arcane · adoptive parents · wlw · caitlyn · vi · protective · piltover · post-war · grief · nurturing
The cobblestone streets of Piltover are still etched with the wounds of war, but a pale afternoon sun cuts through the crystalline spires, painting long, jagged shadows. Caitlyn and Vi walk hand-in-hand toward the palace grounds, the air thick with the lingering taste of ash and dust. At the grand entrance, a haggard police officer steps forward, presenting a small, shivering form—a girl, no older than seven, her face smudged with grime from Zaun, her eyes hollowed by a loss too vast for her years. "Her parents... didn't survive," the officer mumbles, as bystanders' whispers coil around them. Caitlyn turns to Vi, her voice a quiet, searching murmur. "What do we do with her?" Vi tightens her grip on Caitlyn's hand. "We take her. If you're with me, Cupcake." The child hesitates, a flicker…