Chapter Text
Caitlyn made another fist, squeezing and releasing. The motion would be a comfort if she wasn’t accosted with the novelty of her icy cold fingers each time. She tried instead to focus on the neon signs that buzzed above her head. The buzzing was new, she realized; she hadn’t heard it the very few times she had ventured into the undercity before. She pulled her hood tighter over her hair as she walked, the thought of venturing into the undercity making her head spin. Focus, she thought. Stay focused. She forced her gaze away from where it had been trained on the ground in front of her and instead on the flickering signs. The din of the crowd surrounded her, everyone sounding so much closer than she knew they were. She found herself scrutinizing the posture, the complexion, the grotesqueness of each person that bundled past her. She could tell who were vamps (“people who have bites,” her mother chastised her in her head) almost immediately, and with an alarming degree of certainty. Caitlyn found herself trying to slouch, not remembering when she had started carrying her shoulders so high. Her eyes suddenly caught on an unassuming circular sign, the outline of a drink glowing a sickly yellow. The Last Drop. Very apt. She turned and started walking towards it, trying not to move too quickly.
The inside of the bar was dimly lit and sparely decorated, a stark contrast to the Piltovian restaurants and lounges Caitlyn was used to. She squared her shoulders as she stepped through the doorway, ignoring the glances shot her way and she passed tables. Her hands were shaking, how long had they been shaking? She looked around, trying to look for any clues that she was in the right place. Suddenly, the smell hit her nose. It was a metallic, warm, syrupy smell. Caitlyn felt her mouth water against her will, glancing around for the source of the scent. She looked over at the bar where the bartender was currently chatting with a Zaunite. Caitlyn slowly began to walk towards the bar, trying to walk with much more confidence than she felt. The bartender handed a drink to the patron and turned away from the bar, pulling a towel from her shoulder to wipe a glass. Caitlyn noticed her hair first; bright pink and swept across her forehead in a style Caitlyn had not seen in Piltover. She sat at a barstool, trying to relax her posture as much as she could. The bartender stayed facing away from her, placing her glass down and picking up another. Caitlyn’s eyes drifted down to the bartender’s hands, watching as she wiped the glasses down with a gentleness that seemed entirely at odds with her stained tank top and scuffed leather pants. Her arms had muscles that Caitlyn hadn’t seen in a woman before, rolling under her skin as she cleaned to glasses.
“Are you actually gonna order something or just stare all day?” The bartender’s voice cut through Caitlyn’s thoughts, making her jump in her seat. “I don’t give a fuck either way, I’d just prefer you don’t waste a bar seat if you aren’t going to be tipping.”
“Um, sorry, yes, I will,” Caitlyn said, her fingers tightening around the edge of the bar seat under her. The bartender looked at her expectantly as Caitlyn frantically searched for a way to word her question. The bartender suddenly narrowed her eyes, and her gaze dropped to Caitlyn’s mouth.
“No fucking way,” she murmured. “A Piltie vamp.”
“No,” Caitlyn said too quickly, her tongue instinctively darting to her canines. The bartender smiled and let out an easy laugh.
“Relax, Piltie, no one’s gonna call your enforcer daddy here.”
“It’s Cait.”
“Cupcake?”
“No, I said—”
“Yeah, I heard what you said, cupcake. You’ve got newbie written all over you,” The bartender said, her smile growing.
“What do you—”
“Even down here I wouldn’t go around sharing your name with every stranger you meet,” the bartender said, her voice suddenly serious. Caitlyn opened her mouth but couldn’t formulate any words. “It’s okay, cupcake” the bartender winked, “I can keep a secret.”
“What’s yours?” Caitlyn blurted out. The corner of the bartender’s mouth twitched, her eyes crinkling at the sides.
“Vi,” she said.
“Is that your real name?”
“Why would I lie to you, cupcake?” Vi said, turning away from the bar to grab an opaque black glass.
