while hugging Ekko, she looks at Caitlyn and gazes at her, who had been looking away and standing alone, to come forward. She reaches for the back of Caitlyn’s neck, caresses it, closes her eyes and brushes away a lock of hair and caresses her cheek before she pulls away. It’s a series of very intimate acts of love, no matter how small they may seem, that show Vi has grown to care and trust Caitlyn enough to be open with the way she acts.

The second, even more so. She’s on a bed, she’s curled, her hands rest, completely defenseless, but she doesn’t move away, in fact, she mirrors Caitlyn, she exposes herself even more so than ever before, which is an in-moment match to her telling Caitlyn about her past, her childhood, and even what she perceives as her guilt or sins.

And then, of course, comes the fullscreen-framed moment where Caitlyn touches Vi’s cheek, who closes her eyes, holds Cait’s hand, and they gaze into each other, not in a mirror, but in an equal way (as in both of them seen from the same perspective for the audience).

in the spirit of thanksgiving I’d like to offer everyone some sapphics

act 3 summary