❛ gladly, ❜ he says with warmth. percy is older, now. the grey of his hair less silvery & lively as the years have begun to pile on. there are deeper wrinkles in the grooves of his skin. his fingers are even more worn than ever, collecting more callouses as he begins to heal slower with age. he looks at peace. genuinely happy now that he’s long since settled into his post as the sophist & as a de rolo. the adventures aren’t entirely behind him, but that burning wanderlust that had propelled him in his youth has smoothed over. nowadays, he’s content with a few walks through whitestone, looking over the pipes inlaid underneath the ground to make sure they’re working correctly. it’s not always been easy. sometimes he’s dropped into darker shadows than when he had to confront his literal inner demons, but things are better.
she looks happy too. we’ll be the glue. everything feels a bit more stable, now. they’re more put together. time has helped. percy’s built a tower to mark every second of the lives they’re building together. the mornings he’s had, waking up next to her.
the music starts. vex takes his hand & they’re spinning. he’s learned to dance, of course. all the de rolos did as part of their upbringing. nobles & their little rituals to uphold their pride & all. he’s actually quite proud of his skill to both lead & be led in turn. he’s worked hard to be graceful, pushing past the extreme gangliness of his adolescence & his siblings’ teasing. ❛ twenty years——can you believe it ? ❜
ONE WORD PROMPTS : accepting
