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Violet Lanes, Ex-Con Turned Heartthrob, Rumored to be the Front-Runner for ‘Kingdoms of Runeterra’ Lead
Article by Sarah Fortune
Vi Lanes in the music video for 'Molotov Cocktail' by ZAND
Three months after the announcement that Caitlyn Kiramman’s best-selling and critically acclaimed Kingdoms of Runeterra series would be adapted for the screen, the rumor mill has been churning, and one name has emerged as a frontrunner, sending shockwaves through the fanbase: Violet Lanes, better known as Vi. The viral sensation-turned-model, famous for her mugshot that made waves across the internet, is now rumored to potentially take on the coveted lead role of Fiora.
Known for her striking looks, undeniable charm, and her reputation as the hottest “lesbian fuck boy” of the moment, Vi has captured the public’s attention since stepping out of prison almost three years ago and into the world of high-profile modeling. But while her presence is magnetic, the question remains: can she act as well as she looks?
Physically, Vi checks all the boxes for Fiora: muscular, beautiful, and exuding the raw confidence that fans expect from the character. However, her acting resume is… sparse. After more than two years of dominating the modeling scene post-prison, Vi is still a relative newcomer to the acting world, with only a handful of small roles under her belt, the most recent being the music video for the industrial rock hit 'Molotov Cocktail' by ZAND.
Fans are left wondering: is she the perfect fit for this iconic role, or will her controversial past and provocative present undermine the integrity of this beloved fantasy world? And, of course, there’s the burning question of who will be cast alongside her as Kaela, second protagonist and Fiora’s love interest.
Read on for a deeper dive into what Vi’s potential casting could mean for the show.
@vis_lapdog
Ugh, that picture?! I'm deceased 💀 @caitlynkiramman, PLEASE, tell me you guys are casting her opposite someone like… I don’t know… me??
@notyouraveragejoe
Why are we casting someone who literally made her career off of bad decisions and prison photos? Fiora deserves an ACTRESS who can ACT, not some billboard model with a criminal record. @caitlynkiramman, please… don’t let this dumpster fire happen. Save us all. 🙏
@vis_lapdog
shut up, joe 🤡
@SunnySideDown
yeah, shut your homophobic ass up, joe.
@notyouraveragejoe
I’m literally gay, wtf.
@SunnySideDown
you can be gay and homophobic. don’t be dense too, joe 🙄
@sapphicsunited
WHO ELSE ON EARTH HAS NATURALLY GREY EYES GODDAMMIT. She’s literally Fio reincarnated. Just cast @TheVi and give us what we need, please please please
@RuneterraCultLeader
Okay, wait. I’ve got 1000 reasons to be upset about this… but like, 100,000 reasons to be into it. 😭
@muffinarmy
RIGHT?! This is a high risk, high reward situation. I need more content before I fully make up my mind, but also… can we just get ONE picture of her in costume? Just one. Then you can cast someone else with more experience, I won’t even care at that point.
Vi was never one to back down from a challenge. Then again, maybe this was the moment to start. But the way the woman across the table was staring at her – like she was something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of her designer shoes – ensured that wasn’t going to happen. To make matters worse, the meeting was at 6 a.m. and Vi just wasn't a morning person.
“This is unacceptable,” the accented voice cut through the air, sharper than a glass shard.
“Yeah?” Vi leaned back in her chair, letting a smirk stretch across her face - one she knew was absolutely insufferable. “I’m a big fan of doing the unacceptable thing every now and then.” She tilted her head and then added, “Keeps life spicy, y’know?”
The piercing blue eyes staring at her narrowed, and Vi felt her grin widen. Oh, this is gonna be fun. Uptight. Spoiled. And, to Vi’s absolute dismay, absurdly hot. The challenge was written all over Caitlyn Kiramman’s face.
“Is that how you ended up in prison?”
Vi blinked. Damn. She hadn’t expected that.
But she recovered quickly, casually plucking a cupcake from the plate in front of her. “Nah, that was just my sunny personality that got me there,” she said and took a slow bite.
“Your personality does seem like –”
“Alright, you two,” Mel cut in before Caitlyn could land another blow. She placed a perfectly manicured hand on the table and gave them both a look that screamed knock it off. “I understand this might not be how you pictured your Fiora, Caitlyn. But Vi’s been the favorite from the start. Everyone involved in the casting – myself included – thinks she’s the one. That’s why we set up this meeting, so you two could get to know each other.”
Caitlyn scoffed, glancing away for a brief moment before her gaze snapped back to Vi. Vi, who was now licking frosting off her fingers one by one, holding eye contact just to be a menace. Caitlyn scrunched her nose in disgust, which only made Vi's grin bigger.
