Set during Episode 27, “The Path to Whitestone”. Before departing for Whitestone to face the Briarwoods, Vax tries to make amends for angering Keyleth to the point where she refused to speak to him. Keyleth, in the meantime, starts thinking about what may lay ahead.
A lot of this is based on just my own assumptions as to how they ended up on speaking terms again. That, and I really wanted to make a story about it despite Episode 27 being one of my least favorites. Still, I had to try.
I’m also dedicating this fic to @onceandfuturekiki as a very late birthday present. I hope you like it.
And to everyone who reads this, please feel free to leave feedback about this story so that I can improve upon it before uploading it to ao3.
Enjoy!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Everything was going downhill very fast ever since their return from Vasselheim two weeks ago, and there was a very high chance that things would only continue to do so for them.
Vax could only mull over the events that transpired since their return to Greyskull Keep as he lay in his room. Everyone in Vox Machina were greeted with the news that a Lord Sylas Briarwood and a Lady Delilah Briarwood would be attending a feast at the royal palace of Emon. Hearing this news made Percy very nervous and agitated as he had vacated to his workshop to work on a “surprise” for the nobles. But when they inquired with him, they were greeted with a rather depressing story of the human’s upbringing and the fall of his family at the hands of the Briarwoods. Naturally, they all agreed to help him achieve revenge for those who died.
And then on the night of the feast, everything went to shit extremely fast when he tried to spy on the Briarwoods after the fact. Unfortunately, he had gotten caught by the two of them and even nearly died when he attempted to escape their clutches. Vox Machina managed to come to his aid with the help of a white tiefling named Lillith, who happened to be a cousin of Zahra Hydris, whom Vex’ahlia worked with during their Slayer’s Take trials. Despite their efforts, the couple escaped and vacated back to Whitestone, leaving Percy to vent out his anger and rage on not only their carriage driver, but also a group of bounty hunters hells-bent on capturing Lillith.
As if that were not enough, the party was removed from the Tal’Dorei Council for their actions that night despite their attempts at trying to plead their case. And now Percy wanted to take the fight to the Briarwoods themselves by returning home to Whitestone, far up in the Alabaster Sierras. They had a week to prepare themselves best they could, as they had no chance of proving their innocence just waiting in Emon.
It was the night before they decided to leave for Westruun to procure transportation for the mountainous hike. As he lay still on his bed, Vax’s gaze wandered towards the window and looked at the moon in the sky, rubbing the base of his neck where Sylas had bitten him the other night. So many things had happened, and he had been thrust into peril time and time again over the past month alone. He was surprised that he was still alive despite the odds. He worried so much about his life and that of his sister, especially after seeing her get struck by Delilah’s magic. He worried about Percival and the struggles he had been facing five years ago and now, seeing his family’s killers in the flesh and only just barely keeping himself from shooting them during the proceedings. He worried about everyone in the group, knowing that they were about to go into danger with hardly any chance to rest, feeling as if they were fated to constantly be thrust into danger over and over and over again.
His thoughts then wavered towards what he had seen when he fell in the courtyard outside the palace. He had seen the others, and he had seen Vex’ahlia and how she had grown over the years into the strong, confident woman that she became. He couldn’t be more proud of his twin sister, who had handled the death of their mother and abandoning their father much better than he thought. She had a strength that Vax wish he had, the strength to not be fazed by anything no matter how dire the circumstances and still come out on top as the exact same person.
But he also saw Keyleth. He saw her the way he had grown to always see her: beautiful, powerful, and full of grace despite her general awkwardness. His thoughts about her had changed greatly ever since the Underdark. At first he considered her as just another friend, not exactly as close as his sister was to him. But over time, he found himself falling in love with her. He never even considered that particular outcome, but after the Underdark, he began to appreciate her much more such as when they were partnered up together for the Slayer’s Take hunt or during the trip to Pyrah for her Aramenté.
He was hoping to eventually find the courage to confess his feelings to her but not pressure her into making a choice right away. But after having angered her due to mentioning the child that she had accidentally killed, despite having good intentions, Vax began to wonder if it was even worth the trouble. It really made him feel depressed when she wouldn’t even talk to him after it happened. In fact, it broke his heart.
