#oc x silco

[ddruxyart]

For you to listen We'll drag you in the decay

Based on: J.C. Leyendecker - Arrow-Dress, Shirts, and Collars Advertisement (1930)

[kikorenart]

Threats are a daily thing for Silco.

Same for Kiyna.

Long time no SilKi, huh. 🙃

[unluckiestmember]

Arcane x Ransom! Reader

Summary: How would the Arcane characters react if the reader was held for ransom?

Characters: Jinx/Powder, Violet "Vi", Caitlyn Kiramman, Viktor, Jayce Talis, Sevika, Silco and Licker (mention).

Warning: Slight cursing and suggestive themes/implied sexual themes.

A/N: I literally got the idea for this request from Helluva Boss, particular episode 6 of season 2. I hope you all enjoy this though, I know I did!

Powder/Jinx

“You have who?! Where are they?!… You want me to pay you for them? Oh I’ll pay you alright!”

Jinx doesn’t take the idea of you getting hurt lightly. She already is super overprotective of her little trinket, so when she heard that you were being held for a price, she wasted no time grabbing Pow-Pow, Zapper and a bunch of chompers to aid her in her “heroic rescue” for her princess/prince. As soon as she is where you are held, you don’t have to see her to know she’s there for you. Don’t expect any talking, just laughter and hollers followed by gunfire, screams for mercy and explosions.

Before you know it, the Loose Cannon is standing in front of you, pulling you into the tightest hug ever and dressing your face with kisses. She will ask you countless questions while freaking out, beating herself up over you being in such a position. But when she feels you touch her and assure her you’re okay, she’s on cloud nine. As soon as she laces the area with bombs to blow it to kingdom come, she’s back at her hideout, being super affectionate and touchy the entire night. Don’t expect anyone to be touching you for months unless they want their head blown off.

Violet “Vi”

“… What?… You… You just pissed off the wrong woman.”

First word that you were kidnapped, Vi wasted no time hunting your captors down and beating them to a bloody pulp. The woman is like a bull seeing red knowing you were somewhere cold and scared away from home and her arms. So until you were back to her, anyone was able to get a personal greeting from the pink haired fighter. Vi is pretty merciful, but in situations like this, she isn’t afraid to push the envelope by giving life threatening injuries to the bastards that hurt you.

When she found you, she didn’t bother asking any questions or giving any money to your kidnappers, unless they counted a mouthful of fists and kicks as payment enough. When she’s done with her punishment, she’ll immediately scoop you into her arms and take the both of you back home, where she checks you for injuries and asks if you are okay. Please comfort her. She may act all tough and cool, but the situation scared her due to thinking she lost you just like everyone else. As soon as she knows you are alright, she’ll promise no one will ever do that to you again.

Caitlyn Kiramman

“You kidnapped Y/N? Why would- Who do you think you are? You better let them go right now!”

Caitlyn was used to people being kidnapped on the job, having to save them or negotiate with criminals for their safety. But she would have never imagined such a thing happening to you of all people. When she was told you were being held for ransom, she understandably panicked before taking deep breaths and thinking of how to get you back to her. The enforcer can easily scrounge up the money for you to be freed, because you were more important than any coin that reaches her pockets.

So when she arranges a meeting with your kidnappers and finds you so scared, she finds it hard to stop herself from grabbing you and making a run for it. If the kidnappers pull a fast one on her though, all bets are off and bullets are flying. When she has you back, she will watch you like a hawk and be on the defensive for a while. But if you assure her enough that you are okay, she will lighten up. On the bright side, after the incident she’s more romantic and spends more time with you in and out of work.

Viktor

“Look, I’m sure we can talk about this. I’ll get you the money, just. Please don’t hurt them…”

Viktor beat himself up when he heard you were taken away from him for monetary purposes. He just doesn’t understand how he would let this happen- How he would let someone easily take you under his nose and put you in harm’s way?! He could’ve waddled in his sorrows, but he couldn’t. He had to save you and he had to act fast! It would hurt him, but he would ask for assistance from Jayce and the council if he can. And if they can’t help him? Well. Maybe it was time to break out those so-called dangerous machines Heimerdinger warned him against using.

When he finds you, he’s wasting no time trying to negotiate a way around matters so you could be freed. And if those negotiations don’t go according to plan, then he’ll use his machinery and his brain to outsmart the criminals into freeing you. When you are back together, he’ll just. Hold you. Like you are a precious gemstone. He’ll promise you this will never happen again. No one will ever lay their hands on you again…

Jayce Talis

“Is this supposed to scare me? If anything, you should be the one scared- Do you know who I am?!”

Jayce does not take threats lightly, especially when it comes to his family, friends and his loved ones. As soon as he was told you were held for Ransom, he let his anger and determination to get you back fuel him to do anything to send a message and bring you back to safety. You will immediately know your boyfriend got the message because in a matter of hours, enforcers are barging into the area you were held like they were entering a war, shooting, punching and slamming anyone who got in their way from their goal; You.

And Jayce is in the middle of it all, swinging his hammer without remorse before running to your rescue as your knight in shining armor. As soon as you grab his hand, he’s walking you back to his place casually through the enforcers destroying everything in their sights and leaving a message for the assholes that took you; Never. Ever. Touch the councilman’s lover. Don’t expect to go anywhere without guards following you if Jayce isn’t, whether you want to or not. Jayce just can’t take the chance for you to be taken again. Is it extreme? Yes. But it was worth it.

Sevika

“Ransom? Seriously? Please, that’s nothing. And I’m about to show you why.”

When it comes to ransom, Sevika wasn’t new to having her friends or past lovers be kidnapped for money. So when she heard you were being held hostage, she casually grabbed her poncho, fixed her arm for a brawl and headed outside to round her co-workers up. When she found you and the ones that took you, she wasted no time kicking in the doors and sicking her co-workers on everyone before she made her way towards you after knocking some skulls in. She’ll ask if you are okay and especially check you for any injuries before grabbing you and joking how you found yourself in this predicament.

The fight rages on as soon as she places you outside for safety. Saving you wasn’t enough. No, she needed everyone to know that when someone messes with you, they have to deal with her and the rest of Zaun. When everything is over and done, Sevika will take you both back home and treat any injuries you want before kissing your cheek and simply talking as if you weren’t kidnapped to begin with. If you think she doesn’t care, then hoo boy. The way she’ll treat you that night in bed will make you think otherwise.

Silco

“Hmm… If I were you, I’d beg for mercy when I get there…”

Silco is never one to be threatened because he’s always the one making the threats. Hearing about you being held for Ransom made him immediately go on the move to round up Sevika to follow him in bringing you back to him. If he gets there and doesn’t find you anywhere, he will deliver a silent signal to bring the house down. But if you are present, then he won’t need violence to be delivered by his Right Hand. He’ll just need to put the fear of gods into your kidnapper.

He’ll paint them a picture of how he’ll find their families and let them listen to the melody of their bones breaking. How he’ll have Licker carve paintings into their bodies and let them choke on their own blood as they beg for mercy. What do they think of that? They wouldn’t like that at all. As a matter of fact, they would hate it so much that they would release you and fade from existence right there. As soon as you are back to Silco, he’s going to take you back home as if this was only a minor inconvenience. But as soon as you two are behind closed doors, he can’t help from keeping his hands to himself and make promises against your skin.

If you have any requests for Arcane, X-Men '97 or Blue Eye Samurai, send them my way!

Likes and retweets are always appreciated! I love you all, stay safe, stay hydrated and have a good day!

[ink-and-dagger]

Remember in Drink With Me Chapter 9 when they get hammered and Silco smiles at Astrid?

Yeah. That’s the one.

