Irredeemable

Past

This is a bit strange for me, and I've never done this before, but I'm going to have to put a slight trigger warning for this chapter. The trigger in question is a mention of rape. This is not in relation to any of the main characters and is very brief, not directly named, and didn't actually happen, but I don't want anyone being caught off guard. I'm very sorry about this, but there was no way around it. On with the story.

Something needed to be done about Favian. He already wasn't in on the rest of the team's "no killing" policy, but that was a problem for another time. He had been noticeably spiraling for the past few days, distancing himself from the rest of the group as much as possible.

It had taken a few days, but they had managed to reach the fungal wastes. All that lay between them and their destination, was the capital. None of them had been there in quite some time. In some cases, even before the Radiance took the hollow knight. It was strange.

However, the group decided to set up camp outside the city. While the wastes may have been far more dangerous than a peaceful inn, in the city, the prospect of being recognized and captured didn't sit well with any of them. They would have to make their way through quickly, tomorrow.

Once again, while Gravel, Vayne, and now Inge were setting up their camp, Favian walked away to find his own spot to sleep. He was still within view of the main camp, as always, although Gravel was unsure of why. It didn't make sense to them, that he would avoid them, yet still want to see them.

What was even weirder to Gravel, was the amount of concern Vayne was showing. The two had been at odds almost immediately, hurling subtle insults, being bitter about perceived slights, and just generally disagreeing on almost everything. Yet, there was still concern for him. Silently, Vayne stood and approached Favian.

She reached him and sat beside him. He looked away. Vayne sighed. "How're you holding up, Favian?"

Still facing away, he hurriedly mumbled a reply. "I'm fine."

He wasn't a great liar, something Vayne picked up on immediately. "Well, you don't seem fine. You don't have to deal with this alone."

A bit more aggressively this time, Favian repeated his previous remark. "I'm fine."

Undeterred, Vayne tried again. "Look, if you ever want to talk about it, I'm all ears. I know how much he meant to y-"

Finally turning to face Vayne, Favian cut her off, yelling now. "DO YOU?! DO YOU REALLY KNOW?! HE WAS ALL I HAD! HE WAS LIKE A FATHER TO ME! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE MEANT TO ME! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH!"

Under normal circumstances, Vayne would have been fuming over being interrupted. Yet, these were not ordinary circumstances. Keeping calm, she acknowledged Favian's point.

"You're right. I don't know what it's like to lose a parent. I never knew mine."

Favian's anger subsided. He turned away again. "I'm sorry." was all he could say.

Vayne continued to try to get Favian to open up. "I don't know what it's like to lose a parent. That much is true, but I do know what it's like to lose a brother, and I do know what it's like to lose a friend. They might not be the same, but maybe they don't have to be."

As she stood to return to the main camp, Vayne made a final request. "Join us. We're all stuck in this mess together anyway, so we might as well try to get along. You don't have to be alone."

Looking up, Gravel saw Vayne return to the campfire. By her side, was Favian. It seemed she may have gotten through to him, or at least started to get through. Either way, it was nice to have Favian back with the group. With everyone gathered together, Gravel realized it was time to explain.