#*throws hands up to the sky despairingly* oh the implications!!!!

[bigcitymac]

many many many things to be said about this scene & how gay it is. but may i raise u: they are wearing matching (by colour) and complimentary through contrast tank tops (by shape). that's pretty fucking gay.

[arclundarchivist]

Repayment

So, “spoilers” from the Campaign 2 wrap up, but after the reveal about what truly happened to Caleb at  Vergesson, I had this story kicking around my head and refusing to let go. This is like to be the last story based around the Mighty Nein that I write, but I look forward to what Exandria Unlimited and Campaign 3 will bring. Hope you enjoy.

Caleb’s breathe still hitches as he passes through the Gates of Vergesson, staring around with contempt as several guards frantically move about the premises.

“You okay?” Beau asks as she steps up, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He looks back at her with a wane grin, “Yeah, I will be once we fully close this chapter.”

“Thank you all for coming,” he states, as he entirely turns to take in his companions, “I’m sorry to drag you all away from your lives-.”

“Caleb, come on, of course, we would be here.” Jester interrupts, walking up and squeezing his other arm. 

Fjord smiles at him, “You worked hard to get here. We’ve got your back.”

Yasha gives him a genuine, quiet smile.

“Always,” Veth states, walking up and wrapping her hand around his.

Kingsley walks past all of them and gives the Sanitorium a critical once over, his hand closing a bit tighter around his whip as he eyes some of the guards, “I have the distinct desire to burn this place to the ground, honestly.”

“Maybe later,” Caleb mutters as he continues onto the ground, his eyes narrowing as he spots Ludinus and several Cereberus guards milling about in the center of the courtyard.

“Ah, I see that you finally arrived.” Ludinus remarks with a broad smile, “I have the patient and inventory lists that you asked for Expositor.”

He passes several stacks of paper to Beau, who shoots him a look that readily conveys her distaste, “Thank you, Martinet, though I hope you don’t mind that I make inquiries of my own and delve into the records stored here, just to be thorough.”

“I would expect nothing less of the Soul,” Martinet states, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Well, you can actually expect and accept this as well,” Beau says with a smirk, handing over a piece of the paper.

Caleb fights the smile that wants to grow across his face, while some of his other compatriots aren’t as subtle as the Martinet quickly scans over the letter, his face shifting deeper and deeper into a frown.

“Martinet?” the one guard asks, who Caleb notes is sending him, Veth and Jester, deeply hateful looks, Jester staring back at him a bit despairingly.

“This is not what we agreed,” Ludinus states, calmly, slowly, looking up at Caleb with a sharp glare.

“But it is what we agreed to, with the backing of the King,” Beau states, with a wide shit-eating grin.

“As of this moment, the Sanitorium is under the purview of the Cobalt Soul and the Augen Trust in a joint investigation into Trent’s activities and any sign of collusion with other members of the Cerberus Assembly.” Caleb states.

Ludinus opens his mouth and freezes as seemingly from thin air several Cobalt Souls members, joined by Dairon and alongside a few members of the Kingsguard.

Fjord smirks as he shifts the Arcane Gate around, and more members of the Soul emerge, “Couldn’t help but use a little bit of theatrics to hammer the point home, now could we?”

“In other words, you are all dismissed,” Veth states, pointing a finger at each of the Sanitorium guards.

“Clever.” Ludinus states, with a begrudging smirk, “Truly, I am impressed.”

“Martinet, you can’t just let them...that devilkin bewitched me! The bi-” the one guard shouts, pointing at Jester with a furious glare, the force of it having her take a step back.

Yasha stepped forward, her presence overpowering his anger for a moment, her hand briefly reaching up towards the blades on her back, “I wouldn’t finish that sentence.”

All attention had shifted to the guard, Fjord placing a comforting hand on Jester’s shoulder, which she thankfully grasped, while he glared furiously at the guard.

“They’re murderers.” Cymie continues.

“I mean, what adventurer isn’t really.” Fjord snarks.

“You’re familiar with us, right, Cymie?” Caleb asks, drawing the man’s attention to him, “The last time I was here, things did not go smoothly. I would prefer that as little violence as possible take place today.”

“But I can gladly knock you on your ass if you’re looking for trouble,” Beau states, cracking her knuckles in a devil-may-care fashion.

“I would be careful, Mr. Widoghast. That is almost an admission of guilt.” the Martinet states, giving him a pensive look.

