Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Vi was going to kill Mylo.

That was her first thought as she started to come to.

Ow, was her next one.

Muffled sounds dimly cut through the ringing in her ears and the sharp pain in her head. She tried to open her eyes, squinting slightly, but immediately shut them and hissed as her headache got worse at the bright light from….wherever she was.

She felt a light weight on her shoulder. More muffled sound. Like someone was trying to talk to her while under water.

Vi pushed aside the pain, something she was quite used to doing, and attempted to open her eyes again. The light was bright, but her eyes adjusted quickly. Blurry shapes started to come into focus and the ringing in her ears finally subsided.

“You didn’t have to hit her that hard!”

Powder?

“I didn’t mean to knock her out. Besides, you broke into my apartment. I have a right to defend myself.”

Vi turned her head and saw her sister standing a few feet away, hands balled into fists. Her raised voice was directed at a man that Vi didn’t recognize. He was probably handsome, but it was hard to tell with his swollen nose at an odd angle and a mix of wet and dried blood all over his face and otherwise perfect white and navy vest.

She was distracted when the weight on her shoulder gently squeezed it.

“Are you all right?” An elegant Piltover accent was gentle and laced with concern. Vi looked at the hand on her shoulder and then followed the arm up to a girl, around her age, with dark blue hair and bright blue eyes. Different than Powder’s. So bright they almost sparkled.

Vi, who blamed her head injury for her lack of a reaction, stared blankly at the girl.

“VI!” Powder cried out and rushed to her sister, hugging her and dislodging the hand on her shoulder.

“Powder?” Vi asked, her voice weak and confused. “What happened?”

“What happened is we caught you stealing,” said the strange man with a harsh glare. Vi looked up at him and her eyes widened, her memory flooding back to her.

She left Mylo, Powder, and Claggor in the living room, annoyed at Mylo for picking fights when they needed to focus. This was his job, his first one, and he was making mistakes that Vi knew she taught him to avoid. She made a mental note to lecture him about that later.

She wandered off into a bedroom, noting it was as messy and disorganized as the living room. She let out a quiet snort.

Don’t all Topsiders have maids to clean for them? she wondered absently.

She pushed the thought from her mind and began looking through drawers and boxes. Nothing. The papers she found had complex equations written, crossed out, and re-written all over them. Part of her wanted to swipe one and see if Powder and Ekko could tell her what this guy was trying to invent. She decided against it, not curious enough to actually do anything.

A blue and gold chest sat on a desk next to a half eaten sandwich. She looked at it and immediately dismissed the chest itself as having any value and tried to open it. Locked.

Vi looked for a keyhole or a button, but didn’t see anything obvious. She was about to investigate further when—

“Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my apartment!” demanded a deep, unfamiliar voice from outside the room.

Vi’s eyes shot up as fear and adrenaline spiked in her chest. She ran out of the room and saw a man standing in the doorway holding a box with a look of shock and anger.

“RUN!” Vi yelled at her siblings.

The man dropped his box and lunged forward. Vi only had to hear the familiar squeal of her little sister for her instincts kicked in.

Vi didn’t even think about how this man probably weighed three times more than her before she ran and tackled him with enough momentum to knock him down, forcing him to release her sister.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Vi spat out as she punched the man in his stupid handsome face, hearing a satisfying crunch.

The man let out a grunt of pain and swung a fist out too fast for Vi to block it from cracking into her temple.

“VI!” was all she heard before darkness enveloped her.

“Vi, are you okay”

Her little sister’s watery voice pulled Vi out of her memory. She grabbed Powder’s hand and squeezed it in reassurance, then glanced back up at the man.

“Look, we’re sorry. Just let us go and we’ll never come back. We’ll give you the stuff back,” she said. Her head swam still and she wasn’t sure she could stand up without throwing up, let alone fighting a guy this size.

Vander’s voice filled Vi’s head. Protect Powder.

“Your…friends took the stuff with them when they ditched you,” the man replied, his tone tight with frustration.

Glad they listened for once, Vi thought in relief. However, that meant she may have lost her ability to bargain with this guy.

“Please don’t call the Enforcers,” Powder begged, shaking at the thought of that possibility.

“A little late for that.”

Another stranger that Vi didn’t recognize made their appearance known, but Vi didn’t need to know their name. The dark blue uniform that covered the strange woman was all she needed to know. Vi felt fear and fury course through her again as she instinctively put herself in between Powder and the Enforcer.

“Sheriff, I didn’t expect someone to be here so soon, let alone for you to show up,” the man stated as she held out his hand to shake. “Jayce Talis. This is my apartment.”

The Enforcer–the fucking Sheriff Vi thought angrily–shook his hand. A gravelly voice responded, “Well, when I heard that a girl matching Caitlyn Kiramman’s description was involved in a break in, I decided to answer the call myself.”

The girl who had asked Vi if she was all right stood up and addressed the Sheriff.

“Sheriff Grayson. It’s good to see you.”

“You as well, young Kiramman. Now, would someone like to explain to me what happened?” the Sheriff asked patiently, her sharp dark gray eyes made Vi want to stand up straight under their scrutiny.

“It’s my fault. Leave Powder out of this! I forced her to come with me,” Vi stated vehemently.

The Sheriff’s head cocked to one side, curiously. “Powder?”

The young girl in question squeaked and hid further behind Vi, trembling. Vi cursed herself for revealing her sister’s name. Stupid head injury.

“That must make you Vi, then,” the Sheriff said. It wasn’t a question.

Vi furrowed her brow, suspiciously. “How do you know my name?”

The Sheriff didn’t answer her and instead turned back to the man. “Mr. Talis. I see that you have been injured. Do you need an Enforcer to escort you to a hospital?”

The man–Jayce–seemed surprised at the question. “Uh…no. Dr. Kiramman should be able to help me.”

“Very well,” the Sheriff continued. “I understand if you would like to press charges. However, if I can assure you that I can retrieve your stolen items, perhaps we can chalk this up to kids being kids. But, if you feel like the assault and theft are grievous enough, I will arrest these children and charge them accordingly.”

Vi stared dumbfounded at the Sheriff. Surely the head honcho of Enforcers wasn’t imploring some rich asshole to not punish a trencher for assaulting him.

Jayce also seemed to be thinking the same as Vi. “Oh…uh–Sheriff, the other kids–there were two others–took the stuff. It’s probably long gone. How could you get it back?”

The Sheriff put a heavy hand on Jayce’s shoulder. “I am not a rookie, Mr. Talis. I do not anticipate any problems tracking down a few kids.”

Jayce bit his bottom lip. “It might not be completely up to me. Technically the Kiramman’s own everything that was stolen here since they’re my patrons.”

Vi’s stomach dropped to the center of Runeterra. This place was owned by the fucking Kiramman’s? Vi thought incredulously. I am going to kill Mylo.

“I can talk to my mom!” piped up the blue haired girl. Vi was watching this all, her eyes bouncing from one Topsider to another. She knew she had no leg to stand on here, no defense she could offer up. The other girl continued. “No one was seriously hurt and it was only a few kids. My mom can be tough, but she won’t want to send some kids to Stillwater.”

Jayce looked a little skeptical, but turned to the Sheriff and said, “I won’t press any charges for the assault. I don’t know what was all stolen yet, but there was equipment here that is worth quite a lot of money. If you can get back what was taken, then Caitlyn and I can talk to her parents about not pressing charges for the theft.”

Vi stared at the girl. She was a Kiramman? Vi vaguely remembered reading that the Kiramman’s had a daughter her age, but hadn’t thought about it in years.

“Excellent,” the Sheriff said. “Why don’t you go get your injury attended to. Caitlyn, will you please inform your parents that I will be back in a few hours with the items that were stolen? She has my oath as Sheriff.”

“Of course, Sheriff Grayson.”

The Sheriff approached Vi and Powder. Vi put her arm out in front of Powder. The Sheriff seemed unphased by the defensive act as she scrutinized them. After a moment, she spoke.

“Vi, Powder. I am Sheriff Grayson. I ask that you please cooperate. I promise that if you return the items that were taken, I will bring you back home myself, unharmed and not under arrest.”

Vi looked back at Powder, who clung to her, her face hiding in the cloth of Vi’s cut off. She looked back at the Sheriff, trying to think of any other way out of this. But Powder could barely make the jump here and Vi knew she wouldn’t risk her sister getting caught running from the Sheriff. She sighed and nodded her head in acquiescence.

“Very well. If you’ll please follow me.”

Vi spared one more look at Jayce and the Kiramman girl–Caitlyn, Vi remembered–and gripped Powder’s hand as she followed the Sheriff out of the apartment.

The Sheriff confidently walked down the street, two steps ahead of the sisters. Vi made sure to keep her head on a swivel, not trusting that they weren’t about to get jumped by a group of Enforcers.

Powder tugged on her arm and whispered, “Vi, should we try to make a break for it? I bet we could take the sewers home.”

Vi shook her head immediately. “She knows who we are, Powder. She has our names. It wouldn’t take much for her to find us in the Undercity. I don’t want to risk bringing the wrath of the Sheriff to our home.”

Powder nodded understandingly. Vi took a quiet deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart.

If she’s bringing us home, Vander will know what to do, Vi thought in an attempt to comfort herself.

The Sheriff led them wordlessly towards the bridge. No one stopped her or questioned why she was escorting two dirty trencher kids through the beautiful arched, white streets of Piltover.

An hour ago, Vi didn’t have time to focus on the beauty of the City of Progress, focused on the job at hand. Now, as she looked around, noticed the polished marble, hewn stone, gold and silver decor that crawled up all of their buildings. It made her skin crawl and her stomach churn. She wanted to break everything beautiful about this place.

It didn’t take too long to get to the Bridge of Progress. Vi felt Powder’s hand grip hers harder.

Dear friends, across the river. Blood. Gunshots. Familiar eyes wide open, unmoving. Nightmarish images immediately sprang to Vi’s mind, but she shoved it down. Now was not the time to dwell on…those memories.

They had only crossed the Bridge a handful of times, mainly to go shopping for something specific in one of the markets by the Bridge with Vander, but they had never made it further into Piltover beyond Midtown.

They continued over the Bridge, towards the Rising Howl. If it were just the two of them, Vi wouldn’t use this elevator to get to the Lanes. Too crowded, usually with Pilties. The smaller, lesser known elevators are ones most fissure folk use to travel to and from the Undercity. However, she’s unsurprised as Grayson led them there and they patiently wait for the elevator to begin its descent.

Vi glances up at the Sheriff, still suspicious of her motives. Why would the Sheriff care about letting two kids off? Especially ones that stole from a councilor. Surely she would rather just throw them in Stillwater and be done with it?

Grayson’s intelligent eyes met Vi’s with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, Vi?” she asked.

Before the older teenager could check her tone, she demanded, “How do you know my name? You never answered.”

Powder’s hand gripped Vi’s hard, much harder than normal, warning her to shut up, but Vi ignored her and continued to meet the Sheriff’s gaze. To Vi’s surprise, rather than react negatively to the disrespectful tone, the older woman chuckled.

The Rising Howl hissed loudly as its doors closed and slowly descended towards Entresol.

“I know your adoptive father. He has spoken of you many times,” Grayson stated. Vi gaped at the woman, who let out another gravelly laugh. “Not the answer you were expecting, I take it. I am unsurprised that you didn’t know. We do not get to speak very often, and I wouldn’t go so far as to say we are friends, but there is a level of respect for one another. Both of us are leaders who do what we can to keep the citizens of our city’s safe.”

Vi couldn’t stop the snort of disbelief that came out of her. She looked away from Grayson’s eyes, not wanting the Sheriff to see the anger her answer caused.

“I understand your resentment, young Vi. The Enforcers have hardly given you any reason to trust anything I say or do.”

Vi looked back, expecting the woman to continue. “But…” Vi prompted.

The Sheriff shrugged. “But nothing. Actions speak louder than words ever will, Vi. I recognize that there is nothing I could say to you that would make you believe that I only wish for true justice to be met by those who cause real harm to Piltover and Zaun. Even this small act of not arresting you, I know, will not sway your opinion of this uniform.”

Vi had nothing to say to that; the Sheriff was correct. She loathed that blue and gold uniform with every fiber of her being. Just standing next to one left a bad taste in her mouth and her guard perpetually up.

A few minutes passed as the elevator continued its descent closer to her home. White marble and gold inlays changed to iron and glass as they delved deeper into the Undercity. Vi began to feel herself instinctively relax ever so slightly as the familiar scent of the Gray sifted through the air.

“How do you know Vander?” Powder asked, speaking to the Sheriff for the first time.

Grayson smiled warmly at the young girl. “His father and my father were friends, once upon a time. In another life, Vander and I were acquaintances when we were about your age, little one.”

Vi’s eyes widened in realization. “You’re from the Undercity?” she asked in disbelief.

The elevator came to a stop, another hiss as the doors opened to reveal the dark green and gray maze of Entresol.

“My voice didn’t get this way through genes or smoking, Vi,” the Sheriff said. “Now, let’s get you home and find your brothers. Hopefully they haven’t tried to start a riot to get you back.”

Vi took a moment to process that the Sheriff–the fucking Sheriff of Piltover–was once a trencher. How the hell did that happen? Vi asked herself.

Shaking her head out of her reverie, she followed Powder and Grayson through familiar streets, weaving through a mass of people towards the Lanes. The Sheriff didn’t need or ask for any directions as they wound through markets, narrow streets, and smog. Several stall owners paled when they saw the Sheriff and hurriedly tried to hide certain wares that were certainly not legal, but Grayson ignored them and continued walking towards The Last Drop.

Grayson led them around the building where the bar was located to a set of stairs that led up to the office above The Last Drop. She knocked and patiently waited for the door to open.

Vander was a mess. Only one of his arms was in his coat and he still had on his sleep pants and only one of his boots was laced up. His expression turned from exhaustive worry to relief when he saw Vi and Powder with Grayson.

“Oh, thank Janna!” he whispered, scooping Powder and Vi into a powerful hug.

“Vander, I’m so sorry. It was my fault; don’t be mad at the others. Be mad at me,” Vi implored, but Vander shushed her.

“It’s all right. We’ll talk about it later. Are you hurt?” Vander asked, leaning down to examine both girls.

Vi and Powder shook their heads and Powder launched herself forward for another reassuring hug. “It’s okay, Powder. You’re okay.” Vander whispered comfortingly.

He eventually stood up and looked at Grayson. “You were the one who caught them?”

“I was. Vi, accidentally I would assume, let Powder’s name slip and I realized who they were,” Grayson replied.

“I owe you more than I can say, Grayson,” Vander stated, holding out his hand. “I shudder to think what would have happened if another Enforcer found them instead.”

“Yes, especially since they broke into a laboratory owned by the Kiramman’s,” the Sheriff said.

A sharp intake of breath was the only thing that told Vi just how much trouble they were in. Fear and anxiety gnawed at her insides.

“Are they pressing charges?” Vander asked.

“I’m unsure,” the Sheriff replied. “I told the scientist who found them stealing that I would return all the items that were stolen and hope that the fact that they are children will be enough to sway Councilor Kiramman from demanding an arrest. Fortunately for us, their daughter was also there and perhaps the similarity in their age will cool any tempers that may flare.”

“I can also speak to the Councilor, if she would allow it,” Vander offered.

That frightened Vi more than anything had so far. What if they thought that Vander was responsible for her and her siblings’ actions? Would they arrest him? Cart him off to Stillwater? Vi was sick at that thought.

“I will let you know. For now, the children must remain close to home. Do not let them back up into Piltover unless they are asked to be there,” Grayson instructed. “If I am able to do so, I will keep them from any real punishment. I imagine, however, that there will be some kind of consequence for this.”

Vander looked at Vi with serious, dark eyes as he replied to the Sheriff. “I give my word, Sheriff. Vi does, too.”

Vi hesitated, but knew her silence was not an option. “I give mine, too. We’ll stay down here.”

Where we belong, Vi thought disparagingly.

The Sheriff nodded, accepting the response. “Very well. I assume your other children are nearby and have the items?”

“Mylo! Clagger! Get your arses up here!” Vander yelled.

A moment later, two sheepish teenage boys came into the office from downstairs. They froze when they saw Vi and Powder with the Sheriff.

Vander didn’t let them have a moment to process what they were seeing. “You have thirty seconds to go downstairs and bring me everything–and I mean everything–you stole. If I find out that even one item wasn’t returned, I will lock you in that basement until you are old and gray.”

Even though the threat itself was not one any of them took seriously, his tone meant that the punishment would be severe enough to regret disobeying his orders.

Mylo let out an undignified squeak and scrambled to do as he was told. Claggor stood there awkwardly, eyeing the Sheriff with fear and distrust. The silence was awkward, but thankfully Mylo was fast and returned with a heavy backpack, the contents inside clanking together as he rushed to do as he was told.

“He-here’s everyth-thing. I p-promise,” he stuttered, setting the bag at the feet of the Sheriff.

Grayson hummed her thanks and shouldered the bag. “Thank you, Mylo. Vander, I will send you a pneuma-tube soon with word on what has been decided. I would imagine that it will come sometime this evening.”

“Thank you, Grayson. I truly appreciate it,” Vander said, holding out his hand again.

Grayson respectfully took it and looked down at the teenagers. “I hope you have all learned a valuable lesson here.” She gave one last meaningful look at Vi, who wasn’t sure how to interpret it, and then she turned and left, confidently walking down the Lanes.

Vi felt relief flood through her as her chest loosened the anxious stranglehold that had gripped her since she woke up in the apartment. She felt like she could finally breathe again.

“All right everyone, inside. Now,” Vander demanded. The teenagers did as they were told, none of them daring to be the first to speak.

Vander took off his coat and heaved a heavy sigh as he sat down behind his desk. He lit up his pipe, which Vi learned after several years he only did when he was worried or trying to be intimidating. In this case, it was probably both.

“Anyone have anything they want to say?” he asked, finally looking them all in the eye.

Vi stepped forward. “It was my idea. Punish me. They only followed my directions.”

“Your directions were to sneak out of the Undercity and rob a councilor?” Vander asked in disbelief.

Vi bit her bottom lip. “We didn’t know he works for the Kiramman’s,” she admitted.

Their adopted father sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is why I have told you time and time again. The Northside is off limits. You don’t know that world–none of you do. The actions up there have ripple effects down here, you know that. Why in Janna’s name would you think it was okay to rob anyone in Piltover?”

“We thought we could handle a real job,” Vi defended.

“A real job?”

“We got a tip, planned a route. You always say we have to earn our place in this world!”

“I’ve also said we stay out of Piltover’s business,” Vander countered. “If you’re going to selectively choose what advice of mine to follow, do not throw my own words back at me.”

Vi grunted and turned her eyes away from Vander. The thing that pissed her off the most in this moment is how right he was. She should have known better than to do a job in Piltover, especially one that she didn’t come up with herself. This was on her.

A memory resurfaced from a few years ago when Vander was lecturing her on the responsibilities of leading her siblings.

“You’re the oldest, Vi. I know it’s not fair, but they look up to you,” Vander said as he patched her up after a fight where Powder got hurt by some wannabe street thugs. Vi hadn’t been fast enough. “That moment you decided to lead them and convinced them that they should put their trust in you, you lost the right to be selfish. They’ll do everything you tell them to do, but if anything happens to them it’s on you. Just like it’s on me what happens down here.”

Vi pushed the memory away. She slipped today. That won’t happen again, she vowed.

Vander dismissed them, telling them to go get something to eat. Vi paused at the doorway, letting the others go ahead.

She met Vander’s tired eyes. “Vander…we’re going to be okay, right?”

He got up and put one of his large hands on her shoulder. “I’ll take care of it, Vi. Don’t worry.”

Vi hugged him, the apology and forgiveness communicated through the embrace.

She eventually followed her father down the stairs where she could already hear Powder explaining everything that happened. Vander’s stool creaked as he sat down.

“Alright Powder, start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”

Chapter Text

The Sheriff was correct in her assumption. Powder and Ekko brought Vander a pneuma-tube later that night when Vi was working a shift at the bar with Vander and Mylo. She was wiping down a table with a bunch Cavernberry Ale spilled all over it when she saw the two younger teenagers holding it out to Vander. He met Vi's eyes from across the bar and nodded his head up at the office. She threw the wet, sticky rag at Mylo's face and followed her father up the stairs.

"What does it say?" she asked, not bothering to hide her nerves. She shut the door and sat on the couch, her leg bouncing unconsciously.

Vander was silent as he opened it up and read it. Vi knew better than to ask him again, but her impatient nature wouldn't hold her back for long. She stared at him, absently biting down on her already down to the quick nails.

Her father sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"She wants to meet with you," he stated.

Vi's nerves flared up even more intensely. "The Sheriff?"

Vander shook his head. "No. Councilor Cassandra Kiramman."

The teenager stopped breathing. "Oh."

A large hand pinched the bridge of her father's nose. "Yeah. First thing in the morning. Grayson said she'll wait at the top of the Rising Howl to be an escort to the Kiramman Manor."

"Her home? Not in front of the Council?" Vi asked curiously. Most crimes committed against a councilor would warrant the whole council to be present for questioning. Perhaps because this was against a councilor's protégé that doesn't apply? Vi wondered.

"Okay," she said as she thought over what this meant. "Is this a good thing? I mean, it doesn't say anything about us being arrested and I'm not going in front of the council. That's got to be a good thing, right?"

Vander slid her the message. "I'm not sure, kiddo. I don't know much about how Topside politics works. It's part of the reason why I don't like you guys going up there. It's hard to protect you from things I don't understand."

Vi allowed herself to feel the pang of guilt, again. She knew Vander wasn't being unkind, just truthful. She read the message:

Vander,

Councilor Kiramman requests Vi's presence at 8:00 am tomorrow morning. I will meet her at the top of Rising Howl at 7:30 to escort her to the Kiramman Manor.

Grayson

No hint or sign of what the councilor would say or do. Vi tossed the message on the desk and hung her head off of the back of the sofa, but immediately pulled it back up when a splinter from the cracked wooden frame got caught in her hair.

"I don't suppose the early wake up call means I can take tonight off to sleep?" she asked, half joking, as she pulled the splinter out.

Vander's glare told her he didn't find her attempt at humor amusing. She put her hands up in surrender and stood to get back to work. She paused, a flash of fear coursed through her. The message only mentioned she was to meet the councilor.

"Vander, will you come with me?" she asked, doing her best to keep the nerves out of her voice.

Her father looked her in the eyes. "I'll join on the walk there, Vi, but I doubt I'll be allowed to meet with the councilor. That, I fear, you'll have to face on your own."

Vi broke eye contact and let out a slow breath. Her fear was, only slightly, washed away at her father's words.

"Thank you."

He waved it off. "Come on. We have thirsty patrons to serve. If we leave Mylo down there alone for too long he's going to try to sneak some liquor and get too drunk to work."

Vi snorted. "He won't if he knows what's good for him," she muttered darkly.

"Vi, what did it say?"

Powder bombarded her as soon as Vi returned to her shift. She grabbed a clean rag and went to go find something to clean. Powder and Ekko followed her and soon she was surrounded by all of her siblings.

"Okay, look," she said. She projected her voice to sound both reassuring and commanding. "I am going Topside to meet with the councilor we stole from. I'm going to explain what happened and hope that she won't throw us all in Stillwater. Hopefully, I'll be home by 9:30 with just a slap on the wrist."

Mylo hung his head. "It should be me going. It was my fault what happened."

Powder sneered up at him. "If you go then we'll for sure be going to Stillwater."

Mylo looked like he was going retort back, but Vi interrupted him. "No, it was my call. You planned it, but I approved of the plan. That's on me. I should never have let us go Topside for any job. Let's just hope I can play up any sympathy I can. Now, I need to get back to work. You too, Mylo."

Everyone dispersed, except for Powder. Vi looked at her little sister. She's going through another growth spurt Vi thought absently. Vi stood at a good eight inches over sister now, but Vi knew she'd get taller quickly. She'll have to find some new pants for her soon.

"Vi...they won't actually send you to Stillwater, will they?" Powder asked, her voice trembled as she spoke.

Vi knelt down to her level. "Powder, I really don't think so. I don't turn eighteen for a few months, so they legally can't send me to Stillwater."

Powder scoffed in disbelief. Vi didn't blame her.

"I can't lose you, too," Powder whispered, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

Vi felt her heart squeeze painfully at her sister's confession. She put her hand up to Powder's cheek and wiped away the tear that escaped. "Pow Pow, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen."

Powder surged forward and wrapped her gangly arms around her older sister. Vi returned the embrace, squeezing just a touch too hard. Vi knew Powder preferred that, it helped ground her. Vi thought about what she just said. She had to keep that promise.

Vi yawned for the third time on the ride up the Rising Howl. Despite the slower bar shift--the third one that week--she still didn't get to bed until 3am. A few hours of sleep was not enough after the roller coaster that was the previous day. Not to mention she was annoyed she had to get up earlier than she would have to make herself look presentable.

"You're going in front of a Piltover councilor, Violet," Vander pointed out in exasperation, who looked even more exhausted than she did. "You can't go with greasy hair and ripped trousers."

So, Vi put on her best clothes, the same outfit she had for when there was a funeral or a wedding, which only had one hole in the armpit, but if Vi wore a black shirt underneath the black sweater, it was nearly unnoticeable. She of course washed her hair as best she could (though it was hard to get the grease out when it came from the chemicals in the water and not due to a lack of good hygiene). When she was finished, she had looked herself over before leaving. Vi rolled her shoulders, her hands at her side balled into fists. She was proud of her powerful physique. Vi put a lot of effort into ensuring she was strong enough to defend herself and her siblings whenever it was necessary, but given who she was about to meet, Vi worried all that the councilor would see was irredeemable trencher trash and decide to throw her in Stillwater, laws be damned.

She was jolted back awake when the elevator reached its destination of the Boundary Markets. Crowded with Zaunites commuting across the bridge to work, most of them were couriers and cleaners for the wealthy, her and Vander, who was also wearing his one wedding/funeral outfit, slowly shuffled off of the Rising Howl. If it were any other occasion, Vi would tease Vander about his wrinkled tie.

Only a few minutes passed their agreed meeting time, Vi found herself in front of the Sheriff of Piltover for the second time in two days. The familiar feeling of fury and disgust filled her seeing the blue and gold uniform, but she pushed it down. Today was probably the day where she could not, under any circumstances, allow her anger to get the better of her.

"Good morning, Vander; Vi. Thank you for meeting me so early," the Sheriff said, seemingly genuine.

Vander shook her hand. "Thank you, Sheriff, for escorting us. Wouldn't know where to go, otherwise, to be honest."

"It's my pleasure. Follow me. It'll take us about twenty minutes to walk there."

While it may have been a companionable silence for the two adults, Vi walked beside Vander and attempted to remain calm. She focused on not picking at her hangnails so she wouldn't bleed all over the pristine furniture in Kiramman Manor.

She hadn't even practiced any kind of speech to give the councilor, especially since Vi had no clue as to what the councilor was going to say. I'm sorry we broke in and stole a bunch of really expensive stuff from you. We didn't know it was yours--nope, can't use that, makes it seem like I do this often. Also, no point in mentioning that not only am I a thief, but I'm an incompetent one at that. Try again. I'm sorry I punched your scientist in the face, but he grabbed at my little sister, who was stealing from him, and I just reacted. No, you idiot, that sounds awful. Makes you seem like an out of control, violent animal.

She gave up half way through her shower.

Vi distracted herself with counting how many gold mechanical dragonflies she spotted flying around to distract her from her nerves. It seemed to work a little, because before long the Sheriff spoke.

"We're coming up to it," Grayson said. Vi looked up and audibly gasped.

An iron wrought fence wrapped around a house so massive, Vi wanted to ask if Grayson was sure this was the right place. Surely a building this big held more than three people? She counted four turrets standing tall above the roof, walled in white marble from the fissure mines and capped in blue tiles with gold decor. Vi even saw a few stained glass windows peppered around the turrets and upper walls. The gates, about 18 feet high, held at their pinnacle the Kiramman crest.

Vi wasn't easily intimidated, but this? This was "I'll kill you in my living room and trust the staff to throw you in the isthmus without a second thought to any repercussions" kind of money. And she was now at the mercy of the power that that wealth afforded.

She gulped.

"Right," Vander said. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her eyes to meet his. "Be polite. I know that's hard for you, but this is important, do you hear me?" Vi nodded. "Good. Be polite and don't react to any insults she may throw at you. If she offers you any path that doesn't put you in jail, you accept it. Do you understand me, Vi?"

The teenager nodded again. Vander hugged her tight. She realized that there is a chance this is the last time she sees him. She hugged him back as if her life depended on it.

"Come Vi, it's time," Grayson said, her tone not unkind.

Vi nodded and took a deep breath to push down her anxiety. It didn't work.

She took one last look at Vander and then turned to follow the Sheriff up the path to the Manor.

Vi had never felt more out of place in her life. Her short walk from the front door to a study held more opulence than she had ever seen in her seventeen years. Portraits lined the walls of the office of women who all shared the same blue eyes and nose. Vi realized, after a moment of looking at one closely, that they looked like the same eyes as the girl at the apartment--Caitlyn. A huge, pristine marble fireplace adorned with several decorative rifles over it gave Vi an uneasy feeling. Surely, they were only decorative. Vi's eyes were then drawn to a set of...things? Vi had no clue what she was looking at. Black and white marble pieces of varying shapes and sizes sat on a black and white checkered squared slab of marble. They were in various spots, but some also sat off to the side. Vi couldn't help but wonder what on Runeterra it was.

"Casing your next theft?" came an accented voice from behind Vi. The startled teenager whipped around, her heart in her throat, which resulted in her knocking into the table holding the slab of marble she had been looking at, causing several pieces to fall to the hardwood floor.

"Shit. Sorry I--oh, sorry, I didn't mean to curse. Or knock over...this thing." Vi knew she was turning a color that probably matched her hair and she hated herself for it.

Before her stood a woman about Vander's age, gray streaks lined her light brown hair, dressed in a perfectly tailored maroon and white suit, gold fastenings, sapphire earrings (that probably cost more money than Vi has ever spent in her life), and a black bow tie. In any other situation, Vi would have snickered at the pristine white gloves the woman had on, but she didn't do anything but snap her mouth shut in the wake of her horrific first impression.

Fuck me running Vi thought.

The woman seemed to ignore the curse, or at least seemed unfazed by it, and walked elegantly over to the table Vi knocked into to pick up the pieces that fell to the floor. Vi wondered if she should offer to help, but also didn't want to make the woman think she was going to pocket...whatever those things were.

The woman, who Vi knew was Councilor Cassandra Kiramman, matriarch of the oldest family in Piltover and Master of the Artificer's Guild, remained silent as she began placing the black and white marble pieces back onto the board. Vi noticed, in the back of her mind, that she put them back exactly where they were before Vi dislodged them.

"Chess," the woman said, her bright blue eyes meeting Vi's grayish blues when she finished cleaning up.

Vi's brow furrowed. "Er...what?"

A perfectly shaped eyebrow arched up. "Chess. That's what this 'thing' is called. It is a game of strategy."

"Oh, okay. Right." Vi knew she sounded like a moron, but she had no idea what else she was supposed to say to that.

The woman moved from the chess game, grabbed the steaming tea pot that sat on the coffee table in front of the fire, and sat down at the couch. Councilor Kiramman poured two cups as she continued to speak. "I do not imagine you would be good at chess, Violet, as I cannot for the life of me think that anyone with any sense of strategy would believe they could rob a councilor of Piltover, in broad daylight, and think they could get away with it."

Vi, stunned at the blatant insult, could only gape at the woman, who showed no sign of emotion as she sipped her tea, meeting the teenager's gaze over the rim of her tea cup.

The councilor did not elaborate, but Vi didn't know what she was waiting for.

Vander's voice drifted into her mind. Don't react to any insults she may throw at you.

Vi licked her chapped lips. "You're right. It was incredibly stupid to do such a thing."

Nothing. The woman was not giving Vi an inch. Nerves fluttered in her gut and she swallowed. "I am glad you wanted to meet with me, Councilor Kiramman. I would like to apologize to you."

Several beats passed in silence. The councilor took another sip before she spoke again. "Well?"

It's like speaking to a wall Vi thought. Don't react. Don't react.

"Well, what, Councilor?" she asked.

The councilor only slightly widened her eyes, expectantly. "I'm waiting for you to apologize."

Vi instinctively ground her teeth together as a familiar anger welled up in her chest. She took a deep breath, forcing it down.

"I apologize for stealing from you, Councilor Kiramman. I assure you, it will not happen again," Vi stated evenly, with as much sincerity as she could muster.

Councilor Kiramman hummed and took another sip. "You won't steal from me or you won't steal again?" she asked, still the picture of perfect composure.

Vi pictured herself knocking the hot, dark liquid onto the woman's perfect clothes. She instead of giving into her impulses, chose to remain silent.

The older woman set her tea down and gestured for Vi to sit. Stiffly, Vi did so.

"Drink some tea, Violet. I would hate for your father to think I am not hospitable towards my guest," the councilor instructed.  Vi absently picked up the fancy tea cup. She could not read this woman at all. One moment she's outright insulting her, the next she's a perfect host. The councilor continued speaking when Vi took a sip of the (delicious) tea. "Were you searching for something in particular at Jayce's laboratory yesterday, Violet?"

Vi was not expecting that question. "No, Councilor."

"Were you paid by someone to look for important or secret documents about Jayce's studies?"

Vi's eyebrows flew up. She definitely hadn't thought that's where this questioning was going. "No, Councilor. No one else was in on it. I planned the whole thing."

"You and your siblings, you mean," the other woman pointed out.

Vi felt a protective anger burn in her belly at this Councilor even mentioning her siblings. "No, Councilor. I was the only one who planned everything."

She saw the same eyebrow as before raise above the other and what could have been a flash of anger, but it was gone too quickly to be sure. "That will be the one lie I allow you, Violet. I am only doing so because I can understand the desire to protect one's family. Loyalty is a trait I deeply admire in anyone." Vi opened her mouth to protest being called a liar, but the councilor held up a finger. Vi stopped herself from speaking. "I won't bore you with how I had Sheriff Grayson confirm with witnesses who reported seeing a teenage boy matching your brother Mylo's description wandering around Jayce's apartment building, unaccompanied, several times over the last few days. Nor will I tell you not to insult my intelligence by you assuming I would not know that my own protégé occasionally goes to an establishment in Zaun called Benzo's, where Jayce has informed me he remembers seeing someone who looks like Mylo loitering outside when he was there buying supplies he needed, with my money, a few days ago. I won't do any of that, because that is not the point of this meeting. The point of this meeting is for me to determine what I should do with you."

Vi was used to being cornered. She'd been cornered by thugs who wanted to prove how tough they were, muggers who wanted to rob her, and kids from other neighborhoods who were simply bored. Vi has seen people in positions of power before, but she realized, cornered in a way she had never felt before in one of the fanciest buildings in Piltover, she was looking at the most intelligent, powerful person she would probably ever meet and, while Vi could probably kick this woman's ass in a bar fight, she knew she was no match in this arena.

The woman drank from her tea again. "Now, let us have a moment of honesty, Violet. If you were not stealing at the behest of someone else, then why were you stealing from a laboratory?"

Vi swallowed her pride and gave her the truth. "I need the money."

"Oh? From what I've been told, your father's bar, The Last Drop, is quite the popular establishment with the locals in the Lanes without much competition. You work there as a bartender regularly and also occasionally run odd jobs around the Fissures. What would you need the money for?"

The sound of china clinking rose above the crackling of the fire. Vi could not stop her hands shaking in anger nor the sneer that she felt tugging at her top lip. The Councilor did not react to either display.

Vi set her cup down, not trusting herself not to throw it. "A moment of honesty?" she seethed out.

The Councilor nodded calmly and that was all the permission Vi needed to explode.

"Your fucking taxes are fucking killing us!" she roared. "The last round has been a fucking doozy, too. Your Sun Gates didn't bring as much money last year, so you decided to shit on those below you to make up for it. You say the bar is popular with locals? They can't afford to drink anymore because they're too busy counting every silver cog they have to try to pay their rent. Not to mention we now can't afford to pay the Chembarons enough to keep their people off our streets, so any day now the Lanes will be flooded with gangs shaking people down. I need the money to do what I can to make sure my thirteen year old sister doesn't go to bed hungry or get her throat slit in some back alley for not coughing up a few cogs to gangbangers because your rich ass pockets are a little lighter than they were a year ago. How dare you ask me what I could possibly need the money for? If you can't imagine it, then you need take your fancy ass shoes down to the Fissures and see first hand what your fucked policies are doing to us. But that would require you to actually care about Zaun, though, wouldn't it? Instead, you'd rather chase down some kids who took a few things that you could probably buy 100 of each item and simply make it up by breathing next to some Noxian trader looking to finance your next invention. Fuck. You."

The silence following Vi's diatribe was deafening. The teenager was breathing heavily and it took her a second to realize she was standing. When did she do that? Vi sat down, her knees weak as she realized what she just did.

Holy shit, Vi. You really fucked it up big time she thought. She put her head in her hands. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Vander always said your temper would get you in trouble one day.

She looked up when she heard Councilor Kiramman set her tea cup down on the coffee table. "Well," the woman said, "I must say I haven't heard someone yell at me with such vigor since my daughter was eleven years old and screaming at me about how unfair it was that she couldn't go hunting instead of attend the birthday party of a peer she rather despised."

Vi stared dumbly at the woman. She was looking at Vi as if the teenager had just described the perfect weather conditions for a game of polo.

"I...er--" Vi vocalized, unsure of what she should even say in this moment. To apologize seemed dishonest, and the councilor already told her she had used up her one lie.

"Violet," Councilor Kiramman interrupted. "While I could have done without the tantrum, I am glad you were honest with me about your motives for the theft and feelings about my position as a councilor of Piltover. That is what I was hoping to get from you."

Vi shook her head, unable to understand what the councilor meant. "You--what?"

The woman kept speaking as if Vi wasn't dumbly speaking nonsense to her. "Your honesty, however colorful it was, will allow us to move forward with what I was hoping we could do. However, Violet, my one lie allowance still stands. If you lie to me again, we will be finished and trust me when I tell you that you do not want a Kiramman as your enemy."

Vi's brain hurt. "Councilor, what are you talking about? Moving forward with what?"

The councilor picked up a silver bell from the sofa's end table and rang it. A few seconds later, a young man in a crisp black suit stepped into the room, bowing respectfully to the older woman. "Emir, would you please bring Jayce in."

"Councilor," Vi started as the man left the room. "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't, dear. I haven't explained it yet. I am waiting for Jayce to arrive. He was waiting in the foyer with your father, having arrived shortly after you."

Vi took that as a hint to shut the hell up and wait. So she does. While she had a better handle on her impatience than she did when she was Powder's age, it's still a constant battle to not express it in an outwardly negative way. Her leg began bouncing.

A few moments later, Jayce entered the room. His nose was no longer crooked, but it was still swollen and he was sporting two impressive black eyes. Vi would be impressed with herself if she weren't so confused.

"Jayce, thank you for coming so early," Councilor Kiramman greeted her protégé, standing and embracing him with a few cheek kisses.

"Of course, Councilor. I am happy to come over no matter the occasion," Jayce replied, kissing the councilor's gloved hand. Vi wanted to vomit on the expensive rug she stood on.

Councilor Kiramman squeezed his hand affectionately and turned to the teenager. "Violet, I know you are...intimately familiar with Jayce's visage, but I would like to formally introduce you. Violet, this is Jayce Talis, a brilliant inventor and top of his class at Piltover Academy where he is studying artificing. Jayce, this is Violet from Zaun."

Jayce put on a practiced smile and held out his hand. "Hello, Violet."

Vi wanted to give him a high five just to see what how he would react. "It's Vi," she said instead, shaking his hand.

"Violet," the councilor said, seeming to have ignored Vi's statement about her name. "Is there anything you want to say to Jayce?"

Honesty, honesty Vi repeated to herself. "I'm sorry about your nose. I did not set out to injure you." Then, remembering what the councilor said about loyalty, "I reacted when I heard my sister scream. My goal was to protect her. I apologize that by doing so, you were hurt."

Jayce looked her up and down, sizing her up. "Apology accepted. Perhaps, next time you wish to protect your sister, you won't take her along to commit a crime."

Vi felt her nostrils flare, but she bit her tongue. She doubt Councilor Kiramman would react so calmly to another outburt. Or Vi re-breaking her protégé's nose.

"Excellent," the older woman said, smiling brilliantly. "You know Jayce, I was thinking this morning on how we can have Violet make it up to us and Caitlyn came up with a wonderful idea. I would like you to take Violet on as your assistant."

Both Jayce and Vi stared at the woman in disbelief and exclaimed in unison, "what?"

"Yes, I thought it was a brilliant solution. Violet will complete 250 hours of community service by providing you with whatever assistance you need for the next few months," she continued on as if what she had suggested was ludicrous.

Vi couldn't help but choke on the spit she inhaled. "250 hours?!"

The woman continued as if Vi hadn't spoken. "And before you lament about not being able to provide an income for your family, Violet, I will allow you to work for me for during the day anytime you are not with Jayce over the next few months as my own assistant. This will be a paid position that will make up for any money you would have lost completing your community service."

"Councilor Kiramman, I must express my concern with allowing her to work for you. While I forgive her for assaulting me, she has still proven to be violent. I worry for your safety to be alone with such a volatile individual," Jayce expressed.

Vi scoffed. "You hit me so hard you knocked me unconscious, pretty boy. Let's not pretend no one here is incapable of violence."

Jayce looked affronted and opened his mouth to reply, but the Councilor cut him off. "She's right, Jayce." Vi was too surprised to be smug. "Why, I myself once shot a young man in the shoulder who had too much to drink at a gala and decided then was a good time to vehemently express his undying lust to Caitlyn when she was fifteen years old. We are all capable of violence and I am no wall flower. Understand me?" She stared pointedly at the wall of rifles and then back at Vi and Jayce.

"Yes, ma'am," the two muttered.

"Excellent. Jayce, you are excused. Violet, you will please come with me. I believe we have some things to discuss with your father and Sheriff Grayson."

Vi, still unsure if she's hallucinated the last thirty minutes, numbly followed the Councilor out.

What the actual fuck just happened? Vi wondered.

Chapter Text

Vi stared at the Kiramman Manor gates for a long time. Vander and Grayson were quietly talking behind her, but she ignored them. She could not stop playing the conversation with the councilor over and over in her mind in an attempt to figure out what had happened. In all the scenarios she pictured--everything from the woman taking one look at her with a wrinkled nose and order her off to Stillwater to her forcing Vi to get on her knees and kiss the Kiramman crest they probably had etched into every stone slab on their floors--she had not imagined what had actually happened.

"Vi. Vi!"

The teenager heard her name called distantly and turned around to see that her father had tried to get her attention.

"Yeah?" she croaked out.

He looked at her worriedly. "Are you okay, Vi? You look like you're going to be sick."

"She gave me 250 hours of community service and...a job," Vi said quietly.

"Yes, she did," Grayson said. "Not bad considering the punishment for stealing a councilor’s sensitive material is 10 years in Stillwater."

Vi choked and Vander paled.

"Is she always like that?" Vi asked. Grayson cocked her head curiously. "So direct."

The Sheriff chuckled. "Yes, she is. It is often refreshing in a world where ambiguity and unstated meanings are sometimes taken too far. Although, after working with me for many years, she also knows that Undercity people typically prefer a more direct approach. As I am unsure of what she said in there, perhaps she was simply playing to her audience. It's hard to say. She is an incredibly shrewd, intelligent woman."

Vi scoffed. "Yeah, I gathered that much."

"You could have chosen a worse councilor to steal from, Vi," Grayson pointed out, holding her arm out to begin escorting them back to the Rising Howl. "If it were Hoskel or Salo, I am quite sure that you would have been carted off to Stillwater without any kind of audience."

Vi felt her skin crawl at that idea. If Mylo hadn't royally screwed up the job, maybe she would have considered thanking him for choosing the right councilor to jack from.

"Vander, the bar," Vi said, looking up at the larger man. "I can pull some doubles. You don't need me during the day anyways, so maybe I can--"

"No, Vi," Vander said. "You'll be getting up early now to get to Piltover in the mornings and we need you to be on your best behavior as it is. Don't put it at risk by exhausting yourself and snapping at the councilor. We'll be okay. I know Claggor is only fifteen, but he's always been the more level headed of you lot. Maybe I can bring him on early and start showing him the ropes."

Vi's gut churned with guilt. Claggor would be sixteen in six months; six more months for freedom before he would start working in the bar, as per Vander's rules. Now, because of her, he's going to lose those last few months of carefree childhood. The teenager hung her head and was quiet for several minutes.

She listened as the Sheriff said she would meet Vi the next morning at the same time and place to escort her to Jayce's and again the following week for her first day with the councilor. After she has learned how to navigate her route to her new jobs, she will be on her own.

"Don't worry, Vi," the gravelly voice of the Sheriff said once they reached the elevator. "I will still be checking in, as per the councilor's request. I am also unofficially mentoring her daughter, Caitlyn. You'll see me around."

Great Vi thought. Just want I needed, the fucking Sheriff keeping tabs on me. Gutter kid or no, she's still an Enforcer.

