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Chapter Text

Soft puffs of breath sounded through the dance studio, movement able to be seen within. Vax'ildan let out a slot and steady breath as he extended his leg behind himself slowly as his upper body leaned forward. The pose was held for only a moment before he straightened up, leg kicking out to the side, and then straight up in the air. 

"Your breathing too hard, Vax. Its making you wobble. I can hear you from over here!" 

Dropping back to both feet, concentration lost, Vax turned to glare over at his twin sister, Vex'ahlia who sat on the opposite side of the studio, arms wrapped around her knees. "Cheers, Stubby. Real helpful." he grumbles back, shuffling back to the center of the floor, pointe shoes tapping against the ground as he walked. He had argued with various lecturers and faculty about him wearing pointe shoes, as it was seen as something only women wore, whilst men wore soft slippers. 

But Vax'ildan was nothing, if not a bit of a bastard. And he very much hated being told that he couldnt do something. So he was taught to go en pointe, as well as most 'feminine' styles of ballet alongside other forms. He very much enjoyed the additional freedom that having the wider knowledge granted him, but at a cost. The expectations put upon the half-elf were much higher, due to his stubbornness and insistence, pushing him further and further to prove his point. 

"I just need to get this fucking leg to cooperate, then ill be fine!" 

Rolling her eyes as she shifted up onto her feet, Vex padded over to her twin brother, standing behind him. "Here. I think your not twisting your hip and rotating your leg out enough. Try it again, and ill catch it if you dont get it right" she stated, arm held up to her side, ready to catch his ankle. She couldnt dance like her brother, not by a long shot, as she  had refused to attend those lessons growing up. But she supported her twins interest in the pursuit, and it had gotten them placed within the University well enough, which had been a bonus. 

Shooting only a fake annoyed eye roll into the mirrored wall towards his twin, Vax set his arms into position in front of himself, head held up and to the side, spine straight. Taking a slower breath as he rolled up onto his toe box on his right leg, left leg kicking up once again, he watched himself in the mirror, slight scowl over his features. It was still not quite getting up as much as he wanted to, Vex catching him by the heel before his leg could come back down onto the floor.

"Try rotating outwards a bit. Your keeping your leg turned forward. Try out to the side a touch more" 

Letting his sister manhandle him slightly to show what she meant, leg turning out only a little away from himself, Vax felt the position marginally more comfortable to hold. "Ok, ill try that." he muttered, trying to keep his frustration to himself, lowering down onto the flats of his feet, shaking his legs out for a moment. Repositioning himself once again to his starting position, arms and head held up, the half-elf pulled himself back up en pointe as he kicked his leg up with the slight rotation. It felt much easier to achieve and raise the leg, foot reaching more parallel to his head as intended for the pointed kick. 

"See? Im always right, brother" Vex shrugged with a grin, shoving her twin lightly on the shoulder before wandering back towards her stuff across the studio. She knew most of the methods and components for ballet for Vax, even if she didnt dance it herself, much to her brothers amusement and teasing. "What are you going to do about your portfolio though, for end of year, Vax? No on in the department will work with you anymore, and it has to be a student here that takes the images" she called over, pulling out a bottle of water from her bag. Rolling it hard across the floor towards Vax, she plopped back down by her bag, fetching her phone, legs crossed at the ankles. 

Groaning as he picked up the bottle before it skittered away too far, wandering back over towards his sister, throwing in a couple small lazy pirouettes as he thought, Vax shrugged. Lazy for Vax, at least. He still kept his form straight and poised even when messing around. "Not a clue. Could try and see if any need another model for their coursework, again? Then ask them to be my portfolio photographer then?" he suggested, kneeling down by Vex as he took several large mouthfuls from the bottle.

He had been rehearsing most of the later afternoon, but that one portion of his routine had been really annoying him. Yes, he had gotten the rotation to feel better, but he still had to practice it within the full routine to see if it worked well. He would probably be up either early morning to try, or another later evening, to ensure the studio space was free. 

"Really? You tried that way before, and they still kicked you out. Your a pain to work with, according to them, and even the first year students are told horror stories of the 'broody black haired ballerina' that bosses them around. And made not one, but two cry, Vax!" 

"Fuck! I cannot fail this because someone wont take my fucking photo how i want them too!" Vax growled loudly in frustration, flopping onto his back, arms flopping on either side of his head. He kept smacking the toe box of his shoes onto the floor on purpose, making loud thudding noises. He knew fine well that it irritated the life out of his sister very quickly, but he was annoyed and at his wits end as was. So double annoyance obviously seemed like the right thing to do, in his mind. 

A soft knock came from the studio door a moment later, before a white haired student stepped inside, blue woolen coat pulled tight around his frame. "Apologies for the disruption. I was wondering if i could intrude for just a moment. No more than..." the student looked around the studio quickly, blue eyes darting around "...no more than three minutes, at the very most. Was told there were some of the bars here that needed repairs, so ive to get the specs for them, to get the required parts on order" he explained, stepping inside the room, door clicking shut behind. 

Vax groaned as he rolled his head to the side, watching the student coming in, fresh annoyance bubbling up inside himself. "By all means. Fondle and write down what ever you need. I'm just warming down anyway" he grumbled quietly, getting back up onto his feet. The white haired student nodded as he went to step inside the room more, getting a loud chastising noise from the standing ballerina within. "Shoes off! Dont care if you're here for a minute, or an hour. Not having you fuck up my floor with dirt!" Vax snapped out sharply, shaking his head slightly, as if it were common knowledge. 

"Apologies" 

The student gently toed out of his shoes, nudging them to the side of the door, before stepping towards the first row of bars that joined from the left hand side of the studio, nearest the door. Lifting his bag off to rest in front of himself, he crouched down to peer underneath the bars, hands opening the bags zip without looking, one hand lifting to push round glasses up his nose. Vax sighed as he stood at the opposite end of the bars, one foot resting up on it as he leaned forward to stretch. 

Pulling out a rather high end camera, the bundled up student frowned softly at the bars, turning the device on, zooming closely to the bolts and brackets holding the bars in place. Vax glanced over towards his sister, through the mirror wall, catching her eye, before looking back at the student. He did not recognise him from the photography department, unless they hid away someone from him to be yelled at by. The white haired man took another photo, this time several steps back, to show a portion of the bars themselves, before putting them camera away entirely in favour of lifting out a small notebook. 

"I dont think that piece is even made any more. Might need to custom cut the size needed" he pondered quietly to himself, wetting the pad of his thumb to flick through the rather scribble filled notebook, evidently intent on finding something specific. Vax stared at the motion for a moment, looking confused at the shift from camera to battered notebook in the span of a minute. 

"Huh? What department are you from, anyway?" Vax asked, a touch more rude than he had intended, untying the ribbon of one shoe, whilst it was still propped up on the bar, looking over to the side. The white haired student noted a couple of things down into the notebook without missing a beat, shoving the pencil between his teeth as he got back to his feet. He looked like he was both caught in headlights, and amused at the same time, watching Vax swap position on the bar to untie the second shoe. 

"Engineering. Degree. Third year. Thank you for this. And please forgive the intrusion, once again."

Vax went to open his mouth to say something, anything, but the blue coat student simply gathered up his things, scooped his shoes up in one hand, and left the studio without another word to either of the occupants within it. Holding both of his pointe shoes by the ribbons, he padded over towards his sister, confusion echoing on his features. "Since when the fuck did engineering students use those types of camera? Actually, when the fuck did engineering students use cameras?!" 

Vex laughed softly, grabbing her brothers shoes out his hands, wrapping the ribbons securely around them, before placing them into his bag. "Not a clue, brother. I didnt even know engineering knew how to a use a camera that wasnt in a million pieces." she joked back, watching Vax pull one of his oversized hoodies up and over himself. He leaned over to grab his sweatpants that were laying by the bag, slipping them over the top of his dance outfit, tying the laces securely. 

"Well its fucking weird, Vex! And who dyes their hair white?" 

Vax continued to grumble and whine to himself as he grabbed his bag in one hand to sling over his shoulder, other hand fetching his phone out the hoodie pocket. Not that he had much in the way of notifications, as the only person who really messaged him was his twin. Walking across the studio to slip his battered and barely functioning shoes back on, Vax looked over his shoulder towards his sister with a half glare. 

"Thanks again for keeping me company, Stubby. Always appreciate your eye with these things. What are you doing for your end of year shit anyway?" 

"Not harassing the photography department, for one!" Vex teased as she clicked off the lights to the studio space, following her twin out of the room. There were three dance studios within the building, with the one Vax favoured being the largest of them all. To be able to use it though, he had to arrive either at the crack of dawn, or stay late at night. "But Keyleth is helping me with plans for my stuff. Don't worry about it. And besides, its over six months away, Vax."

Trudging down the hallways, and out in the green, the pair got hit with the colder early evening air. "At least you dont need to try and work with an entire department that probably throw knives at a photo of you. And i only made one of them cry, Vex!" Vax protested loudly, hearing his twin cackling at how long it had taken him to realise she had changed the number. 

"You told him to throw his camera into the ocean, Vax'ildan! And then did it for him, instead! All because you said the lighting was off!" 

"And?! He was meant to be a final year student!" Vax snapped louder, still annoyed at that situation. It had been at the start of the year, and the student had very much refused to listen to any feedback that Vax had been trying to convey. He looked washed out in any of the photos, and utterly refused to allow them to be used by the student in his folio or online. And what had the student done? Posted the awful photo. 

So Vax had thrown his camera in the ocean at their last photoshoot. 

And now Vax was blacklisted from using any of the photography department at all. 

"Brother" Vex chided softly, walking her twin towards his dorm room, holding the hallway door open for him. "Cant you simply just go an apologise or something? You really are going to fail your entire degree because your an utterly proud and stubborn bastard, arent you?" she scolded louder, getting a half hearted shrug in reply from her brother. "You really are something else, Vax. At least see if anyone from the department will be willing to work with you, at the very least. And no, i am not asking on your behalf!"

Opening his mouth, before very promptly shutting it once again, Vax pulled his room key out of his pocket, stuffing it into the lock. "Fine! Fine, ill try something! But if i end up with a dozen camera straps around my neck, then i have no one to blame but you for my untimely demise, Stubby!" he groused, no bite behind it. He was well aware that he had no one to blame but himself for the entire incident, but was far too proud and annoyed at himself to say otherwise. 

"Good night, Vax. I've got double classes tomorrow, so i'll see you at the weekend, ok?"

Opening the door to his dorm room as he nodded, Vax launched his bag inside first. "Night, Vex. Sure. I'm up tomorrow too early anyway to snag the studio, so ill be dead asleep if you do come find me" he shrugged, shuffling inside and slamming his door closed before he could hear anything else from his sister. He adored her deeply, and knew that she never took his pouting and childish strops to heart. She had plenty of them herself to balance it all out. 

Flinging himself, in very dramatic fashion of course, onto his bed, Vax pulled his phone back out to scroll on it. He scrolled and looked around through several of the photography departments more recent photos of everyone, mostly during the fashion departments fashion show a month ago. He had been in attendance as one of the models, most of the teachers using him and Vex for more of the longer form fitting garments. 

Zooming into several of the photos, the half-elf frowned softly to himself, eyes scanning every face. He couldnt see any white hair, blue coat, or round metal glasses anywhere. Yes, the student had said he was engineering, but a camera of that quality would have implied photography at the very least too. Tapping out of that line of thought, Vax went into the Engineerings page instead, letting out a slight puff of annoyance. 

Barely anything uploaded. 

"Of course the nerds dont put anything up, except weird robots" 

Throwing his phone onto his pillow, rolling over onto his back, Vax stared up at his ceiling with tired annoyance. He had to find a photographer soon, otherwise he wouldnt be able to get the end of year portfolio done in time. And he had to get his outfits for his performances chosen, made and ready. He was so fucked, and he knew it.  But that was tomorrows issue, and one that he would try and figure out the solution to, with minimal strain on his sanity, reputation, and pride. 

--

The 5:30am alarm wake up was awful, but Vax needed the studio space. Hauling himself through the university's green, instant coffee in his reusable cup, the tired student trudged his way through the dark area towards the studio. Very few would wake up at such a time to use the space, and Vax knew that. It mostly allowed him to take his time without the risk of the younger students pestering him for tips, or for staff members to coo and try and parade him around with poses and positions. 

Backing up into the studio space, yawning loudly, the half-elf toed off his shoes, booting them towards the wall to be out the way. He very much was not a morning person in the slightest, sipping his too strong and too sweet coffee as he trudged to the corner of the room to drop his bag down. Taking the last larger mouthful of the coffee before setting the cup down, Vax started shimmying out of his top layers, flinging them into the corner. 

He had on a black leotard and dance belt, with matching black dancing tights on. He sometimes cycled through other colours, if he was feeling adventurous, or just to piss off faculty, but mostly stuck to black. It was neutral and easy to pair most outfits on top with it. And he felt that he suited black a lot, especially with his hair being the length that it was. Vax yawned slightly again as he pulled his phone and pointe shoes out, alongside his soft toed shoes used mostly for his warmups. 

No point wearing pointe shoes to just warm up, unless he wanted to risk injury. 

Pulling his phone over, before realising he hadnt pulled his ear buds out, the ballet dancer dug around in his bag for the small case. Finally finding them, Vax popped them into his ears, propping his phone up onto one of the bars, leaning it back against the wall, before pressing play on one of his playlists. He could have the music blasting in his ears, without the risk of pissing off the staff so early in the morning. 

Hearing the music start in his ears, Vax let himself sway and move his body around to start warming up. He didnt have much of a strict warmup routine, mostly just stretching and moving around until he felt ready to start with jumps and poses. Or until he got bored enough to want to just progress onto his routines. Whichever came first. Usually the latter, though. 

Sliding carefully onto the floor, legs parted wide, Vax slowly lay himself onto the floor in the split, arms stretched out in front. His head bobbed softly to the music, muttering the lyrics under his breath as he did so. His hair fell down around his face several times, but he was so used to it at that point, he mostly forgot that it did that. He tied it up sometimes, especially for faster routines, or with a lot more twists and spins involved, but otherwise would leave his hair simply braided back out from his temples. 

Climbing back up to his feet as the song changed, the ballet student spun softly on the balls of his feet, rolling his neck and wrists several times as he thought of his next move. Head bopping slightly more with a more faster paced song, the half-elf broke into a sprint towards the middle of the room, grin wide. Taking a larger step before leaping into the air into a split, both arms held out, as if trying to reach for someone, Vax landed heavier than intended at the end, chuckling softly. 

He wasnt the best at the higher leaping poses, but found them fun to run through and mess around with from time to time, anyway. Heart rate up a touch, he walked over to get changed into his pointe shoes, finally feeling warmed up to his own level to begin rehearsals. Lifting one foot up he pulled the soft shoe off, in the process of taking the second one off his foot

A shock of white hair stood at the open door, jaw hanging open slightly, one hand still holding onto the handle. Vax jumped nearly a foot off the ground, yelping loudly, inadvertently launching  his soft shoe towards the body at the door. Not that it got sent very far, flopping useless a foot or so in front of Vax. The white haired students mouth moved quickly, looking really apologetic, free hand gesturing slightly. 

"What?" Vax pulled his ear buds out, unraveling his point shoes as he sat down on the floor, head cocked to the side. "Didnt hear a thing" he reiterated, jamming his right foot into the pointe shoe securely, looking up through his lashes towards the student at the door. It was far too early to have any stupid requests brought to him. 

"Oh, erm. Sorry. I didnt think anyone would be using this space so early in the day." The white haired student stammered slightly, cheeks going a curious shade of pink. He had one hand firmly gripping the handle of his bag, still standing on the edge of the studios space, looking anywhere but at Vax. "I came to try and fix some of the bars in here, and see if the bolts i made actually fit to the required degree" he explained better, letting out a small breath. 

"Sure. Knock yourself out. Ill be using them today anyway, so dont take too long, ok?" 

"Thank you. I'll try and stay out of your way, the best i can. Your toe box needs flattened on the right shoe, by the way. " 

Vax frowned as he pulled his fight foot up, seeing the slight difference with the satin over the toebox. They were a newer set of pointe shoes, and Vax had still been trying to break them in properly. The white haired student toed off his own shoes as he settled his bag down by the same set of bars he had photographed the afternoon prior. Lifting out several handfuls of things, he brought out a small box cutter, walking towards the ballet student. 

"Here." 

Vax slowly took the box cutter, scoring and slashing at the very tip of the shoe, gently cutting away the small excess satin that had been pointed out. "Thanks. Only got these last week" he muttered, as if anyone would care, let alone an engineering student of all people. Vax knew that he should invest in better quality shoes, but ballet was expensive as it was, and his weekend jobs only just covered his tuition and living expenses. 