🖤

[local-crying-boy]

Casually dropping some *shitty* pictures I took of a flashback in Arcane

SPOILERS (kind of)

YOUNG SILCO UGHHHH PLS I NEED HIM

ALSO THE DOMESTICNESS OF THIS SCENE???? RAHHHH

I’m already writing a fic based off this scene…

[corviidaze]

tfw i havent painted since the last post i made here, hope yall enjoy

[geralallfandoms]

I wanted to put on makeup to look like Sevika but it looks like my face was dragged into the dirt 😔

Sevika cosplay is definitely not for me 🥲 Who do you think I look more like?

[bella-goths-wife]

Kiss the barrel of my gun softly: chapter four

Chapter warnings: angst, arguments, sexual tension, stalker vibes, crying, smoking, mentions of brothel, mean Sevika, jealousy, ooc Sevika

“We need to talk” Sevika spits out as she approaches your desk, her eyes landing on the muscular redhead by your side and glaring harshly “alone”

“The Madame doesn’t hold meetings with Silco workers” Ginger states firmly at the side of you before moving slightly in front of you, facing Sevika directly “especially not his second in command, especially not you”

Sevika eyes the woman as she approaches with deadly intent. The woman was in her late thirties, just like Sevika. Sevika couldn't help but compare them both in her mind. While the redhead had many muscles, Sevika had more. While the redhead was quite tall, Sevika was taller. She couldn’t help but to internally gloat at these observations.

That smug attitude quickly disappeared however, when you rose from your seat behind your desk and placed a hand on Ginger's arm, trying to hold her back from attacking. Ugly jealousy rears its head and replaces the victory she had temporarily felt, seeing you be so close with someone else was not something that Sevika assumed she’d enjoy seeing but she didn't expect the very sight of it to make her skin crawl and her teeth clench.

“Well your Madame needs to make an exception unless she wants me to bring more men down and have a much less polite route taken” Sevika growls out with a pointed look towards you 

“It's fine Ginger” you say calmly as she turns to face you with a disapproving expression that you met with a reassuring one “I’ll be fine”

Ginger lets out a sigh before giving the hand on her arm a reassuring squeeze and making her way out the office, making sure to bump her shoulder against Sevika harshly for good measure.

“I’ll wait outside” Ginger states as she exits “Shout if you need me, Madame”

With that Ginger left and closed the door behind her, Sevika turns to look at you with a mocking sneer

“You sure have a type” She spits out, referencing the similar ages, builds and attitudes that she and Ginger shared.

“What do you want, Sevika?” you ask sharply, not rising to her petty comments.

Sevika calms her jealousy with a sigh, reminding herself why she was here. She was here for business, not to ignite old feelings.

“You need to stop this challenging Silco bullshit” she says seriously with an almost pleading expression “He knows you're disrespecting his authority”

“Glad to know my intentions are clear enough for him” you mumble out with a scoff, standing back behind your desk with an uninterested expression.

“Your gonna get yourself killed” she spits out with a frustrated expression, practically glaring holes into the side of your skull “you need to knock it off”

“Silco can’t just kill me” you say with a roll of your eyes “The rest of the Chembarons rely on this brothel too much, and I don’t have a successor to replace me after death yet”

“Your underestimating him” Sevika points out with an annoyed scoff “I can’t keep protecting you from him when you keep pulling shit like this”

“Then don’t protect me” you sneer out as you walk closer “i never asked you to, never wanted you to”

“Well if i didn't you’d be dead by now” Sevika speaks with a raised voice before calming herself with a sigh “look, your young so you won’t-”

“Don’t patronise me” you spit out with a firm tone, she knew your age was a big insecurity for you when the two of you were dating, with you being in your early twenties and her being late thirties, you always thought that deep down she wanted to be with someone her own age instead.

“Pretty hard not to when you're acting like a spoiled child” Sevika yells out as she steps closer so that she’s towering over you.

“I was old enough to fuck” you point out with a yell “so i’m old enough for you to treat me seriously”

“Keep your voice down” She splits out as her hand covers your mouth and head shoots round to look at the closed door that Ginger would presumably be stood behind “do you want the whole building to know”

“Oh, of course not” you say sarcastically as you pull her hand away from your mouth, Sevika instinctively resting it on your cheek instead “Can’t have your precious Silco finding out what he already knows”

Sevika is about to respond when she notices the position the two of you were in with her hand resting on your cheek and her body towering over yours, looking intensely into each other's eyes. She feels the fight leaving your bodies as she lets out a sigh and her gaze softens. She rests her forehead against yours gently and you close your eyes instinctively, melting into her touch and her affection.

“Silco is more dangerous than you understand” Sevika warns with a soft tone “I don’t want you to end up like Madame Emera-”

“Don’t!” you yell out of anger as your eyes snap open and you rip yourself from her hold “Don’t you dare say her name! You have no right to say her name!”

Sevika is stunned for a second as you rip yourself away from her and you face your desk, forcing her to face your back. She lets out a sigh as she collects her thoughts, knowing she’d lost any chance at attempting to reason with you now.

Tough love it is then.

“We’ll be making sure the rest of the Chembarons cut their ties with you until you accept a meeting with Silco to discuss how business will be going down in the future, meaning you will be loosing all profits from each of them” Sevika attempts to keep her tone firm, but it still comes out quietly 

Sevika can see your shoulders shaking and can hear your soft crying, she can feel her heart cracking slowly at the sounds.

“It’s better than the alternative” She says softly, wanting desperately to justify her actions 

“Get out” you command with an exhausted, broken voice as you lean over your desk with your back to her.

She can see the tear drops landing on the desk beneath you, having to stop her hand as it instinctively reaches out to comfort you. Instead she lowers her hand and clenches her fist before she makes her way out the office, leaving you to cry alone.

You had that look on your face, the look of pure hurt and disappointment. She could never handle seeing you with that expression, even the first time she saw it broke something inside her.

———————————past——————————

Sevika roams the dark streets of the undercity with a murderous gaze and a confused head. All she could think about was you, you and your charming little smile, lustrous body and witty little attitude. Her thoughts constantly replayed the moment your lips had met and sealed her fate.

She wasn't used to this, the warm and fuzzy feelings exploding in her chest at the mere thought of you. She was used to screwing whores in brothels or one night stands that she’d fuck in an alleyway and consequentally pretend not to know. 

You're changing her, making her softer and weaker and it's terrifying for her. She’s seeing you in her dreams, smelling your scent wherever she goes, feeling the pressure of your lips against hers whenever she hears anything to do with the gemstone brothel despite not having to go there for weeks, god even now she thinks she hears your voice as she wanders down the desolate alleyways of the undercity.

Wait a second, she actually is hearing your voice….

She follows the sound of your muffled speech and laughter like an obedient dog until she catches sight of you. You're using the back entrance of a popular mechanical shop that leads to the alleyways, laughing and smiling at one of the staff members who blushes and looks away.

Sevika feels a spark of jealousy in her chest as she watches you laugh and smile at the clearly infatuated man until you eventually wave him off and he wanders back into his shop. She then watches you walk further down and follows you the entire time, staying hidden in the shadows.

You eventually stop in a more secluded area, reaching inside your purse and pulling out a pack of cigarettes before placing one between your painted lips. She watches you scramble through your purse looking for a lighter.

“You're out late” you're surprised to hear her voice so suddenly, even more surprised when you feel heat near your face and you look down to see her lighter.

You look up at her for a few moments with wide eyes before leaning in and cupping the flame to light your cigarette, leaning back on the wall behind you to talk to her.

“Had to talk to Tony” you say calmly before blowing the cigarette smoke playfully in her face.

Sevika only responds with a grunt as she leans her shoulder on the wall next to you, leaning down slightly so you don’t have to crane your neck back fully. You bring your hand up close to her face with the cigarette between your two fingers as an offering, she takes your offer and takes a drag from your cigarette even though it's not her usual brand and to her tastes like dogshit, but it has your lipstick on the end to ease the taste.

“Why would you need to talk to Tony?” Sevika asks sceptically as she blows the smoke in your face and makes you giggle, eyeing you almost as if she was inspecting you to see if you had any secret mechanical parts hidden under your clothes.

