Chapter Text
Caitlyn brisk-walked into the building, bag straps falling over her shoulders despite her attempts at pulling them up repeatedly. A string of curses tumbled out of her lips, as she fished for her entry slip and smoothed out her beige coat to look at least somewhat presentable.
She was fresh out of a hangover, and desperately late for a game. Well, she didn't actually have to play for the earlier rounds, but arriving late would definitely take a hard hit on her reputation, especially if her presence was mandatory.
The distant clicking of leather boots on the tiled floor, followed by a suspiciously welcoming voice that sounded way too disingenuous echoed through the halls.
"Ah, there you are Ms. Kiramman," The event organiser, a short and stumpy elder, came into view. His hands were clasped together before he held one out, a grin plastered across his face so wide he could be mistaken for a pushy insurance agent. Caitlyn almost winced.
She reluctantly reached out to shake his hand, feeling the bags under her eyes weighing heavier as time went by.
"You know, the kids have been looking forward to meeting you, you are just such an inspiration…" She found her eyes wandering behind his shoulder as Hoskel droned on and on about the history of the school’s chess club, and a suspiciously specific list of benefactors. Caitlyn unrolled her sleeve and gave a quick glance to the watch. She's almost late by a good half an hour.
Caitlyn cleared her throat and flashed Hoskel the most tired and insincere smile - partly deliberate to express her growing annoyance, partly because she's just too goddamn exhausted.
"Look, Hoskel, I really do appreciate your lovely introduction to the school, but I believe I've been called upon to attend a game this morning. So please, if you don't mind, excuse me."
She pushed past him and strided towards the hall entrance, muttering out a quick sorry.
The huge welcome banner hung before the entrance of the otherwise empty hallway. Caitlyn adjusted her hair, tugging the falling strands behind her ear, and pushed open the doors to reveal a hundred pairs of eyes staring back at her. A sea of both younger faces of students and adults were facing her. Caitlyn wasn't prepared for the vast diversity of players, but it looks like this was an open tournament.
Caitlyn was tired of spending the bulk of her time around ostentatious and egotistical men with perfectly ironed out suits, and suffocating from the nauseating scent of cologne permeating the room. Being in a place where she’s with regular people, people who merely share a common interest - it felt nice.
Silence engulfed the area, and Caitlyn felt her chest tighten. A round of applause rang through the area, the people there showing their appreciation for her recent win, it’s funding going to the school. A few students even made their way up to her and congratulated her for winning her third major regional tournament a week ago. Not knowing what to do, Caitlyn awkwardly smiled and offered a few autographs on their newspapers and magazines, her stoic image gripping a trophy on the cover.
Caitlyn was not used to this. She would probably never get used to this. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. Having people watching her, admiring her, potentially chasing after her footsteps. She was not the hero or champion that they thought she was.
She took in the surroundings. It reminded her of the days back in high school, loitering in the empty school compounds, prolonging her time out before she had to go back home.
Caitlyn spotted the refreshment table and her eyes widened in relief. She immediately turned away from the crowd, the players already taking their seats and getting ready for the first round. Pouring herself a cup of water, she downed it in a singular gulp and poured some more. Caitlyn picked up the cup in her hand and turned back around.
One by one, the chess clocks started ticking away as she tried to remain as silent as she could. Still getting used to heels in her unstable gangly limbs, she lifted her feet slowly to avoid the obnoxious clicking against the floor, in an almost comical manner.
She walked over slowly to the gameplay chart, not at all concerned in fixing her uncoordinated self. Caitlyn took another sip from her cup as she scanned through the list of unfamiliar names. She was an invited guest, so she would be playing in the last few games against the stronger players.
A flash of bright colour caught her eyes as she did a double take, head whipping around in an instant. Now focused on a girl.
A girl with a wildly untamed mop of pink hair and slightly tattered clothing. A girl who is staring at her with an unreadable expression, and not bothering to pay attention to the game. A girl who looked around her age and is somehow kind of attractive too. Her headache must've been worse than she thought for her to spin into such madness.
Caitlyn shook her head, hoping to avoid further eye-contact. But what happened next had Caitlyn wildly impressed and thoroughly captivated.
After her opponent's turn, the girl took a solid three seconds to study her opponent's move, shifted a game-turning piece and slammed the ticking shut at her side of the clock before looking back up to Caitlyn again, mouth slightly agape.
Caitlyn raised an eyebrow.
Now that was certainly not the usual sight to come across around here.
To her horror, the girl raised an eyebrow too, breaking out into a shit-eating grin as if taunting her was a joke right there and then. Caitlyn mentally rolled her eyes.
