sometime during the day after the clowning, you can find vax with his back turned and at one of the puddles in the mansion, splashing water on his face and grumbling something unintelligible. hello ]
well he's not expecting anyone to approach -t he commentary does get a snort, though, and vax reaches for his hood to tug it back up over his head. ]
Wouldn't call it that, but thanks for the tip. [ and rubbing at his cheek a little with his hand, he looks displeased, holding out his not makeup covered wrist. nooooo ] By the way, best avoid the carnival if you can. Just a tip.
[ well, vax is here. he's sitting on one of the rides closest to the ferris wheel, but he's up on top of it, at the moment. a tall bird, just sort of watching, chin propped against his knee.
[Itsuki looks up, his expression a little blank until his eyes sharpen with recognition.]
...Vax-kun.
[he can't find the strength to say 'hello', but... he eyes the distance, and he thinks he could manage this. maybe. he takes the steps up, and then leans against the wall beneath. he's just silent for a long while, glancing at the area around them. he doesn't want to say anything at all, but he tries for something anyway]
Have you heard from Damien and Hot Pants yet? ...About what we found.
you're at the bottom of a hole. vox machina and their friendly band of adventurers have just fought off a beholder in a tomb - the tomb of the champion of the raven queen, in search of a vestige, a godly weapon to help you defeat a conclave of dragons as they attempt to raze your world to the ground. the beholder, while annoying, powerful, and armed with a terrible disintegrate ray, was ultimately not much of a match for you all. you're down at the bottom of this hole, retrieving kima, one of your allies, and you wait for scanlan to throw down the rope so you can clamber back up.
the chaos happens while you're away. you climb, and you climb - you hear a distant thump, and then the sound of footsteps, but that's not unusual.
and you pull yourself to the top of the hole, and you look at your friends, all gathered together, and the joy and easy warmth of a victory on your face turns to nothing.
because as percy turns back to look at you, you realize that he's holding your sister propped up against his body, and she's not moving. not breathing, and your entire world stops.
you're moving before you can even really realize it, the entire world narrowing down to just vex'ahlia, her wide open eyes, her slumped frame. you shove past zhara and kashaw and you drop to your knees in front of vex, your hands shaking, your heart pounding
and you barely have it in you to say: ] ...The fuck happened?
[ your voice is impossibly hoarse, small, barely there, as tears well up in your eyes and drop down your cheeks, as the world seems to go topsy turvy in front of you. not thirty seconds ago, you could hear vex, cooing delightedly to percy about some treasure or other, you looked away for one second just one second and she's -- she's gone.
vex. vex, your sister. your life. your whole heart. she's gone.
you panic. you reach for the strongest healing potion you have and you pour it in her open mouth. nothing. nothing happens, as the rest of the party stands shellshocked around. it does nothing - you barely even hear as kashaw appears at your shoulder, nudges you away from her, saying something about a ritual, or casting, or something. you want to shove him back, push him away, but you see the glimmer of diamond in his hands and hope sweeps into your chest, desperate. desperate.
"I can bring her back." kashaw says. your chest heaves.
he pulls diamonds, he hesitates, and you, desperate, yell, yell - ] The fuck are you hesitating for?! Do it - what are you hesitating for? Do it!
[ kashaw says something about his god, or something, that she could destroy the entire world in the process of doing this, but you don't care. you don't fucking care, fuck the entire world and fuck the people in it, you don't give a shit if it means that vex'ahlia comes back.
percy helps first. then zhara. (to 4:30:02, for more details.)
and then it's you.
and you know what you're going to do. you sit in this temple, in this tomb to the goddess of death, the matron of death (and you see her standing behind your sister, waiting to take her soul away - you can see her silhouette) and you think to yourself
no.
you push past kashaw and you grab your sister's body, and you pull her close, and you look that silhouette straight in the face, and you say, with all of the fury and the misery and the grief driven courage that you have: ] Take me instead, you raven bitch.
[ the dark, female form stares back at you. the raven queen. you know it, just by looking, and you don't care. you face down god herself.
she steps forward, and reaches her hand towards you. you do not break. you stare.
she nods.
and then, suddenly, you feel the rush of magic through your veins - and you wait, and you wait, and you stare this figure down, down, down - and the silence kills you, one moment, two
then the raven queen is gone.
and vex'ahlia, your sister, your entire heart, your life, your other half, your everything, takes a deep, gasping, living breath as the pact is complete. (@ 4:32:54.) ]
[Itsuki has seen a lot of memories. He's used to being an observer, and he knows when to stay quiet and watch. This is... There's a lot about this memory that's new -- and interesting too -- but the core part of it, the emotions that he can feel from it are familiar. And painful.
That desperation, the way Vax holds onto the girl who looks so much like him, twins -- his heart is in his throat. He doesn't want to see a sad ending, he doesn't want it to end badly,
He lets out a breath the same time Vex does, and the memory fades around them.]
...Was she -- were you... [okay? alive? taken? having clearly made some kind of deal?] ...I'm glad that worked.
[it did, right.... he knows only from what he sees in Vax's memory, but that's his genuine feeling. He's glad that Vex is alive, and that Vax hadn't lost her...]
[ he is on the railing! yeah! of course he is. he's just kind of looking out into the void, at the moment, deep in thought; but when itsuki addresses him, he turns, and immediately, his expression shifts into one of concern. ]
It takes a long moment for Itsuki to decide -- maybe out of cowardice, maybe out of shame. But concern wins out. He can't help but think back on the memory he'd seen, and how close Vax and Percy are -- just from seeing them interact around the prism.
...This has got to hurt.
He's looking at all the high places a birb could be, if he's not around then he'll shoot a text later, but for now...
