lostvox, Rebel Scout

@scoutvox

"This blog is defunct. Go to @voxarnason."

387 posts

Like It Should Have Been [pt 3]

[x]

He wondered if the deepening red of his face could be felt where her paw made contact with his face, despite the fact that there was no opportunity for him to hide it visually. Vox's head shook slightly as the slightest hint of laughter escaped from his lips.

"Everything. A lot to think about, huh?"

His eyes fell down and to the right, tracing the grain on the patches of makeshift floor as he softly hummed to himself in thought. The only luxury gained over the past day had been a temporary reprieve from the inevitable and existential - at least, until the scout learned of his second untimely demise.

"But... us... I think we have time, Tree. I didn't know that we would this time yesterday, but we don't have to figure this all out right now. We can just..."

He softly took her arms and brought them to his waist, stepping the smallest bit closer and gazing deeply into her eyes. Everything beyond her was a blur, and if he could make it last forever, he would.

"Hey. It's nice to see you again."

Before she could respond, the scout leaned in with a hand cupped under her jaw and thumb bracing her cheek as his lips met hers - all intention to act in brevity suspended as he willed the heavens to keep them rooted there for the remainder of their natural lives.

Tree only managed a surprised, muffled hum in reply, but then she melted. Grumpy at her own reaction at first, then emotional as she gripped his undershirt, reminded of moments like these from many years ago--the pit, the wedding, their first night in White Hallows, Liam's birth...it had been far too long. Her tongue parted his teeth, and she cupped the back of his neck, fingers brushing hair dried with blood, pulling him closer--

"Bleugh, stop."

The pair parted in alarm. Liam had an arm over his eyes, but he was awake. Kendra was as well; she covered her mouth with a hand and ducked back down into his side, giggling and blushing at being caught spying. A couple of goggling rebels scurried away, clearly gossiping behind their hands. "Sorry," Liam called out, signing with the hand drooping next to his face. "I had a moral obligation to make you guys quit it so we don't have to watch."

Vox held a hand to his face to hide his laughter, looking away from the hellish children that, even in their adult years, could manage to ruin the one moment of sincere intimacy he had with Tree.

"No, absolutely fair. We, uh, deserved that." The scout let his hand fall in front of his chest, signing slowly as he spoke. "I'm glad to see the two of you are in lighter spirits. Are we feeling alright?"

Liam squinted at the tent ceiling while Kendra looked at him questioningly; she felt like her answer was nominal in comparison to his. "Lungs burn...still fucked from the smoke. Sore everywhere. Don't wanna get up yet."

"Nor should you."

He peeked at Tree's stern words, but instead of answering with something scathing like he normally would, the Arnasons were mildly surprised to hear a very placid, "Mkay, Mom."

We'll have to move soon though, won't we? Kendra asked. To the Jaw?

"Maybe. Frankly at this point we could honestly all go home. Once everyone's accounted for. Verdandi, Dario..." She took a breath, quelling a spout of anxiety. "Tezz...if he made it." Her children regarded her attentively, seriously.

His hand found grip on her shoulder, with a gentle rub from his thumb for reassurance. Vox shared in her concerns; the time he'd been with Tezz down below was brief, but he couldn't shake the state of him.

"Nothing we can do for now but wait. I'm sure Lila has folks on that as we speak." His eyes scanned around, almost absently searching for the visage of a stag. "Your mother is right, don't go doing anything too quickly. We've got time now."

Vox hadn't noticed, but he hadn't once looked away from Liam. His eyes remained fixated on him, through poorly-veiled, anxious eyes.

He didn't look much worse than the Liam he previously knew besides the persisting surface-level scratches, bruises and burns, but there was just...something. Something stuck to the young man's shoulders and the bags under his eyes. Even if it was only the knowledge of the nightmare he had pulled Liam from the jaws of, Vox could see it like he was holding a plainly written book. A louder-than-normal crash of equipment sounded from across the crater and Liam suppressed a flinch, trying to track the sound with just his eyes. His irises flicked back to Vox's and he scrunched his face wryly, but didn't say anything.

Is Nala doing okay?

Liam was gratefully distracted by his sister's question. "If demons could sleep, she'd be out cold. I think she'll be okay, though. I'll let you know." Kendra nodded fervently.

Vox exhaled lightly out of his nose - there was a beauty in watching the pair interact that had shifted drastically from the weight of guilt built up in the years prior. His eyes lingered for a moment longer on Liam, making a mental note to check in with him once things were more settled, but he quickly turned to face Tree once again, taking her paw in his hand and giving it a small squeeze.

"Did you want to go... now? To see him, I mean." The scout cleared his throat, unsure of how to broach the topic again. "Not sure if this is the perfect time, but I'm also not sure we'll have a perfect time, you know?"

Like It Should Have Been [pt 3]

[x]

He wondered if the deepening red of his face could be felt where her paw made contact with his face, despite the fact that there was no opportunity for him to hide it visually. Vox's head shook slightly as the slightest hint of laughter escaped from his lips.

"Everything. A lot to think about, huh?"

His eyes fell down and to the right, tracing the grain on the patches of makeshift floor as he softly hummed to himself in thought. The only luxury gained over the past day had been a temporary reprieve from the inevitable and existential - at least, until the scout learned of his second untimely demise.

"But... us... I think we have time, Tree. I didn't know that we would this time yesterday, but we don't have to figure this all out right now. We can just..."

He softly took her arms and brought them to his waist, stepping the smallest bit closer and gazing deeply into her eyes. Everything beyond her was a blur, and if he could make it last forever, he would.

"Hey. It's nice to see you again."

Before she could respond, the scout leaned in with a hand cupped under her jaw and thumb bracing her cheek as his lips met hers - all intention to act in brevity suspended as he willed the heavens to keep them rooted there for the remainder of their natural lives.

Tree only managed a surprised, muffled hum in reply, but then she melted. Grumpy at her own reaction at first, then emotional as she gripped his undershirt, reminded of moments like these from many years ago--the pit, the wedding, their first night in White Hallows, Liam's birth...it had been far too long. Her tongue parted his teeth, and she cupped the back of his neck, fingers brushing hair dried with blood, pulling him closer--

"Bleugh, stop."

The pair parted in alarm. Liam had an arm over his eyes, but he was awake. Kendra was as well; she covered her mouth with a hand and ducked back down into his side, giggling and blushing at being caught spying. A couple of goggling rebels scurried away, clearly gossiping behind their hands. "Sorry," Liam called out, signing with the hand drooping next to his face. "I had a moral obligation to make you guys quit it so we don't have to watch."

Vox held a hand to his face to hide his laughter, looking away from the hellish children that, even in their adult years, could manage to ruin the one moment of sincere intimacy he had with Tree.

"No, absolutely fair. We, uh, deserved that." The scout let his hand fall in front of his chest, signing slowly as he spoke. "I'm glad to see the two of you are in lighter spirits. Are we feeling alright?"

Liam squinted at the tent ceiling while Kendra looked at him questioningly; she felt like her answer was nominal in comparison to his. "Lungs burn...still fucked from the smoke. Sore everywhere. Don't wanna get up yet."

"Nor should you."

He peeked at Tree's stern words, but instead of answering with something scathing like he normally would, the Arnasons were mildly surprised to hear a very placid, "Mkay, Mom."

We'll have to move soon though, won't we? Kendra asked. To the Jaw?

"Maybe. Frankly at this point we could honestly all go home. Once everyone's accounted for. Verdandi, Dario..." She took a breath, quelling a spout of anxiety. "Tezz...if he made it." Her children regarded her attentively, seriously.

