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ax_mainTwinswap Plot, Day 3 Vax goes looking for a snack, and instead finds himself sabotaging a relationship.
It wasn't as easy as Vax thought, sleeping in his own room, but in his sister's body. Percy was right there... but he'd promised himself he'd stay hands off, at least until everything was worked out. But what if it was never worked out? What if he was stuck as a woman forever? Not the worst thing in the world, but there were some definite drawbacks - especially the one where he didn't have his own power. He was... attached to his shadow ability, and not having it at hand was sometimes worse than not being able to touch his boyfriend.
It was pretty late that night when he found himself in the kitchen, rummaging through the frozen meals to try and find the pizza rolls. He had Trinket with him (because what else was he going to do) and the bear was sitting in the sink, big eyes focused on Vax and the promised food. Sure, it was a bribe for trying to explain to the bear that he was actually Vax, not his mom, even though he looked like her, but Vax was starving too, so it was a win, win.
Passing by the kitchen purely by happenstance, Shinobi grinned broadly as he noticed one of his new favorite people rummaging through the freezer. He padded toward Vex quietly on slippered feet, density reduced to further decrease the faint sounds of his footfalls. When he was directly behind her, he rested his chin impudently on her shoulder, a hand brushing familiarly over her belly as he chirped, "Konbonwa, darling. Whatever are you doing here this time of night? I would have thought I'd have cured you of your taste for frozen cuisine by now. If you're feeling peckish, we can always take another trip into the city."
Vax instinctually started to melt back into his stealthy admirer... before he realized who it was. And who Shinobi thought he was. But... fuck. That felt good. It felt really good, and he had to bite his tongue and remember where he was (and who he was.) He took a slow, deep breath, then gently began to peel Shinobi's hands off of him. "Shaw, darling, we need to talk."
"Shaw desu ka?" Shinobi hummed, leaning back on his heels and folding his hands behind his back. He inclined his head inquisitively. "Well, I do enjoy our conversation." Something seemed ... off with Vex, just then. Nothing he could define, but definitely a departure from what he had come to accept as her norm. "What's on your mind?"
Vax closed the freezer, then turned to face him. Shinobi was... okay, he was attractive. Vax could admit that to himself. He could see what Vex saw in him. Sort of. But he didn't approve of the fact that Vex was mainly just fooling around with him because she was terrified of anything that might hurt her again.
Choosing Shinobi, Vax thought, was because she saw him as the easy play. The safe play. She didn't have to get her heart involved, and Shinobi was just ridiculous enough that he probably seemed like he was an open book. Vax knew better, of course. Sometimes the ridiculous ones could be more trouble than they were worth.
Which was why, for a moment, he almost thought about not telling Shinobi the truth. He pondered, briefly, ending it with the guy on his sister's behalf. Then, of course, he saw Trinket looking at him like that, and he sighed. "I'm not Vex'ahlia."
"Sou ... ka." Shinobi's curious expression sharpened, at that, and he immediately made a show of looking her up and down thoughtfully. "You certainly have all the right parts," he mused, his tone more thoughtful than teasing, right then. They were at mutant school, after all, and with all the shapeshifters and telepaths around, certainly stranger things had happened. If not much stranger. Assuming, of course, that Vex hadn't simply hit her head in the Danger Room or romping through the outdoors, and was now suffering an acute dissociative episode. "May I ask, then, with whom I have the pleasure of speaking?"
Oh, Vax had every intention of doing the right thing... right up until Shinobi looked him up and down like he (his sister, really) was a piece of meat. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and he attempted to affect his sister's charming tone. "Not Vex'ahlia, darling, but her ghost. I am so sorry to tell you this way, but we can't hook up any longer." In the sink, Trinket grumbled in protest, but Vax ignored him. "Such a shame, terrible arrow accident and all. Vax is devastated. But what are you going to do?
Expression turning decidedly perplexed, Shinobi straightened, and tapped a finger to his chin. After a quiet moment, he replied, "What, indeed? I suppose there's no helping it." He shrugged, ruthlessly quashing the flicker of ... something that flashed through his middle as their casual arrangement ended as abruptly as it had begun. Still, it wasn't as though either of them had gone into it with eyes closed. She'd specified quite explicitly at New Year's that this was strictly an exercise in fun.
Apparently, the fun had ended. Unfortunate. Still.
"Even so, that's no excuse to go despoiling your digestive tract with mass-produced pseudo-food. If you'd rather not go into the city, I'm sure I have something fancy I could fetch from my room to tide you over until breakfast is served."
Vax couldn't believe that had worked. Obviously, neither of them thought that Vex was dead, but Shinobi had taken the rejection...without objection. Without any objection at all. Vax wasn't sure whether he felt good or bad about that. On the one hand, did he really deserve his sister if the guy clearly didn't have feelings enough for her to fight for...whatever it was they had? On the other hand, he'd just destroyed his sister's one spot of happiness within seconds. It had been... a little too easy.
And yet still, despite all of it, he was being offered food from the carefree billionaire. He was also getting the worst stink-eye from the bear nearby. "What sort of fancy are we talking about?" he managed to inquire.
"Sushi, mostly," he said. Whatever hurt he felt at the ending of their prior arrangement was pushed deep into that morass of pain Shinobi had been ruthlessly suppressing since his mother's death, before he'd been carted off to Japan to perfect the art of concealing his actual feelings. His tone was light as he went on, "If that's not to your liking, we could always order in. I have a great many menus at my disposal, and am a renowned tipper."
"Seriously?" Vax blurted, disbelieving. "I break it off, and that's all you have to say? Let's get some sushi?"
"'Are you interested in some fun,' you asked me," he recited back to Vex easily. "'With no romantic expectations? And can you promise you won't get angry, or obsessive, or try to harm me if that's all it is'? I did promise. So I'm not angry, and that other business is too ludicrous for genuine contemplation. But we can still have a nice meal together, and enjoy some pleasant conversation. Unless you would rather not."
