#How far is Pyrah from Vasselheim? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

tiamat-zx · 8 years ago

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Mending Bridges (Revisited)

Synopsis: Before departing for Whitestone to face the Briarwoods, Vax tries to make amends for angering Keyleth to the point where she refused to speak to him. Keyleth, in the meantime, starts thinking about what may lay ahead. This takes place during Episode 27, “The Path to Whitestone”.

Notes: “The Path to Whitestone” was and still is one of my least favorite episodes for several reasons. Still, I was wondering as to how Vax and Keyleth ended up being on speaking terms again due to his blunder in mentioning the child. So, despite my discomfort, I had to make myself rewatch at least enough to remember a few things. And also, I’d like to believe that Kiki’s Season 2 attire was actually the clothes she had bought in Vasselheim for their infiltration of the Velvet Cabaret.

This is my most recent revision. It’s about twice as long as it once was. I do hope you guys like this new version. Also, if you want to, please leave some feedback on ao3.

ao3 link can be found here.

Everything was going downhill very fast ever since their return from Vasselheim two weeks ago, and there was a very high chance that things would only continue to do so for them.

Vax could only mull over the events that transpired since their return to Greyskull Keep as he lay in his room. Everyone in Vox Machina were greeted with the news that a Lord Sylas Briarwood and a Lady Delilah Briarwood would be attending a feast at the royal palace of Emon. Hearing this news made Percy very nervous and agitated as he had vacated to his workshop to work on a “surprise” for the nobles. But when they inquired with him, they were greeted with a rather depressing story of the human’s upbringing and the fall of his family at the hands of the Briarwoods. Naturally, they all agreed to help him achieve revenge for those who died.

And then on the night of the feast, everything went to shit extremely fast when he tried to spy on the Briarwoods after the fact. Unfortunately, he had gotten caught by the two of them and even nearly died when he attempted to escape their clutches. Vox Machina managed to come to his aid with the help of a white tiefling named Lillith, who happened to be a cousin of Zahra Hydris, whom Vex’ahlia worked with during their Slayer’s Take trials. Despite their efforts, the couple escaped and vacated back to Whitestone, leaving Percy to vent out his anger and rage on not only their carriage driver, but also a group of bounty hunters hells-bent on capturing Lillith.

As if that were not enough, the party was removed from the Tal’Dorei Council for their actions that night despite their attempts at trying to plead their case. And now Percy wanted to take the fight to the Briarwoods themselves by returning home to Whitestone, far up in the Alabaster Sierras. They had a week to prepare themselves best they could, as they had no chance of proving their innocence just waiting in Emon.

It was the night before they decided to leave for Westruun to procure transportation for the mountainous hike. As he lay still on his bed, Vax’s gaze wandered towards the window and looked at the moon in the sky, rubbing the base of his neck where Sylas had bitten him the other night. So many things had happened, and he had been thrust into peril time and time again over the past month alone. He was surprised that he was still alive despite the odds. He worried so much about his life and that of his sister, especially after seeing her get struck by Delilah’s magic. He worried about Percival and the struggles he no doubt had faced five years ago haunting him once more, seeing his family’s killers in the flesh and only just barely keeping himself from shooting them during the proceedings. He worried about everyone in the group, knowing that they were about to go into danger with hardly any chance to rest, feeling as if they were fated to constantly be thrust into danger over and over and over again.

His thoughts then wavered towards what he had seen when he fell in the courtyard outside the palace. He had seen the others, and he had seen Vex’ahlia and how she had grown over the years into the strong, confident woman that she became. He couldn’t be more proud of his twin sister, who had handled the death of their mother and the scorning of their father much better than he thought. She had a strength that Vax wish he had, the strength to not be fazed by anything no matter how dire the circumstances and still come out on top as the exact same person. In fact, if it ever came to it, he would die for her so she could live on.

But in that instant, he also saw Keyleth. He saw her the way he had grown to always see her: beautiful, powerful, and full of grace despite her general awkwardness. His thoughts about her had changed greatly ever since the Underdark. At first he considered her as just another friend, not exactly as close as his sister was to him but close enough. But over time, ever since that one moment where he realized something was wrong with her, he found himself falling in love with her. He never even considered that particular outcome, but after the Underdark, he began to appreciate her much more such as when they were partnered up together for the Slayer’s Take hunt or during the trip to Pyrah for her Aramenté.

He was hoping to eventually find the courage to confess his feelings to her but not pressure her into making a choice right away. But after having angered her due to mentioning the child that she had accidentally killed, despite having good intentions, Vax began to wonder if it was even worth the trouble. It really made him feel depressed when she wouldn’t even talk to him after it happened. In fact, it broke his heart.

He sighed as he reached for the nightstand next to his bed and picked up the flower he plucked from her garden, still lost in his own musings as he stared at it. He was in love with a woman who didn’t even want to hear him out, even if it was for an apology; he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. In fact, there were many conflicting emotions within him, such as fear, anger, and shame. And yet, he knew that her anger was justified considering the hell she had gone through ever since destroying the Dread Emperor, the incident prompting her to leave for her sojourn to the Earth Ashari six months ago.

Vax continued to hold the flower in his hand, thinking things through. He wasn’t sure how he ended up falling in love, especially with someone like Keyleth, but regardless it had happened. He also wasn’t sure what to do since he hadn’t even told Gilmore yet about this. The sorcerer really took a liking to the rogue, and Vax often found Gilmore’s company quite pleasing. Not to mention that Vax trusted the man implicitly enough that he shared all the secret details regarding the Horn of Orcus. And yet, he knew that as much as he loved Gilmore, he couldn’t ignore his newfound feelings for that beautiful druid that started showing up in his dreams night after night.

At some point I should tell him about Kiki, to try to soften the blow. But I really don’t want to break his heart. Gods, why must this be so complicated?

And speaking of Keyleth, is she even interested in me? Hard to tell, especially considering she had a crush on that Kashaw fellow. Do I even matter to her at this point? Is it even worth going to talk to her right now?

Fuck it, I should at least try one more time. If she’s still angry, I suppose that means I have no chance whatsoever.

Sighing once again, Vax placed the flower back on the nightstand, got off his bed, and put on his boots. He then walked to the door and quietly slid past it, closing it silently. He had to at least try to apologize one more time.

Vax then quietly made his way to Keyleth’s door, and his nostrils could barely make out the scent of herbs and incense coming from that direction. He was surprised that she was still awake at this hour. In fact, the door was still slightly ajar, candlelight filtering out into the hall as he could hear her muttering to herself. Vax briefly debated in his head what to do at this point before deciding to just let himself in.

To hell with it, Vax told himself. I need to at least try. I need to not be a coward for once. I can’t just walk away like I always when things end up not going the way I would like.

Gods, this is complicated. Then again, what hasn’t been in my life?

Steeling himself best he could, Vax reached for the door handle to Keyleth’s room. He was ready to bolt at a moment’s notice, but he fought the urge to do so as he gently pushed it open.

He had at least try one more time.

Dressed in her Ashari nightgown, Keyleth was poring over her alchemy book in her room in Greyskull Keep, trying best she could to create potions that could aid the group. But due to her inexperience and only having learned how to be an alchemist recently, many of her efforts were a failure. And she was growing increasingly frustrated with each failed attempt on top of the events of the past two weeks.

