thebadnews | (no subject)

Spending the night with Percy was, as always, unbelievable. The lovemaking was passionate, the food edible and the rest great. However, being a half-elf means that she never slept as long as he did. As soon as light's first rays started to creep above the horizon, Vex slips out from under her lover's arm, brushes a soft kiss to his cheek and looks down at him as his chest rises and falls in deep slumber when she's free of the sheets and his limbs.

Her future husband...

The thought has her eyes zeroing in on the gold band on his left hand. Fear, excitement and hope well up in her chest and she has to take a step back.

Moving on light feet, she picks up her clothes from where they were shed the night before and enters the bathroom. After taking care of her morning ablutions and running her fingers through her long, dark hair, she pulls on her clothes and moves to start braiding the strands, before she realizes that her feathers are gone. And why.

All she can do is quickly leave the small room and go to the room Percy has set up as a sort of office. The detailed sketch of herself done by his talented hands is impossible to ignore and she can't help but smiling gently before looking for a blank sheet of paper. Finding one, she quickly dashes out a letter that only he would be able to read.

'Darling,
I've the need to do some exploring and I couldn't bring myself to wake you from so sweet a rest. I have this strange device they've given me and my earring. I promise to be careful, since I will be alone.
I love you,
Vex'ahlia'

As a reassurance, she leaves Raven's Slumber on top of the letter on the kitchen counter and an arrow from her quiver before she puts on her boots, straps Fenthas and her quiver to her back and checks to make sure that her broom is still in her Bag of Holding before she quietly slips from the apartment and taking to the air so she can get a lay of the land in her new reality.

[ Waking up alone should probably not have come as much of a surprise. After all, up until a day ago, that had been the norm. But when he rolls over to find the space in his bed empty, Percy stirs up quickly and looks around, half-expecting Vex to be in the bathroom, intending on coming back to bed.

But much to his chagrin, there is no sound of his lover nearby, and considering the much smaller accommodations, it's quite clear she's not here.

It's when Percy is fixing himself coffee - something that he never would have anticipated enjoying until he found out just how much more alert and awake it made him, priming him for plenty of time spent in his workshop - that he spots the letter. The elvish is easy enough to parse, and he lets out a deep sigh, mostly of relief, because at least he knows where she is. Although he would have much rather her wake him up, he can't deny that there were instances in the past when he excused himself to his workshop, so he can't exactly fault her here. ]

Saw your note. Just want to make sure everything is fine, shoot me a text when you get this, okay?

[She can feel the device vibrating in her hip pouch at her belt and she has to land on her broom quickly. Taking it out, she manages to get it out so she can read his message.]

Good morning, darling. I'm fine, but since I've been gone for a few hours now, I can return if you're missing me too much.

Only if you're ready to come home.

Have you eaten anything? Perhaps I can try my hand at making breakfast.

[He's really been trying to master simple cooking techniques. Not being able to rely on servants has definitely thrown him a loop, but it has been an interesting learning experience, at least.]

[She considers things as they stand and puts her broom into the bag at her hip.]

I'm absolutely famished. I know it's been ages, but I think I can handle a simple breakfast for us both if you have the ingredients. I promise to at least not burn it.

Oh? Well I certainly have a range of ingredients to choose from. I'm sure whatever you come up with will be brilliant.

[It's sure to be better than whatever Percy would concoct, at the very least.]

[She doesn't bother replying, instead opening the door to the home carefully. She puts her broom by the door, making sure that the custom saddle is far of the way of anyone walking or leaving the home.

On silent feet, she makes her way into the kitchen and sees that her letter and Raven's Slumber are not where she left them. Instead of worrying, she starts digging around in the cupboards and the fancy ice box to see what items are here to cook with.]

Percy, how do you feel about omelets?

[ In the interim while waiting for Vex to return, Percy decides to clear up a little bit. After all, it had just been him for that stretch of time, although it's more so as a distraction so that he isn't tempted to slip back to the workshop and lose track of time.

He hears Vex's voice before he has heard any sign of her return, and pokes his head out from the study, where he had been putting away books that he had strewn across his desk haphazardly. ]

I don't know that I've ever had one. I'm sure I'll like it, especially if you're cooking it.

[It's been a while since she's really done something like this. Even before when it was just her and Vax, the meals they had out in the forests were simple and easy so that they could break camp and continue moving on. While travelling with the rest of Vox Machina, they'd all taken turns cooking, if they weren't eating food that was packed per meal.