Vax reached up to pinch at the bridge of his sister's nose. "Listen," he sighed, "there was an accident. Vex tried to create a teleportation spell and it went...wrong. Instead she switched our bodies. Which, yes, I suppose, is a fucking thing that can happen."
There was no elegant way to describe Shinobi's reaction--he gawked, openly and shamelessly, brows screwed up in confusion. He raised a questioning finger and pointed it at the Vassar twin presently standing in front of him. "Vax'ildan?"
"I'd say 'in the flesh,' but that would be a tad misleading," Vax drawled.
"Just a touch, yes," Shinobi said, clearly making an effort to collect himself. He'd suspected some sort of powers-related mutant strangeness had been afoot, but this? This was beyond anything even his gifted imagination could conceive. "I thought there was something a touch off with you. Her? Vex. I suppose that answers that." He gave Vax ... Vax'ahlia? a look. This scenario was far too complicated for this time of night. "So, your sister ...?" In lieu of finishing the question, he simply pointed two fingers back in the direction of the boys dorm, dark eyebrows raised inquisitively.
Vax raised a brow at him, then folded his arms over his chest. Then... adjusted a little. God, how did women do this? "What, are you planning to boink her in my body?"
That brought Shinobi's familiar, ironic smirk back full force. "It does raise some interesting possibilities, doesn't it? And I'd be lying if I suggested they weren't at least a little enticing. Still. I suspect the aftermath might be more than a little awkward for all concerned, and I think it perhaps a bit too sketchy even for my very forgiving standards of personal comportment." His mouth twisted a bit sourly as he added, "Also, as a point of clarification, 'boink'-ing has not been on the table, as far as your sister and I are concerned." Yet. One could only live in hope. "And neither of us would call it that, in any case." Boink. Really.
That was odd. Vax frowned a little and took a seat on the nearby stool. "You aren't? But I just assumed, when you sneak away all the time that...you know."
"We thoroughly enjoy each other's company," Shinobi told him archly, leaning back against the wall and folding his arms over his middle. "But your sister has made her personal boundaries plain. I respect them, in the hope of continuing to enjoy her company. And that's probably a greater level of detail than I ought to have shared, already." He shrugged. "Well. I'll make it up to Vex, once everyone's back in their proper place."
A new thought occurred to him, and he canted his head to one side. "You are working on that, aren't you? Not that I'm particularly hung up on which gender of twin Vex happens to be, but I'd hate to do anything that would make Percival jealous."
Vax was quiet for a moment, then he reached up to rub at the back of his neck. Vex's neck. "There's the rub, isn't it? Our powers are reversed, and I've got fuck all of an idea how to use hers. The most I've been able to do is get the bear out of necklace." He nodded to Trinket, where the young bear was attempting to climb out of the sink and onto the counter.
"And she can't do anything, because she's stuck with my powers. We went to the Professor, but he's still looking into solutions. Trust me, I'm quite fond of my own body. It's not as though we're dragging our feet on this. As for Percival? Well, he seems to be taking it better than I am."
"He does seem to have an uncannily high threshold for the uncanny," Shinobi observed. Quickly adding, "I mean that as a compliment, by the way; I admire anyone who can maintain his composure after having his significant other suddenly gender-swapped." Especially when it was that significant other's own twin sister. That was ... a challenging scenario on multiple levels.
He studied Vex/Not-Vex carefully for a moment, then ventured, "Well, if anyone has the necessary experience with bizarre mutant phenomena, it's Xavier--I suppose that, if your bodies had to be switched, this is a better place to go about rectifying it than most. In the meantime ... I apologize for the indelicacy of the question, but I simply have to ask. What's it like? Suddenly being you, but with a different balance of hormones and an entirely different physicality?" The more he thought about it, the more it inflamed his curiosity. And how often did one have the opportunity to ask someone with experience living as both sexes?
It was odd. No one (not even Percy) had yet to ask that. Not in that way. And honestly, Vax had been dying to talk about it. On the other hand, it seemed somehow taboo to complain (or worse yet, marvel) about his sister's body and how different it was from his own. That Shinobi was the one to express interest... well, Vax supposed that Shinobi never had use for taboos anyway.
"I never thought we were that different!" Vax blurted, reaching for Trinket to cuddle him to his chest. "But now I'm trying not to cry into my pillow, and I feel like my hips sway without even trying! I'm having a hell of a time trying to get a bra on, or even deal with these things at all, and I second guess every single fucking thing I say. But I have to admit... every part of my body is...sensitive. And soft. Taking a shower was a fucking adventure. Also, why the fuck is her hair more soft than mine? That's unfair if you ask me."
"The very height of unfairness," Shinobi agreed, nodding. "As twins, your hair should, by definition, be equally soft." He gave the Vax in Vex's clothing an appraising look, then said, "Getting back into your own body is a priority, I agree. But it doesn't sound like being stuck in your sister's has been all bad. New. Sensitive. But not bad. Am I wrong?"
"Not entirely," Vax agreed thoughtfully. "Absolutely an eye-opener, I'll give you that."
Shinobi crossed the kitchen to stand beside Vax, leaning back against the sink with his elbows propped up on the edge of the counter. "I've no doubt that this glimpse into how the other half lives has been utterly fascinating," he said, "inconveniences aside. My suggestion would be to make the most of it while it lasts, until Xavier comes up with .. something." He waved a hand vaguely, since he wouldn't know where to begin guessing what that something might be. "I'm not exactly envious--I'm much too self-satisfied for that--but this is definitely the most interesting thing I've seen yet. And at this school, that's quite the claim to distinction."
"Interesting, maybe. Fucking weird, yeah," Vax told him, leaning down to let Trinket tumble around on the floor. "Next time I'll tell Vex to switch places with you and you guys can experiment all you want."
"I'm honestly not sure whether to interpret that sentiment as an oblique blessing," Shinobi said, delicate features crinkling into a wry smirk, "or a sideways curse. So I'll just say thank you for the really very intriguing notion." He was mostly joking, of course. Enticing as the idea was, he had a feeling that this was probably the last bit of body-swapping Vex'ahlia would want to be doing for the foreseeable future.
