Who: Vi and various Where: around Aldrip What: catchall action threads with Vi for February! if you want one, hit me up for some plotting! Warnings: nothing... yet...
[obligatory gif placeholder bc I like this scene a Normal Amount]
[Caitlyn had told her about Viktor's passing. she'd been upset about it, of course, but knowing there's a bit of comfort in knowing that he'll probably be back in a week.
she still keeps an eye on his name on the contact list anyway from time to time, to make sure it's still on there.
Jayce, however... was taking it badly, from what she understood. not that she was surprised or anything about it.
so, for Caitlyn's sake, she shoots him a text:]
hey. I think the hexgems in my gauntlets are going batshit insane. I looked and they're a little cracked?? i'm not about to touch that shit, so can you meet me at Lupin?
[even if they do glitch out a couple of times, they are absolutely not broken at this current moment.]
[ he's dealing with this so well? so well. if it takes him two whole days to even see vi's text, let alone respond to it, it's only because he is incredibly busy with trying to find the cure for terminal lung disease. or possibly replacing the need to breathe altogether. who needs lungs? plants don't, and they're doing great.
anyway, vi's message does provide a temporary distraction from his experiments to replace pores with stomata so humans can respirate through their skin...not that this is any less worrying. ]
How did you crack the Hexgems? That should be impossible? We put them through at least a hundred different stress tests and none of them made so much as a dent.
[ wow vi, do you really think he's that gullible? because the answer is yes, he absolutely is. ]
Huh. I suppose we don't actually know the full details of how this simulation functions or where they source all the different variants of magic from. Technically, the magic here is just an imitation of what we have on Runeterra, so it could very well be possible that there's some error or flaw in the copy.
[ obviously it has to be something wrong with aldrip and not his own work??? obviously??? ]
I can't say for sure until I get a look at it myself. You said you're at Lupin?
[ he's gonna conveniently forget that it's been two days...time is just a construct, okay. ]
[listen. they all said he's a genius. but Caitlyn confirmed he has no common sense.
... sorry, Jayce.
okay well. she glazes over the nerd speak, and gets to the point of the message.]
yep. not gonna leave these puppies alone. don't even wanna touch them when they're like this. they've already hurt me a couple times doing that sort of shit at home.
[even though her and Yu aren't super close, she still appreciates him. he's a good, hard worker. she doesn't hesitate to leave the bar to him if he's here and she leaves -- actually, she'd do that with any of the teens, ironically enough. she thinks that it shows that some kids may actually be mature, because her? the bar would've probably been on fire if she tried to run one at her age.
even at this age, she drinks a good bit of her wares.
but today when he walks in to work, she can tell there's something different. more of an air of... tiredness? sadness, maybe? in the way that he looks and walks. even if he was trying to hide it, she might be able to still tell. she's pretty perceptive when it comes to people, after all.]
[There are a few things he's learned about Vi just from having her as a boss. She picks up on more than she lets on. She lets more stupid crap go than some other people might. And-- she doesn't beat around the bush. So, imagining the response he'd get if he tried to avoid the truth --some variety of "cut the crap", maybe-- makes it easier to work out a response.]
Not really. [The admission is soft and a little reluctant; Yu doesn't like talking about himself at the best of times, and this... this is far from the best of times. He can't fully quell his need to minimize that feeling, though.] ... but I'll get through it.
[Vi nods in approval. even if he's obviously trying to downplay his feelings, at least he verbalized them. that's a start.
she takes out two glasses, and she pours some straight vodka into a glass and mixes it with a bit of cola. she nods to the other one, then looks back at Yu.]
[Unwilling, unconsenting, Yu's mind becomes locked in a jarring loop of feedback, the compare and contrast of this time with the last. The quietness of the bar, at that time, as they realized they were locked in. The tiredness lingering just behind his eyes. The clink of the glass on the table brings him back, away from the taste of Shochu and honesty.
This bitter sting...no wonder he kept everything at bay for so long. After a moment, he nods at her glass.]
[she raises an eyebrow a bit, and then slides the first drink she made over to Yu. she makes the other one for herself, sipping it as she eyes him carefully.]
You gonna spill? Shit's going to drive you crazy if you don't.
[she knows firsthand... and also really bad at doing this too, herself.]
