#vax’ildan imagines

[gay-dorito-dust]

Fuck dude, I relate to the deadweight reader sm. Pls tag me when pt 8 is out

Here we are at last! The first part to the two parter finale! Thank you for supporting this series that came from a silly little idea and thank you all for seeing it get this far!

Again the stupid fucking ‘readmore’ isn’t going to be added as I don’t want half of the fic to be erased for no reason. Be it’s the new updates fault. 🤷‍♀️

“Where are we?” Keyleth asked, feeling a tad disheartened by the dead flowerbeds, dry grass the crunched like bones under foot and the decaying trees and polluted swamp that stretched out before them. “Shademurk Bog.” Their horned travel guide informed before pointing at the tree that sat at the heart of the bog. “And your friend is trapped inside there with Saurdon.” He adds.

“How are we meant to get inside? Blow it up?” Vex asked, hands on her hips and her brow cocked upwards. “That’s the idea.” The horned male says as though it’s obvious enough, “it’s an tree after all, a dead one, but a tree none the less.” The group shared looks between each other before arming themselves as they delved across the black goo swamp whisky also making sure to keep a clear mind as to not submit to Saurdon’s temptations. They were here for one reason and one reason that ever truly mattered to them; vestige or no vestige, you’ve became the treasure that they horde.

Now that someone has taken that treasure and they weren’t happy. They were furious. “Don’t worry y/n.” Vax said the closer they got to the tree that supposedly has you trapped. “We’re coming, just hang on tight.”

‘Lost, ostracised, alienated, overshadowed by your peers.’ Suardon listed off as he crept towards your still standing figure, your blacked out eyes stuck themselves to him and every action he did and yet you couldn’t find the power within to reach for your weapon and tear this twat a new arsehole. You were stun locked. Your free will to do anything was taken away, forcing you into obeisance.

‘You desire companionship that won’t treat you like a second thought or someone who is only there to be used and then quickly discarded until your services were called upon again, like a servant. You want to be treated more then just deadweight.’ He continues, stepping into your personal space now as his decrepit hand cusps your jaw as though he were handling porcelain.

‘You’re lonely y/n.” he utters in a hushed whispered as his face draw nearer and nearer to the point you could feel his breath brush against your skin, which made you feel more then repulsed then you were when you couldn’t do shit to stop this weirdo from touching your jaw. ‘I can fix that…for a price.’ Saurdon drawled, stepping just another step closer to you as you internally groaned. ‘If only you give me your heart.’

“Don’t listen to him sweetheart!” Vex’s voice cried from below, catching yours and Saurdon’s attention. “His words are void, empty promises that of which hide his true intentions!” Percy adds on.“We’re sorry! We’re so fixing sorry y/n. For everything!” Keyleth cries when she saw that the black in your eyes hadn’t disappeared after hearing Percy and Vex. “For the way we’ve ignored you, disregarded you, shunned you, distanced ourselves from you, all of that and so much more!”

Vax stepped in next to her when he saw that she was becoming too emotional to carry on her speech and seeing as he was the one to remain by your side since the tomb, he could only hope that his voice could reach you. He couldn’t loose you, not this time. Not here. “We know better now then to act as though we’ve never wronged you, that’s unfair for you and the shit we’ve put you through!” He exclaims, “we promise to do better by you because in all honesty, we’re jealous of you y/n. Vox machina would be nothing without you, we would be nothing without you! Yes we were dickheads for not talking to you about this but please…come home.”

The black in your eyes disappeared and you were quick to draw your weapon and turn on Saurdon, who was furious that his plan was ruined and used his power to send you over the edge and into solid ground, knocking your weapon from your hand as he began attacking your friends. “Fucker needs to takes rejection in a more healthier manner good god.” You groaned as you got back up to your feet, picking up your weapon as Vax came to your aid, tossing your arm over his shoulder. “Forgive us yet?” He asked.

“Not the time nor the place to ask but since your dying to know,” you told him as you set your sights on Saurdon’s back, “the jury is still out.” You concluded as you brought yourself back into the heat of battle with a fire under your arse when you saw that Percy was being overwhelmed by Suardon’s plants. Slicing and dicing through them with ease as you watched them fall pathetically.

“Thanks.” Percy said.

“No problem. Also, tree fucker has the vestige.” You replied with a smile before leaving him with that information to aid Keyleth and Vex who were more then happy to see you. “Y/n!” Keyleth shouted, setting some of Suardon’s offence aflame. “Keyleth.” You greeted, “where’s Vex?” “Fighting Saurdon.” She informed you, pointing in the way she last saw vex. You patted her on the shoulder and were about to leave to help aid Vex when the Druid stopped you. “Be careful.” She warned. “Aren’t I always?” You replied before slipping off.

By the time you caught up with Vex and Saurdon, things were looking bleak. Vex lost her bow and was hanging over the edge with Saurdon towering over her, aiming the vestige at her, reading himself in taking the killing blow. “Hey tree dick!” You shouted, catching his attention as he hissed in anger. “Step the fuck away from my friend.” Utilising the enhanced speed gifted to you by the armour, you sent yourself and Saurdon over the edge and to the ground below; allowing Vex to pull herself up over the edge. “Y/n!” She cried, “catch!” Vex then threw down the golden arrowhead Percy made her and you only looked up at her incredulously.

“The fuck am I supposed to do with this?!” You asked her and she face palmed before gesturing to Saurdon who was slowing getting back up to his feet, “stab him you dumbass! Stab him in the heart!” You quickly dashed to Saurdon, knocking back flat on his arse again, wrestling him into submission as you lifted the golden arrow head overhead and brought it down into his heart; killing him and earning your party another vestige which you the quickly gave to Vex.

You all emerged from the tree only to find a golden portal awaiting you. “This must be our ticket home.” You said and with no argument to be heard from the rest of the party, you all left the fey realm united.

[demigoddessqueens]

If I care about someone super close to me I have a reflex of saying “I love you” with my goodbyes to them. I done it with my friends so many times they think it’s cute.

So what if with Vox Machina their crush was about to leave to go do something. Like go to the market, go nap, etc. and they’re just like “okay love you see ya later” and the crush walks off like as if they didn’t just say they love them.

Awww! Dang it this is so cute!! 😭💞🥹🩵💙

a/n - this kinda got angsty 😅😪

Percy

He’s got the biggest blush on his face ever but no, no! He’s not one to rush into feelings even if he wanted to (with you 👀)

Grog

Has the cutest reaction and picks you up in his big arms; honestly just go along with it he’s a sweetheart 😅

Keyleth

She’s like “wait? What?! Really!!?” and thinks you’re half serious until she’s kind of blushing, half relieved-half crushed

Vax’ildan

I feel like this could go one of two ways 😅

Romance wise (on his end), he just says it back like it’s second nature to him because that’s how loving you is to him

Platonic, he’ll just say it back casually too 😁 but still be kinda yearning underneath

Pike

Her head perks up like “oh wait? really?” until she realizes it was intended differently, then it’s like “pfft yeah, love you too but not like that”

Vex’ahlia

Oh. Oh. Is this happening?? Is this right now?? Oh no, oh you didn’t mean it like that. Oh well… you’re free to love whoever you want darling

Scanlan

He’s so hopeful at first but then “tries” to play it off casually but gods damn it he wants to say it back to you too

[cillivnz]

sex n’ romance with vox machina

[HEADCANNONS]

PAIRINGS — VOX MACHINA [𝘷𝘢𝘹, 𝘷𝘦𝘹, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺, 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘯] x F!READER

WARNINGS — NSFW, eighteen+ SMUT. penetrative sex, oral sex, outdoor sex, anal-play, face-fucking, tongue-fucking, clit-play, breast/nipple play.

Vax’ildan

𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 : you. a generous lover and a grateful receiver; he could relish in the taste of your drooling pussy for hours, if not days, and also savour the feel of your hot mouth on his shaft, the feel of your pretty throat squeezing around his long cock.

𝒉𝒆’𝒔 : an adrenaline junkie, loves fucking you outdoors. he’d totally wake you up in the middle of the night to slowly sneak away from where the gang is camping, to a far away tree, making you grip the trunk while he is pummelling your cunt. he’d lean against the tree, grunting and whimpering when you’d take him in your mouth. he’s also have you place one leg on his shoulder— using the tree as support— while he angles himself deeper inside you.

𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 : the sounds you make, the pleasurable look on your face, the way you clench around his length, the way you’re his. despite the dozens of men ogling at you wherever vox machina goes, at the end of the day, you choose him; over everybody else. vax’ildan loves you.

Vex’ahlia

𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 : those bittersweet moments the two of you share. before a disaster is waiting to unravel, you hold each other in your arms, kiss like there’s literally no tomorrow. the feel of your soft skin against hers when you sleep, bare.

𝑠ℎ𝑒’𝑠 : losing her mind around you. she thanks all gods and stars that she’s met her soulmate who’s excruciatingly good in bed. vex has a high sex drive but likes to keep things under control, or at least she pretended to, until you showed up and now all she wants to feel is your body on hers. loses her sanity every time you nibble on her clit or leave hickeys on the underside of her breasts.

𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑠 : the freedom that comes along with you. the respect you give her is refreshing, and she’s never been loved by anyone like you. neither has she loved anyone like you, the proof of which is delivered every night when she’s got her head trapped between your thighs, lapping away at your stream of juices like the hardworking woman she is. when you return the favour by sucking harshly on her clit, which is when her dominatrix visage starts to crumble.

Percival

𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 : sinful nights, lustful days. aftercare with you, when he gets to fuck his cum back into you (though that’s his harsher, hornier, possessed side). taking care of your love-bites (they look like an act of savagery, but honestly this man IS feral for you).

𝒉𝒆 : can’t display his affection for you, publicly; his noble status doesn’t permit ‘romeo’ behaviour. — is suffering because of his pride, because the minute he is left alone with you, he pounces onto you like you’re his prey and relishes in you the same way (that rhymed) (i was a poet and i did know it). just fucks you hard and rough on most days because my manz can’t catch a break from the end of the world, and is so worked up (poor babes), but when he makes love to you? fuck. rouge tints his pale face, blushing like there’s no tomorrow, because his crush (you, bunny) is riding his dick, while your naked breasts bounce next to his face.

𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 : the night time; it’s his favourite hour of the day, because he finally gets to do the things he’s been craving to do to you, all fucking day. watching you writhe in overstimulation when you can’t take the feel of his hot tongue teasing your engorged clit while his long, rough fingers fuck knuckle-deep into you.

