Chapter Text
The sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, and the trees rustle as people walk through them harvesting the fruit. This is the type of day that mother would have said was blessed by Janna. Some of the fruit is picked off the ground by minotaurs from the Stoneblood clan. While ripe ones are pulled off the trees by field workers with long poles that have a sharp hook at the end and a groove for the fruit to roll down.
Hooking a branch, Jinx pulls on the pole and the apricot is cut from the twig and rolls down the groove into the basket at her feet. Granted, the experienced workers make it look easy, going from one fruit to another. Lines of apricots falling into waiting baskets. Isha is too small to wield one, so instead she sits on Dumortier’s shoulders and picks them off the trees with her hands. The next apricot that Jinx hooks goes straight into her hands instead. Picking off the twig, she rubs it on her shirt and takes a bite. Sweetness floods her mouth, and she closes her eyes in bliss.
“Taking a break already?”
Looking over her shoulder, Jinx sees Caitlyn walking up to her with a smile.
“Hey, a worker deserves their wages or whatever,” Jinx replies before taking another bite. Full baskets from the Kiramman workers are being loaded onto a huge wagon pulled by a tractor. The Stonebloods carry baskets on their back, and dump them into a smaller cart pulled by two giant horses, both of which are taking the chance to munch on any fallen apricots within their reach.
“Just letting you know, the Stonebloods have invited us to a meal with them. A light lunch for most of the workers to provide energy without making them too tired to keep working through the afternoon. We’ll be getting a slightly fuller one,” Caitlyn explains. Jinx hums and finishes up her apricot before tossing the seed away.
“So no taking a nap under a tree?” Jinx asks, and Caitlyn’s lips twitch with amusement.
“I’m afraid not. Besides, I have actual business here. So while the others get to work, I might be tied up for a while,” Caitlyn warns her.
“We’ll be tied up for a while, partner,” Jinx corrects her. No way was she missing this.
“I didn’t want to make assumptions,” Caitlyn states. She looks over to Dumortier and Isha, who have found a wild blackberry bush. Isha asks him something, and he bellows out a laugh before shaking his finger in warning and shooing her away. Grabbing a handful of berries, Isha races over to the horses, scuffing her feet loudly so they hear her coming. They perk their ears up and eagerly dig in as she holds her hands out flat so they can take the berries.
“Thanks for doing this. Viktor’s commune had fruit trees, but nothing like this. I’m glad she gets to see this for herself. Growing up, the only outside places we saw were the rooftops and streets of Piltover. We didn’t have parks or outdoor spaces. Not with the gray killing off everything,” Jinx recalls. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Jinx turns back to Caitlyn. “Ekko says the ventilation is working. It will take time, but in a few years if it keeps up then we could have our own green spaces again. Ekko said we used to have plants unique to the undercity that would keep the air clean, but the factories overwhelmed them,” she adds, bringing up something he told her once.
“I remember mother talking about that. Apparently, they were already struggling under the growing pollution when a foreign blight came in on a merchant ship. It destroyed their defenses and left them open to the gray. Everything withered,” Caitlyn says thoughtfully.
“Never thought I’d see the day when a green undercity might actually be a possibility. Well, not green maybe. More bioluminescent and nightclub rave vibes, but I’ll take what I can get,” Jinx says with a grin. Caitlyn laughs and nods to the tree.
“Come on, you’ve got a basket to fill up, don’t you?” she points out.
“And what will you be doing exactly?” Jinx asks, raising an eyebrow at her.
“Supervising, obviously,” Caitlyn says primly. Jinx scoffs and goes back to harvesting fruit. Despite her comments, Caitlyn stays to help. With her eye, she can’t judge closer distances well enough to use the harvesting pole, so instead she moves the basket and picks up any stray fruit that goes flying the wrong way. Once that’s full, Caitlyn grabs two wicker baskets and they start on a blackberry bush. They grow wild rather than being deliberately cultivated, so the Stonebloods are filling up some bags with them as well.
“Please tell me I can take some of these home,” Jinx says, popping another one into her mouth. Laughing, Caitlyn reaches over and brushes a stray seed off her cheek.
