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Vinny:
Vincent rushed back to the Apartment, putting an unconscious Avery on the bed. He texted Vorpal to get here 'asap' and waited as he sat next to them, holding their hand.
"Come on Avy," he says, "Please don't leave me." he was no expert on Changelings and had no idea what to do or how serious this was, all that mattered was Avery was hurting and he could do nothing about it, a hole forming in his heart.
Vorpal:
V isn't long in arriving. She can move as the crow flies, and speed that up a few ways, so before long, autumn leaves gush down into the damaged building outside Vinny's door and coalesce into a familiar, skinny, pale son of a bitch.
Who knocks firmly if politely. She's being very deliberate not to violate his space, in case that's a thing for him.
Avery:
Avery meanwhile, wasn't responding to anything the world had to offer him. His eyes still moved as if in REM sleep, but it seemed purposeful. Like they were reacting to something behind their eye lids. His body is just about dead weight though.
Lux:
Lux was slower to arrive, but it didn't take too long. They arrive far less dramatically than Vorpal, simply appearing out of thin air beside the Elemental. They have hands buried into the pockets of their jacket, looking towards the door curiously.
Vinny:
"Come in," he shouts from the inside, his voice the most emotional and filled with worry they have heard from the otherwise smug neonate, "We were attacked, they held them off but-" he starts ranting, unable to find words, "help us please!"
Lux:
Lux steps inside when the door is opened, calmly taking in the scene. They look from Vincent to where Avery is laying, stepping over to peer down at them. "So this is Avery. Poor thing. What happened, right before they passed out?"
Vorpal:
V steps in as well, staying by the door, spending a moment ensuring nothing is incoming. "Attacked? By whom? VII members at the location you were investigating? Or someone else?"
Vinny:
"I don't know, one was a vampire, the other was something else," he says, his words fast, "It's like he was a walking corpse, rotting and everything," he makes room for them, "The bitch brainwashed me, made me try to kill-" he chokes on his words, "Avy kicked her ass and my cove-court," he says trying to translate, "picked her up, the fight took a heavy toll for them." he says squeezing their hand
Lux:
"So you got mind controlled, Avery kicked their ass, and then they collapsed?" Lux frowns thoughtfully, putting a hand on Avery's wrist to feel their pulse.
Vorpal:
V frowned quietly, pondering that concept, then looked between Avery and Vincent. "They just jumped you? In the facility, outside- did you catch names, or anything?"
It's realizing that Vincent was mind controlled that gives V an idea. "... Lux, what would happen if someone had to fight one of their clarity anchors?"
Vinny:
"They called themselves Brother McIntyre and Lautrec," he says, "Former was the corpse man latter was the vampire. . .what's a clarity anchor?"
Lux:
Lux eyes Vincent thoughtfully. "Do you think he's that important to her sanity? If so, then I doubt it would be good."
Vorpal:
V takes a deep breath. "They have been... devotedly opposed to even the notion of the notion that someone might want to separate them. And I saw how they acted when his... tutor... gave him a lesson in inter-Kindred diplomacy. I'd.... I wouldn't be surprised."
Vinny:
"I caused this. . ." he mutters in disbelief
Lux:
"I see." Lux sighs. "No, you didn't cause this. Our minds can be very fragile, sometimes. But alright--so we're likely going to be dealing with a bucket load of guilt inside their head."
Vorpal:
"I guess. I... attached to something instead of someone. I don't think I could trust a person enough to rely on them for this sort of stability," V states simply.
"No, you were ambushed and forced into battle with your beloved, Vincent. Mental assault is not fault."
Vinny:
"Right," he says breathing, a tad better, "What do you mean by 'inside their head', what are you going to do?"
Lux:
"Avery is currently trapped inside their dreams. Sometimes, when we take a hard enough blow to our sanity, we lose sight of what is real and what isn't. We fall asleep and can't tell the dreams apart from reality. So we are going to go inside Avery's dreams and convince them to wake up. After that, her mind will still be very fragile, so you'll have to be gentle with them. But if you are her anchor, then spending quality time with them will help."