In fact, everything was going wrong in so many ways. The Briarwoods had escaped, especially after nearly killing Vax, and they had gotten kicked off the council due to Uriel being charmed. Seeker Assum later told them all that Sylas was responsible due to the nobleman being vampiric in nature and having no problem in addling the sovereign’s and the seeker’s mental states. And she was getting very scared of not just Percy’s well-being but the rest of her companions, especially after seeing Tiberius brutally murder that old woman and showing no remorse for it.

And then there was Vax, who just had to open his damn mouth about the child and comparing that incident with the old woman. Keyleth was still feeling very sore about it, even making a point to outright ignore or brush off anything he had to say. The fucking idiot was so insensitive that he totally deserved a taste of his own medicine. The situation with the roc didn’t help matters, either, as some of the group wanted to kill it and its druid protector. Instead, she put her foot down and, with help from those who didn’t want to deceive or kill them, figured out a peaceful solution for both sides.

Keyleth’s thoughts went back to the confrontation with the Briarwoods. Sylas’s ferocity in combat was something to be feared, having seen him go toe-to-toe with Grog with that rather menacing blade and managing to handle the goliath on equal ground. Delilah was also frighteningly powerful as she was able to neutralize Tiberius and nearly kill Vex with her powerful magic. She had a feeling that their strength was far beyond what Vox Machina was capable of.

But what else are we supposed to do? And what can I do about Vox Machina themselves? Is it even worth it to try to make them understand what they are becoming?

Keyleth let out a long, deep sigh as she lay back in her chair, rubbing her tired eyes. She still couldn’t believe that she was still traveling with such a group of volatile people. Many times in the past she wanted to just leave them all, that they would be nothing but a negative influence. And yet, as the months passed by, she came to see them as being her dearest friends. She also knew that they would do anything for her, much like how she had for them. That fact only served to really confuse Keyleth even more, her desire to leave conflicting with her desire to stay.

And then a memory came to her. A memory of Vax comforting her during one of her more dire moments deep within the Underdark.

“Keyleth, I know you’ve had a hard time. We all have. I know we’re miles below the surface of the world. But we’re together. We are family. And everyone here is here for you as you have been for us. Now I say we camp for the night inside this schmuck’s tent. We stay here, we rest up, sleep on it, and see how we’re all feeling in the morning. We’re here for you, Keyleth. We’ll protect you as you have protected us. You got a family with us.”

“I only wish it were that simple...” Keyleth muttered to herself. And yet, she knew that Vax had a point. She truly considered Vox Machina to be her second family, especially since she had not seen her mother in twenty years. She recalled that Vax never really spoke about his and Vex’s family, other than meeting Syldor when they first arrived in Emon and met his elven wife and child. She then recalled that the interactions between the twins and their father were very stilted and frosty, contempt coming from both sides.

His childhood must have been rough. Not that he’s ever told us anything about it. I do really hope he tells us one day...

Keyleth couldn’t help but smile faintly when it came to thinking about Vax. Out of everyone in the group, despite her anger at him, a part of her still cared deeply about him in particular. They grew close in the past few weeks ever since she came back from Terrah, reaffirming the friendship they shared. He was very supportive of her during their Slayer’s Take trial and even during the journey to Pyrah and the Elemental Plane of Fire. Not to mention that even before then, she started to think about him more and more ever since their escape from Yug’Voril. She wasn’t sure how to process this feeling as it had never happened before. The closest equivalent to this sensation was her rather awkward infatuation with Kashaw.

No way. It can’t be like that... can it? Do I... love him? Maybe. And even if I did, it wouldn’t work out. After all, just the thought of falling in love scares me due to what still lies ahead for me.

Wait, why am I thinking about this?!

Keyleth tried to shake the thought out of her head as she resumed her work on another concoction. However, just like the rest, it was yet another failed creation.

“Gods dammit!” she yelled as she blindly threw the vial at the door, not even looking at or caring about where it was going to end up. But when she heard the shattering of glass against not wood but stone, she looked towards her door. It was standing open, and the vial’s contents were smeared against the stone wall.

What the—

It was then that she realized something else. Just as she had thrown the vial, she could’ve sworn she heard a gasp from the direction of the door and then a thud. Curious, she walked to the open door and began to look out into the hall. Other than Laina and Erwen and any of their guards, no one should really be awake at this time. Everyone needed their sleep before the big hike tomorrow, of course. And after the surprise visit from a couple of creatures after dealing with the roc, Keyleth was far more antsy about there being more of them.

She looked to her right and when she did, she almost wanted to laugh out loud at the unexpected timing. It was Vax’ildan, of course, leaning on the wall and looking down at his boots, avoiding eye contact. She wasn’t sure what exactly he was doing out of his room, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know. For all she knew, he would open his mouth and make yet another stupid comment that would make her even angrier.

And yet, she couldn’t help but notice his expression. He seemed rather distant and depressed. In fact, he looked as if he didn’t have a lot of sleep at all, almost matching the kind of expression Percy had been making lately ever since the news about the Briarwoods coming to town. And seeing that same expression on Vax’s face made Keyleth feel a pang of guilt for her own behavior earlier, though she made a conscious effort not to show it. After all, she was still a little pissed at him.

Keyleth straightened up and then said to Vax, “What do you want?”

Vax slowly looked up but didn’t look her in the eye, as if he was ashamed to do so. Keyleth had seen that look before, and that realization made her feel ill. After all, she had made it herself several times before, back home and while she had been traveling for the past year, most notably after she had accidentally killed the child.

She couldn’t bear to look Vox Machina nor the parents of the child in the eye, especially after the boy’s mother asked what had happened to him. And when she was told what had happened, the mother grew furious and lashed out at Keyleth, refusing to hear the druid’s side of the story and pleading to Pike for her son to be brought back over and over again. But it was when Pike sadly told her that she lacked the power to do so that the mother broke down and sobbed.

That particular sight caused Keyleth’s own heart to break, especially since she caused this to happen. She came to realize that the power she was gifted with would carry with it the burden of responsibility, especially if innocent lives were caught in the crossfire in battle, and therefore there would be consequences for her actions if people got hurt. For a time, she believed that she could manage, that she would be able to avoid doing such a thing. And yet at that moment, when the vine she conjured tugged against the Dread Emperor’s chained charge and she heard the sickening snap of that tiny neck, she knew. She knew that she had just taken an innocent life. It was all her fault.

She knew there was no way for her to easily atone for her actions. She was a killer, plain and simple. Despite Vox Machina being there to try to support her, they never truly understood what it felt like for her. So thus the next day before sunrise, she made the choice to just up and leave the group before anyone else woke up, leaving behind only a single written letter explaining where she had gone.

Keyleth knew that it was the cowardly choice, and even then it didn’t help at all considering the difficulties she experienced during her training under Pa’tice. The vision she experienced did not help matters either, which only further shook what feelings of conviction she still had. It made her greatly think about whether or not she was even worthy of becoming the Voice of the Tempest. It also made her wish that her mother had never vanished, since due to that the burden of the Aramenté was suddenly placed on Keyleth’s shoulders. She even silently hated the fact that her own people—even her own father—decided that she had to be the one even though she never wanted the responsibility. Once again, no one ever truly knew or understood her suffering. Not her people, nor Vox Machina, nor anyone else.