“One of the girls at work has a really old prosthetic leg and it's been acting up for a while now and making it painful for her to walk” you answer calmly as you smoke “trying to talk to Tony about getting a replacement”

“Your getting her with a prosthetic from Tony” Sevika repeats, slightly surprised “those aren't exactly cheap” 

“It's hard enough living down here missing a limb, she doesn’t need to be in pain as well” you say carelessly with a shrug “I don’t mind helping with the cost if it makes her life a little easier”

You look down at her and your eyes land on the sight of her mechanical arm, you look away with a guilty expression as you realise how careless your words were before muttering a small ‘sorry’

“It's fine sweetheart” Sevika reassures calmly, not looking offended at your mistake one bit “I’ve had it a long time now, I’ve learned to live with it by now”

There's a moment of silence between the two of you before Sevika takes another drag of your cigarette and blows the smoke in your face once again, easing the tension as you let out a small chuckle at her reassuring action.

“Does it hurt?” you ask quietly as you look up at her

“Sometimes” she answers honestly with a shrug “more uncomfortable than anything”

You nod as you look at her slightly guarded expression before standing straight and interlocking your finger with her sharp, claw-like mechanical one, encouraging her to walk with you. She softens slightly at the gesture and walks with you, locking her pinky with yours.

You both stay quiet for a few moments, enjoying the gentle affection as you walk through the desolate alleyways where you wouldn’t run the risk of getting caught.

“Why are you out here anyway?” you ask curiously, ending the peaceful silence 

“Patrolling for a bit before i head to the last drop” she lies, not intending on telling you the real reason was because she’d not stopped thinking of you since the moment you’d kissed and that a part of her had hoped that on the walk to calm down she’d miraculously run into you, which she did.

“Business?” you assume as you look up at her and she simply nods, doubling down on her lie

“Why are you alone out here anyways?” she asks through a grunt “aren’t you worried about all the assholes who roam about here at night?”

“Worried about me?” you ask with a slight chuckle and a raised brow

“Would you be surprised to know I am?” Sevika asks back as she looks away with a slightly bashful face

“Considering we barely know each other” you point out “a little, yes”

Sevika rolls her eyes as she stops walking and uses your interlocked pinkies to pull you back and practically manhandles you against the wall before caging you in with her arms as she’d done so many times and leans down, you let her do all of this with a goofy looking little grin.

“You really have no self preservation skills, do you?” She asks with a scoff, her guard going up again because of your words.

“I didn’t mean it in a nasty way” you reassure her gently which causes her to look taken aback for a moment before she softens again slightly

“Still” she says stoically “your a fool”

“Good to know” you chuckle out

There's another moment of silence as Sevika rolls her eyes and scoffs with a smile as she leans down, your hand lands on her cheek to prevent her lips coming closer to yours.

“Thought I'd told you to stop trying to pursue me?” you say with a small smile.

“Kissing me wasn’t exactly a full proof plan of getting that to happen” Sevika points out with a scoff

“It’s a dead end” you say with a soft tone as you look up at her with hesitant eyes “your not gonna sleep with me”

“Says who?” she asks with a scoff

“Me” you reply firmly

“Maybe i'm not pursuing you just to sleep with you” She declares suddenly, surprising the both of you with the implication.

You stare at each other with wide eyes in silence, Sevika was surprised at herself and you were utterly shocked with Sevika. She pulls away slightly and lets out an awkward cough.

“Madame Emerald and Silco have been having a lot more meetings lately” you point out with a slightly awkward tone, attempting to break the tension.

“What kind of meetings?” Sevika asks curiously

“I’m not sure” you admit with a shrug “Madame has been unusually secretive lately, it's unlike her”

“Unusual for her to keep secrets from her little protege” Sevika agrees with a curious expression

“Do you think they’ll strike a deal and stop being business rivals?” you ask, slightly hopeful at the prospect

“Hard to tell” sevika grunts out with a completive expression “Silco isn’t likely to trust her easily considering the Vander situation”

“Would you like them to make a deal?” you ask carefully, fishing for an answer to see if she was being honest about what she’d said earlier “we wouldn’t be rivals anymore”

Sevika takes one look at your hopeful expression and it almost breaks her heart knowing she’s gonna have to crush it, knowing she can’t afford to show anymore vulnerability after her slip up earlier,

“Why would I care?” she replies purposefully mean and stoic as she raises her guard up once again.

She looks at your taken aback expression before watching you pull away your hand from hers and put your guard back up at the rejection in her words and undertone.

“No reason” you reply as you try and hide your hurt

“No good could come from them working together” Sevika doubles down cruelly as she clenches her fists tightly to stop herself from comforting you.

“Suppose not” you say quietly, lacking the softness from before.

There's a long silence as you stew in your hurt and rejection before you pull away from Sevika.

“I'm gonna head home” you say nonchalantly as you quickly begin walking away, lacking any fondness or warmth in your tone “see you around”

“Yeah…..” Sevika replies to no one in particular as her hand reaches for your figure but makes a fist instead, instantly regretting her words “see you around i guess”

That look on your face keeps replaying in her mind, you looked so hurt and disappointed, she never wants to be the cause of that look again.

—————————-present——————————

“This is bad, Madame” Ginger says as she anxiously paces the floor of your office “really bad”

“I know” you reply with an exhausted tone, your head in your hands sorrowfully as you think of what to do.

“Without those customers we won’t have enough money to keep all the girls fed and housed” Ginger points out anxiously as her pacing increases “we’ll go into debt!”

“It won’t come to that” you say with a sigh as you suddenly sigh “we have another options”

Ginger stops pacing to think for a moment about what your talking about before turning to face you with a mortified expression.

“You can’t be talking about-” she tries to say it but cuts herself off out of disgust “no, absolutely not”

“Ginger” you say gently as you attempt to calm her to no avail

“No” she yells firmly as she walks towards you “go to the meeting with Silco, get more girls in, increase hours, anything but that”

“I can do it” you reassure gently 

“No doing that is only for the most desperate times” She pleads desperately “Madame Emerald wouldn’t want you to-”

“We are desperate ginger, and i would rather do this than ever go to that meeting and let Silco control us” you say firmly, tears building up in your eyes “Madame would want me to do anything to protect this brothel, and i'm gonna do just that”

Ginger just sighs before gathering you in her arms and holding you tightly and allowing you to sob into her chest, not being able to stand the sight of your tears. She just mumbles “I'm sorry Madame” into your hair as you cry.

You've made your decision and she knows its final, she knows that you're doing your best to protect the brothel. She just wished that it didn’t lead you to this path.

[oraeliaa]

If anyone has any SilcoXreader/ SilcoxFOC, etc recommendations, plz shoot em over, ya gurl has a mighty need

I don’t mind if they’re first person etc, only stipulation is no X instead of a name, it makes my brain 404 hahahahaha

[moonsapprentice]

….I fear I may have a type…

[vanhelsingsbigtoe]

🥀 Astrid sketch🥀

A gift for @ink-and-dagger of silco trying to teach Astrid how to blow smoke rings😳🤌

I just wanted to say thank you so much for creating such and amazing story, I can truly see how much love and thought went into making it! Your writing is truly an absolute treat to read and to say thank you I drew this little sketch! I hope you like it, I had so much fun making it🫀💌🤭🥀

[lacroixqueen]

made your mark on me, a golden tattoo tattoo artist sevika x reader AU (18+)

Summary: you are getting your very first tattoo and sevika just so happens to be your tattoo artist. flirting and sexual tension ensue.

Pairing: tattoo artist sevika x reader AU

Word Count: 3357 (she's LONG)

Tags: soft sevika, unresolved tension, useless lesbians, gay panic, tattoo artist, tattoos, tattoo parlor

You shifted around the seat in the waiting room of the tattoo parlor for what felt like the hundredth time in the span of a single minute. For some reason you were a lot less nervous on the way here than you were literally waiting for your tattoo artist to set up the room and look over your art samples. You told yourself that this was something you were going to get done if it was the last thing you did. 