[ it's okay, because vax is really hard to find! he can take a long time. in fact, as he searches through the high places, he won't find anything, at first.
... but if he's persistent, and if he waits around long enough, he might hear a low, rough voice from the shadows, if he's on the apartment roof. ]
She's knocked, still, but she's alright. I left her some water and some ice for her head.
[ aw, itsuki. vax looks glad to see him, and no less affectionate for his baby sister, though he does still look tired. what an afternoon. i prevented two knife fights. ] What a fucking mess.
[Itsuki has his hands tucked in his kimono sleeves as he walks up and down the aisle of graves, his gait clearly restless. he comes to a stop as soon as he catches sight of Vax though, expression flickering a little -- before he averts his gaze.]
...Hey. I just finished exploring with Te-kun and Prompto.
[ vax is... well, he's here! the cemetery is a place he likes to brood in general, so this maybe isn't any different. his wings, which have been big and fluffy raven feathers all week, are sort of melting. like so, dragging on the ground behind him.
...
he's quiet, for a moment, and then steps a little closer, expression solemn. ] ...What'd you see?
[ another post trial! vax is out here on the roof like always, sitting with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands - he's sitting on the railing, wings half open behind him, quiet.
he glances back when he hears footsteps, though, and offers itsuki a soft, tired smile. ]
...Hey, Fluffy. A little too on the nose, earlier, huh?
weekend 0, sat
sometime during the day after the clowning, you can find vax with his back turned and at one of the puddles in the mansion, splashing water on his face and grumbling something unintelligible. hello ]
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You could always swim in the river if you're feeling tired.
[terrible idea, but itsuki has a low int stat for a reason]
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well he's not expecting anyone to approach -t he commentary does get a snort, though, and vax reaches for his hood to tug it back up over his head. ]
Wouldn't call it that, but thanks for the tip. [ and rubbing at his cheek a little with his hand, he looks displeased, holding out his not makeup covered wrist. nooooo ] By the way, best avoid the carnival if you can. Just a tip.
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week 1 monday
Itsuki is rummaging through outfits, but once he spots Vax he'll wander on over,]
Hey, what's your favorite color?
[does vax only wear black im looking at his icons very closely right now]
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i hate to do this to you ]
....Black.
[ he's so serious ]
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week 1, sun
Don't you all have all the booze on your floor
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wanna come over and see?
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week 2, friday
hearing footsteps, he glances down, though. ]
Itsuki.
[ hey bud ]
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...Vax-kun.
[he can't find the strength to say 'hello', but... he eyes the distance, and he thinks he could manage this. maybe. he takes the steps up, and then leans against the wall beneath. he's just silent for a long while, glancing at the area around them. he doesn't want to say anything at all, but he tries for something anyway]
Have you heard from Damien and Hot Pants yet? ...About what we found.
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w3 monday
all that matters is there's one of these bubbles. vax regards it for a moment, regards itsuki, and mutters - ] Might as well get this over with.
[ maybe it won't be that bad. and with that, vax touches the little bubble.
me in tears thank u sisi for hurting me
That desperation, the way Vax holds onto the girl who looks so much like him, twins -- his heart is in his throat. He doesn't want to see a sad ending, he doesn't want it to end badly,
He lets out a breath the same time Vex does, and the memory fades around them.]
...Was she -- were you... [okay? alive? taken? having clearly made some kind of deal?] ...I'm glad that worked.
[it did, right.... he knows only from what he sees in Vax's memory, but that's his genuine feeling. He's glad that Vex is alive, and that Vax hadn't lost her...]
c:
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week 3 friday
Itsuki will shuffle up here sooner or later, hands in his pockets.]
...Hey.
[is vax on the railing like the birb he is]
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...hey, Fluffy.
[ :( ]
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week 3 saturday
It takes a long moment for Itsuki to decide -- maybe out of cowardice, maybe out of shame. But concern wins out. He can't help but think back on the memory he'd seen, and how close Vax and Percy are -- just from seeing them interact around the prism.
...This has got to hurt.
He's looking at all the high places a birb could be, if he's not around then he'll shoot a text later, but for now...
....
...where's vax?]
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... but if he's persistent, and if he waits around long enough, he might hear a low, rough voice from the shadows, if he's on the apartment roof. ]
...What are you doing?
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week 3 sunday
how's percy
how are you
[HE HAS TO SAY THAT FIRST, HELLO THE EMOTIONAL TOIL THEY'VE BOTH BEEN THROUGH]
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We're alive. 's for sure.
Thanks for checking in.
Waiting to talk to the residents about whatever happened.
What a fucking day, huh?
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week 5 tuesday
Hey, is Vin-chan okay?
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[ aw, itsuki. vax looks glad to see him, and no less affectionate for his baby sister, though he does still look tired. what an afternoon. i prevented two knife fights. ] What a fucking mess.
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week 5 friday
...Hey. I just finished exploring with Te-kun and Prompto.
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...
he's quiet, for a moment, and then steps a little closer, expression solemn. ] ...What'd you see?
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w5, sat
he glances back when he hears footsteps, though, and offers itsuki a soft, tired smile. ]
...Hey, Fluffy. A little too on the nose, earlier, huh?
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...Yeah. I thought... that I was prepared for that possibility. I told myself that it could be anyone.
...But I guess I wasn't prepared at all.
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week 7, weds
he's here with something on his hip and a grin on his face, calling out - ]
Fluffy. You in here somewhere? If you're busy with Bu, I'll turn around and leave. [ teasing!!!! ]
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He's off exploring the rest of the prism. [otherwise.... eye waggles, no] Thanks for coming over, Vax-kun. It's good to see you.
[stepping back to let Vax in!!]
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