“You’ll get a whole care package, trust me. Apricots, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, and some jam and preserves as well. You’ll be drowning in stuff by the time we leave. We might even have some fresh bread I can get for you too,” Caitlyn promises. Jinx’s cooking skills aren’t amazing yet, but she’s learned how to read measurements and follow a recipe, which is apparently most of what you need anyway. Isha would love some blueberry pancakes.
“Wow, who needs a ring and a proposal with an offer like that?” Jinx teases, enjoying the way Caitlyn blushes and looks away while trying to hide her radiant smile.
Before long, it’s time to break for lunch, so they turn in the full baskets, and Jinx goes to round up Isha, who dragged Dumortier over to the cherry orchard. A large machine slowly rolls along, spreading out a tarp on mechanical arms and shaking the tree so all the cherries fall off. Stonebloods walk along behind, picking off the leftover cherries on the tree that haven’t fallen as well as the ones that fall off the tarp. Isha is reluctant to leave until Jinx mentions it is time to eat. Then she’s following along, racing over to Caitlyn and talking nonstop about all the cool stuff she’s seen so far today and how amazing this place is.
Isha needed this, Jinx considers as she hangs back to watch them. Caitlyn is quizzing Isha on the random bits of information she’s gained so far, and Isha is holding her hand and happily skipping along. It’s all painfully domestic and adorable. I wonder what everyone would think if they saw me now, she wonders idly. Silco would have a stroke over her being with a Piltie, but Vander would have been proud of how much she’s grown up. Just like he already was while there was still some of him left. Mylo would tease her nonstop and teach Isha all of his bad habits and horrible jokes. Claggor would have loved having a niece. And Vi? She was too selfless to hold a grudge. Her dying wish was for Jinx to take care of Caitlyn after all.
Ekko said there were other worlds. Other places like theirs, but different. Maybe in small ways, maybe in big ones. Maybe somewhere out there was a place where Vi got her happy ending the way she deserved.
“Mama! I’m hungry!”
Jinx snaps out of her thoughts and sees Isha waving to her before signing, “hurry up!” with her hands.
“I’m coming! Hold your horses,” Jinx calls out.
“I can’t! They’re too big!” Isha replies, giggling at her own joke.
I’ll keep them safe, Vi. I promise.
———————-
Lunch consists of vegetable tamales wrapped in banana leaves, cornbread, and succotash. Isha couldn’t pronounce the last one, so she just signed for “the veggie bowl” she wanted some more.
The Stonebloods were taking advantage of the outdoor pavilion set up near the main building. It had tables and outdoor grills for workers or visitors coming to tour the building or take part in one of the public foraging days.
“Thank you for inviting us to your table,” Caitlyn says politely to the clan storyteller. Galena was an aging female minotaur who called them over to sit down. She had sleek deep brown fur and was wrapped in colorful blue and orange robes with colorful ribbons around her large horns.
“Thank you for another bountiful harvest. It’s good to see that even when the leader of House Kiramman changes, the respect for our mutual history does not. And it’s good to see you brought such healthy appetites!” Galena says as Isha reaches for another tamale.
“I don’t suppose you give your recipes to outsiders? I’m still learning to cook, but any help is always appreciated,” Jinx asks hopefully as she spoons more succotash into her wooden bowl and then grabs more cornbread.
“Not for free, but I’ve got a recipe book to sell you if you’re interested. Only a few coppers unless you want the really fancy ones wrapped in deer leather. Those will cost you a silver,” Galena offers.
“Can we get one? I want to learn how to make tamales!” Isha insists, before Caitlyn reminds her not to talk with her mouth full.
“Make it two. The Firelight’s cafe is always looking for recipe book donations,” Jinx says. She reaches into her pocket and puts two silver coins down onto the table. Galena smiles with pleasure and waves a worker over.
“Get the lady two of our cookbooks. The fine ones,” Galena directs him. He returns shortly with two beautifully bound leather volumes inside a wool satchel and hands them to Jinx.