His hand found grip on her shoulder, with a gentle rub from his thumb for reassurance. Vox shared in her concerns; the time he'd been with Tezz down below was brief, but he couldn't shake the state of him.

"Nothing we can do for now but wait. I'm sure Lila has folks on that as we speak." His eyes scanned around, almost absently searching for the visage of a stag. "Your mother is right, don't go doing anything too quickly. We've got time now."

Vox hadn't noticed, but he hadn't once looked away from Liam. His eyes remained fixated on him, through poorly-veiled, anxious eyes.

Like It Should Have Been [pt 3]

[x]

He wondered if the deepening red of his face could be felt where her paw made contact with his face, despite the fact that there was no opportunity for him to hide it visually. Vox's head shook slightly as the slightest hint of laughter escaped from his lips.

"Everything. A lot to think about, huh?"

His eyes fell down and to the right, tracing the grain on the patches of makeshift floor as he softly hummed to himself in thought. The only luxury gained over the past day had been a temporary reprieve from the inevitable and existential - at least, until the scout learned of his second untimely demise.

"But... us... I think we have time, Tree. I didn't know that we would this time yesterday, but we don't have to figure this all out right now. We can just..."

He softly took her arms and brought them to his waist, stepping the smallest bit closer and gazing deeply into her eyes. Everything beyond her was a blur, and if he could make it last forever, he would.

"Hey. It's nice to see you again."

Before she could respond, the scout leaned in with a hand cupped under her jaw and thumb bracing her cheek as his lips met hers - all intention to act in brevity suspended as he willed the heavens to keep them rooted there for the remainder of their natural lives.

Tree only managed a surprised, muffled hum in reply, but then she melted. Grumpy at her own reaction at first, then emotional as she gripped his undershirt, reminded of moments like these from many years ago--the pit, the wedding, their first night in White Hallows, Liam's birth...it had been far too long. Her tongue parted his teeth, and she cupped the back of his neck, fingers brushing hair dried with blood, pulling him closer--

"Bleugh, stop."

The pair parted in alarm. Liam had an arm over his eyes, but he was awake. Kendra was as well; she covered her mouth with a hand and ducked back down into his side, giggling and blushing at being caught spying. A couple of goggling rebels scurried away, clearly gossiping behind their hands. "Sorry," Liam called out, signing with the hand drooping next to his face. "I had a moral obligation to make you guys quit it so we don't have to watch."

Vox held a hand to his face to hide his laughter, looking away from the hellish children that, even in their adult years, could manage to ruin the one moment of sincere intimacy he had with Tree.

"No, absolutely fair. We, uh, deserved that." The scout let his hand fall in front of his chest, signing slowly as he spoke. "I'm glad to see the two of you are in lighter spirits. Are we feeling alright?"

Like It Should Have Been [pt 3]

[x]

He wondered if the deepening red of his face could be felt where her paw made contact with his face, despite the fact that there was no opportunity for him to hide it visually. Vox's head shook slightly as the slightest hint of laughter escaped from his lips.

"Everything. A lot to think about, huh?"

His eyes fell down and to the right, tracing the grain on the patches of makeshift floor as he softly hummed to himself in thought. The only luxury gained over the past day had been a temporary reprieve from the inevitable and existential - at least, until the scout learned of his second untimely demise.

"But... us... I think we have time, Tree. I didn't know that we would this time yesterday, but we don't have to figure this all out right now. We can just..."

He softly took her arms and brought them to his waist, stepping the smallest bit closer and gazing deeply into her eyes. Everything beyond her was a blur, and if he could make it last forever, he would.

"Hey. It's nice to see you again."

Before she could respond, the scout leaned in with a hand cupped under her jaw and thumb bracing her cheek as his lips met hers - all intention to act in brevity suspended as he willed the heavens to keep them rooted there for the remainder of their natural lives.

#gayyyyyy #GAYYYYYY #BOTGD2 #vox blogs #tree blogs

Like It Should Have Been [pt 2]

[previous]

Tree scoffed and wrestled for his hood, yanking it up over his head and covering his eyes. "Like you're not! You're so godsdamn stubborn you just apparently refuse to die! What the Hel is that all about!"

Vox fought back, utilizing his one hand to try and wrestle the hood out of her grip while poking at her abdomen with his other arm. He tried to deter her before the feline half-breed tripped over one of Vox's feet, causing the pair to nearly fall over. The scout managed to catch her before catastrophe struck, quickly helping her back up.

"Okay, first of all... I am so cool and not stubborn, so write that down." He bat at one of her paws, grinning up at her as the sun perfectly framed his jawline. "Second of all, if I knew how many times I had actually died before, you would absolutely know, because I would not have handled it well."

He looked away towards the floor, still opting to delay thinking too deeply about his mortality.

"Still haven't really had time to process it. I don't know how I feel... but what you said before - about us being a family no matter what - I genuinely believe that. But... it still feels like there should be something for me to mourn, right?"

He looked at his hand before slowly raising his head to see Liam, still unconscious before them.

"We gained so much today, Tree... but we lost in ways that I don't think we can understand right now."

"C'mon, don't do that. We literally destroyed High Central today. We dropped Kezia's own city on her nasty, racist head. We just..." She pinched the bridge of her nose, massaging it. "The good will outweigh any bad that came from this. We just have to wait for it."

Tree looked down at the thread in her paw again, rubbing a thumb over it protectively.

"...would you want to go see him? Wherever he is?" She rushed to keep speaking before Vox could answer. "I know it might be too much, but I feel horrible knowing that he's just...buried in the woods somewhere. I was kind of thinking, maybe if we brought Daybreak, asked Milae to show us where he is, before it snows, we could..."

"No."

Vox was still. It felt as if just the mention of himself - his other - voided the air in his lungs. His eyes bounced back and forth in deep thought, careful to speak with intention.

"No, not for me. I would want to join you only if that's something you want, Tree. You knew him in a way that I couldn't. I know he was... me, but I never knew him."

The scout sat, still visibly exhausted. He held his head upright with his hand, elbow propped up on his leg.

"You lost me more times than I can count. Death, or otherwise."

She nodded, looking distantly at the horizon without really seeing it. "No, you don't have to come. But I think I owe him a goodbye that he never got. Y'know?"

He was silent for longer than he felt comfortable, pondering his wife's words. He ran his hand through his hair, sighing deeply as he did so.

"I... think I do."

His mind flashed to Treepelt - their many beautiful, horrifying, wonderful, impossible nights in each other's company within the confines of a dungeon they've long since departed. He wondered if she still thought of him, too.

"Let me go with you... please. I want to."

Tree looked at him oddly, but hopefully. "Like I said, you don't have to. But I'm happy to have you there...maybe it'll keep the whole thing from feeling like I'm...I don't know, visiting an ex or something." She grinned sheepishly, the ambient daylight reflecting softly off her dirt-smudged cheeks in the shade.

His eyes were locked on hers, watching the swimming of greens dance around her pupils. There was a tug in the back of his mind that wanted Vox to know that this wasn't the Treepelt he had first fallen in love with - but it didn't matter. For every part of her that was dear to him, the scout would know her in every lifetime.

"You're gonna make me jealous." Vox couldn't keep from laughing, shaking his head as he looked to the ground. "But, in all seriousness... I do want to be there. For you, absolutely... but for me as well, now that I'm thinking on it. This may be new to us, but it's the right thing to do. Our story is a long one, and maybe this has been a chapter we never got around to finishing, for reasons beyond us."

Vox rose to his feet, taking one of Tree's hands in his own while pushing away some stray hairs from her face with his other arm.

