[Caitlyn is making her way down a busy street. She's only visible from about the clavicle up but it's clear she's wearing expensive, lacy clothes that are not at all her usual style. Her hair and make-up are done as well. She looks put out about it.]
I was hoping to visit you, if you're free. There's something I'd like to discuss, and-- [A scowl.] I'm not at all enjoying the work they've got me doing over here.
[ Having never seen Caitlyn decked out like that, Vi stares while Caitlyn talks and then for an awkward drag after, transfixed long enough for an impatient baby dragon trying to climb her back to gently chomp at her ear for attention. 'Gently' is enough to nearly make her drop the pocket watch, and the visual wobbles for a bit as Vi wrestles the baby dragon back to its siblings. ]
Hold on─!
[ Popping back into frame! Her ear's just a little bruised. There are several bruises on her arms, but really, they're love bites. ]
Yeah, of course. I need an excuse to get out of here, too. You want to meet somewhere? [ Not here, please. She needs to get away. ]
[Caitlyn fails to notice Vi's staring, distracted as she is making her way through the busy streets. When the screen goes wobbly, she's worried for a moment that the dragon's actually hurt Vi.]
Are you--
[No serious harm done, it looks like.]
Yes, I. [She glances around before lowering her voice conspiratorially.] I'll have to sneak over to Eidris. Is there somewhere clandestine we could meet?
[ Vi can't help but grin. There's not a lot to smile about around here, if one spends too long thinking about it. Nice to occasionally appreciate the lighter moments, which is currently Cait thinking herself some wild rebel. ]
You aren't sneaking anywhere dolled up like that.
[ Not that it matters if she's spotted. Vi doubts anyone would say anything, and anyone who tried would just be wasting their time. Caitlyn should be able to handle herself in that regard, not that Vi isn't ready to shut people up in a much swifter fashion.
She'll write in some directions...to a library. Yes, a library. A big one, but everything is big in Eidris. The parkour has been...a challenge. The building's heights rival even Piltover's. ]
Besides, I've seen some other people from Minaras over here. Worst they got was some nasty glares, which I'm pretty sure won't be a problem with you looking like that.
Edited (reminder to self: don't tag before finishing cup of coffee) 2022-12-09 17:14 (UTC)
[Caitlyn looks down at herself, then back at the screen, and then around to check whether anyone's watching her. A couple people are glancing, which only makes her walk that much more quickly and stiffly. She's not used to her looks being commented on, and she's certainly not used to being gawked at.
Part of her had gotten a thrill out of the idea of sneaking over to the other half of the city, and that part is disappointed to hear that apparently it's not really an issue.
Sigh. Huff.] Very well. I'll meet you shortly.
[It doesn't take her too long to find her way to the... library? Well, that is a surprise. She wouldn't have thought of Vi as an avid library patron. Despite Vi's assurance that her that her presence in Eidris will at worst garner a few looks, she's trying to be covert. 'Covert,' of course, means constant furtive glances in all directions and walking like all her joints have rusted to the point of near immobility.
She makes her way towards the front doors, keeping a lookout for that familiar shock of red hair.]
[ She'll be leaning against the wall near the doors, keeping an eye out for Caitlyn as well as everyone else around her. The place still unnerves her. Everything is so...big. Tall. Open. Weirdly, she misses Zaun's air.
Vi is definitely more dressed down, still sporting most of her outfit from home, except it has been blessedly run through the wash. More than once a week, even, imagine that. She's living like a fucking princess.
Spotting Caitlyn, there's a smile full of curiosity at the image she makes. Damn. A little too pristine for a library, but at least it's not a back alley in the Lanes. ]
Nice get-up. Do you get to keep it?
[ She wouldn't really mind that...really. Absolutely doing an appreciative once over (twice over), before sliding over to hold a door open. ]
I. Um. [She'd been assuming that yes, she gets to keep the clothes. But perhaps she shouldn't assume. Would she even want to? They're not very comfortable or practical. Though she's watching closely as Vi's eyes rake over her. Closely and still a little bit surprised that someone like Vi finds her, well, 'hot.'