But at the same time, she knew that she could not survive out in the world alone. And she still had a kinship with her party, even with her misgivings about them. So when she had finally returned six months later, and the party welcomed her back with open arms, she was such a sobbing mess that Tiberius hugged her tight, the dragonborn relieved that she came back safe and sound.

Having thought all of those things, Keyleth felt that Vax was acting this way because of how she treated him. Another pang of guilt formed within her.

“I, um... I wanted to see how you were doing,” he started to say. And he then glanced at the residue on the wall and said, “Having a bad night yourself, I take it?”

Keyleth let out another deep sigh and replied, “Yeah. Not exactly making a lot of headway in being an alchemist, that’s for sure. I’ve also got a lot on my mind about what’s to come.”

Vax nodded, still not wanting to look her in the eye. And every time he averted his gaze, it only served to make her feel even worse. “Same. Um, I guess that answers my question. I don’t want to, um, keep you from working or trying to get some sleep. So... I’ll just be going now.”

With that, Vax removed himself from the wall and, while still not looking her in the eye, began to walk off with his shoulders slumped. Keyleth looked down at her feet, unsure as to what to do next. She knew that she had to say something, but she wasn’t sure if he’d even stay put due to how she treated him. Indecision was always a strong flaw of hers every time she was faced with a choice.

She still had to try, though.

“Vax, wait.”

She then heard the rogue’s footsteps slowing and then stopping entirely before he could get too far upon hearing her words. Looking up, she could see that his back was facing her, head still drooped down and shoulders still slumped. She got him to stop walking away, but what next?

“If you want to talk, then by all means. Please come inside,” she said as she moved away from the door and waited for Vax to step in. And to her surprise, he walked inside and stood there as she closed the door and, as if on impulse, locked it. Behind her, she could hear him sigh heavily.

Wait, why did I just lock the door? It’s not like I’m planning to do... “that”. This isn’t exactly the right time and place for that. I mean, I don’t even know how he feels about me, nor what I’m supposed to do about it. Sure, I’ve been having dreams about him, but why have I?

Am I... dreaming about him because I am in love? Or is it out of concern?

Why can’t I seem to figure these things out?! It’s not like I can ask Scanlan or Grog about it; they are less about love and more about lust! Maybe Vex? I doubt it. Who knows how she’d react, especially since it’s about her brother?

I mean, Vax and I are only friends... right?

Then again, I can’t help but feel as if he thinks of me as more than that... if that moment was any indication.

Keyleth, lost in her reverie, couldn’t help but think back to a certain moment from back when they were in Vasselheim, waiting for Vex’ahlia’s team to return.

It had been only a few moments after Kashaw had made his abrupt exit. As Thorbir groaned at the sudden and unexpected display of affection and walked off to get himself a drink at one of the many taverns in the cold streets of Vasselheim, the rest of them were brought to another room for lodging.

“This is where you can stay while you wait for your companions to return. I’m sure they will be back quickly,” Murtin Cyndrial had stated, his jovial personality ringing true.

But Vax wasn’t as jovial about it. Instead, he let himself in without a word, not looking anyone in the eye as he crashed onto the bed. Tiberius, grumbling and muttering and complaining as usual, entered the room as well. The overall trial had been rough for all of them, after all.

“T-Thank you, Murtin,” Keyleth replied. “Will you let us know when they come back? Because... Vax gets very agitated if he’s apart from his sister for a long time.”

“Oh, certainly!” the halfling said with a laugh. “Also, I gotta say, that Kash fellow sure knows how to make an impression. Don’t you think so, missy?”

Keyleth’s face turned a scarlet red color, being reminded once again of the grumpy cleric stealing her first kiss, and without warning too. “Y-Yeah, he does.”

“Well, I’ll let you get some sleep. You’ve earned it!” Murtin shouted with nothing but cheer in his voice. He then walked off with a spring in his step, still excited about the news of the successful hunt of the rakshasa .

Keyleth still stood there in the hall as she stared off into space, still dazed about the kiss as her heart raced. This was something completely new to her, something unknown. That Kashaw was certainly something else. She wasn’t sure why she felt such an attraction towards him, as they had only known each other for a few hours. Not to mention that he seemed either disinterested or outright rude about everything she had said and done.

She also couldn’t help but feel as if the kiss felt awkward and weird.

I mean, he’s technically a married man. And up until that point, he didn’t really seem the least bit interested in me. What the hell was that about?

Although... it did feel good, at least a little. I wonder if that’s what it feels like for other girls who receive their first kiss.

“Ah, young love. So fleeting, yet so palpable. It’s truly amazing to witness, especially if it’s you.”

Keyleth jumped a little at the unexpected voice. She turned to where it was coming from, and her nerves were settled immediately. It was Tiberius.

“Wait, what do you mean ‘love’? I-I only just met the guy,” she asked him.

“Oh, did I misunderstand? My sincerest apologies, milady,” Tiberius responded, scratching the back of his scaled head. “Then again, I’ve never really experienced such a thing myself, being a scholarly fellow. It was always reading and research up in Draconia for me.”

“I see... I mean, I can relate. Back home in Zephrah, I had the same kind of upbringing in my preparation for the Aramenté. No time for socializing, no time for fun, no time for... love. So... this is very new to me. Although...”

“’Although’? What’s wrong, Your Highness?” Tiberius asked.

Keyleth hesitated. “It... It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Then out of the corner of her eye, Keyleth then noticed something. Namely, an empty bed where Vax once was.

“Hey, where did Vax go?”

Tiberius looked at where he was earlier and shrugged. “Poor boy. He must still be fretting about Vex. After all, he was very angry at the tiefling woman—”

“Vanessa,” Keyleth interrupted. “She has a name, Tiberius.”

“Sorry,” Tiberius said apologetically. “He was very angry at Vanessa for splitting us all up. And I’ll be frank, I’m just as worried about the others as you and Vax are.”

Keyleth nodded. “Still... I worry about him. I... have my reasons.”

What Keyleth didn’t elaborate on was that the root of her worry stemmed from having Vax on the forefront of her mind for the past two weeks or so ever since the Underdark. She wasn’t really sure if Tiberius would understand, based on his own admission.

“Um... I’m gonna go look for him,” Keyleth told the dragonborn. “Don’t wait for me to go to sleep. I’ll be back soon.”

Tiberius shrugged. “Very well, milady. I need some sleep anyway.”

Then, as soon as Tiberius closed the door behind him, Keyleth made her way through the hallways to the front doors that led out into the Quadroads. Making her way outside, she figured that she’d have a better chance of finding him from above. Focusing, she transformed into a raven and took to the sky. As she flew, she looked all over with her avian eyes. And after about an hour of searching, she could just barely catch the sight of a dark-haired half-elven man skulking in the alleyways.

Vax.

Keyleth flew in for a closer look and then carefully perched herself on his shoulder. Vax was only mildly started until he realized she was there. He then calmed himself down, his body becoming less tense.

“Hello, little birdie. What are you doing out here in the middle of this cold city?” Vax asked her, a faint smile forming on his face.

Keyleth cursed herself that she couldn’t respond with words. One of the many things she was upset about when it came to her shapeshifting abilities. Instead, she edged closer and did her best to brush her feathered body against Vax’s face. His skin felt chilled due to being outside this long.