Vorpal:
V nods, confirming Lux's words. "This is very much their specialty. Trust their words."
Vinny:
"Ok, not the weirdest thing I've heard of recently," he tells himself, "So, how do we do this?" he asks in determination
Lux:
Lux gives Vincent a gentle frown. "It will just be me and Jackie. We can't bring a vampire into dreams, I'm afraid. But our bodies will all be pretty defenseless while we're in there. Can you stay here and guard us?"
Vinny:
"Yeah," he nods, "I can do that no problem."
Vorpal:
V nods. "Usually, I'd go find a Gate of Horn but." She twists her face up and sighs. "I guess it's safe enough to sleep here all day..."
Lux:
"Good." Lux nods, then moves to perch on the bed beside Avery. "Get comfy."
Vinny:
Vincent sits on the other side of the bed, holding Avery's hand and nods, letting them do their work
Vorpal:
V Grumbles and mumbles and thoroughly proves uncomfortable leaving her oh so well defended body behind but. She lies down as Lux directs and takes deep breaths to relax.
Lav:
As the pair relax near Avery, Lux expertly leads them into the dream, leaving Vincent behind in the waking world.
The scene that unfolds them is familiar, yet so different at the same time. It makes no sense yet makes perfect sense, all in the same instance. A glimpse into realm of Arcadia through the mind of a broken Changeling.
The Hall was massive, but ever changing. Rows of warriors sat among tables feasting, and at the far end of the room sat a figure, too far to quite make out over the heads of the other warriors. A number of ravens flew by, none quite resembling Avery's own avian form, but were the same overall shape.
Now of course, this wasn't the only glimpse at the realm, one can't hope to describe every detail of Arcadia. But this is how Avery remembers this part of it.
Lux:
Lux is not a warrior. They don't appear in armor or with weapons, but the neon Bright One is wearing some vaguely vikingish clothing--a long dress, simple but a pretty green shade, looking like some mead maid that is here to pass out food and drinks. And in fact, Lux reaches to snatch a platter and cup up from a table as they wander the feast, looking around at those playing out the scene. They will try to get closer to the figure that they can't make out.
Vorpal:
V, however, is. V has been called battlesister by the Lightdaughter and the Shadowwife and she bears the title proudly. She melts into the scene by simply shedding the thought of her coat, the handmade image of her blouse and skirt right at home.
She melts into place at a table, searching for signs of Avery.
Lav:
As Lux moves through the crowd, they realize its difficult to see the figure at what is very clearly a throne. At said throne, there is a bright light that makes it hard to see at this distance what, or who, would be sitting there. Lux would have to approach to see the throne properly, but there are hundreds of eyes here.
Meanwhile, Vorpal slides into a table without anyone batting an eye. Two warriors are arm wrestling, and the conversations here are remembered in astounding clarity. These are likely real conversations, or parts thereof, that happened in Arcadia. That's not what catches Vorpal's attention though, instead it is one raven in particular. While the other ravens are solid, and entirely black, this one is smoky. Almost shadow like. And as it rolls in the air, she can see white feathers along its back. Avery is flying slowly towards the Throne, eyes peering down amongst the crowds.
Lux:
Lux is caught up in the dream, eyes moving here and there, distracted by how real and clear it is. They frown briefly, then look over towards Vorpal while they continue playing out serving drinks and food. They do continue making their way to the throne, moving down the long table.
Vorpal:
V rises discretely, taking her drink and hoisting it towards the table before heading after Avery's spectral self, sipping and following along. If she gets close enough, she'll even tug on Lux's sleeve with a shadow to get their attention.
Lav:
As the pair follow Avery, the crowds don't seem to notice all that much. After all, the pair fit in.
As they reach the end of the tables though, that will become a new problem. Being out in the open is dangerous.
