cantilevers | Inbox (Etraya)

[Ah. Now that's a more complicated question.]

I don't know. There weren't any records on her incarceration. I don't even know how long she was locked up. Given that the Sheriff was working for Silco, and Vi's... involvement with Silco... I— It's possible that the Sheriff was responsible.

[She can't be entirely certain, of course. Not without more information. But it's a reasonable assumption to make.]

When I met her, she'd been put in solitary confinement for breaking another inmate's jaw. One of Silco's henchmen. [Her voice drops lower. Her hands tighten even further on the mug, as though, if she grips it hard enough, its warmth could somehow be transferred to Vi.] Those cells are so deep, and so cold, and so dark... I shudder to think at how long she was there.

[His fingers twitched as he considered the timing. Vi in prison likely soon after he had died, and based on what Powder had told him, it seemed to him that she had to be placed in Stillwater by an enforcer. It was neat and tidy wasn't it? Why keep her alive unless it was to potentially use against...

Marcus...?

After Grayson's death, there had been an exchange of blood money. A tie to Piltover that was necessary to keep the dealings of the undercity from slipping too far up the chain. Janna, he could see it, and no wonder keeping someone who was also known to shift conflicts just by her stubbornness, her will, the strength of her character and heart. She'd become Marcus' ace in the hole, yet Caitlyn had been the one to free her. Maybe he was far off base, but why else keep Vi alive?

He didn't have enough information to verify it as anything truthful, but he could see the connections. There was so much he didn't know, so much he could never know, and yet... that Vi remained alive and then returned to the Lanes. No crime, just a trencher lost in the system.]

Of course... it was his only option. ["I met an old friend of yours... he sure had some stories."] Heh, she had nothing left to lose... [He'd been in one of those deep, dark, cold cells before after the Day of Ash; it was a taste of what he would live like if he didn't take the deal or at least barter in some manner of good faith.

He turned his head to stare off across the sparse room to the wall.] I've heard stories... the darkest places are where they have their talks. But... you set her free. I'm grateful that you gave her a chance at a life again.

[Caitlyn's grateful, too, to the circumstances that led her to find Vi. Now that she's met her, she can't imagine her life without her.]

She had one thing left to lose, [she says softly.] Her sister. From the moment I freed her, all she cared about was finding and saving Jinx.

[And for Vi's trouble, Jinx had set off more bombs, shot at both Vi and Caitlyn with a minigun, been nothing but violent and aggressive.

But she came here to talk about Vi, not Jinx.]

She still has a good heart.

[Of course. Vi had always been protective of Powder, and with his last words being to take care of her sister, he had no doubt Vi had taken that seriously. The sisters had an inseparable bond even when apart, and he wondered what they were like together now that they were adults. He somehow had his doubts Powder had accepted a Piltie as a pick of the fair for Vi's affections.]

Sounds about right. Vi always had the best management skills when it came to Pow... er, Jinx.

[He corner of his lip twitched in a small smile. He drew in a deep breath and held it, allowing his ruse of 'being just fine' to remain and even solidify.]

Always did. From the moment she was born, I knew she was special. Both of them were.

[For a given value of 'special,' Caitlyn thinks bitterly. Jinx is clever, she'll give the girl that. But she's also...

No, she reminds herself firmly. She didn't come here to talk about Jinx. This is about Vi, and being honest with Vi's father, and assuring him that her feelings for Vi are genuine.

What else to say? She thinks back to the suitors her parents had tried to present to her. The things they'd said about the suitors' families' finances, their families' connections and histories. All the sorts of things a Kiramman should consider when choosing a potential match. Would Vander care about those things? Her family is one of the most wealthy and influential in the city, the Kiramman name carries weight with everyone in Piltover and even beyond. If he does care, he must already know that Vi would want for nothing, were she and Caitlyn to be together.

Of course, she'd feel the same way for Vi regardless of finances. Money isn't even a consideration when it comes to her feelings for Vi. But would it be a consideration for Vander? Is she the suitor in this instance? Should she be making the case for her families' finances and connections?