After a few moments, the girl peeled her line of sight away from Caitlyn and redirected her focus to the board. Caitlyn didn’t realise that she was holding her breath under the girl’s intense stare.
She found herself completely enraptured by the girl's gameplay, the rest of her time now spent spectating that one table. Caitlyn walked slightly closer to the table to get a better angle of the game.
This girl displayed skill. The kind that looks almost like magic. If she were to tell Caitlyn that she’s a professional, Caitlyn would believe her. Where did she learn how to play? Who was this girl?
Most importantly, there was raw emotion driving this girl.
She was angry. The way she played was tactical and calculated. Her pieces attacked in swift, bloodthirsty ferocity, like a fire consuming the entirety of the battlefield. She played with purpose, and she was out to kill.
Caitlyn was not even near being an expert by any standard, as she convinced herself to think so. She's only gotten lucky enough to be able to play until this far. The days and nights spent reviewing her games and catching on blunt mistakes proved so. She has had her fair share of face-offs with aggressive players, but none could come quite as close to this. This method of gameplay was unique. The choice of using It was astounding. Caitlyn's smile grew.
The game carried on for an impressive five more moves before the girl ended it with a brutal checkmate of a rook capture, her opponent's king now pathetically trapped behind his own pawns, sagging in defeat.
Her chair was the first to be dragged across the floor as she stood up and gave a tight handshake to the otherwise stunned opponent. The girl walked towards the doors, she looked over to Caitlyn once more and flashed her a playful smile.
-
Vi led them up a roof, climbing up the rusted staircases of the fire exit. It was filled with a haphazard of looted items; pillows and blankets layered on thin and worn mattresses, scrap metal and corkscrews littered all over the area. There were messy doodles spray painted across the walls, the evident symbol of a monkey appearing multiple times.
Vi grabbed a pillow and threw it in Caitlyn’s direction. Caitlyn barely managed to catch it, the impact sending a small oof out of her. Vi chuckled, grabbing a few blankets and walking over to the ledge.
“Make yourself comfortable. Wouldn’t want you to be freezing out here, do we?” She sat down on the sandy concrete, dangling her legs over the edge and adjusted the blankets. Sensing Caitlyn's hesitation, she looked up at her and patted down on the blanket.
Caitlyn slowly walked towards Vi, tugging at the loose thread of the pillow. She slid right next to her, bodies close but not touching, and stared out to admire the view.
From here, she could overlook the entirety of Zaun’s illuminated streets. It extended all the way down to the horizon, the dimming hues of purple and orange that eventually faded into the other side of the river. Caitlyn closed her eyes and breathed. It is beautiful.
“It is,” Caitlyn looked over to Vi, not realising that she spoke her thoughts out loud. She hoped her dark hoodie could obscure her cheeks, now flushed in mild embarrassment.
They sat there in silence for- seconds? Minutes? Until the sun had completely set and the flickering lamp posts were buzzing from overuse.
Maybe it was a long time coming, her deepest depths of uncertainty bubbling up to the surface in the form of an ugly concoction. Maybe she was tired of feeling so alone all the time, and she just desperately needed someone to talk to.
“How do you do it?” Caitlyn deadpans, hands continuing to fiddle with the ends of the pillow.
Vi cracked open an eye and tilted her head towards Caitlyn’s side in mild curiosity. She knew. They have never had a talk this serious before, apart from exchanging a few jibes here and there. “Do what?”
Caitlyn licked her lips, trying to search for the right words.
"I don't know. Be so sure of what you do. So effortless in everything,"
Vi frowned in confusion.
"You're what?”
"It's stupid. It's so stupid, really," Caitlyn chuckled bitterly.
Vi reached out to grab Caitlyn's hand fleetingly, her thumb gently caressing Caitlyn's knuckles to stop her fidgeting, before letting go almost immediately. Caitlyn yearned for that touch, now feeling a cold and empty space between her palms.
Then the words started pouring off her chest, like she's been drowning in a whirlpool and is choking up the liquid now.
"Sometimes I don't know how to feel about- well, everything. You know, chess is the only thing I know. I've been in this game for all my life, it's practically my life. The one thing that can keep me together, and it'll just seem strange to stop. And I'm just," She trailed off, stopping herself from rambling even more.
"Stop. Breathe, Caitlyn," Caitlyn stared into Vi's eyes, ones glazed with worry. She shook her head.
"I don't know if I want to keep this up any longer, Vi."
Caitlyn swallowed down the lump in her throat.
"You’ve seen me play. You- You know. Only you will."
She didn't say it out loud, but it was clearer than ever, hanging in the air between them.