Scanlan

𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 : no, no no. he 𝑹𝑬𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑺 in you. his sex drive is infamous, and you live to hold the rumours true. the taste of your pussy after a day’s work, lapping away at the creamy sweetness that he coaxes out of you is his favourite past time when he’s not drinking away. even if he was (drinking away), he’d pair you up with his favourite beer and die a happy man.

𝒉𝒆 : does not let you catch a break. would totally spill his drink onto your chest, watch the amber beads of cheap beer dribble down your ample chest, your cleavage just begging him to shove his face in and lick the drink away. is so, so good with aftercare. knows he pushes you past your limits, so it’s his love for you that brings out this gentleman-ly side.

𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 : shoving that tongue into you, leaving you a sloppy mess. you’d grimace at the way your juices drip down to your asshole, but scanlan? he’d smirk in a flushed state, rubbing your unused hole solely to tease you. fingering both your holes — two in the pussy, one in the ass (knuckle-deep, obviously). sucking your nipples to soreness.

A/N — thank you so much for reading, sweets. this is my first time writing headcannons so it’s not conventional.

let me know if you’d like me to do this again or/and write for the remaining members [KEYLETH, GROG, PIKE] of vox machina!

𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭.

[threadcountart]

Out of Reach

Image ID below 🔮

[Image ID: Digital painting of Keyleth from Critical Role Campaign 3 Episode 51. She lies sprawled on her back in a splatter of blood, staring limply as tears bead up in her eyes. A raven feather lies just out of her reach. She's been slashed in the chest and arm and one of her antlers has broken off. Keyleth has long wavy red hair, green eyes, and pointed ears. She wears an antler headdress, a blue dress with a plunging v-neck and a green cape made of leaves. Watermark reads "Threadcount Art" and "Do not edit/repost/trace" End ID]

[saphirered]

hiii idk if you know the musical Wicked, but I was thinking of an imagine surrounding the song “Not That Girl” with Vax or Percy?

Wicked is soooo good I love it! Hope you like what I cooked up for this one! Did go with a at twist and happy ending though so hope you don't mind. 😘

Percy laughs. Like a proper unburdened laugh. Those have been a rarity for him for many years but finally he is free. Finally he has his love in his arms. Together they are spinning across the dance floor, surrounded by the many who watch them, or dance with them. The halls of this castle no longer drown in the blood of others, instead they shine clean and bright in the candlelight. There is joy once more despite all past horrors. He didn’t think himself capable, to live a life without that constant pain and anger, and while he still has so much grief to go around, it’s more bearable. He doesn’t feel guilty for being happy, and instead finally feels he’s worthy of it, he’s worthy of the beautiful half-elf in his arms. He’s worthy of her smile. He’s worthy of her kiss and her attention. He’s simply worthy. It took him some time to get there but he can finally believe it too, and take her word for it. She is the best thing to ever happen to him. 

From that same floor, polished and shining, along the strings of that same music that bounces with the beat of a heart and lulls along the limbs of the restless in beautiful symphonies, there stands another, watching the happy couple as they look at each other lovingly. They deserve this. They have fought for this. That’s what you keep telling yourself. You tell yourself you’re happy for them, and you are. You truly are but you too , are haunted by the memories of a past and your demons have not yet been vanquished by a lover bright. All your life you were told you’d be the one at his side. Your entire existence was built around these chains that constricted you, to live up to that expectation, that destiny. You were supposed to be the one in his arms and you are not. It is not jealousy that fuels you now. No, you do not burst green with envy. You do not long for the Lord of Whitestone. You long for love. You long for the life you were promised and to see that it will never be yours, that hurts, for what is your path now? Where do you go? Where do you belong if not here at this castle? You mourn what could have been, but it does not do well to dwell on such things. 

He loves her so, but you’ll never be her. You can’t be and you don’t want to be but that does not make the ache of what could have been go away. So you watch, like so many others, watch them dance, watch them be in love and be happy for them, even if your heart clenches. You dream that maybe someday you will be lucky to find that kind of love, find someone who stares at you like that, who holds you like that, shields you from this world when it becomes too much. He is exactly all those things you’d wish for, but he is not the one for you. So you smile. You smile until your mourning of the life that could have been becomes too much because he loves her so and tell yourself something different. You tell yourself the things you were promised are not what you were born for after all. You’re not meant for the rose and pearl. And thus you slip from the crowd, slip from the beautiful halls, away from the light and into the shadows. You look back at your old life just the once, and you miss the warmth the further from that glow you get. You long to go back but you can’t. You’ll refuse to be stuck in a castle you do not belong. You will never be what you need to be there and you owe it to yourself to just be you. 

At the bottom of the stairs Vax’ildan has settled down. Behind him he hears the music, and chattering of the fancy and the fooled. He knows that life all too well. Knows what he was once pushed into, and what he broke free from. He’s not cut out for that life and while he will humour his friends, by attending these gatherings when he needs to, or simply to spend time with them, he can only put up with so much before he’d rather slip back into the shadows. Let the people who glimmer in the candlelight shine. He is perfectly content not being there. But sometimes he wonders; what if he had not discarded that part of his life? What if he had done as his sister had, had tried to fit in and not given up? Would he be dancing with them right now? Would he be clinking glasses over empty promises and charming smiles? Would he have enjoyed it? He doesn’t really know the answer to that. Instead he’ll sit outside on the stairs, in his fancy clothes playing with the dagger he’d kept hidden to distract himself before he made himself scarce. 

“You look lonely.” A voice behind him speaks and nearly makes him jump out of his skin. He drops the dagger and it clanks against the stone, beginning to bounce down as his eyes fall on you. You look positively radiant, so much so you catch his breath and he forgets where he is, what he’s doing. You quickly reach out your hand in the air and the clanks fall silent. A translucent hand brings the dagger back to his side as you take some more steps down. Vax shakes himself off. 

“I-uh. The company inside didn’t really suit me. What’s your excuse?” It came out a bit more hostile than he intended, given the way you flinch. 

“I needed some air and a change of scene.” You speak as proper as ever but that flicker of pain that crosses your features when you look back at the grand castle does not go unnoticed to the rogue, even if you managed to sneak up on him before. You stand there for a few seconds before you take another step and then another. You place the dagger back by his side and dispel the mage hand you summoned to catch it with the flick of your wrist. 

“Sorry.” You mutter under your breath even though you know not what for, when you’re about to pass the rogue. 

“Come sit with me.” The offer was an impulsive one, Vax will admit but something within him screams. It’s done so before but he’s quelled it then. Now he loosens that restrain simply for one reason; you look lonely too. 

“Are you sure?” He gives you a look that answers your question enough and so you look at the step, then at your clothes and the step he’s seated on again. 

“What? Scared of some stains on your pretty clothes?” He jokes and you simply plop yourself down. He knows you’ve never been scared to get your hands, or clothes dirty for that matter. He’s seen you crawl through swamps and soil and gore plenty of times. No matter what, you’d always manage to look stunning to him. He’s never shared these thoughts of course because he knew where you came from, he knows where you’re meant to go. He’s not meant for a life like yours. He may once have been among rose petals and gilded halls but that’s not the life he resigned himself to. That’s exactly why he sits on these steps now. You are meant for a different life and he can never be the man that drinks champagne over talks of politics. He’ll never be the one to smile through the bullshit of others. He will never get his steps right of those fancy waltzes no matter how quick and light on his feet he may be. You belong among the shining gems. Not in the shadows with him. 

Sometimes Vax wonders, though. He dreams of what a life with you might be. Would he be standing next to you in this life of extravagance? Would he be on that dance floor now with you in his arms, swaying back and forth with a crowd more akin to an audience, ignorant to the performance you’d have to put on in favour of enjoying his time with you? Would he pick you up in your fancy clothes and carry you through the halls to make you laugh? Would you laugh? Would your smile be so bright it would make him feel warm and wanted inside? Would you love him so? Could you love him so? It is not meant to be because you belong up there among the golden ones while he lingers in his shadows, away from the light. His heart aches for what might have been had he chosen the same life as his sister. Where might he be now? Where might you be now?

“You look sad.” You state when you see his frown, and the distance of thought in his eyes as you observe the rogue. It’s an innocent statement, and you seem to reflect his mood in your own voice.

“It’s nothing.” He brushes it off. You always know exactly how he feels. He can’t hide anything from you. No matter how hard he tries, for better or worse. And so a sad smile graces his lips. “You shouldn’t stay too long. They’ll miss you in there.” 

“Do you wish for me to leave?” You ask concerned. It nearly breaks his heart how you sound as if you’ve offended him.

“No! No. Please, stay, if you want to. I invited you to sit after all. I just mean, they’ll notice you’re gone. Just don’t feel like you have to because you don’t want me to sit here on my own.” When you visibly relax Vax feels like he can finally breathe again. You relax into your spot; shoulders drooping, and posture slouching just a little, leaving enough of a trace of what you were born into and were you a child, you’d have been scolded for it. You’re at ease. Or as much as you can be. He counts himself lucky to be one of the few people who you feel comfortable around to do so. But then he notices on your features; an expression that mimicked his own and he frowns once more, but not for his own thoughts, and instead for what might run through your own head, whatever it is. You shouldn’t feel sad. You deserve all the happiness in the world. You once claimed you enjoyed nights of dancing and dining, that they never failed to bring a smile to your face but tonight, that seems a forgotten dream. 

“You look sad.” He repeats your own words from earlier but fills them with compassion and kinship, fills them with kindness and acceptance because while he’d rather you’d be smiling happily, he understands that sometimes sadness is just as much part of life. You are no stranger to pain and neither is he. Sometimes you just have to be reminded you’re not alone in this and he will gladly show you he’s there for you when you need him, because at the end of the day, even if your life is not meant for him, he still cares about you and still wants you to have all that is good in this life of yours because you deserve happiness. You deserve it. You’ve more than earned it. 

“Normally, I might have pretended to smile and dismiss the pure notion of sadness in the eyes of others. But I don’t think I can muster the strength nor courage to do so tonight.” You admit hesitantly. Layer by layer you are shaking off the burdens that were placed upon you. Perhaps this is the start of it; to be true to who you are, who you might be without these comforts you’ve grown accustomed to but were they comforts in the first place? Or have they always been chains?

