lostvox, Rebel Scout

[x]

He wondered if the deepening red of his face could be felt where her paw made contact with his face, despite the fact that there was no opportunity for him to hide it visually. Vox's head shook slightly as the slightest hint of laughter escaped from his lips.

"Everything. A lot to think about, huh?"

His eyes fell down and to the right, tracing the grain on the patches of makeshift floor as he softly hummed to himself in thought. The only luxury gained over the past day had been a temporary reprieve from the inevitable and existential - at least, until the scout learned of his second untimely demise.

"But... us... I think we have time, Tree. I didn't know that we would this time yesterday, but we don't have to figure this all out right now. We can just..."

He softly took her arms and brought them to his waist, stepping the smallest bit closer and gazing deeply into her eyes. Everything beyond her was a blur, and if he could make it last forever, he would.

"Hey. It's nice to see you again."

"Bleugh, stop."

"Nor should you."

He peeked at Tree's stern words, but instead of answering with something scathing like he normally would, the Arnasons were mildly surprised to hear a very placid, "Mkay, Mom."

We'll have to move soon though, won't we? Kendra asked. To the Jaw?

"Nothing we can do for now but wait. I'm sure Lila has folks on that as we speak." His eyes scanned around, almost absently searching for the visage of a stag. "Your mother is right, don't go doing anything too quickly. We've got time now."

Is Nala doing okay?

[x]

He wondered if the deepening red of his face could be felt where her paw made contact with his face, despite the fact that there was no opportunity for him to hide it visually. Vox's head shook slightly as the slightest hint of laughter escaped from his lips.

"Everything. A lot to think about, huh?"

His eyes fell down and to the right, tracing the grain on the patches of makeshift floor as he softly hummed to himself in thought. The only luxury gained over the past day had been a temporary reprieve from the inevitable and existential - at least, until the scout learned of his second untimely demise.

"But... us... I think we have time, Tree. I didn't know that we would this time yesterday, but we don't have to figure this all out right now. We can just..."

He softly took her arms and brought them to his waist, stepping the smallest bit closer and gazing deeply into her eyes. Everything beyond her was a blur, and if he could make it last forever, he would.

"Hey. It's nice to see you again."

"Bleugh, stop."

"Nor should you."

He peeked at Tree's stern words, but instead of answering with something scathing like he normally would, the Arnasons were mildly surprised to hear a very placid, "Mkay, Mom."

We'll have to move soon though, won't we? Kendra asked. To the Jaw?

"Nothing we can do for now but wait. I'm sure Lila has folks on that as we speak." His eyes scanned around, almost absently searching for the visage of a stag. "Your mother is right, don't go doing anything too quickly. We've got time now."

[x]

He wondered if the deepening red of his face could be felt where her paw made contact with his face, despite the fact that there was no opportunity for him to hide it visually. Vox's head shook slightly as the slightest hint of laughter escaped from his lips.

"Everything. A lot to think about, huh?"

His eyes fell down and to the right, tracing the grain on the patches of makeshift floor as he softly hummed to himself in thought. The only luxury gained over the past day had been a temporary reprieve from the inevitable and existential - at least, until the scout learned of his second untimely demise.

"But... us... I think we have time, Tree. I didn't know that we would this time yesterday, but we don't have to figure this all out right now. We can just..."

He softly took her arms and brought them to his waist, stepping the smallest bit closer and gazing deeply into her eyes. Everything beyond her was a blur, and if he could make it last forever, he would.

"Hey. It's nice to see you again."

"Bleugh, stop."

[previous]

"Okay, first of all... I am so cool and not stubborn, so write that down." He bat at one of her paws, grinning up at her as the sun perfectly framed his jawline. "Second of all, if I knew how many times I had actually died before, you would absolutely know, because I would not have handled it well."

He looked away towards the floor, still opting to delay thinking too deeply about his mortality.

"Still haven't really had time to process it. I don't know how I feel... but what you said before - about us being a family no matter what - I genuinely believe that. But... it still feels like there should be something for me to mourn, right?"

He looked at his hand before slowly raising his head to see Liam, still unconscious before them.

Tree looked down at the thread in her paw again, rubbing a thumb over it protectively.

