Showtime
“20 seconds until curtain.”
A voice crackled into Gert’s earpiece, barely audible over the chaos that had consumed backstage at the Ionian Arena. She pushed her microphone closer to her mouth, uttering “Copy that. I’ve got a standby on Kiramman” and then, directed at the flock of members of press narrowing in on the lineup of models, “We need some room, please!”
Her desperate plea was met with an array of disgruntled noises, the blinding flashes of cameras and stream of questions not letting up. Show days never got easier.
“10 seconds until curtain.”
Slicing through the pandemonium was the booming voice of Silco over the venue’s speakers, “Ladies and gentlemen, do we have a show for you tonight? You best believe these women are the most beautiful in the world and starting us off is none other than your golden girl, Caitlyn Kiramman!”
Gert spared a glance to Caitlyn and could’ve sworn her jaw ticked and set at the mention of her name, immovable despite the deafening roar from the crowd that flowed backstage.
Gert sucked in a breath.
“3, 2, 1, showtime.”
Gert gave Caitlyn a gentle tap on her shoulder and offered her a reassuring look, “Ready?” Except it seemed that her reassurance wasn’t needed as she watched Caitlyn’s rigid demeanour contort into something entirely different, shedding her icy exterior like a snake. She met Gert’s eyes with a catlike intensity, a small smirk forming on her face as she whispered low “Born ready.”
With that, she was off, the kind of poise you could only expect from Victoria’s Secret’s prodigy taking over. All eyes were on Caitlyn as she graced the runway, extending her arms and beckoning to the crowd to make some noise which they had no choice but to obey.
She set the tone for the remainder of the show and she knew it, lights bouncing off of her sheer navy corset, accompanied by feathered wings that were as tall as she was. All eyes were glued to her, she orchestrated a stage presence that was like nothing you’ve ever seen.
Reaching the end of the runway, she stared down the camera like it was the barrel of a gun before something playful took over her face as she raised a hand to her ear and was met with ear-piercing applause. She never failed to take notice of the thousands of eyes raking up and down her body, never failed to take notice of the pit it left in her stomach. Finally, for her last act, she winked at the lens before tossing her blue-black hair over her shoulder, allowing it to cascade down her back as she walked the remainder of the runway with an air of unattainable perfection.
“Isn’t she something, folks? Give her a hand!” Silco practically drooled into the speakers, eliciting an eye roll from Caitlyn once she was away from the view of any cameras.
Ignoring the hands offered to her from the stage crew, Caitlyn maneuvered down the stairs that lead to hair and makeup, her heels clipping on the floor as her cold exterior took over once again until she was merely a shell of the magnetic Caitlyn Kiramman that just took over the runway.
She allowed herself a mere moment to take in her appearance under the blinding lights that framed the mirrors in the room before she was coddled by her team, underneath the airbrushed layers of makeup she saw how hollowed out her eyes were, how exhaustion oozed out of her skin.
The door to the room flung open suddenly. “Absolutely wonderful, darling. Your exit could do with some refining though, a smile here, a wink there.” Her mother beamed at her as she elegantly sauntered into the hair and makeup room, paying no mind to the young member of security looking at her with bewilderment that suggested she wasn’t supposed to be here.
“Oh, spare me Mother. You heard the crowd.” Caitlyn responded sternly, her back ramrod straight in her chair as far too many members of her team fussed over her, filling the air with an array of powders and sprays.
“Now, now, I only want you to reach your full potential. Back when I was walking for Victoria’s Secre-”
“It’s been 30 years. Don’t you think it’s time to move on?” Caitlyn’s own expression faltered slightly at the unexpected hardness of her voice but her mother seemed entirely unbothered, examining the work of the highly qualified hair stylist positioned behind Caitlyn with a look of disapproval.
“It’s been 30 years and yet the empire I built in this industry still stands. Darling, do you know how many girls would kill to be in your position? To be you.” She paused her unspoken criticism of the efforts of the hair and makeup team to lock her own bright blue eyes onto her daughter’s in the mirror, arching a perfect eyebrow at her.
“All I’m saying is you could for once be appreciative of the woman who put you here.” Her tone was now sickly sweet as she watched her daughter’s expression with intent for a moment, tracing the lines left by stress before muttering something about being needed elsewhere and leaving the room with the same elegance she possessed entering it.