“You can look through it on the flight home after your hands are clean,” Jinx says when Isha immediately tries to grab one. Pouting, she sulks by eating more cornbread instead. Galena folds her hands together and looks over at Caitlyn.
“Now, maybe the young Kiramman can share what’s been bothering her enough to come visit me,” Galena says directly, but not unkindly. Caitlyn squirms uncomfortably, but she can’t deny her motives either.
“There’s a situation going on in Piltover right now, and I was hoping to get your advice and perspective on what’s going on,” Caitlyn explains, and she explains to Galena what has been going on in Piltover. The growing propaganda, taking advantage of latent anti vastaya sentiment, trying to recruit others, escalating to outright attacks, and finally the attempt on her life. Caitlyn does not reveal all the details, but explains that they knew it was coming and planned accordingly. Lastly, she describes Xinxuan and his brother. Galena listens quietly, not interrupting as Caitlyn explains what’s going on, and not speaking until she’s finished.
“A group that is pushing Noxian ideals in order to sow chaos and divide Piltover and Zaun. Pro humanists from outside Piltover who are imitating Ambessa’s tactics,” Galena hums thoughtfully as she repeats what she just heard. “Is that what you’ve uncovered? Or what you believe to be true?” she asks pointedly, and Caitlyn opens her mouth and then closes it. That question was asked for a reason.
“We know they are copying Ambessa’s tactics. But whether they are imitating Noxian ideals, or what they believe them to be is speculation. Our current leads point to them coming from outside Piltover, but we can’t confirm anything beyond that,” Caitlyn carefully responds, making Galena’s eyes crinkle in amusement.
“A wise answer indeed. And what do you believe?” Galena asks. When Caitlyn protests, the elderly minotaur holds a hand up. “What is a gut instinct but our bodies telling us something it cannot communicate in words? A Stoneblood must know how to listen to both. Just now, you said they were copying Ambessa, and you said this with strong confidence. But you were less certain about whether they were imitating Noxian ideals. Or simply following what they believe those ideals are. Your heart is conflicted,” she points out.
Falling silent, Caitlyn furrows her brow and thinks about that. What are her instincts telling her?
“I think my initial theories were wrong. At least partially,” Caitlyn slowly admits. “At first, I thought they were discontented citizens from Piltover who openly hated and discriminated against vastaya. People who saw what Noxus had accomplished and felt their way was superior. Copying their tactics to divide the city and turn Piltover against Zaun all over again,” she explains. “That seemed to be the case, but with Xinxuan in the picture now and our leads pointing outside the city, I’m not so sure about that. I think… no, I know I’m missing something here. A key piece of the puzzle,” she declares, frustrated by the feeling of overlooking something important.
“Good. Reevaluating your position in the face of new information is part of what makes someone a good leader and a good Sheriff,” Galena says, bobbing her head approvingly. “Lets work at one thing at a time. How do you know the boy was kept as a slave?” she asks.
“His spirit companion, Yinyue, told us that directly. They were taken from Ionia to Noxus and sold together after being separated from their mother. At some point they escaped into Piltover territory, but were caught by their current masters, who Yinyue says hate the city,” Caitlyn explains.
“A trustworthy statement then,” Galena says approvingly. “And the little spirit knew their location? The northwest corner? Closer to the Noxian border and the mountains?” she confirms.
“Yes, that combined with the statement that they hate the city people made me suspicious,” Caitlyn replies. Galena snorts and calls for a map.
“Here, show me exactly where,” she orders, and Caitlyn leans over and points to the area.
“Mmm, that area is severely ravaged and still bears the scars of many battles. A flat, dry lake bed is perfect for battle, and it butts up against the mountain range, providing high ground and countless hidden areas to escape into. A good hiding place, but rough country to live in. No, this is not a coincidence. Do you have anything of theirs on you? Their papers or propaganda?” Galena asks. Caitlyn fumbles around in her pockets, but she already knows she doesn’t. Thankfully, Jinx came prepared pulls one out of a pocket and hands it to her.