Still stiff as a board, she makes her way into the library, taking in the interior of the building as she goes. It's not quite as grandiose as the main library in Piltover, but it's impressively large and strikingly beautiful.
After a moment, she catches herself staring up at the ceiling, and turns back to Vi.]
Is there somewhere private we could speak? [she asks in her most polite library voice.]
[ She'll smile when she catches Caitlyn looking at the ceiling, then nods and leads her towards the elevator. It may not go all the way to the top, but it'll at least carry them several floors, and from there they can take the stairs to the roof. Whatever lock was on that access door is definitely not there now.
The flirt to her smile does sober up at Caitlyn clearly wanting to pursue a specific topic. Did she discover something new about this place? Probably something awful. ]
[Caitlyn follows Vi to the elevator, relaxing a bit once they're inside and away from prying eyes or ears.
She shakes her head.] I spoke with Viktor. About the gemstones.
[This is a sensitive topic, she knows, and one they might disagree about. She doesn't want to start an argument, but this is a conversation they need to have.]
[Caitlyn pauses, considering what to say next. As much as she likes to think she's a neutral and objective third party when it comes to the hexgems, she's still upset that Vi went to Jayce after leaving her, and she doesn't understand why Jayce did what he did. She's anything but neutral and objective when it comes to Vi and Jayce.]
Viktor isn't well. [She says it softly. There's no sense sugar-coating it, but the idea that he's ill and suffering is not easy to verbalize.] He believes that he can create a device with the hexgems that will cure his illness.
[ The news isn't particularly surprising, but it's not what she expected to hear. She was waiting for a lecture. Now she feels a bit guilty over that, grimacing for a moment while glancing down.
He'd looked weak; like the sort with a sickly constitution. She might have seen this coming, except he'd kept pointing out ways to use it to help others and she'd let the distraction work. Vi can guess why he 'isn't well', and there's a bitter edge to her melancholy. She should have spotted how bad it was right away. ]
Must be pretty bad if he needs to turn to the gemstones for a cure.
[A sideways glance seems to confirm that Vi isn't happy. Whether it's sorrow for Viktor's illness or frustration at the implication that he ought to have the gemstones, Caitlyn isn't entirely certain. She suspects it's likely a mix of both.]
I doubt he'd resort to using the gemstones if there were any other way.
[She trusts that, despite Vi's feelings, Vi understands that Viktor's need for the gemstones is greater.
She glances quickly again at Vi, before her gaze returns to the elevator doors and her brow furrows, unsure of how to address her own frustration.]
It's possible the two of you may be able to share them. He mentioned coming to an arrangement.
[ She doesn't answer right away, with her silence on the matter only drawn out when the doors ding open and a squat, yawning man wanders in. Fortunately it's time to exit, so she'll reach for Caitlyn's wrist to gently pull her along. If anything, her gentle touch should reveal that she isn't resistant to what Caitlyn's suggesting. ]
This way.
[ It's a bit of a walk through the stacks, but behind a collection of monolithic book cases and leather chairs in a forgotten section of the library is a door with stairwell access leading to the roof. Several books keep the door propped open, courtesy of yours truly. ]
[Caitlyn follows along after Vi, her head turning periodically to glance at the book titles out of curiosity. There's probably a lot of useful and interesting information here, they could really--
Her thought gets cut off as they enter the stairwell.]
Is this... Are we going up to the roof? [She probably should have known that the roof would be Vi's preferred destination, but she's still rather surprised that access is this easy.]
[ It was easy for Vi to locate the staff member and steal the key for the door, but it probably wouldn't have been easy for Cait. The key had been returned before anyone was the wiser, and that back door just isn't used often enough for anyone to have noticed the books Vi wedged there. It had only been a few minutes, after all.