Vax, you really should come back inside. You’ll freeze to death if you’re not careful.

“Aww, aren’t you really affectionate? Reminds me of Trinket whenever he nuzzles me or Vex. Or even the rest of the group...”

Vax trails off, the smile fading. He then looks up at the night sky, his breath visible due to the cold.

“My sister is out there, quite possibly fighting a dragon right now. I don’t even know if she’s alive or not. Sure, she has some of our companions with her, but that doesn’t exactly ease my worries. As if that wasn’t enough... someone I know had just met someone else. And... I don’t even know how I should react to that.”

Keyleth’s heart sank a little. She knew he was referring to her and Kashaw.

Wait, are you... jealous, Vax? I mean, why would you be jealous? We’re friends.

“I dunno, I’m not even sure how I feel about her,” Vax continued. “She’s an amazing person. She’s powerful and kind, and she may be an awkward and nervous wreck, but I like that about her. I... I don’t know how to process this feeling within me.”

Wait a minute... is he talking about...?

“Oh, who am I kidding?” Vax was still saying. “I’m probably just stressed from what’s been happening lately. Hmph, I never thought that a bird like you would make a great conversation partner.”

Vax took his finger and scratched Keyleth’s raven neck. She closed her eyes and felt a little more content. She wanted to just revert right then and there, but she wasn’t sure how Vax would react. He’d probably be so flustered that he would start avoiding her. Instead, she did her best to motion towards the direction of the guildhall, hoping that Vax would take the hint.

“Oh... Now that you mention it, I should be heading back. I’m only going to make the others worry. You should get going yourself. Don’t you have others to go back to?”

Keyleth did her best to nod in her bird form and then took to the sky once more. As she flew, her mind began to race.

Did... he basically just say he had feelings for me? He wasn’t exactly being direct with his words. Then again, maybe I’m overthinking it.

I still wonder, though.

Trying to focus, she managed to fly back to the guildhall and up through the window leading to their room. Seeing that she made it back before Vax, and that Tiberius was sound asleep (and snoring), Keyleth found herself crawling into bed herself. It was a long day, and it was seemingly going to be a much longer wait.

Three days. That is what the Huntmaster had stated in terms of the duration of the trial. They could easily wait three days.

But then three days became four, and it was not until midday on the fourth day that they finally came back. From there, they traveled to Pyrah and then finished some more business in Vasselheim before returning home... and then things quickly went to hell.

“Um, where do I even start?” Vax asked her, bringing Keyleth out of her reverie. She remembered that she merely asked him to come in for a talk.

Just a talk. Nothing more. At least, I think that is the case.

Sighing, Keyleth turned away from the door and found herself staring at Vax’s back. Nervously, she reached out, grasped his arm, and pulled it with the intent to make him turn around. And without much restraint, he did so albeit his head was still dropped low.

“You can start by looking at me.”

When he didn’t, she took her hands and placed them on both sides of his face and made it so he could finally look her in the eye. And when he did, she could see something that she was expecting to see: tears falling down his face.

“Vax?”

Silence surrounded the two of them for quite a while. If anything, Vax was always the quiet sort when emotionally burdened, as well as when he was being distant. In fact, he was so quiet that she almost didn’t catch a whispered response from him. It was muttered too low for her to hear.

“Did you say something?” she asked in a quiet, gentle tone.

“I’m sorry.”

Keyleth frowned and tilted her head. “For what?”

Vax’s tears continued to flow down his cheeks, trailing down her hands and along her arms as he no doubt struggled to find the words to say to her. Every passing moment that he stayed silent only further served to depress Keyleth. And then, after a while, he finally said something.

“For making you angry. For being inconsiderate. For just being me.”

It was as if someone had lit a lantern in her head, as hearing those words made her want to cry herself. Deep down, she wanted to punch herself for not even taking into account Vax’s feelings at all. She was just as inconsiderate of them as he was of hers at the time. And that realization only served to make her feel worse. And little by little, her stoic expression started to crack.

“I... I didn’t mean to anger you so much. I didn’t even think of how you would react. I only wanted to tell Tiberius that he was in the wrong when he killed that woman and... out of everyone in our group, I didn’t want to make you angry at me. That’s... something I never want to do. Ever.”

“Vax... shut up,” Keyleth interrupted, not wanting to hear any more. She dropped the façade entirely and pulled Vax in for a tight, strong hug. And even then, she still tried to hold back her tears as she started to run her hand through his hair, trying to calm him down.

“Keyleth?” he asked, his voice quaking.

She shook her head as she couldn’t hold back any longer, the tears now falling down her face. It was her fault that he was acting like this. She caused yet another heart to be broken. Just like the mother of the child. Just like when she ended up reducing Lady Kima to tears when they had their argument in the Underdark.

Why am I cursed to make people cry?

Pulling herself together, she told Vax, “It’s all right. I should be the one to apologize. It’s true that I was angry at you, but I’m more angry at myself for allowing that past mistake to affect me so much.”

Vax nodded as he continued to cry and eventually embraced her just as tight. His embrace was warm and strong, much like how she remembered it when they mourned the loss of the flying carpet during the pursuit of the rakshasa. For that brief moment, all she wanted to do was to hug him and comfort him.

“I suppose we both have a lot to feel sorry for,” Keyleth told him as she still held him tight.

“I suppose we do,” Vax said to her. “I don’t want what happened to ruin our friendship. It means a lot to me. And... I don’t blame you for being angry at me. I was being quite a dumbass.”

Keyleth nodded. “I agree. I don’t want to lose our friendship, either. Not over a mistake like that. It’s rather childish of me to cut ties over such a thing, actually. It’s not something a future leader of the Ashari should do.” She pulled back and looked into Vax’s eyes and said with a surprisingly calm voice, “So... I forgive you.”

At that statement, he gave a faint smile. “Thank you, Kiki. I really appreciate that.”

Keyleth couldn’t help but return his smile with one of her own. Despite that brief feeling of anger and resentment towards Vax over the past week, she couldn’t help but feel grateful that even though she treated him that way, he didn’t hold it against her. Having thought that, something stirred within her, a rather pleasant feeling coursing through her body and warming her heart. It made her smile a little wider, and she didn’t even feel embarrassed about it.

So is it true? Do I... feel that way about him?

Breaking the embrace, and wanting to not dwell on such thoughts, Keyleth then said to Vax, “I know I’ll never get over that feeling of guilt. That’s not going to change. However, I do need to not go into a rage whenever it gets brought up. I know you had good intentions, and it was wrong of me. So... starting tomorrow, we can go back to how things were.”

Vax nodded slowly. “Agreed. It’ll feel good to do that.”

Keyleth nodded back. A thought then came to her as she asked Vax, “Well, since you’re still here, I was wondering if I could have your opinion on something.”

“Yes?” he replied.

Keyleth then walked to her closet and pulled out some familiar-looking clothes: a brown, sleeveless dress with gray leggings and a leather corset, with ruby-encrusted arm bangles and a matching choker. They were the clothes that she had bought in Vasselheim, recently mended and cleaned.

“I was thinking of wearing this tomorrow. I kinda need to break this outfit in some more. What do you think?” she asked as she showed him the dress.