As they approach that however, the light dims slightly over time. What the pair likely expect is some old viking man, white beard, one eye...but thats not what they see. Instead, its a pale woman, both eyes, wearing dark clothes. Titania, legs crossed and watching confidently. And on one wrist sits Avery, who croaks in her ear, and she seems to understand. A moment later Avery is dismissed, and the bird flies to their left, down a hallway that fades into darkness. A single white feather floats down in their stead, eventually landing on the ground.
Lux:
Lux perks a brow at the pale figure, then looks to Vorpal. "Anyone you recognize? I don't think that's Odin." They look up to watch the raven fly off. "Guess we're following the bird."
Vorpal:
V sighs. "Titania. Vincent's tutor and a bane of their existence. The antipathy is thick enough to taste. But yeah. After that bird, I'd think. We just need a clever way to avoid attention in the process."
Lux:
Lux nods, picking up more drinks to carry off towards the hallway. Just carrying drinks off... somewhere. It's fine. They're supposed to be here.
Vorpal:
V glides in Lux's wake. She's a walking picture of composed elegance. Clearly this is just part of the evening.
Lav:
The pair wander expertly across the space. There is an anxiety filled moment where the Titania clearly taking the place of Odin looks directly at them, and stares at them...and then looks away.
The pair reach the hallway, and things seem to stretch and rotate a bit, not quite making sense for a moment before....they find themselves in a fairly simple neighborhood.
Two story houses, lawns dictated by an HOA, the occasional child running through the street. As the pair are there, they watch as Avery, taking the form of their Mask in more feminine form, takes the final step into one of the houses and closes the door.
Vorpal:
V blinks at the step into the new region and winces faintly. "I kinda hate this. I feel like their dreams are deadnaming them kinda."
Lux:
Lux frowns at Vorpal. "It's unfortunate, but there's not much to be done about it. Dreams betray us often."
Lux is dressed... in a girl scout uniform. Complete with a box of cookies under their arm.
Vorpal:
V scrunched her face and nods. "Fair enough." She seems a bit aware she won't blend into suburbia well, and invokes a bit of Autumn magic.
There's always some dead leaves in a suburbian scene. In gutters, in yards, in gutters...
Lux:
Lux watches at Vorpal turns to leaves and just... drifts off. "Well okay." A little huff of amusement, before they sober and move to the door, reaching up to knock on the door.
Lav:
A moment later as Lux knocks, someone answers...but its not who they expect. Its a late 20's woman, undercut blonde hair, fair skin, and a comfy hoodie and jeans. Not someone either of them recognize. Her voice is nice, calming.
"Hello there. Oh! I hadn't realized anyone was doing cookies this week."
A young voice calls out from behind the door. "MOM! CAN WE HAVE COOKIES?"
And a second responds. "Yeah! Please mom!"
Lux:
Lux smiles at the woman. "Actually, I'm here to drop off a delivery. For..." Lux glances at a piece of paper that appears in their hand. "Avery. Does an Avery live here?" They look past the woman, towards the children inside.
L
Lav:
The woman looks back and says something, its hard to make out, and the kids go quiet.
She then returns to Lux. "I apologize about that. Yes, they are my spouse. I hadn't realized they ordered cookies. Do I need to sign or anything?"
Vorpal:
You know the nice thing about windows and doors?
Leaves can just squish right under them.
These leaves do. Who knows where Avery might be? Are they the spouse? A kid?
Time to find out!
Lux:
"Oh! Great. Yes, please." Lux holds out the paper to be signed, then hands the box over. "Can you make sure Avery gets them, please?"
Lav:
The woman curses as the leaves enter the home. She calls back.
"Madison, Mason, can one of you get the broom please?"
She grabs the pen and signs, 'Olivia Frisk', and hands back the paper. "Of course, dear. Do you need any water or anything?"