"Sorry for trying to fuck you over, mate," Vax told him, looking up at Shinobi. "She's just...she's not in a great place, yeah? I wasn't sure you were good for her."
"That's a perfectly rational reaction for you to have, in my opinion," he said, smile relaxing into something less teasing and more genial. "And, though I have no experience with siblings myself, I suspect it just makes you a good brother, being interested enough to be concerned in the first place. I am as good as circumstances allow me to be; I'm afraid that's the best guarantee I can offer. But I'm also reasonably confident Vex is more than capable of getting the best of me in any proposition more meaningful than a game of tag."
The quirk to Shinobi's mouth receded, even if it didn't vanish entirely, and he added, "I thought she might be going through something, or getting over something, when she asked me to make her that promise. Nosy as I can be about things--especially the things that are obviously none of my business--even I can tell when it's more prudent not to ask."
"Listen, don't tell her I said anything," Vax told him, a frown wrinkling his brow. "It's not my place to talk about it, no matter how much I'm worried about her. I just... thought you should know that she's not like other girls, okay?"
He paused, head tilting sideways. "Though I can't say I'm heartbroken to hear that you two haven't, you know."
"Well," Shinobi returned, resting the tips of his fingers over his chest, "I'm heartbroken enough for the both of us over it, so I suppose things even out in the end." His easy smirk returned full force at that point, and he shrugged. "But I was already aware Vex isn't like other girls--she's infinitely more interesting than most of them, for one thing. Brilliantly self-sufficient, and possessed of a wit I'm sure to cut myself on, one day. And it is so strange to hear myself singing her praises while looking her in the face, and not being utterly mortified with myself for doing so. That can be our little secret, too, if you like."
"Only if you don't tell her that I tried to sink her relationship with you," Vax smirked.
"I'll carry that secret to my grave," Shinobi promised solemnly, then immediately ruined the moment by grinning again. "Besides, she'd never believe me over her own brother. And it was a perfectly justifiable reaction on your part. I apologize for attempting to ambush-cuddle you. I was making an effort to let Vex know she didn't necessarily always have to be the instigator, in our shared moments. Clumsily, I admit, but opportunistic affection very often is."
Vax snorted softly, turning his sister’s smile on him. “I don’t mind. It was kind of nice, actually. It’s not the cuddling that worries me. Or the potential for...other things. As always, I worry about her heart.”
"A very brotherly cause for concern," Shinobi nodded. "But I don't think I see the need. I'm under the impression Vex is very protective of her heart, just now. I'm fairly certain I lack any genuine access to it, and rather doubt I will anytime soon, if ever. She was quite plain regarding her terms for our continued ... association?"
"Yeah, you mentioned that. What terms were those, exactly?" Vax asked.
"'Some fun, with no romantic expectations'," he quoted, giving a fairly competent, if not perfect, imitation of Vex's typical inflection. "It seems fairly clear-cut, to me. Though people do let their affections run away with them at times, your sister hardly strikes me as the sort."
"You'd be surprised," he grumbled softly, knowing it wasn't entirely her emotions that she was trying to protect. Well, those, and trying not to get assaulted by a tree again.
"Sou ka," Shinobi replied noncommittally. "As I said, I'm not about to pry into such an obviously private matter. And I'm not about to push, when it's been made clear that would not be welcome. I will, however, be at Vex's disposal for anything she might need, whether it be cuddles or a friendly trip off-campus for sushi. I'm confident she'll work her way through whatever it is she's currently experiencing. Particularly with such a devoted sibling to look out for her."
"Fuck me," Vax cursed, pushing off of the stool to go find more pizza bites. "I can't believe I actually don't not hate you."
Shinobi was smirking again at her particular phraseology, and detached himself from the counter to look over her shoulder again at a much more respectful distance. "I have been known to have that effect on people," he noted. "Except when I don't." He paused a beat, then couldn't help but ask, "Are those actually edible? They seem more ... food-adjacent than actual cuisine."
"Try eating leftover linguini from a dumpster sometime, and tell me what you think constitutes food," Vax replied in a dry tone.
"Pass," Shinobi replied with a dramatic shudder. But his eyes grew keen with interest, and he positioned himself beside the fridge where he could study her face again. "But wait. I thought Syldor Vessar was your father. I'm fairly certain that even a humble diplomat can afford better for his offspring."
Vax paused. Literally froze for a moment. He hadn't realized Vex had been keeping that part of their childhood to herself. When he started moving again, he turned toward the microwave, busying himself with the frozen food. It made sense that Vex would only show the Vessar side of herself to Shinobi. Of course she'd play up the rich side, even if it made Vax a little sick to think about. So what did he tell Shinobi, then? Yeah, he'd deliberately tried to sink his relationship with his sister, but for some reason accidentally loosing her secrets felt a lot worse. "Syldor can afford to give Vex anything she wants," he finally settled on replying.
That pause, and the neutral nature of Vax's reply, was almost as good as a confirmation, as far as Shinobi was concerned. Still, he prided himself on not prying, when it came to the really important things--or, more particularly, the really important people. "As Sebastian can for me," he said. Then, "Apropos of nothing, and my father's extraordinary wealth and influence notwithstanding, I always had a much closer relationship with my mother. She gave me the sorts of things Sebastian was incapable of giving. She ... died. A long time ago. Just before I was sent away. And I am by no stretch of the imagination too proud to admit that I miss her every day."
Vax glanced sidelong at Shinobi. He could see a manipulation like that a mile away, but he decided that it wasn't a betrayal of Vex to talk about their past since it belonged to both of them, right? "Syldor abandoned us when we were born," he huffed softly, shoving a plate of pizza bites into the microwave. "We lived with our mum until she died in a fire. And yeah, I miss her like crazy."
"Sumimasen," Shinobi murmured, resting his back against the fridge again. "I'm sorry to hear of your loss." He was quiet for a moment, considering. Did this point of commonality cast his relationship with Vex in a new light? Should it? She hadn't volunteered such a personal detail herself, after all. He had some difficulty imagining circumstances under which she would. Still, there was a certain swell of sympathetic feeling that he honestly could not remember ever having experienced before. It wasn't normally in his nature.
