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“No….”
“No, no, no, no…”
This had to be a nightmare. Had to because if it wasn’t then it was real and she doesn’t want it to be. She needs it not to be.
But as the seconds tick by and Vi feels no closer to waking up, even pinching herself to really make sure, the fact that this was possibly reality began to set in.
She felt like crying upon finally accepting the truth, this horror really was happening. It had to be one of the worst days of her life, and that’s saying something considering the many losses she’d suffered and the countless nights spent bleeding and shivering on the floor of her cell in Stillwater.
Why?
Why couldn’t she just be given a break?
Why did it seem like the world itself had it out for her?
Why?
Why?
Why?
The question echoed in her mind over and over, yet the answer never came.
Looking into those bright pink eyes made her fists ball up in fury, fury at the unfairness of it all, fury at everything and everyone.
She’d thought her life might be getting better, had dared to hope for a future like she’d never dared to before. Caitlyn, brilliant, wonderful Caitlyn, and her lived together in Piltover, where there was an abundance of fresh air, where her pay was more than enough for three full meals a day, where she was loved and felt safe for the first time since the night she’d lost her family for the second time in her short life.
Life seemed impossibly good and seemed to only get better as, slowly but surely, she managed to reach her sister, past the jagged thorns she’d put up to protect herself from anymore hurt; her little Pow-Pow, who’d grown so mistrustful and angry in their years apart, slowly starting to trust her again.
The room she’d hopefully kept clean and prepared for months after moving into her new house had gone empty for so long that the flame of hope in her chest had just began to dim was reignited into an inferno when she passed it one morning to find the window open and her sister tangled in the covers, soft snores filling the room.
Things were going so fucking well and Vi, as the universe’s personal punching bag, should have expected that it wouldn’t last.
She’d been forced to travel around with several other representatives of Piltover for nearly a month. Caitlyn, too busy with her duties as Sheriff to go, had been adamant that Vi should take her place as security and after much grumbling Vi had reluctantly agreed, after demanding heavy reparations in the form of cuddles of course.
And then she was home, ready to unpack and unwind with her girlfriend and sister, only to enter the living room and be greeted by this nightmarish sight.
Blue and pink eyes looked on in varying levels of concern as her breath grew heavy and she tensed up.
“Vi, are you alright?” Fuck, not even Caitlyn’s gentle voice could calm her racing thoughts or quell the horror building in her chest.
She couldn’t look away, not even when Cait approached and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, her face filled with worry.
When she looked up into the pink eyes of her sister she saw a flicker of understanding in them, swiftly followed by glee and a delighted smile stretching from ear to ear.
“What’s the matter, sis, you seem a little under the weather? Maybe you should sit down and take a little break so you can gather your thoughts? Perhaps a short nap would do you good?” Powder finished, her smile so large it looked painful, with excessive sweetness that did nothing to hide the joy in her eyes that glittered like a starlit night.
Every word was like a hammer blow breaking the glass foundation of her new and wonderful life, rubbing her face in the fact that this was her new reality.
Only one croaked word made it past her lips, full of dread and pain-
“How?”
Powder only smiled wider as she began to pick at her nails.
Caitlyn’s head swiveled back and forth between the two sisters, wearing the same little frown she wore whenever she was faced with a particularly tough case though Vi, too busy staring at her sister, never noticed it or when said look shifted into wide-eyed understanding and then a look of barely restrained amusement.
“Dunno,” Her sister shrugged as she picked at some non-existent dirt under her nail, “must’ve been all that fancy Piltie food you and your girlfriend’s been making me eat.”
Of fucking course this could be traced back to VI’s own actions, anything she did the universe seemed to find a way to use against her. All her fault, all because she didn’t want her sister to stuff her body with only the greasy and fried garbage sold around the Undercity markets now that she had access to the healthy and fresh abundance that living topside offered, never mind the fact she was a hypocrite since Vi would happily finish off whatever snack she managed to confiscate from her sister.
Damn her concern for her sister’s health and damn her sister for listening to h-
Her ears discerned the near-inaudible sound of a stifled snicker from beside her.
Utter betrayal pierced her heart and she jerked her shoulder out of Cait’s hand.
She could only look at her in shock, such treachery she never could have expected from her beloved Caitlyn.
Alas! The woman whom she had so swiftly and deeply fallen for was but a snake and a backstabber! Was there no end to her woes? What kind of long-legged demoness had she been seduced by that could take such joy in her misery? If only she had been privy to this Judas betrayer’s true nature before falling for her sinfully soft cuddles and hugs so good she should have suspected her unholiness.
Unfortunately Vi’s expression was the last push needed for Caitlyn to break and she nearly doubled over from laughing, managing to regain her composure only to lose it once again when she looked at the betrayed expression Vi sported.
“I’m sorry, Vi,” the traitor said after finally quelling her laughter, hints of amusement still noticeable in the quivering of her voice and the way the corner of her mouth twitched upwards, “I’m sorry, it’s just…”
“How can you laugh?” Vi despaired, “How can you laugh as my fears are made reality? Laugh at how the world itself conspires to torture me? As I am once again made a fool of by nature itself?”
“Oh would you lighten up, mini-me, you’re being a real downer.” Vi’s head snapped to the side upon hearing her sister’s voice.
Vi, summarizing her current feelings for the younger girl into a single word, growled in response.
“Die.”
This sent Caitlyn into another fit of giggling, this time joined by Powder, and Vi alternated between glaring up at her sister and pouting at her snickering partner.
Honestly, Cait's height had been something both Vi and Powder initially made fun of, until she began to retaliate by placing things like their toothbrushes, shoes and tools far above their reach. Powder’s solution was to simply climb up the cabinets, dressers and walls but when Vi tried to do the same she’d been forced to clean whatever she’d used to climb, and even things she hadn’t but could have, by Caitlyn because she apparently left prints all over the place when she tried, unlike Powder; blatant favoritism in Vi’s opinion.
But somehow she always seemed to know when Vi had resorted to climbing in order to get to brush her teeth or tinkering with her gauntlets, to this day she had no idea how since Vi herself couldn’t see any of the supposed foot or hand prints she always left behind.
She’d been forced to bribe Powder with street food and let her dye Vi’s hair into a rainbow of the most eye-watering greens, oranges and yellows Vi had ever had the displeasure of seeing for a whole month before a tentative peace settled over the household.
The blue-haired girls eventually calmed down enough to speak. Caitlyn being the first as she wiped a stray tear from her eye.
“Really, Vi, it’s not the end of the world, you’re being a tad overdramatic, don’t you think?”
Overdramatic? If anything she wasn’t being dramatic enough! You wouldn’t just brush it off if you saw a fish suddenly sprout legs and go for a quick walk around the docks, would you?
This aberration from nature was near criminal!
Powder wasn’t allowed to be tall! That’s Vi’s thing as the one in the role of older sister. Her little Powder had always stayed around the same size in proportion to Vi, remaining just the right size to be picked up and be comfortably enveloped in a hug, her head tucked under Vi’s chin.
That’s how things are meant to be.
The older sibling is taller and the younger shorter, that’s just the way things are.
What wasn’t meant to be was Powder being just a centimeter or two shy of Cait’s height.
That was just completely unnatural.
….right?
For a brief moment she considered that maybe it was just her insecurities speaking, that she really was being a bit ridiculous about something as inconsequential as height.
Nah.
Insecurities? Ha! What a ridiculous idea!
Vi? Insecure? Laughable! Ha! Ha ha! See how she’s laughing? That’s how funny and ridiculous it is.
Nope, Vi was the most secure person she knew. If anyone was insecure it was Cait. She’s the one who insists on wearing the tallest damn hat Vi had ever seen, ‘It’s part of the uniform, Vi’ sure it is and it just happens to always make her the tallest one in the room.
Firmly secure in her beliefs again Vi finally responded.
“I am not! Can’t you see how wro-“
Or she tried to, sadly her sister had to interrupt. Actually that was probably a good thing; Vi’s argument had been so good that Cait likely would have been rendered speechless if she’d been allowed to say use it, she would have educated this rich only child about the science of height concerning siblings and she’d feel pretty bad about embarrassing her like that.
“Aw, don’t worry, Vi, I’ll build you some height-enhancing boots so you don’t get lonely down there.”
Powder beamed as she gave her a pat on the head.
Caitlyn choked back another laugh.
Vi’s eye twitched.