etrayalogs | [Closed] Blood, bones, smoke and gunpowder

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[Closed] Blood, bones, smoke and gunpowder

WHO: Vex'ahlia, Vax'ildan and Percival
WHEN: After the August Event
WHERE: Vex & Percy's temporary lodgings
WHAT: Discussing differences in timelines and things
NOTES\WARNINGS: Language, violence, angst, talk of deaths, some heresy/atheism

After sending a message inviting Vax'ildan to her apartment with Percy, Vex has taken to pacing when she isn't fletching new arrows. It's been this way for about the last three hours. Normally, it's Percy who's all nervous anger and jittery production. If they were back in Whitestone, she'd go patrol the forests around the city with Trinket or visit Galdric to see how he was holding up. Or visit Pike. Or work in the bakery.

She'd have a million different things to keep her occupied while she worked through things.

Here, however, she's only got time until the city decides what new trick is up its sleeve and an angry Percy (angry on her behalf she knows) to really figure out how to deal with things.

"You know, darling, Vax'll be here shortly. If you could... not yell at him. At least not right away. I'd really love that."

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Before answering the door, Vex approaches Percy, kissing his cheek and smoothing down his hair so that it doesn't stick up quite so much. He looks more like a human than a cockatoo wearing glasses.

"I appreciate it, Percy. And I don't care if he's the same Vax we saw walk with the Raven Queen. Vax'ildan is my brother. I know it. I... feel it. He just is. Everything else is window dressing."

Then she's at the door, and Vax is there. There's the familiar sense of ease knowing he's nearby, even if she's keeping in mind that things are weird and different and it's not just this place that makes them so. It's them, but to her, Vax is Vax. She can't help but wonder if he feels the same way. She can't read his mind and she hates that she can't right then. And then he calls her Stubby and she throws her arms around him to hold him close. "You're late, brother, but I'll forgive you this once."

She doesn't remark on the greeting to Percy. Things between them have always shifted, but more so after the time in the Raven Queen's temple when she died because Percy didn't check for traps on the armor Vax is currently wearing. Or maybe that didn't happy for Vax?

"Sit down and I'll pour us all some whiskey. Tea is for polite conversation and I think we need the real stuff for this."

Percy stayed seated as the knock sounded, hands folded with unnatural neatness on the table beside the scattered pistol parts. When Vex opened the door and Vax stepped through, Percy’s gaze fixed on him at once, steady and cool behind the lenses of his spectacles.

“Vax’ildan,” he said, the words clipped but civil. No warmth, but no venom either- a deliberate restraint.

The air in the room tightened anyway. Vax moved like a man ready to spring; Percy held himself in stillness, all that restless irritation smoothed into composure for Vex’s sake. It was only when she wrapped her arms around her brother that some of the edge bled from Percy’s posture, his shoulders easing fractionally.

“You’re late, brother,” she chided gently, “but I’ll forgive you this once.”

Percy exhaled, almost a sigh, and let the faintest ghost of a smile twitch across his mouth. “Generous as ever, my dear.” His tone was softer now, shaded with a private gratitude that she was here to anchor them both.

When she added, “Sit down and I’ll pour us all some whiskey. Tea is for polite conversation, and I think we need the real stuff for this,” Percy inclined his head in agreement.

“Entirely reasonable,” he said, dry but not biting. “I promise not to start in earnest until the glasses are poured.”

And for once, he meant it.

Maybe things are tense and weird, but one hug and he forgets all about the strangeness for a second. Vex can't read his mind, but she can feel how tense his shoulders are. How tight he is around the eyes, which are normally much softer. Vax isn't expecting a physical altercation, but he is bracing for a verbal lashing.

"My dear?" Vax passes a glance between the two of them as he takes a separate seat. A chair or something where he can keep his own space. After what he witnessed between them in Syngorn and the Feywild, he's not entirely surprised by the term of endearment. It's just another reminder that they're living different lives. They're a part of a future that may or may not be his own. Given what he knows of it, Vax doesn't think it's turning out very well for him.

Once glasses are poured, he accepts it, but holds onto it, his fingers wrapped around it. Waiting.

Well. He's here. Now what?