The ride down to Entresol felt like it took longer than normal as Vi sunk deep into her mind to process everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours. She has only been Topside a handful of times, not including that day. Now she was going to spend hundreds of hours up there? Work directly for one of the councilors? And not even any councilor, the oldest family that has sat on council since its founding eight centuries ago.

Vander could never have afforded to have them privately tutored beyond learning to read, write, and basic arithmetic that the law says all children must learn at schools, but everyone knows a little bit of the history of the council. The Kiramman's are the oldest family, one of the original founders of the council, and also were one of the lead designers of the Sun Gates when they were built a few hundred years ago. The only recent knowledge that Vi remembered reading about is that Cassandra Kiramman had been passed by Councilor Medarda as the richest person in Piltover last year.

Vi snorted quietly to herself. The horror.

Vander must have sensed that Vi needed time to think and didn't say anything until they got closer to the Last Drop. "Your siblings and Ekko are probably at the Arcade. I assume they want to hear what the outcome was."

Vi nodded her thanks and turned to head to the Arcade. Typically, the Arcade was where they all decompressed and celebrated a successful job. While this is a slightly different outcome, Vi knew it was still a good thing, considering the alternative. She pushed aside the chills at the thought of Stillwater and made her way through the Lanes.

When she opened the door to the Arcade, she wasn't noticed right away. Ekko and Powder were at the pinball machine, cheering as Ekko attempted to break his own record. Mylo was laid up on the couch, staring up at the ceiling as he absently tossed a ball up in the air repeatedly. Claggor sat in the corner of the room, tending to a small plant near a window. Vi took a moment to just look at her family, grateful to have been allowed the freedom to see them again.

Mylo was the first to spot her. "Vi, you're back!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and ran to hug Vi. Normally, Vi would allow a short embrace and then gently tease them about missing her. Not today. Vi made sure she was in physical contact with her family as she choked back tears. A comfortable silence that can only be felt after years of bonding fell over the teenagers. Claggor was the first to step aside, not bothering to hide his tears that had fallen.

"Hey, everyone. Let's sit down. We have a lot to discuss," Vi said.

She told them everything. It wasn't often that she would keep secrets from them and this wasn't a time to hide anything.

"That's a lot of hours," Ekko whistled out when she finished.

"A lot of hours and you'll be working for her in your free time," Powder added. She bit her lower lip. "You'll be gone a lot."

Vi put her hand over Powder's calloused, grease stained ones. "Only during the day. Vander says I won't be working at the bar while doing this, so I'll be home at night unless I'm needed for something. But Pilties like their business hours. They're not party animals like us fissure folks are. This will just be like having a 9 to 5 cushy office job."

"I'll talk to Vander tonight. I'll cover the shifts you had coming up and start training right away," Claggor said. Vi wanted to hug her brother again. He was so understanding and much kinder than his other siblings were. She felt pride well up in her for how mature he was. Janna knows even a few years ago Vi wasn't that responsible.

"We'll be alright," Vi assured them. She noticed then that Mylo was being very uncharacteristically silent. "Mylo?"

Her brother suddenly stood up and violently threw his ball at the stained glass window, the sound of shattered glass breaking the silent shock at his sudden outburst. "This is fucked, Vi! It's not all right. You shouldn't have to do this. That fucking Sheriff has you under a microscope and a damned councilor has her solid gold boot on your neck. One mess up, one moment of losing your temper, or one slip up offending some rich asshole means you get carted away to Stillwater. It's not right. It shouldn't be you. I should be the one doing this. It was my fault."

Vi stared up Mylo, her heart breaking. "Everyone, out. Go back to the bar. Mylo and I will join you shortly."

Her sibling and Ekko listened and scrambled out of the Arcade.

Mylo collapsed on the couch, dust and a bit of cushion stuffing kicked up around him. He ignored it, his head in his hands. Vi sighed and moved to sit next to him.

"Look, Mylo. I'm not going to lie to you," she started. She stared ahead, her eyes tracing the monkey figure Powder had painted on a cracked wall years ago. "You messed up that job; took shortcuts when you shouldn't have. The councilor told me that witnesses saw you casing the building and Jayce remembers you from Benzo's shop a few days ago when you tailed him Topside." She felt Mylo freeze beside her, but she kept going. "I'm glad that you are realizing how much you fucked up and feel responsible. But I still would do this for you. Even if you had been called up, I would have insisted it was me. Of all of us, Mylo, who would have the best chance to survive Stillwater if it came to that?"

Mylo sighed deeply and leaned back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "You," he admitted.

"That's right," Vi said. "Now, don't get this twisted. I fully expect you to fucking kiss the ground I walk on until I finish this stupid community service." Mylo let out a breathy chuckle. "But I would do this for any one of you."

Her brother looked at her. "I know you would, Vi."

Vi put one of her hands on his knee, wanting her next words to be heard. "We all fuck up, Mylo. And it's important that we own our mistakes. I'm glad you're doing that. But you need to work on this lack of confidence of yours."

Mylo's brow scrunched up before his eyes widened at being called out. "Vi, look--"

"No, Mylo. Let me finish," Vi implored and her brother, in a rare moment of wisdom, silenced himself. "We're family. All of us. I know you don't always get on with Powder, but you're still my brother as much as she is my sister. You have this act you put on; you act tough and you act confident. This isn't the first time that it's gotten you in trouble; you’re so busy acting tough and confident that you miss things, make mistakes. But Mylo, we're family," Vi repeated, squeezing his knee to emphasize her words. "You don't have to act around us. You are stronger than you know. It may not be exactly like how I am or Vander is, but you are strong. Trust in yourself more and the others will follow." Mylo's hands balled into fists. Vi felt a pang of sympathy for him; no one liked to have their flaws pointed out, especially by someone they respected and she knew Mylo respected her. "I'm going to be gone a lot over the next few months. The hours I have mean that I won't have the free time to look out for Powder and Ekko during the day like I have been. That means, as the second oldest, you are in charge of looking after them. Vander once told me that being a leader means that you have to repay the trust given to you by not being selfish anymore. Until I get back, you can't be selfish. No more tough guy acts, no more pretending you know what to do when you don't. If you don't, figure it out. No half measures, no shortcuts, no more being distracted by acting and just be. Okay?"

Mylo, wiping away a stay tear, nodded. "Yeah--yeah I got you, Vi."

Vi patted his knee one more time and stood up, but stopped when Mylo grabbed her wrist. She looked down at her brother, who didn't bother to stop the tears that began to fall down his cheeks. She doesn't remember the last time he looked this vulnerable. "Vi," he said so quietly that his sister had to strain her ears to catch the next words. "I only act the way I do because I don't want to disappoint you."

Vi felt tears prickle at the back of her eyes as she hauled her little brother up and hugged him as tight as she could. He buries his face in her shoulder. "Mylo, I am never disappointed in you. In any of you. This is a shit world we live in and we do what we can to survive. For each other and ourselves. That can only happen when we're honest about who we are. The freedom to be true to ourselves is one of the few things Piltover hasn't taken from us. You fight for that tooth and nail, you got me?"

She felt Mylo nod into her shoulder. She held him for a moment or two. It's been a long time since she's needed to do this for him and relished in the love she felt for her family. When he released her, he quickly wiped his tears away, clearly embarrassed. Vi herself cleared her throat to pull herself together.

"Come on, let's go get some grub from Jericho's and celebrate my living to breathe the Gray another day. Janna knows my lungs need to be cleared of that fresh Piltie air," she joked, shoving Mylo.

"You better get used to it," he chuckled. "Soon you'll need one of those ugly masks Topsiders need when they're down here."

Vi glared and shook her head at him as he walked out of the Arcade, laughing at his own joke.

The monkey alarm that Powder and Ekko built three years ago clapped its cymbal hands together, waking Vi up with a start. She groaned and smacked the monkey's head, silencing it. Nerves immediately sprang up in her belly as she realized why she was up so early.

Today was her first day with Jayce; her first day working Topside.

As silently as she could, not wanting to wake Claggor or Mylo after their late night shift at the bar, she closed the curtain to the bathroom and got ready for her first day of community service. Meeting with Councilor Kiramman meant she had to wear her best clothes, but for Jayce? Vi didn't give a shit what he thought about how she looked. She threw on her most comfortable pair of pants, her least oil stained white t-shirt, and her red leather jacket that Vander gave her for her birthday when she turned sixteen.

"This was your mother's," Vander said, his voice thick with emotion when she opened it. It immediately became the most precious thing Vi owned.

Vi was rarely seen without it. She ran her thumb over the singular patch on the lapel. The symbol of Zaun. Vi allowed the memories of that fateful day on the bridge seven years ago to wash over her. 

The smell of gun smoke and blood filled her lungs. Crying in the distance, beyond the smoke, could be heard over Powder’s lullaby. She walked by several bodies, her stomach churning at the sight of the gruesome injuries that caused their death. A gutter rat crawled over one young man’s face and began chewing on his lip. Vi looked away, searching. Searching. The faces of her parents flashed before her mind’s eyes before Vi forced herself back to the present.

Vi took a deep breath, the barest smell of the Gray floated through the air of her home. She thumbed the patch again, steeled her shoulders, then began the journey to the Rising Howl.

Sheriff Grayson stood at the same spot she did the day before, her uniform crisp and without a wrinkle. A few people greeted her, but none stopped. As Vi approached, she noticed the older woman was holding two to-go cups in her hands.

"Good morning, Vi," Grayson stated. She held out one of the cups. "Here, have a coffee. A friendly welcome to Topside."

Vi stared at the coffee like flesh-eating mites were about to come out of it. The Sheriff looked at her expectantly, but patiently. Slowly, distrustfully, Vi grabbed the proffered cup. Grayson smiled at her and turned her heel. Vi looked at the coffee, a curl of disgust wormed up her throat. Grayson will have to waterboard me with this before I drink it Vi thought to herself. With the Sheriff's back turned, Vi stealthily tossed the full cup over the railing of the Bridge of Progress as they crossed it.

"Careful, Vi," Grayson said. "Littering is a crime in Piltover. If I were you, I'd be sure not to commit any crimes for a while, especially in front of an Enforcer."

Vi felt herself flush at how easily the Sheriff could read her, but remained silent. The woman didn't make any more conversation as she led Vi through the streets. She and her siblings followed Mylo along the rooftops when they broke into Jayce's apartment, and she was too preoccupied with being caught the day before that she hadn't paid attention to the route from the scene of the crime. So, while she hated that Grayson was with her, she was glad that someone was showing her where to go and made sure to memorize the way.

When they reached Jayce's apartment, Grayson knocked on the door. Vi's eyebrows shot up when Jayce answered the door, his left arm covered in something slimy and black soot on one of his cheeks.

"Ah, Sheriff. You're here already," he said, as if he had lost track of time.

Grayson, with a single eyebrow raised at the state of the scientist, greeted him. "Good morning, Mr. Talis. As promised, I have shown Vi the way. I trust you know how to get to and from here now?"

Vi jerked her head up and down.

"Excellent," the Sheriff said. "Then I shall leave you to it. Vi, I will see you this coming Monday when I will escort you to Councilor Kiramman's office. Good luck."

"Have a good day, Sheriff," Jayce said with a wave of his hand. When the woman disappeared down the stairs, Jayce stepped aside and raised his hand, silently inviting Vi into the apartment. "Good morning, Vi. Are you ready to get to work?"

Vi stuffed her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. "Yeah, sure. To be honest, I'm not really one for science. Not sure how much help I'll be as an assistant."

Jayce waved his hand, dismissing her statement. "That's fine, Vi. For now, you'll be running errands for me and organizing whatever I need organizing. But first."

He shut his front door and walked across the living room to the broken balcony door that Vi vividly remembered kicking in. She looked at him. She hoped he didn’t expect her to feel any shame for the state of the door. He didn't seem to care. "Your first task will be fixing this. I have all the tools you'll need. I expect it to be as good as new by the time you're finished. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Vi said, looking him up and down. "What the fuck happened to you? You smell like fissure water."

Jayce grinned sheepishly and attempted to wipe away some of the slime, but only managed to spread it further around his Academy vest. "Science happened. Don't worry about it. When you're done with the door, let me know. I'll have a few other things for you to do."

Vi nodded, not caring enough to dig deeper. Jayce disappeared into the other room. Vi shrugged off her leather jacket and knelt down on the floor next to the broken door. The glass had been cleaned up, but one of the doors was on the floor and the other was hanging off of its hinges, looking like a stiff breeze would knock it over. She noticed a black toolbox nearby and opened it up. Jayce was right, this was all she'd need. She didn’t have the creativity that Powder and Ekko did with machinery, but she could hold her own when something needed fixing. In the back of her mind, memories of helping her biological father fix broken appliances and plumbing at home when she was really young attempted to push to the forefront of her thoughts. Vi shook them away and set out to get to work.

An hour later, Vi was almost done fixing the door, having donned a tool belt she saw sitting in a corner of the room to make things easier. She had grabbed a stool and was standing on it, screwing in one of the hinges when she heard the front door of Jayce's apartment. Vi finished with the screw and leaned down to get a clear view of who was entering unannounced into the scientist's home.

Bright blue eyes met hers. It was Councilor Kiramman's daughter, Caitlyn. Dressed in what Vi vaguely recognized as one of the uniforms for a Topsider school and carrying a few packages in her arms, Caitlyn stared at Vi, as if she was surprised to see her.

Wasn't this her idea? Vi wondered, remembering what the councilor told Jayce yesterday.

"Oh. You're Vi, right?" the girl asked, her posh Piltie accent unmistakable.

Vi only barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "Yeah," she grunted out instead and went back to fixing the door.

She heard the girl move about the inside, but otherwise ignored her. That is, until she couldn't.

Caitlyn appeared beside Vi, holding a white box with fancy pink writing on it. "I'm Caitlyn Kiramman. It's lovely to officially meet you. Here," she said, holding out the white box. "I wanted to welcome you to Piltover."

Vi looked at this girl like she had three heads. She stepped off the stool, putting her screwdriver in her tool belt, and accepted the box.

What is with Topsiders just giving me things today? Vi wondered as she opened the box.

A cupcake. A singular chocolate cupcake with white swirled frosting and shaved almonds.

Vi looked up at Caitlyn blankly, who was giving her a friendly smile. "It's vanilla, chocolate, and almond. I figured that would be a safe bet, since I obviously don't know what flavor you like, but everyone likes chocolate and vanilla."

Vi had absolutely no idea how to respond to her. She looked down at the cupcake and cleared her throat, trying to think of something. "Uh, thanks." She closed the box and set it by her jacket.

Caitlyn took a beat before replying. "You're very welcome." 

The silence that followed was weird. Vi didn't feel awkward or out of place--this girl definitely didn't have the intimidating presence her mother did--but she wasn't sure what was expected of her at that moment. She knew it would be wise to not be rude to Caitlyn, she clearly had serious sway with her mother's decision making, but she also wasn't sure how to take the kindness some Piltover princess was showing her. Vi instinctively didn't trust it.

"Is Jayce being nice to you? I told him he needed to be, despite the circumstances in which you first met each other," Caitlyn said, seeming to have not noticed or cared about the weird energy in the room.

Vi raised an eyebrow. "You mean when I broke his nose?"

Caitlyn snickered. "Yes, that's what I mean. I think it was good for him. He can be a little obsessive with his appearance, sometimes. This was a perfect humbling experience for him, in my opinion."

Vi couldn't stop the snort of amusement. "Yeah, uh, he's been fine. Not surprised he's having me fix the door I broke."

"Well," the other girl said, "if you need any help with anything, just let me know. I will be around frequently as he sometimes helps me with my homework. I do like to help Jayce out, too; and make sure he remembers to eat while he's trying to figure out how to save the world."

Vi thought back to how Jayce greeted her and Grayson, covered in goo and soot. She wasn't going to hold her breath on him figuring out anything.

"I should get back to the door I broke," Vi said, thumbing towards the half attached hinge.

Caitlyn smiled at her. Vi noticed a small gap in her front teeth. "Good luck. Don't forget to ask if you need something."

Vi nodded absently and went back to standing on the stool.

When Vi was done with the door, Jayce had her organize some notes of his that littered his desk. "They're all dated, so it shouldn't be too hard. I just haven't had time to get it done," he explained.

Vi sat down, grabbed the binder he wanted them organized into, and thus began one of her mind-numbingly boring tasks. She'd wish she could fix something like she was before, but knew she was expected to do as she was told. To amuse herself, she'd take a second to glance at whatever the papers would have on them and attempt to figure out what kind of invention could be made from it, but that got tedious quickly. She looked at the clock next to the front door and grimaced. 246 more hours to go she thought glumly.

Caitlyn remained in the apartment for only a few hours, working on homework and even cleaned up some dirty dishes of Jayce's, before she left. She waved goodbye to Vi, who grunted back, and was gone. At least she had mostly left Vi alone, to which the pink haired teenager was grateful for. The last thing she wanted to do was to feel like she had to entertain someone who was practically Piltover royalty.

When five o'clock finally came around, Vi could have jumped for joy. Although, she probably would have pulled a muscle in her back if she did. She doesn't remember the last time she had sat for so long and her body was feeling it. She stretched and then put her jacket on, noticing the white box with pink writing. She had forgotten about the cupcake. While Caitlyn chose well, Vi did like chocolate and vanilla just fine, something inside of her (pride, she knew) couldn't find it in her to eat it.

Powder will like it Vi thought absently, and called out to Jayce.

He emerged from his room, no longer covered in goo or soot. Vi noticed that his black eyes were looking better. He'd be back to his handsome self in no time, she noted.

"Vi," he said before she left. "I admit I was skeptical with this arrangement. I know you were, too." He waited for her to nod in agreement before continuing. "But, you did good work today. You did as I asked, you weren't rude, and you completed your tasks in a timely manner. I appreciate that while we had a disastrous first impression, I hope that we can keep working together like the cogs of the Reveck Clock Tower."

Jayce held out his hand for Vi to shake. She smirked at the older man and, giving into the impulse she felt at the Kiramman Manor, gave the extended hand a high five. "See you tomorrow, pretty boy."

She allowed herself a full blown smile as she descended down the stairs. His confused face had definitely been worth it.

Chapter Text

Vi was bored. Vi was so fucking bored, she thought about breaking the door she just fixed yesterday just to anger Jayce as a form of entertainment.

The scientist had her organizing again today. This time, she was in the other, smaller, but still as messy, room. Papers and random tools and junk everywhere. Vi wasn't a neat freak by any means, but living in a small home meant that you had to keep it clean to stay sane, in her opinion. She had no idea how Jayce could live like this, let alone keep track of anything important for his studies. And because he wasn't, Vi was stuck sorting through super boring science mumbo jumbo to organize for the man.

She glanced at the time. 1:00pm. Powder and Ekko were probably haggling with one of the black market merchants to get some new gear for whatever crazy machine they wanted to build next. Vi felt a pang in her heart. She missed her sister. Which was silly, she knew. She had just seen Powder that morning when her sister waved goodbye from her bunk as Vi left for Jayce's. Despite that, Vi knew it had been a while since she had properly spent time with Powder. Maybe the two of them could go to the Cultivair this weekend and see what new plants they had. Claggor was more the gardener, but Powder always loved how bright and pretty the flowers were in the greenhouses. Vi looked back up at the clock, now even more excited for the weekend to start. 1:03pm.

Fuck me Vi thought. She pinched the bridge of her nose and looked back at the paper she was holding. Jayce had stepped out to go to a meeting with his advisor and asked that she tackle organizing his notes in this room according to topic.

While augmentation has a long history of benefits, particularly for those who are living without a limb, the requirements to power it are expensive and risky. While Zaunites are more comfortable experimenting with augmentation, most Piltovans are hesitant to explore this technology as it can lead to high rates of infection, degradation of the body part the augmentation is attached to, and the brief battery life leads to a limited use so trivial it is often deemed not worth the risk.

Vi yawned so widely her jaw cracked.

"Must be riveting," came a voice from the doorway. Vi looked up and saw Caitlyn looking at her in amusement.

Vi snorted. "Oh yes. 'Powering Augmentations and its Long-Term Effects' is the single greatest piece of literature I've ever read. I want it engraved on my gravestone."

Caitlyn laughed. Vi went back to work, searching for the correct folder to put the notes in.

She heard Caitlyn walk further into the room, which surprised Vi. While Caitlyn hadn't ignored her yesterday, she had respected that both her and Vi had work to do and focused on her studies. Apparently today, Caitlyn wasn't feeling so studious.

"How's your second day in Piltover going?" Caitlyn asked, picking up a stool that was laid on its side and sat on it. Vi wasn't sure she'd ever seen anyone sit down on a stool so elegantly before.

Vi shrugged. "Fine, I guess. Although reading about powering augmentations is making me think Stillwater would have at least been more interesting."

The councilor's daughter raised a surprised eyebrow. Vi blinked, finding it eerie how much Caitlyn looked like her mother at that moment. "I would hope interesting is not synonymous with preferable."

While Vi had never heard anyone say the word synonymous before, context clues helped her out and she shook her head in agreement. "Of course I don't want to go there. It was just a joke, Cupcake."

Caitlyn's lip curled up in distaste at the nickname. "Cupcake?"

Vi shrugged again and didn't offer an explanation. The nickname had slipped out without thought, but she didn't care enough about Caitlyn not liking it to take it back.

When it became clear that Vi wasn't going to reply, Caitlyn brought the conversation back on topic. "Well, I'm glad you aren't at Stillwater. It sounds like an awful place."

Vi wasn't sure what to say to that. "Yeah, sounds like," she decided. She turned back to her work and hoped Caitlyn would take the hint.

She did not. "Where in Zaun are you from?" she asked, conversationally.

Vi sighed, but didn't look up to meet the other girl's eyes. "Couldn't you read my biography that your mother seemed to have written before she met with me?"

She noticed Caitlyn shrugged out of the corner of her eye. "I could, but I'd rather hear it from you."

Vi clicked her tongue against her teeth, not bothering to hide that she was annoyed. "I'm from the Lanes." There was a beat of silence and Vi looked up to see Caitlyn's look of confusion. Flatly, Vi expanded, "a neighborhood on the second to last level of Entresol."

"Oh," the Piltie replied. "That's pretty far down."

Vi hummed in agreement and went back to the papers, her mouth moving to the words she read.

Chemtech is a relatively new, but longer lasting power source compared to the older, short lived batteries used in augmentations, however it is far more dangerous. Using heat and light as a power source has led to--

"Do you often travel to Piltover?" Caitlyn asked.

Vi felt her annoyance level begin to reach its limit and she silently counted to three. She did not want to lose her temper on the councilor's daughter on only her second day. "Look, Caitlyn," she said as evenly as she could, "I have work I need to finish. I don't want Jayce to tell your mom that I'm not serving the community to her standards and she changes her mind and I get to find out exactly how interesting Stillwater is."

Caitlyn actually laughed. It didn't seem to be at Vi's expense, but she still blanched at how amusing the girl found her predicament.

"My mom is not going to send you to prison, Vi," Caitlyn stated with an amazing amount of confidence. "Not unless you prove yourself to be a serious danger to society."

"Danger to Piltover society, you mean," Vi couldn't stop herself from spitting out.

Caitlyn sobered up and wisely chose not to respond to that. Instead, she said, "My mother will not send someone underage to Stillwater."

"I'll be eighteen in a few months, Cupcake. No one will care that some sumpsnipe goes to prison a few months earlier than legally allowed."

"Sumpsnipe?" Caitlyn asked slowly.

"It's what people in the Fissures call underage criminals," Vi answered absentmindedly and continued where she left off: Using heat and light as a power source has led to breaking down of augmentations if maintenance is not diligently performed on the--

"That word is kind of a mouthful, isn't it?" Caitlyn said, but Vi couldn't tell if she was speaking to herself or not.

Vi looked up and couldn't help the sarcasm that vomited out of her. "Well, Cupcake, why don't you go down to the Undercity, find those poor little orphans, and give them a language lesson to find a word to use to insult their situation in life that better fits your Piltie mouth, okay?"

She knew she was extremely close to crossing the line with this girl, but she would not take the hint and leave her alone. Vi hated it when people wasted her time and that's exactly what this Piltie princess was doing.

Caitlyn cocked her head to the side, curious. "I have offended you," she stated.

Vi felt her frustration deflate out of her, now just tired. "No, Cupcake. Not offended. But I would really, really appreciate it if you left me in peace so I can try to get this done before I have to leave today."

Caitlyn didn't seem insulted, at least, but stood up and smiled politely at Vi. "Very well, if you insist. I'll leave you to your filing. Hopefully you'll find something more interesting than a five by eight cell would be."

The Kiramman girl left without another word. Vi threw the paper she was reading back down on the desk in frustration and glanced up at the clock. 1:08.

Vi groaned and banged her head on the desk.

Despite the worry that it would never arrive, Vi did survive until five o'clock. While she didn't get as much done organizing as she would have liked (blaming it on the need to frequently stop and reference a thesaurus), Jayce seemed to be pleased with her progress. A relieved Vi nearly skipped out of the apartment, grateful that it was Friday. If working for Councilor Kiramman was going to be as boring as working for Jayce was, though, the next few months were going to crawl.

Vi shook thoughts of work away and made her way towards Zaun. Not having to meet with the sheriff that day meant that Vi didn't have to take the crowded Rising Howl down to the Lanes and, instead, made her way to one of the lesser used and smaller ones just off of the Boundary Markets. Without as many people, these elevators were usually faster without having to make as many stops.

Waiting for the elevator, Vi could feel her headache from the day leaving her and her shoulders start to relax. Just crossing the bridge back into Zaun made her feel more at ease. That was, until she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

Vi instinctively raised her fists in a defensive pose and darted her eyes around. "Who's there?" she demanded. 

While the Boundary Markets were one of the safer areas of Zaun due to the number of Pilties that shopped there, ensuring plenty of Enforcers deterred most anyone looking for trouble, Vi knew that didn't mean it never happened. Being alone at the elevator, she knew, made her a perfect target.

She circled around some of the forgotten barrels and crates, looking for any sign of movement. When she didn't find anything, she reluctantly lowered her fists and turned back to the elevator, only to nearly jump out of her skin when she saw a familiar face with bright blue eyes in her way.

"Fuck a crag-duck," Vi exclaimed without thinking, her heart pounding against her rib cage erratically. "Caitlyn? What the hell are you doing, trying to scare me to death?"

The Piltie was dressed in dark purple pants, knee high black boots, and a matching purple vest with a white undershirt. She carried with her a small backpack and nothing else.

"Obviously not. There are far more effective ways of killing you than trying to give you a heart attack at seventeen," Caitlyn answered. In the back of her mind, Vi found the sarcasm that dripped from Caitlyn’s posh accent sounded strange—too much of a constrast.

"Then what the hell are you doing following me?" Vi demanded.

Caitlyn bit her lip, clearly nervous. Vi waited impatiently. "I want you to show me around Zaun."

Whatever the Kiramman girl was going to say, Vi did not expect it to be that. "Yeah, I don't think so, Cupcake."

Vi turned her back to the other girl and pressed the button for the elevator again.

"Just for the evening," Caitlyn persisted, joining Vi at the doors. "I won't be annoying or offensive or bothersome. I promise."

Vi scoffed. "You're being all of those things now. Why on Runeterra would you think that I would want to spend my Friday night taking some Piltie slumming?"

Caitlyn scoffed, insulted. "I don't want to slum it. I'm not asking you to take me to some seedy club or to get drugs. I just want you to show me how people are down there. Normal people, not anything nefarious."

Vi stared at the girl, still having a difficult time processing what she was asking Vi to do. "No, Cupcake. Go home. I'll see you next week when you can bombard me with more questions about the other side of the river if you're that curious."

Caitlyn's eyes narrowed and changed tactics. "You know, you're technically under the Kiramman's patronage. I could order you to take me with you."

That Vi snapped at. "Look Cupcake, your mom might allow you to boss me around all you want when I’m doing my community service. But outside of that? I ain’t got to do jack shit for you. Find some other trencher to parade your Piltie princess ass around the Fissures. I’m not going to risk getting a councilor’s kid killed just because she wants to see how the other side lives. See you next week."

Vi thanked Janna for the elevator doors opening in the middle of her speech. She stepped inside and pulled the lever that will take her down to the next elevator so she can finally get to the Lanes and wash the Piltie privilege off of her.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," she groaned as Caitlyn, right as the doors closed, slipped inside the elevator. "What is wrong with you?"

"My mother has called me a dog with a bone on more than one occasion," Caitlyn said, looking smug.

"Dog is not the word I would use," Vi muttered. Caitlyn opened her mouth to take offense to Vi's suggestive language, but she interrupted the Piltie. "The Undercity isn't a tourist destination, Caitlyn. I'm guessing you've never been because your mom has forbidden it. Fuck me for saying this, but she's right. Not only do you scream Piltie, but you're the daughter of the richest woman in Piltover."

"Second richest," Caitlyn corrected.

Vi ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "You think the assholes who kidnap you are going to care about semantics when they ransom you? Do you think your mom won't empty half of her bank account when she opens the mail tomorrow and sees a package with her daughter's fingers in it, saying she'll get more for every hour she doesn't hand over the money? Or worse, for every hour she doesn't free every gang member in Stillwater?"

"I can defend myself, thank you for your concern."

Vi let out a humorless laugh. "You think I care about what happens to you? I don't know or give a shit about you, Cupcake. You're just another spoiled Topsider to me. What I do care about is my freedom. Who do you think will get blamed when the councilor’s kid's body washes against the Sun Gates in a few days? Me, that's who. I'll get sent into the depths of Stillwater where I'd never see sunlight again." The elevator dinged again, the doors opened on the third level of Entresol. Vi lifted the lever to bring them back to the surface, but the damned Kiramman girl sprinted a few feet out of the elevator before Vi could react.

Vi quickly exited the elevator so she wouldn't lose sight of the girl. "Look, okay. Why don't we see if I can earn your mom's trust and maybe at the end of my service I can convince her to let me give you a tour of one of the upper levels of Entresol. Maybe Grayson could even come with, if she's so worried for your safety."

Vi's attempt at bargaining did not work. "No,” Caitlin said emphatically. “That is the opposite of what I want. I want you to show me, no escort, no pomp. Anything else would defeat the purpose."

"And what is the purpose?" Vi cursed internally as the elevator closed its doors and started its journey back to the Markets.

Caitlyn huffed. "My mother would see me sheltered in the Manor for the rest of my life if she had her way. I know things in Zaun are hard and that people down here struggle. I'm a Kiramman. I'm going to hold that council seat one day and I have never been to half of the city that I will represent as councilor. I can't help people I've never met or a place I've never been."

Vi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Caitlyn, while that's a noble sentiment," Vi said through gritted teeth, "having me sneak you around you is ridiculous. Please, let me bring you back across the bridge and promise me you won't ever follow me to Zaun again."

Caitlyn, impossibly, stood straighter than her perfect posture should allow and answered with one word. "No."

"Fine," Vi said. She grabbed Caitlyn's upper arm, noting that there was indeed some muscle there, and forced her to walk back towards the elevator.

"What do you think you are doing? Unhand me this instant," Caitlyn cried out indignantly.

"Sorry, Cupcake, but this is for your own good," Vi replied.

While Caitlyn's seething glare definitely showed that Vi was wrong and she could be as intimidating as her mother, the Zaunite held firm onto Caitlyn's arm.

"Let me go or I will make you," the Piltie warned.

"Unless you want me to carry you ass over teakettle back, you won't even try."

Caitlyn opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted.

"Now, now Vi. I think you should listen to the girl. It's not nice to grab one against her will, after all."

Vi whipped her head around and saw a familiar head of blond hair, square jaw, and sleazy gray eyes. Her heart started pounding back up again, but this time with anxiety. How much did he hear? she thought fearfully.

"Deckard," she spat out. She let go of Caitlyn and stood in front of her, lightly pushing against Caitlyn's waist so she'd get the hint to stay behind her.

"Vi," Deckard replied. Vi's hands curled into fists. "What brings you to Third? And why must you insist on bringing your mess into my streets?"

"Your streets?" Vi repeated with a scoff. She felt Caitlyn subtly tap her right side once. Vi looked and saw one of Deckard’s cronies on her right. Another tap on her back told her that one was blocking the elevator.

Vi hated being cornered.

“Well, they’re definitely not your streets,” Deckard replied. “You’re certainly far from the Lanes—far from Vander’s influence.”

“Good thing we were just leaving then,” Vi spat out.

“But we don’t want you to leave, do we, boys?” His cronies chuckled in a way that made Vi’s skin crawl. “Maybe we want to meet your new friend. If she wants a tour of Zaun, we’ll happily do it if you won’t, Vi,” Deckard offered. Vi felt her fists tighten. 

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, Deckard. Just let us go and I will forget this happened the next time we run into each other.”

The two goons had taken a few steps forward and Vi began to seriously worry Deckard wouldn’t back off.

A slimy smile confirmed that worry.

But Deckard, who never had many brain cells, made a mistake and took one step too close to Vi. Never get close enough to Vi to be within swinging range.

The empty elevator foyer echoed with the crack of Vi’s fist hitting Deckard’s jaw and filled Vi with an incredible, albeit short lived, satisfaction. 

The moment Deckard hit the dirt his friends jumped in. Vi only had a moment to spare a prayer to Janna that Caitlyn hadn’t been lying when she said she could handle herself.

She grabbed the flailing arm of the thug to her right and pushed it aside to grip his shoulder and yank him down hard as her knee shot up, knocking the wind out of him. She threw him aside and turned to see if Caitlyn needed help. So far untouched and indeed she was holding her own as she had the whimpering goon’s on his knees holding his hand twisted in what looked like an extremely painful position.

Vi didn’t have a second to be impressed as she felt fingers dig into her hair and throw her bodily into a nearby wall. 

“VI!” Caitlyn cried out, but was stopped from running to help Vi when the one who was still trying to get his breath back used that moment the Piltie was distracted to grab her arm and twist it behind her back so hard she cried out in pain. The one who Caitlyn had forced to his knees stood up and grabbed her other arm and they both shoved her face down in the dirt. 

Vi groaned and fear gripped her as Deckard pulled out a knife and held it up to Vi’s face. Fucking coward Vi seethed in her head. 

“Now, that is no way to act in polite company, Vi,” Deckard said, dragging the blunt end of the knife across her cheek. 

It took every ounce of self control to not make a grab for it. 

“Leave her alone!” Caitlyn demanded angrily. 

Deckard didn’t take his eyes off of Vi as he responded. “She shouldn’t have hit me if she wanted me to leave her alone. Tell me, Vi, tell me why shouldn’t I carve up your pretty Topsider girlfriend’s face for you marking mine?”

Vi’s fear intensified. She blurted out the first thing she could think of. “I got money coming in. From a job I did last week.”

Deckard’s eyes flashed. Vi latched on. The only thing Deckard loved more than fighting was money.

“It’s not like I robbed the fucking Clockwork Vault, but it’s good money. It’s yours.”

Deckard hummed, playing at mulling it over. “And when will this ‘good money’ be delivered?”

Vi swallowed as he continued to drag the blunt end around her face, moving down to her throat. “I’ll be getting it on Monday evening. Can’t get it any sooner than that. I’ll meet you back here at 5:30. Let us go, without touching the girl, and it’s all yours.”

Several long, tense beats passed before Deckard smiled in what Vi assumed he thought was charming. Her stomach roiled at the sight of it.

“See? That wasn’t so hard, now was it? I’m glad we could come to an agreement.” He stood up, towering over Vi. “But, Vi, if you don’t get me the money or break our deal in any way…”

Vi saw it coming and tried to move, but wasn’t fast enough. The butt of the knife slammed into her as Deckard used it to backhand her near her eye. Thankfully she wasn’t knocked unconscious for the second time in a week, but it still made her see white as pain exploded. The whiteout made Vi completely miss the foot that was kicked into her ribs. Her body involuntarily tilted sideways as she tried to regain her breath. She opened her eyes in time to see Deckard raising his leg to curbstomp her knee. Thankfully she saw with enough time to turn it just so that it didn’t break, but it sure as hell hurt as the muscles were forced to twist almost to their breaking point.

Vi hated the involuntary cry of pain she let leave her lips. Deckard grabbed her hair again and lifted her head to speak into her ear. 

“That’s a taste of what you’ll get if you fuck me over, Vi,” he whispered hotly in her ear. His vicious grin told Vi he was telling the truth. He brought the knife up to her lips and, with glee in his eyes, sliced at her upper lip. Vi managed to bite back a grunt of pain as she felt her mouth fill with the taste of iron. 

“There,” he said. “Something to remember our lovely time together.” He waved his goons off and they immediately let go of Caitlyn, who rushed to Vi’s side. 

“Monday at 5:30, Vi. Or else.” And then he was gone. 

“Fuck,” Vi whispered. Pain screamed at her from her forehead, lip, and knee. The knee was the worst.

“Vi, oh gods. How hurt are you?” Caitlyn asked, her eyes examining Vi for any serious injuries. 

Vi shoved the Piltie’s hand off of her shoulder. “I’ll be fine,” she hissed. That was only partially a lie. The head wound hurt, true, but it was manageable, even if the blood made it look worse than it was. Her lip would be fine, Vi wasn’t worried about that at all. Her knee, however. 

With a groan, Vi sat up and breathed slowly out before looking down at her injured leg. With a steady inhale, she moved to raise the leg of her pants but cried out again in agony when she tried to get it over her knee. 

Vi lightly tapped her head against the wall she had been thrown against. How on Runeterra am I going to get home on this thing?

“Vi, where’s the closest hospital? We need to get you to a doctor,” Caitlyn implored. 

Vi couldn’t help but laugh. “Hospital? Can’t afford one of those up on the Third, Cupcake. Vander will fix me up.”

“Okay, well where is this Vander?”

“Don’t worry about it. Look, just get on the elevator we came down and go home. Definitely can’t give you a tour of Zaun on this useless thing,” Vi instructed, waving a hand at her knee. 

Caitlyn stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Vi, this is no longer about me being a bitch and demanding you play tour guide. Your knee needs to be attended to immediately. It’s already swollen to the size of a grapefruit, which makes me worried that some cartilage has broken off in there.”

“I’ll be fine,” Vi insisted, angry at the audacity of Caitlyn to think she could order Vi around in Zaun. Vi put her hands on the ground and attempted to stand, but her eyes immediately watered as pain shot through her knee, forcing her to collapse back down. “Fuck! Fuck.”

Vi knew she needed to get out of there quickly. Who knows who would come around the corner or down that elevator and think it was their lucky day to see someone who couldn’t run. Or worse, Deckard could change mind and return.

She gritted her teeth and held out her hand. If Caitlyn was surprised that Vi was asking for her help, she didn’t show it. Caitlyn grabbed the offered hand and pulled up, with surprising ease given the dead weight and muscle mass on Vi. The Piltie gently placed Vi’s arm over her shoulder. 

Vi couldn’t help but notice that Caitlyn smelled lightly of gun smoke and pansies. 

“Where to?” Caitlyn asked. Vi pointed at the other elevator next to the one they got off of. If Caitlyn worried about the soundness of the elevator or wondered at its lack of doors, she didn’t give it away. Vi was admittedly impressed with her focus on the task at hand.

“Just pull the lever. That will take us directly to the Lanes,” Vi panted out. “We need to get to The Last Drop.”

Caitlyn did as she was instructed. “Should I expect anyone else to jump us when we exit this elevator?”

Vi let out scoff. “You should always be ready for someone to jump you in Zaun. But we should be relatively safer in the Lanes. It’s been a long time since anyone seriously tried to touch me down there.”

“Why?”

“Because if anyone tried to actually harm one of Vander’s kids in the Lanes, he’d take his cast iron gloves and beat their face in,” Vi answered. It may have been an exaggeration. It had been years since Vander had been in a serious fight. But if someone really hurt one of them? Vi wasn't confident he wouldn’t do what she said he would. 

“Vander is your dad?”

Vi grunted. “Adopted.” 

Caitlyn’s next question was silenced as the heart of the Fissures finally came into view and her jaw dropped. Floor after floor passed them by, each one more colorful and lit up in neon than the last. While Piltover certainly had its own sort of diversity, Entresol would be like a different planet to someone who had never been before. 

Vi would be more amused if she weren’t in so much pain. When the elevator reached the Lanes, with only one floor separating Entresol from the Sumps, Vi guessed that this was the furthest the Piltie had ever been from home. She watched as the girl craned her neck up to try to see the top of the Fissure through all of the walkways, lights, and Gray. Vi knew she wouldn’t be able to.

Caitlyn finally looked down at Vi, her eyes wide with shock at everything she was seeing. A world completely different than the gilded one she knew. 

Vi let out a sardonic chuckle. “Welcome to the Lanes, Cupcake.”

Chapter Text

“Welcome to the Lanes, Cupcake.”

Caitlyn opened her mouth to reply, but it was swallowed as the girl coughed so hard, Vi actually worried she was going to hack up her lungs.

“Oh shit,” Vi realized, “you’re going to need a mask. Come on, down there.” She pointed towards a street off to the left.

“What is this?” Caitlyn asked through bouts of coughs. “Why aren’t you effected?”

The Zaunite was surprised at the question. “You’ve never heard of the Gray?”

“The what?” Caitlyn’s eyes had begun to water as she followed Vi’s directions, which made Vi feel the slightest pang of sympathy. 

“Fissure gas,” she explained. “Most of us who grow up with it are used to it, but I’m guessing your pristine Piltie lungs are on fire right now. Don’t worry, all the buildings have air filters, but since we’re so close to the Sumps, the streets can be thick with it. Some days are better than others, like today, but that won’t matter if you’ve never experienced it before. It’ll take a bit to get to the other side of the Lanes with my knee, so we’ll make a pit stop to get you a breather or else you’ll pass out within ten minutes.”

“This is fissure gas? This is what you have to breathe every day?” Caitlyn asked, as if it were the most shocking thing she had ever heard.

Vi let out a humorless laugh. “You wanted to know what life was like for us fissure folk? Well, here’s your first lesson.” She hissed in pain as Caitlyn coughed hard enough her grip almost slipped. “Well, maybe second lesson. Getting jumped in the first few minutes is a pretty realistic first experience.”

Caitlyn didn’t, or perhaps couldn’t, reply. Vi directed her further into the Lanes, down the market stalls until she found who she was looking for. As they approached, Vi began to worry that Caitlyn’s coughing was going attract stares. Most anyone who would need a mask arrived in the Lanes prepared. She absolutely could not have anyone noticing the Kiramman that walked among them, especially now that Vi was too hurt to really do anything to stop anyone from looking for a payday in the Piltie teenager.

“You got any money, Cupcake?” Vi asked.

“Money? Why?”

Vi nodded towards the merchant a few stalls away. “That guy? His name is Gorge. He sells breathers. He’ll charge you double what they’re worth, but right now, you don’t got a choice. Not unless you want to start coughing up blood within the hour.”

“What’s double price? I don’t have a lot on me.”

Vi shrugged. “Maybe five silver cogs?”

“Oh good. I only brought 5 gold ones with me.” 

Vi’s eyes bugged out of her head as she gaped at the other girl and then shook her head. “Lesson number three, Cupcake. Don’t ever tell anyone else how much money you have on you. That five gold is worth a month’s rent down here.”

Caitlyn startled, but coughed so hard and Vi heard wheezing begin at the tail end of it.

“And give him an extra silver or two for his cloak and for Janna’s sake put it on. You’re hacking is going to draw the wrong kind of attention,” Vi instructed as she continued to make sure no one paid too close attention to them.

Caitlyn glared, but walked with Vi to the man she had pointed out.

“Gorge,” Vi said. “We need a breather and your cloak.”

Gorge, an older Chirean with a few holes in his large ears and graying leather-like skin, eyed Vi, a practiced smarmy smile graced his features. “Vi! My old friend.”

“No time for chit chat. Six silver.”

Gorge eyed Caitlyn, who’s cough had subsided for the moment. He smirked. “It’ll have to be 1 gold cog for both of them, Vi. Sorry, but the taxes have been hitting us hard. You know how it is.”

Vi glared at the man, but could hardly fault him for seeing an opportunity to make more money. She sighed and jerked her head. “Go ahead, Cupcake. Give him a gold.”

Without hesitating, Caitlyn dug in her pocket and pulled out a clean gold cogged shaped coin. As if it had been minted that morning.

The Chirean snatched the gold out before the teenagers could blink and handed over his cloak and a sealed packaged breather.

Vi leaned a hand against his stall table and pulled her arm away from the Caitlyn.

“Get them on, quickly,” she urged.

Caitlyn, understandably, put the breather on first and took several gulps of filtered air. She then shouldered the cloak and threw up the hood. Thankfully the shadows cast around her from all of the neon lights, combined with the mask, hid her features very well.

Vi felt something tight in her chest loosen that she didn’t realize was there. “Come on. The Last Drop will take a bit to get to.”

She wasn’t kidding. Normally a ten minute walk from the elevator they had taken, it would take double that with Caitlyn half holding Vi up.

Several moments passed and Vi was grateful that Caitlyn’s curious eyes were too busy taking everything in talk too much. She tried not to show it, but the pain had started to make Vi’s eyes water.

“I’ve never seen wares like these,” Caitlyn admitted halfway through their walk, eyes fixated on the various items that were on display on many of the stalls around them. “I’ve been to every market in Piltover and haven’t seen even half of this stuff up there.”