Vorp however, from her spot on the floor as leaves, can see Avery in the kitchen. Slightly younger than they look now, chopping vegtables for snacks. As they turn to look at the front, its clear their right eye is clouded over. They look happy. Happier and less stressed than Vorpal had seen them with someone yelling nearby. A St. Bernard lays curled up at their feet, hoping for some treats.
Vorpal:
The V leaves stay still. She found Avery and getting swept outside is the fate of leaves.
Lux:
"Water would be great!" Lux beams, taking the paper back. They lift the box of cookies in their hand and spin it over their fingers, twirling it with a flourish. For a second the box blurs, then reforms, but when it is opened it does not have Tagalongs, but instead rows of delicate sugar cookies with artful icing, little designs that strongly resemble the vampire Avery has anchored their brain to. "Please, I'm sure Avery will love them." They push the box into the woman's hands.
Lav:
She smiles and takes the box.
"Wait here just a moment please."
As she gives the box to Avery, the genderfluid person looks confused, having a quiet conversation just out of hearing range. Two blonde children race each other to sweep V outside, running back in a moment later. As Avery opens the box, the sound of a knife dropping can be heard, and the blonde in the kids hair suddenly becomes black. Like the blink of an eye.
A moment later Vincent steps to the door, a cocky smile on his face. He does however...stand in the sunlight. "Im sorry, I forgot to ask. Did you want ice with that? I don't mean to keep you outside, want to come in?"
Behind them, the dog barks. Avery has cut their hand in surprise with the knife, and is starting to head towards the back of the house. Noticably, both their eyes are clear, neither is cloudy.
Vorpal:
Oh no! Outside leaves! The horror! Now nobody will think twice about her eavesdropping or peeking from outside the windows near the back of the house.
Lux:
"Oh gosh, thank you!" Lux says, feigning youthful excitement. They step inside, adjusting their sash covered in made up girl scout badges. "You and Avery have a beautiful home."
Lav:
As Vorpal steps...floats...leaves? around back, she can spot Avery in the living room, cradling their hand. They look around quickly, obviously confused, and step towards the back door...through which they dissapear, leaving the wreathe of leaves and white feathers to flutter in the wind.
Vincent smiles at Lux. "Thank you. Ill go get you that drink." The two children, meanwhile, are watching Lux from the stairs. They don't look much like Avery, Olivia, OR Vincent, besides the now black hair. Clearly adopted. Lux can see the Vorp leaves from where they were currently at.
Lux:
Lux watches Avery slip away, further into the dream, then turns their bright smile upon the kids. "Want to play a game? How about... Hide and seek?" They put a hand up to cover their eyes. "I'll go first. One... Two... Three..."
Vorpal:
The leaVes flutter and dance around the back door, ensuring Lux can see where Avery headed!
Lav:
The kids giggle as Lux starts counting, tripping over each other to get to a spot to hide. Vincent's back is turned from Lux at the moment.
V meanwhile flutters into the door...and dissapears!
Lux:
Lux peeks through from between their fingers, then turns to quickly slip away, through the back door and out with the fluttering leaves.
Lav:
As the pair pass through the door, things once again seem to stretch and change...and suddenly it gets loud. Theres a ring of children, maybe middle schoolers, gathered around a few center kids. One slightly larger kid was holding a young blonde girl. It takes a second to realize this is a smol Avery.
The details seem fuzzy, some kids are faceless, looking around for signs shows they are all blank, and the conversations are indistinct. One voice is clear though, the bully.
"I said, your drawing stinks. Aw, are you crying?"
Avery was indeed crying. Under the bully's foot is a crumpled piece of paper and a snapped pencil.
Lux:
Lux is dressed in a loose hoodie under a leather jacket, with ripped jeans and some drapey chains. They scream cool older kid, the sort kids look up to and idolize. Or the sort they're afraid of. Lux purses their lips as they take in the new scene. "Why are you picking on a little kid, asshole?" Lux says to the bully, hands hooking onto their hips. "Maybe I should draw a picture across your face with my fist. Paint a picture in blacks and blues."