Vax thought about it for a moment and then said, “I think it would look great on you once more. You should wear it.”

Keyleth blushed a little as she placed the bundle of clothes on the table after putting away all of her alchemical tools. “Thank you, Vax. That’s very sweet of you.”

Vax turned his head away, but not before Keyleth herself noticed a blush on his cheeks and the tips of his ears. “Well, I’ll see you in the morning, then. Good night, Kiki.”

“Good night, Vax,” she replied, choosing not to show that she noticed him blushing. The rogue then let himself out the door and back into the dark hallways, heading back to his room.

Keyleth closed the door and leaned back against it, feeling a little better after her talk with Vax. It gave her a chance to calm down after her failed alchemy attempts. And besides, she had to admit that seeing Vax blush like that was rather cute.

I still have to wonder. Does he have feelings for me? And do I for him?

Shaking her head, Keyleth made her way to her bed and crawled under the covers. She then allowed herself to fall asleep, and she ended up dreaming of their time in Vasselheim. Specifically, of the time before they infiltrated the Velvet Cabaret when they pretended to be married. It was rather amusing to tell Vex about that later on, but what Keyleth’s dream was focused on was how it felt to be in his presence.

She continued to sleep, oblivious to her door creaking open as Vax peeked through, watching her sleep as if she were the most amazing person in the world. And then, he closed the door and silently went back to his room, a smile forming on his lips.

The next morning, everyone began to gather together as Tiberius prepared his teleportation circle. Vax could notice that everyone was on edge due to the agreement they all made to go to Whitestone today. If they failed, they would no doubt all die. But it was still a risk that had to be taken, for Percy’s sake.

As Tiberius finished his preparations, he noticed Keyleth consciously standing close to him. The two half-elves looked at each other, a silent understanding between them of where they stood now, as Vax felt much more calm and serene after his conversation with her the other night. He truly felt as if he might have a chance to tell her one day, provided they survived their upcoming battle with the Briarwoods.

He heard a rather faint snarl from behind, a quick glance revealing the source to be Vex. He noticed Keyleth shrugging at the ranger when their eyes met, and Vax could only wonder what his twin was thinking. He hadn’t told her either, after all. But perhaps there would be a chance later on. And as Tiberius cast the spell, and the circle flared to life, Vax and Keyleth soon found themselves holding hands as they braced themselves for the inevitable confrontation to come and leaped into the portal together.

They didn’t realize it at the time, but their feelings for each other were quite strong even if they were unsure as to how the other felt. But by the end of their impending adventure in Whitestone, that would change.

#critical role #vaxleth #keyleth #vax'ildan #critfic #fic update

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critrolestats · 8 years ago

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You Can Certainly Try

Ledamemangociana: heeeey CritRoleStats team! i was wondering - we all love when Matt drops the HDYWTDT, but there's another thing he says quite a bit of that cracks me up a lot - "You can certainly try." do you already have a list of how many times he has said it thus far in the show? it's not a lot, but still...

We indubitably gave it a shot. Which we did not throw away.

Thanks to actualkatebishop, avventurierisenzapaura, Brendan G., @c_diercks, crystallos, @cwittland, Don D., @dutchcritter, Eric R., i-encourage-peace, @InvictusRob, @_miss_maria_, Mooberg, @mrsgoodreaver, @MysticalSpider, @nakedinahat, @OmrJeuss, Caroline W., René B., Sarah E.H.,@SaulOrmiston, @SilentEnGee, @silmarienn, soaringsparrows, @ytoti_, and other critters for their work compiling this list!

Times Matt explicitly stated “You can certainly try”: 36 Total times it was stated, implied, or varied: 87 Updated through Episode 79.

01 Arrival at Kraghammer

(2:19:34) Laura: Can I talk to good ole Nostoc while he’s doing that? Matt: He currently does not seem like the talkative type at the moment, but you can certainly try.

02 Into the Greyspine Mines

(0:36:17) Vex: Are the stores still open? Matt: You can certainly check.

04 Attack on the Duergar Warcamp

(1:28:49) Tiberius: Is there enough weight for me to get on the carpet at this point? Matt: You can certainly try; You’re not aware how much weight is on there.

05 The Trick About Falling

(0:39:38) Grog: Can I harvest any natural armor from the bulette? Matt: You can certainly try. There's plates that have been broken and cracked.

(0:49:41) Keyleth: Can I cast Wind Wall right underneath of the carpet to kind of like airbend us up? Matt: You can attempt to.

(1:02:25) Pike: Can I go over to Clarota and try to heal him? Matt: You can certainly try, yeah.

(1:03:42) Matt: The arrow is still stuck in its torso. Vex: Can we try to pull it out? Pike: Break off the part and pull it out. Matt: You can certainly try.

(2:12:19) Keyleth: Will my thornwhip reach him? My 30 foot range thornwhip? Matt: You can certainly try.

07 The Throne Room

(0:53:35) Vex: Can I hop on Trinket's back and see if I can see higher? Matt: You can try.

(3:27:55) Pike: Can I try and drag Tiberius away from the magma? Matt: You can try.

08 Glass and Bone

(0:20:10) Vex: Can we stealth kind of further down? Matt: You can try to. You currently are carrying two large solid stone statues with you. So, it is definitely possible, but you are going to have to come up with a creative way of doing so.

(0:28:40) Percy: Do I have the necessary tools to synthesize a potion out of the basilisk blood? Matt: You can certainly try. It’s a very ramshackle setup. You do not have a chemical set.

(0:35:29) Vex: Can I use my Hunter's Mark to find out where she is, and then we rest and go there? Matt: You may attempt that...

(0:42:04) Pike: Could I try healing- like just a very concentrated energy just on his foot like a healing spell?" Matt: You can certainly try.

09 Yug’voril Uncovered

(2:46:27) Vex: Stealth and fly in, can we do that? Is it possible to stealth and fly at the same time? Matt: [Chuckles] You can certainly try to keep quiet while doing so.

10 K��varn Revealed

(0:52:45) Pike: Can I jump on his leg or back or something? Matt: You can try to!

(1:04:15) Grog: Is the Chain of Returning long enough to get to him? Matt: You can certainly try.

(1:33:48) Pike: Could I use ... Dispel Magic? Matt: You could attempt to, yes. Pike: OK, I'll attempt.

11 The Temple Showdown

(1:03:47) Keyleth: [Geas] generally takes a minute to cast. Can I do that? Matt: You can certainly try. We'll see how long you guys can keep him restrained.

(2:29:52) Matt: Grog is not strong enough to carry a bear and you on a Fly spell. Tiberius: No, I mean one at a time. Matt: You can try. There's a good chance he might drop Trinket on the way over, from that height which would be a splatter bear.

(3:45:06) Grog: Can I grab and kick off and try and rip [The Horn of Orcus] off his head, or is that all the same thing? Matt: You can certainly try.

(4:28:20) Keyleth: Can I as a rock monster, go up to [the hanging remains of the arcane structure from top of temple] and go KKVOOF! grab it? Matt: You can certainly try. It looks very heavy.

15 Skyward

(1:03:32) Vex: And maybe he can roll into things now- it'll be awesome. Keyleth: Can he roll? Matt: [grinning very skeptically] We'll try it if you want to. Bears aren't known for their rolling capabilities. Vex: Trinket is a special bear.

