Mostly just buying up properties and businesses. Nothing too underhanded. Yet. [So nothing she could pass on to Jerry. Even if she didn't agree with the system here, she wasn't against keeping Silco on Jerry's radar. Especially since she was about 99% sure Silco complained to Jerry about Vi punching him and got her sentenced. But she knew it would only be the start. He had to work his way back up, to the amount of power and money he had in Zaun.
It's honestly been a lot, trying not to think about all this for this last year. She had it thrown in her face when that maze appeared, had to see the death and destruction herself, but she still tried to move past it. She knew it would do her no good, to linger in the unknown. And while it sometimes drove her crazy that Vi never wanted to talk about her past, she was immensely grateful that Vi did not bring any of it up, because she didn't want to talk about it either.
But here she was, opening that valve, letting out the flood gates she had been holding back in for so long now.]
At least-- [Her voice cracks a little, but she takes a deep breath when she feels his hand on her shoulder.]
At least, your return confirms that time hasn't gotten away from us. Once we find our way out of here, we can get back to them. [And hopefully, it won't be in vain. Hopefully it won't mean the last time she saw her mother alive was long in the past.]
I don't buy it...Silco always has ulterior motives. He must be buying these places for some reason besides making easy money.
[Ekko would certainly be keeping an weathered eye on these businesses once he found out where and what they were. A man like Silco may seem harmless on the surface to those who don't know him but the leader of the Firelights would expose the fraud for exactly what he was eventually. Despite his untimely demise in their own world the boy wasn't about to give the villain a pass for everything he's been made to endure, along with the people who've been killed by his hand indirectly thanks to those nefarious thugs who followed him.
Caitlyn's words of reassurance in return after his own consoling makes his anxieties about this place cease a bit, nodding in agreement to her rebuttal. Slowly slipping his hand away from the girl's shoulder, a look of pure determination washed over his features. There had to be a way to get back home and escape this place, with their combined efforts they surely could find the answers they sought. Pulling out his trusted pocket watch he twirls it through the air before expertly catching it in his hand.]
Seems like time is at a standstill in Runeterra while we are here in Aldrip then…At least that is to our advantage. We’ll find a way back...Our people need us.
[Optimism shining through when it counted most for if he assumed there was no hope you're guaranteed to find none. Ekko believed the future was always what you made of it and if no one stepped up to take responsibility then you would be left destitute forever.]
He had to start from nothing. He's building his power and connections, as well as his wealth. [Don't worry, Caitlyn's made a list and has been monitoring their activity already, too. Silco's gone out of his way to put on that harmless, businessman act, but she knew better. He was just trying to work his way up to what he had before. At least she doubted that Aldrip would bend to his will the way Zaun did.]
My thoughts exactly. That just leaves the problem of figuring out how to leave this place.
[It wasn't always terrible. There were good moments, at times. She's made a lot of friends, and of course, having this time with Vi has been more than she could have ever asked for. She loved her, so much, even if she hadn't dared to utter those words again. She doesn't want to lose what they've made here, even if she knows it can only be temporary. Maybe it can continue when they return, but there are so many obstacles in their way. Oil and water, is what Vi called them. Would it come to that again? And that was just running on the basis that they got a choice when this was all said and done.]
And he will remain nothing if I can help it. I won't let Silco ruin another world just for his own selfish gain.
[The corrupt man had already ravaged Zaun and instilled his immoral values to his home but Ekko would be damned if he let that happen here in Aldrip as well. He knows how the other operates, pretending to be an outstanding member of society here but in the shadows was scheming up some way to seize control of this place from the seemingly all powerful Council. Despite his lack of knowledge about their overseers they could not possibly be as bad compared to the vile tyrant who ruthlessly oversaw the Lanes, subjecting the masses to such harsh living conditions under his dictatorship ruling.
Caitlyn's latter sentiment resonates with him immensely, nodding in agreement as he sighs solemnly with a pensive look stricken over his face. There were too many people in Runeterra who relied on him to be stuck in this place and needed to find a way back to them by whatever means necessary.]
We'll find a way. We have to...For the people who need us.
[A brief pause as a flash of a sincere smile graced Ekko's features as a bit of hushed laughter erupts under his breath.]
You know we're a lot more alike than I originally thought given your status as a Piltie, Caitlyn. No offense.
