#erikabuilder

Here is some general information on ages, relative to Erika:

(I don’t think I’ve seen any champion ages as canon, so I’m just basing this off what “feels” right for Erika’s story and her relationships to them.)

Riven: 8 years older Kari and Iver: ~30 years older than Erika (Kari had Riven at 22) Swain: old Vladimir: ??? Talon: 7 years older Katarina: 7 1/2 years older  Varus: 14 years older Theshan: 8 years younger Shen: 10 years older Akali: 2 years older Ezreal: 3 years older Vi: 4 years older Caitlyn: many years older 10 years older

[ In addition to the timeline, I’ve put the names and links of drabbles/answers/fics after the description of her life during that age. 

There are also titles which have no links attached. That is due to me having a document detailing the idea, but I have not completed the fic-version yet. Those are more for my reference in remembering where certain stories happen.

Note: Each of the stories or headcanons listed are in chronological order. ]

Alternate Universe (Erika never left Noxus; none of these are within the same AU):

Kill Katarina

Kill Rhea (hang on, why does Rayne [ @noxiancookies​ ] want me to kill her muses?)

Katarika?

Miscellaneous:

Inability to conceive (2)

sleep headcanon

combat headcanon

mixed post: childhood memory (Katarina) / memory of death/loss (Iver) / a friend/best friend memory (Shen, Akali, Kennen)

mixed post: fading memory (Kari) / vivid memory (Vi) / repressed memory

0-5: Erika Lindquist was born on February 14th, to Iver Lindquist and Kari Chastain, and was poked and prodded at by a curious 8 year-old Riven Lindquist. Kari spent majority of her free time taking care of Erika, and these are the few memories Erika has of her mother.

a fading memory (Kari) [see Misc.]

6: Kari passes away due to complications from injuries in a previous war. Riven moves out of the house to start her training as part of the Noxian Guard, but occasionally returns to update Iver on her progress, as well as give pointers and tips to little Erika. Though all three are heavily affected by Kari’s passing, Erika is the one hit hardest, due to her openly compassionate nature.

7-10: Erika trains with Riven and Iver, in an attempt to ready her for the Noxian Guard. Along with her daily training, supervised by Iver, and academic studies, Erika starts to complete odd jobs (mainly deliveries) for Marcus Du Couteau and has been exposed to his daughter’s cruel ways. Erika constantly brings some of Iver’s custom-made weapons to Marcus and returns home at night with some form of a paycheck… as well as some interesting new techniques and lessons she learns through exposure with the Du Couteau siblings. 

a childhood story (Iver, Riven)

a good memory (Iver)

Wear What You Want, Just Not That (Riven, Marcus)

a childhood memory (Katarina) [see Misc.]

Flashback! (Talon) - tw murder/blood/assault

Dance

‘Cause I Feel (Talon, Katarina)

Idiots (Talon)

Idiots, part two (Talon)

an embarrassing moment (Talon)

a vivid memory (Katarina)

terror (Vladimir) - tw assault/language has a darker tone

11: Riven soon leaves to Ionia for the first time, angering - disappointing - Erika. Months later, Riven has returned from her first trip in Ionia, but has substantially changed from the sister who Erika expected to come home. Iver disappears after going on another trip to Ionia, leaving the Lindquist sisters orphaned. Later, while on another odd job with Talon, Erika kills someone - in self-defense.

About the Stars (Riven)

a memory of their sibling (Riven)

Advice (Riven)

Orphans (Riven)

a memory of death/loss (Iver) [see Misc.] - tw death/loss

"Who was the first human killed by Erika?” - tw murder/blood/assault

Stained (Talon)

glimpse of a different muse / Stained, from Talon’s POV

12: During a normal day of training, Erika attempts to prove to Riven that she can use the Ki/Wind Slash techniques that their father taught to both of them. As Riven expected, Erika could not control herself, and Riven pays the price, falling into a coma after being blasted into a large tree. A few months later, partially to cheer her up and partially to get away from Katarina, Talon reluctantly is dragged around the Noxian Summer Festival by Erika.

Judgment Part 2 (Riven) [ctrl+F “Part 2″]

Festival (currently rewriting)

Erika’s Playlist: 1 (Talon)

13: Erika runs away from Noxus by stowing away on a boat headed to Ionia. Initially, she believes it to be the best idea of her life - then soon realized that there is more to the world than she realizes. She isn't ready to be independent, but it seems like she will have to try.

