Vex and Percy, backdated to 08/15/17
Aug. 15th, 2017 10:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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ax_mainAfter Vax explains the situation to Percy, Vex says her own goodbyes.
Vex let her brother explain the situation to Percy, knowing that arguing in front of him during the process would only make it worse. She was folding up some items into a piece of cloth when Percy came downstairs. A scrap of ribbon, a blue feather, small trinkets that made this place home. She heard the step shift and turned to spot Percy coming downstairs.
"Keyleth's gone?" Vex asked, having already spotted empty spaces that implied the other girl had taken her things.
Percy stopped at the foot of the stairs, his eyes lingering on Vex’s partially packed bag for half-a-second too long. God, they really were leaving… “Left not five minutes ago. You just missed her,” he said as his gaze returned to Vex. He crossed the room to her.
Vex stood, and while she swore she wasn't going to do this, she threw her arms around Percy and hugged him. "I'm sorry.”
It took Percy a moment to respond, but he put his arms around Vex, returning the embrace. “Don’t be. This is out of your control.”
"It's not fair," she protested. "It's a little late for him to care." Vex pulled back enough to meet Percy's eyes. "I don't think it will be easy to sneak out, even with... he keeps waiting for us to do something outlandish. But I don't want leave you. You shouldn't be alone."
“Very little in life is fair. You and I both know that.” Percy gave Vex a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry about me. I’ll be alright. I have somewhere I can go.” It was the same lie he’d told Vax and it tasted just as sour on his tongue now as it had when he’d first said it. He did have somewhere to go, he just had no intention of going there.
She raised an eyebrow. “Where?"
“With someone I know further up north. I have enough money squirreled away for a coach ticket,” Percy replied.
Vex studied him and then nodded. “We’ll give you our father’s address so you can find us if you're back in the city. And… I guess we’ll leave a note, in case anyone comes back. If it doesn't work out up north, tell us. Promise? We’ll figure something out.”
Percy smiled faintly. “I promise I’ll keep in touch. I’ll write.” That, at least, was entirely the truth.
“Okay.” She squeezed his arms and finally drew back.
Percy’s smile faltered. He straightened himself, squaring his shoulders and forcing the small smile back into place. “I’ll miss you both.”
She gave him a crooked smile. Finding their father, gaining a step-mother and little sister, in no way could make up from losing the family they'd made. “If I could sneak you into the house beneath my skirts I would.”
Percy chuckled. “And then what? Hide me in your closet and sneak me the scraps from dinner?”
"Vax and I would hand feed you the finest tablescraps. But I don't think you'd do well in a closet, not enough light to read by.”
“Not by far,” Percy agreed with a glimpse of an amused smile. “It would probably be a tad cramped as well. And where would your brother put all his hoodys?”
"You'd have a nest of them. Let's be honest." Vex slipped a hand into her pocket and withdraw one of the blue feathers she'd pocketed. She reached and tucked it behind Percy's ear.
Humbled and touched by Vax’s gesture, Percy brushed the feather with delicate fingers. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”
"We treasure you," Vex said softly. "Stay in touch. And stay safe. Understood?”
Percy swallowed the lump of emotion in his throat and nodded. “You as well. Take care of one another, will you?”
"Always." Vex moved to the stairs to chase her brother down. If she stayed here much longer she wouldn't be able to leave.
Percy watched Vex go until she was out of sight, then turned away to busy himself with something—anything—to get his mind off the ache in his heart and the thought that he’d somehow lost another family.
Vex let her brother explain the situation to Percy, knowing that arguing in front of him during the process would only make it worse. She was folding up some items into a piece of cloth when Percy came downstairs. A scrap of ribbon, a blue feather, small trinkets that made this place home. She heard the step shift and turned to spot Percy coming downstairs.
"Keyleth's gone?" Vex asked, having already spotted empty spaces that implied the other girl had taken her things.
Percy stopped at the foot of the stairs, his eyes lingering on Vex’s partially packed bag for half-a-second too long. God, they really were leaving… “Left not five minutes ago. You just missed her,” he said as his gaze returned to Vex. He crossed the room to her.
Vex stood, and while she swore she wasn't going to do this, she threw her arms around Percy and hugged him. "I'm sorry.”
It took Percy a moment to respond, but he put his arms around Vex, returning the embrace. “Don’t be. This is out of your control.”
"It's not fair," she protested. "It's a little late for him to care." Vex pulled back enough to meet Percy's eyes. "I don't think it will be easy to sneak out, even with... he keeps waiting for us to do something outlandish. But I don't want leave you. You shouldn't be alone."
“Very little in life is fair. You and I both know that.” Percy gave Vex a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry about me. I’ll be alright. I have somewhere I can go.” It was the same lie he’d told Vax and it tasted just as sour on his tongue now as it had when he’d first said it. He did have somewhere to go, he just had no intention of going there.
She raised an eyebrow. “Where?"
“With someone I know further up north. I have enough money squirreled away for a coach ticket,” Percy replied.
Vex studied him and then nodded. “We’ll give you our father’s address so you can find us if you're back in the city. And… I guess we’ll leave a note, in case anyone comes back. If it doesn't work out up north, tell us. Promise? We’ll figure something out.”
Percy smiled faintly. “I promise I’ll keep in touch. I’ll write.” That, at least, was entirely the truth.
“Okay.” She squeezed his arms and finally drew back.
Percy’s smile faltered. He straightened himself, squaring his shoulders and forcing the small smile back into place. “I’ll miss you both.”
She gave him a crooked smile. Finding their father, gaining a step-mother and little sister, in no way could make up from losing the family they'd made. “If I could sneak you into the house beneath my skirts I would.”
Percy chuckled. “And then what? Hide me in your closet and sneak me the scraps from dinner?”
"Vax and I would hand feed you the finest tablescraps. But I don't think you'd do well in a closet, not enough light to read by.”
“Not by far,” Percy agreed with a glimpse of an amused smile. “It would probably be a tad cramped as well. And where would your brother put all his hoodys?”
"You'd have a nest of them. Let's be honest." Vex slipped a hand into her pocket and withdraw one of the blue feathers she'd pocketed. She reached and tucked it behind Percy's ear.
Humbled and touched by Vax’s gesture, Percy brushed the feather with delicate fingers. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”
"We treasure you," Vex said softly. "Stay in touch. And stay safe. Understood?”
Percy swallowed the lump of emotion in his throat and nodded. “You as well. Take care of one another, will you?”
"Always." Vex moved to the stairs to chase her brother down. If she stayed here much longer she wouldn't be able to leave.
Percy watched Vex go until she was out of sight, then turned away to busy himself with something—anything—to get his mind off the ache in his heart and the thought that he’d somehow lost another family.