After pouring the glasses of whiskey, Vex stares between her husband and brother, hands on hips as she looks at two of the most stubborn men in her life before heaving a sigh. Then, she downs her shot of whiskey before pouring herself another as the burn of liquor slides down her throat to her empty stomach. Once she has a second drink, she sits at the table on a side, putting herself definitely between them without attempting to choose a side.

She loves them both, but if they make her choose, they all lose. And at this point in time, she's not sure she could do it.

"Alright, let's get the obvious out of the way first. Vax, Percy and I are married. We eloped in Whitestone," she looks at Percy for a moment and gives him a small smile, "about a year ago for us. You were with Keyleth in Zephrah at the time. Only Zahra was there as a witness."

She gives him a moment to absorb that before she continues. He hadn't been too pleased about their decision the first time. Why should this be any different?

"Aside from that, I think we need to figure out where things truly start to go strange. What is your last memory from home?"

When he showed up here, Vax expected they would talk about a number of things. Vex's marriage to Percy wasn't even on Vax's radar, so to say he's stunned is an understatement. And yes, there's a part of him that bubbles up and wants to shout his disbelief, but he also feels like this conversation is teetering on the edge of a knife as it is. His fingers clench around the glass of whiskey, and he chooses this moment to take the shot, gulping it down at once, then putting the glass aside on a nearby table.

"Congratulations." The word sounds tight and bitter. He has concerns about her choice, but it just goes to show how far apart they are in this world. They might as well be on different planets.

Vax doesn't feel like talking, but he's not going to deny Vex any answers. His voice picks up with every line. "The last thing that happened was we defeated Umbrasyl. No one died during that fight, by the way. Also, I was never in Zephrah. We went to the Feywild to get the Fenthras bow but no one died there, either. Perhaps we come from different timelines or what happened to you will be my future. I don't know what it means. Maybe you're not my Vex, and I'm not your Vax."

He had such hopes when he discovered he was no longer alone in this world, but it's as if those hopes have been dashed to pieces.

Vex feels his bitterness like a slap to the face and just barely refrains from physically flinching and/or crying. It'd been hard enough the first time with all of the stress and strain they'd lived through to get Vax to be okay with her decision at all. She knows Percy and Vax had issues but she hadn't thought they'd been so bad that Vax would act like this.

If she were the dramatic type, she'd say her heart was breaking. As is, she shakes her head, pulls back her shoulders and hauls off to slap him square across his stupidly handsome face.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that again, Vax'ildan. Mother would be ashamed. Hell, even Syldor would at least muster some disdain for how you just addressed this situation. I don't know if we're from different timelines or whatnot, but you and I are family.

"And you're not the only one beholden to a god. I offered your goddess to hunt down her enemy finally in exchange for giving you back to me. And you know how I feelbabout the gods. Even after meeting a few of them, I still think they're assholes." She's cuts a look at Percy that could kill even Grog. "Explain. Now."

Percy did not try to meet her glare with one of his own. He set the glass aside, folded his hands together too tightly, and spoke as if forcing each word past his teeth.

“It was me,” he said, voice low but steady. “On the trolley I allowed anger to speak when I should have kept silent. And I said more than I had any right to.”

His eyes flicked to Vax, then dropped away almost at once. “I told him things about his future and our past. That he died. That the Raven Queen took him. I put weight on him that was not his to bear, and I did it because I knew it would hurt.”

A breath shuddered out of him, the kind that betrayed strain even as he straightened in his chair. He forced himself to meet Vex’s eyes, though the rawness there was unguarded.

“I chose cruelty. That is the truth of it. And the fault is mine.”

He stopped there. Pride barred him from apology, but the weight in his voice and the way his fingers dug white against each other made the regret unmistakable.

It's been a roller coaster for Vax since that confrontation with Percy in the trolley. Like being hit with a truck you didn't see coming. Prior to that, Vax had thought he had his friend back. One he was prepared to forgive after being stuck in Etraya for almost a year, which was plenty of time for him to miss his friends no matter what they had done in the past. Now, everything is too fresh again.

As for the slap? Maybe she is from another world, but Vax still knows her well enough to not be surprised by it. His face turns to the side, the ring of the strike painting his cheek red. That's going to sting for a while. Though he's more annoyed at hearing their parents brought into this. Particularly their father, who Vax doubts would give a shit about the relationship between him and his sister.

