#Astrid and Eadwulf at the dinner party with the nein

[flashhwing]

my life for a Volstrucker book. we have the Caleb backstory comic but that only gives a very cursory view of the blumentrio only. I wanna see more, more of the training, the work and dynamics of full fledged scourgers. who are these guys when they're not being ~Mysterious or specifically Astrid and Eadwulf in an incredibly specific and narrow scenario that is not at all indicative of the rest of the bunch

[tunedtostatic]

MATT Plus an additional six points of slashing damage. From the battle maneuver, and I need you to make a strength saving throw. LIAM I'm real good at those. Oh, terrible. 10. MATT Trip Attack, you are knocked flat on your ass as he sweeps underneath and catches you in the side of the thigh and you fall like a sack of potatoes in the middle of the mossy ground here. He's going to follow-up with a secondary attack over top, with advantage because you're prone. Natural one. That's going to be a 17 to hit?

A not at all fucked up thing to think about is that this is the fourth time Caleb and Eadwulf have seen each other in adulthood. Caleb sees Wulf guarding the beacon in like Exandrian April, then a couple months later he and Astrid are at the fucked up dinner party, then they give Caleb the Nicodranas warning, then the Nein are in Aeor for a week, and then at the beginning of Exandrian July the man who abused them and ruined their lives brings Eadwulf and Astrid to kill him. When Wulf gave Caleb a casual nod and told him "You look good," did part of him wonder if this was coming?

[essekthelysssideblog]

Silent Poetry [Shadowgast ficlet]

Caleb has always loved dancing.

He has loved it since he was small, and his mother and father whisked him around at Blumenthal’s harvest festivals. His memory is not so good that far back-- a fact that may be either a blessing or a curse-- but he remembers warmth, laughter, safety. Innocence.

Then it was Rexxentrum, in the dance hall with Astrid and Eadwulf. These were more charged things: eyes meeting and hands touching and youthful adrenaline and alcohol rushing through their bodies. Each of them were so driven, in the unthinking way of instinct, to find warmth again after so many nights of the freezing cold.

He remembers one night in particular, how Eadwulf had crowded him up against Astrid, taking her hands over Bren’s, jokingly “stealing” her from him. In reality, he had only been holding Bren between their encircled arms, pulling them all into a closeness that they were desperate to reclaim for themselves.

It was a similar heat and breathlessness he had felt, over a decade later, as he and Astrid exchanged the lead in that same dance hall. The same pale eyes met his all over again, though now they were calculating, adorned with a scar. The fact that the nostalgia had been a manipulative ploy on both their parts had done nothing to make him less breathless, or less warm under the collar, even though he thought it probably should have. Especially when he had spotted Jester, magically disguised and watching them, and his heart had beat faster still.

Jester. He remembers, a bit further back, dancing stupidly, drunkenly in her arms, far away in lost love. He had been mortified, at the time, and then painfully ashamed. Later, he would think on that night as he tended to a broken heart. Now, he remembers that night with fondness. It had been a relighting, a reawakening of a part of himself he had believed to be dead, and he will always be grateful to her and the rest of the Nein for finding it in him.

Of course, he had thought about dancing with Essek many times.

The evening Essek had joined them for dinner and first revealed himself to be more awkward and lonely than his refined, curt mannerisms would let on, when he had slipped his shoes off for a dip in the hot tub, Caleb had imagined going back downstairs. Yasha would play her harp once again, he'd thought, and Caleb would extend a hand and Essek would quirk an eyebrow before accepting the gesture like a challenge, a test between them.

They would dance, both with perfect posture, still trying to impress the other, something with no true lead; a parody of equality, despite their awareness of the differences between them. Perhaps, Caleb had let himself imagine, back then, he would manage to surprise Essek, twirling him in his arms, once again proving himself impetuous. Perhaps he would catch a slight blush, a twitch of his ears. Caleb had imagined himself smiling easily, allowing Essek to return the gesture, letting himself be spun.