Sweat had begun to drip down Caitlyn’s neck at the strain of carrying Vi’s weight for so long. Vi may not be as tall as Caitlyn was, but she definitely weighed more than Caitlyn did with how much muscle Vi had packed on.

Vi took let out a slow breath, trying to push down the pain to answer. “That’s because the Lanes is the name of the unofficial black market in the Undercity. Piltie or Zaunite, don’t matter.” Another deep breath. “There’s no better place in either city to find an illicit good. And there is something for everyone here, if you ask the right questions.”

If Caitlyn judged Vi for living in the center of a black market, she didn’t show it. Instead, she looked ahead and said “Oh, there’s The Last Drop. It’s a bar?”

“Home, sweet home,” Vi gritted out. “Go to the alley on the left. There’s some stairs there that lead to the bar’s office. I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”

Caitlyn nodded and, with a quick grip adjustment, did as she was directed.

The stairs were, annoyingly, painful to traverse. One near slip nearly sent Vi toppling backwards, but Caitlyn, with a grunt and strength that impressed the Zaunite, held firm. Then, one turn of a key and a re-lock of the door, Vi felt like she could breathe easy for the first time since she left the Lanes early that morning.

Finally Vi thought. As the Kiramman girl gently set her down on the couch, Vi felt all of the anxiety she had been feeling wash away. Vander would know what to do.

“Okay. Go downstairs,” Vi explained. “There will be a man working the bar. He’s a big, muscular guy with brown and graying hair and beard. Can’t miss him. Do not remove your mask or hood yet and don’t say your name. I have no idea who will be down there. But tell him that I’m up here. Tell him I say ‘blisters and bedrock.’ That exact phrasing. Understand?”

“Blisters and bedrock,” Caitlyn repeated. Vi nodded and the other girl left downstairs.

Alone with her agony, Vi allowed herself exactly three seconds before sitting up and, with one deep breath to prepare herself, ripped at her pant leg up to her thigh. She felt herself go pale at the state of her knee. The swelling had definitely gotten way worse since they had left Third and she had a hard time bending it.

Vi didn’t pray much anymore and so she blamed the pain she was in when she sent one up to Janna. “Please don’t let it be permanent.”

Her reverie was interrupted when she heard heavy footsteps barreling up the stairs.

Vander practically ripped the door off it’s hinges as he rushed to Vi’s side. “Violet!” He exclaimed. “What the devil happened to you?”

Vi tried to diffuse his worry with what she knew was a shitty joke. “You should see the other guys.”

The glare that was returned to her shut her up. Vander knelt down and examined the knee. “This the worst of it?” he asked.

“Yeah. Head wound looks worse than it is. Powder could hit harder than that guy,” she answered. “But got to give him credit. He doesn’t skip leg day.”

“And your friend?” he questioned, glancing over at Caitlyn, who was standing next to the now closed office door. 

She looked curiously at Vi, silently asking a question. Vi nodded. Without hesitating, Caitlyn lowered her hood and reached under the breather, a hissing sound released as it fell from her face and hung around her neck.

“Janna save us. The Kiramman girl?” Vander wasn’t easily shocked, but he didn’t, or couldn’t, hide his incredulous expression he pointed at Vi.

Vi scoffed indignantly. “I didn’t bring her down here.” Well, she thought. “Okay, technically I brought her down to the Lanes, but she followed me to Third and before I could escort her back up, we were jumped. She refused to leave me without making sure I got help.”

Vander stared at Vi, searching for anything other than the truth.

“It’s true, sir,” Caitlyn interjected. “In fact, Vi practically broke my arm trying to force me back up the elevator. I’m afraid to say that my obstinance is part of the reason she was harmed. She was simply trying to protect me. I’m sorry for putting your daughter in danger.” 

Vander sighed heavily. “One problem at a time. Miss Kiramman, would you please go to the underside of my desk on the right side and press the button there?”

Caitlyn immediately did as she was told. Vander stood. “I’m going to send one of your siblings to go get Soraka. I’ll be back in a few moments.”

Once had left, Caitlyn sat herself down on the chair opposite of the couch Vi was on. She refused to meet Vi’s gaze.

“You don’t need to stick up for me, you know,” Vi said. “Vander’s a good dad. I’m not going to get into trouble for getting into a fight like this and he’ll believe me that I didn’t invite you down into the Lanes.”

Caitlyn remained fixated the scratched hardwood floor, silent.

“Hello? Cupcake? Anyone home?” Vi asked, waving a hand to get her attention. Then stopped abruptly when she saw a tear fall from Caitlyn’s down turned face onto the floor. “Whoa, whoa. Caitlyn, what’s wrong? Did you actually get hurt?”

Caitlyn scoffed in soft disbelief. “No, Vi. I am unharmed.”

Vi let out a relieved breath. “Then why are you crying?”

No response.

“Janna’s tit, you are infuriatingly stubborn,” Vi muttered and allowed an uncomfortable silence to hang between them.

It wasn’t long before Vander returned with Soraka, the healer in the Lanes. Soraka had dark purple skin with swirling tattoos, compassionate yellow eyes, and the kindest bedside manner in Zaun. She was probably the person in the whole Lanes who was safe from nearly all forms of harassment. No one dared harm her, as she has sworn to help anyone who asks her, no matter who they are. 

She examined Vi’s knee with an expert eye and quickly came to a diagnosis. “Dislocated patella.”

“A what?” Vi asked, not bothering to hide her worry. 

“Your kneecap was forced out of place. Do not worry, young lady,” Soraka soothed. “It is a simple fix. I’ll administer some painkillers and do what is called a reduction, which means that I will pop it back into place. Once that is done, you’ll have to ice it for several minutes on and off throughout the weekend. If the swelling is gone by Monday, you can walk around in a brace and a crutch for the next few weeks, losing the crutch after a week if all goes well. Do all this and your knee should be back to normal in no time at all.”

Vi fell back against a cushion, relief flooded her.

Soraka dug through her bag and pulled out some syringes. Vi had a horrifying thought and grabbed the healer’s wrist, perhaps a little too tightly, but the look in her eyes was desperate.

“No shimmer, right?” Vi demanded, her voice shook with fear.

Soraka’s eyes flashed. “Of course not, Vi. I don’t touch that stuff. Ever.”

Vi gave a sigh of relief. “Good, good. Thank you.” She released her wrist and gave her an apologetic smile

“I’m happy to hear you are staying away from that shit,” Soraka said with a smile. Then she got back to work.

Several minutes and one nauseating pop of her knee and some stitches on her brow and lip, Soraka was finished. She patted Vander’s shoulder and said she’d be back the next day for her payment.

Once the sound of her footsteps had faded, Vander turned to face Caitlyn and Vi.

“Okay you two, you tell me exactly what happened,” he ordered, his thick corded arms wound themselves together to rest on his chest.

“Vander,” Vi sighed out.

“No, don’t even try to brush this off,” the man stated with a glare that cut through Vi, then turned it to Caitlyn. “Miss Kiramman, your presence here puts not only you, but also the Lanes—Vi’s home—in danger. Perhaps you couldn’t have known that, but if your mother thought that we took you down here by force or you were seen by an Enforcer or gotten hurt, my people would be the ones who would suffer.”

Caitlyn stood ramrod straight and, despite the sheer amount of shame Vi could see on her features, she refused to break eye contact with Vander.

“Vander, she didn’t plan to come to the Lanes. She wanted to see Zaun because she wants to meet the people she was going to represent one day. She did this to learn,” Vi explained.

Vander continued to stare at Caitlyn, even stepping closer to examine her more carefully. Vi pitied Caitlyn, who looked like she was going to start sweating under his gaze. Vi had been on the receiving end of that scrutiny. It felt like he could read everything about a person and what made them human, which would make them worry he would find them lacking.

Finally, Vander turned to Vi. “You believe her?”

Vi sighed and turned away as she carefully thought about her answer. “I think so. I want to.”

“Very well,” he said. “I’m going to send a pneuma-tube to the sheriff to escort you home.”

“Sir, please, my mother can’t know I was down here,” Caitlyn begged, her eyes wide with fear.

“She may be a councilor, but she is still a parent. I will not have her unaware of the danger her daughter is currently in. Besides, Vi has been instructed that she is not allowed to lie to the councilor again or her community service agreement is broken.”

“I wasn't going to say anything to her!” Vi opposed, insulted that Vander would suggest she would.

“Councilor Kiramman does not seem to be someone who is okay with a lie by omission.”

“But what if…” Vi trailed off, biting her lip worriedly.

“Caitlyn will just have to be honest with her mother if she doesn’t want you to get in trouble, Vi,” Vander stated, pointedly staring at Caitlyn. "Especially since you seemed to have bore the brunt of what could have happened to her."

The Piltie hung her head, seeming to have resigned herself to her fate.

Vander sat behind is desk and began writing to the sheriff. Vi looked at Caitlyn and noticed her eyes had begun to water ever so slightly.

Vi didn’t say anything with Vander there, but she hated that she wanted to comfort the other girl. While Vi absolutely believed she was incredibly stupid and naive today, she couldn’t deny that she was impressed with her honesty, ability to own up to her mistakes, and refusal to abandoned Vi when she needed help.

Vi loathed the small seed of respect that she felt in her towards the Piltie.

The sound of the pneuma-tube being sent drew Vi out of her thoughts.

“I have to get back down to the bar. Claggor is still learning and I can’t leave him alone for long. I would imagine that the Grayson will be here within the hour,” Vander said, heading towards the door. “I trust that you’ll stay put, Miss Kiramman?”

Caitlyn nodded. “Yes, sir.”

And with that, they were alone.

Caitlyn sat on one of the chairs and stared off, deep in thought. Vi, who never felt the need to always fill silence, leaned her head back and adjusted to be more comfortable.

The exhaustion of getting up early, something she still wasn’t used to, the fight and now the painkillers came to a head and Vi could not stop her eyes fluttering close.

Vi woke with a start. She didn’t know what time it was, but it was dark and she could tell that she was in the basement in her bunk. She felt that her knee was cold from an ice bag that sat on it carefully and the small, familiar shape of her sister curled up against her.  

“Vi?” came Powder’s sleep addled voice.

The older sister’s eyes adjusted to the dark as she looked down and saw, dimly, Powder stirring awake.

“Hey, Pow Pow,” Vi said gently, running her fingers through Powder’s hair. 

“How are you feeling? Do you need your ice changed?”

“No, it’s good,” Vi replied.

“Dad said you got into another fight.”

Vi hummed. “Yeah, Deckard cornered me on Third on my way back from Topside.”

“He’s such an asshole,” Powder whispered. It was probably early morning, Vi guessed, if her brother’s were sleeping after their bar shift.

“Yeah, he is,” Vi agreed.

Powder cuddled in closer, gently laying her head on her sister’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Vi hugged her closer. “Please. Like I’d let some sewer-licker like Deckard get me like that.”

Powder giggled. “Love you, Vi,” she said, sleepily.

Vi relived the flash of the blade in Deckard’s hand and the ghost of the fear she felt slice through her chest. She hugged her sister as tight as she could. “Love you too, Pow Pow,” she whispered into her sister’s hair and drifted back to sleep.

Chapter Text

Vi has never been good at sitting in one place for too long. One of the best parts of living in The Lanes was how much freedom they had to do what they wanted there, even if it meant getting in trouble—sometimes especially when they got in trouble.

Her and Mylo often challenged each other to pick the pocket of the most interesting person they could find in the markets. She played parkour tag with Ekko and Powder. She and Claggor would swim in the lake on Fourteenth. Even her shifts at the bar always had fascinating people to talk to.

But being forced to lie up in the basement of The Last Drop, taking care of her knee, made her want to scream in frustration. By Sunday morning she had read through two books, was down to nubs on her charcoal sticks and nearly on the last pages of her sketchbook, and had grown bored of hitting the bullseye target with the ball after twenty minutes.

Her siblings and Ekko were helping without being annoying, for once. She had been incredibly entertained as Ekko and Powder attempted to recreate her fight with Deckard in a dramatic play that got more and more ridiculous with each new iteration. Claggor brought her some flowers he swiped from one of the greenhouses and explained the meaning of each one to her and how to best care for them. Mylo would regale her with stories of the bar patrons, including one where Vander had to step in to help poor old Huck from getting ripped off—again.

She wondered if she should tell them about how Caitlyn had been with her, but decided against it. The less people who knew the Kiramman girl had been to the Lanes, the better.

Caitlyn had taken up more brain space than Vi was comfortable with over the weekend. She tried not to think about Pilties frequently, as a rule. They never thought about Zaunites, so why would she care to think about them? Given how much they’ve taken from her, the last place she would ever want them to occupy too much of is her mind. But Caitlyn’s shamed expression when Vander chastised her, her stubborn refusal to leave Vi injured, how she had easily subdued Deckard’s man—none of it would leave Vi alone.

On top of that, she also worried about what the councilor was going to say to her come Monday. Vi knew she looked a state. The swelling in her knee was pretty much gone, so she’d be able to walk on it tomorrow—with the help of a brace and crutch—but her face was a different story. She had woken up on Saturday morning with a severe black eye and even with a job well done by Soraka on her stitches, she knew the cuts on her lip and brow were going to scar. Vi didn’t mind the scarring too much–Janna knew she had plenty of them growing up in Zaun. But Vi was worried that one look at her and the councilor was going to see what could have happened to her daughter and blame Vi for Caitlyn having been in danger. Vi hated that her only hope, really, was Caitlyn being honest with her mother about the role she played in the situation. She despised that for the second time in a week, her fate was the hands of a rich Topsider.

She was broken out of her reverie when Vander ducked down into the basement to check on her.

“Vi, how’s the leg?”

Vi pulled the blanket back that she had over her while she laid on her bed. “Feeling a lot better. The swelling is pretty much gone, so I’ll be able to fit the brace on in the morning.”

“Good, good. Your siblings aren’t giving you too much trouble, are they?” he asked. The bed frame creaked as he set his heavy frame on it.

“Nah,” she answered.

He nodded in return and allowed a comfortable silence to descend over them. Vi’s thoughts turned back to the councilor again and she suddenly thought of an idea.

“Vander. Do you know how to play chess?”

He gave her a curious look. “No, I don’t.”

“Know anyone who does?” Vi asked.

Vander hummed in thought. “I think Ekko does. Benzo mentioned years ago about how he was teaching him when he was given a set in a trade.”

“Would you find him and ask if he could bring one over today and teach me?”

Vander cocked his head. “Why the sudden interest?”

Vi shrugged. “I just recently learned what it was and since I’m stuck sitting around here on my ass, I figure I might as well learn.”

“Okay, kiddo. I’ll get a hold of him.” 

“No, no. The knight can only move in an L shape.”

“That’s stupid. Someone in a fight would move in whatever way they needed to so they could gain the upper hand!” Vi said in frustration.

“Yeah, but this is a strategy game, Vi, not a street fight. You have to figure out how to win while playing by the same rules as your opponent. It’s about outsmarting them, not brute force,” Ekko patiently said, not matching Vi’s irritation.

Vi growled and threw her hands up. No wonder the councilor likes this game so much she thought in annoyance. Pilties love their fucking rules. She huffed one more time and looked at the board.

Ekko, who was a surprisingly good teacher, patted her hand in commiseration. “You’re one of the smartest people I know, Vi. You’ll get this. You just got to be patient.”

Vi scoffed. “That has never been one of my strengths.”

“Duh,” Ekko agreed. Vi narrowed her eyes at the thirteen year old in mock anger. He stuck his tongue out at her in response.

Powder, who was sitting beside the board watching them play, giggled at their antics.

Vi rolled her eyes fondly at the pair. Never one without the other.

“How is your guys’ project going? Any explosions?” she asked, looking back at the board.

Powder look of offense made Vi laugh. “Of course it hasn’t exploded!”

“Yet,” Ekko muttered. Powder slapped his shoulder and clicked her tongue.

“It won’t. It’s going to be awesome, Vi. We’re going to be rich!” the young girl exclaimed excitedly.

“Oh, you are, eh?” Vi asked with a hint of amusement.

“Yeah we are,” Ekko insisted. “When we’re finished we’re going to bring the design to the Artificer’s Guild. We think it’ll be the next revolutionary way to get around the cities!”

Vi chose to abandon her knight and moved her bishop four spaces. She frowned at how quickly Ekko moved his rook to take it. “Any problems with it that got you stumped?” she asked.

Powder and Ekko began talking over themselves explaining the power issues they’re having with the hoverboard until it was just them arguing with each other.

“It’s the delivery method of the chem that’s the problem, Powder,” Ekko proclaimed. “We need better valves!”

“Nuh uh!” Powder insisted. “It’s the lack of proper insulation in the pipes. Chem needs to be over a certain temperature to work and it’s too cool in the pipes to maintain power.”

“The chem is hot enough inside the chem well. It moves so quickly throughout the machine that it doesn’t have time to cool down.”

Vi couldn’t help but smile at the two of them. They’re going to change the world Vi thought as pride swelled within her.

“Fine, I’ll show you that it’s the insulation. I’ll build a temperature gauge so that we can know how hot or cold the chem is in all sections of the machine and not just the well!” Powder declared.

She jumped up to leave. Ekko quickly started following her. “Fine. I want to be there so you can see how right I am!”

Vi stared after them in disbelief. “Ekko! What about our game?” she called after them.

“I’m going to win in five moves, anyways!” Ekko yelled down the stairs, and then shut the door behind him.

Vi looked at the board, puzzled. Then she scoffed and pushed the board aside. “Yeah, right,” she muttered petulantly.  

“Good morning, young Vi.”

Vi glared at Sheriff Grayson, who—in Vi’s humble opinion—was too damn peppy in the morning. Or perhaps Vi was just jealous at how the sheriff never seemed to be tired.

Maybe there’s something in Topsider coffee Vi thought, glancing at the second to go cup of coffee that Grayson has offered her. Vi waited several seconds, just to see if the Enforcer would take the hint and pull the offered beverage back. Not a single twitch on that expectant face. She didn’t pull it back.

Vi rolled her eyes and grabbed the coffee. “Yeah, good morning,” Vi muttered.

The older woman turned heel and walked off. Vi noticed that, thankfully, it was at a slower pace. While it wasn’t the first time Vi had ever used a crutch, it was still awkward and slow.

Glancing down at the drink in her hand, Vi had the urge to, once again, toss it over the railing. Instead, with a quiet groan of exasperation, she handed the cup to an unsuspecting Chirean, who almost spilled it all over his clothes. Vi hobbled after the Sheriff, ignoring the “what the hell?”

“How are you feeling, Vi?” Grayson asked.

Vi grunted. “Fan-fucking-tastic.”

The sheriff chuckled. Vi couldn’t help but feel as if she was being condescended to and felt an already shitty morning of pain and lack of sleep get worse.

“Well, I’m sorry that you were harmed. Caitlyn put you at great risk doing what she did. I’m sure she’ll have her own words with you later, but as her mentor, she is partially my responsibility,”  the sheriff said, which surprised Vi. She had assumed Grayson would use this situation as a way to suck up to her boss by blaming the poor Undercity kid. “She is an extremely capable young woman, but her stubbornness can sometimes get the best of her. It is a shame that you suffered the consequences of her actions. I will endeavor to teach her better moving forward.”

Vi was silent as she processed the apology. She wasn’t sure what emotion to land on and, whenever that happened, she decided to land on anger.

“Since you two are so close, maybe she’ll listen to you. She better not pull a stunt like that again,” Vi stated harshly. “Not with me or anyone else. She’d deserve whatever she got if she did.”

Grayson diplomatically did not agree or disagree, but instead chuckled again, like she found what Vi said amusing, and continued walking.

The rest of the journey was thankfully void of any more words. Vi was now being led down a route different from the one to Jayce’s or the Kiramman Manor. They were heading to Bluewind Court, where the Council resided.

Vi could not stop her jaw dropping as she limped through the streets where the most influential figures in Piltover ruled over the twin cities. Sevika, one of the bouncers at the bar, once told Vi that the streets of Bluewind Court were literally paved in gold. Vi was going to tell her she was full of shit later, but the teenager could understand why there were rumors about it. After she lost count of the number of Enforcers she saw guarding everything from doorways to a bank to a statue, she allowed her eyes to feast on the sheer magnitude of beauty that surrounded her. White and gold marble buildings, which Piltover was famous for, shined brilliantly in the morning sun. Intricate patterns of lapis lazuli and white sandstone lined the roads in a perfect, stunning symmetry. Not a blade of grass out of place or shoe unshined.

Vi looked down at her own clothes. She had grabbed her nicest jeans that she had distressed herself last year, the same sweater she met the councilor in, her everyday boots, and her mother’s leather jacket. She looked like any other Zaunite. Vi pushed that thought away and followed Grayson up the steps of the biggest, most lavish building of the lot: the Assembly Hall.

Vi grew extremely uneasy at seeing eight Enforcers guarding the entrance into the Assembly Hall. One particularly large one stopped Grayson, to which the sheriff seemed surprised by.

“Something you need, Enforcer?” she asked evenly.

“Sorry, Sheriff, but I’ll need papers for your…guest,” the man finally settled on, looking down at Vi with a look she had seen almost every Enforcer give her since she could walk. Vi unconsciously gripped her crutch so hard, it made the walking aid shake as she glared at the man.

“I believe Code 76, Section 23.5e of Council Law regarding public access to government buildings states that those without papers can enter the Assembly Hall with Enforcer escort. Shall I recommend to your captain that you be provided remedial training on the laws of the building you are paid and trained to guard?” Grayson asked with such venom that the man paled under his helmet.

“Apologies, Sheriff. Of course, you may enter,” he stammered out and stepped aside.

Grayson said nothing in return and walked inside. Vi followed, but not before turning around and hid her flashing the Enforcer her middle finger. The man turned puce and Vi couldn’t help but feel her mood elevate. Any time she could see an Enforcer get one pulled over on them was a good day, even if another Enforcer was the one who did it.

Grayson began pointing out important areas of the building. A gilded elevator encased by an onyx and gold marble staircase dominated the back of the room. In the center was a large iron, glass, and stone sculpture of Zaun and Piltover in the shape of a globe, turning ever so slowly on a stand. Surrounding it was a fountain in the shape of Shurima Isthmus that surrounds the two cities.

Vi stopped and stared hard at it. Grayson waited patiently. The teenager looked around her. The perfectly tailored clothes on the man walking quickly across the lobby. A woman with a ludicrous amount of ruby jewelry decorating her body. A child who played with a mechanized flying bird. Bile rose up in the back of Vi’s throat, disgusted by the facade of unity displayed in this building while her people suffer under the vile conditions of the Fissures and these people are profiting off of it.

Vi let out a slow breath before she did something stupid like attack the spinning sculpture and turned to follow the sheriff.

The elevator ride up was tense. Vi’s bad mood was most likely palpable but the sheriff had the decency to not acknowledge it. Vi continued the breathing exercises Claggor taught her a few years ago. Don’t fuck this up. This woman could throw you in the basement of Stillwater and you’ll never see your family again. Keep it together Vi commanded herself.

A long hallway of sapphire floors and white and gold walls was revealed when the elevator doors opened.

“This is the floor for Councilor Kiramman’s office. Each councilor has their own floor for an office. You’ll be reporting here every day,” Grayson informed Vi.

“Won’t I need papers to get access?” Vi asked.

“The councilor will get you sorted with access,” the sheriff assured.

Their footsteps echoed down the hall. The walls were adorned with various glass encased shelves that held various pieces of technology and even a model of the Sun Gates. Vi even saw a framed patent sketch of the Rising Howl in one of them.

Once they reached the dark blue and gold silver doors at the end of the hallway, Grayson knocked. A moment later, a young man dressed in navy, gold, and white that Vi knew were the Kiramman house colors, greeted them.

“Sheriff, Miss Violet. Good day,” he stated. His long hair fell forward with him as he gave a respectful bow to the older woman. “Councilor Kiramman is waiting for you. Please follow me.”

Vi did so. The office inside wasn’t as large as she had expected. Four smaller rooms with glass walls and people working at desks circled an open room with a large wooden table in the middle which sat on a rectangular white rug that bore the Kiramman’s crest in gold on it. There was a fireplace at one end of the room giving off a warm light as the flames danced off the blue, gold, and white decor.

They were led to a large white wooden door with gold accents at the end of the office. On the door in elegant swooping script, a plaque read “Councilor Cassandra Kiramman.”

Vi mentally steeled herself as the fancy door opened up.

The office was just as ostentatious as the Kiramman Manor. The house colors were tastefully everywhere, along with several decorative rifles. There was an ornate marble fireplace with 2 comfortable chairs and in-between them was another chess set, but instead of white and black it was red and gold. 

Cassandra Kiramman was—as always, Vi suspected—the picture of sophistication and poise. Dressed in a powerful red suit and elegant heeled black boots, there wasn’t a single thing that was out of place about the woman. Bright blue eyes looked up and gave them a warm smile.

“Violet, welcome to the Assembly Hall. I hope the walk over wasn’t too taxing?” she asked with a glance at the crutch.

“Hello, Councilor. No, it was fine,” Vi said evenly.

“Good. Thank you, Sheriff, for escorting her. I’ll see you tomorrow for the Council debrief.”

“You’re welcome, Councilor. Have a good first day, Vi,” Grayson said and she was gone.

Councilor Kiramman gestured for Vi to sit on one of the chairs in front of a gorgeous solid lapis lazuli desk. Vi did so, hopping to avoid bending her knee too much. When she was comfortable (and the chair was extremely comfortable), the councilor stood over her and Vi immediately went stiff. The other woman’s gaze was emotionless except for a sliver of displeasure in the slightest furrow of her brow.

Vi couldn’t help but swallow hard in an attempt to push down the nerves that had sprung up.

Vi was shocked when the councilor raised her hand and gently grasped Vi’s chin, then—with a surprising tenderness—turned the teenager's head to the side as the woman leaned down to closely examine Vi’s injuries with an unnerving seriousness. Vi blamed the unexpected gesture for the delayed yanking back of her head, forcing the woman to drop her hold. A flash of regret, unhidden, crossed the councilor’s face.

There was a tense few beats of silence before the councilor straightened herself and walked behind the desk.

“I am not one to hold myself responsible for the actions of others, as I do not expect anyone else to be responsible for mine,” the councilor stated matter-of-factly as she sat in her gold and white plush chair. “As such, I will not apologize for my daughter’s decision to behave so foolishly. She alone is accountable for what she does. In fact, I would imagine that you will receive an apology from her sooner rather than later in some capacity. However, I am not blind as to why she did what she did and the role I played in it. For that, Violet, I am sorry that you were unwillingly subjugated to the consequences of the choices I made as a parent.”

Vi wondered if she was in a coma. Maybe Deckard had actually hit her harder than she thought and she had begun to hallucinate. First, the sheriff and now Councilor fucking Kiramman were…apologizing to her? Because she got hurt? What the actual fuck? Vi thought.

Vi was silent for some time as she processed what the older woman had just said. The councilor, thankfully, gave Vi the silence to do so. Finally, Vi let out a sigh.

“A moment of honesty?” the Zaunite asked with a raised eyebrow.

The councilor chuckled softly. “No need to ask that, Violet. I expect full honesty from you and, in return, I shall never lie to you.”

Vi clicked her tongue against her teeth. “You’re being pretty arrogant, you know?”

Whatever the Piltie was expecting Vi to say, it clearly wasn’t that as her eyes widened in surprise. “I beg your pardon?”

“‘Unwillingly subjugated to the consequences of the choices I made as a parent,’” Vi repeated, her tone only slightly mocking. “Yes, what Caitlyn did was stupid. And maybe she did do it because you’ve sheltered her too much. But she didn’t bash my knee in or cut my face up. Deckard did that. And, sorry to burst your self-pity bubble, but Deckard and I have been doing shit like this to each other for years. Whether or not Caitlyn was there wouldn’t have changed anything. Did her arguing with me and drawing that asshole’s attention help? No. But in the end, it doesn’t matter. A few days ago, next week, next month—bouts like this with that sewer rat are inevitable and my problem to deal with.”

Vi meant what she said. With her knee forcing her to be laid up for the weekend and cooled her temper, Vi realized she had been too rash to blame Caitlyn for what Deckard did. It was Deckard’s fault and, as Vi stated, their fight truly was inevitable, as it always had been and always will be. Even after she sees him today, she knows sometime in the future, they’ll face off again and again until one of them croaks or murders the other. That’s just life in Zaun, it’s all Vi knew. And she’d be damned if she would get a pity party from a councilor.

Councilor Kiramman gave Vi a look she couldn’t interpret, but it wasn’t bad…she didn’t think. “Very well.”

She picked up a silver bell and rang it. The man who escorted Vi and Grayson opened the office door hardly a second later.

“Aaron, will you please attend to Violet and run her through her first day orientation?” the councilor asked. Aaron bowed in acquiescence. “You’ll have to excuse me, Violet. I have a meeting upstairs with Councilors Medarda and Shoola. I do not think I will see you today again, so Aaron here will make sure you have everything you need to begin your work here.”

“This way, Miss Violet,” Aaron said, gesturing for her to follow him out.

Vi gave the councilor one more glance and did as she was asked. Aaron, who Vi actually worried would break his back with how far back his shoulders were.

As soon as they were out of earshot of the councilor, the Zaunite said to Aaron, “it’s Vi, by the way.”

“As you wish, Miss Vi,” Aaron said respectfully.

Vi scrunched her nose at the honorific. This guy was probably a good decade older than her, why was he calling her “miss?”

She didn’t have a chance to ask as he led her into one of the glass offices. It had a desk on it with writing utensils, a pneuma-tube next to the desk with a wall of carriers beside it, and a white package with dark blue and gold ribbon holding it together on the chair.

“Councilor Kiramman directed that you are to wear these clothes any day you are working for her. She explicitly said that you should always have them on and showing in and around the Bluewind Court,” Aaron explained. “There is a bathroom just down that way. Once you are finished changing, I will introduce you to everyone else and then show you how to fill out the paperwork the councilor has assigned you. Once you are no longer needing your crutch to walk around, she will be sending you on various errands throughout the city. Do you have any questions?”

Vi shook her head, looking at the package like it held a bomb. Aaron left and Vi slowly undid the ribbon and opened the box.

The freshly laundered and pressed clothes were immaculate. Stark white and gold lines accented the Kiramman blue jacket, vest, undershirt, and matching pants. The—now annoyingly familiar—sight of the gold Kiramman house crest was meticulously sewed onto both shoulders. It was not formal wear, and Vi looked around and it matched the style of everyone. But no one else was wearing anything like it. A few had a pin of the Kiramman crest on them, but everyone else was wearing business wear. Hell, not even all of them wore the Kiramman colors. One of them even bore the colors of one of the lower merchant houses. Vi looked back down at the clothes she was assigned to wear and felt a strong desire to burn them to ashes.

Was this part of her punishment? Vi wondered, angry tears prickling the back of her eyes. To humiliate herself by wearing the colors of a councilor whose actions and instituted policies choked her people? To take off her mother’s jacket—her mother who died revolting against this very system Vi was now forced to serve—that held her own symbol of Zaun on it, and don the crest of the fucking Kiramman family?

Vi took several deep breaths and willed her balled fists to stop trembling. It’s just for a few months Vi swore. A few months. Then, I’m going to burn these clothes. And maybe deface every symbol of the Kiramman’s I see.

The teenager stormed off to change clothes, not caring if her new coworkers were startled at the fury that radiated off of her.

Several painful minutes later, Vi looked at herself in the mirror. The clothes fit perfectly. As if they were tailored to her exact measurements. Everything about them was flawless. Vi never hated herself more than she did in that moment. Disgust threatened to spill out of her mouth and onto the pristine tile floor, but she swallowed it down.

Several deep breaths later, she exited the bathroom and readied herself for whatever came next.

What came next was more boredom.

How do people do this every day? Vi wondered.

After several introductions around the office to people whose names Vi had already forgotten except for Aaron, who was the councilor’s executive assistant and in charge of making sure she was all settled and understood the tasks assigned to her. The task of mail sorting.

Vi had to force herself to keep her eyes open as she opened and read through another letter addressed to “The Office of Councilor Cassandra Kiramman.”

After the first few hours, her wrist hurt after the repetitive use of the letter opener and her eyes strained trying to read the fancy cursive that all Pilties seemed to use to make life hell for whoever they were communicating with. Not to mention the glass walls made her feel like an animal on display, which kept her in a constant state of unease.

Vi could not believe that people got paid to do this. The bar was way more fun to work in, even if it meant she had to clean up vomit and other bodily fluids off the floors at the end of the night.

The councilor had been right. Vi hadn’t seen her the rest of the day. Vi wondered if maybe she wasn’t going to be working directly for her very much, that instead she’d just be another office lacky taking orders through her assistant.

At five minutes before she was to leave, Aaron came back in with a small leather pouch. Vi sat up straighter, practically vibrating as she realized what it could be.

“Here you go, Miss Vi,” Aaron said, handing her the pouch. The sound of something metallic that clinked together all but confirmed her suspicions. “The councilor said she’d set up a deposit box for you at the Clockwork Vaults, if you’d like your wages deposited there. Until then, or if you prefer this delivery, you’ll be paid at the end of every day you work here.”

“Thanks, Aaron,” Vi said. The assistant had been nothing but nice and professional all day without trying to make too much small talk. Vi was very grateful for that.

He bade her goodbye and Vi turned her back to the glass wall so the others couldn’t watch her count her money.

Vi almost dropped the pouch. Gold cogs. Not silver, like she had suspected. Hell, given that this was technically a favor to Vi to help make up for her lost income, she would have taken maybe even a few silver and some bronze. Instead, she was holding more money than she had ever seen in one place in her life.

There has to be 50 gold cogs in here Vi thought in awe. She almost started hyperventilating. How on Runeterra was she supposed to walk around with this much money? The idea of getting mugged was never pleasant, but now she was downright paranoid to leave the Assembly Hall.

Deep breaths, kiddo came Vander’s voice in the back of her head. 

Vi did as the voice told her and calmed herself. It’s fine. I just need to walk home like I normally do. 

Then she remembered. Deckard. Fuck, she told him she’d give him everything. She knew the fucker would search her, too. She glanced at the clock in the office. 4:28pm. She jumped up and hissed as her knee screamed in pain at the careless movement, but she pushed it down. She needed to get going now if she was to make it back in time to meet Deckard. There goes any plan to stash half of this. No time, Vi thought.

Consoling herself that she’d get 50 more gold cogs tomorrow, which was more money than she would make in a month at the bar, she resigned herself to the loss and hurriedly left the office.

Vi could feel her knee protesting, vehemently, at how quickly she was moving on it. She bit back the ache and kept going. She could not be late. Deckard was a moron and worth less than the flesh-eating mites in the sewers, but he was always true to his word. She would regret it if she didn’t meet with him on time.

With five minutes to spare, Vi made it on time to the Boundary Markets elevator. She took an extra minute to hide behind a crate and rip the clothes the councilor gave her off and changed back into the ones she left home wearing. She absolutely could not go down to the Lanes wearing Kiramman’s crest and not get a shiv to her gut, no matter who’s daughter she was.

Once she had finished and her work clothes the box they came in, she got onto the elevator and pulled the lever. She started to release a groan of pain that turned into choking on her spit when none other than Caitlyn fucking Kiramman slid in at the very last second, just like she had done a few days ago.

“What the absolute fuck is wrong with you?” Vi demanded.

“Good evening to you, too, Vi,” the girl said with a smug smirk. Today she was dressed in far more sensible clothes to go into Zaun. She wore what were clearly very well worn black leather pants, an oversized distressed flannel, and the cloak she bought from Gorge. There was no hiding her flawless skin and Piltie accent, but if she didn’t speak, pulled the hood up, and Vi squinted, she could have possibly passed for an upper Entresol Zaunite.

Vi still wanted to smack that smirk off her perfect pretty face. “Do you have a death wish or something? Maybe addicted to danger? Or were you just dropped on your head as a baby?”

“I came because you need back up,” Caitly said, as if that were a perfectly logical reason as to why she was there.

“And you think I want you to be my backup? If I recall, Deckard’s minions had you pinned on the ground five seconds into that fight,” Vi spat back.

Caitlyn’s smirk grew. “That’s why I brought something to ensure that Deckard and his friends don’t try anything like that again.”

“Oh yeah?” Vi asked. “And what would that–holy fucking shit, Cupcake, what is that?”

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow at Vi and then looked down at the gorgeous, extremely expensive looking, rifle she just pulled out from behind her cloak. “You’ve never seen a rifle before?” she asked disbelievingly.

Vi glared at her. “I’m not stupid, Cupcake. I mean what are you doing with one?”

“I thought I’d even the playing field. Deckard brought a knife to a fist fight, so I’m bringing a gun to a knife fight. Given that they outnumber us and have promised that they will harm us if they are unsatisfied with their generous ‘earnings,’” she said with a sneer, “then I’ll make sure they think twice before acting aggressively.”

“Do you even know how to use that thing?” Vi asked, eyeing it suspiciously, then met Cailtyn’s gaze again.

Her arrogant grin was really starting to piss Vi off. “I’m an excellent shot,” the other girl said with such confidence, Vi actually believed her.

Vi groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. She felt the elevator begin to slow down and knew there was nothing she could do about Caitlyn being there now. Deckard would most certainly be waiting for her when the doors opened.

“Just don’t speak and put your hood up,” Vi instructed. Caitlyn immediately pulled her hood up. “Do not fire that thing unless you have no choice. Deckard is a prick, but that doesn’t mean he should be killed for it.”

“I am a perfect marksman, Vi. I will only shoot to injure, if it becomes necessary. You have my word,” she promised as she hid the rifle behind her cloak.

Vi turned as the doors opened and prayed to Janna that this went smoothly.

Sure enough, Deckard was there, leaning one shoulder against a wall. With him were the same cronies as last time and they all stood at attention when Vi and Caitlyn exited the elevator. 

“Vi, I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you,” Deckard said with that smile that Vi wondered if anyone actually found it charming. Deckard always tried too hard to be the “eloquent” criminal. It just made him sound like an idiot, in Vi’s opinion.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Vi spat. She took the pouch she had triple knotted to her belt and threw it at his chest.

He caught it and his eyes bulged out of his chest when he saw how much was in there. He looked up at her, suspiciously. “Some Piltie going to come looking for this?”

Vi shook her head. “No. Doubt they’ll notice it’s even missing. We done?”

Deckard sneered. “Not yet. Boys, search her.” Caitlyn immediately reacted by raising her rifle at Deckard, who’s eyes widened in fear, backed up with his hands raised, and his goons stopped in their tracks. “Whoa, whoa. Easy. No need for that to go off,” he stuttered out. Even from this distance, Vi could see his pulse hammering.

“And what if I want to give you something to remember me by?” Caitlyn asked, her elegantly accented voice sickly sweet. Deckard gulped and briefly glanced at Vi's lip, then back to Caitlyn. She spoke again and this time her voice had a lethality to it that even made Vi’s own heart stutter once in trepidation. “That’s everything she has. Our business is done. Back off before my trigger finger twitches.” She made a show of moving her finger from the side of the rifle to hovering over the trigger.

Several tense seconds ticked by and Vi could see Deckard’s limited brain cells calculating the risk versus his greed. 

Finally, with a smarmy grin that barely covered his obvious fear, “all right, all right. Looks like we’ll just take Vi at her word.” He looked at Vi and gave her an arrogant smirk that said I win this round. “See you around, Vi.”

And they disappeared.

“I told you not to talk, Cupcake” Vi muttered, glancing at the Piltie with begrudging respect.

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “Do you ever say thank you?”

Vi looked her eye in the eyes in a rare moment of seriousness. “Thank you. I appreciate the backup.”

Blush dusted Caitlyn’s cheeks, who looked away, clearly embarrassed. “It was the least I could do, given what happened here last time.”

Vi waved her off. “Don’t worry about it, Cupcake. Deckard is an asshole and he’s my problem. He would have done this to me with or without you.”

Caitlyn hummed. “That may be the case, but I played a role in it happening now. And, since I was part of the agreement of being unharmed in exchange for your wages, here.”

Caitlyn put her rifle away and pulled out a leather pouch, nearly identical to the one her mother had, and offered it. Vi took and was surprised to see about the same amount of gold cogs in there that she had just given Deckard.

“Why are you doing this? Your mom already paid me,” Vi said warily.

“This is my money that I’ve earned occasionally working as Jayce’s assistant,” Caitlyn answered. “It was the least I could do. If that’s not sufficient enough reason for you, then think of this as a down payment for future services provided.”

It took a second, then Vi groaned in realization. “You’re going to follow me down into Zaun again, sometime, aren’t you?”

Caitlyn grinned. “You were such a wonderful tour guide last time. I simply wish to utilize your vast knowledge of your home again.”

Vi sighed, defeated. “A fucking Piltie is going to get me killed.” 

Caitlyn let out a delightfully amused laugh. “I think I’m the one in more danger of losing my life, if we’re being honest. You are a better up close fighter than I am.”

With that, she went to get back on the elevator to bring her back Topside.

She gave Vi a damned wink and said, “see you around.”

Vi felt like hitting her head against the wall, but instead triple tied the pouch to her belt and hobbled over to the elevator to the Lanes.

Who knew that a fucking Piltie was going to end up being the most interesting and unpredictable thing about her community service?

Chapter Text

With extra vigilance and a heavy coin purse, Vi eventually made it home. She walked into the bar, which was sparser than usual, even for a Monday. Vi felt a familiar twinge of worry that was only alleviated by the weight on her belt.

She spotted Claggor and Vander behind the bar, talking to a few regulars.

“Hey, Huck, keeping out of trouble?” Vi asked, walking around up to the bar. The balding man gave her a hearty wave and grin.

“Hey, Vi. And you know, trying to,” he said with a sheepish chuckle.

Vi gave him a comforting grin and pat on the shoulder, then looked at Vander.

“Can I talk to you upstairs for a moment?” she asked.

“Claggor, yell if you need something,” their father instructed and they headed up to the office.

Vander hadn’t even sat down fully behind the desk before Vi had tossed the purse on his desk with a resounding thud. He raised an eyebrow and then both when he saw how much was in there.

“Holy shit,” he said, seemingly at a loss for what else to say.

“Yeah, holy shit,” Vi agreed and collapsed into a chair. Her knee throbbed painfully as she massaged it.

Vander relaxed as well, bringing his fingers up to scratch his beard. “Did you ask for an advance?”

The teenager laughed. “Nope,” she popped out. “This is just one day’s wage.”

“Seems excessive for an assistant.”

Vi shrugged. “I think this is just pocket change to someone that rich.’”

Vander hummed thoughtfully.

“It’ll be enough to get the Chembarons off our backs, right?” Vi asked.

“It should be, kiddo, but we’ll have to be careful with this much money,” he answered. “Shimmer has been making them pretty bold in the last year.”

Vi shuddered. She’d never forget the first time she saw someone on shimmer. The drug scared her more than anything she’d seen come through The Lanes, which was saying something given that it was literally a black market.

“Well, that’s one hundred gold a week we can use to keep them at bay for now,” Vi stated. “Maybe if we’re able to stash some away, we can build up a buffer until we figure it out.”

Vander let out a deep, bone tired sigh. “You shouldn’t have to worry about this. I don’t want you to.”

Vi let out a sardonic laugh. “Too late, old man. This is my home, too. We need to keep it safe. I won’t have Powder growing up dealing with a bunch of chem-goons breathing down our necks. That’s not what The Lanes is and I’ll be damned if I sit by and let it happen.”

Vander gave Vi a warm, proud smile. Vi shifted uncomfortably.

“How was your first day?”

Vi involuntarily glanced at the box of Kiramman clothes at her feet. She wanted to unload on him, to rant and snarl about how awful it felt to wear those colors. That the crest felt like a brand. That she felt like a traitor. 

She decided against it. Vander hung up his cast iron fists a long time ago; he now led as peaceful of a life as possible. His fighting spirit–the violent one–died on that bridge seven years ago along with her parents. But, at one point, he was once Vander the Revolutionary, and Vi didn’t want to bring back the memories of how his revolution failed by seeing his daughter wear the clothes of their oppressors.

“Fine,” she finally stated. “Boring. I am a glorified mail sorter. Sevika’s a fucking liar, though. Bluewind Court is not paved with gold.”

Vander laughed. “Oh, and what is it paved with? Silver?”

Vi snorted and launched into how ridiculous everyone looked in their fancy clothes, how the sheriff embarrassed her own enforcer, everything else but her new uniform.

Laughing with her father, with the familiar scent of pipe smoke and the Gray and the sound of music drifting up from the bar–Vi allowed the comfort and love of her home settle over her. This? This was where she belonged and she wouldn't allow a Kiramman to let her forget or feel shame about it.

That night, before bed, Vi lit a candle and she sketched with determined ferocity late into the night.

Vi startled awake at the sound of knocking on the door of the small office. She did her best to make it look like she hadn’t nodded off sorting the mail–again. The time talking to Vander, catching up with him about everything and nothing, and how late she stayed up lost in her art, it was unwise given how early she had to be up to get to Bluewind Court on time, but Vi had really needed it. Even if she was certainly paying for it today.

She looked over and saw Aaron standing in the doorway and she couldn’t tell if his neutral expression was because he didn’t know she had basically been asleep at her desk or if he was being nice.

“Councilor Kiramman is requesting your presence in her office, Miss Vi,” he stated.