She can't help but think back to her childhood and carefully adds the ingredients to make the egg mixture before chopping up a few vegetables to add in.]

I can't guarantee that it will be like anything the staff in Whitestone or Laina can make. It has been a while since I've had to cook beyond the very basics. But at least it's not roasted chicken?

[Free food is free food, but she remembers far too many meals in Scanlan's magic mansion.]

[ Surely Vex is selling herself short, but either way this is bound to be better than anything Percy had resorted to eating while he was traveling on his own. ]

While I will miss our servants and Laina dearly, I will be happy to eat near anything you cook up, my dear. [ At the mention of roasted chicken, he makes a face. It took a very long time before Percy had been willing to eat anything resembling a chicken after that, even cooked by his own servants. ]

Yes, um. I think it's safe to say we should go easy on the chicken while we're here.

[She can't help but laugh at his response. She understands it far, far too well.]

Percy, darling, I can safely say that it will be a long time before I'm able to eat anything even resembling a chicken.

[She looks over the stove and takes a few moments to familiarize herself with the settings. Thankfully, they seem fairly simple: turn knob, adjust flame. She sees where the fire pops out from the pilot to light up the gas. (It's hard to miss the smell of the gas, especially since she's been around cities for a while now.) Once she's certain, she heats a little butter, pours in the egg mixture and then turns her head around to look at Percy.]

It's a shame he never got around to teaching them to cook anything else, despite Grog asking. I'm pretty sure my brother was willing to burn it down if we'd gone longer with only that as our source of food.

[ Percy joins her in laughing, shaking his head as memories of those days spent together come to mind. He misses those who were not represented here. It shouldn't be just the three of them; it just didn't feel right. ]

Point taken. Don't worry, I won't be attempting to cook one anytime soon.

[ Ah, nostalgia. It was far too early to break open a bottle of wine, but it always felt like the sort of thing to do when reminiscing. ]

A true shame. And to tell you the truth? I probably would have helped. [ And not at all because he was still harboring something of a grudge due to the destruction of his gun in the acid pits. Even if that had turned out to be a wise decision in the end. ]

[She turns around fully to raise an eyebrow at him.]

I think I might actually pay to see you attempt to cook a chicken. If only because we could probably use it as a bludgeoning weapon afterwards.

[Not that there weren't cases of whole cooked chickens being tossed around during meal time.]

Percy, I didn't know you hated our lack of diverse food quite so much during that time. Hm. [She turns back to the food to make sure it doesn't burn, carefully flipping the omelet over so that she can plate it when it's done.] Maybe I should have budgeted for us to have more food when we were in towns.

[ Percy opens his mouth to say something, then thinks better of it and closes it again. It's true, he's much more likely to burn the damn thing than make anything close to edible. There's a reason most of his meals here before Vex's arrival were things that did not need to be cooked. ]

I don't think we want to risk burning this place down, so perhaps not.

[ Whatever it is Vex is cooking, it does smell good -- leagues better than anything they had eaten in the mansion, though that isn't exactly saying much. ]

Perhaps it wasn't that bad. Mostly I knew that being as privileged as I was, I should be thankful we had a steady food source, with everything that was going on around us. [Those moments of crisis, as well as the time Percy spent living on his own were enough for Percy to appreciate it when he had an overabundance of food.]

Maybe I should take cooking classes, though. If that is a thing here.

[She turns off the stove, uses the spatula to half the omelet for them both and then plates the food. She slides one over to him and then leans across the counter to give him a cheeky smile.]

We promised to save all explosions for the workshop, yes? I'm not sure if we could stomach having to eat out all the time.

[She's not going to boast about making something so simple, but she's pretty sure that it's good. She smelled everything before she started trying to use it to cook with and nothing smelled off or unusual.]

And, honestly, for a while, Vax and I had access to a lot of well-made food. Even the elves of Syngorn didn't dare try to poison us. [She shrugs at the itching of the scabbed-over memory.] But if you'd asked, I'm sure that Pike or I would have made something that wasn't chicken.

Although, cooking classes wouldn't be a bad idea at all. If you're interested in it, anyway.

[ At Vex's joke, Percy lets out a rather loud laugh, something that has definitely become more commonplace as of late. Early on in their friendship, it had been much more difficult for him to feel at ease with expressing himself so easily, for even finding happiness in such jokes. ]

Yes, but if I take lessons in a controlled environment, the risks for explosions should decrease immensely.

[ There was a shrug at Vex's hypothetical offer. It was a bit late for that now, and they managed to get through relatively unscathed. ] I do not doubt that you would have. Maybe I was also a tad preoccupied with all that was going on around us.

