WHO Shaun & Vex WHERE Glorious Purveyors WHEN Saturday, July 30; Evening WHAT Shaun has a question to ask Vex đ WARNINGS None, really. Some sads, mostly not sads.
âVexâahlia, darling, arenât you just a sight for sore eyes,â Gilmore proclaimed as he opened the door to the shop and promptly kissed Vex on both cheeks twice over. As if he hadnât seen her for years and she was exactly who he wanted to see at that very momentâwell, the latter was true, anyway, he saw Vex all the time and in fact they had planned on meeting up fortuitously on a night when Vax was working at the youth center. Planned or spontaneous, Gilmore always wanted to see Vex, she was unabashedly one of his favorite people.
Except when they were on opposite sides of a sale, of course. But even then! He always respected her game, even if his profits did not.
He wrapped an arm around Vexâs shoulders and escorted her in to sit on a fainting couchâthis one was a rather fantastic lapis hue, which was much different from the sapphire colored one Gilmore himself reclined upon. One could never have too many fainting couches, after all, even in a place of business, because one never knew when one needed to drop dramatically. The store had been closed for a few hours, but that didnât stop Gilmore from tinkering away at a few custom enchantments before Vexâs arrival. The air seemed to hum with magic, even after heâd long finished.
âVax is doing something called paintball with the kids, the way he explained it, it sounds very much like target practice and I love him very much but Iâm not entirely certain his ego will survive if he loses.â Shaun had sent him off with well-wishes and a container of soft, buttery, orange blossom laced cookies. They were the same ones a ghostly servant sporting a rather fetching vest (Rodrigo, always Rodrigo) brought over to Vexâahlia on a delicate porcelain plate. âHow are you?â He asked, one arm perched on the back of his chaise. âTell me everything going on in your life, spare no detail.â
Vex couldnât help the way her nerves tingled in anticipation the moment she entered Shaunâs shop. She had plenty of memories of patroning his establishment and finding any number of treasures that she was always aptly prepared to haggle for. The tickle of magic in the air did nothing to assuage her insatiable curiosity and desire for beautiful, enchanted goods, but she reminded herself that she had access to his shop any day she wanted to come here and, if he had something in stock that he knew would particularly interest her, heâd likely have told her at any of the times they passed each other at the Xhorhaus. Old habits died hard was all. She didnât need to shop tonight when he was already closed and she was here to spend time with him.
Taking a seat on the fainting couch that sheâd been lead to, Vex pulled her braid over her shoulder and crossed one leg over the other. How was she? Months after the latest memory update and that was still a loaded question. One that she was stubbornly trying not to confront despite the fact that she and Shaun had had plenty of conversations about it. âOh, you know. Iâve finally gotten back to trying to do something with the bakery again. Iâm thinking Iâm going to go back to its originally intended purpose of actually being a bakery and just do a handful of baking classes on the side,â she offered. Her plans for the place had come to an abrupt halt afterâŠeverything...but sheâd started to grow antsy over actually doing something with it. It was a good distraction and she had been in desperate need of something productive to do here. It also helped that going in a different direction helped distract her from the future sheâd seen in it when it had first arrived.
âSpeaking of, I might be in the market for some helpful enchantments on some of the kitchen appliances. If Iâm going to juggle Slayerâs Cake with defense team duties, Iâm going to need to pretend like there are at least three of me without there actually being three of me. Could you even imagine, darling?â She laughed at the absurdity of it, though she wouldnât put it past Vallo to take her at her word. It was a necessary precaution to put it out into the universe that she was good being the only Vexâahlia in its midst.
Shifting her weight to the side, her fingers played at the leather bracelet on her wrist. Her brow raised at Shaun in a gesture of volleying the question back to him. âAnd you, love? How are you?â
âAnd there the truth comes out!â Gilmore laughed jovially, because he did most things jovially, but especially when joking around with Vex, with whom he had always enjoyed an easy banter. âWhen youâre ready, say the word, Iâll only charge you a nominal fee, of course.â said with the addition of a well-groomed eyebrow arch and a teasing grin. It would likely involve copious amounts of bartering and creative spell-work, both some of his favorite things. At the mention of fees, Rodrigo appeared again, scroll and quill in hand, as if prepared to mark down the exact amount Vex would be charged. Gilmore dismissed him with a pat on his spectral shoulder, which seemed to appease him.
