Chapter Text
The plush upholstery of the van’s seats have been soaking in the warmth of the sun all day, and as day turns to evening and the air outside grows chill, the seats remain a comforting warmth on their backs. A quiet acoustic playlist is on, has been on, joining in with the sound of the engine and the road passing under them. Riz has taken up vigil in the passenger seat, talking to Gorgug and navigating. His crystal with fantasy map quest rests on his knee as he sits cross-legged in the seat, fulfilling the sacred duty of The Passenger- keep the driver awake, navigate, and man the tunes. They’d been switching out who was in the passenger seat- Gorgug was the only one with a full license of the bad kids, and none of the adults were in any condition to be driving.
Just behind where Riz and Gorgug are quietly chatting, Fabian sits in the first row of seats, leaning his head against the cool window. He, like most of the van’s denizens, is drifting in and out of the ethereal plane, not quite asleep, but not awake either. Occasionally, he tunes in and chimes into The Ball’s and Gorgug’s conversation, leaning forward and resting his elbow on the center divider to prop his head up. Its not the most comfortable position, but at least he can see the road stretching out in front of them and hear the voices of two of his very best friends in the world. When he gets too sleepy to pay attention to the conversation, he leans back to the comforting warmth of the bench seat and lets his gaze drift out to the dusk-filled sky. The hangman is driving alongside the van, and when he sees his master lean up against the window, he shifts over in the neighbouring lane and revs his engine reassuringly to let Fabian know that he is faithfully alongside him, even while he rests.
On the other two sections of the frontmost bench seat, separated from Fabian by the magically procured blanket walls of the Hallow lie Kristen and Tracker. With the curtain drawn, their section is about the size of a small train compartment, with a comfy futon. Even in its folded couch form, the futon is long enough to lie down and stretch out their legs. The window still shows the highway passing by, and if they were to open the curtain, their haven would once again just be the first row of bench seats in an old van, but for know they occupy their own quiet corner of space. Kristen is sitting up against the window, with trackers head in her lap. Tracker was in no state to start all of the emotional unpacking they needed to do together. She had tried to get some of it off her chest, but the feeling of letting go felt too much like losing control, felt too much like when she was forced into wolf form and leapt at Kristen, fangs bared and bloody. The stuttered apologies and broken sobs had been granted their space, and when her eyes had cleared, she found herself pulled close to her lover. A dark purple blanket smattered with silvery stars had been procured from the divine blanket fort of the hallow and bundled in Kristen’s lap. Trackers rich brown hair was spread out, Kristen’s fingers carding through it gently. Although Kristen herself was exhausted, in this moment she felt Tracker’s fragility, so easily hidden behind her strong frame and brave words. The image of the vengeful feral Tracker, as well as the terrified tearful tracker that arrived after the spell was broken kept her awake. The steady rise and fall of Tracker’s shoulders held her focus- she was afraid that if she closed her eyes for a moment this Tracker- her friend, her lover- her Tracker would disappear again. And so The Saint kept vigil.
Behind Fabian on the second row of bench seats in the clunky old van is Ragh, listening to his mother’s voice on the phone. The deep-rooted exhaustion on his face is only overwritten by his relief. He is well over on minutes, but he couldn’t care less. Hearing her voice in his ear as he watches the landscape of Solace flash by. They’ve been talking for long enough that there’s no longer anything of real import being said. Lydia is telling him about all the tiny details of her day- what she’s baked, what the neighbours have been up to, how her latest sewing project is going. He listens with a smile on his face, relaxing into the warm embrace of her words.
Next to Ragh, Adaine and Aelwen are another world away in their own inter-dimensional blanket compartment. For a long time they’ve just been crying- exhausted, beyond burnt out, tired. Embodying the loss of their father, their mother, their childhood, their lives. No matter the trauma they went through, there is still grief for the part of your life that no longer exists. They each suffocate in their own grief, until a hand is extended- a pale shaking one that pulls Aelwen into an awkward side hug. The side hug becomes a full-fledged bear hug when Aelwen reaches out in response, putting herself fully in the arms of her baby sister. Finally, a safe harbour for her. For them both.
In the far back of the van, where the quiet conversations and music don’t reach, the bench seat is four-wide and full of to the brim of sleeping, interconnected forms. Gilear, head back, mouth open. His neck is propped up by a cheap airplane pillow from a gas station in Bastion City. The unicorn patterned plush is working overtime to prevent his neck from being sore when he wakes, but its effectiveness is inhibited by the oversized foam headphones that cover his elven ears. They’re connected to his crystal, listening to an audiobook (purchased for only 1 gold off the gift card, due to a promo code he heard on a podcast) entitled “You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life”. He feel asleep before the first chapter had even begun. Next to him, Sandra Lynn. She too is passed out from exhaustion and will most certainly have a sore neck when she awakes, but it will have been worth it, as she rests with her head against her daughter’s shoulder. At some point Fig had grown taller than her, resulting in both her shoulders being a comfortable height for a head rest and a panicked realization at how fast time was progressing. For now, she sleeps peacefully, finally free from the nightmares. With her mother resting on her shoulder and her lover curled up against her side, Fig rests peacefully in the far back corner of the van. She connects them, she holds them up. She is a constant in their lives, and none of them would have it any other way.
After many, many long hours, they pull into the gravel driveway and Gorgug cuts the motor off. As he sits for a moment of rest after the long nights drive, there is only the sound of the crickets and other night-time creatures now awake, and the pale moon high in the sky casting a silvery glow over the van. The stillness hangs for an endless moment, as if they could all live here in this moment, safe and warm and with the ones they loved, forever. And they would deserve it, if not for the nightmares they had endured in the past week, but for all the grief they carried on their young shoulders. The grief of growing, of learning about yourself, the world, your parents, the unavoidable grief of life whose shadows juxtapose the gleams of youth. But right now, they don’t have to worry about that, because Jawbone has come out to the van and is gently shaking them awake and shepherd them to their parent’s waiting cars or into the house, and they are stumbling bleary eyed to collapse into their beds. Adaine only wakes up as Jawbone gently sets her down on to her bed and pulls the blankets around her. She mumbles incoherently, and he chuckles and kisses her on the forehead, saying “Good night kiddo. I’ll see you in the morning”. He turns to descend the tower’s stairs and sees Aelwen standing somewhat hesitantly in the doorway. He nods to her and whispers, “You need anything you let Ol’ Jawbone know okay? I’m glad you’re here”. He pulls her into a quick, warm hug, and she only stiffens a tad, before heading down the stairs and closing the door behind him. Adaine, her hair mussed and eyes bleary, sits up slightly and shifts over on the bed, again mumbling something unintelligible as she motions for Aelwen to join her. She slides into the bed beside Adaine, but before she can say anything, her sister is already out like a light. Aelwen smiles and casts an abjurative ward around them, then settles down to sleep a deep, blissfully dreamless sleep.