[it'd been a little while since she'd talked to Koharu about her training. there were some things that had... kind of? kept her busy. a lot like the stupid dreams and everything.
but now that she's screwing her head back on straight, she's going to reach out to her:]
hey, meet me at the training grounds this morning if you're free. i'll start teaching you.
[if she's not free, she can always do it another time, of course. she'll send directions to it too, for her reference.]
oh! yes, I am! I can be ready to head over in a few on my end!
[ And with that exchange made, Koharu does eventually show up—dressed a little lighter than what's appropriate for the weather, but if they're going to be moving around a lot... ]
[Vi's been setting up dummies as she waits, having finally removed some of the ones that were pulverized to oblivion. it wasn't just her that'd destroyed them this time, promise.
when she hears the new voice, she turns around and puts her hands on her hips.]
First rule. Don't call me "Miss", okay? It makes me feel much more old and proper than I really am.
[she's only 24... 23? 24? she's not really sure, between being yanked back home and coming back to Aldrip.]
[A2 going to the farm kind of made her curious. she definitely hadn't been there in a while, busy as she was and... with all the drama, as well. but she knew that the other Chosen had always taken care of the animals too, so she hadn't been as worried about it.
though she is curious now who lives here. it definitely looks like someone's here more often than just passing by to care for the animals... and she steps back onto the grounds a few days later. it'd always make her feel relaxed, being here, and she'd almost forgotten that. everything was so... simple, here. nothing really to do but to care for the animals, and take care of the grounds.
she looks for who may be here, not finding anyone yet.]
Anyone here? Or am I just talking to a bunch of cows and chickens?
[it was her old friend's farm, after all. she kinda wanted to know who the caretaker was now.]
[Kurama had little interest in the farm on his own. The pieces eventually just fell into place, in a way. Between the locals icing them out, learning that several of the Chosen could do with some education on basic survival, and- well, Ange pointing it out to Hiei as an option. Of course the local “plant guy” would have more use for farmland than the average resident here.
He did notice who came and went, which of the visitors might be considered regulars, and who appeared newer, often seeming a little lost. For the most part, Kurama doesn't bother to disturb anyone in their routines. He's just getting organized here himself, undecided on what to do with everything. It's winter still, plenty of time before he might need to start thinking about official employees or regulating tasks. As far as he knows no one lives on the farm, however, apparitions don't sleep the way humans do. Which allows him to tend to his duties around Aldrip, keeping up a presence on the property and using that time productively to put things in order.
Which is what he's doing currently when a voice calls out. One he isn't familiar with, at that. In typical fashion, he appears practically out of thin air just out of sight, hands casually in his pockets as if he's been standing there the whole time, actually.]
The cows and chickens aren't very chatty, I'm afraid. Perhaps you would rather try your luck with a fox.
[Vi looks up when she hears the response. she wonders if he's the one that's here now. he'd come up so casually silently that she almost jumped, but. there were enough places to hide behind around here that she almost expected it.]
Yeah... been there, done that. They just moo and squawk at me.
[she raises an eyebrow at the fox comment, though.]
I dunno, those assholes are loud... unless you're a fox. Wouldn't be surprised if you were.
[He smiles faintly at the thought of her trying to converse with the animals to no avail, but doesn't comment. Only seeming to grow even more amused by her response to the fox line. He's getting used to the instinctive negative reaction that seems popular around here, at least.]
Afraid so. Although, I do try to refrain from being too much of a problem.
[Considering she seemed to be looking for someone, Kurama gets right to the point. Most visitors or volunteers went about their business without announcing themselves, so he figures she must be here for a reason. The fact that he can recognize others by scent also means he can tell it's been awhile since she's been by at all, which is enough to make him curious about why she'd returned now, specifically.]
Did you need something or were you just visiting today?
That's better than what can be said about some of the people that live here.
[she puts her hands in her pockets, rocking from her heels to the tips of her toes as she looks around the farm again. where she knew the hot springs were.
man,]
I helped build this place. The guy who owned it first was shocked that I could lift that barn door.
[she points to the door in question, and tilts her head.]
It's changed hands a couple times since then, so I guess I just wanted to meet who was taking care of it now.
