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Wylan would never say the crows are cautious around him, quite the opposite actually but they do help.
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It was Inej first making her presence known with the sound of using a table by him to hold her weight because of a stab wound bleeding in her side. Noticing Wylan turn around with his defence high, she puts her hands up before setting them back down with a wince, “Just me Wylan.”
“Oh! Inej, are you okay?” He runs over putting a hand over the wound, “We should get this bandaged up.”
“Jes is getting bandaged told me to wait by you.” Inej sits down on a chair on one side of the table replacing Wylans hand with her own to cover the wound. “Are you okay?” There’s emphasis on the you as she raises an eyebrow at him.
“Yeah I’m fine, you just startled me I guess.” The thought of his dad banging on the table when Wylan is struggling flashing into his mind for a second before Wylan just tries to forget it.
“Right.” Inej doesn’t seem to buy it looking at him a little longer before Jesper comes over with the bandages and starts bandaging the area bleeding.
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Next it was Kaz slamming his cane on Wylan’s work bench while he’s distracted. Wylan flinched wondering if for a second his dad got tired of just the letters and decided to pay him a visit before he looks up and meets Kaz’s eyes.
“Wylan.” Kaz doesn’t seem concerned more so angry, grumpy like usual maybe a bit more than usual but that’s none of his business.
“Kaz.” Wylan doesn’t break eye contact.
“I need flash bombs, I’ve ran out some morons decided to attack me in the alleyway.” Wylan laughs at that before giving Kaz a thumbs up.
“On it Kaz.” Kaz starts walking away his canes clacking quieter than usual.”
“And Wylan.”
Wylan looks up, “Yes Kaz?”
“Tell people of sudden noises bother you.”
Wylan stares while Kaz walks out before mumbling under his breath, “Careful I might start to think you actually care.”
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Nina noticing shouldn’t have surprised him, she’s naturally loud. She was rambling about something Matthias did he can’t tell if it was romantic or stupid, probably the former but she’s just so loud. Wylan’s zoned out thinking about his dad yelling at him for playing music instead of trying to read about how he should focus more on no longer being a moron. That he should start trying to be an heir he can be proud of.
“-lan? Wylan? You with me?” Nina’s looking at him concern etching her features.
“Oh yeah! sorry just zoned out.” Wylan laughs awkwardly keeping out anything about his father. They all know who he is and that he’s an asshole they just don’t know how much of an asshole he was to Wylan.
“No you didn’t you were scared, at least you looked scared, did I scare you?” Nina looks guilty.
“No! No, of course not Nina you’re fine.” Nina doesn’t look like she believes him but Wylan knows he’s telling the truth.
“You can tell me to talk quieter if that will help?”
Nina and Inej always knew how to read him, Nina just always dug deeper, “That’d be nice Nina, thank you.”
“Of course Wy, I understand.” She gets back to her story, Wylan was right it was romantic sometimes it’s hard to tell because if it’s romantic or a mistake she still calls whatever Matthias’ does stupid.
He smiles at her nodding along to the story.
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Matthias already knew, I mean of course he did if Nina knows Matthias knows. So when Matthias slams a door on accident he immediately turns to Wylan. Wylans pencil is dropped like he was just using it to draw in his journal.
When Wylan hears the door slam, it’s like he’s back in his room in the Van Eck home painting like his mother used to. His father stomps over to where he’s standing and looks at Wylan’s painting, “A waste of time and space.” he snarls. Wylan’s not sure if he’s talking about the painting or him. Either way Jan grabs the painting and throws it onto the floor. “You have a tutoring session right now.”
Wylan’s confused, no he doesn’t, his next session is at 5 bells. It’s 3 bells right now. “With who?” He asks eyes down voice small.
“Me. Don’t keep me waiting.” His dad retreats going to the dining room slamming the door behind him. Wylan has to keep himself from crying as he leaves his room and his painting behind. He knows the session will end in him getting beat sessions with his father always do.
Wylan jumps when he feels a hand on his shoulder, “Wylan. You’re here, you’re not with him.” Matthias’ voice is a very welcomed comfort, Wylan’s a bit surprised he knows what he was thinking. It’s really not hard to put together Wylan’s trouble with loud noises and his asshole of a father. He’s never gone into detail about what exactly he did or why, if you look hard enough, you can see the faint bruise of hands on Wylan’s neck.
He’s tried to tell Jesper but it’s hard so hard- “Wylan. You’re okay. You need to breathe.” Wylan didn’t even realize he wasn’t as he starts to try to even out his breathing, “there.”
“Thank you.” Wylans voice is quieter than he wants it to be.
Matthias hums in acknowledgment, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No! That’s not necessary.” He gives Matthias a smile before getting up to go get water, he hears a sigh from Mathias as he walks away.
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Jesper being last is ironic to say the least but he didn’t want Jesper to see him as weak so he decided to act like the loud and sudden noises didn’t bother him. The only reason this one did is because it was bad.
Jesper was cleaning dishes deciding to give the waitstaff a break and he drops a mug and while Wylan was walking in he heard it shatter automatically shutting down. He backed away from the noise sliding down the nearest wall. “Wylan- Wyl-“ Jesper’s voices becomes faint.
His father had just thrown a mug at him. It didn’t hit him thankfully it just hit the wall behind his head, “You’re useless! You’re 13 you should know how to read by now! That is a child’s book.” Jan sounds so mad worse than usual, he has a bad day at the most recent Mercher’s meeting. He needed someone to take his anger out on. Wylan’s trying not to cry, he’s a teenager now. He can handle it, he’s used to it. Jan walked up and slapped him, “That mug should’ve heat you. Maybe it will fix that useless brain of yours.”
“I’m sorry.” He keeps his head down standing up to go to his room but he doesn’t make it far until he’s press up against the wall with a forearm to his neck. The air was knocked out of him from the pressure.
“What in Ghezen did I do to deserve a mormon as a son. As soon as I have a new heir you will never be my son again. You’re a fucking disappointment.” Van Eck pushes hard on Wylan’s neck so Wylan starts clawing at his arm.
“I’m-“ he can’t breathe, “sorry.” He’s trying to breathe but he can’t. “I’ll do- I’ll do better.” As soon as the pressure is gone Wylan slides down the wall into a sitting position.
“You can’t do better. You are worthless.” Jan Van Eck walks away leaving Wylan there trying to catch his breath.
“Wylan! Wy!” Jesper is in front of him, “Hey, welcome back.” He smiles at Wylan, “I need you to copy my breathing okay?” Jesper grabs Wylan’s hand bringing it to his chest taking exaggerated breathes that Wylan copies eventually breathing normal. Jesper wipes a tear from his face looking at him with concern. “Are you okay sunshine?”
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine sorry.” Wylan looks down not meeting his eyes, Jes can’t know he’s weak.
“Wy you can talk to me, I promise. I love you.” Wylans looks up at that just hugging Jesper’s crouching figure. “So you want to talk about it?”
Wylan nods into Jespers shoulder, “Okay, let’s go to bed then shall we? I feel this requires some cuddling.” Jesper stands up and Wylan does too. Jesper grabs Wylan’s hand leading him to their room.
Maybe just maybe, with the help of the crows Wylan will heal.