Shaunâs grin turned less teasing and more warm as he reached out and covered Vexâs hand with a bejeweled handâtoday it was a series of midi rings with gems in various shades of turquoise and green. âI think you should do exactly that with the bakery. Darling, you have loads of talent and I am convinced you can do anything you set your mind to. If this is the direction your life is taking you, then do it with nothing less than gusto and aplomb. And, by the way, you achieve plenty just by being one person, imagine what all youâd get done with triple the productivity! Though it may cause some confusion later on,â he mused. âWeâd have to number you, weâd have to know which Vexâahlia we told something to, youâd constantly be confusing people, it seems like much more trouble than itâs worth.â
But as far as how he was? He lifted a shoulder in an easy, carefree shrug. âIâm splendid, as always! I have very little in the way of complaints, thankfully, because they cause wrinkles and who needs that? Mostly? Iâm happy. And actually,â he twirled the end of his beard between his fingers, eyebrows dancing once again. âSpeaking of. I need to ask you something but I also need to swear you to secrecy before I do it. I also, however, donât want you to think my intentions are entirely selfish by having you over, so! What other news do you have, my most valiant Vexâahlia?â
Vex snorted a playful laugh, the sparkle of teasing accentuating the sound. "I'd love nothing more than to negotiate this future project with you, darling," she replied, the smile meeting the corners of her eyes in a way it had slowly been doing more of as of late. Honestly, bartering with Shaun was one of her favorite pastimes, if only because he gave just as good as he got and that made the volley between them that much more fun.
But though the expression of adjustment remained at the idea of having to differentiate between three Vexes, it also warmed her heart how immediately supportive of her endeavors he was. She hadn't always been surrounded by such supportive people. It was no secret that, for the longest time, all she had had was her twin brother. It was still a struggleâimpossible reallyâto reconcile a world in which he was her constant ally and a world in which she wouldn't have him at allâbut it was marginally easier each time she was reminded of all of the people, her found family, that she now had in her corner. She still had Vax here, yes, but Vex had been forced to accept the fact that their being together always was a hope, not a promise. Shaun's love and friendship was a balm to that realization.
"I'll have to get Vex Prime tattooed on my forehead," she replied, leaving her thoughts to be pondered another time. "Do you think I could pull it off? I could add some blue to it to really pull my whole look together."
Vex fell quiet, though, at the promise of secrets. She leaned forward, clearly intrigued and conspiratorial quirk to her brow. "Oh, no. Nope. Now you have to ask me whatever it is I have to keep secret. I simply cannot give you any other news until I know what it is."
âThereâs that bargaining soul I know,â Gilmore chuckled again, matching Vex in leaning forward just so he could tap her on the nose. Vex and Vax shared similar (very good looking, thank you) features, but he had never had a hard time telling the twins apart. From the day heâd met Vox Machina, the ragtag group of adventurers who stumbled into his shop with more demands than they had coin, Shaun Gilmore had been able to tell who was Vex and who was Vax. Vex had an undeniable charm to her. She threw herself in the front of the group, crossed her arms on his counter, arched an eyebrow very similarly to how she was doing now, and asked Gilmore if he was sure that amount was the best he could do. It was hard not to love her on the spot.
Vax had been lurking in the back, all but jumping out of his dark leathers when Gilmore had called him out. And Vex, in her wisdom and foresight, had practically pulled his arm out of his socket in her effort to bring him forward. It was hard not to love him on the spot too.
Which was why this part was very important.
He took Vexâs hands in his own again and squeezed, strong and so very fond. âVexâahlia, Vax and I have talked a lot about what the futureâour futureâlooks like, and our family. And even though weâre in agreement, and know what we both want, I,â Oddly, the seemingly unflappable Gilmore was a bitâŠnervous. âI know that you and Vax share a heart, and how much you love each other. I love Vax more than anything else in this world, or in the next, or in any other realms, and I hope you know that. And I suppose I donât have to ask him, we could simply get married tomorrow and nothing would truly change, but I think heâs waiting and I find the whole thing entirely romantic so,â he finally took a breath.
âIâm asking for your blessing.â
Vex sucked in a breath, the weight of what Shaun was asking her settling in on her all at once. It wasn't a surprise, really. They'd gotten to see a future where her brother and Shaun had married and had a daughter, and Shaun was as good as her brother even without some legal document making him so. It wasn't shock at the gesture so much as it was a rush of emotions that Vex instinctively felt necessary to force at bay lest they flood her senses and render her completely incapable of just answering the question.
Her feelings were complicated. What was not complicated was how much she supported the relationship between her brother and this man before her and how much she loved Shaun for loving Vax. There was no answer other than this, "Darling, I give you my blessing with my whole heart." Because Shaun was good for Vax'ildan. The fact that had been just her and Vax for most of their lives meant that letting him go--even in the best of ways--was always going to be hard for her. But she trusted Shaun in ways she'd found it difficult to trust many others. She trusted him to be good to her brother. She trusted him to not take Vax away from her. She trusted him to be the kind of family she was proud to have.
The tears that came to her eyes were different from the ones that had been prone to spring forward against her will these past several months. These tears were happy. They were hopeful.
Squeezing Shaun's hands in return, she added (because Vex could always be counted on to be an absolute shit), "Do I start getting the family discount now, or after the nuptials?"
Shaunâs laugh erupted from him, genuine and utterly delighted. He wiped at his own eyes (already wet from emotion thanks to Vexâs tears, he was an unabashed sap after all) and somehow, miraculously, his eyeliner stayed a sharp and precise line. âAfter. I have to wrestle every cent out of you for as long as I can before you run me out of business prying on my emotions.â Because Vex was family, as far as Shaun was concerned, just as he didnât need a piece of paper to know he was going to be with Vax for as long as the time they were given, he didnât need it to consider Vex his sister.
