𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞 -- One of the Girls
  𝟎𝟎2 : Lucky
(𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙚, pre-show)

"𝐘𝐎𝐔 lucky bastard, Sevika."

The men at the bar, a mix of scruffy enforcers and locals, watched her closely, their gazes sharp and filled with a strange cocktail of admiration, envy, and maybe even a touch of fear. They could never tell whether it was her presence or her reputation that had them leaning in so intently.

Sevika didn't look up from her hand, her focus fixed on the cards as she expertly shuffled them between her fingers. A cigarette dangled lazily between her lips, a trail of smoke curling upward. "What are you blabbering about?" she muttered, placing a card on the table with a small flick of her wrist, barely acknowledging the men around her.

A man, tall with a weathered face and dark eyes that seemed to know too much, leaned forward with a smirk. His rough hands took a long swig from his glass, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth before placing the drink down with a slow thud. "Everyone's been talking about it," he said, his voice low and dripping with amusement. "Surprised you thought you'd be able to keep a secret in Babette's of all places."

Sevika didn't even glance at him. She removed the cigarette from her lips and took a slow drag, eyes still glued to her cards. "Get to your point," she said, her voice cold, unwavering, the same as ever.

A second man beside him, a younger one with a cocky grin and a more open expression, leaned forward and slid another card onto the table. "Enchantress, huh?" he said, his grin widening. "Pretty little thing."

Sevika's eyes flicked up to meet his, her expression unreadable, but something in her gaze was sharp and deadly. "What of it?" she asked, her voice flat, the hint of a frown playing at the corners of her lips.

"Heard you've been making frequent visits." Another man spoke up, a teasing smirk on his face. "Exhausting all of Silco's money just to get further up the waitlist, huh?"

Sevika didn't look up from her cards, sliding them between her fingers as she took another long drag from her cigar. She wasn't interested in their chatter.

The man, not deterred, raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, we're not judging. You gotta be some kind of goddess to have a four-month-long waitlist at Babette's. I'd take a shot at her myself if I had the coin."

Sevika's gaze flicked up, her eyes cold as she blew out a puff of smoke. "I'm not fucking her."

The tall man scoffed, leaning back in his chair with a sly grin. "Oh, I'm sure you're just up there 'talking,' huh?" The group laughed, a few clinking their glasses in amusement.

A quieter man, whose face was partially obscured by a thick beard, added, "Young thing she is, nineteen if I'm not mistaken."

Sevika rolled her eyes, ignoring the comment. "Keep dreaming," she muttered, shuffling her cards, ready to end this round of nonsense once and for all.

"Oh, I will," the man continued with a grin, leaning forward. "Mind lending me some? I'd like to see the girl who fucks like some kind of nympho. Heard she's got a way of making you forget everything but her." He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and lust.

Sevika's gaze flicked to him, her expression unreadable. She took another drag of her cigar, the ember glowing as she exhaled slowly. "Keep dreaming," she repeated, her tone as sharp as the edge of a knife.

The man only laughed, not picking up on the warning in her voice. But Sevika wasn't interested in giving him any more of her attention. Instead, she focused back on her cards, her mind already elsewhere.

"Well if you aren't fucking her what are you up there doing?" Another man asked, placing his cards down.

Sevika sighed, the weight of the situation pressing on her chest like a leaden cloud. She couldn't tell them the truth. Frankly, it wasn't their business, and some things were better left unsaid. But the way they were poking around, making assumptions—it was a liability in itself. Everyone knowing Sevika worked for Silco was dangerous enough. Anything that could draw suspicion to Enchantress, or her motives, was a risk she couldn't afford to take.

She flicked the ash from her cigar, watching the small ember dissipate before she stubbed it out in the ashtray. The room buzzed with idle chatter, the men oblivious to the layers of tension in the air. They had no idea what kind of fire they were dancing around, and Sevika wasn't in the mood to let them learn the hard way.

Her eyes briefly shifted to the door, her mind already on the next move. Keeping quiet was the only way to maintain control. But control, as always, came at a price.

"She's just my favorite girl," Sevika said, the lie practically dripping off her tongue. She kept her gaze steady, watching their reactions carefully. "Like to see her as often as they let me. Something about her."

The words felt foreign in her mouth, but she pushed them out, the usual indifference in her voice masking the flicker of frustration beneath. She didn't need to explain herself. Not to them, and not to anyone. But the eyes that lingered on her, full of curiosity and suspicion, made her feel exposed, vulnerable.