Cassandra Kiramman. A legend within the modelling world, a name that demanded respect and earned adoration from whoever’s lips it left. She was scouted off of the streets of Piltover at the age of 16 and had never looked back.
Before long, she was the face of the up and coming brand Victoria’s Secret, her name plastered across magazine spreads and billboards. You couldn’t so much as utter the brand's name without “Cassandra Kiramman” following soon after.
To those who knew her, truly knew her, she was cunning and calculated; a force to be reckoned with. To the public eye, she was the girl next door, a picture of sweetness. When the newest headlines read “Cassandra and Tobias Kiramman: A Love Story for the Ages” it took the world by storm, they were losing their ever elusive heart throb and yet the public adored their relationship. Even Caitlyn could admit it was rather poetic.
In her exuberant 15 year career, Cassandra Kiramman had fallen once on a runway due to a poorly fitted heel and Tobias happened to be the medic backstage that day, inspecting her rolled ankle with the kind of tenderness that only comes from a man who had already fallen deeply in love. The rest was history.
And now here Caitlyn was. The remainder of the show was a blur, the typical dissociative state possessing her body. A quick change, another stop at hair and makeup, the crackle of earpieces and Silco’s droning voice reverberating against the walls of the arena. She dazzled the crowd for a second time, of course, her demeanour changing as easily as one would change a pair of shoes.
As she found herself in the hair and makeup chair for what felt like the millionth time that day, the ache of the day truly seeped its way under Caitlyn’s skin, gnawing at her bones as it protested against a lifestyle that she hadn’t chosen for herself. She pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment – a fleeting attempt at keeping the headache that threatened her temples at bay before giving up and beginning to painstakingly remove all traces of the day.
She prodded at a particularly stubborn smear of mascara under her eye with a makeup wipe, frantically rubbing the skin as it turned into an angry red mark, frustration blooming in her chest until-
She was snapped out of her trance by the creak of the door to the room opening, her shoulders tensing at the thought of her mother possibly returning to deal the last blow.
“Ugh, get this shit off of me” Mel’s voice was laced with cheek as she slumped into the chair next to Caitlyn, her eyes were adorned with elaborate gold leaf designs and twinkled as she grinned at her in the mirror. Caitlyn felt the tightness in her shoulders immediately release in the presence of Mel, who took clear notice. “What’s got you so worked up?” she muttered as she took a pair of tweezers to her face, hastily removing specks of gold leaf.
Caitlyn surveyed her for a moment, hesitating, before releasing a low and steady breath she wasn’t aware she was holding in. “Same old, same old. There’s no winning with the beast unless I become her.” She let out a small laugh and made a face at Mel who returned the gesture.
Mel hoisted herself up in her chair and neatly folded her hands in her lap – an absolute picture of poise and perfection – before lightly clearing her throat, “Now, I only want what’s best for you Caitlyn and as your mother I can tell you it is certainly a modelling career that drains the light from your eyes. Don’t you agree, darling?” Her voice was smooth as she leaned further into her Piltovian accent. She slipped in and out of the impression with ease, returning her attention to the remnants of gold leaf dotted across her cheek.
Caitlyn still didn’t miss the smirk that played on Mel’s mouth or the sidelong glance she gave her and before long they both dissolved into fits of laughter, Caitlyn doubling over in her rickety chair. “You’ve got it down to an art now, haven’t you?” Her gapped teeth on display as she wiped at the corner of her eye.
“You bet.”
Time passed easily between the two of them and the frustration that was stewing in Caitlyn was now replaced with a kind of gratefulness for someone like Mel. They had had a similar entrance into the industry, both coming from influential families, and it often seemed like Mel was the only one who had some grasp on how Caitlyn felt, even though she may never know the full story.
Caitlyn’s train of thought was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of Silco’s voice, this time from Mel’s phone. “God, I look like I’m shitting bricks.” Her bright eyes illuminated by the glow of the phone screen, the cheer of the crowd now pouring out of the device. “Seriously, what the fuck am I doing?” Caitlyn just scoffed at her remarks.
“You can’t be serious. Just look at you, listen to them.”
Mel just hummed absentmindedly, her eyebrows furrowed as she analysed every frame of the recording. Searching for some distraction, against her own best interest, Caitlyn simply asked “Can I see mine?”
Green eyes snapped immediately from the screen of the phone to Caitlyn’s. “You never want to see yours.” Curiosity tinged Mel’s expression.
“I’m just- feeling different today.” Caitlyn exclaimed as she plastered on her best genuine smile.