She hops up ahead of Cait steps several steps at a time, using the banister for a boost, but always stopping on the next landing so she doesn't leave her too far behind. They pass a few locked doors for records, something that just says 'staff only', but Vi keeps going until they reach the roof access, where—you got it—the door is wedged open again.
She wonders if Cait's ever been this high up, but even to Vi it's breathtaking every time she touches the sky like this once they're on the roof. To be honest, Vi isn't sure which city has the higher skyscrapers. It's a pretty close competition. ]
[Caitlyn hurries after Vi, though she takes the stairs one at a time. Each time they pass by a door to a records room, she pauses, wondering what's inside and how fascinating and informative its contents must be - but Vi's easily keeping ahead of her, and she doesn't want to lag too far behind.
She finds herself blinking in the light when they finally step out into the roof, but once her eyes adjust, she has to pause to take in the sight. It's not unlike the view from the highest floors of the Academy or the Council building, but the fact that Caitlyn's seen such a view before doesn't make it any less stunning. And this is an entirely new city laid out before her. New sights she's never seen, new people, new buildings, a new world.
She catches sight of a dragon swooping around a tower and beams, throwing a glance to Vi to see whether she finds this as thrilling as Caitlyn does.]
Vi, this is beautiful.
[How high up are they, exactly? She decides to lean over the edge of the roof to look, but grabs hold of Vi's jacket with one hand and clings on for dear life while she does so.
Very high, is the answer. She jolts back, stepping away from the edge, still clinging to Vi's jacket. She'll enjoy the view from the safety of a few feet back.]
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video; un: hopscotch (backdated to pre-clocktower)
I was hoping to visit you, if you're free. There's something I'd like to discuss, and-- [A scowl.] I'm not at all enjoying the work they've got me doing over here.
no subject
Hold on─!
[ Popping back into frame! Her ear's just a little bruised. There are several bruises on her arms, but really, they're love bites. ]
Yeah, of course. I need an excuse to get out of here, too. You want to meet somewhere? [ Not here, please. She needs to get away. ]
no subject
Are you--
[No serious harm done, it looks like.]
Yes, I. [She glances around before lowering her voice conspiratorially.] I'll have to sneak over to Eidris. Is there somewhere clandestine we could meet?
no subject
You aren't sneaking anywhere dolled up like that.
[ Not that it matters if she's spotted. Vi doubts anyone would say anything, and anyone who tried would just be wasting their time. Caitlyn should be able to handle herself in that regard, not that Vi isn't ready to shut people up in a much swifter fashion.
She'll write in some directions...to a library. Yes, a library. A big one, but everything is big in Eidris. The parkour has been...a challenge. The building's heights rival even Piltover's. ]
Besides, I've seen some other people from Minaras over here. Worst they got was some nasty glares, which I'm pretty sure won't be a problem with you looking like that.
no subject
Part of her had gotten a thrill out of the idea of sneaking over to the other half of the city, and that part is disappointed to hear that apparently it's not really an issue.
Sigh. Huff.] Very well. I'll meet you shortly.
[It doesn't take her too long to find her way to the... library? Well, that is a surprise. She wouldn't have thought of Vi as an avid library patron. Despite Vi's assurance that her that her presence in Eidris will at worst garner a few looks, she's trying to be covert. 'Covert,' of course, means constant furtive glances in all directions and walking like all her joints have rusted to the point of near immobility.
She makes her way towards the front doors, keeping a lookout for that familiar shock of red hair.]
no subject
Vi is definitely more dressed down, still sporting most of her outfit from home, except it has been blessedly run through the wash. More than once a week, even, imagine that. She's living like a fucking princess.
Spotting Caitlyn, there's a smile full of curiosity at the image she makes. Damn. A little too pristine for a library, but at least it's not a back alley in the Lanes. ]
Nice get-up. Do you get to keep it?