Neophobia

Reality hits hard and hurts terribly.

submerge

14-15: She finds a new family in Ionia, meeting the temple warden Varus, and his wife and son, Anthea and Theshan, who are very different than the Noxians who she was previously acquaintanced with. She meets and befriends other Ionians, like the Kinkou ninjas, whom she visits from time to time. It is difficult to adjust to the new lifestyle which she has been thrust into, but she tries her best to become one of them, and make sure they never find out about her shameful “past life”... but it seems like the past always catches up to her. Soon enough, the Noxians raid the peaceful little village where she’s lived for the past year. Her first instinct is to run. She is the lost survivor of a Noxian raid, which supposedly killed every villager. The Noxian wanderer then walks a different path than her older sister and pseudo-brother, yet they are all searching for the same thing: the truth justice.

She’s a child (Varus)

Beliefs are shaken. (Varus, Theshan)

Quirks/hobbies with Shen

a friend/best friend memory (Shen, Akali, Kenenn) [see Misc.]

Laughter (Varus)

I Will Follow (Shen, Akali, Kennen)

Pendant

the nightmare begins

Lore

Judgment Part 3 (Talon) [ctrl+F “Part 3″]

Flashback! (Varus, Talon)

They have to hide. Quickly.

Nightmares and dread-filled thoughts occupy her mind as she searches for safety - comfort, open arms, a familiar face, anything. It takes her a week to find a safe haven, and this she finds in the Kinkou residence, where Akali and Shen gladly take care of her. Unfortunately, within the next week, Zed begins his attack on the temple, and Shen hurriedly gets Erika out of there, leaving her alone once again. She soon meets a Prodigal Explorer, mapping out parts of Ionia he hasn't explored yet. Though hesitant to trust her at first, Ezreal tells her about his own nation, Piltover, so she knows that she has a friend in a strange land when she travels there.

The story of Erika’s left-sleeve 

Revenge (Talon)

Lost (Talon)

What Love Is (Shen, Akali)

In the Face (Ezreal)

16: Erika finds herself on a boat to Piltover, where she meets Vi, the Enforcer of Piltover, and Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover, who take care of her for the time she spends in their city-state. Erika soon believes that she has fallen in love with Vi, yet she knows deep down that it isn’t true; their relationship does not go past friends with benefits, but Erika accepts that. Ezreal and Erika become true bros, with the prior creating a new weapon for Erika, and the latter teaching Ezreal the basics of her skills. It takes a while, but she can finally say that Piltover does feel like a fresh start - a new home.

Summer in Piltover (currently rewriting)

cooking headcanon (Vi)

something paranormal (Vi)

a vivid memory (Vi) [see Misc.]

Je Te Vois (Ezreal, Vi)

This is where her timeline separates a bit, depending on whether you follow the pre-retcon or the post-destruction lore.

Pre-retcon:

17: After learning more informative news of the Noxian-Ionian war, the Lost Survivor decides that there’s more importance in confronting her past than looking forward to her future. Erika, with the help of Vi, finds herself at the Institute of War with a grudge to settle, an assassin to confront and a sister to reunite with. She becomes a champion at the League of Legends, as a bot lane marksman, and aims to beat some sense into the people she has missed for all these long years.

Related to IOW (retconned lore):

The Sound of a Dying Horse

A Credo Only Fools Follow

Judgment Part 1 [ctrl+F “Part 1″]

Judgment Conclusion [ctrl+F “Conclusion”]

Post-destruction: (and setting of the true Erikaverse)

17: Erika begins to permanently integrate herself into the Piltovian lifestyle by properly moving in with Vi and finding odd jobs to help pay for her residence (although Vi honestly doesn't care and is more than willing to help Erika). She spends a considerably larger amount of time hanging out with her newly found Piltovian friends and learning about their culture… though she can’t shake the nightmarish demons who choose to sleep on her shoulders.

a repressed memory - tw self-injury

Patrol (Vi, Caitlyn)

let’s love (Talon, Vi)

“eventually the dam breaks loose.” (Talon, Vi)

18-21: Life is good, and she doesn’t find any faults at the moment… except when she realizes all of the amazing deeds her Piltovian friends have accomplished, and the lack of achievements she has. She yearns to return to Noxus (one last time, she promises) and see for herself the nation she once loved with new, clearer eyes.