Vox was still. It felt as if just the mention of himself - his other - voided the air in his lungs. His eyes bounced back and forth in deep thought, careful to speak with intention.

"No, not for me. I would want to join you only if that's something you want, Tree. You knew him in a way that I couldn't. I know he was... me, but I never knew him."

The scout sat, still visibly exhausted. He held his head upright with his hand, elbow propped up on his leg.

"I... think I do."

His mind flashed to Treepelt - their many beautiful, horrifying, wonderful, impossible nights in each other's company within the confines of a dungeon they've long since departed. He wondered if she still thought of him, too.

"You're gonna make me jealous." Vox couldn't keep from laughing, shaking his head as he looked to the ground. "But, in all seriousness... I do want to be there. For you, absolutely... but for me as well, now that I'm thinking on it. This may be new to us, but it's the right thing to do. Our story is a long one, and maybe this has been a chapter we never got around to finishing, for reasons beyond us."

Vox rose to his feet, taking one of Tree's hands in his own while pushing away some stray hairs from her face with his other arm.

"What?"

Vox's arms rose, with his hand gently finding its holding on the arm she was using to hold his face.

[previous]

"Okay, first of all... I am so cool and not stubborn, so write that down." He bat at one of her paws, grinning up at her as the sun perfectly framed his jawline. "Second of all, if I knew how many times I had actually died before, you would absolutely know, because I would not have handled it well."

He looked away towards the floor, still opting to delay thinking too deeply about his mortality.

"Still haven't really had time to process it. I don't know how I feel... but what you said before - about us being a family no matter what - I genuinely believe that. But... it still feels like there should be something for me to mourn, right?"

He looked at his hand before slowly raising his head to see Liam, still unconscious before them.

Tree looked down at the thread in her paw again, rubbing a thumb over it protectively.

Vox was still. It felt as if just the mention of himself - his other - voided the air in his lungs. His eyes bounced back and forth in deep thought, careful to speak with intention.

"No, not for me. I would want to join you only if that's something you want, Tree. You knew him in a way that I couldn't. I know he was... me, but I never knew him."

The scout sat, still visibly exhausted. He held his head upright with his hand, elbow propped up on his leg.

"I... think I do."

His mind flashed to Treepelt - their many beautiful, horrifying, wonderful, impossible nights in each other's company within the confines of a dungeon they've long since departed. He wondered if she still thought of him, too.

"You're gonna make me jealous." Vox couldn't keep from laughing, shaking his head as he looked to the ground. "But, in all seriousness... I do want to be there. For you, absolutely... but for me as well, now that I'm thinking on it. This may be new to us, but it's the right thing to do. Our story is a long one, and maybe this has been a chapter we never got around to finishing, for reasons beyond us."

Vox rose to his feet, taking one of Tree's hands in his own while pushing away some stray hairs from her face with his other arm.

[previous]

"Okay, first of all... I am so cool and not stubborn, so write that down." He bat at one of her paws, grinning up at her as the sun perfectly framed his jawline. "Second of all, if I knew how many times I had actually died before, you would absolutely know, because I would not have handled it well."

He looked away towards the floor, still opting to delay thinking too deeply about his mortality.

"Still haven't really had time to process it. I don't know how I feel... but what you said before - about us being a family no matter what - I genuinely believe that. But... it still feels like there should be something for me to mourn, right?"

He looked at his hand before slowly raising his head to see Liam, still unconscious before them.

Tree looked down at the thread in her paw again, rubbing a thumb over it protectively.

Vox was still. It felt as if just the mention of himself - his other - voided the air in his lungs. His eyes bounced back and forth in deep thought, careful to speak with intention.

"No, not for me. I would want to join you only if that's something you want, Tree. You knew him in a way that I couldn't. I know he was... me, but I never knew him."

The scout sat, still visibly exhausted. He held his head upright with his hand, elbow propped up on his leg.

"I... think I do."

His mind flashed to Treepelt - their many beautiful, horrifying, wonderful, impossible nights in each other's company within the confines of a dungeon they've long since departed. He wondered if she still thought of him, too.