Out loud, he said, "I suppose this means Syldor is roughly on the same level of contemptible as Sebastian. I had imagined him simply dull."
"The man's as useful to me as an expensive ashtray. I don't mind using him for money in a pinch, but overall, I'd rather not be weighed down by him. I'm pretty sure Vex feels similarly," Vax told him.
"Sou desu ka," he said, still thoughtful. Finally, he shrugged. "I have to admit, I feel a certain ... well, 'envy' isn't exactly the right word. Call it an appreciation for your willingness to do without your father--and, more particularly, your father's resources--if he attempts to press too hard. My relationship with the elder Shaw is a bit more complicated. For one thing, I don't think I'd long survive outside the swaddling comfort of my ivory tower." For another thing, he needed to be close at hand to eventually deal with Sebastian the way he'd intended to since he was eight. Abandoning the birthright he'd been grudgingly allowed would be the same as abandoning the retribution he was owed.
"I suppose every bastard has to find his own equilibrium," Shinobi concluded. "Or hers."
"Yeah well," Vax punched in a couple of numbers into the microwave. "Might be I'm being too flippant about the situation, but Vex'ahlia and I did just fine on our own for years before Syldor decided it was best he 'take us in'. I supposed you get used to what you know. Then again, I think Vex has always cared about money more than me. I'm not sure she'd be so willing to part from the meal ticket. Besides which, it turns out we have a younger sister, and neither us wants to leave her alone with that asshat for long."
Shinobi hummed at that revelation. "I think I can understand that impulse, in a very general sort of way--I've more than once tried to intercede on Warren's behalf to his now-dearly-departed stuffed-shirt of a father. But if I were ever to find myself with any actual blood siblings, I suspect Sebastian would arrange for me to quietly disappear from the public eye not long after. It's been made quite clear to me that my sole function is to be an heir, and that my qualifications for the job are solely based on his lack of interest in trying for a more satisfactory scion. It's a bit embarrassing, really, to win by default, but it's not as though I were given a vote."
Vax'ildan looked over at him curiously. He'd never thought about it like that. He supposed, in a way, he was lucky he had more freedom than Velora, or even Vex, whom Syldor seemed to want to show off in public a bit more than her twin. Probably because she was more behaved when in mixed company. "It's no coincidence that Syldor sent me halfway around the world," he agreed. "He wanted me out of his hair even before he found out about my powers. Bit him in the arse when it turned out Vex had them too. But I don't envy you one bit. If you ever want me to get one back at your old man, just say the word. Between you and me, we could probably rob the man blind."
That offer caused Shinobi's eyes to brighten. "If you really were your sister making me such an offer, I would probably kiss you," he said. "As it is, it's interesting you should mention that. I actually have a few ideas for injecting a bit of character-building adversity into Sebastian Shaw's life. I'll be delighted to share them with you, once, you're back in your proper body. I think you'll find both profit and pleasure to be had."
Vex... Vax, rather, looked surprised for a moment, then glanced down at himself. "Fuck. I forgot I don't have my shadows."
"Well, I'm fairly certain Vax would also prove quite an asset in this venture--hence the aforementioned kissing. But I suspect neither of your are so comfortable with the other's abilities that you'd care to undertake such a venture until back in--shall we say?--more familiar surroundings."
"Yeah, I just..." Vax sighed. "I keep forgetting."
"Really?" Shinobi asked, genuinely intrigued. "Are you getting used to your new reality, then? Interesting. I would have imagined it much more difficult to go from hard planes and lean muscle to something so much," he playfully ran the tip of a finger up Vax's side, from hip to rib cage, "softer."
Vax had to white-knuckle the counter to keep from shivering at that touch, because, oh yeah, it was more difficult. And whereas he could get a hard on pretty much any time in his old body, things were a lot different in this one, and not in the ways he'd expected. Like, girls got horny too apparently - it just didn't show as easy. "I'm not getting used to it," he told Shinobi, swatting his hand away. "Wishful thinking, maybe."
"Of course," Shinobi said agreeably, withdrawing his hand without complaint, but leaning gently into Vax. "Wishful thinking, entirely. Not deserving a second thought." He looped his arm loosely around her again, resting it on the counter, carefully not touching, and smiling benignly. "Just making the most of a challenging situation."
Vax paused, glancing aside at the boy leaning against him (her!), and breathed out an incredulous grin. "Are you seriously trying to ride my nerves by hitting on your girlfriend's twin in his sister's body?"
"Now that's an interesting question," Shinobi said, cocking his head thoughtfully. "I suppose that depends on whether it's working or not. I'm sure your nerves are more than up to the task, Vax-kun."
Vax snorted, gently unwinding Shinobi's arm and nudging him off. "You're not my type. I'm a sucker for broody intellectual snark."
"Fair enough," he said, sliding away and studying Vex-not-Vex. "I suppose my un-intellectual snark fails to appeal. Still, you can't blame a boy for trying."
"No," Vax agreed thoughtfully, turning to face him. "I can't. And, under other circumstances, I might have even taken you up on it."
"Oh, for the road not taken," Shinobi mused, then offered a nonchalant shrug. "But I suppose our circumstances, strange as they are, are fairly clear on that point. I suppose all that's left is for me to drink myself to sleep in mourning that fate was not kinder."
Vax just stared at him. "You're an odd one, you know that? It's no wonder she likes you."
"I have been told my charm is a unique, acquired taste," he nodded. "But thank you, all the same. I like to think that, if nothing else, I provide Vex with an amusing distraction every now and again. As to whether she likes me or not," Shinobi shrugged, "well, one can always hope."
Vax watched him for a moment. "You really care for her."
"What an interesting notion," Shinobi replied noncommittally, suddenly finding a reason to break eye contact and study something on the opposite wall intently. "I suppose it's not impossible."