She can feel the seconds stretching between them, each one more awkward to her than the last, until she interrupts the silence by even more awkwardly blurting out:]

I can provide for her. Financially.

[Caitlyn did not have the best poker face, and it was clear that she had thoughts about both of his daughters for better or for worse. He had been provided a bird's eye view of how Caitlyn and Jinx treated each other, and both of them had not voiced their faint displeasure with one another. Or in Jinx's case, it had been outright disdain for the relationship Vi had developed.

He was more of a wait and see type of person. He was usually not overprotective, but once his protectiveness was prickled, he would do anything for that person. He liked to think Vi was a good judge of character, and he was no slouch at it either.

He might not know everything there was about Piltover, but he did know that Councilors had considerable wealth. The mansion that he had briefly stayed at was certainly indication enough that wealth would never be a problem; would the opposite be true? The richest people in Zaun would hold no candle to the high houses.

He blinked at Caitlyn's sudden outburst. He huffed a sound of amusement and ran his fingers through his hair.]

Oh that much I'm aware of, and it's probably the least important aspect of your relationship with her. To me anyway. Did you... think it was important to me?

I don't— I've never done this before, and I wasn't— [She pauses, tries to gather herself. Is she making a poor impression?] Usually I'm being swarmed by eligible bachelorettes and— Not that—

[That probably isn't coming across the way she means it.]

That is to say, people usually... Since I came of age, my parents... [She doesn't really want to talk about her parents, either, since then she'll have to think about her mother, and then...] They made an effort to impress upon me the importance of making a suitable match. And they've tried themselves. To do so. To find 'appropriate suitors.'

[The quotation marks are audible; those had been her parents' words, not hers. And every suitor had been more unappealing than the last, a parade of heiresses who would never care for Caitlyn more than they cared for the wealth and prestige that Caitlyn's name could bring them.]

I was always told to consider their finances, and with whom their family was connected, as though there were no more important qualities I might look for. I thought, if those were things that might concern you... I... [She finally finishes, rather lamely:] I'm not sure how these things are normally done.

[Vander found himself bemused by her explanation, and it wasn't so difficult to consider. There were those with wealth in the undercity, and they tended to be picky when it came to who they made matches with so that wealth was not particularly disseminated down or squandered. When one had scratched, negotiated, found good luck or simply took what they wanted to cultivate wealth, they were usually hard-pressed to give it up again.

Of course, he'd never taught his kids that lesson; he would prefer that they found connection where they would. They knew their own hearts better than he did, so how could he tell them who to settle down with? Love was often found in the most unexpected places. His job was to have them learn the skills necessary to navigate the pitfalls and complications of that... and well, maybe he was the worst role model for that.

Not that anyone knew. Okay, two people knew, but both of them would probably rather have their tongues removed than admit it.]

I know you're looking for my approval and trying to explain your position to me, but I honestly don't care, Caitlyn. If Vi likes you, then it's her decision. [So many years missed; he couldn't even tease her now about it as she wasn't here.] As long as you treat her as your equal, respect and care for her as I feel she deserves, you two can do whatever you like. You're both adults making adult decisions.

[He huffed a sound of amusement, turning his arm over where it rested on his knee and stared at the brace. He flexed his hand, feeling the tightness.] Well, I don't think there's supposed to be a recipe on how it's done. To each their own, hmm? You two did seem to meet in odd circumstances as it is.

Yes. Of course. [Of course she'll treat Vi as her equal. Respect her, care for her, everything she can to make Vi happy. All she wants is the opportunity to do so, and someone who'll do the same for her.]

I suppose there isn't much more to say, without Vi. Should she make an appearance here, we'll... I'm sure we'll be speaking again on the matter. [She's grateful, at least, that he's open to the idea, that he hasn't dismissed her out of hand or become angry or judged her harshly. She's glad he doesn't care about money or social status. She'd glad Vi has someone, even if long dead, who cares for her well-being and happiness before anything else.] And I'm glad I've had the chance to get to know you. Even if the circumstances are far from ideal.

[She realises she hasn't tried the tea yet, so she fishes out the steep ball and takes a sip.]