[previous]

"Okay, first of all... I am so cool and not stubborn, so write that down." He bat at one of her paws, grinning up at her as the sun perfectly framed his jawline. "Second of all, if I knew how many times I had actually died before, you would absolutely know, because I would not have handled it well."

He looked away towards the floor, still opting to delay thinking too deeply about his mortality.

"Still haven't really had time to process it. I don't know how I feel... but what you said before - about us being a family no matter what - I genuinely believe that. But... it still feels like there should be something for me to mourn, right?"

He looked at his hand before slowly raising his head to see Liam, still unconscious before them.

Tree looked down at the thread in her paw again, rubbing a thumb over it protectively.

Vox was still. It felt as if just the mention of himself - his other - voided the air in his lungs. His eyes bounced back and forth in deep thought, careful to speak with intention.

"No, not for me. I would want to join you only if that's something you want, Tree. You knew him in a way that I couldn't. I know he was... me, but I never knew him."

The scout sat, still visibly exhausted. He held his head upright with his hand, elbow propped up on his leg.

[previous]

"Okay, first of all... I am so cool and not stubborn, so write that down." He bat at one of her paws, grinning up at her as the sun perfectly framed his jawline. "Second of all, if I knew how many times I had actually died before, you would absolutely know, because I would not have handled it well."

He looked away towards the floor, still opting to delay thinking too deeply about his mortality.

"Still haven't really had time to process it. I don't know how I feel... but what you said before - about us being a family no matter what - I genuinely believe that. But... it still feels like there should be something for me to mourn, right?"

He looked at his hand before slowly raising his head to see Liam, still unconscious before them.

By midday, it wasn't surprising that nearly half the Rebellion had crashed out in some form or another. Even though spirits were high, and even though everyone had been prepping for the all-nighter for the past few weeks, it was inevitable with the exhausting ordeal they had been through. The nixes especially needed rest before any kind of mass travel could occur back to the Jaw. Once the bare minimum of shelter from the sun and food and water had been secured, soldiers began to settle the best they could back into civilians, treating wounds, mourning dead, and reuniting with loved ones. The hot sunlight and brisk breeze made for wonderful weather, Tree thought, sitting on a bedroll at the edge of the largest medical tent and staring out into the tall, waving grass, the most familiar sight of Aidorin to her, one she grew up with and always chose to return to. Her braid danced over her shoulder, black strands woven with orange, and she shifted her arm uncomfortably, which had been put back into a sling by an irate Hunter.

She heard someone approaching behind her, and while her ears moved, she stayed facing away, sniffing once with a small smile.

Vox stood next to his wife, taking in the view before slowly lowering himself to sit beside her, still rivaling her height despite sitting on solid ground.

"Hey, Treepelt."

The scout picked up small rocks, tossing them a distance in front of them when the path was clear of any soldiers still making their rounds. There was a looming silence between the pair, but it didn't hold the same tension as it had before. Vox chuckled to himself, dusting his hand on his pants.

"So talented, you are! You had me immersed - I was going to kiss you, but..." The scout playfully nudged her sideways with his weight, avoiding her more visibly wounded arm. "...I don't want to be kissing our late, great Haddock now, do I?"

The scout grunted as he got back to his feet, feigning the beginning motions of movement into the heart of the tent. He held his lighter forearm to his head in the largest show of theatrics the feline half-breed could ever recall seeing from him, with Vox occasionally glancing at her from a side-eye.

"Well, I'll tell you, those damn Felman kids are tenacious. Reminded me how reckless we all were when we were younger... and the Ericson kids too, just a remarkable bunch..."

He laughed to himself for a moment before he paused, dropping any hints of humor from his face.

"...but our kids... you did such an incredible job with them, Tree."

Vox sighed, looking off towards a group of younger troops that were softly speaking near a fire. The scout began to recount the events that led to Sav's quick thinking, the portal he and Liam entered... their encounter with the divine. Despite his best efforts, he was visibly shaken during the recollection of Liam's self-mutilation. He attempted to rush through as quickly as he could manage.

She ran a hand through the loose hair framing her face and glanced back further into the tent, where Liam and Kendra were also sprawled out on a bedroll, out cold. Liam was flat on his back with Kendra's head under his chin, and their forearms were tangled in a sloppy hug as they breathed in and out of tandem.

