[EP] The Worst Birthday

[st_abby]

Of course, everybody had birthdays - even if they didn't know what day it was on the calendar, that didn't stop someone having them. Vax'ildan hadn't honestly thought much about it, until Joanna had got talking when to plant what one afternoon amongst the herbs in her garden. Seasons, months, weeks, days... They were different in this world from what Vax knew. Nevertheless, when he stopped to do a bit of his own math, he thought it must be very near his own birthday in Exandria.

Their birthday. His, by only a couple of minutes, and then Vex'ahlia's.

It seemed a stupid thing to get hung up about. But once it (she) had wormed its way into his brain, his heart, he couldn't get it (her) out, and it became a crushing reminder that Vex could be lost to him forever. He didn't have much in the way of distractions, and the more he tried to forget about it, the worse it had got until he sank into a drowning sulk. He avoided everyone and everything including his mirror-matched room, effectively vanishing for a few days on end, until gravely admitting that the only way out might very well be through.

Which is how he ended up sitting in the one corner of a booth in the cafe, armor exchanged for a simple sleeveless tunic and loose pants from Songrun, staring at the empty seat across from him with arms folded on the table in a bit of a hunch.

"Get us a drink," he told the passers-by mirthlessly, without so much as turning to look at them or stopping to count how many he'd had already. Did it matter? "It's our birthday."

Comments

[st_ockandbarrel]

Percy hardly had a Vax in trouble sense - it would likely never stop going off if he did - but he could do math as well as anyway. So it surprised him not in the least to see a wreck of a man collapsed into a booth with an impressive number of drinks before him considering the hour.

Because it was still a touch early, Percy brought a pitcher of water and carafe of coffee along as he joined Vax in the booth. He didn't ask for permission. This was a family matter.

He added two shots of his favorite whiskey to the table. "To Vex'ahlia."

[st_abby]

More than anyone, Percy had the right to join him. Which was funny, when Vax woozily thought about it. Percy. Vex. Death and smoke monsters and titles, the whole fucking lot. And here they were now, just the two of them.

He reached for the shot glass, hoisting it enthusiastically at Percy and only sloshing a drop or two along the way. "For Vex'ahlia," he agreed, his voice coming out a touch hoarse. "Too good, for either of us... But she wanted us anyway," he chased the remark by knocking back the whiskey. "Ohhh," he exhaled the alcoholic fumes.

[st_ockandbarrel]

Percy tossed the whiskey back as well, struck by a sudden memory of this same good burn shared with Vex in rather different circumstances. That had been after the Courage was gone and long before morning had arrived.

"You know when I fell in love with her?" Percy asked, setting the glass down carefully and refilling it from his flask.

[st_abby]

Vax just stared at him, surprised at the... At Percy. He held on to his empty glass, but hadn't got around to putting it back down yet.

"No," Vax admitted quietly.

[st_unning]

Alcuin stopped, and looked down at Vax. It seemed that he had had a few drinks already.

"Happy birthday," he said. "I can have one with you if you'd like." It was the least he could do, and he would also hate to see Vax drink himself into passing out, particularly alone.

[st_abby]

"...Alcuin?" Vax looked up at him as if surprised to see him there, which he sort of was. His eyes were red-rimmed, a bit bloodshot, but at least they were dry by now. "I mean, sure. Yes. Have one with me."

[st_unning]

"I've been learning to mix drinks," Alcuin said. "Why don't I make us both something?" He put a hand lightly on Vax's shoulder. "Something sweet, perhaps? Do you trust me?"

[st_abby]

"I... Will drink whatever you put in front of me right now," Vax told him, reaching to squeeze Alcuin's fingers. He smiled, of a sort, but it looked as pained as anything. "All of it."

[st_upidgravity]

Steph slid into the booth next to Vax and slung her arm over his shoulders to pull him into a one-armed hug. "So, what are we drinking?" Though cheerful, there was underlying sympathy in her tone. She wasn't going to judge his need to blot out the significance of the day.