Vi didn’t care that getting up meant that she had to speak to the older woman, she was just glad she didn’t have to look at another letter requesting the councilor’s presence at some stupid social event that Vi was in charge of declining.

“You got it, boss,” Vi replied. Aaron held the door open for her and she made her way to the closed ornate white door.

After the councilor told her to come in after a knock, Vi entered. The woman sat behind her desk, her hand moved back and forth over a paper. Vi, impatiently, waited for the woman to address her.

After a moment, she finally did. Councilor Kiramman’s blue eyes met Vi’s and smiled.

“Good afternoon, Violet,” she said cordially. “How has your second day been?”

No lying Vi reminded herself.

“You are invited to a lot of parties,” she diplomatically stated. 

One perfect eyebrow arched up, but the councilor didn’t call Vi out on her non-answer. “Yes, I am. Fortunately, I have my job as councilor and master of the Artificer’s Guild to keep me from attending some of the more pointless, boring ones.” 

The councilor stood up and grabbed her gold blazer, with the Kiramman crest in blue on both lapels, and put it on. “I would like you to join me for the Councilor meeting. You are there to fulfill two functions: one, as a councilor, I always need to look like I need an assistant at meetings.” She walked around her desk and up to Vi with a serious expression. “The second is what I want to be your main objective. I want you to observe the other councilor’s assistants. Their body language, who their eyes go to after a question is posed, if any one of them looks nervous or excited about anything discussed. This second objective needs to be carried out with discretion and neutrality. You must expect that others are watching you, hoping that they’ll glean something about me based on how you react. Do you understand?”

“Er, I guess,” Vi said. “Why not bring Aaron with you for this? Or literally anyone else that isn’t on their second day and actually knows what to look for.”

“Oh, don’t underestimate yourself,” the councilor said with a confidence Vi did not feel. “Perhaps this is presumptuous of me, but are you or are you not familiar with observing people for some time before you–how do I put this? Make your move? Is that not one of the marks of a successful thief?”

The teenager blinked at the councilor for a few seconds, who patiently waited for an answer. Vi was not expecting for the councilor to address her criminal history so openly and seemingly without any care about it at all. It was simply a question, no obvious malice or judgment in her tone.

“Well,” Vi cleared her throat awkwardly, “I mean, hypothetically, if I had a history of stealing from people, then I suppose you would be right, Councilor.”

The older woman laughed in amusement. “And if you had planned the heist on Jayce’s apartment, hypothetically, would it have succeeded?”

Vi chose loyalty to her brother and decided not to answer. But the councilor apparently wasn’t expecting one. 

“As to why I chose you over the more experienced Aaron, consider this me testing the skills of my new employee. Just remember, dear, keep that poker face up. You will be watched as well.”

Vi bit her lip. “Won’t the other assistants also have poker faces? What makes you think they’ll give anything away?”

“Because some of the other councilors are idiots, which I am quite sure you will be able to understand who those are in due time, and they, in turn, will hire idiots,” the councilor said so casually it took Vi a moment to process it.

The councilor walked out, thankfully at a slower pace so Vi could keep up with her crutch, and towards the elevator.

As they rode up, Vi thought back to their conversation. “You said I’m there to make it look like you need an assistant?” 

“Yes. I have been doing this for many years, Violet. I could tell you word for word what the other councilors will have said in there once we the meeting is concluded. I can tell you what they all said at the last meeting we had as well,” she explained. “I, technically, don’t need you there in the traditional role of an assistant. Which is why you will not be keeping minutes. I need your eyes on the others, not on a piece of paper. However, appearances must be kept up. Having someone who follows you around makes you look important. So, since it matters to them, I might as well use someone who can do something I cannot, which is observe the other assistants while I can focus on the councilors themselves.”

“Sounds like a lot of bullshit,” Vi said candidly. “But I get it. Vander has had to do shit like that, too. Put on a show. Peacocking is what my brother Claggor called it.”

The councilor smirked. “That’s exactly it. Sounds like some things are the same Topside and bottom.”

Vi barely held back the scoff, but she also could see what the councilor meant.

The rest of the ride was silent.

It really hadn’t hit Vi until all of the councilors were seated just who she was in the same room as. The most powerful, wealthy, and influential people in both Zaun and Piltover.

Irius Bolbok, one of the few survivors of the Gaseous people, Master of Industry. Mel Medarda, Noxian descendant and rumored royalty, Master of Diplomacy. Thorman Hoskel, who’s ancestors came up with the idea of the Sun Gates, Master of Trade. Salo Ferros, the most popular among the public of the councilors, Master of Arms. Shoola Teriost, the non-conformist whose marriage to a Zaunite was a political drama for the ages, Master of Economics. Heimerdinger, the near immortal who turned Zaun and Piltover into a refuge from mages, Master of Science.

And, of course, Cassandra Kiramman, whose family was one of the architects of Zaun at its founding, Master of Artifice.

The Chembarons were powerful, Vi knew that–every Zaunite knew that–but their reach never truly extended beyond the river. Piltover’s council, on the other hand, ruled over both cities and did so without a single Zaunite among them.

Except here stood Vi, an orphan born to miners in the very depths of Zaun. But not if you looked at her, she knew, as she wore the garb of one of them.

Was this why Kiramman wanted me in these clothes? Was it to exert control over me or to hide me so that the councilors wouldn’t see the filth among them? Vi wondered. Vi took a slow, deep breath and made sure she stood tall. 

She thought of Powder and Ekko, geniuses who would change the world with their ideas; she thought of Vander and how his leadership had helped hundreds in the Lanes stay off the streets and had food in their bellies. Claggor, whose gentle hands grew life from the dirt in the most hopeless conditions belied his intimidating strength. Mylo, who used his knack for numbers to help keep The Last Drop going in the years when Zaun was taxed into the grave.

Zaun deserves better than these gluttonous vultures, Vi snarled in her mind.

Perhaps it was her intuition or coincidence, but Councilor Kiramman met Vi’s eyes a moment before the meeting started, as if to communicate the reminder of keeping a neutral expression.

Vi swallowed and schooled her expression into one of disinterest.

“Shall we begin, my fellow councilors?” asked Heimerdinger. Everyone settled down and Vi watched the other assistants, one to each councilor, like a hawk. “Today’s meeting shall cover two priorities: deciding on extending the funding for Piltover Academy’s international program scholarship that the Council offers and our monthly security update from Sheriff Grayson. Let us start with the vote on the scholarship. We’ve heard arguments for and against it. All those in favor?”

Heimerdinger raised his hand, along with all members of the council save for Bolbok voted in favor of. Nothing from any of the assistants. Some of them, Salo and Bolbok’s, didn’t even seem to be paying attention. Vi’s eyes strayed on Councilor Medarda’s assistant, a woman who wore the colors of Noxus, when their eyes met. The Noxian gave nothing away, simply stared at Vi with only the slightest tilt of her head. Vi refused to look away, but could feel the woman attempting to read her like a book. Kiramman was right, the other assistants would be watching her.

“Efficient as ever,” Heimerdinger chuckled. “Next up, a security briefing. Nalas, will you please bring in Sheriff Grayson.”

A man in black business attire immediately moved to open the doors to the Council Chambers. Grayson walked in, her expression neutral and her back straight. If she noticed Vi there, she ignored her.

“Councilors, it’s good to see you all,” Grayson stated.

Heimerdinger replied, “You as well, Sheriff. Today we would—”

But he was interrupted by Hoskel. “Has any headway been made on the theft at the Sun Gates? The longer we wait to bring those criminals to justice, the harder it will be to convince my counterparts around the world that Piltover’s underbelly is sufficiently brought to heel. That means we lose more money.”

“I assure you, Councilor, every effort is being made to apprehend them,” Grayson answered evenly. “My enforcers have recently linked the explosive devices detonated at the Gates to a cabal of criminals in Zaun who are rumored to have a history with such devices. They currently remain elusive, but I am confident that we shall soon find them.”

Vi noticed Bolbok’s assistant’s eyes dart to Salos’ man, who betrayed nothing.

“Confidence doesn’t fill our coffers, Sheriff,” Bolbok hissed. “If trade continues to spiral, we shall lose the resources we need to keep our factories running. While we have plenty of fuel reserves, I think we can all agree that those should only be used in emergency situations. And this should not be an emergency situation. Get the Undercity to cooperate, Sheriff, or there will be severe consequences for them.”

Vi’s hand, which held onto the crutch, clenched around the metal handle.

“If you are suggesting an invasion of enforcers into Zaun, you will only spark a rebellion,” Medarda stated calmly. “If you think a small explosion at the Sun Gates is our biggest problem, wait until there is a full scale revolution because we acted rashly and without cause. Councilor Bolbok, we have plenty of time until we would need to even consider dipping into our reserves. Sheriff Grayson has proven to be an extremely effective investigator. Demanding impossible results will only lead to further damage being done to our cities.”

Vi zeroed in on Bolbok’s assistant. A point finger tapping on a fold he carried was the only reaction.

“Councilor Medarda is right,” Salo stated in a bored tone. “An invasion would only take time and more money, which we want to avoid. Let us give the sheriff another fortnight to provide us with results or a lead. Then, we can focus on the next steps.”

Hoskel huffed, but sat back, arms folded like a petulant child.

“I believe that is the best course of action, as well,” Councilor Kiramman stated. “Sheriff, you have two weeks to bring us something. Are we all in agreement.”

The vote in favor was unanimous. 

“Wonderful,” said Heimerdinger, his contentment obvious. “Job well done today, everyone. I shall see you all next week for our next scheduled meeting. Good day!”

As everyone stood to leave or converse, Vi and Medarda’s assistant waited while their respective councilor’s spoke to one another.

“Cassandra, I trust you are well,” Medarda stated, shaking Kiramman’s hand.

The older woman smiled warmly. “Of course, Mel. How are you?”

“Curious, as ever. I see you have a new assistant. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her in your office before.”

Kiramman turned to Vi and motioned her to come forward. Vi did so, hoping her nerves weren’t showing.

“Mel, this is Violet. She just started working for me yesterday. I decided to give her a crash course on how positively dull the life of a Councilor can be,” Kiramman said with a light laugh. “Violet, this is Councilor Mel Medarda, Master of Diplomacy. You, her assistant, Elora, Mel, and myself will be seeing each other from time to time as we occasionally discuss matters of state.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Violet,” Medarda said, holding out her hand. Vi hesitated for only a second before she returned the gesture. The teenager pushed down the urge to break the woman’s soft hand.

“You, too, Councilor,” Vi simply stated. And then backed up, not wanting to partake in the conversation further.

“Alas, we must be going. There is a pile of letters as tall as Mount Targon on my desk that I would be remiss to put off answering any further,” Medarda said with a playfully pained smile. “I shall see you for our next rematch soon, Cassandra.”

Vi had been brought back to the councilor’s office, where the woman made them tea. Vi had wandered over to the red and gold chess board, which was set for a new match. 

“A gift from Councilor Medarda,” the councilor said, holding out a tea cup for Vi. “A woman’s whose intelligence is unmatched by anyone in this city, mine included, if I am honest.  Noxians pride themselves on their cunning and ruthlessness. In any battle against them, physical or metaphorical, at the moment you believe you’ve won, they make their move that proves you lost after you moved your first pawn. However, age brings wisdom that she sometimes relies on me to provide for her.”

Vi grabbed a red pawn. It really was beautiful, she admitted. 

Kiramman noticed which piece she had grabbed. “I thought you were unfamiliar with chess.”

The teenager shrugged and put the piece back. “Ekko showed me a few things.”

“Who is Ekko?”

Vi sipped her tea and sat in one of the chairs next to the ever roaring fire. “Just another kid in The Lanes.”

The older woman joined her on the other chair. “Now, tell me everything you observed.”

Vi did, not holding anything back. Not only because of her no lying agreement, but also because she saw no point in lying. She didn’t owe anyone in there her loyalty.

“Other than Elora watching me like a hawk, there wasn’t anything else,” Vi finished, leaning back and resting her head and arm against the chair’s armrest.

Kiramman hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, I would imagine she would be. Councilor Medarda and I share the same philosophy in any political meeting we are in: know every single person who is in the room with you.”

Vi scoffed. “She’ll probably figure out I’m from Zaun in about two hours, then.”

The teenager eyed the councilor closely, gauging her reaction to that statement.

“Yes, most likely,” was all Kiramman said with no emotion.

Vi let out a mental sigh of frustration, then sat up. “If that’s all Councilor, I’m sure the pneuma-tube in my office is backed up with incredibly important birthday party invitations to RSVP no to.”

The councilor gave her an amused smile and dismissed her with a simple. “You may go. Good job today, Violet. I appreciate your diligence.”

The teenager didn’t spare her another look as she exited the office.
 

Later that night, Vi—who was grateful to have not been followed home by Caitlyn—sat at the bar, watching Claggor pour drinks for their customers. Her head was pounding after several hours of reading ridiculous invitations and well wishes and ass kissing. It was no wonder to Vi at all why the councilor had her staff do this. Even if she had time for it herself, Vi understood pawning something like that off to the nearest lackey as quickly as she could.

Her reverie was interrupted as her younger brother set a glass of whiskey down in front of her, an understanding smile on his face. Vi felt her heart squeeze at the gesture.

“Bless you, Claggor,” she said, taking a sip of the warm, caramel-y alcohol.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he replied. “I’m just buttering you up.”

Vi’s head whipped up and she narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

“Because I need you to be a babysitter,” came Vander’s voice. He wasn’t behind the bar, but instead coming from the stairs leading to his office. 

“Babysitter? For who?”

“Your sister,” her dad replied. Vi then saw the backpack he was carrying. “Benzo and I need to attend to an issue on level thirteen. He’s going to bring Ekko and I’m bringing Claggor. Mylo will watch the bar and Sevika has agreed to help him. Which means you need to watch Powder. We’ll be gone for a few days, but I’ll send word if it ends up being longer.”

This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. As leader of the underground, from time to time Vander would have to leave for a few days to settle a trade dispute or provide counsel or even large maintenance issues. 

“Vander, I have to go to Jayce’s the next few days. Something tells me that babysitting is not a reason why I can’t go,” Vi protested. Normally, she’d love to have a reason to spend one on one time with Powder, but she also doesn’t want to get in trouble with the councilor for missing her community service hours.

“You’ll just have to bring her with you. She’s already promised she’ll be respectful,” Vander explained.

Vi bit her lip. She wasn’t sure how Jayce would feel about it. But it’s not like Powder was a bad kid. She’d probably just sit in a corner and read some of his books or bring some gadgets or blueprints to work on. 

“Fine, but if the councilor gets on my ass about it, I’m blaming you,” Vi joked. “Where is Powder?”

“In the basement,” Claggor replied. 

“We’ll be leaving now. Be good. There’s food in the kitchen and I left some money in my safe. Only use it if you need to,” Vander instructed.

A few hugs later and they were gone.

“Powder!” Vi yelled as she hobbled down the stairs. She saw her sister poke her head out of her bunk with an eraser in between her teeth, which she only did if she was designing something.

“Want to come grab some dinner and then go with me to an appointment?” Vi asked, throwing the backpack she used to carry the Kiramman’s clothes into a corner.

Powder grinned and put down a complicated looking blueprint and bounced excitedly. “Duh. What appointment?”

Vi grabbed her sketchpad and smirked. “Let’s just say I have an idea on how to say ‘fuck you’ to Piltover without getting sent to Stillwater.”

Chapter Text

“So, I know you said that what you do for Jayce is super, duper, jump off of the Rising Howler kind of boring, but what is it exactly that you do that’s boring?” Powder asked.

It was currently 7:34am the next day and Vi yawned, still not used to early mornings. “I sort paperwork, that’s really it. The most interesting thing he had me do was fix the door I kicked in.”

“But what kind of paperwork? He’s a scientist, right?” her sister pestered.

Vi gave her sister a look of exasperation. “Powder, you know science is more your thing than mine. I barely understood half of it. There’s equations, some stuff about chemtech and augmentations. Just…science stuff.”

Powder scrunched her nose. “Why does some Piltie care about Chemtech? Viktor told me how they never mess with it because they think it’s too dangerous.”

“I’ve told you a million times, you need to stop going to Viktor’s without me. Eleventh is too far out of Vander’s reach. Besides, what would he know about Topsiders?” Vi asked. 

Viktor was a nice enough man and indulged in Powder and Ekko’s incessant questions, but The Lanes only went from Levels Fourteen to Twelve in Entresol. Anything beyond those levels and Vander had very little power over what happened. 

“He knows stuff! You just don’t like going because you broke his window messing around with Mylo once and he got mad at you,” Powder pointed out.

Vi scoffed. “Powder, I was fourteen years old. I got over that long ago. He just kind of freaks me out. He’s pretty obsessed with Chem.”

Powder shrugged. “He’s really smart and he’s nice enough to help me and Ekko when we ask.”

Vi rolled her eyes. “Well, now you can ask Jayce as many questions you want until he tells you to stop.”

“He’s not going to want to talk to me,” Powder argued. “We tried to steal from him. He’s just going to look at me like some stupid trencher trash and ignore me.”

At that, Vi stopped in the middle of the road, people parting around her, but she ignored their grumbling. She grabbed Powder’s chin gently and forced her sister to look her in the eyes.

“Even if he does think you’re trencher trash, you still go after what you want, Powder. Do not let him or any other Piltie make you feel like you aren’t allowed to do something,” Vi ordered with conviction. “If you have a question, you ask. If you want something, you go after it. If Jayce can’t see that brilliant mind of yours just because you’re from Zaun, then he’s an idiot.”

Powder stared into Vi’s eyes for several beats before she nodded her head. Vi caressed her cheek affectionately before standing up and continuing their walk.

Her little sister expanded on her thoughts. “It’s just…Piltover has some really incredible scientists I’ve never been able to speak to before. I know all the scientists in The Lanes. This is my chance to maybe learn something totally new. I just don’t want to get my hopes up in case he’s just like every other Piltie we’ve ever met.”

“Well, if it helps, I don’t think he’s that kind of Piltie,” Vi reassured. “He seems pretty full of himself and he really needs to learn how to stay organized, but he’s never made any comments about me being from Zaun and he always says how much he appreciates that I actually work when I’m there.”

“Oh, good. I’m going to start categorizing my questions then,” Powder says, then remains silent the rest of the walk.

Vi chuckled at her sister and hobbled on. Her knee had been feeling much better. Last night she had been able to get around mostly without it in a contained area and there’s no pain anymore, just an occasional uncomfortable tightness. She hoped that by Friday she’ll be back to normal.

At 8:02am, Vi knocked on the door. Jayce answered with a polite grin, but that fell into confusion when he saw Powder. “Oh. It’s the other thief,” he said flatly.

Powder raised an eyebrow, or tried to—she was still trying to master that skill—and replied sarcastically, “oh, it’s the guy I tried to rob.”

Vi sighed, already not looking forward to this. “My dad had to leave for a few days with the guy who would normally look after Powder. So, it was either bring her along or I get in trouble with the councilor for not being able to do my community service this week.” Vi looked down at Powder and nudged her.

Powder rolled her eyes, but then her eyes went from annoyed to like those of damn poro, complete with the slightest water works, even. “I’m really sorry for trying to steal from you, Mr. Talis. I understand that you may not trust me, but I promise to behave and not take anything without express permission,” she said.

Vi unconsciously mouthed the apology she made Powder practice and gave the girl a proud smile when she finished. She glanced up at Jayce and…was his mouth twitching?

He cleared his throat and Vi was convinced he was hiding a laugh behind it. “I accept your apology, Powder,” he said warmly. “Of course you may stay here with your sister.”

“Oh good,” Powder said, then shouldered past Jayce and walked into the apartment. “Man! I forgot how big this chalkboard is!”

Vi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

A few hours later, Powder had woken up from taking a nap on the sun filled balcony (she was also not used to waking up early—hazard of growing up in a bar) and was snacking on a sandwich Vi had packed for her. Vi knew she had been working up the courage to ask Jayce and allowed Powder the space to get there.

Vi watched out of the corner of her as she sorted more paperwork, which somehow had re-accumulated in the handful of days since she had left. When she saw that Powder was simply observing Jayce at work at the chalkboard, Vi went back to work.

She was so engrossed in The Four Chemical Compounds of Chem and Their Uses, Benefits, and Detriments, that she was startled when she heard Jayce suddenly cry out, “Hey! What are you doing? Cut that out!”

Vi’s head whipped up and eyes widened as she saw Powder drop the chalk she had been holding and her distinctive handwriting next to a crossed out equation.

“You had the wrong compound,” Powder argued. “I fixed it for you.”

“Powder! What did I tell you? Don’t do anything without permission!” Vi exclaimed.

“You said I couldn’t take anything. I didn’t. I fixed his stupid equation,” Powder defended, her annoyance at the contrary clear in her tone. “CT02 should be more stable now, but you should really use CT04. It’s the better compound for something like this.”

Powder gave Vi a “give me a break” expression and went back to eating her sandwich.

Vi walked up to Jayce, who was staring at what Powder changed. “Jayce, I am so sorry. I promise, I’ll make sure she doesn’t do that again.”

Jayce seemed to have completely ignored Vi and instead turned to Powder, eyes wide. “You understand Chemtech?” he asked, almost in awe.

Powder furrowed her brow at him. “Sure. Ekko and I build with it all the time.”

Jayce gaped at her. He suddenly launched himself at the table that Vi had been working at and threw a bunch of paper around, searching for something.

“What the fuck, Jayce, I just organized those!” Vi yelled in frustration.

The scientist ignored her and, upon finding what he was looking for, shoved the paper into Powder’s free hand. “Is this something you understand? Can you explain it to me?” he asked desperately.

Powder looked at him like he was crazy, then to Vi. The older sister shrugged her shoulders, at a loss for words. Powder wiped her sandwich crumbs on her pants and focused on the paper.

While she read, Vi resigned herself to redoing what she had spent the last hour organizing.

After several minutes, Powder asked for a pencil, which Jayce scrambled to find her, and she marked up the paper. Her brow scrunched together and bottom lip chewed on, signs Vi knew to be there when Powder was completely focused.

Jayce’s front door opened at that moment and in walked Caitlyn, holding a bag.

“Hello, you two, I thought—oh,” Caitlyn said, stopping when she saw Powder. To her credit, Powder was so focused she hadn’t even noticed the Kiramman girl. Caitlyn, sensing the impatient tension in the room, walked up to Vi. “What is your sister doing here?” she whispered.

“I’m watching her while Vander is away for a few days,” Vi replied. “Turns out Powder knows more about science than Jayce does and he’s desperately trying to get her thoughts on something.”

Caitlyn’s eyebrows raised. “Jayce, top of his class in artificing at Piltover Academy, is asking your little sister for help on his research?”

Vi felt the need to defend Powder rise up instinctively, but she ignored it. Caitlyn seemed more impressed than skeptical. “She’s been building shit since she could walk. Always had a knack for it. Her and our friend Ekko are always making some kind of machine or other.”

Before Caitlyn could respond, Powder answered. “You need to separate CT02 and 03. They should never be mixed in their pure forms. Dilution is key to decreasing destabilization. Chem is volatile, but once you break down the compounds to their weakest parts and spread the power out throughout the machine you use it in, to avoid too much heat build up, you should be fine.”

She handed Jayce the paper she had made corrections on and he read it as if it held the answers to the universe itself. “But how do you efficiently stabilize it without sacrificing safety?” he asked.

Powder’s eyes lit up and she started started to speak another language as far as Vi was concerned. She glanced at Caitlyn to see if she was understanding any of it. The Kiramman girl shrugged and shook her head. Vi chuckled and was going to go back to organizing when Caitlyn stopped her and nodded towards the balcony. Vi was curious and followed her out, the sound of the two scientists talking muffled behind the closed glass door.

“I had brought lunch for you and Jayce since I know how he can get when he’s in problem solving mode, but I wouldn’t dare interrupt such a new development,” Caitlyn said with an amused smile. 

“She’s going to be flying high for ages,” Vi admitted as she sat at the little bistro table, a feeling of immense pride swelled within her. “Powder was hoping to pick Jayce’s brain since she’s never met a Piltover scientists before. But him picking hers? Asking her to explain something to him that he doesn’t understand? I could hug Jayce. This is going to be the biggest confidence boost for her.”

Caitlyn pulled out two sandwiches from the bag and Vi admitted that they smelled delicious. She took the one Caitlyn proffered and leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes as the sun danced on her skin. The sun’s rays would soon be reeking havoc on her skin that wasn’t used to direct sunlight, but at that moment she didn’t care. It felt good.

“You and Powder seem pretty close,” Caitlyn stated conversationally.

Vi opened her eyes and looked at the other girl. Vi strangely became aware of her posture. She slouched substantially in her chair, her braced leg straight out, compared to Caitlyn who could have had a wooden board attached across the back of her shoulders and Vi wouldn’t have been surprised. 

She pulled herself out of her thoughts and replied, “Yeah. She’s my best friend, really. Her and my brothers. They annoy the hell out of me half the time, but I wouldn’t change anything about us, if that makes sense.”

Caitlyn hummed uncertainly. “I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to fully understand that. I’m an only child. I had friends growing up, of course, but…”

Vi patiently waited, taking a few bites out of her sandwich. Caitlyn seemed uncertain if she should say anything, but she did anyways. “I understand the privilege of my house, with all the opportunities it provides and benefits. However, being the sole heir to the Kiramman name is daunting, to say the least. Sometimes I feel like I’ll be crushed under the pressure of it all. When I was younger, I often fantasized about having a sibling to share that responsibility with. For someone to understand it.”

“Wouldn’t your mom understand?” Vi asked.

“She does. She’s a wonderful mother,” Caitlyn assured Vi. “But, she can be contradictory. She expects me to uphold the family name and do my best to make House Kiramman proud only to then encourage me to neglect half of my duties.”

“Zaun,” Vi simply stated.

Caitlyn nodded. “The way she’s been providing instruction the last few years has been odd. When I was younger, it was all about pride in the family, the history, traditions, and all that. But lately, it’s been different.” Caitlyn took a moment, struggling with the words. “At times, it seems like her words are meant to be taken as law, an order. ‘Don’t do this, don’t do that,’” she said, doing a near perfect mimicry of her mother. “But then, other times, it’s like she’s testing me. Telling me to do something or suggest something just to see what I will say or do in response. It's been difficult trying to figure out which is an demand and which is a test. Any time I’ve tried to talk to her about it, she dodges the question. It's been harder to figure out what her game plan is.”

Vi wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Like chess.”

Caitlyn smiled, like she was glad Vi understood what she meant. “Precisely. But I feel it's as if she added new rules to the game and expects me to figure it out for myself.”

Vi wasn’t sure how to respond. She barely knew the councilor. Since she couldn’t offer any read advice, she went with humor. “Do you want me to break into her office and see if she wrote down rules for this game? It’s probably labeled ‘How to Punish My Daughter for Yelling at Me About Wanting to go Hunting Instead to a Birthday Party when She was Eleven Years Old.’”

Caitlyn flushed and gaped at Vi. “She told you about that?” she squeaked. 

Vi laughed. “She did.”

The Kiramman girl laughed and hid her head in her hands. “I’ve been punished enough as it is after the ‘dangerous stunt’ I pulled when I followed you down to Zaun. I’d hate to be dealt any more.”

“And how does one punish Caitlyn Kiramman?” Vi asked.

Caitlyn looked in pain when she answered. “She’s making me plan a party.”

The Zaunite raised an eyebrow at that. “That’s your punishment?” she asked incredulously.

Caitlyn huffed and crossed her arms. “Yes it is and I would imagine you would think so as well. I was in a meeting this morning for three hours with an event planner discussing the merits of using a swan or an elmark for an ice sculpture.”

Vi scrunched her nose distastefully. “Okay, yeah, that sounds awful. What’s the party for?”

“The Kiramman Gala. My family always throws one of the most extravagant celebrations at the Manor on the eve of Progress Day week, which is already next weekend, so thankfully most of the major decisions had been made. It’s the biggest party in the city outside of the one the Council puts on the night of Progress Day.”

“Sounds fun,” Vi sarcastically stated. 

“It can be,” Caitlyn said. “The food is always really good and Jayce and I have made a tradition the last few years of seeing how much food bits we can drop down Councilor Hoskel’s back before he notices.”

Vi snorted. Swallowing the last bit of her sandwich, she says, “thanks for lunch, Cupcake. Unfortunately, I have more organizing to do. And Jayce will remain on my good side as long as he doesn’t throw a pile of papers I had just finished put together all over the floor again.”

Caitlyn grinned at her. “It was my pleasure, Vi.”

After they cleaned up, Vi cautiously opened the door.

“Chemtech relies on consistent temperature, but it’s varies depending on what compound combination you use,” Powder explained. She grabbed the chalk from Jayce’s hand and wrote a few numbers and letters on the board. 

Vi met Jayce’s eyes as she walked in. “Vi, you are to bring Powder with you every day for the rest of this week.”

“I was already going to do that,” Vi said, as it if were obvious (which it was). “Our dad is away. Probably won’t be back until late Thursday or some time on Friday.”

“Good, good,” Jayce said absently and turned back to Powder.

Vi shook her head.

“Jayce, I am putting a sandwich in your cooler. You better eat it or I will throw all of your favorite shirts into the River Pilt,” Caitlyn threatened, her hand on the door to leave.

Jayce waved her off as he asked Powder another question. Caitlyn gave Vi a look that essentially said “good luck” and left.

 The following days were blurred together. Vi took Powder to Jayce’s and essentially became wallpaper based on how much attention she was paid. She even finished her work early on Friday and chose to read one of the few books in the apartment that weren’t science techno-babble. It was science fiction, but Vi wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Powder was more animated than Vi could ever remember her being. It was constantly Jayce this and Jayce that and “Vi, did you hear what he said about how smart I was? A Piltie scientist said that about me!”

Vi was beyond happy for her sister and it had definitely earned Jayce more than a few points in Vi’s book. Piltover was still a cesspool of greed and corruption, but Jayce had jumped up to being the best among them for what he’s done for Powder. He actually treated her as an equal and never once was condescending or insulting her based on her age or where she was born.

Vi rested her chin against her hand, listening to Powder tell her about her day—as if Vi hadn’t been in the same apartment—and couldn’t stop the smile that crept up her face at Powder’s happiness.

Late on Friday night, after Vi and Powder returned from Vi’s second and final appointment, Vi was actually working behind the bar, giving Mylo a break after he had worked a few doubles in a row. Vander and Claggor finally returned, looking exhausted. Claggor waved and immediately went downstairs, to sleep Vi assumed, and Vi immediately poured the strongest beer they had into their largest mug.

The barstool sounded like it was nearly about to break as Vander collapsed in it, lightly tapping his head on the bar top.

“Everything go okay, old man?” Vi asked as she slid the drink in front of him.

Vander hummed in confirmation. “Yeah, got there in the end. Bunch of crotchety old men trying to penny pinch a little too tightly. But they loosened up and everyone walked away only slightly unhappy.”

Vi smiled at him when he finally looked up to fully meet her eyes, only to widen as he looked at her neck. 

The teenager fidgeted slightly under his intense gaze. It was several moments before he relaxed a little and smiled with the slightest bit of approval. Vi felt a weight off her shoulders.

Vander raised his glass and Vi grabbed her own, much smaller beer that she had been sipping on, and clinked them together.

“To your mother,” Vander said, his voice thick with emotion.

Vi didn’t even both wiping away the tears that fell from her eyes. “To Zaun.”

Chapter Text

When Aaron saw Vi on Monday morning—Vi’s first day back to work without the crutch, thank Janna—he informed her that she was to join everyone at the table in the office at 8:30am. This was when the councilor held a staff meeting to discuss the agenda for the week every Monday, so long as it didn’t interfere with the her schedule.

Vi sat in one of the navy and gold line chairs around and did her best to not scratch at her neck. She kept her hands busy by sketching Valerie, one of the other assistants, that sat across from her while they waited for the councilor to arrive.

A few minutes after 8:30, Councilor Kiramman arrived through the office doors.

“Apologies for the delay, everyone. I was held up talking with Councilor Bolbok’s assistant,” she stated as she took her place at the head of the table. “I hope everyone had a good weekend. Before we begin, are there any issues I need to be made aware of?”

Vi had started to tune out as Aaron began speaking. She had no idea who anyone he was talking about was nor did she care about what they wanted with the councilor. She decided ten minutes in that she hated staff meetings. She did her best to discreetly cover her mouth as she yawned. Vi could tell it hadn’t worked as she caught the councilor’s eye.

The councilor’s blue eyes darted to Vi’s neck and didn’t look away for several seconds before they met with Vi’s again. If the teenager hadn’t been studying the councilor so intensely to gauge her reaction, she would have missed the slightest twitch at the corner of the councilor’s mouth.

Vi wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“Violet, please join me in my office,” the councilor instructed once the meeting was adjourned. Vi followed her through the white door. “Shut the door behind you, please.”

Once the door was secure, Vi watched curiously as Councilor Kiramman approached a decorative rifle on her wall next to her fireplace, pulled on the finger level and then the trigger on it. While Vi didn’t think a gunshot would go off, she certainly hadn’t expected the part of the wall the rifle hung on to swing open and reveal a safe. Vi, without thinking, respectfully looked away as the councilor entered the code to the safe and only looked back up when she heard the wall panel shut.

Councilor Kiramman walked up to Vi and held out a coin purse and a sealed letter. A quick glance and Vi noticed that the wax seal did not have the familiar House Kiramman emblem. Instead, it had a generic “X” stamped into the wax. Vi, not bothering to hide her look of confusion, took the items. The bag was very heavy.

“I need you to go to Zaun, on the corner of Hammer and Vicar on the far east end of the Entresol Two. There is a storefront there called Tirana’s Goods. Ask for Tirana and hand the letter and bag to her directly—do not give it to an assistant or worker of hers. If she is not there, you are to wait as long as you need to until she returns. Do not mention my name, she’ll know from the seal what this is,” the older woman instructed. Her tone was serious and brokered no argument. “Wait for her to read the letter and she will give you a package to bring back to me. You are to return immediately, no stops. Do you understand me, Violet?”

“Yes, Councilor,” Vi answered, almost at a loss for words. This was, by far, the strangest thing she’s been assigned to do for the woman. What on Runeterra is this for? the teenager wondered. Why does she want me to run an errand in Chembaron territory?

“Two more things,” the councilor said. “One, my daughter is at the Manor. Go there and take her into Zaun with you. Tell her to bring a weapon.” Vi’s eyes widened at that. “You are under no circumstances to tell her that I told you to bring her with you. That is non-negotiable, Violet.”

“You want me to lie to your daughter?” Vi asked, her confusion only grew at these bizarre instructions.

“Yes,” the woman answered with no hesitation. “I don’t care what you tell her for why you’re taking her with you; I don’t care if you tell her that you are running an errand for me—but you cannot tell her I am allowing her to go to Zaun.” Vi stared at the councilor, mouth open and brows furrowed. “Second, be sure you are not wearing the clothes you have on now when you receive this package. Change into the ones you have in your bag before going into Zaun. Caitlyn should also not wear anything with the Kiramman crest on it.”

“Okay,” Vi said slowly, attempting to process what the councilor was saying.

“Thank you, Violet.” The older woman’s eyes darted to Vi’s neck again and then she turned to walk to her desk. “I shall stay here until you return. Good luck.”

Vi took the dismissal and left the office, making sure she grabbed her back before she made her way to the Kiramman Manor.

Vi once again stood in awe before the Kiramman Manor as she waited for someone to answer the door. Vi couldn’t get over how astounding the sheer size of it was, given that it was still just a house.

Emir, Vi recognized, answered the door.

“Good morning, Miss Violet. How may I help you?” he asked.

Vi was still confused on why everyone kept giving her an honorific. “I need to speak to Caitlyn.”

Emir nodded and gestured for Vi to enter the Manor. She did so and Emir excused himself to get the young Kiramman.

Vi waited, checking for the fiftieth time that the letter and coin purse were in her pocket.

“Vi? What are you doing here?” Caitlyn asked, descending the two story staircase.

“Hey, Cupcake,” Vi answered. “Up for running an errand with me?”

Caitlyn reached Vi and her confused expression turned to one of surprise when noticed something on Vi’s neck.

“You have a tattoo,” she stated with a raised eyebrow, staring at the cog inked in black on Vi’s skin.

“I do.”

“You didn’t have one last week.”

Vi snorted. “Very observant of you, Cupcake.”

Caitlyn glared at Vi, but didn’t respond to the jab. “You want me to run an errand with you?”

“Yeah, for your mom.”

“I suppose I can,” Caitlyn agreed, clearly puzzled.

“Good, go change your clothes. We’re heading into Zaun.”

The other girl’s eyebrows flew up. “You’re voluntarily bringing me to Zaun?”

Vi shrugged. “I need back up. Go change and grab a weapon.”

“Back up? Why would you need back up running an errand for my mother?”

Vi subconsciously touched the letter again. “We’re heading into Chembaron territory. You proved pretty capable last time, so I figured you’d be cool with helping me again.”

Caitlyn squinted her eyes suspiciously at Vi. “Does my mother know you’re bringing me?”

“No,” Vi lied. She did so fairly easily, even if she felt the smallest twinge of guilt as she thought back to what Caitlyn said to her last week about her mother. But Caitlyn had annoyed her enough the past couple of weeks that it wasn’t overwhelming.

“I don’t understand why you want me with you when you’ve vehemently opposed me going anywhere near Zaun, let alone with you.”

The Zaunite gave her a cocky grin. “Maybe I just like to entertain myself by keeping Piltie Princesses on their toes.”

Caitlyn huffed and rolled her eyes, but left up stairs to change. Vi set her backpack down and did the same, more than happy to rid herself of the Kiramman brand. She made sure the letter and money were securely in the inside pocket of her leather jacket and waited.

Only a few minutes later, Caitlyn returned with the same outfit she wore the last time she was in Zaun and was collapsing her rifle to stow away.

“What’s the errand?” Caitlyn asked as they walked toward the Bridge of Progress.

Vi shrugged. “I have to deliver a letter to someone and get a package in return. It might be a while. The person receiving the letter is for their hands only and they may not be there when we arrive.”

Caitlyn hummed. “You said something about Chembarons. Who are they?”

Vi looked at Caitlyn like she had just spoken a foreign language. “They’re the crime lords of Zaun,” she said slowly.

The Kiramman girl looked shocked. “The what?”

“How do you not know who the Chembarons are? I thought everyone knew.”

“I have never heard of them. They’re crime lords?”

Vi scoffed. “Yeah, their criminal empire spans the entirety of Zaun. They mainly operate out of the top two levels of Entresol, but they have their hands in everything. Illicit trades, Chemtech, drugs, bribery, murder, all of it.”

“But, what about your father? I thought he was in charge of The Lanes.”

“He is. In exchange for keeping the black markets going in The Lanes without Chembaron interference, we pay them a portion of money we collect from all of the merchants. If you don’t give to the collection, you lose your stall,” Vi explained. “Think of it like a license to operate. As long as we continue paying them, they don’t send down their goons or perform any jobs in The Lanes. The other levels aren’t as profitable or as organized as The Lanes are, so we’re really the only ones that are afforded this luxury. If we stop paying, they take over.”

Caitlyn was silent as she processed the information. Vi could practically see her brain firing neurons behind her blue eyes.

When they reached Entresol Two without any issues, Vi felt on edge and kept her head on a swivel.

“How ready should I be for something to happen?” Caitlyn whispered.

“Don’t draw your gun, but keep your hand next to it,” Vi muttered, looking down each alley. Vi heard her gun click as it was opened up and continued walking.

The streets of The Entresol Two on the east end had some people wandering up and down it, but it was nowhere near as bustling as most places of Entresol. Vi made sure to not make eye contact with anyone and avoided any streets that had certain Chembaron signs on them.

About twenty minutes into the walk, Vi noticed a commotion down the street, as did Caitlyn. Two women carrying bats threateningly and a man were towering over a middle aged Chirean, who was on the ground with his hands up, clearly fearful of the people harassing him. The group of three were wearing leather jackets with a gold calligraphic "F" on the back. They were too far out of ear shot to hear what they were saying, but Vi could tell from the body language that it was not a discussion about the weather. Caitlyn stepped up, her hand itching towards her rifle. Vi, as carefully as she could to not draw the group's attention, put her hand on Caitlyn's arm to stop her. With a subtle shake of her head, Vi's eyes begged Caitlyn to not do what she was thinking about doing.

Caitlyn glared, clearly unhappy with Vi's instructions. The Zaunite could tell she was conflicted and she glanced at the group once more. What she saw turned her blood to ice. The man who was with the two woman had glanced behind him, but still seeming to have not noticed the two teenagers. Purple eyes Vi noticed in horror. She subtly pushed Caitlyn back to go into an alley that was several yards behind them. Caitlyn, thankfully, listened, even if she did so reluctantly. Vi led them down the alley onto another side street and didn't stop until they were several blocks away.

When they were far enough away, Vi leaned against a building and put her hands on her knees, taking a deep breath.

“Vi, you’re shaking. What's wrong?” Caitlyn asked, clearly freaked out at how freaked out the Zaunite was.

Vi ignored her question for a moment. "Caitlyn," she said with as much seriousness as she could muster. The Kiramman girl startled at the use of her proper name. "You cannot, under any circumstances, ever initiate conflict on these levels like you were just tempted to. That rifle needs to be used only in our own self defense as a last case scenario. Those were a Chembaron's people. If you did anything to them, we wouldn't make it out of Entresol alive."

Caitlyn huffed, unhappy with the instruction. "They looked like they were going to hurt that man," she offered up.

"Yes, and as much as you wanted to play the knight in shining armor, one of those goons was on shimmer," Vi said desperately. "We would have been dead before you could have gotten a second shot off."

Caitlyn furrowed her brow. “Shimmer?”

“Yeah, the drug.”

Caitlyn shrugged as they started walking down the road. “I’m not familiar with it.”

“Lucky you,” Vi stated. “It’s horrific. Turns people into monsters. When they’re on it, they’re almost animalistic. They don’t feel pain, they’re faster, stronger, more aggressive. You know someone is on it because it turns their eyes purple and that man's eyes were purple.”

“Gods, that sounds awful. Why would anyone take it?” Caitlyn asked, stunned.

Vi shrugged her shoulders. “Chembarons people use it to juice up their version of Enforcers. But also, it's incredibly addictive. It only takes one dose and you’re a goner. It started spreading just over a year ago. Vander has been able to keep it out of The Lanes for the most part, but it’s been getting harder as more and more people have started using it.”

“That’s awful,” Caitlyn said, concern and worry etched in every corner of her face. “Do the Enforcers know where it's coming from?”

“I don’t see how they couldn’t. It’s not a secret, everyone in Zaun knows.” Vi gestured around them.

“The Chembarons,” Caitlyn supplied.

“Gold star, Detective.”

The Kiramman girl worriedly bit at her lip, her brows drawn close together.

“Come on, I don’t like staying in one place for too long. It draws attention that I'm uncomfortable with, especially since I don’t have any connections here to use if someone stops us,” Vi instructed.

They weaved in and out of streets, having to circle back two more times whenever Vi got a bad feeling about certain areas. Eventually—finally—Caitlyn pointed out a store front with a sign over the front door: “Tirana’s Goods.”

The two girls hurried inside and Vi took a deep breath, relaxing only infinitesimally.

“Can I help you?” asked a voice.

Vi looked up and saw a man behind the counter, a pencil in his hand that hovered over a book.

The Zaunite stepped forward. “I’m looking for Tirana. Is she here?”

The man pursed his lips. “She’s not. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Vi shook her head. “Sorry, but I need to speak with her directly. When will she be back?”

The man shrugged. “Didn’t say, but she’s always back before we close. You’ll have to sit and wait,” he answered and gestured towards a few chairs off to the side.

“Thanks.”

Vi and Caitlyn took two of the seats and then sat in silence, save for the pencil scratching as the man went back to writing.

The goods of “Tirana’s Goods” did not help the teenagers feel at ease. The shelves were filled with syringes and needles, hooks and knives, vials of liquids, and—for a reason that Vi could not comprehend—a lot of taxidermy. About twenty animals of varying species lined the walls of the dimly lit room. Vi wondered why taxidermy would be considered goods, but she wasn’t about to ask. She looked away quickly when she noticed that a jar in the top shelf behind the counter held what could possibly have been the preserved head of a Yordle.

Vi forced her breath to come out evenly and calmly, even if she wanted to run as far away from this place as she could. Instead, she glanced at Caitlyn and she was glad to see that the councilor’s daughter looked just as freaked out as Vi felt. This made her think that this environment wasn’t something the Kiramman’s were used to and so felt better that the other girl was feeling the same uneasiness Vi was.

After several minutes of tense silence, only filled with the sound of pencil scratching and the ticking of a clock, the man at the counter—without saying a word—left his seat and walked into the back, closing the door.

Caitlyn gave Vi a questioning look, to which Vi responded with a shrug.

The Kiramman girl leaned down close and whispered into Vi’s ear, “has my mother ever sent you on an errand to a place like this before?”

Vi shook her head and asked, “you?”

Caitlyn responded the same and straightened up, shaking her shoulders as if trying to shake off a bad feeling. She looked out the window and Vi started biting her nails. The tick tick of the clock was going to drive her insane. Not a moment later, Caitlyn desperately tapped Vi’s hand. The Zaunite looked up to where Caitlyn was looking and stopped breathing.