And Vex making a deal with the Raven Queen for him? To undo a death that was a long time coming? He feels conflicted about that, but then Vex turns on Percy, and what Percy has to say has Vax a little stunned.

There’s no way he’s jumping into this conversation.

He's not shocked by the admission, since Percy is never the type to shrink away from his own actions or his words. He owns them. It's one of the things Vax respects about him. But to lay it all out like that to his sister? Damn. As much as Vax might have enjoyed seeing Percy get punished, he kind of feels sorry for the guy and what's coming.

Vex listens to Percy's explanation, her temper rising with every sentence uttered from his dear, beloved mouth. She knows. She knows that Percy sees Vox Machina as their family just as much as she does. And she knows that he's upset that Vax is gone from them, without any sort of way to get him back that wouldn't involve taking down the Raven Queen herself and possibly getting everyone killed.

Besides, Vex herself knows that Vax has made his peace with his lot in life and she's not sure what he agreed to when Vecna and Delilah killed the two of them on top of that ziggurat in Vasselheim, but it's not good. Nothing from a god is free. She knows that.

And, still, knowing all of that, she can't imagine a life where she can't go and see Vax when she wants to and it's a hard time for her to think about it.

However, Percy has admitted to something heinous. It's a line crossed that she's not sure she wants to forgive him for just yet. But she does remember their talk after killing Vorugal, where they stood over the cliffs looking at the ruins of Draconia and the white dragon's carcass as a magnificent tree grew from his corpse. One word runs through her mind and she repeats it for the three of them. "Sinaeth." She looks at Percy as she says it before turning back to Vax.

"I am Vex'ahlia Vessar de Rolo, Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone, Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, Champion of Pelor and the Lady of the First House of Whitestone. That's my stupid husband, Percival de Rolo, Lord of the First House of Whitestone. And you're my stupid brother, Vax'ildan, Champion of the Raven Queen. We're all members of Vox Machina and Saviors of Exandria, Tal'dorei and, most of all, family. I don't care what timeline or world we come from. Some things don't change."

Percy went still at the word. Sinaeth. Forgiveness. He remembered Draconia’s cliffs, the carcass of Vorugal split open below them, the white tree clawing skyward from ruin. He remembered Vex saying it then, daring him to let go of guilt long enough to keep moving forward. Hearing it now was like being struck in the chest.

He inclined his head as she recited her titles, the faintest trace of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Pride, affection, and the ache of knowing she had earned every one of them.

When she finished, he let the silence stretch a heartbeat too long, then cleared his throat. “If we are reciting titles,” he said, voice dry as dust, “you might as well be thorough. It is Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the Third, Architect of Enlightened Progress of the Chamber of Whitestone, and Lord of the First House of Whitestone.” His gaze flicked to her, softer for all his precision. “Stupid husband, yes, but you undersold me.”

The teasing was a deliberate balm, a reminder of who he was beneath the guilt. He lifted his empty glass slightly in mock salute, then set it down again with care.

“Family,” he echoed, quieter. “And if forgiveness is truly on offer… I will not squander it.”

Vax's eyes are trained on his sister. A plea for forgiveness is not what he expected to hear. Plus, those damn titles sure are a mouthful. Internally, he rolls his eyes at the grandstanding, but he does smirk a bit when Percy corrects her.

Slowly, Vax gets to his feet, considering it all. His past. His months spent in Etraya. And a future he probably knows too much about. Maybe it won't happen, but in some respects, it already has. When Vax made his bargain with the Matron, he had accepted the inevitable outcome, whatever it might be. But always, he knew, it would end with his death because he gave his life for a life.

But can they be a family like this? Vax wonders if he can with a crucible hanging over him.

"Can you forgive it?" His eyes look from Vex to Percival, but the question is asked of them both. Percy's heartbroken rage still fresh in Vax's mind.

You left Vex. You left Keyleth. You left me. And not because you were ripped from us, not because fate had you by the throat. You chose it. You made it beautiful — feathers and flowers instead of a struggle. Do you know what that leaves us with?

A charge I never asked for. And a memory I can’t forgive.