16 Enter Vasselheim

(1:33:15) Vex: Can I try to shoot an arrow into the little hole? Matt: You can...this is a hard shot. This is at an angle now. Vex: OK. Matt: And this will be kind of a ... we're talking this is Robin Hood level split the arrow, 'cause you have to hit it and ricochet upward to see if it will have any effect.

17 Hubris

(1:50:44) Grog: Can we go find an armory or somewhere that sells pointy things? Matt: You can certainly try!

18 Trial of the Take Part 1

(2:10:10) Felicia: Can I see if he’s truthful? Matt: Roll an insight check. Felicia: Oh, that’s not my strength. Matt: You can certainly try!

21 Trial of the Take Part 4

(0:43:48) Wil: Can I jump and land on those rats? Matt: You know what-sure, go ahead and make an athletics check.

(2:24:49) Marisha: Can I try to do a history check? Matt: You can try?

22 AraMente to Pyrah

(2:30:48) Laura: Can we get in a place that the boulders won’t hit us, like if we get right up against the cliff face? Matt: You can certainly try!

24 The Feast

(1:29:26) Karin, about creating a glave for Tiberius: I could certainly try, aye!

(1:33:31) Tiberius: Can I try to take my tip of one of my bolts in [poison]? Matt: You can certainly try it; there is a difference between poison and disease.

27 The Path to Whitestone

(0:22:15) Taliesin: How insane would it be to try and make a shot underneath his legs? Matt: You can certainly go for it and try!

(0:22:21) Taliesin: I’m going to drop down and… can I make an aimed shot against something I can’t see? Matt: You can try…it’ll be with disadvantage, but you can definitely make it.

(2:27:52) Orion: Could I fuse a fog spell with a sleep spell? Matt: No. Orion: Can we try super-hard? Matt, amused: Sure. Make a roll. Make a roll.

28 The Sun Tree

(2:09:38) Grog: Can I make a nature check to see if that’s true? [peeing on a lemon tree] Matt: [laughs] Sure.

29 Whispers

(0:35:28) Liam: All right then, can we lift it together? Matt: [laughing] We can try.

31 Gunpowder Plot

(p1. 0:46:09) Matt and Travis to Scanlan as he considers various ways to use Bigby’s Hand to get off the roof: You’re welcome to try!

32 Against the Tide of Bone

(0:20:15) Matt, to Vex about casting Conjure Barrage against undead horde: You can definitely attempt that.

(0:37:03) Sam: She jumped 35 feet out there? Matt: She did, yes. Sam: Can I do that? Matt: If you wanna try.

34 Race to the Ziggurat

(1:10:51) Grog: I have a pickaxe, that I picked up before we left. Can I swing it at the bottom and try to get some purchase under the door? Matt: You could try.

(1:28:13) Laura: Can I Hunter’s Mark them? Matt: You could attempt to.

(4:10:00) Marisha: So, if I cast Control Water, could I move her blood? Matt: You can certainly try.

(4:10:15) Marisha: So, wiping the blood off probably wouldn’t work. Matt: You can try!

(4:20:00) Matt: You [Pike] can try a spell if you want to.

36 Winter’s Crest in Whitestone

(0:20:53) Marisha: Can we take, like, the fabric and sew it into, like, a nice afghan or something? Matt: You can certainly try; it would probably ruin the enchantment.

(0:48:05) Taliesin: I may ask for that brooch back. Liam: You can certainly try!

(2:00:35) Matt: You can certainly try [to polymorph Trinket into a human]!

38 Echoes of the Past

(0:25:19) Ashley: Greater Restoration? Matt: If you want to! It’s whatever you want to try!

39 Omens

(0:34:22) Keyleth: Can I go through Grog, through there? Matt: You can try to, yeah.

(0:46:06) Taliesin: Can I dash into one of the creatures? Matt: I mean…you could try and…try to...

(0:46:19) taliesin: Well, I had the thought that maybe I could attempt to get them to attack each other. Matt: I mean…that can…that can be attempted…

(1:08:28) Scanlan: Can I make an intelligence check to know if I know anything about these creatures? Matt: “Uh…you can if you’d like to, from the inside its body, yeah. Go ahead.

(3:03:40) Grog: ...I just wanna pick the lock! Matt: You have no lockpicks. Grog: Can I shove an axe in the lock hole? Matt: “…you can.”

(3:30:35) Laura: Could I tell from my favorite enemy-ness that it was dragons? Matt: You can make a hefty perception check, if you’d like.

42 Dangerous Dealings

(1:18:43) Taliesin: There’s no easy way up onto the roof, is there? Matt: Aside from a well-placed acrobatics check, you can try…

(1:19:28) Taliesin:...or could try and push him off the roof? Matt: For the wyvern or the rider? Taliesin: The wyvern. Matt: You can try…

(1:30:36) Laura: Could I acrobatics that s*** up? Matt: You could try it, go for it!

44 The Sunken Tomb

(0:49:47) Will: Can you move underwater? Laura: *gasp* Can we mist underwater?! Matt: You can certainly try.

(2:27:42) Sam: Could I shove a blade in there and jam it maybe? Matt: You could try to. Will: That’s never a good answer: you can try.

(2:27:50) Laura: You can certainly try!

46 Cindergrove Revisited

(2:15:09) Chris: Can I cast some type of a mental spell through the orb to the fire genie? Matt: You can certainly try!

(2:15:35) Chris: Could I modify his memory the fire genie’s memory into thinking that he’s completed the task that he came to this realm to complete and that he might go home? Matt: You can certainly try!

(2:47:44) Taliesin: Can I knock him down a notch? Does he have some...can I try and shoot him to drop him out of the sky a bit? Matt: You can certainly try!

48 Into the Frostweald

(2:21:15) Vex: Can I fly down and land on a tall tree? Matt: You can try to… If you’d like to try to.

52 The Kill Box

(0:34:34) Liam: Could I get, could I run to the corner of the building that the arches are on and scrapple up the side of it? Matt: You can certainly try, sure.

54 In the Belly of the Beast

(0:31:25) Zanror: We can certainly try. It’s going to be hard to convince it without a head.

55 Umbrasyl

(0:28:32) Laura: What if we could have chased after them… right away? Matt: You can if you want to. Do you want to go after them?

58 A Cycle of Vengeance

(2:01:34) Allura: We can certainly try.

61 Denizens of the Moonbrush

(0:16:07) Vex: What about Garmelie, would he know? Matt: You’re welcome to ask him.

(3:22:14) Laura: Can I attack it? Matt: You currently have no way of seeing it right now. If you move far enough that direction, you may.

62 Uninviting Waters

(1:23:00) Taliesin: [Can I] start laying a few shots inside [the feymire crocodile]? Matt: Maybe. You can certainly try.

(1:38:02) Travis: Can I cast Enlarge on myself? Matt: You can certainly try.

(2:31:56) Laura: Can the gnomes sit on [the broom]? Matt: You can try, it’s up to you.

63 The Echo Tree

(0:16:45) Laura: Can we get up in the tree? Matt: If you’d like to try and climb, yeah.

64 The Frigid Doom

(1:10:35) Gilmore: You’re more than welcome to.

66 A Traveler’s Gamble

(0:37:04) You are more than welcome to try it!