Just-- be careful, whatever you do. This place has its own rules. Any acts of violence, deserved or not, get punished, if it's outside the regularly scheduled torture events.
[Vi got sentenced immediately after punching Silco the first time. It was deserved, of course, and she has no doubt that Silco complained to Jerry himself, but the point still stands. Anything they deem out of line could have very serious consequences. Unless it was like the tower-- where Silco and Vi fought and killed each other. Those special occasions always seemed to bend the usual rules, and lean into the chaos.
Caitlyn nods, in solemn agreement-- at least, until Ekko's final comment. She fights back a chuckle, because that was honestly one of the last things she expected to hear from Ekko, of all people.]
None taken. I would say my actions were less extreme, but I did break someone out of prison and left a trail of chaos and destruction through the Undercity. [...most of which were thanks to Silco and his goons, but still!! So much shit happened, from the moment she stepped foot into Zaun.]
[Pointing a thumb to his chest before wiping a thumb under his chin in a cocky notion, he waves her off to ease her concern as the boy savior shakes his head confidently in response. Ekko wasn't worried about getting into trouble if the perpetrator was brought to justice along with him, if that was the price he had to pay for his degressions so be it. How bad could the punishments possibly be when he was faced with the threat of death everyday back home anyways?]
Don't worry about me this isn't the first time I've dealt with going against the grain after all.
[Though it was kind of touching that a top sider of all people was concerned for his well being when he was so used to them not even acknowledging their existence most of the time. Caitlyn truly was an outlier in her people and hoped they could work together in the future back home to bring about peace between Piltover and Zaun. From what he's been told already they would need each other more than ever due to the circumstances at large, Silco's death and the subsequent issues of Jinx's attack on the Council likely to create civil unrest between the two nations. It would be an arduous journey but one worth fighting for, Ekko never one to back down when the going got tough and rise up against adversity.
An amused smirk forms over his lips at the mention of the chaos and carnage she had ensued in her wake within the Lanes upon arrival, tilting his head just so as the boy stuffs hands deep into his coat pockets.]
Yeah...Vi's pretty good at making a mess of things wherever she goes so I wouldn't blame yourself too much there.
[Caitlyn might otherwise appreciate his overconfidence. It was welcomed back home, but now? Now, he has no idea what he's getting himself into.]
This isn't Piltover or Zaun. This isn't just "going against the grain." This place is intentionally designed to torture us for whatever they decide we're guilty of.
[Of course she cares what happens to him. He's important to Vi. While she'd like to hopefully call him a friend, she still barely knows him, but she can tell he's a good person. He means well, which is something she can't say about everyone.
And clearly he knows Vi well, judging by that statement.]
She does like to talk with her fists, doesn't she? [But she wouldn't have it any other way. Vi saved her skin many a time, in the Undercity and here. She was so strong and passionate. She tried to hide how much she cared, but Caitlyn knew. She saw through her tough facade pretty quick. She was a good person, just broken by a society that didn't care.]
[Maybe he was acting a bit hastily given the fact he had little idea how things worked around here, Ekko sighing solemnly under his breath as he reluctantly nods in agreement. Caitlyn had been here longer than him and it would be wise to adhere to her wisdom on the matter at hand even if it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Silco deserved to rot for everything he's done to Zaun and his people at large and would get his revenge one way or another eventually. For now the boy savior would simply have to bide his time and chart a course of action which could stop the would be ruler.]
You're right...I hate admitting it but I guess we cannot just go around doing whatever the hell we want like back home to try and stop him.
[He's glad for the change in subject trying to ease the tension in his limbs as his counterpart speaks up about Vi's unorthodox methods of getting things done. A cheeky smirk crosses his lips followed in short by a bit of laughter, knowing all too well how his sisterly figure operates on any given day.]
Punch first, ask questions later. That's always been Vi's preferred way of doing things. Not that I particularly blame her though she just needs to pick her battles from time to time.
I just-- don't want something to happen to you. I've been sentenced before, and it wasn't pleasant. And that's just the beginning of what they like to do to us around here.
[Even if she didn't technically have proof that the strange occurrences around here were directly due to the Council, it was a little too convenient to think it wasn't. Especially since the locals typically weren't affected, and everything happened in such a strict cycle pattern. New arrivals and sentencing happened in the same month, then the following month was usually something bad happening town wide.]