Vorpal:
A short, black-haired kid in slacks and a button-up storms up and joins in, accent very Manhattan. "Nono, he wouldn't get paintin', his specialty's DRAWIN'. You heard him critique their work." A hand flings up and throws a spiral-bound notebook into the bully's face. "He knows the rules about bullyin', so he musta been offerin' t'show us all what a good artist he is. Go on. Draw me a bulldog." Eyes blaze. "Draw me a bully, bully!"
Lav:
The bully pauses at the first person they see, a bit of hesitation as the older kid is there, and grow angry as they're called an asshole. As the manhattan accent walks up and smacks him on the nose, he drops Avery.
Avery goes running off towards the nearby door, which is unlocked. The bully meanwhile has turned beet red.
"I dunno what you mean. I can't draw. 'Specially not a dog?"
Lux:
"You can't?" Their nose wrinkles. "Well, then you ain't got any room to be criticizing anyone else, do you?" They jut a thumb off to the side. "Go on, fuck off."
Lav:
The bully takes a step back, drops the sketchpad, and runs off. The sound of adults approaching starts. They always show up late to things, dont they?
Lux:
Lux crouches down and picks up the sketchpad, turning it over to look at the drawings inside.
Vorpal:
Oops.
V didn't actually mean to do this, but it's HER sketchpad.
It's absolutely packed with geometric tangles, swirling lines, abstract whorls.
Just like the scars on her skin in real life.
"We should go before the adults get here," V guesses, anxiously reaching for the pad.
Lux:
Lux hands the pad over to Vorpal, then moves to follow Avery.
Lav:
As the pair escape the approaching adults, the outside seems to get a bit quieter.
This inside space was very clearly an art room. Full of lumpy clay sculptures, drying paint, splotches on every availible surface...and the subtle sobs of a small Avery from somewhere in the room.
Lav:
As Vorp looks around the room, Avery is hidden under an easel. Small enough to fit between that and the wall. Their knees are tucked to their chest, much in the same way the Changeling does now.
Vorpal:
V waves Lux to follow. "Thanks for coming out. I- I got no idea what I'm doing out here. I found them but. I hope you have some clue what comes next." She's more than happy to bring Lux to Avery.
Lux:
“There’s not a universal answer. Everyone’s dreams are different. Everyone has different trauma.” They grab paper and pencil on the way through the room, so that when they kneel before smol Avery Lux can set them down before the child. “Hi,” Lux says gently. “I heard you’re an artist. Will you draw a picture with me?”
Avery:
The small child's breathing gets faster as the pair approach, shying away into the corner. The tears on their face still flow as Lux leans down.
As the offer of drawing is there, they look confused, but nod. Their voice is shaky. "What...what am I drawing?"
Lux:
“How about a self portrait?” Lux offers, handing the pencil over to them. “Draw yourself all grown up.”
Vorpal:
"I'd like that, if you're feeling up to it. I think you'll be an even more amazing person when you grow up."
Avery:
Avery takes the pencil and sketchpad, looking down at the paper. A line later they put down the pencil.
"I don't like drawing people...people scare me. I don't want them to look..." theres a pause, confusion on the small one's face.
Lux:
Lux nods in understanding. “May I draw a picture instead, then?” They hold their hand out for the pad.
Avery:
Avery gives a sniffling nod, handing it back. "Are you...an artist too?"
Lux:
Lux accepts the pad, cris-crossing their legs to settle in on the floor in front of them. They start quickly sketching out a figure. “I am. A very good one, just like you.”
Avery:
Avery stays in their spot under the easel, but watches.
"I'm not a good artist...Mark said so. He thinks my art is bad..."
Vorpal:
"Mark couldn't sign his name if you reminded him anything on a page is a mark," kidV declares. "Who cares what he thinks. You see him competin' with Van Gogh and Monet and stuff? And don't worry about how the people look. Picasso drew all kinds stuff looked wrong and people loved it."