“Well,” Vax murmured thoughtfully. “Isn’t that something.”
It wasn't as easy as Vax thought, sleeping in his own room, but in his sister's body. Percy was right there... but he'd promised himself he'd stay hands off, at least until everything was worked out. But what if it was never worked out? What if he was stuck as a woman forever? Not the worst thing in the world, but there were some definite drawbacks - especially the one where he didn't have his own power. He was... attached to his shadow ability, and not having it at hand was sometimes worse than not being able to touch his boyfriend.
It was pretty late that night when he found himself in the kitchen, rummaging through the frozen meals to try and find the pizza rolls. He had Trinket with him (because what else was he going to do) and the bear was sitting in the sink, big eyes focused on Vax and the promised food. Sure, it was a bribe for trying to explain to the bear that he was actually Vax, not his mom, even though he looked like her, but Vax was starving too, so it was a win, win.
Passing by the kitchen purely by happenstance, Shinobi grinned broadly as he noticed one of his new favorite people rummaging through the freezer. He padded toward Vex quietly on slippered feet, density reduced to further decrease the faint sounds of his footfalls. When he was directly behind her, he rested his chin impudently on her shoulder, a hand brushing familiarly over her belly as he chirped, "Konbonwa, darling. Whatever are you doing here this time of night? I would have thought I'd have cured you of your taste for frozen cuisine by now. If you're feeling peckish, we can always take another trip into the city."
Vax instinctually started to melt back into his stealthy admirer... before he realized who it was. And who Shinobi thought he was. But... fuck. That felt good. It felt really good, and he had to bite his tongue and remember where he was (and who he was.) He took a slow, deep breath, then gently began to peel Shinobi's hands off of him. "Shaw, darling, we need to talk."
"Shaw desu ka?" Shinobi hummed, leaning back on his heels and folding his hands behind his back. He inclined his head inquisitively. "Well, I do enjoy our conversation." Something seemed ... off with Vex, just then. Nothing he could define, but definitely a departure from what he had come to accept as her norm. "What's on your mind?"
Vax closed the freezer, then turned to face him. Shinobi was... okay, he was attractive. Vax could admit that to himself. He could see what Vex saw in him. Sort of. But he didn't approve of the fact that Vex was mainly just fooling around with him because she was terrified of anything that might hurt her again.
Choosing Shinobi, Vax thought, was because she saw him as the easy play. The safe play. She didn't have to get her heart involved, and Shinobi was just ridiculous enough that he probably seemed like he was an open book. Vax knew better, of course. Sometimes the ridiculous ones could be more trouble than they were worth.
Which was why, for a moment, he almost thought about not telling Shinobi the truth. He pondered, briefly, ending it with the guy on his sister's behalf. Then, of course, he saw Trinket looking at him like that, and he sighed. "I'm not Vex'ahlia."
"Sou ... ka." Shinobi's curious expression sharpened, at that, and he immediately made a show of looking her up and down thoughtfully. "You certainly have all the right parts," he mused, his tone more thoughtful than teasing, right then. They were at mutant school, after all, and with all the shapeshifters and telepaths around, certainly stranger things had happened. If not much stranger. Assuming, of course, that Vex hadn't simply hit her head in the Danger Room or romping through the outdoors, and was now suffering an acute dissociative episode. "May I ask, then, with whom I have the pleasure of speaking?"
Oh, Vax had every intention of doing the right thing... right up until Shinobi looked him up and down like he (his sister, really) was a piece of meat. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and he attempted to affect his sister's charming tone. "Not Vex'ahlia, darling, but her ghost. I am so sorry to tell you this way, but we can't hook up any longer." In the sink, Trinket grumbled in protest, but Vax ignored him. "Such a shame, terrible arrow accident and all. Vax is devastated. But what are you going to do?
Expression turning decidedly perplexed, Shinobi straightened, and tapped a finger to his chin. After a quiet moment, he replied, "What, indeed? I suppose there's no helping it." He shrugged, ruthlessly quashing the flicker of ... something that flashed through his middle as their casual arrangement ended as abruptly as it had begun. Still, it wasn't as though either of them had gone into it with eyes closed. She'd specified quite explicitly at New Year's that this was strictly an exercise in fun.
Apparently, the fun had ended. Unfortunate. Still.
"Even so, that's no excuse to go despoiling your digestive tract with mass-produced pseudo-food. If you'd rather not go into the city, I'm sure I have something fancy I could fetch from my room to tide you over until breakfast is served."
Vax couldn't believe that had worked. Obviously, neither of them thought that Vex was dead, but Shinobi had taken the rejection...without objection. Without any objection at all. Vax wasn't sure whether he felt good or bad about that. On the one hand, did he really deserve his sister if the guy clearly didn't have feelings enough for her to fight for...whatever it was they had? On the other hand, he'd just destroyed his sister's one spot of happiness within seconds. It had been... a little too easy.
And yet still, despite all of it, he was being offered food from the carefree billionaire. He was also getting the worst stink-eye from the bear nearby. "What sort of fancy are we talking about?" he managed to inquire.
"Sushi, mostly," he said. Whatever hurt he felt at the ending of their prior arrangement was pushed deep into that morass of pain Shinobi had been ruthlessly suppressing since his mother's death, before he'd been carted off to Japan to perfect the art of concealing his actual feelings. His tone was light as he went on, "If that's not to your liking, we could always order in. I have a great many menus at my disposal, and am a renowned tipper."
"Seriously?" Vax blurted, disbelieving. "I break it off, and that's all you have to say? Let's get some sushi?"
"'Are you interested in some fun,' you asked me," he recited back to Vex easily. "'With no romantic expectations? And can you promise you won't get angry, or obsessive, or try to harm me if that's all it is'? I did promise. So I'm not angry, and that other business is too ludicrous for genuine contemplation. But we can still have a nice meal together, and enjoy some pleasant conversation. Unless you would rather not."
Vax reached up to pinch at the bridge of his sister's nose. "Listen," he sighed, "there was an accident. Vex tried to create a teleportation spell and it went...wrong. Instead she switched our bodies. Which, yes, I suppose, is a fucking thing that can happen."