He’d considered it again, recklessly, at the party in Nicodranas. He’d fought a wild impulse to corner Dezren Thane, much as Jester had, and strongarm him into a turn around the dance floor: taking the lead, boxing him in, making him sweat. Still burning from his own conversation from Ludinus, he had wanted nothing more than to take back some control against the one who had fooled him so masterfully. He had refrained, mostly because he couldn’t be sure of what he wanted to find when he looked into those eyes, past the illusion he knew was there. Would the anger and hurt in his chest be appeased if he saw a hint of regret, or shame, as he had through Frumpkin’s eyes? Would it make him feel any better about this betrayal, any less like a fool to feel Dezren cling slightly to his arms as he pulled away?

Or maybe, he feared, Dezren would hold his ground, would meet his eyes and betray nothing but a cold, Shadowhand smile.

Later, there were other imaginings, cobbled together from scraps: Essek’s surprise as Caleb whipped around him in the freezing, Aeorian air with the power of a Fly spell. The hesitance, and then the small grin as his fingers moved beautifully to cast a spell he didn’t even need just to respond in kind. The space between them, wide, as much a part of the dance as the actors themselves, circling around each other and their friends, never close enough to touch. Locked in binary orbit, drawing the other nearer even as they held themselves apart.

How it actually happens is different.

Some things are the same as his idle imaginings. The Nein are there, and Yasha is playing her harp. They are in Nicodranas-- in the Lavish Chateau, this time-- and Essek is in disguise. There is that same look of hesitance, and then pleasure as Caleb makes his offer.

“I only know one dance,” Essek cautions, though he’s already taken Caleb’s outstretched hand, as gracefully as Caleb had once imagined. “And I’m not sure it would translate to this.”

“You could teach me?” Caleb ignores Jester giving him an unsubtle thumbs up, and especially tries to ignore what she must be telling her mother and father in such excited whispers as he and Essek walk past.

Perhaps fortunately, Essek hasn’t noticed this yet. “Honestly,” he is saying, “I’m not sure I knew it well enough to recall it now, much less to teach it.” He shifts his shoulders, purses his lips, and Caleb considers retreating for now; they are going slow with this thing between them. This is the first time they have interacted with their friends, with all of the Nein, as this new… Caleb-and-Essek thing that they are, now, and that has already been a large step to take, especially for Essek, who has spent the preceding days not-so-subtly fretting over it. Caleb does not want to push. The steps they take together are always, always cautious ones, despite that– or perhaps because– their trust in each other has grown unshakeable.

But Essek takes a breath, and smiles, and squeezes Caleb's hand slightly, and says, “Perhaps you could teach me? That is your speciality, after all.”

“Ah,” Caleb says, feeling his cheeks warm. “We’ll see about that.”

And after all that imagining, Caleb’s first dance with Essek is… good. Comfortable. Despite what he has implied, Essek is not a bad dancer, not really– he is a little unpracticed with his footwork, as is to be expected from someone who doesn’t use his feet with much frequency. He is a proud man who plainly takes his every misstep personally. But he is also intelligent, with a good memory for complex somatics, and he is stubborn and more than willing to struggle in the name of learning.

And, in any case, Caleb could hardly care about Essek stumbling a bit in his arms. Not now that he was finally there.

“Well,” he asks, as they find a steady rhythm. “What do you think?”

Essek’s confidence is returning to him, now that he’s found his footing. “I think I was right,” he says with a slight smile. He squeezes Caleb’s shoulder. “You are a good teacher.”

“Thank you for humoring me.”

“It’s hardly an imposition.” Essek’s expression shifts back to focus as Caleb leads him through a newer step. Though he briefly stumbles, he catches himself quickly, and, Caleb notices that his posture has never once dropped to anything less than perfect. The thought brings with it a wave of fondness that has him forcing back a smile.

Essek notices, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Caleb shrugs, just to feel the pressure of Essek’s hand on his shoulder again. “Just happy.”

Immediately, Essek’s expression softens, the way Caleb first noticed when he kissed him on the cheek for the first time. The way it does so often, now. “Good,” he says, very gently.

And because he can, Caleb pulls Essek closer to him, their steps slowing into a simple sway. Essek falters a bit at first, unsure what Caleb is doing, but as Caleb rests a cheek against his temple, he seems to understand, allowing himself to be pulled chest to chest with Caleb, their fingers entwining.

“I have always loved dancing,” he murmurs, watching Essek’s ear twitch at the feeling of his breath.

Essek hums. “I can’t say the same. But I think I could be convinced.”

