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Harpy Hare, where have you buried all your children?
Tell me, so I say
Harpy Hare, where have you buried all your children?
Tell me, so I say
Percy never thought to rest. The sound of interlocking mechanisms and hammering hitting and sculpturing metal always drew him awake. The smell of soot and sulfur is pungent, something familiar like a distant family member. It was both hurtful off putting yet familiar. It was hard to describe what he was seeing. Soon he was drawn out from his thoughts as the hammer came too close to his hand, he pulled back trying to stop getting hurt. then the flying hammer smacked his tail at the end “shit!”
The sheering pain went up his spine. he cursed as he went to rest his tail on his hand as he rushed to run it under cool water. He always hid himself from others, his hands were rough and scared. His family from the wilds, he was cat sith his sister Cass is one too. Great grandma was a baobhan-Sith, grandma is Leanan sídhe and father was a mix of a changing and Leanan sídhe. Mother was only human in the family. She did know of their family secrets. Now the family secrets were hidden once more.
He smells of vax, his dear husband. The same pepper and sea salt mixing with burnt wood. he walking down the stairs. percy hears each step and each flutter of the wings of his dear. The wilds before when they were still traveling and saving the world was different from the wilds he hails from. He looked up once vax got down the stairs in a hurry. He spoke “oh Freddie how long have you spend down here?” percy never could lie to the raven’s chosen. That man is a blood hound to lies. “Maybe I... few days?” he asked, completely not sure. He looked at the calendar and clock “nope only five hours.
“Good,” vax got closer “you have fur and a tail? Did something happen?” he was then swarmed around by his husband, percy then realized the ring he often wore was gone. He was quick to check. He looked to the ring on the ring tray on the desk across from them both. Percy felt vax touching his mostly still human hands with small claws and brown fur. white running through. He was checking for any burns His tail was cooler, and the burn was bad, it was over a healed burn scar from years ago.
He freezes when vax runs against the grain to see the injury. He sees the discomfort and stops “sorry.” Percy then answered with some humor “I forgot, didn’t I? And no, it is from a curse.” vax looked over to the objects and asked “what are you saying?” percy chuckles “right I oh right I haven’t told anyone this.” He then sways a bit.
Vax then having to catch him spoke “you need to rest we will talk later.” Percy’s eyes were closed even before he was told this. Everything was warm, soft things were all around them. His fur was no longer hidden, his ears were where his human ones were.
Now he looked like a tabaxi. His tail was wrapped, and he could smell the scent of vax. He opened one eye, and he saw his husband, his dear.
All the arrows that you've stolen
Split in half, now bum and broken
Like your heart that was so eager to be hid
You can't keep them all caged
They will fight and run away
Mother, tell me, so I say
“So, you wanted to tell me something?” he asked carefully “or was that just the exhaustion?” Percy huffs “well, it is because my family is from the fey wilds not the one, we went to.” He gave Percy a look and percy spoke “we are human that is true, but our blood is fey too. Only my father’s side though, I am a cat sith and this,” he smiles as he points to himself and then the ring.
Vax nods “okay then do you still want the ring back?” Percy spoke “well I like it off when I am in the private half of the castle.” Vax felt sad and then spoke “why didn’t you tell us?” percy went quiet and he pulled the blankets in closer. He looked very ashamed “I thought you would hate me,” Vax felt even worse as he listened for, he had made Percy think he couldn’t tell any of them. “I am a fey most would be terrified of me since power of names and everything,” he was about to cry. Vax was watching and trying to find a way to help percy “also most think why couldn’t I stop the briarwoods. I was weak not—" then vax quickly moved to hold him “no Freddie, i would never hate you. You were born fey you couldn’t control that.”
Vax would make sure that percy knew that “you are not a monster,” he was holding percy as he spoke “I know that i will never understand your pain of being you. Yet I can tell you are still the Percival I love dear. Vox machina still cares. I don’t want to hear about how you should have stopped them. You were still a child when they all attacked you, I don’t think you weak you are strong.” He was being truthful, percy smile softly as he took the covers around him to wrap vax into the warmth. They were now cuddled next to each other as the covers were drawn around them.
Percy knew that Vax had a question but didn’t ask it. percy looked over and realized his glasses were still off his head. “You can ask the question.” He mumbles as he reaches for his glasses “is your real name Percival? Also, since we gave you, our names do you have our souls to conrt—” percy looked mortified “no!” he sees vax recoil and percy gulps down some embarrassment “what I mean is my name is my real name. well, it the common translation and I don’t do that, well anymore.”
“Oh, so if you never made that deal the list would be different?” asked vax with a bit of a sadness “vax, if I never made the deal… the list would still happen there wouldn’t be a demon there… only the names and my anger.” He looked so tired even with his nap his head still hurt, his bones now ached. He painfully moved back. His joints were grinding against the bones, the pain the pain not as bad as most days. He sighed once vax moved back “vax I just... oh, I just never told since I never thought I would need to explain that…” vax then without words went to look at the old scars. The white and brown fur was short and thinner around the scars making them easier to find. “no, she didn’t find out thank gods.” Percy answered softly and Vax then went to kiss the scars.
This results with percy staring at his husband with confusion “still beautiful.” Vax reminds him “my husband is still my husband percy.” Percy laughs it was loud startling laugh “oh please I know I look weird.” Vax smirks as he plants more kisses on percy who smiles. “I don’t *kiss* care.”
“When will you stop?” Vax smirks more before going back to kiss. “When each scar is kissed, and you know you are loved.” Percy rolls his eyes “that may take a long time.” Vax thinks for a moment pulling away and staring at him “sure. I have waited and loved you for years now, I will stay here and care.” this makes percy flush and giggle.
“Even when you have to leave because of the raven?” vax then held Percy’s face and planted a big kiss on his forehead “yes because I will come back.” percy smiles at his half elf, one who was touch by raven. vax his dear one. Percy lets him. They spend the rest of the day resting. Percy soaks in the touches. He was hungry and tried to leave but when he opened his eyes, he saw some fruits and some leftover ham. The fresh reheated smell makes percy reach out and grab the slices of meat and down the slices in seconds. Vax was stunned on how quickly it was devoured. He then tears into the pomegranate and all the juice stuck on his face. “You like the fruit?” There was a moment of silence before Vax did it. Vax uses his thumb to wipe off some of the juice He waited as he sucks off the juice. This stuns percy “so what do you think?” Percy looked embarrassed and nodded. Vax smiled fondly as he got to percy and sat on top of the covers. “You look so cute.” he then kissed percy on the forehead before he wipes off the fruit juice again and lick it “i like it too.” this makes percy red with embarrassment as he was answering. He looks down. He thought that it was hot. Vax soon wipes off the rest with a rag before he had some too. They went back to chilling in bed as percy had his hair brush and his fur too. Vax was so in love when he saw how percy slow blinks and purrs like a cat. He knew that cats blink slowly as a sign of affection and love. His fur was healthy but a bit dull but maybe it was just the day’s work.
He was brushing when he reached the scars on Percy's back “hey percy what type of fey were your family members?” percy then spoke “most were changelings, elves from our feywild called the otherworld. Cat-siths, baobhan-Siths and Leanan sídhe,” he stops to stretch and then spoke “also there were a few fairies not the ones you think of, also this is only on my dad side.”
“What are baobhan-Siths and Leanan sídhe again? I had to study some of the fey from the otherworld.” vax asked and percy sighed “the first one is a Celtic succubus and the other is a Celtic vampire.” vax nods “right.” he remembers Sylas and percy noticed his fearful look “my grandma is Leanan sídhe but not like Sylas. They work differently. They drink the blood when the person died and after they be someone muse and leading to the person’s death.” he sounded so sure, but vax knew percy came from is a bit different. “Nice.”
They went on and after percy had gotten a bath and he dried himself with towels. He saw the muscles that Vax had a percy still blushing, looked at himself and saw the pudgy fat and he was happy. He didn't feel like hunger might take him. He was fed and safe, that matters more than human’s beauty standards. Also, it makes cuddling fun. He was now sitting in a silk shirt that went down his ankles. His fur felt better as it was no longer stuck to ash and coal. Vax plopped himself right next to percy who felt his tail being touched as he laid across vax’s lap.
“So, you have more family that is alive?” percy froze thinking as he felt his hair being played with. “i mean yeah? Most weren't here when the briarwoods attacked.” vax nods as they went on and soon percy and vax both fell asleep. Vax smiles as his eyes flutter shut.
==
“i am off now,” percy looked annoyed. He groans as he slightly pushes off now completely in cat form “i am looking for Vex and Cassandra.” this makes percy calm down and let go of vax’s hand. Vax noticed the cat but since percy looked cat like earlier he didn't mind or comment.
He soon went out of the room leaving his cloak behind.
Casandra and vex, vax caught both asleep in the garden near Percy’s roses who were planted for vesper and their mom. They were both asleep and vex had some dirt on her face as she curled up against Cassandra as she looked how like percy does. Yet her fur was black. She also looked bigger too.
He walks over to the sleeping pair. He crouches down and shakes Cass awake “hey Cass.” her blue eyes snap open and she hisses before she sees vax “i have a question.” she looked pissed off, but vax thinks it just her resting face and vex slowly stirred awake. Cass’s tail flicked around annoyed “what?”
“Where is the rest of your family on your dad’s side?” Cass got a look from vex who then glares down vax “oh right they are in the otherworld, our feywild. Now leave.”
Vax rolls his eyes and then leaves “okay.”
“Wait did you see percy without his ring?” this makes vax turn his head “yeah why?”
“Okay.” Cass sat as she then got up and helped vex up who looked almost awake. They still had gardening to do, and he looked at the castle. he swears he sees a creature who seems to be a snake with hands and wings and a screech like a seagull as it went off somewhere on the tallest spryer. He was confused and then walks back inside to percy.
“Perc i saw this creature outside.” percy looks up as he was reading “how did it look?” vax spoke “a serpent with hands and wings also sounds like a seagull, i think.” he sees percy eyes flash with recognition “oh that my very, very grand aunt Melusine. She often comes by before leaving.”
He then went back to reading. Vax was impressed and then went to sit next to percy as he reads. Vax likes these moments of peace from their jobs. “i love you so much.”
Percy smiles bright and then spoke “Is breá liom tú, níos mó ná mar a fhios agat.” vax asked “what?” percy then snorts “it means i love you too.”