There was no elegant way to describe Shinobi's reaction--he gawked, openly and shamelessly, brows screwed up in confusion. He raised a questioning finger and pointed it at the Vassar twin presently standing in front of him. "Vax'ildan?"
"I'd say 'in the flesh,' but that would be a tad misleading," Vax drawled.
"Just a touch, yes," Shinobi said, clearly making an effort to collect himself. He'd suspected some sort of powers-related mutant strangeness had been afoot, but this? This was beyond anything even his gifted imagination could conceive. "I thought there was something a touch off with you. Her? Vex. I suppose that answers that." He gave Vax ... Vax'ahlia? a look. This scenario was far too complicated for this time of night. "So, your sister ...?" In lieu of finishing the question, he simply pointed two fingers back in the direction of the boys dorm, dark eyebrows raised inquisitively.
Vax raised a brow at him, then folded his arms over his chest. Then... adjusted a little. God, how did women do this? "What, are you planning to boink her in my body?"
That brought Shinobi's familiar, ironic smirk back full force. "It does raise some interesting possibilities, doesn't it? And I'd be lying if I suggested they weren't at least a little enticing. Still. I suspect the aftermath might be more than a little awkward for all concerned, and I think it perhaps a bit too sketchy even for my very forgiving standards of personal comportment." His mouth twisted a bit sourly as he added, "Also, as a point of clarification, 'boink'-ing has not been on the table, as far as your sister and I are concerned." Yet. One could only live in hope. "And neither of us would call it that, in any case." Boink. Really.
That was odd. Vax frowned a little and took a seat on the nearby stool. "You aren't? But I just assumed, when you sneak away all the time that...you know."
"We thoroughly enjoy each other's company," Shinobi told him archly, leaning back against the wall and folding his arms over his middle. "But your sister has made her personal boundaries plain. I respect them, in the hope of continuing to enjoy her company. And that's probably a greater level of detail than I ought to have shared, already." He shrugged. "Well. I'll make it up to Vex, once everyone's back in their proper place."
A new thought occurred to him, and he canted his head to one side. "You are working on that, aren't you? Not that I'm particularly hung up on which gender of twin Vex happens to be, but I'd hate to do anything that would make Percival jealous."
Vax was quiet for a moment, then he reached up to rub at the back of his neck. Vex's neck. "There's the rub, isn't it? Our powers are reversed, and I've got fuck all of an idea how to use hers. The most I've been able to do is get the bear out of necklace." He nodded to Trinket, where the young bear was attempting to climb out of the sink and onto the counter.
"And she can't do anything, because she's stuck with my powers. We went to the Professor, but he's still looking into solutions. Trust me, I'm quite fond of my own body. It's not as though we're dragging our feet on this. As for Percival? Well, he seems to be taking it better than I am."
"He does seem to have an uncannily high threshold for the uncanny," Shinobi observed. Quickly adding, "I mean that as a compliment, by the way; I admire anyone who can maintain his composure after having his significant other suddenly gender-swapped." Especially when it was that significant other's own twin sister. That was ... a challenging scenario on multiple levels.
He studied Vex/Not-Vex carefully for a moment, then ventured, "Well, if anyone has the necessary experience with bizarre mutant phenomena, it's Xavier--I suppose that, if your bodies had to be switched, this is a better place to go about rectifying it than most. In the meantime ... I apologize for the indelicacy of the question, but I simply have to ask. What's it like? Suddenly being you, but with a different balance of hormones and an entirely different physicality?" The more he thought about it, the more it inflamed his curiosity. And how often did one have the opportunity to ask someone with experience living as both sexes?
It was odd. No one (not even Percy) had yet to ask that. Not in that way. And honestly, Vax had been dying to talk about it. On the other hand, it seemed somehow taboo to complain (or worse yet, marvel) about his sister's body and how different it was from his own. That Shinobi was the one to express interest... well, Vax supposed that Shinobi never had use for taboos anyway.
"I never thought we were that different!" Vax blurted, reaching for Trinket to cuddle him to his chest. "But now I'm trying not to cry into my pillow, and I feel like my hips sway without even trying! I'm having a hell of a time trying to get a bra on, or even deal with these things at all, and I second guess every single fucking thing I say. But I have to admit... every part of my body is...sensitive. And soft. Taking a shower was a fucking adventure. Also, why the fuck is her hair more soft than mine? That's unfair if you ask me."
"The very height of unfairness," Shinobi agreed, nodding. "As twins, your hair should, by definition, be equally soft." He gave the Vax in Vex's clothing an appraising look, then said, "Getting back into your own body is a priority, I agree. But it doesn't sound like being stuck in your sister's has been all bad. New. Sensitive. But not bad. Am I wrong?"
"Not entirely," Vax agreed thoughtfully. "Absolutely an eye-opener, I'll give you that."
Shinobi crossed the kitchen to stand beside Vax, leaning back against the sink with his elbows propped up on the edge of the counter. "I've no doubt that this glimpse into how the other half lives has been utterly fascinating," he said, "inconveniences aside. My suggestion would be to make the most of it while it lasts, until Xavier comes up with .. something." He waved a hand vaguely, since he wouldn't know where to begin guessing what that something might be. "I'm not exactly envious--I'm much too self-satisfied for that--but this is definitely the most interesting thing I've seen yet. And at this school, that's quite the claim to distinction."
"Interesting, maybe. Fucking weird, yeah," Vax told him, leaning down to let Trinket tumble around on the floor. "Next time I'll tell Vex to switch places with you and you guys can experiment all you want."
"I'm honestly not sure whether to interpret that sentiment as an oblique blessing," Shinobi said, delicate features crinkling into a wry smirk, "or a sideways curse. So I'll just say thank you for the really very intriguing notion." He was mostly joking, of course. Enticing as the idea was, he had a feeling that this was probably the last bit of body-swapping Vex'ahlia would want to be doing for the foreseeable future.