I'm not the Caitlyn I used to be. I don't play like the old Caitlyn used to.
She didn't talk about her parents, nor the mysterious documents covered with dizzying lines of terms and conditions regarding something she can't comprehend yet. It frustrates her to no end. She's got half her leg in and the other half out, and it all felt horrible.
Vi waited until she was sure Caitlyn's got everything off her chest, or at least all that she was willing to share. She propped her arms behind her head and leaned back on the pillow into a reclined position.
“I-" Vi cleared her throat and closed her eyes, shifting in her seat.
"I have a sister. We used to come here all the time. Eventually stole a whole bunch of stuff, anything we could find from the junk heaps, and made a fortress here for ourselves," She ended off with a breathy laugh.
Caitlyn resisted the urge to press further. Yet another thing uncovered from the mystery of a person. She had a sister.
Caitlyn nibbled her bottom lip in envy.
"There was a period of time where I was completely lost. It was a long time ago, but the feeling never goes away. My sister and I currently aren't… quite like we were then. But that was a whole decade ago. Things have changed. So no, I’m not as flawless as you make me out to be. Just like how you wouldn’t want me seeing you as someone completely unbroken. You can’t control what fate decides.”
And that was the essence of fate and time, right? Dragging away all that was held along with the unrelenting tides, never to face again. A force to push you back to shore. Therein lies the problem, Caitlyn can't swim away. She's stuck, treading in the water and gasping for air. Time doesn't heal all wounds, it punishes the stubborn ones.
Vi looked drifted away, a hidden pain beneath the tough facade cracking slowly, before catching herself and reverting back to the present.
"Look, Cait, I don't know what happened the past year. I don't know where you went, I-"
Caitlyn can't help but let out a small giggle. They really were terrible at this, weren't they?
Vi shot her a teasing glare.
"But what I'm trying to say is that, you should find something that'll keep you invested here for now. Anything. I'm not trying to force you to continue if you don't want it, but this kinda stuff requires a lot more consideration."
Caitlyn sighed, and nodded in agreement. Knowing that what Vi said was true.
“I'm here if you need me, okay? I won’t wish the worst for my favourite opponent. Opponent and friend.”
Caitlyn thought back to her previous tournaments this year, smiling at the despite the less than desired results.
"I guess, I still have something that'll keep me obsessed for a while longer,"
Vi raises an eyebrow in challenge, the corners of her lips quirking upwards. "Oh yeah?"
"I have to break your winning streak first." Caitlyn smirked.
Vi scoffed and nudged Caitlyn lightly,
"Good. I wasn't expecting anything less."
-
She's been here for over half a year, and the days definitely felt like they didn't get any easier. In fact, Vi felt like she was about to lose her mind very soon if the nightmares continued to plague her.
At least she's got something to look forward to now. The weird man turned out to not be as scary as she expected. Most of the time, he didn't talk, leaving Vi almost bored out of her wits. Free entertainment is better than staring at the large grey wall for hours on end. It's not much, but it'll probably make do for now.
Vi kept up with her usual antiques of following the man to the basement discreetly whenever lunch looked extra repulsive that day. She never considered herself picky, but the food they dish out, if it was even considered food, was nauseating to the point where Vi felt like throwing up after every bite.
It was almost like a routine. The man would walk in the room, carry out his usual set up, then sit for the entire hour in silence while Vi observed the game. Like a broken recorder crackling and replaying the same scene over and over again.
She still didn't know the name of this man, and he didn't bother giving any proper introduction to the whole chess thing either. Vi found an old, rickety wooden chair to perch on while he played, moving the pieces back and forth. The only thing she did was watch. And watch. Until the hour ticked by and they had to go back.
Safe to say she was intrigued by the game.
Black and white alternate their plays, she noticed, as she followed the man's gameplay. Vi could stare at the board for hours, trying to memorise how each piece moved. It was confusing, really. Especially when the supposed teacher wasn't trying to hide his frustration of a sudden random kid in his company.
The one shaped like a horse moved in an L-shape. That funny top hat looking thing moved in diagonals. The tall crown moved, well, anywhere. She only knew that the tall and sturdy piece with a cross at the top was called the King, after the man murmured something about it being a ‘ stupid useless arse of a king’.
And she's lost count of the endless combinations that could go on from the same opening - it was infinite. She decided that if this man wasn't going to say anything, she'll just have to learn by herself, stubborn as she was.
Days passed as Vi slowly got the hang of what usually moved first, sometimes trying to challenge herself by predicting where the man would move before he did so. It was funny, because she still wasn't quite sure what the goal was. The whole thing was just a fun guessing game right now.