"My choice to honor my contract with the Raven Queen. Can you forgive it?" Vax offers his hand and holds his breath.

Vex ignores Percy's corrections as she pours everyone another drink. He's right that she left out a few titles, like the one she bears as Ambassador to Syngorn for Whitestone. She'd only accepted that so she'd be able to visit Velora and Devana. Her truce with Syldor is still uneasy, but they've talked and it hasn't always been antagonistic. Though it probably helps that she ignores their relation and he doesn't speak about her mother. Their conversations consist of business or about her sister and step-mother.

But these two men, aside from Trinket, are the most important links in her life. And she's not sure that she can forgive anyone who keeps the three of them apart. "I don't have to like your decision, Vax, but I respect it. You chose to follow the Raven Queen, and I'll admit that she's come in handy as a divine ally over the years. And you were supportive of my taking on the mantle of Pelor. So, I can only live with the fact that you have to fulfill your duties when she desires it."

She swallows a few times, the sting of tears in her eyes and her voice thick with sadness. "You might find the thought of death as a part of life, but I haven't learned to think of it as anything but a permanent separation from someone I love. I might, in time, but we've been together our whole lives. How could I not miss you?"

She blinks the tears back as she snatches up her whiskey to down it again. "Who else is going to call me Stubby and keep my head from getting too big? If you think Percy is up for the job, I think you haven't been paying attention to things."

Percy had been silent as Vax spoke, his thumb tracing once around the rim of his glass before he stilled it. When Vax offered his hand, Percy’s gaze lingered on it a moment before he looked back to his face.

“Forgive the choice? No.” His tone was even, but the words carried weight. “You bound yourself to the Raven Queen and actually followed through with your end of the bargain. That left us behind. That is not something I can make peace with easily.”

He paused, his gaze softening almost despite himself. “But I can forgive you. You are still my family. That much does not change. And perhaps… with time, even the rest will come.”

He reached for the bottle and poured whiskey into three fresh glasses, sliding one toward Vax, one toward Vex, and keeping the last for himself. He lifted his own in a steady hand.

“Family,” he said again, and this time it carried no irony at all.

Vax nods a little, lowering his empty hand and reaching for the drink instead. It's easier to look at it than anywhere else.

"I know. I'm sorry, Vex." He knows the pain he's caused her, but he also knows keeping his word is the right choice. "You can hate me, if you want. I'm here for now, though." If that means anything. Vax just hopes it won't cause her even more pain. And if nothing was resolved tonight and they all left angry, Vax would still be watching over them. He'd do anything in his power to protect them.

Percy's allowance is appreciated. He doesn't want to be at odds with the people he cares so much about. Vax still feels like the weight of unknown sins are perched on his shoulders, but at least they can start to have a life here until things change for them again.

"Family." Vax murmurs the word into his drink, then swallows it.

"Don't be stupid. I don't hate you. There are plenty of people out there worthy of my hate, but one of them is not you." She reaches out with a healing spell, the coolness of her magic resting in her fingertips as she runs them down her brother's cheek. As she does so, the coloring in his face goes back to the ruddiness of their shared half-Wood elf heritage.

"Besides, I can't judge Percy for not being forgiving if I'm refusing you because of the fact that you're keeping your word." She huffs a little under her breath as she takes her seat again. The effects of the alcohol are starting to kick in since she hasn't eaten anything all day. And, well, it would be slightly embarrassing if she showed herself to be drunk already, considering she's generally one of the last ones to start to show the effects of alcohol when they'd go out to taverns. "There are worse things in all the different worlds than you being a man of honor, Vax. It's annoying but it's admirable."

It's a relief to know that Vex doesn't hate him. Still, Vax can't help but feel the blame set upon him for what his future self has done. Even if he would stand by a choice like that. They forgive him, but not his actions, though his actions all stem from his love for his sister. Not that he'd ever want Vex to sacrifice herself for him, so he understands her feelings. It's all too complicated for this half-elf to process right now.

When Vex reaches out to touch his face, Vax closes his eyes and lets her do the work. He had forgotten the sting of it already with so many other things on his mind.