One of the men raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with a smirk. "Something about her, huh?" His tone was laced with mockery, but Sevika wasn't biting.

"Yeah," she said flatly, unwilling to play along. "She's got her charm. Now, are we going to keep playing, or are you going to keep asking questions?"

𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐊𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐘

as they seemed to think. Sure, she commanded respect—or fear, depending on who you asked—but they didn't see the full picture. They didn't see the aggravation, the constant tug-of-war between duty and patience. Silco, ever the strategist, seemed less interested in utilizing her skills as his right hand and more intent on using her as a glorified babysitter.

She rapped her knuckles against the heavy metal door, the echo reverberating down the corridor. "Aviva?" she called, leaning against the frame with a weary sigh. No response. She peeked her head through the small window set into the door. Nothing but shadows shifting faintly inside.

Sevika rolled her eyes and knocked again, harder this time. "Aviva, last warning before I come in." Her voice carried a note of finality, one that usually got results.

Still, silence.

Her patience, always wearing thin, now frayed at the edges. She sighed, her metal hand flexing involuntarily. Whatever game Aviva was playing, Sevika wasn't in the mood. Not tonight.

"Viva if you let me in I'll let you take a drag of my cigarette." She bargained. Kids like that right? Defiance and acting grown up. That's what she assumed anyways.

And she assumed right, Aviva slowly opened the door, glittering gold eyes stared back at Sevika, cold and lifeless, her dark blue hair messily framing her face. She didn't speak a word, eyeing the woman softly, her eyes falling on the plate of food in her hand. With a sigh she opened the door fully, retreating back into the room.

As Sevika stepped inside, she was struck by the transformation of Aviva's room. Vines sprawled across the walls and ceiling, their verdant tendrils weaving an intricate tapestry of green. The air was thick with the earthy scent of foliage, a stark contrast to the sterile environment she remembered.

"Didn't take you for a gardener," Sevika remarked, her tone laced with curiosity.

Aviva's gaze flickered to the vines, then back to Sevika. "Neither did I," she murmured, her voice barely audible.

Sevika offered the cigarette, and Aviva accepted it with hesitant fingers. She took a tentative drag, the smoke curling around her like a fragile veil.

"Not bad," Aviva conceded, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

"There's more where that came from," Sevika replied, a glint of camaraderie in her eyes.

In that shared moment, amidst the unexpected greenery, a fragile bond began to form between the hardened enforcer and the isolated girl, each finding solace in the other's presence.

She knew the girl's isolation was a key part of Silco's plan. While he nursed Powder into a weapon, the meister had to be protected. The reasons behind it blurred in Sevika's mind, distant and unspoken, like so many of Silco's machinations. She hardly ever remembered why—nor did she bother to question it. Some orders weren't meant to be understood, only followed.

Her job was to protect Zaun, not to worry about some kid. The city needed her focus, not a child wrapped in her own web of bitterness and loss. Aviva was just another cog in the machine, a necessary one, perhaps, but a cog nonetheless. Sevika had more important things to tend to than the whims of a girl who didn't understand the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Sevika sighed, taking the cigarette from the girl's hand and allowing her a final drag before snuffing it out. "I gotta head out, Viva," she muttered, glancing down at the girl. "I'll see you next month."

Aviva looked up at her, her eyes heavy with a silent plea. "Where are you headed?" she mumbled, her voice laced with a strange vulnerability.

Sevika shrugged nonchalantly, trying to mask the guilt that flickered in her chest. "Gotta run some errands for Silco."

A faint desperation flickered across the girl's face as she leaned forward, her small hands clasped tightly together. "Please, take me with you," she begged, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've never been allowed to leave the house, never been able to step outside these walls. And now—now I'm trapped here, in this room. Oh please, Sevika, I promise, he won't even notice I'm gone. He never does."

Sevika hesitated, her gaze flicking to the door, then back at Aviva. She could see the longing in her eyes, the way she practically pleaded with her, but it wasn't enough. Not for this.

"You know I can't do that," Sevika muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. The last thing she needed was to drag the girl along on errands meant for Silco's eyes only. She glanced at the overgrown vines that had taken over the room, a reminder of the strange shift in Aviva, how much she had changed in such a short time. It only made things more complicated.

"Besides," Sevika added, her tone softening but still firm, "don't think it's appropriate to take you where I'm going."

Aviva's face fell, and for a moment, Sevika felt a pang of guilt twist in her chest, but she buried it quickly. This wasn't the place for sentiment. Not now, not ever.

"I'll see you next month," she repeated, turning to leave.

𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐊𝐀'𝐒 𝐊𝐍𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 heavily against the door again, louder this time, the sound cutting through the laughter spilling from the other side. It seemed Enchantress could never be alone for long. Sevika rolled her eyes, irritation starting to coil in her chest. She knocked once more, this time with more urgency.

"Enchantress, open up," she called, her voice firm and edged with impatience. She didn't have the time or the patience to wait around for whatever spectacle was going on behind that door.

A beat passes, shuffling could be heard from behind the door before it cracked open. Sevika's eyes lowered to the girls frame. (Describe a sheer pink very sexy seductive outfit that clings to her curvaceous hourglass like frame.) The girl had a waitlist for a reason she supposed.

Sevika tore her eyes from the girl's figure, hoping the woman didn't catch it but by the smirk on her face she could tell unfortunately that she wasn't so lucky.

A thin pipe was nestled between her fingers, blowing smoke through her soft pink lips, plush and glossed.

A beat passed, the shuffling from behind the door echoing in the quiet hallway before it cracked open. Sevika's eyes lowered, taking in the figure before her. Enchantress stood there, clad in a sheer pink outfit that clung to her like a second skin, accentuating every curve of her hourglass figure. The fabric was delicate, almost see-through, with intricate lace patterns tracing the edges and soft ruffles at the hem. The outfit hugged her body in all the right places, making it clear why she had such a long waitlist.

Sevika tore her eyes away from the woman's frame, hoping her gaze had gone unnoticed. But the knowing smirk on Enchantress's lips told her that, unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky.

A thin pipe was nestled between her fingers, the smoke curling lazily through the air as she exhaled, her soft pink lips parting slightly. They were plush and glossed, the light catching the sheen as she blew out the smoke with a casual ease that only added to her allure. Sevika's jaw tightened. This wasn't her first encounter with Enchantress, but it always felt like the woman had a way of getting under her skin.

"Sevika! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Enchantress purred, her voice smooth and velvety as her eyes slid over Sevika, lingering just a moment too long, as if savoring the woman's presence.

Sevika clenched her jaw, trying not to let the woman's gaze rattle her. She shifted her weight, crossing her arms as she leaned against the doorframe, her posture deliberate but relaxed. "Cut the act," Sevika muttered, her voice steady but with a hint of annoyance. "I need something from you."

Enchantress's smile never faltered, her gaze flicking from Sevika's eyes to the lines of her body. "Oh, I'm sure you do," she replied, her voice dripping with amusement. "But you're not the only one who gets to make requests, darling."

The smoke from her pipe curled around her, adding an almost intoxicating haze to the already charged air. Sevika's patience was wearing thin, but she had learned long ago to play this game. Enchantress wasn't one to be rushed or intimidated, not by anyone.

"You're not fucking them right now so they can wait." Sevika retorted, crossing her arms against her chest. Enchantress tapped her mask with a pointed nail softly. "I don't only sell sex Sevika. I sell experiences and right now—". She leaned forward taking a drag as a puff of purple smoke blew into the air. "We're in the middle of something."

Sevika tried her hardest to tear her eyes from the curve of her chest, the skin smooth, soft, and shimmering under the low light. It was all too tempting, a silent invitation that made her jaw tighten. She gritted her teeth, forcing her gaze upward to the woman's eyes.

"Can you wrap it up?" Sevika said, her tone flat, but her impatience clear. "You have things to attend to."

Enchantress sighed, stepping fully out of the room and closing the door behind her with a soft click. She leaned against the frame, eyes narrowing as she studied Sevika.

"Sevika, I may work for Silco, but I have a job to do. I can't keep working for him if I'm turning clients away for you at the drop of a hat."

Her lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile.

"So, you can wait... or you book me like a real client."

"I'm not a client," Sevika snapped, her tone sharp.

"But you seem to want an appointment," Enchantress replied smoothly, her eyes glinting with amusement.

Sevika clenched her jaw, trying to keep her temper in check. "I just need to talk to you—"

"And we can talk when I'm done," she interrupted, leaning closer, a slow, teasing smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Go back down to the ground floor. There's some girls down there I know would be happy to spend the night with you."

Sevika's fists tightened at her sides, but she held back, unwilling to show more frustration than she already had. "I'll be waiting," she muttered, before turning on her heel and walking towards the stairs.

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒!

Don't be a silent reader I'm begging. This book will not be like my others simply because it's gonna be a lot more suggestive for the first two acts so the way it flows will be similar to that.