“Here you go. I’ve been teaching Isha and Sage about how the pro humanists try to reason with people and how to say no and stay safe if they run into any,” Jinx says, looking slightly embarrassed.
“That’s because you’re a good mom,” Caitlyn murmurs, putting a hand on her knee comfortingly. Flushing, Jinx shrugs it off and looks away awkwardly at the compliment. Taking it, Galena squints at the paper and flips it over. Then she laughs and slaps the table.
“As I thought! Look at this symbol on the back. What does it look like to you?” Galena asks, turning it around to show them. Isha leans in and squints at it.
“A wolf with a white mask and an axe in its mouth?” Isha asks, and Caitlyn feels a chill. Wolf. Imagery and a name she knew from spending time with Ambessa and asking her questions about Noxian culture.
“Kindred,” Caitlyn whispers, leaving it at that. Jinx frowns, but Galena nods knowingly. Behind them, Dumortier clears his throat.
“The others are going back to work. Would you like to come along, little one? We can tour the building and see how all the fancy machines sort the fruit and turn it into tasty jam. They’ll even let you try some,” Dumortier smoothly offers. Brightening immediately, Isha whoops and bounces out of her chair, happy to go along with him.
“I take it Kindred isn’t a good thing?” Jinx asks, once Isha is out of earshot. She looks between the two of them, but Caitlyn can tell she’s a bit lost.
“Kindred. The Eternal Hunters. Wolf and Lamb. Kindred is Death, and it is said we all see them before we die. Either to welcome it or run from it. One is a merciful and quick death, welcomed and waiting. The other is a predator that longs for the hunt and the crushing grip that comes from prey that can run but never escape,” Galena says somberly.
“I think I know which one Noxus believes it is,” Jinx mutters, wrinkling her nose with distaste.
“Indeed, Noxus envisions itself as the Wolf. Just as one cannot escape Death, so too you cannot escape their hunt,” Galena responds.
“Wow! And so modest too. I can see why everyone loves them,” Jinx scoffs, breaking the tension. Galena laughs.
“Ambessa talked about it during a dinner conversation once. We were going over how the situation was progressing in the undercity. Wolf isn’t worshiped like other deities. You don’t generally go to a temple, make offerings, or wear a token around your neck. Although customs vary. Glory and prowess in battle are considered the best ways to honor them. Everyone is required to observe a few yearly festivals in honor of Wolf and Lamb, but beyond that no formal recognition of them is required and people are free to worship who, or what, they like. But there are still plenty who are more devoted,” Caitlyn recalls. “It’s not about Kindred being above anyone else, but the idea that Death is inevitable regardless of what you believe. You can never truly escape it. So you can go peacefully at the hands of another, or become the Wolf that refuses to go quietly and brings death to others instead. That’s about the extent of my knowledge, though,” she admits apologetically.
“Indeed. So what does the use of this symbol tell you?” Galena asks, and Caitlyn feels her stomach churn. Anxiety slips through her ribs to squeeze her heart, making it beat harder. Her breathing gets faster, and she feels uncomfortably warm. Fear crawls up her spine, and her hands tremble in her lap. A gunshot in her ears, knife in her side, Ambessa’s look of shock at her betrayal and then cold disappointment as she prepares to execute her.
"Cait?” Jinx asks, but her voice is faint. This time, Caitlyn is sure of herself. She doesn’t have the entire picture, but with this information, more details start coming into view.
Shivering, Caitlyn feels Jinx’s arm around her waist as she speaks, saying, “The people behind this… the ones causing these problems… they aren’t from Piltover at all. They’re from Noxus.”
————————
“I’ll be fine,” Caitlyn weakly insists, but Jinx maintains her glower until her girlfriend sighs softly and continues drinking her tea and nibbling on the tea biscuits she was given. It’s obvious that she’s feeling embarrassed. It’s been clear to Jinx that Caitlyn has a lot of emotional trauma wrapped up in what happened with Ambessa and the Noxian occupation, but she didn’t realize it was this bad.
I don’t think Cait did either, Jinx admits as Caitlyn somberly stirs her tea.