Caitlyn exhaled forcefully, and looked at her with a look so intense that it actually wiped the smile off her face.
“Have you read the books?”
Had she read one of the best fantasy series of all time? The books that made her laugh, cry, and feel things she wasn’t used to feeling? Hell yes. Vi had devoured them. She’d even debated going to a signing once or twice – though right now, she was grateful she never had.
Vi could gush about how much she loved the characters, how she had always related to Fiora, how the story was one of the most layered and brilliant pieces of fiction she’d ever experienced.
But Caitlyn’s whole I-want-you-dragged-from-this-building energy, mixed with Vi’s legendary stubbornness, meant there was only one way this could go.
Vi shrugged, voice as casual as if she’d flipped through the book on the way to the meeting. “Yeah,” she said, sounding so nonchalant it should’ve been criminal.
Damn, Vi thought. I am a good actress.
And judging by the subtle clench of Caitlyn’s jaw, Vi had hit her mark. Caitlyn stared at her for a long moment, like she was trying to gauge just how full of shit she was.
“Yeah,” Caitlyn echoed, voice clipped. She folded her arms, posture stiff with barely contained irritation. “That’s all you have to say?”
Vi propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her palm. “What do you want me to say?”
“How about something remotely insightful?” Caitlyn shot back. “You do realize Fio isn’t just muscles and a pretty face, right?”
Vi raised a brow. “You think I’m pretty?”
Caitlyn inhaled sharply through her nose, as if summoning the patience of an ancient deity, and visibly decided not to engage. “Since you read the books, I assume you understand that she is a deeply complex character,” she said, voice measured like she was explaining basic arithmetic to a brick wall. “She’s not some cocky bruiser who throws punches and flirts her way out of trouble.”
Vi obviously knew that. And part of her knew she should maybe start treading carefully.
But the other part of her – the part that lived for this – leaned in slightly and said, “She does flirt a lot, though.”
Caitlyn’s expression didn’t change, but Vi could feel the temperature in the room drop. She was being studied like a particularly irritating puzzle. Or maybe Caitlyn was considering strangling her in front of Mel. Honestly, either option seemed likely.
Mel took that as her cue to intervene. “Okay,” she said, tone light but firm. “This doesn’t feel like it’s heading anywhere productive.” She placed a calming hand on Caitlyn’s shoulder before continuing, “Caitlyn, this is your story. We all respect that. We want you to be proud of this show. But as Executive Producer, I have to look at the bigger picture, and from where I’m sitting? Vi is the right choice.”
She let that settle before shifting her gaze to Vi. “That being said. We still have the final round of screen tests with Jayce and Katarina before we decide on the rest of the cast.”
Vi caught the warning in Mel’s tone and straightened slightly. Maybe now was the time to start treading carefully.
Caitlyn folded her arms, her expression unimpressed. “She has no acting experience.”
Vi shrugged. “I mean, I did pretend to be straight in high school. That took real commitment.”
Mel sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Vi.”
Fine. Now was the time to actually start treading carefully.
~~~
“So, how was meeting the Caitlyn Kiramman?” Jinx’s voice crackled with excitement over the phone as Vi trudged up the stairs of her apartment, helmet under her arm. “Spill everything.”
Vi groaned. “She’s a pain. Total brat. Looks like she’s never eaten a meal that didn’t come with a silver spoon, and she spent the whole time looking at me like I was disgusting.”
“To be fair, sis, sometimes you are disgusting. Have you ever seen yourself eat?” Jinx teased.
“You’re no better!” Vi shot back, slightly offended.
“Enough of this childish nonsense. It doesn’t become you, Violet.” She put on an exaggeratedly posh accent, drawing out the syllables like some high-society snob — which, of course, only annoyed Vi more.
“You started it!”
“Details, details,” Jinx waved her off like an impatient queen dismissing. Then she switched gears, effortlessly. “Anyway, the Vitamins are already losing their minds over you as Fiora.”
When Jinx says 'the Vitamins,' she means Vi’s ever-growing legion of followers on social media, a fanbase Jinx has taken full control of ever since Vi’s mug shot went viral. It wasn’t exactly by Vi’s choice, but she was more than happy to let Jinx handle it. Her sister had a gift for it. Jinx had been famous long before Vi’s stint in prison, making a name for herself as a top-tier streamer.
“It’s not even official yet, and there’s already fan art of you as Fiora - mostly in armor, or you know, clothes - but damn, some of those artists are fuh-reaky,” Jinx continued with an amused chuckle.
“Do I wanna know what that means?” Vi asked with a chuckle.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Jinx answered and Vi could practically hear her wriggling her eyebrows.
