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"So, why are you really here? I know it's not for little old me." Sevika grumbled over the deck of cards as she shot them across her usual table at the last drop at her sister. She chewed on the end of a freshly lit cigar and took a much needed drag.
Rare for the game to be one-on-one but she insisted. With Illaoi's timely arrival in Piltover, the drama between Jinx and Violet inspired Sevika to entertain her request for a visit. In the interest of burying the hatchet.
Maybe.
Unlike Sevika, Illaoi never left Bilgewater and had a far more sunnier upbringing. This left the bitter taste of resentment in Sevika's mouth which only grew more sour as time passed.
"Little ol you is part of it, but yes, there is another motive. The presence of the Noxians here in Piltover is troublesome. Especially with rumors of cooperation from Piltover authorities. The Hexgates are boon to all of us. Except when it comes to spreading the message of darkness. Judging by the squalor you are living in, and your poor physical condition, I see my arrival is fortuitous." Illaoi said. Speaking on her bold, true intentions caused her chest to puff out a bit.
Sevika rolled her eyes and gestured for her older sister to pick up her cards. "I see you haven't changed."
Illaoi laughed and glanced at her terrible hand. "I see you're still dealing shitty hands. Though, I remember you with two arms." She teased.
For Illaoi, reuniting with Sevika was bittersweet. She understood why Sevika left. Despite their differences growing up, and the gnashing of teeth that frequently happened, she'd missed the spiciness that came with their relationship.
"I deal the cards as they are." Sevika defended herself.
Illaoi put down a small stack of coins and adjusted in her chair which was never intended to accommodate women of either her size, or Sevika's size. It must have looked comical to the rest of the bar patrons having two massive women spilling out what might as well have been two popsicle sticks.
"Still a realist. What about the arm? Fell down the stairs for another sob story?" Illaoi lifted a shapely brow. She always was the pretty one.
Sevika couldn't help a snort. "Yeah. Something like that."
"And were they worth it?" Illaoi asked.
That was a question. Sevika took a long drag of her cigar. To most, Silco wasn't worth the breath he drew. To those that knew him...he stood for the Lanes when no one else would. Despite his flaws, his heart was in the right place even if there were a lot of bodies left behind.
"That depends on who you ask." Sevika finally said and flicked her gray eyes over her hand. It was a good one.
Illaoi clucked her tongue. "Your mind needs to grow up with your body, Sevika. You haven't visited or even written in years, yet still giving yourself to people who are unworthy like you did when you were a child. That is why father was so harsh on you."
That was enough for Sevika to pull the cigar from her mouth and slam it and her fist on the table. "Are you going to put your money where your mouth is?" She growled.
Illaoi grinned at having gotten a rise out of Sevika and dropped in her ante.
"Silco may not have been perfect, but he was what we needed down here. What real people needed." Sevika mumbled to her cards and countered Illaoi's bet.
"Who was he to you?" Illaoi asked. "Did you love him?"
"Love isn't the right word. Tolerate. Appreciate." Sevika mused more to herself than Illaoi. "Yeah. I guess love in a way, but not romantic. He was a mentor, a brother I never had if you had to quantify it. I guess that's something else that's never changed about me."
Sevika brushed ashes away from where her table slam had knocked them off the cherry of her cigar and took another drag.
"You mean preferring the company of women. If that managed to change, I would have start second guessing my faith." Illaoi said with amusement.
"Four cards." Illaoi said, and put down the four she wanted to discard.
"Four car--? You might as well fold!" Sevika countered with a laugh that was half a scoff.
"Four. Cards." Illaoi insisted.
Sevika rolled her eyes and dealt 4 cards along with two for her own hand. "Your funeral."
"If you don't take risks, you're just a coward." Illaoi said confidently over her hand of cards and threw down more coins.
"Yeah, but I'm a coward who still has all her money." Sevika quipped and dealt Illaoi her desired cards and two for her own hand.
It wasn't much of an improvement, but had to be better than whatever Illaoi was doing.
"So what about you? Do I have any nieces running about that I should know about?" Sevika jabbed.
Illaoi made a face at her sister as much as her cards and threw in her bet. "There's no one." She replied. "But not for lack of trying."
Sevika skewed her dark lips into a smirk and upped Illaoi's bet. There was no way she had anything but a garbage hand. "Figures. I'll see your garbage hand and I'll raise you bullshit you need to get past."
"Excuse me, Sevika. Ma'am--" A pretty barmaid with short, platinum hair and more ink than even Violet could imagine interjected. She carried a tray of drinks over to the two of them. Sevika recognized the barmaid as Erin Brecker, the woman who had been made proprietor of The Last Drop since Jinx and Violet elected to have someone look after it while they continued their feud all over Creation.
"The two at the bar sent these your way with their compliments." Erin continued and nodded her head behind her.
Sevika looked past Erin to catch the eye of Jinx and her long blue braids and Isha with her helmet sitting on bar stools.
Jinx lifted her fingers and waved them individually. Normally, there would be sarcasm behind the face and the gesture but there was a look of hope that Sevika caught.
Reuniting with Vi touched Jinx in a way that was painful for everyone: Jinx, Powder, Zaun, Piltover, and every soul in between.
"You can't choose your family." Jinx said once in a Shimmer-infused delirium. It was something that stuck in Sevika's mind and repeated itself when she wanted to feel like she belonged.
It was bullshit. Illaoi chose her family when she turned her back on Sevika years ago, Sevika chose hers wit Silco, Violet chose hers when she turned her back on Powder and kept running back to that Sheriff of hers. And who knows where Isha came from, but Jinx chose her, Powder chose her. Sevika chose her...chose them.
Jinx and Isha were the closest thing to family Sevika ever had.
Why was she trying with Illaoi? Why was Illaoi trying with her? Even now they would never see eye-to-eye. Was it even worth the mental strain of a card game over?
Yes...that was always Sevika's fault: Even in disagreement, her failings as a person, Illaoi had a good heart and good intentions. She just did it with faith in her heart; that was why Father wasn't as harsh on her.
And Sevika took it. Even now she took the criticism, the punishment and let it bend her head only a little. Mostly in acknowledgement to Jinx.
Sevika insisted the waitress take, at least, a tip and she nodded to Jinx, giving her an "I'm trying" face.
"Thanks." The waitress said and lingered a bit longer than she should have, her eyes drifting lustily over Illaoi before leaving.
Illaoi couldn't help a bit of color in her cheeks as she noticed the waitress admiring her and then followed her sister's gaze to the two at the bar.
Sevika's expression was uncharacteristically soft, her breathing had slowed upon noticing them, and her color was up. Illaoi also noticed the girl with the long blue braids had embroidery on her bag of a little monkey that matched the one painted onto Sevika's mechanical arm.
Illaoi downed the shot she'd been given in one gulp and turned back to the game. She smirked at her sister and threw in all the money she had. "I call."