"If you had told me ten years ago that of the two of them, he was gonna be the one to literally become a god, I would've laughed in your face." Tree exhaled heavily. "He was such a hellion, Vox. Getting into fights, putting himself in danger, trying to stay out on his own for days at a time...we had such horrible fights. I even started to hate Nala because I knew she was the one he was running to after our yelling matches. But I also knew he was safest with her. It's why I stopped trying to keep him in White Hallows when he was seventeen. He wanted to run around as a fighter, as a dragon rider, as a scout...all the things he grew up hearing from our generation. I was so frustrated because I thought he didn't understand what it actually meant to be part of the Rebellion--all of the fear and the grief and the sacrifice that came with it. Now...I really think he understood it better than anyone."

"He was so scared, Tree." The scout's voice shrunk into something far more timid and shaky. "He was scared... but he looked me in the eye, and I saw a bravery I hadn't seen since - well, ever."

His eyes eventually followed to rest on their children - the juxtaposition of grief and gratitude pulled at his heart without mercy.

"There isn't a thing you or I could have said, or done, that he would have listened to. His mind was made up."

He laughed, using his forearm to wipe the newly formed tears from under his eyes.

By midday, it wasn't surprising that nearly half the Rebellion had crashed out in some form or another. Even though spirits were high, and even though everyone had been prepping for the all-nighter for the past few weeks, it was inevitable with the exhausting ordeal they had been through. The nixes especially needed rest before any kind of mass travel could occur back to the Jaw. Once the bare minimum of shelter from the sun and food and water had been secured, soldiers began to settle the best they could back into civilians, treating wounds, mourning dead, and reuniting with loved ones. The hot sunlight and brisk breeze made for wonderful weather, Tree thought, sitting on a bedroll at the edge of the largest medical tent and staring out into the tall, waving grass, the most familiar sight of Aidorin to her, one she grew up with and always chose to return to. Her braid danced over her shoulder, black strands woven with orange, and she shifted her arm uncomfortably, which had been put back into a sling by an irate Hunter.

She heard someone approaching behind her, and while her ears moved, she stayed facing away, sniffing once with a small smile.

Vox stood next to his wife, taking in the view before slowly lowering himself to sit beside her, still rivaling her height despite sitting on solid ground.

"Hey, Treepelt."

The scout picked up small rocks, tossing them a distance in front of them when the path was clear of any soldiers still making their rounds. There was a looming silence between the pair, but it didn't hold the same tension as it had before. Vox chuckled to himself, dusting his hand on his pants.

"So talented, you are! You had me immersed - I was going to kiss you, but..." The scout playfully nudged her sideways with his weight, avoiding her more visibly wounded arm. "...I don't want to be kissing our late, great Haddock now, do I?"

The scout grunted as he got back to his feet, feigning the beginning motions of movement into the heart of the tent. He held his lighter forearm to his head in the largest show of theatrics the feline half-breed could ever recall seeing from him, with Vox occasionally glancing at her from a side-eye.

"Well, I'll tell you, those damn Felman kids are tenacious. Reminded me how reckless we all were when we were younger... and the Ericson kids too, just a remarkable bunch..."

He laughed to himself for a moment before he paused, dropping any hints of humor from his face.

"...but our kids... you did such an incredible job with them, Tree."

Vox sighed, looking off towards a group of younger troops that were softly speaking near a fire. The scout began to recount the events that led to Sav's quick thinking, the portal he and Liam entered... their encounter with the divine. Despite his best efforts, he was visibly shaken during the recollection of Liam's self-mutilation. He attempted to rush through as quickly as he could manage.

By midday, it wasn't surprising that nearly half the Rebellion had crashed out in some form or another. Even though spirits were high, and even though everyone had been prepping for the all-nighter for the past few weeks, it was inevitable with the exhausting ordeal they had been through. The nixes especially needed rest before any kind of mass travel could occur back to the Jaw. Once the bare minimum of shelter from the sun and food and water had been secured, soldiers began to settle the best they could back into civilians, treating wounds, mourning dead, and reuniting with loved ones. The hot sunlight and brisk breeze made for wonderful weather, Tree thought, sitting on a bedroll at the edge of the largest medical tent and staring out into the tall, waving grass, the most familiar sight of Aidorin to her, one she grew up with and always chose to return to. Her braid danced over her shoulder, black strands woven with orange, and she shifted her arm uncomfortably, which had been put back into a sling by an irate Hunter.