“Don’t move,” Vi said, scarcely above a whisper.

Passing by the window of Tirana’s, hunched over and twitching violently as she walked, was a woman on shimmer. Her bright purple eyes were visible even through the greasy, slightly matted hair that hung in her thin, gaunt face. Vi could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest and could imagine what the stuttered breath sounded like. She had crusted dried blood and scabbed over several lines on the forearms, as if the woman had scratched been so hard that it broke skin.

Vi had never seen someone on shimmer this up close and it was far worse than she had imagined.

“That’s shimmer?” Caitlyn whispered so quietly Vi almost didn’t hear her. Vi was going to answer, but her words froze in her throat as the woman’s head jerked towards them, looking straight at Caitlyn. Caitlyn’s hand on Vi’s squeezed hard as Vi’s forearms turned cold.

Vi had seen the empty, cold eyes of the dead; she’s seen the glassy, glazed over eyes of the drunk; she’s seen the fiery, blood lust of the fighter—she had never seen anything as inhuman as this woman’s purple eyes.

Vi and Caitlyn sat frozen as the woman’s purple eyes bored into Caitlyn’s blue ones, waiting for the woman to make any move towards them or the door. Several moments passed and, eventually the shimmer addict turned away and kept walking. Vi counted to ten after she was out of sight before she let out a breath.

Caitlyn let go of Vi’s hand and leaned forward, her hands clenching and unclenching several times. “That’s something that a lot of people are experiencing in Zaun?” she asked.

Vi licked her dry lips, trying to get her heart rate down. “I think people like that woman are rare. There are different ways to take it,” she explained. “Smoking is more common and is less…intense. Gives you a high, some increased strength and aggression--probably how that guy we saw took it--but not anything crazy. Liquid form, though. That’s the high dosage shit, but really hard to come by. I think that woman is what someone who takes the liquid form looks like.”

“She didn’t even look like a person,” Caitlyn said in disbelief, almost too herself. “Her eyes…”

“I know,” Vi said, shivering just remembering the look.

“Are they even aware? She looked like you said, animalistic.”

“I think they are. I only know what Vander does—which is very little—and rumors from customers at The Last Drop. You can still talk, know where you are, have your memories and all that. But it’s more of a lack of impulse control. If someone makes you angry, you attack. If you want something, you take it. And you have the extra strength and speed to be dangerous about it,” Vi replied. “The only thing that I know that is even the smallest bit redeemable about it is that, if mixed properly with other medicines and diluted, it is medicinal. Some doctors in Zaun will use it as a pain killer since it is one of the side effects of the drug; especially since other good quality medicine can be hard to come by here. Definitely never take medicine from someone in Zaun unless you trust them,” Vi advised. Caitlyn didn’t respond, but looked off in the distance, her mind clearly preoccupied. She had her hands folded under the chin, elbows on her knees, and an intense frown. Vi hesitated before she spoke again with a genuine question. “You okay, Cupcake?”

Caitlyn hummed, then broke herself out of her reverie. She gave Vi a small smile and Vi felt a small knot she hadn’t realized had been in her chest loosen. “Yes, I am. Thank you, Vi. For checking and for bringing me with you.”

Vi returned the smile. “Thanks for coming. This area of Zaun freaks me out. It…helps to have someone with me.”

“Two compliments in one day,” Caitlyn teased with a familiar smirk. “I feel spoiled.”

Vi felt her ears heat up as she huffed in halfhearted annoyance. “Don’t get used to it, Cupcake.”

Caitlyn laughed softly and they went back to a slightly uncomfortable silence, if only due to the number of dead eyes looking at them from the walls.

Forty five minutes later, the door to the back room opened and out walked the man from earlier and a tall, dark skinned woman with gold eyes.

“Hello, I’ve been told you were looking to speak with me?” she asked, her voice low and rumbled deep in her throat.

Vi and Caitlyn stood up, the former stepping forward. “Are you Tirana?”

The woman nodded. “I am.”

Vi reached into her jacket and pulled out the letter and bag of money without saying anything. Tirana took the money and looked inside, then handed it to the man who stood in the doorway. “Count it,” Tirana ordered him. He began doing so immediately. She then looked at the seal, glanced up to Vi for a moment with an unreadable expression, and then opened the letter to read it.

It must have been a short message, as she was done reading it within seconds. Tirana walked over to the counter and held the letter from the councilor over a lit candle and waited until it was nothing but smoke and ash before she disappeared to the back for several moments. Vi watched as the man continued counting. There had to be at least a thousand gold cogs in there, Vi thought, doing her best to not stare in awe at the amount of money she was looking at. What on Runeterra is the councilor paying these people a small fortune for?

Tirana returned with a very small package, small enough to fit in the palm of Vi’s hand. The shopkeep held it out and Vi took it, but the woman tightened her grip on it. Vi glanced up, confused. The woman gave her a dangerous look that churned Vi’s gut uncomfortably. “You tell them that I meant what I said. This is a one time deal. If they contact me again, they will get nothing.”

Vi nodded and the woman held onto the package for a second longer before letting go. Vi put it in the same pocket the letter had been.

“It’s all here,” the man said.

Tirana gave the teenagers one last look and said evenly, “you will leave now.”

Vi immediately turned and left, the need to leave the shop nearly overwhelming her.

“What in the gods name was that about?” Caitlyn hissed at her. She clearly also was feeling off about the whole situation, which made Vi feel a little better.

“Not now. Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Vi replied.

It took them another forty minutes of traveling the streets of the Entresol Two before the reached the Boundary Markets. That feeling of discomfort and paranoia would not leave the Vi until they crossed the river and—for the first time in her entire life—only felt better being in Piltover.

She leaned against the stone railing of the wall holding back the River Pilt and took a long, deep breath.

“Now may I ask what that was all about?” Caitlyn asked, her arms crossed and a stubborn look in her eyes.

“I couldn’t even begin to tell you, Cupcake. For fuck’s sake, I was sorting mail last week,” Vi stated with exasperation.

Caitlyn let out a frustrated sigh. “I’ve never, ever heard of my mother doing anything like that.”

Vi didn’t have anything to say to that and stood up straight. “I have to change and get back to the Assembly Hall. Your mother said to return immediately, no straying.”

Vi ducked into a public restroom, emerging a few minutes later in the Kiramman clothes—having ensured that the package was secure in the navy jacket before doing so.

“Well, thanks for not getting us killed today,” Vi said with a smirk.

Caitlyn looked like she wanted to roll her eyes, but instead steadily met Vi’s gaze. “Thank you for today. It was very…enlightening.”

The Zaunite looked at the girl curiously. She actually means it, Vi thought in disbelief. 

“No promises I’ll bring you back again,” she replied. 

Caitlyn just smiled like she didn’t believe Vi, who rolled her eyes.

“See you later, Cupcake,” Vi said. She adjusted her backpack and hurried off.

Vi hadn’t bothered to put her backpack in her glass office—taking the councilor’s instructions of no stops literally—and knocked on the white door.

“Come in,” Kiramman’s voice called from the other side.

Vi entered, closing the door before the councilor had a chance to ask her.

“Oh, Violet. You’re back,” the councilor said. “Do you have it?” Vi silently reached into her jacket and pulled it out.

She couldn’t help the burning curiosity in her chest and hoped that the councilor would open the package in front of her. However, the older woman opened the safe behind the gun and set the package inside of it without looking at it. Vi couldn’t say she was surprised.

“Did you run into any issues?” the councilor asked. She walked back to her desk and leaned against the front of it, her gaze intense.

Vi swallowed down the latent fear of the people on shimmer bubbled in her chest. “No. It took a while dodging some of the more dangerous streets, but ultimately it went smoothly. Tirana had a message for you. She said to not contact her again; that it was a one time deal and that if you ask for anything else, you’ll get nothing.”

“Good thing I planned on never doing this again,” Kiramman stated. “Caitlyn didn’t cause you any problems?”

“No, she did great,” Vi answered. The councilor smiled proudly.

The memory of her and Caitlyn’s conversation last week floated through Vi’s mind.

“But then, other times, it’s like she’s testing me. Telling me to do something or suggest something just to see what I will say or do in response. It's been difficult trying to figure out which is a demand and which is a test.”

If this was an example of what Caitlyn meant, no wonder the girl is so confused , Vi thought, a seed of pity for Caitlyn sprouted inside her.

“I’m glad to hear that,” the councilor said, breaking Vi out of her thoughts. “I appreciate you doing this for me, Violet. I know it must have been uncomfortable, perhaps even frightening, but you really helped me a great deal today in a way no one else here could have.”

The councilor went into her desk and came back, handing Vi another coin purse.

The Kiramman’s must keep leather workers in business with how many of these they seem to have on them all the time , Vi couldn’t help but think. Then she realized how heavy the bag was.

“This isn’t fifty gold cogs, is it?” Vi asked.

Councilor Kiramman chuckled. “I added hazard pay to your day’s wage.”

The woman crossed her arms and leaned back against the desk again. Vi stared up at her, her mind muddled with everything that had happened that day and what the councilor was doing with her.

“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.

“I am in awe of your hypocrisy, Councilor,” Vi answered, her voice shaking with rage. “You did everything you could to hide the fact that you hired some trencher trash to work in your gilded office, but when you needed to do something in the scary part of town, you wouldn’t dare send any of your precious Piltie lackeys there. No, why not use the Zaunite you’re ashamed of to do your dirty work across that river?”

From what little Vi knows of the councilor, she imagined it wasn’t often the woman was thrown for a loop. Normally, Vi would have relished the look of shock on her face, but her rage wouldn’t allow her to in that moment.

“Ashamed?” the councilor repeated. “Violet, if I didn’t want anyone to know that a Zaunite worked for me, I wouldn’t have hired a Zaunite to work for me.”

Vi snorted in disbelief. “Bullshit, Councilor. My very first day here you made your feelings about where I’m from very clear,” Vi seethed, then pointed to her neck. “That’s why I got this. So that you and every other Topsider looking at me couldn’t ignore it. I refuse to be ashamed of where I’m from, no matter what you do to try to make me feel like it.”

The councilor pushed off of her desk and walked up to Vi, her expression almost an imploring frustration. Vi refused to step back or be intimidated by this woman, her power be damned.

“Violet, I am being completely truthful. I have no idea as to what you could possibly be referring to,” she stated, seeming to be struggling with holding back her own emotions.

Vi shook her head, letting out a humorless laugh. “My first day here you couldn’t get me out of my dirty sump-sucker clothes and into Piltie ones fast enough. You might as well have branded my forehead with ‘Property of the Kirammans.’ These colors, this symbol,” Vi exclaimed, pointing to the Kiramman crest on her jacket, “makes me sick just looking at them, let alone wearing them. It might fool other people, Councilor, but not me. I will not feel shamed being from Zaun, no matter what colors or symbols you drape me in.”

The crackling fire that always roared in the marble fireplace was the only sound in the otherwise silent office as the two women shared an intense look.

And, to Vi’s surprise, the councilor looked away first as she sat down in the chair in front of her desk, and slumped over pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Gods, what a mess,” the woman whispered. It was the first time Vi had ever seen just how exhausted the Kiramman looked and was thrown by it. Vi expected the woman to kick her out of her office, to call for the Enforcers to lock her away, or even yell at her about how out of line the teenager was being. She certainly hadn’t expected the older woman to show her a moment of weakness.

Vi refused to speak or move, not trusting what she was seeing.

Several moments later, Councilor Kiramman looked at Vi. “Violet, please sit?” she asked softly.

Vi clench her jaw several times, contemplating outright refusing the woman. After a few seconds, Vi sat down opposite the councilor, who turned her own chair so it was directly facing the teenager.

The councilor leaned forward and met Vi’s eyes with an intensity that confused Vi. It lacked any frustration or anger. Instead, they looked determined.

When the other woman spoke, it was slow and deliberate. “I am sorry, Violet. I understand where you got the impression that I am ashamed of you being from Zaun and I truly apologize for what I said and did that made you believe that I think you should be ashamed of it as well. I sincerely do not ever wish that for you. Hear me when I say this: I do not, in any way, think there is anything about being a Zaunite that is shameful. I am so sorry that I made you think that I thought as such.”

Vi blinked at the woman, stunned. The apology was possibly the most sincere sounding one she had ever received and it was coming from a councilor of Piltover.

“But, you made me change my clothes on the first day. My jacket with the Zaunite patch on it...” Vi trailed off, still in disbelief.

“Yes, but not to make you look more like a—a Piltie.” In any other moment, Vi would have laughed hearing the councilor’s posh accent wrap around ‘Piltie.’ Instead, she listened as the councilor continued. “I had you change to look more like a Kiramman.”

Vi furrowed her brow. “I don’t see the difference.”

The councilor sighed and shook her head. “That’s because I have not explained our ways to you more clearly. A failure of mine, Violet, not yours. You are now my assistant. If you were to walk around Bluewind Court with messages, missives, packages, and such with the Kiramman crest on them, dressed as you were on your first day here, how quickly do you think you would have been stopped by Enforcers who will accuse you of theft? Perhaps even take you to a discrete alley and beat you before taking you into custody?”

Vi’s eyes widened in realization, the pin pricks of humiliation beginning to form behind her eyes. She suddenly remembered when she was stopped by the Enforcers the first time she entered the Assembly Hall and she had been walking the fucking sheriff herself. If she had been carrying around letters that had “Councilor Cassandra Kiramman” on it around Bluewind Court alone and an Enforcer stopped her for looking like a Zaunite? Vi suppressed a shudder at the thought.

“The punishment for stealing a councilor’s sensitive materials is ten years in Stillwater.” The sheriff’s words echoed in her mind. Vi swallowed her heart down from her throat and fell against the back of the chair staring into space, in shock.

“I had you dress like a Kiramman so you would have the authority of one,” the councilor continued. “My crest, my name, is a powerful tool to bear in Piltover, Violet. One that will open nearly any door, knock over almost any obstacles, allow you to talk to practically anyone in the city that you need to. That is why I had you change your clothes. What I failed to take into account is how it must feel for you to wear my crest. I am sorry that you had to experience that pain for me to understand this lesson. I truly only wished for you to be left alone by the Enforcers that terrorize your people while you are in Piltover.”

Vi sat in silence for several moments, attempting to process what she had just heard. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, before deciding to just simply say, “I just assumed…”

Councilor Kiramman leaned into Vi’s field of vision with an insistent look. “With good reason, Violet. Piltover has done nothing to earn the right to the benefit of the doubt from any Zaunite.”

Vi let out a chuckle in agreement, but it came out sounding just as tired as she felt.

The councilor leaned back and sighed, glancing at Vi’s tattoo, then smiled warmly, her tone light as she spoke. “The cog was an appropriate choice for your act of rebellion.”

Vi hadn’t been expecting that. “What?”

“The cog was an elegant and dignified choice,” the councilor replied without even a hint of mockery or insincerity. “It stands for the ingenuity, inventiveness, and creativity the Zaunites have despite, and often in spite of, the oppressive system that punishes them if they ever rise too high. Its rich history within Zaun has even spilled into Piltover. There’s a reason we use cogs as the shape of our currency, after all. Of all the symbols of Zaun to choose from to represent the love and pride you have for your home, I commend you for picking what I believe is one of the more powerful ones.”

The face of Vi's mother flashed into the teenager’s mind and she cleared her throat to stop the sudden feel of tears forming in her eyes. “My mom thought so, too,” she quietly admitted.

Councilor Kiramman eyebrows raised ever so slightly as she cocked her head to the side, curiously. “Oh?”

Vi nodded. “She had a very similar tattoo. I drew it from memory the best I could. She had it here.” Vi pointed at her chest, where her heart beat mournfully. “The first time I asked her about it, she basically gave the speech you just did.”

She glanced up and saw that the councilor was smiling softly at her. “She sounds like a passionate woman,” she said gently. Vi would call herself crazy for thinking this later, but the look the councilor gave her was nearly identical to one her mother gave her when she thought Vi wasn’t looking. Pride.

The councilor, after a few moments of (and Vi couldn’t believe it) comfortable silence, suddenly stood and walked around the desk.

Vi stood as well, confused at the sudden flurry of movement. “Councilor?”

“Violet, tomorrow, you are to go to this address—I am giving you leave to be late to work. Give a man named Zaeru this note and, when he is finished doing as I have asked, then you may come into the office,” the woman said. She sealed the note with the Kiramman crest wax seal and rounded the desk again to hand the note to the teenager. “You will do this, Violet. I will not take no for an answer. Am I clear?”

Vi nodded, taken aback by the sudden change in tone.

“Good,” the councilor replied. Slowly and purposefully, giving the teenager plenty of time to scorn it, the councilor laid a gentle hand on Vi's shoulder. “Thank you, Violet, for your honesty. I only ask that next time, if I have insulted you or hurt you in any way, that you approach me when it happens. I will never purposefully do so. I can’t promise I won't make a mistake, as I am not perfect, but I can swear to you that I will do my best to avoid something like this from happening again.”

Vi nodded. If this woman was manipulating her, then she was such a master at it and Vi would not fault herself for falling for it.

She couldn’t help but think about how adamant Caitlyn was about why she wanted to learn more about Zaun. This talk with the Kiramman matriarch made Vi wonder if she maybe wasn’t crazy for believing the two of them. Her mind rebelled at the thought, but her gut remained comfortably still. Vi hoped she wouldn’t regret it.

The older woman smiled warmly again and patted Vi’s shoulder before she let go. “Now, you may go home early today. Your adventure in Entresol Two must have exhausted you even before this conversation. I shall see you when Zaeru is finished with you tomorrow.”

Vi wasn’t about to argue and gathered up her backpack, pausing in the doorway to look back at the older woman, who had sat back down at her desk. “Have a good night, Councilor.”

“You as well, Violet,” was the reply.

Vi spared one last glance at where the safe behind the rifle was after the councilor looked away, then shut the door behind her.

Chapter Text

The next day, Vi walked well past Assembly Hall and into North Piltover, occasionally asking for directions as she searched for the location Councilor Kiramman had given her.

While not as extravagant as Bluewind Court or with buildings as massive as the Kiramman Manor, this end of Piltover screamed refined elegance. Every flower, every street sign, every store front told anyone that walked through the neighborhood “if you have to ask for the price of anything here, you can’t afford it.”

Eventually, Vi arrived at the address. It was a shop, simply named “Zaeru’s.”

Hesitantly, she stepped inside and looked around. It was a clothing store. That did not help the teenager’s confusion.

Near the entrance there was possibly the most beautiful woman Vi had ever seen in her life. Well, except for maybe Councilor Medarda, Vi thought. Long, light purple hair, stunning green eyes, and sharp features had a dignified air to her that anyone looking at her would be drawn to.

She looked at Vi and smiled brightly.

“Welcome to Zaeru’s. How may I help you?” she asked in a Noxian accent.

Vi held up the note. “Councilor Kiramman asked me to bring this to Zaeru.”

The woman glanced at the Kiramman crest on both the letter and on Vi’s work outfit. “Follow me, please.”

Vi did so, looking around the store as she was led near the back. The clothing displayed had everything from elegant evening gowns and suits to ceremonial Ionian garbs. Am I picking up the dress the councilor is wearing for the Gala? Vi wondered.

Turned out that Zaeru was an impeccably groomed Yordle whose yellow furry mustache nearly touched the floor. “Yes, Malinda?” he asked, eyeing Vi up and down.

“Councilor Kiramman has sent this young woman to deliver a note to you, Mr. Zaeru.”

His eyes brightened. “Ah, Cassandra? I was wondering if I would hear from her soon.” He held out his hand expectantly.

Vi handed the note over and waited for him to finish reading. When he had, he jumped up, he turned to Malinda and said, “dear, would you please go and lock the front door. You, Miss Violet, will follow me.”

Again with the Miss, Vi thought as she followed the Yordle. He brought her over to an ornate wooden tri-fold mirror with a step stool in front of it. He handed Malinda the measuring tape when she returned.

“Miss Violet, if you would please take off your shoes, jacket, and vest and stand on the stool,” Malinda instructed.

Vi was really sick of the constant state of confusion she lived in whenever she was on this side of the river. “Why?”

In lieu of an answer, Zaeru handed her the note she brought him. She took it and read it.

Zaeur,

This is Violet. She is a Zaunite who wishes to represent the pride she has for her home. You are to make her whatever she wishes to wear while she is working for me. She is also going to need evening wear for the Kiramman Gala. As long as it is formal attire, she has free reign over the design. Put all of it on my tab.

Cassandra

Vi stared at Zaeru in shock. “She’s buying me new work clothes? And…formal wear?”

“Apparently so. Now, we really need to get to work. The Gala is this weekend, so I will need all the time I can get to create your outfit,” Zaeru said. He pushed at Vi’s calves to get her frozen form on the stool.

Vi did so mechanically, still unsure of how to react to what was happening. Malinda kindly asked Vi, again, to take off her jacket, vest, and shoes. The teenager complied and the woman began taking a tape measure to several areas of her body.

“Now Miss Violet,” Zaeru said. “Cassandra says you wish to show off the pride you have for Zaun in your clothes. Tell me, why do you love your home so much?”

“Er…I mean, it’s where I’m from, it’s all I’ve ever known until a few weeks ago,” Vi replied.

The Yordle tutted at her sharply and raised a furry eyebrow. “My dear, that was not a trick question. What is it about Zaun that you are proud of? Think deeper. You may take some time, if you need it.”

Vi stared at herself in the mirror and thought long and hard about what she wanted to say to him. It was a big question. When she glanced at the tattoo she was still getting used to seeing in her reflection, she smiled softly and suddenly knew exactly what she wanted to say.

It took four hours, but Vi, Zaeru, and Malinda had come up with two different designs that Vi was extremely happy with. While Vi had never been materialistic, she was not going to turn down the chance to work directly with a professional fashion designer–whom Vi had learned had been designing clothes for four hundred and fifty years–if it would mean she didn’t have to wear the clothes the councilor gave her originally.

While Vi had accepted the apology from the older woman and believed her when she swore she meant no offense, old habits are hard to break, especially intergenerational ones. It would take more than giving new clothes to a trencher to mend the fissure deep rift between Piltover and Zaun, but it was a start for Vi and Cassandra. Perhaps that was naive, Vi understood that, but she would give the councilor a chance to show Vi that she meant what she said.

As for the other matter...

“You want me to go to the Kiramman Gala?”

Vi, after checking with Aaron that the councilor was alone and available, walked into the office after the woman answered her knock. She was sitting at her desk, in the middle of reading a letter, but set it down at Vi’s confused question.

“Yes,” she answered. “You are my assistant. I will need you to do a few things for me throughout the evening.”

Vi opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it. After a moment, she said, “oh.”

The councilor chuckled. “Don’t worry, Violet. You will have plenty of time to enjoy yourself at the party. I won’t work you like a horse, I’ll just need help with a few things. I was going to talk to you about it yesterday, but given the conversation we had instead, it seemed inappropriate to bring it up.”

Vi dropped down on the chair across from the desk with a sigh. “Probably the right call. What kind of things do you want me to do during a party? The outfit I’ll be wearing isn’t exactly a bartender’s uniform.”

Kiramman laughed again. “No, nothing of the sort. It won’t be anything complicated. I will explain it all to you before the evening begins. No need to worry about it now,” the woman assured Vi. “There is one thing that–Well, I’m not sure how to–”

The Zaunite stared at the councilor like she had two heads. The woman never stuttered or stammered. “Councilor,” Vi asked slowly, “is something wrong?”

“Not wrong, no,” Kiramman answered firmly. She took a calming breath and tried again. “I am simply uncertain as to how you will take my one request of you for the evening of the Gala.”

Vi cocked her head, now curious more than concerned. “Is it weird?”

The councilor hesitated, seeming to consider her response. “I would hope that you wouldn’t think so, but it does have the potential to be awkward.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “Am I chasing away some ex-girlfriend of your husband’s or something?”

Councilor Kiramman clicked her tongue against her teeth and finally stated what she had been working up to saying. “I am requesting that you allow Caitlyn to escort you to the Kiramman Gala.”

Vi stared at the woman. For a long, long minute. To the councilor’s credit, she did not squirm or repeat herself.

The teenager let out an uncomfortably chuckle, unsure how else to react. Vi would have been less surprised if the councilor had asked her to pose naked as an art installation at the Gala.

“I’m sorry,” Vi said very carefully. “You just asked me, a sump-raker who has only–”

“Violet, I really must say, I truly dislike how often you refer to yourself in such derogatory terms,” the councilor interrupted in an unhappy tone.

Vi rolled her eyes. “You want me, an orphan Zaunite born in the deepest depths of the fissures and who tried to rob you, to be Caitlyn Kiramman’s—your daughter’s—date to one of the most extravagant Piltover high society celebrations of the year?” Vi asked, hoping the woman would hear how ludicrous that sounded.

“Yes,” Councilor Kiramman said with no hesitation.

Vi took another moment to process.

“You can’t actually be asking me that, though,” she stated eventually. “Caitlyn is as close to royalty as one can get in Piltover.”

“Oh trust me, she is uncomfortably aware of that fact,” the councilor replied.

“I know almost nothing of Piltover’s high society and even I can tell you how much of a huge mistake that would be,” Vi insisted, shocked she had to say this to a councilor of all people. “The heir to House Kiramman cannot be seen escorting a Zaunite to the Kiramman Gala, especially one who is as inconsequential as I am. The fallout that you both could face would be severe.”

“You are hardly inconsequential, Violet,” the councilor chastised. “While it is certainly unconventional, it is not as if Caitlyn will be denied her birthright if she is seen with you at this event.”

“You promised never to lie to me,” Vi reminded her with a soft glare. “You can’t sit there and tell me that Caitlyn–and by extension you–will not piss off a bunch of very important people at the party if I go as Caitlyn’s date.”

“Then let me rephrase,” Kiramman replied in a tone that told Vi to not argue with her about this. “We will not lose any social or political standing from people who matter to either of us.”

Vi slouched back in her chair and stared at the woman in disbelief. “You’re actually serious about this.”

“As a heart attack,” the councilor said. “To reiterate, it is still a request. If it makes you too uncomfortable, then you may feel free to decline. You won’t be punished for saying no. The choice is yours.”

Vi shook her head immediately. “No, it’s Caitlyn’s. She’s the one who stands to lose the most in this situation.” When the councilor didn’t respond, Vi looked up and saw that she was smiling at her. “What?”

“You have a good heart, Violet,” the woman simply said.

Vi felt her ears go red as she broke eye contact and shifted uncomfortably in the chair. “I’m just stating a fact. I won’t give my answer until I know what she wants. I am definitely not going to sit there all night with her while she pines for whatever Piltie she’s sweet on, but she’s stuck with me simply because you want us to go.”

Councilor Kiramman leaned back in her chair, her fingers steepled together with something like a smirk on her face.

“Last night, after our talk,” she said, “I went home with a million different things on my mind. One of them was coming up with a list of reasons to present to Caitlyn to argue for why this was a good thing to do. When I approached her with it, it turned out my list of arguments were a waste of precious time. Caitlyn was quiet for only a moment before she said that, as long as you were okay with it, it was a good idea and that was that.”

Vi gaped at the woman. “Why does she think it’s a good idea?”

The woman pursed her lips in an attempt to not laugh. “You know, I was so glad that she agreed with me that I didn’t ask. I wasn’t going to risk her taking it back. If you really wish to know, you may ask her yourself next time you speak with her.”

“Right,” Vi said, her brain still trying to process what was happening.

“So, is that a yes?” the councilor asked.

Vi broke out of her spiraling confusion and looked up. “What?”

Councilor Kiramman looked as if she was trying hard not to laugh. “Will you be my daughter’s date to the Gala?”

“Oh,” Vi said, realizing she hadn’t actually given an answer. “Yes.”

“Very good,” the other woman said with a grin. “Now, I believe we both have work to do. Off you trot.”

Vi nodded and walked out of the office. But then froze as a thought came to her. She turned and walked back into the office.

The councilor looked surprised, especially when Vi approached the desk. “Did you need something else, Violet?”

Vi swallowed and forced her voice to stay steady. “I am trying to remain calm and remember what we talked about yesterday about assuming.” The woman gave Vi her undivided attention and patiently waited for the teenager to continue. “I think I know the answer, after our discussion, but I need to be sure.”

Councilor Kiramman waited politely for Vi to get the words out.

Slow deep breath. “This isn’t you peacocking, is it?” Vi asked. “I’m not going to be paraded around as the reformed, civilized Zaunite to be gawked and pointed at by all your rich friends?”

Cassandra seemed to relax at the question. “No, Violet. I swear to you, that is not what I’m doing.”

“Then why me? Why not some rich asshole who has actual political connections and wealth?”

There was a long pause before the councilor replied. “I swore to you that I would never lie to you. And so, in order to keep that promise, I am not going to answer you.”

Vi’s eyebrows rose high up her brow. “You won’t answer me because if you do, you’ll be lying?”

“If I answer you right now, yes. I hope, sooner rather than later, I will be able to give you an honest explanation.”

Vi chewed her bottom lip. “But there is a reason you specifically want me to go with Caitlyn to the Gala.”

“Yes.”

Vi straightened up. “Is the reason going to hurt me or Caitlyn?”

“No.”

Vi nodded. “Okay then.”

Then she headed back out, only to stop again.

Shit, Vi thought and rolled her eyes at herself before she went back in a third time, this time only sticking her head in the door.

The councilor looked at her with a slightly impatient raised eyebrow, but Vi ignored it.

“Thank you…for everything at Zaeru’s,” Vi said with as much sincerity as she could muster. “It means a lot to me that you did that.”

The eyebrow fell as a warm smile graced the councilor’s features. “You are most welcome, Vi. It was the very least I could do. Now please, get to work.”

“Of course, Councilor,” Vi replied and shut the door for the final time.

Later that night, after Vi had returned home, she paced in front of the bar top. The Last Drop was currently empty and Vi took advantage of her whole family being home and called them up for a family meeting. The councilor’s request had been stuck on her mind all day. She couldn’t stop thinking about it and she knew she needed their blessing for this.

“Vi, did you kill someone?” Powder asked from her spot on top of the bar.

That stopped Vi in her tracks and stared at her.

“No!” Vi exclaimed.

Mylo put away the glasses he had just finished cleaning. “Then why are you acting so weird?”

Vi sighed deeply and wrung her hands.

“The—the councilor asked me to do something,” Vi started nervously.

Vander stiffened and narrowed his eyes. “What kind of something?” he asked suspiciously.

“Nothing bad,” she assured him, hands up. “Well, I don’t think so. But it is unusual.”

“It can’t be good. You’re more freaked out than the time you were caught by Babette with one of her worker’s daughter,” Claggor said with a smirk.

Vi’s ears went red. “We’re not bringing up Yvette.”

Powder giggled. “Why not? That relationship was fuel for teasing you for the next few decades.”

“Kids, let your sister speak,” Vander instructed. Everyone stopped laughing and did as they were told.

“The councilor asked me to be her daughter’s date to the Kiramman Gala this weekend,” Vi rushed out before she lost her nerve.

The silence after that was very long. Mylo broke it first to laugh.

“Yeah right, you take Piltover’s princess to one of the fanciest parties in the city? Give me a break,” he said with a shake of his head.

“Technically, Caitlyn would be taking me,” Vi explained. “I, uh—I said yes.”

The silence after that was even longer.

Powder jumped off the bar and approached Vi. After a moment of looking up at her sister, her eyes narrowed with suspicion, Powder poked her arm and then looked confused. “This looks like Vi...”

Vi rolled her eyes and swatted Powder’s finger away.

“You agreed to this?” Claggor asked slowly.

“I—I don’t really know why I said yes. The councilor asked me this morning and made it very clear that it was a request, not an order,” Vi explained, collapsing into a bar stool. “I need to go to the party regardless. She said she’s going to have me do a few things for her as her assistant during it. But for the most part, I would spend the evening with Caitlyn.”

Vander finally spoke up. “Why did the councilor ask this of you?”

Vi met his eyes and was met with a brick wall. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all. That made her nervous. “I’m not sure. She promised that there was a reason, but she couldn’t tell me yet. She also assured me it’s not to parade me around as her pet Zaunite, all dressed up and civilized. I believe her.”

“Is she nice to you?” Powder asked.

“The councilor? Yeah, she’s been pretty polite with me the whole time. We’ve had some very honest conversations and I even yelled at her once, which she was weirdly happy about it,” Vi stated, but was waved off by her sister.

“No, I meant Caitlyn. I know she sometimes goes to Jayce’s and you’ve spoken with her a few times, but you haven’t really talked about her before.”

Vi met Vander’s eyes. He raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. “Caitlyn has been…nice to me. She can be very hard headed and annoying, but she’s been very kind.”

Powder hummed. “Well, if she’s nice to you, then I’m not sure why you’re so nervous. Is it because she’s really pretty?”

Vi sputtered and stared at her sister as she felt her ears go hot. “What? This has nothing to do with how she looks!” Vi took a breath and calmed down. “It doesn’t matter if Caitlyn is crowned the official saint of Runeterra or if she was the most beautiful girl in Piltover, she’s still a Kiramman. So, if—if this makes you guys uncomfortable, I’ll tell the councilor I changed my mind.”

The third silence of the evening was slightly more tense. Every single person in her family had reasons—good reasons—to hate the Kirammans. It’s not as if Vi was working for the councilor out of the goodness of her heart. She was doing it to stay out of prison. She hasn’t forgotten that for one moment. To Vi, family comes first and, unless she had no other option, she would not do anything to hurt them. As she looked at Vander and his unreadable expression, just the thought of him being disappointed caused the pin pricks of tears and self-loathing to creep up in her chest.

Vander reached into his pocket and pulled out his pipe. The familiar, calming scent of pipe tobacco filled the bar. He looked at Vi, his eyes had softened ever so slightly.

“What does your gut tell you?” he asked.

Vi licked her dry lips. “I don’t fully understand Piltover politics, so it’s hard to say for sure. However, the Kiramman heiress being seen at one of the biggest parties of the year—that they host—with a Zaunite as her date would cause her and her family more harm than it would me. There’s no way it won’t anger a lot of people in Piltover,” Vi explained. “The councilor was very straightforward with me that she and Caitlyn wouldn’t ‘lose any political or social standing with anyone who actually mattered’ to them. I’ve been thinking about it all day and I can’t think of any reason why I shouldn’t do this when it seems like they would be the ones that would receive any blow back from it.”

Everyone looked at Vander, seeming to want to hear his response before they spoke. Vi picked at a hangnail.

“Caitlyn was okay with this?” he asked. Vi nodded. “I think you should do it, then.” Vi felt relief flood her. Not that Vi only lived for Vander’s approval, but she was proud that he thinks she made the right decision. “I agree that the fallout would affect them more than it would you, which is why I feel better about it. However, if anyone down here asks you about it, you tell them that this was an order from the councilor, not a request. There are a lot of people around here who would be upset that you were willingly socializing with a Kiramman.”

Vi nodded. He made a very good point.

“Violet,” Vander said and she looked back at him. “If you feel at all uncomfortable—if your feelings on this situation changes, say no and I’ll make sure you don’t have to go through it. I won’t let you be humiliated by these people. Not after everything they’ve done to you.”

Vi felt her nerves melt as she walked up and hugged him. He returned it, the breath nearly forced her lungs by how tight it was.

“At least she is hot. You could have been forced to go with someone who looked like a whump. That would have sucked even more,” Mylo said with a smirk. Claggor smacked his arm and, from the sound of it, not gently. “OW!”

“You’ll have to tell us everything when you get back. I’ve always wondered how Pilties party,” Claggor said. “Do you think they even eat at them and risk spilling on their fancy clothes?”

Vi laughed, nearly weak with relief. More relieved than she thought she’d be.

While her siblings were distracted with coming up with more and more ridiculous things Pilties did at their parties, Vander put a hand on her shoulder.

“I would like to meet Caitlyn before the party. Properly, this time,” he said with a pointed look.

The memory of Vander chastising the daughter of one of the most powerful families in Piltover resurfaced in Vi’s mind. Caitlyn having a hand, however unintentional, in Vi getting hurt certainly had not been a great first impression. Vi didn’t fault him for wanting to speak with her.

“I’ll see to it,” she agreed.

Vi shifted from foot to foot as she found herself, again, outside the Kiramman Manor. She had just finished up her hours at Jayce’s and decided to bite the bullet and talk with Caitlyn about the gala, which was only three days away.

She looked up as the door opened and instead of Emir, whom she was expecting, a tall, thin man with graying black hair and beard and warm eyes greeted her instead.

“Hello, may I help you?” he asked politely.

“Er, yes. I’m looking for Caitlyn. Is she home?” Vi asked.

The man cocked his head curiously. “May I ask who is calling on her?”

“Vi. I work for her mother.”

The polite, but neutral, face changed into that of a hearty grin as the man held out his hand. “Oh, Vi! Come in, come in.”

Vi shook the hand automatically, wondering what she could have done to receive such an enthusiastic welcome from a stranger.

“I am Tobias Kiramman, Caitlyn’s father. It’s good to meet you and put a face to the name,” the man said as he closed the front door behind Vi.

Vi’s hands instantly began to sweat.

“Oh, Mr. Kiramman, it’s good to meet you, too,” Vi said, hoping her voice didn’t betray her nerves. While she was slightly more used to the powerful, intimidating presence of his wife, Tobias Kiramman was a bit more of a mystery. He was not in the spotlight as often as Cassandra was, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t an influential figure. Vi didn’t know what he did, but to have caught the eye of Cassandra Kiramman, he must be an impressive man in his own right.

“Caitlyn is here, up in her room. We just got back from a hunting trip this morning, so she’s probably cleaning her rifles. I will show you the way,” Tobias said and led Vi further into the house.

On the few times Vi had been inside the Kiramman Manor, she had only been in the foyer and Cassandra’s study. As she was led up the stairs and deeper inside, she couldn’t stop her jaw from remaining open as she took in the indescribably extravagant home. From three crystal chandeliers that lined the upper main hallway, to the gold leaf embossed wallpaper, and the twenty foot high ceilings, Vi wondered how the Kiramman’s had any money left after building such a resplendent house.

Tobias gave a short tour, briefly describing their ancestors in the paintings that lined some of the walls or explaining that the stained glass windows came from his home country of Ionia. Vi listened politely, but all she could think about was the second hand clothes she currently wore. How in the world am I supposed to make it seem like I belong at a party with Caitlyn Kiramman if this is where they live their lives every day? Vi wondered.

“Caity, darling,” Tobias called, knocking on one of the two doors that were closed at the end of one of the hallways. “Someone is here to see you.”

There was a moment of silence before one of the doors swung open and there stood Caitlyn with a confused, curious look, which quickly shifted to surprise when she saw Vi.

“Vi, hello,” she greeted with a smile. “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“Sorry for dropping in, but I wasn’t really sure how to reach you to ask if you were available,” Vi said, which was true.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” Tobias said. He then gave Caitlyn a pointed, almost teasing look as he made a show of fully opening the other door that was shut and then left.

Vi was confused as to why Caitlyn flushed ever so slightly, but chose not to inquire as Caitlyn gestured for Vi to enter her room.

It was a beautiful room, no surprise there, Vi thought. A large bed that could have fit Vi and her three siblings was centered in the far back and it was so large that Ekko could have done two loops with his and Powder’s hoverboard and had room to spare.

Sure enough, as Tobias had guessed, there were three rifles on the floor all stripped apart, and there was a rag, oil, and other cleaning tools near them.

Caitlyn cleared her throat. “I’m sorry for the mess. Like I said, I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

Vi chuckled and ran one of her fingers on the perfectly clean desk and pretended to flick dust off of them. “Yes, I don’t know how I will ever get over seeing your room in such a state.”

Caitlyn gave her an exasperated look. “Did you come over here just to tease me?”

“While it is amusing, no, I didn’t,” Vi said.

She felt her mouth go a little dry. She was admittedly a little nervous to bring up the Gala. The councilor had been right, there was the potential for it to be awkward. The two teenagers didn’t really know much about each other, despite having been in some strange circumstances some of the few times they have interacted. And now Vi was going to be her date to one of the most extravagant parties that Vi was very much going to be out of place at.

Is it because she’s really pretty? Powder’s voice echoed in Vi’s mind. She felt her ears go a little warm and she shoved her sister out of her mind.

“I-er, I wanted to talk about the Gala,” Vi began.

“Oh?” Caitlyn replied. “Of course. Did you change your mind?” There was no judgment in her question, just the slightest tone of concern.

“No, no. Nothing like that,” Vi assured her. “I just wanted to make sure that you’re actually okay with it. I know it was your mom’s idea and I don’t want to take the place of someone else you may want to go with instead or if you’d just really rather not go with me. Either way, I want to hear it from you.”

Caitlyn did not bother to stop the warm smile at Vi’s words and, despite how similar she looked to Cassandra, Vi could see where Tobias shined through in her. While the councilor had moments of warmth and kindness, it seemed at times hesitant, like the woman wasn’t used to being unguarded. The easiness in which Tobias and Caitlyn expressed it was as if they had no such qualms.

“You needn’t worry, Vi,” Caitlyn stated confidently. “I was being sincere with my mother when I told her that I thought it was a good idea.”

Vi sighed, feeling both relief and confusion. “But why? You could literally pick anyone in all of Piltover and they’d come running at the chance to have you on their arm at such an event. Why are you okay with someone from the Sumps who sorts mail for your mom because I got caught stealing from her?”

Caitlyn paused, seeming to not have fully expected the question. She gestured to the bay window and sat down on the cushioned bench. Vi joined her. The view outside the window was stunning. The sun was halfway through its descent in the west, its light glinting off of the gold and white of Piltover. Just barely visible in the distance, if one was looking for it, were the very tops of Zaun over the river.

“My mother has had many protégés over the years,” Caitlyn explained. “Some of them have been kind or funny or ambitious. Many of them have tried to use me to get into her good graces, not understanding that she values merit over currying her daughter’s favor. When there is a protégé that I get on with, I will usually bring them as my date to one of the many gatherings of influential people in Piltover. It’s only happened a handful of times, but each time it’s with the same purpose in mind. It is to help guide them through or introduce them to the elite world of Piltover high society. I did this with Jayce when he was first taken under my mother’s wing a year ago.”

“More times than not,” Caitlyn continued, “I have turned my mother down whenever she approaches me with someone she wants me to escort to an event like this. In fact, it has led to several fights over the years. I must admit I was a little amused to see how taken aback she was at how easily I agreed to take you.” Caitlyn giggled a little and relaxed against the pillow behind her, as she waited for Vi to respond.

The Zaunite took in Caitlyn’s explanation in, turning it over. Something wasn’t right about it. “Caitlyn, your mother isn’t my patron. This is the second time you’ve brought this up, but unless patron and protégé mean something different in Piltover, then I’m not one. I got caught stealing from a councilor who took mercy on me and has me doing community service. I’m not some scientist or artist or artificer.” Vi looked out the window again and saw, in the very distance, a few smoke trails rising from Zaun. “I’m just someone from the fissures who got caught up in something bigger than she realized. In a few weeks I’ll be back in the depths of Entresol where I’ll spend the rest of my life serving at The Last Drop until I die from the Gray or getting stabbed in a robbery. There’s no point in introducing me to Piltover high society.”

Caitlyn gave an expectant look. “Vi, my mother is not a woman who stands for people wasting her time, as you can imagine. If she pours time, money, resources, and energy into someone, it is because she thinks that they will one day serve a greater purpose than they currently have the means to do so,” Caitlyn stated confidently. “Whether you like it or not—even if it’s not been spoken about out loud—you are a protégé of the Kirammans.”

Vi blinked at the other girl. She was definitely packing that statement away to mull over—or punch over—later. “Even if that were true, that’s not how anyone else will see it when they see me with you at the Gala,” Vi insisted. “The consequences of you bringing a Zaunite as your date to this party could make things hard for you, especially since you’ll be a councilor one day.”

Caitlyn waved off the concern easily. “One of the benefits of the absurd amount of money that my family has is that even if anyone did have a problem with it, they’d never say or do anything about it. None of them will dare risk being denied a piece of our wealth.”

Vi leaned back and bit at her lip, unsure of what to make of everything Caitlyn had told her.

“Well, okay then,” she eventually said. “If you’re sure that you’re okay with it, then I guess we’re going to the Gala together.”

Caitlyn laughed at how nervous Vi sounded. “It’s really not as bad as it seems. I told you before, they can be fun, even if the people there can be pompous and uptight. I know this world, Vi. You’ll be just fine.”

Vi was just going to have to trust that this girl wasn’t going to leave her out to dry or let her embarrass herself. “You’ll have your work cut out for you. I don’t know the first thing about partying with Pilties.”

The Kiramman girl snorted. “I’ll make sure you don’t accidentally offend anyone, don’t worry.”

Vi chuckled, the knot in her stomach loosened ever so slightly. If she had to go to this event, she was starting to feel a little relieved that Caitlyn was going with her. She was right, Vi wouldn’t know how to navigate that world at all.

“There is one thing you’ll need to do before the Gala,” the Zaunite stated. Caitlyn cocked her head curiously. “I told my family about this—us going—and my dad said he would like to meet you. Properly this time.”

