Songs of a VioLyn

Dear Friends Across The River

It had been a few days since Vi had accepted Caitlyn's proposal and she couldn't stop admiring the beautiful ring she had been given. She tried to play things off coolly, attempting to be discreet when examining it or looking at it when Caitlyn's eyes were elsewhere, but she truly couldn't love the whole situation any more. Yet somehow, every day, Caitlyn challenged that notion and made her fall even more in love as the sun cycled around Runeterra. Caitlyn had a special look in Vi's eyes even more so than she had before, she was somehow even more gorgeous and even more brilliant in the fighter's eyes. The way their lives had managed to mesh so nicely despite the many hiccups and roadblocks that should've stood in the way only served as proof of how much they cared for each other. 

Through all of this, all the love and adoration, Vi realized she had never actually introduced Caitlyn to the people in her life that meant the most to her (Besides Powder, of course) and wanted to rectify that.

So early one afternoon when they had finished their lunch, Vi proposed the idea of going to the Undercity so that she could introduce Cait to her circle. This was an admitted surprise to Caitlyn considering Vi almost never wanted her to come down to the Undercity. Even though she had been there a handful of times Cait did have to admit it was a much different culture in Zaun; Vi's words that lead Caitlyn to release her from Stillwater in the first place still rang true after all this time. The proposal intrigued Caitlyn though, she would love to meet anyone else that Vi held dear especially considering they would likely be getting invited to their wedding when the time came around. So after they cleaned up their dishes from lunch the pair got dressed in appropriate clothes for their trip and started on their way to the Undercity.

The walk across the bridge was interesting to Caitlyn, Vi's behaviour was unlike anything she had observed before. She was holding their conversation and seemed relatively engaged with it, but somehow her mind still seemed elsewhere. She seemed distracted for the entire journey down. Even her hand, although feeling wonderful in Caitlyn's grasp, was getting sweaty and had a tighter grip than usual. Cait could understand Vi being a little bit nervous about bringing her to Bottomside, especially when it was in regards to other people, but this seemed especially strange. Caitlyn was getting nervous for her, did she not want to do this and felt she had to as a  formality? Are these friends from another life that she's just maintained connection with? She really wasn't sure, but she could see that Vi was in an unnatural state.

The Undercity was always an unusual place for Caitlyn to be, the way the city functioned was beyond her understanding. It always seemed so gloomy, so bleak, everyone there was depressed or violent or a mixture of both, she had to admit its frightening nature whether she liked it or not. This time, though, this visit felt even more bleak, the shadows seemed to climb higher up the buildings. With Vi's stability being a question mark it was hard for Caitlyn to know if she had her bodyguard or not. She could handle herself with certainty, she knew that, but having Vi to be her first line of defense was just one of many things she loved about the woman. 

They wove through the streets of Zaun for a little while with their destination seeming to be on the opposite side of the city. But with a sweaty palm and half-present mind, Vi managed to lead Caitlyn to the people she thought ought to be introduced. The location seemed like an odd choice to Cait but after just a few moments she understood why Vi's attention seemed so divided, and why she had brought her to a cemetery. 

It was the middle of the afternoon and the field was set aside from the main section of Zaun so the place was hardly ghoulish in spite of its purpose. Vi walked Caitlyn through the rows of tombstones, her hand wrapped tightly around Cait's with her jaw clenched to match. She was holding a lot of tension in her body to the point that it was visible to Caitlyn, who was still nervous for her lover but could now at lest understand why. Vi finally found the right stone to look at, a beautifully decorated black rock with a pipe carved into the top which capped an exquisite border with flowers decorating each corner. A fresh bouquet laid at the base of the stone, a collection of blue and pink flowers that seemed to get replaced every day. Vi looked down at the face of the stone for a few moments, hesitating any speech, while Caitlyn read the inscription. 

Here lies Vander, the man who built the Underground. A passionate leader, a loving father, and a damn good barkeep. May he rest in peace.

Vi was still trying to keep herself composed while Caitlyn struggled to find words, even if she did she wasn't sure if it was appropriate to say any. She started to notice the similarities of the surrounding stones, thematically the same which seemed to tie them together. 

Mylo. By all accounts a life-loving, adventurous hellraiser. May his antics continue with his spirit.

Claggor. An intellectual, strong bodied, and strong willed child. Let his virtue be a lesson to us all.

Violet "Vi". She was stronger than all of us, and could lead better than anyone. Gone far too soon.

"They would've loved you," Vi finally said, breaking the silence, "well maybe not Mylo, he was always a tool. But they would've loved you."

Caitlyn stumbled, being surprised and honoured that Vi was introducing what was her family to her. It also explained why she had no record in Stillwater, she was presumed dead. 

"Vander, this is Caitlyn, my girlfriend- fiancée. She's an enforcer from up Topside, she let me out of Stillwater and, well, I love her a lot. And I'm glad she could finally meet you, even if it's... like this," Vi spoke, starting to choke on tears as she concluded. She was fighting her hardest to keep her eyes dry but she could only hold it in so well. "Sorry, Cupcake, this is my dad, Vander, and these two are my brothers Mylo and Claggor."

Vi finally broke and started crying properly. She attempted to control it but didn't do a terrific job, leading Caitlyn to wrap her arms around her fiancée. She held her closely, keeping one hand on the back of Vi's head while tears poured into her shoulder. Cait couldn't remember seeing Vi cry like this, she normally kept her composure and even when she did tear up it was hardly anything substantial. This was much different than anything else that could be compared, though, this was her childhood. The second family that had been stolen from her. The people she still remembered as her father and brothers, this was everything to Vi. And even after all these years she could still feel their love inside her from far beyond the living realm, she saw them die knowing they cared for her and loved her and she held that same care and love for them. 

Caitlyn let go of Vi when she could see she had collected herself, letting her Cherry Blossom take a few deep breaths before saying anything. 

"Sorry, Cait, I don't really talk to them much anymore," Vi explained with a half-chuckle in her voice, "but even in these shitty circumstances I thought it was worth the introduction."

Caitlyn looked at Vi lovingly and nodded in approval before shifting her gaze to the stones, then back onto Vi. "It was nice to meet them, truly, I hadn't expected to and I'm glad you were able to show me here, show me these important people in your life," she told her warmly, causing Vi to grin ever so slightly while her eyes wetted again. 

"They really would have loved you, Cupcake, especially Vander," Vi said softly before clearing her throat. She reached around Caitlyn to hug her and rested her head on her chest, letting Cait hold her just the same with the addition of rubbing her back in long, slow strokes. Caitlyn couldn't imagine how difficult Vi's life must have been and how hard she would've had to fight herself to not wind up like Jinx.

Vi released herself once more and kissed Caitlyn lovingly. With a love that had built up over years that she could've poured into a family, all that build up was being poured out into Caitlyn. After so many years of parentless, family-starved solitude, Vi was finally finding her outlet to happiness again. Caitlyn couldn't have been more honoured to supply Vi with all the love she had in return.