“There is already a great deal of guilt to be had in the halls of this place.” Caleb returns, shifting his eyes to the Martinet, “What is a little more?”

The Martinet’s eyes narrow slightly, though his smirk widens, as he turns to the guards, “Do as they ask, King Dwendal would see it done, so it will be.”

“I will be taking my leave now.” Ludinus states, “Masterful work, Mr. Widoghast.”

And with that, he teleports away.

“I have stated that he terrifies me before, right?” Beau asks as a shiver seems to pass down her spine.

“Yes, and I feel the same,” Caleb remarks.

“Veth, Yasha, can you keep an eye on the guards and maybe go hunting around in the barracks, see if there is anything to be had that further implicates Trent?” Caleb asks.

“Of course, whatever you need,” Veth states, Yasha nodding grimly, kissing her partner on the cheek and Jester a comforting side hug as they begin to follow the guards.

“I will accompany them.” Dairon states, “In case of any...trouble.”

She smirks slightly and falls into step beside Yasha as the other Cobalt members and the Kingsguard begin to spread out across the grounds.

Beau stretches and gives Caleb a devilish smirk, “Time for me to go record diving right.”

“Anything you think is important, collect it and bring it back.” Caleb states, “But can I see the patient list first, please?”

She hands it over, his eyes hunting through the information avidly, but nothing immediately stands out to him, and he quickly hands it back.

“Come on, Fjord, let’s get to work,” Beau states with a grin as he shoots the pair a curious look.

“You want me on information gathering detail?” he asks partially suspiciously.

“Well...you are the one with the bag of holding.” Beau remarks with a smirk.

“Did you only ask me along to be a pack mule?” Fjord accuses.

“No, we wanted the flair too,” Caleb stated with a soft smile.

“Oh...well...great,” Fjord mutters, Jester giggling slightly as he crestfallen expression.

“Come on, Captain,” Beau states with a laugh, throwing her arm around him, “What about you, Kingsley?”

“I’m not much of a reader.” he states with a smirk, “If our handsome wizard would have me, I’d go where ever he’s headed.”

Caleb chuckles, “I am not opposed. I just hope...that I can find what I’m looking for.”

“I do too, Caleb.” Jester states with a soft smile.

“You’re going to be the key if that hope is right,” he states as they all head their separate ways, Caleb, Jester, and Kingsley heading into the main building.

He feels his arms begin to itch the deeper he makes his way into this place, his discomfort recognized by his companions, who each reach out to comfort him in their own ways.

They pass room after room, but there is no sign until finally, he freezes as a door partially swings ajar, a prominent etched symbol of the Archeart resplendent against the wall.

He steps inside the breathe hitching as he looks about: but the room is empty.

This was a likely possibility he’d gone over and over again in his head. However, he is still immediately crestfallen as he feels his chance at giving back, to repay the random act of kindness he had learned from Astrid was a truth, not a figment as Trent had endeavored to claim, begin to slip away.

“Magician?” Kingsley asks, catching his shoulder and pointing to the other side of the hall, where the building opened into an internal courtyard that opened to the sky.

Caleb looks and freezes as standing within the courtyard, staring up at the sky with a wide smile, was the woman.

He felt his feet move before he even realized he was walking, Jester and Kingsley falling in behind him as he marches into the opening.

The woman turns to look at him, no recognition in her eyes, which seem to stare right through him, though the smile is the same as the one from his memories, the one he saw before all he’d known had changed in a single, terrible, heartwrenching but freeing instant.

“J-Jester?” he asks, gesturing to the woman, Jester nods and lifts her hands, pink and green magic circling her hands and bubbling from her lips as she spoke, and stepped towards the woman, who turned to look at Jester in a hint of confusion, as the tiefling gently placed a hand on her.

The magic faded, and the woman seemed unchanged until her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell backward, Jester catching her and lowering her to the floor. 

Kingsley darted forward, “Think it worked, Joybuzzer?” 

“I hope so!” Jester cried, “Why else would she just faint?”

Caleb kneeled down as the woman shifted, sitting up out of Jester’s arms and blinking several times.

She looked around in confusion and froze as she spotted him, a query forming on her lips as recognition fluttered in her eyes. She slowly reached out to him as he offered a hand.

“My name is Caleb Widoghast, and I think I need to start this with a very simple sentence.” Caleb states, with a soft genuine smile, “Thank you and hello.”

The woman smiles back, “Hello, and...thank you.”