“It takes just as much strength and courage to say the words you just said.” It’s a simple statement. Not a counter argument. Just an acknowledgement. You take a deep breath as you feel his eyes on you. You opt for staring at the skyline, if only not to break apart now. Vax continues. “You have lived a life shaped by others. You’ve been raised among shining gems and have become the brightest of jewels in turn. But I know it comes with many downsides. I ran away from that kind of life for a reason. I admire you for staying.” He speaks from his heart, true feelings without deceit or some kind of twisting fanciness compelled by the rules of social engagement. 

“Sometimes I’ve found myself wondering what would have happened if I had run away. Tonight I just find myself wishing I’d never stepped into a gilded life at all. How did you do it? How did you know your decision was the right one?” Your voice tremors. You’re troubled, it’s clear to see. Vax slowly brings his hand over to yours, placing his palm over it as he wraps his fingers around to hold your hand, giving a reassuring squeeze. He thinks about his answer for a second. Just a second.

“I didn’t know it was the right decision. Sometimes I still wonder if it was, or what might have been if I hadn’t. I think I might have been up there.” He nudges his head towards the castle. “With the others. With you. I might have been dancing and drinking among ‘esteemed company’ even though we both know they’re a bunch of fucking drunkards with too much coin in their pockets.” That brings a smile to your face and lets a light chuckle escape your lips. You look more relaxed this time, and while the sadness still lingers it feels as if some rush of joy remains within. You curl your own fingers around his and squeeze lightly. 

“You’re not wrong.” A moment of silence passes. “If it matters, I think you made the right call.”

“How so?”

“Because unlike you, I’ve watched the life set out for me crumble in the end, and be resigned to a futile purpose no longer necessary nor wanted. I don’t belong up there. Not anymore.” There’s the sad again. You look at your clasped hands so Vax turns sideways to face you better. Lifts his fingers beneath your chin and turns your gaze to look him in the eye.

“Hey, it’s your life. If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s we get to choose where we want to be; up there between jewels and champagne, down here under the stars and moonlight, or anywhere else we choose to be. Life doesn’t end here nor there. You matter and you are wanted. I know you are. Even if you can’t see it yourself, I see you.” He speaks from his heart. You do not need twelve scholars on social encounters to have taught you that because you feel it in your own heart. You feel like you belong again. Neither here nor there. You belong here right now in this moment and you know, you made the right call walking out here because in a way, the air feels less stuffy and you feel the chains lifting little by little.

“I think those are the most truthful words I’ve ever heard someone say.” 

“I think that’s sad.” 

“I know it is. But it’s true no less.” Vax rises to his feel, never letting go of your joined hands. 

“Come on?” He asks more than anything. You don’t find it within yourself to question, let alone refuse and simply allow him to pull you to your feet and further down the stairs until you stand on even ground once more, the sounds of the party in the distance still audible. He’ll admit he’s acting on impulse and stupidity but that’s exactly what this calls for. He faces you, takes a step back, lowers his head and bends his knees in a curtsy. 

“Would you do me the honour of a dance?” Vax asks awaiting your answer patiently, not moving a muscle. Some training has stuck with him, even after all these years. Perhaps that was because it was not some teachers and governesses that taught him this. No, his mother did. She taught him how to dance, and while it were no palace waltzes, she taught him the proper etiquette. That’s why he cared to remember them because every time he practiced them it made her smile. He knows you enjoy dancing, be that your fancy and practiced routines, or simply letting loose in the tavern when everyone is a little too deep into their cups. 

“I-… yes…” You breathe. And with a smile of his own he rises to look into your bewildered eyes. He crosses his arms at the wrist, lets his palms face upward for you to place yours within. 

“Now, tonight we dance the dance of peasants. No more melancholic string quartets. Just let yourself go. Think you can do that?” You give him a thoughtful look, as if you’re debating but he know it’s your lightheartedness coming through and he feels relieved. he feels his heart leap when you take a step closer and place your hands in his with a smile. 

And so you spin and twirl and jump and step to the beat of your own drums. You laugh and chime and sing songs of the taverns, and whatever else you might have picked up on your adventures. Vax has rarely seen you like this, this alive, this unrestraint because with every time he twirls you, every time he wraps his arms around you, you seem to grow lighter, less burdened by the weight you didn’t even realise you carried. And finally you are free from the chains that bound you. Like him, you have found your freedom in the shadows. It took him a long time to realise the shadows aren’t so lonely, and only now he realised, perhaps you didn’t belong in the gilded halls. That doesn’t make you less of a perfect diamond. You were simply to precious to be among the many jewels and your beauty truly shines here under the moon, not because of some fancy appearances or good manners but because you smile and laugh and dance to your heart’s content. No longer do you worry about what others might mean or think or say or do at every turn. You can simply be free. Thanks to the rogue who showed you what it means to live instead of just be alive. 

It comes to him as a surprise when by the end of the night your lips find his cheek and you mutter a thank you. His cheeks stain crimson when you say you hope this will not be the last of these kind of nights and if it’s up to him, he’ll offer you this every night to come, just to see you happy. You deserve happiness. He’ll hand it to you at every opportunity. 

[lets-get-ready-to-ramble]

vox machina one shot to unsphere vax??

[polls-showdowns]

Vax'ildan (Critical Role) V.S. Sokka (Avatar: the last airbender)

[fandom-imagines-stories]

Far From Me

Vax’ildan x Reader

Words: 2576

Part One

Summary: Vox Machina tries desperately to bring a fallen member back from the other side. Vax’s true feelings are shown in his desperation. 

Notes: I’m embarrassed by how long it has taken me to write this. (I’ve been working on these two imagines since season one came out guys) But here it is. Now, I don’t know every step so I kind of made the ritual to fit the story itself. It’s my version of the ressurection ritual. Don’t come after me please haha.   

-

“Pike!” 

The wounded cry rang through the dark. Vox Machina all tensed at the sound. 

Vex’s head whipped around, her eyes peering carefully into the dark. 

“Pike. Someone! Help me!” It called again. 

Vex’s stomach dropped. She turned to the others. “It’s Vax.”  

She sprinted into the dark, holding her torch out ahead of her. Her eyes scanned every surface in a panic. So focused and frightened, she nearly ran straight into him. At first, her eyes only saw his face and she nearly cried out. Blood smeared across his cheek and his eyes were filled with a deep despair. 

It took only a moment to realize that the blood was not his. 

In Vax’s arms was Y/N’s limp form. 

Vex’s gaze darted between the two. 

Y/N’s pale face. Vax’s shirt, soaked with red. 

“Where’s Pike?” He croaked. His voice was raw and broken from sobs. 

“She’s…” She motioned to the hall behind her where the rest ran to join them. “Vax, what happened?”

“We have to save her. We have to… I can’t… she’s not gone,” he rambled. His eyes found the light-haired gnome and he rushed to her, falling to his knees and presenting her with the body in his embrace. “Do something. Please. This isn’t right. She wasn’t meant to…” 

More, less coherent pleas fall from his trembling lips. The rest of the team stood over them with similar expressions of shock and distress. 

Pike, speechless, tried to assess the extent of Y/N’s injuries. 

“Vax, she’s-” She gasped tearfully.

“No!” He screamed. “No. We have to do something. I do not accept this. I won’t.” 

The cleric saw the desperation in his eyes and knew the truth behind it. She nodded.

“Not here,” she said. “We have to get her somewhere else.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Scanlan chimed. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” 

They took off again, Vax still cradling Y/N against him. He didn’t stop when a new set of guards began to chase them. He was too frantic to be furious with vengeance. 

Percy and Vex, however, skidded to a halt. 

“We’ll hold them off,” Percy said. He loaded his weapon with a menacing click. “We’re right behind you.” 

“Besides,” Vex looked at the woman in her brother’s arms. She and Y/N may not have gotten along at first, but she’d grown to love the sorceress like a sister. Especially since she’d seen Vax’s feelings for Y/N from the beginning. Nobody was going to get away with taking that away. She aimed her arrow at the first guard. “I’m going to enjoy this.” 

-

They’re only refuge was a deserted shop several blocks from the armory they’d fled. Vax didn’t remember getting here. He didn’t remember running or kicking down the door rather than picking the lock. He didn’t remember his sister and Percy finding them in the chaos. Every thought was consumed by the woman in his arms. 

“That’s a lot of blood,” Grog said. His usual aggression was replaced with genuine worry for his friend as he recognized the grim expressions on the others' faces. “But you can fix it, right Pikey?”

Her blue eyes widened. “I-I-”

“Y/N is going to be fine,” Vax finished, clearing off a table and laying Y/N down. He didn’t look at the healer or anyone else. His eyes stayed glued to the pale, cold face before him. Vax found a cloth and wiped the blood from her cheek. 

The group around him remained frozen. 

“Somebody do something!” He screamed. 

Pike let out a nervous breath. 

Scanlan put a hand on her shoulder. “You can do this.” 

The reassurance pulled her back into the moment. She stood up straighter, took a breath, and shoved Scanlan and Keyleth out of her way. The cleric pulled a diamond from her pouch and laid it on Y/N’s unmoving chest. 

“We need to do this quickly and we need to do it now,” she barked. 

As the rest of the group scrambled to set up the ritual by Pike’s instruction, Vex approached her brother, gently laying a hand on his arm. He instinctively pulled away, leaning over the body before him. 

“We will get her back, brother,” Vex said softly. 

A tear fell into Y/N’s Y/H/C hair. Vax brushed a strand out of her face. 

“I didn’t tell her,” he whispered. “I-I didn’t tell her. I wanted to, but I was too late.” Finally, he looked up. Tear-filled eyes met his sister’s and he spoke through a broken sob. “I have to get her back so I can tell her.” 

“And you will.” Her voice held the assuredness he wished he could muster. 

With slow, guiding hands, she pulled him away from the table enough to give the cleric the space she needed. 

“Pike,” Vex nodded. “Do your thing.”  

The chaotic panic of the room fell into a deep, concentrated silence. The air tightened until Vax couldn’t breathe. 

“We have to call her spirit back to her body,” Pike said, hands splayed out over the diamond, which had developed a soft, golden glow. The light was small like a candle wick first taking flame. 

“And that will work?” Percy asked. 

Pike took a breath. “If she wants to come back, we have a chance.” 

“What do you mean, ‘if’?” Scanlan looked over her shoulder only to be shoved out of the way. He shuddered. Grog was right. That was a lot of blood. 

Pike didn’t answer. 

Scanlan asked again, almost shouting.  “What do you mean, ‘if’ she wants to come back?” 

“Her family,” Keyleth whispered. Her staff trembled in her hands. “She told me about her family. Her parents. They were killed in front of her as a child. Maybe she…” The kind-hearted druid couldn’t bring herself to finish. 