"You gonna be alright?"

She snorted lightly, and smushed his bearded cheeks between the thumb and fingers of one hand, giving his chin a lovingly aggressive shake. "A man goes through Purgatory, Hel, death and beyond and still asks his ex-wife if she's gonna be alright first...of course, dummy."

Tree squinted an eye at him, chewing on something else she wanted to say, but holding it in for the moment.

His eyes caught hers at a moment she likely wished they hadn't - Vox was thrown back into memories of their younger years; a time in which he had grown accustomed to even the most imperceptible changes in her face. It was a skill born of necessity, as the Warden's once-malicious grip on Treepelt Halfpaw forced the scout to exercise additional caution, but proved to pay off in the long run.

"What?"

Vox's arms rose, with his hand gently finding its holding on the arm she was using to hold his face.

"I know that look. Tell me."

#i'm so fucking gay for them

Like It Should Have Been [pt 2]

[previous]

Tree scoffed and wrestled for his hood, yanking it up over his head and covering his eyes. "Like you're not! You're so godsdamn stubborn you just apparently refuse to die! What the Hel is that all about!"

Vox fought back, utilizing his one hand to try and wrestle the hood out of her grip while poking at her abdomen with his other arm. He tried to deter her before the feline half-breed tripped over one of Vox's feet, causing the pair to nearly fall over. The scout managed to catch her before catastrophe struck, quickly helping her back up.

"Okay, first of all... I am so cool and not stubborn, so write that down." He bat at one of her paws, grinning up at her as the sun perfectly framed his jawline. "Second of all, if I knew how many times I had actually died before, you would absolutely know, because I would not have handled it well."

He looked away towards the floor, still opting to delay thinking too deeply about his mortality.

"Still haven't really had time to process it. I don't know how I feel... but what you said before - about us being a family no matter what - I genuinely believe that. But... it still feels like there should be something for me to mourn, right?"

He looked at his hand before slowly raising his head to see Liam, still unconscious before them.

"We gained so much today, Tree... but we lost in ways that I don't think we can understand right now."

"C'mon, don't do that. We literally destroyed High Central today. We dropped Kezia's own city on her nasty, racist head. We just..." She pinched the bridge of her nose, massaging it. "The good will outweigh any bad that came from this. We just have to wait for it."

Tree looked down at the thread in her paw again, rubbing a thumb over it protectively.

"...would you want to go see him? Wherever he is?" She rushed to keep speaking before Vox could answer. "I know it might be too much, but I feel horrible knowing that he's just...buried in the woods somewhere. I was kind of thinking, maybe if we brought Daybreak, asked Milae to show us where he is, before it snows, we could..."

"No."

Vox was still. It felt as if just the mention of himself - his other - voided the air in his lungs. His eyes bounced back and forth in deep thought, careful to speak with intention.

"No, not for me. I would want to join you only if that's something you want, Tree. You knew him in a way that I couldn't. I know he was... me, but I never knew him."

The scout sat, still visibly exhausted. He held his head upright with his hand, elbow propped up on his leg.

"You lost me more times than I can count. Death, or otherwise."

She nodded, looking distantly at the horizon without really seeing it. "No, you don't have to come. But I think I owe him a goodbye that he never got. Y'know?"

He was silent for longer than he felt comfortable, pondering his wife's words. He ran his hand through his hair, sighing deeply as he did so.

"I... think I do."

His mind flashed to Treepelt - their many beautiful, horrifying, wonderful, impossible nights in each other's company within the confines of a dungeon they've long since departed. He wondered if she still thought of him, too.

"Let me go with you... please. I want to."

Tree looked at him oddly, but hopefully. "Like I said, you don't have to. But I'm happy to have you there...maybe it'll keep the whole thing from feeling like I'm...I don't know, visiting an ex or something." She grinned sheepishly, the ambient daylight reflecting softly off her dirt-smudged cheeks in the shade.

His eyes were locked on hers, watching the swimming of greens dance around her pupils. There was a tug in the back of his mind that wanted Vox to know that this wasn't the Treepelt he had first fallen in love with - but it didn't matter. For every part of her that was dear to him, the scout would know her in every lifetime.

"You're gonna make me jealous." Vox couldn't keep from laughing, shaking his head as he looked to the ground. "But, in all seriousness... I do want to be there. For you, absolutely... but for me as well, now that I'm thinking on it. This may be new to us, but it's the right thing to do. Our story is a long one, and maybe this has been a chapter we never got around to finishing, for reasons beyond us."

Vox rose to his feet, taking one of Tree's hands in his own while pushing away some stray hairs from her face with his other arm.

"You gonna be alright?"

#sorry the braincell is temporarily back

Like It Should Have Been [pt 2]

[previous]

Tree scoffed and wrestled for his hood, yanking it up over his head and covering his eyes. "Like you're not! You're so godsdamn stubborn you just apparently refuse to die! What the Hel is that all about!"

Vox fought back, utilizing his one hand to try and wrestle the hood out of her grip while poking at her abdomen with his other arm. He tried to deter her before the feline half-breed tripped over one of Vox's feet, causing the pair to nearly fall over. The scout managed to catch her before catastrophe struck, quickly helping her back up.

"Okay, first of all... I am so cool and not stubborn, so write that down." He bat at one of her paws, grinning up at her as the sun perfectly framed his jawline. "Second of all, if I knew how many times I had actually died before, you would absolutely know, because I would not have handled it well."

He looked away towards the floor, still opting to delay thinking too deeply about his mortality.

"Still haven't really had time to process it. I don't know how I feel... but what you said before - about us being a family no matter what - I genuinely believe that. But... it still feels like there should be something for me to mourn, right?"

He looked at his hand before slowly raising his head to see Liam, still unconscious before them.

"We gained so much today, Tree... but we lost in ways that I don't think we can understand right now."

"C'mon, don't do that. We literally destroyed High Central today. We dropped Kezia's own city on her nasty, racist head. We just..." She pinched the bridge of her nose, massaging it. "The good will outweigh any bad that came from this. We just have to wait for it."

Tree looked down at the thread in her paw again, rubbing a thumb over it protectively.

"...would you want to go see him? Wherever he is?" She rushed to keep speaking before Vox could answer. "I know it might be too much, but I feel horrible knowing that he's just...buried in the woods somewhere. I was kind of thinking, maybe if we brought Daybreak, asked Milae to show us where he is, before it snows, we could..."

"No."

Vox was still. It felt as if just the mention of himself - his other - voided the air in his lungs. His eyes bounced back and forth in deep thought, careful to speak with intention.

"No, not for me. I would want to join you only if that's something you want, Tree. You knew him in a way that I couldn't. I know he was... me, but I never knew him."

The scout sat, still visibly exhausted. He held his head upright with his hand, elbow propped up on his leg.

"You lost me more times than I can count. Death, or otherwise."

She nodded, looking distantly at the horizon without really seeing it. "No, you don't have to come. But I think I owe him a goodbye that he never got. Y'know?"

He was silent for longer than he felt comfortable, pondering his wife's words. He ran his hand through his hair, sighing deeply as he did so.

"I... think I do."

His mind flashed to Treepelt - their many beautiful, horrifying, wonderful, impossible nights in each other's company within the confines of a dungeon they've long since departed. He wondered if she still thought of him, too.

"Let me go with you... please. I want to."

Like It Should Have Been [pt 2]

[previous]

Tree scoffed and wrestled for his hood, yanking it up over his head and covering his eyes. "Like you're not! You're so godsdamn stubborn you just apparently refuse to die! What the Hel is that all about!"