Back Again [RP] (Ezreal)

22-24: Whether by guilt or sheer curiosity, Erika returns to Noxus, and is met by an unexpected childhood friend - Talon Du Couteau, a man she once was (and perhaps still is) in love with. Though it was what she has wanted for the past years, she isn’t sure if their relationship is what would make her happy - or (though she'd never admit it) if she’s even able to look at him as the same man. Even the short conversation with Talon will not ground her to Noxus. Ezreal and Erika bid their farewells to the nation and return home, to Piltover...

Cold  (Talon)

Festival, part 2 (Talon, Ezreal)

...until Ezreal realizes that they fucked up and are stuck in Noxus until the next cargo ship arrives. To kill time, Erika wanders the city-state she once knew like the back of her hand, and bumps into (read: is followed by) Talon, allowing them to properly catch up. 

We Fucked Up (Ezreal)

Warm (Talon)

Confrontation (Talon, Katarina)

It's Exactly Who You Think It Is

After her conversations - and a little more here and there - with Talon, Erika decides to put away the old grudges and finally pursue justice learn the truth of her sister’s death, her “childhood friend’s” pleasant lessons, and her pseudo-brother’s sacrifice. Leaving behind these insecurities allows her to harness her ki abilities to their fullest extent, as evidenced back in Piltover after a few quick adjustments to her gauntlet.

Vengeance (Katarina)

Redemption (Riven)

Retribution (Varus)

Watch Me Rise (Ezreal)

[ see Erika’s in-game quotes: “Revenge and vengeance… redemption, retribution. They’re all the same thing.” ]

Beyond 25: Erika is a lone wanderer, searching for purpose and meaning in her life. She has forgiven Talon, but she will never forget what he has done. She knows that Riven is alive and well, that Iver is dead and gone, that Varus can never be saved. Katarina can't touch her, and the Kinkou ninjas offer permanent residence. But she stills has to visit her Piltovian friends and tell them everything is alright. What will she do next?

She starts in Ionia.

what prevails (Riven, Varus)

Without You (Riven, Varus)

Appearance:

Of course, her infant/early child appearance did not really matter much, nor did it have any significance to her story. But I will note that she was a cute squishy little baby, too pure, too innocent for the world of Noxus.

Childhood (6-8): About 4ft tall, skinny for a growing child. Long brown hair tied into a ponytail. Usually falls to the middle of her back. Wears Riven’s old hand-me-downs, which are baggy shirts and pants.

Childhood (9-12): Growth to 5ft, 5ft 2in., cuts off her hair in favor of a short, messy, chin-length style. Wears more of Riven’s old hand-me-downs, plus random clothes she snatches/buys from the marketplace. Prefers baseball tees and sweaters.

Teen: Classic Erika.

Vi stared at the brunette carefully, as the blonde explorer fixed her crossbow gauntlet. Erika sat on the kitchen table and swung her legs off the edge, as she was too short for her toes to touch the ground. Ezreal sat beside her, hunched over the device he created so that Erika could control her Ki - whatever that was - with ease. He was wearing his goggles and held tools in both hands, poking and prodding at the device, which caused some sparks to fly. Erika simply sat there, near expressionless and oddly patient.

The brawler leaned against the wall, examining Erika’s face. Her hazel eyes were far away, and she didn't seem to take notice of anything around her, not even the constant whirrs and clicks of Ezreal’s work on her gauntlet. Her unruly bangs curtained her face, and her brown hair draped down to her waist; Vi always wondered why she didn't cut it short or style it into a ponytail. It'd make her more attractive! was Vi’s reasoning. (...Not that Vi didn't already find her super attractive or anything, but that was beside the point.)

Speaking of attractiveness…

Vi chuckled quietly as Erika’s lips turned up at the corners, the marksman flashing a slight grin. It was lopsided,  - Erika tended to favor the right side side of her mouth when she smiled - and she looked like she was trying to wink. Erika rarely showed her teeth when smiling, unless it was during one of her various gigglefits. There was something more, something egotistic about the way she tilted her chin up slightly, or how her back was perfectly straight, or her slick composure while a mechanic messed with a device connected to her very life force, or some other Ionian bullshit. Vi snorted. Erika’s head turned slightly, and those piercing hazel eyes stare right through her. The brawler could feel her heart pound against her chest as the marksman’s smile widened.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” the younger woman asked, raising her eyebrow.

