Archive of Our Own

Sevika is in the process of trouncing Ran and Dustin at tarot when Vi materialises at the side of their table with two pints of beer in hand, literally the most suspicious thing Sevika's ever seen the girl do.

'Mmh, I can wait,' Vi says when all eyes turn to her. 'Just wanted to talk to you, Sevika.'

'With beers?' Ran asks, amused. 'Someone's getting bribed.'

'Favour to ask?' Dustin chimes in. 'What about us? Don't you wanna ask us for favours too?'

'Ah... I'm alright.'

Before Sevika can say anything in reply, Dustin slams a hand over his cogs. 'Whoa, guess we call it a day then? Too bad we couldn't finish this round.'

Ran gives Sevika a cautious look before imitating him.

She smiles at them both indulgently. 'Sure, keep your pocket change. I'll bleed you dry next time.'

'You can't have such blighted good luck every day!' Dustin exclaims, shamelessly shoving the cogs in his pockets and straightening his outfit as he gets up.

'Yeah,' Ran agrees, 'I remember a time when I could beat you. What the fuck happened?'

Sevika taps a mechanical finger to her cheek and the soft web of blue line she knows spreads across it.

'Arcane luck. Sacrificed an arm never to lose at tarot again. Would be worth it if you two weren't such broke shits.'

Dustin cackles like she's a riot, but Ran frowns. 'Maybe we should test that,' she says.

'Don't you think it's more likely that she's just a good cheat?' Vi chimes in.

'Hey!'

'Right?' Dustin says. He slaps Vi on the back, makes her beers slosh. 'Next time we're playing you come sit with us, be the referee. Keep your eyes on her!'

'Sure,' Sevika agrees, a wolfish grin spreading across her face. 'She can get a front row seat to me bleeding you... fair and square.'

'That sounds amazing,' Vi says without a shred of interest in her voice. 'Wouldn't miss it for the world.'

Dustin and Ran leave to go bully the group assembled at the pool table and Sevika watches Vi sit across from her. They had a point though: Vi has the sheepish look of someone coming to ask a favour. There's the way she's not looking Sevika in the eyes, and then the pint pushed across the table like an offering. Vi's never gotten her a drink before. Not even a freebie from the Drop's bar, like now. She's never gotten her anything, so this is both suspicious and a fascinating development.

Sevika accepts the pint with a silent nod and waits. Vi plays with her own beer, staring down at it rather than drinking it. Sevika counts to ten, and goes on. When she reaches twenty she loses her patience.

'This conversation is so fascinating Vi, I'm glad you interrupted my game for it.'

'I didn't mean to interrupt,' the girl protests, defensive. 'But well... I'm sorry, I guess.'

'Don't share your sorries if you're not even sure about them. They don't buy you any favours.'

'Right, favours!' Vi says, shaking herself. 'I wanted to ask for your help. With something.'

Sevika smiles, leaning back into her seat.

'You, coming to me for help? This must be good.'

'More like advice.'

'What about, then?' Sevika asks, her curiosity genuine.

Vi pushes strands of pink hair from her face and finally looks her properly in the eyes. 'Do you remember when Tup rescued a kid who was drowning, down at the docks? And Silco had you pick a gift for him?'

Sevika is thrown for a loop. Of course she remembers. It was just last month, and Tup is still riding on the high of his heroic reputation, flaunting the chemical burn he'd received from jumping into the waters with an open wound on his arm. Silco had been glad the family of the boy he'd rescued was making a big deal of it. It made them look good, and reputation is still everything, right now. Tup being a fellow card lover, Sevika had gotten him a mint Demacian tarot deck from a travelling merchant.

She just can't see where Vi's going with this.

'Sure I remember. I'm not senile. What about it?'

'I asked Silco why he wouldn't pick something himself.'

'Oh?' Sevika smirks, expecting a good one. 'What did he say?'

'Mmh...' Vi takes a pensive sip of her beer. 'I think it was "I don't give a sump-rat's ass what Tup likes, how would I know what to get him?" or something like that.'

Sevika laughs. 'Sounds about right.'

'I figured he was just delegating, but he got you to pick something for Renni as well, so I asked why you, and he said, and I quote again: "Sevika always knows what to pick for people. She's freaky like that."'

Sevika's laughing again, and now she's glad Vi interrupted her game. 'Alright, I get it,' she says, smiling knowingly at the girl. 'You want help picking a gift for someone.'

Vi gives her a mocking half bow. 'Please teach me your gift picking ways, wise master.'

'Who is it for?'

To Sevika's surprise, Vi goes right back to her shifty attitude, pursing her lips in that same manner Powder does, fingers running along the rim of her glass, and very much not answering Sevika's question.

'Hey.' She kicks her under the table. 'Rule number one of getting a gift for someone still is to know who that someone is.'

'Yeah yeah,' Vi groans. She keeps her eyes fixed on her glass as she finally admits, 'It's for Silco.'

Sevika stares. It takes some effort to squash the impulse to make a derisive joke. It's very tempting, but Vi promised to look after Silco and work with Ran and her, and she's delivered. She's also been taking an interest in the business recently, exactly as Sevika asked her to, months ago. This is a good development. If Vi can get along with Silco, it's less work for her.

And then, who knows. Maybe Vi will be gifting her things too, down the road.

'Is it a get well present?' she asks, tone mild.

Vi looks up at her, startled. Maybe she knows her well enough to have expected some ribbing.

'No. I mean, yes? He's sick but like, I don't want to buy him flowers?'