She heard someone approaching behind her, and while her ears moved, she stayed facing away, sniffing once with a small smile.

Vox stood next to his wife, taking in the view before slowly lowering himself to sit beside her, still rivaling her height despite sitting on solid ground.

"Hey, Treepelt."

The scout picked up small rocks, tossing them a distance in front of them when the path was clear of any soldiers still making their rounds. There was a looming silence between the pair, but it didn't hold the same tension as it had before. Vox chuckled to himself, dusting his hand on his pants.

"So talented, you are! You had me immersed - I was going to kiss you, but..." The scout playfully nudged her sideways with his weight, avoiding her more visibly wounded arm. "...I don't want to be kissing our late, great Haddock now, do I?"

The scout grunted as he got back to his feet, feigning the beginning motions of movement into the heart of the tent. He held his lighter forearm to his head in the largest show of theatrics the feline half-breed could ever recall seeing from him, with Vox occasionally glancing at her from a side-eye.

By midday, it wasn't surprising that nearly half the Rebellion had crashed out in some form or another. Even though spirits were high, and even though everyone had been prepping for the all-nighter for the past few weeks, it was inevitable with the exhausting ordeal they had been through. The nixes especially needed rest before any kind of mass travel could occur back to the Jaw. Once the bare minimum of shelter from the sun and food and water had been secured, soldiers began to settle the best they could back into civilians, treating wounds, mourning dead, and reuniting with loved ones. The hot sunlight and brisk breeze made for wonderful weather, Tree thought, sitting on a bedroll at the edge of the largest medical tent and staring out into the tall, waving grass, the most familiar sight of Aidorin to her, one she grew up with and always chose to return to. Her braid danced over her shoulder, black strands woven with orange, and she shifted her arm uncomfortably, which had been put back into a sling by an irate Hunter.

She heard someone approaching behind her, and while her ears moved, she stayed facing away, sniffing once with a small smile.

Vox stood next to his wife, taking in the view before slowly lowering himself to sit beside her, still rivaling her height despite sitting on solid ground.

"Hey, Treepelt."

The scout picked up small rocks, tossing them a distance in front of them when the path was clear of any soldiers still making their rounds. There was a looming silence between the pair, but it didn't hold the same tension as it had before. Vox chuckled to himself, dusting his hand on his pants.

"So talented, you are! You had me immersed - I was going to kiss you, but..." The scout playfully nudged her sideways with his weight, avoiding her more visibly wounded arm. "...I don't want to be kissing our late, great Haddock now, do I?"

The scout grunted as he got back to his feet, feigning the beginning motions of movement into the heart of the tent. He held his lighter forearm to his head in the largest show of theatrics the feline half-breed could ever recall seeing from him, with Vox occasionally glancing at her from a side-eye.

By midday, it wasn't surprising that nearly half the Rebellion had crashed out in some form or another. Even though spirits were high, and even though everyone had been prepping for the all-nighter for the past few weeks, it was inevitable with the exhausting ordeal they had been through. The nixes especially needed rest before any kind of mass travel could occur back to the Jaw. Once the bare minimum of shelter from the sun and food and water had been secured, soldiers began to settle the best they could back into civilians, treating wounds, mourning dead, and reuniting with loved ones. The hot sunlight and brisk breeze made for wonderful weather, Tree thought, sitting on a bedroll at the edge of the largest medical tent and staring out into the tall, waving grass, the most familiar sight of Aidorin to her, one she grew up with and always chose to return to. Her braid danced over her shoulder, black strands woven with orange, and she shifted her arm uncomfortably, which had been put back into a sling by an irate Hunter.

She heard someone approaching behind her, and while her ears moved, she stayed facing away, sniffing once with a small smile.

Vox stood next to his wife, taking in the view before slowly lowering himself to sit beside her, still rivaling her height despite sitting on solid ground.