“Maybe she wants to stay with them,” Pike concluded. 

Vax’s mind went back to that night, the shooting star and Y/N’s drunken voice filled with a disheartened kind of sorrow. He thought of other nights, of other talks once she had opened up to the group. He knew how much she missed them. How she longed to see them once more. 

“But we’re her family!” Scanlan exclaimed. His distress seeped into his voice, almost making it crack. “She can’t go. She has to come back.” He leaned over Y/N’s body, fists clenched on the table beside her. “Do you hear me? You have to come back.” 

“I’m trying to reach her,” Pike said. 

Scanlan took out his lute. 

The gnome's fingers strummed the strings, not in his usual flamboyant fashion, but in a slow, swelling tune. He had no words, but he didn’t need them. The notes spoke for themselves. Sorrowful was not the right word for the moving melody, but there was a tone of despair floating beneath the waves. But upon every crest sang the main point of the piece. Hope. 

In the final moments of the song, Scanlan crouched by Y/N’s ear and whispered something no one else could hear. 

“You reminded me that I’m a good person,” he said. A single tear fell down his cheek. “I need you to keep reminding me or I won’t believe it. Please, come back.” 

With a final flourish of notes, his playing ceased and the room was silent once again. 

Vax was still frozen, his sister’s arm around his shoulders. He wanted to speak, to scream, to plead with the gods not to take you from him, but his voice was lost in a sea of panic swimming through his mind and drowning his chest. 

Please, he thought. Please work. 

“I-I can feel her,” Pike said, eyes screwed shut and brows furrowed. “But I can’t reach her. I need more help.” 

To Vax’s surprise, it was his sister who stepped forward when he was still unable to find his words. He tried. He desperately, desperately tried but all he could do was stare at the cold, limp body before him. Using what strength he could, he followed Vex on his knees to grab Y/N’s hand. His forehead rested beside it as Vex spoke. 

“You were never one of us,” she said. “You were the stray we picked up along the way. You were never meant to last for more than a week.”

Vax lifted his head. “Vex what are you-” 

She stopped him with a glance. Tears pooled in her eyes and her lip trembled as she continued. 

“That is what I believed when we first met. When I first understood your feelings for my brother, even before you did. I thought you were going to leave and I resented you for it. I resented you for the possibility that you would hurt him.” She stood at the foot of the table and took a breath. “But I know that I was wrong.” 

Vex walked around so that she was across from her brother, taking Y/N’s cold, unmoving hand into her own. 

“How many times have you saved my life with these hands? With your power?” She forced back a cry. “With your heart?” 

She remembered every conversation over the fire, while everyone else was asleep. She remembered how Y/N had stood up to her and Vax’s father. She remembered Y/N’s encouraging words and kindness after months of Vex’s hostility. 

“If you lock your heart away from the people you care about, you lock it away from yourself.” Y/N had said one night. Vex remembered wanting to hit her because she was right. “You deserve to let your heart be in the light, Vex’ahlia.” 

Vex continued. “Scanlan was right. You are part of this family. And you know how much I hate agreeing with that gnome.” She laughed through her tears. “Your journey with us is not over. Please, bring your heart to the light again.” 

The diamond’s rays flickered brightly, but only for a moment, and started to fade again. 

“No, no please,” Vex cried. 

Pike grimaced, reaching out her hand. “I’m losing her!” 

The twin’s eyes met with panic and growing despair. 

“It’s you,” Vex said. “It has to be you.” 

“I… I can’t,” Vax clung to the side of the table, fear shaking through his arms. The fading glow felt like daggers in his chest. The lump in his throat made it difficult to talk. His mind was clouded. 

“It has to be you,” his sister repeated. 

The light flickered out. 

For a moment, everything stopped. Time, feeling, thought. It all halted. It felt as though his heart, too, had stopped beating. 

Vax jumped onto the table, pulling Y/N into his arms just as he’d held her in that room. 

“No no no no no,” he didn’t have the energy to scream at first, his words coming out as breathy prayers. But, holding her closer to his chest, he finally found his voice. “Y/N! Don’t do this, please. You have to come back. You have to hear me say it.”

 It was like he was back there again, watching the light fade from her eyes, trapped in the dark. Alone. 

“I meant it.” Vax held her face in his hands, resting his forehead against hers. “I love you. I have loved you since that night when I took your hand. I have loved you in every step we’ve taken together, but now the path you walk is far from me. Please.” Vax pressed his lips to hers. If he could have given her the life from his lungs, he would have. “Return to me, love. Come back.” He kisses her again. “Come back.” 

A growing, bright beam overtook his vision. 

The diamond glowed once more. 

Pike let out a battle-like cry. Her blue eyes disappear beneath screens of light. The rays engulfed her body. 

Y/N lifted out of Vax’s arms. For a moment, he reached out, afraid to let go, but his sister’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. 

Bright, gold beams blinded the room. 

Percy lifted his arms to shield his eyes. Keyleth hid her face in Grog’s shoulder. Scanlan ducked beneath the table. The twins turned toward each other. 

Darkness returned, Pike gasping for breath, leaning on Scanlan for support. 

Y/N fell back into Vax’s arms, limp and cold. 

“Did it work?” Keyleth asked. 

Y/N remained still. 

The room was silent again. 

Pike closed her eyes, letting Scanlan pull her into his arms as he tried to hide his tears. Keyleth covered her mouth with her hand. Percy looked at the ground. Grog didn’t understand. 

Why wasn’t she waking up?

“Brother…” Vex said softly. 

A desperate, gut-wrench sob escaped Vax’s throat. He buried his face against her neck and held her as if she were his lifeline slipping away. 

Outside, a faint glint of a shooting star streaked across the sky. 

Slowly, you opened your eyes. 

“Why… why is everyone crying?” You coughed. 

Vax pulled back, a mix of disbelief and utter bliss overtaking his features. He held your face in his hands, feeling the warmth return to your cheeks. 

“Thank you, Everlight,” Pike sighed, gripping Scanlan’s hand. 

Vax brought you back to him, holding you tightly against his chest. Vex through her arms around both of you. 

“See,” Grog said. “I knew she’d be alright.” 

Everyone gathered around the table, encircling you with relieved expressions and tears turning joyful.

Scanlan sniffed and wiped at the moisture on his face. “Don’t ever fucking do that again.” 

It came back to you gradually. The pain of the blade, laying in Vax’s arms, falling into the dark. You gently pushed back from Vax. 

“Did I…”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re okay now.” He pressed his lips to your forehead. 

“I thought that I-” You took a breath. “I thought I saw my parents.” You looked around at the people you’d come to call family. “But then I heard music. I could hear voices, calling me back. And I felt…” You reached a trembling hand up to your lips. “I thought I felt…” 

You gazed into the eyes of the man holding you. 

His lips met yours with a soft, yet powerful, urgency. 

It gave you all the strength you needed. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him closer, your revitalized heart beating so hard you were sure everyone could hear it. By the time you pulled apart, you were both gasping for breath and beaming. 

“Fucking finally,” Vex laughed. 

“Uh, so do you guys, like, want the room?” Scanlan nudged your side, wiggling his eyebrows at you mischievously. 

“Like you wouldn’t find a way to watch,” you joked. You moved to stand but fell back against Vax. 

“Easy,” he said. “Don’t exhaust yourself just yet.” 

“Yeah, save that energy for other things,” Scanlan smirked. 

Vax gave him a silencing glare. 

“We should get out of here,” Percy said. He peeked out of the window and watched the guards they hadn’t killed rush by. “Else we’ll have to do that all over again.” 

“I’m with Percy,” Pike agreed. “She’s too weak for another fight. If we stay hidden, we can get to the next village by sunrise.” She looked at you and you nodded.

“I’ll be fine,” you said. Again, you tried to walk, your legs aching and trembling beneath you. 

Vax scooped you up in his arms and kissed you once more.

 “I’ve got you.” 

And he was never letting go. 

[its-your-mind]

GOD. IMAGINE. You were kidnapped from your mother by your estranged father and emotionally abused until you ran away. You survived alone in the wild with just your sister. You finally find a family you can trust to work together, and you fall in love with one of them, and she rejects you because of her responsibilities to her people. Then, your twin sister, your other half, who you cannot imagine living without, is killed silently, promptly, in one moment while you were off looking at something else. You offer yourself to the Goddess of Death in her place. Your sister comes back, and you’re not dead, but you’re also not… the same. You can’t feel her anymore. The Goddess of Death brings you closer and closer to her, and when you die, you don’t pass into the astral plane. Instead, you become her Champion. You can still see your family, you can still aid them, but you can’t be theirs anymore. You belong to someone else now. You are granted one year to spend with the woman you love, who has grown confident in her power and has chosen to love you back, just when you aren’t able to be there anymore. And then… you have work to do. You are the Champion of the Raven Queen. You are her hand in the mortal world. And when someone is trying to bring down the gods, you are sent to stop him. When you get there… it’s her. She’s here, the woman you love, who loves you, and she’s broken, bruised, and cut down. You swoop in at the last moment to stop the final strike, to save her, to make sure that you don’t lose anyone else, and… it’s a trap. These people who are trying to take down the gods, they were waiting. They were waiting for you. And now that you’re here… all that was missing was the lens. The sliver of divinity. And so they take all that you are, not quite dead, not quite alive, fueled and guided by the Raven Queen’s power, and compress you, contain you, force you into a smaller and smaller shape, until all that you are is an orb. But you’re still here. That’s still you, and you are now the funnel, the conduit for a power that you do not understand, that is using you as a wedge to force open a divine gate. And you can feel it. Every moment of pain, of pressure, of the transference of power. And it. Is. Agony.

Every FUCKING day vax’ildan (doesn’t) wake up.

[blueseachelle]

Hi I just saw your post!

Could I ask you do an imagine with percy or vax (or both😅) where they find their soulmate and what it is like. Smut if you like.

Thank you 😊

I can do that! I gotcha! This will not be NSFW. Some spoilers for Season 2 will be in this. I have many other requests in the web I’m creating right now. So, we’ll have an easy one today!

Percy De Rolo

You would join Vox Machina off a whim. Got caught up in a tavern brawl and got kicked out with them.

You actually hit it off with Scanlan and Grog out of the rest of the group first. Then, Pike, Vax, and Vex. Percy didn’t accept you at first. He was wary of you because of his past.

You made it your entire effort into wanting to become Percy’s friend. You slowly gained more feelings for him the more you harassed him into a friendship.

He slowly became comfortable with you. Of course, you would never know that. He loves your company. He will never admit it.