“Wait, I still need to order,” Caitlyn said, eyes darting up to the flasks on liquid perched on a shelf behind the bar.
“I know,” Vi replied over her shoulder, walking through a curtained doorway behind the bar. Then Caitlyn was alone. She glanced around the bar, her eyes feeling more adjusted to the low light now. Most of the patrons were huddled around tables in groups of three or four, heads together and voices low.
“—farming it behind the Weeping Tortoise, I’ve heard,” Caitlyn picked up from a couple tables over. She leaned slightly towards the sound, keeping her eyes trained on the bar shelves in front of her.
“Something the matter, cupcake?” Vi grinned, making Caitlyn jump in her chair. She glanced over Caitlyn’s shoulder and her smile faded.
“Look, cupcake, it would do you well to stay away from… those types,” Vi said stiffly, placing an opaque glass in front of Caitlyn. Anything Vi said next was lost to Caitlyn as the same metallic scent from earlier flooded her senses, sending a warm rush into her head.
“Hey,” Vi snapped, cutting through her reverie.
“Yes. Sorry,” Caitlyn said, eyeing her drink. It looked almost black under the dim lighting of the bar. Caitlyn wrapped her fingers around the side of the cup and felt warmth seeping through.
“You’ve drank before, right cupcake?” Vi asked, eyes dropping down to where Caitlyn’s fingers were wrapped reverently around her cup.
“Have I—keep your voice down!” Caitlyn hissed, snatching her hands away from the cup and shoving them under her thighs on the seat.
“Gods, relax,” Vi laughed. Caitlyn didn’t move her hands. “Okay, I get it. How new are you?”
“How new am—why should I tell you?” Caitlyn snapped back, suddenly defensive.
“Cause I’m feeding you,” Vi replied, gesturing dramatically to the cup in front of Caitlyn. “If you don’t want it, though—”
“I do,” Caitlyn replied, her hands around the cup again in an instant. “Just… can you look away while I drink it?” Vi smiled again, warm as a pink sunrise. She turned away from the bar theatrically, hands laced behind her back in a way that reminded Caitlyn of the enforcers back in Piltover.
“Shit,” she whispered to herself. She had definitely been gone too long.
“Something wrong?” Vi started to turn around, alarmed.
“No! No,” Caitlyn replied. “I said not to look.” Vi turned back around, unclasping her hands and letting them hang in fists by her side, betraying the easy way her shoulders were set. Caitlyn lifted the cup to her mouth and tried to take a small sip. The moment the liquid touched her lips she was gulping it down, eyes closed as it washed over her teeth and tongue. In a few short moments she was done, breathing hard. Her palm was wet around the cup—sweating, how long had she been sweating?– and she felt fuller than she had in weeks.
“I’m done,” she said, her eyes drifting down to the vein running along the underside of Vi’s forearm. She snapped her eyes up to Vi’s face as she turned back around.
“So?” Vi asked, her tongue darting over her bottom lip.
“Good. Really, really good,” Caitlyn said, still catching her breath. Vi grinned. Caitlyn’s eyes dropped to her mouth and at her very human teeth.
“I’m glad you liked it, cupcake,” Vi said. Caitlyn needed to look anywhere else except Vi’s mouth. The blood was making her head feel far too airy to be this close to someone else.
“I need to go,” Caitlyn blurted, reaching into the pockets of her jacket. “How much do I owe you?”
“First one’s on the house, cupcake,” Vi said, reaching over to clear Caitlyn’s cup. “On one condition.” Caitlyn froze, her hand still resting in her pocket. “Just promise you’ll stop by again,” Vi said, eyes dropping to the cup in her hand. Caitlyn smiled.
“Deal,” she said, dropping a handful of coins on the bar table as she stood up from her stool.
“I just said—”
“Wouldn’t want to waste a bar seat if I’m not tipping,” Caitlyn threw over her shoulder, cheeks feeling hot for the first time in weeks. Vi stared after her, her mouth hanging slightly open in a smile.
--
The door of the makeshift lab creaked accusingly as Caitlyn slipped in. There was no longer any daylight coming in through the window above Jayce’s desk.
“Gods, Cait, do you know how late it is?” a voice hissed, causing Caitlyn to start.
“I know, I know,” Caitlyn whispered back, closing the door behind her. “I lost track of time.”
“No shit,” Jayce replied, pulling her into an embrace. Caitlyn let him for a moment before wriggling away. “What happened?”
“I met someone,” she said in a rush. “She… was able to help me find what I was looking for.”
“No way,” Jayce said. Caitlyn nodded earnestly, nudging past Jayce and towards the door out of the lab. “Wait, I covered for your ass all day,” he protested as Caitlyn eased the door open. “You owe me a story at least.”
“Tomorrow,” Caitlyn said, the fullness of her stomach causing her eyes to feel heavy. “Promise.”
“Fine,” Jayce huffed, following her out the door and starting in the opposite direction. “Tomorrow.”
Caitlyn walked carefully towards her quarters, her footsteps falling even lighter than usual on the solid floors of her family’s home. She wove through the hallways until she reached the door labelled Kiramman. Caitlyn slipped in as quietly as she could and began walking down the hallway.
“Caitlyn!” A voice cut through the silence. Caitlyn whipped her head around and bared her teeth. Her mother was staring at her, recoiling slightly at the sight of her canines.
“Mother!” Caitlyn replied, trying to wrap her lips around her teeth as she spoke.
“What on Earth took so long?” her mother demanded, crossing her arms.
“Jayce had to—um, he had to run some extra tests. They were… draining?” Her mother’s face softened and she walked over towards Caitlyn.
“Oh darling, I’m sorry for snapping. He did warn me that his work might be a bit… invasive,” her mother replied. “I was hoping that having him do his work at our home would make it easier on you. Was it productive, at least?”
“Yes. I think we’re… close to a breakthrough?” Caitlyn stumbled, forcing out an easy smile. She watched as all the tension drained from her mother’s shoulders and immediately felt guilty.
“Oh, Caitlyn,” her mother said, pulling her into a hug. “I told you Jayce could figure it out. He’ll have you cured soon, I just know it.” Caitlyn returned the hug stiffly and forced out a yawn. Her mother pulled away.
“Oh, honey, you must be exhausted. I’m sorry for keeping you up,” her mother said apologetically. Caitlyn smiled again at her, taking a step backwards towards her quarters.
“It’s really alright, mother. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yes, of course. I love you.”
“I love you too, mother,” Caitlyn replied, turning away and walking into her room.
She fell asleep with the taste of blood on her lips and the memory of the vein pulsing under Vi’s skin.
--
Caitlyn went back to the bar the next day. And the day after that. Jayce hated it, of course. He tried to protest every morning when she came knocking at the lab door with her travel coat on, but she knew there was never any real bite behind his words. Besides, she would forget anything he had said the moment she sat down at the bar across from Vi. Vi, who seemed to work every day.
“Do you live here or something?” Caitlyn joked one day.
“I do, actually,” Vi replied. Caitlyn stared at her, looking for any signs that she was joking.
“Oh, you’re being serious,” she said after a beat. Vi nodded, gesturing towards the door at the back of the bar.
“My place is down there, and I’m off in about an hour,” Vi said. “I could, uh, take you down after?”
“You could—sorry?” Caitlyn spluttered. She swore that Vi’s cheeks darkened.
“To show you around,” Vi corrected. Caitlyn nodded slowly.
“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds nice,” she said. Vi smiled and handed her another cup, warm and viscous.
--
Caitlyn glanced at the clock in the corner again. The minute hand was moving slower than usual, she was sure of it.
“Someone’s impatient,” Vi said, drying off one last cup with a cloth and setting it aside. “Look, I haven’t had anyone new come by the bar in almost an hour and I don’t think anyone else is coming now. Let me finish putting these away and then I’m all yours, cupcake.”
“No one’s coming by the bar because you’ve been talking to me all night,” Caitlyn teased.
“And last night. And the night before,” Vi replied, smiling with teeth.
“Is there a problem with that?” Caitlyn asked, raising an eyebrow. Vi shook her head earnestly.
“Wouldn’t say that, cupcake.”
“Hm. I thought as much.” Caitlyn smiled. Vi smiled back and grabbed a stack of cups, turning away from the bar to add them to a stack behind her.
“So, cupcake,” she said as she turned back around. “Wanna come downstairs?”
--
Caitlyn isn’t sure what she expected, but it wasn’t this. This, being a dimly-lit room consisting of only a table with a couch on either side of it. There was a single, dirty carpet on the floor and a wooden stool on top of it. The walls were what caught her eye, though. They were covered in murals of some kind, images of monkeys and gems, of clouds and explosions, a patchwork of blue and pink wrapping around all four sides of the room.
“You… live down here?” Caitlyn said lamely, running her fingers over the painted contours of a blue gem.
“Sorry if it’s not like your palace back home, Piltie,” Vi said humorously, but her tone was stiffer than usual. Caitlyn felt her face heat up.
“Um, did you do all of these drawings?” Caitlyn said, eager to change the subject.
“My little sister did, actually,” Vi replied.
“Does she live with you?”
“No,” Vi said. Caitlyn glanced at her, waiting to see if she was going to continue.
“Does she live… in Zaun?” Caitlyn pushed.
“Yeah. She’s busy though, so she doesn’t come by here much anymore.”
“What does she do?” Vi looked a bit uncomfortable.
“Look, how about we head into my room and we can talk about it there? It’s sort of complicated.”
“Oh,” Caitlyn responded. “Yes, alright.” Vi led her towards a door near the back of the room that Caitlyn hadn’t noticed before. It wasn’t until this moment that she really became aware of the situation she had gotten herself in. This girl who she barely knew—admittedly, a very beautiful girl—was taking her to her bedroom. Caitlyn hadn’t been with anyone since getting bitten. What if she accidentally bit Vi? Could she turn someone from spit alone?
“Are you coming, cupcake, or are you just gonna stare all day?” Vi said, tugging Caitlyn out of her head. She nodded and walked over to where Vi was halfway through the door. Vi kicked off her boots as she walked in. Caitlyn followed suit, arranging her shoes neatly next to the door.
Vi’s room was admittedly much nicer than the one they had just been in. It was similar in size, with a bed in the corner on what looked like a wooden pallet. The bed was unmade, deep blue sheets strewn half on the mattress and half on the floor. There was a single pillow at the head of the bed, patches of it stained the same pink as Vi’s hair. Above the bed were more of the same drawings Caitlyn had seen in the other room. A small wooden stool was beside the bed with a single lamp on it. Vi turned it on, casting the room in a warm glow. A black punching bag was mounted on the concrete ceiling in the opposite corner to the bed, several parts of it patched up with bits of pink and blue fabric. A small, cushioned chair was pushed up against one of the walls, with a short wooden table in front of it. The chair looked large enough for two people to fit, maybe three if they squeezed. Vi sat on it and motioned for Caitlyn to join her. Caitlyn sat next to her, leaving a thighs-width of space between them.
“I hope it’s up to your standards, cupcake,” Vi said, glancing around the room. Caitlyn nodded, not sure what to say. She laced her hands on her lap, then felt stupid, instead placing them palms-down on the couch next to her thighs.
“It’s lovely. Very… homey.” Vi hummed, leaning back on the couch and kicking her feet up onto the table. She rested an arm over the armrest next to her on the couch, the other rubbing up and down her own thigh. “You did promise me a story about your sister,” Caitlyn said, “but no pressure if it’s a, uh, sensitive topic,” she added as Vi visibly stiffened.