I mean, for God’s sake, it was a brand new year, and you wanted your first tattoo to be something special, to carry meaning that only you will understand. Kind of like a little inside joke. 

Apparently the tattoo artist you selected.. Sevika was it? Was quite well known throughout Zaun for several amazing masterpieces. She was attentive to detail, cared about each and every single one of her customer’s needs, and really wanted to make the best product possible for her clientele. 

You crossed one leg over the other, folding your arms across your chest and heaved out a little sigh. She better damn well be. The waiting list for her business was about three months long. You made sure to do plenty of research before committing to something as permanent as a tattoo. I mean, it will stay on your body for the rest of your life. Perhaps even into your death. 

You shuddered at the thought. Whatever. No matter what, it was far too late to turn back now. You already submitted your deposit, gave the artist the design you had in mind and for crying out loud, you were already here at the goddamn place. So might as well get this over with and try to have as few regrets as possible.

“Y/N?” a low and raspy voice called out from the back of the tattoo parlor. “I’m ready for you. You can come on back now.”

Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck. She was ready for you. Okay. What does that even mean? You stood up, dusting off your skirt and took a final big deep breath. 

Just stay calm, you reassured yourself. Everything will be alright in the end. And if it isn’t, heck, maybe there is a surgeon in town who can remove it altogether and you can forget this even happened. Maybe that’s a bit of an overexaggeration. 

You were greeted by what you could only describe as one of the most beautiful women you have ever seen. Sevika was tall. And just by the looks of her right shoulder and arm muscles bulging from underneath her black tank… you could tell she worked out. Like a lot. She was also smoking a thick cigar between her lips, so her already godlike silhouette was wrapped around in a dreamlike haze.

You muttered a little curse under your breath. As if matters couldn’t get possibly worse, your tattoo artist was hot. As in, very very very hot. This was going to be a long afternoon. 

“You can take a seat right here,” she said with confidence, slapping the tattoo bed with a resounding echo. 

“Oh, uh, yes okay,” you stammered, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear before hoisting yourself up in a less than dignified fashion.

 

“Are you nervous, Y/N?” 

Oh no. From the corner of your eye, you could see she was smirking quite noticeably. Her eyes flicked over you just slightly. Shit. Was she checking you out? You didn’t even do your makeup properly today because you had no idea what she even looked like. If you had known earlier that she was this drop dead gorgeous piece perhaps you would have put in a bit more effort. You win some, you lose some, you suppose. 

“J-just a little bit!” you squeaked out. “It’s my first tattoo, so I have no idea what to expect.”

“Well, let me just tell you that you have absolutely nothing to be nervous about, Y/N,” Sevika chuckled as she slid closer to you on her artist chair with your designs in either hand. “If I ever hurt you, you can always tell me to stop and I’ll go slower, okay?”

“Thank you!” Oh god. She smelled so good too.

“Of course. Sooo.. I got to take a look at your ideas last night and I honestly think they are great.” You watched as the thumb of her mechanical hand peeled back a page to glance at the alternate design. 

“Really? You think so?”

“Absolutely. Although I think for this bottom part right here, we might need to make a small color adjustment since there might be some shading issues. And for the top corner here where it gets a little bit more complicated? I think I might do a little bit more dotwork to really flesh out the details. But uh, other than that, the stencil is essentially done.”

“Wow! Then, yes, perfect, let's just keep going then,” you gulped. Your eyes casually glazed over the extensive tattooing Sevika had all over her arm and neck.

“Excellent. So, I’ll just have you lay back and.. you wanted it on your side, right? Just lift up your top for me so I can have easy access to that part.”

“Oh um, sure!” You did as you were told, carefully unbuttoning your sweater and shrugging it off your shoulders. You then laid back, and lifted up your cami to reveal the right aspect of your body. 

“Lovely,” she replied. “And.. may I?” Her mechanical fingertips lightly grazed over the top of your skirt. 

You nodded vigorously. “Of course!” 

With the most gentle touch you have ever felt, Sevika gingerly tugged your skirt down a little bit more so it rested comfortably on the roundest part of your right hip. She did the same with the pink lacy fabric of the thong you had on underneath. You tried to take a small breath as quietly as possible. 

“Cute panties,” she commented almost a bit too nonchalantly before turning her back to you to slip on some latex gloves and ensure her work tray was all in order. 

As if you weren’t already flustered beyond belief, now you might as well have been an uncontrollable mess. “Th-thanks! It’s from um, the store.”

She laughed ever so slightly. “Yeah, I figured as much. Sooo.. for the design. Were you thinking of having it more..” She trailed her gloved fingertip from your pantyline to the top of your chest. “Or more like here?” She ran her other hand over the curve of your waist all the way down to your hip. 

“Uhm.. maybe kind of like.. both? If that makes sense? Like it can sort of spread from..” You gently took her wrist and guided her finger from your belly button all the way to the divot in your waist. “Like that?”

“Hmm.. yes. That should be perfectly fine.” She smirked a bit when you immediately released her arm from your grasp as if you were overstepping a boundary.

 

Without another word, she quickly sprayed some isopropyl alcohol into a wipe and proceeded to sanitize the area. “This might be a bit cold, I’m sorry babe.”

Babe? Did she just call you babe? Does she call all her clients babe? Or is it a little pet name that she only has reserved for you? 

“I-it’s totally fine!” you yelped. But she was right. It was quite cold. She could tell you were lying through your teeth when your tummy suddenly clenched up. 

“You can’t tense up just yet, doll. I haven’t even gotten the needles out,” she chuckled, lightly slapping your hip. “I need you to loosen up a bit, I don’t want you to be too tight.”

“R-right!” you replied. “Definitely don’t want that.” After a brief pause, you struggled to figure out if there was any sort of double meaning in her words. Or maybe you were just overthinking again. 

She let out another hearty laugh and proceeded to massage in some warm lotions into the side of your body. “Just try to relax, hun.” You did as you were told, closing your eyes and making a futile attempt to count numbers. But she wasn’t making your life any easier with all these pet names. And why did her fingers have to feel so goddamn good simply by rubbing cream into your skin. It felt like it was working some type of dark magic, undulating in soft, round circles and moving rhythmically over your waist. 

You could have melted into her hands right then and there. 

“Okay, and now the stencil. This will feel a little bit wet, alright?”

You nodded your head, biting your lip so you wouldn’t accidentally yelp out. For some odd reason, even though you two just met, you felt very safe with Sevika. Like you could entrust your entire body and soul to her and she wouldn’t hurt any of it even if she was fully capable of doing so. 

She smoothed out the stencil exactly over the part of your stomach and waist that you pointed to. She gently kneaded it into your skin, taking extra caution not to be too rough with you. 

With one smooth motion, she removed the stencil and quickly leaned over you to ensure no detail of her handiwork got disrupted. That no stone was left unturned. 

“Looks… just about.. perfect,” she muttered quietly. You could tell her tone has shifted slightly from the flirtatious one she took on earlier. Suddenly she was laser focused, ensuring that nothing, absolutely nothing would disturb the intricacy of her artwork. 

“Great!” you chirped awkwardly, craning your neck over to see the stencil art. Good god. It looked absolutely breathtaking. Her line work was truly something out of this world. And she really did pay attention to every single request you made in your design. “Wow.”

She looked up, locking your gaze with the utmost intensity. “Yeah.” A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She was quite pleased with herself. 

She turned around to power on her tattoo machine. 

“This part is going to hurt just a little bit, okay?” she spun around in her artist chair to check on you.

 

You nodded your head and exhaled ever so slightly. “Okay.” A giant lump was starting to form in your throat and you could feel yourself getting a bit worked up. 

Sevika immediately held onto your hand and gave it a light squeeze. “If it ever starts hurting, just let me know and I will stop right away.”