This seemed acceptable enough to Mel who ran her finger along the red bar at the bottom of the screen until Silco’s overly animated introduction to today’s show began to play.
Caitlyn barely paid herself on the screen a glance, satisfied with her efforts at redirecting Mel’s stream of consciousness. However, as her walk wrapped up and the camera smoothly panned across the audience of the show, Caitlyn certainly didn’t miss the shock of pink hair somewhere in the crowd.
After receiving the invite to the Ionian fashion week, Vi knew there was only one way she was getting through it.
Powder – because she was Powder – had acted like it was the end of the world being dragged out of bed for a week.
“Vi, you don’t understand! I am booked and busy this week.” She exclaimed, blue braids flying out behind her as she chased her older sister around the house, Vi scoffed as she gathered some toiletries from the bathroom of their childhood home in Zaun.
“Oh, yeah?” Vi’s expression was smug.
“Uh, yeah.” Powder leaned against the doorframe to the bathroom and crossed her arms, looking at Vi in a matter of factly manner.
“Hm, let me guess: sleeping, eating, gaming.” Vi numbered them off on her fingers, “should I go on?” she asked sweetly as she brushed past Powder in the doorway.
“But-”
“Ekko can stay with us.” She turned around to face her sister.
Powder’s ears reddened. “Really?” She looked up at her older sister with massive eyes.
“Of course.” Vi shrugged.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” She bounced on the balls of her feet before throwing her slender frame at Vi who caught her in a hug, concealing her grin from her little sister. In a flash, Powder had her phone up to her ear, racing down the hallway to her room. She was gesturing wildly in the air, Vi not catching a word of her conversation.
“Tell him to get packing! We’re leaving soon!” Vi called after her just as the wildly decorated door to Powder’s room slammed. She sat down on one of the mismatched kitchen stools, cradling a glass of water.
“Stop slamming the door! I can’t concentrate!” Mylo yelled out from the worn down couch that sat in the middle of their small living room, he was on the edge of his seat, tongue sticking out of his mouth as he frantically slammed at the buttons of his taped together controller.
“That’s your excuse, huh?” Claggor was slouched back into the other end of the couch, his own controller being used with such precision, clearly dominating whatever game they were playing. “And that’s how it’s done.” He said with finality, setting his controller down to pump a fist into the air.
Mylo just groaned, tugging at his wild mess of hair as he sunk backwards into the couch cushions.
“Better luck next time.” Claggor clapped him on the shoulder and went to retreat to the kitchen, just as Mylo leaped from the couch cushions and somehow managed to place Claggor in a headlock, dragging him back to the couch. The two of them were now a blur of limbs flying.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Claggor grunted as he finally stood tall, pushing one hand against Mylo’s forehead and keeping him at arm’s length as his lanky limbs desperately flailed, trying to land a jab on Claggor.
Vi just sighed and started chuckling to herself.
“Language.” Vander’s deep voice sliced through the chaos that had unfolded, grounding and not without a hint of playfulness. “Clag, let him go.”
Claggor gave Vander a pointed look before huffing and releasing his younger brother who clearly hadn’t quit throwing his full weight towards Claggor and ended up flat on his face.
Vi doubled over in laughter at the sight. “Nice one.” She smirked at Claggor as he walked past her into the kitchen, landing a solid high five.
Vander rolled his eyes before they landed on Vi. “That was good of you. Bringing Ekko.”
“It’s nothing, really.” Vi shrugged.
“Still, it made her happy.” He offered Vi a knowing smile.
“Yeah, she’s got it bad.” She let out a short laugh. Vander just nodded in agreement, a twinkle in his eyes.
He had always been this way. Wise and grounding. Ever since he took the four kids under his wing. Vi hated having to use the term ‘adoptive father’ when she spoke about him because to her he was so much more than that. Their slightly dysfunctional family dynamic is what kept her sane, kept her present.
“Why didn’t I get an invite?” Mylo padded into the kitchen, his tone light and teasing.
“Interested in being paraded around like a show dog for a week?” Vi quipped.
“I’m not interested in it, but the ladies would be.” He flexed his arm before kissing his bicep and winking at Vi.
“Wait, shush for a second. Do you hear that?” Vi looked genuinely concerned.
“What?” Mylo answered immediately, fear evident in his voice.
“I think that was the sound of their vaginas shrivelling up.” She retorted, the corner of her lip twitching with effort as she tried not to laugh.