Then Vi decided to break their routine.
"Don't you need a second player for this?" Vi voiced out all of a sudden, her voice cutting through the thick silence, not being able to hide her curiosity any longer.
The man ignored her, his stoic expression permanently imprinted, and instead focusing on resetting the board.
Not sensing a hint of indication from him, Vi continued pressing further.
"If the King is so important, why can't it move further? Why is the queen doing all the work?" The man grunted and glared at her with an unimpressed look. He started to replay with the exact same opening.
Vi immediately recoiled, hiding her face between her knees as she whispered a soft sorry .
Only the sounds of soft clacking of the pieces remained, the man's brows furrowed into a sharp crease as he studied the board.
Vi tore her gaze away from the board and looked at the man. Things wouldn't go anywhere if she didn't make the first move. Like this weird game. Not moving is equivalent to giving up. She's already at her lowest, so what could be worse?
"Can I try playing it?"
-
Vi carefully unlocked the door this time, movements less hasty and more careful now.
There was no point staying at the hotel if she already had an apartment nearby, so she opted to stay there for the month, initially hoping to spend some more time with her sister before she had to leave again.
She could see now how that might've been a mistake.
Powder was still generally unresponsive, only leaving her room when necessary to eat and shower, and even those were rare too. Vi's tried sitting down and talking to her multiple times, she's tried signing her up for mechanic workshops. Heck, And she's starting to think that maybe Powder just needed time and space alone to get comfortable again.
Staying in the newly built hotel felt odd too. The tall establishment stood there in all of its lavishness and opulence in the middle of the sea of run-down buildings and scrapped construction. It was a 'donation' from the big names in Piltover, a statement of peace and between the two nations.
Of course the people of Zaun weren't stupid. If anything, it only served to pull the already strained tensions taut. How such a glamorous facility is built specifically for the topsiders during their visits, the other parts of the city still largely left in abandon. It just goes to show the grandiosity Piltover is willing to display against their neighbouring city, the vote taken to further diminish Zaun's deteriorating state.
Vi couldn't stand being there, in one of the rooms, looking over the towering building from her balcony to the streets of Zaun. The streets that Piltover once left in the dirt, the current policy of rejuvenating the area that was taken upon just to shut the people up.
So instead, she's opted to prolong her time outside as much as possible, walking Caitlyn back to the hotel before wandering aimlessly around the place she grew up in. Until she realised that she's passed by the same convenience store for the third time already.
Vi groaned and turned on her heel, deciding that she was being ridiculous and should really just go back home.
She expected the apartment to remain eerily quiet, like it usually did. Instead, she's met with her television switched on to a news broadcast that drowned out into the background, lights in the living room switched on and a crunching noise coming from behind the couch.
Her instincts kicked in and she immediately clenched her fists.
"Who's there?"
Instead, the not-so familiar raspy voice of her sister rang out, slightly muffled.
"Where were you?"
Vi visibly jumped, almost dropping her keys on the floor as her head whipped around to the living area. Power's head popped up from the back of the couch, face covered with cookie crumbs. before crouching back down.
A few moments later, she reappeared again, holding up a crooked dust-covered hairpin. "Ah, there you are,"
She grabbed the bag filled with empty cookie crumbs, tossing it into the bin and walking over to the fridge to pull out a jug half-filled with milk.
"Powder? What are you doing?"
"What, I just spent 624 hours trying to figure out how that sad excuse of a rocket launcher works and I'm not allowed to hang around out here?”
Vi ran her fingers through her hair in exasperation, registering the fact that her sister is indeed standing right in front of her, pantry rummaged through from the inside out, talking to her so casually it would seem like they’re regular close sisters bickering-
"No, no, of course not. You- I’m- Why haven't you been talking to me then?"
Powder turned around with the cereal box in hand and leaned forward animatedly, a wicked grin widening. "Sorry, sis . I guess I can get really hyperfocused when I'm working on something I know would definitely blow Jayce's mind, and his lab,"
Vi doesn't know who this Jayce was, or what sort of arsenal-like experimental weapon Powder was building, but those were at the bottom of her concerns right now.
“You’ve got me worrying for the past month since you moved in,” Vi groaned.
Powder hummed, as she continued sieving through the bare cabinets that contained nothing more than a few protein bars and a handful of 3-in-1 coffee sachet mixes - those were all Vi needed. And, well, she still has got no idea what her sister’s teenage self prefers.
"No offence, sis, but your kitchen has got to be the most pathetic one in the neighbourhood. Jeez, not even a boxed mac?"