'Yeah, alright. So what do you want? Just to know what I'd buy for him, or how to buy for people?'

'If you teach me your secret arts of gift buying, then I can pick one for him too... so the second. Please.'

Sevika hides her smirk into her cup and sets it back down, empty now. Vi isn't nearly as thick headed as she'd thought at first. Just wilful to a fault.

'It's simple,' she tells her, leaning forward over the table. 'You observe the person and ask yourself, what do they like?'

Vi waits patiently for more. Sevika smiles at her until she starts frowning, realising nothing more is coming her way.

'That's it?' she asks, confused.

'What else is there to it?' Sevika asks with a shrug. 'There's two types of bad gifters: the unoriginal ones who buy you flowers or a box of sweets, and the selfish ones. Those buy something they'd like for themselves. All you need to do is ask yourself, what does this person enjoy? Is it something you can get? If you don't know, ask around. I guess you're already on to it.'

Vi shakes her head. 'I'm not sure that helps, with Silco. What does he like anyway? I can't buy him a free Nation of Zaun.'

Sevika barks a laugh. 'Come on, he isn't that hard to figure out.'

'Well, he likes bourbon, but that's expensive, and besides he can just have the barman source some for him.'

'What else?'

Vi rubs her hands across her face. 'I don't know,' she groans. 'It can't be too expensive. There's no point if I have to borrow his money to get it.'

Sevika doesn't mention stealing as an option, because she knows Silco had been quite clear on the topic with both girls. With the chaos enforcers had caused still fresh on everyone's mind, the last thing Zaun needs is the sisters getting into more trouble with them.

'All the books he has are dry and boring, I don't even know if he likes reading?' Vi continues, voice turning whiny. 'I can't make something for him and he only has two jackets, I don't think he really cares what he looks like?'

'No, he does. And he could use a new coat,' Sevika counters. She snaps her fingers. 'Focus instead of complaining. What does he do in his spare time?'

Vi gives her a disgusted look. 'What spare time?'

'Stop it with the sarcasm,' Sevika replies, smiling despite herself. 'Answer my question.'

Vi drums a rhythm on the side of the table, lips pursed and eyes distant, no doubt scouring her mind for memories of Silco's rare moments of said spare time. She cocks an eyebrow and gives Sevika a sceptical look.

'He smokes. A lot actually. He's as bad as Vander and worse than you.'

Sevika claps by slapping her good hand against her thigh. 'Here you go.'

'What, seriously?' Vi asks. 'You're suggesting I get him smokes?'

'Why not? You can check the brand he likes. Or better yet, get him something nicer.'

Vi drums up another tune, thoughtful now. 'I don't think he'd like loose herbs... He wouldn't smoke pipe like Vander, right?'

'No. But he'll roll it if you gift him something loose, you know? Back when we were kids, if we wanted to smoke anything, we had to scrounge for stubs. You'd open them and collect what wasn't burnt yet, until you had enough to roll new ones. Some kids would sell them, others just smoked it.'

'You did that too?' Vi asks, curious.

'Yeah, my sister taught me. Silco wasn't the type to sell. He's from the Black Lanes, you know?'

'Yeah, he mentioned it.'

Sevika shrugs, not sure how much needs to be added to that. 'It was worse back then.'

'I know grandma, everything was worse back in th—Ow! Janna take me, I was joking, no need to kick me!'

'Smoking lifeleaf is still a status thing, but back then it was also a necessity,' Sevika continues, ignoring her. 'How many friends did you lose to Lung Blight? Things got better after the sump was regulated and the refineries moved down to the Pilt, but the Gray is still fucked most days. You should start smoking too, you know. Wouldn't hurt.'

Vi makes a face. 'I tried Vander's pipe, I wasn't sold.'

'Vander smoked cheap shit.'

'Where could I get good smokes for Silco anyway?' Vi asks. 'Bridgewaltz market?'

Sevika frowns at her. 'Why don't you go at the source?'

Vi frowns right back. 'What do you mean?'

'Use your head,' Sevika says, tapping her mechanical fingers on the table between them. 'Like it or not, you're Silco's kid. People who owe him owe you too. Use your connections.'

'My connection with who, Sevika? Stop being cryptic.'

Sevika rolls her eyes, exasperated. Maybe she is a little thick after all, not just wilful. 'Someone who owns one of the largest cultivairs in Zaun, maybe? Who we just granted a large chunk of territory? One of the main producers of lifeleaf?'

Sevika can see the moment the dots connect in Vi's brain. 'Oh! You mean Renni?' And then another dot connects and she frowns. 'You want me to go throw Silco's name around to a chembaron?'

'You can just ask politely,' Sevika points out. 'We're on pretty good terms right now.'

Vi hums pensively, toying with her almost untouched pint. 'Guess she must have nice stuff, yeah...'

'Yes. She makes cigars with serpentleaf as well.'

'Isn't that a medicinal?'

'Sure, but you can smoke it as well.'

'Huh. Alright.' Vi sighs, shoulders relaxing, and gives Sevika a genuine smile. 'Thanks. That was a good lesson, wise master.'

Sevika refrains from kicking her one more time.

'Vi, one last thing,' she says instead, snatching the pint from her hands and claiming it. 'Whatever you end up buying for him, he'll be happy. That's the last rule. Sometimes the gesture is what matters most. It's symbolic. So don't worry about the type of smokes you're buying. Whatever you end up choosing, he'll blaze through it and enjoy himself the whole time.'