“Right,” Vi muttered, opening the door to her apartment. “But honestly? The way Caitlyn looked at me today, I wouldn’t be surprised if she personally started a protest just to make sure I don’t get the role.”
“Oh, come on,” Jinx huffed. “It can’t be that bad. Your charm has always worked up until now.”
Vi paused. “…Yeah, so, about that.”
Silence.
Then, “Violet Elizabeth Lanes!”
“That’s not even remotely my name.”
Jinx didn't care. “What is it with you and antagonizing women you’re attracted to?”
Vi opened her mouth to protest, but Jinx steamrolled right over her.
“This is your big break, Vi! You’ve been in my ear forever about how you wanna prove you can actually act. And you love those books — like, weirdly obsessed with them — so the brain that wrote them has to be at least tolerable, right?”
Vi grumbled unintelligibly as she kicked off her shoes.
“Vi.”
No response.
Jinx inhaled dramatically before full-on belting: “VIIIIIIIOLEEEEEET!”
“Fine! Okay! Yes!” Vi shouted, throwing the helmet on the table next to the door with a little more force than necessary.
Jinx didn’t let up. “Yes to what? Yes to her being the author of the only novel series you’ve ever finished? Yes to putting on your big girl pants and playing nice? Or yes to the fact that she is, in fact, exactly your type?”
Vi clenched her jaw, fighting the sudden urge to strangle her sister through the phone. “…Yes to all.”
Jinx let out a delighted squeal. “Ahhh, we love personal growth! Anyway, gotta go — Ekko’s here. Also, don’t forget to post something when you get home. There’s a new article about you possibly being cast as Fiora, and you’re trending. We’re gonna ride that wave. Your fans demand and deserve content, and I refuse to let you flop.”
And just like that, she hung up. Vi let out a long breath and let herself fall onto the couch. Better to just get the post over with so she could dive into some much-needed breakfast.
As she lazily unlocked her phone, expecting yet another detailed description of exactly what Jinx wanted her to post, her eyes went wide. The notifications practically leapt off the screen.
The comments section under her latest post had exploded - again.
The picture itself wasn’t anything groundbreaking: Vi, dressed in a hooded sweater vest, arms and tattoos on full display, snapback tilted backward over her red hair, standing in front of a massive billboard from her latest sportswear campaign. Said billboard featured her in a sports bra and shorts, looking every bit the confident badass she was supposed to be.
Vi scrolled through the comments, most of them the usual thirsty comments she’d come to expect. Fire emojis, heart-eye emojis, the occasional “step on me” or “get me pregnant” — all standard fare. Some of them were weird enough to make her snort for a second - the crown going to “I would sell my entire family for a chance to smell your gym bag” - but overall, nothing too surprising.
And then, as she kept scrolling, the tone started to shift. Less “Wow, you’re hot,” and more “No way. Not her.”
Vi frowned, tapping on a few of the replies. A quick search of the trending topics confirmed it - there were a lot of people who were not on board with her playing Fiora. #NotMyFiora was gaining traction, and the deeper she went, the worse it got.
“This is a joke, right?”
“I’m going full Karen if this happens 😤”
“I’d rather they cancel the whole show.”
Vi let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of her neck. She wasn’t new to people talking shit about her online, but this stung. It wasn’t just random trolls. These were fans of the books, tearing her apart before she even had a chance to prove herself.
And then there were the ones practically begging Caitlyn to veto the casting. Because of course they were.
Vi scoffed and tossed her phone onto the couch beside her. Not my Fiora, she thought bitterly. Yeah, well, screw them.
Her phone buzzed again, lighting up with a new notification. She almost ignored it - until she saw the name.
@caitlynkiramman started following you.
Vi blinked. “Huh.” She hadn’t expected that after today.
Curious, she tapped on Caitlyn’s profile. Not that she didn't know it - she already knew it way too well. She’d never admit that out loud, though. She followed the author of her favorite books purely for updates on the series. Definitely not because the woman also happened to be ridiculously nice to look at.
A new story was posted just minutes ago. Before she could think twice, Vi clicked on it.
The image that popped up showed Caitlyn and Mel sitting at a table. Mel looked every bit the power exec — papers spread in front of her, expression sharp, mid-discussion.
Caitlyn was leaning forward, scanning the same documents, brows slightly furrowed in concentration. Which was already unfairly attractive. But the real kicker? The cupcake in her right hand.
And the fact that she was in the middle of sucking frosting off the tip of her left index finger.
A loose strand of dark hair had slipped free, falling down beside the side of her face turned away from the camera, while the rest was tucked neatly behind her ear — highlighting a jawline that looked sharp enough to slice through marble.
