the air in zaun was thick, like the whole city was holding its breath, waiting for something to break. vi's boots scraped the cracked pavement as she staggered through the alleyways, her mind hazy with too much booze and not enough sleep. the bottle in her hand was nearly empty, the liquor burning its way down her throat in an attempt to drown out the gnawing ache in her chest.

her fists were still clenched, but the anger she usually wore like armor had evaporated into something worse. desparation, loneliness. caitlyn's face kept flashing in her mind—soft, kind, perfect. and she? she was a fighter, a broken street rat who couldn’t keep anyone in her life.

the streetlights flickered above her, casting long, distorted shadows against the walls. vi's breath came in shallow, uneven gasps as she wiped a tear from her cheek, angry at herself for letting it happen. the emotions she’d spent so long trying to bury were bubbling to the surface, and no matter how many drinks she poured down her throat, they wouldn’t go away.

"vi?"

she froze, her heart skipping a beat. the voice was familiar—too familiar. she turned, her vision swimming for a moment before she recognized the figure standing at the mouth of the alley.

vi's stomach twisted. it'd been years since they'd spoken, and the last time had been… well, the last time had been a mess. there was no coming back from the words they'd thrown at each other. no going back from the way things had ended between them. but she was standing there now, looking just as sharp and distant as ever, though there was something softer in her eyes as she took a cautious step closer.

"vi," gert repeated, her voice quieter this time. “what the hell are you doing out here?”

vi tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a sob, her shoulders shaking as she blinked back more tears. “i'm fucking drinking. like i always do.”

"you've got to stop running from this."

vi scoffed, "what do you care? it's not like i'm worth saving."