She is the master of her own affections and destiny, yes. [He did miss her, more than he could express in words. Since the day Vi had been born, Vander had been attached to her. He had helped raise her from day one, babysat while Felicia and Connol were working the mine shifts.] As long as she's happy wherever she is, that's all that matters to me. She deserves that... life hasn't been easy for her.

[It had obviously been worse in part after he had died. Jail then facing off against the undercity and then whatever other threats had come up. Powder was different, not Jinx, the Lanes was taken over by Chem-barons and Silco. He'd seen what that man had transformed into after all.

He forced the corner of his lip to a small smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. That's why he closed them as he offered a little shrug.] Well, glad I could help. I expect the road is going to be rather bumpy given who else is here and the complicated agendas. You and Jayce sticking together is the best course for you both in the game of sides.

[There's a weight behind all of this that Caitlyn doesn't entirely understand, restrained as Vi had been in sharing her past. She'd told Caitlyn of Powder, the girl Jinx once had been, and something of their life together, but little enough beyond that. From the way Vander speaks, from the sorrow in that smile to the words he says — life hasn't been easy for her — she knows there's more.

And she doesn't want to pry. Vi will, or won't, tell Caitlyn more when she's ready. But there is one thing that's bothering her, something that her too-inquisitive mind keeps catching on, ever since she realised Vander's identity.]

May I ask... Vi told me her parents were killed by enforcers. Was she talking about you?

[She'd understand if he won't tell her. But she feels the need to ask nonetheless.]

[Vander's expression remained cordial but became overly formal. Yet, he made certain to soften his body language otherwise, as if this topic of the conversation didn't particularly bother him. The truth was complicated and full of old regrets, and if he allowed himself to think on the subject - the memory of them dead on the bridge - he knew he would let something slip. He had once built a peace on the foundation of their corpses along with everyone else who had paid the ultimate price.

He flexed his right hand casually, and he made a point of meeting Caitlyn's gaze. He doubted there was time to delve into the complexity of undercity family dynamics on their little adventures.]

No. I adopted her and Powder after they were killed. Two boys whose parents died that day too.

[Knowing she's asked something personal, and painful, Caitlyn simply watches, listens, meets his eyes while he speaks. Both parents killed, adopted by someone who loved her only for him to die too, and then years spent in prison... Caitlyn feels an almost physical pain in her chest at everything Vi has been through.

A thought of her own mother steals into her head, but she shuts it away, deep in some storage vault in her mind where she won't need to contend with it.]

She's lucky to have had you.

[He had always wondered if the Day of Ash had sent any kind of ripple through Piltover, but he supposed that aside from congratulating their fine officers, burying their dead, it had likely passed without much legendary status as it had in the undercity. He supposed putting down a group of unstart trenchers was common enough in Piltover. He'd pulled some fairly ballsy stunts in Piltover before then, all leading to nothing more than a crack down in the Lanes and beyond.

If Vander hadn't taken them across the bridge that day, if it hadn't gotten out of hand, Vi's parents would still be alive. A lot of people would still be alive. He would never consider himself any kind of hero due to the costs, and it was the least he could do to take in some of his children left orphaned because of some of his own actions.

That was the price of leadership. People died. Good people, bad people, just people.]

Well, I've known her and Powder since they were born. They deserved a family, and I did what I could.

[When she'd first met Vander, he had spoken of his children being killed. Knowing that Vi and Jinx are alive, she assumes he must have been referring to the two boys, unless there were others. Vi's never mentioned adopted brothers killed years ago, and all of this only raises more questions that Caitlyn is burning to know the answers to, but she still won't pry.

Instead of asking anything further, she sets the tea down so that she can move towards Vander, drop to her knees next to him on the floor, and wrap him in a tight, brief hug.]

[The death of his boys was still extremely fresh, but he pushed down the grief until he was alone. That kind of vulnerability was not meant for the public eye, and he did have plenty of time on his hands it seemed. He would eventually fill the time, but for now, it was a welcomed distraction to talk about Violet and the trials and tribulations of a cross-city relationship.