“O-okay.”

“We’ll start with the first line. Take a deep breath and count to three for me, alright princess?” Sevika said as she positioned the tattoo gun at an angle to your skin. 

Oh my god. Princess?! She definitely does not call all her clients that. Alright. Big deep breath. One.. two.. three- 

The searing hot needle pierced into your skin like a knife. 

“Ah~!” you let out a small cry and Sevika immediately stopped midline.

 

“Too fast?”

“A little bit.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“I’ll go a lot slower this time.”

You nodded and took in another breath. You felt Sevika’s gloved hand slide over the curve of your waist as she positioned herself to gain a little bit more control over her line. By god did her cologne smell amazing. When she leaned over your body, a few short pieces of her bangs would fall out and just barely graze over your exposed tummy. It was definitely getting a bit difficult for you to concentrate on your breathing and counting. 

Sevika proceeded to carve out the central line of your tattoo design. She worked slowly and methodically, usually in complete silence. But for some reason when she was around you, she felt the urge to keep pushing the envelope and testing your limits. 

“Good girl,” she would coo gently when she noticed your stomach beginning to relax. 

“That’s my good girl..” she would say again when she finished a piece of detailing while you stayed quiet and still. 

You would moan softly every now and then when you felt the needle dig into your skin and Sevika would respond by going just a touch slower and smirking to herself. Secretly, she loved hearing how adorable and helpless her clients sounded when she sank the tattoo needle deep into their skin. Her sadistic nature was one of the primary reasons she decided to go into tattooing as a prime business. 

To have someone completely in her control, at her disposal. To leave a permanent mark on their bodies that would forever remind them of their experience with her. To watch them writhe in pain, or sometimes even pleasure. It was like a drug she simply could not get enough of. 

And you. Something about the way you squirmed was extra fucking enticing and she couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

In fact, she could feel you wriggling ever so slightly even now. “Stay still for me, angel.”

And you would immediately stop. Her voice was soft, but also definitively commanding. She needed to focus. To have you moaning and writhing was too much even for her. Her mind would begin to wander to dangerous places. 

Like how it would feel to start ramming into your cunt right then and there and watching how your sensitive body would react to her thrusts. How irresistible and beckoning your moans would sound as they ricocheted off the walls, encouraging her to pound into you so rough and so hard you just couldn’t take it anymore. How cute you would look clutching onto your sweater for comfort, or holding onto the sides of the tattoo bed for dear life. 

You would be lying if you said you weren’t fantasizing about a million hypothetical scenarios in your head. 

Having Sevika press her bicep over the top of your stomach to hold you still just did something to your psyche that you couldn’t quite put your finger on. Your eyes danced over the detailing of her own tattoo. It looked to be very intricate and well-thought out… wait a second. Was that supposed to be Zaun?! 

“Um, I-I like your tattoo!” you chirped meekly. “It’s really beautiful.”

“Thanks baby,” she smirked to herself. “I designed it myself, actually.”

“Do.. you call all your clients that?” you asked out of the curiosity that was beginning to kill you slowly. 

Sevika suddenly paused in the middle of her tattooing to glance over at you.

 

“Only my favorite ones,” she said with a wink before returning to her work. 

Oh my god. Why does she keep doing that? It’s starting to become unfair. Like she was getting off the high of torturing you and watching your pathetic reactions. And what did she mean by “favorite ones”? So she flirts with all her clients she finds attractive? What does that even mean?!

Every now and then, Sevika would sneak a glimpse over towards you. She loved the way your chain necklace rested so comfortably over the top of your collarbone. Or how plump and kissable your lips looked in the dim lighting of the parlor. Or how your legs were beginning to spread instinctively the closer her tattoo work moved to the top of your skirt. 

Sevika had to fight every last urge in her body to not reach down into your panties and start pleasuring you the way you deserved right then and there on top of that tattoo bed. But she knew she had a job to finish, regardless of how damn adorable you looked and sounded as she drew on the finishing touches of your tattoo. 

“Okay.. almost done,” she said. “You are doing so good, sweetheart.”

You winced a little bit when you felt the needle dig just a bit deeper than usual at the last pattern. Was she trying to tease you back there? Or was that absolutely necessary to finish off the line? Whatever. You tried not to overthink it, even though you have been doing so this entire time. 

“Alright..” Sevika hummed. “Why don’t you step off the bed and take a look in the mirror over there?” 

You did as you were told, hopping off and hobbling over to the full-length mirror across the room. You tilted your head to the side, gently lifting up your cami again to look over the tattoo. Wow. She really did a stunning job. You were a bit surprised, given the fact that she was flirting with you half the time. But holy.. every single piece of line art and dot work flowed so evenly with each other. The design came out exactly the way you had imagined it. 

Sevika gave out a low whistle of approval from behind you. 

You jumped a little bit out of surprise. Sevika had snuck up on you without you even noticing. And god. Just by looking in the mirror she was already towering over you. 

“It’s… beautiful,” you said softly. “It’s exactly what I wanted.”

“That’s wonderful,” Sevika replied. “Now, can you take your cami off for me, Y/N?”

“M-my cami?”

Sevika chuckled and raised up the medical grade bandage she had in her hand. “For this.” 

“Oh. Right. Yes. Absolutely.”

You gently tugged off your shirt and tossed it onto a nearby countertop to reveal a pink lacy bra. Sevika tried not to comment on it but she did in fact take note of how good you looked in it. And how badly she wanted to take it off you right then and there. 

Sevika stepped forward so she placed her thigh between your legs and carefully laid the clear bandage over the top of your tattoo. She gently rubbed it in with her thumb and index finger, making sure to smooth out any uneven edges or creases. She smiled a bit to herself when she felt how hard and fast your heartbeat was pounding against your stomach, or how much warmer your skin felt compared to before. 

“Perfect,” she said, quickly removing her gloves and handing you back your shirt. “So, for this bandage, think of it as like a second layer of skin that offers extra protection. Leave it on for the next few days. Then I would rinse it off with some warm water. Oh and, definitely moisturize.” Her tone shifted from flirtatious to professional and matter-of-fact in what felt like a split second. How did she keep doing that?!

“Y-yes ma’am!” you sputtered out, returning to the tattoo bed to shrug on your sweater and gather your belongings. 

“And the payment is already taken care of since I saw you submitted your deposit in advance, so I believe you are all set,” Sevika said. 

“Great! Um.. thank you Sevika. I was super nervous going into this but you definitely made me feel a whole lot better afterwards.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” she replied, giving you another flirty grin. “Oh, and uh-” The tattoo artist went behind the front counter to dig around a bit until she fished out a slightly bent business card and handed it over to you. “Call me.”

“C-call you?! As in like- Oh my god. I’m.. not sure if I would feel.. I mean, isn’t this kind of fast?”

“I meant to update me on your tattoo healing,” Sevika chuckled. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself, princess.”

“Right, right, no yes that makes total and complete sense,” you responded, folding the business card nervously into your palm. “Um.. well I guess I’ll.. call you.”

“Yeah.” She had already followed you to the doorframe and you were standing in the streets of the undercity at this point. “I’ll see you around, alright Y/N?”

“Okay! Yes. Um. Bye! Thank you!” You quickly scurried off into the busy crowds of Zaun, disappearing into the darkness once more. 

You were quite certain that if you didn’t act, that you would barely see Sevika again, save an occasional run-in at the liquor store or maybe a random night at The Last Drop. So you didn’t want to take any chances.

[honey-tongued-devil]

WIP silco

- & self insert

“But Silco’s dead”

Not to me.

Join the delulu club

[immortalbumblebee]

Chapter 18: Wiping Away the Rust

Hey Vander fans...how we doin'...

Guess who's back from hiatus, Loves? I've missed you all so much.