You both are on the same wave length with everything, be it his crafting or to strategy in battle. Always by each others side.

You could sense something familiar about his aura. He found the same in you.

Soon enough, he found comfort in you. Just your presence can help ease if spiraling spirit.

He would always tell himself this is nothing more than a friendship but, he always felt deep down that he was lying to himself.

You knew you loved him with all your heart so, you would always remain by his side. No matter if he got with someone else or never at all.

He wouldn’t realize you are his soulmate until the falling of Whitestone.

You were the only one that could calm down his inner turmoil and was the one to sacrifice everything you could to keep him and his friends safe.

He finally knew it for sure when he was getting taken over by the spirit his gun possessed and accidentally shot you in the side. (As we know that never happened but in this little imagine, it did).

You went down and it snapped him into reality. He ran to catch your body only to be stopped by Scanlan and Grog as Keyleth got to work after being brought back herself.

After that day, for a while, he couldn’t stand to be out of his quarter’s at the Keep. He even refused to look at himself in the mirror.

You made a swift recovery and was told by the rest of the group about what Percy has been doing, Isolating himself.

You went to his door and knocked on it.

Percy was hesitant but opened the door. Before he could do anything, you hugged him and told him that it wasn’t his fault and that he’s okay.

He was caught off guard as he hugged you back. He listened as you consoled him, telling him that it was the spirit inside that did it, not him, and that he didn’t need to worry anymore because its gone and she is okay now.

He slowly pulled you inside during the hug and closed the door. After it shut, he let out the tears he didn’t know he was holding back.

He let himself spill, telling how he felt and that he is sorry. He needed to tell you that he wants to be by your side forever.

Of course, you feeling the same told him that you will never leave and that if you can handle what just happened and can make amends, you can get through anything.

Vax’ildan

I feel like Vax is really in tune with himself.

When he first meets you in a market place, he stole your coin purse but, your keen eye saw him do it and you stole it back and his on top of it. Sending him a wink as you walked away.

He was starstruck. He at least knew that he was in love with you.

When they moved on, he hoped to revisit and see you again but, he didn’t hold to any hope because people have lives and move around too.

He long forgot about you after that because he and the group were really busy and he got caught up in other feelings for Keyleth, which didn’t end well for him so, he hasn’t thought much of you.

After the Chroma Conclave destroyed Emon, He and his friend departed to Vasselheim in search of allies.

Guess who’s there? You!

You are actually are a mercenary. You help whoever pays you, be it the Slayer’s Take or other people.

After being rejected by the clergy, the group was making there way over to the Slayer’s Take and that’s when he spotted you.

You were walking out of there as they walked up. You a large sack of gold that you finished your bounty for and was about to head out.

Before you went too far, Kashaw opened the door and called you back in, telling that the Patron needs to talk to you.

He watched as you sighed and headed back inside.

He raised and eyebrow, You’re so important that the Patron needs to speak with you directly. Interesting.

You were a mystery to him and he loved every second of it. He thought he was the most mysterious person he knew. Not by a long shot.

When they walked in, the quarrel happened until the Patron lets them down to speak with them.

You waited down there on Osysa’s throne was she dealt with each member.

When Vax was encountered, a number of things were said but, one of the most important ones was, ‘You sought love and it wasn’t found but love is a mysterious thing. Soulmates will always be drawn back to each other, no matter the distance or time it takes. Remember what has happened and reflect on this. Love will never always be right in front of you always. Follow your spirit and you will know.’

Vax knew she was talking about you. His spirit was saying it over and over was she spoke to him.

After the dust cleared and they proved themselves worth, you were introduced by Osysa herself.

Osysa knew your heart that you hid away from everyone, she knew that you would help them and not screw them over. Plus, you are preferred to handle in the affairs of God’s, given that you are a Warlock.

Vax couldn’t take his eyes off you. He repeated your name over and over in his head. His spirit seemed to scream out to be next to you.

As Osysa sent you all away, she gave you a knowing look. You two were best friends. You were always there for Osysa ever since you have been confirmed to be of a righteous heart.

The glacé she gave you made you grin and tease back, ‘I’ll tell your hubby you said hi!’

Vax immediately as you all were walking out went up next to you, ‘Hello, I’m Vax’ildan. It’s nice to actually know your name now.’

You just smirked at him, ‘Maybe ask a name before yanking there coin purse next time.’

With that, you passed him as he stood in shock for a second. He watched as your hips swayed slightly back and forth.

It took Scanlan to break him from his thoughts, ‘Someone’s gots the hots’ He semi whispered to Grog in a singsong voice. Grog laughed and covered his mouth.

Vax just rolled his eyes and continued walking.

You hit it off with Pike, Grog, and Scanlan immediately. Everyone slowly pulled there way into your conversations.

As your journey continued, Vax admired you more and more. You’re beautiful, smart, cunning, stealthy, and just a wonderful person in general. He loved it.

After you an everyone made it successfully into the tomb, Percy found the armor.

Instead of hitting Vex’ahlia, it hit you. Killing you in an instant. Vax lost it.

He ran to your corpse and held it tightly as he cried. He just got you. He will not lose you this quickly.

As everyone was trying to resurrect you, Vax had his vision and told the Raven Queen to take him instead of you.

She excepted and you came back. He was so relieved. Yet, his emotions couldn’t express it. He just went and put on the armor.

You realized something was off immediately about Vax. You didn’t know him long but, Osysa told you he was the one. You knew it too but, it’s nice to hear it from your best friend.

After being sabotaged and Vax clutching up, you sat by the fire and watched Vax. He stood and stared into space.

You walked over to him and rested your hand on his new armor.

You knew what he did because of your affairs with the Gods and Goddesses themselves.

You looked at him, ‘Can you go on a walk with me?’

He agreed and you both started walking.

‘I know what you did. You aren’s the only one that see visions and Gods.’

Vax stopped in his tracks and looked at you, ‘I did it to save you. Nothing more.’

‘You lost part of your soul when you did that. That’s why you’re cold and distant now. Don’t worry. I used to be the same. I made a pact too. My feelings came back after I met you.’

Vax felt a rush of emotions come over him. He knew that he had someone to rely on now. He knew that you shared the pain he feels right now.

He hugged you tightly like you were going to disappear again. He let the tears flow as he held you. You held him back as he sobbed. You whispered to him that everything will be okay and that you will be there until the end.

At that point he knew for a fact, you were his soulmate. Be in life or amongst the Gods.

[gay-dorito-dust]

Part 7 of deadweight, please?? It’s such a good series!

Vax, Vex, Keyleth and Percy were quick to abandon the original plan in finding the vestige in the hopes of finding you and so far they weren’t so lucky.

Every dark shade that they’d believe to be you was a mere fluke in a realm where it felt like you were on some strange LSD acid trip 24/7. They didn’t know how you could split off from them when you were right next to them through the journey here.

Keyleth believed that it might’ve been the realm, taking offence to your position as the raven queens champion. It was a plausible reason seeing how everything reacted negatively towards you lately.

Vax, Vex and Percy however collectively agreed that their Druid party member just had a bad spell casting capabilities. She was making an attempt which is what counts.

“Do you think they’ll ever forgive us?” Keyleth asked the question that was truly on everyone’s mind but they all knew the answer to that too.

“No.” Vax answered bluntly, “they’d be pissed if our method of reconciliation with them was to sweep all the shit we’ve done to them under the rug.”

“That’ll be the equivalent of kicking a man while he’s down.” Percy pitched in, “We’d be disregarding their feelings and experiences if we did that.”

“So our only option in making it up to them is to acknowledge that we were cunts and promise to be better for the future.” Vex finished as they continued to delve deeper into the woods. “Wherever they are,” she continues, “I hope they’re alright.”

[with you]

“VAX, VEX, KEYLETH, PERCY! IM GOING TO KILL YOU! AND THEN KILL YOU AGAIN!” You screamed as you ran further into a dense, dead forest to escape from the murderous vegetation that had been trailing you. All you did was step on some weird looking flower! You apologised afterwards! What more could they fucking want!

When you didn’t hear the rampaging horde of angry plants did you dare to look back to see that they had seemingly lost sight of you and gave up the hunt in order to head back home. “Weird.” You said to yourself, sheathing your daggers but before you were about to continue trekking the foreign land for your party members.

a voice called out to you from deep within the forest, causing you to become in some sort of trance as though your body was no longer yours to control anymore as you could only watch yourself walk through the dead forest, through some sickly looking swamp of thick black goo like substance as though it were water.

“You’re friends aren’t coming to save you my dear,” the voice said. “They’re too preoccupied with the vestige to worry about your well being.” It then chuckled before continuing, “your need for companionship is quite pathetic. You feel alone whenever you in a room with the rest of your party. Alienated, ostracised, outcasted from the group of outcasts.”

“I, however, can provide you all the companionship you will ever need, all you need to do is come to me. Come to me. Come to me. Come to me.”

Your body did as this voice told you as you watched it reach a dead tree trunk that opened up with an ominous red glow. As soon as you stepped inside, the tree was quick to close up behind you, sealing you in with whatever monster laid inside.

“That’s not good.” Warned a horned mystery figure with fiery hair sat upon a rock. “I must tell their friends that their little warrior mate is in danger, grave danger should they hear out Saurndor terms and conditions.” With a blink of an eye, the figure had dissipated in thin air.

[back to vox maxhina]

They’ve searched

And searched

And searched

But they had yet to still find evidence that you weren’t dead in a ditch somewhere but Percy, Vax, Vex and Keyleth believed that they were getting close, though how close was close was still up for debate.

“Ugh! They could be anywhere by now!” Vex cries as she and the others crossed a riven, annoyed at the lack of progress. How could they miss a armoured figure with black feathered shoulder pads in a realm of eye straining, migraine inducing colour?!

Either you were trying to find them also or…Vex didn’t want to think about the other option. They’ve lost you once, they were determined to never loose you again. They still had unresolved problems to put to rest.

“They couldn’t have possibly gone to Syngorn?” Percy asked, looking back they way they came as though waiting to see your silhouette encroach in on them but nothing. The gunslinger sighs in disappointment and dissatisfaction as he pinched the skin between his brows.

“Fat chance.” A unknown voice told them.

Percy, Vax, Vex and Keyleth turned to look who it was only to see a fiery haired being with horns sat not too far from them, notebook in hand.

Vax was quick to pull of his dagger, “who are you and what have you done with y/n?” He threatens but the horned male merely laughed as though he was threatened with a stick rather then a sharpened piece of forgery.

