#caitlyn has the privilege to treat these problems with kindness because she holds power over the citizens of zaun

[friskarm]

caitlyn is such a great character because she is such an unrelenting, unyielding force of kindness

and i do use that word specifically because you look at caitlyn and think "oh, she's just really good, lawful good or neutral good" and that is very true, caitlyn very much believes in doing the right thing and doing right by people but so does vi. so does vander.

caitlyn is distinct from the two of them because her approach is to solve the problems piltover has caused with kindness.

we see her demonstrate this again and again what with her trading over her gun for vi's medicine, hugging huck when she hears his story, looking after vi when vi goes and gets herself injured -- and then her speech to ekko really cements it. this city needs healing, is what she says. not fixing, not changing, but healing, which is such a profoundly objective and kind way to look at the situation.

caitlyn could have done a lot of things in zaun that would be less than kind that still would have benefited her goals and her cause, but she continually chooses not to aggress (for the most part) and instead to listen and learn, because she is demonstrably wrong about a lot of things in zaun.

vi leaving her behind in a brothel is forgiven, ekko's kidnapping of them is forgiven, and even her interactions with jinx bely this -- she trusts in vi's judgement when her instincts are telling her otherwise, and her only protest is "she's too far gone" -- not "she's dangerous" or "she needs to pay" or anything like that. even after everything jinx has done, justifiable or not, caitlyn still implicitly understands that jinx is one of the people piltover has let down. she's not chasing her down for justice. she's trying to minimise harm.

in vi's position, being someone who's whole thing is about being a protector -- why wouldn't you fall for all of that?

it breaks my heart a little to hear caitlyn pleading in the season 2 teaser with vi to accompany her to track down jinx. it makes it sound a little like vi has given up on her -- but caitlyn hasn't.