Vox fought back, utilizing his one hand to try and wrestle the hood out of her grip while poking at her abdomen with his other arm. He tried to deter her before the feline half-breed tripped over one of Vox's feet, causing the pair to nearly fall over. The scout managed to catch her before catastrophe struck, quickly helping her back up.

"Okay, first of all... I am so cool and not stubborn, so write that down." He bat at one of her paws, grinning up at her as the sun perfectly framed his jawline. "Second of all, if I knew how many times I had actually died before, you would absolutely know, because I would not have handled it well."

He looked away towards the floor, still opting to delay thinking too deeply about his mortality.

"Still haven't really had time to process it. I don't know how I feel... but what you said before - about us being a family no matter what - I genuinely believe that. But... it still feels like there should be something for me to mourn, right?"

He looked at his hand before slowly raising his head to see Liam, still unconscious before them.

"We gained so much today, Tree... but we lost in ways that I don't think we can understand right now."

"C'mon, don't do that. We literally destroyed High Central today. We dropped Kezia's own city on her nasty, racist head. We just..." She pinched the bridge of her nose, massaging it. "The good will outweigh any bad that came from this. We just have to wait for it."

Tree looked down at the thread in her paw again, rubbing a thumb over it protectively.

"...would you want to go see him? Wherever he is?" She rushed to keep speaking before Vox could answer. "I know it might be too much, but I feel horrible knowing that he's just...buried in the woods somewhere. I was kind of thinking, maybe if we brought Daybreak, asked Milae to show us where he is, before it snows, we could..."

"No."

Vox was still. It felt as if just the mention of himself - his other - voided the air in his lungs. His eyes bounced back and forth in deep thought, careful to speak with intention.

"No, not for me. I would want to join you only if that's something you want, Tree. You knew him in a way that I couldn't. I know he was... me, but I never knew him."

The scout sat, still visibly exhausted. He held his head upright with his hand, elbow propped up on his leg.

"You lost me more times than I can count. Death, or otherwise."

Like It Should Have Been [pt 2]

[previous]

Tree scoffed and wrestled for his hood, yanking it up over his head and covering his eyes. "Like you're not! You're so godsdamn stubborn you just apparently refuse to die! What the Hel is that all about!"

Vox fought back, utilizing his one hand to try and wrestle the hood out of her grip while poking at her abdomen with his other arm. He tried to deter her before the feline half-breed tripped over one of Vox's feet, causing the pair to nearly fall over. The scout managed to catch her before catastrophe struck, quickly helping her back up.

"Okay, first of all... I am so cool and not stubborn, so write that down." He bat at one of her paws, grinning up at her as the sun perfectly framed his jawline. "Second of all, if I knew how many times I had actually died before, you would absolutely know, because I would not have handled it well."

He looked away towards the floor, still opting to delay thinking too deeply about his mortality.

"Still haven't really had time to process it. I don't know how I feel... but what you said before - about us being a family no matter what - I genuinely believe that. But... it still feels like there should be something for me to mourn, right?"

He looked at his hand before slowly raising his head to see Liam, still unconscious before them.

"We gained so much today, Tree... but we lost in ways that I don't think we can understand right now."

#botgd2 #tree blogs #vox blogs #uh oh #BUMMER alert #someone tell this guy to be funnier

Like It Should Have Been

By midday, it wasn't surprising that nearly half the Rebellion had crashed out in some form or another. Even though spirits were high, and even though everyone had been prepping for the all-nighter for the past few weeks, it was inevitable with the exhausting ordeal they had been through. The nixes especially needed rest before any kind of mass travel could occur back to the Jaw. Once the bare minimum of shelter from the sun and food and water had been secured, soldiers began to settle the best they could back into civilians, treating wounds, mourning dead, and reuniting with loved ones. The hot sunlight and brisk breeze made for wonderful weather, Tree thought, sitting on a bedroll at the edge of the largest medical tent and staring out into the tall, waving grass, the most familiar sight of Aidorin to her, one she grew up with and always chose to return to. Her braid danced over her shoulder, black strands woven with orange, and she shifted her arm uncomfortably, which had been put back into a sling by an irate Hunter.

She heard someone approaching behind her, and while her ears moved, she stayed facing away, sniffing once with a small smile.

"Hey, lost Vox."

"Oh, boo. I thought one less hand would make me lighter on my feet."

Vox stood next to his wife, taking in the view before slowly lowering himself to sit beside her, still rivaling her height despite sitting on solid ground.

"Hey, Treepelt."

The scout picked up small rocks, tossing them a distance in front of them when the path was clear of any soldiers still making their rounds. There was a looming silence between the pair, but it didn't hold the same tension as it had before. Vox chuckled to himself, dusting his hand on his pants.

"What do you suppose Haddock would say, if he could see us now? You, me, the kids... not to mention the rest of the Rebellion." He turned to look into her familiar green eyes, unable to stifle an exhausted smile. "We did it."

Tree twisted her nose in thought, and then she sat up straighter, lifting her chin in a gruff imitation of the former King of the Wilderwest. "'Well, about time. That took too Thor-damned long, and good riddance to that den of self-absorbed supremacists and their Loki-spawn of a demon queen. This is what we get when we rope in another round of chaotic children into the war. I better not hear anyone sing about this.'" She smirked at Vox, waiting for his reaction to her purposely uncharitable impression.

Vox attempted to stifle laughter, a swift hand concealing most of his mouth from her view, but it was apparent that her charade was a flawless execution.

"So talented, you are! You had me immersed - I was going to kiss you, but..." The scout playfully nudged her sideways with his weight, avoiding her more visibly wounded arm. "...I don't want to be kissing our late, great Haddock now, do I?"

The scout grunted as he got back to his feet, feigning the beginning motions of movement into the heart of the tent. He held his lighter forearm to his head in the largest show of theatrics the feline half-breed could ever recall seeing from him, with Vox occasionally glancing at her from a side-eye.

"Shame. I was looking forward to it..."

"You're fucking insufferable." She reached out to snag his pant leg, yanking him back towards the bedroll. "Sit down. You still have some questions to answer."

His brighter demeanor wavered slightly; Vox knew that he would have to answer for many, many things. He gruffly returned to his seated position next to Tree, facing slightly more in her direction.

"Yeah. That's probably a good idea." The scout cleared his throat, giving her his undivided attention with his aged, soft brown eyes. "I'm an open book. Hit me with whatever you've got."

She sighed shortly and uncurled the hand bound in the sling, pulling from it a strange knot of colored thread. It was mostly a thick cord of golden yellow, but with two inclusions. On the upper end of the string, a white thread forked off from the main braid, and then wound back into the cord so that a single strand of white peeked through its length. On the lower end of the cord, a black thread in the same style: separated from the main thread, then folded back in, joining the white one in standing out from the rest of the tiny fibers. Tree considered it for almost a full minute.

"I mostly just want to hear how the battle went for you. As much as you're willing to talk about. But especially what happened down there."

Vox's expression sunk as he looked upon his wife - he could only keep the image of what lengths Liam went to destroy Kezia at arms length for so long. The scout cleared his throat, settling into a more comfortable sitting position.

"Well, I'll tell you, those damn Felman kids are tenacious. Reminded me how reckless we all were when we were younger... and the Ericson kids too, just a remarkable bunch..."

He laughed to himself for a moment before he paused, dropping any hints of humor from his face.

"...but our kids... you did such an incredible job with them, Tree."