He sighed as he reached for the nightstand next to his bed and picked up the flower he plucked from her garden. He was in love with a woman who didn’t even want to hear him out, even if it was for an apology; he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. In fact, there were many conflicting emotions within him, such as fear, anger, and shame. And yet, he knew that her anger was justified considering the hell she had gone through ever since destroying the Dread Emperor, the incident prompting her to leave for her sojourn to the Earth Ashari six months ago.
Vax continued to hold the flower in his hand, thinking things through. He wasn’t sure how he ended up falling in love, especially with someone like Keyleth, but regardless it had happened. He also wasn’t sure what to do since he hadn’t even told Gilmore yet about this. The sorcerer really took a liking to the rogue, and Vax often found Gilmore’s company quite pleasing. Not to mention that Vax trusted the man implicitly enough that he shared all the secret details regarding the Horn of Orcus. And yet, he knew that as much as he loved Gilmore, he couldn’t ignore his newfound feelings for that beautiful druid that started showing up in his dreams night after night.
At some point I should tell him about Kiki, to try to soften the blow. But I really don’t want to break his heart. Gods, why must this be so complicated?
And speaking of Keyleth, is she even interested in me? Hard to tell, especially considering she had a crush on that Kashaw fellow. Do I even matter to her at this point? Is it even worth going to talk to her right now?
Fuck it, I should at least try one more time. If she’s still angry, I suppose that means I have no chance whatsoever.
Sighing once again, Vax placed the flower back on the nightstand, got off his bed, and put on his boots. He then walked to the door, heading for Keyleth’s room. He had to at least try to apologize one more time. And on the way to her door...
“Gods dammit!”
A very familiar voice was shouting from the direction of her room, and then there was the sound of glass shattering against a door. Apparently, Keyleth was still very angry about a lot of things. He considered turning back and giving up, to just continue to maintain his distance going forward. But at the same time, he couldn’t just walk away as he often did when things ended up not going the way he wanted.
It’s not fair to someone like her. I need to at least try.
Steeling himself best he could, Vax continued to quietly walk towards Keyleth’s room. He was ready to bolt at a moment’s notice, but he fought the urge to do so as he neared her door.
He had at least try one more time.
Dressed in her Ashari nightgown, Keyleth was poring over her alchemy book in her room in Greyskull Keep, trying best she could to create potions that could aid the group. But due to her inexperience and only having learned how to be an alchemist recently, many of her efforts were a failure. And she was growing increasingly frustrated with each failed attempt on top of the events of the past two weeks.
“Gods dammit!” she yelled as she threw a vial of yet another failed creation at the door, the glass shattering and its contents smeared all over the wood.
Everything was going wrong in so many ways. The Briarwoods had escaped, especially after nearly killing Vax, and they had gotten kicked off the council due to Uriel being charmed. Seeker Asum later told them all that Sylas was responsible due to the nobleman being vampiric in nature and having no problem in addling the sovereign’s and the seeker’s mental states. And she was getting very scared of not just Percy’s well-being but the rest of her companions, especially after seeing Tiberius brutally murder that old woman and showing no remorse for it.
And then there was Vax, who just had to open his damn mouth about the child and comparing that incident with the old woman. Keyleth was still feeling very sore about it, even making a point to outright ignore or brush off anything he had to say. The fucking idiot was so insensitive that he totally deserved a taste of his own medicine. The situation with the roc didn’t help matters, either, as some of the group wanted to kill it and its druid protector. Instead, she put her foot down and, with help from those who didn’t want to deceive or kill them, figured out a peaceful solution for both sides.
Keyleth’s thoughts went back to the confrontation with the Briarwoods. Sylas’s ferocity in combat was something to be feared, having seen him go toe-to-toe with Grog with that rather menacing blade and managing to handle the goliath on equal ground. Delilah was also frighteningly powerful as she was able to neutralize Tiberius and nearly kill Vex with her powerful magic. She had a feeling that their strength was far beyond what Vox Machina was capable of.
But what else are we supposed to do? And what can I do about Vox Machina themselves? Is it even worth it to try to make them understand what they are becoming?
Keyleth let out a long, deep sigh as she lay back in her chair, rubbing her tired eyes. She still couldn’t believe that she was still traveling with such a group of volatile people. Many time in the past she wanted to just leave them all, that they would be nothing but a negative influence. And yet, as the months passed by, she came to see them as being her dearest friends. She also knew that they would do anything for her, much like how she had for them. That fact only served to really confuse Keyleth even more, her desire to leave conflicting with her desire to stay.