Vi stared at the scene in incredulity, unsure if she felt irritated with being ignored for a whole month, concerned over the dubious stuff she's building, or relieved that her sister isn't actually going to shut her out forever.
Powder grabbed a box of colourful cereal and poured its contents directly into the jug. She looked over to Vi's trouble frown.
"Pfft, if you wanted the TV to yourself so bad you could have just asked,"
Powder hopped off the counter with the jug in hand, braids flailing behind her back. "I'm going back in, enjoy yourself."
She was about to make the sharp turn back into her room before she paused and whipped her head around.
“Oh, by the way, you’ve been seriously kicking Kiramman’s ass lately, huh,”
Vi sighed, conceding defeat, her brain failing to catch up with the overwhelming series of events. She shrugged and nodded. How they went from talking about blowing some guy’s lab to Caitlyn’s recent games, she had no idea.
Powder let out a manic laugh. “Looks like I’ve gotta try playing against her now.” And then she disappeared into the darkness in the hallway.
Vi waited until she heard the click of the lock, before shoving her face into her arm, muffling her desperate yell.
-
This girl had her fair share of quirks too, Caitlyn noticed.
Before every game, she would twist each piece at an approximate 45 degree angle. To say she was confused would be an understatement. Caitlyn had never been this eager to play against someone before. So there she was, silently rooting for her every win just so Caitlyn could have a chance of playing with her.
Round after round, the girl completely dominated the scene, mercilessly capturing victories under her watch. The crowd around the table grew with each passing game, Caitlyn having to strain her neck to catch a glimpse of the girl from afar, her nose wrinkled in mild discomfort as trails of smoke from cigars and perfume blended together.
She could hear the occasional hushed murmurs as she tried to keep up with the girl's critical moves, the audience shushing each other when their discussion got too loud.
Having the bishop capture her rook. Interesting. It was risky. Not something Caitlyn would've done.
"She's good. Has she gotten any stats prior? I would've remember seeing her around before,"
Queen to H1. Holy shit.
"I saw the board just now. Her name's Vi. Don't remember her playing before either."
King cornered t- Wait, okay, her name is Vi. Vi. Caitlyn whispered out. Why did it sound so familiar?
"Huh, how peculiar,"
Checkmate. Vi let out a breath and craned her neck in visible relief.
Caitlyn huffed lightly, crossed arms coming up to her front to clap once. Then twice.
Then slowly, the awestruck crowd erupted into another round of heavy applause, as Vi smiled and ducked her head in mild embarrassment. Caitlyn's mouth was hanging wide open, eyes still drawn towards the board.
Vi made the final advancement and is now about to play against Caitlyn.
Finally. Caitlyn's hands were itching to get her touch back on the board. Before she could sit down, Vi leaned over and reached out a hand right in front of Caitlyn's face.
She looked a lot more self-assured now than the first game, carrying a cool swagger and an easy smile. Caitlyn recognised that look. It's natural to feel like you're about to conquer everything, especially after a streak of wins. It was like a gamble, hitting the jackpot and partying in your head.
And it was Caitlyn's goal to break that resolve.
The crowd has yet to come back from their intermission, but Caitlyn would use this chance to gain leverage over her opponent. Or more like, just wanting to talk to her out of plain curiosity.
"The silent tiger," Vi looked up through the messy strands of pink hair across her face and smirked at Caitlyn, as she reseted the board with refined practice.
Caitlyn caught her stare, and narrowed her gaze.
"You've been looking at me all weird today. It's actually kinda creeping me out,"
Vi chuckled and placed a palm across her chest.
"I'm a fan, Kiramman." She dragged her words out, speaking as if Caitlyn should know why Vi had been looking at her like she's trying to see through her soul. If it was anyone else who draws her last name out like this, she would've made sure to crush that loser's will to pull through the game without throwing a tantrum.
It felt weird, to think that she’s only known her for a full three hours.
"Come on, you’re a spectacle. Anyone wants to be like you now,”
She raised her hand to stop Vi from continuing. "Please, don't. If anything, that just makes me feel worse about myself.”
Caitlyn stared at her hands as Vi tilted each piece.
She leaned forward and whispered lightly into Caitlyn’s ear. “I came today with the intention of playing against you though, Caitlyn.”
A blush spreaded across her cheeks. As rare as it comes, Caitlyn suddenly felt a surge of joy. Not the shiny prizes and trophies. Never those. But the fact that she finally found someone who’d probably keep surprising her. And she loved a challenge, always craving for something fresh.
Game on.
Caitlyn folded her sleeves up to her elbows and grinned. "Well, safe to say, I think it's an honour to play with you too, Vi."
The new talk of the town.