#THEY WERE LEMON DROPS VAX

[multishipperlove]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Vax'ildan (Critical Role), Vex'ahlia (Critical Role), Syldor Vessar, Velora Vessar Additional Tags: Other Vox Machina members mentioned, hints at perc'ahlia, Trans Male Character, Trans Vax'ildan (Critical Role), Transphobia, Syldor Vessar's A+ Parenting, somehow this is really not the fic I wanted to write, and yet here we are, first time Vax meets Velora, Non-Consensual Outing Series: Part 6 of Trans Vax'ildan Summary:

It's the first time the twins see their father again after running away as teenagers, this time with a group of friends and some questionable fame to their name.

Not surprisingly, Vax gets into a fight with his father almost immediately. But on his way outside, to cool down again, he meets someone new.

Scanlan had told them about the offer two days ago. Now that they had somehow managed to make a name for themselves, apparently even high born Lords showed an interest in them. Or at least in the help they could provide.

None of them really knew any details. Scanlan hadn't bothered to remember more than the general gist of it, and all he'd told them was that some ambassador was missing his local contact, and they were supposed to look for the guy. Any further details, they were supposed to find out today, in a personal meeting with their employer.

After arriving at the estate, they were quickly ushered into some kind of waiting room by a servant. It was nice enough, with a big table in the middle and enough seats for all of them, as well as a small arrangement of food and drink that was freely offered. However, it was the name the servant uttered that got the twin's attention.

“Master Vessar will be right with you, he's cur-”

“What did you say?” Vax'ildan interrupted him, surprising not only the servant but also the rest of his party with his sharp tone. Except maybe for Vex'ahlia, who had an equally fiery look in her eyes, and her arms crossed over her chest.

The servant swallowed, seemingly frozen in his spot, and looked between Vax and everyone else in the room before breaking the tense silence that had fallen over them. “Excuse me?”

“Did you say Vessar?” Vax asked. His voice was still hard, but he visibly tried to relax his tone. After all, it wasn't the servant's fault he had to work for this man in particular. “As in, Syldor Vessar? Ambassador from Syngorn?”

“Yes, I was under the impression you were aware of that fact,” the man offered meekly.

The twins shot Scanlan a scathing look before Vex'ahlia answered, a forced friendliness in her voice now. “It seems that we missed some details here, but it won't be an issue. If you could just let him know that Vex'ahlia and Vax'ildan are among the people he wishes to see, that would be lovely.”

The man looked confused but nodded, which already told the twins he couldn't place their names. Not that it surprised them, they hadn't exactly expected their father to boast about them. But no recognition of them at all... it still hurt, in a way.

As soon as he was out the door, Vax turned on their gnome friend. “Of all the things you could forget to tell us, it had to be his name?! You could have at least mentioned that he was the ambassador for Syngorn!”

“How was I supposed to know?” Scanlan shot back in an attempt to defend himself, just as Vex pulled her brother back again.

“Let it go, Vax. There's no changing it now. And taking your anger out on Scanlan seems unwise, at best.”

Vax looked like he was about to argue, but Percy was faster. Or at least louder, as he asked the question that everyone in their party seemed to want an answer to. “Would you two maybe tell us how you know that man? There seems to be a history here that none of us are aware of.”

“Ha. History, sure, let's call it that,” Vax muttered, turning away from the group again. In his opinion, their father's neglect and abuse was far from being a thing of the past, as both of them still had enough scars to show for it. Not physical ones, but they were there nonetheless. And he wasn't keen on sharing that with the rest of the group, any of it. Especially not his little secret, which he had carefully buried in that time, which he'd hoped to leave behind with this new group of friends and their slow rise to fame.

But of course it had to catch up to him at some point.

Vex, seeing that her brother wouldn't talk, sighed softly. “Well, it's a bit complicated. Syldor Vessar is- he's our father.”

“Hm. I gather it was not a very positive relationship then,” Percy replied again, more gentle this time. He was the only one in their group now who didn't look decidedly uncomfortable, so she tried to concentrate on his face instead of looking at anybody else.

“No, it was not. But it's going to be fine, we will treat this job like any other and- and it's going to be fine. It's just a job,” she told them as she buried a hand in Trinket's fur, doing her best to ignore all the feelings that were welling up. They weren't helpful at the moment, and anyway, she was better than that. They both were.

