Arcane headcanons | °• Sevika •°

She teaches you how to play cards

The Last Drop was buzzing, the usual haze of smoke and the scent of cheap liquor thick in the air. Sevika sat at her usual table, cards in hand, her expression unreadable as she leaned back in her chair.

You were perched beside her, watching the game like always, but—like always—half the rules made no damn sense to you. You just liked watching her play.

Sevika never explained the rules outright, but every so often, she’d make an offhand comment, casual, like she wasn’t really talking to you. “If he throws that down now, he’s either bluffin’ or he’s a dumbass.”

Your eyes flicked between the players, trying to piece together what she meant. When the man in question hesitated before throwing down his card, Sevika just huffed. “Dumbass.”

She took a slow drag of her cigar, then shifted slightly, angling her cards just enough that you could see them. It was subtle, but she left them there long enough for you to process what she had.

She didn’t say anything—just waited, tapping one finger idly against the edge of a card. You hesitated before pointing to one, unsure if it was the right choice.

Without a word, Sevika plucked the card you chose and played it, her expression still as unreadable as ever. She watched the reactions around the table, then exhaled a quiet chuckle. “Not bad, sugar.”

The game continued, and every so often, she’d do it again—tilt her cards just slightly, give you that silent cue. You started catching onto the patterns, realizing which choices made her smirk and which made her sigh.

At one point, you picked a card confidently, only for Sevika to give you a slow side-eye before playing it anyway. “Bold move,” she muttered under her breath.

The table erupted into laughter a few moments later when she lost the round, and she just shook her head. “Guess we’ll work on that one, huh?”

She never scolded you, never made you feel dumb for not knowing. She just kept giving you those quiet chances, those little opportunities to understand without outright saying she was teaching you.

At one point, one of the guys at the table caught on. “She helpin’ you cheat, Sevika?” he asked, half-joking, half-suspicious.

Sevika just gave him a slow, amused glance before exhaling smoke in his direction. “If I was, you wouldn’t even know it.”

You grinned at that, your confidence growing a little. The next time she showed you her cards, you took a longer look, thinking it through before pointing to one.

Sevika played it, watching the reactions again, and this time, she let out a quiet hum of approval. “Now you’re gettin’ it, princess.”

You beamed, feeling a little victorious yourself. The game wasn’t just about the cards—it was about reading the people, knowing when to push and when to hold back. Sevika was teaching you that, piece by piece.

The game stretched on, and soon, she didn’t even need to tilt her cards toward you. You started guessing her plays before she made them, and when you got it right, she’d just smirk, tapping the table once in silent approval.

“Maybe I’ll have you play next time,” she murmured, just low enough for you to hear. There was something teasing in her voice, but you could tell she meant it.

You weren’t sure you were ready for that, but one thing was certain—if you were ever gonna learn, there was no better teacher than Sevika.