Claggor snorted into his glass of juice.
Mylo looked to Vander with desperation in his eyes. “Are you hearing this?” He gestured to Vi wildly.
“Loud and clear.” Vander took a long sip of coffee.
Mylo huffed before dropping his fists to his sides and storming out of the kitchen.
The three of them simply watched him leave before laughter bubbled up and filled the cozy kitchen.
“Pow, you almost ready?” Vi sung out.
“Give me a second!” Came Powder’s muffled voice from her bedroom.
“Leaving in twenty, okay?”
“Yup!”
With that, the bedroom door flung open and her little sister dashed into the bathroom, clattering of products and cabinet doors audible in the kitchen, Vander just looked amused. Powder emerged after a minute or two with her arms full of all kinds of bottles and containers, leaving a trail of them behind her as she wandered down the hallway.
“Jesus, Pow. This isn’t the apocalypse.” Vi said, shaking her head and laughing when her sister shot her a glare in response.
Ekko arrived 10 minutes later, a sheepish grin on his face as he wrapped Powder in a brief hug before she zipped off to do whatever Powder does. He then turned to Vi who had finally managed to shove everything in her black duffel bag and was standing back proudly to assess her work. “Thankyou, for inviting me.” He said, scratching at his nose absentmindedly.
“Of course, little man.” She gave him a pat on the back. “Alright, let’s hit the road. Pow!” She called out. The three of them piled into Vi’s red pick up truck, Ekko and Jinx bickering over the radio that was crackly and warped no matter what you played.
This is how it was with her family, Vi could financially support herself and them to some form of a lavish lifestyle and yet none of them had any want for it. There was some deep and unspoken understanding between them all that it was entirely unimportant.
So she pulled onto the road in a truck that barely ran and waved goodbye to Vander who was on the porch that barely stood.
Ekko had joined Vi as a Calvin Klein spokesmodel the year prior after paparazzi had caught the two of them hanging out with Powder on a random afternoon. Once the photos went live, he had been booked immediately. He didn’t exactly have a real passion for it but the few campaigns he had done in the past year had funded his various tinkering projects and that was good enough for him.
Despite coming from similar backgrounds and entering the industry in a similar way, Vi’s experience had been slightly different. She was scouted for Calvin Klein as somewhat of a Zaun wildcard, the brand pushing for relevancy by diversifying the economic status of its models, an inspiring tale for all of the Zaunite children out there. Vi was happy to play the part if it meant a steady stream of income. Neither Calvin Klein or Vi expected her to take the modelling world by storm.
Her initial campaign with a series of other models went viral, her pink hair splashed across screens everywhere, it wasn’t long before she was labelled as a heart throb. The gravity of the situation hadn’t really sunk in until she was in the back of a taxi in Piltover, on the way to meet with her manager. Powder sat next to her, fidgeting with her tablet, paying no mind to her surroundings.
That was when she saw it. Dead centre at the end of the Piltovian square was a billboard that could only be described as humongous and spanned the entirety of the glass apartment complex it was on. The image was grayscale, Vi was turned away from the camera but looking to the left so her face was in profile. She sported a pair of baggy jeans with the classic Calvin Klein waistband peeking out the top of the denim. Her top half was bare and her elaborate back tattoos took up much of the billboard, one arm loosely flexed as it reached up to tussle her own hair.
Vi just stared, mouth agape. Nicely done, she thought to herself.
“How are you handling all of this, Vi?” Skye’s sharp gaze met hers across the desk. They were in the headquarters of Calvin Klein, her own billboard visible from the building. Powder had absolutely lost her shit when she finally saw it. “Shut the fuck up.” She had muttered in disbelief before madly snapping a million photos of the anomaly and sending it just about anywhere she could. Her little sister was now in the waiting room and last time Vi had seen her, her eyes still glued to her tablet.
“Uh, pretty well, I think.” Vi swallowed.
“Well, I can imagine it has all come as quite a-” she paused and gestured animatedly towards the air with both hands “-shock to someone like you.”
Vi’s eyes narrowed. “Someone like me?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I?” Vi pointed out the window to where her billboard was displayed. “I’d say that’s handling it pretty well, but thank you. For your concern.” She punctuated that last word.
Skye visibly stiffened in her seat. “I apologize Ms Lanes.”
“Hm.” Vi surveyed her for a second. “So what am I here for?” She leaned back in her chair and reached both arms up to lock her hands behind her head. She looked every bit of casual and calm that she didn’t feel at all.