She's getting better, I think. [She says that like Vi didn't just kill Silco, but details. He killed her, too. But still.]
Speaking of Vi-- we have a place in town, if you need somewhere to stay. We have an extra room that you're welcome to. I can't imagine Vi would mind. [She would check in with Vi about it, of course, but she doubted Vi would care. Surely she would agree having Ekko close by would be nice, even if it was something short term.]
Don't worry about me. I've been looking out for myself a long time now so I can handle whatever sort of bullshit this Council tries to throw at me.
[After Vi had been captured by the Enforcers and put behind bars whilst Jinx was taken under Silco's wing to become manipulated he was left alone to fend for himself. Instead of letting the horrors of his past consume him much like his counterpart it hardened his resolve.
At Caitlyn's offer he blinks wide a bit in astonishment, the pair of them had a place...together? He knew Vi and herself had been working in unison to get to Silco but was there something else at work between them he'd yet to realize? Whatever the case may be, Ekko nods in agreement to as a sincere smile forms over his features.]
Ya'll got a place here and everything, huh? Just long you two been here exactly?
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expiationlogs2024-06-10 07:58 am
no subject
It's honestly been a lot, trying not to think about all this for this last year. She had it thrown in her face when that maze appeared, had to see the death and destruction herself, but she still tried to move past it. She knew it would do her no good, to linger in the unknown. And while it sometimes drove her crazy that Vi never wanted to talk about her past, she was immensely grateful that Vi did not bring any of it up, because she didn't want to talk about it either.
But here she was, opening that valve, letting out the flood gates she had been holding back in for so long now.]
At least-- [Her voice cracks a little, but she takes a deep breath when she feels his hand on her shoulder.]
At least, your return confirms that time hasn't gotten away from us. Once we find our way out of here, we can get back to them. [And hopefully, it won't be in vain. Hopefully it won't mean the last time she saw her mother alive was long in the past.]
no subject
[Ekko would certainly be keeping an weathered eye on these businesses once he found out where and what they were. A man like Silco may seem harmless on the surface to those who don't know him but the leader of the Firelights would expose the fraud for exactly what he was eventually. Despite his untimely demise in their own world the boy wasn't about to give the villain a pass for everything he's been made to endure, along with the people who've been killed by his hand indirectly thanks to those nefarious thugs who followed him.
Caitlyn's words of reassurance in return after his own consoling makes his anxieties about this place cease a bit, nodding in agreement to her rebuttal. Slowly slipping his hand away from the girl's shoulder, a look of pure determination washed over his features. There had to be a way to get back home and escape this place, with their combined efforts they surely could find the answers they sought. Pulling out his trusted pocket watch he twirls it through the air before expertly catching it in his hand.]
Seems like time is at a standstill in Runeterra while we are here in Aldrip then…At least that is to our advantage. We’ll find a way back...Our people need us.
[Optimism shining through when it counted most for if he assumed there was no hope you're guaranteed to find none. Ekko believed the future was always what you made of it and if no one stepped up to take responsibility then you would be left destitute forever.]
no subject
My thoughts exactly. That just leaves the problem of figuring out how to leave this place.
[It wasn't always terrible. There were good moments, at times. She's made a lot of friends, and of course, having this time with Vi has been more than she could have ever asked for. She loved her, so much, even if she hadn't dared to utter those words again. She doesn't want to lose what they've made here, even if she knows it can only be temporary. Maybe it can continue when they return, but there are so many obstacles in their way. Oil and water, is what Vi called them. Would it come to that again? And that was just running on the basis that they got a choice when this was all said and done.]
no subject
[The corrupt man had already ravaged Zaun and instilled his immoral values to his home but Ekko would be damned if he let that happen here in Aldrip as well. He knows how the other operates, pretending to be an outstanding member of society here but in the shadows was scheming up some way to seize control of this place from the seemingly all powerful Council. Despite his lack of knowledge about their overseers they could not possibly be as bad compared to the vile tyrant who ruthlessly oversaw the Lanes, subjecting the masses to such harsh living conditions under his dictatorship ruling.
Caitlyn's latter sentiment resonates with him immensely, nodding in agreement as he sighs solemnly with a pensive look stricken over his face. There were too many people in Runeterra who relied on him to be stuck in this place and needed to find a way back to them by whatever means necessary.]
We'll find a way. We have to...For the people who need us.
