#vvhitestones

[moondrropsa]

   If he’s honest, he wasn’t expecting Percival to be home.  Perhaps he’d been hoping for a quiet apartment to stumble into, and yet when he opened the door there was his roommate.  His grip on the doorknob falters as he steps in, and he attempts a grin.

“ S’fine, “ Mollymauk says.  “ Really, just a graze. “  One that had left a startling stain on his shirt.

It’s not like he’d planned for this to happen.  Here he’d thought he was safe from the consequences of the last person who’d had this body.  Maybe that was a foolish thought on his part.  Maybe he should’ve expected to hear that name hissed from the stranger in the corner.

All he could do now was make his way to the couch, where he collapsed for the time being.

“ Think I’m gonna...stay home tomorrow.  Feeling a little under the weather. “

@vvhitestones​  said: " hey, wait a minute, you're hurt... how long have you been hiding this?! "

[moondrropsa]

   It’s not that Mollymauk doesn’t trust Percy, it’s just -- well, they’re not blind.  Whatever midnight snack had been in their hands is quickly discarded as they catch sight of their roommate.

“ Like hell you are.  You look like shit. “  Their tone is lacking its usual lighthearted lilt as they hurry to his side.  Quick steps lead the pair into the bathroom, where they promptly sit Percy on the toilet and find the first aid kit underneath the sink -- it’s the same one they’ve used at unspeakable hours of the night.

With a swab of witch hazel, they take to cleaning the wounds they can see.  “ Take that gun of yours to another knife fight then, love? “

@vvhitestones​ said: " look, it's not that bad, really... i promise you, i'm fine. "

[snowsurvive-a]

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋     :     @vvhitestones     :     i know you’re having nightmares again.

𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐙𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒, 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑.     she  thought  that  she’d  been  doing  a  good  job  keeping  it  quiet . . . apparently  not .     perhaps  calling  for  tea  from  the  night  servants  hadn’t  been  the  best  call ,  perhaps  the  knowledge  of  it  has  spread  far  enough  for  percy  to  know .     she  doesn’t  turn  to  face  him ,  isn’t  sure  how  to  look  at  him  in  the  face  of  her  own  weakness .     her  grasp  tightens  on  the  bannister ,  going  white - knuckle  if  only  to  keep  herself  upright .          “ and . . . and  if  i  am ? ”          there’s  no  use  denying  it  --  and  even  if  there  was ,  she’s  exhausted .     physically  and  mentally ,  there’s  only  so  much  she  can  do  to  hold  on  any  more . . . and  being  called  out  on  it  by  her  favorite  brother ,  her  only  remaining  brother ,  might  be  the  breaking  point .     the  tears  sting  in  her  eyes ,  painful  and  burning  and  she’s  so  glad  that  her  back  is  to  him  and  there’s  no  one  watching  from  the  base  of  the  stairs .

[gloomstalk]

𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐃𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎     :     @vvhitestones     :     you keep acting like if you let down your guard the world will end.

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋.     bren  is  still . . . sick ,  astrid  and  eadwulf  both  recovering  from  injuries ,  physical  and  mental .     their  parents  are  dead ,  their  teacher  is  dead ,  they’re  been  moved  to  another  country  --  and  while  no  one  in  this  whitestone  has  tried  to  harm  any  of  the  three  of  them ,  she  can’t  help  the  scream  that’s  constantly  bubbling  in  the  back  of  her  throat .          “ and  what  of  it ? ”          she  asks ,  somewhat  stiff  in  carefully  chosen  common ,  face  as  impassive  as  all  of  her  lessons  had  taught  it  to  be .     to  this  day ,  her  fingers  may  shake  when  she  reaches  out  for  wulf’s  hand ,  her  touches  to  bren’s  hair  when  he  lets  her  near  enough  may  be  gentle ,  but  she’s  been  trained  to  keep  herself  under  control ,  damn  it ,  and  she’s  not  about  to  let  that  go  because  this  lord  is  being  kind  --  for  now .     that  could  change  at  any  time  for  any  reason ,  and  though  astrid  constantly  thinks  of  the  precariousness  of  their  place  here ,  she  isn’t  going  to  rock  the  boat  until  bren  is  better  and  the  three  of  them  can  come  up  with  a  plan .     she  tucks  her  hands  into  her  jacket  pockets ,  hoping  beyond  hope  that  de  rolo  doesn’t  see  her  hands  tremble .