Vox sighed, looking off towards a group of younger troops that were softly speaking near a fire. The scout began to recount the events that led to Sav's quick thinking, the portal he and Liam entered... their encounter with the divine. Despite his best efforts, he was visibly shaken during the recollection of Liam's self-mutilation. He attempted to rush through as quickly as he could manage.

"...we found him, but it wasn't him... but he was there. Am I making any sense at all to you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

She ran a hand through the loose hair framing her face and glanced back further into the tent, where Liam and Kendra were also sprawled out on a bedroll, out cold. Liam was flat on his back with Kendra's head under his chin, and their forearms were tangled in a sloppy hug as they breathed in and out of tandem.

"If you had told me ten years ago that of the two of them, he was gonna be the one to literally become a god, I would've laughed in your face." Tree exhaled heavily. "He was such a hellion, Vox. Getting into fights, putting himself in danger, trying to stay out on his own for days at a time...we had such horrible fights. I even started to hate Nala because I knew she was the one he was running to after our yelling matches. But I also knew he was safest with her. It's why I stopped trying to keep him in White Hallows when he was seventeen. He wanted to run around as a fighter, as a dragon rider, as a scout...all the things he grew up hearing from our generation. I was so frustrated because I thought he didn't understand what it actually meant to be part of the Rebellion--all of the fear and the grief and the sacrifice that came with it. Now...I really think he understood it better than anyone."

Her jaw clenched, the strain extremely similar to Liam's turbulent emotions in Verðandi's Tomb. "It feels so strange. It feels like...it feels like we lost him...and didn't lose him at the same time. Like we both failed and didn't fail him." Her breath got shivery and faulty. "I feel like we were supposed to stop him. But we couldn't have."

Vox looked away, staring a distance away from Treepelt. Despite her not having witnessed what he had, she knew exactly what he was feeling. It was almost universal; all-encompassing, destructively omnipotent.

"He was so scared, Tree." The scout's voice shrunk into something far more timid and shaky. "He was scared... but he looked me in the eye, and I saw a bravery I hadn't seen since - well, ever."

His eyes eventually followed to rest on their children - the juxtaposition of grief and gratitude pulled at his heart without mercy.

"There isn't a thing you or I could have said, or done, that he would have listened to. His mind was made up."

He laughed, using his forearm to wipe the newly formed tears from under his eyes.

"Stubborn. I wonder who he got that from."

#what the fuck man #the sequel

Like It Should Have Been

By midday, it wasn't surprising that nearly half the Rebellion had crashed out in some form or another. Even though spirits were high, and even though everyone had been prepping for the all-nighter for the past few weeks, it was inevitable with the exhausting ordeal they had been through. The nixes especially needed rest before any kind of mass travel could occur back to the Jaw. Once the bare minimum of shelter from the sun and food and water had been secured, soldiers began to settle the best they could back into civilians, treating wounds, mourning dead, and reuniting with loved ones. The hot sunlight and brisk breeze made for wonderful weather, Tree thought, sitting on a bedroll at the edge of the largest medical tent and staring out into the tall, waving grass, the most familiar sight of Aidorin to her, one she grew up with and always chose to return to. Her braid danced over her shoulder, black strands woven with orange, and she shifted her arm uncomfortably, which had been put back into a sling by an irate Hunter.

She heard someone approaching behind her, and while her ears moved, she stayed facing away, sniffing once with a small smile.

"Hey, lost Vox."

"Oh, boo. I thought one less hand would make me lighter on my feet."

Vox stood next to his wife, taking in the view before slowly lowering himself to sit beside her, still rivaling her height despite sitting on solid ground.

"Hey, Treepelt."

The scout picked up small rocks, tossing them a distance in front of them when the path was clear of any soldiers still making their rounds. There was a looming silence between the pair, but it didn't hold the same tension as it had before. Vox chuckled to himself, dusting his hand on his pants.

"What do you suppose Haddock would say, if he could see us now? You, me, the kids... not to mention the rest of the Rebellion." He turned to look into her familiar green eyes, unable to stifle an exhausted smile. "We did it."

Tree twisted her nose in thought, and then she sat up straighter, lifting her chin in a gruff imitation of the former King of the Wilderwest. "'Well, about time. That took too Thor-damned long, and good riddance to that den of self-absorbed supremacists and their Loki-spawn of a demon queen. This is what we get when we rope in another round of chaotic children into the war. I better not hear anyone sing about this.'" She smirked at Vox, waiting for his reaction to her purposely uncharitable impression.

Vox attempted to stifle laughter, a swift hand concealing most of his mouth from her view, but it was apparent that her charade was a flawless execution.

"So talented, you are! You had me immersed - I was going to kiss you, but..." The scout playfully nudged her sideways with his weight, avoiding her more visibly wounded arm. "...I don't want to be kissing our late, great Haddock now, do I?"

The scout grunted as he got back to his feet, feigning the beginning motions of movement into the heart of the tent. He held his lighter forearm to his head in the largest show of theatrics the feline half-breed could ever recall seeing from him, with Vox occasionally glancing at her from a side-eye.

"Shame. I was looking forward to it..."

"You're fucking insufferable." She reached out to snag his pant leg, yanking him back towards the bedroll. "Sit down. You still have some questions to answer."

His brighter demeanor wavered slightly; Vox knew that he would have to answer for many, many things. He gruffly returned to his seated position next to Tree, facing slightly more in her direction.

"Yeah. That's probably a good idea." The scout cleared his throat, giving her his undivided attention with his aged, soft brown eyes. "I'm an open book. Hit me with whatever you've got."

She sighed shortly and uncurled the hand bound in the sling, pulling from it a strange knot of colored thread. It was mostly a thick cord of golden yellow, but with two inclusions. On the upper end of the string, a white thread forked off from the main braid, and then wound back into the cord so that a single strand of white peeked through its length. On the lower end of the cord, a black thread in the same style: separated from the main thread, then folded back in, joining the white one in standing out from the rest of the tiny fibers. Tree considered it for almost a full minute.

"I mostly just want to hear how the battle went for you. As much as you're willing to talk about. But especially what happened down there."

Vox's expression sunk as he looked upon his wife - he could only keep the image of what lengths Liam went to destroy Kezia at arms length for so long. The scout cleared his throat, settling into a more comfortable sitting position.

"Well, I'll tell you, those damn Felman kids are tenacious. Reminded me how reckless we all were when we were younger... and the Ericson kids too, just a remarkable bunch..."

He laughed to himself for a moment before he paused, dropping any hints of humor from his face.

"...but our kids... you did such an incredible job with them, Tree."

Vox sighed, looking off towards a group of younger troops that were softly speaking near a fire. The scout began to recount the events that led to Sav's quick thinking, the portal he and Liam entered... their encounter with the divine. Despite his best efforts, he was visibly shaken during the recollection of Liam's self-mutilation. He attempted to rush through as quickly as he could manage.

"...we found him, but it wasn't him... but he was there. Am I making any sense at all to you?"

Like It Should Have Been

By midday, it wasn't surprising that nearly half the Rebellion had crashed out in some form or another. Even though spirits were high, and even though everyone had been prepping for the all-nighter for the past few weeks, it was inevitable with the exhausting ordeal they had been through. The nixes especially needed rest before any kind of mass travel could occur back to the Jaw. Once the bare minimum of shelter from the sun and food and water had been secured, soldiers began to settle the best they could back into civilians, treating wounds, mourning dead, and reuniting with loved ones. The hot sunlight and brisk breeze made for wonderful weather, Tree thought, sitting on a bedroll at the edge of the largest medical tent and staring out into the tall, waving grass, the most familiar sight of Aidorin to her, one she grew up with and always chose to return to. Her braid danced over her shoulder, black strands woven with orange, and she shifted her arm uncomfortably, which had been put back into a sling by an irate Hunter.