Caitlyn's out, so Vi's left to her own devices, which isn't good. she hadn't really felt up to going to Lupin today, instead letting the kids and the locals (sparse as they were being lately) handle it. if they didn't come in, she would've just closed it.
she's thinking too much. thinking about what she'd seen in Ekko's dream, and confirmation that it was real. that there was a successful universe somewhere out there, where Vander, her brothers, Jinx were alive. where the Undercity was thriving.
but she was dead.
she does what she usually does when she's upset -- which is, obviously, drink. she's sitting on their couch, bottle in hand, swirling the remnants of it around. even numb, she's still feeling and thinking too much. she's not exactly sure where the dominoes fell in that universe after her death. or was it even her death that altered it all?
it can't be coincidence, she thinks.
she finishes the bottle of straight liquor, and then opens the next one. she doesn't care if she's going to be hungover as shit later. she doesn't care if Caitlyn comes back and frets and fusses over her. she just wants it all to stop. for the hits to stop coming, and coming and coming relentlessly, because there's only so much she can take. it's a revelation, it's someone coming back to life and dying, it's her reason for living sacrificing herself for her. it's getting out of jail to a completely different world. it's losing Caitlyn, if only briefly. and even then, a part of her wonders when she'll lose her again. it was the fear of not knowing where Ekko was. just hit.
[When Caitlyn arrived to Lupin after working in her office for a few hours and found that Vi wasn't in, it didn't take much of a guess what was going on. The dreams. The dreams. Vi had seemed okay that morning when she left, otherwise she wouldn't have gone into the office. They had been a lot to experience on her end, so she could only imagine how Vi felt, reliving the horrible trauma of her short lifetime. It honestly wasn't fair, that someone so loving and kind had gone through so much. Even Caitlyn's own pain and suffering barely compared.
Needless to say, she immediately went back home, wanting to make sure the love of her life was alright.
She wishes it wasn't surprising to find Vi surrounded by empty bottles. Caitlyn sighs softly as she closes the door behind her, setting her things down and stepping closer to the couch Vi was sitting on. Her arms were crossed, not so much out of anger, but she's frightened for Vi's sake. She's seen her break downs plenty enough now to know she can lash out (verbally-- she isn't afraid that Vi will hit her, or anything close to that), so she isn't letting her guard down, nor is she going to rush to hold her until she knows Vi will accept that, as much as she wants to.]
You should have told me you weren't okay. I wouldn't have left.
[she's not even surprised when Caitlyn comes back to the house. she knew she was going to put the pieces together eventually, that Vi wasn't feeling so great. they know each other and their habits like the backs of their hands, at this point.]
To be fair... I was okay this morning. A little shitty, but not this shitty.
[she says, her voice slurring a bit as she takes another drink.]
But then... I started thinking about dreams... and how real they could be. Or how real they are here, I guess.
[At least Vi isn't curled up in a fetal position on the floor and sobbing, so Caitlyn will take the win, but she doesn't like that slur in her voice. How much has she already had?]
I think you've had enough, love.
[She's not going to outright take it unless Vi gives it to her willingly, but she steps closer, gesturing to the bottle in Vi's hand.]
If this really is a stimulation, and it's all just projected into our heads, it... makes sense, that the dreams they create for us are realistic. They would be just as vivid as the world around us when we're conscious.
[She pauses, recalling the traumatic images of death she saw in Vi's dream. And that was just a start. She didn't know what else Vi might have dreamed, or what Vi might have seen in other dreams.]
[she thinks about giving the bottle to Caitlyn, but thinks better of it and takes another swig from it. she props her feet up on the table in front of the couch, listening to her as she looks up at the ceiling.
her dreams were bad enough. but Ekko's dream...]
Do you ever think about what would happen if you'd just died instead of lived at one point in your life? That things might be... better without you?
[it's the first time she's actually talking about it outside that initial dream with Ekko. even though she's not going to name names about it, though.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
jayce.
she still keeps an eye on his name on the contact list anyway from time to time, to make sure it's still on there.
Jayce, however... was taking it badly, from what she understood. not that she was surprised or anything about it.
so, for Caitlyn's sake, she shoots him a text:]
hey. I think the hexgems in my gauntlets are going batshit insane. I looked and they're a little cracked?? i'm not about to touch that shit, so can you meet me at Lupin?
[even if they do glitch out a couple of times, they are absolutely not broken at this current moment.]
no subject
anyway, vi's message does provide a temporary distraction from his experiments to replace pores with stomata so humans can respirate through their skin...not that this is any less worrying. ]
How did you crack the Hexgems? That should be impossible? We put them through at least a hundred different stress tests and none of them made so much as a dent.