He knew that Caitlyn had questions, and he appreciated that she was restrained enough to not pepper him with particular sore subjects. The Day of Ash remained a point that upended everything.

He watched her set the tea aside and move, expecting that she had completed the reason she was here and would be off. He stilled when she came to the floor next to him, watching her and offering a soft 'oof' at her hug, though there was no way she could wrap even those long arms around his shoulders.]

...thank you? To what do I owe the affection?

[She pulls out of the hug a little awkwardly, her eyes glancing away and then back at him as she tries to think of how to answer that question.]

I...

[She hadn't known what to say, really. I'm sorry your sons were killed and you were also killed seems insufficient, the sort of formula one is meant to follow that lends a veneer of insincerity no matter how sincerely one might mean it.

I'm sorry your family lost so much, and I'm sorry you didn't get to watch your daughter grow up into the brilliant woman she's become, and I'm sorry she's lost so much too seems like too much, or not enough, an over-expression of emotions that still somehow fails to capture how deeply sorrowful Caitlyn is about all of this.

Apparently I've lost a family member too, and if I allow myself to think about it for even a moment, I fear the tenuous grip I have on my emotions may shatter, and I don't know if you feel the same but I can't imagine you feel much differently is too vulnerable, though no less honest.

A hug can say all of those things more easily, and more honestly, and more sincerely, than the words.]

I thought... You might like one. A hug.

[Vander watched, and the substance of her message came through in her body language. Sometimes words cluttered up the space between two people, and he wondered where this empathy had come from in her. They had only just met recently, but it didn't particularly surprise him that Caitlyn would offer a comfort that was considered weakness in the undercity between strangers.

He reached out and set a hand on her shoulder, providing a little squeeze of support. She had gone out of her way to keep him safe when there was no reason for her to until she had realized he was Vi's father.]

Thanks, Caitlyn. I probably needed one.

[His arm slid around her shoulders to pull her back in for another smaller hug.] You're a good person. Got a good heart.

[As soon as he pulls her into another hug, she flings her arms around his neck as though he were her own father. She doesn't hold on for long, but she does hold on tightly.

When she pulls away again, she ducks her head for a split second to make absolutely certain that her expression is under control and there's nothing too vulnerable in her eyes or on her face and that she isn't about to start crying over how terrible so much of this is.]

I should get going. If there's nothing else.

[She picks up the tea and walks towards the kitchen counter to set it down.]

Thank you for the tea.

[Vander found a small smile when Caitlyn's arms locked around his neck, and he held her a little more tightly in response. It didn't last long, and he found it enough to chase away the lingering pain that threatened to be overwhelming until he could be alone again. He could see why Vi would probably like Caitlyn; someday he did hope to see them together and understand their dynamic better.

He nodded to her indications to leave. He hesitated for a moment before plunging back in as she went to the kitchen, waiting for her to emerge again.]

If what they said at the meeting was true about the future, know that I'll do what I can to support you. That kind of lose digs deep, so... if you ever want to talk, you now know where I'm staying.

[She was the only one to know where he was living at present.]

[There's a tremble in her lower lip that she can't quite suppress and a heat in her eyes that threatens to spill over into tears but she can't—

For a long moment, she stares down at the mug. And then she takes a breath, swipes beneath one eye to catch a stray drop of moisture in a gesture she hopes is subtle enough not to notice, and forces her mind back to Vi. This whole meeting was meant to be about Vi, and here she is, thinking about— about things she doesn't want to dwell on. There may be trials in the future she shares with Vi, if Jinx is to be believed, but Vi will live, and whatever trials they have to endure, Caitlyn is confident they'll get through them. She thinks of the glint in Vi's eyes, her crooked smile, the notch in her brow, her strong yet gentle arms, her freckles and her tattoos and the sweep of her hair, and she takes another breath, and turns back to Vander.]

I do.

[She's grateful for the offer, but that sort of talk has never come easily to her.]

And you're welcome in my home, of course. If you want to come by.

[For now, she decides to take her leave.]

Inbox (Etraya)

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