"Sorry for trying to fuck you over, mate," Vax told him, looking up at Shinobi. "She's just...she's not in a great place, yeah? I wasn't sure you were good for her."
"That's a perfectly rational reaction for you to have, in my opinion," he said, smile relaxing into something less teasing and more genial. "And, though I have no experience with siblings myself, I suspect it just makes you a good brother, being interested enough to be concerned in the first place. I am as good as circumstances allow me to be; I'm afraid that's the best guarantee I can offer. But I'm also reasonably confident Vex is more than capable of getting the best of me in any proposition more meaningful than a game of tag."
The quirk to Shinobi's mouth receded, even if it didn't vanish entirely, and he added, "I thought she might be going through something, or getting over something, when she asked me to make her that promise. Nosy as I can be about things--especially the things that are obviously none of my business--even I can tell when it's more prudent not to ask."
"Listen, don't tell her I said anything," Vax told him, a frown wrinkling his brow. "It's not my place to talk about it, no matter how much I'm worried about her. I just... thought you should know that she's not like other girls, okay?"
He paused, head tilting sideways. "Though I can't say I'm heartbroken to hear that you two haven't, you know."
"Well," Shinobi returned, resting the tips of his fingers over his chest, "I'm heartbroken enough for the both of us over it, so I suppose things even out in the end." His easy smirk returned full force at that point, and he shrugged. "But I was already aware Vex isn't like other girls--she's infinitely more interesting than most of them, for one thing. Brilliantly self-sufficient, and possessed of a wit I'm sure to cut myself on, one day. And it is so strange to hear myself singing her praises while looking her in the face, and not being utterly mortified with myself for doing so. That can be our little secret, too, if you like."
"Only if you don't tell her that I tried to sink her relationship with you," Vax smirked.
"I'll carry that secret to my grave," Shinobi promised solemnly, then immediately ruined the moment by grinning again. "Besides, she'd never believe me over her own brother. And it was a perfectly justifiable reaction on your part. I apologize for attempting to ambush-cuddle you. I was making an effort to let Vex know she didn't necessarily always have to be the instigator, in our shared moments. Clumsily, I admit, but opportunistic affection very often is."
Vax snorted softly, turning his sister’s smile on him. “I don’t mind. It was kind of nice, actually. It’s not the cuddling that worries me. Or the potential for...other things. As always, I worry about her heart.”
"A very brotherly cause for concern," Shinobi nodded. "But I don't think I see the need. I'm under the impression Vex is very protective of her heart, just now. I'm fairly certain I lack any genuine access to it, and rather doubt I will anytime soon, if ever. She was quite plain regarding her terms for our continued ... association?"
"Yeah, you mentioned that. What terms were those, exactly?" Vax asked.
"'Some fun, with no romantic expectations'," he quoted, giving a fairly competent, if not perfect, imitation of Vex's typical inflection. "It seems fairly clear-cut, to me. Though people do let their affections run away with them at times, your sister hardly strikes me as the sort."
"You'd be surprised," he grumbled softly, knowing it wasn't entirely her emotions that she was trying to protect. Well, those, and trying not to get assaulted by a tree again.
"Sou ka," Shinobi replied noncommittally. "As I said, I'm not about to pry into such an obviously private matter. And I'm not about to push, when it's been made clear that would not be welcome. I will, however, be at Vex's disposal for anything she might need, whether it be cuddles or a friendly trip off-campus for sushi. I'm confident she'll work her way through whatever it is she's currently experiencing. Particularly with such a devoted sibling to look out for her."
"Fuck me," Vax cursed, pushing off of the stool to go find more pizza bites. "I can't believe I actually don't not hate you."
Shinobi was smirking again at her particular phraseology, and detached himself from the counter to look over her shoulder again at a much more respectful distance. "I have been known to have that effect on people," he noted. "Except when I don't." He paused a beat, then couldn't help but ask, "Are those actually edible? They seem more ... food-adjacent than actual cuisine."
"Try eating leftover linguini from a dumpster sometime, and tell me what you think constitutes food," Vax replied in a dry tone.
"Pass," Shinobi replied with a dramatic shudder. But his eyes grew keen with interest, and he positioned himself beside the fridge where he could study her face again. "But wait. I thought Syldor Vessar was your father. I'm fairly certain that even a humble diplomat can afford better for his offspring."
Vax paused. Literally froze for a moment. He hadn't realized Vex had been keeping that part of their childhood to herself. When he started moving again, he turned toward the microwave, busying himself with the frozen food. It made sense that Vex would only show the Vessar side of herself to Shinobi. Of course she'd play up the rich side, even if it made Vax a little sick to think about. So what did he tell Shinobi, then? Yeah, he'd deliberately tried to sink his relationship with his sister, but for some reason accidentally loosing her secrets felt a lot worse. "Syldor can afford to give Vex anything she wants," he finally settled on replying.
That pause, and the neutral nature of Vax's reply, was almost as good as a confirmation, as far as Shinobi was concerned. Still, he prided himself on not prying, when it came to the really important things--or, more particularly, the really important people. "As Sebastian can for me," he said. Then, "Apropos of nothing, and my father's extraordinary wealth and influence notwithstanding, I always had a much closer relationship with my mother. She gave me the sorts of things Sebastian was incapable of giving. She ... died. A long time ago. Just before I was sent away. And I am by no stretch of the imagination too proud to admit that I miss her every day."
Vax glanced sidelong at Shinobi. He could see a manipulation like that a mile away, but he decided that it wasn't a betrayal of Vex to talk about their past since it belonged to both of them, right? "Syldor abandoned us when we were born," he huffed softly, shoving a plate of pizza bites into the microwave. "We lived with our mum until she died in a fire. And yeah, I miss her like crazy."
"Sumimasen," Shinobi murmured, resting his back against the fridge again. "I'm sorry to hear of your loss." He was quiet for a moment, considering. Did this point of commonality cast his relationship with Vex in a new light? Should it? She hadn't volunteered such a personal detail herself, after all. He had some difficulty imagining circumstances under which she would. Still, there was a certain swell of sympathetic feeling that he honestly could not remember ever having experienced before. It wasn't normally in his nature.
