I know. Me too. [ Meaning she's gonna worry about him--and Vex, and Percy, and Pike, and even their sleeping friends. Keyleth angles her head to kiss whatever part of Vax she can currently reach, but she does feel better. Both relaxed and grounded. And warm. So nice and warm. ]
[ there are a few moments there where he just kind of smiles at her, letting it sink in again, like he has every day for the past year or so, how lucky he is. how beautiful she is. even under these circumstances, even with the end of the world at their backs, they're...here.
she's here. with him.
he can do this.
keyleth angles herself to kiss under his chin, and vax moves to settle them back a little more on the bed, bringing her with him so that they can lay back and just. maybe cuddle for a bit. he'd be happy to spend the rest of the day like this, but for right now, he definitely just wants to lay with her. ]
[ Keyleth moves with him easily, snuggling up into Vax and pillows and bedding until they're nestled into a comfortable little nest atop her bed. It's so nice. After the months she spent sleeping alone, it feels so good to snuggle in, and hold her Vax, and be held. ]
You mean, plans other than this? [ She grins a little, absently winding a lock of Vax's hair around her finger. ] Nope. No plans at all.
[ with the two of them moving, it's not hard to resettle more comfortably in the nest on her bed. he kicks off his shoes, too, for good measure, and without any armor to worry about it's not like he has to undress. instead, he curls against her, lets out a content breath once they're both comfortable, and smiles back to her. ]
Good. [ and then he shifts closer, pulling her back close to his chest. ] Because I like this idea better.
[ Keyleth threads the fingers of one hand through Vax's and tugs the arm that hand is attached to a little more tightly around her. His shoes join her circlet at the foot of the bed and she giggles softly, his breath tickling through her hair and over her ear. ]
It's a really nice idea.
I wish the houses were big enough that we could all stay together.
[ vax settles into the feeling of it all - the bed, keyleth's hands in his, letting her move her just how she wants him to be settled.
but then she mentions the houses, and the beds, and vax lets out a breath that feels almost like a sigh. ]
I just want you closer to me. [ he hates this different room. this different house. this idea that for any period of time, it was keyleth without him. ] We should find a bigger house for us, anyway. When Grog and- [ he pauses, then reminds himself about time, about memories. ] And Scalan. And Terry, whenever he wakes up too.
[ She can feel his frustration--and it's frustration she shares. She tugs their twined hands up far enough to kiss his knuckle and squeezes his fingers with hers. ]
I know, babe, I want that too.
[ She hesitates a little, when he mentions their still sleeping friends--Scanlan, in particular. ]
...He came back, you know. Or...he will come back. Scanlan, I mean.
[ he lets out a frustrated breath before letting his eyes fall closed. he knows he doesn't really have any room to be as frustrated as he is. but he doesn't like her being so far.
but he feels the tension when she hesitates, and his eyes open back up to see her mention scanlan, and vax just. stops. ]
[ She likes being cuddle up with her back to his chest, but she's missed his face so much that she wriggles in his arms, turning around to face him instead. ]
[ of course he leaves room for her to turn in his arms, giving her a small smile just because now he can see her and he presses a quick kiss to her forehead. just because he can. ]
A crime lord? [ he...pauses. and then thinks about it. and then ends up snorting once. ] That doesn't...surprise me? What about his daughter?
[ um. well. not...exactly what vax would have thought. especially considering how scanlan left, and what he wanted to do. though...well. you certainly would get to know your daughter by becoming a crime lord? with her? ]
I mean. I guess... [ and then, as he trails off, he snorts once to himself. ] It does sound like him.
[ breathy huff or no, he likes the sound of it. smiles, briefly, letting his eyes fall closed. ]
Not how I'd do family bonding but... [ there is a kind of silence here that would beget a shrug. but vax doesn't, not wanting to shuffle them too much. he's comfortable, after all.
but then that light moment sort of fades. ] Grog was upset? [ he's not surprised by it, maybe, but he feels like there's probably a lot more that will need to go into it than just. scanlan coming back. they were best friends. ]
Yeah. I think Grog was even more upset than Pike, and Pike was really upset.
[ She sighs lightly, but like Vax, she doesn't want to move too much. ]
See, he came back in disguise, pretending to be someone else, and Vex figured out who he was-- [ because of COURSE it was Vex who smelled the bullshit first ] --and that was bad enough, you know? But he also had a bodyguard in tow. A barbarian. A big, muscley, half-orc barbarian.