“I haven’t done anything to them, but Lord Saundor will should you fail to reach them in time.” He muses, still drawing in his little notebook.

“What is that meant to mean?” Percy said gutturally, holding his gun at the being who seemingly knew your whereabouts. “Who’s Saundor?”

“That’s for you to know and for you to find out.” The figure cheeked before pointing towards the dead forest that Keyleth, Vax, Vex and Percy seemed to somehow miss in their mission of searching for you.

“They’re currently under his trance. I should’ve told them to not listen to him but by the time I got to them, they were already walking right into his trap. Poor thing, whatever ails them must take a heavy toll on them.”

Vax, Vex, Percy and Keyleth looked to each other in shame and sorrow. Whatever this saurdon did to you, must’ve been using your most deeply desired against you, they had indirectly made you dispensable to him and now this was their chance to make up for everything by saving you.

“Lead us there and we’ll think about letting you live.” Vex said.

“VEX, VAX, KEYLETH, PERCY! IM GOING TO KILL YOU! AND THEN KILL YOU AGAIN!”

“VAX, VEX, KEYLETH, PERCY! IM GOING TO KILL YOU! AND THEN KILL YOU AGAIN!”

“VAX, VEX, PERCY, KEYLETH! IM GOING TO KILL YOU! AND THEN KILL YOU AGAIN!” You screamed as you ran into a forest area with weird looking plants trailing you with murderous intent.

“VEX, VAX, KEYLETH, PERCY! I WILL KILL YOU! AND THEN KILL YOU AGAIN!” You screamed as you ran deeper into a weird looking forest area with even weirder looking plants tailing after you with murderous intent.

“VEX, VAX, PERCY, KEYLETH IM GOING TO KILL YOU! AND THEN KILL YOU AGAIN!” You screamed as you ran as fast as your legs could carry you deeper into the woods as weird freaking plant fucks were tailing you

[demigoddessqueens]

Hi! I love your work, can I request vox machina headcanons for them sharing a room in a inn and waking up to being held by reader, pre relationship

Of course! I always love the fluff 🥰

A while back I did one with them holding you so now it’s reverse

Aka, they’re all touch-starved

Keyleth

She doesn’t want you to let go, not just yet. If you can hold onto her just a little bit longer till the morning sun, she would appreciate that

Percy

His first instinct is to wake up automatically but that would mean waking you, and he wouldn’t want to disturb you. But gentleness is welcomed even if it’s rare for him

Pike

She feels so protected and cherished bring held by you, and peeking though tired eyes to see a ghost of a smile on your face is rewarding too

Grog

Honestly it’s funny and cute in it’s own way because chances are you’re smaller than him and you can barely hold all of him. But that’s alright, he’ll scoop you up in his arms anyway

Vax’ildan

Such a cutie and a sweetheart! Of course he returns the gesture, curling more into your side or resting his head on your chest where he hears your heartbeat

Vex’ahlia

Chances are she’ll feel your grip tighten unconsciously around her, only to peek through at your sleeping form. It’s an endearing act from you and she pulls back to sleep with a hand around yours

Scanlan

It’s a bit of an unusual gesture because he’s not one to be a total cuddler, but he’ll allow for this because it’s you and he’s working through what he feels for you

[hayleysayshay]

Thinking about Percy and Vex having baby Gwen and the kids being sooo surprised and excited. Perhaps not Vesper— she’s the oldest and they might have told her their past— but Leona, Wolfe and Vax’ildan II would be like ‘why is she a tiefling? Doesn’t matter she’s so cool’. Like imagine if your Mum popped out a tiefling I’d be so excited.

[soft--dragon]

Loosen Up

So recently I finished Vox Machina and if you haven't seen I highly recommend it!! SUCH a good show oh my lord. Can't wait for the third season to drop :D

You can view the relationships however you like, I don't mind ^^ (except Vex and Vax, they're siblings, don't be weird :/)

Word Count: 3,138

Warnings: Kinda spoils a plot line in season one but nothing major ^^

This is a SFW tickle fic, if you don’t like that then don’t read :)

It isn’t a secret that Percy is a bit of a stick in the mud.

Rarely did he let his walls down and simply be. Too caught up in his world of smoking guns and exploding inventions. A lifetime of heartache shutting his heart away in a cast iron keep that very few had a key to access. This also meant emotions such as joy, love, and contentment were rare to be exposed from behind those defensive gates.

That was before Vox Machina. 

A chaotic, rambunctious group of outcast individuals working with the skills they had to make it through another day. A ragtag family doing its best to survive in a world that would spit at their feet and tell them to fuck off. 

However, this family knew how to tell the world right back to fuck off too. 

Percy honestly couldn’t imagine his life with these people a few years ago, but now he simply could not fathom a reality without them. Tight-knit and stupid and loving, never faulting in their care. It was something Percy told himself to never take for granted, no matter how much they tested his patience. 

Much like tonight, where he was being subjected to the most irritating forces known to man: Vex and Vax when they were on the hunt for entertainment.

Percy is sitting near the fire, sketchbook in hand with rough charcoal drawings of new inventions scattering the pages. Vex and Vax have boxed him in by sitting on either side, peering at his notes and asking such incomprehensibly odd questions Percy wanted to know who the hell tutored these two monsters.

Honestly Vax, why would a pistol need a compartment for snacks? 

It took almost fifteen minutes before Percy's patience gave in and the notebook snapped shut with a dull thud. “Are you two quite finished?” Percy demands, staring at the duo with a narrow gaze. 

Vex grins, raising a hand in surrender. “We’re curious about your new inventions, love. Is there something wrong with that?”

Percy huffs, tucking his book into the folds of his jacket that is laid not too far from the flames, warming up for the night ahead. “Only when you keep badgering me to make a glove that turns whatever it touches into gold.”

“It would be quite helpful, dear.”

“And far out of my current capabilities, I’m not a wizard.”

“Oh, give yourself some credit, Freddy,” Vax grins. “Grow a beard and I’d say you’re plenty wizard-like. With your lifespan, you’ll need a cane before you know it, and it could act as your staff.”

Percy glares at him under half-lidded eyes. “Thank you, Vax’ildan,” he says sarcastically. “Remind me that I will die much sooner than the rest of you, just what I needed to hear tonight.”

Vex snickers, gently bumping his shoulder with her own so those green eyes look at her. “Oh come on, we’re just messing with you, Percival. What’s got you so grumpy this time?”

Percy gave her a mildly incredulous look. “I’m not grumpy.”

“He says while glaring, and with a bitter tone of voice,” Vax murmurs with a grin. 

Percy shoots him a dry look which the male elf only laughs at. “See? That’s exactly what I mean, man!”

Vex’ahlia laughs, dropping her arms over her bent legs and cocking her head to the side. “What is it gonna take to make you loosen up, Percy?”

“A good bottle of wine, some peace and quiet, and a book.”

“We have two silver to our name and a bear,” Vax counters. “Can’t quite match your aristocrat taste, but Trinket tells great stories.”

Trinket, nestled comfortably at the edge of the cave where the other party members are conversing, does not indicate that he knows, nor cares that his owners are talking about him. Percy envied that damn bear, able to go to sleep and easily block out the surrounding sounds. What a dream life. 

“Trinket is busy sleeping,” Percy tells them, “his stories will have to wait.”

Vex isn’t dissuaded by Percy’s bristling attitude, instead leaning more into his personal space just because she can. “Darling,” she says, “We just want to help you relax, is this such a big ask?”

“...Yes.”

“Aeugh, the drama of this man,” Vax chuckles through an exasperated breath, elbowing Percy’s side gently. 

The white-haired human flinches away from the contact with a start, his hand shooting down to rub the area. “Yes, yes, you’ve stated I am a dramatic piece of shit more than once, Vax. I believe your point is made.” 

The twins aren’t listening to Percy’s grumbles. The second he flinched, they’d locked eyes, a conversation played out with expression alone.

Vex narrows her gaze. Hurt?

No. Healed by Pike from the last mission.

Just startled, then? 

Seemed more than that. He knew we were right there.

So what are you thinking? 

Perhaps…

Vex perks a brow at her brother when his expression suddenly brightens in some kind of realization. Her eyes flit over to Percy who was unaware of their silent musings, still resolutely crossing his arms with a scowl that the fire did not deserve to be subjected to. She looks back to her sibling who is grinning now. Vax gives a small flex of his fingers, his eyebrows jumping up and down. Understanding hits Vex and her smile turns evil, nodding minutely. They wink at each other, the excitement for a game making them giddy though they contained it. Couldn’t let Percy catch on too early after all. 

“Percy~” Vex coos in her sultry voice, not missing the slight twitch in his face from her tone. The sight makes her all the more eager to extract the plan she and her brother had silently communicated. She lifts her fingernails to her eyes to examine them. “You sure we can’t convince you to loosen up at least a little?”

There was a scoff. “I’d like to see you try,” Percy muttered.

Oh excellent, an invitation. 

“Well, if the man insists, Stubby, who are we to ignore him?” Vax leaps for the opportunity with a grin that’s all charm and Cheshire-like. 

“I agree,” Vex smirks. “Shall we?”

Simultaneously, the two half-elves grab one of Percy’s wrists each and fling him onto his back, his arms being pinned by his head. A startled yelp leaps out of the human, the sudden gravity shift leaving him to stare up at the pair of matching grins. He tugs at his arms. They won’t budge. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Percy asks, bewildered and slightly on edge. 

“You said we could try and loosen you up,” Vex answers.

“By wrestling me to the dirt and pinning me down?” 

“Oh no, we just had to get you in a better position, dear heart,” Vax smirks.

“A better pos- for what?” 

The bemused and exasperated question only delights his captors further, and this is where Percival Fredrickson de Rolo the Third realizes a very fatal error. He had been encouraging the chaotic force that was the Elf Twins. He'd practically been asking for trouble. This realization only sinks in further when Vax’s free hand comes down to rest on Percy’s clothed stomach.

“Percy, you wouldn’t happen to be ticklish would you?” 

Oh.

Oh gods, no.

Memories spring to Percy’s mind of laughing himself hoarse while dogpiled under his siblings from the silly battles. The sensations scuttling everywhere, unstoppable and unbearable. His realization shows up in his face in the form of a pink flush and the beginnings of a wobbly grin that he desperately tries to keep under control.

“Oh, I see a smile trying to come out there!” Vex leers keenly, lowering her own hands to wiggle her fingers close to Percy’s side, delighting in his immediate response to wriggle away despite his efforts to seem indifferent to his dilemma. 

