Blacktail Deer Plateau cruel to be kind

her world had changed, whether she liked it or not. even as vesper clung to the happy family they had been, the insertion of phox into their mix had split them apart— a drop of oil, repelling them away from each other. she grew quieter, retreating within herself, a cool stoicism slowly replacing her youthful joy. she hated phox with every ounce of herself for disrupting things... but as she and her vocabulary grew, the darkling was wondering if perhaps she was beginning to hate mother and father as well.

after all, it was their lie at the root of all of this.

but her brewing anger spilled over at peregrine's words, overheard as she approached. they had never been close, not like he and prevost had been. perhaps it was their fault; if they hadn't run away, vesper may still be unaware of the lie at all. and what harm, except this, had come from the lie? they would have died with niamh if not for mother and father.

leave, then. she told him blandly, each word falling without a hint of her emotion.

you hate us, you don't want to be here— so go. vesper continued, her words containing an apathy that she didn't quite feel. she turned her shoulder away from him, then, and moved casually towards mother. the darkling was brimming with anger, but she forced herself to stay relaxed with careful breathing. it would feel so good to fight, but it would accomplish nothing else.