Chapter 11
It was the day of the memorial. Organizers were finishing the last bits that needed to be done this morning. Caitlyn stood in front of the mirror, dressed in a long, dark blue dress with the Kiramman pin on the right side. She gazed at her eye patch closely, taking a step forward. She grazed over it lightly.
"Do you want me to help?" Vi asked, sitting up.
She was wearing loose sleeping clothes.
"No, thank you," Caitlyn replied, slipping on some jewelry. She glanced at her partner through the mirror, who was looking her up and down from behind.
"You look beautiful," Vi said, her voice soft.
Caitlyn blushed at the compliment and turned around, walking toward Vi's side of the bed. "Thank you, darling," she said, sitting beside her. Vi scooted closer, hugging her from the side and resting her head on Caitlyn's shoulder. Caitlyn let out a breath she’d been holding in, feeling comfortable in Vi’s embrace.
"Don’t worry, Cait. You’ve prepared for your speech, and all the enforcers know their orders. It will be okay," Vi reassured her, placing a small peck on Caitlyn’s neck. Caitlyn leaned in, letting the affection distract her thoughts.
When Caitlyn asked Vi if she wanted to join, she had hoped Vi would accept. But Caitlyn didn’t want to make Vi uncomfortable. Even though she couldn’t say it aloud, she would have far more confidence if Vi were there.
"You should probably head downstairs and eat something before you leave," Vi said, pulling away slightly.
Caitlyn looked at her with a questioning expression. Vi avoided her gaze, knowing what Caitlyn’s face meant—
Will you really not go?
It was a look Caitlyn had given her all week.
"I’ll see you later today," Vi said, lying back down on the bed. Caitlyn stood up and walked toward the door. Vi’s eyes followed her somber figure as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Caitlyn entered the living room to find her father already dressed, holding a drink in his hand. He looked up at her, admiring the adult his daughter had become.
"You look great, Caitlyn," he said.
Caitlyn lifted the corner of her mouth in a small smile. "Thank you," she replied, picking up her purse. Her father gave her a knowing look, finishing his drink before standing up.
"Don’t you want to eat before we leave?" he asked.
Caitlyn shook her head. "I’m not hungry. Besides, I need to brief the enforcers before the memorial starts," she said, pulling out the keys. They both walked toward the door in silence. Caitlyn hoped the day would pass quickly.
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The memorial started three hours ago. People are walking in and out of the building where the event was being held. Mostly Topsiders, but a few from the Undercity were also present—especially those who had helped during the war and the families of those they lost.
Caitlyn was offered a bottle of water but declined. Her father was talking to some of his friends. She noticed Ekko, who was judging some of the academy students as they conversed with him.
Caitlyn could tell Ekko had put a lot of thought into his suit, which was why he was receiving so many compliments today from the Topsiders.
"Caitlyn," someone called.
Caitlyn turned back to the group of enforcers she was standing with.
"Nothing is going to happen this time," Steb reassured her. Some of the enforcers nodded, saying everything had been secured well. Caitlyn nodded in response, though that wasn’t what she was thinking about.
They chatted about their time training together as enforcers or their time at school. Talking about those memories made Caitlyn feel a little better.
"Caitlyn,"
Caitlyn turned around to see Ekko approaching.
"Already getting tired of them?" she teased.
Ekko rolled his eyes as they walked away from the group.
"They’re alright, they just like to talk too much," Ekko said, opening a water bottle.
"Do they know how to fix the hexgates?" Caitlyn asked.
Ekko closed the cap. "I’m not sure. They know more about the dangers than the potential uses," he said. Caitlyn bit her lip. This was what she was afraid of—that they were too scared to get close to the Arcane.
"She really didn’t come?" Ekko asked, snapping Caitlyn out of her thoughts.
"It’s alright," Caitlyn replied with a heavy sigh.
"Are you prepared for your speech?" Ekko asked, trying to change the mood.
Caitlyn smiled softly at his attempt. "I’ve practiced the speech so many times with Vi, it made her fall asleep," she said.
Ekko laughed and took another sip from his bottle.
"Ekko," they both heard someone call.
They turned to see Scar waving at them.
"Can’t wait for the speech," Ekko said as he walks toward him. Caitlyn nods her head and walks back toward Steb, greeting a few people along the way.
Vi had to be patted down before she could walk into the building where the memorial was being held. When she fixed Ekko's hair earlier today, he couldn’t stop whining about her not being there. After he left the bar, she decided to fix some light bulbs, lift the new chairs and table upstairs to keep them clean, and clean the floor.
But when she walked into the basement, she couldn’t help but stare at the outfit that had been made for her.
It was a simple black suit with a striped white cropped shirt, a dark greyish cropped waistcoat, and a blazer with subtle gold stripes on the shoulder pads, featuring the Kiramman pin on the right side. The trousers were also accented with gold stripes. When she put it on, the fit was tight, especially around her torso, and the coat felt heavy.
She walked into the building, greeted with a mix of respect from some and others glancing at her with a glare. Mainly the Topsiders.
She chatted with people from the Undercity about the bar—asking when it would open and how the process was going—when she noticed Steb. She excused herself and walked toward him.
"Looking good, Steb," she said, giving him a hug.
"I could say the same about you," he replied, taking a moment to look at her outfit. "How are you?" he asked as they walked deeper into the hall. They chatted some more until the announcer told everyone to get to their seats.