“V-Vex, this is ludicrous-” Percy splutters, his grin becoming wider by the second, his resolution foiled from years of inexperience in this game. 

“So you are ticklish, then?” Vax questions, his fingers gently pressing from where they are resting atop Percy’s lean stomach. 

The flinch and sharp intake of breath was answering enough. Percy’s ears were starting to burn from the attention, torn between wanting to wrench away and escape this playful teasing, or staying and trying to muscle through in a show of defiance. 

“I’m- it’s been a very long time since someone has tried,” Percy answers stiffly. 

The way the twins lit up made him cringe back, instantly knowing that was the worst thing he could’ve said.

“Well now we have to tickle you,” Vex exclaims like her word is law. Though, with her role in the group, it may as well be. 

Percy is most definitely blushing now. It was honestly adorable. “N-No you don’t!” He protests, his boots now shuffling into the dirt in hopes of dislodging his sudden capture. “I’m not even tihicklish!” Damn it.

“Was that a laugh?” Vax coos, delighting in a sound so rare from Percy who barely even grins on a good day. Percy is doing his best to try and become an ostrich with how far he’s turning his flushed face into the ground, stumbling refusals not quite managing to leave his lips coherently. 

“Why my dear brother, I think it was,” Vex chuckles. ‘Shall we see what else we can pull from our resident sour puss?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

Electricity crackles through Percy’s sides and stomach in a split second, a strangled sound being pulled from a forgotten section of his vocal cords. His whole body instantly jack-knifes, legs trying to pull to his stomach to protect the sensitive areas suddenly under attack. Stubbornness makes him clamp his lips shut and bite his tongue, not wanting to give the twins the satisfaction of hearing him laugh again. He refused.

“Hmm, seems we’ve got a stubborn one in our hands, Vex,” tuts Vax, his fingers probing up and down Percy’s ribcage, noting every flinch and muffled grunt let out by the human. 

“Oh don’t worry, he’ll crack eventually.” Her eyes meet Percy’s and her smile makes his stomach twist in anticipation. She winks. “They all do.”

Her hand starts to slink down to his hip bones and- Nope. Nope. Nope. Not gonna happen, he’d rather get possessed by a demon again. Percy’s struggling kicks up, trying to find momentum with his legs to dislodge the grip pinning his wrists to the cave floor, still fighting not to crack as Vax’s fingers deftly squeeze his sides. He almost manages to heave himself to sit up, but a well-placed scratch at his lower back sends him crashing back down. His legs fly up to his stomach again, desperate to protect some part of his sensitive body while his chest shakes with restrained laughter. 

“Uh uh, not yet mister, we’re not done with you until you laugh~” says Vex, her hand dropping to lightly scuttle behind Percy’s knee that was right beside her.

Percy yelps, immediately kicking his legs back out, and scrunches into himself in a fast motion. The reaction made the twins pause, and he knew he was royally screwed. 

“Interesting, he might be like you. I think the gentler stuff works better on him,” Vex says to her brother, her hand dropping to Percy’s hips once more and scuttling her nails featherlight across the man’s skin.

“NoHAHaha!” Percy protests, his yelp swimming between stolen laughter that tries vainly to escape his throat, his head being tossed back against the floor as his body tries to do an emergency lockdown on his vocal cords. 

“Brilliant, sister,” Vax chuckles, and before Percy can prepare himself, he spiders his claws up along Percy’s stretched torso with a softened touch.  

Immediately, Percy sputters, and the dam finally cracks. “S-Shihihihit! Vehehex! Vahahax! Ohoho gohohod!” Percy gasps out through fits of boyish laughter, a sound so out of character for the gunslinger that it takes the twins aback in surprise.

His cheeks are flushed a rosy pink, standing out against his pale complexion and white hair. A wide, mirthful smile cracked out against his brooding face, nose scrunching in a way that couldn’t be described as anything but endearing. His body didn’t know whether to fight or fold, the long-forgotten instinct of childhood leaving him withering and laughing from the soft fingertips spidering along sensitive skin.

“Well, how about that,” Vax murmured, something gentle in his voice despite the mean wiggling of his nails on a particularly sensitive rib. “He can laugh.”

“Oh much more than that, dear brother,” Vex smiled fondly. “He isn’t grumpy now.”

Experimentally, her fingers swirl up Percy’s unprotected ribs to dance gently under his arm to see if it would have much effect. Oh, and it does. Percy practically squeals. High-pitched and panicked and childlike, his struggles for his pinned arms make a reappearance as the sensitive hollows are attacked by softly brushing nails. 

“Nononononohohoho VEHEehehex!” He pleads, scuffing the heels of his shoes into the floor in a half-baked bid for relief. “Fuhuhucks sahahake!” 

“That is utterly adorable,” Vax laughs, his own hand coming up to stroke deftly down Percy’s arm from wrist to armpit in a maddening pattern of soft touch. The strokes only elicit more half-bitten squeals and squeaks of protest, most noises swallowed up or blended into Percy’s laughter.

He knew he should feel embarrassed, his pride shattered into pieces from a few measly fingers and well-picked words to crack his defenses, but Percy couldn’t recall a time he’d last been in the middle of a play fight such as this. The sensations are foreign but not forgotten, too much and yet not enough at the same time. It was a conflicting state of escape or endure.

However, when Vax slipped a hand under his buttoned shirt to ghost gentle nails on his bare lower back, he was pretty sure his body got struck by lightning. 

“VAHAHAX! OHOHOhoho mihihy gohohod plehehehease! P-PLEHEhehehease!”” 

Vex and Vax pause in their movements and watch with awed amusement as Percy laughs himself mad from the briefest touch to his back, his full-bodied laughter quickly melting down into rich, honey-sweet giggles that shake his entire body. It didn’t seem real, that a sound so adorably childish could come from Percy’s mouth, and yet here he was, half curled on the ground, giggling up a storm. 

Vex and Vax share a fond, endeared smile and let go of Percy’s wrists, leaning away so he could have space to collect himself. The human wheezes through his tumbling giggles, his arms shifting to wrap around his middle as he slowly calms down. His eyes, which had been tightly closed, flutter open to show mirthful tears at the edges.

“F-Fuhucking hehehell,” he gasps, “I thohought I wahas gohohing to dihie.”

“Oh relax, we like you too much to kill you,” Vex snickers, offering her hand to Percy. She has to hold back a snort when he flinches mildly at her fingers, eyeing them distrustfully. “We’re done,” she promises.

After a suspicious look, Percy grasps her hand and allows her to tug him into a sitting position. One of his arms is still wrapped protectively around his stomach, his hand reaching far enough to rub that damn spot Vax had tickled for three seconds which caused him to fall apart. 

“Remind me to never piss you off,” Percy rasps, taking off his glasses to rub the tears in his eyes away.

Vax leans over to his supplies to snatch up his water skin, offering it to Percy who took it gratefully. “So,” Vax starts, watching Percy drink water like he hadn’t had it in years. “Soft touch and bad back, huh?”

Percy almost chokes. With a rough swallow, he recorks the water skin and clears his throat, stubbornly not looking at either of the twins. “Like I said, it’s been a long time. I didn’t think I still even was… well, you know.”

“What? Ticklish?’

Vex’s gentle tease makes Percy’s face burn for what felt like the millionth time that evening. He shoves his glasses back on his face despite the heat in his cheeks making them fog up mildly. The reaction makes the twins chuckle.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed, Percy dear,” Vex soothes, an arm wrapping around his shoulders and rubbing gently at the nape of his neck - tension knotting the area from hours of leaning over a workbench while inventing. Percy winced at the attention, both from the anticipation of another attack and the ache of his tense muscles. 

“It’s embarrassing,” Percy grumbles without much heat, sounding like a petulant kid. “My siblings always ganged up on me because of it.”

“You have a nice laugh, I can see why they would,” Vax hums, tucking his water skin back into his nearby cloak.

The surprised look on Percy’s face almost made Vex tackle him back to the floor and tickle him again just so he could hear how precious his laugh was. She held herself back though, he’d had enough for tonight anyway. He hadn’t been tickled in years, he’d need to be introduced back to the game slowly. Tonight was an excellent first lesson. 

“So, Percy’s ticklish then?”

The sudden voice made the trio jump and look up to the other side of the cave where the rest of Vox Machina were watching them with grins. Scanlan, who’d asked the question, chuckled at the human’s sudden flush. “Yeah no, we saw the whole thing, de Rolo. Don’t expect this to be the last time, that was cute as fuck.”

Grog chuckled deeply. “Very cute,” he agreed in that rumbling voice of his. Pike, who was sat atop his shoulder nodded enthusiastically in agreement. 

“Had no idea you could laugh like that, Perce,” she chirped, glancing at Keyleth who giggled softly. 

“It was quite sweet,” the Air Ashari tacked on.

Percy stared at the group of people he called family, his eyelid twitching slightly and cheeks flushed a rosy pink. His gloved hands come up to press over his face, knocking his head into his bent knees, wishing the floor would just cave in and murder him quickly. 

“Aww, I think we’re embarrassing him,” Vax cooed, his hand resting atop Percy’s head and gently ruffling his hair in a brotherly fashion. “It’s alright, Giggles, you know we do it out of love.”

“F’ck off and die,” came the muffled grumble buried into Percy’s hands.

The twins cackled, pleased that they not only thoroughly shattered Percy’s indifferent demeanor, but got him flustered beyond repair from simple, playful affection and loving words. They were gonna have fun with this new information. It was their right as a family to carry on the de Rolo tradition of making Percival Fredrickson de Rolo the Third laugh, they wouldn’t let Percy’s late siblings down on that front.

[nowyoursoulisforfeit]

Okay, but Percy’s gloves are such a good symbolism for his fear of being himself and restraint against doing so. Like, he always has them on in front of people, and he rarely takes them off even when he’s alone. As a child, before the Briarwoods, he didn’t wear gloves, but when he stared his foraging and going down that darker path, they become more common and are seen more often.

All this is basically just my way of leading up to a random perc’ildan thought I had about how monumental it must have been for Vax’ildan to see Percy take his gloves off for the first time in front of him. I imagine that they would just be coming home from a fight, exhausted and sore, and they just lay down and Percy slips off his gloves like it’s nothing. He feels so safe around Vax that he can do this without fear.

He trusts him, truly and fully, and that is the highest honor Percival can give someone.

[saphirered]

Can I request a vax’ildan x reader fic where the reader doesn’t want him to be alone when he goes with the raven queen so she strikes a deal with the matron to serve her eternally by his side?

