𝒞aitlyn kiramman ! stray ۫

though caitlyn's intelligence was admirable, sharp-minded and paired with a natural wit for investigation, there was always a flaw to balance out a quality, and one of caitlyn's was undoubtedly her naivety. it came naturally, almost inevitably, as the result of a sheltered upbringing and an overprotective mother. things written down on paper were much different from practical experience, and for someone as intelligent as her, she should have known that. unfortunately, that was where her naivety came in, blinding her to the reality beyond the carefully curated world she had grown up in.

being an enforcer was something she wanted.

it seemed like a perfect match for someone with such an intense sense of justice and so many skills at her disposal. she had been practically vibrating with contained excitement when she finally landed the position, thrilled by the thought of finally putting everything she had learned to use. she would have a chance to make a path of her own, prove herself, and perhaps, at long last, step out from beneath the heavy shadow of the kiramman name that had loomed over her entire life.

then reality began to wash over her.

when she first wore the uniform, dressed in blue from head to toe, caitlyn had expected to finally put in the work she had spent years preparing for. instead, she found herself looked down upon because of where she came from, with people assuming she had been handed her position simply because of her family's money and influence. worse still, there was another obstacle she had never been able to outrun: her mother.

to caitlyn's frustration, her mother, who had expressed her disapproval of caitlyn's chosen path from the very beginning, had been using her influence to move pieces around the board and keep her daughter in safe, predictable positions. she was always assigned to the posts where nothing could possibly go wrong, kept away from anything truly dangerous or meaningful. being a safeguard was a dignified position, certainly, and caitlyn understood the importance of it, but it was not what she had signed up for.

there had been an image, an idea built inside her head, of what becoming a piltover enforcer meant. it was the reason she had been willing to rebel against her family's wishes in the first place. she had imagined herself contributing to the peace and safety of her home, protecting those who could not protect themselves, and doing something that actually mattered. she had expected that, the moment she managed to free herself from her mother's control, she would finally become part of that ideal.

but when the time came, that image shattered.

there was far more happening behind the curtains than caitlyn had ever imagined, and negligence was only the beginning. what she uncovered eventually crossed into something much uglier: corruption, favoritism, bribery, deliberate blindness. caitlyn had wandered where she shouldn't have and, in doing so, had seen things she was never supposed to see. it was frustrating to place so much faith in something, only for it to turn out to be rotten underneath.

it was a deception.

one significant enough to make her question everything she had believed about the institution she had fought so hard to join.

enough to discourage her.

the flame in her chest that burned for justice, for protecting people, and for making a difference was still there. if anything, it burned just as brightly as ever. but the methods she had chosen, the system she had trusted, had revealed its true colors beneath the fabric desperately pulled over them to keep everything clean. she could no longer convince herself that following the path laid out before her was the same as doing what was right.

heel clicking against the stone ground, caitlyn strode through the streets in quick steps, searching for somewhere to shelter herself from the rain. the decision to walk home instead of taking the fast way had seemed almost natural at the time. she needed space to think, and what better way to clear her head than with a long walk through the city? she could breathe, sort through everything properly, and perhaps have some answers by the time she reached her front door.

the weather, unfortunately, had other plans.

she found herself beneath the awning of a bakery, finally escaping the worst of the unexpected downpour. caitlyn was soaked from head to toe, her uniform clinging uncomfortably to her skin, navy strands of hair damp against her face. the cold seeped through the fabric, but at least she was sheltered now, and she could use the warmth of her own body to gradually recover until the rain eased enough for her to continue home.

crossing her arms, caitlyn stood there restlessly, her fingers tapping against the bare skin of her arms. her eyes drifted over the scene before her, catching the purplish glow of late evening reflected against rain-slicked stone and the eerie emptiness of streets that were usually crowded with people. then her gaze wandered toward the corner of the bakery's exterior, where something large and strangely out of place caught her attention.

a cardboard box.

strange.

it stood out against the perfectly clean and organized streets of piltover, awkwardly abandoned beneath the bakery's awning as though someone had simply left it there and walked away. caitlyn stared at it for a moment, curiosity gradually winning over her better judgment. after everything she had seen that evening, investigating an unusually large box was hardly the strangest thing she could have done.

slowly, she approached.

her slim fingers reached down, brushing over the rough cardboard beneath her fingertips before slipping beneath the outer flaps. she hesitated for half a second, then carefully pulled them apart.

"oh."

the breath left her in a quiet murmur.

her body instinctively took a small step backward, surprise flashing across her face, but within seconds she was leaning forward again. there was someone inside. a demi, curled up in the cramped space as though they had been left there with nothing else. abandoned like an unwanted possession.

who would do such a thing?

poor thing.

"hey, there..." she spoke softly, deliberately keeping her voice gentle so as not to startle you. "uh, are you okay?"

even through the faint tremor in your body, she could see how badly you were shivering. whatever worries and questions had been occupying her mind only moments ago vanished the instant she noticed your damp hair and wary expression. caitlyn's eyes softened as she looked at you, immediately searching for something, anything, she could use to shield you from the cold.

she had nothing.

nothing suitable, at least not there.

"okay..." her mother wouldn't be pleased about this.

but as caitlyn settled you into one of the many guest rooms of the kiramman estate, she found herself deciding that she could think about her mother's reaction later. there was enough space in this house to go weeks without accidentally crossing paths, and besides, she only intended to keep you here until she could figure out what to do. she would deal with the questions, the explanations, and the inevitable conversation with her mother once she had a proper plan.

for now, you needed somewhere warm.

letting the thick fabric slip from her hands, caitlyn watched as the oversized sweater nearly pooled around your thighs, swallowing your frame. it looked almost ridiculous on you, far too large for your body, but somehow it still looked good. more importantly, it was warm, dry, and the best thing she had available.

"this will keep you warm."

her hands reached for the towel resting beside you, momentarily forgotten on the mattress. she gently dragged the soft fabric over your forehead, catching a stubborn droplet that had rolled down your skin despite the fact that she had only just finished drying your hair. the towel was already damp from the effort, but caitlyn didn't seem to mind.

taking a step back to give you some space, she folded the towel neatly in her hands, finding something strangely comforting about having a simple task to focus on. it would need to go into the wash anyway. everything she had brought home with you would, actually.

her eyes eventually flickered back toward you.

"uhm, you haven't told me your name yet..."

there were plenty of other things she hadn't been told, too. where you came from, why someone had left you inside a box, whether you had anywhere else to go, and what exactly she was supposed to do now that she had brought a complete stranger into her mother's house.

but caitlyn had a feeling she already knew the answer to at least one of those questions.