Skye cleared her throat and steepled her fingers on the walnut desk. “We would like to extend your contract, give you a true place here as a brand ambassador. You embody this brand, Vi and we want to keep you on board.” She slid a few stapled sheets of paper across the desk.
Vi was smug now. “Should’ve led with that.”
After that meeting, Vi decided on keeping as minimal contact with Skye as possible, requesting to only be contacted for major changes, events and updates. Besides, she should’ve known Powder would keep extensive tabs on Vi’s status on every social media platform and give her updates at any chance she got. It almost eliminated a need for Skye.
Vi grumbled in a low, sleepy voice as her alarm rang out, echoing due to the lack of furniture – lack of personality in the bedroom. “Home,” right now, was a sleek and sophisticated 2 bedroom apartment in Ionia.
As she slunk out of bed, she was suddenly well aware of the crisp early morning chill and slipped a hoodie over her sports bra, shivering as she did so. She briefly glanced at her phone clock that read 6:02am before making her way into the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye she could make out two lumps on the couch that sat in the living room of the apartment and realised it was Powder and Ekko, lightly snoring and entirely tangled together. Vi snorted at the sight as she filled her water bottle and silently moved out of the apartment and down to the building’s gym.
As her wrapped fists made contact with the punching bag, this was the closest to home Vi could feel without actually being there. Her muscles rippled under her skin and began to protest against the effort, causing her to step back and wipe the sweat from her brow. She rolled her shoulders out before moving into wind down stretches, a routine that came so naturally to her, grounding her.
She gently clicked open the door of the apartment, sure that Powder and Ekko would still be sleeping, a rock playlist rattling around in her ears as she got ready to shower.
Finally, as she finished up making breakfast she saw signs of life on the couch. Powder’s sleepy face was illuminated by her phone screen, her eyes wide as she furiously tapped the screen. Ekko was half watching the game she was playing and half watching her play it, a small smile on his face.
“Look, look!” She exclaimed, waving the screen frantically in front of Ekko’s face.
“I’m looking!” He chuckled.
She returned her focus to the screen, satisfied enough.
“Eggs on toast sound good?” Vi’s voice cutting through their little bubble.
Powder just hummed as Vi shot Ekko a grin.
“Hey, the house is on fire.” Vi deadpanned.
Powder didn’t even blink. Ekko snorted loudly, the noise causing Powder’s grip on the phone to falter as she grumbled at him. “Sorry, sorry.” He muttered while trying to contain his laughter as Powder finally tossed her phone aside with an exasperated sigh.
Vi placed their plates on the coffee table in front of them with a dramatic bow. “You still up for tonight, Pow?”
“The fashion show?”
Vi nodded.
“Hell yeah, I have got to take a look at their lighting design, must be some crazy fancy Ionian shit.” She made a grand gesture before digging in to her breakfast.
“You are so weird.” Vi teased as she watched her little sister shovel toast and egg into her mouth.
“It’s better than going to drool over the models like some creep.” Powder now gestured to Vi.
“Oh, come off it. My reputation precedes me, you know I’m nothing like that.”
“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.” Powder grinned.
Even Vi had to admit that the lighting in the arena was impressive, casting the crowd in deep hues of navy and red, she also had to admit that it wasn’t what she was here to see.
She was slouched back in her seat, the top few buttons of her shirt undone, hands tucked into the pockets of her black pants. In stark contrast, Powder was sat on the edge of her seat, the lights casting a glow over her awestruck face, her hair shifting between purple and electric blue as coloured spotlights roamed the stadium. As Silco’s voice hissed through the speakers, Vi couldn’t help but think how annoying his voice was, focusing her attention on Powder in an attempt to drown it out. One thing did catch her attention though. A name.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed and the crowd roared as a track with a heavy bass line began to blare through the speakers.
And there she was.
Caitlyn Kiramman.
Suddenly, it felt as if the air had been sucked out of her lungs. Her mouth went dry as her eyes felt as if they were being dragged along by the woman in front of her. She was in a trance. And when she got a peek of Caitlyn’s gapped front teeth as she reached the end of the runway she knew it was really over for her.
Powder let out a low whistle as she glanced over at Vi, who might as well have been possessed. Her shoulders shook with laughter as she waved a hand in front of Vi’s face who remained unblinking.
“Oh, you’re really gone.”