vax'ildan (deathwalker) wrote in noexits, @ 2022-02-26 23:18:00 |
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The door closed behind Vax and the quiet outside almost immediately felt oppressive, even though the muted noises of the party in the theater managed to follow him for the first ten yards or so out onto the green. He knew it was all in his head - compared to the other campus, this place felt like paradise. Still, there was what felt like a pricking between his shoulder blades that made him feel like something strange was on the very edge of happening. Cutting a glance across the green to the other campus, he supposed that could well be the reason. Nothing felt quite right with that place next door. It didn’t take long to find his counterpart; he promised he wouldn’t be far and he hadn’t lied. He was standing next to a tree, arms crossed in front of him as he gazed up through the leaves and into the sky above. Vax felt a pang of sadness, less for his counterpart and more selfishly for himself; he was used to being a twin, but not like this. Maybe that’s what made his skin crawl about this entire situation. It made the Vex’ahlia sized void next to him that much more apparent, and no one was going to be able to fully fill it. Not even himself, odd as it felt to have that kind of an opportunity. “Well hello, handsome.” A little levity couldn’t hurt. Vax gave his counterpart a smile as he stepped up alongside him, looking up like he expected to see something worth staring at for as long as his other self had been. Only leaves, with the occasional peek of stars when the breeze blew hard enough to open some space between leaves space to see them. The other him was less quick to smile, but got there eventually. The way it was like looking into a mirror was uncanny, even after a whole life of seeing so much of himself reflected back at him in his sister. “Couldn’t have said it better myself,” the other Vax answered. He sounded weary, but after having checked out the other campus more thoroughly tonight, Vax could understand why. “Look at you in that fancy armor. I’m jealous.” Vax glanced down and then shrugged uncomfortably, tugging the chestpiece down like he was straightening a tunic. “You don’t have this? I ought to be the jealous one. I’m still not sure I… “ He trailed off, suddenly reluctant to make it sound like he’d be willing to give it up, even to himself. “I’m not sure it was worth the cost.” The other Vax raised an eyebrow. “Something tells me you don’t mean gold.” Vax grimaced and crossed his arms over his chest in a mirror of his counterpart. “I would’ve given all the gold I’ve ever seen in my life if it meant buying it with something other than a bargain for Vex’s life,” he muttered bitterly, focused on the tree root breaking ground just in front of the toe of his boot until he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. The other Vax had turned his back, his own head bowed. Vax saw his shoulders shake - minutely, briefly, if he hadn’t been watching he would’ve missed it - before he drew in a deep breath and exhaled it as he turned to face Vax again. “I know what it’s like to lose her.” Not the words Vax expected. He startled, then narrowed his eyes slightly and stepped in close to study his counterpart in the moonlight. “What do you mean?” The other Vax gave him a wry smile and shrugged, glancing back over his shoulder at the other campus before returning his attention to the conversation at hand. “Just because we’ve had different experiences doesn’t mean we don’t share some things as well. I haven’t seen her here, so I expect she didn’t come with you. And that’s just as well. I lost my sister here. I couldn’t save her and she didn’t come back.” Vax remained frozen for a moment before he brought a hand up to his counterpart’s shoulder, barely noting the twist of his counterpart’s mouth at the fringes of his awareness. “I’m sorry. I - “ Got mine back, he almost admitted before catching himself, realizing that probably wouldn’t be much comfort. He gave the other Vax’s shoulder a squeeze before letting his hand drop to his side once again. “I’m sorry.” The other Vax raised a hand to wave away the sentiment while shaking his head. “It isn’t your fault. But that is a reason why I’m glad I finally managed to run into you. Since… then, we’ve discovered a way to counter some of the more dangerous things that happen. The things we can’t really control otherwise. With this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small token of some sort, and without any hesitation or question pressed it and his palm flat to the front of Vax’s right shoulder, level with his collarbone. Vax glanced down once his counterpart pulled his hand back, finding the badge fused to his armor amongst the scrollwork like it always existed there. “Hey, what - “ He bit back the rest of the outrage as the other Vax fluffed some of the feathers over the badge and then patted his shoulder. “I couldn’t save her, but at least I can help you.” Well. How was Vax supposed to argue with that? Especially when it seemed he’d just been given very little choice? “...thank you. And I’m - ah, that is if we can do something for all of you, you’ll let us know?” The other Vax smirked, the pat this time coming as a gentle tapping against Vax’s cheek. “We certainly will, rest assured. Now if you could tell your Percy to find mine, he’s got one of those for him. I only brought the one tonight. Self-preservation, you know.” The last tap was just a little more firm than the rest, dangerously close to a smack, before the other Vax turned to walk away across the green. “Goodnight, Vax’ildan,” he sang over his shoulder, lifting a hand in a wave goodbye. Vax could only stand watching him, feeling just as ill at ease now than when he first set foot outside with his counterpart. Gods, but he hated not being the one to walk away first. Except technically, he had? After watching himself disappear into the darkness, he flicked the feathers aside to study the badge for a second before muttering a curse under his breath and turning back toward the theater. “What the fuck, me?” |