[gloomstalk]

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘     :     @vvhitestones​     :     hey, wait a minute, you're hurt... how long have you been hiding this?!

𝐕𝐄𝐗 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐒 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐒,  𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄.     she’d  put  what  remained  of  her  scant  healing  into  it  when  her  friends  hadn’t  been  looking  --  doesn’t  want  to  be  a  drain  on  their  resources  in  a  time  they  are  without  pike .          “ oh  --  not  too  long ,  darling . ”     an  attempt  at  returning  to  flippancy ,  at  least  whatever  measure  of  it  she  can  manage  --  though  it’s  sadly  diminished  by  the  blood  on  her  palm  and  the  exhaustion  in  her  voice .     it’s  certainly  not  the  worst  injury  she’s  had ,  but  that  doesn’t  mean  much  in  the  face  of . . . everything  they’ve  been  through .          “ just . . . just  a  bandage  and  some  rest  and  i’ll  be  right  as  rain . ”

[snowsurvive-a]

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋     :     @vvhitestones​     :     look, it's not that bad, really... i promise you, i'm fine.

𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒, 𝐈𝐅 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐊𝐄.          “ you’ve  got  to  be  bloody  kidding  me ,  percival , ”          cassandra  says  stiffly ,  opening  the  door  fully  and  going  to  her  brother’s  side .          “ were  you  going  to  try  to  hide  this  forever ?     were  you ? ”          she’s  no  healer ,  never  has  been ,  but  she  knows  enough  to  try  to  make  her  brother  sit ,  to  apply  pressure  to  the  wound  ( de  rolos  don’t  touch ,  she  can  remember  her  mother  saying ,  but  back  then  de  rolos  didn’t  bleed )  .          “ honestly . ”          cassandra  can  settle  into  this  formal  and  stuffy  behavior  easily  --  it’s  second  nature ,  as  easy  as  putting  on  her  jacket ,  and  it  might  be  the  only  thing  keeping  her  together  in  the  face  of  something  like  this .

[moondrropsa]

   Perhaps it’s for the best that Percy’s not able to see the absolute daggers Mollymauk shoots at him as he walks into the living room.  The apartment’s nice enough -- quite spacious, too -- and yet on days like this it feels like there’s not enough room for the two of them.

“ One of these days, “ says the tiefling, walking to flop onto the couch.  “ You’re going to give in when I ask if you want a reading from me. “  The cards feel natural in his hands as he shuffles them lazily, propping his feet up on the coffee table.  With a sigh, he tilts his head back on the couch to look at his roommate upside down.

“ So, what is on the agenda, then?  Organizing your pens?  New tool set? “

@vvhitestones​ said: ❝Can’t do it. Not today.❞

[adveanture]

*    @vvhitestones​​    —    I’M  GONNA  TELL  YOU  SOMETHING,  BUT  THEN  I  DON’T  WANNA  TALK  ABOUT  IT  EVER  AGAIN    (   PERCIVAL  &  VAX’ILDAN   ) 

VAX’S   EYES   WIDEN,   AND   HE   LEANS   BACK   IN   DRUNKEN   SURPRISE.         percival   never   opens   up      —      not   ever,   not   about   anything   that   matters.      and   vax   allows   him   his   privacy,   for   the   most   part;      they   all   have   their   secrets.      but   tonight,   both   of   them   tipsy   in   a   tavern,   percy   gives   in   a   bit.      leaning   forward   again,   vax   rests   his   elbows   on   the   table,   looking   at   percy   eagerly.            “      go   on,   yes,   tell   me!      ”            any   secret   from   percy   is   a   secret   worth   having.