#trinketh

Beau blinks at the offer. " Me -- ? Uh, yeah. Sure. " Hey, she'd be a fool to argue, right? Still, she feels awkward as she sidles up to the aasimar's side. " You uh. You here to keep watch? "

an   alcove   and   some   privacy      —      that’s   all   he   needs   before   he   melds   with   the   shade   and   the   stone,   knees   to   his   skinny   chest,   school   clothes   all   dirty   and   scuffed,   fists   tight   and   pushing   into   his   eyes.            “      don’t   you   fucking   cry,      ”            he   orders   himself.      it’s   not   the   hurt   of   it      —      they   stopped   being   able   to   really,   truly   wound   him   long   ago   .   .   .      or   perhaps   there   is   simply   no   more   left   unwounded.      no,   but   it   is   the   frustration.      mother   would   have   never   let   anyone   hurt   you      —      she   never   would   have   fucking   encouraged   it   either.      he   stays   for   vex’ahlia   .   .   .      and   because   there’s   nowhere   else   to   go   but   days   and   days   of   travel   to   byroden      —      a   route   he   does   not   know   how   to   find.      but,   gods   above,   he   wants   to   truly   melt   away   into   the   shadows,   not   just   for   the   moment,   and   follow   them   all   the   way   back   home.   

“      oftentimes,      ”            he   begins,   slow   and   careful,   tearful   in   a   quiet   way,            “      we   are   only   able   to   protect   ourselves   when   it   is   too   late.      and   .   .   .      some   may   say   that   any   sort   of   action   taken   after   the   fact   is   nothing   but   revenge.      that   it   .   .   .      serves   no   purpose   and   helps   no   one.      but   i   don’t   believe   that’s   true.      it   may   not   change   how   you   feel   about   what   happened      —      not   now,   not   yet.      but   i   believe   that   you   did   the   right   thing.      ”            his   expression   hardens   a   bit,   and   he   sees   the   halls   of   the   sanatorium   once   again,   here   in   the   vault   of   his   mind.            “      and   you   should   not   allow   anyone   to   force   you   to   feel   guilty   for   it.      ”   

fate.    it was a concept david had never believed in, never gave a second thought.   but tonight, all that was about to change.    it was a normal night on all accounts, nothing out of the ordinary.    the vampire visiting the boardwalk in search of entertainment, always leaving the who, how, and what up to the randomness of the night.    but nothing could ever prepare him for this.    spurs chime out against the cement, making his way down the ramp from the second level to the exit of the boardwalk.   but right as he hits the landing, he turns, and that’s when he sees someone staring at him like they’ve seen a ghost.    was this his prom queen moment, stopping someone dead in their tracks as he cascaded down the stairs ?    brows pinch ever - so - slightly, a familiarity in the boy he’s looking at, but he can’t pinpoint on where he knows him from   .   .   .   that is, until it all comes rushing back.    a laugh leaves the vampires lips almost immediately, features washing with the sheer amusement of the situation before he calls out in the other’s direction.     “   laddie thompson   .   .   .   is that you ?!   ”

IN   THE   EARLY   DAWN,   THE   TWINS   STILL   SLEEP   IN   THEIR   FIRESIDE   PALLET,   LIMBS   TANGLED   UP   IN   EACH   OTHER.         in   the   dim   light,   elaina   can   barely   tell   them   apart.      but   there   they   are:      vax’s   little   nose   that   is   just   that   much   longer   than   vex’ahlia’s,   vex’s   hair   that   curls   against   her   forehead   while   vax’ildan’s   falls   straighter.      elaina   smiles,   stooping   down   until   she’s   sitting   close   enough   to   brush   her   hand   through   her   children’s   hair   to   wake   them.            “      good   morning,   chickens,      ”            she   coos,   smirking   and   kissing   their   heads.            “      it’s   a   very   special   day   .   .   .      ”            vex’ahlia   will   wake   first,   she   has   no   doubt,   as   she   always   does.      and   her   very   pointed   jostling   will   wake   vax’ildan.   

VEX’AHLIA   RETURNS   TO   CAMP   AFTER   SUNRISE,   AND   VAX   NEARLY   YANKS   HER   INTO   HIS   ARMS.         holds   her   tight   for   a   moment,   too   relieved   to   take   note   of   the   bundle   between   them   just   now,   before   pulling   back   enough      (   just   enough   )      to   keep   his   hands   on   her   shoulders   and   take   a   good   look   at   her.      she   looks   .   .   .      well   enough,   if   a   bit   bruised   and   dazed      —      not   much   worse   off   than   him   actually,   after   returning   from   a   job   in   town   to   their   little   hideaway   inside   the   mouth   of   this   cave.            “      where’ve   you   been?      ”            he   asks,   a   bit   breathless   with   the   release   of   knowing   she’s   alright,   brow   furrowed.            “      i   got   back   at   dawn,   and   you   weren’t   here,   and   i      —      ”            it’s   then   that   he   notices   the   bundle      —      not-quite-bundle,   something   else   entirely.      vax   lifts   an   eyebrow   and   cocks   his   head.            “      is   that   a   bear?      ”   

“  want t’ help me here?  between this doublet and this hair, ‘m a bit of a mess.  ”    he smirks at her over his shoulder, meeting her eyes in the mirror before him.

he arrives in whitestone.   he knows what vampires have done to this family.   he prays to the gods he doesn’t believe in that they do not figure out the truth about his blood.  christian knocks on the doors.