Out loud, he said, "I suppose this means Syldor is roughly on the same level of contemptible as Sebastian. I had imagined him simply dull."
"The man's as useful to me as an expensive ashtray. I don't mind using him for money in a pinch, but overall, I'd rather not be weighed down by him. I'm pretty sure Vex feels similarly," Vax told him.
"Sou desu ka," he said, still thoughtful. Finally, he shrugged. "I have to admit, I feel a certain ... well, 'envy' isn't exactly the right word. Call it an appreciation for your willingness to do without your father--and, more particularly, your father's resources--if he attempts to press too hard. My relationship with the elder Shaw is a bit more complicated. For one thing, I don't think I'd long survive outside the swaddling comfort of my ivory tower." For another thing, he needed to be close at hand to eventually deal with Sebastian the way he'd intended to since he was eight. Abandoning the birthright he'd been grudgingly allowed would be the same as abandoning the retribution he was owed.
"I suppose every bastard has to find his own equilibrium," Shinobi concluded. "Or hers."
"Yeah well," Vax punched in a couple of numbers into the microwave. "Might be I'm being too flippant about the situation, but Vex'ahlia and I did just fine on our own for years before Syldor decided it was best he 'take us in'. I supposed you get used to what you know. Then again, I think Vex has always cared about money more than me. I'm not sure she'd be so willing to part from the meal ticket. Besides which, it turns out we have a younger sister, and neither us wants to leave her alone with that asshat for long."
Shinobi hummed at that revelation. "I think I can understand that impulse, in a very general sort of way--I've more than once tried to intercede on Warren's behalf to his now-dearly-departed stuffed-shirt of a father. But if I were ever to find myself with any actual blood siblings, I suspect Sebastian would arrange for me to quietly disappear from the public eye not long after. It's been made quite clear to me that my sole function is to be an heir, and that my qualifications for the job are solely based on his lack of interest in trying for a more satisfactory scion. It's a bit embarrassing, really, to win by default, but it's not as though I were given a vote."
Vax'ildan looked over at him curiously. He'd never thought about it like that. He supposed, in a way, he was lucky he had more freedom than Velora, or even Vex, whom Syldor seemed to want to show off in public a bit more than her twin. Probably because she was more behaved when in mixed company. "It's no coincidence that Syldor sent me halfway around the world," he agreed. "He wanted me out of his hair even before he found out about my powers. Bit him in the arse when it turned out Vex had them too. But I don't envy you one bit. If you ever want me to get one back at your old man, just say the word. Between you and me, we could probably rob the man blind."
That offer caused Shinobi's eyes to brighten. "If you really were your sister making me such an offer, I would probably kiss you," he said. "As it is, it's interesting you should mention that. I actually have a few ideas for injecting a bit of character-building adversity into Sebastian Shaw's life. I'll be delighted to share them with you, once, you're back in your proper body. I think you'll find both profit and pleasure to be had."
Vex... Vax, rather, looked surprised for a moment, then glanced down at himself. "Fuck. I forgot I don't have my shadows."
"Well, I'm fairly certain Vax would also prove quite an asset in this venture--hence the aforementioned kissing. But I suspect neither of your are so comfortable with the other's abilities that you'd care to undertake such a venture until back in--shall we say?--more familiar surroundings."
"Yeah, I just..." Vax sighed. "I keep forgetting."
"Really?" Shinobi asked, genuinely intrigued. "Are you getting used to your new reality, then? Interesting. I would have imagined it much more difficult to go from hard planes and lean muscle to something so much," he playfully ran the tip of a finger up Vax's side, from hip to rib cage, "softer."
Vax had to white-knuckle the counter to keep from shivering at that touch, because, oh yeah, it was more difficult. And whereas he could get a hard on pretty much any time in his old body, things were a lot different in this one, and not in the ways he'd expected. Like, girls got horny too apparently - it just didn't show as easy. "I'm not getting used to it," he told Shinobi, swatting his hand away. "Wishful thinking, maybe."
"Of course," Shinobi said agreeably, withdrawing his hand without complaint, but leaning gently into Vax. "Wishful thinking, entirely. Not deserving a second thought." He looped his arm loosely around her again, resting it on the counter, carefully not touching, and smiling benignly. "Just making the most of a challenging situation."
Vax paused, glancing aside at the boy leaning against him (her!), and breathed out an incredulous grin. "Are you seriously trying to ride my nerves by hitting on your girlfriend's twin in his sister's body?"
"Now that's an interesting question," Shinobi said, cocking his head thoughtfully. "I suppose that depends on whether it's working or not. I'm sure your nerves are more than up to the task, Vax-kun."
Vax snorted, gently unwinding Shinobi's arm and nudging him off. "You're not my type. I'm a sucker for broody intellectual snark."
"Fair enough," he said, sliding away and studying Vex-not-Vex. "I suppose my un-intellectual snark fails to appeal. Still, you can't blame a boy for trying."
"No," Vax agreed thoughtfully, turning to face him. "I can't. And, under other circumstances, I might have even taken you up on it."
"Oh, for the road not taken," Shinobi mused, then offered a nonchalant shrug. "But I suppose our circumstances, strange as they are, are fairly clear on that point. I suppose all that's left is for me to drink myself to sleep in mourning that fate was not kinder."
Vax just stared at him. "You're an odd one, you know that? It's no wonder she likes you."
"I have been told my charm is a unique, acquired taste," he nodded. "But thank you, all the same. I like to think that, if nothing else, I provide Vex with an amusing distraction every now and again. As to whether she likes me or not," Shinobi shrugged, "well, one can always hope."
Vax watched him for a moment. "You really care for her."
"What an interesting notion," Shinobi replied noncommittally, suddenly finding a reason to break eye contact and study something on the opposite wall intently. "I suppose it's not impossible."
“Well,” Vax murmured thoughtfully. “Isn’t that something.”