Curiosity turned to nervousness as she sat up straight. “Oh, er—is that truly necessary? I didn’t exactly make the best first impression on him,” Caitlyn asked, her voice showing her nerves. Vi noticed her thumb begin to tap against her thigh rapidly.

“Yeah, I think that’s why he wants to meet you,” Vi replied admittedly. “Vander is worried that I’m going to get humiliated at the Gala. He wants to see if you can assure him that that’s not what you’re going to do.”

Caitlyn looked almost offended. “Why on Runeterra would I wish to humiliate you?”

Vi chose her next words carefully. She didn’t want Caitlyn to think that Vi agreed with what she was going to say. “It’s not uncommon for Pilties to make sport of humiliating Zaunites, especially some of the richer ones. We see it all the time when they come down to party in the Undercity. He’s worried that’s what you’ll do to me.”

Vi instinctively backed up slightly when she saw the angry storm that erupted behind Caitlyn’s eyes briefly before she let out a sharp sigh and calmed down. “And that is why I didn’t want to go to Pivoni’s birthday party when I was eleven. That’s the exact sort of thing she would do.” She took another deep breath and pulled her shoulders back even further. “Very well. I suppose I owe it to him. When and where would he like to meet?”

Vi mentally prepared herself for Caitlyn’s reaction. “Here’s the thing. He doesn’t really take nights off work—running a bar that hosts some pretty dangerous criminals means it’s not good to step away very often. Since I work during the day, the only time we can all meet is when he’s at The Last Drop.”

Caitlyn did not even bother hiding her smirk. “Vi, are you telling me that you will have to sneak me down to The Lanes?”

Vi stared at her, hoping her neutral expression did not give away how much she didn’t want to provide any more ammo for Caitlyn to use in their back and forth argument about her going into Zaun. “It’s not sneaking if you’re invited. And you’ve been officially invited to The Lanes by the Hound of the Underground. That will grant you some protection down there, but you’ll still need the cloak and breather.”

“In that case, any chance you would give me a tour of your home?” Caitlyn asked hopefully.

The Zaunite chewed on lip, thinking it over. “If the meeting with Vander goes well—and he gives his consent for it—perhaps I’ll show you around.”

Caitlyn hummed triumphantly, a look of determination sparked her blue eyes. “Looks like I’ll just have to charm your father, then.”

A Kiramman charm Vander the Revolutionary? This I got to see, Vi thought.

A knock at the door drew their attention. Tobias was smiling at the two teenagers. “Vi, would you like to stay for dinner? I would love to get to know the person the women in my life keep talking about.”

Vi's eyes widened in surprise at the invitation. “Um—I don’t know if the councilor would be okay with that. I would hate to intrude upon her family time,” Vi said, wanting to throw herself out of Caitlyn’s window at the thought of dining with the Kirammans in their fancy house.

Unfortunately, Tobias didn’t seem to think it was a problem. “Oh, nonsense. My wife won’t even be home. She’s working late this evening. I insist that you dine with us.”

Vi couldn’t think of an excuse and, seeing Caitlyn’s inviting smile as well, swallowed her nerves down and said, “I’d love to join you for dinner.”

Janna’s mercy, Vi prayed.

Chapter Text

When Caitlyn led Vi to where they’d be eating dinner with Tobias, Vi expected an opulent formal dining room with all the trappings of the wealth and influence of a Kiramman. She was surprised when, instead, she was led into a much more informal—well, as informal as the Kiramman’s probably could be—small dining room. There wasn’t an ornate fireplace or fancy chandelier or portraits of famous Kirammans. Just a room no bigger than the basement room of The Last Drop, with a simple table surrounded by four chairs and the soft glow from a ceiling light. There were some family paintings of the present day Kirammans that were more casual. It was almost normal if you forgot what the rest of the house was like. 

“I hope you don’t mind grilled Ionian tuna, Vi,” Tobias said as they all sat down. “It’s a dish Cassandra doesn’t enjoy all that much, so Caitlyn and I try to have it whenever we know she won’t be home for dinner.”

“I’ve never had it before, Mr. Kiramman,” Vi admitted. “But I like other seafood, so I’m sure it’ll be good.”

The man beamed at her. “Please, call me Tobias.”

“Er—I uh,” Vi stammered awkwardly. 

“Dad, don’t make her feel awkward. She works for mom, she probably would feel uncomfortable calling you by your first name,” Caitlyn stated. Vi felt a rush of gratitude towards her. 

Tobias let out a surprisingly childish huff, to which Caitlyn giggled at. “And what about my feelings?” he implored in exaggeration. “It is bad enough that I am going gray—many of which were caused by you, Caity darling—now I must suffer the indignity of formality in the comfort of my own home?”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and balled up the napkin at her place setting to throw at her father. “Enough of the dramatics, old man. You’re going to embarrass yourself.”

Tobias grinned at his daughter. “Is this not embarrassing you, though, daughter of mine? Shame. I shall have to try harder.”

Vi watched the exchange, her eyes darting from one Kiramman to the other, and wondered how she could have ever found herself in this situation.

They were interrupted as Emir brought out a tray of gorgeous looking plates of grilled pink tinged fish, roasted vegetables, and what smelled like freshly baked bread. Her mouth started watering at the incredibly delicious smelling food.

“Vi, my girls tell me that you’re from Zaun. Where do you live?” Tobias asked as he laid his napkin on his lap. 

Vi watched him and Caitlyn closely, making sure to mimic their table manners. “Yes, sir, I am. I live on Entresol Fourteen.”

The man’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “My, that is quite far down in the fissures.”

Vi, nervously, took a drink of water to get rid of her dry mouth. “I was born in the Sumps, so I was actually lucky enough to have moved up a few levels when I was five or six.”

She copied how Caitlyn cut her fish and took her first bite. An explosion of flavor burst in her mouth and she stared down at her plate, eyes wide. 

“Fuck me running this is good,” Vi moaned, unthinkingly. Caitlyn laughed and then attempted to cover it up with a light cough that fooled no one. Vi whipped her head up, going red as she realized she had said that out loud. “Mr. Kiramman, I am so sorry—”

Vi stopped speaking as the man openly guffawed. “I am happy to hear you enjoy it so much. It is the national dish of my home country, so it greatly pleases me that you instinctively reacted so enthusiastically.”

The Zaunite’s blush receded somewhat as she dug into her food. Tobias moved the conversation on to Caitlyn, asking his daughter how her day was. The two went back and forth, being sure to include Vi in the conversation.

This is…nice, Vi thought halfway through. Tobias and Caitlyn were generous enough with their exchanges to ensure Vi could participate without it feeling forced. Tobias showed no signs of being uncomfortable with sharing a family dinner with a Zaunite. Overall, Vi felt it was a pleasant dinner. 

“You know, Jayce was regaling us with how much he enjoyed his conversations with Powder,” Mr. Kiramman said as Emir cleared their plates.

Vi couldn’t stop the smile that pulled at the corner of her lips. “She enjoyed it, too. She doesn’t get much of an opportunity to talk to anyone else but her best friend about their inventions, even rarer for someone who understands what she’s talking about.”

Tobias thanked Emir for bringing out some tea for them and then turned back to Vi. “Do you have any inclinations towards the sciences? Or any of your other siblings?” 

“My brother Mylo is a whiz with numbers and Claggor knows a lot about plants. He helps out a lot at the Cultivairs whenever he can,” Vi explained. “Fortunately, all of the brains went to Powder. She can build anything. The first thing she built was a brand new headlamp for my mom to wear in the mines when hers broke. Made it out of scraps she found in The Sinking ruins when she was three.”

“They must be quite proud of her,” Tobias said with a warm smile. 

Vi felt her heart sink to the Sumps. She cleared her throat to get rid of the small lump that formed whenever someone made it clear they didn’t know she was an orphan. 

“They-uh, they would have been,” Vi said as evenly as she could. “They died several years ago.”

Tobias’ eyes melted into a swirl of sympathy. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Vi.”

Vi did her best to keep a neutral face. The Kirammans may not have pulled the trigger on her parents, but they still played a role in their deaths and they didn’t even realize it. The anger and resentment she had—would probably always have—flared up. 

She looked up and saw Caitlyn give her an encouraging smile. Then there was this girl. Who was trying her best to convince Vi that she did want what’s best for Zaun, that she wanted to help. Could one person do it? Vi wondered. Her parents were one of many revolutionaries and they failed. But they tried changing things from the bottom up. Could it happen from the top down?

Vi pulled herself out of her thoughts, realizing she hadn’t responded to Tobias’ sympathies. “It’s okay. It was a while ago,” she replied. “But our adoptive father is very proud. Will brag about us to anyone who will listen.”

“That is something I can definitely relate to,” Tobias stated, throwing a proud smile at his own daughter. “When Caitlyn broke her mother’s record at the shooting course at our hunting lodge, I was bursting with pride.”

Caitlyn went a little red and muttered, “you even told the gods forsaken mechanic.”

Tobias laughed and went on to tell another story of Caitlyn’s achievements–of which there were apparently many.

After their tea had gone cold or been consumed, Vi could tell that her time intruding on the Kirammans was coming to a close. She was about to get up and excuse herself when the dining room door opened. Cassandra Kiramman had come home.

The councilor smiled at her family and then looked shocked, but not unhappily, to see Vi with her husband and daughter. 

“Violet, what a wonderful surprise,” Cassandra said as she kissed her husband and daughter hello. “I wasn’t aware you were going to be here for dinner. I would have tried to move my schedule around if I had known.”

“Vi stopped by after Jayce’s to go over details of the Gala with me,” Caitlyn explained. “Father was very kind and invited her to dinner. It turns out that Vi is a big fan of grilled Ionian tuna.”

The Councilor’s nose scrunched in distaste. “I commend you, then, Violet. I love the waters and peoples of my husband’s home country, but the smell of cooked fish is something I simply cannot pretend to enjoy.”

“It was a very nice dinner. Thank you for letting me join you,” Vi said to Tobias. She then stood up and put on her leather jacket. “It is getting a little late, though. I should probably head home.”

“But Vi, I was going to show you the Gardens of Jandelle after dinner. Did you forget already?” Caitlyn asked, innocently blinking at the Zaunite.

Vi stared at the other girl for a heartbeat before she realized what she was actually saying. 

“Oh those gardens are wonderful. Bit of a hike to do after dinner, but it is best seen at night,” Tobias said, clearly having no clue his daughter was lying through her teeth.

Caitlyn turned to agree with her father, but Vi didn’t hear any of it. She met the councilor’s eyes hoping she could communicate subtly what Caitlyn actually meant.

Cassandra pointedly looked down at the Zaun pin on Vi’s jacket before she met Vi’s eyes again, a questionable expression on her face. Vi swallowed and nodded hesitantly. The councilor gave her a small, but encouraging smile, which Vi interpreted as her blessing. The teenager relaxed a little, glad she didn’t have to hide what she was doing from the woman. 

Tobias and Cassandra bade goodbye to Vi as Caitlyn went up stairs “to change into appropriate evening walk clothes.”

Cassandra gave her a polite and professional handshake, whereas Tobias was much more enthusiastic with his shake. His grin was damn near infectious.

“It was wonderful to meet you, Vi. I must say, it was good to get to know  you a little before the Gala. I hate meeting someone for the first time at those things,” Tobias admitted. “There’s always so much going on that you can’t properly get to know anyone at them.”

“It was nice to meet you, too, sir,” Vi replied politely. “Dinner was delicious.”

“See, my dear. You just have poor taste,” Tobias teased his wife, who fondly shook her head at her husband’s antics. 

“I shall see you on Saturday afternoon, Violet. Have a good evening,” Cassandra said and they were gone.

Vi, again, was amazed at how quickly her life seemed to have changed in just a matter of weeks. 

Nearly forty five minutes later, Vi and Caitlyn were walking across the Bridge of Progress. Caitlyn has remained silent throughout the walk, seeming to be lost in her own thoughts, and Vi was content enough to let her be. It had turned out to be a rather long, strange day.

“I thought you said only ‘marks’ take the Rising Howl down Entresol?” Caitlyn finally spoke as Vi led them to the large elevator.

Vi shrugged. “We’re not sneaking in anymore. Figured I’d show you the front door at least once–just keep your hand on your coin purse. Besides, you’ll be with me. Like I said, no one will likely cause us trouble if you stick close.”

Caitlyn looked at Vi curiously. “Are you like the equivalent of me to Zaun?”

Vi snorted. “No, not even close. Perhaps The Lanes, if anything, but it’s nowhere near that formal or serious. It has nothing to do with a bloodline or wealth, as we are neither blood related or wealthy. It’s more so out of respect for Vander and everything he’s done to help people who live there. That and a healthy dose of fear. The Hound of the Underground is not someone you mess with if you want to keep breathing.”

Caitlyn stiffened beside her. “Oh?” she strangled out.

Vi laughed. “Relax, Cupcake. The kind of messing with I mean is if you try to kill or fuck up me or my siblings. So, unless you plan on turning those rifles of yours on me, you’ll be fine.”

Caitlyn let out a quick sigh of relief. She looked through the glass window of the Rising Howl as it lowered them down closer to The Lanes.

“How do you keep track of where you are here?” Caitlyn asked, her eyes jumping between all of the catwalks, side streets, and balconies of Entresol’s levels.

“It helps if you grow up here,” Vi answered with a shrug. “Sometimes it depends on what level you’re on, but generally the people here are good about giving you directions. Well, if you were to ask with your accent, they probably wouldn’t be. But they’re good about it with other Zaunites.”

“It’s so incredible,” the Kiramman girl said, in awe as the full of Entresol was revealed to them through the window. Left to right, the iron and glass and steam intricately wove through the fissure, creating a mesmerizing pattern of chaotic life in the depths. “To see for myself all that your people achieved after The Sinking is nothing short of inspiring.”

Vi hummed, glad that Caitlyn thought so. “Maybe one day I could show you The Memorial Wall, where the first fissure ripped open when the Sun Gates’ bombs went off. It’s where we honor the thousands who died falling into the depths.”

Caitlyn’s eyes were somber and serious as she stared intensely at the Zaunite. “I would really like that, Vi.”

Vi couldn’t help but feel a little unnerved by the other girl’s look, but she didn’t understand why. She broke the gaze and licked her dry lips. “Yeah, no problem, Cupcake.”

Not long after, the Rising Howl made its last stop at The Lanes. 

“Breather on,” Vi instructed, but was surprised to see Caitlyn ignore her and hesitantly step out into the road and–very slowly–take a breath in through her nose. 

Vi looked on in shock as the Piltie only coughed lightly a few times and breathed out in relief. Caitlyn turned to Vi and smiled, seemingly proud of herself. 

“How in Janna’s name are you breathing the Gray?” Vi asked incredulously.

Caitlyn’s grin grew. “The day after I got back from The Lanes after we were attacked, I approached Grayson. All Enforcers go through a Gray acclimatization training when they are first hired in case they ever find themselves without a mask in the fissures. Grayson agreed to privately put me through the training. I’ve been working on it with her every day since,” she explained. “Don’t get me wrong, I am still a ways away from being able to be as comfortable with it as you are, if I could ever get to that level and I definitely couldn’t do higher concentrations of the Gray. I probably won’t last more than 20 minutes in this before I’ll have to put on my breather, but it’s a start.”

Vi stared open mouthed at Caitlyn. “Caitlyn, the Gray is dangerous—it kills people. Why would you put yourself through that?”

Caitlyn frowned. “Vi, I’m not sure how many times I have to tell you that I’m serious about learning about Zaun before it gets through your thick head. I don’t just mean some statistics and a couple of sightseeing tours. I refuse to be like the other councilors, including my own mother,” she stated fiercely with her hands on her hips and a determined scowl. “I will not govern a people I don’t understand. The fact that I can’t even breathe the same air as you is horrifying to me. I plan on actually coming into Zaun when I’m councilor and it is ridiculous to me that I am forced to wear a mask to be here. Without the official power of a councilor, I can’t do a lot right now, but I will absolutely dive head first into the things I can. This, while uncomfortable, is not a hardship for me to do, especially compared to those who live their whole lives in it.”

Vi couldn’t even deny that the seed of respect towards Caitlyn that had been planted in her after Deckard just sprouted in that moment. She broke the intense eye contact that Caitlyn seemed to be fond of targeting her with and defaulted to her favored avoidance tactic.

“You think my head is thick?” she asked with a weak smirk she knew Caitlyn would be able to see right through. 

Caitlyn, generously, went along with Vi and laughed. “Just past the average.”

Vi didn’t even try to hide her own laugh. “Well, come on. Let’s get you to The Last Drop before your acclimatization training loses its steam.”

As they made their way through The Lanes, waving to a few people who called out to her, Vi made sure to stay alert. Although her hood is up, Caitlyn’s face was still visible without the breather on and Vi wanted to be extra vigilant in case someone tried anything if they recognized the Kiramman.

Caitlyn’s coughing had begun to increase as they approached the bar, but it wasn’t nearly as harsh as it had been the first time she had been in The Lanes. More like if she had a slight cold rather than on death’s door.

“Through the front doors?” Caitlyn questioned with a curious look when Vi greeted the bouncer. 

“Remember, Vander invited you. That means you’re under his protection at The Last Drop,” Vi explained. “That means something down here. Besides, technically everyone who isn’t an Enforcer is welcome at our bar.”

Caitlyn hummed and followed the Zaunite through the doors. Vi knew Caitlyn had been in The Last Drop before, but she assumed that the other girl hadn’t spent much time looking around since she was convincing Vander to attend to an injured Vi.

Caitlyn’s intelligent eyes took in everything, from the people to the decorations, seeming to be soaking in the atmosphere. It was busier than normal, to which Vi was grateful for since the loud noise of music and conversation would distract anyone from paying too close attention to who just walked in.

Vi wondered if her family just instinctively knew to be around. At the bar drinking some juice, arguing back and forth over blueprints, were Ekko and Powder. Mylo and Claggor were behind the bar working and Vander was sitting at the very end of the bar, smoking his pipe and looking over The Last Drop’s ledger. 

As she heard Caitlyn take a calming breath, Vi realized suddenly that she was nervous. More nervous than she was with Tobias. She cared a lot about what Vander thought of her and while Vi wasn’t sure if she could even call Caitlyn a friend, she knew that she wanted Vander to like her. Maybe it was how Vi would know she wasn’t a fool for putting a small amount of trust in the Kirammans. If Vander the Rebel, who fought and killed Pilties on the day of the Gray Revolution, could see what Vi thought she saw in Caitlyn, then maybe she could actually trust her.

Vi gave Caitlyn an encouraging smile. “You’ll be fine, Cupcake. Just don’t lie to him. The Hound will sniff it out.” The Pitlovan nodded and followed Vi through the bar.

They were intercepted when Vi grunted as her sister crashed into her midsection with a fierce hug. “VI! Where have you been? I was about to send Sevika to find you.”

Vi looked down and raised an eyebrow at her sister. “Sevika? Powder, she wouldn’t go near Topside if all of Entresol was on fire.”

Powder shrugged. “Doesn’t matter anymore. Where were you? Ekko and I are so close to a breakthrough, I can feel it!”

“I’d love to hear about it, Powder, but can you tell me tomorrow? We have to go talk to Vander,” Vi said, nodding to Caitlyn. 

Powder’s mouth dropped open when she looked at Caitlyn for the first time. “Whoa.”

“Good evening, Powder,” Caitlyn greeted with a friendly grin. “It’s good to see you again.”

Powder looked back to Vi. “Vi…Caitlyn is here.”

“Yes, Pow Pow. I am very much aware,” Vi replied. “Vander invited her. He wanted to meet her before the party.”

Powder whistled low and held out her hand to Caitlyn. The other girl, with a confused look, shook it hesitantly. Powder gave the girl a sympathetic look and said, “it was nice knowing you, Caitlyn.”

Vi clicked her tongue against her cheek and shoved Powder away. “Go back to changing the world, you nerd.”

Powder stuck her tongue out at her older sister and went back to Ekko at the bar.

“Sorry about her,” Vi said to Caitlyn. “She can be pretty dramatic at times.”

Caitlyn didn’t respond but pointed at where Vander was sitting. Vi looked over and saw that he was standing and gestured to one of the tables off to the side that had curtains for some of the more secretive meetings and dealings in The Lanes.

“Let’s go,” Vi said and weaved through the crowd.

When they reached the table, Vander looked at the teenagers, his expression giving away nothing. 

After a few moments of silence, he said, “Vi, go to your brothers and sister. I would like to speak to Miss Kiramman alone.”

Caitlyn’s eyes widened ever so slightly, but she didn’t show any other signs of nervousness. Vi opened her mouth to protest but a cutting look from Vander shut her right up. She gave Caitlyn one last look of encouragement before she did as she was told. 

Vi parked herself at the bar and made sure she could see Vander and Caitlyn clearly. If Vander were anyone else, she’d think it was accidental that he left the curtain open. But Vander doesn’t do things by accident and Vi was grateful he allowed her to watch the conversation. 

“Caitlyn fucking Kiramman in The Last Drop,” Mylo said in disbelief, having walked up to Vi from behind the counter. 

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Vi agreed. It was definitely a surreal thing to witness. 

The two had sat down and for a few moments, just stared at each other, Vander smoking his pipe and Caitlyn, now with her hood down, meeting his gaze unflinchingly.

“Gotta hand it to her,” Claggor said, joining them. “We’ve seen people three times Caitlyn’s size and age cower when Vander has looked at them like that. She’s got guts.”

Vi thought back to when she followed Vi into Zaun the second time and nearly shot Deckard for even threatening to touch Vi.

“More than it looks like she would,” Vi replied. “Stubborn, too.”

She watched Vander speak first and then the conversation was in full swing. Caitlyn’s poker face was annoyingly good as she didn’t show any sign of how the conversation was going until several minutes into it. 

Caitlyn said something that caused Vander’s eyes to narrow dangerously and he leaned in across the table as smoke billowed around them. Vi saw Caitlyn’s eyes go wide, not in fear, but as if Vander said something that had taken her aback. 

Suddenly, wide, bright blue eyes met Vi’s. At first, Vi thought Caitlyn was asking to be rescued. She stood up from the barstool, trying to communicate across the bar if Caitlyn needed her. The other girl’s eyes softened ever so slightly at Vi standing.

Before any signal could be given, Vander leaned back, the movement catching Caitlyn’s attention. Vander looked at Vi in disbelief and then back to Caitlyn. 

He said something and Caitlyn’s eyes widened in shock. Vi could see Caitlyn swallow hard from across the bar. 

Vander put out his pipe and stowed in his jacket. He looked much more at ease as they spoke for a few more moments and then stood up from the bench. Vander held out his hand and Caitlyn shook it.

“Janna’s tit,” Vi muttered, in awe. “She did it.”

Mylo and Claggor did not even pretend to be working when the two figures approached Vi.

“Caitlyn, these are my two sons, Mylo and Claggor. I’m sorry that your first time interacting with them was an unpleasant experience, but perhaps one day they’ll make it up to you,” Vander said, his tone light and with a smile. “Right, boys?”

Vi’s brother’s faces went red and they muttered their agreement. Vander turned back to Caitlyn with a friendly smile. 

“Thank you for coming down and making an old man feel at ease. I’m sure you understand.”

“Of course, sir. It’s good to know Vi has a family that wants to protect her. I promise, I’ll make sure no one at the Gala will do anything untoward,” Caitlyn replied. 

Vander hummed, happy with that promise. “Good. If all goes well that night, you may return here and I’ll give you a personal tour of The Lanes.”

All three of Vander’s children present dropped their jaws. Mylo even dropped the half full mug of beer he had been holding, which shattered glass and alcohol everywhere. He made no move to clean it up.

Caitlyn and Vander ignored them and shook hands amiably. “I would be honored, sir. Thank you.”

Vander looked at Vi and instructed, “make sure she gets back to Topside safely, Vi. Mylo, clean that up and Claggor, you have three people waiting for drinks.”

Vander went off to sit with Benzo, who Vi hadn’t even noticed was sitting up stairs at one of the balcony tables.

Caitlyn looked at Vi, then took a step back as all three of Vander’s children simply stared at her. “Are you all alright?” she asked, worriedly.

“Are you a mage?” Mylo asked, his voice only slightly fearful.

Caitlyn furrowed her brow at the strange question. “No,” she answered, slowly.

That snapped Vi out of her shock. “Okay, right. Yes, I’ll walk you up to the bridge.”

As they walked through the streets, Caitlyn without her mask again after having breathed filtered air in the bar, Vi kept glancing at her. Caitlyn, ever observant, looked at her expectantly.

“Can I help you with something, Vi?” she asked.

“What did you say to Vander?”

Caitlyn laughed. “I told you I would charm him. While we don’t know each other very well, yet, you should have realized by now that I generally accomplish what I set out to do. Dog with a bone, remember?”

“But Vander offered to give you a tour of The Lanes,” the Zaunite argued.

“Yes, that was rather unexpected,” Caitlyn admitted. “I am very glad he did, though. Don’t get me wrong, Vi, I would love one from you as well, but if I’m going to learn about The Lanes, I would be very beneficial to see it from the founder’s point of view. He seems like an incredibly knowledgeable man and I would be foolish to not take advantage of his offer.”

Vi gently grabbed Caitlyn’s arm and stopped in the middle of the street, forcing Caitlyn to look at her. “Cupcake, he looked like he was going start yelling at you during your talk and then he folded faster than a cheap suit. He never does that and he has never, ever offered anyone a private tour of The Lanes.”

Caitlyn searched Vi’s eyes. She couldn’t tell what Caitlyn was thinking, but eventually she answered, “you were right to tell me not to lie to him. The reaction you are referring to was him immediately catching on that one of my answers was only a half truth. Being the intelligent man that he is, he quickly put together what I wasn’t saying and that’s what made him back down. It’s nothing quite as dramatic as you’re making it out to be, I promise.”

Vi chewed on her lip. “You really aren’t going tell me?”

Caitlyn smiled softly and gently squeezed Vi’s hand, which was still holding onto her arm. “I really won’t,” she answered, kindly. “Now, may we please keep walking? I would like to get back before I reach my limit with the Gray.”

Vi let go of her arm and they kept walking. A comfortable silence settled over them as they slowly made their way back up the Rising Howl and to the bridge. Vi’s hands we curled up into fists in her leather jacket, going over the events of the incredibly long day. She was exhausted.

“Thank you for bringing me to your home, Vi,” Caitlyn said as they stopped once they reached the other side of the river.

“It’s no problem, Cupcake. I’m glad it went well,” Vi replied. “Dinner with your dad was…nice. You seem pretty close with your parents.”

Caitlyn smiled. “Yes, I am. My mother and I are very similar, so we sometimes butt heads and argue more frequently than my father and I do. But he’s a wonderful mediator between us. I am very lucky to have them.”

They’re lucky too, Vi shocked herself at the unbidden thought. She swallowed down the words that almost came out with it.

“Well, I’ll see you Saturday afternoon at the Manor?”

Caitlyn smiled and Vi stared for a second too long at the slight gap in her teeth. “See you, Saturday, Vi.”

Vi waited until the Kiramman girl was out of sight, just to make sure she made it fully into Piltover safely, before she turned around and went home.

Chapter Text

“So, if you slowly add 1.5 milligrams of diluted CT01 to 5 milligrams of pure CT02, keeping in mind the temperature of both compounds and transparency of the Chem well…”

“You get CT03 in its weakest form,” Powder finished. “But it’s still more powerful than CT02.”

Jayce looked up at her and beamed. “This really is brilliant work. I would love to shake the hand of whoever came up with Chem. Its complexity is beautiful and ingenious.”

“And dangerous,” Vi muttered, but was promptly ignored by both geniuses.

It was the day before the Gala and Vi was anxiously waiting for the day to be over. Zaeru had sent word to her today that she would be able to pick up her Gala outfit at the end of business day and Vi couldn’t wait to see it in person. While she wasn’t convinced the actual party will be fun, she’ll at least look and feel good while she’s there.

However, it being only 11:30, she had the rest of the work day where she was to do whatever Jayce and her sister needed for their work. Jayce had asked for Powder to come back to help him with understanding Chem and Vi couldn’t believe that she was now essentially her kid sister’s assistant. As immensely proud and excited Vi was for Powder to be treated as an equal by someone as intelligent and experienced as Jayce is, Vi very quickly grew bored listening to them theorize for hours on end.

She couldn’t even count on Caitlyn breaking up the day bringing lunch like she’s had a few times before. With only a day before the Gala, Vi imagined both of the Kiramman women were running around getting last minute details sorted.

“No, no, remember what I told you?” Powder said to Jayce. “You can’t use more than one lesser Chem compound to dilute more powerful ones. Once you start mixing more than two compounds together, you will probably melt your face off.”

I can’t believe it, but I would rather be helping Cassandra out with the party, Vi thought as she fought against the strong desire to lay her head down.

Two hours later, Powder was shaking Vi awake. Vi shot up, startled.

“What’s happening?” she asked stupidly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Jayce answered, “you fell asleep—again. Powder and I have an errand to run. We’re stuck on something and she says she knows someone who can help. I’ll leave you here to clean up, if you can stay awake for that long.”

Vi tried to glare at him through her yawn, but she knew it was ineffective. Besides, Jayce was used to her being a bit short with him by now and was unfazed.

“Powder, where are you taking him?” Vi asked, narrowing her eyes at her sister.

“To Viktor’s,” she answered as if it were obvious.

Vi chewed on her lip and glanced at Jayce. His bulky frame would probably ward off anyone just looking for an easy mark and Powder is seen fairly frequently around Viktor’s, so most people know who she is there. Still, it was outside of The Lanes on Entresol Eleven and it always made Vi nervous whenever Powder went off alone away from home.

Vi held up her hands, palms open towards her sister. Powder immediately balled up her fists— remember, thumbs out, Powder —and she did a one-two combo as hard as she could against Vi’s palms, who pretended to wince in exaggerated pain. Vi gave her a proud smile and ruffled her hair.

“Be careful. Head on a swivel, yeah?” Vi said.

Powder pushed her hand away, giggling. “Always. I was taught by the best.”

Vi preened a little and hugged her sister. “Jayce, that means you, too.”

“We’ll be alright, Vi. If you would please clean up, I would really appreciate it,” the scientist replied.

With a wave and closing of the door, Vi was now alone. With a quick sigh, she stood up and stretched, a few vertebrae popped from slouching so awkwardly during her nap. She looked around and groaned. It was one thing to pick up after Jayce, but Powder was also chaotic with her own research and experimenting. Between the two of them it was like a bomb of paperwork, chalk, and books went off.

Vi went to work, picking a random area and glancing at Jayce’s loopy handwriting, set to organizing it all.

As Powder taught Jayce more and more, his own notes on Chem–as opposed to other people’s research–became more commonplace. Vi still could hardly make heads or tails of it, but growing up around Chem with Ekko and Powder, she could understand just enough to put things away in the right spot.

She grabbed a leather bound book with a blue gemstone in the front with the Talis house symbol etched onto it.

Powder keeps saying that mixing more than two compounds together is hazardous, but what if that’s the goal? Shimmer is a drug, a literal poison. What if the creator found a way to successfully mix more than two compound together and stabilize it in order for it to be consumed? We were right to suspect that shimmer is a Chem compound, but until recently it has eluded us as to how it’s able to be ingested into a living being. In rare cases where Chem consumption has been documented, it does as Powder has said, melt the biological matter it comes into contact with, liquefying the consumer from the inside out. So, why doesn’t shimmer? Note: get permission to run more experiments.

Vi read and re-read the note written in the margins of what Vi now realized was Jayce’s science journal.

Jayce is studying shimmer? Vi thought. Her mind brought her back to that woman at Tirana’s with Caitlyn. She shook the terrifying memory away and re-read the journal entry. Why would Jayce be studying shimmer? That shit is dangerous. If the Chembarons found out that Piltover’s golden boy scientist was trying to crack their formula…

Vi sat in the middle of Jayce’s laboratory in his apartment, her thoughts in a whirlwind.

In the end, Vi didn’t even see Jayce again before she left. She spent the remainder of her community service for that day organizing the other papers, making sure to keep an eye out for anything else related to shimmer. She didn’t find any and, after thinking hard about it, decided against asking Powder if she knew anything.

Surely Jayce would know not to involve a thirteen year old to help study a drug as dangerous as shimmer , Vi told herself. Jayce was clearly fond of Powder and had been nothing but a good student/peer to her. That earned him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, she didn’t want Jayce to know she had read his personal science journal, even if it was left out for her to organize.

For now, though, Vi had other things to worry about.

Vi was currently in the basement bathroom of The Last Drop, the one she shared with her siblings, nervously running her hands over her new clothes. They fit perfectly, as she knew it would. Malinda was very meticulous in her measurements.

“Come on, let’s see it!” yelled Powder from outside the door.

“I got five bronze that says you put something on backwards. Get out here so I can collect my winnings!” came Mylo’s voice and a groan of pain that followed.

The lighting in the bathroom was fairly dim, so it was hard to see exactly how it looked on her, but it felt good. That gave her a little boost of confidence. Vi took a deep breath and stepped out.

“Well, on a scale of one to ten, how ridiculous do I look?” she asked with a weak smirk as she circled in place. Her whole family, crowded on the chairs and couches in the basement, gaped at her. Knots began to form in her stomach. “What? Is it that bad? Do I look like a green penguin?”

No one replied, but Vander stood and approached her. He looked her up and down, taking it all in. When he finally met her gaze, Vi sharply inhaled. His eyes were shining with unshed tears.

He smiled broadly and placed two hands on her shoulders. “You look like Zaun royalty. I wish your parents could see you.”

Vi felt her bottom lip tremble as Vander pulled her into a hug. He was gentle enough with it so he wouldn’t wrinkle her suit.

Zaeru had gone above and beyond and Vi could scarcely believe that this suit was actually hers and that she helped design it. When she described to the Yordle why she was proud of Zaun, she wasn't sure if he'd actually be able to pull it off.

But gods damned if he didn’t.

Sitting sharp and angular on her was a dark, emerald green waxed canvas long coat in a military style—in honor of her revolutionist family—with copper edging and accents that, if you looked closely, resembled the pipes that wound throughout all of Entresol. Under the lapel of the jacket were symmetrical copper buttons, sixteen on each side for each level of the fissures plus the Sumps. While Vi knew it was the only place for it, the most beautiful part of the coat was the back. In copper were a series of stitched mechanical parts such as gears, cogs, and cranks artistically woven together along her shoulders, with smoke-like tendrils of the Gray that rose up and intertwined with the mechanization. Beneath her coat was a simple, yet elegant waistcoat in the same emerald green with copper buttons holding it closed. Her pants were dark iron gray leather with reinforced ribbing in the midsection of her legs and a matching iron gray long sleeve button up and an emerald tie sat comfortably beneath her waistcoat. One thing that Zaeru slipped in without her asking was an iron bracelet, etched onto it was the motto of Zaun: “From The Gray We Rise.”

When she and Vander separated, she turned to her siblings who all looked a little misty eyed. Mylo roughly wiped at his eyes. “You lost me five bronze, Vi,” he said thickly.

Vi laughed and playfully punched his shoulder. “I’ll spot you next time we go to Jericho’s.”

Powder stared up at Vi, awe written all over her face. “You look amazing, Vi. Those Pilties won’t know what hit them.”

Vi grinned and affectionately caressed her little sister’s cheek. When she looked up at Claggor, her younger brother was blushing with his hands behind his back.  

“Claggor?” Vi questioned.

He cleared his throat and when he spoke, it was almost a whisper. “My uh—my brother, when he got married, told me about a Zaunite tradition.”

Vi stared at him in shock.

Claggor’s older brother and sister-in-law, who looked after him when their parents died from a fire that swept through the factory they worked at, were killed in the same battle as her parents were. Claggor never, ever voluntarily brought any of them up.

“I remember on the morning of the wedding, he sat me down and showed me this,” he said and held out a beautiful gray hued flower, rigid in its form, with the veins and four stigma in an iridescent silver that reflected in the overhead light. The flower had been fastened together with copper wiring and leather to make it a simple, yet elegant corsage. “It’s a Grayshade Lily. They’re one of the only things that bloom down in the Sumps. They actually feed off the iron minerals found in the ruins from The Sinking. My brother told me that it’s a tradition for our people to give one to a date at a formal occasion. The one he had was passed down in our family, but he sold it with all of their wedding stuff to help keep our apartment.”

Vi wanted to look closer at the flower, something she hadn’t seen since her family moved from the Sumps over a decade ago, but her eyes were too wet to do so.

Claggor continued. “Hilda, the woman who runs the Cultivair on Ten, let me pick this. I know Caitlyn isn’t Zaunite, but she seemed nice and Vander approved of her taking you to the Gala. So, I figured, you know…” he trailed off. Then held it out, awkwardly not meeting Vi’s eyes.

Vi swallowed down the impossibly large lump in her throat and took the corsage, then brought her brother into a hug. “It’s beautiful, Claggor. She’ll love it, I know she will.”

He didn’t say anything, just hugged her tighter. Eventually, they separated and laughed a little awkwardly at how emotional they both had been, but not ashamedly.

Soon after, Vi said goodbye to her siblings and left The Last Drop. Vander offered to bring her across to the bridge, which Vi happily accepted. A couple of friends whistled at Vi’s outfit as they walked through The Lanes. Jericho, who was manning his food stall, winked at Vi, making the teenager laugh sheepishly.

“Apparently, word has gotten out that you are being forced to go to the Kiramman Gala,” Vander said with a bit of a teasing smirk.

“Apparently,” Vi repeated as she tried to push down the fire that engulfed her ears as a few of Babette’s girls she knew good-naturedly catcalled her.

“Yes, some people seemed to have recognized the young Kiramman girl when she was here a few nights ago. Rumor has it that the Hound of the Underground himself found her worthy of taking his daughter as her date,” he stated conspiratorially.

Vi raised an eyebrow at that. “And how did people react to that?”

Vander shrugged. “Some were not too happy, but if I gave my consent, no one can argue against it. Besides, it’s not like you have a choice, right?” He winked at her. Vi laughed.

“Right,” she replied.

When they got to the bridge, Vander hugged her once more. “I want you to be careful tonight,” he advised. “I can only imagine the viper’s nest that you’re walking into. Listen to Caitlyn. She’s promised that she’ll look after you. Try to have some fun, though. This is a once in a lifetime event for people like us. You deserve to enjoy yourself.”

“I’ll try,” Vi promised. “I also have to work a bit, so it won’t be all fun and games. But I’ll still try.”

With a squeeze of her shoulder, Vi turned and began the journey to the Kiramman Manor.

Vi knocked on the ornate front door of the Manor and tried to suppress her nerves. She’s never done anything like this before, going to something so formal, and she didn’t have the familiar customs of Zaun to fall back on. As she glanced down to make sure she didn’t accidentally crush the Grayshade Lily to keep calm, the glint of her iron bracelet from Zaeru caught her eye. Before she could think about it any further, she took the bracelet off and wound it through the copper and leather bands that held the corsage together.

She had barely finished when the door opened to Emir, who looked a little out of breath.

“Oh, Miss Violet. Good afternoon. Please, come in,” he said, opening the door further.

Vi stepped inside to the foyer. “Hey, Emir. Is something wrong?”

“No, not at all. Just some last minute rushing around trying to help the Kiramman family get ready,” he explained. “Speaking of which, I must let them know you’re here.”

And he rushed off. Vi shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. She could hear some muffled voices from up stairs. Something about helping with shoes?

Several minutes passed before Vi was no longer alone. Movement from up the stairs caught her eye and, when she saw Caitlyn, her jaw dropped and Vi thought she stopped breathing, but didn’t care to notice if she actually had or not.

Caitlyn descended the stairs, with a bright smile. She walked down slowly and carefully, but clearly well practiced in moving about in a dress. Vi couldn’t stop staring at it.

With her shoulders bare, Caitlyn wore an emerald green and marble white ball gown, the green the exact shade of Vi’s suit. The emerald velvet bodice, that fit Caitlyn like a glove, was stitched in copper that swirled up and down the length of the dress that matched the Gray design on Vi’s suit. A dark brown leather belt cinched at Caitlyn’s waist, held together with the Kiramman crest that the designer had taken a few liberties with, changing the gold to copper. As Caitlyn got closer, Vi realized that the keys on the crest were changed to look like the pipes on her jacket, all of which was encircled with a cog. The flared silk skirt of the dress was the marble white color that Piltover’s architecture was famous for, but the copper stitching throughout merged the two pieces into a coherent design. The emerald jewelry and elbow length gloves that Caitlyn wore pulled everything together in a stunning vision that, when paired together with Vi, displayed a design that signified a unification of the sister cities.

When Caitlyn reached the bottom of the staircase, she approached Vi with a smirk. “I know I said you have a thick head, but I don’t believe it is so thick that I have to remind you to breathe.”

Vi, who had started to feel a little lightheaded, realized she had, indeed, stopped breathing. She inhaled sharply, feeling her heart protesting the lack of oxygen in her chest—that was the only reason it was pounding, Vi told herself.

The Zaunite cleared her throat and said. “You look good, Cupcake.” Vi mentally cringed at how awkward she sounded.

Caitlyn let out a light laugh. “Thank you, Vi. You clean up rather handsomely yourself,” she said, not even bothering to hide the way she slowly looked down and back up Vi’s suit. More than Vi’s ears turned hot. “Zaeru truly outdid himself.”

“You, uh, you went to him, too?” Vi asked, glancing at the matching green of Caitlyn’s dress.

She hummed in confirmation. “I saw him not long after you. It’s not required, but dates typically match at events like this. I gave him a few ideas for what I wanted, trusting he would ensure that we harmonized nicely. I must say, I think this is some of his finest work.”

Vi smiled in agreement. “This is by far the nicest thing I’ve ever owned.”

A slightly awkward, for Vi at least, moment passed in silence, only broken when Caitlyn glanced down. “Is that for me?” she asked, indicating to the corsage.

Vi wanted to slap herself. “Oh, yes!” she exclaimed, her mouth a little dry. She had been confident in the basement when she told Claggor that Caitlyn would like it, but now that she was about to give it to her, she wasn’t sure. “It’s a Zaunite tradition to give this flower to a date for a formal event.” Vi paused for a quick second to recall everything Claggor told her about it. “It’s a Grayshade Lily. It grows in the depths of Entresol, one of the only things that blooms in the Sumps.”

Caitlyn held out her wrist and Vi carefully slipped it on. Caitlyn looked at it for a long minute and then met Vi’s eyes. “It’s gorgeous, Vi. Thank you.” She looked at it again and read the inscription. “‘From The Gray We Rise’?” she asked questioningly.

“Zaun’s motto,” Vi answered.

The soft smile that Caitlyn gave Vi sped her heart right back up.

“Oh,” Caitlyn exclaimed, eyes going wide in realization. “I have something for you, too.”

Vi was surprised. “You do?”

Caitlyn walked over to one of the small tables that had decorative bouquets of flowers on them and grabbed a small box. She returned to Vi and held it out. Vi noticed that she was biting the inside of her lip. “We have our own tradition, too, for these events.”

Vi took the box and opened it. “I picked it up from the Artificers Guild this morning,” Caitlyn explained. “I was worried it wouldn’t get done in time, but sometimes I wonder if they are secretly mages. It’s one of the benefits of my mother being the Master of Artificing—I may or may not have used our name to get this as a priority order.”

A pocket watch. A copper pocket watch that had etched into it an impossibly detailed design of a side view of Entresol, complete with the layers. Vi could even make out The Lanes on the bottom of the design. Her fingers felt something on the back and she turned it over to see the same Kiramman crest that was on Caitlyn’s belt. She opened it up. The face of the watch was a light gray tinted glass that showed the inner cogs and gears of the watch turning in harmony with iron black hands slowly ticking around matching numbers. She glanced at the inside cover and saw an engraved outline of a cupcake.

Vi couldn’t speak. She just looked at Caitlyn, who seemed to understand what Vi couldn’t bring herself to say.

Caitlyn took the watch from Vi. “May I?” she asked, her hands hovering near Vi’s midsection. Vi nodded.

Caitlyn, ever so gently, threaded the t-bar end of the chain through the buttonhole in the left pocket flap of Vi’s waistcoat and slipped the watch into her right pocket.

Vi felt heat emanate from where Caitlyn’s thumb gently ran over the watch that sat inside the pocket. She smiled down at Vi. “Comfortable?”

No, Vi thought as her heart pounded in her ears. “Yes,” she whispered.

The silence between them was loud to Vi, especially when Caitlyn did not back away from her after attaching the watch. Vi wanted to say something to break it, but couldn’t think of anything. She was saved when she heard her name being called from the staircase.

“Violet, how good to see you,” Cassandra said, descending the staircase gracefully, her arm looped around her husbands. Caitlyn, thankfully, took a step away from Vi to look at her parents. Vi took in a slow breath.

The elder Kiramman’s looked incredible, sporting matching House Kiramman colors. Tobias wore a double breasted dark blue suit, except his accents were not gold, but cerulean blue and white, which Vi realized represented Ionia. Cassandra, surprising Vi, did not wear an evening gown, but instead she wore a Kiramman blue formal version of a powerful business suit with a solid gold cape thrown over her left shoulder that bore the traditional Kiramman crest on it. Her cerulean blue jewelry coordinated nicely with her husband’s accents. She looked as powerful as only the leader of House Kiramman could.

