#the de rolo kids

[ravenclawerised]

Critical Role Campaign 3 Episode 114 Spoilers

All I can think about are the de Rolo kids watching their parents disappear through the Sun Tree off to a dangerous battle where they may not return.

They only had two minutes to absorb what their parents were saying/specifically not saying before they disappeared into the tree.

Does young Vax'ildan regret brushing off what might have been the last kiss his mother gave him? Does he crowd close to his siblings and not leave Vesper's side, determined to follow Percy's last command to listen to her?

Does Vesper struggle to hold herself together in that moment, knowing she is looked at to lead? She's been raised and trained for this moment, but did she think she had another twenty years before she would be called upon?

Does Gwen try to stay by the Sun Tree waiting for them to return? Is she taken back to the castle when it gets dark only to sneak back out to the tree, shadowed carefully by Leona who hasn't let her out of her sight since Vex told her to watch her?

Does Wolfe promise Gwen they can all take turns waiting by the tree so someone will be there to greet their parents when they come home if only to get Gwen to go back to the castle?

Does Vesper have a moment where she feels something shift in the world as Vex lays dying before it fades as a star from the Everlight brings her mother back to the world?

Does the Tree open a day after their parents disappeared and they watch their beat up and bedraggled parents stumble through, Percy's gun broken, Vex's armor bloody and with a large slash mark that should have heralded a mortal wound?

Does young Vax sprint up to his mother and return the hug he previously brushed off before spotting the man in black holding his mother's hand?

Does Gwen try to pretend she was fine but refuses to let Percy out of her sight? Does she keep a hand on his cloak while staring curiously at the man in black?

Do all of the children escort them to the castle, a little nervous around their Uncle whom Wolfe senses just enough of "came back wrong/different" that he is wary? But also so curious to meet this man so beloved by their parents.

And does Uncle Vax look at all five of their faces and be reassured, once again, that his choice that day in the Sunken Tomb was and would always be worth it.

[reilora-borealis]

Taliesin claiming that Laura is the pilot of this ship [perc'ahlia] but then saying that he makes direct eye contact with her while recording their sex noises is hilarious to me. Laura may be driving the car but Taliesin is in the backseat yelling "MCDONALDS MCDONALDS"

[deep-swamp-bog]

So I've been thinking about Vesper and her siblings because of the episode. And doing some quick math Vesper is canonically 30 years old. And the way that Matt described the rest of the kids, they're All teens besides Gwen, who is a literal child. Which basically means that means Vesper lived the majority of her youth, the first 10ish maybe 12 of her life, AS AN ONLY CHILD before a rapid onslaught of siblings just started POPPING OUT. The amount of whiplash that this POOR KID experienced CRAZY.

[shorthaltsjester]

you ever think about vex and percy being so stand-offish and snarky to vox machina but vex being the first one to call them all family and percy cushioning scanlan’s leaving by reminding them they are a family, and percy quietly confessing to grog that it’s nice to have an older brother again? you ever think about the fact that percy and vex, members of a party that — except on rare occasions — existed as a group of seven, had five kids?

[andi-o-geyser]

all my favourite characters are just me seeing them and going "damn you sure do clean up well but I'd much rather see you grinning with blood between your teeth"

[little-miss-doe]

The Ripley comic gave me many things, but most importantly a new winner for the "most pathetic looking Percy" contest.

[nowyoursoulisforfeit]

As the daughter of a DIY sort of father, I need everyone to know how important the idea of Percy doing projects with his kids is to me.

[kazzlemilowho]

'You have the twins, let me have this one.'

Imagine Vax Jr and Vesper hearing this because just think about it.

Vax is named after his uncle Vax and Vesper is named after Percy's sister, both of dead relatives. And yet they both aren't the closest to their parents.

I like to think Vesper used to be Percy's favourite and was a daddys girl, but then Gwendolyn came along. Vesper definitely struggled with being the eldest daughter and keeping appearances, so she felt like she couldn't be jealous of Gwendolyn because she was an adult and Gwendolyn is a child.

Danny (Vax Jr) was named after a man who was close to everyone Danny currently knows, his aunt Kiki was Vax'ildans lover, his mother Vex was the twin of Vax'ildan and the rest of his aunts and uncles know Vax'ildan as a great friend and someone to be honoured. But Danny doesn't think he's anything like him and feels like he brings shame to Vax's name.

When Vesper finds out about how Vax is facing the same problems as her, she just hugs him. He accepts it. From then on, the two kept checking in on each other and talked for hours and hours on end in private. Vax jokely calld Vesper 'Mum' on occasion when its just the two of them but he really does appreciate Vesper stepping up to help him when Vex and Percy both were unaware of what was going on.

Keyleth is well aware of what Vesper and Vax bond over and often helps them. She makes sure to talk to Vesper often and spoils Danny a bit more than his siblings. She lets him stay over the night in Zephrah when he can't handle the rest of the family and teaches him all about the Matron Of Ravens, so he understands why he is named after Vax.

Vex and Percy one day find out (via Gwen), but decide to let them keep their secrets but start trying to quietly help them. Percy spends more time with Vesper and asks her to join him in his office with Gwendolyn. Vex tells Danny stories of Vax being a dumbass ('Those damn boots').

[the-promise-has-been-made]

'Let's go find our ladies' he says. This man is so married it's making me insane.

[hayleysayshay]

Percy SHOULD have a hole in his hand because imagine him with his kids. He could wear a pair of gloves and poke a pencil through and pretend he’s been stabbed. Kids love touching the hand hole.

