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I know who killed Vataz and the others. It's--

[Her voice is strained. She sounds as though she's in pain and out of breath.]

It's complicated. We need to be cautious not to worsen the situation any further. Someone else was killed. A woman. Her death is what started it all. There's someone else I need to question; I'll be able to share more once I have.

[There's the soft thud of someone's back hitting a wall.]

For now, young men should stay out of the Wards and the Keep, if at all possible. The killer can't distinguish between its true target and other men who appear similar. And don't go down into the glacial lakes. It isn't safe.

[Another pause, followed by a wince.]

If any medical personnel are able to spare supplies, I could do with a bandage.

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This is-- [She's about to say that this is different, but cuts herself off.

Jayce was far more likely to listen to her than a stranger protecting his family, and Vi's right. Even Jayce didn't listen. But she can think of no other solution that won't result in more bloodshed.]

I'll think of something. I have to try.

[ Of course she does. It's why Vi can't help but admire her. ]

If the people knew what Haiva did, maybe they'd want a trial. Deimar wouldn't have a choice.

[ Or they might slaughter him, but that's still one problem solved, isn't it?

Of course, they also might not give a shit. That seems to be the status quo a lot these days. ]

Can't you—

[ She's cut off when a section of the roof collapses with a deafening splinter, crashing down just where Vi's about to step. Though she gets out of the way in time, the pocket watch is a casualty amid the chaos and now it needs to be dug out. Except Caitlyn's hurt and she doesn't have that kind of time. Fuck it, she'll come back for the watch.

Now she needs to really book it before Cait has a panic attack or something. ]

[Caitlyn's waiting for Vi's suggestion, hoping that maybe by putting their heads together they'll come up with something, when there's a thunderous crash.]

Vi? Vi?!

[Panicking, Caitlyn tries to stand - she hasn't the faintest clue where Vi was when the crash happened, but that won't stop her from looking - only to be struck by a sudden dizzy spell, which forces her to pause.]

[ It's a good thing Caitlyn's injury kept her stationary or Vi would have no idea where to find her. People aren't exactly sticking around to offer directions, not that they would have even a few weeks ago. (No matter how many harpies she's killed for these people they still look at her like the enemy.)

She was already battered when she heard Cait's broadcast, trying to figure out where Powder disappeared to. Vi still has to find her, but she has to make sure Caitlyn will be okay. She figures she's going to underplay her injuries...

And she's right. Caitlyn's talking about negotiations when she looks like she needs to be laid out on a stretcher. It had taken Vi longer than she expected to get to Cait, given how much everything's falling apart, but even with stitches and bandages, her stomach twists at the sight of Caitlyn's injuries.

Of course, Vi isn't looking great herself. Fresh cuts and bruises have piled onto old ones all over, not even kind enough to avoid her face. There's simply no way for the medics to keep up anymore, not with how active and mobile Vi is. There are gashes across her back that she still needs to fix up, but that can definitely come later. ]

Cait!

[ Despite her state, she doesn't seem to be slowed down, the gauntlets clanking to the ground at her feet once she's rushed over to Caitlyn. ]

[The dizzy spell takes a few minutes to pass, but as soon as her vision's cleared and she feels like she can move again, Caitlyn pushes away from the wall and is headed for the tower she thinks Vi's in.

But she only makes it a few steps before Vi charges into view. A breath of relief escapes her, but her chest still clenches at the sight of Vi's bruised face.]

Vi!

[She rushes over to her, wrapping her right arm as tight as she can around Vi's shoulders. Her left she curls around Vi's waist - raising it too high would only tug on her wounds.]

I thought-- There was a crash, or an explosion, and you didn't respond. I feared something terrible had befallen you. [In this place, she constantly worries that something terrible has befallen Vi, but this had been so much more immediate than the general pervasive fear for Vi's well-being that she's felt since arriving here.]

[ At first her hands hover while her eyes scan, her stomach in knots at the thought of causing Caitlyn any more pain. She notes the way Caitlyn hugs her differently, and oh so gently, Vi lets one hand settle against the small of her back to relish having her close again, but she still leans away so she can reach to touch under her chin, glancing over her face.

Damnit, her beautiful face got all fucked up. And she still sympathizes with the sirens? Vi isn't feeling very sympathetic at the moment, both worry and anger fighting for dominance in her tense gaze. ]

I'm fine. Pretty sure I look better than you.

[ A tease to distract her from her worry. Vi has to crack half an exhausted smile at Caitlyn's choice of words. Nobody had ever 'feared that something terrible had befallen' her before. Posh talk like that would have sounded so stupid to her once, but... Damnit.

She glances over her shoulder to find a spare cot or even a crate, pulling gently to keep Caitlyn with her. ]

Come on, you need to sit.

[Caitlyn smiles ruefully, reaching up to brush her thumb ever so gently beneath a bruise on Vi's cheek. Something inside of her aches at the sight.]

I'll heal.

[There are far more important things to worry about than a few scratches.]

I need to figure to what we're going to do next. [But she lets Vi pull her along without a fuss.] How is it up there?

[ There's a crate nearby that's covered in old, bloody rags and clothing items too shredded to be salvaged. Vi moves to shove it all to the floor before trying to help Caitlyn sit. Her own injuries scream at every move, but she's been learning to live with it lately. If she could find half a minute maybe she could find a real medic again like Anduin; that'd be a plus, but she can't stop until she's tracked down Powder, too.

But seeing Cait like this... How's Vi just supposed to get up and leave her? She's going to try to settle some political dispute while the walls are falling down, and she can barely walk.