"I’ll make sure you get seated up front, alright?" Steb said, calling someone’s name.
"Thanks," Vi replied, nodding as he walked off.
Vi looked around the place, trying to shake off some of the nerves.
"Surprised to see you here," a voice said.
Vi turned to see Sevika approaching.
"I just came here to annoy you," Vi said.
Sevika scoffed, and a worker told them to head to the front of the podium.
"Did you make any progress with the bar?" Sevika asked.
"Yeah, the roof is almost done. After that, I can work on the interior," Vi said, scanning the room for a significant someone.
"Did you already shut down the factories?" Vi asked, causing Sevika to shake her head.
"I can’t stop seven months of progress in three weeks, but I’ll handle it," Sevika said. They reached their seats, and Caitlyn had just stepped up to the podium, preparing to give her speech.
"Good luck sitting next to her dad," Sevika teased, settling into her own seat.
Caitlyn’s speech had already begun when Vi sat next to Caitlyn’s father. Caitlyn hadn’t noticed her yet, so Vi cleared her throat and paid attention to the speech she heard a thousand times already.
"You showed up," Caitlyn’s father said.
"Y-Yes," Vi replied shortly, turning her attention back to Caitlyn.
Caitlyn glanced at her father, noticing the woman sitting next to him. She smiled before continuing her speech.
Tobias watched Vi, sensing her presence had boosted his daughter’s confidence.
"How’s her eye?" Tobias asked.
Vi’s smile faltered. "Her eye is healing well. The doctors decided to place some more stitches so the cut can heal better."
Tobias nodded, running a hand through his beard.
"How is she doing overall?" he asked.
Vi sighed. "She’s overworking herself, but she’s eating better than before. Her shooting practice is going great."
Tobias glanced at Vi before focusing back on Caitlyn, who was finishing her speech.
Everyone stood to clap for Caitlyn. Vi turned around to see Ekko giving her a hug.
"That outfit looks really good," he said, nudging her shoulder.
"Thanks, Ekko," she replied, adjusting Ekko’s suit a little.
Ekko pointed behind her. Vi turned and saw Caitlyn hugging her dad. They locked eyes and began walking toward each other, only for Caitlyn to be stopped by some Topsiders.
Caitlyn looked at Vi with an apologetic expression, but Vi reassured her with a small smile. Vi walked back to Ekko, and the announcer announced that the councillors would be making an announcement in half an hour.
Vi was reminiscing with some of the volunteers who had helped during the war when she felt a hand on her back. She looked up to meet her partner’s gaze. " Do you wanna go get some fresh air?" Caitlyn asks. They excuse themselves and walk away.
"Do you feel better now that your speech is done?" Vi asked.
Caitlyn smiled. "I feel relieved."
They walked outside the building. Caitlyn took a deep breath, closing her eye.
"I’m glad you’re here," Caitlyn said, sitting down on the steps.
Vi sat next to her, closing the gap between them. "Well, you aren’t really showing it," Vi teased, though there was an edge of honesty in her voice.
Caitlyn stared at her partner.
What Vi didn’t know was that Caitlyn had been admiring her from a distance earlier when she had been talking with the councillors—eyeing her up and down, taking in the outfit that showed off Vi’s abs a little.
"I really like your outfit," Caitlyn said, nudging Vi’s shoulder.
Vi smiled. "Thanks. Just don’t get used to it."
Vi tugged at her blazer, feeling uncomfortable with the tightness. She eyed Caitlyn’s bare arms and legs. "Aren’t you cold?" Vi asked, about to take off her blazer, but Caitlyn stopped her.
"No, it’s fine. Actually, it feels nice. I felt like I was suffocating in there," Caitlyn explained.
Vi stared at the ground, understanding the anxiety Caitlyn was feeling. "And I thought you used to like stuff like this," she said with a small chuckle.
Caitlyn had once mentioned, during a sleepless night, how much she hated these kinds of gatherings growing up.
They stood up as people began walking back inside to take their seats. The two of them took a deep breath and walked back into the building. Vi glanced around the entrance when something caught her eye. She told Caitlyn to walk ahead to their seats. Caitlyn was about to stop her, but she got greeted by someone, so Vi went ahead.
As Caitlyn sat next to her father, she heard Ekko’s voice from behind her.
"Where did Vi go?" Ekko asked.
Both her father and Ekko waited for her response.
"I don’t know. She told me to walk ahead, and she’ll be here soon," Caitlyn said while the announcer urged everyone to take their seats.
When the councillors finally took their places on the podium, Vi approached them. As she passed Caitlyn, she placed something in her hand before taking a seat next to Ekko.
Caitlyn opened the wrapping to reveal a sandwich. She looked behind her and saw Vi smirking. She mouthed a thank you, then took a bite. Caitlyn caught her dad glancing at her with a smile. She offered him a bite, but he shook his head.
The councillors began their announcements, but Vi was focused on the woman in front of her, eating the sandwich Vi had snatched from the catering people.
She lost her gaze on Caitlyn as Ekko nudged her.
"You didn’t get me anything," Ekko began, but Vi quickly pulled out another sandwich and handed it to him.
Ekko nodded in approval as he unwrapped it and took a bite. Vi kept her gaze on the woman in front of her, not listening to the councillors’ speeches. Hoping the day would go by fast.