The enforcer rolled her eyes, huffing and crossing her arms. “I see a little shit, but you already knew that,” she quipped, sticking her tongue out.

Erika laughed, the smile softening from its previous arrogance, leaving behind a smaller, but still cheeky, knowing smirk.

“Gods, I can almost feel the gay radiating from both of you,” Ezreal chuckled, shaking his head and glancing up.

“You're one to talk!” Erika rebutted, bopping him on the head. She gazed at the enforcer again, winking when she caught the pink-haired woman's attention.

Your hazel eyes are bright through the darkness of the room, and I haven’t the restraint to have you gone from me so soon;

My heart yearns for you, for a simple, loving sign, but I can’t quite tell if you’d like to be mine;

Or whether you’re even interested at all; it’s difficult to know after I’ve taken this fall;

I haven’t an explanation, I’ve no idea what to do…

All I do know is I’m in love with you.

“This is utter shit,” she muttered, running her hand over her face. “It’s so… ugh. The try hard romance just oozes out of every line. I don’t even wanna imagine who could have written this.” She folded the letter up and stared at it for a few more seconds before hastily placing it in her desk drawer. Burning it by candle was tempting, she had to admit.

“…You never know, I guess.”

“Care explaining your reasoning behind this?”

“You know I’m bad at poetry.”

“Oh, good, I just wanted to hear you admit it.”

“Ha, ha, very funny. Now just proofread it.”

“Whatever you say. But I assure you, she isn’t going to like it.”

“You’re the one who burned her love letter to me.”

“Valid point.”

“It’s only natural I finally respond in kind.”

“And a face to face conversation is implausible?”

“Do you honestly think my conversation skills are any better than my poetry?”

“…Again, valid point.”

“So?”

“So? So, what?”

“…How is it?”

“It’s disgusting, cheesy, cliched, romantic and way too cheery and optimistic for any normal girl to swoon over.”

“Great.”

“But knowing little Rika… She’d probably love it.”

“You’re no help. Give me that.”

“I feel like burning this piece of crap would do everyone a favor.”

“Hey- what? Kat, stop, don’t you dare-"

“…Naaaaaaaaah,” Erika muttered to herself, pinching the bridge of her nose. “There’s no way. No way. No flippin’ way.” Her fingers felt tingly, and a sudden giddiness overcame her. She started giggling, shaking her head as she nearly doubled over her desk. “But oh gods, imagine if he did write it… Aww, man, that’s just adorable. Gods, I hope he wrote it.”

Her voice rings out loud and clear across Summoner’s Rift, a high-pitched, yet not unpleasant sound as she calls for her jungler - Lee Sin - to jump in and dash forward. She lets out a pleased, “Yeah!” as the Blind Monk connects his Sonic Wave and accelerates ahead to kick Ezreal - the poor baby - into the Solari valkyrie. Leona nods at Erika and smashes her shield into the blondie, as Erika lets out a shrill, almost maniacal laugh, shooting bolt after bolt into the Explorer’s chest. She manages to scoff out a low, “Sorry, bud,” before the Piltovian drops to the ground with a heavy thud. Though Soraka manages to make it out alive, - Great job keepin’ your carry alive, Erika thinks, snorting to herself - Erika merely turns to the Blind Monk and the Radiant Dawn with a huge grin. “Great job,” she says breathily, scratching the back of her head as Lee wanders back into the jungle. Leona shrugs and recalls to base, leaving Erika alone to kill mindless minions. “Well, fine, be that way,” she grumbles with a pout, rolling her eyes as Rengar leaps from the bushes to maul the poor Noxian marksman.

“FUUUUU-”

She curls up into a tight ball, wrapping her arms around her legs and pulling her knees in against her chest. The tears won’t stop dripping down her cheeks, and she doesn’t know how to end this… whatever this is. Her heart hammers as though it’s about to burst, every breath steals more energy than the last, every beat reverberates in her ears. The insects and animals of the forest buzz around her, but she can’t hear them. No one can break through the walls she’s erected. She’s made sure of it.

As soon as she was physically safe in the Kinkou temple, Erika broke down into a million pieces and literally crumpled to the floor. During her week of travel - which felt like eternity - from the place she called home, there was no time to think about Varus or the other villagers. The fire was far behind her, the temple miles away. It took all of her mental fortitude to stay focused on the more important goal. What preoccupied her mind was survival.