And then a memory came to her. A memory of Vax comforting her during one of her more dire moments deep within the Underdark.
“Keyleth, I know you’ve had a hard time. We all have. I know we’re miles below the surface of the world. But we’re together. We are family. And everyone here is here for you as you have been for us. Now I say we camp for the night inside this schmuck’s tent. We stay here, we rest up, sleep on it, and see how we’re all feeling in the morning. We’re here for you, Keyleth. We’ll protect you as you have protected us. You got a family with us.”
“I only wish it were that simple...” Keyleth muttered to herself. And yet, she knew that Vax had a point. She truly considered Vox Machina to be her second family, especially since she had not seen her mother in twenty years. She recalled that Vax never really spoke about his and Vex’s family, other than meeting Syldor when they first arrived in Emon and met his elven wife and child. She then recalled that the interactions between the twins and their father were very stilted and frosty, contempt coming from both sides.
Even so, Vax does have a point. Oh, Vax... Your childhood must have been rough. Not that you’ve ever told us anything about it. I do really hope you tell us one day...
Keyleth couldn’t help but smile faintly when it came to thinking about Vax. Out of everyone in the group, despite her anger at him, a part of her still cared deeply about him in particular. They grew close in the past few months ever since she came back from Terrah, reaffirming the friendship they shared. He was very supportive of her during their Slayer’s Take trial and even during the journey to Pyrah and the Elemental Plane of Fire. Not to mention that even before then, she started to think about him more and more ever since their escape from Yug’Voril. She wasn’t sure how to process this feeling as it had never happened before. The closest equivalent to this sensation was her rather awkward infatuation with Kashaw.
No way. It can’t be like that... can it? Do I... love him? Maybe. And even if I did, it wouldn’t work out. After all, just the thought of falling in love scares me due to what still lies ahead for me.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock on her door. She jumped a little at the sound; it was very late, after all. Other than Laina and Erwen and any of their guards, no one should really be awake at this time. Everyone needed their sleep before the big hike tomorrow, of course. And after the surprise visit from a couple of creatures after dealing with the roc, Keyleth was far more antsy about there being more of them.
“Who is it?” she called out.
A moment passed before the reply came. “It’s me.”
Keyleth froze upon recognizing the voice, almost wanting to laugh out loud at the unexpected timing. It was Vax’ildan, of course. She wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear him out. For all she knew, he would make yet another stupid comment that would make her even angrier.
And yet, she couldn’t help but be curious.
So Keyleth closed her alchemy book and walked to the door, putting on a rather neutral expression in case he did such a thing. But as she opened the door, she saw Vax leaning on the wall opposite the door, seeming rather distant and depressed. He looked as if he didn’t have a lot of sleep at all, almost matching the kind of expression Percy had been making lately ever since the news about the Briarwoods coming to town. And seeing that same expression on Vax’s face made Keyleth feel a pang of guilt for her own behavior earlier, though she made a conscious effort not to show it.
Keyleth straightened up and then said to Vax, “What do you want?”
Vax looked up but didn’t look her in the eye, as if he was ashamed to do so. Keyleth had seen that look before. She had made it herself several times before, back home and while she had been traveling for the past year, most notably after she had accidentally killed the child. She couldn’t bear to look Vox Machina nor the parents of the children in the eye, especially after the boy’s mother asked what had happened to him. And when she was told what had happened, the mother grew furious and lashed out at Keyleth, refusing to hear the druid’s side of the story and pleading to Pike for her son to be brought back over and over again. And then the next day, she up and left the group in the early morning before anyone else woke up, leaving behind only a single written letter explaining where she had gone.
Keyleth knew that it was the cowardly choice, and even then it didn’t help at all considering the difficulties she experienced during her training. So when she had finally returned six months later, the party welcomed her back with open arms. She was such a sobbing mess that Tiberius hugged her tight, the dragonborn relieved that she came back safe and sound.
Having thought all of those things, Keyleth felt that Vax was acting this way because of how she treated him. Another pang of guilt formed within her.