“I didn’t think it was affecting me this much," Caitlyn says a second later, confirming Jinx’s silent thoughts. “What Ambessa did was traumatizing in a way I’m still unpacking, but this… just the mention of Noxus sent me into a panic attack again. I had hoped they were gone for good. The panic attacks, I mean,” she adds, looking miserable. Jinx hates seeing her upset like this.
“Unfortunately, mental illness doesn’t care how strong or brave you are or how much you’ve already had to deal with. But you don’t have to go through it alone, all right?” Jinx promises, and Caitlyn’s gaze softens.
“I faced down the Wolf of Noxus. Lost my eye to her and nearly got my brain taken over by Viktor and his arcane mysticism that he could only manage thanks to their support. You would think I could handle just hearing the name Noxus again without crumbling,” Caitlyn says bitterly.
“Funny. Down in Zaun we’d call that common sense and having a basic preservation instinct, princess,” Jinx quips, delighting in the smile that pulls at Caitlyn’s lips in response. Although it only lasts a second before her lips begin quivering. “Hey, come here,” Jinx says, putting her tea aside and pulling her into a tight embrace. Caitlyn grips her shirt tightly and buries herself in her arms.
“I’m supposed to be stronger than this. I need to be stronger than this. People are counting on me,” Caitlyn chokes out, and Jinx can feel the tears soaking into her shirt. But she still leans on Jinx for support and comfort, and she’s all too willing to provide it.
“Shh, you said before that you’ve been under a lot of pressure and stress from all of this. Being in charge, people looking to you for answers, knowing that lives are on the line. Now Xinxuan and Isha? Of course, you would crack under that kind of weight. You’re only human, and setbacks happen. How many wounded officers do you have from the battle? What do you tell them if they can’t do what they used to?” Jinx asks her.
“Don’t turn my logic against me. That’s not fair,” Caitlyn mumbles into her chest.
“Life ain’t fair. Answer the question,” Jinx presses and she feels Caitlyn let out a small laugh before sighing and relaxing against her.
“If you want to be as strong as you used to then you have to give yourself time to heal,” Caitlyn mumbles in response.
“And if it never heals like it did before?” Jinx urges, and she feels Caitlyn tremble.
“Then you have to accept help and that other people want to help,” Caitlyn answers, her voice shaking on the words.
“What would Vi do if she saw you like this?” Jinx says gently and immediately feels Caitlyn’s fingers twitch against her.
“That’s not… I would never compare you two,” Caitlyn immediately insists.
“Good, because I’m doing it for you. What would Vi do in this situation?” Jinx asks again. She feels Caitlyn sigh in defeat.
“She… she would offer to take over for me. To handle the rest of the discussion with Galena so I could rest mentally without breaking myself apart even more. I wouldn’t even have to ask. She would offer and make me accept if I refused,” Caitlyn reluctantly answers.
“Why?” Jinx insists, not letting her go just yet. This time Caitlyn is silent, but Jinx is patient, and she waits, running her thumb across the back of Caitlyn’s neck as she holds her.
“Because she loved me,” Caitlyn whispers in a voice full of pain. Pulling away, Jinx takes Caitlyn’s head in her hands and stares back at her silently. She doesn’t need to say it or to say anything else. The tears welling up in Caitlyn’s eyes are evidence enough that she gets the point.
“You asked me to be your partner for a reason. So let me do my part, all right? Let me take care of you, baby. Please?” Jinx begs her, and Caitlyn’s eyes melt.
“I love it when you call me that,” Caitlyn murmurs, and Jinx’s heart does somersaults in her chest.
“Good, because I’ll deny it till my dying breath if anyone else ever hears me say that. It’ll ruin my hero image,” Jinx insists, fully meaning every word. Caitlyn smiles and presses into her hand. Something else is gnawing away at her, and Jinx can see it.
“I know I said I would never compare you and Vi,” Caitlyn says carefully.
“But?” Jinx offers leadingly when she continues to hesitate.