She heard someone approaching behind her, and while her ears moved, she stayed facing away, sniffing once with a small smile.

"Hey, lost Vox."

"Oh, boo. I thought one less hand would make me lighter on my feet."

Vox stood next to his wife, taking in the view before slowly lowering himself to sit beside her, still rivaling her height despite sitting on solid ground.

"Hey, Treepelt."

The scout picked up small rocks, tossing them a distance in front of them when the path was clear of any soldiers still making their rounds. There was a looming silence between the pair, but it didn't hold the same tension as it had before. Vox chuckled to himself, dusting his hand on his pants.

"What do you suppose Haddock would say, if he could see us now? You, me, the kids... not to mention the rest of the Rebellion." He turned to look into her familiar green eyes, unable to stifle an exhausted smile. "We did it."

Tree twisted her nose in thought, and then she sat up straighter, lifting her chin in a gruff imitation of the former King of the Wilderwest. "'Well, about time. That took too Thor-damned long, and good riddance to that den of self-absorbed supremacists and their Loki-spawn of a demon queen. This is what we get when we rope in another round of chaotic children into the war. I better not hear anyone sing about this.'" She smirked at Vox, waiting for his reaction to her purposely uncharitable impression.

Vox attempted to stifle laughter, a swift hand concealing most of his mouth from her view, but it was apparent that her charade was a flawless execution.

"So talented, you are! You had me immersed - I was going to kiss you, but..." The scout playfully nudged her sideways with his weight, avoiding her more visibly wounded arm. "...I don't want to be kissing our late, great Haddock now, do I?"

The scout grunted as he got back to his feet, feigning the beginning motions of movement into the heart of the tent. He held his lighter forearm to his head in the largest show of theatrics the feline half-breed could ever recall seeing from him, with Vox occasionally glancing at her from a side-eye.

"Shame. I was looking forward to it..."

"You're fucking insufferable." She reached out to snag his pant leg, yanking him back towards the bedroll. "Sit down. You still have some questions to answer."

His brighter demeanor wavered slightly; Vox knew that he would have to answer for many, many things. He gruffly returned to his seated position next to Tree, facing slightly more in her direction.

"Yeah. That's probably a good idea." The scout cleared his throat, giving her his undivided attention with his aged, soft brown eyes. "I'm an open book. Hit me with whatever you've got."

#ur gonna regret that bud!

Like It Should Have Been

By midday, it wasn't surprising that nearly half the Rebellion had crashed out in some form or another. Even though spirits were high, and even though everyone had been prepping for the all-nighter for the past few weeks, it was inevitable with the exhausting ordeal they had been through. The nixes especially needed rest before any kind of mass travel could occur back to the Jaw. Once the bare minimum of shelter from the sun and food and water had been secured, soldiers began to settle the best they could back into civilians, treating wounds, mourning dead, and reuniting with loved ones. The hot sunlight and brisk breeze made for wonderful weather, Tree thought, sitting on a bedroll at the edge of the largest medical tent and staring out into the tall, waving grass, the most familiar sight of Aidorin to her, one she grew up with and always chose to return to. Her braid danced over her shoulder, black strands woven with orange, and she shifted her arm uncomfortably, which had been put back into a sling by an irate Hunter.

She heard someone approaching behind her, and while her ears moved, she stayed facing away, sniffing once with a small smile.

"Hey, lost Vox."

"Oh, boo. I thought one less hand would make me lighter on my feet."

Vox stood next to his wife, taking in the view before slowly lowering himself to sit beside her, still rivaling her height despite sitting on solid ground.

"Hey, Treepelt."

The scout picked up small rocks, tossing them a distance in front of them when the path was clear of any soldiers still making their rounds. There was a looming silence between the pair, but it didn't hold the same tension as it had before. Vox chuckled to himself, dusting his hand on his pants.

"What do you suppose Haddock would say, if he could see us now? You, me, the kids... not to mention the rest of the Rebellion." He turned to look into her familiar green eyes, unable to stifle an exhausted smile. "We did it."

Tree twisted her nose in thought, and then she sat up straighter, lifting her chin in a gruff imitation of the former King of the Wilderwest. "'Well, about time. That took too Thor-damned long, and good riddance to that den of self-absorbed supremacists and their Loki-spawn of a demon queen. This is what we get when we rope in another round of chaotic children into the war. I better not hear anyone sing about this.'" She smirked at Vox, waiting for his reaction to her purposely uncharitable impression.

Vox attempted to stifle laughter, a swift hand concealing most of his mouth from her view, but it was apparent that her charade was a flawless execution.

"So talented, you are! You had me immersed - I was going to kiss you, but..." The scout playfully nudged her sideways with his weight, avoiding her more visibly wounded arm. "...I don't want to be kissing our late, great Haddock now, do I?"

The scout grunted as he got back to his feet, feigning the beginning motions of movement into the heart of the tent. He held his lighter forearm to his head in the largest show of theatrics the feline half-breed could ever recall seeing from him, with Vox occasionally glancing at her from a side-eye.

"Shame. I was looking forward to it..."

Like It Should Have Been

By midday, it wasn't surprising that nearly half the Rebellion had crashed out in some form or another. Even though spirits were high, and even though everyone had been prepping for the all-nighter for the past few weeks, it was inevitable with the exhausting ordeal they had been through. The nixes especially needed rest before any kind of mass travel could occur back to the Jaw. Once the bare minimum of shelter from the sun and food and water had been secured, soldiers began to settle the best they could back into civilians, treating wounds, mourning dead, and reuniting with loved ones. The hot sunlight and brisk breeze made for wonderful weather, Tree thought, sitting on a bedroll at the edge of the largest medical tent and staring out into the tall, waving grass, the most familiar sight of Aidorin to her, one she grew up with and always chose to return to. Her braid danced over her shoulder, black strands woven with orange, and she shifted her arm uncomfortably, which had been put back into a sling by an irate Hunter.

She heard someone approaching behind her, and while her ears moved, she stayed facing away, sniffing once with a small smile.

"Hey, lost Vox."

"Oh, boo. I thought one less hand would make me lighter on my feet."

Vox stood next to his wife, taking in the view before slowly lowering himself to sit beside her, still rivaling her height despite sitting on solid ground.

"Hey, Treepelt."

The scout picked up small rocks, tossing them a distance in front of them when the path was clear of any soldiers still making their rounds. There was a looming silence between the pair, but it didn't hold the same tension as it had before. Vox chuckled to himself, dusting his hand on his pants.

"What do you suppose Haddock would say, if he could see us now? You, me, the kids... not to mention the rest of the Rebellion." He turned to look into her familiar green eyes, unable to stifle an exhausted smile. "We did it."

#botgd2 #tree blogs #vox blogs #ughghhghhHHHH #i am back on the lostpelt train #choo choo

demon-in-the-dungeon

The Last Rites [pt 2]

[previous]

The half-breed threw his paws up in the air as though surrendering, and Jin tilted her head nearly sideways, staring furiously bug-eyed at Lila. "That's Liam," she said incredulously. Milae was unable to give a more succinct answer, currently warring mentally against the demon to try and get closer to Dario.

"Then whomever just appeared in our heads is not Liam." She replied. "It just so happened to look, sound, and talk just like him." She said, her eyes never leaving Liam, her gaze untrusting.

The scout kept his sights on his son; he understood Lila’s distrust, given the context of what Nala was able to show them. He had to give more - he couldn’t let Liam, or Liam, be scrutinized like this.