"Not an issue. Your grip whilst en pointe should be better now, with less strain to your ankle" 

"Who are you, by the way? Apart from the white hair guy from engineering?"

The student held back a small smile as he knelt down by the bar, pushing his glasses back up. Shucking his coat off to lay behind him, he leaned forward to look at the slightly wobbly brackets with interest. "Percival. You can call me that, or Percy. I'm not terribly fussed with either" he shrugged slightly, lifting a bolt up off the ground beside him, comparing it against the head of the bolt in the wall, tongue poking out between his lips. 

"Well, Percival. If you manage to actually fix that bar properly, then ill owe you." Vax shrugged back, fixing the ribbons on his shoes before getting back up onto his feet. Rolling up onto the toe boxes of them carefully, he noticed the difference immediately. He had been having more discomfort and issue in his ankle since his new set of shoes had been bought, but hadnt figured out it had been due to the excess fabric at the front. "And im Vax-"

"Vax'ildan. Yes, your rather infamous amongst several departments, i hear." Percy interrupted, lifting out a couple of tools, starting to dismantle the first bracket from the wall. "Apparently you made three photography students cry at the start of term" he teased softer, a hint of a smile in his features as he lifted the old bolt out to compare to the new one. A near perfect match. 

"It was only the one! And it was his own fucking fault!" Vax snapped back, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. "And if people actually listened to what i wanted, then i wouldnt have the reputation that i have, either" he grumbled loudly, stomping over towards the middle of the room, ear buds abandoned on his hoodie for the meantime. He could work in silence if need be, especially if it made the other student uncomfortable enough to leave him alone. 

Giving a single shoulder shrug, Percy went to work putting the newer and stronger bolts back into place, securing them in. "Im sure thats true. Sames told about me, and yet i still don't really care for working well with others. Allegedly" he muttered, pocketing the old hardware before getting up to his feet. "Try the bar out, please. It should feel much more secure for you now, and less likely to bounce whilst in use" 

Turning slowly towards the man, Vax let out an incredulous huff, but walked towards the bar regardless. "And what reputation is that, Percival? I dont think ive heard of many engineering students being blacklisted from entire departments" he half teased, effortlessly lifting his leg up to rest on the bar, arms holding onto the wooden surface as he did so. It very much was secure once again, no longer with its annoying wobble that near enough made him want to tear it out of the wall itself. 

"Ah, im flattered. Blacklisted from entire departments implies that i did something wrong in the first place. I'm not allowed outside of engineering without valid reason to, Vax'ildan. Last time i did, i believe it was the theatre department that threatened legal action, because i overhauled their entire pully system in the span of one lunchtime. Not my fault they were exerting so much wasted energy on that system, and mine was so much more smooth and efficient"

Eyes widening a fraction, Vax looked over towards the student with renewed interest, smirk creeping up onto the corner of his mouth. "Your 'Pyrotechnic de Rolo'?"" he laughed loudly, bringing his foot down, arms crossing over his chest. He had heard rumors around the university that a student had been building homemade devices, to the point police had been called more than once. The theater fiasco had been one of the more tamer situations. 

Rolling his eyes as he started to put his stuff back into his back, Percy looked up from where he was kneeling, brow raised. "Is that really what they are calling me? Really? How droll" he scowled slightly. "And i have not made any pyrotechnics to date. One misfiring electronic hardly even counts, does it?" he added, pulling his coat back on, hands flicking out once they pushed through the wrists.

"Now, i appreciate you allowing me to work, and ill be out of your hair once again. You dance beautifully, by the way, Vax'ildan" 

Bolstering himself up as he stepped forward, realising that the other man stood several inches taller than him, Vax tried to straighten himself up more. "Thank you. Actually, i need a photographer for my final piece at the end of the year. And you have a camera. A fucking good one actually. Would you be looking for a-"

"Absolutely not!"

Chapter Text

Vax hadnt seen much of the white haired 'pyromaniac' from Engineering for two weeks after that. After, in his eyes, a rather pedestrian query. But Percival de Rolo had all but stormed out of the studio then, all rage and flustered cheeks, small notebook left behind in his haste to leave. 

Vax sighed softly in his evening rehearsal, lifting out part of his outfit he would be wearing: a cloak that cuffed at the wrist and neck, to look like a pair of long black raven wings. The material was almost sheer and black, with flecks of iridescent blues and greens through it, catching the right when moved. Fixing the closure around his throat of the collared part of the outfit, he turned side to side in the mirrored wall, checking that it all looked to be sitting correctly. 

Turning to pick up his ear buds once again, popping them in, before pulling his hair out of the high pony tail it had been sat in most of the day. There long inky black strands tumbled down to below his shoulder blades, finishing off the outfits look to Vaxs satisfaction. Lifting up his phone from the bars, the half-elf snapped a few quick photos of himself in the mirror, leaning back enough to let his hair hang freely, resting one foot up onto the toe box to curve his back more. 

Finally getting the photos he wanted for his social media pages, he propped the phone back up against the bar, tapping his rehearsal playlist on. The music blared to life in his ears as Vax took his position in the centre of the studio space once again, arms wrapping around himself to make the wings envelope his torso and arms. Letting himself exhale slowly, he slid into the routine, head held high and proud as he went, hair lashing and whipping with each turn and spin, adding to the effect of feathers and wings. 

Reaching the point of his previous frustration of the routine, Vax rolled up onto the toe box of his foot, kicking the other into air. He remembered to rotate the leg out slightly, as Vex had helped him figure out two weeks prior. The move worked, feeling far more fluid and comfortable, the lines of the wings fluttering and shifting as he slowed down towards the end of the dance, arms reaching out for an invisible partner more and more. 

As if he were trying to find someone through the hold of the wings. 

Stepping over towards the mirror, Vax walked one hand over the surface, making his face sad and melancholy, before flattening the palm onto the cold glass. It made it look as if he was trying to replicate the hold of the invisible partner, getting up en point to slowly lean himself forward, body sidewards to the mirror. Getting into an Arabesque, the back leg held out straight and poised, he reached the arm closest to the mirrors surface forward, backs of his fingers touching his reflections. The other hand held up where a partner would catch his weight and balance, but none was there. 

The hold itself was a strain, even with a partner, but Vax was determined for the look and illusion to work on his own. He would have the majority of the lights dimmed for the actual performance, to make his reflection look more like a ghost of himself. That's if he could get his ankle to stop trying to shake beneath himself. Holding the pose for the final beats, the ballet student dropped down flat onto both feet, pushing his hair out of his face, huffing softly. 

Turning to walk back to his water, Vax froze, pulling an ear bud out. Three department heads were standing inside the studio, a flurry of around two dozen students huddled behind them. Rolling his eyes, barely hiding his annoyance, he walked over and past them to fetch his drink, glancing over his shoulder, brow raised. Vax didnt care much for authority figures, and all the staff within the University knew that. But he was damn talented  and won awards for them, so he got fare more leway than most others would get. 

"Vax'ildan." His head of department, a tall slender, elven woman, nodded softly, sliding smoothly over towards him. "Ive invited the art and photography departments to view our various final year students. Most are looking for muses for their own final pieces, so you may find a partner for your folio." She explained, smile slightly strained at the recieved eye roll. "So would you be willing to show your current routine once more, so that they may get a feel for seeing a moving subject?"

Letting out an exaggerated sigh as he rose back ip to his feet, Vax looked over and saw the bunch of final year students all there along the wall. "Fine! But im not talking to them or answering studid questions again" he grumbled, dropping the half empty bottle back onto the bundle of his hoodie. Plucking his ear buds out to put them back in the case, he peered around his department head again. "And did no one tell them to take their shoes off?!" He snapped louder, getting a small flurry of students pulling their shoes off to not upset the irritable dancer.

Seeing everyone jump to attention for him brought a small smirk of satisfaction to Vax, walking back to his phone, sliding the volume up. "No photos whilst I perform. No clapping after, either" He called over his shoulder casually. "No questions until after, if they aren't entirely stupid. Anything before I start, I suppose?" He attempted to be civil, at least forcing himself to now scowl. He needed someone for his final folio, and if these students hadn't been chased out already, then someone surely could do. 

"Why are you in pointe shoes? Aren't they only for women?" 

Groaning inwardly to himself, knowing someone would have brought that up, Vax looked over towards the group, then at his department head. "Can i have the lights dimmed down to setting 1 for everything, and setting 2 for centre light?" He called over, getting a nod in reply. The woman had a slight smirk on her face, knowing that Vax was about to show off. Adjusting the lights, she slipped out the studio. As she was evaluating them, she wasnt allowed to seenthe performances until the day of examination, to prevent bias and sway of opinion. 

"Because apart from making my legs and arse look wonderful when up en pointe?" Vax queried, getting a few titters in reply. "Because I enjoy doing so, and know I can do it very fucking well" he shrugged, stepping into the slightly more well lit centre of the room. Pressing play on his phone before sliding it hard across the floor, causing it to bump firmly against the wall, Vax slid into his first position with arms wrapped around himself again. 

Glancing up towards the mirrored wall, a hint of a smile danced over himself. He hadnt rehearsed with the lighting adjusted, and could see the effect working already, sliding in and out of the slightly lighter section of the studio floor, keeping his breathing as even and steady as he could. He knew full well all eyes were on him, watching the lines his arms and legs were forming, the shape the wings took as he moved his hands into positions, how his hair spun and tumbled down his back. 

Sliding up towards the mirror, dancing his fingertips slowly across the surface once again, before pressing his palm against the glass, he let out a slow breath.  The illusion looked good fr his close up perspective , but wanted to get Vex's opinion. Vax thought of recording himself at some point, to watch the final section himself. Turning to be side on for the final pose, he slowly slid the back of his hand along the mirrors surface, trying to not let his ankle rock or wobble with the difficulty of holding the pose. Letting out a slightly louder, wistful sounding sigh, Vax finished the performance, lowering down onto both feet. 

"Lights up, please!" He called over as he fetched his phone, pausing it from jumping onto the next song. Thankfully none of the students clapped, as per his request, all eyes wide and watching him. He started unbuckling the leather collar element of the wings from his throat, standing in front of the students and department heads, brow raised. "Any questions?" He asked, not bothering to look at anyone, too focused on undoing the wrist cuffs. 

"Is the pose in the mirror intentional? To look like a ghost of yourself trying to both find and flee from yourself?" 

A soft flicker of a smile danced on the corner on his lips, Vax pulled the wings off, looking up. "It is, yes. If your commenting on it, then the illusion worked. Yes, its to show the push and pull of inner battles. The fight and fear in equal measures." he explained, the icy exterior softening only a fraction. Seeing the lights still not on, he padded over, flicking them back on to full. Squinting his eyes a touch at the sudden brightness, Vax blinked harder for a moment in the lit up studio. "Its not entirely finished, though. And this isnt the finished outfit either." 

A flurry of questions came out, mostly about body positioning, how long he can hold a pose for if needed for sketches, and various smaller queries about his skillset. Once the department heads were satisfied that their students had understood and learned enough, several of them passing their social media cards over to the ballet student, they got politely herded back out. Vax held onto the cards tighter, a soft breath of relief leaving him. He still had a chance to get his photographer then. He hadnt entirely fucked up. 

Finishing up and closing up the studio, walked back through the green, bleary eyed, and in desperate need for a shower and a drink. Maybe two drinks, if he could stretch his budget enough for it. Mentally hyping himself up for the shower, Vax walked directly into the back of someone, near enough throwing them both onto the ground. "Fuck! Sorry!" he huffed out, scrambling back up onto his feet. 

"Its fine." Percy grumbled, carefully get back up himself, patting down his coat carefully. He didnt appear to be hurt, or too annoyed, by the bump. Vax brushed himself off, noticing the camera propped up on the bench just beside the pair, a smile flickering on his lips as he looked between the device and the man several times. 

"So what are you snapping photos of, Percy? Not being a perv are you?" 

The student spluttered indignantly, cheeks very quickly doing a lovely shade of scarlet, hands picking the camera up quickly. "Not at all! If you must know, i was taking photos of the sky through the leaves here. Their colouring looks perfect just at this time of day" Percy explained, pulling up the last photo, showing the screen to Vax. The photo showed the crescent moons through the leaves of the tree, the waning light illuminating the various reds, greens and browns like stained glass. 

"Thats stunning, Percy!"

"Thank you. I rather enjoy capturing things most walk by without a second thought" Percy shrugged softly, looking through the lens once again, pointing the camera up to look through the tree again. Lowering himself down onto his knees, the peculiar student shifted himself around just so. Vax just stood and stared, seeing the intense thought and concentration, before hearing the single snap of the shutter, Percy standing back up. A single photo. No multiples, rapid fire shutters. One photo, and Percy was done. 

"Why did you shoot down my question before? You didnt even let me ask properly" 

Pausing as he looked at the newly captured image: a raven in mid flight in front of the moons, Percy sighed quietly, turning the camera off. "I dont take photos of people. Not of their faces, Vax'ildan. I do not take photos of people, at all. So i cannot assist you with your request, ok?" he tried to keep his tone steady and calm, removing the front lens of the camera, placing the cap on to keep the glass safe, before packing everything away securely. Feeling that the ballet dancer hadnt move, Percy tried to not let himself sigh. "You have questions, Vax'ildan. I can almost hear them"

"Well, yea. You take really fucking nice photos, but you wont take photos of people? Why not?" 

Placing the camera case back over his shoulder, buttoning the coat securely up once again, Percy turned to look at the slightly indignant ballerina in front of him. "Must there be a reason for it?" he countered, brow raised up in silent challenge. Vax bristled slightly, arms crossing over his chest, not used to others challenging him and saying no to him. Except for Vex, of course, but she always told him no. 

"Why wont you photograph me, then? Just one! And if i look shit to you, then ill look elsewhere!" 

Jaw tensing a touch, annoyance and something else flickering over Percys face, the student held tighter onto his camera case strap, knuckles almost going white. "Fine! A single photo! But after that, if im not happy with it, then you will stop asking me about it!" he snapped out, free hand stuffing into his coat pocket, pulling out a very finely made contact card, holding it out in front of himself. "All my details are on that, so let me know when you want this done."

Unable to hold back the wide toothed grin, Vax slid the card out of the mans hold, looking over it. It was very nice, and high quality, with swirling gold writing across the top: Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III. "How many fucking names does one man need, Percy?" he teased out loud, biting the card between his teeth, hands pulling open his bag to retrieve the abandoned notebook that had been left weeks prior. 

"I didnt exactly choose to have that name, obviously. And what is wrong with my name?" 

Pulling out the notebook, and then the card from between his teeth, Vax chuckled softly to himself. "Absolutely nothing. Its just a fucking mouthful, is all. No wonder you just go by just 'Percy'" he added, tone still light and teasing, hand holding out the notebook. "Here. You left this in my studio when you bolted before. Didnt really fancy wandering around the engineering department to try and give it back. Might not have made it out alive, or with some weird robotic arm attached to me" 

Gently taking the notebook, leafing through it fast to make sure everything was inside, Percy let out a soft sigh of relief. "Thank you. I couldnt for the life of me remember where i had put it. And you wouldnt have had a robotic arm, Vax'ildan. Perhaps better fitting pointe shoes, but nothing much more than that." he chuckled softly, tucking the notebook into his coat pocket carefully, even through the edges were curled and bashed around. The book looked close to bursting, pages over written on, scored out, and written over once again. 

"If you need your pointe shoes looked at all, let me know." Percy added, turning and starting to walk away towards the same dorm building as Vax stayed at. The ballet student hurried to keep pace with the man, frowning ever so slightly in confusion. 

"You know how to work with shoes? Im not knocking it, really. I can always do with them being looked at, really" 

"Perfect. If you have an old pair i can tinker around with, then that would be suitable. Nothing too battered and old through, as i need to get the basic structure from them." 

Vax nodded slightly as the pair entered the dorm building together, the warmth inside pleasant and welcoming. "Sure. I can run to my dorm just now and grab my old pair for you." he offered, pointing towards the left hand hallway, offering a tight smile. He knew that the worst that could happen is hes down a pair of broken into pointe shoes, which was a pain as the shoes took a while to soften and work with his feet. 

"That would be ideal. Please, lead the way" Percy nodded his head, letting Vax guide them both down the hallway towards the ballet students single occupant dorm room. Vax unlocked it, slinking inside quickly, throwing his bag across towards his small couch, before padding to his room on the hunt for the old pair. He knew where they would be, as he only had them changed a few weeks ago. He was actually due to change and get a new pair of pointe shoes, but he wasnt due to be paid for another week, so his slightly less than ideal ones would have to do. 