And me.
Vi swallowed. That thought was not supposed to happen.
Had she chosen that pose on purpose?
No. She had not, Vi tried to convince herself.
…Unless?
Vi shook herself out of it and focused on the caption instead.
“Working on getting the best of the best to portray your favourite Runeterrans. Can’t wait to share some good news soon with you, lovely people!”
Vi huffed. “Best of the best,” she muttered under her breath. And of course, Caitlyn would use the British spelling, like the pretentious rich girl from the UK that she is. Vi knew it was a ridiculous thing to get annoyed at. But she didn’t choose her feelings, did she?
Another notification pinged on her screen, this time a message from Jinx.
little sis 🐒, 7:12 am
sis, post a story. NOW
little sis 🐒, 7:12 am
pretty pls
Vi looked around the flat, trying to get some inspiration. Nothing. Just the same old apartment, dim morning light filtering through the blinds, and a fridge that was waiting way too patiently for her to stop ignoring it.
Me, 7:13 am
any ideas?
She half-hoped Jinx was too busy to answer right away and walked over to the kitchen to grab the ingredients for a quick omelet. Maybe she’d get lucky and have time to eat first. It was not the case.
Her phone buzzed almost instantly.
little sis 🐒, 7:13 am
something casual, not too cheeky. vitamins are already going crazy enough as it is. what are u doing rn?
Me, 7:14 am
making an omelet
little sis 🐒, 7:14 am
perfect!! ppl love a good cook & u always make food look delicious. just finish it & take a pic w/ urself. easy
Vi frowned.
Me, 7:15 am
but I want to eat the omelet. not stage a photoshoot with it
little sis 🐒, 7:15 am
Don’t be difficult, Violet.
Vi narrowed her eyes at the screen. Jinx only bothered with proper capitalization when she really meant business. She let out another exaggerated sigh and sent back a single rolling eyes emoji. She put on some music, donned her apron, and set to work.
Cooking was one of the few things that let her relax. It was hands-on, an activity that demanded focus and, in turn, blurred out everything else around her. But it was also more than that, food had a magical ability to bring people together. She loved creating something that could unite people, just like when she was younger, and they all gathered around Vander’s table, sharing stories and laughs.
Vander had taught her everything she knew about cooking. Even though they didn’t cook together as often now, those were still some of her favorite moments - standing side by side in the kitchen, passing spices and chopped vegetables with a rhythm that didn’t need words.
Vi hummed along to the tune as she sliced and stirred, the rhythm of the task grounding her. In no time, the omelet was ready, the final flip of the pan revealing a perfectly cooked breakfast.
Vi eyed her creation, then her phone. Better to get this over with before her stomach staged a full-blown revolt.
She snapped a few shots, trying different angles - overhead, a casual lean-in, even propping her phone against the counter for a hands-free approach. But no matter what she tried, the pictures just… sucked.
“Nope. No. Definitely no.” She scrolled through the rejects with increasing frustration. Nothing looked right. Either the lighting was off, or her arm was at a weird angle, or the omelet looked way less appetizing on camera than in real life.
Her gaze drifted to the side, landing on the apron she’d tossed onto the counter. A gift from Jinx. Not that she needed reminding from who it was — the bold red print across the front made sure of that.
“VAGITARIAN – I ONLY EAT PUSSY”
Classic Jinx.
Vi smirked. Her sister had told her not to post anything too cheeky. But Jinx had also spent months trying to convince her to lean into the thirst trap potential and post more daring content.
Vi decided to focus on the latter.
Without a second thought, she peeled off her shirt, leaving only her sports bra, and slipped the apron over her head. The second she caught her reflection in her phone screen, her grin turned downright wicked. The way the apron fell made it look like she was gloriously naked underneath.
Perfect.
She set up her phone on the counter, adjusted the omelet for maximum aesthetic appeal, and leaned forward on her elbows, making sure to flex - just enough to highlight her arms and the intricate tattoos lining them. With one hand, she casually placed a fork in the omelet. Effortlessly confident. Completely unbothered.
She hit the self-timer, let her signature lopsided smirk settle into place - just enough to draw attention to the scar on her lip - and let the camera click.
Vi checked the shot.
Hell. Yes.
Muscles? On point. Tattoos? Looking damn good. The omelet? Mouthwatering. The illusion of implied nudity? Chef’s kiss.
She typed up a quick caption: “Felt like something savory to start the day.”
Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard for a second.
Oh, fuck it.
“Felt like something savory because I already had dessert earlier 🧁”
Then she hit post, dropped her phone on the counter and dug in without a care in the world and a smile on her lips.