With a soft huff, he sets his glass down but remains on his feet. Things are square between them, but it’s going to take a while for him to be comfortable with all of this. And them. "Well, now that that's... settled." He thinks. "If you want to know anything about this place, you can ask. I'm not about to say I'm an expert, though." Despite how long he's been here.

Percy leaned forward, the faintest spark of interest lighting his pale eyes. “You have survived here longer than we have, which makes you the closest thing to an authority. Tell me about the machinery. The trolley, for instance. Was it singular, or are there other examples of construction beyond what Exandria can produce? Automata, lighting, weapons? Are they curiosities, or does the city replicate them?”

His fingers tapped once against the rim of his glass before going still. “If there is no craftsman, then something is placing these designs into the world. I intend to know who, or what, is responsible.”

He studied Vax closely, a thin smile cutting across his face. “And the rules. Not custom, not courtesy, but the city’s own strictures. What have you seen? Does it punish those who break them? Are its games absolute, or can they be bent? I am very interested in the places where it falters.”

Percy raised his glass at last and drank deep, the burn only sharpening the look he fixed on Vax. “So. Begin with the technology, then the rules. The rest, I will dismantle myself.”

Vex stares at Percy before rolling her eyes. She hasn't forgotten that she's supposed to be angry at him for his stunt. It's just not that important now that the three of them have established a few baseline rules while being stuck here: mainly that they're family and Vex won't abide by cruelty to each other.

His obsession with technology is a great deal of why she loves him. His brain works in wondrous ways and most of the time it's beneficial. The fact that he's gone this long without dismantling something is a bit surprising. "Percy, I doubt that Vax can answer all of that. He's not Tary."

She feels a slight pang in her chest. Watching Percy and Taryon plot and tinker together was one of her favorite things to do in the year that Vox Machina took as a break. With everything the way it is now, she hasn't really processed that Tary won't be in Whitestone if she's back home. He's gone back to Deastok and to find his Lawrence. But she misses him. Especially at this moment, with Percy going in about things and the rest of Vox Machina missing in action.

"I'd like to know how this place functions without some sort of economy. Everything is just given to us. That feels like a trap."

Oh boy. Vax expected this. He's not really the best at answering these sorts of questions. The two who would normally take that role in the group are currently in the room, but they're the ones that need the information. All Vax can provide is his best, as limited as that may be.

Where to start...

To help himself think, Vax paces in the direction of the window to look out over the city that's been his 'home' for almost a year now. "The trolley isn't the only vehicle. There are some who have their own means of transportation in moving carriages. Cars. We had to build one for a previous mission." Percy would've liked that.

"You've probably seen the companion bots by now. They take care of the day-to-day things. A lot of times, stuff just appears overnight like food and other necessities. Sometimes, a whole building or even a district will be here when we return from a mission."

His eyes turn to scan the room they're in. "Lighting is managed with those switches on the walls. That kitchen has machines that serve different functions for cooking and such. I don't mess with them much. Since everything is free, I typically eat whatever I feel like picking up that day from the city. A lot of people have opened businesses like bars or shops and serve food. It probably gives them something to do with their time between missions. So no, it's not a trap. It's just weird."

"As for rules, pretty much, don't be a dick. I get the feeling whatever runs this place isn't going to look kindly on breaking things, but I haven't tested it myself, and there's no real list of laws anywhere. As for the people here, they're quite good and often try to help others. If someone were to cause a problem, I'm sure many would not tolerate it."

Percy listened carefully, his expression thoughtful. When Vax finished, he let out a quiet breath and spoke with deliberate calm.

“Automatons that serve, transport without horses, districts that appear overnight… none of it without design, even if the hand behind it hides. I will want to see what passes for thought in these constructs before I trust them.”

He turned his glass slowly in his hand. “And an economy without coin. Comfort given freely is more dangerous than control taken by force. Though I suspect you, darling heart, will mourn the lack of markets more than I will.”

Setting the glass down, he allowed himself a thin smile. “As for rules, if they exist only as suggestion, then they are meant to be tested. Not that I have ever been the most obedient student in that regard.”

He leaned back, eyes resting on her with a touch more warmth. “So tell me, what do you make of it?”

"It's less about the actual economy and markets that has me concerned. We all know that everything has a price. I just like it when the price is presented up front and I'm able to measure it against what I think it's worth to me.