"There we go. Hope you dont mind the handiwork on them. Everyone adjusts them differently to fit their feet" Vax explained as he stepped back out his dorm, holding the shoes up with both hands, as if presenting a gift. Percy gently lifted them up, looking over them carefully, seeing the rough stitchwork at the base of the ribbons, as well as obvious glue marks staining the satin on the inside arches of the shoes. 

It was truly fascinating to see the changes and alterations given to the shoes, of Vax's hands adjusting them to his needs in subtle but substantial ways. "This is ideal, thank you, Vax'ildan. I think i have some ideas on how to improve these for you." Percy nodded his head softly, still holding onto the shoes carefully. "Ill let you enjoy the rest of your evening in peace." he added, turning and leaving down the corridor without another word, coat swishing just a little as he went. 

Shrugging at the oddity that appeared to be Percy de Rolo, Vax went back into his dorm, groaning in satisfaction as he threw himself onto the couch, head hanging over the arm in dramatic fashion. Taking a couple of minutes just to decompress and unwind, he eventually sat back up, shimmying out of his clothes, peeling the dance tights off of himself. A small wince echoed out of the dancer, fresh bruising around his right ankle where he had to tie the ribbons far tighter than usual to keep him stable. 

"Fucking stupid shoes."

He had gone with a different supplier for his current shoes, being told that they were the same quality as his previous one. That had been a bold faced lie, which Vax had felt near enough right away. They had been marginally cheaper, yes, but his feet were very much feeling his error. They were a touch too tight, and didnt support his arch in the same way. He had tried to complain to the company, but they had simply never replied to him, ignoring his angry emails and customer service submission tickets, leaving him with shoes that hurt until he could afford to replace them. 

Vax had considered using some of his older pairs to wear for rehearsal. It wasnt ideal, as they had worn enough to cause an increased risk of slipping. But slipping was far less dangerous than snapping his ankle, in his opinion. Vax threw the lower quality shoes across the room, thudding them at his bedroom door, groaning in annoyance. He didnt used to have to worry about the cost of his shoes, or balance it with the cost of his living expenses and food. But he did, as did his twin. So Vax bought cheaper, and was paying the price for it.

Letting his head fall back onto the back of the couch, he sighed quietly, lifting Percys card up to look over it once again. "Pompous, stupid name" he muttered to himself, looking over the swirling golden writing that decorated the top. The back had both a phone number and email address, as well as the department within the university that he was at. He yawned loudly as he just let himself half sit, half drape, himself on the couch, too tired to go for the shower he had promised himself. 

He would soon though. Everything could be done soon enough.

Chapter Text

Percy gently clicked his own dorm door shut after heading down the right hand hallway, opposite to where Vax had gone, flicking the lights on with the back of his hand. His thrumming anxiety about accepting to do the single photo still lingered within his chest, heart fluttering quickly. He had half a mind to just refuse the offer whenever Vax would contact him for the blasted thing. Why did he even agree? 

How could he agree to something so stupid?

He doesnt take photos of people!

Trying to not allow himself to wallow in the stress by overthinking, Percy walked over to his work desk, laying the pointe shoes onto the surface lightly. He could at least let his mind focus on something practical instead, hands unbuttoning his coat to hand up across the back of the wooden desk chair. Working always helped to ease his nerves and quiet his mind down. Settling down at his desk, one hand pulling the shoes over towards himself, the other brushing paper and debris out of the way, Percy delicately unwound the ribbons.

They were from a decent enough maker, although Percy wasn't terribly well versed in ballet garment makers to know well enough. The name wasnt terribly familiar either. The stitching holding the main body of the shoe seemed sturdy enough to show at least some quality within its creation. The curious part that had caught the young man's eye though had been the adjustments Vax'ildan had made to them. Turning on one of his side lamps to get better lighting for himself, he saw there was evident curved lines of solvent glue across the inner arch and toe box of the shoe. And from the looks of, at least two or three separate applications of the stuff inside each shoe. 

Pressing the shoe up onto its toe box on the desks surface, Percy pushed slightly onto it with his hand pressed inside of it, watching it bend and arch only slightly. Curious. The glue helped reinforce the parts that evidently came into contact with the dancers foot most often, without making it too stiff to dance in. Lifting his notebook out of the coat pocket, Percy started to make some sketches and notes on a semi-empty page, glancing over towards the shoes again, turning them to various positions and angles in a way that only made sense to him. 

The ribbons that tied around the dancers foot and ankle was the next part of curiosity, Percy lifting a small blade up to gently cut the stitches loose. The stitching was rough and a little uneven, showing that it wasnt the dancers strong suit with the adjustments. The ribbon wasn't where it had originally been placed on the shoe, brought forward by around half an inch. Curiosity bubbled up once again within the student, propping the shoe on its toe box once again, lifting one of the ribbons up with the other, head to the side. 

Vax's ankle was too slim for the ribbons original placement.

"Fascinating"

Lifting the removed ribbon away to measure, Percy realised how much he had, and could, learn about the broody ballerina purely through helping adjust the pointe shoes. It felt slightly strange, intimate, in a curious way, hand noting down the measurements of the ribbons, cutting a small section off to glue into the notebook as a swatch. Seeing the small adjustments and alterations felt like opening a book into the other students life, being able to see what Vax'ildan needed to do to make the shoes fit and work for him. 

How he favoured his right foot more often when going en pointe, and sliding on the outside of his left foot enough to cause the satin of the shoe to wear away sooner. That the ends of the ribbon on the right shoe also had more strain and fraying at the ends. Most likely from where the dancer tied them tighter than the opposite leg. Percy carefully started to deconstruct the right shoe, using the tiny precision blade to carefully start to cut along the sole of the shoe, removing the stitching. 

Percy paused as he carefully continued to deconstruct the shoe, laying each of its parts out along the table. There was blood in the box of the shoe. Small smudges and drops from multiple times being worn, dried in layers. He had no idea that bleeding could have been something that was possible for ballet. Not that Percy did much dancing either to know otherwise. He hadnt danced in years, not since moving away from home. 

More hours trickled by, sketches and notes made, some bunched up and discarded. Percy had managed to make a couple of prototype shoes, holding it up to compare against the still intact left shoe. The prototypes didnt have any of the satin covering. He had some excess canvas that would have to do for the purpose of testing, carefully stitching it into place against the outer sole. It looked a little crude and rudimentary, but hopefully once Vax was able to try it on, then any adjustments could be easier. 

Not noticing that the sun had started to peek itself up, Percy groaned as he stretched his back out. Finally standing to stretch out his legs, the student fetched his phone, seeing a text notification from an unknown number. Using his free hand to push his glasses up enough to rub at his eyes, he noticed that it was almost half five in the morning. He had really just worked non stop through the entire night, without noticing it. 

Unknown Number -12:13am

Sorry for the late text. Going to be at studio at 6 tomorrow, if you want to be there. 

Its Vax by the way!

Saving the number into his phone, Percy yawned loudly, making his way to his room to get changed. It wouldnt be a good look for him to turn up wearing the same clothing as the night prior, even if he hadnt gone to sleep in them. This time. Thats not to say that he wouldnt end up doing so by accident again, but he strived to not do so when it could be helped. 

Percival de Rolo -5:37am

That works with me, yes. I have the prototype of your shoes with me also, if you would be kind enough to try them on.

Vax'ildan (Broody Ballerina) -5:38am

Prototype? I only gave you the shoes last night!! 

Rolling his eyes as he put his phone down, getting changed into a fresh shirt, cravat and waistcoat, Percy kept his eyes on the wall as he dressed himself. He didnt like to look down at himself, see himself, as he got dressed. Or when he bathed. He wasnt ashamed of his body, but that didnt mean that he felt proud of how it looked, either. Yes, he had gone through a lot over the past decade, but that didnt mean that he enjoyed the reminders of such a thing, not if he couldnt help it. 

Buttoning up the waistcoat, eyes finally looking down at himself, Percy smoothed the fabric down carefully, before tying the cravat around his neck. He had gotten questioned and mocked for his style of dress during his first year within the university. Queried by faculty, and teased by classmates, for him being so 'overdressed' for working within the workshop and classrooms. But after a while, most just saw it as a 'Percy quirk', and stopped bringing attention to it. 

Checking the time, and seeing that he had ten minutes to get to the studio, the student hurriedly grabbed the one original pointe shoe, the prototype shoes, notebook, shoving them into one of his smaller satchels, before shoving arms into his coat. Hooking the camera bag over his head, Percy grabbed his phone and keys, hurrying out of the dorm room. He was exhausted, the all nighter already catching up to him. 

The majority of the university were still asleep, which came as a shock to no one. Only a couple of stragglers were lingering around, most likely still drunk from various student nights out. Percy braced himself against the dark morning cold, hurrying along the green to head to the dance studios. His breath fogged out just a little in front of himself as he hurried to get back inside, where it should be slightly warmer. 

Bustling into the studio with a soft puff, Percy shivered slightly as he made his way towards the dance studio room, seeing the light already on. Knocking lightly on the door before entering, he saw Vax already in the midst of pulling his hoodie off, one hand rubbing the remains of sleep out of his eyes. 

"Morning, Percy. Cheers for waking up this early for me, by the way"

Vax tossed the hoodie into the corner of the room, bending over to shove the sweatpants down as he stepped out of them, hands rummaging around in his bag. Pulling out the wing part of his outfit, alongside his soft and pointe shoes, the dancer turned and shot a tight smile at Percy. He didnt usually have people with him during morning rehearsals, not for a very long time. The engineering student had already toed off his shoes, setting his satchel and camera case down by Vax's bag, hands undoing the buttons of his coat. 

"Waking up early implies that sleep was had" Percy muttered softly, mostly to himself, kneeling down to pull out the prototype shoes, alongside his notebook. "But i have these for you to try out today, if you are willing. They will most likely need some more adjustments of course, but i-"

"Percival, did you stay up all fucking night...making me new shoes?!" Vax gaped, midway slipping his soft shoes on, eyes wide and round. He had honestly expected Percy to, at most, put a small reinfocement along the toe box, or something on the inner box for his toes. Not making him entirely new shoes! Vax slipped the soft shoes on, getting back up to his feet, arms crossed over his chest. "You didnt make me shoes!" he snapped out again. 

"Well, technically, i made you prototypes of shoes." Percy corrected, lifting out the white canvas covered point shoes, unwrapping the ribbons carefully. "I saw that the shank was too long for your foot in your usual set, as well as the ribbon placement being incorrect. So i adjusted them, and brought the wings in to be more in line with your foot shape itself. I didnt change much on the box or the toe box either, as im sure that you are fairly consistent with how they feel?"

Vax just stood there, stunned, arms crossed over himself. "Fuck me sideways, you made me fucking pointe shoes." he muttered, looking genuinely shocked and thrown off. "I'm definitely going to try them on once i warm up, de Rolo!" he nodded once, scooping his phone and ear buds up, heading towards the center of the room. "Do you mind if i put these in whilst i warm up? Staff dont usually like me blasting metal and stuff so early in the morning"

"Fine with me, Vax'ildan. I'll get the camera set up then, and take some test shots around the room, if thats suitable?"

"Sure thing. Knock yourself out. I'll be warmed up soon, then i can get to the fun part" Vax grinned for a moment, popping the ear buds in, phone propping up on the bar, before he pressed play. Percy watched the shift come over the ballet student, seeing Vax's posture relax and melt into a more comfortable stance. He sat at the back of the studio space, halfway opening the camera bag, just staring at Vax. 

Percy knew that dancers had to be flexible and strong, but seeing the ease in which Vax could move his body was highly impressive. Seeing the dancer stretch and move himself with ease and practiced precision to prevent unwanted injury. The grace of limbs that Percy couldnt hope to be able to replicate with himself. It was mesmerising, like seeing more into the snapshot that was Vax'ildan, and less of the 'broody ballerina' that got banned from photography departments. 

Finally snapping himself out of his staring long enough to lift the camera out, Percy got to work setting it up, putting on one lens. Testing out the lens' zoom on Vax's bag of belongings, Percy took a photo. It wasnt anything special, just of the spilled contents of the dancers bag. The lighting was good enough, and the clarity in the lens would work. He had brought a longer zoom lens with him just incase. Just incase. 

Turning as he stood up, Percy watched as Vax stalked over to one side of the studio, a slight smirk against the dancers face. He couldnt help but lift the camera up, peering through the view finder, just as the dancer started to bolt across the room. Percys breath caught as he watched Vax through the camera, poised and ready to capture something, should the moment come. His heart thudded loudly in his chest, the anxiety and worry bubbling up. 

Vax leapt into a split in the air, head thrown backwards, before landing hard on both feet, smiling brightly to himself. Percy stood stock still, lowering the camera slowly, hands shaking just a touch. The ballet dancer smiled as he sauntered over, brow raised as he cocked his head at the camera. "Your settings all doing ok, then?" he asked casually, plopping onto the floor to change out his soft shoes, using a foot to drag the pointe shoes Percy had made closer. 

"Erm...i...yes. I believe so" 

Vax carefully slipped the prototype shoes on, carefully tying the ribbons around his ankles, tucking the ends in out of the way. The fit itself was far more secure than the previous pair, with the shaft not digging into heel or arch quite as much. "How in the hell did you make this, Percy?" he asked, awe and wonder echoing in his voice. Carefully tying the second shoe into place, Vax climbed up onto his feet, tapping the toe boxes slightly to feel them better. 

A little stiff, but all new shoes were, until broken and worn in better. "Well, its perfectly simple. Once i dismantled the old pointe shoe, i could see what the main components were, and improve them. Like the shaft on your old shoes broke and cracked easily in the center, so i made you a new one with a stronger core." Percy shrugged, still staring down at his camera screen, heart beating a touch too fast for his liking. "Vax'ildan, i apologise. I took your photo before i could ask. I can delete it"

"Oh, let me see!" Vax chirped, stepping behind the other student, chin hooked onto Percys shoulder. Percy frowned for a second, knowing that Vax was very much several inches shorter than him. Looking down, he realised that the dancer had gone up onto his toes to be able to peek over more easily, instead of just standing beside him. Percy let out a small shaky breath, bringing up the photo, holding the camera up better for them both to see. 

The image was of Vax in the middle of his leap, head backwards, legs split and straight, arms outstretched. He had a soft smile on his face, sun just starting to trickle in and beam against his hair. Vax stared at the photo, seeing the second of time captured so easily, leaning slightly more over Percys shoulder to look at it better. "And you say you cant take photos of people" he whispered softly, lowering back onto the flats of his feet, walking towards his bag, picking up the wings. 

"I did not say that i cant. I said that i wont, Vax'ildan. There is a stark difference!" Percy protested, looking up at the real man again, frowning deeper. "I am more than happy to delete it, if you wish. I understand that you have been made out to be...particular in how your photos are taken" he carefully broached, watching the dancer attaching the collar part of the costume on around his neck, head tilted up slightly to give him room.  

"I am. And i like that one, Percy. Its good."

Percy risked a small smile as he let the camera hand by its strap around his neck, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket. Lifting it out, his eyes widened just a touch. A new alert. He had set up automatic alerts to his phone and laptop, letting him know if any videos were uploaded anywhere on the internet. Glancing over to the ballet dancer beside him, Percy turned the volume off on his phone, tapping on the alert notification. 

A sketchy looking web page popped up, claiming to have 'The Best and Exclusive Real Gore Online'. Another shock site. Not that Percy hadnt seen his fair share, more than his fair share, of pages over the years. Seeing the thumbnail already had his pulse pick up. He had to be sure that it was the real thing, to make sure that he didnt get it wrong when he demanded it to be taken down. He had never been wrong before, but there was always a chance for it to happen. 

Pressing play on the silent video, a young brown haired boy cried out, tears and blood already evident on his cheeks. Percy swallowed as he skipped partway through the video. The video itself was not important. He just had to verify if it was actually that video that had been pinged. Breathing coming out quicker and louder, Percy skipped through various parts of the nearly hour long video, stomach churning with each second that played between skips. 

The brown haired boys head hanging limp from where he sat tied to a chair.

Skip.

Silent screams as the camera shifted to get him side on.

Skip.

Hair grabbed to pull his head back.

Skip. Skip. Skip. 

"Holy shit, what the fuck is that?!"

Percy dropped his phone, startling with a slight yelp. Grabbing the device and turning the screen off, he looked guilty and frightened, looking down at the floor. "Nothing. Its...its nothing, Vax. Are...are you ready to begin?" he forced out, trying to ease his breathing down to the best that he could. He would, and had to, deal with getting the video and website taken down after

"No, what the fuck was that, Percy?! What the fuck was that on your phone?! That was a kid! A fucking kid! It better have been some sick stunt or something, Percy!" Vax near enough snarled out, rounding up on the taller man, fury shining in his eyes. He knew that he hadnt seen it wrong. That Percy had been watching, and skipping through, a video of a child being tortured and harmed. And he had been watching it looking so calm and unaffected. 

Stuffing his phone away into his pocket, Percy took a tentative step backwards, trying to put some space between them both. "Vax'ildan, i am getting that removed from the internet. I'll be putting in a request to get the entire damned website removed as well, for good measure." he tried to reassure, but seeing nothing but distrust and disgust echoing in the ballet dancers face. "Vax, i wasnt looking at that for my own amusement. I had to be sure that it was...i had to confirm that it was the video i needed to remove" 

"What?! So you just watch fucking kids being...being tortured for shits and giggles?!" 

Percys eyes widened a fraction, shaking his head. "Vax, do...you know who the de Rolos are?" he asked quieter, getting the small shake of the head in reply. A small relieved sigh shuddered out of the taller of the pair, before cringing just a little. "Oh, that looked even worse then, didnt it?" he muttered quietly, pushing his glasses up his nose, looking anywhere but at the dancer standing right in front of him. 

"Percy, how could it look better? You were watching...fucking hells, i dont even know what to describe that! It was inhuman, Percival!"

Percy sighed louder as he looked up through his lashes at Vax, swallowing thickly, heart thudding loudly within his chest. It was so much easier when people already knew who he was. That way he didnt actually have to explain much. But seeing the genuine unknowing in the dancers face somehow made it even worse, knowing that he would get the awful look of pity when he finished. He always got the pity and sadness directed towards him after, and that made it worse.

"Its because that was me in the video, Vax'ildan. The child in the video is me" 

Chapter Text

"What?"

"That child in the video is me, Vax'ildan. And i have an alert set up on all my devices, that if it appears at all on the internet, as photos or videos, then i will get it taken down as soon as possible. I check through to ensure that it is the video, then i get both the video and website taken down permanently. I do not do it because i have some sick perversion to watch such things over and over. But i have to make sure that it is the video, as some pages have tried to hide it within other videos, thinking i wouldnt watch past the first handful of minutes"

Vax felt his air punch out his lungs, looking confused and torn. The child in the video looked so frightened and young. A teenager at best, from the few seconds he had seen. "But that kid...Percy he was...that cant be you" he muttered in shock, taking a step towards the man, eyes looking over the white hair, worried blue eyes, and tight jaw of the taller human in front of him. "What the fuck happened to you?" 

Shaking his head ever so slightly, holding onto the camera lightly, Percy let out a slow breath. "That is very much something for another time. Not for six in the morning, and certainly not sober either" he attempted to joke, seeing it not land well at all, going by the wince from the ballet dancer. "You can search up my name if you wish, and no doubt it will all be there within the first link that pops up" he shrugged, looking up towards the dancer again, emotions hidden behind an impassive mask once again.

"But currently we have this photo to capture for you, Vax'ildan. And you have some shoes to try out, so that i can adjust them better for your needs" 

"Erm..." Vax frowned slightly, hand lifting to pull his hair out of the tie it had, shaking the strands out, letting them fall down his back. The sudden information, mixed with the emotional whiplash, was startling. "Sure...shit, Freddie, you dont ever need to tell me that shit if you dont want to. You dont even know me. It was just a bit of a shock to the system, seeing that. I should be saying sorry for looking at your phone" he shrugged, awkwardly attaching the wrist cuff onto his left hand with one hand. Percy stepped forward, gently lifting each end of the leather cuff, looking up at the ballet dancer with a raised brow, securing it without question. 

Getting the other cuff on securely, stepping back to give the dancer space, Percy let out a long sigh, turning his camera on, checking the lenses once again. Vax walked over and dimmed the lights to the previous settings that he had used for the demo in front of the students before, before heading back to the center of the room. He was gently illuminated in the middle of the room, looking over towards Percy through the mirror. "Could you press play on my phone?" he called over his shoulder. 

"Oh, sure thing. Wait, did you call me Freddie?!" Percy frowned, bafflement taking over any panic or unease, seeing the wider grin flash from the dancer. He wasnt too sure how he felt about the nickname. He didnt hate it, though. Fetching the phone from its perch and pressing play, Percy stayed pressed by the wall to keep out the way, camera held in his hands. He didnt know the routine, so wasnt sure of where Vax would be moving across the space.

Vax wrapped his arms around himself gently, letting out a slow breath, starting his routine. He caught glimpses of white hair as he moved through the motions of the dance, hair swirling and lashing with sharper turns. He had absolutely no idea if any photos had been taken. Or if Percy even liked anything of the performance to capture. That thought made Vax inwardly frown. Why would he care if the student liked his performance or not enough to photograph him? 

Letting himself focus on the dance itself, trying to let his body and face show the emotions of the performance, Vax let himself flow to the music. To show the frustration and annoyance as he pulled himself out of the central lit area, to the soft sad smile as he spun gently within the lights gentle hold, arms open and waiting. All the while, the cuffed wings and inky black hair swayed and fluttered with each movement, shoes thudding and tapping softly on the floor.

Percy slowly slinked around the edge of the studio, heading towards the back wall once again, watching the performance with rapt attention. He couldnt tear his eyes away, watching the dancer like Vax were the only one left in the world. And in a way, the emotion of the dance made him feel that he was. That Percy was getting a glimpse into a dancers agony of being alone, trying to reach out towards someone else. 

Trying to reach for the invisible partner. 

Watching the dancer slowly dance his hand across the mirror, Percys hands twitched to lift the camera up. He knew that he had his shot. The only shot that mattered. Slowly lifting the camera up to peer through, kneeling down slowly at the same time, he focused and zoomed in, pulling Vax fully into frame. The ballet dancer turned to the side, slowly sliding into his ending pose, arm extended outwards, fingers lightly touching the ghosted reflection, body held up as strong as he could with the balance. 

Percy took the photo. 

The shutter sounded just as the last beat of the song played, making Vax turn his head towards the noise a fraction. Dropping back to his feet, he made his way back to his bag, breathing heavier, a soft sweat against his forehead. Percys breath caught slightly as he looked up from the camera, seeing the slightly out of breath dancer approach, hands sweeping his hair back to tie it away. "Need a hand taking the buckles off?" the engineering student asked as politely as he could, letting the camera hang from the strap around his neck. 

He put the rapid beating of his heart down to watching the dancing, and not the weight of the photo sitting on his camera. 

"That would be great, please" 

Lifting his hands up, palms facing up, Percy felt the light wright of Vaxs wrist rest on his, fingers getting to work to undo the buckle. He tried to not overthink that the wings costume piece was made from bondage cuffs, going by the softer interior and secure buckles. Not that they were terribly decent quality though, feeling the cheaper metals of the buckle itself, and aesthetic metalwork around the fake leather. No, Percy was very much not thinking of the look of the cuffs around the slender wrists at all. 

Or the collar repurposed for the outfit either. 

"Ho-how did the shoes feel?" 

Vax swapped hands once the first wrist was freed, placing the other one onto the taller mans palm. He could appreciate that Percy was handsome to look at. If being kind of stuck up, pompous sounding, and always heavily dressed was something people was considered handsome. Smiling brightly down at his feet, the dancer rolled up onto his toes for a moment, feet stepping quickly to keep the balance, one foot in front of the other. 

"Feels great, actually, Freddie. Way less strain on my arch, and my ankle didnt feel like it was wanting to fuck off to Wildemount like it usually does for that last position" Vax smiled, dropping back onto the flats of his feet again, rolling his wrist once it was unbuckled, lifting his hands to remove the collar around his neck. "Still cant believe you made me shoes, though. And all in one night? Did you even sleep?" 

"I'm very glad that they fit well, Vax'ildan. Is there any parts that you feel dont fit quite as well, or require improvement? I'm afraid im not the most versed with the anatomy of ballet shoes, so its been some trial and error with the construction."

Stepping over to his bag, dropping the wings onto it in a heap, Vax bent over at the waist to start untying the ribbons around his ankles, tied up hair falling down around his face. "Hmmm, not too sure. The box is a touch stiff, but they always are during the first couple of wears, so thats not really something i can comment on just yet. But the shank feels far better than the other one, and doesnt stab the fuck out my heel. I think if i had the ribbons a fraction wider, that would be idea, but thats if i had to be really fucking picky" 

Percy nodded slightly, crouching down to fetch his notebook, flipping open to the pages that contained technical drawings of the pointe shoes, adding in his notes about the ribbons width. "Thats more than doable. And the colour would be to match your current wear, yes? Black, or raven black? I saw that your other shoes were dyed to that colour, but that it was not their original colouring." he noted out loud, watching Vax finally sit down to pull the shoes off, flexing and relaxing his feet, ankles rotating slowly.

"Yea. Fuck all places do the colour i want. Not in my budget anyway. Anything other than white, or nude, then you usually need to get them custom ordered. So i grab the white ones and dye them. Suits just fine for what i need. And by the time ive broken in a pair of shoes, then its hard to tell that they've been dyed anyway."

Wrapping the ribbons back around the prototypes, Vax passed them up to Percy, a quick smile flashing on the dancers face. "Oh, i dont suppose you got a photo at all?" he queried, carefully climbing back up to his feet, picking up his hoodie at the same time. He looked far smaller and less imposing when he had the oversized hoodie on, hair tied up, and battered shoes waiting to be worn. "Its not an issue if nothing caught your eye for it. You know, like the moon through the leaves" 

Percy held the shoes, looking over them quickly for any extra wear that would indicate them being ill fitting, before putting them safely into his bag. Noting down 'black ballet satin' on his page, he pushed the notebook into his bag as well, before looking over at the dancer. Vax had one shoulder of the hoodie near enough falling off him, sleeves hanging past his hands by at least two inches, and sweatpants that looked like the were suitable to be thrown out, the amount of small snags on their fabric. 

"I got one, yes."

Pulling the sweatpants on, tying the cords securely around his hips, Vax walked over with his brow raised. "Just one? Your fucking confident with what you photograph, arent you? Like the bird last night?" he teased softly, using his hand to indicate a little towards the camera. He was rather curious how Percy saw him through the lens of the camera. Especially how well the test picture had come out during his warm up. Vax had very little hope for most of the photographers that had tried to work with him before, but he quite liked Percys photos currently. 

"Not confident, no. Just sure that the right moment is all it takes" Percy muttered, turning the camera back on, lifting it up to view the image that had been taken. "The illusion was just rather fascinating to see, and i think it came out rather well in the image" he explained, showing the screen to the ballet dancer, hoping that he wouldnt somehow incur the wrath of the ballerina. He held on slightly tighter to the camera, to prevent it being thrown if Vax didnt like it. 

Vaxs breath caught, just a little, as he looked at the photo of himself. His face was mostly obscured. Both by the angle, and his hair. The only part of his face that could be seen, was the reflection of his mouth, lips slightly parted. The reflected hand looked like it wasnt a part of Vax's body, lightly resting against the back of his actual hand, the entire pose looking sad and hopeful at the same time. Of the Raven reaching out and waiting for the other half to take hold. 

"Fuck me, Freddie."

"E-excuse me?"

Letting out a small breathy laugh at the indignant and embarrassed squeak of a noise from Percy, leaning in to look at the photo better,  Vax smiled widely. "Its gorgeous. Its how i hoped the illusion would work. I wanted it to look like a hint, or whisper of someone else. Like they could reach through the mirror to finish the dance" he tried to explain, eyes still eagerly looking over the photo. "Thank you, Percy. I know it was quite...pushy of me to ask for you to do this. But thank you. If you are happy, or want to, take more photos...i could really use a photographer for my folio. But think on it for a bit, ok?"

Percy, still reeling from the previous comment, nodding a handful of times, starting to put the camera away in its case. "I will certainly think on it. I dont take photos of people, Vax'ildan. Not anymore. You have been the first in a decade for me to have done so" his voice came out sounding a touch more brittle, putting the lens away in its section securely, the feeling of guilt and dread and anxiety still bubbling just behind his rib cage. 

"Why did you stop?"

"Oh, that is also a conversation for another time. And with even less of me being sober, too." Percy replied, a touch too quickly, back still turned to the dancer as he packed his things away. His hand shook, only a little, zipping the camera case up. It felt strange, having people who didnt know his past at all. When he had started the university, word had very quickly gotten around that Percival de Rolo had started. That the 'survivor of Whitestone' had decided to come to university and study. 

And things were fairly simple when people knew his past. Well, knew what the media and police had put out. He very rarely spoke out of what went on during most of his time in Whitestone. But meeting someone who had no idea who he was, of what he had gone through, was refreshing. But strange, as it meant that the pity would be worse eventually. The sad look in eyes, seeing Percy as nothing more than a broken child who had escaped, and not the accomplished man who had several degrees under his belt, and on his way for another one. 

"You know you dont need to ever tell me, Percy. It's none of my business, you know? I'm a curious and nosey bastard, but if you tell me no, then i'm not going to pry. Im not looking your name up either, because if you want to talk to me, then i'll listen. Ill respect your past and story, if you respect mine. And so far, id say you've done pretty well" 

"I appreciate that, Vax'ildan. Its just an odd thing to have someone not know who i am before i know them. I'm rather unused to it, so not entirely sure how to react to it, is all. And your past is your own, with whatever you do or do not share with others in your hands. I do wish mine had such a luxury. But i do not, and must adapt to that knowledge accordingly. Such as deleting those videos as and when they turn up online"

Vax slowly started to pack his bag up, frowning ever so slightly to himself. "Im sorry your past isnt able to be kept quiet, Percy. But if anyone gives you shit about it, just come get me, ok? I dont know your story, but i wont have someones past being used against them." he spoke firmly, pulling his phone out to shoot a text to his sister, asking to meet her up for some lunch later on. He felt the slight bitterness in the taller mans tone well, knowing that ones past being used as a weapon didnt feel good. 

Giving a tight smile that didnt reach his eyes as he got up to his feet, Percy bowed his head very gently. "Thank you. Thats very kind of you to offer that, Vax'ildan. Also, the offer is there for you to come to my dorm for any fittings or adjustments to your shoes, by the way. And i can adjust your...cuffs? better if you wish? The hardware is rather cheaply made, so  probably slips loose easily. And the metal is gold, so stands out far more against the black of the cuff and collar."

Putting on his best smile, nudging into the engineering student with his shoulder, Vax leaned close to his ear. "Are you inviting me to your bedroom, Freddie? Buy me dinner first" he teased, sauntering towards the studio door to put his shoes back on. He could hear the spluttering and wordless protesting from the man behind him, already able to envision the blush that would cover the pale cheeks. He was rather curious how red he could make Percy go, if the man could actually become so flustered he would stop being able to function. 

Harmless flirting was fun, when Vax found someone exciting enough to tease. And Percy de Rolo was rather fun to wind up, in his opinion.  

"No, i am certainly not! Vax'ildan, behave yourself!" Percy hissed out, hastily pulling his own shoes back on, cheeks near enough scarlet. He shoved his glasses back up his nose, bag strap held tightly across his chest. "And...and i was inviting you to my dorm room, not my bedroom, by the way. Purely for your own convenience" he spluttered out, feeling as if he were digging himself into a bigger hole. 

Percy very much was not used to people flirting with him so brazenly, the abruptness catching him off guard. He had had people trying to be subtle, at times, by sliding their numbers towards him, or being coy and shy when he spoke. Not that they very much caught his attention, as he had simply too much to do for such things. And mostly because those trying to catch his attention were women, and he was simply not interested in them. 

Not that Percy would admit to himself that he found men attractive either, though. 

"Sure thing. But let me at least bring something over if i do, yea? I'm a shit guest, but i can at least bring something to drink around." Vax shrugged, holding the door open for the man to head out first. And not so that he could try and eye up the human a touch more, even with that thick woolen coat covering his body. He very much was curious as to what he looked like beneath it, the small sliver of time when Percy was fixing the brackets had barely been enough to see anything. 

Percy nodded his thanks as he stepped out into the hallway, seeing more of the lights clicked on than before. It was still very early, just after seven in the morning, so a lot of students would still be in the early throes of waking up. And Percy really needed to sleep, the consequences of staying up all night rapidly catching up to him like a wall to the face. A small yawn slipped out of his throat, hand lifting to cover his mouth, not wanting to be rude. 

He needed to get that video removed, then get some sleep, before much else. 

"I'm going to head back to my dorm and shower, then get to class. Can i get a copy of that photo, if thats ok, Percy? So i can show my sister"

"Sure thing. I can send it over to you once i get back to my dorm. If its not with you by this evening, please dont hesitate to query" Percy nodded his head, walking in tandem with the ballet dancer back towards the dorms building. He kept his head down slightly, seeing a few people staring and looking at him. It wasnt unusual at that point, but still irritated him because he didnt know if the looks were due to his appearance, his reputation within the university, or his past. 

Vax jaw tense slightly as they walked, hufting his bag onto his shoulder better. "What is their fucking problem? What is your fucking problem?!" he shouted out towards a pair of women whispering as they watched Percy, making them scurry away in silence. "Fucking rude, staring like that." he huffed, using a hand to sweep his ponytail to rest in front of his shoulder, head held up to make himself look as tall as he could. To look like the Broody Ballerina. 

"I dont mind it. I'm used to it at this point"

"Well, fuck that, Percy. Like i said, if people give you shit, fetch me. I have no time for people acting like that. And people are stupid at the best of times" 

Risking a small smile, Percy pushed open the dorm building door, catching it for Vax. "Thank you. I'm room 20 by the way. Incase you need something adjusted. I'll get these shoes done by the end of the week for you, also. I just need to bribe the fashion students to give me some materials" he half joked, starting to step away to down his side of the hallway, hearing a half laugh from Vax to his right. 

"No way you bribe them with shit, de Rolo."

"Well who else gets their sewing machines working properly between maintenance?"

Vaxs smile grew to a face splitting grin, eyes sparkling for a moment. "Your the guy! Fuck, Shaun mentioned that hes had a student trading with him a couple times. Mostly getting coats and stuff adjusted for his scissors and overlocker fixed." he laughed brightly, the sound bringing a sudden deep blush onto Percys cheeks, head turning away quickly. Gods, Vax really was finding it fun to make the man blush in anyway possible.

"Shaun Gilmore is a terrible and outrageous flirt, but his needlework is marvelous when it comes it altering clothes. I can do a small degree of hand sewing, but for tailoring and alterations, then ive found that he's very competent to what i prefer"

"Oh, yea, Shaun does really good work. He makes my leotards when i need them made, especially the longer sleeved ones, or with shorts as part of it. But go get some sleep, Percival. You look ready to collapse"

"I will see you at a later date, Vax'ildan" Percy nodded his head softly, heading back towards his dorm room, hand still taking on a white knuckle grip onto his satchel strap, cheeks feeling warm still from the thought of how bright and sharp the dancers laugh had been. How bright his smile had shone. No, no, he was not thinking of that! Shaking his head just a little bit as he reached his door, shoving the key into the lock firmly, Percy hurried himself into the dorm room. 

The weight of the last hour or so finally crashed over Percival. 

He had taken a photo of someone. 

He had willingly taken a photo of Vax'ildan.

And the man had looked beautiful in it. 

And Percy hated himself for liking the picture.

Chapter Text

The firm knock to his dorm room door was what woke Percy up. He hadnt even made it to his bed to nap, curled up tightly on his couch with one arm hanging off the side. A thick blanket slid off the mans legs as he sat himself up, hair slightly messed up, glasses slightly askew. Blinking with mild confusion, trying to get his bearings, Percy stared towards his dorm door, not entirely sure he had actually heard anything or if it had been due to his sleepiness. 

The knocking sounded again. 

Hurrying up to get the door, one hand tapping to push the light on as he tried to not overbalance and crash, he winced at the bright lights burning at his eyes. Creaking open the door to peek through, eyes squinting a little, Percy tried to not just blink one eye at a time. He had only put his head down for a couple of minutes, but evidently enough to have someone knocking on his door to get his attention. Perhaps someone dropping off one of the new publications he had ordered.

"Shit, Freddie, did I wake you? Sorry. You said to pester you if it was evening time, and-"

"Wait, what time is it?" Percy frowned deeper, all semblance of sleep leaving his eyes as he pulled his phone out his trouser pocket. It was just after seven in the evening, which meant that Percival de Rolo had slept for nearly twelve hours on his couch. He had missed his classes for the day and not even realised. It had truly felt like he had been asleep for only a couple of minutes, not nearly twelve blasted hours! 

"Vax'ildan, i am so very sorry. I had no idea that i had done that" 

Percy stepped aside to open the door more, heel of his hand pushing his glasses up to rub at his eye, trying to suppress a small yawn. He failed. The ballet dancer slipped inside the dorm room, looking around curiously. All the dorm rooms within the building were cookie cutter copies of one another, in terms of shape and layout, as it was cheaper that way for construction. But whereas Vax's dorm looked as if a bomb had gone off within it, with clothes and papers everywhere, Percivals was neat and orderly, with multiple small bookshelves along the walls. 

"You clearly needed it, Freddie. And, as promised, i brought some drinks too! Want me to order something in then to eat?" Vax walked over and plopped himself on the couch, folding one leg over the other. He had on a tight pair of black skinny jeans, and a black hoodie with thumb holes torn out in the cuffs at some point. He looked like a high school kid trying to act mysterious and 'emo', the black hair tied up in a high ponytail breaking the illusion slightly. 

"I can do that, Vax'ildan. Your a guest here, so i'll get the food in tonight at least." 

Percy closed his door with a soft click, walking to the small kitchen area to fetch a couple of wine glasses. He wasnt sure what Vax had brought, but glasses felt appropriate regardless. It would have been terribly rude to have brought teacups, wouldnt it? Oh, how his mother would have fainted at the thought of him serving a guest something nice in chipped teacups. The thought brought a brief smile to his face, carrying the glasses over to place on the small coffee table. 

Vax had lifted the fallen blanket up, half on it on the couch, half on his own lap, looking over the detailing with curiosity. It was handmade, very well handmade at that, with lots of detailed embroidery and needlework gone into it. Lifting his eyes up to see that his host had come back over, he lowered his hands with the blanket back down on his lap "Sorry, was just being a nosey prick. Its really nice. Where did you get this?" he asked, thumb lightly running over the soft material absentmindedly. 

"Oh" the engineering student breathed out softly as he sat beside Vax, lifting the rest of the blanket up onto his own lap to touch. "It was from Whitestone. Where i had been from" he explained, running his finger over a golden embroidered leaf that lead to a larger tree through the middle of the blanket. "Its one of the only things i have from there" he added softer, leaning forward to slide the wine glasses towards the edge of the table. 

Nodding as he picked up the bottle that he had placed by his foot on the floor, Vax showed a bottle of red wine. "I hope red is ok? I dont really know much about wine, but Shaun told me it was a decent one, according to him" he shrugged presenting the bottle towards Percy. It was a fairly cheap, but pleasant, bottle of red wine. Nothing special about it, but not unpleasant to have with a meal. "Suppose if its shit, then i can just grab the vodka or something i have in my dorm instead" Vax joked as Percy lifted the bottle up. 

"This will do just fine, thank you.  I dont belive ive had this one before, but should be fine with food." Percy pulled his phone out again, pulling up a local delivery website, giving a quick preliminary scroll through. "Have a look and put what you wish into the basket" he shrugged holding his phone out for Vax to take. 

Taking the device gingerly, but keeping it within view, Vax scrolled slowly through the options. He didnt want to pick anything higher than what he could budget for, presuming that Percy was also as broke as he was. Finding a cheap enough pizza place, the dancer tapped a few options to get himself a simple enough pizza with a couple extra toppings on them, before handing the phone back. 

Brow raised at the choice, but not commenting on it, Percy added a food for himself, submitting the order a moment later. "Ill fetch the laptop and I can upload and send over the picture for you. I'll be just a moment" he stood up, carefully stopping his half of the blanket falling onto the floor again, before heading to his bedroom. Leaving Vax alone in the main area of the dorm room. It didnt feel too strange to do, but he knew that he would be quick enough to return.

The dancer decided to try and pry open the wine bottle, glad it was a screw top and not a cork, eyes still looking over the blanket with curiosity. It looked well loved, but careful for. But there were small marks where the outlines of stains had once been. The blemishes were a stark contrast to the crisp and clean interior to the engineering enigmas dorm room. Putting the open bottle onto he table to lift the blanket up more, Vax ran his fingers over the outside of one of the larger marks. The stain line was nearly gone, barely a thin outline marring the soft light grey fabric.

"Did you look my name up? Im just curious, more than anything." 

Vax jumped a touch at the voice from behind, lowering the blanket down, before folding it up to drape over the back of the couch, out of the way. It was large, around the height of himself, and just as wide. Easily something to snuggle up at night within. "No, I didnt. I said before, Percy, that your past is your own to tell. If you want to tell me about it, then thats on your own time" he admitted honestly, setting himself the task of pouring the wine out. 

So he near enough filled each glass with wine, bottle mostly empty by the time he finished. Vax knew how to pour a glass of wine, but the indignant and slightly stressed sounding whine from the taller man behind him made the stunt worth it. Screwing the cap back on the plop the bottle down by the table leg, Vax picked up his near full glass carefully, leaning back onto the couch, looking the air of casual and smug at the same time, taking a slight sip. 

Clearing his throat, trying to not look as offended at the glasses as he felt, Percy slowly sat back down by Vax, laptop opened up on his lap, camera memory card being slotted in the side. "Well, i suppose with that amount of wine, i'll answer any questions" he muttered, booting the laptop up, rapidly typing in his passwords to access it. Vax took another sip from the wine, leaning slightly closer to the closed off man, trying to figure him out still. 

"Only stuff i know about you, is what i hear around campus, Percy. And most of that is how you somehow have never set yourself alight, even with so many layers on. Even in the summer. That and the mad scientist inventions that get confiscated"

Snorting out a breath of laughter through his nose, Percy risked a quick smile, clicking on the memory card file to pull up all the photos stored within. He hadnt uploaded or transferred any of them for a couple of weeks, not seeing much need to do so. And he hadnt had much things catch his eye. Most of the photos were promotional style shots of various rooms within the campus and outside green, requested for by faculty. Some were of various things that had been interesting to the young mans eyes, enough to capture. 

And two were of Vax'ildan. 

Duplicating the photos onto the laptop, into various named files, Percy went and created a new folder titled 'Broody Ballerina', dragging the Vax photos into that. Clearing the memory card, he pulled it back out, slotting it into his pocket for the time being. "How would you prefer it be sent to you? I can email it to your student email, personal? Through a social media page?" he offered, pulling up his web browser, before letting out a tiny wince sound. 

The video alert from the morning had also pinged on his laptop, showing the pop up box once he pulled the internet browser. Pausing for a second, heart rate picking up, Percys hands hovered over the keys, feeling frozen. He had forgotten to put the take down request in before falling asleep. The video had been on, and still currently up, for going on twelve hours now. He had to get it removed before it was found and duplicated. Again. 

Taking a glance at the laptop screen, just long enough to see the alert, Vax placed the wine glass down on the table. "Anythings fine, Freddie. My social media might be easiest, if the file is small enough" he shrugged, pulling out his own phone to bring up his social media page. "Im sorry again for looking at your phone this morning, by the way" he added, watching Percy open a new tab, leaving the alert remaining but hidden for the meantime. "You managed to get it taken down though?" 

"Not yet. I fell asleep before i got the chance to"

"Why not do that just now? So you dont forget?"

Percy pulled up the social media page, already logged into his own. He barely used it for anything other than posting his photos from time to time. With only a handful of people following his page, no one saw anything. And that was how he wanted it to be. He could just be Percy. The man who liked to create and make useful tools and tinker with stuff, and sometimes take photos of things. And not Percy, the sideshow attraction that needed to be constantly reminded of what he had lost. 

"I will do, once i send you this, Vax'ildan" he muttered, looking over to Vax's phone, catching the social media handle, and typing it into the search bar. Seeing the ballet dancers profile pop up, he shot a follow request. Vax accepted it within seconds, sending a quick smile emoji through the messenger system to Percy. The white haired student saw the pop up, rolling his eyes to himself, before uploading the two photos and sending them through. "You should have access and control of the test photo also. As i said, i wont be doing anything with them, Vax'ildan. And you can do what you wish, but i do not want credit for them"

Seeing the photos pop up, Vax saved them to his phone right away, eager to be able to look at them better. And show them off to Vex when he saw her next. "No credit? But you took them, Percy. I wont for these ones, if you dont want, but if your helping with my folio, then i have to. At least, for the lecturers and examiners to be able to verify it was a student taking them, and not a studio" he explained, already uploading the test photo up onto his social media, captioned 'Trying to take flight this morning. Thank you Freddie Xx' 

"That would acceptable, only in those conditions, Vax'ildan. But i still have to think if i wish to be your portfolio photographer or not." Percy explained, switching tabs to the alert, giving a nervous sideways glance to the half-elf as he clicked on the box, redirecting him to the shock website once again. The thumbnail stared at him like a taunt, the image of the brown haired teenager shown on screen, a hand gripping the hair to hold his head up for the camera. Trying to keep his features impassive, Percy turned his head to look at his guest. 

"I apologise, but i have to check that its...the website hosts try and hide the video at times...i mean to say that-"

"Check the video, Percy. Its fine. At least im kind of prepped for it...a bit" 

Nodding once as he ran his curser up to the video, taking a slow breath in. "Once again, i am truly sorry you even know about this, Vax'ildan" he muttered, clicking play. The same start of the video ran on the screen, showing the teary and bloodied teenager sobbing silently, Percys laptop volume off. The video showed the teenager get his head wrenched up by the hair, tears tumbling down his cheeks, body restrained to a chair, arms lashed to the arm rests of it. 

Percy began skipping through it in segments, once again, refusing to meet Vax's eyes as he did so. But Vax saw the brief flashes and seconds, each one feeling more worrying and gut wrenching than the last. 

The teenager screamed through a leather gag, eyes screwed shut in pain from something off frame

Skip

A blade dragging harshly down his chest from clavicle, down towards the bottom of his sternum, blood seeping out instantly.

Skip

Skip

Silent pleas being begged out

Skip

Head hanging limp doen towards his chest, unmoving. But breathing. Saliva and blood slowly dripping from his face onto his lap. 

Percy finished skipping the video, immediately going about getting it take down typing rapidly on the keyboard. He couldnt look at Vax, didnt want to see the pity that would echo there. That always echoed in people's eyes whenever they looked at him. "Freddie." Percy ignored the nickname, sending the takedown notices. He sent his usual legal threat alongside it, which usually would get them taken down faster. 

"Percy!" 

"What?" Percy snapped quietly as he turned to look over towards the dancer. He didnt see pity being given to him. Not by a long shot. Vax looked angry. Pissed. But he mostly looked confused, eyes staring between Percy and the laptop screen, as if the device was the cause of some great evil. 

"Percy, you said that was you in that video. Is that true? Is that you?" 

Closing the laptop, swapping it with the overfilled wine glass, Percy gave a stiff nod before taking a large mouthful. Sweet, but not too much to be an issue with food. "It is, yes. Would you wish for me to pause it  so that you can compare?' He bit out, sounding much harsher than he had actually intended, seeing the shock flicker on the ballerinas face. "Sorry, i shouldnt have said that" he mumbled, taking another mouthful of the wine.

"Shit, no thanks! I just...Percy what the fuck is that? Why is there a video like that? What...what the fuck happened to you?" 

Chugging down the entirely of the glass, eyes screwed shut tight as he did do, Percy put the now empty glass onto the table, sighing deeply. "Would you prefer the public, watered down version, or the full thing?" he asked more serious, looking down at his hands on his lap, not entirely sure where to put them. He felt more uncertain and nervous at the prospect of Vax no longer talking to him, if he did explain his past. But he had barely had more than a handful of meetings and conversations with the man, so the notion of being scared to not talk to him anymore felt even more strange. 

"How about whatever version you wish to tell me, Freddie? I dont know shit about you, so whatever you tell me, ill listen. Hell, if you ask about my past, ill let you know too, if it makes you feel better" Vax offered, tucking one leg under himself to get more comfortable on the couch, arm draped across the back on top of the folded blanket. "And also, just because i asked, doesnt mean im entitled to be told, by the way. Just tell me to fuck off if you prefer."

"No, Vax'ildan. I'm not going to tell you to fuck off. I do wish to let you know, so that you have a more informed choice on asking me to take your photo. And to associate with me in the future, also" 

Vax cocked his head ever so slightly at the phrasing, but mentioned nothing of it. He quite liked how well spoken the man was, even if it went over his head some of the time. "Well, im here to listen, Percy. I'll try not to be a dick and interrupt, ok?" he reassured, shooting his most charming smile towards the human, eyes looking over his features. The man really was unfairly handsome, and Vax just couldnt understand why Percy carried himself in such a was as to hide his frame and features from everyone. 

"Well, i suppose theres not time to begin, like now" Percy muttered, still tasting wine against his tongue, wetting his lips quickly as he bolstered his nerves. Wringing his hands together, fingers flicking against one another, he kept his eyes looking down at his lap. He didnt want to see the reactions again. He had seen too many reactions from people, especially when he thought that he had met someone who actually wanted to get to know him. That always changed when they researched his name, his story, or got told by others. 

"So I'm originally from Whitestone, and was third in line there. I was 14 years old when my family were murdered" Percy began, letting out a small breath. That was always the easy part. "I had been in the grounds, taking photos. We all wanted something different for the Festive cards, so i thought capturing images of Whitestone in the snow would be perfect. So i was out there, taking photos, and trying to not get stuck in the deeper snow...then i heard the first gunshot. Faintly, but by the time the third one had rung out, i knew i hadnt been mistaken. Someone had broken into the home"

Percy let out a small shaking breath, swallowing thickly as he tried to keep himself calm. Vax instinctively reached out to place his hand lightly on top of the others. Not holding or squeezing, but just resting there, to hopefully reassure. "I didnt know how many had broken in, Vax. I was 14, for gods sake, so i just ran. I tried to hide amongst the shrubs and bushes that lined the back of the estate, but i hadnt even thought of hiding the footprints of the snow. I was caught within an hour. They dragged me into the master bedroom...my parents bedroom." Percy choked up slightly, tears welling up in his eyes, trying his hardest not to blink them into reality. 

Turning sightly to look at Vax, Percys lower lip trembling ever so slightly. "They were all laid on the bed. So nicely, as if they were sleeping. All of them. My parents, Johanna and Frederick, were shot. Cleanly. Executions. They laid my siblings out by them on the bed too. All of them. Vesper. Julius. Whitney. Oliver. Ludwig. Cassandra." he whispered quieter, as if their names added more and more weight onto his chest. "I was dragged into that room, and locked in there."

"Oh my gods, Percy!" Vax wanted to throw up already, hand tightening a fraction on top of the engineering students one, feeling it starting to shake a little. The thought of losing a family member already hurt Vax, of course it did. But the thought of losing his entire family at the same time, and then being locked in the same room as their corpses? The thought of being locked up with Vexs body nearly made him sob. 

"I dont really recall much of that time, im afraid. I screamed most of the time, trying to get to the other side of the room, as far away from it all as i could. I would wake up, scream, hide in the wardrobe, and pass out. Thats not the worst part of it though Vax. Thats the part that the media tell, but not the part that is in the reports" Vax couldnt imagine how anything could have gotten worse, turning his full attention to Percy, lifting a shaking hand up to wipe fallen tears from the humans face. His heart broke a touch at the minor flinch coming from the man at the prospect of being touched. 

"What would possibly have made things worse than that, Freddie?"

Letting out a watery and shaking breath, fingers tapping nervously on his thigh, Percy looked Vax in the eye properly. "They made me take photos of them, Vax. They made me take photographs of my family. Pose them, and take photographs of them. Each day, after i screamed and passed out, they would come into the room, prop my family up into whatever macabre and deranged pose they wanted, then...then make me take their photos, before letting me scream and hide again. The media dont know that detail, because i dont wish for my familys legacy and memory to be marred by those monsters any more. I'm the only one who has those photographs, and still...still have them."

Vax choked out a sob without meaning to, pushing himself up onto his feet. "You...they..." he stammered, looking ready to either pull his hair out, stomp around the dorm room, or just self combust. He looked furious, cheeks quickly flushing with rage. "If they arent dead, im going to fucking kill them, Percy! What the fuck did they do to you?! You were a fucking kid, and they...they made you do those things! And here i am trying to fucking ask you to take my picture, like an utter fucking prick!" he half shouted, flopping onto the couch again, fury and hurt still roiling beneath his skin. 

"You didnt know, Vax'ildan. And i was rather thankful that you did not know my past. But no one else, besides a small few, know the truth with the photographs, and i would prefer it stay that way" 

"You said you kept them"

Percys body froze as he blinked slowly. He had said that. He hadnt meant to say that detail, blood feeling like ice. "I did" he admitted quietly, shoulders hunching just a touch more, body language starting to close off again. "But i will not be showing or sharing them with anyone, Vax. So no one will ever have to see that. They dont deserve that" he muttered quietly, like a child pleading. 

"Fuck, Freddie, i dont want to see that! You shouldnt have had to see that! You were a child! Please, please tell me they got fucking locked up after the photos. Freddie, please" 

Letting out a humorless laugh, Percy shook his head, sniffling quietly. "Im sorry to disappoint in that regard, Vax. Once i...once i stopped screaming, they thought it would be 'fun' to make a video." he started, seeing Vax's eyes widen in sudden horror and understanding. "They set the camera up in front of the bed..." he added with his voice cracking minutely. "They filmed the whole thing, every single sick thing that they wanted to do, it was recorded. The video today was...short. That was only an hour of footage of the-"

"Only an hour?! Only?! How fucking long were they torturing you for, Percy?!"

"...3 weeks. It...the entire thing lasted just over 3 weeks. They recorded each session"

Silence thundered through the dorm room, save for the sound of Percys quiet crying, tears slowly rolling from under his glasses to drip down from his cheeks. A shocked sound left him, feeling himself being pulled against the dancers side, Vax's arms wrapping around him, face buried in white hair. "You shouldnt have had any of that happen to you, Freddie. Thank you for telling me, but fuck, i wanna kill those bastards so badly for laying a hand on you" he growled out quietly, feeling the slightly taller man stiffen and tremble at the hold, but not pull away. 

"I escaped after three weeks of torture, Vax. I ran away in the middle of a snow storm, with nothing on. Except..." 

Vaxs breath caught in his chest, looking to the back of the couch. To the Whitestone blanket, with the barely there stain outlines across its surface. How it was big enough to wrap him up in it. How it would have been large enough to have wrapped a smaller teenager within. "Oh my gods...you only had the blanket" he whispered, fingers touching its surface lightly, feeling almost a respect for the object. That it had kept the 14 year old Percival safe and protected whilst he ran. 

"The blanket, yes. My hair...my hair had gone white by that point, so i blended into the snow better. And i just ran as much as i could. If i ran, then they couldnt catch me. Then the media soon caught wind, because a nearly naked and tortured teenager was found in the snow. And then everyone knew what had happened to the de Rolo's"

Vax slowly pulled the blanket around them both, holding Percy closely once again, feeling the shivering slowing down with the man. "But you got out Percy. And they got locked up, didnt they?" he asked, sounding slightly hopeful, risking the quickest kiss to the top of white hair. It was soft beneath his lips, bringing a sad smile to them, wanting to reassure the man that he wouldnt look at him any differently. 

"Locked up? I wish. No, Vax'ildan, they did not!" Percy ground out, venom dripping in his voice. "Police and media turned up, and it was spun that Percival de Rolo went mad and murdered his entire family before fleeing across the continent in the dead of night. That the videos of my torture were fabricated, and that i had forced my 'saviours' into doing those things to me to allegedly make it more believable. Everyone took their side, and i was labelled as mad."

"So thats why people look at you like your ready to bite their head off?! They think you...fucking hells below, Percy, people actually think you killed your family?!" Vax gaped, using one hand to tilt Percys head up towards him, meeting his eyes. "Look me in my eyes and tell me you didnt harm them. I know you didnt, but fucking tell me anyway" he hissed, as if he was trying to convince the world of it. 

"I didnt kill them, Vax. I didnt harm them"

"I believe you. Every fucking word out your mouth, i know its the truth, Percy. No one whos lost family would like about how it feels" Vax whispered, pressing a quick kiss to the mans forehead, getting a small squeak of shock from Percy. "But your still a pompous prat who wraps up like its the middle of winter!" he huffed quietly, hoping to try and ease the moment from being too strained and uncomfortable. "And i still cant believe you made me fucking pointe shoes"

Letting out a relieved puff of air, Percy slowly sat himself back on the couch, blanket wrapped around his front. "Well you said that i would be allowed to tinker with them. So thats what i did" he explained with a shrug, using the heel of his hand to wipe the last of the tears off. "Thank you, by the way Vax. For listening. And...and believing me" he added, feeling the dancer softly sweep his thumb over his cheek to catch the last of the wetness there. 

Feeling his cheeks getting hot very quickly at the touch, Percy stammered slightly, pulling back, blindly searching for his phone. "Where is this food...." he mumbled to himself. He risked a glance out the corner of his eye, seeing Vax sipping his wine again, a slight smirk picking up in the corners of the ballet dancers mouth, which made Percys own one feel rather dry. 

"Well i dont mind you tinkering with my stuff, Freddie. Was a bit odd knowing that someone was just in possession of my pointe shoes, you know? Like, shit, they must have looked awful" 

"No, Vax, they really didnt. It was curious seeing all the adjustments that had been made. Like getting a look into you without having to see you, if that makes sense. But there was blood inside them, which i wasnt terribly sure about. Just in the bottom of the box in each shoe. Is that normal?" 

Vax shrugged as he placed the wineglass down, leaning over to peel his sock off. Turning to face Percy properly, he brought his feet up onto the couch, toes pointed. There were a small number of little gauze strips tied and stuck around his foot, ankle and toes. They honestly looked as if they had been put through a meat processor, with various blisters, callouses and injuries along them. "Hazard of the occupation, im afraid. Ballet looks fucking gorgeous, on the surface. But beneath the tights, tutus, and pointe shoes, its a little uglier" 

"I know how that feels. Beneath the surface, the...wounds can be far more ugly than what people presume" 

Chapter Text

Vax didnt intend to avoid Percy over the following weeks. Life had just gotten in the way, with coursework, rehearsals, and work over the weekends. He had shot the man a few messages whenever he could remember, mostly just checking up on him. And trying to ensure that Percy actually got some sleep ever once in a while. 

"So, brother, i saw that you have a photographer at last. Those two that you put on your page make you look halfway decent. Glad you finally sucked up your pride and said sorry" 

"Thanks, Stubby. And no, i do not have a photographer yet. He only took the photo because i pestered him enough about it. He told me he was going to think it through, before giving me an answer for certain" Vax replied back with a shrug, leaning back under one of the trees in the campus green. He had around twenty minutes left before his sister had to leave lunch and go back to her class. And Vax had first year students to teach the basics too, before the junior lessons came. He wanted to claw his eyes out at the prospect of the first years.

Leaning back on her forearms, head tilted up towards the leaves of the tree, Vex let out a soft breath. "And who is this mysterious photographer that you wont even credit, then? You've never forgotten to do so before, brother. And twice? That was intentional" she pointed out, crossing her legs at the ankle, a soft smile on her face as the gentle beams of sun warmed her. Vax sighed softly as he looked from his sister to the shock of white hair and blue coat marching through the green, stride long and purposeful. 

Lifting his hand in a half wave towards Percy, Vax shot a quick smile at the man, getting a hand lifted up in brief acknowledgment before the student marched through towards the sciences corridors. He looked to be in the middle of something, expression firm and pinched, but the ballet dancer noted that he didnt look as exhausted. Small mercies, he supposed. 

"And since when were you on friendly terms with de Rolo? You barely even talk to your own department!"

Vax looked down at his sister, seeing one of Vex's eyes cracked open to watch him, brow raised high towards her hair line. "It's none of your business, Vex! And besides, i can be friendly when i want to be. Especially with the guy who repairs the studio bars decent enough" he groused, as if trying to defend himself from the simple question. He could be friendly to people. Sometimes. When the mood struck him. He was friendly with Shaun Gilmore, and that had been before and after their stint at trying to be a couple. "So why does that come as such a shock?"

"Well..." Vex sighed as she slowly sat up properly, looking over where Percy had walked into the building, then back at her brother. "For one, brother, he's rather dangerous!" she hissed out, voice quiet and low. "I looked him up after he came by to repair the bars. Which was obvious, because engineering students dont have cameras that good. And Vax, the man is fucking dangerous!" she reiterated, eyes narrowed. "He's done bad things, and i dont want you to be near him, ok?"

Feeling his annoyance starting to bubble up, Vax fought to keep his composure. Of course his twin would have looked up Percy the second that she had been able to do so. And obviously she would have trusted whatever had been written online. Vax had still refused to look up Percy online, trusting the mans word at face value. "You cannot trust everything that is read online Vex'ahlia. You know this better than most, especially when it comes to peoples pasts!" he snarled back, more anger and venom seeping through than he had intended, startling himself a little. 

Reeling back in mild shock of her brothers tone, Vex glared at her brother with more ice in her eyes. "If you knew the things that he's done, Vax'ildan, then you wouldnt be so quick to defend him!" she retorted. Vax knew that she was pissed whenever she used his full name, his heart rate picking up in mild panic. They didnt argue often. Bickered, yes. But argued? He could only remember a handful of times when such a thing had happened  and they haf always gotten explosive. They trusted one another and their intuition more than anything. It was how they had survived and gotten through life so far.

They needed to trust one another.

"And you only looked at one side of the story, Vex! He didnt do any of those fucking things! I know he didnt!" he ground out as if the words hurt to say,  heel digging into the dirt as he felt ready to just stand up and storm away. "He told me what happened to them, Vex'ahlia" he spoke softer, more sadness in his voice, hand resting on top of hers. He needed her to understand. "Told me what was done to him. I...i've seen the video of what happened to him, Stubby. I know hes telling me the truth" 

Pulling her hand away, shock echoing in her face, Vex shook her head a little. "What was done to him? Him?! I read the reports Vax! I watched the fucking news reports of it! The poor Briarwoods tried to save them...tried to help Percival, but he was beyond helping by the time the turned up." she hissed back with just as much venom as before, pulling her phone out. "The Briarwoods were close friends to the de Rolos. Why would they have harmed them?"

"Well why the fuck would Percy have harmed his own family? What possible fucking reason would he have had to do those things, and then just run away?" Vex pulled up several articles on her phone, trying to push them into her brothers line of sight. But Vax was not wanting to be swayed, turning his head away, eyes closed. "Vex'ahlia, you didnt see that video. Percy gets them taken down, but...but i did." he whispered, emotion building in his voice as he looked her in the eye. 

Vex hadnt seen her brother so heartbroken in a very long time, lowering her phone immediately. "What video? Vax, you keep mentioning a video, but i dont know what you mean" she plead softly, cuddling tightly into her twin, feeling his arms snake around her, body shivering as he tried to hold in the angry tears that he didnt want to shed again. He had been angry and upset for Percy enough over the weeks. Each time he caught sight of the man, revulsion at those who had harmed him would well up, as well as a strange need to protect him. 

"Didnt your articles mention those? Or your reports?" Vex shook her head slightly, cuddling tighter into her brother, one hand petting the back of his hair. The reports that she had read had only mentioned the murders, and the subsequent posing of the bodies, before Percy had absconded from the Briarwoods. Nothing about photographs or videos. Even the news reports didnt mention any of that. Vax sat back slightly, letting out a slow and shaking breath, looking up towards the leaves. 

"Vex, the Briarwoods tortured Percy...fuck, they filmed themselves torturing a fucking kid. I saw the video, Vex. It was him. It was Percival in it. They fucking brutalised him, and did...did the most heinous shit ive ever...Vex they did that to a kid. In front of his familys corpses" 

Vex gasped quietly, seeing the firm truth and absolution in her brothers face. She saw that he truly believed that, so she knew that information had to have come from somewhere. That someone had to have shown him this alleged video. "They filmed it?" she whispered quietly, brow creased, just a little, trying to wrap her head around the idea of someone doing something so terrible to a child. "But...but how did he get out if they filmed such things, brother? If they locked him away, how did he get out alive? And still using his name" she countered. 

Because Vex'ahlia always had a counter argument for everything. 

Getting up to his feet, trying to not get angry again, Vax pulled his hair back to tie up out the way. "I dont know, Stubby. I havent exactly sat down and questioned the fucking man on his torture, now have i? I've spoken to Percy half a dozen times, at best. So, perhaps, with no disrespect to you, sister, stay out of my business. If i end up being wrong, which i am not, then i will buy you anything your little heart desires. Ill dance my pretty fucking arse off to make that extra money" 

Turning and storming away before his twin to reply, Vax beelined towards the sciences corridor without a second thought. He wanted to see Percy. He didnt know why, but he just needed to see him. He had avoided the man enough, and felt guilty over doing so. But it hadnt been intentional. For the most part. Vax had been trying to get his costume adjusted. And work at the weekend had increased as the summer crept in, which always brought more customers anyway. So he was always more tired by the time he got back to his dorm room. 