“But I’m worried about you going down the same path she did. I’m worried that you’ll always be taking care of me and worrying about me even if it means hurting yourself,” Caitlyn says, deliberately refusing to meet her gaze. Biting her tongue, Jinx fights back her first reaction and instead takes a slow, deep breath.
Don’t let your first reaction be your only reaction. Stop. Breathe in and out. Think about it. Then decide to speak. Rosalyn’s therapy advice.
“Okay,” Jinx accepts. Caitlyn’s head snaps up, and she stares at her in confusion.
“Pardon?” Caitlyn asks uncertainly.
“I could argue and debate and prove logically that you’re wrong and point out all the times that you’ve helped and supported me. Like yesterday, when I had a breakdown over worrying whether I’m being a good mom to Isha. And you, being the wonderful person you are, would complain initially, then think about it, and then realize I’m right,” Jinx lays out for her. Caitlyn is clearly fighting hard not to respond to that. “But I know firsthand that emotion doesn’t care about logic. So none of that would actually make you feel any better or worry less about me, even if you knew I had a point, would it?" she adds, and Caitlyn slowly shakes her head. Satisfied, Jinx lets her hands drop and puts them on her hips instead.
“All right. So instead, we’re going to go for a walk around the orchard so you can calm down and clear your head. Once you’re feeling more settled, we’ll come back and continue the conversation together. If you get anxious again, then I’ll trust that you can handle it, and if I think you need to stop and step away, then you’ll trust mine. Agreed?” Jinx offers. Caitlyn gives her a sidelong look.
“How did you learn all of this? I know you didn’t just figure it out on your own, Miss ‘I have no relationship experience,’” Caitlyn contests. Jinx puts a hand on her chest in exaggerated shock.
“Excuse you? How do you know it isn’t just my natural brilliance?” Jinx argues. Caitlyn looks like she’s trying extremely hard not to scoff at that. “Fine. It’s something my mother said when I was little. One of the few things I remember about her. She got into an argument with my dad, and I knew even then that she was right and he was worrying over nothing. But instead of saying that, she let it go and agreed to what he wanted even though she didn’t have to. I was too young to get it then, but she told me that when you're in love, being supportive is not the same as being right. Now I finally get what she meant,” Jinx explains with an awkward shrug. Caitlyn smiles, but Jinx can see the dangerous twinkle in her eyes.
“When you’re in… what was that again?” Caitlyn asks innocently. Cheeks heating up, Jinx looks away.
“I’m not repeating myself. You heard me,” Jinx grumbles.
“Did I? Maybe you should tell me again,” Caitlyn teases, leaning in with a smirk.
“Pretty sure I said it earlier too,” Jinx argues evasively.
“You didn’t, actually. You gave a roundabout series of questions in order to get your point across the way you so often accuse me of doing,” Caitlyn reminds her. Jinx gives her a side eye.
“And your point is?” Jinx asks, making Caitlyn laugh. Reaching up, Caitlyn turns Jinx’s head back to face her. She has that look again. That “I want to kiss you so badly” look she gets sometimes and is painfully bad at even attempting to hide. The one that makes Jinx feel nervous and excited all at once until her feelings are twisted up in a knot.
Slowly, Caitlyn leans in close enough to make Jinx shiver, but she stops at the last second. So tantalizingly close.
“Can I?” Caitlyn murmurs softly, and Jinx’s heart hammers in her chest. Swallowing hard, she silently fights her sudden anxiety as it claws at her throat. What if she’s bad at it? Or if Caitlyn hates it? What if…? All of it racing through her head until Caitlyn’s eyes soften and she pulls back.
“Just on the cheek,” Jinx finally blurts out, not wanting Caitlyn to leave, but unable to fully stop her racing thoughts enough to summon the courage to accept what Caitlyn is asking her for. Gently, so gently it makes Jinx sigh softly, Caitlyn leans in and softly gives her a kiss on the cheek. Tender and caring.
“I’m sorry,” Jinx whispers, feeling a deep pang of regret. “I just… too many thoughts and worries. I just didn’t want to disappoint you,” she confesses and Caitlyn’s eyes waver with emotion as she leans in again with a soft kiss on Jinx’s other cheek.