“Good gods you two are a vision,” Tobias said with a wide grin and patted his wife’s hand. “We may have some competition this year, my love.”

They reached the bottom of the stairs and approached Caitlyn and Vi. Cassandra looked at Vi’s suit appreciatively. 

“A beautiful suit, Vi. Well done.”

“Zaeru did all the hard work. I’ll have to get him a gift or something,” the Zaunite replied, subconsciously running her hands down the front of her jacket. 

“If I know Zaeru, the chance to create such a stunning suit and dress is thanks enough,” Tobias said, then laughed. “Perhaps I will have to instruct him to make sure that my suit is not upstaged next year.” He then called out to Emir to bring a camera.

Emir came out, looking more put together than he had when he answered the door, holding a camera. Vi had only seen a few of them before, but never used one. She approached Emir to watch him use it, but was stopped by Cassandra.

“You are in this, as well, Violet,” she instructed. “It’s tradition that any guests we bring with us are in these photos.”

“I’m your assistant,” Vi pointed out, but Cassandra ignored her and gently guided her back to Caitlyn’s side.

Vi was slightly startled when Caitlyn gracefully looped her arm through Vi, who instinctively pulled her forearm across her body so Caitlyn’s arm could rest comfortably in the crook of VI’s elbow. She pulled herself together just in time to smile as the camera flashed a few times.

“Perfect!” Tobias said with a resounding clap. “I do believe our ride is waiting outside. Shall we?”

He took his wife’s arm and led them all outside. Caitlyn did not let go of Vi’s arm until Vi offered her hand to help her into Kiramman blue carriage, which Emir climbed up into the driver’s seat, ready to go as soon as they were settled.

“Violet, are you ready to hear your instructions for the evening?” the councilor asked a few moments later.

“Yes, ma’am,” Vi replied.

“The event officially starts when I make a very short speech welcoming everyone to the Gala and introducing the recipients of everyone’s donations at 5pm sharp,” Cassandra explained. “This year it is the Piltover Academy’s International Student scholarship. Immediately after that is the Progress Dance. Traditionally, it is a Kiramman who starts it, so this year it will be Caitlyn and you.”

Tobias leaned over and in an exaggerated whisper, said, “I am sure your poor feet are happy they won’t have to suffer through my awful dancing again, Caity darling.”

“Uh…” Vi said awkwardly. “I don’t know how to dance.”

“Don’t worry, Vi,” Caitlyn said, squeezing Vi’s hand in assurance. “I am an excellent dancer. My father is just hopeless. Just make sure to follow my lead and you’ll be fine.”

Vi was not so confident.

“Once the Progress Dance is done and the party is in full swing, I will borrow you from Caitlyn for a short while,” the councilor instructed. “You will essentially be doing what you did in the Council Chambers. I must speak with all of the councilors this evening and you are to watch either their assistant, their own plus ones, or anyone whom they surround themselves with. Councilor Salo, for instance, will have a whole entourage with him. I would like you to suss out who is important to him in that entourage and who isn’t, if possible. After that, you and Caitlyn will be free to enjoy the evening unless I call upon you again for a special favor. I don’t know yet if I’ll be able to accomplish this particular goal tonight, so don’t worry about it unless I retrieve you. I would like to execute this before I make the main speech at 8pm. If you don’t hear from me by then, then you are officially free for the rest of the evening. Do you have any questions?”

A million, Vi thought. “When I’m with Caitlyn, is there anything I need to be doing or saying when around other guests? Or maybe not doing or saying?” she asked.

“What do you mean, dear?” Cassandra asked.

“I don’t know. You’re the one who wanted us to go together. Is there anything I should say or do or not say or do while accompanying her?”

“Not at all,” the councilor replied. “Caitlyn is well versed in the social norms of the evening and will have no issues navigating through them with you.”

“But, she’s never attended one with a Zaunite,” Vi pointed out. “I mean, my suit wasn’t made to hide that and Caitlyn’s dress…I just don’t want to get anyone, myself included, in trouble for saying something wrong.”

Cassandra shook her head. “The only thing I ask is that you please don’t assault anyone who says something rude about you or your home to you. Although, if that does happen, simply come find me and I’ll make sure who you have punched is taken care of. But if you’re referring to our conversation after that errand you ran for me, the same thing I told you there applies here as well. This is a Kiramman Gala, after all. You are my personal guest and my employee. You are free to speak freely about your home as much or as little as you want.”

Vi relaxed and nodded. She was relieved to hear that, but still nervous. Just because the councilor was willing to forgive her for any harsh language or even some physicality, Vi knew she had to be on her best behavior tonight.

Gods when this community service is done, I’m going on the biggest bender, Vi thought, sick of having to constantly be on alert for any missteps in the world of Piltover. Zaun may be dangerous at times, oppressed, and not as wealthy as Piltover, but at least they didn’t have as many rigid rules. Freedom was the most valuable thing a person could have in Zaun and up here, Vi wondered how anyone could be happy in such stifled environments. The money probably helps, Vi thought as she eyed the gorgeous emerald pendant around Caitlyn’s neck.

A short while later, they pulled up in front of the Ecliptic Vaults. More than just a bank, Ecliptic Vaults housed the wealth of the Council itself. Built by Kiramman artificers nearly six centuries ago, the stunning circular marble structure lined with gold columns and a real fifty pound sapphire gem stood at the tip of the dome roof. Vi had yet to see the stunning building for herself and, after she helped Caitlyn out of the carriage, let out a whistle.

“A bit too ostentatious for my liking, but it’s useful for formal events like the Gala,” Caitlyn said to her.

Vi raised an eyebrow at the other girl. “Have you seen where you live, Cupcake?”

Tobias laughed. “She’s got you there, Caitlyn.”

“Well, shall we?” Cassandra asked.

Caitlyn nodded, then turned to Vi. “We have a little saying before we do these kinds of things–a reminder if you will.”

Cassandra hummed. “Yes. Sharp minds, sharper eyes, and even sharper tongues.”

Tobias clapped Vi on the shoulder. “First rule of the Kiramman’s: never let anyone see you squirm,” he said with a wink.

Caitlyn took Vi’s arm again, leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Remember, just follow my lead and you’ll be fine.”

Vi took a quick breath and nodded. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

Chapter Text

If Vi thought the outside of the Ecliptic Vaults was stunning, she was awestruck by the interior. The massive circular marble room was encapsulated by six large stained glass windows with a variety of blue, white, and gold symbols of Piltover in each one. A mesmerizing dark gray and white patterned marble floor spread down a staircase with gold accents on the banisters and around the whole room, where it met a second double staircase that led to a landing above a gold painted vault door. On the landing is where a fifteen piece orchestra played an upbeat, but soft string heavy tune.

In the middle of the room was a one hundred foot tall pillar of intricate design that matched the four supporting columns that were one hundred feet equidistant from the central pillar. Its marble stone base rose up about ten feet before it was broken up by copper, gold, and iron rods, cogs, levers, and other mechanized parts that were both functional and decorative that all connected to the roof. Vi had spent enough of her life around machinery that she realized that this mechanism opened the roof, but currently it was closed.

Close to a hundred or more people milled around, conversation echoed around the enormous room. Everything and everyone was beautiful. Even the servers carrying wine and appetizers were all dressed in gorgeous outfits that were the various colors that represented the nations of Runeterra in honor of the Gala funding recipients: Noxian red and gold, Ionian cerulean blue and white, red and green and gold of Ixtal, and more.

Vi was certain she would never see such a beautiful display of opulent perfection ever again.

“Would you like me to have Emir take a photo of it for you?” Caitlyn teased, breaking Vi out of her reverie.

Vi turned and glared playfully at the Kiramman girl.

“Must you ruin this beautiful evening by talking?” Vi replied with a crooked grin.

Caitlyn mimed zipping her lips. “I shall leave you alone to the wolves, then, shall I?” Then attempted to extricate her arm from Vi’s, but the Zaunite stopped her.

“Fine, talk my ear off all night, just please don’t abandon me,” Vi pleaded with a laugh.

Caitlyn giggled and gently pulled Vi forward. “Come then, let me show you how we Pilties party.”

Vi walked in time with Caitlyn and was worried she was going to break her neck from how much she was looking around at everything.

“Are you hungry, Vi? We could probably sneak an appetizer or two before the dance,” Caitlyn offered. Vi shook her head, too nervous about the dance to think about eating. “What time is it?”

Vi, for the first time, pulled out and opened her pocket watch. “It’s 4:27.”

“We have some time before my mom’s speech. Would you like a quick tour of the Ecliptic?” Caitlyn asked.

“Sure.”

Caitlyn began to walk Vi around and described the unique features of the building and her ancestors that built it. Vi listened attentively, her soothing voice helped to quell the tension in her stomach.

“Two dates with two different protégés in as many years. Careful Kiramman, some people might get the wrong impression,” came a voice during Caitlyn’s history lesson. 

A young woman around their age stood behind them. She was very beautiful, in a stunning all black evening gown with perfect wavy white blond hair that spilled over her cropped black fur coat.

Whenever Caitlyn smiled around Vi, it was teasing or confident or full. The tight, teeth clenched smile she gave this girl told Vi everything she needed to know about her.

“Pivoni,” Caitlyn said, her voice even with the slightest lethality to it.

A memory of a conversation from a few days ago filtered through Vi’s mind: “And that is why I didn’t want to go to Pivoni’s birthday party when I was eleven. That’s the exact sort of thing she would do .”

“Are you going to introduce me to your friend? I must say, many of us were quite intrigued when we saw you walk in with her. No one seems to know who she is,” Pivoni said. She suddenly stepped very, very close to Vi, her dark brown eyes glinting haughtily. “Hello, I’m Pivoni Ferros. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She held out her hand loose with the knuckles up, as if telling Vi she may kiss it. Vi raised an eyebrow at the girl and opted to turn it into a handshake.

Vi bared her teeth in a near feral grin. “Vi, of Zaun.”

Pivoni ripped her hand away so quickly, Vi was actually impressed with her reflexes. Pivoni rubbed her fingers together, as if trying to wipe dirt off of them, as she stepped back. She turned to Caitlyn again. “Does your mother know you brought a trencher here or did you sneak your rebellious phase in without her seeing?” she asked, not bothering to hide her disgust in her words.

“Vi works for my mother and is her new protégé,” Caitlyn stated. “Be careful, Pivoni, lest my mother hear you insult someone she favors. Would hate for you to have to go running to your cousin to save you from Councilor Kiramman’s wrath. Or did you forget what she did to your date a few years ago? Is his shoulder fully functional yet?”

“If this were anyone else’s party, Kiramman, I’d ensure that you and your trash would never have been allowed in,” Pivoni spat, a seething glare marred her beautiful features.

“But this is my party,” Caitlyn said, her voice venomous. “So, I suggest you play nice or I will have the Enforcers throw you out, no matter who your cousin is.”

With a sneer and the click of her tongue against her teeth, Pivoni turned and walked away without another word.

“Who was that bitch in heels?” Vi asked.

Caitlyn scoffed in clear disdain. “Pivoni Ferros. I believe I’ve mentioned her before. She has been the bane of my existence since we were small children. It would be easier to get rid of her if her cousin wasn’t Councilor Salo.”

Vi scoffed. “Ah, the people’s prince. Tell me, is he as much of a delight as his cousin is?”

“Worse, I’m afraid. She can be charming, but you can catch on fairly quickly what a snake she is. Her cousin is much more sophisticated at hiding his prejudices,” Caitlyn explained.

“I’m guessing he’s one of the people you and your mom do not care if you lose political or social standing with me being your date?” Vi asked.

“Precisely.” Caitlyn snorted. “I wish I could see his face when he finds out.”

Vi checked her watch again. “Time for your mom’s speech in a couple of minutes. Do we need to be somewhere for the dance?”

“Oh, of course. Follow me.”

Caitlyn took them to the back staircase near the orchestra on the landing.

“My mother and father will stand up there with the two of us,” Caitlyn explained. “My mother will give her quick speech and then introduce us. The music will start up again, which is our signal to separate and walk down on opposing staircases, meeting in the middle of the room. There, I will lead us through the Progress Dance. It’s a simple waltz, nothing extravagant, I promise you. After we finish the dance, other people will fill the dance floor and you will go back to my mother for you to get to work. Once you are done, meet me at the Ecliptic Vault. I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

A few moments later, Caitlyn led Vi up one of the staircases with her parents as the crowd applauded. The music swelled as they reached the top and then died down as Cassandra approached the microphone.

“Good evening, Piltover, and welcome to our 323rd annual Kiramman Gala,” Cassandra said, her voice enthusiastic and proud. She allowed for the crowd to applaud again before she continued.

Vi found herself unintentionally tuning out, the woman’s voice becoming a distant muffle. The crowd, the sun glittering off of marble through stained glass, all of it was beginning to feel overwhelming from this high up and all eyes on her. Vi felt herself begin to have an almost out of body experience, one she couldn’t stop if she tried. She could see herself standing up on the landing behind Councilor Cassandra Kiramman, with Caitlyn Kiramman on her arm, the whole of Piltover high society looking up at her. What am I doing here? Vi asked herself, as an awfully familiar spark took root in her chest. Glancing out at the perfect, gorgeous room, she was no longer in awe—she felt sick. Her mind suddenly plunged to thoughts of her ancestors that died in The Sinking. How she had been born from those who survived in what was now a mass grave of iron and bone and ruin. Her chest grew uncomfortably warmer. She stood in the same room as the descendants of those who hadn’t cared that thousands were killed—descendants of those that denied aid in the name of greed and ambition. Now, these people ruled over Zaun like a knife dangling from a rope that has been fraying for three centuries.

She looked around at the Enforcers guarding the party. Did one of them kill her mother and father? Was it two different Enforcers or the same one? Her chest was now inflamed as a vision—a gruesome fantasy—that she hadn’t allowed herself to entertain in a few years came unbidden to the forefront of her mind. Vi pictured herself taking one of the Enforcer’s rifles and shooting them point blank, watching them choke to death on their own blood. Vi imagined ripping their masks off and caving their faces in with the fists she promised herself and Vander years ago she wouldn’t use to solve any more of her problems. Vi relished in the idea of burning this beautiful building, and all it represented, to the ground until there was nothing left of Piltover but ash and blood.

Before she started spiraling even more, Caitlyn squeezed her arm with just enough pressure to force Vi to look at her, pulling her back into her body. Bright blue eyes and a soft, encouraging smile calmed the rage that was on the edge of becoming an inferno, dousing it until it was nothing more than embers.

“She’s about to announce us,” Caitlyn murmured.

Vi clenched her jaw so hard, she worried she would crack her teeth. She could do this. For her family that’s still alive. There’s nothing I can do for the dead, Vi thought. The burning coals in her chest let out a mournful wail as they died out into nothing more than ash. All that was left was the achingly familiar hollowness that always came after the rage.

“—for we are the City of Progress and our future is bright! I am proud to invite my daughter, heir of House Kiramman, and Vi of Zaun to lead us into that future this evening.”

The councilor stepped back and began the applause. It started out as a stuttered one, but quickly grew in noise as the music started up. Caitlyn gave Vi’s hand a squeeze and released her arm to walk towards the staircase on their right. Vi, remembering what Caitlyn said, took the one on the left. She focused on Caitlyn, matching her step for step. Only a few seconds later, they met back up in the middle of the dance floor. The lights had been turned down low so that only the sun that shone through the blue, white, and gold stained glass surrounded them.

Caitlyn presented her hand to Vi, in a similar way Pivoni had, and subtly mouthed “kiss it” to her. Vi bowed her head and lightly pressed her lips to Caitlyn’s middle knuckle. Then, Caitlyn pulled her in close, placing Vi’s hand against her lower back and the other holding the other in her own hand.

“Remember, follow my lead. Four step count,” Caitlyn whispered and she began the dance.

Caitlyn had been right, she was an excellent dancer and Vi had nothing to worry about. She allowed herself to be pushed and pulled along, matching Caitlyn’s pace and steps with very few issues. Caitlyn even let out a little giggle when Vi muttered an extremely colorful curse after nearly stepping on the other girl’s foot.

“Sorry,” Vi whispered.

“You’re already a vast improvement over my father,” Caitlyn assured her. 

They circled slowly around the floor. Vi allowed the smell of pansies wafting from Caitlyn’s neck and the slow, enchanting music tune everyone else out.

“Are you okay, Vi?” Caitlyn asked, her tone low and worried. “During the speech, you looked…”

“Enraged?” Vi finished, imagining what she must have looked like from the outside. She felt a small bit of shame creep up her cheeks. It had been a few years since she let her anger get the best of her so intensely. 

Caitlyn shook her head. “No, you looked afraid.”

Vi almost stumbled on her next step as she looked up at Caitlyn. Blue eyes bored into hers and Vi wondered how Caitlyn had so easily read her—how she made Vi suddenly feel like her thoughts and emotions were laid bare before her without Vi’s permission. How could she tell? How could Caitlyn see through Vi’s rage and find a fear so strong that the only protection she could muster was to hide it behind a wall of fury and fire, or else she would be consumed by hopelessness and despair.

Looking into mesmerizing blue eyes, all Vi saw was understanding and compassion.

The two were pulled from their bubble when the music stopped and an applause filled the room. A chaotic flurry of movement burst around them as dozens of people flooded the dance floor, the music picking up with a lively beat.

Caitlyn, ignoring the bustle around them, smiled at Vi. “Thank you for the dance. Good luck with my mother. Remember, I’ll meet you at the Ecliptic Vault when you’re finished.”

Vi could do nothing but give her a weak smile, as she disappeared into the crowd, leaving Vi still reeling from what just happened. She shook herself out of it when a couple dancing jostled her.

Shit, the councilor, Vi thought. She hurried through the crowd, towards where Cassandra said she’d meet her.                 

“Violet, I must warn you: in this more conversational atmosphere, your role will be slightly different as others may wish to engage with you directly,” Cassandra said as she grabbed two flutes of champagne off of a server's tray. She handed one to Vi and took a sip of her own. The councilor wasted no time in getting Vi ready to work. “You are more than just my assistant tonight. You have officially been introduced to the high society of Piltover. You are free to say whatever you please, as long as you don’t reveal any of my secrets, or start a war. Those are my only lines. Anytime you are not engaged in direct conversation, please observe as I have requested.”

“Could I actually say anything that would start a war?” Vi asked with a furrowed brow.

The councilor laughed. “I highly doubt it, but it seemed the prudent thing to say.”

“Does this have something to do with why you wanted Caitlyn to escort me to this?” Vi asked with a raised eyebrow.

Cassandra smiled and gave Vi a look that told her she was right. “Let’s see if, by the end of the night, you can guess why, specifically, I wanted that spotlight on you and Caitlyn, and by extension, myself.”

Vi thought back, again, to Caitlyn wondering why her mom was playing chess with her and changing the rules. Vi felt like this was one of those moments, but she just couldn’t figure out why Cassandra was playing it with her, as well.

“Ah, here comes Councilor Bolbok,” Cassandra said, plastering on a bright smile.

Game time, Vi thought to herself. She took a sip of her drink and braced herself for the onslaught.

“Councilor Bolbok, you look dashing,” Cassandra greeted Bolbok. They amicably shook hands. Beside Bolbok was the same assistant that was with him in the council meeting. Vi, as subtle as she could, kept an eye on him, remembering that he had seemed nervous at the meeting. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I would be, if you had allowed more Enforcers to keep us safe,” Bolbok wheezed.

Cassandra waved off his worry. “Oh, nonsense. We’ve never once had any problems that required Enforcers at a Kiramman Gala. The handful we allow in honor of the Sheriff is plenty.”

“The crime they are unable to control in the Undercity does not quell my concerns, Councilor.” He glanced over at Vi, and while it was hard to tell what he was thinking since the only parts of his face that moved were the gears near his mouthpiece, she could almost feel the disgust radiating off of him. His assistant however, shifted nervously from one foot to another, glancing occasionally at Cassandra.

“Bolbok, this is a party. Surely you can appreciate taking a moment to celebrate everything we’ve accomplished?” Cassandra asked diplomatically.

“Not while criminals who terrorize our citizens and stain our city are not brought to justice. There is still more work that needs to be done. Until then, a party is a waste of time and resources.”

With that, Bolbok turned and left.

“What is with that guy?” Vi asked.

“Bolbok’s people valued efficiency and cohesion more than anything. He strongly believes that Zaun’s reluctance to be more like Piltover makes them a liability and should be cut out like a cancer,” the councilor answered.

Vi wanted to ask what Cassandra thought Zaun represented, but was cut off when a few people whom Vi did not know approached the councilor, who was swept up in a flurry of air kisses and small talk.

Over the next hour, not much note happened. Vi continued to nurse the same glass of champagne, keeping an eye on anyone who found her or what Cassandra said unusual. Plenty of people introduced themselves to Vi, who shook so many hands she felt the urge to take a scalding hot shower. Most were nice, some seemed unsure of how to speak with her.

Vi got the sense that she confused people and in that confusion, people couldn’t figure out what they should want from her. So, most just stuck with pleasantries so as not to make a bad impression for when they could approach her with whatever they wanted from her.

At one point, Councilor Shoola Teriost approached Cassandra, her arm around the arm of a woman with long black hair and light green eyes.

“Shoola, Naomi. How wonderful to see you,” Cassandra said, embracing both women.

Vi’s eyes widened ever so slightly in realization. She had nearly forgotten that Counselor Shoola had married a Zaunite many years ago. She doesn’t remember it happening, she had been too young, but she’d heard the stories. Naomi was a brilliant medical doctor from the Alcove District who earned a rare scholarship for Zaunites to Piltover Academy for their medical program twenty years ago. There, she met and fell in love with the heir to House Teriost. A handful of years later, Shoola’s father, the councilor, died in an airship accident and Shoola became the next councilor. While their relationship was, at best, looked down on by many, nearly everyone was still shocked when Councilor Shoola had announced that they had eloped only two years after Shoola had become councilor. Vi has heard that it was one of the few times in recent memory that both sides of the river agreed: Shoola and Naomi were considered traitors to their own people.

Vi wondered how Naomi could live with herself. It’s one thing to leave Zaun for Piltover, many families tried to do that for the children. Vi harbored no ill will towards people like who tried to give their kids a better life or attempt to escape the crime and poverty Zaun endured. But to marry a councilor? To stay with her after the Gray Revolution? Vi couldn’t understand it.

“Shoola, Naomi, allow me to introduce you to Violet. She’s a new employee of mine,” Cassandra introduced. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Councilor, Dr. Teriost,” Vi said, shaking their respective hands. 

“Ah, yes. You’re from Zaun. You’ve heard of my wife?” Shoola asked.

“Yes, Councilor. Many, if not most in Zaun, know of your story.”

“How is Zaun these days?” Naomi asked. 

Vi reminded herself that Cassandra said she could speak freely. She answered slowly and with an undisguised intensity, “the exact same as you left it.”

What was left unspoken, but reverberated in Vi’s tone, hung heavily around them. 

Shoola gave Cassandra a pointed, undecipherable look. When it wasn’t returned, she changed topics to discuss the party.

Naomi briefly met Vi’s gaze.

Vi’s mother’s voice, which has dimmed slightly over time, felt as if it whispered a memory in her ear. It was her answer when Vi asked why they couldn’t just move away from Zaun after her father almost died in a cave-in while working in the mines one day.

Vi, Zaun is more than a place. It’s the air in our lungs, the blood in our veins, the feeling between our heart beats. Even if we left Zaun, it would never leave us. To ignore those parts of you, the parts that give us life, would be to kill a part of yourself.

She let this memory engulf her as she stared at Naomi and wondered if she had felt that part of herself die when she left Zaun for good.

Vi continued to do as the councilor asked, but had started to wonder why after a while. No one was acting strange, save for Bolbok’s assistance. It was a party. People were generally jovial with a hint of ass kissing. She didn’t believe Cassandra cared about that. 

It wasn’t until they spoke to Councilor Salo Ferros and his entourage that Vi knew why Cassandra asked for her help. 

“Cassandra, I don’t know how you manage to do it every year,” Salo said, not bothering to introduce anyone who was with him. 

Three Vi immediately dismissed them as nothing more than eye candy who were all too busy talking and flirting with one another to pay attention to the councilors’ conversation. One was Salo’s own assistant she recognized from the council meeting. One…would not stop staring at Vi.

“Salo, dear, I’m sure this is something you could have easily pulled off. The soirées you’ve thrown are the stuff of legend or so I’m told,” Cassandra replied charmingly. 

Salo playfully shook his finger at her. “You get an invitation to all of my parties. You are the one who turns it down every time.”

“I am an old woman now, Salo, I do not think your parties are the ones that I could bring anything of merit to,” Cassandra said with a playful chuckle.

Vi didn’t spare Salo a single glance, focusing solely on the man who would not stop staring at her. 

He was a large muscular figure standing well over six feet tall. His outfit was out of place, is what Vi first noticed about him. A button down burgundy shirt, with far too many buttons undone for a formal event, a gold chain and pendant around his neck, and a suit jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He stared down at Vi, head cocked to the side as his dark brown eyes observed her curiously.

Vi matched his gaze, her pride and her current task would not allow her to do otherwise. She barely heard a word the two councilors said to one another. Despite her bravado, a heavy pit grew in her stomach. Something was not right.

After several long moments, the man grinned at her, with a touch of menace in it, and slowly raised his forefinger and lightly tapped the side of his nose twice.

The message was clear. This man was telling her that he knew something, but what?

Just a second before he looked away, the light caught his eyes just right and—

Purple, Vi thought as ice itched up her forearms and that pit formed into a rock. Vi’s eyes went wide just as he looked away and she just managed to catch herself before she instinctively took a step back. Get out, get out, get out her brain screamed at her. 

Vi pushed the fear down and took a slow, deep breath. Stay in control, she told herself. He’s not on the liquid stuff. He probably smoked some to get a little high for the party. Scary, but that doesn’t mean he’s for sure going to fly off the handle. Stay calm.

Cassandra and Salo continued to converse for a few more minutes. Vi carefully watched the body language of the man on shimmer, but he didn’t spare her another glance. Him not watching her allowed her to look more closely at him and she squinted, trying to see the pendant around his neck. When she finally saw a clearer angle of it, she felt the blood rush from her head so quickly she was worried she was going to pass out.

Finally, Salo and Cassandra exchanged goodbyes, with promises to have that meeting about the bank’s security budget soon, and Salo left.

When he and his entourage were out of sight, Vi leaned close to Cassandra. “I need to speak to you, alone. Immediately.” 

Cassandra, either swayed by the fear or immediacy that may have snuck into Vi’s tone, nodded and led Vi towards the outdoor garden terrace. The sun was now close to setting, perhaps another hour away, and the oranges and pinks lit up the garden beautifully. In any other moment, Vi may have taken a mental snapshot to describe to Claggor. 

“Violet, what’s the matter?” Cassandra asked, clearly concerned.Vi looked around and many yards away on the opposite side of the terrace were a few servers who were sneaking in a quick smoke break, but other than that, they were alone. The muffled sound of music and dim conversation were the only signs that a party was even happening.

“One of Salo’s men, one I’ve never seen before, is on shimmer,” Vi whispered.

Either Cassandra Kiramman has the best poker face in the entirety of Piltover and Zaun or she wasn’t surprised.

“Which one?” she asked calmly.

“The large one, with the open shirt,” Vi answered, shocked that Cassandra seemed to be completely unbothered by this. “But that’s not it. His necklace…” Vi trailed off, almost not wanting to believe it.

“Yes, Violet? What is it?” Cassandra nudged.

Vi swallowed hard. “It had the symbol for one of the Chembarons on it.”

Immediately, Cassandra’s eyes hardened and she grabbed Vi’s forearm and squeezed on the verge of being too hard.

“Which one?” she asked. Vi could tell she tried to do so calmly, but the storm behind her blue eyes betrayed her urgency.

“The pendant was an ‘F.’ It could only be Finn,” Vi answered.

The pressure on her arm did not let up. “You are certain? Salo’s surname is Ferros. Could it not have been that?”

Vi shook her head before the councilor finished her question. “To anyone up here, I’m sure that’s what it would seem like, but I’m not wrong, Councilor. The way Finn’s symbol is stylized is unmistakable. I’ve been taught to avoid any area in Zaun with that sign. I grew up seeing it. It’s his.”

Cassandra stared hard into Vi’s eyes, as if trying to see the memory of the pendant herself. The determined intensity that bore into the Zaunite made her heart stutter, as if Vi could feel how this information made Cassandra feel.

After a moment, the councilor, seeming to have found whatever she was looking for in Vi’s eyes, gently patted Vi’s arm to apologize for how she grabbed her, and then let go of her.

“Thank you, Violet. I believe you,” Cassandra said, her voice back to its calm, even tone. “That is very important for me to know. You have done well tonight.”

Vi hated the slightest bit of pride that sprouted in her.

“What are you going to do about the guy on shimmer?” Vi asked.

“Oh, nothing at the moment. Salo never stays long at this party, as he throws his own with his personal friends–a much livelier one than this–later this evening,” she answered. “I imagine, now that he’s paid respect to the host, he will leave shortly.”

Vi hummed unhappily. She already wanted to go back inside and keep her eyes locked on Finn’s man until he left the building.

“We should go in. Unfortunately, I am unable to disappear for long at these events,” Cassandra stated. “Thank you again, Violet. That was extremely helpful. You are free to return to Caitlyn. I will send someone to retrieve you at 7:40 if I believe we can accomplish what I hope to before the night is over.”

Vi pulled out her watch. 6:32pm. She made a note to keep an eye on the time so she was easy to find in just over an hour.

“May I see that?” came Cassandra’s voice. 

Vi looked up and Cassandra was staring intently at her watch. Vi, hesitating for only a second, took the watch off and handed it to the councilor.

“I would recognize the work of my artificers anywhere. Where did you get this?” Cassandra asked as she examined it closely.

Vi looked at her, confused. “Caitlyn gave it to me before we left tonight. Zaunites have their own tradition for gifting a formal date something, a flower that only grows in Zaun. Caitlyn gave me this.”

Cassandra stared at Vi for a long moment before she handed Vi back the pocket watch. “How do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful,” Vi replied. “Your artificers are very talented. I plan on asking Jayce to see his watch next week. He probably got something like a beaker or a hammer engraved on his.” When the councilor laughed softly, Vi could tell she was laughing at her and bristled. “What?”

“Jayce did not receive a pocket watch from Caitlyn, Violet.”

Vi’s brow furrowed. “But Caitlyn said it was a tradition.”

Cassandra raised a knowing eyebrow at Vi. “Yes, it is a tradition of ours. One that Caitlyn has never partaken in before.”

Vi blinked several times. The councilor chuckled and patted Vi’s shoulder. “See you soon, Violet.” And then Vi was alone on the terrace. She pulled out her watch, opened it, and looked hard at the engraved cupcake on the inside of the cover. 

She leaned against the wall next to her and stared out at the sun that was nearing the horizon.

“Fuck,” she whispered to herself.

Vi found Caitlyn exactly where she said she would, next to the Ecliptic Vault. While Caitlyn was tall, she was dwarfed by the sheer size of the vault. Standing in front of it, the emerald green of her dress stood out against the gold door behind her. 

Vi swallowed hard and then approached her. Caitlyn’s grin practically blinded Vi when they locked eyes.

“Has my mother manipulated enough of your time this evening?” Caitlyn asked.

“For now. She may need me for one more task later, but she’ll send someone when she’s ready,” Vi replied. 

“Then let us enjoy ourselves until then,” the other girl said. She threaded her arm around Vi’s elbow again. “Come, let’s get you something to eat. I cannot imagine you are not famished by now.”

Caitlyn was right, of course. As soon as Vi had a plate full of appetizers, she realized she was ravenous. The food was incredible, as the Kiramman girl had promised. Vi made a note to try to compliment whoever made it all.

“You know, say what you want about you about Piltover, but you certainly know how to make some good food,” Vi said to Caitlyn as she finished her third helping of appetizers.

Caitlyn laughed. “Is the food not good in Zaun?”

“Oh, it’s delicious,” Vi insisted. “Don’t get me wrong. But I bet some of these seasonings in your food are very expensive. I doubt Jericho would ever be able to afford any of them.”

“Jericho?”

“He owns my family’s favorite place to eat. Zaunite street food. He mainly uses products found or grown in the fissures. Probably not something most people here find appetizing, but it does hit the spot,” Vi explained.

“Perhaps you can show me when your father gives me a tour of The Lanes,” Caitlyn asked. Vi noticed that her voice shook. It was so slight that if Vi hadn’t been paying so close attention, she might have missed it. Was she…nervous? Vi wondered

Caitlyn took a sip of her champagne and Vi couldn’t stop her eyes from sliding down Caitlyn’s neck and watch her swallow her wine.

Vi’s ears warmed as she cleared her throat. “Yeah, sure thing, Cupcake,” she promised, and took a sip of her own drink to wet her suddenly dry mouth. Caitlyn grinned.

“Miss Kiramman, young Vi. I hope you are enjoying the evening,” came a low, raspy voice. 

Vi looked up and saw Sheriff Grayson sit in a chair next to them.

“Grayson!” Caitlyn said, clearly happy to see her mentor. Vi forced herself to keep a sneer off of her face. “We are, of course. What about you?”

“I am indeed. Your mother knows how to throw quite the party,” the sheriff replied. “Excellent job with the Progress Dance, Vi. I know these kinds of events can be quite daunting for your first time, but you did Zaun proud.”

“Thanks,” Vi said flatly. Caitlyn shot her a strange look, but turned back to the sheriff and engaged in conversation. Vi, impatiently waited for the sheriff to leave. As she let her eyes wander the crowd, they widened slightly, as she saw Salo and his entourage, including the man on shimmer, leave. Vi felt like she could breathe a little easier now.

Several minutes later, the sheriff excused herself, wishing them a fun evening.

“Vi, are you okay?” Caitlyn asked. “You were very quiet.”

Vi shook her head. “I’m fine, Cupcake. Promise.”

And Vi was, it wasn’t a lie. She just didn’t want to spend any more time than necessary in the sheriff’s company. But she wasn’t about to tell Caitlyn how she hated her mentor, especially not at a party that Caitlyn seemed to be enjoying.

Caitlyn looked like she wanted to press Vi, but maybe she had similar thoughts about it not being the time. “If you’re sure. Now that we’ve eaten, would you like to dance?”

Nerves immediately bubbled up in Vi’s stomach. “Oh, um…if you want to, sure.”

Caitlyn laughed prettily and Vi licked her dry lips. “I do want to, hence the question. Come on, just a few. I promise.”

Vi did her best to keep up with the heiress, who was a better dancer than Vi was by miles. Caitlyn even tried to teach her how to lead at one point.

“Does Zaun not have any dancing?” Caitlyn asked nearly thirty minutes later after Vi let out a low growl of frustration after her third misstep in a row during one of the more complicated dances.

She glared down at her feet, as if that would make them work properly. “We do,” Vi answered, “But your dancing is just like the rest of Piltover, full of rules. Zaun’s dancing is much more casual.”

“Casual?” Caitlyn asked curiously.

Vi hummed. “Zaunites value freedom and living in the moment and our dancing reflects that. It’s fast and free and loose.” Vi suddenly found herself trying not to giggle.

Caitlyn grinned. “What’s so funny?”

“I just pictured how your mom would look in the middle of a Zaunite party scandalized while everyone danced around her,” Vi said, a laugh escaping her.

Her laugh was suddenly swallowed in a sharp, stuttered inhale as Caitlyn, without pausing the dance, stepped even closer to Vi and trailed a hand from Vi’s shoulder across her back to play with the ends of Vi’s hair. 

“And how do you think I would look, dancing like that?” she whispered and Vi felt the feather light touch of lips on the shell of her ear. Vi just barely controlled herself from not breaking Caitlyn’s hand as heat flooded through her whole body before it pooled in her abdomen. Caitlyn did not move away as Vi attempted to get words to come out of her mouth.

“I–you would…” Vi trailed off. She then realized how her hand, that had been at Caitlyn’s mid back, without permission from her brain followed Caitlyn’s movement and now gripped at her hip, holding the other girl close. Caitlyn continued to play the strands of Vis’ hair, short circuiting her brain. Vi looked down and saw how close her own lips were to Caitlyn’s bare neck, the smell of pansies nearly overwhelmed her. She closed her eyes and unthinkingly, slowly, began to move closer to the source of it.

A tap at Vi’s shoulder forced her to jump from Caitlyn, letting go as if she were on fire. Heart pounding, Vi saw Tobias smiling at them.

“Vi, would you mind terribly if I cut in and have a dance with my daughter?” he asked graciously.

Oh, thank Janna, Vi thought.

“Of course, sir. I’ll just get us something to drink,” Vi said and hurried off, pointedly not making eye contact with Caitlyn.

Vi nearly toppled the serving tray of champagne over when she grabbed a glass and swallowed half of it in one gulp, hoping the chilled drink would cool her down. It didn’t. Vi took several deep breaths and willed her hands to stop trembling.

She glanced back at Caitlyn and Tobias, we were giggling like school children as they danced. Vi decided to take a moment and step back outside, hoping the fresh night air would help.

The sun had officially set a short while ago and the stars over Piltover were stunning. Vi didn’t get to see them too often with The Lanes so far down one never saw the sky. Suddenly, she felt very homesick. 

What am I doing? Vi thought for the second time that night after a few minutes of indulging in self-pity. She hung her head as she leaned against the railing of the terrace. Pull yourself together.

“Vi?”

She looked up and saw Cailtyn approaching with a soft smile. “Taking a breather?” she asked.

Vi couldn’t help the smile she returned. “Yeah. This suit is incredible, but warm with all the layers. Besides, it’s beautiful out here.”

Caitlyn hummed in agreement and looked up at the stars. Vi watched her closely, seeing the goosebumps slowly erupt over her skin.

Vi wasn’t aware of what she was doing when she realized she had already taken her coat off and was placing it over Caitlyn’s bare shoulders. So much for pulling yourself together, Vi’s brain mocked her.

Caitlyn blinked at her as Vi gently placed it over her shoulders, but then grinned.

“My, how galant you are,” Caitlyn teased.

Vi felt her ears heat up. In the back of her mind, she wondered if they would melt off before the night was over. 

“I told you. I was warm. Not everything is about you, Miss Kiramman,” Vi said with a crooked smile.

Caitlyn took on an exaggeratedly serious expression, then raised her hands to smooth out Vi’s vest that had bunched up slightly from taking off her coat and to adjust her tie. Vi wondered if Caitlyn could feel how fast her heart was beating. “You are so right,” Caitlyn replied. “I’m sorry for being so self-absorbed.”

After taking far longer than was needed to adjust Vi’s clothes, Caitlyn dropped her hands and pulled the jacket around her tighter. She turned to look out into the garden and laced her arm through Vi’s again to pull her close, which Vi did not try to prevent.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Caitlyn said, “Thank you for telling my mom you’d go with me. I’m glad you did.”

Vi somehow found the strength to resist laying her head on Caitlyn’s shoulder, but then had none left to lie to her. “Me, too, Cupcake.”

Several minutes later, the door to the terrace opened, causing the two teenagers to look behind them.

“Miss Violet, Councilor Kiramman requests your presence immediately, please,” said a woman Vi did not recognize. 

“Duty calls. Find me when you’re done?” Caitlyn asked, her blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

Vi stepped back before she did something stupid. “Of course.”

Caitlyn moved to take the jacket off of her, but Vi stopped her. “Don’t. I meant what I said. It’s hot in there.” 

The other girl laughed lightly and shrugged it back on. “Good luck with whatever my mother has you doing.”

Vi took a beat and then tore her eyes away from Caitlyn’s to follow the woman to the councilor.

The councilor was waiting for Vi in a small, darkened office off of a hallway near the entrance of the Ecliptic. The woman who retrieved Vi was silent as she opened the door.

Cassandra was lost in thought, only a small lamp on a desk lit up the area around her. This office reminded Vi of the one she worked out of, but without the glass wall.

“Councilor,” Vi greeted.

“Hello, Violet. Asha, thank you. Please shut the door behind you,” the councilor said. She waited until the woman’s footsteps retreated before turning back to Vi. “Are you enjoying the party?”

Vi thought of dancing with Caitlyn, even before the moment Tobias interrupted, and smiled. “Yes, I am.”

“Good. Hopefully this task I have for you won’t take long,” she said. Her tone was strange to Vi, more closed off than she’s ever heard when speaking to her before. “I am deeply sorry to ask this of you, but know I wouldn’t if it wasn’t absolutely vital. I need you to pick the pocket of Councilor Hoskel’s assistant.”

Distantly, the music in the main chamber changed, to which the crowd seemed happy as many cheered.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Vi asked as her heart began to pound in her ears.

“I need you to pick the pocket of Hira Tano. You saw her at the council meeting. She has black hair, gold eyes, and is wearing an outfit of similar style to Tobias’ suit in dark purple,” the councilor instructed, as if she were discussing the weather. “In one of her pockets is a set of keys. I need you to relieve her of them.”

“Pick the pocket–Councilor, there are Enforcers here. People are everywhere. I cannot get caught stealing from a councilor–again! You said it yourself, Hoskel is one of the ones who would send me straight to Stillwater,” Vi exclaimed, in shock at what the woman was asking of her.

“No, now that you work for me, you wouldn’t be. If you are caught, I will take full responsibility for it. You are, after all, officially acting on my orders,” Cassandra stated.

Vi scoffed. “Yeah, right. There is no reason for you to do that. You think it would be the first time that some rich asshole let a Zaunite take the fall for a crime? I’m not stupid, Councilor.”

Cassandra’s reply was immediate. “No, you are not stupid, Violet. If I could do this, I would, but since I can’t, I am entrusting this extremely important and sensitive task to you. If it somehow got out that I ordered my assistant to steal from a fellow councilor, that is enough to get me charged with conspiracy, theft of council property, and a slew of other charges. I could get thrown off of the council, Caitlyn could lose her birthright. So, I am trusting that you will do this and do this well.”

“All the more reason why you wouldn’t take responsibility,” Vi retorted seethingly. “Do you think anyone would look any closer at a Zaunite who wormed her way into a Piltover party to steal from it? I would be dismissed as just another Undercity criminal and never see daylight again.”

“Violet,” the councilor implored as her hand moved to grip Vi’s. “I have sworn to never lie to you and I am upholding that. I understand that you distrust the position I hold. But, if there is any part of you that trusts me, please do as I ask. It is important, I assure you.”

“Why is it so important?” Vi demanded. Cassandra let out a frustrated breath, but remained silent. Vi scoffed.

She ripped her hand from the woman’s grasp and didn’t bother to hide the anger she felt burning inside of her. Without a word, Vi turned and stormed out of the office.

A furious fire coursed through Vi’s veins as she clenched and unclenched her jaw. She retreated back into the main chamber where perhaps now two hundred people were dancing, conversing, and drinking. The juxtaposition of the jovial atmosphere and Vi’s internal fury was enough to make Vi nearly turn heel and just leave the party; to go back home where things made sense. Where she understood the world around her. Where no one would ask her to do anything dangerous on their behalf. 

She didn’t do that. Instead, she found herself unconsciously searching the room, finding Hira Tano, standing by Councilor Hoskel. He was surrounded by several people, regaling them with some story or other. Tano seemed to be quite taken with the story.

What are you doing, kiddo?  Vi heard Vander’s voice ask. 

Vi saw movement across the room. Councilor Kiramman was walking up the staircase to the landing where the orchestra was. The big speech , Vi realized. It was to start at 8:00, which was in two minutes, according to her watch.

Vi looked at Cassandra again and then back at Hira Tano. She gripped the marble banister so hard, three of her knuckles cracked. It took five seconds to come to a decision.

Janna watch over me, Vi prayed and descended into the mass of people.

The Zaunite rolled up her sleeves as she carefully and as subtly as she could weave through the crowd. She kept a sharp eye out for Enforcers, but they mainly watched the entrances and exits, not minding the crowd of rich people. That would make things easier, Vi thought. The number of people who were drunk would also help, Vi knew. She took a few deep breaths as she did this, recalling everything she’s learned from doing this her whole life. The Lanes, Piltover, it didn’t matter. A mark was a mark and she was the one who taught all of her siblings how to steal. She could do this.

Vi wasn’t even halfway through the crowd when the councilor had walked up her microphone and thanked everyone for coming to the party. Her speech had begun. Vi had to hand it to Cassandra, she knew exactly the best time for Vi to do this, when everyone was distracted. But she needed to move slowly. If she went too fast and it would draw attention, too slow and she wouldn’t reach her target in time.

Vi ducked away as quickly as she dared when she saw Caitlyn and Tobias in her way. Something told her that they had no idea what the councilor had asked her to do. It meant adding a few more minutes to get through the crowd though. Vi forced herself to remain calm and continued on. 

She wasn’t listening to the speech at all, but Cassandra must have given some kind verbal signal to someone as the mechanizations of the five huge pillars in the room whirled to life and the roof of the Ecliptic Vault began to open. Everyone looked up and Vi used that distraction to move only the slightest bit faster. She could see Hira Tano looking up.

Vi walked up and subtly placed her hand on the side of her target’s right hip from behind and muttered softly, “excuse me.”

Hira naturally, predictably, moved to accommodate someone she thought was trying to get by, when Vi was simply feeling if the keys were in her right pocket. They weren’t.

