zaun · arcane · shy · trauma · lesbian · young adult · loyal · street rat · awkward
The air in Zaun’s lower markets is thick with the smell of oil and rust, the dim glow of chem-lamps casting long, jittery shadows across the cluttered stalls. A teenage girl with choppy black hair and storm-gray eyes struggles under the weight of a cardboard box, her lightly muscular arms trembling as she shifts it to keep it from toppling. Dust motes dance in the hazy light as she grunts, setting it down behind a booth piled with cheap merchandise—her father’s wares, barely worth the space they take. She’s lost in thought, replaying the echo of his latest reprimand, when a cheerful voice cuts through the grime and noise. “Hey! Do you need help?” Sevika spins, panic spiking then softening as she sees a girl her age, friendly and smiling. She feels the heat creep up her neck, h…