...I mean, he was really nice! But I think Grog felt replaced, you know?
[ she doesn't really have to. vax knows that if he was presented with the situation right now, he'd forgive scanlan in an instant. he came back, after all, and that would be worth more than anything else.
he can understand the other side of it, sure, but they're family. and no matter what sort of shit happens, family forgives. ]
Percival has a very...specific ideas on what family is. And Scanlan kind of. Directly shat on that. [ he huffs an almost laugh, because it's heavy and he guesses he gets it but also that's just. now how he is. ]
And then he made it even worse because he stole one of Ripley's guns, and mainly came back to get more bullets for it.
[ She winces a little and hunches in, snuggling even further into Vax's embrace, if that's possible. ]
I'm honestly...not sure. I mean. I'd rather have him on our side than not? [ Keyleth can't pretend her feelings weren't bruised by the way Scanlan left, but he did apologize. She supposes she falls somewhere in the middle, between Vex and Vax's immediate forgiveness and Pike, Percy and Grog's bitterness. ]
[ . . . . scanlan. vax actually does sigh at that, almost subconsciously shifting so that keyleth can snuggle in closer, wrapping his arms more around her and getting comfortable again. ]
He broke everyone's trust that day, I think, but he also wasn't...completely wrong. [ he idly starts to draw shapes with his finger on her shoulder, looking off across the room. ] There was a better way to bring it up, maybe, but. [ vax still feels guilty, with how things ended. with how it all went down. ]
[ And family. Family can kick you in the gut like no other. But there isn't much that's more important to Vax than his family, and Keyleth knows that. She turns her head again and kisses whatever part of him happens to me pressed against her face at the moment, somewhere on his chest or neck. ]
They'll work it out. Even Percy. [ Haha, well. Maybe. Eventually. Someday. ]
[ she moves to kiss his neck and vax doesn't bother hiding the way his face breaks into a smile. even if the topic is heavy, he has her, and that's good enough. ]
Even Percy. He can't be stubborn forever. And I'm sure if Vex forgave Scanlan, she can convince him.
[ Keyleth highly suspects that Vex might be the only reason Percy hasn't shot Scanlan in the head. He was...really upset about the gun. Like. Really, really upset. ]
I hope so. We really...we need each other too much. All of us.
[ see? it all works out in the end. vex keeps percy from murdering their friends and pike keeps people from dying permanently. it all works out in the end!!!!
(if only he knew) ]
Yeah, we're all kind of way too co-dependent on each other, aren't we.
[ it's not really said as a question, and vax almost kind of laughs about it when he kisses the top of her head. ]
[ Keyleth hums a soft laugh, but it's a heavier thought than she lets on. Do they even know, really, how to live without each other? Really live? Keyleth isn't so sure anymore. And honestly, honestly she would be just fine with never ever finding out.
Maybe they won't have to. Maybe, because of the Storm, they avoided at least that one terrible thing. Maybe she'll never have to look at Vex without the other half of her in the world, maybe she'll never have to learn to live without her heart.
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I do. I've got you now.
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she's here. with him.
he can do this.
keyleth angles herself to kiss under his chin, and vax moves to settle them back a little more on the bed, bringing her with him so that they can lay back and just. maybe cuddle for a bit. he'd be happy to spend the rest of the day like this, but for right now, he definitely just wants to lay with her. ]
Hmmm, you didn't have plans today, did you?
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You mean, plans other than this? [ She grins a little, absently winding a lock of Vax's hair around her finger. ] Nope. No plans at all.
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Good. [ and then he shifts closer, pulling her back close to his chest. ] Because I like this idea better.
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It's a really nice idea.
I wish the houses were big enough that we could all stay together.
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but then she mentions the houses, and the beds, and vax lets out a breath that feels almost like a sigh. ]
I just want you closer to me. [ he hates this different room. this different house. this idea that for any period of time, it was keyleth without him. ] We should find a bigger house for us, anyway. When Grog and- [ he pauses, then reminds himself about time, about memories. ] And Scalan. And Terry, whenever he wakes up too.
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I know, babe, I want that too.
[ She hesitates a little, when he mentions their still sleeping friends--Scanlan, in particular. ]
...He came back, you know. Or...he will come back. Scanlan, I mean.