“This Liam…” Vox took to his side, placing his arm around him in solidarity. “…is Liam. The Liam you seem to have encountered before… is also Liam, I think. I’m- I’m going to try and explain this. Okay.”

Vox exhaled, looking at Milae and wincing at the thought of trying to explain this in front of him. The goat was far more versed in matters of time and Norns, and yet here the scout stood, stumping for his son(s).

“When Sav opened the portal on the tomb, I rushed and pushed Liam and I in to get away from Kezia. We ended up somewhere with Verðandi, a Norn, who helped heal Liam and was apparently slated to be bound to Kezia in some weird ritual thing. But Liam- our timeline’s Liam- was able to recreate the ritual and bound himself to her, but also… some of Nala was already inside of him?”

He could feel himself losing the plot; it had only happened shortly before now, but everything felt hazy.

“Liam was not what we knew him to be when we returned, as many of us witnessed. He was… massive, he was… godlike. I still can’t wrap my head around it. When we entered that weird sky rift thing, it took us to another timeline where… where things didn’t go well.”

Vox felt his throat tighten; he didn’t want to go into great detail, especially with Liam right next to him.

“This timeline’s Liam saved us and got us out of there, in whatever form he takes now. Liam here… saw all of it. He’s my son, I… I couldn’t leave him there. I know it’s hard to understand. I mean, fuck. I don’t know what’s going on beyond what I just told you, but if there was a Liam where you just came from… I think it’s our Liam. I mean, one of our Liams.”

Vox pressed the sides of his forehead with his hand.

“Sorry, I have no idea if this is making sense at all.”

She nods. "Got it." It wasn't too bad in terms of complexity. Not for her anyways.

She turned back towards the statue. "So now he's saving Dario." Her mind began to spin with possibilities. One in particular.

demon-in-the-dungeon

The idea seemed to calm Milae, but he still refused to let himself be reeled back to the group by Kendra. Behind Liam, Tree hadn't released his arm, but her eyes were fixed on the back of his head, with an expression that was serious and inscrutable.

"Yes," the Warden said, voice strained and stricken. Juro took a shaky breath, thumbs running over Dario's cracked cheeks. "He told me to take Lila and get to safety. If that is truly what happened...I have to keep faith in him. Any--"

A sharp crack, and Juro's hands suddenly collapsed together as the statue of Dario crumbled underneath his palms, falling to the ground in uncountable pieces and scattering across the stone beneath him. Clouds of dust billowed out slowly from the rubble, gently collecting on the Bookkeeper's suit as Nala stared down in horror, completely frozen.

Lila gasped as her hands fly to cover her mouth as she began to shake as her shock began to leave her.

"Wh-what just happened?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vox couldn't tear his eyes away from it. The seconds in which the collective group watched the stone crumble through the hands of the Bookkeeper were mocking and horrific - the scout hardly noticed himself move through the space, kneeling next to Juro and taking bits of dust and rubble in his hand.

"No."

Flecks of stone caught in the nooks between his fingers; his eyes began to glisten as he looked up to meet Nala's sight. For addressing a demon, Vox's voice was cold and direct.

"Fix this. Bring him back."

demon-in-the-dungeon

"I..." The Warden didn't look away from the ground; her presence had been sucked in, like a complete vacuum where she had been previously.

"Oh my gods," Liam gasped, pulling away from Tree and gripping Juro's shoulders, trying to turn Nala to focus on him. "Nala, what happened? What's wrong?"

She couldn't meet his eyes, gaze skipping in a panic back and forth. "I--I don't know...I don't know--!"

"Shit," Jin cursed lowly, running up beside Vox in a slide that sent a few pieces skittering before she caught them, trying to pull the rubble together into a cohesive pile. "Shit, shit, shit. It's--it's okay. We'll figure this out--"

Kendra nearly moved to help, but she nearly bumped into Milae, who didn't move like she expected him to. When she put a hand on his arm, he didn't react. She felt her heart break, and she hugged him while balancing on one leg as best as she could, and he made no move in response, just staring at the Arnasons as they panicked, hearing just as little as Kendra did.

He could feel Jin's presence next to him, but she may as well have not been. There was nobody else in the world to Vox at the moment - save for the remnants of Dario, and the demon-operated Bookkeeper.

"I don't believe you." Vox's voice, while still flat, had a twinge of tightness. His psyche was cracking in a manner not entirely unlike his best friend. "You've... always figured it out, Nala. We... we have to fix this."

His mind flashed to Verðandi; to Liam, past and primal. His hands shook as found himself on the brink of collapse in every sense of the word.

Fix him. Bring him back. Gods, please, fix this.

demon-in-the-dungeon

Treepelt, hardened by two wars and unshaken by the panic, was still completely unsure of what to do. She hovered near Kendra's arm, ready to catch her daughter if she fell. The silence was stretching longer and longer, and nothing was being done, nothing was being said. There had to be something they could try...anything.

Her eyes caught the back of the scout's head as he entreated Nala, and then she frowned in alarm upon seeing red slowly draining over his hood and seeping up into the tips of his hair. Yes, there it was again--an unnatural glimmer of gold between fabric and skin. "Vox--your neck..." Any further explanation faded in her throat; Tree wasn't sure what she was witnessing.

Tree's words were an immeasurable distance behind Vox - at least to his own perception; the echoes of her voice were resonant as it fought against the impending grief threatening to overtake his entire conscious.

Vox... your neck...

The scout blinked a few times, shaking out his head and focusing on the rubble gently tumbling from his hand. Without hesitation, he rubbed the pad of his index and thumb together to clear any remnants of debris before locating the base of his neck, fingers making contact with moisture along his spine. Upon returning his hand to view, the striking red hue was sickeningly familiar.

"...huh."

Vox turned to Juro; the scout's neutral expression was unwavering. His eyes went from his own fingers, up to meet Nala's. The scout felt pressure in his skull; he wasn't certain if this was the cause of the aura of gold appearing in his vision.

Please tell me you know what this means.

#lmfao #bye bitch

demon-in-the-dungeon

The Last Rites [pt 2]

[previous]

The half-breed threw his paws up in the air as though surrendering, and Jin tilted her head nearly sideways, staring furiously bug-eyed at Lila. "That's Liam," she said incredulously. Milae was unable to give a more succinct answer, currently warring mentally against the demon to try and get closer to Dario.

"Then whomever just appeared in our heads is not Liam." She replied. "It just so happened to look, sound, and talk just like him." She said, her eyes never leaving Liam, her gaze untrusting.

The scout kept his sights on his son; he understood Lila’s distrust, given the context of what Nala was able to show them. He had to give more - he couldn’t let Liam, or Liam, be scrutinized like this.

“This Liam…” Vox took to his side, placing his arm around him in solidarity. “…is Liam. The Liam you seem to have encountered before… is also Liam, I think. I’m- I’m going to try and explain this. Okay.”

Vox exhaled, looking at Milae and wincing at the thought of trying to explain this in front of him. The goat was far more versed in matters of time and Norns, and yet here the scout stood, stumping for his son(s).

“When Sav opened the portal on the tomb, I rushed and pushed Liam and I in to get away from Kezia. We ended up somewhere with Verðandi, a Norn, who helped heal Liam and was apparently slated to be bound to Kezia in some weird ritual thing. But Liam- our timeline’s Liam- was able to recreate the ritual and bound himself to her, but also… some of Nala was already inside of him?”

He could feel himself losing the plot; it had only happened shortly before now, but everything felt hazy.