[ Honestly, cooking classes were sounding pretty good right about now. If he was to be stuck here without servants to rely on, he might as well learn how to take care of himself rather than rely on Vex for everything. Just in case. ] I'll look into it.

[She can't help but feel pleased that he laughs. It was a silly joke, but Percy's always so serious that hearing him let go, one way or another, is one of her favorite things.]

You're a rather determined learner, so I suppose that you taking lessons in how to not kill yourself in the kitchen is a great idea. I would prefer you stay whole and hale, after all.

[At his remark about being preoccupied, she grimaces a bit. It was true that it seemed that they never really seemed to stop for very long. And by the time they had, they were the owners of what would become Greyskull Keep in Emon and had servants.]

If only we could do something about your habit of losing yourself in your work.

[ It feels strange to be looking forward to doing something so...domestic. But maybe that is what he needs right now. To pour himself into more domestic matters to distract himself from the more sinister natures of this world. ]

Well, that makes two of us then. [ He grins cheekily as he starts pulling out silverware and napkins to set the table for their upcoming breakfast. ]

Too bad we don't have anyone like Doty to physically drag me away.

[ It was mostly a joke. He is rather glad to have the privacy nowadays. ]

[She watches him as he sets the table. It's something so mundane for others, but they've never really had that, unless they were eating in the castle at Whitestone or at someone else's table. It's a nicety that has been sorely lacking for so long.

A part of her is left wondering what married life with him is actually like back in Whitestone.]

While I appreciate not having an audience, perhaps you might attempt to build your own automaton. It seems like a good use of your skills and time, Percy. [She pulls two glasses out and fills them with water, something they could both use more of if she were to be perfectly honest.] As much as I appreciate Taryon's skills as a builder, I believe I'm biased in thinking that you're better than he is.

[ Now there's an idea. Percy always respected Tary's skills with tinkering. There had maybe been an initial irritation at the artificer, but in the end they had become almost thick as thieves.

It's entirely possible he has picked up a thing or two from Tary along the way. Would he be able to replicate some of those techniques? Well, there's only one way to find out. ]

That's...not a bad idea, actually. Worth looking into, at any rate. [ He would have to make sure he could even afford all the supplies. And considering the currency of this world?

Well, a part of him almost wished they could still earn it through adventuring, like old times. ]

[She watches his face as he thinks over what she's said. His brows furrow a bit but there's a light in his eyes that show his excitement. His lips are tipped up into a slight smile that makes her want to kiss him.

So, she does lean over to kiss his cheek, reveling in the way the touch sends a warmth through her that she's never felt before. It's as if being allowed to touch, kiss, love him is the best thing she's ever been allowed to do.]

Hm, yes, I have a lot of good ideas. This is why you all listen to me, more often than not.

[That, and she controls the group's funds.]

[Ten days after being deposited back into the inhabited parts of this world, Percy can return to his silent, dark home to a lovely looking serving platter and cover on the counter of his kitchen.

Upon lifting the lid, he will find the blandest looking chicken practically skewered through with a viciously handmade arrow, fletched with one white and one brown feather at the end. There are also unappetizing looking mashed potatoes and some mashed cauliflower in smaller dishes.

Attached by the arrow to the chicken is a note in a delicate, flowing feminine hand: "Don't forget to eat, darling."

And if he bothers to look, there's the key he gave her sitting not that far from all of it.]

Percival, I've been able to get Trinket. I require Raven's Slumber. You still have it in your possession. Please feel free to leave it with Pike at her apartment.

Vex'ahlia

[Attached is Pike's address.]

Right, of course, I've been meaning to get this back to you. I will leave it with her at once.

Why haven't you talked to Vex yet?!

To be quite honest, after the lovely little gift I received upon returning home, I was under the impression the last thing she wanted was to hear from me.

Regardless, I will be leaving Raven's Slumber for her, as requested.

Nothing will be solved if you two just avoid each other. You're only hurting yourselves?!

Don't do that Percy. Both you and Vex deserve to be happy.

It will be fine, Pike. If she does want to talk, she knows where to find me. In the meantime, please do make sure she gets Raven's Slumber back? I wouldn't want to disappoint her more than I already have.

It isn't fine.
You weren't there to see her.

Of course, I will give it to her but YOU need to talk to her.

Please. If not I am going to come find you and drag your ass here to talk to her!!! And if you can't talk to her then talk to me! What is going on? Why are you doing this?