Masterlist

Benzo stared down at the books in front of him, filled with numbers and notes about expenses, loans, pay rates. But this morning, the numbers were all meaningless to the businessman. His eyes frustratingly refused to focus on a single line of calculations. His mind discarded every number as soon as he glanced at it. Still, he sat there, at the dining table of his childhood home, absently fiddling with a simple green box. Every so often, a soft note played from the music box as he moved it too quickly. 

The item reminded him of the young girl who had repaired it all those years ago; her dorky accent, overly friendly demeanor, and habit for stalking him through the markets. 

“Working hard or hardly working?” A gravelly voice broke through the silence as Mikael’s entrance announced itself with the creak of floorboards. The strain of his wheelchair wheels against the wood signaled his approach. Mikael’s older, kinder eyes met Benzo’s tired ones, instantly recognizing that his adopted son had gotten little to no sleep.

“Pa!” Benzo exclaimed, startled by the sudden presence. “I thought you wouldn’t be awake for a while yet.” 

“Couldn’t sleep with all the excitement earlier.” Mikael sniffed, rolling himself toward the kitchen. He opened the old icebox. “Not every night you get woken in the middle of the night to hear your daughter’s been arrested for... what was it again?”

 “Almost killing an Enforcer.” Benzo replied. Mikael hummed, eyes scanning over their modest food contents. 

“Ah, right. That.” He paused. “You want any of this leftover stew?” Just as he finished speaking, a loud, wet cough racked his body.

“You shouldn’t be cooking by yourself, Dad,” Benzo reminded him, standing to help, but Mikael stubbornly waved him off.

“I’m warming up leftovers, that’s barely cooking. I’m not that useless.”  Mikael shrugged, grabbing the stew and wheeling himself over to the hot plate. With his back to Benzo, he shifted the conversation. “Any news?”

Benzo sighed, rubbing a tired hand through his short brown hair. “Nah. Not yet.”

“And the boys?”

“They went to calm the crowds.” Benzo rubbed his nose.

Mikael hummed. “Anyone seriously hurt?”

Benzo shook his head. “A couple of scrapes and bruises. Just a lot of scared people hellbent on storming the bridge.”

Mikael’s cough interrupted the moment. “Can’t say I’m surprised. Why aren’t you with them?”

Benzo stared at the music box in his hands, and the toothy grin of the young girl flashed in his mind again. “Someone has to be here when she gets back.”

Mikael’s old, knowing eyes watched his adopted son silently, before emitting a simple ‘hmph’. 

The silence stretched between them until the door creaked open. You walked in, worn down, clearly sleep-deprived since before the fight. Your hair was a mess, dark circles under your eyes, and a bruised, possibly broken nose. Benzo didn’t waste a second. He slammed the music box on the table and rushed forward, enveloping you in his stocky arms. You stumbled slightly from the force of the hug, but quickly found your place in his embrace.

“You look like shit right now.” He mumbled into your shoulder as he clung into the embrace.

You snorted in laughter, wincing in pain at the motion. “As opposed to you, who always looks like shit.” 

Behind you, your mother walked in, still in her coat and sleeping garments, followed by a tired-looking Niya. As you parted from Benzo, he turned his attention to the young journalist and you made your way over to Mikael.

“Thank you, pet,” he said earnestly. “Seriously.”

Niya ran a hand through her coral-colored hair and sighed. “Anytime... though I’ll say, I’m not sure how much leverage I have if this keeps up. A full riot squad for one arrest? What the hell, Benz?”

“That’s what I’ve been sayin’ this whole time, girly! Happens when y’go about makin’ trouble for y’eself,” your mother chimed in, clearly unimpressed. She threw her coat onto a nearby chair. “What were you thinkin’, Minerva? Killin’ a copper?” 

You, still clinging to Mikael, leaned down to wrap your arms around him. His hand, thin and shaky, gently pet your hair. “I didn’t kill him, Mom,” you sighed, pulling away from the embrace. “He got too close during a trader job, so I stabbed him and knocked him out. Basic protocol, I just... got a little sloppy.”

“How’d they pin you?” Benzo asked, eyebrow raised..

“My damn bandana,” you groaned. “Left it with the body to stop him from bleeding out, like an idiot.”

Mikael, finally speaking up, let out a wheezy laugh. “Yeah Min, next time just leave the topsider for dead.” 

“That’s not funny, Mik!” Your mother exclaimed, voice shrill. 

“Wasn’t joking,” Mikael mumbled, clearly too soft for your mom to hear.

Benzo, sighing, turned back to Niya and pulled out his coin purse, handing over a handful of coins. “For the trouble.” But Niya just shook her head, smiling slightly.

“Keep your money.” She jabbed a painted nail into his chest. “You definitely owe me dinner, though. Somewhere nice.”

Benzo smiled back. “You got it, Pet.” With a wink and a perky smile, she wished you and your mother goodnight before leaving. Benzo shut the thick wooden door behind her, then turned back to face you. You were still with Mikael, your hand resting on his shoulder as his covered yours. He spoke softly to you, his gaze sweeping over your injuries, but the words were too quiet to overhear. Finally, you met Benzo’s eyes.

“Where’s Vander and Silco?”

“Out, they should be back soon.” He explains, then motions to your injuries. “Need help with those?”

You nodded, grateful, and made your way to the table as Benzo grabbed a first aid kit. “That, and a stiff drink. Immediately,” you muttered, and your brother was happy to oblige. Your mother kissed your forehead before heading back upstairs, giving you one last, strict talking-to before retreating to her room. Mikael stayed behind, finishing his stew as he chatted with you and Benzo while he patched you up. The worst of your injuries was your nose, already crooked and now more bent than ever, the skin torn open. Another scar to add to the collection.

Benzo was just finishing with the plaster on your nose when the door suddenly burst open. Vander and Silco stumbled inside, panting heavily.

“Minnie!” Vander exclaimed, rushing over to you and pulling you into a crushing hug. You flinched, feeling the pain in your bones, but melted into his warmth. His scent overwhelmed you, and you finally allowed yourself to relax. Amongst all of this, the panic and the uncertainty, you hadn’t even considered crying, too worried about putting on a brave face. But there, in his arms, you were surprised to feel tears gathering at the corners of your eyes. You buried your face in his chest, pressing your nails into his jacket as you clung to him.

“Are you okay?” Silco’s voice cut through the moment, and you felt his familiar bony hand gently on your back.

You nodded, unwilling to let go of Vander. “A little banged up, but I’ll recover.”

Benzo spoke up. “Looks to me like Sevika did more to her than Grayson did.”

Vander pulled back, bending down to meet your eye level, hands cupping your face as he looked you over. You held his hands, brushing your thumb over his knuckles, trying to blink back the tears that were still threatening to fall. His expression was full of worry—creased brow, cloudy eyes tracing over every inch of you. You squeezed his hands gently.

Vander shook his head, scowling. “Next time I see one of those Goddamned bucket-heads…”

“I’m fine, really,” you reassured him, trying to pull yourself together. “They barely laid a hand on me. Just locked me up and tried to interrogate me.”

“What did you tell them?” Silco asked, his brow furrowed.

You shook your head. “You think I’m that easy to crack? They don’t know shit.”

“Well, clearly they know something, if they’re willing to make that big of a spectacle over one arrest,” Silco motions, and you rehash the bandana situation.

Mikael sighs, shaking his head as he spoons another bite of soup. “Not your brightest moment, Sweetheart.”

You throw your hands in the air. “How was I supposed to know they’d be able to tie a damned bit of fabric back to me?”

“Clearly, they’re getting smarter.” Silco nodded, tightening his ponytail. “They even knew to tie your hands up so you couldn’t use your magic.”

“Speaking of which,” Benzo cut back in front of you, holding out a hand towards yours, “your wrists looked pretty gnarled up there, hand ‘em here.” 

Vander seems stubborn to not let go of you, but after looking to see the damage that the restraints had done to your wrists, he relented. He took your hands gently, pressing a kiss to each wrist. Benzo rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know, you love each other very much. Now let’s make sure she doesn’t get infected!”