"Hey, Treepelt."

The scout picked up small rocks, tossing them a distance in front of them when the path was clear of any soldiers still making their rounds. There was a looming silence between the pair, but it didn't hold the same tension as it had before. Vox chuckled to himself, dusting his hand on his pants.

[previous]

“This Liam…” Vox took to his side, placing his arm around him in solidarity. “…is Liam. The Liam you seem to have encountered before… is also Liam, I think. I’m- I’m going to try and explain this. Okay.”

Vox exhaled, looking at Milae and wincing at the thought of trying to explain this in front of him. The goat was far more versed in matters of time and Norns, and yet here the scout stood, stumping for his son(s).

“When Sav opened the portal on the tomb, I rushed and pushed Liam and I in to get away from Kezia. We ended up somewhere with Verðandi, a Norn, who helped heal Liam and was apparently slated to be bound to Kezia in some weird ritual thing. But Liam- our timeline’s Liam- was able to recreate the ritual and bound himself to her, but also… some of Nala was already inside of him?”

He could feel himself losing the plot; it had only happened shortly before now, but everything felt hazy.

“Liam was not what we knew him to be when we returned, as many of us witnessed. He was… massive, he was… godlike. I still can’t wrap my head around it. When we entered that weird sky rift thing, it took us to another timeline where… where things didn’t go well.”

Vox felt his throat tighten; he didn’t want to go into great detail, especially with Liam right next to him.

“This timeline’s Liam saved us and got us out of there, in whatever form he takes now. Liam here… saw all of it. He’s my son, I… I couldn’t leave him there. I know it’s hard to understand. I mean, fuck. I don’t know what’s going on beyond what I just told you, but if there was a Liam where you just came from… I think it’s our Liam. I mean, one of our Liams.”

Vox pressed the sides of his forehead with his hand.

"Yes," the Warden said, voice strained and stricken. Juro took a shaky breath, thumbs running over Dario's cracked cheeks. "He told me to take Lila and get to safety. If that is truly what happened...I have to keep faith in him. Any--"

"No."

Flecks of stone caught in the nooks between his fingers; his eyes began to glisten as he looked up to meet Nala's sight. For addressing a demon, Vox's voice was cold and direct.

"Oh my gods," Liam gasped, pulling away from Tree and gripping Juro's shoulders, trying to turn Nala to focus on him. "Nala, what happened? What's wrong?"

She couldn't meet his eyes, gaze skipping in a panic back and forth. "I--I don't know...I don't know--!"

"Shit," Jin cursed lowly, running up beside Vox in a slide that sent a few pieces skittering before she caught them, trying to pull the rubble together into a cohesive pile. "Shit, shit, shit. It's--it's okay. We'll figure this out--"

"I don't believe you." Vox's voice, while still flat, had a twinge of tightness. His psyche was cracking in a manner not entirely unlike his best friend. "You've... always figured it out, Nala. We... we have to fix this."

His mind flashed to Verðandi; to Liam, past and primal. His hands shook as found himself on the brink of collapse in every sense of the word.

Vox... your neck...

The scout blinked a few times, shaking out his head and focusing on the rubble gently tumbling from his hand. Without hesitation, he rubbed the pad of his index and thumb together to clear any remnants of debris before locating the base of his neck, fingers making contact with moisture along his spine. Upon returning his hand to view, the striking red hue was sickeningly familiar.

"...huh."

Vox turned to Juro; the scout's neutral expression was unwavering. His eyes went from his own fingers, up to meet Nala's. The scout felt pressure in his skull; he wasn't certain if this was the cause of the aura of gold appearing in his vision.

[previous]

“This Liam…” Vox took to his side, placing his arm around him in solidarity. “…is Liam. The Liam you seem to have encountered before… is also Liam, I think. I’m- I’m going to try and explain this. Okay.”

Vox exhaled, looking at Milae and wincing at the thought of trying to explain this in front of him. The goat was far more versed in matters of time and Norns, and yet here the scout stood, stumping for his son(s).