Hope this is to your liking! I struggled a bit with this one for some reason buuuuut I managed to nail down all the angst! 😘

Tick tock, goes the clock of the pompous asshole (affectionately) lord of Whitestone. Tick tock, time runs out. Vax’ildan knows one day the time will come where the matron will call upon this bargain; his sister’s life for his undying service. It’s a sacrifice he’d make over and over again. The goddess of death is as cryptic as she is creepy and what purpose he might serve now, reveals little by little through vision and calling of something within him that was not there before. One could argue at least he got some fancy armour out of it but that would be a joke in poor taste. The weight of it becomes heavier as time passes. Losing his sister is perhaps the worst thing imaginable to him and that remains the same. She’s always been there for him. He needs her more than she needs him. It just so happens that some other idiots walked into their life they both happen to care about a tremendous amount despite what odds they might be at at times, in the end he’d go to hell and back for them. It makes it all the more difficult that he knows when that bargain of his is called in, he’ll have to leave them behind. 

That makes all these moments count the more, these memories, he has to make sure he’ll never forget them, not through eternity because they make him who he is, every single one of them; Pickle and Scan-man, Big Man, Kiki and Freddy, his sister Stubby and then there’s you; Sparkles. Just the thought of that nickname he gave you brings a smile to his face. You’d asked him many times why Sparkles. He’d always given you a different answer, each one more ridiculous than the last. In reality he knows exactly why. When he makes you smile, your eyes light up. It’s so simple. It’s so stupid. But it stuck. He’d do anything to see you smile again. You’ve not smiled at him like that ever since he told you of the deal he made with the Raven Queen. He’s not truly smiled since. 

You had so many questions, he could feel but you didn't ask. You had sat there and the sparks in your eyes dimmed, instead it was the light reflecting off your tears this time. You’d wrapped your arms around him, you’d held him and told him everything would be alright even though you both knew the likelihood of anyone weaselling their way out of a deal with a literal god. You hadn’t sobbed, when he did. Your grip never weakened when his body fell too heavy and the weight of the expiration date on his life with his friends and family and you became too much of a burden to bear, to heavy a reality to face. You were strong when he couldn’t be. You comforted him when he put on a brave face before the others, when the times got tough. And when you finally pulled away, when you cupped his face and told him this doesn’t change anything, the trailing tears already drying nearly broke him again. You smiled at him but there would be no sparkles in your eyes. 

Effort was made, by yourself, his sister and your friends. Research was done on the matron of death, her history, her ways, her temples, and so much more but it never seemed like enough. With more knowledge revealed, the more damning this got. Vax slowly witnessed you lose more courage. You started dabbling in certain magics, but heeded his warnings and stayed clear of the things that brought the Briarwoods their demise. You respected his wishes, besides you did not think those treacherous practices would keep at bay the Raven Queen. Silas Briarwood had just died. Vax has not and will not. You did claim you might have had an easier time undoing some devil’s deal. He had simply retorted he doesn’t like to half-ass things. You’d smiled and there had been a brief spark but it faded as quickly as it came. 

Vax had found you praying to her sometimes. You’d be looking at the stars when you thought no one could hear. You’d ask for guidance, a way out, freedom, justice, anything to save him. Sometimes he’d find you with a raven’s feather in your palm, or tucked somewhere in your hair or clothes. You’d be surprised at its presence and when he asked how you got it, you never knew how it ended up on your person. You didn’t lie necessarily. It just wasn’t the whole truth. Now he finds you gone, off somewhere away from everyone, in her damned temple. You sit at the red pool  surrounded by books and a broken orb. You read the pages again and again until on your knees you draw runes and markings he cannot begin to comprehend. He’s quiet and sticks to the shadows but something urges him closer. He resists. The magic seems to fizzle and you cry in frustration. You throw a bowl into the red pool. Its splash reaches you and stains your clothes despite you wiping it away best you can. 

“I’ve tried everything. You won’t even listen to me. What’s the use? You think yourself better? Because you ascended? Does that make me not but a bug in your palm waiting to be squashed?”  You speak dryly getting to your feet picking up the orb. You’re half ready to cast it away, shatter it into a million pieces. But then you see what you see, know what you know and you cannot undo someone’s life work like so. That’s the stories of so many people long gone held in that one orb. You won’t condemn another to the dark. You tuck it close to your chest. 

“What are you doing?” You turn on your heels to face the shadows the Champion of the Raven Queen steps out of. Your expression softens and out of habit you go to wipe away the already dried tears from your cheeks. You sniffle. You approach stopping just a step from him, asking permission. You’re hanging on by a thread. You’re falling apart at the seams. Vax forgets his questions and instead invites you into his embrace. You wrap one arm around him to pull yourself closer while the other holds on tightly to that orb in your grasp. 

“I’m sorry.” You don’t say anything else but those words feel heavier than they ever have. They feel hopeless. “I’m so sorry.” You can’t hold back the sob this time, nor the shake of your body. You hold on tighter as you cry and it’s Vax’ turn to silence his own suffering. He has to stay strong for you this time. You need him right now. He kisses the top of your head. 

“It’s alright. You’ll be alright.” He whispers in your ear as he rocks the both of your side to side, rubbing your back, stroking your hair and doing anything and everything to comfort you while his own tears fall silently. 

“I’ve tried- Everything. I’ve done everything. She won’t accept. She won’t listen.” You cry. 

“It’s okay. You’ve already done so much. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.” Your cries stop and you freeze just for a few seconds. You pull away. You cup his cheek. The cogs in your head are turning at rapid speed as you put the pieces together and clutch that orb in your palm like it’s the key to solving everything. Vax is confused and shakes his head. “I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for me.” He argues but you shake yours in return. 

“I won’t- I’m not. You told me not to and I’ll respect your wishes. But I think I am ready to make a deal…” You speak more to yourself than to him when you step out of his embrace. You do not look at him as you turn to the pool and kneel down to submerge the orb into the thick red liquid far to akin to blood, it might as well be. “Come on, come on, come on, come on.” You repeat. 

Hesitantly Vax watches, a million things run through his head. He has half the mind to stop you, to drag you out of here and take you far away. He has half the mind to tell you this is madness and a lost cause. Hope has withered and died within him a long time ago. Perhaps that’s why he settled so easily for the inevitable and just dealt with the pain. You’re not like that. You find solutions to impossible problems. You do impossible things with every breath you take. You’re filled with wonder and that makes you wonderful. You promised to respect his wishes and not lose yourself through this dead end, and he believes you’ll keep it so why should he stop you now? One last time. If it fails, you’ll make the best of the time you have left together. If it succeeds… well he doesn’t know what would happen then. Vax stands with you, places a hand on your shoulder as you wait. Your brow furrows and something seems to will you into the pool but he holds you back. Whatever you did, whatever it is you hold, this pool wants it, the Raven Queen wants it. But you’re not about to give up your bargaining chip for free. He realises then.

“You really want it that badly? You’re no different from the rest of us measly little bugs, are you? Come out and face me!” With Vax’ help and by some miracle of your own making you pull your arm free from the pool, orb still in hand and when you and him fall back on your asses, you find yourselves staring up at the visage of the Raven Queen herself, looming in all her might, though you know she’s not truly here. She’s but an avatar, an illusion, but still real enough to smite your arses should she call your bluff. You’re willing to take that risk. Vax’s arm falls around your waist, your back to his side. He’s protecting you without getting in your way, even though he doubts he could do much to stop the Matron of Ravens, he’d certainly try, for you. 

“I didn’t see it then but I see now. You’ve forgotten who you are. They tore you apart and you’re left to piece yourself back together all alone. You want to remember as much as you want to be remembered. I thought ancient knowledge would show me a path to my goal. It wasn’t knowledge. It was compassion. You’re lost.” However faint it may have been, you recall the memories of a woman, a mage, a teacher, someone powerful and respected, but above all someone loved and surrounded by people. You raise the orb towards her. 

“I cannot give you this but I can give you my memories of it, everything I saw, and everything I will find. I will scourge the earth for memories of you, before you became this. I know what fate is set cannot be undone but it doesn’t have to be faced alone. Let me be his memory so he might never forget who he is.” And that’s the offer you make. It’s no deal of wit and trickery, no bargain of a merchant and a customer. This is a bargain of compassion. You offer something the Raven Queen has not seen much of since her ascend. Despite your grievances and selfish intentions your offer remains true. 

The porcelain white mask bends down. Vax helps you to your feet. You have to leave his embrace but you lace your fingers together. The world beyond his arms seems so deadly cold, so lonely. When you take a step forward and another, up to the foot of the goddess, right before you stare up at her expressionless mask, you look over your shoulder and smile. For the first time in a long time Vax sees those sparks again. He could have cried in that very moment. The goddess does not speak when a golden thread flows from you to her. She does not speak when she extends a long finger and pulls the thread. It stretches and you feel as if you’re pulled towards her but you hold steady. She pulls a loop. Vax steps forward, wether of his own volition or not, until he stands just one step further than you, but still at your side. The Raven Queen loops the thread until it curves around him and then she lets go. The new tether sets. Your offer has been accepted. The threads fade and the masked face cocks. That same finger reaches out and raises your head. You do not shy away from those black pits for eyes. He squeezes your hand once more. You smile and offer a thankful nod. Whatever the Raven Queen saw in your eyes must have satisfied because in a burst of feathers and darkness she is gone. 

The moment she is gone Vax’ arms wrap around you and hold you close. He whispers sweet nothings and tells you how reckless and stupid and stubborn you are but you only hear the words as a faint echo as the memories of a dead woman from ages long since passed flash through your mind and you feel a secondhand cold mournfulness. When the memories fade and you feel like your mind has returned to reality the orb is in your pocket and Vax has dragged you away from the cursed temple, far away from gods and this world, and beyond. Faintly do the halls of home flash you by until the shutting of a door behind you pulls you from your trance. 

“You have no idea how much I love you.” Vax breathes as he holds your face between his hands. Your eyes shine but not with tears or sadness. They shine with light and life and hope and wonder, and love, so much love. You hold onto his wrists, a reminder he’s still tethered here, to this place, and forever tethered to you. He shakes his head in disbelief but smiles and places his lips against yours in a loving kiss. Again and again and again. He showers you with love and affection, as you give back in turn. 

You don’t know what it’ll mean or how things work but you know a bargain has been struck and you’ll stay at Vax’ side no matter what. He’ll never be alone. Not when you’ll be tethered to him.