❛ You made a mistake. Everybody makes them. Even me. I’ve made many. It’s only fair that you made one. ❜ (for vax!)
A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC / ACCEPTING.
“ made a lot more than JUST ONE, pikey. ” gods in elysium, how many? to count the stars in the sky, far above them through layers of stacked stone and dirt. he pulls his knees up to his chest, drinks the moments of rest they’ve stopped to take before they delve further into the catacombs. the days they struggled through in misery in SYNGORN, the days he could have said one word and gotten her out of there and did not. delaying their return to byroden, LET’S JUST BE US TWO A WHILE LONGER, STUBBY, and their mother long gone. across the room his sister sits with percy, the dampened hem of her cloak wrapped over her fingers and scratching to pull out the blood beginning to stain his mask. every day that he HAS NOT TOLD KEYLETH HOW HE FELT. the way that he told her today. cassandra de rolo stands by, nervous fingers over the hilt of her rapier.
the chill the ghosts of whitestone left in his body is beginning to recede, pushed back by THE WARMTH OF PIKE BESIDE HIM in her angelic form, a soft golden glow, an insubstantial touch. his shoulder still stings where percival had cracked a bundle of vex’s arrows against him, his gritted teeth, his barely restrained shouts. HE SUSPECTS IT WILL STING FOR A LONG WHILE. jenga, one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand.
the knife has left no lasting mark on cassandra’s throat. she wears her mother’s armor now, bloodsoaked finery left behind in the castle above. IT WAS MUCH TOO CLOSE. it was entirely his fault. he has not been able to meet percy’s eyes, if it was vex, if it was vex ---
he’s sure he’d have done a lot more than smack percy with some arrows and berate him for his recklessness, if it was vex. he’s NOT SURE WHERE HE WOULD HAVE STOPPED, if it was vex. he can’t imagine, he can’t think, if it was vex, her red life running out from her neck, HIS HALF--HEART who he cannot last without. vax? I HAVE A SISTER. it’s pretty cool, isn’t it?
he tries for a smile, looks up to pike. she always has a smile for them, warm reassurances and healing touches no matter how grim things look. HIS MISTAKES ARE SO MANY. hers are a mystery to him, and could not ever begin to outweigh THE GOOD SHE IS. “ thanks. ” his hand lifts, reaches, gives her armored shoulder a good--natured shove. “ it’s good having you here. ”