“Liam was not what we knew him to be when we returned, as many of us witnessed. He was… massive, he was… godlike. I still can’t wrap my head around it. When we entered that weird sky rift thing, it took us to another timeline where… where things didn’t go well.”

Vox felt his throat tighten; he didn’t want to go into great detail, especially with Liam right next to him.

“This timeline’s Liam saved us and got us out of there, in whatever form he takes now. Liam here… saw all of it. He’s my son, I… I couldn’t leave him there. I know it’s hard to understand. I mean, fuck. I don’t know what’s going on beyond what I just told you, but if there was a Liam where you just came from… I think it’s our Liam. I mean, one of our Liams.”

Vox pressed the sides of his forehead with his hand.

“Sorry, I have no idea if this is making sense at all.”

She nods. "Got it." It wasn't too bad in terms of complexity. Not for her anyways.

She turned back towards the statue. "So now he's saving Dario." Her mind began to spin with possibilities. One in particular.

demon-in-the-dungeon

The idea seemed to calm Milae, but he still refused to let himself be reeled back to the group by Kendra. Behind Liam, Tree hadn't released his arm, but her eyes were fixed on the back of his head, with an expression that was serious and inscrutable.

"Yes," the Warden said, voice strained and stricken. Juro took a shaky breath, thumbs running over Dario's cracked cheeks. "He told me to take Lila and get to safety. If that is truly what happened...I have to keep faith in him. Any--"

A sharp crack, and Juro's hands suddenly collapsed together as the statue of Dario crumbled underneath his palms, falling to the ground in uncountable pieces and scattering across the stone beneath him. Clouds of dust billowed out slowly from the rubble, gently collecting on the Bookkeeper's suit as Nala stared down in horror, completely frozen.

Lila gasped as her hands fly to cover her mouth as she began to shake as her shock began to leave her.

"Wh-what just happened?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vox couldn't tear his eyes away from it. The seconds in which the collective group watched the stone crumble through the hands of the Bookkeeper were mocking and horrific - the scout hardly noticed himself move through the space, kneeling next to Juro and taking bits of dust and rubble in his hand.

"No."

Flecks of stone caught in the nooks between his fingers; his eyes began to glisten as he looked up to meet Nala's sight. For addressing a demon, Vox's voice was cold and direct.

"Fix this. Bring him back."

demon-in-the-dungeon

"I..." The Warden didn't look away from the ground; her presence had been sucked in, like a complete vacuum where she had been previously.

"Oh my gods," Liam gasped, pulling away from Tree and gripping Juro's shoulders, trying to turn Nala to focus on him. "Nala, what happened? What's wrong?"

She couldn't meet his eyes, gaze skipping in a panic back and forth. "I--I don't know...I don't know--!"

"Shit," Jin cursed lowly, running up beside Vox in a slide that sent a few pieces skittering before she caught them, trying to pull the rubble together into a cohesive pile. "Shit, shit, shit. It's--it's okay. We'll figure this out--"

Kendra nearly moved to help, but she nearly bumped into Milae, who didn't move like she expected him to. When she put a hand on his arm, he didn't react. She felt her heart break, and she hugged him while balancing on one leg as best as she could, and he made no move in response, just staring at the Arnasons as they panicked, hearing just as little as Kendra did.

He could feel Jin's presence next to him, but she may as well have not been. There was nobody else in the world to Vox at the moment - save for the remnants of Dario, and the demon-operated Bookkeeper.

"I don't believe you." Vox's voice, while still flat, had a twinge of tightness. His psyche was cracking in a manner not entirely unlike his best friend. "You've... always figured it out, Nala. We... we have to fix this."

His mind flashed to Verðandi; to Liam, past and primal. His hands shook as found himself on the brink of collapse in every sense of the word.

Fix him. Bring him back. Gods, please, fix this.

demon-in-the-dungeon

The Last Rites [pt 2]

[previous]

The half-breed threw his paws up in the air as though surrendering, and Jin tilted her head nearly sideways, staring furiously bug-eyed at Lila. "That's Liam," she said incredulously. Milae was unable to give a more succinct answer, currently warring mentally against the demon to try and get closer to Dario.

"Then whomever just appeared in our heads is not Liam." She replied. "It just so happened to look, sound, and talk just like him." She said, her eyes never leaving Liam, her gaze untrusting.

The scout kept his sights on his son; he understood Lila’s distrust, given the context of what Nala was able to show them. He had to give more - he couldn’t let Liam, or Liam, be scrutinized like this.

“This Liam…” Vox took to his side, placing his arm around him in solidarity. “…is Liam. The Liam you seem to have encountered before… is also Liam, I think. I’m- I’m going to try and explain this. Okay.”

Vox exhaled, looking at Milae and wincing at the thought of trying to explain this in front of him. The goat was far more versed in matters of time and Norns, and yet here the scout stood, stumping for his son(s).

“When Sav opened the portal on the tomb, I rushed and pushed Liam and I in to get away from Kezia. We ended up somewhere with Verðandi, a Norn, who helped heal Liam and was apparently slated to be bound to Kezia in some weird ritual thing. But Liam- our timeline’s Liam- was able to recreate the ritual and bound himself to her, but also… some of Nala was already inside of him?”

He could feel himself losing the plot; it had only happened shortly before now, but everything felt hazy.

“Liam was not what we knew him to be when we returned, as many of us witnessed. He was… massive, he was… godlike. I still can’t wrap my head around it. When we entered that weird sky rift thing, it took us to another timeline where… where things didn’t go well.”

Vox felt his throat tighten; he didn’t want to go into great detail, especially with Liam right next to him.

“This timeline’s Liam saved us and got us out of there, in whatever form he takes now. Liam here… saw all of it. He’s my son, I… I couldn’t leave him there. I know it’s hard to understand. I mean, fuck. I don’t know what’s going on beyond what I just told you, but if there was a Liam where you just came from… I think it’s our Liam. I mean, one of our Liams.”

Vox pressed the sides of his forehead with his hand.

“Sorry, I have no idea if this is making sense at all.”

She nods. "Got it." It wasn't too bad in terms of complexity. Not for her anyways.

She turned back towards the statue. "So now he's saving Dario." Her mind began to spin with possibilities. One in particular.

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The idea seemed to calm Milae, but he still refused to let himself be reeled back to the group by Kendra. Behind Liam, Tree hadn't released his arm, but her eyes were fixed on the back of his head, with an expression that was serious and inscrutable.

"Yes," the Warden said, voice strained and stricken. Juro took a shaky breath, thumbs running over Dario's cracked cheeks. "He told me to take Lila and get to safety. If that is truly what happened...I have to keep faith in him. Any--"

A sharp crack, and Juro's hands suddenly collapsed together as the statue of Dario crumbled underneath his palms, falling to the ground in uncountable pieces and scattering across the stone beneath him. Clouds of dust billowed out slowly from the rubble, gently collecting on the Bookkeeper's suit as Nala stared down in horror, completely frozen.

Lila gasped as her hands fly to cover her mouth as she began to shake as her shock began to leave her.

"Wh-what just happened?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vox couldn't tear his eyes away from it. The seconds in which the collective group watched the stone crumble through the hands of the Bookkeeper were mocking and horrific - the scout hardly noticed himself move through the space, kneeling next to Juro and taking bits of dust and rubble in his hand.

"No."

Flecks of stone caught in the nooks between his fingers; his eyes began to glisten as he looked up to meet Nala's sight. For addressing a demon, Vox's voice was cold and direct.

"Fix this. Bring him back."

lostvox, Rebel Scout @scoutvox - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag