@Imperfect_Autumn group
(It's been another hour… Just gonna bump this up…)
(It's been another hour… Just gonna bump this up…)
(It got even further this time.)
(It's been about an hour since I last bumped this up, so…)
(The more you do that the more I feel bad. Intentional or not, you're doing a good job of keeping me here.)
(Sorry! I don't do it to be annoying or anything, I'm just keeping it from getting to the second page!)
Dylan got up from his chair, "Which reminds me. Vaughn? We're heading out soon, gonna check up on a friend of Avery's. You should come with."
Vaughn glanced over at Dylan as he finished his coffee and went to the sink to clean it. “Alright, I will,” he responded, washing out the cup.
Avery's eyes flashed with the sudden remembrance of what Vaughn had been like after Sam died. "Yes, you really should," she agreed, nodding her head. "I think she has something to say that you'll want to hear."
(Whelp. I wrote this before I saw the above response, but it still makes some sense…)
Dylan followed him and said quietly, "We're going to ask about Sam. Just so you know. She was there that night."
Vaughn noticeably tensed at the mention of the boy, the graphic memories of the boy’s mutilated body flashing into his mind. He suppressed a disturbed shudder. “Okay,” He said quickly, turning the water off and drying his hands. His expression was emotionless as usual, but his eyes were pained like they had been the night he came back from it. He walked up to his room to change at a brisk pace before anything else could be said.
Avery shot a worried look at Dylan. "I think we upset him," she murmured, feeling bad about it.
Vaughn replaced the bandages on his left forearm and both palms. He grimaced, knowing all three of the slices would most likely leave terrible scars. He changed his white undershirt and slipped on his usual black dress pants. His palm stung whenever he would flex his palm while buttoning his long sleeved white button up. He fixed his hair and took care of the rest of the hygiene areas before coming back down. He went straight to the coat rack, sitting on the floor to put his shoes on.
"Vaughn," Avery tried getting his attention when he had come down. "Any chance Veronica has extra clothes here that I could borrow? I kinda didn't have time to pack myself anything, if you didn't notice."
Vaughn looked up at Avery and finished tieing the laces, getting back up. “Her room is at the very end of the hall on the left, I’m sure she has some things in there,” he responded in a level tone, seeming to look more past her than directly at her. He took his suit jacket from the coat rack, shrugging it on.
"Oh. 'Kay. Well, thanks," Avery said awkwardly.
She made her way to the room Vaughn had said, then looked for something to wear. After a couple of minutes, she found a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that fit well enough and changed into them. Running her fingers through her hair a few times, she tried to tame it a little more than before. When she had finished getting ready, she walked back out to the other room, silently thinking about what she was going to do about Scarlet.
Vaughn was leaning against the wall next to the door, fiddling with the bandages on one of his palms quietly. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, but he didn’t take it out to check.
"What happened to your hands?" Avery asked Vaughn worriedly, noticing the bandages on them. Her eyebrows scrunched together and her lips pursed, not from anger, but from worry. So many things had happened, so many people had gotten hurt, she didn't want anyone else— not even the ice king— getting hurt.
Vaughn lowered his hands, stuffing them into his suit jacket pockets. He vaguely remembered something Veronica had said to him the night before when he had complaining that none of the people that he was staying with liked him one bit. She told him to try to be as open as he could, and he knew his limits. “I had a bad dream, and I cut up my hands,” he said slowly.
Dylan shook his head, cursing his direct nature. Of course it would be delicate to speak of such things, why hadn't he figured that out the first time?
Avery gaped at Vaughn, her eyes wide.
"Oh my gosh. Are you okay? I mean, obviously not, you cut your hands, but… Ohmygosh. I'm not helping anything," she stammered, pacing the room.
A faint grimace made its way to Vaughn’s face. A few thoughts in his head popped up, scolding himself for not keeping his mouth shut. “I’ll be fine, it doesn’t happen that often,” he responded quickly. His mind went back to one time about a year ago. It was the time he was at the cabin last, and despite how many photos of him smiling with Veronica’s family there were from that day, it had been a terrible end. They planned on staying for a month, but two weeks in, he woke up screaming in terror and pain, having found that he had plunged his knife into his abdomen area. He was greatful for Veronica’s parents that day. They were both amazing doctors and managed to help him. He still had a terrible scar from it, though.
(Okay, I'm really sorry, but I have a 1000-word paper due tonight, and I only have about 112 words so far, so I really need to work on it… So, bye…) :(
Dylan looked up, and saw Vaughn's bandages.
"That we can fix, let me just go get Ele…." He fell off, remembering the events of last night. He stopped himself and hung his head low.
"Nevermind."
(It’s all good, seeyah. Good luck with the paper)
Vaughn gave Dylan a quick look and exhaled sharply, only taking one of his hands out to rub the bridge of his nose before stuffing it away again.
(Just bumping. Not really here. Ignore me.)
(Again, just bumping. Not really here. Ignore me.)
Avery flinched at Dylan's mistake but didn't say anything. She came to stand by the two guys and looked at them both before speaking.
"You guys ready to go? 'Cause I think we should go as soon as we can," she declared.
“I’m read,” Vaughn said, his voice stiff again. It had seemed like he had been dropping his guard slightly, but after Dylan mentioned Element, he was back to his normal closed up self.
With an acknowledging nod to Vaughn, Avery turned to Dylan. "What about you? Are you ready?"
He looked up, nodding, "As ready as i'll ever be."
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