Update. I Figured It Out. It Did, Indeed, Make My Brain Go Brrrrr 😂

Ch. 16: A Protest and a Proposal "Heart Made of Glass, My Mind of Stone" CaitVi Fanfic

“Vi. What are you doing here?” Caitlyn asked. Her voice was not unkind, but it wasn’t that familiar warm or teasing or stubborn tone she was used to hearing. Just emotionless. Vi hated it. “I’m, uh—I wanted to see if—only if you’re okay with it and it’s totally fine if you’re not—” Vi stopped herself. Now was not the time to ramble. Caitlyn’s only reaction was the slightest furrowing in her brow, but she did not throw Vi a single bone. Vi didn’t blame her. Vi looked down, trying to think of what to say. A familiar iron bracelet on Caitlyn’s wrist caught her eye and made her stomach swoop, but her heart twist. She consciously ran her hands over her pocket where her watch was. Just then, a thought came to the Zaunite, one she realized was the easiest answer given that it was the truth, but also something that would potentially have some good come out of this situation.

Cassandra has another strange assignment for Vi, with orders to bring Caitlyn with her. Vi has a proposal for Caitlyn.

Okay, I know I don't owe anyone any explanations, but I do like to keep you all in the loop. I am having a hard time nailing down a really important series of small scenes in the Noxus chapters (which is currently 16,000+ words long pre-edit😬), and it's happening at a very busy week of work/personal life. So, I promise, this isn't me abandoning it. I'm still actively working on it, and even thinking about it when I'm not, but I just want it to turn out well, as much for you and for me. It'll make my brain go brrrrrrr when I figure it out, but I just need to get to that stage still lol reminds me a bit of the Kiramman Gala chapter in "Heart Made of Glass" 😂

This next chapter is taking longer than I thought because it’s going to be a doozy. I’m at 7300 words and I have lots more that needs to happen. I didn’t expect it to be that long but once I realized what I wanted to accomplish in Noxus, I realized it was going to be more like a short story inside the bigger story. I think you guys will like it though.

Sigh. Reminder to myself: I love writing and writing is fun. Lol. I am on my third rewrite of the first few thousand words of the next chapter of Low Lays the Devil in Me. I will probably expand more on it in the endnotes when I publish the chapter but man, it's annoying to do rewrites.

Writing tip to myself: try to sleep on a finished chapter before posting if it's late. I almost posted one at 2 am last night (which I have before and been happy with) but something didn't feel right and so I just slept on it. Looking at it now, I love what I wrote, but the "off" feeling was it's not placed in the right spot in the story. I'll use it later, but now I'll have to change up the chapter contents a little, which I'm already loving where it's going instead of what was going to happen. I think you guys will like it :D and what I will use later, as well.

The next chapter of “Tethered” is something else you guys. I really hope you like it! It gets intense!

Ch. 14: Immovable Objects "Low Lays the Devil in Me" CaitVi Fanfic

“Is it true that you have a secret Vault only your bloodline has access to filled with unimaginable wealth? Or is it all just a legend?” She rolled her eyes. Of all the things people wanted to know regarding the secrets of the noble and oldest of Piltover’s Houses, treasure was almost always the first thing they asked about. Predictable, she thought in annoyance. “Why are you so interested in gold, Smeech?” she replied with a low voice. “Shall I tell the Chembarons that you are unhappy with what they pay you?” A low growl from him made her smirk. She heard the whirling of gears and suddenly she sensed that Smeech was very close to her face. “I would like to see you try that kind of wit with the Chembarons.” His voice shuddered in an almost anticipatory, sadistic joy.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62592886/chapters/164d215300

Caitlyn, finally, meets the Chembarons.

Three thoughts: Firstly - really liked your fic, was the first one I got invested enough in to put more than a single comment on Ao3 (and this ask too yay). Secondly: as to alternate perspective ideas, chapter 27 between Vi blacking out and waking up in the Piltover hospital. How did that meeting between Vander and Cassandra go? Thirdly: as to the council/founding lore - why can't both Heimerdinger and House Kiramman be the founders of Piltover? My headcanon is that there were multiple founding families of Piltover, and that's the origins of the council. Heimerdinger gets to be "the founder" because he's the only individual still around, but the Kirammans (and maybe also the Ferroses and the Hoskels, but not the Medardas) were definitely part of founding Piltover too. I'm also now wondering if the hypothetical divide of "founding councillor / elevated later" fits onto the fic's status quo / revolutionary council divide neatly. Did Cassandra first try to persuade the councillors whose houses were elevated to the council after Piltover's founding?

