#zaun became a shallower world

[mollysunder]

I think when Arcane shifted the story to focus one of those world-ending threats somehow made the world smaller. The relationships became less intimate and more rote to the plot. When we do get strong character moments, the way their actions should reverberate across their network is cut off.

For example, when Jinx chose to set fire to The Last Drop it was a really striking moment for Jinx as she reached rock bottom, but the show fails to grapple with the fact this was also the place Sevika was living and working in. Act 2 of Jinx Fixes Everything revealed that Sevika had been sleeping and working in Silco's office ever since he died, dealing with her own grief that way.

Sevika probably has a home to return to but that isn't the point, the point is Jinx destroyed a place that wasn't just significant to her and members of the main cast, but the larger community that is Zaun. How does Sevika react? How does she still choose to work with Jinx after this moment? What about the other members of Silco's gang that followed Sevika into battle? The Last Drop was a part of a lot of people's lives, and Sevika is emblematic of that deep attachment, but we can't see her grieve it's destruction because there's no space for it in the show.

[thesecondhandwoman]

(SPOILERS FOR ACT THREE)

THE ARCANE’S GRASP

Sevika x f!reader

Summary: In the chaos of Viktor’s arcane creations wreaking havoc, Sevika is overtaken by the glowing tendrils of Arcane’s magic, her body suspended in a terrifying trance. As she is consumed, you desperately fight to reach her, only to be ensnared by the arcane yourself.

The chaos erupted around you as Piltover, holding all people from Noxus to Zaun, transformed into a battlefield of terror and desperation. Viktor’s arcane creations surged like a tidal wave, tendrils of golden light snaking through the air, seizing anyone within reach. The sound of battle—screams, explosions, metal clanging against metal—was deafening, but it all faded when your eyes landed on Sevika.

She stood tall in the thick of it, her mechanical arm smashing through the glowing constructs, the harsh slams of her quick fists barely audible over the cacophony. But the arcane wasn’t just targeting the weak or slow. It moved like it had a mind of its own, and it was coming for her.

“Sevika!” you shouted, your voice raw with fear as the golden tendrils wrapped around her arm. She thrashed, grunting as she tried to rip them off, but more latched onto her forehead. Her eyes went wide before glazing over with that same golden glow, and you watched in horror as the markings began to appear beneath her eyes, crawling across her face like veins of molten light. Her limbs lifted, weightless, her body floating against her will as the arcane tightened its grip.

“No, no, no!” The words tore from your throat as you bolted toward her, your feet slipping on the rubble. She wasn’t just being attacked—she was being consumed. The Sevika you knew, the strong, brash woman who fought like she had nothing left to lose, was slipping away before your eyes.

“Get off her!” you screamed, desperate, reaching out for her even as she remained suspended in the air. Her lips parted like she was trying to speak, but the glow in her eyes drowned out any sign of recognition.

Before you could reach her, something cold and sharp wrapped around your own body: the arcane.

It latched onto your legs, snaking up your torso, and you clawed at it, panic surging through you. The tendrils burned where they touched, the heat radiating through your skin and into your veins. You thrashed, tears blurring your vision, but it was no use.

“Sevika!” you sobbed, your voice cracking as the arcane dragged you back. Your body jerked violently, limbs stiffening as the same glow began to overtake your vision. The last thing you saw was her face—her features slack and unfamiliar, consumed by something unnatural.

The world was eerily quiet when you woke. A pounding ache in your head made it hard to think, and your limbs felt heavy, like you’d been dragged through hell. Groaning, you pushed yourself up from the ground, blinking against the dim light.

The battlefield was littered with bodies—most of them stirring slowly, like you. The arcane had released them, its influence shattered when the last of Viktor’s constructs was destroyed. You didn’t know who or what had done it; you were too disoriented to care. All that mattered was Sevika.

Your head whipped around, searching frantically until your eyes found her. She was slumped on the ground nearby, her body half-buried in rubble. Her arm twitched faintly, but she wasn’t moving otherwise.

“Sevika!” you gasped, crawling over to her, your legs barely supporting your weight when you tried to stand. The closer you got, the clearer the damage became. The markings were still faintly visible on her skin, though the glow in her eyes had faded. She looked… broken.

You fell to your knees beside her, shaking her shoulder. “Sevika, wake up! Please, come on!”

Her head lolled to the side, and for a heart-stopping moment, you thought she wasn’t breathing. But then her chest rose, shallow but steady. Relief hit you like a freight train, and a sob escaped your throat.

“Don’t you dare,” you whispered, clutching her shirt as you pressed your forehead to hers. “Don’t you dare leave me, Sev. You promised.”

A low groan broke through the silence, and you pulled back to see her eyelids fluttering. When her eyes opened, they were the familiar steel-gray you loved, clouded with confusion and exhaustion.

“Doll..?” she rasped, her voice weak but alive.

You nodded, tears streaming down your face as you cupped her cheek. “I’m here. I’m right here.”

Her gaze softened for just a moment before her lips twisted into a faint smirk. “Thought… you weren’t gonna cry over me.”

You let out a watery laugh, your heart clenching as you held her close. “Shut up,” you murmured, burying your face in her neck. “I thought I lost you.”

Her hand, trembling but determined, reached up to rest against your back. “Not getting rid of me that easy,” she muttered, her voice steadying as the seconds passed.

Around you, the world began to stir, people rising from the rubble, groaning and coughing as they tried to make sense of what had happened. But in that moment, none of it mattered.

All that mattered was that she was still here.

Your heart continued to race as you held Sevika against you, her warmth grounding you, keeping you tethered to reality. The fight, the chaos, the fear—it all felt distant now despite only happening minutes ago.

Her presence was everything you needed in that moment.

Sevika’s fingers brushed through your hair, the touch gentle but steady, as if reminding herself you were still there, that you were both still standing. She let out a shaky breath, and you could feel her body slowly easing into the relief of no longer being controlled by the arcane.

“Hey,” you whispered, your voice soft but filled with an overwhelming tenderness. You lifted your face to look at her, brushing the damp strands of hair from her forehead, your fingers lingering there, touching the skin you almost thought you’d lost. “You’re okay, they are gone now. You’re safe.”

Sevika’s gaze flickered, her tired eyes studying your face with an unreadable expression. The intensity of what had happened still hung in the air, but there was a sense of calm in her that you couldn’t quite place. She pulled you closer, her breath warm against your cheek, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the world had stopped, as if time itself had granted you both this fragile peace.

“How’s your head?” you asked out of the worry swarming in your head still, brushing your thumb over her temple, where the faintest remnants of the arcane markings still lingered.

“Feels like I got hit by a freight train,” she replied with a dry chuckle, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She let out a slow breath, pulling you even closer. “But I’ll survive.”

You smiled softly, leaning in until your lips brushed against hers. The kiss was gentle at first, cautious, like you both needed to feel each other to reassure yourselves that this was real. That she was real. Her lips were warm, familiar—still soft despite everything that had happened. The taste of her lingered on your tongue, grounding you in the present.

Sevika pulled back just enough to meet your gaze, her eyes full of emotion you couldn’t quite decipher. You stroked her cheek, your heart aching for her in a way you couldn’t explain.

“God, y-you scared me so bad,” you murmured, your voice thick with unspoken fears. “I don’t… I don’t ever want to lose you, and this time it felt so close, I—.”

Her hand slid up to your neck, her fingers threading into your hair, and she tilted your face toward hers. This time, the kiss was deeper, more urgent. It was as if she was trying to remind herself that she was still here, still yours, despite everything that had almost torn you apart.

When you finally broke the kiss, she pressed her forehead to yours, her breathing ragged but calming. “I’m not going anywhere, doll,” she whispered, the words laced with promise.

You closed your eyes, inhaling deeply, your hands gripping her shoulders as if to keep her tethered to you. The sounds of the aftermath—the groans and shuffling from the others waking up—seemed to fade into the background. In this moment, it was just you and Sevika, and everything else could wait.

“I don’t care if the world’s falling apart,” you muttered against her lips, “as long as you’re with me.”

Sevika’s chuckle rumbled in her chest, low and almost teasing. “You’ve got a funny way of making the end of the world feel… bearable.”

You smiled, brushing your lips against hers once more before pulling back to gaze into her eyes. There was still a shadow of exhaustion lingering in them, but now there was something more—a quiet strength, something resilient.

She reached up to gently brush the tears from your face, her touch tender. “You’re crying again,” she murmured, though there was no teasing in her tone this time. Only affection.

“Only because I’m just so damn glad you’re here,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.

Sevika’s gaze softened, and for a moment, it felt like everything was right in the world. You were both alive, both here, and for once, the overwhelming weight of everything felt just a little lighter.

She sighed, pulling you back into her embrace. “Then stop crying,” she said softly, her lips brushing against your forehead. “because I don’t ever plan on leaving soon, especially with those fucking things finally gone.”

You nodded, curling into her, letting her warmth and the quiet assurance of her presence calm the storm that had been swirling inside you. You didn’t know what the future held, but in that moment, you had everything you needed.

And as the others around you began to recover, groaning and pulling themselves from the wreckage, you held onto Sevika, cherishing the simple truth that you’d survived the worst of it together.