“I, um... I wanted to see how you were doing,” he started to say. And he then glanced at the residue on her door and said, “Having a bad night yourself, I take it?”
Keyleth let out another deep sigh and replied, “Yeah. Not exactly making a lot of headway in being an alchemist, that’s for sure. I’ve also got a lot on my mind about what’s to come.”
Vax nodded, still not wanting to look her in the eye. And every time he averted his gaze, it only served to make her feel even worse. “Same. Um, I guess that answers my question. I don’t want to, um, keep you from working or trying to get some sleep. So... I’ll just be going now.”
With that, Vax removed himself from the wall and, while still not looking her in the eye, began to walk off with his shoulders slumped. Keyleth knew that she had to say something, but she wasn’t sure if he’d even stay put due to how she treated him.
She still had to try, though.
“Vax, wait.”
She then heard the rogue’s footsteps slowing and then stopping entirely before he could get too far upon hearing her words.
“If you want to talk, then by all means. Please come inside,” she said as she moved away from the door and waited for Vax to step in. And to her surprise, he walked inside and stood there as she closed the door.
“Um, where do I even start?” Vax asked her, his head still looking down.
“You can start by looking at me,” Keyleth replied. And when he didn’t, she took her hands and placed them on both sides of his face and made it so he could finally look her in the eye. And when he did, she could see tears falling down his face. “Vax?”
Silence surrounded the two of them for a few moments before he said in a whispered tone, “I’m sorry.”
Keyleth frowned and tilted her head. “For what?”
Vax’s tears continued to flow down his cheeks, trailing down her hands and along her arms as he struggled to find the words to say.
“For making you angry. For being inconsiderate. For just being me.”
It was as if someone had lit a lantern in her head, as hearing those words made her want to cry herself. Deep down, she wanted to punch herself for not even taking into account Vax’s feelings at all. She was just as inconsiderate of them as he was of hers at the time. And that realization only served to make her feel worse. And little by little, her stoic expression started to crack.
“I... I didn’t mean to anger you so much. I didn’t even think of how you would react. I only wanted to tell Tiberius that he was in the wrong when he killed that woman and... out of everyone in our group, I didn’t want to make you angry at me. That’s... something I never want to do. Ever.”
“Vax... shut up,” Keyleth interrupted, not wanting to hear any more. She dropped the façade entirely and pulled Vax in for a tight, strong hug. And even then, she still tried to hold back her tears as she started to run her hand through his hair, trying to calm him down.
“Keyleth?” he asked.
She shook her head as she couldn’t hold back any longer, the tears now falling down her face. “Vax, it’s all right. I should be the one to apologize. It’s true that I was angry at you, but I was more angry at myself for allowing that past mistake to affect me so much. I suppose we both have a lot to feel sorry for.”
Vax nodded as he continued to cry and eventually embraced her just as tight. His embrace was warm and strong, much like how she remembered it when they mourned the loss of the flying carpet during the pursuit of the rakshasa. For that brief moment, she felt a connection with Vax. She felt the same as him. And right now, all she wanted to do was hug him and comfort him.
“I suppose we do,” Vax said to her. “I don’t want what happened to ruin our friendship. It means a lot to me. And... I don’t blame you for being angry at me. I was being quite a dumbass.”
Keyleth nodded. “I agree. I don’t want to lose our friendship, either.” She pulled back and looked into Vax’s eyes and said, “I forgive you.”
At that statement, he gave a faint smile. “Thank you, Kiki. I really appreciate that.”
Keyleth couldn’t help but return his smile with one of her own. Despite that brief feeling of anger and resentment towards Vax over the past week, she couldn’t help but feel grateful that even though she treated him that way, he didn’t hold it against her. Having thought that, something stirred within her, a rather pleasant feeling coursing through her body and warming her heart. It made her smile a little wider, and she didn’t even feel embarrassed about it.
So is it true? Do I... feel that way about him?
Breaking the embrace, and wanting to not dwell on such thoughts, Keyleth then said to Vax, “Well, since you’re here, I was wondering if I could have your opinion on something.”
“Yes?” he replied.
Keyleth then walked to her closet and pulled out some familiar-looking clothes: a brown, sleeveless dress with gray leggings and a leather corset, with ruby-encrusted arm bangles and a matching choker. They were the clothes that she had bought in Vasselheim, recently mended and cleaned.