Lux:
"Mm, Jackie is right. Fuck Mark." Lux smiles as they draw, making it look effortless. They don't put too much detail into it, just a quick sketch portrait, but it soon becomes recognizable as adult Avery's mein.
Once it's finished, Lux turns the pad around and offers it back towards smol Avery. "That's you, Avery. The real you. The real you is all grown up and strong and brave and a wonderful artist. Do you think you can be brave right now?" they urge gently. "Can you let go of this memory, and become this Avery?"
Avery:
The small Avery looks at the page, a pause. A flicker of their mein passes through in recognition. "Thats...me...I don't want to be that..." an anger from the small child. "He took me...I don't want to be that Avery. Being brave is hard."
Vorpal:
"Yes. He did. And being brave is hard. But right now, you're not being anything. You can't protect yourself. You can't protect Vinny. All you're doing is putting your head under the blankets and hoping the bad things go away."
Lux:
Lux's expression shifts to grim, nodding slowly. "Vinny is waiting for you, when you wake up. He's very worried about you. Can you try to be brave for him? At least for a little while?"
Avery:
Avery's first reaction is anger, anger at the world, at Him, at the Lost here. They shove the easel out a bit, voice still childlike.
"I can't protect myself out there...or Vinny. I do hope the bad things go away, I hate the bad things." A pause, the voice gets a bit older, not quite their normal voice yet, but Avery has still hidden themself from view. "He...they took control of him. I had to hurt him. I didn't like hurting him...I could kill him if I wanted...I don't want to do that. She tried to make me do that."
Lux:
"But you didn't. And he isn't angry with you at all--he's just very worried. Is it better to hide here, away from him, rather than face him again? You said you didn't want to be apart from him, didn't you?"
Vorpal:
"You can and DID protect you both. Stopped him and Lau-"
V cuts off, eyes wide. "Son of a bitch, that was her again."
Avery:
The edges of the dream seem to get fuzzy. As if fading. "No... hiding is bad... hurting him is worse. I don't want to be apart from him but...I want him to be happy. He's...not upset?"
Lux:
"No, he's not upset that you hurt him. He's upset that you're asleep, where he can't help you. But if you wake up, you can help each other." Lux holds out their hand for Avery to take and squeeze, squeezing their's reassuringly in return. "And you'll see him smiling with happiness and relief to know you're okay."
Vorpal:
V chews a lip, mind racing. "It's true. He called us to help you recover."
Avery:
Avery moves the easel, taking Lux's hand. The dream continues to fray at the edges. Avery's form seems to blur. At the same time somehow a child, teenager, adult, fetch, changeling, mask, mien, artist, warrior, lover, and every other part of them. All the little parts that make up Avery.
"I want to hold him...I don't want him upset...I don't know how to get to him...I thought I found him...but it wasn't him..."
Lux:
"You're in a dream, darling," Lux says gently, squeezing their hand. "You need wake up. Take a deep breath, then close your eyes. Try to let everything around you... slip away. Focus only on Vincent. What is feels like to hold him and kiss him. When you open your eyes again, you'll be awake."
Avery:
Avery nods. All of Avery nods. They take a breath and close their eyes. Thinking of Vinny and that this is a dream. A moment later, the dream goes dark, and Avery dissapearing.
And then...Avery was sitting up, eyes glancing around the space. Looking at Vinny right next to him.
Vinny:
Vincent immediately hugs Avery, squeezing them, "I'm so sorry," he says, "This is my fault, I brought you with me."
Lux:
Lux wakes with a stretch, then sits up, smoothing their sweater down. They glance over towards Vincent and Avery, giving the vampire a frown. “Word of advice? Don’t focus on who’s fault it was or wasn’t, right now. Just be with each other. Their mind isn’t in a good state to deal with your guilt right now.”
Vorpal:
V wakes up, sits up, and leans over to pat Vincent on the back and kiss the top of Avery's head. "Take care of each other. I have to go. Now. What you faced wasn't a vampire.