But making all of that official was awfully nice.
With a shower of sparklesâprobably just for effect rather than actual purpose, he conjured up two stemless wine glasses filled with a thick, red wine, and floated one over to Vex. âDarling, in all seriousness, I promised Vax, and Iâm making the same promise to you. You and Velora will always have a home with us. Thatâs just as important as everything else. Youâre not just his family, youâre my family, and no matter the hows and whats and whens, that will never change. Our kids will need their Auntie Vex around to traverse the woods with, because gods know this,â said with a gesture to himself, resplendent in aubergine silk, âIs not built for that.â
Even that joke didnât fail to produce something warm and ebulent in his chest. Shaun knew magic, felt it in the marrow of his bones, had so much of it it blossomed on his skin in golden runes. That feeling, however, was better and more powerful than any magic.
He swirled the wine around in the glass, and when he brought it up to his lips, he arched an eyebrow and then the other. âSo you see why youâre sworn to secrecy. Weâre in complete agreement with what we want, of course, itâs not going to be a surprise. Heâs trying to be very relaxed about the whole thing and I know he isnât. Heâs very cute when he drops hints, I canât help it, I swoon.â
It warmed Vexâs heart to hear Shaun say it. She knew she was family, knew that he loved her and Velora as dearly, albeit differently, as he loved her brother. But with everything they had all lost here and at home, it was nice to hear it, to know that it was true and that she wasnât and could never be alone. She needed to hear it and was grateful that Shaun was the kind of person willing to say it without her having to ask for it.
But as she swiped at her damp cheeks, she smiled back at him conspiratorially. âI have never been more motivated to keep secrets from my brother than I am now. My lips are completely sealed, darling. But I have to knowâdo you have ideas for how youâre planning to do it?â
For as well as she knew Vaxâildan and his preferences, she felt like a proposal could go any number of ways. She and Shaun shared in common their flare for dramatics and she could think of plenty of ways in which that could be used for popping the question. She also knew her brother would be just fine with something simple and intimate, which had its own merits, too. âWhatever you do, make it better than my own proposal,â she laughed, glad that it was easier these days to summon memories with humor. âIâm not even sure you could call what Percival and I had a proposal.â
Vex certainly looked lighter than she previously had whenever the mention of one tinkering gunslinger came up, and Shaun was glad for it. Sorrow, grief, longing, none of that went away overnight (if at all) and the idea of âmoving onâ was such a diminishing phrase. But that Vex was able to laugh and tease gave him hope that she saw a future for herself that was as bright and beautiful as she deserved.
âNew sweater enchanted with a pocket of holding, heâll find it when he finds it,â Gilmore said, with all of the confidence in the world in his beloved. Definitely.
Probably.
Alright, maybe after two weeks heâd start dropping hints of his own, that only seemed fair.
âYouâll know when he has it, because Iâll be pointing at you behind Vaxâs back rather frantically. Weâll have a signal.â There, that would cover his bases! Definitely.
Probably.
Before he could second guess all of his lifeâs choices, Shaun took another sip of wine and pointed a bejeweled finger at Vex. âNow, darling, you owe me a story! I want to hear all that you want to share. Wasnât darling Percival a bit of a romantic? He always struck me as such, at least, hidden underneath the lordship and all.â Their engagement, much like everything else Vex and Vax knew, was in the nebulous future that Shaun only had access to thanks to their memories. He had hope in Vox Machina for a better tomorrow, one without megalomaniac dragons. And they had won that better tomorrow, but with such a terrible, terrible cost. Vexâahlia having any sort of joy after that was something to be grateful for.
Vexâs eyes sparkled with mischief as Shaun explained his clearly foolproof plan to her. She knew her brother better than she often even knew herself, though, and part of her silently acknowledged that he could be as oblivious as the best of them. Hints may or may not work on him if hints were all he got. So, she tapped her fingers together and leaned forward. âWe need another signal, too. Like whenever you tug your earlobe, Iâll casually ask him for random things from his pocket. âVaxâildan, can you check your pockets for another random deposit of several thousand gold pieces that have gone unnoticed for two weeks?ââ She shifted her weight, crossing one leg over the other as she rested her chin atop a finger. ââDarling brother, could you see if you have any treats for Trinket in that lovely cardigan of yours?ââ
She sat back with a laugh, waving her hand flippantly. âIâll workshop it, come up with very nonchalant ways to make him dig around in there.â
A part of her hesitated, though, at the idea of sharing the story. She was finally at the point where saying Percyâs name didnât make her lose her breath, yes, but could she tell Shaun about how theyâd eloped without it hurting so damn much? She thought maybe it was time to try, that maybe how happy she was for the future her brother was going to have here was enough to be a balm on her slowly mending heart. So she gestured at the wine and replied, âWell, darling, if you summon us another bottle or two of wine and settle in, I will happily tell you everything.â