[ vi...how hard are you punching people??? ]
no subject
she'd almost forgotten about her text when he responds to it, and she blinks down at it. oh. right.
she grins on her end.]
i dunno, maybe Aldrip made them more fragile or something.
[nailed it.]
it's got that weird static-sparky thing going on. mean anything to you?
no subject
Huh. I suppose we don't actually know the full details of how this simulation functions or where they source all the different variants of magic from. Technically, the magic here is just an imitation of what we have on Runeterra, so it could very well be possible that there's some error or flaw in the copy.
[ obviously it has to be something wrong with aldrip and not his own work??? obviously??? ]
I can't say for sure until I get a look at it myself. You said you're at Lupin?
[ he's gonna conveniently forget that it's been two days...time is just a construct, okay. ]
no subject
... sorry, Jayce.
okay well. she glazes over the nerd speak, and gets to the point of the message.]
yep. not gonna leave these puppies alone. don't even wanna touch them when they're like this. they've already hurt me a couple times doing that sort of shit at home.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
yu.
even at this age, she drinks a good bit of her wares.
but today when he walks in to work, she can tell there's something different. more of an air of... tiredness? sadness, maybe? in the way that he looks and walks. even if he was trying to hide it, she might be able to still tell. she's pretty perceptive when it comes to people, after all.]
Hey.
[she finally speaks when he comes to the bar.]
You good?
no subject
Not really. [The admission is soft and a little reluctant; Yu doesn't like talking about himself at the best of times, and this... this is far from the best of times. He can't fully quell his need to minimize that feeling, though.] ... but I'll get through it.
no subject
she takes out two glasses, and she pours some straight vodka into a glass and mixes it with a bit of cola. she nods to the other one, then looks back at Yu.]
Pick your poison. Drinks are on me, today.
no subject
This bitter sting...no wonder he kept everything at bay for so long. After a moment, he nods at her glass.]
I'll have the same. ...thanks.
no subject
You gonna spill? Shit's going to drive you crazy if you don't.
[she knows firsthand... and also really bad at doing this too, herself.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
koharu.
but now that she's screwing her head back on straight, she's going to reach out to her:]
hey, meet me at the training grounds this morning if you're free. i'll start teaching you.
[if she's not free, she can always do it another time, of course. she'll send directions to it too, for her reference.]
no subject
oh!
yes, I am!
I can be ready to head over in a few on my end!
[ And with that exchange made, Koharu does eventually show up—dressed a little lighter than what's appropriate for the weather, but if they're going to be moving around a lot... ]
—Miss Vi? I'm here!
no subject
when she hears the new voice, she turns around and puts her hands on her hips.]
First rule. Don't call me "Miss", okay? It makes me feel much more old and proper than I really am.
[she's only 24... 23? 24? she's not really sure, between being yanked back home and coming back to Aldrip.]
no subject
[ Flustered in response, Koharu gives a deep, apologetic bow. ]
I'm sorry, I won't do it again! Um—Vi it is, then!
no subject
Second rule. Don't take me that seriously. I'm just some girl who punches things.
[she waves her closer, tilting her head.]
Just talk to me like you would anyone else, 'kay?
(no subject)
(no subject)
kurama.
though she is curious now who lives here. it definitely looks like someone's here more often than just passing by to care for the animals... and she steps back onto the grounds a few days later. it'd always make her feel relaxed, being here, and she'd almost forgotten that. everything was so... simple, here. nothing really to do but to care for the animals, and take care of the grounds.
she looks for who may be here, not finding anyone yet.]
Anyone here? Or am I just talking to a bunch of cows and chickens?
[it was her old friend's farm, after all. she kinda wanted to know who the caretaker was now.]
no subject
He did notice who came and went, which of the visitors might be considered regulars, and who appeared newer, often seeming a little lost. For the most part, Kurama doesn't bother to disturb anyone in their routines. He's just getting organized here himself, undecided on what to do with everything. It's winter still, plenty of time before he might need to start thinking about official employees or regulating tasks. As far as he knows no one lives on the farm, however, apparitions don't sleep the way humans do. Which allows him to tend to his duties around Aldrip, keeping up a presence on the property and using that time productively to put things in order.
Which is what he's doing currently when a voice calls out. One he isn't familiar with, at that. In typical fashion, he appears practically out of thin air just out of sight, hands casually in his pockets as if he's been standing there the whole time, actually.]