Why am *I* doing this? All I wanted was to not rush into anything for a change. This place confounds me and frustrates me in a way that Exandria never did, and on top of it, the things that I know that Vex doesn't? It weighs on me in a way that is probably not healthy, I will admit, but I cannot just blink and forget or let go.

Look, I appreciate what you are doing, Pike. You are a good friend and I am glad Vex has someone like you to support her through this. But I will reiterate that if she wants to talk, she knows where I live, or I can suggest a neutral place if she would prefer.

I understand Percy. It isn't easy for any of us but you can talk to us. Vex and I might not know the future yet but you don't have to carry it around on your own.

And you know Vex, she's too stubborn to reach out first and I'm worried.

Percy she's hurting herself. She nearly died on the island and that recklessness is fine with the others around but Vex is going off on her own. I don't think I'll be able to keep her alive if she keeps this up!

I'm begging you for help or to let me help. Tell me what's weighing on you. Please. I can't loss more friends...

Yeah, I know Vex...

Fine. I will talk to her. Just...try to keep her from doing anything stupid until I can figure out what I am going to say?

[As Molly promised, he drops by Percy's shop to pay for the repairs on his swords, bringing him several boxes of materials and tools, random trinkets, and gadgets he can use to fiddle it and do whatever he likes. There are also a few coupons to exchange for whatever type of precious metal or stone he needs at one of the bigger jewelry stores.

What he finds as he unpacks stuff when Molly leaves, is also a flat, metal box. There are some engravings on it, mostly depictions of the moon. In the box is a- card.

Hand-made card; it's very obvious to tell with the texture of the picture painted on it. It depicts a hand, with a flowy, blue sleeve and intricate embroidery on it, holding... something. Like a prismatic crystal that's breaking at some points, depending on point of view; there are images of forests, rivers, jewelry, and intricate gadgets that hold up cities; magic circles around the entire prismatic crystal where fire turns to water that turns to earth which crumbles into air. There are a lot of details of everything on the card, in that single jewel.

Underneath the picture, in a small banner, like true tarot cards, writes in a surprisingly neat calligraphy, "Inspiration and Creativity".]

Percival! My good friend Percy! How are you keeping? Splendidly I hope?

[ What, there's nothing at all suspicious about a text out of the blue from a trouble-making Archfey, now is there? ]

What are you up to? Where are you? Been a while since I have seen you in the flesh, isn't it? Let's change that huh?

You're not busy, are you?

[ The text definitely comes as a surprise and Percy considers not responding at all.

His curiosity does him in after about five minutes of staring blankly at his mobile device. ]

Well, outside of the occasional adventure dealing with the strange occurrences in this godsforsaken place?

[ The whole vampire thing has been a real sour note ]

Finding ways to keep busy. Which means that I am, unfortunately, not busy.

[ Oh good! He does love it when he is able to surprise people, especially Percy! He's usually so stuffy so it's fun to make him react now and then. ]

Ah yes, it's been rough hasn't it? That's why I've kept low, mostly.

[ You're not telling him what he wants to hear, which is that you're not busy at all and have all the time in the world for him. Ah, hold on, there it is~ ]

Wonderful! I'll take that as an invitation then!

Yeah, I've been doing the same admittedly

[ Why on earth didn't he just lie and way he was busy? Damn, now he feels obligated to play along. ]

...Depending on what it is you're inviting yourself to do.

Great minds think alike, Percy my man!

[ Why on earth didn't he lie? Artagan was half expecting him to! It's both amusing and flattering that he's decided to be truthful. ]

Come now, do two best friend need a reason to share oneanothers company, Percy?

[ Look, blame it on Vex not being here to keep Percy level-headed. Now the company he keeps has him acting...a bit more impulsive. Which might not be the worst thing in the world for him. ]

I don't recall us being "best friends" though, Artagan.

[ Level-headed is overrated! It's far better to just go with the flow and let chaos take the wheel sometimes! Still, there is a deeper reason behind the random text message, not that Artagan was about to come clean and so soon mind you. ]

Fine. So we're not BFFs or whatever but we're still good friends, aren't we? After all, we've known each other for such a long time and all. And I mean, we're sort of all the other person has currently, wouldn't you say?

[ Ah, there it is, there's a snippet of the real reason behind this message. ]

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Action; the morning after her arrival

text; un: derolothethird

text | un: Mistress_Vex

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Forward dated to 6/29

text | un: Mistress_Vex

text; un: derolothethird

Text_un.Monstah

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sneaky boi

text; lolnocultsplz

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