This time, Caleb can’t hold back his smile.

“Wunderbar.”

[utilitycaster]

Wizard Breakdown Tracker #3, episode 133

Greetings and salutations to the exercise I have set upon myself, which is to say deciding the relative mental stability of Wizard NPCs who have been subjected to the Mighty Nein. My intent is to do this at least until Trent Ikithon has fucked off this mortal coil and/or been thoroughly deposed and humiliated.

As a reminder Caleb Widogast is a member of the Mighty Nein and a PC and therefore excluded from these calculations. Wizards who haven’t been seen or heard from lately and about whom I don’t have anything funny to say about will not get a full blurb, but as they re-enter the main narrative so will they re-enter the list. Currently, this is the Essek Thelyss Show ft. Trent and the Volstruckers with guest appearances by Yussa and Allura.

Currently sidelined: Oremid Hass, Known Gem Wizard Hotsauce Lutefisk (I am going to reuse this stupid joke name for him until it doesn’t make me laugh at my own joke anymore, which will probably be never), Pumat Sol (who I hope is having a great day), Ludinus Da’leth (who I hope is not but in true laissez-faire rat bastard form, probably is).

Vess D wasn’t there/morning time in Eiselcross or at her job or anywhere/they snuck in and took her life/and we noticed that her spellbook’s gone and that she’s covered in red eyes.

Trent Ikithon: Okay with the caveat that it’s been a very long time since I saw the entire movie and our only update is Artagan taking a moment from his busy schedule of traveling the globe in the direction of the sun such that he is always technically day-drinking to tell Jester that Trent’s biding his time, I’m getting real Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Frollo vibes. Except instead of Catholicism and lust, it’s nationalism and an unquenchable thirst for power and control, and also he does not feel guilty in the slightest. He’s not at Hellfire levels yet but he will get there and I am slightly disappointed that due to the constraints of a D&D game we do not get an even more fucked up version of the song Hellfire.

Conclusion: 6/10. Slowly stepping it up. Also here’s the great thing: while we know Caleb is going to come after him next, he doesn’t, and the Nein didn’t tell any world governments about the threat of the city unless you count the Tal’Dorei Council via Allura, which means for all intents and purposes they just disappeared into Eiselcross...except Trent also knows Caleb disappeared for five or six years once before and reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. If Caleb weren’t dedicated to the noble goal of ending the Volstrucker program ASAP, he could just chill for a year or so and then pull a really stellar Surprise Bitch move and maybe just get Trent’s heart to explode.

Essek Thelyss: He got a good night’s trance and weird physical affection from a giant ape Caleb and he was healed by Caduceus and he had a serious conversation with the first true peer and one of the first friends he’s ever known about how high-level wizardry may not necessarily corrupt absolutely. And, of course, soup. I mean they are about to head into a terrible battle but he’s at full health and spells and he’s a valued member of the team and his friends love him SO MUCH.

Conclusion: 5/10. There is a distinction between a breakdown and being in a very high pressure situation, and he got some nice moments of respite this week. With that said do I think that post-battle, should he survive (HE BETTER) a whole lot of anxiety will come crashing back? Yeah.

Astrid Beck: With Trent in a holding pattern he’s got to be turning up the mind games on her; I have to imagine he suspects and then she suspects that he suspects and it’s a whole mess, but I’ve said that already. But also just like, in general, I think her speech to Caleb back when he first contacted her was genuine in many ways and specifically I think she was likely to have been Trent’s New Golden Child and then suddenly that got yanked out from under her for still more mind games; I think her difference in demeanor between that meeting and the dinner was partially Trent being present, but partially her having realized in the interim that she will likely never have anything to show for two decades of pain and doing terrible things and nonstop bullshit.

Conclusion: still keeping her at 8/10 until further notice but like. Astrid’s having a bad time.

Um actually Eadwulf is the monster? The hero’s name is Grendel: Okay meanwhile here’s my totally unsupported Eadwulf headcanon of this week which is that he meanwhile always knew he was not the favorite and probably never would be and while I doubt he ever had particularly noble goals I would not be surprised if he had an exit strategy. Personally I hope he tries card-counting in that casino in Ank’harel and gets kicked out posthaste and then tries being a wizard/some kind of divine caster multiclass in Vasselheim and also gets kicked out but finally becomes like an old-school hermit figure somewhere in the woods of Issylra and Campaign 3′s party runs into him.