“When Sav opened the portal on the tomb, I rushed and pushed Liam and I in to get away from Kezia. We ended up somewhere with Verðandi, a Norn, who helped heal Liam and was apparently slated to be bound to Kezia in some weird ritual thing. But Liam- our timeline’s Liam- was able to recreate the ritual and bound himself to her, but also… some of Nala was already inside of him?”

He could feel himself losing the plot; it had only happened shortly before now, but everything felt hazy.

“Liam was not what we knew him to be when we returned, as many of us witnessed. He was… massive, he was… godlike. I still can’t wrap my head around it. When we entered that weird sky rift thing, it took us to another timeline where… where things didn’t go well.”

Vox felt his throat tighten; he didn’t want to go into great detail, especially with Liam right next to him.

“This timeline’s Liam saved us and got us out of there, in whatever form he takes now. Liam here… saw all of it. He’s my son, I… I couldn’t leave him there. I know it’s hard to understand. I mean, fuck. I don’t know what’s going on beyond what I just told you, but if there was a Liam where you just came from… I think it’s our Liam. I mean, one of our Liams.”

Vox pressed the sides of his forehead with his hand.

"Yes," the Warden said, voice strained and stricken. Juro took a shaky breath, thumbs running over Dario's cracked cheeks. "He told me to take Lila and get to safety. If that is truly what happened...I have to keep faith in him. Any--"

"No."

Flecks of stone caught in the nooks between his fingers; his eyes began to glisten as he looked up to meet Nala's sight. For addressing a demon, Vox's voice was cold and direct.

"Oh my gods," Liam gasped, pulling away from Tree and gripping Juro's shoulders, trying to turn Nala to focus on him. "Nala, what happened? What's wrong?"

She couldn't meet his eyes, gaze skipping in a panic back and forth. "I--I don't know...I don't know--!"

"Shit," Jin cursed lowly, running up beside Vox in a slide that sent a few pieces skittering before she caught them, trying to pull the rubble together into a cohesive pile. "Shit, shit, shit. It's--it's okay. We'll figure this out--"

"I don't believe you." Vox's voice, while still flat, had a twinge of tightness. His psyche was cracking in a manner not entirely unlike his best friend. "You've... always figured it out, Nala. We... we have to fix this."

His mind flashed to Verðandi; to Liam, past and primal. His hands shook as found himself on the brink of collapse in every sense of the word.

[previous]

“This Liam…” Vox took to his side, placing his arm around him in solidarity. “…is Liam. The Liam you seem to have encountered before… is also Liam, I think. I’m- I’m going to try and explain this. Okay.”

Vox exhaled, looking at Milae and wincing at the thought of trying to explain this in front of him. The goat was far more versed in matters of time and Norns, and yet here the scout stood, stumping for his son(s).

“When Sav opened the portal on the tomb, I rushed and pushed Liam and I in to get away from Kezia. We ended up somewhere with Verðandi, a Norn, who helped heal Liam and was apparently slated to be bound to Kezia in some weird ritual thing. But Liam- our timeline’s Liam- was able to recreate the ritual and bound himself to her, but also… some of Nala was already inside of him?”

He could feel himself losing the plot; it had only happened shortly before now, but everything felt hazy.

“Liam was not what we knew him to be when we returned, as many of us witnessed. He was… massive, he was… godlike. I still can’t wrap my head around it. When we entered that weird sky rift thing, it took us to another timeline where… where things didn’t go well.”

Vox felt his throat tighten; he didn’t want to go into great detail, especially with Liam right next to him.

“This timeline’s Liam saved us and got us out of there, in whatever form he takes now. Liam here… saw all of it. He’s my son, I… I couldn’t leave him there. I know it’s hard to understand. I mean, fuck. I don’t know what’s going on beyond what I just told you, but if there was a Liam where you just came from… I think it’s our Liam. I mean, one of our Liams.”

Vox pressed the sides of his forehead with his hand.

"Yes," the Warden said, voice strained and stricken. Juro took a shaky breath, thumbs running over Dario's cracked cheeks. "He told me to take Lila and get to safety. If that is truly what happened...I have to keep faith in him. Any--"

"No."

Flecks of stone caught in the nooks between his fingers; his eyes began to glisten as he looked up to meet Nala's sight. For addressing a demon, Vox's voice was cold and direct.