[st_abby]

"Everything," Vax informed her. He accepted the hug, letting her pull him in close, but he tried to resist the urge to lean on Steph. Of course Steph would find him like this, looking pathetic. "I'm sorry. I'm drunk. I know you don't do drunk, because of... You don't have to," he rambled.

[st_upidgravity]

"Because my parents are addicts." She rested her head on his shoulder and snitched one of his many drinks. "This is a special occasion. I can have a drink if I want one to celebrate my buddy's birthday."

She sniffed the drink, decided it wasn't as awful as she'd expected and took a swallow. It burned all the way down. "Oh dear sweet baby Jesus on clouds."

[st_abby]

It was really disarming, that thing she did. The easy affection, the tucking herself up against his side. If this had been Tal'Dorei, he would have been suspicious of it, would have wondered who she was working for or what her angle was, who he might hurt or offend or compromise with a woman curled over his shoulder. Here, there wasn't room for conspiracy. It was just... Nice.

"Do all of those words together mean something good? Or is it bad? They. The words, you know what I mean."

[st_rigaetsica]

Vax didn't talk to Joanna about his twin sister often. Between his pain at missing her, and Joanna's of missing her children, it was maybe kinder to stick to distractions. But she couldn't watch him suffer alone like this, on their birthday.

Constance stopped her on her way from the bar to Vax's booth, shooting a glance his way, giving Joanna a plate of handpies, and asking "Try to get him to eat something?"

Sliding beside him into the booth, Joanna set both beer and food in front of Vax. Taking a sip from her own bottle of beer, after a moment, she said softly. "I remember Freya's first birthday apart from Frederick. I am so sorry, Vax."

[st_abby]

It was ironic, Vax had started to muse to himself. This whole pity party. It was mourning, is what it was. The Raven Queen's Champion in mourning. That was...something.

He stared at the beer and food that magically appeared before him on the table, but he didn't reach for them. He didn't move until Joanna's words managed to wind their way into his sluggish brain a moment later, but he turned to look at her intently once they had. "That's right," he reminded himself aloud. "Your children were...are... They're twins." He'd honestly forgotten, so deep into his self-indulgent funk.

[st_rigaetsica]

"They are, and they found their way back to each other in time," she said gently, not letting the weight of the centuries between sound in her voice. "You mustn't give up hope you'll celebrate with your sister again."

[st_abby]

He had tried to be good about waiting. Really he had. He'd tried being positive, staying busy, distracting himself with fuck-all. But he was so tired of it by now. And he just... "I just miss her. So much I feel broken," he admitted, a husky whisper. "Everything I've ever done in my life, has been with her. For her. Twinnies against the whole world."

Some of the things he'd done-

"Would you... Tell me about them?" Vax's eyes gleamed with a sheen of wetness as he looked up at her, intently. "Your Freya and Frederick. What are they like?"

[st_ingofthehundred]

Kash hadn't been with Vox Machina often enough or for long enough to develop a Jenga-sense, but Z hadn't answered his Sending again, no one needed healing, and nothing needed killing. A drink, or several, were all the day had to offer.

When he spotted Vax in the Cafe, he simply assumed that the rogue had come to a similar conclusion. He'd grabbed a pitcher from the pretty barmaid (who looked a little on the sad side, he thought) and two glasses and gone to join the guy without giving thought to the slumped over figure.

The words arrested him on several counts and while he empathized (Z was a sister as much as a lover), Vax didn't need him to coddle him. "Suck it up, Hot Dog. At least you can celebrate your nameday without remembering a wife you didn't want."

[st_abby]

"You're going to tell me I'm not allowed to miss my sister on our birthday because you win for suffering? Because you're...bound to a goddess that brings death, and that scares the shit out of you?" Vax hadn't looked over from where he'd graduated to a slump against the far wall of his booth seat, head resting against the wall. "I like you, Kash. But you are an asshole," he muttered.