(0:50:18) Liam: Would you allow me to use my bonus action to go stealth quietly around over, using my haste, to sneak behind my sister and that stone thingy in the middle of the room? Matt: You can certainly try! Liam: Yes, I’d like to try.

69 Passed Through Fire

(1:06:47) Matt: You want to try a greater restoration spell, is that what you’re saying?

73 The Coming Storm

(0:24:48) Marisha: Can I [counter Raishan’s Modify Memory]? Matt: You can certainly try.

75 Where the Cards Fall

(0:46:48) You can certainly try. I would love for you to try!

(0:58:10) You can roll it now if you want to.

(1:23:13) Matt: …That’s up to you, man. Travis: You can certainly try.

(1:48:30) You’re more than welcome to try.

(2:31:30) Marisha asks if she can use her Scrying Eye to locate the Pit Fiend. Matt: You certainly can.

(3:11:30) Sure, which will definitely catch attention, because no vegetation exists here.

78 The Siege of Emon

(2:23:11) You can give it a shot!

(2:59:13) If you wanna use one of the charges, you can try that.

#you can certainly try #matthew mercer #matt mercer #critical role #critter assist

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tiamat-zx · 8 years ago

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Charred

Welp, I got inspiration from last week’s episode to write this one. It’s a re-enactment and expansion of that heartwarming final scene before the end.

Keep in mind that this is the first draft, and that I may need to expand on it further before posting this to ao3. But please let me know what you think of it, because feedback is what keeps me going as a Critter and as a writer.

Also, thank you Liam and Marisha for such a tender scene. I was so happy that it happened.

It was a horribly exhausting day, a day spent within the sulfurous and volcanic city that used to be Emon. A day spent fighting for survival against the Cinder King and the dangers that loomed within the Cloudtop District. But even though Thordak had fallen, there was still an even greater danger on the horizon.

In her room in Castle Whitestone, standing in front of the mirror of the vanity table in her nightgown, Keyleth held her charred circlet in her hands, lamenting over the day’s events. The Cinder King had proven to be an even more terrifying and dangerous opponent than they thought, but at the very least they had two months to prepare for this endeavor, which included gathering allies and the Vestiges of the Divergence. After a long, harrowing two months—and many, many near-misses along the way—their preparations were complete... or so they thought.

They did not win the battle by their combined might alone because while they had the assistance of Zahra, Kashaw, Kima, Gilmore, and Jarett, there was another individual that they had forged an alliance with. And that individual was the one who released Thordak from the Plane of Fire in the first place which caused the destruction of Pyrah and most of the Fire Ashari to be exterminated. The one who attacked them first in Emon and forced them to flee because her might was too great. The one who used Whitestone and Vox Machina’s beleaguered state as leverage to ensure their allegiance in destroying Thordak. The one who ultimately turned on them all once the battle was won and Vax chose to attack her, to try to stop her from achieving her own goals.

The one who called herself the Diseased Deceiver, Raishan.

Keyleth’s eyes began to water, thinking back to that horrible confrontation. They were wounded and spent, most of their strength expended on Thordak. And yet, even though she told Vax to wait for her before attacking, even though her exact words were to not let Raishan touch the Cinder King’s corpse, Vax chose to strike first. And then when she flew even further into the tunnel and Keyleth and the twins chose to pursue, that was when everything began to go wrong starting with the impact of those meteors.

They clearly underestimated Raishan’s power as she used her magic to disappear and systematically remove the protection of the Heroes’ Feast that would’ve shielded them from her poisonous breath. And even after the rest of the group—sans Kash and Zahra who stayed behind to stop the fire giants from interfering—managed to catch up and Devo’ssa was finally summoned by Scanlan, she had then proceeded to lay waste to them all, unleashing spell after powerful spell on them. They struggled to keep each other alive, but despite their best efforts Raishan had managed to slay Vex and Scanlan temporarily before Pike managed to revive them. She nearly killed Vax as well and would have if Keyleth hadn’t managed to save him from the burning lava. And when Raishan attempted to flee while clutching two dragon eggs, Keyleth tried to follow to give chase and aid the party best she could... only to have the ground break beneath her and have her plummet into a river of lava below her.

Keyleth could still feel the horrible pain that she endured from that fluke of a circumstance. She had managed to crawl out of the river but not without suffering some severe damage that was fortunately lessened by the fire resistance potion she drank earlier. And to make matters worse, they were repelled by an invisible wall. And by the time they figured out how to make the wall vanish, Raishan and Thordak’s corpse were already gone. The Diseased Deceiver had escaped with her prizes in tow. Keyleth stood there in silence upon witnessing the absence of both, her vengeance having been ripped from her fingers when she was so close to achieving it. She tried so hard to remain strong and not break down, to try to focus on their next course of action, and it was only when Vax and Kerr—the blacksmith who acted as a mentor to her in Westruun—tried to comfort her did she allow herself to cry from the pain and exhaustion.

Keyleth stood there in front of the vanity table mirror, still clutching onto her circlet and staring at herself and the state she was in. She was still horribly burned by her sudden lava bath, though most of the burns were fortunately healed by Vax and Kerr’s healing magic. Her beautiful red hair, once long, was scorched and mostly gone, the blackened ends reaching down to her shoulders. Keyleth felt that this was karma at work, punishing her for her own hubris. At the very least, she was still alive for the moment before they would all head out to fight Raishan once more in the evening. She felt so tired and exhausted from the events of the day. It took all of her remaining willpower to stay standing and not collapse, to remain focused on the task at hand.

They had been presented with a very difficult choice: to either pursue Raishan straight away while both sides were depleted but with a higher risk of someone dying permanently, or pursue her after resting in the hopes that they manage to catch her before she fully recovers. Keyleth herself had to make the call, and as far as she was concerned, she made the right choice; nearly dying in Thordak’s lair made her more cautious and wary of what was to come, especially after witnessing Raishan’s magical prowess even though she was diseased. She underestimated her once before, but not again.

But did I truly make the right call?

She continued to stand in front of the mirror, lost in her own thoughts, when a soft knock sounded out from her door.

“Come in,” she called out. The door soon opened, and in the mirror she could see Vax walk in, out of his armor and looking equally exhausted.

“Hi,” was all Vax said as he approached her.

“Hi,” she replied, not even needing to look back due to his reflection.

Keyleth soon noticed that Vax was clutching a bottle in his hand which he soon placed on the table. He then pulled out Whisper and as soon as the blade came into view she shuddered briefly, thinking back to when that weapon was plunged into her back by Kynan at Glintshore. That small, legendary dagger had nearly stolen her life, but now it was in the hands of the man she loved with all her heart. Knowing that made her relax a little more.

Vax’s other hand soon caressed the remnants of her charred locks as he said softly, “Have a seat.”

“Okay,” she replied just as softly. She did as she was told and sat down on the chair next to her, placing the circlet on the table. She continued to stare at herself in the mirror as Vax held both Whisper and her locks in his hands. And then, to her surprise, he started to grab hold of the edges and used the dagger to slowly cut the charred and burnt locks away. Keyleth could see Vax’s pained expression as he worked, the thought of having to cut her beautiful hair no doubt hurting him.