She had definitely underplayed her injuries, and that changes things. ]

It's... It's not good, and you're in no condition to be tracking down royals or anyone when this place is falling apart. We need to get you out of here. You should go with the caravan. If you want to negotiate, you can still do it from a distance.

[ The communicators are great for that. When...they aren't currently hiding under some rubble. Vi thinks it'd be a waste of time to reason with Deimar, but if it's enough to keep Caitlyn away from battle when she's in this condition, then that's good enough for now. ]

Edited 2023-03-30 04:26 (UTC)

[As Caitlyn lowers her hand, she notices the blood on her fingers that isn't hers.

She shakes her head stubbornly.

She can't stomach the thought of fleeing when leaving would be just another way to keep her safe whether she wants to be or not, when she should be helping instead of hiding.

And she could never leave Vi to face undead hordes and murderous demons on her own. Vi's back is bleeding. How badly is she wounded? How many wounds has she sustained and shrugged off since they've been here? How battered and bloody must she be beneath her jacket and hand wraps, and how badly is she hurting now?

She sits on the edge of the crate and pulls gently at Vi's arm, urging her to sit down and rest too.]

There's too much work to be done. And I couldn't leave without you.

[ Vi considers the spot next to Caitlyn warily, if only because she knows it'll be harder to leave her side once she sits. But seeing Caitlyn like this, more banged up than she's ever seen, and Vi feels her heart twist up at the idea of leaving her at all.

With a shaky little sigh, Vi will tap gently against Caitlyn's arm in acknowledgment before stepping away just long enough to retrieve the gauntlets not far off. With them resting against the crate, Vi lets herself sit. And with barely a flinch, even!

The pair they must make. It's likely neither of them should stand again for awhile, but then the walls will just collapse around them. ]

You can do your work while getting out of here. You and Viktor. Maybe he'll have an idea about all of this.

[ Carefully, she takes Caitlyn's hand. Even still, it looks so delicate in her grubby hands, but she knows that her callouses are just more refined. She should always work better from a distance. Vi's the one who can't escape the front lines. ]

You wouldn't leave without me. I'll catch up. I just─ [ Now she flinches, however slight. ] I need to find Powder. I haven't been able to find her and she wasn't responding earlier.

[Caitlyn stares down at their entwined fingers, Vi's bloody and cracked fingernails, the stained wraps around her knuckles. Even her hands are so strong. Dirty as it is, she wants to bring Vi's hand up to her lips. She wants to pull Vi into a hug and never let go of her. She wants to tell her...

Her rifle case is propped up against the wall nearby, with her notebook tucked inside. She could give Vi the letter she wrote on Clara's advice, that would explain why she can't leave. It isn't exactly a good time, though, is it?

She frowns. Of course Vi has to find Jinx.]

You really think I could flee to safety while you're still risking your life?

[ If not for having her concentration split over worrying about her sister, she might catch the look in Caitlyn's lowered gaze in time to feel a squeeze in her heart, but instead she just glances up in time to catch the frown.

It's always going to be a touchy subject... Unless Vi can figure out how to change things before they return. That's the only hope here, she can't forget. Until she can figure that out, she needs to remember how much worse it's going to get. ]

I already have to worry where Powder is and if she's okay now that hell's literally breaking loose, and...

[ Her grip on Caitlyn's hand tightens, just slightly, and she tips her head to make sure she has her attention. The intensity that Caitlyn seems to always carry behind her eyes is enough to get lost in if Vi isn't careful, but they aren't enough to let Vi forget the stitches she's sporting. ]

And you can barely walk. [ If she had been at Caitlyn's side, this wouldn't have happened. Remember that, too, Vi. ] You need to get Viktor and you need to get out of here. If I know you're away from the worst of it, I'll have better focus.

[Vi cares, she cares so deeply, and it breaks Caitlyn's heart that such care has been met with so much pain. But she can't walk away. There are still people here who she can help, she can prove once and for all that she's more than a sheltered child who can't take care of herself, and she can do everything in her power to protect Vi.]

I can still shoot-- [Debatable, with the condition her shoulder's in.] I can protect you. You don't have to fight alone.

[She squeezes Vi's hand back as she searches her eyes for... something. Understanding, perhaps, that Caitlyn needs to do this.]

[ I can protect you. A bizarre sentence to be addressed to someone like Vi. She can tell Caitlyn means it, at least in her own way, but she needs to be careful how far she reads into that...

No matter how far Caitlyn does intend it, it gets a half-smile, but it's a sad one. ]

I know. You've already saved me more than once. [ In more than one way, but...that isn't going to matter if Vi can't get her shit together before this siege swallows them all. ] I'd be dead if not for you. I'm not wasting that chance. But you can't come with me.

[ Not to look for Powder. Not... Not yet. Is it going to be not ever? Better not to think about that.

Vi doesn't like the idea of leaving her alone to fend off potential ambushes while trying to reason with Deimar, either. This is a lose-lose at the moment if Caitlyn won't listen. ]

Please, just let me help you this time.

[ No matter Vi's condition, she'll carry Caitlyn to the merchants if she'd just agree. ]

[You can't come with me. It hits her like a blow to the chest, and she shakes her head.

If Jinx spots her, the whole situation could go very wrong, but she can stay out of sight, she can watch over Vi from a distance...]

Vi...

[She pulls her hand from Vi's grasp, reaching for her face, but the sudden movement causes her head to swim and static to fill her vision.

Breathe.

She bows her head, clenches her teeth, tries to hear through the ringing in her ears, but the only thing she's aware of is the feeling of leather against her cheek - has she fallen into Vi? - before everything goes dark.]

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