[ it's the sound, first - the dogs, the man. vax doesn't know him, but he knows what a noose is, and he jerks up from his seat immediately, on edge, because no one else is moving. no one in this fucking sham of an audience is doing anything. he starts to yell, a - ] What the fuck -
[ and then the woman steps forward next.
and it's.
it's strange. vax'ildan is no stranger to torture or violence or suffering. he's seen it all, experienced it all himself, even, but this feels impossible to watch. this - just seeing this woman sends a bolt of lightning that roots him to the spot, and makes his heart wrench in his chest. for a moment he's just stuck there like he's frozen in time, breath caught, silenced.
and for a brief moment, he doesn't recognize this person. does he?
does he?
he's looking at pointed ears. he's looking at a face that looks just like his own.
the first arrow hits and vax makes a choked off noise before he even realizes it. then the second the third the fourth the fifth and they keep coming and coming and
the name rips out of his throat before he even realizes, the scream of a wounded animal more so than a person, of a name, a person, vax could never forget - ]
VEX'AHLIA!
[ no.
no, no no no no no no no.
by the time the arrows stop, vax has leapt over the seat in front of him and tries to move further, but he can't. he slams his hands up against whatever's in the way, against the people in this fake audience, and it doesn't matter that it might be an illusion because vax'ildan knows her, and that's vex, and every other sight in this room narrows down as he watches his sister, his other half, his heart,
fade powerless and gurgling into dust, into nothing, his eyes locked with hers until she's gone
and vax is just standing here. useless. powerless, shaking with rage and despair and fury and agony all at once.
no subject
[ and then the woman steps forward next.
and it's.
it's strange. vax'ildan is no stranger to torture or violence or suffering. he's seen it all, experienced it all himself, even, but this feels impossible to watch. this - just seeing this woman sends a bolt of lightning that roots him to the spot, and makes his heart wrench in his chest. for a moment he's just stuck there like he's frozen in time, breath caught, silenced.
and for a brief moment, he doesn't recognize this person. does he?
does he?
he's looking at pointed ears. he's looking at a face that looks just like his own.
the first arrow hits and vax makes a choked off noise before he even realizes it. then the second the third the fourth the fifth and they keep coming and coming and
the name rips out of his throat before he even realizes, the scream of a wounded animal more so than a person, of a name, a person, vax could never forget - ]
VEX'AHLIA!
[ no.
no, no no no no no no no.
by the time the arrows stop, vax has leapt over the seat in front of him and tries to move further, but he can't. he slams his hands up against whatever's in the way, against the people in this fake audience, and it doesn't matter that it might be an illusion because vax'ildan knows her, and that's vex, and every other sight in this room narrows down as he watches his sister, his other half, his heart,
fade powerless and gurgling into dust, into nothing, his eyes locked with hers until she's gone
and vax is just standing here. useless. powerless, shaking with rage and despair and fury and agony all at once.
no raven queen to do anything, now. ]