Percy was about to say something again, but before he could utter a word, the door swung open again. Revealing no other than Syldor Vessar himself, and Vex wasn't sure if the look on his face was more surprised or more resembling of someone who had just bitten into a lemon. She certainly hadn't missed that expression.

Immediately, Vax tensed up beside her. Syldor mustered them up and down, as if he was looking at new furniture, or maybe a painting where he couldn't decide whether he liked it or not. And looking back, it was like nothing had changed.

They'd been gone for years, yet Syldor didn't show any sign of change. There wasn't even so much as a new wrinkle on his face, or his clothes for that matter. The man looked as prim and proper as he always had, and as if instead of leaving and managing to create a life on their own, they had just been dropped off on his doorstep again after spending the afternoon running from their teachers. It was almost surreal.

“Ah. So Levos was indeed telling the truth then,” Syldor finally spoke, breaking the silence once more. “It- has been a while. Vex'ahlia, Vale-”

“Vax'ildan,” Vax interrupted again, forcefully, before Syldor had a chance to finish that dreadful name. “It's Vax'ildan.” And really, he hadn't expected much from the man, but surely the tiniest bit of respect wasn't too much to ask for. He could already feel that uncomfortable fire in his gut again, that untamed anger he had carried with him through his childhood and teenage years, which he'd hoped to have left behind so long ago.

Vex moved closer to him, a protective barrier, and even Trinket, who was probably just reading her mood, started to growl. They were not bold enough to threaten the man in his own home, but wanted to make it very clear that he was the one who needed their help. They could leave at any moment.

Syldor raised an eyebrow at that, but nodded curtly. “Vax'ildan. Very well. If that is what you call yourself these days, so be it”

A look around the room into everyone else's confused expression let a cruel smile appear on the man's face, and it was only Vex' sudden grip on his shoulder that stopped Vax from physically attacking his father. “Don't you dare,” he ground out between gritted teeth. “You don't get to talk about that. You don't get to say a fucking word.”

“Vax, please,” Vex whispered, still holding him back with nothing but her presence and a grounding touch. “We're just here for the job, remember?”

“Right. The job,” Syldor remarked, and his entire demeanor shifted. It was almost as if all his unpleasantness was gone as soon as he wasn't focused on the twins anymore, and as he gestured for everyone else to take a seat at the table. “I do have a rather important mission, and apparently I need your help to get it done.”

Vex' shoulders dropped as he turned away from them, and she gently squeezed her brother's shoulder as she focused on him for a moment. “Are you okay?” she asked quietly. “I'm so sorry, we shouldn't have- if Scanlan had just remembered.”

“Well, he didn't,” Vax muttered back. “But it's fine. I'm- fine. Would you mind if I waited outside though? I'm sure you don't need me here at the moment.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, risking another glance at their father. “Do you want someone else to come with you at least?”

“No, I don't want any stupid questions,” he sighed. “I promise, I'm fine. Just let me get some fresh air.”

“You know we don't have to take this job. Right?”

That gave him pause. In a way, she was right. Just because they were better known now didn't mean they had to help everyone, and working with Syldor was the last thing he wanted. But then again- “We're heroes now, aren't we though,” he chuckled, trying to go for humor. “Someone could be in danger. At least listen to what he has to say.”

“Fine,” she sighed, though the worry didn't leave her eyes. “But if it's nothing life threatening, I will tell him to go fuck himself.”

“Oh, I count on that,” he replied amused, already feeling a little bit better. He gave her a brief hug and turned to leave. “But I'll let you be the judge of that. You can find me outside when you're done.”

“Alright. Take Trinket,” she told him, and when he didn't protest the bear got up with a slightly mournful groan and lumbered after him. Vax gave him a gentle scratch behind the ears for his troubles, and started to wander the hallways to find his way out again.

Now that he was by himself, and taking a closer look at his surroundings, he was wondering how they had missed it before. Here and there he could see clear remnants of his childhood, especially some of the paintings that lined the walls were familiar. All important elven figures from history long past, stuff he had stopped trying to care about when he'd realized that any attempt to get his father's love or, gods forbid, affection, was futile. The man simply didn't have any.

Trinket made another sad noise and licked his hand, before gently pressing his head against Vax' hips. “Alright, alright, I'll stop moping. You big baby,” he muttered back, finally taking his eyes off the paintings again. There wasn't any use in reminiscing about it anyway, it wouldn't suddenly make their childhood any more cheerful. Or their father's rejection less painful.