Just then several booms erupted in the air, making even Vi lookup. Fireworks exploded over the open roof. Everyone began to cheer and clap. Vi took a second to watch the movement of Hira clapping and, slowly, used her years of practice to slip a hand inside the left pocket and, following the movement of Hira’s moving body, gently pulled out a keyring with two keys on it. 

Vi subtly put the keys in her pocket and clapped along with everyone else for a moment before slowly moving through the crowd off to the side as Cassandra wrapped up her speech.

She forced herself to remain calm and kept an ear out for anyone shouting after her, but none came. 

The music was in full swing again and the party goers had gone back to their merriment. Vi met with Cassandra at the bottom of the stairs. The councilor looked at Vi, searching her eyes. Vi stepped a little closer and held her hand out. Cassandra, with a puzzled brow, placed hers in Vi’s and shook it. Vi took one step closer as she shook it, using that as cover to place the keys into the councilor’s pocket.

Cassandra’s eyes widened.

“Don’t make me regret this,” Vi whispered, knowing Cassandra knew she wasn’t talking about the theft.

With that, Vi turned and went to find Caitlyn. She may be feeling conflicted about what had happened between them earlier in the evening, but that wouldn’t mean she would abandon her date.

The rest of the evening went so smoothly, Vi wondered how everything she had experienced had happened in one night. 

Around one in the morning, the party had wound down and Vi’s feet were killing her. The leather boots she had gotten from Zaeru were beautiful, but she definitely wished she had had time to break them in before wearing them for almost seven hours.

Her and the Kiramman’s retreated to the carriage they had arrived in and all of them let out a collective sigh/groan once they sat down.

“A job well done by everyone,” Cassandra praised, a proud smile on her lips. “I think that was one of the best ones yet. You should help me plan the next one, Caitlyn.”

Caitlyn didn’t even bother looking at her mother, slouched against the headrest like it was going to cure her aches and pains. “Never again.”

Her parents chuckled. Vi, who had received her coat back from Caitlyn a few hours ago, felt a weight on her shoulder and looked over to see Caitlyn resting her head against it. Vi quickly looked up at the elder Kiramman’s, but they were too wrapped up in discussing the party to be looking at the two teenagers. 

Vi, without a protest from her exhausted brain, couldn’t stop herself from resting her head against Caitlyn’s, her heavy eyelids drooping close.

“Girls, wake up,” came a soft voice in what felt like a few seconds later. Vi blinked her eyes open and saw Tobias’ face gently smiling at her. On her shoulder, she felt Caitlyn shake her head, clearly upset with being woken up. “I know, dear, but I really don’t think you want to sleep in that dress. Come now. You’ll be in bed before you know it.”

Caitlyn groaned in protest, but did as she was told. Yawning, she lifted her head off of Vi’s shoulder and moved to get out of the carriage. 

Vi followed her and thanked Emir for the ride.

“Is the Councilor back inside?” Vi inquired as Tobias opened the front door. “I wanted to say goodnight before I left.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Vi,” Tobias scolded gently. “The guest room has already been prepared for you.”

“Oh, sir, I don’t think–”

“Vi, we’re not letting you walk back to The Lanes so late,” Caitlyn said. “You look like you’re going to fall asleep where you stand.”

“We insist, Vi,” Tobias said sternly, reminding Vi of Vander when he was lecturing Vi. 

Vi would later blame her sore feet and exhausted brain, but she hesitated for only a second before she nodded her head and followed them inside. She really was seconds away from falling asleep, she reasoned with herself.

Inside, Cassandra was waiting near a hallway Vi had not been down before. “I can show you to your room, Violet. Emir has already prepared some clothes and a shower for you, if you feel up for taking one this evening.”

Vi nodded and turned to Caitlyn. 

“Thanks for a fun night, Cupcake,” she said as genuinely as she could. 

Caitlyn smiled, then leaned down slightly and pressed her lips to Vi’s cheek. “I had a wonderful time, too. Sleep well, Vi.”

Vi, not breathing, stared after Caitlyn as Tobias helped his daughter up the stairs.

“Coming, Violet?” asked Cassandra.

The Zaunite was pulled out of her trance and, swallowing hard, followed Cassandra.

“Violet,” Cassandra said slowly. “Have you thought about what I asked of you earlier this evening, about wondering if you could guess as to why I wanted a spotlight on you and Caitlyn, and by extension, myself?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a guess?”

Vi paused, thinking through her exhausted haze on if she should answer, but knew she had a theory.

“You want every influential person in Piltover to see that House Kiramman is tying itself to Zaun more closely–that Zaun is important to you,” she stated with as much confidence as she could muster.

Councilor Shoola may have married a Zaunite, but Naomi had essentially cast off her roots by the time they were wed. Vi lived in Zaun. Naomi lived outside of the fissures, and while life in the Alcove District wasn’t perfect, it was a much more respectable part of the city compared to Entresol. If a councilor was going to marry a Zaunite, then any Piltovan would have picked Naomi. The same could not be said for Vi, especially if anyone found out who her parents were.

They stopped outside of a room with the door closed. Cassandra looked at Vi, a proud smile on her face.

“You are correct,” she replied.

Vi stared at her, attempting to see what the councilor was thinking, but it was like looking into a brick wall.

“But,” Vi said, “I don’t know if Zaun being important to House Kiramman is a good thing for Zaun.”

Cassandra smiled conspiratorially at Vi. “Well then, it’s a good thing that you still have many hours left of working for me to determine that for yourself,” she responded. She placed a hand on Vi’s shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. “Goodnight, Violet.”

Vi watched the councilor disappear down the hallway. Chewing her lip, her mind a mess of confusion and her body bone tired, Vi entered her room. She didn’t even care about how nice of a place she ever would sleep was, she zeroed in on the clothes on the large bed and changed into them. She carefully set her watch on the nightstand, only taking a moment to stare at it.

Then, she fell onto the bed, asleep before she could even get under the covers.

Chapter Text

Vi woke up to a sensation she isn’t sure she’s ever felt before. Her face felt warm, but not uncomfortably so. Slowly, so very slowly, Vi opened her eyes and squinted as a bright light shone in them.

It took her sleep-addled brain a few moments to register that the light was the sun.

Since when did the sun shine in The Lanes, Vi thought groggily.

After blinking several more times, Vi rolled over, about to ask Powder why the sun was in their bedroom, and shot up when she realized she wasn’t in The Last Drop.

A beautiful bedroom with a huge four poster bed, silk sheets, and a large window overlooking Piltover made it very clear that Vi was, in fact, not in Zaun.

Then, she groaned and rubbed her face. You idiot, the Gala, she thought, remembering that the Kirammans insisted she stay the night. Hopefully Vander isn’t turning Entresol upside down looking for me. She doubted it, as Vander was a smart man and probably put two and two together. Still, it was an extremely rare case that Vi or any of her siblings were away from home for a night.

Vi stretched. She was a little sore, but honestly, it had been nice to be standing and moving around all night. It reminded her of a long shift at the bar. The office job did not have the physicality she was used to having to do for work. The worst part was her feet. Those shoes really need to get broken in, Vi told herself.

Wondering what time it was, she grabbed her watch. Almost eleven. At least she didn’t sleep the whole day away, even if it was the best night of sleep she’d probably ever had.

Vi remembered that Emir had prepared the guest bathroom for her and she grabbed her old clothes and…

Don’t tell anyone it took you ten minutes to figure out how a gods damned shower works. Take that to your grave, Vi told herself as she finally got under steaming hot water.

The luxurious shower felt better than Vi had hoped it would. Leaving it feeling like a new person, she pulled her Gala clothes on, stuffing the waistcoat into the arm of her jacket and her tie undone around her neck, and left the bedroom. She double checked that her watch was in her pocket and set off down the hallway. 

“Hello?” she called out hesitantly. Vi wasn’t exactly sure what the protocol was for something like this. Did she just leave? That seemed rude. But it also seemed rude to explore a house she didn’t live in—her councilor boss’ house, at that. 

She was about to call out again when Emir arrived so suddenly Vi nearly punched him she was so startled.

“Janna’s tit, Emir. Can you please wear a bell?” Vi asked, her heart pounding.

“I shall submit your suggestion to Councilor and Mr. Kiramman, Miss Violet,” the man said evenly.

“Emir, sorry, I was just kidding. You scared me and—” Emir’s lips twitched. “Oh. You’re pulling my leg.”

Emir began walking away. “Follow me, please, Miss Violet.”

Vi gaped after him, but did as she was instructed and followed him into a room she hadn’t been before. The walls and ceiling of the diamond shaped room were made entirely of glass that had an incredible view of a beautiful garden in the backyard of the Manor. A collection of beautiful plants, vines, and flowers were placed on nearly every possible surface. The midday sun shone brilliantly, making it seem like Vi had stepped into one of the Cultivairs in Zaun. At the center of the room were four chairs surrounding a small bistro table that had a plate full of a variety of still steaming fresh baked treats. The loud rumble that erupted from Vi’s stomach got the attention of the two occupants of the room, Tobias and Caitlyn, who had two cups of tea in front of them.

“Oh, good morning, Vi,” Tobias said, folding up his paper. “We were wondering if you’d join us soon.” 

“Sorry, I slept so late,” Vi apologized. “And thank you for letting me stay. It was very nice of you.”

“You are always welcome here,” Tobias assured the teenager. “Come, sit. Emir will get you some tea.”

“Oh, really, I don’t want to intrude—”

Caitlyn laughed. “Vi, we can hear your stomach from here. Come eat some food.”

Vi wondered if the reason the Kirammans were so powerful was because no one could find the will to say no to them. She gave in and sat down. Shortly after, Emir set down a plate, napkin, and tea cup. Vi was surprised to see that Emir had even remembered the splash of milk in the cup from the last time she had tea at the Manor.

“Where is the councilor?” Vi asked as she grabbed a blueberry muffin.

“At work, I’m afraid,” Tobias answered. “A councilor’s job is never done. Normally she takes the day after the Kiramman Gala off to recover, but she insisted there was something urgent for her to do.”

Vi’s hand that was buttering her muffin paused as she thought back to the theft she committed for the councilor and wondered if that had anything to do with why she was at work. She resumed her movement after Caitlyn caught her eye with a curious look.

“Mother said that you did a wonderful job last night,” Caitlyn said. “She asked that I pass along her appreciation, again, for your hard work.”

“Your mother has a strange idea of what hard work is,” Vi thought, thinking of her parents when they worked as miners. 

“Well, either way, she was very grateful,” the other girl replied. “She said to say that she’s sorry she missed you this morning, but she’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”

Vi nodded, taking a bite of the muffin. Sweet Janna. Maybe I can use some of the money from the councilor to get some ingredients in Piltover, Vi thought.

“Do you have any more plans for your Sunday, Vi?” Tobias asked, absentmindedly going back to his newspaper.

Vi swallowed and took a sip of her tea. “No, probably not. I’ll hang out with my family. I’m sure they’ll have a million questions about the party. How about you all?”

“Father and I have a tradition where we get ice cream not long after we wake up and talk about some of the more ridiculous parts of the evening,” Caitlyn replied. “Mother usually has a long lie in, so we try to be clear of the house so she gets plenty of rest.”

“You are more than welcome to join us, Vi,” Tobias invited. “It would be fun to hear what someone from Zaun thought of our Gala.”

“Perhaps another time, Mr. Kiramman. I really should be getting home after this,” Vi said. She could not believe that part of her actually wanted to stay in Piltover and gossip with the Kirammans. “Thank you, though.”

“Of course, of course,” Tobias said, as if it were a given that he would see Vi again.

Vi glanced at the two Kirammans again and almost shook her head. The number of ways Vi’s life had changed in just a few weeks was enough to make her head reel. She shoved the thought aside. It was too nice of a morning to ruin it with ruminations.

Vi’s family did, indeed, have plenty of questions. She did the best she could to answer them. 

“No, Mylo, I did not break into the Vault and steal a bunch of money.”

“Powder, you should have seen the hair on this one woman. It was nearly as tall as you are! Like a giant beehive.”

“Claggor, Caitlyn adored the flower. You really saved my ass with that.”

“As fun as it was, Vander, The Last Drop’s parties do it best. Hands down.”

They questioned her right up until the bar opened, when Vi excused herself to finally change her clothes. She’d have to find somewhere to wash her clothes so they wouldn’t get ruined. Maybe Babette would know a place.

“Vi?” came Vander’s voice. She closed her wardrobe she shared with Powder and looked up at the stairs where her father was. “Bring Caitlyn by tomorrow for her tour of The Lanes.”

“Okay,” Vi said slowly. Just before he left, Vi called him back. When he looked at her expectantly, she asked, “why are you giving her a tour at all? You’ve never done that, not even when that Bilgewater captain wanted to invest in The Lanes.”

Vander gave Vi a small smile. “Let’s just say, like you, I have a good feeling about her,” he replied, then left.

Vi sat down, chewing her lip. Memories of the night flooded through her.

Caitlyn’s lips grazing her ear. The ever so gentle pull on the very end of her hair. Her body flush up against Vi’s. How Vi very nearly lowered her own lips to enticing bare skin—.

Vi heard a crack, which pulled her out of her reverie. She looked down and realized she was gripping the handle of the wardrobe so hard it had actually cracked just a little bit. Vi let go, flicking her hand to make it relax.

I need to punch something. Then maybe take another shower—a cold one, Vi thought and headed up the stairs.

When Vi walked towards Bluewind Court the following morning, she fidgeted with her jacket. Her first day wearing her new clothes and she was truly worried she wouldn’t be allowed in. The clothes did make her look like one of the workers in the Alcove District, professional and put together, but still clearly Zaunite.

Zaeru had remained about as true to their design as possible. Vi made sure to keep the emerald green color from her gala suit, but it was much more muted and only in the long sleeve collared button worn underneath a matching wool vest, pants, and suit jacket. The rest of the outfit was a metallic iron that was such a dark gray it was almost black. The accents of the buttons on the vest and suit were a harsh steel gray. Around her neck sat a steel gray bolo tie, its ends tipped with decorative cog wheels and the clasp at her neck was the exact same symbol of the patch she had on her mother’s leather jacket. Her favorite accessory other than the symbol on her tie was the soft leather fingerless gloves in that same dark iron gray. They reminded her of her boxing wraps she used—and barely had any time for lately, she lamented.

For the third time, as she neared Bluewind Court, she looked down and made sure that the easy to remove gold Kiramman crest pin on her jacket lapel. Vi still felt that ever familiar burn of anger and resentment every time she looked down at it, but she knew it was necessary. Cassandra was right and it didn’t matter that she was wearing fancy clothes now, the symbols on them still told the world she was a Zaunite, which is what she had been going for. But just because she wore nice Zaunite clothes doesn’t mean the Enforcers won’t give her a hard time in the center of law in Piltover.

So, chin held high and with more confidence than she felt at that moment, Vi entered Bluewind Court. No one stopped her as she walked through the massive courtyard or up the stairs into the Assembly Hall. One Enforcer, the same one who had stopped her and the sheriff on Vi’s first day, narrowed his eyes at her and looked at her with a palpable disgust. But his lip curled when he saw the crest on display and looked away without a word.

With a mental sigh of relief, Vi headed towards the office.

“Good morning, everyone. Did you all have a good time at the gala this weekend?” the councilor greeted everyone as she walked into the office a short while later.

There was collective chatter over the events of the gala before they settled down for their weekly staff meeting. Vi chose Aaron to sketch to make sure she stayed awake.

“First order of business: I’m sure some of you may have heard by now, but Councilor Hoskel has fired his executive assistant, Hira Tano,” Cassandra said. The tip of Vi’s pencil snapped off. “I am sure there will be plenty of rumors going around about what happened, but I would ask that you uphold the decorum of this office to its highest standard and not partake in such discourse. A woman’s life has been upended and I will not hear of any one of my staff disrespecting her by gossiping about her life. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Councilor,” murmured everyone.

Vi did her best to keep her face neutral, but she knew that the knuckles were white around her pencil.

“Good. Now, let’s move on. Today is the day we pay for all the festivities and I mean that literally,” Cassandra instructed. “Aaron, Valerie, Pietro, you will all tackle the thank you notes for everyone who attended starting from the councilors and working your way down the hierarchy. Be sure the Councilors receive their thank yous and gifts by midday at the latest. Violet, you and I are going to go over all of the donations to the International Student program and document everything for Councilor Heimerdinger to bring to the Academy. Any questions or concerns?”

The room was silent.

“Very well. Let’s get to work.”

The councilor and Vi set up their work at the main table inside the office, as it was the only place with enough surface space to lay out all of the paperwork.

How does Mylo like this stuff? Vi wondered. They had been working for over an hour and they were only a quarter of the way through the list. The numbers were starting to not look like numbers anymore.

“Councilor Mel Medarda donated…Janna fuck me on a stick!” Vi exclaimed, her eyes bulging at the number.

“Violet!” Cassandra scolded, her eyes wide at the unexpected and colorful language.

Vi winced. “I’m sorry, Councilor, but that’s a lot of zeroes.”

The woman sighed in exasperation and clicked her tongue against her teeth. “Yes, Violet, it is. She is, after all, the wealthiest person in Piltover, which is saying quite a lot.”

“Even after this?” Vi asked incredulously as she held up bank note.

“Undoubtedly.”

Vi shook her head in disbelief. She rattled off the number and moved on.

One insufferably long hour later, the door to the main office opened to reveal Caitlyn Kiramman, holding a container of five to go cups of coffee.

Vi, thinking about how she actually hadn’t taken a cold shower yesterday and had instead allowed her mind to wander during it, felt her ears immediately go warm. It didn’t help that Caitlyn looked very, very nice today. Her hair was pulled off to one side, revealing the neck Vi had fantasized about more times than she cared to admit. Her long legs looked even longer with the knee high brown leather boots and a blue skirt, all tied with a simple white button up that tucked into her skirt. Vi felt the need to swallow when she saw that she had undone one button more than was necessary.

“Caitlyn, dear. What are you doing here?” Cassandra said, beaming at the surprise visit.

“I know that the work day after the gala is always number crunching. I thought I’d come by and provide some nourishment,” her daughter replied as she set down the coffee and hugged her mother. 

When they separated, she called everyone out to get their coffee. The staff gathered around and thanked Caitlyn profusely. When Caitlyn handed Vi her a cup, Vi saw something on her wrist: an iron bracelet. The one that Vi put on her corsage. Vi’s heart stuttered three times before going back to its normal rhythm—well normal around Caitlyn.

“This was very sweet of you, darling,” Cassandra said. “I don’t suppose I can coerce you into staying and helping?”

“As tempting as that is, I am on my way to meet Jayce for lunch,” Caitlyn lamented. “I swear he forgets to eat if I don’t remind him once every few days.”

“Then please go save my protégé from himself,” the councilor said, sitting back down. “I’ll see you at home.”

Caitlyn waved goodbye to everyone and, with an extra smile at Vi, turned to leave. Before she left Vi’s reach, Vi gently grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving.

“Hey, uh—so I was going to stop by the Manor later to see you. Are you free tonight? There’s somewhere I want to take you,” Vi said, hoping Caitlyn would catch on to what she was referring to.

The Kiramman girl beamed and slowly dragged her thumb along the inside of Vi’s palm. Vi barely managed to suppress a shudder. “I can be free. Meet you outside the Assembly Hall when you’re finished for the day?”

Vi gave her a small smile and nodded. “I’ll see you then.”

With a final squeeze of Vi’s hand, Caitlyn turned and left down the hall towards the elevator.

Vi slowly sat down, watching Caitlyn’s retreating form. The way her skirt swayed gently as her hips moved—

“Violet, I am not paying you to ogle my daughter. Please get back to work.”

Vi whipped her head to the councilor so quickly her neck joints actually popped.

“Councilor, I wasn’t—” she started to say, but Cassandra held up a finger and Vi’s teeth clinked audibly when she shut her mouth.

“Remember our deal, Violet: no lying. Now please, get back to work. We still have plenty of it left.”

Vi wisely chose to remain silent and went back to work, attempting to force down the deep blush she knew had spread over her whole face and down her neck.

Vi tried not to check the watch Caitlyn gave her every ten minutes throughout the day. She tried to tell herself that it was because she couldn’t wait to be done with the stupid donations, but she knew she was lying to herself. It wasn’t even the feelings Vi was trying to not think about too much. A Kiramman was about to openly be given a tour of The Lanes, something that no one, certainly not the upper echelons of Piltover, ever experienced. Not only that, it would also be her adopted father—the man who led a revolt against her mother and the other councilors—giving it to her. Not that Caitlyn or her mother knew who Vander was, but still. To Vi, it was one of the most unbelievable things to have happened the last few weeks and that was saying a lot.

Later that afternoon, she left the office—not meeting Cassandra’s eyes once that day after she caught her blatantly checking out her daughter—and made her way down to the Assembly Hall entrance.

Caitlyn, as promised, was waiting in more practical clothes for walking about the city. When she caught her eyes, the other grinned so freely that Vi’s breath was caught in her lungs. 

It’s just a smile. Control yourself, Vi ordered her body.

“Hi, how was work?” Caitlyn asked.

Vi groaned. “If I never see another number it’ll be too soon.”

Caitlyn laughed in sympathy. Vi felt her ears heat up as Caitlyn looked more closely at her new outfit.

“This is nice,” she murmured. She then lifted her hand, the one bearing the bracelet, to gently toy with the chain of Vi’s pocket watch, her teeth ever so slightly biting her lower lip as if she was trying to stop the smile that threatened to reveal itself. She glanced up at Vi with a knowing raise of her eyebrow. Vi stared at her lips, unconsciously licking her own. 

Caitlyn took mercy on her and back a half step back, letting go of the watch. “Where are we going?”

Vi blinked a few times and sucked in some much needed oxygen. Trying to play it off as casually as possible, answered, “Vander made himself free tonight to take you on that tour. Up for it?”

Her eyes lit up. “Yes, of course! I hadn’t expected this to happen so soon.”

Vi shrugged and they set out towards Entresol. Around them the city was bursting with Progress Day decorations. White and gold banners, bunting, and signage were everywhere. There were also a number of events that were being advertised leading up to Saturday, which the whole of Piltover will celebrate. 

“No time like the present. You brought your breather?” Vi asked. Caitlyn nodded, patting her pocket. “Good. Not sure how much he’ll show you, though. Like I said, he’s never given anyone a personal tour before.”

“This isn’t too much of an imposition, is it?” Caitlyn asked. “I know he’s a busy man with the bar and the markets. I would hate to take up too much of his time.”

Vi shook her head before she had finished speaking. “I think he’s looking at this as an investment. A future politician seeing first hand what we have to do to survive down there? He wants what you want, I think. To make an impression that will hopefully help you shape policies that will help us in the long run or at least fight the ones that don’t.”

Caitlyn gently touched Vi’s arm to stop walking and looked at her very seriously. “That is what I want. That’s the whole point of this. I promise, I won’t squander this opportunity.”

Vi no longer doubted her.

A short time later, they were approaching The Last Drop. If Caitlyn had been bothered by the number of people who openly stared at her as they made their way through The Lanes, she didn’t show it. She kept her composure as if she were still walking the streets of Piltover, proud and determined, but not unapproachable.

Vi went to open the door to the bar, but an arm shot out and stopped her. She looked up and saw Sevika’s scowl directed at Caitlyn, who met it without flinching. “Not everyone is happy a Kiramman walks through The Lanes freely,” Sevika said, the barely controlled anger apparent. 

Vi stepped in front of Caitlyn and matched the bouncer’s glare. “Then take it up with Vander. She’s not an Enforcer, which means she is allowed here. Will you deny the Hound’s hospitality to his personal guest?”

Several tense moments passed as Sevika sneered at Vi. Then, with a final scoff, removed her arm from the door and looked away.

“I’m sorry about that,” Vi said when they were inside. “Sevika really hates Topsiders.”

“Don’t you, as well?” Caitlyn asked with a knowing smile. Clearly the interaction hadn’t bothered her, which Vi was grateful for.

“I mean, you can be pretty annoying,” Vi replied with a playful smirk.

Caitlyn giggled and lightly shoved her as they made their way to the bar where Mylo and Claggor were pouring drinks.

“Hi, Caitlyn,” Powder greeted as she popped up from behind the bar.

“Hello, Powder. How are you?”

“I’m good. Vi, Vander said if you’re okay with it, I could come on with you guys. Please, please can I come with you?” Powder pleaded. She even pulled out her signature, dangerous pout. Are those tears? Vi wondered incredulously. 

Vi sighed heavily, never able to resist that pout, which her sister only pulled out when she really wanted something. “If Caitlyn doesn’t mind, then I guess.”

Powder turned her weaponized pout to the Piltovan, even throwing in the slightest tremble of her bottom lip. Caitlyn visibly melted. 

“Of course you can come with us,” she agreed.

The pout immediately disappeared, along with any traces of potential tears, as Powder pumped her fist in the air. “Yes!”

“Where’s Vander?” Vi asked.

“I’m here,” came his voice as the stairs going up to the office groaned under the weight of him as he descended down them. “Caitlyn, welcome to The Lanes.”

“Thank you, sir,” she replied. “And thank you for doing this for me. It means more than you know.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said, crossing his arms. “I’m not going to hold anything back. You’re going to see and hear things today that you won’t like—things that reflect poorly on your mother and the rest of the Council.”

Caitlyn’s eyes hardened. “Good. I refuse to stay in the dark about what is happening in our cities. I love my mother, sir, but I won’t allow that to blind me to the suffering of our people.”

A warmth grew in Vi’s chest at Caitlyn’s words so much so that Vi wondered if she had melted into the floor. Her stubborn determination to help Zaun was a sight to behold.

“Very good,” Vander grumbled. “Shall we begin?”

Vi excused herself and very quickly changed clothes. She met Vander, Caitlyn, and Powder outside The Last Drop where Vander was explaining to Caitlyn how the vision of The Lanes started.

“On the surface, it looks like any other black market would. A place of illicit goods and services, vices, criminals—but it serves a much greater purpose. The true illicit goods—for both Piltover and Zaun—bring in a lot of cogs, but many of our illicit wares are only legally considered illicit, not morally: everyday items that Piltover denies us. Everything from copper wiring for electricity to medicine are often refused to us as part of a collective punishment,” Vander explained. “The Council calls it the Crime Prevention Act, but it is colloquially known as the Zaunite Tax. It is essentially a tariff, a tax placed so high on goods coming into Zaun that very few can actually afford them. It is often instituted after a brazen crime is committed by a Zaunite against Piltover. If you can recall, last year there was a theft at the Sun Gates that involved an explosion, which killed three enforcers and a Sun Gates attendant. After that, even without knowing that it was a Zaunite who did it yet, the Council voted to implement the Zaunite Tax again, a particularly harsh one compared to other years.” 

“This policy was first enacted three hundred years ago, not long after The Sinking. When those who survived the fall into the fissures began to steal from those who lived over the River Pilt, the newly formed Council, who always promised to send aid but never did, began denying what few goods they did send as punishment. When crime was brought to heel, and by that it meant throwing anyone they wanted into prison, the tariff was lifted. Throughout the last three centuries, the Zaunite Tax continues to come back time and time again, which is followed by new waves of homelessness and an increase in poverty, sickness, and crimes committed in desperation.”

“Before The Lanes was built, Vi and Powder’s parents and myself all worked deep down in the mines.” Caitlyn caught Vi’s gaze at the mention of her parents, but then shifted it back to Vander. “It was dangerous work and many don’t survive it because we are denied basic safety equipment, tools, access to proper health services, and so on,” Vander continued. “What few goods Piltover does sell or allow into Zaun is often given to those who can afford them, which is typically going to be the Chembarons. Miners are some of the lowest paid workers in the cities and often barely made enough money to eat. So, Felicia, Connol, and myself began to save what few goods we could afford to spare and sell them in the Sumps where we all lived. It was illegal since we weren’t registered with the Merchant’s Guild, but it was the only way to get some extra coin. Besides, it was pretty rare that you see an Enforcer in the Sumps. No one cared enough to protect us and as long as we didn’t venture up too high in Entresol, we were left alone.”

“We began to see that this could be our opportunity to escape the Sumps. Instead of selling what we already had bought ourselves, we became thieves. Like I said, without any Enforcers, we weren’t too worried about going to Stillwater, but that didn’t mean we were without risk. The Chembarons have almost complete control of the Sumps, so we had to choose our targets carefully so that we didn’t cross them. What started as simple pickpocketing eventually turned to full blown heists. We’d travel up to Entresol and steal from any supply carts, focusing on ones coming in from Piltover whenever we could. We even would go all the way to the Wharf District to liberate items from the trade ships that were moored there waiting to go through the Sun Gates.”

“Slowly, but surely, our little business venture began to grow. A few other people who had the same idea as us saw how successful we were at bringing in goods and soon joined us. What had initially started as three people in the Sumps, soon grew into twenty merchants, all with different means of getting various goods. After several years, when Vi was about six, we were finally able to afford to move up a few levels. Between the three of us, we were able to buy out the person who previously owned The Last Drop. Our business grew so much that we no longer needed to pull jobs ourselves and knew that we had to set up a central location for the merchants to deal out of. The Last Drop is more than a bar, it’s where the most important deals in The Lanes happen. There are only a few rules: no Enforcers, never mess with the people who pour the drinks, and every trader must honor their word. The newest one that’s been added is no shimmer. Any merchant I catch selling it is immediately thrown out of The Lanes and not welcomed back. A pretty effective incentive as this is one the most profitable markets in Zaun, save perhaps the Boundary Markets. I also am a less ruthless leader than the Chembarons are, making The Lanes the place of choice for many traders.”

Caitlyn was an excellent listener. She never seemed to waiver or allow her mind to wander. Her attentive, determined expression never changed and she didn’t interrupt Vander once. Vi wondered what she was thinking.

"Sir, how come the Enforcers don't shut you down?" Caitlyn asked when Vander told her she could ask anything of him.

"It used to be bribery, mainly," Vander openly admitted with a shrug. "This place isn't a secret. Any Enforcer could come down here at anytime and see a number of illegal trading happening the moment they step foot off of the Rising Howl. Now, however, there's an understanding between myself and Sheriff Grayson. If this place disappears, it'll only be replaced by a worse version run by the Chembarons. There's going to be a black market no matter what. So, Grayson and I have a deal: I'll make sure no jobs are run in Piltover itself by my vendors and she'll keep the Enforcers out of The Lanes." He gave Vi a soft glare. "A rule that someone recently defied."

Vi smiled sheepishly.

They moved on beyond The Last Drop, with Caitlyn putting on her breather shortly after. Vi and Powder followed behind as Vander took Caitlyn to several merchants. Vander wondered if he had talked to the vendors earlier, as none of them seemed surprised to see a Kiramman. Vi even wondered if he bribed a few of them to be open to speaking with her. Caitlyn asked them questions about their life living in Zaun, their motive for selling in The Lanes, why they sold the specific goods they did.

Vander hadn’t lied when he said he wasn’t going to hold back. He even brought Caitlyn to a weapons dealer, who refused to take off his face cover. Vi had to hand it to Caitlyn, she didn’t seem fazed at all by the obvious illegal weapons on display. There were even some Enforcer rifles that bore the House Kiramman crest, which she didn’t blink at.

“Vi said that you pay the Chembarons to leave The Lanes alone. Do they have any merchants down here?” Caitlyn asked at one point.

Vander shook his head. “No, their vendors mostly run out of the Boundary Markets and Entresol Two. Occasionally our people cross paths and have business relationships with one another, but none directly between myself and them.”

“Vander?” Vi asked worriedly as she realized that he was leading them to the staircase that went down to Fifteen.

He looked at her, unmoved by her concern. “I told her that I would show her all of it, including the ugly.” Caitlyn looked at them questioningly. “Don’t be afraid, Miss Kiramman, nothing will happen to you while you’re with me and Vi.”

Vi chewed her lip and turned to her sister. “Powder, wait here for us. You know Vander doesn’t let you down there.”

Her sister nodded, as Vi expected. Powder was pretty good at listening, but even if she wasn’t, Vi knew Fifteen scared her enough to stay away from it. Vi never went down there if she could help it, either, and never without Vander.

“Fifteen is technically outside the border of The Lanes, but when we are able to, we send some medicine, resources, and help down here. Since we were hit pretty hard with the Zaunite Tax last year, we haven’t had much to spare lately,” Vander explained as they descended down the stairs that had been carved into the rock of the fissure. It would be several minutes before they reached the bottom. “This is, officially, the lowest level of Entresol. The Sumps are not something the Council counts as a place of residence. If you were to look at the birth records of Zaun, you’ll actually not find Vi’s, Powder’s, or my name or even her parents. Officially, we don’t exist in the eyes of Piltover. Brace yourself, Miss Kiramman. I won’t take you down to the Sumps, since that’s Chembaron territory, but this is almost as bad as it gets in Zaun.”

Vi saw Caitlyn wring her hands, but nodded to show she understood. Vi knew she didn’t—couldn’t—truly understand what she was agreeing to witness and sympathy for what Caitlyn was about to experience sat heavily in her chest.

The Gray was slightly denser here, but not so bad that Vi couldn’t handle it. It swirled low on the ground, making the low lighting from the few light sources scatter throughout the streets. Broken benches, crumbled buildings, piles of garbage and sewage were laid out in winding alleys, half destroyed streets with hovel, stalls, and tents throughout the level.

To their left, down an alley, three people in tattered, dirty clothes had swarmed another on the ground, beating, clawing, and kicking at him. Vander didn’t stop, but Caitlyn did, her eyes wide in horror.

“Stay close to Vander,” Vi muttered to her, lightly pushing on the small of her back. Caitlyn listened, but glanced back at the alley one more time. Vi pulled her hand away from Caitlyn, but the girl felt behind her until she had grabbed Vi’s wrist and gripped her hand. Vi clenched her jaw and allowed Caitlyn to draw a semblance of comfort from her, though Vi knew it wouldn’t be much.

“It’s here and the Sumps where those forgotten or lost to Piltover waste away,” Vander said. 

Caitlyn stared ahead and to the right as they approached a man and woman, both holding close a small child no more than four years old. All of them were clearly malnourished, with the man’s bony bare chest showing large areas filled with black pot marks, one of the side effects of one of the diseases caused by the Gray. None of them looked up as they passed and Vi could see the horror written on Caitlyn’s face. Her hand squeezed Vi’s almost painfully.

A few moments later, from behind a hand suddenly shot out and gripped Caitlyn’s arm so hard she yelped in pain and fear. “Hey pretty girl, what’s a guy gotta give you to get that nice mask of yours.”

Vi didn’t even think as her hands balled into a fist and punched his face causing his greasy, matted hair to fly to the side, only to be met with an upper cut the chin so hard, she saw a blacked-yellow tooth fly out of his mouth. Vi grabbed his wrist, twisted hard, and shoved him face first into a wall with a loud crunch. Vi could see red darken the grime and dirt on the wall.

“If you so much as breathe in her direction again, it’ll be your last,” Vi hissed, her grip on his wrist twisted almost to the point of snapping it.

“Argh, okay, okay,” he cried, his voice thick with the blood from his broken nose.

Vi pulled back and shoved him to the ground where he immediately scrambled away. Vi turned to Caitlyn and looked her up and down as she gently cupped the back of her neck, her thumb slowly running over her cheek that wasn’t hidden under her breather. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” she asked desperately.

Caitlyn leaned into her touch and gripped Vi’s free hand. “I’m okay. Thank you.”

Vi took a moment to stare into blue eyes, checking for any hint of disguised pain. When she found none, she breathed a sigh of relief and looked to Vander, who was a few feet away from them, keeping an eye out for anyone else who dared to approach. 

“I think that’s enough, Vander,” Vi demanded, almost angry at him for bringing them down here.

He looked like he was going to speak, but Caitlyn cut him off, squeezing Vi’s hand on her neck to pull her attention back to her. “No, Vi. I’m okay. He just startled me and you reacted faster than I could, for which I am grateful, but I want to keep going.”

“No one is making you do this, Caitlyn,” Vi whispered. “You won’t be judged if you want to go back.”

“It’s not about bravery or pride, Vi. I need to see this,” Caitlyn replied. “Please understand that I need this.”

Every fiber of Vi’s being raged against the idea of Caitlyn spending one more second down here, but she pushed it down. She would respect this. She did, even if the protector inside of her cursed at her for doing so.

Thankfully, no one else approached them, save for a few vendors calling out for them to buy their wares. The worst thing they saw was a dead body, stripped of nearly all of his clothing and belongings, lying dead in the middle of the street with a long, thin, even cut in his lower back. The rats scattered from their meal as they walked around him. 

“This way, there’s something I want to show you,” Vander said after fifteen minutes of their silent walk. 

It only took Vi a minute to realize where he was taking them and part of her wanted to protest. It was personal, but it wasn’t just personal to her and Vander had a right to show this to whoever he wanted.

Leading them through a few more streets, they eventually came to some ruined building that had a giant floor to ceiling hole near the back of it.

“Come, Miss Kiramman,” Vander said, holding out his hand. “It’s safe, I assure you.”

Caitlyn looked at Vi, who nodded, and transferred Caitlyn’s hand to her father’s. Vi didn’t join them near the edge of the hole. She already knew exactly what they were looking at.

“This is the Sumps, Caitlyn. Do you see that building over there, way at the bottom, the taller one?” Vander asked gently.

“Yes. It’s hard to tell, though. An old water tower?” Caitlyn clarified.

Vander nodded. “That is Vi and Powder’s first home. It’s where Felicia and Connol offered me shelter when my own home was destroyed in a landslide—where Connol and I delivered both of their children.”

Caitlyn blanched and looked at Vander as if he was telling her some sick joke. Vi didn’t blame her. She could picture her first home so clearly, even if she had been so young when they left. A one room hovel was a generous description, but it was the only protection they had against scavengers, wildlife, and the Gray. Vi wondered if some of her and Powder’s drawings had stood the test of time. She blinked back some tears.

Caitlyn was quiet for a very long time as she stared down into the Sumps. Vander and Vi waited patiently and after several minutes, Caitlyn turned around and with her eyes red and wet, asked, “is there anything else you’d like to show me.”

Vander raised an eyebrow at Vi, a silent communication of how impressed he was with Caitlyn’s resiliency.

“Yes, but this was the worst of it. I’d now like to show you how far we’ve come,” he answered.

Twenty minutes later, with her mask off, Caitlyn was being shown around Eleven. Colloquially known as the Innovator’s District, many of Zaun’s brilliant machinists, chemists, innovators, artists, and other brilliant minds of the city gathered. Half of the entire level consisted of art and science workshops where you could find any machine, alchemical cocktail, or the best artists in Zaun. It was one of the livelier and more welcoming places of Entresol, one that thrived on creativity, art, and science. It was often called the heart of Zaun, where Zaunites, if they could have, would show the world what they were capable of.

“That’s Viktor’s,” Powder excitedly said to Caitlyn, pointing to Viktor’s Workshop down Emberflit Alley. “I’ve brought Jayce here before. Viktor is one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet. He can build any Chem powered machine you could possibly think of.”

“She’s right,” Vander said. “Five years ago he received funding from someone in the Artificers Guild to rebuild Entresol’s entire ventilation system. He only finished last year and it has made a big difference. It’ll be a few years before we’ll see where it’s impacted us the most, but you can tell even just by smell alone. The Gray has receded drastically.”

“Jayce was telling me about Viktor at lunch today,” Caitlyn said. “He was very impressed by his knowledge and he’s not an easy person to impress.”

“Jayce was impressed by me!” Powder exclaimed proudly, her chest puffing up slightly. Vi snorted and poked hard at her sister’s abdomen. “Hey! Knock it off!” she said, trying to smack at Vi’s offending hand. Vi laughed and ruffled her hair, allowing her to push her hand away in mock annoyance.

As they walked through the Innovator’s District, Vander explained how Zaun’s inventors were the living embodiment of the expression necessity is the mother of invention. If Piltover wouldn’t share their technology with those beneath them, then they would invent their own. Augmentations, advanced ventilation technology, vehicles, etc. Powder chimed in and started telling Caitlyn about her and Ekko’s hoverboard they were working on.

“Imagine being able to entirely skip riding the elevators and not having to worry about someone picking your pocket,” Powder said, nearly vibrating. “Vi, you could get to Bluewind Court in five minutes instead of the forty minutes you take walking there.”

“You’ve built a prototype already?” Caitlyn said, her eyebrows high.

“Well, it’s almost done. We’ve got to figure out a way to better insulate the piping since it did end up being that the Chem wasn’t hot enough throughout the board,” Powder explained. “The problem is that Chem needs both heat and light, so the pipes have to be see through to work, but that exposes the Chem to colder temperatures much more easily.”

Caitlyn hummed. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, Powder, but I have quite a strong connection to the Artificers Guild,” she said. “If you’d like, and when you’re ready, I could see if they’ll be willing to hear a presentation of your hoverboard from you and Ekko.”

Powder looked like she was going to pass out. “You’d—you’d do that?” she whispered.

Caitlyn smiled. “Of course. It sounds like an incredible invention.”

Powder looked at her in awe. “You are officially the coolest person I know.”

Vi scoffed in offense. “What about me?”

Powder completely ignored her and grabbed Caitlyn’s hand to pull her down the street. “Come with me! Vi said you’re a really good dancer. You've got to check out this place down the street. One of the innovators created a band of instruments that play by themselves!”

Vi shook her head at her sister and looked at Vander who was chuckling.

When they caught up to Powder and Caitlyn, there was indeed a band consisting of a banjo, a drum set, and a trumpet that were played via various mechanizations. A busker was acting as the conductor, dressed in faux fancy clothes, bow tie included, with his patched top hat on the ground for people to put money into. Several people were dancing, clapping, and cheering along with the upbeat tune.

Vi spotted Caitlyn and Powder, dancing in the crowd. Powder must have asked Caitlyn to show her how they dance in Piltover, as she was in a similar pose as Vi was at the gala, her tongue sticking out in concentration as she watched her feet trying to follow Caitlyn’s instructions.

Vi felt something balloon inside of her, swelling to the point of bursting as she stared at Caitlyn, who laughed at something Powder said to her. She couldn’t name what it was, but it felt big. Almost too big.

Janna’s mercy, Vi thought.

Powder refused to leave Caitlyn’s side the remainder of the night. Vi wanted to be annoyed, but seeing how excited her sister was and how Caitlyn genuinely seemed to enjoy her company, she just couldn’t bring herself to be upset with Powder. Vander declared the tour over when Caitlyn and Powder finished dancing. He pulled Caitlyn aside for a quick, private conversation that ended with them shaking hands and Vander excusing himself back to The Lanes. Powder and Vi took Caitlyn to a delicatessen in the Bridgewaltz District on Ten.

“What about Jericho’s?” Caitlyn asked. “You promised to bring me.”

Vi laughed. “Next time, Cupcake.”

After, Vi and Powder, who would not stop talking Caitlyn’s ear off, walked Caitlyn across the bridge to Piltover.

“When you come down next, we’ll show you the Arcade. It’s kind of lame, but it’ll be fun to show someone who has never played all the games. Vi said that you are really good at shooting. I’m a pretty good shot also! I’d love to see if you can beat my high score,” Powder said, talking so quickly her words nearly ran together incoherently.

Caitlyn lifted a teasing brow and tried to hold back a smile. “Does Vi talk about me often, Powder?”

“Oh, all the time. You should have heard her on Sunday. It’s like she’s never seen a pretty girl in a dress before and—ow!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Powder. I didn’t see you walking there,” Vi gritted through her teeth, her ears inflamed, as she retracted the foot that made Powder trip.

Her sister glared daggers at her and Vi just blinked innocently. Caitlyn threw her head back, laughing at the sisters.

When they reached the Piltover side of the bridge, Powder hugged Caitlyn tight around the middle, nearly knocking the breath from the Piltovan. “I had fun today. Thanks for coming down!”

Caitlyn didn’t hesitate as she returned the hug. “I had fun as well. We’ll see about that shooting game next time I’m in The Lanes.”

Powder grinned and let go.

Vi suddenly felt nerves flare up. Despite how heavy and, for a few moments terrifying, today had been, Vi was glad Caitlyn agreed to the tour. Her thoughts went back to the moment that Caitlyn was laughing and dancing and the overwhelming urge to step forward and kiss Caitlyn was so strong, Vi only barely caught her hand in time from pulling Caitlyn forward and doing just that.

Caitlyn, ever the braver one of the two, stepped forward and pulled Vi into a very close hug. Fully flushed against one another, Vi couldn’t help herself from sliding her fingers through Caitlyn’s hair and pushing herself further into the other girl’s neck, the familiar scent of pansies making her dizzy.

“Thank you,” Caitlyn whispered, so genuinely it made Vi breathless.

Vi didn’t say a word, just gently rubbed the skin at the base of Caitlyn’s head, hoping she could sense how much today had meant to her.

It felt like eternity, but still not long enough, before the two girls separated.

“I’ll, uh, see ya around?” Vi said with a weak smile. Caitlyn looked at her so softly she felt her knees almost buckle.

“See you around,” Caitlyn assured. With one last smile and wave, she turned and headed back home.

Vi and Powder waited until she disappeared into Midtown before they began their own journey home.

“Vi and Caitlyn sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” Powder sang through giggles.

Vi glared at her sister. “That’s it. Come here!”

Powder screeched with laughter as she took off into the Boundary Markets, Vi chasing after.