Conclusion: also keeping him at 4/10 until further notice.

Allura Vyesoren: It’s time to acknowledge that this episode covered a span of like...8 hours? And presuming the Nein are sort of trying to keep a normal sleep schedule, maybe, and using a comparison of Eiselcross being at a comparable time zone to say, Nicodranas, and it’s 5 hours into the night for them, and we know that around mid-day for Nicodranas was early morning for Emon...honestly she’s probably relaxing with a glass of wine. Unless Wensforth contacted her.

Conclusion: I’m going to let Allura have a good day. She’s at 2/10 because the threat of Aeor will be in the back of her mind but also she’s seen a bunch of idiots kill dragons and Vecna and they didn’t even have a wizard.

Yussa Errenis: Experiencing a great disturbance in the Astral Sea, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and then just like, kept doing that.

Conclusion: I decided to really go all out last week on the infinity jokes and left myself nothing to go on, huh. Anyway this breakdown goes to 11 (out of 10).

[widobravely]

wishlist for trent ikithon blumentrio dinner:

jester drops oops stones in every corner of the place

yasha/fjord drops alchemist's fire

beau threatens trent

the house gets set on fire in some way

jester scrutinizes astrid to see if her nose actually IS handsome (and to see who's prettier)

there's a poisoning attempt. by ikithon? by the nein? by an outside party? whomst knows. (possibly by veth and/or caduceus let's be real)

THE CLERICS DROP GREATER RESTORATION ON ASTRID AND EADWULF PLEASE

[artaphant]

I had a thought today about how great it would have been if, at the dinner party, Trent spoke in Zemnian.

I mean it would have been a great dividing point- none of the Nein are Zemnian and would have been a play to remind Caleb of his roots, that only he, Astrid and Eadwulf truly understand him. And he could give some heavy bakchanded insults to the M9.

But then Beauregard just fucking roasts him back in Zemnian, or in common bc I don't know exactly how that skill works. Everyone is stunned into silence.

Until Yasha quietly turns to Caleb and asks in Celestial what Trent had just said, and that she could easily kill him if he says the word. Beau cackles in delight and nods in agreement.

Veth chimes up in Halfling- "Do you speak Zemnian now??" And those two start a chat about Beau's skills and how they want to kill this fucker so bad.

Jester, seeing the chaos and wanting in, turns towards Fjord and speaks in Infernal, "Fjord do you know Infernal?" And being the master improvisationalist, Fjord mimics the sounds of Infernal and pantomimes a conversation of jibberish with Beau occasionally chiming in Common.

Caduceus weakly mentions that this seems like really poor table manners but at some point Jester asks if anyone speaks Sylvan (Her childhood friend is an archfey she should know the language) and Caduceus responds and they talk about how yeah it's shitty but Icky-thong did it first. And then it is a cacophony of three to four languages at once

Astrid and Eadwulf look around the table in vague confusion, picking up some of the language tossed around the table, maybe one or both knowing the three shared languages and listening on those little conversations or picking up the Abyssal "I could really go for a spider leg right now" from Yasha, or Beau's Deep Speech cry, "Pussy"

They keep switching between all the languages they know just to see which the others recognize and then back to shared languages beside Common. Beau and Jester are the biggest perpetrators of this when Beau touches Jester's arm and can now reply in Infernal.

At some point Caleb murmurs an apology to Astrid and Eadwulf. "It's an interesting study in language, and how diverse your group is." Astrid mutters, giving nervous glances to Trent and wondering how long he'll let this continue.

Trent patiently waits for the noise to die down before giving an insincere apology about the rudeness of using foreign language. "It is just much... simpler to communicate to Bren in our native tongue."

"I agree, it feels much easier," Yasha replies in Celestial while Beau nods, and Jester continues to speak in Infernal, with Beau translating.. somewhat.

The party resumes with Caleb using a mix of Zemnian, Common and Celestial depending on what he says, and pretty much anyone else chit-chatting in a shared language. Jester continues speaking Infernal, letting Beau make up a translation for her and getting the strangest looks from Astrid.

It isn't until they all leave the mansion that the Nein learns Astrid speaks Infernal.