As he rounded another corner, convinced that the exit had to be here somewhere, he suddenly spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. But as he turned his head, looking back the way he came, nothing was there. The chance of running into anyone seriously dangerous in his father's house was low, but his hand still moved to the daggers on his belt as if on reflex.

For a moment, he thought that maybe he'd been imagining something, that being so close to these memories was doing weird things to his head. But then he heard a giggle, and a small face poked around the corner, all wide eyes and toothy smile. Long black hair framed the girl's fine features, only disturbed by her long, pointy ears.

“Velora!” Another voice called down the hallway, and the girl grinned widely and pressed a finger to her lips as she darted closer, quickly hiding behind him and Trinket. Vax could feel her gripping on to his coat, but before he could protest or say anything at all, really, an older woman came hurrying towards him. A maid, if he wasn't mistaken.

She stopped short when she saw him, and he quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Not an intruder, I promise,” he chuckled. “Just looking for the exit. I'm from Vox Machina, Syldor invited us.”

“Oh, of course,” the woman agreed quickly. “Have you seen a little girl run by, by any chance? She keeps running off, and I just-” She sighed, and looked around again as if she expected the girl to materialize somewhere in the hallway.

But Vax, still feeling the tug on his coat and remembering his own joy when he'd managed to escape his minders as a child, shook his head. “No, sorry, I didn't see anyone.”

The woman just nodded and then hurried off again, not bothering with another word. He could still hear her call for “Velora” though, and couldn't help but smile as well as the girl stepped in front of him, looking plenty smug.

He had expected her to be the daughter of the woman looking for her, or maybe of some other servant, but a closer look at her clothes seemed to prove him wrong. The fine purple dress she was wearing looked way too expensive for a servant child. Which would mean- no. There was no way.

Shaking the thought from his mind, he finally addressed her directly. “So you're Velora, huh? That's not nice, running from your caretakers.”

“But they're so boring,” she complained immediately, though most of her attention seemed to be with Trinket at the moment. “Why do you have a bear?”

“Well, he's not my bear, actually,” he told her, reaching out again and petting Trinket's head. “He belongs to my sister, but she lets me have him sometimes.”

“Why?”

He could have told her 'because I was sad', but that felt a bit too personal. So he shrugged and fibbed a little instead as he kneeled down beside her. “Just because she's cool like that. Do you want to pet him? I promise he doesn't bite.”

“Ooooh, can I really?” she asked excitedly, quickly taking a step closer. “Sometimes mommy takes me to the petting zoo they have here, but she only ever allows me to pet the little bunnies because she's afraid that the goats and sheep will bite me.”

“Well, that's because goats are bastards,” he chuckled. “Trinket is really nice though.”

“What's a bastard?”

Vax groaned internally. Right. Talking to a child. He should probably watch his language. “Ah, nothing, nevermind,” he said quickly, before gently nudging the little girl closer to the bear. Trinket gave her a careful sniff and then, to Vax surprise, made a sound of happy recognition and proceeded to lick her face. Luckily it didn't seem to scare her though, she only started to giggled again and wrapped her arms around his thick neck, as far as she could reach at least.

“Huh, I think he likes you,” Vax mumbled, before he carefully pulled her back again, despite her quiet protest. “But maybe we should get you back to where you belong now, okay? Before anyone gets really worried.”

Velora groaned quietly, her face settling into a firm pout. “I don't wanna tho. Laureen doesn't let me do anything fun, and mommy's doing important stuff too so she can't play with me.”

“Hmm. What about your daddy then?” Vax asked, though he really wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer to that. But again he told himself that there was no way he was related to this child. Surely Syldor would have told them if he had married, and especially if they had a half-sister. They had a right to know.

But of course, Velora immediately had to confirm his fear. “Daddy's busy, too. He's always busy though, because he's the ambassor or something, and that's really important.”

Holy fuck. They had a sister.

Vax could feel his hands getting clammy immediately, and had to bite his lips to keep his eyes from tearing up, not sure if what he was currently feeling was happiness, more anger, or all in all just overwhelming.

“So, uh, you're Syldor's kid, huh?” he asked softly.

Velora nodded, and if such a young child could look concerned, that was definitely her expression at the moment. “Why are you crying?” she asked back, just as quietly, and Vax quickly dragged a hand over his face with a wet laugh.

“Nothing, it's- nothing,” he replied quickly. “Hey, did your dad ever tell you anything about older siblings?”

Her eyes went wide again, but she shook her head. “No, why?”

“Because... I think I'm your brother.”