“The only way you could disappoint me is by forcing yourself into something you aren’t ready for just to make me happy. I’ll wait for you. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here. I promise,” Caitlyn murmurs, her words tickling Jinx’s ear before she pulls away fully. Jinx feels utterly ridiculous, panicking over something so simple, but she also melts at how understanding and patient Caitlyn is being with her.
“Also, I may or may not have picked up some books on relationship advice,” Jinx spits out, immediately cringing at how terrible and sudden that was. She can bring an army to its knees, but she gets tongue-tied and nervous over the woman she already knows is practically picking out their wedding colors already. Brilliant.
“Well, it seems to be working so far,” Caitlyn says approvingly, helping to soften the sting of Jinx’s nerves.
“It better. Sevika said only one of them was worth anything. She looked through the other two and said they weren’t worth the paper they were printed on. Almost tossed them before I said I could return them for a refund instead,” Jinx says, grumbling at the memory of Sevika casually chucking them into the trash before she rescued them.
“Come on. Lets go for a walk to calm our nerves,” Caitlyn says, reaching for her hand. Jinx scoffs and lets her fingers slip through Caitlyn’s.
“We? There’s no we. I’m perfectly fine. Nerves of steel right here,” Jinx contends, and Caitlyn rolls her eyes at that blatant fabrication.
“If you say so, my love.”
——————-
There were still a lot of questions that needed to be answered, but Caitlyn is sure of it now. The group causing these problems was either from Noxus or heavily affiliated with them.
Could they be spies like Maddie was? Caitlyn wonders before dismissing the idea. That thought is her paranoia talking, not her instincts or the evidence they have. They hated Piltover and wanted to cause division and chaos. But to what end? To leave them vulnerable to another invasion, perhaps? She would have to learn more first. Perhaps that was why The Lighthouse newspaper had suddenly been so quiet lately, and her sources said the reporter who caused trouble had been fired along with several others. Likely they were just protecting themselves, but maybe they had been caught off guard as well. Their usual campaign of criticism had been used to push the pro humanists agenda, only for The Lighthouse to realize Caitlyn would not let it slide, and this would have serious consequences if they didn’t do something.
Only Maddie’s deception was flawless. Even if I hadn’t been lost in grief and anger, I don’t know that I would have picked up on anything. She was a trained professional doing a job from start to finish under Ambessa’s authority. She was perfectly integrated into Piltover society and had a flawless background that wouldn’t arouse suspicion. Whoever is leading this group is decidedly less organized than that, even if they are getting better, Caitlyn considers.
Gunther had been approached as well because of his association with his former friends. These followers of Kindred were using existing groups to hide in, while slowly converting those who already had similar enough beliefs to their side. Or who were isoalted and lonely enough to fall into a group that would slowly make them believe in something they might not have before.
Now that the idea has come up, it’s easy to see the flaws in her previous theory. Ambessa’s manipulation of the remaining Council, setting up the Council attack, promoting Caitlyn to take the focus off herself, and shifting public opinion against Zaun. None of that had been made public until Steb put it out today. And someone with inside knowledge wouldn’t have been so sloppy the way this group had been so far. So how would someone know that Ambessa had been behind it all from the very start and sought to imitate her ahead of time?
Perhaps… people from Noxus who know the right tactics either from the state or from how Ambessa usually operates, but who don’t have the same training or practice to get it right? Caitlyn muses.
“I can hear you thinking, princess. We’re supposed to be relaxing,” Jinx complains, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“I am relaxing!” Caitlyn objects upon realizing that Jinx is quietly glowering at her again. They’re walking around the edge of the apricot orchard. There are still plenty left, so the Stonebloods are still busy and nod in acknowledgement when they see her. Caitlyn smiles and waves to a pair of calves who spot them walking by. They grin in return and wave energetically.
“Thank you, Miss K!” they both call out to her. Their arms are full of apricots and blackberries. Although the blackberry juice around their muzzles suggests they’ve been eating more than they’ve been saving.
“Correction, you’re working. I know that look by now,” Jinx states, pulling Caitlyn’s attention back.