"Nothing is free, so what is the price we are being made to pay? Is it just that we're supposed to help save this world like the mysterious Aurora said? Or is it something more sinister? I don't trust anything about this place. I suppose I'll have to do some investigation into things myself."

And if either man thinks they can stop Vex, well, they're idiots.

"Darling, I only ask that you at least remember that if something happens to you, I will happen to you. And you won't enjoy it."

Vax knows Percy will be trying to work out every little thing about this world and how it operates. He's going to be frustrated when a lot of it doesn't conform to the sense he wants it to.

As the two pass pet names to each other, Vax glances away and out the window again, as if he’s trying to give them a bit of privacy while standing in the same room. He rests his shoulder against the wall, gazing out until he finds a reason to add some details.

"We're not saving this world. We're saving ours." He looks over to them again, crossing his arms over his chest. "All the people here come from different universes. There are so many universes, it's all collapsing on itself, or so we're told. We're here to prove our world is one of the few worth sparing. The others will be eliminated."

Naturally, Vax sounds skeptical of this whole arrangement. Mostly because he's never been able to speak to Echo directly or through Aurora, and he can't contact his Matron.

Percy looked at Vex, his expression hardening. “You are right. Nothing is free. What unsettles me most is not the price itself, but that it is hidden. Someone profits from keeping us ignorant. Food appears without farms. Districts rise without architects. Automatons serve without a hand to build them. That is not providence. That is concealment. It means someone is measuring what we do in exchange, and they are not showing us the ledger.”

His gaze shifted to Vax’ildan, voice colder now. “And look at who they chose to represent our world. You, champion of the Raven Queen. Vex, chosen of Pelor. And me, a man who willingly bound himself to a demon and made war mechanical. That is not an accident. It is design. A triad of faith, death, and corruption, set at the same table. Why us, Vax’ildan?”

His jaw worked as he flexed his gloved hand, feeling the low thrum of Diplomacy’s current. “My guns fire. Diplomacy still sparks. Iron and powder obey. But what of the rest? What happens when the hex falters, or illusion shatters, or when divine bonds are cut without warning? Vex cannot feel Pelor. Can you feel your Raven Queen? Or do you wear her mantle in silence?”

He pushed his glass away, the sound sharp against the table. His eyes were cold steel when he spoke again. “This is not judgment. This is manipulation. Aurora. Echo. Whoever hides behind those names. They weaken the very strengths they claim to measure and call it a trial. And if they believe I will sit quietly while they weigh us broken, they are mistaken.”

Vax isn't the only one skeptical of this whole thing. Vex doesn't have to have a year under her belt to see the plot holes in this whole situation.

"My question is what sort of profit does someone make from keeping us in this platinum cage? We're to prove the worthiness of our worlds right to exist? That sounds like more crap than what Vecna spouted atop his crappy ziggurat as he practically spilled his whole grand plan before we could stand up to him." She scoffs at the thought of the Lich that would be God.

"At least Thordak had the excuse of being driven mad and used by Raishan for his shitty behavior."

Vax listens as Percy comes to his conclusions. All are thoughts Vax has had before. He's not as sharp as Percy, but he's had almost a year to sit here and be pissed about it.

When the Raven Queen is mentioned, there's a slight narrowing of Vax's eyes, as if he expected an insult would follow, and then a shake of his head. "I don't know." Vax has no idea why they are here. Or why he was brought here much earlier to face Echo's trials alone.

"I cannot. I've called to her, but." He's never been able to contact his Matron in all the time he's been here. The armor works. Percy has seen him use his wings at the trolley. His ability to speak with Her has been severed, however. As much as they may dislike the Raven Queen after their recent events back home, Vax is sure they would accept her help out of this situation.

Percy's words of resolve are met with silence. What will he do that no one else has attempted already? Naturally, Vax expects his friends will do something. Already, he imagines Aurora is going to hear a mouthful from Percival the next time she makes herself available for questions. Whatever it is Percy attempts, it's going to be interesting watching him try.

"This place has more questions than answers, sister. The closest one to Echo is Aurora, but she denies knowing anything beyond what Echo tells her to do and says she cannot contact Echo directly."

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[Closed] Blood, bones, smoke and gunpowder

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