Vander moved aside, sliding in behind you and placing a protective hand on your back. “Well, we were right about them knowing about the fighting ring.” You huff, flinching as Benzo begins applying vodka to your bloodied wrists.

Benzo nods, eyes focused on the first aid care. “Probably best to shut things down, right? At least till things blow over?”

“What?” Vander cried, appalled by the suggestion. “No way! It’s our best source of money, and we need it now more than ever.”

“Not to mention the emotional factor.” Silco hums, clearly pondering. “In my experience, if you take away people’s emotional release, they get…antsy.”

You shake your head. “No way, it’s way too dangerous! If they know where to monitor people, our schedules, what’s stopping what happened tonight, happening again?” 

“...Nope, I don’t like it.” Silco snarls, his voice hardening. “Feels too much like letting them win. Why should we bend down to them, let them change our way of life?” He looks to Vander for support.

“Exactly!” Vander says, pointing to Silco. “Fights stay open, we’ll just…increase security, or something!” 

You and Benzo exchange a glance, but decide to let the topic pass. They were the bosses, after all.

"So, what’s the plan then?" You ask, trying to shift the focus. “I can’t imagine people are happy right now, what did you tell ‘em?”

Silco sighs, leaning against a nearby wall, his hands casually slipping into his pockets. “Primarily just to go home for the night and lock their doors. But you’re right. People are out for blood.”

“As they should be!” Vander exclaims, making you flinch at the volume. “You ask me, if people are itching to cross that bridge, I say why not let them?”

"As I’ve already said, that’s idiotic," Silco mutters, pulling out a small notebook from his blazer pocket. "Even with every firearm and able body we have, we’ll still be outgunned by an army of Enforcers. But if we ramp up covert ops, implement more spy channels..."

“Takes too long!” Vander scoffs. “Any Zaunite is worth ten of them. We could win!”

"If we're not smart about it, we’ll lose. And I’m not risking that kind of humiliation." Silco’s tone is sharp, his resolve clear.

"People are looking to us, Silco!" Vander counters, his frustration growing. "What are we supposed to do, just sit back and do nothing? They came onto our turf and made it personal, so why not even the score?"

A heavy silence fills the room, thick with tension. Silco and Vander stand opposite each other, seething with unspoken anger. You and Benzo watch, heads shifting from Vander to Silco and back again. You can feel Vander’s hand on your back tensing, itching to ball into a fist, and Silco’s jaw tightening. Then, Mikael speaks up.

“Well, one thing is for sure,” he says as he turns to put his bowl in the sink. "None of you can do anything before you present yourselves as a united front. If people are looking to you, they need to know they’re being led by a capable team—one that knows what they’re doing. Not a bunch of stubborn teenagers running out to get people killed at the first call for violence."

“Pa-”

“Yes, I know. This is your rebellion, and I’m just a broken old man, what do I know?” Mikael begins to roll his wheelchair around you all and towards the door. "But you need to think about the real implications of your actions. Say this goes well, and your ‘Zaun’ becomes a reality. What kind of nation do you want to run? What kind of leaders do you want to be? If these people are willing to follow you into battle, it seems to me like you should be prepared and have a solid plan of attack."

Before exiting, he turns, looking at each of you over his shoulder. "Goodnight, my children.” And then he’s gone, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

After a long moment, Silco and Vander finally meet each other's gaze again.

"Spread the word to lay low until we come up with something?" Silco asks, his voice quieter, more contemplative.

"Get your spies together and work out potential battlefield strategies?" Vander adds, and Silco nods in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan. Benzo, would you mind seeing what you can do about additional firearm shipments?"

“I’ll get right on it.” Benzo nods, finishing placing bandages around your wrists. 

"Min, any knowledge from that big fancy factory you’re working at could come in real handy right about now," Vander adds, and you nod, testing your wrist movements carefully.

“If I’ve still got that job after tonight, you’ve got it.” You nod, giving a small smile. “And I’ll look into upgrading whatever weapons we’ve got on hand. What do we do about patrols?”

“Double people up whenever they’re out late. Nobody should be doing patrols alone right now.” Silco nods, putting his notebook back into his pocket.

“You’ve got it.”

Benzo tidies up the first aid supplies, before rubbing his face in exhaustion. “I’ll be honest, boys. Benzo begins tidying up the first aid supplies, rubbing his face in exhaustion. "I’ll be honest, boys, I’m not making it home without passing out on the street. Think I’ll sleep here for whatever is left of tonight.”

“Not the worst idea you’ve had," Silco sighs, blinking hard. The dark bags under his eyes are more pronounced than usual, his appearance showing signs of wear. "I’ll take the couch if you’re okay with taking our old room.”

“I am in desperate need of a shower.” You hop off the table, gesturing to the fact that you were still clothed in nothing but your fighting gear. “I’m heading home. See you guys in the morning?”

Vander takes off his jacket, draping it over your shoulders. It’s large enough to probably fit two of you. "I’ll go with you. Like Silco said, nobody should be out alone at night." 

“Oh yeah, that’s the only reason.” Benzo chuckles, heading towards the stairs. “You guys get home safe. How abouts we all meet at the pub tomorrow after work?”

“Sounds amazing.” You agree. “Sleep well, guys.”

“You too.” Silco nods. “And Min?”

“Yeah?”

“...We’re happy you’re okay.”

A smile breaks out on your tired face as Silco opens his arms towards you. You happily accept the hug, sliding your arms around his slender frame and giving him a good squeeze.

“Thanks, brother.”

[local-crying-boy]

🅂🄸🄻🄲🄾

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

"𝕀'𝕞 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕦𝕡"

𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐:𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝!𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚌𝚘 𝚇 𝙾𝙲

𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝙾𝚗𝚎-𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝,

𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝚂𝙿𝙾𝙻𝙸𝙴𝚁𝚂 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙰𝚁𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙴 𝚂𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙾𝙽 2 𝙰𝙲𝚃 2

𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: 𝚁𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒, 𝙵𝚎𝚕𝚒��𝚒𝚊, 𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚌𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚅𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚡 𝚒𝚗 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝙳𝚛𝚘𝚙, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙵𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚊 𝚜𝚞𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚠𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚝. 𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝚁𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚘𝚢𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍, 𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚌𝚘, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚙 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚛 𝚗𝚎𝚠𝚜.

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 1.8k

𝙰/𝚗: 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚏𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝙾𝙲?

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The slow, familiar music that started playing on the jukebox filled Ramanti's ears, causing a small smile to pull on her lips. Her green eyes fell over to her boyfriend, then her close friend who was cleaning a cup, but they quickly fell down to her sketch again.

"What's the occasion?" Vander asked, looking over at Felicia who was slowly starting to sway with her hands on the edges of the old jukebox.

"Hmm." She hummed first. "Can't a lady just be in the mood for a familiar song?"

A smirk pulled at the corner of Vander's mouth when he heard the blue haired woman speak, a chuckle was heard and he swung the cloth over his shoulder. "Not this lady, and not this song."

"Leave the woman alone, Vander." Ramanti laughed out, glancing over he shoulder to look at Felicia, who was now taking her time to walk over to the bar with her arms moving in time with the music. "Good music is good music."

Vander was smiling down at himself at Felicia's dancing, while Silco was focused on his writing. Gods, it was rough to wonder what was going through that min, he couldn't seem to turn off politics and business even when the four of them were meant to be relaxing.

Felicia's dancing ceased when she got close to the bar, her arms dropping so she could lean them against the counter, a hand holding the drink that Vander poured for the four of them.

"Tonight a hare-brained scheme these two bozos," The grey eyed woman looked up at her bartender friend, Silco had paused in his writing and Ramanti's head tilted up to smile over at the two men. ",cooked up to turn a dank crank in the earth into a thriving, healthy community, became a reality."

Vander and Felicia's glasses clung against each other's, while Silco didn't move with his and the sketching woman was left to hold her glass up to the air.