“Exactly! Like I said, I’m relaxing,” Caitlyn restates. Picking up an apricot, she tosses it over to the kids. It goes wildly off track, but they both squeal and chase after it anyway, pushing and shoving each other like typical siblings. Groaning, Jinx throws her head back.
“We have got to get you a hobby, princess,” Jinx complains dramatically. ”One completely unrelated to work,” she adds emphatically.
“I have hobbies! Like going to the shooting range,” Caitlyn points out, abruptly realizing that it has been far too long since she last went.
“And?” Jinx prompts.
Silently, Caitlyn stares at her.
Jinx stares back.
“Um… cleaning my guns and lilstening to crime dramas to figure out who the killer is?” Caitlyn offers hopefully.
“You realize I’m making this my next project,” Jinx threatens, and Caitlyn sighs.
“I guess I could stand to widen out a bit,” she reluctantly admits.
“More than a bit,” Jinx mutters under her breath.
“I heard that."
This walk is helping to soothe her nerves, Caitlyn must admit. Even Jinx looks considerably more relaxed, although she’d deny it if asked.
“What’s with the sappy look?” Jinx asks, making Caitlyn realize she has indeed been looking over at her as they walk. “Isha would say you’re giving me ‘kissy eyes’ again,” she adds with a smug look.
She may not always know how to handle the attention, but she certainly does enjoy it, Caitlyn reminds herself.
“Just thinking about how proud I am of you,” Caitlyn says smoothly. Immediately, Jinx groans and puts her free hand over her face.
“Caitlyn,” Jinx whines, looking exasperated.
“Well, I am!” Caitlyn insists, refusing to back down. Jinx pulls her to the side before she can trip over a branch just outside of her view.
“You’re such a sap,” Jinx grumbles, pointedly staring straight ahead and not at her.
“All I’m saying is that I’m proud of you for speaking up and saying you weren’t comfortable with something I wanted. That’s a big deal for you, even if you want to deny it, and I’m happy you could do it without it setting off a relapse. Visibly, at least. Therapy is really working well for you. I can see how much you’ve grown,” Caitlyn explains passionately. Slowly, Jinx gives her a sidelong look.
“What you gonna give Rosalyn a fruit basket now too?” Jinx asks sarcastically. Laughing, Caitlyn pulls her into a tight hug that Jinx immediately tries to wiggle out of.
“Ack! Janna, save me! Remember me when I pass and carry me on your gentle winds,” Jinx says as she struggles in Caitlyn’s arms. The wind picks up, and the trees around them shiver and hiss in a way that almost sounds like… laughter? She wasn’t just imagining that sound, was she?
“You can let me go now,” Jinx gripes, distracting Caitlyn from her suspicions.
“Not until you say thank you,” Caitlyn demands, refusing to loosen her hold.
“Guess I’ll die then,” Jinx stubbornly replies. Caitlyn gives her a look. “Too soon?” she guesses, and Caitlyn purses her lips. “Fine! No more death jokes at the slightest inconvenience. Rosalyn gets on me for it too. Just quit giving me that ‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed look’ I can’t stand it,” Jinx demands with a grimace.
“Then be nice,” Caitlyn needles her. Sighing, Jinx relaxes and snuggles a little deeper into her arms.
“Thank you for believing in me and for being patient with me and stuff,” Jinx mumbles. Caitlyn’s heart leaps with joy, and Jinx scoffs and rolls her eyes. But she still tilts her head to the side before Caitlyn can ask. So she takes the obvious green flag and leans in to give Jinx another kiss on the cheek before letting her escape.
“Thank you for trusting me, and believing that I care about you,” Caitlyn says appreciatively. Jinx’s gaze softens a bit.
“You’ve earned that trust. Never let anyone tell you otherwise,” Jinx assures her. Caitlyn tugs on her hand and kisses the back of it. A breeze swirls around them gently and the trees wave around them. Something about it tugs at Caitlyn’s attention, but then she sees the pavilion coming back into view again and dismisses it.
Finally. It was time to get some answers.