[A brief pause as a flash of a sincere smile graced Ekko's features as a bit of hushed laughter erupts under his breath.]
You know we're a lot more alike than I originally thought given your status as a Piltie, Caitlyn. No offense.
no subject
[Vi got sentenced immediately after punching Silco the first time. It was deserved, of course, and she has no doubt that Silco complained to Jerry himself, but the point still stands. Anything they deem out of line could have very serious consequences. Unless it was like the tower-- where Silco and Vi fought and killed each other. Those special occasions always seemed to bend the usual rules, and lean into the chaos.
Caitlyn nods, in solemn agreement-- at least, until Ekko's final comment. She fights back a chuckle, because that was honestly one of the last things she expected to hear from Ekko, of all people.]
None taken. I would say my actions were less extreme, but I did break someone out of prison and left a trail of chaos and destruction through the Undercity. [...most of which were thanks to Silco and his goons, but still!! So much shit happened, from the moment she stepped foot into Zaun.]
no subject
Don't worry about me this isn't the first time I've dealt with going against the grain after all.
[Though it was kind of touching that a top sider of all people was concerned for his well being when he was so used to them not even acknowledging their existence most of the time. Caitlyn truly was an outlier in her people and hoped they could work together in the future back home to bring about peace between Piltover and Zaun. From what he's been told already they would need each other more than ever due to the circumstances at large, Silco's death and the subsequent issues of Jinx's attack on the Council likely to create civil unrest between the two nations. It would be an arduous journey but one worth fighting for, Ekko never one to back down when the going got tough and rise up against adversity.
An amused smirk forms over his lips at the mention of the chaos and carnage she had ensued in her wake within the Lanes upon arrival, tilting his head just so as the boy stuffs hands deep into his coat pockets.]
Yeah...Vi's pretty good at making a mess of things wherever she goes so I wouldn't blame yourself too much there.
no subject
This isn't Piltover or Zaun. This isn't just "going against the grain." This place is intentionally designed to torture us for whatever they decide we're guilty of.
[Of course she cares what happens to him. He's important to Vi. While she'd like to hopefully call him a friend, she still barely knows him, but she can tell he's a good person. He means well, which is something she can't say about everyone.
And clearly he knows Vi well, judging by that statement.]
She does like to talk with her fists, doesn't she? [But she wouldn't have it any other way. Vi saved her skin many a time, in the Undercity and here. She was so strong and passionate. She tried to hide how much she cared, but Caitlyn knew. She saw through her tough facade pretty quick. She was a good person, just broken by a society that didn't care.]
no subject
You're right...I hate admitting it but I guess we cannot just go around doing whatever the hell we want like back home to try and stop him.
[He's glad for the change in subject trying to ease the tension in his limbs as his counterpart speaks up about Vi's unorthodox methods of getting things done. A cheeky smirk crosses his lips followed in short by a bit of laughter, knowing all too well how his sisterly figure operates on any given day.]
Punch first, ask questions later. That's always been Vi's preferred way of doing things. Not that I particularly blame her though she just needs to pick her battles from time to time.
no subject
[Even if she didn't technically have proof that the strange occurrences around here were directly due to the Council, it was a little too convenient to think it wasn't. Especially since the locals typically weren't affected, and everything happened in such a strict cycle pattern. New arrivals and sentencing happened in the same month, then the following month was usually something bad happening town wide.]
She's getting better, I think. [She says that like Vi didn't just kill Silco, but details. He killed her, too. But still.]
Speaking of Vi-- we have a place in town, if you need somewhere to stay. We have an extra room that you're welcome to. I can't imagine Vi would mind. [She would check in with Vi about it, of course, but she doubted Vi would care. Surely she would agree having Ekko close by would be nice, even if it was something short term.]
no subject
[After Vi had been captured by the Enforcers and put behind bars whilst Jinx was taken under Silco's wing to become manipulated he was left alone to fend for himself. Instead of letting the horrors of his past consume him much like his counterpart it hardened his resolve.
At Caitlyn's offer he blinks wide a bit in astonishment, the pair of them had a place...together? He knew Vi and herself had been working in unison to get to Silco but was there something else at work between them he'd yet to realize? Whatever the case may be, Ekko nods in agreement to as a sincere smile forms over his features.]
Ya'll got a place here and everything, huh? Just long you two been here exactly?