And Vax couldn't stop himself getting flustered whenever he saw the man, thinking back to how nice it had been to hold Percy in his arms. 

Stomping inside, the ballet dancer looked around himself, trying to find anything to indicate de Rolo had been around. He didnt want to hang around the department if he didnt need to. Hurrying through several hallways, he finally turned up what he was searching for. Percy was inside one of the labs, kneeling down under the bench on all fours, back to the door. The blue coat had been taken off, thank the gods, so Vax got a bit more of a glimpse of the man beneath it, including the mans backside. The dancers mouth went slightly dry as he saw the build on his arms and back, head tilting over to the side, just staring from the lab room door. 

"Fucking hells, Freddie. Didnt realise engineering students got that ripped" 

Percy yelped out as he thudded his head hard on the underside of the bench, doubling back over. Holding a hand onto the back of his head, he carefully shuffled out from beneath the bench, looking towards the door. He had the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, slight dirt smudged across the corner of his mouth. "Vax'ildan! What are you doing here? You dont take sciences, do you?" he queried, wincing slightly as he held the back of his head with one hand, bracing the other onto the bench to get up to his feet. 

Vax swallowed thickly, trying very hard to not just stare so openly at Percy, eyes trailing over his arms and shoulders for several moments. Oh, he really should look up at his face. Shaking his head just a touch to clear his thoughts from wandering further down into depravity, Vax looked up at the man carefully. "I came to see if your ok. You looked quite...stormy? You hurried by outside, and i havent seen you much for a while, you know?" he shrugged, hoping that he came across as casual and with friendly concern. 

He felt like a lost puppy wanting to see Percy. 

"Oh" 

Percy blushed, just a little, as he rolled down his sleeves, much to Vax's disappointment, fingers smoothly redoing the cuffs on each. Even the small motion of fixing the cuff buttons made Vaxs breathing catch, feeling his cock stir just a tiny bit in his dance tights beneath the sweatpants. He very much was not getting turned on at Percival de Rolos hands doing up buttons, for fucks sake! "Well, thats very kind of you, Vax'ildan. I was hurrying because the valve was faulty, and the maintenance here wouldnt have gotten to it in time. It just needed to be greased and with a new stopper attached, but its all working and fine now." 

Percy leaned down to scoop up his coat, slipping his arms through it easily, hands fixing the collar of it around himself, before smoothing the lapels down. Walking over towards Vax, the human let his eyes flicker over the dancers face for a moment, standing by the door. "Well, you've seen me now. So if there was anything else i can assist you with, Vax'ildan?" he queried, brow raised, hands pushing into his coat pockets. He stood several inches taller than the dancer, which Vax both very much liked and hated in equal measures. He could equal out the height when he was in his pointe shoes though, which he didnt currently have on.

Reaching up slowly, but still seeing the miniscule flinch coming from Percy, Vax ran his thumb slowly from the corner of the mans mouth towards his cheek, the rest of his hand cupping his jaw. "You had a little something there, Freddie" he muttered quietly, his own lip quirking to a barely there smile. "Must i do everything for you?" he teased, before stepping away out of the room, glancing at the furious blush taking over the humans cheeks, Percy using the heel of his hand to scrub at his cheek and jaw. 

How cute. 

--

"So, if you can handle the basics, then eventually you will be able to go en pointe in the future." 

Vax sighed with a smile as he spoke, looking over the group of children with wide eyes and fluffy ballet skirts on, huddled together in front of the mirror. He got paraded often by the department, both due to being the only male ballet dancer in the university, and the only one who could dance in pointe shoes too. And it always somehow fascinated children most of all. Several small hands shot up in the air, with Vax already knowing what they were going to ask. 

"Yes, i can go up en pointe, and show you the cool spins" 

Several small cheers went out, the five and six year olds all watching with rapt attention as Vax took several steps back. Forcing on his best smile, he went into a simple pirouette, one foot lifted to let the toe box rest against the inside of his knee, arms raised. He only spun twice before lowering the raised foot back down, looking like a curtsey, arms held out to his sides. The children clapped loudly, several wiggling excitedly on the spot. 

He could remember being their age, being so young and excited to dance. But not getting the chance to do so, due to money being too tight to afford such a thing. Vax was glad that they could, and as much as he hated other adults being utter idiots, children were blameless. He couldnt, and wouldnt, belittle a child or make them feel stupid for asking questions that popped into their heads. He wanted to see their wonder and fascination grow, to let them find joy within the art of the dance. 

And if that meant doing a hundred pirouettes, then so be it.

Answering a couple more of their questions, mostly about if pointe shoes were actually pointy on the inside like the name implied, or if everyone had to go upside down to get into a tutu, Vax ended up under a pile of tiny ballerinas-to-be in the middle of the studio. The children had decided that a sudden game of 'chase the ballerina' had been the perfect thing to do whilst Vax was in pointe shoes. They werent the most mobile of things on the best of days, let alone when trying to outrun a dozen excitable little kids who wanted to all try and climb and pin him for cuddles and tickles. 

Yelping as he fell onto the floor with an u dignified thud, laughing loudly, Vax wiggled and picked up one of the children, feeling three more pile on top of him. One tried to pry off his shoe, with the dancer rolling onto his stomach to try and worm his way across the floor, laughter coming out into a more breathless wheeze with the weight of several little dancers clambering on top of him. It was like the cutest zombie attack. "Its going to be death by baby ballerina!" he cried out in dramatic fashion, arm outreaching, before flopping onto the floor with a loud sigh, face down on the floor. 

A series of cheers from the children sounded out, several starting to chase one another around the studio. Vax cracked his eyes open, cheeks very quickly going red as he saw Percy at the studio door, looking equally as flustered at the moment. Several little dancers continued to climb on him, laughing loudly, one flapping her hands excitedly each time Vax wiggled or tapped his shoes on the floor to make sound. 

Percy stepped into the studio slowly, holding two takeaway coffee cups in his hands, keeping to the very back of the studio space. He looked like a deer in headlights, eyeing the children up with caution. Vax carefully got back up to his feet, most of the dancers trying to get up onto their toes, or do little pirouettes in their soft slippers. He had the last little dancer left by his side, her hands opening and closing quickly, flapping ever few seconds as she watched his shoes with rapt interest. 

"Want to go for a spin?" Vax asked softly, holding his hands out in offering to the young girl, seeing her face break into a wide smile, nodding. Vax gently lifted the child up, holding her carefully against his front. Carefully taking a step to the side, the dancer went up en pointe, spinning lightly on one foot, walking and spinning his way casually across the floor. The little dancer gasped and cuddled closely, relaxing into the spins, little feet kicking slightly in excitement, making soft happy noises. Vax was used to this group of children coming to the studio once a month, and the little dancer in particular. She was never a bother, and always found the spinning motions soothing at the end of lessons, which he found fun to do in equal measures. 

"Youll be able to do these one day too" he noted, making his way with steps and spins towards Percy, looking over towards him between each gentle spin, shoes tapping softly as he stepped. He saw the taller student watching him with a suppressed smile as he spun and moved with the little dancer. The other children bickered and laughed, some trying to copy the steps but just thudding their feet as they lost balance. Their teacher would be back to collect them in a couple of minutes, only leaving to fetch the sign out sheets for them visiting the campus. 

Carefully lowering the little ballerina back to her own two feet, Vax smiled softly down at her, letting her stomp and bounce off to the other side of the studio, straight for the mirrored wall. Stepping over towards Percy, the dancer gave a shy smile towards the man, cheeks going a soft pink once again. "I didnt know you were visiting the studio today, Percy. Something needing repaired? Or are you here to learn baby ballet?" he asked, starling as a coffee cup was pressed gently into his hands. 

"Nothing needed repaired, Vax'ildan. I...i wanted to see you. I didnt know children came to campus. And i fear i may too uncoordinated for even that." 

"Oh, yea. Once a month. I get some extra money, and it can go towards credit for the course too. Not much credit, but the kids are really sweet, and they do their best" Vax shrugged, taking a sip of the coffee. He accidently let a soft groan of enjoyment slip out, taking a larger mouthful of the drink. It was over sweetened and strong, how he liked it, both hands clutching onto the cup for the warmth.

Percy blushed harder at the noise, taking a sip of his own drink, trying to not choke on it. He didnt know how much he had wanted to hear such a sound come from the ballerina. "You look really comfortable around them. And they trust you too, which is good." he muttered softly, seeing several of the children hurrying to try and clamber around Vax's legs, one still trying to steal his shoe, even with his feet firmly on the floor. She had tried at least three times prior, and failed to find the end of the ribbon each time. Vax passed his coffee cup back over to Percy, lowering down into a squat to meet the childs level. 

"Does your boyfriend do ballet too, Vax?"

Both Vax and Percy spluttered and blushed hard at the innocent question, the childs wide eyes blinking up towards the dancer  her quest for his shoe abandoned. For now. "My daddies dance together in the kitchen, but i do ballet! Does your boyfriend dance with you?" she asked brightly, swaying side to side to make her little fluffy skirt shimmy with her. Vax had seen her dads only a handful of times, whenever they came to drop her insulin off, if it had been forgotten, or ran low. 

"I don't dance, no. Not ballet at least, so i'm afraid that i wouldnt be able to keep up with Vax'ildan in such a way" Percy spoke smoothly, cheeks burning as he drank out of the ballet dancers coffee cup without thinking. Not wanting to feel like an idiot, he swallowed the overly sweet drink, watching Vax watching him. He was very much not thinking of how the dancers lips had been on it moments before. And the way the corner of Vax's lip turned up a touch, eyes flickering down to Percys mouth, before meeting the mans eyes once again. 

The child, seemingly satisfied with the answer, hurried off to relay the information to her friends with a loud "No, Mr Vax's boyfriend doesnt dance ballet! But he has a very pretty smile! Like when daddy smiles at dad without him seeing! And calls him Vax'ildan!" getting several cheers and giggles in reply. Vax groaned quietly as he covered his face, still crouched down on the ground. He was never going to be able to talk to Percy again now, especially if the children kept embarrassing him like that. Playing around with them and letting them climb all over him was one thing, but he had the 'broody ballerina' image to uphold. 

Percy slowly slid down to crouch in front of the mortified ballerina, holding out the correct coffee cup to him. "I am going to throw myself off of the roof" Vax groaned quietly, accepting the drink, still looking down at the floor. "How can i possibly be the broody and unapproachable ballerina in the department now, when ive been tormented to death by a dozen six year olds in front of you?" he grumbled, getting a soft laugh from Percy in reply. The sound was wonderful, Vax's mood picking up immediately, head lifting. 

"Oh, i dont know. The broody ballerina seemed to show a bit of a soft spot for the pyrotechnic engineer" Percy mumbled, taking another mouthful of his own coffee, looking up through his lashes for a moment, before averting them away again. He didnt know he felt so strange when chatting with Vax, or being on the receiving end of his rare half smiles either. The slight butterfly and tingling feeling that would make him want to stand up just a little bit straighter, to let himself be seen by Vax when walking through the halls. Yes, Percy still kept his layers and coat on, but didnt want to shrink away from Vax's eyes as much. 

It was scary. 

It was also rather exciting. 

"Well, the broody ballerina is very thankful that you brought him some coffee. But now im curious but what you meant by you dont dance ballet, at least. Does that imply the mysterious pyromaniac does dance to some degree?" 

"Oh, i rather walked myself into that one, didnt i?" Percy sighed, trying to not sigh. Getting back up to his feet, legs starting to go numb with the low squat, he held a hand out for the dancer. Vax held onto it tightly, rising up onto his own feet, taking a sip of his coffee. He didnt let go of Percys hand as he did so, head tilted back a touch as he drank. If Percy watched the way that the ballet dancers throat bobbed and moved when he swallowed, then that was between him and whatever diving powers were spying on him. 

--

"No, Freddie, you cant just ignore me now! I have to know! Its a life or death piece of information, and you have to tell me" 

Vax had been trying to wheedle and pester the information out of the man for the rest of the afternoon, the young dancers long since collected and taken off campus. He draped himself over Percys shoulders, leaning around to smile at him as the engineering student sat down at one of the table to get a bite to eat. And damn, Vax couldnt help but feel how sturdy the man was under his hands, as he tried his best to not try and feel more along Percys shoulders. 

He wondered if Percy could lift him. 

He wanted Percy to grab him and lift him.

Heaving an over dramatic sigh as he took a mouthful of whatever soup had been on offer within the cafeteria, Percy turned to look at Vax with as much sternness as he could muster. Which wasnt terribly much, considering he was nearly nose to nose with the ballerina, feeling the mans breath ghost on his skin. Breath catching in his chest as he looked back down at the soup cup, as if it were the most interesting thin in the world, Percy tried to not let his breathing stutter visibly. 

Vax noticed. Oh, he very much noticed. 

"If you really must know, Vax'ildan, i had been taught most forms of ballroom. It was rather standard to be taught from a young age. But i have not danced in a terribly long time" 

Pressing his cheek softly to Percys, feeling the heat of the blush from the man warming his skin, Vax grinned wider. "Were you the leader or follower when you danced then, Freddie? Would you dance with me?" he risked asking, before standing up to give the man some space. Percy choked audibly on his soup, spluttering it back out into the cup, eyes wide and round behind his glasses. Vax pat the man firmly on the back before sauntering out of the hall, flipping his hair over his shoulder for added dramatics, leaving Percy to clean himself up from nearly choking to death on soup. 

The dancer couldnt stop smiling to himself as he sauntered through the green and back towards the studio. He had left all his stuff in there, knowing he would be back after lunch. And by lunch, he meant pester Percy for a while, so that he could see the man for a little bit longer. It felt nice making Percy so flustered, and seeing the blushes and quick glances shot his way, Vax was becoming more and more sure that the man was starting to enjoy his company a little bit as well. 

And who was Vax to deny himself the simple pleasure of attractive company?

Chapter Text

The summer break came and went without much fanfare. Heat crept up, sweat rolled down, and birds flew and started their nests ahead of the winter. Most of the student body went to their various homes, both on the continent and abroad. Vex and Vax did not leave, remaining on campus grounds, taking time between one anothers dorm rooms. There were very few staff, and most of the facilities were locked up during that time for safety. But Vax got permission to have a single studio key to be able to practice over the holidays, under threat of expulsion is it got damaged or the key got lost. 

Percy also remained on campus during that time too, emerging out his dorm room more and more frequently over that time. There were barely any students around, so he wore the large coat less frequently, not having the need to hide himself quite as much. He still wore the shirts, waistcoats and cravats though, but the coat has been abandoned for the time being. The summer mostly meant that Percy let himself catch glimpses of the twins as they lounged around, or hurried back and forth from the cities more bustling party streets later at night. Or hearing Vex herding her brother back to his dorm room when he drank a little too much after his work night had ended. 

Percy had figured out quite quickly that Vax had a secret job outside of campus stuff that he didnt speak about in front of anyone else but his sister, and that it was at one of the 'gentleman's bars' just outside of the more respectable parts of the city. He understood the appeal being a ballet dancer would bring to that type of job, with people enjoying the unique features of the dancer. He wondered what the dancer wore when he went to that job.

But he felt jealous at the mere thought of someone touching Vax'ildan. 

Of someone other than himself touching Vax.

--

Percy picked up the two coffee cups up in his hands, thanking the barista with a small nod of his head. He had taken the initiative to purchase them both reusable cups. Purely for the enviromental impact, and not due to the student appearing in Vax's rehearsal time more and more often. Very much not the latter. But Percy had the obtained coffees in hand, making sure to add a small sprinkle of chocolate powder on top of Vaxs before sealing the lid securely closed. 

Hurrying back into campus and towards the studio, the route now so familiar that Percy felt he could take it blindfolded, the engineering student gently nudged the door open, walking backwards into the studio space, smile already creeping up onto his features. He had started to stop hiding the small smile that crept up on his features when he would visit Vax in the studio. "Come have a break, Vax'ildan. I remembered to get you a large this time, by the way" he called over his shoulder, toeing his shoes off automatically, nudging them to rest beside the door neatly. 

"Thats terribly kind of you, darling'

Percys back stiffened for a moment as he spun around to look at both twins, seeing Vex's arms crossed over her chest, braid hanging down over her shoulder and chest. He had spoken with her on only a handful of brief occasions, and most had been clipped and tense at best. He knew exactly why though, he wasnt brainless. Vax had informed him that his twin sister had read the Briarwoods statements, so was extra wary of him. 

Not that Percy could fault her for being protective over family. 

