Jade Fern Grove dad's on a hunting trip

vex’s rampage screeched to a halt the moment the other boy appeared; that doesn’t mean that he’s over his temper tantrum, however. the pause button blinks in the throes of the interruption. the name holds a sort of familiarity to vex in that it reminds him of his name — pingasut not slug — but that familiarity does not afford the poor boy beneath his stare any sort of friendliness.

as vex aged he was discovering things about himself.

one, that he wasn’t friendly.

two, he passed judgements very unfairly and super biasedly.

none of your business, he almost snaps. vex. he grunts, mostly because he wants the boy to remember the name. and — he draws in a breath. this is my land. it feels good to stake that claim even though calling anything his was laughable. he wasn’t even that old; but vying for his place as a future leader of legion ( because in his mind mom and dad’ll choose one of them one day ) leaves him with no room for hesitancy or doubt.

he peers at the nearest fern, sneering at its olive leaves as the other boy calls them ‘beautiful’. it’s a fern. he huffs the word mockingly, as if he knew what this leafy thing was called all along ( he didn’t ). who cares? he goads.