[ oh, he smiles, when she calls him vax - and the minute he feels that emotional sway, he shakes his head. ]
Vax. [ just, gently. he prefers this being a sir is super weird most of the time but he likes jiuqing so much he let her call him whatever she wants. no awkward! just warm vibes.
but, yeah - that feeling of anger's familiar, and even the mention makes him briefly annoyed, too, brow furrowing. ]
's not that personal. He's so smug, I wanted to punch him in the nose. Like Percy at his worst, but worse - and condescending, too. [ ok this is actually just biased grumbling now. he's percy's attack dog. ] Told him to go fuck himself last week when he tried to act like he could've volunteered but didn't, or something.
[she's quietly grateful. she likes vax pretty well - she would, even if he wasn't percy's (future?) brother-in-law - but some part of her had always wondered if the lack of correction was his way of keeping her at a distance.
that's clearly not the case, though.]
What is wrong with him? Percy clearly wanted it to be you there with him. He's not doing anyone any favors by acting like he could have volunteered. [she gives a little huff.] He told me to take care of myself because I'm "too valuable" to get hurt, but I'm pretty sure he only said that because he wanted me to be able to treat him if he got injured.
I know my medical skills are useful, but he shouldn't have just said it like that!
whew. he was not expecting this conversation today, either! sometimes you vibe over both being ready to knife somebody for percy.
anyway it's not clear whether he's going to give an actual answer to this good for you emotion so jiuqing will have to decide if he's just being a terrible little gremlin or actually serious. who's to say! ]
anyway he's equally amused by this, though as jiuqing continues, he pauses - and then nods , ducking his head a little bit. ]
Course. I didn't want to beat around it. [ especially considering how suspicious emet was.... and that they had the same protect percy brain. ] I respect you more than that, doc.
[can you imagine if i got murdered next week because someone else thought she killed november but didn't talk to her about it. that would be hilarious.]
I appreciate that.
[a beat.]
I was going to ask you, too, but you sort of beat me to it...
[and his question had made it pretty clear he hadn't - why would he have asked her if she had, if he'd been the one to kill him? he would have already known the answer.]
vax's eyes crinkle at the corner when he laughs, a quiet noise. he's tired, and this has been a lot, but... it's just nice to know he and jiuqing are still on the same wavelength. ]
Wouldn't have had to be refracted, if it was me. If this place would've let me tell you, I would've told you straight up.
If it was you and you'd told me yesterday, I'd have made up a story about you helping me practice fighting and given myself some injuries to match so we could vouch for each other.
[jiuqing PLEASE.]
...but if it wasn't either one of us, then it probably was someone who was refracting. So... that's something we're going to have to take care of as well.
[she looks back. her expression is serious, and determination is obvious in her feelings - but there's an amount of fondness and gratitude that's impossible to miss, too.]
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Vax. [ just, gently. he prefers this being a sir is super weird most of the time but he likes jiuqing so much he let her call him whatever she wants. no awkward! just warm vibes.
but, yeah - that feeling of anger's familiar, and even the mention makes him briefly annoyed, too, brow furrowing. ]
's not that personal. He's so smug, I wanted to punch him in the nose. Like Percy at his worst, but worse - and condescending, too. [ ok this is actually just biased grumbling now. he's percy's attack dog. ] Told him to go fuck himself last week when he tried to act like he could've volunteered but didn't, or something.
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[she's quietly grateful. she likes vax pretty well - she would, even if he wasn't percy's (future?) brother-in-law - but some part of her had always wondered if the lack of correction was his way of keeping her at a distance.
that's clearly not the case, though.]
What is wrong with him? Percy clearly wanted it to be you there with him. He's not doing anyone any favors by acting like he could have volunteered. [she gives a little huff.] He told me to take care of myself because I'm "too valuable" to get hurt, but I'm pretty sure he only said that because he wanted me to be able to treat him if he got injured.
I know my medical skills are useful, but he shouldn't have just said it like that!
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[ vax thinks his summary is very succinct, personally!!! they shouldn't talk this way about a dead guy but whatever don't expect him to be sad ]
I'm gonna take his bed. [ stop you aren't moving out ]
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No, I want it! You can share Emet-Selch's.
[ :3 ]
I think his reaction to you trying that would be hilarious.
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[ lol
there is something
distinctly amused here ] Yeah, probably.
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grins
this is not how she expected coming over to see him was going to go but you know what she's not complaining
anyway, in her best emet-selch impression:]
Vax'ildan, you didn't. Get out from under those covers this instant!
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Doc! [ wheeze ] Could've thought he was right there! That, and then he'd make a face and keep bitching about it, but he'd let me stay anyway.
[ i hate that i have to do this
anyway jiuqing will get a sense of something very affectionate underneath a thick layer of gremlin amusement while he's snickering. ]
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jiuqing smiles at feeling that affection.
is good for you an emotion? because she's feeling it right now.]
That sounds like something he'd do, yes! ...but it also sort of sounds like you're speaking from experience?
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[ playful!! he winks.
whew. he was not expecting this conversation today, either! sometimes you vibe over both being ready to knife somebody for percy.
anyway it's not clear whether he's going to give an actual answer to this good for you emotion so jiuqing will have to decide if he's just being a terrible little gremlin or actually serious. who's to say! ]
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[jiuqing did not mean that as an innuendo but i did and then i immediately got embarrassed about it. anyway.
some of her amusement fades - it doesn't vanish entirely, just becomes an undercurrent to the gratefulness that bubbles up in her, instead.]
...thank you, Vax. For asking me about what you thought I did directly.
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anyway he's equally amused by this, though as jiuqing continues, he pauses - and then nods , ducking his head a little bit. ]
Course. I didn't want to beat around it. [ especially considering how suspicious emet was.... and that they had the same protect percy brain. ] I respect you more than that, doc.
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I appreciate that.
[a beat.]
I was going to ask you, too, but you sort of beat me to it...
[and his question had made it pretty clear he hadn't - why would he have asked her if she had, if he'd been the one to kill him? he would have already known the answer.]
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vax's eyes crinkle at the corner when he laughs, a quiet noise. he's tired, and this has been a lot, but... it's just nice to know he and jiuqing are still on the same wavelength. ]
Wouldn't have had to be refracted, if it was me. If this place would've let me tell you, I would've told you straight up.
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[jiuqing PLEASE.]
...but if it wasn't either one of us, then it probably was someone who was refracting. So... that's something we're going to have to take care of as well.
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actually.
he frowns. ]
.... Fighting and giving injuries, huh.
[ now wait just a damn minute ]
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[
oh.
jiuqing pulls out her phone and texts something to someone.]
Did you just think of the same thing I did, Vax?
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looks into the camera like this is the office ]
The fucking blood was a pair of pants.
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[heading for the door!]
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[ before she can get away, she'll feel a ripple of concern. vax's expression is very honest - worry, and care. ]
...Be careful, alright?
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I will be. Thank you.
[and she's out!]