* ˡᵉᵗ ᵐᵉ 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 ;

˗ˏˋ ㅤ જ⁀➴ continued from here !

there's something that was just so ... so ... endearing (?) about @spireflux. leaning in the doorway, vex'ahlia watches with an air of amusement as she watches keyleth strike various 'archer-esque' poses. some she recognizes as ones that vex herself performed in battle, and for a moment she wonders if the girl watched her when she wasn't looking. she shrugs it from her mind; they're teammates, after all. they're always watching each other's backs in the heat of battle.

and when vex makes herself known and the druid startles with a yelp, it takes everything in her to not have a good laugh. while she might not be able to sneak up on her brother, it seemed keyleth was fair game.

‘‘  oh. you're not mad.  ’’  fidgeting,    pushing her weight back and forth between her feet,    she holds fenthras out at vex for her to take.   ‘‘  this is yours.  ’’ 

" mad? " she echoes with a raised brow, lips curled high into a charming smirk. the half-elf gets a few more chuckles out before stepping forward and reaching for the vestige, giving it a good look over before nodding and hooking it into its place on her back. " why on earth would i be mad when i got to witness such a ... marvelous show? and don't think i didn't hear you before, darling. " cocking her head to the side questioningly, she folds her arms across her chest. she wasn't about to let the other half-elf off that easily. not to mention, vex was curious.

well,    keyleth is sufficiently caught;    a rabbit caught in the vex-trap of syrup-lined words and bleeding affection,    the inevitability of a hunter hunting not lost on her;    a hunter's mark.    knowing this, though,    does nothing to alleviate her nerves,    the absence of wood,    the earth,    slotted into her palms leaving her hands grasping for the staff she does not have.    she diverts by clasping her hands together instead,    her bottom-lip pulled into her mouth.    it's near to a pout,    but deriving from a point of shame;    unable to hide from it, from her,    huntress with an observing eye.

‘‘    i didn't think anyone was listening    ...    ’’    keyleth may have made some shooting sound-effects with her mouth.    but that just added to the delusion, the dream   ──   pulling it to the forefront.    or that could be an excuse.    maybe she was trying to have fun too.    the whole point is that it shouldn't have mattered,    now completely unmade by having an audience.

if you don't deserve me, then i can hardly say i deserve you. ... is what she wants to say, but instead, her features soften and she crouches beside the curled up druid. gently, the half-elf reaches out and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiles.

" oh, keyleth. darling ... " vex'ahlia pulls her hand back, but allows it to brush against her shoulder reassuringly. there were times where she forgot that her fellow half-elf was younger than her. there were times where she seemed to bear wisdom beyond her years ( and the power, to boot ), and others where she was ... well, like this. riddled with insecurities and anxieties that made her curl up into a tight little ball of nerves. when they'd initially met, vex hadn't cared for such meek characteristics. why worry herself into circles when she could simply lift her head and carry on, proving the ones who ever made her doubt in the first place to be wrong? it made her harsh towards the girl, cut throat and blunt. how she regretted such behaviour.

you scared me to death .

there's nothing left to save now .

i don't think i caught your name .

i like it when you take control .

you're sacred and they're starved .

how dare you ? and how could you ?

one of us is gonna lose .

i don't even really know how it happened .

i'm out of sympathy for you .

just let me hold you .

don't talk about me like you might know how i feel .

try not to abuse your power .

i wish someone had told me i'd be doing this by myself .

it's not like me to be so mean .

you just want what you can't have .

would you like me to be quiet ?

i haven't slept since sunday .

i don't want to want you .

it hurts , but i know how to hide it .

i'm the only one who does it how you like .

you better keep your head down .

a lot can change in twenty seconds .

why aren't you scared of me ?

i thought that i was special .

you're looking at me like i'm see-through .

you were a hero , you played the part .

i never really know how to please you .

see what you wanna see .

gold's fake , and real love hurts .

no way , i'll call the cops .

maybe you should leave before i get too mean .

i just wanted to protect you .

you only listen to your fuckin' friends .

they're never gonna give you love like ours .

all you wanna do is kiss me .

don't you know too much already ?

it's weird that we care so much until we don't .

i didn't change my number , i changed who i reply to .

i don't know what feels true .

did you really think this is the right thing to do ?

i would hate to see you go .

i'd never treat me this shitty .

i'll only hurt you if you let me .

you made me feel like it was my fault .

now i know what you are .

i feel more and more like i was made for you .

you wanna kill me ? you wanna hurt me ?

don't try to make me feel bad .

wait , you know what ? maybe just forget it .

was i made from a broken mold ?

you want me to be yours , then you've gotta be mine .

tell me "nothing lasts" , like i don't know .

wait a minute , let me finish .

you know i'm not your friend without some greenery .

my demands aren't high to make .

stop , what the hell are you talking about ?

we both know i'm worth waiting for .

you ruined everything good .

you really know how to make me cry .

your love feels so fake .

i wanna be alone . alone with you , does that make sense ?

spit it out , what is it exactly ?

i'll never let you go .

if we were meant to be , we would've been by now .

you can pretend that you don't miss me .

just fucking leave me alone .

don't say i didn't warn you .

it's pretty cool , right ?

i think i might have fallen in love .

i tried not to upset you .

do you even feel anything ?

don't ask questions , you don't wanna know .

i've been walking through a world gone blind .

i just wanna make you feel okay .

i know you don't care , but can you listen ?