[st_ingofthehundred]

Kash poured Vax another drink and shoved it in front of him with a shrug. "What'd you expect? A hug? Sympathy? Half a dozen beautiful men and women are already offering that." He took a long swallow of his ale which was, honestly, unexpectedly good. "I'd have straight up offered to let you hit me, but I'm not Grog and daggers hurt."

[st_oriedqueen]

For Regina, today was a day like any other day. Get up, have breakfast, go to her office, do paperwork, visit her daughter in the stables at lunch, check on her crops, go back to her office, convince herself that what she was doing would matter somehow, someday...the only real variation was whether she succeeded or failed. If she succeeded, she might indulge in a midnight gallop on horseback. If she failed, it was the sauna or a knock on the wall.

She wouldn't even have stopped in the cafe, except that she heard Vax slurring something about his birthday. No one ever wanted her at parties, but he was helping her in the fields and she ought to at least wish him a--

Oh dear.

"The royal we, is it?" Regina felt every minute of her three quarters of a century looking at him there. Maternal impulse overwhelmed her reserve such that she reached out and brushed a hand over his hair. "It must be bad. I don't use it and I am a queen."

[st_abby]

He'd had enough by now that the room was starting to tilt and shift somewhat around him in his seat. The woman's touch - he did know her voice, he was sure, but his perception was bleary, wits sodden, so that it took more time than it should to recognize her - startled him. On pure reflex, Vax'ildan snatched for the uninvited wrist, to yank the woman's hand away from him and clutch the delicate bones tight in his grasp. His empty hand flexed for where his belt would normally be. His expression as he turned on her was equal parts alarmed, confused, and grim with resolve.

It was exactly why he'd left his daggers in his room.

"R-Regina," he breathed in the next beat, sighing and letting her loose. "Fuck, I..."

[st_oriedqueen]

The fire at Regina's fingertips was instant, faster than thought, a trained-in reaction to being grabbed by anyone or anything. She doused it just as quickly and held still in Vax's grip until he released her. Her wrist would bruise, but that would hardly be the worst injury she'd suffered and far kinder than hundreds that she'd caused. No, she would neither complain, nor rub it in Vax's line of sight--not out of pride, but his gaze looked too guilty already.

Still, she couldn't quite hide the hurt in her eyes. As much as she knew it was both her own fault and well-deserved, she'd grown comfortable with not seeing revulsion and hate in people. Grown comfortable with them letting her brush shoulders with them without panic. Eyes closing briefly, she shook her head. "It's fine. I shouldn't have presumed touch would be welcome. My apologies."

[st_eelyourself]

From his favorite seat at the bar (the one with the best light and was close enough to chat with Kitty) Piotr couldn't help but notice that there was extra movement in the cafe. Throughout the evening, he's watched as a string of people came and went, all seemingly attempting (and failing) to cheer up but dark haired man he'd met in the pool.

Whatever it was that was going on, one thing was clear. The man was far better at getting people to buy him drinks than he was at holding his liquor.

Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him and Piotr decided to go see what was up. Grabbing the bottle of vodka he'd claimed for the evening (now half empty, though it had been full when he'd started), he made his way over and sat down.

"I would sing Birthday song for you, but it seems I did not get your name." Piotr shrugged, "Apparently my manners are as poor as my ability to float."

[st_abby]

Vax had to pick his head up from the surface of the table this time, and he blinked slowly at the large man. Grog. ...No, obviously, not Grog. But big as one. Close. Vax missed him, too, the childish brute.

"Don't know it," he mumbled at the fellow about the song. Scanlan would know, because he knew all kinds of songs. Or he would pretend he knew, or...make something up. But Scanlan wasn't here, either. "Don't need a song. Need a sister, and I haven't got one."

Yeah, so apparently Vax's manners (or at least some of his short-term memory) had drowned already.

[st_eelyourself]

"I will sing it for you when you are more likely to remember." At the mention of a sister, Piotr felt an all too familiar searing stab of pain. Wincing, he took a long pull from the bottle in his hand. "I am sorry. My sister has been lost to me as well."