"Tonight, eh?" Vander questioned. "You hear that Bozo 2? We made it, we're done."

"Oh, you're sadly mistaken." Silco said, picking up his drink he had from before Vander's pouring of the alcoholic beverage, motioning it around while he held it. "I'm Bozo 1."

"A night of revelations." Vander responded before downing his drink.

Ramanti chuckled faintly to herself, stuck staring at the red liquid in her glass, swirling it around as she moved her wrist. "He fooled me."

Silco and Felicia held their drinks to one another, the blue haired woman only staring at hers, similar to Ramanti, as Vander placed his empty glass on the counter and as Silco drank his beverage.

"I'm knocked up." Felicia said rather suddenly, her glass now placed on the counter as well, her words causing the other three to completely growing silent.

The three shared quick glances with one another as Felicia's gaze was fixated on the bar counter, her chin resting on her palm. Vander was quick to change her alcoholic beverage with an orange juice, sticking a straw in the cup before Felicia moved to pull it closer to her.

“Well, shit.” Ramanti breathed out, a surprised, breathless laugh escaping her lips.

"A girl." She simply spoke, taking the straw and bringing it to her mouth.

"How do you know." Vander questioned, his arms crossed over the counter, pushing his weight purely on his arms.

Felicia shrugged after taking her sip of juice, "Wasn't really part of my plan, but guess that's everything when you're living week to week."

Silco closed his book, grabbing his glass that Vander poured him and walked closer towards Vander and Felicia. Ramanti scooted up from her place sitting on top of the counter, manoeuvring so that she didn't knock off anything that was already placed on top of it.

“What did Connol say?” Vander pressed, his hand grasping what would have been Felicia’s drink.

“I haven’t told him.” She paused for a moment, taking a small breath before continuing. “Working up the nerve.”

“Ah, so we’re the favourites?” Ramanti asked with a grin, crossing her legs and leaning both elbows on each of her knees. “Does that mean one of us are the Godparents?”

Felicia rolled her eyes at her old friend’s jokes, scoffing quietly and waving Ramanti off with a wave of the hand. Silco’s hand lightly moved up and patted the redhead’s knees, a mock at comforting the light and silent dismissal.

She rested her head on her palm again, she almost looked… defeated. “I don’t know anything about kids, I get sweaty being alone with one.”

“Hey, you’re going to be a great mother.” Vander reassured, his gaze never faltering from Felicia’s face.

“Shut up, I’m not ready for that” through her rude tone, there was a hint of playfulness in her words, a small smile subtly pulling at her lips.

She started swirling her orange juice with the straw she was given, starting to rant. “I started trying to come up with a name, then it hits me that this one word is a division she’s going to live with her whole life.”

“I can’t protect her from all the shit down here and work out how to be a parent at the same time.” She removed her hand from the straw, crossing her arms over the counter and looking up and Vander again, smirking. “Then I realised, I don’t have to.”

“Huh, why’s that?” Vander questioned.

“Because the second I told you, I put you on the hook.” Felicia wandered, glancing over at Silco, moving to rest her chin on the back of her finger. “You two are going to figure this Zaun thing out.”

She pointed her index finger at Vander, then at Silco.“I don’t care if you have to carve it out the bedrock, covered in blisters.”

“You not allowed to fail anymore. For her. For me.”

“What’s the point if we can’t raise an ankle biter or two?” Vander asked rhetorically, glancing over at Silco, eyes wondering to Ramanti with a suggestive grin.

“Shove it, Vander.” The redhead quickly said, but gave a small nod to Felicia. “Trust these two knuckleheads to sort out Zaun, though.”

“To Zaun then.” Silco said after chuckling, holding his drink to the other three.“Blisters and bedrock.”

“Blisters and bedrock.” Vander and Ramanti said in unison, all four clinking their drinks together.

There was a moment of silence again, the song died out when it finished and the four sipped from each of their cups.

Then, Vander spoke up.“I’ve always liked the name Violet.”

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It was starting to get late, even for the undercity’s slums. The lights at The Last Drop were slowly getting turned off and Vander was starting to make subtle jabs at the three others to get them to leave soon.

Ramanti had news to share too, but she needed a good moment and she wasn’t about to let her friends be the first ones to know instead of her own boyfriend. She wondered if she should tell Vander at the same time, Silco and Vander were like brothers and they were a package deal.

Vander could already tell something was wrong, Ramanti was starting to get antsy ever since Felicia revealed she was pregnant.

“Silco.” Ramanti called out eventually, he was packing up his stuff.

Vander’s eyes glanced up when he heard his friend’s name, curiously gauging what was going on. The skinner brunette looked up and over to his partner, a quizzical look on his face.

“Can we talk?” She asked, her voice quieter than before, but when Silco motioned as if to say ‘we are now’, Ramanti glanced at Vander then back at Silco. “Alone?”

There was a flash look of concern on Silco's face, his eyes lingered on Vander's for a moment as if to question if he knew what was going on - even though Silco knew that the odds of Vander knowing what you wanted to talk about was slim - and the man was met with a simple shrug of the larger man's shoulders.

Silco turned back to his love, he was almost hesitant to answer. Almost. "Okay."

The two went to a more private area, they both stilled in the location and Ramanti's hands found Silco's, wrapping her long fingers around his palms. However, the action only caused the taller man's brow to furrow, he was looking down at their hands, noticing how the curly haired woman's grasp tightened around his hands.

"What's going on?" He asked, though, the question subconsciously came out as more of a demand, like he was commanding her to tell him what was going on, what caused her to act like this.

"Silco," She started softly, a certain type of smile on her face that would usually warm Silco's heart to the core with one glance. "My dear."

"You're being sentimental." He observed quietly, one his hands parting from her smaller ones to cup her cheek delicately, his thumb slowly caressing her skin. "And you're stalling."

"I am." She confirmed with a small laugh, her gaze falling.

However, her eyes didn't linger on the ground for long, Silco was quick to make her look back up. "Why?"

"I need to tell you something." Ramanti spoke, her voice so faint that Silco struggled to hear it.

A quick laugh escaped his lips. "Well, that much I gathered."

There was stillness once more between the two lovers, Silco didn't like it one bit.

"Tell me." He requested softly, the few times he honestly let his voice drop down to the level of calmness, reserved only for Ramanti.

Ramanti took a deep breath, she was sure if she wasn't having the closeness of Silco's hand on her, she wouldn't be able to tell him outright. Hell, she was wondering if she was able to do it without downing several shots of anything she could get her hands on.

"I'm knocked up too." She blurted out swiftly, she couldn't help but keep her eyes fixated on her boyfriend's, trying to gauge out his reaction.

Unfortunately for Ramanti, Silco was completely and utterly frozen. If she had decided to take a step back, Silco's hand would have been suspended in mid-air where he would have been previously holding her cheek.

"Silco." She called, her voice wavering with uncertainty. "Silco, did you hear me?"

"I heard you." He confirmed with an unnatural silent-like octave. "I heard you."

"Are you going to say something, or are you just going to look at me like a lost puppy?" The woman questioned, forcing an amused laugh out of her mouth to try and cover up the nerves that pooled in the bottom of her stomach.

"You're pregnant." He muttered softly, his eyes falling down to Ramanti's stomach. before finding her eyes again.

He had a blank expression on his face, but it swift to uplift into a bright grin. His arms quick to embrace the smaller woman as disbelieving laughter bubbled out of him, beyond his control.

"Bloody-" Ramanti squealed out when she felt Silco overcome with such happiness, but she, too, ended up in a fit of laughter soon after he started to pepper her face with kisses.

“You’re pregnant.” He repeated, both of his hands holding on each side of Ramanti’s face. There was this stupid grin on his face, one that only encouraged the redhead’s smile to widen.

“Yes, I am.” She whispered.

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Masterlist

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Big thank you and sloppy kiss to @juniper-sunny for beta reading <3