"Good morning, Vex'ahlia. I apologise. If I had known you were here, I would have collected you a coffee also" 

Vex, not missing a beat, walked over and plucked both cups from the students hands, shrugging lightly, eyes still cold and untrusting. "You did" she muttered, sauntering back over towards her brother, handing him his navy blue cup, whilst she stole a sip of the white cup. She shot a look over towards Percy, as if trying to challenge him to say something. He didnt dare open his mouth.

Vax looked at the cups, frowning for a second, then over towards Percy. Taking a large mouthful of his drink, tasting the slight chocolate note on top, he pressed the cup into the humans hand, shooting him a tight smile. "Sorry about her, Freddie. Think she woke up with her arse in her head today " he growled over his shoulder, getting the middle finger from his twin in response. Rolling his eyes as he looked at Percy again, Vaxs smile slid into more genuine and soft. 

"Have you had any more thoughts on the folio?" 

Hurriedly taking a mouthful of the sweetened drink, hiding the slight grimace at the taste, Percy nodded once. "I have, yes. I would like to try and give it a go, Vax'ildan. I cannot promise you that...that ill be ok through it all but I'd like to try it." He explained, voice slightly quieter, but still carried in the empty studio space. Passing the coffee cup back, Percy rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, the heat quite stifling, even with the windows cracked open. 

There were a litany of scars, burns and marks across the skin, most very old and healed. A small amount of them were still thick and gnarled looking, with one trailing from his wrist up past his elbow. Vax felt a small sense of pride at the knowledge that Percy felt comfortable enough to move even that much of his clothing out of the way. Not that the young man looked down at himself ever if he did so. That was a sad point that Vax noticed very quickly now that the engineering student came by more often:

Percy didnt look at himself in the mirror.

Ever.

"Your coffee choice is shit, Percival, by the way" Vex spoke honey sweet, finishing the cup with a slow mouthful, placing it on the floor by her brothers bag, lifting his shoes and costume pieces out. Percy meerly shrugged slightly as he lifted his phone out, checking a couple of notifications. Those 'notifications' were looking at Vaxs social media pages for any new posts and photos of the ballerina. The most recent had been from last night, with a photo of Vax in his own bed, clearly more than a little tipsy, cheeks flushed. He had one arm over his eyes in the photo, a lopsided smile up towards the camera, with the caption of 'Wish you were here with me''

Placing his phone down onto the ground, Percy got back up to his feet to help Vax tie his hair back, getting small braids from one temple whilst the dancer got started on the other. And it certainly was not because Percy liked the feel of Vaxs hair beneath his fingers. How the long strands felt like silk slipping across his palm as he worked them into the trailing thin four strand braid from his temple to curve down the back of his ear.

"Since when did de Rolo braid your hair?!"

Percy finished the braid quickly, stepping away to fetch the dancers pointe shoes. He had managed to convince Shaun Gilmore to let him have an end bolt of raven black satin lining material. It had been in exchange for Percy being the model for the man. But wearing several various coats and form fitting waistcoats for an hour had been worth it to obtain the fabric. And with the desired materials on hand, the engineer had managed to make two final sets of shoes for Vax, with matching wider ribbon to secure them into place. 

This was the first time he would be able to see the man wearing them properly, hence why he had come to the studio space. 

Lifting the satin bag he had gotten Shaun to make for the shoes to be stored in, Percy carried them over to the dancer. "Have you tried them on yet?" He asked, ignoring Vexs previous question about the braid. Vax also ignored his sister, pulling the shoes out, unwinding the ribbons from each one with care. It wasnt as if Vax queried his sister on how much time she spent on calls with Keyleth did he? 

"Not yet, no. Thought I'd wait to have everything on together to test them out. They fit perfectly, but I havent tried the routine in them yet"

"Percival, can you please turn your phone to silent or something? Its going batshit over here" Vex grumbled nudging the device on the floor with her toe. It was then that the two men heard the chimed alert ringing out, both meeting one anothers eyes for a tense second. Percys colour drained from his cheeks as he stepped over, snatching his phone from the floor, swiping it open. 

"Is it...?"

"Yes." Percy muttered back, not looking ip from his phone. The alert notification sat on his screen, waiting for him to tap on it and be directed to whatever cesspool of the Internet it had been uploaded onto. He checked the time stamp of when it first pinged, seeing it had only been a few minutes ago. He had adjusted his algorithm to search even more broad and niche terms, helping to pin down the uploads better so that didnt linger on sites for longer than needed. 

He jumped visibly as he hadnt heard Vax step up behind him, nearly dropping his phone. It was nearly a mirror image to when the first time Vax had been around for the alert months ago. There had only been two since then, thankfully only snippets or screenshots. But going by the alert, it looked to be a full video. He showed the alert notice to Vax, jaw setting tighter as he looked back down at the screen.

"Show Vex'ahlia." 

"I cant show her that, Vax'ildan. I...I cant'

Vex rolled her eyes as she watched the moment, seeing the colour near enough gone from Percival, and the worry echoing in her brothers features. "Show me what? What are you talking about?" She huffed out, walking over towards the two men, arms crossing over her chest once again. She was one edge and nervous by their reactions, looking distrusting of Percy still. 

"Freddie, please. She will belive you, i promise" Vax whispered softly by the mans ear, moving to stand by his side to make sure he was in eyeline with Percy the entire time. "I can...I can check if it's the real thing or not, if you prefer? You dont need to even watch" he offered, hearing the shaking breath come from the other student, hands trembling only slightly. 

"I cannot ask that of you, Vax'ildan."

"You didnt ask. I offered" 

Nodding once as he pushed the phone into the dancers hands, Percy took a step away, pulling his sleeves down roughly, quickly resetting the buttons on the cuffs. "I appreciate that. I'll...ill go rinse the cups out then" he offered, fetching them both up from the floor. Hurrying past the confused Vex, he left the room, shoes still waiting neatly in the studio. 

"What the fuck was that all ab-"

"Sister." Vax spoke softly as he walked over to her, tapping on the alert link, being redirected to another shock site. It looked just as awful as the first one had seen on Percys phone. "Remember i told you about the videos of Percy...what thr Briarwoods did to him?" He asked cautiously, seeing the thumbail. His stomach lurched already, a slight frown over his own face as he looked down at it. 

The background was different than the last ones. This was a different 'session'. A different video. 

"Which you have refused to elaborate on, yes. I do recall" Vex snipped out, standing beside her brother, looking down at the phone screen. Her tense features dropped slightly at the thumbail, arms uncrossing only a littly, holding onto her upper arms instead. "Is that him?" She breathed out softly, seeing the frozen moment of the fourteen year old Percival de Rolo staring blank eyed down the camera, jaw held rightly by someone off screen.

"Yes. He was a fucking kid, Vex. This...i havent seen this one before, though. The lighting is brighter than before." Vax let out a shuddering breath, heart rate picking up. "I just need to...shit, it sounds awful to say. I need to skip and look through it to make sure that it's the actual video. Of it being actually Percy " he explained, feeling his sisters shocked face turn towards him, thumb hovering over the play button. 

"Just dont look at him differently, please, Vex. Don't look at him like hes fucking fragile. He's not that kid anymore" 

Vex nodded quietly, hand reaching down to clutch at her brothers free one. Vax pressed play, heart already sinking as he rotated the phone to bring it up to full screen.  

The bound Percy wiggled and silently screamed out, trying to fight his restraints on the chair arms, tears down his cheeks. 

Skip

A jagged hooked knife pierced and dragged without pause from the teenagers wrist to the inside of his upper arm, the silent terror obvious in the video

Skip

Hair being picked up, holding up the teenagers head. His eyes looked far away and glassy,  features not reacting properly, just staring ahead as a camera flash went off behind the camera. 

Skip 

Skip

The glassy eyed Percy had his head flopped backwards, chest rattling as it rose and fell, bruising around his throat and jaw. 

Vax paused the video, dry heaving loudly by accident. The last image had shown the teenager without anything over his upper body, a maze of scars and cuts and bruises along his skin. The one that had caused the reaction in Vax had been the meticulous, and infected looking, serious of cuts and burn marks across Percys heart. It was words. A series of jagged, infected, horrid, words:

PROPERTY OF THE BRIARWOODS

Vex sniffled quietly as she cuddled into her brothers back, face buried into his shoulder "Im sorry, Vax. Im sorry I didnt believe it. They drugged and tortured a child" she whispered, trying to control her breathing. The video had put into question everything the reports had stated. "His hair is going white there, brother. How long did they...how long..?" She asked trying to calm back down. 

"He said it was three weeks...but hair doesn't go white in three weeks, Vex. If...shit, if he was drugged, he wouldnt even know how long it was, would he?" 

Vex nodded as she lifted the phone out of her brothers hand, stepping around to softly brush a tear from cheek. "No, it would take much longer." She whispered sadly eyes glancing over Vaxs shoulder before meeting his eyes again. "Get your shoes on, Vax. Poor man looks ready to faint out there with nerves. Let him stare at your backside a bit may help calm that" she teased with a weak smile, flicking him square in the middle of his forehead. 

"He does not stare at my arse!" 

Raising a brow at the indignant sound of her twins protesting, as she gave a thumbs towards the studio door for Percy, Vex stared at her brother. "Your utterly and entirely hopeless, Vax'ildan. And apparently entirely blind too" She sighed and walked her way towards the nervous student, Percys hands white knuckle holding onto the washed out coffee cups, as if they were the only things holding his frayed nerves together. He looked as if he were being led to the gallows, eyes unsure of where he could look.

"Its the video, Percival. According to Vax, it's a new one." 

Percys head lifted from staring holes into his feet, frowning deeply, quickly depositing the cups down onto the ground, before lightly taking his phone back. "New one? I...there was only ever one thats been uploaded. They only ever had one uploaded online" he muttered quietly, quickly skipping through the video of himself. His frown deepened to more of a scowl, more confusion showing in his face at each passing moment, free hand touching at the covered scar on his wrist without conscious thought, eyes watching the video snippets with increasing uncertainty. 

"I dont recall any of this happening. I have the marks, obviously. But...everything just...blended together" 

Vax finished tying his second shoe securely, tapping the toes onto the floor one after the other to settle his toes in them properly, the noise echoing slightly. "You looked drugged to the fucking moons, Percy. Would make sense, going by what you've told me, that they would dot hat. Get your takedown notice in to take that shit down, ok?" He called over louder, snapping the student out of his panic spiral before it got too bad, Percy nodding quickly, fingers getting to work filing the takedown notice. 

"They uploaded it themselves then" Percy spoke clearer and firmer, looking over the top of his phone towards Vax, before sending the takedown notice. "They must have noticed ive been taking down the other video. Probably tried to see if another one could slip past me. They know im still alive and out of their grip" he added, shoving his phone into his pocket, walking back towards the ballerina. "But they won't win, and at this moment, they are not what i want to think about. Right now, i want to see how your shoes fit you, Vax'ildan. If there's any adjustments needed, then please tell me right away"

Vex stepped forward, looking shocked again, but not horrified this time, looking between the pair several times. "Wait! Vax, you told me you got custom shoes! Percival made them?!" She gaped, looking down at the well made looking pointe shoes, and back at the engineering student. Percy had even carefully painted small silver raven skulls at the back of each heel, because he felt that they fitted with the overall look of them for the broody ballerina. Vax smirked wider as he looked between his sister and Percy, a plan forming in his head. 

A terrible plan

"Catch!"

Vax swung his leg up towards Percy in one smooth motion, the student flailing only a moment with the barked instruction, catching the dancers leg. One hand caught onto the ribbon wrapped ankle, the other just below the dancers knee, Vax pointing his foot out. "There you go, Stubby. You can see them better now. They fit like a fucking dream, dont they?" he purred out, seeing the quickly forming blush creeping up pale cheeks, Percys hand tightening a fraction around his ankle, feeling the strength within the limb. 

"And you made them? Actually made them?" 

Percy tried to keep the blush under control, the hand holding under the ballerinas knee holding firm, thumb slightly rubbing over the dance tights. "I did, yes, Vex'ahlia. It was fairly simple to deconstruct one of Vax'ildans older shoes, so that i could get the various components laid out and measured. And going by the adjustments that he had previously made to the shoes, i had much more to go off of" he explained smoothly, lifting Vax's leg up a touch more by the ankle, looking closer to the shoe. 

"One of the things, after having Vax'ildan try on a pair of prototype shoes, we figured out a slightly wider width of ribbon would be more suitable to support his ankle. So i made sure to add them in, with the ribbon slightly closer to the box than on standard shoes." 

Vax felt his cheeks near enough burning as he was being lightly manhandled and moved to however Percy wanted. Even just the small motion of having his leg lifted more caused his heart to race faster within his chest, breathing becoming tighter and more shallow. Oh, he really didnt want to embarrass himself in front of Percy and his sister by making some ridiculous noise. Or, gods forsake him, get noticeably hard in his dance belt. Being spoken about in such a way, near enough being presented made his head swim. 

Vex looked over the shoe, seeing the tighter grasp Percy had on her brothers leg, a slight knowing smirk flickering on her lips as she glanced towards her twin brother. "And how have you managed to convince Percival here that making you pointe shoes is worth his time?" she queried, taking a step back to fetch the collar and cuffed costume piece. Percy slowly lowered the dancers leg, deliberately letting his hand trail up Vaxs calf and thigh as he did so, letting the touch linger just a fraction longer than was polite.

Vax's cock throbbed at the touch, body trembling for more already. 

"Fuck!" he gasped out, scrubbing a hand over his face, trying to hide his blush. "Cant Percy just be really fucking nice? He...he saw that i wasnt stable in the cheap shoes, and offered to improve them. And these feel really fucking good" he explained firmer, rolling up onto the toe boxes in one fluid motion. Percy peered down, seeing the ballerinas ankles did indeed look far more supported than before, weight looking to be distributed evenly on both feet. 

"Fair enough. I'm going to go get some of my dissertation done, brother. Dont leave the studio unlocked again, ok?" 

Vex threw the wings at her twin as she made her way out of the studio, grabbing her shoes on the way past. Looking over at Percy, she shot him a quick smile and wink, clicking the door shut behind herself. The student swallowed down a confused stutter, turning back towards Vax. The dancer was carefully securing the collar part of the wings around his neck, the new black buckles blending in much better to the soft leather beneath. 

And Percival was definitely not admiring the contrast of black leather against Vaxs neck.  

"Help me with the wrists?" 

"Of course." Percy stepped close, lightly taking one of Vax's wrists in his hand, starting to secure the cuff around it. Trying to not let himself touch the mans skin for anything more than strictly needed to get the job done, he kept his eyes firmly on the buckle, slotting it into place. Vax was also very much trying to not just stare at Percys hands, failing immediately, and pondering how they would feel holding him. Or lifting him. 

Or holding him down. 

Fuck, Vax had to stop imagining the man in such ways. 

"Other hand, Vax'ildan" 

Quickly swapping hands, the dancer let out a small breath, using his cuffed hand to pull his loose hair back from where some had gotten trapped under the costume piece. Once the second cuff was on, Vax turned, quickly heading towards the middle of the room. He would have called it sexual tension, if he had thought that Percy had those feelings towards him. Hells, the dense dancer wasnt even sure if the man was interested in men at all. Or anyway, for that matter. There hadnt been any rumours of ex partners, or talk of Percy showing an interest in anyone on campus. 

Percy went and dimmed the light settings down to how Vax had chosen for his routine, gently walking back over to the dancer, standing closely behind him. "Your hairs caught in your wings. Can i get it for you?" he asked softly, seeing Vax jump a touch at the noise ear his ear, nodding quickly. Trying to hold his own quickening blush, Percy slowly lifted his hands up to each side of the collar, fingertips lightly brushing over the sides of Vax's neck, sweeping the hair back and up. 

The hair hadnt been caught at all. But Percy wasnt going to pass up a chance to touch the man a touch more. 

"You still havent shown me that you dance, Freddie" Vax murmured softly,  glancing over his shoulder towards the man, peering throigj his lashes. Percy took a step back, in the process of trying to politely protest at it. "Oh no, just one, then ill stop being such a dick about it. Please? Just for me?" the ballerina pestered, putting on a soft pout, lower lip jutting out just a little bit, still looking over his shoulder towards the taller man. 

Percys eyes glanced down at the pout, swallowing thickly, pupils very quickly dilating. His mind quickly fired an image of him biting that lip. He wondered, for a moment, what Vax would sound like if he did. Mentally shaking the thought out of his head, he met the dancers eyes once again, straightening his back to his full heigh. "Fine. One dance only, Vax'ildan"

Grinning widely, Vax stepped over towards Percy, hand held out towards him, bowing himself down low.

"Then, Percival too-many-names de Rolo, would you care to dance with a broody ballerina?"