[authormars]

He looks so SAD

You know that was the first time he's ever felt something like that and Vex is over here like "I didn't feel anything"

[sixofclovers]

trying for 24fps on singles w this remake

[prankprincess123]

Vox Machina post c3e114 angsty potential conversation that's been circling my head:

"If you have to leave and hurt Mum and Aunt Kiki again, I will NEVER forgive you."

"Don't worry, I haven't forgiven myself for hurting them the first time I had to leave, and I'm not sure your father has either."

[screechingfromthevoid]

I think the kids are waiting at the sun tree. They've never really done that before. Sleeping by the sun tree. But as they watched their parents and their friends disappear, with fear in their eyes, it was a day full of firsts.

Wolfe ends up running off in a sort of fit. Leona runs after him. They both feel more at home in the woods. They probably went there to calm down. Vesper, as the oldest, decided she needed to get some things in order. Just in case.

And Gwen was going to leave, sneak into her father's office, past all his traps and rigging, until she notices Vax just standing there. Staring at the seams in the bark that aren't really there. She watched him collapse, sitting crisscross on the roots.

So she stayed. She sat next to her big brother, close and leaning on him. Though, she wasn't there looking for support. She had watched his cocky, teenage attitude melt away into a panic. Vax'ildan was panicking.

"They'll be okay," she told him. "They're the heros of the realm. They'll save uncle Vax and the world and come home." She sounded so sure. He had to believe she was right.

They stay there though. For hours. It might have been the most time the pair ever spent with each other. The sun starts wane and their home turns golden and their parents aren't back yet.

Leona and Wolfe come back, their faces red and a little dirty. They hadn't even taken their leathers off. Like they were going home when they saw their siblings still waiting. They flank their siblings, Leona wrapping an arm around Vax's shoulder and Wolfe taking Gwen's hand. Also contented to wait.

The sky is purple by the time Vesper came with blankets, pillows, and large boxes from The Slayer's Cakes. She had all of her siblings favorites picked out. Trinket 's bear claws for Leona. Sun treats for Gwendolyn. Trayon's Blondies for Vax. Keyleth 's almond bark for Wolfe. And her own personal favorite Everlight-as-Air Scones. She brought enough to count as dinner. She wasn't their head of household. She was their big sister. She didn't need to make sure they ate well or went to bed on time. That wasn't her job. Not yet.

The stars were out that night for them, granting them the family time that they desperately needed. They laughed and stole each other's pastries. They danced around any subject related to parents or their aunts and uncles away. Hunting and tinkering and spying were all fair game. The twins fought, Vax'ildan rolled his eyes and they got him to smile. Gwen listened carefully. Vesper counted the hours since their parents left.

She thought the sun might rise and they'd never see them again. She thought they would have to gather their things in the morning sun and start their new lives emerging from the roots on the sun trees. She thought-

The bark of the sun tree cracked and groaned as it split. All of the De Rolo children held their breaths. Aunt Pike, Uncle Scanlan (in centaur form?), the ashari man, Uncle Grog, a very beautiful and very scary elf woman.

Then father. Then mother hanging on the arm of a strange man they recognized immediately.

[shorthaltsjester]

sobbing pissing screaming . vex and percy talking to their children as they leave them behind to fight an apocalypse (to free vax) and percy telling them “we expect you to be our best selves.” two people whose most consistent association with family was loss and who both thought themselves to be unworthy and not good, seeing the best of themselves through each other’s eyes and now finding the best of both of them in their children. i cannot describe how much im obsessed with the de rolos. i will never get over them.

[andi-o-geyser]

A compilation of my favourite Perc’ahlia lines because I’m such a sucker for them:

“She is my heart and my judgement and the future that I have chosen.” (Percy)

“Darling, take the mask off.” (Vex)

“Every time I thought I would sink, I would see your face- your face, the first time I truly lost control, and you told me to take off the mask.“ (Percy)

“You're a good person and you're not broken anymore. All right? We're filling each other's gaps. We'll be the glue.“ (Vex)

 “Never forget you’re my favourite.” (Percy)

“I’ve known a lot of people with money, and they are definitely not worth you.” (Percy)

“Nice shootin’, stud.” (Vex)

“You’ll have to amend that one name, just to be fair. It’s Lady Vex’ahlia. Lady Vex’ahlia, Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt.” (Percy)

“My heart is someone else’s.” (Vex)

“I should have told you: it’s yours.” (Vex)

“There was a hole in my heart, and I truly believe the only reason I didn't perish from it was because you were holding my heart so tightly. I thank the gods I gave it to you. It is yours, forever and always.“ (Vex)

“I just scream, I scream.” (Vex)

“I need you here now, I need you here.” (Percy)

“You still have a little blood behind your ear.” (Vex)

“But I don’t want to be here if you’re not. Whitestone still needs you, darling. I still need you here.“ (Vex)

“You’re far too wonderful for an idiot.“ (Percy)

“He’s married, to me, and I will cut you.” (Vex)

“You have given me a future I had cheaply sold away.“ (Percy)

“You allowed me to be a part of the thing that you hold dearest. And I was so proud.“ (Vex)

“Vex, I heard you. It was the only thing I heard.” (Percy)

“Were you going to fight the Raven Queen for me?” (Vex)

“I promise to walk into the future with you. I promise to build a family with you. And I promise to always be here for an adventure with you.“ (Percy)