[backdated March 4] Sup Ya'll? (Closed to Vox Machina & Co)

[st_illsinging]

The day after talking to Pike, Scanlan decided it was probably time to actually talk to everyone else. He had mixed feelings considering he knew a whole bunch more than literally everyone else. And also some of them were going to be pissed at him. Again.

Several days of rest had done the Gnome good and he moved to sit down in the lobby. A public place was probably good in case there was a huge fight, right? Settling down on one of the couches, Scanlan spoke into his earring.

Hey, so, you all probably heard I'm here already, but here's my official hello and I'm in the lobby if you want to say hi.

Then he picked up his lute and started playing a little, but he was mostly tuning and fixing - it was as if being in a big battle against a god could damage your instruments or something.

Comments

[st_illsinging]

Scanlan nodded. He knew that. He knew she deserved more. In fact, she really didn't deserve him which is why he had apologized that one time and backed off.

"Do you love Steph?" It came out as his thoughts went back to Vax and his future.

[st_abby]

The question surprised Vax a little, and it showed on his expression. Maybe because they hadn't had much of an opportunity to talk about Steph (or Kiki) before now, so it seemed sudden.

"...I do," he answered softly.

[st_illsinging]

He paused, looking Vax up and down for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Then good. I like her too." He didn't really know her, but the declaration had been made. Vax deserved to be happy before he was sent to die.

[st_abby]

Vax stared a bit. "Aren't you going to give me the whole... 'How could you, what about Keyleth, you're a terrible person for forgetting about her?'"

[st_illsinging]

Scanlan considered the question. "No. Because I don't think you have forgotten about her." Scanlan had loved a few people in his time, perhaps not as much as he loved Pike, but he knew that some people left a lingering impression more than others.

"Keyleth would want you to have somebody while you're stuck here too. She'd understand." At least, Scanaln thought so.

[st_abby]

Vax went quiet for a beat, and the words clutched at his heart, somehow, putting a wet sheen to his eyes. Leave it to a bard.

"...Thanks, for that. She's not Keyleth. But Stephanie, she's... She's something special, in her own right."

[st_illsinging]

From what Scanlan saw of her, he could tell she had a lot of spirit and that was always something that made him like a person. Life was too short for boring, meek people. He liked the mouth on her, too. Sass was an important thing to master.

"I can see that." He paused. "And she doesn't want to punch me in the face yet so that's another plus for her in my books."

[st_abby]

"She doesn't know you yet," Vax quipped, a small smile tugging the edges of his lips. "And she only has reasons to like you, so far. You should introduce yourself sometime."

[st_illsinging]

He grinned back. "That's fair... and I will. I thought I'd give her a few days to adjust to being a free woman again."

[st_abby]

"It was a good thought." It was on the back of his tongue, if not the tip, to say that Steph had been more upset about what it meant to have one more member of Vox Machina arrive, like a promise that Keyleth was on her way, than being jailed on an alien world.

"She's...back to her old self, more or less. And I think she'd like you," Vax said instead.

[st_illsinging]

Scanlan had to wonder if Vax was more worried if she'd like him, but he nodded. "Any tips?" He probably knew the human woman better than anyone else.

[st_abby]

"Are you asking me for advice about how to talk to a woman? You, Scanlan Shorthalt?" Vax found himself grinning unexpectedly. "Oh now I know we're on a different word for real."

[st_illsinging]

He smiled. "I didn't ask on how to talk to a woman, I'm asking about your woman. Mostly if there's anything I should avoid talking about so I don't get punched in the face." Steph seemed like the type to punch when unhappy. She was feisty.

[st_abby]

Vax was amused to find that he wasn't really so concerned for either of them. Steph knew how to put someone in their place if she wanted, not that she often would. Scanlan was sometimes a bit much for the uninitiated, sure, but Steph had a blessedly good sense of humor for the most part. It was one of the things he adored about her.

"Maybe don't dive into the subject of Kiki first thing. Otherwise, you just go on being your usual charming self."

[st_illsinging]

"Don't talk about you other girlfriend." His expression that he gave Vax as he said it seemed to say 'no shit', "I'll try to remember that." Then playfulness peaked into his eyes.

[st_abby]

"You just asked!" Vax couldn't help but smile into the words, and it was just like things had been all over again.

Nothing here was like it had been in Tal'Dorei but what they brought with them. But if they could have their friendships back, their family back together again... He wasn't sure how much else they needed.