“Do you like it shorter?” she asked as he continued his work. She had never felt so self-conscious about her hair before, as fashion wasn’t necessarily a priority for her in the past other than the time where she went shopping for clothes with Vax so they could infiltrate the Velvet Cabaret in Vasselheim. The memory brought a smile to her face, as did the moment when Vax “proposed” to her. It was so silly at the time, yet it felt... right. She knew it was merely a ruse, but still, it made her feel happy that Vax wanted to do it. And she had accepted without much difficulty.

Vax thought for a moment before answering her question, and then replied, “I like you.”

Keyleth smiled again at his thoughtfulness. But then her smile faded as she noticed his furrowed brow, a constant for Vax that she had noticed having traveled with him for the better part of two years now.

“You know, I see you doubting yourself,” Vax told her as he kept cutting, his tone soft and soothing. “I see it, Kiki. But I’ve no doubts in you. I’ve known you for a long time now. And I have seen the strength in you growing. And I’m a fan. You’re going to make a great leader someday.”

Keyleth could feel herself shrink ever so slightly into herself. It was flattering and so sweet of Vax to think that highly of her. But at the same time, she felt as if she still wasn’t worthy enough to be a leader just yet, not after her desire to want to kill Raishan ended up costing so many people their lives, including Vex and Scanlan. And despite Vax’s and Kerr’s words to her, she still felt so much guilt.

“I just feel like there’s so many people I can easily disappoint, and I don’t want to,” she admitted. She was going to be the leader of her tribe once her Aramente was complete. All she had left to do was to go to the Water Ashari and complete her training. And after that, she wasn’t sure what would happen. She would probably have to part ways with Vox Machina, a thought that frightened her. They were her family for the better part of two years now, and despite the arguments and infighting they occasionally got into, they were still tied to the hip. But thinking of the possibility that she would eventually have to leave them all to return to Zephra to continue where her father left off made Keyleth feel very unsure of herself.

I’m not ready to go back, I can feel it. I don’t want to leave any of them. And yet, I will have to eventually once there’s no reason for any of us to stick together.

Vax paused for a moment, still gripping her burnt hair, and soon said back to her as he continued cutting, “You’re doing the very best you can with what you’ve been given. And I have seen you rise again and again and not stop and not back down. And you fucking blow me away with the things you can do out there. You are beautiful, you are talented, and you are strong as fuck. And I can’t take the doubt away. I can’t do that. But mix in with that my faith in you. Percy’s faith in you. Grog’s faith in you. Kerr’s. Vex’ahlia’s. Scanlan’s. Allura’s. All of ours. We are all behind you and we all believe in you. And we all love you. And obviously I love you.”

Keyleth smiled faintly. She could easily feel the conviction behind Vax’s words, the meaning behind them. He had faith in her. They all had faith in her, a young woman who was easily prone to making rash decisions and having occasionally poor judgment. A woman who was led by what her heart was telling her and not her mind. And yet... they all had faith in her. It made her want to cry.

It was then that Keyleth thought of a circumstance similar to this moment, the time when she talked about her distrust of Kima while they were in the Underdark and Vax spoke up, telling her that she was not alone. That she had a family with her. She remembered how understanding he was, and how supportive he was even long before he confessed his love to her. And she remembered how it felt for her to love him and yet not have the courage to say it. It was not until after Tiberius had died that she found that courage. And now she wasn’t afraid to explore that love with him.

“And I love you,” she replied. She then went on to say, “You know, um, everyone comes from these backgrounds and having all these well-ventured and traveled pasts. You were the first people that I knew and met. So not only are you the longest, I don’t really have any other friends. You are my family. I’ll try not to let you down.”

Vax smiled at her in the mirror as he put away Whisper and moved around the chair to kneel down in front of her, running a hand through her hair. She could see in her reflection that the burnt locks were cut away, leaving the rest of what remained clean. It was a rather uneven cut, but she didn’t mind. Besides, wild and uneven suited her considering her status as a druid.

“I’ve no worries. Look at you. Don’t you look like royalty?”

“I’m not a princess, remember?” Keyleth reminded him. She really didn’t like being called a “princess” as she didn’t think of herself as one. Still, that didn’t stop the others from treating her like one, especially Tiberius when he was still with the group.

“That’s kinda what I like about you,” Vax replied with a smile. Keyleth couldn’t help but chuckle a little. He was so sweet, and she was so happy that out of all the people she met in her life, Vax was the one she fell in love with. They were clearly alike in so many ways. Perhaps they were too much alike. But still, it allowed them to relate to each other so well. She lamented on how they could’ve had a lot more time to be happy if not for the dragons, the Raven Queen, and all the unfortunate events that transpired in-between. Despite them, however, it allowed them all to grow into the people they are now.

“Would you do me a favor?” Vax soon asked. “Down the line, once all this is behind us... will you go back to the theater with me?”

His sudden and rather non-sequitur request caught Keyleth off-guard for a moment as she stared at him, utterly confused as to why he would say that now of all times. “What is it with you and the theater? Why?”

Vax shrugged. “I don’t understand it, either.”

Keyleth shrugged herself as she brought her hand up to match his hand that was still caressing her hair and stared at him with longing eyes. “Just as long as you go back to Zephra with me. Maybe?”

Vax replied with a smile, “You don’t have to ask.”

Keyleth smiled back, happy at his decision to go back with her when they had the chance. Ever since she first showed him the village from a distance, and ever since their reunion with her father, she had wanted to show him everything. But now that promise was set, assuming they survived the coming battle first.

“Does my hair look okay?” Keyleth then asked Vax, still feeling self-conscious about it.

“You kidding me?” Vax asked with an incredulous look on his face, puzzled at her statement.

“The short thing kinda works? It works with my bone structure? The antlers aren’t overpowering it, right? The length kinda balanced out this, you know? Maybe bangs? Actually, no. No bangs.”

Keyleth continued to babble nervously about her uncertainty regarding her new look as Vax abruptly kissed her, silencing the thoughts in her head. She knew she had a tendency to talk too much, and a part of her was thankful that Vax found a rather direct way to calm her down.

Vax broke the kiss and Keyleth soon found herself feeling really tired.

“Tired?” Vax asked.

“Yeah,” she muttered. “I’m exhausted.”

“Come on, then. To bed you go,” he told her as she could feel herself being picked up by Vax and carried to her bed. She could barely keep her eyes open as Vax tucked her in.

“Rest well, love. We have a big night ahead of us,” Vax said with the gentlest of tones. “And hopefully we’ll all make it out of this alive.”

“I hope so, too,” Keyleth replied as she found herself drifting further and further into sleep. She then managed to pull Vax’s head close to her as she gave him one last kiss before succumbing to slumber. “I love you, Vax.”

“I love you, too.”

Keyleth smiled as she finally surrendered to the exhaustion of the day, her eyes closing. Their rematch with Raishan was coming, and she needed to be at her best so they could finish her off. They had to finish things, or else something far worse could occur.

She will pay for what she did. That’s a promise to you, my brothers and sisters, and a promise to myself.

Keyleth soon fell asleep, and for the first time in a long while, her dreams were peaceful. She had no doubt that right beside her, Vax was dreaming the same dreams. Dreams of the two of them living a peaceful life free of dragons and death. Dreams of a future where they even raised a family together.

They were dreams worth making come true.

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