“I was thinking of wearing this tomorrow. I kinda need to break this outfit in some more. What do you think?”
Vax thought about it for a moment and then said, “I think it would look great on you once more. You should wear it.”
Keyleth blushed a little as she placed the bundle of clothes on the table after clearing off all of her alchemical tools. “Thank you, Vax. That’s very sweet of you.”
Vax turned his head away, but not before Keyleth herself noticed a blush on his cheeks and the tips of his ears. “Well, I’ll see you in the morning, then. Good night, Kiki.”
“Good night, Vax,” she replied, choosing not to show that she noticed him blushing. The rogue then let himself out the door and back into the dark hallways, heading back to his room.
Keyleth closed the door and leaned back against it, feeling a little better after her talk with Vax. It gave her a chance to calm down after her failed alchemy attempts. And besides, she had to admit that seeing Vax blush like that was rather cute.
I wonder if he... Nah.
Keyleth then made her way to her bed and crawled under the covers. She then allowed herself to fall asleep, and once again she dreamt of Vax.
The next morning, everyone began to gather together as Tiberius prepared his teleportation circle. Vax could notice that everyone was on edge due to the agreement they all made to go to Whitestone today. If they failed, they would no doubt all die. But it was still a risk that had to be taken, for Percy’s sake.
As Tiberius finished his preparations, he noticed Keyleth consciously standing close to him. The two half-elves looked at each other, a silent understanding between them of where they stood now, as Vax felt much more calm and serene after his conversation with her the other night. He truly felt as if he might have a chance to tell her one day, provided they survived their upcoming battle with the Briarwoods.
He heard a rather faint snarl from behind, a quick glance revealing the source to be Vex. He noticed Keyleth shrugging at the ranger when their eyes met, and Vax could only wonder what his twin was thinking. He hadn’t told her either, after all. But perhaps there would be a chance later on. And as Tiberius cast the spell, and the circle flared to life, Vax and Keyleth soon found themselves holding hands as they braced themselves for the inevitable confrontation to come and leaped into the portal together.
They didn’t realize it at the time, but their journey to Whitestone would later change the two of them forever.
I'm sorry you're not able to graduate this semester. It's ridiculous how much schools fuck things up like this. I wasn't able to take classes this semester because I've transferred to a different school, but because of the way the school I was at handles their financial aid I wasn't able to get financial aid for this semester. And now I owe them a chunk of money I don't have because they told me that the fee for the class I dropped could carry over as a penalty on my aid at the school I'm (1)
(2) registered at now, which was absolutely not true. So now I’m probably not going to be able to get any aid until I pay off this fee to this school I’m not even at anymore because they were dishonest or incompetent. It’s absolutely absurd how schools operate sometimes.
Thanks for your message. It’s a weird comfort to know I’m not the only one getting fucked around with bureaucracy. And it’s even more frustrating when students are treated more like invoices than people. I hate that.
I think the worst part of all of this is that this has happened to me before. Five years ago. Right before my final semester. They slammed me with a $6,000 hold and they refused to do anything about it or help me in any way, even though I was a graduating senior. I was so close to graduating only to have it yanked away at the last second. And now, five years later, here I am again in the exact same damn position because of someone else’s incompetence.
I want so badly to go to grad school, to get my PhD, but I’m getting progressively more upset and concerned that going to grad school would just make me even more vulnerable to bureaucratic attacks like this. Right now, I work full-time, I have healthcare benefits, I have a steady income. Is it really a good idea to quit all of that, get accepted into a graduate program with a shaky stipend and no guarantee for employment afterwards?
scarletclarinet replied to your post “Did you finish the first episode of Critical Role?”
do u like it so far? any fave characters?
I am enjoying it. It’s a bit like being dropped in the middle of another culture so there’s still bits and pieces I don’t understand, but it’s making me more curious to try D&D (i played once at a con and that’s it.)
I love Vex (and Trinket) and Scanlon (is that how I spell it?) and his random songs. Grog cracks me up and I love Keyleth and the Keyleth and Vex friendship. I feel like I don’t have much of a grasp on Percy, he’s a lot quieter than the others so far, and I’ve only had half an ep with Pike. And I want Matt to come tell me a story before bed every night.