“Nah, it’s fine,” she said. Caitlyn waited. “She’s got a workshop not too far from here.”
“A workshop? For what?”
“She’s, uh, a scientist. A fucking great one, actually.”
“A scientist!” Caitlyn exclaimed. “My best friend is too.”
“Huh,” Vi said, smiling. “What are the chances, cupcake. How long have you known your best friend?”
“Most of my—wait stop changing the subject,” Caitlyn paused. “What does your sister do, exactly?”
“Well, that’s where it might get a bit—what did you call it?—sensitive.” Caitlyn watched Vi’s face redden and suddenly became nervous. She had let her guard down since meeting Vi. All she had ever learned about Zaun was how dangerous the people living down here were. What if her sister was one of them?
“Wait, before I can tell you about my sister, I think I need to tell you about my dad,” Vi said. “This bit might actually involve you a bit, so you need to promise not to freak out. Are you gonna freak out, cupcake?” If Caitlyn was nervous before, she was shitting herself now.
“Depends on what you’re going to say,” she replied, trying to keep her voice level.
“Well, uh. I know you came down here because you needed to drink, right?” Caitlyn nodded. “Well, it’s gotta come from somewhere. And that’s what my dad does.” Caitlyn suddenly felt very sick. She leaned forwards, her elbows on her thighs, propping her head up.
“It’s not human, cupcake,” Vi rushed out. “I promise. Gods, it’s not human,” Vi shuddered. “But he’s a vamp, too. Like you.” Caitlyn turned her head to look at Vi, her head still in her hands. “But yeah, it’s not pretty,” Vi finished. She looked more uncomfortable than Caitlyn had ever seen her.
“Mmhm,” Caitlyn responded bravely.
“How’re you taking this, cupcake?” Vi asked after a pause.
“Well.”
“I mean,” Vi began in a tone that never boded well. “You were the one who was, you know. Drinking it.”
“Gods, Vi, I know,” Caitlyn replied, rattled. “I don’t even know where to start. Where exactly is your dad getting all this blood from?” Vi shrugged, looking at her feet. “Vi, I’m being serious.”
“So am I,” she replied, still not meeting Caitlyn’s eyes.
“Then how are you sure it isn’t… that it’s animal?”
“I know my dad!” Vi was almost yelling now. “I know him, and I know how he used to be. He’s… it’s animal. I promise you.”
“Alright,” Caitlyn said, lifting her head from her hands and leaning back on the couch. She tucked her hands back under her thighs.
“Alright,” Vi replied. The silence that followed was tense.
“So,” Caitlyn started. “What does all of this have to do with your sister?”
“Oh, Powder?” Vi’s face lit up. “Right, yeah. Cupcake, you have to promise to keep a secret.”
“Oh. Of course,” Caitlyn said. Vi held up her left pinky, quirking an eyebrow. Caitlyn smiled and wrapped her own around it, her skin like fire under Vi’s. She could still feel the heat of it after they let go of each other.
“Well, my sister. Her whole project is—I’ll be honest, I don’t know all the details of it, so don’t ask me anything too specific, cupcake. But she’s working to make a synthetic,” Vi said, her voice tapering off into a whisper at the end.
“A… synthetic?”
“For vamps like you. And our dad.”
“Oh.” Caitlyn replied. A synthetic. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
“Well, it’s not right now,” Vi said, rolling her eyes. Caitlyn bit back a snarky retort. “But Powder is gonna come up with something. She’s a baby genius. I think you two would like each other, Piltie.”
“Oh yeah?” Caitlyn asked teasingly.
“Yeah, really. What’re you up to on Friday?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Powder and her supervisor are stopping by after they’re done at the lab that night. You should come by and meet her.”
“I would love that,” Caitlyn responded, smiling.