The cows and chickens aren't very chatty, I'm afraid. Perhaps you would rather try your luck with a fox.
no subject
Yeah... been there, done that. They just moo and squawk at me.
[she raises an eyebrow at the fox comment, though.]
I dunno, those assholes are loud... unless you're a fox. Wouldn't be surprised if you were.
no subject
Afraid so. Although, I do try to refrain from being too much of a problem.
[Considering she seemed to be looking for someone, Kurama gets right to the point. Most visitors or volunteers went about their business without announcing themselves, so he figures she must be here for a reason. The fact that he can recognize others by scent also means he can tell it's been awhile since she's been by at all, which is enough to make him curious about why she'd returned now, specifically.]
Did you need something or were you just visiting today?
no subject
[she puts her hands in her pockets, rocking from her heels to the tips of her toes as she looks around the farm again. where she knew the hot springs were.
man,]
I helped build this place. The guy who owned it first was shocked that I could lift that barn door.
[she points to the door in question, and tilts her head.]
It's changed hands a couple times since then, so I guess I just wanted to meet who was taking care of it now.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
caitlyn. sometime after the last event
man.
Caitlyn's out, so Vi's left to her own devices, which isn't good. she hadn't really felt up to going to Lupin today, instead letting the kids and the locals (sparse as they were being lately) handle it. if they didn't come in, she would've just closed it.
she's thinking too much. thinking about what she'd seen in Ekko's dream, and confirmation that it was real. that there was a successful universe somewhere out there, where Vander, her brothers, Jinx were alive. where the Undercity was thriving.
but she was dead.
she does what she usually does when she's upset -- which is, obviously, drink. she's sitting on their couch, bottle in hand, swirling the remnants of it around. even numb, she's still feeling and thinking too much. she's not exactly sure where the dominoes fell in that universe after her death. or was it even her death that altered it all?
it can't be coincidence, she thinks.
she finishes the bottle of straight liquor, and then opens the next one. she doesn't care if she's going to be hungover as shit later. she doesn't care if Caitlyn comes back and frets and fusses over her. she just wants it all to stop. for the hits to stop coming, and coming and coming relentlessly, because there's only so much she can take. it's a revelation, it's someone coming back to life and dying, it's her reason for living sacrificing herself for her. it's getting out of jail to a completely different world. it's losing Caitlyn, if only briefly. and even then, a part of her wonders when she'll lose her again. it was the fear of not knowing where Ekko was. just hit.
after hit.
after hit.
she's so, so tired of being strong.]
no subject
Needless to say, she immediately went back home, wanting to make sure the love of her life was alright.
She wishes it wasn't surprising to find Vi surrounded by empty bottles. Caitlyn sighs softly as she closes the door behind her, setting her things down and stepping closer to the couch Vi was sitting on. Her arms were crossed, not so much out of anger, but she's frightened for Vi's sake. She's seen her break downs plenty enough now to know she can lash out (verbally-- she isn't afraid that Vi will hit her, or anything close to that), so she isn't letting her guard down, nor is she going to rush to hold her until she knows Vi will accept that, as much as she wants to.]
You should have told me you weren't okay. I wouldn't have left.
no subject
To be fair... I was okay this morning. A little shitty, but not this shitty.
[she says, her voice slurring a bit as she takes another drink.]
But then... I started thinking about dreams... and how real they could be. Or how real they are here, I guess.
no subject
I think you've had enough, love.
[She's not going to outright take it unless Vi gives it to her willingly, but she steps closer, gesturing to the bottle in Vi's hand.]
If this really is a stimulation, and it's all just projected into our heads, it... makes sense, that the dreams they create for us are realistic. They would be just as vivid as the world around us when we're conscious.
[She pauses, recalling the traumatic images of death she saw in Vi's dream. And that was just a start. She didn't know what else Vi might have dreamed, or what Vi might have seen in other dreams.]
Do you want to talk about it?
no subject
[she thinks about giving the bottle to Caitlyn, but thinks better of it and takes another swig from it. she props her feet up on the table in front of the couch, listening to her as she looks up at the ceiling.
her dreams were bad enough. but Ekko's dream...]
Do you ever think about what would happen if you'd just died instead of lived at one point in your life? That things might be... better without you?
[it's the first time she's actually talking about it outside that initial dream with Ekko. even though she's not going to name names about it, though.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
cw: vague ideations
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)