[ She wouldn't really mind that...really. Absolutely doing an appreciative once over (twice over), before sliding over to hold a door open. ]
no subject
Still stiff as a board, she makes her way into the library, taking in the interior of the building as she goes. It's not quite as grandiose as the main library in Piltover, but it's impressively large and strikingly beautiful.
After a moment, she catches herself staring up at the ceiling, and turns back to Vi.]
Is there somewhere private we could speak? [she asks in her most polite library voice.]
no subject
The flirt to her smile does sober up at Caitlyn clearly wanting to pursue a specific topic. Did she discover something new about this place? Probably something awful. ]
Did something happen?
no subject
She shakes her head.] I spoke with Viktor. About the gemstones.
[This is a sensitive topic, she knows, and one they might disagree about. She doesn't want to start an argument, but this is a conversation they need to have.]
I'd like to discuss what he said.
no subject
fuck. Mood tanked. The temperature drop might be palpable. ]
Yeah?
no subject
Viktor isn't well. [She says it softly. There's no sense sugar-coating it, but the idea that he's ill and suffering is not easy to verbalize.] He believes that he can create a device with the hexgems that will cure his illness.
no subject
He'd looked weak; like the sort with a sickly constitution. She might have seen this coming, except he'd kept pointing out ways to use it to help others and she'd let the distraction work. Vi can guess why he 'isn't well', and there's a bitter edge to her melancholy. She should have spotted how bad it was right away. ]
Must be pretty bad if he needs to turn to the gemstones for a cure.
no subject
I doubt he'd resort to using the gemstones if there were any other way.
[She trusts that, despite Vi's feelings, Vi understands that Viktor's need for the gemstones is greater.
She glances quickly again at Vi, before her gaze returns to the elevator doors and her brow furrows, unsure of how to address her own frustration.]
It's possible the two of you may be able to share them. He mentioned coming to an arrangement.
no subject
This way.
[ It's a bit of a walk through the stacks, but behind a collection of monolithic book cases and leather chairs in a forgotten section of the library is a door with stairwell access leading to the roof. Several books keep the door propped open, courtesy of yours truly. ]
no subject
Her thought gets cut off as they enter the stairwell.]
Is this... Are we going up to the roof? [She probably should have known that the roof would be Vi's preferred destination, but she's still rather surprised that access is this easy.]
no subject
[ It was easy for Vi to locate the staff member and steal the key for the door, but it probably wouldn't have been easy for Cait. The key had been returned before anyone was the wiser, and that back door just isn't used often enough for anyone to have noticed the books Vi wedged there. It had only been a few minutes, after all.
She hops up ahead of Cait steps several steps at a time, using the banister for a boost, but always stopping on the next landing so she doesn't leave her too far behind. They pass a few locked doors for records, something that just says 'staff only', but Vi keeps going until they reach the roof access, where—you got it—the door is wedged open again.
She wonders if Cait's ever been this high up, but even to Vi it's breathtaking every time she touches the sky like this once they're on the roof. To be honest, Vi isn't sure which city has the higher skyscrapers. It's a pretty close competition. ]
no subject
She finds herself blinking in the light when they finally step out into the roof, but once her eyes adjust, she has to pause to take in the sight. It's not unlike the view from the highest floors of the Academy or the Council building, but the fact that Caitlyn's seen such a view before doesn't make it any less stunning. And this is an entirely new city laid out before her. New sights she's never seen, new people, new buildings, a new world.
She catches sight of a dragon swooping around a tower and beams, throwing a glance to Vi to see whether she finds this as thrilling as Caitlyn does.]
Vi, this is beautiful.
[How high up are they, exactly? She decides to lean over the edge of the roof to look, but grabs hold of Vi's jacket with one hand and clings on for dear life while she does so.
Very high, is the answer. She jolts back, stepping away from the edge, still clinging to Vi's jacket. She'll enjoy the view from the safety of a few feet back.]