It was a fucking Strix, and apparently they're not just after me."
She reached to rest a hand on Lux's shoulder as well. "Thank you. Truly. I'd have had no idea how to do that myself. You were amazing." A deep breath. "I have some calls to make."
Avery:
Avery looks around the space, not seemingly convinced it was entirely real yet. They hug Vincent gently and look up at Vorpal as they get the kiss.
"I...this is awake...yes? How do I know this is awake?"
Vinny:
Vincent kisses their cheek, "Do you want me to pinch you, I can think of some places," he teases them, "If this is a dream it's a really shitty one, I mean look at this apartment, it sucks."
Lux:
Lux looks up at Vorpal with a confused blink. “Strix? Okay… be careful? And you’re welcome, of course. It’s what I do.” They squeeze V’s hand before she pulls it back.
Lux stands, pulling out a business card and a sharpie. They scribble a phone number on the back and LUX. On the frown is a card for Love Letters Art Collective, along with address and the social media/contact information. Lux stands and sets the card on a table near the bed. “For you, Avery. Cuddle your boy here for a while, and you’ll feel better.” They look to Vincent. “Try to spend the rest of the night together, at least. They shouldn’t be out and about right now.”
Avery:
Avery squirms in embarrassment at the pinching comment, the blush confirming for them that this wasn't a dream. That or maybe it could be a good one and not a traumatic one.
He nods to Lux, and the leaving Vorpal. "I...thank you...for helping me. I don't think I've met you yet..." a glance at the card, "Lux? Your name sounds familiar though..."
Avery practically latches onto Vincent. "I...think I would like cuddles."
Vorpal:
"This is awake, yes. Your dreams all happened in much bougier places," V confirms drily. "And yeah. Demon Ghost Owls from Old Rome. This one's named Lautrec. My Huntsman sic'd it on me. Demanded I kill my friends. If I wasn't a Torrent, I'd have done so, but the sanity break shattered its hold, and I smeared its... host... across a few square meters of pavement to prevent it trying again."
Vinny:
"That sounds fucking terrifying," Vincent comments as he strokes Avery's back, "V. . .I know your family doesn't trust me. . .thank you," he says, "Both of you. . .thanks."
Lux:
“Yes, I’m Lux. Give me a call or stop by the collective sometime. We’ll talk.” They move towards the door, shrugging on their coat. “You two have a good night.”
Avery:
"She did the same to me...demanded I kill Vinny. I didn't..." Avery leans into the scritches.
"I...don't like calls...is the Collective loud?
Vorpal:
"They got a lot scarier after I found out they survived that. Next time I'm gonna punch the Owl instead of the host." She pauses. "And my family doesn't distrust you.
They distrust the things you are forces you to want and be.
That's not your fault. Even Teagan can see you're trying, buddy."
She pauses in the door. "Give it time, yeah?" A wave to Lux. "I can get some of this out by text if you need an escort anyplace."
Vinny:
"Well, thanks," he says "I should tell my people about this. . .owl," he says and turns to Avery, "For now, let's just focus on eachother." he says cupping their face, a look of pure adoration on his face.
Vorpal:
"I'm on it, actually, Vinny. I've got contacts with Le Capitaine as well as Guy and a handful of others. Their leadership and ours need to know now, not later, and you have a job to do. Don't worry about it, buddy. I'll get that handled. You- yeah," she trails off. Like he said. Focus.
Lux:
"Texting is fine too. Prefer that anyway." Lux smiles reassuringly at Avery. "Hope you feel better soon. See you two around." Then they open the door and step out, holding it for Vorpal.
Avery:
Avery nods for most of the conversation, tired. They nod in affirmation to Lux. "Texting is better...I see texts and can respond when I want...its easier...I should check my texts...but cuddles first..."
Vinny:
Vincent holds them, "I'm here Avy, I'm here." he smiles like this is all he wanted from the world
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