Seeing Shen tore those walls down. He carried her into one of the spare guest rooms and allowed her sleep for a solid twelve hours. She laid in bed staring at the ceiling for more. Akali and Kennen visited from time to time, but there weren’t many words passed between them. All they could do was urge her to eat, which often ended with Akali practically force-feeding the younger teen.

It’s tough, she thinks as she tries to wipe her tears against the dry fabric of her pants. It’s really stupidly hard, and I just… I don’t… Her nails dig into the side of her thighs, and she shoves her face against her thigh, letting out a soft scream until she can’t breathe. Her lungs tighten for air, but she doesn’t want to breathe anymore. No more Anthea. No more Theshan. No Leo, no Perseus, no Reiko. No Varus. Her pseudo-brother, his family, his son, his villagers were gone.

And by the hands of that wretched Noxian… the one she loved.

No.

Loves.

Erika lifts her head slowly, staring out at the lush Ionian forests, ones that have not been affected by the Noxian fire. She breathes in, allowing the fresh Ionian air to fill her lungs, instead of a disgusting mix of smoke, soot and oil. Oh, how terrible it is that she lives. She, the sole survivor - rather, the lost survivor of a village she was never meant to interact with; the fact that she is a Noxian leaves her amazed and disgusted. It’s her own fault, really, that she decided Noxus wasn’t good enough for her. Now the village is decimated, and it’s her fault for being selfish. They were good people who deserved life, not have their lives taken by the bloodthirsty nation which raised her. She loves them. All of them. Maybe even as much as she loves her sister, but now they’re all… they’re all dead. It keeps happening, a cycle of death and destruction and disappointment when she finds happiness. Her father leaves Noxus to learn about different city-state cultures, and he never returned. Riven’s still in a coma, as far as she knows. And he… he’s the one who laid waste to those wonderful Ionians.

“Everyone I love dies, disappears or betrays me,” she whispers, staring at a cicada as it sings its song. The cicada eventually finishes its song and flies away, but Erika’s eyes stay planted on the same spot on the tree trunk. “Maybe I just don’t know what love is.” With that, she tilts her head back down and presses her forehead against her knees, whimpering softly as a cool breeze brushes against her back and through her hair.

…

Akali and Shen watch her from within the living area of the temple, their hypersensitive ears ringing whenever they hear her cry out. “Shen, we’ve got to do something,” the green-clad ninja murmurs, pressing her hand against her lips. “She… She can’t do this.”

“It’s been a week,” Shen reminds her, sighing as he crosses his arms. “She needs time.”

“What she needs is someone to comfort her,” she argues, throwing her hands in the air. “Do you honestly think that she can cope with this… this loss without someone around her? And what of the warnings? There’s no way she’d be lucky a second time.”

“Those warnings,” he says with a sharp tone, “are nothing but falsified information to scare you.”

She pinches the bridge of her nose and looks over her feet before making eye contact with the other ninja. “Can you imagine going through loss without someone to guide you?”

Shen throws her a pointed glare, knowing that she already knows the answer.

“Yes.”

“And you’d subject her to the same ordeal?”

He’s quiet for a moment, and Akali walks up toward the shoji and peeks out from the nearly see-through panels. Erika’s still sitting there, practically immobile except for her gentle breathing. As the kunoichi’s hand touches the sliding door’s handle, a low voice answers her question.

“No,” he admits, voice defeated. “I… I simply have no idea where or how to start.”

Akali laughs and turns around to roll her eyes at the older man. “This is where you start,” she says softly, throwing the door open and stepping outside. Akali bends down and kneels beside the fourteen year-old, placing her hand on the marksman’s upper back. She glances over at Shen and tilts her head toward Erika, wordlessly telling him to get his assbutt over there.

The young girl’s shoulders tighten at the contact, and Shen instinctively cringes at how familiar the action is.

“Erika?” Shen calls out, making slow strides toward the pair. “Would you like to talk to us?”

The marksman raises her head and nods slowly, leaning to the side to rest her head on Akali’s shoulder. She takes a deep breath and nods again, smiling softly as Akali wraps an arm around her shoulders. Shen grins, but knows neither of them can see it. He awaits Erika’s answer, but he can already guess what it is.