Glad you liked it!! <3 <3 I appreciate all the comments you've left! All of you make my day when I see them :D

As for the story parts:

I could definitely add that perspective, but I believe I can post that little one shot today, so we'll see how it goes. That's a good request!

Here's my headcanon (of my own lore lol):

The main reason is that I wanted Cassandra to have a sense of responsibility to to the city. In the chapter from her point of view, she tells the old sheriff before Grayson: “Sheriff, my ancestors shaped the very cobblestones that laid the foundations of this city,” she stated in a tone that brooked no argument. “If I wish to traverse a single one of them, then I shall, no matter how unsensible it may seem to you. Am I understood?” TL;DR: I like the gravity of the Kiramman's being the original founders.

Now, how the elevating of councilors works:

The whole city was once Zaun, the last bastion of the Valoran Empire, which I imagine that the Valoran empire set up the council there to run the city while they expanded their empire. So when the empire fell, Zaun was just left with the council and went on business as usual. Their main areas of government, law enforcement, etc., were located where the present day Zaun is now. It just kind of existed like any other city in the world until one day, the trade merchant family, the Hoskels, proposed the creation of the Sun Gates, which is a massive canal. They created the River Pilt and built up the artificing, trade, and science centers for the Sun Gates on the northside of the river that would become Piltover.

Once Hoskel's family set off the bombs that led the the creation of the fissures and sunk half of the south side of Zaun into them, those on that council were destroyed along with it. So a new one had to be formed and, due to the destruction of the south side, the new one was built on the north side. Because the surviving governing families (think of them like distant relations of the original council in Zaun who worked on the Sun Gates) were related to the original councilors, nothing actually changed in terms of what family ruled, but now you have a bunch of people who never would have been in powerful positions or receiving a lot of wealth suddenly getting it, fueling the greed that led to them not providing aid to the destroyed part of the city. Not a great foundation for government immediately following a devastating disaster. Now, families come and go, some die out, some leave, some are exiled, etc. So some families have changed, such as Shoola's being 600 years on the council as opposed to Cassandra's being on it for 800 years.

I will say, part of my clean up throughout this fic will be fixing up the lore a bit. Making it up as you go along, especially for a fic as long as this one, will lead to discrepancies. I'll do what I can, but for the most part, the important parts are what I want them to be and will be unchanged: the Kirammans are the ones who built Zaun/Piltover and are the oldest family on the council, the Hoskels accidentally sent half of the city into the fissures--which would turn into the Undercity--and ever since The Sinking, no one from what was the south side of Zaun has served on the council.

Lastly, because its been so long that these family's have been on the council, there isn't much weight between who was elevated and who wasn't, except perhaps Cassandra's and that was mainly due to the fact that she had the most money because of how old her family is (that's changed, however, because Mel is now the richest person in Piltover). The reason Heimerdinger is the leader of the council now is because he is the longest serving councilor and his wisdom, despite its inconsistency at times, still does serve them well in other matters.

Turns out writing a spy story is hard 🤣 I have spent half the morning and a few hours last night trying to figure out getting something to work in “Low Lays the Devil in Me.” This one is a bit harder to make up as I go. I was worried I had boxed myself into a corner, but I have a plan now!

"Heart Made of Glass, My Mind of Stone" CaitVi Fic Chapter Nine: The Assignment

“Did you send me on this assignment because I’m from Zaun?” Vi asked, slowly and carefully. Councilor Kiramman seemed a little surprised by the question as blue eyes widened ever so slightly, but then steeled themselves as she answered once she collected herself a split second later with a simple, “yes.” Vi stared at the woman incredulously for a few tense seconds. Then she stood up and ran her fingers through her hair, forcing herself to calm down. “Violet, what’s the matter?” the councilor asked and her gods damned worried tone only managed to anger Vi further. Vi met the councilor’s blue eyes and scoffed at her audacity to be confused. “A moment of honesty?” Vi asked, her fury barely held at bay. The councilor didn’t assure Vi that she could always be honest again. The realization in the woman’s eyes told Vi that the councilor had now caught on to what Vi was really asking. Do you truly want to hear what I have to say? “A moment of honesty,” Kiramman repeated confidently.

Vi is asked to do a strange and potentially dangerous assignment for Councilor Kiramman. Caitlyn has some eye opening experiences. Vi's errand leads to a surprising conversation with the councilor.

Low Lays the Devil in Me Question

Question! This chapter for Noxus is suuuuper long. Like, so far is over 20,000 words and I still have one big conversation to wrap up and some descriptions and supplemental scenes and then I'm done. Should I split this mini-book into two chapters (Noxus Part 1 and Noxus Part 2) or keep it as one big chapter?