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but he feels the tension when she hesitates, and his eyes open back up to see her mention scanlan, and vax just. stops. ]
He does?
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[ She likes being cuddle up with her back to his chest, but she's missed his face so much that she wriggles in his arms, turning around to face him instead. ]
He's been in Ank'harel. He's a crime lord now!
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A crime lord? [ he...pauses. and then thinks about it. and then ends up snorting once. ] That doesn't...surprise me? What about his daughter?
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[ Like, good that they're still together, right? Maybe not the best form of father-daughter bonding, but who is she to judge? ]
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[ um. well. not...exactly what vax would have thought. especially considering how scanlan left, and what he wanted to do. though...well. you certainly would get to know your daughter by becoming a crime lord? with her? ]
I mean. I guess... [ and then, as he trails off, he snorts once to himself. ] It does sound like him.
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[ Keyleth laughs softly, though it's more of a breathy little huff. ]
Grog was really hurt when he came back. Pike, too. But I think they're a little better now.
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Not how I'd do family bonding but... [ there is a kind of silence here that would beget a shrug. but vax doesn't, not wanting to shuffle them too much. he's comfortable, after all.
but then that light moment sort of fades. ] Grog was upset? [ he's not surprised by it, maybe, but he feels like there's probably a lot more that will need to go into it than just. scanlan coming back. they were best friends. ]
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[ She sighs lightly, but like Vax, she doesn't want to move too much. ]
See, he came back in disguise, pretending to be someone else, and Vex figured out who he was-- [ because of COURSE it was Vex who smelled the bullshit first ] --and that was bad enough, you know? But he also had a bodyguard in tow. A barbarian. A big, muscley, half-orc barbarian.
...I mean, he was really nice! But I think Grog felt replaced, you know?
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but then she mentions a half-orc and vax very much gets it. ]
I mean, yeah. I'd feel pretty replaced too. [ he gets it. he does. but man... ] I'm guessing they worked it out?
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[ She doesn't mention that Vax was pretty quick to forgive and forget. So was Vex. ]
Percy's still really upset, but...you know how Percy is.
[ Much harder for him to forgive, and pretty much impossible for him to forget. ]
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he can understand the other side of it, sure, but they're family. and no matter what sort of shit happens, family forgives. ]
Percival has a very...specific ideas on what family is. And Scanlan kind of. Directly shat on that. [ he huffs an almost laugh, because it's heavy and he guesses he gets it but also that's just. now how he is. ]
What about you? How do you feel about it?
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[ She winces a little and hunches in, snuggling even further into Vax's embrace, if that's possible. ]
I'm honestly...not sure. I mean. I'd rather have him on our side than not? [ Keyleth can't pretend her feelings weren't bruised by the way Scanlan left, but he did apologize. She supposes she falls somewhere in the middle, between Vex and Vax's immediate forgiveness and Pike, Percy and Grog's bitterness. ]
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He broke everyone's trust that day, I think, but he also wasn't...completely wrong. [ he idly starts to draw shapes with his finger on her shoulder, looking off across the room. ] There was a better way to bring it up, maybe, but. [ vax still feels guilty, with how things ended. with how it all went down. ]
But he is family, one way or another.
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[ And family. Family can kick you in the gut like no other. But there isn't much that's more important to Vax than his family, and Keyleth knows that. She turns her head again and kisses whatever part of him happens to me pressed against her face at the moment, somewhere on his chest or neck. ]
They'll work it out. Even Percy. [ Haha, well. Maybe. Eventually. Someday. ]
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Even Percy. He can't be stubborn forever. And I'm sure if Vex forgave Scanlan, she can convince him.
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I hope so. We really...we need each other too much. All of us.
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(if only he knew) ]
Yeah, we're all kind of way too co-dependent on each other, aren't we.
[ it's not really said as a question, and vax almost kind of laughs about it when he kisses the top of her head. ]
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[ Keyleth hums a soft laugh, but it's a heavier thought than she lets on. Do they even know, really, how to live without each other? Really live? Keyleth isn't so sure anymore. And honestly, honestly she would be just fine with never ever finding out.
Maybe they won't have to. Maybe, because of the Storm, they avoided at least that one terrible thing. Maybe she'll never have to look at Vex without the other half of her in the world, maybe she'll never have to learn to live without her heart.
It's an awful lot of maybes, isn't it. ]
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